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drconstellation · 6 months

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The Ineffable Ducks

What's with all the ducks in Good Omens that Crowley seems to be inordinately fond of? Turns out, they do have a narrative purpose, they're not just in there as a running joke about Crowley's fondness for the animals of Earth.

They appear in both S1 and S2, and get mentioned in several seemingly random places. Like, really random. There are quite a few in St James Park, where the ducks live, where the international spies also clandestinely meet, where Aziraphale and Crowley meet on several occasions, and where Crowley and Shax have a meeting, exchanging information in S2E1.

Ducks also get referred to here, when Aziraphale suggests they use humans to search and spy out the missing Antichrist, but Crowley insists it will be near impossible because suspicion slides off the boy like water off, what ever water slides off, because he has an automatic defense system.

The he remembers the ducks(!) later in the Bentley when they discuss using their respective networks of highly trained human operatives (Shadwell and the Witchfinder army), and Aziraphale asks if Crowley has a better idea than his. "Ducks!" Crowley suddenly utters.

The ducks that are always there, that you see but don't see, gathering bread crumbs, when any kind of surveillance or secret spy work is being discussed.

Nah, I thought, it couldn't be a sly ref to this famous cartoon by Larson, could it?

Aziraphale and Crowley are always afraid that someone is watching, or listening to everything they do, from both sides. I mean isn't that partly why we got the ending we did in S2, because they have had to be so covert with their communication to each over the centuries they've forgotten how to speak plainly to each other?

Heaven has definitely been watching...

And Hell certainly noticed Crowley's act of kindness in the Edinburgh cemetery, swiftly summoning him to Hell for punishment after his kind deed on behalf of Elspeth.

Then when the duo meet in again 1867 Crowley wonders if "ducks have ears" before declaring they must do - that's how they hear other ducks. So its no surprise that when Crowley asks Aziraphale for holy water that he writes the request on a piece of paper to hide it from those invisible ever-present watchers they know are never far away.

When we come to the start of S2, where Crowley is slouched in St James Park once more, reading the Tadfield Advertiser, and yelling at the Azerbaijani secret agents for feeding the ducks bread. Crumbs, it was alright to do this in the book, and S1, why is wrong now? Has Crowley suddenly become woke and caring for the ducks? Nah.

There's a lot more to it than that. I realized this is the missing Grain offering from my post about altar offerings (see The Altar of Eccles Cakes) in S2. A Grain offering represents a voluntary expression of devotion to God - or the other side you're supposed to be aligned with, in this case.

Shax is part of this scene, discussing the latest news from below, and she mentions some special intel that Hell has received, from their own secret squirrel network. Of course they would meet in St James Park to discuss this, along with all the other spies. While Shax tries to get some intel out of Crowley about what might be going on in Heaven, because she knows he has contact with a certain angel who owns a book shop, Crowley responds by refusing to show any devotion to his former side at this point, and isn't going to give any information away that could be useful. He also doesn't have any intel at this point, anyway, but he's not going to give that away either! Heaven and Hell are toxic, and no one should be going anywhere near them, in his opinion. So stop feeding them that devotional bread!

After Shax asks what they should be feeding the ducks, he eventually says "Frozen Peas. It's good for them, they like it."

The short period of "peas" since they stopped the impending Apocalypse has been enjoyable, and good for Crowley and Aziraphale, but the forced meeting with Beelzebub later that day soon jolts Crowley out of any complacency when they indicate that the "generalized understanding" Crowley thought they had with Heaven and Hell after the body swap to leave them alone, the one Aziraphale-as-Crowley negotiated, while asking for a rubber duck, no less, was looking very shaky and fragile indeed.

And one more random duck ref to discuss.

I was inspired to write this section by lalalunamoth's post calling Muriel a duckling imprinted on Crowley, and of course I did not save it, did I, and a search does not bring it back up again (found it!), so if you're reading this, or know that post, please let me know! I read it, and thought, cute, but nah, then realized that Muriel was sent on a surveillance mission to Whickber St to ascertain the truth of Aziraphale's 25 lazurii miracle. And she did act as the eyes of Heaven, writing up some reports, called Crowley "grice," then followed him around during his escapade in Heaven just like a duckling following a grumpy gander drake while he did his own surveillance measures in a Tactical Turtle neck, channeling his best imitation Sean Connery voice (have you noticed that as well, people?)

No, no, the op wasn't wrong - those big cross ducks, er grice geese, they make good guard dogs, no?

With special mention to Crowley acting as a surveillance duck just prior to this, and Mr Brown doing his own "spying out" of Aziraphale.

