#- this one goes to my philosophy teacher

[losver07]

babe i get it, gen z is horrible or whatever, but man if you’re gonna give me the responsibility to take care of a planet that is (literally and figuratively) set on fire, i think i have the right to look at you with a bitchy face and say “bro wtf”

[cxffeeink]

THIS AND THE SONG I LOVE PLAY REHEARSAL

"most people do one thing for all of their lives,

the thought of that gives me hives :DD"

[burst-of-iridescent]

South Asian and Hindu Influences in ATLA (Part 2)

disclaimer: i was raised culturally and religiously hindu, and though i've tried to do my research for this post and pair it with my own cultural knowledge, i'm not an expert on hinduism by any means. should i mess up, please let me know.

please also be aware that many of the concepts discussed in this post overlap heavily with religions such as buddhism and jainism, which might have different interpretations and representations. as i'm not from those religions or cultures, i don't want to speak on them, but if anyone with that knowledge wishes to add on, please feel free.

Part 1

In the previous post, I discussed some of the things ATLA got right in its depictions of desi and hindu cultures. unfortunately, they also got plenty of things wrong - often in ways that leaned towards racist caricatures - so let's break them down, starting with...

Guru Pathik

both the word "guru" and name "pathik" come from sanskrit. pathik means "traveler" or "he who knows the way" while guru is a term for a guide or mentor, similar to a teacher.

gurus were responsible for the very first education systems in ancient india, setting up institutions called gurukuls. students, referred to as disciples, would often spend years living with and learning from their gurus in these gurukuls, studying vedic and buddhist texts, philosophy, music and even martial arts.

however, their learning was not limited merely to academic study, as gurus were also responsible for guiding the spiritual evolution of their disciples. it was common for disciples to meditate, practice yoga, fast for days or weeks, and complete mundane household chores every day in order to instill them with self-discipline and help them achieve enlightenment and spiritual awareness. the relationship between a guru and his disciple was considered a sacred, holy bond, far exceeding that of a mere teacher and student.

aang's training with guru pathik mirrors some of these elements. similar to real gurus, pathik takes on the role of aang's spiritual mentor. he guides aang in unblocking his chakras and mastering the avatar state through meditation, fasting, and self-reflection - all of which are practices that would have likely been encouraged in disciples by their gurus.

pathik's design also takes inspiration from sadhus, holy men who renounced their worldly ties to follow a path of spiritual discipline. the guru's simple, nondescript clothing and hair are reflective of the ascetic lifestyle sadhus are expected to lead, giving up material belongings and desires in order to achieve spiritual enlightenment and, ultimately, liberation from the reincarnation cycle.

unfortunately, this is where the respectful references end because everything else about guru pathik was insensitive at best and stereotypical at worst.

it is extremely distasteful that the guru speaks with an overexaggerated indian accent, even though the iranian-indian actor who plays him has a naturally british accent. why not just hire an actual indian voice actor if the intention was to make pathik sound authentic? besides, i doubt authenticity was the sole intention, given that the purposeful distortion of indian accents was a common racist trope played for comedy in early 2000s children's media (see: phineas and ferb, diary of a wimpy kid, jessie... the list goes on).

furthermore, while pathik is presented a wise and respected figure within this episode, his next (and last) appearance in the show is entirely the opposite.

in the episode nightmares and daydreams, pathik appears in aang's nightmare with six hands, holding what appears to be a veena (a classical indian music instrument). this references the iconography of the hindu deity Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and knowledge. the embodiment of divine enlightenment, learning, insight and truth, Saraswati is a member of the Tridevi (the female version of the Trimurti), one of the most respected and revered goddesses in the Hindu pantheon... and her likeness is used for a cheap laugh on a character who's already treated as a caricature.

that's bad enough on its own, but when you consider that guru pathik is the only explicitly south asian coded character in the entire show, it's downright insulting. for a show that took so many of its foundational concepts from south asia and hinduism and yet provided almost no desi representation in return, this is just rubbing salt in the wound.

Chakras

"chakra", meaning "circle" or "wheel of life" in sanskrit, refers to sources of energy found in the human body. chakra points are aligned along the spine, with energy flowing from the lowest to the highest point. the energy pooled at the lowest chakra is called kundalini, and the aim is to release this energy to the highest chakra in order to achieve spiritual enlightenment and consciousness.

the number of chakras varies in different religions, with buddhism referencing five chakras while hinduism has seven. atla draws from the latter influence, so let's take a look at the seven chakras:

Muladhara (the Root Chakra). located at the base of the spine, this chakra deals with our basest instincts and is linked to the element of earth.

Swadhisthana (the Sacral Chakra). located just below the navel, this chakra deals with emotional intensity and pleasure and is linked to the element of water.

Manipura (the Solar Plexus Chakra). located in the stomach, this chakra deals with willpower and self-acceptance and is linked to the element of fire.

Anahata (the Heart Chakra). located in the heart, this chakra deals with love, compassion and forgiveness and is linked to the element of air. in the show, this chakra is blocked by aang's grief over the loss of the air nomads, which is a nice elemental allusion.

Vishudda (the Throat Chakra). located at the base of the throat, this chakra deals with communication and honesty and is linked to the fifth classical element of space. the show calls this the Sound Chakra, though i'm unsure where they got that from.

Ajna (the Third Eye Chakra). located in the centre of the forehead, this chakra deals with spirituality and insight and is also linked to the element of space. the show calls it the Light Chakra, which is fairly close.

Sahasrara (the Crown Chakra). located at the very top of the head, this chakra deals with pure cosmic consciousness and is also linked to the element of space. it makes perfect sense that this would be the final chakra aang has to unblock in order to connect with the avatar spirit, since the crown chakra is meant to be the point of communion with one's deepest, truest self.

the show follows these associations and descriptions almost verbatim, and does a good job linking the individual chakras to their associated struggles in aang's arc.

Cosmic Energy

the idea of chakras is associated with the concept of shakti, which refers to the life-giving energy that flows throughout the universe and within every individual.

the idea of shakti is a fundamentally unifying one, stating that all living beings are connected to one another and the universe through the cosmic energy that flows through us all. this philosophy is referenced both in the swamp episode and in guru pathik telling aang that the greatest illusion in the world is that of separation - after all, how can there be any real separation when every life is sustained by the same force?

this is also why aang needing to let go of katara did not, as he mistakenly assumed, mean he had to stop loving her. rather, the point of shedding earthly attachment is to allow one to become more attuned to shakti, both within oneself and others. ironically, in letting go of katara and allowing himself to commune with the divine energy of the universe instead, aang would have been more connected to her - not less.

The Avatar State

according to hinduism, there are five classical elements known as pancha bhuta that form the foundations of all creation: air, water, earth, fire, and space/atmosphere.

obviously, atla borrows this concept in making a world entirely based on the four classical elements. but looking at how the avatar spirit is portrayed as a giant version of aang suspended in mid-air, far above the earth, it's possible that this could reference the fifth liminal element of space as well.

admittedly this might be a bit of a reach, but personally i find it a neat piece of worldbuilding that could further explain the power of the avatar. compared to anyone else who might be able to master only one element, mastering all five means having control of every building block of the world. this would allow the avatar to be far more attuned to the spiritual energy within the universe - and themselves - as a result, setting in motion the endless cycle of death and rebirth that would connect their soul even across lifetimes.

[fateandloveentwined]

wuxia and confucianism

Hey. Thought I'd answer the wuxia-confucian question very briefly. I did suggest wuxia being closely knitted to confucianism, but I do understand the other perspective of wuxia being anti-confucian. Quick answer only because I've got little time right now -- might add on to it later!!

confucianism

First the central themes of confucianism:

常 (cháng): Virtues of compassion and courtesy. 仁 (rén)、义 (yì)、礼 (lǐ)��智 (zhì)、信 (xìn)、忠 (zhōng)、孝 (xiào)、悌 (tì) (there are more). These in order in crude translation mean compassion, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, integrity, loyalty, filial piety, and respect to one's older siblings. These are the main ideas Confucius, the founder of Confucianism, wished to spread through his philosophy.

纲 (gāng): Order. This is about the relationships between people, the filial piety of child to their parents, the relationship between significant others, between friends and teachers, and expanding outwards in the sphere of influence in our circle of life, the patriotism and loyalty of a liege to his lord.

