#Vs Spooni

[incorrectdnb]

Spooni: I’m afraid you’re wrong, as I actually have a black belt.

Sludgebi: In karate?

Spooni: No, from Gucci.

[existennialmemes]

An Unstoppable Force (my rabid, unhinged love of fall) meets an Unmovable Object (my frigid, purple, circulation-impaired extremities)

[feral-space-faerie]

this discourse between whether knitting or crochet is better/faster/etc. is BULLSHIT. Which is easier bc of counting more or less is BULLSHIT.

The only differences that truly matter are: Crochet hurts my carpal tunnel and Knitting hurts my arthritis and that's how I choose per project.

[chronicallykiki]

🌟 Vtuber vs IRL Species 🌟

My vtuber was based on my FFXIV viera, who was based on my real-life bunny, Squiggle/Squee (RIP):

[blogbyblondie]

boy sick vs. girl sick

11/16/22

There seems to be a pattern between boys and girls in how they respond to things. A phrase I use often is “girl sick vs boy sick,” which I use to show how girls respond with a much stronger front to things like being sick, feeling unwell, and pain in general, whereas men immediately crumple and need to be coddled and cared for. I see this pattern everywhere, and in my own life too, whenever a woman is starting to get sick she’ll mention it to her partner, as a way to ask for support or at least an expression of sympathy, and she’ll likely be greeted with “Oh I’m getting sick too,” or some other complaint about the latter’s health.

So then, when the woman is actually sick, she is required to carry on, business as usual, until she absolutely can’t, or until, if the universe aligns, there was a pre-scheduled time for rest where she can recuperate (i.e. bank holidays, school breaks, etc.) And, not only is she required to care for herself, making as much extra consideration for her illness as she can allow, but she must care for her partner by either making or picking up food, grocery shopping, helping him with all of his interpersonal issues, and, if he did in fact decide he was *cough* sick *cough* she’d have to provide him extra care to accommodate his illness.

But, if the man were ill, he would tell her he was sick and she would not just extend immediate sympathy, but she would get right to work to make it better. She’d run him a hot shower or warm bath, make/get his favorite food, make sure he was hydrated, and when he took off from work and/or school, she’d make sure he’d be comfortable at home. She’d even do all the little things like leave medicine where he could easily grab it, always get the tv remote and leave it close by, and take out the dog.

It’s like Kristin Scott Thomas’ monologue from Fleabag, “Women are born with pain built in. It’s our physical destiny: period pains, sore boobs, childbirth, you know. We carry it within ourselves throughout our lives, men don’t. They have to seek it out, they invent all these gods and demons and things just so they can feel guilty about things, which is something we do very well on our own. And then they create wars so they can feel things and touch each other and when there aren’t any wars they can play rugby. We have it all going on in here inside, we have pain on a cycle for years and years and years…”

I don’t even identify as a woman, I identify as non-binary, but there’s something so innately true about this to every person with a uterus. We are born with pain built in.

[incorrectdnb]

Spooni: I will always make you feel special and slightly offended. That’s my job.

[phemiec]

not the same anon as just now but also i wanna really thank you for ur music & also, although you obviously know this already, its so so so so so much more important to prioritize your health. if we never hear another song from you id be happy knowing that you didnt push your limits in order to record them and all that. i have really bad chronic pains and ive been told so many times that i just need to perservere and whatever and it drives me CRAZY so. well anyway i just wanted 2 say that and that ive been a really big fan of you and your art for many many years so ^__^ peace and love etc

Aw thanks :)

yeah I agree, it’s important to know limits. With chronic illness it’s often a push/pull of trying to be okay with where you are vs. Still wanting to meet your goals even when it’s a struggle to just complete basic life things… We spoonies know our own bodies best at the end of the day.

we don’t have to earn our lives, productivity does not equal worth <3 peace and love back to you as well 🥄 🥄 🥄

[chaotic-archaeologist]

