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nebuladreamerrr · 5 months ago

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Love in words| Kylian Mbappé x Fem Reader

Summary: Kylian wins your heart with a charming routine of leaving little love notes in French. Unbeknownst to him, you’ve been secretly learning French just to understand his sweet messages

Warnings: English is not my first language. I don't speak Dutch or French, so if there's any mistake, I would appreciate it if you let me know :)))

You couldn't help but smile when you noticed the little envelope next to the breakfast on the counter, certain that your boyfriend had prepared it before leaving for training. It was these small gestures that made you fall more deeply in love with him each day.

The past few months hadn't been easy. In fact, your relationship hadn't followed a "normal" trajectory at all. Just a year ago, you had left your beloved Netherlands to advance your modeling career. Many saw it as a leap into the unknown, predicting you would return with less than you left with. Fortunately, you proved them wrong. It was at a serene evening event under the moonlight, hosted by a brand to showcase their new perfume, where you first met your current partner.

From the moment you met him, you felt a connection. However, you rarely recount your first conversation because it embarrasses you, despite it being one of Kylian's favorite stories. To Kylian's surprise, you didn't recognize who he was, leading him to initially disbelieve you and playfully ask what profession you thought suited him. Without hesitation, you said "architect," which amused him greatly.

Luckily, it turned into a humorous anecdote, and the following week, the handsome Frenchman seized the opportunity to take you on a date where you could savor authentic French cuisine. It was during this date that your mother called you, causing you embarrassment as you excused yourself briefly to the bathroom to speak with her. Uncertain of how to ensure you didn't return with a negative impression of him, Kylian took a lipstick from your bag and wrote on a napkin, "Meeting you was a nice accident." This gesture deeply touched your heart, and since then, you've cherished that napkin, hoping to one day share it with your future children as a cherished memory.

When your relationship began, you faced a series of challenges. First, Kylian got injured. Although it wasn’t a severe injury, he was quite moody since his whole life revolved around football. Luckily, your arrival in his life cheered him up, and he used that recovery time to get to know you better. However, the main issue in your relationship was the language barrier. After moving to France, your French was not very good, and after some bad experiences with a few French people who got offended when you mispronounced words, you decided to communicate mostly in English. Additionally, Kylian didn’t know any Dutch, so your conversations often felt monotonous or a bit awkward, requiring a translator to express your different points of view.

Kylian was quite concerned when you told him about the "trauma" you developed due to those few rude individuals who belittled your efforts and preferred to ridicule you rather than help you improve. To encourage you, Kylian came up with a plan involving leaving little notes in French to motivate you to learn the language. Of course, he understood that you could easily use your phone to translate them, so the first letter he gave you was on your birthday, hoping you’d understand how much he wanted it to come from you and not from a simple translation app. Therefore, on your birthday, he left this letter along with a bouquet of blue carnations:

“Bonjour à l'amour de ma vie,

J'espère que tu as très bien dormi aujourd'hui comme la princesse que tu es. Tu n'as aucune idée de combien je suis fier d'être ton petit ami et d'avoir comme petite amie une personne si gentille et noble, quelqu'un qui se soucie des autres et qui n'a pas peur de tout risquer pour accomplir de grandes choses.

(Y/N), en seulement vingt-quatre ans, tu as accompli tant de choses, et j'espère que tu es fière de chaque réussite car je ne peux m'empêcher de sourire comme un idiot amoureux quand j'entends ton nom mentionné dans une émission de télévision ou que je vois que tu as posté une nouvelle photo sur ton profil.

Je sais que tu vas me tuer pour avoir tout écrit en français, mais j'espère qu'un jour tu liras et comprendras tout. Je ne veux pas dire que j'espère que tu seras ma femme et la mère de mes enfants parce que je suis sûr que cela arrivera; nous sommes destinés à être ensemble.

Merci de me supporter, et s'il te plaît continue de cuisiner; je ne sais pas ce que je ferais sans ta nourriture. Je t'aime tellement, mon amour, profite de ta journée.

P.S. Please, princess, don’t translate anything, and don’t ask anyone to translate it for you. I love you, my queen."

("Good morning to the love of my life.

I hope you slept very well today like the princess you are. You have no idea how proud I am to be your boyfriend and to have such a gentle, noble person as my girlfriend, someone who cares about others and isn’t afraid to risk everything to achieve great things.

(Y/N), in just twenty-four years, you have accomplished so much, and I hope you are proud of every achievement because I can’t help but smile like a love-struck fool when I hear your name mentioned on a TV show or see that you’ve posted a new picture on your profile.

I know you’re going to kill me for writing this all in French, but I hope that one day you’ll read and understand everything. I don’t want to say I hope you’ll be my wife and the mother of my children because I’m sure it will happen; we’re destined to be together.

Thank you for putting up with me, and please keep cooking; I don’t know what I’d do without your food. I love you so much, my love, enjoy your day.

P.S. Please, princess, don’t translate anything, and don’t ask anyone to translate it for you. I love you, my queen.")

When you read the letter, you couldn't help but feel a bit shocked because you didn't expect to receive a handwritten letter from Kylian, especially not one written in French. Although it frustrated you that you couldn't understand what was written, you were sure it was all kind words. From that moment on, you had a new goal: to decipher everything the letter said.

Your motivation grew with the increase in notes that Kylian left everywhere: in your car, your apartment, and even in your purse. His messages varied—some shorter, some longer—but they all had one common factor: they were all written in French.

“Mon cœur, les gars me taquinent parce que je veux aller voir Vice Versa 2 avec toi. Est-ce bizarre ? » "Sweetheart, the guys are bullying me because I want to see Inside Out 2 with you. Is that weird?"

« Hey, je n'aime pas que tu prêtes plus d'attention à mon frère qu'à moi. Rappelle-toi, j'ai une Coupe du Monde, et lui non. » "Hey, I don’t like that you pay more attention to my brother than to me. Remember, I have a World Cup, and he doesn’t."

« Pendant l'entraînement, je n'ai pas pu m'empêcher de penser à toi et à comment nos enfants vont me taquiner parce que je ne parle pas néerlandais. Pourquoi tout le monde se moque de moi ? » "During training, I couldn’t stop thinking about you and how our kids will bully me because I don’t speak Dutch. Why does everyone make fun of me?"

All of this motivated you to sign up for classes with a private tutor to learn the language. You often surprised her by asking about the meaning of specific words to slowly decipher the meaning of your boyfriend’s letters. When you finally succeeded, you couldn’t feel more satisfied with yourself. So, you decided to write Kylian a letter in French and slip it into his training bag, hoping to surprise him. You also had a little revenge planned.

"My love, I hope training went well, and you had a great time with the guys.

Remember to behave, and there will be a delicious meal for lunch.

Overigens, ik denk dat het tijd is dat jij ook mijn taal leert, dus ik hoop dat je veel plezier hebt. Onthoud, als je opgeeft, zal mijn vader een slechte indruk van je hebben.

Ik hou van je, mijn kleine schildpad.

(By the way, I think it’s time for you to learn my language too, so I hope you have a lot of fun. Remember, if you give up, my father will have a bad impression of you.

I love you, my little turtle.)

P.S. Don’t use the translator either."

#kylian mbappe #kylian mbappe x reader #kylian x reader #mbappe imagine #mbappe psg #mbappe x reader

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sapchat · 9 months ago

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Ways to add simple little details to Prythian in your stories!

For the Autumn Court this one is basic and many people use it: Males gift their fiancées, wives, mates fox kits as a symbol of their love and good luck with the relationship. To make it sadder, Beron never did this for Lady A, so when Eris found out about this tradition he got his mom one!

