#two things highly associated with being feminine

[throwawayasoiafaccount]

unedited rant starting now :)

funny how neither dany nor arya are listed as feminine and strong. do they not fit ur standards for feminine women? would they be strong in a “masculine way” then?

dany and arya are strong in their own ways. dany is ruling in her own right and is freeing slaves as she goes. is this the masculine strength you were talking about? is arya executing a traitor masculine strength?

why isn’t cersei strong in a masculine way then based off your definition? why does she have a woman’s strength? why is she feminine and strong but not dany and arya when she does similar things as them, the difference being that she’s crazy and edging closer to evil territory? cersei wishes she could have the power dany has. cersei wishes she had a sword like arya. is she only feminine to you because cersei is limited by the patriarchy and societal rules? why does femininity seem to mean being limited by the men around our characters to you?

you say sansa was passive and got manipulated a lot, which, while true, isn’t the only way for women to be feminine.

i thought being feminine means liking dresses and makeup and gushing over boys. i thought it meant gossiping with your friends over snacks and tea. i thought it meant being sweet, kind, gentle, empathetic, tender, and compassionate. i didn’t know that being feminine means you can’t be strong in a “masculine way.” because being strong in a masculine way seems to mean liking horseback riding and swinging a sword and ruling as a woman without a king. op, it seems like you’re a big hypocrite when claiming that cersei and arianne are feminine and strong while associating femininity with only passiveness and ignoring the femininity in women who are very active and don’t exactly conform, aka being strong in a “masculine way.”

let’s be clear, a woman can be both “feminine” and “masculine.” even though i hate designating female characters in such a rigid and oppressive system meant to make women conform to the patriarchy.

liking active characters isn’t a bad thing. liking characters who try to change the world they live in isn’t something that makes them strong in a “masculine way.” it just means that these characters are stepping out of the gender roles, and this does not make them unfeminine. a la arya saving weasel and dany protecting the people she could while drogo was alive are examples of two female characters being active while being constricted by 1) gender roles for dany and 2) class difference for arya (she posed as a small folk). these two characters also escape these societal constraints. dany rules as queen due to her dragons and arya is training as a faceless man and is gaining power. stepping out of their gender roles does not make them unfeminine and their strength should not be associated with masculine strength because they are both female characters in a world that is very unkind to women.

to kinda sum up my points, being active doesn’t make a character unfeminine, and i despise how you’re calling characters who are trying to live beyond their gender roles unfeminine. you are literally undermining actual women who decided to not conform to our patriarchy and horrible societal standards that dictate how a woman should conduct herself. it is not wrong to favor these nonconforming women as well. nor is it cool to undermine their strength by saying that they’re strong in a masculine way. this completely ignores the fact that these characters are going against the patriarchy in the books and should be applauded for it. the mormot women and brienne and arya don’t have it easier by being non conforming women. and it should be admired that they still take up this challenge because they have a right to exist the way that they want to. we readers should not degrade these characters who are going against a very oppressive system. and excuse me for not being impressed by sansa, who is very classist and a bully. excuse me for feeling bad for her but not favoring her because i appreciate the kindness and “masculine strength” of arya, and dany, and brienne more. excuse me for clearly not being a girls girl.

now, i agree that being feminine isn’t a weakness. but i hate how you’re ignoring the femininity in women who you consider strong in a “masculine way” and then saying that people with tastes like mine are in the wrong and therefore don’t like female characters at all. it’s very insulting and i can’t take you seriously because of how hypocritical you are by claiming cersei and arianne are strong and feminine, two characters who clearly want power in a “masculine way,” while not listing dany nor arya as feminine. dany and arya both should have come to your mind before arianne.

people can dislike whoever they want. stop trying to tell people that disliking certain characters and liking others is wrong because your standards aren’t met. it’s annoying.

[talisidekick]

I wanna talk about how transmen are sexualized.

Transmen aren't Femboys.

Transmen aren't Sissys.

Transmen aren't for your sexual pleasure.

Transmen are biological women who have dysphoria.

You cannot change sex, you can change gender presentation and how your gender is perceived.

-Sincerely A transguy tired of being sexualized and misinformation

When people go out of their way to say "all trans men are" or act like all trans mascs are a specific thing only, like a femboy, or a sissy, it's transphobic because it's debasing people to a kink and not recognizing that these can be aspects of a person, but not their entire personality. When someone treats a kink like the default for a type of person, it's offensive. Gay men got reasonably upset when people kept expecting and depicting them to be effeminate because it was rightfully offensive as fuck. We shouldn't be debasing people to sexual roles and stereotypical presentations grounded in bigotry. In your examples, that's transandrophobia. Beyond this, I will disagree with everything except your sign off.

Transgender men are not 'biological women'. They're men. Medically, commonly assigned female at birth (afab). I say "commonly" because intersex transgender men exist and the term 'afab' isn't all inclusive of the biological reality we're dealing with. The term "women" is a social term, not a medical one, that relates a person to experiences of womanhood and defines them as a woman by proxy. This is incorrect. Transgender men are men, period. If you're talking biology, use biology terms. Social terms belong in social contexts. Conflating the two aids no one and instead walks right into the rhetoric fascists like the so called "radfems" and "gender criticals" use to associate sex with gender as falsely inseparable terms.

Also, no again to "you cannot change sex". That is a falsity in the reality of modern science. We can make functional penises for transgender men, this is widely documented, and modern science has procedures that would allow an individual to no longer be accurately medically classified as "female" and even "male". One such procedure is called SRS or Sex Reassignment Surgery, sometimes referred to under a broader category of Gender Confirming Surgery or GCS that covers the creation or removal of primary and secondary sex characteristics. Now before we get on the "what do I mean by functional" train, I'm deliberately not including sperm production or egg production in this statement because if that's your argument that it's not 'functional' unless it can be used to reproduce, you're an asshole that just said sterile men aren't men, and post-menopausal women aren't women, and fuck you. Men and women aren't defined by their ability to reproduce. That's bioessentialist bullshit that can fuck right off, this ain't the fucking 1960's.

I'm being highly specific here because I want to be very clear that the terms we use have impact, they're meant to be used in certain contexts and conflating terms with eachother doesn't help us make the points that we're trying to here.

The real meat of this though is that these sexualizations as femboys and sissy's being default used on trans masculine people in general is deliberately denying transgender men and mascs their masculinity. If a transgender man or masc chooses to express themself in such a way, that's their choice. But it's a choice an individual is making, not a collective. It doesn't matter what a transgender man or masc looks like, it matters how they want to be treated, and denying them that treatment to force them into a sexual role they don't agree with is a big fucking baaaaaaaaaaad move. We talk about sexual liberation in being 2SLGBTQIA+, and defining ourselves our way, but doing this to trans mascs is just reflavouring homophobia to attack a different group. Fucking stop it. Let trans mascs and transgender men be masculine. Stop default coding them as feminine.

[acrystalwitch]

(***NO N*zis or TERFs allowed to interact with this post or my blog*** This is a post for Norse pagans or polytheists looking to work with Odin. This is all based on my own experiences working with the all father and nothing here is to be taken as a hard fact. If your practice differs from my own that is totally fine. There will be a lot of UPG and SPG)

An incomplete summary of Odin in Norse mythology.

Odin, god of war and wisdom is a key figure in the Norse myths and is involved in a lot of the stories. He is the head of the Norse gods and is called the All father, because it’s by him that all of humans were created. He is married to Frigg and together they had Baldur and Hodr. Odin also has other sons, Thor, Vali, and Vidar.

He has two ravens Huginn and Muninn, and two wolves Geri and Freki.

He only has one eye, he sacrificed his other eye by throwing it into Mimir’s well in exchange for knowledge that could better help him prevent Ragnarok.

Another famous story of his is when he hung upside down from the tree of life for nine days and nine nights to get knowledge of other worlds and to be able to know everything about the runes.

The type of magic he practices (Seiðr) was a feminine type of magic that wasn’t always looked highly on when men would participate in it. Yet our Allfather was very practiced in it.

My experience working with him: One thing to know about working with Odin going in, he will be very honest and blunt. My other deities have a habit of being softer on my feelings than I’ve heard other devotees say they’ve been with them, I’m assuming because I’m very sensitive. But Odin..? He does not care. He will stop giving advice if I tell him I don’t want to hear it. But, if I ask for advice…oh boy, am I gonna get his full opinion. He is very much a father in the way he goes about things, he cares but he wants his followers to push themselves as much as they can, learning as much as you can and always growing, never staying sedentary for too long.

I have a notebook dedicated to him that I’ve been using to work on learning the runes and that seems to be the best offering to give him in my practice right now. He never misses a chance to remind me I need to get back to learning the runes too.

I always wondered why it mattered so much to him that I learn them. Eventually he told me that it was because they really would be useful in spells, and wards and making bind runes out of them is something I’m learning to do now.

He is not the easiest deity to work with, he may even push your buttons on purpose to get you to think harder on things. I’ve noticed he’s even been rude before just to see if I’d stand up for myself and set boundaries and then he’ll explain himself after. Lots of tests trials and teachings. But man, is it worth it for the immense amount of knowledge and mentorship that he can bring. All in all, I’m glad he came to me later in my practice as I might’ve been scared off from deity work if he was the first. But, I love him to pieces and hope to work with him for a long time.

Offerings and associations of Odin

(Odin does not eat food so I’ve seen many people say not to give him food offerings, I disagree! Give him things that he can feed to Geri and Freki. He is known to still fill his plate and just give them bits over meals. So don’t hesitate to gift him any food offerings you would to any other Norse god)

-colors: gray, dark blue, black

- tree Imagery, Yggdrasil in particular

- raven Imagery, black feathers

- wolf Imagery

- clear quartz

- onyx

- blue goldstone

- amethyst

- carnelian

- the hermit tarot card

- the hanged man tarot card

- the four of cups tarot card

- the king of swords tarot card

- mead, wine, alcohol

- poetry (he writes poems!)