Understand that Confucius came up with these ideas in a time of war. He lived his life traversing different kingdoms and establishing his prominence by getting emperors to trust him as a consultant and employ his school of ideas. As such, these beliefs are very much centred around creating harmony and order in society, and of course entails the respect of commoners and lieges to their lords (because why else would kings employ his beliefs over other schools of philosophy if not so?).

wuxia

Moving on to the wuxia genre, the 侠 (xiá) in wuxia emphasises righteousness. xia, as people, are itinerants and rebels in the fictitious pugilistic society who tire of the power of the aristocracy and seek to use their own, often unlawful ways, to help others through 锄强扶弱 (chú qiáng fú ruò) -- helping the needy and going against the strong (the morals are debatable but that's me trying to sum up wuxia in 5 minutes off the top of my head rip).

conclusions

So I guess that's enough information for you to form your own conclusions, and here's what I think, at the very least.

Against Confucianism -- Subverting the power pyramid. Many of the heroes/xia's in wuxia are lawless rebels. They aren't good, upstanding citizens of the society. Hell, xia was first popularised from 游侠列传 (yóu xiá liè zhuàn) in the Han dynasty records, talking about how a "xia" went against the officials and helped the commoners in the name of righteousness. This goes against the confucian beliefs of respecting your lord and serving the kingdom.* That's why I can understand why some would consider wuxia going against confucianism.

Align with Confucianism -- Righteousness. Ultimately, however, wuxia is about righteousness and nobility and honour, defined by society and commoners and not by royal blood. These values of etiquette, decorum, and nobility were long ingrained in the hearts of all these chinese characters, from when the courtesy and etiquette rules were defined in the Zhou dynasty, and afterwards, from the Han dynasty on, when emperors heavily employed Confucian beliefs in education and throughout society because it helps in rebuilding a harmonious society.

Confucianism is about compassion and righteousness, the staples permeating and defining chinese culture in the last two thousand years, and it is these values that serve as the central impetus of the xia and wuxia genres. People are born into these values; as such they fight against the injustice they see, and thus engenders the lost xia's of every dynasty.

*And well, even Confucius wasn't that dead set on fealty to lords. Confucian highly venerated loyalty, but when the court is corrupt, they acknowledge insurgence over the mindless following of an emperor. This is a story for another day, one I would have to back up with more quotes and citations, but I hope this answered your questions, or even better, let you form some conclusions of your own :)

Confucian philosophy is only one aspect that has correlations/influences over the "xia" genre, there are many other interesting things to say about Taoism and Buddhism as well (e.g. Jin Yong's wuxia classics have quite a bit of Buddhist values in the characters owing to author preferences), it's definitely worth looking up on these things if you're interested!

initially reblogged under the original meta post on wuxia, xianxia, and cultivation differences, but i realised it was too long and would bury the reply, so please don't mind me opening a new post for this again.

feel free to ask and discuss!!

[lightsaber-dorphin]

Jedi Order Corps and Subdivisions

More of my worldbuilding for the inner structure of the Jedi Order. This time focusing on the Corps and the schools of thought/ roles within the Order.

Some of these are canon, others are my own creation. The Jedi consolidating to one temple on Coruscant during the Ruusan Reformation is canon, but I’ve taken my own liberties with it. Without further ado, lore!

Prior to the Ruusan Reformation, there were a number of independent denominations of the Jedi. Most of them merged into one order based in the Coruscant temple during what was called the Reunification.

Many denominations had different ideas of what a Jedi should be/ how they should use their powers. As a result, Jedi from certain traditions tended towards certain jobs within the reunified order. The corps and their branches formed as a result of certain traditions and teachings being passed down by Jedi who occupied certain roles.

The corps aren’t administrative divisions. Individual Jedi have their corps and branch affiliation listed on file as a marker of what they specialize in/ what they’re trained to do. Jedi are selected for missions based on their corps and the specifics of the mission, and answer to whichever body sent them on the mission. (see my Jedi Order Bureaucratic Structure)

Reunified Jedi Order:

One permanent location on Coruscant

Wayfinders:

Wandering Jedi who are technically members of the Order & follow its precepts but don't answer to the Council

Nonspecific:

Individual members can and do have corps/ division affiliations, but the group as a whole doesn't have a corps/ division affiliation

Usually part of the Sentinels or EduCorps

People aren’t selected to be trained for these jobs it’s all volunteer work

A lot of people do it part-time or for short periods, but a few folks make it their permanent gig

Maintenance workers:

Sometimes someone says “what if instead of going on missions I patched all the holes in our drywall” and why would they stop them

Lots of part-time volunteers

Most are Sentinels, because their philosophy encourages learning random useful skills

Quartermasters:

Distribute supplies

The Order buys stuff in bulk and then Jedi pick it up from the quartermasters office

Kitchenmasters:

Jedi way of saying chef

Transport mechanics:

Do you know a Car Person? Imagine if they were a monk.

Accountants:

The most dedicated to preserving the Jedi way of life of any group in the Order

Without these unthanked warriors the Jedi Order would’ve been destroyed by late-stage capitalism

Most are Lore Keepers

Lawyers:

Usually hired from the outside

Inspired by "Jedi Counsel” on ao3

Sometimes a Jedi goes to law school

Temple Guards:

Protect the temple and are its first responders

Based on the lore from "Nameless"

Very connected to the living force within the temple

A little spooky!

Education Corps:

Advance in rank via academic achievement

Maven is the title equivalent to Knight

Can have multiple padawans at one time (but usually don’t)

Lore Keepers:

Strongly believe in the importance of academics

Believe knowledge is the path to connection with the Force

Based on "The Librarian's Lineage"

Preceptors:

Teaching is hugely important to the Jedi, and all Jedi teach & learn how to teach to some degree, but for Preceptors it’s their main focus

Like the MedCorps it has a lot of transfers

Normal Preceptors:

Classroom teachers

Have formal education training

Either work for the Department of Classes or the Department of Primary Classes

DoC and DoPC are roughly the same thing, except the DoPC is for the general education classes all Jedi take as children and the DoC is for elective and continuing education classes

Battlemasters:

Teach lightsaber classes

Have formal education training

Inspired by "Careless to Let It Fall" on ao3

Main differences are that there’s more than one & they take education classes

Crèchemasters:

One lead crèchemaster and two-ish assistant crèchemasters per every 6-ish younglings

Formal training in early childhood education

Must serve as an assistant crèchemaster before being a lead crèchemaster

Assistant crèchemasters are from "aphelion" on ao3

Exploration Corps:

One-on-one apprenticeships

Rarely in the temple (unless they have a padawan, when they’re required to be there more often)

Usually have a bed in a communal room at the temple instead of their own apartment

Use Knight title. Yes this is sometimes confusing

Vanguards:

Wandering explorers/ patrol the galaxy

Instead of responding to specific requests they visit places & are available if anyone wants their help

Specific purpose is to make sure the Jedi don’t neglect/ are unaware of certain parts of the galaxy just because it hasn’t requested Jedi aid in a while

Seekers:

Find potential Jedi and offer them a place in the Order

Bond with new initiates and ease their transition into the Order

Archaeologists:

Expertise in Force-temple ruins

An undead Sith~ sleeping in your bed. Who you gonna call? Ghost! Busters!

Work closely with the Lore Keepers

Most likely to become Wayfinders or leave the Order (by percentage not numbers)

“Former Jedi who got really interested in a niche of archaeology without many Force-related ruins” is a thing in the archaeology community

They can work on normal digs but the Senate won’t approve sending them/ use of Jedi funds

Medical Corps:

MedCorps padawans are very rare. Most members transfer in from another corps

Student healers from other corps have a healing mentor in charge of their healer training, separate from their lineage-master

Healer is the equivalent title to Knight. Healers-in-training are called Student Healers, no matter what their rank is

Knight Corps:

Knights being a fifth corps

This is the corps we see most in canon

One-on-one apprenticeships, Knight title

Guardians:

Focus on fighting abilities & lightsaber combat

Consulars:

Negotiators, ambassadors, diplomats

Focus on Force abilities

Sentinels:

Focus on non-Jedi skills such as hacking

Considered a midpoint between Guardians and Consulars

Shadows:

Jedi spies

Answer to the High Council

Watchfolk:

Permanent/ long-term posting within a system

Agriculture Corps:

Focus on nature-related abilities

Grow most of the food for the Order

Very involved in disaster relief work

Rarely in the temple & usually have a bed in a communal room instead of a personal room

Have long-term postings & typically get settled there

Padawans are assigned to a group rather than an individual

Maven is the Knight-equivalent title

The chapter that inspired this whole project

Terraformers:

Large-scale Force usage

Can revitalize uninhabitable areas

Use the Force to rapidly speed up regrowth, kickstart life on planets where there is none, etc.

