#druidism

[boymanmaletheshequel]

Subtle ways to honor Nike 🏅🪽

- be a good sport in competition, don’t be a sore loser, and don’t be a boastful winner.

- that being said, it’s ok to celebrate your victories, so celebrate them!

- play a competitive video game (smash bros, Mario kart, ect) with a friend or loved one

- play a card or board game with a friend or loved one

- engage in a competitive sport like football or soccer.

- don’t cheat in games or sports

- take time to strategize your victories, wether that be mentally, or physically.

- don’t let people take advantage or get the better of you

- defend yourself or your loved ones against those who seek them wrong.

- learn the best paths to victory, and master them.

- encourage friendly competition in those around you.

- try your best to win an argument

- watch competitive sports like the superbowl as much as you’re willing to.

- support winners and prop them up when they deserve it.

- vote in your local and national elections for who you want to be the Victor.

[zagreusian]

Happy Solstice!

☀️🌿🌾🌱🪐

[aleck-le-mec]

“Where are your pagan gods now?”

Gardening

Comforting your abandoned dead

Reclaiming

Rerooting

[vox-anglosphere]

Sunrise at 4:51 am illuminates the ancient megaliths of Stonehenge

[the-hermit-at-midnight]

"Witches' Night" is here!

May Day Eve (Apr 30) is Walpurgisnacht (Walpurgis Night) across parts of Europe.

Known as "the other Halloween", it's a time when witches and evil spirits take to the skies for a little mischief.

[thegoodmorningman]

You like this picture? I "drew it"!

[modark]

Unfinished portraits of Irish gods from 2021

[woundedsoul12]

[aodhan-art]

A commission of Brigid for @bloodtreachery (awww, it was SUCH a pleasure to do it!). I put an emphasis on her aspect as a poet, hence the fire of poetry ablaze! The poem in the flames is a liberal translation of these lines from The Hosting of the Sidhe into Old Irish (courtesy of my wonderful husband):

...if any gaze on our rushing band, We come between him and the deed of his hand, We come between him and the hope of his heart.

[jstor]

Seventeenth-century English antiquarians thought that Stonehenge was built by Celtic Druids. They were relying on the earliest written history they had: Julius Caesar’s narrative of his two unsuccessful invasions of Britain in 54 and 55 BC. Caesar had said the local priests were called Druids. John Aubrey (1626–1697) and William Stukeley (1687–1765) cemented the Stonehenge/Druid connection, while self-styled bard Edward Williams (1747–1826), who changed his name to Iolo Morganwg, invented “authentic” Druidic rituals. Druidism has come a long way since. In 2010, The Druid Network was listed as a charity in England and Wales, essentially marking the official recognition of Druidism as a religion. (74,000 called themselves Druids in a recent census.) Historian Carole M. Cusack positions Druidism as one of the branches of the tree of Paganism and/or New Age-ism(s), which burst into all sorts of growth during the twentieth century. Modern Druidism fits into the smorgasbord of what Cusack calls the “deregulated spiritual marketplace” of our times. But there’s a disconnect here. In the popular imagination, Stonehenge and Druidism now go together like tea and crumpets. Historically, Stonehenge, a product of Neolithic Britain, predates Caesar by thousands of years. It had nothing to do with Druids and certainly nothing to do with modern Druidism. “The false association of [Stonehenge] with the Druids has persisted to the present day,” Cusak writes, “and has become a form of folklore or folk-memory that has enabled modern Druids to obtain access and a degree of respect in their interactions with Stonehenge and other megalithic sites.”

Learn more from our friends at JSTOR Daily in “Stonehenge Before the Druids (Long, Long, Before The Druids)” by Matthew Wills.

Image credit: Spectators gather at Stonehenge to watch a group of Druids carry out the Dawn Ceremony on the summer solstice, or longest day of the year, 1956. Getty.

[boymanmaletheshequel]

Some subtle ways to honor Hermes 🪽💌

- Help guide or instruct lost or confused travelers to their destinations if you know how to

- regularly text and keep up with your loved ones and friends

- don’t snitch on shoplifters

- play string instruments like harp, guitar, or violin.

- be kind and respectful to your mail carriers

- enjoy your road-trips, vacations, or other travels.

- watch or support gymnastics events

- pirate media kept from you by corporate streaming services (hehe)

- watch and support those speaking in public

- engage in nuanced and eloquent conversations with people you interact with.

- invest in something that will bring you monetary wealth

- go for a nice drive or bus/train ride

- eat strawberries or strawberry flavored things

- be respectful and understanding of clerks, wage workers, and shopkeepers.

- watch the Olympics and especially the gymnastics.

If you like this post, and want to learn more about the gods of Hellen and Hellenic worship, please consider giving me a follow! I post daily. Blessed be your day 🏛️💙

[manesthia]

Thoughts on Halsin as an "atypical druid"

I've seen a number of excellent metas lately about Halsin's atypical druidism (the fact that he does not abhor the undead, does not have complete control over his wildshape, etc.). While I agree completely with those points, I've also noticed a tendency to sometimes frame this as Halsin being a "bad" druid or never really belonging with the druids in the first place. And I strongly disagree with that. I feel that Halsin's druidism is a core aspect of his character and implying that he is somehow "bad at it" robs him of something essential. The fact that he is a unique, complex character with far more depth than just "typical DnD druid" doesn't mean that he is not still a druid at heart - and a pretty formidable one, at that.

