#just in case any of you heathens are local

[hunny-bunnny]

Hey it's that thing I do.

[broomsick]

Heathen-izing your spring celebrations

The earth wakes up from its slumber, snowdrops poke through Skaði's coat of frost, yada yada. You guys know I'm not such a huge fan of spring. I do have, after all, a favorable bias towards winter (sue me). However, something paganism has helped me develop is the taste for each of the seasons our planet has to offer. Having worshipped Freyr for quite a long time, I've come to appreciate the beauty of spring. For one, the celebrations that come with the equinox. Spring festivals carry quite the unique, undeniable excitement, after all! Which is why I'm very happy to share some of my personal practices and ideas regarding norse-paganism oriented spring festivals.

Quick disclaimer! Unlike Jól, the celebration of spring in Iron Age Scandinavia and within the Germanic tribes is quite poorly documented. We've got access to little to no sources describing practices surrounding spring or the spring equinox. Still, I hope this handful of personal ideas and practices prove useful to you! I've summed up a few interesting historically attested (or attested-ish) practices as well, but I suggest looking into them by yourself if you're interested in more detailed information.

The basics

I'm going to assume that many of you are already familiar with what neo-pagan sources generally consider the "symbols" of the spring equinox. Why the rabbit? Because spring marks the beginning of the mating season among hares and lagomorphs. Why the eggs? Because they're a symbol of birth and renewal. Still, neither one of these symbols has any strong ties to historical practice, least of all in Germanic traditions. In the case of Scandinavian practice specifically, the painting of eggs is more often than not believed to have originated within Christian circles before moving north. That doesn't mean, however, that the symbols of hares/rabbits and eggs can't be used in pagan practice! I use them to decorate for the spring equinox no matter their origin, simply because I really do think they fit with the mood, for the reasons previously mentioned. I also love using local symbols of spring, such as snowdrops, to decorate. If you're looking to weave more norse pagan tradition into your celebration, phallic idols/representations are the way to go. They are a major symbol of Freyr, who is closely tied to spring. By worshipping this symbol, you are asking for the prosperity of the land! You can start by "cleansing" the symbol, so to speak, using incense smoke or water depending on what material it is made out of. I tend to use melted snow to cleanse it, to further the symbolism of spring. If you're on a budget or simply aren't interested in buying such an idol, anything can still be turned into a phallic symbol, honestly. A simple tree branch you've picked up outside could do the trick nicely, after you've trimmed away whatever sticks out of it! This is just an example, but I'll trust your creativity to find anything that you feel works as a phallic symbol.

Deity work/worship

At this time of year, it's also pretty commonplace to make offerings to the Vanir, the landvættir and your local Dísir! You can thank them for the summer that has passed, and the one that’s to come. You can ask for a plentiful year, and for an abundance of resources. If you’re not sure how to go about working with landvættir, I suggest taking a quick look at this previous post I made on the topic of land spirit work. Landdísir are especially venerated by neo-pagans at this time of year, because they are considered the guardians of one’s land. By offering something to them, and/or the landvættir, you show your respect for the land itself. I’ve already spoken a bit about worship of Freyr for the coming spring, but let me dig a little deeper on that topic. I almost feel compelled to do so because his association with spring was so widespread that he was at the center of an important springtime festival called Disting. This festival was especially important in Uppsala, where large numbers of people would gather to make sacrifices for victory, and where lovers would allegedly exchange gifts. However, Disting and Dísablót are very often mixed up, as the difference between the two vary depending on the region. But back to our main topic: springtime Freyr worship today. Effigies of boars make for great decoration to invoke the benevolence of the King of Kings. After all, the boar held a major role in his worship: it's generally viewed as his fylgja, and boars were sacrificed to him on Yuletide, according to the Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks. This is the reason I treat my loved ones and myself to boar meat around the equinox, or when it's truly starting to feel like spring. I cook a meal out of boar (trying to change up the recipe every time!) and share it around to family members or neighbors. In fact, the act of sharing has become quite an important part of my worship of Freyr. It allows me to embody his generosity and benevolence! You could see this as a form of devotional. Now if you’re looking for more ideas on Freyr worship, this other post I wrote could prove useful!

The next deity I'll be touching on is the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre (otherwise called Ostara), who understandably comes up often when researching the Vernal equinox. We unfortunately know very little about her, including whether she was ever worshipped in history. One thing's for sure, though: she is certainly worshipped by many pagans today, which is why I would suggest looking, not only into historical sources, but also into SPG and UPG if you're interested in devoting a ritual/offering to her. She is heavily associated with dawn, which is why her devotees will sometimes wake up to see the sun rise on the day of the equinox. Dew and flowers are common offerings to her! While I’m at it, let’s talk about flowers some more. They are your best friends when it comes to decoration! Natural ones obviously feel a little more lively, but it’s also perfectly fine to use artificial ones, or even ones made out of paper! They make excellent material for crafts, and having flowers inside the house can be likened to inviting spring itself within your home.

At this time of year, many heathens also engage in Sigrblót ("victory sacrifice"), a blót for victory, or success. This conveniently aligns with Freyr worship, which is often oriented towards finances, personal success or else, due to his association with fertility. The Sigrblót was attested in the Ynglingasaga, though it could be better described as a celebration of the coming summer rather than of spring itself. Now, this celebration is sometimes called Somarsdag ("summer's day"), and it's often said to happen on the fourth full moon after Jól, or on the 16th of April. However, if you aren't tied to any particular group and tend to perform blót alone, I'd say Sigrblót could very well be celebrated on any designated day which feels right to you. Pretty much all the information we have on that sacrifice is speculation, but it would make plenty of sense to perform it around the equinox, in my opinion. The Sigrblót is the perfect occasion to set some goals for yourself! After all, you’re asking for victory! What’s a project you wish to see succeed this year? Since Óðinn is very tightly associated with victory, you can choose to involve him in this ritual, by devoting an offering or a song to him, for example.

Another practice that’s great for a springtime celebration is lighting a fire! It’s a great way to symbolize the return of the sun and warmth. If you are interested in sun worship or if you already actively engage in it, this is an opportunity to do something for Sól! This activity is something that makes for a beautiful devotional. If your area is already pretty warm and if you’ve got the right fixtures, why not make a bonfire outside! And if your area, like mine, still looks like it’s halfway through January, a fire in the hearth will do the job perfectly. Lighting candles does the trick as well, and what's useful about them is that you can carry them around your home, so as to “spread the sun’s light” in your living area, and set them on windowsills to welcome the sun! I actually usually couple the lighting of the hearth with the Sigrblót. Once the blót is performed, I can throw written prayers or wishes in the fire. Though it doesn’t stem from any historical ritual, I’ve developed the habit of carving the simple shape of the Isa rune on a piece of wood, which I throw in the fire to symbolize the end of winter, the melting of the ice! A means of saying goodbye to winter that’s passed, so to speak. If you’re working with candles, this could be done by writing the rune on a piece of paper.

[kamorth]

I have had an epiphany.

Yesterday we were having a car conversation about Christians, specifically the difficulties in communicating annoyance at extremists while not throwing regular Christians under the bus. Obviously this ended up boiling down to "what are the differences between Christians who annoy me and Christians I get along with".

(I'm not writing that out every time so for the rest of this post amd only for the purposes of this post I am going to refer to People Who Believe In One God And Follow The Teachings Of Jesus Christ as oranges and People Who Claim To Do That But Are Utterly Horrible People Anyway as apples. Also before anyone jumps on that particular fruit cart, I'm not an atheist and this post has nothing whatsoever to do with whose religion is correct. It's about the behavior of a specific subset of a self identifying group of people. I'm specifically talking about Christian apples here but apples can be any flavour, atheist apples are also very common.)

I have a specific apple in my life who I really wish I didn't have to deal with. She is unavoidable as she's part of my kid's life and he's 19 so I can't make that decision for him. She is the absolute epitome of appleness. She cannot have a conversation with anyone without it either being about Jesus or why everything is their fault and we should all pray about it right now. If you try to change the subject to something more neutral (like the weather) she just gets this sad little condescending smile and starts acting like she's humoring a 3 year old. She makes herself weep in joy by singing hymns to herself when she thinks we think she thinks there's no one watching. If you have any experience with apples you have met someone who is trying to be this woman. She is going to be my case study.

Recently my kid graduated. He fought incredibly hard through mountains of shit ON TOP of being 16 when the pandemic started to get to that and I am supremely proud of him. She thought he could have done better but honestly I don't see how. There was no "better " to be done. He did the best, period. He had two graduation ceremonies, one for his school and one for local Indigenous students (there were 67 students from 3 schools at that ceremony and I cried the entire time Holy shit THAT was how you recognize effort and celebrate achievement it was just beautiful) and we attended both. During these ceremonies I glanced over at her occasionally - at first it was because she showed up late to the Big House and tried to make a scene when the ushers wouldn't walk her through the dancers to take her to her reserved front row seat and instead gave her a folding chair at the back - and I noticed something.

She never applauded. She never stood. She never engaged in any way. The only time she reacted positively to anything was when my kid, the student she was there for, had his name called. She tapped her wallet against her had three times (someone who had come with us saw that and mentioned it to me, I was too busy cheering and making my hands go red) and... that was it. She didn't even hang around to thank our hosts. At the second ceremony, the one at the school (still fun, but it didn't have the gravitas and meaning of the first one), she was more engaged but not by much. One of the teachers there is an orange and one of the kids thanked Jesus so I guess that counted for more in her eyes.

I thought about all the times I have bowed my head at a restaurant or her dinner table so someone can say grace, or kept my mouth shut while her husband gave the most offensive Christmas speeches (about saving brown heathen babies by bringing them to Jesus or how Jewish people are orange-hating gatekeepers for some examples) or gone to her church without saying what I really thought because it was a family thing and I was trying to be respectful and not cause strife.

And I realized that was it, that was the core of what irritates me so much. That utter lack of respect she has for other people's beliefs, opinions, or interests.

She expects a respect that she is not willing to give. You can't even EARN that respect from her because she thinks she is the only one who deserves it. We are so far beneath her that she can't even deign to clap for graduating students at a graduation ceremony, yet we are expected to actively practice her religious rituals whenever she is around. We are expected to forget our own rituals for the sake of hers in every single situation that she has an awareness of.

She will NEVER do that for us.

She can't even be respectful of a culture that her own specific sect of her religion is still actively trying to commit cultural genocide against while there is a national conversation about the 20,000 dead children that have been found so far as a result of that genocide.

She called the Indigenous Graduation ceremony "quaint". I was crying because a grandmother was dancing in full regalia and her face was a portrait of pure unbridled bliss that had been fought hard for and that grandmother knew how hard the fight had been because she had been on the front lines of it her entire life and her own survival to see this celebration of her culture was a bigger victory than any apple could ever understand. I have no idea how anyone could call that "quaint".

And I realized that that's the common thread with apples. Whatever they do that specifically annoys me, the core of it comes down to expecting a respect they have no intention of giving.

By comparison, most oranges never even bring up religion unless it's relevant to the conversation, and when they do they're normal about it. They show interest in the beliefs of others and don't immediately respond to things with "you know that will send you to hell right".

If you think you might be an apple, it's really easy to fix. Show others the respect you want shown to you. Don't assume that your way is the only correct way. Acknowledge that other people have as much right to their beliefs as you have to yours.

In other words:

Do unto others as you would have done to you.

[kim-poce]

15. Witches Are Meant To Burn: Portia's Gods

I posted the wrong chapter yesterday sorry

First | Previous | Next | Masterlist

A long time before the continent was named Graywave, there was a war. Not to start a history essay, but after years of being pushed back deeper into their own territory, several indigenous tribes formed an alliance with two main goals: drive away common enemies, and help each other so they will never face the danger of extinction again. It happened centuries ago, and Allies of Portia has grown into a stable and formally recognized country that shows itself to outsiders as one state.

