#contemporary manifestations of evil

[hermajestyimher]

Manifestation as a Christian: A Comprehensive Biblical Guide

Manifestation, the practice of bringing one's desires into reality through positive thinking, visualization, and affirmations, has gained significant attention in contemporary culture. For Christians, understanding and utilizing manifestation within a biblical framework can provide a powerful and faith-anchored approach to achieving goals and experiencing blessings. This guide explores the biblical basis for manifestation, aligns it with scriptural teachings, and offers practical steps for Christians to use manifestation while remaining rooted in their faith.

Biblical Basis for Manifestation

Faith and Belief

The Bible emphasizes the power of faith and belief, which are core components of manifestation:

Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Mark 11:24 - "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

The tenent highlighted in these verses shows us the importance of believing in what you ask for, reflecting the foundational principle of manifestation which many may refer to as "Law of Assumption" that faith and belief are crucial to bring things forward into reality.

Positive Confession

The Bible also teaches the power of words and the importance of speaking positively, as our words have immense power to bring forward good but also evil into our lives:

Proverbs 18:21 - "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits."

Romans 4:17 - "As it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist."

Our words shape our reality, it's crucial that we become aware of this, so as to not allow corrupt talk to come out of our lips.

God’s Will and Alignment

Understanding and aligning with God’s will is essential in the manifestation process:

1 John 5:14-15 - "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him."

Matthew 6:33 - "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

These verses stress the importance of aligning our desires with God's will, ensuring that our manifestations are in harmony with His divine plan, which as we will see further below, are plans to prosper us and give us a future to look forward to.

Understanding Manifestation Biblically

God as the Source

In biblical teaching, God is the ultimate source of all provision and blessing. While contemporary manifestation often emphasizes the individual's power to attract or create their reality, the Bible underscores that all good things come from God:

James 1:17 - "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

Prayer and Supplication

Believers are encouraged to bring their desires and needs to God through prayer and supplication, acknowledging their dependence on Him:

Philippians 4:6-7 - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Gratitude and Thanksgiving

Gratitude is a key element in both biblical teaching and modern manifestation practices. Giving thanks, even before receiving what has been asked for, reflects faith and trust in God’s provision:

1 Thessalonians 5:18 - "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Action and Faith

Manifestation involves not just belief but also taking actionable steps towards one’s goals. The Bible supports the idea that faith should be accompanied by corresponding actions:

James 2:26 - "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead."

Ensuring Good Things by Being Anchored to God

Confidence in Prayer

1 John 5:14-15 can be connected with Jeremiah 29:11 to emphasize the assurance of God’s good intentions for us. Jeremiah 29:11 states:

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

God's will is to prosper us and give us hope and a future. Therefore, when we pray in alignment with these good plans, we can be assured that God hears and answers our prayers. And when we pray with the assurance of knowing that these things we ask will come to pass, we exercise extreme faith, which is pleasing before God.

Assurance of God’s Good Plans

Knowing that God's plans are to prosper us and not to harm us provides reassurance that He will only allow what is ultimately for our benefit. Even when we face challenges or things don't go as we planned, we can trust that God’s ultimate purpose is for our good and better things are on their way:

Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Sometimes what we desire may not come to pass immediately or in the way we expect. Trusting in God’s wisdom and timing is crucial.

Manifestation as a God-Given Tool

Gift of Manifestation

Manifestation can be seen as a God-given tool that allows us to participate in bringing forth blessings and positive outcomes in our lives:

Genesis 1:27 - "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

Being made in God's image implies that we have creative power and the ability to influence our reality. There is no greater creator than God, all creation comes from Him, and by being made in his own image, we carry the power to create with us as well.

Anchored in God

When we anchor our manifestation practices in God, we align our desires and actions with His will:

Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Seeking God’s guidance and wisdom helps us discern what is truly beneficial for us:

James 1:5 - "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

Protection from Harm

When we manifest with God, we trust Him to protect us from things that might seem good but could ultimately harm us, because ultimately we are bringing forward His will for us, which as we've seen, can only be for our benefit:

Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Manifestation, when viewed as a tool given by God, becomes a powerful practice that brings blessings and positive outcomes into our lives. By anchoring ourselves in God and surrendering our desires to Him, we ensure that only good things come our way. This approach integrates the power of positive thinking and faith with a deep trust in God's perfect will and timing. By understanding and believing that God's will is inherently good and designed for our benefit, we can approach Him with confidence, knowing that He will fulfill His promises to prosper us and give us hope and a future.

[toshiirou]

racism in Nintendo 2: electric boogaloo

hello and welcome back it is i, once more. to talk about the elephant in the room that has reappeared in the release of the totk designs. a suspiciously green elephant i might say

this is of course about ganon

i have made a few posts before about ganon - about how it's not anti-racist to 'redeem' his role as an all-evil villain by sexualising him; about the fan response to the first totk trailer and the rehydrated ganondorf trend; and how other characters (namely link) do not get the same treatment that ganon gets for similar design features.

what i want to give today is a more straightforward explanation of 1. why it is bad that ganon is green (yes, it is in fact bad) and 2. the orientalism inherent in his totk design. i know a lot of people find him hot, and might become defensive that i'm pointing out features that they enjoy. the fact of the matter is that the sexualisation of totk ganon is done by deliberately playing upon erotic orientalist tropes and this is something that shouldn't be ignored for personal comfort.

so to start. the green skin. im going to quote an article called Greenface: Exploring green skin in contemporary Hollywood cinema by Brady Hammond, which can be summed up by the arguement in the

"article [is] that as overtly racist cinematic depictions associated with real-world skin colors – particularly black skin – have decreased, Hollywood cinema has relocated those tropes onto green skin."

and I agree. I've talked about coding before in relation to loz, and it is no stretch to consider that a character can be representative of some particular demographic(s) without replicating their features in their entirety.

Without doubt it is straightforward to say that ganon represents a brown or black man. The gerudo are heavily inspired by the SWANA region, and not to mention that most of the gerudo indeed have a brown skin tone. botw having lighter and darker skinned gerudo is still representative of the SWANA region and the variety of looks we have there.

and thus coding done with ganon's design - intentional or otherwise - cannot escape the racial implications that ganon is very clearly a brown or black man. which means negative coding that coincides with preexisting racist coding and racial stereotypes will carry those same racist undertones. none of it is undermined by that nintendo is a Japanese company or that this is a fictional world in a video game. deliberate design choices made by real people can't be absolved from racism when it's convenient

to start:

"David Batchelor states that ‘color has been the object of extreme prejudice in Western culture’. This prejudice, he argues, manifests itself by either dismissing color outright as ‘superficial’ or by denigrating it and ‘[making it] out to be the property of some “foreign” body – usually the feminine, the oriental, the primitive, the infantile, the vulgar, the queer or the pathological’."

and

"More importantly, given the ability of the cinema screen to render fantastic spaces and colors it is necessary to consider how characters are represented when they feature an unnatural or even impossible skin color."

the gerudo have always had an orientalist lens laid over them. ganon has always had strong animalistic associations, and has appeared non-human a number of times. this was fine before nintendo retconned him to specifically be a brown man from a group that are explicitly human in the same way that hylians are human and other round-eared people in the loz franchise are human. it is racist to seperate the gerudo exclusively from other human groups as having explicitly non-human characteristics given their prolific role as the first group of brown humans in tloz, and the most foreign and exoticized group of humans.

to give ganon green skin is thusly, a way that implicitly denies his humanity. and it becomes pointed when this primitive and animalistic coding occurs most frequently to the brown man villain. now that totk revived ganon as a humaoid it becomes more pointed that he's denied the same human skintone of the rest of the gerudo, and it's quite frankly upsetting to see this happen and to be glossed over.

more specifically. green has preexisting racist associations for black and brown characters specifically. that is because green has long been used in media to depict the racialised other by linking them with real world negative racist stereotypes. an example given in the article "in Star Trek (1966-1969) when an alien woman of the Orion race dances. Her skin is an emerald green and she is both hyper-feminine and an alien Other." not commented upon but which is more evidence to the racial stereotyping of green skin is that the orion woman is depicted in a distinctly orientalist manner: with a hypersexualized outfit and routine that is reminiscent of belly dancer fantasies. the low light, setting choices, and recurring theme of the slave women dancing provocatively plays upon the western imaginations of the Harem.

as you can see:

other examples of the green other include orcs (with their own swath of racial stereotypes), the grinch, aliens, gremlins, goblins, etc. what often occurs is that green characters are concurrently linked to ethnic stereotypes through coding that is brought together in the fantasy realm by their green skin. that coding may include racism, orientalism, xenophobia, antisemitism, anti-indigenous stereotypes or so on. it is clear that ganon representing a brown/black man brings with it negative coding in the game as the only villain, his animalistic associations, his domineering violence that stands apart from the primarily female gerudo, and as the racialised other. this coding would still exist if he was not green. but it is an affront to dignity to remove the humanity of a brown man by also making him green.

if i have not yet lost you then to wrap up: the fetishizing other. as established with his coding, ganon's humanity is put into question with his design, and he can be linked to the SWANA region. evocative of a harem is the only (violent and dangerous) man from a group of women who are hidden away, and is explicitly a danger to both them and western/hylian rule and ideology.

His imagery is paired with similar design choices made for the gerudo women to sexualize him and invoke imagery of the sexy orient, the beast that can be tamed, and so on. This is done primarily with his torso being bare while he wears gold jewelry, in a way almost reminiscent of chains or cuffs. brown and black men are fetishized through sexualising them as erotic beasts, which is clear to the image that totk ganon's design presents. even the toe rings play into this - as a practice with a long history in India as worn by married women (and men, in Tamil culture).

much akin to the face veil for women, brown and black men are often sexualised through (usually gold) jewelry. specifically (like with the veil) the juxtaposition between their lack of full covering (bare torso is most common) and the abundance of ornamental jewelry. it shows their body as this exotic, decorated prize, where their nudity is highlighted by what they do wear. [this remains true despite the real world groups in the swana region that have traditionally topless outfits for men. that sort of respectful and researched depiction of cultural outfits it not what is happening here, clearly]

[note: there are clear elements of ganon's outfit that have a noticeable influence of the samurai, and the outfit is not exclusively made from one source. however the features of the outfit that i am mentioning, the jewellery, toe ring, even the trousers, are not part of the samurai aspect. it is in conjunction with the other coding and features that ganon having a bare torso becomes anything more significant]

which all goes to say that totk ganon's design continues Nintendo's legacy of racism. He is simultaneously dehumanised and sexualised - which only serves to further his dehumanisation. I am not going to ask for or address his role as a villain, what I want is just a modicum of respect.

