#Being close to godliness is being close to loneliness

[shadowalchemistofficial]

One of the hardest hitting verses Vinnie ever made. He’s right, being close to godliness is being close to loneliness. Once you master the art of being alone: weight is lifted, nothing can touch you, nothing can hold you, you’re focus is fine tuned and you cut out the fluff. It’s nice to have people and be surrounded by friends, but in the end you’re all alone by yourself. When you go wherever you go at the end of the line it will be you in front of whatever is standing there to talk to and send you on your final destination. I’m the end you are accountable for just you. If you can be by yourself at any time for whatever time, you are a beast or god. If you can stand your silence and your thoughts, nothing can hurt you not harm you. Everything just passes by and can’t bother you.

“Yeah

I fuck with marks like the Bolsheviks

Eat a mahfucker heart, cross it off the grocery list

Being close to godliness is being close to loneliness

Like being close to Communist is being close to Socialist

It's a cemetery reign, this is frozen mist

I swim and I don't get wet, I am oceanless

Straight right/left hook y'all are motionless

How is you gon' make magic when you potionless?

Feeding multiple motherfuckers like loaves of fish

Gun cannon assembly from Terrordome broken clips

I just wrote so many rhymes I got a broken wrist

You ain't worth the left hook, stupid here's an open fist”

~Vinnie Paz, verse from Army Of The Pharaohs-Conversation with a Bullet

[stardustedknuckles]

I just realized that with Laura playing the original god of death in the opening:

"Lounging in the orchard, enjoying the peace."

And then Emhira to Purvan:

"You brought me peace."

And her words to the family of the man who died of old age:

"He brought your father peace, something we should all be grateful for."

We know that she was a close follower of the original god of death. There's just something tasty about being reminded that she did not take lightly what she did in usurping him. This parallel gives us a glimpse of how her values mirror his. She didn't take his place to do his job better. The connection of peace to death- no, the conflation of the two - really makes me think about whether returning the original god of death to the void was in fact an act born of kindness.

Even though Pelor is arrogant to say that she could not have killed a god if a part of him did not want to die, I do wonder exactly how true that is. Especially with Brennan pointing out Asmodeus saying, "Of course you killed the god of death! It's death! Try that shit on me!"

What would it be like, to embody the peace of death and never feel it yourself? What would a mortal make of that, if she were to get close enough to a god to see that yearning for the peace he provides to all but which eludes him forever? I think of Vespin Chloris, determined to usurp a betrayer god as an act of good. Extreme arrogance, but of good intent to remove a bad force form the world. And I wonder whether the Raven Queen knew exactly what she was entering into when she ascended, the loneliness she was inheriting. The denial of her god's gift and in turn giving him the peace he had provided so many.

Don't know about you, but if I was part of a godly family and lived with a hole where peace should be, I might not exactly tell them if I found a way to obtain it - especially if it meant departing from them. But! On the other hand, nobody can remember his name. He never existed.

With that being the case, who can say that he didn't tell them all exactly what would happen? Who's to say they weren't aware that losing him would mean never remembering he had left, or the way he felt about it, or the way they felt about him? Does the Raven Queen even remember how he felt about it? Does she spend time wondering whether she helped a god or overrode his will and killed him? Does she even remember who she dedicated her mortal life to?

It is one thing to lose someone. It is another for them to have never existed, for there to have only ever been this woman, this sister and to know that she was once mortal and nothing else. If she was once mortal, then someone else was there before. You only recall your sibling by the silhouette of the hole left behind in the logic of having a mortal among you. If he told you what was going to happen, you don't remember it. You don't remember anything.

And neither does she. Not where it counts.

[srvbryn]

heyy, I was the one that asked if you're taking requests and I'm so happy you are!!

Could I request Luke x reader, where reader stats sending him some anonymous notes (just small things to avoid being obvious) and ends up getting kinda sad when Luke is considering almost every girl in the camp except her, and the ending can be whatever you like

Hope you're comfortable with this! 🥺

Also, if you're up to make tags with anon identification can I be 🫀anon? (It's so I can find the answers to my asks faster, but it's okay if you don't want to 😊

Hope you have a nice day 👋

Luke Castellan. Secret notes

𐙚⋆.˚ Luke Castellan X f!reader (no mention of Godly parent)

Summary: "I've always admired you" He used to be the sweetest boy in camp, but now he's known as a traitor.

𐙚⋆.˚ light angst, THEY USED TO BE FRIENDS but then idk shit happened man, Luke actually like reader BUT he thought reader didn't like him so he spend time with different girls everyday to ignore his feelings lol, this shit take a whole different turn LMAOAOA

A/n: THIS ONE IS SO BAD - this writing shit block hit hard 😭😭 I barely have any ideas , I'm sorry if this one is BAD 🫀 anon 😔

“For what it's worth

I did love you

And I could have said it a thousand and one times

But I wanted nothing more than for you to hear

To understand and to represent all that it meant

And I would say it again

To make it a thousand and two I do still love you

And it sure still does sound sweet

For what it's worth

I understand you

Maybe as far as you want me to

Maybe even more, but I do

And the consequences of understanding you

I didn't know would be love

Love unabashed and irreplaceable

Love that can't be replicated

A flame that didn't need to be fanned

Because how can you understand the beauty of a rose

And leave it in the garden...”

Maybe knowing it has thorns?”

Eighteen-year-old (name) has her future all planned out - spending the time at Camp Half Blood and move out of the place; attend college near the city; spend the summer in Spain.

The second I close my eyes, the memories play, and I find myself back at the beginning.

He used to be the sweetest boy in camp, but now he's not. It was sweet how he would respond to girls smiling at him. He was kind, the type of man you would want in a relationship.

He's literally the personification of a fairytale man, the way he walks the way he talks.

He's flawless.

i. The first time I secretly gave you a note

I got some paper and wrote down my feelings for him. This is the first love letter I've ever written, and the first I've sent to Luke.

When I was finished, I went in without anyone noticing, folded the paper, inserted it through the slit, and pushed it inside.

You sigh with relief. It was dumb; seriously, a love letter? He's the most gorgeous and strongest swordsman in the camp, and the only way you can confess is through an anonymous love letter??

It was sparring time, and you really enjoyed it because you could admire Luke Castellan.

What you didn't expect to see was an Aphrodite girl batting her eyelashes so hard while staring at him. She's going to fly with that eyelash of hers, you thought to yourself.

But she has courage, and you admire her for it.

Lover girl: 0

Ms steal your man (#1) : 1

Luke Castellan was still awake that night, looking at the moon, as is his usual routine, which no one knows about.

Reading the notes he found inside his locker,

"Dear Luke, I've always admired you since the first time I saw you. - ♡"

It was short, but not meaningless, because it was the first time someone gave him something to remember.

Lover girl: +1

Ms steal your man (#1): +0

ii. 14th February - I hate you

It would've been nice if your crush noticed you. You would be lying if you said you didn't hate valentine the most.

Inside her cabin, (Name) couldn't shake the sting of loneliness on Valentine's Day.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she imagined Luke enjoying the company with other cabin girls. "Why does he always choose them over me?" she questioned, her heart heavy with unspoken emotions.

Meanwhile, in the dimly lit hallways, Luke laughed with the others, blissfully unaware of (Name)'s pain.

"Luke, why not spend some time with (Name)?" Annabeth suggested, sensing her sadness. Luke brushed it off with a casual remark, "She's fine on her own."

Back in her cabin, (Name) clenched her fists, whispering to herself, "I'm always on my own." She tried to distract herself, but every attempt failed. The distant echoes of laughter outside only intensified her solitude.

As the night deepened, (Name) heard footsteps approaching her cabin. Hope flickered, but it dimmed as she realized it wasn't Luke. A gentle knock echoed, "You okay, (Name)?"

Tears streaming down her face, she replied, "I just wanted to spend Valentine's Day with someone who actually cares."

iii. I should hate you

"You should've seen (Name)'s face," one girl giggled, recounting a previous encounter. "She's such a mess."

Deep in her heartache, (Name) wished Luke would notice her suffering. "Am I not enough?" she wondered, dealing with the harsh reality of his neglect.

The cabin's walls appeared to close in as the weight of unspoken words pressed down.

Luke's laughter echoed through the night, a stark contrast to (Name)'s silent sobs.

She craved his presence, his understanding, but he remained blissfully ignorant. "I thought I meant something to him," she murmured, wiping away tears.

iv. Thank you, Annabeth

The evening sun cast a warm glow over the tranquil lake as (Name) joined Annabeth, Percy, and Grover.

Laughter and chatter filled the air as they settled by the water's edge. Annabeth, with her piercing eyes, couldn't help but notice (Name) seemed distant.