Need some college advice, one of the classes I'm taking is Political science but it's synchronous me I do at home on my own. and I am STRUGGLING . I feel like I learned nothing and we're on week 5. it's not the subject but the way it's taught, thing is I KNEW this would happen I was home-schooled from 4th-12th and it was structured same way and I just couldn't get with it. But I figured that was then, this is now besides good to have a back up as a spoonie and my dad's (my main transportation) ailing health. However recent quiz I got 4/10. ...I just don't know, I have a meeting with advisor tomorrow but wonder should I just withdraw from this class and retake in person next semester? But I feel like a quitter

Listen, first and foremost: no academic endeavor is worth your mental and/or physical health. If this class is tying you up in knots, if you're not learning anything because of the way it's structured, and it could potentially mess up your GPA (provided that's something you care about it)... ditch the class. Also, you deserve to get the most out of your learning experience.

Sure, there's nuance. What percentage of your grade is made up of quizzes vs things like papers or assignments, which are sometimes harder to fail? Does the professor allow retakes? Extra credit? At week 5 things are probably still salvageable, even if you might not necessarily get an A.

But honestly? It sounds like you're not getting much out of this class, and that's the most important thing. If it helps, don't think of it as quitting, think of it as making an evidence-based decision. You did an experiment with this kind of learning in a new setting, you have some preliminary results, and based on that data you are going to alter future parameters.

There are some time constraints you want to think about. Most schools have an add/drop window where there's no penalty for leaving a class, but that usually ends around the second week. Past that point there's another window where you can formally withdraw from a class, but it will show as a W on your transcript. Sometimes, depending on the situation, you can still get your money back with a W.

Ws are not the end of the world; many people wind up taking them for many different reasons. Most post-college opportunities don't actually care about the details of your transcript, and those that do often give you the opportunity to explain things like this. You have a totally valid reason, which is that the course was not being taught in a way that was conducive to your learning needs.

(I personally have 4 Ws on my transcript because I had to drop out of school when my health was at its worst, and look—they let me into grad school anyway! Pretty much any other job I could go for will only care that I graduated college, and many won't even ask for a GPA.)

IMPORTANT CAVEAT: I am, ultimately, just a guy on the internet. Everything that I say should be taken with a grain of salt. I do not know you, your unique situation, or the nuances of the educational institution you attend. I also cannot make decisions for you. What I can do is provide context in the form of an opinion, but see the above remark about grains of salt.

-Reid

[s2pdoktopus]

Stuff I drew based on @spoonie-ritsu 's Take my Hand. I enjoy this little collection lots :)))

Based on the author's note part. I think Teru vs Mob happening like this would be funny XD

[driver270]

"This isn't Minority Report with John Anderton, this is Minority Report with the fucking Kurgan!"

Requested by anon

[the-paganwitch]

My Addition to the OcculTea Hashtag.

I've seen many creators post into this discussion, and as someone who isn't really and "influencer" parsay, but I have been online with my craft for many years now, so I have definitely seen a thing or to! I got inspired to add my own thoughts into this topic. This will easily be my longest post I've created. The picture above is from @prettyqueerwitch. I love how it looked and I wanted to use it. I hope this is okay! If it isn't, please let me know and I'll change it!

Introduction: Introduce yourself. How long have you been participating in the witchcraft online space? What practices and topics do you discuss primarily?

Hi! My name is Jess, also known as the-paganwitch or Redmonarch on other platforms. I am a 23-year-old and first discovered witchcraft when I wanted to curse someone. I know, a great start. That was back in about 2013/2014. I didn't really start getting into actively practicing until around 2017. My first time participating in an online space was through the Spells of Magic forum. I still have an account on there I check from time to time, but I'm not on it very often anymore. After that, I branched onto watching youtube creators. I now run a witchy email-based newsletter I love! I am an eclectic pagan witch with a primary focus on green and kitchen witchcraft, and crystal magic.

