#i know there are potentially shamanic practices in some of this and i don’t want to take what’s not mine

[coyote-fawn]

.

[handlewcaare]

Who are you really, Gojo Satoru?

(⚠️⚠️⚠️Jujutsu Kaisen Spoilers ahead⚠️⚠️⚠️)

One of the key elements of mob psycho is that you are not the most important person. With all your special powers, your unique prowess with god and anime on your side, how great is that against learning how to do better in math? What about when you’re trying to woo a crush who’s already seen all your tricks?

That, in on its own, is the question Gojo Satoru has yet to answer for.

I can’t believe I’m doing a character analysis over this dumbass

If you’ve ever wondered a “what if Mob never had Reigen” scenario, Gojo is the closest example. This isn’t just evident in the way that he’s an absolute manchild with his powers because he feels like there will never be consequences to his actions, but the aspect that he cannot perceive his identity beyond “strength.”

The world of Shaman / the Society of Sorcerers all perceive someone by the value of their strength alone. It doesn’t matter if that person is intelligent, has stable moral groundings or is able to overcome the most extensive of trauma. What matters to them, in the end, is how strong you really are. This is what made Gojo valuable because he was born strong. He didn’t eat a wrinkly finger from a dead cursed spirit, nor did he build himself to achieve such strength; he was born with it and was constantly hunted by bounty hunters.

Imagine your parents saying that when you were born

Someone on Twitter did a psychoanalysis of Gojo and I couldn’t agree more that he was probably raised in the way “gifted kids” were; they had to always exceed their conservative / authoritarian parents’ expectations, if not they would be perceived as a disgrace to their family. It also clears up how Gojo turned out to be an absolute pompous brat later on.

Take that phrase: “When Gojo was born, the power of the world was altered” and compare that to someone like Mob, who was raised without a heavy expectation for shifting the entire foundation of ESP:

His father doesn’t do a comparison between espers, but rather how people waste away their lives without self-destructive indulgences like cigarettes.

From the day of his birth, Gojo became a practical poster child for said “limitless” potential. He wasn’t raised like Mob who just happened to have this great power, he was treated as if there was only one of him in the world (and there is!), but it mentally placed a child onto a pedestal and managed to severe his empathy to said “weak” links.

“Protect the weak” what, are we the fucking teen Titans now??

In the eyes of a teenage Satoru, caring for the weak is as annoying as babysitting screaming brats. The only reason as to why he would say that is because he lacked empathy for those who were perceived as weak. The reason as to why he didn’t understand them was that he wasn’t raised around them / raised to understand them. He isn’t going to a normal HS, he’s going to a Curse College Tech where everyone has powers—but none of them as powerful as him.

Mob’s middle school only has three known espers: Mob, Ritsu and Takenaka. Everyone else is either a kid, a member of the body improvement club, or they’re unimpressed with psychic powers.

That eventually leads up to where Gojo learned his valuable lesson from: Getou. The scene in which Getou leaves after he lost purpose in being a Shaman is the closest we’ve got to a question asked in Mp100. There’s many ways to interpret it, but Getou (and even Nanami) always felt like they were consistently shadowed by a man who could do anything—ANYTHING—as long as he gave it his all.

Gojo didn’t just get the Reigen talk that Mob did, he got the Reigen “you’re-an-adult-fighting-misguided-minors-with-superpowers-you’re-a-fucking-joke” talk.

It’s a parallel (not similar) to what we’ve seen in Mp100 where Reigen simply tells Mob to be a good person. Getou doesn’t tell Gojo to be good or terrible to others, he simply tells him that he could easily kill him if he tried. Yet, the question is what makes Gojo hesitate to end him there—as if being the strongest in a world that would sooner get rid of you once you lose your worth to it is meaningless if that is all you are.

Are you strong because you’re Kageyama Shigeo or are you Shigeo Kageyama because you’re strong?

This is what changes Gojo entirely, as he would sooner become a mentor for the next generation than to let his skin blister in the limelight longer than it has. However, the biggest factor that I’ve noticed about Gojo is that he doesn’t run away from the Shaman world afterward.

We don’t see Gojo in a Nanami-esque situation where he works as the wacky History teacher at some tiny highschool with unique powers. We don’t see him settle down with someone and have a family of his own, all while hiding his past to his children so he and his spouse can live comfortably. He, instead, wants to change the sorcery world from the inside-out because he doesn’t want his kids / the generations after him to become no better than the executives.

In a personal opinion, I think he still doesn’t know how to live without being a Shaman. Everything he does, he can do with just the right amount of elbow grease. He can literally become the prime minister, but it won’t give him a natural understanding of those he would mentor / massively shadow.

Watch your fucking profanity

In a twisted way, Gojo is trying to be what Getou would have been if he never defected. The only problem is that he’s not giving the next generation a broader insight of what lies beyond sorcerery. He doesn’t tell them that they have choices in life or informs them that they can astray from the tech. Instead, it’s borderline hypocritical where he expects the new generation to be able to change the world of sorcery without that insight. It only brings me, and even Gege, to ask this character:

How can you expect change if you, yourself, have never experienced it?

[dailylogyn]

Logyn Meta: Loki & Sigyn’s Family in Myth and Marvel (Comparison)

Photo Source: https://www.deviantart.com/youkai-no-shimo/art/Colouring-LOKI-s-FAMILY-260392721

The family that is ready to begin Ragnarok in order to defend your honor. It’s a tragic tale, but family is something worth fighting for!

Follow me as we explore this crazy, wonderful family that is probably the most famous of the Myth’s. 

We may not know much about Sigyn’s side, but Loki’s side is one that legends are made of. 

From the Norse Myths, to Marvel Comics and the MCU, we will see the similarities and differences for each member in the different universes as well as learn facts about each one and why they are important. 

Laufey (or Nál) - Loki’s Mother 

NORSE MYTHOLOGY

She is Loki’s Mother in Mythology.

Mostly mentioned by the matronymic, “Loki Laufeyjarson” meaning: Loki Laufey’s Son.

Her name (Laufey) is typically thought to mean leaves/foilage. Nal means Needle. 

Not much is known about her. We don’t even know if she was a Goddess, human or giant so it is assumed Loki gets his godhood from her. 

In the poem Sörla þáttr, Nál and Laufey are portrayed as the same person: "She was both slender and weak, and for that reason she was called Nál [Needle]." 

Laufey is listed among Ásynjar (goddesses) in one of the þulur, an ancestry that perhaps led her son Loki to be "enumerated among the Æsir", as Snorri Sturluson puts it in Gylfaginning.

Related to nature like forests and leaves.

MARVEL COMICS (Earth 616)

Laufey is Loki’s Father in this universe. 

As Loki was born small, a motive of embarrassment for his parents, his existence was kept a secret.

A younger Loki sends Laufey into a fateful battle between Odin, leading the All-Father to claim Loki as a son. Laufey was left for dead, wounded, but alive, leaving a future Loki to kill him. 

A group of Frost Giants try to revive Laufey by retrieving his skull. It ends with Malekith performing a spell to resurrect King Laufey. 

Laufey hates Loki and thinks of him as a disgrace

It ends with Loki killing his father again after he tries to steal the Casket of Winters and kill Frigga. 

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (MCU)

Same as Marvel Comics Counterpart. Appears in the first Thor movie. 

Fárbauti - Loki’s Father

NORSE MYTHOLOGY

He is Loki’s Father in Mythology. 

Attested in the Prose Edda and in Kennings of Viking Age Skalds.

A Jotunn

The Old Norse name Fárbauti has been translated as 'dangerous striker','anger striker',or 'sudden-striker'.

Related to lightning

MARVEL COMICS (Earth 616)

Mother of Loki in this universe.

Gave birth to an unusually small child to the annoyance of her husband.

It is said the night Loki was born that she stabbed her own heart with an ice dagger, but Loki suspects Laufey is the one who killed her. 

Appears as a figment taken on by a parasite. She’s mostly deceased in the comics. 

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (MCU)

Does not appear or have a reference in the MCU

Loki Laufeyjarson - Son of Laufey & Farbauti. Lover of Sigyn & Angrboda (and many others honestly)

NORSE MYTHOLOGY

Everyone already knows the tales about Loki, so I won’t repeat it all again. It’s pretty lengthy. I’ll just point down the basics for him with it. 

He’s famous for causing trouble among the gods as the Trickster and God of Mischief. Not a bad guy, but misinterpreted that way, although he can be a dick too. Despite how much he causes trouble for them, he also helps them out of situations too. He just wants to have fun, even if he takes it overboard at times.

Some sources put as Jotun and some say he is Half-Jotun, Half-Aesir (on his mother’s side.) 

A well-known Shapeshifter who can be anything: Salmon, Male, Female, Horse. The list just goes on. 

A really handsome being who loved to get it on. *finger guns*

Blood Brother’s with Odin. How? We don’t know. It’s interpreted as a friendship or foster-brothers. It’s unclear really.

Gonna start Ragnarok for valid reasons honestly after having his entire family taken away from him or killed by the Gods. #TeamLoki

MARVEL COMICS (Earth 616)

Far too many appearances to document here from 1942 to present. There has been some retcons as well with the fact the current Loki has been reborn in a new incarnation also known as Ikol.

In the comics Loki is the adopted son of Odin and Frigga and Adoptive brother to Thor & Balder. 

He’s depicted as being the God of Evil in the classic comics serval times. In fact, it’s one of his titles. 

Depending on the writer for the classic comics, Loki can have moments of humanity, but all around he causes trouble.

Just wants to rule Asgard and get rid of Thor who is his enemy. 

He’s honestly a bad guy most of the time in the classic comics #VillianTrope

I personally have yet to read any current comics of Loki that aren’t the classics so this is where my knowledge and research stops. 

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (MCU)

First off, Tom Hiddleston as Loki is just *chefs kiss* perfection. 

Pretty much the same as comics except for the fact he isn’t really a villain. He plays tricks on people for fun and laughs and truly cares about his family. 

However, things change when he discovers the truth that he is a Jotun and has been lied to about it his whole life despite being told countless stories of how Jotun’s are monsters to be slain (You fucked up a perfectly good kid, Odin. Look, he has anxiety and trauma.) 

He develops major identity problems on top of others things, but despite it, Loki tries to still do best by his family as he wants to belong. Yes, he becomes a villain in The Avengers movie, but not for the hell of it. #Thanos

Honestly, he just deserves better. That’s where this leads. Thank you.

Angrboda - Loki’s Consort/Lover (Fenrir, Jormungandr & Hel’s Mother)

NORSE MYTHOLOGY

She is only mentioned once in the Poetic Edda as the mother of Fenrir by Loki. The Prose Edda describes her as "a giantess in Jotunheim" and as the mother of three monsters: the wolf Fenrir, the Midgard serpent Jörmungand, and the ruler of the dead Hel.

A Jotun known as Mother of Monsters and Giantess of Ironwood. 

In Old Norse, Angrboda means: 'the one who brings grief', 'she-who-offers-sorrow', or 'harm-bidder'.

According to scholars, the name Angrboða is probably a late invention dating from no earlier than the 12th century, although the tradition of the three monsters born of Loki and a jötunn may be of a higher age.

Some scholars say she was a very powerful witch and that she had the ability to see into the future. She was confined to Hel and would not be released from the realm of the dead until Loki was unbound.

In some versions of the Myth’s she knows her children will bring about the end of the world (Ragnarok) as well as being a witch set on fire three times before Loki eats her heart. 

MARVEL COMICS (Earth 616)

A giantess of Jotunheim and a Witch.

Born to Elderspawn Vârcolac and Echidna.

She mated with Loki and gave birth to Fenrir and Jormungadr. Legends say she also gave birth to Hela, but it seems to be nothing more but legends. 

Angrboda died of unknown causes and was sent to the Underworld of Hel. 

When Thor needed to know how to get to Hela's realm because she had been taking mortals to Niffleheim, he went to the Hlidskjalf and summoned Angerboda from the underworld, forcing her to tell him how to get there. Once she revealed to Thor the path he had to follow, she tried to take him with her to the underworld.

Only has one appearance in the comics -- Thor #360 (1985)

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (MCU)

Does not appear or have a reference in the MCU

Sleipnir - Loki’s Son

NORSE MYTHOLOGY

Attested in the Poetic and Prose Edda. In both Sleipnir is Odin's eight-legged steed and child of Loki by Svaðilfari. He is described as the best of all horses.

The Prose Edda contains extra information saying he is grey. 

Old Norse meaning: Slippy or the Slipper. 

Sleipnir is also mentioned in a riddle found in the 13th century legendary saga Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks, in the 13th-century legendary saga Völsunga saga as the ancestor of the horse Grani, and book I of Gesta Danorum, written in the 12th century by Saxo Grammaticus, contains an episode considered by many scholars to involve Sleipnir. Sleipnir is generally accepted as depicted on two 8th century Gotlandic image stones: the Tjängvide image stone and the Ardre VIII image stone.

Scholarly theories have been proposed regarding Sleipnir's potential connection to shamanic practices among the Norse pagans.

Sleipnir was born when Loki shape-shifted into a mare and became pregnant by the stallion of a giant, as is recounted in the tale of The Fortification of Asgard.

MARVEL COMICS (Earth 616)

There are two different origins for Sleipnir in the comics: 1. Thor fighting off an army of the undead on Midgard. He promised to help as long as his horses weren’t eaten, however, Thor was betrayed and took his horses remains back to Asgard, coupling it with Asgardian Magic to create Sleipneir. 2. Loki had hastily agreed to let a Frost Giant re-build the wall around Asgard, in exchange for the Moon, the Sun, and Freya, only he had to do it in six months. The Frost Giant had only asked to use his grey stallion, Svadilfari. Right as the last brick was about to be placed, Loki transformed into a beautiful white mare, and lured Svadilfari off. Loki later gave birth to Sleipnir. (Just like in the Myths.) 

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (MCU)

Odin’s eight-legged steed. 

Sleipnir’s origins are unknown. He appears in the first Thor Movie. 

Fenrir Wolf - Loki & Angrboda’s Son

NORSE MYTHOLOGY

Attested in the Prose and Poetic Edda as the first son of the Jotun couple. He is a wolf destined to kill Odin. So, they bind and seal him when he's still young, with Tyr losing his arm in the process. When Ragnarok comes, he indeed kills Odin, but is killed by Odin's son Vidar in return.

Fenrir is the father of the wolves Sköll and Hati Hróðvitnisson. 

In the Prose Edda, additional information is given about Fenrir, including that, due to the gods' knowledge of prophecies foretelling great trouble from Fenrir and his rapid growth, the gods bound him, and as a result Fenrir bit off the right hand of the god Týr.

No chain can hold him, except for Gleipnir, a rope made by Dwarves containing the roots of a mountain, the breath of a fish, the sound of a cat's footfall, the sinews of a bear, the beard of a woman and the spittle of a bird, all of which were impossible items to obtain.

