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reportprime01 · 11 months

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Empowering Growth: The Impact of Growth Marketing Services

Empowering Growth

Introduction

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, achieving sustainable growth is the holy grail for businesses. Growth Marketing Services, offered by Growth Marketing Consultants, Agencies, and Companies, have emerged as the catalysts of this growth. In this blog, we'll delve into the world of Growth Marketing Services, exploring the pivotal roles of Growth Marketing Consultants and Agencies, their services, and the diverse channels they utilize to drive success.

The Essence of Growth Marketing Services

Growth Marketing Services represent a strategic approach to marketing that prioritizes achieving rapid and sustainable growth for businesses. Unlike traditional marketing, which often focuses on individual campaigns, Growth Marketing takes a holistic view of the customer journey, encompassing acquisition, activation, retention, and referral. Here's why Growth Marketing Services have become indispensable:

Data-Driven: Growth Marketing relies on data and analytics to make informed decisions and continuously optimize strategies.

Customer-Centric: Understanding customer behaviors, preferences, and pain points is at the core of Growth Marketing.

Experimentation: Growth Marketers are relentless experimenters, always seeking ways to improve conversion rates and user engagement.

Visit Our Website: https://www.reportprime.com/

Growth Marketing Consultants: The Architects of Success

Growth Marketing Consultants are the visionaries who lead businesses toward growth. They play pivotal roles in:

Data Analysis: Consultants dive into data to identify trends and insights that guide strategic decisions.

Customer Research: Understanding the customer's journey and needs is fundamental. Consultants conduct in-depth research to gain valuable insights.

Experimentation: Consultants design and execute experiments to optimize conversion rates, user engagement, and other critical metrics.

Growth Marketing Services Offered

Growth Marketing Consultants, Agencies, and Companies provide an array of services aimed at achieving accelerated growth:

Customer Acquisition: Crafting strategies for attracting new customers through various channels, including social media advertising and search engine optimization (SEO).

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO): Enhancing the user experience to improve conversion rates on websites and landing pages.

Retention Strategies: Developing tactics to retain existing customers and transform them into loyal advocates.

Email Marketing: Leveraging email campaigns to nurture leads and drive conversions.

Analytics and Reporting: Regularly analyzing data and providing insights that drive decision-making.

The Role of Growth Marketing Agencies and Companies

Growth Marketing Agencies and Companies serve as the driving force behind the successful implementation of Growth Marketing strategies. They bring:

Expertise: Specialized knowledge and experience in Growth Marketing strategies and tactics.

Resources: Access to tools, technologies, and talent necessary for effective execution.

Strategic Planning: Development and execution of comprehensive Growth Marketing plans tailored to the unique needs and goals of businesses.

Learn more about us:https://www.reportprime.com/about

Diverse Growth Marketing Channels

Growth Marketers employ a diverse set of channels to reach and engage target audiences:

Social Media: Utilizing platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to connect with and engage target audiences.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM): Leveraging paid search advertising to achieve prominent visibility in search engine results.

Content Marketing: Creating valuable, relevant content to attract and retain customers.

Email Marketing: Nurturing leads and customers through targeted and personalized email campaigns.

Conclusion

Growth Marketing Services, led by Growth Marketing Consultants and fueled by Growth Marketing Agencies and Companies, are the linchpin of sustainable business growth in the digital age. These services harness data, prioritize customer-centricity, and embrace experimentation to empower businesses.

In conclusion, Growth Marketing Services are not just a trend; they are the driving force behind business success in the modern world. By partnering with Growth Marketing Consultants, Agencies, or Companies, businesses can tap into a wealth of expertise and resources to achieve accelerated and sustainable growth. In an era where data and customer-centricity are paramount, Growth Marketing Services are the catalysts that transform businesses into growth stories.

#Empowering Growth: The Impact of Growth Marketing Services #Introduction #In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing #achieving sustainable growth is the holy grail for businesses. Growth Marketing Services #offered by Growth Marketing Consultants #Agencies #and Companies #have emerged as the catalysts of this growth. In this blog #we'll delve into the world of Growth Marketing Services #exploring the pivotal roles of Growth Marketing Consultants and Agencies #their services #and the diverse channels they utilize to drive success.#The Essence of Growth Marketing Services #Growth Marketing Services represent a strategic approach to marketing that prioritizes achieving rapid and sustainable growth for businesse #which often focuses on individual campaigns #Growth Marketing takes a holistic view of the customer journey #encompassing acquisition #activation #retention #and referral. Here's why Growth Marketing Services have become indispensable:#Data-Driven: Growth Marketing relies on data and analytics to make informed decisions and continuously optimize strategies.#Customer-Centric: Understanding customer behaviors #preferences #and pain points is at the core of Growth Marketing.#Experimentation: Growth Marketers are relentless experimenters #always seeking ways to improve conversion rates and user engagement.#Visit Our Website: https://www.reportprime.com/#Growth Marketing Consultants: The Architects of Success #Growth Marketing Consultants are the visionaries who lead businesses toward growth. They play pivotal roles in:#Data Analysis: Consultants dive into data to identify trends and insights that guide strategic decisions.

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prokopetz · 9 months

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I would super like to know more about your job, because I'be been slowly upskilling/portfolio building to make myself viable for my own dream career, and almost every time I learn something new I see a post on your Tumblr about it.

My day job is one of those ill-defined roles encompassing app development, server and database administration, UI design, technical writing, general consulting, and teaching people how to use the VLOOKUP function in Microsoft Excel. The job title on my business cards just says "wizard", which literally no-one has ever questioned.

#life #work

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reasonsforhope · 9 months

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"The U.S. government is entering a new era of collaboration with Native American and Alaska Native leaders in managing public lands and other resources, with top federal officials saying that incorporating more Indigenous knowledge into decision-making can help spur conservation and combat climate change.

Federal emergency managers on Thursday also announced updates to recovery policies to aid tribal communities in the repair or rebuilding of traditional homes or ceremonial buildings after a series of wildfires, floods and other disasters around the country.

With hundreds of tribal leaders gathering in Washington this week for an annual summit, the Biden administration is celebrating nearly 200 new agreements that are designed to boost federal cooperation with tribes nationwide.

The agreements cover everything from fishery restoration projects in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest to management of new national monuments in the Southwestern U.S., seed collection work in Montana and plant restoration in the Great Smoky Mountains.

“The United States manages hundreds of millions of acres of what we call federal public lands. Why wouldn’t we want added capacity, added expertise, millennia of knowledge and understanding of how to manage those lands?” U.S. Interior Assistant Secretary Bryan Newland said during a panel discussion.

The new co-management and co-stewardship agreements announced this week mark a tenfold increase over what had been inked just a year earlier, and officials said more are in the pipeline.

Newland, a citizen of the Bay Mills Indian Community in northern Michigan, said each agreement is unique. He said each arrangement is tailored to a tribe’s needs and capacity for helping to manage public lands — and at the very least assures their presence at the table when decisions are made.

The federal government is not looking to dictate to tribal leaders what a partnership should look like, he said...

The U.S. government controls more than a quarter of the land in the United States, with much of that encompassing the ancestral homelands of federally recognized tribes...

Tribes and advocacy groups have been pushing for arrangements that go beyond the consultation requirements mandated by federal law.

Researchers at the University of Washington and legal experts with the Native American Rights Fund have put together a new clearinghouse on the topic. They point out that public lands now central to the country’s national heritage originated from the dispossession and displacement of Indigenous people and that co-management could present on opportunity for the U.S. to reckon with that complicated legacy...

In an attempt to address complaints about chronic underfunding across Indian Country, President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed an executive order on the first day of the summit that will make it easier for tribes to find and access grants.

Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told tribal leaders Thursday that her agency [FEMA] began work this year to upgrade its disaster guidance particularly in response to tribal needs.

The Indigenous people of Hawaii have increasingly been under siege from disasters, most recently a devastating fire that killed dozens of people and leveled an entire town. Just last month, another blaze scorched a stretch of irreplaceable rainforest on Oahu.

Tribes in California and Oregon also were forced to seek disaster declarations earlier this year after severe storms resulted in flooding and mudslides...

Criswell said the new guidance includes a pathway for Native American, Alaska Native and Hawaiian communities to request presidential disaster declarations, providing them with access to emergency federal relief funding. [Note: This alone is potentially a huge deal. A presidential disaster declaration unlocks literally millions of dollars in federal aid and does a lot to speed up the response.]

The agency also is now accepting tribal self-certified damage assessments and cost estimates for restoring ceremonial buildings or traditional homes, while not requiring site inspections, maps or other details that might compromise culturally sensitive data."

-via AP, December 7, 2023

#united states #us politics #natural disasters #disaster relief #public lands #land back #indigenous #native american #first nations #indigineous people #sovereignty #president biden #biden administration #hope #good news #land management

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rowanwritestoomuch · 23 days

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How to Create Your Own Symbolism

with rowan

gather round children, I want to tell you about symbolism.

The wall isn't always blue, but when it is, what does it mean to you?

I often see young writers (and even some of us veterans) using symbolism in the most banal ways, simply because they believe they have to. The world said 'we think this thing means such and such' and the writer feels confined within that analysis.

But to be blunt, what if we weren't so anal about it?

What if we, the author, got to decide what exactly a certain motif, a certain quirk, a specific flower, a sound, a sensation, meant more than what it does and it meant exactly what we wanted it to?

We do this through research, as all good things are done. Recently when setting up a scene in my current work, I explored the symbology of flowers for my original plan, and I inserted flora that I was familiar with and felt right. Then I realized I live in Michigan and my characters are standing in a field in Georgia. Oh boy, what a mess. So it was that we must find out what exactly blooms in Georgia, in this particular month (being that of early August). I looked for a long while at various photos and descriptions, percipitation charts and spreadsheets about bloom patterns, and when it was that I found several flowers that aesthetically pleased me, I created a bouquet in my mind. I wanted this scene to encompass the characters in the somber beauty around them. But where to begin figuring out what these flowers mean?

We look first into the meanings that other people lend to these things. We ask the florist 'what does it say when I hand someone a frond of grey goldenrod? Is it different from early goldenrod?' and the answer may surprise you with its affirmative yes. We may consult the spiritualists, 'in what context of ritual do you place this flower on the altar of worship?' and we can consider the metaphor of their response in our own character's interactions. We look to the biologist and we say 'how does this flower exist within our world? What are its strengths--- its weaknesses?' and we ask our characters the same thing.

We then look into ourselves. Can this information we have collected be arranged and placed and fed to the reader in a way that describes what I want to portray? Will I remember to continue to weave those threads, that lasting impression, throughout the text? Does it speak to me with the same rich voice that a symbol should?

Bringing all of this together, before I choose the symbols I was going to use in finality, I reflected on my text. Did the appearance of this blossom fit the color language I have used so far? Will it remind the reader of earlier moments, of foreshadowing I have previously set down, of events that have brought our paths into this moment? Will it be jarring, in the revelation of what deeper meaning I have placed upon it? Will that shock be what I desire?

Often I think we don't ask enough questions, or perhaps, we are not guided to which questions should be asked in order to inspire us. Anything placed within a scene can be a symbol. Make it memorable, make it unique. The walls are blue because she is sad, and we see that throughout the entire body of the text, and never do we forget that those walls are closing in, they are weeping, they are longing, they are cold, they are solitude. The breadth of the text remembers that. And perhaps, in your own way, blue can be happiness, it can be light, it can be like the air, or the calm ocean, or the perwinkle opening its petals to dawn. If only you decide.

Always remember, write because it hurts if you don't.

until next time.

#rowanwrites #creative writing #on writing #writeblr #writing advice #how to write #rowanteaches #writers on tumblr #writing tips #ao3 #symbolism

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callsigns-haze · 5 months

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Out of All: Chp 10

Jake Seresin x OC! Anna Bradshaw

Brothers' Best Friend Series! Follow along as these characters navigate the treacherous waters of love, loyalty, and desire, all while facing the ultimate taboo: falling for your sibling's best friend. From heart-pounding moments to steamy encounters, this series is a rollercoaster of emotions that will keep you hooked until the very end. Brace yourself for intense romantic tension, sizzling chemistry, and enough drama to keep you guessing. Are you ready to embark on this captivating journey?

This chapter includes explicit sexual content with detailed descriptions of sexual activity and intimacy between characters. Scenes depict physical intimacy, including kissing, touching, and biting, with characters described in states of undress. Emotional intensity is explored, encompassing themes of longing, desire, and vulnerability, with brief references to past trauma. Characters may be shown consuming alcoholic beverages, and mature themes such as casual relationships

The soft glow of the afternoon sun filters through the curtains, casting warm hues across your bedroom. You stand in front of your closet, the anticipation of your date with Jake Seresin making your heart flutter with excitement. Jaden lounges on your bed, sprawled out like a lazy cat, his phone in hand as he scrolls through online fashion sites. Jaden is what you'd call your band member, he duets with you and always has his word of say.

With a sigh, you hold up a sleek black dress, its fabric shimmering in the sunlight. "What do you think about this one?"

