#dionysus' iceberg

[superkooku]

Dionysus' iceberg

This post is what remains of an initially very long rant idea. That means there will probably be a part 2 😏.

Here's the reason for my title :

In theory, you can stop there since my meme pretty much summarizes my complaints. But since I like ranting, I'll continue 😈

The tip of the iceberg

When you think "Dionysus", which words come in mind first ?

Probably "wine", "party", "alcohol" "fun god".

These words are what most people remember about Dionysus. And yes, I'm not going to deny, they fit.

Unfortunately, my problem comes with the fact that 9.5 times out of 10, Dionysus' personality will exclusively revolve around these aspects.

Since the issue is about modern adaptations and perceptions, I'll use a modern term.

I'm sure most of you are familiar with flanderization, right ? If not, the link to TV Tropes' article on the subject is available.

Many adaptations fell into that trap for, I think, every single Olympian.

Hades, god of the dead, lord of the Underworld = Satan, evil death god, darkness and sorrow

Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty = Superficial bimbo who only cares about her pretty face

Zeus, king of the gods, lord of the sky and thunder = 100% pure God OR more recently : evil king god who constantly abuses women.

The gods are stripped of their complexity to fit simpler and more "digestible" characterizations. It doesn't help that the cultural context surrounding them is also taken away...

But this is about grape boi, right? Well, Dionysus is no exception to that rule. In fact, he might be one of the worst cases.

So far, he was never really portrayed in an "insulting" light, like Apollo in Lore Olympus or Hades in the Percy Jackson movie. Fortunately.

But, from all the popular adaptations I've seen, none of them manage to portray Dionysus ! None ! Does that make them automatically bad ? No, of course. It's just something I noticed.

God of war ? Doesn't appear, only mentioned

Disney ? Don't even try 🤣. Just a drunk goofball. Yes, that includes the fantasia segment and Hercules.

Lore Olympus? Well, he's a baby for 99.99999% of the time, so it doesn't count. But he's still a quiet little Gucci bag for Persephone.

Hades I ? Just a nice guy. But hey ! He can give us useful boons ! And I like his sass.

Maybe he'll do more in Hades II. They're usually more accurate than most, right ? Though that's not a very high bar. And they know about Zagreus ! Surely that's a good sign, right ?

Nevermind...

Here's what all these adaptations tell us :

Dionysus is the god of wine, feasts and parties

He's an Olympian

He likes to get drunk and party 🥳

And that's it.

Again, I'm not blaming anyone, but if the myths stopped with those three points, wouldn't everyone wonder why he's even an Olympian ? I sure did when I was a kid.

We have the god of thunder, the goddess of wisdom and war strategy, god of music/arts/medicine/100 other things, the god of the oceans ! Many cool gods !

And some drunk dude. He's not given any particular power, except the power to stay super passive no matter the stakes ! If the story revolves about epic godly fights (which is often the case), he's absolutely useless.

Heck, Hades II even actively depicts him as a pacifist who can't handle war. While he's not physically a weakling, he sure psychologically is.

Why is this a problem ?

I am not going to beat around the bush: this gives us a very incomplete and incorrect perception of the god.

Even the things that aren't forgotten about him (like his link to wine) aren't explored.

The thing with Hades II (that's the last time I'll mention it) is that it tries to deepen the flanderized version of Dionysus. He's not stupid, but afraid. He drinks to forget his issues.

While this characterization can be very interesting taken separately, we must remember that this isn't an OC, but an interpretation of a cultural figure.

It must be accurate ! While I can accept some liberties, I think that those should mostly be an extension of the original material, not a total deviation.

Dionysus isn't a scared little boi or a stupid drunkard you can manipulate. In fact, that's quite the opposite. And he's not afraid to get his hands dirty.

(even if the "dirt" in question is the blood of his enemies).

Under the surface

Though it's rather "stuff you can find on Wikipedia". Or by reading the myths.

More about it in part 2 of the rant...

It'll be about theater, madness, travels, link between mortality and immortality and... pirates turning into dolphins.

The actual interesting stuff about Dionysus.

Edits :

1. Thanks to @st4riel-the-w1tchling for clarifying the situation about Percy Jackson. I made my own research about BoZ. My opinion is basically still the same. Again, nothing terribly offensive, but nothing that interesting for Dionysus either.

2. I made part 2 a while ago, might as well add it here :

[gotstabbedbyapen]

Hyacinthus Iceberg Meme EXPLAIN (P4)

Part 1 ✿ Part 2 ✿ Part 3 ✿ Part 4 ✿ Part 5

It's time for me to answer your questions about this Hyacinthus iceberg meme. There is a lot to tackle, so I'll divide it into 5 parts for the sake of my sanity.

Quick disclaimer: I am NOT an expert in Greek mythology, just a fan of Hyacinthus who wants to learn about him and anyone related to him. Most of the things I'm about to discuss are just theories and speculations of a passerby on the Internet, so do not take them as valid facts!

The Hyacinthides (Hyacinthus' daughters)

People are yelling for answers, and I shall give them.

The Hyacinthus with four daughters sacrificed in Athens isn't Apollo's lover Hyacinthus. But the confusion is understandable because the "father" Hyacinthus is also from Lacedaemon.

"[...] the Athenians at first, in obedience to an ancient oracle, slaughtered the daughters of Hyacinthus, to wit, Antheis, Aegleis, Lytaea, and Orthaea, on the grave of Geraestus, the Cyclops; now Hyacinthuss, the father of the damsels, had come from Lacedaemon and dwelt in Athens." - Pseudo-Apollodorus, "Bibliotheca"

Another account claims that Hyacinthus (the father) killed his daughter on his own.

"Hyacinthus, a Spartan, killed Antheis his daughter according to an oracle on behalf of the Athenians." - Pseudo-Hyginus, "Fabulae"

When I first read these on Theoi.com, I thought that was that. There is another dude named Hyacinthus who lost his daughters to a human sacrifice (or sacrifice them himself). Cool!

But then I read Michael Pettersson's "Cults of Apollo at Sparta" book, and some of his analyses intrigued me.

According to Pausanias, there is an altar depicting Hyacinthus and Polyboea taken to the heavens by a parade of gods and goddesses. The Hyacinthus in this relic has a beard, which means he is a grown man by Spartan standard.

Pettersson explains the bearded Hyacinthus contrast the usual depiction of Apollo and Hyacinthus' myth because, in most versions, Hyacinthus is a youth. Pausanias also acknowledge this as he mentioned the depiction of youthful Hyacinthus.

So from there, Pettersson suggested that the young Hyacinthus and mature Hyacinthus (on the altar) should be two separated figures. I will disagree with him on this because in Pausanias' work, the altar of Hyacinthus was built under Apollo's statue, so bearded Hyacinthus has to be related to Apollo somehow, possibly still his lover.

"The pedestal of the statue [of Apollo] is fashioned into the shape of an altar and they say that Hyacinthus is buried in it, and at the Hyacinthia, before the sacrifice to Apollo, they devote offerings to Hyacinthus as to a hero into this altar through a bronze door, which is on the left of the altar." - Pausanias, "Description of Greece"

Pettersson also mentioned another version of the sacrifice of Hyacinthus' daughters. The Hyacinthides may have been the daughters of another man named Erechtheus. And Erechtheus and mature Hyacinthus may have connection with one another, though that is still up for debate.

Furthermore, Pettersson went as far as to say the mature Hyacinthus in Athens could have been the same as the Spartan Hyacinthus.

From there, he suggested that the scene of mature Hyacinthus and Polyboea on Pausanias' record isn't about a brother and sister because they might have a large generational gap (a bearded man and a virgin maiden)

And if we want by the conflation of both Hyacinthus figures, the scene of Hyacinthus and Polyboea could have been the scene of a father sacrificing his daughter.

So what does that mean?

From my non-expert opinion, Hyacinthus might have different depictions in ancient Greece, sometimes as a bearded man and others a young fellow (like how Dionysus is seen as a hairy guy and a flaming twink). As a bearded man, he has one or four daughters (the Hyacinthides), and his daughters were conflated with Erechtheus of Athens' daughters. I rule out the possibility of Polyboea being Hyacinthus' daughter because I think that is a bit of a stretch, but it's fun food for thought.

