#especially in context with dionysus's whole thing

[protect-namine]

looking up a different greek myth thinking this time I won't be dragged into the cthonic descent/search/ascent katabasis mystery cults, but nope!! I'm still here!!

[a-supersonic-whistle]

anyway the sun and the star came out and i have. thoughts. good and bad. will contain tsats spoilers!!!

i LOVED the canon queer characters, esp the minor campers mentioned (paolo, malcom, jake). not 100% sure on why it was such a big deal/why nico was such an inspiration considering how gay greek mythology is in the first place but appreciated it anyways

they mentioned octavian! wish he was talked about more (esp in the trials of apollo) but i'll make do with the crumbs i have

so wished they delved into will's guilt/healer complex a lot more. it was obvs more of nico's POV but i wish we got some more deep thoughts from will too

SO MUCH UNTAPPED POTENTIAL FOR DIONYSUS. I WILL MAKE A WHOLE POST ABOUT THIS I SWEAR.

no idea what happened to apollo's character arc? where was he? what was the whole point of TOA if he didn't ever show up for will or nico???

on that note, there was not enough mention of nico's friends (hazel, frank, reyna, CONNOR)

i lowkey vibed with the whole "will not understanding the darkness and the underworld" thing BUT it did get a biiiit on the nose sometimes. which i understand considering i'm reading a kids book. but still.

WILL PLAGUE POWERS. not much more to say

i loved all of will's freaking out moments (ie him realizing tartarus was alive). could have done with a lot more.

will wearing cargo shorts in tartarus healed my soul

i? wanted? more? out? of? nyx's? kids? these gods/demons could have been so powerful, so much more center stage and relevant. i can make a whole post about this too.

tbh i wanted more of the gods in general

i'm obsessed. OBSESSED. with the cocoa puffs. also the whole idea of nico literally letting go of his demons makes me so happy

i wanted more michael and lee angst! where was it!

the story of nico first realizing will liked him was so cute

ALSO ALSO the fact that he was hanging with connor during that time was amazing, esp since connor was one of the first ones to ever meet him waaaayyyyy back in the titan's curse. love that they're still besties (hope that nico can now defeat him in poker)

but i did want more cecil and lou ellen :( or more of will's personal life in general

like delving into his (once-mentioned) loneliness, life on tour, being a year rounder...

stiiiillllll iffy on the context of their first kiss being... nico's grief over jason dying

on the topic of jason. i wish we interacted with him! maybe a ghost or even a dream

love that nico called piper at the end, but i wish we got a leo call too ngl

liked the concept of the whole maria/bianca thing (even though I don't get how she's in elysium if she chose rebirth??)

NICO HAVING A CRUSH ON ARES

WILL HAVING A CRUSH ON HERMES

the book didn't fall into the miscommunication trope. i loved that.

buuuuttttt they worked through their problems just a smidge too fast for me, especially for traumatized teens in their first relationships in a place that brings out their worst thoughts

the first date story was so cute i think it broke me

anyway that's all for now it's 1 am and i finished the book like 10 hours ago give it time to marinate in my mind :)

[jiminsproof]

the most difficult tag game to ever attack me in my hour of need (what she means is a saturday) ✨️

I was tagged by @kimchokejin to post my top 5 of bangtan songs!!!!! haha THIS IS FINE!!! very happy to have an opportunity to talk about my favourite songs but VERY SAD I HAVE TO CHOOSE. 😭 thank you Ashley, reading your post was an amazing experience and I recommend it to all. 😩👌 you're lucky you're not only smart, but also funny and pretty, otherwise you'd catch these hands in the metaphorical parking lot of life

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO and no specific order:

🍷dionysus🍷

I wanted to start with a song that actually got me into bangtan!! JUNG HOSEOK YOUR MIND. I think I've told this to some of my lovely mutuals here before, but to me this song is really built like a rock song if that makes sense?? the build up and structure is so similar!! but it is also so HIP HOP and CATCHY and lyrics are ABSOLUTE ART. as a greek mythology hoe i had no choice but to stan bangtan sonyeondan. it is also widely known as natalia's wine song among my friends so you can say i like it a little.

🥲outro: tear🥲

I love this masterpiece beyond words. If I had to pick just one bangtan song to listen to forever, I'd possibly pick this one though PLEASE DON'T TELL MOM* (*my other bias). This song got me through a lot!! The lyrics are so beautiful and heartbreaking, and it hits even more after you know the context in which they were written. YOONGI MARRY ME as usual he is a genius he said so himself but also Hobi kills me every single time with his performance of the last verse. I have NEVER not cried watching a live performance of him rapping it. The emotions he gets across are... pardon my French but holy fuckity fuck.

😩lie😩

speaking of my other bias... LISTEN. I love Filter as any other folk BUT if I have to pick just one out of Jimin's solo songs, it has to be this one. It has it all, beautiful performance, identity crisis vibes, stunning vocals of the baby himself, AND THOSE LYRICS TOO. It hits so much especially if you've had to hide yourself in one way or another, and it can be applied to so many situations - power of art and Park Jimin. also, in my mind, this one and bs&t are connected...? idk if by the vibes or the era, but I love both of them almost equally, though this one still hits harder. also, although the performance completes it very well and Jimin can express the emotions so well through movement (one of my very favourite things about him as a performer), it can easily stand on its own and it's still so captivating!!

🦋butterfly🦋

This song is so beautiful in EVERY SINGLE WAY. The soft vocals, the longing, the lyrics!! It's such a good depiction of young love (or just very soft love, sort of 'too-good-to-be-true' love), NOT TO MENTION THE HARUKI MURAKAMI REFERENCE I SEE YOU KIM NAMJOON (and I love you). It might be my favourite track from the whole HYYH era actually though please don't ask me 'and what about [insert track] cause I WILL change my mind. The vocal line shines in this one, not only for their skill but PRIMARILY their emotional expression. I'm a big fan in case you haven't noticed??

🦢 black swan 🦢

I honestly love this song so much!! Not only is the concept beautiful and the performance is ABSOLUTELY STUNNING HAVE NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE (bangtan sonyeondan trendsetters), and even the mv is something you can watch multiple times in one go because it's so aesthetically pleasing, but also there is the song IN ITSELF. It's so raw and honest, and let me preach about the lyrics once again (KIM NAMJOON!!! CATCH THESE HANDS!!!) - it's such an amazing depiction of an artistic burnout, oh my god. the idea in itself that the first time an artist (or here more so a dancer) dies is when they no longer have energy to continue with their craft... IT'S SO POWERFUL.

🤧epilogue: young forever🤧 no this is not 6 you just can't count sorry you had to find out this way

this one is just always going to hit different, and even more so the live version. the lyrics are... I can't even stress it enough, but they might have altered something in my brain chemistry. The idealisation of youth, never wanting your best moments to end, but also knowing that there is no way to stop the time from passing - WOW. WOW. Also I especially love the lines about running endlessly towards your dream even if it hurts you - it just HITS SO HARD. Even though in terms of the way it's built, it's quite a simple song, it really gets the message across perfectly and I love it for its straightforwardness!!

honorable mentions: whole bts discography actually but especially autumn leaves, mic drop (my most streamed bangtan song), boy meets evil, epiphany (I WISH IT MADE TO THIS LIST TF it's so important to me), paradise, outro: her (BIPHOBIC THAT I CAN'T PUT IT ON THIS LIST), magic shop, intro: persona, first love, make it right, home, intro: singularity (AND SAME WITH THISONEHSIFKDK) .. ok I should stop???

hello to my fellow sufferers 🫂💗 I'm doing this out of love I swear, and also NO PRESSURE AT ALL this shit hurts: @pjm-1 , @wistfulocean, @shrimpmsg, @aprylynn, @hopeonthestreets, @hopeinthebox, @cordiallyfuturedwight, @ki-limepie. 💗

[i-fondued]

Listen I had this whole big long list of songs for the playlist I was gonna send and then tumblr CRASHED ON ME, so I can’t be arsed to copy and paste the links today, so you’re going to have to utilize the Spotify searchbar 😅. Sorry if some of these are alr in there; I haven’t seen the full playlist bc I don’t have Spotify premium and apparently they feel that seeing what songs are in a public playlist that wasn’t made by you is a premium feature 🙄.

The Cult of Dionysus by the Orion Sound. Fits bc of the whole polyamory thing.

Black Magic by Little Mix. Thought of this as soon as Sister summoned that ghoul lmao!

Tear You Apart by She Wants Revenge. Not much to say about this; it’s about rough sex, which dom!Copia seems to be into.

Pomegranate Seeds by Julian Moon. I mean come on, it’s about Persephone and Hades! And has allusions to the devil! I’m also a mythology nerd, so it gets bonus points for referring to Persephone by her lesser-known name Kore.

Love Like Ghosts by Lord Huron. Absolutely fits. It just does.

Meet me in the woods by Lord Huron. Best when listened to AFTER love like ghosts bc they echo each other; this one takes place AFTER that one. The premise is that he found his lover, and then he found something dark that changed him and maybe gave him dark powers, which obviously sounds a lot like sister!

Wine Red by The Hush Sound. Absolutely devastating if listened to in the context of the Sad Ending where terzo dies.

Passerine by The Oh Hellos. Allusions to mythology are my weakness. Another one that’s devastating if you apply it to a sad ending, especially the line “See my birds of a feather more and more are looking like centurions than any little messiah. And as I prune my feathers like leaves from a vine, I find that we are fewer and fewer in kind. My palms and fingers still reek of gasoline from throwing fuel to the fire of that Greco-Roman dream.”

okay so I've now started a new playlist that is just for Sinners in Secret that aren't just sexy song lol because these are all SO GOOD

[thoughts-on-bangtan]

BTS at Golden Disc Awards 2021

by Admin 1

On the 9th and 10th of January 2021 BTS attended the Golden Disc Awards, and performed on the second day as well. Being there they won the Digital Bonsang for Dynamite on the 9th and the Bonsang, as well as the Album Daesang for Map of the Soul : 7, on the 10th. Amazing achievements which I sincerely congratulate them on.

