#I don’t talk about it much but I have a history of spiritual awareness so I have to be careful at times

[amethystsoda]

phewwww did a lot of cleansing and letting go this morning that was very needed 🫡

[hotchfiles]

↪ QUIS UT DEUS? ─ chapter one.

AN IN NOMINE PATRIS, ET FILII, ET SPIRITUS SANCTI INSTALLMENT

pairing: hotch x fem!consultant!reader. summary: murders committed using catholic symbology gets emily to convince hotch it's time to ask for an expert. luckily for you, you're the expert. content warnings: canon typical violence. religious themes. spoilers to season 4. mature themes. word count: 1.5K

    In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti…

    “Amen.” If you weren’t paying attention and side eyeing him at that exact moment, you might’ve lost the way his lips moved following the ritual, no word actually leaving his mouth. 

    The black haired man didn’t look too comfortable, but didn’t look out of place either, he knew the cues, he spoke the words on automatic it seemed. It amused you to observe people’s behavior on holy grounds, that was part of the reason you asked to meet in silver spring.

    “Catholic, Mr. Hotchner?” Your question is met with a low scoff, the type only those with a bad bad history with the church gave you. “That much, huh?”

    “My parents were.” The answer is simple and you think it might stop at that, but he shakes his head and scoffs again. “I was an altar boy for years before I left for boarding school.” You nod. 

    “Ah. I've met some of you in my research.” Some of you. Church babies, altar boys. Spoon fed the bible from birth while watching everyone around sin. Sin becoming a term to reflect on what they hated. 

    “And you? Catholic?” 

    “Oh no. Never been.” You don’t explain much, aware Emily probably told him of your time in Rome, where the two of you met. “Your UnSub is though. Either devoted to Saint Michael or knows enough about his roles to look like one.” You note, being reminded of the pictures Emily sent you, big stab wounds, a small scale tipped to one side, the words Hebrews 9:22 written in blood. 

    Hotchner doesn’t reply, making a mental reminder of the new information, he looks around the place as you both leave the church and it hits him, Silver Spring’s St. Michael the Archangel parish, the church you chose as a meeting place. 

    He wouldn’t usually accept consultation for cases, especially from outsiders. And to be fair, the BAU doesn’t usually need any, Reid alone has more knowledge than anyone Hotch has ever met, and despite the humbleness he tends to show, Hotch himself can take care of the general book knowledge if Reid doesn’t step up to it. But he trusted Emily, and Emily spoke more highly of you than of anyone. Honestly, he was also trying to make amends after not having her back during the Matthew case they had not long before. 

    “She's in town giving lectures, it’s an asset we have easy access to, so why not use it?” Were her final and most convincing words before Hotch nodded in agreement, watching Emily make the call that led to the meeting. 

    He thinks now, as he’s driving both of you to Quantico, that maybe Emily should’ve been the one here, his attempts to strike conversation falling flat as you don’t even remember the last time you had to make small talk with someone, it felt awkward all of a sudden, as if you were on a date. 

    “I'm so sorry, I'm not too good with… People.” You blurt out after a long minute of silence, your neck suddenly warm from embarrassment. 

    Hotch side eyes you, brows lifted in confusion. You seemed much less confident in the car now than what you showed him of you minutes before back at the church. He figures you felt confident talking about your area of expertise and that he could relate to easily. “Did you notice anything else by the pictures Emily sent you?” 

    The switch of topic makes you sigh loudly in relief and you mentally thank him for brushing your silliness off. “He’s using different pieces of catholic dogma and putting it together, but most of the symbology eludes to Michael, the stabbing looks like a sword, the tipped scale indicates judgment, the verse he chose doesn’t cite Michael but talks about sins being forgiven by the shedding of blood… He’s the judge and executioner of his victims.” You try not to sound excited as you ramble on, it’s a terrible thing to witness, the pictures were grotesque and would’ve made you sick on a normal day, but the cherry picking of symbols the murderer seemed to make fascinated you. 

    “So you believe it’s a man?” 

    “Oh! I–I don’t know? I just assumed… Is that misogynistic?” You mumble the last part more to yourself, but it’s loud enough to make him chuckle and you look at him quickly to make sure it’s not mean spirited. 

    It’s definitely not. But it is amusing from a profiler perspective, he’s so used to defining serials’ genders by their crimes he hasn’t thought about misogyny being a factor to those assumptions in a long time. 

    “Brutality suggests male. But posing looks remorseful, theatrical…” His grip on the wheel tightens, two victims by now, feet crossed, arms wide open. 

    “If there were more allusions to the crucifixion, yeah, but I–” You take your phone out to look at the pictures once more, an attempt to seem less abstract in what you’re about to say. “No crown, no nails, this isn’t about Christ, it’s about punishment–I mean, I think.” You’re not usually self conscious about your knowledge but inferring characteristics and desires to someone by looking at a crime scene was not your specialty. 

    “To further point they were judged and executed…” Hotch nods, understanding where your line of thought is going and completing it immediately, not leaving you much time to doubt yourself. 

    “A very shameful execution.” 

    You both spend the short ride from Silver Springs to Quantico going over the symbology present, you tried to help here and there with the associations of what you saw to who could’ve done it, even though that was not what you were called in for. Strangely enough—for him at least, Hotch didn’t seem to mind your guesses, they were educated ones.

    And it was interesting to hear someone speak with such passion about religious aspects without any of the fundamentalism. It was definitely something he wasn’t used to.

    “Mi amore!” Are the first words you hear as you enter the famous bullpen from Emily’s texts, her arms surrounding you in a tight warm hug you haven’t felt in years—it hits you then how long has it been. You weren’t able to come and mourn Matthew with her, his parents weren’t fond of you either (Lord almighty, you didn’t even go to church with them!) and you were busy with your lectures.

    “Hey troublemaker, how’s it going?” Your question is muffled in the hug, your hands clasping together behind her back.

    The reunion doesn’t last long, curious eyes set on you two and a rather impatient Hotch leading the way to what you learned was the conference room.

    The briefing room. The round table. Emily told you about it when she first got into the BAU.

    You end up sitting between Emily and who you would bet was Spencer—there’s this sweet kid working with us, he’s super smart, annoyingly smart, but so sweet, he reminds of Matty when we were teens—the lanky boy was the only one with what seemed like naivety enough in his eyes to be the one Emily mentioned back then. 

    Aaron sat in front of you almost, serious, stern, very different from the few chuckles you got from him in the car. This was unit chief Hotchner, the subtle difference was fascinating.

    “Alright, as we know, DC is in trouble, second murder in three weeks.” blonde and gorgeous, you believed that was JJ, there had been no time for introductions, all you could do was try to remember the e-mails and few phone calls you shared with Emily the past years. “Richard Beckett, married, no kids, 27. He works for his father's car dealership.” 

    Pictures show up on the screen, showing the man when he was alive. It’s a punch to your gut, just minutes before you were fascinated by the way this real person was murdered. You’re glad you had a light breakfast by the way your stomach turns.

    “Monica Dawson, divorced, no kids, 53. She’s a counselor at a local school.” The woman continues speaking, with more pictures on the screen. And then pictures of their deaths, side by side. The fascination is completely extinguished then. “Both were stabbed countless times with a large blade. Left in abandoned warehouses posed in a cross position, a tipped scale on their side. Both naked. Both were heavily drugged.”

    “They didn’t have kids, is that a coincidence?” You hear Emily speak up and suddenly you can see all their brains working.

    “Could that be the linking between them? The victimology is all over the place.” Derek. Oh. You’ve heard of Derek. You’ve seen pictures of Derek. He needs no introduction. 

    “Reid, Morgan, go talk to the first victim’s widow. Rossi, JJ, Ms. Dawson’s ex-husband can give us insight on her life. Emily and us—” He gives you a look and you understand he means you, nodding in reply. “Will head to the DC police precinct.” The way Hotch gives orders is effortless, not only his job but his vocation. 

    Everyone listens and agrees quickly, moving and leaving the table, even Emily is fast on her feet, even though she won’t leave without you and him. You stay still, stiff, eyes glued to the screen.

    “Are you alright?” His voice is soft, laced with worry, genuine worry. You didn’t even notice he had stayed behind, but you nod again at Hotch, a question burning at the tip of your tongue.

    “Do you still believe in God, Mr. Hotchner?”

[junesaintfrancis]

"Mother God," the Ultimate White Thief [ramble]

I was aware of Amy Carlson's death when it first hit the news (and subsequently AskAMortician’s YouTube channel), and I laughed and brushed it off. I so often fall into the trap of simply dismissing cult-related deaths, of thinking, ‘Well, another idiot died and it’s no one’s fault but theirs.’ But I watched the HBO docuseries and was left feeling somewhere between disappointed and pissed off at the pandering they did to these batshit, evil, and racist individuals. 

FULL DISCLOSURE: I, myself, am white. If you are interested in yoga, meditation, or other non-Anglo spiritual practices, please learn them from people who belong to the culture from which they originate, and be mindful; do not appropriate from other cultures.

SECOND DISCLOSURE: This is a ramble post. These are just my thoughts and observations; I have not looked at academic literature for this post, and neither is it properly sorted. I may turn it into an actual piece eventually. 

I could talk about the mechanisms of cult hivemind all I want, but something else caught my attention. I think Amy Carlson and LHW is a fantastic example of white [Conservative] women co-opting [appropriating] Eastern spirituality for their own malignant gain.

Watch this amazing, in-depth video that gives much more context and history if you don’t know who I’m talking about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f81Az_2Fvek I won’t be discussing the history of Love Has Won; this is simply me pointing out how common it is to see appropriated Eastern spiritual principles within these Neo-Nazi white ‘spirituality’ groups and talking about why this phenomenon may be so common. 

I don’t think religio-cultural appropriation is always obvious, either. Yoga is incredibly mainstream (and there’s even a massive Christian population who bitches about it being ‘demonic’), and so is meditation; but both of these have been appropriated by the Anglo world from South Asian spiritual practices (and other indigenous cultural beliefs) with zero regards to their cultural origins. I mean, think of all the little plastic dreamcatchers you can buy at the store. Think of the growing popularity of “healing crystals” and how now even stores like Claire’s and Target sell jewelry meant to balance, or heal, or ease anxiety. These practices are beautiful, complex, and meaningful--and they are now becoming mass-produced, watered down, and stolen by some of the most insidiously evil and/or stupid folk on the internet. 

Conspirituality is the term for this. Not the appropriation, but the mixing of it with a conspiratorial obsession with alternative beliefs, big government conspiracies, paranoia, 5G, aliens building the pyramids, you name it. It’s especially dangerous when white people are the perpetrators--now, not only do you have someone stealing from another culture and using those cultural practices to actively harm others, but this person, in their whiteness, now has social power over the oppressed groups who actually own these practices. And it gets rebranded as “new age spirituality.” The new age spirituality provides a sense of community and panders to the Covid fears -- and pre-existing racism and antiSemitism -- and provides someone, or something, to blame. Thus we begin heading towards the antiSemitic point of no return. “We declare peace on earth” my ass. 

And obviously, Love Has Won is guilty of all of this and more. If you’re familiar with Amy and LHW, then you’re probably already aware of the time she went to Hawaii and then claimed she was [Tutu] Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes and fire, and the creator of the Hawaiian Islands. She is clearly not afraid to appropriate whatever indigenous culture she can in order to build her facade of being a god herself, and it’s specifically her whiteness (and perhaps schizophrenia and plenty of drugs) that emboldens her. This just scratches the motherfucking surface. 

Here, Amy takes credit for her Chakra system ‘cleansing’ sessions (which may or may not include poisoning yourself with colloidal silver). Further down the document, she mentions opening your third eye. Zero mentioning of the true origin of these practices, nor their cultural weight.

This is the third page of her “5D Healing Guide” document. Not only is she claiming Chakra knowledge and healing crystals, but . . . I mean, come on. You can’t use Sanskrit and then claim the fucking practice. Also, nowhere on her websites nor ‘guides’ includes the Sanskrit words for the Chakras.

Like I said before, this shit is dangerous. The watering down of these beautiful spiritual practices and then subsequently claiming and disfiguring them is almost always tied to Neo-Nazism, QAnon conspiracy theories, and a rejection of common-sense medical philosophy. Why do white women in particular so often fall into this wellness-to-Nazism pipeline, even if they weren’t overtly racist before? It’s because these white folk will always fall into the comforts and power of white supremacy; and make no mistake: much of this ‘mystic spirituality’ is white supremacy. The power to take from cultures and claim it as your own -- and the immunity to criticism -- is also white supremacy. White supremacist spirituality isn’t just a spiritual belief, either; it’s a thriving market that is powered by racism and medical Orientalism. 

But still, why? ‘Buddhism and Whiteness: Critical Reflections’, edited by George Yancy and Emily McRae, has a wonderful chapter [titled ‘The interdependence and emptiness of Whiteness’ by Bryce Huebner] which discusses the emptiness and fragility of whiteness, the teachings of Buddhism, social castes, and their interconnectedness. Whiteness has no connected culture; it is a feeble social category. What ethnic culture do white Americans belong to? Most cannot name one. Rather than connecting with their ancestral cultures, white Americans often choose to steal from others which are closer, and those from which they have the power to steal from.

And, as I’ve made abundantly clear by now, this is exceptionally dangerous. White wellness culture so often leads into the paranoia, the distrust, and feeds off of the pre-existing racism that is ingrained into every white American. 

“It’s the same thing with the Jews. It’s like Hitler knew the truth…” (said by Ashley Peluso). They explain that the dark forces conspiring against them, the ‘Cabal,’ don’t have souls. This is rhetoric that has excused entire genocides of people. Have you seen ‘NPC’ dramas in spiritual circles? This is that cranked up to the max.

A bunnnnch of antiSemitic bullshit. The ‘Cabal’ is a common QAnon talking point; the Cabal are members of a Satanic, baby-eating, pedophile ‘deep state’ (and Donald Trump will save humanity from them??). Who is the deep state, you might ask? Well, usually it’s Jewish people. 

“Hitler didn’t want to go into the same banking system as the cabal. He didn’t want to join their mafia, so they took him out and they blamed him. They are the ones who bombed the concentration camps, created dysfunction, lied, faked the numbers, they did it to themselves and blamed it on them just like they lie about Trump.” Those are the words of Ashley Peluso. It always, always, always comes back to hating Jews. In other videos, she claims that Black people are “out of control” because of Jewish “programming.”  

Jason Castillo, the co-leader of LHW, is also on video saying the N-word repeatedly. He says, “There’s nowhere to hide, cockroach. A [N-word]. That’s what a cockroach is. An [N-word].” Love Has Won members also subscribe to the “All Lives Matter” BS, and claim that BLM is a ‘cult.’ How ironic.

And I won’t even get started on the racism of believing aliens built the fucking pyramids. 

And, finally: 

I don't doubt it.

[greentrickster]

Oh! Oh, Yue Qingyuan has a qi deviation thanks to not quite knowing how to handle the energies of a female body properly (note: this isn’t a ‘haha, man turns into woman and discovers how hard a female body can be to deal with’ situation, it’s a ‘this man has been holding on by his fingernails for forty years and sprinting towards his breaking point since Tianlang-jun got dug up and this was one detail to keep track of too many’).

Fortunately (for a given value of fortunately), it’s not one that has him baying for blood or on death’s door or anything, it’s a relatively mild one that just leaves him feverish and a bit delirious, with Tianlang-jun swearing and doing his best to replicate the meridian-cleansing YQY has been doing for him with that big ol’ well of spiritual energy his plant body has to make sure this idiot doesn’t die on him or anything. Because everyone would probably blame him and also he hasn’t even fixed the guy enough yet to get his revenge via petty bullying yet. This man is getting such an earful when he’s lucid enough to understand it!

Except when YQY does finally wake up enough to get complained at, he’s still not fully in his right mind or aware of his surroundings.

