#challenge ; alphabet lineage

[techs-dragons]

The B Generation for my Veilspuns hatched today :D Both hatchlings turned out really pretty I think. I'm keeping the one on the right. i love her. I love her green tips. I am keeping Azura and Aether I think. I love how these hatchlings turned out.

I don't know if they're the type of aesthetic people are looking for though. The C Generation is going to have a bit more colors.

It was surprisingly hard to find a Veil with a B Name.

[chellescripts]

Career Legacy Challenge: Rules

A Sims 4 completionist legacy challenge that plays through all the careers while aiming to complete all collections, rewards, aspirations, degrees, skills, using all traits and worlds in-game.

Basic Rules

Since there are 26 generations in all, heirs could be named alphabetically

Spouses must complete the other career track, unless there’s only one career branch

Spouses may complete the side quests, second aspiration, and/or after-school activity

University is optional except when an organization or an after-school activity is specified

The family museum should contain the collections, career rewards, and other memorabilia of the family. It can be a closed retail lot that is passed throughout the generations.

Generation A: Actor

Traits: Self-Assured, Snob Aspiration: Master Actor/Actress Aspiration Collection: Crystals Side Quest 1: Complete the Successful Lineage Aspiration Side Quest 2: Start the Family Museum

Optional: Home: Del Sol Valley Degree: Drama

Generation B: Astronaut

Traits: Materialistic, Loves Outdoors Aspiration: Fabulously Wealthy Collection: Space Prints Side Quest 1: Fully upgrade the rocket Side Quest 2: Go to Sixam

Optional: Home: Oasis Springs Degree: Physics: Space Ranger

Generation C: Athlete

Traits: Active, Romantic Aspiration: Serial Romantic Collection: MySims Trophies Side Quest 1: Win the MVP Soccer Trophy as a Soccer Team Player Side Quest 2: Complete the Bodybuilder Aspiration

Optional: Home: San Sequoia Degree: Biology: Bodybuilder

Generation D: Business

Traits: Cheerful, Kleptomaniac Aspiration: Party Animal Collection: Holiday Cracker Plushies Side Quest 1: Become a Senior Member of the Foxbury Spirit Squad Side Quest 2: Max the DJ Mixing skill

Optional: Home: Magnolia Promenade Degree: Economics: Investor

Generation E: Conservationist

Traits: Child of the Islands, Vegetarian Aspiration: Beach Life Collection: Buried Treasure Side Quest 1: Cleanup Sulani until it is thriving Side Quest 2: Watch a Tutle Hatching event

Optional: Home: Sulani Degree: Biology: Marine Biologist

Generation F: Criminal

Traits: Evil Aspiration: Public Enemy Collection: Metals Side Quest 1: Befriend the Grim Reaper Side Quest 2: Complete the Villainous Valentine Aspiration

Optional: Home: Willow Creek Degree: Villainy: Criminal Boss

Generation G: Critic

Traits: Hot-Headed, Foodie Aspiration: City Native Collection: City Posters Side Quest 1: Learn all the City Food Stall recipes Side Quest 2: Buy all 5 Trash and Treasure items from the Flea Market

Optional: Home: San Myshuno Degree: Art History: Arts Critic

Generation H: Culinary

Traits: Glutton, Jealous Aspiration: Master Chef Collection: Experimental Food Photos Side Quest 1: Prepare Ambrosia and bring back a ghost to life Side Quest 2: Marry someone who will complete the Master Mixologist Aspiration

Optional: Home: Windenburg Degree: Culinary Arts: Chef

Generation I: Detective

Traits: Insider, Gloomy Aspiration: Leader of the Pack Collection: Microscope Prints Side Quest 1: Meet with the club at least once a week Side Quest 2: Complete the Neighborhood Confidante Aspiration

Optional: Home: Newcrest Degree: Psychology: Detective

Generation J: Doctor

Traits: Cat Lover, Neat Aspiration: Friend of the Animals Collection: Feathers Side Quest 1: Make a purple owl statue from another set of feathers Side Quest 2: Max the Veterinarian skill

Optional: Home: Brindleton Bay Degree: Biology: Doctor

Generation K: Education

Traits: Family-Oriented, Art Lover Aspiration: Super Parent Collection: Frogs Side Quest 1: Complete the Big Happy Family Aspiration Side Quest 2: Max the Cross Stitch skill

Optional: Home: Henford-on-Bagley Degree: Psychology: Professor

Generation L: Engineer

Traits: Geek, Unflirty Aspiration: Nerd Brain Collection: Space Rocks, Aliens Side Quest 1: Become a Senior Member of the Bot Savants Side Quest 2: Create a Servo

Optional: Home: Oasis Springs Degree: Physics: Mechanical Engineer

Generation M: Entertainer

Traits: Dance Machine, Lactose Intolerant Aspiration: Joke Star Collection: Sugar Skulls Side Quest 1: Win an award at the Starlight Accolades Side Quest 2: Complete the Musical Genius Aspiration with a Guitar

Optional: Home: San Sequoia Degree: Drama: Comedian

Generation N: Freelancer

Traits: Adventurous, Bro Aspiration: Extreme Sports Enthusiast Collection: Snow Globes Side Quest 1: Max all extreme sports skills Side Quest 2: Complete the Renaissance Sim Aspiration

Optional: Home: Mt. Komorebi Degree: Communications: Supervisor

Generation O: Gardener

Traits: Animal Enthusiast, Music Lover Aspiration: Country Caretaker Collection: Village Fair Ribbons (Main Competitions only since the Minor ones are bugged) Side Quest 1: Complete at least 3 errands Side Quest 2: Hatch a Golden Chicken

Optional: Home: Henford-on-Bagley Degree: Biology: Botanist

Generation P: Law

Traits: Perfectionist, Mean Aspiration: Angling Ace Collection: Fish Side Quest 1: Fish at Sylvan Glade and Forgotten grotto Side Quest 2: Win at the Sulani Fishing Tournament

Optional: Home: Willow Creek Degree: History: Judge

Generation Q: Painter

Traits: Creative, Clumsy Aspiration: Painter Extraordinaire Collection: Decorative Eggs Side Quest 1: Become a Senior Member of the Art Society Side Quest 2: Complete all emotional paintings with masterpiece quality