For the Dawn Court: Like how the night court Illyrians put the women down, what if the Dawn Court was the opposite and the Peregryn females would put the males down. In the real world male birds are held to a high standard for breeding, I feel like Peregryn instincts would cause this and it just gives more to a story than the females constantly being the abused. Also they’re stomach/side sleepers. I talk more about this below with the night court just to not repeat myself.

Day Court is full of bastards. You can NOT convince me that it isn’t. Helion is laying the fucking pipe like he’s discovered oil. And the reason I feel this is because of @florencemtrash ‘s story “The Shadow and the Inkbird” (also it’s really good go read it if you haven’t) where the MFC is Helions bastard, and meets Lucien and instantly realizes that they’re halfsiblings. And I was like ya know the Day Court is probably like Game of Thrones Dorne. Dorne is know for their bastards almost every persons name in that city is ‘Sand’ because they’re all bastards basically. So I just KNOW that Helion probably has other kids than just Lucien. And everyone in that court is fucking.

Summer Court has mermaids. It’s basic, it’s simple and it’s true. There’s mermaids.

Night Court, listen we already now a lot about the Nigh Court but this pertains to Illyrian’s so I feel it’s different. They’re stomach/side sleepers. They are. You can’t tell me that two massive wing sticking out of your back would allow you to lay on your back. It can’t be comfortable. Like have you ever tried sleeping with like a ponytail/claw clip in? It ain’t nice. Now imagine it with two that sit right beside your shoulder blades and the clips are like 3ft long? Idk how long the base would be but like probably pretty fucking long to allow actual flight capabilities. Also when they sleep on their side they just have their wings straight out, now like laying on one and the other out. They’ve got big ass beds for a reason spread out. (Cassian fully takes up a bed like star fish style just on his stomach. Nesta is sick of it.)

Spring Court, during the Spring Equinox the High Lord chooses someone to dress up and hand out spring gifts to family’s (usually kids). When Tamlin became High Lord he appointed himself to do so. During this time Tamlin also gives many of the less fortunate families something they can later use for the Tithe.

Winter Court puts on a celebration for the children called Three Kings Day. Family’s with children are welcomed to the castle(? Do they have castles…?) and the bakers leave a cake outside the doors of the family, inside the cakes (this is a real thing from Puerto Rico/France/Spain too btw, the cake is called la galette des rois (Kings Cake)) are toys/coins. Whichever children find them get to wear a crown for the day and called Kings/Queens (Kallias started the tradition that all kids get to do this, he’s a softy).

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magickkate · 8 months ago

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Magicians! Whether you're drawn to tarot cards, crystal balls, or pendulums, there's a divination method out there for everyone. Let's dive into this long post about divination and explore everything you need to know to get started! 🌟

🃏 Tarot Cards:

History: Tarot cards have a rich history dating back to the 15th century, originally used for playing card games. Over time, they evolved into a powerful tool for divination and spiritual insight.

Early Origins: Tarot cards likely originated in the 15th century in Europe, possibly in Italy or France. The earliest known tarot decks were hand-painted luxury items commissioned by wealthy families. These early decks, such as the Visconti-Sforza Tarot and the Tarot de Marseille, were not intended for divination but rather for playing card games similar to modern-day bridges. Tarot as a Divinatory Tool: By the 18th century, tarot cards began to be used for divination and spiritual purposes. Influential occultists and mystics, such as Antoine Court de Gébelin and Etteilla, popularized the idea that tarot cards held hidden esoteric meanings and could be used for fortune-telling and self-discovery. The Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot: One of the most iconic and influential tarot decks is the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot, first published in 1910 by occultist Arthur Edward Waite and artist Pamela Colman Smith. This deck introduced innovative imagery and symbolism, including illustrated scenes on the minor arcana cards, which revolutionized the way tarot was interpreted and understood. Tarot in Modern Occultism: In the 20th century, tarot experienced a resurgence in popularity within the occult and New Age communities. Influential figures such as Aleister Crowley and Carl Jung explored the psychological and symbolic significance of tarot, further cementing its place as a tool for spiritual insight and personal growth. Tarot Today: Today, tarot continues to thrive as a popular tool for divination, meditation, and self-reflection. There are countless tarot decks available, ranging from traditional to modern, each with its unique artwork and symbolism. Tarot readers use the cards to explore themes such as love, career, spirituality, and personal development.

💭 Uses: Tarot cards offer guidance, clarity, and introspection. Each card carries its symbolism and meaning, allowing you to tap into your intuition and explore past, present, and future energies.

🃏 Divination: This is perhaps the most well-known use of tarot cards. Divination involves using the cards to gain insight into a specific question or situation. Tarot readers interpret the symbolism and imagery of the cards to provide guidance, clarity, and potential outcomes. Divination readings can focus on various aspects of life, including love, career, relationships, and spiritual growth. 🔍 Self-Reflection and Insight: Tarot cards can serve as powerful tools for self-reflection and introspection. By pulling cards and reflecting on their meanings, individuals can gain insights into their thoughts, emotions, and subconscious mind. Tarot readings can help illuminate patterns, beliefs, and behaviors that may be influencing their lives, allowing for personal growth and transformation. 📖 Decision-Making and Problem-Solving: Tarot cards can be used to help make decisions or solve problems. Individuals can consult the cards for guidance and clarity when faced with a dilemma or uncertainty. Tarot readings can provide different perspectives, highlight potential obstacles or opportunities, and help individuals make more informed choices. 💭 Journaling and Creative Expression: Some people use tarot cards as prompts for journaling or creative expression. They may pull a card each day and write about how its symbolism relates to their experiences, emotions, or goals. Tarot cards can inspire creative projects, artwork, poetry, or storytelling by tapping into the archetypal imagery and themes depicted in the cards. 🙏 Spiritual Development and Meditation: Tarot cards can be incorporated into spiritual practices and meditation routines. Some individuals use tarot cards as focal points for meditation, gazing at the imagery to quiet the mind and deepen their connection to their intuition or spiritual guides. Tarot readings can also be used as part of ritual ceremonies or spiritual rituals to invoke specific energies or intentions. 🌟 Relationship Building and Communication: Tarot cards can be used to build deeper connections and facilitate communication in relationships. Couples or friends may use tarot cards to explore their dynamics, deepen their understanding of each other, and foster open and honest communication. Tarot readings can provide a shared language for discussing feelings, desires, and aspirations. 🧘Manifestation and Goal Setting: Some people use tarot cards as tools for manifestation and goal setting. They may pull cards to clarify their intentions, visualize their desires, and identify action steps to manifest their goals. Tarot readings can help individuals align their thoughts, beliefs, and actions with their desires, empowering them to change their lives positively.

Do's: Trust your intuition, keep an open mind, and approach each reading with respect and reverence.

✅ Set Clear Intentions: Before conducting a tarot reading, take a moment to set clear intentions for the session. Focus on the specific questions or areas of your life you'd like to explore and the guidance you're seeking from the cards. ✅ Cultivate a Sacred Space: Create a sacred and peaceful environment for your tarot readings. Light candles, burn incense or play soft music to enhance the ambiance and set the mood for your practice. ✅ Trust Your Intuition: Tarot readings are as much about intuition as they are about interpretation. Trust your instincts and the messages you receive from the cards. Pay attention to your inner voice and how the cards resonate with your feelings and experiences. ✅ Respect the Cards: Treat your tarot cards with care and respect. Store them in a protective pouch or box when not in use, and avoid handling them with dirty or oily hands. Regularly cleanse and consecrate your cards to maintain their energy and integrity. ✅ Practice Regularly: Like any skill, tarot reading requires practice and dedication. Commit to practicing regularly, even if it's just pulling a daily card or conducting readings for friends and family. The more you work with the cards, the deeper your connection and understanding will become. ✅ Journal Your Readings: Keep a tarot journal to record your readings, interpretations, and insights. Reflect on the messages you receive from the cards and how they resonate with your life. Journaling can help you track your progress, identify patterns, and deepen your understanding of the cards. ✅ Seek Learning and Growth: Tarot is a lifelong journey of learning and exploration. Invest in books, courses, or workshops to deepen your knowledge of tarot symbolism, spreads, and techniques. Surround yourself with a supportive community of fellow tarot enthusiasts to share insights and experiences.

