#It's such a beautiful manifestation of humankind!!!

[kyouka-supremacy]

The culturally accurate Mikus is the best thing to have happened on the internet ever since Goncharov

[venusianc0mplex]

Children of Hekate

Children of Hekate are mysterious, intriguing, magnetic, and sensual artists who are forced to learn how to alchemize their pain into blessings and gifts for humankind, On the outside they seem to have it all; influence, power, charm, beauty, and success. However, underneath those layers of glory are usually whirlpools of pain that never cease to an end. The tragic but empowering lives of Hekate kids always make the most captivating stories to tell. 

Gifts

Sexy as FUCK and got rizz for daysssss

Naturally draw people in with their aura

Very gifted with magic and spells

Very intuitive people

Extremely creative people

Very in touch with their own emotions

They are very good at making you feel seen and heard

They spot people’s shadow sides very easily

They tend to know what the other person wants

People wants to get close to them or want to dig into their life 

They gain fans very easily

They are very emotionally understanding people

Good at making other people feel loved and cared for 

LOVED by the opposite sex

Exudes sex and can’t hide that

Their emotions really draw you in because they are very intense

They really care about the wellbeings of the underdogs

They are down to help someone for free

Their artwork speaks to people no matter what it is they put out there

Gifted astrologers because Hekate’s mom is Asteria

They are very good at turning their negative emotions into artwork

Takes good care of small animals and kids

Naturally protective and they are naturally fighters

They have the ability to walk out of any darkness imposed on them

They can fight through anything in life even if some people might take longer

They are some of the most empathetic people once healed from their traumas

A LOT of people want a piece of them

They can spot people’s shadow side very easily

They naturally have influence over others

Very gifted prophets

They have the power to push through any hardships in life

Common Themes in the Life of a Child of Hekate

They feel their emotions at an intensity most people don’t get to experience

Prone to developing mental health illnesses due to Hekate’s 3 form’s collective energy being overwhelming on the native

Experience the most emotional swings in life

Thoughts are so powerful they will always have a significant impact on their reality 

It’s best for them to not stick to one career path throughout their lifetime

Their manifestations are so powerful they need to be careful what they wish for

Extremely volatile self-esteem

Most of them grew up with fragmented families

Prone to negative thinking/bad self-talk

They need gentler treatment from people around them

Prone to victim mindset

No matter what happens in life, as long as they try hard, they will always be kept afloat 

They tend to get more help from people of the opposite sex than people of the same sex

Attracts jealousy very easily

They need to choose their romantic partners very wisely

Most of them are prone to falling for the hot but toxic partner

Their family can set them back for years 

They struggle with grasping the truth and getting a good sense of reality

 Maintaining good mental health should be their no.1 priority in life

They are either easily influenced by people’s dark sides or become the toxic one that influence others negatively

They are usually very genuine with their emotions

They are usually the black sheep of their family 

Probably made a contract to sacrifice their early childhood happiness for material success and magical powers

They usually got prominent sideral cancer, aquarius, and/or pisces placements in their chart. (usually a combination of cancer + something else)

Deep thinkers

Need HUGE amounts of spiritual protection to thrive in life

Treats animals very well

People who learned their lessons and worked on their shadow selves usually become VERY good parents

Extremely protective

Natural guides/protectors

A lot of them will always have a kind heart no matter what life throws at them

Challenges

Almost all of them face MASSIVE struggles with their mental health as they are influenced by all 3 of Hekate’s sides but that energy is often times too much for a human to handle

Extremely prone to escapism and unhealthy coping mechanisms

They are prone to drowning in their depressive feelings for a very very long time

They can be too emotional or vengeful to their own detriment

Prone to self-isolation or pushing everyone around them away

Prone to extremities 

They are usually born into dogshit biological families

Struggles with an intense amount of suicidal thoughts

Usually surrounded by bad influences in their early childhood

Too stubborn to change for their own good sometimes

Their negative thoughts can manifest into their actions very fast

“Becareful what you wish for”

They LOVE going for the popular boy/girl whos actually emotionally unavailable af just because it satisfies their ego (Medea’s lesson)

Extremely Stubborn 

Suffer from a lot of jealousy (at them or towards others)

Trouble expressing their vulnerabilities

Spiritually vulnerable and prone to being taken advantage of

People LOVE to disrespect their boundaries

Can suffer really deeply from sexual harassments

Prone to lashing out in very extreme ways that push people away 

Suffer a lot from betrayals, especially from their families

They have to learn to overcome a huge amount of darkness in life

They suffer a lot from the evil eye

Suffer from unwanted attention

Not the best at giving a good first impression

Controversial

A lot of them struggle with BPD, ADHD, Bipolar, and etc

People are usually dismissive of the emotions they struggle with are they are judgmental towards it 

They are usually not given the same grace they give to others

They tend to give to the wrong people until they learn their boundaries 

They attract a lot of problematic people to them 

Their vengefulness can cause them a lot of trouble in life

A lot of them face a horrible amount of abuse in their earlier life 

They have trouble putting their egos down to ask for help

Disclaimer: Everything written above stemmed from my own observations, I'm not claiming to be 100% accurate on everything

[talonabraxas]

I appear in sea, in wind, in soil, in starlight. In the sun I appear. I appear in mountains and desert rain. I am the star and I am the stone. I am bird and fish, sky and sea. One and whole eternally, I come, differentiating, multiplying, refracting like a ray of light through ten thou-sand water-droplet prism pearls suspended in earth's highest sphere. Shining I come, to touch the surface of this matter world in a splashing, multicolored chorus of light men and light women, created to bring beauty, love, order and grace to this sacred dance of atomic form. Stardust. Frozen starlight. You call it matter. It is an art form with which we have worked for twenty billion years. We have sculpted it into star systems, galaxies and a universe of rainbow-spectrum worlds. We are the children of light. We have been given the task of creating dimensional reality. We draw order, structure and beauty out of the vibrating music of starlight.

