#Ancient practices in modern psychology

[shamanflavio]

"Dancing to the Moon's Tune: Reconnecting with Our Natural Rhythms for a Stress-Free Life"

Biological time, essentially, is about tuning into your body’s own natural rhythms—think of it as the ultimate playlist featuring the beats of your breath, the rhythm of your heart, and all the other intricate, biological rhythms that make up the unique dance of you. This approach suggests we’re meant to sway with our internal music, not march to the relentless tick-tock of a man-made clock. The…

[athenavalor]

Navigating Life's Waves with Stoicism: A Soft Skills Upgrade

In the bustling corridors of our lives, where the unexpected often becomes the norm, an ancient philosophy makes a quiet comeback. It’s stoicism, a timeless guide for weathering life’s storms and enhancing our interpersonal toolkit—our cherished soft skills. The Stoic Foundation: Understanding Before Upgrading Stoicism, born in the vibrant heart of Ancient Greece, is not just a lofty philosophy…

[nexusofsorcery]

An Incredible Exploration of Practical Alchemy and Spiritual Transformation

Alchemy, an ancient practice shrouded in mystery and symbolism, has fascinated scholars, spiritual seekers, and the curious for centuries. This enigmatic art form, often perceived as the quest to turn base metals into gold, encompasses far more than its legendary pursuit of the Philosopher’s Stone. At their core, practical alchemy and spiritual alchemy are profound metaphors for personal…

[creature-wizard]

Check your conspiracy theory part two: double, double, boil and trouble

Does your conspiracy theory sound something like this?

There is a large number of people who practice a form of religion that demands animal and human sacrifices.

Their practices can be traced all the way back to ancient times.

They are responsible for many mysterious murders, disappearances, and animal deaths.

They especially prey on children, or require children for certain rituals.

Their rituals include immoral sexual activities.

They practice ritual cannibalism.

They use something from the victims' bodies for medicinal or mystical purposes.

They regularly cast curses.

They have special means of manipulating or controlling people's minds.

Strange medical and psychological symptoms are evidence that one has been targeted or tortured by these people.

Their rituals and holidays are viscerally disgusting mockeries of normal, wholesome rituals and holidays. Feces, urine, and blood are often involved.

They can create clones/duplicates to take their places while they're off doing their evil activities.

Members are severely punished (physically and psychologically) for transgressions.

Members are frequently driven to suicide.

Members often lead double lives, often seeming to be good law-abiding citizens to the public.

There are numerous telltale signs that give their allegiance away; EG, strange body markings or owning things that could be used in rituals.

If evidence can't be found, it's because they have ways of hiding it.

They have ways of traveling and transporting victims to seemingly improbable locations with no one noticing.

They might believe themselves to be worshiping pagan gods, but it's actually a satanic deception.

All of these claims go back to early modern witch panic and blood libel. (There is significant overlap between these things.) You can find this kind of stuff claimed in literature like the Malleus Malificarum, A Discovery of Witches (the one by Matthew Hopkins), and the Compendium Maleficarum. You can also find information on the history of blood libel over here.

[dwellordream]

Parents Should Ignore Their Children More Often

By Darby Saxbe, clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at the University of Southern California

I recently spoke with an anthropologist named Barry Hewlett who studies child-rearing in hunter-gatherer societies in Central Africa. He explained to me that children in those societies spend lots of time with their parents — they tag along throughout the day and often help with tasks like foraging — but they are rarely the main object of their parents’ attention. Sometimes bored, sometimes engaged, these kids spend much of their time observing adults doing adult things.

Parents in contemporary industrialized societies often take the opposite approach. In the precious time when we’re not working, we place our children at the center of our attention, consciously engaging and entertaining them. We drive them around to sports practice and music lessons, where they are observed and monitored by adults, rather than the other way around. We value “quality time” over quantity of time. We feel guilty when we have to drag our children along with us to take care of boring adult business.

This intensive, often frantic style of parenting requires a lot more effort than the style Professor Hewlett described. I found myself thinking about those hunter-gatherers last month when I read the advisory from the surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, warning that many parents are stressed to their breaking point. There are plenty of reasons for this worrisome state of affairs. One is that we don’t ignore our children often enough.

The modern style of parenting is not just exhausting for adults; it is also based on assumptions about what children need to thrive that are not supported by evidence from our evolutionary past. For most of human history, people had lots of kids, and children hung out in intergenerational social groups in which they were not heavily supervised. Your average benign-neglect day care is probably closer to the historical experience of child care than that of a kid who spends the day alone with a doting parent.

Of course, just because a parenting style is ancient doesn’t make it good. But human beings have spent about 90 percent of our collective time on Earth as hunter-gatherers, and our brains and bodies evolved and adapted to suit that lifestyle. Hunter-gatherer cultures tell us something important about how children are primed to learn.

A parenting style that took its cue from those hunter-gatherers would insist that one of the best things parents can do — for ourselves as well as for our children — is to go about our own lives and tote our children along. You might call it mindful underparenting.

Children learn not only from direct instruction, but also from watching and modeling what other people around them do, whether it’s foraging for berries, changing a tire or unwinding with friends after a long day of work. From a young age, that kind of observation begins to equip children for adulthood.

More important, following adults around gives children the tremendous gift of learning to tolerate boredom, which fosters patience, resourcefulness and creativity. There is evidence from neuroscience that a resting brain is not an idle one. The research tells us that the mind gets busy when it is left alone to do its own thing — in particular, it tends to think about other people’s minds. If you want to raise empathetic, imaginative children who can figure out how to entertain themselves, don’t keep their brains too occupied.

An excellent way to bore children is to take them to an older relative’s house and force them to listen to a long adult conversation about family members they don’t know. Quotidian excursions to the post office or the bank can create valuable opportunities for boredom, too.

Leaving kids’ screens at home on such trips can deepen the useful tedium. It also forces parents to build up their tolerance to their child’s fussiness, an essential component of underparenting. Parents too often feel the need to engage their children in “fun” activities to tempt them away from screens. But by teaching children to crave constant external stimulation and entertainment, intensive parenting can actually worsen screen dependence.

To be sure, when kids are upset, in danger or require guidance, parents can and should swoop in to help. But that is precisely the point: It is only by ignoring our children much of the time that we conserve the energy necessary to give them our full attention when they actually need it.

In recent years there has been a lot of hand-wringing about so-called helicopter parents and their hopelessly coddled children. But we rarely talk about what parents ought to do instead. In an ideal world, we would set children loose to roam free outdoors, unsupervised. As a small-town Ohio kid in the 1990s, I spent hours with my brothers playing in the creek behind our house, with plenty of time to get good and bored. When that sort of “free range” experience is not an option, however, mindful underparenting is the next best thing.

This approach can take the form of bringing children with you not just on boring errands, but also when you work, socialize or exercise. I was at my gym the other day when a father came in with his 4-year-old son. The two of them took turns working out with a trainer teaching them martial arts moves. When it wasn’t his turn, the 4-year-old scrambled around the gym and, when he got tired, lay on his belly on the mat and watched his father practice kicks. Observing the boy, his big eyes taking in a ton of social information, I thought about all the parents who say that they have no time to exercise because they’re too busy with their kids.

At the same time, I thought about all the gyms that bar small children. Even as parenting has gotten more intensive, public spaces, especially in the United States, seem to have become more hostile to the presence of children. I wrote most of my Ph.D. dissertation alongside my toddler in a coffee shop in my neighborhood that had a mini play area with stacking toys, board books and room to park a stroller. That coffee shop is gone now, replaced by a sleeker cafe where it’s hard to picture a stray plastic toy, let alone a rambunctious 2-year-old.

