#Latvian goddess

[theaskew]

How Laima Made Three Wishes Come True, from the Tales of the Amber Sea: Fairy Tales of the Peoples of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Anatoly Belyukin (Illustrator), Irina Zheleznova (Translator): Progress Publishers, 1974.

[thesorceresstemple]

Lovers" from "Latvian Tarot" by Arthur Berzinsh

[latviannativefaith]

The veneration of God Perkons. #LatvjuDievi #LatvianGods #DievsPērkons #GodPerkons #pagānisms #paganism #neopagānisms #neopaganism #Pērkons #buršanās #witchcraft

[whitedarkmoonflower]

Paris, Pyramids, and Werewolves: Eacon4 Friday evening

Just like last time, I went to the convention with my friend. She still hasn’t watched The Last Kingdom all the way through (don’t ask), but she loved the event last year. Plus, we don’t get much time to see each other, so when I asked her to come along again, she was immediately on board.

We were late. Again. Honestly, Paris traffic is like a personal vendetta against me. I hate it, and I’m pretty sure the feeling is mutual. Somehow, though, we made it—just barely. We grabbed our tickets with about five minutes to spare, bolted upstairs to our room, and I slapped on some makeup like my life depended on it. Quick mirror check, and then we dashed back down for the cocktail party.

We stumbled into the room, still catching our breath, and were promptly shepherded to the last free table. No time for drinks, no chance to collect ourselves—just, “Here’s your spot, good luck!” There were only three of us at the table: me, my friend, and a lady we’d just met. And before we could even blink, the actors arrived, and Jeppe was suddenly at our table.

Let me tell you, Jeppe was a total vibe from the start. He casually mentioned that he’d spent the day exploring Paris and—get this—managed to find a restaurant that served food before 8 p.m. A legit Parisian miracle! We laughed, totally impressed, because, let’s be real, finding a decent early dinner in Paris is like spotting a unicorn.

Then, out of nowhere, he pulled out a box of chocolates. Yes, chocolates. He told us they were from his home country and boldly claimed they were the best milk chocolates ever. They were these cute little chocolate hearts, and we, of course, thanked him and graciously accepted.

Now, here’s the thing: Latvians are fiercely proud of their chocolate. Like, fiercely. We’re convinced it’s the best in the world, and we’ll die on that hill. My friend and I exchanged knowing looks, silently agreeing that poor Jeppe clearly hadn’t experienced Laima yet—our pride and joy, named after the Latvian goddess of happiness. But this was not the time or place for a chocolate debate, so we kept our opinions to ourselves, smiled politely, and thought, You don’t know what you’re missing, Jeppe.

Jeppe asked where we were from, and, as expected, the moment I said Latvia, his immediate reaction was, “Oh, like Arnas?” I couldn’t help but laugh—I’m so used to people mixing up Latvia and Lithuania that it didn’t even faze me. “Nope, not Lithuania. Latvia. Close, though. We’re neighbors!” I explained, and Jeppe was so sweet about it.

He also mentioned that he’s currently performing in Jesus Christ Superstar, which immediately had us all going, “WOW!” because, seriously, how cool is that? But before we could dive deeper into that conversation, his time with us was up, and it was Cavan’s turn.

Now, Cavan came over with this sweet, slightly nervous vibe, like he wasn’t quite sure where to start. Naturally, we ended up talking about Paris again (it was clearly the theme of the day). He mentioned that he’d been trailing Toby around because, apparently, Toby knows all the best spots. One of their stops was the Musée de l'Orangerie, and Cavan was absolutely mesmerized by Monet’s Nymphéas. The way he described it, you could tell it left a real impression on him—he was genuinely moved.

And then Toby arrived, and let me just say—I was not ready. This man is royalty personified. Everything about him, from the way he stands to the way he moves, just oozes regal elegance. And the voice. Oh. My. God. That voice. It’s like dark velvet and warm honey had a love child—rich, smooth, a little mysterious, but still soft and inviting. Honestly, words don’t do it justice. And the way he speaks? It’s like he’s performing Shakespeare by candlelight, even if he’s just answering a question about breakfast.

We asked what he’s working on, and he told us about a new series he’s filming, set to release next year. It’s about an aristocratic family in England during World War II, centered on the Mitford sisters. He was so excited as he talked about the story, the complex lives of the characters, and especially one of the sisters who ended together with England’s most infamous fascist, Sir Oswald Mosley. You could tell he was genuinely invested in the project, and it was impossible not to share his enthusiasm.

I’d love to say I remember everything Toby said, but honestly? I was completely hypnotized by his voice. He could’ve been reciting a grocery list, and I’d still have been standing there, utterly transfixed. No exaggeration—I could listen to him talk forever.

Then came Jacob, and wow, what a difference a year makes! Gone was the shy, uncertain vibe he had last time. He’s grown so much, and you can tell he’s been working on himself—his voice, his stance, everything about him radiated confidence. He walked in like he owned the place, and honestly, it was so great to see.

Naturally, our chat turned towards Seven Kings Must Die and his role in it. Jacob shared that when he first got the part, he’d actually broken his leg. So, while stuck at home, he had nothing to do but dive headfirst into The Last Kingdom world—reading the script and binge-watching the show, immersing himself completely in that world.

He laughed as he told us how he was initially informed that his character, Osbert, was brand new, so he didn’t expect to find any reference to him. Then, while filming had already started, Jacob finally made it to Season 5—and bam! There’s Osbert, walking on the shore with Hild. Except… that Osbert looked nothing like Jacob and even had a completely different accent.

Jacob, being the perfectionist that he is, decided he needed to match that one-line accent for authenticity. Can you imagine? I mean, if someone tortured me, I couldn’t tell you what accent that Osbert had. The level of dedication is both hilarious and impressive, and we all had a good laugh about it.

Next up was Timothy, and again—what a transformation! I still remember how shy and unsure he seemed last time. But this time? Total 180. He was confident, cracking jokes, and he was actually the one asking us questions like how we got into watching The Last Kingdom and whether we’d watched it together. The vibe was so fun and relaxed, and it was clear he felt much more comfortable in his own skin.

Next up was Eliza, and oh my gosh—what a whirlwind of energy and charisma! The moment she arrived, we were all immediately hugged—or more accurately, squeezed—while she bubbled over with excitement about seeing everyone again. She kept gushing about how gorgeous we all looked, which, let’s be honest, made us feel amazing.

We congratulated her on her baby, and naturally, the conversation shifted to kids. She told us her little girl was staying with her at the hotel because she wanted her Last Kingdom family to meet her too. Apparently, she barely got any sleep the night before because the baby had kept her up, but you’d never know—Eliza was absolutely glowing. She raved about how gorgeous her baby was and how thrilled she was to be a mom. Then, with her signature humor, she laughed about how playing Aelswith had given her a crash course in motherhood—and even grandmotherhood—so now she’s just putting all that “acting experience” into real-life practice.

You could practically feel the love and pride radiating off her. We joked about how this phase of parenting is actually the easy part, and how traveling with a toddler is a whole different beast. I even shared a story about how, when my son was two, he decided a shopping mall was the perfect place to play hide-and-seek with me. I thought I’d lost him, but nope—he was just testing my heart health. Eliza cracked up and totally got it.

Then it was Mark’s turn, and I almost didn’t recognize him without the beard! By this point, my head was spinning—from the excitement, the endless conversations, and, let’s be real, the champagne. I hadn’t eaten a thing because, honestly, who wants to risk being mid-bite while chatting with actors? So the mini sandwiches on our table just sat there, silently judging me.