"Hey, (Name), you've been quiet. Everything okay?" she asked, concern etched on her face. (Name) sighed, her gaze fixed on the water. "Yeah, just thinking about stuff, you know?"

Percy, ever the perceptive one, chimed in, "You can talk to us. We're like family."

Grover nodded in agreement, "Totally, (Name), we're here for you."

As they enjoyed the lakeside atmosphere, Annabeth couldn't ignore (Name)'s glances toward where Luke was chatting with another girl.

She approached (Name). "Look, (Name), it's been going on for a while now. You can't keep avoiding this. You should tell Luke how you feel instead of sulking every time he talks to someone else."

(Name) tensed, her expression guarded. "It's not that simple, Annabeth. Luke and I are practically strangers."

Annabeth crossed her arms, her voice gentle yet firm. "You're like an older sister to us, and we hate seeing you upset. If you don't tell him, you'll always wonder 'what if.' Trust me, it's better to know than to wonder."

The words lingered between them, and (Name) mulled them over as they decided to take a dip in the lake. The water was cool, and the moon reflected on its surface as they swam.

Percy splashed water at Grover, starting a playful water fight. (Name) couldn't help but smile at their antics, but her thoughts still lingered on Annabeth's advice.

As they swam back to the shore, Percy asked, "Come on, (Name), join the fun! Don't let your worries ruin the evening."

(Name) hesitated for a moment before giving in, and soon laughter echoed around the lake as they played and enjoyed each other's company.

v. Realization

Luke's curiosity got the better of him when he noticed (Name) sneaking into Hermes Cabin.

As he approached her, he had a furrowed brow and a puzzled expression on his face, and the pile of small love notes in her hands revealed the secret he had unknowingly discovered.

"(Name), what are you doing here? And what's with all these notes?" Luke said.

Her cheeks flushing with a mix of embarrassment and nervousness. "Luke, I... um, well, these notes are for you. I've been leaving them hoping you will read them"

Luke's eyes widened in realization, understanding crossing his features.

Luke said teasingly. "You're the one behind these notes? Why keep it a secret?"

Glancing everywhere but at him, you replied "you hangout with different girls everyday what makes you think I have the courage to confess?"

Luke's expression softened as he processed (Name)'s confession. The air between them thickened.

"You don't have to hide, (Name). Your notes brought joy to my days. Knowing it's you only makes them more special."

vi. The prophecy

“Luke—”

“Good-bye, Percy. There is a new Golden Age coming and you won’t be part of it.”

He slashed his sword in an arc and disappeared in a ripple of darkness.

The scorpion lunged.

I swatted it away with my hand and uncapped my sword. The thing jumped at me and I cut it in half in midair.

I was about to congratulate myself until I looked down at my hand. My palm had a huge red welt, oozing and smoking with yellow guck. The thing had gotten me after all.

My ears pounded. My vision went foggy. The water, I thought. It healed me before.

I stumbled to the creek and submerged my hand, but nothing seemed to happen. The poison was too strong. My vision was getting dark. I could barely stand up.

Sixty seconds, Luke had told me.

I had to get back to camp. If I collapsed out here, my body would be dinner for a monster. Nobody would ever know what had happened.

My legs felt like lead. My forehead was burning. I stumbled toward the camp, and the nymphs stirred from their trees.

“Help,” I croaked. “Please . . .”

Two of them took my arms, pulling me along. I remember making it to the clearing, a counselor shouting for help, a centaur blowing a conch horn.

Then everything went black.

Oh gods, "Annabeth-" (name) voice breaks the silence.

"I know (name) I know" She replied.

...

“You idiot,” Annabeth said, which is how I knew she was overjoyed to see me conscious. “You were green and turning gray when me and (name) found you. If it weren’t for Chiron’s healing . . .”

The room was quiet when Percy told them the story.

It was quiet for a long time.

“I can’t believe that Luke...” Annabeth’s voice faltered. Her expression turned angry and sad. “Yes. Yes, I can believe it. May the gods curse him.... He was never the same after his quest.”

“(name) can you believe what he just did?!” Annabeth said.

"I don't.. but seeing Percy like this oh my gods... I'm so sorry Perce"

Maybe I was dumb for not noticing you were plotting to betray us.

See you on the other side, Luke Castellan.

[guardianspirits13]

I've been thinking about this for a while but like. The gods don't have a human conscience. And I know that's obvious, but the closer you look, you realize that they don't really feel emotions the same way humans do. They don't comprehend time, or death, or love in the same way that humans do. Apollo tells us he's lost track of centuries and forgets that people from thousands of years ago are dead and gone. The gods are incapable of change because they have no reason to do so, and few to no consequences if they don't.

When Apollo is turned mortal he is annoyed, sure. But he has trouble getting the concept of mortality through his head. He's seen thousands of people die- heck, he himself has brought plagues upon cities and set his wrath upon his mortal enemies with no hesitation. But humans to gods are playthings.

And so it isn't until he loses Jason, someone he knows, his half brother, that he understands true loss. He laments Hyacinthus and Daphne, but it was his own godly power that caused their demise- his wrath and jealousy. It was infatuation, sure. But did he really know what love was before he was cast down from Olympus?

Jason doesn't only die, but actively sacrifices himself to save Apollo. This is also moments after Apollo tried yet failed to kill himself instead, and it was in part this failure that led to Jason's death. This is a wound of guilt that eats away at Apollo for the rest of the series, and the lasting effects of grief are shown masterfully in the remaining books, with tears and breakdowns occuring seemingly at random, with overwhelming gratefulness at simple acts of kindness, and with the lingering sense of something missing.

Out of all of the remaining gods, it is probably Artemis who understands grief and other human emotions as closely, since she spends most of her time among born mortals in the human world. When she loses one of hunters, she shares in grief with the rest of her troop. She is in touch with the mortal world, I think, as much as a god can be.

And, as an honorable mention, Hestia- who is used to being overlooked and forgotten but is always ready to offer a smile and a warm meal to anyone in need. I think she understands isolation and loneliness as much as any human, and regularly appears in the mortal world to organize soup kitchens and food pantries for those who are struggling. That's just a headcanon though :)

I hope you enjoyed reading this, I've been itching to get these thoughts out for a while.

[circeyoru]

Hiiiii love your series collection of souls I don't know if you answered this but why did trick kill you both or put you to sleep ? Again sorry if you already answered this love ya byeeee

This is for {Collection of Overlords}, check MASTERLIST for the work

Ahhh, the million dollar question that has yet to be answered anywhere. Why were you completely absent from the show or the time before that? Why did you disappear and even making Alastor disappear off the grid to search for you?

I’m not sure if I wrote it, but it was implied that Trick killed you out of jealousy and loneliness. Now why I never explained this in the story part is because it’s heavy lore on Trick/Noir and your relationship and past. Specifically, Trick/Noir is an OC in this series that pairs with you and not meant to take up much of the story cause this series already has a lot of other characters to focus on. However, I did think about it and will answer the question and reveal the lore once an ask was in. Here it is.

(a bit of background to those that forgot some details, Noir and Trick are the same person and the total opposite of you in terms of power element. Noir refers to when they are still acting holy and good like the god Heaven and Earth saw and depicted, while Trick refers to when they see the ugliness of Heaven and humans thus giving up the godly acts)

You and Noir essentially came to being the same time Heaven and Hell did. At any point in time, all your actions and behaviours are never wrong or right, there’s no judgement on you two unless you will it so. Naturally, it goes without saying that no one other than Noir/Trick and yourself have the right to judge your thoughts, words, and actions. 

In the beginning, Heaven and Earth are close, in a sense. What with all the creation and stuff, Hell was not mentioned until the fall of Lucifer and Lilith. While you had Hell to call home or at least a base of operation to build an empire (in a way), Noir never claimed Heaven because they saw Heaven to be protected and ruled by the elders and angels. So you can actually see Noir to be the isolated one despite have their existence more known and loved (albeit wrongly). This is where Noir takes the god role seriously and tries to act like how the elders depicted them to be. 

Now you and Noir do meet up from time to time to exchange experience so a clear sense that a balance is still present is strengthened. You’re not blind to notice Noir’s new characteristic, but you just don’t judge it and think as long as Noir is doing well then it’s all good. Plus, you two were fundamentally different, total opposites, so what you like or do might be different as well. 

The question is: Where is the breaking point? The trigger that made Noir see truth. The reason why Noir is now Trick. 

Simple answer, Lucifer’s fall.

[Charlie: “Lucifer was one of these angels. He was a dreamer with fantastical ideas for All of creation. But he was seen as a troublemaker by the elders of Heaven. For they felt his way of thinking was dangerous to the order of their world.”]

Here Lucifer was judged to be the black when it’s not supposed to be possible in Heaven. You know, nothing evil and bad and dark and all the other negative things. Yet the elders label Lucifer to be one of those, you have no knowledge of this and it’s not like you care for the workings of Heaven, but Noir does. The point is, Noir see no fault in Lucifer’s way of thinking or actions. 

