#Project Britannica

[rendellstreet]

Lusitania (1997) - dir. James Cameron

[zponds]

After seeing analog horror done scarily and effectively on Jurassic Park and Godzilla, I sure was in for a surprise when ocean liners recently entered the analog horror genre with a series called Project Britannica by Jack G Animations.

After seeing every video of Project Britannica, it left me wondering how other ocean liners (both from before and after titanic), like the Teutonic Twins; RMS Teutonic and RMS Majestic… the Big Four; RMS Celtic, RMS Cedric, RMS Baltic, and RMS Adriatic… the last White Star liners; MV Britannic and MV Georgic… and super liners; RMS Queen Mary, RMS Queen Elizabeth, SS Normandie, SS United States, and SS France (1960)… could show up later down the line. Besides other ocean liners, I’m also wondering how merchant cargo ships from the time like the SS Californian, could show up. I’m also wondering if the planned yet canceled White Star super liners; RMMV Oceanic and RMMV Georgic, could show up later on.

BUUUT… pondering aside, this video sure is an effective way to introduce newcomers to Project Britannica. And the music really gives off an unsettling vibe and fits the mood and atmosphere of Project Britannica has.

[ivx2810]

[angels-gen]

Mesh AU (part4)

- ?¿?¿?¿? P.o.V -

I fell through a portal, clutching my arm as I panted, trying to stop the bleeding. I got up off the floor and ran. I shouldn't have unlocked that universe, I shouldn't have gone into that timeline!

But I can't stop looking for my sister… I have to keep looking for my sister! I'm not gonna stop until I find her somewhere, anywhere! I just need to see my sister again…

It was a mistake to ask Parasite and Host's Britannic for help, but I had no other choice. I couldn't let the others know I've unlocked the Mesh universe. But it's too late now… it's unlocked and now if no one's careful.

We're all done for.

I ran down a hallway, the interiors of this place looks familiar. Am I on my ship? No, it can't be. Maybe I'm in one of the Olympic's ships, it looks similar to that of Titanic's anyway, or maybe I'm on Titanic's ship. I can't ever tell those two apart, they're so confusing. I took a turn to the right only to be met with a dead end, I looked back behind me. The Mesh slowly coming towards me; I quickly created a portal underneath me, going through it to another universe, into a different timeline. Hopefully without the Mesh following me.

~

- Olympic's P.o.V -

We stumbled through the portal I'd opened, falling face down on the ground in front of a pair of boots. "Ow…" I said rubbing my head, "ughhh… you guys are both squishing me…" Britannic grumbled underneath the both of us.

"Are you three alright?" We looked up to see a tall man in a fancy black suit; Titanic and I scrambled to get up off of Britannic, her head almost popping off her body. I picked Britannic off the floor quickly, making her head finally fall right off. He screamed when her head rolled away; I groaned and I buried my face in my hands in embarrassment, while Titanic went after Britannic's head. "Sorry about that… my sister can't exactly keep her head to herself sometimes." I said sighing as I watched my sister come running back with Britannic's head; Titanic stuck a hand out for a shake, "hi, I'm Titanic and these are my sisters! Olympic and Britannic, call me Dream though it gets confusing sometimes if we don't use nicknames." She greeted as they shook hands; "that's interesting! My name's Titanic too!" He replied. I nodded, "yea your hat pretty much gave it away." I said pointing to his hat; my sister collapsed onto the floor, worn out from chasing after Britannic's head. I walked over to my sister, taking our younger sister's head and back over to where her body waited patiently. I placed her head back on her shoulders, securing it onto her neck with a ribbon, retying it extra tightly to make sure it doesn't fall off again.

"Who are you three…?" I looked over at another tall man, with the name Olympic embroidered on his hat, who was followed by another man in a white coat. Britannic spun her head a round a few times before it popped back off again. "Oops—" Dream groaned as she caught Britannic's head again; "please stop doing that…" she said as she held up Britannic's head to look at her. Britannic giggled as I sighed; I looked over at Olympic, "we're you guys but from a different universe." I said as I took Britannic's head from Dream, brushing the stray hairs away from her face and giving her a flick on the forehead before putting it back on her body. "We know we look a little different from you guys, but we're actually still you guys." Dream said as she got up off the floor. "I don't believe it." Britannic said while shaking his head in disbelief, I looked over at him as he looked my sister up and down before cautiously taking a step towards our younger sister.

