#i mean picture it from the perspective of ancient humans

[kariachi]

Late Night Thoughts With Achi: Consider- the reason humans yearn for sapient life out amongst the stars is because after evolving alongside other sapient species from our genus they've all been gone for like 40k years and we're lonely.

#we had other close members of homo around for so long #most of our evolution #and then they all just died off #and the closest thing we've got is the fuckers over in pan #and it's just not the same #i propose humanity yearns to have another sapient species around because we lost the ones we had before #i mean picture it from the perspective of ancient humans #you grow up around these fuckers and you start seeing less and less of them #and they're just- they've always been there you've been undergoing cultural exchanges and your cousin's grandma was one and so on #but there's fewer of them when you're young #and fewer when your kids are #your great-grandkids never see one #but they're still remembered they're still talked about #they become a remnant in the memory of a species #and even though nobody ever sees one of them again they know they should be out there somewhere #and even millennia later- when we've trawled the world and know for a fact that we're all that's left #we look to the sky and go 'there has to be someone out there somewhere' #there just has to be #because we didn't used to be alone #they were *family* they were *there* #there has to be someone #....damn that got emotional there...

[elbiotipo]

I'm doing some political fixing to my Campoestela setting...

The main thing that was bothering me is how humans fit. Since this is a setting with multiple sentient species, each with their own civilizations and cultures (because I dislike the recent trend of human-only sci-fi setting, it's an intentional retro throw). However, the main thing here that allows such a diverse setting is the presence of diplomats/traders (because no universal translator!) and standarized equipment. Where did the latter come from, though? If there are older space civilizations than humanity, it must be humans who adapt to that standard, and I'm not nearly creative enough to build an entire alien technology set. If it was humans who "created" space civilization, it would mean they're way too important in the setting and I want humans just to be one civilization out of many.

My solution is that there would be a mix of both; humans have their own set of technology but they have adopted some alien tech and customs. This also throws me back to the early history of this setting. My idea is that humanity spread on its own on the Solar System, developing some standard space technology (perhaps there are equivalents of the Soyuz running around) before they invented FTL and added other alien standards to their own technological base. So human spaceships are similar and quite compatible, but they are very different to other civilizations. FTL is a whole discussion on itself, how did things come from big slow generation ships to aircraft-sized spaceships? I'll deal with that later.

Another thing I was never happy with was with the "Confederación Esteloplatense" thing, it's an ugly name (ironically it sounds better in English, Silverstar Confederation). OF COURSE there is a Space Argentina, and more accurately they are the descendants of the generation ship Esperanza, which had a mostly Argentine crew. But I've decided that, at least loosely, Argentina is part of a larger whole that includes the whole of South America or Latin America. I'm going to call it the Cruzur Union, the Union of the Southern Cross (Cruz del Sur). Rioplatenses, or Esteloplatenses, are just one nation inside of this wider... nation.

To see it from a wider perspective now, I'm picturing humanity in Campoestela much like the Ancient Greeks and Phoenicians (the Poleis model), establishing trading posts, colonies, communities and such all over space, but these are mostly independent from each other and only organized in very loose trade leagues and cultural alliances, with exceptions, there are few truly interstellar states beyond that. This is the Poleis model I made in my Space Empires post.

Ancient Greeks poleis were sorted by dialect and cultures (Doric, Aeolic, Attican, Ionic, real stuff) and their mother cities (the metropolis. And so, the human communities, all very independent and belonging to many overlapping organizations and alliances are also loosely grouped by their origins back on Earth. I'm imagining there were a couple wars and conflicts between the Western Powers (US/Europe) and the Eastern Powers (Russia/China), with other blocs such as the Cruzur, the African Union, the Arab League, India and more eventually overtaking the two. This is in the far past by now, it's like talking about the Habsburgs in the context of the modern European Union.

So, in this context, Beto, our loveable Argentine space trucker, is from the Esperanza Federation (name pending), a loose interstellar trade alliance of the descendants of generation ship of the same name. However, this alliance itself is part of the Cruzur, the old goverment of South America which still has a deep cultural and political influence. And Beto himself considers himself Rioplatense or Argentine, depending on the context. Oh, and he is part of a spacer syndicate that might or might not be international too. And of course he does belong to a wider human civilization or cultural sphere. If this is all complicated, it's because it's supposed to be, this setting is a bit of a reaction against single-culture, single-empire civilizations in space opera.

Why am I not making it the URSAL? Because this is a retro setting in the style of space opera. In real life sooner or later, we're gonna become all Star Trek communists (this is not a joke)

It's funny that this is all just background for a space trucker and a gamer girl having silly adventures.

#cosas mias #campoestela #I'll have to look a bit more on ancient mediterrean poleis and trade to see how I can make this work

[bearpillowmonster]

Dragon Age Origins

Those darn PS3 era games can be so annoying on Steam, you have the ones without subtitles, you have the ones that will only use an Xbox controller, then you have the half way broken ones, this is one of them. With FFXIII, it would stutter unless you plugged a controller in for me but with this one, it doesn't even take a controller.

Upon start-up, it informs you that the dlc in the ultimate edition needs to be ported via the cd keys page on Steam but that doesn't exist anymore so I started thinking I got hustled but there it is in the menu, already there, false alarm. I go through character creation and- crash. Try it again, go through character creation and black screen. Skip what was supposed to be a cutscene and it's still black. Troubleshoot. It's because I have another monitor (drawing monitor) but that's never been a problem before so I unplugged it- crashes again.

Troubleshoot again and others had this problem but usually after playing it already with mods installed, which I hadn't even started the game at this point. Disabled V-sync, disable frame buffer effects, disabled all online stuff. Went to the cutscene but still black. Was it because I picked human rogue? Because that means it blocks me off from experiencing certain stories, even if I chose it random. At this point a mod might actually save this game like it did FalloutNV but there isn't one that does that really.

Uninstalled, reinstalled, changed resolution settings, went for an elf run. Worked. Which one, dunno, but it did.

Now I want you to understand, this is a roleplaying game. Not an RPG or JRPG that you're used to, it's straight up something you could see in Baldrs Gate, you can do the top down perspective, equip stuff in the bottom menu and click on where you want the character to go. One handed. Now these are options, you can also get behind the character and play it more like you would The Witcher but it's not a Fantasy Mass Effect just because it's Bioware. You more or less heal after each encounter though which is cool and you can pause it to give commands.

I named my character Daelin and got about an hour in after rescuing some girls from a douchebag in a castle. Aaaannnddd it crashed again, couldn't get it to get past the menu. You guys know me, I hate prerequisites. I downloaded a 4GB patch which is supposed to fix crashing, that's when I got that error picture (yes, I'm just as surpissed as you that it's real). Then I resorted to the ancient ways of the manual .exe boot-

And hear ye, it worked!...And it crashed again...Son of a-! I put this game off now, officially. I enjoyed what I was playing of it and I had a fun time but I've had it, I've tried all these home remedies but nothing wants to work to make this an enjoyable experience. Good thing I got it on sale. Buy it anywhere else but PC. (for all I know, it's just as broken) This is that Bioware brokenness I got with KOTOR, I don't blame them, surely it was EA and porting but who decided it was acceptable to leave it like this?

#dragon age #dragon age origins #dao #troubleshoot

[yaenvs3000w24]

Nature Interpretation through History

Diving into Edward Hyams' musings in "The Gifts of Interpretation" really got me thinking. He says, "There is no peculiar merit in ancient things, but there is merit in integrity, and integrity entails the keeping together of the parts of any whole…" It's a hefty thought, especially when I relate it back to what we've been unpacking in our latest unit on history's role in nature interpretation. It's like Hyams is nudging us to see the bigger picture, to connect the dots across time to maintain the story's wholeness.

Now, as a biomedical science undergrad who’s ventured into the world of environmental interpretation, I’ve always been about the facts and figures. But this course, and particularly this unit, has been a gentle push towards appreciating the narratives behind those facts. It’s about seeing the forest for the trees, quite literally. The history that shapes our natural landscapes isn't just a backdrop, it is a vital part of the narrative, improving our understanding and connection to the environment.

Hyams' idea of integrity made me reflect on how we approach nature. It's not just observing the natural world but understanding the historical threads that weave through it. This perspective is crucial, not just for the sake of knowledge but for fostering a deeper connection with our environment. It’s recognizing that every tree, river, or mountain has a backstory, shaped by both nature and humanity. It’s about honoring those stories in our interpretation, making sure they’re not lost to time but preserved and shared.

This approach aligns with what we’ve been exploring in the unit—how history enriches our interpretation of nature. It’s like we’re detectives, piecing together clues from the past to present a fuller picture of the natural world today. This doesn’t mean turning every nature walk into a history lesson. Instead, it’s about peppering our narratives with historical insights that add depth and context, making the experience richer for our audience.

In the spirit of not being formulaic and embracing the interpretive freedom this course encourages, let’s think about how we can weave these historical threads into our own stories of nature. Maybe it’s sharing the legacy of a local park, the ancestral significance of a landmark, or even how our understanding of conservation has evolved over time. The goal? To spark curiosity, foster connection, and maybe even inspire action towards preserving these natural and historical treasures.

[melsdreamweaving]

There is something truly magical about being able to wholeheartedly say, “I absolutely love that for you!” It fills us with an incredible sense of joy and support as we embrace our truest selves. Embracing our truth is deeply rooted in our authentic being, like a blossoming flower seeking sunlight. It is a beautiful journey of self-discovery and healing, akin to finding the perfect outfit that perfectly embodies our unique style and confidence.

In the vast tapestry of human interactions, conflicts often emerge, challenging the harmony within our social circles. However, it is crucial to approach these conflicts with a balanced and enlightened perspective. Instead of being drawn into the chaos and turmoil, we must strive to maintain our composure and consciously choose not to engage.

By stepping back and observing these conflicts from a neutral standpoint, we can gain a deeper understanding of their underlying dynamics. This elevated perspective allows us to recognize that conflicts are often rooted in differing perspectives, values, or desires. Rather than reacting impulsively or allowing emotions to cloud our judgment, we can cultivate a sense of empathy and compassion toward all parties involved.

In choosing not to engage in conflicts, we demonstrate wisdom and restraint. By refraining from participating in heated debates or escalating tensions, we contribute to a healthier and more peaceful environment. This conscious decision not only preserves our own inner tranquility but also radiates a positive influence on those around us.

It is important to remember that conflicts are not inherently negative; they can serve as catalysts for personal and collective growth.

By maintaining a state of detachment, we can create a safe space for constructive dialogue and facilitate the resolution of conflicts through peaceful means.

This allows for the exploration of different perspectives and encourages the development of creative solutions that benefit all parties involved.

Holding space in our path requires us to take a step back and take a deep breath.

We face ourselves and wish them enlightenment, not taking responsibility for the version of ourselves that they are choosing to create in their mind palace.

