#esoteric research

[psychotaxonomy]

The Average Face of Each Zodiac Sign

The average faces for each zodiac sign calculated using Midjourney's AI to aggregate images of public figures of diverse ages with Sun/Moon/Rising and/or 3+ inner planet stelliums in each zodiac sign.

I attempted to assemble as much ethnic diversity as I could, though quality data is often lacking on people traditionally marginalized by Western history, so more work is needed on that front. Some images represent a "racial average" of 1 of each White, Black, Latinx, East Asian and West Asian appearing-averages, in efforts to make a universal standard.

Others are simply an average of the entire database.

Others are averaged by visual "types". For instance, Cancer stellium women with Gemini-Scorpio as a secondary influence seem more prone to appear in historic databases than any other sort of Cancer stellium, and are visually very identifiable. So much so that I created a category for this combination of signs amid "standard Cancer".

These averages are continually being updated as new data comes in. Each image references ~15-20 individuals whose natal chart uniquely reflects a stellium (3+ significant chart aspects) in the given sign. In most instances, gender is based on assigned sex at birth.

Referencing data gathered by friends at the Astrofaces Project and the user-submitted database at Astroseek.com, I've been able to check my averages of renowned public figures sourced in the Astrodatabank & Astrotheme databases to determine the accuracy/legitimacy of each visual average.

Notes:

You may not resemble your sun sign, because another sign may predominate your chart. Visit a site like Astro-charts.com to make a free chart & see which sign is most dominant in your chart. For maximum accuracy, you will need correct birth time & place in addition to birth date. Appearance seems to be most astrologically influenced by Sun sign, Rising sign (1st house / Ascendant), and Moon, but also by concentrations of the same sign in inner planets such as Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn. Outer celestial bodies like Uranus, Neptune & Pluto, which are said to have generational significance rather than individual significance in most cases, due to their very slow (years long) rotations around the sun.

[bigfatbreak]

Question about your changling AU, where did you learn about the ins and outs of Fae and Changling myths? I'm interested in learning too but not sure where to start lol

some of the lore I have for the AU I crafted myself, otherwise I read a lot of old faerie tales growing up and my mom, for some reason, knows an awful lot about shit like that, so some of it is just innate from her. otherwise i just read a lotttttt of books around the concepts of these things when I was younger because I was fascinated with jim henson's worlds

[cointell]

cheers

[httpsoftbunni]

Esoteric Christianity

Part 2: Shedding the Ego and Attaching to the Divine

Previously, we looked at the concept of the inner light, which lies at the core of Christianity. This light is not of external force, but rather the reality that is embedded within our own existence. It is the true nature of who we are in Christ, and it is through this inner awakening that we can undergo true spiritual transformation.

Here, we will look at a crucial step in this transformation: shedding the ego and detaching from the material world. These are not just theological concepts; they are practical stages in our spiritual evolution. To embody the light within, we must remove the barriers that prevent its expression - ego and attachments to the temporal world.

The Ego: A False Identity

In esoteric Christianity, the ego isn't an inherent part of the self, but rather a false identity - a constructed sense of "I" that is shaped by worldly desires, fears, and influences. This false sense of self clouds our true nature and keeps us trapped in a cycle of illusion. The ego is driven by pride, fear, selfishness, and desire for control, all which cast shadow on the divine light within.

Christ's teachings challenges us to move beyond the false self and recognise the true identity as beings created in God's image. In Matthew 16, Christ calls His followers to deny themselves and take up their cross, saying, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it."

This is an invitation to let go of the ego-driven need to control our destiny and to align ourselves with God's will. Self-denial in this context is not about punishing the self or diminishing one's worth, but rather surrendering the false ego that perpetuates suffering and separation from the divine.

The Cross: A Symbol Of Transcendence

The cross that Christ speaks of here is symbolic of the ego crucifixion. It is through the cross that Christ invites us into the process of killing off the false self in order to be reborn into the truth. The act of taking up the cross isn't about physical suffering, but rather about the spiritual death of the ego - the complete surrender of the self that constantly resists God's transformative power.

In Galatians 2:20, Paul echoes this concept: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." This passage reflects the esoteric understanding of this specific spiritual journey: the ego must be crucified so that the Christ-self may emerge. This is the paradox of the Christ path - the more we surrender our attachment to ego, the more we fully come to embody the nature of Christ, the light that was always within us.

Detachment from the Material World

Esoteric Christianity teaches that while the material world is not inherently evil, it can become a source of distraction and attachment that pulls us away from our true nature and purpose. The desire for wealth, status, and security can enslave the soul, causing us to seek fulfilment in things that are fleeting, rather than in the eternal, unchanging truth.

Christ's words in Matthew 6:19-21 urge us to reanalyse our priorities: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, your heart will be there also."

This teaching encourages us to shift our focus from external accumulation to internal spiritual wealth. Detachment is not the giving up of the world altogether, but rather the refusal to allow the material world define our worth, our purpose, or our sense of identity. It means that recognising the true treasure is within - that the inner light of Christ is far more valuable than any amount of gold.

The process of detachment involves reordering our relationship with the world, seeing it not as something to possess, control, or compete against, but as a reflection of the divine and a tool for spiritual growth. By letting go of our attachment to the material world, we allow space for God to work in our lives.

The Role of Faith and Surrender

We must also learn to deepen our faith in God's plans for us. The ego constantly seeks to control, where faith surrenders to God's will, trusting that His plan is greater than any temporary desires or fears we may have. In the act of surrender, we open ourselves up to the grace of God, which nourishes the soul and leads us to the path of transformation.