Jaden glances up briefly, eyes scanning the dress before returning to his phone. "It's nice, but it's a bit too formal for a casual dinner, isn't it? And anyways its not your style."

You nod, acknowledging his point as you carefully hang the dress back in the closet. "Yeah, you're right."

The two of you continue your impromptu fashion consultation, Jaden offering his opinions with the flair of a seasoned stylist. However, as you try on various outfits, Jaden's brows furrow with concern.

"Are you sure about this, peach?" he asks, his tone hesitant. "I mean, Jake? He's not really your type, is he?"

You pause, taken aback by his question. Jaden has always been protective of you, and his concern is touching in its own way. "I know he's not exactly the guy I usually go for," you admit, "but there's something about him. He's different."

Jaden studies you for a moment, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his features. But then he sighs, conceding defeat. "Alright, if you're sure. Just promise me you'll be careful, yeah?"

You offer him a reassuring smile, grateful for his concern. "I promise."

With Jaden's cautious blessing, you settle on a simple yet elegant ensemble. The dress hugs your curves in all the right places, its soft fabric flowing gracefully around you. Jaden sits up, finally taking notice of your choice.

"Ah, there she is," he declares, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "The epitome of charm and grace."

You can't help but laugh at his theatrics, giving him a playful shove. "Oh, please. Stop flattering me. If you keep this up, I might just have to take you out instead."

Jaden chuckles, a playful gleam in his eyes. "Watch out, Seresin. You've got competition."

The light banter between you and Jaden eases the tension, reminding you of the unbreakable bond you share. With a final nod of approval, you finish getting ready, the excitement of the evening ahead bubbling inside you. Jaden watches you with a warm smile, a silent reassurance that no matter what happens, he'll always be there for you. Always.

You and Jake sit in a fancy but calm, Italian restaurant of his choice. You loved Italian food so this was quite the enjoyment. The two of you have already finished your main meals and were finishing off some desserts. You ordered their famous ice-cream donuts while Jake ordered some cheesecake.

He was quite fine dressed. The only times you've ever seen him was in his flight suit, beach shorts or naked. His hair was neatly put, it was slightly gelled and just put to stick in place. He was wearing a clean and rather fancy polo shirt. It was clean and milky white and just fitted right upon him. He wore a pair of light blue casual jeans. They fit him right and shower off his muscles and legs.

You on the other hand were dressed fancy as well. You wore a beige sundress that was coated with flowers at the edge of the bottom and from the waist, upwards to your chest. Your hair was put in a cute, loose bun with your front strands being free.

The two of you have talked for what seemed to be a lifetime. At the start when you met Jake you believed it'd be a one time thing but now, clearly it is not like that anymore. You guys went full, weekly hookup mode and now you were out on a date together.

"You look so beautiful, chick," he whispers into your ear as he takes a free strand of your hair and puts it behind your ear. "And you look rather Handsome, Jake," you say back as the eye contact never breaks as you both sit there. "Still no nickname," he laughs as you were aiming to make you one up.

You lean in closer to him whispering directly in his ear so nobody else could hear, "Actually I have made something up but for now those are mostly suitable in bed." He looks up at you as you say that and he smirks his fancy and usually smirks and whispers to you, "Why is that simple idea making me go hard."

You look at him in awe, inside your jumping up and down and giggling like a teenager but here you have to keep at least the smallest amount of composure. You stare into those beautiful green eyes and lightly lick your lipsticked lips. "You planning on taking me home on the first date, Jake?" He rather laughs at that and leans in to answer you, "Oh come on chick, I've made you cum more than fifty times before this date. It's nothing new."

You blush all up even though it was only you that heard him you felt a small bit like a teenager about to rush home. You never felt this before with a guy and you call over the waiter almost immediately. "I think we're ready for the bill."

As the night air cooled around them, Jake and Anna walked out of the cozy Italian restaurant, their laughter lingering like the taste of the tiramisu they'd shared. The date had been a success—the conversation flowed effortlessly, and sparks danced in the air between them.

Jake offered Anna his arm as they strolled towards his car, a vintage truck that gleamed under the streetlights. With a smile, he opened the door for her, and she slid into the passenger seat, her heart fluttering with excitement.

As they drove through the quiet streets of the city, the soft glow of the street lamps cast a romantic aura around them. Jake glanced over at Anna, her profile illuminated by the dashboard lights, and felt a surge of warmth in his chest.

"So, did you enjoy dinner?" Jake asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them.

Anna turned to him, her eyes sparkling. "I loved it. Thank you for taking me out tonight."

"It was my pleasure," Jake replied, his voice soft with sincerity. "I had a great time too."

They fell into easy conversation, sharing stories and laughter as they navigated the familiar streets towards Anna's and Bradleys house . With each passing moment, Jake felt himself drawn to her more deeply, her presence filling him with a sense of joy he hadn't felt in a long time.

As they reached Anna's building, Jake pulled the car to a stop outside. He turned off the engine but made no move to get out, reluctant to bring the evening to an end.

Anna turned to him, a shy smile playing on her lips. "Thank you for the ride home," she said softly.

Jake reached out, his hand finding hers on the center console. "It was my pleasure," he replied, his voice husky with emotion. "I had a wonderful time tonight."

Their eyes locked, and in that moment, the world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them in their own private universe. Without a word, Jake leaned in closer, his lips meeting Anna's in a tender kiss that spoke volumes of the connection they shared.

A/n: We've never met Jaden before but ughghghgh I love him and his future contribution is BIG🫣

tagging:

@callsign-magnolia

@shanimallina87

@callsign-dexter

@horseslovers2016

@rosiahills22

@djs8891

@hookslove1592

@emma8895eb

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@ahh-chickens

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@drakelover78

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wheregoodthingsthrive · 5 months

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Politicizing Saiyans (but not how you might think)

To think too hard about Saiyans is my job. Especially in the context of what I do- I gotta combine my interests or else I will shrivel up like a sad little plant that hasn't seen the sun for five years nor had water in ten. So, what am I combining now? Dragon Ball and political composition, functions, and apparatuses. For reference, I am a political science student (International Relations and Military Force, specifically) so when I got into Dragon Ball, I was not expecting to be able to identify a minimally shown and explored militaristic galactic despot with vassal states with one said vassal state being a really interesting sketch of a government system so intricately avoided, I can't help but theorize and apply what I consider myself to know a lot about.

This is all personal headcanon and absolute indulgence in my own niche interests in the realms of history, world building, and political science. There is no evidence for easily 1/2 of what's going to be in here but that's how it is. This will probably be a yapping session meant to just. Get my thoughts on Saiyan structure (and Freeza Force application) out into words and hopefully (maybe, preferably) talk to other people who are equally insane about Saiyan/DB universe exploration despite having next to no evidence as to why we think the way we do lol (THIS IS VERY LONG)

I. Government Structural Basics

My favorite... Genuinely. The Saiyans are my political analysis DREAM (just without all the math). Some lore -- the first DB content I was exposed to, in full, was the 2018 Broly movie. Not the best start in terms of canonical timelines and building content from the ground up - BUT - it happened. I was not expecting a shonen manga-anime series to have a movie that opens with such a heavy handed demonstration of a tyrannical despot and vassal state patronage. Maybe I am giving it too much credit but the dictatorial, patrilineal passing of power, so seamlessly avoiding any form of deliberation or consultation we see Cold direct and the disillusioned response of the Saiyans is so so so easy to connect to an empire-vassal dichotomy that I simply cannot help myself. A vassal state, a medieval perfected concept, is a state that is beholden to an empire or superior state's power. A great example would be the Ottoman Empire and the lower cradle of S.E. Europe, feel free to go look it up. The controlled Vegetasei/Planet Vegeta encompasses this definition but ALSO it's more enriched one: "a state with varying degrees of independence in its internal affairs but dominated by another state in its foreign affairs and potentially wholly subject to the dominating state". Vegetasei is a fully functioning monarchy (more on this later, too) that is beholden to the Freeza Force with it's time, resources, militaristic strength, personnel, citizenship, and sovereignty. It functions internally with a significant degree of independence, with external function that benefits solely the dominating state. I think its not really a stretch of the brain to see the empire-vassal patron relationship here. Though we do not know HOW Cold overtook the Saiyans, the assumption of force is reasonable, a common denominator in vassal states. Or, possibly, given the Saiyan values and the expectation of the FF, they were absorbed consensually that then delved into tyrannical patronage. I don't know. This is more of a sketch of my general assumptions and thoughts for this section and a spring board for the deeper explorations of Saiyan politics.

II. Vegetasei: The Oppressive Oppressed Vassal State

Now that we've established the relationship at the core of Saiyans and their lizardy occupant, I can get into the specifics. More of my favorite thing to do! I see much discussion of the treatment of Saiyans by the Cold Dynasty but not much on the condition of Vegetasei's internal workings and authoritative structure. Which is strange as I feel the political condition of the Saiyans is just as conducive to character arcs like Vegeta's or motivations like King Vegeta's as the subjugation conducted by the Force is. So, what is Vegetasei's political composition? What makes the Saiyans, especially their prince and king, behave the way they do? Bear with me. The Saiyans are a monarchical meritocracy with values of militarism and rigid, hierarchical social cohesion philosophy. That's a lot of words. Too bad I'm going to make you read (understand) them!

III. Monarchical

This one is self explanatory but I am a yapper so yap about it I must! Saiyans are a monarchy. Wow. Shocker. But I would like to propose that the Saiyans function as a faux-mixed absolutist monarchy with hereditary expectation but is prone to socially acceptable coup d'état. Let's get some more defining out of the way. A faux-mixed absolutist monarchy is my own proposed hybrid of a mixed and absolutist monarchical structure.

Mixed: a form of government that combines elements of democracy, aristocracy and monarchy ostensibly making impossible their respective degenerations which are conceived in Aristotle's Politics as anarchy, oligarchy and tyranny.

Absolute: a form of monarchy in which the monarch rules in their own right or power. In an absolute monarchy, the king or queen is by no means limited and has absolute power.

Okay. So. We can see throughout many flashbacks to Vegetasei in its heyday that King Vegeta was surrounded by what looks like a council or military posse, constantly. He has a consultative court that, really, has no authority and might just be there for political bluff and show/posturing. We see matters of science, military, and general royal court procedures be present in King Vegeta's assembly. Paragus is described as a "colonel", implying there is a military hierarchy that spills out beneath the king. There is also a blue-cloaked Saiyan who speaks openly to King Vegeta about denying Freeza's request for the prince. Additionally, there are instances of scientists talking openly about the prince's incapacity compared to Broly to the king's face and live. So, given these, it seems these positions are places of legitimate prestige but hold no sway in political construction. Thus, I'd argue there are political apparatuses and institutional bodies placed beneath the king, who will ultimate say over them. I've included what I think the Saiyan monarchy is structured like (it's pretty rudimentary but I am not going for 100% depth*):

*You can see I denote that the presence of children makes or breaks minor positioning in the upper caste of the royal family/echelon of Saiyans. I think posterity is very important. Read more slightly below.

On top of being absolutist, I'd like to argue that the monarchy has "hereditary expectations [and susceptibility] to socially acceptable coup d'état". What do I mean by this? I believe it is pretty easy to assume that the Saiyan monarchy (given its corrupt maintenance) is held by the House of Vegeta/Court of Vegeta, depending on who you ask. I make the assumption on calling it the HOUSE OF VEGETA because of the familial name. Often, royal families are defined by the names inherited by its members (i.e. the Brits). With our prince of all Saiyans Vegeta being the fourth in his lineage, I think it is safe for me to assume this condition. From there, I work under the idea that the right of the king is passed down from parent -> child (assumedly father -> son if we look at what we have so far in canon. I would assume the same value is placed on females and that females can inherit the title of queen/whatever their female equivalent is from their father's or sole maternal parent. That's a whole other essay. Sexual dimorphism does not equal sexism but anyways). So, that covers the standard understanding of familial/hereditary expectations. Right? Sure. Hang tight. I think an important thing to note is that we never see or hear (as far as I know, please correct me if I am wrong) Vegeta call Trunks or Bulla by any term of royal value. Therefore, I'd like to make the argument that even if the royal tie is carried from generation to generation, there is only the expectation of royalty found in blood, not instant ordainment. This is where socially acceptable coups come in.

Vegeta says in the Broly 2018 movie (much to my dismay, this version is so much worse) that, upon the death of his father, "[he'll] never get to be King Vegeta" (paraphrasing). While this is a poorly written throw away line, pair it with how Vegeta never, ever refers to himself as king. Always prince. He will forever be the prince. Even Freeza observes this, albeit with malicious intent. I'd like to argue then that Vegeta, as the son of the king, is expected to fight for and win his position as king or to be purposefully given it by his father but because he can never be properly ordained/crowned as king, he is stuck as prince, dooming his lineage to never receive the rightful processes to accept their blood's expectation. This is how multiple families can compete for the throne. Should a blood-obligated child of the king fail to ascend (either by coup/force or by selection by their father), a rival family or individual can swoop in and compete for the inheritance of the throne. And how do they compete and validate their ascension to a throne that belonged to a different family? Merit. How does a son/daughter usurp, be granted, or claw their way to the throne? Merit. Which Segways perfectly into the next part of Saiyan structure!

