#Spanish enlightenment

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Granite outcropping in Los Cumbres Españolos (the Spanish Peaks Wilderness), Las Animas Co, Colorado. Photo: George A Garcia (Aug 28, 2023) :: [Robert Scott Horton]

* * * *

Parsifal, Turning Difficulties into Healing, by Jack Kornfield.

"In the Arthurian legends, the young knight Parsifal joins the Knights of the Round Table to seek the Holy Grail. His mentor, Gournamond, tells him that to remain honorable, he must follow two rules: First, he should neither seduce nor be seduced. And second, if he reaches the Castle of the Holy Grail, he must ask, “Whom does the Grail serve?” As he travels, he sees all around him signs of suffering and disarray. But when Parsifal finally makes his way to the Grail Castle, he is utterly intoxicated by the court. He meets the wounded Fisher King and is offered a magical banquet that includes everything he could desire. He forgets his purpose and does not ask the essential question. The next morning the whole castle and kingdom disappear and Parsifal must wander and suffer for many years until by hard-won maturity he returns a second time. This time he remembers, “Whom does the Grail serve?” he asks. The Fisher King answers, “The Holy Grail serves the Grail King.” (The Grail King is God.) As soon as the Fisher King is reminded of this holy truth, he is healed, and in being healed, all that has rotted in the fields, all disharmony in his nation, all the sufferings of the kingdom are restored to peace and well-being.

The resolution of the journey to enlightenment comes when we recognize that both our suffering and our awakening are in the service of a higher good. Unless we serve the Divine, our unfulfilled needs can become entangled with out quest, and our spiritual experiences can work only to create a more expanded form of ego. A teacher who is overidentified with spiritual energy may subtly believe that, as the one who carries the teachings, it is he or she who must be served. We should be wary when there is a court around a teacher that focuses more on the person than on the wisdom of the lineage. When the Fisher King forgets whom he serves, the bounty of the kingdom fails, and all suffer from the king’s spiritual sickness."

~ Jack Kornfield [thanks Ian Sanders]

#George A. Garcia #Robert Scott Horton #The Spanish Peaks Wilderness #Colorado #Jack Kornfield #Ian Sanders #Holy Grail #Grail legend #the Grail King #the journey to enlightenment

[little-desi-historian]

Artifacts of the Spanish in the Dominican Republic (16th century through 18th century). 🇩🇴

#meerathehistorian #history #16th century #18th century #santo domingo #18th century history #16th century history #dominican republic #caribbean #my photos #photography #mine #european history #spanish history #spanish colonial #indigenous history #black history #age of exploration #age of sail #age of enlightenment #slavery cw #violence cw

[drondskaath]

Frozen Dawn | The Decline of the Enlightened Gods | 2023

Spanish Melodic Black Metal

Artwork by Mariusz Lewandowski

https://frozendawnbm.bandcamp.com/album/the-decline-of-the-enlightened-gods-black-metal

#Frozen Dawn #The Decline of the Enlightened Gods #Spain #Spanish Black Metal #Black Metal #Melodic Black Metal #music #band #art #artwork #artist #Mariusz Lewandowski #Transcending Obscurity Records #TOR #Paige

[thegrowthtimes]

History Does Not Repeat, It Rhymes

Join the conversation and share how history has inspired you and which historical lessons you find most relevant today.

History Does Not Repeat, It Rhymes.. “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.” Edmund Burke Echoes Through Time: Navigating Modern Challenges with Historical Wisdom In the vast landscape of human history, each chapter offers timeless lessons on overcoming adversity, sparking innovation, and fostering resilience. This exploration delves into how historical events, from pandemics…

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#adaptability #Cold War #crisis transformation #enlightenment #historical wisdom #modern challenges #navigating challenges #opportunities for growth #personal growth #rapidly changing world #resilience #Spanish Flu

[theguiltinessisyours]

okay. So. For learning Spanish, I'm listening to a podcast called EasySpanish (which is amazing if you have a basic grasp of the language, a decent vocabulary and can follow a slow(er) conversation). In that podcast, they simply discuss the topic of the day, nothing too complicated or niche so it's often relatable. One of the speakers is from Spain, the other is from Mexico so it's also very interesting to learn about cultural differences. But it always gets to me that no matter how different some things in a country so far away from me are, we still have so much in common. One episode was about table games and somehow it struck me that we all, worldwide just love to come together and play table games. I was smiling so hard when the speaker was describing a game that I vaguely remember from my childhood, knowing that it's still played on the other side of the world. That everyone is playing Mensch-Ärgere-dich-nicht (I don't know how it's called in English and I'm too lazy to look it up rn but it's the one with the cross layout and the houses and you have to get all your pieces in your house), though under different names. Everywhere older people play card games that may not be that popular among younger people anymore. Idk why but it makes me feel extremely whimsical I guess we do be human

#the fact that it's 2am might contribute to this enlightenment #but I love language and I love communication and sometimes I love humanity #langblr #language #language learning #spanish #learning spanish

[coulsonlives]

Huh, TIL.

#am i starting a trash fire with this because i hope not #i stayed away from this whole thing for a while but i decided to actually do my own research because i was tired of not knowing and wow #this was very enlightening and tbh the explanations make total sense to me #so tldr from the looks of it 'latinx' was a term that apparently originated in latin lgbt+ communities #then it slowly entered academia as a purely written reference #but then people (mostly non-spanish speakers) started using the same term as a way to make latino/latina 'gender neutral' #mostly leftist people #but apparently 'latino' is already gender neutral (ig it serves both masculine and gender neutral purposes whereas latina is only feminine) #and 'latine'/'latin' are neutral as well #plus 'latinx' is not an intuitive thing to pronounce or say in spanish so it just doesn't vibe with the spanish language #so now it just comes off as another culture trying to strong-arm a language that doesn't even belong to them into being more gender neutral #but it misses the point by assuming latino/latine/latin isn't already a thing. and it's super offensive on multiple levels. #i gotta lie down because wow! i understand why so many people hate that word now #latino #latinx #latine #xenophobia ment cw #racism ment cw #colonialism ment cw #just in case

[mlmespio]

Still thinking about that New Jersey guy that gave us some cultural background/context in Language class

#He was so cool #but the guy couldn't speak slower to save his life #taking notes was a damn nightmare #his little speeches were so interesting!! learning about the bullshit that's going on in the states from someone that lives there was #really enlightening #but I don't remember half of the things he said #on a semi related note: I really liked how my college gave us English students and exchange students from the states have weekly meetings #Some people come here to study spanish #so they gave us the opportunity to speak with native speakers to learn more about the other's language and culture !! #we had a rule to switch language every 15 mins. It was so fun !!