Mark started off asking about holiday plans, which, of course, led to him sharing his own. He’s heading to Egypt for a Nile cruise, and let me tell you, he was clearly excited about it. He asked if anyone at the table had been to Egypt, and as luck would have it, my friend and I had just been talking about it. She’s dreaming of a trip there, and I visited about 20 years ago.

I told him honestly that the pyramids hadn’t left much of an impression on me back then, and I explained why. The route to get there took us through a very poor part of Cairo, where people were literally living in cardboard boxes. Seeing that level of poverty made it hard for me to fully appreciate the grandeur of the pyramids.

I can’t remember the exact order of the guests after that, but Micky was just the sweetest. Seriously, so lovely. We asked him what he’s up to these days and if he has any new projects. He almost looked apologetic when he said he’s not acting anymore but is now teaching acting. Of course, we were like, “WOW, that sounds amazing!” He seemed genuinely happy to hear that and told us a bit about his work as an acting coach. He was super interested in us too—asking where we’re from, what we do, and just being all-around delightful.

And then there was Magnus. I think I might have fallen a little bit in love. He was so easygoing and natural, like he’d just wandered in from a chill pub night. The first thing he noticed? Our glasses were nearly empty. Without missing a beat, he grabbed a bottle and refilled them for us. Naturally, we toasted together, and he laughed, calling this whole setup “speed dating,” encouraging us to fire away with questions.

Except… he didn’t really let us. Turns out he wanted to do all the asking. He wanted to know where we’re from, what we do, and of course, the classic: our favorite Last Kingdom scenes and characters. My friend admitted her favorite was Erik, which he was very pleased to hear. You can probably guess mine, and the other lady at our table admitted to being a Finan fan. Magnus just laughed and said he didn’t expect anyone to name Cnut anyway. His humor and warmth made the whole interaction feel so effortless and fun.

And last but not least Arnas. I have to say, he looked pretty tired. It was such a contrast to last time when he practically stormed over to our table, champagne glass in hand, hugging everyone, making toasts, talking and laughing non stop. Back then, he was like an overexcited puppy, especially when he found out there were Latvians at the table. I still remember how he confessed he’d never been to Latvia, even though we’re neighboring countries. My hands were shaking so much while trying to clink glasses with him that I almost missed.

This time was completely different. He was calm, no big excitement, just low-key and collected. I wasn’t sure if he’d even remember me. Our interactions last year were so sweet, but let’s be honest—he meets a lot of people, and it had been a whole year.

But then he walked up, greeted us, and suddenly said, “Oh, Līga!”

I swear, I just stood there grinning like an idiot.

Arnas: “You gave me that dragon book of yours to sign last time, right?”

Me (finally finding my voice): “Wow, you remember!”

Arnas: “Of course I do!”

He then turned to my friend but looked confused when he didn’t recognize her. She didn’t interact with him last time because she was too busy fangirling over Cristian. We told him how sad we were that this convention is supposed to be the last one in Paris, and then shared our “secret” plan: a 10-year reunion in Bebbanburg.

Arnas pretended to be surprised about the idea of a 10-year anniversary. We quickly declared that Alex would definitely be invited to the party, and the conversation shifted to Alex, who’s avoiding conventions. That’s when Arnas lit up as he suddenly remembered Alex’s grandmother, who had once even visited the set.

He started swooning over how she was the most lovely and charming lady he’d ever met and that he wants to be like her when he’s older. He said something like he would want to have those genes, to which my friend, without missing a beat, suggested the only way to ensure those genes would be to marry Alex and pass them on to their kids. Arnas paused, and then agreed it was a solid plan. We all burst out laughing—it was pure chaos, and it started to feel like the playful energy from last time. You could see Arnas lighten up a little.

Finally, I mustered up the courage to ask him the question that had been bugging me: “So, are you playing a villain in Mutiny?” I admitted right away that I know he probably won’t tell this to me anyway, but I just had to ask.

As expected, he didn’t spill a thing. Instead, he just smiled mysteriously and said, “Oh, you’ll see.”

And just like that, it was over. The group pictures were next, and before I knew it, Eliza had pulled me into another hug and dragged me to her side, yelling, “We’re doing hearts!” So naturally, we all did hearts. It was chaotic and hilarious, as usual with her.

By this point, I was feeling pretty dizzy from all the excitement and conversations—and mildly panicking about the werewolf game. The night before, I had won a ticket to Jacob’s team for my friend, and as the sweetest birthday surprise, she had gifted me a ticket for Arnas, Jeppe, and Cavan’s team. No pressure, right?

After a bit of queuing, we took our seats in a circle set up for the game. Our team was small—just me and four other ladies. Arnas arrived first and immediately announced, “You’re all doomed, you’re going to lose because I’m the werewolf, and I’m getting you all!” We laughed, and I shot back, “That’s not up to you—it depends on the role you get.” He grinned, and to my absolute shock (and slight terror), he chose the seat right next to me, making my heart jump straight into my throat.

Cavan and Jeppe hadn’t arrived yet, and while I was busy internally spiraling—trying to convince myself to stay calm and mentally cursing every goddess of fate for making me say something that probably prompted him to sit next to me—Arnas turned to me and casually asked, “So, what’s your absolute dream book to translate?” I have so much respect for Arnas for genuinely paying attention and remembering the people he meets. Not only did he remember my name, but he also remembered the book I gave him to sign and that I had translated it. Honestly, how does he even do that?

I told him I’m currently looking for a publisher for a beautiful German book for teenagers. I explained how there aren’t enough good books for kids and teens in Latvian, and the few publishers out there tend to focus on profits, which makes it hard to pitch books for a smaller audience. He wished me good luck, which was so sweet, and just as I was about to get emotional, I was saved by the bell—or more accurately, by Jeppe and Cavan arriving and the Nevastalgia girls jumping in to explain the rules of the werewolf game.

In the first round, I got the role of Cupid. My job? Pair up two players as a “couple,” meaning if one dies, the other does too. Naturally, I paired Jeppe and Arnas. Little did I know how lucky that choice would turn out to be. It turns out Jeppe was the Witch, and on the first night, the werewolves (of course) targeted Arnas. Jeppe had to use his healing powers to save Arnas, which kept both of them in the game. Talk about a power couple!

I love this game and tried my best to focus, but my concentration took a hit when Arnas casually placed his arm on the back of my chair. Seriously, how is one supposed to concentrate when that happens? To my surprise, the other ladies on the team were very quiet, so it was mostly me, Jeppe, and Arnas arguing and accusing each other of being werewolves. Jeppe, by the way, was absolutely thriving. He bickered with Arnas the entire time in classic Haesten style, teasing him non-stop. Cavan was a bit reserved at first but got more into the game as it went on.

Unfortunately, both games ended the same way—with one villager and one werewolf left alive, meaning the werewolves won. Poor Arnas didn’t even get to play as a werewolf either time and was eliminated super early both rounds. The final moments of the last game were intense. I knew the other lady was the werewolf and tried to convince Cavan and Jeppe, but while Jeppe believed me, Cavan didn’t. So we lost again.

But honestly? It didn’t even matter. The whole thing was hilarious. The banter, the accusations, and Jeppe’s jokes had me laughing so much that by the second round, I completely forgot about Arnas sitting next to me and finally just enjoyed the game and all the ridiculous fun that came with it.

