#b: white Diadem

[slapthebass]

Source: @espcustomshop on Twitter

[chic-a-gigot]

L'Art et la mode, no. 43, vol. 14, 28 octobre 1893, Paris. Le Bal Franco-Russe au Palais de l'Elysée. Dessin de Marie de Solar. Bibliothèque nationale de France

Mlle R. de V…

Corsage et jupe en mousseline de soie maïs, roses rouges et de capillaire.

Corn silk chiffon bodice and skirt, red roses and capillary.

—

Mlle M…

Corsage et jupe en mousseline blanche à pois blancs brodés. Garniture de sequins émeraude à la jupe.

Bodice and skirt in white chiffon with embroidered white polka dots. Emerald sequin trim on the skirt.

—

Mme C…

Corsage et jupe de satin blanc. Grand volant de point d’Alençon garnissant le bas de la jupe. Coiffure diadème en diamants.

Bodice and skirt in white satin. Large Alençon stitch flounce adorning the bottom of the skirt. Diamond tiara diademe.

—

Mme de M…

Corsage en panne violette. Tunique drapée en mousseline de soie Parme, mouchetée de cristal et perles fines.

Purple panne bodice. Draped tunic in Parma silk muslin, speckled with crystal and fine pearls.

—

Mme T…

Corsage cuirasse longue, en jais, sur transparent bouton d’or. Manches de velours noir, jupe de velours noir garnie de zibeline tout au tour.

Long cuirass bodice, in jet, on transparent buttercup. Black velvet sleeves, black velvet skirt trimmed with sable all around.

—

Mme O…

Tunique péplum, en voile de soie blanc, garnie de zibeline, formant nœud au corsage. Manches soutenues par des épaulettes de diamant. Le péplum brodé d’or et de perles fines.

Peplum tunic, in white silk veil, trimmed with sable, forming a bow at the bodice. Sleeves supported by diamond epaulettes. The peplum embroidered with gold and fine pearls.

—

Mme de B…

Corsage de mousseline de soie maïs, guirlande de myosotis enserrant la poitrine. Ceinture d'herbes vertes enroulant la taille. Jupe en moire neigeuse, en guirlandée de myosotis. Coiffure russe, avec diamants dans les cheveux.

Corn silk muslin bodice, garland of forget-me-nots around the chest. Belt of green grass wrapping around the waist. Skirt of snowy moire, garlanded with forget-me-nots. Russian headdress, with diamonds in the hair.

—

Mme W…

Corsage de satin blanc, orné d’un gros papillon de perles multicolores et de cabochons d’émeraude. Jupe de gaze blanche, se drapant sur la jupe de satin blanc. Guirlandes de roses roses et thé.

White satin bodice, decorated with a large butterfly of multi-colored pearls and emerald cabochons. White gauze skirt, draped over the white satin skirt. Garlands of pink and tea roses.

—

Mme A…

Corsage, manches et paniers en velours épinglé vieux rose garni de zibeline. Jupe de satin blanc garnie de zibeline nouée de côté.

Bodice, sleeves and panniers in old pink pinned velvet trimmed with sable. White satin skirt trimmed with sable tied at the side.

[scriptorsapiens]

Classicstober Day 14: Helen (𐀁𐀩𐀛/𒄭𒇷𒉌)

Helen of Troy… Helen Queen of Sparta… Helen Princess of Sparta… Helen the daughter of Leda and Zeus… the face that launched a thousand ships wore many masks over the course of her life but one thing that remains the same is how compelling she remains as a character. Many thanks to @symeona for helping me with her look!

Helen is a character intrinsically associated with her appearance, but early sources do not describe her at all outside of demonstrations of her status. For this piece, I have borrowed from two sources. The first is symeona, who's excellent translations on Ancient Greek color theory informed my take on Achilles. The second was that wretched and accursed fnckboy Ovid, who described Helen's mother Leda as having 'snowy white' skin and black hair. Since Zeus appeared to Leda in the form of a swan, and considering how pale Leda was, I decided to make her somewhat swan-like in appearance, with big black eyes and naturally ruddy lips to seal the deal.

First, let's talk about Helen the Spartan (rendered here in Linear B as 'Eleni of Laconia'). Despite mainly being known for her role in the Trojan War, Helen lived the majority of her life in Sparta and her husband Menelaus claimed the throne of Sparta through her. Laconia and Sparta are some of the oldest sites of Mycenaean culture, so Helen got to be depicted as Mycenaean as all getout. The high-piled hair, the diadem, the open tunic, and the bracelet are all very common in depictions of Mycenaean and Minoan women. She also has very elaborate florets to mark her status. The red fabric and large gemstones mark her wealth too i completely forgot to draw in the necklace she wore in the sketch version.

I mentioned before in my picture of Cassandra and Hector that I am basing the Trojan looks heavily on ancient Hittite clothing, and this is no exception. I know the movie Troy sucks for lots of reasons, but I did like that they made the Trojan theme color this very rich blue so I decided to add that here; dark, rich colors in general are very expensive to produce, so even if it's not red the saturation makes the cloth very expensive and a mark of royalty. I based her clothing and jewelry off a Hittite statue, but I decided to omit the tall hats that Hittite women appear to wear under their veils; I kind of wanted that to represent status, so only Andromache and Hecuba would wear the tall hats if I depict them.

I was not trying to make a commentary with it, but it does strike me how conservative the veiled, tunic wearing Hittite woman looks compared to the open-bodiced Mycenaean woman. That could easily be read into, but I'm just going to leave it as depiction and not try to ascribe any symbolism to it.

The decorative circle around Helen represents several things. Horses feature prominently in her life. The Trojan Horse is the most well known, but the wedding oath that Tyndareus made Helen's suitors swear to was sealed with the sacrifice of a horse too. Anemones are a sacred flower to Aphrodite (long story) and the white lilies seem like a fun way to evoke the 'pure woman' image.

Also in the circle are depictions of Eris' golden Apple of Discord. For the life of me, I could not find any translation related to fairness or beauty in any Mycenaean dictionaries so I had to cheat: "𐀴 𐀏𐀪𐀯𐀳𐀂/ti ka-ri-se-te-i" is just a phonetic transliteration of ΤΗΙ ΚΑΛΛΙΣΤΗΙ (tē(i) kallistē(i)), translated as 'for the fairest.'

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

15th August >> Mass Readings (USA)

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Liturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II))

First Reading Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet.

God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth. She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed One.”

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 45:10, 11, 12, 16

R/ The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.

The queen takes her place at your right hand in gold of Ophir.

R/ The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.

Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear, forget your people and your father’s house.

R/ The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.

So shall the king desire your beauty; for he is your lord.

R/ The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.

They are borne in with gladness and joy; they enter the palace of the king.

R/ The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.

Second Reading 1 Corinthians 15:20-27 Christ, the firstfruits; then those who belong to him.

Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end, when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, for “he subjected everything under his feet.”

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia. Mary is taken up to heaven; a chorus of angels exults. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 1:39-56 The Almighty has done great things for me; he has raised up the lowly.

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked upon his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.”

Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[sysig]

Just in time for MerMay, Mercandies

[phantomato]

Five Tom Riddle Crossover Fics to Read

Tom Riddle is a difficult character to ship. For those of us who want to see pairings beyond the Big Two (Tomarry and Tomione), canonical options peter out relatively quickly. Sure, we can invent our own pairings by fleshing out side characters, but sometimes, the itch is best scratched by borrowing from another canon.

And it makes sense for Tom more than nearly anyone else in HP. Tom was born into an era that is the subject of so much literature, so it’s easy to find another person kicking around postwar Europe if that’s your goal. He’s an archetypal character, the villain seeking immortality, and can be matched against other villains with the same aims. Hell, even his quest to recover lost artifacts turns into the basis for two of these works—Tom Riddle has the perfect combination of a recognizable context and character model, plus the ambiguity of his canon timeline, to slot him alongside so many other fictional figures.

I want to pause on some of these themes for a second. Immortality or relationship to age, for one, is something that comes up in three of these pairings: the Darkling and Koschei the Deathless are both immortal characters in their own canons, and Edmund Pevensie is not immortal but has aged and de-aged repeatedly in his travels to and from Narnia. The HP series doesn’t give us nearly this wealth of different perspectives on age and immortality, which is fair—HP makes it clear that immortality is unnatural and undesirable, and Flamel is notably a ‘good person’ because of his willingness to accept his own death—but for a character as obsessed with the idea as Tom, some emotions can only be explored when you match him with another character who has a complicated relationship to aging. Even someone like Indiana Jones, not immortal and not trying to be, has an interesting perspective to bring to a story because he has seen so many other quests for power gone terribly awry.