At first, the labelling was fine. It’s when Lucifer was cast out of Heaven did Noir turn to Trick. You knew of Lucifer’s fall into Hell but did nothing because you saw no deed to do. It’s when you met up with Noir and saw the change did you realize something must be done. Noir, now Trick, gave up on humanity and Heaven. They weren’t the ‘holy’ being they were pretending to suit the image others painted them in. 

In that realization came another that was more related to you. Trick realized that you were always by their side no matter what, even when they were obsessed with satisfying Heaven and human’s ideal image of them as a ‘god’. Trick realized that there was no such thing and you and them weren’t enemies like Heaven painted you to be or your home, Hell. 

From that point on, Trick arranges more visits for a gathering of just you two. Slowly, it turns to envy and jealousy that other unworthy beings and souls were taking too much of your time and energy, like Trick’s situation when they were Noir. 

The part where the two of you were killable when done on the other was found by Trick when he used holy magic on you and you realized the ending when you were ‘brought by to life’ earlier than Trick. The recovery is done by slumber where nothing can interrupt you two, it is only with the passage of time do you two heal. But because the balance rests of you two’s shoulders, you two won’t be dead for too long. 

Trick kills you for boredom and entertainment on the surface. On a deper level, it’s because Trick is lonely and wants your companionship like before the whole nonsense with god, good and evil, and humans. You don’t mind the death and being killed parts, but you do mind that you wasted good time to manage Hell.

[monstercampus]

ellie... may I please know more about Chaos or the pixies? 🥺 pleaseeeee 🥺

of course my love!! <3 sorry it got so long ehe 👉👈

The pixies live in a pixie-specific dorm (which is basically a large birdhouse that Sheela and Huxley built) since they're all very close and tend to stick together as a pack. The ones you've met already are a group of six, but there's more pixies on campus if you know where to look. They aren't necessarily students, but aren't necessarily staff either; pixies tend to hole up wherever they fancy, and since they're quite rare and one of very few monster species that aren't governed by anyone but themselves, they're allowed to come and go as they please. Plus, they're considered to be good luck by most, so even their mischief is tolerated to a high degree since it's considered just part of their nature. They're usually pretty docile but since your arrival they've gotten.....more active than usual.

See, pixies have a long history with humans, but due to the current state of the monster-human world and the scarcity of the pixies themselves, they rarely if ever get to interact with humans like their ancestors did. It's one of the reasons that faeries, a sub-species of the pixie grouping, are so rare too nowadays--faeries are almost always born from a pixie-human union, so despite their long lifespans the race of faeries is slowly dying off. So the pixie girls on campus are eager to find ways to get close to you, partly because they're absolutely fascinated with humans...and partly because they'd like to recruit you, such a nice and pretty human, to make nice and pretty faerie babies that will revive their population! <3 Pixies are creatures of ecstasy though, and they can get easily distracted, so needless to say they might need a little time to get around to that while they're busy messing around with you and figuring out what you like. But lucky for you, pixie dust is a very potent aphrodisiac for humanoids--and lucky for them, they're small and sprightly enough to get under your clothes even while you're in the middle of class, just to give you a little pep boost for the day ♡

Chaos is a household curse and very well-known in myth, but very, very few have ever had the displeasure of meeting him in person and lived to tell about it. Chaos is one of the last and oldest titans known to both gods and man, imprisoned in The Pits in the deepest, darkest area of the Underworld for thousands upon thousands of years. Aside from being an immortal god whose actions are impossible to predict, Chaos was imprisoned for eternity for the crime of murdering the old gods who once ruled over the Holy and Unholy lands. Although many believe his treason was borne out of nothing more than a destructive, rageful urge and acted upon by impulse, scholars have uncovered many old tomes and ancient texts penned by godly scribes about Chaos' life as a free god; including the snatches of records that indicate that Chaos once had a lover and home he was wholly devoted to. Although the general public tends to prefer the simpler ideology of Chaos being an unpredictably evil god punished by the forces of good, it's been well-established in record that Chaos' story is much more...elaborate than that, and it roughly follows as such.

Eons prior to common memory Chaos once walked the earth as divinity in human form, freshly separated from his sibling Creation where they once were inseparable. Feeling a sense of dread and loneliness at walking the world alone that he helped shape, Chaos wandered until he stumbled upon a treasure in the sands of a beach; a pearl nestled safely inside a rugged oyster, perfectly shaped and smooth and cool to the touch. New to such a natural wonder and unable to resist the pull of a prize that had manifested without his or Creation's influence, Chaos claimed the pearl and carried it up the mountains he had made his home to the highest peak. There, he held out the polished treasure that he had kept so safe and warm to the sun, and with the radiance of the holy lands shining down a spirit sprung from the pearl! The glow of the holy lands spun that spirit into human form out of its light, and with the pearl nestled safely in the crest of their newly-beating heart, a new divinity entered the world; Eden, the first valkyrie of the gods and the first creation made from both earth, heaven, and underworld influence.

At first sight Chaos fell to his knees and wept, his loneliness forgotten, and he grew deeply infatuated upon the first touch of their hands as Eden helped him to his feet. The two were soon lovers and built a home for themselves, happy and content with their simple lives, until the old gods called Eden back to attend to their duties as a valkyrie. They were forced to fight the battles of the old gods and would return to their husband Chaos broken and exhausted, but never able to refuse the will of their deities who had given them life and love, and never without a smile on their face for him and him alone. Eventually the old gods demanded Eden's permanent return to the heavens and were stoutly refused, thus in petty retaliation they subdued Chaos and murdered his beloved spouse as punishment, stripping their immortality from them and casting their body into The Pits to suffer for the couple's shared act of defiance. And in a grievous rage, Chaos broke his shackles and rampaged through both the Holy Lands and the Underworld, slaughtering the old gods and each and every divinity that served them until he grew tired and slow from his injuries. In that moment of weakness the remaining deities cast him into The Pits to be sealed away forever and never return to the surface, destined to be bound by chains and tortured for all eternity as penance in a contract bound forevermore.

But as he wandered there, small and alone once again, he discovered a treasure--the pearl that once served as the heart of his beloved Eden, still warm but cracked and chipped from wear as it lay within their broken body. As the gates to The Pits closed for eternity, Chaos tearfully wrenched it from their breast, held his pearl aloft and begged one last time for mercy, not for him who would accept his suffering but for his paradise not yet lost. And just as his fate was sealed, the pearl was plucked from his hands and spirited far, far away from the Underworld; dropped into the vast ocean of the earth and sunk to the very bottom like a stone, Eden's restless spirit tugging at their shape to search vainly for their fallen husband. With time they settled in exhaustion, and for millennia they were left in the deep, dark coldness of the sea, the water and grit and current polishing them down, down, down until they became nothing but a handful of stardust glittering amongst the waves. And when time came, Creation returned to their side after rescuing them from death and scooped up what remained of Eden in their hands, lifted their palms to their lips, and blew that glittering stardust gently into a cloud that swirled and bound itself into a soul borne anew. With all but the smallest drop of immortal ichor remaining in their veins, Eden the valkyrie was rebirthed and given new life, all but that one drop and the same form they took remaining.

Some say that it was Creation's gift to their fallen brother who still endured endless torture in The Pits, growing larger century after century as his titan blood boils in rage and agony, his chains growing with him yet The Pits themselves eventually growing small in comparison to his enormity. Although close followers of Creation insist that their craft takes form regardless of any personal desire, as Creation itself is a god void of nearly all emotion. Either way, Eden supposedly walks the world in present day, void of memories of their past life and of their dear husband, of the life they once dreamed of and lived together in harmony. Some rumour that Chaos' eyes that were stolen long ago during his enchainment was to eliminate the possibility of him recognizing his newly-reincarnated spouse, for if he ever knew for certain that they live there would be no force that would keep him locked away a moment longer. But were they to be recovered and returned, if Eden themselves were to find their way back to the husband they never knew they lost, the world would undoubtedly witness the return of the most feared, most villainized god from myth and fairy tale alike, and would see firsthand the unbridled ecstasy and arrogance of Chaos claiming for good what he was willing to blight all existence for.

[tawakkull]

ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 258

Safa’ (Purity)

Safa’, in the language of Islamic Sufism, signifies the state of a heart at peace because it has been purified of all kinds of things that contaminate it, such as sin, feelings of vengeance, jealousy, and hatred, and suspicion of others. The verse (38:47), They were, in Our sight, among the most purified, chosen, truly godly ones, which expresses the holiness and greatness of some Prophets, stresses purity in the greatest degree. The word mustafa, derived from safa, and which means pure essence, extract or the cream of something, is the special used to express in particular the rank of our Prophet, due to his being the essence and cream of existence and the master of both worlds-this and the next. So, having a special distinction among all ranks and being a symbol of transcendence among the Prophets, it has always been a goal toward which the Prophets and the purified, saintly scholars have tried to rise.

