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ordinarytalk · 7 months ago

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Dopamine, migraines, and ADHD

Y'all.

I had a bad migraine today, pain 8/10, and I noticed I was yawning constantly all day. Out of curiosity, once I had recovered enough that I could take off the blindfold, I looked up "do migraines make you yawn."

Yeah. Migraines can make you yawn. They make you yawn because it's a dopaminergic symptom. Migraines involve fluctuations in dopamine, and people who have more of the dopaminergic symptoms (yawning, drowsiness, fatigue, nausea, mood swings, and increased urination) also tend to have migraines that are longer and worse.[1]

Not only that, it turns out that migraines are much more common in people with low dopamine.

"ADHD is caused by low dopamine," thought, so I looked up ADHD and migraine. Yeah! ADHD and migraine are correlated.[2] Low dopamine levels can increase the risk of ADHD, migraine, sleep disorders, and pain disorders. Dopamine-signaling cells are part of neural pathway for perceiving pain.

Here's how low dopamine makes migraines worse:

If you naturally have a low level of dopamine in your body, your body will try to adjust by increasing the amount or sensitivity of your dopamine receptors.

Dopamine levels rise during the migraine prodrome (the part before the pain hits).

The dopamine receptors will start firing at a lower dopamine level than normal, because they're all super-sensitive to deal with chronic low dopamine.

Now everything hurts for no damn reason.

Outside of me realizing that the low dopamine is, yet again, my personal villain, I also learned something else kind of cool: Dopamine antagonists (meds that lower dopamine activity) can help stop a migraine once it's started, but dopamine agonists (meds that increase dopamine activity) can prevent migraines from happening.[3]

That makes sense, if you think about it. If you're already mid-migraine, you need the dopamine turned off so your pain receptors can reset. And if you don't have chronic low dopamine to start with, your body won't make your dopamine receptors super sensitive.

My point for this entire post: There's evidence that taking ADHD meds can help prevent migraines.[4]

All I could find was one single preliminary study looking at this, but the results were very promising. I know that I personally have noticed less frequent migraines since I got on Adderall.

The fact that no one is studying this is driving me bonkers. I might actually try to email some college professors out of the blue to look at this. Hey! If you're in neuroscience and you're reading this, maybe study dopamine agonists as a method of preventing migraine!

(sources below cut)

[1] Barbanti et al. (2020). Dopaminergic symptoms in migraine: A cross-sectional study on 1148 consecutive patients. International Headache Society. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0333102420929023

[2] Hansen et al. (2018). Comorbidity of migraine with ADHD in adults. BMC Neurology. https://bmcneurol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12883-018-1149-6

[3] Gelfand, A.A., Goadsby, P.J. (2012) A Neurologists's Guide to Acute Migraine Therapy in the Emergency Room. Neurohospitalist. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3737484/

[4] Haas, D., Sheehe, P. (2004) Dextroamphetamine pilot crossover trials and n of 1 trials in patients with chronic tension-type and migraine headache. Headache. https://headachejournal.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1526-4610.2004.04199.x

#migraine #migraines #neuroscience #neurology #adhd #dopamine #chronic pain #also curious on if ADHD med use can change your eventual risk of parkinson's - that's related to dopamine too

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spooniestrong · 6 months ago

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Part 2: related content for that leg cramps ask, finally re-found the 2 vitamin C related articles which came to mind, one from 2018, one from 2022, https://www.sciencealert.com/scurvy-coming-back-vitamin-c-poverty-massachusetts-boston-vitamania-movie "Lopez, who lives on the poverty line and spent years eating just one meal a day, ended up with a 'prescription' of a daily orange in order to correct and prevent the vitamin C deficiency wrecking his health - but his living situation is a serious challenge to obtaining a healthy diet. "Many people who have difficulty affording food tend to go for food that is high fat, high calorie, and very filling," Churchill explains in the film. "If you have a limited food budget, those are the meals that will fill you up and will satisfy you more than eating fruits and vegetables."

and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8958866/ "Scurvy initially presents with musculoskeletal complaints in the form of weakness, arthralgias, myalgias, and fatigue, especially in the upper legs and thighs."

Excellent find -- thank you!! 💙🥄

#spooniestrong #asks #inbox #vitamin c #cramps #muscle spasms

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afvenvs3000f24 · 3 months ago

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Unit 4: Nature interpretation through art

For as long as I can remember, I've always appreciated the beauty of our world and overall had a more artistic and observant view of the world. On road trips with my family to our trailer, for the entire three to four hours, I would look outside my window to the sky and with whatever clouds there were, I would imagine what shape they closely resembled and would create intricate stories based on the movement of the clouds, any other shapes it took on and the other clouds around it (which would take on side character roles or help the plot thicken). Lucky for me, I have very patient parents who always pushed me to share my creativity, so throughout the whole car ride, I'd share what I was interpreting from the clouds with the entire car. As mentioned in Chapter 5 of our textbook (page 90), Interpreters also help their audience gain new perspectives or a new view and understanding of something they hadn't given much thought to before; I feel like slowly in my life, I've been developing this skill naturally, this being the first memory of it. I've always loved to look at nature from an artistic and creative point of view, and as I've grown into a more spiritual/religious appreciation of the world, as mentioned in my first blog, it's given me much more profound gratitude and mindfulness. In addition to this, being a biology major and having much experience being in nature and observing it from both a scientific and artistic view allows me to "find patterns within apparent chaos." as mentioned in the same chapter and page of our textbook, to be able to interpret nature through art.