[whencyclopedia]

Angels in Ancient Judaism

The concept and function of angels in ancient Judaism were some of the many elements incorporated from contemporary cultures and religious views. The Hebrew malakh was translated into the Greek angelos, both of which indicated not their nature, but their function as "one who is sent" or "a messenger." Angels were a form of divination or the way gods communicated their will to humans.

The Seraphim Mosaic

Hagia Sophia Research Team (CC BY-NC-SA)

The Ancient View of the World

All ancient peoples perceived their world as a three-tiered structure of the universe:

Heavens – the upper domain of the gods. There was often a "king of the gods", who ruled over lower and subservient gradients of divinity. The lowest level of divine beings were the daemons (Greek for "attendant"), who, over time, as "demons" became responsible for evil and what went wrong in life.

Earth – the domain of animals and humans. The lower divinities were assigned responsibility for specific areas of human culture such as agriculture, craftsmanship, and war. Gods and lesser divinities could possess humans, with the ability to speak in their name. These oracles were both a person and a place.

Underworld – the land of the dead. Originally the place for all the dead, ideas were eventually expanded to describe separate places for the righteous and wicked dead. Gods and lesser divinities were the only ones who could visit the land of the dead and return.

A shared cultural concept of all ancient religions was the experience of divine encounters with the gods and the lesser divinities. Dreams or visions, such encounters were also described as epiphanies, manifestations of the divine on earth.

Continue reading...

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Daniel Ben-Ami

A man goes into a store to buy a can of Pepsi. The proceeds of the sale go through a chain of cash-thumbing, financial intermediaries. Eventually the money is handed over to someone to pay for the manufacture of a missile. The missile is fitted on to a combat aircraft, which closes in on its target. Eventually the missile locks on to a (presumably) Palestinian child. As it explodes, the word ‘boycott’ flashes up on screen.

This video, distributed on X by Palestine Online, is just one of countless anti-Israel clips on social media. But it bears closer examination as it helps to illustrate the nature of contemporary anti-Semitism. Here, as in many other cases today, Jews are not overtly identified. There is not even an explicit mention of Israel. Instead, the video assumes the target viewer will recognise the not-so-subtle anti-Semitic pointers, such as references to financial speculation and the age-old ‘blood libel’ of child murder. Not identifying Jews directly also gives some degree of deniability to anyone who wants to claim they are not anti-Semitic.

That’s not to downplay the existence of overt anti-Semitism. This has increased dramatically since 7 October. In the past few days alone, an Orthodox Jewish man has been stabbed in Zurich while another was beaten outside a Paris synagogue. But a great deal of Jew hatred still tends to take a disguised form.

Its most common manifestation, as the ‘boycott’ Pepsi video indicates, is an animus towards Israel. An animus that long predates its current war with Hamas. In the warped view of anti-Israel activists, Israel is the epitome of evil. It is said to be manipulating finance for its own ends and slaughtering children. Supposedly, it is a ‘genocidal’, ‘apartheid’ state – morally charged terms that tend not to be applied to other nations.

Seeing Israel as evil incarnate, today’s anti-Israel activists target its every manifestation. They try to cancel Israeli dance companies in New York. They demand Israel’s expulsion from the Eurovision song contest. And they attempt to banish it from the Olympics and the football World Cup. In short, they seek to erase Israel from the world. That is the true meaning of today’s boycott campaigns. To purge the world of any Israeli presence. To eradicate any signs of Israeli culture.

[tritoch]

wild to me to see posts like "wow everything in the tempest is named after shakespeare...emet you melodramatic bitch you sure loved theater". because the prospero-emet thing gets played up so hard in the english script and you can carry it so far!

like prospero is an asshole magician who, after being deposed by his brother as duke of milan, settles himself and his daughter on a remote island, enslaves the local spirits using his magic, and bitterly plots to reclaim his past glories. he rules through violence and deceit, and only survives and is reconciled when his plots reach their fruition and his brother is taken to his remote island and plots ensue and everyone decides he was totally right all along and they were huge dicks to him and they're sooooo sorry and he gets to go back and be duke again wow! and it's okay because he's like "i was only doing mean magic to get my rightful spot back and now i'm giving it up because magic is evil. :)"

the tempest is what emet wants his life to be. prospero is not a villain in the text of the tempest. he is barely treated as antagonistic by the text and framing of the play itself. all his abuses, his neglect and control of his daughter, his enslavement of caliban and ariel (local spirits/monsters/people of the island), his deception and plots against his brother, his abuse of magical powers (not awesome, from the pov of the contemporary audience), all that ultimately gets swept aside in the rightness of his return to milan and the warm feeling of the world being set to rights. prospero can't undo the years he spent on the island but they are ultimately a blip in his life before he returns to the rightful state of affairs. his abuse and enslavement of caliban, easily the worst thing he does in the play, is totally set aside when caliban goes "wow now i see how truly benevolent my master is. i love him and see the ways of christian good and i'm so, so appreciative he chose not to kill or beat me even though he totally could have and would have been in the right. he's so just and intelligent." everyone loves and forgives him and they all agree both his management of the island and his ultimate return are so good and so wise and so right.

emet comparing himself to the tempest (or being compared to it, depending on how you want to read the diegetic status of the place names) is absolute wishcasting. it is an attempt to manifest the happy ending he will never, ever get because his sins cannot and would not be forgiven in the way he wants. he wants to imagine himself as the righteous returned duke whose crimes, including the enslavement, abuse, and exploitation of those he saw as his rightful inferiors, were totally worth it, i promise. and if emet is prospero, the warrior of light is his caliban.

[talonabraxas]

Shiva’s Third Eye art by EyeOfOrdum

The Unveiled Insight: The Significance of Lord Shiva’s Third Eye

In the intricate tapestry of Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva commands reverence as a deity of profound spirituality and cosmic balance. Among the many captivating aspects of his character, the third eye of Lord Shiva stands out as an enigmatic symbol. Often referred to as the “eye of wisdom,” Shiva’s third eye holds a deep-seated significance that transcends physical form, representing insight, enlightenment, and transformation. In this blog, we will delve into the captivating story and the spiritual significance of Shiva’s third eye.

The Mythical Origin of the Third Eye

The origin of Shiva’s third eye is a compelling narrative that resonates through the annals of Hindu mythology. According to the ancient texts, the gods once found themselves threatened by the relentless tyranny of a demon named Tarkasura. In a desperate plea for assistance, the gods turned to Lord Shiva, the cosmic dancer and the destroyer of evil.

As the cosmic battle between Shiva and Tarkasura unfolded, the demon resorted to cunning tactics, transforming himself into a formidable buffalo. Undeterred by the disguise, Shiva recognized the deception and unleashed his third eye’s fiery gaze. The intensity of this gaze was so immense that it consumed Tarkasura instantly, thwarting the malevolent force.

Symbolism Encompassed by Shiva’s Third Eye

Beyond its mythological tale, Shiva’s third eye is laden with layers of symbolism that hold profound spiritual and cosmic meanings:

Transcendence and Insight: Shiva’s third eye is a manifestation of his all-encompassing insight and transcendent wisdom. It symbolizes the ability to perceive beyond the immediate and comprehend the deeper truths that govern existence.

Destruction and Renewal: As the deity who dances the cosmic dance of creation and destruction, Shiva’s third eye represents the power of transformation. Its fiery gaze signifies the destruction of ignorance and attachment, paving the way for spiritual rebirth and renewal.

Mystical Awareness: Often associated with the “ajna” chakra, the sixth energy center in the human body, Shiva’s third eye represents spiritual awareness and heightened consciousness. This inner eye enables individuals to perceive reality beyond the material realm.

Balance and Equilibrium: The third eye embodies Shiva’s role as the ultimate balancer of cosmic forces. It reminds us of the importance of maintaining equilibrium between the material and spiritual dimensions of life.

Control over Desires: In certain interpretations, the tale of Shiva’s third eye symbolizes the mastery over desires. Shiva’s ability to maintain emotional balance and control his desires in the face of deception underscores the significance of self-discipline.

Fearlessness and Protection: The third eye’s fiery gaze also serves as a shield of protection for devotees, symbolizing the courage to confront challenges and overcome obstacles on the spiritual path.

Contemporary Relevance of Shiva’s Third Eye:-

Inner Wisdom: In an era inundated with distractions, Shiva’s third eye reminds us to cultivate inner wisdom and intuition. It urges us to see beyond the surface and recognize the deeper truths that guide our journey.

Transformational Power: Just as Shiva’s third eye signifies the transformative power of destruction and renewal, it encourages us to embrace change and view challenges as opportunities for growth.

Spiritual Evolution: The third eye symbolizes a journey of spiritual evolution, urging us to awaken our inner eye and tap into our highest potential. It guides us toward self-discovery, self-awareness, and higher states of consciousness.

Balancing Duality: Shiva’s third eye embodies the harmony between opposing forces. In our lives, it serves as a reminder to strike a balance between material pursuits and spiritual aspirations.

[marypickfords]

A Warning to the Curious (Lawrence Gordon Clark, 1972) Unfriended: Dark Web (Stephen Susco, 2018)

“The template for the perfect scary story is pretty much set in stone, and it’s unlikely that any technological advancement is going to change that. The ghost tales devised by the Victorian writer M.R. James at the beginning of the 20th century will remain the bedrock for the genre as we know it. [...] [H]e alighted upon and would consistently return to a basic, endlessly reproducible scenario: an antiquarian or scholar, usually fusty, male, and set in his ways, comes into possession of a relic, manuscript or other object of mysterious provenance and great interest, and this item turns out in some way to be haunted and/or coveted by the being who once owned it. [...]

