#divine advocacy

[world-prayers]

Triumph In Legal Battles: Unlock A Miracle Victory Now

Unleash an Angelic Ally to tip the Scales of Justice in your favor, and you’ll triumph In Legal Battles. Courtroom Breakthroughs & Miracles. Continue reading Untitled

[thinkingonscripture]

Jesus’ Ascension and Session

After Jesus’ resurrection, he appeared to many on several occasions. His final appearance was to His apostles. Luke wrote, “And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven” (Luke 24:50-51). And in Acts we’re told, “He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him…

[unbidden-yidden-deactivated20240]

In general, I think it's currently really important for progressive Christians to be very loud about being both progressive and deeply religious Christians, and for everyone else fighting for progressive values to be supportive of them doing just that. I know that's like, idk, counter-intuitive or cringe or whatever, but seriously folks, the alternative is that progressive Christians have to be quiet about their faith to be accepted within broader secular and interfaith progressive advocacy, which means that the regressive asshole Christians (a) sound that much louder and (b) dominate the USian religious landscape all the more. That's a problem, for all of us.

We need people pushing back within the faith as well as outside of it, because that destroys any edifice that this is about Christianity and religious freedom.

You can be a devout Christian and also:

Openly, proudly, and without being forced to remain celibate or otherwise limit your full expression of self, identify as LGBTQ+ or be a supportive ally.

Advocate for full reproductive autonomy and comprehensive sex education.

Love and support people of other religious groups, non-religious people and/or atheists, by choosing to believe that a truly loving God would not pursue anything less than universal salvation.

Stand against evangelism and proselytizing as they have thus far been interpreted and used, because there are ways to interpret the Great Commission that don't promote colonialism and cultural genocide.

A steward of the earth, protecting God's beautiful creation and lovingly tending to it as the unique and incredible gift that it is.

A believer in science, rationalism, and human progress as part of God's divine plan for humanity.

A believer in history and someone who understands that the Bible can be both divinely given and open to interpretation (no really)(if you're confused, please talk to a knowledgeable traditional Jew)

An ally to Jews, who stands against supercessionism and antisemitism in the church.

And in before regressive Christians come shouting at me that (1) what do I know, I'm a Jew and (2) no lol you can't because of ___ reason:

My source is that I've personally met and talked to Christians of great faith and integrity - people who embody the closest forms of kindness I've seen to what Jesus himself advocated - who are each of these things.

It is 100% possible; you just choose to believe otherwise.

[thatgentlewife]

Fear of Submission: Ruining Relationships for Centuries

In today’s culture, submission is often viewed as a form of weakness or oppression. Yet, when we study the heart of submission through a biblical lens, we discover that it is not about losing power but about gaining harmony. Submission, partnered with humility, is a cornerstone of healthy relationships—whether in marriage, friendships, or everyday interactions.

The Root of Resistance

The fear of submission often stems from pride and a desire for control. Society teaches us to “put ourselves first,” to fight for our rights, and to never appear vulnerable. While there is a time and place for self-advocacy, the mindset of constant self-focus can breed division. When people refuse to yield to one another out of love and respect, relationships begin to fracture.

Submission in Marriage

In marriage, submission is not one-sided; it’s mutual. Ephesians 5:21 instructs couples to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” This means putting aside selfish desires to serve and honor one another. Husbands are called to lead with sacrificial love, as Christ loves the church, and wives are called to support and respect their husbands. This divine design isn’t about dominance or inferiority but about creating a partnership where both spouses thrive.

However, fear of being “less than” often leads to power struggles. When one or both partners refuse to submit, the marriage becomes a battleground of egos rather than a haven of love and peace. True humility allows both spouses to see submission as a strength that builds trust and unity.

Submission in Friendships

Friendships flourish when humility reigns. When friends are unwilling to compromise or apologize, small disagreements can fester into major rifts. Philippians 2:3-4 reminds us, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

When we practice submission in friendships, we choose to listen, to serve, and to prioritize the other person’s well-being. Friendships rooted in mutual submission grow deeper because they reflect Christlike love and patience.

The Fruit of Humility

Humility is the antidote to the fear of submission. When we let go of pride and embrace a spirit of servanthood, we create relationships that reflect God’s grace. Harmony comes when people stop striving for dominance and instead work together as equals, honoring each other’s strengths and lifting one another up in weaknesses.

By choosing submission and humility, we experience:

1. Deeper Trust – Knowing someone is willing to lay down their own desires for you builds confidence.

2. Stronger Bonds – Mutual submission fosters teamwork and shared purpose.

3. Lasting Peace – Humility diffuses tension and promotes reconciliation.

The fear of submission has sown seeds of disharmony in relationships for centuries. But God calls us to a higher way of living, one that embraces humility and submission as tools for unity, not oppression. By submitting to one another in love, we mirror Christ’s sacrifice and create relationships that glorify God.

Let us not fear submission, but rather see it as an opportunity to reflect the selfless love of Jesus in every relationship. Only then can we break the chains of pride and walk in the freedom of harmony.

Thatgentlewife

[laifromthecosmos]

Bharani Nakshatra and Fertility: The Cycle of Life under the rule of Venus

port-br

When watching films or plays that take place in the Middle Ages, you notice that some of them have the figure of the “herald”, those messengers who arrive at the location and open the letter (which looks like a parchment) and read the message aloud. The Heralds carried announcements and messages from the kingdom to the population, made solemn proclamations, verified titles of nobility, announced war and proclaimed peace. They were a preform of diplomacy. When they were going to announce something to the people, they would stand on a platform in the middle of the public square and shout the real news, usually wearing clothes that differentiated them to attract more attention.

Bharani Nakshatra (Aries 13º20' - 26º40') are the heralds of the energy of Venus, as they act as messengers or representatives of the essence of Venus in the world, carrying Venusian qualities, manifesting them in their lives and behavior. Venus is advocacy, seeks equity and is a peacemaker, devoid of aggression, but when it joins Mars, aggression and anger can be used as a tool of diplomacy (description by mike sleeping dog). In the eyes of Vedic elders, the star of this nakshatra forms the female sexual organ and thus became its symbol. This organ symbolizes the fertility aspect of life and a portal between two different worlds. In the Vedic point of view, it is described as death and birth, transformation and regeneration. It also represents restriction, care, jealousy, sacrifice, sexuality, nurturing and maternal love. Bharani carries all these attributes. It is the star of restriction that has the power to cleanse and remove impurities.