Of course, the other thing we get from crossover pairings is the ability to match Tom with a villainous character. And whether you’re a fan of conflict at the start of a relationship or not, I think there’s something to be found in putting two villains together: moral arguments, when they exist, are rarely about whether death is necessary but about what kinds of death are best used when; the entire concept of either a redemption arc or a breaking bad arc can be thrown out a window. It’s a space wherein our two villains are allowed to be themselves, and the reveal of the extent of each character’s villainy becomes a strange form of celebration. This is challenging to achieve if one sticks to HP canon alone, whereas crossovers are a fruitful space.

My selection methodology was to read every crossover fic with a clear focus on Tom Riddle or Voldemort on AO3. I found crossover pairings by visiting the meta pages for the Tom Riddle, Voldemort, and Tom Riddle | Voldemort tags—I may have missed some pairings for Tom Riddle, as the character has over 300 child relationship tags and AO3 cuts off at 300 displayed. If you know of any ships I missed and should check out, do tell! I’ll also make a note here that one of these fics is my own—if self-recs bother you, skip Bluebird.

The following five fics are ordered by wordcount. Let me know what you think!

Neurotic Virtuosi, by skazka

Crossover: Hannibal Rising (movie version). The wizarding world exists, and Tom and Hannibal encounter each other in non-magical Eastern Europe.

Summary: Tom and Hannibal ride the same train when Tom is hunting down the diadem. Tom shares an apple and thinks about keeping Hannibal.

Mature, <1k, Graphic Torture Fantasies

Why?: This is one of those pairings that I wouldn’t have thought to do when the characters were both young, but it’s so much better for that choice! The length of this fic means we only get a taste of their interactions, but what a taste it is. Tom’s internal fantasies are horrifying and described in a very erotic way, which fits both characters.

This also serves as an interesting vision of what Tom might have experienced during his world tour to find the diadem, a period we rarely get to see. I particularly like that the author chose to write it as frustrating and mostly fruitless; a Tom who is stymied and unsuccessful is a particular weakness of mine.

Two Sides of the Same Coin, by Anonymous

Crossover: Chronicles of Narnia. Both Hogwarts and Narnia are real, and the characters meet in Britain. The magic isn’t the same, but there’s mutual recognition.

Summary: Tom tries to use sex to seduce secrets out of Edmund. Edmund sees something reminiscent of his younger self, the version of him who could join the White Witch, in Tom Riddle.

Explicit, 2k

Why?: Edmund and Tom are a pairing made in crossover heaven, both boys of a similar age born into war in the same country and whose discoveries of magical worlds help them escape it. Both lust for power and make poor choices; Edmund canonically recovers and finds redemption from his actions, and Tom does not.

This fic wears the hat of something pure smut, starting in the middle of a sex scene and tagged with top/bottom roles, etc., and it is that and does that well. But give it a shot for Edmund’s reflection at the end, his hopeful musings that he can apply the lessons learned from Aslan to help Tom before Tom’s utterly lost. It’s a crossover ship with unbelievable potential for both characters, and this fic makes me want so much more.

Shedding Skin, by electric_typewriter

Crossover: Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente. Both the wizarding world and the magic of Deathless exist.

Summary: Tom meets Koschei before splitting his soul. They keep meeting, and Tom keeps attempting to match Koschei’s immortality.

Not Rated, 2k

Why?: Immortality via relocation or storage of souls is an idea that easily predates Harry Potter as a series, and seeing two different versions of the some core idea interacting with one another is precisely what crossovers exist to enable. Koschei as an immortal being that found his immortality in a way he considers superior is a fascinating concept, because it creates a power imbalance between them that leaves Tom always running to catch up. And Tom, poor Tom, feels like a desperate man, finding sensation only when he’s around Koschei and feeling nothing at any other time.

This reads a bit like you’re dissociating. The author uses descriptive language to keep the reader a little distant from the grounded reality of the events happening, which has the effect of keeping you focused on the metaphysical question of what it means to have part of a soul.

Bluebird, by Phantomato

Crossover: Shadow and Bone. S&B summoning powers instead of HP magic, set in the real world, with characters’ histories preserved.

Summary: Tom is the second sun summoner to exist, born long after the first gave up her powers and lived out her natural life. He tracks down the Darkling, the shadow summoner who never really died.

Explicit, 17k

Why?: Tom is an immortal being for at least part of his life, and his character arc is about pursuit of immortality, but he is fundamentally a young immortal, and is killed before he can graduate to old immortality. Aleksander, the Darkling, is canonically an old immortal, and his character arc is about the burden of living with the knowledge that you will likely always be alone. That loneliness sets the scene for the relationship between Tom and Aleksander, driving Aleksander’s behavior—he fundamentally believes he will always be alone, even an immortal like Tom passes through his life.

There is a high proportion of smut in this, serving in place of the emotional honesty that neither character can muster, and I recommend it for that. But the story also relies on investment in quiet everyday moments shared between the characters. It’s a fic told through behavior because both men are so cautious around one another, where they nevertheless manage to find sympathy for the other.

Riddles of the Dead, by Maeglin_Yedi

Crossover: Indiana Jones. Blends together the wizarding world and the mysticism present in Indiana Jones films.

Summary: Tom Riddle hires an expert archaeologist and gentleman adventurer, Dr. Indiana Jones, to help him pursue an artifact that might grant him immortality. There’s fucking, fighting, magic, snakes, and some difficult choices in store for our leading men.

Explicit, 18k, Angst

Why?: Maeglin Yedi has been a mainstay of the Tom Riddle/Lord Voldemort ficspace for nearly two decades, but an old crossover like this can unfortunately slip through the cracks. It shouldn’t! With an original publishing date in early 2005, this predates the concept of horcruxes, the knowledge of Tom’s early years at Wool’s orphanage, and, well, so much of what we would eventually learn about Tom Riddle as a person. It’s a testament to the author that the story manages to capture Tom’s character in such a way that he’s still fully recognizable to a current-day reader, despite working with so much less canon.

This fic is fun. It’s an adventure, featuring hazards and traps and assassination attempts that you would expect from an Indiana Jones film, but the magic and mystery never overwhelms the relationship at the core of this story. It’s set up beautifully, with a mirrored structure between the front and back halves of the fic that foreshadows the inevitable end of the story. Watching older, confident Indy seduce young, hungry Tom is a delight. One (possible) mark of a great Tom-centric fic, imo, is to be able to portray Tom enjoying the exchange of power, giving it to someone as well as taking it from them, and this Tom is able to revel in giving up some perceived power as he practices being vulnerable with Indy. The romance is quite sweet, especially considering that ‘angst’ tag at the top of the fic!

[caroline-klaus]

1 DECEMBER 1822 — Coronation of Dom Pedro I as Emperor of Brazil

Following the proclamation of the Independence of Brazil from Portugal on September 7, 1822 the then Prince Regent Dom Pedro was acclaimed as Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil on October 12, 1822, using as full title Constitutional Emperor and Perpetual Defender of Brazil. October 12 also marks the official inauguration of the Empire of Brazil (October 12, 1822 - November 15, 1889). Decrees were issued to formalize the symbols of the new Empire, such as the national motto “Independence or Death”, the new coat of arms and the flag of Brazil, in which the green rectangle (in honor of Pedro’s family, the House of Braganza), represented the forests and the yellow rhombus (in honor of Leopoldina’s family, the House of Habsburg-Lorraine), represented the gold. On December 1, 1822 Dom Pedro was crowned in a ceremony that took place in the then Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro and was presided over by the Bishop of Rio de Janeiro. Pedro arrived at the cathedral with his consort Empress Maria Leopoldina of Austria and his eldest daughter Princess Maria da Glória, the future Queen Maria II of Portugal. The ceremony was attended by members of the court, ministers of the government, representatives of the people, members of the clergy, officers of state, representatives from various provinces and a large crowd on the streets. Inside the cathedral Leopoldina, Maria da Glória and others ladies of the court were seated in the honour boxes in the second floor directly in front of the throne, located at the altar. In the rite of consecration the Emperor was solemnly blessed, anointed, crowned, invested with items of the imperial regalia and enthroned, according to the usages of the Catholic Church. Brazil never used the rites for the coronation of a sovereign's consort and thus Empress Maria Leopoldina was not crowned alongside her husband. 