When it comes to the performance, it was, most certainly, another amazing collection of stages bringing something new once more, even if they presented songs we’ve already seen at previous award shows this season. The opening came in form of Black Swan, though they didn’t sing any of it. It was more an intro showcasing the entrance of the members and highlighted Yoongi’s return to the stage, at least partially. 

The stage featured big metal winds, low lighting, and the members clad in black and white clothing including leather elbow length gloves for Namjoon and Yoongi, and pretty chockers for Taehyung and Jimin. The highlight though was Jungkook’s hair which isn’t dark anymore, but instead has been bleached and dyed a pretty blond. Personally I think it suits him pretty well. 

More below the cut since this is shaping up to be pretty long:

Next up was ON, which was powerful and fierce, though still missing Yoongi, which is all too understandable. Even though he can stand on stage again and hold his mic in his left hand (his surgery was on the left shoulder), it will still be a while until he’ll be able to dance with the members. ON has certainly grown a lot on me and I enjoy their performances of it immensely, and it was much the case this time as well.

The transition from ON to Life Goes On came in form of the stage being made to look like their individual rooms from BE which appeared on the digital walls around them. Their clothes were mostly comfy, though Jimin’s resembled their outfits from all the way back during I NEED U/RUN era. The transition/VCR like moment ended with the instrumental to We Are Bulletproof : The Eternal and the stage looking much the way the MV did with the whale swimming around them in an ocean of shades of purple, blue and pink.

For Life Goes On they had miniature versions of some of their most iconic MV sets on pedestals. It was a really cute idea and I enjoyed the execution a lot. The members seemed relaxed and enjoying themselves, Jimin and Taehyung even having their little moment of looking at each other twice, these moments certainly having become something I always kind of look forward to when it comes to LGO stages. 

Another tiny Jimin and Taehyung detail was Jimin sending a brief, barely noticeable (by the viewer) finger heart which I hadn’t even noticed until my fourth rewatch. It definitely fits with all these other small gestures we’ve seen from these two in recent months, like the finger hearts and kissy faces during their Lotte Family Concert performance of Boy with Luv or hugging each other on day 1 and doing a fun handshake and dance on day 2 during Dionysus at the MOTS ON:E concert visible only on one of the side cameras, not the main one.

The grand finale was the Slow Jam remix of Dynamite which worked perfectly with the chill out lounge/bar atmosphere created on stage fitting with the Great Gatsby theme. The members wore mostly suits in white, blue in Namjoon’s case, and a bright yellow when it comes to Taehyung, as well as Hoseok who had a white button down which Tae did not. While a normal person would look ridiculous in it, Taehyung looked absolutely stunning and made it more than work. After so many energetic performances of Dynamite since its release, seeing such a calm version was really nice and refreshing, showing how versatile BTS and their music are, how they can captivate an audience with fast songs made for big choreographies and stage productions, but also these slow, more chill types of tracks. A marvelous idea, truly.

There was also an encore stage where they sang ON again but this time along with Yoongi on stage which had some hilarious moments, especially Namjoon and Seokjin being silly waving their arms around while kneeling opposite each other on stage during Jungkook’s bridge. Cute.

Afterward the members were at something like a red carpet after interview where they took pictures with their awards (Jungkook and Taehyung even making their Bonsang and Daesang awards kiss much the way film director Bong Joon Ho made his two Oscars kiss last year) and were asked to do a relay of saying something to each other. 

All translations of their words are taken from Vernal_Bom on twitter.

J-hope to Jimin 

“I didn’t feel lonely in 2020 thanks to Jimin. Thank you for making me laugh. Give me happiness and laugh in 2021 as well.”  Jimin (turning to Namjoon): “It seems he can never live without me” 

Honestly the bond between Jimin and Hoseok is so cute and wonderful and you can see, and hear in their words, how important they are to each other, and how grateful Hobi is. We know the members were having a really hard time in 2020 so it doesn’t surprise me that Hobi would highlight the other members, or in this case Jimin, as one of the main reasons why he made it through it. After all we also know that those two made a song together which unfortunately didn’t make it onto BE. Hopefully we might get it one day at least as SoundCloud release, or perhaps on the next album instead.

Jimin to RM 

It was you who made us pull ourselves together to go through 2020. I am always grateful, and it’d be nice if you share you height a little with me in 2021, be healthy and happy. RM: Okay thank you

I love how Jimin used this (public) opportunity to tell/remind Namjoon of how important he was for them especially in 2020, as leader and surely also as friend, yet still also made a little joke to still keep the atmosphere light. After he was done speaking Jimin also hugged Namjoon, which showed once more how tiny he is in comparison.

RM to JK 

It’s finally today, Jungkook-si, in 10 years! You are Golden Maknae! The day that you will prove your nickname! You are proving it right now with your hair color, but in 2021, I hope the year will be filled with gold, like your nickname. Stay healthy. Let’s ‘Jje-kkit-up’ together this year too! (check it up.. the usual Namjoon saying lol)

It’s quite something to think about and realize, isn’t it, this year 10 years pass since Jungkook became a BigHit trainee and moved into their first dorm with Namjoon, Hoseok, Yoongi and Seokjin. I’m curious if Bangtan, as well as BigHit, have some kind of plan for JK specifically for this year that Namjoon chose to highlight his Golden Maknae nickname in such a way, or if it was more of a reminder to JK, that he’s so worthy despite how he doubts himself, and despite how he himself said he’s been going through tough times in 2020.

JK to V 

V hyung, when we were trainees we were getting along so well, (V: We are not now???) No!!! i didn’t mean it. You are becoming so much of an stand-up (reliable, I assume in this context) guy. Thank you for doing all the schedules with us.  jhope: who’s hyung here?

The bond these two share might just be one of the biggest mysteries and causes for conflicts and fights within the fandom, or particular parts of it. After their conversation In The SOOP, I’d like to believe they’ve figured out whatever issue might've arisen between them in the past, found a way to solve and move past it slowly, and rekindled their friendship once more. Seeing at how well they’ve been getting along (on camera) these past few months, I think it might've been so. It’s curious to me though that JK chose to say this instead of something more akin to what Jimin said to Namjoon, or Hoseok to Jimin.

V to Jin 

V: (turns to Jin)  Jin: This is too close V: I listened to Abyss and that makes my heart ache too... Jin: Thank you V: hyung, your song is so good. Make more songs in 2021, let Army and us listen to your song more. Jin: Okayokay  V: and I play game with you to relieve stress.... sorry for talking in ban-mal (informal form). —(also speaking in informal way) Jin: No no it was so fun V: I love you Jin: I love you too

I absolutely adore the bond these two share and I love that Tae chose to say what he did. We know Seokjin has been going through a hard time in 2020, that he dealt with something I’d call imposter syndrome, so I’m glad we got to know even more about how Tae was there for him, something we otherwise would’ve never known. Certain people try to portray Tae as the one member that is almost estranged from his other members, who barely has anything to do with the group outside of schedules, and yet it’s moments like this--as well as Seokjin telling us in his birthday vlive that Tae organized for everyone including his non-BTS friends to send Seokjin birthday wishes in video form to show him how loved and appreciated he is--are the proof that those people are wrong. Tae is very close with his members, and he’s the ambassador of OT7 or nothing, the members his closest friends and brothers, his found and chosen family.

Jin to Suga 

Jin: Yoongi ya, do it well. Suga: Okay.... Jin: Do well on your rehab, and...uh... let’s do well going forward. Suga: Okay.. I will...

These two are so close yet due to their introverted nature their interactions such as this one are just so hilarious and adorable at the same time. Their dynamic is wonderful and this just seems like peak Yoongi-Jin behavior.

Suga to j-hope 

SG: (unable to look into hobi’s eyes) Our hobi JH: Suga! SG: You did work hard in 2020 (evading eye contact) JH: hahhahahah and? SG: Let’s not fall sick in 2021, and hwaiting...  JH: “Hwaiting hyung, and take good care of your health!”

The saga of Yoongi being unable to look Hoseok in the eye continues and it’s just as precious as ever. They stood so close, and while Yoongi wasn’t able to look into Hoseok’s eyes, it’s funny how he was the one who initiated the whole “them standing so close together” thing. I love the difference between how Seokjin didn’t even try to make eye-contact while Hoseok playfully challenged Yoongi and tried to coax him into it anyway knowing it’ll make Yoongi laugh and smile. It’s such a Yoongi-Hoseok thing, I love it.

And with that, the award was over and now also my post. I hope you enjoyed reading it! :3

[siebenschoen]

OC rambling: Diana

Okay, so, Diana is one of my twc detectives, who is still way more in “development” than my other detective, Janosch. (And that says something, considering that I wouldn’t exactly call Janosch’s character fully fleshed out... sometimes I think I don’t have the ability to really do that.)

Nevertheless, I wanna ramble about her for a bit. Mostly about her history, how she came to be and want I want her to be.

(It’s long... and I didn’t check the spelling...)

Diana started as one of my first OCs ever, back when I was 14 and still up to my neck in the pjo fandom. I came up with a whole bunch of OCs at that time, I’d say a new one every few weeks. Mostly for MMFF, which stands for Mitmach-FanFiktion (participation fanfiction) and was a huge thing in German fandoms (especially pjo, Naruto, etc.) back in the early 2010s. I don’t know if it still is (100% of my fandom activity is in English now) and I don’t know if it ever was in English fandom places, but the basic idea is that you submit filled out character sheets to an author and they write a fic featuring the submitted characters. I loved these.

So, Diana started out as a submitted character for a MMFF. I still really like the concept I came up with for her. (She was a daughter of Dionysus, the god of wine and madness and I really leaned into the madness there. I also gave her trauma times 10 and a lot of anger.) Some elements of her original story are a tad bit... questionable? But hey, I was 14, so that’s to be expected.

I haven’t touched the original character sheet in years - I’m not even sure it exists anymore - but the idea of her character stayed with me.

At her heart Diana was an angry, traumatised teenager with an absent father and a neglecting mother. And she still kind of is in a twc context, except the fact that the teenager grew up and is now an adult.