[specialagentartemis]

Art of the last two days:

I went to see Flow with Runo and it was gorgeous.  It's a Latvian animated movie set in a world without humans.  A cat finds unexpected friendship with a capybara, a lemur, a dog, and a secretary bird after a flood inundates the world and they take refuge in an old boat travelling the new worldwide ocean as the waters continue to rise.  It was gorgeous, magical in a strange and lonely and wondrous way.  There's no dialogue.  It's carried by the animal body language and music and it was majestic and lovely.

And on the airplane I finished reading the novella Sordidez by E. G. Conde. It's a climate fiction novella, compelling and powerful, a worthwhile read I'm still mulling over, but some parts became a little too obviously black-and-white. The writing was beautiful. The depiction of a climate-change-ravaged future, where both the careless greed of the global powers and the vindictive and deliberate use of environmental devastation against political dissidents, was lyrical and heartbreaking and way too resonant. The struggles and triumphs of community-building from the rubble, Native people once again tending to their Native lands after the colonizing powers rise and fall and rise and fall again, was deeply moving. The timeskips, the span of time this short novella covered, could sometimes feel jumpy, but I think that mostly worked. I loved seeing Doña Margarita's survivors' community in the rural Yucatan. I really liked the perpetual low level conflict between the UN, the People's Government, and the local rural people. I liked Vero and his struggle to figure out what he was meant to do and who he was meant to be. I was... unsure how to feel about La Loba Roja. The explicit parallel drawn between her and the military dictator was weird, because she was also portrayed as right. I also. Well. I wasn't as enthused about her unilaterally declaring herself a goddess-queen of the new Yucatan as it felt like the book was. And appointing Vero the returning king of Puerto Rico. That felt like nothing good could come of unilateral declarations like that. I feel like the results of her movement were not adequately covered, they were just timeskipped over. I also thought one of the late-book reveals about the UN kind of cheapened the politics of it somewhat--made it a little too... obvious, a little too trite.  Which was unfortunate, because so much of it was so good and thoughtful!

Very different takes on climate fiction, and both really cool and kind of hard to describe my feelings on.

[babysfirstpentagram]

What is Mabon?

MABON is the pagan holiday of the second harvest. It typically falls between September 20th and 23rd, however you can celebrate for as long as you please. This is also called the Autumn Equinox and it is when the days start to get shorter and cooler outside. This is a period of hardwork and change, but also balance as this is when the day and night are equal. Many pagans consider this a time to give thanks to loved ones and the earth for a healthy harvest. In this post, I will discuss how to celebrate, what to expect, spell work, and much more.

What are some symbols of Mabon?

Apples are a huge symbol of Mabon. They represent fertility though the soil and health through the body. Grapes and wine are another big symbol, especially in Greece or with Greek Pagans. There is a harvest festival of grapes around this time in honor of Dionysus. Seeds are another obvious sign as this is when you start to store your seeds for the next spring. Baskets for the harvest and harvesting tools like sickles are also symbols of the holiday. For herbal witches, some herbs you might use are acrons, grains, honeysuckles, rose, and tabacco (be responsible). Kitchen witches might make bread, or foods using apples, nuts, or pomegranates. Stews with potatoes, carrots, and onions are also very popular. Color witches should wear more Earthy tones like deep reds and browns. Gold would be a wonderful enhancement! Crystal witches should stock up on sapphire, lapis, and golden agates.

Some ways to celebrate:

You can celebrate Mabon by drying herbs, making wines and ciders for the cooler months, going on nature walks to respectfully find new decor for your altars, adorning burial sites of loved ones, making bird feeders. This is a time to really remember your loved ones as you celebrate the harvest and thank them for protecting you and your home.

Types of witches that go BONKERS for Mabon:

Hedge witches, cottage witches, garden witches!

Deities that represent the season:

Greek: Demeter, goddess of the harvest. Persephone, Goddess of spring and Queen of the Underworld. Her story of following Hades to the Underworld is the reason we have Autumn and Winter anyway! Dionysus, god of wine. Cronos, Titan of the Harvest. Gaia, Mother Earth.

Celtic (British, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh): Mabon ap Modron, God of Freedom (Welsh). The Green Man, spirit of the woods (British). Modron, Mother Goddess (Welsh). Lugh, god of balance and the harvest (Celtic).

Roman: Pomona, Goddess of Fruit Trees. Bacchus, god of wine. Ceres, goddess of the harvest.

Norse: Freyr, god of farming. Gefjon, god of the harvest.

Slavic (Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Latvian, Estonian, Polish, Lithuanian, sometimes Finnish): Žemyna (Lithuanian), mother-goddess of agriculture. Jarilo, god of vegetation and the harvest.

Egyptian: Osiris, god of agriculture. Renenutet, goddess of the harvest.

Christianity: St. Isidore of Farmers.

Consider donating to my wedding fund! $carterofval

[yoga-onion]

Legends and myths about trees

Legendary tree deities (23)

Metsaema – the mother spirit of the forest in Estonian mythology.

The name Metsaema translates to "forest mother" in Estonian (from metsa "forest" and ema "mother"). For this reason, the word metsaema can also be used as a descriptor of other similar deities in Eastern European mythology, for example Vir'ava.

The mother of the forest acts as ruler and guardian. She is sometimes also connected with fertility, acting as a midwife in some texts. Forest spirits are said to be found in each forest, ruling over the animals, birds, trees, and berries. Wild animals such as bears, snakes and wolves are commonly connected with them across European mythologies.

The shared elements of Finnic, Slavic, Baltic and Turkic mythology can be seen in similarities between forest mother spirits. Metsaema has strong similarities with the forest mother spirits Vir'ava, from Mordven mythology, and Meža mate, from Latvian mythology. Other related deities are the Lithuanian goddess of the forest and animals, Medeina, and the Finnish goddess of the forest, Mielikki (Ref).

[Photo below: European pine marten ]

木にまつわる伝説・神話

伝説の樹木の神々 (23)

メッツァエマ 〜 エストニア神話に登場する森の母なる精霊

メッツァエマという名前は、エストニア語で「森の母」と訳される（メッツァは「森」とエマは「母」の意）。このため、メッツァエマという言葉は、例えばヴィラーヴァのような、東欧神話に登場する他の類似した神々を表す言葉としても使われる。

森の母は支配者であり守護者である。彼女は時に豊穣にも関係し、助産婦のような役割を��たすくだりもある。森の精霊はそれぞれの森に存在し、動物、鳥、木、木の実を支配していると言われている。熊、蛇、狼などの野生動物は、ヨーロッパの神話に共通する。

フィンランド神話、スラブ神話、バルト神話、テュルク神話に共通する要素は、森の母���る精霊の類似性に見ることができる。メッツァエマはモルドヴェン神話の森の母なる精霊ヴィラーヴァやラトヴィア神話のメジャ・マテと強い類似性がある。他にも、リトアニアの森と動物の女神メデイナや、フィンランドの森の女神ミエリッキ（参照）が関連している。

[gsirvitor]

How many deities have I written now, how many are just derivatives of older myths, how many are just a deconstruction of real mythology, am I a sham?

No, all myths evolve from older stories, many of these can be traced back to proto myths, some can even be found to have overlapping themes and story arcs.

Hmmm.

Am I a hack, or is this what all who write feel when they borrow from reality? How many gods can I write based off of the Proto-Indo-European mold which all myths are derived?

The sky father, the earth mother, the herdsman, the weather god, the moon and sun gods, a basic outline, rather, a template from which all worldly myths have evolved.

Dyeus Phter, the sky father, father daylight, sky god, the divine personification of the bright sky of the day and the seat of the gods.

