petrosophia

[petrosophia]

Can anyone help a trans girl trying to move?

My lease just ended, and soon I'm gonna be moving in with friends who can take care of me. The place I was supposed to stay between my lease being up and the actual move fell through, and I need some help figuring stuff out between now and then. Feel free to reach out if you wanna help! A place to stay near Portland would be nice if anyone knows of one, and if you wanna help with cash my PayP@l and Ca$happ can be found here. If not, even just reblogs are appreciated. Thanks for reading everyone! 💖

[petrosophia]

[petrosophia]

Yet another AO3 bot situation - please spread the word!

Hi, it's me again, the person who wrote that viral post about fanfiction plagiarism! Today I'm here to warn you about abuse perpetrated by bots who have stolen AO3 usernames.

There's currently an epidemic of bots going around leaving (apparently random) horrible, hateful comments on people's fics. This isn't the first time bots have invaded AO3, but the big problem with this wave is that they're using real AO3 usernames to do it.

I learned about this when another writer contacted me after receiving the following comment on their story:

Now, while that is my username, I DEFINITELY did not leave this comment (and anyone who would leave something like that on a fic should be slapped! What an awful thing to post). This fic is in a completely unrelated fandom that I have never participated in, nor has that author participated in any of my fandoms, so the probability of it being some intentional fandom drama thing to make me look bad is also low.

The writer whose fic the comment was left on enlisted the aid of some friends and tracked down other guest comments with unrelated usernames attached, which is pretty strong evidence that they are being left by bots at random.

The TL;DR: If you receive a cruel comment from a (Guest) with an actual AO3 username attached, it's most likely from a bot. Please do not lash out at or dogpile the AO3 user who owns that name, and who in all likelihood has no idea that their name has been hijacked for evil.

If finding this kind of comment on a fic, even left by a bot, is likely to upset you, I would recommend changing your comment settings so that only users who are logged in can leave comments. To do this, edit your story settings, and under "Privacy," select the radio button that says "Only registered users can comment," as shown below.

Please spread the word to other AO3 users! And if you see mean guest comments on other fics, maybe let the author know that it's probably from a bot and not a real person who thinks their writing is bad.

[petrosophia]

so I moved into my new place but I still need a lot of support right now financially at least until I can throw together a good portfolio and finish my studies to get a decent job.

until then, I do still need to ask for any donations to help feed and support myself. anything will help, I appreciate any and all support, I'm just sorry I can't do this through commissions or anything similar

below is a link if you can help, thank you

[petrosophia]

Feeling very grateful for the trans mascs in my life who've really shown me that masculinity is not inherently toxic.

It's been very healing.

[petrosophia]

Any help would be appreciated ❤️

[petrosophia]

New zine that's free for anyone to print and distribute! Read the whole thing at newlevant.com/COVIDzine or in the rest of this post.

[petrosophia]

hello my lovely followers! i don't talk much here, usually if i have thoughts i post them on my other blog, @is-this-yuri. if you followed me from there, you probably know my situation, but i figured i'd make another post here about it since i'm not sure what the overlap in my followers is.

i'm currently living in my car and in need of some support. i'm on the way to getting disability benefits, but other than that i have no hope of getting an income. it's finally going to be getting cold and snowy next week, and i'll need as much gas as i can get to keep myself warm. i'll pretty much be running my car any time i'm not sleeping or spending time in local gas stations and libraries. i also need to keep moving so i don't get towed, so running out of gas is a big problem for me.

my dad has been able to help me for years, but he's all dried up now and can't do anything for me other than keeping my phone service on.

so, i've set up a ko-fi where i've already gotten some very generous donations, but i'm posting it here too. anything will help me. 5 dollars will run my car for one day, and i need to get through the rest of winter. please consider tossing me something if you have the means, or reblog and spread this post so i can get some help

[petrosophia]

Duolingo Sucks, Now What?: A Guide

Now that the quality of Duolingo has fallen (even more) due to AI and people are more willing to make the jump here are just some alternative apps and what languages they have:

"I just want an identical experience to DL"

Busuu (Languages: Spanish, Japanese, French, English, German, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Polish, Turkish, Russian, Arabic, Korean)

"I want a good audio-based app"

Language Transfer (Languages: French, Swahili, Italian, Greek, German, Turkish, Arabic, Spanish, English for Spanish Speakers)

"I want a good audio-based app and money's no object"

Pimsleur (Literally so many languages)

Glossika (Also a lot of languages, but minority languages are free)

*anecdote: I borrowed my brother's Japanese Pimsleur CD as a kid and I still remember how to say the weather is nice over a decade later. You can find the CDs at libraries and "other" places I'm sure.