Succeeding the anointing Dom Pedro was clad in the imperial vestments, wich included the imperial mantle, a pelerine, a gorget, his military uniform and riding boots. The imperial mantle, made in a poncho shape, was of dark green velvet embroidered with gold tread showing decorative patterns of palm tree branches (a symbol of triumph and victory) and stars (representing the Brazilian provinces). Over the mantle was a traditional white gorget and a yellow pelerine made of Toucan feathers, a bird native to Brazil. The unusual combination of riding boots and the imperial mantle added another military aspect to the vestment and alluded to Pedro’s dynamic and energic personality. Completed the attire the imperial sword, the gloves, the ring, the orb, the rod of the Hand of Justice, the sceptre and the crown. The Emperor’s crown was made of gold and set with diamonds, decorated with palm branches and the arms of Brazil. The apparel of Empress Leopoldina had similar aspects, including a green velvet mantle embroidered with gold, a white gown embroidered with silver and a gold diadem with diamonds and adorned with green and white plumes.

After being crowned and enthroned Dom Pedro made an ecclesiastical oath followed by a civil oath that was also made by the representatives of the people. Pedro promised to rule according to law and to abide by the future Constitution that would be adopted for the Empire. The Emperor's departure from the church was followed by other ceremonies inside the Imperial Palace of the City and then finally Dom Pedro presented himself to the public in one of the palace’s balcony, receiving official and popular acclamations. The coronations of Emperor Dom Pedro I and of his son Emperor Dom Pedro II (1841) were the two sole acts of coronation that took place in South America.

Caio Castro as Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil and King Dom Pedro IV of Portugal, Letícia Colin as Princess Maria Leopoldina of Austria, the Empress Consort of Brazil, Queen Consort of Portugal and Archduchess of Austria and Isabela Porto as Queen Maria II of Portugal and Princess Imperial of Brazil in “Novo Mundo” (2017). 

[perditaswardrobe]

10th Century Fantastic Beasts

by Ken Hazlett and Nat Lawson

Costume Description: Original design of the Hogwarts Founders from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Bio: We are cosplayers from Southern California who occasionally combine our cosplaying with our other pastime- surfing. 

The Case of the Missing Founder (CLOSED)

By Epiphelia Holmes

Abstract: Circa 1010 common era (CE), Salazar Slytherin, learned magicker, scholar, world traveler, and basilisk breeder, disappeared. All wizarding histories, including the penultimate source on Hogwarts, Hogwarts, A History (Bagshot, 1905), note that Slytherin disagreed with the other three Founders on the teaching of magic to the Muggle-born, and thus, left Hogwarts, angry and disillusioned. Through dogged research and exhaustive detective work, the author of this paper reveals the true fate of Salazar Slytherin, and surprisingly, the fate of Rowen Ravenclaw, utilizing the early enchanted and startlingly lifelike paintings of Grimhilde of Bingen and Hildegard of Bingen, as well as accounts from Slytherin’s own newly discovered journal for Year 1032, 33, revealing the magicker as an avid naturalist of Fantastic Beasts, who extensively traveled the various routes of the Silk Road with Rowen Ravenclaw, after Ravenclaw’s ‘death’. Additionally, this article presents new evidence regarding a second Ravenclaw diadem, created after the infamous theft of the original artefact.

Excerpt from Section 1.3 History of the Artists:

Note: Artist history is primarily sourced from Vasari, 1569, unless otherwise noted. 

Grimhilde of Bingen (b. 964 d. 1138), a most misunderstood woman of her time, largely due to an ungrateful stepdaughter widely known primarily for her snow white skin, was, in actuality, a writer, composer, mystic, and artist of the 10th century. Forced to leave her homeland, in the Rhine, due to the aforementioned stepdaughter and an unfortunate incident involving a huntsman and several angry miners, Grimhilde settled in the region of what is now Cornwall in England. Her many interests and skills led her to the creation of an enchanted paintbrush, which created paintings, so lifelike, they are nearly indistinguishable from the photographs of today. 

Although Grimhilde’s paintings and writings became well known in the Wizarding world, her scholarly pursuits were not her only passion and she married and bore one daughter, also an artist, composer, and mystic. Grimhilde’s granddaughter, however, was born a Squib, which may have been what drove her to successes even beyond her mother and grandmother. Hildegard of Bingen (b. 1098 d. 1179) returned to her grandmother’s homeland as a young adult and became a German Benedictine abbess, a writer, a composer, a philosopher, a mystic, a visionary, a polymath, an artist, and is considered among Wizards and Muggles alike, to be the founder of scientific natural history in the Germanic region.

Among their many accomplishments, Grimhilde and Hildegard painted several important wizarding figures of their day, most notably, Salazar Slytherin and Rowen Ravenclaw. Grimhilde completed a series of paintings of the pair between 1026 and 1028. Hildegard, who inherited the enchanted brush, also painted Slytherin and Ravenclaw, circa 1132. These paintings, which show the two Founders, reunited, after Slytherin’s disappearance and Ravenclaw’s death as the witch, Rowena Ravenclaw, are masterfully created and provide a number of interesting facts regarding Slytherin’s mysterious disappearance from the school and Ravenclaw’s supposed death of a broken heart. The series of paintings of Slytherin and Ravenclaw by the two artists is known in the Wizarding art world as the dual Bingen series.

Excerpt from 2.1 Archival Research:

[…] No one in the Kavalier family possessed an ounce of magic any longer and thus, no one over the ages was able to decipher the ancient text, largely written in a combination of Middle Irish, Old Norse, Latin, and a code, possibly based on spoken Parseltongue. The journal, a simple leather book labeled “MXXXII, MXXXIII, A.D.”, containing sketches of strange beasts, was an unreadable text among nearly two dozen aged tomes, and almost universally ignored by the family over time. Indeed, until the late 1980s, when Mr. Clay Kavalier, a graphic novel artist, discovered the sketches of the Fantastic Beasts in the journal and used them as an inspiration for his drawings, the book was almost never opened. Mr. Kavalier’s highly accurate depictions of various Fantastic Beasts, found in a Muggle ‘comic book’, led the author of this article to the Slytherin journal, carefully stored and preserved by the Kavalier family, now, of Orange, California, USA. The authenticity of the journal was verified by the Historical Records Department, Ministry of Magic, in 2020.

[…] The depiction of the diadem in the dual Bingen series has long puzzled wizarding scholars, as it is widely known and accepted that Ravenclaw’s diadem was stolen by Helena Ravenclaw and hidden, only surfacing during the reign of He Who Must Not Be Named in the modern era. The original diadem possessed an oval blue jewel and “was said to grant wisdom to the wearer” (Bagshot, 1905).  A description of the dual Bingen series diadem is included in Section 3.1; it is noted here, however, that the two artefacts are different. Considering the possibility that Ravenclaw crafted a second diadem, the author of this article researched Wizarding metalworkers of the 10th century, finally discovering among the preserved papers of Lillith Helmschmied, the most famous female Wizarding metalworker of the 10th and 11th centuries, a sketch of the diadem depicted in the dual Bingen series. Unfortunately, Helmschmied does not indicate if the new diadem possessed the same abilities as the original. If, as many scholars opine, Ravenclaw enchanted the jewel herself (Bagshot, 1905), it seems likely that the second jewel was also enchanted.

Excerpt from 3.1 Description of the Garb:

The dual Bingen series may be the most important depiction of any of the Founders completed to date. Not only is the garb consistent with 10th century fashions, and thus, likely representing one of the more accurate portrayals of the Founders, there are accents to the garb which offer insight into the Founders themselves. The paintings in the series were created nearly 100 years apart. Neither Founder appears to have aged between the sessions and both are garbed identically in all paintings in the dual series. There is agreement among experts that Hildegard likely created her paintings from sketches completed by Grimhilde. 

Salazar Slytherin left Viking occupied lands, in what is now Ireland, as a young adult, and the garb the Founder wears in the paintings reflects the Founder’s roots in Viking Age Ireland. Salazar is painted wearing a green dress over a léine; the dress is heavily embroidered with Fantastic Beasts, including a zouwu, a demiguise (both visible and invisible), a phoenix, a unicorn, a manticore, an occamy, and a basilisk, all done in the style of the Book of Kells. One of the embroidery designs shows a kelpie, which are known to live in Black Lake, at Hogwarts. Snakes are embroidered over a border of Celtic knot work that runs along the base of the dress. The top of the dress and the top of the léine are both decorated with lace that incorporates Book of Kells style snakes. Salazar also wears a green coat, adorned with still more snakes. The paintings indicate that the Founder preferred fancy Wizarding fabrics and possessed an almost excessive flair. The coat is pinned with metal brooches to show off the dress embroidery and like many items made at the time, the base of the coat is lined with fur. From the painting, it is not possible to definitively ascertain the type of fur, but magi-biologists generally agree that it is likely Bodmin Moorcat (Challenger, 1899, Mirza et al., 2018).