In Romans 12:1-2, Paul urges believers: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

The living sacrifice Paul is talking about here is the willingness to offer our lives to God - not as an external sacrifice, but a spiritual one, where the ego and its attachments are surrendered in love and trust. The renewing of the mind is an ongoing process of aligning our thoughts, emotions, and actions with the divine truth. In doing so, we experience the awakening of the inner light that Christ promised.

The Awakening of the Inner Light

As we surrender the ego and detach from the material world, we create space within ourselves for the inner light of Christ to shine more fully. This process of awakening is not a one-time event, but an ongoing journey of spiritual growth and transformation. It requires continuous faith, self-reflection, and a willingness to let go of the illusions that keep us bound to the false self.

The inner light is the divine spark within each of us, the presence of Christ that dwells in the deepest parts of our being. When we release the ego's grip and allow the light to emerge, we begin to live from a place of authenticity, love, and compassion. Our actions become aligned with the will of God, and we experience a deep sense of peace and unity with all of creation.

This is the ultimate goal of esoteric Christianity: to shed the layers of false identity and attachments that separate us from God, and to embody the divine light that has always been within us. Through this process, we come to understand that we are not separate from God, but rather, we are divine beings who are called to manifest God's love and grace in the world.

Living in the Light

Living in the light means living in accordance with the divine nature that we were created to embody. It means recognizing that we are not defined by the ego or the material world, but by the eternal truth of our being in Christ. As we continue on this path of transformation, we learn to navigate the challenges of life with grace and wisdom, trusting in God's guidance and surrendering our personal will to the divine will.

This does not mean that we are free from difficulties or suffering, but it does mean that we approach life with a deeper sense of purpose and meaning. We understand that every experience, whether joyful or painful, is an opportunity for growth and spiritual evolution. By living in the light, we become vessels of God's love, spreading the light of Christ to those around us and contributing to the healing and transformation of the world.

hedding the ego and detaching from the material world are essential steps in the journey of spiritual awakening in esoteric Christianity. By releasing the false self and its attachments, we open ourselves to the transformative power of the divine and allow the inner light of Christ to shine more fully in our lives.

This process requires faith, surrender, and a willingness to embrace the unknown, trusting that God's plan for us is far greater than anything the ego could imagine. As we walk this path, we experience the profound truth of our identity as divine beings, created in the image of God and called to embody His love and light in the world.

The journey is ongoing, but with each step, we move closer to the ultimate goal: union with the divine, the realisation of our true nature, and the full expression of the light within us.

[compasspyxis]

Uniform redesign i was bored after losing motivation on the last drawing.

Also some other hc like the robes are made out of rayon or smth lightweight n cheap idk

[starryeyed-seer]

suncrab translates perfectly as expected to that silly ship meme

I like their relationship a lot in the abstract (there's so many ways to interpret it!!) but also I can and will indulge in the ultimate anathema of Trying to imagine them as silly fluff. you can not stop me from doing this. and I will not be stopped.

[nostabaile]

An Illustration of a green lion devouring the sun from an Alchemical and Rosicrucian Compendium (1760).

a common alchemical image, it is a metaphor for aqua regia 🜆 (a solution of nitrohydrochloric acid) consuming matter (such as gold, symbolised by the sun ☉).

[mask131]

Well it is NOT my day. I was trying to find on the Internet some scientific explanations for the strange shapes of the flames of some of my candles... And the first answers provided by Google are "If the flame looks like that, it means he is cheating on you", "If the flame jumps like that, it means your prayer will be efficient", "If the flame takes this shape it means the spirit of the dead loved one is near"...

... We are truly falling back in an age of superstitions.

[taxidermydolls]

can u self diagnose ibs im asking genuinely 🙏

[chillsncharms]

What’s a cryptid from where you are?

[historia-aphrodea-hekatea]

22.09.2024

Honestly, I feel like I was not productiv today, but at the same time I do? It is a weird feeling. Anyways: Todays topic was Chaos Magick. Even though I am not at all focusing on the 19th-20th century it is interesting to take a look at later forms of magical believes. That timeperiod in particular is interesting, since psychoanalysis became a thing, what also shaped the view on magic itself.

Key figure for CM was Austin Osman Spare, who was a "critic" (that might be a far to nice word) of Freud, Jung but also Crowley. His philosphy/religious view mainly focused around the Idea of KAI as the unfiltered source energy of all. All in the sense of literally everything as one conected being and us as humans as part of that one thing. ZOS is more or less the lack (?) of KAI or having it blured by something like the ego. To reconect to KAI Sigil Magick is used as a tool.

For more Information I recomend Angela Puca's talk about Chaos Magick at Witchfest. Justin Sledge did a good video on the topic as well.

[officialurban]

The Women's Encyclopedia of Myths & Secrets - Barbara G. Walker

Table of Contents

Table of Contents organized with links to the various sections and a download link for the full PDF

[mortemcatabasis]

first art of 2024 was a hefty redesign for an old oc, guaranteed 70% more strange and offputting or your money back

[aquaorangetip]

For all you believers out there.. this is proof

[find-me-in-hell]

just read the summary/snippet thing about tmp, why are we in manchester suddenly

[mamath]

Hey I just wanted to give you a heads up that when I was checking my own username in the haveibeentrained search engine to see if it was used to train AI art models without my consent, I saw your watercolour triceratops pop up for a sec. Just wanted to make sure you were aware <3

yeah, i've noticed a few other pieces on there too. :( I think anything I had uploaded to Deviantart at the time of scraping is now in the Laion training data, so maybe like a hundred works.

TBH I'm so beyond caring haha... The only thing that will have an impact on AI stuff is extremely high level litigation and even that will only affect the behaviour of large companies with actual legal risk based in countries that care. Hobbyist AI folks training their open source model on a home PC will continue to use the Laion data set however they wish. It's already escaped academic containment. Unfortunately I think the whole AI ethics debacle ultimately puts good-will for academic research in the toilet.