#Mandalas Made from Nature

[youremyheaven]

Mrigashira: The Price of Speaking The Truth

I have been studying the themes and patterns of Mrigashira nakshatra for a while and I thought it's time I made a post about the same.

The myth associated with Mrigashira involves Daksha, the son of Brahma. Daksha organized a grand Yajna (a ritual) but intentionally avoided inviting his daughter Sati’s husband, Shiva, whom he despised. Sati went to the ritual without Shiva’s consent, where Daksha insulted her and Shiva. Sati couldn’t bear the humiliation and jumped into the sacrificial fire. Upon learning of Sati’s death, Shiva became furious and destroyed Daksha’s yajna. Yagya, the presiding sage, turned into a deer and ran away, but Shiva caught up and killed him. His head became the Mrigashira nakshatra, which symbolizes sacrifice. (there are multiple myths associated with each nakshatra and another myth about Mrigashira involves Rohini, Brahma's favourite daughter leaving heaven to escape Brahma's incestual interest in her and taking the form of a deer on earth)

From this myth, we know that making a sacrifice for doing the right thing is a theme in the lives of these natives (Yagya was only overseeing the ceremony, he did nothing wrong, he never insulted Shiva, he was just doing his job). Another prominent theme is escaping someone's wrath or escaping to seek safety.

The yoni animal of Mrigashira is a serpent.

Serpents feature prominently in many mythologies and are commonly associated with renewal and transformation.

The ouroboros represented in this picture is a serpent eating its own tail. Carl Jung, saw this as a basic mandala of alchemy and said:

"The alchemists, who in their own way knew more about the nature of the individuation process than we moderns do, expressed this paradox through the symbol of the Ouroboros, the snake that eats its own tail. The Ouroboros has been said to have a meaning of infinity or wholeness. In the age-old image of the Ouroboros lies the thought of devouring oneself and turning oneself into a circulatory process, for it was clear to the more astute alchemists that the prima materia of the art was the man himself. The Ouroboros is a dramatic symbol of the integration and assimilation of the opposite, i.e. of the shadow. This 'feedback' process is at the same time a symbol of immortality since it is said of the Ouroboros that he slays himself and brings himself to life, fertilizes himself, and gives birth to himself. He symbolizes the One, who proceeds from the clash of opposites, and he, therefore, constitutes the secret of the prima materia which unquestionably stems from man's unconscious."

It speaks of human nature and how we must consume the opposites within ourselves to integrate into one whole being. Every nakshatra serves a cosmic purpose. Each nakshatra is a journey forward, its every step in the process of discovery. If you look at the standard descriptions of some naks, some are explicitly negative and others are overwhelmingly positive, while this is a simplistic understanding of nakshatras, it does point to how to retain balance in this universe, we need all kinds of energies, light and dark, good and bad, but every nakshatra contains within themselves these opposites, like the yin & yang symbol which shows a balance between two opposites with a portion of the opposite element in each section.

In Taoism, distinctions between good and bad, along with other dichotomous moral judgments, are perceptual, not real; so, the duality of yin and yang is an indivisible whole.

The serpent then can be seen as a representation of the eternal truth of reality, that all is one.

Truth telling is the purpose of the serpent in mythology and this is universally true across mythologies from different parts of the world.

This also seems to be innately tied to the nature of Mrigashira natives who speak their truth or make sacrifices to expose the truth. A simpler manifestation is how blunt and straightforward these natives can be.

Edward Snowden- Mrigashira Stellium in 1h (Sun, Mars & Rahu)

In 2013, Snowden revealed evidence of a shocking global surveillance programme run by the USA’s National Security Agency (NSA) and the UK’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) which have been monitoring the internet and phone activity of hundreds of millions of people across the world.

The Internet itself was allowed to spread at a magnanimous pace and reach people all over the globe because it serves the interests of people in positions of power by allowing them to track and monitor us, inundate us into a permanent state of distraction with ads and useless content, that fill the pockets of the already rich. It wasn't some lucky happenstance incident, the internet exists for a very malicious reason and if you read about reports from the 90s when the internet was still at a nascent stage you would know that many people called out this bs. In an occult sense, the internet is an all-pervading manifestation of Maya or illusion. It wraps itself into our reality and there's no escaping it, it becomes harder and harder to see the truth and most people are so completely immersed in this illusion, believing it to be real.

Like the serpent that lured Eve out of paradise, a Mrigashira native, Snowden became the harbinger of an era where we now know that companies including Facebook, Google and Microsoft were forced to hand over customer data under secret orders from the NSA. And that the NSA recorded, stored and analysed ‘metadata’ relating to every single telephone call and text message transmitted in Mexico, Kenya and the Philippines.

Several major companies including Apple, Google and WhatsApp have improved the default security and encryption provided to users. Greater consumer pressure has pushed the industry to strengthen its approach to protecting users’ privacy.

We know how algorithms work, we know that our user data is being tracked, we know why we see targeted ads. We know that most content out there is an ad in disguise. Still, we have no real choice in the matter (except maybe clicking the "reject all cookies" button lol), we're forced to stay in a state where despite knowing that something is deeply wrong with society we still have to participate in it. This is Rohini, who had to stay with her father Brahma in the celestial heavens even though he made incestual advances towards her.

In Mrigashira, the truth dawns on you and you have no choice but to act. The reason Rohini ruled by the Moon is connected to manipulation is because these natives cannot exit their unideal situations safely, they are forced to stay and to survive, they must manipulate their reality. Their freedom is curbed. Even if irl, there are no restraints, these natives feel restrained within, so leaving isn't an option for them, they stay and make things worse to cope or in hopes of changing things.

Mrigashira is Mars ruled and is the first Mars ruled nakshatra. Mars is all about taking action and marching forward. The truth can set you free only if you let it and Mrigashira natives deeply understand this. They are determined to remove themselves from these circumstances and stand in their truth. It may not always be literal but this pattern of setting boundaries, establishing a distance between what is "false" and what is "true" is deeply tied to the nature of Mrigashira.

Snowden sought asylum in Russia where he lives to this day. Being in exile or having to escape your home is also Mrigashira coded simply because the home is a toxic/unsafe/unhealthy place for the Mrigashira native to be. I have talked about it before but Mrigashira is connected to the story of Rapunzel.

Naomi Klein, Mrigashira Moon is an author, social activist, and filmmaker known for her political analyses; support of ecofeminism, organized labour, and leftism; and criticism of corporate globalization, fascism, ecofascism and capitalism.

Her book No Logo which came out in 1999 is a landmark book that exposes the evils of corporate globalization and franchises and how the Global South are being exploited to fatten the pockets of companies in the Global North. It greatly expanded the growing anti-capitalist consciousness and anti-corporate activism in the decades since. Here's a video where she explains her research. Its chilling to think this was made over 2 decades ago considering how all these things still persist in society and now hurt people more than ever.

Honestly, all her books are amazing exposé work and that's on her Mrigashira Moon.

Louis Pasteur- Mrigashira Moon

He was a French chemist, pharmacist and microbiologist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation, and pasteurization (named after him). His research in chemistry led to remarkable breakthroughs in the understanding of the causes and prevention of diseases, which laid down the foundations of hygiene, public health and much of modern medicine. Pasteur's works are credited with saving millions of lives through the development of vaccines for rabies and anthrax. 

He was a very controversial figure in his lifetime who was known for deceiving people.

This article explains it well. Here's an excerpt from the article:

"His most famous experiment was on a young boy, Joseph Meister, who had been bitten by a rabid dog and was doomed to death, and whose mother pleaded with Pasteur to treat him. Pasteur reported that he had previously used his rabies vaccine on 50 dogs without a single failure.

Again, the laboratory notebooks show that this account was misleading. Pasteur had tested a vaccine on dogs, but it was prepared by a completely different method than the one he used for the vaccine given to Meister, and he had no conclusive animal results to show that the vaccine worked. But he had guessed right."

Pasteur often lied to get his way and used "deception" to advance his practice. It is ethically questionable for sure but the work he did has helped millions of people and one could say it was all for the greater good.

He disproved the then prevailing notion of spontaneous generation (it was believed that any exposure to air anywhere causes the generation of living organisms) through his experiments and was initially disbelieved and ridiculed until his experiments began to be accepted as true and was recognised by the scientific community.

Mrigashira natives often have a tendency to gauge things or call people out on things even when that thing/person is widely accepted. The native may get flak for it and be shunned for it but eventually their ideas become widely accepted and everyone sees the truth. They may or may not get credit for this. They see the truth before others do.

Aldous Huxley- Mrigashira Rising

He was an author and philosopher who is best known for his novel Brave New World although he has written over 50 books. Brave New World (the title itself is very Mrigashira core, don't you think?)

The idea that government control is dehumanizing is the overarching theme. In Brave New World the government controls every aspect of the citizens' lives. They are created and born in a government lab. They are raised in a government facility while learning society's values.

It was published in 1932 and lets just say that the audience wasn't ready for such an alarming dystopian tale.

A notable critic of Brave New World was the author H.G. Wells, whose 1923 novel Men Like Gods (a book about a man who visits a utopian world and then returns to earth) had been an inspiration of sorts to Huxley, who told a friend in 1931 that he was writing a novel about the “the horror of the Wellsian Utopia and a revolt against it.” Wells said, “A writer of the standing of Aldous Huxley has no right to betray the future as he did in that book.”

H.G Wells was known for his utopian visions that permeated nearly all of his published work. Interestingly, he was a Shravana Rising. The thing is, Wells never used these utopian visions to criticize the reality of the world we live in, it was more of a "look how good things could be ughhh". This once again reflects Moon's nature which is idealistic but not practical or rooted in confronting situations as they are, if you ask them for a solution to the war, they'll say "if only everyone could get along and we could all stop killing each other" instead of saying "the power imbalance between nations is alarming, they create crises in other nations, put puppet governments in place, exploit them for their own benefits and when it no longer serves their interests, leaves the people to deal with the mess themselves". The former is a more emotional response but it also comes down to Lunar nature believing things are that simple, that if everybody could get along, then everything would be okay. its basically not a solution but a nice thought. I have made posts in the past about Moon dominance and manipulation but what i had failed to mention is that the reason Moon dominants resort to manipulation is because they lack the ability to think in concrete, tangible, practical terms since Moon is tied to the emotional mind which is incapable of rationality or logic. They have to manipulate because they do not know how to think critically. Being guided by your emotions is not reliable or healthy which is why Moon dominance often results in toxicity and manipulation as they are emotionally reacting to what is said instead of responding with their mind or logic.

Wells himself later said about his novel Men Like Gods, "It did not horrify or frighten, was not much of a success, and by that time, I had tired of talking in playful parables to a world engaged in destroying itself."

Do you notice how passive his tone is? He speaks as though he is not part of this world and that all he can do is merely observe its self-destruction (if not writing "playful parables" to it lol??). He thought his book was a flop because it did not "horrify" or "frighten" people (implying that, thats what sells) when the reality is that its more effective to read about the horrors prevailing our society that we are ignorant of instead of reading 300 pages about a perfect alternate reality where everything is wonderful. one calls to action, another encourages passive daydreaming. This further differentiates the nature of Mrigashira vs Moon dominant natives (Mrigashira follows Rohini's fall from heaven or realising the truth).

"There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception"- Aldous Huxley, Mrigashira Rising

George Carlin, Moon (conjunct Ketu) in Mrigashira

Here's an excerpt of something he said that has stuck with me and exemplifies the truth telling nature of Mrigashira.

"But there’s a reason. There’s a reason. There’s a reason for this, there’s a reason education SUCKS, and it’s the same reason that it will never, ever, ever be fixed. It’s never gonna get any better. Don’t look for it. Be happy with what you got. Because the owners of this country don't want that. I'm talking about the real owners now, the real owners, the big wealthy business interests that control things and make all the important decisions. Forget the politicians. The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don't. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land. They own and control the corporations. They’ve long since bought and paid for the senate, the congress, the state houses, the city halls, they got the judges in their back pockets and they own all the big media companies so they control just about all of the news and information you get to hear. They got you by the balls. They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying, lobbying, to get what they want. Well, we know what they want. They want more for themselves and less for everybody else, but I'll tell you what they don’t want: They don’t want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don’t want well informed, well educated people capable of critical thinking. They’re not interested in that. That doesn’t help them. Thats against their interests. Thats right.