[sixteenseveredhands]

Emerald Spectacles from India, c. 1620-1660 CE: the lenses of these spectacles were cut from a single 300-carat emerald, and it was believed that they possessed mystical properties

These eyeglasses are also known by the name "Astaneh-e ferdaws," meaning "Gate of Paradise," based on the symbolic associations between the color green and the concept of spiritual salvation/Paradise. That symbolism (which is rooted in Islamic tradition) was especially popular in Mughal-era India, where the spectacles were made.

The lenses were crafted from two thin slices of the same emerald. Together, the lenses have a combined weight of about 27 carats, but given the precision, size, and shape of each lens, experts believe that the original emerald likely weighed in excess of 300 carats (more than sixty grams) before it was cleaved down in order to produce the lenses. The emerald was sourced from a mine in Muzo, Colombia, and it was then transported across the Atlantic by Spanish or Portuguese merchants.

Each lens is encircled by a series of rose-cut diamonds, which run along an ornate frame made of gold and silver. The diamond-studded frame was added in the 1890s, when the original prince-nez design was fitted with more modern frames.

The emerald eyeglasses have long been paired with a second set of spectacles, and they were almost certainly commissioned by the same patron. This second pair is known as "Halqeh-e nur," or the "Halo of Light."

The Halo of Light features lenses that were made from slices of diamond. The diamond lenses were cleaved from a single stone, just like the emerald lenses, with the diamond itself being sourced from a mine in Southern India. It's estimated that the original, uncut diamond would have weighed about 200-300 carats, which would make it one of the largest uncut diamonds ever found.

The lenses are so clear and so smoothly cut that it sometimes looks like they're not even there.

Both sets of spectacles date back to the mid-1600s, and it's generally believed that they were commissioned by a Mughal emperor or prince. The identity of that person is still a bit of a mystery, but it has been widely speculated that the patron was Shah Jahan -- the Mughal ruler who famously commissioned the Taj Mahal after the death of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan did rule as the Mughal emperor from about 1628 to 1658.

The emerald and diamond lenses may have been chosen for symbolic, sentimental, and/or cultural reasons, or they may have been chosen simply because they're pretty and extravagant; the original meaning and purpose behind the design is still unclear. Experts do believe that the eyeglasses were designed to be worn by someone, though.

At times, it was believed that the spectacles had spiritual properties, like the ability to promote healing, to ward off evil, to impart wisdom, and to bring the wearer closer to enlightenment. Those beliefs are largely based on the spiritual significance that emeralds and diamonds can have within certain Indic and Islamic traditions -- emeralds may be viewed as an emblem of Paradise, salvation, healing, cleansing, and eternal life, while diamonds are similarly associated with enlightenment, wisdom, celestial light, and mysticism.

The Gate of Paradise and the Halo of Light were both kept in the collections of a wealthy Indian family until 1980, when they were sold to private collectors, and they were then put up for auction once again in 2021. They were most recently valued at about $2 million to $3.4 million per pair.

Sources & More Info:

Sotheby's: Mughal Spectacles

Architectural Digest of India: At Sotheby's auction, Mughal-era eyeglasses made of diamond and emerald create a stir

Only Natural Diamonds: Auspicious Sight & the Halqeh-e Nur Spectacles

The Royal Society Publishing: Cleaving the Halqeh-Ye Nur Diamonds

Gemological Institution of America: Two Antique Mughal Spectacles with Gemstone Lenses

Manuscript: From Satan's Crown to the Holy Grail: emeralds in myth, magic, and history

CNN: The $3.5 million Spectacles Said to Ward off Evil

BBC: Rare Mughal Era Spectacles to be Auctioned by Sotheby's

#history #archaeology #artifact #mughal #india #17th century #art #emerald #diamond #glasses #indian lore #islam #religion #mysticism #indian history #anthropology #spirituality #fashion

[l1tw1ck]

finding out miguel's secret~

sub!bottom!ftm miguel x dom!top!spider!amab reader

cw: afab language, masturbating, daddy kink, voyeurism

You quietly enter Miguel's office after knocking a few times with no answer. The door was cracked open so you thought it'd be okay to enter without permission. That, or he's in some sort of trouble. You hop onto the ceiling and quietly crawl around the office, looking for him and any possible assailants. As you're searching, you can hear faint noises coming from Miguel's private break room. He doesn't take breaks with the rest of the spiders, who could blame him though. You crawl down the wall and press your ear against the door.

"Uh~" A moan. "It's all in, Daddy~"

Your cheeks rise in temperature. What's going on in there?

"Please– please call me a good boy..."

"Good boy."

Another moan.

That sounds an awful lot like your voice.

You slowly open the door and peak through the crack. It's Miguel sitting on a bed. He's naked and has a dildo inside him. And then...there's....a hologram? A hologram of you? It's watching him masturbate. You feel bad that he has to do this in front of a soulless digital copy of you.

You open the door all the way, startling Miguel. He looks at you in fear.

"I- I can explain-" He quickly covers himself with his hands.