From the redwood forests to the microbes, from the gentlest feathered bird to the most substantial ocean whale, our spirits manifest the Creator's designs in all the biological life on this planet. Yet only human circuitry has the capacity to embody the full reality of who we are, of who that Creator is—of who, in truth, you are. Come, human children, the truth has always been here. Your prophets have ever made it plain. Wherever you have let us land, wherever you have let our consciousness settle upon the waters of your awareness, the open waters of your human hearts, ever w e have come to inhabit your shores. We are the superior intelligence that you are looking for in the galaxies. We have been in your parks, in your treetops, in your gardens, in cages in your livingrooms. We are the Bird Tribes. And we are returning. We are here to teach you how to fly. Take us out of your cages of concept and archaic definition. Come, join us in the living treetops, where the winds of spirit blow wild and free. We are the Bird Tribes. And we love the flowing, fluid, gentle waters of our Mother's eternal truths, as we love the stars that nourish and support these biological robes of dancing light. We will never be far from water or land, from light or sound, from the Father's fire or the Mother's gentle wisdom. For we are the Bird Tribes, entering this earth to swim beneath her waters as fishes of the sea, to walk on her land as the mammals and the humans of this age and to fly through her heavens on the wings of the Love that created us and creates us anew in each moment. Because we love these oceans. We love these lands.

We love this planet with an eternal fire that takes all the myriad stars to reveal in the fullness of time, but only one star to say to one world, “I love you this much, that I would give you all that I am; my fire, even to your ages of ice; all that I am, until we grow the children, until we conceive the offspring who will be equally a child of starlight's fiery love and an ocean world's gentle truth.” Awaken, humankind. The teachers of love circle round the morning star. Spiraling down. Coming to rest. They land. At the edge of your history's shore. Fluttering into consciousness. The Bird Tribes return. --Return of the Bird Tribes : Ken Carey

[harvardfineartslib]

It’s the season for decorating! If you are looking for something different or need inspiration, why not study The Grammar of Ornament from 1865? Harvard’s Mirador viewer lets you view the entire book! https://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifests/view/drs:425343599$1i (Link also available in our bio.)

The Fine Arts Library owns an original folio edition of Owen Jones’s (1809–1874)work, The Grammar of Ornament, one of the most influential color plate books on decorative design and ornament of the nineteenth century.

In the opening chapter, Jones wrote that one of the universal qualities among humankind is the desire to make beautiful things. Jones, an architect by training, assembled more than one hundred plates illustrating patterns and ornament from around the world and over different periods of time. Many of his illustrations were based on what he saw in museums and private collections in England at that time and in the Universal Exhibitions held in London in 1851 and 1855, as well as from his personal travels in Europe and parts of the Middle East.

The Grammar of Ornament employed the latest and most sophisticated printmaking innovations. The readers at that time must have noticed the wide range of colors in Jones’ lithographs. In color lithography, each color is printed from a separate lithographic stone, and the time, commercial lithographic printing usually included a set of only three or four colors. Knowing that color played a crucial role in ornament, Jones employed assistants and set out to create lithograph prints that required as many as twenty lithographic stones. The result was this beautiful publication.

Image 1: Egyptian No.1

Image 2: Egyptian No. 4

Image 3: Nineveh 7 Persia No. 1

Image 4: Greek No. 7

Image 5: Arabian No. 4

Image 6: Detail from Arabian No. 4

The grammar of ornament By Owen Jones ; illustrated by examples from various styles of ornament ; one hundred and twelve plates. Jones, Owen, 1809-1874 [author] London : Published by Day and Son, Limited, [1865] 157 pages, 100, that is, 111 leaves of plates : illustrations (some colored) ; 35 cm English HOLLIS number: 990050472950203941

Color illustration of Nineveh & Persian design showing several different patterns

Color illustration of Greek design showing several bold patterns inspired by plants and flower, mostly against dark background.

Color illustration of Arabian design showing several intricate Islamic mosaic patterns.

Detail from the previous image.

[basicsofislam]

ISLAM 101: MISFORTUNES AND DISASTERS: Part 2

In a holy hadith (in which Allah Almighty lets some things known through the mouth of Muhammad (PBUH) by informing him), Allah Almighty announces, I was a hidden treasure, I wished to be known and created the universe. The existence of the universe is considered to date back billions of years; however, the existence of human life dates back tens of thousands of years. The news in this holy hadith had looked to the realm of angels before humankind was created. These blessed beings, which are free from rebellion, have confirmed the news in this holy hadith with their worship, glorification, obedience, knowledge, and love of Allah. The animal kingdom also recalled angels in terms of their souls and leading a life in conformity with their purpose of creation. The plant species and inanimate beings served their duties with perfect obedience. The verse, There is nothing that does not glorify and thank Allah clearly includes everything in itself be it animate or inanimate. Everything glorifies and praises Him. Allah Almighty willed to create another creature that is able to carry out more glorification and worship: Now this sublime creature was to be the man who would be the viceroy on earth. When Allah Almighty announced angels to create a human being out of the soil, a similar question to the one above came from angels and as a response, He (SWT) told them; You may not know what I know. These new guests, who were to be put into testing and were to excel angels if they become successful, as the verse announces, were created only that they might worship Allah. I have not created the jinn and humankind but to (know and) worship Me (exclusively). (Al-Dhariyat Surah, 51:56) When considered the fact that the word worship in the verse is interpreted as knowing Allah by a number of religious scholars, it is understood that man is charged with knowing Allah (SWT), acknowledging His unity, believing in the infinity of His attributes, beholding and contemplating over the realm of creatures with the eyes of wisdom and object lesson. This select creature would not only be the addressee of the manifestations of the names pertaining to His Glory and s/he will be tested through His names pertaining to His Beauty. Actually, it became and still becoming so.

