#Cosmic Events October 2021

[lampmeeting]

IT'S ABOUT THAT TIME, Y'ALL!! 👀

What is Kloktober?: An incredibly zazzy event taking place in October where we celebrate all things Metalocalypse. There’s a prompt for every day of the month to interpret as you see fit! Draw, write, paint, cosplay, make memes - all forms of participation are welcome!

How do I participate?: Make your totally brutal creation inspired by the day’s prompt and post it using the tag #kloktober2023 - it’s just that simple! Post it here, post it to Instagram, post it to AO3, post it to Twitter, wherever, go nuts!

Am I allowed to–YUP, ANYTHING GOES! There are no wrong answers during Kloktober! :D Your interpretation of a prompt is VALID. If you only want to do a few days, that’s VALID. Don’t burn yourself out, this is for fun! (Even I won’t be doing all of them, so don’t stress!)

What if I haven't seen the movie yet? No worries! If there's a prompt that doesn't suit you, please feel free to reach back in time and choose a prompt from a previous year's Kloktober (2022, 2021, or 2020). And as always, if you have any questions about anything, hit me up!

(plain-text list of prompts below the cut)

1. favorite character or OTP

2. favorite AOTD scene

3. Mordhaus Costume Ball

4. your fave headcanon

5. Abigail Appreciation Day

6. comedy or tragedy

7. missing AOTD scene?

8. mermaids or monsters

9. inspired by Dethalbum IV

10. came back Different

11. horror movie crossover

12. your favorite villain

13. nightmares or visions

14. use a fall food or drink

15. Dethklok on vacation

16. In Memorium: honor the fallen

17. give someone a brand new look

18. inspired by a metal song

19. inspired by an UN-metal song

20. original character or self-insert

21. Dethstaff gets a day off

22. sea horror or cosmic horror

23. use a character new to you

24. novel or video game crossover

25. campfire or left in the cold

26. pick a tarot card for inspiration

27. old fears or new understandings

28. use Brendon Small in some way

29. so what happens after AOTD?

30. HALLOWEEN!!!

31. YOUR choice!

[elminx]

Note: I am updating this^^ OG post from 2021 with updated information about our upcoming eclipse cycle (September-October 2025).

We are fast approaching eclipse season and I am already beginning to see the warnings show up across the witch universe. I assume that people who warn others against doing magic during the lunar and solar eclipses mean well but as a longtime astrologer AND witch, I would like to kindly disagree. Eclipse energy can seem unpredictable but also follows some very specific rules (like all lunar energy). If you know and understand these rules, you can get back to doing your normal lunar magic in no time.

To understand how to work with the lunar energy of eclipses, you simply have to combine a basic knowledge of all lunar magic cycles and some basic astrology about the lunar nodes. Don’t worry – I’ll walk you through it.

To start with, lunar energy is quite simple and well understood in the witchcraft community. The old saying “Wax on/Wane off” can be applied to her. When the moon is waxing (from the point of the new moon through the hours before the full moon), it is well aligned to cast spells where you are bringing something towards you and when the moon is waning (from the point of the full moon to the house before the new moon), it is best to cast magic where you are pushing or removing something away from you. This can be simplified as we make wishes or set intentions for growth and forward motion with the new moon and remove and banish with the full moon.

Now we add in our astrology. All eclipses are just supercharged new or full moons where the lunar event falls into alignment with the lunar nodes. The lunar nodes aren’t objects in the sky, they are imaginary points – actual representations of the places in the sky where the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth could fall into a line with one another. This line is oppositional, in the sense that it has a North Node and a South Node which are always found within opposite signs in the natal horoscope chart.

Eclipses always come in pairs*. A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth passes in between the Sun and the Moon and a solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. This always happens on the full moon and new moon, respectively. Because this happens near the lunar nodes, these cosmic events always include a conjunction between the Moon and either the North Node or the South Node.

This is where the complexity of eclipse magic comes into play.

Again – let’s simplify. The north and south nodes are a set of points that travels around the horoscope wheel. Energetically, they represent the tension point between where we’ve been (the South node) and where we are going (the North Node). In order to understand the energies of an upcoming eclipse, you must combine the energy of the lunar event (wax on for new moon/wax off for full moon) with the energies of whichever of the two nodes the moon will be conjunct at that time.

There are three possible options: new/new, old/old, and new/old.

I want to use the two upcoming eclipses to illustrate my point. On Tuesday, 9/17, we will experience a lunar eclipse (an eclipsed full moon) at 25° Pisces. Right now, our North Node is sitting at 06° Aries, and our South Node at 06° Libra; from this we can see that our lunar eclipse will be (widely) conjunct to the North Node. Therefore, we combine the energy of the full moon (old/waning) with the energy of the North Node (new/where we are going).

Likewise, our solar eclipse (eclipsed new moon) will occur at 10° Libra on Wednesday, 10/2. So we combine a new moon's waxing/new energy with the waning/where we’ve been energy of the South Node.

In both cases, these two lunar events will have both the energy of release and the energy of new beginnings at the same time. This is, I believe, the signature that has led many a witch to call eclipse energy “unpredictable” because if you are not accounting for both the push energy of the new and the pull energy of the old, you could easily get caught in a weird magic sandwich somewhere in the middle. We’re not those people though – we are empowered, well-informed witches!

The best way to harness eclipse energy, then, is to make sure that you have accounted both for the lunar energy and the nodal energy within your spell. See also: banishing an old love to make space for the new, or doing a ritual to remove something that is holding you back from pursuing your current goals. Just makes sure that you are working on both the bringing in and the letting go. You could include double action candles to represent both the push and the pull or have a part of the ritual dedicated to each aspect. That part is all you.

In this way, I believe that eclipses may be the best days of the year to perform big magic workings because, it seems to me, that all great endeavors involve both sides of the energetic coin in some fashion or another.

*occasionally threes **all dates/times in EST

Do you like my work? You can support me over on Kofi by tipping me, purchasing an astrology report, or signing up to be a monthly supporter, including perks like getting energy updates sent to you via email so you don't have to search for them on Tumblr.

[nwbeerguide]

Portland's Ecliptic Brewing and Seattle's Ravenna Brewing team up to release Juicy Lager. The latest in Ecliptic's Cosmic Collaboration series!

image courtesy Ravenna Brewing

Press Release

Portland, Oregon. Earth … Ecliptic Brewing has partnered with Ravenna Brewing Co. of Seattle for a Cosmic Collaboration beer release. The third release in the series for 2023, Ecliptic + Ravenna Juicy Lager will ship April 19th in 16-ounce cans and draft.

Says Ecliptic’s Owner and Brewmaster, John Harris, “I met Tommy, Audra and the rest of the Ravenna crew last year. We had a good time tasting beers and talking about current beer styles and trends. I like collaborating with a Seattle brewery every year, and Ravenna was the perfect choice for 2023.”

Ecliptic + Ravenna Juicy Lager starts with Pale and Pilsner Malts and is topped off with Enigma, Cashmere, and Mandarina Bavaria hops. Notes of white grape, red currant, and citrus flavors round out this juicy brew, clocking in at 5.5% ABV.

“In the planning process,” continues Harris, “we landed on Enigma hops and brewing something other than an IPA. Both breweries love lager beer, and the concept of bringing the newer hop varieties and their juicy, citrus and slight tropical flavors/aromas into a beer just made sense. Thus, we bring to the universe a juicy lager beer- lending aromas and flavors reminiscent of ones you see in the IPA style, but in a lower ABV lager.”

Says the Ravenna team, “We loved meeting John and the Ecliptic team at our Seattle taproom last summer. As we chatted while sampling beers from our respective breweries, we talked styles, techniques, and ingredients we are all excited about. Sharing ideas with exceptional brewers is undoubtedly one of the best aspects of the industry. When John invited us to collaborate on a beer, the answer was an immediate and enthusiastic 'yes!'. Some of us on the brew team have been enjoying John's creations and contributions to the craft beer world for nearly twenty years, and it’s a treat to be able to put our heads together with John and Phil as we work on creating a beer to share with the community.”