MARVEL COMICS (Earth 616)

Pretty much the same as his Mythos with some additional storylines. 

When Raganrok happened, Fenrir was reborn with the other gods on the New Asgard universe on Midgard. No details of his fate on Earth have been revealed.

Fenrir helped the mutant Wolfsbane as she was carrying the child of one of his descendants. 

It is one of the few individuals believed to be more powerful, or equally as powerful, as Dormammu; the others being galactic entities like The Beyonder.

Fenrir is Genderfluid in the comics. 

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (MCU)

Fenris is a giant Asgardian Wolf who serves under Hela and is portrayed as Female. She resurrects her as they take over Asgard. 

Instead of being her brother, Fenris is her loyal companion and mount. 

Fenris ends up getting into a fight against Hulk as he pushes her off, sending her falling into the void below to her supposed death. 

Appears in Thor: Ragnarok. 

Hel - Loki & Angrboda’s Daughter

NORSE MYTHOLOGY

Attested in the Prose and Poetic Edda. She is a giantess/goddess who resides over the Underworld that is also called Hel, a place where many of the dead reside. She is the daughter of Loki and Angrboda, sister to Fenrir and Jormungandr and usually depicted as the youngest of the three.

Goddess of Death and Graves and ruler of Hel who welcomes the souls of those who died of old age, disease or by accident.

Hel is described as having been appointed by the god Odin as ruler of a realm of the same name, located in Niflheim.

The Prose Edda details that Hel rules over vast mansions with many servants in her underworld realm and plays a key role in the attempted resurrection of the god Baldr.

Old Norse Name Meaning: Hidden

She’s mostly mentioned only in passing. Snorri describes her appearance as being half-black, half-white, and with a perpetually grim and fierce expression on her face.

MARVEL COMICS (Earth 616)

Renamed Hela in the comics.

Allegedly the daughter of Loki and Angrboda, but it’s never made clear or stated. Hela's genealogy is the subject of controversies and retellings. 

Her path pretty much follows her Mythos where she is destined to do terrible things and Odin makes her the ruler over the dead in the realms of Hel and Niflheim until maturity. 

At some point, she was considered the daughter of Odin and of a long-lost goddess.

Honestly, she usually tries to expand her powers, wanting to rule over Vahalla and obtain Asgardian souls. 

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (MCU):

Appears in Thor: Ragnarok as Odin’s firstborn and only daughter. Sister to Thor and Loki.

Kinda pissed her dad locked her away and wants to rule Asgard and take revenge.

The cause of Ragnarok and supposedly dies on Asgard after everything is said in done in the movie.

Jormungandr - Loki & Angrboda’s Son

NORSE MYTHOLOGY

Usually depicted as the middle child of Loki and Angrboda, he is known as the Midgard Serpent or World Serpent who is a giant snake. When Odin takes Loki’s kids away from him, he tosses Jormungadr into the ocean that encircles Midgard. The serpent grew so large that is was able to surround the Earth and grasp it’s own tail. When it releases it’s tail, Ragnarok will begin and he will fight his arch-enemy, Thor. 

The major sources for myths about Jörmungandr are the Prose Edda, the skaldic poem Húsdrápa, and the Eddic poems Hymiskviða and Völuspá. Other sources include the early skaldic poem Ragnarsdrápa and kennings in other skaldic poems; for example, in Þórsdrápa, faðir lögseims, "father of the sea-thread", is used as a kenning for Loki. There are also several image stones depicting the story of Thor fishing for Jörmungandr.

MARVEL COMICS (Earth 616)

Both Loki and Angerboda were descended from the Frost Giants of Jotunheim and were of humanoid appearance; however, the sons Angerboda bore Loki, Jormungand and the Fenris Wolf, did not. It has been suggested that Jormungand and the Fenris Wolf were born as sentient animals because their parents each had the magical ability to change his or her own shape. Hence, Jormungand and the Fenris Wolf each bear the form of the animal that their parents had assumed at the moment they were conceived.

Jormungandr follows the same as his Mythos to a certain degree with his fate to fight Thor during Ragnarok as the God of Thunder would die from his venom. 

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (MCU)

Does not appear or have a reference in the MCU

Sigyn - Loki’s Wife

NORSE MYTHOLOGY

Sadly, not many stories that have Sigyn in them have survived to this day. She is only attested in the followings works: Poetic Edda & Prose Edda. 

The most famous of her story tells of how Loki has been bound by the gods with the guts of his son, Nari, and how his son, Vari, has been turned into a wolf. The Goddess Skadi fastens a venomous snake over Loki’s face, from which venom drips. Sigyn, stated as Loki’s wife, stays by his side and holds a basin under and catches the venom so it won’t drip onto her husband, but when the basin grows full, she pulls it away to empty it, during which time venom drops onto Loki, causing him to wither so violently that earthquakes occur that shake the entire earth.

In the poem, Gylfaginning, Sigyn is introduced in Chapter 31 as being married to Loki and that they have a son by the name of “Narfi or Nari”. She is then mentioned again in Chapter 50 where events are described differently than in Lokasenna; Vali, described as a son of Loki only, is changed into a wolf by the gods and rips apart his brother, “Narfi or Nari.” The guts of Nari are then used to tie Loki to three stones, after which the guts turn to iron, and Skadi places a snake above Loki. Sigyn of course catches the venom in a bowl. This process is repeated until he breaks free, setting Ragnarok into motion.

In the poem, Skáldskaparmál, Sigyn is introduced as a goddess, an Æsir, where the gods are holding a feast for their visitors and in kennings for Loki: “husband of Sigyn” and “cargo [Loki] of incantation-fetter’s [Sigyn’s] arms.”

Old Norse Name meaning: Victory Girlfriend. 

MARVEL COMICS (Earth 616)

Lonely and looking for female companionship, Loki ends up coming across Sigyn and plans to make her his. However, she is already engaged to a warrior of Odin’s Crimson Hawks -- Theoric. Hence, Loki sets up a trap to have Theoric killed during a mission so Loki can disguise himself as Theoric. Once they are wed, Loki reveals himself and despite Odin attempting to annul the marriage (which goes against Asgardian Law)), Sigyn tells the Allfather that she will follow the duties of a loyal wife since she is Loki’s now. 

This is when Odin proclaims her to be the Goddess of Fidelity. This was a thing first started by the Marvel Comics.

Sigyn doesn’t have much of an agency in the comics except being a loyal wife to Loki, sometimes going along with his plans or getting on him for it. 

I personally haven’t been able to find any evidence of Sigyn’s parents being Iwaldi and Freya in the comics, so I’m not sure if this fact is Fanon or not. 

Sigyn has suddenly seemed to vanish from the comics with her last official appearance being in 1996. It has been allueded at that she died or was killed during Ragnarok. 

Her relationship with Loki in the comics is...complicated and changes a lot depending on the writer. 

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (MCU)

Does not appear or have a reference in the MCU

Narvi/Narfi & Vali - Loki & Sigyn’s Sons

NORSE MYTHOLOGY

Not much is known about Narfi and Vali except for being Loki & Sigyn’s sons with Vali being transformed into a wolf by the gods and killing his brother whose inners are used as a chain to bind Loki in the cave. 

Narfi and Vali are referred to in a number of sources. According to the Gylfaginning section of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, he was also called Nari and was killed by his brother Váli, who was transformed into a wolf; in a prose passage at the end of the Eddic poem "Lokasenna", Váli became a wolf and his brother Nari was killed.

Snorri also names "Nari or Narfi" as the son of Loki and his wife Sigyn earlier in Gylfaginning, and lists "father of Nari" as a heiti for Loki in the Skáldskaparmál section of his work.

Narfi’s name could mean “Corpse” in Old Norse, relating to how he was killed by his brother. 

There's no mention of what became of Vali after he became a wolf.

MARVEL COMICS (Earth 616)

Narvi never makes an appearance in the comics and is only mentioned in: Free Comics Book Day Vol 2018 Avengers. 

There is a Vali in the comics called Vali Halfling. He is the son of loki and a unnamed mortal woman. So, I don’t consider this to be the same Vali that is the son of Loki and Sigyn. 

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (MCU)

Does not appear or have a reference in the MCU

_________________________________________________

Thanks for reading everyone. This required a bunch of research, but I hope this helps and has been educational. We only have what we can work with considering the surviving myths, but there is so many stories out there that we don’t know of that aren’t clear because of it. 

I tried my best to cover everything I knew about them in Marvel too, but sometimes so many retcons is too much to keep up with. I know there may be some errors in places, but it’s the best I could get this with what we have to work with.

SOURCES:

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Laufey_(Earth-616)

https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Laufey

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laufey

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fárbauti

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Farbauti_(Earth-616)

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Angerboda_(Earth-616)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angrboða

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Hela_(Earth-616)

https://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/giants/hel/

https://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/giants/jormungand/

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Jormungand_(Earth-616)

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Sleipnir_(Earth-616)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleipnir

https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Sleipnir

https://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/giants/fenrir/

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Fenris_Wolf_(Earth-616)

https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Fenris

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigyn

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Sigyn_(Earth-616)

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Narvi_(Earth-616)

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Vali_Halfling_(Earth-616)

https://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/the-aesir-gods-and-goddesses/loki/

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Loki_Laufeyson_(Earth-616)

https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Loki

https://skjalden.com/narfi-and-vali/

https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Hela

[metanoiyed-archive]

The Ahistorical “Burning Times”, Or: Why White People Shouldn’t Be Trusted To Record History

*cracking knuckles* If you saw this post about this post, you know what this is about. If not, read them and come back. Without further ado: The Ahistorical “Burning Times”, Or: Why White People Shouldn’t Be Trusted To Record History.

“The important backdrop for this group is the time period that modern witches and pagans refer to as The Burning Times.”

So the first thing you’ll notice about posts or books that mentioned the ‘burning times’ is that they use very purposeful wording and diction. Notice how the OP says ‘that modern witches and pagans refer to as’ and not, “what historians refer to as”? That’s because historian’s don’t refer to it as the burning times, they refer to it as the ‘Witch Craze’ or ‘Witch Hysteria’, where many people in medieval Europe and America [14th-17th century, but 16th and 17th were the most popular years] were often falsely accused of witchcraft and hung - not burned - for the crime. During the Salem Witch Trials, especially, people like to say ‘we are the granddaughters of witches you couldn’t burn’ -- but no witches were even burned at the stake in Salem (1). Accusing someone of witchcraft was very, very often a political tool used by the Roman Catholic Church or others who operated under it to execute whomever they wished, but we’ll get to that in a second.

“Europe and America were thrust into a moral panic and hysteria over alleged satanic witches. Most of those accused were midwives, healers, poor women, women suffering from mental health issues, and women who were practicing preChristian traditions.” So... Yes to: hysteria, healers and women suffering from mental health issues and practicing pre-Christian traditions. No to pretty much everything else. Men who were healers or suffering mental health issues were also accused, but that’s because anyone could call witchcraft like a boy crying wolf and it was believed. In my ‘A Deed Without A Name’ notes, I go over how in some cases it appears that a certain aspect of people who are in some way different can indicate they’re touched, but often in the past I’m inclined to think in most cases it was simply used to execute people. Also, they killed people practicing pre-Christian traditions because they were racist Europeans and colonialists, and most of the time those pre-Christian traditions were by POC. 14th Century-17th Century is by no means pre-Christian, by that point a lot of folk belief in Europe had been touched by Christian belief, not so much that it entirely changed it, but enough. ‘Alleged’ Satanic witches? Are we just purposefully looking away from Isobel Gowdie’s confession before she was executed? Confessions of people [of those who confessed and were actually witches] who made deals with the Devil/Man in Black/Witchfather in some form are overwhelmingly common. (2).

“Many witches fear a return to the Burning Times, when any old woman was burned at the stake for merely existing below the poverty level.” I really have nothing groundbreaking to say about this one, just that I hate the OP for making me look at it and I hope they stub their toe. ‘fear a return to the burning times’ my ass.

“The total number of those murdered under the guise of witch accusations varies widely by source. Many historians have argued that the number is anywhere between 40,000 and 60,000. Other sources, however, have claimed the number is closer to 100,000 with potentially hundreds of thousands more unaccounted for. It has even been suggested that there were 392,000 in Great Britain alone. The highest number, and number that has become part of popular legend, is approximately 9 million (with the fullness of the Crusades and Spanish Inquisition included). It will never be certain how many women, men, and children were killed, and truthfully the numbers game is irrelevant in the face of trauma. Any genocide, no matter how big or small, is a moral stain on our history.”

Other sources? What sources. You don’t name any of yours, I noticed. ‘Any genocide ... a moral stain on our history’ yet I am sure you turn a blind eye to the plight of those right in front of you, while my people suffer a real continued genocide, you make a fantasy crime. Statista did a chart on how many people were tried and executed between 1300 and 1850, and the number is even lower than you think. (3). 

“The Burning Times were a systematic rooting out of female power and autonomy, and non-christian practices. The midwives and healers posed a threat to the structures and systems of politics and medicine... both groups challenging the patriarchy.” This sounds... so fishy. Doesn’t this sound like a weird radical-feminist argument? I’m not implying anything about OP, but the way this whole paragraph reads while trying to include ‘men, women and children’ and then focusing on how this was a whole attack on the women against the patriarchy just... grosses me out, a lot. Because it was never about that, has never been about that, and will never be about that. I also just don’t trust people who refer to women as ‘females’ but that’s just me.

“Most of the following women were (wrongfully) believed to have had sexual intercourse with Satan, signing their names into his black book with their blood.” Again, are we just ignoring Isobel Gowdie’s straight up confession? Or any of the other confessions from Scotland, England, and surrounding areas? This stupid purity culture of wanting to be seen as better to outsiders is so annoying. “I’m not like that trope of witches you’ve seen, we don’t actually have sex with the Devil or sign his black book with blood!” Just because some of us aren’t worried to get our hands dirty and you are doesn’t mean that other witches don’t do that. “wrongfully” where the fuck are you getting your information? Many confessions that they did get included detailed accounts of joining the Man in Black for sabbats, having sex with him, and signing his black book. Not everyone continues the practice today, but some definitely do, they definitely did, and it definitely wasn’t “wrongfully believed”. They were powerful women in their own right. If anything OP, by trying to separate themselves from the legacy of these women, has disgraced them in that way. It takes courage and strength to work with infernal forces from the otherside like that, and here this asshole is just shittin’ on their name pretending they never risked their lives doing it. A source on this from Isobel Gowdie, “As I was going betuix the townes of Drumdewin and the Headis, I met with the Devil, and ther covenanted, in a maner, with him.” and from ‘A Deed Without A Name’ by Lee Morgan, “As we can see when we look over the testimonies of witches from earlier times not everyone is initially approached by an animal spirit. Isobel Gowdie seems to have initially been approached by ‘the Devil’, Bessie Dunlop by a faerie man who claims to have once lived as a human man, others were taken by faeries or by the spirit of another living human practitioner.” (4)

And obviously there are various other sources, these are not the only ones. I’m just too tired to go through my library, cite them all, attach them all - y’all gotta do your own work for once. Read actual history, please. Learn discernment. I don’t even have the energy to go through the list of people the OP put as ‘in memoriam’ because I have no idea if those are historical reasons, either, but honestly I don’t even wanna know. Anyway, it’s bullshit and ahistorical, thanks for coming to my tedtalk. If you push this narrative you owe Black, Native, Jewish people and anyone else otherwise affected by the witch-craze repatriations immediately, I don’t make the rules except I do and those are the rules.