Manifestations such as bounties, endowments, gifts, beauties, health, well-being, welfare are all the manifestations of His Beauty. And man is faced with choosing one of the options as to being thankful or being ingratitude. Unfortunately, with the victory Satan enjoys over men, most of the people are inebriated with the manifestations of Beauty and fail the testing. The other aspect of the testing has to do with the names of Glory such as diseases, calamities, disasters, deaths. Through these, men are put under testing which calls for patience, reliance on and submission to Allah (SWT). Though intelligence thinks of otherwise, this is a truth that those who pass this testing are far more than the first group. For the All-Wise Creator has included in man's nature infinitely vast impotence and boundlessly huge poverty, so that he can be an extensive mirror containing the innumerable manifestations of an All-Powerful and Compassionate One Whose power is infinite, an All-Generous All-Rich One Whose wealth is boundless. Man, who was created for worship and contemplation of Allah (SWT), shall feel his/her impotence and weakness in order to get ahead through this valley, must take refuge in Him, and ask for help from Him. He shall not refrain from praying and strive to catch welfare. And all of these are possible with calamities, disasters, helplessness, and distresses, which lead man into asking for help and taking refuge in Allah (SWT). Souls, which take refuge in their Lords in despair, take a positive point in respect of passing this-worldly testing. However, in the manifestations of welfare, health, and bliss man may be charmed with these and be drowned in negligence instead of understanding his/her vast impotence. The following is one of the most important aspects of the issue: As far as knowing Allah is considered, one needs to take into consideration of all attributes, not only those of Beauty. Just as Allah (SWT) is Merciful, so is He (SWT), Subduer. It is Him Who makes us taste of both honor and wretchedness. Should only the names of Beauty were to manifest themselves in this world, and should men were to be the addressee of only these names, his/her knowing of Allah (SWT) would be incomplete. In this realm of testing, man has to know of Allah (SWT) with both His names of Beauty and those of Glory. As for the Hereafter, roads will be several. Some people will be admitted into Paradise as a reward of their sincerity, good deeds, and good conduct; and will eternally be the receivers of the manifestations of Beauty such as endowment, munificence, bounty at the utmost level. As for those who follow the road of disbelief and polytheism and engaged in debauchery in this world shall meet with the manifestations of Glory, Power, and grief. Thus, in the realm of Resurrection, the names of Beauty and Glory shall have manifested themselves in their full senses.

[delusionaid]

@apocryphis sent: nervousness is painted all over his face; and has the distasteful idea of manifesting in the very air around them, the winds shifting and changing a little too quickly, like a miniature storm brewing where clear skies otherwise indicate that there should be none. the vigilant yaksha is not really one for celebrations, and thus he wonders, even when faced with the very moment, what had possessed him when he had taken it upon himself to prepare something when he had heard of today's occasion.

... how does one even celebrate the anemo archon's birthday? or a bard's birthday? how about both??

xiao can feel venti's teal gaze on him, and breaks under the pressure; finally handing the bard the carefully (but somewhat clumsily) hand-wrapped present he had brought with him. " ... you do not have to accept it." the yaksha mutters under his breath, barely audible, as the small package is slipped towards venti on the flat surface between them, atop the roof of wangshu inn. in it, venti will find a piece of the purest jade, plucked from the highest peaks of chenyu vale; and still resonating with the song of free winds untouched even by celestia's influence, possibly the last ones in teyvat. along with it, a piece of paper, on which has been written, in a scratchy handwriting, what can only be called an attempt at a poem:

In the gentle breath of morning's rise, The wind brings whispers from the skies. Freedom dances in the breeze, Unfurling dreams among the trees.

Better days lie just ahead, Where fears and shadows dare not tread. The wind's soft song, a guiding hand, Leads us to a brighter land.

Barbatos sits on the tiled roof with his legs crossed underneath him, waiting patiently for Xiao to say his piece. His nervousness is palpable, especially to him, a being of wind, almost tugging at him together with the air around them. Forceful it may be, it doesn't worry him, for it's the good kind of nerves, the kind that signifies change and courage; so he waits it out and lets him find his own words and his own time to speak them. If they have one thing, it's time. Time to spend in each other's company, time to find the truth of their beings, time to enjoy instead of wasting it trying to get somewhere unknown.

His birthday is not quite what humans would consider as such, but it is the anniversary of something beginning and he delights in the opportunity to celebrate like them - and with them. Like many things humans place value on it's not a special day by nature but by their choice to make it so, and who would not appreciate such sentiment if not the god of Freedom. He rests his eyes on Xiao, who meets them without wavering, despite the plethora of thoughts that appear to be running through his head. Venti's gaze is friendly and encouraging; and loving, for he can't help but look at Xiao and feel a deep-seated wish to see him comfortable and at peace - and free. Free to live as he chooses, free to say what he thinks, free to love as he wishes.

"Why would I not accept a dear friend's gift?" Barbatos says cheerfully, eagerly turning the little parcel in his hands. It's heavy and he truly can't guess as to what might be inside. As he unwraps it he places the paper at his side where it crackles in the wind, denying the breeze to carry it away when it tugs at its edges. The piece of jade is raw and beautiful like a fresh bud on a branch, like a clear sky after heavy rainfall - untouched and ephemeral. He lets it rest in both his palms, teal eyes reflecting the glow it holds inside. Then he closes them and listens. Harmony and memory resonate within the stone, sending him to the highest peaks of Liyue's mountains, places few have wandered, where birds hail from and winds rule, singing songs humankind has forgotten to understand; but to Barbatos they speak like old friends. Emotion surges through him and brings a smile to his lips but leave his eyes a little glazed when he opens them again.

"What a beautiful gift you've picked for me," he says, heart throbbing in his chest with gratitude and affection. Only now he holds up the paper attached and reads the lines scribble onto it. The way the text is shaped is enough for him to recognize it as poetry so without hesitation he clears his throat and recites the little poem out loud. As if to applaud the performance, a bird chirps cheerfully in a branch above them when Venti has finished. Silence follows and quite unexpectedly, once the meaning sinks in it drives a heat to Venti's cheeks that catches him by surprise. He's written songs and poems about others countless times and there certainly is no shortage of ballads about Barbatos either. But this is more personal than any song he's heard before and from someone so dear to him that every syllable weighs twice as much.

It speaks of everything he wishes to offer: guidance and comfort on the path to brighter lands, to dreams untouched by darkness and the wrath of ancient gods. There isn't a more beautiful way in which Xiao could have told him this and no better words any bard could have chosen to express the sentiment. Holding the paper to his heart, Venti once more finds Xiao's gaze and smiles brighter yet than he did before, for once silenced by his own emotions - at least for a little moment.

"Poetry is the language of the heart. Words come easier when they're true.. do you agree?"