Oh, and he’s absolutely convinced that Tianlang-jun is Luo Binghe, in spite of the fact that Tianlang-jun is currently woman-shaped.

Tianlang-jun: About time you woke up! You know what I-!

YQY: (dazed) You?

Tianlang-jun: Yes, me! Now-

YQY: Why are you helping me?

Tianlang-jun: What?

YQY: Why are you helping me? It’d be better for you if I was dead.

Tianlang-jun: (mental gears grinding because um, what now, it’s been pretty established at this point in the forced-bonding exercise that they both need each other very very much if they’re going to survive this...?) ...what?

YQY: (curling up on himself a bit) We both know it’s true. You know I love him, and he hasn’t noticed he’s in love with you yet. I’m just another obstacle to get through. Even though he doesn’t remember why I call him ‘Shen Jiu.’ Even though he doesn’t remember that he hates that name and hates me calling him by it and hates me. He doesn’t even remember that I love him, or why he should hate me, he doesn’t remember-!!! (starts crying, not big and noisy or showy, just soft and quiet and utterly heartbroken)

Tianlang-jun: ...

Tianlang-jun: (So, on the one hand, he’s emotionally vulnerable, doesn’t realize who he’s talking to, and in no mental state to consent to doing or saying anything)

Tianlang-jun: (On the other hand, juicy sect gossip about the sect leader, that guy my son’s in love with, and probably my son)

Tianlang-jun: (in his best Binghe impression) Please explain, Sect Boss Yue, perhaps this shizhi can help.

On the one hand, it works! Tianlang-jun is the first person to ever hear the full story of Yue Qi and Shen Jiu’s shared history! Getting all this out there even helps calm these long-time heart-demons enough to get him out of qi deviation and to sleep - success!

On the other hand, it works! And Tianlang-jun gets to stare at the surrounding forest for the rest of the night processing the experience of, “Damn, you live like this bro?!” mixed with “That’s so tragic and romantic, someone should write a play about this!” along with a healthy dose of, “What the hell am I supposed to do with this information? You know, besides tell him to tell that idiot he’s in love with when we get back to the sect. And maybe force him to do it. Purely because this is the main issue this man has and if I can fix this then I can finally start getting him to respond to my teasing properly, and not at all because I relate to this situation in any way, shape, or form and miscommunication tragedies have kinda lost their appeal to me since I discovered everything bad in my live for the past twenty years has been the result of one. I don’t like him or feel sorry for him. I don’t.”

[pandorafallz]

Vampire AU | New histories and in sights

News of the spirit tree did spread between the camps in the few days that passed and Jake was well aware of those for it and those less willing to try it out and it became a discussion over the radio of who was going and when (based on Mo’at’s availability) and the aftermath of the connection which would upset the camp’s balance until people had adapted to the new connection.

Morgan, Bree, Kim, Jerome, Kendra, Ashley, Harper, Zane, Zeke, and Xavier were straight off the bat interested in connecting to Eywa (those with avatars would go there in human forms for their native bodies to adapt)

Eliza, Maria, Danielle, Kung, and Matthew all were disinterested in connection. The rest, Wei, Sean, Marcus, Will, Ming, and Austin were willing to connect but would wait until another time to do so, very casual about it. Nadine was the only one who wanted to go but was unwilling to enter the cave system to get there. Moran wanted to as well but had concerns with compatibility with his cranial implants that lived under his skin.

A mixed bag of cats but Jake was glad to see so many humans were willing to try it out and see. One day, those disinterested would connect. The hot springs were still a hit, despite the initial mood-killer but Jake had taken the time to visit again the next day (and to properly wash the human clothes from his camp) in a far better mood which really helped restore the caves for him.

Jake’s attention turned up to Ruby as her tail once again thumped irritably against his back occupied in gently spinning together at Hometree. The slight recoil was the only indication he was being softly struck since he was human today. “You okay, Ruby?” he decided to ask after the third time.

“Hm? Oh yes.” Ruby nodded. “It’s…nothing.” Her tone wavered a little.

Jake eyed her expression for a moment, noting the pull between her eyebrows and her… lack of concentration on her actual work as she spun her fibres. Working on auto.

“If you want to talk, I’m about or Mo’at. I heard she took Bree and Zeke down to the caves to connect to Eywa this morning and let them rest up quietly in her den.” Jake offered.

Ruby paused, expression turning frustrated. “I wish she allowed me to go down today.”

“You know why.” Jake said softly, “I’m… I know I don’t get why and I won’t ask but… I think Mo’at probably needs to understand why you need to feel Eywa’s love so intently.”

Uncertainty lingered in Ruby’s yellow eyes. “It’s… complicated.”

“I figured as much but… Mo’at is doing her best to try and help humans. She’d been helping Nadine with her PTSD from the wars and had been learning how humans interact by learning from us. She is the spiritual leader and a healer for a reason. She could help you if you let her. I can try if you want.”

Ruby chewed her lip for a moment before she set the spindle down and stared at him for a moment in quiet contemplation as she clearly weighed the options. “Zane’s at camp so… I can’t bring him along for emotional support. I can… I’m willing to trust you to not spill what I say to Mo’at, right?”

“You have my confidence,” Jake promised because… he hoped this was a good step for Ruby to evolve. To reach out to someone else and while he wasn’t the brightest person, he’d be someone that they could rely on.

Ruby nodded and gestured softly as a means of asking to pick him up. Jake nodded, raising his arms and settling his arm onto her shoulder and she grabbed his chair with her other hand.

Up the spiral, the den was quiet, the familiar bowls with fire in to light up the space, Mo’at was tending to Kim’s pregnant belly, carefully feeling the bump with expertise and Eliza was off to the side with a tablet and ultra-sound, examining what looked like a scan of the babies.

Bree was there, sitting up against the wall but drawing in her sketchbook a little listless but focused nonetheless. Zeke on the other hand was conked out asleep and it looked like someone had drawn a moustache and monocle on his mask. Probably Bree.

“<Your children feel healthy. Their tsalnu sacs seemed to have separated fully from each other which will is good. You’ll be able to birth them separately and safely. That is why your belly has grown a little.>” Mo’at spoke, sparing a second to the scan Eliza had to be certain.

Kim let out a sigh of relief. “<That’s a relief.>”

“<You’ll have a little over two months before you deliver.>” Mo’at carried on, “<It will be wise for you to move into Hometree for the duration of the tsalnu maturation before they’re fully birthed to the world. Since there are two, they’ll have to be delivered earlier than that of a single birth.>”

“<I’ll talk to my mate about it but we make no promises.>” Kim said, unsurprisingly before she sat up though she smiled softly as she saw them though it turned a little concerned. “You two okay?”

“I got a…private talk with Mo’at I think I… need to address,” Ruby said, nervously, her grip tightening a little around him like he was a teddy bear. “Preferably now, or I might chicken out.”

Bree paused a little, looking their way from her book “Let me get my ear pods.” She reached slowly for her bag and tugged it close, rummaging around before she pulled the little case out and set them into her ears before pulling out her tablet to start the music. Loud enough for them to just about hear it.

Kim sighed deeply, annoyed. “We’re kinda in the middle of a check-up, guys…”

“Sorry for the interruption, Kim, but… please give us at least twenty minutes, Kim.” Jake gave his campmate a solid look, feeling Ruby’s arm tighten more and she felt her reluctance return. “It’s important.”

Kim’s jaw tightened a little, lingering on him for a moment then up to Ruby. “Fine.”

“You can stay and listen if you want,” Ruby stated her tone a pitch higher. “It’s not a pleasant story.”

Kim shook her head, her hand coming to her belly with an annoyed sound. “One of my kids is pressing on my bladder. I think that’s telling me something.” She waved away Mo’at’s offer to help her onto her feet, pulling her loincloth straight, both front and back, and waddled out quickly.

Eliza, not saying anything set her tools away and also took her leave but no doubt would return when they were gone. She patted Ruby’s blue leg in passing.

Mo’at sighed softly but collected her tools together. “<I wish she’d allow herself to accept more help.>”

Jake snorted a little. “<She’s a stubborn person. It’s easier pulling teeth.>” He was gently set down a few feet from the Tsahìk onto Kim’s former mat, taking a moment to organise his limp legs before Ruby sat down a little beside him, dwarfing him easily as her long blue settled around him. Her fingers tapped along his shoulder absently for a moment.

“<So…>” Ruby hesitated. “<I… my childhood isn’t a good one. I’ve… never spoken to anyone about it properly except to Zane and it’s… why I can’t go back to Earth and why I want to keep connecting to Eywa. Jake said… you might be more understanding.>”

Mo’at finished setting her tools away, turning her attention fully to the gatherer. “<I know you mentioned to myself and Neytiri it wasn’t pleasant but I didn’t feel it was the time to ask for more. You do not have to mention more than you’re willing to share.>”

Ruby nodded, her ears shifting a little as she contemplated. “I… I know it’s something I need help with and I… don’t like asking for it. I’ve spent a while not emotionally relying on people around me. It’s easier for me.”

Mo’at nodded softly. “<You closed your heart.>”

Ruby nodded. “<I had to.>” She admitted. “<I… hours after I was born, my birth mother tried to dispose of me by abandoning me into a trash canister outside at night.>” Ruby’s ears pinned, pained as the words left her lips. “My own mother didn’t want me… and I don’t understand why she didn’t give me up at a hospital or… a fire station. She had nine months to do that or abort the pregnancy. Instead just… left me some random bin in nothing but a kitchen towel.”

Mo’at’s expression turned sorrowful. “<That is awful, I cannot imagine how painful it is for you to have gone through that. Children are a gift and should be treasured.>” She paused for a moment. “<May I ask, what is a> fire station?”

“Fire stations are facilities designated for fire control for the surrounding public.” Jake spoke softly to Mo’at softly “But they also provide public aid or a safe zone for adults or teen parents to leave their babies or children if they cannot look after them or have a reason to not keep them. Hospitals are medical areas. Any children abandoned after birth can be given up there safely and the child rehoused to a family willing to take them in.”

Mo’at nodded in soft understanding. “<I see.>”

“I would have been better if I had been given up somewhere safe.” Ruby shook her head. “I only survived the trash heap because I was found by a school kid when he was bin surfing for tech junk. He heard me crying and took me home with him in his backpack. His mom got the cops when she found out and I was put into a care system. No one wanted to adopt me.” Her hand moved, pulling her tail around to fiddle with the puff of hair at the end.

Jake reached forward, patting her knee but his heart also ached a little. He couldn’t fathom all of that and while she no doubt knew this all from second-hand, it didn’t erase anything or the turmoil that came with it. It still happened to her. The knowledge that hung over her head.

“I grew up in the system. Foster family to foster family. A few okay ones, a few shit ones who could barely afford to eat…” Her eyes looked far away, “I got to another foster family when I was ten. I thought they were going to be my family for good. Two parents, an older brother and sister, and their second cousin who became orphaned so he had to live with them. My… foster parents at that time were distant. Not there for anyone emotionally but I got on well with my new cousin, Marty, he was… a good guy.”

Jake distantly remembered his fate with a wince. A good guy was lured away and killed; only to be found six months later as bones.

Ruby’s face lost a lot of colour, her eyes brimming with unshed shed as she carried on without stopping. “When…I was fourteen, my foster brother… assaulted me in my room. Said it was okay because we weren’t blood-related and… he wanted to practise.”

Jake closed his eyes, his jaw clenching. Mo’at inhaled deeply but understood the implication, no doubt through Neytiri. It wouldn’t have been an easy conversation but necessary.

“I...I got the police involved, and got him jailed for it but… everyone at school found out what happened…the story got twisted by his friends. I got bullied and blamed for the assault and said that I ruined a good boy’s life and he had a good future ahead before I split. No one even considered what he had done to me or what scars he left on me. That he had ruined my life.” Ruby’s breath shook. “I got out after a year of saving up money. Some friend has a friend who I paid off to get me out. I… changed my name, new date of birth, and new identity codes for myself to have a life. Once I had all that I just… disappeared from that life. Shut away the feelings to concentrate on where I needed to be.”

“You became Ruby Carr, a brilliant scientist.” Jake offered quietly. “You made it all the way to Pandora.”

Ruby nodded airily. “I worked hard in the new school I enrolled in. Worked a side job to afford it and a place to sleep. The only meals I could eat were at school because those were free. I scraped by and got good grades. Got the RDA’s attention to get a scholarship to the sciences. When I was old enough, I signed up for their labs for a few years before I applied to come here and join the Avatar program when I was twenty-three. For a while, it was okay. I had no problems until I learned my former foster brother had joined a gang in prison. I always kept taps open on him as a precaution and… my fear wasn’t misplaced. His new friends had connections everywhere and he was able to find out my new identity and where I was. If I went back home, I’d lose the RDA protection and… I can’t return back. I know he’d come for me if given that chance. I couldn’t give him that chance.”

Mo’at leant down, her hand soft and slow as she touched the Dreamwalker’s face. “<He will not find you here, Rubycarr. You are safe with the people. You are safe with your friends.>”

Ruby stared at her for a long moment then broke her gaze. “I know that here.” She reached up and tapped her temple. “But not here.” She tapped over her heart. “<Eywa… she makes me feel safe and protected. Like a home I never had.>”

“<The great mother provides you with an ocean of unconditional love.” Mo’at dropped her hand to rest on her shoulder.. “<An ocean can be welcoming and beautiful under its surface but… sooner or later you have to resurface or you’ll down within and lose yourself.>”

“<But it’s the only way I can feel happy.>”

“<No, child.>” Mo’at shook her head. “<Happiness is around you and in arms reach. You’ve guarded your heart for so long that you do not see the walls you’ve put up. You look out, not inwards. Happiness is there. You have your friends now to help you. Zanemadaki, who you’re courting would no doubt help you.>”

Jake squeezed her knee softly, looking up to her softly. “<We’re all here to help. Messy feelings and all. Now is a time for healing and community.”

Ruby’s low ears perked up a little, her eyes still large and tearful. “Zay makes me happy. I know I love him.”

“Does he know?”

Ruby nodded softly. “<I told him after we started to date more seriously… I didn’t want to start with lies and… I didn’t want us to rush or anything. It took over a year of us dating before I invited him into a more… physical relationship. He waited until I was ready. Such a gentlemen>.” She smiled fondly. “<I know I can’t rely on a single person for it. Not fair on him but it’s just easier.>”

Mo’at remained quiet for a moment then sat back. “<You carry a massive burden from your past and it will take time for you to let those walls down and find the connections to others to bring you joy more naturally.>”

Ruby’s tail swished from her fingers, frowning softly. “<I don’t know how to really let people in>”

“<You can relearn. I still have much to do but I will spend some time at your camp tomorrow and start the process if you allow me.>” Mo’at offered.

The Dreamwalker’s head tilted before she hummed if a little reluctantly in consideration. It was probably a little overwhelming for her but he hoped she’d stick with it. She had a lot to give if she allowed it. It’d be great to see her open up as well but in all honesty, he was well aware how sparse he had been with his human defectors with his training.

Jake patted her leg, her head turning down at him. “It’s okay. Zane can be there as well if you need.” He assured. “She wouldn’t offer if she wasn’t able to do it. You’re not going to burden her.”

Ruby chewed her lip and then sighed deeply. “I… suppose. I… it’s... sounds like such a task.”

“You’re worth the trouble.” Jake said, “It won’t be easy for you but if you want to feel that connection and happiness, you need to put that work in as well.”

Ruby’s jaw tightened but she understood her part in it. “I know.” She released her breath, her hand coming to rub her face.

The mood was still a little… fragile with that all out in the open and he could tell Ruby wasn’t sure what to do now, so he decided to step in and crack that ice.

“If… you don’t mind me asking, what was your name before?”