I like to think that she grew more stoic instead of angry the older she got. When you’re angry you’re unhappy with circumstances and want to change them. Diana came to except that she is unable to do so. I wouldn’t say that her anger is gone, but that it became cold. A kind of untouched resource that is still there, somewhere deep down.

I see her with a kind of cynical exception of the status quo, that can turn into furry when provoked. She has wrongly learned that she is not powerful enough to change anything, but she ist still (underlyingly) too angry about it to be satisfied with this. She is fundemantally unhappy with who she has become, but has turned to cynical to realise that she doesn’t have to be this way, that she can be different.

In a more specific twc context: living in Wayhaven is not good for her. I think it would have been good for her to go away (at least) for a while, to have the oppurtunity to explore herself and to meet people, who have no set image of her. But she didn’t, because she grew up so full of anger that it was nearly all that she was and then as she came to think of her anger less as a tool and more as something useless, she didn’t know what else to do. She didn’t move on (or out of Wayhaven), because she didn’t know where else to go, what else to do.

That’s also the reason why I can see her joining the police force, because her father had worked there. Not out of some sense of sentimentality for Rook, but because she quite literally didn’t know what else to do.

I also don’t think she’s happy in her work as a detective. I don’t think she can be truly happy, unless she works through all her pent up stuff and unlearns some of the things she wrongly taught herself. For now it’s just more responsibility she is not capable of properly dealing with.

As for the Bobby vs. Douglas route... I mean, I do love the Bobby drama and it really is tempting, but I can’t see Diana commiting to a relationship with Bobby in college. Maybe a casual thing, but not a commited relationship. So, I tend more towards the Douglas route and I like the idea of Diana helping someone and being the kind of mentor she had needed when she was younger, but also... I don’t headcanon her as reflected enough (yet) to be able to do so.

And last but not least: romance. Diana started out on the M route - more specifically Morgan, since she’s a lesbian. And I still really like the idea of both of them not fully realising what is happening. Both of them falling in love unaware that this is happening (because Diana would do a du Mortain and repress the shit out of that). She’d probably be even more “dense” than Morgan.

... but lately I’ve been thinking “but what about Farah?”. I’m gonna be completely honest, it feels mean, because F deserves the world and Diana is in no position where she can give them that. But Diana working through her issues, unlearning what holds her back, because there is someone who adores her, who thinks her capable of so much- that’s also some really good shit.

[snowy-equinox]

The Backlash Against Eclectic Wiccans

Eclectic Wiccans are Wiccans who worship deities from other faiths in place of the God and Goddess, believing these other deities to be faces or parts of the God and Goddess. I’ve also heard them called neo-Wiccans, but I think that term is more tied to Wiccans who don’t initiate into a coven.  This kinda pisses some people of, for multiple reasons I will now explain! Eclectic Wiccan will be EW from here on, by the way. 

Educational Fun Fact: The belief that deities are the same energy, just perceived differently by different people is soft polytheism

As opposed to the idea deities are separate beings entirely, called hard polytheism

Disclaimer: I am not saying either side is right or wrong, this post will try to be as neutral as possible

Inserting Deities into Another Religion

Many people worry that since EW's are taking deities out of their cultural and mythological contexts, they are skewing the image of the deity.

For example, in Greek culture hospitality (Xenia) was a HUGE deal. If a EW takes Zeus as their stand in for the God, yet is a terrible host or guest, that would displease Zeus.

“But Wicca says nothing about hospitality!”

You think Zeus cares? He came from a culture where you treat your guests & hosts with kindness and respect. If you don't do the same, you'll make Him mad, and if you haven't done the proper research, you won't even know why.

If you're EW, you should be researching both Wiccan and [insert religious origin of your deities here] to make sure you are treating the deities you're working with with respect.

"Our deities are fake"

I was talking to a Wiccan a year ago, and she told me she thinks of it as a divine mosaic, with each deity coming together and contributing to the beautiful picture that is the God & Goddess.

That is a very nice image, but often it doesn't feel that way to hard polytheists. It feels more like their deities are a hologram.

Keep in mind that Wicca is a lot newer than any other of the pagan branches (except for maybe pop culture). If you worship Zeus, and suddenly someone comes by saying "Zeus is actually part of the God" it's strange, especially since the pagan gods don't fit into a monotheist or dualtheist view. It feels like you just had Zeus "stolen" from you, claimed by this new religion. It makes Him feel fake; He's not "real", just a part of this other deity you don't know. For devotees, this can be downright insulting. Wrong holidays Look, if a traditional Wiccan (someone who worships the God and Goddess) wants to take their Wheel of the Year and worship their gods on those holidays, okay fine. No, those aren’t the original gods for the holiday, but it doesn’t really irk me; I mean, at this point it’s kinda too late to make all new holidays around the Sabbats for Wicca, given everyone knows the Wheel now.

But if you take Zeus and celebrate Him with Yule.....You...you realize He already has holidays, right? I mean, yeah technically Heliogenna (Greek Winter Solstice holiday) is for sun deities, but at least Heliogenna has Greek themes and rituals, instead of Nordic ones that will be completely alien to Him. And hey, maybe you should do a quick thing for Helios while you’re at it.  ”But I only worship Zeus!”  Well.... Isolation

The non-Wiccan pagan gods are usually found in a whole group, called a pantheon. And usually, They’re all related to each other in some way. Remember when I said historical context is important?  This is too! The gods are meant to be worshiped together. By worshiping a single deity and removing Them from Their pantheon, you are ignoring the relationships They have formed with others. It’s like dating someone and then completely ignoring their friends and family and the context they provide.  Let’s go back to Zeus. Let’s say you worship Him at Heliogenna, but no one else. Firstly, you might offend the original Heliogenna deities, but you might also offend Zeus. His son is a solar god, and by not giving Him His due at His holiday, Zeus might be a little upset.  Because, as you would know if you researched Him, Zeus is very much a father figure. He loves His children, His devotees/followers, etc.  “Well a lot of people worship one or two gods!”  I worship Apollo and Artemis. All the other gods, I might honor once a year, but besides that it’s spotty.  But I still get messages from Dionysus and Hermes, Apollo’s buddies. Because I don’t worship in a vacuum.  Suggestions: Of course, if you want to avoid all that mess, you could also do what I do and just make your own personal rituals and holidays and adopt Greek holiday themes while ignoring the strict rigidity of the historical festivals; OR you could celebrate historical Zeus festivals and keep the Sabbats to celebrate the turning of the seasons. 

"Are You Even Still A Wiccan?"

Right now, Wicca is very trendy, which lends itself to this problem.

Western religion is usually defined by its deities (or lack thereof). If you worship Zeus as an aspect of the God, but don't actually worship the God in His wholeness.... Hard polytheists would classify you as a soft Greek polytheist, not a EW. After all, you worship the god Zeus, but not the Wiccan God.

You could argue that "Well, I still believe in the God", but the problem is that paganism =/= monotheistic.

Many Greek pagans (such as I) believe in the other deities, Wiccan god included.

But I am not Wiccan, because I don't worship Him.

The Wiccan Rede is another tenant of Wicca, and you might argue that that could make you Wiccan, but I have known Wiccans who don't follow it (confusing, I know) and, more importantly, I have met people who don't identify as Wiccans who do believe in the Wiccan Rede.

The truth is, hard polytheists have a hard time understanding what separates you from a soft non-Wiccan polytheist who simply has the same belief system as the Wiccan Rede.

I know, this last point is kinda hard to swallow for some. But labels and religion are very much more philosophy than concrete facts. Some people just shrug and say "I'm Wiccan because I say I am" which might leave a bad taste in others' mouths, leading them to believe you just wanna be trendy.

[unfinishcdbusincss]

Some Greek myth things I want desperately to clear up because I have Feelings.

The Twelve are not The Twelve If you sit down and count all the gods who ever been considered a part of the major twelve for the pantheon, you actually end up with fourteen: Hera, Zeus, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, Hades, Aphrodite, Ares, Athena, Hermes, Apollo, Artemis, Hepheastus, and Dionysus. Even if you count out Hestia or Dionysus, since theirs is the traditional “switching seat” in the pantheon, you’ll notice you still have an extra deity. Twelve is a lie.

Hera is not the Villain. Let’s repeat that for the people in the back: HERA 👏 IS 👏 NOT 👏 THE 👏 VILLAIN. Stop with your one- or two-dimensional representations of women in myth and recognize the position Hera is put into time and time again. She’s more of a reactionary goddess than anything else: when she “lashes out” or “does evil shit,” 90% of the time OR MORE it’s because she’s been severely wronged and is attempting to correct that. Stop trying to make women having a reaction evil. Damn.

Zeus is not a Fuck Boy. Let’s set our memes aside for a moment and consider the context of this character: he’s a King without a secondary governmental agency putting limitations on his powers. He performs as an unchecked force would. Moreover, he often falls in love with the women he takes from and actually, you know, supports his children. I’m not saying he’s great or trying to gloss over the heinous shit he’s done, but I am saying I’m tired of the exaggeration of how terrible he is, especially because--

Poseidon Is Worse. Who causes earthquakes when he doesn’t get exactly what he wants, when he wants it? Who r*pes women on the altars of their goddesses? For that matter, who r*pes other goddesses MULTIPLE TIMES and denies relationships to the children who come out of that? Take a wild fucking guess.

Hades is Just a Dude. Mostly. He’s not really good or bad, per se. Fear of him comes out of the fear of speaking the name of death--which was thought to bring death upon the speaker that must faster. There are really only two exceptions to him just kinda being a normal, not-so-bad guy. One, he kidnapped his wife. That one turned out in his favor because he treated her pretty decently afterwards, but let’s not play games about what happened and admit to ourselves that she was kidnapped. Two, he cheated on his wife. With a nymph named Minthe. Who his wife turned into a plant for her role in all this.