Topic 1: Impact On Community.

What is my personal reading/inspiration behind sharing my practice online? What am I looking to achieve by participating? Do I seek to educate, learn, or connect?

I feel inspired to share mostly to help others who may be just starting out and don't really know where to start. Which is the main reason behind my newsletter. I also like the feeling of community online. With my chronic illnesses and nasty social anxiety, it is really hard for me to be a part of an in-person community. So I do tend to rely on the online aspect. Though, I don't really have any online witchy friends.

How do I believe that social media, as a whole, has impacted the community?

I feel that it has both helped and hindered the community. It's kind of a grey zone to me. While social media has made it easier for others to connect and for more information to be shared on a global scale, it has also created a platform for less favourable people to gain a voice. Those who seek to spread hate and unnecessary harm to others in the community.

How do I think social platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have each impacted education/sharing information?

I would say that I could answer it similarly to the question above. It's kind of a grey zone. On one side, it has made gathering information easier and more accessible. On the other, it has lead to a lot of misinformation and has lead many to a ""my way or the highway" type of thinking. I have seen this type of thinking primarily on TikTok, which is why I had to deleted it personally. The community grew way too toxic.

Is consuming witchcraft content becoming a substitute for practice?

Yes and no. I know many hate on people who primarily consume content as a part of their practice, but something many always seem to forget about is us spoonie witches who many not always have the energy or spoons to practice all the time. Yes,I don't agree with the people who claim to be witches, but all the do is watch TikTok videos and never actually attempt to branch out to other areas or do more research into topics. These types of people, in my opinion, aren't actually witches. For some of us, we just can't always spare the extra energy to so spells or most types of magic. So consuming witchcraft media is the closest thing we have to practicing some days.

Topic 2 : Influencer Authority.

Out of what I share on social media, how much of it is staged vs. reality?

I am pretty open to sharing the reality of my practice. I don't really feel the need to stage anything. If I were to ever make videos, I guess then technically parts would be staged. But when I make posts or add personal notes in my newsletter, those are authentic and real.

Do I think there is an element of censorship in online spaces? How do I decipher what is "appropriate" to share online vs. what to keep privately? Is this based on "social media etiquette" or a personal preference.

As I stated above, I am pretty comfortable openly sharing my practice. I don't really censor much as of right now, unless it has nothing to really do with my practice. Even then, I don't mind sharing information if I am asked something. I would say it's all up to your comfort level on what you choose to share and what you don't. I also don't really know what social media etiquette is to be honest.

Have I ever encountered or heard of grifters in our community? Do I recognize them? What are significant signs of grifters in the community?

I have had people on mostly Instagram partake in grifting. Usually as fake tarot readers or offering to do break curses/hexes or "bring back a lost love". These people are pretty easy to tell. They almost always message you first, saying "I was drawn to your profile" or "I wanted to offer you a free reading". They do not want to give you any help, they are trying to scam you. Other forms I see are people who are not a part of the community trying to market or sell items overpriced. Or those who sell things at a way too low of a price. If it's too good to be true, it's probably a scam.

What tools are helpful to decipher misinformation, and how can we as a community prevent widespread misinformation?

Research research research! Always research, fact check, and be suspicious if something doesn't sound right or feel right. I don't really think we can do a whole lot about the spread of misinformation, but we can always fact check what we hear, see, or learn. We can also help lift the voices of those we do trust and those who share correct information.

How does a large following impact the perception of the creator? Does this immediately make them an "expert"? Or are there other assumptions as to why they may have a large following?

Being a popular creator doesn't make you an "expert". It can mean you may know more about somethings or that you share good information, but it doesn't make you an expert. Neither does practicing for a long time. No one can truly be an "expert" in witchcraft as a whole, in my opinion. You can be very well informed and know a lot, but you aren't an "expert".

How does one maintain the balance of authenticity and content creation?