"Please, enlighten me." You smirk, closing the door behind you. You walk over to him and move his hands away. You grab the base of the dildo and slowly thrust it in and out of him.

"I um- I gave Lyla a....a new skin...to mimic you-" He bites his lip, feeling even more pleasure just from having you in his presence.

"You're that shy? Couldn't even ask me out first?" You chuckle. "You don't deserve to be called a good boy."

Miguel blushes in embarrassment and arousal.

"But you know what you can do to earn it?"

Miguel shakes his head.

"Use your words, darling."

"What?" His voice is trembling. You didn't think you'd ever hear him sound like this.

"Show Daddy how you use your little toy." You let go of the dildo and step back.

Miguel bites down on his lip and slowly fucks himself with the toy, staring at you in the eyes as he does so. He's had lots of practice with Lyla. Speaking of which, she's already left the room. But the real thing is much different. The look in your eye is real, and it's hungry. His eyes trail down to your crotch. He wonders if you've masturbated to him too. His mind starts to wander as he starts to imagine that. Would you use toys too? Do you have a fleshlight that you imagine is him? He twitches at the thought of you roughly rutting into a pocket pussy while thinking of him. He hopes he'll be replacing it.

You decide to give him what he so clearly wants to see. You pull down your pants and then your boxers. Miguel immediately snaps out of it when he sees your cock. He swears in Spanish, you're bigger than he anticipated. He stares at it as you slowly stroke it, precum dribbling out of your slit. He speeds up the pace, roughly fucking himself with his dildo. He wishes he could suck you off.

"You're drooling, Miguel." You chuckle. "You want this?"

He nods rapidly. "I want it, Daddy– I want it in my mouth and- and in my pussy~" He's breathing heavily. "Please- please-" He gasps, squirting.

"Good boy."

#wicks🕯️shorts #top male reader #male reader #bottom miguel o'hara #miguel o'hara x male reader #miguel smut #miguel o'hara smut #sub miguel o'hara #🕯️miguel o'hara #🕯️spider man

[celluloidbroomcloset]

"The atmosphere on this ship is fucked. Everyone knows why."

"I don't. Enlighten me."

"Your feelings for Stede—"

This scene has been picked over a lot, but this is the first time I noted the speed with which it happens, including how clearly Ed himself knows what Izzy will say, and has from the moment he walks on deck. It's the culmination of an emotional violence that has been there since the start of Season 1 and that focuses on how and where Ed is allowed to express his feelings.

It's Ed who decides to make the discussion public, and Ed who challenges Izzy to say, out loud, in front of the crew, exactly why Izzy thinks the atmosphere is fucked.

Ed's acting unhinged a moment before, but as soon as Izzy speaks, he's very present—because he's been pushing for this to happen. The tone of voice he uses when he says, "Enlighten me," is similar to the sarcasm in his voice back in "Discomfort," when he says, "Sounds stressful, Izzy." He's not daring Izzy to say it's about his feelings; he's waiting for him to.

Izzy barely even gets Stede's name out before Ed is nodding and pulling the trigger. It's not at all what Izzy later says—"He took my leg because I dared to mention your fucking name." The exact words are "your feelings for Stede."

In Season 1, Izzy has insisted that his words to Ed about Stede be spoken in private. He never discusses it with anyone in the crew. The only time other people are present for those discussions is when Izzy insists that Ed send Stede to "doggy heaven," and then Fang has an emotional breakdown (and for a good bit of Season 1, Izzy treats Ivan and Fang as an extension of himself). The crew know that Ed is in love with Stede, but Izzy does not speak about that in front of them. Izzy's verbal violence about Stede, and his attacks on Ed about Ed's feelings for Stede, are always out of sight and hearing of the crew.

But he does speak to Stede's enemies about it, and Ed knows it. Izzy has told Calico Jack that Ed is "shacking up" with Stede. Spanish Jackie also knows, and so do the English, because that's how and why Izzy sold Stede out. Ed is aware, from the moment that Jack uses the term "shacking up," that Izzy has been speaking publicly about Ed's relationship with Stede.

Ed himself does not talk about his romantic or sexual relationships. Other people do—Calico Jack, Anne and Mary, Izzy—but Ed is not public with that information, even saying that “our private lives are our private lives” (echoing Stede’s statement to Jack: “Ed’s past is Ed’s business and I respect that.”). The times when Ed makes his feelings toward Stede known, even implicitly, are private—the “fine things” scene, the kiss on the beach, even the stabbing scene, all are between Ed and Stede. No one else is meant to witness those. After Stede has left him, Ed’s grief and the reasons behind it are clear, but he still conceals it with a song “about someone else.”

Ed keeps his softer emotions hidden and private, or tries to, because he’s been conditioned to believe that they’re dangerous to have. And they are—Jack makes them the subject of derision, and Ed is explicitly threatened when he makes his love for Stede too publicly visible. Izzy invades his private spaces (his cabin, his personal space) to berate and expose his emotions, mockingly calling Stede Ed’s boyfriend. The discussion of emotions that Ed tries to keep private are always initiated by Izzy, and the discussions are always violent and derisive.

The crew themselves do not know what has led to Ed shooting Izzy. They haven’t seen the escalation of violence and violation, going from emotional violence to physical—and the initial toe-cutting scene is very much Ed invading Izzy’s safe space to enact violence on him, just as Izzy did to him. They haven’t been witness to the threats and the danger that Ed has increasingly experienced and that in part led him to putting on Kraken in the first place.

The shift that happens in “Impossible Birds” is Izzy once again invading Ed’s space, where he’s caressing and then concealing the groom figurine, to prompt the discussion of emotions. What Izzy thinks is a result of him speaking Stede's name and ethos is actually a result of him invoking, again, Ed's emotions about Stede as a way of manipulating him. But this time, Ed is going to make him do it in front of the crew.