A mind palace is a powerful mental technique used to enhance memory and cognition. Derived from the ancient method of loci, this unique approach enables individuals to create a mental space where they can store and organize vast amounts of information.

Imagine a magnificent palace, richly adorned with intricate details and opulent furnishings. Each room in this grand palace represents a specific topic or theme. As you explore this mental sanctuary, you can visualize the information you want to remember, placing it in different locations within the rooms.

For example, if you are studying history, you can assign different historical events to specific rooms or even specific objects within those rooms. As you mentally walk through your palace, you can effortlessly recall the information associated with each location, effectively accessing and retrieving the stored knowledge.

The mind palace technique engages various senses, making learning and recall more engaging and vivid. As you immerse yourself in this mental visualization, you can picture the colors, sounds, smells, and even textures associated with the information, bringing it to life in your mind.

Moreover, the mind palace technique can be particularly useful when preparing for exams, delivering presentations, or simply when you want to enhance your overall memory abilities. By organizing information spatially and working with your mind’s natural inclination to remember locations and visual stimuli, you can unlock the vast potential of your memory palace.

However, as energetic beings, if we are constantly running away from ourselves, our mind palace becomes a mind prison.

This self-imposed confinement restricts our ability to fully explore the depths of our own potential, diminishing our creativity, self-expression, and overall sense of fulfillment. It’s like living in a constant state of avoidance, where we never truly confront our innermost thoughts, fears, and desires.

In order to break free from this mental confinement, we must summon the courage to face ourselves head-on. It’s by embracing our vulnerabilities and acknowledging our shadows that we can pave the way for personal growth and transformation. This process may be uncomfortable and challenging, but it is a necessary step towards self-discovery and self-acceptance.

By unraveling the layers of our own consciousness, we unlock a wealth of untapped potential. We open ourselves up to new perspectives, ideas, and experiences. We become more in tune with our intuition and the subtle whispers of our soul. It is through this inner exploration that we can tap into our creative essence, harness our passions, and embark on a truly authentic and purposeful journey.

So, let us not shy away from the labyrinth of our own minds, but rather, let us courageously venture into its depths, armed with self-compassion and a thirst for self-discovery.

Only by embracing our true selves can we transcend the limitations of our mind prison and embark on a path of personal growth and fulfillment.

We LOVE that for all of us!

#poetry #creative writing #poem #writers and poets #dead poets society #fiction #original poem #poetsandwriters #poets on tumblr #lgbtq community #lgbtq #queer #spilled poetry #spilled words #spilled thoughts #spilled ink #spilledink #spilled writing

[jin-c-stories]

A Conversation With Death

Hey! I was in a reflective mood the other night and wrote this. It's not based on my religious believes but is just a fun story.

----------

A Conversation With Death

Everything before me was dark. I stepped into it, walking further into the darkness. Behind me was a bright light. It felt right to move on. I was ready. 

A person was in that darkness. His face remained neutral as I approached. “Are you Death?” I asked.

“Is that who you think I am?”

Giving the question some thought I answered. “Not entirely, but I can’t be sure.” The absolute darkness in the distance was unchanging, but my human eyes caused shadows to dance and play. Teasing me with their games. “Are you the Devil, or God?”

“Do you believe me to be either?”

“No.” His energy was becoming more familiar to me the longer I talked to him. I had known him my whole existence. “Does that mean Heaven and Hell aren’t real?”

“What do you believe?”

I smiled. “I’ve never believed in them. The whole ‘your actions will be harshly judged,’ and ‘Hell is a hot place where you watch your skin melt off, Heaven is a place made of gold where everyone lives like celebrities’ never sat right with me.”

“What do you want Heaven to look like?”

Galaxies sparked at my fingertips. A book twirled from the nothing. “Infinite knowledge. Seeing everything from a perspective I couldn't imagine. That doesn’t feel fair to me though. Knowledge should be something earned, not given.” The book disappeared as a smile grew on my face. “Watch it be an existence that I can’t even fathom yet.”

“That’s not what you really believe.”

“No, it’s not.” I tapped colors into the void that quickly faded. A child’s happy squeal echoed. “Mama, mama!” My socks slide on the kitchen tiles. By some miracle I stayed up right. 

“Hey Jinny.” My mother greeted me. 

“Look what I did!”

“Did you draw this?”

I nodded. 

“Awe, it's so pretty, thank you.”

“You’re welcome!”

I had forgotten this moment. My mother’s smile as she hung my picture on the fridge. Later I would find all those pictures neatly organized in a couple filing bins.

“To me, this would be Heaven. Living in my past for all of eternity.” The scene faded leaving us in darkness again. 

“Some would see this as Hell.” My old friend responded. 

“It is.” We sat in silence for what only felt like a second, but was likely an eternity. If time could even reach us out here. “Do you also greet dinosaurs?” 

He looked at me perplexed. 

“I mean if you greet all souls that die that would mean you’ve seen dinosaurs, dogs, and other animals right?”

A small laugh escaped the ancient being. “Yes, I have.”

“But you don’t greet them as a human. After all, humans are a more recent phenomenon. If I had been a triceratops would you have greeted me as one of my own kind?”

“That is what I did, isn’t it?”

“It was.” I smile. Turning back I study the light I came from. “I have a lot more to learn before I come back here.”

“You do.”

I turned back to him. “I was probably the easiest soul you convinced to go back, wasn’t I?”

He remained silent.

Taking that as my cue to leave I stepped towards the light.

“May I ask you one last question before you go?”

I glanced back at him, hoping he would stop me. “Yes, of course.”

“What do you believe the afterlife really is, and my role in it?”

The void stared at me from behind him. From it came whisperings from a life nearly forgotten, but that I already knew. “You are a guard. You stand on the edge of nothing to guide lost souls back to the last paradise. The last of what used to be many. When I come back I will try to create another, I promise. This time we will get it right, we humans may be destructive but I know we can do better than our predecessors.”

He nodded. “Me too.” His eyes were filled with hope. “Until the next time we meet, farewell.” 

I walked alone into the light, prepared to learn all I could, for the next time I met with death.

#short story #writing #books #a conversation with death

[lrenvs3000w24]

Interpreting History

In a world where we're often more interested in new things than old, it's crucial to pause and reflect on the deep meaning of the quote presented this week: "There is no peculiar merit in ancient things, but there is merit in integrity, and integrity entails the keeping together of the parts of any whole, and if these parts are scattered throughout time, then the maintenance of integrity entails a knowledge, a memory, of ancient things. To think, feel or act as though the past is done with, is equivalent to believing that a railway station through which our train has just passed, only existed for as long as our train was in it."

The quote initially appears to emphasize the importance of safeguarding historical artifacts and knowledge. Yet, upon closer examination, it unveils a profound insight into how time, integrity, and the value of ancient wisdom are intertwined in shaping our worldview.

Throughout history, humans have sought to understand their existence and place in the world through various means, one of the most enduring being nature interpretation. From ancient civilizations to modern societies, the natural world has served as a canvas upon which we project our beliefs, values, and understanding of the universe.

Among the civilizations that show this connection with nature and the past is the Mayan culture. Renowned for their advanced understanding of astronomy, mathematics, and architecture, the Mayans left behind a legacy that continues to intrigue and inspire us today. Nowhere is this more evident than in the majestic ruins of Chichen Itza, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Which I have been lucky enough to visit and learn about the Mayan culture.

Pyramid of Kukulkhan

Chichen Itza has shown us how smart and creative the Mayans were, and how much they thought about the universe. The famous pyramid of Kukulkan, for example, lines up perfectly with the equinoxes. And the sacred cenote (a natural swimming hole), which they thought was a door to the underworld, is another example of how they saw the world and respected nature.

But Chichen Itza isn't just impressive to look at—it also teaches us something important about keeping our history intact. The quote is saying that integrity means more than just keeping things in good shape; it's about really knowing and valuing where things come from. Just like you need to gather all the pieces to keep something whole, we should gather up all the bits of old wisdom from the past to help us understand the world today. And the grounds of Chichen Itza have allowed us to do so through Interpretive Writing (Hooykaas, 2024). While walking around the historic grounds you can see many pictures and writing in Mayan script. These are believed to be there to explain what happened during the Mayan times. The pictures varied with some showing sacrifices that were performed and others showing how they spent time. I think these images and scriptures were made to educate us on the past.

When we talk about Chichen Itza, it's not just about being impressed by how big and old it is. It's about really digging into what the Mayans believed, understanding all the detailed carvings and writings, and respecting the wisdom that's built into every piece of stone. When we do that, we're not only showing respect for how clever the Mayans were, but we're also learning things that can help us understand our own connection to nature and the universe. As well as how their actions have helped us and paved the way.

Moreover, the quote challenges us to reconsider our perception of time and the past. To dismiss ancient wisdom as irrelevant or outdated is to overlook the integral role it plays in shaping our collective identity and understanding of the world. Just as a railway station exists beyond the fleeting passage of a train, so too does the wisdom of the past transcend the confines of time, offering timeless lessons and perspectives that continue to resonate with us today.

In essence, the quote encapsulates the essence of nature interpretation through history, urging us to embrace the integrity of the past as an indispensable part of our journey towards a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us. As we marvel at the wonders of Chichen Itza and ponder the legacy of the Mayan civilization, let us remember that our appreciation for ancient wisdom is not merely an intellectual exercise but a profound acknowledgment of our interconnections with the past, present, and future.

Have you ever been to any wonders of the world?

The entrance into Chichen Itza

Hyams, E. (2015). 7. In The Gifts of Interpretation. Sagamore Publishing.

Hooykaas, A. (2024).Hooykaas, A. (2024). ENVS*3000 Nature Interpretation course notes. Retrieved February, 14 2024, from https://courselink.uoguelph.ca/d2l/le/content/858004/viewContent/3640017/View

[dcviated]

@remunporium sent: " Relax! I'm not gonna do anything crazy. " Convincing Leif to go along with Hotaru's little game took a bit of work and a big of pleading, but after finally convincing him to play along, the first instruction was for him to close his eyes. Then, he'd feel her placing something over his head. A band of some sort? It's not uncomfortably tight but it feels like a pair of headphones without the actual headphones. " Keep them shut! No peeking! " Then, she clamors a bit to find a position behind him where she can put her head beside his, reach out with her free hand, and, aiming her phone, preparing to take a photo. " Okay! Open 'em and say cheese! " Surprise! She's taking a selfie of them. She has her bunny ears out. And she had put fake bunny ears on him.

"There is little you do that isn't crazy." And yet, the ancient is in fact complying. So which one of them truly embraces the definition? Among many others at this point. Truthfully, though, Leif finds whatever is to come more concerning considering how much the rabbit felt the need to placate his nerves and worries. Lets not fool ourselves, we know Leif would comply rather easily on most other occasions.