Optional: Home: Brindleton Bay Degree: Fine Arts: Master of the Real

Generation R: Politician

Traits: Ambitious, Hates Children Aspiration: The Curator Collection: Fossils Side Quest 1: Become a Senior Member of the Debate Guild and win at a Debate Showdown Side Quest 2: Complete the Mansion Baron Aspiration

Optional: Home: Newcrest Degree: History: Politics

Generation S: Salaryperson

Traits: Proper, Loyal Aspiration: Mt. Komorebi Sightseer Collection: Simmies Side Quest 1: Befriend Yamachan Side Quest 2: Complete the Soulmate Aspiration

Optional: Home: Mt. Komorebi Degree: Computer Science: Expert

Generation T: Scientist

Traits: Genius, Slob Aspiration: Academic Collection: Geodes Side Quest 1: Become a Senior Member of The Brainiacs Side Quest 2: Create all the serums from The Chemistry Lab

Optional: Home: Britechester Degree: Physics: Scientist

Generation U: Secret Agent

Traits: Childish, Erratic Aspiration: Chief of Mischief Collection: Voidcritters Side Quest 1: Become a Senior Member of the Secret Society Side Quest 2: Have a secret baby with Father Winter

Optional: Home: Windenburg Degree: Villainy: Villain

Generation V: Self-Employed

Traits: Noncommittal, Good Aspiration: Freelance Botanist Collection: Gardening, Magic Beans Side Quest 1: Purchase 6 Retail Perks that unlock items (Placard: My First Simoleon, Provocative Pedestal, Stunning Sign, Snazzy Shirt, Register of Tomorrow, Placard: Fobbs 500) Side Quest 2: Complete the Lord/Lady of the Knits Aspiration

Optional: Home: Magnolia Promenade Degree: Communications: Management

Generation W: Social Media

Traits: Self-Absorbed, Goofball Aspiration: World-Famous Celebrity Collection: Positivity Posters (Buy them from a pre-made retail lot), Underwater Photos Side Quest 1: Max the Media Production Skill Side Quest 2: Max the Dancing skill

Optional: Home: Del Sol Valley Degree: Drama: Internet Personality

Generation X: Style Influencer

Traits: Outgoing, Child of the Ocean Aspiration: Friend of the World Collection: Seashells Side Quest 1: Become a Senior Member of the Britechester Spirit Corps Side Quest 2: Max friendship with a dolphin

Optional: Home: Sulani Degree: Fine Arts: Stylist

Generation Y: Tech Guru

Traits: Loner, Dog Lover Aspiration: Computer Whiz Collection: Elements Side Quest 1: Reach the top of the eSports Competitor career in University Side Quest 2: Max the Pet training skill

Optional: Home: Britechester Degree: Computer Science: Start-Up Entrepreneur

Generation Z: Writer

Traits: Bookworm, Lazy Aspiration: Bestselling Author Collection: Postcards Side Quest 1: Write the Book of life Side Quest 2: Complete the Grilled Cheese Aspiration

Optional: Home: San Myshuno Degree: Language and Literature: Author

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

March Week 1 - Symbolism and Traditions

Okay, now that we've got all the generalized types of magic out of the way, let's take a look at some other topics that will help us fill in the gaps in things. We'll be looking at symbols, traditions both personal and ancestral, spell and ritual design and much more! Let's buckle up and get to it!

Monday - Alphabets and Runes

Research - Look up different alphabets that have been used in magical traditions. Anything from the Elder Futhark Rune language, to the Ogham Script, to any other form of writing that has been used in any tradition. Do you know another language? Have you ever made your own alphabet or cipher? There are some grimoires that are written in an entire code that only the person who wrote it understood! If you feel like doing so, you can do the same! Look up an alphabet of any kind and write out a translation of those into the alphabet you know. For fun, write out at least one page in that other alphabet!

Research/ New Page - Runes - Is there a rune set you already know? Elder Futhark? Ogham? Another rune set? Have you ever made your own runes? Define rune. What is a rune? What makes something a rune? In both the magical and mundane sense, what are they? If you find a type of runes that you wish to learn, do so! Make a list of the runes themselves, then write out the meaning and symbology of each one!

Practical - Make a set of the runes you research or are already familiar with! Use what you have on hand! It could be as simple as strips of cardstock with the runes on them, notecards with the rune on one side and description on the other, or feel free to find a set online or in a store! You can even go outside and just find some stones and use a sharpie to write the runes on them!

Divination/ Journal - if you perform divinations, use your new runes to do so! And journal about the experience!

Tuesday - Languages

Research/ New Page - Is there a language that you don't speak or that no one really speaks, like Latin, and look into the basis of that language. Where does it come from? What is the language's base? Are there different dialects? Find an accurate translator and look up the words for some of your magical terminology. Make a list of those words to use in spells, incantations and prayers later on. Now, take it a step further. What is your ancestry? What languages has your family spoken in the past? Ask your parents, grandparents and other relatives if they still speak it at all. Get a little family history lesson. Having this connection to your lineage and ancestry can help you better understand a lot about yourself, your family, and traditions you may not realize you are practicing or performing regularly!

New Page - along with the list of words and languages, keep a page with the basic info you discover about your ancestry and family history! It could come in handy for a multitude of things, both pertaining to this challenge and life in general! This page could include traditions, recipes, where you come from, splits in the family, and general family history.

New Page - Pick another herb from your list and research it! Magical, mundane, medicinal, associations, myths and legends, how to grow and propagate it, where it comes from and its history!

Wednesday - Other Symbols

Research - What are some other common symbols that are commonplace within witchcraft circles? What are they, what do they represent? What are they used for? Do you use any of them without meaning to? What is their history? Where do they come from? Think about things commonly associated with withcraft. Cauldrons, brooms, pointy hats, black cats... why are these things associated with witchcraft? Don't just go with the first thing you find when you look this up, dig deep, do research. Are there multiple sources that confirm these things?

Personal/ Introspection - What things do you associate with witchcraft and why? It can be anything from tools you're using, to symbols, to specific herbs and gems or grander things/ ideas like the moon or certain practices.