Parents have it easier in countries such as Germany and Spain, where you can find beer gardens and tapas bars situated right next to playgrounds, or in Denmark, where parents routinely park their infants in strollers outside cafes while they socialize. In such places you can relax and catch up with friends while children romp around — a reminder of how much easier parenting gets when we enjoy the social trust born from shared investment in care.

In other words, underparenting requires structural change, and not just the obvious changes that we think of as parental stress-relievers, such as family leave and paid child care. It also requires that as a society, we build back our tolerance for children in public spaces, as annoying and distracting as they can be, and create safe environments where lightly supervised kids can roam freely. In a society that treated children as a public good, we would keep a collective eye on all our kids — which would free us of the need to hover over our own

[neiviele]

There is such a strange overlap between anti-endos and a particular set of harmful, discriminatory behaviors that I keep on seeing.

In particular:

• Despising schizo-spec people for some reason

▪︎Actively trying to trigger schizo-spec people in psychosis despite being told otherwise

▪︎Ignoring their boundaries - being told that they're harming people only to insist that it's good for them

▪︎You can recover from your DID! Not so for schizophrenics, who must always constantly fight to be normal and never give in to their delusions

▪︎You can never have fun with this. No delusion entertaining here! Not like DID/OSDD systems, who make pk profiles for their alters and learn to love their systems with time.

• A sort of tunnel vision directed only at fellow traumagenic systems compared to endogenic systems.

▪︎You're having fun with this disorder? Not possible, you should always suffer... unless you're a traumagenic system, in which you can do anything you want.

▪︎You're not one of us? Pssh, must be an endo

▪︎Obviously your trauma didn't happen if you're a pro-endo traumagenic system, otherwise you would know how bad it is to be this way

▪︎"Why aren't you suffering exactly like me"

• Gatekeeping of alterhumanity and other communities

▪︎Endogenics are pushed out of every community. Doesn't matter if the community is for them, doesn't matter if it has nothing to do with syscourse. Get them outtttt

▪︎▪︎Bonus points if you make other people feel unsafe in the process. Don't look at me, look at those endogenics that were doing nothing!

▪︎Putting their own conditions on a pedestal when compared to others (ex. it's fine to be autistic, but God forbid you identify as plural)

• Othering and a kind of racism directed at POC and spiritual folk

▪︎If your practice is spiritual and mystical it's 🥰beautiful🥰, if it's clinical and psychological it's 👎harmful👎

▪︎▪︎Bonus points if it's an ancient, old practice from long ago, conceived in the wilderness far away from the "toxicity" of the "modern world". Slavery? Genocide? Cultural oppression? Not a factor, you should all have practices from long ago. Don't blame me for not having them!

▪︎POC are used as pawns in syscourse. If you're endogenic you must be white (certainly there can't be any POC endos out there) and if you do exist, you are dismissed. However if you are POC, you must exist in all areas of discourse and hold all the right opinions.

▪︎Certainly you can't hold multiple viewpoints on your origins - a spiritual plural who also believes in science? A spiritualist who also believes in spiritual things, yet takes their medication to function? Not possible, you're either psychological or spiritual.

(Apologies for the snark near the end, but in truth it is annoying.) We've noticed these beliefs seem to appear in tandem with each other to a greater degree than other beliefs- could be wrong, but it's a pattern we've noticed. I'm guessing this behavior is a result of a traumatic cultural Christian-European upbringing? Which makes sense, but I wish they'd unpack that before jumping into syscourse.

[rivensdefenseattorney]

Red Fountain Curriculum

(WIP)

Vanguard School of Combat

Departments

Military History and Strategy Department

Ancient Battles and Warfare Tactics: Study of pivotal historical battles and their strategic significance. Analysis of strategies employed by renowned military leaders.

Modern Warfare: Strategies and Evolutions: Exploration of modern warfare tactics, including guerrilla warfare and asymmetric conflicts. Case studies on recent military operations.

Tactical Combat Department

Close-Quarters Combat Techniques: Training in hand-to-hand combat, grappling, and defensive tactics. Practical sessions and sparring exercises.

Weapon Proficiency and Maintenance: Mastery and maintenance of various combat weapons. Workshops on weapon crafting and enhancements.

Survival Tactics and Freelance Operations Department

Adaptability in Challenging Environments: Training in survival skills in diverse environments (wilderness, urban, etc.).Field exercises emphasizing adaptability and resourcefulness.

Freelance Combat Strategies: Understanding the dynamics and strategies of freelance operations. Scenario-based simulations for independent contracting roles.

Identification of Magical Flora - Beneficial and Hazardous: Identification and study of magical flora, focusing on their potential uses, properties, and dangers. Practical sessions on harvesting and utilizing beneficial magical plants and avoiding hazardous ones.

Navigating Independent Contracting Roles: Exploration of various independent contracting roles such as guild work, solo contracts, and team-based contracts. Case studies and simulations to understand the dynamics and responsibilities of each role.

Combat Psychology and Ethical Warfare Department

Psychological Aspects of Combat: Study of the psychological impacts in combat situations. Methods to handle stress, fear, and decision-making under pressure.

Ethical Decision-Making in Warfare: Ethical considerations and dilemmas in combat scenarios. Debates and discussions on moral choices in warfare.

Field Operations and Simulation Department

Practical Combat Scenarios: Simulation exercises mimicking real combat situations. Team-based scenarios testing strategy, communication, and leadership.

Medical Training and Combat First Aid: Training in providing first aid and medical assistance in combat situations. Simulated medical emergencies and treatments.

Navigation Techniques in Diverse Environments: Practical training in navigation using magical and conventional tools in varied environments. Simulated exercises in finding paths, mapping territories, and using magical navigation aids.

Advanced Field Navigation and Dimensional Travel: Understanding navigation in different dimensions and planes, including dimensional gateways and portals. Simulation exercises involving navigation across multiple dimensions.

Strategic Leadership and Organization Department

Leadership Development in Combat Scenarios: Training in command structures, leadership roles, and decision-making. Practical leadership exercises in simulated combat scenarios.

Organizational Tactics and Logistics: Understanding logistics in combat, resource management, and operational planning. Case studies on effective and failed logistical operations.

Arcane School of Magic

Departments

Magical Theory and History Department

History of Magical Practices: Exploration of magical practices across civilizations and historical eras. Analysis of influential magical theorists and their contributions.

Theoretical Foundations of Magic: Study of magical principles, laws, and universal magical theories. Discussions on the nature and essence of magic

Spellcraft Department

Fundamentals of Spellcasting: Practical instruction in basic spellcasting techniques. Practice sessions focusing on accuracy and incantation.

Advanced Spellcasting and Rituals: Mastery of complex spell structures and ceremonial magic. Practical applications in controlled environments.

Alchemy and Potionology Department

Alchemy Principles and Applications: Understanding alchemical principles, transmutation, and elemental correspondences. Practical experimentation with basic alchemical processes.

Potion Brewing and Elixir Crafting: Hands-on brewing of magical potions and elixirs. Studying potion ingredients and their magical properties.

Magical Artifacts Department

Identification and Analysis of Magical Artifacts: Study of various magical artifacts, their origins, and functionalities. Analytical methods for artifact identification and assessment.

Creation and Enchantment of Artifacts: Practical workshops on crafting and enchanting magical artifacts. Collaborative projects to design and create enchanted items.

Mystical Creatures Department

Introduction to Behavioral Studies of Magical Creatures: Observational studies on magical creature behavior and habitats. Ethical considerations in studying and interacting with mystical creatures.

Conservation and Care of Magical Species: Methods for ethical conservation, preservation, and sustainable habitats for magical creatures. Hands-on experiences in caring for and understanding mystical creatures.