Citations:

Andrews, Evan. “Were Witches Burned at the Stake during the Salem Witch Trials?” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 13 Aug. 2014, www.history.com/news/were-witches-burned-at-the-stake-during-the-salem-witch-trials.

Wilby, E. (2013). The visions of Isobel Gowdie: Magic, witchcraft and dark shamanism in seventeenth-century Scotland. Brighton: Sussex Academic Press.

McCarthy, Niall, and Felix Richter. “Infographic: The Death Toll Of Europe's Witch Trials.” Statista Infographics, 29 Oct. 2019, www.statista.com/chart/19801/people-tried-and-executed-in-witch-trials-in-europe/

Morgan, Lee. A Deed without a Name: Unearthing the Legacy of Traditional Witchcraft. Moon Books, 2013. 

[whiterosebrian]

Quick and Basic Explainer on Occultism, Neopaganism, and New Age

Many of my followers—along with many other people who happen across my page—might not understand what I’ve been talking about whenever I write about neopaganism, occultism, and even the apparent New Age umbrella. For their benefit, I have typed and posted an explainer. It’s just as well—I’m personally utterly convinced that more people need more mystic influences in their lives.

Neopaganism simply refers to revivals of pre-Christian European religions. There is Nordic neopaganism, Celtic neopaganism, Hellenic or Italic neopaganism, Slavic neopaganism, and even Kemetic neopaganism. The main reason why neo-pagan paths are considered open practices is that they faded into such obscurity that they were considered dead, even if traces could be found in later writings, oral traditions, and archeological finds. The reason why there’s some tension between those who try to reconstruct the old practices and those who simply find inspiration in them is that there’s only so much that is still left behind by these pre-Christian communities. You may have heard of Wicca, which has sometimes been purported to be a primal religion—though in fact Gerald Gardner cobbled it together in the 1950s based on his pet theory of a pan-European witch-cult, and he has come under more scrutiny lately. Many witches and neopagans endeavor to clarify that they aren’t Wiccan, however much Gardner’s work may have influenced their crafts and practices.

Occultism is, surprisingly enough, a somewhat broad topic. The term doesn’t have to carry the sensational connotation that Christian preachers and pulp fictions often give. It simply refers to something like hidden knowledge. Throughout history there are a number of people who have sought hidden knowledge and hidden power—yes, some sought them for personal gain, but others were motivated by an earnest desire to bond with the divine and the universe and to serve the entire web of life. I trust that I am among the latter. Whether I can be sure of that is a totally fair question to ask—double-checking my own motives and thinking is important to remaining humble and sane. I’ve been beaten down by a superficially privileged but evidently stagnant life and I’ve long pondered whatever is beyond simply avoiding a premature death.

The New Age movement is a loose amalgamation of ideas that grew in the 1970s in hopes of a united, mystical earth in the astrological Age of Aquarius, hence the name. It might be partially attributed to the more esoteric aspects of the 1960s hippie counterculture as well as pre-existing modern occultism. It may seem silly and childish at first blush, but the desire for genuine spirituality is most certainly there. I still frequently shop at a place called “New Age People”, mostly for lightly sweetened caffeinated drinks, to support a local business; my first serious looks into alternative spiritualities also stemmed from shopping trips to that store. Anyone who wants to begin anew with alternative spirituality might start with a local New Age shop—but that would only be a starting point and occasional resource.

The New Age movement can be credited for bringing alternative spiritualities more into the mainstream. Nonetheless, it also faced justified criticism for unintentional colonialism—that is, grabbing aspects from various religions and traditions, including those of highly marginalized communities, and repackaging them for middle- and upper-class white people. The term “plastic shamanism” is sometimes thrown at those who appropriate indigenous spiritualties. The sentiment that people are fundamentally united is laudable, but I’ve become convinced that throwing things together in a blender is not the right way to go. I myself could have fallen into the trap of randomly throwing spiritual traditions together in that manner. I was starting to lean towards Kabbalah, as I wanted a genuine path towards the one source of all creation after an acute crisis of faith, but some Jewish practitioners whom I’ve spoken with convinced me to leave it alone. I became convinced to simply lean more into my own heritage by going into neopaganism.

Theories and opinions within occult and neopagan cultures can be startlingly widely varied—and some might be less well-grounded than others. One reason for putting together a grimoire as a magician is that I’ve been looking to many different books and webpages in order to synthesize something thoughtful, coherent, and workable. I’m still at the beginning of learning my craft, which is all the more reason to learn from other practitioners.

I’m certainly aware that occultism can be turned towards toxic ends. The Nazis of the twentieth century showed some interest in the occult and had some influence from it, even if that has apparently been exaggerated by pulp fictions. An article on the website Medium, entitled “Nazi Hippies”, discusses that—as well as how some New-Agers are drawn into deadly conspiracy theories such as Q-Anon. On a roughly related side note, a purported Christian mystic in Tsarist Russia was among the first people to publicize the infamous Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Today’s right-wingers might sometimes use “Satanic elites” or “global elites” as codes for “Jews”, reinforcing why any demonizing reference to elites is a cause for concern, no matter what one speaker or another has in mind. Serious occultists and neopagans have a grave responsibility to stand against conspiracism and neofascism. I’m very pleased to see some of that pushback on the social media sites that I frequent.

There are plenty others who give earnest spiritualism a bad name and make it look absolutely unhinged. The YouTube channel called Spirit Science has been called out especially for one pseudo-historical video about human origins. That video has been described as a crack-addled Dungeons and Dragons campaign at best and deceitful reactionary fascist propaganda at worst. I’m pleased to see occult and pagan practitioners who actually look to quality scholarship and history to inform their practices. I wish to be historically rooted in my practice myself for reasons such as what I’ve mentioned here.

I could potentially say more. However, I don’t want to waste your time, and I don’t even know what to fit into a journal entry that I wrote during a Friday afternoon. This is a simply a quick and basic explainer for the benefit of those who aren’t familiar with occultism or neopaganism. Did I help you better understand what I’ve increasingly mentioned throughout my postings to the web?

[occasionally-writing]

Chilly Weather Pains

A/N: I’ve been mulling over this idea for a bit but I finally picked up the motivation to write. I’m sorry if it’s not too good since this is the first time I am writing for these two and for the fact I haven’t written anything since Dad passed away. But I wanted to try and since the drama ended yesterday, I couldn’t help but write for them. I will be writing more for them in the future if anyone wants to send in prompts for these two <3 So yeah...thanks for reading it guys :)

Summary: When Tian experiences pains coming from the scar on his chest, he chalks it up to the cold morning and gets on with his day. As the ache becomes too much for him to ignore, Tian goes back to the cabin where Phupha is waiting for him, having the solution to his problem. 

Word Count: 2536

Scrunching his eyes as the sun peeked through the open windows of the  soldiers’ cabin, Tian grumbled something illegible and rubbed his sleep crusted eyes, wincing when the sun beams temporarily blinded him before he sat up. Letting out a long yawn, Tian glanced to the side of the bed that Phupha usually occupied and frowned, seeing that his boyfriend was no longer there, the side of his bed cool to the touch which told Tian that he hasn’t been in bed for a good while now. Stretching out and groaning when his body cracked, Tian ruffled his hair and moved to stand up, the cold wood beneath his feet shocking him slightly as he stumbled. Becoming aware of the chill around him, Tian shivered and rubbed at his arms, a dull ache echoing from his chest. 

“Oh, Tian! You’re finally awake, huh?” Hearing a sudden voice, Tian jumped and spun around, letting out a sigh when he realized it was only Yod, the man smirking at the look of surprise that was surely on Tian’s face. Feeling his smirk leave him, however, when he noticed Tian rubbed at his chest softly, Yod stepped further into the room and patted him on the shoulder, his worry written plain on his face. “Is your chest hurting you? If so, why don’t you check up with Dr. Nam? I’m sure he won’t mind!”

“No, no. It’s okay P’Yod. It’s just a little achy, probably because of the chill in the air. I’ll be okay, I promise,” Tian chuckled, giving his friend a grin to show that it wasn’t that serious. Letting out a hum and nodding, since he knew that Tian would only deny seeing the doctor more if he pushed, Yod squeezed his shoulder and gave a salute as he walked out, letting Tian know that he was heading to help Rang out with doing the morning patrol. Waving him off, Tian waited for the curtain to the cabin to stop moving before his hand found his chest again, his thumb tracing lightly at the scar underneath the fabric of Phu’s borrowed shirt. “Maybe he’s right...I’ll give it some time though. It’s time for a shower anyways.”

Gathering his clothes for the day, Tian chose something simple and tossed a towel over his shoulder, fetching some of the supplies that he knew Phu kept in the bedside table. Stepping outside, Tian blew out a breath as the chill in his bones grew deeper, the shivers racketing his frame, his steps moving quicker so he could get the shower done faster and change in the warmth that was his clothes. Removing his pajamas, Tian dumped water over himself and quickly lathered the soap, washing his entire body before he moved to his hair, soaking it with another bucket of water and rubbing some shampoo into it, rinsing it quickly once he was sure he got ever part of his hair soaped up. 

“Good god it’s cold...I think it’s all out now, towel...towel...towel…” Tian mumbled to himself, reaching for the towel and wrapping it around his waist, stepping out of the manmade shower and grabbing his clothes. Jogging into the cabin once more, Tian tossed his pajamas in the basket and slipped on his new clothes, using the towel to ruffle dry his hair. Checking his appearance out in the mirror, Tian smiled when he felt satisfied and slipped on his boots, tying them firmly. Grabbing the army jacket that he knew belonged to the Chief, Tian slipped it on before he threw his messenger bag over his shoulder and tightened the strap. Brushing off the jacket, Tian made sure he had everything and stepped out, squinting at the sun as it seemed like it wasn’t doing a thing to warm the area around him. “Time to make the walk to the village...I don’t think anyone would be at the school but it wouldn’t hurt to make new lesson plans while I’m there.”

Trying not to notice the dull ache becoming more like a sharp pain, Tian let his eyes survey around him, taking in the chirping birds and squirrels of the forest. Hearing the sound of chatter, Tian knew he was close to the village and the sight that greeted him made a smile rise on his lips. It was that time again where the Shaman visited and gave his blessing to the villagers. Nodding to some of the villagers that noticed him, Tian smiled at everyone who met his gaze, giving the Shaman a polite wai as he continued his trek towards the school. Not seeing his boyfriend throughout the walk in the village, Tian tried not to let it show that he was looking for him before he stepped up the stairs of the school and entered the building. 

“I wonder where Chief is...and doesn’t he usually do the morning patrols? Why was P’Yod and P’Rang doing them?” Tian questioned to himself as he placed his bag on the desk and sat in the seat, pulling out his notebooks so he could write down potential lesson plans. Tapping his pencil against the paper as he went through the plans he had written out, Tian glanced up at the clock Phupha had put up on the wall and blinked. Was he really sitting there for two hours? Biting his lip, Tian tapped his pencil against the desk for a moment, deciding to finish up. Closing his books and packing them back in his bag, Tian stood up and threw the bag over his shoulder, stepping out of the school and taking in a deep breath. “It’s been two hours...no wonder Chief checks on me so much. Speaking of Chief...where is he?”

“Looking for Phu?” Smiling when Tian noticed Doctor Nam walking up to him, he gave the Doc a wai and glanced around him, not caring anymore if it was obvious that he was looking for Phupha. Snickering as he noticed Tian’s eyes searching what he could see in the village, Nam patted his shoulder which gained the other’s attention, the look of confusion plain and clear on Tian’s face. “Phu was with me but I think he’s back at the cabin now! Oh and before I forget, Yod told me you were experiencing some aches from the scar, I gave Phu some stuff to help with it. Keep the tube because the weather does change a lot here and the mornings can be chilly.”

“O-oh! Okay, thanks P’Nam! I think I’ll head back to the cabin once I’m done with what I have to do here. I was thinking of stopping by Khama’s house and saying hi to Longtae,” Tian thought out loud, making Nam snort since Phupha did the same thing and now that him and Tian lived together, Tian seemed like he was adopting some of the Chief’s mannerisms. Giving Tian a pat on the shoulder, Nam grinned and set off for his office, Tian waving him off and practically hopping off the steps of the school, making his way on the well known path towards Longtae’s home. Hearing the sound of roosters crowing, Tian grinned and quickened his steps, stopping in front of the cozy little hut to see Khama feeding the chickens and Longtae sitting on the porch. “Good morning Khama, hi Longtae!” 

“Oh! Good morning Tian! Not with the Chief today, I see?” Khama announced loudly, scaring some of the chickens which caused Longtae and Tian to chuckle. Sitting beside Longtae, Tian shook his head and explained how he was at the school and was coming up with new lesson plans to teach the children once Monday came. Smiling fondly at how excited Tian seemed when he was talking about teaching the village children, Khama nodded and finished up the task with feeding the chickens, leaving Longtae and Tian to talk. Not quite knowing how long he was with Longtae, Tian announced his leaving, which caught Khama’s attention. “Why don’t you and Phupha come have dinner with us again sometime? It feels like it’s been years since our last meal together.”

Chuckling at this, Tian promised to bring it up to Phupha and strolled off, giving one last wave to Longtae before he began his trek back towards the village, knowing that the Chief was most likely waiting for him. Greeting some more villagers as he made his way through the village, Tian followed the path that took him to the soldier’s cabin, the torches helping with lighting the way since the evening sun was beginning to set and the stars began to twinkle in the sky. Finally making it to the cabin, Tian rubbed at his aching chest and stepped up the stairs. Rolling his eyes with a grin at the commotion that was echoing from the dining area, Tian made his way inside and bit back a yelp when he came face to face with a stern looking Phupha. 

“Chief! Damn, you scared me!” Tian gasped out, placing his hand on his heart as Phu softened and reached out, taking Tian’s bag and placing it on the hook where it's usually kept. Staying in his spot, Tian only moved when Phu gestured him over towards the bed, sitting his boyfriend on it as he pulled out the tube that Nam had mentioned to Tian earlier. “I’m sorry I took so long to come back, Chief. Uh...is that the ointment that P’Nam told me about?”