Eyes closed. Sensations over his human body. There remains that instinct to hiss when there's something placed on his head. He's particular about that spot. And though he doesn't open his eyes there is in fact a twitch of the brow. He thought about it. But didn't!

Why was this so awkward? Was it the way she had to bounce and shift around in order to get up to that height on whatever was behind them? He feels more foolish by the moment until finally it seems to draw to a close or- finality. When the last instruction comes, Hotaru doesn't get what she's looking for.

"What?" Snap! That could go in a cringe compilation. He's not looking at the camera, but the movement did make one of the ears flop over so it adds to the dopey cute factor Hotaru probably appreciates. In addition, he's like a breath away from smooching her cheek as far as perspective can tell. This is a win.

"What have you done?" The fact she held out the camera for a selfie means that Leif is witness to the screen and resulting shot. He reaches and snatches, but Hotaru is ever evasive. He sighs. Not in a frustrated way but in the stereotypical I cherish you but you are the most difficult and confusing entity I've ever thought of bonding myself with and you are a mystery I may never solve but the years are long and my patience short.

"What are these? Fake ears?" He's picking up the bunny ears now, squinting at them like some alien entity. The consideration of throwing them out is brief, but he does return them to Hotaru instead. Why? Geez, that's a mystery. "...why would you want a picture like this. I'm not a rabbit. I'm a noble serpent."

#remunporium #remunporium :: hotaru #muse :: leif #gross #inbox :: answered ic

[anarchosyndicatalyst]

first draft

We as humans have the rather unfortunate habit of always questioning things. This has often lead us down paths that many say, we were better off avoiding in the first place. As Douglas Adams once put it, “many were increasingly of the opinion that they’d all made a big mistake in coming down from the trees in the first place."

This tendency to question is what sets us apart from all of the other species in the animal kingdom. Dubito ergo cogito, cogito ergo sum; I Doubt, therefore I Think, I Think, therefore I Am. One of the greatest questions plaguing modern and ancient philosophers alike is that of the future of the human race; or more specifically what that future *should* look like, and the steps that we as a race need to make to get there.

My explanation is this:

What do you see when you imagine "history?" It is easy to picture what an apple looks like as it is a solid, familiar object that almost everyone has seen, held, tasted, and even smelled. But when one conceptualizes "history," what image comes to mind? What shape does the idea take in your mind?

History [and therefore time] takes a different shape depending on the observer; for example, I asked my friend what she imagined when she thought of the word "history." Her response was that to her it appeared circular, as she felt that she was trapped in an everlasting loop of events from which she was unable to escape.

As for myself, often view the concept of history as likened to a tapestry; a single long stretch of fabric composed of interwoven strands which flow together to form pictures, images, and even new colours. This analogy still does not quite fit, as it fails to capture the mode of progression from which the strands find their energy.

But first, what does it mean to progress? The dictionary definition of progression (or at least the one that best fits) is "to move forwards or onwards in time or space." Notice how this definition lacks a requirement for there to be a destination. Ergo, it is possible to "progress" outwards through Time without there needing to be a destination.

Now what is "Time?" As human observers, we experience time linearly, which basically just means that I am incapable of going back and undoing and doing something (actions, thoughts, experiences ect.) over again. So, from our perspective, time is merely the progression of events both natural and man-made.

When one applies these definitions to the human experience, you get a philosophy that resembles existentialism. The idea that "there is no one meaning to life" can be quite an intimidating thought to face, but many (including myself) take comfort in the idea that only you have control over your own destiny. In my opinion, this mindset also happens to give more value to one's freedom and independence, as it forces one to examine themselves for what they want in life, as well as what exactly is standing in their way.

This progression away from a central point is key to my understanding of history. For it is the lack of destination that I am interested in, as well as the lack of determinism that comes with it.

But what exactly is it that is progressing?

Lets use the definition of time as the progression of events both natural and man-made. Nature, by definition, cannot act with any will; that luxury is for now reserved for humans. Ergo, it is Humanity that is progressing - this seems rather obvious, as it is only through the interaction with objects other than "the self" that we are able to define ourselves. However it this base interaction is what began our two million year-old journey.

This is the first dialectic - the interweaving of man and nature has forever altered the flow of human history, but most crucially at it's beginning. By nature of course I mean the natural scientific world; the teeming chaos from which life emerged, and "order" balanced. We as independent actors have forever battled against nature, tearing down her trees to shelter ourselves from her harsh rebukes. It was this battle that brought us to our evolved state, and formed the first thread in our pattern. For it was the harsh elements that first drove our ancestors to innovate and survive; using the gift of doubt to reason out the puzzles of the natural world in order to better use it to our advantage.

Like Marx, I believe that history is ruled by contradictions. The interactions between mankind and the natural world described our history far before the tools required to transcribe it were invented. However, like rats in a barn, we humans stuck it out and began banding together into societies to better survive.

It was then when the second dialectic emerged and began to shape human history. This inherent contradiction mirrored the first, in that it was a battle between the rational and the natural. Inside one's own mind, I believe there exists at least three separate "selves."

The Self - Center from which one experiences reality

The Rational - Characterized by the sub-conscious

The Animal - Remnants of a less civilized past

In my opinion, the makeup of human biology can often be analogous to that of a computer. In many modern electronics, one finds hardware working alongside software. In the human body, the hardware would be characterized by the various organ systems, and the software would be the patterns of individual neurons which form the human brain.

In the case of a smartphone, the computational limits are largely set by the density/quality of the hardware, but also rely on the complexity of the software to set the "structure" of those computational algorithms. Seeing that electronic data is merely patterns of electricity which we have designated specific meanings to, the structure of any hardware determines the nature of the software as well.

Think of the human body as very poorly-designed computer. Within our genetic code lie countless genetic remnants from our uncivilized past. This is because the dominant Self does not have full control over the entirety of the body, just as a pilot does not control all of the faculties of an airplane. Our bodies have a built-in autopilot that functions outside of the Self's awareness, and it is from here that I posit spring forth the concepts such as "intuition" and "subconsciousness." I believe these functions occur without intervention from the dominant psyche because they originate from the biological equivalent of hardware; i.e. it exists in a part of the brain that has been inherited from one's animal predecessors.

These unconscious processes cover the remaining two parts of the overall whole, and characterize the dialectic inherent to every human. It is that of the Natural versus the Modern Man, with the Self emerging from and guiding these contradictions.

What makes the Natural Man? What does it mean to be an animal? In my opinion, to be an animal is to use reason for the purpose of one's own survival. Animals, while not so advanced as to be capable of consistent growth, still utilize rationality in their day-to-day lives. However their use of rationality is limited by their inherent lack of awareness of anything "other." For most creatures this definition is limited to themselves, but a few of the more advanced species have learned to expand this definition to include others of their species. However in many cases, time and circumstance has lead to entrenched behaviors between differing species. This is often mistaken for altruistic behavior, but the majority of scientists agree that it is merely another aspect of evolution. In essence, to be an animal means only being capable of using one's rationality for their own survival. This is the baseline, and does not require a very complex noggin to accomplish.

Humans, however, rationalize just about everything. Everything has a reason, everything has a purpose, and this is what sets us apart from the rest of life on Earth. The ability to reason may be inborn, but just like a muscle, one must exercise it in order to use it properly. Our ability to break down and store complex information for later retrieval is part of what helps us grow, but it has also been recognized that the way in which we conceptualize that information affects how it is stored [think the relationship between software and hardware]. This is what allows us to surge beyond the boundaries that nature provided us with; a way to reprogram our minds and resist the biological impulses that may come upon us. This is the power of doubt.

This is the dialectic that has served as the engine of human history since the first struggle against nature: the interplay between the biological impulses and the rational structures one utilizes daily, and the ability to use each to determine our reactions to external stimuli. It is from this that we shape our "Self." It is upon these reactions that we place moral weight, as they are usually the result of conscious deliberation. However even in the courts there are acknowledgements that there are some actions taken in haste without prior judgement. To me this showcases the inherent contradiction of the human mind; the existence of "base" or natural instincts alongside the ability to question why.

Dialectics often have a habit of placing some form of "higher moral value" often in an attempt to compare *good* and *evil.* I however do not believe in such concepts, as I do not believe that there exists any authority high enough to presuppose our moral values for us. Actions cannot hold moral value in and of themselves; the morality of an action stems from the intent behind it.

Just the same, I do not believe that either the Natural or Rational man is inherently good or evil.

From our natural side we are given both joy and anger, fear and pleasure, comfort and anxiety. Even feeling such as hunger and thirst stem from our ancient DNA. Each has it's place, and are often merely ways that the body communicates it's needs to the Self. In less developed species, these impulses rule day-to-day activities unless circumstance calls for their limited reason - this is very much the same in humans, except our own awareness encompasses a much larger portion of our mind and body making it difficult at times to "stay in touch with one's feelings" over the noise of one's own Self.

Our rational mind however is more deeply intertwined with the Self. Whenever one seeks to solve a simple math problem, lets say 2+2, our minds naturally follow the logical computational steps in order to reach the conclusion. It hardly takes any thought at all, and the answer simply enters your awareness. This is the work of your unconscious rational mind accessing the previously ingrained pathways that likely formed in elementary school. If you instead attempted to solve something like (7-24/8*4+6), for most of us it would require slowing down and consciously working through the PEMDAS formula; that is, unless you are someone whose computational structures are so often employed (or perhaps more efficiently employed) that the answer of "1" appears as easily as "4" did the equation before.

Like the Natural man, the Rational self is neither good or evil; this is due to it's fluid and subjective nature dependent on the individual. Rationality can be used for malicious purposes, but in the end it is the intention behind the rationality that matters. So how is it that one is to determine "morality" if there is no "good" or "evil" inherent to mankind?

In this I return to the philosophy of existentialism - it is our duty to make our own morality, as we have the capability to do so. Once "morality" becomes something that can be altered, it opens up room for both great improvements and even greater threats. For we must be careful with this power, as if there exists no inherent "good" or "evil" we must strive towards, the morals that we may create for ourselves run the risk of corruption.

So when we as a species pick our morals, I believe that we should return to the philosophy of our ancient hunter-gatherer ancestors. We must care for the tribe, and keep it's interests as our interests; however this is a tribe that encompasses all who wish to join, barring none for their color or their creed. All must become brothers and sisters in an effort to procure the survival of the tribe, ensuring that all are cared for as "the tribe" does not conceptually exist as apart from the whole of the society.

A society that accepts all and bars none will surely fall to the ruin of those who seek to exploit them. It is my belief, however, that the core of humanity is "good." More accurately, I believe that the vast majority of humankind only wishes what is best for themselves and their friends/family. It is because of this belief that I am confident that should one expand their circle of concern to encompass not just people within their city or nation, but instead to humanity as a whole; it would become much easier to find the love that is required to motivate action towards the greater good.

