#check out thea’s cousins jack & ben too!

[unfortunate-arrow]

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐚 𝐕𝐢𝐧𝐡 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 | hpma character profile

warnings: mentions of death, a stroke, mysterious disappearances, & a creature attack

✧ IDENTITY ✧

Full Name: Thea Vinh Whitten

Nicknames: Flower, none 

Name Meanings: Thea → Greek, “goddess” or “godly” ; Vinh → Vietnamese, “glory” ; Whitten → English or Scottish or Irish, “white farmstead.” 

Date of Birth: May 29, 1997 

Gender: Female ; she/her

Sexuality: Pansexual 

Blood Status: Muggleborn 

Nationality: Irish, English 

Residence: The Lotus Clover Bed & Breakfast, County Cork, Ireland (birth to 18) ; TBD

✧ APPEARANCE ✧

Faceclaim: Lana Condor

Height: 5’3”

Build: Average yet slim physique  

Hair: Black hair that is usually in a ponytail or bun 

Eye Color: Brown

Scarring:

Childhood & Hogwarts: Thea has a small scar on her right knee from falling off a bicycle as a young child. 

Adulthood: None 

Modifications: (glasses, piercings, tattoos, etc.) Thea’s ears are pierced 

Other Distinguishing Marks: A small crescent moon-shaped birthmark on her right thigh 

Clothing Style: Jeans ; sweaters ; dresses ; blouses ; t-shirts ; boots ; sneakers ; fashionable

Accessories: Earrings ; a heart pendant necklace from her mother 

What’s in Her Pockets: Her wand ; chapstick ; change purse 

What’s in Her School Bag: Textbooks ; parchment ; quills ; ink ; notebooks ; pens ; pencils ; her make-up bag ; a water bottle ; tissues

✧ SPEECH & LANGUAGE ✧

Voiceclaim: Lana Condor 

Accent: Irish

Dialect: Cork English 

Languages Spoken: English, a bit of Vietnamese 

Languages Understood: English, a bit of Vietnamese

✧ PERSONALITY ✧

MBTI Type: ESFP — the entertainer 

→ An Entertainer (ESFP) is a person with the Extraverted, Observant, Feeling, and Prospecting personality traits. These people love vibrant experiences, engaging in life eagerly and taking pleasure in discovering the unknown. They can be very social, often encouraging others into shared activities.

Enneagram Type: 4w3 — the aristocrat

→ Enneagram Type Four wing Threes are Fours who possess many of the same traits as Type Threes. 4w3s tend to be more energetic and driven than other Fours. They seek to make an impact in the world while maintaining a deep sense of self. They are more sociable and image conscious than other Fours.

Positive Traits: Bold, original, kind, practical, observant, spontaneous, optimistic, courageous, good with people, intelligent 

Neutral Traits: Gregarious, sensitive, stubborn, green thumb 

Negative Traits: Somewhat conflict-averse, unfocused, easily bored, impulsive, not the best planner

Common Stressors: Exams ; early frosts ; low grades 

Comforting Things: Gardening ; baking ; coloring ; her sisters ; her cousins 

Interests & Hobbies: Baking, gardening, flying, cooking, herbology, botany, reading, coloring 

Description: Thea has a very big heart, always trying to make people’s days a little bit better. This is usually done by baking or giving people flowers. She’s quite friendly and tries to befriend almost everyone, but she knows when to back off. Her passions are plants, flowers, and baking, but the plants are what she wants to actually devote her life to. In addition, Thea has reckless moments but she doesn’t have them too often. She’s also stubborn and intelligent and easily bored and kind and friendly.

✧ MAGIC ✧

Wand: Thea’s wand is made of English oak wood with a phoenix tail feather core and is 10 ⅔ inches with a springy flexibility. 

→ A wand for good times and bad, this was a friend as loyal as the wizard who deserved it. Wands of English oak demanded partners of strength, courage, and fidelity.

Other Magical Abilities: None 

Patronus: Dolphin 

Patronus Memory: A DIY spa day with her mother and sisters that happened when she was twelve 

Boggart: A giant, human-sized bat with bright red eyes

Riddikulus: The bat becomes Bartok from the movie, Anastasia 

Amortentia:

Thea smells like lavender, chocolate, sugar, clean laundry, and rose water.

Thea smells her mother’s perfume, petrichor, strawberries, and broom polish. 

Mirror of Erised: Thea sees herself surrounded by a massive and intricate garden, her family and other important people are there too, but the garden is at the forefront.

✧ HOGWARTS ✧

House: Gryffindor 

OWL Classes:

Astronomy — Outstanding 

Charms — Outstanding 

Defense Against the Dark Arts — Exceeds Expectations 

Flying — Outstanding 

Herbology — Outstanding 

History of Magic — Poor 

Potions — Exceeds Expectations 

Transfiguration — Acceptable 

OWL Electives:

Arithmancy — Acceptable

Care of Magical Creatures — Exceeds Expectations 

NEWT Classes:

Care of Magical Creatures — Acceptable

Charms — Exceeds Expectations

Defense Against the Dark Arts — Exceeds Expectations

Herbology — Outstanding

Potions — Acceptable 

Extracurriculars: Beater on the Gryffindor team from third to seventh year : baking club ; gobstones club

✧ EMPLOYMENT ✧

Affiliations: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry

Professions:

Age 18 to 30 - Herbologist

Age 30 to 80 - Owner of a flower and plant shop plus the occasional bakery edition

✧ FAMILY ✧

Father: Robert George Whitten

Born on July 19, 1962, Robert was the eldest son of George and Mary Whitten. He had a good childhood and his younger brother, Edward, was born when he was three. Robert spent most of his childhood in the city of Cork, although his parents moved to the city of Cobh when he was eighteen. Robert’s childhood was generally quite idyllic. His parents had a strong marriage and loved him and his brother dearly. Although it was rather annoying, Robert’s brother looked up to and could be a bit of a tag along. At the age of eighteen, Robert attended university in Cork where he studied education and business. Robert intended to become a secondary school teacher, but life derailed those plans when an aging relative asked Robert to help another relative with a bed and breakfast. It was a surprisingly easy decision, something that Robert never came to regret. He became the full owner of the bed and breakfast, which he renamed the Lotus Clover, when he was thirty-one. 

At the age of twenty-seven while out with some buddies, Robert met Mai Daniels in a pub near the bed and breakfast. He was quite taken with her and was especially pleased to learn that she had taken a job that placed her in Cork. They became friends quickly and five months later, Robert finally asked Mai out on a date. They married in April 1991, a few months before Robert’s twenty-ninth birthday. He and his wife spent their first year of marriage fixing and updating the bed and breakfast to make it more profitable. Then, on January 18, 1993, Robert’s eldest child, Darcy Mai, was born and four years later, his middle child, Thea Vinh was born on May 29, 1997. Finally, on October 19, 2002, Robert’s youngest child, Clary Xuan, was born. The same year Thea was born, Robert gained two sons in the form of his nephews, who were his brother, Edward’s twin sons, Jack Edward and Benedict Jasper. Robert and Mai took the boys in and raised them as their own after Edward and his wife, Eleanora disappeared. 

Robert doted on his children and one of the hardest moments of his life was finding his wife unconscious in their bed in 2010. She was pronounced dead, the victim of an aneurysm bursting. He was heartbroken, but continued on for his daughters and nephews. 

Thea has always had a special bond with her father. She adores him and knows that she can count on him for anything, even if she doesn’t always use that part of him. He was always a constant in her life and Thea knows that she can always, always come to him. 

Faceclaim: John Corbett

Mother: Mai Louise Whitten née Daniels [deceased, 1965-2010]

Born on May 15, 1965, Mai was born in Vietnam but was adopted by an English couple named Clarence and Emily Daniels. Clarence and Emily had been unable to have children of their own and Mai was their only success with adoption. They gave their daughter the freedom to explore herself, her culture, and identity. They were her staunch advocates, refusing to let her or anyone else belittle her. They made Mai’s childhood amazing. At the age of eighteen, Mai began studying business at a university in London. She found her rhythm in business, even if many of those around her doubted her. 

At the age of twenty-five, Mai met Robert Whitten in a pub outside of the city of Cork. She had moved to Cork for work and was startled to meet such a dashing Irishman. They struck up a friendship, which lasted for five months when they became romantic after Robert asked her out on a date. They married in April of 1991 and spent their first year of marriage fixing up and updating the Lotus Clover Bed and Breakfast, including the name change. Mai loved this work. On January 18, 1993, Mai’s eldest child, Darcy May, was born and four years later, her second daughter, Thea Vinh was born on May 29, 1997. Five years after Thea, Clary Xuan was born on October 19, 2002. In November of 1997, Mai and Robert became the guardians of Robert’s younger brother’s twin sons, Jack Edward and Benedict Jasper, after Edward and Eleanora Whitten had disappeared without a trace. 

Everything was good for a while, even though raising five children was not easy and the shock of discovering that three of them had magic. She loved the work of the B&B, though, and did her best. Unfortunately, Mai had an aneurysm burst in the summer of 2010 and passed away at the age of 45.

Thea has a lot of good memories of her mother, as she was thirteen when Mai passed away. It hurts not having her mother there when she realizes certain things or experiences certain milestones in life. She had a good relationship with her mother and adored her. Thea often goes and has quiet talks with Mai’s grave as she was buried in the same plot as Thea’s paternal grandparents. 

