dovewithscales

[dovewithscales]

Sanctuary and Air Bubble. Well that would be great at protests. Laugh off the tear gas while I'm flipping off the pigs and they can't do shit.

The Randomizer

[dovewithscales]

I understand the impulse to say Nazis aren't people, but it can create a dangerous intellectual loophole. Repeating/internalizing the idea that Nazis aren't people makes it easier for people to look the other way. If Nazis aren't people, then people aren't Nazis. Everyone you know and care about, your family, friends, neighbors, and yourself are people. So they can't possibly be Nazis. Which means you don't have to be watchful, and if they act like Nazis, it's easier to ignore. If we let ourselves see Nazis as monsters, as other, as different, we don't have to face the reality that anyone could be or become one. It means your racist uncle can't _really_ be a Nazi. He wouldn't do that. But you're just lying to yourself and letting him get away with it. Nazis are just normal people. The only difference between you and a Nazi is a choice. Anyone can be or become one. There is not an evil in them that is not also in us. We are all capable of that evil. We are all capable of allowing that evil. We have to choose not to, and we have to watch for it in the people around us and hold them accountable as well.

Nazis will never be welcome in paganism. They have no space in our communities, we will have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to nazis. You have no right to the cultures, gods and religions you hijack to spread your disgusting ideologies. You will find no refuge or comraderie amongst pagans.

Reblog to let nazis know they’re not welcome here.

[dovewithscales]

If you are a pagan devoted to a deity, please live.

Continue writing about them, please keep saying their names. Please keep worshiping them. If you can’t find the strength within yourself to live for yourself, please try to live for them.

I know it’s getting scary. I think it’s going to get scarier. But please, if nothing else. Live.

Thousands of years, hundreds of genocides and crusades and decimation of culture, and yet somehow my Lords still have followers. Somehow I’ve found them. Somehow these names still have meaning. Through all of us they still remain.

Despite the efforts of centuries of suppression and control, My Lord is still alive, because I am alive.

In our fringe little cults, even when we must whisper because we cannot scream.

and maybe one day we’ll be free to frolic in fields or dance in forests while we chant without fear.

but for now, just live. Please.

[dovewithscales]

[dovewithscales]

An ex Nazi would not be a good Nazi, because they would not be a Nazi. Whether or not a Nazi deserves an opportunity to cease to be a Nazi is a matter of opinion, but the only good Nazi is a dead Nazi.

Nazis will never be welcome in paganism. They have no space in our communities, we will have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to nazis. You have no right to the cultures, gods and religions you hijack to spread your disgusting ideologies. You will find no refuge or comraderie amongst pagans.

Reblog to let nazis know they’re not welcome here.

[dovewithscales]

The only good Nazi is a dead Nazi. Any Nazis that start shit (or exist) in physical proximity to me are liable to become good Nazis. You have been warned.

Nazis will never be welcome in paganism. They have no space in our communities, we will have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to nazis. You have no right to the cultures, gods and religions you hijack to spread your disgusting ideologies. You will find no refuge or comraderie amongst pagans.

Reblog to let nazis know they’re not welcome here.

[dovewithscales]

Another essay ready for publication, this one focusing on the effects of Christian religious abuse on other religions.

[dovewithscales]

Where to Find Me

I'm very inactive on Tumblr. I'm here only when someone DMs me something on Discord and asks me to respond, or sometimes to post an essay when I think of it.

I try to be more present on Bluesky. I can always be reached on Discord and feel free to DM me at any time. I have a CoSo account I rarely use.

All my essays are on my website, which is just my handle with a .com at the end. I'm DoveWithScales everywhere, including Discord.

[dovewithscales]

@kunabee Jasper says hi.

^.=.^

Alright y'all, I need your help. Do you know any religious, magical, and/or occult authors (any faith, any practice) who are furries, alterhumans, otherkin, therians, and other such entities? If so, please let me know! I am trying to throw together a useful directory post because I figured that I can't be the only bastard here doing this nonsense as a furry and werewolf otherkin. I already know about Lupa Greenwolf and Denny Sargent, but that's where I've run out of steam. It's not limited to merely animals and monsters, too - anyone is welcome!

Blogs who are run by people who fall in any of the above categories are also welcome to reblog this post and introduce themselves, I'd love to see more of us out in the wild! (Pun only kind of intended.)

[dovewithscales]

The Pillars of Hellenismos

Hellenic scholar Timothy Jay Alexander describes seven philosophical and religious pillars of Hellenismos for Hellenes to aspire to and use as a guide. His pillars are as follows:

Ethike Arete – the practice of habitual excellence (ethics)

Eusebia – reverence, loyalty, and sense of duty toward the Gods (of Greece)

Hagneia – the maintaining of ritual purity by avoiding miasma

Nomos Arkhaios – observance of ancient tradition, (religious) law, and customs

Sophia – the pursuit of wisdom, understanding, and truth

Sophrosune – the control of self through deep contemplation

Xenia – adherence to hospitality and the guest-host relationship

Elani Temperance of Baring The Aegis instead identifies four pillars, but covering very similar principles:

Eusebeia

Katharmos – The act of being ritually clean

Kharis – The act of giving to the gods so that they might give something in return.

