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#the temptress archetype
deitymuse · 2 years
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fellhellion · 1 year
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One of my favourite aspects to Mytho’s character arc is that he has to contend with the fact that he does desire emotional connection? That being a distant marble statue and the pinnacle of self sacrifice is actually kinda miserable and he wants to love other people are more than a figurehead?
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savagebeautyqueen · 7 months
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writing-with-sophia · 9 months
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Common character archetypes in literature
Character archetypes are universal patterns of behavior, personality traits, and motivations that are commonly found in literature, mythology, and other forms of storytelling. They are often used as a shorthand to help readers quickly understand and relate to a character's role and purpose in the story.
Here are some common character archetypes:
The Hero: The hero is a brave and noble character who goes on a quest or journey to achieve a goal or overcome a challenge. Examples of heroes include Odysseus in Homer's "The Odyssey" and Frodo in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings."
The Villain: The villain is an evil character who opposes the hero and tries to prevent them from achieving their goal. Examples of villains include Darth Vader in "Star Wars" and Iago in Shakespeare's "Othello."
The Mentor: The mentor is a knowledgeable and seasoned figure who directs and encourages the protagonist throughout their adventure. Examples of mentors include Gandalf in "The Lord of the Rings" and Obi-Wan Kenobi in "Star Wars."
The Trickster: The trickster is a mischievous character who uses their wit and cunning to achieve their goals. Examples of tricksters include Loki in Norse mythology and Hermes in Greek mythology.
The Damsel in Distress: The damsel in distress is a female character who requires saving from a hero. Examples of damsels in distress include Princess Peach in the Mario video game series and Sleeping Beauty in the fairy tale of the same name.
The Wise Old Man/ Woman: The wise old man or woman is commonly portrayed as having immense wisdom and expertise, and often acts as a mentor or guide to the protagonist. Examples of wise old men and women include Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series and the Oracle in Greek mythology. Such archetypes have been frequently employed in literature over time to communicate universal themes and concepts about human existence.
The Innocent: The innocent is a pure and uncorrupted character who often serves as a symbol of hope and goodness. Examples of innocents include Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz" and Boo Radley in "To Kill a Mockingbird."
The Outcast: The outcast is a character who is rejected by society and often feels a sense of alienation or isolation. Examples of outcasts include Frankenstein's monster in Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" and Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter."
The Temptress: The temptress is a seductive female character who lures men into danger or temptation. Examples of temptresses include Circe in Greek mythology and the character of Delilah in the Bible.
The Scapegoat: The scapegoat is a character who is blamed for the problems or issues of others. Examples of scapegoats include Tom Robinson in "To Kill a Mockingbird" and Piggy in "Lord of the Flies."
The Rebel: The rebel is a character who challenges authority and often advocates for change. Examples of rebels include Winston Smith in George Orwell's "1984" and Holden Caulfield in J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye."
The Everyman: The everyman is a relatable character who represents the average person and often serves as the protagonist in a story. Examples of everymen include Bilbo Baggins in "The Hobbit" and Winston Smith in "1984."
The Wise Fool: The wise fool is often portrayed as someone who appears to be simple-minded, foolish, or even insane, but who possesses insights and wisdom that are not immediately apparent to others. Examples of the wise fools include the protagonist in "Diary of a Madman" and Yorick in "Tristram Shandy".
The preceding list outlines the typical character archetypes found in literature. Can you determine which archetype best fits your characters?
If you want to read more about The Wise Fool archetype, click here: The Wise Fool - Who is that?
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mirageofadesert · 4 months
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Female Power Done Right: A closer look at Pian Ran from TTEOTM
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The seductress: regulating sexual morality
Female characters have always been stereotyped in popular media. While this isn't limited to the portrayal of women, it has affected them disproportionately and usually in a negative way. There are a number of common stereotypes of how women are portrayed, such as the virtuous woman, the seductress/femme fatale, the Mary Sue and more. While I don't want to say that TTOETM doesn't rely on these kinds of stereotypes to tell its story, the show does get some things right when it comes to its female characters. Pian Ran is the best example of this.