Don'ts: Avoid reading for yourself when in a highly emotional state or seeking answers to overly specific questions. Remember, the cards provide guidance, not concrete predictions.

❌ Don't Read When Emotionally Distressed: Avoid conducting tarot readings when you are feeling highly emotional, anxious, or distressed. Emotions can cloud your judgment and intuition, leading to inaccurate readings or misinterpretations of the cards. Don't Rely Solely on the Cards: While tarot cards can offer valuable insights and guidance, they should not be seen as infallible or deterministic. Use your judgment, common sense, and critical thinking skills when interpreting the cards and making decisions based on their guidance. ❌ Don't Read for Others Without Permission: Always seek permission before conducting a tarot reading for someone else. Respect their boundaries and privacy, and refrain from prying into sensitive or personal matters without their consent. Don't Give Unsolicited Advice: Tarot readings are not a substitute for professional advice or therapy. Avoid giving unsolicited advice or making predictions about someone else's future, especially if it could cause harm or distress. ❌ Don't Fear Negative Cards: Every tarot deck contains cards with both positive and challenging symbolism. Don't be afraid of so-called "negative" cards like the Death or Tower card. Instead, embrace them as opportunities for growth, transformation, and new beginnings. ❌ Don't Ignore Your Intuition: If something doesn't feel right during a tarot reading, trust your intuition and proceed with caution. Take breaks when needed, and don't push yourself to continue if you're feeling uncomfortable or overwhelmed. ❌ Don't Become Obsessive: While tarot can be a valuable tool for self-reflection and insight, avoid becoming overly reliant on the cards or obsessed with seeking answers to every question or concern. Balance your tarot practice with other forms of self-care, mindfulness, and spiritual exploration.

🔮Crystal Ball Scrying:

History: Crystal ball scrying dates back to ancient civilizations, including ancient Egypt and Celtic cultures. It involves gazing into a crystal ball to receive visions or insights.

📜 Ancient Roots: The practice of scrying dates back thousands of years and can be found in cultures across the globe. Ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Druids all had forms of divination involving reflective surfaces or natural objects. These practices often involved seeking guidance from spirits, deities, or ancestors through the act of gazing into a reflective medium. 🏛️ Medieval Europe: Crystal ball scrying gained popularity during the Middle Ages in Europe, particularly among alchemists, astrologers, and mystics. It was believed that certain stones, such as quartz crystals, possessed mystical properties and could serve as conduits for receiving divine or spiritual messages. Crystal balls became associated with the concept of the "scrying mirror," a tool for accessing hidden knowledge and insights beyond the physical realm. ⏳ Renaissance and Occult Revival: During the Renaissance and the occult revival of the 19th century, crystal ball scrying experienced a resurgence of interest among mystics, occultists, and spiritual seekers. Influential figures such as John Dee, Edward Kelley, and Aleister Crowley explored the practice of scrying as a means of contacting spirits, exploring the subconscious mind, and gaining occult knowledge. 🌍 Victorian Era and Spiritualism: Crystal ball scrying gained popularity during the Victorian era, particularly within the spiritualist movement. Mediums and psychics used crystal balls as tools for communicating with the spirit world and conducting seances. The crystal ball became synonymous with the image of the "fortune-teller" or "gypsy" depicted in popular culture and folklore. 📚 Modern Practice: Today, crystal ball scrying continues to be practiced by psychics, mediums, and individuals interested in divination and spiritual exploration. While traditional crystal balls made of quartz or glass are still used, practitioners may also use other reflective surfaces such as mirrors, black obsidian, or bowls of water. Crystal ball scrying is often incorporated into rituals, meditation practices, or psychic readings as a means of accessing intuitive insights and guidance.

Uses: Crystal ball scrying is a powerful method for accessing the subconscious mind and receiving intuitive guidance. It can be used for divination, meditation, and spiritual exploration.

🔮 Divination: The primary use of crystal ball scrying is for divination, or gaining insight into past, present, or future events. By gazing into the crystal ball and allowing the mind to relax and enter a meditative state, practitioners may receive intuitive impressions, symbols, or visions that provide guidance, clarity, and understanding. Crystal ball readings can address a wide range of questions or concerns, including love, career, health, and spiritual growth. 💬 Personal Reflection: Crystal ball scrying can be used for personal reflection and introspection. By gazing into the crystal ball and allowing thoughts and images to arise spontaneously, individuals can gain insights into their emotions, beliefs, and subconscious minds. Crystal ball scrying can help individuals explore their innermost thoughts, fears, and desires, leading to greater self-awareness and personal growth. 🙏 Spiritual Exploration: Crystal ball scrying can serve as a tool for spiritual exploration and connection. Some practitioners use the crystal ball to commune with spirit guides, angels, or ancestors, seeking wisdom, guidance, and inspiration from the spiritual realm. Crystal ball scrying can facilitate a deeper connection to one's intuition, higher self, or spiritual allies, fostering a sense of inner peace, alignment, and purpose. Problem-Solving and Decision-Making: Crystal ball scrying can be used as a tool for problem-solving and decision-making. By focusing on a specific question or dilemma and gazing into the crystal ball, individuals may receive insights, solutions, or alternative perspectives that help them make informed choices or overcome obstacles in their lives. Crystal ball scrying can provide clarity, direction, and confidence when facing difficult decisions or challenges. 💡 Energy Healing: Some practitioners use crystal ball scrying as part of energy healing or therapeutic practices. By incorporating the crystal ball into meditation or visualization, individuals can channel healing energy and intention through the crystal, promoting relaxation, balance, and harmony on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels. Crystal ball scrying can enhance the healing process and support overall well-being and vitality. 🌟 Ritual and Ceremony: Crystal ball scrying can be incorporated into ritual and ceremonial practices as a means of invoking spiritual energies, setting intentions, or communing with the divine. Some traditions use the crystal ball as a focal point for meditation, prayer, or spellcasting, harnessing its reflective properties to amplify intention and manifest desired outcomes. Crystal ball scrying can enhance the sacredness and potency of ritual practices, deepening the practitioner's connection to the divine and the unseen realms.

Do's: Create a sacred space, cleanse your crystal ball before use, and practice relaxation techniques to quiet the mind.

✅ Prepare Your Space: Create a calm and sacred space for your scrying practice. Dim the lights, burn incense or candles, and eliminate distractions to create an environment conducive to relaxation and focus. ✅ Cleanse and Charge Your Crystal Ball: Before each scrying session, cleanse your crystal ball to remove any negative or stagnant energies it may have absorbed. You can cleanse it with smoke (such as herb bundles of cedar, garden sage, or rosemary), sound (using a singing bowl or bell), or by placing it under running water. Once cleansed, charge the crystal ball with your intention or positive energy. ✅ Set Clear Intentions: Clarify your intentions before beginning your scrying session. Think about the questions or areas of your life you'd like to explore and focus your energy and attention on receiving guidance and insights from the crystal ball. ✅ Relax and Clear Your Mind: Relax your body and mind before gazing into the crystal ball. Practice deep breathing or meditation techniques to quiet your thoughts and enter a receptive state of awareness. Release any expectations or preconceived notions, allowing yourself to be open to whatever messages or images may arise. ✅ Trust Your Intuition: Trust your inner guidance and intuition during the scrying process. Pay attention to any impressions, feelings, or images that come to you as you gaze into the crystal ball. Trust that the messages you receive are meaningful and relevant to your journey. ✅ Journal Your Insights: Keep a journal to record your scrying experiences, insights, and interpretations. Writing down your impressions can help you track patterns, themes, and symbols that emerge over time, deepening your understanding of the messages received from the crystal ball.