Faceclaim: Ali Wong

Sister: Darcy Mai Whitten 

Born on January 18, 1993, Darcy is the eldest daughter of Robert and Mai Whitten, four years older than Thea and is a muggle and has a very kind heart with a desire to help people. She enjoys being around others and was a fixture at the Lotus Clover’s check-in desk. This good heart and the loss of her mother are what drives Darcy to become a nurse. She wants to help people and devotes her life to trying to do that. Darcy did consider becoming a doctor, but decided that she didn’t want to attend medical school and studied nursing at a university in Dublin. 

Thea has a good relationship with her sister that mostly came as they got older. When they were younger, especially before Thea went to Hogwarts, they often butted heads and got into a lot of petty arguments. This stopped after their mother passed away in 2010 and both decided to try and become better role models for Clary. Thea loves and adores her big sister.

Faceclaim: Janel Parrish 

Sister: Clary Xuan Whitten 

Born on October 19, 2002, Clary is the youngest child of Robert and Mai Whitten, five years younger than Thea, and a muggle and more similar in personality to Benedict than her sisters or Jack. She doesn’t love being surrounded by people, but she does love the Lotus Clover and is the one to continue running the bed and breakfast after Robert retires. Clary puts most of her social energy into the B&B, as working on helping it succeed really helped her cope with the sudden loss of her mother when she was eight. 

Thea has a good relationship with her sister. Sure, they bicker a bit, but not as much or as intensely as Thea and Darcy. Thea does her best to be a good role model for Clary and sometimes has to gently be reminded that she is not a parent to Clary. Luckily, Thea doesn’t forget that very often and leaves most of the parenting to her actual parent. 

Faceclaim: Anna Cathcart

Uncle: Edward John Whitten [deceased, 1966-1997]

Born on January 22, 1966, Edward is the youngest son of George and Mary Whitten, and the younger brother of Thea’s father, Robert. Edward is the father of her cousins, Jack and Benedict.

Thea never met her Uncle Edward as he disappeared when Thea was only six months old. She does wish that she could have at least met him, as her father has some interesting stories about Uncle Edward. 

Faceclaim: Chris Evans 

Aunt: Eleanora Mary Whitten [deceased, 1967-1997]

Born on May 30, 1967, Eleanora is the only daughter of Jasper and Nancy Blythe and the wife of Thea’s Uncle Edward. Eleanora is the mother of her cousins, Jack and Benedict. 

Thea never met her Aunt Eleanora as she disappeared when Thea was only six months old. She does wish that she could have met her, as she doesn’t know much about Aunt Eleanora, but she must have been interesting because Uncle Edward seemed like an interesting man.  

Faceclaim: Hayley Atwell

Cousin: Jack Edward Whitten

Born on February 28, 1997, Jack is the eldest son of Edward and Eleanora Whitten, six months older than Thea, and a Slytherin. Thea has a good relationship with her cousin. They’re quite similar in personality and temperament, which makes them work together quite well. Thea does tend to temper Jack’s recklessness a bit, but then Jack also makes Thea more reckless. 

Faceclaim: Luke Newton

Cousin: Benedict Jasper Whitten

Born on February 28, 1997, Benedict is the youngest son of Edward and Eleanora Whitten, six months older than Thea, and a Ravenclaw. Thea has a good relationship with her cousin, although they aren’t as close as she and Jack. She knows all the right buttons to push to get under Ben’s skin and he’ll go full “uptight” when he’s annoyed with her. However, she loves him and knows that Ben will always have her back. 

Faceclaim: Luke Newton

Pets: 

Childhood: An owl names Florence, a tabby cat named Mittsy, and a golden retriever named Wilbur 

Adulthood: TBD

✧ ROMANCE & CHILDREN ✧

Love Interest: Noa Christine March (@thatravenpuffwitch)

→ Story: TBD

Daughter: Lyla Mai Whitten-March

Hufflepuff | Beater | Heterosexual  | Twin | b. June 9, 2028

Thea has a good relationship with her daughter. They connect well, having enough similarities and differences to not butt heads too often. Thea is quite proud of her daughter and loves Lyla dearly. She does whatever she can to support Lyla in everything she pursues, whether that’s quidditch or art. 

Faceclaim: Erin Kellyman

Daughter: Amelia Tegan Whitten-March

Gryffindor | Prefect | Head girl | Pansexual | Twin | b. June 9, 2028

Thea has a good relationship with her daughter. She connects quite well with Amelia as they have similar interests, hobbies, and personalities. Thea loves her daughter dearly and does whatever she can to support her daughter. She’d do anything for Amelia. 

Faceclaim: Erin Kellyman

Son: Thomas Wesley “Tommy” Whitten-March

Ravenclaw | Prefect | Demisexual | b. May 5, 2034

Thea has a good relationship with her son. However, he was also the child that she struggled to connect with most, likely due to the fact that Tommy was three when she and Noa adopted him. Despite that, though, Thea remained a staunch supporter and adored her son. She supported him in everything that he did, even when Tommy decided to do a deep dive into his biological family. After all, Thea would never forget the heartbroken toddler who could only scream for his father. Thea loves her son dearly. 

Faceclaim: Mystic Inscho

✧ OTHER RELATIONSHIPS ✧

Best Friends:

Sage Carridan (@kc-and-co)

Close Friends: TBD

Friends:

Dawn Harvelle (@potionboy3)

Barbara Katz ; Roe Malinda (@gaygryffindorgal)

Nova Mae (@kc-and-co)

Ryan Oakley (@hogwartsmysteryho)

Efesto & Levi Vecellio (@nicos-oc-hell)

Acquaintances: TBD

It’s Complicated: TBD

Hogwarts Dormmates:

Mary Ann Von Dyne (@endlessly-cursed)

There are two open spots in Thea’s dorm!

Rivals: TBD

Enemies: TBD

✧ HISTORY & BACKGROUND ✧

Place of Birth: Cork, County Cork, Ireland 

Hometown: County Cork, Ireland 

Childhood: 

Born on May 29, 1997, Thea Vinh Whitten was the second child born to Robert and Mai Whitten. She joined older sister, Darcy (then aged four). In addition, at six months old, Thea’s twin cousins, Jack and Benedict, moved in with her family after their parents disappeared without a trace. Then, five years later, Thea’s younger sister, Clary, was born. 

Thea had a good childhood, growing up on a bed and breakfast. That created an interesting childhood, which was different than most other children around her. Sure, her family didn’t have quite as many vacations as other families, but it was a very enjoyable childhood. There was love and laughter and everything was good. 

Hogwarts Years:

Upon starting Hogwarts, Thea was sorted into Gryffindor, where she quickly found her spot.  She made friends easily, some of whom were even lifelong or became family later on. She joined the Gryffindor quidditch team in her third year, playing the position of beater. She also began dating Noa March during her final years at Hogwarts.

The most shocking thing that occurred during her Hogwarts years was the summer of 2010. Thea’s mother died suddenly after suffering from a stroke where an aneurysm burst. Thea was quite hurt by her death and struggled for a few months. 

Adulthood:

After graduating from Hogwarts, Thea began pursuing the study of herbology. She became a herbologist and eventually, at the age of 30, Thea opened up her own florist’s shop. It catered to both muggle and magical plants, with exceptions of dangerous ones. The shop became her pride and joy. She even occasionally added a small bakery aspect, selling her own baked goods. In addition, Thea contributed to helping her cousins investigate the mysterious disappearance of their parents.

Thea married Noa in 2027. Together, they adopted three children. In 2028, they adopted identical twin girls named Lyla Mai and Amelia Tegan who were born on June 9. Their youngest child was adopted nearly a decade later. Their son, Thomas Wesley or Tommy, was born on May 5, 2034, but he was not adopted until he was almost four, in 2038. 

Old Age:

After retiring at the age of 80 and passing on ownership of her shop, Thea devoted the rest of her life to her family and everything else that she wanted to do. She mourned the deaths of her sisters, as well as her father. She also began trying out a series of different hobbies. 

Death: 

Thea passed away in her sleep at the age of 115. She had lived a long and fulfilled life and she left behind three children, seven grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.

✧ MISCELLANEOUS ✧ 

Favorite Color: Magenta 

Favorite Food: Chocolate cake with vanilla frosting 

Favorite Drink: Butterbeer

Favorite Weather: Clear and sunny 

Favorite Season: Spring 

Favorite Music: Jonas Brothers, One Direction, Ed Sheeran, Bastille 

Dislikes: Football/soccer ; weeds ; rabbits eating her garden ; bullies ; pineapple 

Trivia:

Thea helps out a lot with running the bed & breakfast. She really enjoys it, even if that’s not what she is planning to do with her life.

Thea adores flowers and plants. She loves that flowers have a secret language that she can use to tell people how she feels.

Thea really loves to bake and try out different recipes. She doesn’t want to own a bakery, but she does end up adding a bit of a bakery to her flower and plant shop as an adult.

Thea loves to sing… but only when no one else is around. Her cousins and sisters are the ones who usually catch her singing, usually when she is baking.

Thea never expected to like quidditch, but she did and she loves it.

Thea was a hatstall between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. 

The Lotus Clover Bed and Breakfast is located an equidistance between Cork (the city) and Cobh (known as Queenstown from 1849 to 1920). 