Hyacinthus and Hymenaeus

Like Hyacinthus and Erechtheus, Hyacinthus and Hymenaeus' conflation is... complicated.

If you remember part 1, I already talked about Hymenaeus as the Thessalian version of Hyacinthus. He is the son of Magnes of Magnesia and a lover of Apollo.

Another figure by the name of Hymenaeus is the god of wedding hymns and a son of Apollo and/or one of the Muses, presumably Clio.

Why did I mention Clio specifically?

Because if you remember part 1, I mentioned that one of Hyacinthus' parent is the Muse Clio and King Pierus!

These three figures (Spartan Hyacinthus, Thessalian Hyacinthus, and god Hymenaeus) all have similar parentage and some kind of relationship with Apollo.

Is this a coincidence or the result of century-long syncretism? We will never know - or, at least, not for now.

But pairing with the previous part about Hyacinthus and Erechtheus, we can see there are a handful of different depictions and counterparts of Hyacinthus outside of Sparta, so it's possible that he wasn't as obscure back in the day as many would have thought.

Hyacinthus is Persephone's male counter part

This is more of a personal headcanon than an actual discovery. I've talked about it before but there are a few things I want to add in.

First, quick run down on why Hyacinthus' death and Persephone's abduction share a few common traits:

They were Chthonic deities associated with vegetation. They were even theorized to be very ancient deities possibly outdating other partners (Hades and Apollo).

They were killed literally and figuratively by their partners. Hyacinthus was slain by a discus and Persephone was kidnapped to the Underworld.

(This is common knowledge at this point, I ain't gonna put snippets)

They represent a natural cycle. Persephone's journey to and from the Underworld brings the change of season. Hyacinthus' death and resurrection symbolizes flowers wilting under the summer heat but regrows again every year.

Now these might only be coincident and it would be a stretch to assume they are related.

But! There is another thing I've found that further convince me that Hyacinthus and Persephone could have been counterparts at some point.

Yeah, spending time in two worlds is no longer Persephone's trademark. And there's a post that analyze Hyacinthus' travel to Hyperborea that you can read for further insight.

Wikipedia said this theory came from Frederick M. Ahl's "Amber, Avallon, and Apollo's Singing Swan". I'm trying to find a PDF version of this book to confirm its legitimacy, so for know take this new knowledge with a grain of salt.

And now with the final note! This one is very interesting.

You guys remember that Demeter, Kore (Persephone), and Hades were also presence on Hyacinthus' tomb? There may be a reason as to why these three in particular were somehow connected to the Hyacinthia.

Basically, the girls in ancient Sparta would attend the Hyacinthia - a festival for a chthonic deity - like a ritual that transfer them from young girls to adult women. This tradition might have been "inspired" (for a lack of better words) by Persephone's myth, who was a maiden before the abduction and a woman after the abduction.

Pretty cool, huh?

Cult of Apollo - Hyakinthos

This is an actual research topic in the classical and archaeologist fields, and there are scholars written about it before. I won't talk much on this part because I really want you guys to check out the academic essays yourself, they are really worth the read!

Hyakinthos and Apollo of Amyklai: Identities and Cults A Reconsideration of the Written Evidence (Angeliki Petropoulou)

Hieromênia and sacrifice during the Hyakinthia (Angeliki Petropoulou)

A Companion to Greek Religion [pg 49, 212, 238] (Daniel Ogden)

Hyacinthus is a pre-Hellenic nature god

This is one of my favorite Hyacinthus theory, and it seems to be supported by scholars alike.

(Angeliki Petropoulou, "Hyakinthos and Apollo of Amyklai: Identities and Cults A Reconsideration of the Written Evidence")

But just how old is Hyacinthus' worship? Here are some theories:

(Michael Pettersson, "Cults of Apollo at Sparta")

In the section about Hyacinthus' death symbolizing the vegetation wilting, I already talked about how the myth of Apollo and Hyacinthus is an analogy for Apollo's worship taking over Hyacinthus'. You can check it out in Part 2!

The final days of the Hyacinthia festival???

So we all know what the Hyacinthia is by now, but not all of it. One of the biggest mystery of this festival is what was happening on the final days (some say that the Hyacinthia lasts for three days but others suggests it can be longer, up to nine or eleven days!)

But we can still have some guesses.

(Angeliki Petropoulou, "Hyakinthos and Apollo of Amyklai: Identities and Cults A Reconsideration of the Written Evidence")

(Hellenica World, "Hyacinthia")

I can't find many articles talking about the final days for the Hyacinthus, given that it's a mystery to both the ancient people and modern scholars. But if you do know something, I would love to hear to out!

TO BE CONTINUED

[bigskydreaming]

Like yes merpeople but ALSO what about merpeople who are specifically half-shark, or the underwater equivalent of giants, half-human/half-whale? We've got the occasional half-human/half-octopus but also yes to half human jellyfish and half human manta rays and not naiads specifically so much as the underwater equivalent of dryads, having the same connection to coral gardens and reefs that dryads do to trees and forests.

Gimme underwater lamias who are actually more accurately half human/half electric eel, with all the associated zapping ability, that lends them insight into electricity and related phenomena they use to build high-tech wonderlands deep beneath the waves.....and far from any shore, underwater travelers fear crossing paths with 'ghosts' which are actually like a supernatural form of jellyfish who wrap their translucent selves around their victims to "possess them."

I want selkies who don't just come ashore to have angsty love affairs with beguiling humans, but who also live in communities deep in arctic regions far away from any human civilization where they carve entire villages and cities into the undersides of icebergs.

Underwater vampiric creatures, maybe lamprey or shark themed, who specifically drink blood for the oxygen in it, as that's what enables them to go 'top side' for awhile before having to retreat back to the depths they're more naturally adapted to live in. Krakens but also a Fae-like version of angler fish who use their lights as an undersea version of will'o'wisps, leading denizens of the deep astray.

Multiple types of undersea shapeshifters, going to and from the surface and the deep, with entirely different branches of the same shapeshifter family trees.....the dolphin shapeshifters of the Mediterranean being descendants of the sailors cursed by Dionysus and having very little in common with the encantado who live in the waters of South America, but often lumped in with each other and sharing similar issues and interactions with other civilizations due to the fact that so many others just assume all dolphin shapeshifters are connected or alike even though they have completely different natures, parameters for their shapeshifting, and an entire spectrum of supernatural abilities with very little actual overlap between the different 'types.'

Not just one god of the sea, but multiple gods of the deep, all associated with their own regions, from Poseidon to Sedna to Tangaroa to Manannán mac Lir and Kimbazi. The deep sea equivalent of druids, cultivating kelp forests and coral groves and gardens warmed and nourished by the undersea volcanoes they're planted in the shadows of. Sorcerers as fixated on trying to control and harness and direct the power and positioning of underwater currents as above-the-sea counterparts are with trying to control the weather.

Narwhales often mistaken for the unicorns of the deep, but only because there actually ARE an undersea version of unicorns for them to get mixed up WITH. Protective amulets and talismans and charms made of sea shells, alchemical potions mixed from octopus ink and kraken blood and marine sinkholes like the Great Blue Hole off the coast of Belize being the undersea equivalent of fairy rings, serving as entrances to a subaquatic Otherworld or Underworld.

The rivers of various pantheons' Underworlds having exit points at multiple places around the world, so there are entire regions considered haunted or places of wild magic because they're where the waters of the Styx or Acheron slip out and get mixed into the ocean, altering the properties of the water in those regions in strange and unpredictable ways.

Deep sea mages using and manipulating pressure in ways there's no above-water equivalent for because on land its not really a natural phenomenon of note or a force of nature all its own, not in the same ways it would be for those who live their entire lives and build cities at depths where the water around them has a weight and power that the air just does not possess for those who do the same at sea level.

A spectrum of sirens, different types and different cultures all with their own unique distinctions....as much as some are associated with seduction, there are other clans with reputations as scavengers, known for sending hunting parties to the surface where they sing down storms to scuttle ships and drag them and their contents down to the depths.

An entire world where there's always a lower depth, a darker chasm, a further mystery just below.....the deepest abysses an uncharted badlands populated by eldritch creatures older than anything else in the world, a pitch dark landscape dotted with the ruins of empires so old nobody remembers they ever existed, let alone what they were called.

