#it is harming us as individuals and collectively and we need to heal and move forward while addressing existing suffering

[lizard-official-blog]

cannot wait until a few decades from now when we look back on the current era as a period of insidious semi-mass-radicalisation of the majority of regular social media users as nasty, cynical, defeatist, paranoid, cruel, thoughtless mob members, to the extent that people forgot how to think for themselves/critically/at all (and the effects of it had profound and incredibly unnecessary echoes across the world as a whole, both socially and environmentally - we need hope, good-faith engagement and willing to believe in each other in order to fix where we are now)

i have to believe that we will get to that point where we can look back in a few decades and see all of this, and in order to do so i have to allow myself to move forward from the trauma of being so mentally maimed and brainwashed in this way myself as well (literally had anxiety attacks from it when i was in the thick of it, and it has only worsened my emotional issues) as seeing it happening around me. in a way, calling this out in this way feels like a continuation of this kind of misanthropic mind cage we're all pushed to build. but frankly i think i'm allowed the odd angry weary post on this silly little half-built blog where my pfp is of one time on the sims 3 when my horse went to watch an ocean sunset and i usually post more optimistic and lighthearted things. i think there's a difference between the self-defeating culture i'm describing and just venting occasionally about it because it is in itself traumatic to be in before getting on with the rest of my life. i have so much more to live within now. sometimes articulating this trauma in a relatively short, contained way and hoping people can see it too does help to move forward from it.

[yanderelmk]

May I ask headcanons for a yandere lady bone demon? Since I watch her scenes I bet she would touch her 'destiny' words on gn reader telling destiny wants them to be together, it's something that got stuck on my head when I think on it XD and some quotes if you want? 👉👈

Thanks a lot!

The LBD would definitely have the Mayor watching and guarding you 24/7. Your every move is carefully kept under watch so you don't accidentally stumble upon and ruin her plans.

You may have moments where you wake up unsure of how you got somewhere, in those moments you likely got too close to something so the Bone Demoness took the liberty of safely relocating you.

"Our being together is simply another part of beautiful destiny. You will be the crown jewel in my new era of perfection."

If possible, she's going to find a way to mark either you or your aura so no one, be they mortal or immortal, can mistake you as anything but hers.

"Sweet blessing of mine, there is no need for you to worry. Everything will work out as it should, all you must do is simply sit back and let me carve out a new world where we can live in harmony. Is that not what you desire most of all? The two of us side by side in a utopia of peace where the imperfections of the world can no longer harm us? I will do everything within my power to make that paradise a reality for us both."

The LBD is normally a collected, calm individual, but that goes right out the window the second it looks like someone is trying to hurt you, she'll possess them just to make them throw themselves off the biggest height she can find...if she's feeling merciful or is pressed for time.

She doesn't have time to constantly be punishing the unworthy who lay their hands upon you or sully your ears with lies about just how perfect you are. Luckily, the Mayor is all to glad to assist his lady in such matters, and the man can get rather...creative.

With how manipulative she is, it's probably necessary in her mind to keep you as under her thumb as possible. She might even get you to start believing in the destiny she talks about. After all, who doesn't want a world free of strife? Wouldn't things be easier if you just let her take control? After all, she treats you with such love and care, that has to mean she'll be just as kind to everyone else in her new era, right?

Of course if you push her too far she won't hesitate to possess you. One way or another, you're going to be by her side for all of eternity.

"Their imperfections have clouded your judgement, my love. The only thing left to do is grant you this mercy and heal the fractured logic that has made you turn from me."

I just realized the LBD heavily fits the song Perfect Circle - Pet:

"I'll be the one to protect you from your enemies and all your demons. I'll be the one to protect you from a will to survive and a voice of reason. I'll be the one to protect you from your enemies and your choices son. We're one and the same I must isolate you... Isolate and save you from yourself."

[ovaettrgrimoire]

Queer Witch’s Manifesto 2.0 (2023)

(Written in 2021 originally sourced from another manifesto online, this was adjusted for my own needs back then, now updated again to better fit the needs of 2023 and so forth. Finished this edit up for the Full Super Sturgeon Moon of Aug 1st ~ 3rd 2023, as I re-investigated my life’s values and what made up who I am for my 32nd solar return on July 24th. Enjoy. If this echoes true with you, you are allowed to use this manifesto for yourself too. It is open and free to use and change as you need. Take care. -O) ---- There are INFINITE genders or lack thereof and sexual identities. Each one deserves the same space and respect as the next. Each one brings something unique and necessary to a circle should they choose to share their magic with us. We are not limited by binarism. White supremacy upholds ideals and expectations that harm EVERYONE and must fall. Christo-fascists seek out only furthering this harm in our communities. We must NOT let it continue. Even though white supremacy harms everyone, white people must not center themselves in discussions or plans for taking it down. We must center the voices of those most marginalized by white supremacy first and foremost Because we are fighting white supremacy, queer magicians must work hard not to appropriate sacred religious tools, artifacts, aesthetics, practices, or deities that do not belong to us.    Sex magic is powerful, beautiful, and queer. It should not be censored. Like anything sexual, we must hold up the idea that informed and enthusiastic consent is mandatory.    Our queered-up version of sex magic also fights rape culture, patriarchy, heteronormativity, and cisnormativity. Though we are anti-capitalist we recognize the constraints of the society we live in and know that money magic is often critical and empowering for those living in the margins. We recognize that the Goddess does not equal “womb worship” and that ANYONE can invoke “Goddess energy.” Goddess energy is intersectional. We recognize that some witches may have physical, emotional, or mental limits that cannot be overcome with spirituality. We welcome these witches to bring their whole, real and authentic selves into a magical space and cast spells in a way that works best for them. Magic is not diminished by disability. Disabled witchcraft is powerful, immeasurably so. All bodies are capable and deserving of magic and joy in their lives. We recognize that individual traumas may need to be healed before we move on to collective work. Global climate change is killing us all and we MUST protect and heal the Earth. Hierarchies do not work in a queer magical context. We are equals even if our jobs differ. MAGIC IS A TOOL FOR PERSONAL HEALING THAT LEADS TO EMPOWERMENT. This empowerment enables us to focus on social progress, empowering others, and collective liberation.

[baldhedanxiety]

Excerpt from "Resilience" Emergent Strategy - AMB

What we put our attention on grows. We have been growing otherness, borders, separateness, and in all that division we have created layer upon layer of trauma and vengefulness. Conditions for permanent war, practices that move us into battle with the very planet we rely on for all life. The scale of division, conflict, racism, xenophobia, and hierarchical supremacy on our planet is overwhelming. Finding the places of healing and transformation, moving towards a world beyond enemies is work that has to be done for our survival. Which means transformative justice: justice that transforms the route causes of injustice is necessary at every scale. But I am particularly focused on how it becomes the common orientation and practice for movements with social change. For peace, for liberation. I tie transformative justice into emergent strategy because it feels like a non-negotiable aspect of our future and because the natural world has guidance for us here.

Transformative justice in the context of emergent strategy asks us to consider how to transform toxic energy, hurt, legitimate pain, and conflict into solutions. To get under the wrong. Find a way to coexist. Be energy moving towards life together. While we often put our attention on the state and demand transformative and restorative justice, it is important that individuals begin practicing in our personal, familial, and communal lives. We can reach the people we need to reach and measure our work by the way our relationships feel. It is hard work but it is accessible to anyone, anywhere, at any scale. Eventually transformative practices that begin small will demand new societal structures. I suspect, we can't back into this, demanding that our government provide a form of justice that even we in movements don't know how to practice in real time. So, let's grow our expertise in this.

Before I go any further in this section I want to share with yall some wisdom from the incomparable Shira Hassan. Shira and I can never quite remember where and how we met, but it was when we were both doing harm reduction work. Reducing the harm from drug use and sex while increasing the agency of each human being to make decisions related to his/her/their body without shame or judgement. We were thrilled to find each other. Over the years she has been a confidant, tarot reader, guide, friend. She has taught me to be less judgmental, to love my fatness, to embrace my own need as my body has gone through various levels of ability and disability. And through her work at Young Women's Empowerment Project and her consulting she has taught me a ton about transformative justice. I showed Shira an early draft of this book and her feedback was so good that I had to include it here, as a core part of this chapter. Here is some Shira brilliance.

"I love that you are writing about transformative justice in the context of emergent strategy. I need us to acknowledge more that we have no idea what we're doing. That we're a birthing a new collective consciousness out of the pain of losing too many people to colonialist practice. I need transformative justice to be framed as part of emergent strategy so that we can acknowledge we are midwives to a changeling. Transformative justice is a mutable process with only its values set in stone. In order to resist one size fits all justice, we have to resist the idea that every process looks the same. The goal is for us to to embody these values so that our creativity can guide our healing and our drive for treating each other with true justice. With every experience of healing on our own terms we also begin to heal the generational wounds of colonialist justice. Here's the definition I use in my trainings and the YWEP used too.

Transformative justice:

Acknowledges the reality of state harm.

Looks for alternative ways to address and interrupt harm which do not rely on the state.

Relies on organic, creative strategies that are community created and sustained.

Transforms the route cause of violence, not only the invidiual experience.

I love the piece you wrote that is later included in this section "We are still beginning". It is one of my favorites on transformative justice right now and I've been using it in my workshops.