Conservationists:

Don’t believe in using the Force on the scale that Terraformers do

Use the Force to help individual plants grow, stave off rot and parasites, connect with animals, etc.

Beastmasters:

Creature specialists

Force-sensitive animal control

Inspiration

[legallybrunettedotcom]

BUFFY READING LIST

As promised @possession1981 and I have compiled a list of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and Angel) related academic text and books. I think this is a good starting point for both a long time fan and for someone just getting into the show, or just someone interested in vampire lore. I have included several books about the vampire lore and myth in general as well. Most of these are available online.

BOOKS

Fighting the Forces: What's at Stake in Buffy the Vampire Slayer; edited by Rhonda V. Wilcox & David Lavery

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy - Fear and Trembling in Sunnydale by James B. South

Buffy Goes Dark: Essays on the Final Two Seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Television, edited by Lynne Y. Edwards, Elizabeth L. Rambo & James B. South

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Myth, Metaphor and Morality by Mark Field

Televised Morality: The Case of Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Gregory Stevenson

Undead TV: Essays on Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Elana Levine

The Aesthetics of Culture in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Matthew Pateman

Girls Who Bite Back: Witches, Mutants, Slayers and Freaks by Emily Pohl-Weary

Why Buffy Matters: The Art of Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Ronda Wilcox

Into Every Generation a Slayer Is Born: How Buffy Staked Our Hearts by Evan Ross Katz

The Lure of the Vampire: Gender, Fiction, and Fandom from Bram Stoker to Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Milly Williamson

Blood Relations: Chosen Families in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel by Jes Battis

Sex and the Slayer: A Gender Studies Primer for the Buffy Fan by Lorna Jowett

Diseases of the Head: Essays on the Horrors of Speculative Philosophy; edited by Matt Rosen (chapter 2 Death of Horror)

Public Privates: Feminist Geographies of Mediated Spaces by Marcia R. England (chapter 1 Welcome to the Hellmouth: Paradoxical Spaces in Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Open Graves, Open Minds: Representations of Vampires and the Undead From the Enlightenment to the Present Day; edited by Sam George and Bill Hughes (chapter 8 ‘I feel strong. I feel different’: transformations, vampires and language in Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

The Contemporary Television Series; edited by Michael Hammond and Lucy Mazdon (chapter 9 Television, Horror and Everyday Life in Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Joss Whedon and Race: Critical Essays; edited by Mary Ellen Iatropoulos and Lowery A. Woodall III

Buffy and the Heroine's Journey: Vampire Slayer as Feminine Chosen One by Valerie Estelle Frankel

The Existential Joss Whedon: Evil and Human Freedom in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly and Serenity by J. Michael Richardson and J. Douglas Rabb

Buffy the Vampire Slayer 20 Years of Slaying: The Watcher's Guide Authorized by Christopher Golden

Reading the Vampire Slayer: The Complete, Unofficial Guide to 'Buffy' and 'Angel' by Roz Kaveney

Hollywood Vampire: The Unnoficial Guide to Angel by Keith Topping

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Monster Book by Christopher Golden

Slayer Slang: A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Lexicon by Michael Adams

What Would Buffy Do? The Vampire Slayer as Spiritual Guide by Jana Riess

ARTICLES, PAPERS ETC.

Bibliographic Good vs. Evil in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by GraceAnne A. DeCandido

Undead Letters: Searches and Researches in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by William Wandless

Weaponised information: The role of information and metaphor in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Jacob Ericson

Buffy, Dark Romance and Female Horror Fans by Lorna Jowett

My Vampire Boyfriend: Postfeminism, "Perfect" Masculinity, and the Contemporary Appeal of Paranormal Romance by Ananya Mukherjea

Buffy, The Vampire Slayer as Spectacular Allegory: A Diagnostic Critique by Douglas Kellner

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer": Technology, Mysticism, and the Constructed Body by Sara Raffel

When Horror Becomes Human: Living Conditions in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" by Jeroen Gerrits

Post-Vampire: The Politics of Drinking Humans and Animals in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Twilight", and "True Blood" by Laura Wright

Cops, Teachers, and Vampire Slayers: Buffy as Street-Level Bureaucrat by Andrea E. Mayo

"Not Like Other Men"?: The Vampire Body in Joss Whedon's "Angel" by Lorna Jowett

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Domestic Church: Revisioning Family and the Common Good by Reid B. Locklin

“Buffy vs. Dracula”’s Use of Count Famous (Not drawing “crazy conclusions about the unholy prince”) by Tara Elliott

A Little Less Ritual and a Little More Fun: The Modern Vampire in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Stacey Abbott

Undressing the Vampire: An Investigation of the Fashion of Sunnydale’s Vampires by Robbie Dale

"And Yet": The Limits of Buffy Feminism by Renee St. Louis & Miriam Riggs

Meet the Cullens: Family, Romance and Female Agency in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Twilight by Kirsten Stevens

Bliss and Time: Death, Drugs, and Posthumanism in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Rob Cover

That Girl: Bella, Buffy, and the Feminist Ethics of Choice in Twilight and Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Catherine Coker

A Slayer Comes to Town: An Essay on Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Scott Westerfeld 

Undead Objects of a “Queer Gaze” : A Visual Approach to Buffy’s Vampires Using Lacan’s Extended RSI Model by Marcus Recht

When You Kiss Me, I Want to Die: Gothic Relationships and Identity on Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Ananya Mukherjeea

Necrophilia and SM: The Deviant Side of Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Terry L. Spaise

Queering the Bitch: Spike, Transgression and Erotic Empowerment by Dee Amy-Chinn

“I Want To Be A Macho Man”: Examining Rape Culture, Adolescent Female Sexuality, and the Destabilization of Gender Binaries in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Angelica De Vido

Staking Her Claim: Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Transgressive Woman Warrior by Frances H. Early

Actualizing Abjection: Drusilla, the Whedonversees’ Queen of Queerness by Anthony Stepniak

“Life Isn’t A Story”: Xander, Andrew and Queer Disavowal in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Steven Greenwood

S/He’s a Rebel: The James Dean Trope in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Kathryn Hill

“Once More, with Feeling”: Emotional Self-Discipline in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Gwynnee Kennedy and Jennifer Dworshack-Kinter

“The Hardest Thing in This World Is To Live In It”: Identity and Mental Health in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Alex Fixler

"Love's Bitch But Man Enough to Admit It": Spikes Hybridized Gender by Arwen Spicer

Negotiations After Hegemony: Buffy and Gender by Franklin D. Worrell

Double Trouble: Gothic Shadows and Self-Discovery in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Elizabeth Gilliland

'What If I'm Still There? What If I Never Left That Clinic?': Faërian Drama in Buffy's "Normal Again" by Janet Brennan Croft

Not Gay Enough So You’d Notice: Poaching Fuffy by Jennifer DeRoss

Throwing Like A Slayer: A Phenomenology of Gender Hybridity and Female Resilience in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Debra Jackson

“You Can’t Charge Innocent People for Saving Their Lives!” Work in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Matt Davies

Ambiguity and Sexuality in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: A Sartrean Analysis by Vivien Burr

Imagining the Family: Representations of Alternative Lifestyles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Vivien Burr and Christine Jarvis

Working-Class Hero? Fighting Neoliberal Precarity in Buffy’s Sixth Season by Michelle Maloney-Mangold

A Corpse by Any Other Name: Romancing the Language of the Body in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein for the Adam Storyline in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Amber P. Hodge

Sensibility Gone Mad: Or, Drusilla, Buffy and the (D)evolution of the Heroine of Sensibility by Claire Knowles

"It's good to be me": Buffy's Resistance to Renaming by Janet Brennan Croft

Death as a Gift in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Work and Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Gaelle Abalea

“All Torment, Trouble, Wonder, and Amazement Inhabits Here": The Vicissitudes of Technology in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by James B. South

Staking Her Colonial Claim: Colonial Discourses, Assimilation, Soul-making, and Ass-kicking in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Jessica Hautsch