- mugwort scent/incense

- Ansuz rune ᚨ

- learn about the runes

- learn his myths

- learn useful and practical knowledge

- read books

- ask him for advice

There are many more ways to learn about him and get close to him. A great one is reading the Hávamál. If you meditate or do tarot or rune casting those are also great ways to contact him and get closer to him.

Signs he might be reaching out; seeing ravens more than usual or in non native areas, very windy days, rain, seeing his name often, feeling drawn to his mythology, seeing his tarot cards pop up often, you already work with one of his sons (I think he sent Thor to me first to soften my idea of the Norse gods and be a warm intro into their pantheon.)

He is a great god to work with, lots of work though. Odin is not for the weak minded, but he’s been so worth getting to know.

[lilbagdermole]

Toph's Characterization, ATLA Comics - A Dissertation

Chapter One - The Rift (Part One)

I'm going to start with the third entry of the 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Comic Series because Toph's characterization isn't too off-putting in 'The Promise' (though it still had many infuriating panels that I'll get to in the future) and she isn't present in 'The Search'. So, we'll start off with 'The Rift' - the first and only Toph-centric comic, despite being a fan favorite character and one of the main characters of the show.

And, the very first panel with our favorite Earthbender is a slap to the face to Toph's character arc as well as her personality:

Toph Beifong is questioning whether or not Earth Kingdom citizens can united alongside Fire Nation citizens.

This is coming from the first member of the Gaang that warmed up to Zuko when he presents himself in the Western Air Temple (and willingly went to speak to him, despite everyone's disapproval).

This is coming from the same person who willingly sat down for a cup of tea with Uncle Iroh. And even after discovering he was a member of the Fire Nation Royal Family, she still thought and spoke highly of his character (Aang does state that Toph mentions that Iroh gives great tea and advice).

This is coming from the same person who travelled across the Fire Nation, observed how their is good in evil; fought beside the Fire Nation Prince to stop the war and even reassured him that HE WAS GOOD when he doubted himself during the Ember Island Play!

Obviously, Toph may have her doubts and concerns given they're discussing the government of a Fire Nation Colony - territory that once pertained to the Earth Kingdom. And yes, hostility and dissatisfaction may be a legitimate concern. However, it's the way she phrases her sentence that irks me. It almost seems as though Toph is doubting the possibility of genuine unanimity forging between the two different Nations. And it's really off-putting because Toph had never ONCE, during her screen time on ATLA, questioned the possibility of blossoming friendships with people of the Fire Nation.

It's also a lesson Aang teaches her in 'The Avatar and The Firelord':

Toph: It's like these people are born bad

Aang: No, that's wrong. I don't think that was the point of what Roku showed me at all (...) Roku was just as much Fire Nation as Sozin was, right? If anything, their story proves anyone's capable of great good and great evil.

And now, we commence my substantial hatred for the portrayal of Toph's manners:

Yes, in the original series Toph does have a few scenes (that I can recall, three) where she does something that is generally un-ladylike and bad-mannered. But, I cannot understand what it is with Bryke and their obsession of depicting Toph being rude and gross in almost every other scene.

In 'The Promise' we had a few other scenes and 'The Rift', not fifteen pages in, and we get these two scenes almost back-to-back. And, it no longer correlates to Toph's want to disconnect from her pompous upbringing. This is how Bryke choose to write their "tomboy" coded characters, and it's disrespectful.

We don't see any other female character do these types of actions. Not Katara, not Suki, not Ty Lee, not Mai, not Azula. Toph is exclusively the only character that acts this way. And it really leaves a bad taste in my mouth once you come to terms that Byrke associate "tomboy female characters" with unhygienic, gross and rude behavior. You can write Toph desiring to abandon her rigorous upbringing and be less traditionally feminine without portraying her this way. It's just perpetuating a very nasty stereotype that's already been constructed with this type of media.

And don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with depicting female characters doing things that are considered unladylike (example: burping, picking their teeth, etc.). But, how come no other female character acts this way? We never see none of the other traditionally feminine characters, such as Katara or Mai, act this way. Like I said, it's feeding into a very weird and harmful stereotype.

Oh boy.

So, we enter the central conflict between Aang and Toph.

To contextualize this, whilst Aang is explaining the Air Nomad Traditions to the air acolytes, he ends up saying "That's just how it's done." and it triggers Toph's past childhood trauma growing up secluded and misunderstood by emotionally neglectful parents. I actually really enjoy that we're exploring Toph's past and her own traumatic experiences; it makes her a more compelling, relatable and human character and gives her personality a lot more depth.

However, it's what comes next that infuriates me to my core (and the reason why I wanted to write this monstrosity of an analysis). Toph becomes arrogant, rude, insensitive and disrespectful to Aang and to his culture.

It's just odd we never explore this trauma beyond this. The trauma that Toph has, while interesting and a great set-up for some internal character work, it's utilized solely to progress the conflict (and once it's resolved, Toph's inner struggles are abandoned). And it's odd that this traumatic event in her childhood is the setup for her sudden and spontaneous love for the future and her avoidance of her past.

It's even odder when you remember that in the original series, Toph never wanted to flee her past. She loved her parents and felt remorse for leaving them. She just wanted them to understand that she was a capable fighter and see her beyond her blindness.

For you to understand my disappointment in this particular characterization, we first have to analyze Toph during ATLA. Throughout the two seasons where she is present, Toph had never once disrespected Aang's culture or his spirituality. On the contrary, she seemed amazed with the Western Air Temple the moment she sensed it's architecture beneath the cliffs: "Wow ... it's amazing!"

Aang reassured her that friendships carry on throughout lifetimes (and it comforts her);

When he's meditating, she's the only one remaining quiet:

Season 3, Episode 6: The Avatar and The Fire Lord

Katara: Do they have bathrooms in the Spirit World?

Sokka: As a matter of fact, they do not.

She's always showed nothing but respect for Aang, his culture and his duties as the Avatar and last airbender, yet, now, for some reason she is characterized in such an unflattering and antagonistic light. And it's crazy to me that Toph is suddenly someone who resents the past and is all about the future... since when has this been one of her defining character traits?

It just... keeps going... And it's so sad to see. This just makes Toph so unlikeable and this just isn't the same Toph we got to see in the animated series. And it what world would Toph Beifong choose a random dude she just met over her friends, especially her FIRST FRIEND (Aang)?

AND NOW SHE IS LYING TO PROTECT THIS RANDO BECAUSE HE ADMIRES HER?

In what world would Toph do this? And don't tell me this is because Toph is enamored with Satoru. Toph, canonically had a crush on Sokka, yet she never did anything stupid nor disrespectful for Sokka; she never compromised her morals or beliefs to protect Sokka.

And I cannot fathom Toph being this unbothered by the pollution. True, she was never a big environmentalist in the main series; however, I would like to believe that Toph would advocate for the protection of her element, especially given she is so in tune with nature: Badgermoles taught her how to bend, she sees through earth, her element is centered around nature... I just can't rationalize Toph being this indifferent to the lack of care for the environment.

Sigh... Here's a little montage of Aang's ability to maintain inner peace:

Season Two, Episode Eight 'The Chase': Aang lashing out on Toph despite Toph being the only one to justify how Azula, Ty Lee and Mai kept finding them.

Season Two, Episode Eleven 'The Desert': Yelling at Toph and blaming her for Appa's kidnapping, despite Toph being unable to see nor protect Appa, because she was protecting her friends.

Season Three, Episode One 'The Awakening': Aang being so frustrated that the world thinks he's dead that he flies away at sea, during a storm.

Season Three, Episode Seventeen 'The Ember Island Players': Literally get's so infuriated with an unreal depiction of his relationship with Katara that he forcibly kisses her, because immaturely possessive and quote: 'Overreacting? If I hadn't blocked my chakra, I'd probably be in the Avatar State right now!?

'The Promise' - Part One: After Katara is held by Zuko and he enters the Avatar State.

Yes, Aang sure is in tune with his inner peace.

It's also hilarious that they really think Toph is the one provoking the earthquakes when she's the best earthbender alive and is more in tune with her bending then any other bender there. I mean, I get it we have to shove the "everyone loves and defends Aang" but not even Sokka came to Toph's defense? Katara?

Another thing that really rubs me the wrong way is that Toph was literally pushed into Aang's life because she "waits and listens" - yet, here, Toph is anything but patient. She's explosive and reactive. During ATLA, whenever she fights, she always has a moment afterwards where she listens to the other person. The best examples are with Katara in 'The Runaway'. She's actually considerably patient if you actually analyze her character throughout the series and isn't as hotheaded as she's portrayed here.

Not everything in this first part is horrendous. I do enjoy that we get confirmation (that unlike a certain canon couple) Aang and Toph are able to have their squabbles and then talk things out to understand one another's perspective.

We also get to see them work together despite being at odds. And, just like in the animated series, they work in really great harmony and comprehend the other without saying many words. I really enjoy that we get to see them put their differences and disagreements aside and work like a unite when it's called for. That is something that I really enjoy about Taang and their dynamic.

We also get a lot of cute panels with Toph and Aang - and man they are a really good looking couple. In a later analysis, I'll get more into depth on their relationship in this comic (and her relationship with her friends), but for this initial part it wasn't too badly butchered.

And's that's it for the first part of this analysis.

[amporella]

KYLE BROFLOVSKI, STAN MARSH, AND THE FEMININE/MASCULINE QUESTION... PART TWO!

(Or; In defense of feminine Kyle and masculine Stan)

(OR or; how Matt and Trey's outdated views prove their intentions for their characters...

(...PART TWO!!!)

If you haven’t read the first part, you can read it HERE to get caught up on a LOT of exposition and just as much Stan talk. If you've already read it yesterday, here's a quick refresher; this is the long awaited (by me. I've been long awaiting it) justification for my interpretation of feminine Kyle and masculine Stan. Let's get into it!