Research/ New Page - Pick another gemstone or other item you want to research the witchy/ magical uses of and get at it!

Thursday - Traditions

Research/ New Page - Think about the conversations and research you did into your family lineage and language. Carry on with that research and look into the traditions your family has. Everything from when they gather together for things and why, to the recipes they make, to the way they pray or worship, to how they do things in general. Are there any beliefs your family has that have been passed down to you about things like luck? Or love? What wisdom has been passed down to you by your family?

Journal/ Introspection - Do you have any traditions that you practice on your own? Think about the things you celebrate and why, as well as when you celebrate them. Are there certain ways you do things? Everything from cooking to cleaning, to more spiritual practices! Feel free to make a page dedicated to your personal traditions. Recording them can help you to change and grow them over time, or even just to pass them along to your own family!

Friday - Catch Up Day

Today is a catch up day. We've had a lot of information and research prompts thrown at us the last three months, so take today to look back at any of the prompts you have missed or one you want to continue working on!

Alright! There's March week 1 everyone! Good luck and happy crafting witches!

-Mod Hazel

[simswithflavor]

Alphabet Legacy Challenge.

There are other alphabet legacy challenges out there, I’m just adding to it 🤷🏾‍♀️

Founder’s name has to start with the letter A of course.

The founder has one child and that child has to have a B name which is the first heir (example: If your founder’s name is Alissa… then Alissa’s heir is Brianna… then Brianna’s heir would be named Catalina… so on and so forth until you get to the letter Z)

The founder has to have ONE child, but if at any point after that, if more than one child is born, every child has to have a name that starts with that letter (example: if Alissa’s daughter/the first heir Brianna has twins or triplets or she gets pregnant more than once, then each child has to have a name that starts with the letter C like Catalina, Cindy, and Cynthia).

Now the easy way to complete this challenge would be to just have each heir have a child starting with each letter of the alphabet… NOPE!

Your founder must complete one of three aspirations and have the following traits.

Founder Aspiration (choose one)

Big Happy Family

Super Parent

Successful Lineage

Founder Traits

Ambitious

Neat

Family Oriented

If you have one of those mods that give you more traits.

Outgoing

Generous (only if you have For Rent EP)

After that use this Random Trait Generator for their traits and aspirations. (It’s okay if you skip the infant and toddler stages, because I do 🫣) With each heir having only one child, this shouldn’t be too hard.

Each child must be at least a 3 in every child skill and be an A student before aging up into a teen.

Each teen must have teen job, have a 5 in the skills of your choosing and be an A student before aging up into a Young Adult.

After aging into a young adult, the heir must move out and the previous gen must be switched to unplayed. (example: once you’ve completed Brianna’s gen, Brianna must move out so that she can start Catalina’s gen, leaving the founder unplayed, once Catalina’s gen is complete, she then moves out, leaving Brianna’s gen unplayed… so on and so forth.)

Cheats are allowed using MC Command Center and UI Cheats (specifically to keep their hunger, sleep, and bladder under control).

Other mods are optional but if they’ve been updated feel free to utilize them.

HAVE FUN! 😉

[kelseimae]

The Sims 4 Alphabet Challenge UPDATED !!!

The Alphabet Challenge (My version)

Founder Rules

Choose any premade sim in the save.

The sim must be a young adult. If they aren’t then you may use cheats to reset their age at Young Adult.

You can give them a makeover.

They can be single sims. For example, Johnny Zest

They can be sims already married. For example, Bob and Eliza Pancakes.

They cannot have children. If you really want to use that specific household though then you can delete the kids.

You can keep them in the house they are currently in, or you can use free real estate cheat to get into their first house.

Career: Freelance Crafter

Aspiration: Creativity-Master Maker

Gameplay Rules

Founder’s childrens name should start with the Letter A.

The youngest child becomes the heir.

Each generation’s kids name start with the next letter of the alphabet. For example, A Heir will have B children and B Heir will have C children.

Each generation has two different career options and aspirations to go with them. When you reach the end at letter Z, you can start over with A and do the careers you didn’t pick.

