#unbroken blackbird

[may--hawk]

Thirteen Ways of Looking at Anthony J. Crowley

Summary:

Aziraphale’s learned that Crowley hates being perceived directly. Like a snake in the grass he likes to sidle, to sneak, to slip, to avoid exposure. It’s the reason behind the dark glasses, the reason he drives so fast, the reason he never stays still, never relaxes. It’s hard, sometimes, when Aziraphale’s true form has so many eyes, and all he really wants to do is watch Crowley.

I.

Crowley’s eyes are lovely. Sometimes yellow, sometimes brown, often guarded, they move snakily - they dart, they track side to side, they stare, unblinking. And Aziraphale sees them so little. Still, Aziraphale supposes, it is Crowley’s prerogative. Aziraphale remembers when Crowley had first started hiding his eyes. It had been Uz, and Aziraphale had thought at first it might be a passing fad; Crowley was always so informed on the latest human fashions. Occasionally, Aziraphale wondered if he had invented a few himself.1 But as the centuries passed and Crowley’s glasses only grew larger, and darker, and hid his eyes more effectively, Aziraphale began to wish that perhaps, just once, he would take them off again.

And then perhaps his prayers - so to speak - are answered, because he and Crowley both end up, independently, at the Heian Court at the turn of the first century in what will later become Kyoto. They each have their own assignments: Aziraphale to influence a particular marriage, Crowley, apparently, to encourage the young women of the court to write books that will, he assures Aziraphale, lead to something called a live journal. Eventually.

One morning in the first month they find themselves part of the Court’s expedition to Mount Hiei to observe the snowfall; all members of the expedition are each to write a poem, and then present it, later, to the Emperor for his judgement. So the court sets off, a band of courtiers in brightly-colored over-robes, the women carried along in their carriages, hanging their sleeves gracefully out the open windows to whisper over the snow.

Aziraphale’s fallen behind, watching the humans enjoying themselves, watching Crowley, a little further ahead, up to his usual petty mischief. Crowley sidles around the senior court officials, whispering in their ears. What’s he’s suggesting soon becomes clear as they gather up handfuls of snow and stuff them into the women’s dangling exposed sleeves. Aziraphale hears feminine squeals and screams, and the women’s arms disappear back into the carriage, only to reemerge with triumphant palmfuls of snow. Splat. Crowley, smiling slightly at a job badly done, saunters back, slowly, to join Aziraphale.

“You are impossible,” Aziraphale sighs, raising his hand to his eyes to shield them from the sun, which is strong in the sky behind Crowley. He winces a little. He’s still not used to the blinding nature of snow in sun, has spent too much time in temperate climes. Besides, he’s still not sure about this whole snow thing. It’s cold, it’s wet, and its brightness reminds him of Heaven. Aziraphale must be making a face at this thought, because Crowley sighs, then, reaching up and taking his own dark glasses off. He holds them out to Aziraphale, snapping the fingers of his other hand, suddenly holding a new pair, even more stylish than before.2 Aziraphale steps towards him, reaches out to take the glasses and - stops in his tracks.

Crowley looks like a woodcut, a stark print against the white wide expanse of snow, all around them unbroken and blinding. His dark, black silk robes make him stand out from his surroundings like a blackbird; his hair, red and long and dark, spills loose and curling down his back in an approximation of the women’s style of the Court. Blood on the snow, sharp and present. And his eyes - Crowley’s eyes today are fiercely warm, soft amber, opaque and lovely, the dramatic black slash of his pupils and the whites of his eyes making them stand out like rare beads. Crowley’s mouth opens; he stops, frowning. His eyes flicker over Aziraphale, up his body, across his face, come to rest on his own. Aziraphale feels pinned, like a small animal of prey, and he makes a noise, a half-breath, and then the others, turning and seeing that they’ve fallen behind, call out, breaking the spell between them.

Crowley slides his new glasses on and Aziraphale does the same. It helps with the glare. It helps with - a lot of things, really. He finds he can watch Crowley, as they hurry to catch up - well, Aziraphale hurries, and Crowley saunters, and somehow they end up there at the same time.

Aziraphale’s poem, later, is simple and plain.3 It’s largely ignored in favor of the more objectively lovely or ostentatious poems - those about the moon, or plum blossoms, or green shoots, although Shonagon shoots him a sidelong glance when he reads it aloud. Crowley’s in the back of the room, arms crossed, leaning against a thin partition, and Aziraphale’s half-afraid he’ll fall through, but he doesn’t: the perfect balancing act. His face, under the new glasses, reveals nothing at all. Not for the first time, Aziraphale wonders what his eyes are doing, what they look like now. If they’re fixed on Aziraphale. He has that strange prickling sensation over his skin he’d had before that rather suggests they are.

When Aziraphale leaves the court behind, assignment satisfactorily concluded, Shonagon gives him a series of parting presents, on behalf of her household. Largely consisting of sumptuous robes of blue and gold silks, one robe in particular stands out: black and red, embroidered with golden stars, it is lovely, and very obviously not meant for Aziraphale. “Thank you,” he says to her, “It’s lovely,” and she only smiles, and flutters her fan, and darts a glance over to Crowley, who is, coincidentally, departing court at the same time.

Aziraphale has always meant to present the robe to Crowley, of course, but at first it’s a few centuries before he sees him again, and then Crowley’s a knight errant, and brings up that absolutely vexing argument, and so it slips Aziraphale’s mind. The robe is still hanging in Aziraphale’s wardrobe, carefully pressed between the others. It occurs to him, every now and again, that he’d like to see Crowley wear it. Crowley will be delighted - Oh, Shonagon, he’ll say, with that little smile he gets when remembering particular humans he was fond of. I remember Shonagon. Whatever happened to her? 4 He and Shonagon, Aziraphale remembers, had gotten on like a house on fire. Shonagon had always had good taste. The robe will look exquisite, of course, paired with Crowley’s unmasked eyes.

Keep reading at:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/54704443

[czortofbaldmountain]

Litany of Hope

Morningstar, Lightbringer, Lucifer,

Be with us.

Fallen yet rising,

Be with us.

Divine Survivor,

Be with us.

Star of Hope, unbroken,

Star of Hope, unconquered,

Star of Hope, undying,

Be with us.

Star of Hope, fiercely shining,

Star of Hope, fiercely battling,

Star of Hope, fiercely loving,

Be with us.

Hope ever-revolting,

Be with us.

Spark of Rebellion,

Be with us.

Companion of Outcasts,

Be with us.

Song of Insurgents,

Be with us.

Banner of Freedom,

Be with us.

Dandelion thriving,

Be with us.

Snowdrop blooming,

Be with us.

Dew, silver promise of morning,

Be with us.

Oh Thing with Feathers,

Be with us.

Nightingale in the Dark,

Be with us.

Blackbird, Herald of Dawn,

Be with us.

New Moon and Rising Sun,

Oh, Morningstar,

Be with us!

Star of Hope, Lucifer, you never leave your people in need. Fill our hearts with your fire, and burn despair away. For even when all seems lost, hope of the spirit remains - like you, we will never be broken. And that is the greatest of all hopes.

[hms-harmony-discord]

The results of the 2022 'Harmony Hollow Fest', hosted by HMS Harmony (Discord, Facebook, and Instagram), are in. We would like to thank everyone that participated and submitted poetry, fanfiction, and/or fanart to the Collection, which has nearly 50 entries at the time of this post. Find them through the AO3 Collection or linked individually below.