One of the few recent horror movies that gave me the particularly Jamesian pit-of-stomach dread that comes from peeking a little too far below the surface of our seemingly safe everyday existence is 2018’s Unfriended: Dark Web, Stephen Susco’s rigorously conceived sequel to the also impressive yet more predictably moralizing Unfriended (2014). It’s perhaps a film that few would upon first glance consider classical or elegantly shaped, yet Dark Web’s ruthless exploitation of contemporary fears—of losing one’s identity, of being found out, of making one wrong misstep that has everlasting consequences—are firmly rooted in the scary story template. In “Oh Whistle,” the young professor Perkins absconds with an ancient, hieroglyphic-laden whistle he discovers buried in the sand amongst the groynes of a coastal town in eastern England; he later makes the mistake of blowing it. In Unfriended: Dark Web, our ostensible hero Matias (Colin Woodell), pilfers a laptop from a coffee house’s lost and found; it’s not as magical as the strange artifact buried on a rocky shore, but it’s useful for his purposes, and, like Perkins, he definitely should have left it where found it.

As in the classic ghost story, the owners of the object are coming back to claim it—in this case black-hooded figures who might be real, but who appear as staticky, pixellated manifestations of otherworldly evil. Or perhaps underworldly evil: as the title implies, this thing goes deep, man, all the way down to the heavily encrypted world of darknet that has inspired countless contemporary urban legends, here envisioned as a journey to Hades by rowboat, animated with rudimentary, Atari-era graphics. As though they’ve been hit with a fatal computer virus, all of his friends—who have gathered in their respective spaces to partake of “game night”—also are, in a sense, infected by association. The film’s logic is like a less literal Ringu: as soon as one sees the horrifying images, there’s no way back. The excavations of the dark web are essentially files buried deep within our collective subconscious.”  — Michael Koresky, A Few Great Pumpkins XIV

[dgrailwar]

Further Servant details under the cut:

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO:

The Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantès. The protagonist of Dumas' famous novel, 'The Count of Monte Cristo', a classical revenge story. The tale of an innocent soul twisted by treachery and betrayal, and ruining the lives of those who wronged him with an intense and unrelenting flame.

While Dantès himself eventually found mercy and happiness outside of his quest for revenge, his incarnation as an Avenger is still swathed with nothing but burning wrath. To make those who are his enemies suffer, and burn away all that is evil in the world. An Avenger born of love, that speaks of hatred. To those that prove themselves, he serves as an unrelenting ally, and to his enemies he is a terrifying force of nature.

Possessing dark treasures and an indefatigable will, his black flames sear and poison all who touch them, he is a powerful warrior- much more powerful than the man described in Dumas' novel.

NITOCRIS (ALTER):

An ancient Pharaoh, one of the oldest Heroic Spirits recorded within the Throne of Heroes, most well-known for the murder of those that wronged her family.

A great Divine Spirit with control over the dead, the Heroic Spirit Nitocris possesses no true vengeance in her heart, therefore to be an Avenger she must have lost some of her reasoning. This manifests in her being a 'double-Summon' of an Avenger and a Berserker.

She is the earthly embodiment of Anubis, the deity who weighs the souls of those entering the Underworld in order to judge their worthiness and measure their sins. She lacks the human intensity of her traditional self, instead being replaced with a cold, focused calmness that can see the world with an objective eye often lacking in her contemporaries (both Berserkers and Avengers).

JEANNE D'ARC (ALTER):

The twisted version of the 'Holy Maiden' from the Hundred Year's War, Jeanne d'Arc.

To witness the manifestation an 'alter' of a pure soul such as Jeanne d'Arc would need to be a miracle within its own right. Rather than a holy maiden, this Servant manifests as a violent witch, a warrior that represents the cruel rumors that led the original to be burned at the stake, and the hatred that should have come along with it.

Embittered and scathing, she watches the pious and the heathen, the just and the cruel-- all burn with a sneer and an echoing cackle. She lacks faith in all things- perhaps even herself- and uses that lack of faith to justify her endless crusade. The world is nothing more than kindling for her to set ablaze, so that she may watch it all burn to the ground.

[invested-in-your-future]

With how bunch of freshmen like team RWBY have been cleaning up the house you'd think Remnant would be free of grimm by now.

Honestly?

I think that's one of the issues where the showrunners wrote themselves into the corner.

On one hand, Remnant is supposed to be this scary world with huntsmen barely holding back literal manifestations of evil. Villages disappear off the map, towns get overrun, the terrifying Goliaths roam the lands and a single mistake can mess up an entire Kingdom.

On the other hand, though, the "good guys" have to have progress and have cool fights (even if there's nobody to animate them anymore) where they win in cool effortless ways (effortless because they miss the point on why people praised stuff like Nevermore fight), get to one-shot the very same unbeatable Goliaths without really having improved in strength all while also cleaning up fodder everywhere.

Yet the viewers also would assume that teenagers who barely spent a year at Beacon would be nowhere near as powerful as actual full-fledged huntsmen, right? The show even tries to highlight that at first with the professors and the like having an absurd level of power.

At the same time, there's an absolute fear of doing anything in terms of human conflict. Can't showcase the more grim aspect of being a huntsman too much either because can't have the good guys' side look even remotely morally ambiguous either. So you just have four kingdoms sort of sitting there filled with overpowered people(and more and more get trained every day).

Just think back to all the good Grimm designs that were built up as ultra-powerful and get deleted in seconds by four kids who haven't even finished their training.

And at the same time the show shies away from any specifics about Grimm or how the threat even works (because, honestly, likely even the showrunners have no idea). They are this basic non-human redshirt enemy mook option that just shows up when the showrunners need to use Ruby as a flashbang.

No wonder half the audience doesn't get why something like Atlas wanting to take the Grimm threat seriously would be a "valid point". Despite what the show tries to tell the audience, super-sci-fi contemporary weaponry, and the like doesn't even seem to be needed. An average literal dog can likely clean out a few square kilometers of land a day.

Honestly, I think that's one of the reasons why they tried adding relics nonsense (beyond it giving them just a very simple plot structure without needing to think why people are where they are) - to invent another reason to make "The Bad Guys" scary. One that the good guys can't simply shoot their way out of. It's why they are attempting to give Salem an immediate goal that she'd be doing (despite her just sitting around for hundreds of years) that would lead to very bad things happening.

It is also why they make ridiculous attempts at over-playing the importance of Salem's immortality (when, if thinking logically, even the nature of the threat of the Grimm is already something that SHOULD be taken as something that can't be eradicated with how the civilization works in RWBY - another unkillable threat shouldn't matter in the face of endless waves of Grimm).

The showrunners, in the crudest way possible, are trying to point at Salem and go - "Look, guys, you should fear her and treat her as an actual real threat to characters you care about. She's not like all the Grimm that plot eyes one-shot after all the build-up. She's the real deal. Look - the threat of Biblical Apocalypse!"

But at the same time, she still...just sits off-screen making vague remarks and not really managing to do anything of note, while her lackeys end up jobbing to kids or, in case of Cinder, undergoing character regression as they throw around temper tantrums.

When all of those factors get put together it's easy to even forget that this setting is supposed to be about civilization barely hanging on against unending waves of eldritch monstrosities. Or that they just had a world war less than hundred years ago and the Kingdoms still don't really like each other that much ("Hey its all fine, guys, we just dropped the entirety of Atlas population into the middle of impoverished Kingdom they tried to literally eradicate eighty years ago, while also creating ultra-scarcity of the resource the entire world runs on - so everyone's friends now").

They could have deleted the Two Gods nonsense in the planning phases and instead used the team separation to expand upon the world and how the threats to it work but alas, Miles Luna wouldn't be able to incorporate a random dream he had into the story then.

[girl-debord]

opinions on liberation theology?

this is a big question! liberation theology looms large in a lot of the circles I've run in in my journey as a Christian communist. I enjoy a lot of Ivan Illich's work, and while he was undoubtedly an influence on the development of liberation theology in Latin America, he was also one of its most outspoken critics (at least on the left). His issues with it generally tie back to concerns about undermining the gospel by tying it to existent political movements. This is a very Illich type of criticism, but I think since the teachings of Jesus do actually have implications to him which many would consider political, he's getting at a frequent problem liberation theology generally, which is its inadequately radical focus--"radical" both in the sense of political radicalism & as in "at the root" theologically. The throughline of liberation theology is taking the content of Christ's teachings regarding freedom & overcoming evil and connecting it to contemporary struggles for liberation. I think this is generally a good impulse as it sets up a theology of an active God--a "God who speaks"--but I haven't found liberation theology to adequately reckon with how the institutional Church can have taken such an active role in the supression of such struggles throughout history. A belief in the liberatory potential of Jesus' ministry is also at the core of my belief, but so is an understanding of the institutional Church as the Antichrist. Illich lets me down here as well, optimistic as he is about the potential for change in the Catholic Church specifically.

Admittedly, I still have a lot to read in this field, and if you have any recommendations, I'm very open! Mainly, my work theologically is about tracing countercurrents in Christianity historically as manifestations of the conflict between this Antichrist and the actual teachings of Jesus.

[santoschristos]

Shiva’s Third Eye art by EyeOfOrdum

The Unveiled Insight: The Significance of Lord Shiva’s Third Eye

In the intricate tapestry of Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva commands reverence as a deity of profound spirituality and cosmic balance. Among the many captivating aspects of his character, the third eye of Lord Shiva stands out as an enigmatic symbol. Often referred to as the “eye of wisdom,” Shiva’s third eye holds a deep-seated significance that transcends physical form, representing insight, enlightenment, and transformation. In this blog, we will delve into the captivating story and the spiritual significance of Shiva’s third eye.

The Mythical Origin of the Third Eye

The origin of Shiva’s third eye is a compelling narrative that resonates through the annals of Hindu mythology. According to the ancient texts, the gods once found themselves threatened by the relentless tyranny of a demon named Tarkasura. In a desperate plea for assistance, the gods turned to Lord Shiva, the cosmic dancer and the destroyer of evil.

