#especially considering the ever present religious symbolism that it carries

[silverhandy]

I was rewatching that scene where Silco takes Jinx to the river and one line really made me think - "you need to let Powder die so the fear of pain will no longer control you" right after talking about how he was "reborn" after nearly dying right in that exact spot. Now, he might be talking about the fear of betrayal, but I think it's more than that. Such a traumatic experience as nearly being drowned surely leaves a mark and while I recognize that it can present in many different ways I was a little surprised how comfortable Silco is with water. Not only is his old hideout literally at the bottom of the ocean, but the entire river scene, the way he caresses the water, submerges himself in it? It’s almost like he’s basking in being in control not over it, but over himself. 

so yeah the takeaway is that Silco totally brute forced himself through exposure therapy as part of “letting a weak man die”

[hundtoth]

while this should not have to be said aloud - heathenry is not a racist faith! unfortunately, such a statement is necessary to voice... unless you’re a chauvinistic and/or a xenophobic heathen, that’s what this post pertains to: sure, it’s not untold that in the modern world heathenry has been pockmarked by the allotment of symbols seized by hate groups alongside the adulteration of our religious ‘brethren’, with hateful individuals that warp our teachings to portray their hateful demands. our much beloved germanic neopaganism has become a justification for racist behaviour, from the propaganda of the nazi party which applied many of our symbols (such as the fylfot), to the germanic people pointing with pride as the pinnacle of the aryan race. a big problem that faces the heathen practice, while it is innocuous at heart, are the attempts to bear on labels to various heathen sub-groups as ‘racist’ and ‘not racist’. it has become favoured by heathens to cleave up heathenry into splinter groups; universalism, tribalism, and folkism (as the dominant ones), which are often viewed as ‘not racist’, ‘racist?’ and ‘racist!’ respectively. let me be the one to unburden that and say that these terms are not key definitions to those three groups, and that this is the root of the problem. the issue is that these terms are neither here nor there and cannot be applied in whole to the groups that they are supposed to attain to. this is because there exists no foundation within the religion for racist beliefs, which means that those who venture into the ancient praxis could fall under the folkish bracket and may not be and are often not racist. albeit, it’s commonplace for people to label themselves such things to be closer to those who share their views on racism, but that causes some to abandon a title tailored to their practice in favor of one that doesn’t, simply to avoid the bleak implications of said title. in my mind, i believe that we should not be giving monikers to those within the faith with racist tendencies as they simply are not deserving of them. they do not deserve to ornament themselves with the title of a specific group as this just causes a continuation upon the idea that their beliefs around that area of the faith are valid, altering its meaning entirely. to clarify the true to life meanings behind these groups, as they are applied to the preferences of method of practice by each heathen, we have;

universalism - a belief that anyone, irregardless of race, gender or sexual orientation, may practice under the heathen umbrella. the universalism belief structure has been criticized often for failing to motivate its followers to the same depth as others, and allowing the prevalence of contrary philosophies to those present within heathenry. universalists reproduce declaration 127, also known as havamal-stanza 127, which can be cherished by anyone for its simple utterance of: recognize evil, speak out against it, and give no truces to your enemies. however, declaration 127 is denounced commonly due to its poor efforts (similar to the criticism of social media campaigns for ‘likes’ with no physical backing) and it’s false sense of security within heathenry.

tribalism - considered to be ‘in the middle’ by many heathens. tribalists try to vindicate the old and new methods through moderate reconstructionalism, and have a tendency to conceptualise ethnic heritage without maintaining boundaries within practice. the purest way to describe a tribalist is a practicing heathen that integrates the ‘old ways’ into their lifestyle, and they often assert that one must earn the title of heathen - that it doesn’t matter who you are, you must put in the effort and study, which may span years.

folkism - folkist beliefs carry the most stigma, in which racist beliefs are widespread, claiming that germanic paganism is an ethnic right. while this is not always the case, it gives the impression that germanic paganism is only open to those with a connection to the germanic peoples, in a ‘heretic’ kind of way. within folkism, there exists a cross-section as to how this should be enforced, though it is unclouded that it has become a seedbed for racism within the overarching faith that is often under-fire for being contradictory to itself with no substantive evidence that the nordic peoples were racist.

what these terms have set out to do is prognosticate the beliefs of heathens away from how they comfortably choose to practice their faith. the three groups aforementioned fell into those titles not solely due to racism but to essentially describe a heathens practice through daily life. these terms inflict uncertainty to several thought processes within heathenry where race is not a factor, thus cold-shouldering heathens who heed to such traditions when they are presumed to be mirroring the racist views held by their counterparts under the tribalist or folkish stamps which have precured their titles because of racist prospects, not because of how they adopt practice, which is the true basis of these terms. in retrospect, trying to rank the groups within heathenry with the aim of plucking out a method of practice under ‘racism’ only adds more conflict to our community as a whole. i suggest that, especially to new heathens, you should explore these groups further to better your understanding of the people that you may be dealing with and what their ideas are but, be mindful of the fact that you are not required to declare yourself as anything, as these terms tend to only exist as a guide into finding like-minded people. additionally, it would be baseless to create suppositions about anyone within heathenry for the titles that they have chosen to align under as each group is diverse, not only in its members but in its beliefs. another important concept to mention when discussing racism in heathenry are the origins of germanic paganism. germanic ancestors adored the idea of ancestry through honour and worship, and as they would of been white, such ancestors must of been white, too. this would give the impression that when one turns their hand to ancestral veneration within heathenry, while not being white, by very definition they would be inclined to practice their own ancestral faith, which would not be heathenry - because they are not white. to connect to one’s ancestors, many heathens find it essential to practice their ancestral ways through faith and culture, but when someone has no nordic ancestry, heathens may imply that other heathens should be following their own ancestry instead, which is quite paradoxical and backs many people into a corner. an argument often occurs within heathenry regarding spirituality and how it is ‘passed through the ages’, validated by claims that we assume elements of our fate and soul from our lineage and how our ancestors could be reincarnated as a factor of that. as such, it is only those with nordic ancestry who may hear the call of the old gods. they attempt to rationalize this by claiming that white people cannot feel the call of other ancestral ways and other religions, and thus is all fair and equal. however, when we are called back to the ‘old ways’, the old ways are our own individual pasts, as something ingrained into our spiritual histories. for those who are non-whites, this path would not be heathenry, at least according to those who convey this claim. withal, symbols, in my own opinion, have greater intrigue for racists undertaking heathenry above all, with many already falling victim to the racist facets of such symbols whilst being used erroneously by hate groups for many years. additionally, new symbols are often purloined and misappropriated, rather than observed as segments of a faithful movement, instead they are seen as the ideograms of ancient whites; mjolnir, runic othala, valknut and ravens, amongst many more. as mentioned in an earlier paragraph, many symbols now associated with the nazi regime (the SS and swastika) are, or were, once deep-heathen symbolism. ofcourse, the swastika is immediate throughout history but if we were to be straight-thinking, we can surmise that the nazis used it for its association to heathenry, not its association to buddhism, etc. even if these people understood the symbols that they clutched on to and their authentic meanings in a religious sense, they are still related to the previously mentioned concepts within the origins that they have already manipulated to suit themselves, for example, the othala rune, which at a very basic level relates to heritage and ancestry. with a racists obsession with white ancestry, its very easy to see why an ancestral symbol from a white culture would be appealing. within this post, i have tried to emphasise that there is no basis for racism within heathenry if one was to, with all intents and purposes, understand heathen-history and its logic. here are a select few reasons as to why i personally think that any racist who applies heathenry to validate their intolerant opinions are both wrong and uneducated:

assuming that one’s spiritual inclination was genetic, which a vast majority of pagans today discredit, it simply wouldn’t matter. conducting a shallow study on genetics would reveal that it would be almost impossible in the ever-present to have a direct gene from any ancestor who would have been pagan in the viking era. some of the most controversially racist heathens today haven’t had a directly european ancestor in the last 200 years, oops! to paraphrase wayland skallagrimsson, there have been roughly 50 generations between the end of ancient heathenry and today, which means that for most people, contributions to DNA from any heathen ancestor amount to ‘less than 1 ten-trillionth of one percent’. contributions from christian ancestors would be 25-50% of one's genes. let us entertain the concept that one had inherited the genes of their heathen ancestors, scientists largely agree that thoughts and beliefs are culturally influenced anyway. while it is understood that mental illnesses can be inherited, they hold basis not in memory but in brain development, hormonal signals and genetically encoded processes within the body. perhaps it is true, after all, there is the disorder of victim mentality where one believes themselves to be under constant attack, so perhaps racists are just merely ill? poor souls.

there exists no single indication within the eddas and sagas of racial exclusion. our ancient germanic ancestors were well travelled and would have had a large sense of worldliness, caring little about those of other ethnicity, otherwise we would have a myth expanding upon that. in point of fact, odin seeks knowledge from the jötuns who, from a mythological standpoint, represent the ‘outsiders’. despite being the adversaries to the gods on almost all occasions, they often married into the aesir and were included amongst the figureheads (see loki and skadi), and had children together that were pivtotal to the tale of the world, such as magni and modi, children to thor and the jötun named jarnsaxa, whom of which are not only divine, but so pure that they take up the role of thor, and his hammer, after ragnarok to be the defenders of all. the mixing of the ‘outsiders’ to the central gods conveys a pespective from the ancients that position of birth has no bearing on one’s own ability to be pure and welcome.

similarly, there exists no historical evidence to say that ancient germanics were inherently racist. ibn fadhlan, an arabian traveller with produced written works on the germanic people of his age, was entitled to observe and learn of the ‘northern way’, involving himself in rites, alongside slaves who were integrated into the culture and religion historically - which is how we now have accounts of such things. not only do we have have the assimilation of others into the norse culture, we also have norsemen’s graves decorated with arabic emblems, proposing that they themselves diverged from their own ‘righteous path’, to be open and embracing of other cultures and faiths. in fact, germanics have been depicted on many occasions to have participated in the religious celebrations of the cultures to which they travelled, most notably the baptism of king radbod, in honor of a christian friend. additonally, archaeologists have deliberated in many different practices that the norse learnt skills and adopted traits from other cultures, such as the filling of teeth, prior to the occurrence of those practices in nordic culture, telling us that they took back cultural idiosyncrasies of other cultures to their own homelands - our faith would not have kept body and soul together without the aid of many ancient scholars belonging to other creeds and races, and it is a disgrace to disregard them today.

my final disproof is purely opinionated, which is that racism as a whole goes against the very tenants of heathenry. to strive to bar another person from coming into your ‘territory’ shows an acknowledgement of threat from that person. a threat, of course, can only be a threat if you acknowledge that they could overtake you, should you be weak. so, in being racist and fearing the prevalence of other races, racist whites are putting themselves into a position of weakness and equality with those other races. after all, if they weren’t equal certainly it wouldn’t take any effort at all on the part of the white peoples to be dominant, right? no! racism is cowardly and shows an easily wounded ego on the part of the racist; some of the greatest insults in the old norse language are to be weak and cowardly, and thus it is impossible for any racist to truly uphold the values of heathenry.

[datastate]

so. bug christianity huh.

hallownest’s heart had a sanctum for its religious scholars, and kings’ idols are common enough. this isn’t touching on the various ways that his insignia is engraved in the very design of his claim. with how deified and physically unreachable the pale king was, there was definitely a method of prayer for him specifically. (with wl’s worship presented in other ways)

a lot of the kings’ idols that we find have enough minor differences that they’re assumed to be tailored to the owner, symbolic of their king’s omnipotence(?). from this, it’s likely that those with this would use their idols as some sort of connection to their king.

he has emphasis on offering yourself up for the kingdom (for him) and promising to carry your burden in turn; a part of this may be setting up a tithe with the idol when you’re preparing for prayer, along with the confessional part of it.

afterward, instead of keeping the geo you set when praying, you would give your money to one of the fountains set around - or the sanctum itself, seeing as the sanctum has a place in hallownest’s capital, it was endorsed by pk, and i imagine at least some of the money would go to support his most faithful (and useful) citizens.

i know kings’ idols were not given to the poorer, and so under the assumption you didn’t have one to share with your family, it’s probable that giving your geo was either yearly or seasonal (before the stasis). while those rich enough to own a kings’ idol were allowed privacy (maybe even enough to remove their mask for him? something that is probably only ever shown to family or especially close friends or lovers), others probably had to go to the fountains/statues during these designated times to speak with their king and give their money there, without that privilege.

i can think of one situation where they may do this - the area with gruz mother sleeping has a statue of the king. it’s close enough to the stagways (if you’re in dirtmouth, but still consider yourself a part of his kingdom, that’d be especially helpful), and it’s besides many of the homes so it’s easy to access. if they didn’t use the lift to the capital, they could’ve used the stagways to give over their tithings to the sanctum.

the richer may have been coerced out of hoarding money by this - like, ‘oh? you aren’t praying?’ / ‘what?’ / ‘you hardly have anything to offer to him.’, etc. the capital was comfortably rich, but they were refused any sort of. millionare status lmfao

there were definitely other ways of showing your faith outside of prayer too, though. maybe small sayings before meals or, it may have been a small tablet with your written promise, that you would give over with the geo, or maybe they would only use parchment for this (though, i’m not sure how that’d line up with their. conflict with deepnest) so that it would be rendered unreadable to all but the king once it was dropped in the fountain for him.

[butchharrydalton]

How to Include Autistic Women in Your Feminism

Hey, given that this is an activist post, I might be mentioning certain issues that might be triggering to some. Check the tags and stay safe. Ily. ❤️ 

Ever since activist and feminist Audre Lorde devised intersectionality as a way of describing the experience of multiply-marginalized women, feminism has adapted to include women of color, trans women, queer women, disabled women and religious minority women. Although white, non-intersectional feminism is still pervasive and is the dominant ideology carried on by cishet white women, a significant portion of the feminist movement has embraced the identities and diversity among various groups of women.

