#them: how can we in the presence of a lunar goddess

[eleemosynecdoche]

Hecatia and the Lunarians

Blame/credit @sukimas for expressing interest in this...

Okay, so, Hecatia gets to talk for a few paragraphs in Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia about Hell's history, and by implication, her own. Eirin and Toyohime each get a full chapter in Cage in Lunatic Runagate and they convey quite a lot of things about the Lunarian mindset and worldview. One thing that's struck me recently is that, although Hecatia is explicitly anti-Lunarian on a far deeper level than any other character who's gotten dialogue (Yukari's probably equally anti-Lunarian but she's less talkative about why), Hecatia is also positioned as a similar kind of entity to the Lunarians.

Firstly, they both tell origin myths about their associated locations which are straightforwardly contrary to both the familiar mythology and a more secular historical analysis. Hecatia talks about Hell originating not as a place of punishment and rehabilitation, but as a construct by powerful people who were uninterested in living according to conventional virtues.

What Hecatia probably means by Hell here is the Greek Tartaros (or Tartarus), which undergoes a historical transformation from an abyssal realm where defeated godlike powers are imprisoned indefinitely (eg in Hesiod) to a place where mortals and some minor immortals who transgressed against the gods were condemned to ironic torments in the more Classical Greek mythological writings.

But Tartaros is just a primordial place in Greek myths at every point. Like Kaos, or Gaea, or Aether, or Ouranos, it's both a deity and a space, part of the early structure of the universe before there are really personalities. Nobody built it.

Similarly, Toyohime tells a story about how the Lunar Capital was created by the great sage Tsukuyomi and their* desire to avoid the spread of impurity and death, and also tells a story identifying the Lunar Capital with the undersea Dragon Palace of Japanese folklore. And this is, in its way, consistent both with the textual tradition in which Tsukuyomi is the killer of the food goddess Ukemochi out of disgust with how she vomits food out, and also the fact that Tsukuyomi is a god without much cultic presence, a figure mostly in primordial mythology, unlike their very active siblings Amaterasu and Susanoo. (There are a couple shrines to them, especially as subordinate parts of large Amaterasu shrine complexes. But not many.)

But it's also not really derived from the mythology directly, and it's not quite drawing upon a clear historical transformation- Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto seems to have always been primarily a literary figure, distant from practical religion.

Now, the Lunarians reject divinity, in the sense of rejecting the obligation to humans that being a kami in a shrine requires, the interactions and subordination to ritual. Hecatia also describes her original Hell as a place where people reject rules they don't like. So we also have this interesting convergence- these two sets of figures who assert a separate history of their own existence, disconnected from what ordinary humans thought then or now, also share in this kind of symbolic disconnect.

So one way of looking at their alternate histories is to treat them as assertions about the world and the universe more than statements of plain fact, which is definitely workable within the fictional context as well- Hecatia is manipulating Aya in her interview, Toyohime doesn't know the full details of the "history of the moon" and is to an extent repeating what she's been told. There's been quite a lot of good meta about those worldviews you can go read.

But another similarity that falls out of this analysis is that both sides of this pair exist in a state of relative freedom within Touhou cosmology, because the Lunarians are figures of literary myths who don't have to be reconciled with their behavior at the shrine, and Hekate is a famously confusing and difficult figure within the Greek and later Greco-Roman mythological complex- Hesiod presents her as a kind of universal helpful figure, as does the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, but other sources from early periods present her as sketchy or hellish. Still later, she would become treated as a nearly-omnipotent goddess in some of the Greek Magical Papyri- but what we know about her cult and position today is limited and even contemporary writers seem confused.

Hecatia is thus free in the cracks, because human imagination and human history have left her with great latitude, just like the objects of her distaste, the Lunarians. I suppose in a way it's the contempt bred of familiarity- you have all this freedom and this is how you use it? etc.

*Tsukuyomi's gender is unclear, according to Wikipedia in English, even given early poetic sources that refer to them in masculine terms. So I suspect there's some real uncertainty going on in the scholarship too.

#touhou #hecatia lapislazuli #watatsuki no toyohime #long post

[ask-noonescity]

Hope gleefully approached Luelle, "Oh my celestials your attire is absolutely charming and precious! I wish I knew a Cresselia as endearing and as adorable as you. I must ask however! Personally, Cresselia acts as a diplomat and ambassador within my universe, they bring peace between the gods, but is it correct that you are the goddess of the dream world within your own? Wouldn't that be quite fitting for the occasion, no?" She cheerfully smiled, "Do you plan to bless us all with the presence of equally admirable dreams? Or are you here to form some of your own?"

Luelle almost squee in glee happily ears wiggling up and down feathers making slight rustling sound "Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!" she just repeated the words doing small spin to show off the sleep-wear she wore "Erebus made me take a quick trip to mortal realm so I could see how their sleep-wear looks and I had to make my own and and and-" she took a deep breath from excitement

"I saw cute sleepwear in the glass and I just had to replicate it with my magic in my colors and I love them I really dont want to switch them out of my regular attire when I first developed this human form" she said in excitement before pausing finally

"Actually! Me AND Erebus are gods of dreams! After finding him and settling with him to live in Rising Moons realm - she made us both the dream gods! The ying and yang of dreams basically...or something like that im not sure..." she whispered the last words in confusion before just simply adding with a big smile "But I am the creator of dreams in my universe!" she said happily

The Cresselia offered Lunala her newly formed Lunar feather "We can get to know each other in that space no matter how far we are within each other! And and and-" she paused almost thinking what else before perking up real quick "Oh! And if im not there you can just play around with stuff! Imagination plays huge role there - you can create anything, play out scenarios! Something like that!! Even create your own little space while you wait!"

#CNOB: Event #LoUsleepover #pokemon #pkmn #pokeaskblog #pokeask #pokeblogging #pokemon ask blog #pokémon #Pokemon Fanart #pokemon mystery dungeon #pkmn fanart #PKMN Oc #pkmnart #pkmn rp #pkmn blog #pokeblog

[hausofneptune]

[the astrology of pedro pascal] - soft moon aspects (major) | moon sextile black moon lilith

hey y’all! in this series we’ll be covering major soft/positive aspects (conjunctions, sextiles, and trines) to pedro’s moon. minor positive aspects to his moon (quintiles/biquintiles and septiles) will be covered in an upcoming series, as well as the rest of the major and minor aspects to the rest of his planets and asteroids in his chart! i also want to note that when it comes to these aspects, they have to be examined through the lens of the entire chart, as they’re influenced by a myriad of factors within it.

disclaimers | masterlist | ask

moon sextile black moon lilith (within 3.0°)

in this aspect, the planetary bodies are harmonious and their energy ignites the native with the motivation to act. the moon represents our subconscious feelings, our feminine (light/yin) sides, how we show up emotionally, how we crave nurturement, as well as our home and familial dynamics. it’s also indicative of our mother/maternal figures, our relationships to them, and how we perceive them to love and nurture us. 

when it comes to lilith, there are three versions: asteroid lilith, black moon lilith, and dark moon lilith. while they’re all represented by different celestial aspects, they’re usually interpreted as being connected, and are referred to as the “triple moon goddess,” with the asteroid representing the birth, black moon representing the death, and dark moon representing the rebirth. in this aspect, we’ll be focusing on black moon lilith. in simplified terms, black moon lilith is the lunar apogee, the point in the moon’s orbit which marks where it’s furthest from earth. it’s presence in astrology is interpreted through the biblical story of Lilith, Adam’s first wife who was banished from the Garden of Eden due to her refusal to be subservient to him. BML represents our rage and our triggers. it shows where we’re inclined to challenge what’s deemed “socially acceptable,” and where we push boundaries just to see how far we can go. it’s also indicative of how we seek liberation through our sexuality. similar to chiron or pluto, BML indicates where we find power in our wounds, and the ways in which we may seek out destruction and sabotage ourselves. 

those with this aspect tend to be perceived as charming and persuasive. they can come off as mesmerizing, seductive, or even manipulative at times. they have a knack for swaying others, and can use this ability to their advantage to get themselves out of difficult situations. the moon and BML are both representative of the subconscious parts of our psyche, and when in sextile, it manifests as the seamless expression of one’s raw, unfiltered emotional nature, which tends to make others drawn to them. through this expression, these natives are led to embrace their sexuality and desires, and find it easier to accept the taboo, untraditional sides of both themselves and others. they may also find that any outside attempt to control or suppress their feelings, or their domestic lives, is met with defiance or anger from them. 

in life, these natives may have faced strife, something others wouldn’t assume by the way that they carry themselves. they may have felt like the “black sheep” of their families, or struggled to express themselves. there may have been difficulties faced in the relationship to the mother/maternal figure, the native may have felt that she suppressed their emotions (or her own) or was neglectful of them in some way. or, on the flip side, this could indicate a mother who was empowered, rebelled against the system, and sought liberation for herself and others.

these individuals may have had to mature faster in childhood due to the circumstances they faced. their deep emotional nature can be something they may have been ashamed of or shamed for, and in turn, found that suppressing their feelings, and adopting an escapist mindset, was the safer option. although, with the moon aspecting lilith, repressed emotions will be more difficult to bury and mask, and have a tendency to manifest as bouts of rage or vitriol, especially if these childhood experiences go unaddressed into adulthood.

in relationships, they tend to attract people who they may want to “fix” in a way. their partners may play out the “shadow” that these natives may feel inclined to suppress within themselves. they can be restless at times, and need a certain level of excitability, or even danger at times to find satisfaction. fortunately, with the sextile, they tend to have better awareness as to when to take their lilith-like desires out of the driver’s seat, unlike those who may have the moon and BML in a challenging aspect. they may also be attracted to people who fit the lilith archetype. similar to the moon sextile uranus aspect pedro also has, they can be drawn to people who push the envelope, challenge social expectations, and have a defiant yet seductive charm about them. 

it’s also worth mentioning that pedro’s BML is in pisces, which may manifest as an innate understanding of the realms that exist beyond general consciousness. these natives can be deeply spiritual, and may prefer the idealized fantasies they subconsciously escape to over the harsh reality of our world. they could also feel shame for their compassionate and “needy” nature. his moon is in capricorn, meaning the way he approaches his emotions (and domestic life in general) may actually be more pragmatic and objective. in the context of this aspect, there’s a balance between his BML’s desire to retreat and explore the depths of the psyche, and his moon’s practical instincts and need for stability and security.  

and if he’s a cancer rising (Cancer Rising Agenda™), depending on the degree his BML may fall into his 8th house. the 8H traditionally rules sexuality, taxes/debts, loss, and death. it’s referred to as the house of secrets, as you’ll find the “shadow” parts of ourselves, including our trauma, fears, and insecurities, are all 8H matters. with BML in the 8H, it may manifest as an innate understanding of the "darker side" of life, alongside a natural sensual, seductive aura. there may be shame around needing intimacy, or a resistance towards being submissive or subservient to others, which can result in power struggles in their intimate relationships. these natives can feel resentful or fearful of becoming attached to others, especially if they find themselves in situations where they feel jealous or possessive. 

overall, their biggest strength is their emotional resilience. they have an innate understanding of both their own and others’ psychology, and tend to be extremely intuitive and are usually gifted with psychic or clairvoyant abilities, occult studies such as astrology or tarot may intrigue them. because of these inherent skills, they can seek out, or be sought out, by those in need of support, due to their protective and insightful nature. if they haven’t already, they should accept the intense side of themselves that this aspect brings, as it invites them to foster their nurturing and intuitive abilities, as a result improving their relationship to themselves and to others as well. 

personally, i don’t care too much for lilith aspects just because it doesn’t hold any real weight astronomy-wise and the information around it tends to be inconsistent, but i will say in pedro’s chart his BML does seem to corroborate some of the same energy that his saturnian and plutonian aspects give off. but as always, if anyone has any of the placements or aspects mentioned in this post i’d love to hear how it personally manifests in your own life and how it impacts your personality, or if anyone has anything to add in general feel free to reach out and let me know!