"Nothing in nature is disposable."

This isn't most people's belief. I just killed a bug earlier today and will set out some rat poison tomorrow lol. The struggle between disposability and getting something or someone that doesn't work for me out of my life. No one is disposable and yet we have a right to make boundaries. Furthermore, we want people to make boundaries. For people who are currently in abusive situations and living with their violent partners, this kind of transformative justice thinking needs more clarity. I can't tell you how many times I've had to go back to the drawing board because someone I love has used TJ principles of transformative and non-shaming to justify the return of their abusive, jerk partner. I say all this to say, I think it's important to think of the audience as people who are currently in abusive situations. What are we telling them? What are we asking?

I really like generationFIVE's works on this. I use this a lot. It is a combination of generativeFIVE's principles with the YWEP's thinking combined into it. Safety, healing, and agency for all.

Safety, healing, and individual agency for survivors.

Accountability and a transformation for people who harm

Community action, healing, and/or group and organizational healing and accountability.

Transformation of the social conditions that perpetuate violence.

Lessons from a transformative break up: How to find new ways to be in each other's lives and not split the communities we love, or the movements we support.

Try every single thing you can to make it work and articulate the effort you are making to each other, even things you aren't sure will work. Try everything. This will matter later.

Love yourself. Don't let fear make you settle for something you know isn't working. Be honest. The harder things are to say, the more necessary they are to say. Commit to being in each other's lives and doing whatever is needed to ensure that in the long term. This may include being far away from each other, physically and social media in the short term. Set boundaries around communication and stick to them. This includes how often to communicate, what is okay to talk about, who is okay to talk to about the process, and permission to express feelings. You can identify a new boundary as you go along if something hurts or doesn't feel right. Don't tell anyone else until you are ready. Be intentional about who you tell, what you say, and letting people know what is and isn't okay to talk and ask about. Write a letter to your community if need be. That way your true story trumps gossip and bullshit.

FEEL YOUR FEELINGS!!!! x3

Gather trusted supported around you and lean on them as much as necessary. Together, tell the story of your relationship to a trusted and neutral friend. What happened? What was great? What did you learn? Be as honest as possible and take the time to tell the whole thing.

Don't judge each other's choices, feelings, or processes. You can't actually know what is going on for the other person. Take responsibility for your own feelings and act accordingly. When you feel ready, dream together about the new relationship you want to have with each other. As you come into new, post-break up relationship with each other, watch for patterns, and take it slow. Celebrate your maturity and growth and ability to be present and do this. Invite others to celebrate and applaud the efforts. When you feel ready, enjoy the friendship you made possible together.

Please note, all of this is in the case of a generally awesome healthy relationship that doesn't quite work, ot an abusive one that you actually may need to actually completely leave quickly.

Transformative justice in an abusive dynamic

"Like everything in nature. We all have gifts. Sometimes the gifts don't seem like gifts: the bee that sting, the stinging nettle that irritates your skin. But when we look at our ecosystem in totality, it is clear how each piece is necessary for the whole. It is a reminder to make room for all of us and our fiery stinging glory." -Karissa Lewis

"Every living thing has a role in the ecosystem and its own destiny to fulfill, even things we can't see, don't like, or don't understand." -Judy Hatcher

When an abusive dynamic builds between lovers, family, or coworkers, it is first and foremost important to understand that it is a dynamic that both or all parties are playing into, consciously and unconsciously. This is different from an abusive event, one explosive moment. This is when there is habitual emotional, spiritual, and/or physical violence and cruelty. An abusive dynamic can sustain by two or more people directly involved in it and a bevy of others who ignore, enable, or exacerbate it. When we are children or dependents, we don't usually have full agency to shift or leave an abusive dynamic because our safety and livelihood depend upon our abuser. And many of us figure out other ways of "leaving": dissociation, appeasing, addiction, etc.

When we are adults, we can begin to notice how we are playing into the dynamic and to shift. We have agency, even if we feel like we are solely victims. That realization can be liberation in itself. Often the same dynamics echo across different realms of our lives. What we allow at our home and love realm shows up with our friends or our families or with our coworkers, bosses, or partner organizations. It is our pattern, our shape. These patterns are prevalent within our movements, spilling the boundaries of our personal lives and creating toxicity in our organizations and networks. We perpetuate abusive dynamics under the guise of accountability, call outs, even solidarity and love. If you have the ability to see the dynamic, to see yourself in a pattern and walk away before reaching the point of emotional or physical harm, bravo. And if not, hey, most of us don't. We need community to hold us in our dignity and to support transformative justice.

Here are a few signs that you may be in an abusive movement, work, family, friendship, or romantic dynamic:

You make agreements or set boundaries and they get crossed or broken and/or you can't hold the agreements or boundaries yourself.

You can't communicate directly with the person or people about concerns. A culture of gossip grows here in the family or group.

When you raise the issue that agreements or boundaries are not being held, there's no accountability. The other person or people deny the transgression, say they forgot the agreements, say it is your fault, ridicule you, continue the transgression and / or you can't see your accountability in boundary crossing and / or diminish the harm.

There's a culture of blaming or dishonesty that breaks down trust over time.

You don't feel comfortable processing the issues of the dynamic with friends, coworkers, allies. You feel ashamed or like it will upset the other person or people in the dynamic.

Arguments are really confusing and/or repetitive. You can't tell what you're arguing about. The arguments have no boundaries or containers. You keep returning to issues you felt were resolved. And you keep losing track of your values and center in the process.

You feel dismissed, hidden, or disrespected and/or like you can't acknowledge reality, be transparent, or respectful.

You feel like a core part of yourself is compromised or not welcome and/or you want to change a core aspect of another person or group.

You feel bullied or bullying, scared or scary, emotionally unsafe.

You feel like something is being taken from you or you are taking from the other person.

Once you become aware of the dynamic it is important to take some space to become clear of the dynamic of yourself. So often, these dynamics perpetuate because we are scared to be alone. Scared to create conflict. Scared to take a step back. And then once we do, we get more air. More clarity. If it feels like there is work that can be done for mediation, healing, and transformation, by all means put time and attention there. But with some humility the nature of abusive dynamics is that they are foggy and hard to navigate from within.

Often, we leap to couples therapy or office mediation while still in the private fog of it all. Get transparent and current with trusted friends or comrades who can offer perspective on the situation. You have the right to tell your story. The silence and shame around these dynamics makes people think they are alone and especially flawed. Not so. Organizations are rife with abusive bosses or collective members. Social justice movements are full of couples in private battles against the oppressive dynamics we face in the world. You are not alone. And you do not have to be silent. You do not have the right to traumatize abusive people, to attack them personally or publicly, or to sabotage anyone else's health. The behaviors of abuse are also survival based. Learned behaviors rooted in some pain. If you can look through the lens of compassion, you will find hurt and trauma there.

If you are the abused party, healing that hurt is not your responsibility and exacerbating that pain is not your justified right. You do have the right to walk away, to literally and virtually gather yourself up and remove yourself from the dynamic. Take space in order to remember and fortify yourself. You have the right to create boundaries that generate more possibilities for you. Those boundaries may be short term or permanent. You have the right to ask for support from your friends and community. It really helps to find neutral mediators, or mediation teams to support conversations that the abusive dynamics may make difficult. Sometimes the feeling of things being unresolved will keep pulling you back into the conversation. Mediation can help draw the line.

You are not obligated to engage in a process with someone if you do not feel like it. Whether you feel unsafe or exhausted or angry. While we are working towards a world where all conflict can be resolved in a transformative way, we aren't there yet. And a lot of messy shit goes down in the name of transformative justice. One thing to really track here if you are the abuser or in a mutually abusive dynamic and you don't want to participate in a process, this could be you dodging a responsibility that if you did take it on, could transform your life and future relationships. But it's up to you. You have the right to not know the right moves to make.

[therandomartmaker]

Danny ignoring the burning stares in his back as he stared down Clockwork’s double-alternate-clone-whatever, “I don’t know what or who altered the timeline, but you need to stop hurting people!” He shouts, watching Kronos’ heaving breaths and silence.

“I can help you fix it!”

“Who are you to me, boy?” The Titan snarls, agitation bubbling visibly and Danny knows it’s anger at him, it’s definitely pain. Kronos sounded breathy, like a fit of wet mucusy coughs was about to wreak havoc. Danny steps forward, to the noticable alarm of the costumed people behind him.

“The Origin is my mentor, look, all we have to do is imprison the Timeline Interference. We need to heal you, first, your ‘plague’ may not kill you but it will kill your universe.”

A spike of fear from a single individual behind him, was one of them the imbecile that had…?

“The Origin…? Child of Mine, the Meddler is a hero, someone meant to better the Timeline, and yet-“ Danny flinched at the wet coughs that broke Kronos’ words. “And yet, the petty little mortal has done the unforgivable.”

Danny stepped further forward, no, rather, he ran forward, and Kronos out of what seemed to be instinct moved forward to meet the boy, catching the boy in his hands and lifting him. A pulse of pure power bled through the battlefield, Danny gifting energy to the Titan.

The costumed group opposing Kronos seemed wary, worried and fearful for one in particular. A woman steps up, “Kronos. Why did you ravage Earth’s lands so?” Danny oberved her from his position, a lasso on her hip and sword in her hand, she seemed… deity-born. He chose to speak for Kronos as the Titan absorbed his energy to mend the damage from the battle.