The name Dyeus derives from the stem dyeu-, denoting the "diurnal sky" or the "brightness of the day," ultimately from the root di or dei- "to shine, be bright."

In classic Indo-European, associated with the late Khvalynsk culture 4900–3500 BC, Dyēus had the meaning of "Heaven," whereas it denoted "god" in general, or the Sun-god in particular, in the Anatolian tradition.

The suffix-derivative diwyós "divine" is also attested in Latin, Greek and Sanskrit.

The noun deynos "day," interpreted as back-formation of deywós, has descendant cognates in;

Albanian din "break of the day"

Vedic Sanskrit dína- "day" and divé-dive "day by day"

Lithuanian dienà, Latvian dìena "day"

Slavic dъnъ "day" or Poludnitsa "Lady Midday"

Latin Dies, goddess of the day and counterpart to Greek Hemera

Hittite siwat "day"

Palaic Tīyat- "Sun, day"

Ancient Greek endios "midday"

Old Armenian tiw տիւ, "bright day"

Old Irish noenden "nine-day period"

Welsh heddyw "today"

The most constant epithet associated with Dyeus is "father" phter.

The term "Father Dyeus" was inherited in the;

Vedic Dyáuṣ Pitṛ́

Greek Zeus Patēr

Illyrian Dei-pátrous

Roman Jupiter Djous patēr

Even in the form of "dad" or "papa" in the Scythian Papaios for Zeus, or the Palaic expression Tiyaz papaz.

The epithet Phter Genhtor "Father Procreator" is also attested in the Vedic, Iranian, Greek, and the Roman ritual traditions.

I'm going mad, I've written over 400 deities, even the word deity derives from deywos, and dyew, which are also Proto-Indo-European and come from dyeus.

[quitealotofsodapop]

Answering all three of these asks by @latvian-spider in one post cus they reference the same one.

Referencing: MK's birth & later the Twins

Answer 1:

MK's birth worsens a pre-existing weather event. Macaque has minor wind powers (a ref to another Macaque character in JttW) in addition to his shadows. So when Macaque goes into labor, his latent powers of wind + shadow activate, creating a burst of magic to "protect" him that worsens the regular rain and wind outside. Think regular autumn rain turning into something like Florida. Luckily its more "annoying" than "deadly", but the force of the winds surge during contractions. The Megapolis weather station is confused af trying to control it.

Answer 2:

Connected to the answer above; SWK is heavily associated with earth and stone. Some theories even suggest that his stone egg was one of the stones used by Nuwa (creator of humanity) to patch the hole in the sky, and/or was spawned by the earth goddess Hou tu (considered an entity equal or even higher than the Jade Emperor). So when both SWK and Mac are having the twins, SWK's earth powers start acting up and creating similarly annoying earth tremors. Not fun.

Answer 3:

I absolutely adore this idea for Guanyin, especially since there is a chapter in JttW where she's not "looking her best" and it is hilarous. I feel like she flew into Megapolis via her own cloud, thinking it was just a normal earth storm like predicted - only to get tossed about by the magic high winds, and look royally messed up once she actually makes it inside the shop. Pigsy just staring as she slams the door behind her.

Guanyin: *panting, soaked with rain, hair tossed everywhere, makeup ruined, gifts she brought have been jumbled* Pigsy: "Uh... you ok there?" Guanyin, out of breath: "Where... baby... and parents?" Pigsy: "Through the kitchen, go up the two flights of stairs and through the door on your left." Guanyin, shuffling across the room: "Thank you, Chef Zhu." *walks up stairs* Tang, just recovered from fainting: "...that was Lady Guanyin." Pigsy: "Yup." Nezha, chilling downstairs with them: "She's here to bless the baby." Tang: "You think she'll stay for dinner or...?" Guanyin, calmly walks back down stairs sans gifts: "Baby and parents perfectly healthy. Nezha, your brothers say hello. Namo Amitabha." *braces herself and walks back out into the storm, gets carried off on her cloud like a plastic bag* Pigsy: "I ain't sayin' nothing..." Tang: "If we did, nobody would believe us." Nezha: "She has attended more..." *thinking of his own* "...interesting births." Sandy, from the stairs: "Hey guys! A nice lady just dropped off a bunch of gifts for the baby! You didn't let her go out in that storm did you?"

The gifts Guanyin brought included the traditional sheaths of rice (food blessing) and a vase of pure water (medicine and pain relief for parents and baby). She also smuggled in a bunch of gifts from other immortals who knew about "The Egg" - Lao Tzu sent welding googles in case the little guy had lazer eyes like his dad.

[inspofromancientworld]

Gods of Antiquity: Solar Deities

With the sun being an unmissable part of the world, it isn't surprising that nearly every society has a solar deity. Solar deities, usually gods but not exclusively, often travel across the sky in a barge, or other similar boat, or chariot, depending on the cultural conventions, though barges and boats pre-date chariots.

By Jeff Dahl - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3288609 and By FDRMRZUSA - Own work from this source File:Amun-Ra post Amarna.svg, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73086087

In Ancient Egypt, the earliest sun deities were goddesses, including Sekhmet, Hathor, and Bast, before the Fourth Dynasty when Ra (meaning 'the sun') became the solar god. His path across the sky, especially at dawn, was driving back Apep, the god of chaos, from the earth. Gradually, Amun, a god associated with air and creation before becoming the protector of Thebes, one of the most important cities in ancient Egypt, was joined with Ra, becoming Amun Ra, becoming the most important deity. Even under the temporary monotheism of Akhenaten, Aten was a solar deity.

CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=215713

Among the Germanic peoples, the Old Norse and Old High German peoples, the sun deities were feminine, Sól and Sunna. Sól rode in a chariot pulled by two horses named Árvakr and Alsviðr, meaning 'early-awake' and 'all-swift'. Other cultures around the Baltic regions had goddesses as well, such as Saule of the traditional Latvian culture, Grian and Áine, the goddesses of the winter and summer sun, of the Irish Celtic peoples, and Päivätär of the Finns.

By Toyokuni III (Kunisada) - Shukado - https://www.japanese-finearts.com/item/list2/A1-97-135/Toyokuni%20III%20(Kunisada)/Origin%20of%20Iwato%20Kagura%20Dance .

Another culture with a solar goddess is the Japanese culture. Amaterasu Oumikami, the goddess of the sun and the central deity of the Shinto pantheon. She is the daughter of the goddess of the moon (Izanagi) and the god of the storms and seas (Susanoo). Disturbed by the fits thrown by her father when he was cast out of heaven, she hid in a cave. The other gods sought to lure her out of the cave by throwing a party. She asked what the party was about and the other gods claimed it was for the arrival of a god greater than her. Curious she peeked out and saw her reflection. Thinking it to be another god, she took a step out and was then drawn out and the cave sealed behind her. Susanoo was drummed out of the dwelling of the gods and onto earth.

By original file by Gryffindor - File:Pergamonmuseum - Antikensammlung - Relief 39.JPG, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6554085

Helios and Sol of the Greeks and Romans respectively give their names to much of English discussion about the sun (heliocentric and solar, for examples). Helios was a Titan, a pre-Olympian god, and remained the sun god along side Apollo, though the was a minor deity. Sol, on the other hand, was more important to the Romans. His rebirth at the winter solstice, celebrated 25 December of the Julian calendar, was Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (the birth of the Unconquered Sun).

