#virtues of devotion

[ikeprinces-stuff]

My reaction to this was :

[alicedrawslesmis]

oh ok so Javert gained the ability to lie by understanding that human justice is not the same as nature or divine justice

it took him some effort to lie but he can now

I love Hugo's consistent understanding that to lie is not an inherently evil or sinful act and that sometimes the kind and good thing is to lie (like, lying to cops to protect a fugitive who you believe should not be in prison for example)

This is so interesting. Javert, to become a better person, needed to learn to become less honest

[shadystranger]

"The fandom unnecessarily villainizes sam and dean for choosing each other over strangers when it's literally how humans work" great critic but I actually think the fandom (those interested in the brothers' relationship) are reacting to it how they're meant to: in a negative light.

To trace things back, yes, it's a given, kind of an innate human nature to respond in situations by prioritizing the people you know over ones you don't. That is true. On an individual basis, each person would do this, I would do this, and anyone'd be crazy to villainize this act on my and your part. But sam and dean do it, and it's painted in this hyperbolic moral degeneration light both by the narrative (we could argue) and by the fandom. Because see, sam and dean are a little different than you and me.

They're positioned in their world as tragic heroes who, given the nature of their job, are expectedly deprived of things the normal person could enjoy. They don't get to lead normal lives, they don't die by natural causes, and they must navigate through life bearing more than they must know with soul-crippling responsibilities. "We're the people who save the world," sam and dean don't spend much time before they assume the token role of saviors in their world. Along with that role comes even more imposed limitations.

They are more viscerally equipped and knowledgeable. They have access to things randoms could never dream of having (like death and god). The more you know, the worse you sleep and comes with the mere knowing is the obligation to do something about it. Someone ignorant to the whole ordeal simply doesn't have to answer to it.

Basically, they're soldiers. Imagine samdean reporting for duty, they preserve peace of the public and their blind following to decision moral rightness is taken for granted. It comes with the job. You don't get to make ill-advised progress in your self-interest as a person (sth random ppl can enjoy) when several lives are at stake.

At some point, sam and dean themselves are metaphoricaly acting Gods: people's survival or death depends on them. Sometimes, it's a city's worth of population. Other times, it's the entire world. Their right to free-decision making stops depending only on its virtuous intent and starts being consequential. They're elevated to adhere to higher standards and criteria than normal people are held to.

The rightness of their actions will not be determined among a set of feasible options but instead assessed by whether they chose the option with the best consequences. Or not. The main decision-making factor for "heroes" like them should be putting the general welfare at its fore interest. Not one individual's. Especially not if it's one individual's.

When dean and/or sam sacrifices someone stranger to save his brother, it's a subjective good call I can relate and see myself in it, but given their position within the universe it's irresponsible and far objectively wrong; especially if at the cost of saving his brother, several others suffered.

There are criteria for judging the actions of the pivotal role they uphold. From a subjective moralness standpoint, sam and dean are only humans, and they can be cut some slack or even not at all villainized for doing what their instinct demands. On the other hand, moral objectiveness influenced by the world-setting's structure deems the goodness or badness of how they behave based on the particular consequences of their given actions and whether said actions affected people in good or bad ways. If sam and dean did something that brought peace to the world on the whole and reduced suffering, it's good and logical, whereas if said action caused suffering and threatened peace, it's bad.

dean grudgingly accepting sam’s plan to overtake lucifer even though it meant losing his brother is the objectively morally good choice to make. He had to sacrifice his precious family, but he ultimately was rational and responsible enough to know his brother's life is not a fair trade-off to millions. both sam and dean here act in accordance with their positions within the story/world: they're heroes. But by S8 dean doesn't let sam make a similar sacrifice. He prioritizes sam's life over the many who'll be possessed and will either kill others or be killed themselves. sam releases a world-ending evil to save his brother, and later on, both take turns facilitating the guy who practically promises them an apocalypse to once again save each other.