Don'ts: Avoid forcing visions or expecting immediate results. Patience and practice are key when it comes to crystal ball scrying.

❌ Force the Process: Avoid trying to force or control the scrying process. Allow the images and impressions to arise naturally, without imposing your will or expectations onto the experience. Trust that the messages will come to you in their own time and in their way. ❌ Scry When Emotionally Distressed: Refrain from scrying when you're feeling highly emotional, anxious, or stressed. Strong emotions can cloud your judgment and intuition, making it difficult to receive clear and accurate guidance from the crystal ball. ❌ Obsess Over Negative Images: If you encounter negative or unsettling images during your scrying session, don't dwell on them or become fixated on their meaning. Instead, acknowledge the images and release them with love and compassion. Focus on inviting positive and uplifting energy into your space. Interpret Too Literally: Avoid interpreting the images or symbols in the crystal ball too literally. Instead, focus on the overall feeling or message conveyed by the imagery. Allow your intuition to guide you in discerning the deeper meaning behind the symbols and their relevance to your life. ❌ Compare Your Experience to Others: Every scrying experience is unique to the individual. Avoid comparing your experience to that of others or seeking validation from external sources. Trust in your insights and interpretations, knowing that you are the ultimate authority on your spiritual journey. ❌ Overuse or Depend Solely on the Crystal Ball: While crystal ball scrying can be a valuable tool for spiritual growth and insight, avoid becoming overly reliant on the crystal ball or using it as a crutch. Balance your scrying practice with other forms of divination, meditation, and self-reflection to maintain a holistic approach to your spiritual development.

⚖️ Pendulum Divination:

History: Pendulum divination has been used for centuries to seek answers and guidance from the subconscious mind. It involves suspending a pendulum over a surface and interpreting its movements.

📜 Ancient Origins: Dowsing, the broader term encompassing pendulum divination, has ancient roots and is believed to have originated independently in different cultures. Archaeological evidence suggests that dowsing tools, such as forked branches or rods, were used by ancient civilizations for locating water sources, minerals, and other hidden resources. Dowsing was often practiced by individuals known as "water witches" or "diviners" who possessed a special sensitivity to subtle energies or vibrations in the earth. 🏛️ Historical References: References to dowsing can be found in historical texts and records dating back thousands of years. For example, ancient Egyptian texts describe the use of dowsing rods for finding water and minerals, while ancient Chinese texts mention the use of divining rods for locating underground sources of water. Dowsing was also practiced by European cultures during the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods, where it was used for everything from locating buried treasure to identifying witches. ⏳ Renaissance and Enlightenment: During the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods, dowsing experienced a resurgence of interest and popularity among scholars, scientists, and natural philosophers. Figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, Sir Isaac Newton, and Paracelsus explored the phenomenon of dowsing and its potential applications in various fields. Dowsing was studied alongside other forms of natural philosophy and was often associated with concepts of magnetism, subtle energies, and the human psyche. 🌍 19th Century and Spiritualism: In the 19th century, dowsing became closely associated with the spiritualist movement, which emphasized communication with the spirit world and exploration of psychic phenomena. Mediums and psychics used pendulums as tools for divination, communication with spirits, and accessing intuitive insights. Pendulum divination was integrated into seances, spiritual healing practices, and other spiritualist rituals as a means of receiving guidance and validation from the unseen realms. 📚 Modern Practice: Today, pendulum divination remains a popular and widely practiced form of divination, utilized by people of various spiritual and cultural backgrounds. Pendulums come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and materials, including metal, wood, and crystal. Practitioners use pendulums for a wide range of purposes, including divination, decision-making, energy healing, and spiritual exploration. Pendulum divination is often integrated into holistic healing modalities such as Reiki, chakra balancing, and aura cleansing, as well as used in conjunction with other forms of divination such as tarot cards or astrology.

Uses: Pendulums can be used for yes/no questions, dowsing, and accessing intuitive knowledge. They are versatile tools for divination and spiritual exploration.

⚖️ Answering Questions: One of the primary uses of pendulum divination is to seek answers to questions. By asking yes/no questions and observing the movement of the pendulum, practitioners can receive guidance and insight into various aspects of their lives, including relationships, careers, health, and spiritual matters. Pendulum divination can provide clarity and direction when faced with difficult decisions or uncertainties. 🕰️ Decision-Making: Pendulum divination can be a helpful tool for making decisions. Practitioners can use the pendulum to weigh different options, evaluate potential outcomes, and determine the best course of action. By tuning into their intuition and allowing the pendulum to guide them, individuals can make more informed choices that align with their highest good. 💫 Problem-Solving: Pendulum divination can assist in problem-solving and troubleshooting. By focusing on a specific issue or challenge and asking targeted questions, practitioners can uncover underlying causes, identify solutions, and overcome obstacles more effectively. Pendulum divination can reveal hidden insights and perspectives that may not be immediately apparent, leading to creative solutions and breakthroughs. 🌀 Aura and Energy Work: Pendulum divination can be incorporated into energy healing and aura work. Practitioners can use the pendulum to detect and assess subtle energy patterns, blockages, or imbalances within the body's energy field. By observing the movement of the pendulum, individuals can identify areas of tension or stagnation and channel healing energy to restore balance and harmony on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels. 🌈 Personal Growth and Self-Discovery: Pendulum divination can serve as a tool for personal growth and self-discovery. By asking questions related to inner thoughts, emotions, and beliefs, individuals can gain insight into their subconscious mind and explore areas of self-improvement and healing. Pendulum divination can help individuals uncover limiting beliefs, release emotional blocks, and cultivate greater self-awareness and empowerment. 🌟Spiritual Exploration: Pendulum divination can be used for spiritual exploration and connection. Practitioners can use the pendulum to communicate with spirit guides, angels, or higher consciousness, seeking guidance, wisdom, and support from the spiritual realms. Pendulum divination can deepen one's connection to the divine and facilitate a greater sense of trust, faith, and alignment with universal energies.

Do's: Establish clear communication with your pendulum, ask concise questions, and trust the answers you receive.

✅ Set Clear Intentions: Before beginning a pendulum divination session, take a moment to set clear intentions for the process. Clarify the questions or areas of your life you'd like to explore and the guidance you're seeking from the pendulum. Focus your energy and attention on receiving clear and accurate answers. ✅ Choose a Suitable Pendulum: Select a pendulum that resonates with you energetically and feels comfortable to use. Pendulums come in various shapes, sizes, and materials, so choose one that feels intuitively right for you. You may also choose to cleanse and consecrate your pendulum before using it to remove any previous energies and imbue it with your intention. ✅ Establish Clear Communication: Before beginning your divination session, establish clear communication with your pendulum. Hold the pendulum in your hand and ask it to show you a clear and accurate response for "yes" and "no" movements. Observe how the pendulum responds to different questions and affirmations, trusting the movements as indications of intuitive guidance. ✅ Practice Grounding and Centering: Ground and center yourself before engaging in pendulum divination. Take a few deep breaths, visualize roots extending from your body into the earth, and imagine yourself surrounded by a protective bubble of light. Grounding helps to stabilize your energy and enhance your connection to the pendulum and your intuition. ✅ Trust Your Intuition: Trust your inner guidance and intuition throughout the pendulum divination process. Pay attention to any intuitive impressions, feelings, or insights that arise as you work with the pendulum. Trust that the messages you receive are meaningful and relevant to your situation, even if they may not always align with your expectations. ✅ Maintain Respect and Ethical Conduct: Treat the pendulum with respect and reverence as a sacred tool for divination. Approach the process with sincerity, honesty, and integrity, refraining from asking frivolous or inappropriate questions. Avoid using pendulum divination to manipulate or control others or to pry into sensitive or private matters without their consent.