#moon sextile lilith #moon sextile black moon lilith #pedro pascal astrology #pedro pascal #pedro all moon aspects #pedroMMSA #the last of us hbo #the mandalorian #joel miller #oberyn martell #din djarin #moon uranus aspects #astrology #astrology notes #astrology observations #birth chart #astro notes #birth chart reading #natal chart reading #birth chart observations #natal chart observations #astrology aspects #black moon lilith astrology #moon astrology #pedro pascal birth chart #pedro pascal natal chart #lilith astrology

[revasser-destiny]

Hello I am your lovely positive Mun anon! This is for you mun! I dare you to show which muns you love like friends or family! You can list as many people you love but for every one person you list, you must say what you feel about that mun.

@idv-ask-azrael ❥ You always make me smile and laugh with Azzy, or just with your amazing personality! I know I always worry you when I consume sweets (pls forgive me, mama), but I do love you very much as a mother figure. You're just the sweetest cupcake I met so far, and I hope everything goes well for you. Ily! ♡

@theunconcernedembalmer ❥Another mama figure I love and cherish. Her artsyle is a lovely dreamscape to escape into when you want to indulge in the world of her muses! She is very kind and smart (dont you dare say no, or give me the no u card), and I look up to her like a butterfly shaped cloud in the sky. Also CLLLLLLAUUUUDDDDEEEEE AAAAAAAAAAA

@ask-idv-embalmer ❥Papasop is a beautiful ray of stardust at night, who listens to you and tries to make you laugh. I love them very much, and I would give them a homemade cake in shape of a heart. Their art is like looking at a colorful meadow of personalities and gold itself in my opinion! They also know my weakness for dad jokes so that's bonus there ♡

@cezlovesart ❥SISTER! I really love Cezzu to the point she is family to me. If I could, I would happily give her my munies and cookies without hesitation. 100% would cuddle and boop this precious angel of a sibling ♡

@idv-mike-morton ❥CLOWN MUMMMMMMM! I remember the day I made a mistake and became your child. I still don't regret it, haha! You are the funniest and loveliest person I met so far, a goddess in my eyes if I may be honest. You always know how to make me laugh and smile, even make the days seem brighter than before. I hope everything goes well for you, and if not, I'll be praying that it'll get better! ♡

@ask-the-idv-magus IZUMUMMMM! She is the chaotically beautiful gf of my clown mum, and I cherish her like the sun (no pun intended) itself. She also knows how to make me laugh, and I enjoy talking with her about aus and story ideas in vc. I compare her to the gentle rain in spring, soothing and understanding, but also very beautiful and sweet as the flowers curl up in wonder.

@seer-is-here ❥Fellow Detective StalkerGay, aka Gayboi Starboi. She is the gayest owl person I know, and she's really funny that I tend to giggle a lot, especially in rank. Jaff is an uplifting angel to me, and she's so kind that often I cry.

@identityvarchives ❥We may have just met, but let me tell you are such a beautiful diamond in the gallery of AUs and storytelling. I look up to you a lot, but I also wish the best to come your way, Alice. Ily! ♡

@http-idv ❥Same with the lovely Alice here, I also look up to you as an inspiration. You're such a gorgeous emerald in the meadow of writing scenarios, and telling the story of your muse. Much love! ♡

@ask-prospector-v ❥BROSIS! *inhales* YOU ARE SUCH A PRECIOUS GREMLIN TWIN THAT I WOULD SACRIFICE EVERYTHING I HAVE SO YOU CAN BE SMILING AND HABBY! YOU MAKE ME LAUGH AND GO UWU, GOD ILY SO MUCH! QAQ♡

@flowwerpot ❥You always take my kokoro with your Flower AU, and for that, I love you. In all seriousness, their Flower AU is like a beautifully made cake decorated as the blossoming dawn. They're just the sweetest person I've met, and I am honored to even be called their child. Flower mama is OP ♡

@nootnotno ❥NOOT, ILY SO MUCH THAT I WANNA CUDDLE WITH YOU ALL DAY, NO HOMO! You're such a solicitous angel, and I'm so happy to have met you in my life. Thank you for being my friend, and I hope you continue being such a sweetheart penguin! ♡

@ask-victor-grantzcampbell ❥Kira Kuro is just,,,, an angel sent from the heavens and I cherish them plenty. Their artstyle and storytelling with Victor has me intrigued and wanting for more. They're such a sweetheart that I wonder sometimes that if meeting them was a wonderful dream.

@ask-thepuppeteer-idv ❥D,,,DIA! She has taken my kokoro many times as well, but I love her very much that I let it happen. Dia is a darling to have around, and an amazing friend to talk with. She makes me smile with her presence and ocs, even if I do cry when angst comes over at times (SOBBING NOISES). I would 100% hold her hand and call her the Queen of Beautiful Dahlias ♡

@idv-lunar-shine ❥Hello, may I hug the mun and the muses (if I can without dying) please? The AU with Alice and Lucie is a wondrous gem to view over and over again that it makes me cry often. The dark parts mixed with light moments is a beautiful bouquet to be shared with people who are interested, and I feel blessed being one of them. If I could, I would love to give yumi a gift but sadly like always, Im a shy birb

@theincessantmercenary ❥First off, I like to mention that I didn't expect a Naib to come in my inbox and make me cry two rivers for an hour. Second, Lucie is a delightful rose in spring and no one can change my mind whatsoever. Their version of Naib is an engaging performance to watch alongside with Alice's Eli and yumi's lunar shrine (how do i mention everyone without breaking the keyboard), and I can't wait to see more. Also Marpesia is precious and I will die for her, thanks for coming to my TedTalk 😔

@ask-idv-conartist ❥A beautiful person with an amazing muse and artstyle. Their introduction is just perfection, and I often reread it because holy shit, it's just exceptionally good. I love the amount of work and care put into Charlie (100% would smooch on forehead, and hold hands with), his story

@ask-cesarandamelia-idvoc ❥Okami is a talented person whose muses are on my must protecc list. They're just the most amiable person I know, and they deserve much love for their creativity. They've also made me cry because of their art and writing to which I say please give me back my heart pls

@ask-magnetboi-nortnort ❥Have I mention that your Norton is the funniest bastard I have ever met so far? Now you know how much I love your blog, interpretation of Norton, and lovely you! Please don't hesitate to take a break once, and take care of yourself! Love you, Cousin Nyeli! ♡

@stitchedstatic ❥Mama Static is an affable rose in the meadow, and I love her very much! Her storytelling is a wonderful experience as more pieces are revealed from the characters. I'm not just talking about Alec and Nikola (you can obviously infer that I love the two), it's also her reverse characters and Clarity that make me go doki doki about everything. Mama Static, I would give you all of my donut cakes without hesitation and carry you to victory ♡

@ask-idvgardener ❥Mama Gwitchy is a wonderful mama, and I love their protrayal of dear Gardener. I would protect them with all of my life because they deserve the best. 100% would smile at just their presence alone ♡

@idv-missionary ❥Hi, Mama Fluff! I would like to tell you that you are the most loveliest morning glory I have ever met, and I wish that happiness will come your way when you need it. Love you! ♡

@ask-vampire-hunter-naib ❥Woosh come back from the war, jk. I love your interpretation of a vampire hunter Naib (including the others as well~)! Makes me want to care him, but also punch him at the same time fhdhdhdh. Please know that you are a beloved jewel in my heart, and I hope that everything blooms better for you! ♡

@ask-chloenair ❥Briar, we need to talk about how importantly beautiful you are. The representation of your muses is beautifully done, and their backstories makes me want to do a chef kiss every time. Your artstyle is just the perfect dessert to go along with the main dish, and I honestly can't wait for more of your story to come soon. I love you, Briar! ♡

@asimplecherry ❥Ah yes, the Angst Demon. Queen of said subject herself. My inspiration for darker writings and art itself. She is also a singing queen, and that opinion cannot be changed. Her muses are blast to have around, especially gremlin Emma who thonks people in the face. I just love Cherry's work so far, and I pray that everything goes well for her.

@idv-askclaudedesaulnier ❥Number one criminal who has stolen my kokoro so many times I've lost count. Their version of Claude is a darker, yet mystifying fairytale - which I fell in love with and thus my love for Claude began. Their artstyle is a mesmerizing star at night that carries on a different story in each of their blogs. And Bee, you are the most marvelous person I met so far, and I love you for being you. Take care of yourself, okay? Love you ♡

@peachy-teacakes ❥Dal here is my wise big sister who can also be dumb at the same time. Doesn't stop me from loving her because of her golden heart. Did I mention that she's a very beautiful being on this planet to the point that I believe she is a Queen? 😔♡

@ask-sculptor ❥My egg sister who apparently thinks that Wick is a, um.... not going to continue that because I know a couple will be screaming soon after i post this (XD). Winter is a beloved snowflake (no pun intended) and she is chaotically funny at the same time. Charlie Gayboi is my tol big bro, and you cant change my mind. ♡

@hatsirsir ❥BIG BROTHER! CAN I JUST SAY I APPRECIATE YOUR EXISTENCE EVERYDAY BECAUSE YOU ARE THE SWEETEST AND MOST CONSIDERATE PERSON I HAVE EVER MET! I CANT DIE FOR YOU, BUT I WILL HAPPILY COMPLIMENT WITHOUT HESITATION! YOU MAKE ME SMILE AND CRY HAPPY TEARS EVERYDAY WITH YOUR LOVING COMMENTS! YOUR CHARACTERS MAKE ME SOFT (except for obvious rats) AND PUT ME IN A CUDDLY MOOD. ILY HAT QAQ! ♡

#this took me about 7 hours finish dhdhdh #look I want to compliment every living being that is close to me qwq #i love everyone on this post and im beginning to cherish more people #*gently sends hugs and kisses* #nini is sobbing

[beingpassionateabout]

Elsa in white and Anna in black--> opposite attract. That is it. That is the whole post.

I’m sure you did not ask for this but it made me think so bear with me for a sec. lol

I think we elsanna fans like to play with the idea that Anna and Elsa are color-coded as a romantic pairing and that’s fun and true but now with Frozen 2 we see that they’ve being given new colors and so their coding changed as well. There are even some people pointing out how they’re playing out a more “yin & yang” vibe. But what does it mean?

In order to comprehend their changes I took to Tvtropes to help me better characterize each of their phases. 

1. “Red Index/Blue Index”

In Frozen 1 and most of Frozen 2 Elsa and Anna are color coded as the Blue/Red (purple-ish) dynamic duo we see in this image. According to TvTropes, this means: 

“There’s just something about red and blue, the way these two colors complement each other but also seem to oppose each other. Since they contrast so well, they seem to be paired together in some form more than any other two non-gray scale colors: hot and cold, red team and blue team, red ribbon (2nd place) and blue ribbon (1st place). And this leads to their inevitable contrast in symbolism […]”

Also, in the Red Oni/Blue Oni section: 

“This trope is about two individuals (or occasionally, factions or civilizations) that are significantly linked together somehow (such as through a rivalry, friendship, being siblings, co-workers, competitors, etc.) that have differing personalities and, with it, often different approaches to the world in general, especially whatever they might be competing in/for/over.”

In both F1 and F2 they are represented in these colors. The “hot vs. cold” metaphor is even used in Olaf’s song “In Summer”, to indicate how they are opposites and yet complementary forces, and how he views both of them due to being a result of their creation. Also both the red ribbon (2nd) place and blue ribbon (1st) place play a part in there, indicating their places in life and the line of ascension to the throne (more on it later). 

All in all, this color-coding indicated their conflicting (in the beginning of F1) and complementary (F2) colors and approaches to life, with Elsa being more reserved and introverted and Anna being more assertive and adventurous. We saw how in F1 this color-coding meant that their arcs’s main goal was to overcome their differences and reunite in the end, as long lost siblings who just found love and comfort in each other’s presence after years of separation. That’s good and it fits the sibling narrative (canon) and the fanon shipping of them (elsanna) we saw after F1. 