In Part 1, we covered a lot, but we somehow didn't get to one of the centerpieces of this meta; Kyle! So, let's jump right into his section.

KYLE BROFLOVSKI, FEMININITY ONCE REMOVED:

i. Personality

The first place to begin in proving Kyle’s femininity would be to compare him to Tweek, or, more specifically, to compare him to the ‘woman-like’ traits that Matt and Trey identified within Tweek. First, let’s quickly go over again what Matt and Trey had to say those traits actually were:

“One person wanting, which is usually the woman... who flips out a bit more about things emotionally, and generally the man is a bit more, like... not responsive to emotion, and just wants to problem solve. And we have had experience with that…"

What this essentially boils down to is that they think the woman is more emotional, and more prone to wanting their emotions validated rather than wanting to immediately solve the problem. Now, we know that Kyle is a problem solver; his SP and Me profile actually explicitly says that he is! But that doesn’t mean he’s a quick problem solver, as we can see in Crack Baby Athletic Association.

This episode is one of the best examples of Kyle engaging in behavior similar to Tweek in ‘Put It Down’, with Stan playing Craig’s role. Kyle has a way to solve the problem immediately - by dropping out of Cartman’s organization and admitting his wrongdoing - but instead, he repeatedly returns to Stan and requests that he validates his feelings on the subject. He wants Stan to admit that he’s right to feel the way that he does, and while the way he does naturally varies from Tweek due to personality differences (Tweek’s reaction being to things generally out of his control, while Kyle reacts to and tries to justify his own decisions), it’s a similar concept.

Furthermore, Kyle serves as an occasional parallel to Tweek in more situations than just that one episode; they’re both highly neurotic characters, a trait which Matt and Trey have associated with women constantly throughout the show. Even beyond admitting that they view women as more emotional in that initial commentary, women are consistently the ones throughout the show who show the most dramatic reactions. There are some exceptions, namely:

Randy, who tends to be more emotional than Sharon. However, this doesn’t disprove the above point, as Matt and Trey label Randy as a ‘Karen’ for his emotional behavior; despite being an emotional man, he is still compared to a woman within Matt and Trey’s eyes.

Mr. Garrison, who is one of the most dramatic characters in the series. Matt and Trey often tend to conflate feminine men and women regardless (which would line up with them conflating femininity in any gender with women), and the plot point involving his transition to Ms. Garrison frequently references his ‘feminine’ personality traits as partial justification. 

Even considering exceptions, it’s obvious that Matt and Trey think neuroticism is a female trait, and Kyle, out of the main four, is always the one who’s the butt of the joke about it.

Consider ‘Pee’, an episode that I mentioned briefly in Part 1 as our first example.

In this episode, Matt and Trey lean heavily on Kyle being a dramatic, easily grossed out character. Furthermore, the rest of the boys don’t seem to care at all; only the background women find peeing in the pool to be disgusting. The two snippets of script that I’ve shown above have obvious parallels between them: one character (Kyle and the woman, respectively) show disgust at pee, and another character (Stan and the man, respectively) wave it off. In this situation, Matt and Trey are obviously comparing Kyle to the woman. And that’s far from the only time they do so in the show.

Kyle is consistently the character that Matt and Trey use for misogynistic jokes, or really any jokes that relate to gender nonconformity. Consider the following examples:

Cartman’s ‘sand in your vagina’ joke. Kyle is always the butt of it; I can’t remember any instance where any other character, no matter how they behaved, was hit with it. Could this be because Cartman obviously hates Kyle? Sure. That’s part of it. But Cartman also frequently relates Butters to femininity, and never projects that joke onto him. Out of the main four, according to Cartman, Kyle is the designated ‘girl’; when Cartman views him as overreacting, he immediately associates it with Kyle being female. 

Another example of this would be in ‘Raising The Bar’, where Cartman points out Kyle’s ‘slim stomach and perky tits’. Kenny does something similar in ‘Make Love, Not Warcraft’, where he comments on Kyle’s avatar. I’m not going to go too deeply into that second one, because we’re going to be discussing that in the Appearance section in a little more detail.

A third example relating more to general gender nonconformity would be in ‘Help, My Teenager Hates Me!’, where Kyle uses Sheila’s makeup to cover injuries and Gerald tells her that he’s just experimenting. Every time Matt and Trey have the opportunity to make a joke about femininity, or to even align a character with women, they choose Kyle. And while the characters making these declarations about him in-show may have their own reasons for doing so, it’s telling that Matt and Trey still pick Kyle to be the butt of the joke.

There are also many more instances in which Matt and Trey take the opportunity to align him with gender nonconformity and/or women, with an example of the former being in ‘South Park Is Gay’.

If it’s been a while since you’ve seen that episode (and since the plot is too widely spread for me to pick effective script pieces), here’s a brief summary: the men and boys of South Park decide to become ‘metrosexual’ by dressing in a more feminine manner and being more hygienic. Mr. Garrison believes that they’re imitating gay culture when it becomes convenient for them, and decides to put a stop to it. Kyle, after being beaten up at school for refusing to conform, teams up with Mr. Garrison to kill the Queer Eye guys. 

On first glance, this seems like it shouldn’t belong in this essay; Kyle refuses to conform to femininity, and therefore must prefer masculinity, right?

Well, it’s not that simple. South Park is a satire show; naturally, nearly every episode is a satire of something. South Park Is Gay isn’t meant to be taken literally on the surface level: if you consider it from the perspective of South Park as a whole, it becomes obvious that it’s a satire of the opposite issue. Kyle, as the odd one out, is meant to be the gay, feminine kid who doesn’t conform to masculinity; the boys who beat him up are meant to be masculine boys who don’t support femininity. When looking at it through that lens, it makes a lot more sense; the actual events of the episode are not something that happens in any frequent sense, while the inner layer does happen: naturally, it makes sense to parody it, and the most effective parody (and the best humor) would come from flipping it directly on its head.

Even beyond looking at the satire aspect, Matt and Trey’s decision to pair Kyle up with the most prominent feminine male character is telling; Kyle takes the side of feminine gay men in this episode. He is the gender nonconforming character, and Matt and Trey’s decision to place him in that situation was very much intentional.

It’s also not the only time where Kyle is aligned, either figuratively or literally, with feminine characters. In fact, it happens throughout the entire show: Kyle is very much his mother’s son, and takes after her heavily personality and morals wise. 

Sheila creates ‘Mothers Against Canada’, and Kyle creates ‘Millennials Against Canada’. Sheila grows up in Jersey, and Kyle undergoes a Jersey transformation as a child that they bond over. Kyle even mimics some of her behaviors in the Post-Covid specials; when he gets angry, he emotes in the exact same way that she does. When Stan wants to get to Kyle, he tells him that he’s acting like his mother right now. Kyle’s relationship with Sheila is extremely close and very complex, and that he is compared so consistently to her while none of the other boys are to their own mothers is telling, especially when considering two other factors: that Stan is far more similar to his father in Post Covid, and that Kyle’s role in the show is often maternal.

The greatest example of Kyle’s maternal role would be in The Jeffersons, which also serves as a contrast between how he and Stan behave in that situation. In this episode, Kyle takes it upon himself to protect and care for Blanket after realizing that he’s being neglected from his father.

Despite all of the other kids being there, Kyle notices Blanket’s injury first and is the first to take action to help him. His maternal behavior continues throughout the rest of the episode, even when Stan steps in later on: Stan steps forward to scold Mr. Jefferson and Cartman, while Kyle hangs back and holds Blanket’s hand. 

There are obviously no inherent behaviors of parenting that can be ascribed to mothers or fathers, but throughout history and media, people have stereotyped mothers as being more protective and loving, while fathers are more assertive and defend the family as a whole. Are Matt and Trey progressive enough to intentionally avert these tropes with Stan and Kyle? Probably not. When they choose the way Stan and Kyle behave in this scene, especially considering how frequently they are related to their father and mother respectively, it is highly likely they intended for Kyle to play the ‘mother’ and Stan to play the ‘father’.

But that’s not all when it comes to examples of Kyle being aligned with women. 

‘Miss Teacher Bangs A Boy’ also serves as an example (to which I say thank you @/imaginationlandtrilogy for bringing this up in a separate post and letting me use it: I didn’t even think of this one!) Throughout the episode, none of the male characters take Ms. Stevenson assaulting Ike seriously. The police, Cartman, and even Stan don’t see the issue. Kyle is the only exception. 

The female characters, on the other hand, all immediately see the issue with the situation, a non-Broflovski example being Principal Victoria, who is horrified and calls the police. Gerald is not present in the episode, so we can’t make a solid decision on whether Kyle’s behavior is because he’s a member of Ike’s family, but regardless, Kyle is once again put on the side of the women as opposed to the side of the men and boys. 

Given the large number of instances of this occurring (to which the above few are only a snapshot), it’s difficult to imagine that this isn’t intentional. Matt and Trey consistently align Kyle with the women and separate him from the men. His stereotypically feminine personality traits are called out time and time again, sometimes with entire episodes devoted to them, and when they need a character to serve as the ‘girl’ among the main four, they always pick Kyle. With our Matt and Trey goggles on, the reasoning for this is obvious: they believe that Kyle is the more feminine out of the main four boys, and most certainly out of Kyle and Stan, and use that to differentiate him personality wise, to make jokes at the expense of women, and to open up more opportunity for plots that require such a personality to enact.

We know that Kyle’s personality and the way it’s depicted in the show is intentionally feminine from the perspective of the writers, but what about the other aspects of his character? We still have two more sections we need to address, so let’s get into them. I promise these are going to be shorter.

ii. Interests

Stan tends to be a more fleshed out character than Kyle purely in terms of interests, leaving us few to go off of for the latter, but there is one that’s important enough to his character to merit addressing: his studiousness and interest in academia.

