#THE MALIGN COVENANT

[drondskaath]

Verminous Serpent | The Malign Covenant | 2023

Irish Death/Black Metal

[onlyhurtforaminute]

VERMINOUS SERPENT-TRANSCEDENT PYRE

[milfjagger]

halloween recs 2024 🎃

more halloween/horror recs for you all!!! these are all movies that meet at least two (if not all) of my "halloween movie" criteria, which are as follows:

set in autumn or october specifically

features halloween decorations, or typical halloween activities such as pumpkin carving, trick or treating etc

features elements of the supernatural, especially typical "halloween" characters like ghosts, witches and vampires

gothic, scary, spooky or creepy

comedic or campy

not all of these are horror; not all of the "horror" movies are scary in any quantifiable way. movies that (i think) are suitable for people who have a fairly low horror tolerance will be marked with an asterisk (*). movies that are (generally regarded as) not scary at all will be marked with a double asterisk (**). ENJOY!!!

🎃 ghosts & haunted(?) houses 🎃 oddity (2024) cobweb (2023) the black phone (2021) terrified (2017) crimson peak (2015) lake mungo (2008) the orphanage (2007) the devil's backbone (2001)* the others (2001) ghostwatch (1992) candyman (1992) lost hearts (1973) the haunting (1963) the innocents (1961)

🎃 curses, witches & demons 🎃 longlegs (2024) the first omen (2024) late night with the devil (2023) talk to me (2022) smile (2021) & smile 2 (2024) the dark and the wicked (2020) halloween party (2019)* pyewacket (2017) the devil's candy (2015) the witch (2015) the blackcoat's daughter (2015) the babadook (2014) sinister (2012) the house of the devil (2009) wake wood (2009) the ring (2002) the blair witch project (1999) ringu (1998) the craft (1996)* the serpent and the rainbow (1988) hellraiser (1987) suspiria (1977) the omen (1976) the exorcist (1973) & the exorcist iii (1990) the blood on satan's claw (1971) the devil rides out (1968)* black sunday (1960) night of the demon (1957)*

🎃 vampires, werewolves, zombies & monsters 🎃 lisa frankenstein (2024)* evil dead rise (2023) the ritual (2017) evil dead (2013) dog soldiers (2001) ginger snaps (2000) & ginger snaps 2: unleashed (2004) bram stoker's dracula (1992) it (1990) pet sematary (1989) pumpkinhead (1988) the lost boys (1987)* fright night (1985) re-animator (1985) & bride of re-animator (1990) gremlins (1984)* the howling (1981) an american werewolf in london (1981) evil dead movies (1981-1992) dracula (1958)* nosferatu (1922)*

🎃 dark fantasy 🎃 gretel & hansel (2020) the hallow (2015) red riding hood (2011)* coraline (2009)* pan's labyrinth (2006)* the spiderwick chronicles (2008)** sleepy hollow (1999)* edward scissorhands (1990)** the juniper tree (1990)* the witches (1990)* labyrinth (1986)** the company of wolves (1984) something wicked this way comes (1983)*

🎃 spooky anthologies 🎃 v/h/s 99 (2022) v/h/s 94 (2021) the mortuary collection (2019) tales of halloween (2015) trick 'r' treat (2007) creepshow (1982) & creepshow 2 (1987) the monster club (1981)* black sabbath (1963)

🎃 non-horror & barely-horror 🎃 the munsters (2022)** frankenweenie (2012)** corpse bride (2005)** scooby-doo (2002)** & scooby-doo 2: monsters unleashed (2004)** practical magic (1998)** halloweentown (1998)** casper (1995)** hocus pocus (1993)** the nightmare before christmas (1993)** the halloween tree (1993)** death becomes her (1992)** ernest scared stupid (1991)* the addams family (1991)** & addams family values (1993)** beetlejuice (1988)* the witches of eastwick (1987)* the halloween that almost wasn't (1979)** kenny & company (1976)** the paul lynde halloween special (1976)** the rocky horror picture show (1975)** the adventures of ichabod and mr toad (1949)** bud abbott and lou costello meet frankenstein (1948)** betty boop's hallowe'en party (1933)**

🎃 wacky, weird & so-bad-it's-good 🎃 NB: i cannot vouch for the quality of these movies. actually some of them are borderline unwatchable but i did personally enjoy them. real halloweeners will understand malignant (2021) the barn (2016)* 31 (2016) deathgasm (2015) the dog who saved halloween (2011)** dead silence (2007) the covenant (2006)* house of 1000 corpses (2003) casper meets wendy (1998)** the people under the stairs (1991) troll 2 (1990)** warlock (1989)* hack-o-lantern (1988)* killer klowns from outer space (1988)* ghost fever (1987)** trick or treat (1986)* the worst witch (1986)** ghoulies (1984)* halloween iii: season of the witch (1982) witch's night out (1978)**

[scotianostra]

November 19th 1600 saw the birth of King Charles I at Dunfermline Palace.

No-one knew that Charles would be the last of the Stewart king s to be born in Scotland. He had an elder brother who was destined to be king and Charles was a frail, sickly child.

Three years after the birth of Charles, his father, King James VI, became King of England also and his elder brother Henry, became Prince of Wales - an English title created by Edward I. Prince Henry died in 1612 and suddenly Charles became the heir apparent. But he was soon under the malign influence of the Duke of Buckingham, eight years older than Charles, who had been made a favourite of King James alledgedly, on the basis of his foppish good looks.

In 1623, in pursuit of King James' plan to create an alliance with Spain, Buckingham accompanied Charles to the Iberian peninsula to arrange the marriage of the King of Spain's daughter to Charles. The plan was badly bungled (Buckingam gets the blame) and war was declared between Britain and Spain shortly after their return!

As lord high admiral, Buckingham continued to mismanage various expeditions and was eventually murdered in 1628.

King James died on March 27th 1625 and Charles was crowned at Westminster Abbey on February 2md the following year, With an alliance with Spain now abandoned, a French one was pursued instead, this time with a bit more success, and King Charles married Henrietta Maria, the sister of King Louis XIII.

His wife had an even more exaggerated view than Charles of the "Divine Right of Kings" which led him into conflict with Parliament both in Westminster and Scotland. Charles fell foul of the "puritans" favouring a church more in line with Catholicism, a "high" church with richness and ceremony.

He also fell out with the English parliament over him raising taxes without their permission, so what is man who believes in that "Divine Right of Kings" do? Dissolves Parliament and rules the country himself for 11 years.

Charles eventually came to Scotland in 1633 to be crowned at Holyrood. Although the Union of the Crowns had taken place in 1603, the monarch ruled two separate countries, each with their own laws - and church. In Scotland the meddling of the king in church affairs led to the signing of the National Covenant in 1638 and a call to arms.

The English Parliament and the Scottish Presbyterians were now both at loggerheads with the king and civil war broke out in 1642. In Scotland, the Marquis of Montrose carried out a brilliant campaign on behalf of the King. But in England, the battle between the Royalists and the Roundheads (led by Oliver Cromwell) swung back and forwards. But with defeats at Marston Moor in 1644 and Naseby in June 1645, his cause was all but lost in England. Charles surrendered to a Scottish army in 1646. He tried to sew dissension between the Scots and the English Parliaments but he was eventually handed over to the English Parliament.