The main deity of Bharani is Yama, the god of death. Yama had a twin sister named Yami, who is considered the lady of life. Yama and Yami are a divine pair of creative deities. Yama is what connects mortality and immortality that carves mortal paths through death. In it is time and through time it describes a course for life, after the course life is absorbed into time. Yami is moved by Maya's emotions and love. Yama is mortal, but Yami is not. The procreation of mortals was granted thanks to the sacrifice that Yama made in annihilating himself, thus creating a debt (cyclic yajña). Through debt, exchange is created, and it is through exchange that the world moves forward.

There is a story that Yami fell in love with her brother Yama and wanted to have sex with him, arguing that this would not break dharma. She wished Yama to induce the embryo in her womb. It was a natural instinct that awakened in her mind and body after she reached puberty.

"She offered many arguments as to why this would not break dharma, but he knew that sexual intercourse with his own sister would go against dharma in the mortal world, where every action provokes a seen or unseen reaction. His reward for such self-control was to become chief justice of the universe." - Mike Sleeping Dog.

Bharani is a 16-year-old girl about to deflower, a baby in the womb or a person who faces the Yamadutas (heavenly angels whose task is to guide souls in the afterlife process) after death. Because of its childlike quality, Bharani is one of the most eager nakshatras. Just like a child wants to experience the entire environment, Bharani natives want to experience the environment to the fullest. There is a primal innocence in the way they experience things, people and places. They may go by instinct instead of reason. Most of your feelings and desires are so overwhelming that very little can be done to contain or calm them. Once again, the evolutionary status of the soul in question comes into play. All Bharani natives have a creative impulse within them. Females generally express this creativity through bearing children, while males attempt to be creative on stranger levels. Bharani is a nakshatra where interaction between man and woman takes place. This makes it one of the most sexual nakshatras in the zodiac. Bharani is representative of the force of nature that creates attraction between opposites. Bharani natives experiment, surrender, become victims and try to understand this force.

Bharani is the nakshatra that belongs to the first sign of the zodiac and is the first nakshatra ruled by Venus, this symbolizes the entry of the initial energy of creative feminine energy into the zodiac. Therefore, it is a feminine nakshatra. This is no longer a surprise, as Bharani represents everything feminine. It is the second nakshatra and the first female nakshatra. Just like the number “2” in numerology, it is the initiator of the feminine principle at all levels of existence. It is the beginning of duality and maya, and in it lies the essence of the complex functioning of the feminine principle. Bharani is considered a balanced nakshatra. Bharani is actually an extreme nakshatra, but it is classified as 'Balanced' due to its tendency to balance opposite extremes like birth and death. Bharani natives often lead double lives, reaching two different extremes. So, overall, their lives can be seen as balance. It is part of the Rajas Nakshatras (rajas is action to get desires fulfilled. It is the passion that drives one to action, often not getting the expected results, which leads to more actions), this can be easily accessed from the govt. of Bharani by Venus. Venus is seen as the most rajasic among the planets. Its relationship with terrestrial life processes is very strong. In a way, you could say that it is only Venus that makes life worth living. As Bharani heralds Venusian energy, its expression here is primordial, highly concentrated and explosive (all rajasic expressions). Venus is the planet of fertility, creativity and pleasure. In Bharani, these qualities manifest in the idea of ​��giving birth, both literally and symbolically. Fertility here is not restricted to procreation, but also the ability to create and nurture ideas, projects and new phases of life. Bharani, governed by Yama, also remembers that every beginning is accompanied by an end, a continuous cycle of renewal. Bharani represents the phase in which the seed is planted (the creative act that precedes growth. Being the first nakshatra of Venus, Bharani symbolizes fertility in its primordial state, the impulse to generate life. Fertility is linked to the feminine receptive nature, the ability to sustain life, something that Venus dominates. Bharani, with her association with the uterus, also speaks of the importance of gestation, essential elements of fertility. All goddesses, especially fertility goddesses, are linked to Venus.

Bharani is the nakshatra of karma and reincarnation, one of the least understood concepts in modern times, especially in the Western world. Bharani is the name of the stage where the masculine and feminine, which have arisen from a single genderless source, copulate and, in doing so, carry forward the process of creation.

[bobemajses]

Immigrant from the USSR planting a tree on Tu B’shevat, Israel, 1970s

Tu B’shevat is often referred to as the new year (or “birthday”) of the trees. Fruit trees were awarded special status in the Torah because of their importance in sustaining life and as a symbol of God’s divine favor. As Tu B’shevat falls usually in February after mid-winter, the rabbis concluded that the majority of the annual rainfall has usually already fallen by this time, thus yielding a healthy, water-logged soil in which to plant new trees. The holiday fell out of practice after the destruction of the Second Temple, but was revived by kabbalists in the Middle Ages. They imbued it with mystical significance as well as created elaborate new symbolic rituals. For moderm environmentalists, Tu B'shevat is an ancient and authentic Jewish “Earth Day” that educates Jews about their tradition’s advocacy of responsible stewardship of God’s creation as manifested in ecological activism.

[morbidology]

John Allen Chau, born in 1991, was a young American missionary driven by a fervent Christian faith and a deep desire to share his beliefs with others. Chau underwent missionary training and embarked on several missions around the world. His journey to North Sentinel Island, however, would prove to be his most ambitious and contentious endeavor.

North Sentinel Island is home to the Sentinelese, one of the last known uncontacted tribes in the world. The Sentinelese people have a long history of rejecting contact with outsiders, fiercely guarding their isolation and autonomy. This isolation is not only a cultural choice but also a means of protection against diseases to which they lack immunity.

Undeterred by the risks and legal restrictions barring outsiders from approaching the island, Chau ventured illegally into the restricted waters surrounding North Sentinel Island in November 2018. His goal was to establish contact with the Sentinelese and introduce them to Christianity, believing it to be a divine calling despite warnings from anthropologists, government officials, and advocacy groups.