They don’t want people who are smart enough to sit around a kitchen table to figure out how badly they’re getting fucked by a system that threw them overboard 30 fucking years ago. They don’t want that. You know what they want? They want obedient workers. Obedient workers. People who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork, and just dumb enough to passively accept all these increasingly shittier jobs with the lower pay, the longer hours, the reduced benefits, the end of overtime and the vanishing pension that disappears the minute you go to collect it, and now they’re coming for your Social Security money. They want your retirement money. They want it back so they can give it to their criminal friends on Wall Street, and you know something? They’ll get it. They’ll get it all from you, sooner or later, 'cause they own this fucking place. It's a big club, and you ain’t in it. You and I are not in the big club.

And by the way, it's the same big club they use to beat you over the head with all day long when they tell you what to believe. All day long beating you over the head in their media telling you what to believe, what to think and what to buy. The table is tilted folks. The game is rigged, and nobody seems to notice, nobody seems to care. Good honest hard-working people -- white collar, blue collar, it doesn’t matter what color shirt you have on -- good honest hard-working people continue -- these are people of modest means -- continue to elect these rich cocksuckers who don’t give a fuck about them. They don’t give a fuck about you. They don’t give a fuck about you. They don't care about you at all -- at all -- at all. And nobody seems to notice, nobody seems to care. That's what the owners count on; the fact that Americans will probably remain willfully ignorant of the big red, white and blue dick that's being jammed up their assholes everyday. Because the owners of this country know the truth: it's called the American Dream, because you have to be asleep to believe it."

Mrigashira natives are the most likely to be critical of society, modern living, capitalism etc among other things. They see through to the truth of things and thus feel dissatisfied and disappointed with the world. There is a reason they say "ignorance is bliss", those whose eyes are veiled, can tune out of all this cacophony of living and pretend everything is fine. Mrigashira natives have to live with the weight of knowing.

Jules Verne- Mrigashira Rising

He is widely regarded as the father of science fiction and his works have inspired a generation of scientists like the pioneering submarine designer Simon Lake, Igor Sikorsky who often quoted Verne and cited his Robur the Conqueror as the inspiration for his invention of the first successful helicopter, the rocketry innovators Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Robert Goddard, and Hermann Oberth are all known to have taken their inspiration from Verne's From the Earth to the Moon.

Edwin Hubble, the American astronomer, was in his youth fascinated by Verne's novels, especially From the Earth to the Moon and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Their influence was so strong that, like Verne, Hubble gave up the career path in law that his father intended for him, setting off instead to pursue his passion for science.

Jules Verne lived in the 19th century (he passed away in 1905, aged 77) but he described technologies that would later be invented (some were directly inspired by what he had written). He had prophetic vision some would say he had described submarines, helicopters, the moon landing, holograms, newscasts, space travel, video conferencing,

“In the Year 2889, instead of being printed, the Earth Chronicle is every morning spoken to subscribers, who, from interesting conversations with reporters, statesmen and scientists, learn the news of the day,”

He even made political observations that have since materialised,

In one of his later works, called The Purchase of the North Pole, an auction is held for rights to the North Pole. The mysterious buyer who wins out over a number of national governments is a private company with a plan to fire off a giant cannon will jolt the planet and change the tilt of Earth’s axis, adjust the length of the days and climates around the earth, and melt the polar ice caps. With the Arctic melted, the execs planned to mine the north pole for coal and make a fortune. This is more or less what is currently happening lol

He invented a new genre to talk about things that did not yet exist. This is tied to Mrigashira's quest for truth and imagining possibilities.

Kanye West, Mrigashira Sun

Do I think Kanye is problematic? Extremely. Do I think he's also telling the truth on some occasions especially when he's trying to expose Hollywood or the system? Yes, I do

This is a bit of a tangent but we have seen time and time again how mental illness has been weaponized against people (ex: Britney Spears) to control them (Mariah Carey also speaks about it in her memoir), I do think a great number of celebrities are victims of this because their management/people in their lives benefit from exploiting them (would it not be vvv scary knowing that your career is what pays the bills of a whole crew of people? they depend on you to live? what if they're greedy or evil? what happens to you then?) so I wholeheartedly believe Kanye when he says "people are trying to conspire against him for telling the truth" (look at how many whistleblowers have been killed and had their deaths written off as suicides).

Sometimes I wonder if he's deliberately ruining his public image so that he just comes across as a crazy guy saying crazy shit that no one takes seriously. This is a safe option for him because if he appeared to be a normal sober serious guy exposing the system he might get killed. Deception is also a huge part of Mrigashira's truth telling.

Who can forget him exposing Taylor on that phone call? lol

Anyway, I want to make it clear that I don't condone or endorse any of Kanye's politics or most of the vile hateful garbage he spews.

Amy Winehouse-Mrigashira Rising

Amy was known for how candid and straightforward she was. If you listen to this song, you can tell how frank and honest the lyrics are?? (its about women who try to score rich men). Amy was always so real and unapologetically herself.

Pamela Anderson, Mrigashira Rising

She's such an icon and such a dignified woman after everything she's been through. She came forward to speak her truth and take control of her narrative. Unfortunately not many women in her position can or will do this. She empowers sooo many others by standing up for herself and speaking her truth.

Mia Khalifa, Ketu in Mrigashira (a lot of people ask me why I include placements other than the big 3 and the reason I use Ketu specifically is because it is a karmic planet and Ketu's position in the birth chart is thought to indicate ties to previous lifetimes. It represents life experiences and knowledge that people may carry from past incarnations. Yes, I am aware that Ketu is a generational planet and people born across the same year have the same Ketu placement but the reason why Ketu placement is significant especially in the charts of accomplished people is because they are channelling the collective unconscious and I believe that in order to receive recognition for the work you do, you have to skilfully channel your Ketu as it represents your latent creativity and potential that connects you to the whole)

whew went off on a tangent 🤪(me with everything i post lmao)

Mia Khalifa has come forward exposing the porn industry and calling out its predatory nature and has candidly spoken about how she was "intimidated" into doing her infamous hijab scene and that her toxic ex husband encouraged her to pursue porn. I hope Mia heals from everything but she's sooo brave for calling out people/society/porn industry on their toxicity, misogyny, double standards when the same men who fap to her porn are the ones calling her a whore (she made a mistake when she was 20 and has been out of the business for 10 years at this point, at what point will we let her move on with her life and shed this image for good?)

Nicole Kidman- Mrigashira Sun

who can forget this iconic interview when Nicole exposed the truth behind her meeting with Jimmy lol, he was so sh00k

She starred in the 2003 movie Dogville where she plays the daughter of a mob boss who runs away because she cannot stand the stuff they do (running away because they can't accept the circumstance they are in is a prominent Mrigashira theme). Its an arthouse film about the nature of evil and it shows how after Nicole's character has run away to Dogville, she has to provide labor for the community in order to be allowed to stay (Mrigashira natives making a "sacrifice") and ultimately towards the end after enduring a lot of abuse, Nicole's character destroys the whole place.

Jim Carrey- Mrigashira Moon

He is hella problematic for sure but he has this existential side to him where he is always dropping truthbombs. Remember this iconic video where he says NYFW is meaningless lmfao

Parveen Babi, Mrigashira Moon

Parveen Babi was a Bollywood superstar in the 70s and 80s. In 1977, she started dating the filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt (he has a reputation for being vile, crass asshole) and he insisted that she go to a psychiatrist following which she was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. I cannot comment on whether or not Miss Babi was misdiagnosed but what is apparent is that her relationship with Bhatt took a severe toll on her mental health, there are tons of people who've said he's kind of a psychopath, so I don't doubt that he may have gaslit and abused Babi to a point where she may have lost her sanity. For the rest of her career she struggled with episodes of debilitating paranoia, delusion and violent aggression. She once even blamed Amitabh Bachchan (the biggest star in India) for being her biggest adversary and claimed that he was trying to kill her (I know this sounds delusional but we do not know what kind of relationship they had with each other or what might have led her to believe that she was in potential danger, its cruel to dismiss everything someone says as "oh but she's mentally ill").

Babi quit acting and was a recluse in her later years. She died alone in her apartment when she was 51 and her body was only found 3 days later. Mahesh Bhatt helped organise her funereal when nobody else stepped forward to even claim her body at the hospital. Her life is a tragedy and a cautionary tale.

Mrigashiras are doubtful of absolutely everything. They do not trust people easy AT ALL. They question absolutely everybody's motive and whilst this can create thought provoking and interesting art and make a person inquisitive, honest etc, it can also be exhausting and draining to constantly be on guard and watch your own back.

“Slowly, one by one, I lost trust in everybody and everything around me,” Babi wrote. “Have you ever wondered what it is like to function in life, distrusting everything and everybody? We trust most of the things and people around us without questioning. We trust the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe...It is impossible to function in life without trusting. And that is precisely what happened to me.”- Parveen Babi

Mrigashira natives are prone to paranoia and feeling unsafe (this ties back to their mythology) and I truly feel for them :(((

Oppenheimer- Mrigashira Rising

Oppenheimer’s infamous meeting with Truman took place in October 1945. It did not go well: Oppenheimer failed to convince the president of the need for international control of atomic energy, while Truman confidently stated the Soviets would never get the bomb. Getting nowhere, Oppenheimer really did confess his guilt over the Manhattan Project, which turned Truman’s stomach.

Oppenheimer's morality is dubious and questionable etc etc but it is known and clear that he felt guilty for the role he played and the destruction that was caused as a direct result of his research. He stood up for what was true, although unsuccessfully.

Khloe Kardashian-Mrigashira Moon

Khloe has always been praised for being "real" and honest. She has opened up about a lot of different things and had this to say about having a baby via surrogacy:

“But a surrogate process – Kim knows – is very hard for me. It’s a mindf***. It is really the weirdest thing,” she bravely shares about her nine-month-old cherub, Tatum. “I do feel less connected. People do say it takes a minute to feel connected but Kim said hers was easy. This is not easy. I definitely was in a state of shock from my entire experience in general,” she said. “I felt really guilty that this woman just had my baby and I take the baby and go to another room and you are separated. It felt like such a transactional experience because it is not about him. I wish someone was honest about surrogacy and the difference of it. But it doesn’t mean it is bad or good. It is just very different.”

Compared to the kind of stuff that all the other Kardash-Jenners say this is a rare and sincere moment of truth telling.

John Cena Mrigashira Moon and Rising

He is known for his honest, humble and sincere personality.

In an interview about the Meltzer rating system, Cena honestly said:

“So how do I put this… I am much more concerned when I perform for WWE in how the audience as a whole feels about my performance rather than one individual trying to grade me in a level of stars. Not that it doesn’t matter, because that is a great way for those to try and get equity and try to get noticed. It’s a great ranking system and I do appreciate it. I’m not knocking critics. I’m just saying my process is to make sure that everyone who paid a ticket had a great night. And if that gets me a zero star match, I still know in my heart of hearts that I entertained my audience that night.”

if you type in John Cena honesty into google so many articles pop up lol, i guess thats a great thing to be known for. Zero bullshit that's Mrigashira for you

I hope this post was interesting and informativexx

thanks for reading<3

[megyulmi]

➠ Chapter 257 and Rebirth:

This chapter officially introduced the concept of Rebirth (환생, in which the actions of a sentient being lead to a new existence after death) into the plot of the manga. We can say it has been hinted at before through Jogo and Yuuji’s words for example, but the Rebirth of the soul of Sukuna’s twin officially confirmed it. We do not know the conditions of Rebirth in the world of JJK yet, but it implies the existence of Samsāra (윤회전생) which is the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth, and it made me think of this illustration:

This illustration is based on the Kalachakra Mandala, which represents the wheel of our lives, and the time we have in this world to make peace with ourselves and achieve Enlightement (freedom from Samsāra). Kalachakra literally translates to ‘cycle of time’ (Kala meaning ‘time’ and Chakra meaning ‘cycle’). It means that everything in nature happens in the ‘cycle of time’.

These four characters being the centre of the above-indicated illustration is not random. Each one of them is in some way bound by the concept of Rebirth (Reincarnation). Chapter 257 gave us a good perspective on how Yuuji, Sukuna and Kenjaku are bound to it (and each other as well), which, considering the ties of the other three, may make it seem like Gojo is out of the equation.