Ecliptic + Ravenna Juicy Lager will be released in 16-ounce cans and draft throughout Ecliptic Brewing’s distribution network on April 19th. A release party is planned on April 27th in Portland, as well as May 2nd in Seattle. Visit Ecliptic’s website for up-to-date details on this release and release events.                                                                     

Ecliptic + Ravenna Juicy Lager Brewed with our friends at Ravenna Brewing, this lager starts with a clean malt base, then opens up a multiverse of flavor with a juicy mix of modern hops, including Enigma and Cashmere. The adventurous will be rewarded with white grape, red currant, and lime-orange citrus flavors bursting all at once on the palette.

ABV: 5.5% IBU: 35

…

About Ecliptic Brewing Ecliptic Brewing is a venture from John Harris, an Oregon beer icon whose background is steeped in the state’s rich craft brewing history. The name Ecliptic unites Harris’ two passions: brewing and astronomy. Ecliptic Brewing’s Mothership location opened in October of 2013 in North Portland and its second location – the Moon Room –opened in November of 2021 in Southeast Portland.

Ecliptic celebrates the Earth’s yearly journey around the sun through both its beer and restaurant menus. Harris’ signature beers include Ecliptic Starburst IPA, Phaser Hazy IPA, Carina Peach Sour Ale, Capella Porter, Pyxis Pilsner and LIGO West Coast IPA.

Ecliptic beers are available at the mothership brewery (825 North Cook St), the Moon Room (930 SE Oak St), in grocery stores, bottle shops, and on-tap throughout the area. They are distributed by: Maletis Beverage (Portland, Salem, Vancouver WA), Bigfoot Beverage (Eugene, Bend, Coast), Fort George Distributing (Northern Oregon Coast, Southern Washington Coast), Hodgen Distributing (Eastern Oregon), Summit Distribution (Southern Oregon), NW Beverages (Seattle, Tacoma), Odom (Eastern Washington, Northern ID), Dickerson Distributing (Bellingham), Hayden Beverage (Idaho), Crooked Stave Artisans (Colorado), Freedom Distributors (North Carolina), Arizona Beer & Cider (Arizona), Beer Thirst (Canada) and Tread Water (Japan).

For more information, visit: eclipticbrewing.com.

###

from Northwest Beer Guide - News - The Northwest Beer Guide https://bit.ly/3GOEIRn

[ms-m-astrologer]

Cosmic Events: October 2021

As the year hastens to its close.... All data gleaned from Llewellyn's 2021 Daily Planetary Guide.

Void of Course Moon

Saturday, October 2, 23:43 UT (Leo) - Sunday, October 3, 08:38 UT (Virgo)

Tuesday, October 5, 08:46 UT (Virgo) - 12:41 UT (Libra)

Thursday, October 7, 05:03 UT (Libra) - 14:22 UT (Scorpio)

Saturday, October 9, 06:05 UT (Scorpio) - 15:24 UT (Sagittarius)

Monday, October 11, 04:30 UT (Sagittarius) - 17:15 UT (Capricorn)

Wednesday, October 13, 10:53 UT (Capricorn) - 20:47 UT (Aquarius)

Friday, October 15, 12:33 UT (Aquarius) - Saturday, October 16, 02:22 UT (Pisces)

Sunday, October 17, 23:24 UT (Pisces) - Monday, October 18, 10:04 UT (Aries)

Wednesday, October 20, 14:57 UT (Aries) - 19:59 UT (Taurus)

Friday, October 22, 20:35 UT (Taurus) - Saturday, October 23, 07:57 UT (Gemini)

Monday, October 25, 14:11 UT (Gemini) - 21:00 UT (Cancer)

Thursday, October 28, 06:02 UT (Cancer) - 09:07 UT (Leo)

Saturday, October 30, 07:05 UT (Leo) - 18:09 UT (Virgo)

Lunar Phases

Saturday, October 2, 23:35 UT - Balsamic Moon, 24:59 Leo

Wednesday, October 6, 11:05 UT - New Moon, 13:25 Libra

Damn, this one is intense, especially for Libra. Mars is at 13:59 Libra, making it "partile conjunct" (same degree) the lunation. It's all exactly inconjunct Uranus Rx/Taurus - the two Venus-ruled signs represented - and adding more inconjuncts, to Pallas Athene Rx and Nessus Rx in Pisces (Venus' exaltation!), we have ourselves a tight little Yod, or "finger of God," aspect pattern. Whatever it is we have to do to restore balance, let's do that.

Saturday, October 9, 18:08 UT - Crescent Moon, 1:40 Sagittarius

Wednesday, October 13, 03:25 UT - First Quarter Moon, 20:01 Capricorn

Saturday, October 16, 18:05 UT - Gibbous Moon, 8:35 Pisces

Wednesday, October 20, 14:57 UT - Full Moon, 27"26 Aries

Sunday, October 24, 17:32 UT - Disseminating Moon, 16:31 Gemini

Thursday, October 28, 20:05 UT - Last Quarter Moon, 5:37 Leo

Retrograde / Direct / Etc.

Four planets station direct in October: Saturn, Pluto, Jupiter, and Mercury. We'll have a lot of fresh energy to direct toward our goals.

Mercury begins the month retrograde. Its Inferior Conjunction with the Sun (basically "resetting" our Mercuries) is on Saturday, October 9. Mercury stations direct on Monday, October 18 (about 10 hours after Jupiter stations direct!); exits its "Storm" on Saturday, October 23; and experiences its greatest western elongation on Monday, October 25. It remains in its post-retrograde shadow until November.

Venus has her greatest eastern elongation (the furthest ahead of the Sun she'll get, pre-retrograde zone) on Friday, October 29. This is like a "last quarter" lunar phase; we need to turn away from our outgrown Venus-type pursuits. Venus enters her pre-retrograde shadow in November.

Ceres/Gemini starts the month in her pre-retrograde shadow, and stations retrograde on Friday, October 8.

Pallas Athene/Pisces is retrograde all month.

Juno/Sagittarius is in her post-retrograde shadow until Wednesday, October 27, when she completely exits this retrograde zone.

Jupiter/Aquarius starts the month retrograde; it stations direct on Monday, October 18 - about 10 hours before Mercury stations direct! It remains in its post-retrograde shadow until 2022.

Saturn/Aquarius starts the month retrograde and stations direct on Monday, October 11; it remains in its post-retrograde shadow until 2022.

Chiron/Aries is retrograde all month.

Uranus/Taurus is retrograde all month.

Neptune/Pisces is retrograde all month.

Pluto/Capricorn starts the month retrograde; it stations direct on Wednesday, October 6.

Eris/Aries is retrograde all month.

Ingresses

Thursday, October 7 - transiting Venus enters Sagittarius

Saturday, October 23 - transiting Sun enters Scorpio

Saturday, October 30 - transiting Mars enters Scorpio

Opportunity Periods

Monday, October 4, 21:48 UT - Tuesday, October 5, 08:46 UT. "A good time to do repairs, finish projects, and reconnect with people from the past."

Saturday, October 9, 03:04 UT - 06:05 UT. "Short window of opportunity for deep thinking and renovation."

Monday, October 11, 02:17 UT - 17:15 UT. "With Mercury retrograde, this very positive OP offers an ideal time for renewal."

Friday, October 15, 07:58 UT - 12:33 UT. "An excellent time for reaching out to important people, but with Mercury retrograde be sure to double-check everything."

Friday, October 22, 16:32 UT - Saturday, October 23, 07:57 UT. "Keep a steady pace during this productive OP."

Monday, October 24, 04:14 UT - 14:11 UT. "Very good time for communication and socializing as Mercury picks up speed."

Saturday, October 30, 04:24 UT - 07:05 UT. "Good time for purchases and to connect with others, accomplish goals, etc."

[ectoberhaunt]

Ectober Month 2021: Trick VS Treat

The moment you've all been waiting for! Here's the calendars (yes calendars) for Ectober Month!! Posting begins October 1st. Please tag "Ectober Month 2021" and "Ectoberhaunt 2021" as well as either "Ectoberhaunt Trick" or "Ectoberhaunt Treat" For the last week of the event, please also tag posts with "Ectober week 2021" since it's a collaborative set of prompts with @lexosaurus and co!! If you have any questions about this event, please refer to this post on our blog!