The way I interpret the "Gift of Beauty," is a way of introducing mindfulness and higher awareness to an audience. When we don't see the beauty in nature and its small intricacies, like organisms and ecosystems, which make it a whole, we ignore them and often forget about them. Additionally, in our society today, the world is built to constantly distract you from being in the present moment. Stressors, such as social media, financial issues, jobs and school/school work, are all things that often take up a majority of our time and thoughts, and we become swept up in everything else that we forget to acknowledge many gifts in life, one being nature and its psychological powers.

To have available areas of nature you can visit is a gift in itself, as you can always rely on the stillness of the forest or the tranquillity of hearing the sounds of the river to take a moment and do nothing but observe the beauty of how nature works as one. For those who don't understand how to be present with nature and mindful of the space they're in, this may seem boring, but once mastering this skill, you can use it to its full advantage to reduce levels of stress and increase gratitude and happiness (Alexandros Argyriadis et al., 2024). Keeping all of this in mind, I believe a good interpreter has the gift to present the beauty of nature in such a manner that allows their audience to understand this message, yet be able to conclude it on their own to truly feel spiritually uplifted and want to fight for the preservation of these spaces overall.

References:

Argyriadis, A., Kopanakis, E., Koutras, P., Louvaris, K., Mammi, A.-Z., Psychogiou, M., Katsarou, D., Vieira, I., Drakopoulou, O., & Argyriadii, A. (2024). The impact of outdoor in nature mindfulness on the mental well-being of children and adolescents. A mental health and cross-cultural approach. Materia socio-medica. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10999151/#:~:text=MINDFULNESS%20IN%20NATURE,improved%20cognitive%20functioning%20(20).

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World. SAGAMORE Publishing, Sagamore Venture.

#envs3000

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moidz · 3 months ago

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Something that I always find annoying when dealing with het couples who were both abusers is only singling out one of them, and most of the time it’s always the woman. I found another recent case where a woman murdered her ex-boyfriend. The woman in this case is Devyn Michaels who decapitated her ex-boyfriend Jonathan Willette. Of course the youtube comments were all ‘‘woman bad, man good.’’ So, I decided to look into this to show why we need to change the misogynistic perspective of these cases.

I’m taking a few of the best articles I feel explain this case well. Cited in an article by PMC: ‘‘In the United States (U.S.), nearly half of all female and one-tenth of male homicide victims are killed by intimate partners (Fridel & Fox, 2019; Jack et al., 2018). Past research indicates that in two-thirds to three-quarters of heterosexual intimate partner homicides (IPHs), the male had been previously abusive toward the female, regardless of which person was killed (Campbell et al., 2003; Harden et al., 2019).’’ Stated by LAS VEGAS (KLAS) regarding Devyn Michael’s’ claim: ‘‘Michaels later told police that on the night of Willette’s death, the two were sitting on a bed and Willette was trying to get Michaels to perform a sexual act on him. She said while he was lying face down rubbing her back, she grabbed a wooden stick and hit him in the back of the head, causing his arms to go limp, documents said.’’ There’s a method called coercive control that abusers use on their victims, and it looks like Willette was trying to force her to do sexual things to him. That is an example of coercive control. Here is another claim, cited by Law & Crime: ‘‘In that interview, she said the victim (Willette) “was abusive to her” and had a child “take showers in front of him.” She reportedly said that while they were in bed, she hit him in the head with a stick and his arms went limp, according to the arrest report.’’ I’m going to assume they included ‘‘a child’’ about one of their 2 daughters here.

Now here is the part where BOTH of them are grouped together as abusers. Cited by Law & Crime: “[The employee] stated that [the child] approached her teacher and told her that she had got a ‘whooping’ while at home from her stepfather,” documents said, KLAS reported. “[The child] also told the teacher that her mother gave her a ‘whopping’ the week prior for having apple juice.” This was about one of their daughter’s, who is 8 years old. It’s cited by many sources that in some cases of a partner who is the abuser, the other partner will become abusive as well. Here is Las Vegas (KLAS) regarding another one of her claims: “I have done counseling classes, therapy, drug tests, psych evaluations, I’ve done everything,” Michaels told Holthus during the sentencing. “Everyone I’ve spoken to say I’m not an abusive person and they don’t feel there’s any risk for me to abuse her or would ever do this again.” Well obviously she hasn’t, and that’s a classic example of gaslighting.