Chau's attempts to make contact with the Sentinelese met with resistance from the tribe, who shot arrows at him during his initial visits. Undeterred, he persisted in his efforts to communicate with them, even leaving gifts such as a football and fish on the beach in an attempt to establish rapport.

Tragically, on November 17, 2018, Chau was killed by members of the Sentinelese tribe he had been trying to make contact with. Fishermen reported that they saw the islanders dragging Chau's body, and the next day they saw his body being buried on the shore.

[dykeulous]

i hate the way that lesbian feminism is an extremely faulty school of thought based on actual homophobia, advocacy for “political lesbianism” (i love & treasure febfems, i just really really hate that it’s referred to as “political lesbianism”), and often biological essentialism (as in, bio-essentialism from its’ real definition, not “you’re bio-essentialist if you believe in homosexuality & female-specific oppression” lol). it’s basically a mix of cultural feminism (so, spiritualism, “gender soul”, divine feminine, bio-essentialism etc.), lesbophobia & radical female separatism. lesbianism is a naturally occurring sexuality– it is not “socially influenced”, “chosen”, “cultural”, or “political”. we can analyze the oppression of lesbians & how it’s rooted in male supremacy & heteronormativity without implying lesbians are somehow better people for loving women, or even the creepier aspect– that you’re a better feminist & morally superior for choosing to only date women if you’re also attracted to men (& then calling it lesbianism, as if it’s not just female-exclusive bisexuality). we also can point out that female homosexuality can be an important balance in defying oppressive structures– but this can be a slippery slope. while a lesbian absolutely is going against misogynistic rhetoric that connects women with heterosexuality & men, she did not “choose” this– she was born this way. it is her natural & completely neutral sexuality.

i really wish lesbian feminism could somehow be reformed. i do not want to be associated with adrienne rich, 60s female separatists & political lesbians, simply for daring to talk about decentering men & prioritizing female relations. i do not want to be looked at as a supporter of political lesbianism for talking about lesbian-specific oppression & how lesbians immensely contributed to feminism. i want to be able to talk about the struggles lesbians face under our patriarchal heterosexist regime without feeling like a weird 60s polilez. feminists who are lesbians, feminists who want to specifically center lesbian issues in their feminism & prioritize lesbians in their feminist activism, deserve to describe their movement as “lesbian feminism” without the weirdo connotations it carries. “i am a feminist who is a lesbian, not a lesbian feminist!”– well lets reform lesbian feminism, then. lets remove the weirdo connotations & fight against the polilez hardline female separatists lurking in our movement.

[mc-critical]

It's interesting to see how Mahidevran, Hatice and Gülfem's different yet overlapping relationships with outside forces (soothsayers, the superstitious/the "magical" and the "divine" in particular) form and feed into their core mindsets and views of their experiences.

Gülfem starts off rather as a background figure, so we learn more about her experiences and what exact role the outside forces have played in her processing later on. She's seen their harm, but she's also embraced the good they bring. They've caused all the bad in her life but that's why it's almost like they are the only ones aware of the full extent of her pain, hence joining in her hardships (E43: "Only Allah and I know how much I've suffered") - they're all she's left when even what small things she's established for herself in the harem are taken away, thus, unlike either Mahidevran or Hatice, she separates the outside forces from her pain altogether, pinning the blame only on herself (as seen by her scene with SS in E15). How can they be a part of her pain when she can confide in them so much? She's gained the support of others, sure, but her past isn't really brought up by anyone except herself when push comes to shove: that only stays inside her and within all those outside forces that dictate everyone's fates' grasp, the grasp of one force in particular: Allah. Gülfem goes with fate's flow, with Allah's flow (fate and Allah are constant here, but Allah is put at the most personal), only he can really console her and make everything better. What's done is done and even seeking justice is pointless, as only Allah will decide what will happen next to each and every one of them.

But what gets all the more interesting is Gülfem's persistent advocacy in one's own capability to step up and improve their own life, albeit with outside help. In Hatice, Gülfem doesn't see a mere mirror of herself, but someone who has the agency she doesn't have, the position and resources she can't have, so she, unlike Gülfem, shouldn't just stand there and wait for the outside forces to dictate her life and take away what was taken away from Gülfem herself. She should lean on Allah for help, she'll always have Gülfem's own support as well, but she should act and only if there's nothing more that can be done, then she can wait and hope for the best, but not do something drastic the way Gülfem tried to once. It has clearly taken a lot of strength out of Gülfem to keep going, a strength she perhaps didn't think she had (and that was probably due to Allah too as a presumed sharer of her suffering), so she advocates for others too to find their inner strength and believe in the best, always (even if Gülfem doesn't find herself capable to do so, she can find her solace in others doing it; until of course, all these others, all her loved ones disappear in their failed rebellions which causes Gülfem to finally rebel herself, ceasing to rely on any outside force). Or else they would just be more miserable. That is the theme in her relationship with seers and the superstitious: she didn't want Hatice to go to Yakup Efendi again in E37 because she doesn't need him, whatever he says shouldn't stop her efforts to get better (and besides, the future isn't entirely in his hands, either) but it may worsen things for her if she actually goes, bringing her only worry and disappointment (as it happened). She wants for Hatice not to take all the bad omens she gets into heart, to brush them off completely as they can't fully control her life, they can't be that final say; for a while she merely advices though, if she actively does something against them, it's to prevent Hatice from becoming more miserable. But the more desperate the people around Gülfem get and the more she loses them, the wearier she becomes of what they're doing and she tries to stop them in some way (this includes Hatice's dealings with Saliha Hatun). This is why Gülfem is the most down-to-earth and the least tied to seers, the superstitious and the "magical" out of the three. She actively strives to avoid them.