Taming and Riding of Magical Beasts: Mastery of riding and taming diverse mystical creatures. Developing rapport and control for combat and strategic advantages.

Advanced Biology and Magic of Mystical Creatures: Study of the biological traits, magical attributes, and habitats of various mystical creatures. Examination of how magic interacts with their physiology and behavior.

TechForge School of Engineering

Departments

Techno-Magic Integration and Programming

Introduction to Techno-Magic Fusion: Overview of the principles behind merging technology and magic. Exploring historical examples and contemporary advancements.

Enchanting Technologies: Understanding enchantment methods for technological applications. Practical workshops on infusing technology with magical enhancements.

Properties of Magic Metals and Alloys: Study of magical properties in various materials and alloys used in techno-magical engineering. Analysis of how different materials interact with magical enhancements.

Programming in Magical Systems: Understanding programming languages and coding specific to magical systems and technological interfaces. Hands-on coding exercises for techno-magical devices.

Aerospace Engineering and Dimensional Travel

Fundamentals of Aerodynamics: Principles of flight, airfoil design, and aircraft stability. Hands-on experiments and simulations.

Spacecraft Design and Orbital Mechanics: Design considerations for spacecraft and understanding orbital mechanics. Projects involving simulated space missions.

Advanced Aerodynamics and Interdimensional Travel: In-depth study of aerodynamic principles and their application in interdimensional and cross-dimensional travel. Theoretical discussions and simulations on dimensional travel theories.

Maintenance and Upkeep of Advanced Aircrafts: Techniques and best practices for maintaining futuristic aircraft and spacecraft. Practical sessions on diagnosing and solving maintenance issues.

Vehicle Engineering and Transportation Infrastructure

Automotive Design and Innovation: Study of vehicle dynamics, design principles, and automotive innovation. Design projects for advanced vehicle concepts.

Advanced Transportation Systems Applications: Examination of futuristic transportation systems. Prototyping and development of next-gen transportation solutions.

Interdimensional Transportation Infrastructure: Understanding the civil engineering aspects of futuristic transportation systems. Design considerations and planning for advanced transportation networks.

Maintenance and Optimization of Techno-Magic Vehicles: Techniques for maintenance and optimization of advanced futuristic vehicles. Real-world case studies on improving vehicle efficiency.

Techno-Magic Artifacts & Tools

Construction Techniques and Enchantments: Advanced methods for constructing and enchanting techno-magic artifacts. Experimentation with different enchantment techniques for varying effects.

Practical Workshop: Magical Device Design: Hands-on sessions for students to design simple magical devices. Collaborative projects incorporating magical enchantments into technological devices.

Experimental Prototyping and Testing: Hands-on experimentation and testing of innovative techno-magic concepts. Collaborative projects to prototype and test new techno-magic innovations.

Application and Deployment of Techno-Magic Artifacts: Practical application scenarios for tools and artifacts in various settings. Simulated exercises demonstrating the use of constructed techno-magic tools.

Techno-Magic Innovation & Development

Emerging Technologies in Techno-Magic Fusion: Exploring cutting-edge developments in merging technology and magic. Discussions on potential future advancements.

Ethical Considerations in Techno-Magic Integration: Discussions on the ethical implications of merging technology with magic. Case studies and debates on responsible use of techno-magic fusion.

Research Methodologies in Techno-Magic Fusion: Techniques and approaches to conducting research in techno-magic integration. Project-based learning on innovative research methodologies.

Techno-Magic Weaponry Design

Advanced Weaponry Prototyping: Designing and prototyping technologically enhanced magical weapons. Emphasis on both combat effectiveness and safety measures.

Tactical Strategies for Techno-Magic Combat: Integrating combat psychology with the design and usage of techno-magic weaponry. Simulated scenarios testing weaponry and strategy effectiveness.

Theoretical and Practical Weaponry Applications: Advanced theories and practical applications in creating combat-focused techno-magic weaponry. Simulated combat scenarios to test and refine weaponry designs.

Required Classes

Required Classes for Students of Vanguard

Introduction to Behavioral Studies of Magical Creatures

Taming and Riding of Magical Beast

Practical Combat Scenarios

Medical Training and Combat First Aid

Navigation Techniques in Diverse Environments

Advanced Field Navigation and Dimensional Travel

Weapon Proficiency and Maintenance

Close-Quarters Combat Techniques

Organizational Tactics and Logistics

Ancient Battles and Warfare Tactics

Modern Warfare: Strategies and Evolutions

Fundamentals of Aerodynamics

Ethical Decision-Making in Warfare

Theoretical Foundations of Magic

Identification of Magical Flora - Beneficial and Hazardous

Required Classes for Students of Arcane

Creation and Enchantment of Artifacts

History of Magical Practices

Fundamentals of Spellcasting

Alchemy Principles and Applications

Potion Brewing and Elixir Crafting

Identification and Analysis of Magical Artifacts

Creation and Enchantment of Artifact

Ethics and Magic

Introduction to Behavioral Studies of Magical Creatures

Identification of Magical Flora - Beneficial and Hazardous

Theoretical Foundations of Magic

Required Classes for Students of TechForge

Fundamentals of Aerodynamics

Properties of Magic Metals and Alloys

Programming in Magical Systems

Enchanting Technologies

Introduction to Techno-Magic Fusion

Advanced Aerodynamics and Interdimensional Travel

Experimental Prototyping and Testing

Ethical Considerations in Techno-Magic Integration

Navigation Techniques in Diverse Environments

Advanced Field Navigation and Dimensional Travel

Construction Techniques and Enchantments

Identification and Analysis of Magical Artifacts

Creation and Enchantment of Artifacts

Theoretical Foundations of Magic

__________________________

Winx Rewrite Master Post

Red Fountain Polytechnic

___________________________

If you went to Red Fountain what would you specialize in and/or what classes would interest you the most?

[iwasateenagenosferatu]

Federal Bureau of Investigation Report

Subject: The Payne Siblings

Date: July 15, 1976

Case Number: 76-1453-TX

Location: Catharsis, Texas

Overview:

This report outlines the activities and charges against the Payne siblings, who have been identified as the primary figures in a series of ritualistic occult murders across the state of Texas in 1976. The Payne siblings are central figures in a violent cult known as the New Testament of Cain.

Continue for full report.

Subjects:

Sullivan Payne (Leader):

Age: 31

Description: Sullivan Payne is a charismatic and dangerous megalomaniac, considered the ringleader of the New Testament of Cain. His influence over the cult is absolute, with members viewing him as a messianic figure. Payne's rhetoric combines elements of ancient religious texts with modern-day apocalypticism, creating a potent and deadly doctrine.

Known Crimes: Orchestrating ritualistic murders, planning and executing arson attacks on properties believed to be profane or opposing the cult, and conspiracy to eliminate perceived enemies.

Psychological Profile: Displays traits of narcissistic personality disorder and delusions of grandeur. Highly manipulative and persuasive, capable of inciting extreme acts of violence among his followers.

Elizabeth "Bunny" Payne (Recruiter):

Age: 23

Description: Elizabeth, known as "Bunny" within the cult, is noted for her striking beauty and lethal nature. She plays a pivotal role in recruiting young women into the cult, referred to as "Handmaidens." These recruits are often indoctrinated through a combination of psychological manipulation and narcotics.

Known Crimes: Direct involvement in ritualistic killings, procurement and administration of narcotics to recruits, and participation in ceremonies involving necrophilic practices.

Psychological Profile: Exhibits sociopathic tendencies, with a noted lack of empathy and high levels of sadism. Uses her appearance and charm to manipulate and recruit new members into the cult.