Rowen Ravenclaw, who originated from the Kingdom of Alba (now, approximately the lowlands of Scotland), is painted in traditional Anglo-Saxon garb. Like Salazar, Rowen also wears fancy wizarding fabric unavailable to the Muggles of the time. Celtic style ravens are embroidered on the sleeves and around the keyhole opening of the long tunica. Chain embroidery winds around the ravens. Celtic knot work is embroidered along the base of the tunic. Consistent with Anglo-Saxon fashions, Ravenclaw is wearing short pants tucked into high socks that are secured with ties. Ravenclaw’s simple silver band diadem is completely consistent with Muggle styles of the day and contains the Celtic phrase, “Cíall gan chiomhsa • Maoin mór duini”, in a version of Gaelic spoken in Alba. The phrase approximates “Wit without limit: great treasure of Men”. According to Helmschmied, the band is made of silver and the words are stamped into the band. The jewel is noted as a sapphire and it is also set in silver. Rowen’s rich cloak is decorated around the base with silver trim and it is worn draped, similar to a Roman toga. Generally, Rowen’s garb is less decorated than Salazar’s garb. It is thought among some scholars that the Founder of the Ravenclaw House was more reserved than his Slytherin counterpart. The dual Bingen series would counter this idea.

Excerpt from 3.2 Description of the Fantastic Beasts

There are few records regarding the Fantastic Beasts depicted in the paintings, which include an occamy and a basilisk. Salazar’s journal records the names of both beasts who appear in the dual Bingen series and notes that the basilisk was one of three successful hatchings. The occamy is called Ocarina and the basilisk is King George. The occamy could be of any age, as occamy will grow or shrink to whatever size to occupy space, an ability they possess immediately after hatching. The basilisk is clearly a youngster, as it is small and still has wings, as compared to the centuries old and massively huge wingless basilisk found in the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts in 1992. Salazar’s journal does not include any dates for the hatchings and says nothing about the other two successful hatchings. The journal also does not offer any information regarding how Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Grimhilde of Bingen all lived beyond the sketching and painting sessions involving the basilisk. As breeding of basilisks is currently illegal and has been illegal for centuries, very little is known about them. Magi-biologists generally agree that the most likely scenario is that the beast had either not yet developed any of the paralyzing or killing abilities possessed by the Chamber of Secrets basilisk or he was able to control his abilities (Verne, 1863, Challenger, 1891). Opinion is split regarding whether the basilisk himself decided against rampaging during the sessions or whether Salazar was able to train the beast (Mirza, 2020).

Excerpt from Appendix 2, The Bingen Wizarding Collection

[…] and in 1947, Ginger Bingen, used the ragged and worn set of paintbrushes to create her own series of Wizard paintings of Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Ginger Bingen’s paintings incorporate the last of her many times removed Great Aunt Grimhilde’s sketches and notes of her sessions with the two Founders. Experts do not agree on whether the paintings accurately reflect the two Founders, as the paintings have only recently been made public. For one, many say, the Founders are speaking modern English. Although the paintings were rumored to exist, the Bingen Wizarding collection remained in private hands until 2017. That year, the four paintings below were stolen from the estate of the last Bingen by a self-styled modern-day Robin Hood and hung in the toilet of Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem (well known even among Muggles as the oldest pub in England), when the pub was closed for the night.  As there were no heirs to the estate and no will, and no one really owned the paintings or knew what to do with them, they were left in place at the pub and secured with heavy charms and curses.

[lavendermilkandhoney]

7/22 The High Priestess – Hanako Arasaka

In Game

The High Priestess is a card of mystery. It shows how all our secrets hang by a delicate thread and the struggle between common sense and intuition. The High Priestess symbolizes the cold, calm waters as well as the mysteries hidden in their depths.

Location

You can find the mural on the wall inside Takemura's safe house on the top floor in Vista Del Ray.

In Tarot

UPRIGHT: Intuition, sacred knowledge, divine feminine, the subconscious mind

REVERSED: Secrets, disconnected from intuition, withdrawal and silence

The High Priestess sits in front of a thin veil decorated with pomegranates. The veil represents the separate conscious and subconscious realms, the seen and the unseen, and serves to keep casual onlookers out. Only the initiated may enter. The pomegranates on the veil are a symbol of abundance, fertility and the divine feminine, and are sacred to Persephone who ate a pomegranate seed in the underworld and was forced to return every year.

On either side of the High Priestess stand two pillars, marking the entrance to this sacred, mystical temple (also associated with the Temple of Solomon). One pillar is black with the letter B (Boaz, meaning ‘in his strength’) and the other is white with the letter J (Jachin, meaning ‘he will establish’). The black and white colours of the pillars symbolise duality – masculine and feminine, darkness and light – stating that knowledge and acceptance of duality are required to enter this sacred space.

The High Priestess wears a blue robe with a cross on her chest and a horned diadem (or crown), both a symbol of her divine knowledge and her status as a divine ruler. In her lap, she holds a scroll with the letter TORA, signifying the Greater Law (according to A. E. Waite). It is partly covered, signifying that this sacred knowledge is both explicit and implicit, it will only be revealed when the student is ready to look beyond the material realm. The crescent moon at her feet symbolises her connection with the divine feminine, her intuition and subconscious mind, and the natural cycles of the moon.

Upright

While the Magician is the guardian of the conscious mind and the tangible world, the High Priestess is the guardian of the subconscious mind and the teacher of sacred knowledge and hidden mysteries. Sitting at the threshold of the conscious and subconscious mind, the High Priestess has an innate ability to travel between these realms effortlessly. She teaches you that the world is not always as it seems and more profound influences are often at play. She ushers you through the thin veil of awareness, offering you a deep, intuitive understanding of the Universe and a heightened awareness of secret or hidden information.

The High Priestess signifies spiritual enlightenment, inner illumination, divine knowledge and wisdom. She shows up in your Tarot readings when the veil between you and the underworld is thin, and you have the opportunity to access the knowledge deep within your soul. Now is the time to be still so you can tune in to your intuition. The answers you are seeking will come from within, from your deepest truth and ‘knowing’. Allow the High Priestess to become your guide as you venture deep into your subconscious mind and access this inner wisdom. Connect with your intuition and your Higher Self through meditation, visualisation, shamanic journeying, and being part of spiritual communities.

Your intuitive sense right now is providing you with useful information and is assisting you to become more in touch with your subconscious mind. Knowledge of how to fix these issues will not come through thinking and rationalising, but by tapping into and trusting your intuition, so allow yourself the time and space to meditate and attend to your inner voice. Look for areas in your life that may be out of balance or lacking ‘flow’ and ease.

Now is also a time of heightened intuitive ability and psychic insight. If you are developing these skills, the High Priestess offers you further encouragement to continue your journey and trust that you are on the right path. The more you listen to your intuition, the more it will flow.

Finally, the High Priestess is a signal that you are being called to embrace the Divine Feminine – your connection to your intuition, compassion, empathy, and inner wisdom. Regardless of your gender, it is vital for you to balance and integrate your masculine and feminine energies, and the presence of the High Priestess signals that your sacred feminine needs your attention right now. Feel, rather than think. Collaborate, rather than compete. Create, rather than destroy. Trust your Divine Feminine energy, even if the masculine energy around you may appear to be stronger. Be proud of your ability to nurture, trust, sense, and empathise instead of hiding it away.

Reversed

The reversed High Priestess calls on you to be still and direct your attention inward to listen to your voice and wisdom. You may be swayed by other people’s opinions or swept up in their drama when what you really need to do is focus on what is right for you. It is time to get quiet and withdraw yourself from the external world to observe what your inner guidance is sharing with you now.

Ask yourself: Do I struggle to trust my intuition fully? Perhaps you doubt yourself or feel silly or guilty for listening to your intuition, and as a result, you deny your ability to tune in and receive this potent information. You may also keep your intuitive capabilities hidden from others, fearful of their judgements or opinions. If this resonates, know that your intuition is your superpower, here to guide you and help you. Have faith in the Universe and allow yourself to be in flow with its energies. Surrender and let go.

Think of the High Priestess as the calm centre inside of you that is untouched by your external world and trust that she is always there when you need her. Whenever you worry that things are just getting too crazy, find a quiet space and meditate so you can hear her voice. If you stop thinking or fretting about your issue and instead clear the way for your intuition to speak to you, the answer will follow.