Charles continued to attempt to "negotiate" but following an attempt to escape to France, rebellions in Wales and the south-east of England and an invasion of England by the Scots in 1648, convinced the English Parliament that Charles should be tried for treason. Charles argued (with some justification) that the court was illegal but he was sentenced to death and beheaded on January 30th 1649.

Despite his many failings, his refusal to compromise and save himself by accepting Presbyterianism, the illegal nature of his "trial" and his dignity at his execution, have all retrospectively provided Charles with a halo of martyrdom.

If nothing more, Charles did provide us with some fantastic portraits of himself, and if he was around nowadays I am sure he would love a wee selfie to himself! I particularly like the first one by van Dyck, the large Royal coat of arms of the House of Stuart stands to the lower left of the painting it measures a massive 3.68 × 2.7 metres. The second is another van Dyck, Charles I at the Hunt the third is by Gerrit van Honthorst another Dutch painter. The National Portrait Gallery, London say, on their web site Charles is associated with 335 portraits.

[ultramanginger]

Alien vs Predator rewatch thoughts...

Since Romulus was coming out, I rewatched every Alien and Predator film in order and I offer a thought for each movie:

Alien (1979)

It's a classic that has some incredible ideas that are still scary and fascinating to this day, but...

Watching it in HD, it's hard to miss some really cringey moments, like the Alien jazz hands and the way that Lambert and Brett's death scenes are so similar that they use some of the footage shot for one for the other.

Not to mention, the more you read about the making of the film, the more you realise it being good was luck rather than skill, as so much of it was the way it was to keep costs down. A lot of what Scott would have done with more budget and freedom would have been just awful.

Still great, still a classic, but not even the best of the franchise, let alone reason to consider Scott the one to make Alien great again...

4 stars

Aliens (1986)

Perfect movie. No notes.

5 stars

Predator (1987)

Exceptional action movie and an exceptional scifi horror at the same time. Like Alien, it would have been terrible if not for blind luck. None of the pieces should have worked together, but somehow the whole ascended above the sum of the parts.

5 stars

Predator 2 (1990)

Much maligned and it is VERY 90s, not to mention it meanders around a lot of filler. Focus on the good parts, however, and there are great ideas and some great scenes. A worthy classic.

4 stars

Alien3 (1992)

The making of this movie is absolutely a better story than the plot. Taking a script about the devil on a wooden space station and turning it into a popcorn horror flick was impossible, even for Fincher, who still deserves credit for making something so incredibly fucking bleak. The effects don't hold up, the edit is a mess, but it's still watchable.

3.5 stars

Alien: Resurrection (1997)

Fuck Joss Whedon, but Resurrection is basically an early Firefly pilot and that works. Lots of people don't like the movie as they hate the characters, but they're no less deplorable than any of the other Alien crews.

Is it perfect? no, but this bizarre mix of Alien lore expanded in a crazy direction, Firefly, and French arthouse direction is a hell of a mash-up. Not only does it have some great ideas, but I genuinely enjoy it.

4 stars

Alien Vs Predator (2004)

Cheesy, slightly vacuous, unlikely to win cinematic plaudits, but completely terrible? Not at all.

Event Horizon showed that Anderson can do worthy movies (at least one), and this is not him at his best, but it's still very watchable.

3 stars

Alien Vs Predator: Requiem (2007)

It's obviously not defensible. This movie is trash, but it's probably not as bad as you remember. There are some fun ideas executed passably. There are also some terrible ideas executed poorly. The attempt to do Alien and Predator as a teen horror movie is actually kinda interesting, even if there was no way it would ever work.

2.5 stars

Predators (2010)

Such casual misogyny. Like... so much...

Aside from that, this is pretty good. It still has that classic Alien and Predator luck that salvaged some garbage script ideas (drunk predator motorbike gang?), but overall it does feel more like a fun non-canon EU novel rather than an actual part of the franchise.

Prometheus (2012)

3.5 stars

I went on a journey with Prometheus over the years:

It's a fucking terrible Alien move

Actually, it's not a bad cheesy scifi horror if you pretend it's not an Alien movie

Actually, no, it's still a shit scifi horror, it's just a better scifi horror than it is an Alien movie

Please, someone take Alien away from Scott and send him home?

2.5 stars

Alien: Covenant (2017)

So, Scott started off like:

"No-one cares about the Alien! Let's give them a movie about mental pseudo-archeology that pretends to be an Alien movie!"

With this movie, he was like:

"Sulk. Fine, I guess people like Alien, but lets put Aliens in my mental pseudo-archeology movie so I don't have to admit it sucked!"

It still sucks and this weird hybrid mess is even worse than his straight mental pseudo-archeology movie.

Not to mention, why did they finally let him do Alien sex, even if it was just watching? Please keep him away from these movies!

2 stars

The Predator (2018)

Woof. I thought Predators was offensive.

How a man with Tourettes can make a character with Tourettes feel inauthentic and offensive, I don't know, but Black managed it.

This had so much potential with Shane Black writing and the cast and the budget, but it's just total crap. Yes, they completely reshot the ending, but even the original ending sounds bad.

2.5 stars

Prey (2022)

Just a complete joy. This is all I want from a Predator movie and movies in general. That this not getting a cinematic release put people off is ridiculous. Go watch it.

5 stars

Alien: Romulus (2024)

Attempting to connect Alien with Prometheus in the final act was stupid enough to put people off a movie they admit was otherwise perfect. This shows just how bad Prometheus was and why Scott needs to go.

Yes, the final threat is not ideal and no-one wanted a reference to Prometheus other than Scott, but this movie is otherwise so good that you HAVE to forgive that, particularly if it spawns a new franchise of good Alien movies without Scott.

5 stars

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Mighty One Calls

A Psalm of Asaph.

The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from where the sun rises to where it sets. From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth. Our God approaches and will not be silent! Consuming fire precedes Him, and a tempest rages around Him. He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that He may judge His people: “Gather to Me My saints, who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” And the heavens proclaim His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge. Selah

“Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God. I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices, and your burnt offerings are ever before Me. I have no need for a bull from your stall or goats from your pens, for every beast of the forest is Mine— the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and the fullness thereof. Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and fulfill your vows to the Most High. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”

To the wicked, however, God says, “What right have you to recite My statutes and to bear My covenant on your lips? For you hate My instruction and cast My words behind you. When you see a thief, you befriend him, and throw in your lot with adulterers. You unleash your mouth for evil and unharness your tongue for deceit. You sit and malign your brother; you slander your own mother’s son. You have done these things, and I kept silent; you thought I was just like you. But now I rebuke you and accuse you to your face.

Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you: He who sacrifices a thank offering honors Me, and to him who rights his way, I will show the salvation of God.” — Psalm 50 | The Reader’s Bible (BRB) The Reader’s Bible © 2020 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. All rights Reserved. Cross References: Exodus 20:2; Exodus 24:7; Leviticus 10:2; Numbers 7:45; Deuteronomy 4:26; Deuteronomy 33:2; Joshua 22:22; Job 8:13; Job 19:18; Psalm 10:7; Psalm 69:31; Psalm 85:13; Psalm 94:20; Ecclesiastes 8:11; Micah 6:7; Matthew 6:26; Acts 17:25; Romans 1:32; Romans 2:21-22; Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians 10:26; Hebrews 12:23; James 5:13

[dwestfieldblog]

LUNATICS RUN THE ASYLUM

(I began this in late October before the election and don’t want to edit, just to insert what a great victory for Putin in the USA eh? The End starts here. Wilhelm Reich was right. Ever read The Psychology of Fascism? Do.)