“I Run To Death”: Renaissance Sensibilities in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Christine Jarvis

Dressed To Kill: Fashion and Leadership in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Christine Jarvis and Don Adams

Queer Eye Of That Vampire Guy: Spike and the Aesthetics of Camp by Cynthea Masson and Marni Stanley

“Sounds Like Kinky Business To Me”: Subtextual and Textual Representations of Erotic Power in Buffyverse by Lewis Call

“Did Anyone Ever Explain to You What ‘Secret Identity’ Means?”: Race and Displacement in Buffy and Dark Angel  by Cynthia Fuchs

“It’s About Power”: Buffy, Foucault, and the Quest for Self by Julie Sloan Brannon

Why We Love the Monsters: How Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer Wound Up Dating the Enemy by Hilary M. Leon

Why We Can’t Spike Spike?: Moral Themes in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Richard Greene and Wayne Yuen

Buffy, the Scooby Gang, and Monstrous Authority: BtVS and the Subversion of Authority by Daniel A. Clark & P. Andrew Miller

Are Vampires Evil?: Categorizations of Vampires, and Angelus and Spike as the Immoral and the Amoral by Gert Magnusson

BOOKS ABOUT VAMPIRE LORE AND MYTH IN GENERAL

The Vampire Lectures by Laurence A. Rickels 

Our Vampires, Ourselves by Nina Auerbach

Vampires, Burial, and Death: Folklore and Reality by Paul Barber

The Secret History of Vampires: Their Multiple Forms and Hidden Purposes by Claude Lecouteux

The Vampire Cinema by David Pirie

The Living and the Undead: Slaying Vampires, Exterminating Zombies by Gregory A. Waller

Vampire Forensics: Uncovering the Origins of an Enduring Legend by Mark Jenkins

Slayers and Their Vampires: A Cultural History of Killing the Dead by Bruce A. McClelland

The History and Folklore of Vampires: The Stories and Legends Behind the Mythical Beings by Charles River Editors

Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology by Theresa Bane

Vampires of Lore: Traits and Modern Misconceptions by A. P. Sylvia

The Vampire: A New History by Nick Groom

Vampyres: Genesis and Resurrection: from Count Dracula to Vampirella by Christopher Frayling

Race in the Vampire Narrative by U. Melissa Anyiwo

Vampires, Race, and Transnational Hollywoods by Dale Hudson

[lunas-side-anime-blog]

Modern College Student/BF Eren Yeager Headcanons

Armin version: HERE

Changed his major so. many. times.

Tried premed bc of his dad but then realized he had to take a lot of math and was like “lol no”

Was a business major for a bit but he didn’t have enough tact or strategy so dropped that pretty quick

Philosophy was next but he has such black and white way of thinking, he always got into arguments with the professors

Ethics was ruled out after like a week bc of…well, obvious reasons

Joined Armin’s major for like a month but it took so much studying and memory that he quit

Tried psych with Mikasa but yeah every teacher kept telling him to go to therapy??? And he was like “no thank you.”

Eventually i think he will land in something like sport communication or management, bc the competition really gets him fired up and he’s only good at something if he’s passionate about it

also feel like he’d be a college athlete with some scholarships so yeah, it makes sense

Not a great student tbh

Type of bitch to say “c’s get degrees.”

Really its only his public speaking skills that are keeping his grade afloat bc his presentations are sooo hype and get the class all inspired n shit

His essays and quizzes tho? Yeah, not so good

Bad at attending classes too, for sure will be like “srry my grandma died.”

And the teacher is just like “you’ve used that excuse already?twice??"

And hes just like “ugh fine you got me, I was tired and hungover”

Def tried to join a frat but Armin and Mikasa threatened to not be friends with him 

Still hangs with the frat boys a lot and is always partying with them

Pregames wayyy too hard tho, wasted before the party even starts

Unironically dances to lmfao and pitbull at college parties like “party rockers” is his fucking jam

Casual pothead, has a bong he def like nicknamed the “titan” cuz it’s so fucking huge

Will share his stash with you but like next time you got alc or bud just know he’s hitting that shit

High Eren is just really philosophical about freedom but with the munchies

Diet consists of instant ramen, mcdonalds and box mac n cheese, probably alot of redulls too

Thank god he’s athletic w a high metabolism 

Is fucking rocking the man bun and will fight you if you say otherwise

Games often with Jean, Conny and Sasha

Rage quits all the time and yes, Jean has recorded most of them for blackmail

Still uses snapchat streaks and will be so salty if one of his friends broke it

“You know nothing of loyalty. It’s one snap a day! How fucking hard was that?”  

Smells like irish spring body wash, old spice deodorant and weed

Also mint? I feel like he’s always chewing gum

One of those smokers who think he can just splash cold water on his face and chew on some gum and it wouldn’t be obvious that he’s high af

Carmex lip balm is the only slightly self care item he owns

Really into anime, loves the boss fights

I feel like he’d really like Naruto, Demon Slayer, Bnha or jojo’s bizarre adventure

You know anything with a lot of fights or training 

Ppl say he’d like Deathnote bc light but honestly I think he would get lost with all the twists and be like “why tf aren’t ppl just punching each other???”

Loves rap if he’s feeling good or screamo if he’s angry, like there's no in between lmao 

For sure listens to his music way too loud even with air pods

“Max volume isn’t enough, I wanna fuck the song” type of dude

I feel like him and Conny at one point prob tried to make a youtube channel where they like react to stuff 

Jean is the top commenter…..too bad it’s hate comments lol

Is one of those guys who has such a high body temp that even if it’s like december and snowing out, he’s still in basketball shorts and a short sleeve shirt 

Progressive bc Armin taught him how sex doesn’t equal gender, and pronouns are to be respected

Still a dick tho

“He’s such a fucking- wait hold up what are your pronouns?  They? K cool was just gonna talk shit about you but wanted to be respectful about it, thanks.”  goes back to his other conversation like, “They are such a fucking worthless cunt.”

As your bf

Probably met off tinder or something bc he is just a fuckboy looking to get his dick wet

But after fucking he just keeps hanging out with you? Or like if u get ur period or don't feel like sex he’s like, “it’s okay we can just watch a movie or something😀”

So ur not quite sure if you guys are fuckbuddies or not?

It becomes kinda obvious tho if he like ever sees you with another guy and gets all up in his face like “wtf are u doing with my girl/boy?”

U guys don’t have a clear anniversary bc he never asked u to be his, it was just kinda silently agreed upon?

Clingy lil bitch after sex like will follow u to the bathroom if u let him

Needs to shower with you, otherwise you both aint showering cuz he will turn off the water 

“Now we both stinky, bitch.”

Gives me the vibe of a guy who learned sex stuff thru porn

He goes really hard, fast and will put you in crazy positions

If u have a vagina you prob will have to like teach him about clit stimulation and literally take his hand and lead it there, he’s a fast learner though 

Will pull your hair but if you dare pull his?

He'll flip you over and spank you 

Wants sooo bad to be called daddy, up to you though if u wanna call him that but you can tell he tries to lead you to say it sometimes

Not really controlling or anything, actually loves an independent partner who has their own goals 

Is insanely jealous though, the only time he’s all up on you is if he thinks another guy is trying to get on you

If you fight tbh I think Eren can be a lil brat but I think he always has a time limit 

Like..he’s the type of guy that has about three days in him of being an asshole or being in silent treatment mode before he just breaks and knocks on your door begging for forgiveness

A little toxic but again, more so about others than actually controlling you

The type to start a fight in your insta comments if anyone other than him or your besties call you hot

Will try to be cool and say “wear whatever you want, I can fight”

And he will but like will he also cry later? Yes. 

Dates with him aren’t really dates? I think his love language is quality time so he’s the type to just try to hang out and make everything a lil “date”

Lots of late night car rides where you guys just talk and share songs (also car sex if ur up to it), lazy days where you two watch movies and cuddle in bed, also I think he’s the type of bf to try to tag along with you everywhere you go and offer to get you food afterwards

Only for like birthdays or anniversaires will he try to take you out for a fancy dinner, even then you might have to drop hints that you want a nice date bc honestly he’s totally okay getting mdconalds with you and pigging out

Overall he’s kinda a scary dog privellage as a boyfriend

Whose mainly all bark and no bite

(mostly)

Fav nicknames: Babe, babygir/babyboy, sexy, shortie 

Songs that fit the vibe: 505 by Arctic Monkeys, Cherry Waves by Deftones, Daddy Issues by the Neighbourhood

“I’d probably still adore you wth your hands around my neck”

“I’ll swim down with you, is that what you want?” 