Idk, idk, I just think there's so much more to be mined from the sheer wealth of sea creatures and concepts and phenomena and traditional mermaids and selkies and sirens, cool as they are, are really just the tip of the iceberg. And we have gotten a couple cool glimpses of undersea civilizations and how wild and colorful they can be in the last decade or so in cinema, but again....tip of the iceberg. There's soooooo much more that can be done, I'm just like. *vibrates in place wanting it all*

[worldismyne]

Iceberg Bing for layer 3 and 4.

My memory is really bad, so some of these might have already appeared in earlier layers.

AMVs - Either specific songs that were popular to use in the fandom, or any fanmade content from during the manga's run that was popular

Soul and Maka Split up - Apparently this interpretation of Maka and Soul's final discussion in the manga is a hot take. There was a lot going on in the final chapter, but here are the phrases from the manga that gave me that impression.

Will cross this box off for any analysis from that final chapter tho.

Thompson Twins - Can't remember if this specific reference was pointed out, but stands in for any pop culture references brought to light.

The Dress - This is a newer development, but at some point this dress got listed on Devil Inspired and advertised heavily on instagram.

A bunch of Chrona cosplayers independently saw it and adopted it. (There were at least 3 or 4 at the first con I went to after it was listed). It's so prolific I've seen it in fanart of Chrona now.

Mary Shelly Theory - Saw someone in the tag a while back theorize Marie might be an allusion to Mary Shelly. It would add a layer to the electricity power outside of the Mjolnir reference.

New Art - Any mention of the 20th anniversary drops. (It didn't fit well in the square)

Purple/Pink Gate - Another one I can't remember if it's already been covered. Despite most fan artists color picking a dusty rose for Crona's hair, lavender wigs are still more common for cosplayers. I am a pink wig truther.

Shinobi - Okay, this is a PS2 game that predates the manga by two years. The main mechanic is a katana that sucks the lifeforce/soul of the user unless it's constantly fed other souls. I am fairly sure this is the inspiration of the uncanny sword. Even the cover art gives post time skip vibes.

If not, both pieces of media have to be referencing the same thing.

Zagreus + Dionysus : Death the Kid's role in SE has similarities with the god of the rebirth. Particularly the part of the legends where he's dismembered and eaten. There is some confusion in greek mythology if these are just different names for the same god or just two gods whose roles overlap, thus why I put both names.

Ragnarok - Particularly how he stops being a character after Salvage. Will also check off for mention of the war of the gods.

Merch - There's a lot of merch out there. Apparently they made a speaker inspired by bonus art. I'm sure there's a bunch of official stuff I haven't seen before.

Official Cosplay - There's a few talking points here that come to mind. Like how Soul is the only weapon with an official cosplay prop. Any Spirit, Ragnarok or Tsubaki props you see were made by the cosplayer. Death the Kid rings get sold one at a time, even if they're advertised as a set.

Translations goofs - There's little things like Afreet and Kishen being used interchangeably in the sub. The Witch hunter evolutions have a few different names. I'm sure there's other translation stuff that I don't know about that might pop up.

Demi-god Black Star - Another umbrella square. Black Star's arc towards the end seems to be referencing something specific. Idk what it is, but Marie goes out of her way to put him and Death the Kid on the same level and snubs Maka at the end of the manga.

The Dread Queen - Comparing Chrona to Persephone is really common in the Kirona crowd. After listening to some deeper dives on the topic there's actually precedence for them to be an allusion ancient underworld goddess that predates Persephone and Hades, but not the abduction myth. They're never referred by name only by titles. Crona's name being literally Dark One in Japanese fits with this theme, as well as usually being referred to as the Demon Sword rather than by their given name. This could be more coincidence than anything else though.

Unlocalized content - The iceberg has already covered the games, but there might be audio dramas or other in-character content that didn't make it's way over when SE was popular in the US.

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

Masterlist

(literally just a place to put posts i've made that i consider Relevant and Should Be Easy To Access :3)

What You'll Find

The Trials of Apollo

EPIC: The Musical

Greek Mythology

ToA Metas

Jason Grace Is The Most Tragic Character in the RRverse

ToA Theory: Apollo's Waking Visions

ToA Theory: Koios's Oracle/Hyperborea

The ToA Apollo Iceberg

Love Letter to Copollo (And Attempt at Angsting it With Hyapollo)

Harpocrates: Why He Enhanced The Overall Story

Reyna & Allonormativity (1)

Apollo Staying Mortal Wouldn't Fix Anything

asking the poet to explain his poem

The Olympian Thrones & Godly Power

Apollo & Love: What Shaped His Romantic Views?

Emotions: Annabeth v Apollo's Treatment In Fandom

ToA Headcanons

Apollo Angst Headcanons

Apollo w/h Athena Headcanons

Apollo w/h Ares & Hephaestus Headcanons

Apollo w/h Hera Headcanons

Apollo is Everyone's Favorite

Apollo w/h Demeter & Persephone Headcanons

Apollo w/h Dionysus Headcanons

Apollo’s Favorite Aunt and Uncle

Apollo, Koios, & Kronos Headcanons

Quick Koios & Phoebe Headcanons

Apollo, Horus, Helios, & Ra Headcanons

Apollo/Boreas & Zephyrus Headcanons (1)

Meg @ Other Olympians Headcanons

Meg & Artemis Headcanons

Cross-Pantheon Headcanons (1)

The Hunters of Artemis Headcanons

Immortal Apollo Kids Headcanons (1)

Apollo & Daphne

Other ToA Things

My Top 5 Ships

Love Letter to the ToA Fandom

Message to the Wider RRVerse Fandom (Please Stop Cluttering the ToA Ao3 Tag!)

EPIC: The Musical Thoughts

Ctimene Thoughts

Thunder Saga Comic

The Wisdom Saga

God Games Idea

Mythology Ramblings

My Statistics of Apollo's Lovers (My Magnum Opus <3)

Apollo Infodump-turned-Eros, Apollo, & Daphne Analysis

Apollo & Cassandra Thoughts

Apollo & Orestes Thoughts

Suspend Your Disbelief

Apollo in Anatolia

Courtship in Greece/Anatolia

Both

Apollo Headcanon: RRverse & Mythology

[sabrinathepolytheist]

Do you have to follow ancient tradition to be an Hellenic Polytheist?

Hello! Welcome to my very first official passion blog post! I hope you enjoy reading it and do let me know what you think! <3

I would like to start right off the bat and say that Hellenism, otherwise known as Hellenic Polytheism, can be a very vast topic to explore, and even with the depth that I provide in this post, I don't think I will ever be able to convey everything correctly. It is also important to note that this post is mostly theoretical, and philosophical in nature. My sources you may ask? Well, that's just it, my sources are the many things I have read, and learned over the past year about being a Hellenist. I cannot provide a direct source to what I know as to me it is now common knowledge.

I will go ahead and say that I do not represent the entirety of the community who worships these gods. I am just one person, and this post and my blog is just my perspective on our shared spirituality. I don't know everything, and frankly, I am sure neither do you, dear reader. Let us all remember a remarkable quite by Socrates;

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing" - Socrates

This post will discuss the following:

A general definition of what a Hellenic Polytheist is.

A description of what ancient traditions and customs were like.

How ancient tradition, and customs can change to accommodate our modern era

Do you have to practice ancient tradition to be considered a Hellenic Polytheist?

What is a Hellenic Polytheist?

To answer this question simply, an Hellenic Polytheist is a individual who practices Hellenism - the ancient Greek religion. A Hellenic Polytheist simply believes in the gods of Greece as being the divine powers over the universe itself. One who is not familiar with these gods may know their names from just pure happenstance. Their names consist of; Zeus, Hera, Apollon, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, Athena, Dionysus, Poseidon, Demeter, and last but certainly never least, Hestia. Yet, there are countless of other gods, daemons, heroes, titans, and primordials that fall into the pantheon of the Greek gods. However, some Hellenist only worship a handful of gods, or all the gods, or just primordials, or perhaps just titians, and some even worship only one of the gods. The range of gods that you worship in Hellenism can vary from person to person, just as it varied from city to city in ancient times. Interestingly enough, Hellenism even has an element of animism to it.