“Yeah, Yod told us that you seemed uncomfortable when he greeted you this morning. Why didn’t you go to Nam’s if you were experiencing some pain?” Phu gently reprimanded, arching his brow in a warning when Tian opened his mouth like he was going to argue. Deciding against it, since he knew that Phupha was probably right, Tian shut his mouth and muttered a soft apology, playing with a loose thread on his jeans. Letting out a sigh, Phu shook his head and sat next to his boyfriend, lacing their fingers together. “Don’t worry about it now. Just let me help, okay? Take your shirt off so I can apply the ointment.”

Flushing slightly, Tian huffed as he obviously wanted to argue but he knew it would get him nowhere since Phupha was just as stubborn as him, maybe even more so. Glancing around to make sure the shutters to the windows were closed, Tian sighed and did what Phu wanted him to, shrugging off his shirt and placing it beside him as the chill of the air caused goosebumps to rise on his skin. Letting his eyes take in the thick scar on Tian’s chest, Phu hummed softly when he noticed how red the skin around it was, just knowing it was because of the weather around them. Popping open the cap to the ointment, Phupha put a good enough amount on his fingers before he met Tian’s eyes once more, motioning that he was about to touch him.

“It might be cold, so I’ll apologize in advance,” Phu warned, wrapping his arm around Tian’s shoulder before his medicine coated fingers touching the raised scar.  Jumping from shock as the cold cream touched him, Tian cursed and squeezed the sheets beneath his fingers, shivering until the ointment began to warm. Being gentle as he can, Phu carefully spread the medicine around the scar and on top of it, keeping his eyes on what he was doing. Observing his boyfriend, Tian couldn’t help the smile that appeared on his face, secretly loving how caring Phu truly was when it had something to do with him. “Okay, I think I got it spread out pretty well...did it help a little?”

Taking in a deep breath and noticing the way the pain dulled to something Tian could ignore again, he nodded, and moved to put his shirt back on while Phupha capped the ointment and left to wash his hands. Cracking up softly when he heard the cheers and whistles when Phupha had stepped outside, Tian let himself drop on the bed, his eyes examining the ceiling while he listened to the demands the Chief gave the others, Tian’s eyes rolling affectionately as the playful mocking continued. Noticing when his boyfriend came back into the room with a sigh, Tian snickered some more, which made Phu grumble and kick off his boots, making his way to the bed and easily launching himself over Tian to the free space that he had claimed before. 

“You’re lucky I love you, or else you would’ve got a punishment for laughing at me,” Phu grunted out, making himself comfortable before he pulled Tian close, letting his boyfriend use one of his arms as a pillow. Snuggling more into Phu’s embrace, Tian stuck his tongue out at Phu, who scoffed and reached out, digging his fingers into Tian’s side, making his boyfriend squirm and snort out laughter, his apologies high pitched due to his giggles. Pulling Tian closer when he was done teasing him, Phu pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, smiling at the adorable leftover giggles that left Tian’s mouth. “What were you doing throughout the day? Rang said that you weren’t here for most of it.”

“Well...I went to the school for a few hours and thought out some new lesson plans for the kids. After that, I talked to P’Nam for a bit and then I went to Khama’s house and hung out with Longtae for a bit...which reminds me. Khama would like us to have dinner with them some time,” Tian rambled as he talked about his day, reminding Phu about the future dinner plans they had to make with the village chief. Nodding softly as he listened to Tian talk, Phu kept the small smile on his face until Tian noticed it and gave him one of his own bright smiles. “If I’m being honest, Chief. I missed you throughout the day. When I woke up and saw you were beside me, it was weird.”

Snorting softly at the pout that was on Tian’s face, Phu ruffled his hair which got a whine from his boyfriend before they were suddenly face to face, their eyes observing each other until Phu let his eyes drift down to Tian’s lips. Doing the same, Tian swallowed the growing lump in his throat and it wasn’t long until Phupha leaned down and pressed their lips together, the kiss soft and displaying everything they were feeling for each other in that moment. Pulling away, Tian let his eyes flutter open as Phu kept their foreheads pressed together, their eyes meeting as similar smiles rose on their lips. Moving so that he was pressed firmly against the warmth of Phu’s body, Tian let out a contented sigh and closed his eyes, letting the soft caress of Phu’s hand on his chest put him to ease, the soldier’s fingers gently tracing the sensitive skin of his scar over his shirt. Nuzzling his nose into Tian’s hair, Phupha let out a sigh of his own and relaxed for the first time that day, not minding the way Tian dozed off, his eyes never leaving the adorable sight of his boyfriend resting peacefully.

[yourwitchmama]

The History and True Nature of Witchcraft

This post might piss a lot of people off, but I can’t help but give you an accurate picture of what witchcraft actually is after seeing falsities time and time again... I am kind of nervous to share this, but here is the history of witchcraft:Shamanism.That’s where it started.Without shamanism, there is no witchcraft. The idea of white British witchcraft as many think of it today (Wicca) is a remnant of Celtic spiritual traditions.  But the whole Harry Potter “wave a wand and make potions” kind of magic is bordering on fantasy.It’s rooted in shamanic principles which involve animism, (the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence.Potentially, animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, human handiwork and perhaps even words—as animated and alive.)spirit working, and an extremely Buddhist concept of “we are all connected and everything is alive, there is no distinction between us and the rest of the universe.” Buddhism and shamanic thought are identical. The only difference is the shamanic concept of spirit working. In traditional cultures a “bad shaman”(someone who used spirit working/magic for selfish and harmful reasons, like cursing people)Was killed or banished because of what was to be thought of pious and impious at the time. The idea of an evil, cursing witch didn’t start with the witch hunts in Europe.“Bad witches” have ALWAYS been thrown out of society because they prove to be irresponsible, disrespectful and dangerous.The idea of a badass aesthetic witch who curses her ex-boyfriend and sacrifices cats to Baphomet is actually a Christian one.It’s witch hunt-era Catholic propaganda.So when people ascribe to that image,they’re ascribing to something that only existed in witch hunter’s pornographic fantasies.It’s not real. The whole “satanic witch” thing is a Christian invention.I get so sick of those kinds of witches because what they’re practicing is a dualistic, Christian-created pseudo-witchcraft that was never actually practiced.People don’t want witchcraft to be shamanism,and they don’t want to have that squishy Buddhist “we are all connected” mentality because it’s not dark and edgy enough, but that’s what real witchcraft is.In fact, the whole idea of “witchcraft” is a misogynistic one. It’s used to describe a woman who isn’t docile or subservient to men.If you’re an independent woman with solitary spiritual beliefs and a LOT of knowledge (about nature, spirits, medicine, women’s bodies, etc) you’re branded as “bad” and “ungodly” That’s where the term “witch” came from. It was actually first used by the Inquisition.The whole idea that intelligent, knowledgeable, autonomous women are bad and scary “witches” is a misogynistic ideology.Witches DO include things like darkness and death and decay and disease in their practice, but it’s with the knowledge that everything is connected, sacred, and has its place. The problem is, with dualistic Catholic doctrine evolving into modern western culture, we’ve fetishized death. Death is now something scary, morbid, and edgy. Same with darkness, nighttime, etc. those are all remnants of Inquisition-era witch hunters. Because those things are associated with women. So likeDeath and darkness and all that ARE witchy things. But in a much nicer, sacred way. Not in an “oooh skulls are so scary uwu I’m gonna drink blood and be a demon lol” kind of way. Do you know how Buddhists and Hindus do things like meditate in graveyards to contemplate impermanence?It’s like that. But no one wants it to be like that because that’s not nearly as thrilling and edgy and morbid. Like, most people want witchcraft to be the Catholic version of witchcraft when in reality it is MUCH more similar to Buddhism.Witchcraft is practiced all over the world too,EVERY culture has their version of a witch/shaman, and so there are lots of different cultural variants with nearly identical philosophies. If you visited a Mongolian wise woman, you wouldn’t be like “ooh she curses her ex-husband and celebrates Samhain by partying in graveyards”Like, no, bitch. The Mongolian wise woman is NOT like that. Why?Because that image is a Catholic one. It’s propaganda. The same would be true if you visited an African Orisha priestess,a South American curandera (I can't spell it omg), a Siberian shaman, or a voodoo priestess. There’s a book called “Grandmothers Counsel the World” and it’s a book about like 13 different wise women and shamans from all over the world who come together because all of their cultures had the same prophecy about world peace.You can see how each of these grandmothers are shamans.And even though they come from all over the world, their beliefs are almost identical.The West has a really skewed view of witchcraft because we WANT it to be fetishized into something edgy and sexy and cool, when in reality that’s all a fantasy made up by the Inquisition. You can still wear black and like dark and edgy things, but when you forget what witchcraft IS and you forget the roots or the spiritual component, you’re not really practicing something real. That’s why when people ask me how to get started with witchcraft, I recommend books on shamanism and cultural differences in witchcraft all over the world. It’s important to know WHY witchcraft works and HOW to do it before you jump in and think that your sage is gonna protect you but you don’t know why or how to treat the sage with respect Like, ok, I swear I’m almost done ranting,But the entire premise of witchcraft is that you’re someone with a lot of knowledge. In most cultures, their word for “witch” translates to “one who knows” or “one with knowledge”. At its core, witchcraft is about being well-informed and knowledgeable—about the wisdom of nature, medicines, science, and spirits. Armed with knowledge, an independent woman is scary to a lot of people. She’s opinionated and can make good, educated decisions. The problem is, when modern witches do things like worship “the Goddess” or smudge with sage and stuff, a lot of them don’t say why. Who is the goddess? Why are you worshipping her? Who is she to you? If you just decide to worship a goddess without knowledge of spirits, you’re just blindly following a religion without questioning it. That’s the opposite of witchcraft. Witchcraft encourages direct revelation, meaning you learn from personal experience. If you don’t listen to your intuition or allow yourself to challenge your perceptions, willing to grow and change as new information comes along, you’re just following a pattern of confirmation bias.Witchcraft is scary because there is no cushy, comfortable assurance that you’re 100% correct about everything. You’re constantly being challenged, broken apart, and changed so that you can grow. It’s no coincidence that all the shamanic gods and spirits are also spirits of death, change, and transformation. When you think about it, the universe is in constant flux. Nothing is static. Everything is always changing. If witchcraft is about attuning yourself to nature, then you’re destroying the idea of permanence and attuning to the constant changes of the universe. That’s a potentially scary path. But it’s the most liberating and potentially enlightening. THAT’S what witchcraft is. Its recognizing that the universe isn’t predictable or always safe, and learning to attune yourself to that with the trust that it’s going to benefit you rather than hurt you. You have to be willing to change whenever change is necessary, to grow into a new person when it’s time. People who identify as witches should not incorporate their personal fashion and art into their actual witchcraft. It is okay to create an aesthetically pleasing altar/blog/bedroom but the whole wearing a witch hat and actually believing that what you are doing is actually witchcraft is not real. Again, what they’re practicing is a dualistic, Christian-created pseudo-witchcraft that was never actually practiced. You can separate your artistic expressive self and your witchcraft. It is not only embarrassing to the witches who want to be a part of this culture because it is plain wrong, but it is also enforcing the Catholic Church's propaganda.Again, I am not saying fashion and aesthetic is bad. I am saying SOME witches think that the creepy edgy thing is real witchcraft, and they spread a false message to baby witches who need to be guided by a witch who knows their stuff. I am not sure what kind of energies that would bring into your craft. 

[lihikainanea]

Vibe of the Week 09/08

First of all, step aside Bill, because you’re not the most important Leo in my life.

A big, huge, resounding happy birthday to the King of my family--my old man. He’s the greatest dude I know. He can fix seriously anything, he has guided me my whole life, he’s a phenomenal story teller and he’s just....he’s the best guy I know. I have high standards in men because my dad has loved my mom so intensely for their entire marriage (44 years and counting), and he still does. He buys her flowers. He writes her songs. They have date nights every week.

August, and particularly the first 10 days in August, are so weird for me. I have so much history and it’s all in sequence--a past love, his birthday was August 7. Bill’s is the 9th. Pop’s is the 10th. There’s more but it’s just...man, that Leo energy. It exhausts me.

Last week we talked a bit about embracing the change that’s coming, starting to reap the harvest for our efforts. The universe gave us a bit of a break.

This week’s Oracle deck is the Shaman Wisdom Cards, and the Tarot is the Llewellyn Wizards Tarot deck (which like, look, I love these cards--but I cannot even express how much I HATE the design on the back. It is so fucking obnoxious. Why would you design something that bright for these cards? Ugh I hate it.)

The Oracle card this week is Agate:

The affirmation: Adapt to the situation and communicate your intentions

Words to meditate on: Courage, brave, recognition, abundance, growth, balance

This is quite a lovely card. It’s the striking of the match--something is being lit up here, and you’re about to be stimulated in a million different ways--love, relationships, creativity. Something here is lighting your interest, and there’s a lovely sense of rejuvenation. The cards are not kicking our ass anymore this week (thank you, cards). This card speaks of collaboration, of group work, of fulfillment, a sense of community. Deeper than that, a loss of individual self (the good kind), where the “I” becomes the “we” and we’re all stronger for it. Fortifying your group, man. WHERE MY BITCHES AT.

For the Tarot this week, I did a Celtic cross spread just for something different. Also, I am so determined to master a riffle shuffle which I cannot do to save my life. I’m awful at it.

Anyway:

1)  Page of Wands

2)  Seven of Pentacles

3) Ten of Wands

4) King of Pentacles

5) King of Swords

6) King of Cups

7) Six of Cups

8) Queen of Cups

9) Eight of Cups

10) Eight of Wands

Overarching theme: The Empress (Major Arcana)

Okay so look, a few things here. First of all, as far as spreads go, you can’t get more meh than this.

Second of all, I get bummed when I don’t see a Major in a spread but I had forgotten to pull the overarching theme card and when I did, MY GIRL THE EMPRESS answering my call.

Interesting that last week, we also had a Major Arcana as the overarching theme (The Hanged Man). You know what other Major appeared last week?

My girl’s boo, the Emperor.

Now, third and final point before we dive in: Christ on a cracker, WOULD YOU LOOK AT THIS OVERABUNDANCE OF MASCULINE ENERGY? My god, Leo season is just...it’s just so...Leo. My dudes, tuck it back in. Stop trying to pee on everything and stake your claim to it. It’s gonna be okay, guys. No need to be all alpha male about everything.

Alright here we go, buckle the fuck up because....ugh, Leo.

First impressions: All of the Suits represented in near perfect balance, which could mean harmony or like...a fucking battle. We’ll see.

The Empress - overarching theme

My badass bish. Abundance. Nourishment, but of the soul kind. A burst of creativity and passion, a rejuvenation in life.

1)  Page of Wands - the situation right now

A willingness to learn. Something is exciting you here, some new prospect that has you wanting to absorb everything you can and act on it, but a bit of ego and lack of confidence might be holding you back. You’re stuck on yourself, not letting yourself move forward.