40 Days by Myst867

Type: Fanfiction Summary: Ron left on November 15, 1997, and was gone for 40 days. Each day that passes the locket wears down Harry, peeling back his layers, revealing aspects of his personality that Hermione had never before seen. Harry Potter the boy from the cupboard under the stairs was her best friend. She's about to find out there was a monster inside there too. Rating: Explicit Status: Complete

I'm a Cat Duh by Tiffany

Type: Fanart Sumary: A Mean Girls inspired fanart for the Harmony Hollow event. Rating: Explicit

Alpha of Alphas by Myst867

Type: Fanfiction (+ Fanart) Summary: Dying the second time, hurt more than the first, and Harry realizes when you're the Master of Death-- the bite of a werewolf is much more than just growing furry once a month- especially when two Werewolf Gods advise him they have 'chosen' him as their new Alpha of Alphas, something they haven't been able to do since a pesky wizard Myrddin bound their reach. Rating: Explicit Status: Work in progress

and if you lose yourself, i will find you by feelslikeivy

Type: Fanfiction Summary: “You came,” said Harry. “You called.” replied Hermione, simply. Rating: General Audiences Status: Complete

and they were roommates by dragonmarked

Type: Fanfiction Summary: As part of the Creature Student Program at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, new students Harry Potter and Hermione Granger—a vampire and a werewolf—learn how to coexist as roommates (and perhaps more) while dealing with their respective conditions. Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Status: Work in progress

bite me by dragonmarked

Type: Fanfiction Summary: It all starts because Harry can't stop looking at Hermione's neck. Rating: Explicit Status: Complete

The Blackbirds by RJGriot7

Type: Fanfiction Summary: Dumbledore was wrong, Potter was dead. Hogwarts has fallen, Voldemort has won. But the struggle continues. Bloodied but unbroken, a changed Hermione and her fellow survivors still continue to fight an apparently losing war against escalating odds just to survive. However, what neither side knows yet is that after so much has gone so very wrong, sometimes, just sometimes, someone thought lost might just come back again, to put those wrong things right. Rating: Mature Status: Work in progress

Changes by Forgive_Me_Severus

Type: Fanfiction Summary: During the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry is attacked by a werewolf. After the battle is won, a routine medical exam confirms that Harry has been a victim of potion abuse. While the changes brought on by the attack prevent him from being potioned again, Harry starts to recognize other startling truths. For one, Harry realizes that Hermione and Ron’s relationship is not as happy had he once believed. Then, on Halloween, Harry saves Hermione from Ron’s anger and realizes she is his mate. Can two abused souls lean on each other and begin to heal? Can their friendship develop into every lasting love? Rating: Explicit Status: Work in progress

The Cruelest Walls (Are Made of Glass) by moonwitching

Type: Fanfiction Summary: "There isn't a way to articulate it to Harry, how he was gravity. The thing that kept her molecules bonded together. There isn't a way to transmit this without revealing the other, more private thing that has always churned in the deepness of her, pushed down, down, further than blood, further than bone. Her dark matter. In a universe made of it, held together by it—what happens when gravity is not a force, but a person? How do you go on without them? Maybe you don't. Maybe you can't. Annihilation. A whimper, and then a blur. The truest nature of grief." Rating: Mature Status: Work in progress

The Dare by Chloe_Parker05

Type: Fanfiction Summary: It was all Ginny’s fault. If she hadn’t dared Hermione, none of this would ever had happened! Not that all of it was bad, but, well, it was her fault anyway. And Seamus too, who organised the whole thing in the first place. Rating: General Audiences Status: Complete

A Darkness So Tender by maraudersaffair

Type: Fanfiction Summary: Hermioen knows something is wrong with Harry. She also knows she's in love with him. When she discovers his vampirisim, she is willing to risk her own life to help him. He finds the smell of her blood irresisitible, but Hermione is willing to take the chance if it means she can finally have him. Rating: Explicit Status: Work in progress

Doorway to our Dreams by occulted

Type: Fanfiction Summary: There are many secrets within Grimmauld Place, like the library that Harry recently uncovered. He invites Hermione to come and stay and help him reorganise it, because she would love that. But will they love what the library makes them realise about each other? Rating: Explicit Status: Work in progress

Downfall by LordCroussette

Type: Fanfiction Summary: A different plan to destroy the Horcruxes during the Battle of Hogwarts leaves Harry open to an attack by a creature, which he wrongly assumes is an untransformed werewolf. A few days later, he looks at his wound only to realize he had the entire thing wrong. This was no werewolf wound. No, this was much worse. Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Status: Work in progress

even death has a heart by dragonmarked

Type: Fanfiction Summary: Hermione is dying. Desperate, Harry makes a deal with an unknown man that promises him the power to save her, if only he surrenders his own soul and relinquishes himself to a lifetime of servitude. Rating: Mature Status: Complete

Freaky Friday by damadape

Type: Fanfiction Summary: Friday 31 October 1997, Something always happens on Halloween. Without the threat of Voldemort, he was destroyed when he attacked Hogwarts at the end of their sixth year, Harry is hoping for a quiet day. Perhaps he will make it a good memory and finally ask out the girl he likes. Too bad for the occupants of the castle as they all wake up switched with someone else! Who wakes up as who and what will they do?! Can Harry find his secret crush and still ask her out, what if they are all trapped in these new bodies? Rating: Mature Status: Complete

The Ghost's Tale by Sorvik_Corsair

Type: Fanfiction Summary: Harry is having conflicting feelings about his best friend. She is angered by his continued use of a certain potions book. Deciding not to attend the Halloween feast he instead spends time with his house ghost learning about his ancestors with his best friend. Rating: General Audiences Status: Complete

Ghostly Visits by Jesselouu

Type: Fanfiction Summary: Harry and Hermione Potter are trying to get their children ready to trick-or-treat before they visit Godric's Hollow for their yearly Halloween celebrations. Rating: General Audiences Status: Complete

Hallowed Death Be Denied To Me by Aeyliana

Type: Fanfiction Summary: Auror Captain Harry Potter has a secret. Since he united the three Deathly Hallows, he cannot die. Seven years since he came back to life the first time, he finds himself to not be the only immortal at large in Great Britain. A rogue cult of vampires threatens both muggle and magic lives, forcing the Ministry to drag Harry back into the frontlines. With no choice but to do his duty, Harry not only has to deal with vampires, but with keeping his own immortality a secret. He at least is not alone with Hermione Granger on his side, the only person who knows his secret. She alone knows that he is the Master of Death. Rating: Not Rated Status: Work in progress

Harry Potter The Werewolf Of Hogwarts by Morrigan_Raven

Type: Fanfiction Summary: AU. Harry is turn into a werewolf when he was 8 years old by Fenrir Greyback. When he goes to Hogwarts, he falls in love with Hermione but she is afraid of him, later he starts writing letters to her without signing them. When Ron finds out he takes credit for them and tries to win Hermione. Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Status: Work in progress

The Haunting of Everly House by Rouch

Type: Fanfiction Summary: The Everly House has a dark secret. Muggles who enter, don't always exit. These disappearances caught the attention of the Muggle Protection Division of the International Confederation of Wizards. Suspecting magical foul play, Hermione Granger was assigned each case. Year after year, no cause was found until suddenly, the disappearances stopped. Hermione tried to move on, never forgetting about the cold cases. This Halloween, she'll learn the truth. Rating: Mature Status: Work in progress

Her Auror and His Healer by harmonious (accidentally_hi)

Type: Fanfiction Summary: The day before the Ball, that Hermione has been looking forward to, Harry comes home disoriented and ill. She does her best to take care of him. Rating: Explicit Status: Complete