(But before that, to briefly address a point that might come up: Kyle does play basketball, and I did list sports (though American football in particular) as a masculine interest! However, I don’t think that Kyle’s interest in sports is as formative to his character as it is for Stan’s, nor is it as formative as his interest in academia; if you’re interested in my reasoning, you can read more about that in my jock Stan meta!)

So, is studiousness a feminine or masculine trait? Within the wider context of popular culture, that’s difficult to discern; while the ‘nerd’ trait is typically applied to women within media, academia has largely been a male field. But even though we can’t rely on popular culture to get us our answer, we can rely on Matt and Trey, and they’ve made their opinion on that extremely clear through their other most studious character: Wendy Testaburger.

Wendy’s intelligence, studiousness, and commitment to school stand out as some of her more consistent personality traits throughout the duration of the show. In that way, she serves as the closest parallel to Kyle out of the girls, especially considering their shared strong moral standings. As a result, they get along with each other fairly well in scenes they share; an example of such would be in Follow That Egg, where their commitment to the project and to getting an A make them compatible partners.

Wendy and Kyle working well together on academics isn’t the only reason I bring up the above quotes, though: I also bring it up to point out that even Bebe cares about the project, while Stan doesn’t. In fact, none of the boys we see in the episode do; Cartman goes so far as to accidentally break his egg. This is a theme that remains consistent throughout school-related episodes of South Park: most of the boys don’t care about school, while the girls, and Kyle, do.

Through this, Matt and Trey establish caring about school as a trait they associate much more heavily with girls: while the girls commit to their work and tend to study, the boys instead wing it. This wouldn’t be an unlikely view for them to have, either; it falls very well in line with ‘boys will be boys’, and is thus a fairly well established view for older men to have. 

By making the girls studious, Matt and Trey set a precedent, and by establishing Kyle as the most academically inclined boy during their childhoods, they consciously choose to group Kyle with the girls. Given the rest of the above instances in which they also choose to group him with women and girls, it’s hard to believe this is a coincidence.

iii. Appearance

Now we get to a particularly interesting part; Kyle’s appearance. A large majority of what constitutes femininity in personality and interests remains up for debate, even when considering it from a more ‘traditional’ perspective, but femininity in regards to appearance has remained relatively consistent in recent years. 

The first point in the appearance section is also the most obvious: his appearance in Make Love, Not Warcraft.

When selecting his avatar in World of Warcraft, Kyle makes the conscious decision to play as a woman. Furthermore, he doesn’t play as just any woman; he plays as a fairly feminine woman, who wears a dress and could be wearing jewelry. Given that every other boy chooses to play as a man (with Stan choosing a very traditionally masculine man), it’s unlikely that decision was because they were out of male characters, or that none of those male characters was a magic user: instead, it’s more likely that he simply wanted to play as a feminine character. He actively chose to present in that manner in game, and it serves as a sharp contrast between his gender presentation and Stan’s. 

It’s certainly possible he was only given that avatar to give Cartman and Kenny someone to joke about, but that doesn’t explain the character’s motivation in-canon for making that decision, nor does it explain why Kyle was the chosen character instead of Butters, who has far more of a history of choosing to present in a feminine manner. 

There are a few other small things that could also be mentioned in this section (such as Kyle calling himself a ‘styling Jew’ in The Lonely Jew on Christmas, and Kyle being put in the place of Little Red Riding Hood by Cartman), but the next most intentional connection between Kyle and feminine appearances is in TFBW, where Kyle comments this about the New Kid (if they’re female):

This is particularly notable because none of the other characters say anything like this. Stan comments on how he can’t tell if the New Kid is a boy or a girl, Kenny comments on the New Kid reminding him of his sister, and Kyle comments on… femininity in boys being okay? It’s a strange quote compared to the idling quotes from every other boy, none of which are at all similar. 

Kyle acknowledging femininity in boys being a reality and acknowledging that it’s perfectly acceptable is strange as a one off instance, but it makes a lot of sense when the rest of his behavior, and Matt and Trey’s portrayal of him, is considered. Femininity in boys is relevant to him because he is a feminine boy; he has more of a reason than anybody else to affirm what he thinks the New Kid’s presentation is, because it’s a similar presentation to his own.

iv. Conclusion

I’m going to keep this section brief, because we have a much longer conclusion to go over that will wrap up this whole meta, but here’s a brief summary of the things we’ve just covered in Kyle’s section.

Given Matt and Trey’s historically regressive views of women and femininity, as well as their tendency towards misogynistic jokes, we can take the traits they give Kyle and conclude that he is, in a sense, intended to be the ‘girl’ of the main four, or the character that Matt and Trey use for regressive jokes and scenes they need ‘feminine’ traits for. Furthermore, we can also conclude that Matt and Trey frequently grouping Kyle with girls, women, and gender nonconforming people is not coincidental, and they do so in reference to both behavior and interests. Finally, Kyle’s intentional decisions to align himself with femininity in regard to appearance confirms that he, in comparison to many of the male characters, has a distinct preference for presenting in a feminine manner.

THE ACTUAL CONCLUSION:

WE’RE FINALLY HERE. THE ACTUAL CONCLUSION. MY FINGERS HURT.

First, let’s do one big final summary of the whole thing, in bullet point format for simplicity:

i. The Summary

Femininity and masculinity are difficult to discern in characters from a progressive view, so we need to figure them out from a different perspective.

Characterization by fans is most accurate when you look at intention instead of individual scenes; therefore, the above perspective we need to use is the most likely one that Matt and Trey would have. We can confirm they hold that perspective using their view of creek.

Using that perspective, we can conclude that Stan is intended to be a masculine character, and Kyle is intended to be a feminine character based on their behaviors, interests, and appearances. Them playing these roles is vitally important to the dynamic of the show.

However, given the heated discussion behind this topic, finishing off with a quick summary probably isn’t enough to put the question to rest. So, it’s mini FAQ time. Don’t take the concept of the FAQ too seriously; it’s just the most convenient way I could think of to answer these!

ii. The FAQ

Q: If Kyle is feminine and Stan is masculine, doesn’t shipping them (or portraying them that way in the ship) make it heteronormative?

A: No. The word ‘heteronormative’ (and the concept of heteronormativity) is wildly misused in fandom in general, and most definitely within the South Park fandom. Heteronormativity, in short, is the concept that heterosexuality is the ‘default’ sexuality, and that straight relationships are the norm. It has barely anything to do with masculine/feminine gay relationships; in fact, I would go so far as to say gay relationships inherently cannot be heteronormative just by virtue of being gay. 

To call a masculine/feminine gay relationship heteronormative implies that that relationship is somehow less gay than a masculine/masculine relationship, which thereby implies that a feminine man is somehow more of a woman than a masculine man. Gender has little to do with how you present yourself; a feminine gay man is still a man as long as he identifies as such. 

Q: Isn’t the whole point of a gay relationship that neither of them are ‘the woman’?

A: There is literally no situation in which a gay man in a relationship is suddenly the woman. It does not matter how he presents himself, or what he does within the relationship; none of it makes him inherently a woman. Masculine/feminine relationships in both gay men and lesbians are a huge part of gay culture, and erasing that to attempt to be progressive is not actually progressive, or helpful, at all. 

Q: How can you say Kyle is feminine when he presents like the other guys (ie masculine) most of the time? 

A: I think a commonly misunderstood theme when discussing these issues is the idea that men existing is inherently masculine. It’s not. When Kyle, a 10 year old, dresses in clothes that a 10 year old often dresses in, he’s not making any statement about his gender presentation. Neither is Stan! That’s why I didn’t include their typical outfits for either of them. 

Femininity is considered to be much more of an intentional performance than masculinity, especially in men; Kyle by virtue of existing as a man can be deemed masculine, but he would need to wear makeup and dresses for people to admit that he chooses to present as feminine. It’s an unfair standard; as such, when I consider femininity and masculinity in terms of appearances, I only do it when they make the conscious decision to change their looks with few outside forces influencing them. He isn’t choosing masculinity or rejecting femininity just by existing, but he does frequently choose femininity when he gets the option to.

Q: Isn’t making Kyle feminine adhering to Jewish stereotypes?

A: I’m not Jewish, so I can’t speak as much on this topic. However, adhering to the way a character is portrayed in canon should not automatically be considered problematic, and furthermore, people are not stereotypes for existing. Feminine Jewish men are very real. Short Jewish men are very real. Gay Jewish men are very real. Jewish men with all of the above traits are once again very real. They deserve to be able to exist without inherently being deemed stereotypical or problematic.

There are always going to be people who are bigoted, or cruel, or intentionally stereotype characters in a legitimately problematic way. That doesn’t mean every person who adheres to that portrayal is that way, especially when there are legitimate justifications for it in canon. You are well within your rights to be personally uncomfortable with feminine Kyle as a portrayal; it doesn’t mean it’s an incorrect or necessarily bad portrayal, especially when legitimately antisemitic things are rife within this fandom. There is much to be focused on and much to be improved; I can’t say I see feminine Kyle to inherently be one of those things that needs correction.

Q: If you make Kyle feminine based off of Matt and Trey’s stereotypes/jokes, doesn’t that mean you believe them?

Not really! It’s true that I think a lot of Kyle’s traits were intended to be feminine by Matt and Trey. That being said, that doesn’t mean I necessarily believe those traits are actually feminine, regardless of how we define that word. Part of consuming media (especially ‘problematic’ media) is learning to critically analyze it, and learning to take what you want from it while leaving the rest. You don’t have to agree with what Matt and Trey think to enjoy the show, or the characters, or to acknowledge the intention they came at those characters with. 

iii. The Actual, Final Conclusion

This is like the fourth conclusion so far, and I promise it’s the final one.

Now that we’ve gotten a good portion of the political questions out of the way, here’s the REAL main reason that I wrote this, outside of discourse or necessary justification or anything like that: I like feminine Kyle! I like writing about him. I like picking out things in canon that support my belief and writing about them. 