Ruby let out a heavy sigh, her hand dropping down into her lap. “Nancy Bane.”

“Nancy?” he couldn’t help himself on the echo but… it was such an outdated name. It was rare on his side of the pond. The English, maybe, but they were a weird folk to keep those old names about still, like Margret or… Patricia.

Ruby snorted, with a little more life to it. “I was never fond of the names. I always liked the gemstone ruby so it wasn’t hard to change it. I let the guy who changed my identity choose my last name. I didn’t care either way. A new name was a new name.”

“I’m included to agree. Ruby’s a far better name.” Jake agreed. “So, is there anything else you wish to discuss?”

Ruby paused, “Er… I may need some herbs to help with my human body. I’m… getting a little constipated and indigestion a lot more. Eliza’s meds are okay but harder to come by. I’d rather start moving onto more easy-to-come-by remedies and save her meds for more dire needs.”

Mo’at nodded, “I’ll find you something before you leave tonight.”

Ruby collected Jake back up as she took her leave, carrying him back down though she looked… more content, he noted, her posture far loosened up.

“What?” Ruby asked, setting his chair down.

“Have… Have I been too absent from people? Like, the humans?” Jake asked, sliding into his chair. “I know I speak to people when they come here and when we’re on the radios but… I feel like I’ve missed out on getting to know people more personally, you know?”

Ruby hummed shortly. “You’re a busy man when you’re in your avatar; Neytiri works you hard when training and you’re in your own bubble when you’re human here. I’ve always considered that to be your mental vacation from training.”

“You’re too kind,” Jake said, a little dissatisfied, shifting a leg to rest more naturally. “I need to do a lot more than be in my own bubble. Once training’s done, I’ll try and be about for you all. We should all go down to Homebase one night. I have a projector. Have a movie night?”

Ruby’s eyes lit up a little. “You have movies?”

“Shit tons. Haven’t watched too many since we’re out of here but I think it would be fun to have a weekly thing for us lot. Nadine can’t go in the caves but I’m sure we can get a few to watch with her as well at another camp.”

“Zeke’s a good option.”

“Ooh, Zeke watching a movie, oh that’ll be fantastic!” Jake realised; at least half the entertainment would be generated by the man’s verbal reaction alone. He had heard Bree had set the creepy puppet doll up in the shack module’s airlock in the mountains as a prank when they were still cutting the shacks up and everyone there knew when Zeke found it. He was kinda sad to have missed that.

Ruby laughed. “Yeah, he’s fun to watch a film with. I only had a few and we’ve watched them over a few times.”

“Next time, I’ll bring a tablet or maybe Morgan or someone can visit and drop off a tablet and you can download from there,” Jake promised, wheeling now back towards the spinners where he could see a few of the miners were set up with bead making he couldn’t help but notice now Marcus was about but looking a little distressed.

Ruby broke away to find Harper so Jake pushed on to Marcus’s side, sparing a look at his cause of concern.

Bead organisation.  There was a small pile of beads that were in one basket and often made by many hands and it was preferred to be separated by colour for artists to draw from when they continued their pieces more easily unless they made their own beads with specific purpose.

It was an easy task that children could do, toddlers even.

“You okay?” Jake asked.

Marcus let out a frustrated sigh. “I need to learn Na’vi. The lead guy put me on this and… I can’t do it.”

Jake looked at the beads and then at him before he realised why. “You’re colour blind, aren’t you?”

Marcus nodded slowly. “Tritan colour blindness. I don’t know how to tell them without them thinking I’m stupid or something. ”

“Ohh…” Jake spared a look around, “You got a tablet?”

“In my bag.”

“Can you get it? I assume you have a camera on it?”

Marcus nodded, relieved as he stood up and hurried to his bag set off by the side to be out of the way and return a moment later with it. Looking at it, he noticed it looked regular, but turning it on, he realised the screen was monochromatic. Black and white. Simple.

“Mind if I turn the colours on? I’ll turn it back once I’m done.” It felt polite to ask at the very least given it wasn’t his tablet.

“Okay?”

Jake nodded, relieved. “<Ten’nel, can you come here please?>” He called.

The Na’vi in question looked up from examining his apprentice’s work of small beads along a string before he got to his feet and came over.

“<Is he not done?>” Ten’nel asked eyes on the pot still. “<I thought he would have finished by now.>”

Jake clicked his tongue. “<Marcus here doesn’t know enough Na’vi to tell you that he had a visual disability. He cannot do this task.>

Ten’nel’s head turned to him sharply but he looked more serious now than before. “<A disability? Poor eyesight?>”

“<He cannot perceive certain colours. Humans call this colour blindness.>” Jake answered, he leaned over and took a photo of the beads Marcus had been set to do then moved to the editor to add a filter over it. “<Humans have a few variants of colour blindness depending on which colour rods in their eyes are affected. Some humans cannot see Red, yellow, Green or blue. In some cases, everything is grey, not colour at all. Marcus here, while he can see everything in clarity, he cannot see yellow or blue.>”

He held out the tablet for the bead maker to see, watching as the man’s eyes slid to the screen in fascination at the filter and then to the actual colours the real thing had beside it; comparing both.

“<The yellow is a pinkie-grey?>” Ten’nel’s voice was filled with genuine intrigue. “<Fascinating…>”

“<Is there a task Marcus can do here that doesn’t rely on colour?>

Ten’nel hummed in soft consideration, still looking between. “<He could remain to simply make the beads or assist with crafting of pieces>”

“You good to stick with just making beads?” Jake offered to Marcus, “Not a lot of colour work?”

“Hm, I might not stick with beads. It’ll pass the time for now but I’m still looking about for something that calls, you know.” Marcus stated, scratching his chin under his mask. “Maybe I’ll try the leather working route or spinners. Weaving is kinda of interesting but… too many colour-dependencies. I’d rather not need to check with people constantly on my own work.”

Jake hummed softly. “I suppose there’s still plenty of time to find out your thing.”

“<Is everything alright?>” Ten’nel asked.

“<Yes, just offering the suggestions for him.>” Jake answered before he looked up at Ten’nel for a moment before he looked down at the tablet. An idea sprung to mind. “<Can… Can I take a photo of you? I wish to see what he sees when he looks at Na’vi. He cannot see blue or yellow.>” And Na’vi were blue and yellow.

Ten’nel allowed him with a curious nod and Jake blinked at the result.

“Na’vi are green to you?” Well, not a deep overly green; they looked closer to turquoise than anything but still… and their eyes, like yellow beads, were grey but with a hint of pink to them. Any red naturally stood out, unchanged and very vibrant.

“Yeah?” Marcus snorted a little. “Like, I mostly know the difference between blue and greens based on shade intensity but it depends on the saturation levels the colour has.”

“How did you make it this far to Pandora with this colour blindness? I know they don’t discriminate based on disability but… you’re a geologist.” There had to be a story there.

“I signed up as a miner; to work in the mine but some of it was bull-shitting, white lies and help. Alejandra helped a little in adding symbols to colour systems when we were working.”

“Wait, you’re colour-blind?”

Jake’s head turned suddenly to see Kung standing a few metres away, a basket of fibres in her arms looking a little baffled and annoyed.

Marcus’s eyes widened a little before he sheepishly nodded.

Kung set the basket down, her hands coming to her hips. “Why didn’t you say anything? I would have been less of an asshole.”

“Because you would have moved me off elsewhere. I know I’m supposed to note that down for my superiors but you ran the mines by the book.” The blond said, gesturing up wildly before clambering to his feet. “I wanted to keep my job, Zee.”

Kung’s brow pulled in before she clicked her tongue, picked up her basket again and walked away without another word.

Marcus huffed, his hand coming to his face but was stopped by the mask. “Aye yai yai…”

Jake looked between the man and the leaving major. “You two got history?”

Marcus nodded. “We took to her bed a few times.” He answered, “I’ll… get back to work.” He decided, moving towards the maker’s side of the area.

-

Tsu’tey led the hunting party back with a glint of satisfaction at each of his student’s work. The human of the group, MingWu was a surprise; having to succeed with a clean kill. Ashleysloan wasn’t a surprise at all she had shot her yerik straight through the frontal eye and killed it instantly. Ka’ani and Saeyla had taken down the same prey but both shots were true.

Iknimaya would be granted to all accept MingWu, as a human could not bond with an Ikran. A known statement but he would need to confide with Mo’at and Eytukan to find an alternative rite of passage for the human that did not involve tsaheylu that would allow the woman to hunt freely as the people. Not all hunters had Ikran but often hunters had Pa’li to ride on to travel. She couldn’t even do that.

It was a little of a headache to think about but he had an idea.

At Hometree, his trainees separated after his word to other tasks as the afternoon was drawing in, Ka’ani leading the kills towards the butchers with Ashleysloan who requested some of the meat for her camp.

Tsu’tey eyes sought over the people, noting the humans, the small form of Jakesully by the weavers stood out by the yellow of his wheeled chair with some dissatisfaction. He moved his gaze on before he moved toward Eytukan who had returned as well with a high head but also was ascending up to the higher level.

Tsu’tey followed. “<I see you, Olo'eyktan>” He greeted politely to draw the clan leader’s attention.

“<I see you, Tsu’tey. How were your hunters??” Eytukan asked as he set his bow down on his personal rack.

“<True shots. MingWu included.>”

Eytukan hummed in surprise. “<The human, interesting.>”

“<MingWu has surprising dedication but due to her species, she cannot pass Iknimaya as an Ikran Makto without a tswin.>”

Eytukan led on towards the Tsahìk’s den, the sounds of her moving about unmistakable and her soft voice.

“<Have you considered options?>” Eytukan asked, pausing outside the den “<There are a few that aren’t easy or feasible for a human. They are tiny and weaver than a Na’vi.>”

“<The Great Hunt, three weeks away.>” Tsu’tey suggested. “<She will have to ride as a passenger onto a Pa’li but if she strikes true among the talioang migration, then that should be a tremendous task achieved much like Pa’li Makto.>”

Eytukan let out a considering hum. “<That’s a good suggestion for the human hunters. What of the Dreamwalkers?>”

“<Ashleysloan had defied all expectations and can put Manu to shame in skill. She would go far in the clan if she was not held back by being a Dreamwalker.>” A sad fact really. It didn’t go unmissed that she had the attention of a few men and women who valued skill and, even by Tsu’tey’s standards, her Dreamwalker did have an attractive face. However, the extra finger was still a firm reminder of what the woman was under the false skin.

“<You sound disappointed>” Eytukan chuckled.

Tsu’tey tittered a little, pursing his lips discontented. “<She doesn’t have my interest beyond that of a mentor to a student.>” He was to be mated with Neytiri and so, he had no reason to look elsewhere. A Dreamwalker was not a suitable mate to even consider, so he didn’t. But he could appreciate the work this Dreamwalker put in with the clan. Tolerantly, even. “<Why was Jakesully not in his Dreamwalker today? I expected him to join the group in the hunt>”

“<Neytiri will see his first successful hunt tomorrow.>,” Eytukan said, “<I believe today is his duty to care for his native body.>”

“<I look forward to her verdict.>” He paused, noting the slight tenseness in the Olo'eyktan’s posture. “<Was your hunt successful?>”

Eytukan hummed, turning discontent. “<I did not hunt for meat. I found bones of a Palulukan within a cave. Years old by the state of the bones but… signs of the Cold Ones. I heard rumour of these bones so I sought them out for truth>”

Tsu’tey felt his insides turn tense, cooling with a flicker of fear. These blood demons had killed a Palulukan? It took many warriors and many arrows to down a beast of death and often there were casualties. They were creatures of both fear and respect for a reason. “<Was… what signs did you see?>”

“<It’s neck was broken. Not cleanly. The… ribs show claw marks that have five fingers to them. It has one cleanly broken leg and smaller fractures along the rest of the legs. The cave itself bears claw marks of both kinds so it likely died within and with great ferocity.>” Eytukan let out a firm breath. “<This knowledge carries a heavy burden.>”

“<If a single one can kill a Palulukan…>” He didn’t finish. What hope did the people have against these creatures? Eytukan had been wise to not let these creatures be his focus but the more he heard, the more he knew how harder it would be to protect the people.

Eytukan’s hand reached out, grasping his arm intently. “<As fearful as we are, Cold Ones have sight of Eywa. As long as there is no provocation, we should not gain their attention.>”

“<Wise worlds, beloved.>” The Tsahìk’s words echoed out, reminding them both where they were.

Eytukan ducked into the den first, empty of people and humans and Mo’at was finishing up her organisation. The two leaders closed the distance, grasping each other and Eytukan touched her cheek with fondness and her head tilted into his touch.

“<How was your day?>” Eytukan asked. “<I heard you went down to the caves again, to the spiritual tree.>”

The spiritual tree, Tsu’tey had heard about that with the rest of the clan. One tree for the sky people and… it was still a little hard to believe that Eywa would create such a blessing with a species like the Skye people in mind but he was not the one to question the Great Mother. He hadn’t seen such a tree and didn’t have the intention to either.

“<Yes, two connected and have experienced their communion Eywa. I will be busy tending to their communions. Once Neytiri is free from training Jakesully, I will need her attendants to watch and take over the communion until all are connected. I still have our people to tend to. I fear I will be too pulled away from my duty here now that the tree is discovered and so readily available..>” Mo’at spoke, worried. “<the humans that are with us are… uncannily driven to connect. Some more than others.>”

“<Is that a trouble?>”

“<The more I hear of their life in their home world, the sadder I am for them and for all that they have gone through>” Mo’at sighed deeply. “<The social complexities are beyond simple navigation. Their destruction, their closed hearts and their need for walls to hide themselves. Some have not even experienced love from their own family. Like it is a foreign concept but is desperate to feel it like children begging for food>” Mo’at looked genuinely upset. “<If anything I have learned, there is no life on Earth; only survival.>”

“<That is a very… bold statement.>” Eytukan said.

“<It rings true in my heart, my love. You should spend more time with the humans and see for yourself.>” Mo’at said. “<They need help but I cannot do it alone. The clan can guide these people to a better sense of self. To live beyond survival. To see the world in new life. I believe that is how we can achieve peace with the sky people.>”

Masterlist

[valkyrie-night-103]

The one and only anon fan coming at you to ask about terms of surrender

Hello, wonderful anon!! Thank you so so much for your continued support! Like I said before, I am available on tumblr and discord, feel free to DM me or friend me on discord (I’ll put my tag in my bio) if you would like to talk more about fic!

I have been DYING to talk about this one, it’s my main project right now. It went from a concept that I was going to write a little one shot about to a multi-chapter fic that currently consists of 7 chapters of varying lengths, totalling 20,000 words, and is about half done!

It’s got a lot of twists and turns and I really don’t want to completely spoil it for anyone, but if you like the golden lovers, getting-back-together fics filled with domestic fluff, emotional conflict and betrayal that isn’t between the main couple, with a dose of murder, revenge and most importantly, wrestling— this is the fic for you!!

Content warning for self deprecating thoughts, depression, just general emotional burnout.

Disclaimer, mobile formatting is awful.

Below the cut is a sneak peek of the first chapter! There is a prologue but I think the first chapter gives you a better assessment of the story direction, whereas the prologue kind of lays the groundwork and gives context for chapter one, but is not strictly necessary. This way is more exciting!

Chapter One : the road to ruin (and we’re starting at the end)

The segment goes as planned, for the most part. He tells the fans he’s going away for a while. That he needs time to recover, to recuperate, to finally rest. When they’re off the air, he embraces both Matt and Nick, an arm around each of them. He holds them at arms length, and smiles at them warmly. He hopes it reaches his eyes.

Naturally, Cole encroaches on their little moment. He opens his arms for a hug, but Kenny has already stuck his hand out for a stiff and awkward handshake before he can step closer. Cole’s barely concealed annoyance at the blatant snub makes him feel a little bit victorious, and he’s kind of in need of that right now.

