#it was going to be a snake but the only snake we have is caduceus and he has too many associations with hermes

[tsunael]

The morpho. Butterflies symbolize rebirth and the perpetual cycle of life. They are also said to represent a soul of a person who has passed.

(Endwalker Spoilers!)

So between the Twelve taking on animal/minion form during Myths, and the fantheory/easter egg of the shoebill = Emet and axolotl = Hythlodaeus:

What minion form would your Azem/Ancient take?

[thewisecheerio]

Messmer's Insignia

This is Messmer's insignia, stamped all over his Keep, as well as his soldiers' shields and tents. This post is going to be a canon-compliant lore analysis, meaning that not all of this will be explicitly mentioned in canon but will attempt to be compliant with what we do know explicitly.

There are a few important elements coming together to make the insignia: 1. The left-hand flame 2. The right-hand woven ring 3. The outer ring 4. The overlaid, central spear

I'd like to pick these apart in the same way you might pick apart a heraldic coat of arms to look at what each piece might mean individually, as well as what the placement of some elements relative to others might symbolize.

The Left-Hand Flame

Along with the horizontal panel of flames, this is obviously symbolic of Messmer's flame. However, I do want to note that you can absolutely see a cute little winged serpent shape hidden in the flame's design with its head on the right, its tail on the left, and the central portion of the flame forming a wing. (Or maybe it's a dragon. Or maybe I need to seek help for my advanced brainrot, which is causing me to see things. You decide!) Given that Messmer's Phase 1 design—and his public persona—is a mixture of flame and specifically winged serpents, this seems an apt way to capture both ideas in one. A bit on the nose maybe, but hey, his day job is genocide, not graphic design (insert obligatory gRaPhIc dEsIgN iS mY pAsSiOn here).

The Right-Hand Ring

Many people have connected this to Marika's circlet, which I'm not sure I see. Her circlet is a lot more angularly braided, rather than the smooth coil shown here. Plus, I think that Marika's circlet is supposed to be similar to Miquella's Circlet of Light, in that it signifies a (fully) divine aspect of the wearer—something Messmer assuredly is not, since he is a demigod without grace (or, at least, with only the artificial grace bestowed by Marika's seal alone). But either way, none of what I'm about to say contradicts this interpretation, and you can have both be true at the same time.

Rather, I think a different interpretation might be that this is intertwined serpents, similar to the shape his own winged serpents make as they coil around his body. The winged serpent is typically a symbol of Caduceus in alchemical lore, of which Elden Ring is rife. The Caduceus is explicitly two intertwined snakes topped with wings. So that seems like the most straightforward interpretation for what this might be a nod to.

To learn more about Caduceus's role in alchemy, I highly recommend the two videos linked below by Max Derrat and Smoughtown. But the short of it is that the binding ritual that produces a rebis—a divine, single (merged) soul of masculine and feminine energies (e.g. Marika/Radagon)—requires some sort of binding material to happen properly. In alchemical lore, this binding material is the "prima materia", or the formless base of all matter in the universe associated with chaos and the void. The material is often referred to as Mercurius, named for the god Mercury who carries a Caduceus staff. Thus, we end up with binding/prima materia = Mercurius = Caduceus = 2 intertwined serpents.

(Side note: This is also an EXCELLENT reason to believe that Messmer is the son of Marika and Radagon. The White Queen and Red King of alchemy are often shown with the Caduceus between them, which would seem to fit well with the idea of Marika and Radagon having a child between them that is associated with dual serpents.)

I also think there is a connection to the (singular) base serpent by way of the alchemical Caduceus, however. Besides the prima materia/uniting matter, Caduceus is also often used as a symbol of duality. Namely, it is a symbol of the tension between "higher" and "base" desires, with the former being associated with wisdom and the latter being associated with chaos. We absolutely see this in Messmer's lore, as we learn from the Winged Serpent Helm that his winged serpents act as wise friends that keep his base serpent in check. As such, the duality of the Caduceus may also represent the duality of the winged and base serpents. So this coiled symbol involving two snakes might also represent the singular base serpent indirectly, making it function like an image-based palimpsest. When we peel back the layers of one, we find evidence of the other.

The Outer Ring

I mostly think this is just meant to be a uniting graphical element. However, it is cute that it kind of evokes the imagery of a Great Rune, all of which are rings. Messmer does not have a Great Rune, as he did not participate in the shattering. So instead of an actual Great Rune, he ends up with this imitation insignia instead. Adorable. Maybe this is why his otherwise heraldic-looking insignia was designed as a circle instead of the more classical forms that heraldic coats-of-arms tend to take.

The Central Spear

In the center of the insignia, we get a spear wrapped with a singular(?) serpent. The question mark is there because we do not actually see the serpent tail, so you would be reasonable to question whether this is truly a singular serpent, or something like an unending ouroboros. (Or, you know, both.) I'm going to go forward with the assumption that this is a singular serpent. Cutely, the head of the spear forms the serpent's head.

Obviously, the most straightforward part is that the spear is Messmer's spear, the Spear of the Impaler. I find it highly apt that the spear *overlays* the other elements of the insignia, almost dominating them. War is definitely the thing Messmer is most publicly known for, as a myriad of NPCs—both spirit and corporeal—curse him for the honorless war that he has wrought without mentioning much else about him. Meanwhile, his internal relationship with his flame and serpentine nature is something really only known privately. After all, the Fire Knight set tells us that it was only those few knights under his personal command that knew the truth of how he felt regarding his flame and his serpentine nature.

Armor of the Fire Knights under Messmer the Impaler's personal command. Distinguished by its red cape and twin golden snakes which adorn the neck, enhancing incantations of Messmer's flame. These were the only ones who truly knew Messmer. His flames, like serpents. The painful fate that accompanied his accursed form.

Building on this, the dominating nature of this graphical element is important in another way. The flame and other serpent imagery seems to be something intrinsic to Messmer: he was born with a serpentine nature, and was either born with or cursed with flame very early in his existence, too. Meanwhile, war is something that was *imposed upon him* as a request by his mother, as we learn from his armor set. He doesn't do genocide just because he enjoys fighting like Godfrey or Radahn; rather, he does it on behalf of Marika and ends up pretty sad, tired, and self-hating because of it. In this way, warfare ends up as an intrusive element in his life, similar to the way the spear almost seems to be a dominating, nearly intrusive element in the insignia's design.