Don'ts: Avoid relying solely on the pendulum for major life decisions or asking questions that are too vague or ambiguous.

❌ Don't Engage When Emotionally Distressed: Avoid engaging in pendulum divination when you're feeling highly emotional, anxious, or stressed. Strong emotions can cloud your judgment and intuition, leading to inaccurate or unreliable readings. Wait until you're in a calm and centered state before using the pendulum for divination. ❌ Don't Rely Solely on the Pendulum: While the pendulum can be a valuable tool for accessing intuitive guidance, avoid becoming overly reliant on it or using it as a substitute for your inner wisdom. Use the pendulum as a complementary tool alongside your intuition, critical thinking skills, and common sense when making decisions or seeking guidance. ❌ Don't Forget to Ground and Close: After completing a pendulum divination session, remember to ground yourself and close your energy. Thank the pendulum for its guidance and assistance, and express gratitude for the insights received. Release any residual energy or attachments and return to a grounded state of awareness before continuing with your day. ❌ Don't Obsess Over Negative Outcomes: If you receive a negative or unsettling response from the pendulum, don't dwell on it or become overly fixated on the outcome. Remember that pendulum divination is a tool for guidance and insight, not a predictor of fixed outcomes. Trust that the messages you receive are meant to serve your highest good and empower you to make informed choices. ❌ Don't Compare Your Results to Others: Every individual's experience with pendulum divination is unique. Avoid comparing your results or interpretations to those of others, as each person's energy, intuition, and circumstances are different. Trust in your intuition and interpretation of the pendulum's movements, knowing that you are the ultimate authority on your spiritual journey.

There are other modalities that I haven't covered in depth. Let's touch a bit on each of these main ones:

Scrying: Scrying is a broad term encompassing various divinatory practices involving gazing into reflective surfaces or mediums to receive insights or visions. In addition to crystal ball scrying, other forms of scrying include using mirrors, water, fire, smoke, or black mirrors to access intuitive guidance and symbolic imagery. I touched on specifically crystal ball scrying, but there are many other types of scrying to fit your needs, the basics are mostly the same.

Astrology: Astrology is the study of celestial bodies' positions and movements to interpret their influence on human affairs and natural phenomena. Astrologers use birth charts, horoscopes, and planetary alignments to provide insights into personality traits, life events, and compatibility.

Numerology: Numerology is the study of numbers and their symbolic meanings. Numerologists analyze numbers associated with names, birthdates, and events to uncover insights into personality, life paths, and potential outcomes. Numerology can involve calculations such as life path numbers, destiny numbers, and personal year cycles.

Palmistry: Palmistry is the practice of reading the lines, shapes, and markings on the palms of the hands to gain insight into personality traits, life events, and potential future outcomes. Palmists examine features such as palm lines (e.g., heart line, head line), mounts, and finger shapes to provide interpretations.

Runes: Runes are ancient symbols used in divination, originating from Germanic and Norse cultures. Runecasters typically use sets of carved stones or wooden tiles inscribed with runic symbols. By casting or drawing runes and interpreting their positions and meanings, practitioners can gain insights into various aspects of life and decision-making.

Tea Leaf Reading (Tasseography): Tasseography is the practice of interpreting patterns and symbols formed by tea leaves at the bottom of a cup or vessel. Practitioners observe the shapes, lines, and arrangements of the tea leaves to provide insights into future events, emotions, and outcomes.

Cartomancy: Cartomancy is the practice of using regular playing cards or specialized decks (other than tarot cards) for divination purposes. Practitioners interpret the suits, numbers, and symbols on the cards to provide insights into past, present, or future events and circumstances.

Dream Interpretation: Dream interpretation involves analyzing the symbols, themes, and emotions present in dreams to gain insights into the dreamer's subconscious mind and waking life. Dream interpreters use various techniques and frameworks to interpret dreams and uncover their meanings and messages.

I primarily use tarot and pendulum divination as well as black mirror scrying, however, the basic understanding of many types of divination can allow you to become a well-rounded practitioner.

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thewhumpcaretaker · 2 months ago

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⚜ Marquis of Los Angeles: Ch. I - Lucky Find

ཐི♡ཋྀ Thank you for the beta-read, @evrensadwrn! ཐི♡ཋྀ

Summary: On a visit to his home country, Sebastian LaCroix has the good fortune to find a beautiful and powerful Marquis dying of a bullet wound. Why not take him home as a ghoul?

Author's Note: Okay, um...remember when I said this was a one-shot? Excuse me while I spit out another enemies-to-lovers slowburn because I can't help myself. I may or may not finish it, but I'd rather give the story plenty of room to breathe than rush through it, even if I don't get to the end. I'm excited to see where it goes!

TW: hallucination, kidnapping, religious imagery, vampires doing vampire stuff

If you have a century or two to wait, sometimes the world delivers gifts, just lying there, ready to be pocketed. A seashell, pearlescent and only a little chipped at the edges. A shiny new quarter forgotten on the sidewalk. Los Angeles.

It even might deliver what Sebastian LaCroix would have called, in his day, a “dandy”, freshly dying, on the steps of the Sacré-Coeur Basilica.

Only minutes remained until sunrise. LaCroix’s heart, though it had no need to beat, contracted in terror at the nearness of sunlight, at the piercing golden glow already illuminating that beautiful creature’s parted, breathless lips. This was risky business, swooping in like a vulture at such a time. A little longer, and they might never have met. Sebastian thought of that too often in the days and years and centuries that followed.

Only minutes remained until the bullet in his brain would have laid waste to the most vigorous life force Sebastian had ever encountered.

But as matters stood, he watched from the shadowy columns where he had chosen to shelter during the daylight hours of his visit to France, and clung to the sound of a distant pulse. It persisted (though feebly) even once its scent exploded into open air.

A great bulk of a man in a dark overcoat bowed down his head and sighed. He lifted Vincent’s body with the solemnity of one who knows what death means, and carried it within, into the shadow where Sebastian waited, under those forgotten awnings just beyond the pews. The carnival of stained-glass light pouring through the windows did not penetrate there.

As they passed, the man halted, overcome with a sudden unease, and could not move his feet. Sebastian smiled on him, an open hand outstretched. “Would you allow me to bless this man before he passes on?”

The man had, of course, no choice, and he would not remember laying his charge at Sebastian’s feet, or saying, “Who are you, sir? A man of God?”

“Think of me as a healing angel.”

He stared, knowing quite frankly that this was bullshit. He could see a barely restrained urge to devour flaring up within Sebastian even now, not so different from the look his own superior had worn on occasion, equally recognizable on both kindred and kine. “If you are an angel, then so is he.”

.¸¸.*✧*.¸¸.*✧*.¸¸. ཐི♡ཋྀ.¸¸.*✧*.¸¸.*✧*.¸¸.