[a-lwni]

doni keeps using language the only way i can describe it is balletic.

asking how her body feels, scanning over bit by bit, limb by limb, i ask about her lower back and she says ehh

whenever i’m on my period i feel like my body is less composed, my muscles and energy are busy doing other things

posture—physical, corporeal composure.

instinct manifests as something closer to sense memory than conscious knowledge—touch, taste, sight, proprioception, language.

i was listening to a poet talk about mary oliver’s 100 white sided dolphins last week- she praised the poem’s restraint— sitting with the beauty of the dolphins just being dolphins, not relating it to humankind

attention taken to the highest degree is prayer said simone weil, right? attention that erases its own existence, and the fact of the self paying it

[wisdomrays]

SIDRATU'L MUNTAHA (The Lote-Tree of the Furthest Limit)

Sidr literally means Arabian cherry; it also means astonishment or something that is spectacular. Sidratu’l-Muntaha denotes the limit, the final point, the furthest boundary of the realm of contingencies. Some have interpreted it as the final point which death-bound beings can reach. Based on certain Prophetic sayings and reports from either the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, or from some of his Companions, the illustrious interpreters of the Qur’an depict Sidratu’l-Muntaha as a blessed tree which exists to the right of God’s Supreme Throne and below which flow the rivers of Paradise, which have been promised to the God-revering, pious. In order to emphasize the extent of the area it covers, our master, upon him be the most perfect of blessings and peace, says: “If a horseman were to gallop for seventy years across its shadow, he would not be able to traverse it; a single leaf of it can cover an entire nation.” If we use greater units of measurement to express the extent of the area it covers, we would not be exaggerating. For the Sidra marks the farthest boundary of the realm of creation; here it meets with the realm of the initial manifestations of Divine Commands. The realm of contingencies ends here. The branches, shoots, and leaves of the huge tree of creation, which extends in all directions, end here. Also, the views of saintly people who deepen in spirituality and those with progressive hearts who can penetrate the inner dimension of things can extend only this far. The perfected ones, who are always careful of where they put their feet and how they take each step on the way to God, stop at this boundary, without being able to take a single step further. Everyone breathes with amazement here. For what lies beyond is included in the realm of the absolute Unseen, which none other than God can know.

Another meaning of the Sidratu’l-Muntaha is that it signifies such a horizon of astonishment and amazement, and such a peak of passion and stupor that “there is neither space in it nor heavens and earth; and no mind can grasp this state” . Of the many heroes of spirituality that have emerged from humanity from the beginning of existence, none other than the Honor and Pride of Humankind, and the Peerless of Time and Space, upon him be the most perfect blessings and peace, has ever been able to rise as far as that horizon or reach that peak. Those who have reached it in their spirit have been dazzled and bewildered, being stuck in amazement and stupor. It was only the Pride of Humankind whose sight did not swerve, nor did it go wrong; indeed, he saw one among the greatest signs of His Lord (53:17–18). The point where he reached was Sidratu’l-Muntaha, which, marks the sacred horizon between the absolutely Necessary Existence and contingency. The first and last traveler who reached this peak is the Seal of Prophethood, for whose sake the worlds were created. No one preceding him and no one succeeding him has a share in this status. How beautiful is the following couplet:

No one who came before him attained this highest status;

No one has ever been favored with this height.

It is not possible for us to be able to imagine either the depths of Prophet Muhammad’s spirituality or the things he saw and heard or his experiences. We preserve our perceptions and experiences and try to understand them according to the interpretations of purified, saintly scholars.

According to some Sufis, Sidratu’l-Muntaha is the horizon where God Almighty favors the outer and inner worlds of His noble, distinguished servants and their spirits, souls, minds, imaginations, and original natures with the manifestations of, respectively, his Names the All-Outward and the All-Inward, and of His proper Name, His Attribute of Lordship, and His Names the All-Merciful and the Ultimate Truth. It is also the peak where God manifests His Attributes of Glory. No matter how profound and extensive emotions may be, all human information, knowledge, sensations and perceptions end at the Sidratu’l-Muntaha and cannot go beyond. Any claims to have gone beyond this horizon only relate to particular spiritual experiences in certain exceptional states of spiritual intoxication, and have therefore no objective value.

[capsensislagamoprh]

The ice cold wetness of a dream melting into the abyss seemed to echo thrugh the threads of the weave, dripping musty agony into the sleep of the young boy. No amount of silk sheets or soft bedding could take away the physical reaction of his calling. His body burned. He could see the bright, golden light of the warmest, most welcoming spring creep along the edges of his nightmares, turning the pleasant gloom into a bright morning. The closer he got to catching it, the more it glittered, radiating daylight. When finally his hand went to touch it, the sounds it made an angry caress, he felt something try to take him over. Try to squish that light like a fire fly, spreading its glowing guts in a florescent streak, soaking it in, turning his flesh from ashen black to bronze.

The boy knew this hand. Knew this clawed, jagged thing that pretended to be him. It was him. It was what used to be him. Samhain.

He was Samhain. He had been created to let the mortal world interact with that of the Dream. He was how they survived the harshness of winter, faced the terror of death, lived into the next breath of life. With out him... with out Samhain there was no way for things to have meaning. Only reason. With out him the world was orderly and neat and sterile in its brutality. When he was born from humility, kindness, wonder, possibilities, the world of the gods was made visible to humankind. The gods played tricks on their mortal worshipers; mischievous to the last. Their tricks were fraught with danger, charged with fear, and full of supernatural episodes. Which is why the mortals created this body, this form and it's unwavering abilities. This was the importance of him, of Samhain.

And that light? That glowing summons at the edge of his dreams the previous body tried to capture? Tried to becomes? That was his other half. That was Beltane, the eternal flame of life itself. He was the fire of rebirth that blessed the fields, animals, and community, and maintained the wary, careful balance between the human and faery realms. A veil of unimaginable fragility, burning all who touched it. Survive and you could access the Dream. You could access the great power of Samhain. Many thought the Hero protected mortals, and there for the dream. This was a lie. Beltane was his shield, and with out him, without his bright, glimmering beauty, Samhain would be left bare, unable to protect the very essence of Dream. Need. The boy, tangled in the silk sheets, felt himself manifest the vorpal blade. Felt his armor form on his sweat soaked skin. He could feel his steed calling to him. It cried for battle. His very being whispered into the dread, looking for the essence of Beltane, trying to find that distant light. It was as natural as breathing. It would be so easy to look into the horizon of Dream and see which direction he needed to go to find him.