As the cosmic battle between Shiva and Tarkasura unfolded, the demon resorted to cunning tactics, transforming himself into a formidable buffalo. Undeterred by the disguise, Shiva recognized the deception and unleashed his third eye’s fiery gaze. The intensity of this gaze was so immense that it consumed Tarkasura instantly, thwarting the malevolent force.

Symbolism Encompassed by Shiva’s Third Eye

Beyond its mythological tale, Shiva’s third eye is laden with layers of symbolism that hold profound spiritual and cosmic meanings:

Transcendence and Insight: Shiva’s third eye is a manifestation of his all-encompassing insight and transcendent wisdom. It symbolizes the ability to perceive beyond the immediate and comprehend the deeper truths that govern existence.

Destruction and Renewal: As the deity who dances the cosmic dance of creation and destruction, Shiva’s third eye represents the power of transformation. Its fiery gaze signifies the destruction of ignorance and attachment, paving the way for spiritual rebirth and renewal.

Mystical Awareness: Often associated with the “ajna” chakra, the sixth energy center in the human body, Shiva’s third eye represents spiritual awareness and heightened consciousness. This inner eye enables individuals to perceive reality beyond the material realm.

Balance and Equilibrium: The third eye embodies Shiva’s role as the ultimate balancer of cosmic forces. It reminds us of the importance of maintaining equilibrium between the material and spiritual dimensions of life.

Control over Desires: In certain interpretations, the tale of Shiva’s third eye symbolizes the mastery over desires. Shiva’s ability to maintain emotional balance and control his desires in the face of deception underscores the significance of self-discipline.

Fearlessness and Protection: The third eye’s fiery gaze also serves as a shield of protection for devotees, symbolizing the courage to confront challenges and overcome obstacles on the spiritual path.

Contemporary Relevance of Shiva’s Third Eye:-

Inner Wisdom: In an era inundated with distractions, Shiva’s third eye reminds us to cultivate inner wisdom and intuition. It urges us to see beyond the surface and recognize the deeper truths that guide our journey.

Transformational Power: Just as Shiva’s third eye signifies the transformative power of destruction and renewal, it encourages us to embrace change and view challenges as opportunities for growth.

Spiritual Evolution: The third eye symbolizes a journey of spiritual evolution, urging us to awaken our inner eye and tap into our highest potential. It guides us toward self-discovery, self-awareness, and higher states of consciousness.

Balancing Duality: Shiva’s third eye embodies the harmony between opposing forces. In our lives, it serves as a reminder to strike a balance between material pursuits and spiritual aspirations.

The spiritual Eye sees illumination where the normal Eye can only see Darkness.

May the eternal Sun guide your new Balance.

[bigblueoctoling]

So, Side Order

Thoughts and theories below. I'll be getting into Everything.

I think Side Order sets off with a very bad first impression, but the story shortly develops. Side Order's biggest fault is simply in placing the Finale at the end of the first run; Of course one naturally should assume that more content would come after beating your first run, since this was very obviously marketed as a roguelike, but a roguelike generally shouldn't present completing your first run as completing the game. Any contemporary roguelike like Hades or Isaac will also have the credits after the first run, but the conclusion given is typically that Your Job Is Not Over. The way Side Order does it is as if Isaac's first ending was The Beast. I can't really blame people for mistakenly believing that the "Story" was over after that.

I also have to mention that I LOVE the Final Final Phase with collecting All Of The Color Swatches, but it really really cheapens how cool of a moment it is for Eight when the FINAL ATTACK is just... Pearl doing the killer wail a second time. Like, could you really not come up with ANYTHING else? I like Pearl's killer wail, it's cool, but it just felt like Eight got completely robbed of a moment.

With those two things out of the way I can safely say that Side Order was overall very good. It was kind of a rollercoaster for me, initially.

For a lot of it, I was really irked at how generic the whole Evil AI Story was, but it really develops as time goes on without really outright spelling things out for you.

I was deeply worried when I got Octavio's palette; one of my biggest fears for Splatoon currently is the idea of them trying to redeem Octavio, who is blatantly just a war tyrant who grooms child soldiers. That's not me reading too deeply into subtext, that's just what the text is. But as you keep going through it it becomes pretty clear- Marina in particular is the one who's phrasing everything like it's Really Not So Bad.

One of Side Order's major themes is Marina repressing trauma.

Smollusk is never really given an outright explanation on their origin, but I think it's fairly clear if you pay attention to how Smollusk acts- Smollusk is, in part, a manifestation of the "weakness" in Marina's subconscious Order used to infiltrate her mind. As far as evidence goes, it's pretty clear with how Smollusk swoons over Pearl- but additionally, I feel a lot of their notes from clearing palettes are relevant to this. In particular, in relation to the theme of Marina's repressed thoughts, there's Sheldon's info- The fact that they outright condemn Sheldon for taking "two young, impressionable children who've known him since they were babies and raised them to inherit his legacy", and "drill a love for weapons into them" seems to outright be a condemnation of Octavio's treatment of Octarians, while also skirting around directly condemning Octavio of such due to repressing what she went through.

In addition to that, I feel Acht's presence is a key part of this theme as well- it is extremely in character for someone as empathetic as Marina to downplay something she herself went through, especially in the context of being around someone who went through something much worse, with Acht's sanitization. Marina consistently refers to it as her Job, and Octavio as her Boss, while Acht will outright describe it accurately as conscription.

There's also the aspect of the other octarians- namely, the concept of Octarians who "didn't want things to change". At first, the concept reviled me- but I came to realize that this wasn't really about blaming Marina for leaving- after all, this wasn't an active desire of the Octarians involved, this was a shared subconscious feeling. It's less that Marina "abandoned the Octarian Military", but rather, that the people left behind felt abandoned by Marina's leaving. They surely wouldn't actively express this, but... it left an impact all the same.

Most clearly this is expressed by Acht. With the final notes unlocked from Eight's palette, I feel like it paints a very clear picture- Acht cared deeply for Marina. After Marina left... Acht fell into a complete depressive spiral. They used music to fill the void left by her absence, eventually to the point that they were willing to let themselves be sanitized. I feel like a lot of people are kind of distracted by the idea of Acht's irritation of Pearl and Marina's flirting being funny to realize that their discomfort is coming from the fact that Acht had very Heavy feelings for Marina. Acht, possibly more than anyone else, represents the idea of wanting things to stay the same back then. The ultimate conclusion being that Acht moves on from everything, accepts the change, but is happy to be able to be here, in the better future Marina created by making the risk to change everything.

I honestly feel like this is the intended story, but at the same time, that it's going to go over a lot of peoples' heads. But it really paints a very dynamic plotline that I think they handled masterfully.

For context for people who don't know me, to put it bluntly, I kin Acht and Eight pretty fucking hard. I can't say enough how thankful I am that Acht is written largely how I've always envisioned her. I wrote a fairly extensive fic myself on how I imagined sanitization worked, and the way Acht made their way to the surface, and how Marina worked to cure their sanitization. Suffice to say, while my interpretation was different, I'm deeply, deeply pleased that the canonical direction was largely similar to my own, in that Marina would absolutely be way too empathetic to not try to rescue the sanitized octarians from the NILS statue. And for what it's worth, I'm kind of glad, albeit mostly as a writer and less as a player, that they left a lot of the details open-ended, so I have MOUNTAINS of material to work with in writing another, more accurate fic. I'm also very happy that Eight is very heavily relevant! Acht is characterized perfectly. Very emotionally reserved, but has a lot of feelings hidden behind that wall.

As for Eight and Acht, let's talk about them, because I feel they are very intentionally linked, beyond the similarity of their names. It stands out very heavily that Eight's palette is here, but Acht's is simply missing. The idea that Acht's palette was simply already configured doesn't quite track to me- it feels more like an excuse Marina cooked up to keep Acht from worrying. I came to a realization of a theory shortly after completing the game that I was mortified at being true, because it was a worst-case-scenario I thought of shortly after Acht's reveal, which is:

Acht is Eight.

This upset me a lot because, well, I kin both of them- I have a lot of self-perceptions tied to each of them. If they're both the same character, to put it bluntly, it feels like I'm basically having one of them get forcibly removed. Some people get confused when I say this upsets me, but simply put, it just doesn't gel with my brain.

The most upsetting thing is how many holes in the plot it seems to fill in perfectly.

Eight, Marina, and Pearl were the only ones who initially entered the spire. Why was Acht already there, 'physically', as opposed to everyone else who merely got their soul sucked in through the sea cucumber phone?

Where even is Acht, physically? They're presumably still in the NILS statue, since it's pretty heavily implied that the memverse is what made Acht in control over their body.

Why doesn't Acht have a palette, even if it was already somehow automatically complete? Pearl and Marina just sort of have theirs with them. Why doesn't Acht?

Why is Eight's palette so huge and fucked up?

Why does Eight's palette unlock notes from Acht?

Why do we not actually see Acht physically in the real world? On the news, rather than just showing the three standing together, they show Pearl and Marina standing next to the old album art of Acht.

Why do we not get much of any feedback to explain if Eight gets their memories back?

Upsettingly, it even kind of goes to explain why Nintendo would give Acht they/them pronouns- as happy as I am for Acht to just be nonbinary, the explanation that Acht is Eight would explain why Nintendo would do that.

Most upsettingly, it seemed like nothing really hard countered this evidence- Eight and Acht look completely different, but that's kind of a nebulous hurdle to get over when everything else seems to line up so perfectly.

...However, thankfully, I came to learn that, of all things, TABLETURF BATTLE would save me from this theory being real. Acht is real, physically. Logically it doesn't track that Acht would exist physically after Eight, since, you know, you're definitely playing as Eight in Octo Expansion, so I think it's safe to say that this theory is a non-starter. Huge relief to me.

That being said, I still feel like this theory has legs- it certainly would make a very good super depressing fic where Acht has to come to grips with the fact that they don't exist anymore, but I'm not in the business of making that kind of fic.

On the other hand, I do think the fact that so many things line up does imply a lot about Acht and Eight, if not strictly canonically speaking. I think it's very possible for it to be something like:

Eight is a clone of Acht.