See Trump ‘dancing’ on stage for thirty minutes like a tacky cruise ship comedian, hear him say the January 6th 2021 riots were ‘a day of beauty and love’? A deranged liar, a racist, sexual scumbag, mocker of afflictions, disparager of captured soldiers, fondler of his daughter, friend of Epstein…a deeply corrupted, petulantconvicted criminal who should be in prison, or at very least a mental hospital having straitjacketed remedial English lessons. Never let a man with a small dick (or one testicle) be the Fuhrer. And he wants Robert F Kennedy, a loony who was against covid vaccines etc, to be in charge of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention etc. Selling bleach cures?

Doubling down on all his pet eating nonsense and boasting of using ‘the weave’ when he delivers speeches and interviews…rather than the insane ramblings of a bigoted idiot. The ‘weave’? As if he is a master story teller with arcs and plot lines only he can perceive with random surrealist chaos. His weave is a tangled web of malignant and despicable lies. … The orange Don praised Hitler’s generals for their loyalty and ranting about ‘enemies within’ needing to have the army turned on them. General Mark Milley said; ‘(Trump) is the most dangerous person to this country…a fascist to the core’. And sofa humping Vance the Vice called him the ‘candidate of peace’. Christ on a trampoline.

So, a fascist German teams up with a South African racist, what could go wrong? The world’s richest man with the cheapest soul, AKA ‘Free speech’ (unless you disagree with him) Misinformation Musk jumping up and down on stage beside him, crying that if Trump loses, it ‘will be the last election’. As if Kamala is going to go all totalitarian in the USA. Perhaps ‘Dark Maga’ has his eye on a future presidency…his appalling interview with (yes, that’s right, Tucker Carlson the Putin fellating lapdog) was almost all inverse to actual facts and wilfully blind to what DT has actually said and done…and the evil direction to which he moves. So much for ketamine Elon. Trump is the ‘antichrist’.

Musk (who has top secret security clearance in the US) has been in regular contact with Putin since 2022. Baldie recently asked Musk not to deploy the Starlink internet system for Taiwan as a favour to his mate President Xi. Lovely people. Meanwhile Elon started to bribe folk one by one in the swing state Pennsylvania with one-million-dollar lottery gifts. That’s how desperate he is/was for the toupéed man baby to win. At the same time hoping the US will default on its deficit in January because he (and Trump) can make a mint with gold and crypto and become de facto Masters of North America. ‘Normal’ people losing their jobs and savings are irrelevant to these filth-pig ass clowns, yet these are the ones who are the most gullible to Donalds tangled weave and will vote for their own redundancy. Like turkeys voting for Christmas.

The whole crap sack of main Trump fans are deranged. Musk, Vance, Majorie Taylor Greene (she of the ‘Jewish space lasers’ idea) the evil ugly bitch ‘proud Islamophobe’ Laura (‘If Kamala wins, the White House will smell like curry’) Loomer, the grifters and utter cowards of the Republican party, Mike Johnson, Fox News, the corrupted judges, nutjobs R F Kennedy and Alex Jones, Steve Bannon, the Proud Boys aka the KKK, the foul coven of unholy money worshipping evangelicals, those in the UK who support him…Russell Brand, Lawrence Fox, Nigel Farage, Tommy Robinson, Piers Morgan, Boris, and around the world, Orban the toad in Hungary, Netanyahu the corrupt, Kim Wrong ‘Un and of course Putin, who needs his fat Caligula gimp back in power.

By his sycophants and masters, shall thee know him.

One of Putin’s billionaire shoeshine boys, Bidzina Ivanishvili of the Georgian Dream party has promised a ‘Nuremberg trial’ of the opposition parties if he wins. (The recent election seems doubtful but it is always the way that the older and the rural will vote more than the younger. He wants to turn the country into another Belorussia…Many old fools miss Stalin; the good old days of show trials, neighbours denouncing each other…dragged screaming into the past.

China and India continue to buy Russian oil and gas and thus support the orc invasion, London is still laundering oligarch money, Iran sent attack drones and ballistic missiles to Russia…who then complain about the West sending munitions. Both sides fighting a proxy war, seems safer that way for the rest of us than going nuclear. So far. Putin has sent the first of a possible ten thousand north Korean troops to be cannon fodder in Ukraine as well as early release for Russian prisoners of all ages if they fight. And as for the Middle East…. Arg.

Arg. Perhaps it is because this year I finally realised how old I am/appear to be, and all which that entails…and am projecting my sense of dread into apocalyptic visions of total dystopia. BUT. It really does seem as if the dark forces are coalescing and metastasizing all over the world.  The Bastards will never earn respect through fear but will be increasingly paranoid power mad energy vampires seeking complete control. Full spectrum dominance indeed. And all the Ego Immortals will live forever on a Musk space station, uploaded as cyber souls in a virtual paradise with E Lon as The Creator. What is left of humanity will be enslaved (to an even greater degree than before), working to extract the very last goodness from the planet to build the machines…rhodium in its high-speed state and white powder gold and etc. Arg.

All those who fell for the con trick of ‘it’s us against the Illuminati/New World Order and the corrupt old system’, who voted against their democracies and for the axe, will be confused to find themselves in a corrupt system of a real New World Order where their lives have blatantly zero value other than as slaves. A planet run by types such as Putin, Xi, Trump and Musk. The twisted, evil and insane men will spin this globe into a nightmare holocaust of oblivion. So, congratulations suckers. Here is your world, now eat your own excrement.

‘Better the pride that resides in a citizen of the world, than the pride that divides when a cloth or rag is unfurled’.  Neil Peart. Damn right. And no religions too.

Seems likely that my future postings will stick to writing about everything other than politics, religion and totalitarianism. Perhaps a goulash of multicoloured collage stuff from here on out. Diaries, musings, ‘poetry’, memories and recommendations… staying weird but without all the endless ranting. Might be healthier for us perhaps.

Right now (October 31st) I feel the world as we knew it in terms of basic Western democracy is very close to being destroyed by the machinations of the East, but mostly thanks to the greedy scum over here aided by the badly educated drones who yearn at heart for the forced order of tyranny. As long as they feel a ‘purpose’ to their lives. Which will be to serve those who declare themselves their betters, with the liar’s promise of a better life in return for complete acquiescence, obeisance and obedience. Or else.

Nothing seems to have changed much in human evolution, it is the same do-do, just more fake alpha males like scared children seeking total control for their own security.  Bastards leading idiots, revolutions turning…into the system.  Primate survival updated with weapons of mass destruction and harnessing viruses. Enough money BUYS ‘justice’, rich criminals are never punished, con merchant priests still fool their flocks with utter bullshit to get their cash and bathe in hero worship.