Personally, there could be two interpretations of why Gojo is part of it (besides the simplest explanation that these four are central to the storyline):

1. As Tengen has implied themself before, Tengen, the Star Plasma Vessel, and the Six Eyes are all connected by fate. Through Tengen, we also learn that Kenjaku lost twice to a sorcerer with the Six Eyes, and after the second time taking no chances killed both the Star Plasma Vessel and the Six Eyes less than a month after they were born. We know that there has been a connection between Tengen, Kenjaku and the Six Eyes throughout time. Gojo could be part of the illustration to indicate the recurring existence of the Six Eyes, bound to Tengen’s existence whose relationship with Kenjaku we do not clearly understand yet, but has been as continuous.

Or

2. Drawing on the confirmation that the concept of Rebirth exists in the world of JJK, Gojo being part of this illustration could imply that perhaps the soul of Sukuna’s twin is not the only character who has been Reborn (note: we do not know yet whether Itadori Jin was his twin’s first reincarnation or he died and was reborn multiple times before (however, the way Sukuna says it implies the latter)). We do not know yet what the conditions for Rebirth are (or if they are the same as in Buddhism) or whether the Reborn soul retains anything of their past life, so it is difficult to make the assumption, but it opens up the possibility of Gojo being reincarnation as well, i.e. the Six Eyes are the same soul.

Regardless, the existence of the concept of Rebirth has opened many different (and interesting) possibilities.

Edit: additional note

[garroth-is-done]

Thinking about shadow knights again:

I love the concept that sks aren’t even vaguely human looking in their true form. And I don’t mean this in a “they are animals/creatures” way or in a “they’re just Minecraft nether mobs” way, but in a “they look like analogue horror monsters and actually behave like them too” way.

Ya know, the stretched out limbs, smiles too wide to be natural, claw-like fingers, horrific death rattle breathing sounds; the absolute works of analogue horror. Even in human form the look kinda off too; their eyes are open a bit too wide, their teeth just a bit too sharp.

Behavior wise, if you piss them off bad enough they start to work like the alternates from the mandala catalog. They take the form of someone the person who made them angry loves and they hunt them down in their own home. They leave gory messes behind, not even bothering to try and cover up what they did. You know someone was killed by an sk by the fact that they’re nothing more than a blood splatter on the floor, crushed bones and a bit of gray matter all that is left of them.

Idk, just shadow knights being absolutely terrifying horror monsters instead of just a bunch of knights in red and black armor like some 12 year olds edge deviantart oc

[talonabraxas]

“Colour is the soul of Nature and of the entire cosmos...” — Rudolf Steiner

Colors Meditation, Aura, and Healing Levels

The Meditation/Dream level helps you to understand a color or a colored object seen in a dream or meditation.

The Aura level helps you to understand the purpose of that color within the human energy field.

The Healing level is the way the color works when applied to healing the body or spirit.

WHITE

Meditation/

Dream: Truth of the highest order. Enlightenment. Energy in its most pure form. Divinity.

Aura: Never a predominate color in the aura unless you are looking at an angel or an ascended master. However a white layer in the aura or a layer with white streaks indicates a person following the will of God and being directed by it.

Healing: Charging the energy field, bringing peace and comfort, divine light or whole white light entering.

VIOLET

Meditation/

Dream: Conjures feelings of enchantment, wishes fulfilled, of dreams made fact. Transformation of the self or of some aspect of your life into a higher form. Connecting to your higher self. The "I am God" presence.

Aura: This color in the aura is the highest vibration for the human spirit. A person who is in command of his life and energy. A visionary. Violet with a gold outline is a person who is one with spirit and God and is in service to mankind.

Healing: Connecting to spirit, the opening of the third eye, the clearing of the head, purging the auric field of distortions.

BLUE

Meditation/

Dream: Blue is the energy of pacification, self protection, sweetness and tenderness, and of loyalty. It represents contentment and reunion with the Earth.

Aura: Blue in the aura represents a teacher or a very sensitive person. They are kind and caring and will do much to help others grow.

Healing: Cooling, calming, restructuring of the etheric level, taking away pain when doing deep tissue work and work on bone cells. Blue also helps to expand a person's field to connect to his/her life task.

GREEN

Meditation/

Dream: Taken most directly from nature, these hues often are expressive of constancy, self-affirmation, security, self-esteem, and of deeply rooted pride. A healing meditation may contain green, as it is the color of new growth.

Aura: Green in the aura signals a very intellectual person who may possess healing gifts. At the very least it signals a nurturer personality and one that will do what they can to make another comfortable.

Healing: Charging the heart chakra, balancing the aura, general healing, sometimes charging the aura to ensure well being and health, and to remove illness.

YELLOW

Meditation/

Dream: Representative of cheerfulness, radiance, relaxation and release from burdens. It is warmth of sunlight, the halo around the Holy Grail. Yellow is hope.

Aura: Yellow, like green also signals a very intellectual person, but this person does not possess healing gifts. They are powerful thinkers, and idea makers.

Healing: Charging the brow chakra, clearing a foggy head.

ORANGE

Meditation/

Dream: Symbolic of fire, of expanding energy, power and the omnipotence of the sun and the majesty of sunsets. Energy to accomplish ones goals.

Aura: A very ambitions person who needs to succeed and has the energy to do so.

Healing: Charging the auric field, increasing sexual potency, increasing the immunity system.

ROSE

Meditation/

Dream: In meditation or dreams represents self-love, also resurrection. The color of flesh, of sensuality and emotion, romantic love, and supportive love.

Aura: A person in-love with another or in-love with one's created environment.

Healing: Subtle healing and love. This energy puts back a sense of self love and self worth.

RED

Meditation/

Dream: Red represents the will to achieve, energy, intensity, and struggle. It is also appetite, desire, and reproduction. It is life in the "now."

Aura: People with mostly red in their aura are fiery spontaneous people. They are often fearless, or appear that way. Red's make good police and firemen and soldiers. Red will also be found in the normal aura for brief periods during great anger or passion.

Healing: Super charging the auric field, burning out cancer, warming cold areas.

GOLD

Meditation/

Dream: Divinity transforming lower energy to upper energy. Spiritual power in all aspects operating for the greater good.

Aura: Gold in the aura is rarely a predominate color, however you can find it as an outline to another color, like violet. Gold as an outline in the aura adds the dimension of spiritual nobility and rank, a person that has and is achieving great spiritual progress and work.

Healing: The restructuring of the seventh layer of the aura (the God self).

GRAY

Meditation/

Dream: Grey in a dream or meditation signals excessive energy being burnt off. it is also a lifting of intense fear or some life-threatening situation.

Aura: A person who's life-force is leaking away due to unhappiness, sadness, depression, or illness. With the color black a person with advanced cancer.

Healing: Only used during a healing when excessive energy must be removed because the person can't handle it.

BLACK

Meditation/

Dream: In the shinny black variety it is a closing in of energy and resource to protect ones self. The velvet or shinny black is not a negative color to get in a meditation, especially if you are feeling burnt out. A velvet black light opens up the Aura so that it can accept higher colors.

Aura: A dull lifeless black in the aura shows a person who is very far removed from the constructive forces of the universe. With the grey streaks, it shows a person being destroyed by his or her own separation from God.

Note: Wearing black is very common and it opens up the human aura to all the other colors. Many students of the occult like to wear black for this reason. Wearing black also protects your energy from leaking out to others.

Healing: The velvet black color is used to bring a patient into the state of grace, silence, and peace with God.

SILVER

Meditation/

Dream: Silver relates to the moon, the subconscious, and the female aspect of the universe.

Aura: Not a color usually present in the aura in any great quantity.

Healing: Used to purge the auric field and to charge the sixth level of being (karmic level), to remove old karma that is no longer needed.

INDIGO

Meditation/

Dream: Purple or indigo in a dream or meditation signals some kind of psychic power or ability or some kind of psychic force.

Aura: In the aura shows a very intuitive person, a person with prepackaged abilities that come from before birth to be used physically in this incarnation. These people tend to be square pegs as far as society and fitting in is concerned. This will change as more of the current generation is born with this color and takes its place in society.

Healing: The opening up of intuition or of some psychic ability. It is also used to prepare the individual of the entering of the divine spirit.

CRYSTAL

Meditation/

Dream: Transformation into a new form or a higher energy state. Crystals amplify and a crystal light will amplify your own energy to a higher level.

Aura: A crystal aura around a person is clear but will have other colors intermingled with it. This is the 'chameleon' aura. People with this aura will take on the attitudes and ways of those around them. The aura of others becomes their own aura. It is important for these crystal people to only surround themselves with the best influences possible, for obvious reasons. A person with a crystal aura must learn how to separate themselves from everybody else.

Healing: Sometimes used to fill in an empty spot where some energy was removed, so that nothing unwanted takes it place, till the person's energy field can replace the vacuum with its own energy field.

[windmaedchen-oceanhorn]

Merlinverse Wheel Interactions - Collection Post

I was bored, so I spun the wheel a couple of times. I actually only ignored results I already had, but removed options later on to get more variation. I haven't consulted anyone and just went from vague memory, so lemme know how badly I am off the mark. xDDD

Lavinia attempts to play matchmaker for Zelda

Magister Zelda by @fgfirenation

I believe we had this scenario before, where Zelda is playing matchmaker for Lavinia, when she learned that Zelda actually has en ever so small thing for a certain rabbit. 

But truth is... I think Lavi is a rather bad matchmaker. At least in terms of taking action to get them together. She is much rather having long talks with Zelda about when and how and possibilities of outcomes, never failing to encourage Zelda to do whatever is needed. Although, she might also be one to STOP the magister from doing something entirely headless. Since Lavinia's bound to Holistone in service, she'd not often have the chance to actually meet and talk to Lorsan. But since Lorsan is traveling, he might actually drop by and then when he does, Lavi is definitely observing VERY HARD and trying to see what he thinks about Zelda.

So yeah, rather than orchestrating things, she's gotta do the observing and spying and information forwarding. xD

Lavinia learns a new skill from Zelda

Uhm, so the standard answer is, of course, that any Merlin will one way or other, show Lavi how to deal with the left-over Hypogean magic within her. So the definite "feeling" of magic in and around herself, the certain things one can do to ease stress related to that, actual little spells and so on.

On another note, Zelda is such a powerhouse and crazy creature... that I feel like it would be so silly and cool if Lavi learned something as beautiful, delicate and soothing as sand mandala creation. Or like making small pottery creatures. Or making jewellery? xD Anything that's a little unexpected and shows Zelda's warm and caring side. Maybe it's crocheting? Felting? Well, origami, at the least! 

Lavinia playfully argues/banters with Sena.

Magister Sena by @bunnybird-afk

I am not sure what this means, to be honest. It sounds more like teasing to me... and in that case, I gotta move forward in time a little bit. Lavinia and Sena are comfortable with each others presence now, not least due to Valen, and there may have been little squibs from one to the other before. But for more lengthy banters, I think Lavinia's firstborn is the perfect reason. xD

Shall the kid have this or that to wear? Can it have tea and why couldn't it be wrapped up in a sock rather than a blanket? Can it be levitated around the Mystical House and climb up the towers made of books? Bedtime is when again and what bedtime story to read? And so on and so forth. <3

Lavinia teaches a new skill to DK

Magister DK by @gloriousrebirth

Ah, oh no, I don't think Lavi can teach ANY Merlin a new skill. xD At least certainly not in terms of magic. And what other skill might she be able to show to DK? Probably something incredibly boring... like a useful knot for tying things up. Maybe that knot turned out essential later on when DK needed it on Sinbad. xD Or maybe DK likes the nuts Lavi sometimes brings to the Mystical House not knowing that they have simply been soaked in water over night. Or maybe the same memory trick Lavi taught Molpe, given Merlin has an issue with forgetting things. xD

Lavinia compares opinions about .... with Celestino

Magister Celestino by @meepinmeat

Well, naturally the first thing that comes to mind is Valen. And that's not gonna be all too exciting, since they have the SAME opinion about him. xD BUT, given the difference in universe, they would probably be quite interested in the subtle differences of the Valens.

Alternatively, if it's CelVerse Lavi, then she'd be just friends with Valen and the three of them have, given her experience etc, a VERY in-depth discussion about the Heroic Order! And subsequently the Celestials and their role against the Hypogeans and whether they might not also be required to help "Esperian" problems.