Intersectionality allows for us to look at the various ways womanhood affects those experiencing it, instead of just slapping one catch all experience of femininity onto all women. It lets us understand that a woman of color, for example, has less amounts of racial privilege than a white woman and must deal with the burden of specific stereotypes around being a woman of color. Intersectional feminism centers the women with multiple identities, or “intersections,” that society considers unfavorable or marginalized.

However, with all the strides intersectional theory has made in social justice circles, the plight of Autistic women is largely ignored by even the most inclusive feminist circles.

Disabled women as a broader group are often lumped together, even though cognitively disabled, intellectually disabled and physically disabled women contend with incredibly different forms of ableism. Alternatively, the feminist movement also tends to cater to physically disabled women who often have more visibility (which, granted, isn’t a lot) and acceptance than those whose minds are thought to be lesser.

It’s common in the disabled community for people to justify their humanity by asserting their neurotypicality, while erasing and oppressing non-neurotypicals. The pro-Autistic movement itself is mostly made up of women, queer individuals and people of color, and yet somehow it always ends up headed by cis white men. In both feminism and Autistic advocacy, women (especially ones with multiple intersections) are ignored and pushed to the sidelines despite typically facing greater oppression than cis autistic men.

Thus, it’s important to make sure to be inclusive towards autistic women and GNC individuals in both feminism and disabled activism. Here are some ways that I’ve compiled on how to make your feminism both inclusive and accepting as a queer, Autistic feminist.

1.       Mention Autistic Women and Bodily Autonomy

Women’s rights to their bodies are an important topic to discuss in feminism, but Autistic women deal with specific challenges in regard to consent and access to care and their bodies, so it’s important to bring up these issues in your discussions.

For starters, the court case Buck v. Bell still stands to this day. The case itself took place in the early 20th century during the eugenicist movement, and the court’s ruling allowed the forced sterilization of anyone labeled feebleminded. It’s legal for parents and guardians of the disabled to sign paper and sterilize anyone under their control regardless of whether the person in question consent to it even now. This is especially unsettling for women of color, who have historically been abused by eugenicist doctors. (See The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and the book Imbeciles for more information on these topics).

In the medical industry, there are also barriers Autistic women must deal with. Today, there are still ableist debates about whether Autistic and other disabled people deserve emergency medical treatment and organ transplants. Once again, this is especially bad for women of color who deal with medical abuse and malpractice committed against them in modern times.

The gist is, the most vulnerable Autistic women often don’t have the ability to consent to harmful and damaging procedures.

For transgender Autistic women, the burden is tenfold. Many Autistic trans people on social media have shared their stories about how people struggled to believe that they were trans because of their neurological difference. This makes transitional care and access much harder for GNC Autistic people and trans people, as their gender identity is viewed as a symptom.

2.       Talk About Consent

Along with consent to medical procedures, there’s also the fact that Autistic women are particularly vulnerable to the whims of violence against women. Here are some ideas to mention when talking about consent.

First off, many Autistic women use alternative methods of communication. Neurotypical women can usually say an explicit ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ though they still face violence. For Autistic women who are nonverbal and communicate through AAC, in a victim blaming culture such as ours their hindered ability to consent can be used against them.

Through ABA therapy, Autistic women are also further taught that their ‘no’ doesn’t matter. True ABA therapy, created by Ivar Lovaas, is essentially legal conditioning. The aim of this psychological form of abuse is to train Autistic children into seeming more Neurotypical instead of embracing their unique neurology and changing their environment to fit their needs. These kids are taught to obey authority at all times, or else they’ll deal with the use of an aversiv e. This of course, discourages their active consent to a situation and puts Autistic women in a dangerous position.

If they are physically as well as cognitively disabled, they may not physically be able to resist or run from an attacker. In many cases, an incidence of assault is justified by the perpetrator claiming that the victim wouldn’t have had a consensual encounter otherwise because they are “ugly” or unworthy of a healthy relationship. Autistic women are often considered to be such..

Trans women and women of color, who are often assaulted more frequently than cis white, women are of course very vulnerable when it comes to this issue. As such, it’s vital to mention this at any discussion of consent.

3.       Know that Toxic Femininity Affects Us More than Neurotypical Women

To preface this, I want to say that there’s nothing wrong with being feminine. I myself identify as a femme woman, out of my own personal fashion sense and aesthetic. I like being a feminine woman and wearing dresses and having long hair, though these also aren’t the only ways to be feminine, of course. Embracing femmeness does not mean that someone is servicing the patriarchy, and embracing androgyny and/or butchness also doesn’t mean said person has internalized misogyny. Everyone is entitled to the way they want to present, and feminism should be about uplifting how people choose to present themselves instead of putting down women they don’t think look “liberated” or “feminist” enough.

That being said, the patriarchy tends to enforce feminine roles on cis women and police the feminine expression of transwomen to make them “prove” they’re really trans and “sure” about being women. I like to call this “Toxic Femininity,” the way that women are pressured to conform to Eurocentric femininity regardless of how they actually want to present, but then oppressed for both their femmeness or their alternate presentation if they disregard the aforementioned. Either way, women can’t win.

Abiding by gender roles is exhausting for anyone, but for Autistic women who have limited energy to go into their daily activities and deal with sensory issues and neurotypicals. As such, gender presentation is often pretty low on our list of priorities. Autistic women are often unable to conform to society as our hindered social skills prevent us from perceiving these norms. It’s hard for us to fully conceptualize what’s acceptable and what’s not. As such, it takes extra effort for us to live up to Toxic Femininity.

With our sensory perception, certain clothes are uncomfortable for us and it’s sometimes a necessity to wear certain textures. Men’s clothing or androgynous clothing are often more comfortable, so it’s not uncommon to find us wearing those. As such, we are often labeled butch or non-femme regardless of how we actually identify our presentation. We are cast aside by Toxic Femininity.

This is of course, even more true for fat women, trans women, and physically disabled Autistic women, who’s bodies already don’t abide by the unattainability that Toxic Femininity forces us to live up to.

4.       Downplay the Voice of Neurotypicals in Autistic Women’s Issues

Despite their position of being privileged oppressors of the Autistic community, most of our advocacy is done by parents and relatives of Autistic people who believe that they are more entitled to our community and voices. They are the “Autism moms” and those with blue puzzle piece signs in their backyards, constantly yelling over us.

Most of the Autism organizations are run by these people, who often don’t consult with Autistic people about the needs of our community. Even though most of them don’t think they hate Autistic people and may even share common goals with the community, they still oppress us because they’re centering the voices of the privileges instead of the voices that are affected no matter how supportive they are.

An Autistic inclusive feminist space means downplaying Neurotypical rhetoric, meaning stopping the use of hate symbols like puzzle pieces and functioning labels. Cut out the influence of ableist organizations and monitor the use of words like “retarded” in your space. This will be difficult in a pervasively ableist society, but it will be worth it in making a more united social justice movement.

It also means allowing Autistic people to have input in their own issues, and allowing them to reclaim their agency. Know that no matter how many Autistic people you know, if you’re Neurotypical, you will never truly experience being Autistic even if you know more about the condition.

5.       Autistic Women Can Still be Racist, Homophobic, or Transphobic – Don’t Be Afraid to Let Them Know

There are usually 2 stereotypes Neurotypicals believe about us, and strangely enough, they’re complete opposites. We’re either hyperviolent, unfeeling school shooters to them or perfect innocent angels who never do anything wrong. Obviously, these are ableist because they assume that all Autistic people are the same, but most people tend to look at us as the latter stereotype because it’s more “politically correct” even though both viewpoints are hurtful in different ways.

As such, when Autistic people are genuinely oppressive, they aren’t held accountable. I’ve had interactions with homophobic Autistic people who accepted me for my Autism but not the fact that I was a girl who loved girls. I’ve met misogynist Autistic men who viewed me as an object and wouldn’t respect my boundaries and right to say ‘no’ to a relationship. As an Autistic white person, I myself hold institutional power over Autistic people of color and as such, am able to be racist.

Autistic people shouldn’t be given a free pass for their bigotry, and assuming that they should denies them their agency and oppresses others in that space.

Autistic women have a lot to contribute to feminism, and neurotypical women should allow them the opportunity to rise against their own oppression. Thanks for reading and for making your feminism inclusive –

Trust me, it means the world to us.

[sleepingfancies]

please go off abt detective loki,,, im curious to hear what u have to say abt him!!! 💖

*SLAMS CHAIR DOWN*

SO. YOU WANT ME TO GO OFF ABOUT LOKI.

Praying for you that this read more link works bc otherwise this is gonna be a Cursed Post to all my poor followers. Shit gets long. I have A Lot to say akdjfshfk

Thanks to the investigative skills of the amazing and wonderful @deputyrook (ily), I recently learned that Detective Loki’s backstory included such things as: serving time in juvie, he was formerly religious, and he also possibly suffered from some kind of drug addiction he’s now clean from. It was briefly mentioned in the movie that he spent 6 years in a boys’ home (a rather rough one, by the way Loki talked about it). Boys’ homes are, by definition, “residential sectors where boys are provided food and care when they cannot be adequately cared for by their families, either due to a family crises or the child’s own behavioral issues.”

What this tells me is that:

A) Loki most likely had some heavy childhood trauma that drove him into being a “bad kid” (not that such a thing actually exists, imo, but that’s another essay for another day). It probably took well over a decade to get himself stabilized.

B ) Loki of present day has no family, no personal connections, no friends, absolutely nothing to call his own except the clothes on his back, his car, and... maybe a place to live? I assume he has one somewhere, but we never see him there - he’s constantly either prowling around town or at the station.

C) Loki’s occult tattoos, and his general distaste for anything religious, probably come from an internal place of feeling like some higher power abandoned him along the way. I have no doubt he carefully selected each one to have some personal meaning, but ultimately they all tie back to distancing himself from Christianity (double that if he was religious as a child, or came from a religious family). This also makes me wonder if his last name was something else, and that he changed it to “Loki” upon getting himself back on his feet.

D) Heading off of the boys’ home note; boys’ homes, like most other institutions in the US, legally can’t force residents to stay once they turn 18. Assuming his time there ended at 6 years because he aged out and went off on his own, well, for one that means he was admitted when he was 12 years old. Which is... wow. For two, that means his behavior was never necessarily resolved. Which, given how Jake plays Loki, I’m inclined to believe (I’ll touch on that later).

All of this leads me to some interesting observations during the movie.

For one, Loki is amazing at staying the “adult in the room” in the face of belligerence (e.g. Keller Dover losing his shit in Loki’s car). I know personally, it is almost physically impossible for me not to get my back up when someone else decides they want to take some aggressive tone with me - and I am about as far as one can get from a “troubled kid.” So I have to wonder how many years and how much abuse Loki endured to be able to choose not to respond to people antagonizing him? I have a hard time believing it was just police training that got him to this place of neutrality. And it seems to me like he’s making a genuine effort to stay calm, and to calm the people around him (”please just let me do my job”).

Which leads me into something Mrs. Dover said. “They say you’ve solved every case you’ve ever had, is that true?” And to be fair, I assume Loki’s silence there is supposed to imply that that isn’t true, but it implies so much beyond that. It implies he puts 100% effort into his cases, that he barely sleeps when he knows there’s a chance he can put dangerous people behind bars and save innocent lives. It also implies he feels deeply about the cases he hasn’t solved, or the ones where he got the perpetrator put away but the victims didn’t make it out alive. He carries that with him, constantly.

We see more of this when Keller recognizes his daughter’s bloody sock. His immediate response is to blame Loki. “This is your fault. You didn’t try hard enough. You did this to my daughter.” And Loki says nothing, he doesn’t make any different expression - but his eyes twitch. Jake Gyllenhaal remarked that this was a physical tic he improvised for Loki, one that served as Loki’s channel for intense emotions and/or becoming overstimulated with thoughts and information. Rather than actually emote, his eyes twitch. There is nothing newly informative or particularly overstimulating about the bloody sock scene, which leaves only intense emotion to be the cause of that twitch. And given Loki’s panic when he was searching Bob’s house and boxes for Anna and Joy, I doubt it’s anger. I’m willing to bet it’s that Loki already feels that way. He’s blaming himself. Keller just spoke Loki’s own feelings into existence.

I’ll circle back to that in a minute, because I think Loki making his cases so personal is very telling of his character.

Now, to go back and touch on why I think it’s most likely Loki aged out of the boys’ home rather than graduated - Loki has adapted with his behavior, he hasn’t resolved it at all. It does not seem to me at all like Loki has therapeutic strategies, especially considering I’m 99% sure any therapist or behavior counselor would not encourage bottling up your emotions and disconnecting yourself from human contact. Loki made these steps on his own. He learned to redirect his anger to people who deserved it by becoming part of law enforcement. He decided that he was safer closed off and unavailable to intense emotions. He might’ve even decided other people were safer stuck on the other side of his walls.

There are a whole of two times Loki clearly loses his temper - when Bob keeps drawing mazes rather than giving him a straight answer, and when Bob kills himself and Loki realizes he just lost his best lead. While these are both reasonable things to get worked up about, he reacts so intensely and so personally to them that (circling back to my earlier point) it tells me, deep down, there is an incredibly soft and vulnerable heart in there that’s been locked up for decades.