Within the country, however, the cultural difference is often like day and night, most people whose field of study is Portia are focused on the common history and only go deeper into a few subcultures.

“We are lucky Podium is located near Kiona,” Tina said, after explaining the basics, but also letting it clear that Portia has just too much in it for a crash course to be enough to actually learn all of the basics. “Kiona is in Viné state, which is one of the most open tribes, if this cave was more to the south we would take years to be allowed in. If ever.”

“There are several dialects within Portia, but for the most part of their history, their language was mainly, if not exclusively, verbal. So, given how old Podium is, it’s not weird that there are no books in some of Portia’s language. What is weird is the lack of other traces; pottery, accessories, and carvings! Many tribes love carvings! Sometimes they tell stories, which would fit so well with the rest of Podium, but as of now, I haven’t seen a single thing that looks Portia made.”

“Maybe there are things from the tribes annihilated before the alliance,” I said, it was a pretty common theory among the groups working in the library, there are too many traces left behind by cultures we didn’t even know existed. “After all, the territory wasn’t the main reason foreign wished to end the locals’ culture.”

“Yes,” Tina nodded, “Most subcultures within Portia fall right into the heathen category, there was no belief in fate as we know, it was the opposite, many of Portia’s subcultures believe that you should take the rein of your life, so you can see how quickly this became a cultural war which aimed genocide instead of land. On the subject, I was thinking if maybe you should accept Melanie, since she is a local it just feels right.”

“If I decide to add a local to our team, it’ll be a scholar who already studies the field, Tina.”

She shrugged.

“Ok, so if there is too much about Portia for a crash course, how can we tell if something is Portia made?” Igor asked.

“Okay, here,” Tina lend out folds to everyone, “As the index says, the first part is the description of how the runes are formed, the second part is subcategorized by tribe, which is subcategorized by time, and goes from most important and used runes to less known ones to the ones we saw, hence we know existed, but doesn’t quite know what meant. There is a chronological timeline in case you need to recap, there are references at the end, the ones marked with the stars are books I borrowed and you can have access to, and the ones marked with a point are books that will come quickly if you order to location and the ones unmarked are only available in faraway libraries.”

I skimmed through the first pages as my other students stared at Tina.

“You had just a few days,” Hector pointed out, astonished.

“And this was hand-copied!” Sandra added.

“You call this a crash course?” Livia asked.

“I mean, it’s my field,” she shrugged.

“You should accept the job the academies are offering,” Lucas suggested.

“I’m a student, not a professor, just read it and ask me if you have any doubts.”

“Tina,” I called, looking at the two copies she hadn’t held out, “Will you give it to Melanie?”

“Knowledge is to be shared, my master said so,” she smirked. “The other one is for Cloud.”

“Is Cloud still sick?” June asked, “They must not be used to the climate, shame I wanted to tell you that they picked such a great name for themselves! I picked a boring one for myself, June, who names themselves like this?”

“You?” Tina tried.

“Shut up, my name is perfect!”

“I’m sure you will love them, June, they seem to be the same flavor of a troublemaker as you,” I said.

“Hey!”

“Master, before I forget, there are talks between the students about taking copies out of the area again. Since the fire stopped everyone is feeling like this ‘no work from home allowed’ thing is overkill.”

I sighed. This was bound to happen at some point. “Please keep looking into it, if things stay like this we may need to build a temporary dorm near a town around here, so they can ‘take the work home’ without going home.”

“Okay, Master.”

Livia tilted her head, “Why does Lucas call you-”

“I gave up asking.”

“Knock knock,” Melanie called from outside the tent, “May I go in?”

“She was shyer at first,” I murmured.

“Yes, Melanie, we are done talking,” Tina shouted.

She had brought food, so there wasn't really anything I could say to complain, we talked about the weather, which was somehow hotter than usual, and talked about Portia. Melanie told more about how the runes were not only meant to communicate, and why they changed from season to season, and from subject to subject. She was good at explaining.

“So, while this one means water, you can’t use it for the raining reason, because the high spirits, or gods as you may call them, of water and rain don’t like each other. You must use this one when the middle spirit of wind allows you to, and if she doesn’t you must use this other one.”

“Their politics are complicated and they seem to make this everyone else's problem,” Hector said.

“You’ll get the rain spirits angry at you,” Melanie said, half serious, half joking, but she didn’t deny it. “They are complicated being but-”

Melanie flinched at the sudden loud sound, akin to thunder, coming from outside.

The area where Podium is located is deserted, the ground is mostly sand and rock, with dry-looking bushes, common to the biome, here and there. The tents where the scholars lived were made of very thick fabric since the main issues were privacy and wind. Most of the work was done inside Podium, and the copied books were also kept in a well-protected part of the cave.

There is no rain here, at least it wasn’t supposed to rain in this particular area apart from a couple of drizzles in the coldest winters, but there was no one who wouldn’t recognize the sounds of the storm even if the water wasn’t dripping inside the tents.

We put Tina’s copies inside a protected chest and walked outside, there were a few more things we deemed important to keep safe but our curiosity took the best of us, like the innate curiosity that attracts people to the Hand of Cave, like the particular curiosity that makes me look for the witches, whatever they are, this same feeling moved my legs out of the tent, Melanie and my students just behind me.

We looked up. Or tried. The storm was too strong to allow us to keep our eyes open, the thin white dresses were suddenly not enough to protect us from the cold. The sky was dark as if it wasn’t the middle of the afternoon, the lighting and thunder grounded us to reality, too loud and bright to be an illusion.

I looked around, expecting to see people running from one side to another trying to save their notes from the rain, but everyone was astonished while looking up to the sky.

“What god did we anger this time?” I asked mindlessly.

“Not mine,” Meliane said, making us all stare at her. “What? She isn’t that petty.”

—

@kathea, @extemporary-username, @wolfeyedwitch, @blu-jay-2779, @rose-pinkie, @latenightcupsofcoffee

[oldguy56-world]

I'm Sorry

So sorry. That I was such a fool. I started up last week's blog (Paperback Writer) with the line 'I am coming up to blog #250 soon. Well it was sooner than expected, That was blog #250. Rather than gloss over my mistake or hide from it or deny it I did the Canadian thing and apologized. It is one of the three things we are famous for along with hockey and maple syrup throughout the entire world.

Two Canadians accidentally bump into each other and we both apologize. (Unless we are in the sanctity of our cars where we swear profusely at the other person until we get out of the car). We don't pull a knife or a gun, we both just say sorry. That word is in the top ten first words we learn as an infant. (In case you are wondering, the other 9 in no particular order are Mama, Dada, Timmy's. kaka, no, more, peepee, mine and of course f#%@). I believe that last one is an infantile attempt to say puck which is part of our culture but unless the government will give me a grant to study this we may never know.

we often apologize when it is completely unnecessary, but that is okay. I see too many instances (especially on TV) when an apology is warranted and none is forthcoming. Take this morning. I am watching the news (full disclosure it was American news) where the story was about the number of bodies found now that lake Meade is drying up. One of the bodies was found in a barrel with a bullet hole in the back of their head. The newscaster said with a straight face: "local police say it is a suspected murder." Thank about that while I go have a peepee. (Some words stick with you throughout your entire life.)

Okay I am back. It may seem like I never left but believe me at my age I was actually gone for five minutes. Sorry.

Getting back to the news story. Do the police actually think this is a suspected murder? (If they do send them a copy of my July 25th blog The Usual Suspects). Either they should apologize for making this statement or whoever hired them should apologize for hiring an idiot spokesperson. The newscaster should apologize for just reading what they were handed instead of sounding out the words in their head to see if they sound right. In any case an apology was due and never materialized.

This type of thing really rankles me, but not as much as the non-apology apology. You know what I mean. The 'I'm sorry you feel that way' statement. There is no apology for what they said or did but it is cleverly masked in what sounds like an apologetic statement. Next time someone says and does that to you punch them in the face and say 'I am sorry if your face hurts.' They can't call you on giving back a non-apology apology.

We had a board game that was a family favorite called Sorry. (It should have been called 'Gang up on Dad') It is hard though to be mad at your daughter(s) when she knocks your man back to start and looks up at you with those twinkling eyes and says 'Sorry daddy' in that little girl voice. What do you do?

Wait until they are a teenager then do something to embarrass them in front of their friends. Before you leave the scene of the crime throw an "I'm sorry" over your shoulder. If you are spiteful you would have counted the number you owe each of them from the games you played. If you don't get that opportunity get even by teaching their kids some things that maybe you shouldn't.

I'm sorry if you think I did either of those things.

People also apologize for other people's actions, like when they have a bad kid. "I am so sorry my child broke your favorite vase and is running around like a mad heathen in your home.' Really? There are only two apologies I would accept from that parent.

I am sorry that I was such a bad parent for bringing my child up this way. It is all my fault.

AND

2. I am sorry that I don't carry enough cash to cover the cost of replacing what my kid has destroyed. Can I send you the money through insta-banking to pay for it?

This is an acceptable response to the situation.

Side note. If you find yourself always apologizing for a close friend I suggest you find yourself another friend.

All in all saying the words I'm sorry is very powerful. The builds a connection between you and whoever you have wronged. It shows you care.

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK: If you have a hard time saying the words I'm sorry and meaning it after doing or saying something wrong you need to see a neurologist and a cardiologist. Something is wrong with your brain, your heart, or both.

[antlersacornsandallium]

Got back from Earthskills Rendezvous and boy oh boy do I have thoughts!

So, Earthskills Rendezvous is a non-profit organization that facilitates a large week-long event twice a year. This has been going on for decades. The event is centered on... well, earth skills. A smattering of survivalist skills like fire building, a lot of foraging and wild craft like bowl and spoon carving and tanning leathers, and also some workshops on the more... let's say spiritual side of things.

Basically it's a free-range adult summer camp.

It's a very cool event and it has a strong community with wonderful elders and experiences that you don’t normally get in your day to day life - unless you're one of the people within that group who have made it your lifestyle. More on that later.

Now, why am I posting about this on my heathen blog? What does this have to do with paganism? Well, see, I have opinions, and here they are.

I came to this event for a couple of reasons. The first was to learn how to make cool shit. Which I did! So much cool shit.

(deerskin moccasins, wisteria vine coiled baskets, recycled leather sheath for an axe, an awl in-progress, and a set of crochet hooks made from roadkill deer bones)

Is there anywhere in my life I will wear deerskin moccasins? No. But they were fun to make. And the rest of it I do actually use frequently, so there’s that. The baskets I use for gathering up garden fruits!

The other reason I went was to try and connect with other pagans. That went... not as great.

To be honest, most of the spirituality expressed at this place was in the form of energy work, group therapy (there was a grief circle) and vague non-denominational new age. Which is fine! Not a problem with that.

Except... well. There’s a bit of a problem with it. And it may be just my perception, biases based on experiences! But just in case it’s not...

Yeah, this place was very, very insular. Welcoming! But uh... the perception was young, white, heterosexual. At least on the week I went. And a lot of the side conversations I either participated in or overheard were, to put it lightly, shallow.

Which is to say: a conversation about shadow work that completely divorces the concept from spirituality and does not acknowledge the spiritual traditions they come from... does not lend itself to meaningful work. As an example.

Being there for almost a week, I could not identify a single other pagan. I saw more earth-centered spirituality representation at my local ren faire. Which blows my mind, because if there’s anywhere I should be seeing fellow pagans, it should be at an event whose emphasis is on earth skills and connectivity.

But what I saw was a lot of well-meaning but cringey younger white kids who talked about their spiritual “experiences” in the same ways that the kid who studied abroad for a semester comes back and dreamily talks about how the experience changed his life. I’m sure that it did, but it’s tourist talk. It’s a shallow understanding of a broader world. They’re better for the experience, but they’ve idealized it and it’s now divorced from any real-world context. They talk about spirituality like they read about it in a book one time, took a “shamanic journey” for 8 weeks with someone they paid a couple thousand dollars to teach them, and now they don’t know what to do with it.