Persephone is not your Innocent Flower Child. You’re thinking of Kore, her pre-Queen persona who picked flowers and helped her mother. Persephone is called the Dread Queen and will rip a bitch in two. She also cheated on her husband with Adonis on the DL but apparently it’s not cool to announce that? She’s a strong-ass queen and she made the whole “kidnapped and tricked into staying here” thing work for her but like. Damn. Respect her.

Demeter was a Loving Mother. Stop trying to make her love into something toxic, please. Her daughter was literally kidnapped and she had no idea where she had been taken to. Her brothers knew exactly where she was and never once told Demeter. What you’re seeing when Demeter’s lost Kore? That’s a mother’s reaction to losing her whole world, this daughter she loves and dotes on. Please stop acting like actually caring for your kids and being concerned for their safety is a bad thing, thanks.

I have more to say but I’m tired and angry so I’mma leave it off there and maybe hit you later with a part two. Thanks for coming to my Ancient Greek TED Talk.

[unicorns-and-whiskey]

This isn’t really an essay. It’s more like a rambling string of thoughts about Valentine Campbell.

Or, if you like, Baal.

(Spoilers under the cut.)

Baal has arguably had the wildest character arc in the series. We see a lot of him, both literally (as a performer and later a spokes-god for the Pantheon after the events of Rising Action) and figuratively (the emotional revelations that come with Inanna's death). We see much of Baal, and many sides of Baal's personality, from the brash and arrogant storm god to the simply vulnerable emotional man he is later on.

And yet, there is so much to unpack with him as the series goes on.

He starts off, in his first appearance way back in Issue 2, in a TV interview, offering his two cents on Lucifer's attempted murder. His belief that she went to jail for people trying to shoot her is pretty fair, though the newscaster seems to think he glorifies violence. His first display of arrogance is walking off of the interview, saying he think he's "better than you [the interviewer]".

Add in his grand mural in Valhalla, and on the surface, Baal seems very much like his archetype. But that's the entire point, isn't it?

Anyways.

Flash-forward to the start of Commercial Suicide. yes, we see Baal at his most violent, thrashing Morrigan to a pulp for supposedly hiding Baphomet, believed to be Inanna's murderer. But we also see his true self emerge here; the ever-so mused-over fire/lightning tears at the idea that if not for the goths, Inanna might still be alive (a false belief, but we all have a moment of sympathy for the lightning god).

The next time we see Baal, he's his usual cool self, but we see his sibling-like dynamic with Minerva. She wants to see Morrigan; he wants Mini to keep a safe distance from "Eyeliner Made Of Eyes". Understandable, especially given the capabilities we see of her war-goddess side, Badb, later on in the series. Another breath of relief; maybe Baal isn't so bad after all if he can be Minerva's big brother figure.

His emotions are on full display in Rising Action, especially in Issue 21 during the god battle. By the time the fight is over, he starts to show trust to Persephone and Co. because maybe, just fucking maybe, if Laura is alive and a goddess, then maybe Ananke is lying. Maybe.

Of course she is, we all find out, as she's carving Minerva up on a murder machine. And Baal throws himself full-throttle at Ananke to stop her and save the "li'l flower" of the Pantheon. All for nothing, of course, but the attempt and the desire to keep Minerva safe is what sells us: Baal, for all his performative masculinity and displayed arrogance, isn't so bad. He's a jerk with a heart of gold, not entirely like Baphomet/Nergal.

Imperial Phase shows more of this side of Baal. Yes, he's doing what he's doing and we get the first few glimpses at it, albeit with no real context. Yes, he's still acting the arrogant fucklord in the public eye, but we have a sense of why now: with Ananke dead, someone has to be the leader, so why not the first god to come back? He's already Minerva's legal guardian, he knows enough of Ananke's plans to be in control, he's a natural spokesman, he has the strength to put down anyone who steps out of line... all necessary traits to be the de facto leader.

Naturally, he's not much use as a leader when Sakhmet hands him his ass on a silver platter in Persephone's underground hideaway. But the fear in his eyes as Minerva tells him that Persephone found a secret room in Valhalla (with no other context, of course) tells us everything: Baal is hiding something.

And what he's hiding just about disintegrates any hope or love we as a fandom had for Baal. I'm fairly sure I don't have to get into that. A quick search of Ba'al Hammon will tell you everything.

And yet, despite it all, there's still emotional vulnerability throughout the whole affair of Mothering Invention and the first half of "Okay". He sheds tears at the idea of killing twenty thousand people to save the other eight billion or so. He immediately tosses the idea of killing any more children, possibly because of Persephone's confession or because he's simply sick of doing what he's done ritually every four months for the last two years. It almost makes his scenes in the Christmas Annual mocking; seeing him so loving towards Inanna and yet doing all of that makes us wonder what else he's capable of lying about.

And yet, when everything goes to hell, he is determined to get even with Laura for fucking up his ritual to off the Great Darkness. That is, until he finds out the truth of the Great Darkness.

And in that moment, the exact moment of realizing he's been played for a pawn in Ananke's game, that everything he's done was just to get him to play his part and ultimately keep the myth of the Great Darkness fueled...

... his face says it all. This is a man who’s not been played and played hard, but it’s a man who’s just had the gravity all of his past actions hit him at once. His words immediately after drive it home.

"You're a machine that kills people? Kill me."

To make this even harsher on himself (and us, as fans), his confession at the height of Valhalla after Minerva's revelation that godhood is, essentially, a cheat code for the power they already had. Finding out that none of his actions were necessary, that his entire identity was a lie, and that he says nothing about what his godhood meant to him while everyone else ranges from their godhood meaning they could be themselves, be better, be special, be a saviour, be alive despite it all...

... Baal says nothing. He doesn't have to.

His actions in the most recent issue only make things more complicated, one last twist of the emotional dagger in our collective side.

"I would love to live with you... but that would mean living with me. I wish I was the person you deserved, but I threw that away.

"I spent my whole life trying to be a big man. And if this is what being a man means?

"It's not worth it."

And just like that, I have no idea how to feel about Baal. His character arc has been fucking wild. Whereas some gods got better as people (Baphomet giving his life for Dionysus), got worse for their godhood (Morrigan's increasingly abusive control of her "King") or simply revealed their inner shittiness (Woden), Baal has been a roller-coaster of emotions.

From arrogant fucklord to emotional big brother to utter monster to suicidal sacrificial lamb, Valentine Campbell is a complex man. Love him, hate him, consider him brilliant, consider him beastly, he is what he is.

[pennnotes]

a sort of rant about a Persona album review

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/k-pop-stars-bts-the-biggest-boy-band-in-the-world-sbx3nn7r3https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/k-pop-stars-bts-the-biggest-boy-band-in-the-world-sbx3nn7r3https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/k-pop-stars-bts-the-biggest-boy-band-in-the-world-sbx3nn7r3https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/k-pop-stars-bts-the-biggest-boy-band-in-the-world-sbx3nn7r3This is my opinion on an opinion-piece (lol) please don’t flame me and also don’t go flame this critic, hate isn’t beneficial constructive discussions are :)

A summary of some points I wanted to touch on if you don’t want to read:

-You don’t have to like anybody’s music or art or actual existence and you are entitled to your opinions

-Artists are humans and not pre-packaged dolls (despite how some may come across) so try to consider commentary on artists themselves in a more personal context

-Please consider getting to know something before you trash it in its entirety, especially if your job is to critique things :)

-When considering an issue try to take a step back and gain a wider perspective before you get too involved in your own

aNyway I read this Persona album review from The Hollywood Reporter and I was confused + disappointed + sad. Here’s why:

His actual review of the album was strange and dismissive. Here’s what I mean by ‘strange’. He said basically every song was bad (which is his opinion of course) but he did it in such a weird way. Kind of like how he described the whole album as “a tasty snack that leaves a bitter aftertaste” lmao what?? He’s trying to spice up his piece with some rhetorical techniques I guess... He could have just listed technical reasons for him not liking songs and moved on but he had to make everything super spicy (for lack of a better word). This is somewhat understandable because he’s a journalist and he’s trying to add interest to his piece and I feel a bit ridiculous giving this any more attention so let’s move on. More importantly, he was very dismissive. He criticizes the album line up, says the group has no clear music taste and calls them “prolific dabblers” (I guess he’s trying to say it’s hard to tell what genre they actually prefer/aim to work in? It’s weird how some see this as a con but others admire this sort of diversity. I guess I can understand it somewhat, but personally, I like hearing lots of different sounds from artists I follow). Some of my other favorite lines include “The songs play like unintentionally comedic genre mistakes”, “The new record is bracketed by its weakest tracks, “Intro: Persona” and “Dionysus,” particularly off-putting songs that leave a lingering sour aftertaste” and “Like much of the mega-pop-artists’ work, this album in particular feels like it’s packaged on an assembly line and by committee”. My head hurts from trying to stop at three lines this whole review is absolute gold. He calls RM’s line about Icarus in Boy With Luv “stodgy” and “middle-school-level” and then sums up all their references as clumsy. His perspectives on their songs really make me sad because it seems like he got no meaning from them and it’s like he was hearing a whole different album than what I listened to. It isn’t the fact that they weren’t his taste that upsets me, it is the fact that he felt they were so empty when I found them to be so full. (This really applies to their work as a whole - not every song is super meaningful to me, but regardless, they are genuine and there are some that have stolen my heart).