Mahidevran's reliance on outside forces, her faith in Allah is established as a major part of her character right from the start, this is how she's learned to survive in a place she otherwise feels helpless and alone in; such a major part, in fact, that it's there even at one of the closest peaks we get of her past: her E55 monologue ("I prayed to Allah to help me"), perhaps clearly signifying that she's already too ingrained in this environment, that she's already adopted this culture as her own (Süleiman, Hafsa, Hatice, all of them are already her family that has likely completely overtaken any trace of the past). Her faith in the supreme justice (unlike her relationship with fate) always remains strong and consistent, only growing more and more with every experience. But what about her relationship with soothsayers, perhaps her most changing (as in foundational) relationship with an outside force??? S02 presents an interesting nonsequential throughline: in E26, when Yakup Efendi is first mentioned and appears, we learn that he was kicked out from the palace namely because of Mahidevran. We see her having rejected him, and perhaps having rejected soothsayers in general due to bad, terrifying prophesies. She was never associated with soothsayers at all before then anyway (unlike, say, Hafsa) and there we find out why. But she's apparently accepted/embraced soothsayers once - in her E55 monologue she also mentions that she had her fortunes told and they were good fortunes, pointing at the fulfillment of her desire to be with SS then ("...That I would go through a golden road and earn my desire.") and that incited her, assured her future happiness, making it almost a given. In spite of the monologue itself too pointing at all of Mahidevran's mixed feelings at the moment (that include the soothsaying, as she had then what she's long lost now and with SS's illness she gets to grapple with that for yet another time), the soothsaying clearly remains a part of the good memory to her, maybe even a cause for it, as her tone still recounts the yearning and excitement of that day, as fresh as they've ever been. It's still unclear whether Mahidevran sought the soothsayer herself or her fortunes were told in an official visit of the soothsayer (how she says it all indicates the latter more), or whether this was prophecied by another soothsayer or Yakup Efendi himself (the latter is far more likely again as Yakup was mentioned to have been the palace seer in E26), but it's palpable how that prophecy moved Mahidevran and shaped her going forward - it seems like she's really clung to it as a mark of her feelings and her prosperous future and has started to take seers and their prophesies more into account. And when she hears that one haunting prophecy which says of her not having anymore children, she can't take it. It's way too devastating to be true, so it has to be immediately discarded. Yakup has to be immediately removed of his position in order to stop saying things that make people mad, that make them tremble and shake them and the lives they've secured to their very cores. This is another reason why losing her child in E03, losing Süleiman, him not touching her even when he calls her again afterwards and Gülşah daring to even suggest that she might be pregnant in spite of all these odds aches so. She's experiencing in real time the effects of a faraway prophecy she's tried so hard to move past.

So when she sees that this particular outside force has rebuffed her, she renounces it, moving towards an outside force above it instead: just like she enlisted Ibrahim to kick Yakup out (he can't object an order), she leans on Allah (is there anyone above Allah?) for that prophecy to be avoided, for the good to come and overcome everything instead, all of this thus fueling her belief in divine justice even more. No one, not even seers, can foresee or interfere with the will of Allah. The good is there and it has to come from somewhere. And each time one force fails, Mahidevran moves to another, testing them all, from the tangible (her supporters) to the more and more intangible (seers, fate), but in the end, she always returns to Allah as the only fully reliable force as all the others still follow their own "agenda" regardless (when she loses her supporters and loved ones, she starts leaning on Allah entirely, but finding the kind of inner strength fully within herself she didn't believe she really had before as well, through letting her remaining loved ones go as well; the reverse of Gülfem's arc). Nothing can ease Mahidevran more than Allah and his supreme justice coming in eventually. But seers have hurt her especially and she doubts them even more due to the wound they've inflicted, labeling them and abhoring their practices, especially the ones applying magic: she distrusted the seer Hatice called in E86 ("...I don't hear good things about this woman. They say she's a witch. (...) What use will she be to you?"), wanting to send her off even during her "ritual' and disapproving of her arrival in Topkapi in E87. Those who come with bad omens, upset people and mess with their lives have to be involved with something bad, with these incomprehensible powers, they have to be bad themselves (is this why Mahidevran calls Hürrem a "witch" too?). This also plays part in Mahidevran's belief in the superstitious - she might have believed in it too previously, but she pays attention to it even more given the bad stuff likely to happen that always lies in her mind deep down, and will do so even more with each loss. She almost commodifies herself with the superstitious, because it immediately tells her what exactly to avoid in order for the bad stuff not to happen; it's a distant yet reachable enough force that's also part of who she is in this harem (it's no wonder she's the character who introduces superstitions the most - the impact of broken mirror(s), the snake as bad luck etc.). This is the only way she can be more laid-back towards a soothsayer too (along with her prophesies not being entirely about her), with her what recounting Remmal Elmas is known for to Aybige in E46.

Unlike both Gülfem and Mahidevran, Hatice is established as quite wary of outside forces right from the start, albeit going with their flow in the first episodes (similarly to Gülfem). She is met with their finality and their inescapability early on; she's experienced enough in the past to believe that she can't avoid them at all when they come, especially if they are dictated namely by her closest. How can she defy her fate? How can she disappoint her loved ones? How can she stand against what she believes in even if it breaks her? Well, that is right until she reaches happiness against all odds. For once, she can see the outside environment in a suprisingly more favorable light, with her getting the chance to be with Ibrahim and her closest approving of it. This doesn't last for long, though, as they're quickly separated and she goes through a great misfortune that brings back her distrust in outside forces, amplifying it. But there's one outside force she starts leaning on more and more as time goes by: the soothsayers, Yakup Efendi in particular. She is clearly reluctant to call him at all at first namely due to his reputation (she generally seems to get even more uncertain and concerned if her closest have a bad view of what she's uncertain and concerned about as well), but her own worries, along with Hürrem's, push her to go for it anyway - both her E26 and E37/8 calls of him are hesitant, but she always chooses certainty over inaction. Because she's lived in the unknown for too long, she's aware more than anyone that the misfortune can come unexpectedly and from any place, she's terrified of one particular tragedy happening all over again (her losing her children), so she seeks guidance, any guidance she can get to know how to proceed next. She has to be absolutely sure that she and her family are going to be safe. For she wants to have someone to tell her for certain that it'll all be alright for once. That their happiness is secure for once. That there'll be nothing to prevent it for once. And the only one who can do all that is the seer, because he goes beyond empty reassurances that can't calm anyone down, he's in touch with all the outside forces beyond anyone's reach (so he's safe and can be counted on in that regard). And Hatice trusts the outside forces as much as she can control them. Even if the seer tells her something bad, she'll know what to look out for, she'll try to control it. At the end of the day, she just searches for the truth. Will everything really be okay? Will they really have peace or will a member of her family be gone for good (E38)? She feels powerless when everything points at Yakup's second prophecy becoming true: it becomes the center of all the bad outside forces for quite some time (it all leads to this, doesn't it?), so she waits for it to be fulfilled any second now (SS elevating Ibrahim in E39, Ibrahim's poisoned arrow and absense in E43-4 etc). The more bad things happen, the more Hatice ultimately leans on the outside forces she feared so much, directing them herself.

