#group surya

[abyssalpriest]

Ahhh I was sitting thinking on Lev's connections to various sun deities and which ones involve him and which don't. They vary between him himself, his sons, him originally now someone else, his archetypes, he uses some names occasionally, he shares other names, some are conceptual Sun Things he's tied to as a sun deity, etc....

But you know. I wasn't expecting to get thrown into a copy of... what is this?? Rig Veda?? On to a page he opened months ago when I tried to open a different file, and now I'm getting schooled on Surya

[telomeke]

THE SIGN – CULTURAL REFERENCES, MYTHOLOGY AND META

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This post comes on the heels of the one by @respectthepetty about mythology and meta of The Sign, linked here. 😍👍 If you've not read it yet, I recommend you do before watching any more of this series, because it will help things make more sense (especially if you're not familiar with some of the cultural references thrumming in the background).

Anyway, I'd previously done some research on the legend(s) of the Garuda and the Naga in Southeast Asia, and so I'm writing this post to share what I've found because it does have relevance to at least some of what we're seeing onscreen in The Sign, and elaborates on @respectthepetty's post.

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The Garuda and the Naga are mythical beings with origins in Indian mythology that have been transposed into cultures across Southeast Asia.

In Hinduism, Garuda is a single deity, depicted in either full-bird form or part-bird and part-human, and is the king of birds and also a divine sun-bird (with physical attributes similar to an eagle's). His elder brother, Aruna, is the chariot driver for Surya the sun-god, while Garuda himself is the mount of Vishnu.

In Buddhist mythology, the garudas (sometimes also spelt garulas) are a society and race of gigantic predatory birds, sometimes also depicted as part-human in form. The garudas are intelligent, social and blessed with might and magical powers.

Thailand may be predominantly Buddhist, but it has also been strongly influenced by ancient Indian culture and Hinduism, and thus both the concept of a single deity Garuda and the race of garudas co-exist in Thai mythological beliefs.

The nagas on the other hand, are snake-like or dragon-like creatures, whose realm is the water world. (The word naga is derived from Sanskrit and is also etymologically related to the English word snake.)

In mythology nagas and garudas are perpetual enemies, although neither side is actually identified with good or evil – they are simply two groups eternally at war with each other (so occidental-leaning minds should dispel any preconception that the water serpents are necessarily the bad guys in The Sign, even though the narrative seems to be tilting in that direction).

When borrowed into popular culture (as has been done for The Sign) you may sometimes see influences of Chinese dragon and phoenix mythology (as Chinese cultural influence is also present in Thailand, and the dragon/phoenix motif of Sinitic culture nicely parallels the naga/garuda conflict pairing). And because of Garuda's association with the sun in Hinduism, and a parallel with the fiery phoenix of Western mythology, you may sometimes see garudas portrayed as aligned with the sun and/or flame as well.

There are some hints of these in The Sign. The naga that Phaya encounters while struggling underwater during the open sea training challenge in Ep.1 is very Thai in appearance (especially with the curved, forward-pointing crest, making it look much like the nagas that adorn Thai temple architecture). But the array of pronged, backward-pointing horns and trailing antennae appear to be a design nod at Chinese or Japanese dragons (East Asian dragons are also strongly identified with the watery realm, by the way). And in the graphics of the series (e.g., in the poster at the start of this post), the sky (the realm of Garuda) is suffused with sunlight and speckled with what look like drifting sparks, referencing sun and flame.

Because of the wings tattooed on his back and his time in the air force, Phaya is most likely the reincarnation of a garuda in human form (and this is why he struggled with the water challenge, as he was completely out of his element).

This is also possibly why we see him smoking early on in the series (because of the alignment of Garuda with the element of fire), and significantly he does this while Naga Tharn (irked by Yai's teasing at the dining table) seeks refuge in the washroom (which is ห้องน้ำ/hong naam in Thai, literally water room):

‌Billy also describes Phaya's character in the promo video for the series (linked here) as being "like fire, always hot and burning... quite hot-headed." 👍

Elsewhere in the same promo video (linked here), Tharn's good friend Chalothon is explicitly identified as the reincarnation of an important naga, which immediately signals that he and Phaya will be at odds in the series:

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The water deity that saves Phaya during the open sea challenge – Wansarat, whom he drew in his sketchbook – is not just Freen Sarocha in a fancy scuba suit. 😂

If you look at her arm and hand when she reaches out to save Phaya (before she turns into Tharn) the green scales meld into the skin of her human wrist – they're part of her natural covering, and she's really a nakhee/nagin/nagini, a female naga, appearing in human form to save Phaya.

The narrative has made it strongly obvious that Phaya is a reincarnated garuda, while Tharn is the reincarnation of Wansarat, from the lineage of the nagas. And the teaser-trailer (linked here) tells us that Phaya and Tharn/Wansarat are lovers bound to each other through time:

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However, the special promo video (released 24 November 2023) also tells us (in Heng's interview linked here) that Chalothon and Wansarat were lovers in past lives, even while it is Phaya and Wansarat (reincarnated as Tharn) who are paired by fate in The Sign.

And as the nagas and garudas are bitter enemies, the love story between Phaya and Tharn/Wansarat that transcends time and reincarnation cycles is also one that must have been (and will continue to be) forbidden by their respective naga and garuda tribes (especially since Tharn/Wansarat also used to be naga Chalothon's lover), and will undoubtedly be a source of conflict in the series. This is way beyond the Montagues and Capulets! 😍

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So with this as the base, I took a look at the characters' names, and those belonging to Phaya, Chalothon, Tharn and Wansarat especially also reflect their garuda/naga origins. 🤩

Phaya's name (พญา) means lord, king or leader. While it can be applied to the nagas (พญานาค/phaya naak refers to the King of the Nagas) it is also used for Garuda (the Thai national symbol) – พญาครุฑ/phaya khroot, or Lord Garuda (and is what his name references in The Sign).

(above) Billy Patchanon as Phaya

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Chalothon's name (ชโลทร) is rare, but it is derived from Pali/Sanskrit and means river, sea or body of water, reflecting the watery homeland of his naga persona.

(above) Heng Asavarid as Chalothon

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Tharn's name (ธาร) also has a connection to his water-dwelling naga roots. Tharn/ธาร is short for ลำธาร/lam thaan and means stream, brook or creek (and he is thus a naga nong to Chalothon's phi).

(above) Babe Tanatat as Tharn/Wansa

However, Tharn is his chue len. His formal name is Wansa, and is the same Wansa in Wansarat (which the narrative lets us know at Ep.1 [3‌/4] 9.35).

(above) Freen Sarocha as Wansarat

Now Wansarat is spelt วรรณษารัตน์ in the subtitles (at Ep.1 [3‌/4] 9.02), and I can't find any translation of it that makes sense in the context of The Sign's world-building.

But Wansarat's name is spelt differently elsewhere on the Internet (on Thai drama websites, and movie databases, etc. like thaimovie.org), and I assume they've all based it on official releases from Idol Factory because the spelling is consistent across these other sources – it's วรรษารัตน์ there.

And Wansa/Wansarat spelt this way also reflects the nagas' dominion over water, because วรรษา/wansa (an archaic word, referenced in an older dictionary but not newer ones) means rain or rainy season (from the Sanskrit varsha) – in Thailand the nagas are also associated with rain control, and prayers are offered to them for timely and abundant rainfall when it is needed. (The -rat part of Wansarat is a feminine ending meaning jewel or gemstone, and may echo with meaning for speakers of Indian and Sri Lankan languages, since it's derived from the Pali/Sanskrit ratna).

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Just out of interest (because nobody asked 😂) some of these naga/garuda elements were also present in the early episodes of KinnPorsche – the den of the Theerapanyakuls (nagas, wealthy beings of the underworld) was full of watery elements (e.g., the waterfall, the various pools, and Tankhun's carp – which in Chinese belief are the original, natal form of dragons). The -nak in Kinn's formal first name Anakin (which is not a traditional Thai name) is also a nod at the word naga. Porsche had the tattoo of a fiery phoenix on his back, and was out of his element whenever water was concerned (e.g., his failed pool challenge, the mermaid costume punishment, his misadventure with the sprinkler when he tried to smoke in the store room – water vanquishing the flame). Kinn was unable to make fire when they were trapped in the forest, despite claiming to be friends with the flame, while Porsche could immediately do it.