It can be difficult maintaining authenticity when trying to make content if you are trying to keep relevancy or trying to become super popular. This is because you have to follow what topics are trending and you have to constantly be fighting with algorithms. This can make you lose authenticity and turn more into content farming. I think you can balance both as long as you are content creating without the sole desire of having relevancy or popularity.

Topic 3 : Imposter Syndrome and Fear of Missing Out

When I follow other creators in the community space, does it make me feel genuinely inspired and empowered or does it create feelings of fear of missing out and being less than?

I guess that would depend on the community space. In most places, I generally get a feeling of inspiration, especially when I get into a rut or burn out. The only community I felt negative more time than not in was on TikTok. There was always fighting, drama, and a push for you to buy certain things in order to be called a witch. If you didn't like this certain creator or you didn't agree with this exact way of thinking, you can't be a witch or you aren't a "real" witch.

If I experience fear of missing out, has it ever left me feeling vulnerable to be taken advantage of financially, or otherwise? An example would be - the "need" to purchase the latest popular product or book to "fit in"?

I can see where others, especially beginners, may fall into this way of thinking. You want to be liked in a certain community, but you feel you have to follow the trends or keep up with what everyone is buying. I myself don't really fall into this peer pressure anymore, but I definitely did when I first started. It's best to move away from communities and spaces that make you feel forced to buy products or follow one certain thing.

When practicing my craft, do I find myself comparing what I do to what I've been seeing people do online?

Absolutely. This has been a bit of a problem for me within the last 2-3 years. It really started when I developed my chronic illness and couldn't do everything I used to be able to do. I felt less than or that I wasn't really a witch anymore. I have been working really hard on allowing myself more leniency when it comes to my practice and my chronic illness. It's really easy to fall into the habit of comparing yourself and your practice to others you see on social media, but you have to remember that not everyone shows everything they do. They may only share 5-10% of their craft.

In what ways do I combat imposter syndrome?

I try to be gentle and kind with myself when I notice it coming up. I remind myself that everyone's craft is different and my won't look like someone elses, and that okay. The whole point of witchcraft is to make it suited to you and what you can do, and where you can grow and learn.

What would my practice look like without the social media influence of other creators?

Honestly, I don't think I would have really gotten into it as much as I have or I may not have actually discovered it. I was raised in an strong atheist household and was taught that that was the only right answer. But when I discovered witchcraft online, it was an eye opener. When I rediscovered it a few years later, it changed my entire life for the better. I am forever in love with witchcraft and I don't think I will ever give it up at this point.

Topic 4 : Capitalizing Off Community.

Do I consider online communities as equally valid to in-person communities?

I do. I may not alway partake in many online discussions or join community chats, but I do believe they can do some good to those that enjoy them or who what to make friends. There is a plethora of different groups and discussion forums out there for just about everyone.

How have online occult/witchcraft communities impacted me as a person and practitioner?

They have both helped and hindered me and my practice. Like I said above, some online practitioners are the reason I discovered witchcraft in the first place. Which lead me to falling in love with it and devoting my life to witchcraft. On the other hand, It has sometimes lead me to dislike the communities and witchcraft because of how toxic some of it had become, and how often I found myself hitting burn out after burn out because of it. I lost myself for a while with my craft. I had even questioned whether I wanted to be a witch anymore. I rediscovered my love for it all after I stepped back from a lot of communities I noticed were promotion toxicity and fueling separation.

What are some of the dangers of the current phenomenon of capitalizing off witchcraft community? Have I been personally affected by this, or have I witnessed someone else be affected?

I think a problem with capitalizing off of witchcraft communities is how easy it can be to scam or swindle new practitioners out of money. Another problem is fake products being marketed as the real deal. This is a HUGE problem with crystals honestly. There are many online shops claiming a crystal is real, but when you get it, it's a dyed glass or plastic. Moldavite, agates, opals, and quartzes are some of the worst for this happening. It drives me nuts!

Should there be paywalled communities and online courses?