Hatice's belief in the superstitious (i.e. the statues) is similar: she's already so accustomed to bad things happening due to external forces (and her bad feelings ending up correct, on top of it!; btw, early S01 Hatice is the more stagnant aftermath period, not her norm) that she reads everything as a sign. She's used to looking for signs, she needs signs to prepare for what will await her and caution accordingly. She confronts the unfamiliar, rejecting it entirely, in order for it to go away too. Of course, the way she believes in the superstitious is also influenced by her closest and who she is. But no matter what she does, the signs Hatice desperately searches for won't leave her and she can't help but sink deeper and deeper into them and what they mean; the more she feels she loses her agency and the more people disappoint her, the most unreachable, intangible outside forces she gets into, nearly embracing them. If she can't stop them, she has to work with them, in spite of how uncertain or scary it might be. That is at its peak in S03 when she starts dealing with black magic in order to eliminate Hürrem and she searches for the whereabouts of Ibrahim's grave through unusual means. Magic is fundamentally about making things happen and Hatice wants to seek accountability and gain closure all by herself as there's no one else left to completely trust anymore. If they won't help her but only hinder her, if they don't give her what she asks of them (they can't because they don't want her to have it for one reason or another, because they've taken it away themselves!), she'll make it happen through these other ways. It's her only option now. From being wary of a seer (a "witch" in this case) due to their fame and abilities, to their fame and abilities being the very reasons why she's calling them in the first place. She wants them to do exactly what they're known for in spite of any possible danger, even for herself. She won't stop at anything until they've all fulfilled their purpose. She almost "engulfs herself" in their practices, no matter how wrong it may seem (her regrets in E90 can signal towards this). Hatice has always been most tied with all of it anyway, so why not dig in deeper? What else is there to lose? Hatice's faith in Allah is also fascinating in that it isn't as prominent. She of course prays to him for Ibrahim to come back safe and sound for the campaigns and brings him up sometimes in her fury towards someone ("Allah will punish you" etc.), but not much outside of that. Is it because Allah is the biggest outside force she can't even try to reach? Or is it perhaps because his ways and will turn out reminders of all the undesired paths she has to follow?

[statementlou]

my post yesterday about why I don't really care if Louis Tomlinson supports starbucks shocked me by actually circulating and getting notes and obviously I like validation and appreciation.... but I feel kind of weird about my big contribution to the topic being something that might come off as discouraging attempts to help Palestine. Feeling powerless in the face of such injustice is horrible and scary and traumatizing and while there are certain things that I do not think make much difference (like boycotting irrelevant targets), that's NOT how I feel about the situation in general! We CAN make a difference and help the Palestinian people! It can feel impossible to fight against all that power and propaganda and military might- but it has been done successfully over and over, colonialism has been destroyed in one place after another a hundred times in the last century, apartheid regimes have fallen, occupations have ended, because over and over, always, even all the military might in the literal world is less powerful than a united front of the PEOPLE. As Ursula K LeGuin said, "We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings", and as Louis Tomlinson said "The power and magic comes from the people, you guys. Don't undermine your role in all of this" and "get off the 'gram and into the streets"!

Under the cut are things you can do that I believe actually directly impact the Palestinian people and the Israeli government, including some easy ones, and the key to a successful movement is to have every type of contribution, to have NUMBERS. However- it is also necessary to have people willing to do the actual work of fighting injustice, not just changing their consumer habits or yelling at people online. I strongly encourage people to explore becoming physically involved in activist work, and not to see it as yet another tiring obligation but rather as a way to help yourself feel less overwhelmed and exhausted. Feeling powerless and defenseless is a trauma that follows us into every corner of our lives, but standing up and working for change can not only save lives, but is good for your own mental health as well, I promise.

I can't make you an exhaustive list of resources, only tell you some tactics that I believe are actually useful. I'm not an expert or whatever, but I have been actively involved in social justice advocacy, activism, and direct action for over 20 years and am drawing on that history of both things that worked and were great and things that were not from my personal experiences. Thank you to @captainrayzizuniverse for helping me (but she didn't see the post any stupid things said by mistake are entirely on me), and especially for pointing out a big (typical white person) slip up, which was to almost forget the very first item on this list: Listen to, support, and amplify Palestinian voices!!! The whole starbucks issue wouldn't even exist if people just went by this single important guideline and did the things Palestinians were asking for rather than making up other things to do instead. In life altogether, and speaking as a disabled person god does this come up a lot: if you want to help someone, start by asking them what they need and then do that even if it isn't what you think they should want. Don't fucking wing it!! Join local groups organizing for Palestine: the people united are powerful, but only if they are united and working in large groups! Join a group! This is hard because... how? who? And I can't answer that for everyone but I can tell you that in the US JVP (Jewish Voice for Peace) is doing a huge amount of very accessible recruiting, you can just join (you don't need to be Jewish) and get involved straightaway in the great actions they're putting on. PYM (Palestinian Youth Movement) is not open to everyone to join but you should definitely follow them on SM to keep up on actions and maybe find ways to support. If you're a student I bet there is some kind of group at your school?

Go to protests: protest works, period. The general politician rule of thumb is that anyone who bothers to actually go out and march represents 10-100 voters. When they look at the numbers (like- '500-1000 people protested the most recent bill you signed') they do this math and they worry. But also honestly if it's something you can manage- it's good for you. It helps. Even if you just go alone and don't talk to anyone, being in a crowd of hundreds of people feeling the same things you are, caring as much as you do, it helps. If you can, yell along to the chants as loud as you can. Get fired up and use that energy to keep going and not despair!