There also exists those who seek to use others for their own benefit, or even harm them to prove a point or make a statement; however these cases are rare in places where there exists a strong social safety net to protect against the circumstances wherein individuals are pushed to their breaking points. I believe that "true evil" is rare, and exists only as a result of individuals who psychologically/biologically lack empathy. In this case, true reason prevails untempered by empathy and most other emotions, and permits individuals to plan and commit horrific acts without guilt or thought of consequence.

It is this lack of the Natural Man that gives these detrimental individuals such an advantage, and often provides their downfall as well. Our empathy and our rationality work in tandem to navigate the Self through it's existence, each keeping the other in check to best understand the world around us. It is from this relationship that doubt emerges, as fear serves as a powerful motivator in double checking your essay for mistakes before handing it in to the professor. Oppositely, a complete lack of fear would lead to overconfidence in one's work, which often results in mistakes that would otherwise have been easily spotted and fixed.

How are these internal dynamics reflected in the real world? Well, I once heard an old Native American story about two wolves that live inside all of us. One wolf represented all that was good, and one represented all that was evil. According to the story, these wolves fight a seemingly endless battle within us and when asked by a small boy which wolf would win, the answer supplied by the elders was "the one you feed."

My answer to this question is very similar, minus all the stuff about good and evil. Instead, I believe that an individual is defined by the internal "balance" between the two base selves, using information and concepts gained from their external surroundings to build a "Self." This process is gradual, with biological mechanics such as neuroplacticity allowing for continued growth our entire lives.

In the realm of political philosophy, this results in two general types of people - those who wish to rule, and those who wish to be governed.

Those who wish to rule are those whose awareness rarely expands further than their own selfish desires, and when given power use it for their own gains instead of first seeking to consider the whole of society. This is because they use their power as an animal would - hoarded from the rest, using reason only to further the selfish urges that sometimes arise from the accumulation of vast amounts of money and power.

Those who wish to be governed seek not power, but peace of mind. These are the every-day people who simply wish to be able to live out their lives in peace, and so many care little for the goings-on in the world outside their awareness. It is this mass of people that make-up the vast majority of the human species, and the source of the world's greatest revolutions and feats of wonder. This is because while often selfish, an individual's selfishness extends to those who they view as "part of the tribe," allowing the use of reason in pursuit of the benefit of the whole in order to effect the betterment of the individual.

It is the relationship between these two groups of people that has shaped the course of human history. Feudalism had kings and nobles who sought to strip the land bare, and carry away it's resources to be hoarded in castles. This resulted in the agglomeration of both power and population, resulting in technological innovations that made it possible for a larger percentage of the population to become educated and seek liberation.

The resulting colonial era contained both the remnants of the feudal lords, as well as the growing class of capitalists that sought to strip the world bare in the pursuit of industrial growth. Soon enough that growth provided the means for the birth of a "middle class" who fought to even the scales of power through the birth of Constitutional Republicanism.

Finally Marx's concepts of the Proletariat and the Bourgeoisie attempts to encapsulate the dialectic that drives our modern industrialized world, however I feel that he was misguided in placing too much importance on the economic aspects of life. Indeed he is correct when he points out that the global economy rests on the backs of the lowest common denominator, but i feel that he is too deterministic in his view that it is our material factors that separate us into our respective "social classes." In fact I feel that the concept of social classes is heretical to what Marx and Hegel intended; that being a global society wherein socialist ideals of self-management and democratic control reign.

This is due to the tendency towards tribal relationships that I referred to earlier. While there can be no dispute that there exists different "forms" of individuals, I believe that due to the exceptionally subjective nature of the development of our Self there can be no divisions made based solely on economic circumstance or social situation. It is only in one's intentions that one can be discriminated against, and even then only at the basest of levels.

Therefore I submit this one condition of judgement: that when possible, to first keep one's intentions directed towards the fulfillment of the basic needs for all of mankind - and to otherwise seek to better the whole of society through the preservation of the individual.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

do you think some of the students choose to just turn a blind eye about Lilia's actual age? i heard somewhere that Lilia's picture was in their history book, and we've seen multiple times in the story where the characters expressed that Lilia doesn't really seem like a teenager. it's pretty suspicios to me, if i see a classmates picture in our history book I don't think I'd stay quiet

I actually think the main cast all think Lilia's just an odd high school boy, based on their reactions in the main story and in various personal stories.

There are definitely perceptive characters in the cast (like Vil), but the most they ever say is something along the lines of there being something "unusual" about Lilia, but not quite being able to put their finger on what that "unusual" quality is. There are times when Lilia blatantly talks about events he couldn't have possibly experienced if he was as young as he claimed to be, but these stories tend to get dismissed (see: Lilia's School Uniform personal story). You can say the other characters are pretending to be ignorant of Lilia's age, but there's no good reasoning for why they'd do such a thing (especially when you consider that most of NRC's students are assholes that either can't keep a secret to save their lives or would probably approach Lilia to blackmail him with that information). This leads me to believe that they're genuinely confused by his behavior, but don't suspect anything about his true age.

Also 💦 I don't think the pictures of Lilia in history books mean much to his classmates. (For more context, the information about Lilia being in the textbooks comes from Malleus, someone who already knows Lilia well and is aware of his real age, not from a random classmate; of course Malleus would stay quiet about this detail to their peers). I believe Lilia is able to change his form as he pleases, so the Lilia pictures in the history books may not match the form he currently has. Even if they did, it's never confirmed whether the text accompanying the pictures mention Lilia explicitly by name. Plenty of people have lookalikes that they aren't related to by blood, or relatives/ancestors who are spitting images of them. I think a normal reaction to finding a lookalike to someone you know in a history book is just making a passing comment and then moving on, not starting to theorize about that person secretly being super old.

I don't think it's ever indicated that the characters understand the difference in life span between a fairy and a non-fairy. It's very possible that no one even thought about (or can grasp) how fairies age, so, in turn, they never considered that Lilia is actually much older than he appears to be. Honestly, it's more likely that they waved Lilia's oddities off as differences in culture (humans vs fae, or non-Valley of the Thorns residents vs Valley of the Thorns residents) rather than as an age discrepancy. We, as the readers, may easily understand and acclimate ourselves with a youthful looking character that is actually hundreds of years old, but if we actually met someone claiming to be ancient despite looking like a kid in real life, we wouldn't believe that person. That's the same situation the TWST boys find themselves in, and we need to shift our perspective to understand what they are perceiving and thinking. What seems logical to us may not necessarily be logical for the characters in TWST, so we need to keep that in mind while evaluating what seems to be "obvious" to us.

Alternatively, I think the writers probably hit all of the main cast with "the dumb dumb stick" just for plot convenience's/entertainment's sake. It's similar reasoning to why the MC never learned Malleus's name until chapter 5, despite there supposedly being rumors about him amongst the student body and other characters (for some reason) not recognizing him when MC described Malleus to them. (Like, who else on campus has such noticeable horns?) No one knowing Lilia's real age might be more for dramatic effect and not for any realism within the game's lore itself. And I'm probably just overthinking all of this--

#Lilia Vanrouge #twst theory #twst theories #twisted wonderland theory #twisted wonderland theories #NRC Mob Students #Vil Schoenheit #Yuu #MC #Malleus Draconia

[writingwithcolor]

Jurassic period alien interacting with key cultures and historical figures in Middle East & Asia throughout history

@ketchupmaster400​ said:

Hello, so my question is for a character I’ve been working on for quite a while but wasn’t sure about a few things. So basically at the beginning of the universe there was this for less being made up of dark matter and dark energy. Long story short it ends up on earth during the Jurassic Period. It has the ability to adapt and assimilate into other life animals except it’s hair is always black and it’s skin is always white and it’s eyes are always red. It lives like this going from animal to animal until it finally becomes human and gains true sentience and self awareness. As a human it lives within the Middle East and Asia wondering around trying to figure out its purpose and meaning. So what I initially wanted to do with it was have small interactions with the dark matter human and other native humans that kinda helped push humanity into the direction it is now. For example, Mehndhi came about when the dark matter human was drawing on their skin because it felt insecure about having such white skin compared to other people. And ancient Indians saw it and thought it was cool so they adopted it and developed it into Mehndi. Minor and small interactions though early history leading to grander events. Like they would be protecting Jerusalem and it’s people agains the Crusaders later on. I also had the idea of the the dark matter human later on interacting with the prophets Jesus Christ and Muhammad. With Jesus they couldn’t understand why he would sacrifice himself even though the people weren’t deserving. And then Jesus taught them that you have to put other before yourself and protecting people is life’s greatest reward. And then with the prophet Muhammad, I had the idea that their interaction was a simple conversation that mirrors the one he had with the angel Jibril, that lead to the principles of Islam. Now with these ideas I understand the great importance of how not to convey Islam and I’ve been doing reasearch, but I am white and I can understand how that may look trying to write about a different religion than my own. So I guess ultimate my question is, is this ok to do? Is it ok to have an alien creature interact with religious people and historical events as important as they were? Like I said I would try to be as accurate and as respectable as possible but I know that Islam can be a touchy subject and the last thing I would want is to disrespect anyone. The main reason I wanted the dark matter being in the Middle East was because I wanted to do something different because so much has been done with European and American stuff I wanted to explore the eastern side of the world because it’s very beau and very rich with so many cultures that I want to try and represent. I’m sorry for the long post but I wanted you guys to fully understand what my idea was. Thank you for your time and hope you stay safe.

Disclaimer:

The consensus from the moderators was that the proposed character and story is disrespectful from multiple cultural perspectives. However, we can’t ignore the reality that this is a commonly deployed trope in many popular science fiction/ thriller narratives. Stories that seek to take religious descriptions of events at face value from an areligious perspective particularly favor this approach. Thus, we have two responses:

Where we explain why we don’t believe this should be attempted.

Where we accept the possibility of our advice being ignored.

1) No - Why You Shouldn’t Do This:

Hi! I’ll give you the short answer first, and then the extended one.

Short answer: no, this is not okay.

Extended answer. I’ll divide it into three parts.

1) Prophet Muhammad as a character:

Almost every aspect of Islam, particularly Allah (and the Qur’an), the Prophet(s) and the companions at the time of Muhammad ﷺ, are strictly kept within the boundaries of real life/reality. I’ll assume this comes from a good place, and I can understand that from one side, but seriously, just avoid it. It is extremely disrespectful and something that is not even up to debate for Muslims to do, let alone for non-Muslims. Using Prophet Muhammad as a character will only bring you problems. There is no issue with mentioning the Prophet during his lifetime when talking about his attributes, personality, sayings or teachings, but in no way, we introduce fictional aspects in a domain that Muslims worked, and still work, hard to keep free from any doubtful event or incident. Let’s call it a closed period: we don’t add anything that was not actually there.