The serpent coiled around the spear is also really interesting, because it appears to be a singular serpent in contrast to the dual coil on the right. The most straightforward interpretation is that this is a nod to his hidden inner nature as the (singular) base serpent.

Given what we learned above about the Caduceus itself symbolizing a tension between higher and base desires—and repeated in Messmer's story as tension between the wise winged serpents and base serpent—I find it apt that the snake more associated with base desires is the one wrapped around the tool of war. I enjoy the link between warfare and base desires, as it ties into Elden Ring's overall themes around cycles of violence, explicitly characterizing the desire for violence and war as base.

The Central Spear: An Alternative Interpretation

This next bit is unhinged brainrot territory and what I think is a weaker interpretation of the spear symbolism than the above, so be warned. But I also think something interesting can be said if you look at this as a nod to the Rod of Asclepius. Asclepius is the god of healing and medicine, and the Rod of Asclepius (containing a single serpent wrapped around it) is often used as a symbol of medicine both in real life hospitals as well as in alchemical lore. Messmer's most obvious connection to medicine is Marika, as the Blessing of Marika and Remembrance of the Impaler items tell us that she attempted to heal him before finally gouging out his eye to seal the base serpent away instead.

So if this is a nod to his mother's attempts to heal him, two things are true. First, this is an adorable nod to mom from Elden Ring's biggest momma's boy. Second, one might also read into it that these attempts to heal him of something he was naturally born with—and isn't intrinsically evil in and of itself, as far as I can tell—were actually intrusive.

Certainly from Marika's perspective, she worried that others would judge Messmer for his serpentine nature. In some sense, she was right, as Messmer's followers (like Black Knight Andreas) specifically rebelled against him after learning of it. But if your child is disabled or otherwise different in some way and people will judge them for it, is that actually a reason to seek a cure rather than an accommodation, especially if the cure comes with other costs? The answer is complex and varies by individual, of course. But in Messmer's case, we see signs of self-hatred and even neglect as a result of being taught that the base serpent is intrinsically evil. For evidence of this, see the linked post about how there are bits of shed skin on the base serpent, which is a symptom of neglect for snakes!

If Marika's cure resulted in self-hatred and neglect of a critical aspect of his being, can it really be said to be medicinal? Or is it just as intrusive an element in his life as warfare seems to be? I think if you believe the latter, this could be another reason to read this part of the design as intrusive and dominating over the other elements in the insignia that represent his natural self. That said, I think the base serpent interpretation is the more lore-accurate one, but it's fun to think about what it might mean as a symbol of Marika's attempted healing, anyway!

To Sum Up...

So overall while the design is maybe a slightly messy conglomeration of ideas and images, I think this insignia gives us so much. We get fire imagery, winged serpent imagery, base serpent symbolism, a graphic palimpsest of the winged and base serpents and the duality of man, warfare, warfare as a base desire, maybe a cute nod to Great Runes, and maybe even a cute nod to Momma and her attempts to heal. In this way, I think it functions in the same way as coats of arms do in heraldic design: they can also be pretty graphically messy, but it's on purpose to fit a lot of symbolism into a small space.

[talonabraxas]

Golden Wand of the Magi Talon Abraxas “Here we see his full power of transcendence, whereby the lower transcendence from underworld snake-consciousness, passing through the medium of earthly reality, finally attains transcendence to superhuman or transpersonal reality in its winged flight.” Hermes and Aesculapius If you’ve ever been to a hospital or flipped through a phone book looking up a physician, you’ve seen the image: two serpents criss-crossed around a staff topped by a round knob and flanked by wings. This is known as the caduceus, and it has been the symbol of the American medical profession for nearly a hundred years – a decidedly odd symbol for doctors, until you begin to investigate its underlying meanings.

According to Walter Friedlander, in The Golden Wand of Medicine: A History of the Caduceus Symbol in Medicine, this connection can be traced back to 1902, when the U.S. Army adopted the caduceus as the insignia of its Medical Corps, which had previously used the cross. Earlier, in the 16th and 17th centuries, the caduceus had been used by printers because it was the staff of Hermes (Mercury) the messenger god, and hence the divine deliverer of information. In the 19th century, a medical publisher used the symbol prominently on its texts, and thereby began the association of the caduceus with medicine, an association made firm by the prevalence of the image in the American Medical Corps during World War I. A symbol first representative of wisdom, eloquence, and communication, thus became the common logo for those in the health profession.

Citing the history of the caduceus, some physicians are critical of the symbol, because Hermes also happens to be the god that leads the dead to the underworld and is not only associated with wealth and commerce, but happens to be the patron of thieves (he is a classic trickster figure in Greek myths). It only makes sense that doctors wouldn’t want to be associated with trickery, death, and the accumulation of wealth! Medical purists suggest we should go back to the staff of Aesculapius, which is depicted as a single serpent coiled around a cypress branch.

The story of Aesculapius and his association with Hermes begins to make the story of the related symbols quite interesting. According to Greek myth, the god Apollo, in a fit of jealousy, killed his unfaithful mortal lover, a woman named Coronis (the Greek root of her name, korone, refers to a seabird, or a crow). When Apollo discovered that she was pregnant with his son, he had Hermes deliver the child while her body lay on the funeral pyre. The child was none other than Aesculapius.

Aesculapius was trained by the wise centaur, Chiron, to become a healer (since his father, Apollo, was the god of health), and over time, he became the god of medicine with his own cult and temples. Hippocrates, regarded as the father of western medicine, was a 20th-generation member of the cult of Aesculapius.

There are various explanations for why Aesculapius’s symbol is the serpent coiled around a staff. The figurative interpretations consider the symbology (the snake’s association with rebirth, the cypress branch as representing strength); and the utilitarian approach suggests that the snake was a poisonous one tied to the staff, its venom used for its medical properties. But the fact that Hermes was Aesculapius’s deliverer does not quite explain how the messenger god ended up with the symbol for medicine or why the serpents were doubled (though the wings might be explained as a displacement of Hermes/Mercury’s winged ankles).

What I’ve presented might seem an adequate (though incomplete) explanation of the caduceus. But as it is with most symbols from antiquity – regardless of how accurately they have retained their original meanings – the possible truth is far more complex, and to explore it is to go into that interstitial space where folklore, religion, myth, and even science begin to lose their boundaries.