A great example would be the many personified deities the Greeks had. Thanatos - the personification of death, and Hypnos - the personification of sleep, are just the tip of the iceberg when talking about personified deities. Another example of animism in Hellenism, would be the many nymphs whom are believed to frolic around in the forests, seas, rivers, and more. Both personified deities, and nymphs seem to be powers whom encompass the human condition, or nature itself. Mother Gaia is another example, whom is seen as mother nature, or the earth herself in some views.

What did ancient tradition look like?

What about the tradition behind the worship of these gods? Well in traditional Hellenism, there were structures in place that would determine if you were ready to approach the gods in worship. Typically, in ancient Hellenic tradition one would have to rid themselves of any "Miasma" or otherwise known as "spiritual dirtiness" before ever approaching the gods for worship or prayer. The concept of Miasma is not to be confused with the Christian concept of "sin", rather Miasma was seen as a spiritual fifth, often acquired by being among the dead - this included being in the presence of blood, death, illnesses, or fighting in a war. Some claim that Miasma can also come from sexual acts. With Miasma being such a feared thing in ancient times, purification became an essential part to the practice.

When addressing the gods after a purification of Miasma was completed, one would then commence in ritual, or prayer to the gods. Most often the first and last prayer of the ritual was given to Hestia - the goddess of the hearth and home. It was believed that Hestia was the center of the home, and without her fire burning within the home, the home would surly parish. Of course, a home does not have to be a building, it could also be a family, or a group of people you are close with. Most often after addressing and giving to Hestia, libations would then be poured to other gods.

Libations where an essential part of ancient Hellenic practice, and they were often the only type of offering given to the gods by some. For some, Hellenism is not Hellenism without the offering of libations. Libations were poured liquids. The liquids would consist of water, or wine most often. It was said that libations poured to the gods should not be drank, but instead poured into the ground to return the liquid to the gods. After all you offered the liquid to the gods, it is technically now theirs.

There were likely many other types of offerings given to the gods in ancient times. In fact, some have excavated votive offerings to the gods that were buried in the ground. There is so-so-so much more that goes into ancient Hellenic practice, however, I cannot go through them all here, as that would literally require me to write a book. Goodness, even the customs, and ancient traditions are a huge mouthful to explain - this is just the very tip of the iceberg.

How ancient tradition, and customs can change to accommodate our modern era

One might say that the ancient tradition never changed and will never change. However, is that really the case? How could it be? Everything changes at some point, right? Well, it depends on who you ask really. Re-constructionists (Recons) of the ancient Hellenic practice would argue that one should practice the exact way that the ancients practiced the tradition. The thing is this is a very hard thing to replicate to full accuracy in the modern day. There are people out there who have tried to replicate an ancient ritual to the gods to an absolute spitting-image. The problem? They still had to substitute items into the ritual because they simply didn't have access to the items that the ancients used for their honorings. So even Recons must stray away from tradition.

Revivalists are more lenient and would tell you to take what vibes with you and leave what doesn't vibe with you (for the most part). A revivalist is more likely to accept the fact we live in modern times, and our world is modernized, and because of this, we can honor the gods in modernized ways, as we see fit, so long as we remain respectful of the gods. The practice is modernized, but the gods are still ancient.

Other worshipers of the Greek gods may not even identify as Hellenists, and may be eclectic Witches, or Neo-pagans. This goes to show that Hellenism - the tradition, isn't what connects you to the gods. What connects you to the gods, is in fact - well, you! Yes, you have the ability to connect to the gods just as you are now.

In our modern world, it can be hard to cling to the past. This is why recons may be annoyed with revivalists, or Neo-pagans. Recons tend to have a harder time accepting the modernization of ancient practices, while revivalists, and other groups do not have this issue (again for the most part). A thing we must realize is, change is inevitable. Even the physical planet we live on itself has morphed its shape with tectonic movements countless times. The seasons too, are a great example of change. Everything goes through changes and phases. The sooner we take note of this the happier we will all be.

Do you have to practice ancient tradition to be considered a Hellenic Polytheist?

I must reveal for those who are concerned that I am not a Re-constructionist, although I am to a slight degree, I am mostly a revivalist. You could even consider me to be a hybrid; a Recon-Revivalist. it is my personal belief that tradition is only secondary to divine relationship and communication. You do not have to stress about performing an ancient ritual to absolute perfection in order to have a connection to the gods. To me, Hellenism is about the gods, and how you connect with them. In ancient times there would be communal rituals and cleansings of miasma, that multitudes of people would be able to participate as well as city-wide festival celebrations, and worship rituals. These people were capable of honoring the gods in the same environment, so it is no shock that they would have similar ways of worship to each other.

However, we live in a modern world, and we are modern people. While ancient tradition provides a much needed insight into the way the ancients went about worshiping their gods, and I do think it is only respectful that one would at least consider trying to do worship the way the ancients would have conducted it, that doesn't make it the end all be all for what Hellenism is. Think about the vast amount of philosophers, and philosophical wisdoms, and ideas passed down from the ancients. Not a single one of them thought about Hellenism, or the gods in the exact same way (to my knowledge). Due to this, we can come to realize that philosophical thinking is not something limited to the ancients. Everyone can think about life philosophically and come to see what they truly believe about themselves and about the world.

So, do I have a personal philosophy? Well, yes, but I would say as I learn, and grow myself, it can change as time goes on. I would say I have a tendency to take things from many different ancient philosophers. For example, I agree with Sallustius that the gods are pure good and are never the cause of unrest and heartache in our lives. That said, there are also many other things I believe in that are not of ancient context. I believe that true Hellenism in the modern day is most easily experienced in the eyes of the individual. In ancient times it was a communal tradition, now days it is harder to do so, and because of this it is much easier to be a solitary Hellenist rather than a Hellenist that is a part of a community. Not many of us have local temples to our gods, and that is a valid and real thing to understand. Our homes are our temples now.

I know the idea of straying away from strict ancient tradition may put some individuals off from my blog. However, I am willing to take that risk in order to be able to provide a safe place for fellow Hellenists to gather and read my blog; a blog written from the hands and mind of a Hellenic polytheist, for the eyes of other Hellenic Polytheists, or aspiring ones.

Conclusion - Do you need to practice ancient tradition?

So, in closing, to answer the question each and every one of you have been waiting for; no, you do not have to practice ancient tradition to be an Hellenic Polytheist. Just do you, stop batting around the thoughts and opinions of a million other people in your head, and get up, walk to your alter(s), and just pray. Connect with the gods, speak with the gods, grow a relationship with them. This is true Hellenism in my eyes. The relationship that you have with one or more of the gods is priceless, and it is something no human being could ever take away from you. So, cherish that relationship. Of course, this view could be seen as subjective, and that's okay, people deserve to think what they wish, but this will not change my personal viewpoint.

Above all respect each other's practices. A hardcore re-constructionist, and a more lenient revivalist are one in that when we consider that they worship the same gods. Neither of these groups should be viewed as any less of a Hellenic Polytheist either. We must learn to co-exist with one another without getting into arguments. Arguments only lead to a bad situation for each party involved. So, to settle this dispute, if at all possible, perhaps recons could be more lenient and accepting of revivalists and their more modernized traditions, and revivalists could perhaps explore parts of ancient tradition do resonate with their practice and incorporate those parts of ancient practice into their own.

I personally do find it important to consider ancient ways of practice when starting out your path, as the last thing we want to end up doing is appropriating a culture - that would be a no-no. That stated, I do also feel it is completely valid if one wishes to stray a bit away from tradition. Do you like offering libations? Yes? Good for you! Own it, it's your practice. Say you don't enjoy giving libations due to the possible inconvenience of having to return the liquid to the earth, or maybe you do not like that you can't consume the liquid offered to the Chthonic gods according to tradition. That's A-okay. You don't have to do libations, you can simply offer votive offerings like stones, rocks, crystals, anything physical really. Perhaps devotionals are more your speed. Good! Write a song, or a poem, or a story in honor of the gods and offer that work to them.

Whatever you are doing, you are doing it for you. You aren't doing it for anyone else but you. So, understand, especially those new to Hellenic Polytheism, that when I say it is okay to stray from tradition, that it is absolutely okay. Individual practice is individual practice, and it is very sacred to the individual, and no one can tell you how to do your individual practice. Don't listen to the people who try to control your practice for you. There is no way you can do your own personal practice wrong. The only way to go with your own practice is up.