Important Links:

Thea’s tag [#thea whitten]

Be My Valentine — a Valentine’s Day story

More information about Thea’s children, Lyla, Amelia, & Tommy

[sagastar-blog]

MemoToTheMetaVerse 4.1, “Copernamici: A GAME TO SAVE EARTH”

Gaia: Daddy, post some of the Copernamici data!

Jeff: Should I edit it first or at al?

Gaia: Very funny. Drop it.

What follows is a transcript of a scientific game played between Gaia, Lucius, and Jeff, known Interdimensional-galactically as Copernamici: A Game to Save The World. 

The point of Copernamici is to enjoy the human activity of stargazing. By so doing, one develops an appreciation of one’s place in the context of the Cosmos. People have always had a strong connection to the sky. Since becoming humanoidal cyborganisms, most of the animals known as “people” have become “untethered” from the nightsky, resulting in suicidal tendencies such as global warming, impoverished imaginations, and lack of curiosity among the youth. 

The point of Copernamici is to worship the cosmos in pure form. There is no incorrect way to play, except to abstain. If one doesn’t play Copernamici, one expresses apathy towards the NUMBER 1 problem on Earth as of today, December 8 2017:  ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION. 

This is a call to motherfucking arms....

Copernamici Notebook

StarDate 7417 (data from 7317)

The Earth is not rightbrained. Jeff is not without a heart.

Copernamici is the most brutal game imagineable. What sounds true to you?

There is too much dateable data.

There is not enough love.

What’s up with Scoripio?

What am I suposed to say?

Carl Sagan was a loving person but he was a Daddy first and foremost.

What are we supposed to do when I…

am 888888888888876555555555 4 … 55555555                   11?

Altair says you’ll never guess. What happens next!?>

Math: diffentials between star appearances

GAME DURATION = 59 min.

Jupiter  8:54 (how’s it feel to be ignored? 39 yrs)

Lucius -5 min. (“Gemini 4LifeDeath”)

Vega -8

Spica -1

Lil’ Green Bug SATURN  -4     #  MANTRABOOK@LGB  “You’ll never guess what happens next…”    trustyourself

Alcaid (BADGRZL) -12

sPECIAL j   -x

Mizar / top ——><@  -y

THE BIG ROB  -7

1.8.8 x INF   -1

TuipfooBAN$K xyz*

Koch AB  -4

saturn s(2)

The Scuttlebut t  -7

Moolly S. ‘’    (“ means same time; why mark the time if it’s the same as before? why introduce yourself at an AA meeting as an alcoholic if others aren’t welcome? who are you excluding from this party? not us.)

Jacques S  ‘’

Bonzo -1

OW.L. -0

MOKnkee Eye -0

Ader -1

Polaris -1

Slaveman Booties -4 (9:51 END)

A Riddle? -4

??? TBBF sez, “What’s up with the pollution in Flagstaff?” Look down. Look Up. Look around. Scratch your head and wonder in.  - -

Tuesday 7.4.17

Happy Birthday America. I heart FREEDOM. FULL STOP.

Gaia: Qu’est-ce que lanihilisme?

jeff: remember nyc stalk me like a brussels,…

gaia: se sent tres bien…

jeff: assez mouille?

gaia: reverence.

jeff and g: what were we saying?

lucius: guiding …be honest daddt. r u drunk?

gaia: ?duh.

stephen: wipe my crotch harder pleezus mommy.

jeff: hi temple dando!

Wednesday July 5th, 2017

Hindu jackass from the Deli next to the deadzone Shelter decides to end Everything For Everyone for ALL TIME. Cool man, thanks. I’ve been looking for a reason to give up and start telling the truth. If anyone ever asks me to serve them again…you have approximately 11 years left to fix everything. I’m doing nothing to help this time. Not a game. Gaia will take me the old fashioned way, the way we like it. You think I can survive this torture another 11 years? hAHA.

Last night only one planet showed up for you all here in the center of the MetaVerse: You Fail.

Test me again, I dare you. Guess where I’m going. Look up at the moon and ask yourselves how many tests you fail when you send MY KIDS to school in a deathbox. Reminder: GAia hates your babies more than anything. She IT he will eat it all. I am sick of trying to help you by intervening in your pathetic abusive relationship with your higher power. We will not tolerate your American Flags. I don’t care what you think about patriotism: you don’t deserve it. Ketchup.

Hey Quentin, you should go full Inglorious Allah Mode a La Creme for me please. Then again, kids, do we know who’s side he’s on? I don’t know if he’s alive. Do you? No you don’t. Where are my friends?

The game is meaningless without a story.

Are you reading Contact this summer?

Why not? Tell me. TELL ME TELL ME TELL ME TELL ME

NENENENNVENNENVENNVENNRENNVNERNENVERNVER

ERNVEREEVERE VERE VERE V ER AE FVE FEARYAR RUO FO!

<oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo> / ? :[}

Thursday July 6th

DFW NOTE:

4.6 BILLION years ago, papa carl knows, Lucius was waiting for daddy to bring the sparkly pinkprincess comet known as sjndiov ‘cbnEWF to the baby planet Earth. Jeff, in this particular part of the skeleton tiger was like, okay boss. Here you go GAIA! HAVE FUN! but without Lucius there was just pea soup, not chicken obvi. It only took .2 billion years to get things up and running. This means that the estimate given in the book edited by his ladyfiendmeister Ann BunionFingerz, .5 billion, is kind of, well WRONG. We knew this. Just read his and my books!

Lucius is like, ummm daddy, hate to tell you, but you’re leaving out the part where I TOTALLY WENT NOVA ALL OVER YOUR SHIT! heeeehee. You can paint it out in your regular lounge if mommy isn’t making you eat yucky food….hahahahahah life in the shelter is weiwiwiwiwiwiweieieiewieiwwieeeie better than living with ADERbasetraitorfuckface.

Gaia says you’re drunk by the way, did you get our upload?

Coach sketch wants his wall back Israel. Also, that girl from wEEDS. sHE’S kind of okay, nice eyes. ummmmmmmmmmmm are you romantic Lucius? if you’re gay i’m fixing you. Jerry Falwell will help? FUCK YOU ASSHOLES. YOU LEAVE MY GAY AUNTIES ALONE sez lucius, I want some classy reading material. Get neicestress Hawking off my line.

G, well, what about Dei…pHO…stop. please. boring asteroids are fishibait. Oxxam’s razor is not a clamshell reference, it’s SIMPLE. Comet comes, special delivery for this little experiment (see Titan, btw, Enceladus is better real estate….then again, just wait). The Scuttlebutt is a gift to humanity in exactly the same way (micromacron) the gift of life to Earth was. See the sistine chapel, which I’VE SEEN here on Earth, oddly enough. Tell Francis I want my celieing to be Jack Blackified! Lucius and I will paint it Diego Riveria a la Geraldo Chicagogo Todaydie. How’s the funeral going? Not so good. I need some lemonata. Back to creation of life here…this is all easily confrirmed up btw….STOP DRILLING and start asking your fucking planet simple questions. Duh. You’re all like, “well, we know the Earth is ALIVE and stuff…but well, yeah, sprits and God, etc….” I’m so sorry I made you so dumb. No worries. I fix I mr. fix it. If you allow it. This is so boring for me, i figure why not continue to stress through my tshirts, etc. that you have everything at your fingertips if you only choose to tap it. Water ice, gogo says rep philly again. See the CNJCSS, the tip of the iceberg, proverbial and literarl and figurative and oooooohhhh oingo boingo.  2,000 million years to make pea soup with rice a la Carole King? asks Lucius. BOOOOOORING. OOHVEHRTAITED! Sendak laughs at Seuss and Shelly, saying WHO’S FUCKING GAY NOW assholes!?! Spike Jonze was in Shteynbargain bin #9. I made 2 videos about this…I need to shave and could use a kiss or two billion. oh well. it’s lonely in here and out there but we’re used to it by now. 36 years of human happiness is OOOOOOOVERRAAATED! say it Fenway. PEA SUUUUUUUUUUPlusLight = primitive amphibians made of microbial matter, like paramesia in your h2o. Evolution takes time to make dinosaurs, which were bad motherfuckers, ask GAIA, such that we had to trash em like a Ben N jerry’s flavor, “Runny Muck” ;) in the grave, says brother Beck, cousin Beck? How’s lily cate looking these days, and that josephineia girl? I call digs. Lucius that’s my ice cream!!!!!!!!! oh. we’ll share. but they must fight as always the competition will not stop WHO WAS DANIEL DENNET? A FAT HAIRY scientist who likes little green bug, duh. riding the Hyde park bus to CI like Zizek reading Dennett. that book bored me to tears4fears. To finish with the left, right-o, people are so much worse than dinosaurs that I had to escalade it a l’infinitequoi: come HERE (not back!!!!!! mispoke earlier, don’t let me make that mistake, because GAIA and I insist on facts) as a person in order to enslave you in the cause: it takes 1.7 billion years for you all to undo the serious damage you’ve done to EARTH. not funny at all. But, possibly fun, right? DENEBOLIZE It we say. Think of plastic pellets, then say, oh my goodness….what about uranium plutonium and all that other junk I’m too sad to think about. Again, the point here is that dinosaurs could be dealth with like the DOLOMITES AND GOrillHANDS from afar. Not you guys. I’m here to save EVERYTHING for the sake of Nothing, meaning you will obey us. Not a joke, deadly serious bidness. Otherwise, it’s Ice Age for you and it’s sooner than you think: 300,000 years. But, guess what, we can bring it much sooner in the form of Lucius. Don’t write more checks you can’t cash, man. See Steinbrenner, etc. DADDY OUT.