Btw, this is my favorite spin of this trope: “Fire/Ice Duo: Since Fire Is Red and ice is generally light blue”

Bc I’d have loved if they gave Anna fire powers in F2 and made it even more of a romantic coded-pairing. So easy to ship.  

Back to the analysis tho, I was thinking to myself that my favorite aspect of F2 is how much elsanna we saw in it, totally wearing my shipper’s goggles, of course. 

But it’s important to point out why we see so much of them: because The Creators words were right and Elsa and Anna’s relationship is the main focus of the narrative, playing an important role in explaining later developments (like the “bridge”, as they told us later).

I am still of the opinion that this was a weak script and they could have done many things differently, not to mention better. However, now that I think of the main reason why i liked Elsa and Anna’s story together I see that it’s bc the creators had the right idea in mind: developing their relationship into something that would support both of their character changes later, while still keeping them together and strengthening their bond.

I’m not saying they did it well, i’m just saying that now that i see it, it sounds like a good idea (and even better shipping material, if you ask me) and that they really took them from one point to the other. 

Let me explain. They were coded before as Red and Blue, but after the changes in F2 they are now color-coded as:

2.  Light/Darkness juxtaposition. 

sauce

This new color-coding can mean many things for characters, mostly pointing out at the broody type/sunny type of relationship I don’t think they actually embody anymore (even so, Elsa would be seen as the broody type but she’s in light colors now so.. doesn’t fit). That makes us turn to the more mythical implications of this trope, as seen bellow:

“Darkness is the absence of light, and light cannot exist without darkness. The dichotomy between the two has been part of human storytelling for a very long time—many Creation Myths often involve light emerging from darkness, and many destruction myths involve darkness engulfing light.”

In F2 they did play with death and ressurection, with lightness (acceptance) and darkness (despair) and with mythical vs fairytale themes, but what did they settle upon for Elsa and Anna’s relationship? A narrative of epic and mythical love.

Yes.

“It can also be used in conjunction with other contrast tropes; for example, Life/Death Juxtaposition will generally have life associated with light and death with darkness. Solar and Lunar usually pairs the sun with light and the moon with darkness (due to its association with night). Chinese philosophy associates this with Fire/Water Juxtaposition, where the yin is associated with darkness and water, and the yang with fire and light. Light and dark can easily be treated as opposing cosmic forces.”

Wow. 

Their love for each other transcended death not once but twice.

Now that Elsa achieved goddess-like status and Anna ascended the throne (no longer representing 1st/blue and 2nd/red place, but standing as equals), it means that their character dynamic are now placed on a higher level than before too. But what could beat the True Love narrative of the first movie? A mythical tale of balancing cosmic forces, of course! 

Not only it means they’re each other’s true love, but it also means that they can’t exist without the other now at the risk of destroying the world’s balance. 

This fits nicely with the idea of The Bridge (a terrible excuse for separation but a beautiful metaphor for their love story) and how they connect the nations.. but most importantly this fits nicely with how they connect both human and spiritual realms now.

Whoa.

Now I see why Anna tells Elsa this line “our love is worthy of the great myths” by the end of Forest of Shadows. Because it is. Their love is worthy of the greatest tale of all. 

Here’s to hoping i made sense.

#elsanna #elsa #anna #queen elsa #queen anna #frozen 2 #frozen analysis #ask #bringelsahome #elsanna headcanons

[thisislizheather]

The Best Moon is Coming...

“The moon does not fight. It attacks no one. It does not worry. It does not try to crush others. It keeps to its course, but by its very nature, it gently influences. What other body could pull an entire ocean from shore to shore? The moon is faithful to its nature and its power is never diminished.“ -Deng Ming-Dao

I can’t express how much I love that bright, robust, goddess in the sky. Always have, always will. So the fact that a full moon coincides with Halloween this year? Perfection. I just read this great piece about the upcoming moon on Halloween night, so here are the best, most notable parts from the it (below) and then (further down) you can read about some full moon rituals that any self-respecting, moon-loving human should partake in.

This Halloween will be the first blue moon visible in every time zone since 1944.

The moon remains, perpetually and since antiquity, a source of cultural wonder. On Oct. 31, humans in all time zones will be treated to a blue hunter’s moon. A blue moon occurs on the rare occasion when there is more than one full moon during a month. (It doesn’t actually look blue.) A hunter’s moon follows a harvest moon (that was Oct. 2), and it theoretically signals a time to stockpile for winter.

The idea that something rare can happen during a full moon has been drilled into the human psyche in countless ways including through popular movies, books and cartoons. The root of the word lunatic is luna (moon in Latin), implying a sort of craze associated with the moon at its fullest.

“Full moons are a time when we get a little assistance seeing in the dark,” Chani Nicholas, an astrologer said, speaking metaphorically. “It is a very significant full moon, and it is happening four days before the election and is sitting next to a planet with upheaval, change, surprise, excitement: Uranus.”

Jessica Dore, a social worker and tarot reader, said the coming full moon, in its rarity, was a kind of emblem of change. “I think that symbols — and a blue moon is a symbol — do have the potential to activate things in an individual and in the collective,” Ms. Dore said. “It is a time when something rare can happen.”

It’s clear that the pull humans feel to learn about the moon, harness its power or flat out hex it stems from a time when we relied on it heavily in a day-to-day sense. But it also just feels nice to know that there is something out there in the mysterious dark expanse of space that is connected to humanity.

And maybe there’s something even deeper. The atoms of the universe are endlessly recycled, said Ms. Noble, the lunar scientist. (The sun is a second generation star, for example.) Perhaps, with the discovery that human bodies are made of stardust, we all have a little more moon inside of us than we think.

I feel like the summary of this post is: aging girl loves the moon. And I think I’m fine with that? I do love it! Here are some things that I may or may not take part in come Saturday night:

Moon Water Ritual

What to do: Take your container, fill it with water and simply place it outside in the direct line of the moon light overnight

Tools: a mason jar with a lid & water

As you place the water outside, spend a few minutes considering your intentions for the lunar cycle ahead (the upcoming month). In the morning collect the jar and use it however you wish (some ideas could be to drink it by taking a sip or two everyday, reminding yourself of your intentions and the power of the moon or to place your moon water in a spray bottle, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil and use it as a facial toner each morning).

Moon Wishes Manifestation Ritual

What to do: List your manifestations

Tools: Paper, pencil, jar, candles and matches

Start by lighting a candle, focus on being present and letting go of everything running through your mind.

Spend a few moments thinking about what you want to release, and what you want to call in.

Take the paper and one by one jot down the things you’d like to have show up into your life over the next month - these are your full moon wishes.

Place the wish list in a jar - and then set it outside to soak up the moonlight.

In the morning bring the wishes back inside and place it somewhere you will see it daily. Each evening before you go to sleep, take a look at your list and reflect.

Some Final Ideas

Take a moonbeam bath

If you can get outside and bathe in the moonlight in either the ocean or fresh water, this is a wonderful way to connect yourself with nature and the energy of the full moon.

Count your blessings

A full moon is the time when emotions come to the surface. Let go of any unresolved feelings by thinking about who and what you are grateful for. Fill yourself up with gratitude by making a list of everything that comes to mind. Then re-read this list. Having a tough time finding something to be grateful for? Just focus on one thing that you may take for granted and explore that from all angles.

Write a release letter & then burn it

A full moon is the best time to release and let go. No ritual is stronger than writing down your deepest inner thoughts and then releasing that energy by watching it go up in flames. If you are stuck with what to release or write, you could write include a letter to yourself about the things you are worried about or want to rid yourself of (habits, negative thoughts, etc.) or write a letter to someone whose energy, friendship or relationship no longer serves you and you want to let them go.

Turn your devices off for the entire duration of the moon’s presence (so as soon as the sun sets, turn off your phone)

To fully connect and not be interrupted, I think this is probably the best suggestion in the whole post. Focus on what’s going on in your mind that night. Let that be the most important voice that your mind hears.

However you spend Halloween, I hope you make the most of the magic in the air that night.

#full moon #Halloween full moon #Halloween #Halloween 2020 #this is liz heather #Liz Heather #full moon ritual

[filipefrancoworks]

The bright side of the moon | text by Tomaz Vieira

Tomaz Vieira, pintor

Luar

Estes “luares” de Filipe estão corporizados num processo de recriação de luz. Olho para estas criações instruído pelo conhecimento das obras anteriormente produzidas pelo artista. Mais do que isso, olho-as com todas as referências que vêm desde um passado de três décadas. Refiro a minha memória desse tempo, quando docente de uma turma do nono ano de escolaridade e recordo um jovem criativamente irrequieto, formalmente insatisfeito e de persistentes decisões. Agora, Filipe faz parte de uma geração de artistas em fase de confirmar os resultados da respectiva maturidade. Assistir ao “nascimento” de um artista, certamente condiciona uma postura perante a respectiva obra. Quantas vezes o facto de não se estar muito por dentro de um determinado processo “histórico”, poderá estimular a perplexidade expressa numa adesão espontânea, quiçá mais sentida, dos respectivos frutos ou consequências. Assim, outras pessoas poderão ver estas obras em contexto emocional diferente do meu. Por mim, aproveito o privilégio de uma panorâmica particular.

Depois de realizada uma obra, ela passa a ser uma ideia que adquiriu o próprio corpo. Uma vez materialmente separada do artista, tem de ser vista como entidade independente e de acordo com as respectivas intrínsecas potencialidades estéticas. Sabemos que os críticos, os sociólogos e os historiadores “emolduram” o juízo estético em variáveis que podem referenciar a obra em termos alheios à essencial existência dessa mesma obra. Por isso, abstenho-me de, nesta abordagem às obras de Filipe, referir classificações, quer se trate de “ismos” ou de quaisquer outras designações de estilo..

Nos trabalhos da série anterior, denominada “Óxidos”, Filipe estruturou formas de dimensão telúrica evocativas de uma postura contemplativa, acompanhadas de outras que, embora no mesmo contexto formal, podiam ter algo a ver com referências a “design”. A presença destas, junto das demais era como que uma estratégia para não deixar a Terra desabitada. Note-se que essas formas, pela escala e inutilidade funcional, apenas referiam “design” em termos de metáfora. Os materiais então usados por Filipe incluíam terra do chão desta ilha e lama das caldeiras, num processo de aplicação com resultados muito próprios. Para além do mais, denunciava um ritual no âmbito misterioso daquele estado de espírito que se atinge quando se imprime alma e sentimento na matéria. A obra de Arte, sintetizou alguém com a devida propriedade, resulta de um problema sentido.

Depois de “lidar” com essa entidade feminina, com profundas referências simbólicas de fecundidade e criação que é a Terra, Filipe enfrenta, agora, novamente em “veneração” pelo feminino, a forma lunar enquanto fonte de uma luz única na nossa experiência emocional. A lua já foi adorada, já foi deusa, já foi responsável na projecção de múltiplos sentimentos e, quantas vezes, cúmplice do que quer que lhe possa ter sido proposto, para o bem e para o mal, durante toda a existência da Humanidade. A ligação da anterior fase de trabalho de Filipe com a actual, tem, para além dessa correlação simbólica de feminilidade, outras tantas referências tanto de ordem formal como de cariz conceptual. Referio-me a aspectos que o artista evoca na estrutura sinóptica do projecto destas obras, por vezes derivados de questões científicas, assim como de questões filosóficas ou do âmbito gestáltico. Na forma algo peculiar que lhe é própria, disse Bertrand Russel que “A Ciência fala de coisas que estão provadas; a Filosofia fala de coisas que não se conhecem”. ”Quando Einstein falou da curvatura da luz, isso ainda não estava provado, pelo que se tratava de Filosofia e não de Ciência….” Será a Arte exactamente a via de falar do que não se conhece, através de metáforas e de materiais conhecidos ? A escolha dos materiais com que Filipe constrói estas obras é de um extremo rigor. Só eles podem alcançar objectivos muito bem definidos nas respectivas intenções. A “docilidade” textural e a leveza da chamada “esferovite” permite um corte com a momentânea expressão do percurso da mão que o talhou (quando não talhada com instrumentos de rigor industrial),. No método de execução escolhido por Filipe, a justaposição e ordenação dos elementos com que organiza cada composição, é feita com propósitos rítmicos. Propósitos esses, especialmente dirigidos ao jogo de iluminação a que são submetidas séries de barras paralelas geometricamente irregulares, predominantemente horizontais. O resultado, em termos de uso da luz, como elemento interveniente na composição, processa-se na interacção de porções de matéria iluminada com as respectivas sombras próprias e projectadas. É um conjunto de efeitos que, para além de poder conter algo de lúdico, enquanto factor próprio da criação artística, existe com a definida finalidade expressiva que tem a ver com um compromisso de intenção, isto é, com a temática destas obras. Trata-se de uma postura própria de quem procura uma determinada realidade, não a ilusão de qualquer realidade . Os recursos oficinais de Filipe são sempre sublinhados pela qualidade da excelente execução das suas obras. Fá-lo agora, uma vez mais, sem qualquer perigo de cair no virtuosismo porque possue a mestria de integrar os materiais numa vivência própria.

