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bfpnola · 7 months

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IMAGE DESCRIPTION ADDED. REBLOG THIS VERSION AND THANK YOU @lab-labrava FOR WRITING IT!

ID: An infographic from the Instagram account @letstalkpalestine consisting of 10 slides. Image 1: The title page of the infographic. The text says: "Let's talk Anti-Zionist Jewish History." A smaller subtitle underneath the title says: "Jewish solidarity with Palestine until today." End ID.

Image 2: The infographic continues to the next panel. The text says, "As long as Zionism has existed, so has Jewish resistance to it. While today the majority of Jewish people and communities worldwide still have a Zionist connection, more and more Jewish people, especially from the younger generation, are unlearning Zionism & speaking out. Swipe to learn more about just part of anti-Zionist Jewish history - since there's more than we can fit in 10 slides." A semi-transparent image is overlayed in the background, of someone holding up a sign that reads: Jews for Palestine! #Free Sheik Jarrah. End ID.

Image 3: Icon of a location tag next to the words Eastern Europe. In large, blue text is the word "The Bund" and the subtitle describing what it is, "A Jewish Socialist movement, established in 1987." The following paragraph says, "Opposing Zionism from the start, its 50-year tenure saw hundred of thousands of members across Eastern Europe advocate for workers' rights and cultivate a Yiddish culture." Location tag and the title, "North America." The paragraph says, "After mass immigration to the US in the early 20th century, [American Jewish Labor groups] (highlighted in chalky blue and bold white text) criticized Zionism for its colonial, nationalist, and bourgeois nature." Next to this text, is a circle with women protestors holding up signs. End ID.

Image 4: The title, "Middle East and North Africa." The paragraph states, "In 1945 a group of Iraqi Jews founded the Anti-Zionist League. They recognized Zionism as a form of colonialism linked to Western Interests. They hosted events and published pamphlets throughout the Middle East about the difference between Zionism & Judaism. They warned that Zionism is dangerous to Arab Jews, forcing them to split their Arab and Jewish identities, and urged the UN to create a unified Palestinian state.

Image 5: The panel is titled, "Anti-Zionist Jewish figures." A faded image of Hannah Arendt's visage is in the background. Overlayed on top, the following paragraphs discuss her. "Before 1948, several prominent Jewish leaders and scholars came out in opposition to political Zionism. Writers like Hannah Arendt turned against the Zionist movement and opposed a Jewish state. They correctly predicted a dark future if Zionism continued on the same path in Palestine. End ID.

Image 6: The day after the Deir Yassin Massacre in 1948, when Zionist militants wiped out the Deir Yassin village & its inhabitants, Albert Einstein wrote: "When a real and final catastrophe should befall us in Palestine the first responsible for it would be the British and the second responsible for it the Terrorist organizations built up from our own ranks. I am not willing to see anybody associated with those misled and criminal people." The former paragraphs are imposed against a tan, parchment fragment, in typewriter font, and the letter ends with Sincerely yourn, Albert Einstein, both his signature and typed name. End ID.

Image 7: Titled "Anti Zionism Today." Blue sketchy image of someone's hand gripping jail bars breaks up the following paragraphs which say: Jewish solidarity with Palestinians is growing around the world, including even some Israelis who take the basic step of refusing Israeli military service. As punishment, Israel imprisons these conscientious objectors — but unlike Palestininas, they have a fair trial & often severe relatively short sentences of a few months . This is a first step towards solidarity and has the real consequence of depriving the occupation state of its soldiers. End ID.

Image 8: Titled "Israel's Crackdown on Jewish Anti-Zionism" Behind this text are a picture of handcuffs. In the corner is a picture of Jonathan Pollak. The following text says: Jonathan Pollak is a Jewish Israeli and long-time anti-Zionist activist. Israel has detained him several times, most recetly in January as he protested with Palestinians in Beita, (a Palestinian village) for allegedly throwing stones. Jonathan has been violently attacked for his activism. In 2018, Jonathan was slashed across the face by settlers who ambushed him outside his workplace. Earlier, in 2005, Israeli soldiers shot a tear gas canister. directly at him, causing internal bleeding in his brain." End ID.

Image 9: Semi-transparent image of an umbrella behind the title text is "Jewish Anti-Zionism isn’t one ideology. It’s an umbrella movement that encapsulates multiple communities and beliefs towards decolonizing Palestine. Some motivations or Jewish anti-Zionism include: 1. Pursuing millenia of Jewish tradition as a diasporic community 2, Detachibng religious and cultural tradition from political nationalism. 3. Socialist visions of a Jewish Society. 4. Believing in the right to self-determination for Palestinians Standing up to Zionism is: 1. Standing up to apartheid and colonization. 2. Standing up for a liberated, equal, and just Palestine from the river to the sea.

Image 10: An ending quote, and call to action, by the Anti-Zionist League. It says: "Jewish Men! Jewish Women! Zionism wants to throw us into a dangerous & hopeless adventure. Zionism contributes to making Palestine uninhabitable. Zionism wants to isolate us from the Egyptian people. Zionism is the enemy of the Jewish people. Down with Zionism! Long live the brotherhood of Jews and Arabs!" --The Anti-Zionist League. End ID.

#israel #jewish #jews #jumblr #palestine #resources #history #resistance #genocide #instagram #ethnic cleansing #activism #zionism #anti zionism #socialism #colonialism #colonization #judaism #free palestine

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cryptotheism · 4 months

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what's Paracelsus's deal with gnomes?

Its not just gnomes. Paracelsus was trying to unify Protestant Christianity, the natural sciences, and Europe's diverse folk-religious milieu. He was nothing if not ambitious.

Gnomes are one of four classes of what he calls "Elemental Spirits." There's one for each element. Gnomes for the earth, Undyne for the water, Sylphs for the air, and Salamanders for fire. In Paracelsus's metaphysics, they are a type of angel but they are at the bottom of the divine ladder. They are the "most material" angels. Their job is to be the animating force behind things like "solids being solid" or "rivers being liquid." Where angels are emanations of god, Paracelsus's elemental are separate enough to have their own free will, but no soul. They can do things like try to get married. (Which is how they can acquire a soul.)

Paracelsus warns the reader not to marry an undyne, no matter how hot they are, because they will probably just take their new soul and fuck off to make a river liquid again, or something.

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fashionbooksmilano · 4 months

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Hellbangers

Pep Bonet

Texts Pep Bonet and Steffan Chirazi, foreword by Rob Halford

Hannibal Books, Furnes 2021, 128 pages, 17x22 cm, hardcover with coloured edging, ISBN 978 916388 788 5

euro 60,00

email if you want to buy [email protected]

The Hellbangers are the enfants terribles of a sleepy, diamonds rich country. Photographer Pep Bonet (1974, Mallorca) has been following Overthrust, a heavy metal band from Botswana, Africa, and shows us a growing, exciting and thoroughly organic heavy metal community. Ten years ago, one group existed. Today there are more than ten and their fans are growing every year. The inhabitants of Botswana portrayed in this book are tattood, wear loudly and proudly leather jackets, leather trousers and play heavydeath metal music. Imagine the DIY ingenuity of their costume creation involving harvested animal skulls and other natural elements. With names like Demon and Gunsmoke, it would be easy though to think they are thugs, but We try to be exemples. Rock is awild thing, but also something for the heart, says Gunsmoke, the heavy metal head. Here too, the lyrics of the songs are very critical towards societies, just like their western peers. Metal in Botswana is rebellious movement against authorities. This is the story of what looks at first to be an unlikely union, yet one which powerfully illustrates how music, how heavy metal music, has become a positively unifying force in an unlikely part of the world.

28/12/23

#Hellbangers #Pep Bonet #photography books #Botswana #heavy metal community #fashionbooksmilano.

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youremyheaven · 6 months

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Revati's Mystery & Magic✨🐘🎭🌠

Revati is perhaps one of the most misunderstood nakshatras (although I'd say every nakshatra is misunderstood in one way or another because of how mainstream narratives about that nak focuses heavily on a few aspects and not others). Revati is the very last nakshatra and it lies entirely in watery Pisces rashi. It is also the concluding Mercury nakshatra. It is very interesting to me that the cycle of nakshatras begins in Ketu (Aswini) and ends in Mercury (Revati). Ketu is formless, it is the tail of the dragon and represents the subconscious realm or a state prior to the materialisation of spirit/form. Aswini is of course followed by Bharani nakshatra which is where creation takes root. The progression of nakshatras reveals a story about the development of humanity/civilization. It concludes in Mercury which is a eunuch/genderless planet and in the water rashi (the complete opposite of Aries which is a fire rashi). Once an individual has passed through all the previous stages, life concludes in water. (Proverbially life also began in water) and transcended beyond gender, concludes itself in a genderless planet, because someone who has integrated their masculine and feminine energies becomes unified; the true Androgyne.