To finish this meta, there is one other figure who notably offered the ducks bread, in the book. This passage, which is surely relevant to S3, but didn't appear in S1, shows another character still devoted to God in a way. Lets give Death the final word:

Crowley: "Maybe it's it's all part of a great ineffable plan. All of it. You, me, him, everything. Some great big test to see if what you've built all works properly, eh? You start thinking: it can't be a great cosmic game of chess, it has to be just very complicated Solitaire. And don't bother to answer. if we could understand, we wouldn't be us. Because it's all - all - "

INEFFABLE, said the figure feeding the ducks.

"Yeah. Right. Thanks."

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herboire · 2 years

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Want to make a general offering on your altar, but not sure what to use? Try offering a small portion of whatever you’re eating! A significant chunk of my most meaningful offerings have been things like a torn-off piece of cookie or bread that I baked, a tiny cup of oatmeal, a raspberry with some ricotta, a small cup of tea that I was drinking at bedtime, a small cup of homemade juice, etc.

I like to leave a food item as well as a drink— because to me, leaving an offering feels similar to inviting someone to my dining table— but the food can be as simple as a pinch of whatever you’re eating, and the drink can be as simple as a cup of water or a splash of tea.

Side note: this is how I can tell that hospitality is deeply ingrained in myself and my practice. Even as a young child worshiping the universe at large, the offerings I made were just portions of my own meals; to this day that still feels like my most powerful kind of offering.

#witchblr #witchcraft #altar tips #altar offerings #witch tips

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hedgewitchhowto · 1 year

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Christmas Eve kitchen offering

#house spirits #altar setup #altar offerings #offering #altar ideas

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deja-vu-esoterica · 2 months

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A photo of a candle being lit on our recent Aphrodite Altar for Valentine's Day

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beyondplusultra · 8 months

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every lover's got a little dagger in their hand

#p5 #akeshu #shuake #akira kurusu #goro akechi #ren amamiya #p5 joker #p5 crow #Love From the Other Side - Fall Out Boy #offers this up to the altar. BY GOD I HAVE MISSED DRAWING MY BOYS #my art #art 2023

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allthesunlightwecansee · 3 months

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I’ve been adding to my altars the past couple of days, now that I’m home from holiday traveling. I’ve been feeling a bit disconnected from my practice because of said traveling and just general end of the semester bullshit, and my way of dealing with feeling distant usually involves gifts lol. I added a few things to my Aphrodite, Apollo/Artemis, Athena, and healing altars, in addition to giving food offerings, which has helped me to start feeling more grounded 💕

#paganism #witchcraft #hellenism #hellenic polytheism #altar #pagan altar #apollo #apollon #artemis #apollo worship #Athena #Aphrodite #Diana #Minerva #Venus #offerings #art

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whispersinthewaters · 2 months

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Can I get a Hail Aphrodite?

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apotoswizard · 1 month

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Discreet/Practical Travel Altar: My Wallet!

Maybe it's just the Hermes devotee in me, but I love travel altars! I love how discreet they can be, but they can also have a practical use...which made me realize, my wallet is a travel altar devoted to Hermes!

The wallet itself can have a pattern and decorations reminiscent of a particular vibe, energy, spirit, deity...and prayer cards can double as idols without taking up too much space. Plus, anything you keep in it, like money, can be offerings!

I purchased the wallet a while ago from SewSophia--with the colors and map design of the fabric, it was the exact Hermes vibe I was looking for. I added a set of HearthfireHandiworks' bracelet prayer beads on the keyring, and the prayer card is the lovely work of WyrdCuriosities. I've had all these things together in this wallet for years, but it really has been a functional travel altar all this time, who knew! 🤣

#ghost mumbles #helpol #hellenic polytheist #Hermes #Hermes deity #Hermes devotee #travel altar #pagan altar #discreet magic #discreet witchcraft #discreet paganism #apotosmage offerings

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isuckmorethanjustblood · 7 months

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Digital Offering for Lord Lucifer, the Morningstar. May he open your eyes and shroud you in his eternal flame. 🌟✨⭐️💫

#luciferianism #lucifer #luciferian #witchcraft #theistic luciferianism #deity work #lucifer deity #digital altar #digital offering #e offerings #lucifer devotee

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all-purpose-dish-soap · 14 days