IV. Meritocracy

Much like it's empirical controller, Vegetasei is so merit based it almost hurts. A meritocracy asserts that a government is ruled/power is held by individuals "selected on the basis of their ability". Further, "advancement in such a system is based on performance, as measured through examination or demonstrated achievement". A meritocracy also asserts that the accumulation of wealth, power, and influence is concentrated in those who are higher valued by the society itself. This I think is pretty well explained by the privilege and value placed upon those with higher power levels. Their concept of merit (as per Vegeta's narration and understanding of Saiyan culture, excusing any inconsistencies or indoctrination for a moment) is constructed on a few things: pride, capability, born caliber, and execution of these elements. The concept of these merits runs so deep in Saiyan culture that it runs BOTH ways in terms of power capacity: too weak is seen as a weakness that must be exterminated or exiled while also too powerful is seen as a danger to the fabric of society (i.e. the arrangement of power). So, merit is a double edged sword to Saiyan society and this facet of danger is increased by the Force's regime. Merit manifests itself in very different ways (that I will get to in later sections) but the important foundation here is that due to being a meritocracy, there is NO trickle down political or societal gain from the monarchy. There is only a frantic scramble up. If you are too weak, you must scathe by if you have not already been disgraced. Too strong? Either hope it's beneficial to the society or that the Force or the crown does not consider you a threat. Either way, whether you're run of the mill or an outlier in power level, the merit of your Saiyan Traits is what gets you anywhere. What I find interesting is that there is evidence that implies societal climbing while also hinging on NO social movement due to power levels being seemingly fixed at birth (or at least very early in life). I find this interesting-- in the OG Broly movie, we see the explanation that baby's power levels are observed and in the 2018 Broly movie, its implied birth power levels dictate not just what you're going to do, but how valuable you are and if you're even worth keeping on the planet.

I think the best exploration of this can be in Tarble. Despite the dubiousness of his canonicity, I find it particularly insightful that even a prince was not given the chance to be cultivated into a power house but rather nigh instantly abandoned due to two perceived faults in the classifications of merit:

No born caliber (low or untapped PL)

No capability (implied gentle spirit)

I think it also goes to show that the higher up you go in the society, the more a low PL matters to the merit of who the child is associated with. We can get more into this in the social hierarchy part but compare Tarble's position and fate with, let's say, Gine. Very different-- but the common thing is that the traits of merit are not exhibited to societal standards, garnering a societal ruling of less value, paid in either exiling or low-level societal jobs.

So, tangent aside, let's break this down in the last two categories of my aforementioned word soup of Saiyan political structure.

V. Militarism

Y'all could see this one coming. Militarism is classically defined as "the belief or the desire of a government or a people that a state should maintain a strong military capability and to use it aggressively to expand national interests and/or values." In political science (polsci), this extends into a school of thought called Realism, establishing the "security dilemma". While I do not think the full extent of this sketch of realism 100% applies to Saiyan political composition, I think it matters. Realism is defined by a few characteristics: the world is inherently anarchic, state actors are the main actors, and the security dilemma. The security dilemma asserts that a state must continue to bolster, improve, and better its militaristic prowess and power projection to defend itself and assert its own power as other states assumedly do/feel the same. Sound familiar? Security dilemma literally got the Saiyans slaughtered. Toriyama somehow managed to put the inklings of realism in an anime about a monkey boy who punches things. Anyways.

Saiyan societal structure is ALL ABOUT your place in the MILITARY, both in respects to the internal/domestic and to the foreign/Freeza employment. Let's focus on the domestic for a moment. The Saiyan Armed Forces is spearheaded by the House of Vegeta, maintained as a separate but maintained branch of the FF. The initial description of ranks were "Elites" and "low-class", showing merit assessed structure. It is a seemingly compulsory army, with some form of required service and with no retirement save for types of dishonorable discharges (example: Gine or...dying). The army is the backbone of Saiyan society, functioning on multiple levels of society and with a great menagerie of apparatuses for conducting operations. The army is dedicated to accumulation of resources, no matter the position. This is where the security dilemma assembles itself in the sketch of the army -- its entire purpose is to Saiyan bolstering (until it is commandeered by the CF/FF). The accumulation of planets, races, trade routes, resources (foodstuffs, raw goods, etc.) is the main goal of the army and the main identity-giver of any soldier. They also practice realism in that the army inherently treats ANY opposition as inherently anti-Saiyan (anarchic) and works on behalf of the state solely (state actors). I don't have too much to really say about the military given its pretty self explanatory nature. I think it's a perfect microcosm of the meritocracy and...omg...VASSAL STATE IS BACK!!!! GOSH THE ARMY IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF VASSAL/EMPIRE PATRONAGE.

As defined earlier, the vassal is subjected to the empire with "foreign affairs". The Saiyan army is its biggest hand in the international galactic arena, a force to be reckoned with and a force that is KNOWN for its impartialness in imperial conquest. The commandeering of a nation's foreign muscle is the perfect move for a vassal-owning and -employing empire. The control of the army is the swiftest, most effective move to undermine the Saiyan monarchy, society, and cultural values as the military is, was, and continues to be the Saiyan's "everything". By absorbing the army, the Cold Army/Freeza Force effectively paralyzed the Saiyans, making them MORE than beholden to the empire in that by controlling their strongest apparatus of control, the average Saiyan can do nothing without the FF. Another interesting note (that is a small tangent)-- it's fascinating how the CA/FF manages surveillance given the vastness of space and the hostile/temperamental nature of the Saiyans and their warlike inclination: the Scouters. The establishment that the Scouters LISTEN is so so so smart for a despot empire to put into place! It's very 1984 and establishes some control on the... drum roll please...next section!

Everything in this point is a little more out of my amateur "expertise" as it deals more with sociological domestic policy than military/IR so, it'll probably make less sense.

VI. Rigid, hierarchical social cohesion philosophy

Saiyan social structure is given to us very clearly, by multiple sources, and it seems to be handled with quite the lot of animosity. Social cohesion is "the strength of relationships and the sense of solidarity among members of a community" and is often identifiable by a community's social capital. Social capital is the basic trust, foundation, and interactions within a society permitting it to function. Social cohesion is upheld by the following facets: a sense of belonging, social relations, and an orientation towards the common good. The question now becomes -- Grace, if you're trying to say Saiyans have social cohesion, how can that coexist with animosity and competitive merit? Great question. I would like to posit that Saiyan social cohesion relies on this push-pull of merit, competition, and the pride of a conditional brotherhood rather than the cut and dry, earthly expectations of social cohesion. Let's walk through these real quick! (I must avoid making this another 2k words long). Sense of belonging: Saiyan's are described by Paragus in Broly 2018 as generally untrustworthy. They are backstabbing, power-hungry, violent cages of people. Yet, Saiyan pride (and the merit of it, see the follow through?) is what ties them all together. The sense of belonging perhaps doesn't come from actual, well-cultivated cohesion but rather their species identity in BEING a Saiyan, not BEING IN COMMUNITY. I have a lot of thoughts about how Saiyans are more tribal beings than they'd admit but that's another essay that cannot be tacked onto this one. We much stay focused, brothers. Social relations: Relationships and familial ties do exist in Saiyan society, though they don't seem to manifest in an exact one-to-one way as per Earth standards. I, as per earlier, argued there is power in the blood line and I think that rings true throughout the general society. Looking at how Goku is more often referred to as "Bardock's son" over anything else or how Vegeta is a seemingly patrilineal name, I'm going to make the leap that paternal line determines a lot of social relationships. They are maintained by fatherhood, power levels (a low enough PL can result in the bloodline 'dying', cause of death: disgrace), and a militaristic aspect of brotherhood over blood in most occasions. Orientation towards the common good: Don't let "common good" distract you- a common good can be anything the society agrees is good. So, what do Saiyans conclude as good? Conquest, war/conflict, victory, kill counts, strength, power of the people, power of the Saiyan, power in general. This is once again where merit-competition and cohesion interact- yes, one would want to ascend ranks, to claim victories, to pursue power, but can one do that alone all the time? Possibly. Vegeta sure does think so, but he seems to only act on this value when Nappa becomes useless to him. Use is a common good, purpose is a common good. Your fellow brother, your fellow warrior, etc. has purpose when the two of you can bring forth Saiyan glory. It's a temporary arrangement but one nonetheless.

All of these things though are maintained by societal structure. It is the rigid social hierarchy that encourages social cohesion and the subversive method of turning animosity into brotherhood and vice versa given the need at the time. The distance of the monarch, a seemingly untouchable governor, seems to imply also that these societal structures are upheld by the populous but made 'perfected' by the monarchy. A monarchy that wants to maintain power will cause controlled discord within its own state so that any transmission of power seems either 1. Improbable/dangerous (highly likely due to FF occupation) 2. Not needed because the leader provides some type of stability. I could argue that the social cohesion of Saiyans relies on a strange form of Diversionary War Theory. Diversionary Way Theory states that "unpopular leaders generate foreign policy crises to both divert the public's attention away from the discontent with their rule and bolster their political fortunes through a rally around the flag effect." I believe this is more of a...Diversionary Social Theory. With the society so folded in on itself for merit and competition, the king can maintain power for his line alone by altering it, looking at different social conflicts (low PLs, Frieza Force encroachment, etc.) rather than surrender powers. Sounds corrupt. I know. That leads me to my final facet of Saiyan political structure.

A little more back into my expertise, briefly.

VII. Corruption

I am sure you all knew I'd get to this to some extent. To say the Saiyans are void of corruption would be a fool's statement. I think there are two main forms of corruption seen in Saiyan society.

Despot maintenance of power

Society-induced and maintained methods of population/defection culling

Despot maintenance of power

A despot is an often tyrannical leader with a monopoly on power. Despotism is the "form of government in which a single entity rules with absolute power. Normally, that entity is an individual, the despot, but societies which limit respect and power to specific groups have also been called despotic." In writing this, I've realized that the Saiyans are equally despotic but geez I am too far into this to add ANOTHER section so a definition is all you will have to settle for. King Vegeta is a an active despot. I don't think this is a dramatic statement. He is shown to remove opposition, going to the lengths of infanticide and murder to do so. He antagonizes his specialists who dare question the legitimacy/efficacy of his lineage. He makes deadly errors in foreign policy by stationing snipers at Frieza at the risk (and expense) of their lives. He targets his own son and banishes him as an exile, completely intended to kill him in the long run. King Vegeta is losing 0-2 in trying to not kill babies/kids. I don't have much else on this subsection due to its pretty straightforward nature and political gain. In both Broly movies albeit for...weirdly different reasons...the King argues that the murder of Broly (and subsequently Paragus) is justified because it 1) ensures the social and political status quo, 2) muddles the waters on proving or accusing Vegeta's house in intending to not relinquish power even on correct merit values, and 3) shows how he, in general, is unwilling to admit defeat and hold onto power.

2. Society-induced and maintained methods of population/defection culling

This is touched on briefly in the aforementioned social cohesion section. Culling is the method of killing the population of a wild animal to preserve its maintainability. Saiyans practice this with different principles at its core; I believe it is simply an unsaid, dark reality for the majority of the media due to its reach and aimed audience. However, where we do see glimpses of infanticide with the goal to protect the purity of strength in Saiyan numbers. Goku's PL is a concern. Him being a runt or being behind on schedule seems to be an issue, even if minimally stated. Broly's PL is a threat. Tarble is a royal liability. All of these seem to be justifiable reasons to straight up KILL them (or at least exile them from the population with an understood mortality rate). Now, Raditz seems to be an exception but I'll argue that he serves as a necessary low-PL canon fodder for more powerful members society. That is a more social cohesion point that I could've included but my lanta guys this thing is long enough. The society itself seems to maintain this principle - whether you HC there being a governmental agency observing infants power levels as the OG Broly movie would imply (which is interesting in and of itself looking at it through a bureaucratic apparatus lens). Monarchy perfects, society maintains in striving for that perfection due to merit competition, value of the patrilineal line, and a cohesive idea of Saiyan pride on a general societal level.

VIII. Conclusion

The Saiyans are a monarchical + despotic meritocracy with values of militarism and rigid, hierarchical social cohesion philosophy.

I hope now that we've reached the end, this contributes something of at least SOME merit to the discussions and long text-posts I've been seeing floating around DB tumblr recently. I think smashing my degree and Dragon Ball together might've killed all my braincells but at least I can exhibit to my professor that I understand a majority of what I've been putting thousands of dollars to to learn.

I am not responsible for any typos or misspelling; y'all figure it out.

Takes the heaviest breath ever. I'm going to stop here-- it is finals season and I have a test over US foreign policy tomorrow. Yap session: OVER.

PLEASE INTERACT WITH THIS DB OVERTHINKERS PLEASE.