Cole’s grip is tight as they shake, other hand also clasped around Kenny’s. He makes direct and prolonged eye contact, and though he’s probably not aware that Kenny finds eye contact awkward at the best of times, it still really annoys him.

Although, there’s something not quite right about those eyes. Adam Cole has always had bright blue eyes, but in this light they’re almost glazed silver. They’ve looked different since they brought him back, he’s noticed. Even when he laughs, there’s something menacing there.

Kenny had known even at the time that he was an amateur at anything spiritual, Cole was bound to come back a little bit wrong, but right now it’s so stark and obvious, staring him in the face in the most literal sense. It just gives him the creeps, and some part of him feels like he should have listened when Malakai said every ritual has a consequence somewhere down the line. That he shouldn’t have put the warning in his face down to his generally menacing presence.

“I’ll see you guys around.” He says, a lie that he knows will come back to bite him. It just feels right, like he’s meant to say it.

He takes a few steps back, not wanting to look away, before finally finding the courage to turn and go. Once he starts, he can’t stop, and though his dodgy knees protest with every step he walks faster and faster until he’s running, and then he runs, far enough away to breathe again.

He pulls out his phone and books the flight on his way out of the hotel. He waits to board, and he looks through his chat history, scrolling through old conversations. It’s nostalgic in a melancholy way. Time moves so strangely, he feels like he’s lived a lifetime since leaving to start AEW.

On the journey, he tilts his head back and tries to relax. Sleep is off the table, but maybe relaxing is a more attainable goal. His mind wanders and meanders, he feels like he’s chasing nothing, searching for something he’ll never find.

He goes through the motions after touching down, and he already feels like he’s come home. Japan has been his home since he first flew out there to wrestle for DDT, some 15 years ago. He remembers it so clearly, and sometimes he wishes he didn’t, because it hurts to recall a time where he believed in himself, owned who he was and would never trade it for anything.

He’s not really thinking about where his feet are taking him, but he doesn’t need to. He knows where he’s going.

As his mind often does when unoccupied for any period of time, he wonders what Kota thinks of him now, just as that sign had asked.

When Kota is alone, looking out at the skyline of his hometown, does he think of him fondly? When his name is mentioned, does his face twist in irritation or soften with fond familiarity?

Either way, it’s a little late to be having these doubts on the man’s doorstep.

[nanakibh]

“I’m not a scientist.”

I love the end of khux so much... 

idk how to even explain this to anyone who doesn’t understand the Lost Master = Class Zero connection yet. So, whatever, I’m just going to share my thoughts regardless. lol

For me, it’s the fact that “MoM” is an allusion to “Mother” (Dr. Arecia). In terms of personality, he’s obviously Jack, but it’s like he's taken on the role of Mother in order to earn Luxu’s distrust. Jack was willing to discard his identity at the drop of a hat if it would accomplish something for him, like the way he happily tried to change himself to become the Agito player’s ideal friend.

And Luxu being like Lean is just... Perfect, chef’s kiss. In the “peaceful” world, he gained the determination to change the world after watching Tempus Finis descend while standing with Akademeia as an ally.

Lean: Tohno… Lean: …Before, I was the only one you told. About how the world is repeating. About Tempus Finis. Lean: Tohno, you always wanted to change Orience’s history, didn’t you? Lean: If we could change the world’s history after it started over, we could change the ending.

I don’t know if the MoM is aware of the fourth wall and has literally seen the story of Agito, but that’s how it feels. I guess that the Gazing Eye is the in-universe excuse. In any case, the fact that the MoM chose Luxu spiritually feels like Jack had noticed Lean’s determination and then become a “Mother” who is able to be betrayed.

Miyu: Then… I see. Are you saying that the world is going to end? Arecia: It doesn’t make sense to continue an experiment if it isn’t producing results. Lean: W-… Wait a… minute… Lean: What do you mean, ‘an experiment’? Arecia: You heard me. You still don’t understand? Arecia: You humans have been living inside a lab experiment that has been continually repeating over and over for the sake of giving birth to Agito.

Arecia didn’t believe that Lean was necessary to create Agito, and she had no interest in stopping the war from repeating and saving the world if Agito wasn’t created as a result, so she told him that he was unnecessary. Lean just stood there and glared at her. I have a feeling that if Agito hadn’t prematurely ended there, then Lean would have betrayed Arecia and helped Tohno change history. Like, that clearly feels like where this was going. 

So, when the MoM says this...

I can’t help but feel like this is Jack removing his mask of “Mother.” This is probably the closest thing we’ve seen to the MoM’s true self. When he talks with this tone, it reminds me of the way Jack sounds when he talks to the player.

Jack: How about we fight together and put an end to Tempus Finis? You and I can surely do it together. Jack: …Did it sound like I was trying too hard to sound cool? Eheheh. Jack: But I’m sure of it. You and I can definitely do it. I’m counting on you, Player.

“Orience” means “daybreak.” So, the MoM needed to spiritually destroy Orience again by destroying Daybreak Town. He needed to tell Luxu everything without sparing a single detail. He was reenacting Mother’s actions, all to fill Luxu with Lean’s determination to change the ending. And in the end, Luxu guided Sora, who, for all intents and purposes, is just like the Agito player who was meant to become the True Agito, who Arecia had failed to discover in all of her heartless attempts.

They found “Agito”, changed the world’s ending, and defeated the spirit of Arecia.

Demyx saying “I’m not a scientist” is gonna make me cry now. lmao

Anyway. I love how the MoM has spiritually acknowledged Lean’s importance. Read Agito. I have it pinned on my blog.

[femmefatalevibe]

Hey love, hope your well!

I’ve made a decision, but would love a additional viewpoint and I really respect how you can be compassionate with your answer’s while always prioritizing the individuals “self’s” needs.

I’m ending a 13 year friendship with a woman I considered my sister. There’s no hard feeling’s. There’s no hurt or resentment. There’s no feelings.

Throughout our whole relationship, we’ve had some few but intense fights (I was a very non confrontational people pleaser, she had narcissistic and explosive tendencies, so we would dance around each other inflicting as little damage as possible. She was the only person in my life I would have arguments with, and I was the only person in her life she would try to control her temperament with. It was weird but we both took us being each other’s exception as a sign that yeah, we love each other so we will make it work) and there where a lot of poorly set boundaries from my part and complete disregard from her’s, but one constant that both of us are aware of is that:

1. I only talk thing’s out when I have the intention of progressing the relationship. If I decide I no longer want to partake I up and leave. I’m where I choose to be, with who I chose to be (even though I was a literal trash can accepting literally anyone to fit the 3 close friends space lol). She was always my first choice. My only constant. I took her willingness of doing any and everything for the people she love’s as fierce loyalty (I never had that before) so I was willing to stick through any and everything with her to reciprocate it.

2. She has abandonment issues. If someone wants to leave her life she interprets it as a attack on her worth and will say and temporarily do anything to make the person stay. Tp change their mind. To try again.

So even though a part of me wants to be emotionally responsible. Want’s to sit down and talk about how we have been for quite a while on completely different roads, live by completely different standards and conflicting moral’s, have completely different desire’s and aspirations and dream’s because I don’t want to be one more person that “abandon’s” her, and would like for her to understand that my decision has everything to do with me and not her, she can and should live her life however she see’s fit, I also just don’t want to.

I don’t want to go through the harassment and call’s and be put in the position of having to talk her down of her despair. It’s the role I willingly took throughout our whole relationship so I understand why it’s expected of me even though for the last three years I’ve tried to shift our dynamic with little progress, out way of being is very conflicting, no matter how much respect, but I don’t want to. I don’t care to.

For the last 13 years it really was such a swinging pendulum on the she’s my platonic soulmate for life and I hate this woman to her guts scale, that I’ve just at some point reached total neutrality. I don’t feel anything. I just want to continue the emotional, financial, psychological and spiritual work I’ve been doing for the last 3 year’s. We have so much history that I completely understand why she can’t and won’t see me for who I’m becoming today, instead as the person I have always been in the past, but I don’t want to continue constantly having to reinforce my boundaries and deal with the clash that comes with that every. time. I’m tired.

I don’t want to save anyone that doesn’t want to be saved, I don’t even think I have the knowledge or capacity for that. I don’t want to change anyone, I don’t want to unnecessarily argue with anyone. I’m aware that my savior complex kicks in heavy when it comes to her but I don’t want that role anymore, I’m just so drained. I really just want inner piece and to care for myself.

I’ve received a work opportunity overseas and am so excited to just start fresh, I don’t have any other social media besides tumblr that I’m also going to deactivate to 100% concentrate on structuring my life, and I just want to pass my new number to my parents once I have it and desapear from the rest. I’m not even running away I’m just done with everything and want to start new. There’s nothing here I’m proud of accept the gradual distancing I’ve done of everything and everyone else that I no longer resonated with in the last 3 years and this opportunity came in the most perfect time.

I’m ok with being the bad guy of her story, of being the emotionally irresponsible, of being selfish even. But am I being cruel if I just disappear? That’s the only line I don’t ever want to cross. I’m having a hard time waving out my desires from my responsibilities.

Thank you so much for any input you may have, regardless if I like it or not! Thank you for your time 💌

Hi love. It's completely normal over 13 years for a friendship to outrun its course and realize you're two different people in the end. I believe, especially if you're already moving overseas anyway, is to not initiate contact but also be responsive if this friend reaches out and let her know that you're focusing on these transitions in your life, so you need to focus on dealing with your own stuff in this season of your life. Positively affirm your connection – I appreciate our friendship, I hope you're doing well with xyz things in your life type of thing, without going over the top.

Ultimately, if a relationship is draining your spirit and mental health to this degree with no signs of repair, you need to let it go. I think the only way you would cross the line of cruelty is by ghosting her. You can always say you don't have the energy for social conversations in general right now. Like you said, make it about you, not her.

Hope this helps xx

[butchviking]

besides the nazis I do also have a MUCH LESSER beef with the Norse-larping/identifying white people who really do give me the “thinks they suffer the same way indigenous people suffer from the Christian white hegemony” and “thinks this opts them out of being realllly settler colonists… if you think about it…. They have an indigenous white(tm) set of beliefs” that are super true and extra spiritual and in harmony and then they pretend they can even know that. When I’m sorry — I truly am sorry — some ancient people in Europe did experience conquest by (also pagan, then Christian, Rome) and shit and they can empathize with that… but it doesn’t mean that “really” “if we think about it” any rando modern white nonindigenous (eg not Samí) person anywhere has comparable heritage or trauma or persecution around it. You can just feel they want to claim that. Sometimes they do word for word.

And i swear it’s niche. It’s not even the main motive most people have. but it’s around. I classify it as more of a whites irritating me shit than a big issue but that doesn’t mean I don’t see it for what it is.

man people have forgotten what the acronym LARP means. norse larpers are very cool & fun in my experience ✌️ i love larp i love silly little outfits i love people being so passionate abt smthn they immerse themselves in a whole world of it i love that they always have smthn cool to teach. everyone stop misusing larp its gotten weird and confusing

this is so wild tho i think ive like. never come across this type of person. i guess it must be niche cause i don't even know if u mean like. europeans or americans or scandinavians or the english or what. i mean i guess ive come across plenty of pagans (& non-pagans tbh) of all sorts who bang on about how christians 'stole' this holiday or that holiday from 'the pagans' which comes from some basis of truth and the christians did fucked up shit to a lot of different cultures.. but i kind of roll my eyes at it bc it doesnt usually come from much actual knowledge or persecution & more just, like u say, wanting to claim an experience. so im with u as far as that. but u gotta be crazy to think being of viking descent would somehow mean u have no history of invading or settling places that didn't want u like... our word for them literally comes from the word specifically for those who would travel overseas to raid & settle there. like im from the uk so i can't imagine how that would work bc anyone here of viking descent (i Will be that guy nd say its technically in my past somewhere too lol ✌️ according to my grandmother & also according the the family surname. but thats really common where im from we got decent viking history) is obviously not indigenous (we dont like. have indigenous ppl here anymore really except perhaps the cornish) nd any white americans have settler/coloniser history much more recently anyway. ive never known any scandinavians who try n make out like their history is one of particular repression (i have not known very many scandinavians) but tbh like. yeah they were severely fucked over by the christians that did happen. as far as im aware most scandinavians are indigenous as i understand the word (their ancestors didnt move in any time recently & have pretty much always lived there) but aren't like. oppressed for that. & the christians did genuinely oppress ppl in their act of christianisation but that was... a long time ago so most ppl don't exactly have any claim to 'trauma' from it. but then, there probably are a lot of modern ásatrúar who are probably still somewhat religiously repressed in their home country which is definitely a bad thing & is clearly a hang-over from that time & from that christian mindset that everyone must be like them & worship the same god as them. but its very very different to struggles of ppl like the sámi.

sry for just kind of thinking aloud here but as i say i don't think ive come across the ppl ur talking abt, so much so that i dont know. who u are talking about. other than the generic annoying 'pagan' types but i havent rly known any actual heathens who do that. other than the nazis.

[yourwitchmama]

Pick a crystal! (How your ex feels about you)

**note that these readings are general and not personal or as informative as private readings**

1. Jade 🐉

Jaded. No, really, they felt worn out in the relationship, and it was not fun anymore for them. Someone was influencing them- a woman- but not a romantic partner. This could be a sister, mom, cousin, grandma, best friend… whoever she is, she wanted them to break up with you. There is a twinge of regret within them, wondering if the influences of others were wrong. I sense that this person has the emotional intelligence and self awareness of a house plant. I almost feel bad for insulting plants. You may miss them like crazy and wonder if you should get back together, but it is not a good idea right now. No, ever.

2. Jasper 🦜

I feel a sense of boredom and disappointment. The disappointment and longing comes from lust. You had a great sex life, and now that it’s over, they miss it. If you get back together, it’s for the intimacy. Here’s the thing; you can’t be friends with benefits, because feelings will come back. You have history, and a lot of it. They might drunk text you or follow you on social media. They definitely miss you, especially at night. I think they’ve forgotten about the bad times you have had. If you want to make it work, you have to go to couples therapy, no excuses. Otherwise, it is time to move on.

3. Rhodochrosite 🪸

They feel that they have been let down by god. Yes, they are very dramatic and have a lot of feelings. Gloomy and pensive, I can see them staring out of a window and wistfully thinking about “the one that got away” (you). They know it can’t work, because they know you are both too different. It isn’t in the stars, but it breaks their heart. If this makes you want to talk to them, they will give you the cold shoulder. This relationship is not fated for you.

4. Chocolate moonstone: 🦥

You might need some chocolate, because you can’t seem to get over this person. You did not have a long relationship, but their impact was so strong, you had no choice but to give them your whole heart. They are indifferent, kind of a player, and their feelings don’t even reach the depth of yours. I know this is hard to hear, but they are not thinking about you. Not in the way you think about them. Something about their energy and their presence made you melt, but know that not every attraction is spiritual.

5. Lepidolite ☔️

Oof, you had a hard breakup. Like, a bad one. Screaming, yelling, hurtful, even abusive words that were said… maybe you meant them, maybe you didn’t. They meant them, though. I feel that they resent women, but it is deep down and they do not want to admit it. Your relationship was severely codependent and I do feel that things were toxic. Fighting all day, not getting along, being silent with each other… yet not being able to leave one another’s presence. Needing to text, call, and sleep with one another. It is both torment and a breath of fresh air to be apart from you for them. They will always hold love for you, but getting back together is out of the question. There is a lot of pain on both sides.

6. Mangano calcite 🐖

This is about wistfully thinking about the past, remembering the relationship in a much better light than it was. This person is obsessed with you and they want to get back together with you. You may have blocked them and told them you don’t want to be with them, but that won’t stop them from contacting you in dreams and trying to manipulate your energy. You do not want to be with them at all, in fact, they kind of scare you. All you can do is say no.