The best minds are ridiculed, mistrusted, absorbed and diluted by the mainstream or worse by the dumbest neophobes. Art, theatre, writing, science, collectively the humanities, regarded with suspicion, too gay, too intellectual, progress is the Devil. Only soundbite Tik Tok bread and circuses reality tv gameshow soap operas are acceptable. Short attention spans are encouraged, so as to blind-side the public to the perpetual ‘find the lady’ con trick perpetuated by the State.

Humans are easy to rile up and manipulate when they are desperate, so to the ruling classes (and those who would be so) it is always worth keeping their citizens and voters on a knife edge of stress via finance, health and existential threats. Those who think Trump will root out the ‘deep state’ blah blah and take power from the rich are going to have a rude awakening from the American Dream, as he will just keep the money where it always stays. With the plutocracy. The billionaire tax dodgers who demand you pay them to exist.

The East has taken its revenge and infiltrated the West to the extent that its own people are turning against themselves in the name of patriotism and ‘God’. Their puppets are numbered heavily among the leaders on the Right and the rising populists…traitors who are selling out their countries for power, status and wealth. The mass who supports them are usually the mentally vulnerable, those who have been encouraged to be scared and angry among the elderly, the young and the working classes, and the middle class who feel their comfortable lifestyle is in danger.

All are being manipulated by actual, genuine enemies to divide and conquer for them. Break up Europe, the United Nations, NATO, Britain and North America…Trigger events to cause a steady flow of endless refugees so all member states are deeply freaked by foreigners. ‘There are no natives anywhere in the world – everyone is from somewhere else – all people are refugees, immigrants or aliens.’ George Carlin

‘Think for yourself, question ‘reality’, question ‘authority’ Practice good mental operational security…critical thinking. Ignoring actual global warming as we bury deeper into virtual reality and tik tok dumbing down with absolute denial, Sidestep the madness, close down and go within. Remain in this world to work but with as much amused detachment as you can manage. The scared children have voted for what they believe will bring security. Not much of that when daddy is crazy. Poison is often part of the cure but Trump is just corrosion. So, over the Rubicon we go. ‘Russia can do whatever the hell it wants’. They will. Their carefully placed and financed useful idiots/ poleznye idiot in high places in the West will take the gold and betray..

So, no more politics from here on out. Enough already. The present is tense, so love, laugh, learn and live, Reconnect. Love again…and remember…

‘Magnetic and gravitational fluctuations appear to cause the majority of occult phenomena and alter brain wave patterns…psychic windows, hallucinations external and mental.’  Stay fine😊

[samasmith23]

Evangelion: You Can (Not) Marathon — (Part 7)

Neon Genesis Evangelion, “Episode 7: That Which is Manmade/A HUMAN WORK”

Continuing my Evangelion re-watch marathon with NGE, "Episode 7: That Which is Manmade/A HUMAN WORK"! For my thoughts on the previous episode, click the link to the post below:

I’ve gotta be honest... I always remembered this being my personal least favorite episode in the entire series. While it’s NOT a bad episode by any stretch of the imagination, since it still contains a lot of incredibly entertaining action and character beats, it always felt the most filler-y due to now detached the plot feels from the overarching Angel attacks and NERV versus SEELE storylines. Honestly, this episode left less of a lasting impression on me than even Episode 14, (of which the first half is a literal clip show) or the fan-maligned Episode 10 (I actually really love that episode and feel the amount of hate it gets is heavily unwarranted).

With all of that out of the way however, let's dig in!

Something interesting to note about Gendo’s office in this opening scene. The Sefirot, or “Tree of Life” pattern (which is an important religious symbol within Kabbalhaism, or Jewish mysticism) present on both the floor and ceiling here was completely absent in the previous episode when Misato received approval for Operation Yashima. I initially would have guessed that the absence of the Sefirot pattern was simply because of the scene in Episode 6 taking place at daytime instead of night like the current scene is, but in a later episode the Sefirot pattern is present during the daytime lighting as well. So it seems like a legitimate animation goof there! Whoops!

Secondly, many other fans have pointed out that the shadow formed by the silhouette formed by Gendo sitting at his desk heavily resembles that of a Star of David, leading to many fans pondering exactly what meaning this usage of religious symbolism is meant to convey, especially since Anno and other members of EVA’s staff have publicly denied there being any real depth behind all the religious iconography lifted from Christian, Judaic, Kabbalist, Buddhist Hindu & Shintoistic folklore outside of aesthetic purposes to distinguish the series from other mecha-anime at the time.

Except, I personally do feel that there is legitimate meaning to be derived from the symbols utilized in scenes like this one.

For instance, the silhouette of Gendo’s desk is placed directly above the Sephirah on the Tree of Life known as “Keter,” which within the context of the Kabbalah specifically refers to Hebrew term for “crown.” Additionally, the hexagram shape of the Star of David is meant to represent divine creation through the unification of both the contrasting elements of fire & water as well as the masculine & feminine powers. This imagery is supported by Margaret Starbird in her article “The Archetypal Mandala of the Star of David” for the blog The Book of Threes, wherein the author states: “The mandala of the hexagram, also known as the ‘Star of David’ is much older than Judaism, older even than history! As an archetypal symbol for the sacred union of the opposite energies, it is the ‘yin-yang’ of western civilization. Formed by the intertwining of the ‘fire’ and ‘water’ triangles (the male ‘blade’ and the female ‘chalice’) this symbiol represents the masculine and feminine principles in perfect union, the ‘sacred marriage’ or ‘hieros gamous’ of the ancient world. [And] in India the symbol represents the ‘cosmic dance’ of Shiva and Shakti, and the Jewish Kaballah suggests that the Ark of the Covenant contains, in addition to the tables of the Ten Commandments, ‘a regular hexagram representing a man and woman in intimate embrace.’”

The gendered symbolism of the hexagram becomes significantly more evident as the show progresses, particualrly in-relation to the both the logo of Gendo's employeers, SEELE, as well as the mask worn by humanity's progenitor Lilith. Both share the exact same single inverted-triangle design, signifying the feminine without the presence of the masculine.

This not only serves to convey humanity's state of incompleteness as percieved by both SEELE and the Angels (who are the descendants of Lilith's male counterpart Adam), but it is also reflective of both the patriarchal gender roles that are deeply interwoven into the Kabbalistic creation (i.e. Eve being born from Adam's rib instead of the same soil that God constructed both Adam & his first wife Lilith from, as well as Lilith being banished from the Garden of Eden and forever cursed to live as the "Mother of All Demons" after she refused to be sexually submissive to Adam).

Therefore, an individual can interpret the hexagram-shape of the silhouette of Gendo’s desk in-conjunction with its placement towards the "Keter" sephriah on Tree of Life diagram symbolizing a "complete" unification with God through the elevation humanity to Adam Kadmon, a Kabbalhistic figure that according to Medium writer James William Hollibush, refers to, "the 'primordial man' or the 'celestial man.' Adam Kadmon is said to be the first emanation of God, and he is the archetype of all humanity."

In large measure, these theological symbols are indicative of both SEELE's overarching plan of evolving both Lilith and humanity as a whole to a similar plane of god-like existence comparable to that of Adam and the Angels, as well as Gendo’s personal god-complex and selfish desire to initiate his own version of Human Instrumentality that is separate from SEELE's vision in order to reunite with the soul of his dead wife Yui.