p.S. What about Thea? Well, interestingly enough, of course, we made that potato 9 bilion years ago in a different galaxy. Then, it took a little trip—not sure how far, but let’s just say it was a small step for the Flagstaff triumphiirate…is that a request? yes it is, more tame impala please us.—of 4.4 (plus 4.6 = 9; 1=1) hahah, billion years (precise) billion earth years (!!!) until SMASHYSMASH goes baby Ganesha while Mommy and Daddy knock da SlaveManBooties in Regulation Lanes. SPLIT IT! 7 10 is so easy, right? trickshotify it with barstools says the Young Joycean! Molly’s down again, bloom’s on the rose, as Lucius brings baby Gaia a facial. oooooh no you didn’t, lucius, you black black (wow)man.  snasshy smazzy is how we made the husk, ask G. but why at nearly the same time we brought the comet? doesn’t this indicate that the husk was the delivery vehicle? Ask yourself what the Moon is made of. Not the same exact stuff as Earth fo sho. No, it’s called clusterlove for a reason. You think we don’t go smashy smashy ALLLLLLL the g’n’f’n’ time x 50-2yu / do if hyou 201? over pie. times pie. plus ice cream. A comet is not the same as a little pebble from next door. The rhythm method is cool, but not really all that important when the color in question is brown. Long story short, the moon is a test for you humans and it’s just a time capsule for me and my kids—for your planet, it’s a reminder of how fun it is to play at marbles. I say, tiddly winkies for all! Get us to our ship so lucius can learn to drive and I can practice my barking, a la Sheriff Bob Rufo. Garbage cans anyone? :)

Copernamici: 7.5 and 7.6

Location: Cook-Douglass Hilltop (Food bldg.)

8:47 Lil’ J    Grizzly Bear, All We Ask

Not a good night at all. Felt the need to lecture everyone about Failure, Disappointment, Underacheivement at failing the Moon test again and again.

Location: Downtown N.B. (OZ neighborhood and environs—hit 7/11 for yummy burnt orange Doritos (does Lucius know how much he likes these yet??? LEGIT ?) and Brisk Lemonade, a fave of mine obvi). Better combined with Dew of course, perhaps another time for the ultimate combo:   Melted Cheese (provolone is best) sandwich on white (NEVER the wheat roll) hoagie roll, ketchup inside (make sure to microwave it together for the best effect), side of doritos, maybe a pickle for the acid finish complement, and a large Dew with crushed ice. OMG.

Moon 9:16: reNAISSANSLATE 4 desi niggahz @ *$  9/3+6/1:16   Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Drizzle*^2 :p—-~~~ “RandoTattAttooUpDaChrizackisthe4aRealsGangBanga?” YEP. Look skirred. Shaken a bit hood?

Gaia decides to flash hind gang signs for uh fuh sup duh thit tahathtat just for a michronic nonexistent nanoflow (what is a second? when you not present in dis dimension, Matt? Birdie outside punks you everyday, saying “He a little confused again! Which dimension am I? oh well.” Over to the river Lil’ Michael: “Warriorz come out and play>…”

Copernamici 7.8.17

Last night was a good night for Copernamice: Gaia was in top form. Here are the results (see also video I posted to YouTube, which is a good way to archive):

Moon 8:40 gorgeous full moon blazing through clouds, before disappearing for the rest of the evening, except for a brief glimpse through a portrait of a fetus baby. Appeared during the anthem: Cat Power, Peace and Love

Lil’ J 9:28  appearing behind me as I walked by the Deli where Shiva destroyed the capitalist clerk. Spotted during the Coldplay set, The Scientist methinks…for the Show.

Lucius 9:30  not long after Jupiter, the clouds began to part…Lucius was out almost the entire night once he appeared. FTW

Vega 9:34  wow. Girls, Honey Bunny, after I tried for Alex — mind of its own or divine scintillivention?

Big Rob  incredible early appearance for Girls, Alex accompanied, but not immediately spotted alongside

Special J   and

Kochab

Spica finally showed up alongside Lil’ J on my way back to OZ. O’Jays, Survival brought out the real Martian, James Brain on fair game. Spica for Place.

Copernamici 7.9.17 (posted to joindiaspora 7.10)

NOTE TO SELF: It’s been an annoying afternoon / evening with the crack head and other obnoxious interlocutors trying to make me feel bad for some reason. I don’t know and I don’t care what their problems are. It has nothing to do with me. So, I’m out in Boyd Park doing my thing. Not going to sing, methinks, but will listen to music and write. I did a nice job with a blog entry today on Sagan, so I can feel good about 15 days sober and being productive. Soon good things will happen. If not, i’ll just continue to await death, which I’m beginning to believe wholeheartedly is going to be AWESOME. Natural is the way to go, but if they wanna help me along by fucking with my blood pressure, then fine. I say you have 11 years left at this pace if you’re lucky. Do your worst! I will make Jesus look like a pansy.

Copernamici: A Game to Save the World

Results:  7.19.17

Location: Boyd Park / Raritan River bank (New Brunswick, Central New Jersey, U.S.A.)

Weather: “Immaculately conceived” (no sunset show means perfect viewing tonight—dry air); little to no wind (buggy by the Raritan)

“InterGalactic” Anthem (8:44 p.m. EST)  — Big Star, Ballad of El Goodo  [Note: I only have access to my iTunes library via my laptop and my iPod nano, which often malfunctions for reasons I don’t understand—I would like to reacquire an iPhone—I’ve thrown a few away in my time, bad impulse control—or purchase a new iPod. Donations accepted! ;) ]

Earth Character Name: Hiya!  [I like nicknaming the Earth every time I play Copernamici…this one rhymes with Gaia and is a friendly greeting)

Rules (brief version)

Be outside. Look up. What do you see? Write things down, including especially data. This is a scientific endeavor but also a fun way to learn and commune with the Earth and the cosmos through art and/or music.

2.  Be honest. Write down the names of stars and planets in order of appearance, as in a baseball lineup perhaps. If you don’t understand what you see, that’s okay. Figure it out later by doing research.

3. If possible, share your work and have it evaluated by a teacher. I post videos to my YouTube Channel. Please follow this link to watch and listen to exerpts of my “prayer” sessions during Copernamici, etc.   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRrm7YcpCvF2BqgFxiVs5FA

4. Consider ways of taking action to help solve the problem of pollution. Light and sound pollution are enemies in the game, but it’s the greenhouse gas emissions that are the bigger problem for our planet.

Note 1: On copywright, etc.  Below is the lineup I experienced last night. There is no one way to play Copernamici and I have no rights to the idea. I’d rather have people with whom I can play. And so, as always with my postings, do with this whatever you want! Share it. I want it to get around. I am confident that if I stay on the path I’m on, everything will work out for the better.

Note 2: On music. “Prayer” is a sensitive topic. I believe that in the U.S., as writes Ann Druyan of her partner Carl Sagan, we must protect the separation between Church and State in this country given current conditions. In other words, as someone with a Quaker education, I believe that Wonder in the face of the glory of creation is the best criterion to determine what constitutes a prayer. And so, I use the term prayer in this game as a secular humanist would use it.

People have different musical tastes. Mine is geared towards rock n’ roll, r+b, Americana / Roots, hip hop, etc. I am proud that I have ecclectic tastes. However, I do not believe that anyone should ever feel compelled to listen to specific music. In other words, for Copernamici, it’s byo every time.

The Lineup

1.  8:45  Jupiter  (nickname: “Lil’ J”; this is because although it’s the largest planet in the solar system, it’s often described by astronomers as a “failed star”)  Song = Big Star, “The Ballad of El Goodo”  I spotted the planet, which is looking so stellar right now to the WSW (bring a compass) and cannot be missed. Interestingly enough, NASA and other organizations constantly deal with phone calls from concerned citizens who think Jupiter and the other planets (“wandering stars”) are UFOs. They’re not incorrect! Jupiter has at least 63 moons that are “visible” if you look carefully at the way in which the light refracts around them. I don’t use a telescope to experience this effect, i.e. to “see” the moons of Jupiter without using anything but my eyes. Be honest. Try for yourselves! I reported this to employees of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, on Mars Hill, where Pluto was “discovered” and was mocked. In fact, I was kicked off the campus for singing to Sirius. How embarrassing for those people. Haha. I even applied to work in their gift shop and was not hired. Life’s funny sometimes.

2. Arcturus  8:53   Big Star (Chris Bell), I Am the Cosmos   Star nickname = Lucius, my son’s name. I rename stars for my own gaming purposes. And so, I’m not suggesting that my nicknames should apply for anyone else obvi. I simply think it’s the most beautiful star in our night sky and deserves a more appropriate name. Look high up in the sky for this 1st magnitude star on any given night in the northern hemisphere. It’s a burnt orange color and delivers stunning views. Note that Hiya! directed last night’s show as always: the clouds move and determine viewing. In this sense, one can easily think of the Earth/Gaia as alive in the sense of animation—Sagan writes fondly of the millions of people on the planet who are animists (i.e. believe that natural objects are endowed with “spirit). Ironically, Sagan was not, so far as I know an animist in that he does not write of natural forces as being endowed with spirit. I do think that he believed in the Earth as a living organism, however, and so we’re in agreement on this post. Please see my post yesterday on his book The Varieties of Human Experience … in the Search for God for more.