Reiterating then, don’t do this. There is a good reason why Muslims don’t have any pictures of Prophet Muhammad. We know nothing besides what history conveyed from him. 

After this being said, there is another factor you missed – Jesus is also an important figure in Islam and his story from the Islamic perspective differs (a lot) from that of the Christian perspective. And given what you said in your ask, you would be taking the Christian narrative of Jesus. If it was okay to use Prophet Muhammad as a character (reminder: it’s not) and you have had your dark matter human interacting with the biblical Jesus, it will result in a complete mess; you would be conflating two religions.

2) Crusaders and Jerusalem:

You said this dark matter human will be defending Jerusalem against the Crusaders. At first, there is really no problem with this. However, ask yourself: is this interaction a result of your character meeting with both Jesus and Prophet Muhammed? If yes, please refer to the previous point. If not, or even if you just want to maintain this part of the story, your dark matter human can interact with the important historical figures of the time. For example, if you want a Muslim in your story, you can use Salah-Ad-Din Al-Ayoubi (Saladin in the latinized version) that took back Jerusalem during the Third Crusade. Particularly, this crusade has plenty of potential characters. 

Also, featuring Muslim characters post Prophet Muhammad and his companions’ time, is completely fine, just do a thorough research.

 3) Middle Eastern/South Asian settings and Orientalism:

The last point I want to remark is with the setting you chose for your story. Many times, when we explore the SWANA or South Asian regions it’s done through an orientalist lens. Nobody is really safe from falling into orientalism, not even the people from those regions. My suggestion is educating yourself in what orientalism is and how it’s still prevalent in today’s narrative. Research orientalism in entertainment, history... and every other area you can think of. Edward Said coined this term for the first time in history, so he is a good start. There are multiple articles online that touch this subject too. For further information, I defer to middle eastern mods. 

- Asmaa

Racism and Pseudo-Archaeology:

A gigantic, unequivocal and absolute no to all of it, lmao. 

I will stick to the bit about the proposed origin of mehendi in your WIP, it’s the arc I feel I’m qualified to speak on, Asmaa has pretty much touched upon the religious and orientalism complications. 

Let me throw out one more word: pseudoarchaeology. That is, taking the cultural/spiritual/historical legacies of ancient civilizations, primarily when it involves people of colour, and crediting said legacies to be the handiwork of not just your average Outsider/White Saviour but aliens. I’ll need you to think carefully about this: why is it that in so much of media and literature pertaining to the so-called “conspiracy theories” dealing with any kind of extraterrestrial life, it’s always Non-Western civilizations like the Aztec, the ancient Egyptians, the Harappans etc who are targeted? Why is it that the achievements of the non West are so unbelievable that it’s more feasible to construct an idea of non-human, magical beings from another planet who just conveniently swooped in to build our monuments and teach us how to dress and what to believe in? If the answer makes you uncomfortable, it’s because it should: denying the Non-West agency of their own feats is not an innocent exercise in sci-fi worldbuilding, it comes loaded with implications of racial superiority and condescension towards the intellect and prowess of Non-European cultures. 

Now, turning to specifics:

Contrary to what Sarah J. Maas might believe- mehendi designs are neither mundane, purely aesthetic tattoos nor can they be co-opted by random Western fantasy characters. While henna has existed as an art form in various cultures, I’m limiting my answer to the Indian context, (specifying since you mention ancient India). Mehendi is considered one of the tenets of the Solah Shringar- sixteen ceremonial adornments for Hindu brides, one for each phase of the moon, as sanctioned by the Vedic texts. The shade of the mehendi is a signifier for the strength of the matrimonial bond: the darker the former, the stronger the latter. Each of the adornments carries significant cosmological/religious symbolism for Hindus. To put it bluntly, when you claim this to be an invention of the aliens, you are basically taking a very sacred cultural and artistic motif of our religion and going “Well actually….extraterrestrials taught them all this.”

In terms of Ayurveda (Traditional holistic South Asian medicine)  , mehendi was used for its medicinal properties. It works as a cooling agent on the skin and helps to alleviate stress, particularly for the bride-to-be. Not really nice to think that aliens lent us the secrets of Ayurvedic science (pseudoarchaeology all over again). 

I’m just not feeling this arc at all. The closest possible alternative I could see to this is the ancient Indian characters incorporating some specific stylistic motifs in their mehendi in acknowledgement to this entity, in the same vein of characters incorporating motifs of tribute into their armour or house insignia, but even so, I’m not sure how well that would play out. If you do go ahead with this idea, I cannot affirm that it will not receive backlash.

-Mimi

These articles might help:

 Pseudoarchaeology and the Racism Behind Ancient Aliens

A History of Indian Henna (this studies mehendi origins mostly with reference to Mughal history)

Solah Shringar

2) Not Yes, But If Ignoring the Above:

I will be the dissenting voice of “Not No, But Here Are The Big Caveats.” Given that there is no way to make the story you want to tell palatable to certain interpretations of Islam and Christianity, here is my advice if the above arguments did not sufficiently deter you.

1. Admiration ≠ Research: It is not enough to just admire cultures for their richness and beauty. You need to actually do the research and learn about them to determine if the story you want to tell is a good fit for the values and principles these cultures prioritize. You need to understand the significance of historical figures and events to understand the issues with attributing the genesis of certain cultural accomplishments to an otherworldly influence. 1.

2. Give Less Offense When Possible and Think Empathetically: You should try to imagine the mindsets of those you will offend and think about to what degree you can soften or ameliorate certain aspects of your plot, the creature’s characteristics, and the creature’s interactions with historical figures to make your narrative more compatible. There is no point pretending that much of areligious science fiction is incompatible with monotheist, particularly non-henotheistic, religious interpretations as well as the cultural items and rituals derived from those religious interpretations. One can’t take “There is no god, just a lonely alien” and make that compatible with “There is god, and only in this particular circumstance.” Thus:

As stated above by Asmaa and Mimi, there is no escaping the reality the story you propose is offensive to some. Expect their outcry to be directed towards you. Can you tolerate that?

Think about how you would feel if someone made a story where key components of your interpretation of reality are singled out as false. How does this make you feel? Are you comfortable doing that to others?

3. Is Pseudoarchaeology Appropriate Here?: Mimi makes a good point about the racial biases of pseudoarchaeology. Pseudoarchaeology is a particular weakness of Western-centric atheist sci-fi. Your proposed story is the equivalent of a vaguely non-descript Maya/Aztec/Egyptian pyramid or Hindu/ Buddhist-esque statue being the source for a Resident Evil bio weapon/ Predator nest/ Assassin’s Creed Isu relic.

Is this how you wish to draw attention to these cultures you admire? While there is no denying their ubiquity in pop-culture, such plots trivialize broad swathes of non-white history and diminish the accomplishments of associated ethnic groups. The series listed above all lean heavily into these tropes either because the authors couldn’t bother to figure out something more creative or because they are intentionally telling a story the audience isn’t supposed to take seriously.*

More importantly, I detect a lot of sincerity in your ask, so I imagine such trivialization runs counter to your expressed desire to depict Eastern cultures in a positive and accurate manner.

4. Freedom to Write ≠ Freedom from Consequence: Once again, as a reminder, it’s not our job to reassure you as to whether or not what you are proposing is ok. Asmaa and Mimi have put a lot of effort into explaining who you will offend and why.  We are here to provide context, but the person who bears the ultimate responsibility for how you choose to shape this narrative, particularly if you share this story with a wide audience, is you. Speaking as one writer to another, I personally do not have a strong opinion one way or the other, but I think it is important to be face reality head-on.

- Marika.

* This is likely why the AC series always includes that disclaimer stating the games are a product of a multicultural, inter-religious team and why they undermine Western cultures and Western religious interpretations as often (if not moreso) than those for their non-Western counterparts.

Note: Most WWC asks see ~ 5 hours of work from moderators before they go live. Even then, this ask took an unusually long amount of time in terms of research, emotional labor and discussion. If you found this ask (and others) useful, please consider tipping the moderators (link here), Asmaa (coming eventually) and Mimi (here). I also like money - Marika.

#alien character #historical fiction #science fiction #pseudoarchaeology #Middle-Eastern cultures #South-Asian cultures #Islam #writing with Islam #mehendi #cultural appropriation #areligious perspectives in writing #asks #WWC

[marisol993]

For some time now I've seen, over and over again, that the Qunari in the Dragon Age Universe are apparently some kind of racist caricature of black people, muslims and other types of poc's, bipoc's, minorities, ....

From a personal perspective I never saw them as such, but since a personal view of things isn't very objective and can be skewed by ones life-experiances I was completely willing to admit, that I might have been wrong about that and had an opportunity to learn something new here.

The more I thought about it and critically examined this statement though, the less I agreed with any of it. Especially since a lot of arguments in favor of this view seemed to boil down to "this person of [insert relevant minority here] said so". I.e. another "personal viewpoint".

So let's get into a critical analysis of the Qunari and why I think that they are so very far removed from any kind of "minorty" (from a western point of view) coding that you couldn't even see it with the power of the Hubble and James Webb space-telescopes combined:

First of all, who are the Qunari? The Qunari are tall, medium to heavily built, horned (or unhorned, if you only played Origins) humanoids, that come in varying shades of grey skin, with whiteish hair. They are more intensly sexually dimorphic than the Dwarves, Elves and Humans of Thedas, with the males being sometimes nearly twice as wide (especially in the shoulders) and much more muscled than the females. They call themselves the Qunari as they are followers of the Qun (their guide to life and society), though the word is more of an umbrella-term, since anybody of any race is called a Qunari if they "convert" to the teachings of the Qun.

Here's a picture:

At this point some people might already remark, that the Qunari are very obviously "black-coded" since apparently nowadays any deviation from natural, real-life human skintones automatically has to mean, that the fantasy-race in question is meant to reflect black or brown people (even if they are green or bright purple), unless you literally give them a complete and utterly snow-white skintone. If that is the argument you want to go with, I would like to redirect your eyes to the picture above, as it already disproves this. As it is shown there (and in the DA:I Character-Creator), the Qunari can come in a complete spectrum of skintones (from very light grey to nearly ebony), just like all the different races of Thedas (even the dwarves for some reason, which doesn't make much sense for a race that lived underground for most of their history, but what can you do..). This basically means, that yes there are dark-skinned (or "black") Qunari, but there are also those that could be better described as "light-skinned", so the coding-qualifier goes away.

Then there are the people, who might want to say, that because they are tall and "burly", together with the unnatural skintone makes them "black-coded" which is something I never really understood, since the tallest people in the world by ethnicity are the Dutch and if you look at heights in correlation with body-weight the Russians take first place. Both countries not really know for their large populations of darkskinned-humanoids. Another coding-qualifier that goes away.