Finally, the secretive nature of the High Priestess may suggest gossip and hidden agendas. Others may be keeping information from you or talking about you behind your back and sharing mistruths. Rather than making assumptions or diving into the depths of paranoia, have an open and honest conversation to surface and address these secrets.

---

Thank you so much @cybervesna​ for the polish traduction from the official guide book and its associations with the characters!

[alannah-corvaine]

the big ‘so you’ve found my blog’ post;

So. The follow button has led you to me, and now here you are with me on your dash. I assume you’re here for one to three reasons: the ffxiv content I post and reblog, my character(s), and/or the aesthetic content. Possibly also my riveting commentary on why ffxiv hasn’t added a sidebraid hairstyle yet. You’re all valid and welcome here. 

Maybe you’re curious about me and my OCs, but you don’t want to go digging through my blog and the absolute mess of tags I’ve amassed over the years. I’m here to present a half-assed solution to your curiosity instead of fixing my tags in any sort of meaningful way.

                                   WHO RUNS THIS BLOG?

I’m Alicia, I run this circus.

she/her pronouns, I’m cis.

I’m 31 years old at the time of writing this post.

This blog is 5 going on 6 years old.

If you see @alannahcorvaine​ that blog is also me but I don’t use it anymore, as it’s a sideblog and I moved over to this blog years ago.

I’ve been playing FFXIV since 2015.

I also play Elder Scrolls Online and World of Warcraft and have separate blogs for related OCs, content, and aesthetics.

I’m a cat person but I also love dogs.

I have a five year old black cat named Kilala who keeps me in line.

I’m not much of a people person, I’m made of anxiety and paperclips.

I yell into the void a lot, the void being my blog.

I don’t really RP outside of spectacularly outstanding circumstances these days, but character and world building are my jam.

Even if I don’t RP, I’m always down for character connections and relationships. I’m totally up for brainstorming and bouncing around headcanons.

Most of the time in game you’ll find me either standing around my house or out in the world taking screenshots. My mailing address is gpose.

I have a full roster of 8 characters on Balmung, but currently only 3 are active. You’ll probably see screenshots of the others too from time to time.

                                                    THE OCs

                                      A L A N N A H  C O R V A I N E 

Your first assumption on seeing my blog name is that it’s probably the name of the titular OC that this blog focuses on. You would be correct. All of my OCs have their own blogs, however I am infinitely lazy and just end up posting screenshots of everyone here because this is where the followers are and the sideblogs end up being used as aesthetic warehouses. Anywhoo, here’s some need-to-knows about Alannah.

Alannah has two main verses: Warrior of Light and Non-WoL.

Her non-WoLverse is actually the primary one, but with Shadowbringers I’ve been focusing more on her WoL story. 

I also have an infinite amount of AU verses for her based on various media but nobody has time for me to list all of those.

In both verses she’s a White Mage, a capable healer, but focuses more on offensive elemental spells (wind, water, earth).

Alannah is my only OC with a Warrior of Light verse.

She’s 23 years old.

She has severe allergies to  grass, pollen, dust, dander, and certain foods.

Her allergy reactions are largely kept at bay by a delicate chain diadem made and blessed by padjal. It also helps correct her shitty vision, magic is great.

Her deepest fears include deep water and phurbles.

She has four older brothers: Faron, Ean, Davon, and Brennan.

Family issues. Just so many family issues. That’s an entire post on its own.

Her hair is dark brown, not black. I cannot state this emphatically enough no matter what my edits look like.

The white streaks are magical scars, the cause of them vary by verse.

Non-WoL Alannah is married to Nine Outway, they have a three-year old daughter named Aislinn.

Warrior of Light Alannah (hereafter known as WoLannah) I ship exclusively with dead ghost boyfriend Ardbert.

Deep-seated anger issues buried beneath a placid and friendly exterior.

Her aether is just irreparably borked and highly chaotic and is controlled via her staff and arcane symbols painted onto her arms in aether ink.

Her childhood dream was to be a powerful thaumaturge, which didn’t work out with her aether control issues. 

                                R E B E C C A  “B R I N A”  C R O S S                                               ( @thesilentcygnet​ )

26 years old.

Born to a moderately wealthy Limsan merchant family.

2 older sisters: Pippa and Lacy.

Jacke Swallow (of rogues guild fame)  is her best friend (and secret love) since childhood.

Her entire family was murdered when she was 16 because her father made shady deals with the wrong people and owed them money.

She’s been mute since the day of the massacre after witnessing the murders while hiding in the cellar beneath their feet.

She’s been staying with Jacke and his cohorts in the Dutiful Sisters of the Edelweiss since then, though he’s the only one that knows her true identity.

A long chain of events has lead to her being kidnapped from Kugane, shipwrecked off the coast of Othard twice, sucked into a magical whirlpool, and left stranded on the First.

Will she ever get home? Perhaps, when I’ve finally decided that her ridiculous journey has been Odyssean enough.

                                           K H I A R N A   K H A                                               ( @khi-tastrophe​ )

29 years old.

An incandescent ball of unquenchable rage, probably for valid reasons.

The daughter of the khan of a minor offshoot of the Kha tribe.

Had a twin sister named Khiela, who pretended to be kidnapped by an aggressive suitor and lead Khiarna on a wild goose chase across Eorzea in an attempt to find her.

Khiela and her lover conspired to and succeeded in murdering her father.

Khiarna returned to Othard and murdered the shit out of both of them in retaliation for killing her father.

She was then unanimously chosen as her father’s successor and currently reigns as khatun to the nomadic merchant tribe.

While traveling across Eorzea in search of her errant sister, Khi was involved in a relationship with a pathological liar, which has severely damaged her ability to trust people (on top of her family drama).

Currently in a relationship with Sidirahg of the Sixth ( @sidirahg​ ), who has the patience of a saint with her issues and also might be a masochist.

Khi is a shaman and uses a mix of conjury and pugilism in combat. 

She covers her fists and feet in a solid layer of rock and then lights them on fire, using a combination of speed, flexibility, and disorienting blows to fell her opponents.

                                    COMMON TAGS I USE

#alannah aesthetic - aesthetic tag.

#screenshots - tag for unedited screenshots of my characters.

#edits - tag for screenshot edits done by me.

#drabbles - tag for writing done by me.

#about alannah - tag for character profile memes, ask replies, relevant quotes.

#art of alannah - tag for art i’ve commissioned of Alannah.

#commissions - tag for art i’ve commissioned that also includes my other OCs.

#lanna things - tag for posts relevant to Alannah.

#9 - tag for posts related to Nine Outway.

#familial faultlines - tag for all of Alannah’s family issues.

#benedictions]&[bulletholes - ship tag for Alannah and Nine (contains screenshots, quotes, and aesthetic inspiration).

#the gravity of guilt - sub-B&B ship tag referencing events at the ruins of Nym.

#scars of nym - another B&B tag because I don’t have enough of them.

#otp: as one fool to another - ship tag for WoLannah and Ardbert

#AU: Warrior of Light - WoLannah tag.

#AU: Gloriana - tag for the AU in which Alannah goes power mad / angry at the world and misuses her magic to become an unstoppable force of destruction.

#AU: Dark Sunrise - tag for the AU in which Nine perma-dies and Alannah sells her soul to the darkness.

#keeper’s captain - ship tag for Brina and Jacke.

#boyfriend adjust - ship tag for Khi and Sid.

#tbd - tag for me yelling into the void that I pretend I’ll delete later.

                                             OTHER BLOGS

@eastofean - ffxiv aesthetic inspo blog for Ean Corvaine.

@aether-and-ash - ffxiv aesthetic inspo blog for Aislinn Outway.

@blacklacelullaby - ffxiv aesthetic inspo blog for Katja Iryut.

@cleric-stance - salty healer memes.

@sundownsanctuary - nsfw aesthetic inspo blog.

@lannahlearnsart - my hoard of digital art tutorials.

@halion​ - general World of Warcraft blog and inspo for my WoW OCs.

@veil-of-blades​ - ESO inspo blog for various Elder Scrolls OCs.

@theviciousnothing​ - my personal aesthetic blog.

                                           PARTING NOTES

You’ve done it, you’ve reached the end of this post. All of this is just a basic overview of me and my characters, if you ever have any questions about anything please feel free to drop me an ask or a DM any time. Thanks for following. ♥

[slapthebass]

Source: @esptechhouse on Twitter

[southasianhandicraftdotcom]

Sambhogkaya Representation

Vajradhara

Shakyamuni Buddha appeared in the world with the sole purpose of helping all sentient beings. Lord Buddha revealed many different means/paths to enlightenment out of great compassion and set forth three wheels of law to suit varying degrees of intelligence and receptivities.