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grey-sorcery · 1 year

Text

Title: Herbology: Medicine & Correspondences

Suggested Reading

Correspondences Biases in Witchcraft Researching Witchcraft What is Witchcraft? Conceptualization Vs. Visualization Beginner Witchtips

Disclaimer:

The information in this article is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Herbology and herbal medicine carry risks and should be approached with caution. Individual circumstances and reactions may vary, so consulting a qualified healthcare practitioner is essential. I do not guarantee the accuracy or reliability of the information and are not liable for any damages. Personal responsibility, thorough research, and evaluating sources are important. Herbal remedies can interact with medications and have contraindications. Discontinue use and seek medical attention if needed. Recommendations in this article are not endorsements of specific products or practices.

What is Herbology and Herbal Correspondence?

"Herbology" in English

(hɜːrˈbɑlədʒi, ɜːr-)

NOUN

"the study or collecting of herbs."

Herbal correspondences encompass the intricate relationship between plants and their metaphysical properties. Herbology, as a discipline, delves into the study of herbs for their medicinal applications. Herbology and herbal correspondences hold substantial significance across diverse cultural, historical, and magical traditions. These practices have evolved over centuries, drawing upon the wisdom and experiences of different societies. From ancient civilizations to modern holistic approaches, the use of herbs has played a vital role in healing, rituals, and cultural beliefs. Herbology and herbal correspondences share common elements, yet they differ in their approaches and purposes, which are shaped by cultural, historical, and magical contexts.

While both herbology and herbal correspondences deal with the properties and applications of plants, they diverge in their underlying principles, intentions, and methods. By examining the cultural, historical, and magical contexts surrounding these practices, we can gain a deeper understanding of their similarities and distinctions.

Correspondence

Herbal correspondences are integral to magical rituals, spellwork, and ceremonies, offering a means of aligning with desired outcomes and creating a sacred atmosphere. By assigning specific plants with symbolic meanings, energetic qualities, or intentions, practitioners tap into the attributes of herbs to enhance their magical practices. For instance, purification rituals may incorporate herbs symbolizing the removal of negative energies or the establishment of harmony. Burning herbs as offerings or for energetic transformation is a common practice in magical rituals. The selection of herbs is guided by their correspondences, aligning their energetic properties with the intentions of the ritual.

In spellwork, herbs are utilized to amplify the potency of spells, drawing on their symbolic associations and energetic resonance. Incorporating herbal correspondences allows practitioners to establish a deeper connection with the natural world and access its metaphysical powers. Cultural and historical contexts have shaped these correspondences, resulting in symbolic associations between herbs and qualities, elements, planets, or deities. Different traditions have developed their unique systems of correspondences, reflecting their perspectives and mythologies.

Herbal correspondences serve ritualistic and ceremonial purposes across various traditions. Specific herbs are chosen based on their symbolic attributes and perceived energetic qualities. For example, herbs associated with protection are employed to ward off negative influences. Although the effectiveness of correspondences may vary subjectively, they provide a framework for intention-setting and ritual practices, fostering a connection with nature and the spiritual realm. Symbolism plays a significant role in herbal correspondences, linking herb qualities to broader concepts or archetypal representations. An herb symbolizing vitality and growth, for instance, may represent renewal or the life force itself.

Herbal correspondences exhibit notable variations across different magical traditions and cultural contexts. Magical practitioners and spiritual communities develop their systems of correspondences, drawing from cultural, mythological, and occult traditions. The associations between herbs and planetary influences, for instance, may differ between Western astrology and Vedic astrology. Elemental correspondences assigned to herbs also vary based on specific magical traditions or cultural belief systems. These variations reflect the diversity of magical practices and cultural perspectives worldwide. In ancient Egypt, for example, herbal correspondences were an integral part of their medical and religious systems. The Ebers Papyrus, an ancient Egyptian medical text dating back to 1550 BCE, contains extensive information on herbal medicines and their correspondences. Specific herbs such as frankincense and myrrh were associated with purification rituals and religious ceremonies in ancient Egyptian culture. These correspondences held deep cultural significance and were believed to invoke specific energies or deities. Different regions and traditions within Europe developed their systems of correspondences based on local flora, cultural beliefs, and astrological influences. For instance, in English folk magic, St. John's wort was associated with protection against evil spirits and was often used in rituals during the summer solstice celebrations. In Scandinavian folk traditions, elderberry was considered a protective herb and was used to ward off negative influences.

15 Examples of Herbal Correspondences:

These correspondences are pulled from various online sources and are open for interpretation or modification.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) Correspondences: Calming, purification, love, sleep, peace

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Correspondences: Protection, memory, clarity, purification

Sage (Salvia officinalis) Correspondences: Wisdom, cleansing, clarity, healing

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) Correspondences: Divination, psychic abilities, astral travel, dreams

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Correspondences: Prosperity, abundance, love, protection

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) Correspondences: Relaxation, peace, purification, sleep

Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) Correspondences: Grounding, sensuality, wealth, fertility

Cedar (Cedrus spp.) Correspondences: Protection, purification, grounding, strength

Frankincense (Boswellia spp.) Correspondences: Spirituality, meditation, purification, consecration

Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha) Correspondences: Healing, transformation, protection, banishing negativity

Jasmine (Jasminum spp.) Correspondences: Love, sensuality, spirituality, divination

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) Correspondences: Healing, courage, psychic powers, protection

Sandalwood (Santalum spp.) Correspondences: Meditation, spirituality, healing, purification

Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) Correspondences: Energy, mental clarity, purification, protection

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) Correspondences: Divination, psychic abilities, astral travel, dreams

Herbal Medicine

Herbology encompasses a multidisciplinary approach that combines elements of botany, pharmacology, chemistry, and traditional knowledge. It involves the systematic study of plants, including their chemical composition, physiological effects, and therapeutic potential. Practitioners of herbology seek to harness the medicinal properties of herbs to promote health, alleviate ailments, and restore balance within the body. Throughout history, herbology has been central to various civilizations and cultural traditions. Ancient cultures such as those in Egypt, China, and India developed rich herbal knowledge systems. They documented the healing properties of plants and incorporated them into medical practices, religious rituals, and cultural customs. Over time, this knowledge expanded, influenced by trade routes, exploration, and the exchange of ideas between cultures. Herbology encompasses a wide range of practical applications, including the preparation of herbal remedies, tinctures, teas, and poultices. Different herbs possess specific medicinal properties, such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, analgesic, or digestive effects. Traditional herbalists carefully select and combine herbs based on their observed actions and the desired therapeutic outcomes. This holistic approach aims to support the body's innate healing abilities and address the root causes of imbalance or disease.

Practitioners of herbology employ systematic observation, clinical trials, and scientific analysis to understand the chemical composition, physiological effects, and therapeutic potential of herbs. The primary purpose of herbology is to develop evidence-based remedies and treatment protocols for improving health and alleviating ailments.

15 Examples of Herbal Medicinal Remedies:

1. Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)

Usage: Immune system support, common cold, respiratory infections Active Chemicals: Alkylamides, polysaccharides Health Warnings: Possible allergic reactions, may interact with immunosuppressant drugs Metabolized in: Liver

2. Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

Usage: Anti-inflammatory, digestive aid, antioxidant Active Chemicals: Curcuminoids, especially curcumin Health Warnings: Potential interactions with blood-thinning medications, high doses may cause digestive upset Metabolized in: Liver

3. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)

Usage: Sleep aid, anxiety relief, relaxation Active Chemicals: Valerenic acid, valepotriates Health Warnings: May cause drowsiness, avoid alcohol and sedatives, long-term use should be monitored Metabolized in: Liver

4. St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

Usage: Mild to moderate depression, mood disorders Active Chemicals: Hypericin, hyperforin Health Warnings: Interactions with certain medications, increased sensitivity to sunlight, may cause gastrointestinal symptoms Metabolized in: Liver

5. Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Usage: Digestive aid, nausea relief, anti-inflammatory Active Chemicals: Gingerols, shogaols Health Warnings: Higher doses may cause heartburn or stomach upset, caution in individuals with gallstones or bleeding disorders Metabolized in: Liver

6. Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)

Usage: Digestive disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, headache relief Active Chemicals: Menthol, menthone Health Warnings: Safe for most people when used in moderation, may cause heartburn or allergic reactions in some individual Metabolized in: Liver

7. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)

Usage: Relaxation, sleep aid, digestive disorders Active Chemicals: Apigenin, chamazulene Health Warnings: Possible allergic reactions, caution in individuals taking anticoagulant medications Metabolized in: Liver

8. Garlic (Allium sativum)

Usage: Cardiovascular health, immune system support, antimicrobial Active Chemicals: Allicin, alliin Health Warnings: May interact with certain medications, caution in individuals with bleeding disorders or upcoming surgeries Metabolized in: Liver

9. Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.)

Usage: Cardiovascular health, high blood pressure, heart failure Active Chemicals: Flavonoids, proanthocyanidins Health Warnings: Caution in individuals taking cardiac medications, may cause mild gastrointestinal symptoms Metabolized in: Liver

10. Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens)

Usage: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), urinary symptoms Active Chemicals: Fatty acids, phytosterols Health Warnings: Rare reports of gastrointestinal upset, caution in individuals with hormone-sensitive conditions Metabolized in: Liver

11. Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)

Usage: Cognitive function, memory enhancement, circulatory disorders Active Chemicals: Flavonoids, terpene lactones Health Warnings: May interact with certain medications, caution in individuals with bleeding disorders Metabolized in: Liver

12. Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)

Usage: Liver support, detoxification, hepatitis Active Chemicals: Silymarin, flavonolignans Health Warnings: Generally well-tolerated, rare reports of mild gastrointestinal upset, caution in individuals with ragweed allergies Metabolized in: Liver

13. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Usage: Liver support, digestion, diuretic, inflammation Active Chemicals: sesquiterpene lactones, taraxasterol (TS), taraxerol, chlorogenic acid Health Warnings: Generally safe, caution in individuals with gallbladder problems or certain medications Metabolized in: Liver

14. Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus)

Usage: Respiratory conditions, cough, congestion Active Chemicals: Eucalyptol, cineole Health Warnings: Caution in individuals with asthma or epilepsy, avoid internal use in large quantities Metabolized in: Liver

15. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

Usage: Relaxation, anxiety relief, sleep aid Active Chemicals: Linalool, linalyl acetate Health Warnings: Generally safe, may cause allergic reactions in some individuals Metabolized in: Liver

Please note that the information provided is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or magical advice. It's always recommended to consult with a qualified healthcare professional before using herbal remedies.

Researching Herbal Medicines

To properly dose herbal medicines and ensure safe and effective usage, a systematic and informed approach should be followed. Here are the steps to consider:

1. Research Active Constituents:

Begin by studying the active constituents present in the herb of interest. Understanding the chemical compounds responsible for its medicinal properties can provide insights into appropriate dosage ranges and potential variations across different processing methods.

2. Analyze Extraction Efficiency:

Different processing methods yield varying levels of extraction efficiency. For example, teas and tinctures involve different extraction processes and result in varying concentrations and bioavailability of active compounds. Take into account these differences when determining dosages.

3. Evaluate Concentration and Standardization:

The concentration of active constituents in the final herbal product may vary depending on the processing method. For instance, tinctures often have higher concentrations of active compounds compared to teas. Consider the concentration and standardization of the herbal preparation when determining the appropriate dosage.

4. Assess Bioavailability:

Bioavailability refers to the extent and rate at which active compounds are absorbed and become available for biological activity. Different processing methods can impact the bioavailability of herbal constituents. Some methods may enhance absorption and bioavailability, while others may reduce it. Consider the potential impact of bioavailability on dosing and adjust accordingly.

5. Consider Route of Administration:

Different processing methods lead to varying routes of administration. For example, teas are typically ingested orally, while salves are applied topically. Recognize that the route of administration can influence the required dosage as absorption, distribution, and metabolism may differ.

6. Evaluate Dosage Recommendations:

Consult reliable sources, such as herbal medicine textbooks or reputable publications, that provide dosage recommendations specific to different processing methods. These sources may offer general guidelines or empirical data regarding appropriate dosages for each form of herbal medicine.

7. Start with Low Doses:

When using a new processing method or preparing a different form of herbal medicine, it is advisable to start with a low dose and gradually increase as needed. This approach allows for monitoring individual responses and helps identify any potential adverse effects.

8. Monitor Individual Response:

Pay close attention to individual reactions and adjust dosages as necessary. Keep track of changes in symptoms, effectiveness, or adverse effects. This self-monitoring allows for personalized optimization of dosage based on individual needs and responses.

By following these steps and considering factors such as active constituents, extraction efficiency, concentration, bioavailability, route of administration, dosage recommendations, starting with low doses, and monitoring individual responses, one can ensure a systematic and informed approach to herbal medicine dosing.

