#{ nemain ramblings

[dialnoisenow]

Deity devotion challenge

I decided a bit ago to try @noctivague 's 15 day deity devotional challenge, reblogged again just before this post, specifically because I think I can handle 15 days as opposed to 30 and I like her daily choices. Sometimes my practice feels stale or I feel stale, like a weird bread. So, get ready for rambling, spelling errors and maybe more information than you need about anything.

More info under the cut, where I go on about my personal religious business rambles and who knows how long this post is going to be.

I gotta do these things every now and then so I don't go back into that stasis period between being Wiccan and being Pagan. I just didn't do anything for like five years. It's not that I didn't believe, I just didn't have the motivation to practice. The drive was gone. Then, it came back and calls were heard/felt.

I'm still working out the finer details of my practice, which I'm a firm believer should always be changing, but for now I have [Barbossa voice] "guide lines".

It should be of no surprise to anyone that I worship Hekate, regularly, and a handful of the Celtic deities so I was like "this is going to be fun. Who should we start with?" and made an idea list with my usuals, a few I've been interested in and one I haven't worked with in a while, who has always kind of been a presence. Tonight I couldn't sleep. It's almost 3am now. Came down stairs, made a cup of tea, sat at the counter and put the full list in my notebook then went into the living room to do some pendulum work and get some guidance.

Pendulum is a newish thing and results are nuts (in a good way) For these matters I invoke the law of three and ask the same question 3 times, ending with "third times the charm" Just in case my hand slips or whatever.

So here is my list, in order:

Odin-which was kind of a "surprise". I put this in quotes, because if I'm being honest it really wasn't. He popped into my head suddenly when I wrote my list out and when I was lying in bed not sleeping. It has been a long time, so this is overdue. I'm surprised that He was first though.

Hekate- Pendulum shot right over to Her for second.

The Morrigan

Lugh

Nemain

The Dagda

Brigid

Manannan Mac Lir

Gonna tackle this challenge, take a break for 15 days and then on to the next! Still going to celebrate the cross quarter festivals and the new moon.

A note, to anyone who is reading this: A few, actually all of these Goddesses are triple goddesses. When I get to them, they are not going to be discussed in "maiden mother crone" aspects except for possibly "hey sometimes they get lumped into these archetypes"

Odin starts on Wednesday, as it is His day, unless I'm told otherwise. Thanks for reading if you did <3

[blackwinged-silversolace]

//OOC// : FINALLY, I have returned from the void. And I am so very excited to begin reconnecting/making new connections with the ff7 rp community.

Things will be very slow....for the time being. I have yet to set up my new computer [stuck on mobile currently] -- and after over a year of hiatus... let's just say my Sephiroth-brains have gathered a LOT OF DEBRIS-- So, that being said, I'm here, just casually saying HELLO while kicking off the dust, and to express....oh, how I've missed you all <3

[keplercryptids]

i titled my notes on celtic mythology "unhinged rambles" mostly because i have to write things like:

"the morrigan, aka the phantom queen, aka morrigu, aka danand and anand which probably refer to danu and anu (danu being a mother goddess and anu is mysterious but we know she liked trees), aka fea, aka nemain. also related to badb and macha, all three occasionally being interchangeably called the morrigan or the morrigan triplicity--"

i think the celts had like four gods y'all and they just really liked nicknames

[azure-steel]

‘Ship Bias’

Send ‘Ship Bias’ and I will share up to 5 Ships I have a bias for for my muse!

Oof, it’s gonna be hard to pick just 5... lol. I’ll do my best but these ships will be blog specific, I hope that’s okay~

Also under a readmore because I have a tendancy to ramble on like a mad woman about this sort of thing xD They are also in no particular order. 

1 - Sefikura - Now I understand that this ship is not everyone’s bag. But both Cloud and Sephiroth are absolute faves of mine, (Almost equal in fact, and the only reason I didn’t take Sephiroth up as a muse myself was because I know that I wouldn’t be able to do his character justice lol) so I suppose that it was sort of a natural thing for me that I’d ship these two together, however there are 2 blogs that my Cloud has romantic/sexual connections with so I’ll talk about both of them here.