It is, in a sense, an expansion of "the love that dare not speak its name.” If “everyone knows why,” then Izzy is going to have to say it. So the moment on deck is Ed forcing Izzy to publicly expose the things that have been concealed: Ed's private emotions that Izzy has broadcast to his enemies but never to his friends, and the violence that has been attached to those emotions. They're going to "talk it through," but Izzy has made talking it through violent and unsafe. Now what had been private violence is going to be public.

#ofmd #our flag means death #ofmd meta #edward teach #izzy hands #stede bonnet #gif #ofmd season 2 #tw: abuse #i keep thinking i'm done with this dynamic and then something else comes up #the violation BUILDS over two seasons #but to the crew it appears almost random #long post #i'm also really happy for any discussions or disagreements #as long as they're polite

[leroibobo]

some notes on specifically "middle eastern" (mashriqi + iran, caucuses, and turkey) jewish communities/history:

something to keep in mind: judaism isn't "universalist" like christianity or islam - it's easier to marry into it than to convert on your own. conversions historically happened, but not in the same way they did for european and caucasian christians/non-arab muslims.

that being said, a majority of middle eastern jews descend from jewish population who remained in palestine or immigrated/were forced (as is the case with "kurdish" jews) from palestine to other areas and mixed with locals/others who came later (which at some point stopped). pretty much everywhere in the middle east and north africa (me/na) has/had a jewish population like this.

with european jews (as in all of them), the "mixing" was almost entirely during roman times with romans/greeks, and much less later if they left modern-day greece/italy.

(none of this means jewish people are or aren't "indigenous" to palestine, because that's not what that word means.)

like with every other jewish diaspora, middle eastern jewish cultures were heavily influenced by wherever they ended up. on a surface level you can see this in things like food and music.

after the expulsion of jews from spain and portugal, sephardim moved to several places around the world; many across me/na, mostly to the latter. most of the ones who ended up in the former went to present-day egypt, palestine, lebanon, syria, and turkey. a minority ended up in iraq (such as the sassoons' ancestors). like with all formerly-ottoman territories, there was some degree of back and forth between countries and continents.

some sephardim intermarried with local communities, some didn't. some still spoke ladino, some didn't. there was sometimes a wealth gap between musta'arabim and sephardim, and/or they mostly didn't even live in the same places, like in palestine and tunisia. it really depends on the area you're looking at.

regardless, almost all the jewish populations in the area went through "sephardic blending" - a blending of local and sephardic customs - to varying degrees. it's sort of like the cultural blending that came with spanish/portugese colonization in central and south america (except without the colonization).

how they were treated also really depends where/when you're looking. some were consistently dealt a raw hand (like "kurdish" and yemenite jews) while some managed to do fairly well, all things considered (like baghdadi and georgian jews). most where somewhere in between. the big difference between me/na + some balkan and non-byzantine european treatment of jews is due to geography - attitudes in law regarding jews in those areas tended to fall into different patterns.

long story short: most european governments didn't consider anyone who wasn't "christian" a citizen (sometimes even if they'd converted, like roma; it was a cultural/ethnic thing as well), and persecuted them accordingly; justifying this using "race science" when religion became less important there after the enlightenment.

most me/na and the byzantine governments considered jews (and later, christians) citizens, but allowed them certain legal/social opportunities while limiting/banning/imposing others. the extent of both depend on where/when you're looking but it was never universally "equal".

in specifically turkey, egypt, palestine, and the caucuses, there were also ashkenazi communities, who came mainly because living as a jew in non-ottoman europe at the time sucked more than in those places. ottoman territories in the balkans were also a common destination for this sort of migration.

in the case of palestine, there were often religious motivations to go as well, as there were for some other jews who immigrated. several hasidic dynasites more or less came in their entirety, such as the lithuanian/polish/hungarian ones which precede today's neutrei karta.

ashkenazi migration didn't really happen until jewish emancipation in europe for obvious reasons. it also predates zionism - an initially secular movement based on contemporaneous european nationalist ideologies - by some centuries.

most ashkenazi jews today reside in the us, while most sephardic or "mizrahi" jews are in occupied palestine. there, the latter outnumber the former. you're more likely to find certain groups (like "kurds" and yemenites) in occupied palestine than others (like persians and algerians) - usually ones without a western power that backed them from reactionary antisemitic persecution and/or who came from poorer communities. (and no, this doesn't "justify" the occupation).

(not to say there were none who immigrated willingly/"wanted" to go, or that none/all are zionist/anti-zionist. (ben-gvir is of "kuridsh" descent, for example.) i'm not here to parse motivations.)

this, along with a history of racism/chauvinism from the largely-ashkenazi "left", are why many mizrahim vote farther "right".

(in some places, significant numbers of the jewish community stayed, like turkey, tunisia, and iran. in some others, there's evidence of double/single-digit and sometimes crypto-jewish communities.)

worldwide, the former outnumber the latter. this is thought to be because of either a medieval ashkenazi population boom due to decreased population density (not talking about the "khazar theory", which has been proven to be bullshit, btw) or a later, general european one in the 18th/19th centuries due to increased quality of life.

the term "mizrahi" ("oriental", though it doesn't have the same connotation as in english) in its current form comes from the zionist movement in the 1940s/50s to describe me/na jewish settlers/refugees.

(i personally don't find it useful outside of israeli jewish socio-politics and use it on my blog only because it's a term everyone's familiar with.)

about specifically palestinian jews:

the israeli term for palestinian jews is "old yishuv". yishuv means settlement. this is in contrast to the "new yishuv", or settlers from the initial zionist settlement period in 1881-1948. these terms are usually used in the sense of describing historical groups of people (similar to how you would describe "south yemenis" or "czechoslovaks").

palestinian jews were absorbed into the israeli jewish population and have "settler privilege" on account of their being jewish. descendants make up something like 8% of the israeli jewish population and a handful (including, bafflingly, netanyahu and smoltrich) are in the current government.

they usually got to keep their property unless it was in an "arab area". there's none living in gaza/the west bank right now unless they're settlers.

their individual views on zionism vary as much as any general population's views vary on anything.