[hunxi-after-hours]

《烈火浇愁》: a crash course

by priest

Summary:

When Xuan Ji is called upon to thwart a demon summoning on his first day at his new job, he begins to suspect that there’s more to this whole Bureau for Supernatural Affairs than he was led to believe. Look, all he wanted was an easy way to pay off his credit card debt, lao Xiao!

Meanwhile, someone has rudely roused Sheng Lingyuan—better known as Sheng Xiao, the unspeakably powerful warrior-emperor of ancient history—from his grave. A dark conspiracy threatens to reignite the Chiyuan, the volcanic source of all magic in the world, and Sheng Lingyuan must seal the Chiyuan once more before he can return to his eternal rest.

Forcibly dragged into the modern world, Sheng Lingyuan grudgingly partners with Xuan Ji to face the coming storm. As ancient demons reawaken, more and more questions emerge: who is trying to reignite the Chiyuan? Why can’t Xuan Ji remember anything before ten years ago? And exactly how much did the history books get wrong about Sheng Lingyuan?

When past and present, legends and lies, swords and spirits collide, even raging fires might not be enough to drown centuries of hidden sorrows.

random bullet point thoughts, in no particular order:

genre-wise I’d slide this title right into the intersection of horror/dark fantasy, urban fantasy, and, uh (squints at notes) time travel? huh I guess that happened

I am speaking as a Cosmere fan when I say that I understood, optimistically, maybe 65% of the worldbuilding

the first arc of this novel is Straight Fire. the way I yelled when Sheng Lingyuan Did That

I live for Xiao Zheng and Xuan Ji’s dynamic. “If you can talk seriously for a minute I’ll give you 100 kuai” is iconic comedy gold

the way priest handles Sheng Lingyuan dealing with modernity is simultaneously Not What You’d Expect but also Exactly What You Want

never forget Sheng Lingyuan arriving late to a fight scene because he couldn’t figure out how the elevator worked and had to resort to blasting his way through the parking structure. the man may not know Arabic numerals but he is in possession of ungodly magical abilities and is more than willing to use them

the donghua is Extremely Good and I’m not exaggerating in the slightest when I say I was animation baited into reading this 783k+ word novel. also the music is absolutely stunning

I feel like I should say something about the angst in this novel but I don’t even know where to begin. it’s like. mind-bending. heart-rending. world-ending. cosmic. comedic. disgustingly sappy. utterly shameless. bafflingly devastating

for the love of all that is good and holy I would ask someone to smash their dense heads together except there’s been literally decades worth of telepathy between these two and they STILL haven’t figured their shit out

priest really said “if you haven’t lovingly nurtured your soulmate in your spine for fifteen to three thousand years you’re not worthy of being called soulmates” and “nothing is sexier than your spiritual weapon” and “birds are vain therefore winged people are as well” and “backstabbing can be a love language too”

uhhhh I feel like the sheer quantity of war crimes and human sacrifice should get its own bullet point so here it is

no really a great deal of the novel’s thematic focus is “What Measure is a Non-Human,” what it means for a person to be forged into a weapon and what it takes for a weapon to become a person, whether it’s possible to rediscover happiness/one’s humanity despite the war crimes that you have committed and have been committed upon you, the paper-thin line between heroism and monstrosity, and the question of what—or who—you would set the world on fire for

please let Sheng Lingyuan rest. yes I am aware he is a war criminal yes I am aware that he physically does not need to sleep but consider: the man is so tired

[miss-kittyy]

Rewriting Briarlight and Longtail’s Deaths

So I am disabled, like very disabled, I am %50 of the teenagers ever diagnosed with my special combination of pain disorders, and I also unfortunately hyper fixated on warrior cats, which is bad news for me because warrior cats is super ableist, and to add insult to injury, the fandom can also be pretty ableist.

My biggest problem with the majority of “anti-ableist” AUs is that they “fix” the ableism stemming from the narrative and able bodied characters by making the disabled character less disabled, this so bad for many reasons. I’ve talked more about in other posts. The justification that real life disabled cats are less doesn’t make it not ableist, since when was warrior cats meant to be realistic? If you’re making an au where the disabled cats function like actual disabled cats you also have to make all the cats genetically accurate, and retcon Lionblaze lifting a tree.

My problem with warrior cats is not that the disabled characters cannot become full conventional warriors, I’d like it if they got to choose what duties the perform instead of being crammed into the medicine den, but I don’t care about Cinderpelt not being able to complete a marathon. Most of the fandom seems to think the issue is that the disabled character are not useful enough, instead of the way that able bodied characters deny of them agency and make remarks like “you wouldn’t want to return to a life like her’s would you?”. Disabled people do not need to be “useful” to be worthy and empowering.

It’s very obvious that most of the fandom just wants the disabled cats to be more palatable to abled bodied people, so I’ve decided to make my own rewrite instead to hopefully make myself feel better. A lot of these things are inspired by my own experiences and not every disabled person is looking for the same things in representation, this is totally self indulgent.

The goal of this AU is to highlight the many unique and valuable aspects disability and how being disabled does not infringe upon anyone’s worth, ever.

- Longtail doesn’t die in the storm, Briarpaw is still injured, but he’s found besides her, trying his best to help her cling to life.

- after Briarpaw begins to recover he stands up to Millie and other cats insulting her quality of life, he says her journey will be hard, but it is one worth taking.

- She asks him why he’s an elder, and he decides to request to have his warrior ship restored as Briarpaw is dreading the life of an elder.

- On his first patrol the cats accompanying him insist on speaking to him in an incredibly infantilism tone, and whispering amongst themselves over what he can or can’t do, without consulting him,

- He initially gives up on patrolling after that insufferable experience.

- Briarlight begins to create marks and blobs on the wall of the medicine den using crushed up dead herbs she asks him to retrieve some berries for her, and he complies.

- Jayfeather shows him how he navigates the territory with the help of some of the sighted cats, and Mousefur is quick to volunteer as his guide. He finds her company surprisingly empowering. He realizes that it was not his blindness which was limiting his abilities, but the other cats attitudes.

- Mousefur and Longtail return with mouthful of berries and herbs, Briarlight describes to him what she’s drawing on the side of the den and he helps he mound the materials into paint.

- The cats begin to pop into the medicine den to see Briarlights painting and soon Jayfeather has to kick her out occasionally so they’d stop crowding him, she’s given the walls of camp to decorate instead.

- She begins to illustrate Longtails stories of the old territory and Bloodclan, and this new form of storytelling becomes a tradition amongst Thunderclan.

- because more young cats are aware of the clans history it becomes harder for the dark forest to recruit them, unfortunately, Blossomfall’s resentment towards her sister means she never cared to listen.

- Ivypool is still recruited and trained like in canon, given her relationship with the dark forest was much more emotionally charged and manipulative than just plain lies.

- at a gathering Longtail meets Grasspelt who inquires about Briarlight, Longtail is surprised about how little he knows as the she-cat had mentioned how well they got along as apprentices. Despite Millie nagging him not to tell him the truth about her daughter he does anyways, but puts much more emphasis on how well she’s doing than Millie expected. Grasspelt thinks this sounds really cool and decides that he is going to see her and her paintings, and that nobody can stop him. Longtail makes sure to put any opposing cat in their place, but Briarlight is a very respected Clanmate, so most warriors don’t say anything.

- Briarlight is nervous and doesn’t want to come out of the medicine den at first, but when Grassheart darts into the den holding berries and flowers for her to paint with she quickly warms up to her visitor.

- Grassheart is happy to tell Briarlight that he’s never been able to be a “functioning” warrior, and that he has always imagined that his spirit is shaped different, the medicine cat says his body is normal, but he’s never been able to keep focus in a fight or react as quickly as he should be able to while hunting. (He’s autistic because I say so)

- As dusk nears he’s visually hesitant to return to Riverclan and when Longtail inquires on why he says that he hasn’t felt so “here” for a long time. On the way back he wanders off and comes back with a chipmunk, when returning to Riverclan territory his father, Mintfur, is shocked to see his catch. After talking with his family a bit he realizes that it was the noise from the river that was making him so tense and dissociated, Brackenfur, who was escorting him, notices that he keeps rubbing himself on the ground and wincing.

- For the next couple moons Grasspelt returned to Thunderclan to bring Briarlight plants that only grow in Riverclan territory, he begins trying to fish from the quite lazy stream in their territory and soon both him and Briarlight have got it down.

- Longtail notices the sadness present whenever Grasspelt left and exclaims that it’s rather stupid that he’s living somewhere so unsuited for him just because of words long repeated.

- Grasspelt confesses that he feels the same, but knew he wasn’t supposed to say anything. Briarlight tells Longtail that her and the Riverclan warrior had been thinking of each other as mates for moons.

- Longtail accompanies Jayfeather to the next half moon meeting where he proposes his addition to the warrior code, “no cat should be confined to laws which harm them due to an inherent physical or spiritual difference.” (Cats don’t really know how brains work, so they see mental disabilities as a difference within a cats spirit)

- A moon later the leaders meet to discuss this proposition, it is accepted and Grasspelt makes the journey to Thunderclan for the final time.

- Grasspelt is renamed Grassspirit when becoming a Thunderclan warrior, unlike prior renaming of disabled cats this is a celebration.

- Grassspirit spends most of his time taking care of the elders and kits, he’s incredibly compassionate especially with kits and is able to solve many problems within the nursery.

- When twigkit and Violetkit arrive in Thunderclan Briarlight and Grassspirit help raise them, after Violetkit is taken Briarlight and Twigkit paint her on the side of Thunderclan camp.

- Briarlight still gets sick and her illness progresses without any treatment, Grassspirit notices her trying to hide it and when Longtail finds out he’s very upset. Jayfeather frantically treats her, expressing his frustration that she didn’t tell them sooner, the second Millie steps out she breaks down and explains that she just wanted to deal with it herself, and perhaps if she were successful Millie would finally treat her like an adult.

- Longtail gives Millie a stern talking to, he tells her that Briarlight is a warrior of Thunderclan and as her clanmate she should show her some respect.

- Millie is inherently very reactionary, as she had not realized the full extent of her suffocation, but eventually after a couple moons her and Briarlight begin to rekindle their relationship, like adults.

- Blossomfall sees how Brairlight wasn’t basking in their mother’s attention like she imagined, and feels the urge to seek out an actual sisterhood after ignoring Briarlight for moons and moons.

- Briarlight isn’t really mad at her sister, and understands why she felt the way she did. Jayfeather suggests that Blossomfall help Briarlight with her painting, Blossomfall seems put off with the suggestion of being her sister’s assistant.

- The interactions that follow are less than ideal, Blossomfall commends Briarlight’s able friends (Thornclaw, Poppyfrost, Alderheart, etc) for being so nice to her, as if that’s not what friends do. She seems very sad the entire time, sighing when her sister dragged her legs around with her mouth to sit more comfortably, even though she was completely fine. When watching her paint she comments that it’s good she has “something to keep her busy”, and finally she expresses her view, of Briarlight’s injury and her (Blossomfall’s) suffering being all worth it because of her talents, as if her life was not worth living to begin with.

- Briarlight tells her that if that’s truly what she wants she’s going to have to put more effort into understanding and respecting her way of life, and that she won’t apologize for their mother’s actions.

- When Blossomfall has her kits they take a liking to Auntie Briarlight, and Blossomfall seems to have reflected on their past interactions, trusting her sister to watch her kits. Briarlight teases a bit, a subtle way of telling her not to rush things, but they do begin to feel like something close to sisters.

- Right before Briarlight’s Nieces and Nephews are made warriors Longtail dies of Greencough. Throughout the entirety of his sickness he kept his sense of humour, his mean streak, and his immense love for what he had made of his clan.

- At his vigil Grassspirit began whaling like a bird in new-leaf, he insists that the vigil is too sad, and that Longtail wouldn’t want everyone moping around, for Starclan’s sake, his life was good. Standing amongst them, Longtail’s spirit can feel every cat in Thunderclan standing around him, singing the song of a life well lived.

[samwisethewitch]

The Little Gods: Spirits of Place in Modern Paganism

In a previous post, we talked about gods, goddesses, and the many ways they can be worshiped in a modern pagan practice. However, the gods are not the only group of spiritual beings honored by modern pagans. While building relationships with deities makes up the bulk of practice for many people, a lot of pagans work with other groups of spirits as well, or may even work more closely with these “smaller” spirits than with the gods. One of these groups is the ancestors, the spirits of deceased humans who are part of our lineage — we’ll talk about them in a future post.

The other group of minor spirits commonly honored by modern pagans, and the topic of today’s post, are what I like to call the Spirits of Place. This is a broad category that includes land spirits, spirits of natural objects like trees and rivers, and spirits of man-made locations like a house or office building. Depending on your personal beliefs, it may also include animal guides, spirits of inanimate objects, and/or spirits honored in specific cultures like the fairies or the elves.

The idea that the world around us is spiritually alive and aware is present in some form in almost every culture and religion, and the worship of these Spirits of Place is well-documented in most historic pagan religions. For example, much of Irish folk spirituality revolves around appeasing the fairies, which we can understand as a special type of land spirit — this continued long after the conversion period, even after the worship of the Irish gods had faded into obscurity. Many Norse pagans honor the landvaettir (land spirits) and husvaettir (house spirits), which have survived in more recent Nordic folklore in the form of spirits like the Danish nisse or Swedish tomte, who are still honored at Christmas in some parts of Scandinavia. In Roman paganism, the lares, who are both land spirits and the guardians of man-made homes and are closely connected to the ancestors, are given a place of honor. Eclectic pagans may pull from one or more of these practices, or may honor their local spirits in their own unique way.

Honoring the Spirits of Place is not exclusive to pagan faiths. Practitioners of New Orleans Voodoo honor the ashe, the sacred energy, of the Mississipi River, one of their most prominent local landmarks. In Shinto, places and objects are said to have their own kami, which can be understood as gods or as spirits. Even in Christianity’s strictly monotheist system, God is often understood to be physically present in the world around us, a philosophy known as panentheism. I offer these non-pagan examples not because I think pagans should copy these other religions, but because I want to make a point about how pervasive the belief in Spirits of Place really is.

Connecting with the Spirits of Place can help us to engage more mindfully and in more meaningful ways with the world around us. When we accept that every plant, animal, rock, and building has its own spirit or soul, we interact with those objects in a more intentional way. We learn to think about our home not just as a place where we live, but as a spiritual entity that we have an active relationship with. We learn to think of our gardens not as a plot of dirt filled with plants, but as a community of land spirits and plant spirits all working together to provide us with nourishment. We learn to think of our cities not as concrete jungles, but as huge collections of spirits as diverse and fascinating as their human inhabitants. When we open our eyes to the spiritual world that exists alongside our own, we begin to see how the spiritual permeates every aspect of human life.

Connecting with Spirits of Place also offers a way for us to personalize and localize our practice. The Spirits of Place in Los Angeles will be very different from those of Brooklyn, Berlin, or Mexico City. Your local Spirits of Place are closely related to your local biome, as well as to the cultural groups that have influenced your community.

Because of this, the best way to connect with your own Spirits of Place is to learn about where you live. Research your local flora, fauna, and weather patterns — how is your ecosystem unique? Learn about local history and about the cultures who have influenced your area. All of these influences will give you some ideas for how to honor the spirits in your practice.

For example, I live in a temperate climate with four true seasons, clay-based soil, and lots of rain and humidity. Some of the local plant spirits that I feel closest to are the black locust tree, the magnolia tree, poke weed, and the birch tree. Some of the local animal spirits I feel closest to are the crow, the red-tailed hawk, the coyote, and the white-tailed deer. My local land spirits are as steadfast and strong as the nearby Appalachian mountains.