“I tell you that I’m thinking about, whatever you’re thinking about”

[user2772636]

Mr. Beauty and Brains

A chicken shop date

《~/♧\~》

《~/♧\~》

An interview with a famous philosophy professor who gained fame from being one of the youngest in his field and being an attractive one, too. Is an interview for a first date too much?

~~~

Professor!Joseph Descamps x Interviewer!Reader

Warnings: None, just fluff

Yes, this is in direct reference to Amelia Dimoldenberg's Chicken Shop Date.

~~~

~~~

Joseph Descamps was just a normal philosophy professor. He taught at an English university, a bit far from home, but it pays well.

Emphasis on was.

When one of his students posts a video of him with the caption, "When your philosophy teacher is your age," he goes from living a normal life to worldwide news.

Everyone commented on his young age, yes, but they mostly comment on how good-looking he was. Back in France, he wasn't really considered good-looking. More so "mid-looking." He guesses it's him growing out his hair.

So, maybe, just maybe, when you were scrolling through your news feed and found the man in an article called "Young and beautiful: Philosophy professor gains fame," you thought to interview him.

It would benefit you and your fans. Your fans because they seem to be interested in the man, too, and you because your channel can grow. Plus, a date with beauty and brains? Who would turn that down?

So when you got in contact with him, asking for a date-interview, expecting him to say no, he surprisingly agreed.

There you were now in that chicken shop, ready for a date with the hot philosophy professor. What could go wrong?

《~/♧\~》

"I actually watch your videos." Joseph says casually, dipping his fries into some ketchup and nibbling it down. Though he teaches in London, his french accent is very audible.

"Really?" I ask in disbelief. I didn't know professors, especially pretty ones like him, watched videos like mine.

"Yeah. That's why I agreed." He chuckles, taking a sip of his drink. "I saw your text and didn't believe it. I was in the middle of my class, my students were taking an exam, and then suddenly, your name popped up. I literally stood up from my chair in shock. Ask one of thosw kids, they'll tell you."

I laugh at the situation, then act unsurprised. "Oh, yeah, well, I tend to give people that reaction. You know, Jude Bellingham quite literally passed out."

He laughs out loud, whipping his head back. When he regains composure, he asks a question that gets me weak in the knees, and I'm already sitting down.

"Yeah?"

Fuck, he sounded good. It's weird to think he's a teacher.

"Yeah."

"Well, anyone would if it's a date with you." I smile slightly, blush coating my cheeks.

"I know."

《~/♧\~》

"I heard you used to model." He chuckles, bringing a hand to the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I did. Just needed to pay for my own education." He tilts his head, smiling up at me. Why is he so cute?

"That's cool. I mean, you are pretty tall." I shrug, keeping my act up. He smiles at this even more.

"Why do you act like that?" He asks, voice low.

"Like what?" I act dumb, nibbling on my food.

"Like you hate me." I squint, looking to the side.

"Well, what if I do?" I raise my eyebrows in question.

"You don't." He's right. I don't.

"How are you so sure?" I clear my throat, the tension in the air thick.

"I just do." He leans back in his chair. "But that's alright. Turns me on."

"Yeah, I totally hate you." He laughs a breath, and I roll my eyes with a smile.

《~/♧\~》

"What's your type?" I ask, sipping on my drink.

"Um, probably smart girls. I like them smart." He nods, and I nod along.

"Well, not to brag or anything, but I competed in maths all throughout high school." I purse my lips, shrugging. He leans in with endearment.

"Did you really?" He seems so eager. I'm suddenly thankful for all of the late nights I stayed up during my school years.

"Yup. Nothing special." I take a bite of my chicken, and Joseph only stares with wide eyes and a half open mouth.

"That's... That's fucking hot." He leans back, wiping a hand on his face.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic." He chuckles briefly, leaning back in with his arms on the table.

"Oh God, marry me." It was my turn to laugh. When he doesn't laugh with me, my smile drops.

"Are you serious? Why?" I furrow my brows, genuinely confused. This beautiful and smart man in front of me wants to marry me?

"Cause I'm in love with you? I mean, I got a job early in my age, maybe I should get married early, too." He shrugs as if it were simple.

"In your dreams, Mr. Descamps." He licks his lips with a smile, and I almost melt.

"I was hoping for an "I do", but that works, too. I'll dream about you." Why does he have to talk like this. Damn the french.

《~/♧\~》

When I get reminded of the fact there's a camera crew neside us recording every single interaction, I secretly wish they hadn't captured the way his knees touched mine under the table, or how his fingers fiddled with the tips of mind when both our hands were on the table.

We were about to say goodbye, when-

"Can I get your number?" Joseph asks, towering over me with his hands in his pockets. I was gonna say yes a million times, then pull him in to make out with me, but that's a bit too much. Some teasing might work.

"What, you want another interview?" I ask, smiling a bit up at him.

"No. But I won't mind it. I just want you." I blush at this, my legs feeling jelly again, worse now that I'm stood up.

"Sure, whatever, I don't care." He hands me his phone, and I jot the number down, not failing to notice the name,"Mrs. Descamps" placed on the contact already. I don't stop it.

"I'll text, I promise." He purses his lips, looking at me with genuinity. I smile softly, kissing his cheek.

"I know you will." I get up on my tip toes to kiss his cheek.

《~/♧\~》

So, you may or may not be on the top most tweets on the internet, name next to Joseph's on the tag, "#MrDescampsCSD."

After the video was posted, people started shipping you. They gave you the ship name "J-Y/N." You wouldn't say it bothered you, because it doesn't.

And yes, the media caught you kissing his cheek. And yes, they think you're dating. But who's dumb enough to believe that?

"Chérie?" A voice calls out from your flat's corridor, followed by the door closing and keys dropping on the table.

"In here!" I shout from my place on the couch. I feel lips press on my temple.

"Half day today, I told you. I'm making lunch." Joseph Descamps says as he peeks at what you're reading.

"What's J-Y/N?" He squints his eyes at the screen, trying to read a bit more. I pull the phone from his sight, sitting up.

"Nothing you need to worry about, joli. Come here." I stand up, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. Always, after work, no matter what time he gets off, he'll receive a hug and more from me.

He sighs deeply, loosely wrapping his arms around my waist and inhaling my scent.

"I needed this."

"You always do." I kiss his hair, swaying absentmindedly.

Okay, you have to admit, it's pretty cool thinking that you were just interviewing him and now you live in the same place. He was only a professor before he met you. Now he's in love.

《~/♧\~》

This is so cutesy. Also made this bcs of lando. Like ik im late asf but atleast its smth 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[artist-issues]

so here's something I'm curious about: God's Not Dead. The films, not the statement itself.

I first saw the first film when I was younger and I hadn't yet embarked on my journey on examining just what i was taught and what I truly believed, but I remember finding the film a little uncomfortable.

I saw the second film and Ive never watched the third, and I think what I really don't like the first film is how it bashes other people's walks of life (Muslim father, three brands of athiests, and how it continues the myth that Christians in The United States are being Persecuted for their Faith Right Now.

Oh yeah and how the plots are really really dumb too, since the first film centers around a philosophy class with a professor that is skipping a very important part of most College degrees and the second takes place in a Bible Belt State with a high school teacher answering a students question comparing Marting Luther King Jr to Jesus's Sermon on the Mount and being taken to court over it.

I was twelve or so when I saw that movie and I honestly was not convinced by the film That God's Not Dead (in terms of the actual arguments in the class scenes.

The specific Denomination that I grew up with (Adventist) focuses a LOT™ on the end times so I do know about the future persecution thing well but like, I don't think we're there yet.

Anyway if you don't know those movies, feel free to ignore this ask but I'm genuinely curious about your thoughts on them, wether positive or negative or neutral

Hi! I saw the first God’s Not Dead in theaters. Never re-watched it. Did not see the sequels.

The good thing about God’s Not Dead is that people worked hard to make something that might shine a counter-cultural light on the truth that the God of the Bible exists. Stories that try to point to truth are on the right track, baseline.

The bad thing about God’s Not Dead is that it took things that are real, and genuine, and true…and it made them feel fake. By telling the story with strange conclusions and weird-triumph moments.

The thesis of the movie, that God is not dead, is something that only non-Christians would need to be convinced of. But the movie is clearly made for Christians. So. Yeah, it’s uncomfortable.

But you shouldn’t find every experience that the movie tries to portray uncomfortable because they don’t happen. You should find it uncomfortable because they don’t happen in that cheesy, Hallmark-grade way.