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Most temptress are villains, because female sexuality is often framed as something negative, something dangerous. Sexual morality serves to regulate gender relations, for example through various sexual taboos and prohibitions on premarital and extramarital sexuality or homosexuality. In the major religions and many cultures, sexuality is traditionally placed in the service of procreation. In the ascetic-monastic traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity, which are characterized by sexual renunciation, sexuality is equated with ignorance, desire, attachment or sin and is considered an obstacle to salvation. As women are identified more strongly with physicality than men, sexuality and instinctually in all the religions mentioned, the widely received stereotype of the sexual seductress emerges, which has been used to justify a wide range of discrimination.
Therefore, seductresses are not about female sexuality, they are (through the male gaze) objects of sexual desire for men, while also being a negation point of sexual morality. Virtuous women, especially protagonists, are often sexualised, but not portrayed as sexual beings. In contrast, sexual women are often the competition of the main character. They tend to use their physical attractiveness to attack or steal the main character's love interest, or to overpower the hero with their evil tricks. For this reason, they are often associated with animals that are seen as deceitful, cunning, poisonous or dangerous (e.g. snakes, scorpions, foxes).
At the first glance, Pian Ran fits this archetype well. She is a fox demon, who feeds on the life energy of men. She seduces them, using their sexuality for her own gain and entertainment. Pian Ran also dresses "provocatively" and doesn't conform to social conventions. When we first meet her, she is playing the historical version of strip poker, not just for the money, but because the desperate men amuse her. In the same episode, she forces Ye Qingyu to accompany her to the market and uses her sensuality to throw him off balance.
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However, Pianran also subverts this trope. Her sexuality isn't portrayed as something negative, it's accepted by the people around her. Ye Qingyu never judges her for it, even though he is the polar opposite. Ye Xiwu never looks down on her either, instead she comes to him for advice and even flirts with her.
Sun Zhenni's performance deserves a lot of praise. Her sexiness doesn't feel "sticky" or "creepy" to me, like many other characters of similar type do. She has a natural sensuality that isn't over the top, more sassy than naughty. You can tell that she studied her character a lot and tried to portray her as nuanced as possible.
Pian Ran is also much more than just another fox demon and seductress. She is a complex character. But her main theme isn't really seduction - it's working life.
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Pian Ran vs. work life
This theme runs throughout the drama, from Li Susu offering her a letter of recommendation for a particular sect when they first meet, to Pianran's work for Tantai Jin - and her resentment of it.
She has to work to survive - literally, as Tantai Jin tricks her into believing she has swallowed a pill that will give him control over her life. "Take the pill", which will change your life and take away your freedom, is also a reminder of how certain drugs and their side effects work. While she's not without a certain amount of freedom and has her own command within the Jing Kingdom, she's tied to Tantai Jin's command and rigorous work schedule.
Our girl is a for sure a regular on r/antiwork...
This theme makes her a relatable and likeable character. It also shows how her character is a comment on current social issues, beyond gender roles. This is one of the strengths of TTOETM, it’s strong social and moral message that goes beyond the plot of the drama.
Pian Ran vs. love life
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As a character, Ye Qingyu is the opposite of Pian Ran: Virtuous, very righteous and rigid. But he never judges her for her behaviour, he always understands her and gives her space. And most importantly, neither of them changes who they are as their relationship progresses. She doesn't suddenly become a modest woman, he doesn't turn away from his ideals - except maybe in that cut arc in Jing Kingdom in the 3rd arc.
In many ways, Ye Qingyu and Pian Ran embody the classic trope of the seductive and virtuous hero: she affects men in a certain way that causes them to stray from the straight and narrow or interferes with their domestic arrangements. For example, when he spends the first night with her and thus neglects his duties as head of the family, or when she contributes to his changing sides and joining Tantai Jin. In short, she is disruptive.
When she advises Ye Xiwu/Li Susu on how to seduce Tantai Jin, she suggests various manipulation tactics to gain his attention and favour, but Pian Ran also gives genuine advice - to both of them, actually (although sometimes it's my accident).
One could make the argument, that they were aiming to frame her initial strong sexuality as a coping mechanism due to the loss of her husband and love threads. The absence of her love threads manifests quite different to Tantai Jin, mainly in form of attachment issues.