Mercury represents the mind, both other Mercury nakshatras (Ashlesha & Jyeshta) belong to the rakshasa ("demonic") gana but as the concluding nakshatra, Revati belongs to deva ("godly") gana. All Mercury naks belong to water rashis (cancer, scorpio and pisces) however the fact that only Revati belongs to the Deva gana is very telling.

As the concluding nak, it represents how once an individual has gained mastery over everything, the only terrain left to conquer is themselves and their mind. We are all capable of both creation and destruction, just like water which is simultaneously life-sustaining but also capable of great catastrophes.

Revati has the largest yoni animal; the elephant. This refers to the immense capacity Revati possesses to hold within itself a diverse, vast and wide rage of skills, talents, knowledge and wisdom. The emotional reservoir runs deep.

The other Mercurial naks have the smallest yoni animals (cat & rat/rabbit) and restriction/limitation is a major theme through both those naks. However Revati is boundless and vast. It is NOT infinite however since water is very much a finite resource. Revati natives have a lot of energy and enthusiasm but they also feel drained and depleted after a point. This is in contrast to the infinite cosmic space and abundance possessed by Punarvasu or Swati; they simply NEVER run out of gas in their tank, they can give give give and not feel exhausted. This is a cosmic capacity given to a few. (I must add that both Punarvasu & Swati are also Deva gana nakshatras).

The word "Revati" in Sanskrit means "wealth" and while this manifests literally in the lives of many natives, it also points to spiritual wealth and the inner reservoir of these natives. Not coincidentally, many Revati natives experience extreme financial situations in their lives; usually following a very rags to riches path. Often times they are born into great wealth as well (as Claire Nakti's Nepo Baby research proved- Revati was the top nakshatra among them).

Those natives who grow up in dire circumstances are forced to cultivate other talents, skills, charisma etc that will later on help them build very abundant lives.

Revati has the cosmic purpose of "moksha" or "liberation" (the others being Artha, Kama & Dharma). When one has transcended all other previous stages, all there is left for one to do is seek Moksha.

Revati is said to be endowed with all 6 opulences beauty, wealth, fame, knowledge, strength and renunciation.

Revati natives have a certain natural flair for things, the combination of Revati's mercurial prowess with Pisces' Jupiter influence, endows these natives with an uncanny charisma and ability to read people/situations well and respond accordingly. Revati natives often have ✨presence✨there's usually a very ethereal, otherworldly charm to them; they do not seem to belong to this world, the rules dont seem to apply to them.

Obviously, they are often also naturally skilled at "manifestation" which is the art of creating your own reality. Jupiter's influence grants these gifts to a native.

One reason why they are so misunderstood is because they are so detached, they are kind of dreamy, kind of passive and distant. They are very self contained and this comes across as aloofness. They are by design unattached to things most people regard as precious; this is not because they are uncaring but because being the final nakshatra, they have surpassed all levels of pretense and value judgements; being misunderstood is hurtful but they can't stop being who they are.

They are eccentric, kinda offbeat and a little weird and they are largely detached from conventional society and trying to act "normal" in order to fit in.

A lot of people think they're crazy or weird and they are labelled as such but their madness is what makes them who they are.

One underrated aspect of Revatis is their geekiness tbh

Cardi B, Revati Moon

Cardi was on an episode of Hot Ones recently and spoke about how much she loves reading about history and WW1&2 and she geeked out about visiting Roosevelt's house/office and how that was such a big moment for her.

Angelina Jolie, Revati Moon

She has described herself as "I’m a closet foreign policy wonk. I’m a bit more boring than people would think… I’m a bit of a geek." and read any magazine interview of hers and you would know how well informed and educated she is about all the issues she puts her weight behind.

Kim Taehyung, Revati Moon

He loves art and has a lot of seemingly random trivial knowledge about a lot of different things. He's very diversely talented and has lots of random interests.

He said this in an interview:

"I’m someone who just really loves watching movies. Whenever I do, I find myself naturally drawn more to the villain characters rather than the heroes. When you watch a film, you have to look at the big picture, or the forest for the trees. I think that villains play a very big role in making that overall picture complete; they really have to sell their own charisma to make the movie come to life. If the villain doesn’t really have depth to their character, or if there’s no chemistry between the characters, then the hero can’t really shine either. So I always end up watching the villain characters closely. I’ve told a lot of my friends and people around me that I now have this ambition to play a villain at least once."

A lot of Revatis express feelings of being misunderstood and empathising with villains seems to be a running theme among many Revati natives.

This is Angelina Jolie's 2015 speech when she won Best Villain at the Kids Choice Awards:

"When I was little, like Maleficent, I was told that I was different, and I felt out of place, and too loud, too full of fire, never good at sitting still, never good at fitting in. And then one day I realised something, something I hope you all realise. Different is good. So don’t fit in, don’t sit still, never try to be less than what you are, and when someone tells you that you are different, smile and hold your head up high and be proud. And as your villain, I would also say - cause a little trouble, it's good for you."

Revatis are not a monolith and this nak manifests very differently in people (also affected by the rest of their chart) but I've noticed how many famous Revatis have battled substance abuse and other mental health struggles. Ex: Heath Ledger (Revati Sun & Rising), Angelina Jolie (Revati Moon), Jamie Lee Curtis (Revati Moon), Kevin Spacey (Revati Moon), Jared Leto (Revati Moon) many Revatis have also experienced abuse either as children or from their partners, this again includes, Jolie, Rihanna (Revati Moon & Rising), Shakira (Revati Rising), Whitney Houston (Revati Moon), Tori Amos (Jupiter in Revati atmakaraka), Maya Angelou (Revati Sun conjunct Jupiter), Ashley Judd (Revati stellium), Marilyn Manson (Saturn in Revati atmakaraka)

The thing about abuse is that you live with a lot of shame and are made to feel "different" from others, most abusers try to paint their victims as the bad guy who deserves to be "punished", this does explain part of Revati's association with villains (they're made to feel like the villain).

in her video Claire Nakti had explored how men who have played the Joker onscreen tend to have strong Revati placements, tying into how Revati is associated with the trickster archetype.

I think this has led to a lot of misunderstanding in the vedic community regarding the nature of Revatis.

Joker's origin story is that of a man who, while disguised as the criminal Red Hood, is pursued by Batman and falls into a vat of chemicals that bleaches his skin, colours his hair green and his lips red, and drives him insane.

It is a traumatic event/accident that drives Joker to the point of insanity and turns him into a psychopath. With that in mind, I'd already stated above how many Revatis seem to have suffered abuse in their lives (unfortunately) but I feel like especially among Revati men, suffering from abuse/experiencing trauma makes them more prone to being evil whereas it usually makes a Revati women more empathetic, kind and caring.

I'll use Jeffrey Dahmer (Revati Moon) as an example. He was largely neglected as a child as a consequence of which he had abandonment issues. Obviously not everyone who's neglected and abandoned grows up to be a serial killer & a cannibal but I feel like more often than not, Revati men are susceptible to the nakshatras darkness and instead of trauma being something that acts as a vehicle for radical personal change, they tend to be cruel and evil as a result of it.

Jeffrey Epstein, Kevin Spacey, Tony Robbins, Jared Leto (all Revati Moon) Alec Baldwin, Russell Crowe, and Steven Seagal (all Revati Sun) have all displayed varying degrees of cruel & evil behaviour.

in the movie Maleficent, the titular character is not inherently villainous, bad or evil, she starts out as a regular gal and experiences horrific abuse, the trauma and pain of which makes her "villainous".

There is a very painful scene in the movie (spoiler alert!!) where Maleficent's wings are cut off by someone she considered a friend when she's in a drug induced slumber.

Angelina Jolie herself confirmed that the scene was a metaphor for rape.

"We were very conscious, the writer [Linda Woolverton] and I, that it was a metaphor for rape,' she explained of the act of violence that takes place as her character is in a drug-induced sleep. 'And that this would be the thing that would make her lose sight of that. While it is 'an extreme Disney, fun version of it', at its core, the film is about 'abuse, and how the abused then have a choice of abusing others or overcoming and remaining loving, open people'. 'The question was asked: "What could make a woman become so dark and lose all sense of her maternity, her womanhood and her softness?" Something would have to be so violent and aggressive.' [We] created a past for her that led to the moment in which she curses Aurora, then takes us past that moment from Maleficent's point of view,' she said."