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begging to whatever god will listen for Gaz to bite me, i am parched, thirsty, everything in between, I am an offering up the altar to be sacrificed I need his teeth in my throat STAT 😵‍💫

ill-advised. anon. you should never say this to Gaz. don't encourage this behavior. you already stimulate the cute aggression part of his brain. he has too many reasons to bite you already:

mark you (because he likes to see it)

mark you (to remind you of him when he's not around <3)

hear you squeak

feel you wiggle

shows other people you're spoken for (so fuck off) even if you're not officially his (yet)

world hard and cold; flesh soft and warm.

and the way he catalogs all his favorite places to bite you:

your lip (cute when you're not expecting it; hot when you reciprocate; you're not getting away after that)

your ear (socially acceptable in public, but the reaction it provokes in you is not)

your neck (makes you go all docile; very submissive + breedable of you)

your shoulder (during sex when you're bouncing in his lap or when he's taking you from behind)

your fingertips (you pout about it, but it takes negative two seconds of having any part of you in his mouth to turn him on)

nsfw ⬇

your chest (if nipples weren't meant to be biteable, why are they shaped all tempting like that? why do they stand up when he starts playing with you??)

your thighs (yeah, on the inside, and you'd better not try to hide it. you're wearing shorts out <3)

your ass (flipping you over while he's eating you out? he's not even gonna try to resist a nip or two when he slides his fingers into you and your back arches up. you tease)

your clit (when he's eating you out and you have the audacity to look away; your eyes need to be on him. plus gentle closing of the teeth around your clit makes you squirm like crazy)

rest assured, if you offer your throat up to gaz, he's not gonna be responsible about it.

and if you offer yourself up as a sacrifice?? okay, baby, you're his forever. no take backs.

...

more Gaz / masterlist tag

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drconstellation · 7 months

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The Altar of Eccles Cakes

(updated 21 Oct 2023, for Grain Offerings example) (updated 21 Nov 2023, for link to First Temptation)

The mysterious plate of Eccles cakes. Are they really to "calm people down?' And why do they just ...disappear? They must be there for a reason?

Yes, they certainly are. They are just the first course of a fascinating meal on offer in S2.

So far, most of the meta around the Eccles cakes has focused on the meaning of their name. Eccles is an old name for church. We could view it as Aziraphale trying to calm Crowley down. They are also known as "squashed fly cakes." The white outside and the black inside could be seen as a metaphor relating to Gabriel. Or it hints at the Roger the Stunt Fly, that contain Gabriel's memories, flying around the book shop, who's purpose we don't find out about until the end. There is even a link to the 1650 Sorry Dance that Aziraphale mentioned, in that were banned by Oliver Cromwell for being pagan! (Did I get that right? I've not kept the post link.)

[Edit: They also represent the First Temptation as Jesus fasts in the wilderness for 40 days before the Entry into Jerusalem at the start of the Passion narratives, where bread was made from stones.]

Take another look at the blocking in this shot. The dark horse statue, representing Crowley - even wearing his sunglasses! - has the placating plate of Eccles cakes placed before it, in supplication. Yeah, it didn't work this time, but it's the thought that counts. What we have here is Aziraphale making an Sin offering to the altar of Crowley, to ask for atonement in advance for what he has done (taking Gabriel in.)

Once you frame it in that reference, you realize its not the only altar offering made during S2. It also adds a bit more depth to some of the other scenes, where they have all been mentioned already in some way, but it certainly helps to explain the Eccles cakes!

Firstly, we need to mention the main types of altar offering that are made:

Burnt offerings - for general atonement of sins and for expression of devotion to God. It could be a bull, a ram, goat, or a bird in the form of a dove or pigeon. Such as this magnificent example in the Job minisode.

Aziraphale certainly devoted himself to the sin of gluttony on that occasion. (hang on, that didn't come out the right way, did it...?) But he was still devoted to God, despite his nocturnal conversation with Crowley while they waited out the storm in the cellar.

Grain offerings - a voluntary expression of devotion to God. This was grain prepared in different way, but always seasoned, unsweetened and unleavened. Recall at Gomorrah Lot offered to prepare the visiting angels unleavened bread as part of a meal.

Originally when I wrote this post I didn't think I had any Grain offering examples, but a few days later as I was writing my post on The Ineffable Ducks I realized where the missing S2 Grain offering was - in S2E1, when Crowley yells at the Azerbaijani spies in St James Park. The ducks are usually offered bread, which is leavened with yeast, so technically not quite correct, but when you review all the instances of feeding the ducks crumbs or bread crumbs it certainly fits. Unless you are Crowley, and you'd rather have the current state of quiet "frozen peas" between Heaven and Hell. See my Ineffable Ducks post for an elaboration.