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However, the show doesn't try to make a point about female sexuality by emphasizing a change in Pianran's behavior based on finding the right man. If anything, it's Ye Qingyue who meets her halfway by having a premarital affair. What I like most about their relationship is that they are each other's equals. They both have high ranks in Tantai Jin's kingdom and army, and he listens to their advice and treats them equally. Moreover, Pian Ran is never a damsel in distress. Even when Ye Qingyue dies for her, it is because she was blindsided by the attack while she was winning her own duel. In the end, she shares the fate of most seductresses who disrupt the social order - she dies (if they don't join a convent). The difference is that her death is a tragedy and not framed as a regulation of sexual morality and gender relations.
Female Friendship
Before I dive into the relationship of Li Susu and Pianran, I want to comment on the common dualism of the sensuous vs. the virtuous woman. Li Susu (or Ye Xiwu) is not the virtuous heroine, it’s (again) Ye Bingchang mirroring Pian Ran. This is something that subverts the whole trope! It's the virtuous woman who become disruptive and falls from grace, while Pianran becomes a righteous heroine. However, while Pianran doesn't become virtuous, Ye Bingchang tries and fails to use seduction to manipulate Tantai Jin. She also has an additional set of love threads that make her seductive to men without using her sensuality or sexuality. It's a fascinating dynamic. As I said, TTEOTM is not a perfect show with a feminist message, but it certainly tries to subvert gender stereotypes - and not just with its women, but that's another issue.
Pian Ran's third important role in TTOETM is that of Li Susu's friend, who supports and guides her. What makes their dynamic so interesting is that while Pian Ran looks younger than Li Susu, she is considerably older (well, if you count age by years lived, not by date of birth). They are flirtatious, they share a horse and a bed, and they pass the Bechtel test! Li Susu even risks her health to cure Pian Ran of Tantai Jin's blood curse.
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Both subvert gender expectations in their own way. They are strong characters without abandoning their femininity. The empowerment and the feminist ideas, they are embodying, also come natural to the storyline and are not just tropes. Therefore, they are relatable characters for a modern audience (except when they are not).
Edit: Got rid of some spelling mistakes!
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atlaculture · 10 months
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Cultural Practices: Fire Nation Festival Masks
In the episode “The Deserter” (Book 1 - Episode 16), the Gaang visits a festival held by a local Fire Nation colony in the Earth Kingdom. There are some fun cultural details at this event.
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The festival masks that the Gaang wear are based off of traditional Korean performance masks called hahoetal (하회탈). Hahoetal, like other Asian masks, were used in shamanistic rituals to ward off negative spirits and to depict certain character types in plays.
However, hahoetal masks are also distinct in how cartoonish they tend to be; they often depict exaggerated facial features and expressions. This is because an additional purpose of hehoetal was to satirize public figures and help the masses express otherwise suppressed thoughts. For example, peasants wanting to mock the clergy might do so by putting on a performance where they wear a hehoetal and pretend to be a drunken monk. The mask simultaneously created an unflattering caricature of the person being mocked, while hiding the identity of the person doing the mocking. This also allowed the audience to air their opinions and grievances at the caricature. For example, yelling that the monastery is corrupt and blowing all the alms money on liquor.
The smiling mask depicts the yangban (양반) or “nobleman” archetype: The nobleman is only superficially genteel and hospitable; in reality, he takes joy in abusing his power over others. The blushing mask depicts the bune (부네) or “concubine” archetype: She’s beautiful and easygoing, but also manipulative and unrefined; she’s sometimes depicted as a seductress or temptress. The crying mask depicts the nojang (노장) or “wayward monk” archetype: the monk’s loss of faith has transformed him into an alcoholic, hence the yellow eyes representing jaundice.
Having Aang initially wear the wayward monk mask might be a fun little Easter egg by the Korean designers/animators.
Like what I’m doing? Tips always appreciated, never expected. ^_^
https://ko-fi.com/atlaculture
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madcapmento · 28 days
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One sec I need to talk about Shiva.