Plus, the hexagramic dichotomy between the masculine and feminine is heavily reflective of Shinji’s struggles and failures to connect with and respect the women in his life as part of his psychosexual Oedipus complex. As the series progresses, both Shinji & his father Gendo will function as avatars for the "original sin" in the EVA universe. That "original sin" being misogyny, or man's distrust & mistreatment of women that originated with the conflict between Adam & Lilith (which again parallels Kabbalistic folklore).

Lol! While I stated earlier that this episode was the least memorable for me, I’ve never forgotten the image of Shinji & Pen Pen respectively simultaneously eating their toast and fish for breakfast while arching their heads backward! It’s such an iconic image in my head!

Sigh… Misato here is totally me when first waking up in the morning… well… with the exception of drinking beer for breakfast since I personally don’t drink at all (alcohol just tastes terrible IMO)! Also, in the ADV dub Misato called her beverage “sake” when that’s clearly a Yebisu Beer can… lol!

The contrast between how Shinji perceives Misato and how his classmates Toji & Kensuke perceive her is incredibly interesting. While Shinji views Misato as a lazy slob due to him living under her roof and witnessing just how messy and unprofessional her home life is, Toji & Kensuke instead view Misato as this smoking hot babe who acts like a composed government agent. This dichotomy is likely an intentional act on Misato’s part, as she presents herself the exact opposite way in her professional life and in public than how she actually lives in her own private quarters.

It’s this element of Misato’s character which makes her relatable to many fans despite her flaws, since she heavily reflects a kind of realistic contrast between how people behave and present themselves in public and private settings. Just how much of our true selves do we feel comfortable sharing with the rest of the world? How much are we willing to open the walls of our hearts and souls to others? Which parts of ourselves to we express in public are genuinely reflective of who we truly are as a person, or just a facade to shield our own private insecurities from the rest of the world?

Oh boy! Some important info drops in this scene where Shinji’s testing EVA Unit-01’s cooling systems! In addition to remembering Unit-01’s creepy v*gina-eyeball from Episode 2 and questioning just what exactly is an Evangelion, Shinji comments on how the LCL liquid in the Entry-Plug smells like blood but is comforting, which is reflective of the Freudian symbolism of returning to the mother’s womb that’s fully on display with the EVAs. Also, Ritsuko briefly mentions the shipment of EVA Unit-02 from Germany, as well as NERV HQ receiving severe defense budget cuts, foreshadowing both the appearance of a certain red-haired pilot in the very next episode, as well as SEELE and the JSSFD’s invasion of NERV in The End of Evangelion!

Even more important info drops! Geez… I guess this episode isn’t as much of a filler episode as I originally remembered it to be now that I think of it…

So in addition to Gendo discussing the Human Instrumentality Committee’s plans to construct Evangelion Units-06 & 08 overseas (foreshadowing the Mass-Production Evangelions we later see in The End of Evangelion), Ritsuko partially reveals to Shinji the truth behind Second Impact 15-years earlier. Namely that contrary to publicly available information, the Second Impact was caused not by a meteorite colliding with Antarctica, but rather by a research expedition team uncovering the frozen remains of the 1st Angel, only for said-Angel reawaken and cause a near-apocalyptic explosion that obliterated the entire southern continent and wiped out half of the Earth’s population. Additionally, Ritsuko elaborates that the purpose of the Evangelions is to prevent a potential Third Impact which would fully eradicate humanity, now that the Angels have returned.

Nice bit of visual contrast to the first breakfast scene with Misato now presenting herself in a much more serious and professional manner in her own apartment as she prepares to attend an important conference meeting being held at the ruins of “old” Tokyo!

Now this is very interesting! A private Japanese industrial corporation has actually developed its own version of the Evangelion known as “Jet Alone,” which overcompensates for the EVA Units limited battery supply without an umbilical cable by retrofitting a literal nuclear reactor onto its back!

What I find so fascinating about this scene at the conference is the back-and-forth exchange between Ritsuko and the company’s executive as both of them raise equally valid arguments: while Ritsuko points out the very obvious safety risk of attaching a nuclear reactor to a giant robot designed to engage in hand-to-hand combat, the executive points out how NERV’s budgetary spending on the previous EVA vs. Angel fights has resulted in the depletion o financial and food resources of entire nations (plus the machines being operated by fallible human pilots).

However, the executive can’t help but undermine his position by making misogynistic remarks by comparing EVA Unit-01’s berserker rampage back in Episode 2 to a “hysterical woman.” Yeesh! While this does serve as an unintentional double entendre considering that Unit-01 possesses the soul of Shinji’s dead mother Yui Ikari, that executive’s sexism was completely uncalled for and I can’t help but share Ritsuko’s frustration and offense to the executive’s remarks here (especially given her own tragic background with her late mother).

Lol! Misato’s such a hypocrite! As much as she previously criticized Ritsuko and the executive’s back-&-forth arguments as being “childish,” Misato’s acting pretty dang childish herself by kicking a locker in frustration while cursing up a storm about how much she wants to kick said-executive’s ass! Also, I can’t help but agree with Ritsuko’s takeaway that the executive is, “Just a show-off begging for praise and adulation, petty and not worthy of attention,” given how he resorted to juvenile sexism in order dismiss NERV’s efficiency, severely undermining any reasonable arguments he might have had. Also also, her burning the Jet Alone plans is simultaneously a nice touch whilst also highlighting her own juvenile hypocrisy! She and Misato truly are alike despite being so different, Lol!

And of course something goes horribly wrong during Jet Alone’s activation test, as the mecha refuses to accept any computer commands and begins walking aimlessly as it’s nuclear rods and cooling vents begin to overhear, transforming this robot into a literal walking nuclear meltdown!

Also, while I can’t help but laugh at Misato’s snarky jab of, “It looks like this robot is as badly behaved as the idiot who built it,” since it does serve the sexist executive right, I simultaneously feel dirty for laughing since said-sexist executive’s failure is at risk of causing a nuclear fallout, which isn’t a laughing matter at all…

Also also, Ritsuko seems strangely unmoved by the seriousness of this situation. Suspicious?

Misato’s response to the statement that it would take, "An act of God," to stop Jet Alone’s forward momentum before it inevitably melts down is very intriguing: “Acts of men are better than acts of God.”

While this line serves as a lead-in to Misato planning to utilize the Evangelions to stop Jet Alone, Allison Keith delivers said-line with such strong conviction that I can’t help but wonder if this is also meant to further foreshadow Misato’s traumatic past with the Angels during Second Impact, just like the uncomfortable look she gives in the earlier scene when Ritsuko is explaining the events of Second Impact to Shinji?

Also, nice bit of extra detail there with the dirt on Misato’s dress, face, and hair there! Kudos to the animator’s over at Gainax!

Lol! Not only is the company President golfing during a time of serious crisis, but his voice acting in the ADV dub makes him sound suspiciously like George W. Bush. So the president of the company which produced Jet Alone is essentially two infamously terrible U.S. Republican presidents merged together (i.e. Trump and Bush Jr.)!

Yet again Ritsuko seems to be taking the Jet Alone crisis unusually calmly… definitely suspicious…

Also, I’m curious as to what the significance behind the shut-down password to Jet Alone’s nuclear reactor being “Hope” is.