Toxicology

When studying herbal medicine, it is essential to gain knowledge about herbal chemical/drug interactions, avoiding worsening preexisting health conditions, and understanding the impact of metabolism. The following resources offer valuable insights into herbal dosing, interactions, and precautions:

- "Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine" by David Hoffmann

- "The Master Book of Herbalism" by Paul Beyerl

- "Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects" edited by Iris F. F. Benzie and Sissi Wachtel-Galor

- "Herbal Medicines: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals" by Joanne Barnes, Linda A. Anderson, and J. David Phillipson

- "Textbook of Natural Medicine" by Joseph E. Pizzorno and Michael T. Murray

(Some free reference materials are sited further down)

Considering the potential interactions or worsening of health conditions, it is crucial to be aware of common herbs that may pose risks. Here are some examples along with their potential interactions or effects on health conditions:

1. St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum):

May interact with antidepressants, anticoagulants, and oral contraceptives.

2. Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba):

Can increase bleeding risk and interact with anticoagulants, antiplatelet drugs, and certain antidepressants.

3. Garlic (Allium sativum):

May enhance the anticoagulant effects of medications like warfarin.

4. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis):

Can potentiate the sedative effects of medications like benzodiazepines and antidepressants.

5. Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra):

May affect blood pressure and interact with diuretics, corticosteroids, and medications metabolized by the liver.

6. Kava (Piper methysticum):

Has potential interactions with sedatives, anxiolytics, and medications metabolized by the liver.

7. Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.):

Can interact with cardiac medications and enhance their effects.

8. Yohimbe (Pausinystalia yohimbe):

May have significant interactions with medications for high blood pressure and erectile dysfunction.

Consulting with healthcare professionals or herbalists can help evaluate the safety and appropriateness of herbal remedies for specific health conditions.

The potential toxicity of herbal medicines is an important consideration when using them for therapeutic purposes. Understanding the various types of toxicity associated with herbal remedies allows for better identification and management of adverse effects. Monitoring for signs and symptoms specific to each category of toxicity, such as hepatotoxicity, neurotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, pulmonary toxicity, and dermatotoxicity, enables timely intervention and the promotion of safe herbal medicine use. It is crucial to remain vigilant, assess individual responses, and consult healthcare professionals when any signs of toxicity arise. By prioritizing safety and informed usage, the benefits of herbal medicines can be maximized while minimizing the risks associated with their potential toxic effects. 1. Hepatotoxicity:

Hepatotoxicity refers to the toxic effects on the liver caused by certain herbal medicines. It occurs when the liver is exposed to toxic compounds present in herbal remedies, leading to liver damage. The liver plays a vital role in metabolism, detoxification, and the synthesis of essential molecules. When herbal medicines containing hepatotoxic substances are metabolized in the liver, they can cause cellular injury and disrupt liver function. Signs of hepatotoxicity may include jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), abdominal pain, dark urine, fatigue, and elevated liver enzymes in blood tests.

2. Neurotoxicity:

Neurotoxicity is the toxicity that affects the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. Some herbal medicines may contain neurotoxic compounds that, when metabolized, can interfere with normal neuronal function and lead to neurological damage. Signs of neurotoxicity may vary depending on the specific herb and its mechanism of action but can include dizziness, confusion, seizures, numbness or tingling in extremities, muscle weakness, and impaired coordination.

3. Cardiotoxicity:

Cardiotoxicity refers to the adverse effects of herbal medicines on the cardiovascular system, particularly the heart. Certain herbs contain cardiotoxic constituents that, when metabolized, can disrupt the normal electrical activity of the heart or cause damage to cardiac cells. Cardiotoxicity can manifest as irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias), chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, and fluid retention.

4. Nephrotoxicity:

Nephrotoxicity involves the toxicity of herbal medicines to the kidneys. When herbal remedies containing nephrotoxic compounds are metabolized, they can damage kidney cells and impair their normal functioning. Signs of nephrotoxicity may include decreased urine output, swelling in the extremities, high blood pressure, electrolyte imbalances, and elevated creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels in blood tests.

5. Pulmonary toxicity:

Pulmonary toxicity refers to the adverse effects of herbal medicines on the respiratory system, particularly the lungs. Certain herbs may contain pulmonary toxicants that, when metabolized, can cause inflammation, damage lung tissues, or disrupt normal lung function. Signs of pulmonary toxicity may include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest pain, and abnormal lung function test results.

6. Dermatotoxicity:

Dermatotoxicity is the toxicity that affects the skin. Some herbal medicines may contain compounds that, when metabolized, can induce adverse skin reactions. This can manifest as allergic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, photosensitivity, or skin irritation. Signs of dermatotoxicity may include redness, itching, rash, blistering, swelling, and skin discoloration.

It is important to note that the occurrence of toxicity within each category can vary depending on factors such as the dosage, duration of use, individual susceptibility, and interactions with other medications or substances. Identifying signs of toxicity requires careful monitoring of individuals using herbal medicines and promptly recognizing any unusual or adverse effects. If such effects occur, it is recommended to discontinue the use of the herbal medicine and seek medical attention.

Free reference materials:

Anatomy & Physiology (2013) on OpenStax

Modern Toxicology (2004) on Archive.org

Encyclopedia Of Herbal Medicine (2016) on Archive.org

Handbook Of Medicinal Herbs (2002) on Archive.org

Similarities & Overlap

Both herbology and herbal correspondences approach the qualities of plants from distinct perspectives. Herbology relies on empirical observation, scientific analysis, and clinical studies to understand the medicinal properties and develop evidence-based remedies. In contrast, herbal correspondences view plants as carriers of symbolic or energetic attributes, incorporating their essences and potentials into emotional, spiritual, or metaphysical well-being. Despite their differences, both practices recognize the interconnectedness of body, mind, and spirit and emphasize holistic approaches to well-being. Herbology recognizes the influence of the environment on humans and seeks to restore balance by working in harmony with nature. It provides scientific knowledge on the medicinal properties, safety, and dosage of herbs, ensuring their safe and effective use in addressing health conditions and potential interactions with medications.

Herbal correspondences, on the other hand, focus on the spiritual and symbolic aspects of well-being. They enable individuals to connect with the metaphysical realms and align with the rhythms of the natural world. By incorporating symbolism and intention, they enhance spiritual practices and personal growth. Integrating the insights from herbology and herbal correspondences allows for a comprehensive approach to well-being. It combines the physiological benefits of herbs supported by scientific research with the energetic and symbolic qualities that nourish the mind, body, and spirit. This integrated perspective acknowledges the holistic nature of health and enriches the mystical applications of herbology.

The magical correspondences associated with herbs are influenced by their medicinal properties and symbolic associations. Medicinal properties are derived from the chemical composition of herbs and their physiological effects on the human body. Scientific investigation identifies bioactive compounds that interact with biological systems, eliciting therapeutic responses. Symbolic associations in magical correspondences are influenced by physical attributes, traditional uses, folklore, and cultural contexts of herbs. The convergence of medicinal properties and magical correspondences occurs when shared qualities and effects align. For example, a sedative herb may correspond to calming or promoting restful sleep in magical practices, reflecting its physiological sedative effects. Similarly, the specific medicinal properties of herbs inform corresponding magical intentions. An herb with anti-inflammatory properties may be associated with healing or soothing in magical applications, mirroring its physiological capacity to reduce inflammation.

The credibility of herbal medicines' potency and efficacy reinforces their association with magical correspondences. Tangible effects observed in healing practices validate the belief in their metaphysical influence. The integration of science and symbolism highlights the multidimensional nature of herbology, bridging the physical and mystical realms. Understanding the interplay between herbal medicinal properties and magical correspondences requires comprehensive knowledge and research. Exploring herbal texts, historical references, and cross-cultural perspectives provides valuable insights into the nuanced relationship between herbs and their magical applications. By studying the chemical constituents, physiological effects, and traditional uses of herbs, practitioners unravel the intricate tapestry of correspondences that enriches the practice of herbology and its magical manifestations.

Creating Correspondences Based on Medicinal Properties

To generate magical correspondences for herbs based on their medicinal applications, a systematic process can be followed, incorporating scientific knowledge and symbolic associations. The process involves several steps:

Identify the medicinal properties: Begin by researching and understanding the medicinal properties of each herb. This involves studying scientific literature, herbal texts, and reputable sources to ascertain the herb's physiological effects, chemical constituents, and therapeutic applications.

Analyze the physiological effects: Analyze the physiological effects of the herb in relation to the human body. Consider its impact on various systems, such as the nervous, immune, or cardiovascular systems. This analysis helps establish the herb's tangible influence on physical well-being.

Determine symbolic associations: Explore cultural, historical, and mythological references associated with the herb. Investigate traditional uses, folklore, and symbolic meanings attributed to the herb in different cultures or magical traditions. Symbolic associations may arise from the herb's appearance, aroma, taste, habitat, or historical significance.

Bridge medicinal and symbolic qualities: Identify shared qualities and effects between the herb's medicinal properties and its symbolic associations. Look for connections where the physiological effects align with the desired magical outcome or symbolic representation. For example, if an herb exhibits calming properties, it could correspond to promoting emotional tranquility or soothing energies in magical practices.

Consider elemental or planetary correspondences: Explore elemental or planetary correspondences commonly used in magical systems. Assign elements (such as fire, earth, air, or water) or planets to herbs based on their symbolic and medicinal attributes. This step adds an additional layer of correspondences that align with broader metaphysical concepts.

Document the correspondences: Record the generated correspondences for each herb, documenting the medicinal properties, shared qualities, symbolic associations, and elemental or planetary correspondences. Create a reference guide or database that consolidates this information for future use in magical practices.

Validate and refine correspondences: Continuously evaluate and refine the correspondences based on new research, cross-cultural perspectives, or personal experiences. Seek feedback from knowledgeable practitioners or experts in herbology and magical traditions to ensure the accuracy and coherence of the correspondences.

Tips for Beginners

Start with your local plants

Learn how to harvest and process plants responsibly and respectfully

Keep a notebook of local herbs and how to locate and identify them

Learn about your local ecosystem and ways that you can help it flourish

Study invasive plants in your region that can be used for magical or medicinal purposes

Take notes of key words in this article (in reference to an herbs toxicology) so that you can research each aspect of a local plant before consuming it.

Interested in my other articles? You can find my masterpost here.

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This article was reviewed and revised by ChatGPT.

#herbology #herbalism #kitchen magic #begginer witch #eclectic witchcraft #witchcraft resource #witchcraft guide #witchcraft practice #informational post

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hiskillingjar · 3 months

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transfem law x transfem mc?

you're the only bitch that i fucking respect in this town

4700+ words, general warning for some discussed transmisogyny and cw for. uh. animal death, death descriptions, genital mutilation descriptions and shade towards true crime girls.

cross posted on ao3 cus it's long and i want attention :)

"You know, if you brought me out here to kill me, I'm going to be pretty upset."

You smiled in spite of your dark joke as you followed behind Law, them leading the way through the brush after driving you to the woods outside of town. Their long arms pushed aside tree branches for you to pass and kept hold of your hand, so you didn't get lost in the dark.

You'd met Law at therapy after a particularly rough stint at the psych ward, when they still went by 'Lawrence' and you were barely six months on hormones and still got clocked on a regular basis (including by them on your first meeting).

Now, it had been a year, you'd had your first consultation for sexual reassignment surgery (and it had gone successfully), and Law had made some…well, discoveries of their own.

It was nice, having a friend like them, and you liked their company.

"No, no, no,” They said, looking back at you over their shoulder. “I know it’s strange to be out here this late, but…this isn’t what it seems..."

“I know, Law,” You interrupted with a laugh, squeezing their hand a little tighter. "I'm only teasing. "

They took things a little literally at times, a symptom of the disorder that had landed them at therapy in the first place.

You didn’t mind correcting yourself for them, though.

"Oh...right...okay.” They said with a nervous chuckle, reaching back to scratch their neck. “I…um, I just wanted to make sure.”

Their grip tightened around yours for just a moment before going back to normal as they led you deeper into the brush.

It was a dark night, way later than you were usually out (you were, regrettably, somewhat of a morning person later in life), but it was a peaceful kind of dark.

The kind of dark that swallowed people whole and kept them safe, surrounded, like an all-encompassing hug, a pill bug under a log, a baby in the womb, a tapeworm in your twisting guts, worming around your insides and looking for the closest thing it could burrow deeper into.

You squeezed their hand harder and gave your head a little shake, trying to rid yourself of the gruesome imagery, as they pulled you into a quiet clearing of the brush.

The night was clear and cool, and the full moon was out, casting a glow on everything in the surrounding area, something beautiful and...almost otherworldly.

Like for just this one moment, the entire world was on pause and you were the only two people that existed.

It was a nice thought.

"This is it..."Law murmured softly, a little breathless as they stepped and pulled you into the clearing, looking around the small space like a child excited to share a new toy with their friend.

It was a canopy of thick trees surrounding a flat patch of ground, a blue tarp laid out to one side and three tall barrels with tight lids on top of them covered by a similar tarp, hiding whatever the barrels held from prying eyes.

“Cool, if a little creepy. Very Dahmer-esque. I’m into it.” You joked as Law let go of your hand and clenched their long, bony fingers together in front of them. "So, what did you wanna show me, Law?"