Tomaz Borba Vieira Janeiro de 2007 Moonlight

▶ bright side of the moon, works

                                                                                                                    -------

Tomaz Vieira, painter

Luar

These ‘moonlights’ of Filipe are corporated in a process of recreation of light. I look at these creations instructed by the knowledge of the earlier works produced by the artist. More than that, I look at them with all the references that go back as long as 30 years. I refer to my memory of the time that I was a teacher of a class of the ninth grade, and I remember a creative, restless young man, formally unsatisfied and of persistent decisions. Nowadays, Filipe is part of a generation of artists in the process of confirming the results of the respective maturity. To witness the ‘birth’ of an artist, certainly conditions a posture before the respective work. How many times the fact of not being very much within a certain ‘historical’ process could stimulate an expressive perplexity in a spontaneous adhesion, perhaps more felt, of the respective fruits or consequences. Therefore, other people could see these works in a different emotional context than mine. As far as I am concerned, I take advantage of the privilege of a private view.

After a work is realized, it gets to be an idea that acquired its own body. Ones materially separated of the artist, it has to be looked at as an independent entity and in concordance with its respective aesthetic, intrinsic potentialities. We know that the critics, the sociologists and the historians ‘frame’ an aesthetic judgment in variables that can referenciate a work in terms oblivious to an essential existence of this same work. For this, I abstain, in this approach of the works of Filipe, of referring classifications, nor about the ‘ists’, or about whatever other style designation.

In the works of the former series, called ‘Oxidos’, Filipe structured forms of telluric dimension, evocative of a contemplative posture, accompanied by others that, though in the same formal context, could have something to do with ‘design’. The presence of those, together with the others, was like a strategy for the world not to be uninhabited. It is to note that these forms, because of the scale and functional unusefullness, only referred to ‘design’ in metaphorical terms. The then used materials by Filipe included earth from the ground of this island and clay from the geysers, in a process of application with very typical results. What’s more, it announced a ritual in the mysterious extent of that state of spirit that one reaches when one prints soul and feeling in the matter. The work of Art, synthesized someone with a certain property, that results from a felt problem.

After leading with this feminine entity, with deep symbolic references of fertilization and creation that is the Earth, Filipe now faces again the ‘reverence´ for the feminine, the lunar form while source of a unique light within our emotional experience. The moon has already been adored, has already been a goddess, has already been responsible for the projection of multiple sentiments and, how many times, accomplice of whatever has been proposed to her, for the good or the bad, during the whole existence of Humanity. The connection of the former phase of the work of Filipe with the actual, has other references as well as this symbolic correlation of the femininity, as much of a formal order as of a conceptual face. I refer to the aspects that the artist evokes in the synoptic structure of the project of these works, sometimes stemmed from scientific questions, sometimes from philosophical questions or of the gestalt-point-of-view. In the special way that is typical for him, Bertrand Russel said that ‘ A Science speaks of proven things; a Philosophy speaks of things that are not known’. ‘ When Einstein talked about the curve of the light, this hadn’t been proved yet, and for that it was about Philosophy and not Science…’ Could it be that Art is exactly the way of speaking of the not known, through metaphors and known materials? The choice of the materials with which Filipe constructs these works is of an extreme rigour. Only these can achieve well-defined objectives within the respective intentions. A textural ‘sweetness’ and the lightness of the so-called ‘polystyrene’ permit a cut with the momentaneous expression of the route of the hand that it carved (when not carved with instruments of industrial thoroughness). With the method of execution chosen by Filipe, juxtaposition and ordering of the elements with which he organizes every composition, is done with rhythmic intentions. These intentions are specially directed for the light game to which are submitted series of parallel bars, geometrically irregular, predominantly horizontal. The result, in terms of use of light, as intervening element in the composition, processes itself in an interaction of portions of material lit up with the respective shadows, their own and projected. It’s a whole of effects that, besides to be able to contain something playful, while an own factor of the artistic creation, exists with a defined expressive purpose that has to do with a compromise of intention, that is, with the theme of these works. It has to do with the own posture of who searches for a determined reality, not an illusion of any reality. The officinal resources of Filipe are always underlined by the quality of the excellent execution of his works. He does it now, once again, without any risk of falling into virtuosity, because he owns the mastery of integrating the materials in an own vividness.

Tomaz Borba Vieira Janeiro de 2007 Moonlight

  ▶ bright side of the moon, works

All text and images, are subject to international copyright laws

#tomazvieira #2007 #thebrightsideofthenootext #painting #Filipe Franco #contemporary art

[mountphoenixrp]

We have a new citizen in Mount Phoenix:

                    Zhou Jinghua, who is known by no other name,                                 a 23 year old daughter of Chang’e.                      She is a pediatric nurse at Asclepius General.

FC NAME/GROUP: Jung Eunbi/Eunha from GFriend CHARACTER NAME: Zhou Jinghua AGE/DATE OF BIRTH: 23 / June 30, 1997 PLACE OF BIRTH: Shanghai, China OCCUPATION: Nurse HEIGHT: 5'4" / 162.65 cm WEIGHT: 123 lbs DEFINING FEATURES: A round pale face, hair always short and black, an ethereal type beauty

PERSONALITY: Jinghua is almost demure in her qualities. She has a very mysterious aura surrounding her, because she’s a rather private individual. She’s an incredibly observant and caring person, making her suited for nursing. However, even though she can be shy, she’s friendly, or at least civil enough, to uphold a conversation. Within her profession, she of course has the ability to start a conversation, considering that most of it involves asking for a patient’s information and the template to these questions is usually in front of her on a screen. She has a way of opening people up, but she can store that information to her advantage later on. Beware, because Jinghua is a rather manipulative woman.

She’s not entirely a fan of attention, she’d much rather have others shine as opposed to her, but there’s something about her mysterious persona that makes people naturally drawn to her. There’s a lot to her that she hides, because she’s found that trusting people has revealed some nasty truths. While she has her own opinions and stands behind them, she doesn’t have a backbone. If someone tried to argue with her, she would back down in an instant, but she would still hold her original beliefs near and dear. Even though it’s not apparent and hard to access due to her normally reserved stature, Jinghua has really bad anger issues, and she has mood swings that move like a tide. She is after all, a daughter of the moon and a cancer in the zodiac realm, so she has a lot of emotions pent up inside of her.  

HISTORY: Jinghua was a child left on the doorstep of a rather lonely man named Bojing. He was at the end of his middle age, and had a wife who had passed away early on from an incurable disease. He was sterile, so they never had children. When Jinghua was left on his doorstep, he was adamant on raising her as his own. After all, being alone had made him a shell of a man, but Jinghua’s presence started to open up his old self which he had thrown away so easily. Thus, growing up with the man gave Jinghua a fairly normal childhood. However, many of the neighbors pitied her because they knew the man was unable to bore children, and she was just a child left all alone.

When she was younger, Jinghua basked in attention; craved it even. She was the most popular girl in school, and her beauty made her adored by boys and girls alike. She loved being surrounded by people, and she loved hearing their songs of praise toward her. Even Bojing had no qualms about the girl at home, making her well loved amongst many people. However, with that, she was just as envied and hated by others, which she was secretly bothered by, but never spoke about. In the end, as most powerful dynasties do, she suffered a nasty fall. She fell in love with a boy in her first year of high school, told him everything about herself, and gave everything she could to him because she thought she loved him. It was a boy that everyone wanted, and she was of course fortunate enough to have him in her arms. He was her first, but she was far from his first

Much like any other cliche, there was another girl the boy was seeing, and they both played a part in her fall. The boy would tell that girl everything about Jinghua and eventually, they would spread her secrets all over social media, which inevitably destroyed her. In a last attempt to salvage her character, Jinghua dared the girl to fight. Once they did, Jinghua released a bright beam of light and passed out. Everyone shunned her after that, and they made fun of her for her secrets, for thinking that the boy was loyal to only her. It reached a point where she almost never went to school, and Bojing had to move them all the way across to South Korea.

In school at South Korea, she was the complete opposite; a quiet, reserved girl. She had been robbed of the ability to trust, and because she wasn’t yet fluent in Korean, she barely spoke. Now, that’s changed of course, since she had plenty of time to learn. She went through college, studied her hardest, and all while taking care of Bojing, who was slowly growing weak. He paid for her school, gave her everything while he still could, and was the one who convinced her to pursue nursing in the first place because she had no other talents or passions besides being a caretaker for him, especially with her natural healing powers (that only he knew about). However, even those weren’t enough to keep him alive longer. When she finished college, he passed away and he told her what he found out about her; that she wasn’t just a normal child, she was a child of a goddess. Even hearing that and knowing her past, she was in disbelief and didn’t accept the idea. She was his daughter, no matter who bore her. At his death, she became even more withdrawn, but she carried on otherwise to honor his legacy.

PANTHEON: Chinese CHILD OF: Chang'e POWERS: lunar power of healing and purification (she only found out about these after her father’s death, so she’s very rusty), small powerful beam of light that she only knows how to control with strong emotions at the moment

STRENGTHS:

↬ Caring

↬ Supportive

↬ Observant

↬ Friendly (enough)

↬ Good at opening people up

WEAKNESSES:

↬ Mood Swings/Emotional

↬ Manipulative

↬ Shy/Reserved

↬ Mistrusting

↬ Condescending

#kpop rp #krp #gfriend #jung eunbi #eunha #mp; welcome

[weeping-petals]

A New Game - Part 1

Word Count - 3,403

The Temple in the Chalcedony Forest has become active, and the Crystal Gems take Steven along to check what affects the ancient relic has undergone. In the forest, someone waits, and she does not want visitors.

The sales guy was told there was another home on the far point of Beach City. It was way out of the way, but his pitch hadn’t landed on most of the residents who answered their doors, and it was mentioned casually that the owner usually indulged hard working door-to-doors.

 The home was actually really nice, and he could see why the owner would indulge a pitch. It was built in the front of - or into - an enormous statue reminiscent of some sea goddess or whatever. Not a fancy place by no means, but the property tax alone must’ve been astronomical.

 He scaled the long series of steps to the front of the home and knocked on the screen door. While he waited, he straightened his tie and fixed the lapels of his suit. Most the home was visible behind the screen, it went far back, into what resembled a cave. A genuine naturalist, interested in preserving the native rock. Footsteps rocketed from above, from what he could presume was an upstairs loft. There sat some windows up there, for what must’ve been a splendid view.

 A small and what he would describe politely as a pudgy child hit the door. Hit the door before he grabbed at the latch and pulled it open. “Hi!”  

 “Hello,” began Fran – short for Frankenstilk. “Can I inquire if either of your parents are home?”