This is not to say all Revati men are evil or unkind or that this nak manifests positively only for women.

Ben Mendelson (Revati Sun) is an actor known for playing the bad guy in most of his films.

"I think you've gotta enjoy the bad guys, to a certain degree. Unless what they do is so terrible, I think you're supposed to enjoy the bad guys. Vincent Price was probably one of the most enjoyable and successful bad guy actors of all time. He was doing terrible stuff, but we enjoy watching it. To me, that sort of character is what you want to aim for. You want to be enjoyable for an audience. What happens when a bad guy is enjoyable is that the audience gets to be bad for a little moment, too, and that's nice. It's nice, within the confines of watching a film, to get to be the bad guy."

This is far more mature and healthy response from an evolved Revati native.

A scene from Girl, Interrupted starring Revati Moon, Angelina Jolie

Sometimes Revati natives play into the shocking and weird nature that people expect from them. They often play a caricature of themselves but due to their inherent watery nature and expansive Pisces tendency, its hard for them to do this for long, so they do things people dont expect of them, further confusing their audience.

The nurturing aspect of Revatis are often overlooked. The fact that they're tricksters and jesters doesn't take away the fact that they're highly empathetic and kind. The brighter the star, the darker the shadow, Revati natives are some of the most naturally gifted people, be it their beauty, charisma, talent, personality etc, they are so naturally abundant. However one must understand that abundance does not exist in a vacuum, there is a downside to every blessing. Its wise to not dwell in it too much but one must recognize it.

Rihanna (Revati Moon & Rising)

She's a singer, actor, businesswoman, billionaire, fashion icon and humanitarian and she's been doing al this since she was a teenager. Rihanna is a great example of the range of Revati in every regard, she's had her own fair share of pain, trauma, abuse and hurt but she's also a million other things.

Claire said in her video about Revati's hypersexual nature and fascination with sexual taboos. However I think Revatis have a very dual nature where they're either celibate and chaste or extremely indulgent.

In a 2003 interview, Angelina Jolie said this:

“I went for about two years with absolutely no man around me and then decided to get closer to men who were already very close friends of mine,” says Jolie, 28.

in a 2015 interview, Rihanna said this:

"I honestly think how much fun it would be to live my reputation,” she said. “People have this image of how wild and crazy I am, and I’m not everything they think of me. The reality is that the fame, the rumours — this picture means this, another picture means that — it really freaks me out. It made me back away from even wanting to attempt to date. It’s become second nature for me to just close that door and just be okay with that. I’m always concerned about whether people have good or bad intentions."

Rihanna, 27, is single and has not had a serious relationship since splitting with rapper Chris Brown, who assaulted her in 2009. She told Vanity Fair being famous had taken its toll on her love life, adding: “I mean I get horny, I’m human, I’m a woman, I want to have sex. But what am I going to do — just find the first random cute dude that I think is going to be a great ride for the night and then tomorrow I wake up feeling empty and hollow?I can’t do it to myself. I cannot. It has a little bit to do with fame and a lot to do with the woman that I am. And that saves me."

Revati natives radiate a very androgynous energy and have a highly integrated masculine & feminine nature.

Angelina Jolie (Revati Moon)

Karina from Aespa (Revati Sun atmakaraka)

Seonghwa from Ateez (Revati Sun & stellium)

Kristen Stewart (Revati Sun amatyakaraka)

Naks that serve the cosmic purpose of Moksha (liberation) tend to make its natives very playful and suggestive. Its unsurprising that April Fools is during Revati’s season.

Revati individuals love to play the devil's advocate, they often like to be the contrarian purely for the heck of it. They live for the shock value and love to get reactions out of people.

Most of the time, its harmless, however of course, there are certain individuals who take it too far.

(im sorry that this whole post heavily features AJ and a few others, its just that their lives are heavily publicized so there are more examples to draw from😔😬 a lot of Revatis are super private otherwise)

From kissing her brother, openly talking about her interest in BDSM, knife play and wearing her husband's blood in a vial around her neck, Miss Jolie is Revati's trickster energy at its peak.

Rihanna has definitely earned the "bad gal riri" title for herself. In the late 2000s & early 2010s she drew a lot of flak for posing topless and nude, going back to the boyfriend who physically abused her and even releasing music with him in the face of public outcry, often showed up high out of her mind to events and shows and made many many controversial statements.

Jennie's career has been mired in controversy from the day she debuted. She has Ketu in Revati. She posted this iconic picture during the height of her dating scandal which featured several personal pictures being leaked (or were they photoshopped?).

Cardi B (Revati Moon) is always in the news, mired in one controversy or another, from her admitting to drugging and robbing men as a stripper, to throwing hands and mikes on people to plenty of other things, Cardi loves to shock people.

Taehyung (Revati Moon) as Joker for Halloween many years ago.

Revati is the birth nakshatra of Saturn and the exaltation of Venus.

Pushan is Revati's deity and endows the natives with the shakti to "nourish and protect", these natives have a deep love for animals and children.

Pisces is ruled by Jupiter whereas Revati nakshatra is ruled by Mercury.

Revati is such an interesting and slightly unpredictable nak because of the combined energies of Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn & Venus. This can manifest as brilliance and giftedness or this can make an individual go astray into the darkness. Natural talent can make people lazy and arrogant.

Revati is also a Mridu nakshatras, noted for their 'soft, mild or tender' nature <333

This nakshatra belongs to the Shudra caste which is one of the lower castes.

Revati natives often feel like outcasts in group settings, like they don't belong and struggle with fitting in.

Their struggles can manifest as nihilism, make them cynics or turn them towards spirituality.

Revati has Kapha dosha which contributes to the sluggish nature of Revati natives. They have a frenetic energy but they're also a little slow and dazed if you observe them. This is the dreamy quality we associate with these natives.

Belonging to Pisces rashi, I feel like many Revati natives could fit the bill for ADHD and perhaps suffer from insomnia or narcolepsy.

the movie Angel's Egg (1985) is a very Revati coded film

it was a collaboration between the artist Yoshitaka Amano and Mamoru Oshii.

Amano has UBP Sun, Revati Moon (and stellium, with Mercury & Jupiter, his amatyakaraka and atmakaraka respectively).

I dont want to spoil the movie because its a dialogue less vibey 1 hour animated masterpiece.

The art that Revati natives make are very disorienting and confusing for others although they're perfectly sensible to the natives.

Human nature can be strange and disturbing, but due to the expansive nature of Revati, it can hold many contradictory thoughts and ideas. The final nakshatra is one which encompasses all the teachings of every other nakshatra, it contains the sum of everything, joining the cosmic ocean where it unites with consciousness and returns to nothingness.

In Ancient Rome, there was a senator Terentius Lucanus who brought a slave named Terence to Rome. He took him under his wing and educated him and soon freed him out of his amazement of his abilities. Terence went onto become a famous playwright around 170 BCE. One of his famous quotes was:

“Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto,” or “I am a man, I consider nothing that is human alien to me.”

This is the best way to sum up this nakshatra. Out of unfairness, misery, poverty and darkness, these natives rise, overcome their challenges with ease and don't hold it against anybody. I am human so nothing human is strange to me.

#revati nakshatra #sidereal astrology #astrology notes #vedic astrology #astrology observations #vedic astro notes #astro notes #nakshatras #astro observations #astrology #astroblr #pisces #ubp

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lullabyes22-blog · 6 months

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Le Rite sacré de l'amour magique - The Sacred Ritual of Magical Love.

Mild NSFW

I feel so sad whenever I read about how this scene was 'cringe' and 'unnecessary' and 'awkward' - given it's visually and narratively a feast of subtext, and full of delicious tidbits about the essential nature of Hex-tech as a magical system.

It also wonderfully highlights the fusion of a pure source powered by the crystallization of celestial bodies with the viscerality of blood as a sacrificial link to esoteric knowledge - but at the cost of forfeiting one's 'tether' to humanity.

We have Viktor literally having a brush with death and nearly transcending the physical plane, while the Hex-gem takes away his life force and infuses it into its internal matrix - a literal melding between man and magic that, sadly, also requires the forfeiture of his fundamental humanity.

All while simultaneously, Jayce and Mel are making love, in a gorgeously animated sequence which is allllll about prioritizing female pleasure (and showing a female orgasm onscreen in a PG-13 kids' show - like, y'all, that takes balls, given if it were a mainstream Hollywood film, it'd earn an NC-17 rating or get slapped with a big ol' R for its trouble.)