“One of you has damaged the timeline. Meddled too much, enough to wake Gramps over here. Your attacks on Kronos have also increased the instability, he is an incarnation of the multiverse’s Being of Time.”

Concern crosses the woman who stepped forward’s face, the man in the Trenchcoat looks horrified, “One of us?”

“Yes. Don’t you want to step up,” a green sticky note floated down in front of him, information on the mortals before him, “User of the Speed force?” Most of the ‘heroes’ turned on their heels to face a red-suited man with lightning accents. Danny watched the emotions in the air weave into a collective horror. Kronos seemed to be observing him, and the sticky note, but that wasn’t important.

“All you have to do is come with me, you will be returned-“

“Returned when?” Danny barked a laugh at the Trenchcoat man’s paranoia. He wasn’t wrong to question when beings of time rarely understand the gravity of decades, let alone centuries. Kronos behind him seemed to have shifted postures, into something much more hostile at the Trenchcoat man’s impudence.

“In due time, of course. You have no authority here, Laughing Magician.”

The Flash stepped forward. He looked like a man walking to the gallows. Danny patted Kronos’ arm, and hopped down as the Time God’s grip on him loosened. “Thank you for coming quietly, i wouldn’t have wanted to take the hard way.” He set a hand onto the Flash’s shoulder despite the height difference, and gently pushed him through a portal.

Danny turned to the rest of the heroes, “Do not try to harm Kronos, you will not win.” He turned and waved jauntily to the Titan who returned it with a small fond smile, and stepped through the portal.

The Titan heaved a breath, smile dropping off like the flick of a switch, “Granddaughter, watch your little mortals closer.” And so, Kronos left to fall into slumber once again, only the thoughts of his adorable and only rightful Grandson on his mind.

Silence reigned over the battlefield.

“So-“

“Shut up, Hal.”

Time crisis

Clockwork looked sick, this was the first time Danny had witnessed something like this so he couldn't help but feel concerned for his mentor. However, no matter how many times he asked what was going on, the Ancient refused to answer.

The halfa was taking care of him and finally Clockwork revealed that he was under attack. Danny raised an eyebrow in confusion, he saw no one in Clock Tower and the Observants were not around, seeing his confusion the Master of Time explained himself more clearly.

Clockwork had multiple bodies, distributed in different dimensions. And while they didn't follow the same rules, their job was the same, "preserve the timelines". One of his other bodies must have sensed his timeline being altered multiple times and awoke from its rest to repair the error.

Someone must not have been happy about that, if the damage Clockwork was receiving was anything to go by. The Ancient had no doubt that if they kept attacking him they would cause him further damage, which would be a big problem for the timelines.

The reason he didn't want to tell the halfa that was because he knew Danny would want to help, but not all of his "parts" were good, nor did they have the same methods to "repair" and he didn't want to show the boy a bad part of himself. Although he doubted his other "self" would attack young Daniel, seeing how fond he was of him.

Danny of course, offered to solve the problem. Knowing the boy was stubborn, Clockwork sighed in resignation and opened a portal to the DC Universe, where the Justice League was facing Kronos, Danny stepped through the portal immediately and started running to the battlefield.

Wonder Woman was gritting her teeth in fury as she faced Kronos, who was scowling in annoyance, his gaze seemed to be fixed on the speedster for some reason; half of the League were injured but holding their ground, and John Constantine had almost finished preparing a spell to destroy the titan once and for all. He opened his mouth to tell the Titan it was his end when a teenage boy ran past him.

Danny, who had no idea what was going on, stood in front of Kronos not knowing what to say. He didn't quite know how to fix the situation. Kronos looked at him in confusion as John choked as he noticed the boy in the path of his spell.

"Fate is not inevitable" the halfa told the Titan decisively. While he had been a hero and understood why the people around him would want to "stop" the other Clocky, he didn't want to see his mentor die (even if this was some sort of clone? Danny didn't quite understand), he was selfish, and he knew the other Clocky had his reasons. He looked at the wounded on the battlefield and took a deep breath before looking at the Titan again.

"Come home with me and we'll find another way to solve it" Danny offered, ignoring the heroes glaring at him. Kronos was still silent, he knew he could kill the boy in seconds but something in him protested at the idea.

Danny wondered if he could lock the being in front of him in a Fenton thermos.

[blubbly-pizza]

I read - I Hope We Choose Love: A Trans Girl's Notes from the End of the World - Kai Cheng Thom - 2019

"Not what I came for, but I still needed it."

I have felt. Bleakness. For a while now. Everywhere I turn I can find points of sadness and frustration. So I sought out something with Hope. Love is what I found instead. And that's not so bad.

More thoughts below.

This book leans heavier into discussions of nuance regarding a number of things you see in the left. Amusing in part because the language used already feels a little dated in 2024, which is brought up with how fast language changes. Amusing also because leftists can continue to point out the same problem within the "movement", which people will promptly ignore. Or those better read will be shouted down.

I've seen so much discourse come across my dashboard and it's always "problem I'm having" and "have you people touched grass". Mostly I side with the latter. When I see the former I almost amusingly wonder what percentage of the queers of the world would even see it. The other portion is if people just chose love more often, it'd be much less of an issue.

This book wants you to love! It wants you to empathize, though it never uses the word. An interesting choice, and I get it. It wants, as I said nuance. Ironic then, for queers to try and tear down a gender binary, then turn around enforce a binary system of being a good or bad queer. Irrevocably marked as someone you shouldn't interact with because they've done something wrong.

Two stories really reached out and grab me. The second I am writing my own essay as a sister, or daughter to it. Maybe, the more I had written out it just seems like yelling at the clouds. The first made me ask myself, "What does it take for someone to move from a punishment mindset to a loving mindset?" To give up retribution and seek to let someone become better, let yourself become better and heal. Why do we let harmful behavior act as some mark of Cain?

When do we let people work through the things they have done? Is it forgiveness from the grieved party? Authenticity of their repentance? A demonstration of how much "better" they've gotten? I suppose it'd be up to individuals to a degree.

In the end to love is to open yourself up for pain. And if you close yourself off you'll wither. You have to keep loving. Being open for pain means you are open to healing too. I want to choose love too.

[yumiyue07]

The Dreaded 8

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13

"Done," HanHealer whispered, locking eyes with ChanShield. His usual vibrant eyes seemed dimmed, a faint tremor running through his hand. "Thank you, Han. You saved me," ChanShield replied, his voice choked with emotion. No further words were necessary as they embraced, sharing a moment of profound gratitude and relief. Tears welled in the eyes of the onlookers, moved by the depth of their bond.

"Group hug!" Felix exclaimed, breaking the tension. In an instant, they converged around their leader and HanHealer, enveloping them in a warm embrace. Laughter mingled with tears as they reveled in their hard-won victory and the safety of their village. "You could've thought of that earlier, I.N.," ThunderBin teased, lightening the mood. "But lucky for us, your brilliant idea saved the day. Well done," he added, offering a reassuring pat on AquaIN's shoulder. Blushing with embarrassment, AquaIN scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Wait," ThunderBin began, a mischievous glint appearing in his eyes, "I still owe you a hug for saving my life earlier. Come here, baby bread."

AquaIN's face flushed a deep red. "Ahhh, Hyung no," he protested playfully, but ThunderBin’s arms were already reaching out to embrace him. The others couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the two figures locked in a surprisingly tender hug.

HanHealer turned his attention to StormJin's wound, a deep gash that oozed with crimson. With a gentle touch, he began to weave his healing magic, a soft glow emanating from his hands.

"Lucky for you, the sting didn't leave any permanent damage," HanHealer said with a reassuring smile. "I'll heal your wound without a trace."

StormJin nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Han. If we didn't have you, I don't know what we would do."

In mere seconds, the wound was completely healed, leaving no scar behind. FelixBlaze whistled in astonishment. "That’s very noice, as good as new," he grinned at StormJin and HanHealer.

"What do you expect from the best healer in the world," StormJin replied, a playful glint in his eyes. He moved his arm smoothly, testing its strength. Satisfied, he placed it around HanHealer's shoulder in a gesture of camaraderie. "Excellent, not just my arm," he said, his voice filled with warmth. "I mean what you did for our leader. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

HanHealer blushed slightly, his eyes cast down. "That goes without saying," he replied softly. "I'd do anything for my brothers."

With their leader and HanHealer now on their feet, the group ensured they were free from further harm, their collective spirits soaring with pride and relief.

"A hard-fought victory indeed," ChanShield addressed the group, his voice tinged with pride. "You've all done exceptionally well. I couldn't be prouder of my team. Each of you played a crucial role in today's triumph." His gaze swept across the group, acknowledging their individual contributions. "We've faced an impressive foe, but together, we emerged victorious."

Cheers erupted in response to his words, their camaraderie stronger than ever. "The Dreaded 8 have struck again. Let's take the villagers back to their village and get out of here."

With the villagers' belongings already secured, TerraMin joined

LeeFrost. "Han, you can stay here with Chan Hyung," TerraMin suggested, recognizing the need for both rest and companionship. Nodding in agreement, the others departed, leaving ChanShield and HanHealer to rest amidst the fading echoes of their victory.