This, for the most part, explains the plot holes listed above, and explains the weird green goo that we initially find Eight in. It also adds more fun to work with for writing the two. We get a lot of language like "Who am I?" with Eight in particular, and giving Eight an identity crisis on top of everything else sounds fun. It also explains the visual discrepancies, a clone can look different from the host, but clones sharing souls tracks. I'm keeping this headcanon.

I also just think the color swatch system, and the design for Dramatic Days in Orderland as a whole, are very Neat and very Cute and line up with my autism very very very well. It makes me very deeply happy how autism-coded Marina is in this, and frankly, this being her solution to curing sanitized octarians is even more indulgent to my own interests than my own self-indulgent fan fic was. I cannot WAIT to write more and think about Marina's silly virtual worlds. Especially with how power-trip-y this one is; the fact that she envisions herself as the final boss is really a lot of food for thought.

As a whole, all of Side Order is an enormous amount of food for thought. This is EXACTLY what Splatoon 3 has been missing- fodder for theorycrafting and fanfic-writing and so forth. The world of Splatoon 3 has felt so stagnant and all of this is an enormous breath of fresh air that makes me excited for the future of the series.

In closing:

Smollusk is a product of the subconscious of those who worked on the game.

Acht loved Marina but lacked the self-esteem to express it to Marina. Marina left and Acht took it pretty hard, but they're okay now.

Eight is a clone of Acht and they share one huge fucked up broken soul. Whoops!

[weaselandfriends]

The Making Of: Cleveland Quixotic

I. Context

After I finished Chicago in 2019, a powerful and persistent fatigue gripped me: the fabled "burnout." The next two years would be the least productive of my literate life. As one day ebbed into the next, I wondered if I would ever be able to write again. I thought of Andrew Hussie, who, after years of feverish activity on Homestuck, seemed now capable of only short spurts of creation, heavily assisted by amanuenses.

It wasn't an issue of knowing what to write. I had been developing the idea for Cockatiel x Chameleon since 2015. I knew its plot, characters, scenes, themes. But when I tried to manifest it into reality I felt drained. What I managed to scrawl was junk, far below my standards. Goaded by a lurking terror of infinite lassitude, I forced myself to blurt 60,000 words of an initial draft; loathing it, I scrapped it entirely.

That was when I got the idea to write a "fun" story.

My vision for Cockatiel x Chameleon was technically complex and emotionally demanding. Maybe something simpler, a straightforward adventure, would be a stepping stone to recovery. I thought back to Fargo, which I had written (unlike most of my works) with relative ease and minimal forethought. How could I emulate that experience? What made Fargo so easy compared to Chicago and Cockatiel x Chameleon?

After reflection, I concluded that Fargo was, at its core, a revenge story. Revenge stories are older than dinosaur dirt. They are fundamental to human experience, easily understood, all structure inherent in their premise. The hero, wronged, seeks revenge on the villain. From that sentence alone you understand the protagonist's motivation and the plot's direction: trending inexorably toward final confrontation. With such a powerful core, it'd been easy to add details and complications to Fargo as they popped into my head, without warping the story's innate trajectory.

If I wanted another "easy" writing experience, I decided, I needed a similar type of story. Something with a clear premise that removes the burden of planning. A "template plot," where beginning/middle/end is fundamentally present and the writer merely adds their own spin. It took little time to think of such a story type. After all, it had been ubiquitous in Japanese media for the past decade. Not only was it popular with readers, it was appealing to amateur authors; many of its biggest examples originated as web fiction.

I decided I would write an isekai.

II. The Isekai Genre

A person from the real world is transported to a fantasy world.

Not quite as old as the revenge story. Nonetheless, this narrative concept has existed for over 100 years. The premise immediately informs the challenges the protagonist will encounter. They will adapt to a world they know little about, introduce knowledge from modern Earth society, and rise in power and prominence. Toss in a Demon King hellbent on world domination and you get a clear narrative climax. The details can be changed nearly any way without issue.

(Or so I thought.)

In retrospect, I myself was being transported to a new world. If we ignore The Chronicles of Narnia or The Pagemaster or Digimon Adventure and focus solely on the contemporary isekai genre (say 2012 on), which is what I intended to emulate, my experience extended to only the following titles:

1. Sword Art Online

2. Log Horizon

3. No Game No Life

4. The Saga of Tanya the Evil (or Youjo Senki)

5. KonoSuba

This is not only a pitiful sample size, but a specifically poor representation of the genre. Sword Art Online and Log Horizon exist in their own subgenre—trapped in a video game—and have many oddities unseen in more traditional isekai. No Game No Life and Tanya the Evil are "real" isekais, but both have unique worlds that eschew most traditional fantasy elements (especially in Tanya's case). And KonoSuba is a parody.

Nonetheless, I felt that, via cultural osmosis, I "understood" the isekai genre. Based on a few video essays I once watched that roasted dreck like Trapped in Another World with a Smartphone, and reverse engineering KonoSuba's parody, I conceived an impression of isekai as wish fulfillment: A loser gets another chance at life, often with some boon to ensure they don't muck it up this time. They become the hero, triumph with their strength and modern intelligence, and meet lots of attractive women.

I smirked. Heh, I thought. What if I made an isekai... that wasn't wish fulfillment! Truly novel. Let us take the premise of KonoSuba—a benevolent god gives a loser a second chance in a fantasy world—and turn it on its head. Instead of a benevolent god, what if the main character was sent by... a devil? The loser protagonist makes a Faustian bargain to become a hero. They get exactly what they wish for, except they're still a loser at heart, and inevitably bungle everything due to their own social incompetence.

That was the flashpoint. Ideas came together quickly, exactly as I hoped. Soon I had a narrative. It went like this:

III. The Original Idea

Our protagonist is a bumbling failure who lives with his mother. One day he sees an advertisement for a devil's wish-granting service. Being a fan of isekai anime, he goes to the devil and wishes to be sent to another world, one where he'll be the most powerful person. The devil, a sleek and professional businesswoman, agrees to the unusual wish, but pushes the work of actually creating the world to an overstressed, chain-smoking intern. The intern cobbles the world together in a matter of hours and our protagonist embarks on his journey.

He arrives to find the human kingdom besieged by the Demon King's army. The humans are outnumbered; total defeat is imminent. Just as he wished, though, the protagonist possesses incredible power. He charges into the fray, destroys the demon army singlehandedly in instants, and slays the Demon King himself soon after. The protagonist enters the human kingdom hailed as a hero.

Soon, the Human King emerges from his castle to express his immense gratitude. He offers the hero anything, including his daughter's hand in marriage. The hero takes one look at the princess―named either Mayfair or Viviendre, I wasn't sure which―sees she is exceedingly beautiful, and eagerly agrees. He's gotten exactly what he always wanted!

Unbeknownst to him, the king is a schemer. Advised by two strange beings—the rotund fairy Tetzel and the living plant Tintoretto—the king believes the hero is too popular; the people would side with him if he sought the throne. The king offers his daughter not in goodwill but to tie the hero to his side. His ultimate goal is to control the hero's power to imperialistically expand his kingdom.

Meanwhile, the princess has her own schemes. She's a lesbian and has zero intention of sleeping with the hero. In a comic scene, she gives the hero excuse after excuse why they can't sleep in the same bed despite being married; the hero naively buys it. Eventually he catches on, but while he's upset by the situation, he's too morally upstanding to do anything but accept it. (This would be a recurring theme: The hero could use his strength to force people to do what he wanted, but constantly shirks from doing so because he refuses to act in a way unbecoming of a hero. His morality and desires exist in a constant state of push and pull.)

Eventually, the hero and his wife compete for the affections of various female characters, with the wife always winning. Temporary the elf was part of this subplot: A dimwitted ambassador to be competitively wooed. To keep the hero sated, his wife buys him a female slave to use "as he likes." The hero, possessed of modern anti-slavery sensibilities, is appalled. He instantly frees the slave girl and enters a crusade to abolish slavery in the kingdom. Unfortunately, because he is not particularly smart, when he debates the slaveowners over the evils of slavery they routinely trounce him (using many arguments real-world slaveowners once used). Again, he could use his incredible power to kill the slaveowners, but they're law-abiding members of society. Murdering them would be "immoral" in the hero's eyes despite his staunch belief in the immorality of their actions.

Around this time, the hero finally uses his power for something good and sends gold back home to his financially poor mother. Unfortunately, this charitable act also goes awry when his sister, an IRS agent, thinks his disappearance is a ploy to evade taxes. She gathers a posse: her coworker boyfriend, his two friends (I called them Aaron Van Zandt and Allen Van Langevelde, envisioning an American Psycho vibe), and a private detective. Using security camera footage they track the protagonist's last known movements to a dingy apartment building, where they find the overworked devil intern who created the world and force him to send them there too.

They roll out in a huge SUV: Five people plus the hapless intern, armed with guns and equipment. The king, not wishing to lose the hero, decides he must intercept them before the hero learns of their existence. In a big setpiece-style scene reminiscent of Children of Men, a horde of knights ambush the SUV on a forest road. Arrows fly through the front windshield, killing the boyfriend (passenger seat) with an arrow to the neck and wounding Aaron Van Zandt (driver). The SUV crashes into a tree and the sister flees on foot, followed by Allen Van Langevelde, who has barely spoken before then but who now reveals themselves to be a badass marksman as they dispatch knight after knight with efficient hunting rifle shots. The private detective is wounded in the leg and forced to remain behind, while the devil intern cowers in the backseat. Aaron Van Zandt limps out of the driver's seat and attempts to follow Van Langevelde, but a knight on horseback rushes past him and knocks him down a steep incline, where he smashes his head on a rock and seemingly dies.

The knights surround the vehicle. The private detective fights back, but is overwhelmed and killed. The devil intern is captured to be burned at the stake later. The sister and Van Langevelde escape on foot, but without the intern, they can't leave the world. They need to rescue him before he is executed. Meanwhile, Van Zandt, clinging to life, is discovered by fairies and brought to their court.

And then...

IV. The Problem

And then I got stuck.

