#adapting

[in-tenebris-et-in-solitudine]

[ittasteslikehappy]

credit: @foiegraphs

[novathesheltie]

To complete my master’s I have to do a 6-month internship, which I’ll be doing at Ifremer…in Normandy. Nova and I have to move across the country again, this time towards a cold and rainy climate. But I’m excited : I’ll be studying different methods on estimating dolphin/seal by-catch. Meaning, I’ll be doing hardcore statistics. Which is a little hilarious since I’ve always yelled on every rooftop how much my brain cannot comprehend stats. It does (better) now, and I can’t wait to be completely thrown into that universe, with the hopes of coming out of it a more experienced statistical biologist. And funny : my childhood dream has always been to have my future somehow tied to orcas, and while I’m very aware of the logistics of that dream, I’ve also subconsciously been gearing my life towards that goal. I went from a Bachelor in Wildlife Sciences (ahem, more management than sciences but) to a Master’s in Marine Sciences (fucking hardcore sciences with crazy ass level math and stats) and now my internship is somewhat related to cetaceans in some way. I’m hoping to go the PhD route too once I’m done. But I’m also very much okay with doing conservation/consulting stuff. One of my classes made me réalise I was pretty good at that too. I’m okay with both paths if one doesn’t work out. I’m also okay with none of them working out, and doing something different (I heavily looked into being a dog trainer when I couldn’t find an internship). I’m excited. Writing in French is still an absolute hassle, the math involved behind stat models gives me brain damage, and I’ve been cohabitating with stress for the past few months…but we’re doing good. Nova’s gotten a tad chunky, I’m not taking him out as often and I’m using his food for mental stimulation, but I know this is a just a finite wave that will come to an end and we’ll go back to our usual shenanigans.

Since I’ll be alone in Normandy, I’ve looked into dog clubs to do obedience work or agility. Puppy mitters will be entertained again, and I plan on continuing teaching him a proper heel (i’ve finally figured out which buttons to use).

We’ll be okay, but I’ll miss the warm weather of the south and the beautiful mountains and calanques. Onward.

[adapting-the-mystic-path]

One of the first forms of magic many of us ever encounters in life is music. While it is not what we traditionally think of when we hear the word magic - candles, cauldrons or witches on broomsticks - music is an undeniable force. It has the power of influencing emotions and states of mind, inspiring painters, poets, writers, musicians, actors, etc. People have been inspired by music to live authentically in fashion, gender identity, sexuality, nonconformity. It can transport us into different worlds where love is all we dream of or one where we mourn a loss so deeply only the music can express our pain. Particular tempos and rhythms have the ability of inducing mesmerizing trancelike states.

I have noticed the power of music in many different situations over the course my life. Cheerful Disney and animated films or cartoons’ melodies color happy carefree moments of the past while musical productions of shows like West Side Story, Phantom of the Opera, and Wicked evoked emotions I had no words for or experience with and yet became part of my being. Funerals were marked by the solemn ceremony and the cathartic tears falling in a church as the gathering sang hymns I didn’t know yet tugged at my heart.

In recent years I’ve dabbled in a few different digital hobbies. One of the adventures I explored was DJing for a club in the virtual reality platform called SecondLife. I did not go so far as learning how to alter speed, pitch, or other fancy manipulations of music. But I did learn there is an art to the arrangement of song order. Much like a radio DJ, I would select tracks to play and specify the order in the software I used and occasionally did short voiceovers or commercial breaks to promote the club or the DJ playing after me. Some of my favorite sets - usually two hour sessions of music - were when nothing was fully prepared. I selected a few songs and either added or rearranged song order by feeling the vibe of my audience. This was a magic combination.

About a year later I started DJing at an occult/pagan/witchy hangout for full moon gatherings. This new path took me on quite a deep dive into music I had never explored before as i looked for songs to play that struck a particular chord. Popular choices were from SKALD, Heilung, and Kerli. Other modern style bands were included as long as there was an undercurrent of spiritual resonance, empowerment, or depth of emotion and feeling. In This Moment has a fantastic album which is heavily spiritually focused. Born This Way by Lady Gaga was also extremely appropriate as an empowering anthem to live authentically. Over time I grew my music collection and worked hard to hone my skills for smooth transitions. Often I would be playing songs that made guests remember another that they sometimes requested so I would move it into the queue. Building the energy together while dancing virtually and connecting through the rhythm of the drums or the vocals created such a high that is hard to replicate.