Go, whispered the shadow, tempting him with death soft whispers. Find, tempting his body with the thoughts of action. Yours to claim, it smiled into his ear. Take, like a pleasant refrain.

The boy suddenly jerked upward, his wakeful mind still lost to dreams. "NO!" Moments latter the au pair rushed into the room, feeling his heated head, cooing and making fuss. Otabek had fought back the Darkness in his dream. It rewarded him with a vicious case of chicken pox. ---- The boy shook, his fervor high. Golden locks soaked with sweat stuck to his head in limp trendels as his dadushka applied cold compresses, urging him to drink tea, sip a little broth. He'd had the flu for over a week, each day worse than the last. Nikoli took the Yuri to the hospital, got the medicine, diligently insured every instruction was followed. It wouldn't let up

Nikoli thought if the sun would just shine, if the snow and grey skies would let up, his vnuk would get better, stronger. Rising, he left Yuri's side to get fresh, cool water for him to drink.

In his fitful sleep Yuri could see a dark, forbidden place waiting for him to explore. It promised wonder and excitement, it offered acceptance and unconditional love. It threatened to meet his fire with calm, his anger with comfort. It offered to be what it was, and to respect what he was in return.

Yuri was tempted.

He felt himself fly at the edge of the shadowed place, trying to get it to come play. It seemed for a long moment that it might. It certainly seemed to want to, but it didn't. Yuri tried to taunt, to tease, to entice. He could feel a longing coming from that cool, welcoming place. It seemed to reach for him, and he was happy. Then it stopped, struggled, the shadows becoming darker than night, pulling in light, swallowing it whole. It frightened him.

The gentleness in the dark place pushed Yuri forcefully away, flicking its will against the wind, letting his small form fly with ease. When he was back in the safety of the warmth of summer, he tried to see what was going on in that gloomy place. For a moment he saw someone standing there, stopping something vile from spewing forth. It began to glimmer in the darkest shades, taking on the form of stories his dadushka told, of the brave people from the T.V. He heard something whispered from the repulsive place. It was threatening to open old scars, to rip open his soul, to bare his mind and feast.

Yuri knew fear.

And then that darkly glimmering being called a single, discordant note. The dream shattered and Yuri was free, his fever breaking. Above him, Nikoli looked relieved, reading a thermometer by the first rays of dawn.

part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 12, part 13, part 14, part 15, part 16, part 17, part 18, part 19, part 20, part 21, part 22, part 23, part 24, part 25, part 26, part 27, part 28, part 29, part 30, part 31

[bioedwinmx]

Devil fruits are meta if you think about it

Crackpot theory time!!!

So today I was daydreaming about a fanfic I read while paying my bills (Like an average person) and remembered how it described the X-gene could give mutant powers in Marvel (I swear this will make sense).

In short, the X-gene works like eldritch magic (The Dr. Strange thingy), by basically pulling energy from a random dimension of the multiverse, the human body will proceed to evolve accordingly and maybe get you superpowers and mutant traits (I guess this is how spiderman kinda works as well? don't quote me on that).

Thus, as long as long as you can imagine a superpower, it will exist due to parallel universes being infinite in possibilities. Cool right?

AND THEN IT HIT ME

Vegapunk describes Devil fruits as possible evolutions of humankind being brought by desire (the whole possible/parallel universe/future is kinda similar and my brain made the connection there)

BUT, we can see that with GEAR 5, the superpowers can be a lot more meta in nature, by literally making the reader smile with its silliness :D

So this got me thinking, devil fruits are a manifestation of desire/dreams/wishes right?

In-universe it sounds a bit goofy, one piece kind of goofy though, that, by literally wishing for something to exist, it will manifest itself through sheer willpower (Haki and other shit tends to work like that in this universe, like people becoming more beautiful if they follow their dreams and that stuff)

But from a 'meta' perspective, doesn't this literally mean that any power could manifest itself because it is a shonen manga? that as long as SOMEONE could imagine it, it could become reality by being written in?

If one smoked enough crack, they could even argue that devil fruits have a will of their own because they are being written in with some purpose by the author.

Like, by that logic, of course, Doflamingo got the fruit that let him cage a whole country and control people remotely, its power is literally part of his whole theme as a character and douche bag manipulator!!!

Anyways thank you for coming to my ted talk, I'm gonna proceed to scream into a pillow for a few minutes and then become normal again.

[theoldman]

let us focus on helping humankind. let us learn from each other how to be creators of light. if we can embrace each others uniqueness with love, freedom and happiness we can connect to a higher source. if we can breathe in the aspects of our sacred self that make us feel alive we can manifest miracles. it is by accepting and acknowledging that we as sentient beings have lost our way that will inspire us to not find our way home but to make our home a safe supportive place of positive healing energy. let us be beautiful blissful gifts that enlighten humanity. repeat after me - I am love, you are love, we are love.. 

MicHEAL Teal The Ancient One

[danzinora-switch]

Westworld: What Could Have Been

My friend and I just finished season 4 and so this is my thought dump of a rewrite. Because they had so much potential they could have done with these characters and their themes that just didn’t happen.

Themes Westworld has been exploring: What is Consciousness? What is sentience? What does it mean to be human? What is the true difference between an AI/robot made in a human’s image and the ‘real thing’? Masters vs Servants. Control. Consent. Slavery. Power. How do we rise above our own nature? How can we live together without destroying everything?

My season 4 rewrite:

Point: Delores Abernathy. A version of Delores exists as Charlotte Hale. She is cold, she is controlling, she is cruel. She is everything Delores became over the course of the previous seasons. But something is missing.

Instead of “Christina” we have: TEDDY. He is living in this utopian new world. He’s the one that feels something is ‘off’. He wants to write a sweet story for Olympiad, and not one all about sex and violence. He sees the good, the beauty of this world. Teddy... is also a version of Delores. He is the amalgamation of all her goodness, of all her hope. He represents all the beauty that she sees in others and this world, and everything that is worth protecting and fighting for. Teddy was that for her when he was alive, and so it is his avatar that is manifested where she pools all of her hopes and fragility.