"Oh...right, yes. Just..." Law looked at you, those same nervous eyes shining brightly in the dim moonlight, taking in a deep breath before speaking more quietly, their voice dropping to a soft whisper. "Close your eyes for a second, alright? Please?"

“Alright…”

You did as you were told and closed your eyes, your own fingers (not as long but just as bony) curling against the denim of your shorts.

If they did decide to kill you, now would be a fantastic time to do it. You had ignored every red flag and word of advice against doing this just to be here, after all.

“Stay Sexy, Don’t Get Murdered”, your hate-listen podcast had warned that morning, while you walked to work.

What were you doing, ‘getting ugly, waiting to get murdered?’

While your eyes were closed (while your mind was spiralling about their potential bad intentions), Law pulled off and stepped around the crinkling plastic tarp to pry off the lid of one of the barrels.

The smell was putrid, like rot, like death, and immediately hit you like a truck, making your expression wrinkle without even knowing the source.

"Oh, jesus," You murmured, covering your face with the sleeve of your overshirt to try and mask the smell. “What is that?”

“I’m just finding something,” Law said, their voice soft over the sound of sloshing water. They must have been sifting through the mange without gloves (ew) for a good while before it stopped. “Okay…okay, here it is, open your eyes.”

You opened your eyes obediently and saw that they were holding something out for you to see.

Their hands (big, pretty, bigger than yours, made you feel small, made you feel delicate) were sopping wet and almost blue from the cold, but they looked so eager to show you what they had, that it didn’t matter.

Your eyes widened and you gaped a little wider when you recognised...what looked like an animal corpse that had been pulled from the water.

It might have been a rabbit, a hare or maybe even a small dog, if you had to guess, well past the initial stages of decomposition, with mangy flesh melting off the brown bones, wet and murky fur falling to Law’s feet in clumps.

When you looked from the corpse and back to them, Law's grey eyes (usually so dead and dull, but now open and unnervingly alive) shined as a genuine smile came to their pretty face.

The sheer look of excitement on their face was endearing, and you suppressed your initial disgust to share that smile with them.

“I know this isn't the kind of activity you sign up for when you go on a date..." They said, idly licking their lips, their eyes going back down to the corpse as they turned it around, showing you the protruding rib cage and the heavy skull, where most of the gore had rotted away. “But, I just...I wanted to share something I was proud of with someone...someone I feel comfortable with. Someone I care about."

They said such sweet things so thoughtlessly. You envied that about them.

"No, it's..." You laughed, looking a little flustered as you scraped your hair behind your ears and scratched your neck. Was this a date? Had you known, you might have dressed a little nicer and put some foundation on. "It's cool, Law…I appreciate you showing this to me."

“Really?” They said, huffing out a surprised laugh and holding the bones a little closer to their chest. “Oh…ah, that’s…a relief, I suppose. I was nervous that you would think it’s strange, or gross…” They rambled as they turned around and set the corpse onto the tarp carefully, wiping the worst of the gore off on their sweatpants.

“I mean, it is gross.” You laughed, choosing to be honest with them. “But, like, a cool kind of cross. Like those vulture-culture blogs, they do stuff like this too.” You stepped around the clearing and towards them, watching as they knelt down to the tarp and started scraping melted flesh and viscera from the bones with their fingernails. You assumed there were probably better tools to do the task, but said nothing. “What is it, like, roadkill or something?"

"Uhh..."

Their hands stilled at your question, skin stained with black from the gore and still blue from the cold.

They barely reacted to it, if at all.

"No...well, yeah, it might've been already dead before I..." They mumbled, floundering around their words before eventually trailing off with a little, desperate whimper, shame and immense guilt in their expression.

That answered that, then.

You peered towards them as their words trailed off, a slightly sympathetic look on your face.

"You...didn't kill it, did you, Law?" You asked gently, squatting down on the other side of the corpse, lowering yourself down to their level.

It was an important way of establishing a connection, you had been told once, never putting levels between you and a friend or loved one. Sometimes people did the opposite, to be unnerving or intimidating, to designate themselves as a voice of authority and someone to be trusted.

Men did it, mostly. It was important for you to never do something like that.

Law swallowed, unable to look you in the eye, but you received a slow, guilty, nod to your question. It was almost sheepish, like they were a little kid who had just gotten caught doing something they shouldn’t.

Their hands were shaking, but you had a sense that it wasn’t a reaction to the cold.

"I...I..." Their fingers curled into tight, little fists. "I...yeah...I did..."

There was fear in their soft voice, but also a strange kind of…relief.

Relief that they had been able to tell the truth to someone, someone who had heard them out this far, someone they were happy to tell the truth to.

"Ah," You mumbled with a little sigh, wrapping your arms around your knees. "That's a shame…”

That wouldn't go down well in therapy. But hey, you weren't a therapist.

“But...” You started, licking your lips and trying to meet their eyes with a gentle smile. “I mean, if you don't do it again...I think that’s okay."

“Really…?” They replied, unclenching their fingers and looking back at you, a slight smile tugging at their lips. "I...I won't, I promise."

They were quiet again, idly pulling at a tuft of wet fur still clinging to the bones and rubbing it between the callouses of their fingers. It can’t have been very soft, but you guessed that it was still a decent self-soothing method.

“It’s just…I mean, I go to therapy for a reason, you know that.” They said, digging their grubby fingernail into the bundle of fur. “I see things, I hear things. I get this…urge, sometimes. To…mmph-”

They went quiet quickly, looking back down and biting their lip, as if afraid of losing control of what they were saying.

But you had a good sense of what they were about to say.

You knew the type of girl that Law was.

"Yeah...I get that," You mumbled quietly with a considered tilt of your head, taking a closer look at the poor creature who died so your friend didn’t shoot up a shopping mall (though you had a sense that Law wasn’t the type to own a gun). "I do, I do get it.”

You clutched your knees tighter and let out a slightly shaky sigh.

“I mean, I never killed animals or anything, but, like,” You huffed out a laugh and pushed a shaking hand through your hair, aghast by what you were about to admit. “Okay, um…when I was a teenager, I'd look at these…gore sites. LiveLeaks, BestGore, that shit…”

Law’s eyes snapped up to yours, stunned by your sudden outpouring of honesty.

“It was initially, like, something I did with my friends. You know, dumb teenage boys doing dumb teenage boy stuff,” You said, feeling a little fondness for the edgy snot-rag you had been at fourteen years old. “Then I’d do it by myself. I was curious, at first, and then…it was also just to...feel something. Something other than how I felt, you know? Something other than hatred."

Law let out a little hum and nodded their head.

"Yeah…me too, actually.” A shaky smile came to their face. “I would...I used to browse the dark web a lot, to see those kinds of things. To feel something, like you…um, like you said."

"Yeah. It's, like, a right of passage for girls like us, right?" You replied with a little chuckle, fiddling with your hair. You had cut your bangs too short and were now sporting, what your chronically online friend called, a ‘fuck-ass bob’. You had grown your hair out for so long, but now felt the bob kind of suited you. “I know way too many to count…”

“Girls like us…” Law repeated thoughtfully, trying to laugh along as well, a shy look on their face as a flush came to their pale cheeks.

You looked up and tried to smile as normally as you could.

"Um…” They started, after a short beat of silence. “So…you know what you asked before...about if I was bringing you out here to kill you?"

"Uh oh," You mumbled, trying to make a joke in spite of the sudden churning in your stomach.

"Wait, no...no, I...-"

They barked out a strange little laugh, before covering their mouth with their dry sleeve, trying to cut themselves off from laughing any more, any louder.

"I wasn't...I'm still not. You don’t have to worry about…about that.” They trailed off, seeming about to say something before they bit their lip again. Finally, they spoke, looking up into your eyes. “But, I've thought about it a few times...killing you."

You swallowed hard, your smile dropping a little.

"Oh..."

“Don’t freak out,” They said quickly, their grey eyes widening a little. The life in them had subsided, just a touch, replaced by a deadened sort of…mania, like they were getting ready to do something drastic.

What were red flags again?

‘Stay Ugly, Do Get Throttled and Killed in a Forest Clearing’.

That would do numbers, if you still cared about doing numbers.

“I just…I wanted to be honest with you.” They then said, derailing your train of thought. “I don’t want to hide things from you. I don’t…like hiding things from people I care about.”

They looked back down, their shoulders sagging and hiding a miserable expression on their face.

“You’re probably going to think I'm crazy, right? M-Maybe I am..."

"No, it's..." You reached over and grabbed their hand. "It's okay, Law.” You said with an encouraging smile, that was now shaking a little. You might have been stupid, but you weren’t so idiotic that you weren’t a little scared. “Thinking about something and doing it are…like, two totally different things, Law."

Law stared at your hand for a moment, gripping it tightly (almost too tightly, bone-crushingly tight, making you look so small again) before letting their grip ease with a sigh.

“You’re…unreal,” They murmured with a disbelieving laugh. They kept their eyes down, still focused on the gore on the blue tarp in front of them. “If I said that to anyone else, they’d think I was…some deranged freak and get me put away.”

"Well, what kind of a person would I be if I did that?" You mumbled, rubbing your thumb over their bony, blue knuckles.

"A person with common sense, I guess..." Law chuckled a little strangely, hollow, not totally there, their grip tightening again. They seemed oddly pleased by the contact, though, even if there was also a little bit of uncertainty to go along with that excitement.

"Well, I've never pretended to have any of that," You continued with your own chuckle, before biting your lip. "And I’ve been to a psych ward, so I’d never put someone there. But…” You hesitated. “I mean…how...would you do it?"

"Hmm?" Law blinked for a moment, still holding your hands in theirs. "You mean...how I would kill you?"

"Mm..." You hummed, and you felt yourself tremble.

It was the cold of the night and the wet skin against yours that was making you shake.

That’s what you were telling yourself. It can’t have possibly been for any other reason.

Law’s head canted to the side as they watched your trembling form. Their grey eyes narrowed slightly, like a cat watching and playing with a mouse before it was about to leap and strike.

They didn't let go of your hand for even a second either.

If anything, their grip only tightened.

"You're nervous..." They said.

"Yeah," You replied with a nod.

"You're trembling..." They said, as they leaned closer to you.

"Yeah," You replied again with a little sigh.

“You’re beautiful.” They whispered, bringing their face down to yours, chapped lips tracing yours but not closing the gap just yet, waiting for you to do it.

This close, you could smell the putrid water and the smell of rot and plant matter and sweat that clung to their skin, sweet and murky and dead, like their eyes, like their gaze.

A beautiful dead girl, waiting for you.

“How would you kill me, Law?” You asked again, more sure of anything than you had ever been before.

They huffed out another little chuckle with a slight shake of their head, their blunt bangs choppy on their forehead.

They probably cut their hair the same way you did, with kitchen scissors in the mirror.

The tattooed, septum-ringed girls and they-thems at the ‘all-inclusive’ hairdresser in town always cut your hair too short (something something haircuts don’t have gender, easy for them to say) so you did it at home, split ends be damned.

Was Law the same way, now?

“You’re asking for trouble,” They mumbled hotly, their lips still grazing yours as they held your hand even tighter, their fingers still covered in the watery viscera of the dead animal.

“Probably,” You replied with a little nod. “Tell me. Please?”

The words hung in the air between you for a good minute or two (though it could have been hours for all you cared), a quiet, intense silence filling the clearing.

For some reason, the air suddenly felt thick, almost hard to breathe, like you were in one of those barrels, suffocating and trying not to drown.

Your shorts were tights and your fishnets were clinging a little too tightly to your legs, too tight to be as comfortable as they had been.

"I don't know," Law mumbles quietly, honestly, watching as you shift forward on your knees, feeling the crinkle of the tarp sweat against your skin. "I thought about a lot of different ways..."

"Yeah?" You asked, watching as they did the same, unfolding their long legs and sitting on the ground, taking up space. You were always told not to do that, by girls like you, but Law didn't have that same concern. They hadn't been taught to hate themselves in that way. "What's your favourite?"

"Hah," They let out a breathy laugh and shook their head again. "The same way I killed that dog-"

So, it was a dog.

Your stomach turned and you just hoped to fucking God that it was a stray, not a beloved family pet with missing posters now pasted up around the town.

"I'd break your neck and..." They held your hands even tighter and you finally noticed that your fingers were now also streaked with blackened gore, like they were infecting you with the same disease that had infected them and made them so perfect for you. "Put you inside of those barrels."

You let out a little whimper, looking down at your trembling legs as they curled up with Law's, your body subconsciously wanting to be closer to them

Your cock was throbbing under your tight shorts too, despite your turning stomach.

"And watch you melt away," They continued, raising one hand to cup your jaw (hard, chiselled, any threat of stubble burned away months ago) and bringing your lips even closer together. "And keep everything left behind. Bones, hair, matted flesh.” Their lips spread into a sick grin, the rictus smile of a corpse. “Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

"Yes," You murmured, your eyes half-lidded and dazed as you stared at them, captured by the dead beauty in those grey eyes. "It would be...wonderful."