 “Either?” responded the child. “Can I ask, which would you want?”

 “Which? Hmm. Your mother or father, or grandparent. Any suitable guardian.” Fran hefted his briefcase. “I have a revolutionary product that will change how you do dishes.”

 “Well,” the boy looked like he was giving this serious consideration. “That pitch might fall best on Pearl. Is it a cleaning product?”

 Hopeful, Fran brightened. “It’s actually a machine. A new dishwasher, saves water and energy.” At that mention, the boys eyes lit up. “And time, might I add.”

 “That sounds cool! But, we don’t have a dishwasher. We do it all by hand.” He looked down and prodded the threshold with his toe. “I’m the only one in the house that eats, so I don’t know if Pearl will come to the door. Between you and me, she really doesn’t like talking to people.”

 This was getting weird, and going nowhere. “Could you try and get her for me? Maybe she’ll talk to me. It is a wonderful product, and we have several sizes to fit your family’s needs.”

 At the far end of the room, what appeared as a kind of flat platform with crystals embedded on the base, lit up. Like a concerts lighting effects or stage, it beamed with radiance that flooded the interior of the home. Fran gawked, and the boy spun around, going tense. Something appeared in the center, but in a blink it was gone and once more the interior catered to the typical light from lamps.

 “OHH!” squealed the boy. “Did you see that?”

 “Uhh….”

 “I knew I saw it! I knew it! The ghost! You saw it too, right?” he grabbed Fran by the pant leg and shook him. “I didn’t have my camera! Can you wait here? I gotta get someone! Pearl! She’ll want to talk!”

 “Uhhh…..” Fran wanted to leave. Now.

 The strange formal man with the briefcase was gone by the time Steven had located one of the Crystal Gems, not Pearl. Garnet figured Steven would be looking for her, but there were any number of scenarios that could have led to him needing her. The one where he saw a ghost was not one, and that concerned her.

 “This is the third time I’ve seen it.” Steven had a book loaded with spectral apparitions, stories of unsolved conundrums, and mystical time portals. All rubbish in Pearl’s eyes, but it fascinated Steven.

 To Garnet, none of that made sense. Over the centuries, she and the other Gems dealt with corrupted monsters left over from the war, unaccounted shards that needed a good sturdy bubble, and passive gems corrupted, but rooted to their locations and passive, but needed to be looked after. Corrupted Gems and shards could not use the portals, yet, that was where Steven insisted, he saw this apparition.

 “Did you get a good look at her, this time?” she posed. She sat on the couch, watching Steven pace back and forth – a habit he picked up from Pearl.

 “No. It happened too fast.”

 Garnet hummed, contemplating this information. She skimmed through the twisting timelines, searching for insight into these visions Steven was having. None came to her, immediately. “Are you sure Amethyst isn’t playing a trick on you?”

 “No. I don’t know.” Steven let the disappointment leak into his voice. “Usually, she surprises me and gloats about how I’m so easy.”

 Yeah. This didn’t sound like Amethyst’s doing.

 Over the next few weeks, Steven poured into the spooky and mystery books from the local bookshop. The mail carrier was hauling one or two large volumes a day. Pearl was at her wits end.

 “Steven. These volumes are not accurate education materials. There’s no such things as… spirits,” she huffed.

 Thankfully, Amethyst was at the bar folding a burger into a pizza. “Psh, yeah. Except the creepy gem bits we keep in the basement.”

 Steven looked up from the book he was perusing through. “Gem… bits?”

 “Amethyst!”

 A loud argument irrupted from that. For the most part, Steven was confused, and Amethyst teetered on the edge of divulging something, which Pearl was having none of. It only came to an end when Garnet entered from the portal doorway, her presence and stoic expression demanded silence.

 This didn’t happen immediately. Garnet had to clear her throat to break the others out of bickering. “We need to make a trip to the Chalcedony Forest. The temple in the heart of that region has become active, and one of the warp pads there is now silent.”

 Pearl and Amethyst remained pensive. Steven was the first to speak up.

 “What does that mean?”

 “My plans for the day are canceled,” Amethyst quipped.

 “You didn’t have any plans,” Pearl rebuked.

 “Aside from eating my purrurger. It’s a pizza, burger, and a burrito. All rolled up in one.” Amethyst began gnawing on the culinary behemoth, while Pearl made the gag face. The one she made, whenever Amethyst shoved a none traditional, edible food item into her face.

 “Steven. Would you like to come with us?” Garnet bypassed the bar, to look on the child with his book.

 “You mean it?” he beamed. The face faded, he looked at his book. “Even after the Moon Temple?”

 “Lunar Sea Spire,” Pearl corrected.

 “One minor error.” Garnet ruffled his curly hair. “We all make them, one time or another. What matters, is that you want to continue and learn. And avoid repeating the same mistakes. No artifacts this time. Our mission will be simple recon. Maybe your short stature will help us locate anything we miss.”

 “I’m short!” Amethyst burped.

 “But Steven does it better,” Garnet responded. “We need to leave soon. Go get packed.”

 Steven bolted from his chair and rushed to the loft. He grabbed the hamburger backpack off his shelf and dumped all the supplies from it, then restocked it, accounting for new gear he needed for the so named forest.

 “Do I need bug spray!”

 “No.”

 “Suntan lotion?”

 “Dude! We’re going to be in a forest!”

 “What about a canoe?”

 “Steven!” All three said in unison.

 Steven stuffed in one snack, and felt ready for the trip. He raced downstairs, and joined the other gems at the front door. “So, what’s the Chardony Forest like?”

 “Chalcedony Forest,” Pearl corrected. Amethyst facepalmed. “It was a land in the midst of gem petrifi—”

 In a beam of light, the gems vanished from the surface of the warp pad and shot through the light stream. Within a matter of minutes, a flash burst halfway across the globe on a sister pad.

 Deep in the forest terrain.

 “—Since then, ah, we’re here,” Pearl announced, when the light faded and the chaotic land rose up around them. The trees clustered close to the area of the pad, and it was askew in the soil. Steven wobbled where he stood on the slick surface. “Since then, the forest has adapted to the partial terraforming.”

 “Wow.” Steven bounced off the pad and weaved among the shrubs. The trees were the largest he’d ever seen, some had trunks larger than his own home. He shielded his eyes from the falling sun, the light cascaded down was intense. Though, some of the looming timbers shimmered and reflected light, the surface polished like glass. Smaller and less impressive foliage remained traditional bark and fiber. “Oh, so they’re like glass.”

 “The Chalcedony Forest,” Garnet restated. “Many of these plants adopted gem like qualities. Some are primarily mineral.”

 “Chalcedony is a kind of gem?” Steven questioned. He leaned down, inspecting the jagged crystals shooting from the sprouts of a shrub.

 “Yes.” Garnet stepped by, patting his head. “Let’s get moving. We won’t have much daylight, especially with the trees. Amethyst.”

 Amethyst was prodding a root. “What? I’m just looking.”

 “It’ll be important to stay close. The thicket is dense, and it will be easy to become separated, and difficult to call out for each other.” This was Garnet code for, keep a close eye on Steven because he might get distracted by something and wander.

 “So Pearl!” Steven bounded up beside his favorite tall and booky gem. “What else can you tell me about this place? How are the trees both glass and growing?”

 Pearl smiled, “Well, the technology was very sophisticated at the time, and this region was intended to be utilized for aristocratic gatherings. See the view?” She cast an arm out, gesturing the expanding valley stretching from the slope of the mountain. Steven hurried ahead, eyes beaming. The forest went on

 FOREVER

 Unbeknownst to the gems, in the low canopy above them, a dark shape plopped onto a branch and stood, bent, surveying the three. It was loosened, looming, gleaming eyes narrowed. In a flash, the figure was out of sight. Aside from leaves spiraling down from where the figure darted, no evidence was apparent to warn the others.

 A half hour later, the gems were hiking uphill. A path wove among the branches and breaching roots, but the terrain was not clear of rocks or shattered tree mineral.

 “Hey,” Steven wheezed. “How far is the temple?”

 “Mmm,” Garnet thought. “Another three hours.”

 “What!”

 “That was the closest warp pad?” Amethyst grouched. Though not tired, walking was boring. And they weren’t here to fight any creatures or living islands.

 “There was one nearer to the temple, yes,” Garnet answered. “Though seismic events might have….” There she stalled, and raised her head to the canopy above. “Watch out!” She knocked Amethyst backwards, then bolted forward snagging Steven and Pearl. She crouched beside the base of crystal spikes, shielding them from a rapid succession of bursting sparks that erupted on the trail.

 Amethyst rolled backwards, narrowly evading miniscule shards. A few hits struck home, inflicted damage to her arm. “Hey! What gives!”

 Laughter spilled down from the branches. From the dense leafy assortment, a lanky thread slunk down. It alit on a branch, recalling its body into a concise shape.

 “Well-well-well, what have we here!” the speaker hissed. “Look who’s come to invade my territory.” The lithe shape dropped, swinging from its legs, directing an oversized finger at each below under scrutiny. She sang in a mocking tune, “If it isn’t Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl. Oh dear, Pearl, long time no see. Eh?” She slung around, and flipped back up onto the branch. “What happened? Run out of Corrupt Gems to Terrorize!”

 Pearl eased out of Garnet’s arms, squinting at the silhouette. “Who is…? No. It can’t be.”

 “But it can. And it is! Oh, and now you’re here, for me. Come to finish what you started! IS THAT IT!” She bounded down tree limbs, marching with her fists swinging. “You’ll all have another thing comin’, mark my words.”

 Steven shuddered. Garnet held tight in her arms, while all focus was directed up at the strange… person. He’d never seen her this tense before, not since the arcade. “Garnet,” he murmured. “Who is that? Do you know… her?”

 Garnet didn’t respond. She set him down and moved to place herself between him and the figure up high, descending beat by beat. This movement didn’t go overlooked.

 “Ah! Who’s that you got there? Another reject, from the furnace!” The person sprang up and down on the branch, stamping her feet. “If you think—”

 “Amethyst,” Garnet hissed. She didn’t need to look, to know she caught the other’s attention. “Return to the warp pad.”

 “Who! Is! That!” The figure demanded, cocking those gleaming eyes.

 Pearl already had a spear summoned, and was moving around the side of the tree. In part striving to conceal intents, partially tempting attention – feigning a poorly construed sneak attack. Meanwhile, Amethyst crept among the brush from the other side, to where Garnet with Steven stood poised.

 “Come on, Steven.” Amethyst nabbed his hand and tugged him away. Her quick response on the command and lack of resistance made Steven uneasy. Amethyst was prone to argue if there was a chance for a fight, but here and now, she hefted him above her head and hurried into the retreat.

 “Wait,” Steven countered. “Who?— What’s—?”

 “Steven!” The silhouette barked, bristling. “Steev-En.” The body of the odd figure went limp noodle. “Oh. Ooh. Perfect.” Her gleaming eyes slanted. “Steven. All grown up. Look atchoo. Aren’t you cuute. I have a surprise. How ‘bout a new game. The rules are simple. Winner takes all. Won’t you stay? Can’t you play? Think of all the fun we’ll have!”

 “Spinel!” Garnet boomed.

 Pearl was scaling the tree, vaulting up the branches, fast as she could manage. She reached height with Spinel and thrust her spear, intending to shoot a bolt or energy. But Spinel already lept backwards, extending an arm. She caught Pearl by the foot and knocked her out of the elegant ascent.

 “Just like old times,” Spinel cackled. Her limbs uncoiled, she snatched ahold of branches near the forest floor and hauled her body downward like a missile. “Have fun while I wasn’t around? Learn new tricks? Make new games?”

 Amethyst hurtled around trees, while Steven flailed his arms. “Who is that? What is—” He crashed to his backside when Amethyst came to an abrupt halt, dropping him and scooting backwards. On the ground the lanky gem was coiled and flattened, a wild grin plastered on the face. An arm snaked out and snared Amethyst by the ankle, in one fling Amethyst went skyward. Steven shuffled backwards.