Banishment Rites (The prompts!)

Trick vs Treat

Scream vs Laugh

Mutant vs Cryptid

Goo vs Glitter

Ouija Board vs Fairy Circle

Witching Hour vs Twilight

Abyss vs Swamp

Splatter vs Poison

Cape vs Mask

Mummy vs Doppelganger

Maze vs Doors

Scythe vs Tarot

Void vs Candlelight

Mimic vs Music Box

Curse vs Blessing

Bloody Mary vs Stingy Jack

Jump Scare vs Found Footage

Flytrap vs Spider Lily

Blood Magic vs Cosmic Horror

Full Moon vs New Moon

Host vs Relic

Theft vs Favor

Condemned vs Ruins

Nightmare vs Sweet Dreams

Headstone vs Boo!

Autopsy vs Pumpkin

Burial vs Cobwebs

Insect vs Rot

Echo vs Circus

Summoning vs Crow

Insomnia vs Blood Moon

[apod]

2021 October 31

Dark Matter in a Simulated Universe Illustration Credit & Copyright: Tom Abel & Ralf Kaehler (KIPAC, SLAC), AMNH

Explanation: Is our universe haunted? It might look that way on this dark matter map. The gravity of unseen dark matter is the leading explanation for why galaxies rotate so fast, why galaxies orbit clusters so fast, why gravitational lenses so strongly deflect light, and why visible matter is distributed as it is both in the local universe and on the cosmic microwave background. The featured image from the American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium Space Show Dark Universe highlights one example of how pervasive dark matter might haunt our universe. In this frame from a detailed computer simulation, complex filaments of dark matter, shown in black, are strewn about the universe like spider webs, while the relatively rare clumps of familiar baryonic matter are colored orange. These simulations are good statistical matches to astronomical observations. In what is perhaps a scarier turn of events, dark matter -- although quite strange and in an unknown form -- is no longer thought to be the strangest source of gravity in the universe. That honor now falls to dark energy, a more uniform source of repulsive gravity that seems to now dominate the expansion of the entire universe.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211031.html

[astrologyfactzzz]

This weeks astrology & how it will affect you

May 23rd - 30th

(Check Sun/rising)

Saturn Retrograde 13° Aquarius - Sunday

Super Moon Lunar Eclipse 5° Sagittarius - Wednesday

Mercury Retrograde 24° Gemini - Saturday

- a door closes -

This is a week of self-evaluation, truth telling, full disclosure and the removal of outgrown circumstances. A Super Moon lunar eclipse at 5° Sagittarius on the karmic South Node of Fate on Wednesday May 26th is bracketed by Saturn Lord of Time and Karma turning retrograde on Saturday May 29th. The triple event opens a season of dealing with whatever needs to be faced and sorted.

Themes of truth, lies, fake news and lost in translation communication are entangled with Mercury retrograde conjunct the eclipse.

At this total lunar eclipse, you are permanently closing a door behind you ready to open a new one at the 19° Gemini Solar Eclipse on June 10th 2021. Lunar eclipses are emotional as they create final endings. They can make you sentimental, more aware of the passage of time. Memories and dreams come up to the surface. Look back to the last Sagittarius lunar eclipse in June 2002, then 2012 when the Nodes of Fate were reversed, to help you to join the dots in what’s now come full circle in your own life.

Remind yourself that this deep space eclipse wave is not head stuff - it’s somatic, physical, integrative - and be diligent about grounding. Energy will be magnified as this is a Super Moon Eclipse with the moon at its closest to the Earth. It heralds a geo-cosmic storm potential along with turbulence in geo-politics and the financial markets that extends from May 23rd - 29th.

New! In June, as yet more veils are lasered away by the June Solar eclipse and the Cancer Solistice, your life stream is going to hit some turbulence.

♈︎ ARIES ♈︎

It’s a big week. On Wednesday, the Super Moon lunar eclipse overshadows your 9th / 3rd houses. A course of study may be completing or a mentor leaving. Circumstances changing around you beyond your control are nudging you to update your thinking and discard old beliefs that distort the accuracy of your inner map of the world. Now is the time to gently let an outgrown relationship or contract go, to leave a group you no longer fit into and clean up your social media contacts.

Be proactive.

♉︎ TAURUS ♉︎

Think back to June 2002, the last Sagittarius Lunar eclipse, to notice what you bought, sold or invested in. This cosmic wild card is activating your money axis of both earned income and joint or inherited resources so, as both Saturn and Mercury are turning retrograde, don’t make any large commitments, sign any important contracts or buying anything expensive. Your emotions will be running high and you may lose your perspective in the heat of the moment. Wait until the dust settles after the June 10th Solar Eclipse.

Channel this supercharged energy into getting your finances in order.

♊︎ GEMINI ♊︎

Happy Birthday Gemini, whenever it arrives. Your month opens dramatically with a Super Moon lunar eclipse bracketed by both Saturn and Mercury retrograde. Emotions usually run high under lunar eclipses and you may be drowning in nostalgia or missing someone gone from your life. This cosmic wild card closes a door permanently on a relationship. It could be romantic, professional or a friendship that is beyond fixing. Eclipses reveal what you haven’t seen before - the truth comes out and it’s impossible to ignore. Wether someone breaks up with you or you break up with them, move on and see it as creating space for new people to enter your life.

Don’t try to rekindle the ashes.

♋︎ CANCER ♋︎

On May 26th a doozy of a Super Moon lunar eclipse activates your 6th / 12th houses - your axis of well-being and retreat. It will close a door on aspects of health, routines and self-care that have been undermining or sabotaging you, whether you realized or not. It’s time to break any toxic habits cold turkey and to replace them with healthier alternatives. That might include leaving a job that stresses you instead of inspiring you. Since both Saturn and Mercury turn backwards at this eclipse, double check all you communications before you press send.

Clearing your own ecology.

♌︎ LEO ♌︎

It’s set to be an intense and emotional week with a Super Moon lunar eclipse bracketed both Saturn and Mercury turning backwards. For you a solar Leo, your 5th / 11th house of self-expression are in the frame for change. A door will close on one of your pet projects, plans or passions - you might have completed it, run out of juice or simply given up on it. All the better to start envisioning something new and more exciting at the June 10th Solar eclipse. In the 2 weeks between these powerful cosmic wild cards, back things up, upgrade your communications and clear the decks.

This is a permanent closure.

♍︎ VIRGO ♍︎

For you as a Solar Virgo, this week’s powerful astrology is all about family. On Wednesday, a Super Moon lunar eclipse closes a door permanently on some part of your home life. It might be a changing of the guard when someone leaves or someone arrives. You might realize - finally - that you have had enough of where you live and need to find somewhere more harmonious. Or you decide to move to another city or country. Expect to feel emotional, nostalgic for good times go by and allow yourself time to grieve and then release sad memories.

Home is a state of mind, not a place.

♎︎ LIBRA ♎︎

Wednesday’s potent Super Moon lunar eclipse is falling across your 3rd / 9th house of communication. it’s not going to be business as usual as the cosmic wild card is sandwiched between Saturn and Mercury turning backwards. Your 3rd house is about siblings and neighbors so tread carefully, aim to tie up and resolve any problems and leave them behind permanently. You might be finishing a study program or deciding to drop it altogether if the juice is gone out of it. Make sure you double check emails, texts and social media posts before you press and send.

Lost in translation.

♏︎ SCORPIO ♏︎

A Super Moon lunar eclipse on Wednesday 26th bracketed by both Saturn and Mercury turning retrograde are going to ratchet up your emotions. Lunar eclipses can be very nostalgic, reminding you of good times gone by and of people who are no longer part of your life. If you need to, treat yourself gently and take time to grieve. For you as a solar Scorpio, changes are going to affect your finances, both your income and your shared assets. A door may shut permanently on one source of income or you may decide its time to pull the plug on a professional contract. Keep in mind that Trickster Mercury is unreliable and don’t make any big commitments to investments for at least another 3 weeks.