Lady Shiva was introduced in Richard Dragon: Kung Fu Fighter in the 70s. She was a traveling martial artist hellbent on getting revenge for her sister, who she believed had been killed by Richard Dragon. She lured Dragon into a trap, revealed herself as Carolyn's sister, and tried to fight him to the death. Once she realized that Dragon had nothing to do with it, that Cravat and The Swiss (unimportant villain characters, they killed Carolyn) had been the ones to kill her sister, she helped Dragon defeat the villain (by giving him her shiny belt so he could redirect the beam of a deadly laser that was being pointed at them while they were fighting, don’t even ask) and Richard Dragon and Lady Shiva became allies, friends even. Dragon convinced her it would be a waste to kill Cravat and told her that he had killed the Swiss himself. She accepted this. They shook hands. This all took place over the course of one issue of Richard Dragon: Kung Fu Fighter. It took ONE issue for Shiva to go from antagonist to ally. She then tagged along with Richard because she liked the adventures he got up to, the danger, the challenge, and the thrill of it. Richard even called her later on when he needed help on a different adventure. What I’m saying is she didn’t start out as evil.
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Okay, so what do we know about Shiva so far? She’s a thrill-seeking peripatetic martial artist of great capacity and skill. She cared about her sister. She’s willing to kill. She’s an adventurer and a valuable ally. Great. Moving on.
The Question 1987 features THE Lady Shiva. A character capable of both ruthlessness and mercy, cruelty and tenderness. A curious, thrill-seeking, teasing character. She was vicious and nonpartisan and she was working as a mercenary for hire. But she was an ally, even when she was beating the shit out of Vic. She loved the O Sensei. You can tell she even cared about Vic in her way. I’m not saying she had a heart of gold, or that there weren’t tropes she fell into. She wasn’t and there were. But she was a fairly well-rounded, morally gray character that played a key role wherever she showed up. She was closer to a non-traditional anti-hero than anything else. Idfk, just go read The Question.
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I read a tvtropes article describing Lady Shiva as “an archetypical Dragon Lady, complete with sinister motivations and exotic sex appeal,” which… she isn’t. She subverted this trope in several ways actually. She never had “sinister motivations” until Chuck Dixon got his grubby little hands on her. Her motivations were pretty neutral. She had her own set of principles, she was very morally gray. She wanted to travel and fight worthy opponents on her adventures for the thrill of it. She seemed to operate mostly on personal whims, and on the basis of building worthy rivals, out of love for the art of combat. And she didn’t use her sex appeal for shit (until the Richard Dragon reboot comic kms), she didn’t tolerate sexual advances or objectification. She just WAS NOT a conniving temptress, I don't understand where this misperception came from (but I do blame Dixon, I’ll get to that in a sec).
This same article states that she began as the arch-nemesis of Richard Dragon? Unless you’re accepting the version of the two of them from the very short lived Richard Dragon 2004 series as their canonical relationship then NO she didn’t. But I digress.
There was a marked change in the way Lady Shiva was written by the time Robin (1991) came out, this is where her character starts to lean towards the Dragon Lady trope imo. She also weirdly, and maybe arguably, leans more into traditional femininity while at the same time being written as more wild and uncontrollable. Chuck Dixon seemed to fundamentally misunderstand Lady Shiva as a character. He turned her (sometimes ironic) disdain for brutes who wouldn’t last a second in a fight with her into stereotypical womanly haughtiness. He turned her capacity for ruthlessness into bloodlust. And he made her into a conniving, somewhat deranged, villainous woman, tempting our young hero towards evil (oh my!). Again, I’m not saying she ever had a heart of gold, but Dixon changed core character traits (namely her respect for other people's personal code) to turn her into a villain.
“Kill him, little bird. Kill him and become a predator…Aren’t you my weapon? My instrument of death? Say you are mine.” Like?? She would not fucking say that, respectfully.
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That isn’t even to mention Richard Dragon (2004) where Dixon turned Shiva’s relationship with Dragon into a resentful, sexually charged dick-measuring contest.