He actually made a four-in-one in one album/artist/genre/fanbase review. I have a hard time understanding this. Admittedly I don’t read album reviews often but I am pretty sure that critics aren’t supposed to be reviewing entire genres(fact-check me please. I read some about writing album reviews and I didn't see much on this point). If he was going to do such an extensive review I wish it had been a separate piece not labeled as an album review and I would hope it would also boast well-informed opinions based on extensive research (am I hypocrite?). To me, it seemed that he didn’t actually know that much about the group, the fanbase, or the genre and, in turn, he seemed to know very little about the songs. It felt like he was writing off not just this album, or BTS’ music, but BTS themselves as fake and shallow. Like they are sell-out musicians who were perfectly crafted to have mass appeal and have shaped themselves for success in America and that’s all there is to them???? Their songs apparently have no meaning? It’s like he takes these tiny seeds of truths from the Korean entertainment industry or global marketing of popular artists and uses them to grow a commercial farm of opinions (I think I need some metaphor tips from him my game is weak). This article seriously gave me flashbacks to that interview/commentary from The Times. Throughout, I got the sense that he was just shoving in certain passionate opinions he had which were formed through minimal research. Like he just went on social media, watched a few videos, browsed a few fan tweets, heard a bit of the music and took it from there. He comes off as condescending and his delivery reads like he thinks he is gifting some profound revelations to all the intellectually-stunted fans out there. To sum it up it seemed like he didn’t understand that A) BTS’ fanbase is huge and is made up of many different people B) BTS are actual human beings C) The messages in the music (and there are messages there) are genuine. I think this article on the whole Times controversy sums up my feelings on several issues fairly well. (I know it’s Pop Buzz I’m linking it bc the perspective is valuable tRuSt mE pls)

The acknowledgments he made throughout the piece. For example, he acknowledged that their music has helped people but it felt like at the same time he was labeling people who were touched by their music as shallow. I should have probably expected this because generally large followings get shit for stuff like that but I hoped it wouldn’t be mentioned (meaningfulness behind different music is always being debated). He says that in this album “BTS keeps doing BTS” but makes it feel like a diss. Like some sort of pat on the head for everyone involved (sure honey BTS is one of a kind...one of a kind at being stellar a commercial product to please the masses). Similarly, he acknowledges that they have meanings in their songs but sums it up as “Reddit-bait” and paints it all as a marketing tactic. There is some truth in the point that adding lots of easter eggs and stuff is to garner more interest, but there are some very heartfelt messages in their music as well and it seems like a sizable oversimplification to chalk all of it up as part of a ploy for money and fame.  

Sort of disclaimers:

I got the sense that reviews aren’t supposed to just be about whether something is genuine or not but more about whether it is technically good (which is why I stated that, in my opinion, the writer should have focused more on that and less on social commentary). I don’t think BTS is a revolutionary group whose music or concepts are unparalleled. I am not a crazy fan with too much time on my hands, I’ve been thinking about the different takes on music people have for a while and have wanted to write something specifically like this since The Times incident. I welcome commentary and I want people to continue to share honest opinions and feelings I just hope for some more professional (is insightful a better word?) commentary from people whose job it is to write reviews. I understand writers are busy and no one has time to do extreme research but I still think more extensive research is necessary for opinion pieces (reviews, commentary, etc.). I mentioned “seeds of truth” earlier and I think the reviewer has some good points they are just addressed horribly and don’t really directly relate to the album itself.

Feel free to correct me, share your opinion, tell me “it’s not that deep sis” or scroll past this entirley lol bye

[gattmammon]

This is just a bunch of suggestions of stuff you can plug into Google in no particular order:

Don't be afraid to look up original sources with commentary! I personally believe Dionysus cannot be fully understood without reading Bacchae by Euripides. Perseus.tufts.edu is usually a good starting point to find both original texts and translations. (Idk if you've already looked it up but just in case blanket warning for uuuh murder and cannibalism. It's my fave tragedy but it's A LOT).

Generally speaking Dionysus was fundamental as a god of Masks for theater. He appears in many comedies in which his being effeminate is played for comedic relief, but in the Bacchae especially this aspect of confusion between genders is actually one of the most disturbing aspects of his godhood (disturbing to good decent mysoginist ancient Greeks at least). There's a whole lot written about the Dionysus in Bacchae so that could be a fruitful line of enquiry.

You're going to stumble on a lot of people building up a "contrapposition" of sorts between Dionysus and Apollo and the concepts of "dionisiac" and "apollinean". This is something that comes off from modern German philosopher Nietzsche and his particular interpretation of the dionisiac, you can include it amongst the modern interpretation but it's something that wasn't really present to such a degree in the original mythos. Apollo and Dionysus even shared the Delphi site - Apollo had control of it in the spring and summer, Dionysus during the winter months.

Another thing you can look at regarding specifically the cult are the Senatus Consults De Bacchanalibus, a Roman law aimed at stopping the excessive orgiastic rituals made in the name of the Roman equivalent of Dionysus, Bacchus (it helped to retrodate the cult of Bacchus in Italy) and the mysteric cults at Eleusis of Dionysus/Zagreus. these could be interesting because of the important role women and womanhood played in these cults and because of the explicitly sexual aspects present.

Also in the context of Dionysus and sexuality people like to bring up that myth about Dionysus inventing the dildo but there's the real possibility that is just Christian slander so be careful attributing too much importance to it.

Hey bones !! I’m doing a project on Dionysus, his cult, and gender for a class of mine. Any advice on where I can find sources ? Maybe what I should talk about ? I’d appreciate it :) I offer the mysterious smell of wine when no alcohol is present.

Gotta recommend "Redifining Dionysos" It's a large collaborative academic study on Dionysus and his worship in antiquity.

[newyorktheater]

Off-Broadway in the Fall promises a new musical with book by Conor McPherson and music by Bob Dylan (“Girl from the North Country”); Glenn Close  as Joan of Arc’s mother (“Mother of the Maid”); Christine Lahti as Gloria Steinem (“Gloria: A Life”); a shadow cast of deaf actors signing in ASL while another cast is speaking in English (“I Was Most Alive With You”); real-life siblings Tyne Daly and Tim Daly as bickering siblings, on stage together in New York for the first time. (“Downstairs”)

There are new plays by Donna R.Love, Martyna Majok, Tom Stoppard; two old plays and a new musical by Lynn Nottage; revivals of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma and Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along. There is a re-creation of a refugee camp, plays about Korean and Arab immigrants to the U.S., American slaves, African porters

How to sort it all out?

Bob Dylan’s music in a new musical by Conor McPherson

Glenn Close as the mother of Joan of Arc

Lynn Nottage has a couple of revived plays and a new musical

Christine Lahti as Gloria Steinem

Tim Daly and Tyne Daly

Samuel D. Hunter

from The Jungle

from The Bachae

from The Head and the Load

from Days of Rage

One way is to group the shows under the theater that’s presenting or producing them. Unlike Broadway,  Off-Broadway is more than a collection of individual potential hits or misses. (See my Broadway 2018-2019 Season Preview Guide.)  It’s marked by theaters/theater companies that present whole seasons of original or originally interpreted work.

That is why the list of shows below is grouped primarily by the theaters, in order of my preference for them (determined by such factors as their recent track record, the promise of the new season, and by the overall experience I’ve had with the theater as theatergoer and critic.) I include underneath that a list of other highlights.

Click on the theater’s name for more information about the theater, and on the show title for more about the individual production.

(The asterisk *, explained more fully at the bottom, indicates the four theatrical empires that are both on and Off Broadway. Listed here are only their Off-Broadway offerings. Go to my Broadway preview guide for the rest)

I’ve put a red check mark — √ — besides a few shows about which I’m especially excited or intrigued. (I’ll only know if I was right to be interested once I see them.)

THE PUBLIC THEATER

425 Lafayette Street and in Central Park. Twitter: @PublicTheaterNY

Having originated both Hamilton and Fun Home, the Public is on a roll, the latest of many in the successful downtown empire that Joe Papp created half a century ago. (One of the plays this season is about Papp!) The Public is so popular these days that members have been complaining that their membership doesn’t guarantee tickets to the Public shows they want to see.

The Gospel at Colonus

September 4-9

Set in the context of a black Pentecostal service, an exuberant re-telling of Sophocles’ classic Oedipus at Colonus. Book, original lyrics and direction by Lee Breuer. Original music, adapted lyrics and music direction by Bob Telson. FREE

√ Girl from the North Country

September 11 – November 18. Opens October 1

Playwright Conor McPherson transforms Bob Dylan’s songbook to tell the story of a down-on-its-luck community on the brink of change in Duluth, Minnesota in 1934.

Mother of the Maid

September 25 – December 2. Opens October 17

Glenn Close plays Joan of Arc’s mother in this drama by Jane Anderson (“Olive Kitteridge”)

Eve’s Song

October 21 – December 2. Opens November 7.

In this play by Patricia Ione Lloyd directed by Jo Bonney, Deborah is trying to keep things normal at home in the aftermath of a messy divorce and a daughter coming out as queer. But as black people continue to be killed beyond their four walls, the outside finds its way in.

Wild Goose Dreams

October 30 – December 9. Opens November 14.

In Hansol Jung’s play, directed by Leigh Silverman, Minsung is a “goose father,” a South Korean man whose wife and daughter have moved to America for a better life. Deeply lonely, he escapes onto the internet and meets Nanhee, a young defector forced to leave her family behind in North Korea. Is connection possible?

  ST. ANN’s WAREHOUSE

Although it primarily presents avant-garde European exports,  this Brooklyn theater climbs up in my preference thanks to Taylor Mac’s homegrown   24-Decade History of Popular Music  The two Fall shows this season both sound unmissable.

  √ Oklahoma

 September 27 – November 11. Opening October 7

Director Daniel Fish’s 75th anniversary production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s landmark musical upends the sunny romance between a farmer and a cowpoke with what has always been just below the surface. The cast includes Rebecca Naomi Jones, Mary Testa, and Ali Stroker.

√The Jungle

December 4 – January 13, 2019

Meet the hopeful, resilient residents of the Jungle – a sprawling refugee camp in Calais, France. Take a seat inside the bustling Afghan Café to experience how, with minimal resources in a cold, inhospitable environment, refugees and volunteers built a warm, self-governing society out of nothing

  NEW YORK THEATER WORKSHOP

79 East 4th Street. Twitter: @NYTW79

NYTW has gotten much attention over the past few years for presenting David Bowie’s musical “Lazarus,”    “Othello” with movie stars Daniel Craig and David Oyelowo, and “Mary Jane.” Its fare has ranged from the innovative and tuneful — “Hadestown” — to the cutting edge and incomprehensible — “Fondly, Collette Richland”

In the new season, there are no dates listed yet for four of the six shows.  Most are likely to be in Spring 2019, and, just from what we know about them (which isn’t much), they sound extremely promising.