They smiled again, and gently kissed your lips.

This wasn't the first time the two of you had kissed, far from it, but something about it felt that way.

Like in the wake of your shared honesty, you were now two brand new people meeting for the very first time, finding each other in the darkness and curling together, twin centipedes in a tree trunk, worms in the dirt, mated maggots in the gore you were streaked with.

You keened in closer, holding their hand tight and parting their chapped lips with your pierced tongue, deepening the kiss in a way you knew they wouldn't.

You didn't mind taking the lead at times.

As long as they did it, most of the time.

"Mm," They moaned quietly, pushing their hand through your dark hair and curling it into a fist, gripping a thick handful of it and using it to wrangle you even closer, to bite down on your gasping lips and take you, as they wanted to.

You didn't mind the pain. You didn't mind the sting of their teeth on your lips or their hands in your hair.

It made you feel a little more like a woman.

Your cock stirred again.

If you were still online, admitting to something like that probably would have earned you a sternly worded anonymous message, filled with buzz words like ‘autogynophilia’ and ‘male socialisation’ and reminding you ‘you should really do better to unlearn your male privilege if you want to be considered safe to this community’.

You weren’t online though.

You hadn’t been back online since your main account got banned for ‘violating community guidelines’ and your fundraiser for facial feminisation surgery got taken down after a wave of mass-reporting, a result of a particularly bad faith call-out post from one of the myriad of trolls that plagued you.

That might have put you in a psych ward two years ago, but you knew you were better without it now.

After all, if you were still online, you probably wouldn’t have met Law.

Law pulled back from the kiss, a thin line of spittle attaching your lips that they licked away, the deep depth of their eyes softening a little as they let go of your hands.

"Can I," They started, reaching down to the crotch of your shorts and pressing a palm against it. You groaned through grit teeth and instantly held their broad shoulders, shifting your hips forward against them, the cool expanse of their palm making you shiver, despite the layers of fabric that separated your skin. "Can I touch your cock?"

"Mmhmm," You nodded, biting your lip.

You took in another groan as they slowly unbuttoned and unzipped your shorts and peeled down your fishnets and panties, finding your cock (a little soft thanks to its tight tuck through the day, but you couldn't manage a full erection most of the time anymore anyway) and giving it a light squeeze.

It was a somewhat awkward motion, but you didn’t blame them that much.

They were never really sure what to do with your cock, which was why they generally preferred to play with your asshole, to tease it with their fingers and their tongue, before penetrating it completely.

You would have preferred that too, especially when you were feeling as vulnerable as you were, but you were in a dirty forest clearing without a condom or any lube. And you might have been dumb enough to follow an animal killer with murderous fantasies about you into that forest, but you weren’t dumb enough to attempt anal sex without the right prep.

You didn’t hate yourself enough.

"What else, hah," You gasped against their trembling lips, holding their shirt tighter in your curled fists as they worked their own fist up and down your soft length, trying to encourage it to a degree of hardness. They probably weren’t going to manage such a feat, but you did appreciate the effort that they were going to for it. "What else have you thought about, Law?"

"Hm?" They looked up at your needy expression, a blush quickly gathering in your cheeks when they saw it, saw your narrowed eyes, your parted lips.

"Tell me how you'll kill me again," You pleaded, reaching down with one hand to grope their own cock through their sweatpants, as the other unbuttoned your plaid overshirt and rolled your tank top up your chest, revealing your pale breasts.

Your nipples were perky in the cold air and Law immediately dipped their head to run their tongue over them, despite your request for them to keep talking.

"Mm," You moaned, all the same, pushing the hand through their hair and guiding their tongue to the ripe bud of your nipple. "Give me a good one, Law...come on."

"Ah," They groaned when you gave their cock another firm squeeze, trying to alert their attention to what you wanted. "I want...mm, I want to take you back to my apartment...and tie you up there." They moaned hotly against your skin, thin hips bucking when your fist tightened at their words. "Cut out your spine so I can...hah, so I can keep it."

You felt a pulse of white-hot heat rush through your body and straight to your cock at that mental image, of you bound (and maybe gagged, like the damsels in movies were, the first kind of womanhood you related to in your boyhood) on the bed where you'd fucked so many times before.

Law would be the hulking slasher villain, they’d have a knife, and they would be standing over you, waiting for the perfect time to strike, when you had gotten so worked up and hysterical that they could really enjoy your death all the more.

"Fuck," You groaned deeply (because fuck the voice training right now), bucking your hips as you felt your cock start to twitch and harden in their hand. "God, that’s so hot. What's wrong with me..."

"Hmph," They huffed out a fond laugh, teasing the bud of your nipple with their crooked teeth, making you whine needily and grip them even tighter. “What did you say, about 'girls like us'...that's what we’re like, isn't it?"

We. Including themselves.

Herself.

"Yeah?" You wheezed through a gasp with your own laugh (sardonic and a little mean, not the way girls should be at all, but the way you were), your eyes darkening as you stared down at them. "That’s right…so, what, you gonna cut my dick out to join my spine, Law?"

"Mmhmm," They hummed (and you were silently thrilled that they didn’t even blink at your slurred request for genital mutilation), a demented and almost peaceful little smile coming to their face as you pried their sweatpants down and revealed the monster between their legs. Your asshole clenched just looking at it, and you couldn’t wait to get back to their apartment if you survived this. "I’d keep it safe. Then I’d cut off your testes and eat them."

Your thighs trembled and you grit your teeth, feeling another pulse of heat shoot to your cock.

"Hah…I read they're a natural source of estrogen somewhere," You managed to wheeze out with a little chuckle. "Makes sense, huh? Where one girl ends, another begins."

"Mmm..." They moaned mindlessly, trailing a thick smear of drool down your chest as they let go of your cock and circled their arms around your little waist tightly, pulling you in close.

Despite your maddening arousal, you let them do it, happily, resting your cheek against the crown of their head, and relishing in the feeling as your cocks pressed and rubbed together, sticky heads occasionally grazing over one another.

"Wanna be your girl," They murmured, kissing and tonguing at your nipple again, clinging to you even tighter. "Can I be your girl? Please? Please let me…"

"Baby," You cooed, shifting your hips even closer to theirs hers, almost sitting in their her lap as your own arms wrapped around their her neck.

Twin centipedes in a tree trunk, wriggling worms in the dirt, mated maggots in the gore your hands, your chest, your rotten cock, were streaked with.

"You always were my girl...and always will be."

#lawrence oleander #lawrence btd #lawrence x mc #lawrence x reader #drabbles #this is a ray is projecting kind of fic lol #but i like it :)

33 notes · View notes

dee-the-red-witch · 4 months

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hi so. i'm sorry if you feel like this is something you've talked about too much but i'm genuinely having a hard time understanding- what's the issue with femboys? or is it a finnster-specific issue...? idk i can see how it's an issue of like. performing femininity but not really accepting what womanhood really means but what makes it different from drag in that case? or am i going in the wrong direction trying to understand? i have amab as well as afab ppl in my life that identify as femboys and use it as a loosely-nonbinary term but i also know a couple femboys that are. hm. probably eggs leaning on the term that's less "scary" when it comes to confronting gender, is it about that....?

sorry if this is exhausting for you to discuss i'm just confused and trying to understand

Ok, keep in mind, this is a nonny. Which means I need to treat this with the intent that it's bait. Because that's what fucking happens a lot to folks. So I'm picking my words. 1. Show me where I said I have a problem with femboys in general. Because honestly? No problem with the identity. No problem with the concept. Same with drag, same with Crossdressers, same with sissys. They're all just as valid. What I have a problem with is when people specifically use and abuse things like F1nn5ter's (last I checked, still using he/him pronouns, so that's what I'm using here) use of trap content. Content that gets trans women beaten, abused, exiled, ostracized, and killed on a daily basis to make profit, and does it scot free of any societal penalty, partly because of a massive supporting userbase and fame, and partly because he wasn't out about being a trans woman yet. That right there is where my problem is. People can and should explore, play with, perform, exist in femininity however and whenever they want, but the problem is ONE GROUP OF US KEEPS GETTING PUNISHED FOR IT while the others see far less, if ever. So again, no problem with the femboy identity or femboys in general, but oh yeah, big problems with the difference in treatment. 2. I'm also gonna ask this in return- why am *I* your expert on this subject? Because this happens to so many trans women- we're out, we get seen enough to be noticed, and suddenly we're supposed to be the pillars of the community, delivering Julia Serrano level philosophy, flawless looks, opinions, and knowledge? There's lots of other folks to ask this kind of thing about, why go to the terminally weird, 46-year-old, *OUT AND TRANSITIONING FOR LESS THAN THREE YEARS STILL* writer, artist, leatherworker, and tattooist, who's still VERY clearly in the process of dealing with her own self identification and a lot of past and present trauma, and think I'm going to be the one who's going to give you the perfect answer for this? (lbr, again, so many trans women get quizzed like this, then publicly crucified for saying the slightly wrong thing- see that bit about bait again? because oh yeah, this tactic, intentional or otherwise, has been seen a LOT this year.) Because honestly, there isn't a perfect answer. It's yet another messy human subject because all of us are messy to some extent to begin with. It's never going to have perfect sense or logic. I honestly don't think that it should. Perfect answers tend to not encompass being human answers very well at the same time.

And also, I'm not an expert. Nor should I have to be one. Especially when in my usual fields, I get to charge 50-100 bucks an hour for consulting, and here, I'll be lucky if you kick five bucks in my paypal or gfm in exchange for this. That said, nonny, hope you have a good night. Keep in mind this whole #2 section? Is rhetorical. I'm not expecting a dialogue or reply, and I don't really want one, at least not one with a greyface and shades. If you want to talk more? come off anon.

#nonny #nonny asks #asks answered

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queen-of-weird-girlboy-nation · 3 months

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Made some worldbuilding loree

For my pjo au :))

Trying to deep dive into the god lore!?

In the beginning, there were stars. Just a void of space, with the constellations dancing above. The stars were not sentient as god or men are, but they held their wisdom, unknowingly. They were there before the gods, holding the future.

Then, a being sprung up. From where, no one knows, but he came. This being was called Genge. He was smart, wise, and used the stars for guidance. And soon after another being sprung up. And her name was Dawe. And Genge and Dawe roamed the cosmos, seeking wisdom and loving each other, and the world was at peace.

Until one day Genge consulted the stars and was told that he and Dawe should make a child. And they tried. And instead of having one child they had 2. One born of the wisdom of the smaller stars, of the tiny prophetic drops and one born of the searing bold intelligent heat of the suns of the galaxy. And when they were formed, two large bodies sprung up with them. Genge and Dawe named these children Mercury and Venus and all was right in the world.

Mercury and Venus were children whose ‘planets’ did not hold life. But no one knew exactly what life was then. So it didn't matter.

And soon again the stars told the couple to have a child. And they did, but this child was born…strange. They did not seem to be born at all, but were constantly changing and confused. But Genge and Dawe loved it, at first, and they called this child Earth. And with Earth a planet sprung up. A strange place for a strange child. With things that everyone else…lacked.

But Earth seemed not to be suited to the roaming life of the family. And so Genge and Dawe left them on their own planet, alone, with no guidance, for this child seemed too strange. The stars had nothing to say, no warning nor help. So they left their child, confused as to why the stars would want them to have someone who clearly wasn't good enough.

You see, the stars had no wisdom on this, for as it is a sad event which should have been avoided, the Reckoning also would be helpful. No matter what happened, it was suffering and hope and love and life.

And Genge and Dawe had children. More and more. They had Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,

Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. And slowly but surely Earth faded away from everyone's memories.

All of these children had personalities, but nothing to watch or guard over. They simply searched for wisdom, some more than others, but that was in their nature. They were not gods, not yet, just powers.

And Earth was alone, because while her siblings' planets were close enough to hers, they never came to them. And she didn't want to see them much anyway. She changed a lot. She realised it when the things came or when the things melted or when they began to shrink or when things simply happened. And she studied and named these things, and took pride in them. She was a goddess in her own right, of a living earth. She helped humans, pushed them along. But it was too much, too much for one to encompass it all. To be everything of the world, and later humanity. But she did not know that yet.

And it continued like this. Until Earth was taken over.

The Reckoning was the beginning. The reckoning of which the entire world of earth as we know it can be traced back to. As yes, Earth had things, but these things were out of balance. As it was only here. If she had some siblings, some mother or father, some help. Maybe it wouldn't have been such a tragedy. Maybe less would have died and the world not basically restarted. But as it stands, it jas happened. The great evils seized earth,tormenting those who lived there. The civilizations. The ones which mortals will never hear uttered, but were amazing. Earth was vulnerable, and then wiped out. A mass extinction of suffering and pain.

But many would argue a necessary one. That is a debate for another day.

The other 8 planets came to fight off the evil once it started to threaten their planets, as they couldn't care less about their wayward sister. And they killed it, but not before Genge and Dawe were killed. But not by the Reckoned forces, but by Earth.