Ezekiel Payne (Enforcer):

Age: 34

Description: Ezekiel is the eldest of the Payne siblings, notable for his immense physical strength and significant deformities. His development has been arrested, leaving him with the cognitive abilities of a young child. Despite this, he is fiercely loyal to his siblings and follows their orders without question.

Known Crimes: Directly responsible for the deaths of five Bureau agents, as well as multiple civilians. Frequently involved in the abduction of individuals for ritual sacrifice and uses his strength to enforce compliance and discipline within the cult.

Psychological Profile: Diagnosed with arrested development. Intelligence comparable to a child aged 5-7. Extremely suggestible and obedient to Sullivan and Elizabeth. Shows a propensity for violence when directed.

Conclusion:

The Payne siblings are considered extremely dangerous and pose a significant threat to public safety. Efforts to apprehend and prosecute these individuals are ongoing, with a multi-agency task force dedicated to dismantling the New Testament of Cain and bringing its leaders to justice. Any information regarding their whereabouts should be reported to the nearest FBI field office immediately.

Prepared by:

Special Agent Veronica E. Hayes

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Texas Field Office

[thejournallo]

Explain the basic: Symbology

Desclaimer: Everything I will talk about is information that I got from books and sites online and even videos on YouTube. In my years of practice, I learned as much as I could out of curiosity and what works best for me. I suggest you do the same by learning as much as you can on your own (I will be here making posts teaching this kind of stuff) from multiple sources.

As always, I will love to hear your thoughts! and if you have any questions, I will be more than happy to answer them! If you liked it, leave a comment or reblog (that is always appreciated!). If you are interested in more methods, check the masterlist!

what is "symbology"?

Symbology is the study or interpretation of symbols and their meanings within various contexts, including cultural, religious, spiritual, and artistic. Symbols are visual or conceptual representations that carry specific ideas, beliefs, or values. Symbology involves understanding the significance, origins, and interpretations of symbols, as well as how they are used and perceived by different individuals or groups. In fields such as anthropology, psychology, literature, and religious studies, symbology plays a crucial role in analyzing and understanding human culture, communication, and expression.

why is symbology important for a witch?

Symbolism is extremely important for a witch to learn because there are many ways in which you will need it.  Symbolism is one of those things that is everywhere because everything can have a meaning. A good example could be the interpretation of dreams. Even if the dreams seem so strange and stupid, there is always a meaning.  Another great example is receiving signs, and by that, I mean receiving signs from deitis, entitis, the universe, etc. But those are not the only cases. symbology comes in handy for a witch; knowing what symbol to use is also very important for a witch because you don't want to attract a bad thing to you. 

There are symbols for everything, and they are everywhere.

how do i know is a symbol i use is good or bad?

It always depends on you and your culture. A quick search could help you avoid a lot of damage on you and your culture. A quick search could help you avoid a lot of damage to yourself, but this also depends on what you believe in. For example, I don't believe that satanism is bad, but I believe in bad people practicing satanism in the wrong way (and that goes for every religion and culture). I work with Asmodeous, and I don't see anything bad with it or his symbol (in demonology, every demon has a symbol with their name; it is pretty cool), but another person may see it as bad and dangerous and will avoid using it. It is as simple as that.

some realy popular symbols and their meaning:

-Pentagram/Pentacle: The word "pentagram" refers only to the five-pointed star, not the surrounding circle of a pentacle. Pentagrams were used symbolically in ancient Greece and Babylonia. Christians once commonly used the pentagram to represent the five wounds of Jesus. Often used as a symbol of protection, the pentacle consists of a five-pointed star within a circle. Each point represents an element (earth, air, fire, water, and spirit) and the circle symbolizes unity and wholeness.

-Moon: The moon is a powerful symbol in witchcraft, representing cycles, intuition, and the divine feminine. Different phases of the moon (waxing, full, waning) hold different meanings and energies.

-Triple Moon: This symbol consists of three moons—waxing, full, and waning—enclosed within a circle. It represents the phases of the moon, as well as the stages of a woman's life (maiden, mother, crone).

-Crescent Moon: A symbol of the waxing and waning moon, the crescent represents growth, change, and transformation.

-Ankh: Though originating from ancient Egyptian culture, the ankh is also used in modern witchcraft as a symbol of life, fertility, and divine protection.

-Symbols of the Elements: Various symbols represent the four classical elements—earth, air, fire, and water. For example, an upward-pointing triangle represents fire, while a downward-pointing triangle represents water. An equal-armed cross is often used for earth, and a stylized swirl or feather represents air.

[allwicca]

SEX MAGICK

Sex magic, also known as sexual magic or sex magick, is a practice that combines sexual activity with magical intent. Its origins can be traced back to ancient times, where it was widely accepted and incorporated into various societies' beliefs and customs. Today, it continues to be a part of modern witchcraft and spiritual practices.

The concept behind sex magic is rooted in the belief that sexual energy, or libido, is the most powerful force within the human body. By channeling and directing this energy during sexual activities, individuals can access heightened states of consciousness and manifest their desires. This can take various forms, ranging from written spells and talismans to intimate healing rituals.

Love magic, historically associated with prostitutes and courtesans, has also been linked to sex magic. These individuals were believed to possess psychological power over their partners, leading to extreme measures such as witchcraft accusations and trials.

While sex magic is a component of certain occult traditions, it is not exclusive to them. Many witches and wizards incorporate it alongside other methods of spellcasting. It can overlap with Intimate Healing or Deus Sex Machina, but it differs from Love Potion and Power Perversion Potential, both of which involve manipulating others' desires.

Examples of sex magic can be seen in works such as "Crimson Spell", a Boys' Love/Heroic Fantasy hybrid, and "Sex Witch: Magickal Spells for Love, Lust, & Self-Protection". The latter book explores the use of sex magic for personal and professional gains, connecting with oneself, and sending positive energy to others.

Overall, sex magic is a complex and multifaceted practice that combines sexuality, spirituality, and magical intent. While it may not be scientifically proven, it holds significance for many individuals seeking to harness the power of their sexual energy for personal growth and transformation.

[buriedpentacles]

hello!! can I have your input and share my thoughts with you? i personally can’t get myself to believe in any gods, but I do feel strongly connected to nature and I love the idea of Mother Earth. I would want to worship her, but i don’t think I can make myself believe in her as a god even if I want to. I don’t know how. i love the idea of worshipping(?) nature/the earth and even celestial bodies. not sure if worship is the right word. It’s a strong one. idk if I believe in spirits/souls, but objects and such do feel alive,, I know logically they have no heart and brain but it’s a feeling. and I want to believe in ghosts. I relate to pantheism and animism. I love the concept of reincarnation and I feel connected to certain places and animals in a deep strange way, but don’t know if I actually believe in it. I’m worried about culturally appropriating by being an animist though. overall I feel left out because I don’t believe in gods, and I hear that others do not like when you worship them more so as metaphors/personifications rather than as actual gods. I feel wrong doing so. but today hearing that some people worship Gaia makes me want to. but what would worship even mean? I’m not exactly interested in praying, magic, or rituals. I just like being in nature and feeling and respecting it. I’d maybe like an altar. but I worry if I try to worship Gaia or anything, I’d feel fake and silly because I don’t believe in gods. and I worry people would just see me as an “atheist trying to be special” or worse,, I worry about cultural appropriation. I really don’t want to cause any harm to anyone!

add on to the last ask. I love the idea of magic and I even have tarot cards and feel like maybe they can help psychologically orrr possibly they mean something spiritually/magically? And I feel like I have precognition. but I’m not interested in doing spells. and don’t know how much I rlly believe in. so then what magic/practices are left for me? would it still make me a witch or something? and can magic be like a personification rather than hard belief as well? just thinking. I’m sorry I am typing so much I just feel excited and curious

First, there is nothing wrong with not believing in the Gods - please do not feel guilty or bad if you don't believe in them. At the end of the day, you can't force a belief in deities, and that's okay!!

