#free spirit spheres

[sleepynegress]

About Talk To Me...

I'm currently watching a bootleg and there's a certain kind of horror movie that just pisses me off rather than terrifying me... and it's the kind where people continue to do something terrible/stupid and then consequences happen. This is that kind of movie.

[nightprompts]

&. 𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

(  dialogue  prompts  taken  from  nosferatu  (2024),  directed  by  robert  eggers.  feel  free  to  edit  and  change  as  you  seem  fit.  ) 

❛ come to me. ❜

❛ a guardian angel. a spirit of comfort. spirit of any celestial sphere. anything. hear my call. ❜

❛ you wakened me from an eternity of darkness. ❜

❛ you are not for the living. you are not for human kind. ❜

❛ and shall you be one with me ever-eternally? ❜

❛ come here. there’s nothing to be afraid of. ❜

❛ i wish i could stay, my love. ❜

❛ why have you killed these beautiful flowers? ❜

❛ i must tell you my dream. ❜

❛ i’d never been so happy as that moment… as i held hands with death. ❜

❛ i wish you to have all you deserve. ❜

❛ you mustn’t leave. i love you too much. ❜

❛ i will stay with you until you are fast asleep. ❜

❛ uh, forgive me. i only wish to stay one night. ❜

❛ by god’s name, never speak of that castle. ❜

❛ i banish you, i banish you with garlic. ❜

❛ beware of his shadow. ❜

❛ the shadow covers you in a nightmare. ❜

❛ you are late. the midnight hour has passed. ❜

❛ i wish you to do as i request. ❜

❛ i will be addressed as the honor of my blood demands it.❜

❛ speak not of it again! ❜

❛ take heed what you do. ❜

❛ i might ease your wound. ❜

❛ come by the fire. ❜

❛ your face shows you unwell. ❜

❛ do you ever feel at times as if you were not… as if you were not a person? ❜

❛ look at the sky. look at the sea. does it never call to you, urge you? ❜

❛ you are fortunate in your love. ❜

❛ now are we neighbors. ❜

❛ it is late. you must wish to retire. ❜

❛ i have been enduring the most irregular dreams. i fear i am taken ill. ❜

❛ it is a black omen to journey in poor health. you will remain and well rest yourself. ❜

❛ dream of me. only me. ❜

❛ oh, he’s coming to me. ❜

❛ i cannot resist you, my love. ❜

❛ i am no one. i am his servant. ❜

❛ look, this is a pretty one. his lordship likes the pretty ones… ❜

❛ you are lost in his shadow. ❜

❛ soon i will no longer be a shadow to you. ❜

❛ soon our flesh shall embrace and we shall be as one. ❜

❛ i have not failed your lordship! ❜

❛ embrace me, my boy. i am so rejoiced to see you. ❜

❛ my dear creature, yes, i am he, and i am hither come to help you. ❜

❛ my dreams grow darker. ❜

❛ does evil come from within us or from beyond? ❜

❛ i shall persist to join you every night… first in sleep, then in your arms. ❜

❛ everything will be mixed with abomination, and you’ll be knee-deep in blood. ❜

❛ you are promised to me! ❜

❛ i will end this plague. this devil. ❜

❛ he hasn’t found you. ❜

❛ i feared i’d never see you again. ❜

❛ you shall crave of me nothing. ❜

❛ the bells of dawn shall toll in despair of my coming. and i shall taste of you. ❜

❛ pray, forgive me for all the troubles i have caused you. ❜

❛ i am only glad you have become yourself again. ❜

❛ may i… stay with you tonight? ❜

❛ this creature is a force more powerful than evil. it is death itself. ❜

❛ i have seen things in this world that would’ve made isaac newton crawl back into his mother’s womb. ❜

❛ i have wrestled with the devil as jacob wrestled the angel in peniel. ❜

❛ if we are to tame darkness, we must first face that it exists. ❜

❛ i have felt you crawling like a serpent in my body. ❜

❛ love is inferior to you. ❜

❛ i told you, you are not of humankind. ❜

❛ i am an appetite. nothing more. ❜

❛ i lay within the darkest pit. till you did wake me, enchantress, and stirred me from my grave. ❜

❛ you are my affliction. ❜

❛ i care nothing of your afflictions. ❜

❛ yet even now we are fated. ❜

❛ your passion is bound to me. ❜

❛ you cannot love. ❜

❛ yet i cannot be sated without you. ❜

❛ remember how once we were? ❜

❛ i abhor you. ❜

❛ i will leave you three nights. tonight was the first. ❜

❛ tonight you denied yourself, and thereby, you suffer me to vanish up the lives of those you love. ❜

❛ you revel in my torture. ❜

❛ upon the third night, you will submit, or he you call your husband shall perish by my hand. ❜

❛ till you bid me come shall you watch the world become as naught. ❜

❛ tell me, what is this insufferable darkness? ❜

❛ nothing you can say will shake me, for there is a devil in this world, and i have met him. ❜

❛ i’ve brought this evil upon us. ❜

❛ i sought company. i sought… tenderness, and i called out. ❜

❛ at first, it was sweet. i had never known such bliss. yet it turned to torture. ❜

❛ it was you that gave me the courage to be free of my shame. ❜

❛ he took me as his lover then, and now he has come back. ❜

❛ all my sleeping thoughts are of him every night. ❜

❛ don’t touch me! i am not to be touched. ❜

❛ i’ll be good. i promise. ❜

❛ you could never please me as he could. ❜

❛ yes! take me! ❜

❛ kiss me. kiss my heart. ❜

❛ let him see. let him see our love. ❜

❛ without you, i will become a demon. ❜

❛ you’re safe with me. ❜

❛ keep away from me. i am unclean. ❜

❛ he will murder you if i do not go to him. ❜

❛ kill him i will. he shall never harm you again. ❜

❛ i can weep no longer, for i have no more tears to shed. ❜

❛ the grim reaper wields his heavy scythe with every change of wind. ❜

❛ the monster left you to the wolves, yet you prevailed. ❜

❛ his pull to me is so powerful, so terrible, yet my spirit cannot be evil as his. ❜

❛ we must know evil to be able to destroy it. ❜

❛ you are our salvation. ❜

❛ i bid you, come to me. ❜

❛ your oath re-pledged. so too shall be our flesh. you are mine. ❜

[bekkathyst]

BEKKATHYST 2024 Giveaway!

~This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Tumblr.~

Please read thoroughly before entering!

Hello lovely Tumblr folk! It’s that time again- I have a giveaway for you all. 💜

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This giveaway will have two winners.

What the first winner receives:

All the pictured crystals, plus a $100 gift card that can be used for our online store or our Tumblr sales. Pictured crystals: rose quartz wand, blue calcite elephant, azurite/malachite, druzy cutbase, amethyst sphere, Himalayan quartz, girasol rose quartz palm stone, amethyst star and moon, labradorite pebble, prehnite, hematoid quartz, sunstone/moonstone, scenic quartz, flower agate heart, black quartz, selenite from Spain, moss agate sphere. Also included is a spirit quartz and alder cone copper necklace, handmade by me!

What the second winner receives:

A $50 gift card that can be used for our online store or Tumblr sales!

Rules:

You must be 16 or older. (If under 18 you MUST have parent’s permission)

You can be from anywhere in the world! I am shipping from Austria.

Shipping is entirely free, I will cover it. But if you live in a country that charges import tax on gifts, you are responsible for it. If it gets sent back to me, you will need to pay shipping to have it sent again.

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At the end, each entry will be assigned a number and the winner will be chosen by a random number generator.

The giveaway ends on July 1st, 2024.

The winners will be messaged and must respond with their full name and address within 24 hours, or a new winner will be chosen.

Please respect me and my rules, and have fun!