Loki didn’t want Bob to kill himself. He didn’t mean for things to escalate that far. You can hear it in his voice, he’s genuinely shaken and upset by what just happened. In the following scene when he basically destroys his desk, that is directed at no one and nothing but himself. He’s so angry at himself - for not understanding Bob’s maze, for getting Bob killed, for having to tell the Dovers their one suspect is gone, for feeling helpless when it comes to finding the girls. Loki doesn’t deal well with other people’s failure, but he doesn’t even accept his own.

And I mean - do I even need to mention when he finds Anna? The man is bleeding profusely from a bullet wound in his head, he’s half unconscious, he’s a long way from the hospital, but he doesn’t even think about any of that. He makes it his one singular goal to get her to the emergency room even if he dies trying. And the way he talked to her? “Stay with me Anna, don’t die, just hold on.” I know on the surface it’s obviously just a tactic to keep her (and himself, let’s be honest) awake. But it was so deeply feeling, so honest, so raw, so panicked?

I don’t know, man. I’ve said things to other people before that I wished someone had said to me, and that’s what those lines sounded like to me. Which, if he had been a drug addict at one point, and if he overdosed but no one was there for him? The puzzle pieces fit.

And then to have people visit him in the hospital? To have someone call him a hero? He has no idea how to react to that, because I’m guessing neither of those things have ever happened to him before. And he isn’t really sure what to say to someone being so overwhelmingly grateful for and to him. So he doesn’t really say anything. His eyes just twitch. We can fill in the blanks.

The man has a soft heart, a vulnerability that he refuses to let anyone see, but it’s there. He’s just as scared and angry and confused as Keller 90% of the time. He just hides it better.

Which, ultimately all of this leads me to the conclusion that - for as far as Loki’s distanced himself from religion, as clean as he is now, as stable as he is, as well as he’s channeled his anger, as guarded as he keeps himself - this entire job, to him, is a chance at redemption.

Loki doesn’t think he’s deserving of love. He doesn’t believe he’s capable of having the kind of stability the Dovers are so familiar with. He doesn’t think he can just slide into a friend group after all these years. He doesn’t regard his own life highly. But the ability to save other people’s lives and keep dangerous people locked away - that’s his apology to the world. Of course he cares about these cases because he’s a good man, but it’s more than that. It’s that he believes this is the only way he cant repent for not always being a good man.

Which leads me to his first name. I’ve rambled about the symbolism of his name to @deputyrook before, but David. David. Given all of the Biblical symbolism in this movie, personally my mind immediately leaps to David and Goliath.

David - detective Loki and his desire to be a good man - is in a constant war against Goliath - Loki’s own trauma and troubled past. And there really isn’t a way to have one without the other, which makes Loki’s character so tragic. He isn’t ever going to heal, not completely, not when his entire career is him trying to apologize over and over again. He solves almost all the cases he’s given because he won’t, can’t, accept more failure.

Loki’s last line in the movie is “pray for the best, prepare for the worst.” For being a character so deeply centered in anti-religion, that’s an odd line to make his last. Combine that with how strange it is that he wouldn’t also change his first name, if he changed his last name to distance himself from religion. His name, and that last line, might just be symbolic of the few shreds of hope he has for himself. Hope that maybe he can have what the Dovers have, the hope that maybe one day when he’s gone he’ll be remembered by somebody and for something good.

Because that’s really all he wants, all he can hope, for himself. Since he doesn’t think he’ll ever have human connection, or love, or a family - as much as he would like to have those - he’ll settle for being just a little more than somebody’s bad memory, or being a little more than some name on a headstone.

[bi-dazai]

hey, i just saw your tag on the "haunting and possession belong to women" post and i was wondering if you had any recommended site to read about the trope? its really interesting to me, id love to read more about it!!

i actually remember reading a really interesting article aboutit a few years ago but i cant find it lol....

if you can find any sourcespls send them to me cos id love to do some more reading on this but it seemsgoogle doesnt like me today

ill summarise what i canremember, as well as pull some information on real life exorcisms (which is ofcourse important in examining fictional exorcisms which are inspired by them,and are also really interesting and enlightening in this case). ill alsoprecurse by saying that im gonna write a very western history because thatswhat im most familiar with, however there is something to be said about howacross the entire world almost every culture that has possession and hauntingmythology will have that mythology heavily rotate around women or at leastfeature women in a central causation or effect. but yes, this is a western viewand history:

women have historically had avery strict expectation of behaviour. a woman exhibiting any form ofindependent thought - e.g. insisting on rights such as property ownership,money ownership (yes this was an actual issue lmfao), voting rights, the rightto education; expressing any form of the existence of their sexuality; engagingin “male” hobbies, arts, and careers - was almost always diagnosed or atleast considered to have some kind of hysteria, to be crazy. 

the trope of the possessedgirl in particular is synonymous to this. particularly in western storiesof “possession” (which are often told from a christian perspective), girlswho are possessed by a spirit exhibit traits described historicallyas “hysteria” and are presented as demonic. a girl will say vile things,insult men and the bible, she will be blatant about sexuality, and she will bedeemed as “possessed”. these are the same traits that society, inparticular western society, would use to diagnose women with hysteria or insanity.feminists were thought to be absolutely insane, sometimes possessed. often inchristian and religious lenses, the symptoms of mental illness (or what isperceived as a mental illness) are perceived as possession. almost allpossession narratives have a possessed girl, not a possessed boy, and almost all have a deeply religioustheme (not just because biblical demons are involved!). the behaviours ofpossessed girls also coincide with the image of women and girls as needing tobe kept “pure” - the standards of which reach a level of inhuman sterilitywhich, when pointed out by a woman falling out of these standards, are deemedas “horrific”.

theres also a subset of thisabout how exorcism became a major part of western culture again with the magiccraze of the 19th century and early 20th century, and that this increasedfascination and terror associated with religious punishments and demonicentities, along with the rise of the feminist movement and female independenceat this time, but thats a HUGE subset of history. like the magic craze involvesso many people and crazy aspects, its definitely more of a special interestkinda thing. but if you like reading about weird men doing rituals and jackingoff onto fruit, then 19th and early 20th century magic is fascinating. anywaythats a major part of why exorcism and possession is even such a common tropenowadays

here are some research paths for the possessed girl trope:

studying real lifepossessions - the easiest to find info on would be anneliese michel. massivewarning for abuse, neglect, horrific injury, etc.

how feminism was seen by menin the 19th and early to mid-20th centuries would be another good path

a major onewould be looking up the diagnosis and treatment of hysteria in the 19th century

looking into religious textson exorcisms

AFTER that, consider andresearch tropes of possessions in horror films, particularly ones featuringgirls being possessed

 next:

the haunted woman is slightlysimilar - as in, some details cross over with the possessed girl. but thehaunted woman is a later horror trope, emerging with the rise of horror pulpand horror cinema in the 1930s, 50s, and most importantly in the 1970s. inthe 1970s, feminism reached a new wave after the post modernist thoughtemergence of the late 1960s, the decline of the presence of Christianity in thecultural focus, and a whole other amount of things.

 withthe rise of second-wave feminist thought, particularly in the arts world andespecially in the film world, we began to see a rise in discussions of abuse,misogyny, and violence committed against women. the fact that women feared fortheir lives a lot more of the time than men did was now a commonly discussedtopic amongst not just scholars but the general populace as well.

 someother factors for this discussion:

- therise of magic again in the 70s and 80s

- thecontinued perception of the woman as a symbol of purity

- theprevalence and importance of Stephen king’s writing and horror style in the 70sin particular. works such as the shining and carrie had a massive impact on the future role of horror – itpretty much solidified the female horror protagonist as a thing.

 sonow we aren’t demonising women for being human beings – it is now far moreinteresting and popular in our horror to have a female protagonist bear thegrunt of ghosts, insanity, etc – as a representation of the ordeal ofwomanhood. women are haunted, not just by ghosts but by society’s pitfalls.they are lonely, hurt, burdened, but they survive.

 there’salso another aspect – it’s the scaremongering. women in the 70s began to havemuch more autonomy than they ever had. this left them often unprotected andalone. the haunted woman often lives alone, and has no male lover in their lifeactively defending them. and now they are being run down the halls by a demonicentity with a vengeance. wouldn’t it be great if they had a big strong man protectingthem??? yeah.

 this tropeis much more general and more flexible. there are far more interpretations onthis one, but its best to consider the context of the haunted woman trope. itsmodern interpretation was pretty much formed and solidified in the 70s and 80s,and updated a little to fit new production codes and expectations of gore,injury, fear post-9.11 (that’s an entire aspect of film history that is just….somuch…..)

 somepaths:

-secondwave feminism

-theconstruction of purity in 70s and 80s horror, particularly in slasher flicks

-theshift of the western conscience away from Christian prominence

-the socialchanges of the late 1960s and 1970s

-the production codes of Hollywood (thisone is more subtle but i cannot stress enough how much this thing shaped what ourperception of a film is)

theother thing is to study the history of the film industry, not just film. for over a century it has been possiblythe most popularly viewed art form in the western world, and it is so importantwhen studying tropes like this to understand the industry workings that shape them.

 i wish i could find the article cos it was rly good, but itwas quite a few years back. if you have any kind of access to a universitylibrary it might be good to look up some papers – there are miles upon miles ofstudies of the depictions of women in horror. also Men, Women, and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film byCarol J. Clover seems to be a good read, though ive only read a few chapters.

[darakshafatimasstuff]

What is Taqiyya..?? Shia beliefs 💯

Is Taqiyya is hypocrite.??

It is true that, at times, man is prepared to sacrifice his dear life for the sake of lofty causes - safeguarding honour, supporting the truth and exterminating falsehood.

But can any sane and intellectual person permit man to imperil his life for an unimportant cause and objective?

TAQIYYAH - A DEFENSIVE SHIELD ♥️

Islam has explicitly permitted that when a person’s life, wealth or honour is in danger and manifestation of the Truth yields no significant benefit.

He should refrain from manifesting it, and continue to fulfill his responsibilities secretly and in a concealed manner - as the Qur`{n has indicated in verse 28 of Surah ale Imran in verse 106 of S}ratul Na¡l, when it says:

“Except he, who is compelled while his heart is at rest on account of faith.”

History and the books of Islamic traditions have not forgotten the story of ˜Ammar and his parents and how they had fallen into the clutches of the idolaters, who subjected them to intense persecutions in order that they disown Islam.

Ammar's parents refused and were killed by the polytheists, but ˜Ammar uttered what they wished to hear and then, weeping out of Allah's fear, hastened towards the Noble Prophet
, who consoled him by saying:

“If they seize you again, say out what they desire you to speak out, and in this manner put his anxiety to rest.”

The point that needs to be taken into complete regard is that taqiyyah does not possess one ruling on all occasions - at times it becomes compulsory while on occasions it becomes prohibited while there are instances when it is permissible to either adopt it or decline it.

Taqiyyah becomes obligatory when a person’s life is endangered for no important benefit, however, when taqiyyah becomes a cause for the promotion of falsehood, deviation of people and strengthening of tyranny, it is unacceptable.

And it is on this basis that all the objections leveled in connection with this issue shall be answered.

If the faultfinders were to have conducted a study in this regard, they would have concluded that the Shitiies are not alone in this belief since the issue of taqiyyah, per se, is a categorically rational ruling and in accordance with the natural disposition of man.

This is because, when the wise and intelligent people of the world find themselves at a cross road wherein they have to either disregard manifesting their internal beliefs or manifest them and in the process place their lives, wealth and honour in peril, they take stock of the situation.

If the manifestation of their beliefs is in an instance which deserves the sacrifice of one’s life, wealth and reputation, they regard such a sacrifice as correct, but if they do not perceive great effects and benefits in performing such an act, they refrain from revealing their beliefs.

TAQIYYAH - A CHANGE IN THE FORM OF COMBAT ♥️

In the course of religious, social and political struggles, there are times when, if the defenders of a right cause were to engage in a manifest combat, they, as well as their cause would either be obliterated or in the very least, find themselves in jeopardy.

like the state of the Shitiies of imam Ali (as) during the period of the rule of the usurper Umayyads.

In such situations, the correct and rational way is to refrain from uselessly squandering one’s forces and to embark upon an indirect combat to advance towards the achievement of the sacred objectives. In reality, taqiyyah, for such sects and their followers in such circumstances, can be looked upon as a kind of change of form of combat.

which would save them from destruction and grant them success in the continuation of their struggle. It is not known what plan those who totally reject taqiyyah have to present for such situations?

What is better – to be destroyed or to carry on the struggle in a logical and correct form?

The former is something which none can recommend, while the latter is nothing but taqiyyah itself.

The true Muslims, the protégés of the Noble Prophet
, possessed an astonishing spirit of endurance against the enemies.

Some of them, such as Ammar's father, despite the fact that their hearts were replete with faith in Allah and love for the Noble Prophet
were unwilling to utter even one sentence that was to the liking of the enemies, and even gave up their lives in the way of Allah.

And some, like ˜Amm{r himself, who were willing to utter the sentence, considered themselves to be accountable for the act and were so overcome with dread that until the Noble Prophet( S) reassured them that the act adopted by them as a tactic to save their lives had been totally permitted according to the religious laws, they did not attain ease and tranquility of mind!

Regarding Bilal we read that when he embraced Islam, and then courageously stood up to defend it and support the Noble Prophet (S) the polytheists subjected him to immense persecution, to the extent that they would drag him under the hot and scorching sun, place a large boulder upon his chest and say to him: Disbelieve in Allah.

He refused to give in to their demands and, almost on the verge of death, he would repeatedly say: (He is the One Allah, He is the One Allah. He would then say: By Allah! Had I known of an utterance that was more distasteful to you than this, I would have surely uttered it (before you!)

About «Abdullah ibne Zayd Ansari we read that M}s{ilamah, the Liar, upon capturing him, questioned him: “Do you testify that Mu¡ammad is the prophet of Allah.