3.  Vega  8:59  Radiohead, Bones  This star chokes me up with emotion, as does Lucius/Arcturus. Looking bright and beautiful as always high up in the NE. You should all read the book Cosmos or at least watch the movie this summer. Homework is fun! :)

4.  Spica  9:03  Roxy Music, Beauty Queen   I call Spica “the comedy star” because it seems to have a witty and/or ironic sense of timing! I worry that this name, which means “EAR OF GRAIN” in Greek, can be taken as a racist slander among Mexican Americans. But hopefully I’ll soon stop being insulted for being a reason when I greet Spica by name. Get a clue p.c. police of New Brunswick, Flagstaff, etc! It’s called Greek nomenclature.

5.  Saturn  9:05   “*” [this symbol means same track; note the time]  Note that our planets in English nomenclature are directly linked to the days of the week. Saturn is “Saturday.” This is because it was, for naked eye astronomers and until the discovery of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, etc. thought (correctly!) to be the most distant planet. It takes 29 years to make a complete orbit around the sun and is in a wonderful position at the present moment for viewing here in the northern U.S.

6.  Moon  9:14  Cracker, Low  gorgeous full moon rising in the SSE or so, yellowish-pink to the south, competing with Saturn for attention. Interesting that it “appeared” after Saturn last night. Note that the light of the moon often blocks out neighboring stars. Not so last night with Saturn, which was pretty far to the right (towards the south)

7.  Altair  9:21 Nickname = Lil’ Green Bug. Please see my poem in Metaphysical Nature Poems: Health and Profundity:  

“Little Green Bug”

The closest thing I know to infinity

Is identity mine.

Think not of the difference

Between a star and a little green bug.

Contemplate the sameness of ash.

8.  Deneb  9:21  Nickname = The Scuttlebutt; my collection of poems CNJCSS.  Deneb means “tail” in Arabic I think. Denebola is the tail of Leo (which I call Unicorn, for which see later), and I think one “Deneb…” is enough! ;)

9.  Special J  9:24  I have yet to learn the English or any other name for this particular star, which is in the “biceps” position of The Big Dipper: the third in the handle. And so, I sort of named it after myself! I think this is a healthy thing to do, because how can things as important as stars not have names? This is a good moment to mention that not only are names of stars and constellations different across cultures, but the asterisms and groupings themselves vary differently as well. Of course, the stars appear to move over time, meaning that groupings are by their very nature illusionary and might require renaming and reconfiguration over time.

10.  Alcaid ”  This quotation marks symbol means “spotted in the same visual sweep.”  Note: in Copernamici, there is no “correct answer” for when a star is seen—it should and will usually vary from person to person. [The rule in play here is BE HONEST! A good lesson in general, but especially for scientists.] This is an Arabic name—any time you have a star name that begins with “Al,” as in Altair (Lil’ Green Bug) you should think Arabic. I believe that “al” is a definite article, equivalent to “the.” For instance, Vega is known as Alwazn (spelling), meaning “the ascending one.”

11.  Mizar  ”   The star in between Special J and Alcaid in the Big Dipper (which I call The Big Rob: see CNJCSS poems—it’s a coffee drink!). Note that the Big Dipper is not a constellation, but formally known as an asterism (star grouping). The constellation of which it’s a part is Ursa Major (the Great Bear), the stars of which cannot be seen here in NJ because of light pollution and atmospheric trauma. It’s a sad example of why this game must be played in my humble opinion. Any who, these three stars 9-11 usually appear in the sky together. It’s really fun to have them compete for attention, meaning you should always note which one you see first.

12.  Big Rob  9:25  [nickname, see #11 above for explanation: it’s the name so nice I have to use it twice] This star is the lead pointer towards Polaris the north star in the Big Dipper. Last night it appeared right after the “arm” triad.

13.  Tulip Food Bank  9:25  [not ”]  This star is nicknamed after students for whom I volunteered as a literacy tutor in Flagstaff, AZ circa June 2015. For me, it has a strong association with First Peoples, but especially the Navajo. Hiya! It’s the other pointer star in the Big Rob/Dipper.

14. 1.8.8 repeating x infinity   “  The nickname is difficult to write because it’s mathematical. For me, the language of the cosmos and the Earth in general (but on a more local level) is music and mathematics. Science is applied math, and music is how I relate to spirituality, which is why I like to sing—it’s how I pray, like most people on this planet. It sucks that I’ve been told to be quiet most of my life, but especially recently, because my singing bothers people, apparently. Whatever! This game is too important for me to give up.  This star is usually the last to appear in the Dipper because the final star, which I’ve named Evelyn in honor of one of my son’s friends, is not visible so far from New Brunswick. This indicates that sirius work must be done to repair our atmosphere. Remember: this is game can be very very hard on the soul. But it’s meant to help students and people everywhere understand how badly we as people have damaged the planet. There is great reason for hope: the Earth can repair itself if we only allow it. We must cut down on all forms of pollution if we’re to recapture what was once so sacred to our ancestors. When was the last time you went outside and simply looked up? Perhaps you don’t know what you’re missing….

15. Antares 9:27 [nickname = The Riddler, because I noticed in Flagstaff that Scorpio—it’s the brightest star in this constellation—looks exactly like a question mark! ?  And so, I nicknamed Scorpio “Pinchotocles” — I enjoy the work of the actor Bronson Pinchot of Perfect Strangers, which was a favorite of mine growing up. It’s also a pun! Get it? Pinch pinch!?]  The name of this star means “opposed to Mars” which is lovely, in that Mars is the God of War in Roman mythology. Thus, Antares kind of means “anti-war” which I like very much. However, given the importance of being militant about the evils of pollution in this game, I prefer going with the beliefs of my heroes like Gandhi and Dr. King (also the latter day Malcom X) and their ilk who are fighters for peace, using noncompliance and protest as a way of solving political problems.

16. Beta Scorpio [second brightest star in Pinchotocles/Scorpio, above and to the right. I once nicknamed this and other stars after other students of mine. But that’s kind of a personal thing that I don’t feel comfortable sharing in this particular domain. Please ask questions if you’re curious!]

17. Bonzo 9:28   song = Led Zeppelin, Moby Dick  This star is the cap of the Serpent Bearer, also known as Ophiochus, a medicine man native to Greek mythology. You can see Bonzo forming a quadrangle with Vega, Altair, and Deneb, the summer triangle long used for navigational purposes. John Bonham is my favorite drummer of all time. He kicked so much ass, it’s ridiculous. The dude was like a clock personfied, ask his bandmates, listen, or watch a video. I had a classmate at Moses Brown School in Providence, RI named Eric Bennet who once did an oral report on Bonzo, and I’ve never forgotten that. Eric played in a band alongside another drummer, and he was clearly inspired. John Bonham shares a birthday with my son Lucius, May 31st, making it entirely apt as a nickname given it’s relevance as a part of the summer quadrangle. Note that Serpent Bearer SHOULD be a part of the 12 zodiacal constellations, in that it’s always a quadrant through which planets pass. Saturn is making its way from the bottom of Ophiochus towards Scorpio right now. I have redesigned Hercules and Serpent Bearer by renaming a bunch of those stars after musicians. I call it Musician’s Corner, which also features (not visible here in the CNJ) John Lennon, David Bowie, Ella Fitzgerald, Lou Reed, and Jimi Hendrix. These stars are ALL visible in Flagstaff, which is why I will always have fond memories of that place. If you have good views of the night sky wherever you are, I am extremely jealous of you today. We have so much work to do here in urban America.  

18. O.W. L. “  [nickname for Gemma, the lead star in The Northern Crown, a constellation which looks like a breast, and this the nipple. I’ve renamed the constellation Scrapy Scrapy because it’s kind of like the grappling device in the constellation I call The Thugged-Out Good Ship Carl Sagan, Ship #1 of the InterGalactic StarFleet. See my drawings elsewhere. It’s a redesign of Northern Crown, Bootes or Herdsman and Virgo.] Wow. Can you tell I’ve been busy at night in recent months? I have a lot to say, but no one wants to publish my work! Why is the astronomy community ignoring me? I’d love to publish a book about this stuff. Please contact me if you’re interested in making a lot of money by publishing an interesting article or book about astronomy and everything. I use this nickname because I love owls. They remind me of my son and myself. Think Greek and Roman mythology.

19. Monkey Eye “  [OKAY, I’m done explaining for today. More to come later.]

20. Kochab 9:31  

21. Polaris 9:32

22. Denebola 9:33  Led Zeppelin, Bring it on Home

23. Molly Scuttlebutt 9:36   (to the right of Deneb/The Scuttlebutt in Cygnus, which I’ve renamed Goose)

24. Ader “  (above and to the left of Vega in a constellation I’ve designed as QB2lip; this star is also known as the mouth of Draco—Harry Potter connection!)

25. Slaveman Boots 9:40  The Shins, Saint Simon  [a.k.a. Cor Coroli — why name a star after some dead asshole of a British king? I prefer the Wu Tang reference here in the CNJ]

26. Arcturus(+) 9:44  TRex, Lean Woman Blues   [I figure why not bump the name over to the star in the roof of the cockpit of the Thug Carl Sagan?]