My opinion: This couple was another example of overlooked parental abuse, and it looks like to me that this stepfather started it. Michael’s either became an abuser to try and satisfy him, or because she needed an outlet to take her own anger out on and she chose her daughters, which is absolutely despicable. Of course the news outlets are biased, and because the man is dead it will make it seem like it was all completely on her. But as you can see from her children, both of them are very much at fault here. Misogynists will always only take things at face value though.

Sources:

https://www.8newsnow.com/investigators/las-vegas-woman-told-judge-she-was-not-an-abusive-person-days-after-police-suspect-she-decapitated-father/

#true crime #partner violence #female violence #crimblr #gender critical #empty post #devyn michaels

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kores-pomegranate · 1 year ago

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So, because I can’t leave well enough alone and Some Shit Happened today, I put together some resources that affirm that if you are a person who identifies as nonbinary, you can and do fit under the trans umbrella. Of course, you do not HAVE to refer to yourself or think of yourself as trans, but it was a really important part of my journey as a nonbinary person to realize that I was “allowed” to be in the trans community, because, and this is the important part, *all this is required to be trans is that you do not identify with the gender you were assigned at birth.” That’s it. End of qualifications needed to ID as trans.

If you are nonbinary and don’t WANT to identify as trans, then don’t. But I think it’s important to know that you’re allowed to, and we enbies who do identify as trans are happy to have you be part of our family.

Resources and references:

https://lgbt.foundation/who-we-help/trans-people/non-binary

https://www.tumblr.com/nonbinaryresource/130363147161/im-trying-to-find-more-nonbinary-representation

https://transequality.org/issues/resources/understanding-transgender-people-the-basics

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/blog/can-i-be-both-transgender-and-nonbinary

https://www.rainbow-project.org/what-we-do-mean-by-trans-or-non-binary/

https://www.transhub.org.au/101/what-is-trans

“Why do we use umbrella terms?

“Umbrella terms” are words that are used to describe a large range of concepts or experiences in simplified terms. For example, painting is an umbrella term that can be used to talk about oil paintings and watercolours, detailed brushwork to splatter art, and even changing the colour of a house. Similarly, trans and gender diverse, trans, and transgender are umbrella terms for a population of people whose gender is different to what was presumed for them at birth. The term trans is inclusive of binary trans people (women and men who are trans), non-binary trans people, Sistergirls and Brotherboys. Umbrella terms are an often imperfect but helpful solution to trying to talk about a wide range of experiences that are closely related in some ways, but very different in others. No two trans people will have the same experience of being trans, but we have similar experiences that may not be shared with cis people. Trans and gender diverse people are also a socially and legally marginalised population, and coming together under these umbrellas of identity is an important way of advocating for ourselves and each others’ rights despite the differences we may have.” (https://www.transhub.org.au/101/what-is-trans#why-do-we-use-umbrella-terms)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6830997/

“Like genderqueer, non-binary can be traced to the work of transgender and transsexual authors who resisted or transcended gender binaries, for example Bornstein, who stated that ‘Gender fluidity recognizes no borders or rules of gender.’ (1994, p. 52). The earliest use of terms referring directly to non-binary seems to be around 2000, for example Haynes and McKenna’s (2001) collection Unseen Genders: Beyond the Binaries.”

“Overall, academic production has not kept pace with the growth of non-binary identities, and there are difficulties with erasure of non-binary within the broader transgender category (Fiani & Han, 2018). “

“Monro and Van der Ros (2017) demonstrate the way in which state apparatus and the medical establishment can operate to perpetuate a socially marginal position for non-binary people. Gender binarism may be compounded by trans*3-normativity – “the belief that there is only one way for trans* people to practice their gender…[it] suggests that all trans* people should transition from one socially knowable sex to another” (Nicolazzo, 2016, p. 1175). These forces, which operate at cultural, institutional, policy, and legal levels, combine to perpetuate narrow models of sex, gender, and sexual identity.”

https://glaad.org/transgender/transfaq/

“Everyone has a gender identity, an internal sense of self and perception of one’s own gender. For some people their gender identity is the same as the sex they were assigned at birth (cisgender) and for some people their gender identity is different than the sex they were assigned at birth (transgender).   There have always been transgender people who felt that their gender identity didn’t fall neatly into the two binary categories of “man” or “woman.” In the past, trans people who felt that way used the words genderqueer and genderfluid to describe that experience. While those words are still used today, it’s now more common for people to call themselves non-binary if they feel their gender identity is something other than “man” or “woman.” People who use the word non-binary to describe their gender identity typically also call themselves transgender.”