Secondly, animism is not cultural appropriation - animism is the belief that everything has a spiritual essence, it is not a belief that belongs to one specific culture or religion (though it is a prevalent belief across many modern and ancient Indigenous cultures).

As for worshipping Nature (as a Mother figure or otherwise) I say to go for it. Nature is a tangible, real thing - no belief necessary - and if you feel like you want to worship and revere it then do. Make an altar, leave offerings, care for nature, devote your time and energy to it. Deity or otherwise, it will be appreciated. "Worship" is whatever you make it, so do what feels right- trial and error and is more than okay, take your time to figure out what calls to you.

Personally, I don't see any issue with worshipping metaphors/personifications. If you want to Worship the Moon - not Selene, not Artemis, not Máni - just the moon, then do it. If you want to Worship nature as *just nature* then do it.

Rituals, magic and all of that can be fun and fascinating, but it also isn't for everyone and there is no pressure for you to do it. If your Worship looks like sitting outside and appreciating nature for existing, then that is what you should do.

Rituals and spells also don't have to be "magical", they can just be symbolic if you wanted to dabble in them. Taking a cermaic plate with an ex-friends name on it and smashing it could be a spell, it could be a magical way to break the connection between you two, BUT it can also just be a symbolic way of ending your friendship and processing your feelings about that.

Tarot can absolutely be a psychological tool rather than a spiritual one! There's quite a few articles and papers online about people use Tarot as a therapeutic and psychological tool.

The important thing to remember is that you can experiment. You don't have to have it all figured out *right now*. Worship nature for a while, mess around with tarot cards and simple spells - discover what works for you, what feels right and slowly your beliefs will fall into place. Besides, beliefs change all the time, they're meant to evolve and shift as you grow and learn so don't be afraid of that, don't be afraid of being "an atheist who wants to be special" because no-one has the right to judge you.

Feel free to reply to this, message me, or send me more asks if you want to discuss this further, ask questions etc! But I hope you feel more confident in figuring out your path forwards.

[shamandrummer]

Archaeoacoustics: The Archaeology of Sound

Archaeoacoustics, a burgeoning field within archaeology, combines the study of ancient sites and artifacts with the science of sound. By examining how sound was used and experienced in historical contexts, researchers can gain unique insights into the lives, cultures, and environments of ancient peoples. This post will delve into the principles of archaeoacoustics, its methodologies, significant findings, and the implications of these discoveries for our understanding of history.

What is Archaeoacoustics?

Archaeoacoustics is the interdisciplinary study that merges archaeology, acoustics, and sometimes anthropology, to understand the role of sound in past human activities. This field investigates how ancient peoples produced, manipulated, and perceived sound, whether in rituals, communication, or daily life. By reconstructing these soundscapes, archaeoacoustics offers a sensory dimension to historical inquiry, enriching our interpretation of archaeological sites and artifacts.

Methodologies in Archaeoacoustics

Acoustic Measurements and Simulations

One of the primary methods in archaeoacoustics involves acoustic measurements and simulations. Researchers use modern technology to analyze the acoustics of ancient structures such as theaters, temples, and caves. Tools like sound level meters, directional microphones, and computer simulations help in understanding how sound behaves in these environments. By measuring reverberation times, frequency responses, and sound distribution, archaeologists can infer the acoustic properties and possible uses of these spaces.

Sound Mapping

Sound mapping is another critical technique, where the distribution of sound within a particular area is documented. This involves creating detailed maps that illustrate how sound travels and is experienced at different locations within a site. These maps can reveal areas of optimal acoustics that may have been used for specific activities, such as speech, music, or ritual practices.

Experimental Archaeology

Experimental archaeology also plays a role in archaeoacoustics. By recreating ancient instruments or sound-producing devices, researchers can explore how these tools might have been used and what kind of sounds they produced. This hands-on approach provides tangible insights into the auditory experiences of ancient peoples.

Significant Discoveries in Archaeoacoustics

The Acoustics of Stonehenge

One of the most fascinating studies in archaeoacoustics involves Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument in England. Researchers have used acoustic modeling to understand how sound would have behaved within this stone circle. Findings suggest that the stones could have amplified speech and musical sounds, creating an immersive auditory experience. This has led to speculation that Stonehenge may have been used for rituals or gatherings where sound played a crucial role.

The Hypogeum of Hal-Saflieni

The Hypogeum of Hal-Saflieni in Malta, an underground temple complex, is another site of interest. Acoustic studies have shown that certain chambers within the Hypogeum have unique resonance frequencies that enhance the human voice. This has led researchers to believe that the temple may have been designed with acoustic properties in mind, possibly for chanting or other vocal rituals.

Chavin de Huantar

At the ancient site of Chavin de Huantar in Peru, archaeoacoustics has revealed that the temple complex was built with sophisticated sound manipulation in mind. Researchers discovered that the architecture of the site, including its network of tunnels and chambers, could have been used to create disorienting and awe-inspiring auditory effects during religious ceremonies. The use of conch shell trumpets and other sound devices would have added to these effects, enhancing the spiritual and psychological impact on participants.

The Maya Pyramid of Kukulkan

At the Maya ceremonial center of Chichen Itza in Mexico, an incredible acoustic phenomenon can be heard at the Pyramid of Kukulkan. If you clap your hands directly in front of the pyramid's main staircase, it echoes back an almost mechanical bird-like chirping sound. Handclaps from different positions along the base of the staircase likewise trigger the echo, but with different musical tones spanning half an octave. Recordings of the hand-clap echoes match the chirp of the nearly extinct Quetzal, the sacred bird associated with both the name of the pyramid and its plumed serpent deity Kukulkan.

The Maya Ruins of Palenque

Archaeologists discovered that the temples and public squares in Palenque, Mexico could clearly project the sounds of a human speaker and musical instruments of the time across at least a hundred meters, or about the length of a football field. The investigation identified rooms that could have been used by musicians, speakers or priests to amplify the frequency, quality and volume of sound, allowing the music or the message to travel further and reach more people. The findings strongly suggest the design and structures at Palenque involved a great deal of knowledge about acoustics and the behavior of sound.

Implications and Insights

Understanding Rituals and Ceremonies

Archaeoacoustics provides valuable insights into the rituals and ceremonies of ancient cultures. By reconstructing the soundscapes of these events, researchers can better understand the sensory experiences of participants and the role of sound in these practices. This can shed light on the spiritual and cultural significance of sound in ancient societies.

Reinterpreting Archaeological Sites

The study of sound can lead to new interpretations of archaeological sites. Structures that were previously thought to serve purely functional purposes may be re-evaluated in light of their acoustic properties. For example, a room that was assumed to be a storage area might be reconsidered as a space for ritual chanting if it has unique acoustic characteristics.

Enhancing Public Engagement

Archaeoacoustics also has the potential to enhance public engagement with archaeology. By recreating the sounds of the past, museums and heritage sites can offer immersive experiences that bring history to life. This sensory approach can make historical sites more accessible and engaging for visitors, fostering a deeper connection with the past.

Conclusion

Archaeoacoustics offers a fascinating and innovative approach to the study of ancient cultures. By exploring the acoustic properties of archaeological sites and artifacts, researchers can uncover new dimensions of historical experience and gain deeper insights into the lives of ancient peoples. Despite its challenges, the field holds great promise for enhancing our understanding of the past and engaging the public with history in new and exciting ways. As technology advances and interdisciplinary collaboration continues, the future of archaeoacoustics looks both promising and intriguing, inviting us to listen to the echoes of history in ever more profound ways.