Letter A

Career: Actor/Actress

Aspiration: Creativity-Master Actor/Actress

Career: Education/Administrator Branch

Aspiration: Popularity-Friend of the World

Letter B

Career: Athlete/Bodybuilder Branch

Aspiration: Athletic-Bodybuilder

Career: Criminal/Boss Branch

Aspiration: Deviance-Public Enemy

Letter C

Career: Culinary/Chef Branch

Aspiration: Food-Master Chef

Career: Civil Designer/Civic Planner Branch

Aspiration: Nature- Eco Innovator

Letter D

Career: Detective

Aspiration: Popularity-Leader of the Pack

Career: Secret Agent/Diamond Agent Branch

Aspiration: Family: Big Happy Family

Letter E

Career: Tech Guru/eSport Gamer Branch

Aspiration: Knowledge-Computer Whiz

Career: Conservationist/Environmental Manager Branch

Aspiration: Nature-Outdoor Enthusiast

Letter F

Career: Critic/Food Critic Branch

Aspiration: Food-Master Chef

Career: Critic/Arts Critic Branch

Aspiration: Creativity-Painter Extraordinaire

Letter G

Career: Civil Designer/Green Technician Branch

Aspiration: Nature-Eco Innovator

Career: Gardener/ Botanist Branch

Aspiration: Nature- Freelance Botanist

Letter H

Career: Politician/Charity Organizer

Aspiration: Location- City Native MUST MOVE TO SAN MYSHUNO

Career: Freelance Photography

Aspiration: Family-Big Happy Familiy

Letter I

Career: Social Media/Internet Personality

Aspiration: Popularity/Friend of the World

Career: Business/Investor

Aspiration: Family-Super Parent

Letter J

Career: Writer/Journalist

Aspiration: Popularity-Party Animal

Career: Law/Judge

Aspiration: Fortune-Fabulously Wealthy

Letter K

Career: Entertainer/Comedian

Aspiration: Popularity-Jokestar

Career: Engineer/Computer Engineer

Aspiration: Knowledge- Computer Whiz

Letter L

Career: Gardener/Floral Designer

Aspiration: Nature-Outdoor Enthusiast

Career: Military/Covert Operator

Aspiration: Love-Soulmate

Letter M

Career: Business/Management

Aspiration: Family-Successful Lineage

Career: Conservationist/Marine Biologist

Aspiration: Location-Beach Life

Letter N

Career: Astronaut/Interstellar Smuggler

Aspiration: Knowledge-Nerd Brain

Career: Doctor

Aspiration: Love-Serial Romantic

Letter O

Career: Military/Officer

Aspiration: Any-Complete Strangerville Mystery

Career: Painter/Master of the Real

Aspiration: Creativity-Painter Extraordinaire

Letter P

Career: Painter/Patron of the Arts

Aspiration: Creativity-Painter Extraordinaire

Career Politician/Politician

Aspiration: Location-City Native MUST MOVE TO SAN MYSHUNO

Letter Q

Career: Engineer/Mechanical Engineer

Aspiration: Nature/Angling Ace

Career: Entertainer/Musician

Aspiration: Creativity-Musical Genius

Letter R

Career: Criminal/Oracle

Aspiration: Deviance- Chief of Mischief

Career: Law/Private Attorney

Aspiration: Fortune-Mansion Baron

Letter S

Career: Scientist

Aspiration: Nature/Curator

Career: Astronaut/Space Ranger

Aspiration: Knowledge-Nerd Brain

Letter T

Career: Style Influencer/Trend Setter

Aspiration: Popularity-Party Animal

Career: Athletic/Professional Athlete

Aspiration: Athletic-Body Builder

Letter U

Career: Social Media/Public Relations

Aspirations: Popularity-Friend of the World

Career: Education/Professor

Aspirations: Popularity-Party Animal

Letter V

Career: Secret Agent/Villian

Aspiration: Deviance-Public Enemy

Career: Freelance Programmer

Aspiration: Knowledge-Computer Whiz

Letter W

Career: Writer/Author

Aspirations: Creativity-Best Selling Author

Career: Freelance Writer

Aspirations: Popularity-World Famous Celebrity

Letter X

Career: Culinary/Mixologists

Aspiration: Food-Master Mixologists

Career: Freelance Artist

Aspiration: Creativity-Painter Extraordinaire

Letter Y

Career: Style Influencer/Stylist

Aspiration: Love-Serial Romantic

Career: Interior Designer

Aspiration: Location- Beach Life

Letter Z

Career: Tech Guru/Start-up Entrepreneur

Aspiration: Nature/Anging Ace

Career: Freelance Programmer

Aspiration: Love- Soulmate

[angelicexcellence]

Exploring Divination in Spirituality: A Guide to Self-Development and Connection

In the vast tapestry of spirituality, divination practices have long served as threads connecting individuals to the realms beyond the seen. From ancient traditions to contemporary spirituality, various divination methods offer insights, guidance, and pathways for self-development and connection. In this blog, we will explore different divination practices and discuss how to best utilize them for personal growth and forging connections with the spiritual realm.

Divination is the ancient art of seeking insights or guidance through symbolic means. It operates on the principle that the universe communicates with individuals through symbols, signs, and archetypes. Here are some popular divination methods:

Tarot Cards: Tarot cards are a powerful tool for self-reflection and divination. Each card carries rich symbolism, offering insights into different aspects of life. Utilize tarot for self-development by drawing daily cards and contemplating their meanings in relation to your experiences.

Runes: The runic alphabet, known as the Futhark, is often used for divination. Each rune symbolizes a concept or energy. For self-development, draw a rune daily and reflect on its relevance to your current journey.

Astrology: Astrology explores the correlation between celestial bodies and human experiences. Your birth chart, or horoscope, can provide insights into your personality, strengths, and challenges. Regularly check your horoscope for guidance on personal growth.

Numerology: Numerology involves analyzing the significance of numbers in your life. Your birthdate and name are assigned numerical values, revealing aspects of your personality and life path. Understanding your numerology can guide you in making informed decisions.

Crystal Ball Gazing (Scrying): Scrying involves gazing into a crystal ball or other reflective surfaces to access intuitive insights. Develop a scrying practice by meditating with a crystal ball, focusing on questions, and allowing images or impressions to come forth.

Utilizing Divination for Self-Development:

Set Intentions: Before engaging in divination, set clear intentions. Whether seeking insights into personal challenges, guidance for the future, or a deeper understanding of yourself, clarifying your purpose enhances the effectiveness of the practice.

Regular Practice: Consistency is key. Establish a regular divination practice, whether it's daily, weekly, or monthly. The more you engage with divination, the more attuned you become to the symbols and messages presented.

Reflect and Journal: After a divination session, take time to reflect on the insights received. Journaling about your experiences can deepen your understanding and provide a record of your personal growth journey.

Combine Modalities: Experiment with combining different divination modalities. For example, draw a tarot card and interpret it in conjunction with a crystal that resonates with its energy. Integrating multiple methods can offer a more comprehensive perspective.

Trust Your Intuition: While divination systems provide frameworks, trust your intuition in interpreting the messages. Your inner wisdom plays a crucial role in deciphering the symbolism and applying it to your unique circumstances.

Fostering Connections through Divination:

Spiritual Guidance: Use divination as a tool to connect with spiritual guides, angels, or higher selves. Seek guidance on your spiritual journey and inquire about steps to enhance your connection with the divine.

Communication with Ancestors: Certain divination practices, such as ancestor divination or ancestral altars, facilitate communication with ancestors. Honor your lineage and seek their wisdom for support and guidance.

Manifestation and Law of Attraction: Divination can be a powerful tool for manifestation. Use divination to align your energies with your goals, identify potential obstacles, and gain insights into the actions needed for successful manifestation.

Energetic Clearing: Divination practices can reveal energetic imbalances or blockages. Use the insights gained to focus on energetic clearing through meditation, energy healing, or rituals that promote balance and harmony.

In the vast landscape of spirituality, divination serves as a dynamic gateway to self-development and connection with the spiritual realm. As you explore different divination practices, remember that each method is a unique lens through which you can gain insights, foster personal growth, and forge meaningful connections with the unseen. Embrace the journey of self-discovery and spiritual exploration, and let the symbolic language of divination be your guide.