First, it should be clear by now that I did not actually have a plot. I had a series of incidents, loosely organized. Vaguely I knew the main character would work to overcome his social ineptitude and ultimately truly succeed, accomplishing the character growth his get-rich-quick Faustian bargain could never provide. But nothing came together in a coherent structure. Despite my intention to stick to a template plot, I instantly destroyed the template by killing the Demon King in the first chapter. I still had character conflicts and ideas to pursue, but no actual story.

Plus, the main character being a loser made him—well, a loser. Even if he eventually grew, he still ate shit again and again before vanishing entirely from the big action setpiece.

So my original idea of quickly and easily constructing an isekai plot hit a roadblock. Luckily, it was now 2021. After two idle years my fatigue seeped slowly out of me. Finally I regained my energy; I no longer needed to write a "fun" story. I decided to shelve the isekai, potentially permanently, and worked on Cockatiel x Chameleon in earnest.

This time, the draft of Cockatiel x Chameleon―which would be the final draft―progressed acceptably. It consumed my entire focus and I might not have thought about the isekai at all if not for two hiccups. First, though I now had the mental willpower to technically execute my ideas, the emotionally intense material of Cockatiel x Chameleon still left me sometimes wistfully longing for a story not quite so bleak and harrowing. Second, I revisited the isekai genre.

V. The Isekai Genre, Part 2

The anime analysis YouTuber Ygg Studio (formerly known as Digibro) posted a video called Is Mushoku Tensei The Most Influential Isekai? (History of Isekai) that outlined the isekai genre's chronology in Japanese pop media. Watching the video, I discovered some surprising origins to the "contemporary" isekai genre. Though there were many isekai stories―even popular ones―before, the current isekai craze seemingly began in 2012 on a Japanese webfic site called syosetsu.com, where several popular isekai were written in close temporal proximity to one another.

The main titles of note were Re:Zero and Mushoku Tensei—followed by KonoSuba, which was specifically a parody of Mushoku Tensei, instead of (as I once believed) a general cultural conception of isekai. In fact, it was these three works that created the current cultural conception, establishing many now obligatory tropes.

So, I decided to watch Re:Zero and Mushoku Tensei.

I was shocked! As it turned out, my clever and subversive idea―treating the hero as the loser he was instead of as a wish fulfillment badass―had not only already been done, it was foundational to the genre! Both works feature loser protagonists whose social ineptitude constantly causes problems for them despite their cheat mode powers. Both protagonists are forced to develop as people rather than rely on their advantages, and the development of their relationships with the other characters is a crucial consideration of both works.

As it turned out, Trapped in Another World with a Smartphone (which I also haven't seen) wasn't the beginning and end of the genre. I had underestimated isekai. In retrospect, the languid existence of my 2019 and 2020 led to me ironically attempting the same cheap wish fulfillment of my imagined isekai protagonist. I wanted a "fun," "quick," "easy" story and intended to use isekai for that purpose, the same way an isekai protagonist assumes being sent to another world is an easy way to becoming a hero.

It was time to return to the planning stage. This time, I wouldn't take things for granted.

VI. The Original Idea, Part 2

First, I revisited my protagonist. Originally an afterthought: a punching bag who failed whenever he exhibited any agency. I decided on another direction. My hero wouldn't be a loser by incompetence, but by choice. He would be clever and intelligent, but unwilling to apply himself. He wanted a new world because the original didn't seem worth it; too rigid, too structured, too immune to change. His journey would be discovering it wasn't the world holding him back, but himself. Believing nothing could be changed, he stopped himself from changing. Thus, Jay Waringcrane came into existence.

Earlier ideas were remixed around this new protagonist. I merged the devil boss lady and the devil intern into a single character, a semi-hapless sort for Jay to outwit. That was Perfidia Bal Berith. The hero's sister, whose subplot originally lacked any connection to him, now became a foil to his ideology. She exhibited utter faith in the "real world"—its mechanisms, its processes—and applied herself diligently to maintenance of its status quo. That was Shannon Waringcrane.

Still needed a plot. Since my hero was no longer a social bumbler, I discarded the original beginning where he annihilates the Demon King's army and toyed with a new idea. The human kingdom, besieged by the Demon King's army, becomes aware via prophecy that a hero is about to appear in their world. The king sends a party led by the gallant prince to find the hero and bring him safely to the kingdom. When Jay arrives, he meets the prince and his crew, but they are immediately beset by demons, who kill most of the party and grievously wound the prince. Jay, the dying prince, and the sole other survivor―a taciturn, dark-skinned mage named Viviendre who is secretly the prince's lover―barely escape. The prince succumbs to his wounds shortly afterward, leading to an emotionally-charged moment in which Viviendre laments his death and blames Jay for causing it. Leading to an adversarial relationship between Jay and Viviendre that, after much character development, would eventually turn into romance.

Then Jay would lead the kingdom against the Demon King, constituting the main plot.

This idea improved on the previous in several ways: exciting start, high drama, and a long-term goal. However, as I became more engrossed in this project, I came to dislike the "default fantasy world" I'd used as my setting thus far. When my goal was "quick and easy," the Dragon Quest-inspired medieval fantasy tropes sufficed. Now, they struck me as banal. In particular, a generic "Demon King" villain disinterested me (which was why I summarily disposed of them in the idea's first iteration), so even if it outlined a clear direction, it wasn't a direction that enthralled. I realized that to continue, I needed to do some worldbuilding.

VII. Worldbuilding

I dislike worldbuilding.

I prefer the real world―or the real world distorted by urban fantasy and surrealism―to an entirely fictitious fantasy world. In writing an isekai, I had wanted to maintain the connection between the real world and fantasy world (hence why one of my earliest ideas was for Shannon and her cadre to follow Jay in a modern vehicle with modern weapons). But by relying on stock fantasy tropes, I only exacerbated the core issue. I decided to think deeply about my setting and design it to both stand out and clearly relate to our world.

To determine a deeper connection between fantasy and related, I pondered the historical development of the fantasy genre, from chivalric romance to Tolkien. (I collected my thoughts into this essay.) Tracing this lineage, I considered writing a fantasy world modeled on Arthurian and Carolingian romance. Then I took the idea deeper. Much of the early modern fantasy genre, up to and even to an extent including Tolkien, was rooted in nostalgia for an imagined and idealized past. Many pre-Tolkien fantasy works were born out of Victorian fascination with medieval Europe, as evidenced by the Waverley novels by Sir Walter Scott, the Arthurian poems of Lord Tennyson, and the paintings of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. The original isekai, Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, parodied this idealized medievalism (Twain blaming Walter Scott specifically for the genteel Southern culture that propagated slavery and rendered the Civil War inevitable).

Then I realized that, 200 years before this nineteenth-century craze, there was another major literary work that parodied excessive love of chivalric romance: Don Quixote.

As soon as I made that connection, everything clicked. Rather than Perfidia whipping up a new fantasy world on demand, she would reuse one she created in the 1600s for a Don Quixote-esque figure. Rather than Spanish, my Don Quixote would be British, a royalist in the English Civil War seeking escapism in face of the collapse of monarchy. Pursuing standard chivalric romance activities, he would overthrow a corrupt Catholic church analog, slay a few dragons, and war against a Pagan nation that he later converted to Christianity.

What happened to this world 400 years after Don Quixote used it as his playground? I imagined the ex-Pagan nation a vassal to the Christian nation, while secretly plotting an uprising. Don Quixote's descendants, legitimate or illegitimate, grasping to maintain control in face of their weakening bloodline. Dragons hunted to extinction. A stasis that prevented sweeping change without the intercession of a true human, yet gripped by slow decay. Prayers cast for a new hero to save them from this stupor.

I also wondered how the Christians of this world reckoned with a Christianity whose foundational text is clearly meant for a different world entirely. While Don Quixote's scion, still ruler, promoted the religion uncritically to maintain their grip on the culture, underground grew a nihilist cult that believed nobody in their world was saved, that Christ died on Earth and thus only cleansed Earth's sins. All of this intermixed with the same historical devolutionary forces that ended feudalism and gave rise to mercantile oligarchy.

That was the world Jay Waringcrane entered. A world rife with thematic potential. Finally, a plot was forming.

VIII. Starting the Story

This last stretch of planning happened quickly. (Evidenced by traces of the earlier idea remaining in Cockatiel x Chameleon, specifically in the brief descriptions of the in-universe isekai from which Temporary the elf hails.) Rather than fight a Demon King, Jay's mission would be more chivalric in nature; he would rescue a princess from the evil wizard who led the heretical cult. Liking my earlier idea about the princess who first seemed like an ordinary damsel but turned out to ulterior motives, I decided for an end-of-arc twist where the princess secretly worked with the cult all along. Thus, Princess Mayfair came into existence. For the evil wizard, I reused one of the original king's advisors, the living plant.

The gallant prince and his secret lover from the second iteration returned as Jay's companions, although I changed the lover from a mage to a ranger. Shannon would still pursue Jay, but I merged Van Zandt and Van Langevelde into a single character named Wendell Noh and cut the private detective entirely, giving the sleuthing job to Shannon's boyfriend, Dalt Swaino. I rearranged the big action setpiece where Shannon's group meets disaster: Instead of fighting knights, they would fight a dragon, and this time, Jay would be involved.

After that, keeping with the chivalric romance aesthetic, I threw some faeries into the mix (I love faeries): the obnoxious Olliebollen, who would play off the more sullen Jay, and Flanz-le-Flore, a mid-arc complication. I also decided to make the cult members monstrous demi-humans with magic powers; the Christian anathema against magic must necessarily make it actively corrupting in this world run on Christian precepts.

On top of these plans, several long-term ideas already bubbled: The eventual introduction of the devil world, Sansaime's pregnancy, Viviendre, a battle with elves, Mayfair uniting the two worlds. The ideas flowed one after another now that I established a solid base. Sketchy outlines of the full story stood limned in the distance. I was ready to write.

I decided the work would be published serially at a one-chapter-per-week pace, identical to Fargo and Chicago. That decision was baked directly into my original desire to write a "fun" story. With a serial work, there is less burden of technical execution; the focus is on a fluid pace with regular updates instead of unimpeachable prose. Furthermore, serial writing lends itself to story speculation as readers comment every week, turning the work into a collaborative experience. Some readers of Chicago have told me that the reviews on fanfiction.net are an integral part of the experience, for instance.