[olrastrology]

Soul Loss, Soul Retrieval, and Mental Health: Bridging Ancient Wisdom and Modern Healing

The concept of soul loss and its counterpart, soul retrieval, have deep roots in shamanic traditions and ancient healing practices. These concepts offer a spiritual framework for understanding the fragmentation of the self and the path to wholeness. While soul loss and retrieval are often discussed within spiritual or metaphysical contexts, their relevance to modern mental health is increasingly recognized. Exploring the interplay between these ancient practices and contemporary approaches to mental health can provide valuable insights into healing the psyche and the spirit.

Soul Loss: The Fragmentation of the Self

Soul loss is a term used in various spiritual traditions to describe a state in which a part of an individual’s soul, or vital essence, becomes detached or fragmented due to trauma, stress, or intense emotional experiences. In shamanic belief systems, the soul is seen as a complex and multifaceted entity that can be affected by life’s challenges. When a person undergoes a traumatic event, such as abuse, grief, or a life-threatening situation, it is believed that a part of their soul may separate as a protective mechanism. This is sometimes described as the soul "leaving" to avoid experiencing overwhelming pain.

The symptoms of soul loss can manifest in many ways, often paralleling what modern psychology might describe as depression, dissociation, anxiety, or PTSD. Common signs of soul loss include feelings of emptiness, numbness, disconnection from oneself and others, a lack of vitality, chronic sadness, and a pervasive sense of incompleteness. Individuals experiencing soul loss might describe feeling as though they are "missing" a part of themselves, struggling with a void that cannot be filled by external means.

In traditional shamanic cultures, soul loss is not merely a psychological or emotional issue; it is seen as a spiritual crisis that requires intervention. Without addressing the root cause of soul loss, it is believed that individuals may remain stuck in patterns of suffering, unable to fully heal or move forward in life.

Soul Retrieval: The Journey to Wholeness

Soul retrieval is the process by which the lost or fragmented parts of the soul are recovered and reintegrated into the individual. In shamanic practice, this is typically facilitated by a shaman or healer who acts as an intermediary between the physical and spiritual worlds. The shaman journeys into the non-ordinary reality, often through the use of drumming, chanting, or other trance-inducing techniques, to locate the lost soul fragments and guide them back to the individual.

The process of soul retrieval is not just about recovering lost parts of the soul; it is also about healing the wounds that caused the fragmentation in the first place. This can involve confronting and releasing the pain, fear, or trauma that led to the soul’s departure, and creating a safe space for the soul to return. Once the soul fragments are reintegrated, individuals often report a renewed sense of energy, purpose, and connection to themselves and the world around them.

In a broader sense, soul retrieval can be seen as a metaphor for the journey of self-healing and personal growth. Just as the shaman works to retrieve lost soul fragments, individuals can engage in their own process of healing by exploring and addressing the parts of themselves that have been suppressed, denied, or forgotten. This can be done through various therapeutic practices, such as trauma therapy, inner child work, mindfulness, and meditation, which aim to bring unconscious aspects of the self into conscious awareness and integrate them into a cohesive whole.

The Intersection of Soul Loss, Soul Retrieval, and Mental Health

The concepts of soul loss and soul retrieval offer a rich framework for understanding many of the challenges faced in modern mental health. While these ideas are rooted in spiritual traditions, they resonate deeply with contemporary psychological understandings of trauma, dissociation, and the process of healing.

Trauma and Dissociation: In modern psychology, trauma is understood as an experience that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope, leading to a range of symptoms that can affect emotional, psychological, and physical well-being. Dissociation, a common response to trauma, involves a sense of disconnection from reality, the self, or one’s emotions. This mirrors the shamanic concept of soul loss, where parts of the self become fragmented as a protective response to trauma. Understanding trauma through the lens of soul loss can help to emphasize the holistic nature of healing, recognizing that the mind, body, and spirit are interconnected.

Therapeutic Integration: The practice of soul retrieval aligns with modern therapeutic approaches that seek to reintegrate fragmented aspects of the self. For example, trauma-focused therapies often involve revisiting and processing traumatic memories in a safe and supportive environment, much like how a shaman facilitates the return of lost soul fragments. Inner child work, another therapeutic approach, encourages individuals to reconnect with and heal the wounded parts of themselves that were formed in response to early life experiences, similar to the soul retrieval process.

Restoring Wholeness: Both soul retrieval and modern psychotherapy aim to restore a sense of wholeness and coherence to the individual’s identity. In soul retrieval, the goal is to reintegrate the lost parts of the soul, allowing the individual to reclaim their full self. In psychotherapy, the aim is often to help individuals integrate their experiences, emotions, and identities into a cohesive whole, leading to greater self-awareness, self-acceptance, and well-being. Both approaches recognize the importance of reclaiming one’s power and agency in the healing process.

Spiritual Dimensions of Healing: While modern mental health approaches tend to focus on the psychological and emotional aspects of healing, the concept of soul retrieval brings attention to the spiritual dimensions of recovery. For many individuals, healing from trauma or mental illness involves not just addressing psychological symptoms, but also reconnecting with a sense of meaning, purpose, and spirituality. Practices like mindfulness, meditation, and even the exploration of spiritual traditions can be important tools in the journey toward healing and wholeness.

Conclusion: Integrating Ancient Wisdom with Modern Healing

The concepts of soul loss and soul retrieval offer valuable insights into the nature of trauma, dissociation, and healing. While these ideas come from ancient shamanic traditions, they resonate strongly with contemporary understandings of mental health, highlighting the deep connections between the mind, body, and spirit.

By exploring the intersections between soul retrieval and modern therapeutic practices, individuals can gain a more holistic understanding of healing, one that honors both the psychological and spiritual dimensions of the self. Whether through traditional shamanic practices or modern psychotherapy, the journey to wholeness involves reclaiming and integrating all parts of the self, ultimately leading to greater well-being, resilience, and a sense of inner peace.

[mask131]

The myth of Dionysos (6)

And we reach the last part of the second article about Dionysos! If you haven't caught up, the first part of the second article is here ; and if you want to go even further back check the first part of the first article here.

III) Modern approaches to Dionysos: Theater and drunkenness

Nietzsche: The Birth of Tragedy

We evoked before how during the Lenaia , Dionysos assisted to the preparation of the wine in the shape of a mask. When it comes to theater, it is by the magic of the god that the mask “comes to life”. The Greek theater was born of the invocations of Dionysos: it was to him that the chorists of the dithyrambic contests addressed their salutations ; it was him who was supposed to inspire the poets of the dramatic contests, during the rustic Dionysia (December-January), the Lenaia, ad especially during the Great Dionysia (March-April). On the benches of the theater, just like in the thiasis, the genders and the social classes were mixed together (at least, in theory) ; and on the stage, madness ruled as the imagination triumphed over the reality. But the genre that truly held the Dionysian spirit, more than the comedy or the satirical drama, was the tragedy.

In his The Birth of Tragedy (1872), Nietzsche highlights the analogies between the tragic genre of Ancient Greece and the cult of the god. At the core of each dramatical representation, there is a metamorphosis, a form of “enchantment” that reminds one of the Dionysian possession. The tragic chorus, spectators and actors of the play at the same time, symbolize “the crowd possessed by Dionysos” ; and the tragedy brings the same forgetfulness of the past, the same deliverance and the same catharsis as the Bacchic intoxication. Taking back the idea according to which “tragedy” comes from “tragos”, the goat, the sacred animal of Dionysos supposedly sacrificed to the god during the dramatic contests, Nietzsche proposes an hypothesis according to which the “passion/suffering” of Dionysos was the first subject of tragedies – or the first tragedy lot. Nietzsche was certain that the cruelty inherent to the tragic genre was the same that the god encouraged the Bacchants to practice: madness, murder, destruction, ripping apart, are all told or symbolized on the tragic stage as much as within Dionysos’ own myth.