I see him as a character who has something in common with the nature deities and magician-priests of ancient myth and legend: Merlin (a mentor whose teachings are rooted in the natural world; who guides kings rather than wishing to rule himself; who mediates between the kingdom of men and animals; and who changes into an animal) and Dionysus (who celebrates multiplicity, fluidity, nature-based wisdom, carnal pleasure, the subversion of unnatural restraints - and who also shapeshifts, by the way). Druidism informs Halsin's entire belief system, ranging from his view on relationships (Halsin never uses the word 'polyamory'; instead, he speaks of "doing as nature does" and explains all of his preferences with nature metaphors - "the bear partners as its instinct dictates", etc.) to the importance he places on community. Halsin is unhappy as Archdruid not because he is just an incompetent leader or can't get along with other druids, but because he is so in tune with nature that he only thrives in communities with a structure more like the branching network of roots or mycelia - like our group of "weirdos" or his rebuilt community in Reithwin. He does know how to guide, counsel, and mediate - all of which are essential leadership abilities. But he needs to be part of an interconnected organism that grows and learns together, not the sole leader of it. To me, this is connected to his shapeshifting abilities and druidism: Halsin is connected to all other beings by literally becoming them (even if he is most attuned to his bear-shape).

Halsin speaks very highly of the grove as a place of worship (let's not forget how deeply religious Halsin is, too), but he also says that life in the grove made him feel cut off from nature. It's ironic that a druid grove runs on politics and power hierarchies (aspects of civilisation that most druids should despise), but it does. This is also a theme in a sidequest in BG2, if anyone recalls. In my opinion, the fact that Halsin feels out of place in a grove that has grown corrupted with politics and power plays actually makes him more true to core druidic beliefs, not less so.

I think the idea that Halsin doesn't get along with other druids gets taken a little too far at times, too. Members of his grove have issues with him primarily because they have been radicalised by Shadow Druids, not because Halsin is just too good-aligned for other druids in general. Note that every single druid in the grove who expresses strong anti-refugee sentiment also supports Kagha and the Rite of Thorns. Halsin welcomes outcasts into the grove because he is compassionate and empathetic as a person, yes, but also because it is part of his druidic belief in harmony, unity, and the value of life. Compare with Olodan's line:

This is not to say that I think Halsin's would never clash with other druids at all, or that I think his relationship with the grove is without friction. Obviously, part of the blame for the infiltration of the Shadow Druids falls on him. Obviously, there would be more neutral-aligned druids who would disagree with him on principle. But the fact that the previous Archdruid chose Halsin as his successor (we must assume that he did, since Halsin obviously didn't sign up for it) strongly indicates to me that the deceased, much wiser elders of the grove valued him greatly. Jaheira also repeatedly refers to him with the deepest respect.

I think it's also worth noting that there is room for nuance in druidic beliefs in the BG series. Faldorn in BG1, Cernd in BG2 and Jaheira in all three games are all very different. In many ways, Jaheira is more Harper than druid, which I think was indicated by her being a multiclassed fighter/druid in the earlier games. It also comes out in her conversation with Halsin about the Shadow Curse:

And if you tell her (speaking as Halsin) that she doesn't have to explain herself to him:

Of course, Halsin has a personal investment in lifting the Shadow Curse that Jaheira doesn't share, namely Thaniel. Only Halsin has a special connection with the very spirit of the land. This is also why he is completely unable to heal and move on until the Shadow Curse is lifted, unlike Jaheira. If the spirit of the land is wounded, then so is his own spirit. Jaheira, as a Fighter-Druid-Harper, is very much a protector of the realms as a whole (nature and civilisation), while Halsin is referred to over and over again by various NPCs as Nature's Steward, Keeper of Groves, Guardian of the Land, etc.

My argument here is not that Halsin is a more "typical" druid than Jaheira or that one is a "better" druid than the other (I love them both deeply). I'm just saying that all of this demonstrates to me how deeply intertwined Halsin's druidism is with the rest of his character. And I really, really appreciate him as a druid along with everything else he is.

I'm not really sure that I understand Tumblr etiquette regarding discussion (what is the polite way to interact with each other here? Commenting? Reblogs with hashtags? I'm too old for this site lol), but I would love to talk about this more. Please don't hesitate to comment, even if you disagree.

[vox-anglosphere]

Spectacular

[ts4wishbuildercc]

Ts4 Night elven grove from World of Warcraft (CC) 🌙

(Updated) !!!!

(functional build)

by Ts4wishbuildercc

functional night elf kitchen

+handmade treant, swimming pool and diving board XD

and magic healing relaxing in moonwell.....i know I'm horrible druid

Treehouse

stairs are in the trees (but functional, so you just have to send your sim to go upstairs someplace in the house and he/she shall find a way by themselves. (In trees are also hiding special efects from the game - so if you turn on the autumn leaves effect, it will bring you close to magic forest atmosfere.

♥

Large elven house ♥

(full functional)

Down stairs:

sry I'm not good in interiors , so do your magic. :)

First floor:

Sorry for light, i took this pictures from game in the morning.

A bedroom with functional cradle for your little elf . (I have my suspicions that the baby is a half orc..) XD

Only my Rare doesn't care... she's a well-mannered lady and here takes a bath in clothes. In the bathroom is also small bath tub for your toddler elf.

Second floor:

office of the High Priestess of the Moon and grove, sentinels room and children's room.

In the Night...❤

I have an old version of the game and I must reupload. But if you are interested in my ts4 buildings and this build, I'll try to add tray filles soon. Never done this before for another game so give me some time pls and check for changes. Then I must ask for permission of custom content authors or make a credits list with cc or download links. Sorry I am new in this entire thing. My wish is to build your favorite builds. People must have joy. That's what games are about.

Hope you like it. If you intersted in my other Ts4 fan and full functional builds from World of Warcraft , there is a link to another done: Undead Lordaeron house ! 🎃 :

And it's not the end of the collection of World of Warcraft fan mades.

PS: I'm not a creator of cc. I just build with them. Many thanks to all amazing creators.❤️