A morning ritual I began a couple years ago is creating a short playlist to listen to while I drink my morning coffee. Inspired by a friend who has a similar concept for a playlist, I have been particularly selective about which tracks are in the playlist. They must meet a few pieces of criteria but the most important is that listening to them raises my vibrations. My mental energy and confidence level should rise with each song in the list. “Good Morning” by Qveen Herby is the first track that includes a short breathing meditation which often helps me center and ground regardless of current events.

The point of this post? If you are looking to for a place to start your practice, dip your toes into the mystical realm, or simply ground, music is a wonderful place to begin. Experiment with different songs to reflect on the emotions they evoke. This exercise is extremely helpful for discovering the music you may wish to listen to while doing spellwork. Can you create the emotions you desire by being selective of what you are listening to? Give it a try.

[chipmunkweirdo]

Fresh off the press! It’s Mini Tale 12! This one is loosely inspired by the episode A Room Of One’s Own, but it takes a new approach.

The munks have not been super active on Tumblr this weekend because they’ve been roleplaying with friends while also writing this. Expect them back with posts about their weekends tomorrow!

[quotestomorals]

This song is new to me, but I am honored to be a part of it.

The Outer Wilds

[cmweller]

Challenge #04225-K207: Just Isekai'd

Wh...where am I?

"It's ok, you're recovering from your illness, child.

I.... was in a car wreck....

"What's a car?"

Wha? Where am I?

"You're near the lands of Whitekeep"

what.. is Whitekeep,never heard of it.

"I've never met a reborn before."

Reborn?

"It's alright... perhaps we should talk." -- Anon Guest

[AN: I posted about my temptation to get Isekai'd just two days before this was due to be a story. FTR I rejected the temptation because I STILL haven't finished writing A Devil's Tale]

There had been heavy rain. Lilly remembered that much. Mom had been yelling about her applying herself at school and then Dad swore and... Squealing tyres. The smell of ozone. The smell of blood. A rising whine that drowned out everything else.

Then she woke up to... this. Whatever this was. It looked like a hospital, in that it had the general vibe of one. Except... the tech level was a little more vintage cinema than the last ward Lilly had seen on TV. The biggest difference was the lack of metal. There were curtains, but they hung from rods on the windows. Patients were given privacy by free-standing wooden screens. Her own blanket was a colourful quilt... with woven patterns in the pieces. Not printed like she knew. The walls were white, as was the floor, but it was a less antiseptic white than she knew. There were no LED lights casting everything into a harsh contrast. Then she saw the devil in clean robes.

She was blue, and had her indigo curls caught up in some kind of net tied to the horns that erupted from her brow. She looked confused at Lilly's fear of her, and kept her distance. Calling over a Sister Temperance. Who was thankfully Human.

[Check the source for the rest of the story]

[randomreasonstolive]

Reason to Live #9018

 Adapting my plans to navigate new challenges.  – Guest Submission

(Please don't add negative comments to these posts.)

[proloblog]

☆M A H O R A G A☆ COMPLETED AT LAST

This guy was ultra fun to draw, he's so frightening in the anime and quiet, and I really like him for that. He just trudges on and ravages everything in his path! Divine monster...

[autumnluzarts]

No YOU just improvised over the chords of a car alarm

[adapting-the-mystic-path]

A common theme I see from my limited experience as a witch is that the first spell many perform are fueled by very powerful and somewhat negative emotions. They are often acts of self-defense and a way to reclaim power over our lives. But are these actions fueled by our emotions overriding our consideration for our safety?

One of the first spells I ever cast, while budget friendly, was not…the wisest for a person in my position. A recognizable staple to most practitioners is the candle. Matches, candles, incense, anything that creates the beautiful element known as fire. Strong, passionate, a force to be reckoned with. Fire is an extremely purifying element that is a logical choice for cleansing yet quite destructive if not handled properly.

The spell itself was fairly simple and straightforward. To banish an individual who had betrayed my trust rather terribly, I found a budget friendly banishment spell in a Facebook group I had joined. Essentially it said to write a name on some toilet paper and flush it down the drain. Most banishment spells I’d see used candle fire so I altered it to paper towel and lighting it on fire with a match. Fire aligned closer to the pain and heat of the anger I was experiencing whereas flushing their name down the drain felt anticlimactic. I wasn’t sure it would be effective. Due to my own physical limitations, I had a friend help with the actual lighting of the paper towel after writing the name and tag lock. We held the paper towel over a tub with water, I asked that the named person stay away from me until such time that their energy would no longer negatively affect me, lit it on fire with the match, then let it burn and dropped it into the tub with water.