Sealing financial leaks.

♐︎ SAGITTARIUS ♐︎

Something big is week comes … you’re about to experience a lunar eclipse in your own sign for the first time since summer 2002. For more clues to which part of your life is coming full circle, you could also think back to eclipses in 2012 when the Nodes of Fate were reversed. Expect to feel more emotional than usual, and if you need to unburden yourself, find a trusted friend to confide in. This cosmic wild card is taking you through a door way then closing the door behind you where your personal vision and plans for the future are concerned. It will shine a light on what and who needs to be left behind so you can create a new and bigger dream for yourself.

If circumstances shift around you, don’t try to cling on them - better times await.

♑︎ CAPRICORN ♑︎

Cut yourself some slack, it’s going to be an intense and emotional 2 weeks. On Sunday May 23rd, your won Planet Saturn turns retrograde until October in your 2nd house. Your finances are slowly and inexorably being restructured until March 2023, so collaborate with the process, add to your savings, cut debt and ask for money owed to you. On Wednesday, a Super Moon lunar eclipse shines a light into the engine room of your chart, the deeply private 12th House. It might excavate old memories, bring on nostalgia for people and times past or reveal where your blind spots are. People around you may seem irrational, so keep a low profile and give yourself time to reconnect with your ancestry, your dreams and your spiritual life.

Glimpses of the unseen.

♒︎ AQUARIUS ♒︎

It’s a fast moving, intense week when events and circumstances change around you beyond your control with a domino effect in your own life. First on May 23rd, your co-ruler Saturn turns backwards until October. See it as an opportunity to review your support systems - relationships, where you live, work, finances - and strengthen your foundations so you are both flexible and resilient. Wednesday’s eclipse is a Super Moon on steroids and emotions will run high. It is closing a door permanently in your 11th House of friends, groups and networks. You may leave an association behind or drop a friendship that you’ve outgrown or, conversely, someone may drop you.

Take some quite time mid-week.

♓︎ PISCES ♓︎

It’s set to be an emotional week so make sure you have some quite time to yourself. A Super Moon lunar eclipse on May 26th falls at the top of your chart activating your career and public image and closing one door permanently. A promotion you hoped for might fall through or someone at work might leave creating a vacancy or you might find an unexpected golden opportunity to move on elsewhere. If you do, seize it with both hands. It looks as if you’re more then ready for a new challenge and the next eclipse on June 10th might just deliver it. Keep in mind that Mercury is retrograde from May 29th so use the time to dig for information, check out helpful contacts and do some detective work.

Full circle in your career.

[demifiendrsa]

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy | Official Reveal Trailer

Deep Dive

Gameplay First Look

It’ll launch for  PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Epic Games store on October 26, 2021.

Logo

Key visuals

Regular Edition box art

Cosmic Deluxe Edition box art

Renders

Concept art

screenshots

Overview

About

Game Model: Premium Single player / No online mode / No downloadable content / No microtransactions

Fire up a wild ride across the cosmos with a fresh take on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. In this third-person action-adventure game, you are Star-Lord, and thanks to your bold yet questionable leadership, you have persuaded an oddball crew of unlikely heroes to join you. Some jerk (surely not you) has set off a chain of catastrophic events, and only you can hold the unpredictable Guardians together long enough to fight off total interplanetary meltdown. Use Element Blasters, tag-team beat downs, jet boot-powered dropkicks, nothing’s off-limits. If you think it’s all going to plan, you’re in for a world of surprises, with the consequences of your actions guaranteed to keep the Guardians on their toes. In this original Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy story, you’ll cross paths with powerful new beings and unique takes on iconic characters, all caught in a struggle for the galaxy’s fate. It’s time to show the universe what you’re made of. You got this. Probably.

Key Features

Lead the Guardians of the Galaxy – You play as Star-Lord, so nothing’s off-limits with your bold combat style, from Element Blasters and jet boot-powered dropkicks to tag-team beat-downs. With the Guardians fighting at your side, call the shots and overwhelm your opponents with signature attacks. Meanwhile, the consequences of your decisions will range from light-hearted to downright unexpected as your journey unfolds.

All-New Story – Your newly-formed band of legendary misfits is set to save the universe in this fresh but faithful take on the Guardians of the Galaxy. Somehow, you set off a chain of catastrophic events, leading to a wild ride through mind-blowing worlds inhabited by iconic and original Marvel characters. Turn up the all-star 80s mixtape and get ready to kick it.

From Misfits to Heroes – You’re the only thing holding the unpredictable Guardians together, so you’ll have to get better at this leadership thing fast. With this offbeat approximation of a family at your side, there will be tears and laughter as you set about tearing into the cosmos together. Whatever’s waiting around the next corner, you know it’s going to be a riot.

[cwc-wiki]

December

1 December - Two additional letters, one from 25 October and the other from 30 October, which Chris had written to Kengle are posted publicly.

2 December - A day which was "VERY Cosmically Eventful" according to Chris, apparently because it can be written as a palindrome (12/02/2021). Chris "observed" the date and later asked Kengle if he had done the same.[1]

3 December - The jail letter addressed to Onion Farms user Celestia from 30 November is received and posted online.

6 December - Chris writes and sends the sixth letter addressed to Kenneth Englehardt.[2]

7 December - The jail letter addressed to Twitter user Eels and the Egg-man from 30 November is received and posted online.

8 December - Kenneth Engelhardt reveals that he has received a fifth jail letter from Chris describing a car accident Barbara was involved in on 24 November which totaled her car and put her in the hospital. Kenneth does not make the letter public at the request of Chris. It also contains personal information about Chris's relatives.

9 December - Chris writes and sends the second and final jail letter to Onion Farms user Celestia. Chris bizarrely claims that Jacob Sockness started the COVID-19 Pandemic.

11 December - Kenneth reveals that he has received a sixth jail letter from Chris, this one concerning Null.

11 December - A Kiwi Farms user confirms that the Barbara automobile accident did actually happen (though apparently on the 23rd, not the 24th) by looking up the Vehicle Identification Number of the Dodge Caravan.[3]

12 December - Chris's Affirmations List‎‎, from March 2021, is leaked.

12 December - The jail letter from 6 December is posted online in full.[4][5]

13 December - Kenneth Engelhardt receives and posts a Christmas post card that Chris wrote to him at an unknown date.[6]

14 December - The jail letter from 9 December is received via Discord.[7]

16 December - A ween, Larry Vaughn, posts on reddit about his latest visit to 14 Branchland Court. In this post, he claims that most of the hoard was cleared out of the house. [8] A Kiwi Farms post made a few days afterwards would prove the contrary to this.[9]

25 December - Chris's first C-Mas while in jail.

29 December - Barb was found to be at fault for last month's car accident, and was charged a $30 fine and $76 in court costs.[10]

[breelandwalker]

Hex Positive, Ep. 021 - Witchcraft and Modern Law

Now available wherever you get your podcasts!

As promised, the followup episode is here! This time, I'm digging into witchcraft as it relates to modern law, plus covering a few key 20th-century events that I missed in Episode 20 and some legal codes that may apply to your practice even if they don't deal with witchcraft directly. We'll also be discussing some instances of modern witch hunts that are still occurring in some parts of the world and there are articles you can check out for more information below. (Massive trigger warning for violence and abuse in the ones discussing modern witch hunts.)