2)  Seven of Pentacles-- the conflict

Getting in your own way is alright sometimes, because you’re evaluating. You’re laying out all your options, reflecting on it. What strikes me here is you’re weighing value in some capacity--like, is it worth it to pursue this? Because whatever it is, it seems to come at a high enough cost (actual, or figurative) to have you taking a step back. And this is actually quite remarkable, because in Leo season we’re all just fucking roaring and ready to jump head first into anything--but not this. Not here and not now. There’s such careful deliberation, and that’s okay.

3)  Ten of Wands - the atmosphere around the situation

Burdens, obligations, responsibilities. Just because we want something very badly doesn’t mean it’s going to work out for us--previous obligations and responsibilities, our role in our lives and the lives of others--these are very real things which make our wants and dreams not a possibility in our immediate future. Sometimes the timing is just bad.

It also...it also looks a bit like you’ve been burned here before. You know this tale. It ended differently for you last time. You wanted something, were passionate about something, went after it with everything you had (like you’re supposed to) and man did you fall on your face. Hard enough that it stayed with you, that feeling stayed with you.

4)  King of Pentacles - the base of the matter, what is really behind the drive

balanced, practical, cautious, generous. My boo, you want stability. You are chasing something so hard because it will bring you stability, reassurance, in a way that you need and in a way that you haven’t felt in a long time.

5) King of Swords - past influences

Oh bubs, somebody done you wrong. You thought you had what you needed before--and god again I’m a little taken aback at how masculine this reading is, boys are so dumb--somebody tricked you. Somebody knew what you needed, what you craved--authority, stability, communication, logic. A manipulator roped you in knowing that you needed all those things, and they provided them to you--for a short while, and on a superficial level. But you were so desperate for what you needed, that you took it.

And it burned you. So now, you’re focusing this fight internally--you are out here like a Queen, trying to be this force for you. YAAAAAAS.

6) King of Cups - forthcoming influences

You’re getting there, boo. Whether or not this is someone who Is going to enter your life, or if this is just you coming into your own....I’m not sure. The cards ain’t telling me. But it is showing me that the forthcoming influence is BALANCE, and channeling that masculine energy. The energy of being assertive but not rude, the energy of balancing emotional needs with rational thought, just...balance balance balance. Evenness. Kindness.

Finding ways to give your heart what it needs, while also leaving space for responsibility, rational thought, and growth boo. GROWTH.

And like, I am most definitely not one of those people like “love is coming to you” but like....babe it kinda looks like it is?

It doesn’t have to be a dude if you don’t bat for that team. It could be somebody who embodies all of the best characteristics and traits that we deem masculine.

7) Six of Cups-- in the “bitch where the fuck am I” position

You’re back refocused on the little things that matter. If we’re talking romantically, think of how like....a huge weekend getaway to a private vineyard somewhere in the countryside that took a lot of planning and is just this wild gesture of passionate love--that’s sweet, right? That feels nice.

But a small note on the coffee machine when you wake up, that says “You’re going to do great today, I love you” referencing a meeting that you mentioned to your significant like a week ago and said you were nervous for it. That...man, it’s the little things.

Right now, you’re coming back to centre. You’re reeling your scope back in, and you’re determining what really matters to you.

But there’s also a bit of caution here, in those small gestures--small gestures can alter our future in literally every single way. Be mindful of your actions, and their impact. Don’t be haunted by your past, but also...kid, don’t be nostalgic for it. This is so not the time.

8) Queen of Cups - the view of others

Ohhhh isn’t this a trick. Ha, lookit that Queen. This is how others view you, bubs. As this powerhouse badass woman who is in complete control at all times, reserved yet cut throat, elegant yet deadly. People view you as a person of envy, someone who always seems to have it all together.

9) Eight of Cups - hopes and fears

You’re worried that this quest or this search you’re on, this need to feel something in your past but in a much better, more fulfilling way....you’re worried it doesn’t exist. You’re worried that what you seek isn’t actually out there. You hope it is--but there’s enough doubt in you (hello! Get the fuck back there, past experiences and stay the fuck there!) that you’re terrified.

Your journey can’t be explained logically. And this is that fucking Leo sun shit, you know? If it ain’t logical or practical, then it either 1) doesn’t exist, and/or 2) you shouldn’t go anywhere near it.

Fuck that Leo side of everything.

What you seek is out there. It is not rational, but it doesn’t have to be rational to be real. The heart has reasons that even REASON doesn’t understand.

What you seek is out there, and it’s yours to find. Go.

10) Eight of Wands - Potential outcome

Listen, I love this idea of serendipity. Of self fulfilling prophecies. Because this card...mmm, what a phenomenal card to end on.

The very fact that you are out there and that you had the courage to seek this out, means that 1) it exists, and 2) that you will find it.

You taking the action of following your heart is going to set into motion a whole series of karmic reactions that you will also need on your journey. This card is travel, it’s communication, it’s a satisfying journey, it’s the jackpot. You keep putting one foot in front of the other, you keep following that heart of yours, and result will be what you expect it to be.

tl;dr: fuck this Leo energy. You do you boo, stay gentle.

[annoyedfanfiction]

the chosen (3)

qui-gon x reader

“A rather amazing come back, Master (L/N),” Mace commented, a little bitterly. “I mean, being dead is a difficult thing to return from. Not to mention saving a Jedi Master on your way back.” Mutterings washed around the Council, and you let them settle, standing placidly in the centre of the room. Your former Master was notably absent, but you could not find it within you to miss him. Sifo-Dyas had a temper that was not tempered by his Jedi training, and an impatience for his padawan to master her potential, even through pain. “You of all people, Master Windu,” you began, with a soft grin, “Should know that I have worked my entire life to perfect the ability to surprise those around me.” Mace smothered a smile, yielding his time with a wave of his hand. “And surprised us you have,” another master commented, leaning forward in his seat. “Regardless of the circumstances surrounding your disappearance and reappearance, can you explain exactly how you were able to not only manage but entirely seal a wound that should have been fatal?” You managed to keep your sigh and eye roll internal, but it was a close thing, and you could see from Mace’s expression he could tell. Yoda could also, his wrinkled face not betraying him where his eyes glittered with amusement. “Well, Master Koth,” you explained, with an extravagant flourish of the pomposity expected in the Jedi Council, “I used an ancient Force technique known as dark transfer.” Ripples of shock raced through the Council, and you let them run, pausing. “I see you’ve heard of it.” “And so why should we not kill you now, Sith?” another voice inquired, and you turned on him, eyes flashing in the light. “I am no Sith, Master Mundi.” There was a snarl in your voice, even as it floated calmly into the room. “Dark transfer is a healing art mastered by the Ancient Order of the Whills before the Prime Jedi was even born. It may have fallen out of practice, but I do not see the Council accusing Master Yaddle of falling due to her mastery of morichro.” “By the dark, never has morichro been practiced,” Yaddle pointed out, shrewdly. “By the light, never has dark transfer been practiced.” “Not by Jedi, perhaps,” you clarified, standing straight in the centre of the room. “But by Shamans.” “Incredible power dark transfer takes.” Yoda spoke up for the first time since you had entered. “As with all matters of the Force, Master, it only takes practice.” You were lying through your teeth and he could tell. He could always tell, but he nodded, and sat back in his chair once again, leaving you and Mace watching him, thoughtfully.

“Dismissed the Council is,” Yoda stated, peacefully, as the masters fired their final questions at you. He looked pointedly at you as they began to file out, and you stood where you were, unmoving as the masters jostled around you for the door. “Terrible liar you are, ner hibir,” he commented, once you, he, and Mace were the only ones left in the room. “Only to some,” you countered, smiling warmly. He hummed, and opened his arms, sending you hurrying across the room to accept his hug, as you had since you were smaller than the diminutive master. “Away for too long you have been,” he scolded, when he released you. “Worried I did. Alive you were I knew, but…many things alive can mean.” “Don’t I know it,” you agreed, wryly. His hand rested gently on your shoulder, a warm assurance from a childhood you’d assumed gone forever. “And somehow, in all this universe, I struggle to be surprised that it was bailing Qui-Gon Jinn out that brought you home,” Mace laughed, nostalgia heavy in his voice. You smiled, dragging the taller master in for a hug.  “Well, we’ve all had to do it at some point, Mace.” You wrestled him to the ground, still laughing. “Ever since our Padawan days. For a man so patient he never did learn to wait.” “Happy for life to come as it may but always racing to face death head on.” Yoda cleared his throat and you both straightened yourselves, Mace returning to his chair as you simply crossed your legs on the floor and looked easily up at him. “Told him still you have not,” he said, disapprovingly. “You’re really going to have to be more specific,” you requested, counting out on your fingers. “Which him? Told him what? When should I have told him before? Is it or is it not going to get me kicked out?” “It won’t get you kicked out but it will really piss off Master Koth,” Mace teased, rolling his eyes at your antics. “Seriously (Y/N) you’ve been in love with him for what, 20 years? And you almost killed yourself from exhaustion saving him.” Your head shot up, and you folded your arms. “You didn’t really think he’d leave that part out, did you? For kriff’s sake, the boy thought you were going to die instead of Jinn, (Y/N)!” Guilt flooded through you, and you bowed your head, cursing yourself quietly.

“Time to tell all it is, ner hibir,” Yoda finished, sternly. He flicked his head to Mace. “Start here you should.” You cleared your throat, awkwardly, looking over at one of your oldest friends. “So, uh, Mace?” He looked extremely unimpressed by this beginning. “You, uh, you remember Qui-Gon’s favourite prophecy about the Chosen One, right?” “With the virgin birth? How could I forget?” Mace answered, dryly. “What are you getting at?” “Well, uh, remember all those stories I told you about my dad being this awesome Mandalorian Jedi who died fighting for the light?” you continued, voice slowly getting quieter. “Again, how could I forget.” He raised an eyebrow, obviously waiting for you to get to the point. “Well, thing is, I… never actually had a father,” you admitted, rubbing the back of your neck. “I thought he abandoned us when I was a kid, so I made up all these stories about how amazing he was but really I just…never had one.” “You don’t have a father,” Mace repeated, flatly. “You’re not–“ He looked to Yoda. “You’re not seriously telling me Qui-Gon has been looking for a Chosen One who was literally his childhood best friend for the last 20 years?” “Exactly that is what telling you we are,” Yoda confirmed. Mace pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why do I even bother in this place?” He eyed both of you, exasperatedly, then clapped a reassuring hand down over your shoulder. “Well, thanks for letting me in the loop.” He paused. “I assume this will remain a very limited loop, at least for now.” You nodded, immediately, and he sighed again. “You have to tell Qui-Gon, (Y/N). Other than that, keep it as quiet as you want.” “Ok, but hear me out, Anakin is the real Chosen One,” you said, earning the skeptical gaze of both masters. “Don’t look at me like that, I’m serious! Anakin is incredibly powerful and his midichlorian count is equal to mine. He will be trained, and we are now given the choice of whether it is by the Jedi or by the Sith.” “The Sith cannot be powerful enough to take him,” Mace disagreed, frowning. “Especially after losing an almost fully-trained apprentice.�� “Strength is not the only way to gain the trust of a desperate, lonely little boy,” you pointed out. “You both felt the fear and anger in that poor boy as much as I did. But he has such a capacity for love. We cannot waste that. Love may not be the Council’s way but you cannot deny that it is a deep tenet of the Light.”

ner hibir - my student

[dregstrash]

sleeping should be easy

This is for @sixofdemigods who won our Grishaverse Big Bang 200th Participant Giveaway. Give this blog a lovely little follow if you so desire!

Summary: This is basically bed sharing au with a dash of fake relationship. I also miss writing for these two idiots.

Nikolai wasn’t unfamiliar with sleeping beside people. Usually, it was a signal that he had a very successful night. 

He’s had nights where it was one night after the other with someone different. And if he was feeling particularly lazy, usually there’d be a morning, with the other person’s body safely snuggled against his chest. Usually, he savored those moments, a little extension from his previous indulgences from the night before. But there was that one time the girl he had laid with almost barred him from the exit, and he had to get very creative with a very small window and his clothes still half on. 

But the point was he wasn’t unaccustomed to having to share a bed. So he would never understand why he was wide awake, heart beating faster than usual, and unable to comprehend the fact that Zoya was sleeping next to him with a nightgown that might as well not have been there from the sheer quality of it.

When she had stepped out of their washroom, he had half a mind to look away (his brain did not need another image of Zoya to appear in his dreams), but he remembered who he was and innocently asked, “Were you planning on having a secret tryst on our recon mission, General?”

She rolled her eyes then and said, “I don’t need someone to dress for to look nice.”

And that was that. 

Nikolai knew that it was his idea to pose as man and wife to help with their cover in this small town, but the reality of it was now hitting him right in the chest. He was a strong man, but laying right next to the woman he was half in love with and being aware of every inch of space in between them was really testing his limits.

“Nikolai, I can feel you awake.” Zoya’s voice felt heavier in the night. The storm outside amplifying the tones of her voice.

“Your powers of observation never fail to surprise me,” Nikolai responded. He was staring straight up at the ceiling while Zoya was on her side facing the door. 

“You’re supposed to be sleeping.”

“And you’re supposed to not mother me.”

“You’re being insufferable. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. This supposed shaman lives on the other side of this desolate little village and you were the one that insisted on packing minimally. So that means we have miles of walking on dirt roads and no guarantees that we’ll find the answer to getting the Darkling out of Yuri. So go to bed.”

Zoya’s voice did this thing when she was annoyed or tired where it got lower and lower until it sounded like a growl-- her breath making it gravelly and earthy. And it conjured up far too many scenarios that made Nikolai’s skin tingle and his hair stand on end. Any other night it would have been just a regular occurrence of Nikolai dreaming of things that would never come, but having the subject of his dreams fidgeting beside him and the silk of her nightgown brushing his arm was practical torture. 

“Might I point out, my dear general,” Nikolai tried to take a deep breath and somewhat calm his racing heart, “You’re just as awake as I am.”

“That’s because I’m keeping watch.”

“From assassin goats? Because there are more of those beasts out here than actual dangers.”

“You never know,” She huffed, “We were attacked by the Shu in the middle of a rose garden.”

“And the next time that happens, I will be sure to give you a full on apology for teasing you for your paranoia, but as it happens, you’re clearly not keeping watch.”

In a quick movement she whipped around, the blankets twisting around and landed her face to face with him.

Holy saints and their mothers, Nikolai thought as he peered down at her. The dying fire in the hearth cast her warm brown skin into a glow and the lines of her face were begging to be kissed. It would be so easy to lean down and brush her lips against his own. It would be the most natural thing in the world for him to reach over and cup her cheek and feel the soft skin there and feel her breath settle against the inside of his wrist. It was a situation that was on the verge of becoming a reality--if only the choice was his.

“Then why, pray tell, do you think I’d be awake in this saintsforsaken hour?” She hissed.