[made2wait]

sinners (2025) in the muslim and arab view: 🌴

---------------------------------------------------

music in islam is a widely debated topic, with many scholars within the religion prohibiting music entirely, while others permit certain types of music and prohibit some. It’s a heated field with conflicting evidence, because while some heavily discourage music, this does not imply that most people will share that viewpoint because music has been ingrained in daily life, whether or not one is muslim. 

the general consensus, however, is that one should not be overly affected by music. this is the interesting part because, in sinners, sammie’s father tries and tries to pull sammie away from the temptation of music, but at the same time he doesn’t overly forbid music, and this is seen in the way his father carefully places the guitar on the wall, its seen when his father attempts to persuade him into playing for the choir, and it is also seen when he dejectedly watches sammie walk away with the guitar. so, his father does allow for music, but he confines it within the preaching/religious sense, similar to islam, which is specifically what the other half of scholars permit in terms of music; music that inspires belief, or music that is free of obscenity/debauchery. his father, fearful as he is of ‘dancing with the devil’, is lenient to a spiritually-acceptable form of music. 

due to the conflicting opinions on music, modern muslims allow themselves to dabble in casual sin and enjoy music, but it is known to not go overboard. and by overboard, I mean listening to dangerously soul-stirring music, or listening to music in an emotional state, or being too affected by the music/singing (either by the musical instrument used or the lyrics), because in all cases you are entering into a spiritual and vulnerable position. 

the one type of music that islam strongly advises against, is the type that “stimulates instincts or arouse desires,”, because once you are in this sphere of vulnerability and spiritual openness, you are inviting ANYBODY in, specifically jinns (beings that are made of fire, not to be confused with demons) and/or shaytan (islam’s cursed name for the devil). as to jinns, islam dictates that they are neutral, invisible beings born from ‘smokeless fire’. like humans, they have a moral compass, they freely follow religion, and they are widely known in the arab/muslim world to be mischievous, and they would not hesitate to possess you if you are emotionally heightened by music. As to shaytan, his one true goal is to derail you from your religious path, so naturally, in this case he would fuel your over-indulgence in music till you lose yourself completely. therefore, piercing the spiritual veil in islam is absolutely not far-fetched, because it is an unsettling occurrence whispered about within arab culture and communities.

when watching sammie pierce the veil and allow the spirits of his ancestors to jointly feel his music, it felt like witnessing the process of a soul readily peeling the veil that separates the seen world from the unseen world, and unknowingly sharing that sensitive and spiritual space with beings that are invisible to the naked eye. in that moment one could say sammie was literally baring his soul for anyone to come and take it. that is why a lot of the muslim viewers were uneased by the scene. to some it was a beautiful synchrony of black culture and music, but others saw the possibility of possession. (either belief doesn't negate the other, just saying!). interestingly, when we see the building in flames and the people/spirits dancing within it, the camera pans out and turns to remmick, as if we are watching the scene unfold from his point of view, and the look of wonder in his face is literally a screen-imagining of how lustful spirits can be towards your vulnerability, because they want that bodily control, they want to fester in your mind, they want to sow discord. that part is especially nerving, seeing the physical embodiment of a dark spirit, enticed and lured by the chance of possession. remmick wanted to possess sammie’s abilities for himself, he wanted to possess sammie’s body and mind, and these desires echo among the jinns as well. 

in the arab context, music is in our culture, it's in our language, our poetry, our history. and i'm talking about the arab culture generally, spanning the levantine arabs, the gulf arabs, etc… the arabic language itself is melodic. and yet, because islam and arab culture are parallel, we were raised to beware of immoderation, of being careless with music. there’s a saying that if a musician/singer was extraordinarily gifted, then they infused their songs with magic “sihr”, or they were a witch or they ‘sold their soul to the devil’. in the gulf, there’s a phenomena of singers being visited by jinns in their concerts, where the singer would look down at the crowd and suddenly spot among the crowd’s feet a pair of hooves (jinns can appear as humans, but their tell is always a hoof, a tail, or cat-like eyes), because jinns sure do love to crash a party! 

the hand held drum is a cultural instrument that is loved by all arabs, which was popularised by afro-arabs, and has a winning-record of splitting veils and inviting jinns, and this is frequently found in a specific area of music in gulf culture called ‘samry’. it begins with a simple gathering of men, usually afro-arabs, who sit/stand and play hand held drums while incanting famous songs or poetry. similar to sammie’s cyclops guitar, which is a defining instrument to blues music. samry is captivating, it's soul-jerking, it WILL command you to dance, which is why there’s so many cases of possession during samry sessions, where someone would suddenly jerk up and start dancing in a strange, non-human way (another tell of jinns, they dance like animals, it's unnerving). 

sinners has a way of showcasing the inextricable bound between music and man, especially the african-americans, and intriguingly, the afro-arabs, who came to the middle east in a rather peaceful way than the former (depends tho, some came by force, some by trade, etc), but the conjoined idea is that they brought music with them, due to the fact that they can speak to music differently, their engagement with it is a way of life that no continent can recreate. sinners have unknowingly (or knowingly, cuz ryan is a genius) tapped into this conversation of the power of sound/music in islam, and of the intricate sub-culture of folk music fostered by afro-arabs. this is a conversation that can go on, and on, and onnnn. But this is my thoughts on the topic.

ty for reading! xoxo

[tinylilemrys]

listen, i'm not one for confrontation, but a few of my friends and i have been receiving really mean-spirited, entitled messages for creating the fandom art we want to create at the pace we want to create it and i'm honestly so sick of it. so, a couple of reminders:

fandom is meant to be fun for everyone, so don't be a dick. it's just that easy.

fandom creators, especially writers, are often creating art for free. they are sharing it with you, not creating it for you. they're under no obligation to update to your time schedule, only create within the sphere of things you personally like, or only create for your fandom.

if you feel there's not enough of what you like in fandom, go out and make it! it's the easiest way to get fandom stuff that caters directly to your tastes. it's far more effective than harassing creators for creating what they want to create.

honestly, some people make fandom so exhausting and it really doesn't have to be.

[harvestmoss]

Witchcraft is literally out there for free!

I feel like most beginner witches start in Autumn, with the so called "season of the witch" but if anything, now is the time to start! This is the true season of the witch, the summer season!

Lots of beginners think that you have to buy a lot of the tools and ingredients witches use, but that's further from the truth. Witchcraft should be and is accessible to everyone!

Magic comes from within you. No amount of tools will do the magic for you, you have the harness the tool's and ingredients magical property through your energy and magic.

Magic with NO ingredients:

Singing, chanting, murmuring, announcing, praying, yelling - think of speaking it into existence!

Dancing, moving, exercise, yoga, clapping - As offering, or moving stagnate energy.

Meditation - Obvious, to clear the mind, and focus.

All your senses - Be aware of spirits talking and listen, or listen to the wind, talk to the wind, taste your food, taste the magical properties, see auras, see spirits or see visions, touch things and feel their energy.

Friends - Ever seen those "send thoughts and prayers" post? well that's because the more people we use for a spell, the more energy we give a spell. So if you're comfortable, ask your friends to send energy your way for a spell or wish you luck on exams, or jobinterview, or wish you a happy birthday, or to send healing energy by wishing you good recovery.

Charging, binding, banishing - through feeling, visualization, hearing and more. Charge your spells using your energy.

Magic with ingredients for FREE:

Physically you and people - Hair, nail clippings, sweat, blood, tears, etc.

Power of animals - Either your pet, or animals in your park, nearby forest, lake, ocean. Just being near them to lend their powers.

Botanicals - You can go outside right now to your nearby forest or park and pick up herbs, leaves, flowers, dirt, grass, etc for spells! You don't have to buy them

Your kitchen - You most likely have a spice rack and can use that for your spells, the same goes for baking items like flour, sugar, etc can be used. I know you've already bought these items and therefor used money but, it's free in the sense if you already had them.

The elements - Not just outside but they're also inside you! You breath air, your body heat is the fire, your skin is from and will be earth, you are made of 70% water.

Rocks - You don't have to buy crystals, you can find quartz in river banks and creaks or hag stones at beaches, or just rocks you like. from your drive way.

More magic for free I couldn't categorize:

Celestial bodies - You can easily work with celestial bodies like the earth (being that we're from here) and the moon!

Days and hours - Cast your spells on a specific day, no ingredients or tools required. if you want a spell of luck, cast it on a Thursday and so on!

Working with spirits - Talk to the plants, animals, forests, trees, your house, and more! The simplest offering you can do for no money is picking up litter in your are or forest or beach or park you like to go to. Dancing and singing are also offerings for zero money.

Thresholds - Cast your spells in specific areas like crossroads, graveyards, ruins, natur, or even in your own home such as casting dream spells in the bedroom.

Researching - You can find many online resources for free on the internet, from youtubers to articles, helpful image guides and blog posts. Remember to go beyond the witchcraft sphere. In order to find and identify the right herbs, learn from herbalists and foragers, not just witches.