It’s annoying and frustrating, is what I’m trying to say.

It’s a very neo-liberal kind of thing, I think? For lack of a better way to describe it. Welcoming and accepting to the point of blandness. The event leadership makes efforts to attract POC to the event, but from what I observed it’s not been very successful so far. As far as queerness - I saw very little of that either. Overall it reminded me of a hippy commune vibe: plenty of naked babies and packs of children running around freely and a loose community sense, drum circles and blankets laid out on the grass and communal fires. But for the dozen or so obvious het couples (I say obvious meaning cuddling at the very least) I saw exactly one queer couple other than myself and my wife. It honestly made me slightly uneasy, despite knowing this was a safe and welcoming space.

Anyway, I’ll attend again because it is honestly a fun and interesting event with great people - but the next time I’ll know not to expect anything deeper than “come learn how to make a wood bowl”.

[automatismoateo]

Sister converted to christianity and is now telling me I'm a sinner via /r/atheism

Sister converted to christianity and is now telling me I'm a sinner

Ok shortish version. My sister and I were raised vaguely Anglican. Mum was anglican but pulled away from our local church because they were homophobic and she didn't believe in that. Sister also left working at that church for the same reason as she identified as bi at the time. Sister started looking into Catholicism and then our mum had a stroke suddenly last year and my sister was the one who found her and had to take her to hospital alone because the rest of us were too far away to get to her so there is obviously significant trauma there. She died 3 weeks later.

My sister has found her faith to be a big anchor for her and I was all for it but was a little worried about how things were going with Catholics not being a fan of the gays and my sister identifying as bi. I am also bi and have a girlfriend that I live with and love a lot. My sister surprised us all at the start of this year saying she had a boyfriend (a surprise because before that she wanted to become a nun). Anyway the other day she texted me wanting advice on how she's doing with her mental health but mentioned "theres a lot else going on that isn't just mental health that I don't even want to allude to in case you guess". So I was worried she was unsafe or she'd got hard into pro-life campaigning or TERF behaviour but she said no, it was probably worse than that for me because the catholic church views being gay or trans as a sin (my girlfriend is trans). And I'm like well yeah I know I don't live under a rock, but what does that mean for you, are you saying you believe this now? Like initially I was like well if you aren't going to vote for things that will strip my rights and you aren't trying to hurt me then do you. I don't think I realised she was trying to tell me she basically believes this now until she was like "I know hate the sin love the sinner is a cliche but it's true for me". I asked her not to say that to me because I can't change who I am or who I love and I don't understand how you can claim to love someone while believing an innate part of who they are is sinful.

She said she found some of the things I said hard to hear and she is going to talk to some people she trusted but I'm just totally lost like...apparently she identifies as straight now which is cool sexuality is fluid but my family have all been remarkably chill about me being gay I never expected this from my sister of all people and I just have this sick feeling she's too set in this new line of thinking to get out of it and any attempts to make her realise what she's saying is hurtful will just make her dig in that it's sad that I'm a horrid heathen queer and like...if that's the case I don't feel safe or comfortable being around her. We've already been through this with my partners parents so it's like. How much more is my family gonna be fractured? I hate it because I haven't fucking changed and I'm not doing anything wrong I'm just fucking existing and my sister has suddenly decided that's a sin but reassures me "she doesn't think I'm evil" and "doesn't want to be considered homophobic or transphobic". Ok well...don't be a homophobe then.

So yeah. Any tips on how to navigate the gauntlet of a recently converted sibling who now believes totally different things to you please help because I'm at a loss. I want to support her mental health but this entire business has absolutely fucked mine.

Submitted July 04, 2023 at 11:24AM by Playful_Bee_5481 (From Reddit https://ift.tt/humKv4G)

[steveezekiel]

THE CHURCH OF GOD: THE PILLAR AND THE FOUNDATION OF THE TRUTH

"In case I am delayed, SO THAT YOU WILL KNOW HOW PEOPLE OUGHT TO CONDUCT THEMSELVES IN THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD, which is THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD, THE PILLAR AND FOUNDATION OF THE TRUTH."

1 Timothy 3:15 (AMP)

15. “Moreover if your brother sins against you, GO AND TELL HIM HIS FAULT BETWEEN YOU AND HIM ALONE. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.

16. But if he will not hear, TAKE WITH YOU ONE OR TWO MORE, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’

17. And if he refuses to hear them, TELL IT TO THE CHURCH. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."

Matthew 18:15-17 (NKJV)

• The Church of Christ has principles that guide it, hence there must be discipline in the Church (1 Timothy 5:29).

- God set order in His Church. THE church is empowered to act for God—on God’s behalf.

- If believers had differences, or DISPUTES, they need not go before the unbelievers to settle the disputes (1 Corinthians 6:1,2).

THE first move to be made is to endeavour settling the issue between the two aggrieved parties (Matthew 18:15).

AND if that move does not yield any fruitful result, other people, one or two Believers, should be involved and intervened in settling the affair (Matthew 18:16).

IT is when the second move to solve the issue does not produce any fruitful result that the matter could be taken to the whole church (Matthew 18:17).

- Those who are concerned should allow the church to be involved and settled the disputes between them [aggrieved parties]—instead of taking matter to the law court (Matthew 18:17; 1 Corinthians 6:4-7).

WHATEVER the church says on it should be accepted by both parties.

WHOEVER disagrees on what the church says should be considered an unbeliever, a heathen or a tax collector: “If the person still refuses to listen, TAKE YOUR CASE TO THE CHURCH. THEN IF HE OR SHE WON'T ACCEPT THE CHURCH'S DECISION, TREAT THAT PERSON AS A PAGAN OR A CORRUPT TAX COLLECTOR" (Matthew 18:17 NLT).

- The Bible also says instead of taking the matter before the unbelievers you should rather let yourself be WRONGED and CHEATED: "The lawsuits that you have against each other show that you are already defeated. IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR YOU TO LET SOMEONE WRONG YOU! IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR YOU TO LET SOMEONE CHEAT YOU!" (1 Corinthians 6:7 ICB).

- It is wrong for Believers to take their disputed matters before the unbelievers to be settled (1 Corinthians 6:1-7).

• In addition, whoever did wrong should be corrected and disciplined in love by the church (1 Corinthians 5:1-5).

- A man in the Corinthians church was having an affair with his father's wife, his step mother, and the church was aware but did nothing about it (1 Corinthians 5:1,2).

- The matter later got to the hearings of Apostle Paul, he reprimanded the church for not to have done anything on Such a sensitive issue (1 Corinthians 5:2).

HE said such a Sin is not even named among the Gentiles, the unbelievers, not to have mentioned it in The Church (1 Corinthians 5:1); THEN he gave a command that the person concerned should be disciplined: "YOU ARE TO HAND OVER THIS MAN TO SATAN FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF HIS BODY, so that his SPIRIT may be SAVED in the day of the Lord Jesus" (1 Corinthians 5:5 AMP).

- A Sin in the life of someone which the church is aware of, but unchecked and uncorrected, would spread and permeate the entire Church—pollute the lives of others (1 Corinthians 5:6).

- Uncorrected Sin in a Church would have a negative influence on other Believers in that local church and the body of Christ. It will automatically spread or permeate the whole Church like a leavening agent in a dough: "Your boasting [over the supposed spirituality of your church] is not good [indeed, it is vulgar and inappropriate]. Do you not know that [just] A LITTLE LEAVEN FERMENTS THE WHOLE BATCH [of dough, just as a little Sin corrupts a person or an entire church]?" (1 Corinthians 5:6 AMP).

READ: 1 Corinthians 5:6-13

- Whoever rebels but would not accept or listen to what the church has said should be put away, shunned or ostracized: "Hymenaeus and Alexander are men of this sort, AND AS A MATTER OF FACT I [Paul] HAD TO EXPEL THEM FROM THE CHURCH TO TEACH THEM NOT TO BLASPHEME" (1 Timothy 1:20 PHILLIPS).

READ: 2 Thessalonians 3:6,14,15

• Those also who cause divisions in the Church and upset people's faith should be ostracized: "And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. WATCH OUT FOR PEOPLE WHO CAUSE DIVISIONS AND UPSET PEOPLE'S FAITH by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. STAY AWAY FROM THEM" (Romans 16:17).

- It is all right to stay away from whoever will contaminate your faith.

IT is not on the basis of hatred but to keep yourself from being corrupted: "DO NOT BE DECEIVED: “EVIL COMPANY CORRUPTS GOOD HABITS" (1 Corinthians 15:33 NKJV).

- It also would help the person being ostracized or shunned because he or she would be ASHAMED and turn over a new leaf: "14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, NOTE THAT PERSON AND DO NOT KEEP COMPANY WITH HIM, that he may be ASHAMED. 15 Yet do NOT count him as an ENEMY, BUT ADMONISH HIM AS A BROTHER" (2 Thessalonians 3:14,15).

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.

Peace!

[samwisethewitch]

Working with Spirits

In my last post, I talked about different types of spirits that witches may work with. Today, we’re going to discuss how to approach spirits and establish a working relationship.

Keep in mind that these are general guidelines, and every spirit is different. I encourage you to do your own research beyond this post, especially if you plan to work with powerful entities like deities, angels, or fairies.

Remember the Four R’s

It’s important to keep these things in mind when working with spirits:

Respect. The spirits are powerful, and you need to have a healthy respect for that power when working with them. It’s also important to respect them as individual, autonomous beings.

I’m not saying that every interaction you have with the spirits needs to be a full blown ritual with incense and chanting. (In fact, some spirits don’t care for those types of rituals.) But every interaction you have with them should be conducted with an air of respect and reverence.

What this mostly boils down to is good manners. Being polite will get you better results — and it will also keep you from being on the receiving end of spirit mischief. Proper etiquette depends on the type of spirit you’re working with, which is one reason it’s important to do your research. In general, it’s polite to make an offering, use respectful language, and thank the spirits before you leave (unless you’re dealing with fairies — some traditions say you should never thank the fae).

Respecting spirits also means respecting their desires — even if that means respecting their wish not to work with you. Not every spirit you reach out to will want to form a relationship with you, just like not every person you meet in your life will want to be your friend. When a spirit turns you down, respect their decision, politely bid them farewell, and move on.

Reciprocity. The goal of spirit work is to establish a mutually-beneficial partnership — not for one partner to serve the other. On one hand, this means that you can’t just command spirits to do your bidding without giving anything in return. On the other hand, it also means that you won’t be worshiping/honoring them without receiving some kind of boon.

This is why it’s important to make offerings to the spirits you work with. These offerings “feed” the spirits by giving them power, and a good offering will likely make a spirit more willing to work with you. Offerings are not payment for favors from spirits (it’s not quite that simple), but they are a sign that you intent to practice reciprocity in your relationship.

In general, it’s important to make an offering when you first introduce yourself to a spirit and again before you ask them for anything. But you shouldn’t only make offerings when you’re about to ask for something! How would you feel if you had a friend who only did nice things for you when they were about to ask for a favor? You’d probably start avoiding them, right? You might even get angry. To avoid this kind of dynamic in your spirit work, make regular offerings to the spirits you work with. If you’re especially close with a spirit, you may want to offer to them every day.

Relationship. The spirits are not vending machines where you put offerings in and blessings fall out. They are living, sentient beings with feelings, and deserve to be treated as such. Your relationship with the spirits you choose to work with is just that: a relationship. And like any relationship, it requires time, energy, and emotional labor.

If that sounds like more effort than you want to make, there are plenty of ways to do magic without ever working with spirits. You don’t need to do spirit work to be a witch. It may not be your thing, and that’s okay!

But if you choose to work with spirits, it’s important to remember that you are working with them as an equal partner — you’re not their boss, and they are not obligated to like you, help you, or even tolerate you. Relationships with spirits are built over time, through mutual respect and trust.