Call and write officials: if you live in the US or UK this is HUGE. What I said above about how they count people at protests as standing for more people who didn't bother but agree? Same with phone calls for sure, it REALLY pressures them. Many orgs make this really easy- I get emails all the time with links to send a letter in a single click or click to call and all you have to do is read the script, get on some lists I guess? But many sites also have this feature, JVP does for example

Support BDS: the Palestinian led BDS have been doing the work of isolating and chipping away at Israel for 19 years and like I said, the actions of the masses only work if we are united behind a few strategic targets rather than all over the place; they have made this possible. It's good to avoid buying from the companies they target; even better to work on the big divestment campaigns. For example, student groups pressuring the big universities to divest from BDS targets echo the successful University divestment efforts that helped end apartheid in South Africa.

Send money: money helps, immediately and concretely, and again if we are many, each person doesn't have to do a lot. Do what you can spare, it all adds up. This has been painful with Gaza for sure, with millions donating but aid being blocked. I don't have The Answer but here's a group I found that actually seems to be getting aid in, and here's a spread sheet of gofundmes- note that people who have foreign passports do not have to pay the horrible border crossing fees, so you may wish to focus on funding those who don't have that privilege. this could maybe be better and there was some other stuff I wanted to say about doing activism to tie up the "activism as self care" thing from above and also bringing it back around to talk about Louis more but I'm tired and I'm hungry right now and this is a lot already. So. Bye lol sorry. send me asks if any of that is something you care about or want to hear

[torque-witch]

Death’s Head Divination is collaborating with Slow Mornings Co. to bring you a silly sticker design + ways you can support your local communities and global issues as we move forward through uncertain times 🌿

SMC’s “C(r)apitalism” slogan centers the idea that capitalism causes harm through extracting resources from both people and the planet to fuel a system that benefits only the few at the top. Survival within it is necessary while we work to divest and destroy it though. Thus we need to focus on mutual aid networks, free resources, community care and slowing down despite our common struggle.

The sticker itself represents how quickly technology becomes irrelevant under this system (who remembers Blackberries?) while contributing to pollution and exploitation. While we both recognize stickers aren’t an answer to environmentalism, they are accessible ways to support creators directly and get messages out to your communities.

Following this though, we would like to donate $1 of every sticker sale to Friends of the Congo - a 501(c)(3) advocacy organization that partners with Congolese to bring change to the DRC, where cobalt extraction for phones and computers is rampant and exploitative.

Additionally, we have launched a submission form where you can add your local community’s free and accessible resources to a growing directory for everyone to use. This could include free fridges, libraries, inclusive places of worship, food banks, shelters, businesses, online events, inclusive legal and health resources, etc. This includes within the US and globally, wherever you live.

Submission Form

C(r)apitalism Sticker Pre-Order

Donate to Friends of the Congo

[eretzyisrael]

by Romany Shaker

An Islamist organization that advocates for violent jihadis in Britain is setting up shop in the United States. CAGE International, which portrays counter-Islamists in Europe as "Islamophobes," is preparing to do the same thing in the U.S. The organization recently solicited donations from donors in the U.S. with the help of Omar Suleiman and Daniel Haqiqatjou. The two imams, who represent the progressive and conservative wings of American Islamism, have called on their U.S. followers to support which made a name for itself in the years after 9/11 by advocating for terrorists serving time in Guantanamo Bay.

The organization hasn't released the numbers about the amount of money it has raised in the U.S., but overall, it seems to have done pretty well, raising £650,000 (approximately $828,000) through its "Supporting Our Heroes: From Guantanamo to Gaza" fundraising campaign launched during Ramadan, which took place this past spring. At the very least, CAGE's American partners helped it to exploit Hamas's October 7 massacre to promote its Islamist brand to Muslims globally, particularly those living in the U.S.

For his part, Haqiqatjou shared a post in March 2024 on his X account featuring CAGE International outreach director Moazzam Begg's call on Western Muslims to support his organization and endorsed its activism and advocacy as "another important cause."

These baby steps help pave the way for CAGE International to gain a foothold in the United States, especially as the British Islamist organization announced its efforts to expand its global reach and influence under the new brand "CAGE International."

Background – What is CAGE?

Given that public officials and counter-Islamists in the United States have little exposure to CAGE International's antics, a primer is in order. Here is what decision-makers need to know about the organization.

Established as a company by Adnan Rasheed Siddiqui in 2007 in London, the Islamist organization, which was initially known as CagePrisoners has gone through two rebrandings, emerging first as CAGE in 2013 and as CAGE International in 2023.

The group, which is currently registered as "Cage Advocacy UK Ltd," describes itself as "an independent advocacy organization" working to "challenge War on Terror inspired state oppression and empower communities to dismantle the discourses and policies of the global War on Terror." Cloaked in the guise of religion, human rights, and social justice, CAGE International claims that it seeks to "revive divine justice." To that end, the Islamist organization invokes the invented concept of "Islamophobia" and spearheads campaigns advocating for Al-Qaeda actors, Islamists, and convicted terrorists.

[theinwardlight]

A Friends meeting is not a social activist or advocacy group, a political party, or a social service organization. At its heart, a meeting is a body of people covenanted to steward an opportunity for worship—for encountering the transforming power of God together, for opening ourselves to be shaped by these encounters over time, and for accompanying one another with patience and courage as we imperfectly live out the implications of this experience of Divine Love with us in the world, in each aspect of our lives.

Noah Merrill, "Encouragements for Our Meetings in a Time of Crisis", New England Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Adam Kredo

Kamala Harris's newly appointed head of Arab-American outreach once accused Zionists of "controlling" American politics, echoing an anti-Semitic trope that suggests Jews nefariously manipulate global affairs.

"The Zionists have a strong voice in American politics," Brenda Abdelall, an Egyptian-American lawyer and former Department of Homeland Security official, said in a 2002 interview with the New York Sun while attending the American Muslim Council's annual convention. "I would say they're controlling a lot of it."

Abdelall, whom Harris tapped earlier this week to help galvanize Arab voters, made the remarks after a speaker at the event, anti-Israel professor Jamil Fayez, said that "Zionists are destroying America." Responding to his remarks, Abdelall said that while "'destroying' is a harsh word," supporters of the Jewish state do control American politics.