"I have a pretty neat library card"

Mango (Languages: So many and all endangered/Indigenous courses are free even if you don't have a library that has a partnership with Mango)

"I want SRS flashcards and have an android"

AnkiDroid: (Theoretically all languages, pre-made decks can be found easily)

"I want SRS flashcards and I have an iphone"

AnkiApp: It's almost as good as AnkiDroid and free compared to the official Anki app for iphone

"I don't mind ads and just want to learn Korean"

lingory

"I want an app made for Mandarin that's BETTER than DL and has multiple languages to learn Mandarin in"

ChineseSkill (You can use their older version of the course for free)

"I don't like any of these apps you mentioned already, give me one more"

Bunpo: (Languages: Japanese, Spanish, French, German, Korean, and Mandarin)

[petrosophia]

honestly should have fucking known my grandparents would try to guilt trip me for being disabled the same way the rest of my family does

if anyone can help with housing me for a time till I can find an apartment in Ohio, please dm me, I really just need some fucking respect for several months till I'm certified and able to work in programming.

otherwise, I do need to ask for money just to help pay with bills and food, thank you for anyone reading

[petrosophia]

hey uh, this is a big ask especially since not many people know me that well and all but uh,

I don't have a permanent home right now. I'm currently staying with family, but support is really limited and I can't stay for very long. I'm currently trying to start a career in programming but it's slow going and I need to find someplace that's more accepting of trans people like myself than where I am.

If anyone could share this post or do whatever they could to try and help I would really, really appreciate it. If anyone can help, do know I'm currently in Ohio and may need some moving assistance, but if you're nearby my family may be able to help.

Thank you.

[petrosophia]

hey uh, this is a big ask especially since not many people know me that well and all but uh,

I won't have a place to stay in a couple of weeks. Currently in Canada and wasn't able to secure any long term stay here. I have a cat too, and I am planning on working towards college again or at least just building skills with music and game design to make it on my own. But right now, I really need help.

If anyone could share this post or do whatever they could to try and help I would really, really appreciate it.

[petrosophia]

Bullet Journaling: An Introduction and Resources

So I’ve been tagged in quite a few questions about bullet journaling threads recently and I find myself giving the same sort of links and advice. Since bullet journaling is something I spend a lot of time doing with Alexandria, my partner, we teamed up to write this collection of resources that we recommend.

Overall our advice is pretty straight forward – keep it simple, stick to what you like doing, and above all do what works.

The biggest misconception I see these days is that bullet journaling amounts to making a planner from scratch – that’s not the case! Bullet journaling is a system and people take that system in different directions. If you’ve ever been too nervous to try it because it seems like a lot of work, try watching the videos in the Start Here section to see what it’s actually all about.

Start Here

Marz: I got started with Bullet Journaling back in 2014 when I was working a research job with weird hours and tasks that didn’t get assigned neatly. I started with a small A5 notebook with graph paper and used the older version of the first video on this list – and that worked. I didn’t draw in it, I didn’t put washi tape in it, I didn’t have any trackers. I just had that notebook and a gel pen and it changed everything. It’s only this last year that I’ve gotten more artsy with it. Keep it simple. When in doubt come back to Ryder Carroll’s original work.

Ria: I absolutely adore Ryder’s book and highly recommend it to anyone who’ll listen to me long enough to get the words out. It’s back to basics for people used to bullet journaling and an amazing ground-up tutorial combined with self-help book for everyone else. Life-changing, and in no uncertain terms. Start as basic as you can go and build from there as you get used to things; don’t let people who go wild with their art deter you.

“How to Bullet Journal” – Ryder Carroll

https://youtu.be/fm15cmYU0IM

“How to Create a Bullet Journal Plus My Top 10 Tips” – How to ADHD

https://youtu.be/jkZEEQG6IVE

The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39071691-the-bullet-journal-method

 Go a Little Deeper

Marz: I like these videos where Ryder goes into really practical considerations for bullet journaling like how to keep track of everything, so you can find it again. You’ll see his style is very simple. The art part is fun, but THIS is the stuff that makes it worthwhile, useful.