Nietzsche concluded by announcing a renewal of the tragedy, that Aristotle’s influenced had suddenly made “gone astray” from its Dionysian role. It is this same renewal of the theater that Artaud demanded in his manifest The Theater and its Double (1938). While he does not name Dionysos, he insists that tragedy should be given back its original inspiration: cruelty. Free from its psychological deviations, once again metaphysical, the theater had to bring, just like a plague, a liberating catharsis. According to Artaud “theater is a plague because it is the supreme balance that is only acquired with destruction. It invites the spirit to a delirium that causes the exaltation of the energies.” This last sentence recalls the Bacchic “mania”, but if Artaud disdains Dionysos and prefers to reference the Balinese theater, it is because he sees in the Dionysian madness a force of anarchy rather than something planned. But still, for Artaud the theater stays a political force of subversion, that “reveals to the collectivities their dark power, their hidden side”. For him the action of the theater is a Dionysian one, a nocturnal, dark, dangerous power, just like a bacchanal.

Bacchic madness and contemporary poetry

The entire work of Nietzsche is placed under the invocation of Dionysos. In Thus spoke Zarathustra (1885), he glorifies a “Dionysian demon”. Beyond his numerous references to the attributes of the god in his poems (honey, wine, donkey, lion, snake), his writings glorify the two side of the Dionysism, the dance and the drunkenness, both tied by laughter. Nietzsche, however, prefers insisting on the abolition of the frontier between human and divine, allowing for the existence of “superior men”, rather than on the abolition of the frontiers between humans, despite the latter being essential to the Dionysian spirit.

Before Nietzsche, Rimbaud gave a very different description of the “saintly intoxication” in his Matinée d’ivresse (Morning of drunkenness, in his 1872-73 Illuminations). There, he recreates the ambivalence of the Bacchic madness by having pleasure meet pain. Suffering becomes the promise of a consecration, and while Dionysos is never named, it seems that the theme of a painful intoxication leading to salvation was inspired by him. “Oh, us, now worth of those tortures! Let us gather faithfully this superhuman promise […] this promise! This madness!”. The “superhuman promise” can be the one of the enthusiasm, literally the identification to the god. Just like within a bacchanal, children, slaves and maidens gather for a nocturnal ritual, for an “eve” ; as for the “madness” and the “violence” regularly announced, they can be linked to the bloodthirsty cruelty of the Bacchants by the last words  “Here comes the time of the Assassins”.

Claudel will renew the ancient image of the Maenad in the middle of a mystical delirium, by adapting her convulsive dance to the syncope-rhythm of his verse, in the first of his Five great odes (1908) “The Muses”: “A drunkenness like the one of the red wine and a pile of roses! Grapes under the feet that squirt, great flowers all sticky with honey! / The Maenad distraught by the drum! At the piercing scream of the fife, the Bacchant stiffens within the thundering god. / All burning, all dying, all languishing!” We can notice that the ecstasy of the Bacchant is described like the deadly one Semele knew before Zeus (the “thundering god”), and the last verse translates the mix of the loving desire and of death. The interpretation of Claudel reminds us that it was said that Semele, when pregnant, had been overtaken by a strong desire to dance: Claudel sees in her the first of the Maenads, a victim of Dionysos before he was even born. But for Claudel the Bacchic madness, in its musical aspect, is also a symbol of poetic inspiration: “Ah, I am drunk! I am offered to the god! I hear a voice in me, and the rhythm goes faster…” The poet and his text are both invaded by, possessed by the divine force.

Finally, Saint-John Perse, in Winds (1946), gives to this possession a larger scope, at the size of “the entire world of things”, and thus he sees in her and in those hosting it one of “those great forces” of subversion that are erasing the wearing-out of the century: “Unpredictable Men, Men harassed by the god, Men fed with a new wine and who seem pierced with lightning / Our salvation is with us, in the wisdom and in the intemperance.” Just like with Claudel, the mania is associated with thunder, and finds back the ambiguity of the union of the opposites. “Wisdom” and “intemperance” are one and the same. It is the Dionysism, destruction and balance all in one: it is can lead to anarchy, it is not in itself anarchic (unlike what Artaud believed), rather it is a “method”, as Rimbaud said, that corresponds to the three steps of the “orgia”. But balance does not mean stability, nor serenity. Not at all: Dionysism is a balance, for it is the counterweight, the counterpower needed to oppose the Apollonian order, and to make the “normal” world more moderate.

IV) Conclusions

In The Bacchants, Pnetheus says “Wise Tiresias, do not believe the illusion of your sick mind to be wisdom.” But it is Pentheus who has an illusionary wisdom, for he refuses to accept madness. “He who lives without madness is not as wise as he believes,” La Rochefoucauld once wrote. The paradox of the wise-madness should not let us believe that the delirium is limited to a few holidays and a few moments of disruptions. True wisdom is knowing when madness and when cruelty cannot be escaped. As for the real madness, it would be if someone tried to make this out-of-boundaries god an institution, if someone tried to make a system out of the consecration of his possessed followers – those that Nietzsche called “super-humans”. It would be a dictatorship, it would be the negation of the very Bacchic freedom, it would be the death of Dionysos.

[creature-wizard]

hi!! i saw ur take on DID programming being a conspiracy theory, and i'd like a further elaboration if that's fine with you. i'm just curious and a bit confused, since i've met numerous systems claiming to be victims of programming

Sure! It's kind of a long story, but I'll try and summarize things as best as I can.

So, back in the early 20th century, mystical types were looking at hypnosis, trancework, and even drugs as a way to retrieve memories of past lives. The idea that you could retrieve lost memories made it way into ufology communities, where people tried to remember alien abductions. It also got into actual psychology, with therapists attempting to help patients retrieve lost early life memories. There was never any real evidence that these practices actually worked the way these people thought they did, and today we know that you can get people to confabulate memories of just about anything under the right circumstances. (If you need evidence, I can show you some very obvious examples here and here.)

In the 1950s, Dr. Cornelia Wilbur started treating her patient Shirley Mason for seeming DID. (Which, Mason did not actually have.) Dr. Wilbur was extremely irresponsible and unprofessional in general, and very notably gave Mason sodium pentathol to help her remember. (Yikes!) Dr. Wilbur would push the baseless myth that DID could only be caused by severe childhood abuse, and push drugs and hypnosis as methods for finding said abuse if the patients didn't seem to remember it. The 1973 book Sybil was based on Wilbur and Mason.

In the 1970s, radio host, notorious prankster, and platformer of weird fringe content Long John Nebel apparently started using hypnosis on his wife, Candy Jones to try and figure out the reason for her mental health issues. Supposedly, he helped her "remember" being a CIA agent, whose alter Arlene had been trained as a spy. The 1976 book The Control of Candy Jones describes what they supposedly uncovered. Also, here's an article that talks about some of their claims, and the context around what happened.

Also in the 1970s, Dr. Lawrence Pazder (who was inspired by Sybil) attempted to find the source of his patient Michelle Smith's issues by helping her remember supposedly lost memories. Under his coaching, Smith "remembered" being abused by a Satanic cult. They didn't use hypnosis as most of us know it, but Smith was putting herself into a kind of trance. Now like, this whole book is extremely discredited. They made a lot of claims that were very easy to check, and each time somebody checked said claims, it turned out they were full of shit. Like just for one example, her school yearbook picture from the year she was supposedly being tortured by the cult doesn't show any sign of the abuses she claims she was suffering, which would have been very, very obvious.