@blackwinged-silversolace - Firstly, the way in which Nemain writes her Sephiroth is nothing short of INCREDIBLE and if you ain’t following then you need to get on that pronto! But this particular ship hits all the buttons I have for the typical toxic and domineering relationship that’s happening here. Less a romance than it is a means of control over a lesser power. But also there’s conflict within them both which I absolutely love. Cloud attempting to fight an insatiable craving to simply give in to Sephiroth’s call to arms in his fight to obliterate the world as they know it, and ultimately failing. And Sephiroth’s battle against what he feels he wants and what he knows he NEEDS. It’s just a concoction of abject co-dependency that neither of them truly want but slip into anyway and I just adore how much power this relationship holds when it comes to battling against forces much stronger than they are. I love it!

@neko-mun-rp - Unlike the above, this ship could possibly the polar opposite, where Sephiroth has caused so much damage but found the strength to vanquish the demon controlling him and work on becoming a better man despite the devastation he’s already caused. Cloud has the ability, in this ship, to see past the monster Sephiroth once was and fall for the man that he was always meant to be in the light of Seph’s redemption. Because Cloud knew him once, before Jenova assumed control and he now feels he has a sort of responsibility to aid Sephiroth climb out of his despair and lead the life he’d once always dreamed of. I had my reservations about this sort of ship actually working for me, but it just... did, and I am absolutely here for it!

2 - Cloti. 

@oflockhearted - I’m gonna be super honest here okay? I’m a bit fussy with my Tifa’s because Cloti can sometimes cause a little bit of contention depending on how people want to view this relationship in canon. Cloud did not treat her very well, I understand and accept that he made a few errors of judgement and perhaps took advantage of the fact that Tifa would always be a constant in his life. I get it, I don’t need reminding, but he did have his reasons, and those reasons were also valid. But with this ship in particular, I feel like Cloud can... I dunno... let himself go a bit. There was no true build up for this romance to work, the pair of them just sort of fell into the pattern on their own and I feel like they mesh together perfectly. Because Cloud still has his moments of doubt and feels that Tifa could do so much better than him. But she’s always there, building him up and making him stronger and I like to think that he does the same for her when she needs reminding that she’s amazing~

3 - Cloud and Maru

@primalvessel - Okay, so this was possibly the first proper established ship that I gained here and one that I feel so invested in that it has to be one of my all time faves. These two, initially, seem like a bit of an “Odd Couple” given that Cloud is quite a solitary creature, a lil sombre and a bit recluse where as Maru is the polar opposite of this with his playful, bubbly and excitable nature. They met under some rather extenuating circumstances, and Cloud somehow helped Maru get away from a life of slavery even if he did that in a roundabout way. But I think that in doing so, you know, giving Maru that push rather than just taking him by the hand and leading him away, that he forced Maru to gain his own footing which furthered the respect Maru has for Cloud as a whole. But, of course, the more time they started to spend together after coming into contact again after that instance, feelings started to develop. Because there’s something about Maru that brings out the best in Cloud, he forces him to see the brighter side of any given situation, and of course, who doesn’t like a soft kitty purring on their lap of an evening? I love them, alright? So so much... ;o;

4 - Clerith

@pulchralilium - I had my reservations about this ship for a long time, NOT because I like Cloti and have that irritatingly immature view that one cancels out the other (THEY’RE NOT REAL PEOPLE. JUST SHIP WHAT YOU LIKE OKAY?!) but due to both Cloud and Aerith’s close connections to Zack. There was something a lil too convoluted about the implications there that made me feel that they could never really work as a couple. Boy... was I wrong. This ship has torn my heart in two, in all honesty, because both of them are so strong but in different ways which makes them, possibly, the ultimate POWER couple. Where Cloud’s strength lies mostly in the physical, Aerith is so emotionally powerful that they compliment one another so well, that, as a unit, they sort of become this glorious WHOLE. Interactions on wire have helped me see just how good they are together, how much Aerith adores him and just how protective he is over her. Because Cloud is Aerith’s shield, and ain’t nothing getting to her without getting through him first! So much love for Clerith, so so much~

5 - Cleifer (Cloud x Seifer) 

@hyperionswrath - Just throwing this one out there now because, again, I have so much love for the toxic, manipulative and controlling ship. Though despite all those negatives I’ve just listed, there is NOTHING non-consensual about this relationship. Seifer likes to think he has absolute control over how this relationship develops, and to a degree he does, but Cloud is there of his own conviction. It’s an unlikely match considering the popularity that is StrifeHart, but this, for me at least, really works for these two. A romance built on hatred and resentment that boils over and becomes something new, something intense and exciting that both of them just want more and more AND MORE... ugh... I live for this, and I would be lying if I said that I didn’t think about these two a whole FUCKING LOT! 