You see, Earth is no longer a power, as she chose to absorb herself into the very planet she lived on, giving up sentience to become like the stars. She is Earth the planet now. But in her last moments, after she was saved but in great pain, after the reckoning was over and everyone was glaring at her for ‘all the unnecessary stress’ she killed her parents. For abandoning her as a child. Not teaching her ways of which she might have saved herself already. And then she joined the planet she loved so much.

There was much discussion over what to do with Earth. But the stars said they must rule over it, become the gods of the world. So they did. They nudged the world along as it rebuilt itself. They saw creatures and developed aspects as the world grew. They ruled over domains that corresponded with their personality.

And they had demigod children. For gods could only sire demigods, only sleep with mortals as it was written in a sacred code. Only mortals. So there will be demigod heroes.

And they hated it. They hated earth and some hated their parents and some missed earth a bit and some never knew her and some loved their new roles and all hated each other. They were amazingly dysfunctional.

There are some…minor gods. They become gods by achieving a gods special favour. They don't get a cool planet name or anything, just immortality and all that jazz :)

#worldbuilding #long post #pjo au #pjo worldbuilding #11 am motivated #i hope u guys like it #pls i need this #give feedback #pls #percy jackson #heroes of olympus #percy jackon and the olympians #riordanverse #percy jackson and the olympians #pjo fandom #rick riordan #planet au

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techniecode · 10 days

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Unlocking Efficiency: The Importance of Loan Origination Software Customization

In the ever-evolving financial landscape, having the right tools is crucial for success in the lending industry. Loan origination software (LOS) plays a vital role in streamlining the loan application process, but to truly maximize its potential, customization is essential. Tailoring your LOS to fit your specific business processes can significantly enhance efficiency, improve user experience, and ultimately lead to greater client satisfaction. This article explores the benefits of loan origination software customization and how it can transform your lending operations.

Why Customize Your Loan Origination Software?

Tailored Workflows Every lending organization has unique processes and requirements. Customizing your LOS allows you to create workflows that align with your business practices, ensuring that the software supports your operations rather than complicating them.

Improved Efficiency Off-the-shelf solutions may not meet all your needs, leading to inefficient processes. Customization enables you to automate repetitive tasks, reduce manual data entry, and streamline communication, resulting in faster turnaround times and increased productivity.

Enhanced User Experience A customized interface can significantly improve the user experience for both staff and borrowers. By tailoring features and navigation to your team’s needs, you make it easier for them to operate the software efficiently, ultimately benefiting your clients as well.

Better Data Management Customization allows for improved data integration and management. By ensuring that your LOS works seamlessly with other systems—such as CRM, document management, and accounting software—you can maintain accurate, real-time data across all platforms.

Scalability and Flexibility As your business grows, your software needs may change. Customization allows you to build a scalable solution that can evolve with your organization, accommodating new features, regulatory changes, and additional users without significant disruption.

Key Features to Consider for Customization

Application Forms Tailor online application forms to gather the specific information required by your organization. Custom fields and workflows can streamline the application process and ensure that you collect all necessary data from borrowers.

Document Management Integrate custom document management features that align with your compliance requirements. Automated document requests and secure upload options can simplify the submission process for clients.

Automated Communication Implement customized communication tools to automate client notifications, reminders, and updates. This can enhance transparency and keep borrowers informed throughout the loan process.

Reporting and Analytics Develop customized reporting tools that provide insights into your operations, helping you track key performance indicators and make data-driven decisions for your business.

User Permissions and Roles Customize user roles and permissions to ensure that team members have access to the information and tools they need while maintaining security and compliance.

Best Practices for Loan Origination Software Customization

Assess Your Needs Begin by evaluating your current processes and identifying areas for improvement. Gather input from team members to understand their pain points and prioritize customization based on your business goals.

Engage Stakeholders Involve key stakeholders in the customization process to ensure that the solution meets the needs of all users. This collaborative approach will enhance buy-in and facilitate smoother implementation.

Choose the Right Development Partner Collaborate with experienced developers who understand the lending industry. Their expertise will be invaluable in creating a customized solution that aligns with your business objectives.

Test and Iterate Before fully implementing the customized software, conduct thorough testing to identify any issues. Gather feedback from users and be prepared to make iterative improvements based on their experiences.

Provide Training and Support Once the customization is complete, offer comprehensive training to ensure that your team can effectively use the new features. Ongoing support will help address any challenges that arise post-implementation.

Conclusion

your loan origination software customization is an essential step toward maximizing efficiency and improving the overall client experience in the lending industry. By tailoring your LOS to fit your specific business needs, you can streamline workflows, enhance data management, and foster growth. Embrace the power of customization and unlock the full potential of your loan origination software, positioning your organization for success in a competitive market. Take the leap toward a more efficient, user-friendly, and scalable solution today!

#mortgage website development #mortgage custom applications development #mortgage encompass consulting #mortgage custom integrations #mortgage encompass consultants

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mariacallous · 4 months

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Cornel West’s independent presidential campaign is broke. His former campaign manager says he knows nothing about ballot access. And he spent more on graphic design than petition-gathering in his most recent campaign finance report.

But tens of thousands of signatures have been gathered on behalf of the famed left-wing academic in key states thanks to self-organized grassroots volunteers — and some help from outside operatives tied to a Republican consulting firm.

Democrats fear West’s potential to siphon votes from President Joe Biden in places where he is on the ballot in a close election, and some Republicans are publicly discussing ways to boost West and other minor candidates like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Green Party’s Jill Stein in the hopes of splitting the anti-Donald Trump coalition.

In North Carolina, for example, a prominent Republican activist was spotted in April outside a Trump rally gathering signatures for West, telling rallygoers it "helps take away votes from Joe Biden."

Meanwhile, a new party formed in the state to get West on the ballot announced Monday that its “all-volunteer effort" had submitted more than 30,000 signatures, despite having virtually no oversight and receiving not “a cent” from West’s campaign.

“Without this grassroots effort, there’s no way we could have done it,” Drew Lischke, a co-chair of the Justice for All Party of North Carolina, said at a news conference. “This was a very low, low, low budget operation.”

But internal emails obtained by NBC News, social media posts and other evidence suggest someone from the outside — though it’s unclear who or how much, if anything, they spent — was trying to help West get on the ballot in North Carolina, even if his grassroots allies were not fully aware of it.

Emails from elections officials, obtained through a request under North Carolina's Public Records Law, show the pro-West Justice for All Party authorized three people to pick up and drop off signatures for them statewide — and all three are current or past employees of a Colorado-based Republican political firm called Blitz Canvassing.

Blitz Canvassing has worked for numerous Republican House and Senate candidates and took in more than $14.6 million in payments working for Never Back Down, the main super PAC that supported former GOP presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, according to campaign finance reports.

"In the same way that Republicans have quietly pushed ballot access for the Green Party across the country for years, there’s concrete evidence — not rumors, but evidence — in North Carolina and in other states of an organized Republican effort to get Cornel West on ballots, using Republican consultants and vendors that the West campaign is not paying for," said Pete Kavanaugh, who founded Clear Choice Action, a new Democratic super PAC working to combat third-party candidates.

West campaign spokesperson Edwin DeJesus said the campaign was “not aware of these particular individuals being involved with a Republican firm” and so it did “not have any specific comments since we are not familiar with them or their affiliations.”

“However, it’s important to note that our volunteer base encompasses a broad spectrum of political affiliations,” DeJesus added.

'We haven't paid them one cent'

On May 7, a top official at the North Carolina State Board of Elections emailed colleagues with some “important updates and reminders” about various upcoming deadlines and events, according to a redacted copy of the email, which was shared with NBC News after being obtained via a public records request by Clear Choice.

Included on the list was an update about the pro-West Justice For All Party's petition efforts. The email alerted other officials that the party’s "chairperson has authorized the following representatives to drop off and pick up petitions" throughout the state: Jacob Smith, David Mills and Charisma Harris.

Smith is listed as project manager on Blitz Canvassing's website, and the cellphone number listed in the email matches one given for Smith in a Michigan GOP fundraising email that pointed recipients to him if they had questions. Mills says on LinkedIn that he is employed full time as a project manager for Blitz. And Harris says on LinkedIn that she currently runs her own canvassing firm but served as regional political director for Blitz until January. Before that, she was a campaign manager for Blitz, where she started working in 2022.

Italo Medelius, a co-chair of the Justice for All Party and its official representative to election officials, acknowledged to NBC News that he authorized the three to work on behalf of the campaign, saying he did so because they were familiar with the intricacies of petitioning procedures.

But he had no idea they worked for Blitz and had never heard of the company, saying their names were included on a list of potential volunteers sent over by West’s campaign, with a notation that they had experience in petition gathering.

“I know Charisma, Jacob and David as volunteers,” Medelius said. “We haven’t paid them one cent.”

He said he had known Harris for years and worked with her on the 2020 Bernie Sanders presidential campaign, but said he only became aware of Smith and Mills after they appeared on the West campaign’s volunteer list.

“We did talk about, from the beginning of this operation, that there might be infiltrators trying to get into the campaign,” Medelius said. “If there are people that infiltrated or whatever, it could be true, I guess, but I never really had a hint from these folks.”

Smith, Mills and Harris did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Alyssa Zambrano, a manager at Blitz, told NBC News in a brief interview that she had “no idea” why the three were working on behalf of the Justice for All campaign and said her firm was not doing any work for West.

“We have nothing to do with that,” Zambrano said. “We’re not working for them.”

Follow-up emails and text messages asking for more clarification from Blitz went unanswered.

'Beyond fishy'

Before the consultants' roles were known, the geography of the Justice for All signatures raised alarm bells among local Democrats.

The pro-West party received large batches of signatures from Republican-leaning counties like Brunswick and New Hanover, while there were proportionally fewer than expected from more Democratic-leaning counties and ones with large university campuses, where West’s progressive and pro-Palestine messaging would be likely to resonate.

“It’s beyond fishy,” said Doug Heyl, a North Carolina-based Democratic strategist. “It seems very likely that a lot of these are Republican signatures that want Cornel West on the ballot to help Trump.”

Separately, a high-profile Republican activist who focuses on early voting was spotted gathering signatures for West outside a planned rally for former Trump in April in Wilmington, North Carolina.

“This helps take away votes from Joe Biden,” Scott Presler told a rallygoer, according to a video posted by a Washington Post reporter. “We’re helping the Trump team who’s trying to get him on there,” added a woman by his side. The rally was later canceled due to bad weather.

Documents obtained by NBC news suggest this was not just a stunt or idle talk.

Hundreds of pages of petition signatures submitted by the Justice for All Party, also obtained through a public records request, show dozens of registered Republicans signed petitions to get the pro-West party on the ballot on the same day as the Trump rally and in the same county.

On the social media platform X, where Presler has 1.5 million followers, he put out a call ahead North Carolina’s ballot deadline saying, “We are working on getting Dr. Cornel West on the ballot in North Carolina. If anyone is interested in helping, let me know.”

A week later, he posted again to say he had already “sent 40+ folks to our North Carolina organizer, but are still looking for more.”

Asked about Presler on CNN in April, West said he had never heard of the right-wing influencer and did not want his help.

“No, no, I don’t think so, if it’s just manipulative,” West said. “If people are just going to use this candidate for X and Y, no, not at all.”

West campaign struggles

These efforts are happening on the sidelines of a campaign that has struggled in its own efforts.

Getting on the ballot is the biggest challenge for any independent or third-party candidate — and also a place where outside forces have a history of meddling — but West’s campaign has stumbled trying to meet that challenge.

West’s most recent campaign finance report showed he entered May with just $18,000 in cash and more than that — $28,000 — in debt. Campaign finance expert Rob Pyers noted the report showed West’s campaign spent more on graphic design in April than it spent on petitioning services for ballot access.

By comparison, Kennedy spent more than $2 million on a single company specializing in ballot access for his own independent campaign, according to his own FEC report covering the same time period.

“There’s a Kennedy presence in North Carolina. There’s no West presence here,” said Heyl.

In late April and early May, West’s campaign listed 70 volunteer events across the country, but none were in North Carolina.

Before running as an independent, West was on track to claim the nomination of the Green Party, which has existing infrastructure and ballot lines he could have used. But West abruptly left the party last fall, stunning Green Party officials like Jill Stein, who was managing his campaign and is now expected to once again be the Greens' nominee in his absence.

“You can’t do ballot access on your first time out,” Stein told left-wing podcast host Briahna Joy Gray in a recent interview. “He’s talking about running as a write-in candidate in Texas, but he doesn’t know that Texas won’t count write-in votes! And that’s true in many states.”

West and Stein have been feuding after he accused her of being "addicted" to running for president and said he had lost "all respect" for her.

Stein said West has refused to discuss the issue with her and explain why he left the Green Party, adding that he's a "political novice" and that it was "hard to give him advice" about the mechanics of ballot access and running a campaign.

“There is absolutely no pathway forward for Dr. West," Stein said.

Nevertheless, some people are working to clear a path for him.

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