By El Comandante - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7631738

The Aztec and Maya both had solar calendars, speaking of the primacy of the sun in their mythology. The Aztec god of the sun was Tonatiuh, the leader of Tollan (heaven). Tonatiuh was the fifth sun, taking over after the fourth sun was kicked out of Tollan. Each sun had their own era. According to the myth, Tonatiuh didn't want to rise from Teothihuacan, the city near modern-day Mexico City, without significant sacrifice. Nanahuatl and Teucciztecatl, other gods, offered themselves up, but were not enough until Xototl sacrificed himself as well, though some versions say that Quetzalcoatl executed Xototl to get Tonatiuh into motion.

[theaskew]

Agita Keiri (Latvian b. 1978), Trīs Māras meitas (Three Daughters of Mara), oil on canvas.

[vikaflora-margarita]

Dēkla. The goddess of fate, Laima.

Laima is arguably the most prominent and well-known latvian pagan deity. She decides a person's fate from the moment they are born. In some folk songs she is said to cry over her duty, a trait no other god of fate has been recorded to share with her.

Dēkla is an another name Laima went by in the region of Courland. At first, it was thought that she was one of the three sisters of fate (a common motif in many indoeuropian religions), but no substantial evidence was found in favour of this theory in more recent years.

I decided to call her Dēkla, because her clothes were inspired by Curonian folk costume.

If you want to learn more about Laima and/or Dēkla, I warmly recommend reading this latvian mythology/folklore archive (in latvian)

[latviannativefaith]

Dieva Pērkona godināšana. #LatvjuDievi #LatvianGods #DievsPērkons #GodPerkons #pagānisms #paganism #neopagānisms #neopaganism #Pērkons #buršanās #witchcraft

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 3.16

Holidays

Austin 3:16 Day

Black Press Day

Curlew Day

Day After Dumbstruck Day

Day of the Book Smugglers (Lithuania)

El Pujllay (Bolivia)

Everything You Do Is Right Day

Freedom of Information Day

Gary Plauche Day

Goddard Day

Gumby Day

Halabja Massacre Anniversary Day (Turkey)

Latvian Legion Day (Latvia)

Liberty Day

Lips Appreciation Day (a.k.a. Love Your Lips Day)

The Lord’s Day

My Lai Day

National Confidence Without Regret Day

National Curl Crush Day

National Driving Instructors Day

National Red Cross Instructors Day

National Vaccination Day (India)

No Selfies Day

Panda Day

Rachel Corrie Day

Rocket Day

Shattered Citadel Day

Stone Cold Day

St. Patrick’s Eve

Teacher’s Day (Syria)

TUBB3 Variant Awareness Day

Vitamin C Day

West Point Day

Wild Spring Flower Festival (India)

World Theatre of the Oppressed Day

Young Careers Action Day (UK)

Food & Drink Celebrations

International Ezerjó Day

National Artichoke Hearts Day

National Lumpia Day

Nature Celebrations

Dandelion Day (French Republic)

International Macaque Day

Mint Day (Virtue; Korean Birth Flowers)

National Panda Day

Tell A Mockingbird To Shut Up Day

Independence, Flag & Related Days

Aquedneck Constitution Day & Name Change to Rhode Island (1641)

Babikiria (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Davao City Day (Philippines)

Republic of Long Island (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

3rd Sunday in March

Buzzard Sunday (a.k.a. National Buzzard Day) [Sunday after 15th]

Mardi Gras Indians Super Sunday (Louisiana, New Orleans) [3rd Sunday]

Root Canal Awareness Week begins [3rd Sunday]

Selection Sunday (NCAA) [Sunday before March Madness]

Serene Sunday [3rd Sunday of Each Month]

Seven For Sunday [Every Sunday]

Silly Sunday [3rd Sunday]

Smörgåsbord Sunday [3rd Sunday of Each Month]

Story Sunday [3rd Sunday of Each Month]

Sundae Sunday [Every Sunday]

Sunday Funday [Every Sunday]

Sunshine Sunday [Sunday closest to 3.16]

Weekly Holidays beginning March 16 (3rd Week of March)

American Chocolate Week (thru 3.22) [3rd Full Week]

Clutter Awareness Week (thru 3.22) [3rd Full Week]

European Wide Action Week Agains Racism (thru 3.24)

International Goof Off Week (thru 3.22) [3rd Full Week]

Jobs for Teens Week (thru 3.22) [3rd Full Week]

National Animal Poison Prevention Week (thru 3.22) [3rd Full Week]

National Anonymous Giving Week (thru 3.22) [3rd Full Week]

National Bubble Week (thru 3.23) [1st Week of Spring]

National Button Week (thru 3.22) [3rd Full Week]

National Clean Out Your Closet Week (thru 3.22) [3rd Full Week]

National Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week (thru 3.22) [3rd Full Week]

National Introverts Week (thru 3.22) [3rd Full Week]

National Poison Prevention Week (thru 3.22) [3rd Full Week]

National Surveyors Week (thru 3.22) [3rd Full Week]

Schools Library Media Center Week (thru 3.22) [3rd Full Week]

Sunshine Week (thru 3.22) [Week of 3.16]

World Folk Tales and Fables Week (thru 3.22) [3rd Full Week]

Festivals On or Beginning March 16, 2025

Otherside (SLane, Ireland)

Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Seafood Expo North America (Boston, Massachusetts) [thru 3.18]

St. Patrick’s Day Festival (Dublin, Ireland)

St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Birmingham, UK)

St. Patrick’s Day Parade (New Orleans, Louisiana)

St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Feast Days

Abbán (Christian; Saint)

Abraham Kidunaia (Christian; Saint)

Agapitus (Christian; Saint)

Argei (Ancient Rome) [also 5.14]

The Day After Dumbstruck Day (Shamanism)

Dionysus' Day (Ancient Greece)

Elaphebolia (Festival of Artemis; Ancient Greece)

Epictetus (Positivist; Saint)

Eusebia of Hamage (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Bacchus (Ancient Greece)

Feat of the Hand of God (Goddess Iusaas or Iussaset at the Temple of Edfu; Ancient Egypt)

Finian Lobhar (a.k.a. Finian the Leper; Christian; Saint)

Gregory Makar (Christian; Saint)

Great Cosmic Mother-of-All and You Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Hammerhead Doozer (Muppetism)

Hercules Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Heribert of Cologne (Christian; Saint)

Hilarius of Aquileia (Christian; Saint)

Julian of Antioch (a.k.a. of Cilicia; Christian; Saint)

Kinky Underwear Day (Pastafarian)

Lady of the Lake Day (Celtic Book of Days)

The Lord’s Day (Neo-Christianity)

Saturday of Souls, Second (Eastern Orthodox) [57 Days before Easter]

Urho (Christian; Saint) [Finnish Americans & Canadians]

Second Sunday in Lent (Western Christianity) (a.k.a. ... 