#gender #transgender #nonbinary #genderqueer #resources #references

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lost-and-cursed · 6 months ago

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Resources

by @intersex-support

Intersex 101:

http://4intersex.org/#yourself

https://interactadvocates.org/

http://www.intersexjusticeproject.org/

Our Page on Intersex Organizations by Country/Region/Location:

https://intersex-support.tumblr.com/location

Resources FOR Intersex people:

InterConnect support group, this group holds monthly support groups and has facebooks groups for intersex people, relatives of intersex people, and allies. To join you go to the website and fill out the contact form under “contact:.

https://interconnect.support/

Parenting:

https://www.iglyo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Supporting-Your-Intersex-Child.pdf

Intersex Surgery:

https://www.palmcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Re-Thinking-Genital-Surgeries-1.pdf

https://www.hrw.org/report/2017/07/25/i-want-be-nature-made-me/medically-unnecessary-surgeries-intersex-children-us

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6293350/

https://www.unfe.org/intersex-awareness/

https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=20739&LangID=E

#not to steal any thunder #but I just feel that some of you don't click additional links #so maybe this way it'll spread #intersex #intersex resources

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harpagornis · 9 months ago

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Indotriconodon flies,baby!

By omegafreelancer

So learning that Indotriconodon magnus – an already impressive animal in being a large sized Mesozoic mammal and an unambiguous eutriconodont from the Maastrichtian – is also a volaticothere I naturally had to commission it in its likely volant form.

Volaticotheria phylogenetic tree by Bajpai et al 2024

Its debuting study also recover Sangarotherium and Eotriconodon as volaticotheres. The former in particular is the only mammal in an Arctic environment dominated by other synapsids (Averianov et al 2020), so it clearly must have been able to fly and migrate when other crown mammals couldn’t.

Things just keep looking up for volaticothere flight, which I already extensively argued for with the marine deposition and lack of dental wear of Ichthyoconodon, the early cosmopolitan distribution of the group, the fact that Volaticotherium‘s hand is largely missing and the fact that gliding mammals are primarily herbivorous (Luo 2017).

Naturally, I also used this image to forward my speculative volaticotheres over at Lemuria.

What a wonderous day.

References

Bajpai, Sunil; Rautela, Abhay; Yadav, Ravi; Wilson Mantilla, Gregory P. (2024-02-29). “The first eutriconodontan mammal from the Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of India”. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. doi:10.1080/02724634.2024.2312234. ISSN 0272-4634.

Averianov, Alexander; Martin, Thomas; Lopatin, Alexey; Skutschas, Pavel; Schellhorn, Rico; Kolosov, Petr; Vitenko, Dmitry (2018-07-25). “A high-latitude fauna of mid-Mesozoic mammals from Yakutia, Russia”. PLOS ONE. 13 (7): e0199983. Bibcode:2018PLoSO..1399983A. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0199983. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 6059412. PMID 30044817.

Luo ZX, Meng QJ, Grossnickle DM, Liu D, Neander AI, Zhang YG, Ji Q (August 2017). “New evidence for mammaliaform ear evolution and feeding adaptation in a Jurassic ecosystem”. Nature. 548 (7667): 326–329. doi:10.1038/nature23483. PMID 28792934. S2CID 4463476.

#indotriconodon #eutriconodont #eutriconodonta #paleontology #palaeontology #paleoart #palaeoart #paleoblr #palaeoblr #mammal #cretaceous #maastrichtian

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mariacallous · 8 months ago

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Meduza: Prigozhin’s ghost pops up again: Investigators at the Dossier Center project report that Russia’s newly appointed defense minister, Andrey Belousov, previously “curated” the activities of mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. The project says it obtained a copy of Prigozhin’s “personal calendar” and an archive of Belousov’s emails reportedly showing that the two met privately to hammer out policies that would later be refined and shared with President Putin. According to the Dossier Center, Belousov received a research paper as early as 2018 arguing that private military companies would be a vital component of Moscow’s confrontation with the United States and Great Britain and in the expanding “gray zones” of international conflicts. The authors of the paper in Belousov’s inbox advised that PMCs should be formed under the state’s full control. They identified Prigozhin’s Wagner Group as a Defense Ministry company.

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patchoulism · 11 months ago

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Yushenkov, shot dead in 2003.

Politkovskaya, shot dead in 2006.

Litvinenko, poisoned with pollonium in London in 2006.

Magnitsky, died in prison in 2009 after complications, caused by prison tortures and beatings.

Nemtsov, shot dead near Kremlin itself in 2015.

Rastorguyev, Dzhemal and Radchenko, killed in Central African Republic while investigating Wagner PMC in 2018.

Kara-Murza was jailed for 25 years and is now dying in prison.

Skripal family barely survived poisoning with Novichok chemical agent in 2016.

Umarov was killed in Austria in 2020. Aliev in France in the same year.

All vocal critics of Putin and his vassals.

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serenityspirits · 11 months ago

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Pets offer numerous benefits to their owners, both physically and mentally. Here are some of the key benefits:

Reduces Stress and Anxiety: Interaction with pets has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol, a stress-related hormone. This can help reduce stress and anxiety[1][7][10].