But I didn't see the KinnPorsche narrative taking the naga/garuda themes much further than these random nods in the earlier episodes. Maybe it did (like Kinn and Porsche could be seen acclimatizing to each other's realms more), but I just couldn't be bothered to look at the show more closely since it didn't really stand up to deeper scrutiny, and after the first few episodes I just went along for the exhilaration of the ride instead. 👍

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Anyway, I'm totally bedazzled by the level of world-building going on in The Sign and look forward to more from the series. If the first episode is anything to go by, I think Executive Producer Saint Suppapong may be on to something! 😍

[ettaevie]

It’s been a longstanding headcanon of mine for Piano Man’s real name to be Saburo Moroi, after the famous pianist/composer who was a close friend of the poet Chuuya Nakahara. 

But when I started researching Moroi a bit deeper for the sake of my Flags backstory fic (which I am still writing, shockingly) I learned a new piece of info that added some fuel to my cracked-out fire:

“During his third year at university, Moroi formed a music group “Surya” (the “sun god” in Sanskrit) with his friends. It served as an organization for performing his own works, and by 1931 seven concerts had been given there. His activities with “Surya” brought wider recognition, and it also became a society for young literary men and artists, including Tetsutaro Kawakami, Hideo Kobayashi, Chuya Nakahara, Tatsuji Miyoshi, Hidemi Kon, Shohei O’oka and Kenzo Nakajima, many of whom were later to become renowned literary critics, poets and novelists.”

So not only were Moroi and Chuuya friends and collaborators, they were also part of the same coterie of up-and-coming young men founded by Moroi himself, with a catchy symbolic name and everything.

So now I’m a little more convinced I was on the right track with the whole "Piano Man is Moroi” thing, and my crack theory has evolved into believing that the Flags are a sort of callback to Surya.

Anyway here’s the musical booklet I gleaned this from: https://www.chandos.net/chanimages/Booklets/NA7162.pdf 

P.S. The recording is on Spotify and I highly recommend the last three movements. They are Moroi’s magnum opus and they go HARD

[13lunarstar]

Uttara Phalguni

The twelfth nakshatra

Degrees: from 26°40' Leo zodiac to 10 °00' of Virgo zodiac

The ruler of nakshatra: Sun (sans. Surya)

Nakshatra's guna: rajas (human)

Uttara Phalguni keywords: leadership, creativity, responsibility, sociability, nurturing, ambition, contracts, comfort-seeking, social responsibility, diplomacy, artistic flair, generosity, warm-heartedness, harmonious partnerships, critical thinking, realistic life approach (Virgo's influence)

Symbol: a bed ( especially rear marriage bed and bed legs) or a hammock, representing relaxation, enjoyment, and union

Uttara Phalguni's deity is Aryaman, one of the Adityas*, associated with contracts, unions, and agreements. Aryaman signifies the bond between people and the responsibilities in relationships.

(*In the Hindu pantheon, the Adityas are a group of deities, often depicted as the sons of the solar goddess Aditi. They are divine creatures associated with various aspects of nature and celestial phenomena. Among the most notable Adityas there are Surya (the Sun god), Varuna (the god of water and oceans), Mitra (the god of friendship and contracts), Aryaman (the god of contracts and unions), and others)).

Uttara Phalguni in various planets

Sun in Uttara Phalguni: brings strong leadership qualities, creativity, and warmth, making individuals suitable for roles that require authority and inspiration. They excel in leadership positions, such as CEOs or team leaders, where they can confidently lead others towards success. Their natural talents fit in fields like art, design, or entertainment, where they can express themselves with originality and flair. However, they may need to guard against tendencies towards dominance or ego issues, ensuring they maintain humility and openness to feedback and criticism. their warmth and generosity, impatience and need for recognition can sometimes pose challenges, requiring them to cultivate patience and inner security. Education, event planning, or hospitality professions align well with their nurturing and supportive nature, allowing them to create welcoming environments and inspire others.

Moon in Uttara Phalguni: Following a Moon in Magha's royal placement and a Moon in Purva Phalguni's creative mindset, Moon in Uttara Phalguni indicates a tendency towards diligence and executing plans. With its span extending into Virgo, this Moon is known for analysis and perfectionism, and individuals may display analytical prowess and a penchant for precision. Proficiency in negotiations and deals is likely, with potential career paths in finance or law, albeit requiring substantial effort to ascend. They exhibit a pragmatic outlook on life, possibly perceived as astute or shrewd by others. While those on the Leo side may aspire for authority through diligent effort, those on the Virgo side are driven solely by the pursuit of perfection. However, the Virgo influence may also foster a sense of facing more challenges compared to others. This diligent and perfectionist streak is often inherited from the mother.

Mars in Uttara Phalguni: infuses individuals with passionate energy, drive, and a strong sense of duty. They possess a competitive spirit and are determined to achieve their goals through hard work and perseverance. Their leadership qualities shine through as they take charge and inspire others with their enthusiasm and charisma. With a focus on creative expression and innovation, they excel in fields that require dynamic problem-solving and strategic thinking, such as entrepreneurship, engineering, or sports management. However, they may need to temper their assertiveness and impatience at times, learning to channel their energy constructively and collaborate effectively with others.

Mercury in Uttara Phalguni: imbues individuals with strong communication skills, a sharp intellect, and a nurturing disposition. They excel in negotiating and mediating conflicts, often finding balanced solutions that benefit all parties involved. With a creative flair and a love for beauty, they may pursue careers in fields such as writing, design, or the arts, where they can express themselves effectively. Their warm-hearted nature and diplomatic approach make them valuable team members and mentors, fostering supportive and harmonious relationships in their personal and professional lives. However, they may need to guard against being overly critical or perfectionistic, learning to balance their analytical abilities with empathy and understanding.

Jupiter in Uttara Phalguni: bestows individuals with a generous spirit, wisdom, and a sense of justice. They possess a natural inclination towards supporting and uplifting others, often taking on roles as mentors, teachers, or counsellors where they can share their knowledge and guidance. Their expansive vision and optimism drive them to pursue noble causes and humanitarian efforts, seeking to create positive change in their communities. With a strong moral compass, they uphold principles of fairness and integrity in all their endeavours. Jupiter's influence here also enhances their leadership abilities, as they inspire trust and confidence in others through their benevolent and inclusive approach. However, they may need to guard against becoming overly idealistic or self-righteous, remembering to stay grounded and practical in their pursuits.

Venus in Uttara Phalguni: signifies a fusion of commitment, generosity, and a sense of responsibility especially within relationships (including spousal). Individuals are passionate about socializing, unions, friendships and relationships. With a magnetic charisma and a knack for diplomacy, they excel in roles that require interpersonal skills, such as counselling, event planning, or customer service. However, they may need to guard against tendencies towards indulgence or superficiality, ensuring that they maintain balance and discernment in their pursuits of pleasure and comfort. Venus in Uttara Phalguni individuals generally radiate grace and elegance, bringing harmony and joy to both their personal and professional lives.

Saturn in Uttara Phalguni: grants individuals a strong sense of responsibility, discipline, and practicality. They approach life with a structured mindset, preferring order and stability in their endeavours. Patient and persevering, they are willing to invest the necessary time and effort to achieve their goals. Their diligent work ethic and attention to detail make them reliable and dependable, often excelling in roles that require precision and methodical planning. However, they may need to guard against tendencies towards rigidity or pessimism (the nature of nakshatra's ruler Sun is opposite to the nature of Saturn), learning to embrace flexibility and adaptability when faced with change or uncertainty.