-Sabrina the Polytheist

Thank you all for reading! If you wish to learn more about Hellenism, or perhaps start learning about Hellenism, here are some sources that I would recommend:

Hellenic Polytheism : Household Worship by Labrys https://www.amazon.com/Hellenic-Polytheism-Household-Worship-1/dp/1503121887/ref=sr_1_1?crid=UVH9MRG9RL5K&keywords=hellenic+polytheism+household+worship&qid=1691612186&sprefix=%2Caps%2C299&sr=8-1 (This is a stable in the Hellenic Polytheist community, this book tells you in detail how ancient tradition was conducted in the home: can be found on Amazon for $14.00 USD!)

https://www.theoi.com/ (A site to learn about the many gods of the Hellenic pantheon, as well as to read up on myths)

https://hellenicfaith.com/ (This site showcases a multitude of information about ancient tradition, philosophy, and worldviews)

Pic the Pagan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQmVTgvWkXrbdod_Ni1XFUw (is a well-known Hellenic Polytheist content creator, he creates short form V-log style videos that are very insightful, I do recommend you check him out).

[alatismeni-theitsa]

What are your fave Greek myths & folklore that people often overlook?? 👀👀

I think that people should know about Hellen, the progenitor of the Hellenes (Greeks) and generally about how the Greek tribes were created, and their connections to the gods.

I also like the story about Hera accidentally nursing Heracles and creating the Galaxy!

I had an attachment to the Dionysus and Ariadne story and one perhaps would argue that is a bit obscure. But the other day I saw a legit source that lists Hecate (or a substitute of her) and Hermes as a couple! Who knows what myths we have at this point! Tell me a horse and a spoon got together and birthed a mythical river, I will believe you! (ok yes I want sources, but first I'll fall for it like an idiot 😂)

Now for the folklore...I don't know where to start, really! Imagine at least 2.500 of folklore and then ask me to number what people don't know! 😂 It's not that they overlook it, it's just that the tradition is so vast that most people manage to learn little from it. Like every ancient ethnic group, we have an abundance of lore for every little thing and occasion.

The popular Greek myths in NW Europe and America are just the tip of the iceberg of Greek stories, and also only the "beginning" phase, compared to the 2.000 years of stories that followed, and were extremely layered with ancient heroes, imaginary characters and saints. This mountain is like this because of Alexander. This traditional costume looks like this because of Alexander. This tree is like this because of Zeus. This river is called like this because a nymph perished there. Then, there are the different miracles of saints that often follow motifs of ancient Greek religious stories and they are everywhere. Imagine at least 10.000 stories as a base, okay? 😂 Like, we have Panagia (virgin mary) the Mermaid! Do You Understand the amount of whiplash I get in this country, anon? 😂

I am sorry if this is a very generic answer, I understand that you are expecting something more specific. But I cannot begin to talk about the almost immeasurable amount of traditional stories through the ages and in different Greek groups and regions and specific villages without... well without writing volumes about it :P

Forest creatures, mountain, tree and tree legends, and traditional fairytales shared with other European, African and West Asian nations! You can browse my tags #Greek tradition #festival and #Greek customs and #Greek literature #folktale #fairytale, because there are discussions of some of the tales there.

[kaiasky]

i'm being told by @lesbiansadboy i am required to send this to people, i apologize for the inconvenience. 🎶✨️when you get this, put 5 songs you actually listen to, then publish. Send this ask to 10 of your favorite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool)🎶✨️

I've been putting this off, but no longer!!.

xyce - fôret: really good dancy chiptune song. i listen to xyce a lot when im working

owl city - tip of the iceberg: listen owl city is literally soo good. everybody only likes fireflies but! basically everything adam young is incredible <- coco moon hater lmao. welp

firage - catboys on caffeine: i find that i am maximally productive when i listen to a single song on loop forever. catboys has been this song for the past two years (replacing I am the Doctor from doctor who) it is likely the song i have the most listens to, and it's still good every loop

All Time Low - Ground Control: i like spinning poi to this a lot, i think partially bc it has a lot of good spots to try and hit dramatic stalls to. i like space station. [its a primary/satellite song in my mind. from My Podcasts]

The Orion Experience - Cult of Dionysus - just an overall great song!!!! i only recently listened to the full album and i feel like it's a great whole-album experience too.

[productivity-wealth-happiness]

Okay, we are either living in a simulation or this dildo iceberg was carved by Dionysus himself.

[crimsonforensicscience]

DSM Controversies, Defining the Normal and the Paraphilia: Sexual Pleasure Objects, Fantasy, Variations, Soft-BDSM, ESR, Hypersexuality, Sex Addiction and Nymphomania

Abstract

In sexuality research and sex therapy, it is generally very difficult to define “the normal” and to differentiate variations, mild and harmless fantasies, sexual games and fantasy role play from paraphilia. In DSM classifications, there are still dilemmas, misinterpretations, contradictions and controversies to define paraphilias and what pathology is and what is not. There are new definitions and terminology in sexuality research, such as “Expanded Sexual Response” (ESR), “status orgasmus” “Never Ending Orgasms (Super Orgasms)”, “Deep Vaginal Erogenous Zones” (DVZ),”Sexual Pleasure Objects” (SEPOs), “Hypersexuality” “Non-genital orgasms” and “soft-non-pathological BDSM” etc. In this review novel definitions of some new notions are given and it is discussed why those sexual behaviors cannot be regarded as a pathology or paraphilia, such as “Hypersexuality” and soft-BDSM; a unified definition of paraphilias is proposed. Sometimes, ESR women are often confused with pathological hypersexuality. ESR is defined as: “being able to attain long lasting and/or prolonged and/or multiple and/or sustained orgasms and/or status orgasmus that lasted longer and more intense than the classical orgasm patterns defined in the literature”. Lately a research performed in United Kingdom revealed that the research team had discovered more than 500 women who were having more than 30 to 50 orgasms in one or two hours (see: You Tube, “Never Ending Orgasm” documentary). We have concluded in many publications that during an ESR orgasm and status orgasmus, some women can have trains of tens of orgasms in a given love making session. Women can be trained to achieve ESR orgasms and it is a learned phenomenon. Although defined recently in medical literature, the notion of ESR is as old as history, starting from the Dionysus Cult Era and Far Eastern sexual traditions descending from Early Ages and Tantra and Taoist cultures. At the turn of 21st Century, Female Orgasm is still a mystery and we only know the tip of the Orgasmic Iceberg of Females.

Read More About This Article: https://crimsonpublishers.com/fsar/fulltext/FSAR.000608.php

Read More Crimson Publishers Google Scholar Articles: https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=BcljX0IAAAAJ&cstart=20&pagesize=80&authuser=1&citation_for_view=BcljX0IAAAAJ:_Ybze24A_UAC

[superkooku]

Dionysus' iceberg (part 2)

Here's part 1 :

Yes, I know, I took my time with this one 😅. But part 2 is finally here on Tumblr !

And, since there's a lot to say about Dionysus, I'll probably need to do a third one... yes he's that interesting.

In this part, I'll talk about Dionysus' connections to theater, nature and vegetation.

1. Theater 🎭

Despite Apollo being the god of the arts, theater is one of Dionysus' domains.

In fact, his theatre (in Athens) is considered the first in the world! Dionysus is like an entertainer, not only through parties, but also through a performance on the stage.

Okay, more seriously: one of his festivals, the Dionysia, even had five days dedicated to drama. In fact, theater plays are said to be set in competitions honoring Dionysus himself.

This festival in and of itself is quite complex, as it's divided in two categories (rural and city festivals) and has quite a history. So, I'd highly recommend reading more about it.

Even the idea of theater masks come from there ! They were parts of disguises actors (always men) wore to play the roles of women or gods.

I'm gonna stop a bit with the informations to talk about two interesting things :

It's actually really cool that the god of theater is a good actor.

I say that because he managed to fool Pentheus and a WHOLE pirate crew into thinking he's some inoffensive boy. And then, dramatic plot twist : he's not.

Another cool thing : he appeared both in a comedy and tragedy. Probably in other lost plays too. It's part of his duality, which I'll talk about more in part 3.

Anyways, ancient Greek theater, the ancestor of our modern plays, is very closely tied to Dionysus.