Even so, I don’t entirely hate Shiva as a villain, especially in Batgirl (2000). Pucketts Shiva is a bit less egregious imo. So she’s a passively suicidal evil mentor-figure who wants Cass to be a killer like her. Whatever, I can get on board with that I guess. I can enjoy it because I love Cass and this is a great comic run. But the retcon that–Listen, THE RETCON THAT IS SHIVA’S SISTER BEING KILLED BY DAVID CAIN, SHIVA DESCRIBING THIS AS FREEING, SAYING SHE’S GRATEFUL, THEN AGREEING TO GET PREGNANT WITH HIS CHILD IN RETURN?? This boils my blood. Shiva, who was introduced as somebody who cared about getting revenge for her dead sister. Shiva, for whom freedom and autonomy were core character traits. That Shiva?? That Shiva is relieved her sister is dead and is willing to carry her sister's killer's child to term?? What the fuck?
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I hate it. I don’t understand it. Why would you take a complex character who makes it difficult to tell who she really cares about, and flatten them into somebody incapable of love?
Okay I’m done, this is getting too long and I don’t even want to get started on New 52 era Shiva. I don’t have a conclusion, I’m just annoyed. Thanks for reading. The Question (1987) is NOT a perfect comic but if you’re interested in Shiva please please please check it out, it’s very moody and philosophical, noir-esque. Also Chuck Dixon suck my dick.
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gegengestalt · 11 months
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Grushenka...
The fact that Grushenka is crammed into the femme fatale box (as if it wasn't a character archetype that is completely out of place in the context of the novel) and the statement that she was meant to be a temptress of sin in the sequel irk me, because I believe she's meant to be a positive character.
It's understandable to think of her that way in the beginning of the story through the descriptions of her alone, she seems like an enchantress, an otherworldly beauty, even a harlot. Only her first appearance denies some claims and confirms others, she's just a regular woman, but a charismatic and daring woman as well.
I won't try to argue that her jab at Katerina Ivanovna wasn't narrated with any other purpose than to portray her as a little cruel. It's true that she took pleasure in Katerina's shame and anger. However, Katerina is not the noblehearted and reasonable one in this situation. She tried to control Grushenka from the beginning, acted condescendingly sweet towards her and immediately started insulting her as soon as Grushenka made it clear that she wasn't going to do as Katerina wished. Grushenka is an unmarried young woman without parents in 19th century Russia, a businesswoman at a young age at a time when women doing such work was a rare sight. She knows how to make the most of the little power she has in such a society and tries to have fun while she's at it. It might seem like she's cruel for no reason during that scene, but I believe that even without her backstory, she's making a statement, one that the reader may or may not like.
She's quick to act out of spite, though she's not completely ruthless. Beneath the cattiness and mischief, Grushenka is kind- hearted and generous. She keeps accepting Rakitin into her home despite the fact that he's ashamed of her, she's grateful to Samsonov for rescuing her from poverty and hunger even when he sexually exploited her when she was very young, something that ruined her reputation forever*. She let Maximov stay at her house, and showed kindness to pan Mussyalovich, another man who hurt her, in Book XI. Grushenka has a very strong guilty conscience, declaring herself responsible for the murder even when Dmitri and Fyodor are grown men who can make decisions themselves. The fact that she gets defensive and says that Dmitri is blaming her (Book XI) when he did nothing of the sort only shows how guilty she truly feels. At this point of the story, her feelings of guilt are strongly tied to her insecurities and jealousy, but she has the potential to turn it into responsibility and compassion.
(*Let us remember how her status as a fallen woman has affected her. If she's doomed, why bother changing? And despite it, she still wants to change her life in the end...)
Much like Dmitri, Grushenka is considered sinful, yet she doesn't stray away from God and respects what is sacred. She's honest about her own feelings no matter what other people say, and this makes her a little capricious, but also gives her certain integrity. Some sort of childlikeness and a theme of joy and laughter is remarked by the narrator and some characters as it is in many other positive characters. She's capable of spontaneously being hurtful, but also of spontaneous good. Chapter 3 of Book VII, which presents a situation with resemblance to the story of Katerina and Dmitri, portrays a triumph of this spontaneous good.
As a female character, Grushenka is in an interesting position. At the time the novel was written, female characters were still tied to the development and stories of male characters, however, fleshed out female characters with agency were starting to appear as well. What then happens is that, while these types of female characters still depend on the personal journeys of the men in the story, the men's fate and trajectory end up being influenced by the actions and decisions of the female character. We aren't reading Grushenka's story and her psyche isn't given as much attention, but in how she's fragmented between the arcs of other characters, she becomes a central piece of the story, and even narrates a fable that expresses one of the major themes of the story: salvation doesn't come at the expense of others.