Substitutions - If you don't have a certain thing, research and look further for something else. You don't have to buy that ingredient if you have something similar, especially in your area or in the realm of what you usually buy.

Low budget magic:

Tea lights - As candles.

Rubber bands - I always get rubber bands for free when buying eggs, and you can use rubber bands for binding spells or to hang your herbs up with instead of string and ribbon.

Tap water - Depending on your area i suppose, but you can use water for everything, even as an offering to spirits, they're probably thirsty.

Arts and crafts - Printer paper and pens that I've taken from office buildings that can be used to write, make sigils, and draw for spells and offerings.

Reused jars - From pickles to marmalade, you can save those jars and use them to contain dried herbs and spells. This can count too with bottles from vodka or lemonades. I use those bottles to store waters like river water.

Mentioned it already but... your kitchen - Your spice rack, baking ingredients, coffee mugs, glasses, scale, plates, pots, pans, knives, and more! I use a plastic spoon ment for soups in my kitchen for stirring my potions, I don't use those fancy extremely tiny detailed teaspoons. don't have a morter and pestle? place your ingredients in a bg and hammer it and role it with a rolling pin, should be good enough.

Even if you don't have access to nature in an aesthetic sense, there's still plenty of ways to do and perform magic. Nature still exist in the city. It's there in the dogs barking, the dandelion through the concrete, the bird shit on your window, the icy on buildings, the leaves on the ground, the pollen in people's noses, the sun in the area, the puddles from rain, the rocks rom car tires picking them up, the wind in your hair.

This is just what I can think of right now, I bet there's many more things out there in the realm of witchcraft for free because that's what witchcraft is. It's free.

[cityofmeliora]

i can't sleep. i'm too busy thinking about the fact that 3 of the songs on Meliora are about suicide by jumping / falling–

Spirit is about getting so drunk from absinthe that you start to hallucinate and jump off a building to your death.

Anti-Saint wormwood catapulting your mind Into the jaws of death

A GHOUL WRITER: Lyrically, this is meant as a hallucinogenic trip into the spheres of devils and demons, guided by the green muse. Think 1929, just before the crash: A New York night sky with searchlights. An office inside the Empire State Building. A bigwig sipping absinthe before jumping off the ledge of the observation deck. Face first into the pits of hell. Meliora marketing materials (2015)

From The Pinnacle To The Pit is about both Lucifer, the fallen angel; and Icarus, whose wings melted and caused him to fell to his death when he flew too close to the sun. this song has two main interpretations: it's about how ambition is self-destructive, but another interpretation that it presents is that there is freedom to be found in choosing your own downfall. the main character in the music video for this song escapes the evil rulers of the city of Meliora by committing suicide, jumping off a building. the ghost that rises from his body is Papa Emeritus III, who uses his power to help the people of the city.

You are cast out from the heavens to the ground Blackened feathers falling down You will wear your independence like a crown

A GHOUL WRITER: Lyrically, it deals with the classic tales of Icarus and Lucifer to illustrate how most ambitious souls are ultimately, according to popular belief, facing the fall. Meliora marketing materials (2015)

He Is describes the story of two lovers' double suicide by falling to their deaths. it's compared to Romeo and Juliet– a couple choosing to die together in order to be free to love each other. interestingly, this track comes after Cirice, which is a song about about manipulating a vulnerable person through false love.

We're standing here by the abyss And the world is in flames Two star-crossed lovers reaching out To the beast with many names

//

And we are falling over the precipice

A GHOUL WRITER: Lyrically, it's a Romeo & Juliet esque inspired love song where one of the lovers is guiding them both over the edge in the belief that there will be someplace beautiful somewhere else where their love can prosper without the threat of the outside world. It's a song about faith and devotion. Meliora marketing materials (2015)

[astrodescent]

URANUS AND HOW YOU EVOKE CHANGE

uranus, the planet of innovation and disruption, invokes change through sudden breakthroughs, unconventional thinking, and radical shifts that challenge existing norms, inspiring progress and revolution in various spheres of life. its influence prompts unexpected awakenings, urging societies and individuals alike to embrace originality, break free from conventions, and embrace forward-thinking approaches to create groundbreaking transformations.

aries / 1H: sparks ideas of self image and identity, promotes individuality and independence in personal matters, sudden and bold changes on how one presents themselves to the world

taurus / 2H: disrupts traditional values and financial systems, innovation in material and personal resources, challenges stability and security regarding one’s own worth and values

gemini / 3H: intellectual breakthroughs and communication within immediate surroundings, need for adaptable thinking in everyday interactions, changes in local community dynamics, education, and siblings

cancer / 4H: disrupts traditional family structures and the concept of home and roots, seeks progressive approaches to domestic life and emotional security, changes in the family environment and inner emotional foundations

leo / 5H: innovations in creativity, entertainment, and self-expression on a personal level, encourages unconventional approaches to hobbies, romance, and children, challenges traditional notions of ego and individuality in personal pursuits

virgo / 6H: stimulates advancements in health, work routines, and service to others, encourages unconventional methods in daily habits and workplace dynamics, provokes changes in technology related to personal wellness and efficiency

libra / 7H: disrupts traditional relationships and partnerships in a one-on-one context, emphasizes the need for fairness and justice in personal interactions, changes in personal unions, contracts, and open enemies

scorpio / 8H: transformative changes in shared resources, intimacy, and psychological depths, innovations in joint finances, sexuality, and occult matters, challenges traditional views on the use of power in personal transformation

sagittarius / 9H: stimulates unconventional ideas in higher education, travel, and personal beliefs, emphasizes the need for freedom and exploration of personal philosophies, changes in personal journeys, spirituality, and worldviews

capricorn / 10H: disrupts traditional structures in career, public reputation, and authority figures, encourages innovations in long-term goals and aspirations, challenges traditional values regarding personal ambitions and societal roles

aquarius / 11H: reinforces its own energy as uranus rules aquarius, encourages radical social changes and humanitarian efforts within personal networks, sparks innovations in personal connections, technology, and communal involvement

pisces / 12H: stimulates imaginative and spiritual breakthroughs in personal realms, encourages unconventional ways of compassion and empathy on an individual level, changes in personal introspection, artistic expressions, and dreams

© spirit-of-phantom 2023

[dreamlikevening]

🦌🍮🐩🍩

what do people think of your aura & social media persona ° ˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚

♡ claircognizance, cards, numerology, astrology, and music are my main divination methods

♡ meant to contrast the ego and confirm the intuition — i believe that sometimes we need reassurance about things that our mind can be a bit cruel and fictitious about such as our appearance. we all have a special touch to us and i hope to convey that to you in a way that reminds you of your true light, rather than distracting or swaying you into falsehood

♡ only keep what suits you, leave the rest to another soul that needs it

the image that makes your heart feel a little something—an extra sparkling— is yours <3

group 1 - your symbol is a deer 🦌

look out for this positive omen. hearing the word deer, seeing a picture of a deer, witnessing a deer physically, or perhaps it is a spirit animal to you.

a little channeled poem-quote from me to you! 💌

“move with grace and you’ll see,

that the words often said in your own mind

will set you free.”

you seem to belong to some sort of “sphere” or “clique” is what i’m hearing. it’s a group of sorts that feels a bit… superficial? it separates people, divides them and categorizes them in a sense. this could’ve been in the past. i’m seeing you like a deer in the headlights, you were put at the forefront of this group and it was not a very pleasant experience. somehow, you’ve handled it very well and possibly escaped from it. you may not even realize it because the initial shock was quite grand. ever since that experience, you may question if all people perceive you the way this group made you feel about yourself. and it feels like Less than what you truly are and what you offer to this world. so i’m here to enlighten you on how you really are seen— what your aura says to people. what it whispers. what it screams. the sparkle of it. “the symbols you wear” is what i heard? i wonder if you use a particular symbol a lot or have a tattoo that is on a very obvious part of your body, so it shows on your selfies and such. either way it’s a symbol you wear proudly and happily. a symbol that is very personal and important to you. i was thinking of a butterfly emoji, maybe butterflies are very important to you so you intentionally use the emoji a lot.