That being said, I don’t think you have to like feminine Kyle to acknowledge the points I’ve been trying to make here. You can note everything I’ve put in here, and you can use it for totally different characterizations; that’s your right. Maybe Stan and Kyle undergo a drastic shift in presentation; it could happen! Or maybe you just want to scrap everything here, whether it’s because you’d rather look at it from a different angle or because you want to build your interpretations from the ground up; you can also do that. If that’s what makes you happy, you SHOULD do that! 

The point I’m trying to make here isn’t that feminine Kyle is the only correct interpretation; it’s that it is a valid interpretation, and that there’s evidence to back it up. There’s a lot of evidence to back it up! I feel confident saying that Kyle is a canonically feminine character. But even if there wasn’t evidence, it’s an interpretation that deserves respect, just like the rest of the harmless interpretations out there, no matter how much you personally dislike it. Furthermore, it’s not an interpretation that necessarily says anything about you as a person, or your political views, or your biases. There are some things in this fandom that are indicative of those; this isn’t one of them.

Representation of gender non-conforming people is important - even representation in headcanons, or representation that you’re wary of, or any other form of representation -  and we should be able to seek it from whatever character we can (and want to) wring it out of.

Even if that character is shaped like an egg.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

This meta is basically my child at this point, so I feel like it deserves some acknowledgements:

A huge thank you to @adriabun for their amazing section header suggestions, and thanks to @craigrights, @5ftkyle, and @alister312 as well as @adriabun again for their constant encouragement and moral support! Also thank you to all the rest of my friends, who suggested a ton of the things I ended up using here; in the most un-cheesy way I can say this, I couldn't have done it without your help. Thanks to anybody who I mentioned in here for your great metas, and finally: thank you to anyone who made it this far! It was a long one and it means a lot to me that you read it. <3 

[n0va505]

“There is no wholly masculine man, no purely feminine woman.”

—Margaret Fuller

🎀 The Balance of the Feminine & Masculine 🎀

In life, it is important to maintain a balance between one's masculine and feminine energies. While both are equally important, sometimes people tend to overindulge in one over the other, which can cause undesired consequences. Too much of the feminine energy can lead to a lack of motivation or a sense of being overwhelmed, while too much of the masculine energy can lead to stress and exhaustion. Thus, it is vital to find a balance between the two energies to lead a healthy and fulfilling life. By embracing and cultivating both energies, one can achieve a sense of peace and harmony in their life.

THE FEMININE

The feminine energy is often associated with the propensity to receive rather than give. It is characterized by a certain ease and effortless grace that results in getting more than what is put in. This energy is essentially the source of creation, life, and love. When we tap into this energy, we can experience a deep sense of abundance and fulfillment that comes from a place of pure receptivity and openness. It is a reminder that sometimes the greatest strength lies in surrendering to the flow of life rather than trying to control it.

You can tell a person is deeply connected with their feminine energy from the list below:

GUIDED BY INTUITION

NURTURING NATURE

EMPATHETIC

ABUNDANT

HIGHLY CREATIVE

LIVING IN THE FLOW STATE

THE MASCULINE

It is often observed that the feminine energy is associated with the acts of doing and giving, which is quite different from the masculine energy. In the masculine, you put a lot of effort into accomplishing your goals and achieving the things you desire in life. This active approach helps you gain a sense of control over your life and the situations you find yourself in. Moreover, others around you are likely to notice your hard work and the positive results that come with it.

You can see the characteristics of an individual in their masculine by the list below:

CHASING GOALS

INDEPENDENT

HIGH AMBITION

ASSERTIVE

However, there’s more of a lot of bad characteristics that an individual might show while being too much into their masculine such as:

LACK OF EMPATHY

STRESS AND ANXIETY

FEELING DISCONNECTED

OVERLY AGRESSIVE

CONTROLLING

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BALANCE

When you achieve a perfect balance between your masculine and feminine energies, regardless of your gender, you become more attuned to the larger aspects of life and are able to appreciate them entirely. Your feminine energy allows you to effortlessly attract the things you desire on a subconscious level, while your masculine energy enables you to work hard and achieve the things that may not be attainable through the feminine energy alone. It is only when you allow both these energies to flow freely that you can experience authentic fulfillment and happiness in life. In other words, both your feminine and masculine energies are equally important and bring different but complementary qualities to your life, allowing you to lead a more harmonious and balanced existence.

Thank you for reading!

[astropsychickid]

Astrology placements that could indicate psychic abilities Pt.1

Guys, this post got so long that I'm going to divide it into three parts. I’ll link all of them down below so you can find all the information and check everything!

Some powerful astrology placements can indicate if you have psychic abilities. However, I’ve seen people with these placements and they don’t recognize it in themselves. So, let’s explain a few things before jumping into the astrology information:

Most people have the idea that psychic gifts are just having visions or being able to communicate with the other side. This is a misunderstanding. I believe most people have a psychic side, but these talents and skills are hidden, not recognized, or we can even be afraid of them. But, if we all have these talents, where are they?

Well, there are different types of psychic abilities. Psychic vision, the most mainstream, is called clairvoyance. Psychic hearing is called clairaudience. These two are the most obvious ones, therefore, if you don’t have those, you might think that you don’t have any ability! These clairs are associated with our Sun power or Sun sign. Is the “masculine” force of the clairs, and therefore, is more visible. 

But we also have a “feminine” side of the clairs, a few abilities that are hard to recognize and understand because they are not so obvious. These are really common, but often ignored. We have the ability to feel, which is called clairsentience, and it can be easily confused with our feelings, sensations and emotions. We also have the ability to know, which is called claircognizant, and these can be easily confused with our own thoughts. There is also the ability to smell or taste, which is pretty common in mediums, and you can even imagine how simple it could be to ignore those too. 

So, how do we know if we have some of these? Learning astrology and these rare astrology placements can help us out a bit to discover our own talents!

Astrology Elements that could indicate Psychic Abilities:

Personal planets in Water Signs: water signs are all about emotions, so you could be an empath or clairsentience. Water signs are highly intuitive, so they can also develop other clairs, like psychic knowing. 

Personal planets in Air Signs: air signs are all about thoughts and ether. These people are claircognizants or clair knowing. However, it is needed to learn discernment of thoughts. 

Personal planets in Earth Signs: these people are amazing mediums since they have the ability to ground information. They can develop multiple abilities. 

Personal planets in Fire Signs: fire signs are more extroverts, so they tend to have a strong intuition to lead people.

LINK TO PART 2

LINK TO PART 3

[apexulansis]

CHARACTER INFO SHEET — ;

TAGGED BY: @dynamoprotocol thank you! always appreciate you tagging me even if i sometimes take forever to do it TAGGING: @vin-robles @solarisgod @swynfyr @skxrbrand / @xaallo @precognitor @ohshadow @endofall / @lobiita @gnarledbite @saintslaughter @rosecrowned / @khalesci

NAME: Vsentis azet Ardaka

NAME MEANING: The Prodigal Hunter, with his birth name meaning Prodigy and his secondary name meaning Hunter

ALIAS(ES): Heratrix, The Lost Prince, Bane of Sigma Rhada 6

ETHNICITY: Zahhanian Rax-Kariian of Clan Yukariksias

PICTURES YOU LIKE BEST OF YOUR CHARACTER: I'll choose pictures I've done because I love every piece others do of him and it would be too hard to pick then.

THREE HEADCANONS YOU'VE NEVER TOLD ANYONE: I've probably told people/posted them in the past but only one or two; here are some Rare(tm) ones I scarcely talk about anyway.

The ear scarification essentially denotes that he's a capable killer. Capable of doing what's best for the 'greater good' (as you could guess, this mostly means 'capable of doing morally reprehensible things'). While these scars are small and easy to miss, it's one of Ardaka's biggest sources of bodily dysphoria and he's considered just cutting off the top half of his remaining ear just to get rid of them. He's almost gone through with it half a dozen times. Kariians are very prideful of their ears, but Ardaka doesn't mind the tatters in his at all largely because those tatters got rid of the part that had the scarification on it. He absolutely hates when people ask about them.

Ardaka has a genetic predisposition for the same kind of mutation Yeskiv was born with — i.e, polycephaly. If he has twins, there's a chance they'll be born with this — either as conjoined twins or as one of them subsuming the other (like Yeskiv). If this happens, it's also pretty likely that Ardaka will become detached from that child (or children) and distance himself. Not because he really wants to, but rather it reminds him so much of his mother that he can't stand it. Additionally, Ardaka also has a chance to mutate an additional mouth in the far future and end up highly resembling Yeskiv himself.

Ardaka is rather indifferent about gender roles and doesn't care to adhere to them, but he does quite like it when his romantic/sexual partners associate him with a particular one, whether it's masculine or feminine. He can't exactly explain why, because he doesn't really get it himself, but he enjoys it nonetheless. Maybe it just makes him feel included.

THREE THINGS YOUR CHARACTER LIKES DOING IN THEIR FREE TIME:

Botany. Sometimes. Not to the extent of someone like Vin per se, but he does like cultivating at least one weird plant. This is sort of a habit he picked up on from Yeskiv. But also because, in the Dominion, caring for a plant was less likely to result in death and anguish than if he were to care for a beast and have it perish later.

Collecting / cleaning up / fixing antiques.

Bone-carving. With the bones from the animals he hunts. He tries not to use the bones from sapients but.... He would be lying if he said he never has before. The bones can be made as trinkets, weapons, jewelry, or just something for decoration.

EIGHT SIX PEOPLE YOUR CHARACTER LIKES/LOVES: Zovariy, Vasque, Vin, Xaallo, Two, Sliske

TWO THINGS YOUR CHARACTER REGRETS:

I mean. The genocide, obviously. Doesn't change the fact that it would've happened regardless of the choices he made, and that he didn't really have a choice, but he still regrets being the one to press that button.