I live in the South, so our local spirits are also shaped by a history of racial oppression and persecution. They have witnessed the displacement of the Cherokee people, whose stolen land I live on today. They have witnessed the transatlantic slave trade and the continued oppression of Black people with Jim Crow and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan. They have witnessed devastating poverty in rural communities, including those of my ancestors. These scars run deep, creating a reverberations that I and other Southern folks still feel today. However, with the trauma of the South comes a rich diversity of influences, creating a unique culture unlike any other in the world. My Irish and Scottish ancestors brought their culture with them when they came to these mountains, where it mingled with the cultural influences of our Black and Latino neighbors, the Cherokee influences of our land, a deeply held Protestant Christian faith, and a special brand of magic that is unique to the South. All of this influences my local Spirits of Place, and I try to keep all of it in mind when interacting with them.

I honor my Spirits of Place by learning to identify local plants, respectfully and ethically foraging from those plants, and using them in my spiritual practice. I honor them by feeding the crows, and by greeting the deer when I encounter them on walks. I honor them by remembering the original inhabitants of this land, by supporting Native rights activists, and by donating to nonprofits that support the Eastern Band of the Cherokee, who originally lived in my area. I honor them by actively working to address the issue of racism in the South, up to and including attending Black Lives Matter protests and campaigning for an end to racialized police violence. I honor them by listening to my Cherokee, Black, and Latino neighbors and following their lead on Cherokee, Black, and Latino issues. I also honor them by practicing sustainable gardening techniques, working to lower my environmental impact, and by giving back to the land whenever I can.

If you don’t live in the same geographic area as me, the way you honor your Spirits of Place may look totally different. Don’t be afraid to make this practice your own — once you connect with your local spirits, they will be your guides.

Types of Spirits of Place

There are many, many types of spirits that fall into this category, and the list in this post is not meant to be exhaustive. My goal here is to give you an idea of some of the forms these spirits can take, so that you can begin to recognize the Spirits of Place that surround you in your own life.

Land spirits: These are spirits of specific geographical locations or features of the land. They may be as big as the Mississippi River or as small as the rosebush in your backyard. As you might imagine, these spirits don’t move around much, as they usually don’t venture far from the location they are tied to. In my experience, land spirits have a very stable, steady, and earthy presence.

Our relationship with the land spirits is a direct reflection of our relationship with the land itself. If we live our lives in a way that hurts the land by polluting it or stripping it of resources, it will be much harder to build a healthy relationship with the spirits of that land. The best way to live in right relationship with the land spirits is to treat the land you are living on with honor and respect.

In my personal practice, I call on the land spirits for help in my garden. I make offerings of food that is safe for local wildlife if they decide to help themselves, such as unsalted peanuts, birdseed, bread, or fresh fruit. When I make offerings, I make sure to thank the land spirits for sharing their home with me and for providing me with abundance. You might honor your local land spirits in a similar way, or you may find that another approach works better for you.

House spirits: It is not only natural places that have spirits — man-made buildings also have a spirit of their own. If you’ve ever stayed in a very old house, you probably felt its unique character while you were there. Every building has its own soul of sorts, which embodies the place, the way it is used, and the different people who have lived there. In my experience, these spirits tend to take on the energy of the people who live in or frequently use their building — the spirits of a happy home may have a kind, friendly presence, while the spirits of a dysfunctional business where employees are mistreated may have a mean streak.

Many of us overlook the spiritual importance of our homes. Our home is where we can be most vulnerable, and in most cases it’s probably where most of our daily spiritual practices take place. Our home is the base of operations we come back to at the end of each day. A home that feels safe, comfortable, and welcoming is important to our mental, emotional, and spiritual health. To maintain a healthy home, we need to maintain good relationships with the other people living there — but we can take this even further by striving to have a good relationship with our home itself.

Spirits of objects: Objects also have their on spirits. This applies not only to naturally occurring objects, but to man-made things as well.

Most people with even a passing interest in witchcraft or New Age spirituality are aware that crystals have unique energies and personalities and can act as spiritual allies. What many people don’t realize is that this is not something that is unique to crystals — all objects have a unique spiritual presence, and all of them can be powerful spiritual allies if you take the time to connect with them. A rock from your backyard can be just a powerful as an expensive crystal. So can a favorite sweater, your grandmother’s antique dishes, and even your cell phone.

The best way to connect with the spirits of objects is to talk to them. Tell them that you appreciate the role they serve in your life, and verbally thank them for their help. I find that these spirits don’t typically require offerings in the traditional sense — instead, you can practice reciprocity by keeping their homes in good condition. For example, if you want to connect with the spirit of a favorite stuffed animal, make sure the toy itself stays clean and in good repair.

Plant and animal spirits: Plant and animal spirits are different from spirits of objects because they are physically alive. Plants and animals live and breathe just as we do, which can make them a little easier to befriend and understand than the spirits of inanimate objects. If you’re not quite ready to start talking to your hairbrush, plant and animal spirits can be a good place to start.

Animal spirits are the easiest by far to connect with. Any pet owner will tell you that animals have souls that often seem just as complex as those of humans. Dogs and cats, for example, clearly feel love, joy, sadness, and pain just as humans do. Pets are an excellent way to begin connecting with animal spirits, because you already have a relationship with them in the physical world.

Next time you have a few minutes alone with your pet, try meditating on their spiritual presence. Can you feel their energy? Can you sense the wisdom they carry in their soul?

If you had a pet that died, you might try reaching out to them to see if they want to be involved in your spiritual practice. Dogs especially are very loyal to their owners, and can be called on for protection even after death. If you have ashes or bones from your pet, or if you have items like a collar or a favorite toy, you can include them on an altar or some other special place and make regular offerings of treats or pet food in exchange for their protection.

Some pagans, especially Wiccans and other neopagans, choose to work with familiars, which are a special kind of animal ally. There is a common misconception that a familiar is any animal you feel especially close to, but that isn’t quite how it works. A familiar is an animal that serves as a spiritual ally — traditionally, by helping witches with their magic. The familiar can be a living animal, but it is more often a purely spiritual being.

These animal spirit allies exist in other forms in other pagan religions. In Norse paganism, the fylgja is a spiritual guide that often appears in the form of an animal. The animal form the fylgja takes is closely related to the personality of the person it is attached to, and they are often tied to that person’s fate. In Irish folklore, the fetch is a spiritual double of a human that often appears as an animal. In Kemetic polytheism, one of the parts of the soul is the ba, which often appears as a bird with a human head and which represents a person’s personality. In all of these cases, the animal guide can be understood as an extension of the practitioner, rather than as a separate being like the familiar.

Plant spirits are a little bit different. In my experience, these spirits are quieter and more reserved than most animal spirits, and they tend to work in more subtle ways. Plant spirits are still, steadfast allies that tend to work behind the scenes, so you may not have as many face-to-face interactions with them as you do with animals or land spirits.

The best way to begin connecting with plant spirits is to start keeping a houseplant. As you care for your plant, talk to it! Tell it how much you appreciate it, and thank it for its contribution to keeping your space beautiful and safe. Appropriate offerings for plant spirits are exactly what you would expect: water, fertilizer, and plant food.

Cryptids and folkloric creatures: In the modern era, folklore has given way to urban legends and created a new kind of mythology. Like traditional folklore, urban legends are spread by word of mouth and change organically as they are told and retold. Many urban legends are tied to specific locations, and many of them feature strange and mysterious creatures who can be understood as modern land spirits.

For example, the Loch Ness Monster can be seen as the spirit of Loch Ness. The Jersey Devil is tied to the Pine Barrens in New Jersey. Mothman is tied to Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Although these are some of the most famous modern cryptids, most towns have their own urban legends — if you ask around, you’ll likely find stories of some kind of spectral guardian tied to your area. My college campus has a handful of its own urban legends, including one of a female spirit who appears to warn students of coming disasters. Find out who your local cryptids are, and look for ways to incorporate them into your practice.

These different types of spirits are sometimes filtered through different cultural lenses, which changes the way they interact with humans. For example, an Irish fairy is very different from a Japanese kami, even though both technically fall into the larger category of land spirits. If you feel drawn to a specific tradition’s approach to working with the Spirits of Place, I advise you to do your own research into that tradition — including making sure that it isn’t part of a closed cultural practice which you are not party to. Look for sources written by members of the living culture of that tradition, rather than books written by outsiders.

Connecting with the Spirits of Place

Here are some activities you can do to strengthen your connection with the Spirits of Place:

Make offerings. As I mentioned above, you can honor the spirits with offerings. Just make sure that, if you leave offerings outside, you only offer things that are biodegradable and are safe for local wildlife. If you don’t want to leave physical offerings, you can offer acts of service like picking up litter, watering plants, or volunteering at an animal shelter.

Create an altar. Altars are an excellent way to create space in your life for the spirits. My herb garden doubles as an altar to the land spirits, with a small Green Man statue to represent the spirits and a place where I can leave offerings. I also have a table indoors where I keep most of my houseplants, which is also a sacred space of sorts. The type of altar you create and its location will depend on the spirits you want to connect with — the possibilities are limitless.

Start a compost pile. Compost piles make excellent offerings to land spirits and plant spirits. While compost isn’t quite as simple as “just throw all your leftover food in a pile,” it’s not difficult if you know what you are doing. When composting, it’s important to maintain a balance between carbon-rich “brown” material (leaves, undyed paper, cardboard, etc.) and nitrogen-rich “greens” (fruit and veggie scraps, coffee grounds, egg shells, etc.) — you want about four times as much brown as green in your compost. There are some things you shouldn’t add to your compost, like meat, dairy products, and greasy foods. Start your compost with a layer of brown material — preferably twigs or straw to allow good airflow. Alternate layers of green and brown materials as you add to the pile. Every time you add to your compost, verbally express your gratitude to the land spirits. Your compost should be moist, but not soggy — you’ll know it’s ready when it’s dark and crumbly and smells like soil. Use it on your garden and in your houseplant pots, or donate it to a local community garden.

Hold a territory acknowledgement. A territory acknowledgement is a way to insert awareness of indigenous people whose lands were stolen from them. You can acknowledge indigenous territory at the beginning of public religious events, or at the beginning of your private rituals. This practice will help you develop a deeper understanding of the history of your land, which can help deepen your connection to it as well as honoring its original inhabitants. A territory acknowledgement can be as simple as: “I acknowledge and honor this land, which is called [indigenous name of your area] and is home to the people of [indigenous nation].” Make sure you take the time to learn the correct pronunciation for these indigenous words. You can find out who originally lived in your area and what they called it by visiting native-land.ca.

Donate to conservation efforts. Instead of making physical offerings, make a donation to an environmentalist cause and dedicate it to your Spirits of Place. Look for groups that work in your local area, such as nonprofits dedicated to fighting deforestation and climate change, groups that protect rare and endangered native plants, or wildlife rehabilitation centers. Even volunteering at an animal shelter can be an appropriate offering to animal spirits.

Start a garden with native plants. Do some research into your local ecosystem — what plants are native to your area? Which of them are edible? Which of them have spiritual uses? Buy or forage seeds from these plants and start a 100% native garden. Growing and eating food that is native to your area can help deepen your connection to the land, the local plant spirits, and the cycle of the seasons.

Replace mainstream cleansing herbs with native plants. White sage, palo santo, frankincense, and sandalwood, some of the most popular cleansing herbs among modern pagans, are all endangered due to over-harvesting. Instead of buying endangered plants from far off lands, try to find a native plant you can use instead. If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere where rosemary or lavender is native, you’re in luck! If not, try researching some of the plants in your backyard — you might be surprised what you find. Most plants in the Salvia (sage) family can be burned as incense to cleanse and consecrate a space. This family includes over 1,000 species spread out over Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Many trees also have cleansing properties, especially coniferous trees like pine, cedar, and juniper. Find out what is abundant in your area and find ways to incorporate it into your rituals.

Go for a hike. While bringing the Spirits of Place into our homes can be deeply meaningful, it’s also important to get out there and meet them on their own terms. Try to make time to get out in nature, and be open to connecting with the spirits you find on these trips. You don’t have to go far — even hanging out in a backyard or city park can allow you to connect with the land.

Feed the birds. And the squirrels, and the deer, or whatever other critters you have. Now, I am not recommending approaching wild animals and trying to befriend them. I am also not recommending feeding animals people food. Nature often rests in a delicate balance, and directly feeding wild animals can make them dependent on humans, which could be dangerous for them. While feeding local animals can be an excellent offering, it’s important to do it in a way that is safe and non-instrusive. It’s best to leave food in a place you know is frequented by animals, then let them find it after you’ve gone. Bird feeders and squirrel feeders are a great way to do this.

Clean your house. One of the best ways to honor house spirits? Keep their living space clean! Try to keep your house tidy and be a good roommate to its spirits. Try not to let clutter pile up, and take time to sweep, mop, and dust every once in a while. You can even ask your house spirits to help you keep the house clean — just make sure you’re also doing your fair share of housework, or they may get upset about the unfair arrangement.

These “little gods” of places and objects are often forgotten, but they are an important part of daily pagan practice. While the gods rule over grand concepts and forces of nature, and the ancestors are tied to our family and community, the Spirits of Place make up the ground we stand on, the air we breathe, and the places we call home. Perhaps more than any other group of spirits, they are truly the gods of the everyday.

Resources:

Water Magic by Lilith Dorsey

Southern Cunning by Aaron Oberon

Simply Living Well by Julia Watkins

The Way of Fire and Ice by Ryan Smith

A Practical Heathen’s Guide to Asatru by Patricia M. Lafayllve

Where the Hawthorn Grows by Morgan Daimler

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham

Temple of the Cosmos by Jeremy Naydler

[filthforfriends]

Holding Giorgia Soleri Accountable

I refuse to glorify anyone by celebrating the good and ignoring the problematic. These pictures are very difficult to find, which is no accident, and why I'm posting them here. The translations are rough, please correct me.

User AuroraFerrandes: Okay. We call a surgeon.

Giorgia: I have some big n#$!a ass anyway too.

The issue: use of the n-word. If you don't understand why a white person using it in any context is bad, here is an easy article. The intent behind using a slur doesn't change its history, its still harmful. She is also sexually objectifying black bodies in the phrase "big n#$!a ass." Reminder that "Sexual objectification occurs when a woman’s body, body parts, or sexual functions are isolated from her whole and complex being and treated as objects simply to be looked at, coveted, or touched" (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997). Because feminism is intersectional, racism is inherently anti-feminist, and thats relevant to her activism. Additionally, the sexualization of black women has been a pervasive issue in its own right. Read more here.

Giorgia: And no raga,* I became a Muslim.

*raga is Italian slang referring to a group of people. I'm not sure how to translate it in this case.

The issue: is not that she is wearing a headscarf. Headscarves are not exclusive to Islam, however hijabs are. "I became a Muslim," implies that she's wearing a hijab, which makes this cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation is racism. Obviously, Giorgia doesn't actually think she's suddenly a Muslim. This is a joke, and that makes it more problematic. Here are some young Muslim women talking about how meaningful their hijab is, so you understand why a humorous comment about it is offensive. Don't fall into the trap of finding something funny just because it comes from POC. Examine that shit. Their culture and spirituality aren't a joke. Remember that racism and feminism are mutually exclusive.

There's another part to this that I don't expect Giorgia or non-Americans to know, but now is a chance to educate yourself. Post 9/11, Islamophobia poisoned our country. There is a violent, blood soaked history behind Muslim jokes, that everyone should abstain from participating in.

The issue: the fact that this is racist cultural appropriation is obvious. If you're still confused what that means, here's an article. I'd like to reiterate that all of these images compromise her credibility as a feminist advocate.