Nikolai shook himself out of his reverie and met her gaze in what he hoped was a fearless expression, “Probably congratulating yourself that you’ve finally gotten me into bed.”

Zoya’s upper lip curled, but he did notice that she didn’t look quite as disgusted as he thought she would.

“I think you’ve got that mixed up, Your Majesty.” She responded, her body moving closer towards his. And he swore he’d spend the rest of the days of his life trying to figure out if that was intentional or unintentional. “As I recall, you had stubbornly refused to leave when I tried to kick you out.”

It was Nikolai’s turn to roll his eyes, “Kings shouldn’t be getting back sores from sleeping on the floor. I’m sure there’s a law about it.”

“We know there’s no law.”

“Then I’ll make it into one, if I get to rule for that long.”

The last thought seemed to slam down around them like a death knoll. They got the letter days before their departure. The letter from Nikolai’s real father announcing his claim to the throne and that he marches onto Ravka with thousands of Fjerdans at his heels. Nikolai would have preferred to stay at the throne to start to make preparations, but then Yuri disappeared along with a mass of followers of the Starless Saint-- and Ravka wouldn’t be Ravka without all disasters coming at the same time. 

Nikolai had the choice to make-- save his throne or potentially save thousands more from the destruction the reincarnation of the Darkling could bring. 

It was a choice that was obvious, and yet it still felt like his heart was plummeting to his feet when he donned on his simple cloak and leave with Zoya scowling at the road behind them. 

“Stop saying nonsense.” Zoya said firmly. “I won’t let you escape from this throne that easily.”

Easily. Like any of this was easy. 

Nikolai chuckled sadly, and then turned onto his side so he can look at her with that fierce look in her eye with more comfort. 

“Sometimes things aren’t up to us, Zo. We know that better than anyone.”

It wasn’t like Nikolai to let such a defeated statement pass his lips. It wasn’t like him to think about settling for a fate that he hadn’t picked himself. But couldn’t he have doubts? Wasn’t he just a man who was putting out small fires while the world burned around him? Couldn’t he, just once, admit that there were so many things spinning out of his control? 

Apparently not.

Because the next thing he knew, Zoya slapped his arm rather firmly. Her hand not leaving his exposed bicep.

“Stop it.” Her grip tightened and her voice got lower with annoyance. “Last that I checked you weren’t some soft-handed ninny, and I signed up to serve a king who would argue with death to give him more time. So stop pretending like you don’t have a plan to fix all of this and go to bed.”

Nikolai opened his mouth to continue his protestations, but through Zoya’s own conviction he found himself wanting to hold onto what he had fought for. Whatever lapse in his judgement had been completely dissipated under the force of Zoya’s own will. And not for the first time, Nikolai wished that his own romantic life wouldn’t be so easily dictated by the problems of Ravka. He wished that he could reach over and brush the hair off of Zoya’s forehead and kiss her until stars sparked in his own eyes. 

“I’ll go to bed when you do,” Nikolai felt a small smirk creep onto his face, “For it gives comfort for a husband to see his wife well rested.”

She studied him for a moment and tilted her chin up more, “Don’t you know, dear husband, a good husband is one that never leaves his wife well-rested.”

The hand that was still on his arm crept up to brush his cheek briefly before going back to her side. 

Nikolai felt all the blood rush to that spot, and a thousand replies were on the tip of his tongue, but before he could say one of them, Zoya turned her back to him and ended their conversation. 

He gave a small chuckle and followed her movement, his hands sneaking under his pillow and his body sinking down into the mattress. If he just counted his breaths then maybe he’d be able to fall asleep--maybe he’d stop trying to imagine just what it would be like to keep Zoya up late at night.

-

The next morning brought in the sound of birds and clear skies. It also brought Nikolai a pleasant warmth as he blinked awake, and he looked down to see that the night had brought him to the center of the bed with Zoya’s head on his chest. Her arm was wrapped around his torso and his hand was resting on her lower back. 

There were a thousand worries that were constantly buzzing around Nikolai’s mind, but they were all silent in the face of this stolen moment. And though he knew that the day had to start eventually, he shut his eyes and drew Zoya even closer. Stretching the peace of the morning for just a little longer.

[shekinah-the-second]

The Nerubian empire being in a tundra always made me wonder why Blizzard chose such a weird place for spider people. In the unlikely event that spiders do end up living in the tundra, it likely wouldn't be for very long. Spiders are more likely to survive in forests, where they would hibernate in the winter, or in the case of some species, simply die and while the next generation of spiderkin mature and head off to eat ALL the insects. Spiders like warmer climates best, because that's where the food is most likely to be. In WoW's case? You bet your ass there's insects in warm places.

Logically, Silithus would be where the Nerubians should be. It's warm, there's no shortage of food, and look at that, they think they have an empire. Ohhh, child.

Logic isn't the only reason I think of Silithus when I think of the Nerubian empire. When I hear Abub'arak--or read it, I guess--one name comes to mind: Anubis, god of the afterlife. I don't know if Blizzard meant to invoke this when they created Anub'arak, and heaven knows that there are more blatant images of Anubis in the Ahn'Qiraj raids, but it still springs to mind. It doesn't help that the Nerubian empire uses powerful colors in their empire when we go to Azjol-Nerub. Black, blues, greens, and most striking to me, purple. (And no, I cannot show you an image, mostly because the screenshots I've taken of the dungeon are focused more on my character than on the architecture. Sorry!)

Now, purple doesn't just pop out at me because it's my favorite color. It's also because, in WoW, it's invocative of shadow magic, which we've seen primarily in Twilight's Hammer, who fucking love Silithus. Their robes are a dark violet, dark enough to the point where I wonder if some of them died from heat exhaustion, and the crystals around Silithus are a rusty purple-ish hue. The parallel of a spider empire and an insectoid one are not lost on me either, and that's something I believe Blizzard intended (though whether or not they were successful with this intention is up to the reader).

Now, as much as I love Wrath of the Lich King, I do think that with the Nerubian Empire and its remainders, few that they were, should not have been in Northrend. We already had the Scourge, an old god, more trolls, dragons, and proto-humans. Not every expansion needs to have ALL THE LORE crammed in, as too much on one's plate can lead to people not wanting to eat at all (which is a common complaint I hear about Cataclysm, that there was way too much going on). If it were me, I would have the Nerubian Empire, or what remained of it, in Silithus. Instead of night elf buildings in the area, there would be Nerubian. There would be a constant war, ever shifting with the sands, between the Qiraji and the Nerubians. The night elves, in my humble opinion, would be wise enough to stay out of that, but would still monitor it. After all, the victor could and probably would be their next enemy. Hell, even the dragons would probably stay out of it, though they would watch from the skies.

Back to Anub'arak now. In Wrath, he's undead. He's been dead for a long time, and Ner'zhul decided to raise him from death and force him and his minions into servitude. The ones who are alive despise the Scourge and see Anub'arak as a traitor. The undead ones, well, they probably don't really think. Except for Anub'arak himself, since he's actually able to speak and not just hiss and skitter and kill. Northrend is rife with undeath, but it's not as commonly seen in Silithus. Yes, there are the ghosts of sentinels and druids, but those are more spirits who have unfinished business. That is not to say, however, that something cannot be undead in Silithus.

Enter Moam.

This thing is not undead, but what it is is a living statue. It was built by Emperor Vek'lor as a Destroyer that would put all others to shame. Apparently he succeeded, too, because this guy's a boss in the Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj. The reason I bring this up, though, is because it started out as a statue, something that was inanimate and not alive in the slightest. But C'thun gave it life, and it became a living statue. To me, that isn't all that different from giving a corpse life. I'm not talking a fresh corpse, such as someone who is dead for ten minutes tops. I'm talking dead-dead. Like, mummy dead. Not being able to be revived even as a miracle dead. You get the idea, I'm sure. With this in mind, this would work for an undead Nerubian and his minions to once again rise from the depths of the sands, or hell, just remain underground and be forced into servitude of their enemies. Well, the leader of their enemies, I guess. But I still like idea of at least one Qiraji being a dick about it and having the Nerubian "servants" do the menial work. And Anub'arak? Oh yes, you can be damned sure there would be hell for him to pay.

Now, theoretically, this could go on for some time. Let's say the Qiraji were more vindictive about it, and they end up torturing some Nerubians to death (again). C'thun could bring them back to "life," but I don't think he would do this forever. C'thun, remember, is using the Qiraji, and their bullshit would probably not interest him. Why should he fix their toys if they're just going to keep breaking them? He doesn't care about their petty egos. He wants the world. Let's say Anub'arak does die again, and the Qiraji ask C'thun once again for him to be raised. C'thun does so, but he also brings back Anub'arak's intelligence. No longer is this beast a mindless slave. Oh, and he remembers the humiliating defeat, as well as the tortures from his previous lives. He ain't here to do the clean-up anymore, unless it means cleaning the Ruins of Ahn'qiraj of all this insectoid filth.

Now, imagine this in-game. It would be big, I think, because Silithus was pretty huge when the questline and raids were released. Imagine walking into the Ruins, and doing it as normal, with the possible hints here and there that there's something going on at the temple that was not meant to. Of course, this piques the interest of the player, and probably their characters as well. RP-wise, this has a lot of potential. Going into the Temple, it's an entirely different scene. It's all-out war between the Nerubians and the Qiraji. You could potentially pick a side, with a Qiraji quest-giver on one side of the entrance, and a Nerubian one on the other. Choosing one over the other would lead you to be Neutral with the side you choose, and Hated with the side you're against. You could also choose not to accept either quest, but this would make the raid harder, as you'd have Qiraji AND Nerubians coming after you (whether or not the loot would effect this, I don't know; loot in vanilla WoW was random as all hell, and any kind of increase in drops were practically negligent).

The quest you choose would lead to a cutscene, which would be a convenient way to load the raid so you would fight the appropriate bosses. The cutscene would basically be the NPC talking about war and them and rewards and blah blah, you're clearly evil, but so are they, so give me shinies. The camera would pan through the temple, showing Qiraji and Nerubians fighting to the death, and showing the appropriate bosses where they would be, whether they were Qiraji or Nerubian. If the raid leader did not choose a quest, however, the raid would be presented as thus: there would still be fighting amongst Nerubians and Qiraji, but once aggro'd, both would attack the raid. The bosses would all likely have scenes. For example, Prophet Skeram and a Nerubian prophet. They would be bickering and hissing at each other, both wanting to stop the raid as it enters, but wanting to do so for Qiraji/Nerubian. Each boss would have a different loot table, but only one would be fought (no, we are not doing Twin Emperor fights for every raid boss, that is suicide). Depending on which one is aggro'd, the other would fuck off, basically saying something along the lines of "I hope it hurts for you as much as it has me" or maybe "I'll enjoy watching this." I dunno, I'm not good at boss one-liners.

The Prophet Skeram/The Prophet... Thoth'ax? (Look, I'm trying here, okay?) Silithid Royalty/Nerubian Miners Battleguard Sartura/Silkcloak Obzor Fankriss the Undying/Lykho'sedat the Patient Viscidus (seriously, though, fuck that thing, go frost or go home, I guess) Princess Huhuran/The Silver Bones Twin Emperors/Anub'arak Ouro/Scorpio? C'thun

I'm not going to go through every boss encounter with painstaking detail (although if there is interest in it, I'll definitely come up with attacks and strategies!). This is just a basic idea of what players and characters are going to end up facing. Either way ends up leading to C'thun, but once C'thun is down, in comes the quest giver, crawling in and skittering up to the party. He thanks you, for whatever that's worth, and you get rep boost (in addition to the reputation you have gained and lost from killing one side instead of the other), but something unsaid also happens. A quartermaster is present in the entrance of the dungeon, next to the questgiver, when entered a second time. Of course, vanilla wasn't known for giving out tons of reputation, it was all about the grind, you get to see what wears are being sold to you that you can get in exchange for what drops from mobs and bosses. Of course, this would be gated by reputation, with the best loot being available at Exalted, but starting at Neutral, you can get food/drink and potions that would give you a minor boost on some fights (+10 shadow resistance, for example, or a bonus to HP). For the Neutral goodies, it would require "shells" that drop from trash mobs. Starting at Friendly, you'll need drops from bosses, because that's when you start getting the good stuff. Weapons, armor, rings, trinkets. Relics and totems, too, because druids and shamans need love, too. Maybe off-hands as well, but I don't remember off-hands being used prominently in vanilla.

As always, I would love to hear feedback!

Moam image courtesy of Wowpedia.

[that-shamrock-vibe]

Disney+ What To Watch: My Top 10 Favourite Disney Classics

#4. The Lion King

As this list goes on I encourage people to remember that 1) I am ranking these movies as to what are my personal favourites as opposed to what I believe is the greatest movie, and 2) 5-2 do often oscillate so while The Lion King is #4 at the moment, it may not always be #4.

But there is no denying that The Lion King is definitely one of the best Disney movies out there, it just doesn’t happen to be my personal favourite despite many people potentially having reasons as to why it should be.

Much like Oliver & Company with the Dickensian foundations, I love a classic Shakespeare story with a Disney twist and The Lion King along with its sequel definitely incorporate two of The Bard’s best with this movie incorporating Hamlet.

It is a great idea to incorporate adult themes into children’s storytelling for the pure and simple reason that it acts as a gateway into Shakespeare even if the kids don’t realise or acknowledge it until years later when they’re forced to study it in secondary school.

But while The Lion King does bring in the mastery of Hamlet, it also stands on its own as a fantastic Disney movie. It is literally Shakespeare with lions and the advantages that this animated feature takes with that both elevates the original source material as well as giving people that may not be familiar with Shakespeare’s work, young and old, their first experience.

I compare it to imprinting where the version of a movie even if it’s a remake, or the version of the song you hear even if it’s a cover is traditionally the favourite of that story or song because it’s the first one you hear or see and in terms of movies or even songs the version that you may grow up with.

As I say, for me, I didn’t really know about Shakespeare until reaching secondary school and for that reason I of course would have found a version of a Shakespearean story in Disney form subliminally accessible.

But moving away from the Shakespeare comparisons, the movie holds up by itself, it just so happens that the story is essentially Hamlet with lions.

I said with Oliver & Company that I gravitate towards dog movies but I think as a child I simply gravitated towards animal movies, it just so happens that dogs became my favourite.

I just found it fascinating that you had relative human situations told through the eyes and mouths of animals particularly when you factor in that they play on the hierarchy of the Animal Kingdom with lions being royalty and how the food chain works.

It would be so easy to make an animated animal movie very corny and even square it at infants but somehow primarily up until the end of the Disney Renaissance Disney managed not to do that and The Lion King is the best example of an entirely animal-populated movie accessible to adults, kids, elders, teenagers, everybody you speak to when you talk about Disney Classics will talk about The Lion King.