"So that means your name's Britannic too then?" "Yep! But you can call me Bree though, even if my sisters say otherwise." I rolled my eyes, while Dream scoffed. "Oh please, we all call her Psycho for a damn good reason." Psycho glared at her, throwing her davit at Dream, hitting her on the head again. I stared down at Dream laying unconscious on the floor, sighing as I looked over at Psycho. "Really…" she chuckled nervously, as I sighed again. Now there's only one other place we can go to next.

"We should get going, there's only one place I know where Olympic doesn't mind us crashing for a while. Since Dream's passed out." Psycho perked up. "Wish!" I nodded and was about to create a portal when Psycho quickly asked. "Can they come too?" I looked over at her only to see her clinging onto Britannic. "Sis, we talked about this already. No." She whined, making the most pitiful looking babydoll like eyes that I've ever seen. I took a deep breath and sighed, shaking my head no again. "Britannic we're not taking them with us," "pleaseeeeeee?" "Sis, no." She whined again, and clung onto Olympic as well, trapping both Olympic and Britannic with her. "I've said it once, I've said it twice. We are not bringing them with us." "Pretty pleaseeeeeeeeeee?" I sighed, looking at Britannic and Olympic before looking over at Titanic, who was about ready to explode from excitement. I hung my head down in defeat and sighed.

"Guess I have no choice but to bring you guys along with us to see Wish then… since my sister isn't letting you guys go." I created a portal before dragging Dream through, I looked up at the others. "Oh, and try to keep up with us." I said as I stepped through the portal.

~

- ?¿?¿?¿?¿?'s P.o.V -

I stepped through the portal I created, with cousins following close behind me. I flipped my dark hair behind me as I took out a compact mirror, making sure my face was unrecognisable. My gold eyes were now a dark brown, as well as my strawberry blonde hair. I looked over at my cousins, their appearances still unchanged. I took out a pair of contacts and handed it to each of them.

"I can't do much about your hairs but I can help deal with your eyes." Mauretania looked up at me, shaking her head. "I'm not wearing these." She said giving the contacts back to me; I sighed. "Oh please, the last time we came here we almost died. Now put them on." Mauretania stared at the contacts before she reluctantly took them and put them on. "Perfect, now we just gotta find Olympic and the rest."

[badlydrawnmanic]

why did i spend 3 hours drawing this. was it even fun? i don't know. you'd think i'd be submitting this for a grade

edit: gonna remake this when i have the brain power to look up what the pieces actually do

[light-lanterne]

turing's biography is three paragraphs long and mostly focusses on his creation. this is the only part that refers to his sexuality :(

got curious, going to search the encyclopaedia britannica for alan turing and gay stuff

(i have an edition from 1994, which should be the same as the 1986 thing (minus a couple updates) so i can see what will was actually reading)

[viadescioism]

Kwanzaa:

Kwanzaa, an annual holiday celebrated primarily in the United States from December 26 to January 1, emphasizes the importance of pan-African family and social values. It was devised in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, Inspired by Africa’s harvest celebrations, he decided to develop a nonreligious holiday that would stress the importance of family and community while giving African Americans an opportunity to explore their African identities. Kwanzaa arose from the black nationalist movement of the 1960s and was created to help African Americans reconnect with their African cultural and historical heritage. The holiday honors African American people, their struggles in the United States, their heritage, and their culture. Kwanzaa's practices and symbolism are deeply rooted in African traditions and emphasize community, family, and cultural pride. It's a time for reflection, celebration, and the nurturing of cultural identity within the African American community.

Kwanzaa is a blend of various African cultures, reflecting the experience of many African Americans who cannot trace their exact origins; thus, it is not specific to any one African culture or region. The inclusiveness of Kwanzaa allows for a broader celebration of African heritage and identity.

Karenga created Kwanzaa during the aftermath of the Watts riots as a non-Christian, specifically African-American, holiday. His goal was to give black people an alternative to Christmas and an opportunity to celebrate themselves and their history, rather than imitating the practices of the dominant society. The name Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza," meaning "first fruits," and is based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of West and Southeast Africa. The holiday was first celebrated in 1966.