(Incidentally, the information I discovered while researching modern witch persecutions is EXACTLY why I get so cheesed off when some privileged politician whines about being the target of "a witch hunt." Like buddy, you don't even know the meaning of the word. Having to face the consequences of your own actions isn't a witch hunt. That's just cosmic justice serving up a long-overdue headslap.)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Witch With Me - Book Club and 2021 Witch Census

Samhain Witch Market Diversity Richmond, Richmond VA Sunday, October 17, 2021, 3pm-9pm Indoor/Outdoor, Masks Required Facebook Event Page

SOURCES

Folk Magic - Powwow: History and Practices (LearnReligions.com)

Analysis | In Canada, pretending to be a witch is a punishable offense (Washington Post, Oct. 31, 2018)

Victoria clears witches for takeoff (The Sydney Morning Herald, July 21, 2005)

Modern-day witches still facing 'endless abuse and threats' (The Independent, Feb. 09, 2020)

Witch Hunts: a global problem in the 21st century (Deutsche Welle, Oct. 08, 2020)

Chinese 'witches' are banding together after rural Chinese communities ostracise them (AP, South China Morning Post, Jan, 16, 2018)

Why Do Witch Hunts Still Happen? (Smithsonian Magazine, Oct. 30, 2015)

Witch Hunts Today: Abuse of Women, Superstition, and Murder Collide in India (Scientific American, Jan. 11, 2018)

"They Burn Witches Here"; Papua New Guinea: Asia's Fastest-Growing Economy Burns Witches (Huffington Post, Oct. 29, 2015)

Witch Hunts Are Back - And This Time They're Targeting Female Activists (HuffPost Brazil, Nov. 01, 2019)

Witch Trials in the 21st Century (National Geographic, Jan. 21, 2011)

Modern witches are stepping out of the shadow of Germany’s folklore (Sleek Magazine, Apr. 30, 2019)

Wikipedia Article - Rehmeyer's Hollow

Wikipedia Article - Satanic Panic

Wikipedia Article - West Memphis Three

Wikipedia Article - Modern witch-hunts

Wikipedia Article - Witchcraft Suppression Act of 1957

Wikipedia Article - Mpumalanga Witchcraft Suppression Bill

BOOKS AND PODCASTS

America Bewitched: The story of witchcraft after Salem (Owen Davies)

American Hysteria, Eps. 4 & 5 - "Satanic Panic, pt 1 & 2"

BS-Free Witchcraft, Ep. 10 - "The Satanic Panic"

BS-Free Witchcraft, Ep. 32 - "A New Satanic Panic?"

Lore, Ep. 62 - "Desperate Measures"

Morbid Podcast - Ep. 122-125, “The West Memphis Three, pt 1-3”

Sacred Actions: Living the Wheel of the Year though Earth-Centered Sustainable Practices (Dana O'Driscoll)

This episode is sponsored by:

Portland Button Works - http://www.portlandbuttonworks.com

PBW Witch Shop - http://www.PBWwitchshop.com

Global Grey Ebooks - http://www.globalgreyebooks.com

Follow the show on Twitter @hex_podcast for the latest updates! You can also find me as @BreeNicGarran on Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and Wordpress. For more information on how to support the show and get access to early releases and extra content, visit my Patreon.

Visit my shop to purchase my books and homemade accoutrements for your craft!

Proud member of the Nerd and Tie Podcast Network.

MUSIC CREDITS "Spellbound" & "Miri's Magic Dance" Ads - "Feelin' Good," "March of the Spoons," and "Danse Macabre - Violin Hook" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

[captainpotassium]

Dark Matter in a Simulated Universe via NASA https://ift.tt/2ZNKLmF

Is our universe haunted? It might look that way on this dark matter map. The gravity of unseen dark matter is the leading explanation for why galaxies rotate so fast, why galaxies orbit clusters so fast, why gravitational lenses so strongly deflect light, and why visible matter is distributed as it is both in the local universe and on the cosmic microwave background. The featured image from the American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium Space Show Dark Universe highlights one example of how pervasive dark matter might haunt our universe. In this frame from a detailed computer simulation, complex filaments of dark matter, shown in black, are strewn about the universe like spider webs, while the relatively rare clumps of familiar baryonic matter are colored orange. These simulations are good statistical matches to astronomical observations. In what is perhaps a scarier turn of events, dark matter -- although quite strange and in an unknown form -- is no longer thought to be the strangest source of gravity in the universe. That honor now falls to dark energy, a more uniform source of repulsive gravity that seems to now dominate the expansion of the entire universe.

(Published October 31, 2021)

[elgaberino-mcoc]

MCOC Wishlist Blog Character Spotlight KNULL

by Marco “Prophet of Knull” Garcia ed. Other Gabe

BACKGROUND

Knull is an ancient malevolent deity whose existence predates the universe itself, and was originally content to drift through the endless abyss that existed before time.

He used his weapon, the Necrosword, to combat the Celestials who disturbed his darkness. With this sword Knull severed the head of a Celestial. That head is now Knowhere, a popularly-known Marvel location and a battle zone in the Marvel Contest of Champions Battlerealm.

Wanting an army, Knull then constructed the aliens we all know, love, and sometimes hate, the Klyntar race of gooey symbiotic aliens.¹ Later, after a debacle with the Mighty Thor, the symbiotes rebelled against their “God” and trapped him on a desolate planet, later known as Klyntar. There the God of Symbiotes waits and plans his escape, hoping to one day lay waste and bring Darkness to the universe.

“The End is near. God is coming….”  

Editor’s note: the next several sections are designed to familiarize the reader with Knull’s worthiness to be featured in a video game, compared with the myriad other Marvel characters from whom Kabam could choose.

POPULARITY

Technically, Knull has been around since 2013, and appeared in Thor: God of Thunder Vol.1 #6 by Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic, as he was a shadowed figure from whom Gorr the God Butcher steals All-Black the Necrosword.

He was then revealed by name by his creators in Venom Vol. 4 #3 by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman in 2018. 

Knull has had huge fan buzz around him since his inception and his name is only getting bigger. Despite fewer than a dozen appearances initially, Knull headlined the King in Black line-wide event that began in December 2020, from the minds of Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman. 

Editor’s note: Arguably named after Knull, the King in Black initial release was considered critically to be a high-stakes situation, due to the perceived hype. Its comics made regular appearances in bestseller lists after the event launched, suggesting the Knull name and story, in conjunction with the strength of his creators’ reputations, was strong enough to sell books. Overall the King in Black arc has also gotten good critical reviews. 

KNULL AS MATERIAL FOR OUR MARVEL GAME

Editor’s note: these character spotlights usually explore several factors to determine whether it is reasonable to expect Kabam to seriously consider the character as a candidate for addition to Marvel Contest of Champions. Among these factors are inclusion in other similarly-marketed games, mainstreaming in comics and other media, mentions in MCOC lore, Kabam conversation, or community rumors, and pure hype among summoners.

OTHER MARVEL GAMES

Knull has been featured in other games already: first in the Spider-Man Unlimited mobile app,² then in Marvel Future Fight. In Marvel Puzzle Quest, Knull was originally only part of the backstory description of the playable Prophet Carnage character, but was eventually released in his own right in May 2021.

KNULL AND THE BATTLEREALM

Arguably no direct mention of Knull has happened in either [Marvel Contest of Champions or Marvel Realm of Champions], but it can be said he was alluded to in the motion comic that accompanied the release of Cosmic Ghost Rider and Red Goblin in October 2020.

Then, when story mode Act 7 was released in December 2020, this dialogue was revealed, which has been strongly speculated to be a reference to Knull.

CLAIM TO FAME: KNULL IN OTHER MEDIA

Knull has not enjoyed a reference in any Marvel Cinematic Universe content to date. Hel has only been mentioned in the Disney XD cartoon Spider-Man: Maximum Venom with a retelling loosely based on his comic book origins. 

UNIQUE WAYS KNULL COULD FIT INTO THE MCOC META

Knull could be a massive boost (editor’s note: synergy hub) to many Symbiote champions or champions in general. I see him as a Cosmic [based on what I was told by co-creator Ryan Stegman], with massive damage. Being the creator of symbiotes, Knull could outfit any [non-#Symbiote] champ with a “Klyntar symbiote” of their own to enhance their kit or base numbers. He could also operate with #Symbiote champs similarly to the way Apocalypse enhances Mutant champs. He could also work as a counter to Symbiotes or anyone who would have ever been bonded to a Klyntar before in canon, which would include most of the Spider-Fam!

Knull’s kit could alternately introduce a #Codex tag to add to certain non-#Spiderverse Hero champs who have famously bonded to symbiotes (paging Red Hulk or even Deadpool).³

A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN?

No mention of Knull ever came out of the Kabam team or anyone related to MCOC. Then again, Kabam never likes to tease big-name additions like Knull would be. Mid-September 2021, one data miner claimed that Knull is forthcoming.