After a brief respite, HanHealer had begun the arduous task of repairing the village's damaged homes, ensuring they were again fit for habitation. He also took it upon himself to improve

the village's lighting, illuminating the streets and square for safer passage. Meanwhile, ChanShield had almost replenished his energy through meditation. A good night's sleep would do the rest. Feeling a lot better, he joined HanHealer in the restoration efforts.

Before long, the others returned with the grateful villagers in tow. Cheers erupted as the villagers eagerly streamed into their nearly restored village, their gratitude palpable in the air. Among them, the village elder approached ChanShield with deep gratitude etched across his face.

"I can't thank you and your friends enough," the elder began earnestly. "You saved us and our village. Without you, we would be slaves to these beasts for the rest of our lives. We don’t have much, but please take what you want." He pointed to the boxes of food and other belongings.

ChanShield's response was filled with humility and warmth. "Thank you very much, village elder. But that's not necessary. We are glad that we were able to help you. That is reward enough. We have left more food and other things you might need in this house."

The elder's face beamed with appreciation. "Thank you very much! We will never forget you and will spread your good deeds throughout the land." With heartfelt sincerity, the elder added, "We will never forget your bravery and kindness." Turning to address the gathered villagers, the elder shared the news of their deliverance, ensuring that ChanShield and his companions would be forever honored and revered in their village.

ChanShield smiled, a sense of fulfillment washing over him as

he observed the scene around him. The villagers were busy with their tasks, the children laughing and playing, and his team members lending a helping hand wherever needed. FelixBlaze and StormJin, in particular, seemed to have connected with the old lady, bringing her joy and comfort. She didn't take her eyes off them for a second.

"It's time to go!" ChanShield's voice rang out, drawing the attention of his companions. (StormJin let out a barely audible sigh of relief at the pronouncement.) They had a collective sense of readiness as they gathered in the village square. As they bid farewell to the villagers, cheers and gratitude filled the air.

"Hurray for the Dreaded 8!!!" the villagers exclaimed, their appreciation echoing in the square. Inspired by their heroes, the children expressed their dreams of becoming superheroes someday. With smiles and waves, the Dreaded 8 prepared to depart, leaving behind a legacy of bravery and hope.

As quickly as they had arrived, they vanished into the night, leaving only a whisper of wind and the distant rumble of thunder in their wake. Before the sun could rise, the heroes

disappeared into the darkness, ready to answer the call of justice whenever it beckoned.

The End

♡

Author’s note:

The final part - Part 14 is out!

All's well that ends well 🤗

And so this journey has come to an end. I'm a little emotional. 🥹 I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

See you soon with another captivating story!

Love, YumiYue 💖

(⌒▽⌒)♡

Follow me on: 📸 Instagram: @yumiyue07 🎵 TikTok: @yumiyue07

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fan fiction inspired by Stray Kids’ song “Thunderous”. All characters and events are fictional and are not intended to represent real people or events.

All rights reserved. Please do not repost or reproduce this story without permission.

© 2024 LunaVerse - YumiYue07. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

[representingot-neha]

Community Chronicles: Embracing Diversity-> Healing Holistically

Walking into the community, a physically, culturally and intellectually different being 5 weeks ago, was daunting. It was daunting because that is the expectation set of the community block. Having previous students always describe community as the hardest block, there is so much fear walking into the community, solely because we are different. When I think about it, we have always been taught our differences separate us, but this block has shown me it doesn’t have to be that way. Our differences teach us that everyone has something to contribute, and that it gives way to use other people’s experiences and lessons to shape life and therapy itself.

As we treat, individually and collectively in our communities, we recognize there is so much more to what falls into the notion of “holistic intervention”. We walk and take the journey with each individual in the community and this way, we are always being exposed to challenges or barriers. This paves the way for us to start thinking further about where to intervene, how to change generational systems while still approaching this with cultural humility, who to speak to and when to advocate. These are notions that we have learnt for the first time away from the prescribed way of treatment in hospitals and clinics we learn through the medical model. As our aim moves to a community-level practice approach, we see the gaps and work our way into not only clinics but schools, community halls, feeding initiatives, the library, businesses and homes. If we use theory to justify this practice, we are implementing intervention through promotive and preventative measures, addressing as many of the challenges before it reaches a point of long-term harm to the community. (Lauckner et al., 2018)

Culturally and contextually appropriate interventions is one of the most important components I’ve learnt to attempt to use in my intervention. Although the fundamentals of occupational therapy are constant as set out in the OTPF and other frameworks, the implementation strategies should always be customized to the community's unique cultural and environmental characteristics. (Taylor, 2004) I have learnt the value of taking into account the socioeconomic, cultural and environmental factors that make way for barriers and strengths. The cultural dynamics of the community also had a significant impact on how people perceived their health or their circumstances. In order to provide client-centered care, with the help of ongoing research, communication with members in the community and help from the community I accepted the challenge of learning, comprehending and adjusting to various cultural ideas and practices as an OT student.

We had also discovered that the success of our time spent on projects is largely dependent on collaboration. Engaging with transdisciplinary teams and other healthcare providers helped develop integrated strategy to address the community needs. Just by communicating, creating relationships and keeping our promises, we were able to access more resources and perspectives to offer increased holistic care and assistance to people and communities. My collaboration with nurses, teachers, stakeholders and community workers added to my mental OT Toolbox as we brainstormed and discussed ideas and challenges. It was through this interprofessional teamwork, I learned the value of group problem-solving and the power of different viewpoints. (Vaughan, 2023)

This aided in an area with huge gaps seen, sustainability. As a student in the last block, I have seen a variety of short-term projects that sought to solve urgent problems but had little lasting effect. We have had to come up with more sustainable solutions and adaptations to ensure carryover and continuity after the block. Training local community members on OT relevant knowledge enhances the success and long-term effect as these principles will be ongoing, as we ran training amongst staff at schools on red flags in children and a programme to match this as well as the NPO Denis Hurley Centre on psychodynamics and education on our profession. (Rivera, 2023) In addition, equipping individuals who experience occupational marginalization through skill-building workshops and advocacy initiatives can help cultivate a sense of initiative and inclusion within the community, as we attempt to focus on strengths in the youth development programme and advocate for easier access to contraception for teenage girls. (Sayers, 2023)

A part of what contributes to this sustainability however, is involving the relevant parties who agree and are willing to take the initiative and be a part of the drive and call for action in the community.

In addition to some of the professional insights gained, my experience in the community has had a profound impact on my personal growth. It taught me resilience and adaptability as I confronted challenging and unfamiliar circumstances while overcoming the lack of resources, cultural differences, and language barriers which required me to step out of my comfort zone, brushing up on my isiZulu and communication skills.

Working in the community also highlighted the urgency of social justice and equitable healthcare. Witnessing the levels of poverty boosted my awareness of my role as an advocate for marginalized populations. This experience instilled within me a sense of social responsibility, fueling my passion for taking action in community development.

Looking ahead to my community service year, these lessons have direct implications for the way forward. Continuing to prioritize cultural competence and adapt my practice to the unique needs and perspectives of the community as I seek opportunities to engage with local traditions, beliefs, and customs to ensure a culturally sensitive approach to therapy. I will aim to continue to build strong working relationships with members of the MDT and TDT to provide comprehensive, client-centered and community-centered care. By actively engaging in lifelong learning and fostering a culture of shared learning, I can contribute to a more integrated healthcare system that maximizes the potential impact of therapy.

I aim to continue to explore proactive initiatives, innovative techniques and equipment that can be adapted in rural settings to address the challenges of limited resources. This could include community-based interventions and collaboration with local organizations and stakeholders to leverage resources and maximize impact and carryover. Advocacy for improved healthcare infrastructure for accessibility and increased funding for rural healthcare must also remain a priority for OTs. Through these interventions, communications and initiatives, the aim is to drive the change to start addressing as many areas of the social determinants of health in a sustainable way.

In retrospect, my initial apprehension about the community block seems like a distant memory now. I discovered that our differences were not barriers but bridges to understanding. As we immersed ourselves in the community, we realized that the concept of "holistic intervention" goes far beyond what we initially understood. We were forced to expand our critical thinking and approach, learning to advocate, adapt, and apply theory to practice in innovative ways. Our aim shifted towards addressing challenges at their root, preventing long-term harm to the community.

In the end, the community block has not only broadened our horizons but also deepened our commitment to holistic care. We now understand that it's not enough to treat individuals in isolation; we must consider the entire community as a client, nurturing its well-being from every angle. Through cultural humility and a collective effort, we're not just changing lives but also transforming generational systems. This block has not only challenged us but has also equipped us to make a real impact on the communities we serve. Our journey continues, and as we move forward, we carry with us the valuable lessons learned in these five weeks, lessons and conversations that will shape our practice for years to come.