Purple Sunday

Reminiscere Sunday (Lutheranism)

The Transfiguration

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Chinese: Month 2 (Ji-Mao), Day 17 (Jia-Shen)

Day Pillar: Wood Monkey

12-Day Officers/12 Gods: Initiate Day (执 Zhi) [Auspicious]

Holidays: None Known

Secular Saints Days

Bernardo Bertolucci (Entertainment)

Rosa Bonheur (Art)

René Daumal (Literature)

Félix De Vigne (Art)

Antonio Donghi (Art)

Michael Franck (Music)

Jean-Antoine Gros (Art)

Alice Hoffman (Literature)

Cyril Hume (Literature)

Nicolas-Germain Léonard (Literature)

Jerry Lewis (Entertainment)

James Madison (Politician)

Todd McFarlane (Art)

Johann Heinrich Meyer (Art)

Juan Martinez Montanes (Art)

Georg S. Ohm (Science)

Sully Prudhomme (Literature)

Richard Stallman (Science)

Studs Terkel (Literature)

Alan Tudyk (Entertainment)

Jean-Frédéric Waldeck (Art)

Jerry Jeff Walker (Music)

Margaret Weis (Literature)

Nancy Wilson (Music)

John Butler Yeats (Art)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Lucky Day (Philippines) [34 of 71]

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [20 of 57]

Unglückstage (Unlucky Day; Pennsylvania Dutch) [12 of 30]

Very Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [15 of 60]

Premieres

The Absent-Minded Professor (Film; 1961)

Baby Bottleneck (WB MM Cartoon; 1946)

Beatrice di Tenda, by Vincenzo Bellini (Opera; 1833)

Blue Aces Wild (Blue Racer Cartoon; 1973)

Can’t Buy Me Love, by The Beatles (Song; 1964)

Children of Dune (TV Mini-Series; 2003)

China Syndrome (Film; 1979)

Cross-Country Detours (WB MM Cartoon; 1940)

Dog Watch (Pluto Disney Cartoon; 1945)

Foolish Follies (Aesop’s Sound Fables Cartoon; 1930)

Ghost in the Shell (Film; 2017)

Help, Me, by Joni Mitchell (Song; 1974)

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, by Victor Hugo (Novel; 1831)

In the Public Eye (Speaking of Animals Cartoon; 1945)

Justified (TV Series; 2010)

La Petite Parade (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1959)

The Man on the Flying Trapeze (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1934)

Memento (Film; 2001)

Merry Mannequins (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1937)

Mickey’s Service Station (Disney Cartoon; 1935)

Pilgrim Porky (WB LT Cartoon; 1940)

Pink Eye (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1974)

Pink Piston (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1966)

Puff the Magic Dragon, by Peter, Paul & Mary (Song; 1963)

The Saga of Windwagon Smith (Disney Cartoon; 1961)

Scrappy’s Pony (Scrappy Cartoon; 1936)

The Scarlet Letter (Novel; 1850)

The Show Must Go On, by Three Dog Night (Song; 1974)

So Much For So Little (WB Cartoon for U.S. Public Health Services; 1949)

Spellbound Hound (Jolly Frolics UPA Cartoon; 1950)

Sultan Pepper (Van Beuren Little King Cartoon; 1934)

Thaïs, by Jules Massenet (Opera; 1894)

1776 (Broadway Musical; 1969)

Thank You, Jeeves, by P.G. Wodehouse (Novel; 1934) [Jeeves, #5]

Tomb Raider (Film; 2018)

Tops in the Big Top (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1945)

The Trumpeter of Krakow, by Eric P. Kelly (Novel; 1928)

Tweety and the Beanstalk (WB MM Cartoon; 1957)

21 Jump Street (Film; 2012)

West Point (Military Academy; 1802)

Why Mice Leave Home (Aesop’s Film Fable Cartoon; 1924)

William Hohenzollern, Sausage Maker (Mutt & Jeff Cartoon; 1919)

Wings of Life (Documentary Film; 2011)

You Only Live Twice, by Ian Fleming (Novel; 1959) [James Bond #12]

Today’s Name Days

Eduard, Herbert (Austria)

Euzebija, Hilarije, Julijan (Croatia)

Elena, Herbert (Czech Republic)

Gudmund (Denmark)

Heero, Herbert, Herbi (Estonia)

Ilkka (Finland)

Bénédicte (France)

Herbert, Rüdiger (Germany)

Christodoulos, Ioulianos (Greece)

Henrietta (Hungary)

Eriberto, Ilario, Taziano (Italy)

Gabriels, Guntars, Guntis (Latvia)

Henrika, Norvilė, Vaidotas (Lithuania)

Gudmund, Gudny (Norway)

Abraham, Cyriak, Henryka, Herbert, Hiacynt, Hilary, Izabela, Oktawia (Poland)

Sabin (Romania)

Boleslav (Slovakia)

Abraham, Abrahán, Heriberto (Spain)

Gilbert, Herbert (Sweden)

Savina (Ukraine)

Bailee, Bailey, Baylee, Bayley, Melisa, Melissa, Melita, Melyta, Millicent, Millie, Missy (USA)

Today’s National Name Days

National Archer Day

National Antonio Day

National Todd Day

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 75 of 2025; 290 days remaining in the year

ISO Week: Day 7 of Week 11 of 2025

Celtic Tree Calendar: Fearn (Alder) [Day 19 of 28]

Chinese: Month 2 (Ji-Mao), Day 17 (Jia-Shen)

Chinese Year of the: Snake 4723 (until February 17, 2026) [Ding-Chou]

Coptic: 7 Baramhat 1741

Druid Tree Calendar: Lime (Mar 11-20) [Day 6 of 10]

Hebrew: 16 Adar 5785

Islamic: 16 Ramadan 1446

Julian: 3 March 2025

Moon: 95%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 19 Aristotle (3rd Month) [Epicetus]

Runic Half Month: Beore (Birch Tree) [Day 9 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 86 of 90)

SUn Calendar: 15 Green; Oneday [15 of 30]

Week: 3rd Week of March

Zodiac:

Tropical (Typical) Zodiac: Aquarius (Day 26 of 30)

Sidereal Zodiac: Pisces (Day 2 of 30)

Schmidt Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 23 of 27)

IAU Boundaries (Current) Zodiac: Pisces (Day 5 of 38)

IAU Boundaries (1977) Zodiac: Pisces (Day 5 of 38)

[brookston]

Holidays 3.12

Holidays

Alfred Hitchcock Day

Alloimmunization & HDFN Awareness Day

Amalthoea Asteroid Day

Ashley Johnson-Barr Day

Coca Cola Bottle Day

Day of the Seven Billion

Detransition Awareness Day

Employee Day

Fireside Chat Day

Girl Scout's Day

Gregoru Diena (Ancient Latvian Groundhog Day)

Hound Matsuri Komaki (Celebration of the Penis; Japan)

International Day of Tweeters

International Yes Day

IUGR (Intrauterine Growth Restriction) Awareness Day

Martyrdom of Hypatia of Alexandria

Milky Way Day

Moshoeshoe’s Day (Lesotho)

Mourning for Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare Day (Papua New Guinea)

National Alfred Hitchcock Day

National Arts Advocacy Day

National Map Day

National Shield Day (Argentina)

National Skin Barrier Day

National Working Moms Day

Renovation Day (Gabon)

Sun-Earth Day

Swallowing Awareness Day

30 MPH Speed Limit Introduction Day (UK; 1935)

312 Day

Truman Doctrine Day

Wallet Day (Japan)

Workers of the Penal System of the Ministry of Justice (Russia)

World Agnihotra Day

World Day Against Cyber Censorship (UN)

World Delirium Awareness Day

World Glaucoma Day

World Humidity Control Day

Young Carers Action Day (UK)

Youth Day (Zambia)

Z Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Eskimo Pie Day

National Baked Scallops Day

Nature Celebrations

Arbor Day (China, Taiwan)

Grækarismessa (Traditionally, the Oystercatcher, the Faroe Islands' national bird returns this day)

Mammal Big Day

Parsley Day (French Republic)

Plant a Flower Day

Tree Day (Republic of Macedonia)

Weeping Willow (The Sadness of Love; Korean Birth Flowers)