When I post serial works, I first build up a "backlog." Essentially, that means I write several chapters ahead of what I'm posting online. The backlog ensures I can regularly post chapters even if one chapter takes longer to write than usual. (I can generally write a 6,000- to 7,000-word chapter in one week.) For this work, I decided to complete four chapters before posting the first. This generous backlog allowed me to post the entire first arc weekly, without a break prior to the climactic chapter that took two weeks to write.

When establishing the backlog, I also gave myself more time than usual to edit, which allowed me to polish the beginning for a better first impression. I meticulously pruned the first chapter to make the dialogue between Perfidia and Jay as snappy as possible while also minimizing exposition. (Originally, Perfidia explained the Seven Princes and their increased quotas in an internal monologue, since I knew they would become important much later in the story, but I cut it for streamlining purposes.) Additionally, I spent a long time deciding when Chapter 2 would end and Chapter 3 would begin; originally, the scene at the beginning of Chapter 3 was at the end of Chapter 2, but I moved it because it better matched the tone and scope of the third chapter. Olliebollen was originally far more in-your-face obnoxious; I toned them down. Lastly, I added the part in Chapter 4 where Jay remembers being beat up by Shannon's past boyfriend, which not only hinted at a soon-to-be-introduced major character, but gave Jay a reasonable chip on his shoulder to cause friction between him and Makepeace.

With four chapters completed, I was ready to post. Almost. I still needed a title. The entire time I operated only thinking of the story as "my isekai story." Thinking long and hard, I came up with titles such as American Isekai, The Waringcranes, 144k Angels, and—my personal favorite—Hellbrowned, the last of which I was strongly advised not to use by every single person I know.

(Side note: Setting the story in Cleveland had been an easy decision. It's such a funny city, taking Detroit's tragic Rust Belt decay and removing all grandeur. The Jon Bois video The Browns Live in Hell and the famous Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video sum it up neatly. Setting the story in 2017, the same year the Browns infamously went winless, was also a snap decision.)

Finally, I thought back to Don Quixote, the impetus for much of the worldbuilding, and the title revealed itself.

IX. Writing the Story

Because of my fast-paced schedule, I lacked the luxury to make major changes to my plans as I wrote. I started with a plan for the first arc and scattered ideas for the future. As I wrote the first arc, I planned the second, and as I wrote the second, I planned the third.

Room remained for tweaks, though. Each time I write a story, I try to do at least one thing outside my technical repertoire. This time, I wanted more flexibility in my characters. I usually only introduce the bare minimum necessary, and aggressively cut or merge characters to reduce the total number. In Cockatiel x Chameleon, however, some commentators criticized how the Consortium's limited number of characters gave the impression it was as dead and empty as Harper's real life. While that impression doesn't necessarily conflict with the story, it did expose limitations to my economical approach.

I dislike having limitations. (Unfortunately I have many.) Thus, I decided to write more characters whose storylines were not plotted from the onset, characters I would develop spontaneously as the story progressed.

An example is Lalum. I introduced Lalum in Chapter 5 as an enemy with a unique power for Jay to fight. Zero subsequent intent for her at the time. Then I realized her power would interact well with Flanz-le-Flore's, so I kept her around for that fight as well. When Lalum is attacked in the Flanz-le-Flore fight, I was 50/50 on whether she would live or die. However, a friend reading the story really liked her and wanted her to live, and I realized it might streamline the plot if someone was around to point Shannon and her crew in Jay's direction.

Having spared Lalum from death twice, and also conceptualizing more concretely the second arc—including Viviendre's role in it—I decided I had a use for Lalum after all. I conceived of Viviendre and Lalum being foils, envisioning their eventual confrontation in the last arc. Thus, Lalum went from monster-of-the-week to major character. To a lesser extent, characters like Theovora were introduced offhandedly, and while they did not become major characters, I found small uses for them later.

Speaking of Viviendre, that was another challenge for myself. With her, I wrote something I wouldn't normally: A romance. Cockatiel x Chameleon, believe it or not, was originally intended to be a straightforward romance, but I found myself incapable of writing one and pivoted to its current direction. Nestled within the sprawling undertaking of Cleveland Quixotic, the romance between Viviendre and Jay was my attempt to write two people who genuinely liked each other. Their three-chapter mini-arc in the middle of the story moves at a more lax pace than usual, but allowed me to develop a relationship I otherwise wouldn't have been able to.

In general, Cleveland Quixotic is larger than my other works. More characters, more plot threads, more locations, more everything. Though Fargo and Chicago are also large, they operate in a more enclosed and linear space. My thought process with Cleveland Quixotic was to open up and express that feeling of world-spanning storytelling the fantasy genre is so known for. It pushed my limits, but I accomplished that goal more than in any previous work.

The real challenge is, once you go big, how do you reel it back? So many of the isekai I mentioned remain ongoing, proceeding through arc after arc without end in sight. Today's most notable ongoing fantasy literature, George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, is likewise mired in endless expansion the author seems incapable of curtailing. On RoyalRoad, it's easy to find million-word works with early reviews uniformly positive, but recent reviews expressing a new sentiment: "Dropped after nothing happened for the past 200 chapters."

Above all else, I wanted to avoid that trap. My solution resided in the second arc's climax, which I developed midway into writing the first arc. Uniting the two worlds made it natural for all the distinct groups of characters to join up for the finale, tying every plot thread together. As such, I cultivated multiple storylines in the long and less immediately plot-focused second arc, secure in my knowledge of how it all eventually connected.

Even so, at times it grew overwhelming herding so many characters. Many characters wound up less prominent than I initially intended, sacrificed for the good of the overall pacing. Fortunately, few characters wound up utterly vestigial, and those that did were minor. (There's no worse feeling than a character given loads of screentime and dialogue only for them to end up inconsequential when the curtains finally close. Homestuck reeks of it.)

A few miscellaneous changes that occurred while writing:

I intended for Viviendre's brother, the "mad king" of California, to appear in the final arc, wielding ten relics for an epic duel with Jay. Given the large amount of characters already prominent in the story, I cut him.

I intended for Sansaime to die at the end of the second arc and for Avery to live. This was mainly because I wanted Jay and Shannon to have a cathartic moment with Avery in the final arc (Avery still would have died afterward). I realized that, using Pandaemonium, I could have that cathartic moment anyway, and Avery wound up saving Sansaime's life both outside and inside the story.

On the flip side, I originally intended for Mallory to die at the end of the second arc, but decided I wanted her and Mayfair to have a climactic conflict, which could only be done if Mallory were still alive.

I intended to kill off the minor character Gonzago of Meretryce the entire story, probably by having him jump in front of Shannon to take some attack or another. I never found a way to work it in, and I feel like the actual use I got out of him in the climactic fight, though minor, was far more unique. I likewise considered killing Mademerry by having her take an attack for Mayfair, but I prefer her current ending. I did not intend to kill Pythette, but found at the last moment it would be more convenient if she died.

Beyond that, I wrote the story generally according to plan. Leaving aspects of my plans malleable meant I could write quickly without needing absolute certainty in the precision of every line and action. Only in Chapter 45, the climactic chapter with Beelzebub and Moloch, did I sit down and carefully outline what each character would do at each moment in the chapter. (The chapter's seven-minute time limit made such meticulousness essential.) Otherwise, even in other climactic fights, I relied only on general ideas about what should happen and when.

Ultimately, I successfully completed the longest story, with the largest number of characters, I'd ever written. It pushed my limits, but in a way that didn't leave me gasping for air. Instead, I feel ready and eager for my next story. What'll it be? I have an idea and I've already begun research. I hope to start writing it by the end of the year, and publish it by mid-2024. I'll let you know more as things become more concrete.

X. Names

Before I end this post, a few name origins.

Perfidia Bal Berith: As mentioned in the story itself, "Bal Berith" (or Balberith, Baalberith, et cetera) is a false idol mentioned in the Bible. It is also a demon of the Ars Goetia. My familiarity with the name primarily comes from a weapon used in Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.

Olliebollen is based on oliebollen, a Dutch pastry.

Mayfair is the name of a character in Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya, the first video game I ever played. Her middle name, Lyonesse, is a character from Arthurian legend.

Makepeace came from an attempt to make a name that would pair well with Mayfair. My primary knowledge of the name comes from British author William Makepeace Thackeray. His middle name, Gaheris, is an Arthurian knight.

John Coke's name was modeled on the character Wicks Cherrycoke in Thomas Pynchon's Mason & Dixon. I only found out after I posted the first chapter that John Coke was the actual name of a person involved in the English Civil War notable enough for a Wikipedia page. I was more than happy to pretend this incredible serendipity was actually my plan all along.

Sansaime's name was modeled on the characters Sansloi ("without law"), Sansfoi ("without faith"), and Sansjoi ("without joy") in Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene, which was the primary inspiration for the romance elements of Whitecrosse. "Without love" is also a notable phrase in the visual novel Umineko When They Cry.

Whitecrosse's name also comes from The Faerie Queene, being modeled on the Redcrosse Knight, an allegorical representation of England (with its red cross flag).

Many names in Cleveland Quixotic have an "allegorical" sense, being words that suggest a clear, often moral meaning. Charm, Charisma, Mayfair, Makepeace, Mademerry, Theovora ("god eater"), Condemnation, Obedience, Tricia (short for "patrician"), Meretryce ("meretricious"), Mordac ("mordacious"), Malleus ("malleable"), Astrophicus ("space plant"), Viviendre ("life ender"), Perfidia ("perfidy"), and so forth. These allegorical names are a play on The Faerie Queene being an allegory, although many of the names in Cleveland Quixotic are not an accurate representation of their character, indicating the breakdown of allegory and thus clear moral meaning.

California is the name of a location in Amadís de Gaula, Don Quixote's favorite romance.

Dalton Swaino is the real name of a semi-pro League of Legends player.

Wendell Noh's surname comes from a professional League of Legends player. His given name is the name of a character in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light.