Also also, dang does Misato look great in that futuristic radiation suit!

Aww… while Shinji might not pilot the EVA for selfless altruistic reasons, and while he might berate Misato for her lazy and unhygienic lifestyle at home, he does legitimately care for her safety when she announces her intention to deactivate Jet Alone’s reactor from the inside!

And Misato gives a more sincere peace-sign to Shinji here than the one she previously gave to his class during the parent-teacher day scene earlier!

This entire chase sequence between Unit-01 and Jet Alone is FREAKING epic, although I can’t help but chuckle at how funny Jet Alone’s arms look when they move as Shinji struggles to prevent it from walking towards a populated area!

Lol! Misato pulls a George Lucas by stating, “I have a bad feeling about this,” when she opens the reactor! And Shinji also adds some humor to the scene with Spike Spencer’s line delivery of, “Stop running you bastard!” Double lol!

Dang! The sequence of Misato desperately struggling to manually push the control rods back into place upon realizing that the fail-safe password and program was deliberately sabatoged, along with a Shinji struggling to contain the increasing radiation heat leaks as Jet Alone is about to enter nuclear meltdown before suddenly shutting down operations was absolutely intense! And yeah it’s obvious that Ritsuko was involved with the sabatoge given her earlier suspicious reactions to the crisis as well as her thinking to herself that Misato was a “crazy fool” to try and play the hero and stop Jet Alone on her own. This is explicitly confirmed when Ristuko is later meeting with Gendo in his office to inform him that aside from Misato’s intervention, that their plan worked.

This goes to show that NERV is not exactly the benevolent peacekeeping organization that Shinji and even Misato believe it to be, as Gendo & Ritsuko we’re willing to risk a literal nuclear meltdown (presumably they would have stopped the meltdown at the last minute even if Misato hadn’t interfered, but still!) simply as a means of reinforcing NERV’s position of power by sabotaging any and all competition from foreign parties in their defense of humanity against the Angels. These events, combined with the covering up of the true events of the Second Impact to the general public, as well as the seedy mass production of future EVA units, definitely indicates that there is something incredibly shady occurring beneath the surface with NERV. That there’s far more to this organization’s agenda than simply defeating the Angels…

Huh… Kensuke just provided a level of meaningful insight to Shinji that I never would have expected to have heard from him. Even though Shinji expresses continued annoyance and embarrassment at Misato’s messy home-life (the exact same behavior she previously demonstrated at the start of the episode), Kensuke states that it simply means that Misato considers Shinji a part of her family because she’s willing to show him a side of her life that she’s unwilling to show anyone else.

That’s actually a really profound observation on Kensuke’s part! It harkens back to my previous analysis about Misato hiding specific characteristics of her personality in public and in the workplace, only expressing her true feelings in private and in the presence of those she legitimately cares for. In this regard, Misato truly does view herself as a surrogate mother figure to Shinji despite her shortcomings, and this only serves to strengthen the bond she and Shinji share as a found family, further providing meaning to both of their existences.

What a neat note to end the episode on!

So that was NGE, "Episode 7: That Which is Manmade/A HUMAN WORK," and overall it was actually a lot better than I remember it being! While still probably not one of my personal favorites from the series, this episode was incredibly important in regards to further fleshing out Shinji & Misato’s relationship as well as beginning to expose the shady corruption underlying NERV as an organization, as well as providing some important information and foreshadowing concerning Second Impact, EVA Unit-02 and its ginger-haired pilot, and the Mass-Production Evangelions! So definitely NOT a filler episode like I previously wrote it off as!

Next time will be Episode 8, meaning that it’s finally time to meet the Second Child... Asuka Langley Soryu!

[black-fairy3]

🕷️❤︎₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊˚✧ fairy's spooky movie marathon✧˚₊ᗢ ɞ˚₊❤︎🕷

HAPPY SPOOKY SEASON EVERYONE!!!!!

my name is ʚ fairy ɞ , welcome to my blog <3

i love movies and over this past year, i've been keeping track of all the new movies i have watched. whether old or new, i would watch, rate and write my own personal review. now that it's halloween and i was going to watch halloween themed/horror movies anyway, i thought, why not just share my thoughts with other movies lovers!!!

this list consisted of movies i have already seen, ones i've never seen, and ones i've seen but, don't really remember all that much. please do not judge me for the movies that i've never seen but, have been out for years okay!! it's very hard for me to grab onto new things and i'm sensitive so, please be nice😭

| ❤︎ - seen before | 🤡 - never seen | 🕷️- don't remember/wasn't paying attention | underlined titles have the link to my review |

the list:

halloween (1978) 🤡

the craft (1996) ❤︎ -> (2020) 🤡

texas chainsaw massacre (1974) 🤡

friday the 13th (1980) 🤡

rosemary’s baby (1968) 🤡

coraline (2009) ❤︎

monster house (2006) ❤︎

paranorman (2012) 🕷️

my babysitter’s a vampire (2010) ❤︎

the shining (1980) 🤡

queen of the damned (2002) 🤡

the babadook (2014) 🤡

death becomes her (1992) ❤︎

sweeney todd: the demon barber of fleet street (2007) 🤡

final destination (2000) -> (2003) -> (2006) -> (2009) -> (2011) 🤡

scream (1996) ❤︎ -> (1997) -> (2000) -> (2011) -> (2022) -> (2023) 🤡

a nightmare on elm street (1984) 🤡

corpse bride (2005) 🤡

get out (2017) ❤︎

nope (2022) ❤︎

men in black (1997) -> (2002) -> (2011) -> (2019) ❤︎

candyman (2021) ❤︎

carrie (1976)🕷️ -> (1999) 🤡 -> (2002) 🤡 -> (2013) ❤︎

hellraiser (1987) -> (2005) -> (2022) 🤡

thir13en ghost (2001) 🤡

child’s play (1988) 🤡

children of the corn (1984) 🤡

the rocky horror picture show (1975) 🕷️

elvira: mistress of the dark (1988) 🤡

jennifer’s body (2009) ❤︎

leprechaun (1993) 🤡

psycho (1960) 🤡

evil dead rise (2023) 🤡

pearl (2022) 🤡

black phone (2021) ❤︎

it (1990) 🤡 -> (2017) ❤︎ -> (2019) ❤︎

bodies bodies bodies (2022) 🤡

it follows (2014) 🤡

malignant (2021) 🕷️

terrifier (2016), -> (2022) 🤡

freaky (2020) 🤡

train to busan (2016) ❤︎

don’t breathe (2016), -> (2021) 🤡

hard candy (2005) 🤡

the visit (2015) 🕷️

promising young woman (2020) 🤡

bad hair (2020) 🤡

the house that jack build (2018) 🤡

false positive (2021) 🤡

escape room (2019), -> (2021) ❤︎

fresh (2022) ❤︎

the covenant (2006) 🤡

little monsters (2019) 🤡

cooties (2014) ❤︎

they cloned tyrone (2023) ❤︎

warm bodies (2013) ❤︎

the invitation (2022) 🤡

army of the dead (2021) 🤡

zombieland (2009), -> (2019) 🤡

fear street (1) -> (2) -> (3) ❤︎

we have a ghost (2023) 🤡

lovely bones (2009) 🕷️

the silence (2019) 🤡

cam (2018) 🕷️

edward scissors hands (1990) 🕷️

a quiet place (2018), -> (2020) 🤡

hansel & gretel: witch hunters (2013) ❤︎

vampires suck (2010) ❤︎

knock knock (2015) 🕷️

the fly (1986) 🤡

DISCLAIMER: some of the movies on this list are of a franchise...rather long franchises. so because of that, i will be watching the first movie out of the franchise unless stated other wise. i will not be watching twelve movies of a franchise, my limit is six so, please do not ask.