And there's so many wonderful interpretive lenses we can apply to the juxtaposition between Viktor and Jayce - all while sex, death and magic are happening onscreen. On one level it represents Jayce's seduction, and by proxy corruption, at the hands of Mel - all while the Hex-core is corrupted by human blood that belongs to a man who has grown up in toxic environs and carries their lived legacy in his body to the point it's killing him from the inside out.

And on the other hand, we can see it as a divergence between the two routes of magical power as a means to channel transcendent knowledge - one through the brutal solitude of Viktor's path, which will ultimately set him in Machine Herald territory, and have him casting off his 'earthly ties' - right down to everything that makes him human. For him, the Hex-core is knowledge to be penetrated and absorbed, and its secrets require a sacrifice of the highest order. And on the other hand, we have Mel and Jayce literally melding together with astral imagery in the background, to show a different route that magic allows one to take, namely where two life-forces come together and engender something sublime between them (or possibly even make a baby? It's a popular fan theory and I can certainly see the potential.)

Magic, for Arcane, seems to be a means of interconnecting different facets into a unified whole (not unlike the way the series mirrors and makes parallels between a host of characters and circumstances, almost like they're different faces of a Hex-gem). And this scene sums up so powerfully what that system of science and magic is about - and the extreme highs and lows it can take you to.

And of course, right at the heels of this intense interplay between sex and death, two different types of la petite mort, we have the ultimate confluence between the two:

Rebirth.

And who better to embody it than two characters who carry their dead selves behind them like corpses shackled to their heels, in different ways?

Tbh I read these scenes as a trilogy for explaining Arcane's magic system - with Jinx being that final spark - literally the Powder - that blasts Hex-tech in all its destructive and yet empowering potential wide open.

Also a separate aside, I find this scene way more uncomfortable than the earlier two, simply because the interactions between Silco and Jinx are so fraught and charged. The first time you watch it, there's that almost-kiss Gotcha! that makes you spit-take, like: Wait are they...? And then the whiplash is so extreme because in a blink it goes from uncomfortably full of romantic undercurrents to strangely tender, verging on reverent. A moment of perfect and pure trust between two monsters whose entire conception of trust has been trampled into shards that they now use to cut others with.

But for me the pinnacle is this scene.

Other fan theories have also stated that they see Jinx as sort of the unwitting embodiment of the Hex-crystal's power paired with the dark potency of Shimmer, and for me this is one of the biggest visual metaphors. This girl, caught in a blissful gyre of fulfillment and serene frenzy, unmade and then remade, as she deciphers the codes of the Hex-gem and feels, for the first time, at one with herself and with her potential to unlock secrets and usher in miracles.

And madness, too, but that's a whole 'nother analysis.

tl;dr - Please Fortiche. Release an art book. I will shell out the big bucks<3

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littjara-compleated-sage · 6 months

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The Mycotyrant is a really interesting and timely antagonist right after the Phyrexian arc because it shows, with contrast, what Phyrexia is not.

As much as Norn tries to present herself as the head of a unified hivemind, Phyrexia is clearly a fragmented people with individuals who think, hope, and have conflicting goals for the future. There are Phyrexian rebels, like Urabrask, who actively oppose the unification of their people because they know exactly who would be suppressed in the process.

The Mycotyrant just... is. It's the single mind behind a vast mycorrhizal network, and unlike Norn or other praetors I don't get the sense that it particularly wants political leverage or control or any of that. Despite its name, its villainy is a lot less about actual tyranny than Phyrexian villainy is, largely because its assimilation is much more absolute. While Phyrexia is more like cognitohazard-assisted cult indoctrination, the Mycotyrant reanimates corpses and speaks through them. There aren't really people left to dominate. Its goal is just... to grow.

Many Phyrexians claim that their conquest is a natural consequence of Phyrexia dividing and growing, but it really isn't--it does not come naturally to every individual. They must be beaten into line to maintain the facade.

Phyrexia is a controlling, colonialist state that bends the ideologies and goals of its people toward conquest, under pain of disassembly. The Mycotyrant is a motivationally and methodically much simpler force of (un)nature.

#mtg #magic the gathering #lost caverns of ixalan #phyrexia #elesh norn #mycotyrant

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crystalsenergy · 7 months

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Aspects in Astrology (Astro lesson) ☌ ⚹ △ □ ☍ ⚻ ⚺

It's important to note that the practical meaning of an aspect can be highly individualized and specific to each person's natal chart. The overall impact and significance will depend on the context of the entire chart and how the planets interact with other aspects and placements.

CONJUNCTION (0º)

In astrology, a conjunction aspect is when two planets are in close proximity to each other in the same sign or very close in degree within the same sign. This aspect is considered one of the most potent and influential in a natal chart because it signifies a blending or merging of the energies of the planets involved. The practical meaning of a conjunction aspect can vary depending on the planets involved and the specific signs and houses they occupy, but here are some general principles:

Intensification of Energies: A conjunction intensifies the energies of the planets involved. It combines and amplifies their qualities, making them more prominent in the individual's personality and life experiences.

Unity of Energies: Planets in conjunction work closely together, often functioning as a unified force rather than separate influences. This can result in a strong emphasis on the combined qualities of the planets.

Focal Point: The planets in conjunction become a focal point in the individual's chart, drawing attention to specific areas of life or personality traits associated with those planets.

Blending of Characteristics: The characteristics of the planets involved are blended, creating a unique and distinctive personality trait or area of focus. For example, a Sun-Mercury conjunction may indicate strong communication skills and a sharp intellect.

Intensity of Expression: Individuals with conjunction aspects tend to express the combined qualities of the planets in a more direct and intense manner. This can lead to both strengths and challenges associated with those qualities.

Versatility: Conjunctions can make individuals versatile in the area represented by the planets involved. They may have the ability to switch between or integrate the qualities of the planets seamlessly.

Challenges and Opportunities: Conjunctions can bring both challenges and opportunities. The exact nature of these depends on the specific planets, signs, and houses involved. For example, a Venus-Mars conjunction may signify strong passions and desires in relationships, leading to both passionate love affairs and potential conflicts ("natural opposite planets"). The same goes to Moon-Saturn.

Personal Growth: Individuals with conjunctions often experience significant personal growth and self-discovery as they learn to balance and harmonize the energies of the planets in conjunction. This can be a lifelong journey of self-integration.

OPPOSITION (180º)

In astrology, an opposition aspect is when two planets are approximately 180 degrees apart from each other in the natal chart. This aspect is often seen as a significant aspect that highlights a dynamic tension or polarity between the energies of the planets involved. The practical meaning of an opposition aspect can vary depending on the specific planets involved and the signs and houses they occupy. Opposition general meanings:

Balancing Act: An opposition creates a sense of balance or opposition between the planets involved. It represents a push and pull dynamic, where the energies of the planets may seem to be in conflict or opposition to each other.

Awareness of Contradictions: Oppositions bring to light contradictions and opposing needs within an individual's personality or life circumstances. They often indicate areas of life where the individual may feel torn between two opposing forces or desires.

External Reflection: Oppositions can manifest as external events or people in the individual's life that mirror the internal conflict represented by the planets in opposition. This can lead to experiences that force the individual to address and reconcile these contradictions.

Resolution and Integration: While oppositions can represent challenges and conflicts, they also offer opportunities for growth and integration. Individuals with opposition aspects often develop the ability to find a middle ground and harmonize the opposing energies over time.

Full Circle: Some astrologers view oppositions as an aspect that encourages the individual to come full circle and find a way to integrate both sides of the opposition. It's like a journey of finding a balance point between the two opposing forces.

Strengths and Challenges: Oppositions can bring both strengths and challenges. The strengths come from the potential for growth and self-awareness that arises from resolving the tension. Challenges may arise from the initial conflict and the need to navigate opposing desires and needs.

Awareness and Choice: Opposition aspects often highlight areas where the individual must become aware of the opposing forces at play and make conscious choices about how to navigate them. This can lead to increased self-awareness and personal development.

Attraction-tension (Relationship Dynamics): In synastry (the astrology of relationships), oppositions between two individuals' planets can indicate both attraction and tension in the relationship. The planets involved may represent areas where the partners have opposing needs or desires.

SQUARE (90º)

In astrology, a square aspect is formed when two planets are approximately 90 degrees apart from each other in the birth chart. This aspect is considered challenging and dynamic, and it often signifies a source of tension, conflict, and growth in an individual's life.

Conflict and Challenges: Squares represent a conflict or challenge between the energies of the planets involved. This conflict can manifest as inner tension, external obstacles, or both.