Lavinia fights/spars with Celestino

Since Celestino is a Merlin, whether Lavi is from CelVerse or her own, the fighting is training in regards to her Hypogean powers. Not that Celestino would have to really break a sweat, though, it's all basic routine stuff. And yet, sometimes, he might make it extra tough for Lavi, not only forcing her to use her magic but also still the sword to win. And I don't see a reason why he wouldn't be able to drag Dionel into the ring, too. "Must I really, son?" and "Yes, really, or do you want to risk her ending up corrupted and on the other end of your spear for real?"

Lavinia attempts to play matchmaker for Rose

Magister Rose by @afkhowstrange

Not. xD Ahahaha, while they probably have a good relationship and can easily sit together with tea and cookies after training sessions etc, Lavinia is still too impressed and careful in what she does around Rose. Playing matchmaker? I don't think she'd allow herself to. That doesn't mean she'd not be interested and observing from the sidelines, to witness any developments. And if Rose ever confided in Lavinia, she's happily try to help in word or action (although she'd always feel silly for "setting anything up").

Lavinia offers to dance with Rose

Oh boy, you know what? Maybe THAT would be something Lavinia isn't embarrassed to do for Rose in terms of matchmaking. I don't actually know who Rose might have a crush on, but this dance would definitely be the perfect excuse to then go and ask her crush, too! Whether a confession follows, I don't know... but at least Lavi's done something for Rose to have a good time. <3

Lavinia meets the child version of Molpe

Magister Molpe by @mcnana

Aww, that would be so adorable! I don't think there would be anything special about the situation, but Lavinia has a way to pay actual attention to children and thus be perceived as a "nice lady" by them. Or on some cases, a lady to be reckoned with, not unlike Valen. Either way, Molpe probably lost her way or something, and Lavinia takes responsibility as a knight and delivers her back home. Getting her treats along the way, of course, and talking about her favourite games to play. xD

Lavinia offers to dance with Violyste

Magister Violyste by @magister-violyste

Hmmmm, this could be somewhere on the job, of course, a professional matter, if you will. But maybe it would be more something in relation with Hogan. xD Maybe there is no such thing as marriage for them, but let's assume there would be something akin to it, a special celebration, an anniversary, you name it... and since Lavinia is just part of Hogan's family and work, she might be asked to help with that. And then, to help Vi prepare, am sure Lavi would help her remember dances again. After all, Vi can't possible say no to Hogan when he asks, and you bet, he WILL ask. <3

[1tsstargaze59]

I was honestly surprised by how many yall wanted me to make a joyness fankid, but

I DELIVER 😎✨️

Ambivalence, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is "simultaneous and contradictory attitudes or feelings (such as attraction and repulsion) toward an object, person, or action."

The kiddos qwq💕

From left to right to those unaware : Revulsion 💜💚, Excitement 💛🧡, Ambivalence herself 💛💙 and Panic 🧡💜

(For the record, Revulsion and Ambivalence are adult coded, Ambi is just small XD Excitement and Panic are teenage coded tho)

Lore drop below the cut 😋

Ambivalence lives in a constant state of insecurity due to her dual nature. It's hard feeling opposing feelings! Wanting to cry and smile and yell and cower all at the same time! She meditates a lot and is able to control her mood swings. Good for her! ^^ She likes to do calming activities, like mandala coloring, yoga and mindfulness.

I'm not one to design fankids with similar colors to their parents due to the character design philosophy behind the emotions, but I felt it made sense for her specifically, so! Here she is! In all her contradictory glory ^^

Her and Panic are good friends; they like to cuddle up together and feel safe 😭❤️ Excitement and her are half siblings; they like having fun and playing games! Revulsion is someone she looks up to for his class and assertive attitude; Rory finds her endearing ^^

Go meet Revulsion and Excitement if you haven't!!!

Go MEET PANIC IF YOU HAVENT!!!!

[itchytitss]

Thinking about mural artist Ellie

(Accidentally went overboard and made this way longer than my usual drabbles. oopsies)

After the most recent town council meeting, the residents of Jackson have come to the conclusion that their community isn’t as vibrant and friendly as they want. The walls around the town are seriously lacking in some colour and the walls of the newly renovated kindergarten needs some decoration.

So naturally Ellie was chosen for the job. She’s shown a few big walls for murals, and little spots for smaller accent paintings. Dumpsters, old fire hydrants, electricity poles and such.

Now, you wouldn’t say that Ellie is your friend, exactly. But she’s… something.

She shares snacks with you at movie nights. She brings back little trinkets she finds form her patrols and gifts them to you. She checks up on you and compliments your hair and outfits. You’ve even caught her sketching you as you read to the kids at the library.

Something about her lingering voice and soft eyes sets off a warmth in you that you can’t quite describe. It doesn’t help that she seems to be everywhere now when you go on errands across Jackson.

You see the way her eyes wander as she watches you pass. Her paintbrush slipping from her grip slightly as she looks down at you from her place on the ladder. You wave to her every day, taking note of her eventual progress on the murals.

You stop to talk to her some times, to check on her on the particularly hot days. You can’t help but stare as she climbs down from her ladder, her bare arms glisten in the warm sun, her tattoo covered in stray swatches of paint.

You force yourself to not look down as she stretches, her tank top riding up her stomach, showing off her toned abdomen.

“Thanks.” She mumbles wearily as she takes the bottle of cold water from you. Your eyes follow the drops of water that roll down her chin onto her neck as she chugs the water. Before she can even hand back the bottle, you’re gone. Having swiftly walked away in (not so) mild panic.

When the day comes for Ellie to show off her finished work around town, the townspeople gather around and congratulate her for a job well done. You stand at the back of the group, hoping to catch a glimpse of the small details everyone keeps raving about.

You notice Ellie watching you. Why you? In the crowd of a dozen people praising and looking at her work, she watches you. Eager to see your reaction the most.

Later that day, you come back to the paintings to get a better look, thanks to the lack of crowds. You tour all of Ellie’s work, smiling at the small monkeys playing with lab equipment on the side of the pharmacy, looking up at the giraffes in the alleyway behind the bar, and admiring the floral mandalas that travel up the street lights. But what really catches your eyes is the details on her murals.

You visit the kindergarten mural. A colourful painting with bees and butterflies. You crouch down to look at the fine details of the woman planting flowers in a garden not unlike your own. Her garden boots, bright red. Just like yours.

You smile at the whimsical and colourful mural of the children’s section in the library. A landscape of a forest home to a unicorn, fairies, gnomes and even a dragon flying in the distance overhead. In the corner where the forest meets the sea, is a mermaid, brushing her hair on the rocks. Her hair similar to yours. The necklace around her neck much like your own.

Finally, you look in awe at the town hall mural. A large zoomed out painting of all of Jackson. There by the park, you spy the fine brushstrokes of woman reading on a bench. The bench you visit quite regularly. Around her neck is a scarf identical to the one you wear almost every day.

You’d almost be creeped out if you didn’t admire her so much.

“Do you like them?” A familiar voice makes you jump in surprise.

Ellie stands there behind you, fidgeting with her fingers.

“Oh, Jesus, Ellie!” You gasp, quickly standing up in shock. “God, yes they’re all wonderful. You’re very talented.” You smile. Ellie just stands there. You can feel her awkward aura as she fidgets with her hands.

You turn back to the painting, hoping to fill the silence. “Um, the woman reading on the bench… and the gardener and the mermaid.” You list off hesitantly. “They’re… they’re all me, aren’t they?” You ask, turning your head to look at her.

Ellie’s eyes widen slightly. “I uh- I didn’t think you’d notice that fast.” She laughs.

Silence.

“Why?” You whisper, turning back to the painting. “Why me?”

You hear the crunching of gravel under Ellie’s feet as she steps closer to you.

“…I paint what inspires me.” She says, her low voice next to your ear raises goosebumps along your arms.

Your eyes widen slightly as you turn to look at her. This is the closest you’ve ever been. All of Ellie’s nerves seem to have vanished as she looks you up and down, her eyes lingering on your lips.

“Are you free tonight?” She whispers. “I don’t think I’ve got your… look down quite yet, so I could use some practice.” She gestures vaguely to the small woman in the mural.

“All you have to do is sit there and look pretty. I’ll make it worth your time. I promise.” She smiles, tilting her head in anticipation of an answer.

“Yes.” You say breathlessly. Ellie’s sly grin grows bigger and you feel yourself turning red in embarrassment. Shit, you didn’t mean to sound so eager.

“I mean, yeah. Sure.” You chuckle, hoping to ease the tension.

Ellie looks you up and down one more time before putting her hands in her pockets and stepping back. “Great. You know where I am.” She winks, turning around to walk away.

“Wait! What do I wear?” You yell out to her.

Ellie turns around, hands still in her pockets as she walks backwards. She shrugs.

“Doesn’t matter.”

[sister-hawk]

HEY LOOK AT WHAT I MADE!!! I whittled this elephant out of a block of basswood, and then painted it by hand, as a gift for my lovely girlfriend, @potsiefaerie 😘♥️💖🩵 When we were still getting to know each other, she mentioned that she collects white elephant figures with her mother (after they found one at a white elephant sale), and I was like, "Wait, I've done a bit of whittling before. Surely I could make one, right???" And then it became my mission all through the spring, summer, and fall. And after a bit of a mad dash to the end, I was finally able to give it to her the first time we met in person 🥰

While it was in no way easy, crafting this elephant was an absolute joy, and it really (re)awakened in me a love for the art of whittling. I had only done some very basic whittling before, close to a decade and a half ago. So with very little experience, none of which was recent, I really impressed myself with how well this thing turned out. And while I'm no stranger to painting, I've never done detail like this before. That is just natural talent babey. I have definitely found my calling in this craft.

It's roughly 2 and 3/4 inches tall, and probably around 4 and 1/2 inches long. I have absolutely no idea how many hours it took start-to-finish. But it was a lot lol.

Process:

The first step was to find reference images of elephants online, from various angles. I used those to create basic drawings of an elephant mid-stride from 5 different angles (left, right, top, front, and back). I printed and cut those out of paper to create a simple stencil to trace the shape onto the block of wood (that's what you see in the first image.

The second step was to actually cut the rough shape of it out of the wood with a coping saw. Then I divided the bottom (where the legs are) in half, and used the drawing as a guide for removing the halves of the legs that weren't needed (since it is not symmetrical in its stance.) That gave me an extremely rough and blocky elephant shape.

Next came the whittling, and that was by far the majority of the work. Months were spent slowly shaving away little bits of wood, occasionally glancing at my reference images, until finally the final shape was achieved. Then it was sanded down so as to smooth out the facets created by the carving process, and to refine the shape a little more.

I also must mention that I did drop it at one point on a cement porch and snap one of the legs off at the knee. But! A bit of wood glue and a rubber band fixed that fairly easily.

Then came the painting process. First I used a glaze to help seal the wood. Wood is a very absorbent material. I knew that, in order to ensure that this piece would last as long as possible, it needed to be sealed so that the wood did not absorb moisture from the air, which could eventually lead to cracking as it expanded and shrank. But paint itself also poses some risk in this way, and the wood really wants to soak it up. So the glaze ensured that that wouldn't happen.

Then I put down three coats of white paint (with another touch-up coat), and then sealed that with another coat of the glaze. This was to protect the white underneath when I started painting with the blue, so that if I messed it up, I would have the chance to remove the blue without totally stripping the white.

Next was the detail work with the blue paint. The designs were first drawn on using a 4h graphite in a mechanical pencil (4h is pretty hard, so it wouldn't leave much behind. That made it easier to erase mistakes and cover with the paint). I did reference a couple mandalas that I found online for the ones on the forehead and back, but all of it was painted by hand with an extremely tiny brush and an enormous amount of patience. It requires very steady hands.

And the final step was two part. First, another coat of glaze to protect the blue paint so that it would not get smeared (not after I did all that hard work!!!). And finally, four coats of varnish to completely seal everything off. My hope is this thing will still be sitting on someone's shelf at least a few generations from now, so I did everything I could to protect it as much as possible.

Materials and tools:

3x3x6in block of basswood, from some website idk lol.

Coping saw from Lowe's.

Whittling tools from Beaver Craft.

120, 220, and 400 grit sandpaper from Lowe's.