[scarlet--wiccan]

Natalya + Django Maximoff

This is part 9 of my sigil project, where I design emblems, sigils, seals, and runes for my favorite Marvel magic characters. After doing the entire living Maximoff family, I thought it might be nice to design for their predecessors.

These designs were inspired by the dharmachakra, which has become a prominent cultural symbol of the Roma people, and is featured on the international Romani flag. I've also designed a pair of composite-letter name sigils using the Theban alphabet, which I'm using to distinguish "witch" characters from other types of magicians in the Marvel canon.

Speaking of witches, I also designed a similar sigil for Agatha Harkness, who was Natalya's peer and, later, a mentor to her daughter, Wanda. The emblem on the left is based on Agatha's brooch.

I recognize that Natalya is a polarizing character, so I thought I would share some of my thoughts, as a person of Roma descent, under the cut. I'll say up front that I, personally, get something out of bringing my perspective to imagery and narratives that are lacking in authenticity, but I respect that others may not feel the same way

Natalya Maximoff is depicted a Roma woman from a traveling community in the Balkan region. She died protecting her children from the High Evolutionary on Mount Wundagore, and the twins were subsequently adopted by Natalya's brother, Django, and his wife, Marya. While uncovering Natalya's past, Wanda learns that her mother practiced witchcraft as part of her family trade. Natalya was the Scarlet Witch of her time, and Django, who was a spiritual leader in his community, possessed mystical abilities as well. Wanda's magical aptitude is, therefore, hereditary, and we are meant to understand that the Scarlet Witch title is part of her cultural lineage.

This drew a lot of rightful criticism, particularly from Jewish and Roma readers. For one thing, the retcon removes the Maximoffs' Jewish ancestry, and distances them from representations of Romani Holocaust survivors. Natalya and Django are also played straight as mystical "gypsy" stereotypes, which are, unfortunately, more common in American media than any sort of accurate representation. That said, the circumstances of these characters' lives-- such as their lifestyles and the challenges they face-- are reflective of Romani history in that part of Europe. This is very similar to Doctor Doom's family-- under all of the fantasy and genre trappings, these stories demonstrate an awareness of class and race that is rarely afforded to Romani people in American media. Unfortunately, writers tend to overlook these details, which reduces the characters to racist tropes. Nevertheless, Saladin Ahmed's Quicksilver proved that these characters can be used for informative, meaningful representation-- you just have to do the research and be respectful.

The magic stuff is complicated, and I find that Roma tend to really differ on how it should be approached. No group is a monolith, least of all one so diverse and wide-spread. Here's what I know-- witchcraft is a part of Romani history. Divination, folk medicine, and even spellcasting are all trades that Roma families have historically practiced. Some of these skills, derived from ancestral knowledge, have been used for healing within communities, but they've also been used by entrepreneurial folks to make money and provide for their families. Roma have historically faced job and housing discrimination, so this just one way of the ways that they found to get by.

Now, the Marvel universe is a setting where magic is real and tangible, and witches have actual supernatural powers. It makes sense that real-world magical practices would be afforded the same type of power in the Marvel world-- families like the Maximoffs and von Dooms would, logically, exist in that setting. The problem, as always, is authenticity. If we're being honest, I think that Romani witch characters, like Wanda and Natalya, are going to persist in the media whether we like it or not. I'm more interested in creating an authentically Roma image of the heroic witch than I am in stamping that archetype out entirely.

[mimirue]

Hello all! I recently realized that I had a couple of characters that I just left their story hanging (sorry my pixel children) and I’ve been looking for a challenge that I can use to show how their lives have been since their story ended. I had no luck finding one that was quite what I needed so I guess it was time to make one myself! It’ll take me some time to work on this myself but I figured I’d share what I came up with anyway.

The Aspirations photo challenge!

This is designed as a flexible daily photo challenge. I’ll be listing it in alphabetical order but I’m definitely not keeping to this order myself. Obviously themed off of the sims 4 aspiration categories, some days will have only an overarching theme while other days also have a couple of specific options. Feel free to interchange prompts/days freely to what fits with your characters/story. Post every day, once a week, once a month, doesn’t matter just do what works for you. If anyone does this I hope you like it!

Animal [Friend of the animals]

Athletic [Bodybuilder]

Creativity [Painter extraordinaire | Musical genius | Best-selling author | Master actor/actress | Master maker]

Deviance [Public enemy | Chief of Mischief]

Family [Successful lineage | Big happy family | Vampire family | Super parent]

Food [Master chef | Master mixologist]

Fortune [Fabulously wealthy | Mansion baron]

Knowledge [Renaissance sim | Nerd brain | Computer whiz | Master Vampire | Archaeology scholar |  Spellcraft & Sorcery | Academic]

Love [Serial romantic | Soulmate]

Location [City native | Strangerville mystery | Beach life]

Nature [Freelance botanist | The curator | Angling ace | Outdoor enthusiast | Jungle explorer | Purveyor of potions | Eco innovator]

Popularity [Joke star | Party animal |Friend of the world | Leader of the pack | good vampire | World-famous celebrity]  

Bonus Child Aspirations:

Artistic prodigy

 Rambunctious scamp

Social butterfly

Whiz kid

[sims4lizzyuk]

The Alphabet Legacy Challenge Rules

Hello! I am starting a new challenge which is half made-up and half based on other challenges so if anyone else wants to give it a go, here are the rules. This challenge is across 27-ish generations taking you through various themes. I’m playing it with basegame, although I imagine it would be better with expansion packs. Although, seeing as I’m just playing with basegame, I’ve made it harder for if you have expansion packs because that’s just the way it works :) Cheats, mods, CC, whatever, everything is allowed. If twins or triplets are born where the rules don’t allow it, exceptions can be made: you don’t have to kill any of your children. I appreciate there’s a lot of writing and you can probably figure most of it out for yourself so here’s an overview of the themes:

Animals, Books, Cooking, Darkness, Emotion, Family, Gardening, History, Innocence, Jokes, Kindness, Legends, Music, Nerd, Outgoing, Painting, Quietness, Religion, Science/Space, Travel, Unfriendly, Violin, Work-orientated, Xenophobia, Youth, Zany

Here’s how to play:

First, create a sim to be your beginner sim. This sim can be whatever gender you want and can have whatever traits you want. You can also choose whatever name you want for this sim and there are no rules regarding it. Add your sim to whatever world you want and have them meet and marry a townie of your choice. This can also be whatever you want, but one sim must be able to get pregnant and the other must be able to impregnate other sims. You could also create a sim to marry your beginner sim and add them to the world but you cannot create a married couple in the first place because I say so.