how are you perceived, really? wow, there’s definitely a very strong message being confirmed that you don’t believe a lot of the ways you are seen as. the first one i saw was the knight of cups. a romantic, someone who knows what and who they love. loud in love, loud at play. love always seems to be at play in your life. it’s 12:22 on the clock right now !!!! people see that you show very deep appreciation and love to your close friends and family. you devote yourself to giving them a positive life experience, through love. on socials you probably post pictures of your loved ones a LOT !! people may want to see more of you, but they find it endearing because you don’t seem self-centered. if you were to post more about yourself, people would celebrate it lol. you definitely don’t share a lot about yourself, you seem to be quite private or you are hiding yourself because of self-doubt and fears. i see a wound there, and i really hope this reading can remind you that healing is always possible EVEN when it comes to how you physically view yourself. you deserve to look in the mirror and feel full of love. i sincerely hope you’re walking that path of self-love, because if you’re thinking you don’t deserve it, you do. you do, you do, you do. you could perceive some of your features as “aggressive” or worry a lot about the symmetry of your face or that you have an RBF or you fear coming off as “mean”and tough. actually, you are more inviting than you think. your aura is quite warm. it is a bit intimidating but in the “you shine quite brightly” kind of way. and like you’ve got priorities and goals of your own that you’re chasing after. you have a willingness and drive that shows on your face, i’m getting your forehead. so you could have a very open third-eye. do you get lots of creative visions? a big imagination? the color blue speaks to you? lots of significant dreams? good memory? people sense that heavily. you may have sleepy eyes that are very attractive. for some, a love interest at some point in time really enjoys watching you sleep. you seem to just let it all go. all the heaviness you sometimes carry for others, it washes away in dream land and you look cute, haha.

your aura could very well be the color blue, or indigo. it may have a crayon scribble sort of texture to it, which gives off a child-like wonder energy. people see you as in touch with the fun and cute and silly parts of life and as someone that knows how to engage with people of all ages and varieties. different people likely interpret you differently than one another, but overall there’s something different about you. something people usually don’t see, and you wear it nicely. maybe a funky wardrobe with an aquarian touch. a one of a kind necklace. earthy colors or pictures of you in nature stand out, you look like you’re in your element. i’m also seeing your aura with a bunch of tiny light bulbs or little flickering golden lights around it. it draws in good energies and shuts out the bad ones. so try visualizing those little light bulbs around yourself when you are feeling heavy, exhausted, or anxious. and remember that light surrounds you constantly. your visualizations are VERY VERY important ways to establish your worth, so if you are working on bettering your self-esteem, picture yourself and visualize yourself in a way that feels suitable and full of positivity and confidence. it’ll do wonders for you!

thank you so much for being here group #1, keep moving with grace and i send you a lot of love. please feel free to share how it resonated 🧿💡⭐️

group 2 - your symbol is the pouch 👛

you have been a carrier of most everything in your life. across time you’ve carried berries, lipgloss, daggers, crystals, face powder, medicine, and the list goes on. notice that what you carry with you can add onto your energy when picked intentionally. carry things on-hand (such as charms) that feel protective, lucky, or precious in some shape or form. keep them in your bag or pocket when you go to the store or the park or a loved one’s home. and thank that little object for making you smile.

that was a channeled message spirit gave me for you, ok now for your reading!

first off, i’m seeing that people think you’re quite funny. i was getting you’re very creative with your schemes. like pranks or something. or outfits? but they’re not regular outfits? maybe like cosplay or costumes? either way, something creative about your garments. but it constantly changes over time. maybe you don’t have one fixed style or one fixed fashion approach. you just always switch it up. people take notice of that. your aura itself could have a lot of different colors. i just heard it probably is your favorite colors plural. regardless if you are interested in taking up acting as a career or not, you’re gifted in that sense. you’re very good at it. you could also be a very gifted at improv, screen and playwriting, and very witty. i thought of matthew perry and his natural talent at making very elaborate, quick, and good jokes that always land. there’s a lot here about quickness. maybe you walk very fast or you make a lot of things happen quite quickly through social media. i’m seeing someone post a fundraiser and immediately it starts seeing numbers. or you’re very quick to support others on social media. a high social climber is what i just heard. somebody here could be an influencer of sorts, a creator that makes videos specifically. films things. you’re good at capturing the color of life. you come off as someone who has millions of opportunities surrounding you. some of you may be a bit flashy. i’m seeing a very intoxicating smile lol omg, rihanna’s smile came to mind which is so random. i see darker skin, a tan. glowing skin, and wowww. i just felt like a throb in my chest and people feel this feeling in their chest when they see your smile and your pictures. it’s this radiance that i can’t even explain. i keep thinking of the sign of leo. prominent in your chart somehow? combined with scorpio? the word lethal came to mind. if looks could kill, yours Would. i wouldn’t be shocked if you had a bunch of secret admirers who think you’re too good for them. if you wear jewelry, it really suits you and makes you shine even brighter. but people see riches when it comes to you, they think you have many people at your feet (love interests), and that you’ve got yourself all taken care of. you could wear perfume that smells expensive to them. this whole energy is making me giggle because your aura exudes this golden, orange, sweet, playful energy that is just. enjoyable. i keep hearing laughter and laughter feels big. you probably make people laugh very easily. it could be nervously but mostly you’re funny. i’m feeling that sooo hard. i want to laugh by your side group 2 lol.

others think you move very fast in love, maybe that you have entered many relationships or that you make people and things Yours very fast. you grab onto what you’re attracted to very quickly and people are surprised and have lots of questions about that. i just heard something about a “crystal goddess”, not sure what that means though… i will say that your aura is appearing in my mind as this huge amber colored crystalline shape that is quite thick and covers you. by thick i mean that a lot of auras kind of look like they extend an inch around the person but yours extends like a good 3 inches. and it’s this beautiful orangey color like a big crystal always surrounding you. kind of looks like an iceberg.

group #2, that’s what i have for you!! thanks so much for being here and i wish you a wonderful rest of your time<3 feel free to share how this resonated, take care! 🍊✨💫🌟

group 3 - your symbol is the night sky 🌌

how often do you stare at the night sky and just breathe out into your space? spirit wants you to try this out one of these days and take note of how it feels. the night sky alleviates, the night sky holds secrets, the night sky makes wishes come true, the night sky is needed. the stars have messages, reminders, and a collection of dreams for you. look at them, talk to them, listen to them. inhale and exhale as you engage with the night sky.

now for your reading, group three!

initial messages; you show up everywhere even when people don’t expect you to or even want you to. people dream about you, hear your name everywhere, mistake others on the street for you, it’s like they can’t escape your energy. which makes me think some people have very strong feelings about you. desire and want are very big here. you are very wanted. and it may not be requited often— or even unrealistic for you. if you’ve rejected someone or left them behind, you still appear energetically in their lives. they’ll see reminders of you everywhere. this is interesting energy though because i can’t tell if you want it that way or not. you could have an inner battle quite often between wanting people to know your place in their life vs. wanting them to just move on with their lives. two things can be true, it’s okay to want to be remembered well by past relationships (romantic or not), and it’s also okay to hope that person no longer wants anything with you. if there is any wistful energy about how you want to be remembered by someone, try writing about it to yourself. write a letter (without delivering it) about your connection to those people and establish if you want to finally cut the chord, or if you still want to remain connected in some way, even at a distance. if you’d like to finally let go, write that letter with all your purest feelings, then burn it! this will help you clear out stagnant energy. anyhow.

people assume that you have no limits. that you can do anything and everything without feeling drained, [i just saw 1:11 on the clock!!!], sad, or worried. but you are not a robot. yes, you have this unstoppable energy about you. but you are a human with a body and you have energy that should be taken care of! but you are inspiring to people that way. because you always seem to be running, shuffling, working, hustling, doing Something of significance, people feel like they should be doing things as well. you make people think they should be working harder. you could be great at motivating others naturally. people admire that you seem to “get over” things quite fast. you could, in reality, take longer to process things but maybe the way you post things on your socials or the way you act makes it seem like you are able to “get happy” very easily after some sort of loss. the phrase happy-go-lucky came to mind. you seem quite well-off and together. your aura has this steady, rocky look to it. it looks like your aura has survived many lifetimes. it has been through a whole lot, and keeps evolving. you’ve experience landslides and volcanoes, and your rock remains intact. strong. you literally come off as unbreakable.

people really appreciate what you share on your socials. it could be very sweet and nice to hear, or very humorous. one way or another, your posts make people smile. it also really seems like you have a way of rejoicing in life. your deep appreciation for spirituality / the world really comes off, and it seems so meaningful and beautiful. actually, the truest version of you shines when you post things related to the spirit realm, life, personal growth, and other topics similar to that. smoky quartz could be an important crystal for you! feel free to search the properties if you feel drawn to it. also, mountains could be a specific symbol for you. also nature in general. you could be receiving a lot of needed and positive omens from the natural world in these days, look out for shooting stars, interesting plants, or random creatures crossing your path! they have a message for you!

group number three, thank you so much for being here! i send you so much love and light. take care and i hope to see you again!!