"The good of any one person is no more important from the point of view of the universe than the good of any other." sam or dean's lives aren't more important than someone else's, this was a point so base sam felt the need to make because it needed to be addressed, their lack of changing anything about it is another matter. Thing is they're the world's designated saviors be it by choice or not, the narrative views them as the fact, they're expected to value the well-being of all individuals equally, regardless of their personal closeness. Imagine a firefighter postponing saving you because someone he knows is more important even when the situation for them is not as grave as you. It'd be unethical and worthy of condemnation because in this line of work, and in general when your job is saving people and work towards the greater good, you do it indiscriminately, you don't get to privilege the well-being of yourself or your family over the well-being of distant others.

sam and dean hold a rightful consequentialist commitment to their actions being as good as possible: the basis on which one outcome is better than another is only if it contains a greater sum total of people's betterment. No impartiality.

Yes, it's his brother, his only family, but it's still morally wrong to prioritize him (in their case). Let's use a patriotism allegory. Imagine a general of a losing army. He catches wind of the enemy's secret bases or is exposed to confidentials enough to turn the tide to his side. However, he finds out his family at home is being held hostage. The moment he reveals what he knows, they get killed. A man has to save his family it's the most basic human instinct, yes, but you'd think it's irredeemably wrong for him to prioritize his family in this case. You'd think he doesn't even have the right to choose when it's a choice between two insignificant people and the entire country being infiltrated and invaded, with the deaths of million soldiers and citizens. It's not even a choosing matter. sam and dean are the general in this scenario, and instead of the country being at stake, it's sometimes the entire population they're throwing to the fire for each other. Anyone'd think it's messed up. You're supposed to.

There is a good reason to save your family (brother) over a stranger (or two, or hundred or million); but labeling both actions as right would risk ignoring the important moral difference between the two. And we need to draw an account of what a hero is obliged to do in order to meet minimal moral standards. sam and dean's constant moral failure to meet such standard despite their role in their universe paints them as flawed, sometimes as the story's designated antichrist.

Their ceaseless prioritizing of themselves marks their moral debauchery and decline as heroes. they get away with not fulfilling their obligations that are thrust upon them by design, they're using a cheat code acting not how they're supposed to and that's the characters/narrarive's grip with them. I don't blame corbin for what he did, while It’s extremely wrong that he tried killing sam, it was a call for survival. Your savior normally doesn’t come with conditions. He was faced with an oddity from the typical rescue mission. And he did what he had to ensure the more number of people survives. We sympathize with sam and dean, so we criminalize corbin immediately and side with dean. We're swept by emotions and our judgment is clouded you could say but from a utility standpoint, dean's decision to stay with a dying sam would've lead to four people's death, or three and one heavily wounded meanwhile corbin's leads to three people's survival and the loss of one. With corbin, more lives are saved, with one unfortunate but necessary sacrifice. Morally and objectively, corbin was more right in choking sam than dean was in staying.

[kataraavatara]

the way the fandom IMMEDIATELY jumps to saint iconography and comparison for Alicent (Mater Dolorosa, etc) actually says A Lot about the church’s reductive view of female sexuality and agency. It says A Lot about Christianity in general. Like I know she’s Westerosi Catholic so your mind jumps to that comparison but…

[keysatthecrossroad]

Sacred Goddess Hekáte, help me to manifest:

Justice in my actions,

Temperance in my soul, Courage in my choices, Wisdom, in my words,

Compassion towards all beings.

- Devotion to the Five Virtues of Hekáte, Queen of Witches

[seasteading]

ARENT YOU TIRED OF BEING NICE? DONT U JUST WANNA GO APE SHIT? ↳ A CHARACTER STUDY

if it seems like i haven't touched my main wip in 2 months, that's because i haven't 😋

instead, anyone unfortunate enough to have spoken more than a sentence to me will have realized that i've spent that time in baldurs gate 3 hell, with nothing but durge brainrot to show for it—brainrot i will now inflict on main with some selected excerpts <3

transcripts under cut:

She does not remember many fairytales, but she thinks this one starts the same way as all the rest: a princess to flee a castle, a handsome knight to save her from the shadows that haunt the woods. The princess does not have a name beyond her title. The knight is called Griseis. She speaks it aloud. There is no tugging at her memory, no rush of truth. Yet it is the name of a creature with the purpose to vanquish, same as her, and all those with a purpose must have a name.  “My name is Griseis,” she tries. It holds no magic, but she likes the way it rests upon her tongue, like it could belong there. She slips the waterlogged fairytale into her pack.