[blackwinged-silversolace]

《Half asleep....may regret this later... >>

❥     𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓  𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄   𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍   𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒   .

another meme inspired by devotedecay’s format !     tw  for  violence, blood, mature themes. send  in  one  of  these  for  my  muse’s  reaction  to  … (  add  ❝  reverse  ❞   if  you’d  like  to  see  how  my  muse  would  preform  the  action  !  )

[ deck ]   your muse decking mine in the face.

[ punch ]   your muse punching mine anywhere / or specify.

[ pin ]   your muse forcibly pinning my muse beneath them.

[ straddle ]   your muse forcing mine to the ground and straddling them.

[ scratch ]   your muse raking mine with their nails / claws.

[ bite ]   your muse biting mine.

[ turn ]   your muse rolling from beneath to atop my muse.

[ wall ]   your muse pinning mine against a wall.

[ snarl ]   your muse snarling / growling at mine.

[ curse ]   your muse cursing at / cursing mine out.

[ tug ]   your muse gripping mine’s hair.

[ kick ]   your muse kicking mine anywhere / or specify.

[ point + gun ]   your muse holding mine at gun point.

[ point + knife ]   your muse holding mine at knife point.

[ mock ]   your muse mocking mine.

[ sweep ]   your muse knocking mine off their feet.

[ grab ]   your muse grabbing mine forcibly.

[ shoot ]   your muse shooting my muse anywhere / or specify.

[ stab ]   your muse stabbing my muse anywhere / or specify.

[ break ]   your muse breaking any of mine’s bones / or specify.

[ strangle ]   your muse choking mine out.

[ shove ]   your muse shoving mine forcibly.

[ bruise ]   your muse making mine bruise.

[ under ]   your muse shoving mine underwater.

[ attempt ]   your muse attempting to kill mine.

[ bare ]   your muse baring their teeth at mine.

[ threaten ]   your muse threatening mine.

[ spit ]   your muse making mine spit blood.

[ bleed ]   your muse making mine bleed.

[ burn ]   your muse burning mine.

[ corner ]   your muse cornering mine.

[ throat ]   your muse wrapping a hand around mine’s throat.

[ challenge ]   your muse challenging mine.

[ cut ]   your muse cutting mine.

[thepaganstudygrouppage]

I've done some research and do you think that anthropologically speaking Morrighan might be more of a title of the head of the Tuatha De Danann at the time in mythology than only a name? its a theory I've had for a while. Can you tag the answer #paganstudygroup so i can find it?

Just to make sure I’m understanding your question, I’m reading it as, “Is it possible that the name of ‘the Morrígan‘ is the title of the leader of the Tuatha De Danann rather than the name of a specific goddess?”

Short answer: Maybe.  There are arguments for and against, some more convincing than others, but ultimately we’ll never know for sure in a way that satisfies most standards of scholarship.

Longer answer: Like you say, the name “an Morrígan“ is indeed a title already, most likely translating to “Great Queen.”  Up to seven names have been identified as na Morrígna (plural, “Great Queens”), specifically Badb Catha, Macha, Anu, Fea, Bé Neit, Nemain, and the Morrígan or Morrígu herself, so we do see “the Morrígan“ actively being used as a shared title.  The third-to-last paragraph in this post about the Gaulish goddess Cathubodua attempts to help explain that.

It’s very difficult to say much about the gods in their pre-Christian context because the pre-Christian Irish were a group of insular communities with their own group identities, their own ways of doing things, and no written records.  By the time the myths were being written down, Christianity was the dominant force of both culture and scholar, and we can see how a lot of what we think we ‘know’ about the gods - family relationships, iconographies, and so on - changed over time by comparing the literature.  If the Morrígan was ever a queen or feminine authority over the Tuatha Dé in pre-Christian polytheism, I don’t think there’s any way to know for sure.