When a student stands up to their professor and says, “no, I’m not going to go along with this, and this is super weird that you’re trying to draw this line about the specific Christian God,” guess what? The whole classroom doesn’t usually get up and agree with you. They normally barely react. So even though some professors do put their foot down and try to mock or “kill” God in the classroom, and some students do push back, no. It doesn’t normally happen in that victorious way.

Just like how some young Muslim converts to Christianity genuinely are treated poorly by their families, or their community, not just in America, but absolutely, certainly around the world. Absolutely, certainly. I literally can think of not one, but two examples I’ve recently heard of, directly, from people I know.

Like I said, the events and life-experiences that the first God’s Not Dead movie are based on do technically happen all the time in America, and the West, and the world in general. They just don’t normally come with crowd-agreement, impactful music, wise one-liners, and celebrity appearances. The worst thing that the God’s Not Dead movie does is show you hints of things that are real, and really happen in real life, but cheeseball way it shows you those things, and the caricatures it turns people into, makes the real thing look fake.

As far as “the myth that Christians are Persecuted Right Now in America” goes…you just have to decide what you mean by “persecuted.”

If you mean, are we getting our heads run over by cement mixers, or dragged out of our homes and imprisoned for studying or even owning a Bible, or kidnapped by hired hitmen once our families find out we’re Christians, like they are in Yemen or Africa or basically anywhere outside the West…no. No, we’re not facing persecution like that. We’re not persecuted.

But if you mean, in the context of this conversation, that “atheists and professors and people in the professional sector of our education systems don’t have a weirdly specific bone to pick with Christians,”then you’re wrong. They do. They have. For a long time.

My second semester in college, in my plain old World History class, the Professor legitimately opened his class by explaining to us students that if we wanted, he would allow us to replace our midterm and our final exams with book reports as long as we read two specific books he assigned us. One was a book about how Jesus of Nazareth was not the Messiah and the Bible was false. The other book was a fictional short novel with heavy themes criticizing specifically Christian religion. Those were the two books he picked for his students to skip taking the midterm and the final, if only they would read those two books. And those were the ones he chose.

Not only that, but literally in the first class, I remember being stunned when he flippantly opened his summary of the 18th century by saying, “If anyone ever tells you you should check out the God of the Bible, and follow him, laugh in their face. Don’t do it. He is the kind of God who likes to make His people promises and then strand them in the desert for forty years!” First class. Out the gate. Like it was a joke.

It’s not a joke. Dude just openly mocked two out of the three major world religions that people identify with across the globe. Explain to me how telling someone never to convert to a specific religion and to mock it instead is anything other than “discrimination?”

Can you imagine a Professor getting up in front of a class and saying, “if anyone ever tells you that you should check out Allah ] and follow him, convert to Islam, laugh in their face! And here’s one short novel and one historically inaccurate essay criticizing Allah and making fun of Islam; if you’ll read these, tell you what, I’ll let you skip the two most stressful exams of the semester!”

No, of course you can’t imagine that. A Professor who did that about any other religion, creed, or god would be fired or taken to court or penalized or dragged on social media, at least. But the only student in the whole room who batted an eye when he said that about the Christian God was me. The only one who said anything was me. And it wasn’t a big stand up, dramatic declaration. Momentous music didn’t play in the background. My friends and classmates didn’t’] gasp or support me or stand up and agree with me.

It was just me raising my hand and saying in a shaky voice with a red face, after the sixth time he’d randomly deviated from talking about the Roman plumbing system to describe how the Apostle Paul and the other Apostles supposedly disagreed about who Jesus was (big lie, not true at all, but often used to “discredit” the Bible) to say, “sir, that’s not true. It doesn’t make sense. There’s a verse in the Bible where the Apostle Peter literally tells the church that the Apostle Paul’s words are directly from God.” And then he was like, “okay, I’m going to move on.”

I mean I just felt kind of stupid because the whole class was confused about the interaction; nobody was treating it like it was as important as me or the professor was, so it felt awkward to “make a stand.” But rest assured, all over the freakin’ country, people are excited to use up way too much of their brain power and emotional energy mocking, disparaging, and trying to discredit the God of the Bible and Christianity. They don’t believe in Him, but they’re so he’ll-bent on making sure nobody else does either?? Like, I don’t believe in Big Foot, but I’m not walking around trying to barter my students into reading anti-Big Foot books by giving them a pass on their midterms. But that’s how lots and lots of “athiests” treat the specific Christian God.

That’s not new. It’s not dramatic. It’s not persecution. It’s alllll part of the same old song and dance.

But it is real. The worst thing about God’s Not Dead is it made it feel fake and caricature, when it happens all the time and matters 🤷‍♀️ Anyway. Hope that answered your question.

[lalluviadeanoche]

This was sitting in my drafts for idk how long and I don’t remember where I was going with it but here is it anyway:)

I had a cute little idea of Merlin throughout the years having several degrees and professions in all sorts of things. Once he feels he’s mastered one field he goes on to start a career in said field then move on to the next. Every now and then he’ll go back to refresh and update his knowledge bc everything continues evolve so much since when he first started.

Imagine post Camlann Merlin taking a greater interest in medicine bc had he known just a little more, been a little better.. then maybe that, mixed with his magic, would’ve been enough to save Arthur. And he just goes on for a few years learning everything and then taking up after Gaius once he passes. Then further down when Camelot is long gone he leaves and becomes a dr/physician somewhere else that needs it and that leads to him teaching someone else. All of a sudden he has quite a few ppl eager to have Merlin as a teacher, which sparks his career in education.

He learns of schools and specialists of who are more than okay with sharing their time and knowledge of their life’s work. He studies and learns and experiences and experiments. His nose constantly in a new book and writing out papers. Once he’s deemed himself good enough he goes off to wherever his new found knowledge leads him. Over the years he has grown his skills and knowledge in all sorts of things. Science, literature, arts, philosophy, history (which he excels at the most considering he’s lived through it all), architecture, phycology, linguistics.

Now imagine he’s in our modern day working in a museum. He’s specifically looking over the mythology section and of course that means hyper focusing on Arthurian mythology. Some of the things here are different than what he remembers, which is only natural after so many years, and others he remembers clearly as if time hadn’t touched either of them. For instance, they just so happened to have the very sword Sir Leon used to wield.. huh, he’s actually been looking for that for some time now (he’d have to ask his friend how he managed to lose track of it for this long).

~*~*~*

If I happen to remember where this was heading I’ll continue it but this is it for now😅

[beloved-of-storms-and-sands]

I would love to hear about your take on animism!! Do you believe in souls? Do you believe everything has a soul? Does that apply to inanimate objects? To what extent?

How do you apply animism to your craft and practice!

💚🪲🌿

Hello-hello! Glad to see you!

I am grateful for question, because I now can summarise what I believe in and put it into words.

I am indeed an animist. I could even say, if that term exit, hard animist. I believe everything has if not a soul, then some kind of alive essence.

I don't know if my understanding of soul is universal. Soul feel for me like a spirit, that lives in all of us and around. Everything has a spirit, soul, energy, understandable it for us or not, familiar and easy it is or not.

I do believe that inanimate objects also have soul, it is our choice to notice it or not. My car surly isn't animate, but I greet her every time and thank and praise her for getting me where I have to be, and I say her to rest while I am gone and don't miss me and she was nothing but kind to me. When she is broken she makes it so I won't be stuck in the middle of the road, she fully breaks only at mechanics place, and in the time of car crash she made that I wasn't hurt. My house, my home sure isn't animate, but he waits every day on the same place for us to live, he makes sure that my loved ones and me are safe under his roof. He is mighty and steady, he was build with my father's love and he keeps it still after my father is in the skies. He keeps us safe in the earthquakes and doesn't let bad people stay, he keeps mother's plants on his territory and makes it our little place.

There could be many more examples, but those two are the most strong, that came to my mind firstly.

I really enjoy philosophy of shintoism on inanimate objects and also philosophy of Marie Kondo. Japan has it's own way of seeing spirits in animate and inanimate. There almost everything gets another life after 100 years old. Foxes become kitsune, inanimate objects gain life and become tsukumogami. Shintoism is fantastic in this way, it's whole philosophy on it's spirits, that is so unusual from what I used to see and I love it.