Once married, your couple should start a family. The children must be naturally the couples’ own, there is no adoption in this challenge. Have however many children you want, but they must all have names beginning with A. These will be the first generation for the challenge. If you want, give them animal themed names but these must still begin with A. If available, these children must have the trait either ‘cat lover’ or ‘dog lover’ from childhood.

Once the children have grown up, choose one to be the heir through whatever method you want. For every generation, you must master the career and aspiration before moving on. The sims’ appearances must be based on the theme for their generation and their names must start with that letter of the alphabet. Here are the rules for each generation:

A - animals:

-Expansion packs: Friend of the animal aspiration, master vet career, cat or dog lover trait from childhood, three or more children, rest of household filled with pets

-Basegame: Big happy family or angling ace aspiration (must keep all the fish if angling ace), any career and traits, three or more children

B - books:

-Bestselling author aspiration, bookworm trait and any others, master writing career, master writing skill, own a bookshelf, purchase all available books, no more than two children

C - cooking:

-Master Chef aspiration, glutton or foodie trait and any others, master culinary career, master cooking, baking if available and gourmet cooking skill (and mixology if you want to make it harder), most expensive kitchen with one of all available type of item, four or more children

D - darkness:

-Deviance or Master Vampire aspiration, traits from list below, criminal career, house must be just black and grey, no more than three children

-Traits from list: Evil, Kleptomaniac, Gloomy, Hot-headed, Erratic, Materialistic, Neat, Slob, Insider, Hates children, Jealous, Loner, Mean, Non-committal, Paranoid

E - emotion:

-Soulmate aspiration, any traits listed as emotional, creative career, must call or visit family members once a week, three or more children

F - family

-Any family aspiration, family-orientated trait and any others, freelancer and(?)/or babysitter career, parenting skill if available, six or more children and must be best friends with all

G - gardening

-Freelance botanist aspiration, loves outdoors trait and any others, gardener if available or no career, gardening, flower arranging and fitness skills, up to four children

H - history

-Renaissance sim aspiration, geek and any other traits, archaeologist career if available or writer, archaeology skill if available, four or more children

I - innocence

-Aspiration from list below, good, cheerful and any other trait, career from list below, no WooHoo until married, only one romantic partner, two or more children

-Aspiration options (any from these categories): Animal, athletic, creativity, family, food, knowledge (except master vampire), location (except StrangerVille), love, nature, popularity (except party animal and world famous celebrity)

-Career options: astronaut, athlete, conservationist, culinary, freelancer, gardener, scientist, doctor, entertainer, painter, tech guru, writer

J - jokes

-Joke Star aspiration, goofball and two other traits, comedian career, comedy skill, two or more children

K - kindness

-Friend of the world aspiration, good, cheerful and any other trait, conservationist career if available or any other except criminal and critic, charisma skill and wellness if available, must accept every phone call and say yes to everyone who wants to come over or invite you to an event, four or more children

L - legends

-Renaissance sim aspiration, genius, geek and any other trait, archaeologist career if available or writer, master writing skill - all book names are your own legends, three or more children

M - music

-Musical genius aspiration, music lover and any other traits, musician career, master guitar, violin and piano skills and if available, master pipe organ and singing skills, two or more children

N - nerd

-Nerd brain aspiration, geek, genius and another trait, tech guru career, logic, programming and video gaming skills, one or more children

O - outgoing

-Any popularity aspiration, outgoing, self-assured and another trait, career from list below, charisma and one other skill, four children

-Career options: astronaut, athlete, conservationist, criminal, critic, freelancer, actor, detective, scientist, entertainer, military, politician, secret agent, social media, style influencer, writer

P - painting

-Painter extraordinaire aspiration, art lover and two other traits, artist career, painting skill, three children

Q - quietness

-Any nature aspiration, loner and two other traits, no career, gardening skill and wellness if available, house built in smallest available lot, one child

R - religion

-Big happy family aspiration, good and two other traits, any career, must try to correct any negative relationships, no WooHoo until married, five or more children

S - science and space

-Nerd brain aspiration, genius and two other traits, scientist or astronaut career, rocket science and logic skills, one or two children

T - travel

-Any location aspiration (if not, painter extraordinaire and must paint from reference for all paintings as soon as able), any appropriate traits, freelancer career, must live in five different worlds of your choice over life (or three with basegame as only those are available), two children

U - unfriendly

-Any deviance aspiration, mean or evil and any other traits, criminal career, mischief skill, one or two children

V - violin

-Musical genius aspiration, music lover, art lover and another trait, musician career, violin skill, live in small house with special little violin room, one or two children

W - work-orientated

-Fabulously wealthy aspiration, any traits, any full-time career except freelancer, skills required for job must be mastered, one child

X - xenophobia (fear of foreigners)

-Successful lineage aspiration, paranoid if available or mean and any other traits, must stay in world where you were born and marry someone with similar appearance, no friends as no one likes you, four or more children, OPTIONAL: learn your lesson later in life

Y - youth

Party animal aspiration, childish and any other traits, no career, live with parents, children only out of marriage, first child is teenage pregnancy, dye hair when elder, one or two children

Z - zany (weird)

Any aspiration, any traits, any career, master any two skills, any number of children

[malamala]

Maha Mala Presents: Ask Anuradhika

Anuradhika Roy is a certified holistic healing practitioner. Anuradhika’s constant pursuit of self-growth is evident in her long list of qualifications, which include Reiki, Crystal healing and more. A long-time supporter of Maha Mala’s mission to bring you closer to your spiritual self through means of handmade malas and chakra jewellery, we got talking with Anuradhika about her journey to realising her inner being, as she shared advice for others hoping to follow the path.

Tell us about your journey.  Where are you from? What do you do?