What The Constitution Means To Me

September 12, 2018—October 21

Fifteen-year-old Heidi Schreck put herself through college by giving speeches about the U.S. Constitution. Now, the Obie Award winner resurrects her teenage self in order to trace the document’s profound impact on women’s bodies—including her own. Oliver Butler directs.

Mandy Patinkin in Concert

October 10 – 28

Slave Play

The old South lives on at the MacGregor Plantation in this antebellum fever-dream written by Jeremy O. Harris and directed by Robert O’Hara.

Hurricane Diane

In this play by Madeleine George directed by Leigh Silverman,  Diane is a gardener who is actually the Greek god Dionysus, returning to the modern world to gather mortal followers and restore the Earth to its natural state.

√?Sanctuary City

There are few clues as to the particulars of this play, but it’s written by Martyna Majok, last year’s Pulitzer Prize winner for “Cost of Living.,” who in such dramas as Ironbound and “queens” has given a voice to the new immigrant.   “DREAMers. Lovers. Life-long friends. Negotiating the promise of safety and the weight of responsibility, they’ll fight like hell to establish a place for themselves and each other in America”

√?Anna Deavere Smith project

No clue whatsoever as to its subject, but her one-woman shows about race riots in Crown Heights (“Fires in the Mirror”) and Los Angeles (“Twilight”), about health care (“Let Me Down Easy“), and about the school to prison pipeline (“Notes from the Field“) have made it clear that Anna Deavere Smith is one of our country’s greatest theater artists.

  PLAYWRIGHTS HORIZONS

416 W. 42nd St. Twitter: @PHNYC

Annie Baker’s “The Flick” is one of six plays that originated at Playwrights Horizons that have won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The theater offers new plays and musicals that are consistently worthwhile, in an environment that feels dedicated both to the theater artists and the theatergoers.

I Was Most Alive With You

September 1 – October 14. Opens September 24.

Craig Lucas’s play, performed simultaneously in English and ASL by two casts, focuses on Ash, who Is thankful for the gifts of his family, his addiction, and his son’s Deafness. But on one fateful day, everything’s taken from him.

The Thanksgiving Play

October 12 – November 25. Opens November 5.

Good intentions collide with absurd assumptions in Larissa FastHorse’s satire, as a troupe of terminally “woke” teaching artists scrambles to create a pageant that somehow manages to celebrate both Turkey Day and Native American Heritage Month.

Noura

November 27, 2018 – December 30, 2018

A play written by and starring Heather Raffo as Noura, who eight years ago, fled her home in Iraq along with her husband and family. Today, she plans the perfect Christmas dinner to celebrate their new life in New York. But the arrival of a visitor stirs up long-buried memories.

  PRIMARY STAGES

In their second year in their new location at the Cherry Lane in the West Village, Primary Stages has a promising season lined up.

Final Follies

September 12 – October 21

Three one-act plays by A.R. Gurney, who died last year at the age of 86.

Downstairs

November 7 – December 22, 2018

Real-life siblings Tyne Daly and Tim Daly perform together for the first time on the New York stage in Theresa Rebeck’s new play as siblings Irene and  who’s staying uncomfortably in Irene’s basement, which leads to the unearthing of some troubling history. (Rebeck is also represented on Broadway this season with Bernhardt/Hamlet.)

God Said This (January) – In Leah Nanako Winkler’s play, five Kentuckians face mortality in very different ways.

Little Women (May) – Kate Hamill’s take on Louise May Alcott

ATLANTIC THEATER

Cofounded in 1985 by David Mamet and William H. Macy, this theater entered in a whole new realm of achievement with the acclaimed musical The Band’s Visit

Fireflies

September 26 – November 11

Written by Donja R. Love, starring Kris Davis (magnificent in Sweat and The Royale, now on FX’s Atlanta.) When four little girls are bombed in a church, the marriage between Charles (Davis) and Olivia (Dewanda Wise)  is threatened – as this tragedy and years of civil unrest leave Olivia believing that “this world ain’t no place to raise a colored child.”

Blue Ridge

Marin Ireland stars in this play by Abby Rosebrock as aprogressive high-school teacher with a rage problem who retaliates against her unscrupulous boss and is sentenced to six months at a church-sponsored halfway house, where she attends to everyone’s recovery but her own.

These two are in the Fall. There is more coming in 2019, including in May: The Secret Life of Bees, book by Lynn Nottage, music by Duncan Sheik

PARK AVENUE ARMORY

Although the Armory has been presenting theater for a decade, it’s not been a regular stop for me. A Room in India convinced me it should be, and The Damned confirmed it. As with St Anne’s Warehouse, the theater they present is largely European, cutting-edge, often hybrids, and they require patience and an open mind. They also just have a handful of shows per season. But, offered in the vast expanse of the Armory’s Drill Hall, these aren’t just shows; they’re events.

The Head and the Load

December 4 – 15

The title is a play on the Ghanaian proverb, “the head and the load are the troubles of the neck. William Kentridge’s collaborative combination musical piece, performance art and art installation is about the nearly two million African porters and carriers used by the British, French, and Germans who bore the brunt of the casualties during the First World War in Africa and the historical significance of this story as yet left largely untold.

SECOND STAGE*

Last season, this 40-year-old theater became the fourth “non-profit” to produce theater both on and Off Broadway.

Days of Rage

October 9 – November 25

Steven Levenson (who wrote the book for Dear Evan Hansen) writes about five young idealists in the middle of a country divided, in October, 1969, who admit a mysterious newcomer to their collective, and the delicate balance they’ve achieved begins to topple.

LINCOLN CENTER THEATER*

@LCTheater

The shows at Lincoln Center’s Off-Broadway venues are inexpensive (especially at the Claire Tow theater, where initial-run tickets cost $20) and often rewarding. I’m hoping that someday they will be literally more inviting to independent New York theater critics.

Plot Points in Our Sexual Development

October 6 – November 18. Opens October 22

In this play by Miranda Rose Hall, Theo (Jax Jackson) and Cecily (Marianne Rendon) want to be honest about their sexual histories, but what happens when telling the truth jeopardizes everything?

The Hard Problem

October 25 – January 6, 2019. Opens November 19

In this new play by Tom Stoppard, directed by Jack O’Brien, Hilary (Adelaide Clemens) is a young psychology researcher who’s faced with a public quandary – what is consciousness – and a private sorrow.

  ROUNDABOUT* LAURA PELS

The empire that is now Roundabout includes three Broadway theaters, and that’s where most of the attention is focused, mostly on star-studded revivals, especially musicals.  But its fourth building houses two Off-Broadway theaters (one of them a tiny “Black Box” theater.) It is in its Off-Broadway facility that Stephen Karam’s The Humans originated, which went on to Broadway and Tony love. The Roundabout’s “Underground” series discovers new playwriting talent, with tickets priced at $25.

Apologia

September 27 – December. 16

Stockard Channing in a powerhouse performance as a woman facing the repercussions of her past, in this play by Alexi Kaye Campbell

Usual Girls

October 11 – December 9

In Ming Peiffer’s play, a boy threatens to tell on the girls for swearing on an elementary school playground, unless one of them kisses him. But just before lips can touch, Kyeoung tackles the boy to the ground. The victory is short-lived. Over the coming years, Kyeoung’s stories get stranger, funnier, more harrowing.

Merrily We Roll Along January) Fiasco Theater reimagines Stephen Sondheim’s musical about a trio of showbiz friends who fall apart and come together over 20 years, going backwards in time.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties (MCC)

Opens September 12

Meet five different women named Betty: one rich, one lonely, one charismatic, one lovelorn, and one who keeps working on her truck. Oh, and one has decided to stage a production of a play. The cast features Dana Delany, Lea DeLaria, Adina Verson, Ana Villafañe, Chaunté Wayans.

The True (The New Group)

Opens September 20

Edie Falco stars as Dorothea “Polly” Noonan, the blunt, profane, decades-long defender of Albany’s Democratic Party machine in Sharr White’s play. Co-starring Michael McKean as Albany’s embattled “mayor for life.”

The Bachae (BAM)

October 3-7

Euripides’ cautionary parable of hubris and fear of the unknown thrashes to new life in the hands of Anne Bogart, the renowned SITI Company.

√Lewiston/Clarkston (Rattlestick)

October 10 – December 2.

Samuel D. Hunter’s two plays focus on two modern-day descendants of the explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Each night “the plays will be performed together, in an intimate space for a small audience of only 51 guests who will gather to watch, to share a catered meal between the two productions, and to consider as a community our place in the ongoing American experiment.”

   √Gloria A Life (Daryl Roth Theater)

Opens October 18

Christine Lahti portrays Gloria Steinem in a new play by Emily Mann directed by Diane Paulus.

Fabulation, or The Re-Education of Undine (Signature)

Nov 19- Dec 30

A revival of a satire by Lynn Nottage: After her husband steals her fortune, successful African-American publicist Undine must move back into her childhood home in the Brooklyn projects,

Other companies and theaters worth checking out:

Ars Nova

Classic Stage Company

Mint Theater

Mayi Theater Company

  There are also commercial shows put together by independent producers that are presented in theaters for rent, such as:

Cherry Lane Theatre Daryl Roth Theatre Gym at Judson Lucille Lortel Theatre New World Stages Orpheum Theater The Players Theatre Snapple Theater Center Theatre Row Union Square Theater Westside Theatre

*THE ASTERISK: Off-Broadway AND Broadway

*Just to complicate matters, several of the resident theaters also present shows in Broadway theaters they own  –  Lincoln Center (Vivian Beaumont Theater), Manhattan Theater Company or MTC (the Samuel J. Friedman), the Roundabout Theater Company (American Airlines, Stephen Sondheim, Studio 54), and starting this season, Second Stage Theatre, which has bought the Helen Hayes. Their Broadway offerings are listed in my Broadway 2017-2018 Season Guide

What Is Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off Broadway?

Off-Broadway theaters, by definition, have anywhere from 100 to 499 seats. If a theater has more seats than that, it’s a Broadway house. If it has fewer, it’s Off-Off Broadway.