A few things to note. At times, I require supplemental oxygen. We were on a wooden deck. This was not the safest way to perform this spell because one wrong move could have set the deck on fire. If I had been using supplemental oxygen, it could have caused an explosion of fire. I was also being a bit sneaky about this while my primary caretakers were not home. The spell worked beautifully but in hindsight, there were other ways I could have achieved the same outcome that would have been much safer. I could have followed the instructions to flush it down the drain. Simply tearing the paper up and letting it drift away in the wind would have been safer.

At the time I did not know just how adaptable magic can be to consider other methods. I was in emotional pain and fire felt much stronger and powerful than flushing something down a toilet. We’ve all been in positions where emotions colored our judgement. Emotions are powerful and fantastic for fueling spellwork but not at the expense of our own safety.

A few years later and I shake my head at my poor choice while simultaneously thanking my guides and guardians for protecting me in that instance. But I will not count on that being the case in the future. I know they are there watching me as I write this, admitting my own stupidity to hopefully prevent future disasters from occurring to other mystics. Intention is important when doing spellwork, but if your health and safety are at risk, consider other options or don’t do the spell at all. It is not worth risking your life or the lives of others.

Another excellent example of a common element in witchcraft is the use of lavender. Lavender bundles for smoking, lavender teas, lavender oils, potpourri, poppets, etc. It is a very versatile plant but…some people are allergic to it. If that is the case, DO NOT USE IT!! Herbs have fitting substitutes in many cases. Fire can be represented in other ways than the actual element itself. There is always another way.

Part of the journey that we find ourselves on is to find the best solutions to suit our own circumstances. There is no one size fits all when it comes to magic. Commonalities are certain yet we each bring something unique to the table, our energy. Our Will. This is the core of our craft to make any spell work. Intention. Intention alone will not make things happen but without it, there is no purpose to guide our efforts. Find your purpose and assess whether or not your plan has unnecessary risks involved. In coming posts I will share different ways I have adapted my path and ways I am experimenting with.

Continue exploring your magic as I am, prioritize your safety and what is within your abilities, and don’t burn your house down!

[ao3feed-erasermic]

Adapting

Use the related link post to read Adapting on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/60970534 by MaveyMitski Aizawa, lonely and basic, works at a cat café when one day his life changes forever. Hizashi, bored and content, worked at a radio station when one day his life changes forever. Words: 14971, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English Fandoms: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia (Anime & Manga) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: M/M Characters: Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic Relationships: Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead/Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - No Quirks (My Hero Academia) Use the related link post to read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/60970534

[redtoondevils]

Some insight to Moons behavior. (Annotations.)

I think, that if Moon. Hypothetically. If he was ever treated with kindness, then Moon wouldn't been so bad. I've been itching to say this for a long time. Because ever since he was programmed to be a villain on stage. Then he would be a pretend villain, and relatively harmless.

The thing about being designed as a villain, would develop no motor skills, or understand what 'goodness' is. Like animals in a way, they are programmed to do the thing that they are supposed to do. Weather if it's 'Good' Or 'Bad' but that is how they understand it.

And for this villain in particular, he was only given commands to follow what he is supposed to do, that's what he knows. However, the problem that he doesn't know was never corrected.

When he continues to do those 'bad' things. It's something that he knows. But I would like to think of him as a kid almost. He isn't literally. But it's the things that he was never taught.

He was never taught kindness, he was never taught respect, he was never taught manners. That's why he's often rude, and overwhelming. Because of how his AI adapts. So, he doesn't understand the good value of treating other people.

If he was taught these things, how to behave better. Taught good manners, and motive skills. I think his AI would learn that, and he would have been better.

It's sad to see people disregarding Moon because of how rude, and bully that he is. Where I think, if he was taught right. (And correct his invalid behaviors.)

And treated well, then he would have been a softer less harsh Moon. Keep in mind, that he is a robot. So, of course he's not going to 'Know' better. Advanced AI doesn't mean they 'Know' better. No body knows better.

Not even Freddy too. Even though he's the nicest animatronic parent that everyone loves. He still has flaws. He does not have many flaws. But, he still does them sometimes. He's another one.

With this. I would place Moon as a miss understood 'Villain'. Not evil.

[treecakes]

puts the heaviest iron book end ever next to my plant so my cat doesn’t knock it over 😭