WHAT DO SUMMONERS THINK?

Summoners seem to dig Knull. He was the winner of the first Tournament  of Battlerealm Future, March Addness 2020, which was co-hosted by MCOC Wishlist creator Other MCOC Gabe and Unofficial MCOC Podcast veteran UMCOC Deacon on Twitter. The tournament pitted hundreds of characters against one another for votes from Summoners expressing who they would prefer to enter Marvel Contest of Champions. He cleaned house throughout most of the tournament, earning his addition to the MCOC Wishlist, where he has risen into the top 50 most wanted champions.

Due to recent ramblings by the author, and the introduction of Red Goblin to Marvel Contest of Champions, people have warmed up to the idea that Knull might actually be coming to the contest. (Even community-renowned comics expert CTMCOC agrees!)

Once below rank 250 on the MCOC Wishlist, Knull now stands as the #31 most-wanted champ, with over 550 Summoner upvotes as of this writing. 

KNULL: CHAMPION BUILD IDEAS

PROBABLE CLASS

As mentioned above, Knull is a canonically cosmic entity or deity who purports to predate the universe itself. This forms a strong case for the MCOC Cosmic class of champions.

POSSIBLE ABILITIES

Like many Cosmic champs’ builds, I can see his relying on many Active Buffs with massive damage and defensive potential due to Symbiotic Armor. Perhaps as Knull collects Codices, he gets stronger and this mechanic could be used in game as persistent charges. The more Codices he gathers, the more potent his Buffs could become. He could utilize Fury, Aptitude, Armor, Cruelty, Precision, and other critical-damage-enhancing Buffs. Bleed and Armor Break Debuffs are likely as Knull breaks down his enemies with bloodthirsty ferocity.

POSSIBLE SYNERGIES

Knull's status as the God of the Klyntar could enhance all #Symbiote champions just as Apocalypse does for Mutants.

Venom could get a unique synergy called “Daddy Issues,” allowing Venom a 2% attack boost for every Buff converted on his sp2 but as passive Fury stacks. I imagine Carnage with something like a “Prophet of Knull” Synergy allowing 95% resistance to incinerate effects, allowing him to heal from Incinerates, since Carnage has no weakness to fire when he is operating as Knull’s prophet in the comics.

Knull could also be built to spend Persistent Charges to enhance #Symbiote champions in order to increase their stats and enhance their buffs.

It would also be clever to have a Synergy with Void called “Knull and Void” allowing Void access to a non-stacking Armor Break Debuff, such as on his Heavy Attack. More debuffs for Void would be devastating. 

Knull could also enjoy a basic “Enemies” synergy with Thor and Silver Surfer. A great champ to release in conjunction with Knull would be Gorr the God-Butcher, a notable Thor villain, played by Christian Bale in Thor: Love and Thunder, and the other best-known wielder of All-Black the Necrosword.

•.•.•

Editor’s note: this concludes Marco’s commentary and notes on Knull as a potential champion. Anyone tracking the conversation about future champs knows that the name of Knull comes up frequently among Summoners, and his rise in every voting event in the community tends to support the notion he is greatly demanded by Summoners and would make an excellent addition to the game.

This article was originally drafted almost entirely in late 2020, and has been dug up and completed in September 2021 after MCOC Trucos released a purportedly datamined leak suggesting Knull “is Coming” to Marvel Contest of Champions in October 2021. -OG

________

NOTES 1. The Klyntar alien race is most popularly represented by Venom, and his fellow Klyntar aliens Carnage, Scream, and the other names associated with their stories of superhuman symbiosis and “Venomization.”  2. Spider-Man Unlimited was well ahead of the curve announcing Knull for a video game in 2018. It got there by virtue of attempting to release almost every noteworthy Spider- and symbiote character as playable video game characters. Knull was not yet a character most people would consider important for gaming. 3. A codex (pl. codices) is the term for the biological traces a Klyntar symbiote leaves in its host’s system after separating from that host.

[nwbeerguide]

Sierra Nevada Brewing and Ecliptic Brewing collaborate to release Secchi Hoppy Wheat Ale.

image courtesy Ecliptic Brewing Company

Press Release

Portland, Oregon. Earth … Ecliptic Brewing of Portland, Oregon and Sierra Nevada Brewing of Chico, California have teamed up to brew a Cosmic Collaboration beer. Secchi Hoppy Wheat Ale will be the fourth release in the series for 2023, shipping June 21st in 16-ounce cans and draft.

“When I first started brewing,” says John Harris, Ecliptic’s Owner and Brewmaster, “Sierra Nevada was it. The ‘OG’. I am honored to be able to do this collaboration with them and Ken Grossman, their Founder. We decided to make a wheat beer for June. There’s lots of hop flavor and brightness from the hops���.

Ecliptic + Sierra Nevada Secchi Hoppy Wheat Ale starts with Pale and Wheat Malts and is hopped with Strata, Amarillo, McKenzie, and Citra. Real orange and lemon peel add a citrusy flavor to this fruit-forward beer. It is named after a mountain range on the Moon, “Montes Secchi,” paying homage to the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains, and it clocks in at 6.5% ABV.

Terrence Sullivan, Product Manager for Sierra Nevada, says, “Ecliptic Brewing’s founder, John Harris, has been a pioneer in West Coast craft beer for more than 30 years. His innovation has blazed a trail for an entire community, and he has influenced brewing up and down the coast. Over the years, our breweries have shared insights, knowledge, and friendship—along with a few great beers. We’re honored to join forces on Secchi Hoppy Wheat Ale, highlighting the unique flavors of the Oregon landscape.” 

Ecliptic + Sierra Nevada Secchi Hoppy Wheat Ale will be released in 16-ounce cans and draft throughout Ecliptic Brewing’s distribution network on June 21st. Stay tuned for a release event in Portland with Terrance Sullivan on Jun 27th. Visit Ecliptic’s website for up-to-date details on this release and event.                                                                 

Ecliptic + Sierra Nevada Secchi Hoppy Wheat Ale

Brewed with our friends at Sierra Nevada Brewing, this Hoppy Wheat Ale is named after a mountain range on the Moon. With pronounced hop character from Strata, Amarillo, McKenzie and Citra, this fruit-forward beer finishes crisp with a touch of citrus from real orange and lemon peel.

ABV: 6.5%

IBU: 55

About Ecliptic Brewing Ecliptic Brewing is a venture from John Harris, an Oregon beer icon whose background is steeped in the state’s rich craft brewing history. The name Ecliptic unites Harris’ two passions: brewing and astronomy. Ecliptic Brewing’s Mothership location opened in October of 2013 in North Portland and its second location – the Moon Room –opened in November of 2021 in Southeast Portland.

Ecliptic celebrates the Earth’s yearly journey around the sun through both its beer and restaurant menus. Harris’ signature beers include Ecliptic Starburst IPA, Phaser Hazy IPA, Carina Peach Sour Ale, Capella Porter, Pyxis Pilsner and LIGO West Coast IPA.

Ecliptic beers are available at the mothership brewery (825 North Cook St), the Moon Room (930 SE Oak St), in grocery stores, bottle shops, and on-tap throughout the area. They are distributed by: Maletis Beverage (Portland, Salem, Vancouver WA), Bigfoot Beverage (Eugene, Bend, Coast), Fort George Distributing (Northern Oregon Coast, Southern Washington Coast), Hodgen Distributing (Eastern Oregon), Summit Distribution (Southern Oregon), NW Beverages (Seattle, Tacoma), Odom (Eastern Washington, Northern ID), Dickerson Distributing (Bellingham), Hayden Beverage (Idaho), Crooked Stave Artisans (Colorado), Freedom Distributors (North Carolina), Arizona Beer & Cider (Arizona), Beer Thirst (Canada) and Tread Water (Japan). 

For more information, visit: eclipticbrewing.com.

###

from Northwest Beer Guide - News - The Northwest Beer Guide https://bit.ly/3JuRMwn

[randomrainman]

why the american campaign in afghanistan was destined for failure, and other strange stuff.