Each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the seven principles (Nguzo Saba), which are central values of African culture that contribute to building and reinforcing community among African Americans. These principles include Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith). Each family celebrates Kwanzaa in its own way, but Celebrations often include songs, dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry readings, and a large traditional meal. The holiday concludes with a communal feast called Karamu, usually held on the sixth day​​​​.

Kwanzaa is more than just a celebration; it's a spiritual journey to heal, explore, and learn from African heritage. The holiday emphasizes the importance of community and the role of children, who are considered seed bearers of cultural values and practices for the next generation. Kwanzaa is not just a holiday; it's a period of introspection and celebration of African-American identity and culture, allowing for a deeper understanding and appreciation of ancestral roots. This celebration is a testament to the resilience and enduring spirit of the African-American community.

"Kwanzaa," Encyclopaedia Britannica, last modified December 23, 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kwanzaa.

"Kwanzaa - Meaning, Candles & Principles," HISTORY, accessed December 25, 2023, https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/kwanzaa-history.

"Kwanzaa," Wikipedia, last modified December 25, 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa.

"Kwanzaa," National Museum of African American History and Culture, accessed December 25, 2023, https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/kwanzaa.

"The First Kwanzaa," HISTORY.com, accessed December 25, 2023, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-first-kwanzaa.

My Daily Kwanzaa, blog, accessed December 25, 2023, https://mydailykwanzaa.wordpress.com.

Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture (Los Angeles, CA: University of Sankore Press, 1998), ISBN 0-943412-21-8.

"Kente Cloth," African Journey, Project Exploration, accessed December 25, 2023, https://projectexploration.org.

Expert Village, "Kwanzaa Traditions & Customs: Kwanzaa Symbols," YouTube video, accessed December 25, 2023, [Link to the specific YouTube video]. (Note: The exact URL for the YouTube video is needed for a complete citation).

"Official Kwanzaa Website," accessed December 25, 2023, https://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/index.html.

Michelle, Lavanda. "Let's Talk Kwanzaa: Unwrapping the Good Vibes." Lavanda Michelle, December 13, 2023. https://lavandamichelle.com/2023/12/13/lets-talk-kwanzaa-unwrapping-the-good-vibes/.

[identityflawed]

i really appreciate that DEXTER has gotten a surge of appreciation and love since it’s been added back to netflix. i’ve been a fan of the show for six years now! i always get disappointed, however, by the demographic of men who choose to watch the show with the same sort of ignorant mindset that they consume all other media with. dexter is by no means a perfect show — sometimes the plot is a slog and the characters are dumb, and the show takes an unfortunate fall-off as the writers lose the core idea of dexter’s character — but it’s worth paying attention to because the characters are very human and real, other than dexter. that’s the point of it all: that he’s surrounded by individuals who are flawed and complex and complicated and angry in their own ways, as close to violence as he’s always been, dancing on the edges of their own knives. they make bad decisions in the name of their moral codes and beliefs, just as he does. his own connection to what makes people human is faded and invisible to him, but he is in fact, human. his act of killing is vengeful and is of his father’s orders, and the sins of the father are pervasive in the show, time and time again. you are ultimately what your parents make you until you choose to try and change. he was a traumatized child who was supposedly young enough to forget what happened to him in that shipping container, but harry still raised him to be a killer.

i feel a lot of vehemence towards fans who dislike deb because they think she’s a bop, or she sleeps around, or she’s over-emotional, or a pick me. she’s more tragic than dexter. forgotten by her own biological father because harry wanted a gun to point at criminals that the justice system let go, and saw that in dexter when she wanted him to see it in her, too. she wanted to be anything that her dad wanted and she never got to do that; and more than that, she loved her father more intensely than dexter did — and she loves everything more intensely — and hates that for all her love and affection and desperation, the adopted son who is so kind to her still got what she wanted more than anything. she’s tragic because everything she did was to make her dad proud of her, and he died before he could ever see it. harry was a horrible father to both of them, but she sought him out in every man she loved. and she kept losing them, too. her resentment for herself and her hatred of her life choices is so profound that we see her hurting herself frequently — tossing medication after injuries, drinking, working out obsessively, turning down people’s help just so she can wallow and hate herself — in any way that still lets her feel like she’s strong and not weak. and then she projects these ideas on dexter when she’s furious, because she’s always been jealous of him. she’s gone further than he has and with less years behind her, but she’s not religious enough to believe her father’s ghost is looking down at her with a smile. she doesn’t even get dexter’s privilege of hallucinating his pride, because how can you visualize something you’ve never even had?