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"Witches are unconquered things. Wild magic. Wild women. To own them is to kill them. They perform magic from their coffins as the world sings of their defeat." This is an interesting take, do you mind if I ask for elaboration? Is it sorta in the sense of Utena "if a woman cannot become a princess, then she's destined to become a witch", or something more? Follow-up, do you think that'd disqualify any of the Ushiromiya wives/moms from being witches?
Witches Archetypes are split into two with slight variants within these categories:
1. the old Crone/Hag, a spinster who retreated from society and bitterly poisons the youth with her pagan ideas (feminism)
2. the Temptress, a sensual young woman that runs naked under the moonlight. She scorns men and is attuned with nature. She infects other young women with this rebellion (feminism).
You’re supposed to kill the hag and tame the temptress. But taming is death of the spirit. You can be alive but dead all at once. Performing miracles from the spiritual grave.
Any of the Ushiromiya women could be “awakened” so to speak in the second category. They could’ve been witches that “died” or they could be alive and “infected with demonic fervor”.
I’m curious to see how it goes!
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— Rose, the Revolutionary Witch
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hero-israel · 5 months
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"There was a specific name for it regarding this archetype of sexy Jewish women who need to be converted, but I can’t remember the name" I believe this anon means "la belle juive"? And yes, ugh, seeing it make a comeback is so gross. This is one that I think some younger Jews have forgotten about -- as a Jewish woman, I get it, the message nowadays often feels way more like "Jewish women are ugly lol" -- but boy, did it never really leave. We're never far from being Salome to them. We're either hideous pigs or venomous temptresses. Sigh.
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freepressofpanem · 2 months
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“Vanessa Mae Hopkins is one of the most controversial women in Panem’s history; we argue over her, we pity and admire and revile her, we reinvent her in every generation. She takes on the colour of our fantasies and is shaped by our preoccupations: witch, bitch, feminist, sexual temptress, cold opportunist. She is a real woman who has acquired an archetypal status and force, and one who patrols the nightmares of good wives; she is the guilt-free predator, the man-stealer, the woman who sets out her sexual wares and extorts a fantastic price. She is also the mistress who, by marrying her lover, creates a job vacancy. Her rise is glittering, her fall sordid. God pays her out. The dead take revenge on the living. The moral order is reasserted.”
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deitymuse · 2 years
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🌹The Temptress Archetype (find your kitty archetype quiz)🌹
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divaricca · 2 years
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Awaken your Inner Temptress.
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 An exercise I often do to get in touch with my Inner Temptress.
Create a create a seductive atmosphere.. dim the lights in your room, decorate your room and possibly your altar, decorate it with dried roses, shells, symbols and images associated with beauty and sensuality. Burn roses or lavender incense, possibly put the Empress, the Star, the Queen of Wands of the Tarot on your altar, meditate on it, attune yourself to it. Put on dark erotic music, or music that awakens your inner stripper goddess... Wear sexy clothes or lingerie, do your makeup and don't forget to do it with intentions; for example, red lips symbolize strength and sexuality, purple eye pencil stands for mysticism and psychic powers, the black eyeliner for opening your witch's eye and protecting you against the evil eye... and so highlighter, glitter and shine for shining like a Star.
Ground and center yourself first, do a short meditative breathing exercise (for example: 4 count in, hold 4 count and 4 out), connect with the energies and archetypal powers of the Dark Goddess, the energies of the Femme Fatale's, the Sirens and Succubussen.
Dance rhythmically and sensually, imagine (visualize, see, hear, taste and feel) what you want to embody, feel yourself shapeshifting into the form you want, it doesn't even have to be human-like: I often imagine that I am some kind of Dark Angel with a devilish beauty, monstrous-feminine or dangerous angelic beauty with a provocative allure. I personally visualise a smoky magenta (or another preferred color, look at correspondences) atmosphere or aura around me. I imagine my eyes glowing golden-green, my skin gleaming like pearls under the morning sun, or the ocean under full moonlight... I imagine my claws growing like a feline humanoid. Depending on the mood, I visualize wings growing out of my back or horns growing out of my head. I dance with my hands going down, pulling earthly power to me, then I pull heavenly powers from above and start dancing with these energies...