It is said that Shakyamuni Buddha himself was in the form of Vajradhara while he was teaching the Tantric path to his gifted disciples. Vajradhara is depicted holding a Vajra and a bell in his left hand. Vajradhara arms are kept crossed in front of him expressing complete integration of prajna and Upaya. He is usually depicted in blue colour in Vajraparyanka posture. He has a crown, an Urna and an Ushnisha as of a Sambhogakaya Buddha.

Vajradhara is also depicted in the father-mother aspect. Then he holds his usual symbols while his arms are crossed at the back of his consort. The consort is non-other than Prajnaparamita in deified form. The Kargyudpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism begins with the Buddha Vajradhara. The individual in this tradition is allowed to visualize his root Guru as Buddha Vajradhara. Guru Tilopa is said to have received Mahamudra Instruction directly from Buddha Vajradhara through visions and other extraordinary means.

In Nispannayogavali, Vajradhara is the main deity in Vajraattvamandala. He is three-faced, six-armed and reddish-white. His right arm holds a Vajra, a sword and a Kapala and his left hand hold a bell, an Ankush and a noose. He stands in the Ardhaparyanka posture and dances in Tandava style.

Vajrasattva

Vajrasattva is also regarded as Adi-Buddha by Nepalese Vajracharyas who follows Vajrayana tradition according to the text Shakyamuni Buddha Vajrasattvakaya. His body is white with one face and two hands. His right-hand holds a five prolonged golden Vajra at his heart. His left-hand holds a silver bell at his side. He sits in the Vajraparyanka posture earing precious silks and ornaments with jewel diadem. His body is adorned with 32 major and 80 minor marks of a Sambhogakaya and emits a clear limitless light. It appears to lack all notion of substantiality, like the reflection of the moon in the water.

Vajrasattva has a father-mother aspect too. Generally, this form is not exhibited in open. It is shown only to those who are initiated in the highest yoga tantra. His form is the same as in the single one but his consort carries a kartri in her right hand and a kapala in her left hand.

Vajrasattva is said to have been originated from seed syllable hum and is generally invoked from the removal of obscuration of Kleshavarana and Jneyavarana. His hundred syllable mantra is very efficacious in purifying our defilements through confession practice. It is said if confession is done with the four opponent powers, then non-virtuous actions or obscurations will be purified. The first opponent power is the force of reliance. This means looking upon the visualised image of Vajrasattva as the embodiment of one’s refuge. The second opponent power is the sincere regret for the non-virtuous action done by oneself. The third opponent power is desisting from evil deeds. The fourth opponent power is to apply the power of good deeds and especially regarding this case practising the meditation and recitation of Vajrasattva without parting from Bodhicitta while remaining in the state of emptiness. Vajrasattva is a very popular guardian deity for Nepalese Vajracharyas. He is worshipped very often by Nepalese Buddhist through the Gurumandala ritual.

Vairocana Buddha

Vairocana Buddha is one of the Five Tathagatas symbolizing all-pervasive wisdom (Skt. Suvisuddha Dharma dhatu jnana) i.e. knowledge free from all kind of Obscuration. He is placed generally in the sanctum of the Stupa. Sometimes he is placed between Akshobhya and Ratna Sambhava in the stupa. He resides always in the Akanistha Heaven.

He is white and his hands are held against the chest with the tips of the thumb and forefinger of each hand joined displaying Bodhyanga Mudra. His vehicle is a pair of lions symbolizing the lion's roar of dharmadhatujnana which terrifies all wrong views.

Vairocana Buddha originates from the seed syllable OM placed on the orb of the moon. He also represents Rupa (form) of five aggregates. He is not a historical Buddha-like Shakyamuni Buddha. According to the Dharmalakshana sect of Mahayana Buddhism. He is considered to be Svabhavika-Kaya of Shakyamuni Buddha. In some esoteric sect of japan, he is said to be the supreme lord of secret vehicle. I.e Mahavairocana.

When Vairocana Buddha is four-faced and eight-armed. He is addressed as Vajradhatu Buddha. According to Vajradhatumandala of Nispannayogavali, Vairocana is seated in Vajraparyanka and white. His four faces are of white, yellow, red, and green colour. He is eight-armed with his hands holding a vajra and displaying dharma chakra mudra, the second pair shows dhyana mudra, the third holds a rosary and an arrow and the last pair holds a discus and a bow.

Akshobhya Buddha

He is also one of the five Tathagatas symbolizing Mirror-like Wisdom (Skt. Adarsa Jnana) which means wisdom like space, all-pervasive, without periphery and characteristics. He is the essence of a purified form of hatred. As in a mirror, every visible object reflects so the knowledge of dharmakaya reflects in our mind. The image of Akshobhya Buddha is generally placed in the east in the stupa. It is blue. He exhibits an earth-touching gesture (Bhumisparsa mudra). He rides on the throne of an elephant symbolizing the steadfast nature of his bodhisattva vows. In the past when Akshobhaya Buddha was a bodhisattva he made strong vows in front of Buddha Mahacakshu.

a) I now engender supreme bodhicitta. If I bear malice against sentient beings from now until attainment of supreme enlightenment I will be disobeying all the Buddhas.

b) Now I have resolved to pursue all-knowing wisdom and firmly dedicated to this goal. If I generate any doubt, intention to kill or steal, my wrong view or impure deed or if I am prone to lying, duplicity or harsh language or if I hurt other ways from now on until I attain supreme enlightenment, I will be deceiving Buddhas.

When he thus first brought forth bodhicitta, this bodhisattva-mahaattva clad the armour of vigour, and never moved by hatred or the like toward any sentient being. Since then, because of his thought Bodhisattva was called Akshobhaya, the immovable of the land of Abhirati.

In other words, Akshobhaya attained Buddhahood under the tree of even jewels in the land of Abhirati I.e wonderful joy in the east. Because of the power of the vows, there is no lower realm in his buddha land. Every sentient being, in his buddha land, deed virtuous deeds and restrain from angry behaviours. According to the Ratnakuta sutra, if one determines to practice the bodhisattva way of life as he vows he will be reborn in that Abhirati Buddhaland. It is said that the famous Upasaka Vimalakirti is the person transformed from the land of Abhirati Buddhaland.

Ratna Sambhava Buddha

Ratna Sambhava Buddha is one of five Tathagata symbolizing wisdom of equality (Skt. Samatajnana). According to the commentary of Namasangiti, the author Ravisri says;

"All the phenomena are devoid of essence, lacks true inherent existence and hence is a dream-like or illusion or is empty”. Thus the knowledge of the essencelessness of a person and the phenomena is the wisdom of equality. Buddha Ratna sambhava is the personification of this wisdom is Vajrayana Buddhism.

In the extant literature, he is rarely described his vows, aspirations and activity. He is usually called the Buddha born from a jewel. He is yellow, belongs to the Buddha family of a jewel, placed in the stupa facing to the south. He shows varada mudra with his right hand and holds cintamani jewel in his left hand kept on his lap. He also represents the purified form of the defilement pride, rides on the horse throne symbolising that he ferries over the suffering sentient being with full vigour. He resides in the pure abode of Ratnavati heaven (Buddha-field).

It is said that when Ratna Sambhava Buddha attained enlightenment golden coloured rays emitted from his crown and manifested limitless golden coloured bodhisattvas each one of them carrying a jewelled sceptre emitting light shinning on the southern world which were numerous as the sands of the Ganges.

It is said that the sentient beings’ wish would be fulfilled when one sees the golden coloured light. It is also said that by meditating on Ratna Sambhava Buddha’s body, one’s desire would be fulfilled.

Amitabha Buddha

Amitabha Buddha is also one of the five tathagata representing the wisdom of discriminating awareness. When discriminating wisdom dawns on us we realise non-production or non-origination of all things. He also represents a purified form of desire. Amitabha Buddha is red and represented in the stupa facing to the west. He rides on a peacock symbolizing that he can take away the suffering of others just as the peacock eats poisonous plants and yet his tail shines forth.

Amitabha Buddha is assisted by two bodhisattvas viz. Avalokiteshvara and Mahasthamprapta.

When Amitabha Buddha was a bodhisattva he was called Bhikshu Dharmakara. He made 48 vows to establish an adorned land of unlimited bliss to ferry over those living beings who recite his name. Based on those vows, any living being who has faith, makes vows and practices diligently will be received by this Buddha and reborn in the pure land of unlimited bliss.