(my "palestinian jews" series isn't intended to posit that they all think the same way i do, but to show a side of history not many people know about. any "bias" only comes from the fact that i have a "bias" too. this is a tumblr blog, not an encyclopedia.)

during the initial zionist settlement period, there were palestinian/"old yishuv" jews who were both for zionism and against it. the former have been a part of the occupation and its government for pretty much its entire history.

some immigrated abroad before 1948 and may refer to themselves as "syrian jews". ("syria" was the name given to syria/lebanon/palestine/some parts of iraq during ottoman times. many lebanese and palestinian christians emigrated at around the same time and may refer to themselves as "syrian" for this reason too.)

ones who stayed or immigrated after for whatever reason mostly refer to themselves as "israeli".

in israeli jewish society, "palestinian" usually implies muslims and christians who are considered "arab" under israeli law. you may get differing degrees of revulsion/understanding of what exactly "palestine"/"palestinians" means but the apartheid means that palestinian =/= jewish.

because of this, usage of "palestinian" as a self-descriptor varies. your likelihood of finding someone descendent from/with ancestry from the "old yishuv" calling themselves a "palestinian jew" in the same way an israeli jew with ancestry in morocco would call themselves a "moroccan jew" is low.

(i use it on here because i'm assuming everyone knows what i mean.)

samaritans aren't 'jewish', they're their own thing, though they count as jewish under israeli law.

#jewish #mizrahi #palestinian jews #info #my posts #repost with more info #sorry if this isn't the best time to post it (?) then again this is my blog and i'm not indebted to anyone so (shrugs) #i've been seeing a lot of misinfo too so

[cuddlytogas]

maybe it's just the Radical Rediker talking, but there's something pointed in the way that, say, popular pirate media like Pirates of the Caribbean dilutes the pirate's freedom to "bring me that horizon" as opposed to, say, "plenty and satiety, pleasure and ease, liberty and power" (Bartholomew Roberts).

broadly speaking, most pirates chose the life in order to escape and revenge the hard labour, corporal punishment, overworking, and unequal pay of merchant/navy/privateer ships; or the privations of their sudden unemployment once a war was over, ignored as soon as their ability to die for the state was unneeded. yes, many were thugs, but, consciously political or not, they were responding to a particular, material reality.

the pirate's desired freedom was from the effects of exploitative modes of statehood and capital production. but popular media usually shifts this into a general desire for freedom: freedom to roam, freedom to love (usually merely a cross-class white, heterosexual union), or freedom from the personal pressures of social norms. it's a vague, ahistorical, post-Enlightenment, libertarian ideal rather than a response to a real social and economic situation.

to be clear, this only really applies to specifically the late golden age of piracy, in the first quarter of the 18th century. earlier generations of pirates/buccaneers often displayed nationalist/religious motives, and were lauded, tolerated, or even encouraged by the French and English states for aiding their fights against the Spanish and Portuguese. only the last gasp of age of sail pirates had a truly anti-national energy, and both figured themselves, and were figured by the imperial powers, as the enemies of all nations.

but if we are to valourise the late golden age pirate, at his best, his ideals were for true democracy, and the abolition of nation, hierarchy, and labour exploitation; not "the horizon". he was striking out in response to specific political, social, and economic oppressions, rather than a general individual restlessness, and that reality - and its similarities to our own - are important.

I dunno, I just... have a lot of thoughts about the defanging of piracy in modern media. obviously there were a lot of things bad about them, too, and the level of egalitarianism varied between individual people and ships. but again, if we're going to be valourising them anyway... there were idealists. and they weren't subtle about they wanted.

"I shan't own myself guilty of any murder", said William Fly in 1726. "Our captain and his mate used us barbarously. We poor men can't have justice done us. There is nothing said to our commanders, let them never so much abuse us, and use us like dogs. But the poor sailors --"

#pirates #history #pirate history #Togas does meta #Rediker is Marcus Rediker and I've only just started finally reading some of his work properly but god it's good #also if you've watched Black Sails I'd love to know how much of this energy is in there #it's a bit too ~gritty for my tastes but I get the impression it's also a bit vague about freedom over material historical politics #but i could be wrong! #obviously PotC has an ingrained anti-EIC vibe but even then it's more about ''they're enclosing the sea against us wild rovers'' than #''company captains beat us half to death just for the wealth we facilitate to be funnelled to the top while us sailors are left to rot'' #and christ knows it's not interested in historical realities XD

[mundivagantsoul]

✩ Bookshopist Moonboys ✩

Part 2: "A, b, c, d-"

Moon Knight System x Reader

Summary: How the boys have been setting in at the shop

Warnings: Google translate Spanish, a bit angsty at the end with Marc’s self-doubt, coarse language, Marvel depiction of DID

Word Count: 1.4K

A/N: Gave the boys particular fonts so the dialogue isn't confusing. Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading :)

Steven

Marc

Jake

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Steven navigates through the labyrinth of bookshelves with a pile of novels in hand. Lightly caressing the spines of various books, his eyes skim over the authors’ last names.

Humming the familiar tune that’s become a staple in their shifts, Steven starts, “A, b, c, d-”

A heavy Chicago accent interrupts his rhythm, “M, z, i…”

Steven sighs, ‘not this again’, he thinks, trying to drown out his headmate he continues, “E, f, g-”

“Q, l, u…” abruptly interrupts his thoughts again.

“H-”

“Y”

“I-”

“T”

“Bollocks, Marc, quit it!”

“Quit what? I’m just reciting the alphabet like you”.

“A-huh, sure you’re being a real help”

“You’re very welcome”

“Look bruv, I need to put these away, and I can’t do it with you distracting me every two seconds”

“Should've thought about that before you ate my food”

“For the last time, I didn’t eat your food!”