Yet beneath the drone of busywork, the urges remain. They bid her to tear the legs off a rabbit caught in the brambles that surround the garden, and Atonement endures. A stained glass window shatters, and they bid her to pick a shard off the floor and cut through Novice Clements’ fragile throat. Atonement endures. They infect her dreams. Behind her eyelids flicker visions of a temple in ruins, of Ilmater’s statue bathed in the blood of his faithful, so she works more, sleeps less.

And he laughs at her. Brings his uninjured hand to her jaw and pushes his thumb under her upper lip, using her own slack shock to pry her mouth open. Finger pressed against a sharp canine, “Look at you. Bhaal’s Chosen, the purest of his spawn, baring your teeth like a damn dog.” She doesn’t have to think about it. Put your hand by a dog’s mouth, and expect to get bitten. She bites.

But the painter who’d put her features to canvas saw something else, too. Maybe the taint in her blood had made it into the pigments. Maybe it’d been Bhaal himself guiding their hand, ensuring proper justice be given to his spawn’s visage. Griseis looks, and the Dread Lord’s Chosen looks right back.

[grassbreads]

Main takeaway from reading Crimson-Shell is that Jun Mochizuki has never once in her entire life been normal about master/servant relationships (positive)

[elephantbitterhead]

Having finally been driven to blacklisting content, I'd like to take this moment to say that no annoying/overexposed/boring/formulaic/etc. musician will ever be as irritating to me as their fans and their haters are.

[randomnameless]

Edelgard's such a sore loser in AM that she tried one last time to kill Dimitri while he's offering his hand to her. Despicable child.

?

I wouldn't call her a "sore loser", but she's very stubborn and this route depicts it the best, it's her way or her death - and every route, she isn't killed in battle, but she dies in a cutscene because she cannot accept losing (asking Billy to deal the final blow bcs uwu even in VW).

I like this trait of her, especially since it's the other side of the coin of the "indomitable will" Rhea praises and remember Willy for - in a way, yes, both Willy and Supreme Leader are/were stubborn or, put in a good light "wilful/strong-willed" and it plays with the general idea of a certain quality being a default at times - Dimitri is compassionate and has empathy for people, but it drives him too far, to the point of forgetting himself, Supreme Leader is "strong-willed", and she cannot accept a world where she loses/where her path leads her to wall, so she'd rather die.

TBH, I prefered that end for her - staying true to some of her convictions (she is so desperate to be right that she will even turn herself into an icky non human!) - than what Nopes did in AG, stripping her of agency for fanservice (because the 3 lords must always be alive in the Nopes routes, even when it doesn't make any sense!).

[whatareyoudoingwithamaserati]

GODMODE album has been out for 33 slutty slutty minutes as of writing this and it is already shaping up to become one of my favourites. I haven’t even gotten to the ice nine kills collaboration track yet (once I do it will all be over I will be dead and dead and dying my two favourite bands on one song is too much)

[sageofthestrange]

✿ saurons_eye_emoji.png

bold for things i could definitely see or want, italics for things i could see or am unsure of and striked out for things i don’t want or cannot see.