Amitabha Buddha presides over the Bhadrakalpa i.e fortunate aeon. He always exhibits Dhyani Mudra. He belongs to the lotus family and originated from the seed syllable Hash. He can be recognised through the symbol of the lotus. This buddha has ferried over innumerable sentient beings with his extensive vows and great compassion. Devotees recite very often the prayer to be reborn in the land of Amitabha Buddha in China, Japan, and Tibet too.

Amogh Siddhi Buddha

Amogh Siddhi Buddha is the last among the five Buddhas. He represents all accomplishing Wisdom and purified form of jealousy. When one realises all accomplishing wisdom one can perform all the Buddha Activity without pre-meditation. This happens spontaneously. Amoghsiddhi Buddha is green in colour, represented in the stupa facing to the north. He rides on Garuda symbolising that he can detect the presence of serpent-like delusion from a distance and a serpent with seven hoods and an umbrella is depicted in the background. He exhibits abhayamudra showing that following the bodhisattva path is gained.

The vows, activity and deed of Amogh Siddhi Buddha are not extant in Mahayana Buddhist literature like Ratna Sambhava Buddha. It is however said that cultivators relying on this Buddha’s protection will achieve accomplishments in Buddhist affairs and worldly matters and will perfect the work benefiting the sentient beings.

Amogh Siddhi Buddha alone has a canopy of snakes over his head and sometimes resembles Shakyamuni Buddha with nine-headed Naga King Mucalinda in paintings. According to tantric text, this Buddha is said to be originated from the seed syllable green kham. He is also said to be the embodiment of volition (Skt. Sanskara) and Air element.

Bhaisajyaguru Vaiduryaprbha Tathagata (Medicine Buddha)

Bhaisajyaguru Vaiduryaprbha Tathagata is also called Healing Buddha or Medicine Buddha. He can cure the sickness of birth and death. His body is bright like lapislazuli. He resides in the eastern world of purified lapislazuli and assisted by two bodhisattvas called Suryaprabha and Candraprabha, to transform and teach living beings in that land.

The usual colour Bhaisajyaguru Vaiduryaprbha Tathagata was blue or lapislazuli in colour. But he had also a golden colour. His right hand held a branch of the myrobalan in varadamudra gesture. His left hand is in the lap holding a pindapatra (alms bowl).

The blue or lapislazuli colour of this body symbolises that he takes all the disease and sickness of the suffering beings unto himself. The palm myrobalan signifies the medicine which heals all the sickness of sentient beings.

According to the Bhaisajyaguru Buddha sutra, he made 12 great vows before he attained Buddhahood. The important vows are as follows: to eliminate sickness from all living beings and make them feel easy and happy to attain Buddhahood and to liberate beings from disasters and calamities. It is said that the land of Bhaisajya Buddha is genuinely pure. In that land, the ground is paved with purified lapislazuli. The cities, buildings and palaces are made of seven jewels. In that land the sentient beings do not commit any evil deeds hence there is no lower realm. It can well be compared with Sukhavati Heaven of Buddha Amitabha.

In Tibetan medical tradition Bhaisajya Buddha is said to be the source of all medical treatises. This Buddha is invoked for eliminating disasters and sickness of all varieties.

Amitayus or Buddha Aparimita

Amitayus (Buddha Aparimita) is very popular is bestowing long life upon the devotees. He is red. His two hands are in dhyana mudra and hold an ambrosia vase (Skt. Amrit Kalasha). He usually wears all the ornaments of a different kind peculiar to a Sambhogakaya Buddha. He is never depicted with any consort. He wears a crown and has Ushnisha and Urnakosh in his body.

Buddha Aparimita is invoked or worshipped for lengthening the life span or fast relief from dreadful diseases or mortal danger. In the Nepalese Mahayana tradition, the dharani of Amitayus or Buddha Aparimita is often recited by the devotees in the presence of dying patients. The recitation of this dharani is said to be efficacious when carried out in utter sincerity. It is said that the famous Madhayamika Buddhist philosopher Arya Nagarjuna had escaped his early death after the recitation of this dharani one complete day and night.

Buddha Durgatiparisodhanaraja

Buddha Shakyamuni when he entered into a special type of samadhi called Sarvadurgatiparisodhana i.e. elimination of all evil destinies, is called Buddha Durgatiparisodhanaraja. There are many paintings of this deity in Nepal although this sculpture is very rare.

Buddha Durgatiparisodhanaraja is yellow, exhibits Dharmacakramudra and has one face and two arms only. Buddha Durgatiparisodhanaraja is described in the Durgatisodhana mandala of Nispannayogavail. His dharani is very popular among Nepalese Buddhists and is very often recited in front of a dead body or funeral ceremonies. Durgatiparisodhanaraja can liberate beings from the hell. Devaraja Indra requested Buddha Shakyamuni to liberate deva Vimalamaniprabha who was reborn in Avici Hell. Buddha Shakyamuni delivered the dharani of Durgatiparisodhanaraja out of compassion and he was liberated. 

[ijustdragon]

The Major Arcana

 Today we will be looking at the Major Arcana Card, The High Priestess

This image is from the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck, one of the three most common Decks. The following information is for the Rider’s deck.

The High Priestess Keywords

Upright: Intuition, sacred knowledge, divine feminine, the subconscious mind

Reversed: Secrets, disconnected from intuition, withdrawal and silence

The High Priestess Description

The High Priestess sits in front of a thin veil decorated with pomegranates. The veil represents the separate conscious and subconscious realms, the seen and the unseen, and serves to keep casual onlookers out. The pomegranates on the veil are a symbol of abundance, fertility and the divine feminine, and are sacred to Persephone who ate a pomegranate seed in the underworld and was forced to return every year.

On either side of the High Priestess stand two pillars, marking the entrance to this sacred, mystical temple which is also associated with the Temple of Solomon. One pillar is black with the letter B. The B standing for Boaz, meaning ‘in his strength’. And the other is white with the letter J. The J standing for Jachin, meaning ‘he will establish’. The black and white colours of the pillars symbolise duality. Masculine and feminine, darkness and light. Stating that knowledge and acceptance of duality are required to enter this sacred space.

The High Priestess wears a blue robe with a cross on her chest and a horned diadem, both a symbol of her divine knowledge and her status of a divine ruler. In her lap, she holds a scroll with the letter TORA, signifying the Greater Law. It is partly covered, signifying that this sacred knowledge is both explicit and implicit, it will only be revealed when the student is ready to look beyond the material realm. The crescent moon at her feet symbolises her connection with the divine feminine, her intuition and subconscious mind, and the natural cycles of the moon.

Upright High Priestess

While the Magician is the guardian of the conscious mind and the tangible world, the High Priestess is the guardian of the subconscious mind and the teacher of sacred knowledge and hidden mysteries. Sitting at the threshold of the conscious and subconscious mind, the High Priestess has an innate ability to travel between these realms effortlessly. She teaches you that the world is not always as it seems and more profound influences are often at play. She ushers you through the thin veil of awareness, offering you a deep, intuitive understanding of the Universe and a heightened awareness of secret or hidden information.

The High Priestess signifies spiritual enlightenment, inner illumination, divine knowledge and wisdom. She shows up in your Tarot readings when the veil between you and the underworld is thin, and you have the opportunity to access the knowledge deep within your soul. Now is the time to be still so you can tune in to your intuition. The answers you are seeking will come from within, from your deepest truth and ‘knowing’. Allow the High Priestess to become your guide as you venture deep into your subconscious mind and access this inner wisdom. Connect with your intuition and your Higher Self through meditation, visualisation, shamanic journeying, and being part of spiritual communities.

Your intuitive sense right now is providing you with useful information and is assisting you to become more in touch with your subconscious mind. Knowledge of how to fix these issues will not come through thinking and rationalising, but by tapping into and trusting your intuition, so allow yourself the time and space to meditate and attend to your inner voice. Look for areas in your life that may be out of balance or lacking ‘flow’ and ease.

Now is also a time of heightened intuitive ability and psychic insight. If you are developing these skills, the High Priestess offers you further encouragement to continue your journey and trust that you are on the right path. The more you listen to your intuition, the more it will flow.