the supporting cast of dexter is all complex and strange. masuka cracks perverted jokes all the time because he likes being funny and it lightens the gruesome mood, but then gets worried when he realizes maybe his humor undermines his intelligence or how much he cares for the people around him. joey’s a hardliner and a dirty cop who gets himself into trouble for his love of money and comfort, but it’s paired with his determination to protect and avenge the people he loves — and he loves very easily, and hates very easily. angel is a good cop and a good friend who can’t put parameters on his love because he’s antsy, and a free spirit in the worst of ways because being devoted to any one thing forever seems to scare him, because in the past he’s fumbled everything he tries, so he wants to leave an out for himself in everything he does. rita is a recovering abuse victim who offers more kindness to dexter than she should because there’s a part of her that’s afraid she’ll lose the only man her kids have felt safe around, and the only man who seems to respect her and defend her. she gives more than she thinks she’ll receive — placating gestures, forgiving him and waiting patiently for him to repair his mistakes — because some part of her is grateful for any small kindness the world can give her. laguerta is a woman who fought tooth and nail for the power she finally received in an environment that doesn’t treat people of her color or her sex well enough, and would do anything to keep it even if it means stepping on the toes of others, because she doesn’t want to lose it and spend her whole life regretting things. she hates regret, hates hesitation, hates anything that your average male cop does but has to hate it in a different way because aggression is not something well-appreciated in women for the time. she must be pretty and efficient and political; she is not afforded the privilege that everyone else has of being morally forward. doakes was a military man who suffered severe PTSD from his tours and went into the police force because it was the only place he felt like he was channeling himself right, with moral superiority that he had to give himself. like dexter, he would kill those he saw as irredeemably evil, and couldn’t stomach the thought of being around dexter because it’s like looking in the mirror but not knowing why the reflection is so clear. he couldn’t understand where dexter had been to put the look in his eyes that doakes always woke up to, and that made him antsy. his determination to find answers and clear-cut his entire existence into good and evil after a life of morally grey smudges caused his entire postmortem reputation to be a morally grey smudge. there are more: christine hill, frank lundy, arthur mitchell, paul bennett, even astor and cody, miguel prado, to an extent. you can’t love or hate any of them. dexter is a show that reexamines the complexity of humanity from the eyes of a man who doesn’t think he’s human at all.

i think the final two seasons of dexter were a waste. i think what they did for his final love interest and for his ending were destructive to that message. i don’t think he deserved a happy ending, but dexter is indeed a tragedy. i hope that Resurrection ends with him in an electric chair, mirroring the fear harry had for him in childhood, because there isn’t any real escape for a man like him. after the season four finale, his humanity swelled in season 5 and 6 and then died in seasons 7 and 8, and then twisted about in new blood, in some inverted idea of the five stages of grief. well-handled. dexter is his own destructive force because he feels so far removed from society — as most serial killers do — that he destroys the people around him who think he’s close enough to touch their own hearts and then tear them open. and that’s sad, because it’s all the sins of the father and an unstoppable cycle.

the writers don’t get any more self aware than they do in 4x7 “hungry man” when trinity’s daughter mentions aeschylus in passing — the father of tragedy. and indeed that’s what it closes out to. aeschylus’ plays mirror things displayed in dexter. so fascinating and wildly off-topic. but give it a look.

[skypalacearchitect]

How do you think of yourself as a "progressive" while supporting the right wing jewish extremist government of the criminal ethnostate of Israel ethnically cleansing Palestinians with American bullets

It's genuinely beyond my comprehension how you can still consider yourself to be on the side of the oppressed and downtrodden of the world.

those are a lot of words for “I’m antisemitic, and I like to project onto other people.”

Edit: I just found out your tumblr name is literally celebrating a fucking terrorist attack and massacre at 1972 olympics. Because you’re that rabidly antisemitic.

After reading the whole article, I have to say: calling you an absolute scumbag is an understatement.

Disrespectfully, go fuck yourself.

[rendellstreet]

[linguisticdiscovery]

There are 293 different writing systems in the world, according to the World’s Writing Systems project.