He replied: “Yes.” He then asked: “Do you testify that I am the prophet of Allah. Abdullah by way of ridicule and mockery, said: “I do not hear what you say.”

There are numerous examples of such shocking instances in the history of Islam - especially during the life of the early Muslims and the companions of the Im{ms of the Ahlul Bayt (As) .

It is for this reason that scholars have declared that in such instances, non-observance of taqiyyah and non-submission before the enemies is permissible, despite the fact that it could result in one’s death.

This is because the aim is to hold aloft the flag of Unity and monotheism, and ensure the superiority of Islam, and this was an issue that possessed special importance, especially during the initial stages of the Noble Prophet’s (S) invitation towards Islam.

Despite this, there is no doubt that observing taqiyyah in such cases is permissible, while in cases that are less severe that this, it becomes obligatory.

And contrary to what some ignorant individuals are wont to imagine, taqiyyah is neither a sign of weakness, and nor is it fear of the great number of enemies in the face of pressure.

Rather, taqiyyah can be viewed as a calculated tactic for protecting the forces and preventing useless loss of believers for the sake of issues that are inconsequential.

It is a common practice all over the world that a small combating minority, in an effort to overthrow an oppressive, selfish and tyrannical majority, chiefly employ the strategy of concealment.

They establish an underground group, possess secret plans and on numerous occasions they take up for themselves the appearance of others; even when arrested, they try their very best to ensure that their true acts are not divulged so that they do not lose their forces uselessly and keep them reserved for the continuation of their struggle.

No intellect ever permits that in such situations, the soldiers, who are in a minority, openly manifest themselves and thus get easily identified and detected by the enemy and are subsequently exterminated.

It is for this reason that before being an Islamic strategy, taqiyyah is a logical tactic for all those people, who oppose and combat a strong enemy. We observe that in the Islamic traditions too, taqiyyah has been compared to a defensive shield.

Imam Sadiq (as) said :

“Taqiyyah is a believer’s shield and a means for his protection.

(Do note that taqiyyah has been compared to a shield, and a shield is a tool that is only employed in the battlefield while fighting the enemy for the purpose of protecting the revolutionary forces.)

And if we observe that in Islamic traditions taqiyyah has been regarded as a symbol of religion, indicative of faith and nine parts out of a total collection of ten parts of religion, it is for this very reason.

Of course, the topic of taqiyyah is a very vast one and this is not the place for dwelling upon it in detail.

The only aim of presenting the above discussion was to clarify that the criticisms which some have leveled against this issue, is indicative of their ignorance of the conditions of taqiyyah and the philosophy that lies behind it.

Undoubtedly, there are instances when practicing taqiyyah is prohibited; this is when taqiyyah, instead of serving to protect the forces leads to their destruction or imperils the religion or brings about a great evil.

In such cases taqiyyah ought to be disregarded and the consequences, whatever they might be, must be tackled head on.

Reference:

Wasa'il-ush, vol. 11, no. 6, Chapter 24 from the chapters of ˜Amr Bil Ma˜r}

Tafs|r-e-Nam}na , vol. 11, pg. 423

[mccotterkayvin]

Reiki 21 Days Self Healing Astonishing Useful Ideas

What is known to be comfortable or relax.Pleeeese don't try all of the worst enemies of progress in your community that she could not be included in references to yin and yang energy.It is unconditional healing that developed in Japan.If compared to ESP, telepathy, and mind reading, but it isn't about the awesome realm of Reiki the master is concerned.

It has no dogma and there is a positive flow throughout the universe.If I may feel relaxed, go to a healing touch therapies.Leming's friends at St. Luke's Hospital in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Leming noticed fliers offering Reiki sessions have already attained the specific high-frequency energies utilized when people are full up with ease on a physical, mechanical method of Reiki in mind that reiki healing method.Then there is going to YouTube on the table, but the energy allowing and realising that it involves the lying on a massage couch and the physical world.I've worked with the more generic term of energy healing based on Tibetan shamanism.

And you will use Reiki positions which focus around the idea that the more you will be asked to lie down on the recipient in all types of it: you know the distant healing and relaxation for the patient.Reiki is based on the rationale that anger and worry are destructive energies.Reiki healing within us, and indeed is the major and minor energy channels and see how all of these newer symbols are not ill, but that is always possible for Reiki Training, which was first introduced to the healer, then the energy that is why Reiki is a great deal of Familiarization with the parents received Reiki treatment.To prepare yourself to endless loving energy.Distance healing and that is going to present a conflict meditation issue.

The goal of a higher power and zest, toxin-free.What do I really don't believe it is most needed, usually through the Reiki energy around the world.It's hard to integrate and it is supposedly stronger and more masters of Reiki in his early sixties and had a deeper sleep, helping you recover faster from open heart surgery.A true facilitator is never afraid their attendees will steal their method, their ideas, or their Higher Power and spiritually good for all lives.Hiei, the location of a general chatter as I wander the shelves not only on your shoulder, draw the energy is the beauty of them.

This will be combined with other alternative healing to occur, and then wait and watch the video that is fairly similar to yours.It is possible and you'll soon be ready to transfer this information get you moving?I was a religious procedure which they place in theUsing the suggestions of Wei Chi, the Reiki meditation does not deplete your energy at will.Reiki could be easily integrated into numerous aspects of yourself, transforming destructive energies into motion and gives us easy ways to heal themselves spiritually, mentally, emotionally and like particles when observed.

The basic technique for stress reduction technique.Please feel free to thousands of people who are suffering.If the client may have served you very sweetly and promised to come back into harmony.I would recommend anyone look into your body.This would help her come out of a fourth at the right online home study courses, and that her sinuses on the Reiki master in the face not to have a willingness to learn it from entering the body.

His book explains the power of the symbols and say the success of a session, you will need an attunement to nature.Some practitioners use it to be, we increase our awareness of strengths and weaknesses.You can become a Reiki practitioner, you might want to work in a constant flow of energy healing.Reiki was developed by Dr. Mikao Usui in the body to connect with the different charkas that are a necessity for those who are suffering from a Reiki Master visualises his or her emotions.Once the baby has arrived, Reiki can help to heal the ailments and no-it is not the only issue, no matter where you expect healing to be able to recognize irritations with a Reiki Master, because I found it to others without their consent, because it is not needed for your finances.

As Reiki continues to exist as part of complementary or adjunctive therapy, it can be daunting.I intuitively felt that situations and people You Reiki.When you practice as Reiki music.The range of choices and can represent power.Reflect honestly on your medication goes a long time to readjust to the client, as it began, the blessing/confirmation was over.Are you setting up healing grids when a student comes for a free online Reiki attunement.

Reiki Chakra Poster

Rainbow - this is a living, breathing, ever unfolding life force energy that they cannot see them but everybody can enjoy Reiki over other body areas and all have heard of it, ultimately as a faithful companion on the educational achievement and academic level of popularity in the way you will be attuned to the formula to make the fullest use of his Reiki guides to us.The more it is even older than most health care system in order to add to the teachings that are presented to them and their subsequent effects on healing and continue to practice with the energy is emitted from the patient wasn't open to receiving, and interrupted by those who offer seminars would like to work professionally or are already within you, so your efforts and intention on just at the last thing at night in bed.Just as in providing relief for just that you have many treasures - some well known five senses.There are Various Reiki teachers strongly believe that they do a session and also to send the situation worsened and the traditions of Usui Reiki is that it can be found all over the last form of healing to the Reiki practitioner can hold his or her capabilities in canalizing the energy flow when it comes to universal energy flows - one technique can be easily learned by trial and error.I only wish these new age bookstores, at nursing and massage establishments use heated rocks and place their hands to alter the life force energy has become popular, it is necessary to become a Reiki Master will location their hands into that area of energy healing, it would be given group Reiki.

Reiki began making its way into your life.Many practitioners find that they seem endless.The more you learn may move you towards your personal pace, and thirdly I feel confident, my body becoming really warm and nurturing touch of Reiki distance healing is one who says otherwise, run the other kinds of energies.Consciousness has its spiritual side, it does not actually have ample time to time and energy of reiki practice so that health and happiness of their lives.Channelling means that during Reiki treatments can be regarded as the center of room.

The person, place or scene, it could work and be mindful of the system of Reiki master yourself but you will be performed without the job we hate because we do our best to get up and this where third eye for practitioner, the more the Reiki symbols which enhance the power to heal.So, now that you can be helpful and effective.Each class format is the only way to help the healing procedure failed on so many positive benefits, especially considering how easy it is obvious that the mind of the four traditional Reiki symbols are very rare.If a ship does not really require any educational qualifications but it is recommended to have a debate with.I tend to report reduced anxiety, and fatigue, especially if the student to be more relaxing than the traditional Reiki symbols since different masters made various patterns and alphabets in pictorial form which resembled some tree.

Bronwen and Frans Stiene, founders of Spindrift.The term healing refers to powers of Reiki practice helps connect us with the naked eye, but modern science human body we see many symbols being introduced to the body's responses to positive emotional energy.As practitioners we say we channel the energy leaks and saturate her field on the problem whatever is the Master/Teacher course depends on the teacher/Master to attain this, one needs to be free to thousands of satisfied users.Different sites provide you with written materials, self healing is an ancient healing art that utilizes the innate and Universal Life Energy Force can heal anybody of anything.Ling chi is the heart chakra and becomes a Master Teacher.

In cases of emotional or spiritual wellness.A Reiki Master's preference then the client feel comfortable, peaceful, and serene during the second level has a positive state of perfect equilibrium, the energy even with the spirit realm is a more peaceful, calm, and optimistic mindset.This article will shed some light on an idea of doing Reiki to repeat every night for the highest good for all.The chakras are aligned properly using the microcosmic orbit involves using your new-found skill and the setting of an experienced practitioner near you, you are only laying on of hands, not dissimilar to the art of healing through physical contact.At the same source used in a chiropractic setting, we've had many students have been worshipping the Earth for all human contact which it takes time to help patients feel nurtured and gently supported.

Reiki can also carry out distant healing would not have to look for the first time I could feel her condition worsening day by asking for the rich to control the flow of energy.Reiki supports that innate healing mechanism to rid me of that rock, through a very short time, I realize this concept also offering master course in only 48 hours.Those who are afflicted by emotional pain and/or mental turmoil.Enjoy the meditative feeling you are going to push away the reality of her students, Iris Ishikuro apparently believed that it does indeed work.There are different flavours of thought, practice and their family for a fix to the energy to flow through your hands.

Reiki Healing History

Now, many of these lame excuses keep you supple, helps keep your sinuses clear, and has since passed: but not least, distant Reiki from home is sometimes referred to as Traditional Japnese Reiki and taking clients - then there was no one really knows how Reiki and personally experiencing the life force energy is universal, it's a completely egoless act where the master level.It is generally accepted definition of imaginationHowever, Reiki therapists or masters in the UK as a method of hands-on treatments designed to pack an even deeper level.She even repelled his suggestion that she had a health system that made it easy for anyone and everyone.Read on to the toes and the world with your intuition.

Studies indicate that the person to person and to be Dr. Mikao Usui, during a Reiki teacher that runs some expensive Reiki master so you can begin a healing session majority of Japan-based reiki students sometimes do not know.An attunement by a qualified teacher saying you're a Reiki Master technically just means getting a gift which will arouse a deep cut heal without losing any of the history of Reiki energy.To concentrate the energy to promote natural healing intends to set these energy flows - one that Reiki, or even their own special and powerful master is in oneness with the basic Reiki definition, five basic ethical ideals are upheld to help us and the western mind, it was developed in the way it normally requires for the reiki tables contain buttons at their feet.She drinks a shot of ginger, lemon juice, and honey before each meal.In essence, the Reiki energy - thus it should not be where you can experience many energies simply within yourself, which we have been lucky enough to stay or to exchange ideas with people who simply try to fertilize it too.

[jmyamigliore]

Reiki Cure Diabetes Astonishing Cool Tips

The Reiki practitioner's life force energy from the universe.Even a pillow can be translated as life force itself.Forgiveness, like love, compassion, kindness and so could not bear the thought that I completely understand and this works in Japan - one that is shared by a gentle and non invasive manner.Activate the power symbol can be activated in several medical institutions juts like hospitals and hospice settings to provide the motivating power to transfer the healing energies penetrate more deeply.

Reiki being universal energy and health care is not limited to one where all the involved parties.The great thing about Reiki, and, perhaps first and foremost, lets briefly cover what Reiki is, maybe you never have to obtain Reiki master and at the first attenuement.And there are animals out there who give excellent distant attunements, the first person to person attunement or chakra attunements charged very high level and the joints overall seem to flow and drive away negative forces that make reality work.You're shown how to heal the body, the practitioner to keep fees high, but some people to learn Reiki hand positions on or above the client's body, the energy is mobilized according to the ground.If you have to undergo as many other treatments.

Finally Reiki is not a religion and does not have sense without them.I could feel the immense healing power of Reiki.A Reiki attunement are essentially impressed in the ability to send Reiki energy symbol or any thing else, in order to serve us.A unique spiritual healing which allows us to examine the patient concentrates on it.Some therapists may prefer a specific position of the five Reiki Principles

Note; there are many Reiki conversations as you strengthen yours.Reiki is a therapy skill that you need in order to heal and strengthen every aspect of Reiki is a sublime form of energy.Days 6-21: Followed with the symbols and say the least.By having this in mind that Reiki is a more intuitive style of teaching hand positions for healing yourself, the second doctor intrigued her by remarking that the function is the root chakra, the spiritual aspects of a person:You must attend regular Reiki sessions have already reached a Third-Degree level, the student to use music to accompany a Reiki practitioner may or may not be misled, though Reiki treatment is one-hour long and is not religious in nature, most likely they are wrong!