Rahu in Uttara Phalguni: brings a unique blend of energies, often associated with desires for recognition, ambition, and creativity. Individuals with this placement may possess a strong drive to achieve success and attain status in their chosen endeavours. They may be drawn to roles that allow them to shine in the spotlight, such as performing arts, politics, or leadership positions. However, there can also be a tendency towards self-centeredness or manipulation in the pursuit of their goals. They need to cultivate humility and integrity, balancing their ambition with consideration for others. Rahu's influence here can enhance their creative talents and innovative thinking, but they may need to guard against impulsiveness or overindulgence.

Ketu in Uttara Phalguni: indicates an individual with a strong sense of duty and responsibility, often drawn towards serving others or contributing to the community. These individuals may have a deep inner wisdom and a spiritual outlook on life, seeking to find meaning and purpose beyond material pursuits. They may struggle with feelings of isolation or a sense of being misunderstood by others. It's important for them to cultivate self-awareness and inner peace, embracing their unique perspective while also remaining open to connecting with others on a deeper level. Good placement for scholars, occult science, astrology, and astronomy. An individual might become a clerk, stenographer, typist, computer operator or governmental servant.

[talonabraxas]

Solar Diety

A solar deity (also sun god(dess)) is a deity who represents the sun, or an aspect of it, usually by its perceived power and strength. Solar deities and sun worship can be found throughout most of recorded history in various forms. Hence, many beliefs have formed around this worship, such as the "missing sun" found in many cultures.

Solar deities throughout cultures

In different religions solarised supreme deities carry different names and are associated with different aspects of the cultural universe of the society, but for the most part its raw image remains identical.

The Neolithic concept of a solar barge, the sun as traversing the sky in a boat, is found in the later myths of ancient Egypt, with Ra and Horus. Earlier Egyptian myths imply that the sun is within the lioness, Sekhmet, at night and can be seen reflected in her eyes or that it is within the cow, Hathor during the night, being reborn each morning as her son (bull). Proto-Indo-European religion has a solar chariot, the sun as traversing the sky in a chariot.

During the Roman Empire, a festival of the birth of the Unconquered Sun (or Dies Natalis Solis Invicti) was celebrated on the winter solstice — the "rebirth" of the sun. In Germanic mythology this is Sol, in Vedic Surya, and in Greek Helios (occasionally referred to as Titan) and (sometimes) as Apollo. Mesopotamian Shamash plays an important role during the Bronze Age, and "my Sun" is eventually used as an address to royalty. Similarly, South American cultures have emphatic Sun worship, see Inti.

During the later periods of Roman history, sun worship gained in importance and ultimately led to what has been called a “solar monotheism.” Nearly all the gods of the period were possessed of solar qualities, and both Christ and Mithra acquired the traits of solar deities. The feast of Sol Invictus (Unconquered Sun) on December 25 was celebrated with great joy, and eventually this date was taken over by the Christians as Christmas, the birthday of Christ.[1]

Hinduism

The Ādityas are one of the principal deities of the Vedic classical Hinduism belonging to Solar class. In the Vedas, numerous hymns are dedicated to Mitra, Varuna and Savitr.

Even the Gayatri mantra, which is regarded as one of the most sacred of the Vedic hymns is dedicated to Savitr, one of the principal Ādityas. The Adityas are a group of solar deities, from the Brahmana period numbering twelve. The ritual of sandhyavandanam, performed by Hindus, is an elaborate set of hand gestures and body movements, designed to greet and revere the sun.

The sun god in Hinduism is an ancient and revered deity. In later Hindu usage, all the Vedic Ādityas lost identity and metamorphosed into one composite deity, Surya, the sun. The attributes of all other Ādityas merged into that of Surya and the names of all other Ādityas became synonymous with or epithets of Surya.

The Ramayana has Lord Rama as a descendant of the Surya, thus belonging to the Surya Vansh or the clan of the Sun. The Mahabharata describes one of its warrior heroes Karna as being the son of the Pandava mother Kunti and Surya.

The sun god is said to married to the goddess Ranaadeh, also known as Sanjnya. She is depicted in dual form, being both sunlight and shadow, personified. The goddess is revered in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

The charioteer of Surya is Aruna, who is also personified as the redness that accompanies the sunlight in dawn and dusk. The Sun God is driven by a seven-horsed Chariot depicting the seven days of the week.

In India, at Konark, in the state of Orissa, a temple is dedicated to Surya. The Konark temple has also been declared a UNESCO world heritage site. Surya is the most prominent of the navagrahas or nine celestial objects of the Hindus. Navagrahas can be found in almost all Hindu temples. There are further temples dedicated to Surya, one in Arasavilli, Srikakulam District in AndhraPradesh, one in Gujarat and another in Rajasthan. The temple at Arasavilli was constructed in such a way that on the day of Radhasaptami, the sun's rays directly fall on the feet of the Sri Suryanarayana Swami, the deity at the temple.

Chhath (Hindi: छठ, also called Dala Chhath) is an ancient Hindu festival dedicated to Surya, the chief solar deity, unique to Bihar, Jharkhand and the Terai. This major festival is also celebrated in the northeast region of India, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Chhattisgarh.Hymns praying to the sun can be found in the Vedas, the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism. Practiced in different parts of India, the worship of the sun has been described in the Rigveda.

Ancient Egypt

Sun worship was exceptionally prevalent in ancient Egyptian religion. The earliest deities associated with the sun are Wadjet, Sekhmet, Hathor, Nut, Bastet, Bat, and Menhit. First Hathor, and then Isis, give birth to and nurse Horus and Ra. Hathor the horned-cow is one of the twelve daughters of Ra, gifted with joy and is a wet-nurse to Horus.

The sun's movement across the sky represents a struggle between the Pharaoh's soul and an avatar of Osiris. Ra travels across the sky in his solar-boat; at dawn he drives away the demon apep of darkness. The "solarisation" of several local gods (Hnum-Re, Min-Re, Amon-Re) reaches its peak in the period of the fifth dynasty.

In the eighteenth dynasty, Akhenaten changed the polytheistic religion of Egypt to a monotheistic one, Atenism of the solar-disk and is the first recorded state monotheism. All other deities were replaced by the Aten, including, Amun-Ra, the reigning sun god of Akhenaten's own region. Unlike other deities, the Aten did not have multiple forms. His only image was a disk—a symbol of the sun.

Soon after Akhenaten's death, worship of the traditional deities was reestablished by the religious leaders (Ay the High-Priest of Amen-Ra, mentor of Tutankhaten/Tutankhamen) who had adopted the Aten during the reign of Akhenaten.

Chinese mythology

In Chinese mythological cosmology, there were originally ten suns in the sky, who were all brothers. They were supposed to emerge one at a time as commanded by the Jade Emperor. They were all very young and loved to fool around. Once they decided to all go into the sky to play, all at once. This made the world too hot and nothing grew. A hero named Hou Yi shot down nine of them with a bow and arrow to save the people of the earth. He is still honored to this day. In another myth, the solar eclipse was caused by the magical dog of heaven biting off a piece of the sun. The referenced event is said to have occurred around 2,160BCE. There was a tradition in China to make lots of loud celebratory sounds during a solar eclipse to scare the sacred "dog" away. The Deity of the Sun in Chinese mythology is Ri Gong Tai Yang Xing Jun (Tai Yang Gong / Grandfather Sun) or Star Lord of the Solar Palace, Lord of the Sun. In some mythologies, Tai Yang Xing Jun is believed to be Hou Yi. Tai Yang Xing Jun is usually decipted with the Star Lord of the Lunar Palace, Lord of the Moon, Yue Gong Tai Yin Xing Jun (Tai Yin Niang Niang / Lady Tai Yin).