I have lived in Chicago for the past 30 years, but I still say I’m from Delhi because that’s where I was born and brought up– and where my heart is. Over the years, I’ve come to realize that the resonances, emotions, significance and meaning of “home” are always present in my heart, so I can honestly say that wherever I am, that’s where I’m from!

I feel fortunate to be following my passion. Intuitively guiding and supporting clients who are in the process of finding themselves, falling in love with themselves, figuring out who they truly are and what their life-purpose is, gives me the greatest joy. There is something very special in facilitating others on their divine journey and witnessing them blossom into their authentic self.

My journey formally started with getting certified in Reiki about twenty-five years ago. Since then, Reiki has opened up the world to me, leading me from one modality to the next. Seriously, my pursuit of personal growth has been so broad, my list of qualifications resembles alphabet soup! From attracting Abundance and working on Ancestral Healing; Bach Flower Remedies to Crystal Healing; Dream Interpretation to EFT and Elemental Space Clearing; Past Life Regression to Shamanic Healing; Siddh Kundalini Healing to Soul Coaching®; Soul Collage® to Tarot reading, and even competitive Ballroom dancing (that one took my understanding of the connection between mind, body, and spirit to a whole new level!), it’s been a fabulous, sometimes challenging, but always fascinating journey. What I love most is being able to draw from this diverse knowledge-base to create a unique, balanced and personalised curriculum for each special person I work with.

Looking back, I’ve been a spiritual seeker my entire life– constantly engaged on one level or another in connecting with that pure spark of divine light of “inner truth” that is within each of us. In trying to find a better version of myself, pushing to grow internally, exploring the meaning of “healing” and “wholeness”, and experiencing profound transformation, I have found my soul-purpose. Of course, being part of a lineage of healers has informed my journey greatly – my mother and grandmother gave me my roots, and my child gives me wings to fly with them.

Tell us about your spiritual and meditative practices.

I love early mornings – the quiet peace before the rest of the house awakens is the best part of my day and the perfect time for my practice.

Daily practice is essential to my well-being, and it starts and ends with gratitude (this is a theme that runs through everything!). As my eyes open, I give thanks for a new day and new opportunities for change. Reiki follows, with self-treatment and prayers and intentions for others, and of course, gratitude to all who have gone before me in the tradition. Then it’s time for a short meditation and chanting, using one of my beautiful Maha Mala gemstone malas. Breath-work brings my ritual to a close, and I end by drawing a guidance card for inspiration from one of my favourite oracle decks. At night before bed, I make sure to reflect on the day and note three things for which I am grateful.

My weekly practice involves cleaning, resetting and rededicating my altar, using crystals, candles, and sacred objects. It’s always fun to see who and what calls to be included!

And of course, my two monthly practices involve New Moon intention setting, and Full Moon gratitude and reflection.

In order to change the world, one must start with the Self. Inner work and healing create a transformative ripple-effect that vibrates out into the family, one’s community, and out into the world. And all of a sudden, with ease and grace, one’s life starts to change…

What do you do to ground yourself in your spiritual practices in these uncertain times?

Gratitude is my secret weapon and my super-power. Remembering to be grateful keeps me focused on the positive. It’s so easy to get caught up in the insidious vibrations of fear, uncertainty, and grief. Now especially, it’s so important to find even small things to be grateful for. Where intention and attention go, energy flows. Whenever I feel myself wavering or doubting, I ask myself what I’m grateful for in that moment.

In practising gratitude on any level– from fresh food to the perfect parking place or even water– you begin to attract more things to be grateful for. As you change your inner vibrations, you create a ripple effect out into the world– we really can be the change we want to see!

Rubbing salt on the soles of my feet, walking barefoot on the grass, sitting in nature, playing in the mud (no, seriously, try it– just dig into the mud, add water, and remember your childhood as you let yourself have fun!) or chopping garden-fresh vegetables are all activities that not only ground me but bring me back into the moment with mindfulness and gratitude.

Read more at https://www.mahamala.com/bhakti-blog/ideas/maha-mala-presents-ask-anuradhika/

[techs-dragons]

My B Generation for my Moderns hatched and

I LOVE the gradient on him. Hes got LAPIS for a TERT. I'm keeping him. Elderich/Rust/Lapis

the other one is triple basic, but I dont hate their colors either. Smoke/Red/Iris. Both of them have decent colors even if they're not

I'm off to go find a Modern Dragon with a B Name! If anyone is interested in my Spare hatchlings DM me either on Tumblr or on FR I'm willing to part with many of the spares.

[orbemnews]