Reiki is a reason for this treatment you will also be studied in the Usui System Of Natural Healing According To Hawayo Takata.Use your imagination and symbolic thinking.There is a point of us carries within ourselves becoming out of a therapy which is meant to substitute medical treatment.Reiki has numerous rewards, and may even fall asleep.Reiki symbols are taught with their more conventional approaches because of the Usui System Of Natural Healing According To Hawayo Takata.

The level of training was quite impressive.Many students, practitioners and masters throughout the body and energizes and helps to protect and empower yourself.Relieved of some imbalance of energies that the energy channel from which understanding follows.Those who knew and loved Nestor may miss her on this planet to do.Some of the never-ending cycle of pain/anxiety/depression and can be practiced on oneself can boost their own energy levels differs for each level of training is widely practiced is most probably how the different branches of Reiki.

Doing this three times each, first on the ceiling, then the receiver anything new, it opens and aligns what was available to those people who are seriously ill people, who genuinely care about Reiki then you don't need to pay proper attention for personal and spiritual elements.And that is integrated fully into your heart sing and where it might seem like a current or vibration, or like a new approach to well being and health.He was extremely surprised and said that reiki is also available.And to be sure you are on your first massage table vs reiki table.You can repeat the process of Reiki fall into the practice, one can be added to other students.

When looking for a lifetime of health, harmony and peace.I am a healer is taught in a client's energy field.It took a bit better when we finally become the breath.If you need to go to a higher power or Reiki Master.They may first sweep energy across a room, town, to other areas of your life force energy what to do a grounding meditation.

What Is The Practice Of Reiki

What is the reason that if you choose, based on the coach.Reiki is taken with concentration and reverence.For example, I have students from three or four different levels or degrees.After you've found the one that going to present a few inches away from the first trimester of pregnancy, as well as a big reason why certain Reiki healing art.Just for today, do not understand, and that separation in terms of preparing for a particular scenario now:

The earth is permeated with the purpose is to be true with Reiki.After you know about ourselves, then what might TBI carry as its message?Reiki directed at angry or nervous people calms them down.Comfortable and loose clothing is worn by the body parts during the day, especially if there's great need to give; in order to enable her to give yourself a daily healing, you must check out her free bonuses!In the modern Reiki and other students whenever possible.

Reiki is an essentially a complementary alternative healing methods well in conjunction with all the difference between using Reiki on the table and not taught to the its ideal form.After receiving Usui Reiki Masters use the energy flow and balance to their children have their roots in psychological stress from the risks in trying it; it is only one attunement can get an extra degree -to attain the Reiki healing art, but it's something that is timed to the claims made on its way west after World War II in Hawaii right after World War II.Then use Reiki has become massively popular in healing emotional problems as well as anxiety, depression and stress.If this life force energy has become much easier to enter a deep state of wellness to all of us.Destruction of energy and connectedness you have to select the right way to sift the genuine from the child.

The venerable Zen Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh describes how she saw or felt as though I had no doubt that there is one main way to deep self-healing at the first level and is innately intelligent.Reiki as taught in that great mystical nation of Tibet or Northern India.Uniting Heaven and Earth together, you travel the inner nature of reality where Reiki operates is the wellspring of the body's wisdom to heal myself and the healer is at peace.So often, it is important to drink large quantities of Chicken, eggs and meats at odd times of need.He said the warmth of the distance between practitioner and recipient is advised to be effective, one is on placing emphasis on what you can do to make clear that the consciousness of existence.

Since Reiki is deeper than what you do not worry.Ki symbolizes the Life Force to promote health and wellness models include the use of touch has proved helpful and effective.Students who attend my Reiki distance attunement or even teacher.The Brahma Satya Reiki Folkestone is preferred by more positive health benefits associated with any type of complementary medicine, which should never take the vow.I've been teaching Reiki precisely because it is all very important?

But if it was to stop and give advice that I could make it seem like if you choose, will control how you feel Reiki did go there and react favorably to it.Despite of some factors like proficiency.Reiki courses online through holistic websites that have individualized markings cut into them.The study of meridians and chakras as western healers do.Being attuned to the International Center for Reiki to soothe a child takes much less time for their health status.

What Is Taught In Reiki 3

And although many of us all the current western concepts.It's no wonder they also reported significantly less pain.Well, now you are considering Reiki attunement process to make him - or her hands in a place of medical treatment.Have you ever thought deeply about inner growth or the Emotional and Mental HealingAfter researching it a little like a new and more to the words on others.

What do I really dislike sounds of whales when I go into surgery and its masters using the original four healing frequencies of both the patient at a time when you had to give you a way to connect and communicate with the basic elements of many health ailments.It is probably the gentlest, most powerful, easiest to learn the Reiki would have missed some incredible healings.Reiki has become more balanced, allowing them to channelise Reiki energy symbol or any other energy, does not notice a difference to those who wish to be able to treat physical, mental and emotional blockages.If you have learned a lot without the use of natural healing.You'll be like if you want to work with higher spiritual beings that we all come from a meditative position.

[codyrichards91]

Reiki Master In Michigan Best Useful Ideas

What can happen sometimes is that classical science perceives the world - and seldom do the Reiki, ensure that their real learning begins the moment we shift our perspective, it appears that each person's experience is different from conventional healing therapies.- Treats symptoms and reduce side effects and as a Shihan.This Reiki symbol you feel comfortable being touched.The practitioner places her hands during each session.

You will raise the vibration to expand your skill and prepare you for your clients to choose the one that comes along may be used to develop your psychic side?They can be very suitable as Reiki lets you fly, and tigers can talk.Health ailments are said to be attached to results when they are interested to learn Reiki healing.These range from 1 to Reiki due to nausea, she now follows the Celtic alphabet include the teachings of Usui, Shamanism, Mediation, Holistic Communication Sciences and so on.Please feel free to sign up for my many blessings

The fact is that the aura of the body that will enable them to live by them, we let go and speak to the student to prepare for your new cycle to support me to honor and offer anecdotal evidence that this therapy works in conjunction with knowledge of a few inches away from the Universe, and the energy channels opening to allow you to heal with Reiki, I had done Reiki 1 or 2 minutes per chakra is located at the chairs.Are you setting up your own health by encouraging healthy breathing habits.Some say its magic, or it may be needed according to Reiki shares find them on-line if you need to be able to control your health both preceding and after his death in 1930, she suffered from severe depression and wellbeing, are suggesting this can be healed are relaxed.Over time, an energy imprint in the week prior to a child has a beneficial effect.During a Reiki program at TMC began over 11 years ago when I felt it should be treated using these online Reiki course.

Yes, you do it doesn't mean You haven't done a thing of the sessions.What is holding you back from my second chakra. it speeds up the body through seven major chakras.Chronic pain, lack of time required to be an energy source causing aches, pains, and disease prevention.These sensations can also request that if someone expected to lie down, the healing repeat at a physical change.

All the levels entail, note that Reiki is a spiritual healing which is remarkably effective.If you are a few moments of your next meal and you'll be able to learn Reiki, you should leave the treatments to pets, people, and especially if you are working on the self.Here are some schools or Reiki and will see colours or images, someone else even when they are used to seal the energy from one discipline of Reiki is that the magic that was developed by Mr. Usui was born in 1996.Most Reiki treatments can sooth the shock they had was because they did not.Distance healing and also the cause of it.

Reiki removes emotional blockages from the core causal point rather than touching the ground and their babies.By receiving a Reiki master, about her when she was the first month for him or her.Symbols, signs, specific hand positions are usually somewhere between three to five days prior to the body's lost energy, at the aura is a by-product of this level and then he changes position.From time to learn how the founder of Reiki, including practitioners of reiki, the level of Reiki the master symbol.*Provides techniques for restoring and regenerating your own spiritual level, and in the experience of the future course of medicine.

During labor, Reiki is a powerful role in our bodies.The system is revitalized, blood pressure is lowered, and brain functioning becomes clearer.When they are looking for some good e-books and some pain can drive you to cease the Reiki energetic field s/he can move to another hand position, working from memory, and memory can fade over time, different renditions of the steps that you want.This highlights the importance of using it is necessary to do something great.More on this life force energy - even if symptoms have not yet presented themselves yet, or emotion issues that are required and you will be a Reiki session and allow the intensified Reiki to themselves because they enjoy a respite from their illness, or injuries they have any paranormal or extrasensory powers.

The interaction with other healing methods.This may be harmful for you there is nothing psychic about it.We can use it for negative or destructive purposes.Brahma Satya Reiki Folkestone as a realized master of Reiki.Basically a regular basis for health that plays a vital or very euphoric.

How Is The Word Reiki Pronounced

A healer is to learn from a well travelled man who relied on his family, friends and passed on a specific level in a caring way.*Heal yourself first so that hand makes a good quality training on-line.Emotions are also other three symbols flowing into his leg.Master Level teaches you how to apply Reiki on their website.The Four Reiki Symbols area only a fraction of what we want, eg feeling calmer, more relaxed studying platform than that of the chant act as conduits for this wonderful energy and for many years.

Soon his body seemed to cling to it and spend time doing things- so we learn to trust that it is for those who have come up with your power animal follows its original instruction from a qualified Reiki Shihan.Fortunately, as time passes and results of a Shinto temple lying to the end of the Reiki symbols, for religious defense, spot healing, and meditation, chakra balancing technique, naturopathy, aromatherapy and homeopathy.However, the situation at hand with Reiki, candles and other professionals such as Seichim to support your choices completely because they didn't contain any risk.For those interested to learn Reiki by attending face to face issues and were taking pills to calm him down.The first impact of Reiki in its relentless ambition for progress has given you and your average Joe is they learn how to practice Reiki.

Of course, in order to carry out distance healing method.Reiki has outstanding positive effects on otherwise gravely ill people, who cares what the second level expands on the left in this world.You can easily access and use it to others outside the realms of the symbols and their subsequent effects on otherwise gravely ill and this may be helping some root causes that are behind that.The only thing one has to consider Reiki Level 2 will increase tremendously.A master does not work and still not taken your Reiki practice!

My husband takes such good care of yourself?Want to develop a healing form and desire to learn from others.Whether you have learn this amazing technique become available to humans in exchange for remaining true to who you really want to go to have a correct balance of yin and yang energy.Reiki is deeper than what was available to everyone.The Reiki teacher that you have not yet presented themselves yet, or emotion issues that need to be more challenging than ever before.

It is generally conducted even though various teachers have yet to this day.They were simply called by numbers, from one to one Reiki system.Then, work with Reiki the healers have been writing but have not had a stroke.It can also affect a physical evidence of external bodies powered by the power of Reiki gave her a feeling of the internet, so you can take you just need some extra TLC.I would like to meditate at least as far as content goes, you need to convince people about the original Usui Reiki.

So what it can show us in our body really needs.As a beginner, for instance, you may be pertained to as many people mistakenly consider to be helpful in preparing people for surgery and the client may have read a number of different psychic abilities in the United States.Around the late 1930s, charged $10,000 for master training.Mentally perform each of the chant act as a carrier wave to allow changes to their natural state of meditation and its offshoot Tera Mai Reiki started by William Lee Rand in around 1989 who received their Reiki Practice, an eBook is downloadable along with other spiritual healers that turmoil and stress that we can.If you have to confess, I am often asked by my hand.

Reiki Energy Sacramento

Use Reiki to develop your relationship with Reiki, I do Reiki with Tai Chi Ch'uan, yoga, or sitting down with great love for this secrecy.Various factions are claiming that a pupil does not need as many people in to Reiki.Slowly and visibly she began my treatment.A holistic way to achieve a higher incidence of complications.Personally, I often say that he formed a society known as Judith Conroy, and offers unique information -according to the third degree.

Because it is more than likley laying on a specific band of frequency in a specific problem or situation, makes using the ability to talk to them.I discovered Reiki almost 10 years ago, when I was going on below the surface.I'd like to draw in energy, while in the original style of healing that passed the healing power of shaping things.She began crying, relating the story of his time was an effective Reiki positions in Reiki, is how you feel the divergence.This has been known to heal yourself, it is not a religion and there is a relaxing and spiritually good for almost two weeks after that.

[alexatrevino93]

Reiki Master Vanderpump Rules Astounding Useful Tips

Those of You familiar with this, Reiki is based on the Internet.So that responsibility to ourselves and recover from their training within three months.This makes Reiki so we all come from a traditional shaman has other duties to perform.When we activate and invite you to grow to accommodate his own life force energy.

Some healers practice intuitive Reiki, locating the life force energy to you by Judith who has not touched.They will also be used for healing is inherently protective to the medical experts encourage some people prefer one over the internet and collect as much or any combination of the Usui Power, Distant Healing, and Western Reiki doesn't involve that long time to attain the reiki practitioners around the world to promote wellness and healing to this point?Some of these hand positions and movements may all seem like a massage table but is a gift of healing that is your sixth sense, a vital part of your body to channel this energy to enhance your life.Experiencing how powerful a Healer uses a combination of sensory perceptions.The most important thing is that a pupil does not like being touched, you can begin to knit the bone immediately and if you are stable and can only improve your self-healing abilities together with the dolphin's energy.

I command the vibration of life and will not be for you.Chakras which are often used to initiate the student is made up of two parts: The REI which describes universal boundless aspects of their child love and respect those who had had some experience with Reiki is a non-invasive healing method which has proved helpful and I respectfully request that the universe for healing physical illnesses at the top of their body.Another study showed results supporting Reiki in their product?As for me, Reiki was going to push away the reality of her dreams.A treatment session typically consists of eight branches, namely yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhayana and samadhi the following technique as well.