You wouldn’t drive up to your friend’s house, throw a fast-food burger at them, and then demand a special favor. Likewise, you shouldn’t just dump an offering on your altar and demand something of the spirits. Take the time to sit down with them. Talk to them. Get to know them. Put some thought into your offerings, instead of just offering the same thing every time. Spirit work is, at its core, about building an authentic relationship with the spirits we choose to include in our practice. Enjoy it.

Research. When it comes to spirits, it’s important to know exactly who (and what) you’re dealing with. As previously mentioned, the etiquette for dealing with fairies is very different from other land spirits. Different deities have different standards for their worshipers, which vary from one pantheon to the next. The way you interact with your ancestors will probably be shaped by their personalities, cultures, and values. All this is to say it’s important to know who you’re reaching out to, preferably before you reach out to them.

With deities, this is easy. Most witches who choose to work with deities will feel drawn to a certain pantheon, or even a specific god or goddess. There’s a lot of information out there about most historical pantheons, so researching them is easy. The same goes for angels, saints, demons, and even fairies.

It can be a little more difficult to do your research when you’re dealing with land spirits, spirits of place, or other less well-known figures. In these cases, it’s best to take three steps: 1.) figure out what type of spirit you’re dealing with (land spirit, animal spirit, ancestor, etc.), 2.) find out what this type of spirit is like generally, and 3.) find out how that applies to your specific spirit.

For example: you want to connect with your local land spirits. You do some research to find out how land spirits have been treated in various cultures — you find out that they’re typically benevolent, are closely tied to the natural landscape, and were often given food offerings. Then, you do some research into your local plants and animals — what form might a nature spirit take in your local environment? Would it be a huge moose with snow-covered antlers, or a magnolia tree in full bloom? Is there any local folklore in your area that could be describing a land spirit? Once you have answers to these questions, you’ll have a much better idea of how to approach the spirits and start up a relationship.

Initiating a Relationship with a Spirit

Begin by identifying who this spirit is. For example, let’s say you choose to reach out to a specific ancestor spirit — maybe a deceased grandparent. Make sure you’re familiar with the etiquette for interacting with this type of spirit so you don’t accidentally do something disrespectful. (If your Grandma hated cussing, try not to drop any f-bombs while communing with her.)

Create a special space to communicate with the spirit. This can be as simple as lighting a candle or as elaborate as setting up a special altar. If you’re reaching out to a grandparent, you might set up a small ritual space with a photo of them, any of their belongings that you have access to, and some things that they enjoyed while they were alive. These items may make the connection easier, but you don’t need them to communicate. What matters is that you’ve taken the time to create a special space for this moment. (Like all ritual spaces, it should be clean and tidy, and it’s a good idea to do an energetic cleanse beforehand.)

Make an offering. Make sure your offering is appropriate for the spirit you’re connecting to. Offerings should be made with an air of reverence — don’t just toss a bag of Doritos on your altar and expect it to be well-received.

Introduce yourself. Speak out loud. State your intention and who you are hoping to connect with.

Wait and listen. You may feel a presence or receive some kind of sign — or you may not. Just because you didn’t get a sign doesn’t mean that your offering wasn’t noticed or that you’re being ignored. You may also receive a sign several hours, days, or weeks after you first reach out. Be patient.

Say your farewells. Express your gratitude for the spirit’s presence, and let them know that you are ending your little ritual. It’s up to you whether to invite them to stick around or politely tell them to leave, but if you’re going to give a spirit permission to linger in your home you better be 1000% sure you know who they are and what their intentions with you are.

Moving Forward

As you work with this spirit, it is important to establish clear boundaries for the relationship. Be clear about what you want to accomplish by working with them, and make sure you understand what they expect from you in return.

You might want to establish a time limit: for example, maybe you’re choosing to work closely with the goddess Brigid from Imbolc to Samhain, at which point you can choose to continue the relationship or to take a step back. Or, you may choose to work with a spirit on a specific task — for example, working with the goddess Aphrodite to get back on your feet and rebuild your self esteem after a breakup. Once this task is accomplished, you may choose to form a more long-term relationship or to take a step back.

Forming a permanent or long-term working relationship with a spirit is a very big, very serious commitment, and should not be taken lightly. This goes double for anything involving a ritual commitment, such as dedication to a deity. When you make these commitments, you are choosing to make a spirit and their energy a permanent part of your life. This decision requires some very serious introspection and consideration, and should not be made impulsively.

Resources:

Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon

A Practical Heathen’s Guide to Asatru by Patricia M. Lafayllve

Where the Hawthorn Grows and The Morrigan: Meeting the Great Queens by Morgan Daimler

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin

Azrael Loves Chocolate, Michael’s A Jock: An Insider’s Guide to What Your Angels Are Really Like and The Angel Code by Chantel Lysette

New World Witchery podcast (several episodes, including “Episode 164 — Irish Folklore and Magic,” “Episode 161 — Practicing Safe Hex,” and “Episode 152 — Honoring Ancestors”)

[sockendrache]

Local trash-gremlin re-discovered Lego-show and loses mind

(still just slightly embarrassed that I’m almost 18 and somehow still got back into the Lego-show I spent my childhood watching and geniuely enjoy it-)

I completely forgot that Pythor was actually a pretty well-written character. ...aside from the fact that he’s batshit crazy and probably a psychopath from spending years underground doing unspeakable things to survive-

I adore this lanky bastard, no joke. Who gave this snake the permission to be this funny and charismatic

Makes me want to write a whole-ass fanfiction where Pythor hasn’t completely gone insane yet and instead of wanting to eat and betray Lloyd, he just looks at this kid stumbling into his tomb and just goes “I’ve known this scrappy brat for exactly 0.5 seconds but if anything were to happen to him I will kill everyone in this room and then myself” and promptly decides he’ll be his guardian. Like, actually. Without abandoning him later and putting him in a cage and shit-

Just. Pythor instinctively lunging at any and every small animals he encounters on the surface and presenting them to Lloyd (and quickly realizing that he’s aquired himself a picky charge.... pff, who wouldn’t eat a freshly caught, perfectly fine rat?) Pythor using the fact that he’s a snake to steal food (or just flat-out turn invisible to not draw any unwanted attention to them) for Lloyd and himself after giving up on trying to convince Lloyd that rats don’t taste that bad. Pythor wrapping Lloyd up with his tail when sleeping (and using him as a space heater in the process).

Uses his brains to try to keep this child out of trouble.

Gods, he looks away for 5 seconds and this kid released yet aNOTHER serpentine-tribe. HOW did he get himself stuck in a cage? He really needs to work on this kids manners- what? the school they sent him to actively encouraged him to never say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’? Gods, Pythor was stuck in a tomb for god-knows how many years and even HE has better manners than this literal demon spawn.

Why is this child dead-set on getting revenge on some Ninjas. Shouldn’t their first priority be finding a place to stay and, idk, a consistent food-supply?

Skales, help. Your tribe still has hatchlings and young around. My scale-less hatchling behaves like a goddamn heathen, help me.

The Ninjas keep trying to take his human-hatchling from him. No, thank you very much, he found him first and like the old rule goes, finders keepers. What do you mean, kidnapping? YOU kidnapped him first!

He doesn’t give a fuck about collecting the Fangblades, he’s gotta keep an eye on the human-hatchling. The Ninjas collect them anyways, just in case. He keeps shooting them dirty looks whenever they cross paths, before scooping up his human-charge and slithering off.

When the Ninjas do end up getting their hands on Lloyd, Pythor throws a fit about needing to go with him. Of course they don’t let a snake on the bounty. Cue Pythor using his invisibility to sneak on board. Will you stop surprise-adopting my hatchling, please?! 

It takes Lloyd and Pythor a solid 3 hours of convincing (and a powerpoint that Pythor managed to make god-knows-where) to let him stay.

He’s not very pleased upon finding out that they expect a 10 year old to fight against his father. Not at all.

“Skales, thanks for the books on how to raise a troubled hatchling, but I think I need another one.”

“What for?”

“How to prepare your hatchling to fight against his father in the foreseeable future.”

[ashintheairlikesnow]

Intake: Jameson

CW: Dehumanization, implied future pet whump, implied future noncon, discussion of masochism, drug use, honestly all kinds of fucked up implications happening here

SUBJECT: 334235M

DATE OF ACQUISITION: 10.31.20XX

TIME OF ACQUISITION: 11:45 PM

LOCATION ASSIGNED: FACILITY 001, BERRAS, [REDACTED], USA

PREVIOUS ALIAS: Jonathan Bartow Willowtree

AGE: 21

DATE OF BIRTH: 07.07.20XX

HAIR: Dark Brown

EYES: Brown

HEIGHT: 5′9″

WEIGHT: 150 lbs 

SEXUALITY: Pansexual 

DESIGNATION: Romantic

KNOWN SKILLS: Subject reports regular workouts with weight-lifting and cardiovascular exercise being of particular focus. Subject reports average if uneventful sex life. Subject’s school transcripts showcase a 3.78 GPA through high school. No college education.

HOBBIES: Subject, when asked about hobbies, asked if ‘tripping’ counts. No other reported hobbies. 

KNOWN CONCERNS: Subject is aggressive and curious, demanding detailed answers after reading enrollment brochures and meeting with WRU Acquisition Representatives. Subject insistent on Domestic or Platonic placement, but his temperament is not suitable for either. Subject could be a physical danger to more submissive trainees if not kept separate from them. 

KNOWN IMMEDIATE FAMILY: Lucy Bartow Willowtree, maiden name Weitch, mother. Robert Willowtree, father. Both alive and residing in Klamath Falls, Oregon. 

SIBLINGS: Henry Willowtree, brother, two years older, deceased. COD: homicide. Yolanda Willowtree, sister, four years younger, alive and residing in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Brendan Willowtree, brother, six years younger, alive and residing in Klamath Falls, Oregon. 

Note: Henry Willowtree went missing 10.15.20XX in Bend, Oregon after night out with Jonathan Willowtree. The two argued prior to disappearance. Henry’s remains were discovered three weeks later. Local news article about the murder for reference is copied and attached to file. Keep in mind during early memory loss in case of hallucinations common to trainees.

OTHER KNOWN FAMILY: Joseph and Marjorie Weitch, maternal grandparents, both alive and residing in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Paternal grandparents: Subject would say only, “Fuck them.” Any other relatives: subject refused to elaborate.

METHOD OF ACQUISITION: Voluntary. Subject placed call to WRU Acquisition Hotline and requested to speak with one of our Acquisition Representatives. Meghan Planterson spoke to subject multiple times over three weeks prior to voluntary acquisition. Planterson reported acting more as “grief counselor” than is usual for new potential trainees. Planterson currently on medical leave and can be reached at home. (Planterson resigned effective 01.05.20XX) 

ACQUISITION DETAILS: Subject initially arrived on 10.30.20XX having ingested controlled substances prior to arrival, and was turned away until the next day. Subject returned on 10.31 and insisted on signing contract “as soon as possible”. Subject did not require any time to consider options, insisting, “I’ve been considering my fucking options since Hank died, give me the fucking papers and take it all away.”

ASSIGNED HANDLERS: 

CONTRACT SIGNED: 11.01..20XX 2:15 AM

           PRIMARY: Hogan Danforth, Senior Handler and Processor, Specialization Special Requests, Romantic Division - Masochist Training

           SECONDARY: Connor Manning, Senior Handler and Processor, Specialization Special Requests, Romantic Division - Masochist Training Support

SIGNATURE PROVIDED VOLUNTARILY, SUBJECT NOT SEDATED FOR SIGNING. SUBJECT SHOWED NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF INJURY AT TIME OF SIGNING. SUBJECT REPORTED FEELINGS OF TIREDNESS DUE TO TIME OF DAY. SUBJECT DID NOT REPORT FEAR OR UNCERTAINTY.  

CONTRACT SIGNATURE: Jonathan Willowtree, aka 334235M

PRESENT AT TIME OF SIGNING: Handler Connor Manning, Badge #5689, WRU Attorney Nathaniel Lewis. (Note: Karen Renford, Director of Client Success and Satisfaction, reviewed contract on 11.01 and approved.)