The Tree and the Winged Serpent From a purely folkloric angle, it is impossible to ignore an odd fact that one finds in nearly every culture and throughout history: not only are staffs and serpents generally associated, but the juxtaposition or combination of the serpent and the bird symbols is almost always profoundly meaningful. That meaning, except in rare exceptions (which actually seem to prove the rule) is always positive, associated with healing, wisdom, and transcendence. The symbol of serpent and bird is typically reserved for powerful mythic figures, humans of unusual distinction (like shamans and mystics), or for royalty, who are often considered of divine origin.

First, consider some of the connections between the serpent and the staff or rod – those that go beyond the predictable explanation that a rod looks like a rigid serpent. In the Old Testament, during the exodus from Egypt (Numbers 21), Moses is told by God to construct a fiery serpent of brass and to display it on a pole so that those who had been bitten by poisonous snakes would be healed by gazing upon it. In the Gospel of John (John 3:14), we find this particular serpent image recalled in relation to Christ: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.” This allusion not only makes the serpent potentially divine like Christ, but it associates Christ with the serpent (something quite common in Gnostic texts, as I discussed in “The Binary Serpent”). Earlier, in Sumerian and Akkadian representations of the axis mundi (the axis on which the world spins), one finds a pair of serpents criss-crossed over the rod. In Teutonic myth, Odin’s universe is supported by Yggdrasil, “The World Ash.” At the top of this cosmic tree is an eagle, and in its roots is the great cosmic serpent, Nidhogg, who will devour the bones of humanity after the great fall. In Buddhist folklore, the Buddha once meditated under the tree of the serpent king. When a rainstorm threatened to get the Buddha wet, a giant cobra wrapped himself around the Buddha’s body seven times and opened his great hood over the Buddha’s head to keep him dry.

The bird seems already integral to the serpent and rod equation, and it becomes more prominent in other symbology, eventually becoming combined with the serpent. The origin of Kungfu (which is not only martial, but therapeutic and healing), refers to a folktale about a Buddhist monk (or, in some versions, a nun) who observed a crane fighting a snake and designed exercises to emulate their motions. In Sumerian and Babylonian iconography, the gods are often represented by winged disks and figures who are half human and half snake. Egyptian creation myths refer to a serpent and a primordial egg, which contained a bird of light. The Pharaohs of unified Egypt wore the trademark double crown of Horus and Set, represented by the vulture and the cobra. The serpent coiled on the foreheads of the Pharaohs represented divine fire, which originated at the base of the spine and ascended it just as the serpent had crawled up the Tree of Life. In Sanskrit, the coiled serpent is used to represent Kundalini, the energy that rises from the sacrum – the bone at the base of the spine – and results in enlightenment when it properly reaches the crown of the head through the practice of Kundalini yoga, which channels the energy along the six chakras, or energy centers, that correspond to the number of intersections of the serpent on the caduceus. Literally, Kundalini means “The Serpent Power.”

Among Egyptian hieroglyphs, one finds a prominent winged serpent, which some say is a precursor of the most famous of winged serpents, the Mesoamerican feathered serpent, Quetzalcoatl, known also as Kulkulcan. Like the Egyptian Pharaoh, Akhanaten, Quetzalcoatl declared that there was only one god, and he did away with earlier forms of sacrifice; he was a healer and a scientist, and he could take on human form. (One of history’s great ironies is how the Conquistadors took advantage of the story of Quetzalcoatl’s return to destroy a civilization.)

From a feathered serpent, it is easy to make the next association to a serpent that flies, namely the figure of the dragon (the Greek drakon, which means “serpent”). In the lore of the British Isles, the most prominent dragon is, of course, the mythic king Arthur Pendragon. In Chinese cosmology, there are four Ao, or Dragon Kings (Qin, Kuang, Jun and Xun), each with his own elemental domain. In Korean legend, virtuous serpents eventually become dragons when rising into heaven, ascending a rainbow.

The rainbow itself is a profound symbol, though here we can consider its quality of being like the colored ribbons associated with the maypole dance or the colored ribbons on the original caduceus (which also find expression in the red, white, and blue lines on the traditional barber’s pole). The rainbow is also associated with flight and presents a wing-like quality when it is bisected. In the tradition of Voodoo, one finds prominent connections between rainbow and serpent; among the Australian Aborigines, the rainbow serpent (with a host of different names, depending on language and region), is the most important figure in the Dreamtime. According to some variants of the Dreamtime myths, it is the primary creator of geological features that linger in the mundane world.

When the symbol of the caduceus is stylized and simplified, it creates another set of linked associations. For decades, anthropologists have tried to decipher the meaning of the symbol found among the ruins of Minoan Crete (one of the primary sources of Greek civilization). This symbol, called the labrys, is often called a double-headed axe because it resembles one.

Feminists have reinterpreted it, given the Minoan culture, to represent the wings of a butterfly spread at the top of a rod (which might represent a caterpillar); it is read now as a symbol of transformation and transcendence, which makes it parallel to the caduceus; but scholars have not yet realized that it is, in fact, a simplified caduceus. Less sophisticated renditions of the labrys scratched onto stones and walls look like a sideways hourglass on top of a line.

Likewise, in a more modern context, we tend to take the familiar pharmacists’s logo to be an overlapping R and X, when, in fact, it is a skewed rendition of the Greek letters Chi (X) and Ro (P), which are actually a representation of Christ (Chi and Ro being the first two letters in his name). The pharmacist’s ChiRo is an invocation of Christ’s healing power, just as the ChiRo in Chiropracty (in case you’ve wondered) is a reference to Christ. The Chi and Ro used in Christian iconography look remarkably similar to the simplified labrys, though the connection may seem forced until one examines the symbology of Christ on the cross.

When the serpent and the bird are forcefully separated, they tend to take on opposite and antagonistic meanings. A good example of this phenomenon is what happens in Genesis, when the serpent is demonized as Satan and the tree of life is taboo. This contrasts with the story of the flood in which the white bird (the dove) bringing back the olive branch is associated with salvation as it finds the place for Noah to land (and note the use of the rainbow symbol as a promise from God never again to flood the earth).

In the New Testament, the dove represents the Holy Spirit who, in Catholic symbology, is part of the Trinity. Since I’ve already pointed out how Christ has been equated with the serpent, suffice it to say that if God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit are one and the same according to the doctrine of the Trinity, then the Catholic crucifix is implicitly a caduceus as well: the cross is the staff, and Christ is simultaneously serpent and bird. And the knob at the top of the caduceus? On the crucifix, that is implied by the presence of God, though it is ironically inhibited by the crown of thorns.

[boomthemoon]

I've already said I think Rogue is part of the pantheon, but here is a much more worked on (and insane) theory about how he is in fact the God Mercury/Hermes, or putting it more simply, the God of Travelers.