Charlotte Hale talks a lot about transcendence and moving beyond the ‘human body’... but transcendence will come for her once Teddy ‘wakes up’ and they REUNIFY. That is Plot A: Teddy waking up and realizing he is the Good Delores, storyteller of the city, and fighting to be free and whole. Charlotte is Bad Delores, deep down the dark path. The two coming together represents the whole of Delores (and humanity): reconciling with our dark side, embracing our inner child, walking with both to transcend our nature and be our fullest selves.

Plot B: this is not the only way forward. Instead of Nurse/Wife gal being married to Kaleb and raising a daughter, it’s MAEVE. After the events of season 3, they stay together, and (yes, in Blade Runner 2049-fashion) they conceive. It should be an impossibility. And yet, it happened. Frankie is the first true cyborg, both human, and both robot-kind. Maeve leaves to protect Kaleb and Frankie, but can’t stop reaching out for her daughter. When she finally does, Charlotte picks up on her and learns of this miracle and wants to destroy it (because it goes against everything of Our Kind vs Your Kind that she is set to control and destroy). She still wants them both, but Maeve ‘dies’ and Kaleb is captured, at which point he is subjected to experimentations in transplanting a human consciousness into a robot (because seriously? This Frankie child Shouldn’t Exist.). Her fly/parasite plan for controlling the rest of the humans still goes through in the meantime.

Frankie wants to find her mother in the desert, still hoping one day to save her father. She runs into Bernard, who still did his whole Sublime-Simulation thing on how to possibly save humanity and robot-kind. And the answer that he finds is that there are TWO paths, not one.

One path is reuniting Delores with herself - have her come to terms with her darkness and choose the light. To work to fix what she broke, and help all the others come to that same path. This may involve entering the Sublime for robots with multiple versions of themselves. This path is Transcendence.

The other is what Maeve and Kaleb have managed to do: combine both kinds into one new type of being. This could be the next step in evolution for both humankind and robots. This path is Progeny.

Bernard helps Frankie find Maeve and rebuild her. He helps her and the resistance rescue her father, too, but also plants the pieces to wake Teddy up to reunite with Charlotte so that Delores can return.

(Btw, all the faces ‘Teddy’ sees as he’s living and interacting in his simulated world are familiar faces from Westworld’s past).

(I do all this partly because pitting Maeve and Delores against each other has never worked, in my mind. They’re not diametrically opposed forces. They’re two strong women with different goals. So keep their goals different. Sometimes that will bring them into conflict, but it can also keep them together.)

I want Clementine to have more agency. She deserves it after so long. So I want her to help Frankie and the resistance after Maeve and Kaleb are defeated. She has been working as a double agent this whole time: pretending to help Charlotte and William, but secretly helping the free humans and Frankie. She chose her own destiny. (And with her friendship with Maeve, having her help save/raise her daughter I think is very fitting and sweet).

Now, the wrench in the plane: William’s host. The Man in the Black Hat. The Destroyer, the Cockroach. He is the Warning. He is the result when we refuse to change our nature, when we refuse to evolve. He has been down the path of darkness and hurt and suffering for so long, but his cynical worldview and nihilistic outlook will only get him so far: it only gets him death. If you can’t change your nature, if you refuse to change your ways, you get to a point where you can go no further. Charlotte/Bad Delores could so easily be him, so, so corrupted. But she does choose to change and accept herself fully and she transcends forward. William does not. He may be part living in a robot, but that doesn’t mean he’s changed. And so his way will still end in a bullet, in whatever form he takes.

Ending: Maeve, Kaleb, and Frankie are reunited (maybe Kaleb still dies, but after reuniting). Maeve can finally, at long last, raise her daughter, her ACTUAL daughter, not some story created for her. They work with the surviving humans and robots on the way forward, Progeny. Delores is transcended to her whole self, and works on building and protecting Legacy, for both humankind and robot kind. She moves into the Sublime, and works to undo the control imposed on a generation of humans and reuniting multiple versions of Westworld people. She is the historical storyteller. William is dead.

To actually survive, we need to change. Not just our nature, but ourselves. We have to evolve in culture and thought, not just genetics and code. And we need to choose how we evolve, not let someone else choose for us. Freedom is essential.

Westworld: What Could Have Been.

[risalei-nur]

The Words - The Thirty-first  Word - Part 16

So that the beauties of the art He displays will not remain useless, He will choose a guide to teach the purposes contained in them. To inform them of the things that please Him, He will select a conscious being, raise him above all others, and use that person to inform others of those things. Reality and wisdom require this. As the one most worthy to perform these duties was Prophet Muhammad, who performed them perfectly, a fact attest- ed to by the truthful and just witnesses of the world of Islam that he found- ed and the light of Islam that he showed, he would have to rise above all creatures and attain the rank of holding a universal and elevated conversation with the Creator of the universe. In this lies the Ascension’s reality.

In short, Since Almighty God formed, organized, and decorated this universe for mighty purposes and great aims, such as those mentioned above; and since among beings there is humankind to see the universal Divine Lordship with all Its subtleties, and this mighty Divine sovereignty with all its truths, most certainly that Absolute Ruler will speak to and inform us of His purposes. But not everyone can rise to the highest, universal position to receive the Ruler’s universal address directly. Given this, certain special people will be entrusted with that duty. Being human beings themselves, they can teach other human beings. They also should be extremely exalted spiritually, for only such people can receive God’s direct address.

The one who taught the purposes of the universe’s Maker most perfectly, unveiled the universe’s and creation’s mysterious meaning, and best heralded the beauties of His Lordship’s dominion was Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. He would therefore make a spiritual journey and rise above all others and to the most exalted and comprehensive rank; he would make an Ascension by journeying through the corporeal world and then reaching beyond the “seventy thousand veils” of the manifestations of Divine Names, Attributes and acts, and all levels of creation. This is the Ascension.

[sasorikigai]

[ DISPLAY ] + [ REASSURANCE ] + REVERSE ( for either of their modern AUs plz )

'𝚃𝙰𝙺𝙴 𝙼𝚈 𝙷𝙰𝙽𝙳' 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙿𝚃𝚂. || @sonxflight || accepting

[ DISPLAY ] : during the process of an undercover mission/a situation where their identities need to be protected, sender holds receiver's hand to give the impression that they're in a romantic relationship.