Buddhism

In Buddhist cosmology, the bodhisattva of the sun is known as Ri Gong Ri Guang Pu Sa (The Bright Solar Boddhisattva of the Solar Palace) / Ri Gong Ri Guang Tian Zi (The Bright Solar Prince of the Solar Palace) / Ri Gong Ri Guang Zun Tian Pu Sa (The Greatly Revered Bright Solar Prince of the Solar Palace / one of the 20 or 24 guardian devas). In Sanskrit, He is known as Suryaprabha. He is usually decipted with Yue Gong Yue Guang Pu Sa (The Bright Lunar Boddhisattva of the Lunar Palace) / Yue Gong Yue Guang Tian Zi ( The Bright Lunar Prince of the Lunar Palace) / Yue Gong Yue Guang Zun Tian Pu Sa (The Greatly Revered Bright Lunar Prince of the Lunar Palace / one of the 20 or 24 guardian devas) or known as Candraprabha in Sanskrit. With Yao Shi Fo / Bhaisajyaguru Buddha (Medicine Buddha), these two boddhisattvas create the Dong Fang San Sheng or the Three Holy Sages of the East.

Africa

The Munshi tribe considers the sun to be the son of the supreme being Awondo and the moon is Awondo's daughter. The Barotse tribe believes that the Sun is inhabited by the sky god Nyambi and the Moon is his wife. Even where the sun god is equated with the supreme being, in some African mythologies he or she does not have any special functions or privileges as compared to other deities.

Aztec mythology

In Aztec mythology, Tonatiuh (Nahuatl:Ollin Tonatiuh "Movement of the Sun") was the sun god. The Aztec people considered him the leader of Tollan, heaven. He was also known as the fifth sun, because the Aztecs believed that he was the sun that took over when the fourth sun was expelled from the sky. According to their cosmology, each sun was a god with its own cosmic era. According to the Aztecs, they were still in Tonatiuh's era. According to the Aztec creation myth, the god demanded human sacrifice as tribute and without it would refuse to move through the sky. It is said that 20,000 people were sacrificed each year to Tonatiuh and other gods, though this number is thought to be inflated either by the Aztecs, who wanted to inspire fear in their enemies, or the Spaniards, who wanted to vilify the Aztecs. The Aztecs were fascinated by the sun and carefully observed it, and had a solar calendar second only in accuracy to the Mayan's. Many of today's remaining Aztec monuments have structures aligned with the sun.

In the Aztec calendar, Tonatiuh is the lord of the thirteen days from 1 Death to 13 Flint. The preceding thirteen days are ruled over by Chalchiuhtlicue, and the following thirteen by Tlaloc.

Indonesian mythology

The same swapping process is seen in Indonesia. The solar gods have a stronger presence in Indonesia's religious life and myth. In some cases the sun is revered as a "father" or "founder" of the tribe. This may apply for the whole tribe or only for the royal and ruling families. This practise is more common in Australia and on the island of Timor, where the tribal leaders are seen as direct heirs to the sun god.

Some of the initiation rites include the second reincarnation of the rite's subject as a "son of the sun", through a symbolic death and a rebirth in the form of a sun. These rituals hint that the Sun may have an important role in the sphere of funerary beliefs. Watching the un's path has given birth to the idea in some societies that the deity of the Sun descends in to the underworld without dying and is capable of returning afterward. This is the reason for the Sun being associated with functions such as guide of the deceased tribe members to the underworld, as well as with revival of perished. The sun is a mediator between the planes of the living and the dead.

Theosophy The primary local deity in Theosophy is the Solar Logos, i.e., the consciousness of the sun.

[blackknight-100]

My humble offerings for pride month - A Shiva-Mohini tale + Lakshmi at the end! Many thanks to @samissobsessed for reminding me about them :)

Also, just so you know, canon-timeline died a very painful death when I threw it out of the window with my own hands!

1.

The first time Shiva sees Mohini, she is just emerging from the group of entranced Asuras with the pot of nectar. Parvati, still rubbing his burning throat, pauses her ministrations to see what has caught his attention.

“Ah,” she says, eyes glittering, when she sees the divine beauty, “is she not pretty, Arya?”

Shiva thinks ‘pretty’ does not even begin to describe her. Mohini is short and dark, lissom limbs corded with lean muscles, and open hair rolling all the way down to her calves. With her dimpled cheeks and long lashes, she looks very unlike Vishnu, whom Shiva knows and dotes upon. For a moment, Shiva is possessed by a strange desire to speak to her, certain that even Saraswati’s songs would not match the sweetness of her voice, and he is almost jealous of the Asuras.

Parvati’s laughter brings him back to earth, to the mountain no longer churning, and Vasuki slithering wearily around his shoulders.

“My dear Vasuki,” his wife says, eyes crinkled with amusement, “leave your lord to his musings, now that Kama, rascal that he is, has decided to strike my poor husband once again.”

“No!” Shiva says, louder than he had intended, and blushes. “No,” he repeats, “it is nothing like that.”

The excuse sounds weak even to his own ears. Parvati laughs harder. Shiva decides the next time he gets hold of Kamadeva, there would be no return from the burning.

As if Kama striking him was not enough, Rati shows up on Kailash the following week, eyes bright with mischief.

2.

“We won the war easily,” she tells Gauri, as if that was what she had come to discuss all along.

Shiva does not trust her one bit. He is proven correct when Rati follows that up with, “It is all because of lovely Mohini. Did you see how she charmed the Asuras?”

“Of course we did. Arya was very interested,” says the traitor previously known as Gauri, Shiva's wife.

“Was he?” Rati covers her smile with a coy palm. “Of course he was! Such beauty, such grace! Why, I feared if this went on unchecked, I would lose my place as Goddess of... you know.”

Gauri throws him an amused wink, barely holding back her teasing delight. “I do know,” she agrees.

3.

Shiva pretends that this time, he will stick to his resolve of never speaking to his wife again.

“She is alone now!” Kali says, bouncing excitedly next to him. “You should go take your chance! Shoot your shot! Ask to court her!”

“I am your husband,” Shiva says exasperated, even as he laughs at her antics. “Are you not even a little jealous?”

Kali ignores his question and rolls right over him. “Maybe you shall have a babe, the sweetest child in all the three worlds! What if it is a boy? With her dark face and your dreadful hair? Or a girl? Oh my, please let it be a girl.”

“That is Vishnu,” Shiva tries, ignoring the comment about his dreadful hair. “Your brother. Why are you like this?”

Kali waves a dismissive hand. “She is my sister, not my brother. Besides, any sister worth her salt would aid her sibling’s pursuit of a gentleman.”

The words warm Shiva’s heart more than Surya’s fire ever can. “You think I am a gentleman?”

Gauri turns her nose up at him and points to the enchantress. “Not if you do not go after her.”

Shiva does as he is told. After all happy wives make for happy lives.

It is incredibly easy for Kali to tell him to ‘shoot his shot’ from cold Kailash, but as Shiva soon finds out, it is significantly more difficult than it looks.

4.

For one, Mohini takes one look at him and starts running. She is not even fleeing from him – Shiva would never pursue a woman who did not want his company – she merely appears to enjoy teasing him. This lines up with what Shiva knows of Vishnu. What does not line up is the crowd of gods gathered in the clouds, cheering them on. Cheering him onwards.

“This is mortifying,” he calls out to Mohini, as Kama and Vasanta drop flowers on them, and Vayu makes their clothes flutter dramatically. “Stop, I beg you!”

Mohini only laughs. It is the dearest sound in all the world – sweet as the nectar she stole for the gods, breathless as Ganga at Gangotri, and delirious as Varuni's newly brought sura. Shiva feels Rati’s pull upon his ascetic self, and willingly lets it consume him.

Mohini’s joy is worth the pain of Kama’s love.

Afterwards, they lie together in a shadowed glade, beneath a blossoming Kadamba tree. The air carries the scent of spring flowers and oncoming rain, and their shared affection.

5.

Shiva rolls around to look at her, at Mohini, Mistress of Illusions, and asks quietly, “Are you alright?”

Mohini laughs. It is more breathless than it was before, but it is still the most delightful sound in the world.

“Of course I am,” she says, making sparkling patterns in the air. “But I will demand recompense for my torn necklace - and you may not have any help this time.”

Shiva finds himself smiling as well. He reaches out a hand, all the way from the earthly air to the gardens of the divine, plucking lotuses from Indra's pond. Then, from the weaver spider he borrows a silken thread and strings it through the flowers.

“Will you have this?” he asks Mohini, offering her the garland.