Independence, Flag & Related Days

Basutoland Annexation Day (by UK; 1868)

Bermuda (Became a British Colony; 1609)

Flag Day (Saudi Arabia; Sweden)

Renovation Day (Founding of Democratic Party; Gabon; 1968)

Mauritius (from UK, 1968)

Tunisia (Became French Protectorate; 1881)

Woodlandia (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

New Year’s Days

Aztec New Year

2nd Wednesday in March

Hump Day [Every Wednesday]

National Decoration Day (Liberia) [2nd Wednesday]

No Smoking Day (UK) [2nd Wednesday]

Registered Dietician Nutritionist Day [2nd Wednesday]

Sterile Packaging Day [2nd Wednesday]

Wacky Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Watermelon Wednesday [2nd Wednesday of Each Month]

Website Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Workout Wednesday [2nd Wednesday of Each Month]

Weekly Holidays beginning March 12 (2nd Week of March)

Girl Scout Week [Week of 3.12]

Festivals On or Beginning March 12, 2025

AgriTek/FarmTek Astana (Astana, Kazakhstan) [thru 3.14]

Brazilian Beer Festival (Blumenau, Brazil) [thru 3.15]

Fiesta de Las Fallass (Valencia, Spain) [thru 3.19]

Minsk International Book Fair (Minsk, Belarus) [thru 3.16]

Wisconsin Food & Hospitality Expo (West Allis, Wisconsin)

Feast Days

Alphege of Winchester (Christian; Saint)

Aristippus (Positivist; Saint)

Aztec New Year (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Bernard of Carinola (or of Capua, or of Winchester; Christian; Saint)

Blot to Odhinn All-Father (Pagan)

Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin (Artology)

Cuddle an Accountant Day (Pastafarian)

Cuddle a Policeman Day (Pastafarian)

End of the World by Sekhmet (Egyptian Warrior Goddess)

Feast of Marduk (Babylonia; Mesopotamian)

Fiesta de las Fallas begins (Spain)

Fina (Christian; Saint)

The Genie (Muppetism)

Gorgonius, Peter Cubicularius and Dorotheus of Nicomedia (Christian; Martyrs)

Gregor the Great (Christian; Saint)

Gregory (Christian; Saint)

Houdini Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Huddling for Fairies of the Third Flight (Shamanism)

Maha Shivaratri (Festival of Shiva; Hindu)

Maximilian of Tebessa (a.k.a. of Numidia; Christian; Martyr)

Mura (a.k.a. McFeredach; Christian; Saint)

Parchment Protection Day (Celtic Book of Days)

Paul Aurelian (a.k.a. Paul of Cornwall; Christian; Saint)

Pionius (Christian; Saint)

Pope Gregory I (Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Catholic Church, and Anglican Communion)

Seraphina (a.k.a. Fina; Christian; Saint)

Theophanes the Confessor (or Chronicler; Christian; Saint)

Wenchang Wang Day (God of Literature; China)

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Chinese: Month 2 (Ji-Mao), Day 13 (Geng-Chen)

Day Pillar: Metal Dragon

12-Day Officers/12 Gods: Remove Day (除 Chu) [Auspicious]

Holidays: Arbor Day / Tree Planting Day / Sun Yat-sen Memorial Day (Taiwan)

Secular Saints Days

Edward Albee (Literature)

George Berkeley (Philosophy)

Alberto Burri (Art)

Elaine Fried de Kooning (Art)

Aaron Eckhart (Entertainment)

Dave Eggers (Literature)

Harry Harrison (Literature)

Carl Hiaasen (Literature)

Al Jarreau (Music)

Anish Kapoor (Art)

Jack Kerouac (Literature)

Liza Minelli (Entertainment)

Mstislav Rostropovich (Music)

Chris Sanders (Art)

Darryl Strawberry (Sports)

James Taylor (Music)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Prime Number Day: 71 [20 of 72]

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [19 of 57]

Premieres

The Automobile Ride (Fleischer Out of the Inkwell Cartoon; 1921)

Bad Hair Day, by Weird Al Yankovic (Album; 1996)

Banquet Busters (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1948)

A Bell for Adano, by John Hersey (Novel; 1944)

Bend It Like Beckham (Film; 2003)

The Book of Three, by Lloyd Alexander [Chronicles of Prydain #1]

Bravo, Mr. Strauss (George Pal Puppetoon; 1943)

The Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Seuss (Children’s Book; 1955)

Cinder Alley (Krazy Kat Cartoon; 1934)

Clippety Clobbered (WB LT Cartoon; 1966)

Couples, by John Updike (Novel; 1968)

East of Eden, by John Steinbeck (Novel; 1953)

Fanfare for the Common Man, by Aaron Copland (Fanfare; 1943)

Farmer Al Falfa Invents a New Kite (Paramount-Bray Cartoon; 1916)

The Flying Jalopy (Donald Duck Disney Cartoon; 1943)

Freddie the Freshman (WB MM Cartoon; 1932)

Get Lost (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1956)

Glass Houses, by Billy Joel (Album; 1980)

Go, Dog. Go!, by P.D. Eastman (Children’s Book; 1961)

The Golden State (Screen Song Cartoon; 1948)

Good Lovon’, by The Young Rascals (Song; 1966)

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (Film; 2010)

The Hot Air Salesman (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1937)

It’s Like That, by Run-DMC (Song; 1983)

John Wanamaker’s (Department Store; 1877) [1st U.S. Dept. Store]

King’s Up (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1934)

La Sylphide, by Jean-Madeleine Schneitzhoeffer and Adolphe Nourrit (Ballet; 1832)

Lido Shuffle, by Boz Scaggs (Song; 1977)

Lighthouse Mouse (WB MM Cartoon; 1955)

Light in August, by William Faulkner (Novel; 1932)

The Little Bantamweight (Happy Harmonies MGM Cartoon; 1938)

Live at the Sunset Strip, by Richard Pryor (Stand-Up Comedy Show; 1982)

Longitude, by Dava Sobel (Book; 1996)

Make Believe Revue (Columbia Favorites Cartoon; 1953)

The Merry Blacksmith (Aesop’s Film Fable Cartoon; 1926)

Monkey Love (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1935)

Musical Mountaineers (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1939)

Nancy Steele is Missing (Film; 1937)

Nothing Like It In the World, by Stephen E. Ambrose (Book; 2001)

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, by Dr. Seuss (Children’s Book; 1960)

Out of Time, by R.E.M. (Album; 1991)

Paying the Piper (WB LT Cartoon; 1949)

Power to the People, by John Lennon (Song; 1971)

Quacky Doddles’ Food Crisis (Paramount-Bray Pictographs Cartoon; 1917)

Resident Evil (Film; 2002)

Rosemary's Baby, by Ira Levin (Novel; 1967)

Seven Thieves (Film; 1960)

Shadowgraphs / Theory of the Hand Grenade (Paramount-Bray Pictographs Cartoon; 1919)

She’s Out of My League (Film; 2010)

The Shield (TV Series; 2002)

Simon Boccanegra, by Giuseppe Verdi (Opera; 1857)

The Sneezing Weasels (WB MM Cartoon; 1938)

Southbound Duckling (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1955)

A Star is Hatched (WB MM Cartoon; 1938)

The Struggle / In His Shadows (Paramount Pictographs; 1916)

Such Is Life in Summer / Water Stuff (Pathe Review Cartoon; 1921)

Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, a.k.a. the Bells of Zlonice, by Antonin Dvořák (Symphony; 1865)

Ten Apples Up On Top!, by Dr. Seuss (Children’s Book; 1961)