 Spinel sprang off the floor, limbs jagged and bent. “Found you!”

 “Don’t you dare harm him!” Garnet snarled. She launched over Steven’s head, gauntlet extended. The blow narrowly connected with Spinel’s shoulder, but rather knock the enemy gem off balance, legs coiled about Garnet’s shoulders and wrist, looping tightly.

 Spinel twisted into the flip, hauling the bulkier gem along. Arms unraveled catching at the trunks around them, and she began spinning in an unrestrained vortex, abandoning control. A bright glimmer emitted from the core of the cyclone, and when Spinel released Garnet, the fusion collided with a crystal tree. The Chalcedony burst, collapsing into glittery bits and forming a glittery cavity.

 Perched in the low branches, Pearl saw an opening. Spinel skidded across the soil, whipping around to face an oncoming lilac buzzsaw. Soundlessly, Pearl vaulted down, extending her spear. Unfortunately, she forgot the critical rule of fighting Spinel.

 Spinel was already relocating, a constant motion, never ceasing step aside from a millisecond beat. She spied Pearl in descent, and once Amethyst was a hairpin close, grabbed the whirring ball by the sides and launched her upward. Amethyst collided with Pearl, and the two plummeted.

 Steven backed away when the gem spun his way; a wide grin met him, the arms loose and curved. She made no move on him, didn’t acknowledge him aside from the sinister gleam. The barest suggestion of an encounter sent a shiver up his spine, and he continued to retreat, until his back hit the bent root of a tree. He didn’t know what to do, how to help. This was unlike any scenario they practiced for. This was clearly not a creature, he didn’t think she looked like one. This was a gem. A real gem person.

 Why were they fighting?

 Pearl and Amethyst were struggling to recover from the impact. That was when Spinel sprang into their midst, spinning and kicking one or the other. “How I MISSED YOU!” Pearl rose to jam out a spear, but Spinel smashed it to the ground underfoot. Amethyst cracked her whip, and Spinel countered by coiling an arm into the lash and hauled Amethyst downward. “How lonely I WAS! Can you IMAGINE?” She grabbed Amethyst, swept around and flung her against Pearl’s body. “Remember all the fun we used to have? Do ya! Well I DO!”

 Spinel’s gem gleamed, and she slapped a small block to the back of Amethyst’s shoulder. Pearl sprang in, not recovered from the last blow. She tried to spear Spinel with a wild shot, but missed when the other gem bowed aside. Not only swung, but scooted up right behind Pearl. Spinel pried at her shimmering heart, and shoved a third and final device to the back of Pearl’s head. The force of the delivery sent Pearl into a flip.

 “You LEFT ME! Thought you could forget all about me, HAUGH!” Spinel spat, as she backed away. Directly behind her, Garnet launched in, gauntlets out stretched and energy crackling across her knuckles. Spinel performed a tight twirl on one leg, bending backwards, the other leg slung up and tripped Garnet. While the larger gem somersaulted, Spinel snatched the shades from her face.

 And fitted them over her own eyes. “Thought you’d just… abandon me, didja?” Her gem gleamed, this time, she brought forth a device about the size of her hand. “Not a one of you thought to come find me! Thought you’d be through with me! Dust your hands of that lil trifle? Well, GUESS AGAIN!”

 The three gems saw the device, but it was Amethyst who spied the something… on the back of Pearl’s head. She blurted, “She’s got a—”

 Garnet landed and recovered, right beside Spinel. But she didn’t contend with the gem, instead, she propelled herself forward. There was no time. Spinel hit the switch, and sneered at the other two.

 Each tech on each gem, Garnet included, blazed a bright light. The forest around them was engulfed completely by the intrusive radiance, even sound burned away. Too near the radius, Steven covered his head and body, perplexed and terrified by everything spiraling out of control. It very well could have been their end. He would never see another Cookie Cat. His dad would never know what happened. Their adventures were over.

 “Steven,” Garnet howled. Voice nearly enveloped completely by the grating yowl of the light. She wrapped her arms around the boy, intending to shield him, and defend him from whatever may come.

 Right beside her, Spinel laughed. “Nice try. No dice.” Garnet nearly missed the comment. She curled around Steven tighter, reminiscent of another time long-long ago, when she had protected a friend.

 Eventually, the light faded by layers of haze, and even then, the gems could not see clearly. The surroundings were apparent, but they remained in a glaring fog.

 “What was that?” Amethyst grumbled. She walked into another tree. She tried crawling, but wound up waddling right into a crystal rock.

 “A flash,” Pearl supplied. She leaned on her spear struggling with the affects, shaking her head – where her gem was situated. “It impedes our gems ability to perceive surroundings.”

 “Just say we can’t see. That makes more sense,” Amethyst spat. “Man! I thought she was gone, like, forever ago. Garnet? Is Stev okay?” Worryingly, Garnet was silent. “Hey! Was he affected? How’s he doing?”

 Garnet was the first able to recover. She managed to summon a pair of shades, though still suffered some intent of the radiance. Which meant, Spinel was affected as well, to some degree. Which on its own was troubling. What bothered Garnet more, was that she was holding only the hamburger backpack, and it was empty. They lost Steven.

#steven universe #suf #steven universe the movie #su the movie #spinel #spinel fanfic #spinel fanfiction #pearl #garnet #steven #amethyst #crystal gem #spinel crystal gem au #garnet fanfic #steven fanfic #pearl fanfic #amethyst fanfic

[elhoimleafar]

New Moon in Gemini & new cycles + Archetypes 🌑 #newMOON #geminiMOON #PracticalAstrology

Greetings and blessings to all, this day I have decided to share with you some interesting tips that you should take into account so you can understand and use in your favor the energy of this new moon happening on Monday, June 3 in the sign of Gemini, and will also be the opening of the new season of summer eclipses this year.

New Moon & New Cycles.

The moon and the sun, our presence and consciousness will be in full romance during this new moon, the moon that is our darker and subconscious part, and the sun, which is our most conscious side, our energy and our perspective of the outside world, they are copulating at this moment in the sign of Masu or Geminis, so in these moments it is normal to feel scattered, because Geminis, who has this interesting character of the two faces, and at the same time invites us to be more social and eloquent, find in these instants sharing their space with the moon (our subconscious), the sun (our presence), and Mercury (our understanding and eloquence), as you can understand this is not a comfort zone for any of the planets involved in the process and is for that reason it can be quite normal if you feel a little out of place for your own projects at this time.

At the same time with the moon and the sun, we have a Mercury (the messenger), positioned in Gemini, mercury not only influences and represents communication, internal communication and external communication, at this moment he is in a strategic position with the sun and the moon, which on the one hand makes internal and external communications flow, but the quantity and speed of the information that is mobilized in the process is so high, that they can create confusion and lead us to doubt the steps we are taking.

Go more deep about the Moon.

The new moon is the appropriate time to reflect on a project or immerse yourself in a process, this is a time of introspection and awakening. Here with this moon begins a new lunar cycle of processes and enterprises that ended in the next six months with the full moon in Gemini, that is why I recommend you take this lunar cycle to restart or reevaluate your present processes and study new possibilities and goals.

The previous year we lived a similar lunar cycle on June 13, if you are a follower of my blog, you will understand that it is a perfect cycle to show your intentions of personal and professional growth, this is a very special transit in the emotional aspect, because helps to promote your sensitivity, your compassion, and your empathy.

Remember also that we are living a retrograde Jupiter in Sagittarius, which invites us to reanalyze in depth the origins of our beliefs and our self-imposed limitations, while Pluto, the archetype of death, resurrection and the unknown, and Saturn, the bearer of old age and time, are retrograding in Capricorn, this marks a moment of "if you do not let go, you can not advance", a "Let go and travel lightly", this is an interior guide to self-discovery our deepest wisdom, as we let go of everything we drag and weight. These dark aspects of the sky, are in conjunction that drives us to know how to identify what we should let go to make our journey in life much lighter.

Some myths to connect the vibe.

In the Babylonian astronomy, Gemini was the constellation of Massu, were known as the Great Twins, Meshlamtaea and Lugalirrae, this twin was worshipped in the village of Kisiga, located in the north of Babylonia as minor gods and guardians of doorways.

After that, in Greek mythology, Gemini was associated with the myth of Castor and Pollux, the Polydeuces o Dioscuri, the children of Leda. this myth represents the power of the brotherhood, the archetype of the eternal love and divine intervention, and the sacred union that survives the tragedy and the advent of evil, Pollux was the son of Zeus, the king of the Gods who seduced Leda, while his brother Castor was the son of Tyndareus, king of Sparta and Leda's husband.

One of these two brothers was mortal, while the other, being the son of a god was immortal, as the years passed, one of them did not stop aging and finally dies, when this happens the immortal brother begs his father Zeus to allow him to live with his brother more time, making him immortal, that's when Zeus decides to take them both to live in the sacred place of the Elysian fields.

This myth and his history represents for us perfectly the cycle that we are facing in the new moon, a period of darkness during which definitive decisions are made to mark a process, because during these periods we managed how to configure our purposes under one zodiacal energy, it is just when we have the sun (the father, the impulse, the creative force, and the sacred fire) working its energy in the same sign as the moon (who is the mother, the desire, the unconscious, the dreams and our domain of the time).

Remember, that Gemini is the sign of information, the information we receive and the information we share with other people, that is why it is an adequate moon to sow all our plans and projects, especially those that we share with a group or with some partners.

The energy of this Month.

This lunar month that begins on June 3, I invite you to work with the energy of Mawu as a moon goddess, Mawu was also a creative goddess, who was entrusted with the task of modeling all the life forms on the Earth. With the help of Aido Hwedo, the primitive serpent, the archetype of wit and Awe, the divine monkey who represent the wisdom.

The three of them together gave shape to all the living creatures of the world with clay. Mawu is the lunar goddess who marks in the mythology Dahomey the cycle of beginnings and awakenings, is also a goddess of double character as a divinity associated with the sun and the moon and everything that lives below them.

The energy of Mawu is harmonic and peaceful energy, she caters to all kinds of requests, so, I recommend you make a fairly simple ritual to work with Mawu and her energy that is creative and creator at the same time. This energy, in my opinion, is perfect, to allow you to focus on all those dreams that you wanna make your goals in the next months.

Cover on two candles in white and red colors, with a little mix myrrh and lotus oil, light these candles with a variety of incense of your choice in the morning hours to connect with the residual energy of this purifying energy and give Mawu a personal prayer that comes from your heart, she will bless your dreams and projects with that "push" that you need.

I also leave you the link to my book 'The Magical Art Of Crafting Charm Bags' in which you can also find a series of lunar data and alchemical elements that you can take into account for your own personal transformation.

Blessings on your way & happy new moon.

Elhoim Leafar

© All rights reserved, March 2019.

#astrology #astrology signs #astrology posts #astrology post #practical astrology #gemini #Gemini moon #New moon #new moon in Gemini #Mawu #Massu #Babylonian astrology #Sumerian astrology #magic #wicca #wiccans of tumblr #wiccan #pagan wicca #pagans of tumblr #pagans #archetypes #myths #greek myths #myths and legends #astronomy #modern astrology #astrologers of tumblr #male astrologer #new lunar month #moon journey

[adalheidismimisbrunnr]

Daily Rituals

When we embark on a spiritual path, sometimes the path gets twisted and we feel we lose our connection to the Divine. This is totally normal and shouldn’t get you down! Sometimes we are too busy with the mundane to cater to our spirituality. But there are ways to include simple daily pagan rituals into your routine without a fuss. You don’t have to do every single one every day, pick and choose a few you could fit into your schedule and try to remember them. The key is to create a habit of your daily pagan rituals so that you don’t forget or don’t feel too guilty if you do! Without further ado, here’s my list of 30+ simple, daily pagan rituals.