also, most of these movies are more spooky than scary because i'm more of a slasher, creature and psychological thrillers type gal. ghosts and spirits aren't really for me but, i did put the babadook (2014) here just in case i have the urge to really get scared but, if i pussy out, i don't wanna hear nathan!!!!!!

feel free to watch along with me and leave any comments under this post. i love hearing other peoples opinion's & theory's and sharing/explaining things about a film that i might have missed the first time around. i'm all ears :)

[bitter-limelight]

DANIEL. And also David.

@shittyravencarcosa also asked for Daniel!

Sexuality- gay. Gay gay gay. Call me whatever you want, debate me, idc. My head canon is that Daniel is gay. All his companions are male, he wad a traveler who chose to be in San Francisco in 1973, he's only shown with women that Armand made him be with. The one time he seems to even interact towards a woman, the girl in the book shop, he's blazed AF and obviously being dramatic. In my opinion. Don't agree? Awesome! You do you! But my Daniel is a raging faggot.

Gender - cis guy, but I've poked the trans idea on my head a couple times. It's not easy for me to do; as I said a moment ago, Yuri is pretty much my only trans headcanon. If we wanna get real degenerate though I'll also say in an a/b/o context he's an omega. That's where I get more of my gender fuckery out.

Otp- Marius/Daniel of course. Husband's <3 companions. Lovers. Saved each other

BROtp- Louis and Daniel need to be the much maligned gossip queens of the coven

NOtp- I don't really have one? Girls obvs since I think he's gay. I don't ship Armand and Daniel as lovers but calling them a NOtp doesn't feel right.

Headcanon- Daniel takes up photography modern day so he can still tell stories even when words fail

Opinion-, B E S T

David- I also think David is a cis gay man. I dont have the David hate that a lot of folks do! I ship him with Lestat but as his old body self- that's the good shit!!

[successful-goat-sacrifice]

Verminous Serpent - The Malign Covenant [2023]

[pb-dot]

Film Friday: Malignant

This week's Film Friday is a bit late because I've been out of town, and since I spent significant amounts of time ruining my voice and sparse dignity at a karaoke bar last night, I am going to be nice to myself and talk about a movie that's a bit on the easier side to talk about. With that in mind, let's take a dive into the Giallo madness of Malignant.

First of all, I must emphasize, this movie is ridiculous. The whole thing starts with a strange set of video logs by some medical professional in a general style that brings the FMV cutscenes of yesteryear to mind. Even as things develop into a more James Wan-esque direction as we meet the struggling young woman Madison whose sorrows are compounded by her abusive boyfriend being quite messily murdered, and the subsequent apparent mental connection to the killer, there's a faint layer of ridiculous to the whole affair. The cop who heads the murder investigation is named Kakoa Shaw, Madison's sister greets her in the hospital dressed as a party princess because she came straight from her side gig, the kind of source of minor oddness that makes the artifice of the whole setup feel acutely fictional, or even heightened in some way.

It's not what I'd call a criticism of the movie though, more observing that the movie is attempting, and I would argue succeeded in creating a modern equivalent of the stylized unreality one can find in the Italian Giallo-style horror slashers. It's a functional justification of the more out-there plot elements, but it is also fun in its own way. Of course Madison's sister Sydney has to brave the world's creepiest condemned hospital to recover a vital pice of the puzzle, of course the killer wears the thickest, longest raincoat in the world, and of course a central part of the soundtrack all but screams the upcoming twist through metatext for the duration of the movie.

There really is something to be said to just hitching your wagon to the cheese train, and in the context of this movie it allows it to build to a act 2 climax that is equal parts ludicrous, amazing and spectacular while not feeling a touch out of place in this coherent unreality that it has created. It helps, I suppose that James Wan inhabits the gothic-adjacent "spooky things happening in artfully decrepit houses" horror niche that he has crafted many a nightmare out of. In this particular Wanesque fallen manor, Wan seems to delight in the control a well-constructed house set gives him with a series of artful tracking shots that, although not particularly spooky, are a delight to look at and interact with the plot of this glorious silly thing in interesting ways.

Honestly though, why this movie really works for me is because under all the silliness and artful camp reproduction, there's an earnest story about belonging, family and empowerment going on there which I think makes the movie less cynical. Now, it could just be my rosy-cheeked idealist self, but I think there's something to that. Granted, we're here watching a grotesque theatre of murder and obsession, but just because we're watching otherworldly fleshpupetry that's occasionally offensive to both senses and sense doesn't mean we have to be all nihilistic about it.

Another thing I appreciate about Malignant is how it could be viewed as a bit of a breather in the wave of serious minded "elevated horror" that break with observable reality in very limited, tasteful ways and often to deliver some bleak but artsy point. This isn't to say I don't love this particular movement of course, but it's fun with a little brain break that goes "Fuck a whole load of this, the villain is an underdeveloped mutant twin with electricity powers that dresses like a Giallo murderer (because he is one) and he's ultimately defeated by the true bonds of family that transcends those of blood. Blood of the covenant, water of the womb and all that." It's cheesy, it's stylized, it's earnest and also yes, it knows exactly what it's doing but it's not going to wink-and-nudge at you.

[scotianostra]

November 19th 1600 saw the birth of King Charles I at Dunfermline Palace.

No-one knew that Charles would be the last king born in Scotland. He had an elder brother who was destined to be king and Charles was a frail, sickly child. Three years after the birth of Charles, his father, King James VI, became King of England also. His elder brother Henry, became Prince of Wales - an English title created by Edward I. But Henry died in 1612 and suddenly Charles became the heir apparent. But he was soon under the malign influence of the Duke of Buckingham, eight years older than Charles, who had been made a favourite of King James largely on the basis of his foppish good looks.

In 1623, in pursuit of King James' plan to create an alliance with Spain, Buckingham accompanied Charles to the Iberian peninsula to arrange the marriage of the King of Spain's daughter to Charles. The plan was badly bungled (Buckingam gets the blame) and war was declared between Britain and Spain shortly after their return! As lord high admiral, Buckingham continued to mismanage various expeditions and was eventually murdered in 1628.

King James died on March 27, 1625 and Charles was crowned at Westminster Abbey on February 2, 1626. With an alliance with Spain now abandoned, a French one was pursued instead, this time with a bit more success, and Charles married Henrietta Maria, the sister of King Louis XIII.

His wife had an even more exaggerated view than Charles of the "Divine Right of Kings" which led him into conflict with Parliament both in Westminster and Scotland. Charles fell foul of the "puritans" favouring a church more in line with Catholicism, a "high" church with richness and ceremony.