Then in 1988, Mark Philips used hypnosis on Cathy O'Brien to help her "remember" being a mind-controlled slave for the New World Order under the CIA program Project Monarch. They published what O'Brien supposedly remembered in the 1995 book Trance-Formation of America. O'Brien claimed that she and her daughter were tortured to induce DID, with the alters being programmed to carry out specific tasks for the CIA/NWO. The whole thing was an extremely racist crock of pure conspiracy theory bullshit; it claimed, for example, that the NWO was letting Mexicans ruin America and shipping white women off to Saudi Arabia as sex slaves.

In 1994, Fritz Springmeier used hypnosis on Cisco Wheeler to supposedly uncover her memories as a member of the NWO/Illuminati. In their three books published across the mid to late 90's, Springmeier and Wheeler gave an incredibly elaborate narrative around alter programming, incorporating elements from just about every other conspiracy theory you can name. They claimed alter programming was an ancient practice developed by pagan priests, and used in modern times by a global cult that intended to enthrone the Antichrist in the year 2000. The pair of them made so many claims that are absolutely beyond ludicrous, and I posted a sample of them over here.

Basically everyone who claims that alter programming is a real thing these days is downstream of Springmeier and Wheeler, whether they realize it or not. One reason we know this is that a lot of them cite a blogger who calls herself Svali, or cite people who cite Svali (such as Dr. Alison Miller and Dr. Ellen Lacter). Svali first popped up in the early 2000s claiming to be a former Illuminati/NWO programmer. She described the same kind of Illuminati and the same kind of practices as Springmeier and Wheeler. If you need examples, here she is claiming that color, metal, and jewel programming are things. And here she is claiming Disney moves are made for Illuminati programming.

Unwelcome Ozian is another clear case of someone who's getting their material from Springmeier and Wheeler; for example, their book Chainless Slaves not only describes the same methods and styles of alter programming; it even reproduces complete paragraphs from Springmeier and Wheeler's work.

Basically, the whole idea of alter programming/trauma-based mind control has a long, long history of medical malpractice, pseudoscience, fraud, and conspiracy theory behind it. It just doesn't take very long to start finding it once you actually start digging. Meanwhile, real evidence just never turns up, and what we do find often just flat-out contradicts these claims. Like, many people who claim to have undergone brutal tortures or major surgeries at the hands of programmers don't have the scars to show for it. The sites, tools, and costumes for the elaborate rituals described by a lot of these people are just never found.

What's very notably missing are technical manuals for the actual programming process. I'm talking about literature that fully describes the actual procedures in full, step-by-step detail, rather than the vague, suggestive descriptions you find in conspiracist literature. The fact that nothing of the sort has ever turned up anywhere you might expect it to in over seventy years is pretty damning, because this isn't the kind of thing that a bunch of random, unconnected people would just independently invent on their own.

Meanwhile, what very demonstrably does exist are therapists who still believe the in the pseudoscience and misinformation pushed by Dr. Wilbur, Dr. Pazder, etc, who will push people both with and without actual DID to try and uncover repressed memories. There are websites and articles that suggest guided imagery and hypnosis for retrieving memories you think you might have suppressed. There are hypnosis videos on YouTube that will supposedly help you recover repressed memories. We have clear cases of memory confabulation within the New Age movement, where people vividly "remember" traumatic events that very obviously never happened because they take place in non-existent places such as Lemuria and incorporate narratives from the pseudoscientific and racist ancient astronaut hypothesis.

So, hopefully this should answer things. I tried to keep this post as short as possible, but there's just a lot of history and context here. The very, very short version of this is that there are a lot of misled people who've unknowingly run afoul of 20th century conspiracy theories and psychiatric quackery.

[j-femmescoli]

books i read in 2023

my goal was to read a book a week and while the timeline wasn't perfectly even, i did manage to get it to add up (and then some!). this year i focused on religion and philosophy as well as classics (of which im counting both as traditional "ancient or pre-modern famous and outstanding" types of books, but also famous more modern books). i also bolded some books that were really good in my opinion that have really stuck with me so if you are interested in the genre i'd suggest those

st joan by bernard shaw (play)

mary and your everyday life by bernard haring (theology)

theology of liberation by gustavo gutierrez (theology)

magnificat by elizabeth ruth obbard (theology)

piedras labradas by victor montejo (poetry)

the boy who was raised as a dog by bruce perry and maia szalavitz (psychology)

4 great plays by ibsen - the dollhouse, ghosts, the wild duck, and an enemy of the people by henry ibsen (plays obvi)

the night of the iguanas by tennessee williams (play)

being logical by dq mcinerny (idk sociology maybe? it was about recognizing and avoiding bad-faith arguments and logical fallacies)

the alchemist by paolo coelho (classics)

frankenstein by mary shelly (classics)

an american tragedy by theodore dreiser (classics)

is this wifi organic? by dave farina (idk how to classify this one either but it was also about recognizing bad-faith arguments, specifically when it comes to pseudoscience)

the nicaraguan church and the revolution by joseph muligan (theology, history)

catholic social teaching: our best kept secret by peter henriot, edward deberri, and michael schultheis (theology)

beowulf (classics)

sapiens by yuval noah harari (anthropology)

the church and the second sex by mary daly (theology)

mary in the new testament edited by raymond brown, karl donfried, joseph fitzmyer, and john reumann (theology)

a catholic devotion to mary by oscar lukefahr (theology)

1001 nights / arabian nights trans. sir richard burton (classics)

a house on mango street by sandra cisneros (poetry)

primary source readings in catholic church history edited by robert feduccia and nick wagner (theology)

doing faithjustice by fred kammer, sj (theology)

winds of change by isaac asimov (sci-fi)

the sound and the fury by william faulkner (classics)

una ciudad de la españa cristiana hace mil años by claudio sanchez-albornoz (history)

the glass menajerie by tennessee williams (play)

reinventing the enemy's language by joy harjo and gloria bird (indigenous women writers anthology)

the great gatsby by f scott fitzgerald *reread* (classics)

the bell jar by sylvia plath (classics)

the kite runner by khaled hosseini (classics)

one nation, under gods by peter manseau (history)

development as freedom by amartya sen (economic / political philosophy)

women in ministry: four views edited by bonnidell and robert g clouse (practical theology)

mother of god: a history of the virgin mary by miri rubin (theology / history)

a study in scarlet and the sign of four by sir arthur conan doyle (classics)

adventures of sherlock holmes by sir arthur conan doyle (classics)

the casebook of sherlock holmes by sir arthur conan doyle (classics)

the valley of fear by sir arthur conan doyle (classics)

the memoirs of sherlock holmes by sir arthur conan doyle (classics)

the return of sherlock holmes by sir arthur conan doyle (classics)

the hound of the baskervilles by sir arthur conan doyle (classics)

his last bow by sir arthur conan doyle (classics)

the fundamentals of ethics, fourth edition by russ shafer landau (philosophy)

dracula by bram stoker (classics) (yes i'm counting dracula daily)

desde mi silencio by carmen gomez (poetry)

happiness in this life, excerpts from the homilies of pope francis (theology)

the vigilante / the snake / the chrysanthemums by john steinbeck (classics)

quest for the living god by sister beth johnson *reread* (theology)

the adventures of tom sawyer by mark twain (classics)

the adventures of huckleberry finn by mark twain (classics)

the boys in the boat by daniel james brown (history)

and that's all folks, ending the year with some classics, plus my mom insisted i read the boys in the boat while im home for christmas because she wanted to see the movie lol. i got so many books for christmas so i'll be startin off strong next year too, and my goal is finishing my collection of john steinbeck, by which i mean obtaining as well as reading everything i can find by him. here's my list from 2022 and i'll see you next year