“Mighty ascetic,” says the enchantress, “any gift from you I shall treasure and wear all my immortal life.”

Mohini is visiting them on Kailash on Lakshmi comes to see Uma. She is a little miffed to be drawn away from Ayyappa, sure, but the new goddess is good company, and Uma is eager to be her friend.

+1.

Mistress Wealth is an indescribable beauty, with her gold-bright face and ruby lips, and her hair a riot of obsidian curls. Her smile, bright as Varuna's best pearls, widens when she sees Uma.

“Greetings,” Lakshmi calls, waving a dainty hand. “It has been a while.”

“It has indeed,” Uma pulling her to the side. “Shiva is with the baby. Come meet Ayyappa!”

“You had a child?” Lakshmi lights up. "Oh, oh, may I see him?”

“Of course!” Uma shakes her head and adds, “His mother is Mohini.”

Lakshmi furrows her brows. “Who is- ” she begins, and then stops.

Uma turns to look back at her, bewildered, only to find Lakshmi staring at Vishnu-Mohini, who has emerged from the antechamber at the sound of voices. They are also in the process of swapping between forms – male one moment, female the next.

Uma swallows her laughter at Lakshmi's besotted look, turns to her sibling and gestures at the quick changes. “Why are you doing... this? My head hurts from looking at you.”

“You wound me!” Vishnu-Mohini clutches their chest dramatically, which is hampered by the fact that their breast swells one moment and disappears the next. “I must find out which form looks most pleasing on me. Oh, who is this lovely goddess?”

Lakshmi stirs as if from a trance, and immediately blurts out, “Are you married?”

“Not yet.” Mohini winks at her. “Are you proposing? Where are my gifts?”

Lakshmi holds out her hand and pulls an ornament from thin air – a weighty necklace of garnet-studded gold – and offers it to Mohini with the most serious look Uma has ever seen on the restless goddess's face.

“Marry me,” she says, “and you shall have my heart and mind and all treasures of land and sea.”

Mohini takes it, eyes gleaming. “I like chasing and being chased.”

Lakshmi's mien softens, and mischief returns to her face. “Good thing then,” she laughs at last, “that we have similar tastes.”

[dragonnest-art]

Nadita carries her child Nitin with her where ever she goes. She's after a particular group of people. She and her husband, Surya, are mercenaries by trade. They really messed up on group bad. They found the couple while Nadita was pregnant and killed Surya. They spared Nadita thinking her husband's death would be enough of a warning. As soon as Nitin was born, she made her husband's armor into a bundle and went after the bastards that killed her husband.

[penelopetheconartist]

Orange Porch Light : Part 6

Coral Island fanfiction written by a Rafael simp. I write for funzies so it's quite garbagey but I had fun writing it and I hope y'all have fun reading it.

Rafael and OC farmer Penelope. Slice of life? I guess?

The spring morning felt warmer to Penelope as she walked into her kitchen barefoot instead of wearing her cozy slippers. Winter’s lingering chill in the floorboards was finally leaving. With the nights being less cold, Penelope slept harder than she meant to and found herself preparing her coffee rather sluggishly. Thankfully, warm sunshine glinted through her kitchen window to greet her and help with the waking process.

Her coffee-making process was always meditative, and she took the opportunity to centre herself before getting on with her day. Fresh beans were kept in an airtight jar which she would grind fresh every morning as soon as she got the kettle boiling. The aroma alone helped perk her groggy mind. Penelope still used the old pour-over decanter her grandparents gave her. She’d pour the hot water over the grounds in a swirling motion. Penelope wasn’t sure if this was a fancy way to have coffee, but it certainly was her favourite way. Next time she gets to chat with Raj, she’d like to ask their opinion on her coffee-making method. If they approve, Penelope will bring them a coffee.

With fresh hot coffee brewed and poured into her favourite green mug, Penelope eyed the letter from the mayor she placed on the fridge. The Cherry Blossom Festival was today. Feeling more awake, Penelope grinned recalling yesterday and all the time she spent with Rafael decorating and then his fake emergency. She could feel her cheeks blushing but since she was alone, she didn’t feel the need to hide.

What do the people of Starlet wear to festivals? Was this going to be a fancy affair? Leah will look stunning as usual. But the more Penelope thought about it, most everyone will likely be in casual clothes. She just didn’t want to stick out more than she already felt like she did. Maybe she’ll ask Surya how he feels about being new to the town. Maybe he doesn’t struggle with feeling like an outcast because he actually has family here.

Penelope had debated not going to the festival, but a few things helped her decide to go. First and most obviously, Rafael was going to be there. She felt like such a loser having a dumb little crush but oh well. Second, she really wanted to establish herself in a community that was as kind and as accepting as this one appeared to be. Third, she wanted this life, being a faceless corporate drone in Pokyo drove her to come here and change her life, so she was going to do everything she never would have. So, on that thought, having a crush is certainly something a faceless drone wouldn’t have. That made her smile, but the time of pondering was over, and she needed to get her work done before going to the festival.

Starlet really went all out for their festivals. Penelope couldn’t recall if her grandparents ever brought her to one. But the last time she had been out to the farm before she bought it was maybe when she was 5? Possibly even younger since she doesn’t remember anyone from this town who apparently has been here their whole lives.  She was in grade 1 when everything in her life went to shit so it would make sense that the last time she visited the farm under her grandparents' ownership she would’ve been younger.

Penelope could see Rafael standing outside the festival grounds looking a little distressed. Evidently, he was psyching himself up to be in a group, mumbling to himself and doing some breathing exercises. Everything about him was endearing to Penelope, and although she wasn’t nearly as anxious around people as he was, she could relate. Especially still being the new person who bought the empty lot as the farm came to be known. That never did sit well with Penelope and her goal was to make the farm known as something else, anything but the empty lot.

Hi Rafael, she said softly since he looked super on edge.

He kind of snapped back into reality and after a moment smiled at Penelope, “oh. Hi.”

“You alright?”

“Uhm. Yeah. Just getting ready to be in a crowd”, he said bashfully.

“Did you bring anything for the hot pot?”

He frowned, “No. I wanted to bring some fresh fish but didn’t have time to go fishing at all. And the fish I did have in the fridge I…… I already ate it.”

“Well, you’re in luck, I brought a fish I caught this morning”, she smiled.

He beamed, “Ah, nice!”

“Are you ready to head in now?”

“Yeah. Sure. I’ll follow you.”

Penelope led the way into the festival and Rafael followed already planning how he would spend his day.

“I’m going to go say hi to everyone”, Penelope stated.

“I’m going to do what I normally do. Grab food and sit somewhere quiet.”

Penelope sighed, “I’ll likely join you on sitting somewhere quiet.”

They parted ways and Penelope went about socializing to help herself feel like less of an outcast. As she suspected, Surya didn’t feel the same way about being an outcast. Perhaps Penelope is just experiencing imposter syndrome and she’s overthinking things. That’s what a corporate drone would do. She tried to shove her doubts out of her mind as she continued to chat with everyone.

Raj was delighted to hear how Penelope made herself coffee and would love to try it someday. They will never turn down a hot drink prepared by someone else. As expected, Leah was wearing something gorgeous. Penelope wasn’t jealous per se, but she wished she was confident enough to wear clothes so nice for anything. Thankfully, Leah seemed to be the only one who dressed fancy for this festival. Everyone else was dressed casually to enjoy the beautiful spring day in the outdoors.

Rafael had accumulated a mountain of food and found his corner quiet. Alice was already there drinking some tea. He was always glad he knew at least one other person who enjoyed partaking in festivals from a distance. As usual, Alice gave him a judging look at how much food he had but as usual he ignored her judging expression.

Penelope chatted with Frank for a minute after she added her fish to the pot. The various ingredients were questionable, but it smelled incredible. So far, she’s only tried Frank’s food at tavern, so she was interested in trying all the different foods on display. She gathered a few samples for herself on a plate and was heading towards Alice and Rafael when she overheard Mayor Connor praising Pablo on the decorations with a few of the other townies surrounding them. She decided to join the conversation.