[artandthebible]

The Ascension

Artist: Gustave Doré (French, 1832–1883)

Date: 1879

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Petit Palais, Paris, France

Description

In the Christian tradition, the Ascension of Christ concludes Jesus’ work on Earth with his entry into the celestial sphere after His Crucifixion and Resurrection. Doré depicts Christ, in glory but still human, with wide-open arms and surrounded by a multitude of angels gesticulating theatrically. As seen in the distance through the clouds, the earthly world takes on the appearance of a wild and majestic landscape inspired by the Scottish Highlands, which Doré discovered during a trip to Scotland in 1873. Thus, the painter gives the Biblical account a concrete and dreamlike dimension, placing the onlooker far away from the Earth, amidst the Angels.

The Ascension of Jesus | Acts 1:6-11, New Living Translation

So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”

He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere - in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”

[unsolicited-opinions]

If you'd told me ten years ago that I'd one day recommend reading something from a member of the Wall Street Journal editorial board, I would probably have laughed at you.

----

Haviv Rettig Gur quotes from a Wall Street Journal opinion piece by Elliot Kaufman on the preliminary ruling by U.S. District Judge Mark C. Scarsi in Frankel v. Regents of the University of California. 

Scarsi's Aug. 13 preliminary injunction means UCLA "can’t allow a rerun of the spring, when protest encampments denied 'Zionists' access to a main quad and thoroughfare, a library and even some classrooms."

I agree with Kaufman that the religious arguments Scarsi embraces aren't the strongest available and that there are better arguments for the courts to take action. Kaufman and Gur are more concerned as proponents of liberal values and the rule of law than as Jews fearing an attack on religious freedom.

Haviv, a student of history, notes the familiar pattern from Jewish history in his screen capture, but it is better understood in context:

First, understand what the protesters did. They set up barriers and checkpoints, forcibly blocking students from parts of campus unless they deemed Israel guilty of the vilest crimes; rejected Zionism, or Israel’s right to exist; and endorsed the protesters’ political program. These are Red Guard tactics, anathema to the academic spirit. They call academia’s bluff. What university that still believed in its mission would tolerate them?

Second, the anti-Israel fanatics demand that Jews relinquish not so much the tenets of their religion as their dignity and the solidarity that sustains Jewish peoplehood.

Around half the world’s Jews live in Israel, which has become the center of Jewish cultural creativity. The Jewish future, in every sphere, increasingly is built there. To seek to destroy or dissolve the state of Israel, as anti-Zionists do, and leave those seven million Jews and that Jewish future in the hands of an Arab majority that cheers the Oct. 7 massacre, is beyond reckless. For Jews, it betrays a cruel indifference to or contempt for one’s fellows. To demand that Jews take such a position, or else be vilified and shut out, is extortionate.

Fit for our age, the extortion isn’t religious in form. A baptism is no longer the Jewish “ticket of admission to European culture,” as Heinrich Heine (1797-1856) put it. This ticket carried a price, but in Heine’s time the religious part had already become secondary for many Jews who had ceased to believe. It was the sacrifice of dignity—the abandonment of one’s people, the payment of ransom for basic rights of inclusion—that rankled. Many Jews converted anyway. Others, such as those German Reform congregations that dropped circumcision and hope for a restoration to Zion and moved the Sabbath to Sunday, tried to meet Europe partway. Persecution intensified. “The moral spine of the Jews was in danger of being broken,” Leo Strauss wrote. Zionism emerged from this maelstrom to raise an alternative, and dignified, survival strategy, loyal to Jewish fate. Today, campus protesters and their allies in the intelligentsia and activist corps are trying to make the anti-Zionist loyalty oath the new ticket of admission to enlightened, or progressive, culture. They, too, demand to be paid in dignity, and facing the brutal bargain, Jews contort themselves in as many ways as in centuries past. Cast aside your fellow Jews, and you will be waved through the checkpoint—at least until the demands rise again.

In support of Jewish emancipation in 1789, the Comte de Clermont-Tonnerre told France’s National Assembly: “The Jews should be denied everything as a nation but granted everything as individuals.” On a growing part of the American left, the offer stands. To debate whether this violates one Jew or another’s freedom of religion is to miss the point. A UCLA faculty member, the plaintiffs’ complaint notes, saw the message “Free Palestine, F— Jews” scrawled on a bathroom wall in the Schoenberg music building. Janitors washed away the graffiti, only for it to be replaced with new graffiti: “F— Zionists.” What can one say to the naïf who looks at that sequence and sees moral progress in the avoidance of religious discrimination? An old-new politics is being organized against the Jews, and its thuggish tactics more often than not are met with cowardice or sympathy from responsible parties. In need of another spine transfusion, Jews can turn again to Zionism. To what will everyone else turn?

[yoursoulvisions]

The characters of the series "Daria" as zodiac signs

Today we will dive into the world of the cult series "Daria". Which zodiac sign best describes the pessimistic Daria Morgendorffer? And what element governs the energetic and flighty Brittany Taylor? Let's figure it out by matching the characters' personalities with the zodiac signs.

Daria Morgendorffer – Scorpio ♏️

Daria is the embodiment of many Scorpio traits. Deep, perceptive, sarcastic, and incredibly observant. Scorpios are known for their ability to see right through people, and Daria possesses this gift perfectly. She instantly spots falseness, hypocrisy, and stupidity, which is why she is so sharp-tongued.

Scorpios dislike superficiality, and Daria despises everything trivial and insignificant. She is interested in serious questions, philosophy, literature; she seeks deep meaning in everything. Daria is not in a hurry to open up to the world. She keeps her distance, seeming cold and detached, which is characteristic of Scorpios protecting their inner world. Despite her apparent cynicism, Daria is very loyal to those she loves and values – Jane, her family. Scorpios are prone to deep transformations. Although the series doesn't show Daria's obvious crises, her sarcastic outlook is also a kind of manifestation of the Scorpio tendency to delve into the shadows and seek truth through difficult experiences.

Jane Lane – Aquarius ♒️

Jane is Daria's best friend, and their friendship is a great example of Aquarius and Scorpio compatibility. Jane, as a typical Aquarius, is free-spirited, eccentric, creative, and intellectual.

Jane is an artist, and her work is imbued with an unconventional view of the world. Aquarians always strive for originality and dislike patterns. Jane, like Daria, is completely unconcerned with the opinion of the crowd. She is self-sufficient and values her independence above all else. Aquarians are rebels by nature, and Jane shows this in her distinctiveness from others. Aquarians are ruled by Uranus, the planet of innovation and objective perspective. Jane is capable of looking at situations objectively, without excessive emotion, which helps her give Daria wise advice. Unlike the more reserved Scorpio-Daria, Jane is more open to communication and has more social connections. Aquarians value friendship and collective interests.

Quinn Morgendorffer – Libra ♎️

Quinn, Daria's younger sister, at first glance seems the complete opposite of her intellectual sister. However, upon closer inspection, she has typical Libra traits. A focus on relationships, a desire for harmony, love for beauty, and social adaptability.

Quinn is popular at school and makes friends easily. Libras are one of the most social signs; they are charming and know how to be liked. She is obsessed with fashion, beauty, and appearance. Libras are ruled by Venus, the planet of beauty and aesthetics. It's important for them to surround themselves with beauty and look attractive. Quinn is very dependent on the opinion of her 'fashion clique'. Approval and recognition from others are important to Libras, and sometimes this becomes their weakness. Also, Daria's sister tries to avoid quarrels and conflicts. Libras are a sign of peace and harmony; they dislike tension and prefer to resolve everything peacefully.