2. His link to satyrs

This bearded man is Silenus, son of Hermes and one of the satyrs. The baby he's holding is an infant Dionysus, who was forced to go in hiding because of Hera's wrath.

Edit : forgot to complete this part. So, Silenus is considered Dionysus' tutor, kinda like Chiron and Asclepius, but wilder.

Like Dionysus, he appears to be a funny drunkard, but in reality, he can be very wise too. Heck, he even has some prophecy powers when intoxicated. How cool is that ? I like this little duality.

He notably appears in Midas' myth. Silenus was found by peasants and given to the king. Since Midas took good care of him and showed a lot of hospitality, Dionysus decided to reward him. And we all know how the story goes at that point.

Another important satyr (in the Dionysiaca, for example) is Ampelos/Ampelus. He was a young satyr who could very well be Dionysus' first love. What's so interesting about him is that, after his death (R.I.P), Dionysus transformed him into the first grape vine 🍇 !

(this time, not a flower, unlike Hyacinthus and Crocus).

Yes, if you drink wine, you're technically drinking Ampelos' blood.

In general, the satyrs, along with the maenads, are Dionysus' companions. We all know what satyrs are, but it's not surprising to see two symbols of sexuality, drunkenness and wilderness so closely tied.

Also, coming back to theater, there was something called "satyr plays", a mix between tragedy and comedy that were played during the Dionysian festival.

3. A god of nature and vegetation

There are many other nature gods. They each show their connection to nature in their own unique way.

Of course, there's wine and grapes (and Ampelos), but also a lot more stuff.

Dionysus was said to live his youth on Mount Nysa, in the nature, among nymphs and other satyrs. So those ties would come from very early on in his life.

He's not only the god of grapes, but fruits and plant life in general. It's interesting to see the same domains shared by multiple gods (here with Demeter).

The multiple water and wind gods are another proof of that.

And yes, he can grow vines as much as he pleases, like when he punished the thyranean pirates.

4. A fertility god

Yeah, don't listen to LO, male fertility gods exist too 😂.

He's not even the only one, since there's Priapus as well. And he's often (not always) considered his son, with Aphrodite as the mother.

It's honestly not surprising to see a god of nature and fruits, but also one known for his orgies, being associated with fertility.

There aren't many myths about it, so I'll just include that one because it's interesting.

So...

I went through these informations pretty quickly, in order to keep this post at a normal length. I'd love to see you complete on these particular aspects.

In part 3, I'll talk about Dionysus' duality, but also his link to madness, mortals (like Semele and Ariadne), and other gods.

Part 3 will be the longest, since I'll include a lot more references (to myths like the war against India, the Bacchae and more infos about his cult and stories)

[nako-doodles]

shirley what are some songs you want to see on the anthology?????

nam2seok converse high, jin's epiphany demo, woh but change the lyrics to objectifying men, yoonmin's tony montana, paldogangsan trot vers, that cypher 1-4 remix, circle room cypher live stage, yoonjin guitar live stage, autumn leaves, DDAENG, dope demo, JIMIN'S LIE AND FAKE LOVE DEMO, TAE'S SPRING DAY DEMO, the dionysus remix, HOBI'S DNA DEMO, ALL of the fire/idol remixes, namjoon's serendipity demo....ive had a LONG laundry list of songs ive wanted studio versions of hyyh3 young forever didnt even touch the tip of the iceberg for me

[ficswithluv]

This week was all about celebrating Father’s Day! Whether we’re exploring parenthood, our guilty pleasure daddy kink, or getting splurged on, it’s time to enjoy your best recs for all things Daddy!

Criteria for recommendations:

Must include BTS as either fathers, daddies, or sugar daddies

Can be any member

Can be NSFW or SFW

Can be x reader/OC or mxm

💌 ⏤ AUTHOR AFFILIATED WITH FICSWITHLUV

Fics recommended by followers:

NSFW ONE-SHOTS

All I Need is One by @lamourche​ | knj

Arrested by @ladyartemesia​ | ksj 💌

Bittersweet Baby Girl by @softlyjiminie​ | pjm 💌

Bubbles with Love by @namluve​ | myg 💌

Flower Arrangements by @iq-biased​ | kth

Haze by @personawife​ | knj 💌

Homecoming by @taetaesbaebaepsae​ | kth jjk 💌

Marshmallows and Report Cards by @taetaewonderland​ | kth

Nine Months from Now by @softlyjiminie​ | myg 💌

Piss off Your Parents by @littlemisskookie​ | jjk

Rotten by @1kook​ | knj

Sugar by @seokjxnnie​ | myg 💌

Suit and Tie by @jungshookz​ | myg

Tip of the Iceberg by @gukslut​ | myg 

SFW ONE-SHOTS

All I Want for Christmas by @hayjeon | myg

Balter by @flurrys-creativity | jhs

Daddy’s Little Girl by @jungshookz | myg

Damn the Delivery Boy by @deerguk | jjk

Falling in Crayolove by @jungshookz | kth

I’m Not Your Daddy by @scriptaed | myg

Papillon by @readyplayerhobi | kth 💌

Phantom by @bangtiddies | myg 💌

Twenty-four by @deerguk | jjk

Utopia by @meowxyoong​ | jjk 💌

NSFW SERIES + TWO-SHOTS

An Abundance of Scrunchies by @hoseoksyn​ | jhs 💌

Ask and You Shall Receive by @floralseokjin​ | jhs

Blue Spring by @adonis-koo​ | jjk

Daddy Devil by @joonie-beanie​ | knj

Dad! by @hhyungz​ | myg 💌

Daisies and Dinosaurs by @dark-muse-iris​ | knj

Easy like Sunday Morning by @angelguk​ | knj

Intro: Her by @jamaisjoons​ | knj 💌

My Tiny Secret by @personasintro​ | ksj 

Oh, What a World by @taestybae​ | pjm ksj 💌

Palette by @1oserjk​ | jjk

Rattled by @gukslut​ | jjk

Roses by @bloomsuga | ksj

Satisfy by @suga-kookiemonster​ | ksj knj kth

Silver and Blue by @taetaewonderland​ | kth

Situationship by @bangtanlalaland​ | knj 💌

Tease by @adonis-koo​ | jjk

This Tiny Space by @ubemango​ | myg

SFW SERIES + TWO-SHOTS

Cottage of the Seven Dads: Dionysus by @jiminwreckedme | ot7

Nae Gajog by @hobisbeautifulass | myg 💌

Our Little Family by @nightbts​ | pjm

Pink Bird Houses by @54daysormore​ | myg

Untold Stories by @miamorjoon | knj 💌

Thank you to everyone who recommended these fics!

Join us for our next round of recommendations on Monday. Recommendations will open at 8am KST!

[deathofamemer]

✨ 💕 💔 💢 all of them

✨ what draws you towards your hyperfixation? what is interesting about it?

lego movies: there’s just something so lively and fun about them... the world they exist in and craft throughout the four warner brothers lego movies is fascinating and complex and has a lot of nuance to it that makes rewatching the movies a delight just to catch little things that got missed the first time around! the characters are vibrant and lively and there’s not really any who fall flat (outside of the lego ninjago movie but the main lego movies are my focus), there’s a lot of tropes that i personally enjoy (particularly the meta stuff, i love meta humor), and the style itself is gorgeous and unique. using CG to mimic stop motion? that’s genius, and it makes for a beautiful set of films

danny phantom: danny phantom as a series is just a bundle of a trillion of my favorite tropes and the amount of content that can be created from it is truly overwhelming. part of the allure of danny phantom is actually the fandom, for once, because while it’s not free of issues, there’s a sense of continuity. there’s a lot of widely accepted fanon in there, including whole fandomwide ocs, and it’s really something spectacular. i’m a sucker for the supernatural and superheroes, and danny phantom mingles the two nicely.

greek mythology: greek myth is one of those things that just perfectly slides into the academic portion of my brain, tbh. it’s a vast mythos with colorful characters and epic stories and quirky anecdotes and scraps of information spread across history, and the fact that it can be collected and looked at and interpreted even today? it’s super interesting and good. for a mostly dead religion, it’s still fairly ubiquitous in society, and i love seeing all of the variations on each story, seeing what various places thought were fit to keep or discard.

pokemon: pokemon, as a franchise, is immensely soothing. you get to raise animals and befriend them and play with them, winding your way through the countryside, facing challenges and stopping strife. the characters are memorable, the pokemon designs are generally really appealing, and the lore is crafted in such a way that it feels like something you could examine for a long time. there’s a lot of heart in it, and it shows.