Ria: Ryder addresses some really common use-cases for various aspects of his system, and it’s awesome to see him answering them. He’s great about giving credit to other people and promoting the community that’s cropped up around the bullet journal method, and his advice is so useful. He’s able to present multiple perspectives in a way that’s very much not overwhelming.

“Bullet Journal: Projects, Monthly, and More” – Ryder Carroll

https://youtu.be/TewqmhFC-oE

“Bullet Journal: Work vs Personal” – Ryder Carroll

https://youtu.be/xO7S3sCd8rw

“Bullet Journal: Collections and Threading” – Ryder Carroll

https://youtu.be/P5pi69TiFM8

“Bullet Journal: Transferring Notebooks” – Ryder Carroll

https://youtu.be/DgrQpIKcVOg

 Supplies

Marz: You can start with literally any notebook and a pen or pencil – so please don’t let the artsy folks discourage you. But if you want to get into the more colorful side, these are solid places to learn about some common supplies for folks. For instance – we gave my sister a Bullet Journal starter kit for Christmas and all that was in that was a Leuchtturm 1917 A5 notebook, 100 pack of Crayola Super Tips, and a pack of Microns. The only thing I’d add to that would maybe be some glue tape and washi tape. Not necessary at all but you can go FAR with just those.

Ria: Please start basic. It’s easy to get overwhelmed if you don’t. If after a week or a month or whatever you’re desperate to add in something pretty, then go for it, but get familiar with the system first. That said, I love Pilot G2 gel pens, Crayola SuperTips, and Tombow Fudenosuke brush pens (specifically the hard tip) for some very cheap basics that I use almost exclusively nowadays.

“My Bullet Journal Essentials: Supplies I Can’t Live Without!” – AmandaRachLee

https://youtu.be/FadsWHYNLE0

“9 Life-Changing Bullet Journaling Supplies” – BuzzFeed Nifty

https://youtu.be/DSacIsHLTWs

  Tracking, Calendexes, and Other Methods

Marz: If you want to expand on the base Bullet Journal system, these would be the things I would recommend. Only track as much as you enjoy. Don’t give yourself more to do. Have fun!

Ria: Trackers can be so cool and fun to set up and use; I’ve seen some truly beautiful designs out there. I’ve gone through several iterations of tracking, and they all helped me when I did them and I stopped when they weren’t so helpful any more. Don’t be afraid to change up what you do.

 “How to Bullet Journal: Trackers – How and Why?” – Eclectic Scribbles

A lot of people like bullet journals for tracking; LOTS of ideas here

https://youtu.be/lKecSNWeOHQ

“Eddy Hope’s Calendex” – Boho Berry

If a future log isn’t cutting it, I recommend a calendex

https://youtu.be/-c2NdTRw1gc

“How I…|Use the Alastair Method”

If your to-do list is getting a little overwhelming, try the Alastair Method to sort tasks into groups

https://youtu.be/yPiL-6m2Zjc

 Inspiration: Keeping it Simple

Marz: This is a slight step up form Ryder Carroll’s minimalist style. Don’t let the calligraphy scare you off, I don’t do any. Just write neatly or in your favorite font. Fancy but simple. Its where I end up with my weeklies and dailies.

Ria: I personally keep things really simple in my bullet journal right now. I do quick calligraphy for headers and everything else is in gel pen and very list-like, and it really suits me.

“November Bullet Journal Set-Up [NaNoWriMo Update]” – Boho Berry

Set up starts at 14:05 if you want to skip ahead

https://youtu.be/PQQs1ap2g0I

“Plan with Me|November 2018” – Sunshine and Stationary

Set up starts at 19:33 if you want to skip ahead

https://youtu.be/GaudoFbPxVA

 Inspiration: Getting Artsy

Marz: I tend to look more on Instagram for artsy spread inspiration. I’m not totally sure why. I just think there are more people doing experimental stuff on there. Whether I’m artsy or not depends on my time and energy, though personally if I invest more time at the beginning of the month, I use the spreads more throughout the month. But I do it because it’s fun for me. My journal is almost a place to me and I like going there and spending time in it. If it’s not your thing, steer clear of it.