There are some terrific Off-Off Broadway theaters, sometimes confused for Off-Broadway. These include (but are not limited to) The Flea, Labyrinth Theater, and LaMaMa ETC.

Monthly Calendar of Openings

Because there are so many shows Off-Off Broadway, and their runs are so limited, I include them in my monthly theater preview calendar (along with Broadway and Off Broadway openings) posted near the beginning of each month.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For more information about Off-Broadway, go to  The League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers (aka The Off-Broadway League).  This should not be confused with the Off-Broadway Alliance, which is a separate organization (though they should probably merge, no?)

What’s Off-Broadway Dough? Does that mean there’s not much of it? pic.twitter.com/KHH1kApUzb

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) September 4, 2016—-

Off Broadway Fall 2018 Preview Guide Off-Broadway in the Fall promises a new musical with book by Conor McPherson and music by Bob Dylan ("Girl from the North Country"); Glenn Close  as Joan of Arc’s mother ("Mother of the Maid"); Christine Lahti as Gloria Steinem ("Gloria: A Life"); a shadow cast of deaf actors signing in ASL while another cast is speaking in English ("I Was Most Alive With You"); real-life siblings Tyne Daly and Tim Daly as bickering siblings, on stage together in New York for the first time. 

[gattmammon]

I understand the appeal a little more, but at the same time I mostly agree. Like I have no beef with anybody who identifies with that symbolism, and I even think it can be useful to me personally if interpreted in a less narrow way - you can take the ability to create a baby to be symbolic of any kind of creation, in which case we all go through the three stages when we conceive an idea, slowly nurture it into existence, and then review the experience we have gained.

But At the same time, in my experience, emphasis on the three aspects, especially in contexts that don't necessarily worship, say, an actual three-aspected goddess like the Morrigan, is kind of a red flag. It's what keeps me away from organized paganism and Wiccan groups in my area. Most of the organizations I can find have a lot of references to sacred feminine and the three aspects and the moon which are all ok things by themselves!, But then I scratch the surface a little bit and find a whole lot of gender essentialism.

I am now one of those genderfluids, but even when I didn't know what any of that meant it never sat right with me. What if I don't want to have my relationship with the divine be defined by my ability to bear children. What if I want to have my relationship with the divine be defined by, idk, how good I am at screeching and scaring the general public when drunk (I am very good at it. Dionysus would be proud). Even in the context of a feminist-oriented practice, it's kind of a reductionist view - again, I don't think the Maenads fit into one of the three aspects, but at the same time they definitely represent an aspect of femininity.

not trying to rag on anyone but i genuinely don’t understand people who enjoy the whole “maiden, mother, crone” thing. it represents an incredibly narrow view of a woman’s role in society specifically through the male gaze.

it being called the “female life cycle” just about sums up why it yucks me out

this quote from helen berger is as close to understanding it; “according to believers, this echoing of women's life stages allowed women to identify with deity in a way that had not been possible since the advent of patriarchal religions."

that being said, she still identified it as “women’s life stages” which is a sort of feminist spin on “female life cycle” that ultimately means the same thing.

it might be because i’m a Dirty Trans but i don’t think chopping up a person’s life into stages characterized mainly by their reproductive abilities is like. A Cool And Woke Thing To Do.

[bonestoashes]

Tarot : Major Arcana

Tarot Overview Post It is important to remember that the major arcana represents a journey. So think about a specific journey with an end goal or destination in mind. That will help when trying to understand the story the major arcana is trying to present. 

0: The Fool prompts you to get ready and make a plan. Get your map out.  1: The Magician says, you now know what you want. Now start to work for it.  Time to get into action.  2: The High Priestess tells us to listen to our instincts.  3: The Empress tells us to act on our emotional thoughts in a caring and nurturing light. Bring things into fruition.  4: The Emperor tells us to push our emotions aside, but to keep them in view. Use them in sync with your logic to make firm steps.  5: Hierophant: Find your teachers. 6: The Lovers: Use compassion to guide your steps.  7: The Chariot: Confidence will guide you.  8: Strength: In the confidence comes your strength.  9: The Hermit: Make sure your words and thoughts are what you are following.  10: Wheel of Fortune: Find the cycles and where you need to budge them. 11: Justice: Be rational and logical. Don’t let emotions could your mind.  12: The Hanged Man: Make your sacrifices.  13: Death: End the bad habits before the get the better of you.  14: Temperance: with the new holes, find something to fill them. Balance.  15: The Devil: Be weary of self destruction.  16: The Tower: No more self lies. You can’t hide from yourself.  17: Star: Don’t lose hope. Rebirth is possible, get ready for it.  18: The Moon: The rebirth that the star foretold is happening now.  19: The Sun: Rejuvenation and happiness. The truth is clear.  20: Judgement: Accept the good, and also the bad.  21: The World: You are done. Time to start anew. FULL CARD BREAK DOWN AND SOURCES BELOW CUT: ** When making this guide I used the Rider-Waite Deck (By Pamela Coleman Smith). I made notes, first looking at the cards and writing what I saw and felt, then putting a second text of information I gleamed from other sources. That is the format these notes are written in. If you have any questions feel free to ask. :) ** If you click on the name of each card it will bring you to an image search in Bing of that card.

0: The Fool      I)A person walks towards an edge. They have a sack, packed to go on a journey. The sun is to their back and a companion is at their heels. A rose is in their hand. The ocean waves behind them. They look sure, and comfortable with the decision to make a move.      II) This, as the first card in the major arcana, indicates a beginning. This card is the embodiment of optimism. If a journey has already began, than this card is not necessarily saying to go back to the begging but rather getting that energy back. The blind faith that it will work out.  Go back to the simple single bag and unpack all the unnecessary baggage you have picked up along the way.  This card indicates a free spirit, and innocence.       Extra Context: The fool card, historically is linked to Dionysus.        In history, the fool or jester, was an entertainer to the kings court. They were allowed to say things in a satirical manner than many wouldn’t in fear of upsetting the royals. The jester was also able to deliver bad news to kings that many others wouldn’t. They were story tellers to their core.

1: The Magician      I) A person is standing with an infinity sign above his head. He is holding on hand up holding a candle (?), and pointing down with his other hand (as above, so below). In front of him is a table, with a pentagram, sword, wand, and cup. Flowers surround him. All of the elements are there. He has all he has need to work some serious magic.      II) This card speaks of needing to have confidence in yourself, willingness for work on self development, and having ambition. You picked your path, and now you are ready to begin the ritual. You have the knowledge and wisdom. All of the symbolism (earth, water, fire, time) indicates that the person in question has all the tools for some energy manipulation. It is important to note that the magic has not yet begun. This is a call to arms telling you that the magic CAN begin. Time to connect the physical, spiritual, and metaphysical. Time to act now, and stop making excuses. You are ready. This card speaks of will power, desire, creation and manifestation. 

2: The High Priestess      I) A priestess sits on a throne. She holds a scroll in her hand as if she has a prophecy to foretell. The moon is at her feet, and her robes seem to be water, with the moon pulling the tide. There are two pillars, one black with the letter B, the other gray (white?) with the letter J. Behind her is a veil with the image of pomegranates.       II) This card is the card of the subconscious, secret knowledge, and intuition. A highly emotional card. This card tells us to listen within and follow our hearts and minds. Outside voices don’t matter. It is time to meditate. Listen to your own inner voice.      Extra Context: The High Priestess may be sitting between the pillars of Boaz and Jachin(which has a particular meaning to Freemasonry). 

3: The Empress      I) Water and earth are present. An empress sits on a throne  with a stone shaped like a heart beneath her. The stone has the symbol of Venus. She wears a crown of stars.  Motherly or nurturing nature.      II) This is the card of emotional nurturing. You will be playing the role of mother. You could be mothering an idea (creativity), taking care of others (helping someone in need), or the more fertile points of this card could be pointing to you ( you might be a parent). You might even need to be your own mother and invest in some self care. Growth is the name of the game. You have the potential and you are good enough. While the High Empress tells us to listen to our emotions, The Empress tells us to act on them and focus on the positive.       Extra Context: This card has many associations with Demeter, although some tie it to Hera.

4: The Emperor       I) A man sights on a throne wearing armor. He is wearing a crown. His face looks stern. Mountains are behind him. There s a trickle of water only on one side.        II) With the presence of water we know emotions are present but in a very subtle way. Now is not the time to let emotions rule you, but don’t forget them entirely. It is now the time for both your heart and mind to work together in balance. Its time to take the lead and plant your roots for stability.  Ethical leadership with responsibility. This might mean taking the reins for yourself, or giving into the authority of someone else.  Can also indicate to issues with fatherly people or authorities.

5: The Hierophant      I) A priest like figure sitting on a throne  pointing above with one hand, holding a staff in another. There are crossed keys at his feet and two people look on to the figure. He has a message from the divine to deliver.      II) Where the Emperor is a leader in a physical sense, the hierophant is a leader in a spiritual sense. His whole life has been in preparing for a role of informant between the profane and otherworldly, and to the human world. He has earned his way and is now bestowing knowledge upon you.  An oracle. You need to decide if the message you have been receiving is the right one for you or if you are going to try to make your own connections. Seek enlightenment. Its time to put effort into something bigger then yourself.  Might also be a message about tradition and sticking to the old way of things. Know how to apply inner wisdom and sharing it with others. It can represent the kind of teaching that helps people make a difference in the world, and communicates the things of value.      Extra Context: A person, especially a priest in ancient Greece, who interprets sacred mysteries or esoteric principles. The more commonly encountered modern name "Hierophant" is due to Antoine Court de Gébelin. According to de Gebelin, "hierophant" was the title of the chief priest in the Eleusinian mysteries (an ancient Greek ritual). (This last one is from Wikipedia. Currently doing more research into this!)