FRIENDSHIP.     childhood friends  /  work buddies or coworkers  /  family friends  /  friends with benefits  /  smoking buddies  /  adventure buddies  /  fake friends  /  recently friends  /  party buddies  /  friendship of need  /  dying friendship  /  circumstantial friendship  /  partners in crime  /  old friendship  /[your muse] is the good influence  /[your muse] is the bad influence  /[my muse] is the good influence  /[my muse] is the bad influence  /  opposites attract  /  ride or die  /  frenemies  /  roommates or flatmates  /  penpals  /  exes to friends  /  enemies to friends  /  other

ROMANCE.     childhood sweethearts  /[your muse is mines] childhood crush  /[my muse is yours] childhood crush  /  exes  /  exes to lovers  /  forbidden lovers  /  highschool sweethearts  /  secret relationship  /  opposites attract  /  long distance  /  unrequited [from your muses side]/  unrequited [from my muses side]/  unrequited [from both sides]/  skinny love  /  friends to lovers  /  enemies to lovers  /  spurious relationship  /  power couple  /  newly entered  /  soulmates [ metaphorical ]/  soulmates  [ literal ]/  awkward  /  turning toxic  /  toxic love  /  cheating [on your muse]/  cheating [with your muse]/  other

FAMILIAL.     siblings [half]/  siblings [step]/[my muse] is an older sibling figure to your younger sibling figure  /[my muse] is a younger sibling figure to your older sibling figure muse  /[my muse] is a parental figure to yours  /[my muse] is a child figure to your muse  /  guardian figure  /  legal guardian  /  adoptive child  /  foster child  /[your muse] is taken under mines wing  /[my muse] is taken under yours wing  /  other [kin-sisters/blood of the covenant vibes]

ANTAGONISTIC.     dangerous to each other  /  dangerous to others  /  unpredictable  /  rivals  /  petty  /  developing into sexual or romantic tension  /  based off family matters  /  based of off circumstance  /  based off professional matters  /  based off misunderstanding or lies  /  conflict of ideology  /  betrayal  /  hero - villain dynamic  /  enemies  /  fight club  /  friends turned enemies  /  lovers turned enemies  /  exes turned enemies  /  other 

[onelatenight-longago]

My trans friend said she has no issue with Harry Potter and Hogwarts Legacy. The franchise helped her cope and come to terms with her sexuality. It's still a valid opinion. I'm not going to blame her. Yet here we are, people online telling her she's no ally and still antisemitic and she doesn't speak for all trans. Ok that might be true but same goes for who speaks against the game. Why does my friend's opinion not matter? The moment you scream over those you claim to defend then you're being a performative activist asshole. Period

Agreed. I understand that some Trans and Jewish peoples might be offended, but not all are. No one on either side should have to face backlash from so-called "activists" because of their opinions.

And absolutely no one under any circumstance should be told they don't belong to their own community. It's outrageous and dangerous. Too many people who already feel scared to be a part of their community are seeing this discourse and shrinking away even more.

If these activists truly cared, they would spend just as much time and energy on donating their money or time to charities and community based causes that make a difference.

They would instead attend local community meetings to position for LGBTQ+ rights, they would volunteer time and energy to politicians who are vocal about change and want to help further laws and regulations for the protection of the LGBTQ+ community, they help lobby to abolish harmful laws, actively participate in petition signings and circulations, etc etc etc.

There are so many ways to help, so many causes and charities to become involved in not only locally but nationally.

Instead, these "social activists" spend their time on Tumblr fighting anyone who dares to have a different opinion. Even if that some one belongs to either of the communities they're claiming to be protecting.

Everybody is so busy infighting and pointing fingers that nothing is actually being accomplished.

It's sad and pathetic.

[stjohncapistrano67]

The Evangelical Virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

[wind-sage-serin]

“United in Purpose”

(feat. Dhelé Pikkura, my Minish Alphabet)

Though technically an abugadi language, Dhelé functions as a divine language as well, especially when vowels are removed. This essentially gives the language the quality of a whisper and makes the writing mysterious.

With this in mind, I drew an emblem of the Champions, the Princess, and her Knight, as well as the Creation Trio and Her Grace. Below I’ll walk through each related Divine Beast, Blessed Chosen, and Goddess.

The Bow of Light: The Sacred Heiress.