“A-huh suree~ First, you stole my wife, and now my food? Your old pals at the British Museum would be proud”.

“Oh for the love of- I’m sorry about Layla!”

“Ahem..”, a frail voice interrupts their dispute, peering down Steven is met with the comforting face of an old woman, “Sorry to bother you luv, can you point me in the direction of the cooking section?”

Cheeks warming up, Steven points towards the aisle, “Just go strain down here and turn right at si-fi, then a left at parenting, and it should be on your left”.

She smiles kindly up at him, “Thanks honey”, then plotters along with a slight wobble in her step.

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It’s been 3 months since they started the job, and Steven’s loving every minute of it. His presence is appreciated, and he’s surrounded by others who share similar interests. Plus, he doesn’t have an aggravating boss breathing down his neck every second, which is a bonus. 

The shop has a decent history and mythology selection. Since the Thor incident in 2011 and the revelation that god exists, people have become more intrigued by mythology. There’s lots of debate amongst mythologists and historians, arguing if the term ‘mythology’ is even correct anymore. Steven remembers reading a post by The Daily Bugle, stating, "Thor is a glorified space alien, and gods don’t walk amongst us." Little did they know.

The aftermath of the past decade and the revelations it brought have given way to more accessibility to novels regarding gods and deities, something that Steven has taken full advantage of.

In his first month of employment, he had managed to procure almost all the Egyptology books in store. Marc and Jake are constantly nagging him about it, stating they don’t have the room nor income to accommodate the influx of novels. Steven’s still trying and failing to convince Marc to turn their storage unit into a personal library, receiving the same answer in return, “We’re not turning the storage unit into your book-hoarding man-cave. We got this job to earn money, not spend it all on your addiction”.

After noticing Steven had managed to clear through all the Egyptology books, you felt the need to enlighten him with some bookshop wisdom. “You know…”, You say whilst ringing up Steven’s latest purchases, “You can order more Egyptology novels from our supplier. We don’t always have enough room to keep them on hand, but I know there’s a few we can get posted in if you're interested?”.

At your words, his eyes light up and you swear stars were floating amongst his coffee eyes, “Really?!”

“Ahí van nuestros ahorros” Jake facepalms.

Surprisingly, Jake has found himself enjoying work at the quaint store. The tasks are relatively simple, mainly involving manual labour, finding books of customers, and putting through sales. At first, he’d been nervous about working at the shop. He was closing in on 40, and the only thing he’d ever served was vengeance and cunt. 

Thankfully, everyone at the store was supportive and non-judgemental. You reminded him one shift, "Believe it or not Lockley, it's okay to be a beginner and make mistakes”. Plus having two supportive brothers and a cat that somehow knows whenever he's feeling down helped. On the topic of cats, Jake was delighted to know that he could bring Viejita into work. “Will be good to get you out of the house” he mumbled to the feline, “Can’t have you growing up socially awkward like your tío Steven”, “HEY!”

Similarly to Jake, Marc was surprised to discover the job wasn’t as tedious as he’d initially predicted. The atmosphere is calm, especially for a retail job, and requires little mental thought. It’s a welcomed change, especially as his employment no longer involves something trying to kill him - though some books in the backroom have had a few good whacks at it. Since they started, Marc's gotten back into reading comics and sci-fi, he’s however, trying to keep it a secret. Khonshu forbid Steven found out he’s hypocritically spending their income on books. 

There’s an unspoken rule amongst employees that if a text perks your interest you’re able to ‘skim a few pages’ to further your knowledge of company merchandise. Obviously, this only applies if you do it without altering physical integrity. All of the boys take advantage of this, finding a quiet corner in the backroom during their break, huddling up with one of the cats whilst eating lunch and immersing themselves in a new story.

Over the last 3 months, all the boys have had some interesting interactions with customers. In the first week, Steven had a lady yell at him about the price of a plastic bag - as if he had any input on the pricing. Marc and Jake were plotting murder for the full duration of the interaction. 

Marc had to awkwardly ask someone for ID because they wanted to buy ‘adult’ manga whilst their mum was present. He then had to explain to the mother why an ID was required. 

And just the other day, Jake had a lady come in asking for a book, only she didn’t know the title, or the author, OR the contents. Only that another bookstore in the area had in four months ago. He spent the rest of his shift questioning humanity's intelligence and pondering how we’ve managed to survive this long.

However, at the end of the day, all the questionable customer interactions are worth it because they get to see you. Your presence is now an anchor in their lives. A lighthouse guiding them out of thunderstorms and eternal seas that threaten to swallow them whole. From your enthusiasm when discussing a book, to the adorable face you make when concentrating. Every second they spend with you they become more infatuated with your being.

“We should ask them out”

“And risk them saying no then having to work with them afterwards? Absolutely not”

“We don’t know that they’ll say no, piensa positivo hermano”

“Okay, I’m positive they’ll say no”

“...That’s a lame comeback and you know it”

“I’m with Jake - not on the comeback comment, but on the fact that we don’t know how they’ll answer”

“It doesn’t need to be a date, solo cafe y pasar el rato”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Marc sighs. Of course he wants to ask you out. Both Steven and Jake know that. He’s just worried you don’t reciprocate their feelings and only see them as friends. Or that he’ll somehow fuck it up for both you and his brothers. Maybe it would be better if he retreated back into the headspace, giving Steven and Jake the freedom to be with you without the burden of his pres-  

Now it's Steven's turn to interrupt Marc. “Oi, we’re not havin’ any of that. We come as a package deal, remember? Burger, chips, drink ‘n’ everything. There’s no us without you, quite literally might I add.”

“Steven tiene razón, te respaldamos. Siempre.”

A small “meow” comes from his feet, looking down he’s met with the adoring eyes of Viejita.