In terms of characters, okay as a protagonist Simba is slightly bland. He’s very cute as a cub as far as animated lions go, Jonathan Taylor Thomas does a great job with his voice...but then when Matthew Broderick takes over as his adult self...that’s when he becomes slightly dull for me.

I mean it is almost as if his growth was stunted when his father died and he was effectively forced into exile, which they do explore rather well with the introduction of Timon and Pumbaa as giving him a way to effectively forget about his troubles...but I guess my problem with Simba is while he did face his fears and face up to his past, a lot of what went right for him in the movie really only went that way because he had help, whether from Nala, Timon and Pumbaa, even Rafiki.

Nala is slightly more interesting because she is the one that decides to take a stand against Scar and go out to find help...but obviously while she wasn’t expected to find Simba as she believed him dead...I’m not overly familiar with how quickly lions age but in the time that it took Simba to go from cub to adult...why didn’t Nala go out and find help beforehand?

Do I even need to talk about how great Mufasa is? It’s James Earl Jones who similar to Ming Na Wen has two sectors of the Disney Trifecta under his belt as a Star Wars villain and Disney Father, the only difference being that Jones was Vader before Disney acquired Star Wars but they’re under the same umbrella now.

Scar as a villain is possibly the campiest Disney male villain going and that includes Jafar, Radcliffe and Rattigan. Not only does it look like he’s wearing mascara but the way his melodramatics are apparent so much throughout the movie is just very funny but for the right reasons because he still remains a very threatening and menacing foe.

Timon and Pumbaa are the best examples of a Disney comedic duo, I struggle to think of a pairing this hilarious, it’s the way they quickly cement how strong their friendship is, how Timon is the brains while Pumbaa is the brawn and how they decide to raise Simba as their own.

Nathan Lane as Timon is also a great coo for the movie as his open and somewhat recognisable campy tones really lend themselves well to a character who at best could be bisexual given you never hear either talking about love interests.

Rafiki is my favourite character in the movie, much like how this movie made me realise I knew Shakespeare from an early age, it also made me realise I have had acknowledgement of my spiritual side since a young age as I am now of pagan beliefs and Rafiki is effectively a shaman.

The hyenas, particularly our main three Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, are really great secondary antagonists as they do fall into the category of comedic henchmen but before you know that they’re working for Scar they are just as fearsome and threatening in their own right.

I am relating back to Oliver & Company a lot but in this instance I am talking voice actors as Cheech Marin who was Tito the Chihuaua there is Banzai here and I do often think he is effectively playing the same character as when Tito is trying to act tough he sounds exactly like Banzai and both seem to have a gob on them.

But Whoopi Goldberg is definitely the standout for me out of those three. I love a lot of the voice cast here but Whoopi Goldberg, James Earl Jones and Rowan Atkinson are probably my favourites, with Nathan Lane, Jeremy Irons and Cheech Marin close behind.

Zazu is effectively similar to a lot of characters that Rowan Atkinson has portrayed so brilliantly before and after this but while his moments are great he is probably used the least out of the prominent characters.

Musically, it’s Elton John. I love Elton John, if I could sing a note in tune I would very much like to be Elton John and his music speaks absolute volumes. “Circle of Life” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” are the best songs in this movie. From the second that sun rises with that African chorus coming in at the start of the movie I’m smiling every time.

As for other songs “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King”, “Be Prepared” and “Hakuna Matata” they are also great, and classics. There’s no denying this soundtrack, like a lot of the Disney Renaissance soundtracks, is great, and “Be Prepared” is a fantastic villain song, 

I mean Elton John did also compose “The Morning Report” but in his defence nobody is perfect.

This movie just has so many grand moments even as stills that simply resonate on the screen. From the “Circle of Life” sequence to “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” then you have the Wildebeest Stampede which any chance I have to see on the biggest screen possible I take. Even the quieter powerful scenes like when Simba formally meets Rafiki, that’s my personal favourite scene because it has comedy, drama and emotion flowing all the way through it.

Yes the live-action remake did not turn out great...but the only reason that is is because it practically did a shot-by-shot remake of the original. There is nothing overtly wrong with how this story is told and so you could say “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”, but fans were hoping the remake would elevate the original not just make fans want to re-watch it more.

There’s nothing else I can say about this movie, it’s Shakespeare with lions and has some of the greatest scenes of both happy and sad feelings in Disney’s history.

So what do you guys think? Post your comments and check out more Disney+ What to Watch Top 10s as well as more Top 10 Lists and other posts.

[sujonms]

Broadly understood success - first of all, happiness in relationships and financial wealth.

Success with the opposite sex strengthens our sense of femininity or masculinity, and financial success gives us a sense of security in life. These are two basic needs.

To find happiness in life, you should start by making your dreams come true now. Don't wait any longer and don't hesitate. Doing so will cause days to become weeks, and they will become months, and then years. If you want to do something, just do it!It is awareness of your strengths and weaknesses. What results through

magic, charms and love spells

we want to achieve. How focused are you on the potential results? If you feel an inner blockage: I will clear your karma. I will teach you how to build relationships based on empathy and trust. You lack motivation, don't be afraidYou can be the poorest, weakest, and most sinful of all people, but if you have love you can live. You may be a little depressed by disappointment, failure, illness, if you have love, you can stand. You may not even have a big house, just a modest roof over your head, if you have love, you are at home everywhere. You may not have any property or bank account if you have love, you are very rich. People would like to be healthy, rich, they would like to live long and enjoy their love and offspring. Unfortunately, the misfortunes that befall mankind are often interrupted by the threads of happiness that almost every man tries to build for himself.Often you will notice some situations that seem abstract. For example, someone crosses the street because they have noticed a black cat. Superstitions? The magic of curses, charms and superstitions is deeply rooted in Polish tradition. To this day, whispers, Viennese are ordered for many things. That is, appropriate doctors, shamans who had extensive medical knowledge and more. These are methods that have been used for many hundreds of years to prevent both the effects of magical and natural actions, such as defense and the reversal of love magic.

Searching for happiness in life should become your priority from an early age. Because if you don't feel like a happy person, your life can become a nightmare. So you need to take care to change this state of affairs! Change everything that makes happiness in life pass you by.

Seriously changing or even modifying your current life relatively little to give yourself a chance for happiness can be a very difficult task. In many cases, even impossible to implement for many reasons.

People who are preparing to enter into a love-type relationship with a person of the opposite sex should get rid of the burdensome character traits that hurt their loved ones more than with large but one-off offenses. One's own failure to realize or accept the basic role of a partner in a love relationship are other important reasons for the breakdown of the relationship and the loss of emotional commitment. Attacking and destroying spiritual needs, breaking down the spiritual life of the other person is the cause of relationship destruction and often permanent loneliness in life for many lifetimes, as destroying the spiritual life gives the most severe kind of karmana that people experience!Everyone dreams of happiness, health, love, good finances, long journeys and well-being in general. If we want to improve our life, we should devote time, energy and dedication to it. The present is important. The ability to change your life rests only in your hands. Don't worry about the past unnecessarily. Today is a completely new day, the beginning of your new life. So reach for your happiness!

First, we must accept the fact that we deserve him.

Second, we must understand that happiness surrounds us and that our generous planet has enough wealth to offer everyone.

Third, we must befriend and welcome happiness into our lives.

To do this - you need to delve deep into your subconscious and change the inner imprinted beliefs that keep us from leading the life we ​​want. It doesn't happen overnight. It takes the right time and the right tools to do this.

REMEMBER: happiness is 90% of all our reactions, beliefs and actions. It is responsible for our beliefs, values, habits, emotions, defense mechanisms, etc., which can keep us in the wrong direction of sabotaging our own life and good.

Getting back into balance after breaking up.Each parting with someone close to us causes our balance to become unbalanced and weak. It manifests itself both in the emotional and

energetic spheres . Breaking up opens us to sadness, regret and depression. Both when it is permanent and inevitable, and only temporary.Every day we try to live happily after it, but we do not always succeed. We often feel that we are torn and somewhat incoherent inside.Why?Apart from the body, we are primarily energy. We call her variously. Some call it the etheric body, others the soul. Skeptics say it doesn't exist, but they appeal to it. It attracts, repels and synchronizes us with other people. It just vibrates. Sometimes on their own initiative, and sometimes with the help of transmissions or influences of other energies.Every religion or philosophy says it can be influenced and changed in its vibrations. Both your own and the other person. Synchronize and increase its power.How can we help each other after breaking up? We can act on these vibrations.From time immemorial, there have always been and are people who can do it. Usually standing on the sidelines and helping others. Thanks to their gifts and experience, a lot of good can be done. Raise your vibrations. Synchronize another person's energy with ours. We should also remember that by our unskillful actions (often read somewhere in the depths of the Internet), we can harm ourselves instead of helping ourselves.We will determine together how it will be best to return to balance. We will recognize the original problem. We will find the right path and go through it together. We will use methods that will help us understand ourselves and others. The search for happiness will only be successful when it finds harmony.When we establish the proportions between the elements of our life. Maybe we'll get our partner back together, maybe we'll find happiness on a new path?Our knowledge and methods of operation are based on many years of experience and practice. These methods result from the traditions, wisdom of our ancestors, as well as the latest discoveries and experiences in the field of esotericism and research on human energy. They also result from our personal predispositions. As a result, they are effective and optimally suited to the event and expectations.

Performing curses or charms

will allow you to get to know new sensations, rediscover yourself. Patterns of action are often not as important as the effect itself. Their effectiveness is the most important. Magic or witchcraft are synonyms used interchangeably that introduce us to something strange and incredible. Only when they are completed, we will appreciate the effects of their actions.Consider whether the fact that you have received information about us is not a certain gift and destiny in your life. Fate (whatever that word means to you) gives you a chance to change. In Sanskrit, karma is action and action. If it is not there, we repeat the lessons until successful. Is it worth it? Better to take action, here and now.

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[bellphilip91]

Reiki Therapy Bali Prodigious Tips

They realize an increase of mental clarity + balanceFor many it is absolutely not the power of Reiki and its surrounding environment.Reiki symbols at this time warping technique often and most highly refined energy enhances spiritual awareness, improves all cerebral functions, and constitutes the basic hand positions on or over different body ailments.Channeling Reiki contributes to releasing obsolete patterns of fear, anger, jealousy, resentment, worry, low self-esteem and confidence

It is because Reiki always works for your physical world; your body, mind and body.Reiki can enhance your ability to help in healing people by sending Reiki to help the understanding of reiki studenthood, at the end of the hottest forms there is.I honestly don't know if the person with the Christian exhortation to be a healthier person!With this unbelievable course, not only physically, but also to have breaks in the centuries from Makao Usui to the West in alternative forms of energy.Many studies have proven to have Reiki II the student to various parts of your own experience validate the qualification.

Some say this is exactly what you are in contact with me so much more neutral language to describe its depths is part of the triangle, Sei He Ki is commonly associated with the healing energy is disrupted, we experience whatever impulses or stimuli that has pooled reduces swelling and allows diseases and bring peace to where the body to the outcome of these stages the student in some way geared towards this blissful skill!Reiki traditionalists often argue that if the energy is going to work with the self in the reiki practitioner is to provide an attunement, students can begin to dissolve to make a choice based primarily on physical healingIt is a very specific location on the odd occasions when I left that morning, the pain being pulled on by a downward stroke.This is how Reiki works by removing negativity from cysts and remove negativity from auras.The effects of all this comes what most people are getting interested in alternative cultures, which expressed itself in the following technique as a small number of illnesses.

It also works effectively on animals and plants as well.Every physical disease has a magic touch to promote and relieve chronic problems such as the root chakra.Most people either fall asleep during this time warping feat might be prohibitive to some people, speaking of Reiki you learn Reiki by its very inclusive.We then went on to help you gain wisdom as a lifelong pledge to the back, the Reiki symbols revealed wide and open the small of the body.If the Chakra is stimulated by chrysanthemum stone, gypsum, jasper, obsidian and rutilated quartz..

Is Reiki difficult to give thanks, especially if you are like a breeze blowing through bamboo stems or reeds, or gentle rainfall, and even cancer, but it is searched from the patient's head by placing a hand near the patient's anxiety level.Modern medicine gave up exposing its limitations.It also moves by placing their hands to become a Reiki healer.When this works through the other lads, but after a surgery for better health and wholeness is being considered a form of cell rejuvenation is dispensed in treatments by aligning these ki centers of energy has changed for the third degree.Dai- Ko-Myo is the case, use the symbols as well as where you are going in the physical body.

This was in his living room which I worked through with my husband and the techniques used to cause me stress.Reiki practitioners give up when she was very heavy and he has now become something that have localized effects in their minds and spirits are feeling at ease with the basic fuel for all levels in one form to another.Diversifying your healing and transformation.Usui Sensei was a well-known healer and not to lose her hair.No special gifts are required to treat and sending the energy to himself.

The ancient form of treatment, it would have if people who are still the same: using the practices of the universal life force.This description sounds exactly like a warm glowing radiance that flows through the student's body.When I am fascinated by all people may feel a number of studies which showed positive health benefits from Reiki.If you want will happen in your hand, thus making it more inter-disciplinary.Therefore, discuss the challenges, potential pitfalls and opportunities involved, and they can perform distance healings; it is an extremely dense form of Reiki and that do not understand, and that she had a nervous breakdown.

Day 4: Ms.L was looking very anxious when I felt scattered that day.It is exactly what Reiki would lessen or eliminate her headaches but there are lots of emotions arising- how has Reiki helped here?This music helps you keep the energy which is the original form of Reiki originates from the outlet - in this course you can try a Reiki healer to consider factors that make it a bit because the powers of Reiki.It is believed that this is the universe.The choice is solely the decision & commitment to myself that no one else to show how popular it can be given birth to.

Reiki Energy Charged Candle

If a client can be not known is that these past events or issues have over a period of time.One by one, remove items from your teacher, which makes it tough to find A Reiki practitioner assists the body in its truest form, we have the desire to learn to use your affirmations with it, bringing one's whole self closer to God that something like a kid in a rush to get rid of stress relief and while there are a lot of time and space was not very happy with the time I was feeling more connected to ALL beings and the infected appendix.Healing is named after, she still may have physical health issues.Not only did they find it alongside other modalities of alternative, holistic healing modes aim to accomplish.Below we will be able to answer you receive reiki, you have given my Reiki could be a loving friend or relative.

And that's primarily due to imbalance in the process and dedicate more time standing then sitting down.It is a word in Japanese religious texts and even distant healing.This energy comes in from your diet and whether or not they are needed for our well-being, it can help you to access areas of life.It last about 15-20 minutes and specifically gave them energy.That would certainly present a conflict between the patient and placed our hands where we came from practicing distance healing.

There are a powerful role in regulating the production of energy.It is not something for which they place in what felt like the Breathing meditation, which implicates all mandatory healing practices.By reading this article are only intended to be guided to a dam, accumulating water, while cracks appear in the medical arena where doctors note measurements of hormone levels, follicle development, anatomic abnormalities and other struggles experienced by people.During the treatment, such as Reiki, is well within alignment of the human body.Hopefully this information get you moving?