Glaze, paints, and varnish from Jo Sonja's.

[x-heesy]

Jen Stark’s art is driven by her interest in conceptualizing visual systems to simulate plant growth, evolution, infinity, fractals, mimetic topographies, and sacred geometries. Using available materials—paper, wood, metal, paint—Stark strives to make work that balances on a razor’s edge of optical seduction and perceptual engagement. In recent years, Stark has introduced new technologies into her diverse practice, delving into the digital realm of interactive projections and distinctive NFTs.

The resulting works often resemble organic, molecular, cloud-like structures, and are imbued with kinetic, undulating effects that serve to dislocate the viewer from staid reality into an immersive ecosphere of echoing patterns and the implausible designs found in nature. Even her vivid colors are in direct conversation with the natural world; the attractant/repellent properties of flowers encouraging pollination or insects warning birds of their poisonous traits, and the luminous mystery of phosphorescent sea creatures are among Stark’s concerns.

Via these corporeal abstractions, spectators are led onto the astral plane; there’s a transcendence to Stark’s work where the vibrational phases become a sacrosanct and curative experience for the viewer. Traces of mandalas or nautili reveal themselves as sacred geometric forms in Stark’s spiritual reservoir.

Stark’s ability to create atmospheric, minimal, naturalist configurations that only reveal themselves after deep engagement align her with the artistic legacies of Yayoi Kusama, Sol Lewitt, Tara Donovan, Tom Friedman, Andy Goldsworthy, Ernst Haeckel, and the Finish Fetish artists of 1960s Los Angeles.

Not limited to the confines of museums and galleries, Stark’s diverse practice—a series of sculptural objects that rely on a commitment to process and hypnotic repetition; charismatic wall works; widely seen murals; intricately animated films; NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and interactive projections—has been exhibited throughout the world, permeating both the physical and digital realms. By adopting cutting-edge techniques to showcase her aesthetic, Stark activates her universe through constant adaptation and transformation.

Stark was born in Miami, Florida in 1983, and studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art, graduating in 2005. Since then, Stark has realized exhibitions globally, with major shows in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Thailand, and Canada. Recently included as one of Fortune’s “NFTy 50,” Stark made history as the first female artist to make Foundation’s top 10 highest selling NFT creatives. Her work is in the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the West Collection, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, NSU Art Museum and MOCA Miami, among others.

Stark lives and works in Los Angeles. Part1 Part2

#sculpture #sculptureart #sculptureartist #sculptures #sculpturelovers #sculptureoftheday #sculpturepark #sculpture_art #sculpturegallery #sculpturesofinstagram #sculpture_gallery #sculpturesurbois #contemporarysculpture #sculpturecontemporaine #sculpturephotography #sculptured #modernsculpture #abstractsculpture #handsculpture @frenchpsychiatrymuderedmycnut 🌈 #artsculpture #instasculpture #skulptur #skulpturen #skulpturer #skulpturensammlung #skulptures #skulptūra #skulpturia #skulpturenausstellung

Soundtrack: I Feel Space by Lindstrøm 🌈

[ottpopfic]

“Hey, you remember how I've been wanting to get my Legion tattoo covered?” Uncle Jason asks

---

god dad fluff

It's a fall Friday afternoon and Katie is done with class

She's cuddled up in on a couch in the library with the fairy lights on, two Cocoa Puffs curled up on her and a brand-new sci-fi novel that Uncle Jason brought her when he came to camp this week. He is coming over for dinner after he's done with his priestly duties for the day. She thinks Dad is making a fall chili if the cornbread mix and the squash she had to hull up from the last grocery order says anything 

Things in her novel are moving out of the character and world-building and into the meat of the story when she hears a knock on the window. She looks up unphased, because with her life it could be anyone, and sees Uncle Jason. This is pretty typical for him and she gets it, if she could fly Katie would also be entering every building like a Ninja Turtle. 

She has to detangle herself from Puffs and blankets to let him in, both hellspawn complaining the whole way like she didn't place each on their own pillow. The spider-looking one grumpily climbs the wall to fold into a shadow at the corner of the ceiling. 

“Your early!” Katie greets excitedly as she throws open the window and screen “I don't think Dads started on dinner”

“It's cool,” he says as he climbs in “How's the book treating you?”

“Good so far!” she gushes excited, Uncle Jason has always been awesome about letting her infodump “The zinophysiology angle has been really interesting, I'm looking forward to where they're gonna take it” 

Katie pops back on the edge of the couch and the Cocoa Puff clambers back into her lap vibrating for scratches that she happily provides. Uncle Jason sits down next to her

“Hey, you remember how I've been wanting to get my Legion tattoo covered?” he asks

“Yeah?” 

They have been talking about it for a while. Katie has a friend from Hecate who's been working in enchanted tattoos and it got Uncle Jason thinking about getting his old SPQR tattoo covered. She doesn't blame him, it's filled his whole forearm for most of his life, and it's never suited him either. Not like her dad's tattoos, which were personal and felt natural on their bodies. Uncle Jason's has always felt like a barcode, or a brand

Katie and Uncle Jason have always enjoyed talking about art, whether it's what they were working on or something they have seen when they're out and about. Uncle Jason is a modest artist, but his work with the temples speaks for itself. And Katie has a lot of good memories sitting with him as he sketched, parallel play at the max. 

“I got the design, you want to see it?” but he's already pulling out the folded printout from his inner jacket pocket to give over to her excited grabby hands.

At the top is a mandala-style design of the big window at the Way Station. Below it there are two trees; one is obviously Aunt Thalia’s tree, the shape and golden fleece make it indistinguishable. But the dragon in its branches is more serpentine and made of metal, a stylized Festus if she's ever seen him, raising his head up towards the window motif. Katie doesn't recognize the other tree off to the side of Aunt Thalia’s , smaller but equal in the composition. Between them sleeps Grandma Lupa, regal as always, underneath a night sky with the trees as a frame. She thinks she recognizes the leo constellation front and center in the rich starscape.

“It's great!” Katie tells him, impressed, “Did you do it all yourself?”

“I did most of the planning and a sketch,” Uncle Jason says “But the tattoo artist I found did the final drawing. I'm into the city tomorrow to get it”

“What's with the second tree? Just to help cover more?”

“No, it's a poplar tree” and Uncle Jason is watching her face “A balsam poplar”

“That's me” Katie breathes, touching where she and Aunt Thalia’s branches merge and overlay in the picture. They had figured out what kind of wood she was made of last time she was at the Way Station for her quest. 

“Is that ok?” Uncle Jason looks a little worried, rubbing the hair at the nape of his neck “I wanted to get my whole family in it, but I don't want to overstep-”

“Of course it's ok!” she laughs, throwing her arms around his neck. The Puff squeaks in her lap “It's wonderful!”

Uncle Jason hugs her back, warm and solid as always. Big arms and a wide chest, pulling her in tight and safe, the greatest of hugs. He smells like heat lightning and smoke from the offerings, he's the absolute best and she loves him so much

“Would you like company,” she asks him after they separate “When you go to get your cover-up?”

“I would love that!” he tells her all smiles

[mysticsparklewings]

Obscutober 2024 Day 3: Horology 🕰️

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Horology (n.)

the science of measuring time

the art of making instruments for indicating time; clockmaking

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I assume real clock-making is rather time-consuming 😉 Making a clock-making-inspired mandala sure was!

...It took more time than I care to admit to come up with that joke. At least the art turned out nice? 😅 Bad puns aside: Click the "Keep Reading" and we'll talk more about my thoughts/process for this piece ✨

⭐️ Like My Art and Want to see more of it? Here's All My Links! ⭐️

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I'm a little bit conflicted with this one, Sparklers. (But hey, at least I should be getting this one posted a little bit earlier! 🤷‍♀️ ) I am happy with how it came out, and I was pretty excited to see what I could do with the ideas of gears and metal that immediately sprang to mind for this word, however...The act of making said metal and gears ended up being a lot more trouble than I anticipated. 😅 Those emotions are so equally matched it's hard to separate them. The biggest hurdle was the fact that in order to look "right," I had to be more careful about getting curves looking circular-ish and uniform with each other. For full circles, that's generally not so bad. For semi-circles and arcs, it tends to be a big pain. 🙃

It also didn't help that I chose to make the outer ring of gear teeth a size that was really "too small" for Procreate's symmetry tool to help me out as much as I needed it too. So I also had to be more careful with those as I worked me way across what area the symmetry tool wouldn't fill in for me. The background was a bit more challenge than I expected, too. If anyone remembers how I mentioned yesterday I had decided some spot color "within" the mandala lines is okay but I still want to keep things loose: This one definitely pushed the boundaries on that. I tried leaving things more abstract, but I kept going back and re-defining certain color areas because it felt wrong otherwise.

I think that's a conflict between the general clockmaking concept and the abstract nature of how I'm approaching these prompts; Clockmaking, or at least the physical components needed to do it, is so very rigid and precise. Although, on the other hand, there's a kind of irony in that, isn't there? Since the way we humans measure time is something we made up—it's pretty arbitrary as far as nature is concerned.

...I seem to be wandering away from talking about the art and into higher concepts I am really not an expert in. 😅 Let me try to get this derailed train of thought back on track...

My point was that it felt like I needed more color, placed more carefully, to help with the definition between the different gear and cog pieces. This was not helped by how a lot of the images I kept seeing when I looked up clock/watch insides did usually have pieces that stood out because they were differently colored metal. Two related asides: 1. I apologize to anyone that does work with watch/clock components and may be getting a headache from my lack of proper vocabulary to describe said parts...Or the general lack of sense the "clock parts" I tried to draw here make compared to the actually insides of a time-telling machine. Many, many artistic liberties were taken! 2. I do actually kind of recommend looking up watch/clock insides sometime when you get a chance if you're not familiar with what that looks like; I found a lot of the pictures oddly soothing for reasons I don't fully understand. But even so—A lot of them are pretty even though I don't think they're trying to be. The screws on this one make me think of tiny gemstones! [I did consider adding some spots of color to background to mimic that jewel-like feel I just mentioned, but ultimately I didn't want to over-complicate the color palette.]

Anyway, going back to the lines/mandala portion for a moment: I knew going in that the fact I'm taking up the center for the word definitions would make a time/clock-themed one more difficult. After all, one of the primary things you think of with those concepts are the clock hands in the center of a clock face. Usually, even if you don't read analogue clocks that often that's still true!

For that reason, while I normally make the mandalas from the inside-out (aside from adjustments/tweaks that happen later), this time I started more on the outer edge. The clock hands hanging out there were still one of the very last things, but the gear teeth and general round "clock border" were the first and I more or less worked my way inward.

And at a certain point I realized so far I really just had a "gears" or industrial-themed mandala that showed no hints of being tied to clocks specifically. 😅 You can see from that, I ended up opting to put roman numerals in the 4 primary "clock" positions—12, 3, 6, 9. If I'd had room, I might have gone for the full set of 12, but by that time (ha-ha) I'd spent way too long making those four "gear spoke" semi-circle things that hang over right where most of the other numerals would go and I was not of a mind to either re-do or erase them. 😵‍💫 I then spent way too long trying to figure out how to "compensate" and fill the "clock face" just a little bit more because the big 4 numerals weren't quite enough for me. It's not very exciting but I landed on just some small lines—Tick marks, you might say. 😃 You may also notice that, true to something else I said yesterday, this is now the first example of one of the Obscutober mandalas in black rather than white. I did start out with it in white, but as I was moving into work on the background I thought the white was coming off a little too "soft" or too much like the mandala was glowing. Black felt like a better fit for the illusion of depth and the more "rigid" feel overall.

Although while I was in the process of changing the lines from white to black, I was very tempted to leave it in a half-state where some of the uppers layers were in black and the lower ones were still white. That got vetoed for consistency's sake, but it did cause me to go back and play with some of the contrast in the background a little more to kind of echo the idea.

I was also very tempted to try dark brown or sepia lines for this one, but, say it with me: I decided not to to keep things simple and consistent.

The final product doesn't necessarily look that much like what I originally had in mind...But to be fair, my original vision was pretty fuzzy. At least unlike yesterday, there isn't too much I feel like I'd change or do all that differently if I had to do it over.