Twitter Apology: "I’m extremely sorry. Many people sent me a few post where I used racist slurs and cultural appropriation. I’m sorry to have offended, hurt, and triggered people. I can only thank those of you who are holding me accountable for the horrible things I wrote - I want to take responsibility for these mistake in the hope of growing and not making them again and because I absolutely owe an apology to the communities I have offended. I made a huge mistake, i’m ashamed and I want to apologize to those I hurt with my mistakes - as a young, ignorant and privileged woman. I very well know that intentions are not enough when you hurt someone. I deeply apologize. I used those words 6-7 years ago and – despite knowing that this isn’t an excuse or a way to justify my actions – in the past few years - (especially in the last 2-3 years) I tried to grow, become aware, educate myself and i will never stop doing it because it is the only way to become a more and more respectful and inclusive individual. I still have a lot to learn and mistakes to make - but I can guarantee you that I’m no longer the person who wrote those things. I know that apologies don’t need to be accepted and I can’t blame those who won’t, i can totally understand if you are upset or angry at me. But I strongly hope that you can sense how deeply sorry I am. With love and apologies, Giorgia."

The issue: Allegedly she was originally contacted about this on Instagram, which is a much bigger platform. Instead of addressing it there, she apologized to a smaller audience on Twitter. This apology is also missing a key component that is very much her responsibility: resources. Why is what she did bad? How can she and others improve? She needs to educate her audience, because this burden all too often falls on oppressed parties.

Yes I recognize that this was an above average apology, but remember that apologizing for perpetuating oppression is the bare fucking minimum.

[thed4rkhand]

planets through the first house

Planets through the first house

Ready for yet another astrology post? We’ll be covering the results of different planets when placed in the first house of a birth chart. Remember that astrology is super fickle and changes dramatically with sign placement, aspects and conjunctions. So without any further delay, lets get into it! Do reblog and like, it took me a lot of effort to compile my observations! Feel free to leave feedback!

Trigger warning- too many, these are just my observations. Also i didn’t proof read, so spelling mistkes could be there.

for Rahu, look at the saturn part. (north node)

for ketu, look at the mars part. (south node)

Sun in the first house-

When sun is in the first house of a birth chart, the person may be heavily influenced by their father. They may look like their father or have a similar personality. Such people tend to be perfectionists, its their way or the highway. They may have a tendency to gain weight easily, however if its in scorpio then they’ll dramatically shed it and gain it, in a loop. They are extremely magnetic people. They may deal with foreigners on a regular basis, or speak a foreign language. They may deal with the government very often and may work for the government as diplomats. They may obtain their higher education abroad. They can remain quite childlike till much older. They can be very protective of their community, traditions and religion, and aim to spread awareness about it. These people are actually rarely concerned with someone’s exterior, because often times such people have such good intuition and spiritual powers (some are literally called mystics because of this), they can literally see through someone. For this reason, they actually don’t like associating with too many people, despite having a very charming personality. These are the kind of people that keep searching for ‘the one’. People may approach them regarding projects first, and they may work for the government. They may have extremely powerful enemies, but they shall defeat them. They may be closer to their mother’s family and culture. They may have a peculiar accent when talking, and many people will compliment their speech. They may have frizzy and big hair. They’ll have heavy acne in their younger years. They’ll have small squinted eyes, often accompanied by crows feet. They’ll appear much younger, and so will their mother. Their mother might be very short. They hate being indebted and like paying off loans quickly. They’ll have beautiful hands, and they have a habit of growing their nails. Many of them like to sing. Their father could’ve been a teacher or worked in heavy research based fields, maybe even a musician or doctor. Their life may go through rapid ups and down throughout. They may be extremely fond of cattle and horses, and hate flying. They may interject and cut people off in conversations. They will fall for married people or people in relationships, they will be good cooks and feel alienated by their mothers. They may wear glasses early on, and also they’re into fire rituals or fire. (pyromaniacs?). you will critique people and say terrible things you don’t mean when angry. You will have a large forehead or a receding hairline. You’ll have nightmares and premonitions about death and illness. You might be very very fond of gold or golden colours. You will be argumentative.

Moon in the first house-

When moon is in the first house of a birth chart, the person is heavily influenced by their mother. They may resemble their mother or have a similar personality. Such people are extremely moody and are always preoccupied with other’s opinion of them. They may have a tendency to fluctuate between their body weight, and are likely to have body dysmorphia. They have short necks and generally are short in height too. They’re very critical and over-analyze everything and everyone. Sometimes, even unconsciously, they manipulate people to suit their needs and whims. They get side tracked too often and have difficulty focussing on one task at hand, often amounting to laziness in other people’s eyes, even if the native is extremely hardworking in reality. However when in comes to personal care, they tend to do things in a very half-hearted manner. These people are also prone to isolating themselves from others, especially when things get hard. Such  people tend to be famous or popular in friend circles, or at the very least well known. They can be extremely picky people and often can be obsessive in their thoughts. They may follow their mother’s footpath professionally, and may want to pursue fields related to law, beauty/architecture and biology. Their mother’s were very involved in their life. Such people are always on the internet trying to look up astrology posts, tarot, etc. They like knowing whats going to happen and like to be prepared for it. They can be extremely manipulative when they want to be. They may see a lot of prophetic dreams, and their mother or them often have pressure buildup in their ears or can hear random sounds or voices. They enjoy looking at stars and the night sky. They enjoy a strange fascination for water and looking at people’s eyes. They could be into massaging people or have ‘healing hands’, or their mother could.

Venus in the first house-

When Venus is in the first house of a birth chart, the person is heavily influenced by their colleagues, significant others, or their families. They’re extremely swayed by people’s opinions of them, and often because of this are very unsure in their abilities. Big doe-like yes are often seen with this, and an inmate ability to gain beer-blotches on their face. They attract people to them. They may have bad relationships with their families, and their mother could have had a miscarriage just before them. They can be hyper sensitive regarding taste, smell and sound. They may be excellent singers or play musical instruments. They dress up glamorously for parties, but when at home or alone, they’re usually roaming around like they’re homeless. They suffer depression if they’re not looking their best even, heavily into working out and grooming. They may be extremely religious or spiritual and may mediate a lot. They explain concepts very well and can be some of the best teachers around. They usually attract female friends. They love the smell of musk and love digging deep and researching, even stalking. They could be into ancient civilizations and history, photography and art, gardening and plants, fascinated with concepts of violence and death. They sit on their bed and work, they love the sound of fire crackling and fireplaces, they gain when in relationships and love asmr sounds. The most competitive people ever and so very possessive of their own goods, also back and forth with morality (eg. One day spiritual and the next they love material goods, one day vegan and then back to being a non-vegetarian)

Mercury in the first house-

When mercury is in the first house of a birth chart, the person is heavily influenced by what extended family or acquaintances think of them. Such people are also very concerned about their health, and can be hypochondriacs. They may also at all times think that people hate them, without any reason. They could be great speakers or orators or writers. They can have a great imagination, that is extremely vivid and unique, especially as a kid. They may want to pursue careers related to beauty with such a positioning, or even theatre or music. They may have a very unique appearance, and may appear androgynous. For women, they could look like their fathers, and for men, they can look like their mothers. They may be into research and like getting to the bottom of a matter. They may always have this appearance of half-closed eyes, they never open them fully. This gives them this drowsy look. They love making spread-sheets and calculating their expenses. They could have liver or kidney issues. They may get into occult due to their siblings. A lot of transformation comes into their life due to their family and pets. They may want to live abroad. They may have addiction issues to substances like alcohol and drugs. They may have troubles with their father. May cause rifts between your mother and your father too, causes them to have a love-less marriage. They may be called snake-like, dream of snakes and walk with a very purposeful walk, they kind of sway alot. They may be extremely secretive in life. You may have lactose intolerance, and may be envious of other people’s success. You or your parents have a lot of unaccounted wealth. Such people could hear voices in their heads, see prophetic dreams and have fears of the deep water. This could make someone very tall as well. May be fond of children and old people. Either extremely thick eyebrows or no eyebrows. Dimples are very common. Long necks and dark circles, deep sunken eyes. Very cutesy appearance. Skin is discolored and if the position is afflicted, skin diseases are common. Long hands and loves instruments like the piano. You can separately raise your eyebrows and the most, I mean the most, theatrical ones.

Mars in the first house-

When mars is in the first house of a birth chart, they’re very conscious of their own opinion, or are always thinking that someone may be watching them, like paranormally. Also, they’re largely confident in themselves, for they don’t really pay that much attention to others. In fact they’ll go out of their way to rebel. They could have suffered through acne, heat boils and other skin diseases. They have frizzy or curly hair, and very reddish complexions. These are the people who blush so easily and prominently. You may have skin scarring with this, as simple as acne marks and freckles, to larger scars and burns. So expressive, the type of people who can separately raise their eyebrows. They tend to be the type who change their appearance so very often, from weight fluctuations, to piercings, to hair colors, wardrobe rehauls, and all. They can have an element of looking foreign or different. They may have huge eyes and they’re almost protruding or absolutely sunken, massive cheekbones or hallowed out cheeks. They may have this mysterious look to their eyes, and this always sad or lost look. Eyes are very red, and often they have issues like sinus or nose is always blocked or watering. They may have hidden wealth, also the type of people to have the type of personality where you would never suspect they’re into occult. They are very close or have some karmic relationship (could be negative) with their father’s brothers. They also always think about escaping, largely to forests and retreating there for a bit. Very into finding cures and deep research. Also love dears, might worship shiva and are addicted to coffee. Also fasination with the moon. People might attract stalkers with this. Hoarders and so critical everything and everyone, especially hoarders of photos. Photographs memory and love for photography and art. Love for music and music instruments, and may own one and keep it in their room. Fidget by tapping pens or feet, have to make a sound. Can be argumentative and terrible tempers. They love garlic and onion and root vegetable stuff honestly. Also weird affinity for horses and speed. Also they love seats with hand-rests, the comfy sink into ones. They’re the types who go for the head of the table seat. Also we’re you born via a c-section and not natural birth? Something is off about your birth, could be the only child.

Saturn in the first house-

When Saturn is in the first house of a birth chart, it makes people extremely unconventional and almost a social outcaste. They can sometimes have these half shut lazy eyes, where their eyelid is heavy and big, and they always appear to be drowsy. They may be alarmingly fond of animals, especially large wild animals. Also they’re absolute perfectionists, they just get up and destroy the things they created and don’t like. Also rain or thunder ASMR. They’re also neat freaks, they like their stuff kept a particular way and don’t go around cleaning their room or touching stuff. They are usually influenced by their mother and are quite close to them, unless you’re born in the evening or night time, then you’re absolutely like your father, resemble him and act like him. They may hear a lot of sounds very regularly, in their head. Could be schizophrenic or just hear loud thumping sounds. Possible love having musically instruments in their house and could play one, or they know a lot of musicians. They may be the youngest in their peer groups or colleagues, sometimes oldest. They do have old-soul personalities though. They love doing volunteer work at shelters and looking out for the underprivileged. Their upbringing could have been strict. They make friends from around the world, you’ll actually notice that they might have a lot of middle-eastern friends or be intrigued by their culture. They could have problems with their backs and legs. Further, they may be very no-nonsense strict teacher kind of person. They can also alternatively be the life of the party person, or both really. They could either be extremely happy and jumpy in public and really broody in private, or the other way around. They work so hard yet rarely get results. They suffer through a lot of ups and downs in life. Usually this gives an innate ability to lose weight and appear rather slender, also tall. This usually gives some kind of unique features to the face, large eyebrows, pointy cheekbones, small mouths, exaggerated features and this kind of drugged up look in their eyes. For women, this gives a curvy look to the body, with great breasts (in relation to proportions). People love cheese here, also they are great with children. They get blamed for cheating or other issues when they haven’t done it. You go against dogmatic thinking. You may attract men and women. Great looking feet and omg the obsession with shoes? Stop it already, you don’t need more. Also stop looking at the watch and making schedules, stop being obsessed with time, or really stop procrastinating.

Jupiter in the first house-

When Jupiter is in the first house of a chart, one is usually undeniably lucky in life. People with this placement tend to be tall, and if not then they have a big bone structure. They will have beautiful feet. They gain weight easily. They are heavily influenced by their fathers and spouses. They like scholarly debates and discussions and dislike arguments. They are fond of foreign cultures and the other dimensions, they believe in religious interventions and god. They can be a bit conservative in nature. They were either born in a comfortably rich household or will have it later. They or their parents own more than one property. Their mother has bad health, and could’ve fallen sick after giving birth to them or never had children after them. Their mother is spiritual. They could obtain higher education abroad. They could be into fields of liberal arts, especially law and academics (like wanting to become professors), they could alternatively also be musically inclined. They will have an enchanting speech and aura, and people will commend their oration. They can be into writing. They could enjoy traveling a lot. They keep looking for love, it is one of their priorities even from a young age. They feel connected to spirits or gods, and often feel that there is something off or unique about them. They may have clairvoyant abilities and may practice activities of the occult or astrology. They usually have on and off relationships in life. You chase people you like. You need intellectual compatibility in a relationship. Very choosy about clothes, friends, vacations and all. Don’t wake them up from sleep, they love sleeping, or alternatively never get enough sleep. You do things smartly, not with hardwork. You may be interested in real-estate. They get into spirituality very young, around 16 when Jupiter matures. They pretend to be more knowledgable than they are in certain areas, might fib. They’re proud of their occult knowledge. Their is a polarity in their personality that everyone sees and what their close friends see. Maybe they’re extroverted outside and very introverted inside. Or maybe they have family issues and never speak about it. Could be anything. Also a polarity in wanting material gains like status, success and money, and wanting liberation and wanting to become spiritual. They keep going back and forth. Also they keep changing their opinions on things. Notice they have good hands too. Also acne and scarring. Terrible tempers, and can be asexual or aromatic, or just don’t like to show that side to themselves. The letter ’t’ may be relevant to them, either in their name, their family, or their spouse. Don’t invoke spirits of the dead please, don’t keep trying to shift realities either, chill. They keep their nails long. People usually don’t know that a native is into occult, as they have a very different outside persona.