The American Muslim Council's 2002 confab also provided attendees with a chance to meet anti-Semitic former congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D., Ga.), who famously blamed Jews for the 9/11 terror attack and attended a 2009 Holocaust-denial gathering in London. Her father similarly blamed Jews when she lost her congressional seat shortly after the 2002 conference. "Jews have bought everybody. Jews. J-E-W-S," he said.

Abdelall's appointment comes as Harris works to appease members of her party's liberal flank who want her to more aggressively confront the Jewish state and undermine its war on Hamas, including by cutting off arms sales. Harris has praised pro-Hamas campus protesters as "showing exactly what the human emotion should be, as a response to Gaza." In March, she accused Israel of stoking "humanitarian catastrophe."

Abdelall joins several other Harris campaign advisers who have a history of pressuring Israel and advocating increased relations with Iran. They include Harris's national security adviser, Phil Gordon, who is the subject of a congressional probe into his ties to a member of an Iranian government influence network. Ilan Goldenberg, Harris's liaison to the Jewish community, has faced scrutiny for his ties to the anti-Israel group J Street, as well as championing closer ties to Tehran.

Harris also appointed a veteran Israel critic, the Rev. Jen Butler, to conduct outreach to the faith community. Butler has come under fire for working alongside anti-Semitic activist Linda Sarsour.

Abdelall also is a veteran of the anti-Israel advocacy world.

During the 2002 American Muslim Council event, she suggested that the election defeat of former congressman Earl Hilliard Sr. (D., Ala.) "shows the Jewish influence in politics," according to the Sun. At the time, Hilliard had faced criticism from pro-Israel groups for voting against a congressional resolution condemning Palestinian suicide bombers.

Abdelall's mother founded the American Muslim Council's Ann Arbor branch, helping the anti-Israel advocacy group expand its presence across the country, according to the Sun.

The Harris campaign defended Adelall, saying that as a DHS official, she "worked closely on the implementation of the country's first National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism" and "led efforts for the first United We Stand summit, a White House event to counter hate-fueled violence."

"We are proud to add her to the campaign."

The American Muslim Council has long courted controversy for spreading anti-Israel propaganda.

In 2003, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D., N.Y.) blasted the group's former executive director, Eric Erfan Vickers, for claiming "that the recent tragic loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia and its entire crew was an act of divine retribution against Israel, and attributable to the presence of the first Israeli astronaut on the mission."

Vickers at the time said he saw "a sign in the calamitous destruction of the one hundred and thirteenth space shuttle mission taking place over a city named Palestine, while on board was the first Israeli astronaut." Nadler described the remarks as "unthinkable."

[the-banks-of-lethe]

Temporary Introduction

Khaire! Hello and welcome to the Banks of Lethe! This is a shrine / devotional blog to Lord Hypnos, god of sleep.

This is NOT a fandom or roleplay blog. This is a religious space and should not be treated like a fandom at any point. Thank you.

This is a safe space for everyone; BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ (including neo + xenogenders), nonhumans, disabled peoples, neurodivergent + mentally ill peoples, systems; EVERYONE. All are welcome in the arms of sleep of course. There is a ZERO tolerance policy for hate.

[ this is just a temporay introduction cause I'm too tired to make a fancy one right now :,) ]

A bit about me:

This blog is run by Alek (he/him), me, hi! How are you?

A lil bit about me! I’m Australian, so if you see me posting at different times to you, then that’s why. Also, I’m a minor, so please keep nsfw out of this area - that being said, there will be posts that include non-sexual / artistic nudity, mostly statues or devotional art! Swearing is fine, but please keep it to a minimum.

I am a transman and unlabelled sexuality wise (pan maybe? Idk). In real life I’m on a youth pride committee that does a bunch of advocacy in my city and state! So I can be pretty passionate on my views, but other views are always welcomed and considered (as long as you’re respectful ofc). In my free time I like drawing, writing (poems especially!!), gardening, reading, research, crochet, and I’ve recently gotten back into painting!

Personally, I am devoted to Lord Hypnos and Lady Aphrodite. I also actively worship Lord Helios, Lord Dionysos, and Lord Thanatos. Also, but not as often as I'd like, King Zeus, Lord Apollon, Queen Hera, Lord Ares, Lady Demeter, and Lord Hermes. Yes, I know this looks like a lot, but again, I'm not as active in a lot of their worship as I want to be. All gods and divinities have a place in my heart and respect in my mind.

A bit about this blog:

Obviously, this is a place of worship for Lord Hypnos, god and daimon of sleep. Although this blog is centered around Hypnos, it will also feature his family and other divinities that surround some of His mythos. You may see posts on Thanatos, Nyx, Pasithea, Morpheus, Hera, etc. At the end of the day this is a helpol blog and the worship and veneration of all deities (not just Hypnos' family or cthonic gods) is welcome here with open arms.

I have a scheduele of what I might like to post and when - I might not stick to it exactly, its more of a guide for me. But here it is;

Monday: Hypnos' day (UPG) - A prayer / hymn / poem to Hypnos, along with an offering, and a little question for you guys to think about to start the week ;) Tuesday: N/A - Reblogs or any random posts if I'm able Wednesday: A more community-focused day - answering any questions or asks (though I'll probably respond to asks as soon as I can), maybe a poll for the topic of the week. Thursday: N/A - Same as Tuesday Friday: Research day - Really just a big post on anything. Dreams, mythology, sleep science, interpretations, art analysis, festivals or holidays. Kind of like a deep dive day (all related to Hypnos / the gods). An information dump! Saturday: N/A - Same as Tues + Thurs Sunday: 'Reset' day: Kind of a wellbeing check in. Sleep or meditation tips, ways to relax during the coming week, breathing exercises, affirmations / quotes, gratitude from the week + focus for the next week - All just ideas, I'm not gonna do all of these at once.

What might you see on here?:

Prayers / hymns / poems

Devotional art / activities in general + offerings

His modern + ancient worship

Info about Him (his mythos, associations, etc.)

Info about His family

Information on sleep

Meditation / relaxation talk

Dream meanings + interpretation

The sub/unconscious mind + Shadow work

Personal interactions with Him (cartomancy, tarot, pendulum, clairs, meditations, etc.)