Kon Marie is from Japan, so her approach to it is similar to shintoism. She is not a spiritual teacher of any kind, but dhe teaches how to clean a tidy up. Not in typical way, but with love to every thing. She thanks the home, thanks every thing that made it's purpose, she gives her love go clothes. Her way is not capitalistically driven, her way is driven by love to both people and things. I learnt that in her book "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing" gave me a lot with the way I look at things now.

As to which extent it goes, it depends on the object itself and situation. There could be a cap from bottle, and it's continuation of the bottle. It's spirit is one, shared between parts. If we will take this cap on it's own, it still will be having spirit of bottle. But what if we will do something with it? Paint it for our art project or add it into something more for another project, where many other caps are used? It starts to change. With art project it changes it's spirit to something new, with creating project it's spirit becomes shared with other caps to whatever we creating. Beauty of things. Fluid and solid at the same time. Beauty as animate and inanimate, different, but similar lifes.

Something like this. Thank you for your ask, I am really grateful.

[beyonsatan]

Hi!! I’ve been taking a break from social media! I’m back to share more astrology wiz with everyone.

But before I even get into anything, I’m gonna add some books and resources that have shaped my philosophy as an astrologer (and hopefully I can pin this to the top of my page because I’ve been getting so many messages in my absence about where I’ve learned my doctrine)

1. Hellenistic astrology: The study of fate and fortune” by chris Brennan. This book will take you on a historical dive within astrology. You will learn some very useful and yet obscure ancient astrology techniques that kinda temporarily got shoved into oblivion by pop astrology.

2. On the heavenly spheres by Helena Avalar. Reading this book is what really convinced me to throw modern astrology out the window and helped me to see how “not helpful” it was. You will see how much pop astrology kind of alleviates the truth. Only get this book if you’re interested in why I have such a distain for some very questionable mainstream modern astrology information.

3. Astrology and the authentic self by Demetria George. I wanna say that this book was the very first one I read and it doesn’t prioritize the meanings of the signs. When you first get into traditional astrology you’re gonna think it’s so boring because you quickly realize that the signs get their meanings from the planets and not just from themselves. You’ll read things like “Aquarius: enemy of the sun, preferred domicile of saturn” etc. Something to take into consideration is also the amount of daylight and nighttime and that goes on during that signs time of the year, Hellenistic astrologers as I know now take meanings from that as well.

4. Ancient astrology in Theory and Practice: a manual l of traditional techniques. This book is volume one and 2.

5. The house, temples of the sky by Deborah houlding. I wanna say that this woman is my TEACHER and I LOVE this book because this book will introduce you to an ancient perspective of the houses, the very first interpretation of the houses. This book does NOT associate any of the signs with the houses as none of the ancient astrologers did and especially not the valens.

6. The astrology podcast. Go to to YouTube and search up “the astrology podcast planets” and just start writing things down. You can also type in “3 misconceptions of (insert any sign)” and Adam elenbaas will pop up, he is a certified Hellenistic astrology so prepare to learn things about your sign you never knew.

6. The most expensive resource would be to go to astrology school which is 1300$ dollars at nightlightastrology.com and is a whole course. After you get the certificate you can call yourself a “certified Hellenistic astrologer.” if this is your passion and something you wanna be doing in the long term I highly recommend.

I wanna close this post out by saying that Hellenistic astrology is the oldest form of horoscopic astrology, it is the source, the OG and it is where everything we know about astrology today came from. Anything that was taken and misconstrued LITERALLY came from Hellenistic astrology.

Hope this helps xx

[mostlikelytofangirl]

I think LQR would be a lonely old man. LXC and LWJ moved out, and probably LQR had been taking care of them since he was super young, so he doesn't know what to do with himself!

Then he walks into a perfumery one day and he meets MY. Polite, helpful young man, who sniffs out the scholar in LQR and starts talking about philosophy with him or something like that

Maybe LQR os a teacher for some niche thing! And MY starts attending his classes because LQR goes to his perfumery often and he likes him!

LQR is all pining but he'd never make the first move on someone so young

LQR also gets the hots whenever MY opens his mouth in his class. Intelligence/competency kink!

LQR all like "Meng Yao <3" /Dreamy sigh/

And then MY is like "I'm gonna fuck that old man >:)"

And he does. And LQR cries and then is embarassed about it

Also LXC and LWJ are having multiple aneurysms

OMG that's so adorable!! LQR as an empty-nester latching onto this lovely young man that is very mature for his age and very knowledgeable.

His interest increases when MY is fascinated by the super niche thing that he teaches, but of course LQR is a proper man that wouldn't dare cross the line with a boy, especially when it would risk ruining this nice friendship that makes him forget that he is alone now.

MY attending his classes would be so smart of him, but what else is new XD. Bc MY wouldn't also risk an open first move, no, his especialty is getting ppl to do what he wants without them noticing, and he has learned enough about LQR to know that being a delight to have in class will help him get the ball rolling.

MY is gonna get him some old man dick one way or the other or so help him!

And naturally he succeeds, only now he has to convince LQR that it was something he totally wanted, he was never coerced, no he doesn't think it's improver and he would very much like to do it again :'D.

Also having to deal with the nephews going through all the stages of grieve in a couple of minutes as soon as the news reach them, but it'd be worth it 😌

[rotting-ink]

For the sake of my high school AU fantasies to be as accurate and in character as possible, what would the ROs be as a generic American high school stereotype.

Keep in mind that you cannot take popular mean girl Quincy and religious nerd D from my hands.

heeheehee :}

L Rawlins: I'm so sorry, but L is a teacher. Probably Maths or Woodworking stuff and is just quietly working away, while also trying to make sure E doesn't fuck up in school.

S Della Rovere- VERY popular exchange student from Italy. Life of the party, THROWS those parties. Is the person that is somehow popular and yet everyone likes them because of how nice they are. Very sweet.

Z Chambers- Quiet kid, in all black, and hoodies. Gets bullied, or at least got bullied, before high school. Very artistically talented, very withdrawn and then when you get closer, they're very sweet.

V De Winters- Former popular kid. Was a preppy popular kid, dating Quincy and being the It couple for absolutely ages, until some nasty rumors spread about V. They were painted as a slut and their popularity crumbled. In their last year, they befriend people like E and Saleos over everyone else, instead hanging out with the more outcasts of the schools.

Seir- Apart of the Emo's, who would obviously want to dress far more Goth if the school didn't jump down their throat about it. Quite mean, but a very good friend if you get closer to. It's obvious Seir and Saleos have some sort of history but had a falling out and now harass each other.

Saleos- Jock popular kid. Popular because they're rich and cool, either apart of the sports team or a cheerleader. However, not like S, they're renowned for being mean, and an absolute bully. Fuckin ruthless and the type to shove people into lockers and spread nasty rumours. Very rude to Seir too.

Starling Knight- Teaching Assistant. Graduated and wants to get a few years of extra money before paying their own way through medical school. Dry, not fully engaging, but very good at when they themselves start teaching, they know they're stuff and they know "how to dumb it down" for kids. But shuts down after class and fucks off. You will never found them around the school unless they're teaching.

A Lancaster- Revered rich kid who stays out of drama. Just focuses on their sports and their studies, and is known to be dry as fuck. Not interested in going to your party, fuck off. No one can believe that they're actual best friends with D Woolf, but ever since they arrived late in the school year as the new kid, that's the main person they hang out with.

E Rawlins- Easy going, likeable kid whose mental health crashes out at their last year and withdraws into themselves. Goes from the fun guy whose kinda loud in class but never intends any harm and goes to visit their sibling's class room, to someone who willingly sticks to themselves, snaps at people to leave them alone and hangs out behind the school. In fact, seems kinda weird around someone, following them around and breaking into their locker.

Quincy Beaumont- On par with Saleos. Catty mean popular kid, but, most annoyingly, they're deeply talented. It would be one thing if they weren't, but they're amazing at theater and drama and music, its obvious that they're going to go far. Nice to people they're in productions with, as well as any music classes. Other than that, catty and mean. Except to V, even after their reputation tanked. Hangs out with them, even if pushed away.