6: The Lovers       I) The card has  representation of Adam and Eve. One the left is Eve, with the tree of forbidden knowledge behind her with a serpent wrapped around the trunk.  On the right is Adam with a tree going up in flames behind him. Between them is a physical mountain as well as an angel descending from the heavens.      II) The most common interpretation of this card deals with romantic and/or sexual love but that’s not always what this card is telling us. It can talk about the love shared between friends, family members, projects and so fourth.  It can also be about self- love. It can also be a scary wake up call, to stop listening to the judgement of others and start listening to your passions. Its time to work together, with others or yourself.  This card is about unions but also about choices. Decide who you share your energies with.

7: The Chariot      I) A man wearing armor sits in a chariot being pulled by two sphinx. (There is no reins, so who is really in control?) Behind him is a kingdom. Image of moon and stars present.  On the front of the chariot is an imagery of a golden ball with wings (the golden snitch?!?) and a shield with a dreidel?      II)You have figured out your path, done all that is necessary, found your inner strength and now you are moving. Your action comes from your own inner strength. You are your own compass. You now the directions better than you think you do.  Victory is your destination- just make sure to keep your ego in check so you don’t go off course.  Find your self control.

8: Strength      I)A woman wearing a crown of infinity looks lovingly at a lion. Mountains are in the back, flowers adorn the woman's robe. The lion has its tongue stuck out like a dog. It is just as happy as she is. The woman is the one in control.      II) This card is self- explanatory. It is about strength, but not the physical kind. The mental kind. Strength through self confidence, and shown to others with a loving look. The woman is being patient with the lion, but still you must remember she is with a lion. Vulnerability is your shield. This card is also a reminder to have compassion. The lion does not open its mouth out of fear but out of mutual trust and respect.      Extra Context: This card is often associated with Artemis. 

9: The Hermit      I)A man walks alone with a lamp lighting his way. His has his head bent down as if deep in thought.      II)This card is about solitude and being alone with ones thoughts. This card does not equate loneliness. He is alone but he is in thought. Now is the time to push the noise of the world and others away and find your own inner voice. Listen to yourself. Contemplation is what should be taking your attention and search for your own inner truth.

10: Wheel of Fortune       I)Lots of symbolism. In the top left hand corner, there is an angel flipping through a book. On the right hand corner is a phoenix standing on an open book. In the certain is the wheel of fortune, with a sphinx holding a sword sitting atop the wheel. To the left in a snake, to the right is a devil. Bottom left hand corner there is an ox with wings reading a book. On the right is a griffin reading a book.     II)The wheel of fortune reminds us that everywhere we look there are wheels, or cycles. This card reminds us about fate but also tells us to try and give fate a run for its money. While you may not have a say over certain circumstances, you can control how you respond. Be adaptable. Look at what you do have free will over. What can you do to try and change your fate in small but ultimate ways. Something may be put in motion already (quit a job, pregnancy, divorce, etc.) and while you may not be able to control all outcomes and incomes, be proactive and do what you can. Make decisions and act on them!      Extra Context: This card is often associated with the Goddess Fortuna(Roman. Greek counterpart is Tyche).

11: Justice      I) A person sits on a throne, a sword in one hand a scale of judgement in the other. They wear a crown showing high status.       II) The lack of water (emotion) is very telling in this card. Now is not the time for feelings, it is the time for logic and rational decision making. Remove yourself from the image and look at the larger picture.  Search for clarity and truth away from the sticky mess of emotions. Look at logic and cause and effects.  Protect your personal integrity as well as your rights. Have an open but fair mind.        Extra Context: This card is often associated with Athen and Themis.

12: The Hanged Man      I)A man hangs with one foot tied to a tree. He isn’t dead, and doesn’t seem in pain or scared. A halo of light illuminates his head.       II)The card is about gaining a new perspective. This card shows that there is a want for knowledge, whether secret, sacred or mundane. Some sacrifices may be needed in order to obtain such knowledge, and with these sacrifices comes the new perspective with which you will learn what you need to know. A major transformation is about to take place.  Sacrifice and martyrdom are the calling signs of this card.      Extra Context: It is said that this card is an allusion of the story of Odin and how he gained the knowledge of Runes.

13: Death      I) A skeleton rides upon an armored horse as if he is coming from battle. He waves a black flag with a white lotus in the middle. At his feet is a bishop, a dead body, and two people looking as if they are either mourning or dying themselves. In the background water is overflowing, and the sun appears to be setting.       II)This card indicates the death of a cycle or habit. The main lesson from this story is CHANGE! The end of something is happening or near, and a transformation to new is going to occur.

14: Temperance      I) An angel stands on a river bed (one foot in the water, one on land)with a two cups, passing liquid from one into the other. To the right are flowers in some river weeds, and to the left in the distance in a walking path, mountains, and the sun.      II) In other decks the water between the cups is portrayed as going from hot to cold. With that gone the card has lost some meaning. This card is all about balance. Maybe you have been very staunch in a certain set of beliefs, and need to let you self rebalance. Finding middle ground.  Focus on opposites. Male and female, dark and light.  Look not only to opposite ends of a spectrum but also look at the middle path of things. The angel portrayed in this card could be a guardian angel or your “Higher self”.

15: The Devil      I) An inverted pentagram is on the devils head. The devils seems to be doing the “as above, so below” sign, and in the hand pointing down he holds a torch of fire. Underneath him is a chained woman and man, both having tails and horns. The woman’s tail is made of grapes, the mans tail is made of fire.       II)The Devils is about self-reflections and cutting ties with what is holding you back. Say goodbye to self- destructive habits. Anything that isn’t helping you to grow as a person needs to either change or be removed. You are your own personal devil. Either a relationship, a habit, or a personality trait needs to be looked at and now is the time to do it.  Now might also be the time to check your materialism, and your habit of excess and waste.      Extra Context: The Golden Dawn system, from which the symbology for the Rider-Waite cards are based on, links the Devil card with the sign of Capricorn and its ruler Saturn, the planet of limitations.

16: The Tower       I)  A tower is struck by lightning. Consumed by flames, the tower sits atop a small mountain top. Two people fall to their deaths.      II)If you don’t listen to the warnings of the Devil card, the tower is what you get. Denial was your life and then tragedy became your wake up call. Now you have to deal with the aftermath.  This card may seem negative on the surface but you have to look at the bigger picture. Whatever the tower was made out of (the tower could be a relationship, a job, a habit, etc.) it obviously wasn’t working out and was destroyed. Now build it back up with stronger and sturdier material.  This might be a warning to check your pride and learn to humble yourself.

17: The Star      I) A woman kneels into a puddle, and with the night sky covered in stars behind her, spills a cup of water into the puddle, and another onto the ground (which trickles away, one such trickle leading to the puddle). Behind her is a tree with a bird perched above it.      II) Rebirth and renewal is what is found here. The dust has settled from the Tower, and now there is hope. The pieces are ready to be picked up and you are ready to move on with confidence. If there was ever a time to “vibe with your tribe” this is it.  Now is the time to believe in hope.

18: The Moon      I)Below the moon (whose looking down at the scene), where there is mountains, and two towers, one on the right and one on the left. In the very middle there is a walking path. Towards the front of the card, on one side of the path is a dog and a coyote sits on the other side. The path leads to a body of water, where a lobster appears to walk onto the path.       II)If there is any card that is a reminder of mortality, this is it. Strip away any stability given to your thoughts by logic and give into your emotions. This card is about human feelings, intuition, and vulnerability. Listen to your inner voice. Your hidden fears are holding you back and you need to confront them to be able to grow. 

19: The Sun      I) A happy child sits upon a horse, leaving a field of sunflowers while the sun looks on with indifference.       II)Rejuvenation and honesty are found here. Happiness is now found and is yours. Success and joy are yours. Time to celebrate all that you have accomplished and make plans for the next big thing.  This is a card of luck, growth, vitality, creativity, and celebration. This card tells us to call on our inner child and live in that childlike wonder and joy that we tend to forget as adults.

20: Judgement      I) People are in boats drifting about in the ocean. A angel descends from the heaves roaring  trumpet. The people hold their hands out to the angel.      II)You are being judged, but not by a higher power. This judgement day is conducted by you and the ultimate you that you should be striving to be. It is time to accept all of what you are, all you have been and decided what steps you need to take to become who you will be.Self absolution. You need to do a lot of self reflection and check the path you are on. Be honest with yourself, are you proud of where you are and where you will be going? Is there any changes you need to make?

21: The World      I)In the respective corners is the faces of the figures from The Wheel of Fortune. There is a wreath and in the middle is a woman, holding two wands in each hand.  This is the last card of the major arcana.      II) The journey is over, and it is time to accept what has been done.  It is time to cut up loose ends and put a sign of completion. Now that you are standing on a sturdy foundation and your current cycle is over, it is time to reap the benefits and start a new cycle. Start a new journey.  After the world we once again become the fool, for as long as we are alive, we never stop growing. Now is the time to ask yourself what you need to become a complete person in body and mind.

Sources 

Sources are always a work in progress. Want to add a source? Send me a message with information regarding the source and I will see about adding it.  Websites -https://www.biddytarot.com/learn-tarot/   -http://www.daily-tarot-girl.com/learn-tarot/how-to-read-tarot-cards-a-step-by-step-guide/  -https://marykgreer.com/2011/07/17/what-every-newbie-tarot-reader-should-know/  -https://www.biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/major-arcana/  -http://www.tarotteachings.com/tarot-card-meanings-of-the-major-arcana.html Books      Alexander, Skye. The Only Tarot Book You'll Ever Need: Gain Insight and Truth to Help Explain the Past, Present, and Future. F W Media, 2010.       Crispin, Jessa. The Creative Tarot: a Modern Guide to an Inspired Life. Touchstone, 2016.              Cynova, Melissa. Kitchen Table Tarot: Pull up a Chair, Shuffle the Cards, and Let's Talk Tarot. Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd, 2017.       Fenton-Smith, Paul. The Tarot Revealed: a Beginner's Guide. Allen & Unwin, 2008.  Apps                                                Free Apps

- Labyrinthos Academy * Google Play Store | ITunes       https://labyrinthos.co/ Their main website. They offer email sign ups and they have store to purchase things, such as decks.