I don't believe anything about basic witchcraft should be paywalled. I believe basics should be free to access for everyone and anyone. But I don't see an issue in asking for payment when you are teaching things beyond the basics. Especially for those who put lots of time and effort into learning and creating said courses. I can also understand why some communities are paywalled. I remember when witches were trying to make non-paywalled discord communities to anyone who wanted to join and what a dumpster fire they usually turned into. You can't always control who gets in and what they say or do. There isn't really an efficient method to keeping out hate and harmful people from communities without paywalling. Which is kind of sad.

How does one ensure the authenticity of courses/workshops/memberships/etc. as a financial investment?

You should always, always, ALWAYS look into the person offering said things before you partake. How long have they been practicing? What beliefs do they hold? Do they align with yours? Are what they saying seem fishy, suspicious, or too good to be true? These are things you should always think about before paying to be a part of something or paying someone for courses.

Conclusions:

What are some topics of conversations I'd like to see more of in our community?

I would love to see more discussion on witches with disabilities or chronic illnesses as I feel it's not talked about or discussed enough.

What are my community needs?

For me to want to be in a part of a community, I would need to feel supported and that there is open discussions without judgement because someone's craft is a different then others. I like being in communities with a similar beliefs, or with witches who are into the same things as me, but that is purely personal.

Where would I like to be held and supported? Where do I feel like I'm not truly being seen by my community?

I pushed these two together because they have the same answer. I am personally not too worried about being held or seen in any community. Mainly because I am not really making content to become something or a popular creator. If I gained a large following, that's cool, but I am not actively trying to do that. If people like what I post or share and want to follow, that's awesome! You are more than welcome here. But if others don't care for what I do, then that's okay too. Whatever one you vibe with, it's good with me.

How can we help each other in removing the external peer pressure and grow in the community?

By reminding each other that you're craft is your own and does not have to follow anyone else's. There are no set rules to witchcraft, and if someone tells you there is, they are not being truthful. Witchcraft is what you make of it. We can flourish when we support each other practitioners differences.

How can we, as a community, come together more with constructive criticism without it seeming shady or passive aggressive? How can we, as a community, do better when we do receive criticism/feedback?

I would say we should watch how things get worded, firstly. Secondly, instead of writing something when in a high state of emotion, think about what you want to said first. Really think about it. Is it coming from a place of genuine help, or a place of attack or offence? Same can go for when we receive criticism. Think about what someone said before responding, especially if you don't fully understand what is being said. If you're confused about it, ask the person to elaborate. There is nothing wrong with asking to gain more insight into what the person is thinking and where they're coming from.

Who are some community members that I look up to that are reliable resources and aspirations?

Ariel Gatoga, Chaotic Witch Aunt, Hearth Witch, Witchy Tips, The Green Witch, Harmony Nice (no longer uploads), Ginny Metheral, Alwyn Oak, The Lunar Witch, The Witch of the Forest, The Wholesome Witch, Anastasia Moon, and Molly Roberts are the creators I look to the most for information and learning. I've watched many of these creators for a while now. I would say Ariel Gatoga was my biggest reason I got really into witchcraft and I would see him as my mentor. I learned the most of what I know from him and his podclasses.

Further thoughts?

I can't really think of much else to add. I do implore you to step back from social media from time to time to find yourself and discover what you truly love and discover where your strengths are. If you're in a burn out, or don't have much energy recently, that is okay. Allow yourself to rest and recover. Step back from witchcraft for a little and discover something new outside of your practice. Stepping back from witchcraft doesn't make you any less of a witch. We all need to take a step back to look at the bigger picture. You might find out something about yourself you may have never known.