Improves Heart Health: Regular walking or playing with pets can decrease blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels, which are beneficial for cardiovascular health[1][3][4][9].

Boosts Mood and Self-esteem: Pets can trigger feelings of comfort, security, and emotional support, which can have positive effects on humans by counteracting feelings of anger, sadness, anxiety, and depression[5].

Promotes Physical Activity: Owning a pet, specifically a dog, can significantly impact an individual’s level of physical activity. People with dogs engage in more minutes of physical activity per week[3][9].

Strengthens the Immune System: Multiple studies examining children’s exposure to pets found protective effects against allergies and increased immunity[3].

Improves Social Skills: Pets can be a great social lubricant for their owners, helping you start and maintain new friendships. Dog owners frequently stop and talk to each other on walks, hikes, or in a dog park[7].

Alleviates Feelings of Loneliness: Pets can help manage loneliness and depression by providing companionship[4][9].

Improves Coping Mechanisms: Pet owners have reported significantly better coping self-efficacy and significantly more positive emotions[2].

Remember, the benefits of owning a pet are not just limited to dogs and cats. Other animals, such as rabbits, can also provide similar benefits[7]. However, it's important to note that owning a pet also brings new responsibilities, such as knowing how to care for and feed an animal[1].

Citations: [1] https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2018/02/power-pets [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8470955/ [3] https://www.petfoodinstitute.org/resources/the-human-animal-bond/physical-health-benefits/ [4] https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/keeping-pets-and-people-healthy/how.html [5] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1196199/full [6] https://www.axahealth.co.uk/health-information/mental-health/resilience/physical-and-mental-health-benefits-of-having-a-pet/ [7] https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/mood-boosting-power-of-dogs.htm [8] https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/news-releases/positive-mental-health-impact-of-pets [9] https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolefisher/2019/05/12/8-ways-pets-improve-your-health-and-wellbeing/ [10] https://www.animalfriends.co.uk/dog/dog-blog/10-benefits-of-owning-a-pet/ [11] https://www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2023/06/28/a-psychologist-explores-the-transformative-power-of-pets-on-mental-health/ [12] https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-are-the-benefits-of-companion-animals-to-human-health/ [13] https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/value-pets-human-health [14] https://psychcentral.com/health/pets-and-mental-health [15] https://www.morethan.com/pet-insurance/guides/9-benefits-of-having-a-pet/ [16] https://www.onehealth.org/blog/10-mental-physical-health-benefits-of-having-pets [17] https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/pets-and-mental-health

#pets #dogs #cats #hugging #bonding #mindfulliving

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fur-teeth-bones-earth · 1 year ago

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On Names

And How I Have Encountered Them in the Craft

There’s a special power in names. They represent something about us beyond just a word we answer to. Names that say something about who we are, who we love, who loves us. They can give a voice to hearts and souls. Or, as is sometimes necessary, they’re designed to hide who we are. When you call upon a deity or a spirit, the name you use can honor them or speak to their different aspects.

Names can christen a tool and ensure it remains loyal to us. They can acknowledge the spirit of the tool and awaken it. They can be used to summon and honor spirits—or to bind and banish them. A name alone can define a context and a space to interact with a spirit with. When you use a formal title to call upon an entity, by name alone you’re establishing a sacred space. When you call upon a named aspect of an entity, you’re establishing purpose and intent with them.

Kennings, or poetic epithets, feature prominently in Norse mythology. In Skaldskaparmal, the narrator bestows kennings upon numerous figures based on their traits, their deeds, and their relationships. Tyr is hailed as the “One-handed God” and the “Fosterer of the Wolf”, both referring to his role in the story of Fenrir (where, as you may have guessed, he loses a hand to a wolf that he helped raise). Loki receives the name “Benchmate” of Odin” but also the “thief of the Giants, of the Goat, of Brísinga-men, and of Idunn's Apples” (1). It reflects the complex role Loki plays as both the blood-brother of Odin and the mischievous trickster.

Pagan practices often place special emphasis on names from their tradition. Many choose a name for themselves or, depending on their path, may receive a name. Anyone who’s perused a list of witchy authors will be familiar with this. Author Clio Ajana shares her experience with names in a religious context in “Column: How Do You Get Your Name?” She describes how she settled on the name the article is published under, which took years to decide on and happened by accident at first. (4)

If you have a Catholic background like I do, you may also have experience with confirmation names. Those being confirmed select a patron saint and take on their name. While exact requirements and rationales vary by location and tradition, many choose saints whose virtues they wish to embody or who they want to work closely with (3).

Names can be precious and worth protecting. Many people hold their most sacred names close to themselves. Pagan initiatory traditions often gift a name to their participants that they keep private (4). Additionally, I think of queer people who keep their chosen names close and share them only with a trusted few (either as a temporary measure before sharing it widely or in the long-term). While this is often for safety more than anything else, there is a sacredness in that community.