I say affirmations or sing incantations (infront of my mirror) : "I am a terrifying beauty, my aura is magnetic and sensual, I mesmerize and intimidate, bewitch and enchant whoever I want." 
After the ritual, I believe I am charged, blessed and empowered. I release the overabundant energies with gratitude and respect and then quietly come to myself and into a normal state (non-trance, non-magical, mundane.)
I feel blessed by the Venus, I celebrate her beauty. I see myself rising from a magical sea, like some kind of Daughter-Aphrodite; my show, my dance, beautifying myself are devotions and ways to honor the Goddess of Love and Beauty. I also honor the Moon Goddess and Witch Mother Diana Lucifera of the Black Madonna. Dea Illuminatrix.
I let her divine light shine on me, I allow myself to be charged and blessed by her power.
After the ritual, I believe I am charged, blessed and empowered. I release the abundant energies with gratitude and respect and then calmly come to myself and into a normal state (mundane).
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horizon-verizon · 13 days
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Anne Boleyn and Alicent (either in F&B or HOTD) are NOTHING alike. Anne disrupted social order. Alicent represents the status quo. Anne is an “heretic” and a “whore”, Alicent represents order, tradition, conservatism. Anne is the most influential and important queen consort England has ever had and changed the country forever. No one mentions Alicent when they talk about the Dance of the Dragons.
“Anne Boleyn is one of the most controversial women in English history; we argue over her, we pity and admire and revile her, we reinvent her in every generation. She takes on the colour of our fantasies and is shaped by our preoccupations: witch, bitch, feminist, sexual temptress, cold opportunist. She is a real woman who has acquired an archetypal status and force, and one who patrols the nightmares of good wives; she is the guilt-free predator, the man-stealer, the woman who sets out her sexual wares and extorts a fantastic price. She is also the mistress who, by marrying her lover, creates a job vacancy. Her rise is glittering, her fall sordid. God pays her out. The dead take revenge on the living. The moral order is reasserted.”
https://href.li/?https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/may/11/hilary-mantel-on-anne-boleyn
Anon's talking about this post.
This is an interesting way to talk about it. Thanks, anon.
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Ive been in a college class all about myths, so I’ve been ruminating on what Inklings would conceptualize Sirens as.
In our own myths, they’re creatures from the sea which either partially or fully look human and tempt sailors into the oceans to drown. They’re interpreted an embodiment or a metaphor of how women are temptresses, or are impure beings who use sex to corrupt poor men and lead them to their doom. They’ve also had a lot of forms, from bird women to mermaids to monsters who just look human. This archetype also seems somewhat universal, or at least a common thing we see in myths we remember due to misogyny.
Even with my limited knowledge of Japanese folktales, the Jorogumo was an example of this type of supernatural creature - a spider woman who generally filled the same purpose, tempting men with a pretty face and them draining them of their life force, also usually eating them in her web.
So… what would inklings think of Sirens? Breaking it down, sirens are:
- Shapeshifters, or just look extremely human
- From the ocean (in Greek mythology)
- tempt humans to drown in the ocean by having a beautiful singing voice, representing the desires of men and the temptation of sin to some extent
- tend to represent temptation, danger, and seduction
I came up with a few different concepts of how this could be interpreted by Inkling society:
1. If we lean more into the Greek view of sirens, they could be shapeshifting creatures who come from the ocean with a seductive song. They are eldrich and unknowable, coming from a place which could kill any unsuspecting inkling, as most creatures could at least fight back even if they were devoured anyways. They would be a personification of the dangerous ocean, willing to swallow up anyone who falls in.
They prey on the vulnerable, singing sweet lies of how “they won’t really die” since they are obviously an inkling and are swimming just fine. They tempt their victims with songs of freedom, of leaving this world, and fake thoughts of comfort.
(In this view, they could be seen as a metaphor for the call of the void, the voice which tells you to jump at the edge of a cliff or stab yourself, or maybe even suicidal thoughts. They sing from the ocean, tempting you to come to them, and so acts as a warning to inklings to never follow these thoughts as you might find yourself at the mercy of these unknowable creatures of the ocean.)