ESTIMATED COST FOR TRAINING: $100,000 USD

COMPENSATION PAID BY PROSPECTIVE:  $500,000 USD 

ADDED FEES: $50,000 MASOCHISM TRAINING FEE, $50,000 ADDED CONFIDENTIALITY POST-PURCHASE

AMOUNT PLACED IN TRUST FOR SIBLINGS AT SUBJECT’S REQUEST: $100,000 USD 

CURRENT LOCATION: Special Requests Room 014, post-signing contract

REQUESTED TRAINING: ALL Positions 1-35, Flexibility, Sensitivity, Endurance, Masochism, Self-Defense, Pet Play

COMMENTS:

This one’s going to be a fucking handful, I can tell you that right now. He’s voluntary, but as soon as we wipe all the bullshit out of his head, he’s going to fight us like a rabid dog. I can tell, he’s got that look. Says he’s here because he can’t live with his brother’s death anymore. Big deal, people get murdered every day. I guess maybe getting murdered by a serial killer is a little unusual. I should stick to the facts. He’s going to be trouble. So we need to focus right off the bat on taking trouble and making it beg. He’ll take well to masochism, though. I’m going to get him talking before he’s on the Drip and see what I can learn about what Jonathan Willowtree likes in bed. I bet I find something real useful for Connor and I moving forward. Honestly, after this long on the job… I can just tell. - Hogan Danforth, Sr. Handler, initial report

I concur with Hogan. I’ve had a short visit with 334235M and he’s going to spit fire all over us once he doesn’t just sit around moping about that brother. I for one plan to make the most of everything this hot little number has to offer. - Connor Manning, Sr. Handler

Yeah, or you’ll cuddle and show him your cat like you did the last guy. - HD

Just jealous that we both know the masochists always like me best - CM

Handler comments are meant to be only for official business related to processing the subject. Any further personal elaborations will result in unpleasant consequences. Consider this a verbal warning. - Karen Renford

-

@astrobly @burtlederp @finder-of-rings @whump-tr0pes @raigash @moose-teeth @orchidscript @doveotions @pretty-face-breaker @eatyourdamnpears @boxboysandotherwhump @vickytokio @whumpfigure @outofangband @downriver914 @justabitofwhump @thehopelessopus @butwhatifyouwrite @yet-another-heathen @nonsensical-whump

[lokeanwelcomingcommittee]

Hello! I have tried searching before but did not have the most reliable sounding answers, and I know this is the Lokean welcome committee, but I was wondering if you might have any insight to if it might be acceptable to worship deities of separate cultures, I know some pagans worship multiple gods, while I am certain in the fact I am Lokean and trying my best to find my way of doing so, I would like to worship a few other gods that are not nordic, but I'm worried if that might just be a bad idea in general and taken as offensive to anyone.

Thank you for the help, and for being here at all, somehow it feels a lot more steady knowing there are others around in person

Hey anon. Thanks for the kind words; hanging in there, as they say. In any case, at least coming from the Norse side of things it's certainly something you can do, but there are some considerations you may want to keep in mind. For one, the gods of course have agency, preferences, and opinions, so if you're using divination or some other communication form in your practice, it may be worth bringing that up with him or seeing how things go. Obviously you as well have agency so if there is an objection from Loki that's something to consider, but the decision is ultimately yours.

With that said, I linked the post I did up there not only because it includes some alternative options to divination, but also because while you will get different opinions on this, I personally concur with this post in advising that effort be made to look into and respect the cultures, history, and past practices regarding any deities. There is of course the matter of being respectful to other cultures and to the gods in question, but also the fact that the Internet has a lot of information, and as I'm sure we've all experienced in at least one Google search, quantity is not always quality. Sometimes misinformation is just incorrect/ahistorical, which is still not good, but there's also the unfortunate but very real possibility that misinformation could be rooted in hateful ideologies or otherwise harmful to people. To quote le Carré, to ignore history is to ignore the wolf at the door, and at least speaking for myself I would at minimum hate to be inhospitable, though I don't claim to be anything better than continually working on that front. While this post is from a more specifically heathen angle, I think it has a lot of good advice and things to think about for any sort of "starting out," whether that be your continued practice with Loki or more you may add in the future. Additionally, while we do have some good resources in our FAQ, basic informational posts, and reading list if you need them for ol' Loptr, for other traditions/deities most open traditions do have a decent amount of introductory material online, and asking friends who practice the tradition or getting in touch with a local clergy member for recommendations (if available) can also be helpful.

With that all said, to reiterate a sentiment in that linked post and above, your practice is really a process, and there's no need to rush or even incorporate everything at once. While there's some hopefully useful general advice here, where you go with things and how your practice continues to develop will really be something between you and any other deities/entities involved, but it's certainly an option that is pursuable if you choose to go that route in the future.

I wish you the best of luck wherever your path takes you, and of course feel free to send another ask if there's anything else we may be able to help with. (And while I think the previous mods and Mod E certainly deserve the bulk of the credit, glad the blog's been helpful to you!)

-Mod V

[nooneelsecomesclose17]

Go to the ends of the earth for you - Part 5

And it's finished. What was a oneshot redo of *that* episode turned into a series. Thank you for all the lovely comments and I hope the final part lives up to the rest.

(AO3 link)

The next morning he leaves Seb with Vic and heads up to the surgery. Robert’s meeting his Gran’s solicitor again so he hopefully won’t ever have to know about any of this . It feels like a lifetime since he lived here, since he felt he could turn to Paddy and know he’d always be there for him.

“Aaron. What are you doing here?” Belle’s smiling as he walks in and he nods.

“Paddy in?”

“He’s just finishing up with a patient but he’s got a few minutes after that.”

“That’s all I’ll need. You might want to get a coffee while we chat.” Belle raises her eyebrows but nods. It’s well known what’s happened between him and Paddy and Belle knows more than most having listened to him a lot while Robert was away and she’d been helping with Seb.

It’s not even five minutes before Paddy sees out a young woman with a yapping dog, stuttering when he sees Aaron waiting. Belle hands him a few messages before she all but bolts out of the door.

“Aaron…I didn’t…how are you?”

“I’d be a lot better if you’d keep your mouth shut about Robert.” He watches as Paddy struggles to find a response. “Don’t bother trying to deny it. I know you’ve been sounding off to all and sundry about him.”

“He’s bad for you Aaron, the sooner you see that the better. He’s turned you against your family, don’t you see that.”

“Oh not this again! Paddy, I married him twice! I went on the run for him. I know everything there is to know about him, and I love him. You and Mum are the only ones with a problem. Everyone else is happy for us.” He shoves his hands in his pockets, fists clenched and he blows out a breath. “I’m not getting into this again, I just came to tell you to stop.”

“You can’t tell me who I can and can’t talk to.”

“I can when my four year old is in tears because he heard you, when he thinks his Dad will be sad because of you. I don’t care what you think anymore, but I will not have that little boy upset.”

“Aaron.” It’s so quiet he barely hears it in his anger but Paddy’s scoff of disgust has him turning to see Robert in the entrance to the surgery. “Leave it, it doesn’t matter.”

“Yes it does. I’m not havin’ him talking about you like that, or Seb hearing it.” He turns back to Paddy. “Just leave us alone, and keep your opinions to yourself around my son.” He stalks out, leaving Robert to catch him up.

“Oi, hang on. Aaron, wait.” Finally he stops, staring into space, not meeting Robert’s eyes. He couldn’t work out if he was angry at him or not. “What was that about.”

“Seb. He…last night he was upset because he’d heard Paddy talking, spouting the same nonsense about you. He didn’t want to go to nursery because he thought you’d be sad.” Robert doesn’t say anything, just stares at the ground. “He’s fine now. I told him I’d sort it.”

“This is all my fault, isn’t it? Seb shouldn’t be worrying about me. He’s four!”

“Yeah and he loves his Dad. None of this is your fault. It’s his.” He jerks his head towards the surgery. “His and Mum’s for being so blind that they can’t see how great you are, how much better my life is because of you.”

“I don’t deserve you.” He shrugs. “I mean it. Anyone else would’ve washed their hands of me ages ago and here you are going all Rambo on me and all but threatening Paddy.”

“Pfft, I didn’t threaten him. Anyway how did you know where I was.”

“Solicitor changed the meeting. I saw Belle in the cafe and yes you pretty much did. You do realise he’s just going to hate me all the more now.”

“Yeah well, we won’t be here forever will we?” They’d all but decided they were definitely moving, it was just a case of getting everything sorted and waiting out Robert’s time on license. “And don’t go all they’re your family on me. If they cared about that then they’d be on my side. You’re my family, you and Seb, you’re all I need…and I think I want to go get our son and get out of this place for the day. What do you say?”

“Sounds good to me. I love you, you know.”

“I know. Love you too. Now come on."

————

“You know this isn’t bad.” Robert told him after the first mouthful. He’d cooked something a bit more complicated than usual after their day out. They’d taken Seb to the local petting zoo, even though most of the animals could be found up at Moira’s farm. He’d loved it, and hadn’t wanted to leave even though he was already tired and starting to fall asleep in Robert’s arms. Now all they had to do was get him fed and in bed. Seb really wasn’t one for complicated dishes, he’d live on dinosaur nuggets if he could, but getting him to help cook every so often had meant he promised to at least try new food.

“Thanks, I think.”

“Well you admit yourself that cooking isn’t your thing.”

“Dada learned with Uncle Marlon, on the ‘puter.” Seb pipes up, mouth full of pasta.

“Oi, close your mouth, you heathen and that was meant to be a secret.”

“You took cooking lessons?” Robert’s far too amused and Aaron childishly feels like flicking a piece of pasta at him to shut him up.

“There was a poster in the cafe, Marlon was doing these online lessons so I gave it a go. The kid needed feeding.” He tells him, tickling Seb and making him giggle. “I’m quite happy to pass the cooking back over to you now.”

Later when Seb’s finally in bed they can talk. The little boy is like a sponge, soaking up everything anyone says so they’re learning to leave any important conversations until he’s out of earshot. He’s stretched out on the sofa, Robert beside him and it’s just nice to be able to sit together and not have to say anything.

“I was thinking…about the house.” He’s not sure how to broach the subject, Robert’s been reluctant to talk about it since they’d got home from the solicitor’s office.

“Mmm, and what did you thunk?”

“Idiot. We always mention France when we talk about leaving, but we don’t have to go there…if you wanted to keep it.”

“You want to live in my Gran’s house?” Aaron can’t make out if he’s angry or not. “And what would we do for work?”

“Well last I checked they did actually drive cars in Spain. We’ve got the haulage, maybe you could open up an office there. I don’t know, it was just a thought.”

“You mean it don’t you?”

“I’m not fussed where we live. All I’m saying is, we don’t have to live in France. If you wanted to keep the house we could use it, at least for a while. Or if you want to sell it, then it doesn’t matter. You’ve not said anything about it.”

“I still don’t know why she left it to me. I never went there. She moved after the last time I visited, and well…”

“She loved ya. I know your family is…complicated but she was your Gran and if she wanted you to have it then just accept that it’s what she wanted.”

“I know…it’s just…” He twists so he’s facing him. “It’d solve a lot of problems though wouldn’t it, living there, or using the money.”

“Well it’d save me having to face Liv at the very least. Do you know anything about it, is it even suitable for the three of us?”

“Hang on.” He struggles to his feet, legs tangled with Aaron’s. “The solicitor gave me some details, there’s photos.”

He hands them to Aaron before settling back down beside him. He’d barely looked at them when he’d been given them, still a little stunned at the whole business. The house looked nice though, the decor wasn’t his taste but it would be easy enough to update. There was plenty of room and it was only a stone’s throw from the beach. Seb would love it.

“What do you think?”

“Looks nice. We could give it some thought, maybe go out there for a few days to see. You should be able to do that yeah?”