[anxother]

One of my questions about KHML was what kind of experience it would be for me, limited physical and mental spoonie with severe anxiety about leaving the house and a potato phone, to play. I don't have a full answer right now, but my impression so far is: much better than Pokemon Go was out the gate, but you will fall well behind of anyone with an active schedule to go out and fight. You can go into a non-gps free roaming mode, but then every fight costs a good chunk of AP rather than gaining you a couple. The equivalent of gyms cost a huge chunk of AP to challenge in this mode and I haven't even done one yet despite the closest one being at a guess less than 30 steps outside my front door. It is not fun to be reminded of what a tiny box you live in.

It looks very much like they're trying to make it possible for you to play passively if you want, just have the game on and walk around to auto-encounter and auto-battle, and that's great both for convenience and for anyone who has much more on their minds setting outdoors than checking their phone every few seconds, however one technical aspect of this part is not working for me so far.

But, that's not the only content. There are other story quests and battle challenges to work though and get rewards from. It's going to depend on the eventual balance of this vs roaming/GPS and AP expending modes, and how and how much AP will eventually be distributed, how much it will end up slowing your progress/outright locking you from content if your ability to play on the go is limited for any reason.

[cloudberrylane]

Taskmaster (2017): Spoony Neeson VS. Taskmaster NZ (2020): I’m Queer, I’m Here

TASK. With this camera strapped to your head, record the most incredible footage VS. Make this mum proud

[strangestructures]

I'm chronically ill and usually invisibly disabled (unless I use my cane, but that's rare these days), and I have several thoughts.

I know, intimately, the reflex of thinking "I wish I had something more obvious, more visible, that people would take more seriously". I know this thought, but I know that it's bullshit. I could have an amputated leg, and people, at least those seeing me in person, might believe me that my leg is missing, but they would not believe me that I have trouble walking, because "they make such good prosthetics these days, and have you seen that project from that robotics club, and do you know about..." So I'll keep my legs, thank you very much.

I think a lot of the people you're referring to are spoonies, whose chronic illness started gradually, who spent years fighting to find out what was wrong with them. And at least for me this thought is not only about being taken seriously by my doctors and by my family, but about taking myself seriously. I grew up with a certain image of what "a disabled person" is, and even with all the struggles, it took me a while to identify as disabled. And how do you find community if you're not sure you belong?

The distinction between visible and invisible disability is often less clear than would seem at first glance. Do you see the first sentence of my answer? Often (but not always) what people see is not the disability itself, but the aids we use. Most of your examples - nasal cannulas, ports, trach, a stoma - fall in this category. I find it important, when this discussion pits us against each other, to some extent, to remember that the difference is not clear cut. But also that, fighting to acceptance and for support, we have a lot in common.

One last thought. You seem to be looking for people you could find community with, for people who also talk about the ugly laws and words like monster. Do you know @capricorn-0mnikorn? She writes about these subjects.

Quit the "I wish I was physically disabled/low functioning/etc so that people would take me seriously!" The only thing you'll get from a different disability is another flavor of the same ableism

[sparkliest-bard-bracket]

✨Round 1: Match 14✨

Raz'ul, Son of Daz'ul Propaganda:

He’s a fantastic musician, a deeply caring person, excelling in college and possibly the most dramatic bard in any room

Raz’ul is the youngest son of the Oodali clan. He decided to go out and travel the world in order to help his family and his kingdom via blacksmithing. Before he left home, he did borrow the family treasure called Axesumptin (ask you something). After that, he attends Strumlotts, school of Barding where he meets his best friends, Yashee Bordun and Randy Greentrees. Together, they travel across the continent telling tales and causing chaos as their band name Chaos Sauce implies. Raz’ul is a college of glamour bad and circle of the moon druid so his aesthetic leans more towards nature with a lot of floral flare. He’s also very in tune with his emotions and is an asexual icon! 

Propaganda and more sparkly pictures :D

Edward Chris von Muir Propaganda:

An elegant nobleman, renowned for his good looks (even sixteen years post game!), he battles both heartbreak and evil with just his trusty harp. The original spoony bard, and voiced by Sam Riegel in the English version so is basically a bard squared!