According to Britannica, the most widely used writing systems are, in order:

Latin

Chinese

Arabic

Devanagari

Bengali

Want to learn more about writing and its history? Check out my curated list of book recommendations on Writing & Writing Systems:

[ivx2810]

Olympic: being eaten from the inside out by a horror unknown to man that causes people to die a horrific death and possibly infuses their soul with the ship for eternity

Project Britannica: she'd make a good hotel i think

[angels-gen]

- Meeting Dragons -

[Mesh AU part3]

- Olympic's P.o.V -

Britannic yawned as we walked out the cabin and down the empty hallway. "So where to next?" Britannic asked sleepily, we had to wake her up from her nap before passengers started boarding the ship. "It's a surprise," I said as I made a small circle in the air and flicking it against the wall. I think my sisters will love it…~

~

"Ahhhhhh!!!" Titanic screamed when she came face-to-face with a giant dragon, I snickered as she hid behind me. "What the fuck is that thing!?" Olympic huffed, annoyed at being called a thing, "it's a dragon obviously." "Why!? Why did you bring us here!?" I started laughing, "it's been on my list of places to visit for a while now and I wanted to check it out, besides we need to make sure everything's alright with the other universes." I said as I patted Olympic, making her purr. "I know that, but why did you choose this place of all places to be the next one for us to visit!" I shrugged and kept petting Olympic; she nuzzled my hand in contentment.

I heard Titanic scream again and looked over to see what was wrong; I held back a laugh when I saw Britannic playing with a dragon version of herself. Titanic went running over to Britannic, picking her up and running over to me. "Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope." Britannic whined loudly, wanting to continue playing with her dragon. "But she's friendlyyyy…" "no, you're not allowed to go wandering on your own!" "But she's niceeee!!" Britannic kicked at the air, trying to get Titanic to let go of her. Not like it's gonna do much to be honest.

I rolled my eyes, continuing to pet Olympic, until I was body slammed by my sister into the water. "Olympic!!! The dragon's chasing us!!!!" I popped my head out the water with my hair covering my eyes, I sighed as I got out the water.

Well this is gonna be a long day…

~

- ?¿?¿?¿?'s P.o.V -

I woke up on the floor feeling a little sore; I grumbled as I slowly sat up. I was still in the bridge, but where's my captain?

Wait…

Where's everyone…?

Why is it so quiet?

Why is it so cold…?

What's that smell?

It smells terrible.

Where am I?

I'm supposed to be home by now.

I'm supposed to be with my sisters.

Olympic! Titanic!?

Where is everyone…???

A…are they going to find me…???

A…are they even worried about…me…???

They should be…

Olympic's my sister…

I'm scared…

~

- Olympic's P.o.V -

I was fished out of the water by my dragon self; a little drenched but at least it's just water and not something like into mud. I sighed and looked over at Titanic, she had encased both herself along with Britannic in a icey dome of sorts to keep Britannic from climbing onto her dragon; it's probably also so that she feels safe away from the dragons.

I tapped on the ice, getting Titanic's attention. She looked up at me. 'What?' I signaled that it was time to leave the universe, she jumped up onto her feet, startling Britannic a bit. The dome melting away as Titanic reached out and grabbed my hand, running away from the dragons, which honestly wasn't such a good idea because we'd ended up being picked up by Britannic's dragon anyway; which of course ended up with us stuck with a screaming Titanic…

"Is big sis screaming?" Britannic asked as she looked over at Titanic. I looked over at her, and nodded in response, 'she's just being dramatic that's all.' I said to Britannic, she turned to look at me with a blank stare. "My hearing aids are still on you know?" 'I know, but I think it's better to have them off for the sake of your sanity.' I thought as I looked out at the open ocean as we rode on dragon Britannic with Olympic following along side her sister. I looked over at Britannic, she had a solemn look on her face.

'Something on your mind?' She looked up at me, taking her hearing aids off before replying. 'Nothing much really… it's just that, Host and Parasite being really worried made me wonder what would happen if it was me instead of well… Britannic.' I closed my eyes, the sound of gentle waves and my twin sister's distant screaming continued, how lucky is Britannic to have lost her hearing during her sinking. A knot formed in my throat as I thought over what she asked; it'd still be the same thing. I grumbled as I got up and leapt over to my dragon and tackled Titanic.