“See even Viejita agree’s”

Mouth twitching up as his heart swells, Marc gives in. 

“Fine... Just coffee”

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Tag list: @0-ramen-0 @sunnyskyapplepie

Leave a comment or send me a message if you want to be added :)

#steven grant #jake lockley #marc spector #steven grant x reader #marc spector x reader #jake lockely x reader #moon knight x reader #moon knight #moonknight

[adhd-languages]

Learning through immersion

(Specifically Spanish, for intermediate-advanced learners. Most of this can be used for any language though)

Consume native content without looking up anything. Just enjoy it. (Something written, or something which has a transcript/subtitles)

Now consume it a second time

Write down any interesting sentences. (Ideally with pen and paper, for it to stick)

Anything that has something that looks like a word you know, but is in a tense you’re not sure, just a new use of a tense, some interesting expression or vocab…

Go onto SpanishDict and type in those interesting conjunctions, figure out what tense they’re in

Learn that new tense! Either through SpanishDict (they have lessons for pretty much everything) or just google lessons online. This can be as in depth as you like, or you can just google a quick explanation

Create new vocab list of new words and quickly run through it

Re-consume native content after going through all your sentences with a new enlightened mind

On this run you can also read aloud (or mirror, if you have audio) the interesting sentences you wrote down. With feeling, please.

Then write something in your own words, using new grammar and vocab you’ve studied. Or speak aloud, and record yourself. You should try to write other sentences using a similar structure as whatever new interesting tense use you’ve found. If it suits you, get a native speaker to check your sentences, using Busuu, or HiNative, or something similar.

This is just one way that I’ve been enjoying recently. To be honest, you can cut out pretty much any of these steps depending on what suits you, how much time you have, etc.

The important thing is that you’re paying close attention to your content, and you absolutely need to write your own sentences afterwards.

Unless you genuinely have no interest in communicating with native speakers — maybe you just want to watch tv or read in your target language and that’s fine — but if you do want to be able to communicate, you’re going to need to practice. You should also be practicing speaking aloud. If you have nobody to talk to, talk to yourself.

This strategy is really useful for when you’ve self-studied the basics of a language and you don’t know what grammar you need to study next. Just let

#i hope this is coherent #btw I skip half these steps all the time #I do think it’s important to stumble through before looking things up tho #but you can do this by just…reading a paragraph in its entirity before googling whatever vocab and grammar #also this process doesn’t need to happen in one sitting #langblr #language #language learning #spanish #spanish langblr #learn spanish #linguistics #language tips #language resources #languages #spanish language #learning languages #language learning tips #how to learn Spanish #quinn posts #100

[thereadingmoon]

Ok as a Filipino I HAVE to give it up to Kuang on this very interesting detail on the Tagalog Grammatica. As far as I know, in my very limited history, Japan, China, and Korea weren’t as influenced by the West prior the 20th Century due to their distrust with Westerners/outsiders to the point their borders had to be forcibly opened by either Western forces or by one another (a gross oversimplification—forgive me or educate me where you can).

However, the Philippines was colonized in the 1500s by the Spanish—the country’s own name is derived from Philip II of Spain—and they didn’t leave until 1898, when they sold us to the US. So Spanish influence is deeply ingrained in our art, music, food, and most evidently, language.

However, unlike English, the Spanish language didn’t exterminate native languages as well as it could’ve. My great-grandparents would’ve spoken Spanish AND Tagalog, and a couple of other native dialects besides. Yes, the Spaniards taught (usually wealthy, usually mixed) Filipinos their language, but Spanish friars utilized our language to their own advantage to better spread the word of God to us “savages”… and also because it was unfeasible to teach so many people who spoke so many languages Spanish. So, they learned one of our most spoken languages to better win us over, to colonize us, to “enlighten” us with their civility.

It would make complete and total devastating sense that these Spanish/European scholars can translate so much of our native canon and oral or written myth and commit it to their own languages. And it makes so much sense Kuang flecks that detail there, in a book that mentions time and time again the silent but sinister undercurrent of imperialism and colonialism in everyday British life in the 19th Century and academia today. I am frothing in the mouth. I am banging my head against the wall. So much history behind one tiny fucking detail.

#rf kuang #r.f. kuang #babel an arcane history #babel rf kuang #is this what white literature/history nerds feel like when reading caucasian-centric academia novels #They feel like they’re part of an in-joke or understanding or niche reference #if so THATS WHAT I FEEL #One other example was about the jane austen thing

[tan1shere]

Okay I am obsessed with film wife! Can you do like a fight imagine? Maybe the reader and Miko get into a huge argument but have to act like everything is okay to everyone else. (With whatever ending you choose) I just wonder how she’d be in an argument.

Make it up to you

Young Miko x Female reader !

A/n: at your service 😌 enjoy everyone !!

Summary: you both work alot, but Miko has been taking some time off, to have a break. Not for the best reasons. So when you ask nicely the morning before the incident, to do some things around your shared apartment and come back to them not been done. All hell breaks loose. But don't worry she will make it up to you ;)

Warnings: angst, smut, so mdni. Fingering (r!receiving) bathtub sex ?? Mentions of drinking, fair warning I do not speak Spanish so there probably won't be anything in here apart from some names 🙃

Masterlist

She's coming through the door. She had been drinking, you could smell the tangy stench from your stance in the living room, of your small apartment you and Miko shared.

Later that morning

"Hey, do you think you can do a few things for me while I'm at work?" You ask the silvery blonde sitting on the couch, watching TV. She hums. "Miko?" As you say that she looks at you. But briefly. "Yeah yeah sure, whatever you need baby." You put your shoes on. "Just the dishes and the laundry thats piling up in the wash house." You grab your keys, but not before giving her a kiss goodbye. "Please do those things I asked." You smile at her sweetly, she nods in return.