Purity originates from the purest and most blessed of sources and reaches the pool of the human heart, from which it issues and flows into other hearts to enlighten them on new wavelengths according to the capacity and disposition of each and the requirements of time and conditions. It sheds light on the ways of the travelers to the Truth so that they can follow them easily. It purifies their hearts and equips them with sincerity, guiding them to the truth of Divinity, causing their spirits to move in ecstasy with the infinite pleasures of supplication and their hearts to move with love, zeal, and yearning for meeting the Beloved. It is usually dealt with in three categories:

The first is purity of knowledge. It occurs when a traveler continues the journey under the guidance and in the light of the knowledge taught by the Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings. The Book and the Prophetic Sunna are followed strictly and with utmost care during the journey, the requirements of doing so being never neglected. With the good pleasure of God as the sole aim of the journey, the traveler faces all hardships and difficulties, without ever losing the resolve to continue on the way.

In other words, purity of knowledge occurs when an initiate who is traveling under the guidance of the sun of Prophethood, puts heart, spirit, and reason under the command of this sun. Following him to the utmost possible in all thoughts, actions, and attitudes, the traveler is annihilated and revived in him, and appeals to his judgment to solve all the problems encountered. The traveler is honored with various favors to the extent of love and knowledge of the supreme goal-God-and zeal and yearning to meet with Him in the footsteps of the pride of Messengers, upon him be peace and blessings. The author of the Gulshan al-Tawhid (“The Rose-Garden of Divine Oneness”), talks about this rank as follows:

Go and pursue such knowledge that It can open your heart and solve all your problems.

By contrast, any knowledge that does not inspire in people the true aim of life and, in order to realize that aim, does not equip their sight with the necessary light, their will with strength, their spirits with love and zeal, and their hearts with the desire to reach the realms beyond the heavens, is not promising, even though it may not be a delusion or mere illusion.

The second rank in purity is purity of state. It occurs when the heart opens and closes with the awe of God and love of the truth. It expresses its excitement and anxiety in supplications and entreaties to the Almighty, removing feelings of loneliness and gloom that come between it and the truth, becoming a hill where the breezes of peace blow. Setting itself solely on God alongside all the other faculties, such as the emotions, consciousness, and perception, the heart flings all else except the Almighty into the abyss of nothingness, like a stone, in order that nothing should veil God from it.

When seekers after Truth attain the state of purity and refinement, their hearts overflow with the manifestations of the truth of Divinity, their spirits are flooded with the love of truth, and enraptured with the real beauty of existence which they observe through the windows that have been opened in them. In this state, they turn to the Realm of the Holy Presence with the most enchanting of supplications voiced with the full force of their sincere feelings, feelings that have begun to speak instead of themselves. They unburden themselves, feel that God is turning to them, and taste the deepest of pleasures. It even happens that in this state they invoke the Divine Being Himself as Allah-the Proper Name of the Supreme Being encompassing all other Names-and as the All-Merciful (al-Rahman)-the primary Title of the Supreme Being which, like the Name Allah, can be used for Him exclusively-among the Attributes with which they qualify Him. In the rising waves of their feelings, they sense the pleasure that the angels have in worshipping the Almighty, witness the self-possession of other spiritual beings, are enchanted with the mysteries of the higher, incorporeal realms of existence and the beings that inhabit them, and feels as if they have transcended the limits of humanity. In the following couplet, the author of al-Minhaj points to this spiritual state, which one who does not experience it cannot grasp:

Sometimes a person is dumbfounded in this state, without being able to utter a word, And sometimes only one who experiences it can know what state this is.

Purity of meeting with God, which is the third rank in purity, occurs when the worshipping servants become as nothing or, to put it in other words, feel and know annihilation of their own being, attributes, and actions in the Being, Attributes and acts of the Necessarily Existent Being, and live immersed in observation of the blazing manifestations of God’s Existence and Knowledge. In other words, the pleasure that the worshipping servant feels in God’s service is combined with, and melts away in, the duties of servanthood due to His being the Lord (One Who creates, sustains, brings up, and protects), and the mysteries of existence become unveiled and come into view on all sides. The manifestations of God’s Existence and Knowledge that pour in completely pervade the conscience, and the shadow of the truth, which will become visible in the other world, begins to be seen with the eye of the heart. To paraphrase the state, God declares to His servants whom He has made near to Him: He hears by Me, and sees by Me, and holds by Me, and walks by Me.[1] So, such servants observe from their observatories of heart and innermost faculties, such as the Secret, the Private and the More Private, the pure spiritual realm with some of its mysteries, and the pure realm of the Divine Dominion with some of its particularities, and the spiritual realm of the Divine Power with some of its aspects, and the truths originating from the Divine Being. They know the substantial truth behind realities that are evident to everybody, and acquires certainty in their knowledge, and their certainty rises to the degree of certainty that comes from direct experience (haqq al-yaqin) according to their capacity. Peculiarities vanish and particular natures melt away in the burning rays of the manifestations of His Face, and only His Self-Subsistence is felt. In this rank, initiates, who have reached a state of pleasure that pervades the whole being, feel as if a drop has become an ocean, a particle the sun, and everything has turned into nothingness. They feel and know Him only, and begin and end with Him, and work by Him. They may go so far as to confuse His Being with His manifestations. Those who are not able to enlighten their feelings, consciousness, and faculties of perception with the light brought by God’s Messenger, may make mistakes or be confused in their comments. Many people have uttered words showing this confusion:

When you have seen the lights of the sun, You no longer exist, (burnt away by the lights of His Face). A drop is lost in the waves of the ocean, and you, being a drop, Have been lost in the ocean of mysteries. You will no longer be able to find the drop. Though it is not in the capacity of everyone to be lost, Those who are annihilated like you are not few.

If those who try to explain purity of meeting with God use words that suggest incarnation and union in order to convey their states and pleasures, they are apt to be confused in their interpretations. Therefore, they must immediately appeal to the light of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, and correct their confusion. On the other hand, those who adopt an interpretation and attitude that arise from a spiritual state and pleasure simply as a thought system and philosophy, are clearly misguided and are regarded as being in rebellion against God until they enter the way of the Messenger and his Companions.

O God! Show us the truth as the truth and enable us to observe it; show us falsehood as falsehood and enable us to avoid it.

O God! We ask You for forgiveness, health, and approval. O God! Guide us to what You like and are pleased with; and may Your peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad, the sun of guidance, and means of happiness, and on his family and all of his Companions. [1] Al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi, Nawadir al-Usul, 3:81; Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur’an, 2:580; Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari, 11:374.

[sweet-nothing26]

This past month i lost two of my closest friends which i have considered to be so close to my heart and for the first time in my life, i have truly understood the heartbreak that comes from ending a relationship with another human being whether it's platonic or romantic. As taylor swift has emphasized before, friendship breakups can be just as intense as romantic ones and it was until this month that i truly understood what she meant.

My friends or shall i say ex friends, challenged me amid a silly misunderstanding to bring out something that i bring into our friendship since they have to endure the looks of judgements and the outcast treatment for their association with me. An atheist, someone who doesn't believe in the abrahamic god (how dare she), someone who doesn't have a religion to guide them in this life, someone who lacks a moral compass, as they claim. In 2024 i made a pact with myself to STOP over explaining my stance. This includes but not limited to, my morals, my values, my beliefs or lack thereof, my identity, my whims, dreams...etc especially to someone who will never ever open their mind to accept a perspective or pov other the one their communities feed them regularly. Trying to humanize myself in a society that will forever paint atheists and non believers in a bad light since its beginning is a mistake and a waste of time, energy and my mental sanity.

For me, i thought friendship was about accepting the beautiful and ugly parts of your friends and seeing their imperfections as little quirks that just makes them who they are. I was wrong. I think this was a lesson for me to continue being a loner and never establish any deep relationship with muslims knowing they will drop you the moment they know who you truly are.

This is one of the many many beautiful things islam took away from me. The ability to make friends and connect with people. Because no matter what i do, i'm seen as a bad person who you shouldn't associate yourself with if you're a believer. I could lead you to the path of sin and disobedience. A path where you hypothetically question the absurdities that your community has fed u. A path where reason is put before faith.

Some people might say that i should stop victimizing myself and being a victim in every scenario since life is unfair for everyone and i should just stop bitching and moaning non stop. But aren't I a victim in a society where i know there are a hundred thousand people who would want me dead? Aren't I a victim in a society where the law prosecutes blasphemers for using our ''god'' given right to speak freely about the things that hurt us? Aren't I a victim for being named an abomination, a disgrace, a heathen? Aren't i a victim for facing hate crime? Aren't I a victim as a liberal ex muslim woman in a conservative islamic state?