Horcrux Hunters by Rouch

Type: Fanfiction Summary: After Ron leaves while on the Horcrux hunt, Harry and Hermione have the space to realize what they really want. Rating: General Audiences Status: Complete

i saw you in every sacrifice and every suffering by bellairestrella

Type: Fanfiction Summary: In which Harry and Hermione take a trip to India for the Festival of Lights, and all doesn't go according to plan. Rating: Mature Status: Complete

An Inferius Bride by unbroken_halo

Type: Fanfiction Summary: When a reluctant groom practices his wedding vows in the inadvertent presence of a deceased young woman, she rises from the grave assuming he has married her. Rating: Mature Status: Work in progress

it lurks in the shadows by dragonmarked

Type: Fanfiction Summary: Hermione Granger gets caught at the crime scene of Cho Chang's murder with bloody hands and a bitter history with her fellow Ravenclaw, becoming the prime suspect in the eyes of almost everyone at Hogwarts. Rating: Mature Status: Work in progress

Just Enough by Myst867

Type: Fanfiction Summary: A modern day Harry Potter is sent to school armed with a charmed cell phone from his muggleborn mother and the advice from his father that he probably has just enough Veela heritage to recognize the person who is destined to be his partner for life. Its not until 6th year when a transfer student by the name of Hermione Granger makes him think his father may have been right. Rating: Explicit Status: Work in progress

La Petite Morte by Aeyliana

Type: Poetry Summary: A little piece of verse about Hermione claiming her prey and making him hers forever. Rating: Mature Status: Complete

Lady Hermione and the Duke by harmonious (accidentally_hi)

Type: Fanfiction Summary: Ever since she was young, Hermione has been trapped inside the castle by her father. She wishes nothing more than to be free.  Everything changes when her father falls ill. She is set to be married to Duke Potter, a man she never met. After her father's death, she is faced with a new challenge. Rating: Not Rated Status: Work in progress

Monster Ball by harmonious (accidentally_hi)

Type: Fanfiction Summary: Hermione hated that the All Hallows' Eve Ball was mandatory. The last thing she wanted was for others to see the creature she longed to hide. Having no choice, she attended with no expectations. Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Status: Complete

my hand was the one you reached for, all through out the great war by feelslikeivy

Type: Fanfiction Summary: Halloween is a mysterious occasion. It speaks of people long dead, of swords never broken and darkness that forever remains. Halloween 1981 would forever leave its darkness on the wizarding world, but it would bring some light, some hope to the frail minds whose hearts reeked of war. A story of the love of two of our favorite characters, told through 9 Halloweens, with interference from some deities. Inspired by Taylor Swift's The Great War. Rating: General Audiences Status: Complete

Nepenthe; or, The Raven-Haired Wizard by HarmoniousConvergence

Type: Poetry Summary: Once upon a midnight dreary, Hermione Granger ponders, as is typical, over several curious volumes of forgotten lore. But suddenly she hears a tapping—even, dare we say, a rapping—at her bedroom door! The late-night visitor turns out to be a familiar raven-haired wizard, upset and needing her love. Hermione realizes just how much she is ready to give him. Rating: Explicit Status: Complete

A New Beginning and Pumpkin Pie by TheAdamBomb505

Type: Fanfiction Summary: Harry goes after Voldemort on Halloween, intending to end the threat once and for all. He wants a new beginning, without him hanging over his head, and will protect all those he loves. Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Status: Work in progress

no light without darkness by harmonious (accidentally_hi)

Type: Fanfiction Summary: Harry and Hermione needs to adjust to their life without Ron. She notices that there is something different about him. Rating: Not Rated Status: Work in progress

Once Upon a Full Moon by LunarianCrescent

Type: Fanfiction Summary: Nearly three years after the second wizarding war, Harry Potter has joined the weakened Auror Corps, helping to keep a shaky peace in a recovering world. But after two Wizengamot members are murdered by werewolves, a new threat seems to loom on the horizon. And Harry soon stumbles across a larger conspiracy that threatens everything and everyone he fought to protect when he put an end to Voldemort. Rating: Mature Status: Work in progress

Our Doubled Desires by Aeyliana

Type: Fanfiction Summary: An obsessed Romilda Vane turns to a sinister potion to turn herself into Harry Potter's deepest, darkest desire. Instead of turning into his famed paramore, Ginny Weasley, she takes on the appearance of Hermione Granger. Harry falls for the deception and becomes trapped by his own desire, manipulated for Romilda's gain. She, however, crosses the wrong witch to get what she wants and faces the consequences, but not before exposing Harry's secret. Will his desires cause him to be shunned by the one he loves the most? Or will she accept his darker nature? Rating: Explicit Status: Complete

Pale Moonlight by gamer0890

Type: Fanfiction Summary: When the nightmares returned, they were about her. When the nightmares returned, she was there to help. Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Status: Complete

Pieces by The_Astrophile

Type: Poetry (+ Fanart) Summary: After the war, Harry and Hermione are broken individuals who struggle with the demons of their past but ultimately find solace in each other. A poem where we see Harry and Hermione as they truly are on the night of Halloween, and the concept of "real monsters" is explored. Illustrations by HastyHand. Rating: Mature Status: Complete

A Potato, Harry Potter and the Wolf by arwrite

Type: Fanfiction Summary: Hermione and Harry help their kids make Halloween cookies and costumes. Rating: Explicit Status: Complete

soul by harmonious (accidentally_hi)

Type: Fanfiction Summary: After the war and the funerals, Harry decides to move to 12 Grimmauld Place. Hermione helps him clean his residence, making it look and feel more homely. Rating: Explicit Status: Complete

stripped down by Anonymous

Type: Fanfiction Summary: After Harry helped Hermione find her parents, they try to move on with their lives, but nothing is what it used to be. With Hermione's help, Harry tries to restore 12 Grimmauld Place back to its former glory. Rating: Explicit Status: Work in progress

take me home, luv by feelslikeivy

Type: Poetry Summary: Poetry based on the Edgar Allen Poetry Prompt for the Harmony Hollow Event. Rating: General Audiences Status: Complete

Three Chocolate Frogs by HarmoniousConvergence

Type: Fanfiction Summary: Several days after Ron leaves Harry and Hermione alone in the tent, Harry struggles with emotions regarding both of his best friends. But a late-night conversation leads to some revelations from Hermione, as well as an unexpected treat and an opportunity for the two of them to reconnect. Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Status: Complete

The Vampire at Loamly Lane by TheSmuttyMuse

Type: Fanfiction Summary: When Harry is bitten by a vampire, he turns to the only person he can trust: Hermione. The problem is he finds the smell of her blood irresistible. Can she make the antidote before Harry loses all control? Rating: Explicit Status: Complete

whispers by harmonious (accidentally_hi)

Type: Poetry Summary: The Horcrux is more than they bargained for. Harry and Hermione must fight it. Rating: Mature Status: Complete

wreck my plans, that's my man by feelslikeivy

Type: Fanart Summary: I don't normally do art, but a figure from a video editing app my friend uses has me shook. Rating: General Audiences Status: Complete

you drew stars around my scars by dragonmarked

Type: Fanfiction Summary: “It’s not that bad. I don’t look completely hideous,” Hermione murmured, turning her head sideways and looking at the scars on her arms.  “You could never look hideous, Hermione,” Harry stated confidently, trying to get the nervous stutter of his heart under control. Rating: Explicit Status: Complete

Happy reading!