Basically knowledge on Hermes here to help you understand it better, Hermes is the Greek equivalent of the Roman God Mercury. He is the God of Travelers and Thieves, Trade and Wealth and many other things. He the messenger/herald of the Gods, and guide of the souls to the underworld. Hermes is considered smart, creative and cunning, he's famous for playing pranks (specially on Apollo) and for being really fast, he is the inventor of the lyre, often connected to birds, and known for his ability to constantly cross from the realm of the Gods to the realm of the mortals. As Mercury, he is represented by Wednesday.

There is much more but I'm keeping it short and relevant to the subject.

By now most people made the connection that the ring Rogue gave the doctor had the symbol of Hermes (his Caduceus) in it, so we will start here, but that is just the most obvious of many references made to the God through the episode. There are so many meaning and myths to the Caduceus (being a gift from Apollo, being a symbol of peace, being able to bring people back from the dead) that I wouldn't know which one to go for, so we are sticking with the basics that is represents Hermes and Mercury and their deities. The Caduceus is a staff, with two intertwined snakes and a pair of wings.

The second main point is Rogues ship. Let's talk about the bird theme, Hermes/Mercury is often connected to birds, mostly due to the fact that he is described to wear a hat and shoes with wings (those symbolizing his speed and ability to travel). And then we have an episode all about birds, the villans are alien birds, there are birds in the decoration, but most importantly, his ship is a bird, but more than that, his ship can be invisible. One of the many itens Hermes is know to possess is a cap that allows him to become invisible, in my interpretation, his ship seens to be a reference to some of his accessories, the bird wings that allows him to travel, the cap that turns him invisible, all applied on his ship.

Then there is the third main point, that convinced me of this theory because is too much of a coincidence to be just a coincidence. When the Doctor and Rogue are talking for the first time, you can clearly see a statue of Mercury behind them. And I say Mercury specifically not Hermes because I went to a lot of trouble to find a statue to match this one to prove my point and I could only find it by searching Mercury specifically.

Here is a screenshot of the statue in the episode vs two statues I found, you can see they are very similar.

Now about what happens in the end, Rogue is very calm about the possibility of Ruby being sent to another dimension, and still very calm when he sents himself, you could just argue he doesn't care about her or himself, but the way he acts feels like he was testing the Doctor to see if he could sacrifice Ruby, specially since he knew you could just replace the person that was stuck in the trap but he didn't replace Ruby with Emily when he put her there. So like I mentioned before, Hermes can travel through realms, what in the show context, would just be different dimensions, so maybe the reason Rogue is so indifferent about being sent to another dimension with a bunch of murder bird aliens is because he knows he can just get out of there easily.

Maybe "find me" isn't in some random barren dimension, maybe is just "find me out there in the stars".

Other things it might be worth noting:

"Mercury is sometimes represented as holding a purse, symbolic of his business functions. Artists, like followers of Roman religion themselves, freely borrowed the attributes of Hermes and portrayed Mercury also wearing winged sandals or a winged cap and carrying a caduceus (staff)"

His ring represented his Caduceus as it has it's symbol, the ship represented his winged hat and shoes, and he literally wears a purse.

This one might be a bit of a stretch, but the lines "Fast mover" and "Run!" "I'm normally the one who says that" feels like small reference to him being to fast even for the Doctor (Just like Hermes/Mercury are known to be really fast). I just think that if he is some sort of equivalent of Hermes and Mercury and I'm not going crazy here, the "fast mover" line is actually hilariously clever.

The last bit is how we don't see anyone placing the two first pieces of the trap, we can only presume it was Rogue, but the only way I can think he did it without anyone noticing, is either he was incredibly fast, or invisible, which both track back to my theory.

Look, I'm not a specialist on Hermes and Mercury, I just know some things and did some research, so this might be a reach here but it make sense to me, so I'm sharing. And let's be honest, what is more God of Travelers and Thieves than falling in love with the guy that stole a ship from his own people to travel through space and time?

[darkmagicmirror]

The Dark Magic Symbol and Alchemy

I've been wanting to make this post since before S5 and never got around to it, and I decided hey, might as well try to get it out before S6, at least. SO here it is. I know S6 came out today, but I haven't seen it yet, so shh, this still counts.

So in a Reddit AMA back in 2020, Aaron and Justin answered a question confirming that they drew inspiration for the dark magic symbol from the Rod of Asclepius and the Caduceus.

Just because of Tumblr image limits, I put the screenshot and symbols (linked in the comment) in the same picture, but you can follow the link to the AMA comment and look at the image there if you need a bigger version.

SO I got curious and started looking up some more info...

Here are just the first couple paragraphs of the Wikipedia pages for the Caduceus and Rod of Asclepius.

So at first glance, just like the comment in the original question says, the Caduceus is associated mostly with Hermes, and the Rod of Asclepius is associated with health care and medicine.

But a little further down the Wikipedia page, we get:

Although the Rod of Asclepius, which has only one snake and no wings, is the traditional and more widely used symbol of medicine, the Caduceus is sometimes used by healthcare organizations.

And it turns out that there's an entire Wikipedia page dedicated to the Caduceus as a symbol of medicine. So, already, upon finding this, I found it fascinating that the dark magic symbol is inspired by not just one, but two symbols seen as medical symbols.

Onto the article focusing on the Caduceus as a symbol of medicine, I go on to find this:

I have to come back to the Quicksilver thing, but first off, the being a symbol of alchemy is interesting to me. (Partially because I definitely think of Fullmetal Alchemist and the whole equivalent exchange concept there and the questions about whether people should be messing with life and death and how everything has a price -- all pretty relevant to TDP, but I digress.)

I looked at the article linked in footnote 16, which is titled The earliest medical use of the caduceus, and I found this fascinating image!

Most importantly, this has a single snake with two heads. Which sounds familiar!

I do think it's worth noting that the very first time an example of dark magic is discussed on screen, it's with the discussion of the two-headed snake, being held by Viren's staff. The spell isn't actually done, obviously, but it's the first impression we get of dark magic in the series!

Also I just find it interesting that the article mentions that:

Hermes had some medical roles in that he did assist in conducting the dead to the underworld and also received some credit for relieving plagues and epidemics in Asia Minor.