Honestly, i rest my case. I no longer resist the loneliness the atheist path has brought me, not that it's my fault. But befriending muslims is a waste of time regardless of how open or liberal they say they are. Conservative societies are about maintaining status no matter how miserable everyone within these societies is. They shall all paint themselves as obedient straight godly people and can never stray away from that image. Any minor inconveniences that they commit can break that illusion even the ones that don't involve them at all like associating themselves with the supposed heathens. That association in itself takes away that fake status quo and ''god'' knows they can't live with that.

[ultfreakme]

Based on Paul and Virginia sculpture by Alessandro Puttinati

My thoughts when drawing this under the cut:

People mentioned it looked like Paul was worshiping Virginia in the sculpture. Gojo's loneliness stems from being untouchable, divine. Then there's Geto who is considered to have the same potential but never attaining the level Gojo has but trying his best to be divine anyways. Maybe he thought he could help Gojo's lonelines, maybe end his own loneliness by becoming the strongest together once more.

Godly or not, Gojo still admires Geto and holds him close to his heart.

[biskael]

finally kissing the person you’ve been pining for .

kiss memes . not accepting . @guadanya

HE KNOWS THERE IS A MONSTER , AWAITING AT THE EDGE OF HIS HEART . a beast that had torn through his flesh , and ripped him to pieces . curling within the cavernous walls of his emptied gore , where’s angelflesh once had been . it couldn’t be named , this wicked sensation . couldn’t be spoken aloud . he figures he is far too close to god to make it so . that why , when he had run so many of his kind through the blade of his sword , he would give him another glance ? a gaze so weighty and powerful , intense and burning , it seemed there existed no others . the world , emptied and slaughtered around them . a hunter and a monster . what would they do , should they have the world to themselves ? chase each other in this vast place unheeded , gorging themselves on their bodies . entwining in crimson .

and he knows he shouldn't have stepped through its glowing bars , to stare into the abyss-black eye of this monster . but this cage is his creation . a realm unto torment . his domain , a perfect , wretched gaol .

nnoitra’s single eye bores into him . he is angered , tired .

“ I could fucking kill you right now , “ the arrancar seethes , drawing nearer & nearer to his captor . his words are tinged by an animal’s click , a guttural noise at the surface of his throat . “ rip out your throat with my teeth . what makes you think I’d ever listen to a quincy , huh ? “

quilge stands sharp & composed , even as Nnoitra circles him . what a fascinating quarry . sizing him up like he’s meat to feast upon when the kill is over . “ you would never get out of this cage if you did , “ he admits such a damnation so casually . “ it persists after my death , arrancar . “

the other’s face looked so suddenly pained . a thought he hated , being trapped in here until he died , the Quincy’s corpse at his feet . and how he’d eat him , piece by piece . gorge on the angel’s holy flesh , so sweet and rich , afflicted by a maddening loneliness . dying here beside him . his teeth ripping through his veins full of light , godliness .

“ that thought doesn’t please you , does it ? “ the jailer continues , drawing the sharp point of his foot between the arrancar’s pace . he moves quick , his hands upon him in an instant . an iron maiden’s embrace , capturing him further ; what sort of tortures would be bestow upon him now ? throw him against the wall & chain him up ? use some sort of strange device against his skin ? another hot blade ? useless . everything he’d tried so far had been useless , never piercing his hierro .

“ you’re so dreadfully stubborn , “ Quilge curses , the crimson of his lenses flickering what dim light remained here . “ but , I am , as well , quarry . “ and his smile is thin , sadistic . “ tell me . how long have you waited for this ? “

close enough to kill . breathing tempered . but neither of them indulge in it , then . another heavy moment passes , full of death and despair . that one would leave here alone , unquiet ache ruling over their souls . why , why had I done that ? what was that feeling ? the jailer’s lips captures his own , scathing his flesh with a deep , bruising kiss . sudden and full , heavy with want . lips pushing against lips . tongues snaking forward . tasting . harder , and harder , hands gripping and pulling . don’t let go . they both taste crimson . biting into each other between wanting breaths , sudden moans . soft , plush lips ridden with teething marks . bitten , swollen & pink . the jailer’s black lipstick smeared . spittle hanging by strands . again , again and again , indulging . he’s right . he’s wanted this . had craved this daemonic taste so deeply . the desire drives him mad . perhaps , the both of them , the way nnoitra clings at him in return . pressing hard against him in earnest , wanting moans filling the hunter’s mouth . both pouring themselves into the other . eat me , drink me , crush my marrow between your teeth . desire me , fulfill me , keep me at your side forever . want me . please , tell me you want me . that i am lovable , and i can love you back . there wasn’t enough words to silence this need . words were never enough .

kissing until the two of them are drunk off the scent of their blood . the taste of the other burns down their throats , slow & seeping . the monster’s scent is sorrow . the monster’s scent is longing . quilge’s hands grip at nnoitra’s jaw , drawing both nearer . it wasn’t long before the arrancar was slammed against the glimmering bars of his cage . his lithe spine arches , the arrancar’s hips bucking hard into the hunter’s . cursing under his breath as the brutal kiss lingers on . it was everything as he’d imagined it would be , knowing how cruel this man was . a viscous turn-on , something dark sending a delicious shudder through nnoitra’s body . nothing gentle about how he loved , how he moved . that leather grip roaming across his flesh . he couldn’t feel his sweat-slick skin . and it drove him mad , too .

“ since I first saw you —— i knew . “ nnoitra answers from the pit of their desire , in a moment before he consumes him again . his hunger , only sated for now . and the rest fails him . a dark , primal want tears through nnoitra again , and suddenly , he cannot image himself apart from this man . had anyone else ever made him feel so vulnerable ? something he cannot forget . and what he wants from him , even more . a selfish , burning need so desperate it could kill . touch me . kiss me . fuck me . want me . please , please . want me . make me feel again .

like consumption . deep devouring . a forbidden union . passion that left marks . quilge stops , breathless , the bloodstained strand of spittle snapping between their intense gap . drinking their scents , their breaths . another kiss here , another there . soft moans coiling against the other’s ears .

the hunter smiles against the bruised , bitten flesh of their passion . catching his breath gently , a quiet moment between them . “ quarry . “ a command , not something to be disobeyed . “ let me hunt you again . “

[waterparksdrama]

ok now do Greatest Hits

took me a while, sorry anon but i needed to be in a certain mood for it and i'm more willing to listen to this in full even if it's long.

greatest hits - as far as intro songs go i think this is a good one. i like the vocal effects and the way it builds into this stormy atmosphere before going quiet again. 8/10

fuzzy - FUCK YEAH FUZZY WOOOOOOO!!!!! this song is so chewy i don't know how to explain it. the song is about awsten's sleepless nights/sleep paralysis/nightmares but in a really fun way and there's no annoying lyrics here i literally cannot complain about this song the bassline is godly. 10/10

lowkey as hell - and from that hype we are brought back down. i was kinda meh about this song when this came out and i'm still like kinda meh about it lol. it's very much a waterparks song (big rock chorus, lyrics complaining about something stupid that no one else would really) but nothing that really makes it stands out. i think the lyrical sentiment of trying to be there for someone whether it be fans or friends despite your own problems is sweet though i will admit. 6/10

numb - when this first came out i was like "this just sounds like a fandom b side" and what do you know i was close enough. good song to hype up to live i will admit it's a lot better like that than studio recorded. another fucking song complaining how fans only like him when he's sad and more lyrics that were tweets he put in a song for some reason. which. eye roll. c'mon man. 6/10

violet! - i like the transition from numb to this it's fun. a more pop oriented song with it's 80s pop like guitars in the beginning before evolving into this sparkly chorus. lyrically it's about a supposed stalker fan awsten had and with some of these exaggerated lyrics it's hard to tell how real that is, but his own mindset on the situation is clearer than that. i like it. it's fun and tells a story regardless. 7/10

snow globe - when this came out i was listening to a lot of classical piano so i really dug the intro because it reminded me of this piece called la campanella. i like the cold atmosphere it builds with the heavy autotune and desolate synths. lyrically, this follows awsten's self doubts and experience living as a public figure, how he simultaneously experiences loneliness while thousands people know him (loose term) from his music to his online posts. one time i used one of those online mashup sites to create a mashup between this and frou frou foxes in midsummer fires by cocateau twins and it was godly. 7/10 but the remix i got for it gets 8/10 bc shoegaze.