There was never total certainty that it would work. A headshot was unfortunate to say the least, and even with a truly massive outpouring of vitae, the bullet still had to be pushed out of Vincent’s brain, dragging on the neurons as it went.

There wasn’t physical pain, exactly. No nerves are to be found in the grey matter. Inside the brain itself, the only pain is mental.

Time and place fragmented themselves, breaking apart in front of Vincent to form a dazzling kaleidoscope. He was drifting on his back, through a flooded Château de Versailles. The water must have been deep, because he was lifted so high, close to the frescoed ceiling where angels leaned down over him amongst the roiling clouds. Why was the palace full of water? No…not water. Blood. Of course. He was being carried up to judgement on the tide of blood he’d spilt, that was it. He could hear his own music coming from another room, the reveries he used to play at the piano, but it was wildly distorted, devolving into devils’ trills. The angels crawled down over the mountains of clouds, over the ledge of the upper moulding, down the columns on all fours to descend on him, snarling as angels never snarl, with fangs at their lips. Their unnatural motions sparked a total horror in him but he could not flee, could only float paralyzed on the sea of blood that was starting to seep into his mouth, into his eyes. They were upon him, someone was bending over him, a face that flickered and distorted and jeered. A devil. His father. Then John Wick. His heart strained with wild terror.

“Your heartbeat is growing stronger. Good. It took long enough.”

And the face resolved. It was, at least, none of the faces he had feared a few moments ago. And it wasn’t unpleasant to look at, with strikingly high cheekbones and full lips, with a strawberry blond slick of hair and eyes like pools of pale honey. It had a magnetism about it, deeper than its inherent charm and beauty. He had trouble looking away from that face – it was in focus even though the rest of the world remained blurred, and it made something sickly sweet well up inside of him. He could have forgiven the cruel satisfaction painted all over it, but that sweet magnetism, tugging on his heartstrings…he could not forgive that. He decided that whoever this was, he disliked them very, very much.

For a few moments, Vincent tried to speak, but his brain had not yet made contact with his tongue, it seemed. He just gasped and gasped until the man laughed and held up the bullet, coated in blood. “Can you believe this little scrap of metal was all it took to put you into a state of such total confusion? And you would be far worse off if I hadn’t taken a liking to you. Life is so fragile.” And the man…well, there was no getting around it. He popped the bullet into his mouth like a candy and licked his fingers, apparently savoring the taste, before pulling it out of his mouth again, sucked clean of blood. He swallowed and grinned widely, this time baring fangs.

Okay. So he was still hallucinating, then. Good good, nothing to worry about. Just slowly breathing his last breaths on the steps of the Basilica, hallucinating violently while John Wick probably gloated over his body. It was fine! Everything was fine. The world started to go fuzzy and dark at the edges as his wild gasping continued.

“Oh no no no, you’re not passing out again just yet. Solo jet rides are interminably dull. We ought to use our time wisely and get to know each other.” The man slapped lightly at his cheek, trying to keep him conscious. Vincent felt his brows furrow, and couldn’t control his muscles enough to wipe that affronted look off his face.

“Who…who…” do you think you are, that had been his intention for the sentence. But he couldn’t quite get there, and the man answered just the same.

“Sebastian LaCroix, Camarilla Prince of Los Angeles and your new regnant.” The man took his hand and shook it. “Of course, none of that means anything to you just yet, but it will very soon.”

It didn’t, except for “Los Angeles.” Vincent was still catching up to the part about “jet rides,” and noticing that the ceiling above them was curved in the manner of an aircraft cabin. Where the hell was he? Was he…kidnapped? A feeling set in then. Whether it was made of greater parts relief or sinking dread, he couldn’t tell. But he had the feeling that this was far too vivid to be a hallucination.

He wasn’t dead after all, and Sebastian LaCroix, whatever he may be, was real.

#marquis de gramont x sebastian lacroix #marquis de gramont #sweetblood #sebastian lacroix #vtm jw #wickblr #vampire the masquerade

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royalty-nobility · 2 months ago

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Portrait of Marie Therese Louise of Savoy, Princesse de Lamballe

Artist: Jean-Baptiste Charpentier the Elder (French, 1728–1806)

Date: 18th Century

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Location: Unidentified Location

Description

Marie Thérèse Louise of Savoy, Princesse de Lamballe (Italian: Maria Teresa Luisa; 8 September 1749 – 3 September 1792) was a member of the Savoy-Carignano cadet branch of the House of Savoy. She was married at the age of 17 to Louis Alexandre de Bourbon-Penthièvre, Prince de Lamballe, the heir to the greatest fortune in France. After her marriage, which lasted a year, she went to the French royal court and became the confidante of Queen Marie Antoinette. She was murdered in the massacres of September 1792 during the French Revolution.

#portrait #sothebys #princess #savoy-carignano #french culture #french nobility #jean batiste charpentier the elder #18th century #oil on canvas #garden #woman #reading #book #bench #roses #umbrella #costume #trees #french painter

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hard--headed--woman · 6 months ago

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For this 2nd day of Pride Month I decided to talk about a woman I mentionned yesterday in the post about Renée Vivien (that you should absolutely read by the way, Renée Vivien is amazing) :

Natalie Clifford Barney !

I talked about her to say that she's had a love story with Renée Vivien, but that's not the only thing she's done.

Natalie was born in 1876 in the United States and died in 1972 in Paris, at the age of 95. Writer and poet, she was the first woman to use the word "lesbian" in her writings (in this case a collection of poems, published in 1899), instead of the word "tribade" (it's another word for lesbian in french) or simply "homosexual". The word lesbian back then was even more taboo than it is today, so you can imagine how important this fact was (and still is).

She was also famous for the parties she organised: she held a literary salon which she wanted to turn into the "new Mytilene". She invited the female artists, writers and intellectuals of her time, in response to the all-male Académie Française, and they all spent whole afternoons and evenings in the flat of the wealthy American.

Natalie never tried to hide her homosexuality. As she said in a sentence that quickly became her most famous one,

"Why would anyone blame me for being a lesbian ?"

(Yes, that's her with Renée Vivien)

Natalie's mother (a renowned artist) and her tutor awakened her interest in the French language at an early age, and when she was a little older, she was sent to a school in France; thanks to this, she spoke French fluently and without an accent, and developed a soft spot for this country.

Natalie was 12 when she realized she was a lesbian, and decided right away to "live in the open, without hiding from anyone".

Hee first known relationship was with Liane de Pougy, a famous dancer of the time (whom she cheated on with many women). Natalie wrote about this love story in her collection Quelques portraits, sonnets de femmes. ("Some portraits, sonnets of women"). Liane wrote about it in her novel "Idylle sapphique", which so fascinated the French public that it had to be reprinted sixty times in the same year, with people torn between admiration and scandal. The two women eventually parted ways, however, due to Natalie's infidelities and Liane's "debauched lifestyle" (in Natalie's words).

As I said, this book caused a huge scandal. Natalie was forced to return to the United States, where her father burned all her writings he could find, and tried to marry her off. However, she categorically refused to obey him, and faced with her stubbornness, her father gave up, and Natalie returned to Paris, where she had a lot of lovers. Among these lovers, there's Renée Vivien (probably the most important, since Natalie never accepted their breakup and tried to get Renée back until Renée died at 32) Lucie Delarue-Mardrus, Colette, Emma Calvé, Olive Custance, Henriette Roggers and many others.

In 1902, on the death of her father, Natalie Clifford Barney inherited a large fortune and was able to rent a house in Neuilly-sur-Seine, where she gave parties that became the talk of the town.