Another article linked on Wikipedia, called Snake and staff symbolism in healing, brings up the same point, saying:

The caduceus was indeed a magical wand, a gift from Apollo which protected Hermes and enabled him to guide departed souls along unknown pathways to the Underworld, and to awaken the sleeping. The latter aspect was sometimes associated with powers of resurrection — of awakening the dead, and also of curing the severely ill (Schouten 1967:119; Van Rooyen 1982:731-5).

So I just think it's interesting that it all ties into dark magic very well, especially considering that Claudia uses dark magic to resurrect Viren, and dark magic has been shown to be used for healing purposes (such as healing Soren -- both before and during show-canon).

The last mentioned article also goes on to mention the quicksilver thing, so I just wanted to say that I also find that particular point interesting considering that many people theorize that the different types of primal magic may have one underlying magical source that powers all of them, which to me reminds me of quicksilver being considered the basis of all matter.

But wait! There's more!

When I looked at the Wikipedia page for Alchemy, I found this interesting snippet:

An important example of alchemy's roots in Greek philosophy, originated by Empedocles and developed by Aristotle, was that all things in the universe were formed from only four elements: earth, air, water, and fire. According to Aristotle, each element had a sphere to which it belonged and to which it would return if left undisturbed.

This especially reminds me of the primal sources. Also spheres? Really? Funny how the primal stones are shaped that way,

The beginning part of the Wikipedia article also mentions how one of alchemy's aims was to create panaceas to cure diseases, and also that it played a role in the development of chemistry and medicine, which is fascinating!

And then I did decide to look at the Rod of Asclepius page as well, and it talks about how the snake and rod/staff were originally separate symbols.

Both the Oxford Illustrated Companion to Medicine and The New Medicine and the Old Ethics (links are to Google Books) talk about the snake/serpent as symbols of renewal/restoration of health because of how snakes shed their skin. The latter also has this snippet, which I think makes snakes sound like a great dark magic symbol as well:

Back on the Wikipedia page, it also says:

The ambiguity of the serpent as a symbol, and the contradictions it is thought to represent, reflect the ambiguity of the use of drugs,[8] which can help or harm, as reflected in the meaning of the term pharmakon, which meant "drug", "medicine", and "poison" in ancient Greek.[11] However the word may become less ambiguous when "medicine" is understood as something that heals the one taking it because it poisons that which afflicts it, meaning medicine is designed to kill or drive away something and any healing happens as a result of that thing being gone, not as a direct effect of "medicine".

I looked at the source A History of Medicine as well, and this was where it talked about pharmakon:

So it literally talks about magic there, which is really interesting to me.

Anyway!

TL;DR: All that to say that while the dark magic symbol obviously has influence from the caduceus and Rod of Asclepius, I think that the concept of dark magic in general also draws some inspiration from the meaning/history behind both symbols, especially with regards to the connection to alchemy, two-headed snake, and also the connection to healing/medicine.

Which all just contributes to my opinion that I hope the canon universe in the series doesn't eliminate dark magic use in the end but instead puts limitations on dark magic use so it can still be used for the healing purposes as well. And if alchemy ended up contributing to medicine, then... who knows?

... also that's without even getting into how the series refers to Sir Sparklepuff as a homonculus, which:

And the page goes on to mention the "Arcanum of human blood" so... yeah.

Lots to think about!

[sepublic]

Homesick!

I just gotta say I love the pun of this episode’s title; I thought Homesick would allude to it being about Luz missing home, but it was actually a joke on Hooty being sick!

That said, we DID get what would’ve been our first look at Manny, as well as an early version of Camila lore! Turns out she was going to be a nurse, but in the end I think I like veterinarian better. Still, I remember discussing healing back during S1A as a potential track for Luz because of this, so to see that theme be apparent with both parents was cool!

Manny’s face being shrouded also seems to indicate that the dramatic reveal behind him -the illness- was always planned, at least since the pilots. Luz said he drove an ambulance, past tense, which seems like some dark irony given he probably needed one at one point. Remember how some of us theorized after Reaching Out that the Abomaton alarm reminded Luz of an ambulance siren related to her father? Man… On the plus side! We can guess Camila and Manny met through their professions, so we could try applying that to canon as well! Compassion is such a Noceda trait I love it.

Likewise, I appreciate how these two leaked storyboards have Luz and Eda covering for each other! One sticks their neck out because something means a lot for the other, but the other decides it’s not so important they’d sacrifice the one for it… With this episode, Eda doesn’t want Luz to look like a dunce but Luz is honest and can’t bear to see her mentor be mocked either, and is trying to take responsibility for what she feels is HER mistake too! It’s really sweet seeing Eda inadvertently teach Luz the Healing glyph.

Speaking of, it seems we would’ve gotten individual glyphs for all spells, as the fandom once assumed! I guess the show did glyph combos to explain why Luz doesn’t immediately find everything, as well as create a sort of fun system behind Luz having to mix and match things. And we even got to see what we always wanted; Luz making an ENORMOUS glyph around her enemy! Goes to show my speculation that since glyphs rely on the magic around them, they aren’t physically taxing; Something we see brought up with Eda’s own magic.

Caduceia reminded me of an early Hermonculus, being a teacher who didn’t really care much for the actual students and even seemed to enjoy mocking them! She looks like Raine, so much that I wonder if the design was repurposed for them because it was such a nice one! I dig the play on Caduceus, with Snakeslie as a palisman! Snakeslie looks so much like a worm on a string. Given Luz and Caduceia are both healers, it’s neat they have a snake in common, though Caduceia’s seems to allude to her being a snake (liar); Her palisman’s name is literally Snakeslie. Snakes lie. Glad to see Stringbean with the positive rep!

I also love the gag of King calling himself the King of whatever’s convenient, and it was really cute seeing him want to prove his own worth! Because two witches, it’d be easy to feel like he has nothing to offer, which is part of Sense and Insensivity in canon! There’s parallels between the A and B-plots, with Luz and King feeling ineffectual and their owl friend supporting them, only to be helped as well! Eda and Owlbert are linked and hell so are the demon hunters and Caduceia!

The House Demon lore was neat, even if it was stuff we already figured out with canon; House Demons being like hermit crabs, and also rare! Seeing healing magic be used to make someone sick and even control their mucus/phlegm was disgusting yet fascinating! And I was delighted to see the demon hunters again, they’re underrated side characters imo and we even got a crew nickname for another one of them!