Too Much Soap (Mutt & Jeff Cartoon; 1922)

Trail Mix-Up (Roger Rabbit Cartoon; 1993)

The Trials of Thoughtless Thaddeus (Gaumont Kartoon Komics Cartoon; 1916)

22, by Taylor Swift (Song; 2013)

University of Arizona (School; 1885)

The Velvet Underground and Nico, by The Velvet Underground (Album; 1967)

Where Eagles Dare (Film; 1969)

Wonderfalls (TV Series; 2004)

Today’s Name Days

Almut, Beatrix, Serafina (Austria)

Bernard, Budislav, Fina (Croatia)

Řehoř (Czech Republic)

Gregorius (Denmark)

Rego, Reio (Estonia)

Reijo, Reko (Finland)

Justine, Pol (France)

Almut, Beatrix, Serafina (Germany)

Theofania, Theofanis (Greece)

Gergely (Hungary)

Massimiliano, Simplicio, Zeno, Zenona (Italy)

Aija, Aiva, Aivis, Ausmins, Gregors (Latvia)

Darmantė, Galvirdas, Grigalius (Lithuania)

Gregor, Gro (Norway)

Bernard, Blizbor, Grzegorz, Józefina, Wasyl (Poland)

Simeon, Teofan (Romania)

Kira, Marina (Russia)

Gregor (Slovakia)

Inocencio (Spain)

Victoria, Viktoria (Sweden)

Maryna (Ukrainę)

Graig, Grayson, Greg, Gregoria, Gregorio, Gregory, Orion (USA)

Today’s National Name Days

National Christian Day

National Ruth Day

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 71 of 2025; 294 days remaining in the year

ISO Week: Day 3 of Week 11 of 2025

Celtic Tree Calendar: Fearn (Alder) [Day 15 of 28]

Chinese: Month 2 (Ji-Mao), Day 13 (Geng-Chen)

Chinese Year of the: Snake 4723 (until February 17, 2026) [Ding-Chou]

Coptic: 3 Baramhat 1741

Druid Tree Calendar: Lime (Mar 11-20) [Day 2 of 10]

Hebrew: 12 Adar 5785

Islamic: 12 Ramadan 1446

Julian: 27 February 2025

Moon: 97%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 15 Aristotle (3rd Month) [Aristippus]

Runic Half Month: Beore (Birch Tree) [Day 5 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 82 of 90)

SUn Calendar: 11 Green; Foursday [11 of 30]

Week: 2nd Week of March

Zodiac:

Tropical (Typical) Zodiac: Aquarius (Day 22 of 30)

Sidereal Zodiac: Aquarius (Day 28 of 30)

Schmidt Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 19 of 27)

IAU Boundaries (Current) Zodiac: Pisces (Day 1 of 38)

IAU Boundaries (1977) Zodiac: Pisces (Day 21 of 38)

Calendar Changes

Pisces (The Fish) begins [IAU Current Boundaries Zodiac Sign 3; thru 4.18]

Pisces (The Fish) begins [1977 IAU Current Boundaries Zodiac Sign 3; thru 4.18]

[inkys-neos-n-names]

Hi! Are you willing to do names based off Homura Akemi from Madoka Magicka?? I have a fictive of her in sys, but she honestly doesn't identify with Homura?? but for now, that's just what we call him.. Also, preferably names that are either open or are from african or latine culture as we are afrolatine! Thank you!

Sure!

I've never watched Madoka Magica, but I read through Homura's wiki page and based the names on the information from that. According to the wiki, Homura (ほむら) means 'flame, blaze', while Akemi (暁美) means 'dawn' and 'beauty'.

Aurora (Latin - 'dawn')

Zora (Serbo-Croatian - 'dawn')

Zuri (Kiswahili - 'good, beautiful')

Salana (Latin - 'sun')

Lesedi (Tswana - 'light')

Thandeka (Zulu, Ndebele - 'lovely')

Zenzile (Zulu, Xhosa - 'you are responsible for what you've become')

Nuru (Swahili - 'light, born during the day')

Oriana (Latin - 'dawn')

Clarence (Latin - 'bright')

Brigid (Irish - 'strength, exalted one', the name of a fire goddess)

Roxanne (Persian - 'dawn')

Noor (Arabic - 'light')

Eos (the Greek goddess of the dawn)

Dawn (English word name)

Luz (Spanish - 'light')

Sahar (Arabic, Persian - 'dawn, morning, awakening')

Zerlin (Arabic - 'beautiful dawn')

Zorina (Slavic - 'golden dawn')

Zerah (Hebrew - 'to arise, dawn')

Asahi (Japanese - 'morning sun')

Austra (Latvian - Latvian goddess of the dawn)

Sabah (Arabic - 'morning')

Ahaan (Sanskrit - 'dawn')

Diaz (Spanish from Latin - 'days')

Shahar (Hebrew - 'dawn')

Savera (Hindi, Urdu - 'dawn, new morning')

Uri (Hebrew - 'my flame, my light')

Aithne (Irish - 'fire')

Agni (Sanskrit - 'fire')

Azar (Iranian - 'fire')

Nuri (Arabic, Hebrew - 'light, my fire')

Tanwen (Welsh - 'holy fire')

Anala (Hindi - 'fire')

Shula (Arabic, Hebrew - 'flame, peace')

Zweena (African - 'beautiful')

Uzuri (African - 'beauty')

Zayn (Arabic - 'beauty, grace')

Noya (Hebrew or Cherokee - 'beauty, sand')

Sabbia (Italian - 'sand')

Saori (Japanese - 'sand, weaving, already, silk')

Maisha (Arabic, Bengali, Japanese, Swahili - 'sand, life, dance')

Zanden (Swedish - 'sand')

Ramla (Arabic, Malay - 'sand, grain of sand')

Satori (Japanese - 'sand, capital, village, awakening, comprehension, understanding')

Maisa (Arabic, Finnish, Georgian, Hebrew, Portuguese, Swedish - 'sand, beloved, graceful, dance')

Ramal (Arabic - 'sand, geomancy, division, magic')

Renu (Indian, Sanskrit - 'sand, dust, pollen')

Saaya (Hindi, Indian, Japanese, Sanskrit - 'sand, protection, shadow, shade, shelter, second')

Areena (Catalan, Greek, Latin, Spanish - 'sand, torch')

Meisha (Chinese, English - 'beauty, sand, berry, rose')

Ramila (Arabic, Nepali, Sanskrit - 'beauty, good looking, sand, magic, loving')

Idan (Hebrew - 'era, time')

Aroa (Basque - 'era, time')

Devran (Turkish - 'world, fate, time')

Amser (Welsh - 'time')

Mara (African - 'a time')

Miku (Japanese - 'long time, beautiful, sky')

Kumiko (Japanese - 'long time, beautiful')

Aika (Japanese - 'time')

Horas (Latin - 'hours')

Irais (Greek, Spanish - 'warrior, hero, period of time, to be chosen')

Kalathar (Indian - 'one who controls time')

Chronos (Greek Titan of time)

Saat (Arabic - 'moment, time')

Ira (Basque, Greek, Hebrew, Sanskrit, Turkish - 'warrior, period of time, to be chosen, watchful, devoted, fern, enjoyment')

Jamila (African - 'beautiful')

Zuri (Swahili, Eastern African - 'good, beautiful')

Addae (African - 'morning sun')

Hasana (African - 'beautiful, fair')

Sorry I took so long to do this, I was busy and then I got sick. Hope this was helpful!