“I can find out. Be nice to get away for a few days, just the three of us.” He sighs. “You’re really sure aren’t you? I know I keep asking but…don’t just agree to this move for me. It has to be what you really want.”

“It is. I mean it. I want this to be a new start, me, you and Seb. Away from everything.”

————

“Where’s Sugden then?” Cain asks him the next day. They’re in the pub for lunch, tucked away in the corner where he can at least pretend his Mum isn’t watching his every move with that now familiar look on her face.

“He had a meeting. He should be here in a minute.”

“And he’s alright, being out and that.” He looked up from his pint, expecting Cain to be teasing or something but he genuinely looks concerned.

“He’s getting there.”

“Who’s getting where?” Robert asks, having snuck up on them, slipping into the seat beside Aaron, kissing him hello.

“Cain was just asking how you were getting on. So, how did it go.”

“It’s fine. We can go, just for a few days.”

“Where are you off to?”

“We’re going to take a look at the house his Gran left him. In Spain.”

“Nice. You going to let it out then? Should fetch in a bit.” Aaron rolls his eyes, not really knowing how to answer. He looks at Robert, a silent conversation, before he answers.

“We’re thinking of living there.”

“What!” He jumps at his Mum’s voice right behind him and wants to kick himself.

“You heard.”

“So he’s not only causing trouble between you and your family, now he’s dragging you away from the village. Again!” Aaron can see Cain rolling his eyes at his sister and he opens his mouth to answer but she’s not finished. “You just can’t help yourself can you. All along you’ve been causing trouble and now you’re taking him from me.”

“Mum…” He starts but Robert puts a hand on his shoulder as he gets to his feet.

“You know what Chas, I’ve had about enough. Since Aaron and I got together properly I’ve done nothing but try and fit in with you and your family. I’ve done your accounts for nothing, helped behind the bar and goodness knows what else. I looked after Noah as well as Liv when you and Charity both went off to Prague with Sarah. I’ve bit my tongue every time you’ve had a little dig at me since we got back together even though you and Paddy have both cheated before. I know I’ve made mistakes, some I can’t ever make up for. I know that, but you, and Paddy haven’t even given me a chance.”

“Now wait a minute.”

“No, you wait. My wedding day, I had Paddy calling me Mr Shifty, the day I proposed he said I was the worst possible person for Aaron. You might have put on a front for everyone else but I heard the comments, I know what you think of me. Frankly I don’t care. I do care when it affects my son, when it affects my husband.”

“And just how is dragging him off to Spain going to help that.”

“I’m not dragging him anywhere. It was his idea. I would’ve stayed here, put up with it all just so he could have his Mum around, because I know what it’s like not to have one, to not have that person to turn to. But you decided to cut him off when we went to France, to constantly badger him about me when he got back, and now you wonder why he doesn’t want to be here anymore. The only one ruining your relationship is you.” Aaron takes his hand as he sits down, letting him know with his eyes just how proud he is.

“Are you going to let him talk to me like that?” She turns to Cain who hasn’t moved.

“What do you expect me to do? He hasn’t said anything that’s untrue. Seems to me you and that husband of yours could do with remembering that Aaron’s an adult, not Eve’s age. Now, can I finish my pint in peace?”

Aaron manages to wait until she’s flounced back behind the bar before sniggering at his uncle. “You’re brave.”

“Ah, she’ll get over it. You listen to me, I reckon you’re doing the right thing, getting away from here and everything that’s gone on. Right proud of you I am. I know you’ll be well looked after.”

“Is that a compliment Cain?” Robert pipes up.

“You just mind you look after ‘im. I’m only a plane ride away if you don’t.”

“When you’ve quite finished, you just told Mum I’m an adult.”

“Never hurts to have a backup though does it.”

————

The day had finally come. Robert was no longer on license and they were free to leave the village. Aaron had got up early, wanting one last walk around the village. He’d left Robert a note, not wanting to wake him, and he found himself in the graveyard, staring down at Jackson’s grave. It seemed a lifetime ago, back when he was a different person, one who really didn’t understand love, that love would make you go to the ends of the earth for someone.

He wanders a bit further, passing by Jack’s grave with barely a glance, stopping at Sarah’s, the mother-in-law he wished he’d been able to know. He had a feeling she’d be waving them off perfectly happy if she were here. Unlike his Mum, he sighed to himself. Part of him wished they could’ve parted on good terms, or at least speaking to each other, but she’d ignored him completely since the day in the pub, her decision made.

“I’ll look after him I promise.”

“This a private conversation or can we join you?” He turns to see Robert smiling at him, Seb in his arms still looking sleepy. “You alright?”

“Yeah, just…having a last look round.”

“We can still visit you know. It’s not like before.”

“I know. Couldn’t sleep.” He looks at his watch. “We should get some breakfast or we’ll be rushing around. Why don’t you take him to the cafe and get what we want and I’ll meet you at home.”

“Is this how it’s going to be now?”

“Mmm, just one more place I need to go.” He kissed him, smiling as he walked away, waiting until they were out of sight before changing direction to the garage.

Robert’s car had been left at a service station when they’d gone on the run, and he knew he regretted leaving it behind even if it was too rare to be any good to them, too likely to be spotted. Even though they’d never expected to come home he’d asked Cain to fetch it and keep it for him just in case. Ever since they’d come back he’d been working on it, making sure it was as good as it could be before surprising Robert with it. They were flying to Spain but Cain had been convinced to drive it over with the offer of a few days holiday.

He’s sat on the bonnet outside the house when Robert comes round the corner, holding onto their breakfast with one hand and Seb with the other and he stops when he sees him.

“Surprise!”

“What…how?” Aaron picks Seb up and sits him down beside him as Robert just stands there staring.

“I know how much you love this car. Cain’s going to drive it over in a week or so when we’re settled.”

“I don’t know what I did to get so lucky.”

“Shut up.”

————

“You take care now love, you hear me, and keep in touch!”

“Yes Gran, promise.” He hugs her, she was really the only one he was going to miss and he and Robert had already talked about inviting her over when they were settled in.

“We should go if we don’t want to be late.” Robert tells him, having got Seb settled in his car seat. He’d said his goodbyes to Diane and Vic before, while Aaron had taken his car back to the garage.

“Yeah.” He can’t help but look towards the pub, maybe a small part of him hoping that they’d get over it and come and say goodbye. The place was all closed up though and he sighed. “Right, well, see you Gran.”

He takes Robert’s hand when he gets in, waving one last time. “Ready?”

“Let’s go.” As they drove away he realised it was the first time he was willingly and happily leaving the village, same for Robert. This time it was for the best, for both of them, and they had no one chasing them, they knew that one day if they wanted they could always come back. For now though they had a whole new life to look forward to.

[dog-day-morning]

THE TRUTH AND SHAKA ZULU WILL KILL YOU

In a once-popular commercial for Calgon detergent in the 1970s, a curious housewife probes the Chinese owner of the local laundry for the answer to one of the world’s eternal mysteries: “How do you get shirts so clean, Mr. Lee?” After peering over his shoulder (so as to be sure that his not-so-discreet wife isn’t standing near) the man turns back around, raises a finger to his lips and says through a smile, “Ancient Chinese secret!”

While the answer to the question posed to the laundry owner by the woman was a closely guarded secret — one that his sweet, no-nonsense wife happily ruined — it was neither ancient nor even Chinese in origin. But the TV spot famously tapped into one of the most enduring legends about the country whose Ming Dynasty rulers had a 16-to-26 foot wall built around it: the age-old traditions of secrecy.

And, like Vegas, what happened in China very often stayed in China, just get the hell out of Alkebulan!!! But if you insist on staying, you and your barbarian invader horde of Ghengis Khan, wannabe warlords can take that beatdown like Hirihito of Japan. You can indulge in Alkebulan's rich resources for a season or get on a junk boat and go back to China and rebuild your own country. If you stay in the Motherland you'll perish🖕🏿🖕🏿🖕🏿🖕🏿. As the saying goes, s**t happens. Wash ya ass. Please, continue reading… my screwed up mind !!!

Take the Black Chinese [Moabites] who once made up the entire population of China prior to Esau's attempt at reclaiming the birthright God decreed would be Jacob's while in the womb through forced miscegenation "Raping of indigenous women." Do not be confused or mislead by this post. My research was sketchy to say the least. The portion of the population before China’s modern era does not register any indigenous Moabites, for example. The fact that you’ve never heard of them proves the point. Here comes the BS. But don’t worry. You’re not alone. China has some 1.3 billion people and nearly all are just as in the dark about them. Well, either that or a billion people all swore to never-ever-never air any [ahem] ‘clean laundry’ about black folks formerly having a place in China’s allegedly homogeneous society. That's a bunch of made up monkey s**t. Frankly, even an ancient culture with the bragging rights to the longest continually recorded history, another myth, is bound to miss a few things like a heart, and some effing genomes. The former presence — up until sometime in the 20th century — of Black people in pre-modern China is one of them. Fortunately, though, old photos taken throughout China around the advent of photography can help us to fill in today some of what the historians missed on purpose. I can't believe I'm posting this. 👎🏿👎🏿👎🏿👎🏿 China’s Qing Dynasty, established by the Manchu people who ruled from 1644–1912, is described as having been a vast multicultural empire. But it appears multicultural could also be a more pleasant euphemism for multiracial. You people are like dogs, stop eating them?! Nothing illustrates this better than the Black and white photos taken by visitors from Europe in the mid-to-late 1800s. Really?!! John Thomson, an Irish photographer was one of the first to capture images that reveal a surprisingly more diverse makeup of then-contemporary China. In one of the most stunning photos taken by Thomson displayed above, six women dine together in a courtyard. Captioned “Manchu ladies at a meal,” the picture was taken in 1869 in the city of Peking (now Beijing). Seated at the center of the photo are two women: on the right sits a typical high class Manchu and on the left sits a smiling Black woman — who could easily pass as the mother of the RZA, the GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, or any other member of the Wu-Tang Clan.

Apart from the physical differences in the women (including the two who were likely seated, but stood for the picture), what’s also remarkable is that when Thomson writes about them, he makes no distinctions — though there were both racial and class differences; some of them were most assuredly attendants or maids. But in the view of Thomson, they were all simply Manchu ladies sharing a meal on a day when he sought interesting subjects to photograph. I saw the photographs. The darker ones were inherently claimed to be lower case workers or servants, while the ones who looked like Lucy Liu were considered affluent, and well off. These racial disparities that evolved from hell are a sad reminder to a wound that won't stop bleeding because of man's inability to stop giving in to his base emotions. I plead cray cray, and insanity. Jacob, they would rather burn in hell for an eternity than let us live in peace for a day. God is coming back for Israel not the Christian Church that has been corrupted by the Evangelical, right wing, nut jobs.

1 Maccabees 3:48

And laid open the book of the law, wherein the heathen had sought to paint the likeness of their images.

If you study history, and read the Bible, you'll see how religion has been used to divide God's people which they're not. Some gentiles will walk into New Jerusalem, the vast majority of them won't. The Bible has been tampered with by people who are shepherds for the Devil. The Catholic Church is Satanic no matter how you cut it. The cathedral of Notre Dame had gargoyles mounted atop the edifice looking over the city of Paris, France. Do you find this to be a bit of a double minded mentality or a slap of defiance in God's face. What god do you worship? We want to know the truth from God. This world can't be trusted with an anorexic T-Rex. You'd call it a crackhead and dump him in the Labrea tar pits unless it was a female, at that point you would attempt to crossbreed it with a Chihuahua, and hope to domesticate this new animal which has disaster written all over his I'm shaking cause I need a fix quick, petrified ass. When Vatican City is destroyed let that be a warning from God to those who still have a sliver of faith in God, get a relationship with Him. Jacob, this writing piece reveals their unwillingness, and froward hearted, lack of sensibility by not telling the whole truth. Instead they give us a revised version of history that wasn't. They have been our teachers for the last 500yrs when we were there's previous. Either you learn from your mistakes or continue to repeat them.