just kidding - cmon man. a song about feeling like shit, what else is there to say. the song chronicles awsten's mental struggles of feeling hated with a touch of implications of using someone as a distraction from this while being passive aggressive to them at the same time. sonically, it rides a sort of chill emo rap wave you might hear as background music to a lofi anime beats youtube if awsten wasn't singing specifically during the chorus where this annoying vocal effect sort of sounds like it's mocking his own words (which i guess is the point? but still). the song is more annoying than sympathetic for me and i don't understand why de'wayne and travis rallied for this song so hard. 4/10

the secret life of me - okay we're back to decent songs again. the sparkly guitars and drums remind me of a classic sonic game soundtrack. the song follows awsten's disassociation after just kidding, where instead of being caught in throes of reality, he gets caught in a maladaptive daydream of better things. i do that too so i can't really bitch here. 8/10

american graffiti - titled after a george lucas movie that was made to "appeal to the mainstream", it's a song about becoming a spectacle of fan interest and dealing with those expectation (believe me you don't have to tell me the irony of me reviewing any of this rn). awsten said this song was supposed to be a "pop punk but make it good" sort of thing so essentially they just made a neck deep song. the song reprises and seems to twist the lyrics from lowkey as hell ("if you need me, i'm here now") showing how that while it is good he can be so accessible, he's so accessible to the point that it's kind of meaningless to the general public. 8/10

you'd be paranoid too (if everyone you knew was out to get you) - wow another self reference. who would've thought. it's another fucking song about anxiety and living as a public figure and at this point in the album when it's so long and repeated so much it's kinda just like "do you have other things to complain about or..." sonically it feels kinda basic with it's rock anthem feel. there's a weird dichotomy between the suicidal lyrics and the ones that try to be lighthearted and it's just. well it's a song. 5/10

fruit roll ups - i like the transition. not much i can say about other parts of this song. was the autotune always this grating. anyways this song follows awsten trying to use random shit he bought as an excuse for someone to try seeing him. instrumentally, it's a lot better but oh my god these vocals and lyrics. i'm not even that convinced he even likes this person that much. also i've had band nerds tell me the song is actually in 6/8 time which makes awsten's statement at the beginning a lie. 4/10

LIKE IT - you guys know how much i love horrible music (i help run a waterparks blog after all) so when i heard this i was like "oh my god this is like modern the blue poptarts, my favorite terrible band." everything down to the rapping feels like a refined version of "it ain't easy being gangsta". again, it's another complaining song, but i think it works better than the other ones because it's not as tonally jarring and gets away with being bitchy by being so ridiculous instrumentally. i feel like he's like one line away from saying that old "cruisin down the street in my tight jeans" line (i learned that was an eazy e interpolation a couple years back isn't that weird). 8/10

gladiator (interlude) - i like the instrumental i don't like josh madden because he's another shill in the madden family and also one time someone said he looked like a thumb so now when i hear this i just think of that. either way his rambling about gladiators as an allegory for working in entertainment becomes very relevant to the next song 6/10

magnetic - the genius page may have rejected my annotations to this song but just remember i am always right. linked to gladiator, this song deals with awsten's internal battle between his public persona and his personal life, which bleed into each other and gets him lost in everything and nothing with things he hates. i love this song i can't lie. not only is this a pretty good lyrically, the electronic tinged guitars are so addictive and crunchy in all the right ways. god and the ending??? god it's so good. 9/10

crying over it all - a love song to someone that doesn't exist lol. a sweet song to someone that's supposed to stay behind once the band is gone and awsten exists outside of that. i really like zeph's backing vocals in this it really adds to this dreamy fantasy the song tries to build. 7/10

ice bath - the sister interlude to the intro title track. a song using the intro vocals and "wakes up" back into reality and awsten gets caught back into his materialism to cope with his mental struggles. 6/10

see you in the future - a song that essentially a chaotic ramble of awsten's life at that point that for the most part settles on focusing on the future (for better or for worse). a lot of these lyrics are probably just tweets awsten never sent amongst the random shit and attempts at insight in his life. it's. certainly a song but i can't lie the drums at the end are so primal and larger than life i remember screaming so hard when otto was doing that live. 6/10

in conclusion, a lot of this album is complaining about the same thing (i mean what waterparks album isn't that at it's core really), but it makes up for its (usually lyrical) faults in some songs with its out of this world, chaotic production. it is still a solid 3/5 stars in my book and this relisten made me realize it's been so long since i overplayed magnetic that i can enjoy it again so thanks for that sort of anon. greatest hits more like greatest shits *ba dum tss*

-iz

[wisdomrays]

WAQT (Time)

In the language of Islamic Sufism, waqt (time) denotes the time when the Divine gifts pour on a traveler to the Truth in accordance with one's nearness to Him. These gifts invade the inner world with their Divine quality according to one's capacity to receive them in the frequencies particular to them. If the gifts come with an air of fear and sorrow, the traveler becomes as an embodiment of fear and sorrow; if they come with the air of rejoicing and exhilaration, then breezes of peace and joy begin to blow in one's world of feelings, without causing loss of self-possession.

One who is conscious of the Divine origin of the gifts may express resignation with such words as "Your favor is welcome, and so is Your resentment." One acts in peace and contentment and tries to attain confidence in the valleys of reliance, surrender and commitment. Negligence of what is necessary for a traveler to do in order to hunt these gifts that come from the Truth-for example, neglecting to do what falls to the free will in order to obtain a desired result-is a fault on the part of the saintly ones, who have reached the ranks of perfect godliness and nearness to God. Since this means that the heart has lost some degrees in its relation with God, the Truth, the traveler is punished according to his or her rank. Those who have risen to a certain rank are expected to use all their time in the most profitable way possible, and to try to strengthen their relation with the Almighty and multiply their rewards. It is because of this that a Sufi is called "a child of time."

Being "a child of time" means that initiates always consider what they must do at all times and, doing what is best in God's sight, use all times and opportunities given by God as if each were a seed capable of producing seven or seventy or seven hundred grains. This also means fixing one's eyes exclusively on God and always turning expectantly and hopefully to the source from which the Divine gifts come. Also, one makes one's will dependent on God's Will. The beginning of this rank, marked by an initiate's spiritual state and pleasure, is time and its end is the intersecting point of being contained and not contained in time and place. We can also view it as the projection onto an initiate's heart of the Messenger's rank-he reached the highest point predestined for him, a point at which he became so close to God that there was left only the distance between the strings of two bows adjacent to each other or even less (53:9). Mawlana Jalal al-Din al-Rumi indicates this as follows:

A Sufi is an example of how one can be a child of time;

But as for a purified saintly scholar, he is free from both time and state.

The periods of time when the Prophets, purified saintly scholars, and saints, are sent to the world, charged with special duties, and honored with the reward of their efforts, are the periods when the doors to the Divine gifts are wide open and the world is enlightened and honored by the Divine Light. Those periods, and every part of the Age of Happiness, that is, the Time of the Messenger, in particular, are regarded as the Days of God in proportion to the density and extent of radiation of the lights those holy people diffuse. On the other hand, time gets darker in proportion to the fading of the enlightening thought that they diffuse and in proportion to the world's being deprived of this thought.

If the Almighty wills that His servants who are traveling on His way be favored and embraced with mercy, He strengthens them with time, making it a ladder for them to climb beyond time, or enabling them to do many useful things in a short time, things that would be impossible in a normal timeframe. If, by contrast, He wills to throw those who stray from His way into loneliness and boredom, He wraps time in evil for them and allows them to wander on the slopes of time in a dark, barren land that is closed to the Truth. We call this barren part of time "time" only in order to make a comparison. Otherwise, time is a gurgling stream that continuously flows into the observatories where God's acts are observed.

The true heroes of time have always taken the present day into consideration and tried to use it in the best way possible. They take the previous and the following days into account, but only from the viewpoint of their being the beginning and end of the present day; they regard the previous day as the basic element of the fabric of our lives and the following one as the weft. As for those foremost in nearness to God who live as if beyond the limits of time, they make use of all of time, they have assigned time to God in such a mysterious way that according to the famous adage One who does not taste, does not know, we cannot perceive it. Those people who do not live on the same horizon can neither grasp the showers of gifts with which they have been favored nor understand the profundity of their knowledge of God and the depth of the spiritual pleasures they taste. As time serves like rain pouring down from the heavens and a fertile field bursting with vegetation, they sometimes think of the past favors of God and increase their devotion to Him, saying, "Should I not become a thankful servant?"; sometimes they speak to themselves of such feelings of gratitude and are immersed in waves of gratitude. Their responsibilities always bring them good and blessings, and the good and blessings they receive lead them to more gratitude.