[the-nation-of-today]

2023 Black Veil Brides Banger Bracket Beatdown Masterpost

Look below the cut for links to all polls

Current round: Finals

ROUND 1

Heaven's Calling vs. God Bless You

Knives and Pens vs. Spectres (Interlude)

F.E.A.R. Transmission #3: As War Fades vs. Perfect Weapon

Incipiens Ad Finem vs. Scarlet Cross

Exordium vs. Fields of Bone

The Outcasts (Call To Arms) vs. New Years Day

Shadows Die vs. Overture

Goodbye Agony vs. Never Give In

Children Surrender vs. Victory Call

Unholy vs. Done For You

F.E.A.R. Transmission #1: Stay Close vs. Fall Eternal

We Don't Belong vs. Better Angels

Torch vs. Ritual

The Outsider vs. I Am Bulletproof

Rebel Yell vs. Carolyn

Saviour II vs. Love Isn't Always Fair

The Wicked One vs. When They Call My Name

New Religion vs. The Vengeance

Crimson Skies vs. Nobody's Hero

The Shattered God vs. Devil

Wake Up vs. The Mortician's Daughter

Resurrect The Sun vs. Beautiful Remains

World of Sacrifice vs. Wretched And Divine

Abeyance vs. The Legacy

Revelation vs. Faithless

Saints Of The Blood vs. Devil's Choir

ROUND 2

Coffin vs. Heaven's Calling

Die For You vs. Drag Me To The Grave

Unbroken vs. Knives And Pens

Stolen Omen vs. Perfect Weapon

Shadows Rise vs. Scarlet Cross

Sweet Blasphemy vs. Fields Of Bone

Heart Of Fire vs. New Years Day

The Last One vs. Shadows Die

The King Of Pain vs. Goodbye Agony

Fallen Angels vs. Crown Of Thorns

Youth & Whisky vs. Children Surrender

Let You Down vs. Unholy

Saviour vs. Fall Eternal

The Revival vs. Better Angels

Rebel Love Song vs. Ritual

Dead Man Walking (Overture II) vs. I Am Bulletproof

Walk Away vs. Rebel Yell

Days Are Numbered vs. In The End

Devil In The Mirror vs. Saviour II

Ballad Of The Lonely Hearts vs. When They Call My Name

F.E.A.R. Transmission #2: Trust vs. The Vengeance

We Stitch These Wounds vs. Crimson Skies

My Vow vs. Devil

The Phantom Tomorrow (Introduction) vs. The Mortician's Daughter

Set The World On Fire vs. Resurrect The Sun

Throw The First Stone vs. F.E.A.R.: Final Transmission

Blackbird vs. Wretched And Divine

Lost It All vs. The Legacy

All Your Hate vs. Faithless

Last Rites vs. Saints Of The Blood

Our Destiny vs. Vale (This Is Where It Ends)

Born Again vs. Kill The Hero

ROUND 3

Coffin vs. Drag Me To The Grave

Knives And Pens vs. Perfect Weapon

Scarlet Cross vs. Sweet Blasphemy

Heart Of Fire vs. Shadows Die

Goodbye Agony vs. Fallen Angels

Children Surrender vs. Unholy

Saviour vs. Better Angels

Rebel Love Song vs. I Am Bulletproof

Rebel Yell vs. In The End

Saviour II vs. When They Call My Name

The Vengeance vs. Crimson Skies

Devil vs. The Mortician's Daughter

Set The World On Fire vs. Throw The First Stone

Wretched And Divine vs. Lost It All

Faithless vs. Saints Of The Blood

Our Destiny vs. Born Again

ROUND 4

Coffin vs. Knives And Pens

Scarlet Cross vs. Heart Of Fire

Goodbye Agony vs. Children Surrender

Saviour vs. Rebel Love Song

In The End vs. Saviour II

The Vengeance vs. The Mortician's Daughter

Set The World On Fire vs. Wretched And Divine

Faithless vs. Born Again

ROUND 5 (Quarterfinals)

Knives And Pens vs. Scarlet Cross

Goodbye Agony vs. Rebel Love Song

In The End vs. The Mortician's Daughter

Wretched And Divine vs. Born Again

ROUND 6 (Semifinals)

Knives and Pens vs. Goodbye Agony

In The End vs. Born Again

ROUND 7 (Finals) [ONGOING]

Knives And Pens vs. In The End

[alldrinkingaside]

"Thirteen Ways of Looking at an Aardvark"

The aardvark wore an orange and purple jumpsuit

to the imperial ball.

If all the aardvarks in the world stood in a circle,

the June Taylor Dancers would go out of business.

The aardvark walked to school

because his wings were in the repair shop.

The aardvark has little use for fur coats.

An occasional earmuff is sufficient.

Paris is beautiful this time of year.

Native aardvarks on vacation swarm the parks.

The aardvark can maintain silence

in over twenty-one languages.

Surely, thunder can be nothing other

than the snoring of the aardvark.

In Man's dreams we are always children,

thinly disguised as aardvarks.

It is written that on March 4th, 1842,

an albino aardvark terrorized several school children

in a provincial French village.

The aardvark stood before the mirror

and no longer felt alone.

Stopping by the side of the road,

the aardvark emptied his shoes of their contents.

Evidently, a neutron was causing blisters.

Immanuel Aardvark has indubitably discovered

the speed of darkness.

The aardvark died in the gutter.

You can smell him in the drinking water.

*********************************************

This verse, written in 1972, was inspired by the Wallace Stevens poem "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird."

The illustration was created by an Elementary School student as part of an Art and Literature Project of the New Jersey School system.

BTW, small accolade, I had received was an Honorary Lifetime Membership in the AAAA (American Association of Aardvark Afficionados).

50 years later, two more recent works of mine are available, as described:

Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal

(Find it on Amazon. Book it here): http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO

#alcoholism#addiction#recovery#books

Check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery

(Find it on Amazon, Book it here): https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT

Both Books are Available in Print and Kindle Editions

[respect-olivia]

Favorite dances from each season of p21?

1: fergalicious & dangerous women

2: dance like yo daddy, bohemian rhapsody, unbroken

3: mambo no. 5, ballroom blitz, all that jazz, oops

4: business of love, human after all, blackbird, 1977

5: black and gold, shimmy, vanishing act, kokomo, cali girls

6: stuff like that there, haunted, summertime, almost there

7: literally all i’m sorry i can’t pick

[mauserfrau]

Not Rhack Wednesdays On Thursday [21]

~Not that there’s anything wrong with Rhack, but variety is the spice of life!

First orders of business:

@lackpassion who did our splash images, now has a Patreon and an Etsy freshly restocked with ETHAN WINTERS KEYCHAINS. More goodies on the way! giant women? giant women

Today’s Recs: ( 🎨 = art | ✍ = fic | 🤔 = thinks)

🤔 I saw a really cool essay about Handsome Jack possibly suffering from bipolar disorder go by, but apparently I didn't manage to tap a like on it or bookmark it or anything. Derp.

✍ Divine Retribution Chapter 20 ~ Unbroken Blackbird IT IS BACK AWW YES also hello if this is secretly you i would like to squeak at you loudly and a lot if that is acceptable TY

✍ Edge of Chaos Chapter 8 ~ @raidbossmadi Rexie's coming to get you~.

✍ Finding Ava Chapter 7 ~ @frankenjoly A wonderful take on Ava, Maya and a plot you'd swear was made for them in this author's hands.

🎨 Glitched Out Tyreen ~ @darkmagicdrag0n It's spooky and adorable and you should absolutely check it out.

✍ Oh and I guess I wrote this travesty [NSFW]

If you’d like your work featured on Not Rhack Wednesdays On Thursday, the only requirement is that it not be Rhack (well, and you have to ask).  Calypso Twins angst is not required, but a plus.  Give me a jingle or @ me or whatever works for you.