Zechariah 8:23

Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

If you hate being rebuked by a Black professor with a tenure ship, you'll hate being corrected by a Black child who has 5 degrees including a specialist in biochemical, ecological science, and psychology. You're ashamed because you're proud. There were great African kingdoms that educated the anglo European that's been shrouded in history. The book of Maccabees says the people who have mislead, and lied to us are as knowledgeable as a 13yr old using crib notes. I'm nuttier than a can of Planters, the truth is in you Jacob. Utilize the authority given to you. You will have to teach them as it was in the past. Everything from Bible scriptures, to aerospace, science engineering. The educational system is designed to hold back Black children, but the 3 people with the highest IQs in the world at the time was a 10yr old Black male, an 2 Black females under the age of 8. They were the youngest members of Mensa ever. This was about 4yrs ago. You can't stop God's anointing from glowing and glorifying Him and His people. Read the rest of this article and lose your mind. Its a nauseating and frustrating read. The truth will set you free. It ain't in these hood boogers

Written accounts by early Chinese historians tell us that the Tonkin region and its adjacent areas were once a hotbed of various non-Han Chinese peoples, including those from whom the Lao Cai girl descends. But with the southward advance of the Han Chinese, such groups were pushed even further south, or gradually assimilated into the dominant population. Historian Thant Myint-U writes in “Where China Meets India” that during the 9th century, the Chinese ethnographer Fan Cho compiled the Man Shu, or “Book of the Southern Barbarians.” Fan Cho describes there the varied peoples living in and around Yunnan. Included among them were the Wu-man or ‘Black southern barbarians,’ so-called for their dark complexions. And ironically, the French author of the Lao Cai photo had the image annotated with the Chinese word “Man,” and — sadly — with the Vietnamese “Xa” (or Kha), signifying servant or slave.

With this photo of a mother and her two children by John Thomson, taken on the streets of Peking (now Beijing), something finally clicked. For reasons that won’t be detailed here (as it would take far too long to explain) more than a decade of research into the peopling of Asia seemed to suggest that any black Chinese still living in the age of photography would likely all be found in southernmost China. Black Moabites still coexist in China to this day. This is a class study in you must be dumber than an incubator.

In his 1902 book The Boxer Uprising, American photographer James Ricalton includes this photo of several dozen men, many of them likely to be executed the next day for their part in the Boxer Rebellion. The latter was a bloody, anti-foreign and anti-Christian uprising that took place between 1899 and 1901; the 2006 Jet Li film Fearless was inspired by events that took place in the aftermath of the rebellion. The same is also true of the 1971 Bruce Lee film Fist of Fury. No actors in the aforementioned films — nor any other martial arts films set in pre-modern China — ever had actors resembling the non-Han Chinese mixed in above. About them, the racist Ricalton writes:

“This is truly a dusky and unattractive brood. One would scarcely expect to find natives of Borneo or the Fiji Islands more barbarous in appearance; and it is well known that a great proportion of the Boxer organization is of this sort; indeed, how dark-skinned, how ill-clad, how lacking in intelligence, how dull, morose, miserable and vicious they appear!” I'm willing to bet you 5 million in Bitcoin that I don't have, a lifetime supply of opium, and 2 happy ending massages daily that this bougie French bastard is rotting in hell praying to white Jesus that Rumiel won't screw him up the wahoo tonight. Tickle his sack!!! Like Thomas Cromwell the powers that be went to great lengths to cover this history in ChinaTown. You can't hide the truth from a people that's tired of being dictated to, oppressed, lied on, abused and persecuted by everybody, and discredited for the contributions they've made to this damnable planet. As previously stated we don't want crumbs [reparations] we want the whole planet Black before you, and the I hate n**gers brigade showed up, that includes Moo Goo Gai Pan. As soon as his Chicken fried, Bat Man eating, pancaked backside came along, and gained some freedoms, he started emulating his zaddy, he became drunk with xenophobia like the rest. If you hate my commentary tell ya boy Biden or his Amerikkka is not a racist country VP, Kamala Harris. She's next in line to preside as Pontius Pilate over this damnation unless Biden loses his dementia. Its a joke, think or buy a vowel. If that doesn't work, swap some Budha, and kiss Mr. Nasty bye bye.

[gyuutahoe]

The Pen and Sword - Part 3

Summary: Newly recruited to the Demon Slayer Corps, you finally meet your designated swordsmith. He may be as much of a misanthrope as others had warned, but you were nothing if not determined to bring him out of his shell.

Warnings: None

a/n: female reader, eventual smut, penpals with the feral misanthrope, both reader and Haganezuka are seventeen at the start of the story, established backstory for reader.

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3

Marketplaces were always your weakness.

The hypnotic, dizzying flux of city life was exhilarating, and you channeled that excitement into each step you took through the beautiful, colorful, noisy market of Osaka. Had it not been for the irascible young Pillar of Flame keeping you on track, you might have wandered off and lost yourself in kimono patterns and antique teacups. Your hands were itching for a needle and thread these days.

Rengoku’s grip on your sleeve was like a leash. It reminded you of your oldest brother, so stern and resolute. “Can you walk faster?” he grumbled, tugging you along. “You’re like a bird, getting distracted by shiny things.”

A retort was on the tip of your tongue, only … something shiny did catch your eye, a multitude of tinkling glass wind chimes dangling from wooden scaffolding and beckoning you closer with their paper ends, stretching out towards you like old friends as the wind rattled their clappers.

“Rengoku-san, will this market still be here after we find the demon?”

He looked at you as though you were a pesky child. “You win a few fights and you already think the world waits for you? We have another assignment after this.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” you lightly said, and the corner of your mouth quirked upward. “I thought I saw a pretty comb that Ruka might really like. It had a fox painted on it.” You blinked up at him. “Did you know that’s her favorite animal?”

Rengoku eyed you for a moment before turning away with a guarded expression. “Is it now …” he trailed off.

You smiled in victory and looked behind you, catching a fleeting glimpse of the wind chimes as your sword rested comfortably at your hip.

———————❖———————

Haganezuka was at a loss.

A package rested inconspicuously on his table as he knelt before it, examining it from all directions until curiosity finally won him over and urged him to pluck off the accompanying letter attached to the wrapping.

He did not request a shipment of supplies recently, and the box was far too small to be a customer’s blade. And when he saw your name written on the sealed letter, with penmanship far more beautiful than he had ever seen before, Haganezuka was still baffled. You said you would write to him, not send him anything. Were these the remnants of your sword? Did you stuff the broken pieces into a small box like some ungrateful heathen? The mere thought of it made his pulse race, and before he could calm himself, he was tearing the wrapping to shreds.

A wind chime.

His clawed hands paused immediately upon seeing the fragile glass, and his ire diffused instantly as he carefully brought it out to hold in his hands.

The glass had the barest hint of green tint pressed into it. Very different from his collection. Even the flowers were different, some sort of outrageous white shape he had never seen before. Haganezuka dangled the wind chime by its string to hear its sound - light, high-pitched, and quick. Not quite like the lower melody of his bells, but it pleased him all the same. It was a new sound to admire and focus on, with just the right amount of bite to its song to grab his attention. He played with the bell for a minute, swaying it to and fro as he listened. The sound did not calm him so much as it invigorated him. Like it had something important to say and demanded his audience.

He hadn’t received a gift so thoughtful in a long time. Why did you send him this?

The letter.

Haganezuka-san, I hope you do not mind me sending you a package so suddenly. I came across a marketplace where a glass blower sold handcrafted wind chimes, and I thought of you instantly. The flowers are sagisō. They mean ‘my thoughts will follow you into your dreams’. It is my way of hoping my good wishes reach you. Please accept this gift as thanks for your beautiful blade. It has served me well so far - I have slain three demons with ease. Take care of yourself.

———————❖———————

A few days passed before you received a response. Not that you expected one to begin with, so it was a lovely surprise to come back to after a long day of training with Kuwajima.

I received your wind chime and hung it at the door of my forge. Clean your blade daily. Don’t be lazy. Safe travels.

You imagined him hesitating at the last sentence, pen hovering over the paper as he thought of an adequate send-off. It made you giggle fondly as you hid your smile behind the letter, innocently ignoring the questioning glance of your mentor.

———————❖———————

The lingering chill of spring gave way to an undeniably relaxing summer breeze, prompting Haganezuka to wander out of his forge in search of a local villager’s food cart. He did not have the patience to cook for himself. Why waste precious time when he still needed to harden the edge of his clay-encrusted sword?

And that is how the postman found him, stuffing his face with a bowl of yakisoba while he walked back to work.

He glared at the cowering man and grabbed the proffered letter. Let’s see what jackass needs another replacement , he groused to himself as he tore it open, balancing the yakisoba in the crook of his arm.

Familiar handwriting. How could he forget this penmanship befitting of an aristocrat? It could only be you.

Haganezuka-san, I felt inspired to write to you once more. It relates to a mission I recently completed. A demon lured me into the forest in hopes of blinding me with darkness. But I had the company of the full moon to light my path, and by fortuitous chance, I happened upon a grassy clearing that was illuminated by fireflies!

Haganezuka pinched the edges of the paper so tightly that the veins in his fingers threatened to burst. If this was leading to a jibe about his name, he would make you pay.

I wanted to close my eyes and listen for the demon, as I always do, but for the first time I felt inclined to rely on my sight. The fireflies really captivated me. The weight of my blade kept me focused on the task at hand, but I could not help the sudden strike of realization that occured to me as I watched the fireflies. And that thought is as follows: could it be that you were named Hotaru because the bright sparks flying out from striking a heated blade reminded your father of fireflies? The idea made me smile. I sat and watched the fireflies for a while. There is much to learn from their movements. Anyway, I drew the forest when I had some time after the battle.

He blinked and stared at the sketch. Simple yet structured. Every pen stroke held an important detail. It was not a masterpiece, but it was lovely all the same.

Heated sparks … like fireflies …

Perhaps his given name was not so embarrassing after all.

———————❖———————

Hello again! What I am about to say may seem silly, but I always dreamed of seeing the ocean, and that day has finally arrived! I cannot begin to explain the terrifying vastness of the water. Have you ever seen the ocean? Did it exhilarate and humble you like it did to me? I dared to walk barefoot along the coastline, even though it felt like I could be pulled in at any moment. The water was very cold and the salty air turned my hair into brittle kelp, but the sand felt so soft between my toes. I listened to the waves for a long time while I meditated with my sword in my lap. Ocean waves look very similar to the hamon on my blade. As per usual, I drew the landscape for you in case you have not seen the ocean.

Haganezuka treated himself to some dango as he read your letter. Later on, he would still taste the saltiness of the dango on his tongue as he folded burning steel. While he lost himself in thought during the methodical process, the wind chime at his door brought forth the memory of your light laughter. Did you laugh this freely as the water lapped at your feet? Did you taste the salty air on your tongue? Haganezuka somehow felt like he was there with you.

———————❖———————

I heard an interesting saying - the pen is mightier than the sword. Perhaps that might not resonate with you, but I wonder what you think about this phase.

———————❖———————

For the first time since the start of your one-sided correspondence, Haganezuka wrote you an actual, full-length letter. Or rather, he sent you pages upon pages of nothing other than his thoughts on how the pen was not, in fact, mightier than the sword, and that he nearly used your letter to wrap his steel wafers for smelting because it angered him so.

- dumbass would believe that bullshit. Did words allow the Edo bakufu to secure power? No, it was blood and steel. If I could meet the moron who thought of that saying, I would shove that pen right up his -

“What’s making you laugh so hard?”

You tittered as Ruka sat down beside you. “My swordsmith.” You passed the letter to your curious friend. “He has such a way with words, don’t you think?”

Seconds into reading the letter, her neutral demeanor turned into one of mild bemusement. “What a thing to send to a young woman,” Ruka drawled, handing the letter back to you.

“Not so different from Rengoku-san, though.”