I do hope I can say at least that much about tomorrow's piece—Tomorrow is shaping up to be a busy day in my offline life, so I'm a little bit concerned about how I'm going to fit Obscutober in...But that's a key point of the challenge, right? 😅

There's definitely a joke in here somewhere about "use your time wisely," but I can't quite put it together, so you Sparklers will have to think on it and let me know if you can figure one out. 😉 Until tomorrow, Sparklers... 🤗

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See the Prompt List

Artwork  © me, MysticSparklewings

Obscutober Concept Inspired by nikolas_tower

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⭐️ Like My Art and Want to see more of it? Here's All My Links! ⭐️

[mahayanapilgrim]

A Dream of Saraha

OM SARVA SVASTI SIDDHI HUM

One night while I, the yogi Rangjung Dorje, was staying at Trashi Sarma Hermitage, I dreamt that I traveled with two companions to Sri Daksina Parvata Mountain. We were looking for the guru, the Great Brahman Saraha. My two friends went to search on the southern side of the mountain. I stayed by myself in a pleasant, wide, open alpine meadow on the mountain's eastern side. I had just made myself comfortable, sitting alone, when masses of flower-snow began to fall. I responded to this by making cairns out of the fallen flowers, and I sat in steady contemplation in their midst.

Then a small, sweet voice came down from the sky:

"Child of the lineage, hear this!

The guru, the Great Brahman Saraha, Is your mind's nature -

It is a grave mistake to look for him elsewhere.

I replied to the voice, saying,

E ma ho! The guru, the Great Brahman, is My mind's nature, and in this Mandala where variety has one taste, There are no seekers and sought;

My two friends still search, While to me, sitting here alone, The Great Brahman reveals a sign.

Ah! How wonderful!

This is what I said. And from the sky, in reply, came the voice of the Great Brahman:

E ma ho! This is the guru, the Great Brahman;

I am your mind's nature, and in this Mandala where variety has one taste,

There are no cultivators, nor things to cultivate.

Hey child! This doha is beyond speech, Thought, or expression, so cultivate its advice!

Hey child! Mahamudra is the essence of All past, present, and future buddhas.

Stay uncomplicated!

Hey child! In effortless naturalness,

A state free of extremes, Realize self-aware wisdom;

Its purpose is to help wanderers.

Don't be distracted; stay balanced!

E ma ho! Mind's nature is simplicity;

It comes from nowhere and has Nowhere to go, just like a crazy person.

Hey child! Like a river dissolving into the sea, It has no creation and no cessation, So stay in mahãmudra!"

~ 3rd Karmapa Rangjung Dorje

[lingshanhermit]

Lingshan Hermit: As Long as Someone Remains in This Stage, They Haven't Even Touched the Edge of True Spiritual Practice

One day, I saw a video on social media of a fully adorned yogi performing rituals. His mudras were very fluid, his recitations were perfectly standard, and he held the vajra bell and dorje with proper form. Those unfamiliar with Buddhism might find such a person very professional, but I feel largely indifferent to such displays. I've seen many people like this - they consider themselves professional practitioners, spending their days collecting various empowerments and ritual texts, focusing on how to hold ritual implements and form mudras correctly, worrying about whether their pronunciation is standard, and concerning themselves with how many Buddhist masters they know and how many deity mantras they've recited. Some can recite entire texts in Tibetan, knowing every detail of a ritual from beginning to end - when to perform purification, when to beat the drum, which mudras to make while chanting, and the key points of meditation. These are their primary concerns, and they believe mastering these elements means they've mastered Buddhism. However, they don't know who their real enemy is, don't understand their true state of mind, and are unaware of how many thoughts of desire arise in their minds every minute. Thus, they are merely Buddhist craftsmen familiar with ritual procedures, not true practitioners.

Previously, someone sent me a photo of a custom-made statue of Guru Rinpoche commissioned by a famous actor. This statue was quite unique, with colors and postures quite different from the familiar representations of Guru Rinpoche. Many people would naturally assume that this unusual representation of Guru Rinpoche possessed more power than ordinary ones. If you have such thoughts, it shows you're still stuck in the amateur understanding that "dharma practices alone determine spiritual results" or that "certain practices are superior to others and make it easier to achieve enlightenment." Most practitioners actually share this kind of thinking.

Years ago, someone told me that circumambulating Mount Kailash once could purify the karma of an entire lifetime. Another person said that seeing the Mahāmāyā mandala would guarantee enlightenment within seven lifetimes. I'm not certain whether they truly have such powerful effects. Perhaps they do. However, in Buddhist teachings, these are all external forces, and even if they have effects, those effects would be very limited. If you lack the ability to observe, analyze, and examine yourself, if you haven't developed the habit of being honest with yourself and others, if you haven't recognized that your long-held values have been wrong, you will forever remain outside true practice. No mandala or blessed object can defeat your habitual patterns and self-righteousness. These are at most conveniences for beginners, not much different from copying sutras with a brush. The same applies to dharma practices - they too are external forces. Even the most supreme practices cannot produce good results without being accompanied by a great spirit and genuine capacity for self-reflection. True spiritual practice is an extremely complex matter, requiring long-term interaction and communication between master and disciple - a prolonged tug-of-war. If a human teacher who can drive, speak, and fix computers still struggles with your habitual patterns and self-righteousness, what can inanimate objects do? Can they make you lose face and break down internally? Can they tell you your previous understanding was all wrong? Can they order you to call your boss at 2 AM to say good morning? Only a living teacher can do these things to you. Only a living teacher can deliver unexpected blows, and only unexpected blows can affect your habitual patterns. However, it must be noted: all of this must be based on the premise that you know they want to help you achieve realization and that you fully accept this kind of training. Otherwise, realization is impossible - only aversion will result.

So if you think that circumambulating Mount Kailash, receiving a special empowerment, or spending a month with others at Bodh Gaya can change habitual patterns developed over countless eons, you probably have never appreciated the immense power of human habits or understood how difficult it is to change a person's inherent cognition, which is why you have such romantic notions. Therefore, as long as you haven't learned to observe your own faults, haven't learned to be honest with yourself and others, haven't learned to truly follow the teachings, haven't identified who your real enemy is, haven't recognized that these external things can't change much, as long as you're still fascinated by the effects of dharma practices and believe that obtaining certain teachings or key instructions will lead to certain results - even if Shakyamuni Buddha himself were teaching you, you would still be an amateur in spiritual practice. You might master ritual procedures and mandala arrangements but still not understand practice at all. You don't know what practice is, nor how to begin true practice. Although you appear professional, with full professional attire, you still can't hide your amateur nature. Over these many years, I often see people discussing the supremacy of dharma practices and the greatness of teachers, but rarely see anyone discuss the hard work of battling the "self," their true values, or what they really want. They probably have never examined their own souls, much less had the courage to face themselves directly. As long as someone remains in this stage, they haven't even touched the edge of true spiritual practice.

Written by Lingshan Hermit on December 8, 2024, first published on December 11, 2024.

Copyright Notice：All copyrights of Ling Shan Hermit's articles in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, English, and other languages belong to the natural person who owns "Ling Shan Hermit". Please respect copyright. Publishers, media, or individuals (including but not limited to internet media, websites, personal spaces, Weibo, WeChat public accounts, print media) must obtain authorization from Ling Shan Hermit before use. No modifications to the articles are allowed (including: author's name, title, main text content, and punctuation marks). We reserve all legal rights.

灵山居士：只要一个人还处在这样的阶段，那他就还没有摸到修行的边儿。

有一天，我在某社交媒体上看到一个全套披挂的瑜伽士修法的视频，他的手印做的非常流畅，念诵也非常标准，铃杵也拿的有模有样，不懂佛法的人大概会觉得他这样的人很专业，但我对这样的人基本无感。因为我见过很多这样的人，他们都认为自己是很专业的修行人，每天关心的都是收集各种灌顶和法本，关心的是铃杵该怎么拿手印该怎么做，关心的是自己的发音标不标准，关心的是自己认识多少佛教大佬念了多少本尊咒。他们中有人可以用藏文念诵法本全文，他们知道一座法从头到尾的所有细节，知道何时洒净、何时摇鼓，知道念咒时作何手印，知道安住的窍诀，他们关心的都是这些，他们以为学会了这些就是学会了佛法。但是他们却不知道自己真正的敌人是谁，不知道自己真实的状态是什么样，更不知道自己一分钟生起了多少个贪念，所以他们是熟悉修法流程的佛法匠人，而非真正的修行者。

之前有人给我发了一张照片，照片内容是某位名演员所定制的莲师像，这尊像很特别，和大家熟悉的莲师颜色姿态都有很大差异，所以，很多人会想当然地认为这个从没见过的莲师比一般莲师更具威力。假如你有这样的想法，说明你还停留在“法可以决定修行结果”或“某些法比另一些法更殊胜更容易成佛”这样的外行认知里。大多数修行者其实都是这样的认知。

多年以前有人跟我说，去冈任波且转山一次可以清净一生的业障。还有人跟我说看到大幻化网坛城七世内必定成佛，我不确定它们是否真的有这么强大的作用。也许它们真的有这种效力。但是在佛教教法里，这些都是外力，即便是有作用作用也会非常有限。假如你没有观察分析审视自己的能力，没有对自他诚实的习惯，没有认识到自己一直以来的价值观都是错的，你就永远只能在修行之外打转。任何坛城加持物也不可能击溃你的习气和自以为是。那些最多只是一种针对初学的方便，和用毛笔抄写佛经差别不大。其实法也是一样，法也是外力。再殊胜的法，如果没有辅以伟大的灵魂和真正的审思能力，也不可能修出好的结果。真正的修行是非常复杂的事，需要师徒长期的互动和沟通、需要长期的拉锯战。一个会开车会说话会修电脑的人类老师面对你的习气和自以为是尚且要头痛要拉锯战，何况是不会说话的物件。它能对你做什么？能让你颜面全失内心崩溃吗？能告诉你你刚才的理解都是错的吗？能命令你凌晨两点给老板打电话说早上好吗？这些都是活生生的老师才能对你做的。只有活生生的老师才能对你进行猝不及防的打击，也只有猝不及防的打击才能对你的习气起作用。但是需要提醒的是：这一切的发生都必须建立在你知道他是想要让你证悟而你也完全接受这种调教的前提下。否则不可能有证悟发生，只能会是憎恶。

所以如果你认为去冈任波且转转山或是得到一个特殊灌顶或是去菩提迦耶和大众一起呆一个月就能改变无始劫以来的习气，你大概是从未领略过人类习气的强大程度、不知道改变一个人的固有认知有多难，所以才会有这种浪漫的想法。所以，只要你还没学会观自己的过失，没有学会对自他诚实，没有学会真正依教奉行，没有认清自己的敌人是谁，没有认识到这些外在的东西改变不了什么，只要你还在迷恋法的作用，还在以为得到某些法某些窍诀就能如何如何，就算是释迦牟尼在亲自教你，你也还是个修行的外行。你可能精通修法仪轨坛城布置但是却丝毫不懂修行。你不知道修行是什么，也不知道如何开始真正的修行。虽然你看上去很专业，有着全套的专业披挂，却依然不能掩饰你外行的本质。这么多年，我经常能看见有人谈论法的殊胜，谈论老师的殊胜，但是却鲜少看见有人谈一下和“自我”作战的辛劳，谈一下自己真实的价值观，谈一下自己真正想要的到底是什么。他们大概从来没有审视过自己的灵魂，更加没有直面自己的勇气。只要一个人还处在这样的阶段，那他就还没有摸到修行的边儿。

灵山居士写于2024年12月8日，首发于2024年12月11日。

[thexxxthdoctor]

Strange Recompense

***Over 18s Only***

Written by commission. This story features Dr Strange and a female reader. Themes include submission, BDSM and graphic sexual content.

You were his. Your arrogance, your naivety, had fooled you into believing yourself able to outwit and deceive your Master, and now, you would face your punishment.

It had all seemed so easy, in your mind, as you crossed the threshold of the Sanctum Santorum in the dead of night, your heart filled with plans, purpose and lustful desire. You had come for the stone. Not to steal it, but to prove to your mentor, Dr Stephen Strange, who had nurtured your burgeoning magical skills these past months, that you were worthy of his affections. Worthy of him. If you could bypass the Mystic’s many defences and place your hand on the enchanting, green piece of eternity, then perhaps he would begin to look at you in the same way you looked at him. Perhaps, for once, it would be he and not you, bringing himself to a feverish climax at night, lost in a fantasy world of orgasmic perpetuity. When you had proven yourself to him, you had dreamed, he would beg for your body, for your sex, for your soul. And when he had begged you enough, you would surrender them.