Xenia

I embrace the same concepts, but describe them through my own set of ‘pillars.’ Just as with Timothy and Elani, mine are also merely a guideline based on my experiences in life and with the gods. You may feel called to prioritize slightly different principles.

Eusebeia

Eusebeia, which may be translated as ‘piety,’ is loyalty and reverence toward the gods and the traditions and principles of Hellenismos. All acts of duty toward the gods are Eusebeia. Honoring tradition, respect for elders and ancestors, and rituals of devotion are acts of Eusebeia. But most of all, listening for the guidance of the gods themselves, and following their instruction is Eusebeia. Remember that a Hellene in all things and at all times is representing the gods to others around them. Every action should honor them, even outside the space of religious practice.

I consider the principle of Nomos Arkhaios to be subordinate to this. It’s not the blind following of tradition and religious law for its own sake which is important. Those practices are frequently no longer applicable to modern life, and the ones which are not should be either modified or discarded. The value of tradition is in how it connects us to the ancestors and can serve as a means of demonstrating our devotion to the gods.

I also agree with Timothy that Kharis is simply a part of Eusebeia. Kharis is the root word of charity, and is usually translated into English as “grace.” As in “by the grace of God.” The word grace as it appears in the Christian bible in reference to their god is a translation of Kharis in the Greek version of their book. A part of Kharis is unconditional love, and a spirit of reciprocity for its own sake. It’s important not to misunderstand Kharis as being a transactional concept. We are not doing things for the gods because we want the gods to do something for us. We are showing our love through acts of devotion simply because we want to, and the gods do the same.

I disagree with my two sources here, in that I also think the concepts of Hagneia and Katharmos can be considered part of Eusebeia. Cleansing and ritual purity are an important part of Hellenic ritual practice, and the first step of rituals is generally cleansing yourself before coming before the gods, but this can be as simple as dousing your hands and face in the kitchen sink before you get started. The entire purpose of the ritual cleansing is as an act of Eusebeia.

Sophia

The pursuit of understanding is deeply important to not only Hellenic culture, but all people, especially those who seek spiritual fulfillment. Seeking wisdom and understanding is a prerequisite to personal growth, to which we should all aspire.

I think we can safely consider Sophrosune to be a part of Sophia. Sophrosune, which embodies temperance, and soundness of mind, and self control, is a product of contemplation and the pursuit of knowledge of self. So we can conclude that a part of our pursuit of Sophia, wisdom, should be understanding of self through practices such as meditation and shadow work.

It does not matter in what other aspects of the world we focus our efforts to learn, but we should always be actively pursuing knowledge of something. To fully realize the concept of Sophia is to never let a day pass where you do not seek out something to learn.

Xenia

Xenia best translates as “Hospitality.” The honoring of the unspoken guest/host contract. That is, the host should honor all guests, and the guest should always respect the host.

We are called to welcome all visitors, to ensure that the needs of guests are met, and to give every guest the best we have to offer, without consideration for the station of that guest. My grandmother taught me to offer food and drink to everyone who comes to my home, including service people. Kindness and respect for everyone who comes to your door, especially strangers, is of paramount importance. You never know when a visitor may be one of the gods in disguise. There are many stories of gods and spirits visiting mortals in disguise to test their observance of Xenia, offering great rewards to those who pass the test, and terrible punishments for those who fail. As was the case for Baucis and Philemon.

The expectation of Xenia goes both ways. As you must honor your guests, so you must also honor your host. When in someone else’s space, be courteous and respectful, do not ask too much, do not over stay your welcome, and do not disrupt the peace of their space, whether it is a home, business, or something else.

A guest who does not honor the expectations of Xenia is no longer entitled to their protection. As with the ill-intentioned suitors of Penelope in The Odyssey, who disrespected their host and abused the hospitality of the household, and paid for their mistake.

Ethike Arete

This is a concept which literally translates to “moral excellence,” but is more complex than that. My personal interpretation, which may vary from other people’s, is that we are required to do what we feel is right in every situation. Not only must we never commit an act which we know to be wrong or unethical, but we also must assess every situation as unique and be able to make a decision of what is right in that moment, regardless of any more general principles or rules. In short, every rule or law has exceptions, including the ones laid out above, and we must be prepared to break the rules when they would prevent right action.