References:

Barker, L. N., & Ziino, C. (2010). Community rehabilitation: “home versus centre” guidelines for choosing the optimal treatment location. International Journal of Rehabilitation Research, 33(2), 115–123. https://doi.org/10.1097/mrr.0b013e32832e6c73

Lauckner, H., Leclair, L., & Yamamoto, C. (2018). Moving beyond the individual: Occupational therapists’ multi-layered work with communities - Heidi Lauckner, Leanne Leclair, Cynthia Yamamoto, 2019. British Journal of Occupational Therapy. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0308022618797249

McGrath, J. R., Marks, J., & Davis, A. (2023). Towards interdisciplinary rehabilitation: further developments at Rivermead Rehabilitation Centre - Joanna R McGrath, Julie A Marks, Alison M Davis, 1995. Clinical Rehabilitation. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/026921559500900407

Rivera, J. (2023). A Scoping Review of Interventions Delivered by Occupational Therapists in School Settings. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention. https://doi.org/10.1080//19411243.2023.2232806

Sayers, B. (2023). Collaboration in School Settings: A Critical Appraisal of the Topic. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19411240802384318

Taylor, R. R. (2004). Chronic fatigue syndrome: traditional and community-based approaches to rehabilitation. Health & Social Care in the Community, 12(3), 171–185. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2524.2004.00485.x

Vaughan, E. M. (2023). The Rationale and Logistics for Incorporating Community Health Workers Into the Multidisciplinary Team - Elizabeth M. Vaughan, Aliye B. Cepni, Uyen Phuong N. Le, Craig A. Johnston, 2023. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15598276231151866

[embarkbehavioralhealth]

Embark Behavioral Health Adds Premier Outpatient Clinic in Scottsdale

Leading Treatment Provider Now Serving Preteens, Teens, Young Adults and Their Families CHANDLER, Ariz. — March 29, 2023 — Embark Behavioral Health, a leading network of mental health treatment programs for preteens, teens, young adults, and their families, will soon add a Scottsdale outpatient therapy clinic to its services in the Phoenix area. The clinic is enrolling clients and will feature an intensive outpatient program (IOP) and a therapeutic day treatment program (also known as a partial hospitalization program, or PHP) as part of the company’s robust continuum of care.   “The new Scottsdale outpatient center, along with our existing Phoenix location, will be a catalyst for healing in the Valley and a window into Embark’s spectrum of services," said Alex Stavros, CEO of Embark Behavioral Health. "Our teammates have done an exceptional job launching these programs and bringing the Embark treatment approach to families across the greater Phoenix area. And with suicide being the second-leading cause of death for ages 10-24 in Arizona, it’s more important than ever that we create access to higher quality mental health services."   The clinic, located at 7373 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite D-120, in Scottsdale’s McCormick Ranch area, will be the second Embark location offering outpatient treatment programs in Arizona, with Uptown Phoenix being the first.   Embark ensures the highest levels of quality care and safety standards, offering programs accredited by The Joint Commission. Programs include individual, group, and family therapy, as well as therapeutic/peer mentoring, home health care services, addiction treatment, and parent coaching for issues such as: - Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).    - Anger/mood regulation.    - Anxiety.    - Bipolar disorder.    - Borderline personality disorder.  - Bullying.    - Depression.    - Family conflict.    - Self-harm/cutting.    - Social isolation.    - Substance use/abuse.    - Technology addiction.  The Scottsdale Clinic: A Closer Look “The new Scottsdale clinic will help more adolescents and young adults to maintain and thrive in their lives and relationships through the support of professional mental health counseling,” said the location’s executive director, Dr. Meka Allen, who has a doctorate in social work. “I’m excited to bring our unique family-centered treatment approach to those in need in our area.”  Embark treats the family as a whole, using an evidence-based and relationship-focused approach. In addition to providing family therapy, the company also collects thousands of data points and shares feedback with each family so it can adjust treatment in real time to improve results.  The Scottsdale location’s therapists will serve a variety of locations throughout Phoenix, including: - Scottsdale.   - Tempe.    - Mesa.  - Chandler.   - Glendale.    - Phoenix.   - Paradise Valley.   - Fountain Hills.   - Windsong.   - Ahwatukee. - Guadalupe.    - Gilbert.   - Queen Creek.    - Camelback East Village.    - Desert Ridge.  - Tolleson.    - Goodyear.    - South Mountain.    - Apache Junction.    - Avondale.  To celebrate, Embark will host an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on March 30. Guests will enjoy refreshments, learn about the intensive outpatient and therapeutic day treatment programs, and tour the new space. To RSVP for the event, visit the Eventbrite page.    In addition to increasing the number of families it serves in the Phoenix area, recent Embark milestones include:  - Expanding the company’s online mental health services with an insurance-reimbursed virtual intensive outpatient program available to residents in various states across the country.   - Moving the Embark Behavioral Health support office to Chandler, Arizona. The vibrantly designed space celebrates the company's culture, values, and purpose.  - Opening several insurance-reimbursed short-term residential and outpatient clinic locations across the country in states including California, Colorado, Maryland, Georgia, and Virginia.    - Launching the Embark Behavioral Health Foundation with a mission to raise awareness of the youth mental health crisis, end the stigma around mental illness, and drive more access to high-quality services. The foundation will also provide a scholarship fund to help adolescents, young adults, and their families participating in mental health services pay for private pay programs, insurance co-pays, premiums, and general fees.  For more information about Embark Behavioral Health, visit www.embarkbh.com.  Read the full article

[gingermcl]

The human mind can’t always tell the difference between something that you’re imagining - in meditation or daydreaming about - and reality. The mind thinks it’s all real and your body responds accordingly. For example, It doesn’t matter if an anxiety sufferer is experiencing an anxious situation or imagining it, the body will react with a stress response - Hormones such cortisol and adrenaline are released regardless of if the individual is physically in a stressful situation or not.

One scientific study took two groups of individuals and asked one to play a specific set of keys on the piano and the other to imagine playing a set of keys. Under both circumstances, brain activity significantly increased in brain regions corresponding to motor movement of the hand. Other studies have shown meditating about exercising can cause one to develop increased muscle tone, as much as someone physically exercising. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to reduce depression far better than physical exercise.

In other words, what we imagine has a huge impact on our mind and body. Being stuck in a cycle of destructive thought patterns will negatively affect one’s daily reality. Becoming aware of thought patterns brings with it an ability to recognize when our bodies are caught in illusions of the mind. The more you pay attention to your thinking, the easier it becomes to actually control your thoughts. Anytime I catch myself thinking negatively I say out loud I do not consent to such negative thoughts or I do not consent to this happening in my reality and I get up and move. When you physically move, the body thinks you have left the situation that was causing you stress. It’s a way to trick it.

Putting a stop to harmful thought patterns allows us to remain firmly planted in the present moment. You can bring yourself back to the present by acknowledging that whatever you are worried/thinking about is not happening right now, therefore You don’t need to focus energy on it and you can begin to focus on your breath or something else in the room to bring you back to the now. The self is the only relationship you are forever going to have for sure, learn to love and accept yourself and treat yourself kindly. You are better off to sit there daydreaming about what seems like an impossible utopian existence than to envision some dreadful event you don’t want to occur. Our thoughts create reality, they are incredibly powerful. This is the main reason we are surrounded by mind control programming. Those with all the $$$ attempt to direct reality a certain way…But they need our collective thoughts to do so. What you spend time thinking about you are sending energy to creating. We must’ve control our mind or someone else will.

And this goes for those trying to expose the agendas of those with the money, you are still giving the system energy when you spend your time thinking about it even if it’s to uncover what is going on. I’m not saying don’t research, but I am saying to you be mindful of how much time you are spending and maybe add in some positive meditation for balance. We heal the world by healing the self and living by example.

[returning-to-her]

I believe the trans cult will not last until 2024. It’s peaking hard right now.

I will enjoy watching its fall.

Maybe we radical feminists can fill their space with matriarchal ideas, projects, and justice. This is the time for us to gather and plan in huge numbers. Not just online but in physical reality. Time to set roots in education, relationships, healthcare, governance, and spirituality.

All voids need something to fill it. The fall of trans ideology will be open to anything. Let it be radical feminism.

Questions to ask now are:

- Who to gather with?

- How to build projects of radical feminism?

- Where do we plant the seeds of what we create?

- What places need us most?

- Where can we make the most difference?

- What are our values and how will we keep them rooted in our work?

- Where can people seek information, support, and community?

- Who in power needs to be aligned with us to supercharge the changes?

- How do we best communicate our needs, desires, values, wisdom, challenges, and continued growth of the movement?

- Where can we gather frequently to meet others, recharge ourselves, build new programs, and grow?

- How can we make sure that we are addressing change from all avenues of health and wellness, liberty, justice, and freedom?

- How will we fund all this? Who can help us pay for our growth?

- What guidelines and deadlines should we set for ourselves to stay driven to keep moving forward?

- How can we honor the individual woman and the collective value of feminism rising?

- How can we make sure that the big her: Mother Nature is at the root with all women in our movement? From her womb to ours. Her cycles to ours. Her creations to ours. Her destruction to ours. Her communities to ours. Her life force to ours. Her resources to ours.

I am planning work with healing the harmed female with radical justice and return to matriarchal living with friends of mine. I already blog about healing trauma and misogynistic abuse. I am now making healing journals, creating podcasts, co researching a mental health doula program, and doing emotional support with women who are trying to leave abusive situations and heal their traumas. I am thinking of returning to school, majoring in psychology and minoring in women’s studies. I have plans to teach, counsel, write, and release programs that heal women and return us to radical feminism living.

What would you like to do? What’s your plan of action? The time is now to do this. The fall of patriarchy is kindling but needs us to set it ablaze. I’m not talking about illogical dreams of fixing everything and changing the whole world into living like the matriarchy. I’m talking about doable shifts in our society. Pockets of change where we can root and grow. How can we make a difference?