Located over the Triforce symbol and representative of the Heiress to the Blood of Her Grace, the Bow of Light has been the emblem of the Princess since ancient days. Though often given as a gift from the Princess to her appointed Knight, she herself has also been known to wield it.

MDX: Medoh and Its Pilot.

Named after the Sage Medli, Child of the Rito, Medoh and Its Pilot are bound together by the aspect of loyalty. Loyalty is often earned rather than freely given, and likewise, the element Medoh exudes requires sincere dedication. Its Champions have that desire to embody steadfastness. Those who seek favor of Its Champion should reflect on what they are willing to fight for, and reflect on the virtues of sincere resolve and loyalty to their fellow man.

FRR: Goddess Farore, Seeder of Life and Lady of Secrets.

Lady Farore is She Who Bears Fruit. As She seeded the world with every breath of life, down to every blade of grass, She is the embodiment of the Mystery of Life itself and acts as the Mother of Courage. Like Her Sisters, She is a demiurge that represents Secrets. Those who seek to understand Farore should sell understanding of living beings and how their inherent Life Force (unconsciously) drives them to the Courage needed to survive and thrive.

The Champions of Medoh and Rudania are tied together in Her Spirit, as they their warrior hearts are twined with bravery without reward, courage for courage’s sake. They embody the Knight.

RDNX: Rudania and Its Pilot.

Named after the Goron Sage Darunia, Rudania and Its Pilot represent safety and sanctuary. Certainly an odd choice for a warrior spirit, but bear in mind the sacred gift of protection that the Divine Beast’s Pilot holds. The element of Rudania, fire, can remain completely safe if one is respectful of its limits and maintains an understanding of it. It can also be sniffed if we overexert or care of it.

Likewise, safety can be helpful and harmful— we often coddle and protect to the detriment of our loved and precious ones, but we keep them safe for good reason. The desire for balance is key.

Thus, to best understand Rudania and Its Pilot, and to sell favor of Its Champion, one should reflect on what they are willing to protect at all costs, and should focus on the virtues of healthy sanctuary and overall temperance of spirit.

(I accidentally marked this as “DRNX” as in Darunia. Apologies to the Spirits and to those copying the magic lettering— I will get a correction out soon.)

DN: Goddess Din, Shaper of the Earthly Plane and Lady of Seasons.

Lady Din is She Who Cradles. Her part in Creation, shaping the world with Her strong arms, is a testament to her element of Power. Her nickname as stated above is due to Her shaped object, the world, carrying all who tread upon it. Her Sacred Gift of the World is strong enough to hold us all. Like Farore and Nayru, Din also represents the turning of the seasons- as the Earth gives sustenance to the Life Force of all, it gives back to the Earth. Thus, those who wish to understand Her aspect should reflect upon the place we call home, and its many peaks and troughs that reflect our daily lives.

The Champions of Rudania and Naboris are tied together by Din’s cradling Spirit. Not only do they demonstrate raw power, but they demonstrate the responsible use of that power to serve their close bonds. They embody familial ties and therefore represent a divine Parent figure.

NBRS: Naboris and Its Pilot

Divine Beast Vah Naboris is named after the ancient Gerudo Sage Nabooru, who was a dissenter against the crimes of her own king. Naboris and Its Pilot therefore embody unyielding Justice in the face of wrongdoing. When wielded properly, the lightning strike of justice is delivered swiftly, succinctly, and with little error. Lightning is a difficult element to master, however, and for that reason Naboris and Its Pilot are bound by a knowledge and understanding of what is just.

Those who seek favor and guidance from Naboris and Its Champion should focus on what they believe to be right or wrong and be willing to confront the ugly truths of what effects those beliefs have on others. Naboris demands a respect for justice beyond the scope of oneself, thus one should be considerate of others and be willing to fight for just happiness that is independent of your own.

NR: Goddess Nayru, Giver of Natural Law and Lady of Ages

Lady Nayru is best described as She Who Guides. Her role in Creation was that of giving the world the Laws that govern it— the physics, the logic, and the natural progression of cause and effect. Her nickname speaks to Her aspect of Wisdom. Like an instructor, or a nurturing mother, Her laws guide the world through time and towards the guiding Light.