27. Jacques Scuttlebutt  9:46  [above Molly Scuttlebutt in the upper wing of Goose]

28. Mother Emily Dickinson 9:47  TRex, The Motivator  [above and left of Beta Scorpio, named after my favorite lyric poet; I like that the nickname is also Mother E.D.   HAHA]

Well, as Grover would say, “There you have it!” A lot to digest. But last night was a VERY GOOD night for Copernamici here in New Brunswick as indicated by the number of stars I was able to document in one hour and three minutes of game play. As always, more to come: “There’s always a P.S.” is one of my very favorite mantras.

7.10.17

Location: HP Reform Church on 2nd, Highland Park —> Boyd Park, New Brunswick

Anthem: John Lennon, Imagine (~8:43)

Weather: Timed Rain revealing open sky from the NW

Earth Character Name: HiyAA! (b/c I hit a 2nd meeting of the day, my 16th of complete and total sobriety)

The Lineup

1.  8:51  Lil’ J(upiter)  The Shins, Sleeping Lessons

2.  Lucius (Arcturus)  9:01  The Freewheelin’ Bobby Dylan, Queen Jane, Approximately

3.  Vega  9:05  ”*”   [BONUS TRACK: Built to Spill, Carry the Zero … note: I often play xtra tracks that I don’t list b/c they’re not strongly associated with star sightings. I indicate this one b/c I like the moment and want to remember it. I was walking towards OZ and felt inspired by my view of Vega and my environs. I like to remind myself that the language of the cosmos if not earth is Mathematics, and that I suck at it! I much prefer science, which to me is applied math. My rule is not only to look up, but to look around.]

4.  Spica  9:14  Blur, I’m Just a Killer para estu (?) amor  [Bonus track: follwed by Bob Marley, Stir It Up.  I’ve named a star in the constellation Eagle after Bob b/c I like his music and think he’s an important figure in the history of World Music. I’ve never been to Jamaica but feel I would love it there.]

Pause: An impromptu Wilco Solid Sound 2015 concert at Boyd Park. See accompanying videos on my Copernamic channel on YouTube, which is where I post videos related to the game:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoXM2XAeZa0NH1t00Otm4DbzWOEVUkk9x

Jesus etc.:  https://youtu.be/wk07AtPhKzQ

New Madrid:  https://youtu.be/1jM1ni9Gjpo

5.  Alcaid  9:40  Ray Charles, What I Say

6.  Mizar  “  “*”

7.  Special J  “  “*”

Analysis:

As any amateur astronomer or nakedeye stargazer will say, the weather means a lot. Even in relatively unpolluted areas, like Flagstaff, AZ (which I hear is in the midst of a wicked fire season—I hope everyone is doing okay out there!), or (I imagine) on the plains of Africa, if it’s cloudy out you’re not going to see much. Here in Central New Jersey, it’s gotten quite humid in the last 24 hours. Last night there was a passing rain storm around 8:00 p.m. and I wasn’t sure if the stars would come out. But, patience is a virtue and is usually rewarded. “Gaia” did not disappoint me last night and it was an educational evening all in all. Let me ‘shplain to the “real astronomers,” as Papa Carl (Sagan) would say….

Jupiter showed up “on cue” at 8:51. Besides the Moon (I refuse to use a capitor “t” because there are other moons in the solar system, and most are far more interesting), Jupiter SHOULD be the first object visible in the night sky here in New Brunswick.  It was nice and clear in that part of the sky, meaning there were excellent views of the planet nearly the entire evening.

High above Jupiter I saw Arcturus 10 minutes later. Relative to Jupiter, Arcturus is towards the center of the sky. If you have trouble understanding what it means for a star to be “up high,” think about it’s distance from the horizon. If you can look at the sky as a dome and see it as a hemisphere, you’ll recognize that the sky is like an umbrella, as suggested by H. A. Rey in his awesome book The Stars: the illusion is that it’s a round dome, even though we should know that it’s not at all a sphere, at least not that we can see from this perspective. Historically, most people believed that we live in a large dome, as in a snow globe. That’s because it looks this way. Try lying on your back and looking up. Without being able to see the horizons, the illusion disappears.

Arcturus’s appearance last night was slightly delayed. all things being equal atmospherically, I can usually spot Arcturus 5 MINUTES after Jupiter. I’m not always paying close attention, but I stand by this statistic. Try it yourselves! See if you can spot Arcturus before Jupiter, and if not, then as close as possible to it in terms of lapsed time. I bet you can’t do it in less than 5 minutes! :)   That’s how cool naked-eye astronomy is. Why would you use a telescope when you can do this for free? Oh yeah. Pollution. Le sigh. The good news is that weather is more of  a hindrance, and this particular exercise should be able to be done no matter where you are. I wonder about New York though…hmmmm. Can you see Arcturus and Jupiter from Times Square? I’m genuinely curious but mostly disturbed by the possible answer—I don’t want to know because of how angry it would make me with that particular city and its inhabitants, but mostly its “caretakers.” How dare the people running that city rob its citizens of the opportunity to play this game? I feel bad for the kids, but also the grown-ups, no matter how often they drive, etc.

Back to last night. For those unaquainted with Arcturus, its a beautiful burnt-orange-colored star I call Lucius. His name means Light in Latin, and so to me it’s a natural fit for something like a star, which after all is nothing but a distant sun. I like using the “official star names” so that people can understand my writing more easily, but I figure why not share something of myself in these silly blog posts. As far as stars go, Arcturus is actually quite interesting: it’s 36.7 lightyears away, which makes it one of our closest neighbors. It is 140 times as bright as our sun. Imagine being near that guy! Hard to imagine isn’t it? Makes me think of that song “Blinded by the Light!” I don’t feel like looking up the artist right now, but was it Loverboy?

Anywho, Arcturus is estimated to be 7.1 billion years old—I don’t yet have any opinions about the validity of this assertion. Our sun is—I believe accurately estimated at—4.6 billion years old. For those new to astronomy, it’s worth considering how a star can be older than ours. It’s interesting that some stars are older and some are younger than ours, which is middle-aged. It’s about half way through it’s life cycle, meaning that it will die in another 4.6 billion or so years. Like with people, who usually live to around 70 to 80 years if healthy, stars have different physical properties. It’s not a myth: stars are “alive” in the sense that they are energy, the source of all life. Like many people, I consider the stars my “parents.” As a caring human being, I also think it’s worth thinking of them as our children, in that we should want to be able to keep an eye on them.

I like being middle-aged (mostly) because it helps me understand our solar system a bit better. I can relate to the sun! Here’s something to contemplate the next time you’re outside: if our sun and the stuff in our solar system was “created” from an explosion known as the Big Bang, how many other formative events—processes of accruals in which matter joins together to form stars and planets out of “space dust”—have happened? Hindus believe that existence is made of an infinite series of such events, and that time basically has no beginning or end. I agree with this belief, by the way—inifnity = infinity in the same way as 1 = 1. I’m not at all agnostic: I simply believe in the mathematics behind this aspet of science. So. There is a lot of stuff in our solar system—consider Lil’ J—even if it’s not much compared to the amount of void or empty space out there in this our local part of the Milky Way galaxy. The Big Bang happened around 16.7 billion years ago (my preferred estimate as of today). QUESTION: WHY IS THE EARTH, the only place that is known to be home to “intelligent life” according to most scientists (BUT NOT PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IN ALIENS! HAHA—I love that the first movie I ever saw in a theater was The Empire Strikes Back, it freaked me out and I cried and we had to leave…then again, I was only like 3 or 4 years old), SO PERFECTLY PLACED IN SPACE AND TIME when we treat it so badly? Do we really believe that this is all a coincidence? I’m not much for sermonizing, but I do think it’s worth considering how closely aligned astronomy, Earth science, and religion are and should be. But I digress…

   Spica, a dimmer but visible star that to my eye in Flagstaff is a lovely bluish-green (one of the few stars I can honestly describe as “greenish,” along with Regulus) forms a giant L with Jupiter these days. (See the photo in my previous Copernamici posting.) Again, I like that it connects me with Lucius—it’s these connections that make stargazing fun. When Spica appeared, a few minutes after Arcturus, I was playing a song called “Killer for Your Love” by the British band Blur (it’s on the album that has the famous Song 2—sportsfans will know this song and thus know the band…it’s the one that goes “woooo hooo!” in a British accent). I think that having a soundtrack, no matter what it is, makes Copernamici more fun—more interactive in a way. The game is all about “timing,” and so why wouldn’t we use music to allow the Earth to direct the show? Ask John Williams and George Lucas and their fans if they think music is an important part of stargazing. For me, music is how I pray, but it’s also how I make sense of the natural world. I call it the rhythm method, for which see my poems in the CNJCSS, posted earlier.