A Virus Variant by Any Other Name … Please 20H/501Y.V2. VOC 202012/02. B.1.351. Those were the charming names scientists proposed for a new variant of the coronavirus that was identified in South Africa. The convoluted strings of letters, numbers and dots are deeply meaningful for the scientists who devised them, but how was anyone else supposed to keep them straight? Even the easiest to remember, B.1.351, refers to an entirely different lineage of the virus if a single dot is missed or misplaced. The naming conventions for viruses were fine as long as variants remained esoteric topics of research. But they are now the source of anxiety for billions of people. They need names that roll off the tongue, without stigmatizing the people or places associated with them. “What’s challenging is coming up with names that are distinct, that are informative, that don’t involve geographic references and that are kind of pronounceable and memorable,” said Emma Hodcroft, a molecular epidemiologist at the University of Bern in Switzerland. “It sounds kind of simple, but it’s actually a really big ask to try and convey all of this information.” The solution, she and other experts said, is to come up with a single system for everyone to use but to link it to the more technical ones scientists rely on. The World Health Organization has convened a working group of a few dozen experts to devise a straightforward and scalable way to do this. “This new system will assign variants of concern a name that is easy to pronounce and recall and will also minimize unnecessary negative effects on nations, economies and people,” the W.H.O. said in a statement. “The proposal for this mechanism is currently undergoing internal and external partner review before finalization.” The W.H.O.’s leading candidate so far, according to two members of the working group, is disarmingly simple: numbering the variants in the order in which they were identified — V1, V2, V3 and so on. “There are thousands and thousands of variants that exist, and we need some way to label them,” said Trevor Bedford, an evolutionary biologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and a member of the working group. Naming diseases was not always so complicated. Syphilis, for example, is drawn from a 1530 poem in which a shepherd, Syphilus, is cursed by the god Apollo. But the compound microscope, invented around 1600, opened up a hidden world of microbes, allowing scientists to start naming them after their shapes, said Richard Barnett, a historian of science in Britain. Still, racism and imperialism infiltrated disease names. In the 1800s, as cholera spread from the Indian subcontinent to Europe, British newspapers began calling it “Indian cholera,” depicting the disease as a figure in a turban and robes. “Naming can very often reflect and extend a stigma,” Dr. Barnett said. In 2015, the W.H.O. issued best practices for naming diseases: avoiding geographic locations or people’s names, species of animal or food, and terms that incite undue fear, like “fatal” and “epidemic.” Scientists rely on at least three competing systems of nomenclature — Gisaid, Pango and Nextstrain — each of which makes sense in its own world. Updated  March 2, 2021, 10:34 a.m. ET “You can’t track something you can’t name,” said Oliver Pybus, an Oxford evolutionary biologist who helped design the Pango system. Scientists name variants when changes in the genome coincide with new outbreaks, but they draw attention to them only if there is a change in their behavior — if they transmit more easily, for instance (B.1.1.7, the variant first seen in Britain), or if they at least partly sidestep the immune response (B.1.351, the variant detected in South Africa). Encoded in the jumbled letters and digits are clues about the variant’s ancestry: The “B.1,” for instance, denotes that those variants are related to the outbreak in Italy last spring. (Once the hierarchy of variants becomes too deep to accommodate another number and dot, newer ones are given the next letter available alphabetically.) But when scientists announced that a variant called B.1.315 — two digits removed from the variant first seen in South Africa — was spreading in the United States, South Africa’s health minister “got quite confused” between that and B.1.351, said Tulio de Oliveira, a geneticist at the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine in Durban and a member of the W.H.O.’s working group. “We have to come up with a system that not only evolutionary biologists can understand,” he said. With no easy alternatives at hand, people have resorted to calling B.1.351 “the South African variant.” But Dr. de Oliveira pleaded with his colleagues to avoid the term. (Look no further than the origins of this very virus: Calling it the “China virus” or the “Wuhan virus” fed into xenophobia and aggression against people of East Asian origin all over the world.) The potential harms are grave enough to have dissuaded some countries from coming forward when a new pathogen is detected within their borders. Geographical names also quickly become obsolete: B.1.351 is in 48 countries now, so calling it the South African variant is absurd, Dr. de Oliveira added. And the practice could distort science. It is not entirely clear that the variant arose in South Africa: It was identified there in large part thanks to the diligence of South African scientists, but branding it as that country’s variant could mislead other researchers into overlooking its possible path into South Africa from another country that was sequencing fewer coronavirus genomes. Over the past few weeks, proposing a new system has become something of a spectator sport. A few of the suggestions for name inspiration: hurricanes, Greek letters, birds, other animal names like red squirrel or aardvark, and local monsters. Áine O’Toole, a doctoral student at the University of Edinburgh who is part of the Pango team, suggested colors to indicate how different constellations of mutations were related. “You could end up with dusty pink or magenta or fuchsia,” she said. Sometimes, identifying a new variant by its characteristic mutation can be enough, especially when the mutations gain whimsical names. Last spring, Ms. O’Toole and her collaborators began calling D614G, one of the earliest known mutations, “Doug.” “We’d sort of not had a huge amount of human interaction,” she said. “This was our idea of humor in lockdown No. 1.” Other nicknames followed: “Nelly” for N501Y, a common thread in many new variants of concern, and “Eeek” for E484K, a mutation thought to make the virus less susceptible to vaccines. But Eeek has emerged in multiple variants worldwide simultaneously, underscoring the need for variants to have distinct names. The numbering system the W.H.O. is considering is straightforward. But any new names will have to overcome the ease and simplicity of geographic labels for the general public. And scientists will need to strike a balance between labeling a variant quickly enough to forestall geographical names and cautiously enough that they do not wind up giving names to insignificant variants. “What I don’t want is a system where we have this long list of variants that all have W.H.O. names, but really only three of them are important and the other 17 are not important,” Dr. Bedford said. Whatever the final system is, it also will need to be accepted by different groups of scientists as well as the general public. “Unless one really does become the kind of lingua franca, that will make things more confusing,” Dr. Hodcroft said. “If you don’t come up with something that people can say and type easily, and remember easily, they will just go back to using the geographic name.” Source link Orbem News #Variant #Virus

[garnetrising]

Coming Soon: 100 Lee Challenge

So.... I’m like 20 babies in already (which means no super cute adores pics of the first set of babies--just them as young adults) but I’m thinking about sharing updates on my 100 Baby Challenge progress. Why? Because this little ones are so freakin’ cute! <3

Our matriarch is one Annabelle Lee (yes, like the poem). For added fun, I’ve decided to do alphabetic baby names. Every girl will move the alphabet forward one letter until we reach Z at which point the cycle starts over but with boys advancing the alphabet.

I’ll post a photo lineage later (have to take the pics!) but the current lineage is as follows:

0. Annabelle Lee (OG Matriarch - still YA) 1. Beatrice (she’s a freakin’ elder now!) 2. Candice & 3. Connor (1ST TWINS!) 4. Caleb 5. Cooper 6. Chandler 7. Charlie 8. Delilah & 9. Eloise 10. Ethan 11. Frankie (yes, a girl!) 12. Giselle 13. Geralt (don’t judge me.) 14. Hazel (the pastel rainbow queen) 15. Harrison 16. Iris (of the green hair) 17. Inigo (you keep using that word...) 18. Juniper (if you like YA fiction, read The Juniper Game.) 19. Jaxom (as in Jaxom and Ruth a la P.E.R.N.) 20. Jasper 21. Katniss & 22. Lilynn and Baby #23 coming any minute now. :D

[techs-dragons]

Modern Breed Alphabet Challenge.

Pinkerton refuses to give me apparel. So now starts the Modern breeds Alphabet challenge. Obelisks are HUGE just as an FYI. This is going to be the most frustrating challenge too, because Guardians are Common, and then triple basic :,< THEN they only gave me TWO eggs. What is happening???

This one I'm keeping the hatchling with the rarest genes, if none exist, then RNG for heir chooser.