Helen Morgendorffer – Capricorn ♑️

Daria and Quinn's mother, Helen, is a successful lawyer, and her character clearly reflects Capricorn traits. Goal-oriented, ambitious, practical, and responsible.

Helen is completely engrossed in her work and strives for career heights. Capricorns are one of the most career-oriented signs. It's important for them to achieve success and recognition in the professional sphere. She is very organized and disciplined. Capricorns value order and structure; they know how to plan and achieve their goals. Helen is pragmatic and realistic. She doesn't have her head in the clouds and looks at life realistically. Capricorns are an earth sign; stability and practical benefit are important to them. Daria's mother is not overly emotional and tends to keep her feelings under control. Capricorns are quite reserved and serious; they dislike showing emotions in public.

Jake Morgendorffer – Aries ♈️

Daria and Quinn's dad, Jake, is a typical Aries in all his glory, albeit in a rather comical form. Energetic, impulsive, short-tempered, and an enthusiast.

Jake is constantly getting into something and is passionate about new ideas. Aries are very energetic signs; they need constant movement and action. He often acts impulsively and doesn't always think about the consequences. Aries are a sign of action; they dislike waiting and prefer to get straight to it. Jake easily loses his temper and can be quite aggressive. Aries are a fire sign; their emotions can be vivid and explosive. They are also straightforward and say what they think. Despite his short temper, Jake is generally optimistic. Aries are a sign of pioneering and innovation; they believe in the best and are ready to move forward.

Trent Lane – Pisces ♓️

Jane's brother, Trent, is a musician and a dreamer, perfectly fitting the description of Pisces. Creative, sensitive, dreamy, and a bit detached.

Trent is a musician and poet. Pisces are one of the most creative zodiac signs; they have a rich imagination and can express their feelings through art. He is very sensitive and emotional, although he doesn't always show it openly. Pisces are a water sign; their emotions are deep and subtle. Trent often has his head in the clouds and seems a bit detached from reality. Pisces are prone to dreaminess and sometimes find it difficult to handle the practical aspects of life. Pisces are very compassionate and capable of feeling other people's emotions. Although Trent seems a bit indifferent, deep down he is kind and caring.

Brittany Taylor – Sagittarius ♐️

Quinn's cheerleader friend, Brittany, is energetic, optimistic, and straightforward, making her a typical Sagittarius. Activity, enthusiasm, sincerity, and a bit of lightheartedness.

Brittany is always full of energy and positivity. Sagittarians are one of the most optimistic signs; they believe in the best and look to the future with enthusiasm. She is a cheerleader and actively participates in sports. Sagittarians love movement, activity, and strive for physical perfection. Brittany says what she thinks and doesn't always think about the consequences. Sagittarians value sincerity and directness, sometimes to the point of bluntness. She can be thoughtless and reckless in her actions. Sagittarians are prone to adventure and don't always think about the consequences of their actions.

Kevin Thompson – Leo ♌️

Brittany's boyfriend and captain of the football team, Kevin, is self-confident, charismatic, and loves being the center of attention, which is very much like a Leo. Confidence, leadership, dramatic flair, and a bit of egocentrism.

Kevin is very self-confident and popular. Leos are natural leaders; they have charisma and know how to attract attention. He loves being the center of attention and adores being admired. Leos love publicity and recognition; it's important for them to feel special. Kevin can be quite dramatic and emotional. Leos are a fire sign; their emotions are bright and expressive. He is a bit egocentric and self-absorbed. It's important for Leos to feel their significance, and sometimes this can turn into egocentrism.

Sandi Griffin – Virgo ♍️

The president of the Fashion Club and Quinn's friend, Sandi, might at first glance seem like a typical Libra (like Quinn), but her hidden criticality, practicality, and attention to detail are more reminiscent of a Virgo. Analytical, practical, critical, and a bit of perfectionism.

Sandi notices small details and is prone to criticizing others. Virgos notice all flaws and can be quite critical, both of themselves and others. She strives for order and practicality. Virgos are an earth sign; they value organization and efficiency. Unlike the more demonstrative Libras or Leos, Sandi is more reserved and doesn't seek obvious publicity. Virgos are usually more modest and prefer to operate behind the scenes. Sandi, like many Virgos, strives for the ideal and can be a perfectionist in details. Virgos want everything to be done flawlessly and can be very demanding.

Do you agree with this zodiac sign interpretation of the characters from the series "Daria"? Which other signs would you assign to them? Write in the comments!

[snaccpopstudios]

Happy Trans Day of Visibility!

Transgender Day of Visibility is recognized internationally each year on March 31st. Today, we celebrate the strength, joy, and resilience of transgender, Two-Spirit, non-binary and gender diverse people across the globe. Let’s continue to stand up, show support, and create a world of respect and equality for all– not just today, but every day!

As anti-trans legislation spreads and attacks on healthcare, sports, and basic rights increase, we must stand in solidarity with our trans siblings. If you’re itching to make a real difference for our trans community today (and honestly, every day), why not consider donating to some of these amazing organizations that are doing such vital work? Your generosity would be greatly appreciated!

Point of Pride focuses on helping vulnerable members of the queer community feel seen and have access to life-saving health and wellness programs and supports like their Annual Transgender Surgery Fund, their HRT Access Fund, Free Chest Binders + Free Femme Shapewear and more! They have awarded almost half a million dollars in direct financial assistance and donated thousands of gender-affirming garments to trans youth and adults in all 50 American states and around the world. Donate to Point of Pride here!

FOR THE GWORLS is a Black, trans-led collective that curates parties to fundraise money to help Black transgender people pay for their rent, gender affirming surgeries, smaller co-pays for medicine/doctor’s visits, and travel assistance. There’s two donation options for this collective: the rent assistance fund and the medical assistance fund. Take your pick~!

G.L.I.T.S is a Black, trans-led advocacy and direct services organization that is dedicated to fighting systemic discrimination against marginalized communities, in New York City and beyond. Founded in 2016, G.L.I.T.S addresses barriers faced by community members at the intersection of gender, race, and class through direct services, advocacy, mass mobilization, media engagement, and public education. Their initiatives include sustainable housing projects and plans for a dedicated health clinic, all documented as pilot projects for broader application– you can read all about their initiatives here and donate to them here!

El/La Para TransLatinas works towards a world where TransLatinas are protected, celebrated, and loved, where trans/intersex/gender diverse Latinx people are welcome, safe, represented and valued in all spheres of life. They envision a future in which the human rights to migration, housing, healthcare, food, and safety are respected and protected. For more than 30 years, El/La has been an advocate in the transgender community seeking justice for translatinas. They were THE first translatina HIV prevention program in Northern California. Donate to them here~!

TGEU (Trans Europe and Central Asia) is a trans-led nonprofit for the rights and wellbeing of trans people in Europe and Central Asia. TGEU was founded in 2005 under the name Transgender Europe e.V. Since then, they’ve established themselves as a legitimate voice for the trans community. In 2018, they expanded their regional scope to include Central Asia. TGEU now serves trans people in over 50 countries in Europe and Central Asia. TGEU envisions a world free from discrimination where gender diversity is celebrated, where trans people are valued, and where trans movements are self-aware, intersectional, and evolving to meet the needs of a diverse and resilient community. You can donate to them here.

Egale is a Canadian charity advocating for equal societies and systems free from homophobia, transphobia and all forms of oppression. Founded in 1986, the organization recently replaced “LGBTQ+” with the acronym “2SLGBTQI” in recognition of “Two Spirit” people. In 2023, Egale’s work included six research reports, 75 workplace inclusion trainings and 120+ resources in French and English. Egale envisions a Canada, and ultimately a world, without homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and all other forms of oppression so that every person can achieve their full potential, free from hatred and bias. See their mission, values, history and more here and donate to Egale here!

[stardewremixed]

So... I was scrolling through fanart which turned into impromptu stream-of-consciousness writing prompts. I hope you like how it turned out.

WARNING: (Mild) smut, references to alcohol, drugs, and smoking. (Does not assume Farmer's gender).