- Laura Rose

If you are interested in reading more about my stuff, you can find me at below. The site is continually updated as I find time and inspiration to add new info.

[bfpnola]

Hey y’all! So as I’ve been exploring various non-carceral peer support options in my recent discovery of anti-psychiatry and Mad Studies, I’d like to link below just some of the MANY things I’ve found. The rest will be available through our 3000+ free resources linked in our bio!

To start off, this essay on why anti-psychiatry is important and how psychiatry is a carceral system tied with policing and imprisonment.

This ENTIRE spreadsheet is entirely made up of care providers who center abolition and finding non-carceral ways to heal in their work. Amazing!

FREE 1:1 peer support meetings offered by those with lived traumatic experiences and marginalized identities, provided through Zoom, text, email, or phone call. PLEASE take advantage of this opportunity. This isn’t even the only organization that offers this. This is just the particular one I decided to showcase and likely will be utilizing once I get settled into my dorm next month.

Learn how to make a mad map, “documents that we create for ourselves as reminders of our goals, what is important to us, our personal signs of struggle, and our strategies for self-determined well-being,” except this guide is specifically catered to the pandemic!

A FREE “madness” workbook for mapping out your emotions during extreme states!

A FREE self harm workbook for working to understand and deal with self harm tendencies

Learn what the difference between a pod and a community is, creating a go-to group of people to run to in times of crisis instead of running the risk of interacting with the carceral system. Super helpful worksheet included as well to genuinely take time and think about who you would actually turn to in times of need, not just who you think you’re most politically aligned with.

A peer respite is a voluntary, short-term, overnight program that provides community-based, non-clinical crisis support to help people find new understanding and ways to move forward. It operates 24 hours per day in a homelike environment. Peer respites are staffed and operated by people with psychiatric histories or who have experienced trauma and/or extreme states. This means that 100% of staff have lived experience of extreme states and/or the behavioral health system.

“A warm line is an alternative to a crisis line that is run by “peers,” generally those who have had their own experiences of trauma that they are willing to speak of and acknowledge. Unlike a crisis line, a warm line operator is unlikely to call the police or have someone locked up if they talk about suicidal or self-harming thoughts or behaviors. Most warm line operators have been through extreme challenges themselves and are there primarily to listen. A warm line has the purpose of reducing hospitalization and forced treatment, being a cost effective and non-intrusive, voluntary intervention.” — Chaya Grossberg

As aforementioned, check out the link in our bio for more mental health resources like those shown above! If you have any you’d like to personally add, everyone is given commenting permissions on our document!

— @reaux07 from @bfpnola

[fernthewhimsical]

A Queer Witch Manifesto

There are infinite genders and sexual identities. Each one deserves the same space and respect as the next. Each one brings something unique and necessary to a circle should they choose to do magic with us.

White supremacy upholds ideals and expectations that harm everyone, and must fall. Even though white supremacy harms everyone, white people must not center themselves in discussion of it or in plans or spellwork for making it fall.

Because we are fighting white supremacy, queer magicians must work hard not to appropriate sacred religious artifacts, aesthetics, and even deities that do not belong to us.

Sex magick is powerful and beautiful, and like anything sexual, most hold up the idea that informed and enthusiastic consent is mandatory. Our queered-up version of sex magic also fights rape culture, patriarchy, heteronormativity, and cisnormativity.

Though we are anti-capitalist we recognize the constraints of the society we live in and know that money magic is often critical and empowering for those living in the margins.

We recognize that Goddess does not equal womb worship and that anyone can invoke Goddess energy.

We recognize that some witches may have physical, emotional, or mental limits that cannot be overcome with spirituality. We welcome these witches to bring their whole, real selves into a magical space and cast spells in the way that works best for them.

We recognize that individual traumas may need to be healed before we move on to collective work.

Queer witchcraft can and does include manifesting personal desires so long as they don't impede someone else's autonomy and consent. People who have suffered and been marginalized deserve pleasure, and magic is a great tool for bringing that into being. Manifesting those personal desires is often necessary in a healing journey that needs to happen before we can become empowered.

Magic is a tool for personal healing that leads to empowerment. This empowerment enables us to focus on social progress, empowering others, and collective liberation.

Global climate change is killing us all and we must protect and attempt to heal the Earth. This must be a magical priority for queer witchcraft.

Hierarchies do not work in a queer magical context. We are equals, even if our jobs in a group working are different.

All bodies are capable of and deserving of magic. All bodies are capable of and deserving of the joy and manifestation magic can bring

Source: Cassandra Snow, Queering your Craft

[writingquestionsanswered]

Tattoo Shop AU - a quick, practical guide for writers

Guest Post by lebanon-hangover

lebanon-hangover said: this is based on my personal experience with the industry only, so depending on the era and country you are portraying, it may not be 100% accurate for your setting.

Hygiene

It may not be obvious at first glance, but most tattooists are clean freaks. We work with human blood every day, and we get clients from all ages, ethnic and social economic backgrounds, with all sorts of medical conditions.

We usually mop frequently, bleach the sinks, wipe down everything, and use cling film or bags to wrap everything. I mean fucking everything. We also scrub in, and sanitise the area on the person we work on.

Needles are collected in a sharps bin, and handled very carefully. Medical waste goes in yellow bags, and both are collected by a professional service.

Used ink caps may look full, but the ink gets diluted by blood. Like you dip the inky needle into the person, but you also dip the person’s blood into your ink. These are medical waste too.

Cleaning up must be done promptly after the session. Bin everything disposable, put things through the ultrasonic and the autoclave, and sanitise the area. We may take machines apart, but more for maintenance than cleaning, sometimes we swap parts in them too.

We have two sinks, one for hand washing, one for cleaning.

All inks and needles have use by dates.

The internal dynamics of a studio

Depending on the country, some tattoo shops tend to have ties to biker gangs, and some of those internal dynamics and unwritten rules are often present.

There’s a pecking order and it’s dead serious. Basically the longer you’ve been in a shop, the higher ‘rank’ you are, you get the better positioned stations, first pick of walk-ins, etc (Unless the client is asking for someone by name). Regardless of your actual experience in the industry, like if you move into your old apprentice’s shop, they are still senior to you. If the owner or their partner is an artist, obviously they are on top of the chain by default.

We are self employed, but we have a boss. You are only making money if you are working, but you still have set work hours.

We get paid by the clients, and we pay the studio a cut. In return, there are some items provided by them, and some we buy for ourselves. Usually the chairs, tattoo beds, gloves, cleaning products, clip cord covers, masks, aprons, ink caps, vaseline, green soap, and some basic ink is provided by the shop. We buy our own machines, arm rests, stations, pedals, power supplies, clipcords, tips and grips, needles, special colours, stencil fluid…these are a personal preference, and often depend on the artists’ style.

We totally ask to try out each other’s equipment sometimes, or ask for a certain type of needle if we ran out.

The receptionist is usually just one of us, maybe a piercer, but it also can be a hired person in top studios.

The apprentice in the traditional system is often mistreated, and they have to pay for their education, have to be there multiple days a week and don’t make any money. It’s kind of like a tear them down, build them back up again thing to see if they are really serious about the job. Times are slowly changing, but 99% of them will always need a second job. Most of them are working as bar staff.

When you open a new studio, you must visit all the existing local ones and introduce yourself, otherwise you may get a brick through the window. Otherwise there’s not much beef among individual artists, they are often friends, go to conventions together and party after, etc.

The Artists

Tattooing is a fairly physical job, stretching skin is very important. We have to also keep our clients safely still, so we often use positions to pin them down a bit. Sometimes you hit a reflex point on the foot or under a knee, and you don’t want to get kicked. Sometimes you have to pull away super fast, cos they are sneezing, yawning or giggling.

Most tattooists drink a lot of coffee, tea or energy drinks.

Some people are all rounders, some have specific styles, but we recognise each other’s art styles. Sometimes we delegate work to each other, if we think our coworkers style fits the concept better. For example if there’s a person who does script well, we give them those projects.

We don’t like when people come in with designs from other artists. Art theft is frowned upon, and we work best with our own drawings.

Most apprentices practice on their own legs, and sometimes we tattoo each other when it’s quiet. Most people have cover ups, or bad pieces from their early days. The artists’ own tattoos sometimes are in a different style than what they do, but we like to collect ink from friends or colleagues we admire.

In the first 1-2 years one is an apprentice, then junior artist. At 5-8 years of tattooing, you have earned your stripes and are considered an experienced artist.

Conventions are really fun, but can be stressful. You can make good money working at one, and sometimes get awarded for it too. We can also spend a lot at a convention.

Sometimes we poke our fingers by accident, and it’s a scary thing. Good case scenario is just some random dots on your fingers. Let’s not go into the bad case scenario.

We do guest spots sometimes, just to meet new clients, and change it up a bit.

We spend a lot of time drawing up things, and designs are meant to fall on specific muscles, stretch with the skin a certain way, so they are tailored to the body proportions of the client. A good tattoo is also an optical illusion, complimenting the body shape.

Social media presence is like a second job, you need good photos, and you need to market yourself.

Tattoo ink does not wash out, so some stains are inevitable when pouring it out. Those ink bottles get stuck so easily, and we wrestle them a lot. We try to avoid it, but wearing all dark colours is a thing for a reason.