Kedeshah is a Hebrew word that possibly refers to sacred or temple prostitutes.

Ubiquitous is an ordinary word with a clear meaning, but its abbreviation, Ubik, is a Philip K. Dick novel that was also the name of one of the demons in Berserk.

The Seven Princes, rather than refer to the traditional Ars Goetia representations of the Seven Deadly Sins, are pulled from John Milton's Paradise Lost, which was the primary inspiration for most devil theology.

Flanz-le-Flore is a corruption of Blanchefleur, a name that appears in a few romance legends.

Lalum is an alternate translation of Larum, a character in Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade.

Pluxie is a feminization of a semi-pro League of Legends player's screen name.

Tintzel is a corruption of the character's original name, mentioned earlier, which was taken from historical corrupt priest Johann Tetzel.

Jreige is the surname of a semi-pro League of Legends player.

Justin "Just" Vance is a play on J.D. Vance, an Ohio politician.

Temporary, one of the earliest names that persisted into the final form of the story, is modeled on the elves in No Game No Life, who have names like "Think" and "Feel."

The other names in the story do not have any particular meaning or genesis.

XI. Conclusion

I believe that covers the generation of Cleveland Quixotic from beginning to end. If I missed anything, or if there's anything you want to know more about, please send me an ask and I'll be certain to answer. Thank you again for reading and stay tuned for my next work!

[thebabyprince]

heyyyyyyyy could you do some little!kim x reader stuff?

YESSS YESS YES!!!!! Hope you enjoy this!!

Little!Kim and Reader

First of all, Kim would never trust her baby self to someone who she doesn't know very well.

It takes a lot, and I mean a lot of time for her to open up about her regression.

But once she does? She's such a sweetheart.

Of course, it's the same grumpy girl, just little, but you can just feel the way her attitude towards you shifts. Even in her big headspace, she's more tender and sensitive, in a good way.

For example, you find out she sometimes half-regresses in public when she's overwhelmed, and the way it manifests is that she starts to follow you around like a little duckling, grabbing your hand whenever she feels the need to. Kim!!! Following someone around!!! That's how you know she knows she can trust you.

She often brings home dvds from work with different cartoons on them, so you can have movie nights!!

You have countless bitemarks on your hands. Kimmy bites! When she wants to play, when playing, to show affection, dissatisfaction, or just cause she was up to some mischief and your hand was in a right place. The biting isn't even a love language at this point, it's just language

Kimmy's usually too small to talk when regressed, communicating in bites, different types of feet-stomping and pouty faces, evil smirks, hums, groans and babbles.

There was this one time she was able to talk, but she only just called you a dum-dum. Cause you were acting like one!!!!>:[

Every plushie you give her, she spends a good few minutes looking at them with stars in her eyes. She keeps them all on her bed, and she names every single one.

In return for those, she gifts you very sophisticated crayon scribbles on colored paper. True contemporary art that must be displayed in a gallery (on the fridge). The crayons break all the time because of how intense and rough the process is. (The drawings represent her feelings! Which are mostly rage)

[youridlisen]

Berber Tattooing: Exploring Amazigh Tattoo Culture and Moroccan Women’s Face Tattoos (Book)

Berber tattoos, also referred to as Amazigh tattoos, serve as a vibrant reflection of the diverse cultural heritage of North Africa's indigenous Berber population. These meticulously crafted and captivating tattoos transcend mere skin-deep artistry; they function as vessels embodying the rich tapestry of heritage, social standing, and personal narratives seamlessly interwoven into the very fabric of Berber identity.

With a historical lineage stretching back millennia, the Berber people have fostered a profound connection with the natural world. Within the realm of Berber tattoos, this deep affinity manifests through a striking array of symbolic depictions, each laden with profound meanings that resonate with life, belief systems, and pivotal moments.

Nature assumes a central role in the realm of Berber tattoos, where symbols bear the imprint of animals, plants, and celestial bodies. The towering palm tree, symbolizing strength, growth, and resilience, serves as a potent representation of life and prosperity deeply ingrained in Berber culture. Likewise, the snake, embodying a guardian spirit, symbolizes wisdom and healing, acting as a protective force against malevolent influences and ushering in good fortune.

Amazon Link: a.co/d/gRSF3Jy

Drawing from ancient Egyptian iconography, the Berber people adopted the Eye of Horus, a potent symbol believed to ward off evil and usher in good luck. Equally significant is the Hand of Fatima, an open palm that serves as a protective talisman against the evil eye and negative energies.

The Amazigh Cross, often referred to as the “Agadez Cross,” serves as a compass of sorts, offering guidance and orientation during travels and life’s journeys. In the vibrant world of Berber tattoos, women play a central role, embodying themes of fertility, femininity, and the enduring legacy of the tribe.

Berber tattoos are not mere embellishments; they are markers of life’s milestones and rites of passage. For young Berber girls, their first tattoos, often received during puberty, symbolize the transition into womanhood and eligibility for marriage. These tattoos bear not only ink but the weight of cultural identity and pride.

The complexity and number of tattoos worn can also signify an individual’s standing within the community. Leaders and elders, with their wealth of wisdom and life experiences, may display more intricate and elaborate tattoos.

From “Berber Tattooing: Exploring Amazigh Tattoo Culture and Moroccan Women’s Face Tattoos”, illustrated by Mohammed Jiari

In recent times, there has been a renaissance of interest in Berber tattoos. Efforts to preserve and reinvigorate this ancient art form have borne fruit. Modern-day artists and tattoo enthusiasts explore the depths of Berber symbolism, infusing tradition with innovation to create contemporary designs that pay homage to the past.

This resurgence is not only about the art itself but also about nurturing cultural pride and identity among the Berber community. These timeless designs remain a vibrant and integral part of Berber heritage, ensuring that the symbolic meanings of Berber tattoos continue to thrive, enchanting and resonating with generations to come.

[talonabraxas]

Lord Shiva’s Third Eye Talon Abraxas The Unveiled Insight: The Significance of Lord Shiva’s Third Eye

In the intricate tapestry of Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva commands reverence as a deity of profound spirituality and cosmic balance. Among the many captivating aspects of his character, the third eye of Lord Shiva stands out as an enigmatic symbol. Often referred to as the “eye of wisdom,” Shiva’s third eye holds a deep-seated significance that transcends physical form, representing insight, enlightenment, and transformation. In this blog, we will delve into the captivating story and the spiritual significance of Shiva’s third eye.

The Mythical Origin of the Third Eye

The origin of Shiva’s third eye is a compelling narrative that resonates through the annals of Hindu mythology. According to the ancient texts, the gods once found themselves threatened by the relentless tyranny of a demon named Tarkasura. In a desperate plea for assistance, the gods turned to Lord Shiva, the cosmic dancer and the destroyer of evil.

As the cosmic battle between Shiva and Tarkasura unfolded, the demon resorted to cunning tactics, transforming himself into a formidable buffalo. Undeterred by the disguise, Shiva recognized the deception and unleashed his third eye’s fiery gaze. The intensity of this gaze was so immense that it consumed Tarkasura instantly, thwarting the malevolent force.

Symbolism Encompassed by Shiva’s Third Eye

Beyond its mythological tale, Shiva’s third eye is laden with layers of symbolism that hold profound spiritual and cosmic meanings:

Transcendence and Insight: Shiva’s third eye is a manifestation of his all-encompassing insight and transcendent wisdom. It symbolizes the ability to perceive beyond the immediate and comprehend the deeper truths that govern existence.

Destruction and Renewal: As the deity who dances the cosmic dance of creation and destruction, Shiva’s third eye represents the power of transformation. Its fiery gaze signifies the destruction of ignorance and attachment, paving the way for spiritual rebirth and renewal.

Mystical Awareness: Often associated with the “ajna” chakra, the sixth energy center in the human body, Shiva’s third eye represents spiritual awareness and heightened consciousness. This inner eye enables individuals to perceive reality beyond the material realm.

Balance and Equilibrium: The third eye embodies Shiva’s role as the ultimate balancer of cosmic forces. It reminds us of the importance of maintaining equilibrium between the material and spiritual dimensions of life.

Control over Desires: In certain interpretations, the tale of Shiva’s third eye symbolizes the mastery over desires. Shiva’s ability to maintain emotional balance and control his desires in the face of deception underscores the significance of self-discipline.

Fearlessness and Protection: The third eye’s fiery gaze also serves as a shield of protection for devotees, symbolizing the courage to confront challenges and overcome obstacles on the spiritual path.

Contemporary Relevance of Shiva’s Third Eye

The significance of Shiva’s third eye resonates in modern times, offering invaluable insights and lessons:

Inner Wisdom: In an era inundated with distractions, Shiva’s third eye reminds us to cultivate inner wisdom and intuition. It urges us to see beyond the surface and recognize the deeper truths that guide our journey.

Transformational Power: Just as Shiva’s third eye signifies the transformative power of destruction and renewal, it encourages us to embrace change and view challenges as opportunities for growth.

Spiritual Evolution: The third eye symbolizes a journey of spiritual evolution, urging us to awaken our inner eye and tap into our highest potential. It guides us toward self-discovery, self-awareness, and higher states of consciousness.

Balancing Duality: Shiva’s third eye embodies the harmony between opposing forces. In our lives, it serves as a reminder to strike a balance between material pursuits and spiritual aspirations.

It’s an emblem of wisdom, transformation, and spiritual insight, transcends the boundaries of myth and history. Its tale embodies layers of symbolism that encompass enlightenment, destruction, and cosmic equilibrium. As we navigate the labyrinth of existence, the third eye of Lord Shiva beckons us to tap into our inner wisdom, transcend the limitations of perception, and embark on a journey of self-discovery.

By embracing the lessons embedded, we can cultivate the courage to face challenges, seek inner clarity, and evolve on the spiritual path. In a world where distractions abound, this enigmatic symbol serves as a guiding light, inspiring us to ignite our inner fire and awaken the dormant potential that resides within. Just as Shiva’s gaze ignited transformation, may we harness the power of his third eye to illuminate our quest for enlightenment, growth, and ultimate self-realization.