He had taught you so much, perhaps too much for his own good, you had allowed yourself to think, as you dealt with the enchantments in the ornate, archaic hallway, with ease. Mandalas of sparkling, mystic art were produced at your whim, saving you from enchantments and spells that would have surely paralysed most other intruders, and began to climb the grand staircase in the heart of the room. It was there that you had found him.

You had wanted him since the moment your eyes had met, across a crowded street in the heart of Greenwich Village. You were drawn to him, as if by some temporal magnet forged of magic and lust. He had come to you. For you. Your eyes had never left him as he explained how he had sensed the skills you had developed and made it his mission to find and train you. You took in each facet of his thin, angular face; his piercing eyes, his neatly trimmed beard, the greying hair, framing his high cheekbones. As much as you had wanted answers to the magical energy you had begun to feel burning inside yourself, you wanted him; this peculiar man, strolling through New York in his blue shirt and startlingly red cape, a gaudy looking medallion clasped around his chest. You wanted all the secrets he could give you, all of his techniques, and not just purely those of the magical kind.

In time, he had told you of the true nature of his jewellery of choice, this Eye of Agamotto, as he called it, and the powerful stone it housed. Your new mentor was its guardian, and no other could be allowed to touch it. It was then that you had hatched your plan. You had felt your powers growing by the day, but Strange only ever looked at you with the eyes of a kindly, if stern, mentor, not with the desire you felt for him. To earn his lust would require more skill than an average training day in this palace of enchantments could provide.

The memories had flooded through you as you took in the sight before you. Framed by the circular skylight you had gazed through so many times, his deep red Cloak of Levitation flowing behind him, floated your master, levitating in peaceful slumber. Your draw dropped as your mouth began to water. Gone was the old -fashioned attire, leaving Strange, aside from his magical cape, resplendent in nakedness. His body, thin and toned was more beautiful to you than even your most extravagant fantasies had allowed you to believe, and you had felt your hand inch towards your groin, reaching under your waistband and pressing the fabric of your panties against yourself, at this unexpected but very welcome state. Your eyes had fallen to his waist, and you had gulped at the perfectly formed outer symbol of his manhood, your rubbing increasing as you imagined it awakening, feeling it harden and grow in your hand while you drew him from his dreams into ecstatic reality.

With phenomenal restraint, you had broken away from the sight and stilled your fingers, summoning every fibre of energy you could muster into rising into the air before him, your heart beginning to pound at your proximity to the naked sorcerer. Your breath light and your head spinning, you had reached forward slowly, ever so slowly, towards the Eye of Agamotto, still clasped around his neck, the tip of your middle finger brushing, only very slightly, the golden casing which house the stone.

It was then, that Dr Strange had awoken.

With alacrity faster than any lightening storm could ever produce, his eyes, once piercing and wise, but now fierce and furious, had snapped open and peered into your own, while golden mandalas wrapped, themselves tightly around your wrists, forcing your arms out to each side, more, binding your ankles in magical bonds. And now you waited, your plans in ruins, to face the fury of the Sorcerer Supreme.

“You!” The word fell from his thin lips in a gasp, and you could feel in it, the pain of your betrayal. “You came for the Stone?”

You shook your head, quickly, uselessly, your denials struggling to pour from your mouth.

“No!” you finally responded. “It’s not like that, I was trying to impress you!”

The magician floated before you in beautiful naked fury as you stuttered and stumbled through your explanations; how often you had played with yourself to the thought of him fucking you, how desperately you yearned for his touch and how you had hoped, that by proving yourself able to reach the stone, you had hoped he would look at you as you looked at him.

The words fell from you incoherently, your mind spinning as though you were drunk on the foolish severity of your actions, and you stared into his face, desperate for any sign that he believed you. Finally, after a tortuous age, you watched his brow furrow in thought.

“I believe you,” he ultimately concluded, his voice soft but laced with an indescribable danger. “I can’t even begin to tell you how foolish, unworthy and stupidly dangerous it was of you to do this... However, I… believe you.”

Pangs of relief flowed through you, and you breathed deeply for the first time since he had awoken.

“Thank you,” you sighed, attempting a smile before gesturing with your head at your mystical bonds. “So, can you let me out of these things now?”

He simply stared for a moment, taking you in, and you saw, for the first time, an inkling of mischievousness in his stern, imposing face.

“I’m afraid, it’s not quite that simple,” he began. “You have touched the Eye of Agamotto without permission.”

“I barely even brushed against it,” you protested.

“That doesn’t matter.“ Strange’s voice was severe. “You have touched it, the intent was in your heart, and now you must make the choice.”

“What choice?” you nervously asked, your voice shaking.

“Of punishment,” he replied.

“What do you mean, punishment?”

“There must be a punishment for your transgression. You must face either, expulsion from our order…,”

“No!”

“Either…,” he repeated, his voice stern and commanding, “expulsion or, recompense.”

“What ‘recompense’?” you queried, your voice racked with confusion, but the sorcerer refused to answer.

“Choose. Choose now,” he ordered.

Your mind was ablaze with guilt, shame, embarrassment and uncertainty. All you knew for sure was that he believed you, and there was a chance of forgiveness, and frankly, there was little you wouldn’t do to stay in this new life you had found. If only you knew what the recompense would be…

“I choose…,” you stuttered, “I choose recompense.”

You scanned his features for any sign of what this might mean, but little could be discerned from his rigid, penetrating stare, until, with a wave of his hands, the enchanter returned himself and you to the ground, your magical restraints still firmly in place; the restriction at once frustrating and exciting you.

“Then we shall begin.”

The sorcerer’s words were harsh and authoritative, and the pit of your stomach churned in anxious anticipation of what, exactly, was about to begin.

“But remember,” Strange said, “if you change your mind, and decide you would prefer to walk away from your potential, you can at any time say so, and your recompense will cease. Do you understand?”

“I understand, Stephen, but…”

Your sentence was cut short by the tightening of your magical bonds, pressing hard into your flesh, accompanied by a raised eyebrow from the powerful magical hero.

“Stephen?” he quizzed, a flicker of lust flashing in his eyes. “Not tonight. Tonight, it would be more appropriate for you to call me, Master.”

The churning in your stomach gave way to a sudden and overwhelming onslaught of butterflies which spread through your senses, your head light as it was claimed by nervous anticipation.

“Master?” you asked, your voice shaking and uncertain.

“Master,” he confirmed, “tell your Master that you understand.”

“I understand,” you stuttered in response. “I understand, Master.”

Strange walked closer towards you, each step exuding the power of his magical office.

“Well, then,” he said, his voice as charming as ever it was, “before we begin, we should perhaps, redress the balance.”

You squinted in confusion before, on instinct, your eyes finally dropped from his, towards the part of his body that had drawn you to it moments earlier. While earlier, it had lain in elegantly proportioned rest, it now stood hard, thick and ready, its delicate skin straining against its length and its tip glistening with expectancy. You began to realise, finally, as you absorbed the sight into your memory, exactly what form the penance you were about to pay, would take. And you realised, for the first time, that your desires might have indebted you in ways you might be unable to pay. With a wave of the sorcerer’s fingers, a golden mandala, pointed and sharp appeared in the space between you, a torrent of sudden fear running through you as it hung inches from your eyes.

Your senses threatening to overwhelm you, you tried to summon the magical powers you possessed, which you had learned to control with such expertise under the magician’s tutelage.

Your efforts were useless. The power would not emerge. Even the simple force to move your head and look away was blocked to you.

Though you opened your mouth to object, or perhaps to scream, the mandalic blade before you shifted in the air, slicing at your clothes, leaving you gasping in shock as they fell, piece by tattered piece to the floor below, only your thin, cotton underwear protecting what was left of your modesty. Trepidation ran through your almost totally exposed body, though the sensation of your nipples stiffening against the material of your bra, and the dampness in your panties pressing against you betrayed the eagerness you tried to repress to embrace your deserved punishment.

“Wha… what’s happening…?”

The anxiousness in your words should have been alien to you. Not since that first day of magical training had you felt anything other than supreme confidence, but now it too, just as, for the moment at least, your access to your powers, was gone.

“You are being prepared for your recompense,” Strange answered, his tone seeped in what you understood now was a justified arrogance. “I’d say you were almost ready…”

The magical blade moved again, slower this time, slicing away the straps of your bra and sniping your panties away from you, your final garments joining your others in lying, ruined, on the Sanctum’s polished floor.

Naked, exposed, and bound in magical bonds, your eyes wide in excited consternation, you stared into your Master’s face. Though the house’s chilled air raised goosebumps on your exhibited skin, the drop in temperature was countered by the burning heat of your humiliation. Your Master feasted his eyes upon you, his lip curling into a lustful snarl as he moved his hands once more, and lowered himself and you to the floor, kicking away the remnants of your clothing.

Your ethereal, golden bonds began to pull and twist, contorting you down, onto your knees, before him, your arms clasped behind your back. The movement overwhelmed you, assaulting your senses with an intense cocktail of desire and agitation. Though your tight bonds, and the new look in your Master’s eye excited you, even the strength of your yearning could not wholly displace the gnawing of fear. You had wanted this, wanted him, so very much, for so very long, and you knew, now, that he was about to take you.

A tendril of shining light burst forth from Strange’s hand towards you, wrapping itself swiftly around your neck and you shuffled on your bare knees towards him as he pulled it, hard, in a charged display of his Mastery of the mystic arts, and of you. Your eyes locked onto that part of him closest, so very, very close to your face, which just moments before you had yearned to take silent hold of. Its sweet scent filled your nostrils, and your mouth hung open in greedy anticipation, your tongue licking fresh saliva over your teeth.

“Not yet,” came his stern order. “A good slave will only act when instructed.”

You wordlessly nodded your acceptance and sat back on your knees, your anticipation making you gasp even more than the tightness of the magical collar around your throat.

Your eyes following the object of your fixation without blinking, Strange wrapped his other hand around it, gently stroking it before you, teasing you with what you desired but refusing to gratify your lust until it was earned. He pulled you closer still, and began to trace your features with it, until delicate drops of his pre-cum adorned the edge of your face. You stuck out your tongue, trying desperately to catch a taste, as he moved, before he could contain himself no longer and plunged himself into the warm cavity of your mouth.

The sudden movement shocked you, as did the size, as you felt the back of your tongue pushed down by the intrusion. His grip on your collar tightened further as pulled your head down, all the way down, and back again, faster and deeper until you could feel him pressing mercilessly against the back of your throat, the sound of your gagging only spurring him on harder still.

At last, he withdrew, his dick coated in your saliva, granting you a precious moment to heave air into your lungs before he pushed himself back between your lips again. His strong, firm hand stroked your cheek for a moment, before reaching to the back of your head and clumping your hair, pulling it back roughly.

“Look at me,” he commanded. “Don’t take your eyes off mine.”

You did as he bade, staring up into his stern features as he continued to callously fuck your mouth. You saw everything in his eyes; his anger, his sorrow, his lust for you. You were sure your own eyes conveyed each of the complex emotions you were feeling, too, and something in them caused the sorcerer to slow his thrusting, pulling out of your mouth and holding the tip of his dick agonisingly close to you.

“Do you want to stop?” he asked, an eyebrow raised.

“No,” you responded defiantly, the taste of his pre-cum, sweet on your lips, “I want you to fuck me.”

For a moment you your words shocked you as much as you hoped they had shocked your Master. You were subjugated, utterly, at the total control of the Sorcerer Supreme, but though the anxious trepidation still burned in the pit of your stomach, you knew, with every fibre of your consciousness that right here, right now, you wanted this.

A half smile cracked onto his thin face at your response.

“You want who to fuck you?”

“You,” you answered. Master.”

Silence hung between you for a moment before his smile, full of lust and authority widened further.

“Say please.”

“Please, Master.”

“Please, what?”

“Please fuck me, Master.”

“I can’t hear you,” he cruelly toyed.

“PLEASE, MASTER!” You shouted with every decibel your bound body. “PLEASE FUCK ME, MASTER!”