And anything else you would like to see!

I'll probably have polls for what the next topic to talk about should be; but don't count on it. Also, any suggestions or questions or anything you'd like to say / see are all welcome! Please, I want to make this a place for everybody, for community, any suggestion helps <3

I asked Lord Hypnos if He had anything He wanted to say before I made this blog; and He said I have a choice. I can either use this as a platform for me, and isolate myself, or make it a place of community for people to share the adoration of the gods - I'm choosing the second option.

I'll add tags soon eventually maybe 😭 (all I got for now is 'the banks of lethe' to tag my posts)

I hope if you're reading this you are well; may the gods bless you, and sweet dreams <3

Xaire Hypnos!

[sincerely-sofie]

you shouldnt need some get-out-of-bigotry-free card from your religious doctrine in order to be a good person. thats not how good people decide things. good people do something to help rather than explain how theyre definitely not associated with bigots because of the fine-print.

do you even care about all the injustice and pain and murder in the world because of christian hatred, or do you think is all a rules-game and we all get to go to a morally-acceptable afterlife in the end? do you give a s*** or are you going to keep making excuses for yourself so you dont have to re-examine what you believe and why?

you cant excise out the hatred and shame from any of it. every institution in the world was built on that- the original intent of god or jesus or whoever the f*** doesnt matter, because thats lost. it has been for a long time.

you want to believe in god? or a doctrine of harmony and acceptance and justice? make one up. you can do a better job.

This was quite the message to wake up to. I'm sorry for taking a while to respond, I wanted to give it as much care as I could while also being punctual in my response, and those are some tricky things to juggle. I'm putting the rest of this post under a cut for those who'd like to avoid this discussion.

I'm assuming you're responding to my previous posts where I talked about my being Christian and my perspective on people's divine right to choose the way they live and believe, and answered some responses to my initial points. But I'm really confused as to what “get-out-of-bigotry-free card” you're referring to. Are you talking about how I described agency? That wasn't intended to be seen in any way like you've described it. I also didn't ever boast about being a good person as this message seems to imply. I try to be a good person, but I don't wave it about on a flag to brag about. 

I'm sorry if this is presumptuous to say, but you're coming at me with a very hostile, angry tone while assuming many things about what I've said and who I am as a person. I'm sorry that what I've said has clearly hurt you in order to have gotten this reaction, but I'm a human being as much as you are. If you are hurting, I want to talk about that hurt in a calm way. We don't need to sling curse words or accusations to do so. 

For the first point of your second paragraph— do you even care about all the injustice and pain and murder in the world because of christian hatred, or do you think is all a rules-game and we all get to go to a morally-acceptable afterlife in the end— yes, I do care. It disgusts me that people have warped a message of love and charity into something so repulsive that they can use to justify acts of malice and hatred. Christian hatred is a fundamentally vile phrase to me, because Christianity is defined in my religion as “taking upon you the name of Christ”— which essentially means striving to live to be as much like Jesus as possible. Jesus wasn't hateful. Jesus wasn't cruel. Jesus was shown a woman who was set to be stoned to death and told the people who brought her forward to mind their own business and think about their own lives, then bent down and offered her compassion and comfort. As for myself, there's circumstances in my life that prevent me from doing much concrete advocacy for many causes, but I speak and vote where I can to make the world a happier place, protect people's rights, and defend them against predatory behavior. I'm unfamiliar with the phrase “rules-game” and couldn't find a definition for it, so I can't answer that portion of your question directly, but I believe that the afterlife is fundamentally morally acceptable, yes. I wouldn't be following a religion that I found immoral on a doctrinal level.  

For the second question of that first paragraph: I'm not going to use the same phrasing as you, but I do give a hoot. I also didn't try to make any excuses for myself. I'm confused as to where you felt like I did so. I do regularly consider my belief system and why I believe it, as well as consider the journey I've taken with my faith. I've identified myself as an atheist and an agnostic at various points in life before coming back to Christianity. To put it in a nutshell, I've done a lot of thinking on the subject throughout the years and have grappled with a lot of things about my religion that I didn't understand when I was younger, until I got a better recognition of them. I am not a blind follower of my faith. 

You said “you can't excise out the hatred and shame from any of it. Every institution in the world was built on that- the original intent of God or Jesus or whoever(…) doesn't matter, because that's lost.” I don't think we'll agree on this point, because we're coming at this from two very different worldviews. My church doesn't believe humanity is a gaggle of kids that God left in a hot car in some cosmic parking lot. We believe in God communicating with people throughout every era— He's still talking to and guiding humanity. We call ourselves the restored church because we believe in continuing revelation, that God isn't done revealing the Gospel to us in its entirety. We've got the fundamentals, yes, but we're still learning the deeper stuff, and God is here to hold our hands along the way.

The fact that there is any hatred or shame involved is not something God wants for us. That's something that came into religion from humans, because we're mortal, and we have vices, grudges, flaws, and temptations. We're not perfect, and we bring imperfection wherever we go. That's why we have God directing us to try and improve constantly— to turn the other cheek and remove the beam from our own eye before commenting on the mote in our brother's. We're on individual paths to God, and it's not any one person's place to judge another's life. That's what God's here for, and He's the only one qualified to do it by virtue of knowing us so well that He recognizes the struggles and reasonings behind where we unwillingly fall short. He also recognizes when people act with intentional malice even where we wouldn't see any, and is able to judge accordingly. 

Judging by your final paragraph— you want to believe in god? or a doctrine of harmony and acceptance and justice? make one up. you can do a better job— if I'm reading this right, you believe the concept of God is fundamentally discordant, unaccepting, and unjust. We're coming at this from opposing worldviews if this is the case, and aren't going to agree. I believe in a God who is kind and wants to see us succeed. It doesn't seem like you feel the same. I'm sorry, but I don't have much else I can say on the subject. I won't change your mind when this seems like a very vital facet of your belief system, if the conviction you write with is any indicator. You won't change my mind when a caring, present God is something I've experienced so frequently that I can't see the world through any other lens.

I'm sorry that what I said previously seems to have hurt and upset you. It wasn't my intent. I hope that this response is able to communicate that along with my perspective.