D Woolf- Quiet religious kid who was bullied HARD by Saleos especially, right up until A starts at their school. Used to pray over their food, and be excited in Philosophy and Science classes, but these days they're quiet, subdued. Hangs onto A's sleeve everywhere they go. Slowly perks up through the year with A, but absolutely terrified of Saleos.

[jujutsustraycats]

Hey ish! Your school would be starting in a few days and here a few things I wish someone told me when I was about to start my journey for 11th! Some of these might apply to you too even though the paths I have and you will be taking are completely different.

Next 2 years are gonna teach you a lot. They'll put you through the highest of high and lowest of lows. They'll change you as a person. They'll teach you so much about life (and also how people can be). Things would get overwhelming at times. You wouldn't understand what the fuck is going on at times. A lot of times you'd be left confused and hurt and alone for both, academic and non academic reasons. Also, you'd get a lot of career advice so you need to know how to filter out the useless ones! The best way to check authenticity can be reflect on the achievements of the one giving advice.

Even though your classmates might be in the same stream, you'll realise that everyone has a different story and that, in the worst ways possible too. There'd be times when it'd feel like none of your peers understand your visions and aim for future, there'd be times you wouldn't have a buddy to chat about your life philosophies with who also has the same opinions as yours (but remember to not give up on people as a whole okay? You'd find people you vibe with at the end of the day, you just have to be bold enough to put yourself out there!)

There'd be also times you might end up severely over worked and sleep deprived (but make sure not to drink so much coffee that your hands and shaking and your heart is beating so fast that your body goes into fight and flight mode thinking you're having panic attack lol). You know ish, these 2 years might completely make you or break you, but remember to not give up despite whatever situations you might end up in.

I personally was a several-Olympiad-gold-medalist kinda overachiever till 10th (even in 11th lol, i didn't sit for it in 12th because my priorities changed. And I overlooked it, don't do that. Celebrate your smallest wins and remember to appreciate yourself for the smallest milestones or you'll end up severely burnt out. It has happened to me twice over the span of last 4 years till now.) But even I ended up seeing the greatest academic downfall i ever had in front of my eyes at many times during these 2 years. And you should know that it's okay. A lot of people are going to be tough on you but try your hardest not to be one of them. Being kind to oneself can be difficult but try your best okay? And you said you are a perfectionist aren't you? Take care little dove.

I've seen a lot in these two years too. A lot of your academic experience also depends on what kind of teachers you get and me, personally, oh my teachers were pos and sadists. They'd bully me for the most stupid reasons (haha losers. You said i wouldn't be able to do it? Well. fuck y'all ✨ [you'd have to learn to be indifferent at times and not let their or anyone else's words get through you. Learn to develop a strong self belief.]) and I seriously hope you get better teachers.

But oh ish not every elder is bad, you'll get some amazing teachers whom you'd never want to break ties with. Hold on to them! okay? You'd also get really amazing friends who you'd know are going to last a lifetime and would be there for you in your toughest times. Hold on to them as well! Some bastards are too good to let go. Ha!

And also, in return, remember to be kind to your peers because you don't know what they might be going through (not to scare you but I had 2 of my friends who'd almost commit suicide, so yeah it can get scary for both, you and them at times but remember to heal them with your love and support. It's an age you all need each other!)

It's gonna be fun, full of lessons, scary, exciting and adventurous at the same time. You'd hate it sometimes and you'd love it sometimes, but despite all MASTI NAHI RUKNI CHAHIE!!! You won't ever get these 2 years back so make sure you don't walk out without making some amazing memories!! Vandalise stuff, copy the sign of principal to escape the school, bunk the classes (to study or not, your choice) have deepest conversations and most light hearted jokes and banters the exact other day, sleep in the class, eat from under the bench, give impromptu speeches on seminars and farewells, break rules....whatever ish. Whatever gets your heart pumping and adrenaline rushing. Because while it's the starting of peak years of your career, you should remember to be a human and have fun at times too. It's okay. It's normal. It's needed. One shouldn't be guilty about it.

Getting less than perfect marks on a few tests isn't gonna harm you as much as you think it will. The ones who love you will continue to love you. The ones who admire you will continue to admire you. The ones who support you will continue to support you.

Baki, main hun idhar hi ❤️ kabhi bhi kuch problem ho toh AA Jana apni badi behen se advice lene, I'll try my best to help you out. As I said the other day, the pain and trauma these 2 years have put me through has only served to make me more empathetic and protective of my juniors so if you come to me with loads of rants i won't say cliché things like "Stay strong". I'd first and foremost listen to you and simply that. I'd listen to you for as long as you want me to. Because sometimes you'd simply just wanna be heard ❤️

I'll try my best to be there for you! If nobody got you, I do! Remember that, okay? ✨

... Dear gods, I don't even know what to say. You made me cry. Like, tears actually sprung up in my eyes. Happy ones, though. Don't worry too much.

I'm not one for physical affection but I would've hugged you so hard if I were there. Thank you. This genuinely made my day.

[keketopia]

luka couffaine headcanons

• luka is a pretty laidback person

• he sometimes stargaizes at night, just so he can look at the constellations

• he isn't actually afraid of snakes, in fact, he's actually considering having one as a pet

• he and juleka have a secret communication system through music. like when one of them asks a question or speaks they would respond by playing a few notes on an instrument and they would know what it means.

juleka: "luka, have you seen my phone?"

luka: *plays a few strings on his guitar*

juleka: "found it, thanks!"

____________________________________________

luka: "what happened to my toffee pudding?"

juleka: *plays a few strings on her bass*

luka: "really, jules? I was saving that!"

juleka: *plays some more strings on her bass"

luka: "how was I supposed to know that spaghetti was yours? I didn't even see your name"

juleka: *aggressively plays some more strings on her bass while also pouting and glaring at luka*

luka: "okay, it was half finished. but i was hungry and i wasn't really craving any other foods"

juleka: *plays some more strings on her bass*

luka: "whatever, i'll just buy some"

____________________________________________

• might want a houseboat when he's older. he just loves listening to the calm waves of the water when he's sleeping or meditating

• writes songs for marinette even when they broke up

• sometimes uses juleka's head as an armrest because he's taller than her. just a way for him to tease her and laughs when she gets annoyed.

• he has really good memory. this stems from his obsession with music. not to mention that he's pretty observant. like if someone places a book somewhere and they can't remember where they put it, luka would tell them where it is.

• luka's love for music comes from when his mom used to play guitar for him and juleka as a kid. in fact, the guitar was the first instrument he learned how to play

• luka goes to the pet store to buy mice because sass admits that mice are his favorite food.

• luka is pretty chill, it's rare for him to get angry. there are only a few times where he gets angry (silencer for example)

• remember when I said that luka isn't afraid of snakes? yeah, may I mention that snakes are his favorite animal? he's considering having a snake tattoo when he's an adult, although he's not sure if he wants it on his arm or on his back.

• an empath

• his favorite flower is the devil's trumpet

• studies psychology & philosophy

• he keeps his hair his natural color for a while because keeping his edges blue can be a pain in the ass since the color washes off very quickly. so he keeps it black until he gets bored and dyed them again

• he has chromesthesia

• he firmly believes in rebirth and that there is life after death

• reads past life regression books

• he doesn't really have any aspirations for fame. despite his dad being a famous rockstar, he doesn't want to be in the spotlight. he instead wants to teach music to other people, which is why his choice of a career is a music teacher

• he is a buddhist. he believes in the majority of buddhist beliefs, including samudaya

• allergic to seafood

• plans on getting just a few more piercings

• luka is explicitly against sass calling him master

• luka will sometimes play with sass' tail whenever the kwami sits in an elevated position

• he knows how to play the lyre (due to being viperion), keyboard, & the cello.

• he is very protective, especially towards juleka. he has gotten in trouble a lot as a child for starting fights with people that bullied her.

• despite being french, he does not like cheese. he once passive-aggressively (but in a good way) gave adrien deodorant because he couldn't stand the smell of camembert

• when luka is stressed. he plays notes on his guitar with his eyes closed and tries to guess what pitch the note is at

• he is pansexual i refuse to believe he's straight!

• jokingly refers to himself as an old man because he mostly hangs out with juleka's friends, who are all two years younger than him