Not all names are designed to identify. When a person wants to remain anonymous they often choose a pseudonym, which might be devoid of personality or might present a certain mask. Think of donors to a conservation charity who identify themselves as “Anonymous” or “Hawk lover”. Usernames are another example of protecting your identity with a name while still expressing something of yourself. These anonymous names carry a liminal quality with them. You’re there, but no one knows you are. They’re fleeting, only existing for a brief moment before fading away, or only appearing under the right circumstance.

Sources & Further Reading

Skaldskaparmal section of the Prose Edda, available for free online: https://sacred-texts.com/neu/pre/pre05.htm

Predictors and Mental Health Benefits of Chosen Name Use among Transgender Youth. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7678041/

Various papers on guidelines for choosing confirmation saints

https://stmaryoldtown.org/wp-content/uploads/Guidelines-for-Choosing-a-Saint.pdf

https://www.olqoa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Choosing-a-confirmation-saint-name-.pdf

https://www.stpatricks.org/documents/confirmation-saint-paper

How Do You Get Your Name? by Clio Ahana https://wildhunt.org/2022/09/column-how-do-you-get-your-name.html

#spruce dregs on #witchcraft #norse paganism #catholic #liminal

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wayward-frequency · 1 year ago

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𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 [ ; ]

❝ We'll leave it up to fate then, shall we, Wolfy? A duel to the death. May the best man win. I cut him down, & that's that. Back to our regularly scheduled international incident. But if he beats me... if I die here... the lock on my blade will disable after a couple hours. What happens after that... is up to you, Wolfy. ❞

* Samuel Rodrigues, also known as Jetstream Sam & Minuano (ミヌアノ), was a cyborg mercenary involved with the Desperado PMC group who fought against Raiden during the events of 2018. He was a Brazilian master swordsman of the “Rodrigues New Shadow School” technique, which had derived from the “Yagyu Shinkage-ryu” (Yagyu New Shadow School) of Japan.

Samuel Rodrigues was descended from a long line of swordsmen, dating back to 16th century Japan [ ; ] his father of whom operated a Brazilian Kenjutso dojo, eventually having been killed by one of his own pupils, rumored to have been involved in cartels for reasons unknown. Although, not before Samuel personally inherited the Murasama blade from his father [ ; ] leaving Brazil, presumably to train, only to later return, inevitably killing the pupil in question.

Thereafter, he travelled the world as a mercenary, taking various odd jobs, including a job as a bodyguard & as a cleaner for the Mafia, having made a name for himself in the criminal underworld, all executed at a time before high-frequency weapons were available. At some point, though, he had the Murasama blade modified into an HF Blade with an ID lock. Already a superlative sword, this led to the creation of an incredibly powerful HF Blade, which glowed an eerie red color.

⌬ — * 𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒 [ ; ]

➤ “Sam” [ 💬 ] ❔ ➤ “Minuano” [ 💬 ] @ Monsoon ( 季節風 )

⌬ — * 𝐀𝐆𝐄 [ ; ]

➤ 34 ( Canon ) / 32 ( Jetstream DLC )

⌬ — * 𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 [ ; ]

➤ 1.82 m ( 6'0" )

⌬ — * 𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐑 [ ; ]

➤ Dark brown

⌬ — * 𝐄𝐘𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐑 [ ; ]

➤ Light brown

⌬ — * 𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐄 [ ; ]

➤ Olive

⌬ — * 𝐃𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃 [ ; ]

➤ Right

⌬ — * 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐓𝐘𝐏𝐄 [ ; ]

➤ O+

⌬ — * 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒 [ ; ]

➤ Single

⌬ — * 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 [ ; ]

➤ Cisgender male / ( He / him ) & ( She / her )

⌬ — * 𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 [ ; ]

➤ Bisexual / aromantic

⌬ — * 𝐎𝐂𝐂𝐔𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 [ ; ]

➤ Mercenary ( 2002 - 2018 ) ➤ Bodyguard ( 2002 - 2005 ) ➤ Cleaner ( 2004 - 2007 )

⌬ — * 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒 [ ; ]

➤ With his occupation as a drifter – taking odd jobs wherever he may find them, either due to an underlying desperation to sustain his own life, or because he himself genuinely enjoys the occupation – Samuel has no single residence, no single place of origin. Such was a mindset he'd geared himself into at the time of his father's death, & he has travelled alone & without homestead ever since.

⌬ — * 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐒 [ ; ]

➤ One of Samuel's most prominent scars – & one of the only scars he'd ever held any kind of pride in garnering – is a long, deep scar which runs from the edge of his scalp [ ; ] piercing through the bush of his eyebrow, down his cheek to knick the corner of his upper lip. Curving more towards the right as it lines his lower lip, where it then fades into irrelevance. Such a scar found itself bearing heavily upon his body the moment Samuel returned from his training, later lashing his burden of vengeance and mourning out upon the pupil of whom took his father's life. Yet, even as said pupil's blade carved a lengthy trail of gore upwards against Sam's face – nearly blinding him in one eye, almost halving his tongue & breaking his teeth – it appeared Samuel got the last laugh, in the end.