Staying as long in the Dominion as he did. He thinks if he left sooner, it would've changed things like the prior answer.

Also regrets being born but y'know that's neither here nor there.

TWO PHOBIAS YOUR CHARACTER HAS:

Other kariians. Not sure if I would call it an outright phobia, but it may as well be, because he would freak out if he saw another one. For the sake of including something less predictable, I'll include his mother in this answer.

Being taken back to the Dominion. His worst nightmares revolve around this.

[danielslaw]

POWER RANGERS COLOR ALIGNMENT

make note i only used the colors of the original MMPR  seasons (red, blue, black, yellow, pink and the options green and white). based on both of my posts with CK characters (TEENS) (ADULTS)

RED: usually, in PR lore, red is team leader. while this fits miguel to a tee, it might not johnny, but CK is about johnny’s journey to become a leader. most seasons of PR have someone who is impulsive and rash, maybe selfish who grows into a team leader, which is johnny’s arc. both miguel and johnny are brave, dedicated, high-spirited, stubborn, sometimes too impulsive or irrational, passionate. they also the characters who have the most growth from beggining to end as the shows dedicate reds a lot of time.

BLUE:  blue rangers are often two things; one butt heads with reds for leadership or ideas, and/or second in command. they are loyal, focused and a source of conscience, they are experimental and they are highly adaptable. both daniel and hawk had shown to adapt easily to different styles and had grown to be second in command of their respective teams. while miguel and hawk never butted heads per say, they did had a fall out when they alligned in different dojos. and daniel and johnny, we all know the deal. blues are also some of the characters who have the greatest spiritial growth.

BLACK: black is mysterious. while in our concept black is associated with void, darkness, in power rangers, black rangers are often those who dare to be different, cool, confident,  determinated, and well, masculine in the traditional way. mike barnes fits all of those bills, specially the barnes we meet in season 5. and he is still mysterious, because we haven’t seen him in a long time. they might not get the credit they deserve but PR has some famous black rangers who stand up by their uniqueness and growth (zack, adam muah.)

YELLOW:  yellow rangers are often both cheery, the stand out, smart, creative, and the ones to motivate the team when they are down. they represent sometimes the struggle to go from one side to the other and mantain their strength, sometimes they might struggle with their place in a team. amanda and tory are both that, which is why amanda took such kindship to tory in s4. amanda is a motivator, in the dealership and in season five. tory is smart, creative and a stand out, but struggles with her place in the world. 

PINK: we associate pink with feminism. it’s beyond that, as we have rangers who are more bold and less feminine in the traditional sense (muah jen from time force). but pink rangers represent sweetness and sensitivity, kindship, loyalty too, due to their more feminine nature, they might struggle with a place in a group of fighters but they chose to fight their fights in less conventional ways. pinks are also voices of reason to their teams. guidence nature. both kumiko and sam had shown to be that to many people as well being fierce warriors each in unique ways, kumiko was ready to fight chozen in tkk2 and defend daniel and sam is all of the above.

WHITE: sometimes as sixth rangers. last resort, a wild card at times, a complementary force to make the team stronger when in time of need. chozen is exactly that. it’s a color of freedom and liberation. in canon the first time we saw a white ranger was the unique transformation of tommy from green to white, from a color associated with the evil side to white, a light. first time we see chozen in CK he had gone through his own green-white arc, a path of honor and to defend those. white rangers are unique as there isn’t many as the sixth ranger varies in color by team. but they are always there to make the team grow which chozen does.

GREEN: like white rangers, they are often the sixth ranger. more often than not, specially in the example of the first green ranger, tommy oliver, they are powerhouss of characters, both in strength and in audience grip. robby is both, we have seen him as one of the best fighters from the kids side. sometimes second in command of their teams like in MMPR, they go through tremendous hardhips to earn their spot as part of the team. tommy had his evil green arc before he became part of the team and robby had his s3-s4 arc as cobra kai before he became miyagi-do again and became to redeem like tommy did.

i could honestly write so much more, and i guess, if i had to add more colors to other muses, demetri might be blue too or maybe purple. but i was going with the original color alignment.

anyways, thank you for coming to my ted talk, hope i didn’t bore you.

[nonbinary-beast]

heyhey so i love your AMposting a lot and would be super interested in making some art of your AM(if that’s ok with you) in other words, im asking for a description of how you imagine your AM? i know he’s around 12 feet tall and humanoid, but not much else. sorry if this comes off as rude at all i just really like your concepts!!

To be honest I'm surprised anyone wanted to draw the one I've interpreted lmao. I don't mind if you want to draw them, personally I kept the description vague since the idea I have for AMaton is still a wip, and I wanted to focus more on what it does instead of how it looks. That said I do have sketches if you're not put off by something that looks like something out of heironymus bosch/baphomet-esque in that it is something of a chimera of different creatures into one entity.

Once I get the sketches I have down for it I'll probably post drawings of my own, but until then I can give you something to go off of, I love seeing different interpretations. This will be under a cut since the description got a bit long.

AM is I interpret it, has a body that is 12 feet tall, they are powerful in build, well muscled, they resemble something along the lines of a heavyweight weight lifter/wrestler in body. There is nothing light weight about it. It does have something along the lines of feminine curves, in that the shoulders and hips are wider than the middle, but its not super noticeable. But it also does not opt to go fully human either, it does not really want to associate with the creatures it hates so dearly.

The hands are human, but if it wishes the tips of the fingers can become thick, hooked claws, like a massive eagle ( I have not decided whether it just wills them into existence or if they are just retractable). It's legs are slightly digitgrade, looking like someone whom stands on the balls of their feet or their toes instead of going fully bestial. The four toes are not tipped with great claws, but instead look like something akin to an early prehistoric horse, digits with hooflike coverings on the ends (if you want something specific, look up Eohippus).

The face is the furthest thing from human. It is a mix of beasts into one terrifying visage. A long snout that seems nearly skeletal sprouts from a head with four eyes that have bluish green pupils and black scleras. Two of them face forward, the other two point to the sides like grazing animal. The forehead is long and sloped, there is a ridge down the middle anchoring powerful jaw muscles. Behind its lips are teeth that looks like something out of a prehistoric fish; very blade-like (dunkleosteus is a good reference for this). The ears are like those of a big cat.

Overall its surface appears to move like liquid metal, very smooth and fluid. There's not much in the way of bolts or seams, and the tech it stole to make it is so far flung in terms of technological prowess as to appear organic instead of highly mechanical. It shimmers like chrome and is highly reflective like a mirror.

AMaton tends to walk without clothing, it holds pride regarding its body and frankly holds no feelings of modesty or shame regarding being nude.

[soulvomit]

It's one thing when you're only one generation removed from The Discourse. But when it's more than that, even the pushback on the pushback, looks weird.

The big thing in autism discourse is that female Zoomer and Young Millennial ND activists are pushing back on optics that were a 90s/00s thing (the genius boy for example) but absolutely weren't a thing in my childhood. Those dudes were just gifted kids who were golden boys, "high functioning autism" was associated with Rain Man, etc. Like, really, "white male autistic genius" was not a thing. My generation still had the prodigy/highly gifted optic. A big optic problem though was always that "male genius" was a thing to begin with because the culture had a fraught relationship with female intelligence.

Also, at some point in the last two decades, feminism stopped talking about how the culture gaslights intelligent girls, right from the get go, and produces trauma and mental illness in those same girls over a lifetime. And we stopped talking about how feeling like you're constantly being watched and judged, is not specifically an autism symptom (because now I ONLY see this discussed in female ND space and that makes me bristle.)

"Female autism" is not a special kind of gender essentialist autism for girls, it's an intersection of autism with the demands of compulsory (privileged white) femininity, often and usually policed by other women, and with the de-relevance (not really canceled, just buried under the heaps of newer and more media/internet friendly discourse) of lots of topics we talked about in the 90s and authors like Deborah Tannen... it is almost impossible to talk about this now

Finally, I don't know how to tell you that it's time to talk about a modern culture bound disorder that I think is evolving because of social media and interconnection, you're not imagining things, you really ARE being watched and judged on the slightest infractions/hurt feelings/offenses and in how weird you act or look in public, please don't gaslight yourself or allow therapists to. Of course this is much harder to live with when you are ND and basically just one walking microaggression. Please go back to pointing the finger outward where it belongs, like we used to do in these discussions. People are somehow conditioned to lie to you and comfort you when you admit to "paranoid" or "socially anxious" feelings but damn, at the same time, People of Wal-Mart exists.

Sometimes it's autism and sometimes it's "we live in a fucking dystopian panopticon"

[miusejournal]

STYLE ANALYSIS: EUPHORIA EDITION- MADDY PEREZ

Maddy Perez, the breakout star of the highly acclaimed HBO MAX series Euphoria, is the IT girl of Euphoria high, as well as the baddie and the girl who will tell you like it is. Portrayed by Alexa Demie, the IT girl herself, Maddy Perez is a force to be reckoned with as she donnes the best fashion looks, has one of the best lines in the series and sets trends for everyone and their bestie to follow, Maddy Perez is that girl.

• WHO IS MAADY PEREZ?

As a child Maddy Perez competed in beauty pageants which instilled a sense of confidence and competitiveness into her all the way up into her teens leading her to become the bold and compassionate girl we know and love. In season one we meet Maddy and are introduced to her upbringing. Having to live in a toxic household and be in an off again on again relationship with Nate, Maddy has always had this combative nature about her.

Maddy is notably the most extroverted character on Euphoria and is oftentimes the center of attention, which is something that she revels in, even as a cheerleader, she is seen donning extravagant hair and bold makeup looks to accentuate her bold demeanor. Incredibly direct and ready to fight anyone, Maddy is a force to be reckoned with and when in her element she cannot be stopped.