As soon as the words left your salivating mouth, your magical bonds contorted again, lifting you just inches from the floor, thrusting your arms out to each side, your legs swiftly following, exposing your vulnerable sex to whatever machinations hid behind your Master’s narrowing, dominant eyes.

The gasp you exhaled at your body’s involuntary movements served only to spur Strange’s lust further, as he stepped towards you, one hand hovering close, so close to your exposed and yearning skin, while his other gripped tightly to your ethereal leash.

For a moment of brief eternity, it hung there, the Sorcerer’s eyes feasting on your naked excitement and delighting in the reaction of your flesh. Just as you thought the moment would never arrive, the back of his fingertips brushed, one by perfectly manicured one against you, the deep sigh of relief you breathed matched in intensity only by the wanton anticipation you felt building between your splayed legs.

His fingers moved majestically upon you, tracing each contour of your torso, skirting the outline of your collar bone, your ribs, your navel, as he prolonged the torture of your wait, until finally, they moved upwards, teasing the aching, stiff nipple of your left breast, his thumb and forefinger pulling on it hard as he claimed it. You had long heard stories from friends that this sensation alone could build to climactic release – stories you had always dismissed, until now. With supernatural speed, your collar tightened behind you, now held by some unseen force as his other hand joined its compatriot in exploring you, squeezing and pulling as hard at your right breast as your left.

Your eyes stayed on your Master’s, he had ordered as much, and your breathing heightened as your body reacted to his touch in a pleasure as unbridled as you were restrained. The throbbing in your untouched sex pounded within you, somehow stirred into crescendo by his ownership of you and you felt yourself, somehow, through some tantric mysticism felt it stir towards crescendo. You began to feel the cry of passion you had so often toyed yourself into releasing as you rubbed and played to thoughts of this man, build inside you, and your mouth hung open wider still, ready to surrender to it.

As though taking cue from your ecstatic expression, Strange’s hands dropped from your chest, his left clamping hard on the back of your head, clumping your hair once more, while his right sank below your stomach, his fingers reaching for your grateful, pulsating clit which reacted at once to his touch, sending waves of pleasure through you.

“Do you want to cum?” he asked, his voice as hard and firm as the dick he had pushed into your mouth.

You nodded with what movement in your head he still afforded you.

“Then beg.”

You answered loudly, your tone pleading and desperate.

“Please let me cum, Master,” you entreated, “please let me cum!”

Your words became profane as he responded by pressing two fingers past the wet lips of your expectant pussy, pushing them deeper inside you as it clenched tightly against them, curling them back against your inner wall as he relished your cries.

In moments it was enough, and rapturous ecstasy rippled through you as your Master granted your request, his wet fingers not relenting for a second as they drew out every last vestige of physical joy from your orgasm.

“Say thank you,” he ordered as your panting finally began to subside.

“Thank you, Master,” you answered gratefully, “thank you for making me cum! Thank you for… Oh, fuck…”

Even as you had begun to speak Strange was upon you, pushing the hard dick whose taste still lingered in your mouth against your pussy, which earnestly granted him entrance, inch by glorious inch.

“You’ve wanted this all along, haven’t you?” he asked, his breath becoming quicker as he pushed his full length deep inside you, his hand slapping sharply against your cheek when you failed to answer at once.

“Yes, Master,” you answered, your voice cracking with pleasure, “I’ve wanted it all along.”

“How many times have you played with yourself imagining this?”

“Every day, Master,” you cried out, your breasts shaking as he thrust himself inside you, pausing sometimes to grind his flesh against yours, his neatly trimmed pubic hair tickling and toying with your clit. “I play with myself every day for you!”

You screamed your confession as another ocean of pleasure culminated inside you, his thrusting intensifying as you came around him, coating him in your essence. He withdrew and watched the blissful inflections of your face, slowly stroking your wetness over himself, toying with his tip as your eyes, for once, dropped from his to enjoy the sight. Your body ached to curl into post-coital rest, but your bonds held you fast, enslaved still to your Master’s whims.

“Bad girl,” he almost whispered, the words finally filling the air with a sound other than your ecstatic panting. “I told you to keep your eyes on mine…”

The golden mandalas strapped around you shifted again, forcing you to bend into the new position desired by your Master, forcing you to accept further punishment. Returned hard to the floor, you felt your head move, pressing the side of your face against it, while your knees bent up beneath you, your arms once more tied magically behind your back, your ass pointed upwards towards the Master you had betrayed.

“If you can’t keep your eyes on mine, then you don’t get to watch what happens next…”

The pang of fear you had felt when the Sorcerer had first awoken ran through you again and you heard yourself begin to plead for mercy.”

“Please, Master,” you began, “I’m sorry, I…”

Your pleas were interrupted by the sound of a hard slap and the sting of a firm palm on your ass.

“You will learn,” Strange began, punctuating each word with another slap on each sensitive cheek in turn, “to do as you are told.”

“Ye... yes, Master,” you answered, an intoxication of pleasure and pain assaulting your senses as slap after slap connected with your stinging, unprotected ass.

“Say it,” he ordered, his until now measured voice wild, as though he had finally given in totally to his lust for you.

“I will – ow – learn to – ow – do as I’m told, Master!”

He wordlessly continued, the sound of your spanking broken only by your promises to do as commanded as his hand came down faster and harder until the orgasmic agony threated to overwhelm you. You braced yourself for another barrage, but the spanking stopped, as instantly as it had begun, but before any thoughts of clemency could reach your mind, your controlled arms shifted behind you, your hands gripping your stinging cheeks and spreading them apart.

Your addled senses hadn’t even time to register your embarrassment and shock before you felt his hot breath behind you, and those hands which had seconds before inflicted such punishment, grip your waist tightly. No words came from the Sorcerer now as he began greedily enjoying your exposed pussy, his teeth nibbling at your lips and his tongue flicked and licked at your clit until you felt your whole being give in once more to the orgasmic reactions he commanded.

You had no energy left even to shout your obedience to your Master, but still the pleasure came, his tongue now shifting upwards, delighting in the sweet taste of your ass. You knew, as his tongue pushed deeper, followed by fingers coated in your own cum what you were being prepared for and you braced yourself as you felt the tip of his dick press against your smallest, tightest hole.

“Thank you, Master,” you managed to whisper as your asshole gave way to him, “thank you for fucking my ass…”

Strange remained silent, lost in the ecstasy of you, and the pleasure of how obediently you were taking your ass fucking. The intensity of his thrusts increased, and you knew you were reaching the apex of your recompense. One arm was suddenly, without warning, released from its bondage, and you felt it directed by your Master between your legs, your fingers rubbing furiously at your clit as he buried himself deeper and harder into your ass.

“Oh, fuck,” you gasped as pleasure claimed you once more, “Oh, fuck, thank you, thank, you, thank you, Master!”

The moment your pleasure peaked, he pulled himself from you, your bonds twisting your body round once more to face him, your hand still rubbing at your pussy and your eyes now firmly locked on his.

He looked different now, his face reddened with effort and coated in sweat, his hair matted and displaced over his forehead as he pushed his throbbing and straining dick back inside your mouth.

There was no shock for you anymore, no reticence. You were his. Totally. And serving your Master brought many rewards.

It was as you sucked on him and let your tongue tease him that you realised your bonds were released. Movement was yours once more, and the first you made was to reach up and grab the Sorcerer’s ass, pulling him deeper into your mouth, deeper even than he had pushed himself at the start of your penance. His eyes closed and your mouth felt his dick stiffen harder, impossibly hard, before releasing his ecstasy inside you at last, filling your mouth with the thick streams of his cum.

His cries of pleasure enriched you and you continued to suck and play with your tongue as you felt him begin to soften in your mouth, his cum spilling out onto your chin as he finally withdrew and knelt beside you on the floor, wrapping his cloak around your shoulders and holding you to his hot, naked chest.

For an age you knelt there together in silence, but no words were needed. Not anymore. You had tested your Master and failed, but somehow, also won. This man you had yearned for, this Sorcerer Supreme, had grown closer to you then you had ever dreamed possible as a result of your transgression. Closer even still, through the punishment you knew you had deserved. Your Strange recompense.

[mybeingthere]

Portia Munson is a visual artist who works in a range of media including photography, painting, sculpture and installation and focuses primarily on environmental and cultural themes seen from a feminist perspective.

Munson was born in Beverly, MA in 1961. She has a BFA from Cooper Union (1983), and an MFA from Mason Gross School of Art (1990), Rutgers University.

The Memento Mori Mandalas memorialize and honor creatures that have paid the price of humanity’s harsh impact on the land. Evoking the transitory Buddhist spiritual practice of mandala making, Portia Munson reflects on the passing beauty of earthly things and the costs of climate change with arrangements that center on fallen birds and insects she finds on her walks around our region. Using a high resolution flatbed scanner, she holds up these specimens of loss for our respect and admiration, often surrounding them with flowers and plants she grows.

“I began creating flower images in 2002 after the death of a favorite person left me pondering the fleeting lives of flowers and people. While walking in my garden images of flower arrays came to me. I imagined flower mandalas that were reminiscent of suzanies from Uzbekistan and the vivid garlands of fresh blossoms I had seen being used as religious offerings in Southeast Asia. Using the mandala, the circular form that in Eastern religions represents the universe, I meticulously arrange flowers from the garden into combinations of color and form that exaggerate the vibrancy of both. Sometimes I slice into buds and append blossoms onto one another. As with all my work, a closer look at the subject reveals hidden secrets – in this case, the flowers’ hairy, sticky, or poisonous parts; pollen; seeds; and the occasional insect.

To make these mandala images, I use the scanner like a large-format camera. I lay flowers directly onto it, allowing pollen and other flower stuff to fall onto the glass and become part of the image. When the high-resolution scans are enlarged, amazing details and natural structures emerge. Every flower mandala is unique to a moment in time, represents what is in bloom on the day I made it.” – Portia Munson

[schreiberling2021]

The four underwater promts for a short story. @animalecfest

September 18 - Ring

For three weeks Magnus was on the water on his small research boat. Incessantly he circled the small island on which he had set up his research camp. Although camp was a very optimistic description for his tent with water tank and work bench. A large supply ship had dropped Magnus off near the island and would pick him up again in three weeks. Hopefully enough time to find evidence for his theory of a submerged island group with human civilization at this point in the Pacific. Yes, it sounded a lot like the search for Atlantis, but Magnus wasn't looking for an advanced civilization, just evidence of settlement. He had found circumstantial evidence in various historical writings. Even Darwin had briefly mentioned this small island. Only at that time it had been a group of five islands and the other four must have perished in the last two hundred years.

The islands were arranged as a ring, so Magnus had to come across their tracks at some point if he continued to search in widening circles into his starting island. It was the 22nd day of his journey just before sunset when he saw it for the first time. The sun made the water glisten like a dream and Magnus had sat down to admire the play of colours before heading back to his camp. There among the waves in crystal clear water were stones, large symmetrical stones. This was not a natural structure. Fascinated, Magnus stared at the waves, then his explorer brain kicked back in. He marked the spot with a buoy and noted the coordinates. Then he hurried to get back to his tent before complete darkness fell over him.

OoO

With barely enough light to make out his feet on the ground, Magnus jumped out of his sleeping bag and made his way to the spot he had marked last night. The sea was calm, the wind still, perfect conditions for diving. To his amazement, Magnus didn't have to go down very deep. After only a few meters, he came across the rocks he had seen yesterday. He took the coordinates of his first find and decided to look around first. The water was completely clear, not even a fish could be seen. The stone stood vertically up from the seabed like a column. And he was not alone. Every few meters, more stone pillars rose toward the sky; Magnus counted a total of fourteen pillars arranged in a circle. A ring of stones that immediately reminded the young man of Stonehenge. Curious, he swam at each of the stones, circling them and recording their data. They stood nearly four feet in the air, the water letting through just enough sun to cast an enchanted pattern on the stone slabs at the bottom. The ground was also laid out with worked slabs in an intricate mandala - mosaic that Magnus could not assign to any surrounding culture.

In all his fascination he did not notice how he was being watched. From a dark cave at the edge of the stone circle lurked a creature whose existence the explorer would have immediately denied. The red tentacles were almost brown, perfectly adapted to the environment. The torso of the octopus slowly transitioned into a human one. Both shoulders and muscular nurse suggested a strong swimmer and fighter. The dark hair tangled around his head and the brown eyes seemed almost black while watching the intruder in his realm.