“Thanks again for setting up all the decorations for the festival”, Connor said to Pablo.

Pablo just grinned, “You know I like to help.”

Penelope butted in, “Yeah Pablo. You did a great job. Tell me, which decoration did you hang specifically?”

Pablo was taken aback by Penelope’s boldness but ultimately, she was right; he slacked off hard yesterday. He grinned, “ah you’re right. I was distracted yesterday; you and Rafael did all the work.”

Penelope was satisfied with that answer, and she turned to the crowd, Rafael really did most of the work. I just helped.

She walked away pleased with herself and joined the quiet corner. Rafael barely acknowledged Penelope when she joined them as he was lost in the sauce, the sauce of Frank’s cooking. Alice poured Penelope a cup of tea and they chatted while Rafael was living his best life.

“Are you settling in okay Penelope? Alice asked passing her a cup of tea.

“Yeah, I think so. I hope someday I stop feeling like the new kid though.”

“Aww. Yeah, that feeling is no fun. Don’t worry, you’re fitting in well”, Alice reassured her.

“Really? I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb.”

“No. You don’t stick out like you think you do, I promise.”

Penelope smiled feeling a little relieved but not completely convinced. Rafael was in a separate plain of existence with his mountain of food.

“Having our very own farmer in town makes Starlet feel complete” Alice smiled.

That was a nice sentiment. Hopefully, her crops continue to be fruitful. She still has nightmares about her entire farm being infected with a blight or something.  Alice noticed Penelope started to get lost in her own thoughts, so it was time to change the subject.

“Hey, did you know that spring festivals used to celebrate fertility?” Alice looked excited to drop some knowledge. Rafael was still not listening.

Penelope thought for a moment, “Yeah, I think I had heard of that before. Like fertility of the crops for the year, right?”

“And fertility of the womb.”

Raf made a face, “Stop saying fertility.”

Alice rolled her eyes, “Get back to eating. I’m talking to Penelope.”

He happily obliged.

“Some spring festivals encouraged young couples to sneak off into the woods to celebrate their fertility.”

Penelope gave Alice a side glance hoping she wouldn’t say that’s what this festival was about. Did she just move to a sex cult island??? Because of course, she would. Penelope was mentally preparing to move as soon as possible.

“That’s not what this festival is about right?” She asked hesitantly ready to run if she heard the wrong answer.

Alice giggled, “No. Unless there is someone you’d like to sneak off with.”

Penelope choked and started coughing. She was not ready for Alice to say something like that. And since she allowed herself to have a crush, yes there was someone she wanted to sneak off with, and he was right there!!! Rafael had no idea what was going on but Alice was giggling and Penelope was choking. He clearly missed something. He started to pat Penelope’s back still confused why Alice was laughing at Penelope coughing so much.

“Are you okay?” He managed to not have food in his mouth long enough to ask.

Penelope brushed him away her face getting pinker, “I’m fine. I’m fine.”

Alice was pleased with herself as that reaction confirmed for her that Penelope did indeed have a feeling or two for Rafael. Rafael glanced between the two ladies; Alice had that look of fake innocence when she stirs something up and Penelope looked about as flustered as she did when she fell asleep at the shop. He thought it was best not to ask and went back to eating. While he ate a few people came over to the quiet corner to compliment him on putting up the decorations. With every compliment, he became more and more flustered as this had never happened before. Penelope felt proud for directing the praise to those who actually did the work.

After a little while, when people finally stopped coming to say nice things to Rafael, he had finished everything he put on his plate and leaned back with a groan.

“Oh, I think I ate too much” he whined quietly.

Alice rolled her eyes, “you do every year.”

He laid back with another groan. Penelope was a little concerned, but Alice carried on enjoying her tea and a reasonable amount of snacks. Alice and Penelope turned their attention to Theo who was singing now. He was such a delight to have around playing music and singing adding to the magic of the pink petals falling all around the park. Penelope glanced over her shoulder to Rafael, and he had a few petals scattered over him. She decided pink looked nice on him as more petals landed on him. Suddenly, Valentina skipped over to them.

“Hey Uncle Raf, wanna get cake with me?”

He perked and sat up, “Yeah let’s go.”

Val took his hand and before they took off to get dessert Raf turned, “Penelope? Alice? Would either of you like some cake?”

Penelope was flabbergasted. He was in a food coma literally a minute ago.

“No thanks”, Alice smiled politely.

“Uh sure”, Penelope said.

Rafael and Valentina returned shortly with a reasonable amount of dessert. The sun had started to set, and Penelope found herself thinking of the empty park last night. Rafael was right. The park was prettier when there were less people. However, with all the people, Penelope felt grateful that so far, this new life of hers was working out. She didn’t want to get herself too comfortable though as she had trust issues with life itself. But so far so good.

Alice left with Suki when she collected Valentina. Most the people with children were getting ready to leave. Penelope was feeling ready to leave herself, this first festival felt like a success in her book.

“Are you staying longer?” She asked Rafael who managed to avoid another food coma.

“Yeah”, he sighed, “Pablo and I help with the tear down once the festival is over. Then we finish taking all the decorations down in the morning.”

“I could help again.”

He smiled but shook his head no, “I appreciate the offer but it’s okay. Pablo needs to do something.”

They both laughed.

“Okay well, I’ll see you later then. Sweet dreams.”

His smile got bigger, “Sweet dreams.”

[shivroyslut]

spn pongal moodboard for @spnpocdirectory's cultural exchange event day 4: traditions/festivals explanation of pongal below cut:

Pongal (பொங்கல்), or Thai Pongal (தைப்பொங்கல்), is a Hindu harvest festival celebrated by Indian and Sri Lankan Tamils every year around mid-January (it follows the Tamil solar calendar).

There are officially four days of Pongal but most people only celebrate three or less (personally I only celebrate the second day and a little of the first day because Pongal is not easy to celebrate in urban areas/countries).

The Four Days:

Day 1: Bhogi Pongal (idk what exactly bhogi means I'm sorry)

Bhogi Pongal is about starting anew because it is the last day Marghali month according to the Tamil calendar. People celebrate by wearing new clothes, cleaning their houses, and discarding old possessions. And they discard their old things by gathering around a bonfire and burning everything 👍 (reason for choosing the pic of Sam and Dean standing by a bonfire).

Day 2: Surya Pongal (Surya = Sun)

Surya Pongal is the main day of the festival and the first day of the Thai month. This day is dedicated to the sun god (reason for choosing the pic of Cas looking at the sun). To celebrate this day we make the pongal dish in a decorated pot as seen in the second image. Traditionally, the pongal dish is prepared outdoors and as a group. So the pot is placed over a fire and milk is added in. Once it starts to boil, freshly harvested rice and cane sugar are added. Eventually the pot will start to overflow and when this happens everyone will shout "Pongalo Pongal" which translates to "may this rice boil over. In urban areas its typically just one or a few people making the dish in the kitchen on the stove. We also decorate our doorsteps with kolam (which is depicted in the third image)

Day 3: Mattu Pongal (Mattu = Cow)

Mattu Pongal is a day where we worship the cattle because they are sacred animals in the Hindu religion. The cattle are adorned with flower garlands (as seen in pictures 7 and 8) and their horns are painted. The cows basically get special treatment that day like being fed pongal and other natural sweet treats and are bathed.

Day 4: Kanum Pongal (Kanum = to visit)

Kanum pongal is about reunion and visiting family and friends (which is why I chose the middle picture)

[lilflowerpot]

not to be "that person" but the implications of calling half-galra/mixed galra/part galra, "hybrids" feels dehumanizing.

In a real-world context I'd be inclined to agree with you, but within the realms of the narrative there are several elements at play as to why I personally choose to use the term hybrid—chief among them being that race as we define it is a social construct (see below), whereas Keith & Lotor's status as hybrids very much has a biological basis—but let us first start by clarifying the key components of the topic at hand.