Abigail - Organizes the town charity softball games, breaks a few windows (and a few hearts). Tough girl to hide her insecurities - you know the ones - her parents don't get her or support her and she's lonely as an only child (still living at home with her parents). She has this smug side smile when she's got you right where she wants you and will argue with you over trivial matters because she has to be right. She pitches in when there's a town disaster, the first to roll up her sleeves, not afraid to get dirty and work hard. Would absolutely be the tank in your DnD party. She dominates no matter what sphere she's in, including the bedroom. And Abigail is as wild and adventurous in bed as she is out of it. Oh and you always do it at the farmhouse because she's loud (and her parents are light sleepers).

Penny - shy and sweet as usual, intimidated by the ladies of the town, especially Abigail and Haley. Always carrying books, keeps her head down, and her heart is plagued by being the daughter of an alcoholic and a sailor who abandoned her mom. Dreams of a Beast to rescue her Beauty, would kill (metaphorically) for that library and yellow ball gown, but doesn't actually believe she's that pretty, even though she's stunning and educated and articulate, when she's not stumbling over her words in painful shyness. Reads everything she can get her hands on. Would write a children's novel if she could ever work up the courage to ask Elliott to be her editor. She is the blushy kind of lover and reads up on tips and tries to apply what she's learned. You think it's freaking adorable when she asks for 'sex lessons.'

Haley is not a natural blond (*gasp*) - we know! We were shocked too. She's notoriously vain but it's to make up for the fact that her mother was a supermodel and never had time to be a real mom, so she desperately wants attention and to be noticed as beautiful and worthy. Critiques her nose, the shape of her breasts, her thighs, her brows, her hair style, and hopes to someday love herself as much as her mirror does. Got the Dino tattoo on her lower back as a drunken dare from Emily and now she kinda likes it because it makes her not so perfect for once and that's a relief. She wears the best lingerie - pretty, feminine, lacy. And her fantasy she shares with you after a few too many Cosmopolitans? To do it in front of a full length mirror.

Emily - yes the girl absolutely presses paste jewels on her face because why not? She's the cool big sis (stepsister of Haley). The free spirit. Blue hair. Who cares? Other people's opinions don't really define her. Always wearing multiple necklaces and bracelets and rings. This girl has rings. Believes in crystal healing. Lets her sleeve slip off her shoulder after one too many drinks at half-price karaoke nights. She gives you that side-eye, daring you to take her home. And this girl has got some freaky passion (in a good way of course) and yes, she's flexible. It's not that she is really into one night stands, but she doesn't get hung up on the morality of sex. She just goes where the wind blows and enjoys every moment. No expectations. No labels. Just serious fun.

Maru - is a powerhouse genius with a sort of perma-frown on her face when she's concentrating that's somehow annoyingly cute. It's never quite good enough - whatever she happens to be working on. She has those glorious thick curls always bouncing around as she moves from project to project with eager determination. Summer humidity might create the great frizz storm, but she's too focused to bother taming it. Her rims keep it out of her eyes. Always a gadget or two in this girl's hands and she doesn't mind the Inspector jokes. She is far too serious about science and technology to worry about (or even notice) the random taunts of a more average intelligence population. But just because she's super smart doesn't mean she isn't kind. It just might take her longer to notice you, but that hyperfixation, those beautiful eyes, when they are on you, it's really special.

Leah- when doesn't she have paint on her nose? Dried clay on her clothes? Ink beneath her fingernails? Art is her life and the forest outside her door is a veritable landscape of dreams, the mountain tat on her sleeve a mere imitation. Her thick and wild red braid flows free and swishes back and forth as she moves and every once in a while she gets self-conscious. She knows she is pretty but she would rather have someone notice and appreciate her art. But there's something super sexy about the half-buttoned shirt, suspenders, and the nervous tuck of hair over her ear. People fall in love with her everyday but not everyone stays, as she's learned. Still she perseveres and pursues her love of art, capturing raw, pure moments away from her former bustling city life. When you offered to pose for her and be a subject for her art, it wasn't initially meant to be sexual. But she couldn't hide the flicker of interest in her eyes. And then a few weeks later when you finally kissed good night in her doorway, it was like a fire had been released. You tore each other's clothes off and did it right there standing up, then again halfway to the bed and finally made it to the bed for the third round.

Sebastian - the wild, just-rolled-outta-bed hair that's too long and his mother is always saying he should cut it, but he doesn't listen, just like the warnings she gives about the cigs perched between his lips ("those things will kill ya"). Multiple piercings, skulls on shirts, arm bands, the ripped hoodies - all symbols of his rebellious youth carried on because he can't shake the ghosts of his past. Secretly afraid that he is just a teenage boy trapped in an adult body. Hiding behind clouds of smoke and blue glowing screens make it easier to deal with the fact that he didn't follow his dreams. Freelance programmer. Dungeon master. Designing s video game. Lives in his mom's unfinished basement because it's quiet and Maru used to be scared of the dark. So when he does surface and you remember he's alive, it's actually a big deal. He made an effort and when you thank him, he just shrugs in that sexy casual way and says he wanted to see you today. It's simple but so meaningful. He's quiet but he loves you in simple ways - stealing glances from his computer, using coupons to buy your favorite foods at Pierre's, and delivering a piece of furniture you bought at his mom's shop (and conveniently 'forgot' so he would have to bring it to you, and he knows this and did it anyway). Oh and there was the time your computer crashed in the middle of the night (yes, really) and you were in the middle of applying for a farm grant and thought you lost everything you'd been working on for weeks, and you cried and called him, and he came over to fix it and recovered the data. And you may have made out and landed in bed together after (it was a dark and stormy night and the rain is like an aphrodisiac for you). You apologized a dozen times and said this isn't what you called him for and it wasn't supposed to be a midnight booty call. He laughs and kisses you gently and says he wouldn't have minded it if it was because he's wanted you badly for so long. And you went for round 2.

Sam has so much energy, too much, and he usually channels it into making mix tapes, half-finishing songs, pranking Morris and Shane at JojaMart, and skating half-pipe. But if you thought he was an empty airhead, think again. Behind the beanies, cut off sleeves, and ripped jeans, the crazy hair, and goofy smiles, there's a heart of gold. He will kneel down and tie Vincent's shoes for the five hundredth time, even though his kid bro should know by now how to do it. He'll carry those groceries all the way back to Evelyn's house for her, chattering about animal shapes in the cloud and a wicked sweet song he heard on the radio. Maybe someday he will write a jingle for the airwaves too. He will work a double shift so Shane can take Jas to swim lessons or the dentist or because Marnie was irresponsible again and left his god niece alone again late at night. And he will always buy his friends a round at the Saloon. Even if he's broke and spent all his coin on some vintage rock vinyls and the sugary cereal obsession of the week. He's a kid at heart, but he rocks hard and loves hard. That youthful exuberance is just what you need - bubble baths with rubber ducks, half-burnt pizza, dollar stor rose petals, and (root) beers in bed, making you giggle when he gives you foot massages, and tickling you with his tongue (oh yes, he knows all your sweet spots)!

Harvey may be older and mild-mannered, but he remembers little details about all his patients, whom he has come to know as friends and surrogate family. He never met his dad, his mom passed when he was a kid, and he was raised by his grandpa on canned pork and beans, microwave dinners, and model planes. His grandpa was a man of a few words, but they would paint models every evening. Sometimes they'd go out to the airstrip and watch planes take off and Grandpa would reminisce about the "good Ole days" when he still flew in the Air Force. And he always wore ties so the doc has kept up the tradition, and he still wears the coats with the elbow patches that smell of pipe tobacco and peppermint. And even though grandpa has been gone for a dozen or so years, Harvey still paints models most evenings. And every once in a while, he drives out to that airstrip with you to watch the planes while eating tunafish and pickle sandwiches and sipping wine in paper cups. And when he holds your hand, when he puts his arm around you, when he makes love to you, it's like he fits in your life and your body perfectly. Oh yes! The doctor is in!

Elliott - for all his flowery prose, his day to day speech is actually pretty down to earth once you get to know him. Maybe he comes across as a bit of a snob with his extensive vocabulary, but he really just wants to impress you, not turn you off. He (literally) likes long walks on the beach, dreamy piano sonatas, and long soulful ballads. On Chat nights you can find him loosening his ties, letting his hair down, and kicking back a pint with his BFF at the bar. He is never awake before 9:30 or 10 because his writer brain comes alive late at night. He has a flawless complexion (and he's proud of his skin care and hair routine). Inspiration might strike anywhere so he always carries a pen and notepad in his pocket and says things like "can I quote you on that?" for the Pelican Town Times, a newspaper he's trying to revive and has a circulation of maybe 3 people. He's always publishing poems under a pseudonym but his unpublished novel is his pride and joy and he doesn't let anybody read it so when he finally shares an excerpt with you one day it's a really important moment. And of course, when he does finally publish, the dedication is to you, which will make you cry, and he also dedicate it to the particularly bothersome seagull, which makes you laugh, the one that always squawks at the most inopportune times like when you two are trying to "have a romantic moment." His bed might be a little creaky and his cabin a bit drafty, but he treats you and your body like royalty (and to regular nightly full body massages).