There’s tantalizing tidbits supporting the idea, of course: her name itself, as mentioned, plus the similarity of Anu and Danu.  Anu/Anand is occasionally mentioned as one of na Morrígna, but Danu is a linguistic hypothesis; Mary Jones summarizes this whole controversy here.  I support the idea that “Tuatha DéDanann” is better translated as “God-peoples of skill” rather than “people of the goddess Danu,” both because of the historical lack of evidence for Danu herself and because it better reflects the gods as a community.

What’s strange is that despite her name, she’s almost never in a position of actually being a queen.  The only exception I can think of is Macha Mong-Ruadh, one of seemingly five different women named Macha, who enforces her right to rule and is one of the Machas who lends her name to the site of Emain Macha (Fort Navan).  Otherwise, all of na Morrígnaseem to act primarily as sorceresses, battlefield presences and inciters, sometimes as warriors in physical combat, and especially as facilitators of fate and prophecy.  (Although, to be fair, queenship doesn’t feature as prominently as kingship anyway except in a few notable and beautifully dramatic cases.)

Honestly, I think it’s likelier that the name “Brighid” is the descendant of a title used for those who held more conventional dynamics of power.  It translates to “exalted one” and has a history that stretches back to her continental roots.  (This is absolutely not to say that Brighid is Danu or a mother goddess or anything like that.)  Again, however, that’s pure speculation, as far as I know.

UPG: This is now entirely UPG, so take everything I say here with extra grains of salt and personal opinion.  I suspect that the title of queen is more a reference to the essence of her power as opposed to a more literal meaning of it.  The Morrígan isn’t described as a literal queen the way the Dagda, Nuada, and others are very straightforwardly kings, but she’s still very much a power behind the throne in her role as a sovereignty goddess.  It’s by her will that she ensures the Tuatha Dé’s victory against the Fomorians in the “Cath Maige Tuired,” for example.  She is/they are the deity/deities known for speaking prophecy, for facilitating destinies, for manifesting the consequences of choice both good and bad (even if that looks more like cursing people and stealing cattle than weaving with the skeins of mortal lives, but hey, everyone needs a hobby).

Lora O’Brien, a well-known Irish polytheist and native Irish person whose discernment and knowledge I’ve come to trust, interprets the Morrígan as queen of the Otherworld specifically, I think based heavily on subtext and UPG/SPG and the tales around Uaimh na gCat, with the other Queens having their own sovereign places in, or closer to, the physical world (e.g. Macha and Ulster, Queen Medb and Connacht, etc).  But the title of “queen” seems to describe the…function, or ideal, of queenship rather than a literal royal office that a phrase like “Queen of the Gods” would imply.  It’s possible it simply refers to her function as a Celtic-style sovereignty goddess.

There’s also the question of Badb Catha.  Even though she’s one of the most well-known and commonly referenced names, I personally don’t perceive her acting in the role of sovereignty goddess in the ways that the Morrígan and Macha do, and if I were to line up the Queens on a spectrum she would have the greatest degree of deviation from the mean for me.  But there are many implications to this that would take too long to unpack here and take me further on a tangent, and not all of her worshipers agree on everything about her anyway, so yeah, YMMV.

(I hope this rambling helps in some way.  I have a lot of feelings about my Queen and I try not to be too biased, but she, as well as the rest of the Tuatha Dé, and basically just gods in general, are terribly complex by nature and circumstance.  This is also my last post as a PSG mod, so I’ve just gotta squee over her. 

- mountain hound

[blackwinged-silversolace]

//ooc: missing this- missing the community//

Can't honestly say when I will be back for certain, all I know is that I WILL BE BACK at some point. That aside. I truly, and deeply, cherish the friendships I found here. Not only that, but- being able to witness the incredible talent of the writers I followed/interracted with -- they have become a profound inspiration to my art, writing, and much else. For that, I can't thank you all enough.

But as a person, I know I'm feeling lost, and I need to grow. I hit a pretty dark point in my life after I took my initial hiatus...and it has been a battle ever since. There are changes (albeit good ones) in my life that are needing my full attention at the moment but I want you all to know that I love you so much!! And you're in my thoughts all the time! Hugs to you all!!!

P.s. my dms are always open should you as muses need an ear or love/support. Ty so much!