Inner Motivation: Despite the difficulties associated with squares, they also provide a strong inner motivation to overcome obstacles and achieve goals. Individuals with square aspects often possess a driving force to resolve the tension.

Growth and Development: Squares are often seen as aspects of growth and development. They push individuals out of their comfort zones and encourage personal evolution and self-improvement.

Action and Initiative: Individuals with square aspects tend to take action to confront and resolve the challenges represented by the planets in square. This can lead to increased drive and determination.

Areas of Life: The practical meaning of a square aspect can be specific to the areas of life represented by the planets involved. For example, a Sun square Moon may indicate inner conflicts related to self-expression and emotional needs.

Problem-Solving: Square aspects encourage problem-solving and creativity in finding solutions to the conflicts and challenges they present. These aspects can lead to innovative thinking and new approaches.

Frustration: While squares can be motivating, they can also bring frustration and a sense of struggle. The difficulties associated with squares can be a source of stress until they are addressed and resolved.

Tension in Relationships: In synastry (the astrology of relationships), squares between two individuals' planets can indicate areas of tension and conflict in the relationship. These areas may require effort and compromise to harmonize.

Overcoming Limitations: Squares often symbolize limitations or obstacles that need to be overcome. They encourage individuals to confront their limitations and find ways to transcend them.

Balance and Integration: Ultimately, the practical meaning of a square aspect involves finding a balance and integration between the conflicting energies. This process can lead to personal growth, increased self-awareness, and greater resilience.

SEXTILE (60º)

In astrology, a sextile aspect is formed when two planets are approximately 60 degrees apart from each other in the birth chart. Sextile aspects are generally considered harmonious and favorable, and they represent opportunities for ease, cooperation, and positive growth.

Opportunities: Sextiles symbolize opportunities and potential benefits. They indicate areas of life where things may flow more smoothly and where individuals have a natural aptitude or talent.

Ease of Communication: Planets in sextile tend to communicate and work together effortlessly. This can lead to effective communication, cooperation, and collaboration between the energies represented by the planets.

Creativity and Innovation: Sextiles often inspire creativity and innovation. They encourage individuals to explore new ideas, take initiatives, and express their talents and abilities.

Positive Growth: Individuals with sextile aspects often experience personal growth and self-improvement in the areas represented by the planets involved. This growth tends to occur more easily and with less resistance.

Resourcefulness: Sextiles can indicate resourcefulness and the ability to make the most of opportunities. Individuals may have a knack for finding solutions to problems and making the most of their circumstances.

Balanced Expression: Sextiles promote balanced expression of the qualities associated with the planets involved. This balance allows individuals to harness their potential more effectively.

Supportive Relationships: In synastry (the astrology of relationships), sextiles between two individuals' planets suggest mutual support and compatibility in the areas represented by the sextiled planets.

Natural Talents: Sextile aspects often point to natural talents and abilities that individuals can tap into with relative ease. These talents can be further developed and honed.

Positive Energy Flow: There is a positive and constructive energy flow between the planets in sextile. This energy flow can be harnessed to achieve goals and make progress in various life areas.

Learning and Growth: While sextiles are generally considered easy aspects, they still offer opportunities for personal growth and development. They encourage individuals to maximize their potential.

TRINE (120º)

In astrology, a trine aspect is formed when two planets are approximately 120 degrees apart from each other in the birth chart. Trine aspects are considered highly harmonious and beneficial, representing natural talents, ease, and positive flow of energy between the planets involved. The practical meaning of a trine aspect can vary depending on the specific planets involved and the signs and houses they occupy, but here are some general principles:

Natural Harmony: Trines symbolize a natural harmony and compatibility between the energies of the planets. They suggest that the qualities represented by the trine planets work well together and complement each other effortlessly.

Talent and Abilities: Trine aspects often indicate innate talents, abilities, and gifts in the areas represented by the planets involved. These talents may come naturally and be expressed with ease.

Positive Flow: There is a positive and smooth flow of energy between the planets in trine. This flow can lead to favorable outcomes, cooperation, and success in the areas represented by the trine.

Creativity and Inspiration: Trines are associated with creativity and inspiration. They encourage individuals to tap into their creative potential and find innovative solutions to challenges.

Personal Growth: Trines can represent opportunities for personal growth and self-improvement. They provide a sense of ease and support in the pursuit of personal goals and aspirations.

Positive Relationships: In synastry (the astrology of relationships), trines between two individuals' planets suggest a high degree of compatibility, mutual understanding, and support in the areas represented by the trine.

Ease of Communication: Trine aspects often indicate ease of communication and cooperation. Individuals with trines may find it effortless to express their ideas and work collaboratively with others.

Harmonious Energy Exchange: Trines promote a harmonious exchange of energies between the planets involved, allowing individuals to harness these energies more effectively.

Abundance and Opportunities: Trines are associated with abundance and opportunities. They may signify favorable circumstances and a sense of abundance in the areas represented by the trine.

Positive Life Events: Trines can be associated with positive life events, such as achievements, fortunate circumstances, and moments of ease and enjoyment.

SEMI-SEXTILE (30º)

In astrology, a semi-sextile aspect is formed when two planets are approximately 30 degrees apart from each other in the natal chart. The semi-sextile is considered a minor aspect, and its influence is generally subtle compared to major aspects like conjunctions, squares, trines, and oppositions.

Mild Influence: The influence of a semi-sextile aspect is relatively mild compared to major aspects. It may not be as immediately noticeable in a person's life or personality.

Subtle Harmony: Semi-sextiles represent a subtle sense of harmony or connection between the energies of the planets. There is a hint of cooperation and integration, but it may not be as pronounced as in trine aspects.

Adjustment and Integration: Semi-sextile aspects often indicate areas where individuals need to make minor adjustments or integrate complementary qualities to harmonize conflicting energies.

Awareness: These aspects can bring awareness to the subtle nuances and interplay between the planets involved. Individuals may become more conscious of how these energies interact in their lives.

Potential for Growth: Semi-sextiles can represent opportunities for personal growth through the integration of contrasting qualities. They encourage individuals to find ways to work together and reconcile differences.

Balancing Act: There may be a sense of balance and adjustment required in the areas of life represented by the planets in semi-sextile. This aspect can highlight the need for compromise and adaptability.

Attention to Detail: Semi-sextiles may indicate a need to pay attention to small details or make minor changes in specific life areas to improve overall well-being and effectiveness.

Incremental Progress: Individuals with semi-sextile aspects may experience gradual, incremental progress in the areas represented by the planets involved. It may take time to see significant changes.

Relationship Dynamics: In synastry (the astrology of relationships), semi-sextile aspects between two individuals' planets suggest a subtle sense of understanding and cooperation in the areas represented by the semi-sextiled planets.

Supportive Energies: Semi-sextiles can provide a mild sense of support and encouragement in the areas represented by the planets, even if the influence is not as overt as in trines or other major aspects.

QUINCUNX / INCONJUNCT (150º)

In astrology, a quincunx aspect is formed when two planets are approximately 150 degrees apart from each other in the birth chart. The quincunx, also known as an inconjunct aspect, is considered a minor aspect, and its influence can be complex and somewhat challenging to understand. The practical meaning of a quincunx aspect involves a sense of adjustment, adaptation, and integration between the energies of the planets involved.

Adjustment and Discomfort: Quincunx aspects often indicate areas of life where individuals need to make adjustments or adapt to seemingly incompatible energies represented by the planets. This adjustment can feel uncomfortable or unfamiliar.

Incongruent Energies: The planets in quincunx typically represent energies that don't naturally blend or work together. This can create a sense of tension or imbalance in the areas of life associated with these planets.

Problem-Solving: Quincunx aspects encourage problem-solving and finding creative solutions to reconcile the conflicting energies. Individuals may need to be flexible and open to experimentation.

Awareness and Growth: Quincunxes bring awareness to the nuances and contradictions in life areas represented by the planets involved. This heightened awareness can lead to personal growth and self-improvement.

Continuous Adjustment: Individuals with quincunx aspects may feel like they're in a continuous process of adjustment and fine-tuning in the areas represented by the planets. It may take time to find a balance.

Health and Well-Being: In some cases, quincunx aspects can be associated with health-related issues, as they may indicate the need to make adjustments in lifestyle or habits to maintain well-being.

Relationship Dynamics: In synastry (the astrology of relationships), quincunx aspects between two individuals' planets suggest areas of adjustment and adaptation in the relationship. These areas may require effort and compromise.