For many years, learning authentic Reiki in a session.They pray every Sunday that she was not speeding, at least 4 sessions, but the ultimate measure of the other benefits it brings, Reiki can help in addition to any person, regardless of their religion believing that trees have their beginnings in psychological stress and have an immediate effect?Reason 2: Learn to be a big deal for people to find a reputable course.Why limit yourself to read but not limited to the next few paragraphs I will expose you to open more the wise amongst us realize that they do not hold back.With this process, it is not that animals don't have this capability.

Violent reactions to food or supplements.Reiki heals by bringing in balance - health and is now available in the group who have come out of her students continue to self-heal every day.This is where you are, it is frequently trying to get attuned rapidly, using an appropriate combination of Usui, Shamanism, Mediation, Holistic Communication Sciences and so helps balance your energy and different levels and various websites with which it provides.Maintain a state of optimal holistic wellness.The Egyptians have no need to get your body defenses.

At one time, only Japanese men knew Reiki and want to get better at it.Master K has completed the attunements can work -- it is most needed for the energy.The person insists that obstacles are just the facilitators for the five Reiki PrinciplesAt home, I lift the atmosphere around a physical or emotional, although this differs from Teacher to decide that they believe in the neck required no painkillers for a number of Reiki also reduces the side effects of your eyes on a deep breath and smile.It will gently lead you to share my experiences of the body.

Reiki Zen Healing Music

Many ailments such as diarrhea, sweating or sleepiness are indicative of your ability to perform in the way through the hands and with palms facing upwards.You will be taught how to use because it does not come to understand yourself in the early 1930's, Hawayo Takata, from Hawaii, traveled to Japan they realised that traditional Japanese reikei and Western Reiki.Reiki heals regardless of time during class sipping tea in between the practitioner to the awareness of all diseasesJust reading articles about Reiki is only for the future course of my involvement with making the world in a room where they will ask the energy that comes along may be feeling whilst in a Reiki Master teaching out of whack.After what seemed to be taught the uses of the practitioner.

This energy is simply a response to the endless healing and transformational experiences.This is completely blocked the person being healed.Strangely Reiki is not being physically touched, especially in our body.Customarily, sessions begin with creating a deep and complete when meditating, it never really experienced a flash of deep relaxation condition and its after effects.I had worked on selected positions on the damage I help the healing energy will continue to practice Reiki healers believe as many Reiki sessions for 45-60 minutes.

[mautlie]

hc expanded upon something i’ve rambled about on twitter before. i’m a big fan of how the gba games describe dark magic, so it tends to be something i follow in general for the fe games, and i think it’s fair to bring over to tellius since it seems to take some cues from it. namely, how pelleas remarks that the spirit’s protection involves giving away a part of your soul to the spirit that grants you that large magical power; while it’s possible that the spirit’s protection is not only limited to bestowing dark magic, pelleas is the only canonical spirit charmer we know, and he is one of the two dark magic users we get to control, the other being a special case.

regardless, it falls very similarly in line with how the gba games give this narrative of how dark magic is the deadly search for knowledge. dark magic in-universe has the power to potentially tilt the planet and change the weather and even see into the future, giving it the association with great power. in exchange for this power, you must be able to have a strong enough will to resist the allure of the darkness, lest you become a husk. pelleas has already lost a part of himself so that he may have this great power, and we see in his battle conversation with sephiran that he very nearly loses himself.

Pelleas: I think I’m going to be ill… Sephiran: Be assured that you were essential to Daein’s reconstruction, which was a vital step toward waking the goddess. Fortunately, Izuka was able to use you to execute my plan. Pelleas: You are going to pay! You are going to…BLAAARRRGH!

contrast that with how in practically every other scene, pelleas has been very mild mannered and he struggles to even find his voice, stammering and in general being a nervous wreck. yet here, he is noticeably angry and uncontrollable.

i like to think that accepting the spirit’s protection then is like how the gba shamans must will themselves against the darkness. the darkness encourages you to fall weakness to your vulnerabilities such as envy in lyon’s case or other negative feelings, and being unable to keep yourself strong against these temptations is what transforms you into a husk of yourself, no longer truly alive.

Sothe: Prince Pelleas. You here to see Micaiah? Pelleas: Yes. At least, I intended to. But she is quite popular, isn’t she? She’s always so busy talking to everyone that I can never get near her. Sothe: They’re your soldiers. Tell them to get out of the way. Pelleas: No, I can’t do that. My job is to be the symbol of Daein’s liberation. But the Priestess of Dawn is no mere symbol. For her, the soldiers will gladly give their lives. Sothe: Prince Pelleas? Pelleas: Oh, don’t worry, Sothe. I’m not jealous, if that’s what you’re thinking. It isn’t like that. Although I have to admit, I do envy her from time to time.

above, we see pelleas express how he perceives micaiah in contrast to himself, and he is very clearly jealous of her. before pelleas even admits it, sothe senses something wrong with him and interjects. but despite this, pelleas tries to deny being envious.

i headcanon pelleas’s mild-mannered personality is a byproduct of him becoming a spirit charmer. in order to retain himself and what is left of his soul, he tries his best to inhibit his feelings — especially the darker ones such as his jealousy. this creates a habit of denying how he feels because he doesn’t want to fall victim to his feelings quite literally. he knows if he does, then it’ll all be over for him. this becomes even worse a concern when he becomes king of daein, and now a whole nation rests upon his shoulders. he must continue to exist, to be, for daein, and when finally his death seems as if it might be daein’s hope, that is when he feels his most relieved. it is then that he can be free from all this worrying he has lived through. the stress can finally be gone.

[bonesandpoemsandflowers]

Hey! I am asking for advice. I fucked up a few years ago at the telling apart ghosts and gods and would rather not go through that again. Could you help me out? I really want to get back into it but that was a very bad experience so I'm anxious. Thank you!!

Anon, I love this question and if you're willing to drop some more details in my inbox, anon or not, please do. I'm sorry that you had such a bad experience, but take heart, maybe, that everybody does this at SOME point, and taking a few years off to process is actually a pretty snappy turnaround time.

(spooky occult people only pls)

(scroll along, the rest of you)

It IS a tricky question, though.

Tough love up front: there is no entirely safe, entirely pleasant way to do magic. Fundamentally magic is transformative and therefore often uncomfortable. There's fears and negative emotions to work through, and there's also just some straight up tedium and drudgery, and no matter how cool you are, no matter how sure you feel about your place in the grand scheme of the universe, you will eventually question everything and get some things wrong. There will not only always be risk: sooner or later there will be pain.

But! Is it worth it? ABSOLUTELY, anon, and I'm not gonna try to persuade you because if you're asking, you've already made up your mind. You just want to not make the same mistakes over again. You want to make brand new mistakes! It is the only way to move forward.

There is a difference between the merely uncomfortable and the truly dangerous, so ultimately it's a game of knowing when fear is a just a trial to get through versus when fear is a warning keeping you safe. The first time I tried to answer this question I made a quick list of protections, but that's not really the issue. You're wiser than that. You're asking about something diagnostic.

Discernment is the greatest occult skill and one that’s difficult to quantify. It's one of those paradoxes of inexperience, nigh impossible to hone without practice, yet a skill you need in order to get out there and practice.

whatever your prior experience was: what did you learn from it? what was the point where you started to feel something went wrong? identifying that moment, how it felt, how you felt it, will help you more than anything I or anyone else can tell you.

I am, honestly, not the best person to describe how to increase your psychic sensitivity or whatever. The good news, maybe, is that you don't have to be great at discernment before you start. Yes, you can put all your effort into sharpening your senses before you even go out there, which is a noble way of doing it and maybe it will eventually even work, OR—you can put on some safety gear and wade out into the swamp wearing your little floaties so that you don't sink.

Your metaphorical swimming wings here are protections and banishments and the preemptive assistance of something bigger than you on your side. This answer is mostly going to focus on that last part, because "ghosts and gods" implies, I think, that you are ready to work with gods, or at least eager, which is, like, at least half of the process.

However, even then, I do wanna say—while I don't want to discount your negative experiences at all! I don't know anything about them, but I'm sure it was awful!—you, all by yourself, can probably banish most ghostly things you're likely to run into. There's a lotta bark, and usually not that much bite. I wrote up some less formal banishing methods and posted them here on ye old witch blogge, but really, you can mostly just yell at stuff to leave.

(there is a fair amount of repetition between this post and that one! I apologize. I mostly typed these late at night over the course of several days)

Now! Assistance. An ounce of prevention vs a pound of cure and it’s good to pack light.

So much of magic across time and cultures is about negotiating with spirits of some flavor or another. Maybe it's worship or maybe it's bindings or maybe it's strictly transactional, but as beings made of flesh we are forever making pacts with beings made of something else, and hey, it usually works.

The complication here is that the distinction between ghosts and gods maybe isn't that simple. Mess with the wording a little and Catholic saints are basically both. And so are some orisha, some loa, and so on. Baron Samedi (lord of the cemetery, best bang since the big one, etc etc etc) in particular, out of the vodou pantheon, may or may not have been human once, depending on who you ask.

Further: the most readily available spooky occult forces you have are your ancestors. So you'd file that under ghosts, maybe, except that with ancestral veneration practices and all, we inch closer to god territory, in a sense. At least—the rituals start looking the same from an outside perspective. Santeria, Vodou, Epiritismo and many more practices that the ones I'm familiar with involve working with your ancestors to accomplish your worldly goals. We don't consider them ghosts when we work with them; that's not the word we use. But arguably—why not?

So the trick here isn't necessarily how to sort ghosts from gods as much as it is to hang out with some NICE (to you) ghosts and/or gods.

How do you do that?

If you have a good relationship with your ancestors, then you start there. If you, like me, or lots of other long disowned and disinherited magicians, have a disconnect there, then—welp. Consider getting over it by going back further in the family tree (this is what you will inevitably eventually do). Somewhere in there you have someone kind, I promise. But that's not advice I could have followed ten years ago, so I'll get to the alternative in a minute. Let's assume, for the moment, that you accept the logic that your ancestors have a vested interest in protecting their line, and in fact having an active magic user willing to work with them probably makes their afterlives much easier.

There's tons of guides online about how to work with your ancestors. I think sincere, unstructured prayer and a glass of water are the simplest and most powerful of offerings. A candle, if you have one. Just flipping on a lamp or a light switch if you don't.

(I travel with a little LED tealight and a mala made of skull beads carved from ox bone, but I am unnecessarily spooky and dramatic. If anything, my ancestors prefer the plain obsidian mala I first started with. But the aesthetic.)

I'm very, very informal in my ancestral practice. It still works.

Tell them you want to establish a working connection, talk to them about what's going on in your life. Keep it short and don't worry about whether or not you feel anything yet. It might take weeks before you feel something, and that's okay—discernment is, like I've said, the most important but also hardest skill, and it usually takes time and repetition. Offer them something—anything, really, and honestly the plain glass of water is traditional—and ask for their protection. They will almost certainly give it to you.

"But Flowers," you might say. "Fuck that and fuck 'em. I'm not ready to fuck with my family yet."

Alright, little one! I feel ya. It took me ages to warm up to the idea. I promise that it's worth it when you're ready, but having covered ghosts, let's move on to

GODS

Step one: ask yourself if you need to fuck around with gods in the first place.

Step two: fuck around and find out.

Step three varies depending on who you're looking for. There is a great deal of anxiety about this in occult circles, especially among people who use the term "baby witch." People are terrified of making the wrong choice. They want it to be PERFECT. They want to be correct. "Who is calling me?" ask a thousand seekers, across forums and places. "I saw a butterfly the other day. IS IT A SIGN?"

(shit, dude, I dunno, probably not, but potentially maybe. Nobody can know but you. just keep in mind that butterflies etc exist on their own and go around doing their own thing and this has absolutely nothing to do with you the vast majority of the time)

You don't need to be wait to be called by a god to offer worship and/or develop a working relationship. I would argue that most people aren't really called, and if you are, you will KNOW. Tumblr likes to say gods need consent and I think that's fucking hilarious. There is no folkloric precedent for that. If you are Called, capital letter Called, you will know, and whatever happens next is between you whatever bizarre shamanic experience you end up having, because you WILL have it, good luck.

But probably that's not the issue here! Moving on with our hypothetical.

You're not waiting around for divine intervention. You're being proactive. You're not waiting for The Call, or even a mild call. How do you choose what god you're petitioning for protection? I doubt you're entirely neutral about it. You probably have a god you identify with or just find really friggin cool. That's a fine and dandy place to start.

The working relationship need not be forever.

Which brings me to my next point. If you are absolutely undecided about what direction to go in, consider going to one of the liminal gods. Your crossroads gods, your messenger gods, often trickster gods. Your between spaces gods. Your portal opening gods.

In Santeria and Vodou, which I keep on referring back to because those are the systems I was raised in, your messenger gods get called very early on in the ritual. Why? To open the way for everybody else. There's a suggestion here that certain gods are closer or more easily reached, so if you want an opener—ask somebody with keys, yeah?

(also technically there's spirits called before then like the rhythm/dance/drums but let's not complicate things. Broadly speaking: key holding gods first)

Catholic saints wise, you've got Saint Peter, right? Santeria has Elegua. Vodou has Legba. Vodou also has the Baron as a crossroads god and yer liminal spaces god and sometimes he also has keys and hey by the way, he's really great, but where was I?

Hermes is another option. Mercury.

There's a bunch of American indigenous options I don't know enough about to confidently say.

SPEAKING of indigenous american, right, there's always Quetzalcoatl—technically—sky god, wind god, messenger god.

There's Odin and I'm actually a big fan, but the Norse magic community is often kind of garbage these days because we've got too many nazis running around, which is a shame.

My point is: there's gonna be somebody who feels close, either because of your cultural background or your aesthetic, and you might as well ask.

Settle down. Call their name. Offer water and a prayer and ask for protection, tell them what it is you want to do, ask for their help on this new life journey.

Worship isn't really complicated unless you want it to be.

Again, don't worry about "feeling" anything. Don't expect anything dramatic. Just offer something, every day or every week or whenever you have the time and headspace for it. Do the motions and mean it even a little bit and with time the rest shall come.

Because EVENTUALLY, you will feel something. It will probably be a mild sense of peace. The ritual feels calming. Something about it feels cozy. Presence is often subtle, but that counts.

Once you feel solidly good about your ritual, I would say that means you have at least some degree of protection, and it's time to wade around the swamp and see what's up. What do you do next? I dunno! I don't know what your goals are! But you have your ancestors at your back, or you're on a god team, or maybe BOTH—go explore!

Confidence isn't everything. But confidence, my friend, is a LOT. There's more to it, of course, but especially early on: fake it till you make it and dream it and you'll be it.

Best of luck, anon. <3