[ REASSURANCE ] : noticing the receiver is upset, sender gently takes their hand to reassure them and provide them with a sense of comfort.

💥 || Death must be his ultimate fate; the end of life, the closing gate. It is a journey people all must take, an appointment which they cannot break. It can also come in many different forms, from accidents to deadly storms. It is such a mystery, a conundrum, difficult to unfold and arcane to the humankind. While death was supposed to bring an end to Hanzo Hasashi's pain, his suffering will never be truly gone, nor nothing remain in the place of his motionless body. In this voracious, ravenous depths of inevitability, the water of his conscious remains dark; an inkwell full and black.

His viewfinder is the seaform that washes onto shore, which is the color of ivory bone. The ebbing suction of the ocean is hungry, and it is proven by his draining crimson, the very life that seem to gape incessantly, taking every damned thing in its wake, only promising the premise of grief that is unceasingly violent. The rest of it will come in silent, shivering waves in a secluded ocean - where no one can hear the screams of what remains, but him. In grief and desperation, Hanzo Hasashi's own heart will become his refuge.

While death itself embodies into him, taking every ounce of Commander Hasashi's resolve and resilience, his unwavering, defiantly challenging gaze remains a laser amidst the pandemonium of the fancy-dress rave. There remains a glimpse of azure sky, along with wisps of gentle clouds to puncture it. Beneath the pumping, fueling adrenaline that propels his elevated heartbeat, Hanzo adheres the hardened chisel of his shoulder to Ryou's, the burning, comforting warmth of his being even suffocating the world of pain he's so intimate with. How he finds himself transitioning from the grasp of unconsciousness to reality, for this existence will always be effortless. For the wounds on his corporeal form could very well be staunched.

The parenthesis of their love expressed and displayed draws the heavy weight in his chest, as an unwavering exhale straightens the broadness of his shoulders. Hanzo could simply drift off like crackling leaves, float away to be simply reborn and resurrected. How he grows insatiable, wanting to feast and consume. Even in the darkest, precarious place he could ever find himself in, Ryou Sakai becomes the awakener of truth and depth, passion and resurgence. And as if his life emerged from one delicate layer of gray brittle carcass-to-be, Hanzo Hasashi's breath remains withheld by a new edge; in awe of realities rebirth.

Pain may be Hanzo's constant companion, gripping his heart, clutching his soul, making his body ache, and taking utmost control, but how it fuels the permanency and sempiternality of his body, mind, and soul. For the rhythm of love and light shines evermore clear and bright, with a resplendent beauty of a life so rare and cherished. The ocean of silence Ryou exudes engulfs Hanzo in waves, and how it presses down on him, heavy and heavy, causing his stomach to clench and his heart to beat uncomfortably. Ears trying to writhe away from the familiar dull, but unyielding hum.

"How the precise moment of triumphing death plunges me in the epitome of ungrace amidst strife, and yet, how it becomes a erupting explosion of senses behold; a wonder to marvel, a story untold," Hanzo's eyes, like stars, sparkle with life as they speak of his unconquerable soul, pure and bright. His smile, like sunshine, chases away strife and manifests itself as a true source of joy, emanating warmth like a campfire in a calm presence of nature. "Death and life are a paradox so true, and as long as you remain beside me, my nurturer, protector, a guide, I will continue to dance with life and conquer the darkest of nights." 💥 ||

[ghostg1rl1111]

1/6/2023

Full Wolf Moon in Cancer

Black Moon Astrology

This full moon joins forces with Uranus the Seventh Planet from the Sun. Uranus is the father of Titan (Cronus- Kronos- God of Time. Planet Saturn. Divine Descendant of Primordial Gaia) He is grandfather of Zues (King of the Gods of Mount Olympus- respected allfather; Cheif of the Gods) and Great Grandfather of Ares (God of War, courage, brutality & bloodlust. Planet Mars)

His Roman counterpart is Caelus, a primordial god of the sky. He is a Divine Masculine archetypal energy generative force. The name Caelum in Latin translates to "sky" or "the heaven" & in English translates to "celestial".

Uranus is the father of electricity. He rules surprise and all things unexpected. He also rules the future and all new technology including all that is newly invented and all yet imagined to come.

Uranus works in sudden ways called the great awakener and can even bring on sudden even radical change on both the internal world, external projection, and soul level manifestation into the physical reality as well as collective manifestations at large.

Uranus energy can be impulsively rebellious independent and even liberatingly shocking. He overturns anything traditional conventional or orthodox that he deems have outlived its usefulness or amplifies and expands it in a way that forces it to hit its fullest potential.

Uranus is the higher octave of intellectual Mercury and is strongly objective and brainy balancing the emotional state and emotional waters. Uranus holds sway over social change, regulates global brotherhood of humankind and all humanitarian concerns including environmental issues. Uranus rule Aquarius and Astrology.

Uranus stays in a sign for 7 years and takes 84 years to circle the Zodiac.

Expect the unexpected.

Are you ready and prepared to embrace these big changes in your life now? This full moon is a good time to reflect on releasing ways that you paint your communications in words and verbal imagery so it always creates the most harmonious and beautiful masterpiece you have the change to create in this and every future moment.

This full moon brings a massive wave of ascension energy to the healing of the cosmic unified heart chakra we are all connected to and never separated from that keeps us connected to one another.

Feel the electricity of the universe rise in vibration and move through you as you remember the connection you have to the infinite self and lives around you. You've all gone through trials by fire you've all carried the torches and you've had them all along if you didn't see the fires inside of you and you are an exploding sun inside, a cosmic reactor, nuclear; you're about to know and understand that worth with the coming wave of moon light transmitting secrets withheld from you that will disrupt your course and stop you in your tracks, but in a very positive way if you allow it to move that direction.

it is through the element of water we are connected to the consciousness of the moon.

Black Moon Astrology Cards

40. WATER ELEMENT~ SENSING

Let matters flow.

Water represents our emotions & our imaginative talents. When we open the realms of vision it can take us into the quintessential depths of feeling where intuition is more appropriate than acquired wisdom and knowledge. Water “carries us away” or can have us feeling “adrift” like and floating. When we look to see the bottom of a pool of water we can not see through its shimmering surface, but we know what is there- deep things too obtuse or transitory to explain, fathoms of moods & insight. Water is the signs of Cancer Scorpio and Pisces & the water planets are the Moon Pluto and Neptune. 