By virtue of being conscious of the source of the favors and understanding the main reason lying behind the compliments, an initiate experiences pleasures beyond all understanding and begins to perceive punishments as if they were favors. Though such a degree of favor may open the door for some people of certain disposition and temperament to free and easy behavior and the utterance of proud words that are incompatible with the rules of Shari'a, those who travel on the way to God guided by the Sunna of the Prophet always behave with self-possession. In obedience to the Divine commandments, they adorn their nearness to God with utmost respect for and awe of Him; they fly in the depths of the heaven of sainthood on the wings of knowledge and the knowledge of God. Attributing to God alone whatever favors they may receive and whatever achievement they may realize, their lofty ranks will never prevent them from the utmost humility. Traveling from state to state, they drink gifts sip by sip from the bowl of self-possession.

For others who can take one more step forward, things and events no longer become visible, the past and future are confused, and time melts away in the infinity of the absolute Owner of Time and completely disappears from their view. Traveling in such a mysterious valley, they taste the pleasures of seeing everything annihilated in God and, in the face of the scene which things and beings display under the overall manifestations of God's Names, they feel wonder, absorbed in turning to God and amazement at His signs and acts. They even take the manifestations of His Names and Attributes for His manifesting Himself in visible forms or in nature or other things. This mood is the point where an initiate may become confused in the world of his or her feelings, thoughts and pleasures. Some people of different temperaments may, as mentioned above, confuse God's manifestations of His Names and Attributes with His manifesting Himself in different forms, and see a drop as if it were an ocean, a particle of light as if it were the sun, nothing as if it were everything, and utter such words as: "I am the true One; How exalted my being is!"; "There is nothing that exists save God;" and "There is nothing that truly exists save God."

We should point out that the fact that everything is from Him and is sustained by Him does not mean that nothing else exists, or that everything is not different from Him, or that everything is identical with Him. If things and events are not viewed and analyzed in the light of the Prophetic Message and with an insight and consciousness based on it, and if the spiritual journey is not based on self-possession and discernment (between truth and untruth, origin and shadow, God and His acts and works), it will be difficult for people of certain disposition and temperament to be freed from such confusions.

O God! Guide us to the Straight Path, the path of those whom You have favored.

May God's peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad and on his family and all of his Companions!

[stellocchia]

👻🦾🔪🍫 for any Empires member (s1 or s2) of your choice

[Ask Game]

I gotta choose my special wet cat for this one, season 2 Joel. I just need to.

👻 A headcanon about what scares them

Most of his fears come from big insecurities and body image issues he has.

He has a deep fear of loneliness/being ignored/being forgotten because of what happened to all the other gods that used to exist. All of them were pretty much left behind with only him having any vague memory of who they were and their domains.

He's also afraid of losing all of his godly qualities because most of them aren't his. They come from the fountain. He wouldn't really be as tall and muscly without the fountain. His beard also comes from it. So every time he loses even a hair he goes into a bit of a panic.

🦾 A disability headcanon

The incredibly speedy growth he had because of the fountain left him with really serious joint and bone pains. He mostly ignores it most of the time, but sometimes it gets pretty bad and he just lays in the temple to him down in Lower Stratos all day.

It's the only time his citizens are ever allowed to see him vulnerable.

🔪 A headcanon relating to fighting/violence

He's a genuinely great close-combat fighter.

He trained since he was really young, so he grew to know how to handle pretty much every kind of sword. His favorite kind of combat is the quick switch style with crossbows and swords.

He isn't as good with axes and shields, but he can still handle himself just fine.

🍫 A headcanon about food

He eats gold. Like, straight-up gold ingots. He bites into them as if they were chocolate bars, but it's genuinely just raw ass gold.

[theprayerfulword]

October 26

Ecclesiastes 7:20 There is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.

Psalm 93:5 Your statutes stand firm; holiness adorns Your house for endless days, O LORD.

Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

Amos 8:11 Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, when I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but [a famine] for hearing the words of the Lord.

Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Lamentations 3:24 Deep in my heart I say, "The LORD is all I need; I can depend on him!"

May you find your joy in the manifold presence of the Lord and in your obedient service to His saints, that you may stand in the day when bad news arrives and point the way to the Lord when others seek a way to flee. Jeremiah 49

May you be ready to seek the Lord your God in tears, asking to know His ways, and turn your face to Him, to come and bind yourself to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten. Jeremiah 50

Though you have had shepherds who were only hirelings and left you wandering on mountain and hill, unable to find a resting place, often fearful and insecure, taken advantage of, may you turn to the Lord in thanks, giving Him honor for being your true pasture, and be drawn into the hope He restores to you. Jeremiah 50

May you continue to seek the Lord through prayer and the Word, obeying His commands and praising His goodness, so that when God turns our captivity, returning from the far-off country to receive His kingdom, no guilt will be found, no sins will be seen, for He will forgive the remnant He has spared as He brings His people back to their pasture. Jeremiah 50

May you know that your Redeemer is strong; the Lord Almighty is His name, and He will vigorously defend your cause so that He may bring rest to your heart, but unrest to your captors who hold you fast. Jeremiah 50

May you receive and embrace the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness, resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, Who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time. Titus 1

My child, do not fear the loneliness of the soul, nor shy away from the silence of the heart. Though it causes you pain, you will not die, but you will live. For it is in that silence that you will hear My voice; it is in that aloneness that you will feel My touch. Your heart has cried out to Me for the intimacy of relationship you desire, that closeness of walking with Me that you see in others. This is the price they paid to have that personal, one-on-one nearness with Me in the spirit that is so attractive to you. I have heard your prayer and am answering it; are you going to refuse My answer to your prayer? Will you then say in your heart, "God does not answer my prayers"? Be careful that you do not distance yourself from Me, or let your fervor grow cold through rejection of My gift and from avoidance of My presence. Even in your most profoundly solitary walk, My dear one, when the heaviness of your isolation bears down on you in a crushing weight of realization that there is no one within reach, hear the gentle voice of My Spirit reminding you that you are now, indeed, in awesome company; for walking with you will be revealed the Godhead in union, the Three-in-One united in purpose, in will, and in love, accepting you into the midst of their loving embrace and sustaining relationship. It is from these times of lonely fellowship that you learn to abide in the Vine and draw life from the true Root. Though you fear the withering and dying of what you have known, understand that those connections were of the flesh and were destined to end eventually. That time has now arrived. What you are receiving from My hand is eternal, My love, and will never cease, for I do not change, and I will never leave you or forsake you. Trust in Me, My precious one, and rest on My promises, for I am doing a work in your heart that will bring rejoicing to many as they receive from Me the flow of My loving Spirit through you as they never could have before. I will make of you a witness for My love and a channel for My compassion, establishing you in the hearts of many. It starts with knowing Me in the sanctuary of solitude; meet with Me there, My child.

May you walk in the ways of the Lord, demonstrating hospitality, loving what is good, being self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined, holding firmly to the trustworthy message of God's love in order to encourage others and refute those who oppose God's truth. Titus 1

May you be glad that the Lord reigns, and may you rejoice at His righteousness and justice, which are the foundation of His throne, for though fire goes before Him, consuming His foes, the earth trembles before His lightning, and the mountains melt like wax before Him, yet the heavens proclaim His righteousness and all the peoples see His glory. Psalm 97

May you rejoice and be glad because of the judgments of the Lord, for the Lord Most High over all the earth is exalted far above all gods. Psalm 97

May you rejoice in the righteousness of the Lord and praise His holy name, for those who love the Lord hate evil, and as light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart, He guards the lives of His faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Psalm 97

May you sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things, His right hand and His holy arm have worked salvation for Him, making known His salvation and revealing His righteousness to the nations, for He has remembered His love and His faithfulness to His people, who have shown His salvation to the ends of the earth. Psalm 98

May you shout for joy to the Lord of all the earth, and burst into jubilant song with music, making music to the Lord with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn as you shout for joy before the Lord, the King. Psalm 98

[yhwhrulz]

Morning and Evening with A.W. Tozer Devotional for October 14

Tozer in the Morning THE LONELY HUMAN

There is a strange contradiction in human nature all around us: the fact that a person can reek with pride, display a swollen ego and strut like a peacock-and yet be the loneliest and most miserable person in the world! We find these people everywhere-pretending and playing a game. Deep within their beings, they are almost overwhelmed by their great loneliness, by their sense of being orphans in the final scheme of things. The result of this strange, aching human sense of loneliness and cosmic orphanage is the inward, groping question: "What good is it to be a human being? No one cares about me!" In the garden, Eve believed Satan's lie-the lie that God was not concerned about her and that God had no emotional connection with her life and being. This is where the unregenerate person is in today's world. It is only sin and defeat that can bring this sense of orphanage, this sense of having been put out of the father's house, and the feeling that follows when the house is burned down and the father is dead.