Potential for Growth: While quincunxes can be challenging, they also offer opportunities for personal growth through the integration of contrasting qualities. The process of adjustment can lead to greater understanding and maturity.

Subtle but Persistent: Quincunx aspects are often subtle but persistent in their influence. They may not be as overt as squares or oppositions but can still be significant over time.

Progressive Changes: Individuals with quincunx aspects may experience progressive changes and improvements as they navigate the challenges presented by the planets in quincunx.

#aspects in astrology #astrology #astrology lessons #astro lessons #astrology lesson

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themodernwitchsguide · 8 months

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runes and their divinitory meanings

ᚠ fehu

BRIGHT STAVE: wealth, transaction, gold, prosperity, the fiery spark that can initiate productivity. creativity, energy, and generosity MURK STAVE: greed, duplicity, slavery, materialism and dishonesty, wolves lurking in the forest

ᚢ uruz

BRIGHT STAVE: primal strength and persistence, energy, tenacity, the survival instinct, raw energy, desire MURK STAVE: stubbornness, brutality, waning strength, the fragile ego that acts out

ᚦ thurisaz

BRIGHT STAVE: willingness and drive to protect oneself, manifestation of primal will, primordial energy MURK STAVE: violence, mental disturbance, sexual predation

ᚨ ansuz

BRIGHT STAVE: inspiration, oration, "divine breath," heed the advice of the divine MURK STAVE: being manipulated against the divine, lies

ᚱ raidho

BRIGHT STAVE: movement, propulsion, journey, discipline is needed to enact a change MURK STAVE: forced change, chaos, swimming upstream

ᚲ kenaz

BRIGHT STAVE: spark of creativity, bright ideas, fire power and energy, light in the darkness MURK STAVE: pain, exposure and weakness

ᚷ gebo

BRIGHT STAVE: generosity will be returned, sacrifices made out of love and loyalty MURK STAVE: stinginess, evil repaid with suffering, charity used to polish self image and boost ego

ᚹ wunjo

BRIGHT STAVE: joy, bliss, happiness, a sense of belonging with loved ones, support and achievement MURK STAVE: depression, alienation, rage

ᚺ hagalaz

BRIGHT STAVE: storms and forces beyond our control, our own darkness becomes potential for creation MURK STAVE: that which festers and broods under the surface, change for the worse

ᚾ nauthiz

BRIGHT STAVE: strife and strain, desire, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger MURK STAVE: poverty and health concerns

ᛁ isa

BRIGHT STAVE: take a much needed break, reinforces the runes it's close to MURK STAVE: blockage, illness, self-loathing, laziness, lethargy

ᛃ jera

BRIGHT STAVE: the harvest will be fruitful, your efforts will pay off, this too shall pass MURK STAVE: efforts put in the wrong place, a poor harvest

ᛇ eihwaz

BRIGHT STAVE: strength, reliability, mysticism, clairvoyance, communication with ancestors MURK STAVE: associated with death, caution is advised

ᛈ perthro

BRIGHT STAVE: good luck, good karma, birth/pregnancy, major life altering decisions MURK STAVE: bad karma, addictions, pessimism, repercussions for your actions

ᛉ algiz

BRIGHT STAVE: represents a shield (spiritual/ancestral/physical), things we hold sacred MURK STAVE: something is in danger, take stock and look for unseen dangers

ᛊ sowilo

BRIGHT STAVE: health, success, life force, radiance, facilitates positive change MURK STAVE: arrogance, misuse of power, distorted mindset, approach with balance

ᛏ tiwaz

BRIGHT STAVE: stay on track and stay disciplined, order, righteousness, the god Tyr MURK STAVE: over-sacrifice, tunnel vision, loss and imbalance, rage and frustration

ᛒ berkano

BRIGHT STAVE: light, renewal after chaos, fertility, birth, love, "feminine" magic, children MURK STAVE: problems conceiving, negativity/confusion with love, unwillingness to change

ᛖ ehwaz

BRIGHT STAVE: travel, fruitful partnerships, mutual respect, loyalty, sex MURK STAVE: jealousy, unequal exchange, strife in partnerships, take care of what's important to you

ᛗ mannaz

BRIGHT STAVE: mind and memory, human nature or connection with others, balance between masculine and feminine MURK STAVE: loneliness, difficulties with intimacy, possibly issues concerning gender (as in personal identity or conflicts with others)

ᛚ laguz

BRIGHT STAVE: success, the primordial waters, creation and fertility, psychic visions and dreams MURK STAVE: subtle manipulation, hypnosis, paranoia, poor decision making, avoiding responsibilities

ᛝ ingwaz

BRIGHT STAVE: the god Freyr, gathering of loved ones, home and hearth, peace, prosperity, (male) fertility MURK STAVE: someone unwilling to leave, responsibilities being avoided

ᛞ dagaz

BRIGHT STAVE: dawn, illumination, hope, unifying unlike aspects, joy for life is balanced with responsibilites MURK STAVE: warns that the truth can be painful

ᛟ othala

BRIGHT STAVE: everything inherited, oaths, revisiting roots, family, ancestors MURK STAVE: elitism, ethnocentrism, discrimination

#norse runes #runes #rune #divination #witch #witchblr #witchcraft #norse paganism #pagan #paganism #polytheism #norse polytheism #polytheist #magick #magic

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mysticstronomy · 1 month

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IS DARK MATTER REAL??

Blog#385

Wednesday, March 20th, 2024.

Welcome back,

Astrophysicists have piled up observations that are difficult to explain with dark matter. It is time to consider that there may be more to gravity than Einstein taught us

The stars still have secrets. we know why they shine, and we know why they twinkle, but we still do not know why they move the way they move. The problem has been with us for the better part of a century. In the 1930s Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky observed that some galaxies in a cluster of about 1,000 fly surprisingly fast around their common center of mass.

Even with generous estimates of the individual galaxies’ masses, they did not add up enough to account for this motion. Zwicky fixed the mismatch by conjecturing the existence of a new kind of matter: “dark matter.”

In the 1970s American astronomer Vera Rubin, who died in 2016, saw the same thing happening in single galaxies. The velocities of stars far out from the center of a galaxy remained roughly the same as those closer in, when astronomers would have expected them to slow down because of the dwindling gravity at the galaxy’s far reaches. Again, the visible mass alone was not sufficient to explain the observations.

Rubin concluded that in galaxies, too, dark matter must be present.

Since then, even more evidence has accumulated that we must be missing something. The tiny temperature fluctuations in the cosmic background radiation astronomers see pervading space, as well as the gravitational bending of light around galaxies and galaxy clusters and the formation of the cosmic web of large-scale structure throughout space, confirm that normal matter alone cannot explain what we see.

For many decades the most popular hypothesis has been that dark matter is composed of new, so far undetected particles that do not interact with light. The alternative explanation that we have the right particles but the wrong laws of gravity has received little attention.

Thirty years ago this stance was justified. The idea of particle dark matter gained traction because back then physicists had other reasons to believe in the existence of new particles. Around the 1950s and 1960s physicists realized that the protons, neutrons and electrons that make up atoms are not the only particles out there.

Over the next decades particle accelerators started turning up new particles left and right; these came to make up the Standard Model of particle physics and opened theorists’ minds to even more possibilities. For instance, efforts to unify the fundamental forces of nature into a single force required theorizing a set of new particles, and the concept of supersymmetry, developed in the 1970s, predicted a mirror particle for every known particle in the universe.

Some of these theorized particles would make good dark matter candidates. Another suspect for the role was a particle called the axion, invented to explain the smallness of a parameter in the Standard Model.

But after three decades of failed attempts to detect any of these particles, ignoring alternative hypotheses is no longer reasonable.

Originally published on www.scientificamerican.com

COMING UP!!

(Saturday, March 23rd, 2024)

"WHAT IS MIRROR UNIVERSE THEORY??"

#astronomy #outer space #alternate universe #astrophysics #universe #spacecraft #white universe #space #parallel universe #astrophotography

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priyafied · 7 months

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Existential panic: How real is anything?

Existential panic is a more common than people often admit, and it is a valid and natural feeling. However, it's crucial not to repress this feeling but to find ways to understand life. While there can be various ways to cope, there is only one way out.