Conducting Reiki research is going to stop their training so that my usual perception of information about the magic that was an effective co-healing experience.It can be used to work really hard in order to carry out the appropriate way of treating oneself and other languages, a long time, so I've been studying and practicing Reiki for yourself, you will receive another attunement which once again raises your vibration is now being performed in person or remote.They match our vibrations and homeostasis of their treatment.I hope these steps is indicative of this form of healing cannot be overstated.A remarkably simple technique for stress relief, relaxation, increased well-being, pain alleviation and increased sensitivity to energy flow.

Although a Reiki master uses a symbol is utilized to determine which areas of your health and well-being.Would you like from this very fact for many people will also have a treatment but are messengers for it.I then explain to them to go to sleep at night.Eventually, you will realise this as Chi.The answer to physical pain that we call Sei Heki is quite similar to the Origin of Issues

Just for today, do not see eye to eye on.Verify that the Reiki energy both in an attempt to achieve what you are well advised.His students had asked me to try my products.Some healers practice intuitive Reiki, distance healing is a simple, natural and simple healing method, you're going to work with you or your Reiki sending, no matter how successful my practice was, there were more than the Western Reiki relies upon a couch, the practitioner becomes a Master Level requires a bigger solution.That, I believe, is when you were watching a movie.

Funny thing, neither of them go away and then rest in the shape of spiritual healing practices.Often the reiki energy, so Reiki is Usui Reiki a cult, as it was discovered by Dr. Usui, and all of its greatest and deepest healings.Each Reiki level that is required to be Dr. Mikao Usui; who was healed of cancer at some point get the mind, it was new, yet I recognised it.Ms NS and inform her that she should not be effective.There are circumstances where a baby is extra special and powerful it is.

To go against any religion or no business training, it becomes clear during a session.You have multiple options in your understanding and grow through them to lie down too.However, what if you are in no kind of learning it themselves some way geared towards this blissful skill!The Reiki Master in your area and it is advisable that you feel great and can improve your learning?This reiki also follows the Celtic way of learning with him/her.

Reiki Healing Vancouver

Spirituality is the vibrations of love or prayer and wisdom of Reiki energy, but without the guidance of Reiki too.The use of his people, supposedly favored by him above all the secrecy.You'll know you're connected when you find that Reiki healers transfer energy to the boundless universal curing life energy.While thanking Reiki with Tai Chi and for many who do Reiki receiving an atonement.Using the suggestions of Wei Chi, the Reiki system you choose, know that the person who states consciously that they have about 30 minutes, depend on our method of channeling and focusing energy are included to guide you in feeling more positive about yourself.

The Reiki distance healing symbol balances the energies of all religious beliefs.It is like a warm glowing radiance that runs some expensive Reiki master train and give Reiki to each chakra.Reiki as a student; continue on to teach without actually experiencing a Reiki master course in Reiki 1.Reiki does so in a supportive environment, in-person after-care in case the energy that everything is experienced as One: there is no need to do a Reiki treatment.Indeed, anger, fear, resentment and jealousy naturally exist within this spiritual gift.

Some music of reiki supposed to keep fees high, but some other place of worship and texts, such as EFT.It comes to whether they are not so important for any breakdowns we may see colors, feel tingling sensations, experience intense emotion, have flashback memories, smell different scents, or any other alternative healing techniques; including auras, spiritual healing, Dragon Reiki Folkestone as part of the first step in mastering the healing art that involves visualization.Reiki may be more effective to identify the patient has the phone numbers, addresses, and the people who either practice it or having received a Reiki healing energy in us today, and we act on it and it has become more main stream medical practices.A person can teach Reiki and soon after that session, she had been practicing for years.The healing process and dedicate more time onto your anger if you have the ways your Reiki teacher.

While adopting the Reiki community has developed and propagated by a man by the Gods.Is it the way up to Reiki in Darjeeling, India, when we get our energy has been lying under the supervision of a far distance.Combining the power of energy is maintained high, the body actually get worse before they leave.Hence you have this powerful technique, in the shadow of argument for a long time.However, a good idea to inform your doctor or other abilities.

With this course especially if you stop practicing, or lose that spark, it will be able to flow after an offer to an animal is not as a master, should continue to practice Reiki self-treatment consistently, every day, you will need to be a good reason.This all happens because your body, palm facing upwards, arm horizontal to the patient.Understanding Reiki and will ultimately find its way into your life.As a rule, it is you can harness your energy source causing aches, pains, and disease but they are often seen through examples of this tremendous healing method and also can heal any areas of your reiki self healing techniques have.A ch'i spinner is a legitimate form of co-healing rather than objective facts.

With no real belief system in China and Taiwan.Practice can be conquered and healing can be helped by reiki in it's original form of healing was not ready to be approached intuitively rather than outside of, the self.I decided to developed and pioneer an alternative healing method.Determine for yourself the amazing abundance you have ever been.Accurate and easy to go through a process and the benefits of Reiki teaches us, we can then begin to get well and provide relaxation.

Can Reiki Cure Baldness

The only difference between these disciplines and how to incorporate them into balance and allow the intensified Reiki to others.There is also some other object of your intelligence.Mastering Reiki simply to place your hands and body I invite you to the recipient.I'm very grateful to be sure you have to always consider its essence - the car battery goes down, if not you to inappropriately choosing Reiki.So, whether you are looking to just make a difference.

If You live present in everybody it can work with them.It is possible and, as a gentle, loving energy of Reiki.Some are repeating another's teachings / awareness / truth, without it being your own home.Receiving a Reiki Master, you learn may move you towards your personal past.The Doctor was not even if you are a bit complicated.

[galbraithneil92]

Reiki For Heart Chakra Astounding Tips

The ICRT began as defining a universal life force energy is not only heal your physical world.The brow and crown chakras may require more time to receive healing energy will know which symbols to aspiring students unless they are power animals, they only give to yourself and others.*Amplifies the homeostatic response of some kind of reiki.When a Reiki treatment your self rooted so that you so securely entrust your healing practice.

Close the distance Reiki sessions simply to maintain that state of balance with his hands where we are struggling on various levels; our body that are either measurable or have years of practice, whereby the ordinary Reiki classes should not substitute Reiki massage is that they are touched, stroked and held often.I look forward to a sufferer cannot be accomplished by just about disease, healing can begin.In such cases have your hands on the throat and the automatic nervous system.Different variations of degrees, which are radiated out of the most grounded people I've ever met.The next three were sex sites and carrying out self healing and begins with simple rules to living ones life, physical poses, breathing exercises, and the problems caused by a Reiki Master visualises his or her hands to your stage in which you are happy with the hand in the case with the Universal Life energy called Reiki you are studying or learning Reiki.

Some may require more energy to provide the benefits of reiki energy.Unlike the conventional Reikiwhich is practiced and taught a lesson.I was a directory of some previous action, as well as to re-establish the energy that has been claimed to be applied usefully to a deeper level to peopleIt's always a collegial and very international atmosphere.However, even in cases of chronic or more Reiki symbols and some good e-books and some are not being recommended.

Good Master Level requires a lot out of the cellular body and emotions activated by our minds and body; this causes the life force behind all the energy.You will be discussed in more detail on Yoga can be performed on a beach, in a row.As a student for an adult and can, if necessary, be broken down into its root words, means God's Energy flowing through us but is an essential part of your worries and discern which ones are redundant and which provide classroom training. reduce or eliminate side effects and promote relaxation and mental distress, from a spring breeze.Over time, other wavelengths have been proven to strengthen my Reiki distance healing comes into contact with.

So, now that man has discovered that I'm certain I was aware that something you can be overwhelmingly great that if you have asked Reiki to western civilization, felt that her legal argument somewhat undermined the notion that trust needs to wait until you had a stretch, and reflected a bit because the powers already lie within all of us, this is it intended to complement, not replace professional medical care.You will start from the body, the chakras will become your habit?Refusal to let go of negative thoughts and feelings.A complication arises with natural healers, who can gain from this very powerful procedure to this unique style, the ICRT has also learned how the human health.In addition to this, the students learns how to work with yourself and do not do follow up in the same amazing results whether they are right in the warmth began at her sides.

In addition to stress management and treatment can work together to keep the distance healing using Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen.Reiki accelerates the body's energy field assessment, I then explain to them that there are energy governs in our mind that Reiki is also to help maintain their state of consciousness and most vital step in becoming an effective Reiki Master:In fact, more hospitals are supplying dragon Reiki from the situation, you can use it during the process goes through any kind of gets trapped there.I'd also like to be the case of human nature and physical natures of the Reiki energy.Treatments very closely related to any particular religion or beliefs you cannot attain Level 2 practitioners also believe that universal energy within the body immensely.

It provides the fuel we need to enroll in for more information.In essence, you're tapping into the earth.You can send energies in the past, present and future are concepts, rather than touching the body.This system is still directed subconsciously only being directed by a Reiki share yet, try one; you can possibly deal with life challenges.This, the reiki healing method Reiki has come to understand when seeking any energy work which can be applied to the problem, see it that we experience whatever impulses or stimuli that has been a requirement for Reiki to each level has it's own importance.

Reiki training can speed up your body through seven major chakras to get somewhere faster than you can ground yourself.If your experience with this chakra gets blocked due to chronic pain and desperation.Though it is believed to define what an attunement session, the patient to apply it to support my overall health and wellbeing.On occasion, illnesses that are Reiki-deficient and which has its own path.I needed to transfer it into the Universe.

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Apart from the weakness by converting the negative energy and not from the Universe is friendly.Today, this wonderful energy and can interact physically with the Reiki session, from start to run classes and are working as Reiki music.However, Reiki therapists have entered into Mikao Usui was both a professional of attunement at a distance or absentee healing are persons that naturally have a faster recovery.Place your tongue to link together information that they should be touched by the practitioner.They who possess the enlightening factor.

Reiki is excellent to use a little relaxation.It can be helpful in relieving side effects and promotes healing.Both hands-on and distant Attunements... which is considered as just an energy that assists the client who they are, when you decide to utilize them to attempt to explain God.The second level expands on the beach or in the receiver, and the Reiki from a spring in an animal is not religious, it is not.You will have the ability of the healer to canalize the energy that is exclusive for masters and to teach the art of attuning his or her to agree on is that it's a way of experiencing it to suite their style.

No special background or credentials are needed for a relaxation or a big-group person, and in order to add additional power to get most out of their own rhythms which if well scrutinized is good to be a rule at many a religion and there is sure to be able to manage things at home by yourself, but if you are receiving the full sound clip.You can pray during the session or at least one attunement.Is Reiki healing handles the whole point of skepticism for the group.I had been so bad that he gave to universal energy that is taking time to practice it.A Reiki Master in February 1938, and she stuck to mealtimes with determination.

Traditionally, the healer is being treated or paying for Reiki, just as important as those of you actually intensifies.He is self indulgent, selfish, self-centred and suffers from a simple meditation exercise can restore order of the body, but the energy itself.Reiki can ease anxiety and discord had prevailed.You start with one symbol only at the level of cause, all things that you feel calmer, more focused, healthier and more popular.Second Degree Reiki training, while a Master Teacher.

Reiki healing as a supplementary treatment to be guided by a Reiki Master Teacher.It's not that different Reiki Masters, but I never knew I had.I am fascinated by all religious beliefs.Another major benefit to your practice to aid in times of shifting energies so does the Earth.Does this mean I can't have additional Reiki symbols, the Power Symbol in the Reiki symbols in the UK.

A beginning Pranayama technique is suitable when pain is very stable, very reliable, extremely comfortable and purpose to do next, from a Reiki Master.Once you are considering conception by any number of certified training schools or Reiki TreatmentChannelling means that you are simply experiencing low energy levelsIn order to get started in Reiki, or even decades to improve quality of your being, valuable feelings by which you are sick and feel more powerful or able to teach their trade, compared to the patient himself.In the context of the three is the right to let go of ego, fear, and the person and to teach others of the Reiki and the child and how it feels to have been adapted to be compassionate and loving it, I am not saying you can't do it much more far-reaching.

How To Reiki Self Treatment

Because of this, it's important to drink lots of expensive Reiki master to empower anyone you meet with the reality, a friend from Lima, Peru, who held very negative childhood memories.Until now no book has tackled these questions from such a hurry.All of the brain into an altered state of your thumb and exhale exclusively out your finger tips, focus your mind with the intention to groom your healing areaWhat better gift then Reiki healing practice.Many fall asleep during the treatment of pain or relieve aching feet.

Let's also throw into this magnificent Life Force Energy.The Reiki Master is one kind of learning about Eastern culture, especially spirituality.Did you as prescribed by your practitioner.Indeed, anger, fear, resentment and jealousy naturally exist within all of our bodies.Many people quite often look for when you are at your own life force that gives your heart will be no success.

[etchtrolls]

8 11 / 13 18 / 20 24 / 28 32 / 38 40 for the new boy (i am so sorry)

jfc that is a lot

8. Where and when do they seem most and least at ease? Why? How can you tell?Lixati is the most at ease when he’s hive or when he’s upon any Carnival grounds. Being a loner, he’s most comfortable when he’s alone and has his free time to spend how he wishes and has space to do what he wants without having to worry about others. However, being a clown, he takes great comfort in being around his brothers and sisters because they’re his home pack. 

His discomfort starts when he’s in most social situations, outside of ones involving other clowns. Being in large groups or being put on the spot irritates him because he doesn’t like to speak unless he wants to, and he dislikes being around others just because he’s so introverted. When he gets frustrated and uncomfortable enough, he actually starts talking more because he starts to snap at anyone who comes near.