She smiled fondly. “No. Not at all.” With the grace of one who hides the sudden spark of an idea, Ruka motioned you to turn around. “Let me braid your hair. The summer heat must be strangling your poor neck right now.”

You dutifully complied. Soft, gentle fingers brushed through your hair, making your scalp tingle pleasantly.

Why don’t you ever let me style your beautiful hair? Mother keeps telling me how unattentive I am with you -

“ - to me very soon.”

“I - I’m sorry, can you repeat that?” You sucked in a quick breath. “I got distracted by that pesky cicada.”

“I said Shinjuro will propose to me very soon.” Ruka weaved a ribbon through your hair as she spoke. “Perhaps at the end of summer, so that we will have time to prepare for a winter ceremony.”

“That is wonderful!” you gasped. “To think, only three months ago he was still figuring out how to give you that fox comb. You know I walked in on him practicing that, right?”

Her melodic laugh was infectious. “And then he handed it to me as though he were a general barking a command at his soldier,” she reminisced, carefully moving the finished braid over your shoulder. “That blush was as fierce as the red in his hair.”

“He tries his best, doesn’t he?” you snickered, and upon feeling her soft touch lingering on your shoulder blade, your smile dulled a little.

“Does the wound still hurt?” Ruka asked. “With the humidity - “

“Please don’t worry,” you hastily replied, angling yourself to the side until the touch fell away. “It’s been months, Ruka. The wound is fully healed.” She cocked a brow at you, and you placed a hand over hers as you softened your voice. “Really. I’m alright.”

She eyed you silently. “ … if you say so.”

You offered a placating smile to seal the deal. “So, how did you find out about the inevitable proposal?”

“Between Shinjuro’s loud mouth and the gossip that goes on among the Demon Slayers, it was inevitable that the old women of the safehouses would hear about this.” She shook her head. “My own grandmother ruined the surprise.”

“At least you can look forward to how painfully awkward Rengoku-san will be when the time comes.”

Ruka scoffed. “I am always prepared to handle that silly man.”

“I don’t doubt that,” you giggled. “Your stern looks trip him up sometimes. So cruel!”

Not even your newly acquired lightning-fast reflexes could dodge Ruka’s smack upside your head.

———————❖———————

Warm greetings, Haganezuka-san. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I will be visiting your village in four days. Would you mind looking over my blade to make sure it is in proper condition?

———————❖———————

You can come.

[ashandboneca]

Racism, abuse, and why I don’t consider myself a part of the ‘community’

I’d like to talk about the event that pushed me away from the idea of a pagan community, and forced me inwards to further develop my own practice - and about the events of the last few years in regards to continued abuses in the pagan community. About 6 years ago, I started to look into the Norse pantheon. I had worked with Thor in the past, and about 6 or 7 prior to that I did an experiment where I worked with the Aesir for a month. At that point in my life, I didn't connect with them. I don't know why I didn't, I partially blame the terrible book I had for guidance, and the fact that the person who initially agreed to guide me flaked out. However, this time around I endeavoured to learn as much as I could from a reputable source, because the last time I had no idea what I was doing. I approached my friend, who is a practicing forn sidr heathen, and they agreed to teach me what they knew. We spent a number of sessions discussing cosmology and theology. I felt confident going forward, armed with book recommendations and a passion to learn further. I wrote a bit about my experiences openly on my previous blog with Odinn. Interactions with him were not sought after, but something that merely happened. When gods or spirits or ancestors come calling, you answer in some way out of respect. I wrote more about my experiences, and different techniques I utilized to connect with him. None of them were specifically Heathen - but I don't soley identify as Heathen, so I figured if that was an issue, Odinn wouldn't have shown up in the first place.

Some time later, my friend had messaged me to let me know they had gotten some hate mail about me via Witchvox (which no longer exists, but used to be a connection board for finding pagans and witches in your area, as well as open groups, etc). I was initially gobsmacked. Why the hell is someone emailing her in regards to something I did? Wouldn't have been more productive to email or message me to resolve whatever issue? I found it who it was. This person was, at that time, a member of a well recognized organization locally who put on events and rituals - an organization whose first mandate is "We hold that each one of us has their own path to follow to truth and spirit." To be honest, I had never really interacted with this person beyond being paid to do so in my former job at a pagan bookshop. We attended a few of the same events, but never really interacted. There was no real beef. I wasn't particularly fond of said person, but I had no real issues with them - so this came sort of out of left field. I sat on it for a bit.  I did not reply to the sender. Instead, I decided to post the initial email on my previous blog. Inevitably, someone is going to disagree with how you practice or what you do, even if you're not doing anything wrong. The  point I think is important to underline is that you do not need to stand for other people trying to tear you down, assert some kind of moral superiority over you, or telling you how and when you should be practicing, unless your practice is appropriative - in which case you should be taking a long, hard look at yourself. As heathenry is an open tradition, I had no concerns. I also think transparency is very important, and when people behave badly they often do so to gain something from it. Whether it is attention, drama, or they feel they are in a safe space to do so due to anonymity.  So, by posting the email (albeit in edited format - I removed all identifying information about said person, because I wanted to focus on the behaviour, not the person), I felt I was addressing something that more people should have been addressing. Afterwards, my friend received a few more emails about how I was 'pissing on their ancestors' and etc. My friend told them, in no uncertain terms, that the emails were unwelcome, the issue was none of their business, and to fuck off. I also got a few emails, a few messages on Witchvox, a few comments, and a lovely comment from a sockpuppet account here on tumblr, as well as finding out my writing was posted to be mocked because I wasn't 'heathen' enough - with screenshots! I did not respond to anything, just kept record of everything in case it was needed. I disagree with the idea of bringing in some third party who is uninvolved to do one's dirty work. If someone has an issue with how someone else is practicing, they need to question whether it's something to address. Bringing in someone uninvolved is both cowardly and childish. They did not ask to be involved, and I'm not sure what involving another person serves to carry a point. Fight your own battles, or say nothing.

There were a few other instances. A series of screencaps of this person’s continued racist, sexist, and abusive behaviour was provided to a few of us. A known leader was accused of racism and verbal abuse by other members of the community with credible evidence. This leader had a pattern of setting up multiple Facebook accounts and when one was found they would set up a new one with a new name. They talked at length about their feelings on immigration, POC in the Heathen community, and interfaith. They advocated violence and celebrated terrorist acts. Some really troubling, disgusting stuff.

We did what we thought was right - we emailed the organization to tell them and offer proof via said screencaps. In the response, we were told, and I am not bullshitting, that this person was a valued member of the community, that they are 'proud' of their heritage (uh, so am I, but I don't run my mouth off about diversity being white genocide), and that we could essentially go pound sand. I quote "own personal outlook on (their) culture and (their) path. (They are) entitled to (their) own practice as much as anyone of us are, and (they) cares deeply for (their) culture.  (They) makes a significant contribution to the Pagan community with (their) efforts through (group). (They are) a hard worker and has accomplished a great many things in (their) time on the board, a commitment that is not to be taken lightly. (They) fulfill (their) duties as a board member admirably."

Do I agree with their hot take on this? No. I think if someone comes to you with an accusation of that kind of wrongdoing, you have a duty to do some manner of preliminary investigation, because if you are in a position where you are teaching people and have authority, those students need to feel safe. You need to determine if the accusations have any truth, and if they are found to be false, feel free to stand behind and assert your belief in the accused. I truly believe the harasser/abuser showed their group the email, and they spun it in some way to discredit us.

Complicity via ignorance is still complicity - it's enough to tarnish an organization's good name. In the working world, business owners have been hung out to dry because of their racist, homophobic, or sexist employee's actions. The whole Kenny Klein situation happened for years because people excused his behaviour and allowed other people to be abused.  We are all finger-wagging and clucking when people try to bring up this behaviour  - don't be starting drama, oh that's just how (name) is, oh that's just rumours. Look, everyone - assholes, creeps, criminals, and predators exist in every faith, every organization. We are so quick to sweep it under the rug, so rushed to prevent judgement, that we always forget that one important fact. While I think it's important not to jump on every bad thing you hear about people, I do think it's important to have an open and frank discussion about proper behaviour while in a position of power. Especially if proof of misdeeds are being offered.

This group, and their lack of action, stood complicit in this person's bad behaviour. If they made the choice to stand behind a racist, bigoted person who spends their time trying to harass people online (I am not the only one, I have been told - there have been multiple people, including some of their own family members), that is their choice. They have made that choice, and they have chosen to accept any repercussions going along with it. They chose to stand behind an abuser.

Sarah Lawless, back in 2018, named a number of known abusers in the wider PNW community. The flack she received for being brave to stand up and call that shit out was disgusting.

Abusers are coddled and protected in pagan communities. They are viewed as elders, as productive members of the community,  as local heroes. While I have been fortunate to encounter very little sexual harassment in the pagan community, I have suffered other abuses and harassment that has shown me that, just like the priests and cardinals in the Vatican, pagans protect and believe only those in their clique. And there are cliques in the community, have no doubt about that.

Sarah pointed out that the ideal community is a fantasy - I agree. Stories I have heard from others about their own experiences in the 'safe and welcoming' pagan community would break your heart. One person I spoke with said 'it's scary to even fathom trying to approach anyone, because it's hard to know who to trust, who might lure you in and take advantange of you'. That is a sad statement, and one I know too well. I have a tendency to keep abuse like this close to the chest because I have been burned by people in the past. There is no spiritual support for people who get abused - no chaplains, no pastoral care, no therapists.

These were people who were putting everything on the line to be heard, and the vitriol and hatred and lies I had seen made my blood boil. This is precisely why people do not come forward. They could put everything on the line - in Sarah's case, the safety of her partner at the time and children - and people will still find a way to claim the survivors are lying. Why? What do the survivors get out of lying about their abuse? What person would come forward, knowing they will be attacked, confronted, slandered, and encounter more abuse, if they weren't telling the truth? Why would any survivor put themselves through that unless there is truth? The most stalwart defenders claim 'they couldn't have done it, I've never seen them do anything to me!' Humans are complicated and complex beings, with many facets and many faces. The face you see may not be the same face others see. The John Doe you know and the John Doe I know may be the same person, but very different relationships. 

It comes down to this: You can't 'believe survivors' if you're supporting abusers.

You can't support survivors if you're sheltering abusers.

You can't help survivors if you're siding with abusers.

You can't call it a safe community if you don't protect it's members.

Standing up for myself and others lost me “friends” who ditched me about the ‘drama’, and my community.  Something needs to change. It is inevitable that change will befall the community, and those denizens had better wise up quickly. There are a lot of young, vulnerable people looking for guidance and safety, and the community better fucking step up and prove they are willing to protect their members, or they have become no better than the Christian groups who continue to enable their abuse. We need willing leaders to push forward to make the community better. We need dedicated, smart, and savvy people to navigate a new and better future for paganism, because it's got a death rattle going on and it needs the kiss of a new life.

Burn the whole of the modern pagan community down. Burn down the groups that perpetuate abuse, that enable abusers, and grow something better and safe from the ashes. Dismantle the sexist, enabling, racist, oversexed community with it's abusive elders, cleanse it with fire, and create a place where people can come together without having to fear predators.

The only I have learned from watching my and other’s experiences is that we shouldn't call out wrongdoing in the community, because I have gotten abuse hurled at me for it and I have seen others who have done the same get more and worse abuse. People get mad, they accuse those who come forward of 'causing drama' or 'rocking the boat'.

That is a terrible lesson. A witch is sovereign unto themselves.

Bitches, this boat is rocking. Grab on, or drown.

This is my own story. I have posted links for further review down below.

Further reading:

Dealing With Toxic People in the Pagan Community

Sarah Lawless’ post about her suffered abuse, via the Wayback Machine

Abuse, the Pagan Community, and Our Commitments

Abuse Within Paganism - a taboo topic?

A Crisis of Faith

Authenticity and Racism in Contempory Paganism

This is not a new issue - via livejournal, 2006

Cultural Appropriation in Neopaganism