Tozer in the Evening Wants or Wishes

The third class of blessing consists of spiritual treasures which are ours by blood atonement but which will not come to us unless we make a determined effort to possess them. To make things clearer let me set forth four propositions touching this heritage of joy which God has set before us; 3. You will have as little as you are satisfied with. God giveth to all men liberally, but it would be absurd to think that God's liberality will make a man more godly than he wants to be. The man, for instance, who is satisfied to live a defeated life will never be forced to take victory. The man who is content to follow Christ afar off will never know the radiant wonder of His nearness. The man who is willing to settle for a joyless, barren life will never experience the joy of the Holy Spirit or the deep satisfaction of fruitful living. It is disheartening to those who care, and surely a great grief to the Spirit, to see how many Christians are content to settle for less than the best. Personally I have for years carried a burden of sorrow as I have moved among evangelical Christians who somewhere in their past have managed to strike a base compromise with their heart's holier longings and have settled down to a lukewarm, mediocre kind of Christianity utterly unworthy of themselves and of the Lord they claim to serve. And such are found everywhere. 4. You now have as much as you really want. Every man is as close to God as he wants to be; he is as holy and as full of the Spirit as he wills to be. Our Lord said, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). If there were but one man anywhere on earth who hungered and was not filled the word of Christ would fall to the ground. Yet we must distinguish wanting from wishing. By "want" I mean wholehearted desire. Certainly there are many who wish they were holy or victorious or joyful but are not willing to meet God's conditions to obtain. That God has placed before His redeemed children a vast world of spiritual treasures and that they refuse or neglect to claim it may easily turn out to be the second greatest tragedy in the history of the moral creation, the first and greatest being the fall of man.

Copyright Statement This material is considered in the public domain.

[tawakkull]

ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 158

Safa’ (Purity)

Safa’, in the language of Islamic Sufism, signifies the state of a heart at peace because it has been purified of all kinds of things that contaminate it, such as sin, feelings of vengeance, jealousy, and hatred, and suspicion of others. The verse (38:47), They were, in Our sight, among the most purified, chosen, truly godly ones, which expresses the holiness and greatness of some Prophets, stresses purity in the greatest degree. The word mustafa, derived from safa, and which means pure essence, extract or the cream of something, is the special used to express in particular the rank of our Prophet, due to his being the essence and cream of existence and the master of both worlds-this and the next. So, having a special distinction among all ranks and being a symbol of transcendence among the Prophets, it has always been a goal toward which the Prophets and the purified, saintly scholars have tried to rise.

Purity originates from the purest and most blessed of sources and reaches the pool of the human heart, from which it issues and flows into other hearts to enlighten them on new wavelengths according to the capacity and disposition of each and the requirements of time and conditions. It sheds light on the ways of the travelers to the Truth so that they can follow them easily. It purifies their hearts and equips them with sincerity, guiding them to the truth of Divinity, causing their spirits to move in ecstasy with the infinite pleasures of supplication and their hearts to move with love, zeal, and yearning for meeting the Beloved. It is usually dealt with in three categories:

The first is purity of knowledge. It occurs when a traveler continues the journey under the guidance and in the light of the knowledge taught by the Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings. The Book and the Prophetic Sunna are followed strictly and with utmost care during the journey, the requirements of doing so being never neglected. With the good pleasure of God as the sole aim of the journey, the traveler faces all hardships and difficulties, without ever losing the resolve to continue on the way.

In other words, purity of knowledge occurs when an initiate who is traveling under the guidance of the sun of Prophethood, puts heart, spirit, and reason under the command of this sun. Following him to the utmost possible in all thoughts, actions, and attitudes, the traveler is annihilated and revived in him, and appeals to his judgment to solve all the problems encountered. The traveler is honored with various favors to the extent of love and knowledge of the supreme goal-God-and zeal and yearning to meet with Him in the footsteps of the pride of Messengers, upon him be peace and blessings. The author of the Gulshan al-Tawhid (“The Rose-Garden of Divine Oneness”), talks about this rank as follows:

Go and pursue such knowledge that It can open your heart and solve all your problems.

By contrast, any knowledge that does not inspire in people the true aim of life and, in order to realize that aim, does not equip their sight with the necessary light, their will with strength, their spirits with love and zeal, and their hearts with the desire to reach the realms beyond the heavens, is not promising, even though it may not be a delusion or mere illusion.

The second rank in purity is purity of state. It occurs when the heart opens and closes with the awe of God and love of the truth. It expresses its excitement and anxiety in supplications and entreaties to the Almighty, removing feelings of loneliness and gloom that come between it and the truth, becoming a hill where the breezes of peace blow. Setting itself solely on God alongside all the other faculties, such as the emotions, consciousness, and perception, the heart flings all else except the Almighty into the abyss of nothingness, like a stone, in order that nothing should veil God from it.

When seekers after Truth attain the state of purity and refinement, their hearts overflow with the manifestations of the truth of Divinity, their spirits are flooded with the love of truth, and enraptured with the real beauty of existence which they observe through the windows that have been opened in them. In this state, they turn to the Realm of the Holy Presence with the most enchanting of supplications voiced with the full force of their sincere feelings, feelings that have begun to speak instead of themselves. They unburden themselves, feel that God is turning to them, and taste the deepest of pleasures. It even happens that in this state they invoke the Divine Being Himself as Allah-the Proper Name of the Supreme Being encompassing all other Names-and as the All-Merciful (al-Rahman)-the primary Title of the Supreme Being which, like the Name Allah, can be used for Him exclusively-among the Attributes with which they qualify Him. In the rising waves of their feelings, they sense the pleasure that the angels have in worshipping the Almighty, witness the self-possession of other spiritual beings, are enchanted with the mysteries of the higher, incorporeal realms of existence and the beings that inhabit them, and feels as if they have transcended the limits of humanity. In the following couplet, the author of al-Minhaj points to this spiritual state, which one who does not experience it cannot grasp:

Sometimes a person is dumbfounded in this state, without being able to utter a word, And sometimes only one who experiences it can know what state this is.

Purity of meeting with God, which is the third rank in purity, occurs when the worshipping servants become as nothing or, to put it in other words, feel and know annihilation of their own being, attributes, and actions in the Being, Attributes and acts of the Necessarily Existent Being, and live immersed in observation of the blazing manifestations of God’s Existence and Knowledge. In other words, the pleasure that the worshipping servant feels in God’s service is combined with, and melts away in, the duties of servanthood due to His being the Lord (One Who creates, sustains, brings up, and protects), and the mysteries of existence become unveiled and come into view on all sides. The manifestations of God’s Existence and Knowledge that pour in completely pervade the conscience, and the shadow of the truth, which will become visible in the other world, begins to be seen with the eye of the heart. To paraphrase the state, God declares to His servants whom He has made near to Him: He hears by Me, and sees by Me, and holds by Me, and walks by Me.[1] So, such servants observe from their observatories of heart and innermost faculties, such as the Secret, the Private and the More Private, the pure spiritual realm with some of its mysteries, and the pure realm of the Divine Dominion with some of its particularities, and the spiritual realm of the Divine Power with some of its aspects, and the truths originating from the Divine Being. They know the substantial truth behind realities that are evident to everybody, and acquires certainty in their knowledge, and their certainty rises to the degree of certainty that comes from direct experience (haqq al-yaqin) according to their capacity. Peculiarities vanish and particular natures melt away in the burning rays of the manifestations of His Face, and only His Self-Subsistence is felt. In this rank, initiates, who have reached a state of pleasure that pervades the whole being, feel as if a drop has become an ocean, a particle the sun, and everything has turned into nothingness. They feel and know Him only, and begin and end with Him, and work by Him. They may go so far as to confuse His Being with His manifestations. Those who are not able to enlighten their feelings, consciousness, and faculties of perception with the light brought by God’s Messenger, may make mistakes or be confused in their comments. Many people have uttered words showing this confusion:

When you have seen the lights of the sun, You no longer exist, (burnt away by the lights of His Face). A drop is lost in the waves of the ocean, and you, being a drop, Have been lost in the ocean of mysteries. You will no longer be able to find the drop. Though it is not in the capacity of everyone to be lost, Those who are annihilated like you are not few.

If those who try to explain purity of meeting with God use words that suggest incarnation and union in order to convey their states and pleasures, they are apt to be confused in their interpretations. Therefore, they must immediately appeal to the light of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, and correct their confusion. On the other hand, those who adopt an interpretation and attitude that arise from a spiritual state and pleasure simply as a thought system and philosophy, are clearly misguided and are regarded as being in rebellion against God until they enter the way of the Messenger and his Companions.

O God! Show us the truth as the truth and enable us to observe it; show us falsehood as falsehood and enable us to avoid it.

O God! We ask You for forgiveness, health, and approval. O God! Guide us to what You like and are pleased with; and may Your peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad, the sun of guidance, and means of happiness, and on his family and all of his Companions.

[1] Al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi, Nawadir al-Usul, 3:81; Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur’an, 2:580; Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari, 11:374.