Alex - yeah, he's not a complicated guy. He likes sports, surf, and sun. Granny has been his favorite, the first woman in his heart, and he's kinda spoiled by all her love and attention (yes she still cuts the crusts off his sandwiches and does his laundry), but he isn't a brat. He can fix a leaky roof, a leaky sink, a leaky sprinkler system. He mows the entire practice field at the high school in the spring, rakes leaves in the fall and shovels snow in the winter for his neighbors. He still sells ice cream from time to time in the summer, but usually works as a seasonal lifeguard on Ginger Island. Sure, he might be a bit disconnected and doesn't always know what his partners want, but when he's wrong and you tell him, he admits it. And while he can lift you up on his shoulders so you can pick fruit in the orchard and he has the stamina of a Greek god in bed, he doesn't brag about it (at least not very often). He really just wants to make you happy above all else. Oh and he wants to be a dad someday.

Shane was like a drug, in the beginning - you're addicted to this man, dad bod, scruffy face, and all. You love him in spite of his mean and grumpy exterior. Somehow insults turn into foreplay. Maybe it's toxic but you don't care. This man sets records in bed, and he's not a one-hit wonder. As you start showing him affection and stick around despite his numerous attempts to scare him off, he realizes you're here to stay and maybe he can have something of a life again. So he cleans himself up, goes to therapy, quits drinking, and detoxes. Boy! It's not pretty. But it's worth it to him if it means he can have you. And that makes you love him all the more. Sure he's still addicted to Joja colas, but that's really not so bad. Nothing fazes him. Chasing down cows in a thunderstorm, setting Jas' broken arm, putting out a barn fire, rescuing you from a capsized fishing boat, carrying you out from the mines for the umpteenth time, even a chicken landing on his head while you're discussing favorite sex positions in the garden. Come on. That should have elicted a laugh. He's come a long way from that scowling drunk in the corner at the Saloon who just wanted angry hookup sex. He has become your rock just like you were for him all those years ago.

[alice-makes-things]

[annoyed AI noises]

I am at a Bridgeton themed ball run by Into the Pages Events. We were invited to submit gossip to the society papers, which they would rewrite into the style of Lady Wistledown. As a writing exercise, I actually wrote mine myself, roasting myself in the voice of Wistledown.

I acknowledged that the writing may have been a little long and said they were welcome to edit it down.

However, reading the society papers, it is very obvious the text was just put straight through chatGPT. I am furious. I could tell immediately as it says it the same thing I said, just slightly different. All of my original puns and wordplay are gone, replaced with something less “me”. Less human. Less creative.

I immediately confronted the event organiser who immediately admitted to the use of chatGPT. She claimed to have “struggled to edit” my work, to which I responded - why not reach out to me and ask me to edit it.

If you are running a literary event, WHY 👏 ARE 👏YOU👏USING👏AI👏WHICH👏IS👏LITERALLY👏DESTROYING👏CREATIVES👏LIVELIHOODS👏AND👏THE👏PLANET👏

Sorry but I’m absolutely SEETHING. This event has been thoroughly lovely and I’m trying not to let this ruin my day (it has mostly been a delight, pictures forthcoming) but I’m so angry about this. It’s so unethical to put somebody else’s writing through an AI generator, and they will have a strongly worded complaint letter from me.

[My original text is below, please feel free to judge my writing]

“Dearest Gentle Reader,

A most peculiar ‘Young’ lady has entered our social sphere. While Miss Alice Young - a librarian of four and thirty years - possesses a keen mind for books, the novel of her romantic prospects is yet to be written.

One might wonder how such a charming woman has remained untouched by the affections of any gentleman. Perhaps she has simply been too engrossed in her beloved tomes to notice their advances - or - perhaps more likely - Miss Young simply does not have the money or prospects to engage with the Ton: living off a librarian’s meagre salary does not lend itself to funding extravagant ballgowns and attending soirees.

And yet this season, rumour has it that Miss Young has embarked upon an ambitious project: to become her own modiste. To stitch one’s own gown is a bold undertaking, particularly with limited budget and experience. Though Miss Young’s books may make her learned on many subjects, she is lacking in practical skill. And as we all know, not every tailoress is destined to thread the needle of success. One hopes her stitching is as perfect as her bookish charm.

Will this spirited seamstress complete this daring dress in time for the ball? Shall it be the talk of the Ton, or a tragic fashion faux-pas? And will it impress the eye of any discerning gentleman who might venture to glance her way?”

[talonabraxas]

“It is necessary for the mind to become free of the illusions of this world and become a fine and marvelous instrument of the Inner Being.” — Samael Aun Weor

Kabbalah: The Three Triads Talon Abraxas

The Kabbalistic Tree of Life

The Kabbalistic tree of life is an ancient and profound diagram that is intimately related with alchemy, tarot, numerology, Hebraic wisdom, and astrology. A basic understanding and orientation to the map of the tree of life is useful to guide us in our inner work.

The key to studying Kabbalah is in the development of intuition, imagination and inspiration, in order to work with these cosmic forces in a practical manner and not get lost in intellectualism.

Practical Kabbalah

To truly know Kabbalah, to practice it, is to walk the initiatic path.

To incarnate the fruits of the tree of life requires an esoteric and psychological work. To move beyond our selfish nature, to love and sacrifice for others, always remembering shekinah, the divine grace, the gift of God.

Each sephirah, each pathway, each dimension, each pillar, is a lifetime of study and reflection unto itself. The focus of this article is the three triads that divide the nine superior sephiroth into three basic levels.

Logoic Triangle

The topmost triad is the logic, or supernal, triangle. The holy trifecta of Father, Son, Holy Spirit, also known as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, or Osiris, Isis and Horus.

This triad contains the mystery of the trimurti or the trifecta in Christianity. Chokmah, the Christ, is an unfoldment from Kether, the Father. Binah, the Divine Mother is an unfoldment of the Christ.

Ethical Triangle

The middle triad is the ethical triangle. Revolutionary ethics have nothing to do with right and wrong as we understand it, but always working to have the will of God prevail, to allow the divine influences to guide the lower.

In this triad contains the sephiroth called Chesed, Geburah and Tiphareth. Here is the mystery of the human soul united to the divine soul, something that happens at a certain stage of initiation, a wedding of the soul to the spirit.

Samael Aun Weor writes in his book, The Initiatic Path in the Arcana of Tarot and Kabbalah that while the human soul, which is masculine, works, the divine soul, which is feminine, plays. This is the union of love that everyone on earth is truly searching for.

The sephiroth Geburah and Chesed represent the balance of justice and mercy. Justice without mercy is tyranny; mercy without justice is anarchy.

Magical Triangle

The lowest triad is the magical triangle, consisting of the mental, astral and vital worlds.

The sephiroth called Netzach, Hod and Yesod.

We who have our center of gravity in the physical world can access these higher planes only by uniting our vital force, intention and mind toward the divine. Here is the bridge to access the will of our Being, and the wisdom and love of God. This is the realm of ritual which is an act that vibrates into other dimensions.

Malkuth

Malkuth is the physical plane. Malkuth is a fallen sephirah.

It is the “wilderness” where Adam and Eve (the Lemurian humanity) were cast after they had eaten the fruits of the tree of knowledge and broken the law of God.

There are 48 cosmic laws in Malkuth, 24 laws in Hod, 12 in Netzach, and only 1 law: law of love, in Kether.

In Malkuth we have a much greater struggle against materialism to find the spiritual, which is understood with a study of the tree of knowledge. We stand on the brink of heaven and hell.

Above us is Yesod, the 9th sphere, the vital sexual force, the way off of the tree. Below us is the Klipoth, the shadow realms, where there are more laws, more darkness, more conditioning.