• MADDY'S WARDROBE STAPLES

In euphoria season 2 we see that Maddy has made a drastic change in color palette while still sticking to the ultra sexy body on silhouette that she is most known for.

Maddy, as seen in both season one and season two of Euphoria, is not afraid to use her sexuality to her Oren advantage. Her appearance is carefully selected and curated by both Alexa Demie and Heidi Bivens (euphoria custome designer) to curate a selective image of Maddy, making her sexually appeal to the masses, whilst still keeping true to who she is. 

Maddy’s signature outfits are her two piece sets. They are so prevalent within Maddy’s style that when Cassie begins to copy her in season two it is the first thing we Cassie wear. These matching sets that Maddy wears reveal just how structured Maddy’s wardrobe is and how just a two piece set can be meticulous to a character. Many of the sets that Maddy wears are solid colors ranging from purple to monogram printed sets which represent Maddy’s creature of habit nature when balancing her relationship with Nate and making decisions that get her in trouble.

•MADDY'S MOOD-BOARD

With her two piece sets it is important to note that Maddy’s style is derived off of 90s and early 2000s style. Maddy is seen sporting low rise jeans, halter tops, and mules. In season two Maddy is seen sporting a vintage cropped Blumarine top from the early 2000s (which was just re-released due to it being worn by Maddy) while babysitting for a wealthy woman. Maddy is also seen deliberately referencing notable celebrities from these different eras in fashion, from Aaliyah, Mariah Carey, Selena and Eve, Maddy references these women a lot throughout her wardrobe and somewhat through her confident and strong personality, it is undoubtedly known that Maddy is inspired by these strong women.

In season two of Euphoria Maddy is seen wearing many designer brands like Jaquemus, Blumarine, Jean Paul Gaultier, Fanci Club, Dior, and Versace, just to name a few. It’s obvious in reality Maddy more than likely wouldn’t be able to afford these pieces however it does tie into Maddy’s materialistic view point of life, and her passion for fashion.

While Maddy is usually seen in solid colors when she is seen rocking prints they are usually more feminine, such as cherries, dainty flowers and leopard print. Animal print, for many decades has been associated with female sexuality whilst also being a symbol for wealth and status which is what Maddy wants for herself. In season one we see Maddy wear a lot of cherry printed and dainty flower pieces, which both embody youth and innocence. In season one Maddy is seen on many occasions wearing exclusively pink lingerie with lots of lace, ribbons and ruffles, which as we know isn’t truly Maddy’s style as she is just playing into the role that Nate wants her to be. However, throughout the course of the second season of Euphoria Maddy’s color palette evolves to darker tones, ranging from black to green whereas in season one she was wearing more into blues and purples. 

“Well her vibe this season is definitely darker. I think she also is feeling more grown up. She has seen a lot in her short amount of time, so she’s jaded and is imagining herself in the next chapter of her life, and is even fantasizing about what it’s going to be like to be out of school and have more freedom. Moving up in the world. She’s a little bit more mature than her age this season...”

— Heidi Bivens (Vogue)

The most notable fashion moment in season two is episode one where Maddy donnes a body hugging black cut out dress and gloves by the small independent Mexican brand AKNA Store during the infamous New Years Eve party of season two, episode one. It is practically known that maddy lives in an array of body hugging clothes that accentuate her body so it’s not far fetched that this would be a Maddy wardrobe staple.

“Maddy’s outfits are a clear reflection of her abrasive and callous demeanor; only she could get away with wearing a two-piece rave set in the school hallways or a slinky tube top while babysitting. For much of the first season, Maddy practically lives in an array of body-hugging sweatsuits by Akna, a high-school mean girl staple. Her first scene in the second season sees her wearing a sexy cut-out dress by the Mexican label at the infamous New Year’s Eve party, while trendy designers such as I.AM.GIA, Dion Lee, Jacquemus and Balenciaga make appearances later on.”

— Heidi Bivens (Vanity Fair)

As noted Maddy is usually seen in solid colors, more specifically purple, which is a symbol of royalty, which is what Maddy Perez truly is. One of the most notable Maddy looks is the custom I AM GIA looks that she wore in the carnival episode. It’s iconic outfits like this that makes the character Maddy so unapologetic and true to self. This specific color also comes back around in season two when Maddy is doning the purple gown from Minka Kelly’s character that she is babysitting for. This purple gown from Minka Kelly’s character represents Maddy’s arc to self righteousness after Nate’s toxcity towards her and the ending of her friendship with Cassie.

Maddy is also notably seen wearing a lot of green looks. From her Jacquemus bodysuit to the green bathing suit set made by Alexa Demie’s sisters own brand ROME by Falize. The many green looks worn by Maddy reflect her journey in growing into the person she has always wanted to be and renewal. In the finale of season two, Maddy talks about leaving town so this may be a slight glimpse into that.

•ATTENTION TO DETAIL

Makeup. We all know that Euphoria is known for their creative, eye catching makeup and the IT girl herself makes no exception to this. Maddy in the show is seen donning different makeup looks being recreated on social media today. From TikTok’s to YouTube videos, Maddy’s signature makeup looks are what make up the character. 

Throughout the show Maddy’s makeup is very precise with dramatic eyeliner and rhinestones, which are Maddy’s signature eye makeup look. Many of Maddy’s makeup moments coordinate with her outfits showing Maddy’s meticulous attention to detail. Maddy’s makeup evolution from season one to season two is very noticeable. Starting out softer and sweeter then becoming more bold and darker as she develops more into her womanhood and season with her toxic relationship with Nate. With Maddy’s aggressive and bold nature, many of Maddy’s looks consist of sharp eyeliner looks which almost look like a knife ready to cut you at any given minute.

In season one there was a lack of nail art, however in season two it is more prevalent which I, along with everyone who absolutely loves the show, loves and appreciates. These nail looks pay even more attention to detail than the outfits and makeup looks themselves, being rather meticulous and detail oriented.

Maddy’s nails, which are a staple to the character, are seen in bold intricate designs ranging in her signature Rhine stones and bold designs. 

From her iconic fashion moments to her bold makeup looks, Maddy’s nail art is another staple true to the character and her bold nature. Done by Natalie Minerva, many of Maddy’s nail looks in season two portray the most notable traits of Maddy Perez. Like her makeup, Maddy’s nails also coordinate with her iconic looks. The most marble being her iconic Balck cut out dress for the New Years Eve party in episode one of season two. Or the infamous showdown between Maddy and Cassie when maddy confronts cassie during Lexis play and seen later icing her foot with a Coca Cola soda can.

The nail art seen on Maddy is intricate and detail oriented as the nail art is seen matching Maddy’s outfits and complimenting her makeup beautifully. With Alexa Demie’s own input into Maddy’s image these nail art moments wouldn’t exist. From the overflow of mail recreations seen on TikTok and Instagram, this decision was the best thing the show creators ever made.

Maddy’s looks in the second season of Euphoria are drastically different from season one, however they truly reflect Maddy’s journey and the unsettling trauma that she has endured as she continues into the next chapter of her life as a fierce young woman. Maddy is most definitely my favorite character on Euphoria. From her bold looks to her unapologetic personality, she has always been my favorite character since she popped up on my screen since the pilot episode of season one.

From her extravagant makeup looks, iconic fashion moments and bold nature, Maddy Perez is the girl that everyone wants to channel when feeling like the best versions of themselves and I couldn’t agree more.

(Apr. 1, 2022)

[ecoamerica]

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[autos-ismos]

Hey I saw your post about questions about autism and that you were open to receive them. I hope this ask isn’t bothering you in any way or seems insulting. If so, I’m incredibly sorry.

Recently, I’ve had my suspicions that I might be on the spectrum. I highly empathize with the aspects of sensitivity to external stimuli (specifically noise and light), I believe some of my habits such as consistently tapping and moving my feet, and repeating back what others say.

I have an audio processing disorder and I am also transgender. (I’m aware that these two things have a correlation with being autistic.)

However, I feel like I don’t suffer any of the social problems that having autism can bring. Do you have to have these social interaction problems? Would a doctor take me seriously with my concerns?

there is a difference between traits and diagnostic criteria. The main manuals for diagnostic criteria are the DSM (by the APA) and the ICD (by the WHO). I prefer the ICD, because I am not American, it is freely available online, and its autism section is very detailed with divisions that actually make practical sense.

Here is the link: https://icd.who.int/browse11/l-m/en#/http://id.who.int/icd/entity/437815624

You can read it yourself, but the required features for the DX according to the ICD-11 are essentially as follows:

Limitations in initiating and maintaining social communication, and reciprocal social interactions. (for example, having trouble starting conversations, feeling like its very effortful to keep them going, having a lot of one-sided interactions where you do all the talking, etc)

Repetitive behaviour, interests, and activities (stimming, special interests, "black-and-white thinking" all fall under this)

These symptoms becoming obvious during childhood

These symptoms resulting in significant difficulties in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning (basically it means you have extra trouble working, at school, with friends, family)

So, basically, while there are a LOT of autistic traits there are only two that matter for a diagnosis: social ability and repetitive behaviour.

based on what you say, you may have the repetitive behaviour but you dont feel like you have the social ability part. It is possible that you do have social difference, there are several reasons why you might not realise that for example if you put a lot of effort into socialising as if common with presentations associated with femininity, or if all of your friends and family are more neurodivergent than average, or some other reason.

Or you might not be autistic. There are other neurodivergent conditions that have repetitive behaviour. I believe ADHD involves some, and the people with ADHD I know tend to be a bit more confident in their social ability (unless they are very generally anxious people which they frequently are, but comparatively...)

An important thing to remember is that diagnosis is not important or necessary for everyone. a lot of us grow up developing relatively functional "systems" for how to get around the gap between our behaviours and those of the neurodivergent population. And the state of support systems are so poor in most places that it may end up being a lot of money and time for very little benefit. I would recommend seeing a doctor about it if you feel you would benefit from accommodations at work or at school and these accommodations require a diagnosis in your country. Or if a diagnosis would be free in your country. I got formally diagnosed and I definitely needed it to progress, but I know that not everyone does. The community will largely be accepting if you feel you would like more informal support.