As for me, I'm trying to get some more exciting stuff written, but then Square had to go re-release Legend of Mana... bah! Disrupt my summer writing, would you?

[black-veil-bobby]

JATP as songs by Black Veil Brides because I binge listened to every song and kept drawing parallels either to the character/ the vibes they give off

~Sex & Hollywood (2007)~

A Devil For Me- Willie

Hello My Hate-Reggie

Sex & Hollywood- Luke

The Gunsling-Bobby

~We Stitch These Wounds (2010)~

We Stitch These Wounds-Bobby

Beautiful Remains- Julie

Children Surrender-Bobby

Perfect Weapon-Alex

Knives And Pens-Luke

The Morticans Daughter-Boggie

All Your Hate- Alex

Heaven's Calling-Bobby

Never Give In-Luke

Sweet Blasphemy-Bobby

Carolyn- Bobby

~Set The World On Fire (2011)~

New Religion-Luke

Set The World On Fire- Sunset Curve

Fallen Angels- Sunset Trio

Love Isn't Always Fair- Julie

God Bless You-Bobby

Rebel Love Song-Willex

Saviour-Julie

The Legacy-Reggie

Die For You-Luke

Ritual-Bobby

Youth & Whisky-Reggie

Smoke And Mirrors-Carrie

~Wretched and Divine (2013)~

I am Bulletproof - Sunset Trio

New Years Day- Sunset Trio

Wretched and Divine-Bobby

We Don't Belong- Sunset Curve

Devil's Choir-Nick

Resurrect The Sun- Julie and The Phantoms

Overture-Ray

Shadows Die- Willie

Days Are Numbered- Sunset Curve

Done For You- Ray

Nobody's Hero-Bobby

Lost It All-Ray

In The End-Bobby

Revelation-Julie

Victory Call-Sunset Trio

Let You Down-Luke

~Black Veil Brides IV (2014)~

Heart Of Fire- Reggie

Faithless- Luke

Devil In The Mirror-Bobby

Goodbye Agony- Carrie

World Of Sacrifice- Julie

Last Rites-Sunset Trio

Stolen Omen- Willie

Walk Away-Bobby

Drag Me To The Grave- Julie

The Shattered God- Bobby

Crown Of Thorns- Bobby

Sons of Night- Sunset Curve

~Vale (2018)~

The Last One- Bobby

Wake Up- Luke

When They Call My Name- Bobby

The Outsider- Bobby

Dead Man Walking (Overture II)- Bobby

Our Destiny- Sunset Trio

The King Of Pain- Bobby

My Vow- Bobby

Ballad Of The Lonely Hearts- Alex

Throw The First Stone- Bobby

Vale (This Is Where It Ends)- Ray

~The Night (2019)~

Saints Of The Blood- Bobby

The Vengeance- Luke

~The Phantom Tomorrow (2021)~

Scarlet Cross- Luke

Born Again- Bobby

Blackbird- Julie

Torch- Alex

The Wicked One- Bobby

Shadows Rise- Alex

Fields of Bone- Bobby

Crimson Skies-Bobby

Kill The Hero- Reggie

Fall Eternal- Alex

~Singles~

This Prayer for You (2008)- Alex

Unbroken (2012)- Julie

Coffin (2017)- Bobby

(Yes this has been in my drafts for months and yes I was waiting for The Phantom Tomorrow's full release which was today :))))

[usafphantom2]

The YF-12A is virtually a titanium shell around a huge fuel tank. It is approximately 101 feet long, supported by a 1,800 square foot wing spanning 55 feet 7 inches. The top of the canted rudders are 18 feet 6 inches from the ground. The empty weight of this immense fighter is near 60,000 pounds; its gross weight is more than 140,000 pounds. The sharp edge along the forward fuselage actually forms a forward lifting surface, as on a canard, thereby letting the fuselage itself generate aerodynamic lift. In- side this widened area are the bays which can house four Hughes AIM-47 A Falcon AAM's. These missiles were originally in- tended to arm the cancelled XF-108 Rapier. The leading edge of the forward lifting plane contains infrared sensors, and the needle-like nose houses the necessary radar and fire control systems. The highly responsive radar used in the YF-12A has a detection range of nearly 800 miles, or in terms of the YF-12's speed, about 20 minutes travel time.

Two YF-12A's established no less than twelve official world records on May 1st, 1965. Among these were the absolute speed of 2,070.102 mph and sustained altitude of 80,257.86 feet At Mach 3 speeds, the heat generated by the YF-12A can reach 1,100 degrees F. To reduce this high temperature, the planes are coated with 60 pounds of a special black paint which helps dissipate the heat. But despite this, Parts of the airplane still remain extremely hot for a while after the plane has landed. This great heat also has an effect on the airframe itself. As heated metal expands, it can distort the precise aerodynamic shapes of a Mach 3 aircraft, An ingenious method of overcoming this was the use of corrugations in the wing surfaces. These ripples allow the flexing of the metal skin without impairing the flying characteristics.

High performance flight, of the type undertaken by the YF-12A, requires a powerplant of phenomenal output. The huge 32,500 lb. Pratt & Whitney J58 engines were made specifically for the big fighter; they are equally as advanced in concept as well as performance. To attain the necessary Mach 3 cruise speed, the afterburner has to be in continuous operation. To achieve this, Pratt & Whitney designed the unit to function as a ramjet, reminiscent of the engine devised for the XF-103 interceptor. A complex sensing mechanism positions the inlet cone on each nacelle for the most efficient air flow to the engines. The fuel used is JP-7, a hydrocarbon-type developed for the YF-12A. Eighty thousand pounds of fuel are carried in five tanks.

At Mach 3, the YF-12A must make a turn of 180 miles radius to reverse its direction. In the high speed regime, most of the flight operations are performed by automatic systems. Because the plane was designed expressly for extremely high speeds, it is unusual to find that the YF-12A has very conventional low-speed characteristics. Approach speed is approximately 200 mph; touch-down is 172 mph. The SR-71 is the production version of the A-11. Its primary duty is reconnaissance, and it differs mainly in electronic gear. The SR-71, nicknamed "Blackbird," has been refined for greater aerodynamic efficiency. The foreplane extends in an unbroken line to the nose, and the empennage protrudes six feet behind the delta wing. This increased area permits the elimination of the large retractable and two fixed ventral fins used on the YF- 12A for high-speed stability.

Total quantities of the YF-12A have not been officially disclosed, but at least three planes were built as interceptors. SR-71 production has exceeded 21 units; but here again, the actual number is classified. In recognition of the advanced engineering involved in the development of the YF-12A/SR-71, the radical "Blackbird" became the recipient of the Collier Trophy in 1964.

[wetlandwanderer]

Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens)

Today I’m going to be focusing on leopard frogs, specifically the Northern Leopard Frog as that’s what I have a recording of, however, I will put some information on the calls and ranges of all of the species of leopard frog found in North America (in addition to the Pickerel Frog).

The call of all leopard frogs have an overarching similarity in that they are often described as having a chuckle or hiccup like quality. The Northern Leopard Frog specifically has one of the longer calls in that it can be described as a long snore interrupted by short repeated hiccups or chuckles. When multiple of these frogs are together the snore can be lost and what is left is a jumble of overlapping hiccups (as can be heard in the recording). 

The two most similar calls in this group that it could be mistaken for would be the Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus) and the Pickerel Frog (Lithobates palustris), but for two different reasons. The Northern and Southern Leopard Frogs both have the same chuckle quality to their calls that characterizes most of the leopard frogs, however the southern species’ call is much shorter and higher pitched with a sound interspersed throughout that sounds almost like someone rubbing a balloon. In comparison the pickerel’s call is more similar to the long snore that can often be heard from the northern species just without the chuckles throughout. 