[itonje]

people of color in arthurian legend masterpost

hi! some people said it would be cool if i did this, and this is something i find interesting so. yeah! are you interested in king arthur and the knights of the round table? do you like to read about characters of color, especially in older lit? well, i hope this can be a good resource for people to get into stuff like that, especially poc/ethnic minorities who might feel uncomfortable or lonely getting into older media like arthuriana. this post is friendly to both those who prefer medieval lit and those who prefer modern stuff!

disclaimers: i am not a medievalist nor a race theorist! very much not so. i am just a 17 year old asian creature on the internet who wants to have an easy-to-reference post, if i’m not comprehensive enough please inform me. i’m going to stay closely to the matter of britain, as well, not all medieval european literature as a. this is what i’m more familiar with and b. there’s so much content and information and context to go along with it that it would really be impossible to put it all into one tumblr post. (however there’s always going to be overlap!) also, please do not treat me or any other person of color/ethnic minority as a singular all-knowing authority on anything! we’re all trying to have fun here and being made into an information machine on things, especially what is and isn’t offensive isn’t fun. with that out of the way, let’s get into it! (under cut for length!) 

part i: some historical context (tw for racism and antisemitism discussion)

fair warning, i’m going to start off with some discussions of more heavier history before we talk about more fun stuff. while pre colonial racism was far more different than how it is today, there still...was racism. and it’s important to understand the social mien around nonwhite people in europe at the time these works were written. 

to understand how marginalized ethnicities were written in medieval european literature, you have to understand the fact that religion, specifically catholicism, was a very important part of medieval european life. already, catholicism has violent tenets (ie, conversion as an inherent part of the church, as well as many antisemitic theologies and beliefs), but this violence worsened when an event known as the crusades happened.

the crusades were a series of religious wars started by the catholic church to ‘reclaim’ the holy land from islamic rule and to aid the byzantine empire. while i won’t go into the full history of the crusades, (some basic info here and here and here) its important to understand that they had strengthened the european view of the ’pagan’ (ie: not european christian) world as an ‘other’, a threat to christiandom that needed to be conquered and converted, for the spiritual benefit of both the convertee and the converter. these ideas of ethnoreligious superiority and conversion would permeate into the literature of the time written by european christians. 

even today, the crusades are very much associated with white supremacy and modern islamophobic sentiment, with words such as ‘deus vult’ as a dogwhistle, and worship of and willingness to emulate the violence the crusaders used against the inhabitants of the holy land in tradcath spaces, so this isn’t stuff that’s all dead and in the past. crusader propaganda and the ignorance on the violence of the catholic church and the crusaders on muslim and jewish populations (as well as nonwhite christians ofc) is very harmful. arthuriana itself has a lot of links to white supremacy too-thanks to @/to-many-towered-camelot for this informative post. none of this stuff exists in a bubble. 

here’s a book on catholic antisemitism, here’s a book on orientalism, here’s a book about racism in history that touches on the crusades. (to any catholic, i highly reccommend you read the first.)

with that out of the way, we can talk about the various not european groups that typically show up in arthurian literature and some historical background irt to that. the terms ‘moor’ and ‘saracen’ will typically pop up. both terms are exonyms and are very, very broad, eventually used as both a general term for muslims and as a general term for african and (western + central) asian people. they’re very vague, but when you encounter them the typical understanding you’re supposed to take away is ‘(western asian/african) foreigner’ and typically muslim/not christian as well. t

generally, african and asian lands will typically be referred to as pagan or ‘eastern/foreign’ lands, with little regard for understanding the actual religions of that area. they will also typically refer to saracens as pagans although islam is not a pagan religion. this is just a bit of a disclaimer. the term saracen itself is considered to be rather offensive-thank you to @/lesbianlanval for sending me a paper on this subject. 

while i typically refer to the content on this post as having to pertain to african and asian people (ie, not european) european jewish arthurian traditions are included on this post too. but, i know more about poc and they’ll feature more prominently in this post because of that, lol. 

part ii: so, are there any medieval texts involving characters of color?

i’m glad you asked! of course there are! to be clear, european medieval authors were very much aware that people of color and african + asian nations existed, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. even the vita merlini mentions sri lanka and a set of islands that might (?) be the philippines!! for the sake of brevity though, on this list i’m not going to list every single one of these small and frequent references, so i’m just going to focus on texts that primarily (or notably) feature characters of color. 

first of all, it’s important to know was the influence of cultures of color and marginalized ethnicities that helped shape arthurian legend. the cultural exchange between europe and the islamic world during the crusades, as well as the long history of arab presence in southern europe, led to the influence of arabic love poetry and concepts of love on european literature, helping to form what we consider the archetypal romance. there are also arthurian traditions in hebrew, and yiddish too, adding new cultural ideas and introducing new story elements to their literature-all of these are just as crucial to the matter of britain as any other traditions!

when it comes to nonwhite presence in the works themselves, many knights of color in arthurian legend tend to be characters that, after defeated by a knight of arthur’s court join the court themselves. though some are side characters, there are others with their own romances and stories devoted to them! many of them are portrayed as capable + good as, if not better than their counterparts. (this, however, usually only comes through conversion to christianity if the knight is not christian...yeah.) though groups of color as a general monolith created by european christians tended to be orientalized in literature (see: mystical and strange ~eastern~ lands), many individual knights were written to be seen by their medieval audience as positive heroes. i’m going to try to stick to mostly individual character portrayals such as these. 

with that all said though, these characters can still be taken as offensive (i would consider most to be) in their writing, so take everything with a grain of salt here. i will also include links to as many english translations of texts as i can, as well as note which ones i think are beginner friendly to those on the fence about medieval literature!

he shows up in too many texts so let’s make this into two bullet notes and start with one of, if not the most ubiquitous knight of color of the round table (at least in medieval lit),-palamedes! palamedes/palomides is a ‘’saracen knight’’ who (typically) hails from babylon or palestine and shows up in a good amount of texts. his first appearance is in the prose tristan, and he plays a major role there as a knight who fights with tristan for the hand of iseult-while he uh. loses, him and tristan later become companions + friends with a rivalry, and palamedes later goes off to hunt the questing beast, a re-occurring trend in his story. 

palamedes even got his own romance named after him (which was very popular!) and details the adventures of the fathers of the knights of the round table, pre arthur, as well as later parts of the story detailing the adventures of their sons. it was included in rustichello da pisa’s compilation of arthurian romances, which i unfortunately have not seen floating around online (or...anywhere), so i can’t attest to the quality of it or anything. he appears in le morte darthur as well, slaying the questing beast but only after his conversion to christianity (...yeah.) in the texts in which he appears, palamedes is considered to be one of the top knights of the round table, alongside tristan and lancelot, fully living up to chivalric and courtly ideals and then some. i love him dearly and i’ve read the prose tristan five times just for him. (also the prose tristan in general is good, please give it a try, especially if you’re a romance fan.)

speaking of le morte d’arthur, an egyptian knight named priamus shows up in the lucius v arthur episode on lucius’ side first, later joining arthur’s after some interactions with gawaine. palamedes has brothers here as well-safir and segwarides. safir was relatively popular, and shows up in many medieval texts, mostly alongside his older brother. i wouldn’t recommend reading le morte of all things for the characters of color though-if you really want to see what it’s all about, just skip to the parts they’re mentioned with ctrl + f, haha. 

the romance of moriaen is a 12th century dutch romance from the lancelot compilation, named for its main character morien. morien, who is a black moor, is the son of sir aglovale, the brother of perceval. whilst gawaine and lancelot are searching for said perceval, they encounter morien, who is in turn searching for aglovale as he had abandoned morien’s mother way back when. i wholeheartedly recommend this text for people who might feel uncomfy with medieval lit. though the translation i’ve linked can be a bit tricky, the story is short, sweet, and easy to follow, and morien and his relationships (esp with gariet, gawaine’s brother) are all wonderful. 

king artus (original hebrew text here) is a northern italian jewish arthurian text written in hebrew- it retells a bit of the typical conception of arthur story, as well as some parts from the death of arthur as well. i really can’t recommend this text enough-it’s quite short, with an easy-to-read english translation, going over episodes that are pretty familiar to any average reader while adding a lot of fun details and it’s VERY interesting to me from a cultural standpoint. i find the way how they adapt the holy grail (one of the most archetypal christian motifs ever) in particular pretty amazing. this is also a very beginner friendly text! 

wolfram von eschenbach’s parzival (link to volume 1 and volume 2-this translation rhymes!) is a medieval high german romance from the early 13th century, based off de troyes’ le conte du graal while greatly expanding on the original story. it concerns parzival and his quest for the grail (with a rather unique take on it-he fails at first!), and also takes like one million detours to talk about gawaine as all arthurian lit does. the prominent character of color here is a noble mixed race knight called feirefiz, parzival’s half brother by his father, who after dueling with parzival, and figures out their familial connection, joins him on his grail quest. he eventually converts to christianity (..yeah.) to see the grail and all ends happily for him. however, this text is notable to me as it contains two named women of color-belacane, feirefiz’s black african mother, and secundilla, feirefiz’s indian wife. though unfortunately, both are pretty screwed over by the text and their respective husbands. though parzival is maybe my favorite medieval text i’ve read so far i don’t necessarily know if i’d recommend this one, because it is long, and can be confusing at times. however, i do think that when it comes to the portrayal of people of color, while quite poor by today’s standards, von eschenbach was trying his best?-of course, in reason for. a 13th century medival german christian but he treats them with respect and all these characters are actually characters. if you’re really interested in grail stories (and are aware of the more uncomfortably christian aspects of the grail story), and you like gawaine and perceval, i’d say go for it. 

in the turk and sir gawain, an english poem from the early 16th century, gawaine and the titular turkish man play a game of tennis ball. i’m shitting you not. this text is pretty short, funnily absurd, and with most of the hallmarks of a typical quest (various challenges culminating in some castle being freed), so it’s an easier read. it’s unclear to me, but at the end of the story the turkish man turns into sir gromer, a noble knight, who may or may not be white which uh. consider my ‘....yeah’ typical at this point, but i don’t personally read it that way for my own sanity. also he throws the sultan (??) of the isle of man (????) into a cauldron for not being a christian so when it comes to respectful representation of poc this one doesn’t make it, but it does make this list. 

the revenge of ragisel, or at least the version i’ve read (the eng translation of the dutch version from the lancelot compilation), die wrake van ragisel, starts off being about the mysterious murder of a knight, but eventually, as most stories do, becomes a varying series of adventures about gawaine and co. one of gawaine’s friends (see: a knight who he combated with for a hot sec and then became friends and allies with, as you do) is a black knight named maurus! he’s not really an mc, but he features prominently and he’s pretty entertaining, as all the characters in this are. i also recommend this highly, i was laughing the whole time reading it! it’s not too long and pretty wild, you’ll have a good romp. this is a good starter text for anyone in general!

i’ve not read the roman van walewein, which, as it says on the tin, is a 12th century dutch romance concerning some deeds of gawaine (if only gawaine was a canon poc, i wouldn’t need to make this list because he’s so popular...). i’m putting it on the list for in this, gawaine goes to the far eastern land of endi (india) and romances a princess named ysabele. i can’t speak to ysabele’s character or the respectfulness of her kingdom or representation, but i know she’s a major character and her story ends pretty well, so that’s encouraging. women of color, especially fleshed out woc, are pretty rare in arthurian lit. i’ve also heard the story itself is pretty wild, and includes a fox, which sounds pretty exciting to me!

now the next two things i’m going to mention aren’t really? texts that feature characters of color or jewish characters, but are rather more notable for being translations of existing texts into certain languages. wigalois is a german 13th century romances featuring the titular character (the son of, you guessed it, gawaine!) and his deeds. the second, jaufre, is the only arthurian romance written in occitan, and is a quite long work about the adventures of the knight jaufre, based on the knight griflet. what’s notable about these two works is that wigalois has a yiddish translation, and jaufre has a tagalog translation. wigalois’ yiddish translation in particular changed the original german text into something more fitting of the arthurian romance format as well as adding elements to make it more appealing for a jewish audience. the tagalog translation of jaufre on the other hand was not medieval, only coming about in 1900, but the philippines has had a long history of romantic tradition and verse writing, so i’m curious to see if it too adds or changes elements when it comes to the arthurian story, but i can’t find a lot on the tagalog version of jaufre unfortunately-i hope i can eventually!

this list of texts is also non-exhaustive! i’m just listing a couple of notoriety, and some to start with. 

part iii: papers and academic analysis

so here’s just a dump of various papers i’ve read and collected on topics such as these-this is an inexhaustive and non-comprehensive list! if you have any papers you think are good and would like to be added here, shoot me an ask. i’ll try to include a link when i can, but if it’s unavailable to you just message me. * starred are the ones i really think people, especially white people, should at least try to read. 

Swank, Kris. ‘Black in Camelot: Race and Ethnicity in Arthurian Legend’ *

Harrill, Claire. ‘Saracens and racial Otherness in Middle English * Romance’

Keita, Maghan. ‘Saracens and Black Knights’ 

Hoffman, Donald L. ‘Assimilating Saracens: The Aliens in Malory's ‘Morte Darthur’

Goodrich, Peter H. ‘Saracens and Islamic Alterity in Malory's ‘Le Morte Darthur’

Schultz, Annie. ‘Forbidden Love: The Arabic Influence on the Courtly Love Poetry of Medieval Europe’ *

Hardman, Philipa. ‘Dear Enemies: the Motif of the Converted Saracen and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’

Knowles, Annie. ‘Encounters of the Arabian Kind: Cultural Exchange and Identity the Tristans of Medieval France, England, and Spain’ *

Hermes, Nizar F. ‘King Arthur in the Lands of the Saracens’ *

Ayed, Wajih. ‘Somatic Figurations of the Saracen in Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur’

Herde, Christopher M. ‘A new fantasy of crusade: Sarras in the vulgate cycle.’ *

Rovang, Paul R. ‘Hebraizing Arthurian Romance: The Originality of ‘Melech Artus.’’

Rajabzdeh, Shokoofeh. ‘The Depoliticized Saracen and Muslim erasure’ *

Holbrook, Sue Ellen. ‘To the Well: Malory's Sir Palomides on Ideals of Chivalric Reputation, Male Friendship, Romantic Love, Religious Conversion—and Loyalty.’ *

Lumbley, Coral. ‘Geoffrey of Monmouth and Race’ *

Oehme, Annegret. ‘Adapting Arthur. The Transformations and Adaptations of Wirnt von Grafenberg’s Wigalois’ *

Hendrix, Erik. ‘An Unlikely Hero: The Romance of Moriaen and Racial Discursivity in the Middle Ages’ *

Darrup, Cathy C. ‘Gender, Skin Color, and the Power of Place in the Medieval Dutch Romance of Moriaen’ *

Armstrong, Dorsey. ‘Postcolonial Palomides: Malory's Saracen Knight and the Unmaking of Arthurian Community’ (note this is the only one i can’t access in its entirety)

part iv: supplemental material

here’s some other stuff i find useful to getting to know knights of color in arthurian legend, especially if papers/academic stuff/medieval literature is daunting! i’d really recommend you go through all of these if you can’t go through anything else-most are quick reads. 

a magazine article on knights of color here, and this article about the yiddish translation of wigalois. 

this video about characters of color in arthurian legend!

the performance of the translation of arabic in Libro del Caballero Zifar, and how it pertains to the matter of britain 

a post by yours truly about women of color in parzival

this info sheet about palamedes, and this info sheet about ysabele-thanks to @/pendraegon and @/reynier for letting me use these!

this page on palamedes as well

this post with various resources on race and ethnicity in arthuriana-another thank you to @/reynier! 

part v: how about modern day stories and adaptations?

there’s a lot of em out there! i’m not as familiar with modern stuff, but i will try to recommend medias i know where characters of color (including racebends!) are prominent. since i haven’t read/watched all (or truly most) of these, i can’t really speak on the quality of the representation though, so that’s your warning. 

first of all, when it comes to the victorian arthurian revival, i know that william morris really liked palamedes! (don’t we all.) he features frequently in morris’ arthurian poetry, (in this beautiful book, he primarily features in ‘sir galahad, a christmas mystery’ and ‘king arthur’s tomb’. he has his own poem by morris here.)

and some other poems about palamedes, which i’d all recommend. 

for movies, i know a knight in camelot (1998) stars whoopi goldberg as an original character, the green knight (2021) will star dev patel as gawaine. 

some shows include camelot high, bbc merlin, disney’s once upon a time, and netflix’s cursed, all featuring both original characters of color and people of color cast as known arthurian figures. 

for any music people, in ‘high noon over camelot’, an album by the mechanisms, mordred is played by ashes o’reilley, who in turn is performed by frank voss, and arthur is played by marius von raum who is perfomed by kofi young. 

i’ve also heard the pendragon and the squire’s tales have palamedes as a relevant character if you’re looking for novels, as well as legendborn and the forgotten knight: a chinese warrior in king arthur’s court starring original protagonists of color! 

part vi: going on from here

so, you’ve read some medieval lit, read some papers, watched some shows, and done all that. what now? well, there’s still so much out there! 

if you have fanfiction, analysis, metaposts, fun content etc etc about arthurian poc, feel free to plug your content on this post! i’d be happy to boost it. 

in general, if you’re a person of color or a jewish person and you’re into arthurian legend, feel free to promote your blog on this post as well! i would love to know more people active on arthurian tumblr who are nonwhite. 

this is really just me asking for extra content, especially content made by poc, but that’s okay! arthurian legend is a living, breathing set of canons and i would love love love to see more fresh diversity within them right alongside the older stuff. 

a very gracious thank you to the tumblr users whom i linked posts to on here, and thanks to y’all for saying you want to see this! i hope this post helped people learn some new things!