Ria: I had a lot of fun with art starting out, and the roar video below is one of my absolute favorite bullet journal art videos of all time. I love her forest images and wish desperately that I could imitate them. No pressure to get so intense with it as what you’ll find on Pinterest or Youtube, though! It can be a lot, so focus on making your journal work for you and then make it pretty.

“PLAN WITH ME|May 2018 Bullet Journal Set Up” – AmandaRachLee

Lavender Theme, on the simpler side of doodling

https://youtu.be/cmstU61NUr4

“Minimalist bullet journal – January 2018 (Winter theme)” – roar

Winter tree theme; Alexandria’s favorite spread of all time

https://youtu.be/wJS-TMlpEsI

“Plan With Me | 2019 Bullet Journal Set Up + Flip Thru” – Shayda Campbell

Botanical designs, minimalist designs with detailed drawings

https://youtu.be/slwTnzpl6oI

 Flip Throughs

Marz: I love watching flip throughs because I get to learn from other people’s victories and mistakes. It’s also a good example of why I love bullet journaling – you can change everything about the way you do it without throwing out the whole journal. You just turn the page and keep doing. My journal this year evolved massively. It’s fun to have a document of that evolution. I get a lot of inspiration watching others.

Ria: I love watching how other people evolve, seeing what worked and what didn’t. Sometimes it’s easier to learn from other people’s experiences. It can also feel really validating to see other people change things up because no one’s first guess at what’ll be useful is 100% right.

“Bullet Journal Evolutions | Episode 4 | Dailies” – Sunshine and Stationary

https://youtu.be/W5j2JsrZD4I

“Bullet Journal Flip Through!” – Boho Berry

https://youtu.be/84zGiiPH6Wk

“My 2018 Bullet Journal Flip Through | A YEAR IN MY JOURNAL” – AmandaRachLee

https://youtu.be/ZGhHjsyfPto

 Conclusion

So we hope this gets you started with Bullet Journaling. There’s a lot of room to make it whatever you want or need. We plan on putting together a brief post on how we use bullet journaling for witchy things a little later and we’ll link it here when it’s ready. Until then, best of luck with your new journals!

[petrosophia]

How to Use Tarot for Self Care - Major Arcana

I wanted initially to write a long article going into depth for each card and how I interpret them in a self care context but I realized that it’s too intimately tied to my life and my path to really put out there comfortably. So instead I present you a much shorter post, a rough skeleton of my Major Arcana self care system with some thoughts on how to create your own and apply it.

But first, an overview of what my system looks like.

Practical Needs

The first Major Arcana speak to needs that you can and will need to meet in this lifetime. They’re fundamental to how we relate to our families, our lovers, our communities. They’re high level needs that serve intensely practical purposes. How well we meet them naturally can be tied in part to how we were raised. We all do better with some and worse with others. 

Here are the needs I associate with the first few Major Arcana:

The Magician - Agency/Sense of Self

The High Priestess - Self Awareness

The Empress - Self Nurturing

The Emperor - Self Protection

The Hierophant - Shared Meaning/Shared Identity

The Lovers - Intimacy/Secure Attachment

The Chariot - Self Confidence

Strength - Self Worth

The Hermit - Self Reliance

The Wheel of Fortune - Limitations of the Self

 Spiritual Needs

This part of the Major Arcana represents needs that might be worked on over several lifetimes. They’re key to our spiritual well being and may or may not affect our day to day life. They’re more tied to what karma we’ve brought with us into this lifetime than how we were raised.

Here are the needs I associate with the last couple Major Arcana: 

Justice - Spiritual Sense of Self

The Hanged Man - Spiritual Self Awareness

Death - Illusion of Self

Temperance - Balancing Self and Others

The Devil – Desire and Bondage

The Tower - Destruction of the (Super)Ego

The Star – Hope and Spiritual Resilience

The Moon - Spiritual Self-Worth; Integration of the Shadow Self

The Sun - Transcendence

Judgement – Where Self Ends and Source Begins

The Fool and the World – Source, coming from it or returning to it

 Making it Your Own

These are just my associations with the cards. Everyone has a different relationship with the Major Arcana. If you’re looking to build a self care practice in conjunction with Tarot, figuring out how you interpret the Major Arcana in terms of self-development is key.