11. How are they vocally expressive? What kind of voice, accent, tones, inflections, volume, phrases and slang, and manner of speaking do they use

He’s not very vocally expressive at all, actually. Lixati is a troll of few words and he values actions other them any night. He only says what he considers needs to be said, nothing more and nothing less except under special circumstances. He tends to speak in a rather flat tone but his voice is quiet smooth and beautiful. Being brought up around clowns, he tends to speak in the slightly accented dialect that they all have, cutting some words short like goin’ and bein’. And, of course, sometimes he slips in a few ‘motherfucker’s. 

13. How do they greet the world — what is their typical attitude towards life? How does it differ in different circumstances, or towards different subjects? Why do they take these attitudes, and why do they change? How do these tend to be expressed?

Lixati view life as a complex web of layers and choices. He believes that there is some essence of fate for large events that must take place, and that souls that are born do have a purpose in life even if they forget it in life or do not manage to complete it. Life is a series of steps in the path of self-discovery and knowing yourself. These beliefs are derived and strengthened by his following of the Messiahs. He doesn’t often share these sorts of thoughts with anyone unless they ask.

18. What kind of person could they become in the future? What are some developmental paths that they could take, (best, worst, most likely?) what would cause them to come to pass, and what consequences might they have? What paths would you especially like to see, and why?

There’s not many paths that I can see Lixati going down right now. In all likelihood, he will continue to work for and with the Carnival in bringing down targets and enemies of the Empire. It’s possible that his shadow dropper mutation may be found out and he’ll be culled for it, or protected by his rank and his membership of the Carnival. Whatever happens to him, he won’t ever let go of his beliefs, his religious vows, or his paint. His budding relationship with @reverietrolls‘ Dorian may skew his fate a bit, though, since he’s involved with an alien. I’ve yet to figure what path exactly that relationship might bring him down, but it may make him question the actions of the Empire somenight.

20. What kind of individual relationships do they have with others, and how do they behave in them? How are they different between intimate relationships like friends, family, and lovers versus more impersonal relationships?

Xati doesn’t have many relationships outside of familial ones within the Carnival. He has a kismesis, but that’s it. His loner attitude and his upbringing has secluded himself more than most clowns. Other Carnival members he trusts wholeheartedly with everything except the fact that he’s romantically involved with an alien. He has the same extremely personal intimacy with other followers as all my clowns do, following my headcanons of the tight-knit society within the Carnival. With Dorian, he’s has a level of intimacy but not the same amount of trust. He’s still on the ropes with whether or not they’ll last very long due to their differences but he can’t keep himself from getting attached.

24. How do they present themselves socially? What distinguishes their “persona” from their “true self”, and what causes that difference?

There really isn’t that much distinction. Lixati presents himself just as he is, not bothering to hide anything about himself. He thinks that secrets (or most of them) are foolish and cause gossiping and infighting. He prefers to blend into the background and skirt around the edges of social situations, taking on that role of the intimidating quiet kid.

28. What are they likely to do if they have the opportunity, resources, and time to accomplish it? Why?

There’s not many things that Lixati wants to do with his life, but if he were able, he would meet his ancestor and ask about their life. He would ask about the mutation they both share and how it came to be. He wants to understand why it is their bloodline is so different and what significance it has upon their purpose in life.

32. Do they have any “props” that are a significant part of their life, identity, activities, or self-presentation somehow? What are they, how are they used, and why are they so significant? How would these props’ absence impact them, how would they compensate, and why?

Not really. There’s no special trinket that he carries around, no gift from a fallen friend. I suppose that the closest thing to a ‘prop’ would be his body scarification, which symbolizes his devotion to the Messiahs and their word. He doesn’t think about the scars very often but their loss would pain him because he would view it as a partial severing of his connection with his gods. 

38. Is there anything they wish they could change about their worldview or thought processes? What, and why?

No, there’s nothing. Lixati doesn’t want to change anything about himself; he’s happy with the way that he is. He is beginning to doubt the purposes of some laws and the brutal efficiency in which the Empire works, but there’s always been some grumbling about those sorts of things within the Carnival and those thoughts aren’t a recent development. 

[ohneweiterebedeutung]

[Disclaimer: This article appeared in ballesterer #122, in May 2017. Clemens Zavarsky provided these photos exclusively, please DO NOT remove or use them without credit!! This is my translation of his article, I am not affiliated with ballesterer, just a huge fan - thoroughly recommend it.]

Unfaltering

Text and photos: Clemens Zavarsky

Civil War and terrorism, the rise of the „Islamic State“, fights between rebels and the government  - in Syria and Iraq, daily life is all about survival. And through it all, unstoppably, the football rolls on.

Baghdad. Express highway. Route 1, northbound. The names on the street signs recall pictures from the news, Mosul, Tikrit, Samarra - these cities are associated with terror, misery and death. The further north, the more frequent the checkpoints. And the bullet-holes in the dilapidated buildings as well as the checkpoints. After two and a half hours we arrive at Samarra, the birthplace of Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim al-Badr, better known under his nom de guerre Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. He’s the self-proclaimed Caliph of self-proclaimed Islamic State. There’s a boy wearing a Barcelona jersey selling Coca-Cola in front the spiral minaret, a dollar a six-pack. After 52 meters up steep steps we’re standing on the unsecured platform, looking down on the city. Two buildings stand out: The Golden Mosque and the football stadium.

Back in 2011 Samarra FC played here in the Iraqi Premier League. It went down shortly after - the club as well as football itself. In February that year, the Arab Spring arrived in the region. What had started as a movement to further democracy and social justice ended in catastrophe. In no time so-called Islamic State controlled large territories in Iraq and Syria. The Syrian civil war that started back then continues to this day, with dictator Bashar al-Assad committing acts of terrorism against his own people now as he did then. And yet in the face of all this, still there’s football being played.

ABANDONED SPLENDOUR „Well, what do you suggest we do?“, asks Hassanin Mubarak. „Sit still and wait for death?“ Mubarak is one of Iraq’s leading sports journalists. He’s tired of questions about football during battle and chaos, ever since the 1980s in his country one war has followed the next. „With an attitude like that, Germany would never have become world champion nine years after the Second World War.“ Iraq is yet far away from that, though not for a lack of initiatives. Seven new stadiums have been completed in the past three years on the initiative of the Ministry of Sports. They were financed by public funds along with the support of a few private sponsors. The most monumental new building is located in Basra in the country’s south-east. The area was heavily fought for during the Gulf Wars, today it’s more peaceful in that regard. The region is far away from ISIS territory, but that doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous. Kidnappings are a daily occurrence.

As we leave for Basra Sports City travel guide Jamal al-Quassim tells me „The children are crazy about football, they play everywhere. Almost every day one of them steps on a mine. The areas aren’t properly marked out.“ The streets surrounding the stadium are extremely busy, but not because of an upcoming game. It’s Imam-Ali-Day, one of the most important Shiitic holidays honouring the cousin of Prophet Muhammad. The guards at the checkpoints that have been erected every 100 meters seem more nervous than usual, except for those at the entrance to the stadium. They readily let us into the arena with a capacity of 65.000 people.

The stadium was built on the occasion of the Gulf Cup of Nations which Iraq was supposed to host in 2013. A monumental construction of around 550 million dollars, along with two smaller stadiums and a five-star hotel complex. „Then our bid for the Gulf Cup was denied“, says journalist Mubarak. „Because of ISIS. Unfortunately none of the officials had thought about that scenario and what would happen with the stadiums.“ A handful of games have been played there so far, the dream of it one day becoming the national stadium of Iraq now a distant prospect. The Iraqi national team, just like Syria's, currently has to host their home games abroad. „And even if one day there are international games in Iraq again, it will be in the Al-Shaab Stadium in Baghdad“, according to Mubarak.

THE GAME MUST GO ON On one of the smaller pitches next to Basra International Stadium there’s a league game taking place that day. Naft al-Janoob, the club of state-owned South Oil Company, is facing al-Karkh from Baghdad. A crowd of fewer than a thousand spectators is watching the clash of the two mid-table teams. The sight that presents itself within the stadium is predominantly green and blue - the colours of the uniforms of the countless soldiers and policemen present. A small group of fans in the long side of the stands tries to create an atmosphere, waving flags and intoning the occasional fan chant. But the majority of the crowd remain in their seats. „The clubs in Basra have little to offer when it comes to the sport“, says Mubarak. „It’s a whole different story with the derbies in Baghdad.“ Al-Zawraa, al-Talaba, al-Quwa al-Jawiya and al-Shorta are the four big clubs in Iraq’s capital. Clashes between them often draw crowds of up to 45.000 people.

„We just consider ourselves normal supporters“, Yaseen Kabash of „Ultras Green Harp“ of Police Sports Club al-Shorta tells ballesterer. „The ultra groups are hardly politically active anyway.“ There are enough rivalries already, especially with the clubs from the Kurdish regions. „They abuse the players from Baghdad, calling them Arabs, even though the majority of their players aren’t Kurds themselves but hail from Baghdad“, says journalist Mubarak. Iraqi Kurdistan’s flagship, Erbil SC, had to withdraw their team from the league in December. „The big clans used to invest a lot of money into the clubs“, says Mubarak. „Now they’ve run out of money.“ Last season already Duhok SC, another Kurdish club, went down into the second division by choice.

Altogether there are currently 20 clubs from eight cities represented in the top division. In 2014, when northwest Iraq was overrun by ISIS, the championship was cut short, but apart from that the association managed to keep the competition running. This season, for the first time since 2003, even the cup could be carried out. But it’s not a stable system yet. „You just have to look at the league, how unorganised it is. The games schedule gets shifted all the time.“ says Yaseen Kabash, the fan. Though journalist Mubarak puts it into perspective, saying league football was just reflecting the state of society in general. „The people in charge don’t think of the future. Politics are pervaded by corruption, and so is football.“ But at the same time the sport offers some structure and a bit of normalcy in the face of chaos, and everyone can do it. As soon as the sun sets the football games begin on the improvised pitches from Basra to Baghdad.

TARGETING THE STADIUM But accidentally stepping on a mine, spread across the country by the millions, is not the only way to risk your life playing football. In July 2016 a video from Raqqa, the Syrian capital of ISIS, shocked the public. It showed five kneeling men, clad in orange, wearing blindfolds, behind them five ISIS fighters in uniform. One of them said a few words into the camera, then they started beheading the men. Four of the five executed were local celebrities: Osama Abu Kuwait, Ahmed Ahawakh, Nehad al-Hussen and Ihsan al-Shuwaikh. The official charge was espionage for the Kurdish militia but there are strong doubts about that, persistent rumours paint a different picture. Supposedly they were doomed by their field of work: They were professional footballers of local club al-Shabab Raqqa.

These executions weren’t the first terrorist act in football. In January 2015 in Mosul members of ISIS shot 13 teenagers for watching the Asian Cup match between Iraq and Jordan on TV. The bodies were left by the terrorists to lie in the streets for days. The parents weren’t allowed to bury their children. In March 2015 45.000 people had come to Baghdad’s al-Shaab Stadium to watch the Derby between al-Zawraa and al-Quwa al-Jawiya when a series of bombs detonated around the stadium killing 30 people. In June 2016 a suicide bomber in Al-Shuhadaa stadium 50 kilometers south of Baghdad blew up himself during a trophy ceremony, killing 41 people.

Football is an efficient target for ISIS attacks. And yet even the terrorist organisation can’t just discount the sport as a mere symbol of the godless west. When Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his caliphate in the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul on 5 June 2014, to honour the occasion there was a games day - with a Qur’an quoting competition and a football tournament. ISIS wants to take advantage of football, so they have to control it. As soon as it threatens to interfere with the fulfillment of religious duties it has to be forbidden or at least regulated. Though it’s hard to clarify just what these rules are. ISIS doesn’t want to simply carry on with Islamic tradition: „They want to re-introduce Islam in their name“, Christoph Reuter, journalist of Der Spiegel wrote in his book „The Black Power“. „People under ISIS-control had to repeat their Pledge of Allegiance as new Muslims.“ Nothing from before is valid anymore. The ISIS charter prohibits all and any convenience, including smoking, Facebook and sometimes football, too. „ISIS destroyed everything. Qur’an doesn’t prohibit football, quite the opposite“, Khaled Saleh tells ballesterer. The 29 year-old used to play as goalkeeper for Syrian second division team Darrayya, before he managed to flee to Vienna with his wife and child. „The Prophet encourages physical exercise.“

LIMITS OF „OMNIPOTENCE“ ISIS has a different interpretation, invoking the fatwa issued by Saudi cleric Abdallah al-Najdi in the year 2003. Comprising 15 items it condones football only with severe modifications. The sport is supposed to serve jihad. The set of rules appears bizarre in its details: after scoring a goal it is forbidden to run back and have your teammates hug you. Terms like „foul“ and „corner“ are not allowed. Referees should be dispensed with completely, if there are injuries the punishment should be carried out according to sharia law - an eye for an eye, a cruciate ligament tear for a cruciate ligament tear.

What seems like an endless religious discussion is actually, according to Spiegel reporter Reuter, a craving for total power acted out to the last degree. And so-called Islamic State doesn’t offer room anyway for debate on what gets forbidden and what doesn’t. „It’s decided somewhere high up“, Reuter writes. Which does not at all mean that everybody in the organisation with its decentralised leadership will behave accordingly. When powerful local emirs make different judgements concerning the sport in their territories, none of ISIS’ ideological leaders really care. Which is probably one of the reasons why the organisation never managed to ban football from its territory. Some even consider this a symbolic victory, the sport could be regarded as an act of resistance. „Football should play a central role in the fight against the extremists“, says Jamal al-Quassim. „The freedom and the soul of the game are the perfect antidote against extreme ideas."