➤ With his occupation as both a swordsman & a mercenary, however, Samuel is not also without his smaller, lesser significant scars. A smaller, more tenuous scar lines his right cheekbone, just beneath the corner of his eye... & with its fragile size, its story even moreso, & perhaps a little more shameful than the last [ ; ] nothing more than the result of a simple bar fight, resulting in the shattered glass at the butt-end of a broken beer bottle scraping against his cheekbone. &, as predicted, such a provocation ended a lot less... elegantly than aforementioned previous [ ; ] the perpetrator inescapably leaving the bar with both a broken, bloody nose & soiled jeans.

➤ Aside from his two most prominent, visible scars, marking his face, Samuel has a plethora of other scars – from slim & insignificant, to deep or raised – all upon his body. Aside from those upon his face, however, the most prominent scar to make itself home upon his torso was the mere result – or consequence – of being equipped with cybernetic enhancements [ ; ] the procedure resulting in the total replacement of his right arm, which was incapacitated & rendered useless by Senator Steven Armstrong in 2016. Because of the otherwise intrusive surgery – & the insurmountable haste his assigned cybernetic surgeons appeared to exercise at the time of operation – several gnarly, rough scars make home upon Samuel's upper right torso [ ; ] curving from Samuel's right shoulder blade, over his shoulder, to the lowermost section of his chest, rounding off just near his right middlemost ribcage [ ; ] severing his armpit from the soft, pliable flesh of his thorax.

⌬ — * 𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐎𝐎𝐒 / 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 [ ; ]

➤ Samuel has no tattoos or body art of note. As for piercings, however, when he was younger, around the age of fifteen to seventeen, Samuel did pierce his own ears, moreso out of curiosity rather than some crazed wish to risk infection. However, Samuel has since relented in wearing any sort of earrings or piercings, not seeing a need for them, given the nature of his exosuit.

⌬ — * 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐒 [ ; ]

➤ Outside of marks inflicted by third parties or illness, while they may not be visible to most outsiders given the nature of his armor / exosuit, Samuel's flesh is dusted with some number of nevus, more prominently upon his upper back & thighs, with a few nevus of note sprinkling his rear end. Upon his abdomen, just near his belly further to the left, there is a notable, imperfectly-shaped birthmark, appearing as though it had faded with time.

⌬ — * 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒 [ ; ]

➤ Aside from the long, prominent scar running across the left side of his face, Samuel has several other notable features, at first glance. For one, his eyes – emphasized by his eyelids, the hood of his brow, eyelashes & the subtle crow's feet etching from either corner of his eyes – hold a kind of intensity that appears to round & complete his face, giving him not only an appearance of maturity, but of utmost exhaust, as though you can see the story of his life simply by gazing into his eyes.

➤ Additionally, Samuel's hair is not only quite curly & wavy, in nature, but maintains an almost natural layer of either oil or grease, regardless of where he is, or what he does. As though, no matter how many times he may wash it, it almost always appears as though there is a subtle kind of shine to its texture.

➤ Just as his eyes are notable in nature, Sam's lips stand out from the fine, almost delicate chisel of his face. Even outside of his otherwise iconic smile – either from genuine bliss or as he may be taunting his foe – the soft, visibly plush texture of his lips gives the rest of his face a much friendlier impression, perhaps to both contrast with his brash personality & the nature of his occupation.

⌬ — * 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌𝐒 [ ; ]

➤ Sam Kiszka

𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐏𝐒𝐘𝐂𝐇𝐄 [ ; ]

⌬ — * 𝐙𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐂 [ ; ]

➤ Cancer / Rat

⌬ — * 𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 [ ; ]

➤ Chaotic good

⌬ — * 𝐄𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐌 𝐓𝐘𝐏𝐄 [ ; ]

➤ SO6 — THE LOYALIST.

* Self-affirming, trusting of self & of others, & independent. Dedicated, particularly to movements within which he holds strong belief, at the cost of also being constantly vigilant, anticipant of problems or conflicts. But, at worst, sarcastic and belligerent [ ; ] blaming others for his own problems, & authoritarian while also fearful of authority. Evasive & indecisive, with a tendency to wallow within his own confusion.

⌬ — * 𝐌𝐁𝐓𝐈 𝐓𝐘𝐏𝐄 [ ; ]

➤ ISFP-T — THE ADVENTURER.

* These individuals often lean towards introversion, & nonsocial tendencies [ ; ] however choose to use their tranquil surroundings to regather their thoughts, their down-to-earth attitude giving them great foresight in regards to personal or world events. Despite this, these individuals share an excellency in adapting to unfamiliar environments, their value of novelty above stability classifying them as “flexible nonconformists,” of sorts.