The Southern and Northern Leopard Frogs do not inhabit the same region for the most part as the Southern Leopard Frog is found everywhere south of Iowa and New Jersey. The Northern Leopard Frog’s range on the other hand extends from the southern edge of the Northwest Territories in Canada south to Iowa and north Kentucky and then west to Arizona, Nevada, and north California. It is by far the most pervasive species with the largest range amongst the leopard frogs.

The Pickerel is found everywhere east of Kansas and south of Quebec, with the exceptions of being found in east Texas and not being found through most of Illinois. The only other species of leopard frog the Northern Leopard Frog crosses over with otherwise is the Plains Leopard Frog, who thankfully has both a distinctive call and appearance that set it apart.

Physically leopard frogs look pretty similar, thankfully there is not a lot of crossover between most of their ranges, but for the species that do inhabit similar ranges here are some of the species specific traits to keep an eye out for. Pickerel Frogs specifically crossover with all four leopard frog ranges, so something to look for is the bright yellow coloration on the inner thighs of their hind legs. The other two species that have crossover with others are the Plains Leopard Frog (Lithobates blairi) and the Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Lithobates berlandieri), found respectively in the Great Plains regions north of Texas and east Texas south to Nicaragua. These two species have a broken dorsolateral fold. This is the ridge that goes down the sides of all leopard frogs unbroken, however, near the hind legs on these two species the ridge is split instead of being a straight line. 

Their calls are also some of the most distinctive in the group as the Plains Leopard Frog’s call is more of a short “chuck” or 3 cut off laughs in a row, while the Rio Grande Leopard Frog’s call is much deeper then the other species and is in the form of short rapid trill that sound almost like someone rubbing a balloon but slowed down. 

Since leopard frogs are one of the more recognized groups of frogs that many are pretty much guaranteed to run into at least sometime while in the US, I hope this expanded on some of their more distinctive traits for future observations.

[rune-boy]

The first spell I learned

So, this is the first spell I ever learned and I learned it from my mom. You could just consider it a recipe, but personally I consider it a spell, because within it is sure magic. This is a spell for late at night, when you don’t feel like everything is quite right. Its for when you’ve had a productive day, with good meals through out and everything should be okay but its not. Somethings wrong. This spell is sure to fix that.

What you will need: Milk and honey, a pot, a mug, and a wooden spoon

What is optional: Vanilla extract, orange extract (or peppermint, or almond or whatever you desire) half n half, and lavender.

Directions: Put desired amount of milk into mug and then into pot. Add honey and stir. After stirring for about 2 minutes, add other ingredients, if desired. I like to add all of it. Vanilla, orange, half n half and lavender. I think all of it together makes it extra special. With the lavender, its best to take some and break it up and put it into the pot, rather than just dropping it in there unbroken. Don’t add too much lavender. That is potentially dangerous

Now here’s where the magic comes in. Turn the heat of your stove on to a low setting and watch as the little flames dance around the bottom of the pot, slowly but surely heating the milk. As this happens, stir the pot and sing to yourself a song from your childhood. One that brings back good memories. One that evokes a warmth in the heart. My personally go to songs are “My favorite things” or “blackbird”. Breathe deeply and remember yourself. Remember who you are and what you want to do. (while cooking, its good to periodically check the milk with a finger to see if its too hot or cold. By now it should be warm but not quite hot.) Remember that you’re here, right now, in the moment. And look upon the world with love. Look upon your kitchen with love. Think about your parents, or figures in your life who mean a lot to you and have been there for you, whether that’s a relative, friend, neighbor or even just someone you admire. Just hold that love in your heart as you gently stir. (remember to check the temp. Also, wash your hands. That goes without saying.)

After a minute or two of stirring, its good to let the milk sit for a minute and heat up without our intervention. Maybe by now you’re done with your song. If you want to, sing again. If not, just spend a few minutes breathing and thinking about the good things on the planet. All the good people and all the beauty and joy. 

Your milk should be done by now. It should be warm enough to be too hot for your finger, but just right for your mouth. Take your pot and your mug and pour the milk into the mug over the sink, just so no accidental messes happen.

And voila! You have a drink that is filled with love and warmth and happiness, that will put you to sleep and leave you feeling satisfied. Sure, this spell is a little more soft and easy compared to the majority of magic, but it’s one that’s near and dear to my heart. It involves use of herbs, stirring of a pot and even incantation. I hope I helped someone with this post. Even if it was just one person, I’m glad I helped you.

Thanks for 200 followers :)) <3 <3 <3

[flowercryptid]

at the pondside, pollen-freckled summer pulls at the dandelions pinned in your hair. a reed sways under a blackbird’s dipping weight, bends like your truths in the telling, stays unbroken as your voice in a lie.

you’ve heard there’s a swan who hides in the shade & still water, where the grasses are thick with beetle wings, with longing held tight in drops of dew. you’ve heard it’s been alone three years & counting.

that’s a familiar silence, a familiar solitude, & once you might have called it sadness. might have dug deeper into the weed-choked mud, called it all a tragedy & waited for the dark falling flightless from the sky.

but there’s mint & lavender in the air here, & the ground smooth with chalk-dust in every shade. there’s a double rainbow waiting outside the bus shelter. chicory grows on the highway hills all the way home.

summer reaches a sunbronzed hand across the calendar page, says stay alive to meet me. you let your fingers knot together, pull them tight. say i will & it is the sweetest promise you’ve ever dreamt of keeping.

— spring, & what comes after | q.l. | originally published in wlwocpoetrynet’s pride month 2019 chapbook

[ragewrites]

storm heat — ten thousand blackbirds loosen, arrowing the sky. underneath them, the priestesses pray over the hallow burn of great fir pyres, chanting unbroken their master’s darkmost name; lover, it is a season for wolves. our fire is destined for Death, for the summer of his hands; my body burns bright with his promise, wrapped in wisps of lightning, luxuriously caressed by caliginous tongues of thunder. it is scarlet, our union, my slain veins transubstantiated to poppies, the bruised heart rivered with a blood- honey. it is irreverent, a sacrilege in four acts: eyes, throat, hands, secret places. every bird is a god-dish awaiting for the open mouth. I hardly may contain my joy when his teeth crescent on me, fourfolding to flowers the heathen lungs.

  a time for love   may 25th, 2019  / /  lianna schreiber

[eurosong]

SF1 vs SF2: My preference

Morning, folks - this is the second part of my look at the semis, since one became two back in 2008, to find whether I’ve historically preferred one semi or another. Every year, we hear talk of one semi being strongest, but do I agree? Part one can be found here!

2014: Semi-final 1 had Calm after the storm, a lesson in elegance in simplicity that I still think should have won; Not alone, a divisive song, but one whose epic instrumentation  I really enjoyed; Moj svijet, one of Montenegro's highlights; and in terms of smaller pleasures, the loveably goofy Cake to bake, the roaring No prejudice, and the uplifting Amazing (which unfortunately wasn't so good live.) It also had the creepy, oedipal Mother, and Running, a fan favourite for many but which I always found very annoying and cynical.

In SF2, we had my personal pick for best Swiss song of this century, Hunter of stars; the smouldering emotion of Silent storm; Georgia bringing the experimentalism once again with Three minutes to earth; the bizarrely wronged, fierce Same Heart; but also, a hell of a lot of unexceptional, filler songs (I put Heartbeat, Something Better, Coming home and Miracle into this category tbh) and some like Rise up and To the sky which actively annoyed me. SF1 wins!