💕 tell us about one of your favorite characters and why you like them!

lego movies: you’re expecting me to put rex, aren’t you. i’ve given my diatribes on rex fucking dangervest enough, i’m talking about my original fave, gcbc. gcbc is a charming character with a neat concept, embodying the lego minifigs with two faces as a single character, providing some of the only positive DID representation i’ve ever seen. liam neeson’s voice acting for them is really stellar, and back in 2014/15, i read all of the gcbc-centric fics i could get my hands on. they’re just interesting to examine.

danny phantom: i’m betting you’re also expecting me to talk about danny’s evil future self because i’m a predictable shit, but NO i refuse. clockwork is one of my favorite fucking characters of anything ever, because he embodies the whole ‘father time’ concept in a neat way, transitioning from child to adult to elder as a constant cycle. he’s also clever and witty and makes a good mentor, showing consequences for actions without forcing danny’s hand. clockwork is just great, honestly,,,

greek mythology: everyone in greek myth is terrible all the time, but dionysus is really fun? he’s a male god who got raised as a girl, so like, trans rights, he’s equal parts party god and brain ruiner, he’s got a million conflicting portrayals that make him fun to examine, and he’s actually one of the oldest gods in the pantheon in terms of historicity. there’s more to him than meets the eye, for sure, and his myths are fun.

pokemon: i really love zinnia... she’s a badass dragon lady who’s super lively and fun, she kicks ass and knows she does, she nearly wrangles rayquaza themself in order to save the world... god i just adore her

💔 tell us about one of your LEAST favorite characters and why you dislike them.

lego movies: lord business don’t even fucking look at me i swear to god, capitalist ass bitch, abusive boss supreme, tyrannous dickmunch,

danny phantom: it’s kind of hard to place least faves? if i have to choose, though, probably gregor. he’s a one-off asshole liar trying to get into sam’s pants, gregor gets no rights.

greek mythology: HEY ZEUS QUIT BEING A DICK, YOU TOO KRONOS, AND GAIA—

pokemon: hey. hey ghetsis. hey lusamine. look at me. be better parents. fuck you

💢 what do you NOT like about your hyperfixation? is there something you would want to change about it?

lego movies: tlm2 was weaker than the first due to the change of directors, i’m happy that we got rex and watevra and mayhem, they’re all fun and great, but the characterization of everyone is really fucking off and emmet gets treated like shit when he doesn’t deserve it. my rage over rex’s fate is well documented, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. i think often about a hypothetical tlm2 that actually resolved things and kept people in character and featured gcbc for more than 5 seconds

danny phantom: butch hartmann can suck my ass AND DO NOT FUCKING TALK TO ME ABOUT LIVIN’ LARGE AND PHANTOM PLANET THOSE TRAIN WRECKS DO NOT EXIST IN THIS HOUSE

greek mythology: why did the ancient greeks like incest and rape so much what the fuck is your goddamn deal guys just chill out and suck a dick that isn’t your cousin’s

pokemon: i’m very fucking angy about the pokemon company trying to wring money out of people with swsh, everyone i know who’s played it has enjoyed it but the fact that there’s expensive dlc for a pokemon game like this, that you can never have all of the pokemon in the game, the fact that even one game is the cost of a double pack for the previous ones, it irks me deeply

[classpectanon]

SIX DAYS OF KIDSWAPS: Moonswap

I wasn’t sure how to title this one, but basically, the kids are swapping last names with their same-gendered, opposite-moon’d counterparts. That puts us here:

Also, since I received a couple of questions about it, the way lands work is that whoever ends up swapping with Jade switches first terms (Frost/Whatever), and the other pair swaps last terms. Simple!

John Strider - Knight of Breath, Land of Wind and Clockwork Rose Harley - Witch of Light, Land of Frost and Rain Dave Egbert - Heir of Time, Land of Heat and Shade  Jade Lalonde - Seer of Space, Land of Light and Frogs

FULL ANALYSES UNDER THE READ MORE!

As much as I love John Egbert, John Strider is not a sweet dumb baby boy - I wouldn’t call him a sleazebag but I would call him unreliable. John Strider lives a taciturn existence with his Father and the urn of his GRANDMA, a once famous food critic who now rests as ashes, passing on a high-stress baking job to her son. John enjoys the finer things in life - coasting through school with Cs and minimal effort, telling his Dad that he needs to help a friend when his Dad needs help with cakes, and vice versa. His internal environment is pretty much in disarray - he fears responsibilities because he fears failing at them, but when it comes down to it, he’s funny and clever and can pick up the slack when it’s really, really needed. His interests aren’t exactly anything esoteric, he plays a little VIDEO GAME, he reads a couple of BOOK, he’s spread wafer thin, never committing his interest to anything too deeply or sincerely, in case a story ends and disappoints him.

John’s Land is the LAND OF WIND AND CLOCKWORK, ruled over by the Denizen ATLAS. A land of greying sandstone mountains, like a massive, treeless Himalayas, brushed over with warm, dry wind, massive brass GEARS emerging from the mountains, turning to power some unknown internal mechanism deep below, a winding maze of pipes that keeps the consort villages supplied with sand and dust to reinforce their buildings. ATLAS has captured the singing CRICKETS that live amongst the cliffsides, once providing glorious symphony to the villages at the bottom of the ravines, encasing them at the center of the MOUNTAINS’ HEART at the end of each cave, a now-abandoned system of caverns that are now full of dangerous underlings. Without the song of the crickets, the GEARS are slowly winding to a halt, and the villages are losing ground to the onslaught of ATLAS’s underlings.

John’s Strife Specibus is PLATEKIND, since he just grabbed the nearest object and was surprised when it allocated, and he was too lazy to change from the default ARRAY MODUS. His symbol is a stylized tornado. His CHUMHANDLE is tootiredGusername.

-

Rose Harley is a sort of philosophical academic sort of lass, wise beyond her years in a way that bothers authority figures, if there were any teachers where she lived! She lives on her island with her MOM, who spends most of her time reading or making new esoteric inventions in the basement of their tower. Her cat PLATO and her dog SOCRATES are her faithful and overprotective companions, making sure she doesn’t venture too far from her book-stocked tower. Her favorite topic of study is the SEPARATION BETWEEN SENSATION, PERCEPTION, and REALITY, and she will lecture you at length about the allegory of the cave if you let her, and how nothing is real except for ideal forms - which is why she’s absolutely delighted once she begins figuring out how Sburb works. Her other interests lie in similar boundaries, in OPTICAL and AUDITORY ILLUSIONS, and VIDEO EDITING to make HOME MOVIES.

Rose’s Land is the LAND OF FROST AND RAIN, a land full of melting icebergs buoyed up by rafts and inflatables, caught between the bathtub-temperature oceans and nearly constant freezing rain. Her Denizen is DIONYSUS, who supposedly prefers the warmth of the ocean to the ice of the unpleasant rain, and has put inscrutable machinations in place to increase the planet’s temperature. To that end, he’s set up nearly invisible MIRRORUINS, all of which need to be smashed and destroyed by Rose to ensure the land remains stable in its heat, but, most importantly, need to be found first!

Rose’s Strife Specibus is FLASHLIGHTKIND, and her Sylladex uses the SEARCH MODUS, which automatically tags objects with a number of tags instead of their image, and Rose must use keywords to summon forth the appropriate object. Her symbol is a torch. Her CHUMHANDLE is generousGelatine.

-

Dave Egbert lives a disenchanted life in the suburbs of Washington, patiently awaiting the day he gets whisked away by something important. He lives a strict, regimented, heavily scheduled existence, partially enforced by his BROTHER, a disgraced heir to a long-extinct baking company who struggled to discover himself in the years afterwards, ending up as a relationship advice columnist, and partially enforced by HIS OWN NEUROTICISM. He’s a cherished member of his local SCHOOL CHOIR, and has a passion for MUSICAL THEATER and STEAMPUNK, creating the most obnoxious kind of middle schooler. He also has a passing interest in ASTROLOGY, which gets thoroughly explored once the Trolls enter the picture. His TIME TRAVEL OBJECT is an OBNOXIOUS STEAMPUNK GAUNTLET.