Peace offering - This could be cattle, sheep or goat without defect, but the main purpose to was consecrate a meal between two or more parties before God and share that meal in a fellowship of peace and commitment to each other's future prosperity.

You know where we see one of these? At the eldritch ball!

I did see a nice meta about the vol-au-vents recently, mainly about their name, but I don't seem to have saved it, and can't find it again. They are usually filled with chicken (a bird) and the eldritch ball is ostensibly the shopkeepers monthly meeting, after all, where they are there to talk about their mutual prosperity in the future. Just so happens its also an opportunity for Aziraphale to talk to Crowley about their future...oh, and Nina and Maggie's, as well, of course!

Sin offering - atonement or unintentional sin. It would have the elements of a Burnt offering, as well as a Peace offering, but not be shared. These are what the plate of Eccles cakes are, so they were never meant to be eaten. They were an olive branch to Crowley regarding Gabriel, but he turned it down. So they softly and suddenly vanish away, never to be met with again.*

There is one more altar offering that needs to mentioned, another Sin offering. The one Crowley consumed in Elspeth's place in The Resurrectionists minisode in 1832 Edinburgh - the laudanum.

It pretty clear to most observers that Crowley did a good and "kind deed" for Elspeth here, which angered Hell in the process and then he was dragged forcibly downstairs to be duly punished for it. There is a post here from atlas-hope that suggests this is a parallel of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, drinking the cup of God's wrath to absolve Christians of their sins. They point out the laudanum is even poured into a goblet. Crumbs, that's a hefty bit of spiritual lifting, dear demon. What were you thinking, Anthony J. Crowley? It might cast that conversation you had with the carpenter back on the mountain in a new light, or least make us look back twice at it. (Plenty of time for contemplation before S3 arrives...)

Remember, a Sin offering has elements of both a Burnt offering and a Peace offering: a giant Crowley gets Elspeth to promise to devote the rest of her life to being "properly good, not just pretendy good" and the money Aziraphale is forced to donate to her ensures her future prosperity. Sounds like a win-win situation there, Elspeth!

[*OK, if you don't get the ref, its from the Hunting of the Snark. The Snark represents happiness, a most elusive thing to find, and more often than not its a fruitless search, and you find the terrible Boojum instead. During the third verse the Baker recounts the lecture his uncle gives him about how to hunt the Snark, and to be aware of his fate if he is unlucky enough to encounter a Boojum. It kind of fits in with S2, I feel.]

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens meta #aziraphale #crowley #a companion to owls #the resurrectionists #job minisode #elspeth #laudanum #constitution of an ox #crucifixion pose crowley #altar offerings #Fit the Third: The Baker's Tale #Eccles Cakes #I'm sure the Baker would have baked a few Eccles cakes in his time before he embarked

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lavender--milk · 3 months

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An updated version of my minecraft altar for Apollo! I am so so happy with how it turned out :D

#apollon #apollo #hellenic polytheism #deity work #deities #digital offerings #digital altar #minecraft #modded minecraft #e offerings #hellenism #altar #helpol #offerings #my experiences

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caduceussky · 3 months

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low energy e-offerings: picrews

i love using picrew for my e-offerings because of all the customization options (and sometimes i'll use the same picrew several months apart to see how my offerings/associations for a certain deity might change over time)! here are some of my faves:

people/character picrews

TOON ME! by hellosunnycore — full body, has 2 body type options (other body type is linked in picrew's description), LOTS of customizations

Adventurer Avatar by anjubatus — full body, fantasy, fun props/setting options

sushicore! by alohasushicore — bust-up, i rly like the hair options in this for some reason??

Bright's Picrew Hell by brightgoat — bust-up, the accESSORIES IN THIS!!!!!!, fun background options :>

Androgynous picrew! by oldmaker — chest-up, again - the ACCESSORIES (and lots of animal/pet options!!)

objects/food

Fuzzy worm maker by Vian13 — i mean why NOT make a custom worm on a string for your deities?

Sword Creator by iienex — it's all in the title, love this one so much the options are all so pretty!

お弁当メーカー by obentomaker — customized bento! perfect for when you want to give food offerings but can't give physical food

식사 픽크루 by 맥 — similar to above, but this time it's a plate of food!

locations/environments (typically use these to make digital altar spaces!)

Altar Sketch by Camade — really made to be a sacred space, deity/spirit altar/etc! love this one A LOT

テラリウムメーカー by 庭猫もる — fishbowl/terrarium-type environments (but more whimsical since it isn't confined to what you could realistically put in a fisbowl lol)