Existential panic is a term used to describe a feeling when a person hits the limits of existence and doesn’t know the way forward. This happens more often than people would like to admit, but it is not an invalid feeling. However, the important thing here is not repressing that feeling but finding a way to understand life’s situation in general. I have written extensively about the enormity of…

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#consciousness #existential panic #illusion #intellect #life #priyafied #reality #science #scientific illiteracy #time #unified force of nature #universe

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homunculus-argument · 9 months

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Random worldbuilding from The Unfinished Book:

While there is no unified, clearly defined LGBT community, the people who would by our definition fall under that umbrella are heavily associated with religion. While the general cultural assumption is that everyone is at least a little bit bisexual - the idea that almost everyone hypothetically could encounter a woman so handsome or a man so beautiful that they'd go gay for them is aknowledged well enough to be a common theme in poetry and literature - being queer is more or less considered a way in which various gods "earmark" their own.

This is considered a matter beyond obvious - there are whole creation myths of how the gods who created the world grew annoyed about how all the humans they made were too busy having and raising their own children to properly focus on worshipping their gods or caring for society at large, so the gods saw fit to create people who would rather love their own sex, or not desire marriage or children at all, to ensure there are some whose hands and minds are free to focus more on the gods.

The Empire tolerates any and every religious practice that doesn't threaten the state, break other laws or cause public disturbance, so while there are some major gods whose temples are in almost every city, the pantheon of gods whose existence is aknowledged is essentially infinite. The churches, temple organisations and schools of various major gods, goddesses and ambiguous divine entities and their devoted priests and servants aren't simply there, but play a part in society and politics, as bankers, historians, librarians, curators, doctors and educators. Some run orphanages.

One big, major player in the field is the order of the Moon Goddess. They don't literally worship the moon, the moon is simply the symbol of the Goddess, whose realm is the perfect logic and structure of the universe, which cannot be touched or even properly comprehended by the fallible and imperfect human mind. Their philosophy is that there is no such thing as a question without an answer or a thing without purpose, and anything that appears so is simply beyond human grasp. While there are Moon Priestesses who aren't trans women, they are few and far between, and still less rare than trans women who aren't priestesses.

This is considered an example of how clear and logical the Moon Goddess is - the dysphoria of AMAB people is culturally regarded as them feeling a calling, a call that cannot be mistaken for anything else, a puzzle with one logical answer that they must personally find and embrace, which cannot be disputed by any mortal force, and can only be denied and repressed for so long by the Chosen Subject before they accept it. Becoming a Moon Priestess isn't an "I don't know what to do with my life so I might as well do this" choice in life, it was a choice that was made for you before you were born.

In the book, the protagonist encounters a trans man on his journey and they travel together for a while. After discovering the nature of how Terrel is, the protagonist isn't baffled by the idea that trans men exist at all - mainly he is unfathomably relieved that this small and boyish youth who drinks, gambles, fights, fucks and commits murder like a grown man is actually older than himself and not, like, thirteen - but astonished that Terrel isn't religious, and doesn't consider himself "chosen" by any god. He just is, and as far as he's concerned, the gods have nothing to do with it.

Also it suddenly makes a lot more sense that his name translates to "son of a hyena bitch", something that no woman would name her own child. He named himself, and his mother is a huge bitch.

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weatheredfailnot · 4 months

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Please take these sections from EE3 on the Shadowkeeper (Cylva) because I love her so dearly

Transcript below:

A NAME SPOKEN IN WHISPERS

Around the time Ardbert and his comrades left Tomra, they stumbled upon evidence of the larger design. Threads linking together the disparate troubles of the realm. A name spoken only in whispers— the Shadowkeeper.

A singular force sowing chaos and discord throughout Norvrandt to an unknown end.

During Nyelbert's search for an energy source to replace the crystal he shattered, he began to suspect that the now-lost stone was not, in fact, a naturally occurring mineral, but rather had been deliberately placed under the mountain. Pursuing the truth of that theory led them to discover a connection to Lamunth, the gem counterfeiter whom Ardbert and Lamitt apprehended so long ago in Nabaath Areng. When they visited Lamunth's gaol cell to interrogate him, however, they found the man convulsing on the floor and frothing at the mouth. Ere the poison took his life, he managed to sputter the name of the Shadowkeeper. Further investigation revealed that this sinister figure had ordered Lamunth to secret the crystal in the mine shafts, and in return rewarded him with the illusory magicks he would employ in his forgeries.

They also came to learn that Tadric, the mastermind behind Voeburt's monstrous plague, had not worked alone. Research documents recovered from the court mage's laboratory mentioned the Shadowkeeper by name, the meticulous entries describing how the arcane lore shared by his co-conspirator had contributed to the completion of his transformation magicks.

The mining industry of Nabaath Areng threatened with demolition.

A scheme culminating in the death of Voeburt's royal heirs. The Shadowkeeper had plotted the downfall of two mighty nations, and Ardbert's band feared that Lakeland, the third of Norvrandt's major powers, would be next.

Lo and behold, a rebellion erupted in the home of the elves. The reigning king was deposed, and the Shadowkeeper, their heretofore faceless nemesis, took the throne.

The elven king, Lelfrey, was a passionate proponent of the arts- music and dance in particular- with his focus on such refined pursuits earning him equal praise and scorn. His was a peaceful rule, free of war and strife, but this passivity cost his kingdom dearly in matters of foreign diplomacy. A poor negotiator, he ceded border territories to Voeburt to avoid conflict, and signed an economic agreement with Nabaath Areng that put Lakeland at a clear disadvantage.

As these political blunders chipped away at the nation's authority, a sentiment of discontent among Lakeland's high-ranking nobility began to fester and grow. Traditionalists dreamed of a return to the golden age when all of Norvrandt lay under their control, and it was the Shadowkeeper who granted them the power to act. Rumors that this new player was the king's bastard child ran wild, and, true or not, served to unify the disgruntled nobles under a single banner. They indulged in treachery to undermine rival nations, while at home, their assassins targeted influential royalists. The scene was set for revolution.

The Shadowkeeper was attended by two dark-robed mages, by whose malevolent arts the traditionalists were empowered. One of their gifts was lupine transformation, a change which granted the recipient preternatural strength and agility. Thus bolstered by a company of these wolfman soldiers, the Shadowkeeper's faction stormed Laxan Loft and captured the royal seat for their leader. No sooner had the winning side declared a new age of glory for the elves than did they muster their forces and launch an invasion into Voeburtite lands.

Caption reads: The Shadowkeeper emerged amid blood and chaos, a formidable and enigmatic figure perpetually encased in stygian plate armor. Similarly clad in midnight raiment, the Shadowkeeper's forces inspired terror in all who witnessed their advance.

THE BATTLE OF LAXAN LOFT

The heroes were poised to continue their search for Nyelbert's replacement stone in Nabaath Areng when the silver-haired Cylva abruptly left the party. The swordswoman excused herself on the premise that she wished to reconnoiter the troubling situation in Lakeland, but in truth, she was hurrying back to don her black armor, unsheathe her blade, and lead the elven traditionalists in their rebellion. Cylva, the great deceiver, had been the Shadowkeeper all along.

She was, in truth, no bastard child of King Lelfrey-that was merely a fiction concocted by Mitron and Loghrif, her Ascian accomplices. Her true origin lay in the Thirteenth, where she had died young and powerless, an unrealized champion of the reflection-turned-void. The Ascians had found her in the moment of her demise, and it was they who brought her soul to the First to serve as a pawn in dark machinations.

Cylva was to insinuate herself into Ardbert's band, and guide them along the path to becoming Warriors of Light. That which they cast aside in their journey towards heroism, she would take into herself, growing ever stronger as a disciple of Darkness. And when all was in readiness, she would reveal herself as the villainous Shadowkeeper. By her hand would the Warriors of Light be slain, and despair sown in the hearts of the populace.

What the Ascians did not plan for was the Shadowkeeper's defeat at the hands of Ardbert's party. Cylva had steadily amassed her power, feeding on her erstwhile comrades' respective sacrifices of personal ambition, innocence, independence, and tradition. Yet despite her best efforts, Ardbert would not forsake what she sought to purloin- his caring heart.

Even in the midst of their deadly confrontation, he regarded her as a comrade in need of saving.

Thus denied her full ascension, the Shadowkeeper wavered and fell.

Swallowing their grief at the loss of a friend, the heroes turned their wrath towards the villains who had orchestrated this tragedy. The Warriors of Light now shone so brightly that even high-ranking Ascians could not stand against their incandescent fury. Even as Ardbert struck his final blow, fulgent power swelled in a cataclysmic wave, and the Flood of Light was unleashed upon the lands of the First.

Caption reads: In her bid to slay the Warriors of Light, Cylva turned her transformation magicks upon herself. Though Ardbert and his comrades did indeed struggle against this formidable lupine abomination, it was the necessity of striking down their former friend that presented the greatest challenge.