Our campaign in Afghanistan which began on October 7, 2001, dubbed “Operation Enduring Freedom” for some peculiar and uniquely American reason, was doomed from the very beginning, and most of the blame for the failure is ours.

Pictured: A group of Afghans rest near Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. (Photo: me)

So why did this happen in the first place?

Detailing the entirety of Afghanistan’s tumultuous 19th- and 20th-century history here would an arduous (and, ultimately, pointless) task, but, put succinctly, the USA and Afghanistan’s eastern neighbour, Pakistan, were instrumental in the initial development of the Taliban as a viable militant organisation and major player in Afghanistan.

Pictured: a Soviet soldier takes cover near Herat, Afghanistan. (Photo: AP/Jacques Langevin)

The Soviet Union embroiled itself in a bitter conflict in Afghanistan from 24 December 1979 until 15 February 1989. Through Pakistani intelligence services, the CIA, in its anti-commie fervour, armed and funded anti-Soviet resistance groups, collectively known as mujahideen (which is Swedish for “turboprop plane”, or maybe just Arabic for “those engaged in jihad”).  Spirited resistance and brilliant guerrilla-style tactics by the mujahideen, which included future prominent Taliban figures such as Haibatullah Akhundzada and Mohammad Omar, led to the eventual departure of Soviet forces from Afghanistan in what has been termed (perhaps ironically, considering our current situation) “Russia’s Vietnam”.  At least 562,000 Afghans perished in the Soviet-Afghan War, and millions more either fled the country or were internally displaced.  This conflict also likely directly contributed to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Pictured: Former Representative Charlie Wilson (D-TX) with a group of mujahideen. Wilson championed a veritable Cyclone of bullshit. (Photo: Wikipedia/unknown author)

As a civil war further ravaged Afghanistan, the Taliban, founded in 1994 by Islamic cleric (mullah) Mohammad Omar, emerged as the preeminent force amongst the mujahideen.  Backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence, the Deobandi Islamist group quickly made territorial gains and captured Kabul in 1996, brutally murdering former President Najibullah to punctuate their conquest.

Under the newly established Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the Taliban regime went right to work in establishing stringent shari’a law over the territories they subdued, barring women from education and work, suppressing ethnic and religious minorities, and outlawing music and TV (which, with the exception of the last thing, should sound familiar to anyone familiar with our own history).

A certain Usama bin Laden (UBL), who founded the terrorist organisation al-Qa’ida (literally “the base”) in 1988 during the Soviet-Afghan War, funnelled resources, to include arms and foreign fighters, into the mujahideen resistance effort in Afghanistan through his Maktab al-Khidamat.  Though the organisation provided little in terms of overall impact on the war, it boasted a backing of both Pakistan’s ISI and Saudi Arabia’s General Intelligence Presidency, and was later absorbed into al-Qa’ida.

Having had his Saudi citizenship stripped and amid mounting pressure from Saudi Arabia, the US, and Sudan, bin Laden opted to return to Afghanistan in 1996, where he would forge an alliance with Mullah Omar.  Omar’s Taliban regime provided a suitable, ahem, base of operations for bin Laden’s burgeoning global terrorism aspirations, and Pakistan provided continued funding and manpower for the Taliban and its al-Qa’ida allies up until 2001.

Pictured: Ahmad Shah Massoud and a group of mujahideen in the Panjshir Valley, 1984. (Photo: Jean-Luc Bremont/AP)

Ahmad Shah Massoud, a guerrilla commander who famously repelled Soviet occupying forces from the Panjshir Valley, became a leading figure in anti-Taliban efforts.  Massoud, along with Abdul Rashid Dostum, a polarising yet powerful ethnic Uzbek warlord, formed the United Front (commonly referred to as the Northern Alliance).  Instead of the Pashtun-centric approach utilised by the Taliban, Massoud sought to incorporate Afghanistan’s numerous ethnicities under the United Front’s umbrella.

Despite the Northern Alliance’s clear opposition to the Taliban and ostensibly having prior knowledge that radical elements were at play, the United States provided zero backing to the resistance efforts.  Massoud himself addressed the European Parliament and warned of an imminent attack, and also expressed the need for US aid in combatting Taliban belligerents.

Two days prior to the September 11 attacks, the highly revered Massoud prepared to give an interview to a pair of Arab TV journalists, and it would be the last thing he did, as the “journalists” detonated a suicide bomb fashioned out of a TV camera, which was apparently stolen in France.  The "Lion of Panjshir” was buried in his home village of Bazarak, Panjshir Valley, with hundreds of thousands of people in attendance.

Pictured: The World Trade Center’s Twin Towers erupt in flames after airliners hijacked by al-Qaeda operatives crash into the buildings. According to conspiracy nutjobs, these planes and their passengers never existed, and instead flew into a wormhole and into a parallel universe. (Photo: Silva/Reuters)

Following 9/11, then-President George W. Bush threatened the Taliban regime and demanded that they deliver al-Qa’ida leaders in Afghanistan to American authorities, an undertaking they promptly decided to never do.  Naturally, Bush came to shove, and a joint resolution that somehow declared war on the very concept of terror was issued.

The United States also finally decided to team up with the Northern Alliance at the onset of OEF in October 2001.  Fortunately, it paid off; the Taliban regime rapidly disintegrated after being bombed into the Bronze Age.  Despite having effectively vanquished the Taliban, the US failure to capture or kill UBL at Tora Bora likely protracted the conflict into the behemoth bumblefuck we currently recognise.

We did manage to finally kill UBL on May 2, 2011, but stayed in Afghanistan for another 10 years, because stuff.  In 2018, then-President Trump ordered a drawdown of approximately 7,000 troops, and in February 2020, US envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban vice emir Abdul Ghani Baradar signed a peace agreement.  In July of this year, we abandoned Bagram Airfield, our biggest base, virtually overnight, and did not bother informing the Afghans, which I’m sure made them extremely happy.

Pictured: The mountains near Bagram, Parwan province, Afghanistan.  (Photo: me)

The Taliban resurgence into power was equally swift and met surprisingly little resistance: on August 15, 2021, the Taliban took Kabul and cemented its authority.  This version of the militant group the NATO coalition and pro-Western Afghan forces soundly defeated in 2001 made promises to uphold women’s rights and to maintain an inclusive government, though the killing of at least three at a protest in Jalalabad, amongst other things, probably does little to reassure critics that their takeover is a positive turn of events.  That said, far-right and neo-Nazi elements are, in fact, celebrating the Taliban’s seizure of power for some depraved Nazi-exclusive reason.  It must also be noted that, on multiple levels, the evangelical brand of Christianity possesses significant overlap with the Deobandi Islamist stylings of the Taliban credo.

Pictured: President Joseph Biden discusses Afghanistan at the White House, Aug. 16, 2021 (Photo: AP/Vucci)

As of late, we have frequently underestimated the capabilities of enemy combatants, and the conclusion of our campaign in Afghanistan is no different: President Biden hugely miscalculated the Taliban’s competence in retaking the nation, citing the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces’ (ANDSF) strength in numbers and superiority in armaments and materiel.  Following the takeover, he even went on to blame the ANDSF’s lack of resolve as a reason for the US-backed regime’s collapse.  While technically true, it also fails to take into account Afghanistan’s nature itself.  In reality, Afghanistan, in contrast to a central federal government such as that of the United States, is very splintered, factional, corruption-ridden, and largely fiercely independent and self-governing, especially amongst Pashtun tribes.  It’s as if Piru and Crip sets spread out over an entire country ... and over several centuries.

Pictured: “NAYBAHOOOOD!” ... now take away the colours, replace every clothing article with shalwar kameez, and turn it up to a cosmic scale, and you have Afghanistan. (Photo: unitedgangs.com)

An additional blunder was approaching the campaign as one would a conventional conflict, something which clearly does not apply to a place as plagued by lawlessness as Afghanistan.  There are largely no clear enemies (or friends, for that matter), and trying to distinguish friend from foe is akin to stabbing a warbling mass of sentient Silly Putty or the weird black goo from Prometheus.  The United States will almost always win in terms of sheer might and overall warfighting acumen, as we are skilled in both conventional and asymmetric warfare, but what can you do when you have no idea who the enemy is?  When the enemy is willing to “wait it out” indefinitely?  Sure, we could literally blow everyone up, but, last I heard, wholesale genocide is a generally frowned-upon activity.