In short, no code will ever predict in advance what will be right in every situation. It can’t be done. All we can do is create guidelines, which must be ready to bend and change. There’s no way to know what the right thing will be to do, until you’re actually in the moment. We must be ready to decide what is right in any given moment, and always do that right thing.

Please know I probably won't read any responses to this post, but I can be reached on Discord and Bluesky as DoveWithScales and that is also my website, where this essay will also be posted.

[dovewithscales]

Got another one for you. Shiloh Osheen is a cat therian among other things who's published a book of poetry and is working on a couple of novels as well as constantly writing new poetry. They're also sitting across the room from me at the moment.

Alright y'all, I need your help. Do you know any religious, magical, and/or occult authors (any faith, any practice) who are furries, alterhumans, otherkin, therians, and other such entities? If so, please let me know! I am trying to throw together a useful directory post because I figured that I can't be the only bastard here doing this nonsense as a furry and werewolf otherkin. I already know about Lupa Greenwolf and Denny Sargent, but that's where I've run out of steam. It's not limited to merely animals and monsters, too - anyone is welcome!

Blogs who are run by people who fall in any of the above categories are also welcome to reblog this post and introduce themselves, I'd love to see more of us out in the wild! (Pun only kind of intended.)

[dovewithscales]

*swinging into Tumblr just to respond to this*

I'm not active on Tumblr anymore, but Page sent this to me on Discord so I had to come respond. They're correct, I haven't published any books myself, though my name is on six published novels that I worked on. Rebecca Mickley is a hare who writes fiction. I do publish essays on spirituality, alterhumanity, and philosophy on my website which they linked at dovewithscales.com. I'm not an academic like Page, House of Chimeras, or Orion, but as Page said I am an ordained and licensed pagan high priestess and I approach my personal practice and my church from an alterhuman perspective. More than half of my church members are also alterhuman.

This does prompt me to publish some new stuff on my website. I have a few unpublished essays ready to go. I've been working on actually putting a grimoire into text for my students, as I currently have four members of my church who I'm training. That includes all my essays, and I'll probably take the parts I want to share with the public and put them into at least one book, someday. But I have no immediate plans.

I try to be kinda sorta present on Bluesky, but mostly you can DM me on Discord, both as DoveWithScales. Please do feel free to reach out with any questions, as I'm unlikely to see responses to this post. I left Tumblr after their attempt at AI moderation deleted my blog for no reason, and I'm not coming back. I spent a week getting it reinstated just so I could leave a pinned post with my contact information, since this used to be the biggest otherkin blog on the internet and I felt bad letting that resource disappear without telling anyone where to find me. A distinction which I'm glad to have handed back to Page.

As for other alterhuman authors I know of... Let's see. Michelle Belanger and Raven Kaldera are both vampires. If you want old school, there still exists some poetry attributed to Taliesin the bard, who described himself in terms we would now understand as being otherkin. Everyone else I can think of has already been mentioned. I'm absolutely certain I'm forgetting someone. If someone else comes to mind I'll try to remember to come back and add to the list.

Alright y'all, I need your help. Do you know any religious, magical, and/or occult authors (any faith, any practice) who are furries, alterhumans, otherkin, therians, and other such entities? If so, please let me know! I am trying to throw together a useful directory post because I figured that I can't be the only bastard here doing this nonsense as a furry and werewolf otherkin. I already know about Lupa Greenwolf and Denny Sargent, but that's where I've run out of steam. It's not limited to merely animals and monsters, too - anyone is welcome!

Blogs who are run by people who fall in any of the above categories are also welcome to reblog this post and introduce themselves, I'd love to see more of us out in the wild! (Pun only kind of intended.)

[dovewithscales]

New Essays

Latest blog post is about defixiones, curse tablets. Next up in the queue is knot magic.

My website has contact details, and I can be found still on Discord. I've just sorta gotten tired of social media sites and their bullshit.

[dovewithscales]

https://dovewithscales.com/blog/

New Essays

Just published an essay on the Wiccan Rede on my website, figured I'd drop by here to remind folks that I'm posting things there instead of here. You can find them at dovewithscales dot com.

[dovewithscales]

New Essays

Just published an essay on the Wiccan Rede on my website, figured I'd drop by here to remind folks that I'm posting things there instead of here. You can find them at dovewithscales dot com.

[dovewithscales]

Respect

i am the very model of a modern gay millennial i have a tumblr blog and a prescription for estradiol i've problems economic, psychological, and medical and sympathies political which border on heretical

[dovewithscales]

The Russian government doesn’t have a problem with targeting civilians with white phosphorous munitions.

Their civilians not getting to see foreign sitcoms is them getting off easy. If they don’t want to deal with sanctions they should take it up with Putin. Or better yet, let Ukrainians tell them why they should be grateful their children don’t have to worry about mines in the playground.