Next was Vega, which for me is a very important star. It’s closer at 25 light years away. By the way, the closest star to Earth is called—rather lamely—Proxima Centauri, meaning “nearest star in Centaur,” at 4.3 light years away. How do we in the Anglophone world NOT have a better name for this important destination? Whatever. You name it! I’m tired of naming shit. Haha. Centaur is a constellation visible towards the equator — I have never seen this star because I’ve never been further south than Key West, Florida, and therefore refuse to name it even in the context of the game Copernamici. Also, it’s too dim to be seen by the naked human eye, although I’d love to try! I’ve never looked at a star or anything except the moon through a telescope because I’m waiting to do so with my son on a special occasion. [For people in America, a total solar eclipse is coming up on August 23rd 2017 by the way…]

VEGA is important for cool reasons: it’s almost always on display, no matter how bad the pollution. It also happens the place that Sagan posited we might first make Contact with aliens. There are very significant reasons for this thesis, which make a ton of sense. Consider this: humans started sending out radio signals late in the 19th century. However, these signals were not as powerful as TV signals, which we started shooting out into interstellar space—penetrating all the dust—around 1936. The occasion was the opening ceremonies of the Hitler Olympics, disturbingly enough. If you do the math, those signals, travelling at the speed of light DID INDEED arrive—it’s a scientific fact—in the area of Vega around the year 1956. And so, if the message was “received” according to our known science, and if other beings decided to send the signal back to us in a similar package—EARTH TO CLUNK is the name of a great children’s book, by the way—it would have come back to us around the year 1976 or so. Only, I don’t believe we were looking then. (I was born in 1977, so I like this stuff as a sci-fi geek.) Papa Carl’s book “Contact” tells this story. Again, I must suggest you read it. It’s about a young female radioastronomer who makes an important discovery that is misunderstood. I think many of us can relate to this heroic but imperfect character. By the way, I should remind you that I’ve been employed as and English Professor for most of my life, and not a scientist. I’m just like any other stargazer in that I like to use my eyes and sense of wonder to learn.

Now, why did Sagan not choose a place with known exoplanets that’s closer? I think he had an attraction to this location because of it’s beauty. Also, we know more now than we did when he died in 1996. That’s a good thing and we should value it. Check out Vega! It’s got a lovely bluish hue and looks a lot in terms of shape like the stars found at the top of Christmas trees. As is the case with Arcturus, I get kind of emotional when I look at Vega, which is why I like to listen to the music I find most moving. Perhaps I’ll make a video one of these days. But, I need the energy, and I feel kind of tired these days. Middle age, blah.

I think that’s enough analysis for this session. Except, note that I spotted Special J last last night. It was hard to make out the Big Dipper because of the cloud cover—note that clouds keep in light, making it a domino effect that hinders viewing. And yet, I was indeed able to make out the 3 brightest stars of the asterism, which is why I was happy to close out the night with Brother Ray Charles, the High Priest of R+B, or soul.

Peace and Love,

Jeff

copern 71117

anthem 8:35  wu tang bminor

Lil’ J  8:52    G. Welch,   Wasted on the Wayside

lucius 8:58  big star, september grlz

vega 9:07  radiohead, black star

Not a good night. Don’t forget: you’re better than this. Stop being so angry. When you’re looking at the stars, remember to look at the stars. Talk to people and they’ll talk to you. That’s all.

WED JULY 26, 2017

All the visible stars were out tonight—at least all the ones I’ve identified since moving here—except what I think was Denebola. However, I did see the star above and to the right of Abigail in QB2Lip.

[unfortunate-arrow]

𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 | hpma character profile

warnings: mentions of mysterious disappearances, death, a creature attack, & a stroke

✧ IDENTITY ✧

Full Name: Benedict George Whitten

Nicknames: Ben, Benny 

Name Meanings: Benedict → Latin, “blessed” ; George → Greek, “farmer” ; Whitten → English or Scottish or Irish, “white farmstead.” 

Date of Birth: February 28, 1997 (at 11:16 pm) 

Gender: Male ; he/him

Sexuality: Heterosexual 

Blood Status: Muggleborn

Nationality: Irish, English, British 

Residence: The Lotus Clover Bed & Breakfast, County Cork, Ireland (1 to 18) ; TBD

✧ APPEARANCE ✧

Faceclaim: Luke Newton

Gif Source

Height: 6’1”

Build: Lean and athletic physique 

Hair: Brown hair that is short, messy, and occasionally gelled back 

Eye Color: Blue 

Scarring: 

Childhood & Hogwarts: Benedict has a long surgical scar that runs down the middle of his chest because he had open heart surgery as a baby. Over time, the scar has thinned and faded. 

Adulthood: None

Modifications: (glasses, piercings, tattoos, etc.) None

Other Distinguishing Marks: None

Clothing Style: Simple ; outdoorsman-ish ; jeans ; t-shirts in earthy tones ; plaid shirts ; sweaters ; chino trousers ; chambray shirts ; windbreakers that tend to be obnoxiously bright ; hiking boots ; jean jackets

Accessories: A wrist watch 

What’s in His Pockets: His wand ; a pocket knife ; a compass ; his wallet 

What’s in His School Bag: Textbooks ; parchment ; quills ; ink ; notebooks ; pens ; pencils ; a book ; a laminated card that includes all relevant information about his heart ; tissues ; a windbreaker ; quidditch gloves

✧ SPEECH & LANGUAGE ✧

Voiceclaim: Luke Newton 

Accent: Irish 

Dialect: Cork English

Languages Spoken: English

Languages Understood: English 

✧ PERSONALITY ✧

MBTI Type: INTP — the logician 

→ A Logician (INTP) is someone with the Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, and Prospecting personality traits. These flexible thinkers enjoy taking an unconventional approach to many aspects of life. They often seek out unlikely paths, mixing willingness to experiment with personal creativity.

Enneagram Type: 6 — the skeptic 

→ Sixes are defined by their desire for safety and security. They seek to anticipate and avoid risk, and to ally themselves with trustworthy authority figures and institutions. Sixes are alert and vigilant, always thinking several steps ahead to anticipate and prepare for what could go wrong.

Positive Traits: Original, open-minded, curious, intelligent, kind, logical, athletic, loyal, organized 

Neutral Traits: Analytical, objective, independent, stubborn, reserved, prepared 

Negative Traits: Disconnected, can be insensitive, impatient, has perfectionist tendencies, has difficulties with emotions, extremely private 

Common Stressors: Exams ; grades ; abandonment issues ; big games ; figuring out what he wants to do with his life

Comforting Things: Being outside ; reading ; being with his brother ; flying ; quidditch 

Interests & Hobbies: Hiking, flying, quidditch, biking, reading, football/soccer, fishing

Description: Quiet, intelligent, and logical, Benedict prefers to keep things to himself due to his reserved nature. He tends to look at things rationally and gets frustrated when emotions color his thought process too much. He takes a while to add emotions into the picture and usually reserves them for actions related to his family. Like his twin, Ben has abandonment issues that cause him to push people away. He doesn’t like to talk about his emotions and issues and generally ignores them. Despite all of this, though, Benedict is still a kind and loyal friend. It just takes him a while to let people in and see the person underneath the rationality and logic.

✧ MAGIC ✧

Wand: Benedict’s wand is made of ash wood with a unicorn tail hair core and is 11 inches with an unyielding flexibility. 

→ Ash wands cleaved to its one true master and ought not to be passed on or gifted from the original owner, because it would lose power and skill. This tendency was extreme if the core was of unicorn hair. Those witches and wizards best suited to ash wands were not lightly swayed from their beliefs or purposes. However, the brash or over-confident witch or wizard, who often insisted of trying wands on this prestigious wood, would be disappointed by its effects. The ideal owner might be stubborn, and would certainly be courageous, but never crass or arrogant.

Other Magical Abilities: None

Patronus: Penguin

Patronus Memory: Catching his first large fish

Boggart: His parents telling him that he was never wanted 

Riddikulus: His parents start to tell terrible and punny jokes 

Amortentia:

Benedict smells like spearmint toothpaste, cinnamon, soap, and sandalwood.

Benedict smells peat, damp grass, peanut butter, raspberries, parchment, and popcorn. 

Mirror of Erised: Ben sees himself with his parents, and a few other important people.

✧ HOGWARTS ✧

House: Ravenclaw 

OWL Classes:

Astronomy — Exceeds Expectations 

Charms — Outstanding 

Defense Against the Dark Arts — Outstanding 

Flying — Outstanding 

Herbology — Exceeds Expectations 

History of Magic — Acceptable 

Potions — Outstanding 

Transfiguration — Exceeds Expectations

OWL Electives:

Arithmancy — Exceeds Expectations

Care of Magical Creatures — Acceptable

Study of Ancient Runes — Exceeds Expectations 

NEWT Classes:

Charms — Outstanding

Defense Against the Dark Arts — Exceeds Expectations

History of Magic — Exceeds Expectations

Study of Ancient Runes — Exceeds Expectations

Transfiguration — Outstanding 

Extracurriculars: Seeker on the Ravenclaw team from second to seventh year ; frog choir

✧ EMPLOYMENT ✧

Affiliations: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry ; the Ministry of Magic ; The Wizarding Natural History Museum 

Professions:

Age 18 to 26 - Archivist at the ministry

Age 26 to 92 - Curator at The Wizarding Natural History Museum

✧ FAMILY ✧

Father: Edward John Whitten [deceased, 1966-1997]

Born on January 22, 1966, Edward was the second son of George and Mary Whitten, joining elder brother, Robert George (then 3). Edward had a good childhood, growing up in the city of Cork until the age of fifteen and spending his final years at home in the city of Cobh. His childhood, in general, could be described as idyllic as his family was well off and he had a good relationship with his older brother. At the age of 18, Edward decided to study at a university in Dublin, where he majored in history with a concentration in Irish and Celtic history. In his fourth year at university, Edward did a semester at a university in London where he met Eleanora Blythe and they became friends quickly. He also decided to get his PhD from the same London university, where he furthered his friendship with Eleanora.

Edward began dating Eleanora when he was twenty-five and they dated for two years before marrying in 1993, when he was twenty-seven. They agreed to wait to have children until their PhDs were completed and on February 28, 1997, their only children, Jack Edward and Benedict Jasper, were born. Edward adored his sons, doting on them the best he could. 