The Clients

Tattooists need to have a good ‘bedside manners’ too. We get nervous or self conscious people, and we are told personal things during long sessions. For example scar coverups and memorial pieces can be very emotional.

We have pretty good poker faces and first aid trainings. People can faint, get shaky, throw up, some have seizures, have b.o., get sweaty, etc the same way as at a blood donation event? It’s no big deal really. We sit them down, give them some water and some sugar, and re-book them if necessary. Most artists keep some wet wipes, mouth wash, deodorant, sweets, maybe even some clean clothes at work, just in case.

If someone comes in with a wild idea for a jobstopper, we would sit down and have a long talk. If they haven’t got many tattoos, we usually try to stir them towards more safe choices, offering them creative ideas. It’s like those jedi mind tricks sometimes.

If someone is undecided, we show them our own hand drawn flash sheets. Once its gone, its gone tho, we don’t use the designs twice.

Pinterest is full of photoshopped fake tattoos, some that won’t even work as real ink. Many people also touch up their work digitally on photos, so some clients have really unrealistic expectations.

We can totally tell if someone is intoxicated or hangover. It thins the blood, and they bleed out the ink, and it’s super annoying. if it’s bad, they will be sent home and rebooked.

Some folks are self conscious about body hair, their size, stretch marks and scars. Chances are, we have seen similar, and we aren’t bothered by it, because it’s work. Surgery scars, scars from accidents, self harm scars, burns, we see it all the time. We shave some really hairy dudes all the time girl, your legs are fine. Seriously. If something makes tattooing you dangerous we will tell you.

Fit, muscular people are harder to tattoo because they are really firm. Its a workout for us.

Everyone gets midnight messages about the aftercare from nervous clients, and drunken booty calls about getting inked right at this second. We have copy paste replies…

We get creeps sometimes. Stalking, weird conversations, tmi info dumps etc.

Other things to include (for fun, or for plot reasons)

We sometimes have those “oh fuck” moments. We all do, but mistakes can be fixed, and we play it cool.

Tattooing takes time. Usually 30 minutes to multiple sessions though years and years.

Healing tattoos takes about 2-4ish weeks, and your characters shouldn’t go roll around in dirt, sunbathe, swim, pick at the scabs. Nasty infections, and messed up tattoos would be the results.

If you have a strong immune system, and you get a lot of work done in one sitting, you may get a brief bit of a temperature. It’s normal, and will go away.

Its a lot easier to get seriously drunk after getting a tattoo. Be careful.

We sometimes draw on each other for practice with our marker pens.

Tattoos are inside the skin, not on top of it. Imagine a low opacity, skin toned layer over the ink, adding to the healed tattoos’ colour. Please stop making your characters skin fully transparent.

Heavy blackwork and palms are done in multiple sessions.

You can’t cover up moles, because if they develop skin cancer, the dermatologist can’t see the signs.

There’s a stereotype about piercers having blacked out sleeves.

Stencil fluid looks just like cum.

You get that annoying itch on your face when you scrubbed in, put on gloves and finally ready to go.

Some artists have a strong preference for coil or rotary machines, and they bicker about it a lot. Coils are louder, more punchy, and more traditional, perfect for lineart. They can be customised, and they last forever. They are also called glorified doorbells by people who prefer rotaries. Rotary machines are smoother, lighter, and often use needles that are pulled back into the cartridges for safety. They are better for shading and delicate line work. Older tattooists often say they are dildo or butt plug shaped, overly delicate and are for “soft millennials” only.

Every artist owns like 5 to 20 machines, and they have specific machine builders they are loyal to.

The “which cable is broken and cutting out” guessing game. Clip cords and pedal cables get worn out easily, and that results in your machine running really jerky.

Walk-in always show up 10 minutes before closing.

We often look quite silly at work. Sleeves rolled up, folks use all sorts of plastic ppe, headlamps, and we tie up our hair. Add couple of purple smears from carbon paper, and we aren’t scary at all.

[hadit93]

https://frater370.blogspot.com/2021/05/magical-approach-to-plant-materia.html

This is a short piece on how I go about selecting, procuring, and using plant materia in my own magic. I have posted it on my other blog as it may be easier to read. I will also post it below.

Magical Approach to Plant Materia.

Overview.

My approach to plants has been influenced by several sources, some of which I have listed at the end, however it is far simpler and less involved. This has its costs as well as its benefits. I know what works for me, I know what mythos I like to clothe my magick in, and I know what is personally important to me as well as what is not. Therefore, it may seem like my approach is at odds with that of other people, and it is, but it is not at odds with myself! Try my methods out alongside the methods of others, experiment, and see what works for you.

Dried or Fresh?

One of the questions that people usually ask first is whether dried ingredients- the ones you usually buy from metaphysical stores- are okay to use in magick. Yes, they are. But fresh is always best. The same is true in cooking as well as magick. Fresh herbs, especially those picked from nature by the magical worker, contain more spirit within them, more essence. They are also more potent in their latent power. Notice I say latent, in magick the magician can awake the same power in dried herbs and consecrate it to work in alignment with their Will. But fresh herbs will have more of this latent power in abundance.

Sometimes certain plant materia is rare, expensive, or simply cannot be found within your climate. In this case, I recommend first seeing if there could be a local alternative, and if not, buying dried from a reputable seller. Of course if one is making incense from plant materia dried is naturally better to begin with.

Preparation Before Going Out Into The Fields.

Before going out collecting herbs I like to align my Will with the universal Will and local spirits. So first I wash my hands and face. Then I will go to my altar and pray and state my intention out loud. For example, “I wish to venture out and gather herbs for the sacred work of x” I normally have an idea of what plants. I want, and so I list those too, however, sometimes nature surprises with you with great additional plants or alternatives. I then petition the spirits of the local area and offer some fresh water and incense that they may help me favourably.

I then pack my things. This includes:

A small sharp knife which is capable of cutting plants and small pieces of wood cleanly and with one stroke.

A small silk lined bag. (I bought some silk and stitched it to the inside of a small bag)

A bottle of fresh spring water.

A smartphone which has a map for safety as well as an internet connection which allows for identification of plants.

Collecting Plant Materia From The Fields.

Most of the time I see a plant I know and want to work with. Other times I find I am drawn to plants as though they are calling me. In this case, I get out my smartphone and get to work identifying the plant. I check if its poisonous and superficially check if it is suitable for my working. If it isn’t but seems useful for another working I make a note of its location and leave it for now. I will detail how I decide what plants are used for later.

Once we come to a plant I want to pick I kneel by it. I place my hand upon it or just over it and I communicate with intent, energy, and words what I want to do. That is, I ask its permission to be an ally in my work. I then wait for a response. This tends to be an inner feeling of rightness or wrongness, both of these feelings are unmistakeable. Other times the plant seemingly responds a certain way to the wind which causes these feelings to arise. It is truly a matter of intuition and cannot be taught human to human.

If an agreement is reached I offer the plant spirit water and then cut only what I need from the plant and place it in my silk bag. Do not let it touch the Earth as the spiritual powers may become grounded. I recommend you research beforehand how to cut from different types of plants for the least harm. I then take my finger, dab it in the spring water and rub the wound of the plant channeling an intent to heal. Once again offer a little water to the plant, and thank it for its sacrifice.

If an agreement is not reached, which does happen from time to time, give your thanks and offer a little water anyway. Either move to a different plant of the same species nearby, or search for an alternative altogether. It may be that despite a book stating one herb as brilliant for this use, the local nature spirits may have a better alternative for the working at hand. Either way, we must respect the plants decision.

Obviously, if you are collecting dried herbs you are simply purchasing them from a reputable vendor. Whilst we cannot offer the plant water and some spiritual power may have been lost due to contact to the ground, or because it is ‘less fresh’ we can still awaken the latent power within them. I hold the dried herbs in my hand and reach out to the parent plant or plants. I then give thanks and blow into the herbs with my own life force. This in turn awakens the life force within.

Consecration.

Prior to magical work I take the herbs and wash them under the tap and place them in jars. Each plant in their own. I then gather materials for my ritual. There are many ways you can use plants in magic. You can create magical incenses, tinctures, teas, charm bags, mojo bags, and magical oils. The idea behind most of these methods is that the herbs are consecrated to a purpose and work alongside other herbs and materials to form a sort of spiritual being, an ally to do the work.

If in a charm or mojo bag the spirit will have to be fed with energy or condition oils. The rule appears to be that if you make a charm out of degradable materials, i.e., fresh herbs that rot and dried herbs that lose potency over time you need to continue feeding so that the spirit still has strength. In oils and tinctures this is not usually an issue as the oil or alcohol preserves the plant matter. So regular feeding is not required. Incense is also not required to be fed as the fire releases the spirit essence when it is burned.

There are different traditions as to the number of herbs used, the time of feeding, the method of feeding. As a rule of thumb- if it is a short-term goal once a week is fine. If it is a long-term goal for a slow manifestation process or ongoing process once a week for the first month and then once a month thereafter, or whenever it feels it needs it.