And then there are the people (who I would seriously suggest should maybe review their own "racial" views, if "black and brown people" is the first thing they think about when it comes to this), who say, that they are a stereotype of the "savages and natives", which is something that is actively contradicted in canon. One of the most prominent traits of the Qunari is that they are efficiant to a T, use every resorce at the disposal to it's maximum (including their people) and that they are more technically and scientifically advanced than many other race in Thedas (except maybe the dwarves) . This is shown through their mastery of gunpowder (which they call gaatlok) and the fact that they can use chemicals and drugs to literally warp the mind of people without needing magic. They are in no way presented as "savage" and if they are named such, it's usually by people who they are actively at war with, who want to insult them. They are also not "natives" of Thedas. Even their so called "homeland" in Thedas, which is called Par Vollen, was colonised by them, when they landed at it's shores in 6:30 Steel-Age and started converting the original population of Tevinter humans and elves, with whom they have been at war with ever since. Let me say that again: The Qunari are active colonisers and at war with the Tevinter-Imperium, who's people are the original population of the land. Not exactly a typical "native or black" stereotype in western media.

So who do I think the Qunari are actually modeled after?

Well let's summarise:

The Qunari came from across the ocean in their ships filled with cannons and guns, to colonise the land and convert the native population towards their beliefs. They are currently fighting a war against the Tevinter-Imperium, an old and powerful empire, that engages in widespread slavery and practices blood-magic by sacrificing said slaves, sometimes also to one of their many gods.

(If you can't guess who I think they are supposed to be modeled after by now, I would recommend to maybe picking up a 7th-grade history textbook again)

Yes, you can make a very strong case for the Qunari actually being these guys:

The Conquistadors (heck, if you cross out a few letters you can even anagram the word "Qunari" out of the word Conquistador). Who also came from across the sea with ships, cannons and guns to colonise the land (south- and middle-america) and convert the native population (to christianity) and fought an ancient and powerful empire with slaves and blood-sacrifices (the Aztec-Kingdoms).

So after pissing of one half of tumblr with that, let's start with the other half by talking about the apparent "muslim-coding" and how I disagree with that too.

Let's start with a rough definition of what a muslim is and how I think that that alone shows how the Qunari are in no way coded to be them:

I would define a muslim as somebody who is an active member of the religion of Islam. Islam is defined by it's holybook (the Qur'An), which was revealed to the prophet Muhammad by an all-knowing and omnipresent abrahamic god.

This in and of itself basically already disqualifies the Qunari from being "muslim-coded" since first and foremost the Qunari are not a religion. They do not have a god and they don't pray to any, the Qun is not a "holy-book" and Ashkaari Koslun (the guy who wrote it) was not a prophet, who wrote down the word of god, but a philosopher who basically crafted a "guide to life and society" with his works.

If you really wanted to find something that is slightly "muslim-coded" in the world of Thedas, you might actually have more luck with the chantry-stuff, since they do have a prophet (Andraste) who could talk to god (the Maker), they have a holy book based of her teachings (the Chant of Light) and they believe that the whole world should follow those teachings, so god will return to them (singing the Chant from all four corners of the world). They even have their own flavour of jihadist religious warfare with the Exhalted Marches (though all in all I do think that the Chantry can be better viewed as a take on christian religions since the split between the Imperial Chantry and the original one is similar to the split of the (western) christian church into catholics and protestants).

So what do I think is a better representation for the Qun in the real world?

Well lets look at it in the simplest way possible that the canon gives us:

The Qun is a guide for the life of the Qunari (the people of the Qun) that ecompasses everything from laws, legislative guides, too how society should be struktured and how everyone has to fit into and function in that society, from the most mundane and simplest tasks and jobs to it's highest administrative bodies. Everyone in this society is evaluated, so that they can be put into a position that is best suited to them and their skill-sets. There they will then each work according to their abilities and each be provided for according to their needs (see what I did there). Yes, the Qun can in my opinion be best described as a take on an authoritarian-socialist guide to life, written by somebody with a similar philosophie as Karl Marx.

So all in all, I don't think that the Qunari are in any way black-, brown-, bipoc- or muslim-coded, but a fantasy take on the Conquistadors, if instead of a bible they had all carried around "A Guide to Life, Luck and Community, written by Karl Marx (during one of his more productive weekends)", visually represented by giant Minotaur-People of many colours.

Also I find this obsession with finding every and any kind of reflexion of our real world in some random fantasy setting, by people who are most of the time actively looking to get offended by at least something and mostly every- and anything, quite contrived most of the time and that the day people on tumblr learned the word "codeing" a significant part of the internets critical-thinking skills and will just shrivelled up and died.

Thank you for coming to my TED-talk.

#dragon age #dragon age origins #dragon age 2 #dragon age inquisition #qunari #the qun #thedas #tevinter imperium

[inb4belphienaps]

warnings: angst (i think?), mention of blood, introspection strikes again word count: 1264 A/N: with peace and love, this is written from lucifer’s perspective <3

When you sigh, I feel the ghost of your breath against my lips.

When you stop and reach upwards towards the sky in an attempt to stretch your stiff back, I feel the weight of the world rise and fall from your shoulders.

When you whisper to yourself in the quiet of the night and watch the darkness shift like the tide, I feel your hand in mine.

With the oath I took, you and I became connected. In that one instance, there was no longer a “you” or a “me”. There was only us.

There was only and is only the bond that we share, this immovable thread, never to be severed even by our own design. Though we may each have the power to do so, I have no intentions of cutting it.

I just hope to be able to say the same about you…

Longing. Yearning. Aching. Knowing. But do you know?

Do you know how quickly you infatuated me? How readily my affections grew to such proportions that seemed impossible? How easily the desire to have you look at only me spread throughout my entire being? Like wildfire, like an untamable spark, it had engulfed me before I could even recall what used to lie there in my chest, what had occupied that empty space before you.

Struck so suddenly I withdrew into myself. I watched you through walls that could neither contain your presence nor discourage mine. I heard you read to yourself, brows furrowed as shadows danced along your silhouette, and I would close my eyes so as to remember your voice. Your voice that can do so much with but an utter of my name. One look. One word. That’s all I need.

And yet, I am selfish. Incapable of letting you be.

My expression sours and the formication of anger does nothing to dampen my hunger. This craving for you is new. But it is also irony. In the past (though some still practice this custom), humans were used as sustenance to demons. Sacrificed and hunted down for sport for generations. Why then do I covet you instead?

What are you to me?

This question bounces around in my head. Sometimes with a speed that I cannot fathom. Other times, it lingers, almost hovering in the air, drifting along on the stream of consciousness I call my thoughts. In the silence of my mind and in the desolate hallways of this flesh, I picture you as clear as day.

How can you know, I ask myself. How can you possibly know?

Those human hands, soft to the touch yet strong enough to mend the broken. Those livid lips, full of emotion and yet unreadable on occasions wherein I wish I could understand. Those eager eyes, like glass, reflective and transparent but glazed over when met with disfavors.

Those eyes that seek me out draw me near. Wordlessly, I walk forward. Two steps become three, then four and suddenly I come face-to-face with your visage, and yet still, the urge to close the gap between us grows ever stronger. I’m not sure what this means exactly. I have a hunch.

The Ancient Greeks had the right idea.

…I think.

You know how it goes, don’t you?

A single body with four arms and legs. A single head with two faces. Complete and whole and happy in their absoluteness. It’s obvious, isn’t it? That the Gods were jealous. The supposed “fear” for the humans’ lack of devotion is but an excuse.

Wrathful and spiteful Gods – what a familiarly arduous concept.

No power, as well-intentioned as they may begin, can resist the sins of temptation. And I’m sure you’re aware by now that temptation can come in many forms. Even you, you who appears to have no weaknesses, aren’t immune to its effects.

With this at least I know that I may have some influence over you. That as indirect as this said influence may be, I am still the one behind it.

So why does this notion do little to dispel the loneliness?

Why does the brief moment of satisfaction fall away to give leverage to something deeper? Something more profound than whatever lies beneath the term “loneliness”? It does not describe the extent to which such melancholy resides. It does not describe the misery that threatens to plague me when you are not by my side. It does not pacify the fear, or the regret, or the ever-looming presence of whatever confusion brews inside.

Why did I dismiss you so early on in our acquaintance?

Because I have lived through the pain of love (regarding humans in particular). The way it ravages the soul and bears its destruction with no care for the consequences such violence reaps.

I have witnessed the anguish, the way it consumes one’s mind and leads them astray. I have seen to what extent this manner of delirium, like the seed of a forgotten weed, can flourish when left alone and unplucked. I carry this knowledge within me, and I recognize its devastation.

And I am torn.

For I have also seen the opposite. The other side, the one veiled in devotion. In such pure and unadulterated tenderness that has, I’ll admit, affected me. Even after the fall, I could not shake it. I cannot deny the existence of love in humans. How they can be infused with passion, and how that passion can snuff out any evil that may cause them doubt.

As enticing as temptation can be to humans, they are just as strong to push back against it. To resist and to surpass the limits that have been used to contain them. I see that in you.

In how you act in front of my brothers. But most importantly, in how you act in front of me. Do I amuse you? Do you think me off-putting? Is it not different now? Between us…

Why won’t you give yourself to me?

Why won’t you let me in?

How can I take back what I may have done that unknowingly tainted your view of me? How can I tint your gaze with desire like my own? How can I decorate my words with the fondness that I hide so that I may appear as unstirred as you?

So many questions that I hold close to my chest, like roses in the breast-pocket of my vest. They are left unanswered and better thought of as unmentioned in your absence. Their thorns, however, tear through the fabric and prick my skin, drawing beads of blood.

This bond, it grows. Yet I fear that it is one-sided. That if I were to draw a scale, it would undoubtedly tip and crumble at my feet. Hesitation makes a mockery of me, my love. May I call you as such?

Do I dare to reveal my intentions so blatantly?

My love…my dearest…it grows. It blooms. It flowers and it’s beautiful. Would you allow me to imagine it? Us. Not just the idea of us. I want to imagine the reality of us. As tangible and as visible as both the warmth and the flush on my cheeks when I think of you.

I want to hold your hand in mine and feel you squeeze my fingers. I want to kiss your lips and drink your affections. I want…

…I want you to tell me that you love me. That I am not alone in my realizations. That you’re as helpless as me to succumb to them.

That for me, you will not resist the temptation of love.