"Bitch, shut the fuck up already!" I said as I threw her almost overboard. "It's just me! As a dragon! Okay? Now can you calm the fuck down!?" "How am I supposed to calm the fuck down when I'm ON a dragon! And that dragon being you— of all people—" I crossed my arms as I raised a brow at Titanic. Olympic grunted as I rolled my eyes at my twin; I was about to retort back at Titanic when we heard a scream from Britannic.

"That's not a good thing…" "it's never a good thing of Britannic is screaming." "When does she ever scream even—?" "Never— that's the thing!" We looked over at Britannic, and noticed a something in the distance. It was hard to make out what it was exactly but it didn't seem right. Britannic jumped over to us, almost falling down the sides as her dragon growled. "I don't think it's safe to be here anymore…" Titanic said, I nodded in agreement.

"Guess it's time to leave for another place…"

~

.3.~

Dragon AU is by @hatsalad

[weirdly-specific-but-ok]

Hi, so um... I don't know if this is considered rude or ignorant (please feel free to yell at me if it is) but I promise I only have good intentions with this.

Okay... I just want to say that it most certainly was not Robespierre's Reign of Terror. The Reign of Terror was more of a group project and Maximilien Robespierre did not have the tyrannical power that Thermidorian propaganda often credits him with having. He was never the leader of France, rather one of twelve members of the Committee of Public Safety. He wasn't bloodthirsty, he actually hated violence and tried to have the death penalty abolished in 1790 (however the National Assembly had already accepted a different proposal a year before for a more humane form of execution, so they went with that instead). He never tried to start a cult around himself. The Festival of the Cult of the Supreme Being was more of his attempt to bring the country together in a celebration of the Revolution and denounce the hardcore atheists who called for the violent abolition of all religion. And he was nicknamed The Incorruptible for a reason, might I just add. He wasn't perfect certainly, what with the Law of 22 Prairial and I'm sure he could have done more for women's rights, but he wasn't a tyrant either. He didn't execute anyone who disagreed with him, rather that's not even how the Committee worked. They could sign arrest warrants, but their prosecution in the Revolutionary Tribunal was out of the jurisdiction of Committee members. Not to mention that Robespierre signed the least number of arrest warrants out of all 12 Committee members. Robespierre was relatively quite a decent person (as was Saint-Just), at least in comparison to say... Collot and Billaud, who were responsible for some of the worst atrocities of the Terror. After Robespierre was executed (without a trial!) by the Thermidorians, they needed to justify killing him, so the Thermidorians began spreading mass propaganda about him and used him as a scapegoat for their own crimes. (Then the White Terror happened).

Also Robespierre had autism and this is a proven fact. There is no way that fruit tart obsessed, 5'3 man didn't have autism.

Anyways, I think I'm done here. Very extremely sorry about all this but I couldn't help myself. I'm just trying to be helpful because a lot of misinformation surrounds Robespierre and it does annoy me whenever I happen across it. If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them. Regardless, I hope you have a very wonderful day (and again, I am very sorry if this comes off as being rude or indignant).

Oh my gosh thank you so much this is very cool??? Fuck my year 10 history textbook ig 😭😭 I mean I didn't expect nuance from it but I did hope it would at least, well, have some commitment to spreading information (not sure why I expected that) (clearly it didn't)

And don't apologise 😭 I promise you that I am well aware of my lack of awareness (hehe irony) and I love finding out new stuff and this is very very cool <3

I looked it up and here's an article from Britannica if anyone wants more detail :) If you have any other information I'd love to hear it

[violet-hearth]

Devotional Art and Art Magic!

Happy Friday!

Visual art is such an underutilised tool, especially by beginner and younger practitioners. I understand that we all start off excited by spell bags and witch bottles and potions, but as a queer person, so many of us express ourselves through our art and expression can be as big a part of spells as the ingredients (for me expression and intention go hand in hand).

Art has been used both in devotion and in blessings. Displaying art of house blessings was a means to bless the home permanently (Judaism), icons of saints were used as a form of veneration and in prayer (Catholic), and there are several articles and books that dive into art as prayer (mostly Christian).

Sigils + Vision Boards:

Sigils are a visual representation of intent and desire in spellwork and can be incorporated into art through large paintings, sewing patches onto your coat, buttons and badges, painted onto stones, vases, embroidery etc.

Like sigils, a collage can be used as a visual representation of your desire or intent - they can also be an art form of their own and be made as a form of devotional art. 