Dave’s Land is the LAND OF HEAT AND SHADE, a balmy tropical clusterfuck with frequent towering clouds that devolve into rapid rainstorms at a moment’s notice, only to evaporate as they hit the ground and shroud the land in a low, allergy-aggravating mist. His land is ruled by GILGAMESH, who has unleashed a curse onto the land that causes UNCONTROLLABLE IVY GROWTH, strangling out the rest of the plant life and beginning to remove the comfortable canopy of leaves that enshrouds the land - and only the SONG OF DECAY will be enough to remove the grip of the ivies from the jungle landscape.

Dave’s Strife Specibus is GAUNTLETKIND, and his Sylladex is the WAIT MODUS, which lets him freely deposit and withdraw items as long as he has room in his schedule for them (so, a variety of PUZZLE MODUS). His symbol is a pocketwatch. His CHUMHANDLE is errorBalance.

-

Jade Lalonde lives in the forested valley known as Rainbow Falls with her FATHER, a formerly religious man who has grown disillusioned with his own beliefs, a crisis of faith leading to his overall neglect of his daughter’s talents and joys, instead spending most of his time writing theological treatises on the nature of God. Jade, for the most part, rejects this lifestyle, and considers herself sort of an INFORMATIONAL BOHEMIAN - she loves to hear about the latest GOSSIP and DRAMA, even if it’s not from her circle of friends. She’s very well informed about CURRENT EVENTS, and desires to be a JOURNALIST, so that she can keep the world informed about the things she sees as important to know about. When she’s not looking into the news, she likes to make WEIRD, ABSTRACT CHIMERIC MEMES by photoshopping other memes together into strange masses.

Jade’s Land is the LAND OF LIGHT AND FROGS, a wispy, barren badlands that she’s been transported to, the only thing on the horizon being the unlit forge. DEMETER sleeps in the core, but her influence seeps out into dangerous CARNIVOROUS BLOOMS which must be tended to at critical locations to prevent the stability of LOLAF’S chasm-hanging villages from unwinding and falling into the core. Jade can’t prune the plants quickly enough to outpace their growth, so instead, she must learn to HARMONIZE AND TAME them, ensuring that they end up reinforcing LOLAF’s structure instead of undermining it.

Jade’s Strife Specibus is HAMMERKIND, which is curiously allocated into when she takes one of her FATHER’S crucifixes. Her Sylladex is the REFERENCE MODUS, which displays a helpful list of physical facts and dimensions about items instead of showing their picture, but is otherwise a normal ARRAY modus. Her symbol is a rolled-up newspaper. Her CHUMHANDLE is talentTactician.

[norcalbruja]

Hey fam, I am shook right now

So while I was working at the dental clinic, we found out a patient’s wife was a palm-reader and she was offering discount readings for $20.

I keep a distance from palm-readers, despite my lazy love of Tarot cards--the last palm-reader I talked to DID have genuine intuition, but she was also asking me for more and more money, so I’m like “well, twenty bucks isn’t that bad. Let’s try this palm-reading thing again. Hopefully she’ll be talented WITHOUT trying to bankrupt me.”

HOLY CRAP, BRUH.

LIKE

THIS WOMAN. SHE KNEW STUFF I DIDN’T TELL HER, AND STUFF THAT SHE COULDN’T HAVE GOTTEN FROM COLD-READING.

And, like... I GOT GOOD NEWS. Not the generic kind of good news, either.

You know how I post all this depressing/angry decolonization poetry about the Filipino gods, and my loneliness about being a pagan girl surrounded by Catholics and Christians and otherwise monotheistic worshipers? That is the tip of an iceberg of spiritual stuff, and some of it is more literal than y'all think.

Especially the stuff about Haik, the Tagalog sea-god who modern-day Tagalogs barely remember, who I’m constantly writing depressing urban-fantasy love poetry about, and also a huge-ass novel called “The Crocodile God,” where a FIl-American woman discovers she is his reincarnated wife.

So Haik and a Spirit-Dude have been hanging out and saying we’re gonna meet up (relatively) soon. I don’t believe them for two reasons: Haik said he brought Spirit-Dude over because 1) he wants me to be happy because he’s one of my ancestral gods, plus nobody likes seeing one of their community constantly depressed and struggling, and 2) he loves that I’m writing all these new poems and stories about him after five hundred years of colonization, so it’s like “HEY GIRL, YOU ARE CONSTANTLY DOING ME A SOLID AND I’MMA GET YOU A BOYFRIEND FOR THAT.”

I don’t believe Spirit-Dude either, when he says he’s coming over to California in time. See, Spirit-Dude looks like a living person, and that is reaaaaaaally shaky grounds for my sanity. Before now, I only listened to him about nice, safe, not-potential-delusions topics.

But then the palm-reader started telling me about my future and relationships, and how everything was finally gonna work out and I’d be okay soon (just not as soon as I want, which is the frustrating part).

And Spirit-Dude and Haik laughed their asses off and went, “BAHAHAHA WE TOLD YOU ALL THIS ALREADY, BABE. IT’S OKAY THOUGH. YOU NEED TO HEAR IT FROM A PERSON SOMETIMES.”

Like, I have been shook ALL DAMN DAY. I’m just wandering around trying to remember how to feel about, you know, GOOD NEWS.

I’ve been depressed and stuck in a rut for most of my adult life, so when people say things like “It’s all gonna work out” or “keep going with your art,” I just figure it’s not gonna get WORSE. Like, I’ll still have a basic-necessities-covered life, but my ass is still gonna be stuck living at my mom’s place, forever trying to save up while I beg people to read my writing SO I CAN EARN MONEY THROUGH ART, but only getting 1% of a response.

My patron goddess, the Morrigan, is the Irish goddess of sovereignty, war, and prophesy (also infamous as the goddess of VENGEANCE AND WAR-FRENZY AND NO ONE REALLY GETS HER). While she is scary, I trust her with my life, seeing as she yelled at me to get therapy during my rock-bottom point in high school. She also frequently motivates me to keep on trucking with my art, even if it’s from anger, spite, or “my soul will die if I don’t do art.”

Dionysus is the Greek god of art, prophesy, wine/drugs, and mental illness (he, like the Morrigan, has a mythical track record of Bad Stuff because of the last two). He considers himself my husband, and I accepted it after initial hesitance because THIS MAN GETS ME. He is constantly checking in with me about whether I’ve finally gone insane (the answer is usually “No, you’re weird and depressed and a shaman, and society hates all of that.”).

And at the behest of Haik, these two teamed up and got the client with his palm-reader wife over to the clinic.

Brighid (Irish healer-goddess, and a much more moderate artist than Dionysus) came up while I was eating dinner and she went, “Honey, I know you got a lot of big news today and you never believe the nice things anymore, so if you feel overwhelmed, just talk to me, okay?”

Meanwhile: Haik is upset that I can’t take good news very well. I mean, I'm relieved to hear it, but I also don’t know what to DO with that relief. I have no idea if I want to cry or laugh, or cry AND laugh. So yeah, lots of hugs from him.

Spirit-Dude is just hanging out like usual, and giving me more hugs and telling me that YES, RELIEF IS GOOD. JUST BREATHE, HONEY.

Last week, Spirit-Dude told me: “Babe, if you don’t believe in yourself, at least believe in what you do.” And it stuck with me how he knows I’m depressed and sometimes I literally can’t think positive about things, but he figured out a way to make me feel better anyway.

My therapist has actually noted that YES, the spirits are incredibly supportive and they give me a lot of emotional breathing-room, which is 1) not a common sign in the mental illnesses where you hear voices, and 2) very different from the authoritative Western view of deity/spirit.

And I figured after the past few months that even if Spirit-Dude isn’t the specific person he looks/acts like, he’s a very pretty and Soft Boy, and I would love it if I met his real self soon. (Spirit-Dude has countered that he isn’t using a fake identity because he’s not a liar, and that’s a crap way to start a relationship.)

It's 2AM and now I keep reminding myself that the palm-reading was YESTERDAY, so it’s a good thing I work tomorrow instead. I might do a Part 2 for this, in case I need to word-vomit again.