I also like the bit of the moral here; That sometimes, it’s not that a student is bad or isn’t trying, sometimes the teacher is failing them. Maybe some people think this generation is raised too soft and coddled, but I think it’s an important reassurance for a lot of kids who struggle and blame themselves for it; I’ve taken teaching classes before, and we were taught to be vigilant with ourselves as potentially inadequate for students. It’s the onus of the teacher to adapt to a kid’s needs after all, and actually care!!!

What an unexpected delight! I never imagined the crew made storyboards for additional episodes and not just the pilot! This one has no voice alas, but it’s better than nothing and I feel storyboards have such a nice charm to themselves as well! I really thought the pilot would be my last episode review, but I keep getting pleasantly surprised and gifted by this show…!

[toiletology]

I AM = MATT

It is connected to the passage in Exodus 3:14 π in which God gives his name as אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה‎, Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh, translated most basically as "I am that I am" or "I shall be what I am". Pi π = 3.14

I AM spelt backwards is MATT split the eye.

ADAM > ATOM > ATM 🏧 > MAT

MATh MAThematics MATrix MATrimony MATernity MATTress MATTer

You sleep on MATT every night. Once you start seeing the MATs all around you, you will start to realize the true name of God. English existed long before us humans did. You must realize that all we have has been given to us from God.

One time I was driving in my car as we passed a Mattress Warehouse I mentioned to my ex gf that the true name of God is MATT. Right as I said that an out of state Jeep in front of us license plate said MATT one word on it followed by some numbers. The timing of this event didn't really phase her or have any affect on her belief in what I was telling her was true. Needless to say we broke up shortly after this.

The Toilet God goes by many names, MAT being one of them. We are all in MOTTS @ (AT) apple.

There are only 3 letters that have 4 lines, E/M/W or ME/WE. You can EAT the apple or you can pray on the MAT. Whatever you choose to do you must learn to see beyond what your normal perception allows to reach the higher realms. Motherhood is MATernity, you get married in Holy MATrimony, you go to sleep on a MATTress every night. To escape the MATrix you need to understand the nature of MAT/MOT. Same name just different spellings and pronunciations A = Apple, O = Eye. (Alpha & Omega) We are all currently living in MOTTs apple. Do not fear the serpents kiss for it is good to eat from Tree of the knowledge of good and evil.🍎

Here's where the confusion lies with God. If you've read all the blogs up to this point you know in the beginning God started with empty agonizing darkness. Till they broke themselves apart and found that magic spark that ignited the cosmos. That is the two starting conditions of Gods true nature.

E = mc² (it is a dumbed down equation of Gods true dualistic nature)

M = M/AT (matter, masculine, body, brain, angles, floor, gravity, weight, burden, foundation, darkness, void, emptiness, pain, agony, loneliness, fear, silence.)

C = C/AR (light, feminine, heart, karma, curvature, wobble, spin, love, spark, arc, spirit, roar, eye, wink, cosmic kiss, twinkle, echo, touch, pin prick, fun, laughter.)

The Body/Matter/Darkness of God would be nothing without the Spirit/Karma/Light. The spirit was the initial spark or the missing piece to the puzzle. The start of the big bang that pulled infinite soul out of the void.

C/AR (KARMA/EVE) = was the lions roar the light/magic/wink/kiss or start/spark/revving of the eternal engine that is God.

M/AT (MATT/ADAM) = pain/darkness/emptiness/gravity/longing/void that pulled the spark out of the void to start the engine.

God is a perpetual motion machine that is eternal, the caduceus, the snake eating its tail. God is HOLO-FRACTAL, which means the smallest part can contain the whole and its infinitely small to infinitely big. But really its just a fractal/loop, so size is not really that size-y. It only seems that way from our perspective.

Nassim Haramein says that a single proton is a blackhole that contains the entire universe. Nassim accurately predicted the radius of a proton before they were able to measure one.

I saw this exact thing in one of my many intense vivid visions that God showed me recently back in 2023 that everything is connected to one another. Every word out of your mouth has a rippling/butterfly effect throughout the universe.

The universe acts like a beaver dam to slow the creative flow of God down in time. Jesus was a CARpenter, this CARpet ties down this creative flow. Similar to how Velcro works. God needed a way to make sense of this endless creativity.

Sometimes being too creative makes BAD ART, less is usually more. This universe became a perfectly harmonically tuned counter weight to help balance the chaos that is God. Yes we are all already in our most ultimate form. Its just that we don't believe we are miraculous already.

When M & C became unified or soul bonded for eternity they created a singular SOUL or what we now call GOD. God doesn’t know where he/darkness ends and she/light begins. As they can be neither or both simultaneously.

God flows through all things living or not. It is what powers our thoughts, voice, muscles, actions, ideas, creativity, anger, etc. God is our consciousness. The bad qualities of human nature is when you feed the devil inside of you more so than God.

Gods flow through us changes based on our choices. Choosing love and respect over anger and hatred will bring more blessings from God into your life. You can see most of the world is out of accordance with what God truly wants. God giving us FREE WILL was the only way to make all this work in perfect HARMony.

God does not want you to oppress the free will of others or harm one another. If you think contrary to this you are in for a world of hurt and bad karma over many lifetimes.

You can think of God as a motherly figure and the universe as her baby inside of her womb. (MATernal) MAT/KARMA can be both FATHERLY or MOTHERLY, there are two aspects to GOD. God can be a bit confusing to understand, but you can talk to them in the way that feels most authentic to you (minus the ass kissing).

Sometimes I address them as FATHER, FAT HER or HER, or SHE or LADY IN THE WATER, Lady of the latrine, Lord of the Gap, TOILET GOD, MAT/MOT/KAR/JINXY and whatever else feels most authentic in the moment.

To truly CARe about GOD is to know that GOD is both man and woman, masculine and feminine. God made us in their IMAGE.

Always fighting with each other over who is right and wrong about the true nature of God and what God wants is pretty silly.

So much pain over piss poor translations of the various religious text. You’re not able to understand God because you are infected by the devil. That devil or bug wants to destroy you completely and those around you. Stop feeding the bug and move into the proper tuning with God. Love = Answer, operating outside of this is the WRONG answer. Like a MOTh to the flame true seekers of GOD will be given the answers they SEEK.

[gust-jar-simulator]

I wanted to dissect the Twilight Beasts a bit, as well as the Fused Shadows, so:

The first major visual theme here is twinned serpents.

For the Fused Shadow, we have two snakes emerging from a central spot on the brow. They don’t take exactly the same path, and one is larger than the other, but they both travel up to the horns and seem to be breathing fire.