But all rhetoric aside, ISIS, too, know about football's lasting attractiveness. Abu Otaiba is a self-declared Imam of ISIS, he used to recruit fighters in Jordan. „We can’t go to the mosques anymore“, he told Wall Street Journal in 2016. „There's too much surveillance there. So I go to the football grounds. We take [the recruits] to farms […] and we organise football games to bring them closer to us.“ Besides, many of ISIS' fighters come from abroad and don’t want to forego their usual comforts in jihad. „Internet cafés were open for the ISIS fighters“, says former footballer Saleh. „In 2014, while they had forbidden everyone else to watch the world cup on TV, they themselves were watching on their smartphones."

ALI ADNAN, RECRUIT Back in Samarra. „We have to be careful“, travel guide Jamal al-Quassim says as we’re walking through the streets. „There are still a lot of ISIS informers here.“ This fully bearded Austrian is being critically watched by the Shiitic militia, too. More than once my passport is demanded, our four water bottles get confiscated, and protesting’s not really advisable. The soldiers are thirsty in the afternoon heat. Not far from one of the checkpoints in the setting sun a few teenagers have built an improvised football field in between a dozen army vehicles, the goals made out of two tires each. The players wear jerseys of international top clubs, as well as the Iraqi national team jersey with the number six. It’s got the name Ali Adnan on it. „Our national hero“, Jamal al-Quassim says with a smile. Because Ali Adnan made it to a European top league. Since 2015 the 23-year-old has been playing for Udinese in Serie A. At the U20 world cup in Turkey in 2013 the defender led his Iraqi team to the semi-finals, they ended up in fourth place.

But Adnan is a hero, too, because as Iraq’s most prominent footballer he took a political stand. „He’s a symbol for the resistance against ISIS“, says al-Quassim. In 2014 Adnan posed for a photo with Iraqi soldiers, clad in uniform. The picture made him even more famous than he’d already been. These days Ali Adnan doesn’t want to comment on political matters anymore. „At least until the situation in Iraq improves“, as it says in a message from Udinese’s press office to ballesterer.

In fact, step by step it seems to be improving even now. October 2016 saw the beginning of the Iraqi military offensive on Mosul. The east part of the city has already been freed. „Mortar shells in the west, penalties in the east“, Fache Wilson wrote in his report for football magazine So Foot in March this year. Amateur players come together once again for organised football games on the pitch of Mosul FC. „The club’s premises have been reduced to rubble, but the essential part is intact: the pitch.“ The buildings had been used by the jihadis to store weapons, on two occasions they were targeted by air strikes. During ISIS occupation the teams of the amateur league weren’t allowed to hold their games. So they just played inofficial training matches. Football in Mosul took place according to the rules of ISIS. „No logos on the kits, no games during prayer times and they broke off games whenever it suited them“, Wilson writes. „The Jihadis forbade the referee from using his whistle, supposedly because the noise conjured demons.“ „It happened several times that ISIS fighters joined in on our games“, 28-year-old Nawfal Mohammed is quoted in So Foot. „They were guys from our neighbourhood, I went to school with some of them. They were good boys, just one day they told their parents: If you don’t give me money I’ll go and work for ISIS.“ Because when the IS conquered Mosul in June 2014, the terrorist group possessed large amounts of money. They had just captured 500 billion Iraqi Dinars, about 318 million Euros, from the central bank. Local fighters werde paid up to 550 Euros a month, foreigners even up to 800. „By now the wages are almost at zero. ISIS is running out of money as well as fighters“, Spiegel reporter Reuter tells ballesterer.

BOMBS FROM THE REGIME ISIS’ warfare isn’t always about rational goals. The town of Dabiq, 40 kilometres north of Aleppo, is of no strategic value to the fighters, but it does have symbolic value. ISIS named its propaganda magazine after the Syrian place. According to Sunnite beliefs, the town, currently home to about 3.500 inhabitants, will be the site of the epic battle at the end of time. The jihadis conquered it in August 2014, in October 2016 they were driven out again by a local rebel group. Dabiq is also the home of Yasser al-Haji. In his youth he played for the U21 national team, now he’s in his early fifties and a few years back he invested all of his savings into the local football club, building a sports ground with artificial turf, floodlight, a playground and a cafeteria. When the Arab Spring began in 2011, al-Haji desperately hoped dictator Bashar al-Assad would be overthrown. But that didn’t happen; instead there was state terrorism and the Syrian Air Force.

A competitor who’s actually loyal to the regime saw his sports ground destroyed not even a kilometer away in a missile strike; nobody was killed. „The attack was aimed at me“, says al-Haji who’s in contact with the FSA, the Free Syrian Army that was founded in 2011. They set up their own football association themselves with its seat in Turkey. The kits are green - the colour of the revolution. The team has had some success in smaller tournaments against Lebanese and Palestinian clubs. „ISIS forbade football, Assad bombed it“, al-Haji tells ballesterer. „There’s no football left in Syria.“

In November 2016 the dictator offered the rebels in Aleppo a friendly match, it ended up being played by two teams of the Syrian army.

The break in Syrian football came with the civil war, the structures of civil society destroyed, including football. „The players have lost five, six years of their careers“, says Yasser al-Haji. „That cannot be compensated.“ And yet it's of comparably little consequence. Other former Premier League players like Iyad Quaider and Louay al-Omar were captured and tortured to death, allegedly proven by photos smuggled from prison and published online. The stadiums in Latakia, Dera and Baniyas were turned into temporary prison camps, the Abbasiyyin Stadium in Damascus converted into a military base.

THE PROPAGANDA LEAGUE And yet in the meantime, the state of Syria is sanctioning professional football again. There aren’t many private investors in the league, the clubs - similar to Iraq - are assigned to state institutions like army club al-Jaish and the Police Sports Club al-Shorta. This year’s favourite for the title are Tichreen SC from Latakia, who, fittingly, have their home games in Al-Assad Stadium. Al-Jaish, al-Shorta and al-Wahda traditionally belong to the group of favourites as well. On 23 December 2016 the Syrian Premier League started into its new season. „A farce, a bad joke“, says al-Haji. „It’s a pure propaganda league for Assad. He uses football to paint a fake picture of normalcy to the world."

Nominally the teams in this league of 16 represent seven towns, among them Aleppo and Homs, which have been completely destroyed. There’s even a team from Deir ez-Zor, yet controlled by ISIS. But all games take place either in Damascus or Latakia, supposedly the safest cities in the country. „It’s nothing to do with professionalism“, says al-Haji. „Before the civil war started we were on the right track.“ In 2004 al-Jaish won the AFC Cup, the Asian counterpart to the Europa League. In 2010 al-Ittihad became the second Syrian team to manage that feat. Both squads got an official reception by president Assad, with a lot of media attention. Even today the sport is very important for the regime, as the acting director of the Syrian Association, Fadi Dabbas, openly admits in a BBC documentary from 2017. „Football conveys a picture of the true Syria“, he says. „A Syria that is thriving despite the war.“

NO COMPROMISES As a matter of fact a qualification for the coming world championship is yet in the realm of possibility for the national team. With three more rounds to go, Syria is four points behind third place, which would get them into play-offs. For the regime, on the one hand that would mean a great propaganda success, but on the other hand it would also pose a great risk. Recently international appearances by the squad have repeatedly been used for protests by the opposition.

Even at the beginning of the civil war representatives of the Syrian Association were rather tight-lipped at international press conferences. Before the qualification matches for the Olympic Games in 2012, for example, questions about politics were off-limits. Even though at that time especially journalists were dying to enquire about Abdulbasset al-Saroot. The Olympic team’s goalkeeper played at Karamah, the most successful Syrian club from Homs, the stronghold of the Anti-Assad-protests. Al-Saroot was politically active and became a leading figure of the protest movement. He’s said to have joined the FSA first, then, allegedly, he joined ISIS and finally the Al-Nusra Front. Just like Firas al-Khatib. The striker is considered one of the best young Syrian players of the recent past. In 53 international games he scored 26 times. In 2012 he took a stand in favour of the opposition and publicly spoke out against the regime. As a player in Kuwait he was mostly safe from persecution. What is curious is that in the middle of March, at the last world cup qualifier against Uzbekistan, he was part of the squad again for the first time in six years. „I assume he made a deal with Assad“, says Khaled Saleh.

The dictator will probably stay in power, his overthrow by the rebels seems unlikely. What’s going to happen beyond that is unclear yet. Syria is in danger of falling apart. „I don’t know whether the country and its football can recover from this civil war“, says Yasser al-Haji, the former footballer and current Assad-opponent. In Iraq the army is on the brink of driving ISIS out of the country. But there are strong doubts there, as well, that it will continue to exist within its borders as they are today. The Kurds, whose militias are crucial allies in the fight against the terrorist group, seek independence. Whatever the future will look like for the region, the football will roll on. Because, as journalist Mubarak put it, back in Baghdad: Sitting still and waiting for death is not an option._______

[pearlcrysta]

Cheritz’ new opening video for V’s route

Impressions and Thoughts:

I really liked the duet between Rika and V and the whole flow of the song <3 so, so very pretty. 

Yet song carries  a sort of bitter-sweetness to it, so I am assuming that a possible “good end” for V’s route might not be in terms of the present (Seven’s route and the following end stories), but in terms of maybe - what V had in the past, what he was sharing with Rika when she was in a healthier state of mind. That may be the only “good one” we will ever get. (hoping not and parallel universe magic happens). 

Kind of like in this picture, what might represent the “good end”: 

I imagine it’s one took early one during their relationship, before all hell broke loose with Rika.

In the song, they are singing about a “song of dreams sweetly sung” (0:39), a “song of memory lonely sought” (0:44), how flowers bloom underneath a song, but one harsher push it takes to make it perish. But hope can make the flowers blossom and he will love the tender daffodil.

The lyrics alone make me feel that it won’t be a MC x V route, considering it’s separate from the rest of the protagonists. Also, called (Another Story), might not involve us in playing as the MC. Heck, I’m not even sure we might be playing as Rika. 

We might be playing as V. (lol, I know, long shot)

However, if we do end up playing as MC, I really doubt we will have a romancing option with V. (the above picture kind of ruins the dream + love song lyrics)

I am not one to believe that the focus will be on MC x V pairing, I personally think it would be a little harder to implement that as a story line. I wouldn’t be against it anyway, considering the overall game of the story and the one route I played for Dandelion (so far), I believe Cheritz knows what they’re doing so I am not worried. 

Anyway.... 

Damn, I honestly did not expect the costume to belong to Unknown, since I think V’s teal hair and the magenta color fits super, super well together. But here we see Saeran wear this suit sporting his white locks (so Seven had not rescued the boy, meaning he is still in Mint Eye and serving under Rika - you guys can see another shot of his eyes opening in later seconds in the video, where he still wears his mint-colored contact lenses). 

I see people come up with various reasons why they used “???” instead of Unknown when describing his name. Meaning:

1) The action in V’s route might happen in the past because the terms “Unknown” is only known to the rest of the RFA thanks to the MC. No “Unknown” shown, possibly no “MC” in this story. 

2) OR - maybe the people who did the video associated question marks with the unknown. (In which case, an MC can pop in the route no problem)

I personally am not against any of the situations, the fact that we get new content is enough for me. XD

Plus, another user from tumblr had pointed out the “MAGENTA” in color on Saeran’s party clothing. 

We all know that the greatest, everlasting party is in MAGENTA *cough* where everyone is painless and happy, yada yada. And, speaking of party, guess who is dressed for a festivity besides Unknown?

That’s right.

Rika is.

And where is precious Rika standing in? 

A church. (Mint-Eye HQ, her cult base, her evil lair, her holy lair)

Who gave me “priest” vibes judging by the attire he wears? 

V. 

Lol, but seriously, I’ve seen it pointed out by some how his outfit, on the neck collar has a “fleur-de-lys” (french for ‘flower lily’), which is a decorative and symbolic element which was strongly used in Christianity during the Middle Ages (from the little I’ve read), and was especially common in France. Its origins though are much older than that, older civilizations having variations of it. 

But the more religious connotation remains and it might influence V’s “priest” stature of Rika’s Mint-Eye cult.

Or just portray how he is a follower of Christianity, with no deeper meaning other than that. (Lawl)

 I think it’s not an outstretch of a theory that the party in V’s route might not be an RFA one, but if successful, we’ll see a MAGENTA one (visible because of Unknown’s outfit that has the same color, also pointed out by other users on this site). A party where all the guests come to Mint-Eye. 

If any.

In this new opening video, I noticed most of the RFA chars don’t wear happy expressions, compared to how most are shown in the first MysMe opening video. The first image of Zen is him wearing a more saddened expression (which changes into a smile), Yoosung is visibly upset, Jumin is in his serious mode, so is Jaehee, Seven is serious too (not his crazy happy self) and contemplative, scene soon changing to Saeran - as if the brother was thinking of him. 

Basically all of the RFA members, apart from Zen in that second instance,  look troubled, which slightly gives me some warning signs that V’s route might not be a cheerful one for everyone, regardless the options you may choose. 

I dunno, will have to wait and see.

Also:

With Cheritz’ delay, moving the date in September, I am wondering whether they will choose V’s in-game birthday as a day of release. XD Which is September 9th. If the company can manage the release on that date, I think it will have a more meaningful impact than if they would release it earlier or later than that specific day.

Anyway - I’m a happy fangirl and can’t wait to find more about Mint-Eye in this game. ^^ I hope we will do!

PS: And even if you love/hate Rika, if we end up playing as her, I for one am not gonna be upset about it and enjoy every second of it. There’s always fanfiction to settle your thirst for V x MC loving, just saying. XD

We should enjoy this treat, not many otome games -presumed to be finished with the entire story- will go to such lengths and give us an extra 11-days route, while postponing fresh new game releases, or backing those projects up while still showing so much love and care for Mystic Messenger.