"This is the 4th night in a row you've been out." You speak dryly. You dunno what's gotten into her but she's spiraling. "So what." She shrugs, closing the door and beginning to take off her shoes. "María." Oh she's fucked. "What the hell is up with you, do enlighten me because I'm getting sick of this behavior." She scoffs. "What are you my mother." You furrow your brows at that statement. "I'm swamped with so much shit at work the least you could do is tidy up a bit around here. In our home." She doesn't say anything. You go closer to her. "Baby just tell me what's bothering y-" She looks at you with anger. "You wanna know why I've been out drinking huh? Why I'm taking a break from work. I have absolutely no motivation and all I feel like doing is nothing." She spat, stomping closer to you. You back up a bit confused by this sudden behavior. "And I don't need you nagging me to do stuff all the god damn fucking time." You stare at her. "There's no. Need to take it out on me." She rolls her eyes. "That's the thing. I want to take it out on you. You're infuriating."

Shock. Disbelief. Did she really just say that. Your face softens, you slowly look down. "Maybe you should be the one made to do the dishes." She pokes your shoulder making you move it slightly, grabbing onto it. Feeling tears prick at the corners of your eyes. You wanted to say something, but you just couldn't. So instead you go into your guys room, letting them slowly fall as you grab her pillow and chuck it at her. "You're a fucking asshole." You look at her with the tears streaming down. She's fucked up big time. And she realizes in that moment. "Bab-" But you don't hear it as you slam the door in her face. Curling up on the bed. All you wanted was something nice to come home to. Come home to your loving girlfriend to have some time with her, coming back to a nice clean apartment. After an awful day at your boring job.

But there was none of that. None of her at all. You came home to a mess, making your stress levels increase, making you stress more to find she wasn't even home to greet you. She was out drinking like some old man, who was wishing his life away. That's not Miko. At all. You didn't want to think any longer, bringing the sheets over your body. Crying yourself to sleep.

You woke up early the next morning like you usually did. Getting ready to enter hell, putting on a smile. Miko was never awake at this time so you prayed you didn't have to conversate with her until atleast later on in the evening. You leave your guys shared room to see her on the couch, dead asleep. You let out a tiny breath of relief. Heading out the door quietly to go to work.

You try to get the right key about to open the door. You had come home later and let's just say you were very tired. You were fully expecting Miko to be gone. Again. But confusion washed over you when you smelt food? You open the door more to see the table set with a full meal. You look around. Dishes, clean. "Miko?" You call out, as you set your stuff down. You look into your apartment further hearing a tap going, you head for the bathroom seeing her kneeling at the bath putting some bubbles in there and fixing up a few last things. You melt at the fact she's done all this.

She notices your presence. Quickly standing. "I uhm. I apologize for last night, and- the many nights before." She sighs but continues. "It was wrong of me to say what I said it truly was. You work so hard, I never really realized nor appreciated it. You're amazing and to have to deal with my ass like you do is amazing. Again, I'm so deeply sorry." You smile at her, immediately going to kiss her with so much passion. "Thank you for all of this. But I just want to say. You can come to me my love. If you're going through something I'm here, always will be. You don't needa go off drinking like some middle-aged man. You have me." You say with so much adoration. She smiles at you and nods. "I love you."

"I love you." After a moment she gestures for you to follow her. "I cooked." Your smile widens. You love when she cooks for you, she makes the best food. "It smells amazing baby." That made her truly happy inside. "I'm so glad you like it." She kisses your cheek and joins you at the table.

As you finish you lean back into your chair. "Ah ah- I already planned your bath, then you can have some well needed rest. I might of gotten you the day off.. For 3 days." You look at her, even more confused then you were, when you came in. "How- what- huh?" She nods, going to stand. "I did some persuading." She winks at you, earning a light chuckle from your lips. "I missed this. Us having our meals. You." She rubs your arm. "I won't let what happened last night happen ever again. It was wrong and hurtful, again I'm so sorry mama." You just hug her, feeling so grateful for what you had with her.

"Right bath time. Go get ready- we'll un ready rather. But go do that and I'll get you the last things you'll need." You get on your tiptoes to kiss her, scurrying off to the bathroom, the smell was beautiful and calm in there, the lights were a lil dim only source of light was from the small candles littered around. You undress, hoping in and letting out a content sigh, closing your eyes as you let the warmth go over your body. Miko comes in with a fresh towel and your night clothes. Setting them on the counter. She gives you a smile before leaving. "Wait-" You make her stop in her tracks. Turning to face you.

"Please join me, will you?" She begins to walk back in taking her shirt off, and everything else getting in with you. You move so she can squeeze in behind you, putting her arms around your torso and holding you close. "Thank you." You say with a genuine smile. "You're so very welcome." A comforting silence fell upon the room. Until it started to get steamy, and no not because of the water temperature. Her hands start to slowly move over your body. Inching closer to where you need her. "Please.." You blurt out. She hushes you gently. "I will, promise. I wanna take care of my girl." You bit your lip as her hand came closer. Closer. Then boom, that amazing feeling of her fingers sent a shockwave through your body, reaching her destination. You let out a soft moan, feeling her fingers creeping to your center.

Slipping them in with ease, she began to move them in you. Adding another finger, stretching you out. You let your head fall back onto her shoulder. "Good apology?" She breathes out watching as you begin to grind your hips down on her hand. "Mhmm-" You let out, cutting it short with yet another moan. "F-feels so good." "Only the best for you mama, only the best." You bit your lip as she increases the speed, letting your mouth hang open as you near your orgasm. She feels it, feels you clench. "There you go, cum for me mi amor." The name rolled off her tongue effortlessly. Not the only thing she can do with that tongue. You let go almost immediately. Letting out the most pretty sounds (according to her) she continues until you are completely finished. Removing her fingers, and using her other and to brush hair out of your face. It was safe to say, she was never going to do what she did again.

#young miko x reader #young miko smut #young miko #young miko angst