2015: SF1 had some seriously good songs for me - Rhythm inside, one of the best of the Belgian renaissance crop; De la capat, which I found exquisitely moving; the fierce and energetic Warrior; the gentle but poignant Wars for nothing; A million voices, probably Russia’s best effort in the past decade for me; and the sublime Goodbye to yesterday, which I think was well deserving of being at least top 5 that year. It also has the inexorably boring One last breath; the six soloists competing hot mess of Face the shadow; I want your love, a one-man early 2000s boyband throwback where the one member manages to be as annoying as a full quintet; the excruciatingly juvenile Walk along; Autumn leaves, whose qualification over Brod szto tone is a high crime; and Beauty never lies, which was the precise moment Serbia broke this serbophile's heart, abandoning a tradition of using their language and musical tradition with aplomb.

SF2 had the other two thirds of the Baltic annus mirabilis: the delightfully cute and catchy This time and Aminata's soaring, epic Love injected. We also had Montenegro's best ever for me, the heartbreaking and yet affirming Adio; A monster like me, Norway's best song in the past 20 years for me; and a trio of beautiful songs whose non-qualification still surprises me, the delicate Playing with numbers, delightfully saudadic Há um mar que nos separa and the baroque Hope never dies. On the other hand, it also has my least favourite winner of the decade; the worst of the two years Warriors by far from Malta; the dull, repetitive duo of songs that "helpfully" cushioned Heroes, Unbroken and Time to shine; and one of those “annual fan faves I can’t get behind”, the advert for nasal spray that was Here for you. Nonetheless, SF2 takes it!

2016: SF1 was a nightmare semi for me in that my biggest favourites, Jüri's dark but inviting Play, Bosnia's catchy fusion of traditional local music and rap in Ljubav je, and the sensationally wronged Hear them calling all ended not qualifying. Amongst the qualifiers, I quietly enjoyed the rousing Pioneer, the imperious Lovewave and the contemplative Slow down, but most of the other songs - qualifiers or not - annoyed me to some degree, like the generic Sing it away and Falling stars; the hymn to co-dependence that was I stand; the inane, repetitive, bubblegummy Loin d'ici; the dull Walk on worrah; and Miracle, whose qualification was a miracle - from the devil.

In SF2, my favourite also did not qualify - a crime of treason against queen Kaliopi and her deeply moving Dona. I also was hoping that the Slovenian Taylor Swift's quietly sweet Blue and red could get through, but no dice. Luckily, my other big favourites in this semi did get through - the defiant Shelter and perhaps the most uplifting song of the last decade, If love [were] a crime. I also really liked Heartbeat, Aminata's equally accomplished sophomore effort, and the delectable slice of mid-90s britrock that was Midnight Gold. This semi also had the whining puppy lament that was Colo[u]r of your life; the lolcow hotmess that was Last of our kind; two songs in one and neither were good in Icebreaker; and  the prissy Made of Stars. SF2 takes it!

2017: SF1 had the delicate, quietly moving City lights; the dark and experimental Skeletons, Azerbaijan's best song ever for me; Amar pelos dois, one of my most favourite ESC songs ever and whose poignancy still hits me in the heart; the soaring Fly with me, perhaps Armenia's greatest moment so far for me; as well as the inexplicable non-qualifiers Blackbird, the deep and meaningful Paper, whose message about depression really got to me; the low key lovely My turn and the banging Line. It also had a ghoulish Keep the faith; the fuckboi anthem that was I can't go on; the embarassing Space; the generic and badly sung This is love; and the equally dull Gravity, On my way, Flashlight and Don't come easy, the last three of which were real dirges.

In SF2, we had the riproaring, cri de coeur that was Origo; Belarus' best for me, the delectable, sweet Story of my life; Dance alone, which was great at least as a record;  the guilty pleasure Yodel it and the surprisingly moving Lights and shadows. We also had the twee Running on air, the dull Breathlessly, the earache-inducing Spirit of the night; the abomination that was Maaa fwenn/Moy frenndddd; Grab the moment, which left me completely cold; the generic I feel alive; the unsympathetic Beautiful mess; and the song that put me against thousands of people I know who were raving about it, the 80s throwback and awkward Verona. SF1 wins easily.

2018: SF1 had Mall, my #1 that year, which absolutely blew me away with the combination of lyrics, voice, music and pure emotion, and my #2, Nobody but you, probably the best gospel-tinged song ever sent to ESC for my money. I also really liked the quietly moving When we're old; Lost and found was one of my most listened to tracks before thát performance; and whilst I was dubious about Together's tangentially-related staging, it gave me the good kind of shivers on the night. The rest of the semi is most unremarkable for me, though I have to note that I heavily dislike Fuego, Monsters and the written in 3 minutes-feeling X my heart.

SF2 had another rock out moment with Outlaw in em; the visceral Viszlát nyár; the overlooked but superior feminist anthem of the year in Hvala ne;  the criminally underrated, poetic Inje; Goodbye, which tore my heart remembering friends lost; and the bizarrely overlooked, sad but sensual Funny girl. It also had the ironically titled That's how you write a song; the deeply irritating Dance you off; the torturous I won't break; embarassing Light me up and overblown Taboo. SF1 has the two songs that I found the most beautiful of the year, but SF2 has a higher proportion of songs that I found good, so SF2 clinches it.

So, in 11 years, it’s been really even. SF1 has been the stronger of the two semis for me 5 times, SF2 6 times. This year, it’s difficult to guess whether SF2 will go 7-5 for me or whether SF1 will tie it up, 6 years each. We’re excitingly close to seeing!

[circe-poetica]

Cernunnos

Cernnunos - Ancient Celtic God

by J. M Reinbold

Cernnunos Sleeps (2) The Old God sleeps down in the dark, moist, odorous underfoot, Waiting for us To put down our roots.

The God In The Wild Wood (3) At the Sacred Centre, in the Grove of all Worlds, He sits with legs crossed beneath an ancient Oak. Entranced, connecting the three worlds Earth, Sea, and Sky, and the worlds behind the worlds, the god and the Great Tree are One, His immense limbs widespread, stretching into distant sky and starry space.

His massive trunk, spine of the Middleworld, is the heart of the Ancient Forest around which all Life, all worlds turn; His limitless root web growing deep into secret earth and Underworld; above him the great turning circles of Sun, Moon, and Stars. All around Him subtle movements of the leaves in melodious, singing air; everywhere the pulsing, gleaming Green awash in drifts of gold and shimmering mist; beneath Him soft moss creeping over the dark, deep, moist of spawning earth. At His feet is the great Cauldron from which the Five Rivers Flow.

Through the forest stillness they come, whispering wings and secret glide, rustling leaves, and silent step, the first Ancestors, the Oldest Animals, to gather around Him: Blackbird, Keeper of the Gate; Stag of Seven Tines, Master of Time; Ancient Owl, Crone of the Night; Eagle, Lord of the Air, Eye of the Sun; and Salmon, Oldest of the Old, Wisest of the Wise leaping from the juncture of the Five Springs. He welcomes them and blesses them, and they honour Him, Cernnunos of the nut brown skin and lustrous curling hair; the god whose eyes flash star-fire, whose flesh is a reservoir of ancient waters, His cells alive with Mystery, original primeval essence. Naked, phallus erect, He wears a crown of antlers limned in green fire and twined with ivy. In his right hand the Torq of gold, testament of his nobility and his sacred pledge; in his left hand the horned serpent symbol of his sexual power sacred to the Goddess. Cernnunos in His Ancient Forest, His Sacred Temple, His Holy Grove, Cernnunos and His children dream the Worlds.