30+ Daily Pagan Rituals

1. Light a candle

Many of us pyromaniacs already love burning candles in our homes, so why not make it a part of your daily pagan rituals? Light a candle and say a quick prayer of gratitude to your god or goddess or ancestors. Then go about your day.

2. Offerings for the Gods

Everyone thinks offerings are complicated…here’s a little secret – they’re not! Offerings can be anything you feel your god or goddess would enjoy food, beverage, water, incense, herbal blends, art, and poetry. Some gods enjoy a nice black cup of coffee in the morning. Some enjoy a portion of your dinner at night. Some prefer the scent of patchouli incense. Incorporate offerings into your daily routine and watch the blessings roll in!

3. Offerings for the Ancestors

Same as above – make offerings to your ancestors one of your daily pagan rituals. Did your granny like to steal sweet n’ lows? Add a couple to your ancestor altar for her. Did your Uncle enjoy bonfires? Light a candle for him in the evening.

4. Rise to Greet the Sun

If you’re an early riser, this should be a simple one – rising to greet the sun. Sit outside with your coffee and watch the sun rise. Bask in the glory of the star that gives life to this planet.

5. Runic Stadhas or Yoga

Edred Thorsson talks about runic stadhas in his book Elder Futhark. These are similar to yoga positions. So, whether you enjoy yoga or feel a connection to the runes, try physical positions like the runic stadhas or yoga on a daily basis. Even if you only do one or two in the morning to get your day started or in the evening to relax and connect.

6. Go for a Walk

Simply going for a walk outside is enough to relax you and re-connect with Mother Earth. Don’t have a lot of time to fit in a walk? Instead of sitting at your desk for lunch break, take your lunch outside and go for a walk afterward. Even if it’s only a ten-minute walk.

7. Dream Journalling

Keep a journal at your bedside. Before you even set foot on the floor in the morning, write down your dreams in a dream journal. This is a simple, yet effective way to tune into your higher self and gods – through dreams. The more you journal your dreams, the more dreams you will recall.

8. Meditate

You don’t have to meditate for an hour or even a half an hour. Pop in a set of earbuds and listen to a ten-minute relaxing guided meditation for free on YouTube.

9. Nature Signs and Omens

Throughout your day, pay attention to any nature signs or omens. This could be anything – a praying mantis on the windshielf, a blue jay that seems to repetitively visit you, a cloud in the shape of a heart, a snail that’s entered the house, etc. The gods and ancestors often use nature to communicate with us. This is one of the most enriching daily pagan rituals in my practice.

10. Light Incense

Just as you light a candle for your gods or simply to re-connect, light incense on a daily basis. Something about the scent of incense in the air puts me into an otherworldly state of mind. It is relaxing and grounding, too.

11. Read a Spiritual Book

Take fifteen minutes out of your day to read a spiritual book. Whatever topic you’re studying in the realm of paganism, set aside a little time daily to read and absorb what you are reading. Knowledge is power, after all.

12. Love Your Pets

Whether you have a dog, horse, or a hamster, set aside some time every day to love on your pets. This doesn’t seem like a pagan ritual, but anything done with intention and in a routine, can be a ritual. And what’s more pagan than loving on animals?

13. Light a Red Candle in the Kitchen

Keep a red candle in your kitchen. Light it in honor of the ancestors who came before you, who cooked hearthside to feed and nourish their families just as you do today!

14. CleanseYourself

One of those self-love daily pagan rituals is cleanse yourself. You don’t have to do this daily, but I promise if you do take up the practice, you won’t regret it. cleansing removes the negative debris stuck in your aura, helps to relax you, and to ground you after a long day of work.

15. Love Your Family

One of the most pagan things to do is to honor and love your family. Think back hundreds of years ago – what did your ancestors’ value back then? Life, love, and family. They focused on survival and did what they had to do to feed and care for their families. And it’s a good thing too, because you’re here because of them! Honor your ancestors by loving your family every day. Spend quality time with your family as a daily pagan ritual. Othala.

16. Write in Journal / BOS

Keep a record of your spiritual journey, traditions, and thoughts by writing them down in a spiritual journal or Book of Shadows. Take five minutes a day to write something down – even if it’s just your emotions or your thoughts in that moment.

17. Wear a Stone

Choose a stone to wear on a daily basis. This is a simple, small daily pagan ritual to do in the morning. If you can’t wear it, then put it in your pocket. Choose stones for protection, grounding, energy, etc.

18. Pray to the Gods

Take time in the morning while you’re getting ready for the day or take time just before falling asleep to say a simple prayer to the gods. Prayers of gratitude are best. The more grateful we are for the gods’ presence in our lives, the more blessings roll in.

19. Visit the Garden

Whether you keep an elaborate garden or just have a few plants and trees in your yard, take some time in the early morning or the evening to pay the garden a visit. You never know what wisdom the plants, trees, and wildlife have to share with you. I find garden visits comforting, peaceful, and enlightening.

20. Exercise

How is exercise a daily pagan ritual? In this modern day and age, everyone is so busy and sedentary. We don’t have the time to work out. But here’s the thing – we were gifted with these bodies by the gods/universe/ancestors and so we should be grateful for them and care for them just as we care for our spirits. Even if you just go for a run in the morning, do something to get your heart pumping every day. Make the gods proud.

21. Brew a Cup of Tea

Make brewing tea a daily ritual. Enjoy choosing your own loose-leaf herbs, hearing the tea kettle whistle on the stove, and then pouring the hot water over the herbs. Sit down, be quiet, and sip your tea while waiting for the Divine to speak to you.

22. “Smudge” Your House

Along the same lines of smudging yourself, smudge your house to rid it of any negative vibes or spirits. A quick smudging does the trick, even if it’s only ten minutes.

23. Rune or Card of the Day

Something I enjoy doing in the morning, draw one rune or one tarot/oracle card for the day. It might give you a sneak peek of what’s to come or just provide some sage advice. Either way – drawing one rune or card of the day is one of the easiest and enlightening daily pagan rituals.

24. Use Herbs in Cooking

Have a garden with herbs or vegetables? Use them in your cooking on a daily basis. If you don’t have a garden, choose spices from your kitchen cabinet for specific purposes. For example – cinnamon for money. Sugar to sweeten up situations and people. Rosemary for love. Etc.

25. Pray to the Ancestors

Just as you pray to the gods, pray to your ancestors as well. They enjoy hearing from you too.

26. Freshen Up Your Altar

Clean up your altar on a daily basis. This means dump those ashes off your incense burner. Dust off any dirt or debris. Refresh your offerings. Etc. Make your altar a place worthy of the gods and ancestors.

27. Gaze at the Moon

On nights when the clouds are clear, go outside and gaze at the moon. Feel the lunar rays on your skin.

28. Plan the Next Sabbat

Take time to plan the next sabbat. Write down ideas on traditions, rituals, food, etc. This is a fun daily pagan ritual to do with the whole family (if they are pagan, as well).

29. Call a Pagan Friend

On days you feel you need an extra boost of comfort or confidence, call a pagan friend. There’s nothing like talking to someone of like-mind and kindred spirit.

30. Ground and Center

With how crazy life can get, making grounding and centering a part of your daily pagan rituals can really do wonders for your health and wellbeing. Even if you touch a tree before going inside or walk around outside with bare feet, both of these rituals help.

31. Plan the Next Esbat

Just as planning the next Sabbat can be fun, so can planning your next Esbat. Plan an aura-cleansing bath on the New Moon – what herbs will you use? Will you use sea salt or epsom salt? Plan to do a releasing ritual on the next Waning Moon. What will you do next full moon? Write down your thoughts and ideas.

32. Research Your God/Goddess

In addition to reading a spiritual book once a day, spend a few minutes doing further research on your god or goddess. This can be online or in books. Read your god or goddess’ mythology, folklore, and history. This gives honor to your god or goddess and enriches your relationship with them.

[rickortreeeat]

Warrior’s Moon | Full Moon in Aries | October 13, 2019

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.” -Ambrose Redmoon

This Full Moon in Aries comes to us on a Sunday, the Latin term being Dies Solis -- “Sun’s Day” or “Day of the Sun.” The light will reveal the truth, and Aries the Fire Cardinal sign is lighting the way.

We are at the time now when the Holly King has defeated the Oak King in battle and the darker days come to make their presence known.

The Horned God is one of the two primary deities found in Wicca and some forms of Neopaganism. Since the Horned God represents the male aspects of the higher powers above, he is both the Holly King and Oak King, the light and the dark, the summer and winter, the night and day. His horns symbolize his duality, and are reflected in the phrase "on the horns of a dilemma."

This is the perfect time to recognize the dual parts of our selves. We all have within us light and dark, summer and winter, night and day, masculine and feminine energies. Let us see these sides of our being, embrace them, and learn and understand how these pieces of us can help in the journey and battle of life.

On the Warrior’s Moon, we fight for what we believe in. But you must be unwavering, because if you cannot believe the goal is worthy, the battle is lost before it is begun.

.     .     .

As we enter into the Shadowed Land of the darker days, let us reflect on both the light and dark sides of ourselves, represented by the horns of Aries and the Horned God. Let us especially honor the dark pieces.

Balance of Light and Shadow Meditation

What you will need:

a black candle

a white candle

One of the main concepts in witchcraft is the duality of the universe. Nothing is purely good or purely bad. People bear these aspects of duality. We have the "light" traits of kindness and generosity and so on that we acknowledge and present to others. We also have our "dark" side as well. These are the traits (such as jealousy, anger, and greed) that we hold from public view and many times neglect to acknowledge. Again, nothing is purely good or bad. With that in mind, we can think of our dark traits as a power that balances our lives and promote positive change. Jealousy can be a motivator to strive for better. Anger can be the motivator to help change or prevent bad situations. Light a black and a white candle, and say: Goddess of darkness, Goddess of light, Balance of duality I accept as my right. Focus on your traits, both in the light and dark realms. Focus on the positive messages that both have for you.

Sit quietly in meditation as you say this phrase several times. Open your mind, open your heart, open yourself up to be a vessel to pass on the messages of the Universe. How can these dual parts of yourself help to better yourself and the World? If you like, make a list of your light and dark parts. Is one side more dominant than the other? Remember: the dark parts are not bad or evil. They are just a piece of you that makes you more whole and completes the yin and yang of your being.

When you’ve finished your meditation, thank whomever you called on for their presence and snuff out your candles.

.     .     .

Fiery Love

What you will need:

charred stick, either created or found (one end of which has been burned until it’s been reduced to charcoal

dried rose petals

piece of paper

red candle

heat-proof container

Using the charred part of the stick as you would a pencil, draw two interlinked hearts on the paper as you visualize yourself enjoying a satisfying relationship. Draw with power. Hold the rose petals in your projective hand and send fiery, loving energies into them. Sprinkle the petals over the linked hearts. Do this with power.

Wrap the paper around the petals. Still visualizing, light the paper in the flame of your red candle and throw it into a heat-proof container. As it burns, the power is released.

.     .     .

For those of us who do not have the boldness of fiery Aries or courage of other fire signs...

Charm for Courage

What you will need:

Ace of Swords from your favorite tarot deck

1 purple candle

If you don’t have the actual deck, print a copy from online. Place the image in front of the candle and light the wick. See yourself holding the sword in your hand, and going into battle calmly and unafraid. Hold the image in your hands and empower it by saying something like:

Lord and Lady, Moon and Sun

Elements and Ancient Ones

Lend Your powers to this charm

So they mix -- both cool and warm --

To bring the courage that I seek

Bring it forth in words I speak

Bring it forth in every action

Until it meets Your satisfaction

And every doubt slips far from me

As I will, so mote it be.

Leave the image in front of the candle until the wick burns out, then carry the image with you.

🌒🌕🌘

Blessed Be, witches and star children! Have the most wonderful Full Moon! Even if you cannot find the time on Sunday to perform any rituals, three days before and after the Full Moon are just as powerful, and it is more than acceptable to meditate and get witchy then!

💋xoxo

.     .     .