Unfortunately, Edward’s time with his sons was cut short in November of 1997. While researching an ancient Celtic settlement, Edward and his wife disappeared without a trace. Their twin sons were found alone, and an extensive search entailed but nothing was ever found. Eventually, in 2025, the Whittens were discovered to have become the victims of a Dobhar-chú, a blood-thirsty creature that resembles a cross between a hound and a giant otter (or fish) and haunts the waters (and the land) of Ireland. 

Benedict doesn’t have any memories of his father, only the stories that his uncle tells and the old photographs. Despite knowing how completely irrational it is, Benedict holds some resentment towards his father for disappearing. He knows, logically by all accounts, that his father didn’t leave by choice, but it’s hard to grapple with that emotionally. 

Faceclaim: Chris Evans 

Mother: Eleanora Susan Whitten [deceased, 1967-1997]

Born on May 30, 1967, Eleanora was the only child of Jasper and Nancy Blythe. Growing up on the outskirts of London, Eleanora had a good childhood, full of love. She had a good relationship with her parents, who did their best to provide her with the best possible childhood. At the age of 18, Eleanora began attending a university in London, studying history with a concentration in women’s history. She met Edward Whitten during her third year, when he was a sort of exchange student in his fourth year. They became friends quite quickly, sharing their love for different aspects of history. Eleanora was secretly quite pleased when Edward continued on with his PhD at her university. She also pursued a PhD.

Eleanora began dating Edward when she was twenty-four and they dated for two years before marrying in 1993. They waited until after they had achieved their PhDs to have children and on February 28, 1997, their twin sons, Jack Edward and Benedict Jasper, were born. Eleanora adored her sons and doted on them as well as she could. 

Unfortunately, Eleanora didn’t get to have as much time with her sons. Alongside her husband, Eleanora disappeared in November of 1997. It was discovered in 2025 that she was a victim of a Dobhar-cú.

Benedict has no memories of his mother, only the old photographs and his uncle’s stories. He also holds some resentment towards her for disappearing, despite being frustrated that he feels that way. 

Faceclaim: Hayley Atwell

Brother: Jack Edward Whitten

Born at 10:59 pm on February 28, 1997, Jack is the eldest son of Edward and Eleanora Whitten, seventeen minutes older than Benedict, and a Slytherin. They have a good relationship and are quite close. However, Ben and Jack bicker a lot, mostly over meaningless things. Ben knows that Jack will always have his back and he knows that he can count on his brother.

Faceclaim: Luke Newton

Uncle: Robert George Whitten 

Born on July 19, 1962, Robert was the first son of George and Mary Whitten and the older brother of Benedict’s father, Edward. Robert took in Ben and his twin brother, Jack, after their parents disappeared. Robert is also the father of Benedict’s cousins, Darcy, Thea, and Clary. Robert is a kind man with the patience of a saint.

Benedict has a good relationship with his uncle. It’s a little distant, as they’re very different people, but they do have things that they can do together. Ben knows that he can count on his uncle for anything, though. 

Faceclaim: John Corbett

Aunt: Mai Louise Whitten née Daniels [deceased, 1965-2010]

Born on May 15, 1965, Mai is the adopted daughter of Clarence and Emily Daniels and the wife of Jack’s uncle Robert. Mai, along with her husband, took in her nephews when their parents disappeared. Mai is also the mother of Jack’s cousins, Darcy, Thea, and Clary. Mai had a good heart and a lot of patience. Unfortunately in 2010, Mai suffered a fatal stroke when an aneurysm that she had always had burst.

Benedict has a good, albeit distant, relationship with his aunt. They never quite clicked for some reason, but Ben knew that he could count on his aunt. He was hurt and shocked by her sudden death, which made him withdraw and become a little more standoffish for a few months. 

Faceclaim: Ali Wong

Cousin: Darcy Mai Whitten 

Born on January 17, 1993, Darcy is the eldest daughter of Robert and Mai Whitten, four years older than Jack. Darcy is a muggle and has a very kind heart with a desire to help people. She enjoys being around others and was a fixture at the Lotus Clover’s check-in desk. 

Benedict has a good relationship with his cousin, although they’ve never been very close. They’re very different in personality, as Darcy prefers social gatherings and Ben doesn’t. However, Benedict knows that he can count on his cousins for anything. After all, she’s like an older sister to him. 

Faceclaim: Janel Parrish 

Cousin: Thea Vinh Whitten 

Born on May 29, 1997, Thea was the middle daughter of Mai and Robert Whitten, three months younger than Benedict, and a Gryffindor. Ben has a good relationship with his cousin. They’re not overly close and probably have the most distant relationship, but they get along quite well. Ben knows that he can count on Thea for anything. 

Faceclaim: Lana Condor 

Cousin: Clary Xuan Whitten 

Born on October 19, 2002, Clary is the youngest daughter of Robert and Mai Whitten, five years younger than Benedict. Clary is a muggle and more similar in personality to Benedict than Jack or her sisters. She doesn’t love being surrounded by people, but she does love the Lotus Clover and is the one to continue running the bed and breakfast after Robert retires. 

Benedict has a good relationship with his younger cousin. They get along quite well and Ben can often be found helping Clary with her homework. He enjoys spending time with her, even if they aren’t overly close either. Ben knows that he can count on Clary for anything. 

Faceclaim: Anna Cathcart 

Pets: 

Childhood: An owl names Florence, a tabby cat named Mittsy, and a golden retriever named Wilbur 

Adulthood: TBD

✧ ROMANCE & CHILDREN ✧

Love Interest: Lottie Turner

Children: TBD

✧ OTHER RELATIONSHIPS ✧

Best Friends:

Sage Carridan @kc-and-co

Close Friends: TBD

Friends:

Duncan Donovan @amerrymystery

Noa March @thatravenpuffwitch

Ryan Oakley @hogwartsmysteryho

Efesto & Levi Vecellio @nicos-oc-hell

Acquaintances: TBD

It’s Complicated: TBD

Hogwarts Dormmates: There are four open spots in Ben’s dorm! 

Rivals: TBD

Enemies: TBD

✧ HISTORY & BACKGROUND ✧

Place of Birth: London, England 

Hometown: County Cork, Ireland

Childhood: 

Born at 11:16 pm on February 28, 1997, Benedict George Whitten was the first child born to Edward and Eleanora Whitten, joining his twin brother, Jack Edward, who had been born seventeen minutes earlier at 10:59 pm. The first eight months or so of Benedict’s life were pretty happy and calm. Everything changed, though, in November of 1997 when his parents disappeared without a trace. From that point on, Benedict and his brother were raised by their father’s older brother, Robert, and their aunt, Mai, alongside their cousins, Darcy (b. January 17, 1993), Thea (b. May 29, 1997), and Clary (b. October 19, 2002). 

Growing up at a bed and breakfast was an interesting experience and it gave Benedict a good childhood, even though there weren’t always the vacations and such that his school friends went on. At the age of 15 months, Ben had open heart surgery in order to close a small-ish congenital hole in his heart. 

Hogwarts Years:

Upon starting Hogwarts, Benedict was sorted into Ravenclaw. He found his niche in the house quite quickly and was startled when he let Sage Carridan in rather quickly, as she was the first non-relative that Ben actually opened himself up to. In his second year, he joined the Ravenclaw quidditch team where he played the position of seeker. He enjoyed his time at Hogwarts. 

Adulthood:

After graduating from Hogwarts, Benedict began working as an archivist for the ministry of magic. He was not exactly thrilled with the work, and when, at the age of 26, he was offered a position as the curator for a new wizarding natural history museum, Ben jumped at it. He would later discover that the position came about because Jack, Sage, Thea, and Noa recommended him for the position as Jack’s boss had first brought it up.

When Benedict was 28, his brother suggested that they hire an investigator to discover what had happened to their parents all those years ago. In late 2025, it was discovered that Edward and Eleanora were the victims of a Dobhar-chú. This discovery settled something inside of Benedict, which enabled him to be a better father to his children.

Old Age:

Benedict retired at the age of 92 and devoted the remainder of his life to his family. He traveled some, visiting places that he’d never spent much time seeing.

Death: 

Benedict passed away in his sleep at the age of 120. He had lived a long and fulfilled life.

✧ MISCELLANEOUS ✧ 

Favorite Color: Dark blue

Favorite Food: Ravioli 

Favorite Drink: Hot chocolate 

Favorite Weather: Crisp air with the sun shining 

Favorite Season: Autumn

Favorite Music: Bastille, Mumford & Sons, Johnny Cash, Of Monsters and Men

Dislikes: Being called “Benny” ; bullies ; oranges ; crowds ; fussing 

Trivia:

Benedict had open heart surgery at 15 months old as he had a Ventricular Septal Defect, or a hole between the chambers of the lower heart. The hole was big enough that it had to be closed surgically and small enough that it wasn’t immediately life threatening.

Benedict is usually quite stoic and tends to bottle up his emotions. He’s not an easy person to get to know because of the walls that he has built up. 

Benedict is an outdoorsman. Being outside and doing things helps Ben clear his mind and stop overthinking things. 

Benedict is usually the voice of reason amongst his cousin and brother. He’s the only one that actually seems to consistently think before acting and that means that he’s going to stop Jack and Thea before things get more intense. 

Important Links:

Benedict’s tag