[blackwinged-silversolace]

What Chess Piece represents you:

Black King

You are the Black King. You are the most important piece on the board, often called the weakest. But you are not weak in terms of tradition and status. The king gives orders to others, ensures difficult tasks are done, and makes the hardest decisions. Yes, the king's movement is weak but in every other aspect, they are strong and important, for it is them that the game is fought for, to begin with. You rule with an iron fist, making the hard decisions that others won't, the only one to ever see the full picture. Be careful, my dear king, for there are reasons kings are overthrown. You know what you do is right, now you must convince your entire kingdom. Stay aware, my king.

Tagged by : @unforestalledreturn

Tagging: (steal this, and say I tagged you! Worth it!)

[blackwinged-silversolace]

To any of you who ARE, who WANT to, who HAVE silently or otherwise shipped your muse with MINE. Here’s to that <3

https://youtu.be/VEupjmuEx8g

[blackwinged-silversolace]

《OOC▪▪Goals 4 today: finally clean out/reply to, if not all then, most of what's in my inbox today. Have been a bit under the weather :< Then if there is time I will finish some starters and replies before going back to work tomorrow. shshsbanak. <3

[blackwinged-silversolace]

"The Hate Inside" (feat. Sam Tinnesz) // Produced by Tommee Profitt

S E P H I R O T H 

N I B E L H E I M      I N C I D E N T

[blackwinged-silversolace]

Alt-J - Breezeblocks (Lyrics)

M O O D

[blackwinged-silversolace]

《....while rewatching Advent Children, I happened to pause on this perfect image. Just thought it needed some attention. *-*'

[blackwinged-silversolace]

Reblogging... for lack of self control... Also it is because, I am just...hnf... ITCHING to wrap up these drafts and indulge in some ANGSTY treats with you all. SO instead of spewing spoilers, I think SEPH TRACKS will serve as previews periodically? Who knows maybe they will even become a normal thing. *creating a tag* So here is another tasty vibe:

https://youtu.be/frBuDTLPtUg

SEPH IS VIBING.

《《OOC: SO WOW. Have been.. profoundly hit with some crazy amounts of ferocious creative energy ...and MY GAWD, IF SEPH Isnt just...OUT FOR BLOOD today... so many drafts are being pumped out... expect some filthy, calculating, and passionate villainous shinannigans coming to you in the next few days... || CURRENTLY SEPH IS ALL ABOUT THIS SONG'S VIBE -AND WE HAVE IT ON REPEAT WHILE HE TYPES AWAY >:3 <3

https://youtu.be/IqnPQMlUiR8

[blackwinged-silversolace]

|| Nemain here, I'm slowly doing much better, buuuut until the RP brain kicks in...please enjoy this old-school seph aesthetic I made on YT years ago. >:}

[blackwinged-silversolace]

// Ooc // Sephiroth HeadCanon Development // How did my Muse come to be?// {Nemain Speaks... For better or...worse?//

Someone, (I can't remember specifically, who it was. Admittedly, at that time I had no idea how to respond, so I deleted the ask. If you're out there, I whole-heartedly apologize for my previous cowardice) 'NA' asked me a while back, something along the lines of this~~ "How do you form your HC's for Sephiroth given his ambiguity, and the several conflicting story installations?"

Sephiroth has been important to me for a long time. At first, it was infatuation that drew me to him, that ominously powerful/mind-game-entisiast/ beautifully evil antagonist, that antagonist that everybody loves to hate-or hates to love / member of the intelligently pretty asshole club...etc, etc...

But always, from my first time playing the OG and until now (having played all that came after several times), I felt bad for him... And it wasn't until I was a teen that I started to pick up on why, and it wasn't just because the guy was a good guy- gone bad... It was this weird omnipotent sadness, an ever present need to right the wrong of the world within every aspect of his character.

On some level, I think anyone who has gone through trauma can pick up on this.

Sephiroth is a very complicated individual ( as most of us know ). So, when forming headcannons, I have to acknowledge his in-game mannerisms / minimal backstory/ personality traits / vocal tones - or dialogue- used depending on the listener and subject matter/ etc... --within each game, then make sure that I don't let go of the core mystical integrity that was the OG SEPHIROTH. --

From there... presenting an image of what little we know for sure- then, finally adding on my own psychology research/ personal experience with trauma, to piece together a congruent idea of how his character would develope based on his childhood, the collateral damage his upbringing / pre-cc & early cc events would do to his mental health (so to speak). Then reverse, bend, and hew the process depending on the chemistry of my muse and yours.