Calling Afghanistan even a Pyrrhic victory seems like an overstatement when you examine the initial mission, our successes, and the final result.  Sure, we got UBL, which was supposedly the entire point of the invasion, but if so, why did we choose to remain for another ten years, wasting a metric asston of resources in the process?  To build a nation?  To soothe our collective ego?

Pictured: Workers construct a road in Afghanistan (Photo: AP/Rahmat Gul)

If one is to build a nation, it requires a decent understanding of and a rapport with the people groups with whom you are dealing.  It is not enough to simply install people who share your particular leanings and instruct them to do what you would do.  It is certainly inadequate to provide arms, training, and funding to people and expect them to do your bidding when shit hits the fan.  This sort of thinking also indirectly implies that we possess some kind of moral authority over the nations we invade.  While our post-war influence has proved positive in some places (Japan, South Korea, Germany, etc.), it does not mean that we should be building nations in every place in which we set foot, especially in a place so volatile and tribalistic as Afghanistan.

I have communicated with a few individuals who insist that President Biden’s withdrawal was too hasty, or that we should just remain in Afghanistan for the foreseeable future.  As much as I am typically revolted by former President Trump and his frequently incoherent word salads, he was right about this particular matter: “The only way they last is if we’re there. What are we going to say? We’ll stay for another 21 years, then we’ll stay for another 50. The whole thing is ridiculous."  Yes ... yes, it is ridiculous to prop up an institution that will collapse instantaneously in our absence.

I am no fan of former Senator Ron Paul, and especially Alex Jones and InfoWars, but Paul is almost completely correct in making this statement.  Ultimately, a militaristic approach to dominance does not pave the way for longevity.  While it is virtually impossible (and infeasible) to return to a 1930s-era isolationist policy, repeated and extended global conflicts only serve to deplete American resources, even if war profiteers have much to gain from it.

Pictured: barbed wire fencing at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. (Photo: me)

Ultimately, rather than rushing pell-mell into unknown and dangerous situations, it is important, especially in this time period, to examine why things went wrong to avoid embroiling ourselves in additional catastrophic and unwinnable debacles such as our Afghanistan conflict.  This is a time for self-reflection, rather than outrage.

|the kid|

[ms-m-astrologer]

Cosmic Events: September 2021

Void of Course Moon

Tuesday, August 31, 22:48 UT (Gemini) - Wednesday, September 1, 05:26 UT (Cancer)

Friday, September 3, 05:37 UT (Cancer) - 15:58 UT (Leo)

Sunday, September 5, 15:22 UT (Leo) - 23:06 UT (Virgo)

Tuesday, September 7, 19:24 UT (Virgo) - Wednesday, September 8, 03:20 UT (Libra)

Friday, September 10, 04:48 UT (Libra) - 06:05 UT (Scorpio)

Sunday, September 12, 05:33 UT (Scorpio) - 08:34 UT (Sagittarius)

Tuesday, September 14, 10:57 UT (Sagittarius) - 11:34 UT (Capricorn)

Thursday, September 16, 05:40 UT (Capricorn) - 15:23 UT (Aquarius)

Saturday, September 18, 09:14 UT (Aquarius) - 22:22 UT (Pisces)

Monday, September 20, 23:55 UT (Pisces) - Tuesday, September 21, 03:13 UT (Aries)

Thursday, September 23, 02:05 UT (Aries) - 12:38 UT (Taurus)

Saturday, September 25, 13:09 UT (Taurus) - Sunday, September 26, 00:36 UT (Gemini)

Tuesday, September 28, 04:18 UT (Gemini) - 13:34 UT (Cancer)

Thursday, September 30, 14:49 UT (Cancer) - Friday, October 1, 00:53 UT (Leo)

Lunar Phases

Friday, September 3, 08:28 UT - Balsamic Moon, 26:03 Cancer

Tuesday, September 7, 00:52 UT - New Moon, 14:38 Virgo

I'm pretty excited about this New Moon: it is exactly trine Uranus Rx/Taurus, so we're going to have all kind of practical (Earth sign) blessings (trine) available to develop. Even better: Virgo's ruler, Mercury/Libra, is in an almost "Star of David" pattern with Juno/Sagittarius, Saturn Rx/Aquarius, Chiron Rx/Aries, and Ceres/Gemini. And, there's a Cardinal t-square (some problem, not a new one, we haven't fixed yet): Venus and Vesta in Libra oppose Eris Rx/Aries, and all are square Pluto Rx/Capricorn. A lot going on....

Friday, September 10, 11:03 UT - Crescent Moon, 2:57 Scorpio

Monday, September 13, 20:39 UT - First Quarter Moon, 21:16 Sagittarius

Friday, September 17, 08:18 UT _ Gibbous Moon, 9:40 Aquarius

Monday, September 20, 23:55 UT - Full Moon, 28:14 Pisces

Friday, September 24, 22:32 UT - Disseminating Moon, 17:05 Taurus

Wednesday, September 29, 01:57 UT - Last Quarter Moon, 6:09 Cancer

Retrograde / Direct / Etc.

Transiting Mercury enters its pre-retrograde shadow on Monday, September 6, at 10:08 Libra; and stations retrograde on Monday, September 27, at 25:28 Libra.

Transiting Ceres/Gemini is in her pre-retrograde shadow all month.

Transiting Pallas Athene/Pisces is retrograde all month.

Transiting Juno/Sagittarius is in her post-retrograde shadow all month.

Transiting Jupiter/Aquarius is retrograde all month.

Transiting Saturn/Aquarius is retrograde all month.

Transiting Chiron/Aries is retrograde all month.

Transiting Uranus/Taurus is retrograde all month.

Transiting Neptune/Pisces is retrograde all month.

Transiting Pluto/Capricorn is retrograde all month.

Transiting Eris/Aries is retrograde all month.

With all the "outer" planets retrograde, plus the Lady Asteroid Pallas Athene, we may not feel very outgoing, or able to get much done in the outer world. Lots of inner work to be done, first. And then Mercury joins in on the 27th! Life will begin to be more outward in October, when Pluto, Saturn, Mercury, and Jupiter all station direct.

Ingresses

Friday, September 10 - transiting Venus enters Scorpio

Wednesday, September 15 - transiting Mars enters Libra

Monday, September 20 - transiting Vesta enters Scorpio

Wednesday, September 22 - transiting Sun enters Libra

That doesn't seem like a lot, does it? Note that we're shifting into a big focus on "partnership" signs, Libra and Scorpio.

Opportunity Periods

Tuesday, September 7, 00:32 UT - 01:32 UT. This is the Virgo New Moon; "if you have something important to start around now, this is a great time to do it."

Thursday, September 9, 22:48 UT - Friday, September 10, 04:48 UT. "An awesome OP for starting new projects, working with groups, promotions, or other things that interest you."

Saturday, September 11, 23:08 UT - Sunday, September 12, 05:33 UT. "Ease your worries during this great OP suitable for anything, from hard work to romance."

Friday, September 17, 16:45 UT - Saturday, September 18, 09:14 UT. "Very versatile OP. Take full advantage of it before Mercury turns retrograde next week."

Monday, September 27, 20:11 UT - Tuesday, September 28, 04:18 UT. "Good OP for relaxing or socializing while the Moon is waning and Mercury is retrograde."

(What, only five? I feel cheated!)

[chinarosy]

Double Dragon Full Moon | October 20, 2021

Double Dragon Full Moon | October 20, 2021

On October 20th at 8:08 AM, PDT Earth has a Full Dragon Moon. This Moon rises at sunset on the horizon at 99% illumination for two nights in a row. The next episode of the Zodiac Muse podcast will be publish in an update soon. Audio Transcript| Double Dragon Full Moon on October 20, 2021 This Full Dragon Moon creates a unique cosmic event to shed light on it’s subjects for two nights, instead…