Fashion:

Fashion and style witchcraft are about coordinating your look into your goals and intentions. Whether this is through charmed jewellery, symbols, sigils, colour associations or flagging. Queer aesthetics is a huge thing for identifying ourselves and the community, and as a queer witch I love charming my carabiner, wearing queer jewellery, and playing with gender. 

The aesthetics of the DIY movement and the aesthetics of queer culture are almost interchangeable. The appeal comes from the look and the fuck-the-man attitude itself, but also from the connection of having handmade, community-focused things by your side. (Queering Your Craft) 

Masks:

Masks can be a great way of incorporating sympathetic and symbolic magic into a larger ritual. Masks can be used to represent archetypes of characters or energies.

In worship of Dionysus, the communicants’ attempt to impersonate the deity by donning goatskins and by imbibing wine and wear a disguise or white linen mask to enable the leaders of the ceremony to make the god manifest. (Britannica)

Masks have been sued in mystery plays, comedia dell’arte, opera, Noh, Dance of the Red Tiger Devil - for both sacred and entertainment productions.

Creating Queer Devotional Art

To protect/enchant the hearts and voices of activists - This spell is meant to protect our hearts and souls, but can be used to honour our queer cultural ancestors, friends, and adapted for honouring deities.

You need:

Art/collage/craft supplies - paint, markers, papers, canvas, glue, magazines, poetry, pens, embroidery, quilting squares etc.

An idea or image you want to create

A white candle

Inspiration:

Devotional art

Jewish Paper Cutting

NAMES project

Queer zines

Protest signs

Trans/Queer Protest Chants

To perform this spell:

Anoint, pray, bless, carve a sigil into etc. The candle and light it - candles often represent the soul so here we’ll let it burn until it naturally extinguishes if safe to do so (a mall candle may be better)

Start creating your image, add in aspects of queer resistance, joy, history, pain, the messages of your own activism. A symbols, symbolism, images of famous activists, sigils, poetry - whatever speaks to you.

If desired, pray, or bless or say an incantation as you finish the piece

Place this art somewhere visible in your house - this spell can also maybe used to make a good sign or banner at protests - optionally turn into a zine, carry around devotional art and art magic in a little notebook or specific sketchbook

This is a very low stakes type of protection. People have been making talismans and hanging up protective decor for centuries. From gargoyles to garlic wreaths to decorative home blessings. This is just a modern adaptation to this world-wide tradition, with a queer and activist focused twist xx

[auburnitzy]

what is nawa based off of?

You just invited me to yap.

... And I love yapping.

Tara, Guanyin, and Janguli (first variety, multiple sources state that she is an emanation of either Tara or Guanyin).

Her soul was formed out of Guanyin's tears as the original Manawari died in the womb, hence the theme of purple (which is actually blue), but utpalas (blue lotuses) looked purple to me, so I figured to just use purple for her design.

Her themes are based around the water-moon motifs around her (the link I attached her refers to them as a 'he'. Guanyin has been been stated to have multiple forms, so...).

Allegedly, Tara's statue was found in Agusan del Sur, Mindanao, and her origins state that she was born when Guanyin shed a tear which fell into the ground and formed a lake, where Tara emerged from the lotus that rose from the waters (Britannica, 2011).

Additionally, I intentionally gave her a close brother-sister relationship dynamic with Red Son as a mirror to Guanyin and Shancai (Red Son's Buddhist name).

I may have to consult Abbess about this, rhrhrhhhrh, I haven't gone to the temple in so long but I will inquire her about the correctness of the information, so take this with a grain of salt

But Haliya/Mayari and Bakunawa come to mind, and I made them lower devas that are more interested in the world and have no knowledge of beings higher than them (Wikipedia, n.d.). She's descendants of them, but only exists to fulfill their wishes.

Since syncretization happens, some of Philippine myths and languages are influenced by Buddhism. Bakunawas are equated as Naga due to syncretization (Wikipedia, Cabrera, JR., and The Aswang Project, 2019 and 2012).

References that were not underlined:

Britannica (2011). Guanyin. Retrieved from: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Guanyin-1694188

Wikipedia, Cabrera, JR., and The Aswang Project (2012 and 2019). Bakunawa. Retrieved from: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakunawa

Wikipedia (n.d.). Deva (Buddhism). Retrieved from: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deva_(Buddhism)