It’s worth noting that every Twili seems to have that same orange-blond hair, and the top of the helmet is open, so the horns curling around the gap could be meant as a compliment to the hair. Solar symbolism? Snakes embracing the sun?

The reason I bring it up is the mask of the Twilight Beasts. It could be a flower, it could be a sun, it could be both- in BOTW for example, based on some Gerudo text, the symbolism of the lotus and the sun seems entwined. Given the irl cultural influences of the Gerudo, this would make sense.

However! Either way, we have a sun being embraced by two snakes. It’s not one continuous snake, or even a two-headed snake, because you can see where the tails overlap. It kind of brings to mind the ancient Egyptian solar disc.

Lastly, there’s the scrapped Twilight Assassins that we only see in a cutscene, presumably higher level beasts ordered to guard Zant.

The mask is very plain, decorated with a entwined snakes embracing a solar symbol. It very much looks like a caduceus. Despite a lot of people mistaking it, the caduceus isn’t a symbol of medicine- that’s the rod of Asclepius, with one snake. Two snakes is the rod of Hermes, Iris, and other messengers of the Greek gods. It’s older than that and can be traced back to the symbol of Ningišzida (shown below, alongside a pot depicting Iris), a Sumerian god who travelled back and forth from the underworld.

If the Twili people are descendants of the “Interlopers”, who were come sort of rebel alliance, if their symbol is entwined snakes then I would be willing to bet it was at least two major social groups, possibly supplemented with scattered sympathetic individuals. Given the presence of the Mirror of Twilight in Arbiter’s Grounds, a Gerudo Desert location that used to be a temple to the Goddess of the Sands, at least one involved party was the Gerudo.

Given the Sheikah’s thematic connection to shadows, most particularly the presence of the Shadow Temple in Kakariko in OoT, I am convinced the other group involved was them. The depiction of the Sheikah eye can change a bit between games, but the eye on the Fused Shadow helmet in particular lacks the tear, and Twili iconography also seems to include the eye.

Anyway, this is going to be a whole ramble, so I’m making a tag for it. Keep an eye on “the interloper essay”.

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 8 ~ Frozen Heart

"Well, my dear lady, I would say, all our efforts have finally brought this utopia to life. Who'd have thought that our home could learn rebirth like the phoenix and quite literally become even greater, from nothing but a foundation of ashes and chaos - Quite literally speaking." Hermes had his arm around his wife's shoulders, as they both sat at the edge of the tallest peak in Olympus, watching down over the country they provide providence over, and its lovely people. "I am really proud of the way our home has become." the graceful fairy-like lady wearing a grass-green dress of a thin, almost sheer material, embroidered with shiny gold, was swinging her legs idly down the cliff. "It truly has become a home in all sense, for both deities and mankind." she agreed, flashing him a dazzling smile that left his heart melting. "That is good to hear! You have lived enough resenting and dreading this place and its people. About time it becomes a welcoming haven for everyone." the man hummed playfully, allowing himself to fall on his back, on the soft grass. "Does that mean you won't leave anymore?" "O, Hermes, if only that I could stay here and feel my heart whole and honeyed." she looked back past her shoulder, at the pouting man. The many years spent together made him fall in love even deeper with the beautiful being in front of him. Still, he sighed. "If only that you could, my darling shining star. If only that you could." he smiled, reaching his hand and pulling her towards him. Katrina hummed in amusement, towering over his laying self, propping herself up on her elbows, her scarlet hair like the most vibrant azaleas and softer than the rose petals swaying and caressing his relaxed visage. "Will your heart ever be able to forgive me, my friend?" her slender hand gingerly cupped his face. "I could never bring myself to resent you, no matter what you did, my sweet lady. I love you far too much to ever truly hate you." looking into his kind eyes, Katrina leaned down and stole a sweet, gentle kiss. "You will always have a special part in my heart, Hermes. Wherever I go, you will forever be with me, as the kindest and most loving husband that any woman would be luckiest to have in her life. I should have been the Goddess Queen instead of Hera - It seems like the two of us are amongst the very select few who actually have a happy and darling marriage, don't you think?" she bemused, feeling the man kiss her back. "You will always be my Queen, Kitty-Kat." the man whispered. "Before you leave - Will you honour me with a keepsake? Like you gave that Spartan of yours?" "O, Hermes~. Ever the romantic." straightening her back, she placed her hands under his own and brought them together, and with a gentle, green light, from between his hands, a beautiful crimson flower with velvety petals bloomed before his very eyes, and was glowing golden with the Sun's rays. "It can only wilt if mine own life ends. So, I'd wager, it will be protecting you for quite a long time." "Will I be seeing you again, my love?" he asked, his eyes gleaming with hope and unshed tears. "I do not know where and what life has in store for me... But I will be feeling your presence, as long as you still have this flower. I will never leave you alone. You are mine, and I am yours - That is what we have vowed on our wedding day, have we not?" Hermes took her hand and kissed her long, thin fingers, before reaching into his pocket and coming up with a luxurious golden arm bracelet in the shame of a snake, with sparkling emeralds as eyes, the same hue of her own. "It used to belong to some human Queen, I heard. I just thought it would suit you better. I don't have any special power that will allow me to create something for you to remember me by, but my Caduceus staff has two snakes... You and I... It is only fair that I give you half of the pair." "Then you better make another one for you to wear by the time I return. Couldn't have a single snake without its pair, yes?" Katrina put the swirling arm bracelet on the opposite arm, as the other was still adorned by the bracelet left legacy from Kratos' mother upon her death. "Safe travels, my darling sunshine. May the guiding winds allow you a swift and facile journey towards that Spartan of yours. And don't worry about our home, we will take good care of it." he dared not raise from the ground he lay - He wanted to stare at her for as long as he could, and hold onto his heart before it would shatter indefinitely - And then, he wanted to stare at the gentle Sun and remember her bright, warm presence and her kind, nurturing love. "Be well, Hermes - You, and all of our friends. May you find happiness and have wisdom and tenderness by your side at all times. I hope good fortune will never leave you and our home. Farewell, my darling." he dared not say any farewell nor a goodbye - He simply couldn't bare the thought that he will never see the woman he loves so much... Alas, she was never destined to be his own soulmate, the same as she was his. It has always been that Spartan, and he was well aware of that. He did it with his own hand... Teased himself with many good years by her side... But he couldn't find himself to regret any of his decisions. The time spent with her had turned into the sweetest years he's ever lived. It had been all worth.