The Champions of Naboris and Rudania share in Lady Nayru’s aspect of Guidance and Wisdom. They demonstrate the wisdom and patience for certain, but they also use that wisdom to lead others to find answers to their troubles. They embody the role of a wizened person, and thus embody the Sage.

RT: Ruta and Its Champion

Divine Beast Vah Ruta is named after Sage Ruto, Princess of the Zora People. It is an imposing but gentle creature. Likewise, Its champion is strong but gentle. Sage Ruto was in many ways more keen to follow her heart rather than be bound by the rules of her people, and her descendant took a similar route to do the same.

Ruta and Its Champion are bound together by compassion and desire to see progress. To fully understand and seek favor, one must be willing to put forward an effort to show compassion for compassion’s sake, good for no reason other than it is right. Furthermore, this kindness mustn’t be for selfish gain. Most of all, to seek out Its Champion’s blessing requires an assessment of what in means to love others in one’s eyes, and whether you’ve imposed reasonable limits on that or not.

HLX: Goddess Hylia, Guardian of the Sacred Relic and Lady of Time

Lady Hylia is She Who Persists, the guardian of the Triforce and the protector of those She calls Her creatures. Her aspect of time captures all who exist, and Her Life Force is emboldened by the virtue of gratitude. Those who seek Her sacred gifts must learn the roots of greed, hatred, and ignorance, and combat them with the antidotes of gratitude, kindness, and desire for understanding. Of all the Goddesses, Her Grace is the most present as much as time is binding.

To seek Her Grace is to seek nothing more of kindness than the knowledge of good. Not recognition, not fame, not wonder— simply that feeling in your fingers and toes that you did good. Those who are bound to her sphere— the Heiress, Divine Beast Loare and Its Pilot (the Hero), and (in the Calamity Era) Ruta and Its Champion— are tied together in the power of love.

As an archetype, she represents the Divine Maiden.

LXR: Laore, Horselike Divine Beast, and Its Rider, the Hero.

Laore is the name I’ve given to the unnamed and unofficial fifth Divine Beast, and is a name taken from the Hylian Sage Raoru. The horse is a beast of burden, and like the Divine Beast itself, the Hero represents the carriage of the burden of beating back evil. This responsibility, the result of a long understood cycle, requires endurance.

Those who seek this blessing should reflect on what responsibilities are theirs to handle, and conversely, what is beyond their control. They must reconcile what is within their limits to change, and they should temper their spirit with perseverance.

—————

The Virtues to reflect on, in order of this list:

[The Champions and Their Beasts]

—Effort, what you’re willing to give.

—Loyalty, What you’re willing to fight for.

—Temperence, What you’re willing to protect.

—Justice, What you’re willing to uphold.

—Compassion, What you’re willing to forgive.

—Perseverance, What you’re willing to endure.

[The Goddesses]

—Power and the Responsible Application of It

—Wisdom and the Desire to Guide and Share It with Others

—Courage, and the Extent of Sacrifice It Requires

—Gratitude, and the Time and Energy that Kindness Needs to Blossom into It

—————

Still in development. The devotionals are one of the things I meditate on and I use the lettering in charms and wards. Usually this is to petition help, but can be used for calling those entities to your altar for the sharing of offerings.

These are usually written diagonally from left to right, with the connection to the next letter being from the right long side of the last letter. I lettered it out normally as well for the sake of seeing all the components. In this image, Rudania is fixed.

[the-lantern-of-the-lamb]

https://biblehub.com/bsb/1_peter/2.htm

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[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

by Kurt Selles | It can be helpful to think of virtues and vices from a growth mindset. Virtues help us grow into our God-given destiny to become our true selves, receiving life to the full as God intends for us (John 10:10). Vices work against that destiny, sometimes just distracting or disrupting our lives but more often harming our ability to live well...