In 1910, she moved into a house at 20 rue Jacob ; for nearly sixty years, this house was the setting for her famous "Fridays", one of the last influential literary salons. A LOT of famous people went there. Like really. The complete list is on Wikipedia if you're curious, and here's a screenshot with some examples :

Marie Skłodowska-Curie went there. Albert Einstein went there. Apollinaire and Proust went there. Oscar Wilde went there. That's cazy to me!

She's had other lovers, like Elisabeth de Clermont-Tonnerre, but her greatest love story was with the painter Romaine Brooks, with whom she had a relationship similar to that of a married couple from 1914 to the end of her life. Of course, this didn't stop her from cheating on Romaine with other women: Natalie was known for her infidelities, believing that polygamy was necessary for a couple's survival, although she claimed that this didn't stop her from being deeply in love with Romaine. She cheated on her for example with Oscar Wilde's niece Dolly, and Nadine Huong, whose story I'll tell one day because it's so interesting!

She spent the years of the Second World War in Italy, and later returned to France to find her second home, which she shared with Romaine Brooks, destroyed. In 1949, she reopened her salon (which started to welcome more and more famous actors and actresses on top on everyone else).

Nothing much happened for the rest of his life. She never left Romaine Brooks (despite continuing to have affairs with a host of other women) and died in Paris in 1972, aged 95.

Natalie Clifford Barney's work and life were very important not only for culture itself, but also for the lesbian community. She made a major contribution to lesbian visibility, opened many minds, helped normalize (even if we still have a long way to go) homosexuality and, above all, helped many lesbian women accept themselves, understand that they were not alone and live the life they deserved.

The influence of her works and her salon on culture, literature, cinema, theater and even science is immense and deserves to be recognized. We should be talking about her much more than we are!

Here's some of her poems with an english translation :

And she's written loads of other stuff that I really recommend you read! She was an interesting woman who wrote interesting things. Look her up on Google and read her writings and her life!

Anyway, that's it! Sorry for posting so late, and see you tomorrow for the 3rd lesbian pride post 🏳️‍🌈

#lesbian #lesbian pride #pride #pride month #lgb #lgbt history #lgbt #female homosexual #female homosexuality #female history #women's history #herstory #lesbian history #poetry #french poetry #poésie française #poésie #american writer #natalie clifford barney

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samsdei · 2 months ago

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Simon Zampieri

#simon zampieri #fortune de France #pierre de siorac #virage #les malvenus

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girlactionfigure · 5 months ago

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With the kindness of strangers, they were able to escape.

“They were taken in by strangers, even housed in a barn along the route of their escape.”

They were refugees, fleeing for their safety, fleeing for their lives, trying to find a new life.

The war-torn country they were living in had been invaded, and they knew they had to get out.

Fortunately, according to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the couple were able to obtain Brazilian passports.

Others trying to escape to the United States, like Anne Frank and her family never made it that far, according to the History Channel, hindered by “American bias against accepting . . . refugees”, which halted most immigration from Europe.

But, first they had to get out.

“On May 10, 1940, Adolf Hitler sent three million troops through the Low Countries into France, according to the Smithsonian. “Parisians fled by the hundreds of thousands before the Germans captured their city on June 14. Among them a young couple, German Jews who had been living in Paris for just four years. They had waited too long. There wasn’t a car or a bicycle left in the city. The husband bought every spare part he could find and built two bikes from scratch. At 5:30 on the morning of June 12, they rode out of Paris with a monkey hidden in the basket.”

Although the couple had previously owned two marmoset monkeys, they did not have an actual live monkey in their basket.

Writer Sarah Stewart Taylor explains further, after the couple got aboard the train:

Hans Reyersbach and his wife, Margarete Waldstein “tried to remain calm as the official came through the train car packed with refugees fleeing Nazi-occupied France and asked for identity papers. When the official saw the stacks of papers inside Hans’s bag, he became immediately suspicious.

“But when Hans . . . pulled out a manuscript for a children’s book entitled ‘The Adventures of Fifi’ . . . the official smiled and passed them by.

“Nearly a year later, after a harrowing wartime escape and journey to the United States”, the couple were able to publish their book “about a mischievous and curious monkey who was always getting into trouble.”

Immigrants Hans Reyersbach and his wife, Margarete Waldstein, used pen names and changed the monkey’s name. Their pen names were H. A. and Margret Rey and the monkey’s name was changed per their publisher to reflect a more American name. “Curious George” would become “one of the most popular children’s books of the 20th century.”

This is a new story for the Peace Page.

~~~~~

According to Taylor, “The Reys were living in Paris when World War II began on September 1, 1939. As news of the Nazis’ advance through Belgium and Holland reached Paris, the Reys began to accept that, as German Jews, they were in danger and would have to leave their adopted country. They were able to secure updated Brazilian passports and collect what they would need for the trip.”

“The Reys boarded a train for Spain in Orleans, France on June 14, 1940, the day the Nazis marched into Paris. On June 23, they arrived in Lisbon. Three months later, after a stay in Rio de Janeiro to secure visas, the Reys arrived in New York. They would live the rest of their lives in their adopted country.”

“The Reys were taken in by strangers, even housed in a barn along the route of their escape. They arrived in New York with almost no money, with their main luggage gone,” according to Rivka Galchen of The New Yorker.

“Little was publicly known about the Reys’ wartime experiences until a 2005 book, ‘The Journey That Saved Curious George,’ written by Louise Borden and illustrated by Allan Drummond. A journal entry of H. A. Rey’s from 1940 included in that book tells us something of Hans’s temperament: Work was going “very slowly on account of events,” he noted, of the week the Nazis breached the French border. A letter of intent to publish ‘Curious George’ from the English publisher Chatto & Windus specifies plans to publish the book barring any international ‘incident involving force majeur.’ And later, a 1944 New Year’s card written from New York reads, ‘Let us think of the future; that’s where we shall spend the rest of our lives.’”

~~~~~

“So far 75 million copies of the Curious George books have been sold worldwide in over a dozen languages,” according to writer Jeff MacGregor.

“You can find the day-to-day, even hour-by-hour notations of their escape in Hans’ meticulous notebooks, saved at the University of Southern Mississippi, in a collection that bears the couple’s pen names: H. A. and Margret Rey.”

“A series of lectures and programs sponsored by the Rey Center and the New Hampshire Humanities Council has put the Reys and their work in the larger context of American history and children’s literature, focusing on U.S. immigration policy,” according to the National Endowment for the Humanities.

“The Wartime Escape: Margret and H. A. Rey’s Journey from France” has attracted a lot of national attention, says Audrey Eisenhauer, executive director of the Rey Center. “This has opened it up to the world,” says Louise Borden of the exhibit. “It has let people know about these perilous times and made them imagine a world without Curious George.”

~ jsr

"Small acts of kindness can make a big difference in someone's life."