2. Another thought I had took inspiration from MLP’s changeling species, which feed off love by taking the place of the ones you love. If we follow that line of logic, Sirens become much more sinister.
They come from the Ocean, a vast and unknowable place to the modern land creatures, but can look like someone else. They lure land creatures back to the ocean to devour them, or feed off their emotional energy until they’re willing to jump into the oceans alongside them.
These Sirens are shapeshifters who take the form of someone an inkling cares for, or maybe just take on an unassuming form, and drains their life force until they’re a husk of their former self, much like the Japanese Jorogumo. In these myths, it’s the responsibility of others to see through this facade and help the poor victim who can no longer see clearly enough to recognize that this isn’t their love.
(In this version, sirens could be seen as representations of toxic love or unhealthy relationships, with people you care for turning cruel because they’re literally another person or have never been a real person who is just dropping the facade. Myths would be tragic, with inklings both falling for the disguise and jumping to their doom, or with the inkling loosing someone they once loved because they turned out to be not who they thought.)
3. My last concept is closer to our idea of fae or demons, though I’m also taking inspiration from the Kitsune, leaning into the eldrich idea of inklings who can swim as some kind of unnatural or disturbing thing.
These creatures are completely unknowable, going by their own rules and have a contempt for the inklings who abandoned the ocean. They are magical though, and can offer great power or impossible things in exchange for servitude or their lives after death. Anyone who agrees and dies are pulled into the ocean, where they suffer constant pain under the surface.
They are also tricky, able to deceive inklings and do horrible things to them with their magic, taking them under their spell and raining their life force away until they die. However, their disguises are not complete - you can tell from the fins on their ankles, or their shadows reflecting their true forms with a tail, or how they never eat seafood as they’re fellow creatures of the ocean to them.
(These would probably be stories that are metaphors for giving into sins like greed or pride, or stories of warning to be careful around strangers as they might be a supernatural creature, also manifesting fears of the unknown. The ocean part could also show how inklings fear the ocean, as it can so easily kill them, but also a contradictory reverence like we see in the world of Splatoon. They love the ocean for the food from it, and recognize they came from it, but it’s also unknowable and scary.)
Anyways, I had way too many thoughts on Splatoon’s world lol
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witches-bottle · 11 months
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The Glamour of the Whore
Bottle, aren't you asexual? Why would you write about something used for sexual empowerment?
I'm glad you asked, dear concerned reader, it's simple. I'm asexual. I don't experience sexual attraction nor a real or pushing desire to have sex. It doesn't affect my libido, which is very strange of its own form, but also doesn't affect my sex life outside of my own personal decision of whether I actually want to or not.
This was actually born out of a personal experiment in Sex Magic.
The Whore Glamour is a glamour based off the Archetype of the Siren, the Temptress, but also the Whore of Babylon which gives us an invocation proper.
The Woman was garbed in violet and scarlet colour and decked with precious stones and pearls, having a gold cup in her hand filled with the filthiness and sin of her fornications and upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and the Abominations of the Earth.
So, what do we have to work with:
Scarlet and violet clothing
Pearls and jewelry such as necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, anklets, clothing with gold highlights and embroidery
Drinks such as a wine or blessed water (even grape juice)... if you wanted to, a particular infusion of holy herbs of attraction mixed with something akin to seminal fluid (fornications)
Marking on the Head or Face (maybe a nice eyeliner).
Thus a simple spell becomes as follows:
The body is washed and the magus garbs themselves in red or violet clothing. If not available, the magus can also choose to wear seductive clothing.
A glass of water is prepared (or one of the other items mentioned above).
The magus places the jewelry on the altar before the cup of water.
The magus then recites the verse as above, placing on the jewels.
The cup is drunk from and the magus focuses on the invocation of the siren of the self, the ability of the self to invoke lust, passion, desire and the like.
The magus then meditates on this image, and begins to take on the motif of the siren, posing themselves as beings of pure pleasure and spiritual/sexual power...
This is the basic ritual... it worked well for me back then, feel free to experiment and adapt as per your own practice.
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