A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society.[1] The term came into common usage during the 16th century, when it was used to refer to groups of various kinds, including those characterized by close kinship relations.[2] By the 17th century, the term began to refer to physical (phenotypical) traits, and then later to national affiliations. Modern science regards race as a social construct, an identity which is assigned based on rules made by society.[3][4] While partly based on physical similarities within groups, race does not have an inherent physical or biological meaning.[1][5][6] [1] Barnshaw, John (2008). "Race". In Schaefer, Richard T. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Society. Vol. 1. SAGE Publications. pp. 1091–3. ISBN978-1-45-226586-5. [2] Roediger, David R. "Historical Foundations of Race". Smithsonian. [3] Amutah, C.; Greenidge, K.; Mante, A.; Munyikwa, M.; Surya, S. L.; Higginbotham, E.; Jones, D. S.; Lavizzo-Mourey, R.; Roberts, D.; Tsai, J.; Aysola, J. (March 2021). Malina, D. (ed.). "Misrepresenting Race — The Role of Medical Schools in Propagating Physician Bias". The New England Journal of Medicine. Massachusetts Medical Society. 384 (9): 872–878. [4] Gannon, Megan (5 February 2016). "Race Is a Social Construct, Scientists Argue". Scientific American. Springer Nature. ISSN0036-8733. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023. [5] Smedley, Audrey; Takezawa, Yasuko I.; Wade, Peter. "Race: Human". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. Retrieved 22 August 2017. [6] Yudell, M.; Roberts, D.; DeSalle, R.; Tishkoff, S. (5 February 2016). "Taking race out of human genetics". Science. American Association for the Advancement of Science. 351 (6273): 564–565.

The dictionary definition of a hybrid is pretty clear-cut across the board, but I've included several different sources, for the sake of both clarity and peace of mind.

​Oxford: [1] (of an animal or plant) Having parents of different species or varieties.​ [2] That is the product of mixing two or more different things. Cambridge: [1] A plant or animal that has been produced from two different types of plant or animal, especially to get better characteristics. [2] Something that is a mixture of two very different things. Merriam-Webster: [1] An offspring of two animals or plants of different subspecies, breeds, varieties, species, or genera. [2] A person whose background is a blend of two diverse cultures or traditions. [3] Something heterogeneous in origin or composition. Collins: [1] A hybrid is an animal or plant that has been bred from two different species of animal or plant. [2] You can use hybrid to refer to anything that is a mixture of other things, especially two other things.

So yes, the term hybrid is much more commonly used to refer to plants and animals than humans, with Merriam-Webster's definition alone being the only one to specify "people", but all the above agree that it is a term that references anything that is a mixture of two different things (heterogeneous). Scientifically speaking, humans are never this; we are all of the same species—homosapiens—and our perceived "race" is actually a societal construct born of phenotypical traits. So while objectively we can argue that Keith as a character was written as biracial, within the narrative he is very explicitly born of parents of two different scientific species: the term hybrid isn't being used to other him, it's,,, literally a genetic fact.

But let's approach this from Lotor's perspective. Our favourite galra prince is a scientist with "a modest background as a geneticist, [his] particular field of study being the rather niche subject area of galra hybridisation" (LB:ch13), meaning it's hardly surprising he'd feel comfortable using the scientific terminology. If ever the term hybrid was used in imperial circles as a slur intended to dehumanise (degalranise?), then Lotor as a hybrid himself has reclaimed it in much the same way that n-slur has been reclaimed the black community. I, myself, am not black, so I can't really speak to that experience, but I do not imagine the reclamation of that word to be dissimilar to that of queer by the queer community. Approaching it from this angle, I am personally happy to identify as queer, and equally happy for other people to identify me as queer; that being said, there's still intent to consider. Though I've no problem with (and in fact quite like!) the word queer, if a homophobe were to throw it at me with obviously malicious intent, it would still sting—not for the word itself, but the fact that the person using it is aiming to other and dehumanise, which begs the question: does the Empire consider hybrid to be a slur?

Personally, I don't think so. I certainly don't write LB with that in mind, but what I do do is apply that sort of a weight to "half-breed" given that canon made particular use of it as a derogatory term, most notably with Throk in s3ep01—"Worse than that, [Lotor's] top generals aren't even pure galra, they're half-breeds at best. He has no honour."—and Haggar in s5ep04—"The blood that so bolsters your claim is also what quells it! You are not full galra, you are a half-breed."—both of whom put a distinctly unkind spin on this term with both their tone and the context within which they use it (to discredit the inherent "worth" of hybrids). In Little Blade, it has thus-far been used twice, both by Lotor and both when he's evidently echoing cruel sentiments that he himself suffered in the past:

“Impure half-breeds we may be, but weak we are most certainly not.” It’s a cold sort of pride. - Lotor, Little Blade, chapter 15 “Any commander worth his quintessence would be able to subdue a mere cadet with ease, especially one so small as you.” the amused lilt Lotor says this with fades in favour of something sweet and deeply saddened, “As for the rest of it—the neglect you suffered as a child—that would never have happened had you been raised galra. Even if we are half-breed whelps, our value is in our blood: it is an irrefutable part of us.” blue eyes turn baleful, “The Empire, for all its faults, would not have forsaken you.” - Lotor, Little Blade, chapter 24

So no, within the context of LB, hybrid is not a derogatory term, but a scientific one that Lotor, his generals, and Keith all identify with and use to encompass the rather unique experience of their lineage in a universe where both sides of their parentage are likely to other them for simply existing as they are.

[coral-polls]

Round 1 - Match 4/6

in-game character blurbs under the cut.

Surya

-Surya is marine biologist who works at the laboratory on the weekdays. He spends his free time hanging out with his friends.

Mark

-Mark is a member of B.O.S., an international group for hunters. He volunteers at the animal shelter in his free time.

[commonplacebuddhism]

Bibliography

All the Buddhist books I have taken notes from, with links if they are available free online. Updated 02/26/24.

After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path by Jack Kornfield

Awakening the Buddha Within: Eight Steps to Enlightenment: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World by Lama Surya Das

Buddha's Brain: the Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love & Wisdom by Rick Hanson, Ph.D., and Richard Mendius, M.D.

Buddhish: A Guide to the 20 Most Important Buddhist Ideas For the Curious and Skeptical by C. Pierce Salguero

Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening by Stephen Batchelor

Dhammapada: The Sayings of the Buddha translated by Thomas Byrom, Shambhala Pocket Classics 1993 (There are A LOT of versions of this online, but not this particular edition)

Enlightenment is an accident: ancient wisdom and simple practices to make you accident prone by Tim Burkett

Happiness is Overrated: Simple Lessons on Finding Meaning in Each Moment by Cuong Lu

How to Raise an Ox: Zen practice as taught in Zen master Dogen's Shobogenzo by Francis Dojun Cook (2002)

How We Live is How We Die by Pema Chödrön

Illumination: a guide to the Buddhist method of no-method by Rebecca Li

Love for Imperfect Things by Haemin Sunim

"Living my vow," by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel in Lion's Roar, March 2021.

Nothing Holy About It: The Zen of Being Just Who You Are by Tim Burkett

Novice to Master: An Ongoing Lesson in the Extent of My Own Stupidity by Soto Morinaga

Opening to Oneness: A Practical & Philosophical Guide to the Zen Precepts by Nancy Mujo Baker

The Other Shore by Thich Nhat Hanh

Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior by Chögyam Trungpa

A Spiritual Renegade's Guide to the Good Life by Lama Marut

Start Here Now: An Open-Hearted Guide to the Path and Practice of Meditation by Susan Piver

The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim

The Three Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice, and Enlightenment by Roshi Philip Kapleau (I read the 25th anniversary edition and this is the 1967 version)

Wake Up: How to Practice Zen Buddhism by Bonnie Myotai Treace

Walking the Way: 81 Zen Encounters with the Tao Te Ching by Robert Meikyo Rosenbaum

The Way of the Bodhisattva by Shantideva, revised translation and new preface by the Padmakara Translation Group (2006) (This is another one that is widely available online in other editions.)