The Jon S. Randal Peace Page

#WW2 #Shoah #Curious George #H. A. and Margret Rey

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apurpledust · 1 month ago

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Don't tell my friend that I did not sleep immediately (she will scold me XD). But what is Napoleon and Junot about? Gib their interactions, their history, the tension, their secrets, what you thought about them, what is good and bad about them, headcanons, some things that you love about them, anything that will save my curiosity before I go to sleep in 4:30 am 👀

That is all. Have a nice day/evening 😌

HELLO!! sorry for my late reply I have the cold and I was figuring how to write this without sounding too crazy 😭😭 thank you @whatever-whatsoever for reminding me to check my inbox 🤩 YESSS NAPJUNO ASK!!!! THANK YOU ❤️❤️ I'll have to give a super abbreviated version because they had so much history *sniff* 🥺

I may yap more about my personal head canons and why I love them in a separate post hehehe👅

disclaimer: I don't claim to be objective or an historian as this is very napjuno-biased :P English is not my first language so there will be many grammatical mistakes😭

I feel like I should first mention that Napoleon and Junot had a long history of correspondence throughout their lifetime. And Junot kept every. single. letter Napoleon wrote to him. Unfortunately none of these letters exist anymore because Napoleon sent a lackey to have them burned the moment Junot committed suicide. (I WILL NEVER FORGIVE NAPS FOR THIS 😭) so most of what we know about their relationship is secondhand from Junot's wife, Laure Junot's (Duchesse d'Abrantes) memoirs. She's also not the most reliable person so it's possible she might heavily exaggerated on some stuff

As for the letters, it's always been up for debate why Napoleon wanted them gone but my personal headcanon is they must've been written in a very romantic tone... and Napoleon was so heavily trying to suppress his feelings for Junot and burning those letters was a way of burying their relationship once and for all

OKAY, SO A BRIEF HISTORY ON NAPJUNO!!

Junot's fated meeting with Napoleon began in 1793! He was already promoted to a segreant when they met and Napoleon was already a General at the age of 24(!). It was during the Siege of Toulon that Naps had asked for someone who had beautiful handwriting to dictate a letter and Junot volunteered to write what he dictated before a cannon fire sprayed it with dirt. Naps was so impressed by his coolness that he made Junot his secretary and Aide-de-camp, and soon they'd become inseparable

soon after Toulon, Napoleon was accused of treason for his connections to Augustin Robespierre and was jailed. Junot , of course freaking out about this wrote him letter to offer an escape but Naps declined.

^ this illustration by Jacques Onfoy de Bréville represents one of their "leisure moments" together circa 1794-95

so after a little while Napoleon got married and found his fortune, Junot continued to follow him to his legendary Italian and Egyptian campaigns. In Egypt, he was promoted to General but he was actually not too happy with this since this means he'll be away from Napoleon often. There's also this famous (or infamous?) incident where he challenged General Lanusse to a duel ,simply because he opposed Napoleon's leadership , with this words :

«We must fight; it is essential that only one of us survive. I hate you because you hate the man that I love and admire as much as God, if not more»

sounds like a chivalric romance doesn't it? :3 It was also during this campaign there were rumours within the army comparing Naps and Junot to "Hadrian and Antinous" . of course Junot does nothing to dispel those rumours 🤓 Poor guy got wounded in the stomach and Naps didn't visit him until the last minute.

Napoleon wasn't able to take Junot with him when he left Egypt and by the time Junot made it back to France in 1800, Napoleon was already First Consul and the power differences between them already put a strain on their relationship. This was further exacerbated once Naps became Emperor.

When Naps sent Junot to Portugal , he wrote a bunch of desperate letters begging him to reappoint him as his aide-de-camp again and Napoleon once confronted to Junot's wife about the letters he wrote to him (I'm like 99% sure it probably sounded more romantic than the ones he wrote to her) . it got to the point that Laure Junot ahd to admit that Junot possibly loved Napoleon more than her and their children.

Junot was often sent away from Napoleon during from like c. 1806-1810ish? and didn't interact much except by correspondence (I think) I'm going to skip over the Portugal /Spain period

Okay so by the Russian Campaign of 1812, Junot pretty much fell out of favour from Naps and the consequences of Junot's actions almost completely destroyed their relationship. By this time period, Junot's mental and physical health was very, very fragile from his campaigns in Portugal & Spain and Napoleon was no longer the Napoleon he knew back in their youth. Napoleon was furious and even shamed him on the military bulletin. Junot was devastated at this and the thought of losing Napoleon's friendship was unbearable after 20 years of being devoted to him.

After he returned to France from Russia, there are several anecdotes mentioning how he would wanderlessly mutter out loud that “The Emperor no longer loves me” in his apartments😭 Napoleon's love for him was all that mattered😭😭💔

There's this scene where Duroc (Napoleon's Grand Marshal of the Palace) and another friend visited Junot to comfort him and this happened:

Junot obviously didn't believe the Emperor still loved him of course💔

Soon after spending some time resting and with his family, he was appointed Governor of Illyria. (I think Naps sent him there because he wanted him out of France but Idk). His insanity finally set in and there's this infamous incident where Junot attended the ball completely naked except for his medals and hat and his battle wounds were on full display...

Soon after that, he had to be forcefully be sent back to his father's home in Montbard. It was there where he committed suicide by jumping out the window.

💔

Junot's last letter to Napoleon is heartbreaking by the way....

“I who love you with the affection of a savage for the sun, I who am entirely yours. Well then: This eternal war that we must fight for you, I WANT NO MORE OF IT! I WANT PEACE! I want finally to repose my tired head, my sore limbs … to enjoy that which I earned … with my BLOOD! The blood of an honest man, of a good Frenchman, of a true patriot. I therefore ask, at last, for that tranquility that I earned through twenty-two years of effective service and seventeen wounds from which my blood has flowed for my country, and for your glory.

Like I mentioned in the beginning, soon after the news of Junot's demise reached the public, Napoleon immediately sent someone to his house in Paris where his wife and brother-in-law were at and forcibly searched through Junot’s home to seize and burn his letters.

Oh yeah there's more but I'll leave it at that for now </3 LIKE WHAT THE HELL NAPS WHY DID YOU BURN THE LETTERS 😭😭Like they must've been fucking crazy man,,, omg sorry this keeps me up at night 😭

they make me so

Junot's ending was sooo tragic.... he was definitely a Greek tragedy-esque figure😢 He possibly died believing Napoleon hated him when that wasn't the case. Napoleon, despite reprimanding Junot very harshly for Junot's actions (non-actions?) during the Russian campaign, he still had a soft spot for him.

I also think of like how his life would've been better without meeting Napoleon. But also thinking again how much Junot treasured his meeting with Napoleon.... ough they're so painful sdkjskdljdhljhdjfhdkjhfdj excuse me while I combust

NapJuno was basically like painful unrequited love slow burn over 2 decades . Or maybe it wasn't completely unrequited? I like to think Napoleon was in denial and constantly tried to suppress his feelings for Junot 😔😔😔 anyway Junot was so delulu... (he's my precious delulu cat) he kept hoping Napoleon would still love him like he used too pre-Emperor days. Of course those days will never come back. I guess he was always living in the past while Naps moved on 🥲💔

well even if Napoleon doesn't love him at least I do 😤

as my friend @ promises-of-paradise once said, I think Junot was almost definitely romantically obsessed with Napoleon. Like actual romantic love (I'm not even being delusional this is what I truly believe). Whether they actually did anything together is up for debate, but it’s clear that Junot’s feelings for Naps were a lot more intense than a regular friendship.

also I highly recommend reading these posts regarding Junot and NapJuno's relationship:

The NapJuno bible of course: https://erenow.org/modern/napoleonic-friendship-military-fraternity-intimacy-and-sexuality/4.php

BTW THERE'S A NAPJUNO RPF WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED IN A FRENCH MAGAZINE BACK IN 1926!!!! I JUST NEED TO FIND THE LINK (it's also in French)

and Laure Junot's memoirs! it's available on the internet and she (and imo rightfully) suggests Napoleon and Junot were possibly incredibly intimate during their broke days. Girl was the OG napjuno shipper istg

If any of my fellow NapJuno fanatics want to add info about them more please do so!!! I'm probably forgetting some stuff 😭

#I HOPE I MADE SENSE AAAAAA #i love them ❤️#ty for the ask :3 #napjuno #ask

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