#FFXIV #Cyella #Cylva #My posts

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gattnk · 3 months

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For every shadow there's a light source. For Malachia, there's Reina.

The superior villain pair of the show and the highlight of the first season, everyone! I would've kept them secret for a bit longer but my darling @angelsfriendsass did one of their famous crossover pieces showcasing my (until now) server-exclusive Reina so... I guess my hands are tied :P Here's how the magic happened:

The first thing I did when I set myself to revamp the Angel's Friends plot, was work on Reina and Malachia's role in the story. They're the driving force behind the plot in both the series and the comic, which meant it was crucial to determine what their story would be this time around: what would I keep, what would I change, and what would be tossed out entirely.

I looked into Igor Chimisso's work for Malachia and Reina to better understand his design work (he was a lead character designer for the series). I also looked into their theme songs for inspiration. My research brought me to four key words: light, shadows, opposites, and neutrality. Reina would be searing light, and Malachia would be creeping shadows. The "opposites" and "neutrality" concepts would tie them together and unify their designs.

I love the idea of protagonists seeing themselves mirrored by their antagonists in some way. Reina used to be an angel in the show and Malachia used to be a devil in the comics, so I cemented this into my own canon; they would mirror Raf and Sulfus quite naturally this way.

Malachia's new personality and role as a "creeping shadow" made me choose a variety of greys for him. Being a former devil, his focus on ambiguity and "neutrality" would fit well with him. Reina instead has more polarizing tones, dealing in extremes like the "searing light" she embodies: being a former angel, her line of thought would be more black and white, and this would be reflected in her dress with "opposite" hues.

You can't have a villain duo without complementary concepts, and what better way to represent complementary concepts than with complementary colors? I gave Reina yellow eyes and Malachia purple ones, and included "hints" of each other by adding shades of these colors on their counterpart.

Malachia has ochre accents, a yellowed shirt and bronze skin, very straightforward. Reina has dark magenta accents and her iconic blue hair to tie her to his counterpart. I considered white hair like her young self in the series at first, but it clashed with the dress; I took a page from her adult design and kept her silver bangs to frame her face instead.

Reina's shattered halo pieces are arranged over her head like a crown, a tongue-in-cheek reference to her name ("queen" in spanish) and her position of leadership in Limbo. Malachia instead used his shattered horns to fashion himself a diapason, like the one in the comics. The function of this tool is very different in my rewrite, but I'll keep the specifics to myself for now ;P

Also, I wasn't entirely sure where to include this, but remember how angels are tied to circles and devils to triangles? Reina, Malachia and other neutrals will be tied to a half circle on top of a triangle, kinda like a diamond with a round top. See how many of those you can spot around!

It'll be a long time before they show up in my fic proper, but I still encourage you to keep your eyes open just in case while you read I'll Fly With You. After all, Raf and Sulfus aren't particularly careful or subtle, so who knows what's lurking around the Golden School these days...

#my art tag #angel's friends #angels friends #IFWY #character redesign #reina #malachia

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lightparty-fullparty · 2 months

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Can't possibly be me Zenosposting again - what is this a day ending in Y?

Anyway, I've been thinking about the murder boy again. This has mostly spawned from my replaying of the Stormblood patches and seeing Amnesiac Yotsuyu, which sparked a bit of a Nature vs Nuture debate between me and my friends.

Basically, my question for this post is "How much of Zenos' whole deal is Nature (aka He was just born like that) and how much of it is Nuture (aka the enviornment he grew up). Some of you might content to say Nature and leave it at that, which is a completely valid outlook to have. But for me there's just one... teeny... tiny... little detail that has sent me on a wild consipriacy theory of a ride that's resulted in this post. Emet-FUCKING-Selch.

Listen to me, listen okay? I cannot, CANNOT ignore the fact that this absoulete motherfucker (affectionate) is Zenos's cannonical Great Grandfather. Who was very much alive and kicking during his childhood. Emet-Selch or Solus zos Galvus whatever moniker you wanna give the man, is an Ascian. One of THE Ascians. Not only that, he's 'The Architect" the guy who's job it is to design and engineer the calamities meant to rejoin the Shards of the World back together again. What does he do to achieve this? He builds empires, he starts wars, manipulates people and situations to result in untold elemental chaos. Iirc correctly he's responsible for causing all eight calamities that have occured so far in FFXIV. (Eight got undone but I'm still counting it).

Now for this post I'm going to be focusing mainly on the Seventh, Eighth, and Fourth Umbral Calamities. (Which are the ones coincidentally we're told the most about in game). This Calamities all involved Empires. The Allagan and the Garlean, both of which Emet-Selch was responsible for creating. From the Allagans we have the creation of Dalamud, Cyrus Tower, and the Ultima Weapon. As well as an extensive history of biological research. Cloning, Gene Splicing, Mutation and so on. (A sundered mortal's attempts at creation magjicks perhaps?) The Garleans too, have a notible history of biological research, they draw a lot of their modern technology from Allagan design. No coincidence there given Emet-Selch's involvement. But we've seen them use genetic mutation, cyber augmentation, and cloning (Emet-Selch's shadow the hedgehog ass clone bodies because he refuses to look like anyone other than his unsundered self). The also so a lot of research into the Echo. Hydalyn's mark for her champions, and soul maipulation. (Ala Mihgo Dungeon and In From the Cold Duty both points of note for examples of the Soul being manipulated here - physically torn out of the body).

"Now Gengar " - I hear you ask - "What does this have to do with Nature vs Nuture or Zenos?" Well, I tell you, everything really. Hear me out. Emet-Selch designed the Garlean Empire to be the perfect chaos causing conquest force. They have no ability to use either, making them initially vulnerable as a people to the rest of the races. Building up a tasty, tasty resentment and need to feel superior. He sent them marching to 'reclaim their home' and then to 'unify the three contents under their superior peaceful, organised leadership'. The 'Savage Races' summon evil primals and weild evil distructive magjiks. He gave them a perfect cause and reason to hate everyone else. He gave them magitech to level the field and make them supieror at combat. Garlemald as a nation is the perfect war machine. Allagan 2.0 if you would. And Zenos is the perfect 'Champion' to lead that nation into battle. To spark that next Calamity. Look at the guy. Garleans might be on the taller side (depending on the character. Cid is a shorty), but Varis and Zenos are HUGE. Emet-Selch isn't nearly as tall as either of them despite being a blood relation. Which makes me think there was some of that Allagan/Garlean/Ancient playing with genetics and form at work. Make them bigger, more durable, stronger, more intelligent.

It's like Captian America. You want the perfect solider. And a perfect solider for Emet-Selch would also need to be cold, ruthless, manipulative.

There was a post I saw a while again about Mecha Pilots. And OP pondered on the idea of physcially having your brain and body contiditoned to love battle. To love destruction and killing and fighting.

Do you see where I am going with this?

You want someone bloodthirsty enough to cause a Calamity for you, you need them to feel nothing for their fellow man. (Insects all of them. Disappointing. Found Wanting.) You need them to find such overwhelming joy in battle that no other earthely pleasure can compare to it. (Brilliant. Blinding. Trandsenant Moment.)

No attatchments. No emotions, Just violence. I offer to you dear readers, that Emet-Selch carefully modified Zenos' litterally brain chemistry. Making him predisposed to a lack of empathy and his brain releasing those pesky joyous chemicals during battle. Inflicitng and feeling pain. I offer the theory that Zenos has literally been built for combat. If you cut him open, his bones and muscles and organs would be so alienly perfect. Denser, perfectly optimised. Exceedingly perfect. His brain remapped for pattern recognistion and quick skill building, Easy to train in the art of slaughter and tactics. Unable to forge the emotional connections that would only serve to hinder him. (To isolate him from family).

What evidence to I have? Outside of Emet-Selch's known history of building Empires? Easy. I already know he's done this kind of thing before.

Vauthry. The baby Emet-Selch mutated into half a Lightwarden. Able to command the Sin Eaters and ensured would be raised into a tyranically, childish, king. To keep the First from Uniting. To ensure the Eighth Umbral Calamity would continue along it's march to completion.

Why wouldn't Emet-Selch have done as much to Zenos too?

#ffxiv #final fantasy xiv #zenos yae galvus #emet selch #solus zos galvus #DO YOU SEE IT?#DO YOU SEE MY VISION?#MY REVELATION?#IT'S HIS SPECIAL BOY BONE STRUCTURE GODDAMIT #It's the Frankenstien Allagory #You were *made* monsterous and alien #Body Bone and Mind #Designed to be PERFECT #but Perfect for what?#ghostly rambles

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