I recommend making a list of the Major Arcana and beginning to make your own notes about how it reflects your path’s journey. My path is very rooted in the cyclical nature of the universe and so I loop the journey into one that’s never complete, always returning and emerging. As every path is different, it’s not only helpful in self care but also in reflecting on and refining your path. It may take being a bit creative. For instance, perhaps folks who are more Left Hand Path aligned would find use in prioritizing the inverse meanings. You really can make it your own.

The biggest thing for me when deciding what a card indicates is if I can picture in some way what the fulfillment of that card looks like. Maybe I think of when I caught glimpses of it in other people or pieces I’ve read in fiction or nonfiction. I want to know what I’m shooting for.

I also want to have some idea of what working on that area might look like. In making your list I’d suggest jotting down one or two ways you can work on any need a card might bring up. It’s okay not to have an idea right away but it is immensely helpful once you put it into practice. My answer to a lot of these is simply meditation so they don’t have to each be different.

So with each card ask yourself: 

What need do I associate with this card?

What step on my path does this card represent? 

What does this card going well look like? 

What does this card going poorly look like? 

What activities can I use to work on it when it comes up? 

If you can answer those, or even most of those, you’ve got a very solid system for guiding self care and shadow work. 

Conclusion

I hope this helps you start to consider what place the Major Arcana can play in your self care practice.

I want to give a shout out to @queerdivinationenergy and @sewceress who helped make this post possible.

If you’re interested in supporting my work consider buying a reading from me, subscribing on Patreon, or tipping me on Paypal.

As always take the best and leave the rest and if you have any questions let me know!

Happy divining!

[petrosophia]

Day 31: The Halloween Reading

(sorry for the poor quality photo, it was taken at a Samhain party with friends)

1. The Candle: a look back to the past Two of Swords

2. The Pendulum: a review of the present Seven of Cups

3. The Magic Mirror: a glimpse into the future Four of Cups

The past held deep indecision and a blindness to the full situation. The present is full of possibilities, overwhelmingly so. It’s difficult to tell a false start from a good option. If I don’t change something, then the future could contain apathy and disconnection from those around me.

Challenge: Month of Spreads 2 by @tarotprose Deck: Ostara

[petrosophia]

Day 30: The Monthly Hope Reading

1. What good things do I have to look forward to next month? Seven of Cups

2. How can I prepare myself for this new month? Nine of Coins

3. What part of my life should I bring with me from the previous month? Five of Swords reversed

4. What part of my life should I leave or let go of from the previous month? Eight of Wands

5. How can I remain hopeful for this new month? Ten of Coins

I have lots of possibilities to look forward to, even if they’re confusing. To prepare myself for the new month, I should indulge and enjoy what I’ve accomplished and accumulated. Be introspective about it. Strangely I should bring with me winning/victory at the cost of behaving unethically, thoughts of revenge. Really not sure I understand this one. And somehow I need to let go of being enjoyably busy, having freedom and space, energy. Don’t get this one either. To remain hopeful, I should embrace my role as a provider and enjoy successfully juggling my responsibilities.

Challenge: Month of Spreads 2 by @tarotprose Deck: Ostara

[petrosophia]

Day 29: Divinersona

Fair warning, I had a legitimately difficult time doing this seriously, so I just sort of made up a character and had fun with it. It felt super weird to do, though.

Divinersona name: Luna Signifier: The Moon

1. What special talents or gifts does your divinersona have? The Hierophant reversed

2. What is their personality like? The Tower

3. What is their preferred method of divining? Seven of Wands

4. What divination tool, technique, or method do they dislike? Two of Wands

5. What are their goals as a diviner? Ace of Cups

6. What is their reading style like? Strength reversed

Luna’s special talent is fluidity, moving from one structure to the next as desires and needs change, never sticking to one system for too long. Their personality is extremely disruptive, though not necessarily negatively. They cause people to question themselves and their world, often without meaning to. Their preferred method of divination is playing cards. Their disliked method of divination is oracle decks. Their goal as a diviner is to connect with people on a deep empathic and intuitive level. Their reading style is “bursty,” with lots of info coming in more or less indiscriminately and without any real sense of prioritization or relevance, resulting in giving readings that some clients have difficulty using to great effect.

Challenge: Month of Spreads 2 by @tarotprose Deck: Shadowscapes