He also fell out with the English parliament over him raising taxes without their permission, so what is man who believes in that "Divine Right of Kings"again? Dissolves Parliament and rules the country himself for 11 years.

Charles eventually came to Scotland in 1633 to be crowned at Holyrood. Although the Union of the Crowns had taken place in 1603, the monarch ruled two separate countries, each with their own laws - and church. In Scotland the meddling of the king in church affairs led to the signing of the National Covenant in 1638 and a call to arms.

The English Parliament and the Scottish Presbyterians were now both at loggerheads with the king and civil war broke out in 1642. In Scotland, the Marquis of Montrose carried out a brilliant campaign on behalf of the King. But in England, the battle between the Royalists and the Roundheads (led by Oliver Cromwell) swung back and forwards. But with defeats at Marston Moor in 1644 and Naseby in June 1645, his cause was lost in England. Charles therefore surrendered to the Scottish army in 1646. He tried to sow dissension between the Scots and the English Parliaments but he was eventually handed over to the English Parliament.

Charles continued to attempt to "negotiate" but following an attempt to escape to France, rebellions in Wales and the south-east of England and an invasion of England by the Scots in 1648, convinced the English Parliament that Charles should be tried for treason. Charles argued (with some justification) that the court was illegal but he was sentenced to death and beheaded on January 30, 1649.

Despite his many failings, his refusal to compromise and save himself by accepting Presbyterianism, the illegal nature of his "trial" and his dignity at his execution, have all retrospectively provided Charles with a halo of martyrdom.

If nothing more, Charles I did provide us with some fantastic portraits of himself, and if he was around nowadays I am sure he would love a wee selfie to himself! The National Portrait Gallery, London say, on their web site Charles is associated with 335 portraits, although not all will be from his lifetime.

[shatar-aethelwynn]

 You are right, my memory failed me. Homosexuality is for Paul the "uncleanness" and the "vile passion" to which God gave up the Gentiles as punishment because of their idolatry. As the text of the Epistle to the Romans presents idolatry and its consequences: "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 1:23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. 1:24 Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves: 1:25 for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature: 1:27 and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due. 1:28 And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 1:29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 1:30 backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 1:31 without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful: 1:32 who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practise them." Personally I find Paul's mentality and positions as expressed in passages like this one problematic for several reasons, but this is not the place to become more specific about my objections to his views and legacy. Anyway, I think that you underestimate somehow the homophobia in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Moreover, our disagreement about henotheism remains, but it is essentially just a disagreement about terminology, that's why there is no reason to discuss it further.

Oh no, I don’t underestimate the presence of homophobia at all. It is absolutely there, believe me I am personally aware. Especially in the denominations and groups that make it into the news the most often. But there are also many devout believers who are actively pushing back against that hate.

I’m merely stating that since the original topic was the sin of Sodom, a) the theology of Paul is too late to be a factor in determining the nature of Sodom’s sin from a historical perspective (as a general rule I do not use New Testament texts to explain the meaning of the Hebrew Bible texts); b) homosexuality in the ancient world is not socially the same as it is today and that is an important factor. With a bit of “scholars aren’t 100% sure what definition of homosexuality Paul is working with so both translation and application of interpretation can get complicated.” My personal interest tends to be on archaeological and historical scholarship rather than on current theology most of the time. As I said, this is a controversial issue and there is no one answer. Mine is just that I think people make it into more of an issue than the Biblical authors intended it to be and that often they do so from faulty premises because they ignore historical context. An argument being common doesn't necessarily make it correct.

I also find Paul problematic in many instances and think his writings have been badly abused over the centuries. Also the pseudopigraphic writings in his name which are worse. In Romans he is writing to a church he has never visited and is trying to prove his theology so they will accept him. So he comes right out swinging. But is it really any different than how Christians have been explaining things ever since? The narrative always starts with humans rejecting god followed by a list of all the things that go wrong and all the sins that it causes, because it there's a salvation then the first step is to establish what people need to be saved from. I've read a few salvation tracts in my life and there's always a List right after the introduction of sin. That's pretty much what he's doing - setting the stage for him to explain his theology and why it's right. That doesn't mean anyone is obligated to agree with him though.

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

13th February >> Mass Readings (Except USA)

Monday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Colour: Green)

First Reading Genesis 4:1-15,25 The mark of Cain.

The man had intercourse with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. ‘I have acquired a man with the help of the Lord’ she said. She gave birth to a second child, Abel, the brother of Cain. Now Abel became a shepherd and kept flocks, while Cain tilled the soil. Time passed and Cain brought some of the produce of the soil as an offering for the Lord, while Abel for his part brought the first-born of his flock and some of their fat as well. The Lord looked with favour on Abel and his offering. But he did not look with favour on Cain and his offering, and Cain was very angry and downcast. The Lord asked Cain, ‘Why are you angry and downcast? If you are well disposed, ought you not to lift up your head? But if you are ill disposed, is not sin at the door like a crouching beast hungering for you, which you must master?’ Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let us go out’; and while they were in the open country, Cain set on his brother Abel and killed him.

The Lord asked Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ ‘I do not know’ he replied. ‘Am I my brother’s guardian?’ ‘What have you done?’ the Lord asked. ‘Listen to the sound of your brother’s blood, crying out to me from the ground. Now be accursed and driven from the ground that has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood at your hands. When you till the ground it shall no longer yield you any of its produce. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer over the earth.’ Then Cain said to the Lord, ‘My punishment is greater than I can bear. See! Today you drive me from this ground. I must hide from you, and be a fugitive and a wanderer over the earth. Why, whoever comes across me will kill me!’ ‘Very well, then,’ the Lord replied ‘if anyone kills Cain, sevenfold vengeance shall be taken for him.’ So the Lord put a mark on Cain, to prevent whoever might come across him from striking him down.

Adam had intercourse with his wife, and she gave birth to a son whom she named Seth, ‘because God has granted me other offspring’ she said ‘in place of Abel, since Cain has killed him.’

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 49(50):1,8,16-17,20-21

R/ Pay your sacrifice of thanksgiving to God.

The God of gods, the Lord, has spoken and summoned the earth, from the rising of the sun to its setting. ‘I find no fault with your sacrifices, your offerings are always before me.’

R/ Pay your sacrifice of thanksgiving to God.

‘But how can you recite my commandments and take my covenant on your lips, you who despise my law and throw my words to the winds?

R/ Pay your sacrifice of thanksgiving to God.

‘You who sit and malign your brother and slander your own mother’s son. You do this, and should I keep silence? Do you think that I am like you?’

R/ Pay your sacrifice of thanksgiving to God.

Gospel Acclamation Psalm 94:8

Alleluia, alleluia! Harden not your hearts today, but listen to the voice of the Lord. Alleluia!

Or: John 14:6

Alleluia, alleluia! I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord; No one can come to the Father except through me. Alleluia!

Gospel Mark 8:11-13 No sign shall be given to this generation.

The Pharisees came up and started a discussion with Jesus; they demanded of him a sign from heaven, to test him. And with a sigh that came straight from the heart he said, ‘Why does this generation demand a sign? I tell you solemnly, no sign shall be given to this generation.’ And leaving them again and re-embarking, he went away to the opposite shore.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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Verminous Serpent - The Malign Covenant, 2023.