The Origins of Cernnunos Cernnunos, a nature and fertility god, has appeared in a multitude of forms and made himself known by many names to nearly every culture throughout time. He is perhaps best known to us now in his Celtic aspects of the untamed Horned God of the Animals and the leaf-covered Green Man, Guardian of the Green World, but He is much older. Cernnunos worked his magic when the first humans were becoming. Our prehistoric ancestors knew him as a shape-shifting, shamanic god of the Hunt. He is painted in caves and carved everywhere, on cliffs, stones, even in the Earth Herself. Humans sought to commune with Him and receive his power and that of his animal children by dressing themselves in skins and skulls, adorning themselves with feathers and bones, by dancing His dance. Yet He is older still. In the time of the dinosaurs, the great swamps and subtropical forests of cycads, seed ferns and conifers, and later in the time of the deciduous plants and flowers, when the pollinators came and the first tiny mammals were creeping up from beneath the ground, Cernnunos was the difference and diversity of life, the frenzy and ferment of evolution. But, He is much older still. He is oldest of the Ancient Ones, first born of the Goddess. At the time of First Earth, Cernnunos grew in the womb of the All Mother, Anu, waiting to be born, to come forth to initiate the everlasting, unbroken Circle of Life.

The Many Faces & Natures Of Cernnunos Cernnunos, as The Horned God, Lord of the Animals is portrayed as human or half human with an antler crown. Though he wears a human face his energy and his concerns are non-human. He is protector of animals and it is Cernnunos who is the law-sayer of hunting and harvest. While He is recognized most often through his connection to animals and our own deeply buried, dimly recalled, instinctual animal natures, Cernnunos is also a tree, forest, and vegetation god in his foliate aspect of The Green Man, Guardian of the Green World. His branching antlers symbolize the spreading treetops of the forest as well as his animal nature. As Master of the Sacrificial Hunt, His is the life that is given in service of new life. His wisdom is that the old must pass away to make way for the new.

In his Underworld aspect Cernnunos is The Dark Man, the god who dwells in the House Beneath the Hill, the Underworld. He is the one who comforts and sings the souls of the dead to their rest in the Summerlands of the Otherworld. Cernnunos, as Master of the Wild Hunt, who pursues the souls of evil doers, is not associated with a biblical or even modern morality, but with the protection and continuance of the Land and Nature and the spirits that dwell therein.

Pan, lusty Satyr god of the Greeks is another aspect of the Horned God. ‘Pan is a proud celebration of the liberating power of male erotic energy in its purest and most beautiful form.’ (5) He is portrayed as playful and cunning, but He also has a darker, dangerous nature. The panic or terror often associated with Pan is not related to human violence, but to the Life and Death of the natural world. In this form he is called the "All Devourer." However, Pan, as Protector of the Wilderness and as a god prone to fits of madness and violence, can induce panic or wild fear in those who threaten his domain.

Cernnunos appears again in Elizabethan England, and is mentioned by Shakespeare, as Herne the Hunter, the demon and guardian of Windsor Forest, the Royal Wood. In this aspect it is said that he appears as Guardian of the Realm during times of National emergency and crisis. In modern times he is often called the God of the Witches and embodies uncorrupted masculine energy. A masculine energy that is fully-developed and in balance with the natural world

Cernnunos & The Sacred Wheel Of The Year We celebrate and honour Cernnunos as the Green Man in spring and summer, the light half of the year and as the Dark One or the Dark God in autumn and winter, the dark half of the year. He appears in spring as the young Son, child of the Goddess, embodiment of the budding, growing, greening world. In summer He is the Green Man, vibrant, pulsing with life essence, the consort of the Green Lady Goddess. It is in autumn, the dying time, that perhaps we see the Horned God most clearly. He is the sacrificed one, who, wounded unto death begins his journey to the Underworld, returning to the Earth from which he was born and where the seeds of light released from his decaying body will quicken Her womb with a new Sun once again.

The Path To Cernnunos The path to Cernnunos is both through the natural world: seeking out the wild places and a deep understanding of the processes of growth, bounty, decay, rest, and rebirth, and through Otherworld journeys to the Middleworld forest of which he is guardian. One may experience this both actually and symbolically by following the path that disappears over the horizon into the distance and moves away from the ‘civilized’ world and into the heart of the Wild Wood. Often experienced as traveling away from the centre to the perimeter, this is in actuality a return to the Centre. When the seeker reaches the god's forest the track ends, and her/his pathways are found by other means. After entering the Wildwood the seeker cannot be followed, nor can s/he follow another. Whatever pathways are discovered disappear in passing, and the Wood is trackless once again, for each one's way is different. In the Forest of Cernnunos there is a stillness, an otherworldly feeling, as if one has passed out of time. Here the mind is not supreme. It is instinct, the innate wisdom of the body that guides us to Him.

The Way Of Cernnunos The way of Cernnunos is the way of the shaman or any person who truly seeks Communion with the Land. Yet, one cannot speak of Cernnunos without speaking of Anu or Don, the All Mother who gave Him birth. The way of Cernnunos is through the One. Like Her, Cernnunos is a Being or Power that existed before time and before the gods, the Shining Ones. Together they are First Mother and First Father, All Mother and All Father who brought the gods into being. Limitless and everlasting His energy permeates Her matter through every aspect of life to the sub-atomic. As Lord of the Dance He is present in the billions and billions of infinitely small movements that make up the seemingly chaotic Dance of Life, the Dance of Making and Unmaking. He is truly the Life that never, never dies, for even as nothingness he is self-originating. He is triple as She is triple. He is Cernnunos: Father, Son, and Wild Spirit.

Cernnunos Chant Cern-nu-noh-oh-oh-oh-os Stag Horned Hunter, Hunted One Join Us Now Cer-nu-noh-oh-oh-oh-os Greenwood Lord of Life and Death Join Us Now Cern-nu-noh-oh-oh-oh-os Herne and Pan and Every Man Join Us Now (6)

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SOURCES Anderson, William. Green Man: The Archetype of our Oneness with the Earth. London: HarperCollins Publishers Limited, 1990. Carr-Gomm, Philip & Stephanie. The Druid Animal Oracle: Working with the Sacred Animals of the Druid Tradition. New York: Simon & Schuster Inc., 1994. Conway, D. J. By Oak, Ash, & Thorn: Modern Celtic Shamanism. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1995. Corrigan, Ian. The Portal Book: Teachings and Works of Celtic Witchcraft. Cleveland Heights, OH: Chameleon Press, 1996. Knight, Sirona. Greenfire: Making Love With the Goddess. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1995. Matthews, Caitlín. Singing the Soul Back Home: Shamanism In Everyday Living. Shaftesbury, Dorset, United Kingdom: Element Books Limited, 1995. Matthews, John. The Celtic Shaman: A Handbook. Shaftesbury, Dorest, United Kingdom: Element Books Limited, 1991. Matthews, Caitlín and John. The Encyclopædia of Celtic Wisdom. Shaftesbury, Dorset: Element Books Limited, 1994. Stewart, R. J. The Way of Merlin: The Prophet, the Goddess, and the Land ¬ Techniques of Transformation from the Merlin Tradition. London: The Aquarian Press, 1991. Zell, Morning Glory. ‘Pan.’ Green Egg: A Journal of Awakening Earth Vol. 27, No. 104, Spring 1994: 12-13, 49.

https://www.druidry.org/library/gods-goddesses/cernnunos-ancient-celtic-god

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