Occasionally, I set up a ritual magic setting, other times I do not. It depends on my mood and what exactly I am doing. For example, if the Herbs I have are for something to do with love I will sometimes perform the ritual of the Hexagram of Venus and channel that energy along with my own into the plant. This also allows you to call upon the energies of Venus to maintain the charge of the consecrated item. However, this is not necessary, your energy, Will and the spirits of the plants are sufficient. It is a good boost to have though if say you are using lots of dried materials. Another good idea is to consecrate a crystal or talisman (something more durable requiring less feeding) with the intent of maintaining the charge of the charm bag etc.

But in general, I take each individual plant and whisper my intent into it. Breathing my energy into it and drawing out the energy within it. I then add it to whatever it is I am creating. I do this with each one, spending some time with each herb. Sometimes if I have an appropriate incense I smoke the herbs over the incense. Once the product is constructed I whisper once more and breathe three times. I then seal it. This is true of all techniques I use except mojo bags which have a different procedure, albeit similar. But not wanting to get into the realms of cultural appropriation and being cancelled by children who have no concept of magical history or practice I shall not state the method here.

I normally feed with energy infused with breath, however, smoking through pertinent incense is also satisfactory. I normally use plant magic these days in oils and tinctures and use them to energise other things such as talismans as well as my own etheric body.

If a product has become spiritually inert I deconstruct it and bury the plant materials giving thanks and permission to depart. I then leave another offering of water and cover with Earth. It can be nice to bury the plant material near where you picked it and give thanks to the parent plant and local spirits. However, this is not always practical and your own back garden is absolutely fine! Unless it is a curse in which case away from the home, perhaps in a cemetery or church is better.

This is my own simple method. I have done and sometimes still do more involved rituals. But I don’t want to share them here. They are quite personal and in some cases are family traditions. I believe I have covered the essence of plant magic in a simple way which can be embellished with personal flair.

How I select plants.

I tend to start with the basics, what does it look like? What colours does it have? What are these colours associated with? I then branch out into folklore and myths surrounding the plants- what sorts of things did the stories have about the plants. What have they been traditionally used for in medicine? This allows you to start forming a tradition around the plant, a correspondence around the plant within which you can plug your magical intention. For example, we know Lavender is purple, purple is Yesod- the moon. Lavender has been used medicinally to calm and induce sleep. Therefore, lavender is a potent herb to include in a recipe for dream work. It is that sort of thinking.

Luckily, many people have already done this thinking for you. Which is the purpose of the resources list below. Like I say sometimes plants will call out to you, it is ultimately up to you to find out how they can work for you.

EDIT: It has been brought to my attention that uprooting wild plants is illegal and environmentally irresponsible in the U.K. I thought I made it clear but if not- never take the whole plant, only what you need. Always research how to take from a plant without harming it. An app is okay for identification on the go but always strive to have knowledge of the local species first. Sometimes I assume I have made things clear when I have not.

Resources.

Ars Philtron by Daniel Schulke.

Viradium Umbris by Daniel Schulke.

Thirteen Pathways of Occult Herbalism by Daniel Schulke.

Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic by Cat Yronwode.

Sticks, Stones, Roots, and Bones by Stephanie Rose-Bird.

The Witching Herbs by Harold Roth.

Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham.

[linkspooky]

Can you talk about Dabi and his connection to sorrow? He’s commented on things being “sad” over and over again in the manga. And now ironically he can’t cry! I feel like there’s a deeper meaning to this.

Whether it’s laughing with a mouth full of blood, or smiling when anybody else would cry, you’re right anon Dabi is a character who is always distancing himself from his own sorrow.  Dabi not being able to cry because his tears ducts got burned is almost the perfect metaphor, not only does he not want to cry, but he physically can’t due to the lasting damage that’s been done to his body. 

In fact distance is a key word to use when analyzing Dabi. Even knowing absolutely nothing about his backstory, just reading his actions, you can see there are several distancing behaviors in the way that he interacts with others. What Dabi says to Hawks that he has his own agenda outside of the league isn’t even that much of a twist, Dabi has always been up front about it. Dabi tells Shigaraki he’s going to move on his own. 

You can see it in the way that Dabi refers to his comrades. Spinner is “Lizard”, Toga is “Crazy Girl”. Dabi chafes at how touchy feely twice is. The only one he really has casual conversations with is Mr. Compress who is always wearing a mask, and is himself very casual and distant. These behaviors aren’t just Dabi being a jerk, in a group that is all about finding a place of belonging and trusting each other even among crazy and psychoes, Dabi is always making it clear that he’s an outsider. 

He sets up walls with his behavior. Spinner doesn’t want to be called Lizard because of his background, his friends wouldn’t call him that. Toga is someone whose issues are dismissed because she’s just “crazy” when she’s actually an empathic person when you get to know her. The league of villains is a very humanizing force. They gave Twice a place of belonging that let him finally accept himself, they give Spinner a reason to be, Toga became a much more stable person who grew to have healthier relationships with others. The league is humanizing, but Dabi doesn’t want that. 

This is where we connect it back to Dabi’s backstory. Dabi has had his emotions so thoroughly invalidated by abuse he can no longer feel them properly. Remember, being called and dismissed as a failure is something that has affected Natsuo far into his adulthood. Natsuo can’t even sit in the same room for Endeavor without being triggered by his presence.

Natsuo has deeply internalized the feelings of being “one of the failures”, so then what must that say about Touya, who was ‘almost perfect’, then dismissed as a failure, and then literally died. Not only that but his murderer escaped, and nobody save Natsuo even seems to hold him accountable for it. It’s enough to make anyone feel dead inside. 

And, that’s what Dabi is trying to do. KIll his own emotions. Dabi was raised in an environment that made him feel like a failure, and that his own personal feelings did not matter. Enji completely ignored what his children wanted and instead forced his own wants upon them. Touya’s wants and needs were never prioritized and taken care of, quite literally, because he died. He wasn’t valued as an individual. 

Children need to be treated as their own individuals and grow up in a consistant environment where they are taken care of, and feel safe, otherwise they will not be able to grow up properly and face developmental issues later in life. Dabi is far out of touch with his own emotions, because it’s a behavior deeply ingrained in himself, his feelings do not matter. They never have. 

Dabi’s total and complete lack of regard for his feelings and well-being can be shown in the way he fights and uses his quirk. Remember, this is a learned behavior. This is what Endeavor taught him, that the only thing valuable about him is how much he can push his quirk to its absolute limit. 

Dabi hates Endeavor but he fights exactly like him. He pushes himself to use his flames to their extreme limits, so he can be individually powerful and effective on a battlefield with little regard to support, even though his body can’t handle it. He’s been effectively trained to think this way: he has no value unless he pushes himself this far. 

What Geten says to Dabi is horrible, but this is also what Dabi thinks of himself as shown by his behavior. He doesn’t regard his body or his life as something worth being careful with, and because of that he’s always burning himself up to use his quirk to his fullest extent. So while Dabi is quite literally fighting back against his father’s abuse and also trying to prove his father wrong about him, he also believes him deep down.

He always fights by attempting risky maneuvers he doesn’t know is going to work out, because he doesn’t really care that much about the consequences on his body. Touya has already died once, what’s another time? He fights so much like Endeavor he even quite literally copied Endeavor’s move from the Pro Hero Arc to use against Hawks. 

Which is why Dabi’s speech to Hawks is ultimately so telling of the way he sees himself. 

The reason that Dabi’s name doesn’t show up, other than Hori being a tease is because he thinks he doesn’t indvidiually matter, nor does his backstory, or feelings. The only thing that matters about him are what he fights for. He insists again and again, Twice doesn’t matter, the league doesn’t matter, Hawks doesn’t matter, but he too personally doesn’t see himself as someone that matters either. 

Even though Dabi insists he doesn’t care about his feelings, he clearly does, he’s willing to burn the world for the sake of a personal grudge against Endeavor. He’s always burning up in his own feelings but can’t admit that. That’s because Dabi can’t process his own emotions, so his feelings, both positive, and negative, are just like his flames another thing that harms him. We see it in the ending to the pro-hero arc. A scene that everyone collectively reads as tears of blood as Dabi bleeds from one of his stitches. Tears are blood are commonly used to express a sorrow that’s deeper than any tears can express, so deep it bleeds like a wound. 

Specifically it’s the idea of what the families feel of the people Dabi kills. Touya himself comes from a bereaved family who mourns his death even though he’s still alive and has been all this time. The reason Touya doesn’t think about what other people feel, what his family feels, what he himself feels is by his own admission he’d go crazy and never stop thinking about it. Dabi has to distance himself from his feelings, and can’t express them properly because if he did he would never stop. There are permanent emotional wounds on him that will not heal, and he can’t really actively seek treatment for because he’s a homeless villain so instead of trying to  deal with them he puts a stop gap on all of his emotoins. This is another thing that’s in common with the trio: Dabi, Shigaraki, Himiko it’s not that they don’t feel sadness it’s that they can’t express it. If they tried they would simply stop functioning. Which is why we see them smiling when anybody else would cry, it’s the only way they know how to keep going. 

Dabi distancing himself from his own sorrow is a maladaptive coping mechanism, because he can’t allow himself to feel his own feelings, otherwise he would succumb to them. Dabi’s entire arc is associated with grief, his grief for his family, his grief for what was done to him, and the grief his family feels for him. However, he can’t feel any of it. Even though he’s wounded physically on his face and carries those scars. Dabi doesn’t allow himself to feel because he wants to keep going on his mission.