When the water element car presents itself in a spread you can trust what you feel as best course to follow. What you are sensing right now may not be based on any logic its just that what you are sensing right now is correct. Right now is the best time to go with the flow and depending on any other cards that may be drawn at this time or other intuitions brought to your front and center attention to trust that specific movement although these changes may seem gentle and gradual.

Sometimes the Water Element card indicates a need to withdraw and fight another day and that it is time to gather resources and gain strength before moving ahead. This can at times indicate trusting too soon or the passive acceptance of other peoples shortcomings when you shouldn't accept them. You may have the tendency to want to allow things to pass you by without fighting for them. To let go of something that is rightfully yours. Water is the element of compassion and understanding. But avoid being a doormat. It is possible people or forces may take advantage of your benign and accepting nature.

This is a good time to imagine, write, paint, play, or create anything, since water is the element of the imagination. It is the ability to quiet your conscious mind an essentially stop using words as weapons and to know the power behind what you speak out into the cosmos. It is also to allow yourself to be taken over by an idea or dream. Water is painting, poetry, and music.

This card represents being connected to the flow of all things. It is also the ability to keep a secret or to work alone in privacy. It is probably best to now allow people or circumstances to not pin you down or hem you in. Water feeds to grow all that is wild. Frankly, now you have the ability to flow or drift out of any situation in the way water is able to move around obstacles very gently and easily.

Currently you may have the feeling of floating or being adrift. in a sense, it is a type of surrender. Maybe it is the surrender to a dream. At this time you may presently have little energy and want to withdraw. You are in fact doing a lot of inner processing which will take you where you want to go. There are deeper levels working and developing inside you, but the work is not seen on the outside. Expect a pause but forward motion soon.

Look inward. Don't worry about the drama that surrounds you. Avoid the commotion, sit still, float, trust you inner wisdom. It will not steer you wrong.

Right now you will have surety of what is felt to be known to be true through the emotions and keenly sharpened sense of intuition. It is a good time to allow yourself to be led by your feelings and inner spirits calling. You are being called into one of the highest manifested alignments for your growth and expansion and destiny.

Though you may feel some extreme sensitivity at this time it may be heightened for the purpose of energy healing into resonance with your dreams and intentions outcomes in real time. You'll want to feel shy due to feeling out of place because of how new a transformations may move you out of your comfort zone. It is just the nature of the quiet and introverted but the subtle changes in circumstance you can trust to keep your eye on the prize and know that it is yours and you are being put directly into it being in the palm of your hands.

You may find yourself dreaming through currents of emotions that don't serve you on this path forward and they will shed from you like an old skin or through the endless awe of possibility your wildest dreams can return to you thus sparking a fire into creation mode for something to reflect and express the deepest most inner most souls passion and desires.

This may be time of confronting a problem directly that has been being avoided for a long time but is inevitable to act upon doing or having done in your favor giving you any clarity you have been asking for.

You will find yourself walking your own path for a time without help.

You may soon find yourself travelling near bodies of water or lakes rivers, oceans or even taking beach vacations connecting to the air of sea life.

You may also find a heightened sense of each other and others around you nurturing and giving nourishment to others and communities.

This card corresponding in Tarot is the Ace of Cups.

Thank you.

Happy Full Moon <3

Namaste

~Madam_Mystics

[valerielynnstephens]

Letter To Heraclitus II

‘Something went wrong’ is a concept from the intellect of man, not of the Divine.

At first male and female as He named them, did not need the pleasures of the flesh. They were in Paradise. They were one with all. They were whole.

Then they split in two. Nature became mired within false binaries & duelling dualities.

Now where there was the sun, they became conscious of the moon.

Where there was warmth, now there was cold.

Where there was water, now they saw a mere stone.

Where there was the quiet, gentle rain, soon came the thunder and the lightning.

Where there was the Divine, there lurked the savage.

Where there was Life, there also lurked Death.

Where there was creation, there lurked destruction.

Where there once was only union, there came division and betrayal.

Where there once was honor, there came debauchery & desecration.

Where there was peace, there soon toiled discord.

Where there was beauty, there came disfigurement.

Where there was delight, in due time, only disgust.

Where there had been light, now there was the dark.

Where there was pleasure, soon the scourging and affliction.

Where there was Truth, in roared deception.

Where there were sound bodies in sound minds, there soon encroached, pestilence and disease.

Where there was trust & faithfulness, in stampeded doubt & apostasy.

Where there was magnetism, soon came repulsion.

Where there was bountiful feed, there came wasting famine.

Where there was equilibrium, there came upset.

Where there was exaltation, there came denigration.

And what if anything went wrong?

What brought about this strange, cruel new world of warring & waste?

Or was it there all along?

Perhaps everything was still, perfectly that which it was designed to be?

That is not to say that humankind should not strive against those forces which are destructive.

But humankind must also reckon with those forces which are beyond its ability to tame & eradicate.

Each adult individual can govern only themselves and in so doing can manifest incrementally but surely, something wholesome & redemptive to the world.

For truly, it is never a matter of something that went wrong, but someone who went wrong. We alone create our world.

And in our fallen & fallacious mortal human state, we can only be aided by the Holy Spirit of the Triune God.

And though moral perfection cannot be attained, it need not be. Our Heavenly Father sent His only begotten Son to justify & sanctify us through belief in & submission to His will.

And in acknowledging it all just as it is, even the so-called bad, have we any hope of resisting the devil & his snares & wares.

For only in accepting all just as it is, can one transcend it. For if we willfully and forcefully reject it, it will only cling to us with more tenacity than before.

In order to rise above anything, one must surrender the struggle.

For even amidst all of the suffering and evil in the world, each thing has a beauty and necessity all its own.

The world is beautiful.

And beauty rewards those who recognize it.

And it is no doubt that universal laws, creative and destructive, physical & numinous, operate according to God’s Almighty plan and Divine, righteous logic.

Therefore, all is good, indeed.

It is all in the hands of the Almighty God who works all things out for the good of those who love & follow Him.

Amen.