Finally, the High Priestess is a signal that you are being called to embrace the Divine Feminine, your connection to your intuition, compassion, empathy, and inner wisdom. Regardless of your gender, it is vital for you to balance and integrate your masculine and feminine energies, and the presence of the High Priestess signals that your sacred feminine needs your attention right now. Feel, rather than think. Collaborate, rather than compete. Create, rather than destroy. Trust your Divine Feminine energy, even if the masculine energy around you may appear to be stronger. Be proud of your ability to nurture, trust, sense, and empathise instead of hiding it away.

Reversed High Priestess

The reversed High Priestess calls on you to be still and direct your attention inward to listen to your voice and wisdom. You may be swayed by other people’s opinions or swept up in their drama when what you really need to do is focus on what is right for you. It is time to get quiet and withdraw yourself from the external world to observe what your inner guidance is sharing with you now.

Perhaps you doubt yourself or feel silly or guilty for listening to your intuition, and as a result, you deny your ability to tune in and receive this potent information. You may also keep your intuitive capabilities hidden from others, fearful of their judgements or opinions. If this resonates, know that your intuition is your superpower, here to guide you and help you. Have faith in the Universe and allow yourself to be in flow with its energies. Surrender and let go.

Think of the High Priestess as the calm centre inside of you that is untouched by your external world and trust that she is always there when you need her. Whenever you worry that things are just getting too crazy, find a quiet space and meditate so you can hear her voice. If you stop thinking or fretting about your issue and instead clear the way for your intuition to speak to you, the answer will follow. 

Finally, the secretive nature of the High Priestess may suggest gossip and hidden agendas. Others may be keeping information from you or talking about you behind your back and sharing mistruths. Rather than making assumptions or diving into the depths of paranoia, have an open and honest conversation to surface and address these secrets.

I personally do not use the Rider’s deck but due to it’s popularity I felt it was the best one to cover, if there is a request for any other decks I shall do them. I’ve also decided that I’m going to add the deck that I use which is from the video game “The Arcana”.

The High Priestess - Asra’s Deck - Simple Explanation

Upright - The High Priestess stands guardian to the gates of mystery, offering arcane secrets to the initiated.

Explanation - Listen to your dreams; allow intuition to guide you. All will be revealed in time.

Reversed - The High Priestess stands between you and your inner self, blocking the way forward.

Explanation - Be careful of losing touch with your intuition. Do not close your mind to the world’s mysteries.

I know not many people have this deck but I find it really good to document it on here :)

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

13th May >> Mass Readings (USA)

Monday, Seventh Week of Eastertide 

or

Our Lady of Fátima.

Monday, Seventh Week of Eastertide 

(Liturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II))

First Reading Acts of the Apostles 19:1-8 Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior of the country and down to Ephesus where he found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They answered him, “We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” He said, “How were you baptized?” They replied, “With the baptism of John.” Paul then said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Altogether there were about twelve men. He entered the synagogue, and for three months debated boldly with persuasive arguments about the Kingdom of God.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 68:2-3ab, 4-5acd, 6-7ab

R/ Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth. or R/ Alleluia.

God arises; his enemies are scattered, and those who hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so are they driven; as wax melts before the fire.

R/ Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth. or R/ Alleluia.

But the just rejoice and exult before God; they are glad and rejoice. Sing to God, chant praise to his name; whose name is the LORD.

R/ Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth. or R/ Alleluia.

The father of orphans and the defender of widows is God in his holy dwelling. God gives a home to the forsaken; he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.

R/ Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth. or R/ Alleluia.

Gospel Acclamation Colossians 3:1

Alleluia, alleluia. If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel John 16:29-33 Take courage, I have conquered the world.

The disciples said to Jesus, “Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech. Now we realize that you know everything and that you do not need to have anyone question you. Because of this we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now? Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own home and you will leave me alone. But I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

-------------------------

Our Lady of Fátima 

(Liturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II))

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Monday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First reading Isaiah 61:9-11 I rejoice heartily in the Lord.

Thus says the LORD:

Their descendants shall be renowned among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; All who see them shall acknowledge them as a race the LORD has blessed.

I rejoice heartily in the LORD, in my God is the joy of my soul; For he has clothed me with a robe of salvation, and wrapped me in a mantle of justice, Like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem, like a bride bedecked with her jewels. As the earth brings forth its plants, and a garden makes its growth spring up, So will the Lord GOD make justice and praise spring up before all the nations.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 45:11-12, 14-15, 16-17

R/ Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.

Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear, forget your people and your father’s house. So shall the king desire your beauty; for he is your lord, and you must worship him.

R/ Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.

All glorious is the king’s daughter as she enters; her raiment is threaded with spun gold. In embroidered apparel she is borne in to the king; behind her the virgins of her train are brought to you.

R/ Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.

They are borne in with gladness and joy; they enter the palace of the king. The place of your fathers your sons shall have; you shall make them princes through all the land.

R/ Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia! Happy are you, holy Virgin Mary, and most worthy of all praise, for from you arose the sun of justice, Christ our God. Alleluia!

Gospel Luke 11:27–28 Blessed is the womb that carried you!

While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[calypsok]

8/31/2020

The High Priestess, upright The High Priestess is the guardian of the subconscious mind and the teacher of sacred knowledge and hidden mysteries. The High Priestess has the ability to travel between the conscious and subconscious mind. She teaches you that the world is not always as it seems and more profound influences are often at play. She offers you a deep, intuitive understanding of the Universe and a heightened awareness of secret or hidden information. 

The High Priestess signifies spiritual enlightenment, inner illumination, divine knowledge and wisdom. She shows up in your Tarot readings when the veil between you and the underworld is thin, and you have the opportunity to access the knowledge deep within your soul. Your intuitive sense right now is providing you with useful information and is assisting you to become more in touch with your subconscious mind. Knowledge of how to fix these issues will not come through thinking and rationalising, but by tapping into and trusting your intuition, so allow yourself the time and space to meditate and attend to your inner voice. Look for areas in your life that may be out of balance or lacking flow and ease. Feel, rather than think. Collaborate, rather than compete. Create, rather than destroy. Trust your Divine energy. Be proud of your ability to nurture, trust, sense, and empathise instead of hiding it away. .

.

.

Image: The veil represents the separate conscious and subconscious realms, the seen and the unseen, and serves to keep casual onlookers out. Only the initiated may enter. The pomegranates on the veil are a symbol of abundance, fertility and the divine feminine. One pillar is black with the letter B (Boaz, meaning ‘in his strength’) and the other is white with the letter J (Jachin, meaning ‘he will establish’). The black and white colours of the pillars symbolise duality – masculine and feminine, darkness and light – stating that knowledge and acceptance of duality are required to enter this sacred space.

The High Priestess wears a blue robe with a cross on her chest and a horned diadem, both a symbol of her divine knowledge and her status as a divine ruler. In her lap, she holds a scroll with the letter TORA. It is partly covered, signifying that this sacred knowledge is both explicit and implicit, it will only be revealed when the student is ready to look beyond the material realm. The crescent moon at her feet symbolises her connection with the divine feminine, her intuition and subconscious mind, and the natural cycles of the moon.

[civveon]

The High Priestess

UPRIGHT: Intuition, sacred knowledge, divine feminine, the subconscious mind

REVERSED: Secrets, disconnected from intuition, withdrawal and silence

This is such a cool card, let me post the full description from here

The High Priestess sits in front of a thin veil decorated with pomegranates. The veil represents the separate conscious and subconscious realms, the seen and the unseen, and serves to keep casual onlookers out. Only the initiated may enter. The pomegranates on the veil are a symbol of abundance, fertility and the divine feminine, and are sacred to Persephone who ate a pomegranate seed in the underworld and was forced to return every year.

On either side of the High Priestess stand two pillars, marking the entrance to this sacred, mystical temple (also associated with the Temple of Solomon). One pillar is black with the letter B (Boaz, meaning ‘in his strength’) and the other is white with the letter J (Jachin, meaning ‘he will establish’). The black and white colours of the pillars symbolise duality – masculine and feminine, darkness and light – stating that knowledge and acceptance of duality are required to enter this sacred space.

The High Priestess wears a blue robe with a cross on her chest and a horned diadem (or crown), both a symbol of her divine knowledge and her status as a divine ruler. In her lap, she holds a scroll with the letter TORA, signifying the Greater Law (according to A. E. Waite). It is partly covered, signifying that this sacred knowledge is both explicit and implicit, it will only be revealed when the student is ready to look beyond the material realm. The crescent moon at her feet symbolises her connection with the divine feminine, her intuition and subconscious mind, and the natural cycles of the moon.

I love all the symbolism here, the duality, balance, and the connection to the subconscious. A far more serious card, too, if I read correctly, but i like the mystic stuff about it. Not sure about the fit, but dang, it’s interesting to read