I am not a professional and this is not professional advice.

[shmreduplication]

as an Agender, I’ve seen a lot of attempts at redoing the gender spectrum

having the opposite ends be male/female or masculine/feminine

adding a second axis of “zero gender” to “extremely gender” to try to capture the idear that there are two opposite ways to be androgynous: having zero gender markers and having a mixture of highly gendered markers from both the masculine and feminine sides of the spectrum

adding a third axis of how much an individual actually cares about their gender

and...when there was only one axis, I started seeing agender show up as not on the axis at all, which imo is how it should be.  But on the two axis versions, agender is on the center line between masculine and feminine and at the extreme end of ‘zero gender markers’, and in the three axis versions agender is put at the extreme end of ‘not caring about their gender’

ok i’m losing my ability to do linguistic cohesion so I”m going to switch to bullet points;

the gender binary is wrong and pseudoscientific but trying to make more and better graphs that explain gender as a spectrum is also kinda pseudoscientific

it’s like......you could say Orion’s Belt is a spectrum from the rightmost star to the leftmost star with the middle one being in the middle but that’s dumb because it’s only in the middle from our perspective on earth, in reality the stars are hundreds of light years away from each other and form a triangle if you draw straight lines between them

putting agender on a graph of gender spectrum is like making a spectrum of christian sects and having an axis for ‘more jesus’ to ‘less jesus’ and putting judaism at the extreme end of ‘no jesus’.  Jews aren’t jesusless xtians, jews aren’t on the xtian spectrum at all because jews aren’t xtians

having masculine and feminine at opposite ends of the spectrum........c’mon when are we gonna move past this.  Masculine is just things stereotypically associated with men, and feminine is things stereotypically associated with women and we all know that it’s highly contextual.  Cooking is feminine unless it’s outdoors at a barbecue in which case it’s masculine, so if cooking is simultaneously masculine and feminine then masculine and feminine can’t be opposites.  Also calling them opposites is the new progressive way of saying men and women are opposites

I care a lot that my gender is “none” and that I’m agender, it freed me from a lot of dysphoria wrt trying to live up to the standards imposed on my agab, so unilaterally putting agender at the end of the “doesn’t care” spectrum is shitty.  If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t’ve cared enough to crack my egg!  

[jaiafilyani]

I posted 155 times in 2022

20 posts created (13%)

135 posts reblogged (87%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@daughterofthesettingsun

@fierysword

@venusinkatabasis

@immoderateheart

@heavenly2008

I tagged 23 of my posts in 2022

#filianism - 22 posts

#deanism - 21 posts

#dea - 18 posts

#spirituality - 17 posts

#goddess - 16 posts

#god - 15 posts

#filianic - 12 posts

#religion - 11 posts

#deanic - 11 posts

#god the mother - 11 posts

Longest Tag: 47 characters

#the divine feminine is real and it's everything

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

I don’t say things like this often, but this is a book I think everyone should read!

It has inspired me to make my first (authentic to me) altar. Women have created our own seperate space vía home altars for millennia…In pre-historical times we see evidence of this, we see it all over the world stretching back into the inky depths of time…Whether in highly patriarchal Ancient Greece making their hestia the center of their home, Mexican mothers passing their devotion to Mother Mary / Mary of Guadalupe via home altars, Hindu women creating gorgeous home altars for Durga or Kali or any of the numerous Hindu deities, whether she be a devotee of Guan Yin, or of Yoruba…Women create true religious life by blending the religious with the mundane, by creating sacred womens cultures formed around home altars, by creating power denied via patriarchal religion through home altars…It’s divine.

Quotes:

“I ventured to ask Virginia why she kept an altar at home, she simply replied that it was a “beautiful necessity.”

“…historically it has always been women who are more likely to keep or reinvigorate old practices alongside the new, which are usually a result of male-determined war, conquest, or ideological transformations.”

“the altar is…The meeting place of the sacred and the mundane, the parenthesis between the two worlds…where communication with the ineffable is possible…altars are very important tools used for facilitating the interweaving of the two worlds.”

“For a woman, keeping an altar is a distinctly personal assumption of relationship with divine ally’s in whatever form they take for her.”

“For Wiccans, the altar is foremost a setting for the tools that are ritually used to invoke blessing and change…For many, the women’s altar is itself a sign of religious immanence by virtue of its ancient emergence from the natural world [explanation of first altars being piles of stones, etc]…Other women adopt the altar as a source of their own self-nurturance…As a mirror of self-reflection, growth, and change, the altar becomes a site where women claim and exercise an unencumbered sense of their own spiritual effectiveness.”

25 notes - Posted September 20, 2022

#4

❤️🌸More memes…Amadea! 🌸❤️

See the full post

25 notes - Posted October 22, 2022

#3

In light of the filianicstudies website going down, I’m posting download links Dea called me to put on zLibrary awhile ago…I didn’t get why it mattered because the site was up then but now I’m so thankful. Praise Dea. Here are the PDFs to the Clear Recital and the Madrian Orders 1 + 2

And here’s a pdf to the critical apparatus provided a lovely friend of mine.

29 notes - Posted June 6, 2022

#2

New daily ritual dropped! 🌹 If you connect strongly to Green Tara like me, this is a great practice. If you don’t it can pretty easily be adapted.

💗 I associate Her with the quote ‘She will save every being, down to the last blade of grass’.

💗 I pick up a piece of grass early in the day (if I have to pluck it I say thank you to Sister Earth)

💗 When I see the blade of grass I carry around, I say her mantra of Om Ture Tutarre Ture Soha in my head or aloud if I can. Im reminded of how she is so caring and will save every living creature and gain comfort from it. I also try to embody that attitude as I can (usually just basic kindness to others, you don’t gotta save the world here)

💗 I do this throughout the day. I find that it puts me in a meditative mood and has made me spontaneously sit down outside to say Her mantra

💗keep doing it. I’m thinking of getting a glass jar and every day putting my piece of grass in, perhaps as I pray then reflect on the day. Might add journaling.

My counselor helped me come up with this but it makes for great devotional practice (that’s what I use it for, as well as to keep myself calm). Enjoy 😌 If you adapt it for a Janya, Dea, or goddess then please reblog with your addition! 👀

43 notes - Posted March 1, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I’m a bit obsessed with this goddess I just discovered! She covers the domain of sewers, drains, and purification - a goddess explicitly connected to feces and everything nasty & helping society thrive by diverting it. She was later assimilated into VENUS! It feels very raw. We can sometimes make goddesses so pure, I feel like the symbolism in such a down to earth goddess is so incredible! In an odd way, she reminds me of a nastier version of Mary, Untier of Knots!

I also feel She’s an excellent representation of the Daughter, helping us all in her role as savioress. As well as Her role as Priestess, in transmuting energy and changing situations.

47 notes - Posted February 22, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[0xo]

ughhhhh long rant incoming

gender feelings as a two spirit Indigenous person who's reconnecting are just.,, it's something. i am doing my best. i don't really have anyone nearby irl to talk to about this really bc like. my family situation is complicated. i know who i come from and i have ppl to talk to about it and yes it is very community based but i also feel very alone sometimes. bc most everyone immediately around me irl is white or not Indigenous and like, they're cool, love my friends, but... like... there's things you don't and shouldn't share with outsiders. and im so young that it's not my place to share at all really, im not an educator, im still learning every day. but it's kind of hard to not even really be able to explain this stuff to my wife/girlfriend/close friends. and i don't really like to be that open on the internet abt specifically being two spirit bc it opens up Assumptions and Questions from strangers about shit that really is not their business at all.

it's weird! i can say that i enjoy keeping my hair in the way i do, a style mostly associated with men in my tribe, it feels good. to rest in that masculinity. i really hate ppl trying to assign me as femme or butch when like... mmm... any masculinity or femininity i have is squarely outside of what most people around me can even conceptualize. my gender is so entangled with my spirituality that it's almost pointless to try explaining it to ppl who aren't already knowledgeable. and i find a lot of comfort in seeing two spirit people talk online openly, and then i feel like a coward for not being able to do that. but im not... like... a spokesperson or representative for my people, i am not qualified for it and i honestly just don't want to be. i just want to exist. but maybe exist in a space with other people Like Me. because as awesome as my trans friends are i still feel outside.

i don't even really know how to go abt finding two spirit ppl in my area to connect with and it's nerve-wracking to even approach bc so many ppl don't mask anymore and that's a whole other issue. i guess i just feel isolated on the whole and like. online connection has been great but. i want more people in my physical life who understand queerness through an Indigenous lens and are also considerate of physical disability and that just feels like asking toooooo much.

idk just in a weird spot. i don't talk about it a ton. everyone assumes i'm white bc like, i am, i am racialized that way and i know that and that's fine. highly aware of the privilege that comes with that and how i gotta be careful. but it also leaves me very little room to talk about my actual experiences and life and My Actual Gender Identity, without people getting way too invasive or just straight up racist / on some high horse about blood quantum / bullshit bullshit bullshit. so much bullshit.

i know it's not even a fraction as bad as what other ppl deal with, i know. and i will always stick up for other Indigenous people, especially Black Indigenous people who have their "validity" as Indigenous people questioned. bc it's all just a white supremacist way to disconnect us from our family and our heritage and our traditions. Indigenous is Indigenous is Indigenous and i know that.

just struggling a bit to find where i fit in with a local community. i hate feeling like i have to give up such an innate part of myself to participate in my local queer scene without being questioned/hounded 24/7 by (mostly white, 99.99% non-Indigenous) people. like please god quit treating me weirdly or like im some unerring fount of mystical knowledge, it's not For You, im really very tired of it. im so tired.

[ecoamerica]

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!