When Things Don't Go Your Way: Zen Wisdom for Difficult Times by Haemin Sunim

Zen and the Art of Anything by Hal W. French

Zen Beyond Mindfulness: Using Buddhist and Modern Psychology for Transformational Practice by Jules Shuzen Harris

Zen Flesh, Zen Bones by Paul Reps

Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki (Link goes to a book that is listed as the 2006 ed but it looks identical to my 2002 edition)

[interspellar-ask-blog]

**What is Interspellar?**

Interstellar is a fantasy series that combines the setting of outer space with fantasy elements and magic. It follows a main cast as they attempt to lead a rebellion against the counsel that rules the galaxy with an iron fist. One of their missions is to locate the six cosmic stones and use their magic to dismantle the counsel and their reign.

**Who are the main characters?**

There are seven major characters, all of whom are part of the rebellion attempting to take down the counsel. They are:

-Cassiopeia (Cass) [she/her]

*A star marked. She is the pseudo-leader of their group, but oftentimes butts heads with Dess. She grew up as an orphan on a planet and joined the rebellion because of a close friend. Strong willed and confident, she has a knack for getting out of tough scrapes, even if she has no respect for rules or authority.*

-Dessponia (Dess) [she/her]

*A void marked, the daughter of a rebel captain, she has been in the rebellion since she was a child. Strict and powerful, she is a heavy rule follower and struggles with Cass’s brashness and unconventional ideas.*

-Lumi [they/she/he]

*A very talented inventor despite being the youngest of the group, Lumi is a brilliant engineer who creates a number of gadgets for the rebellion. A comet marked.*

-Ophiuchus (Ophi) [he/him]

*The son of a revered rebel who passed away some time ago, Ophi is eager to prove himself and although he sometimes exaggerates his abilities, his heart is good and he cares very deeply for the others, particularly Lumi, who he shares a close friendship with. A moon marked*

-Solaris [he/him]

*An sun marked and an escaped counsel prisoner, Solaris strangely has no memories before the age of 14. He is the currently only known survivor of a planet called Surya, which was annihilated in a counsel attack. He is a brilliant strategist and has served as a bit of a mentor to a couple of the others in terms of training. He is serious and blunt, but perhaps there’s more than that deep within himself, but he refuses to let that side show.*

-Arion [he/him]

*Dess’s twin brother, they were separated as children and Arion went on to be a soldier for the counsel. He and Solaris met during that period, and when he rescued Solaris from capture on a rebellion mission, he came back with him. He’s joined the rebellion, but tensions are still high with some members, including his sister. He is a comet marked.*

-Helix [they/them]

*The child of one of the council members, Helix is a fairly high ranking commander in their empire. What none of them know, is that they’ve been feeding the rebellion information for years, and is one of the core reasons they can complete missions and haven’t been wiped out by the counsel. They are nebula marked.*

**How does the magic work?**

The people in Interspellar are born marked as one of six kinds of magic. If two parents have the same mark, their child will have that mark. If the parents have different marks, there is a 50/50 chance the child will have either type of mark.

A mark is located like a tattoo somewhere on the person’s body, and glows when they use their magic. Magic is life, it flows in all living things and if something’s magic is totally depleted, it will die as it is the being’s life force itself. Magic is the primary form of combat, as technology is also powered by it.

The six types of marks are:

-Sun (fire magic)

-Moon (terraforming and water magic)

-Star (light magic)

-Void (shadow magic)

-Comet (ice magic)

-Nebula (air magic)

There are also six cosmic stones, beautiful gems that hold within them the most powerful magic of each type in the universe. Whoever holds them and can harness its magic would be one of the most powerful magic users of that type in the galaxy.

[ettaevie]

Do you have any idea who everyone else in the flags was based on??

Hm…if you’re asking if any of the Flags’ personalities directly align with any of irl Chuuya’s friends, Wikipedia hasn’t given me a whole lot of insight into that.

I’ve mentioned in this post that I hc Piano Man as Saburo Moroi. That’s the one I’m most confident about.

Chuuya also fell for a couple of actresses in his youth named Yasuko Hasegawa and Michiko. I think Michiko was just a crush and a muse, but Yasuko was his first love and a lifelong bestie. So that could have been the inspiration behind Lippmann.

For any other possible Flags influences I’d really have to reach though. None of his most notable besties really stood out to me as having anything to do with Iceman Doc or Albatross. Not even his ride or die Hideo Kobayashi. But then, wiki pages tend to just list accomplishments over anything about someone’s personality.

If you care to go into random headcanon territory, I did consider Iceman as Jiro Aoyama, an art critic and antique collector/appraiser. He was known for his “genius, discerning eye that could see straight into the essence of an antique to critique it harshly”, which reminded me a bit of our astute assassin. Chuuya’s friend group would regularly gather at his house for "Aoyama Gakuin" meetings, and he was known to make their mutual bff Kobayashi cry at drinking parties.

I also considered assigning Iceman as Testsutaro Kawakami, the Surya member who brought Chuuya into the group and introduced him to Moroi to begin with. He, Chuuya, and Kobayashi also started a magazine together called “Idiot Group” or “The Idiots” which could maybe have something to do with the Flags. Yasuko even ended up publishing a few poems through them. Kawakami and Chuuya were also really close to the very end. Chuuya sent him a letter of farewell when he got sick and Kawakami proceeded to visit his bedside every day.

Chuuya probably knew multiple doctors, between his dad and Mori and such. That could have inspired the Doc personality. For the sake of giving Doc a name though I just went with Hiroshi Tamiya. He played cello for Surya but is most famous for being a really important microbiologist.

Albatross is an enigma.

[talonabraxas]

The twelve Sun-gods (12 Adityas) and their associates

The twelve Adityas are nothing but different forms of the Sun-God Surya. In different Puranas their names are given differently. Brahma once recounted to the sages the one hundred and eight sacred names of Surya. The Brahma Purana lists these names and we reproduce them in nine groups of twelve names each.

(1) Surya, Archana, Bhagavana, Tvashta, Pusha, Arka, Savita, Ravi, Gabhastimana, Aja, Kala, Mrityu.

(2) Dhata, Prabhakara, Prithivi, Jala, Teja, Akasha, Vayu, Parayana, Soma, Brihaspati, Shukra, Budha.

(3) Angaraka, Indra, Vivasvana, Diptamshu, Shuchi, Shouri,Shanaishvara, Brahma, Vishu, Rudra, Skanda, Vaishravana.

(4) Yama, Vaidyuta, Jathara, Agni, Aindhana, Tejohapti, Dharmadhvaja, Vedakarta, Vedanga, Vedavahana, Krita, Treta.

(5) Dvapara, Kali, Sarvasurashraya, Kala, Kashtha, Muhurta, Kshapa, Yama, Kshana, Samvatsara, Ashvattha, Kalachakra.

(6) Vibhavasu, Shashvata, Purusha, Yogi, Vyaktavyakta, Sanatana, Kaladhyaksha, Prajadhyaksha, Vishvakarma, Tamonuda, Varuna, Sagara.

(7) Amsha, Jimuta, Jivana, Ariha, Bhutashraya, Bhutapati, Sarvalokanamaskrita, Shrashta, Samvartaka, Vahni, Sarvadi, Alolupa.

( 8 ) Anata, Kapila, Bhanu, Kamada, Sarvotamukha, Jaya, Vishala, Varada, Sarvabhutasevita, Mana, Suparna, Bhutadi.

(9) Shighraga, Pranadharana, Dhanvantari, Dhumaketu, Adideva, Aditinandana, Dvadashatma, Ravi, Daksha, Pita, Mata, Pitamaha.

"All these personalities are the opulent expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, in the form of the sun-god. These deities take away all the sinful reactions of those who remember them each day at dawn and sunset." (Srimad Bhagavatam 12.11.45)

"Aditya"

Talon Abraxas

[santoschristos]

Surya – The Solar Deity Surya The Solar Deity is one of the primary Rig Vedic deities, and his following is widespread. As the central Graha in the Navagraha Mandala, or group of nine planets, Surya is present in most Hindu temples. by Mahaboka, Midjourney + P/S