#element: air

[cloudselkie]

Whistling Up The Wind - A Technique For Calling The Wind to Your Aid

Of the spirits of the elements out there that I have worked with, the wind has so far been the easiest and most useful.

Before getting started, I suggest spending some time getting to know the wind spirits around you. Sit outside and feel the wind. Let your energy out to flow and ride with them, feel the world from their perspective. In my experience, they are usually quite friendly and curious. Once you've done that, you're ready to get started.

First, create your whistle. Mine is just the first three notes of the Hunger Games whistle, but it can literally be any sequence you want.

Once you have your whistle in place, head outside and either stand or sit. Gather energy around you (in whatever way you normally would), then use that energy to become a beacon. Something that says "I'm here! I am calling!" I picture myself holding up one of those old 90s ribbon dancer toys above my head like an antenna. This gets the spirits' attention. Now, focus on the wind and that you want to call it to blow around you, then whistle. This may take practice as you and the wind build your own language together.

Eventually, you will get to a point where you can call the wind spirits whenever you like. I got to the point where we could even play games together, like having them push a square scarf I held out in front of me against my body no matter which direction I faced.

It's a handy relationship to have on hot days as well. I also never feel lonely, since the wind spirits are always there!

[thespectralcottage]

Ways To Use Each Element In Spells

Fire:

Candles

Burning Herbs

Using Ashes

Bonfires to Raise Energy

Burning Petitions

Melting Things

Water:

Water Bowl Spells

Enchanting Water

Using Spiritual Waters + Colognes

Sprays

Soaking Items

River Magic

Air:

Verbal Spells

Blowing Air / Smoke

Incense

Bells

Sound Bowls

Wind Cleansing

Storm magic

Earth:

Salt Bowls

Burring Items

Plants + Herbs

Crystals

Dirt Spell Jars

Making Terrariums

Plant Wards

[weaver-z]

Dumb rant about art incoming. Something about the character design of Pixar's Elemental disgusts me. It's not just the generic belongs-in-a-heartburn-ad look of the female lead or the Generic Pixar Man (water edition) look of the male lead. It's the fact that the earth and air elementals, almost all of whom are background characters, are stout and large and round, while the protagonists (and certain water and fire side characters) still follow the obnoxious Pixar "slimthick woman, slightly out-of-shape (but not fat!!) man" rule of character design. And they're all just so, so boring. Look at this and try to feel anything.

[meloxiahq]

[hotcupofdragons]

I am Keyleth, an Air Ashari, like my mother before me. I was made to pass through fire.

THE LEGEND OF VOX MACHINA (2022-) S02E02 | "Pass Through Fire"

[constantlyfalling]

🔥☁️💧

Brushes by Brusheezy! Photography and editing by me.

[scipunk]

A police vehicle halts a flying taxi.

Check out more on my YouTube channel.

[yarrowdraws]

Ambrosius Saint Miro/pale apocalypse themed poster.

the images I used are Dürer's Apocalypse woodcut and St Ambrose raised to heaven line engraving by C.N. Cochin.

some closeups:

[itsuswatchingtheworld]

[comparativetarot]

Air Elemental. Art by Amélia Leonards, from the 78 Tarot 10th Anniversary Deck.

[absolutebl]

BLs with Strong Historical Elements

Costume dramas, historical BLs, and BLs with time travel or flashbacks to historical locations & times.

These are in order of my personal preference, best at the top.

I Feel You Linger in the Air

2023 Thailand

IFYLITA is an exquisite BL, from filming techniques to narrative framework (much like Until We Meet Again). It's about a gay man from our time who falls into the past, becomes a servant to a noble house, and falls in love with the heir. It turns out this has all happened several times before. Steeped in history and family drama it edges into lakorn (but not as much as To Sir With Love and with way less scenery chewing). This is an elegant and classy soulmates BL... from Thailand which normally doesn't even try for classy. The main couple (both as a pair and as individuals) were excellent, particularly Bright (Yai) whose eye-work acting style is a personal favorite of mine. Pity about the ending. Oh it wasn’t that sad but it wasn’t good either. This show could easily have earned a 10/10 from me except that it fumbled the… erm… balls in the final quarter. Argh. Whatever.

Nobleman Ryu's Wedding

2021 Korea - WeTV

A boy cross-dresses to take his runaway sister's place as a bride to a shy scholar, turns out they like being married. A historical setting allowed this BL to use some seriously old fashioned romance tropes (arranged marriage, evil step-sisters, Cinderfella) but also modern BL stylings like fake relationship & secret identity (drag) plus some cute gay panic. It reminded me of 12th Night more than anything else which just happens to be my favorite Shakespeare play. For all these reasons, I adored it.

(the ghat kiss!)

Tinted With You

2022 Korea - Viki

Fun stylish time travel meets portal fantasy with a likable cast, historical setting, and two actual kisses that mitigate the rough plot and issues around anachronisms.

Word of Honor

2021 China (censored) - Viki/YouTube?

I don’t rec Chinese stuff often, because I believe in censoring the censors, but this show is one of my favorites of the post 2016 censored bromances. It’s two murder-gay assassins (pining sunshine/tsundere), and they are so insanely gay for two boys who will never be allowed to kiss. Tropes include: wuxia, soulmates, paranormal, historical, and fantasy elements.