⌬ — * 𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒 [ ; ]

➤ Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder ( PTSD ) / Major Depressive Disorder ( MDD ) / Schizotypal Personality Disorder ( STPD ) / Generalized Anxiety Disorder ( GAD ) / Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder ( DPDR ) / Insomnia

⌬ — * 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐍 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐒 [ ; ]

➤ Samuel is fluent in both English & Brazilian Portuguese.

⌬ — * 𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐒 [ ; ]

➤ When placed under extreme amounts of pressure or stress, particularly in more recent times, Samuel has a tendency to either ingest alcohol, or imply that he may or may not ingest alcohol, as a means to cope with both his own lack of personal meaning or purpose, or to escape social situations. With this, he is not a social drinker in the slightest, for various reasons.

⌬ — * 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐆𝐄 [ ; ]

➤ Physical Touch, with a dash of both Words of Affirmation, & Quality Time. While Samuel has a tendency to keep to himself, to self-isolate & – when working – tends to do it all by his lonesome, he is not one to deny the right of others to dote upon him, even if he himself might not be the one to initiate such contacts. With all that he has endured, Samuel has grown to believe that talk is cheap, but would also prefer it if people didn't require of him material items just to be reassured of his affections for them. That, & he isn't necessarily good at expressing his emotions, so something so simple as being in another's presence is satisfactory enough for him.

⌬ — * 𝐇𝐎𝐁𝐁𝐈𝐄𝐒 [ ; ]

➤ While Samuel doesn't entertain himself much with mere material practicalities, one activity he does enjoy partaking in would be in heavy regards to his motorcycle [ ; ] holding an almost gushy place in his heart for it, despite it being an inanimate means of transportation. When he isn't journaling – another off-handed, sort of recreational activity he partakes in for the sake of his own mental health – he is either driving his bike or cleaning it. Perhaps the decal on its side won't spitshine itself?

⌬ — * 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐒 [ ; ]

➤ Righteous & protective / Patient & pragmatic / Approachable & tolerant / Reserves most, if not all of his judgment / Smiles a lot & doesn't refrain from having a sense of humor around others / Goofy & unserious, when he needs to be.

⌬ — * 𝐍𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐒 [ ; ]

➤ Brash & arrogant / Reactionary & defensive / Hot-headed & violent / Emotional & inactive / Miserable & self-destructive / Compulsive & carefree / Hypocritical & naïve / Apathetic & uncaring / Tends to isolate himself near-constantly / Difficult to read & inelaborate with his own emotions.

⌬ — * 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐒 [ ; ]

➤ Long, quiet drives on his motorcycle / Scrapbooking & journaling / *Cuisine from his home country & food in general / *Home renovation television shows / *Cross-dressing ( on occasion ) / Long naps underneath the warm sun & in the bath / *Having his hair played with / Moody, rainy days.

⌬ — * 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐒 [ ; ]

➤ Meetings, events, & other compelled social outings / Being humbled, despite humbling others / Money, wealth & corporate greed / Feeling as though he has disappointed his family name / Bloodspray & gore / Long, winded speeches / Corruption, politicians, & corporate executives / Being treated as immature or as though he doesn't know better.

* VERSE-DEPENDENT & VARIES.

⌬ — * 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 [ ; ]

➤ From the perspective of both a man, a warrior, & a cyborg, exposed to nothing but the endless bloody wiles of the life of a mercenary, Samuel comes off as not only brash & comically arrogant, but almost too cocky for his own good [ ; ] such predetermined confidence having inevitably led to pitfall after pitfall, again & again. However, in some recent past of his, he wasn't always so carefree & careless [ ; ] once having been well-calcuated, never once underestimating his enemy, & always having seemed on top of things.

➤ However, after being served defeat at the hands of the Senator, it appears both his arm & his valor were ripped from his very being. Now, being subject to live his life as a lie [ ; ] becoming reserved, & disinterested in almost everything, as though his reason to live had been sapped from his soul. Once having been confident & free, Samuel now felt as though he were trapped in a cage of his own making. Empty.

𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 [ ; ]

⌬ — * 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 [ ; ]

➤ FATHER — DECEASED. ➤ MOTHER — DECEASED. (Alleged.)

⌬ — * 𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 [ ; ]

➤ ❔

⌬ — * 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓-𝐎𝐅-𝐊𝐈𝐍 [ ; ]

➤ ❔

⌬ — * 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐍 [ ; ]

➤ ❔

⌬ — * 𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐒 [ ; ]

➤ Samuel does not have any pets, however, due to the frequent number of cats to roam around his place of occupation without supervision, he has become quite fond of the common house cat. Oftentimes visiting World Marshal's infamous – perhaps for all the wrong reasons – Japanese garden, where one of several of the premise's cats lounged around without much care in the world.

#: ̗̀➛ ABOUT.#: ̗̀➛ HEADCANON.#: ̗̀➛ MUSINGS. . .#: ̗̀➛ MUSE. — Samuel “Jetstream” Rodrigues.

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