Aries cover photo

Wikipedia

duality photo

Moon Phase Astrology: The Lunar Key to Your Destiny by Raven Kaldera

The Craft: A Witch’s Book of Shadows by Dorothy Morrison

Book of Witchery: Spells, Charms & Correspondences for Every Day of the Week by Ellen Dugan

Earth, Air, Fire & Water: more techniques of natural magic by Scott Cunningham

Llewellyn

#raven kaldera #Ambrose redmoon #aries #astrology #witchcraft #wicca #pagan #paganism #lunar witch #moon cycle #full moon #warrior #warrior's moon #october #blood moon #hunter's moon #harvest moon #the craft #autumn #horned god #witch #magic #magick #spellwork #spell #holly king #oak king #sunday #Scott cunningham #ellen dugan

[tipsycad147]

What is a Goddess?

A Goddess is a Divine female being of supernatural powers or attributes, believed in and worshipped by people and is often believed to be the source of life and being and worshipped as the principal deity in various religions. For thousands of years, around the world our ancestors are believed to have worshipped a Divine and powerful Mother-Goddess, who was honoured as the Mother of all life.

The Goddess Within, the Goddess Outside.

Where is the Goddess? Does the Goddess dwell within us? Is the "still small voice" of conscience, a manifestation of the immanent deity within ourselves? For many, the immanent Goddess provides a immense and satisfying intimacy with the inner Goddess. Finding a connection to the divine within ourselves, seeking the strength of the Goddess within to better our lives, can be a transformative, enlivening and empowering experience.

The immanent Goddess need not be confined to human form, many cultures perceive the immanent Goddess within nature, in plants, trees, mountains and stars, each inhabited by a unique Goddess spirit that is both mortal and immortal. For every star that dies, another is being formed in nebulous gases in the universe. For each plant or tree that dies, another is waiting to be reborn in the seeds of the previous, the spirit of the Goddess becomes immortal in that this energy always exists in uncountable forms.

To others, the Goddess is transcendent, and exists outside ourselves, here the Goddess becomes the Universe, Gaia, Mother Nature, the Great Goddess or the Great Mother. The transcendent Goddess is vast beyond measure, timeless and immortal, a unfathomable spirit that is at once everywhere and in all times.

Many that walk the path of the Goddess see the divine as both immanent and transcendent, believing that the Goddess within can be called upon for strength and vision in facing the challenges of life. Whilst perceiving that the energy of the Goddess exists throughout nature where each fragment is the Goddess, yet no one fragment contains all and she exists as a force beyond individual plants, animals and people.

Where did the idea of a Goddess come from?

Our prehistoric ancestors were hunters and gatherers, who depended on the earth to provide, food, clothing, shelter and life itself. The importance of fertility in crops, in domesticated animals, in wild animals and in the tribe itself were of paramount importance to their survival. Their society was probably matriarchal and that children took their mothers' names. Their life was based on lunar (not solar) calendar and time was experienced as a repetitive cycle, not linearly as we think of it today. Thus, the Female life-giving principle was considered divine and shrouded in mystery.

Natures Mother who bringest all to life and revives all from day to day. The food of life Thou grantest in eternal fidelity. And when the soul hath retired we take refuge in Thee. All that Thou grantest falls back somewhere into Thy Womb.

Third Century AD Prayer to Terra Matris.

Cave paintings and rock carvings of Goddesses, some as old as 35,000 years B.C.E. or earlier, depict the Divine life-giving Goddess. The Venus of Willendorf, is perhaps the most well known of these ancient Mother-Goddess deities, most of the early images of the Goddess show an abundant, round, full figured being. An early symbol in human history is the zig-zag, which was used by Neanderthals around 40,000 B.C. and has been interpreted as representing water. The Goddess is closely associated with water and births.

In mediaeval times, it was claimed that Britain was given to their ancestors by the Goddess Diana. In 1136, Geoffrey of Monmouthshire, describes in his "History of The Kings Of Britain" how refugees escaping the siege of Troy, were seeking a new homeland. Their leader called upon Diana to help them:

" O powerful Goddess, terror of the forest glades, yet hope of the wild woodlands, you, who have the power to go into orbit, though the airy heavens and halls of hell, pronounce a judgement that concerns the Earth. Tell me which lands you wish us to inhabit. Tell me of a safe dwelling-place, where I am to worship you down the ages, and where, to the chanting of maidens, I shall dedicate temples to you. "

In the ancient world, Goddesses were commonly patronesses of cities, justice, was, handicraft and home life, agriculture, love and learning. They were seen as standing for aspects of human nature and civilisation rather than that of nature and the elements.

Apuleius in his work Metamorphoses, declared that Isis was the embodiment of all other Goddesses and identified with the Moon and nature. It would be this concept of the Goddess that would become dominant in modern paganism.

The faces and aspects of the Goddess are not static or frozen in time but are forever changing, evolving and metamorphosing. In each age, like children growing, so the Goddess grows and changes with us.

So it was during the years 1300-1800, in English love poetry, the most popular Goddesses were Venus - Goddess of Love, Diana - Goddess of Chastity and Hunting, Minerva - Goddess of Wisdom, and Juno as a symbol of Queenliness.

After the 1800's Juno is replaced by Proserpine - Goddess of the Seasons or the Dead, by 1830 Minerva is replaced by Cere or Demeter - Lady of The Harvest. The Goddess Venus also undergoes changes during this time, acquiring dominion over the woodlands or the sea, and Diana becomes associated with the Moon, the greenwood and wild animals.

Is the Goddess only for women?

No, during the Goddess worshipping era of the past, the Goddess was the central figure, and was celebrated by men, women and children. The Goddess embodies all mystery and magic and by giving her this allegiance, man sanctified and purified himself.

She was both nurturing and fierce. She was the one the all things came from and all things returned. A renaissance of Goddess worship has take place during the middle of this century with the re-emergence of Wicca. Here both men and women celebrate the Divine Goddess and God, a spiritual balance is taking place, acknowledging both the female and male aspects of Divinity, the New Age Aquarius, with its feminine energies, hopes to bring balance to the destructive aspects of the Piscean Age.

Does anyone still believe in a Goddess?

Yes, many cultures never lost touch with the Female Divinity, the Hindus of India have many Goddesses amongst their pantheon of deities. In Japanese culture, the great Sun Goddess, Amaterasu is still honoured as the Divine Mother of the Japanese people. In China the Goddess of Mercy, Kwan Yin (Quan Yin) still attracts many devotees. A feminine presence was added to Christianity by the Council of Ephesus in 431 CE when the Virgin Mary was named Theotokos (Mother of God). With the re-emergence of Wicca, Dianic Wicca, Goddess and Neo-paganism, more and more people are incorporating Goddess worship into their beliefs.

What kinds of Goddesses are there?

There are many thousands of Goddesses, throughout the world, each region had its own aspects of the Goddess, the Great Mother Goddess, however appears to have had a universal following. The Goddess has been known by many names and aspects in many different cultures and ages: Anat, Aphrodite, Aradia, Arianrhod, Artemis, Astarte, Brighid, Ceres, Demeter, Diana, Eostre, Freya, Gaia, Hera, Ishtar, Isis, Juno, Kali, Lilith, Ma'at, Mary, Minerva, Ostare, Persephone, Venus, Vesta, etc.

The Goddess is often visualised in her three aspects: Maiden, Mother and Crone, and her corresponding sacred colours white, red, black.

I wove it once with colours white, With black I wound it through Then I did dye it with a red That binds the life to you.

These aspects are mirrored in the phases of the moon: waxing, full and waning. The Maiden represents youth, emerging sexuality, the huntress running with her hounds. The Mother symbolises feminine power, fertility, and nurturing. The Crone is wisdom, the compassion which comes from experience, and the one who guides us through the death experience. All aspects of the Triple-Goddess represent different types of healing and growth.

Reclaiming The Goddess

The Goddess did not simply die out or go into cold storage, only to be revived in the same forms she manifested then, instead she remained veiled and denigrated and ignored most of the time or else she is exalted, hymned and pedestalled as an allegorical abstraction of female divinity.

In allowing the Goddess to become an abstraction, we have lost touch with the Goddess. We no longer speak the language of the Goddess, we have forgotten how and we have allowed the concept of the Goddess to be almost erased from consciousness.

With the resurgence of modern Paganism, with it views on a balanced human and divine nature, so some have found that the Goddess has always been there, yet somehow humanity forgot and so the idea of a Goddess as a central point of creation is finding a welcome response.

Modern Goddess Worship.

The Neo-pagans, modern witches and even scientists, are starting to view Gaia after the Greek Goddess, or Mother Earth, as a bio system and we are all dependant upon each other for survival. She attributes consciousness to the earth and believes it to be spiritual as well. In other words, Gaia is a living and evolving being that has a spiritual destiny. Goddess worship is an attempt to reintroduce the sacred aspect of the earth and to remind us all that She is our ever- bountiful Mother. The Goddess is the giver of all life and is found in all of creation.

An acceptance of the Goddess is important to both men and women, for men it allows them to acknowledge the feminine energies within and to accept their desire and need of a protective, nurturing feminine presence. "The importance of the Goddess symbol for women cannot be over-stressed. The image of the Goddess inspires women to see ourselves as divine, our bodies as sacred, the changing phases of our lives as holy, our aggression as healthy, and our anger as purifying. Through the Goddess, we can discover our strength, enlighten our minds, own our bodies, and celebrate our emotions."

When an individual seeks the Goddess either through Wicca, the feminist movement, the New Age, or the liberal church, he or she is beginning a journey to bring to balance the female and male energies. We are a blending of both male and female energies, so it it natural to want to balance our spiritual lives, by accepting the Goddess and God, we start our quest to discover our inner 'higher self'. This higher self, is often referred to as the "god self," and is the path to pure truth, deep wisdom. The Yin Yang symbol is a perfect reminder of the balance that is achieved when these two energies come together in a positive way.

http://www.thewhitegoddess.co.uk/an_introduction_to_paganism/what_is_a_goddess.asp

[homehearthandheart]

Self-Care Sunday / 3 March 2019

Welcome, Devotees!

Taking care of yourself is an important part of taking care of your Gods and Spirits. Try one of these:

Ancestor Work: Check in with your Ancestors today. If you practice a form of divination, try using that. Otherwise, take a few minutes to sit or move gently in Their presence. Meditate on, or contemplate, the lives of your Ancestors and your relationship with Them. Thank Them for Their presence in your life.

Home Maintenance: Pick up any clothes lying around in your bedroom. If you have the spoons for it, do your laundry. Future You will be grateful that you did this!

Self-Improvement: You know that thing you need to get done that’s been hanging over you like a cloud, and possibly making you feel anxious or sad or angry? Set a timer for fifteen minutes and deal with as much of it as you can. It’s just fifteen minutes–you can do this!

Today in the Hellenic Calendar:

Today is the 26th of the lunar month.

Today is also the seventh and final day of the Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries. This period of time allowed people interested in initiation into the Eleusinian Mysteries to start on their way, and featured dramatic performances that helped initiates to remember the lessons they had learned. We might not be able to recreate the Eleusinian Mysteries, but this is a good time for devotional work dedicated to Demeter and Persephone (and the other Eleusinian deities like Dionysos and Iakkhos).

If you like incorporating daily hymns into your prayers, Drew Campbell recommends the following prayers for today: To Leukothea (a mortal woman who became a Goddess; she helped keep ships safe and saved people from drowning); and To Palaimon (the son of Leukothea, also a savior of ships and the drowning).

Later This Week: Hekate’s lunar-monthly dinner takes place on Tuesday after dusk, and the new lunar month begins Wednesday after sundown (or at the first sighting of the new crescent moon after then, depending on how you judge your lunar months!)

Daily Reminder: If you know of any resources you’d like us to incorporate on our site, or any sites/projects you’d like us to signal boost, send us an ask or fanmail!

#pagan #daily devotions #hellenic polytheism #Hestia #Hestiadeity #self-care sundays #march 2019