#i know i bully him but really it's so that i don't let on how much i like him #there is only (1) lovesick fool in this house #and this is he #obey me writing #obey me angst #obey me lucifer #obey me! lucifer #lucifer x reader #lucifer x gn reader #my writing 🐇

[quittingfiction]

Meet Me in Another Life

“You can’t ever know someone completely. You’d have to be everything to them, and that’s impossible.” (8)

“Isn’t it weird how reality sometimes looks unrealistic?” she muses. “That shouldn’t be possible. I mean, what are we comparing it to?” “Something more real that we can’t remember...” (10)

“Little kids all love the stars. They all want to be astronauts. Explore the universe, see what no one else has ever seen. We keep our eyes on the ground and decide to be something realistic.” (10)

She’s angry at home, his security in who he is, when she feels like a bundle of contradictory ideas clumsily woven into a person. (16)

He comes to her. Sometimes, in their arguments, words no longer reach her: what she needs is his hands, and his attention, and his eyes looking into hers. It slows time to a manageable pave, makes her feel less like a careening top on the verge of falling. (57)

She never expected what being happy would do to time. It speeds up, sliding away under her fingers, distorting into fantastic shapes. She tries to cling to every moment. (58)

She sits by his bedside and holds his hand, furious at the limitation of it. She doesn’t want to be his wife. She wants to be something else, something elemental and boundless. Another thing she can’t say. (61)

She is an accident of atoms, and when life is done with her, she will disperse. (63)

“We have to give her meaning before she can give it back to us.” (68)

She tilts her head. “Do they look like that from pace?” “No. No, they would look completely different. Someone from a different planet probably wouldn’t even put the same starts in constellations with each other.” Thora frowns. “Don’t they belong together?” “Not really. Ancient people just thought they did because they made pictures.” He shrugs. “That’s what humans do, I guess. Look up at the sky and see reflections of themselves.” “Themselves?” she says with a snort. “You mean ourselves? Or are you saying that you’re not human?” “Blorgle fnarg,” he replies. Thora laughs, too loud to suppress. Santi feels a brief, intense high. “It’s like us,” she says. “What?” he asks with a smile. “You and me and Heloise. From far away we look like a family, but really we have nothing to do with each other.” The high crashes. Santi thinks of the three of them, he and Heliose tightly bound binary starts, Thora drifting somewhere light years away. “The truth is, perspective is everything,” he says finally. “We choose how we want to look at things.” (68-69)

She’s the sea; she needs a rock to crash on. (70)

“That’s not how love works. You don’t just love someone for no reason. You love them for who they are, or what they do, or how they look. They have to deserve it.” ... “Thora, no. If love was something we had to deserve, we would all be loveless. No, love is what the world owes us.” He gives her an apologetic smile. “Sometimes, it doesn’t pay up, that’s all.” (71)

“I don’t know if I’d want to be ready. I feel like I’d rather just—go. In the middle of what I’m doing. Die living, you know?” (85)

She wants to dive into the lake, hide in the blue world where everything is silent and nothing weighs this much. (86)

The only way he can reconcile what he remembers is to think that it’s a message, one he’s not yet ready to understand. He watches the world like a detective, like a poet, waiting for the meaning to come clear. (93)

“Wonder is the denial of a need for explanation.” (99)

She wonders if everyone feels it, this hunger to live every life, to exist as every possible version of herself. (106-107)

“Perhaps it’s a gift. To be able to see the possibility of a better world.” His eyes fix her. “But I don’t believe it can work like you say, that we could step into it so easily. No. We have to work to make it.” (111-112)

asymmetric knowledge (120)

No one can be everything to someone (127)

“...If all of our actions matter, that creates too many paths for just one of them to be right.” (208)

“...I make my own meaning. No, I don’t think I’m going anywhere after this. I don’t think God is watching, and I don’t think there’s a cosmic plan that my death is designed to fulfill.” (296)

There’s no wrong choice, Santi says. There’s just what happens. (306)

#5 #catriona silvey #meet me in another life #q

[izayoi-hakuyu]

Vanitas no carte: A case study of the vanitas motif?

In this I want to examine how the vanitas motif is used in the manga “Vanitas no carte”. In other words: Is the main character just called Vanitas because it’s a cool name or is the manga embedded within a certain literary/artistic/cultural tradition? And is the connection to that tradition just the name of the main character (spoiler: it isn’t, at least in my option) or is the vanitas motif deeply interwoven within the narrative and its themes (spoiler: it is, at least in my option)?

Talking about spoilers: I have only read up to chapter 40, so this may be updated as I continue reading. On the other hand, there will be spoilers for the chapters up to chapter 40.

Note: I don’t know if something like this has been done before. If it has, I’m very sorry. This is actually my second step into the actual fandom and I’m lacking an overview. Also English is not my native language and it’s hard for me to articulate myself properly. I’m sorry if the topic of the vanitas motif within the manga has been discussed before and I’m sorry for any mistakes I make.

So what is vanitas as a motif?

“Vanitas” is latin for “vanity”. As a theme in literature it addresses the transience of all being.

These works of art associates with the vanitas motif show the futility of pleasure, and the certainty of death. Symbols of wealth and symbols of death are often arranged in a contrasting matter. Similar to “memento mori” (latin for “remember that you [have to] die”. Memento mori is a vanitas symbol itself and they are overlapping), it accentuates the inevitably of death. But instead of the death itself it emphasizes the vanity and transiency of the human life. Motifs connected to vanitas became especially popular during the baroque period due to religious and social upheavals and the experience of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and several plague pandemics and the steady presence of destruction and death. On the other hand, social injustice rose due to the build of expensive castles by absolutist rulers.

The vanitas-motif not only criticizes the worldly glory and pleasure that is transient in nature. But vanitas also accentuated that the humans are powerlessly confronted with their own fate and have no control over their own life. This mindset originated in the traditional Christian belief that earthly pursuits and goods were believed to be transient and worthless. Furthermore, people would be expected to accept their fate that would be inflicted by God. While everything earthly would be eventually in vain, God would be eternal.

The paintings under the term “vanitas still lifes” are the most well-known incarnation of the vanitas motif, but it has been also incorporated as a motif not only in painting, but in poetry (for example in the works of the German baroque poet Andreas Gryphius. And I kid you not, he wrote an ode called “Vanitas! Vanitatum Vanitas!”) and other forms of literature. Within the vanitas motif developed a whole collection of symbols associated with it. These are also presented in this manga.

Vanitas symbols in Vanitas no Carte

Hourglass

The hourglass that takes form in Vanitas’ earring is a classical symbol of vanitas. The flowing sand symbolizes the passing of lifetime and mortality. A symbol of the passing of time and the eventual death is also expressed in the gearwheel ornaments on the “Book of Vanitas”.

Skull

The cover of the first volume shows Vanitas in front of a picture frame made of golden skulls. Skulls are symbols of vanitas and memento mori. They are reminder of death and human transience. One of the skulls on the cover is wearing with a crown, which alludes to the typical form of presentation of the vanitas motif, to juxtapose symbols of death and symbols of wealth and worldly power. This relates to the role of the vampire Queen Faustina, who is both in reign of the vampires but who also seemingly spreads death over them by spreading the curse as Naenia (a name also connected to death, as Naenia was a funeral deity in ancient Rome. The name Faustina on the other hand…is a whole new topic for another day and is most likely referring to Goethe’s Faust, a play that revolves around a scholar who makes a contract with the devil. Actually the act of vampires exposing their real name includes elements of/refers to the Faustian pact motif).

Book

The book itself also a symbol of vanitas and finds its place in the story in form of the…”Book of Vanitas”. Books (among measurement tools and the like) within the vanitas motif represent the emptiness and vanity of earthly knowledge and striving. Subsequently they symbolize the haughtiness that can arise out of thirst for knowledge. From this perspective this symbolism is also tied to Dr. Moreau, who horribly abused Vanitas and other children in experiments to gain scientific knowledge in order to become a vampire himself...and his eventual failure.

Knife

Another part of Vanitas as a character is also connected to the vanitas motif – his knife. The knife stands for the vulnerability of the human life and also functions as a death symbol. The knife is especially charged symbolically as Vanitas attacks Noé on the rooftop, declaring their cooperation has ended at this point. Vanitas is refusing to let another person in his life, refusing to trust someone else but himself. His attack towards Noé with his knife not only is an attempt to make Noé hate him, but also a symbolic “cut” of their ties. But the symbolism doesn’t end here, as Noé is the one who stops the knife with his hand. Showing that he will refuse their ties to be cut. Showing that he will stay at Vanitas side no matter what and that he accepts him and doesn’t want him to be alone. In a second situation where their relationship is on the verge of breaking is the conflict within the catacombs, as Noé refuses to agree with Vanitas idea of fighting back Laurent. Vanitas lashes out, severly insults Noé and tells him to leave, if he doesn’t agree. But Noé stays at his side (and still shows him that he doesn’t agree). One could conclude that Noé’s relationship with Vanitas has an element of transience in it by Vanitas coping mechanism of avoiding and leaving others in case of conflict. And Noé fights this transience of their relationship by offering Vanitas trust, acceptation and in the end stability. During their next conflict, where Noé spits out that he wants to drink Vanitas’ blood, Vanitas leaves. But this time it is Vanitas himself who initiates remediation, who fights his own transience when it comes to social relationships. He returns (which is unlikely to him, as Dante states), his care for Noé are stronger than his desire to be fleeting, not being able to be “caught” by anyone. And sees Noé waiting for him. Again, offering stability.

Mirror

The vanitas motif is not only imbedded in the accessory of Vanitas himself. It also finds its place in the design of Noé, more precisely in the small mirror attached to his tophat. In the context of the vanitas motif, mirrors symbolize vanity and the evanescence of earthly beauty. It also stands for pride and haughtiness, similar to the Greek myth of Narcissus. This actually contrasts Noé’s humble personality.

Flowers

Within the manga Paris is described as the “City of flowers”. While flowers can be also a symbol of love and even immortality, their blooming and withering can also be a symbol of death and fleetingness of beauty, especially in the context of baroque symbolism.

Musical instruments

Musical instruments are a sign of transiency as well, as the sound vanishes into nothing as soon as it is articulated. Music is seen as something unique and unrepeatable, and also as something that is transient in its nature. This becomes evident in Cloé’s character arc, as music is her way to manipulate the world formula. Her life is also highly influenced by the transience of her surroundings, while she herself is forced to remain static.

Carpe diem

Latin for “seize the day”. It’s the name of Jeanne’s weapon. “Carpe diem” is an idiom that was especially popular in the baroque era, but it dates back to the roman poet Horace. Along with “memento mori” and “vanitas”, it emphasized the fleetingness of all life. “Carpe diem” emphasizes the call to make use of the day and the time left and to act, despite the eventual transient nature of all afford. The own mortality should be remembered and therefore the day should be seized. This reflects the main characters Vanitas, Noé and Jeanne, who carry on and refuse to give up, despite the external and internal struggles they face.

The color blue

The color blue takes a significant role within the narratives (Vampire!Vanitas being born under the blue moon). While it is not traditionally connected with vanitas itself, the color blue, together with the color black (which are the two dominating colors within human!Vanitas’ character design), is connected to death and melancholy.

The role of the vanitas motif within the narrative

The vanitas motif is embedded both in the form and in the content of the narrative.