To Sir, With Love AKA Khun Chai

2022 Thailand - YouTube?

This is a true lakorn (basically Thai tellenovella or soap opera) with scenery chewing performances, especially from the mother characters. Gone With the Wind + Days of Our Lives but gay. That said? I loved it: A glorious central brother relationship (the best, made me cry), het romances, class divide + gay *gasp* main romance - oh my word, the campy drama of it all! Arranged marriage, rebellion, cut sleeves, over-the-top death with curses and regrets, beautiful if inaccurate costumes, secrets unraveling, cover ups, sparkle murder, sex herbs, coils within coils including snakes and murderous green metallic sequins (is anything gayer on this earth?). It’s a WILD ride but it does end happy for our gay boys. A man cries when he finds DEATH GLITTER. Come on! You haffa watch it. That said, like Manner of Death I struggle to rate something on a BL scale when it patently isn’t a BL. So I ended up giving this exactly what I gave that show, 7/10 I enjoyed it a whole lot, but not as a BL.

The Untamed (Special BL Edition)

2020 China (censored) - YouTube

Censored wuxia bromance, amorphous ending. Probubly the best known BL of its kind out of China and responsible for bring many fans to the BL side.

Our Skyy 2: Never Let Me Go

2023 Thailand - YouTube

I was nervous to watch this PondPhuwin vehicle but I liked it a lot! Doomed soulmates + paranormal time travel to fix the past. I’m happy for the outfits and the dancing (if not the singing). It’s not a bad premise and it’s nice to see GMMTV lean into its high production values for a change. I'd adore a full historical starring these two and this was definitely the best of the second series of Our Skyy. I don't think you have to have watched the original Never Let Me Go to enjoy this.

Legend of Long Yang: Rebirth

2017 China

Gaga

Whipping boy trope... literally, servant character takes the strap for the prince, who then makes him his bodyguard and lover when he becomes king. Low budget historical, comes off as kind of cosplay wuxia version of Irresistible Love, but we get (in the credits) an actual kiss, and they both live. So yay for small mercies.

The Director Who Buys Me Dinner

2023 Korea (historical flash backs)

iQIYI

A new employee at a film company encounters a director who claims to have lived 300 years and insists that they have to date (eat, hug & kiss) if baby doesn't want to die. It has a lot of Japanese elements, not the least of which are: an office setting, the fact that every character in this show is unhinged, and a killing of the gays. Featuring a gorgeous & stellar cast, TDWBMD should have utilized them less for melodrama and more for chemistry. This BL surprised me by going there with a lipstick mark AND an actually gay idol. But (you knew there was a but) while it's a unique twist on an office romance it is NOT a unique twist on the doomed red thread trope, resulting in it feeling less than the sum of its parts and ultimately unsatisfying. This might have also had to do with the fact that this was one of those KBLs where I felt how very short it was the whole time I was watching, like I was missing something constantly, in every episode. Worth watching for some but seriously flawed.

First Love Again

2022 Korea (historical flash backs) - Viki

A popular novelist who remembers his past lives meets his soulmate for the third time, only to find she has been reincarnated into the body of a man. This one started out a touch mean-spirited, but we eventually got a good kiss. The confession/rejection scene was justified and the reconciliation and ending was... fine. All in all, the pacing felt rushed and the romantic arc was underdeveloped. They go from like to love to boyfriends in a red hot minute. But that’s par for the course with Korea’s short form. If you don’t mind a heavy does of melodrama in your BL this one has a solid story with a strong concept that’s well acted and produced, making it a classic KBL with better than average chemistry but ultimately a touch forgettable.

Love in Spring AKA Spring of Crush

2022 Korea

This show was all over the place with uneven acting, narrative, and focus (sometimes it wanted to be a slapstick comedy, sometimes a depressing melodrama) which meant no one, actors or viewers, took anyone or anything seriously.... AND it’s a bromance. I was left wondering if SalHyung is now code for “they were roommates” in Kdrama historicals but otherwise largely apathetic and unimpressed. Korea, I now know you can do better. Do better.

Mermaid's Jade

2019 China (censored-esk) - Gaga

Kills the gay.

The Male Queen: Han Zi Gao

2016 China - Gaga

Kills the gay. Schrodinger's BL, both a BL and entirely not one at the same time.

Diary of Heong Yeong Dang

2014 Korea

Kills the Gay

I was gonna do a top 10 list, but there aren't enough by my metrics, so many end sadly.

This post at the behest of @verymuchof thank you for the idea!

Dated April 2023, includes only BLs that had finished their run by that date. Not responsible for cool costume flix that come after that. But you should check the comments to see if any have been added by others!

I might have missed a few that only have time historical elements since I don't always track those.

Also I would like to point out a decided lack of Japan on this list. My ninja yaoi consuming tiny past self is VERY upset about this void.

WHERE ARE MY GAY NINJAS??!!!

(source)

[hybbart]

This was supposed to be a warmup but uh, have an air genasi I guess

[cameoutstruggling93]

Pixar literally broke my heart and taped it back together again with Elemental. Amazing. Emotional. Beautiful. 12/10.

[meloxiahq]

[happyheidi]

ig: rosbyamshaw

[hellcatchvalley]

said it on twitter but im sayin it here too: it is nuts that neither dorian nor cyrus had anyone Searching or sent after them from the silken squall. like BOTH heirs went AWOL and then the moon exploded and no one’s worried???? [shakes matt] I KNOW THEYRE FREE SPIRITS AND ALL BUT SURELY NOT THAT FREE. I KNOW THERES A MOON WAR GOING ON BUT I NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF CYRUS BEING DEAD ARE IMMEDIATELY RIGHT NOW THIS MOMENT RIGHT AWAY