The vanitas motif is embedded within in form of the manga as it has an analytic plot structure. This means the story’s conclusion is already presented in the beginning and the rest of the story unfolds how the eventual conclusion happened. This is the case in “Vanitas no carte” as it presents the conclusion, that Vanitas dies in the end within the first chapter and we are actually reading Noé’s memoirs. Therefore it is a constant reminder, that Vanitas will die and nothing that will happen in the story will change that outcome. Everything that happens in the story appears basically unable to change the end. Every positive development is overshadowed by the fact that it is made clear by the narrative since the very beginning that there will be no happy ending for the main characters. This is especially notable in the scene on the rooftop in volume 3, where Noé declares, how he will stay on Vanitas’ side. This scene is followed by an overlying narration of Noé, who says that memories of the beginning awake memories of the end and expressing his regret. In this positive, powerful scene where Vanitas and Noé make up and the themes of human bonds, free will, acceptation of oneself and others and trust really shine…also embeds the eventual tragic end. The omnipresence of death and its fatality and the transience of life and the knowledge that nothing lasts is the essence vanitas motif and it is presented in the mere structure of the manga.

But its not only the structure where the vanitas motif is woven in, but also the story. This shows especially in the character Vampire!Vanitas and in the mere name itself. As Cloe’s case shows: Vampires are pretty much immortal, if not directly killed. On the other hand, it is the curse of Vampire!Vanitas that endangers vampires: Because it gives them back their mortality and the transience of their existence. A transience not brought by an outside force as in the church, that hunts the vampires – but transience within themselves and their very nature. Vampires fear becoming cursed as much as humans fear death – it can always happen, to everyone. It’s not fast, but slow, seemingly unstoppable “decay”. So it is fitting for someone called “Vanitas” to bring transience and the constant reminder of death and fear upon their whole species.

Another factor of the vanitas motif is the inevitable passing of time and the changes this brings – a theme that is deeply tied to several characters arcs, where death and loss and how to deal with both is a major theme (especially when it comes to Vanitas, Noé, Jeanne, but how they relate to each other thematically is worth an analysis itself and I would digress too much). This is especially notable in Cloé’s arc, who is the only vampire in her family and becomes more and more isolated and alienated from her family, who eventually forgets about her. Cloé’s wish to stop the passing of time (and the underlying wish to be happy with her family, to be accepted for what she is), to fight the transience or rather to fight the vanitas manifests in the time loop. The time is reset and tied into a loop – symbolizing not only her being stuck in the past, but also her refusal of a future, since a future meant nothing but being forgotten for her, who sees no other purpose in herself but to execute the will of her family that has long forgotten her.

The concept of vanitas also includes fatalism and the belief that humans don’t have control over their own lifes. This makes Lord Ruthven , who uses curses to bind other vampires to his will and eliminating their own (as he did/tried to do with Noé, Jeanne and Cloé) a fitting villain from a thematic viewpoint as he impersonates fatalism. Personal choices or free will don’t matter for him as he erases both. This makes him a foil for Vanitas and an antagonist not only in actions but in world view. To Vanitas the freedom of his will and the consciousness of his own choices are extremely important to him. He could never choose in the past and was more seen as tool used by his surroundings than as a person. This emphasis of choices opposes Vanitas to the traditionally fatalistic viewpoint of the vanitas-motif. Not only that, but he uses the Book of Vanitas to actually reverse the curse and fighting the transience of existence that has befallen the vampires.

So Vanitas fights Vampire!Vanitas not only as a person by preventing the curse from killing vampires – but simultaneously he fights the transience and the fatalism: He fights vanitas as a concept itself.

But the narrative doesn’t deem transience not as internally negative. Quite the opposite, the narrative sees transience as an opportunity for change. The change of fixed structures is also an important theme after all. This change of structures is of both negative (as the curse dissembles the true name of the vampire and therefore their entire nature and Jeanne’s struggle and agony with coming in terms with seeing herself changing) and positive qualities. In one of the early chapters Vanitas complains about how the vampires are stuck in the past and therefore refusing his help – it is not only after Vanitas proofs himself that he is at least tolerated. The message of the positive side of change is also within Vanitas’ and Noé’s improving relationship and understanding. Even though Vanitas has a hard time to accept these changes (as he didn’t tell Noé about the state of the Queen, because he thought he wouldn’t believe him and refers to the several past experiences of vampires almost killing him), the positive relationship of both of them even inspires changes in others. Notably Laurent. Who, inspired by seeing a human and a vampire in a positive relationship begins to question his own beliefs and is even on the road to uncover secrets of the church, breaking up entrenched structures as well.

As a conclusion one could say that the manga makes many, many allusions to the vanitas motif and incorporates them structurally, thematically and plot-wise.

Vanitas no Carte is really a case study of vanitas.

#vanitas no carte #vanitas no shuki #the case study of vanitas #noe archiviste #vanitas #meta #vnc meta

[earthbased]

Making Your Own Correspondences for Plants

Disclaimer: This post is about magical and spiritual use, not medical, and medical use is mentioned only for historical examples. Don’t mess around with medicine unless you know what you’re doing, or consult someone who does. I’ve previously written about where the majority of magical plant correspondences tend to come from in modern pagan & witchcraft sites and books. If you decide to DIY some or all of your correspondences, how you do it will depend on what your beliefs and practices are. Some things to consider:

Do you believe the magical properties are already in the plants, are unchangeable, and need to be discovered? Or that they depend on your beliefs and associations?

Do you value individuality and personal significance, or having shared lore with your community and culture? Or both?

Do you value the process of relationship-building with a plant or spirit?

Do you value receiving lore through ancestry or lineage? Does it matter to you how old it is?

I’m going to delve deeper into 3 main sources: existing lore, physical characteristics and the plant itself.

===1. Building upon existing lore===

Learning the history and folklore of a plant, even if it doesn’t have existing magical uses, is likely to give you ideas and a deeper understanding. Some potential sources of lore: recorded folklore and common names, oral tradition, fairytales and nursery rhymes, etymology, flower meanings, appearances in mythology, appearances in well-known books or poems, pop culture and fiction.

Whether or not you want to think about it, the greater story of your practice includes the story of your lore and how it came to you. Oftentimes that story involves violence, theft, deception and ridicule. BIPOC have written at length about cultural appropriation [link, link, link, link] & cultural genocide as one of the ongoing harms of colonisation and racism. If you’re not part of a culture that traditionally stewards a certain plant or body of lore, listening to (whether literally hearing or by other means) and respecting those people’s voices is your ongoing responsibility when engaging with it. Navigating these issues as a member of an oppressing group often involves ambiguity and discomfort. This is also part of the path. Remember that we’re blessed to have the opportunity to listen to these voices today. Others did not survive.

Practical uses, both modern and historical often include medicine, but there’s much more, e.g. thorny plants’ association with protection - not only because the thorns protect the plant itself, but because thorny hedges have been grown in many times and places to deter large animals or trespassers from crossing a fence. More recently, I suspect the modern-day association of lemon with cleaning products has led to its current use in magical cleansing.  In any case plenty of common correspondences have arisen fairly recently from modern-day uses. Whether you place special value upon ancient or pre-modern lore is up to you.  The reasons behind old magical lore were often related to practical use, so I see it as a continued tradition.

===2. Looking at physical characteristics===

What you see depends on how you look (and think). Many plants have heart, star or crescent-shaped leaves. What do these things mean to you? A crescent usually reminds me of the moon but you could also see it as a claw or a smile, two things with very different connotations. Sympathetic magic (a phrase from anthropology) is the idea that things can magically affect each other based on their similarities. But beyond the obvious, there are also symbolic meanings. Many unrelated trees across the world happen to have dark red oozing sap, often earning them a name like "bloodwood". A straightforward use of sympathetic magic would mean it can affect blood, e.g. to stop bleeding. But symbolically, blood often means vitality, death, birth or rebirth, so that oozy tree could be thought to represent any of those things too. Learning observable facts about a plant can be a rich source of inspiration and understanding. Some things to consider: habitat, place of origin, endangered or invasive status, the wild form of a domesticated plant, gardening information, close relatives, lifecycle and seasonal cycle, and parts of interest (leaves, roots, flowers, seeds). For example, a plant well known for its flowers could have something interesting about its seeds which are usually overlooked. The internet is a bountiful source of information, as are books. Your local community likely includes many people who might be willing to pass on their knowledge, for example in local gardening or nature enthusiast clubs, nurseries, environmental groups, and cultural organisations.

You can apply a traditional method of Western astrology to make brand new correspondences to use for sympathetic magic, even with plants that have never been used this way before. This involves comparing the physical qualities of plants (shape, colour, smell, texture etc) with a list of qualities associated with each planetary energy. You might pick one or two features that stand out and concentrate on those. The planet it matches best is considered its ruling planet and will determine its magical application. It's possible for different parts of a plant to have different ruling planets, but not necessary. Common references for planetary qualities include Renaissance philosopher HC Agrippa and famous herbalist Nicholas Culpeper, but your associations may differ, or come from another system of astrology entirely. In any case, once the plant is connected to the planet, it’s also connected to everything else the planet represents. For example, if I determined that a herb in my garden had Venusian qualities, I’d consider it useful for any magic involving love, beauty, harmony or comfort. By a similar process you can assign herbs to a list of deities, zodiac signs, tarot cards, or whatever you want. 

===3. Asking the plant itself===

What this looks like depends on your personal beliefs and practices. It might mean asking an individual plant or a spirit representing the whole species. It may involve trance or ritual, or be as simple as listening inwardly for an internal voice in your thoughts. Will you seek out a living plant, contact it through its dried leaves, invoke its spirit into your space or meet it in a non-physical plane? Additionally, not all communication is about sound and words. Among humans some languages are signed and some people communicate with picture boards. Images, emotion, gesture, touch, music and body language are things to consider.

In some belief systems listening to plants may be interpreted more metaphorically, involving intuition or imagination. Using intuition-enabling practices such as dream work or trance may help you to connect your accumulated knowledge to a spiritual or magical meaning. Imagination and roleplay is also a way of gaining a new perspective, such as the deep ecology practice of a psychodrama called the Council of All Beings (note that the original form was heavily influenced by misappropriated Native American practices and stereotypes).

“What [something/someone] is telling me” is a phrase that can be used literally or figuratively in English. In other languages, especially Indigenous ones, such a distinction may not exist. This use of grammar can reflect a way of thinking and relating that considers humans as one part of a whole. If you were raised in a colonial mindset, asking the plant about its correspondences (whatever form that takes) and considering the plant’s priorities can be a way of challenging that mindset by reframing the interaction as one between two beings, rather than a human acting on a passive object. To me this way of thinking invites respect and reciprocity. How you can act upon that is a topic for another post, or maybe another author.

#advanced witchcraft #green witchcraft #paganism #magical correspondences #witchcraft #magick #Herbal magick #herbal magic #wicca