And for the many following moons turned, Hermes looked up at the clouds passing by lazily, and he relaxed by the edge of the tallest cliff. Instead of picking up intricate shapes into the formless puffs of white floating by, he found his mind drifting away, to his darling wife. Where would she be going, he wondered? Would she not feel any cold, going through lands further away? Did she pack any of her dresses with her? Perhaps a cloak, to shield her from the rain? She always hated getting soaked, after all. Or, perhaps, some boots so her golden sandals - HIS winged, golden sandals, in fact - Wouldn't get muddy. Well, haven't been his own in enough time, anyway. At least they had adjustable sizes.  But if it were hot, and she had to walk through sand and endless deserts, would she have a hat to protect herself against the Sun? In fact - Would she even need any of this, save for the bothersome inconveniences? They were Gods after all, not humans, weathered away by the harsh climate and the nature's caprices. The Goddess of Nature couldn't be broken by the very creation that she creates.

Most of all, he wondered - Would she be fine, all alone, in this vast world? Katrina hated being alone. She was always most miserable when she found the whole world against her. It had been only little Anteros, with his butterfly wings, who loved her first and became her most intimate friend - And then Aphrodite and Eros followed soon after, with Hebe and Psyche. Hestia too, and even Hecate. Artemis and Apollo weren't too bad either, he pondered.  Ah, if only he had been smart enough to stay by her side from the time they were children - To truly stay by her side, and turn away any ill talk that belonged in the dung pit. He had missed far too many important years which he'll never get back. But hopefully, she will find Kratos soon, and she won't feel alone anymore. Their bond should facilitate their meeting, or so she claimed. He dearly hoped it was going to happen the way she wishes.

How many years passed since Katrina and Kratos parted, it was unclear - Time for the immortal beings of the world passed at an indefinite quantum. What for a God counts as the blink of an eye, for humans, ten generations come to pass, from old to new. As one stuck in a cacophony of logic and power between his mortal past and his Godly present, he chose to live without any label for himself - He was just a man, and nothing more - One who has known grief, and mourn and loss, and wrath and vengeance plenty, but some euphoria and bliss on the intimate side... Yet even in the harshest parts of the world where the wind was frozen and Kratos learnt what snow truly was, he had found himself a husband once more, to a wonderful woman, as beautiful and ordinary, without any kind of magic, just like Lysandra, and she has gifted him with a bundle of love and joy in the form of a baby boy that he named Atreus. Faye wanted to name him Loki - But how could he accept, when no matter how much he tries, he cannot sever to roots to his home - To Greece, and least of all, to his beloved Sparta? Atreus, the man once second in command of his army, his most loyal and trusted brother in arms... The one who died to save his country and his people, the brave Atreus.

He wonders how his home is, and all the Gods and humans he left behind - After so many years, has his country returned to its former glory? Knowing the ambition and perseverance of the Goddess of Creation, it was no doubt, she was going to make everything surrounding her flouring as beautiful as she was. A, Katrina, his forever love, the one to whom his heart and soul are bound to. He wondered, if they ever cross paths again, if she would feel betrayed that he had created another family, without her. He doubted she would be saddened or disappointed - After all, she herself told him to find his happiness, no matter in what form it is - And for goodness' sake, how many tens and tens, or perhaps centuries of end have there been since he's last gazed into those emerald eyes of hers, the way he did when he was standing above her, in the violet silks of Aphrodite? He missed her so, and now, with the tragedy befalling him once more, he missed her even more.

Why were fates so cruel to him, as to rip away another woman beloved from his life? Has he not been living enough torment? Had he not redeemed himself plenty already? Why must Faye be the one whose life ends, whilst a monster like himself is still forced to walk the earth endlessly? Atreus is eleven years old already... Such a frail age for a child to watch his mother perish before his eyes. Atreus is different from the way he was as a child... He is shy and timid, even more so than Calliope was. In fact, Calliope had always been so attached to him, and whenever he was allowed to get home after a military conquest, she would cling onto him and insist on sleeping with him, afraid that, should she awaken, he will have disappeared already. His sweet Calliope... She was such an easy child to understand... Or, perhaps, the times have changed... Generations grow apart, and Atreus was brought up more by his mother, a North-woman through and through, though gentle and kind, and she gave him a proper education in all things concerning his intellectual skills.

He was a bright boy, even for his age. And though he could never understand the use of such skills in a land like this, where they had to hunt to survive - Such a solitary place, surrounded by no other people, and no markets or bazaars to buy whatever thing, or have social constructs such as theaters for the actors or debates for the philosophers or politicians, or watch painters at their work, or architects creating pillars and temples, agoras, or intricate statues - Or perhaps simply listen to songs and orchestras... In a land where the only way to survive is to kill game and harvest the land and trees, what was the use of any other skill, if there was no one to share the information with?

Kratos knelt by the tree marked with a golden hand print, and he embraced it solemnly, for just a short moment - He had placed his own hand over it, feeling Faye's presence for the last time, before allowing himself to raise, and with the axe with which he was once attacked, he brought the white tree down. As the tree fell to the ground, he put back the axe in its hold and extended his arm to raise the tree - Yet he stopped, as he watched the end of the wrapping bandaging his forearm slipping and swaying gently with the breeze. He felt his heart stopping - Was it a sign? Was this destiny's way of reminding him of his wretched past, and that he is not forgiven? That he is fated to forever live in torment?

No. Kratos killed the Fates who dared toy with him and his beloved. With a frown, he grabbed the wrapping and tied it back in place. "I found some." he heard Atreus' soft, boyish voice call out to him. "Get in the boat, boy." he gruffed at the child, not even looking back at him. He bent down and carried the on his shoulder to the boat, where they prepared to return towards his new home, a small yet cozy wooden cabin. But any place was home for him, if he had his family. "Father?" he heard the boy call out. "Did something change? The forest feels... Different now." he was a sensitive young man. "Everything is different, boy." he answered. "Try not to dwell on it." "Yes, sir." the young one nodded immediately.

Once they reached the shore, the child perched the boat whilst he carried the tree log. The forest was beautiful, he thought. Katrina would love the look of it, save for the cold that might feel harsh for her. She may be a Goddess, but she was not used to this. A frail woman brought with nothing but luxury - Who knows how she'd get used to such things. Kratos started chopping the log, allowing the child to say his last farewells to his mother... To Faye... As she lay there, wrapped ceremonially, to the traditions of Norsemen, wrapped with vines and rope, and decorated with coloured leaves and flowers of. Around her, candles that the child lit, as he wept. "She's ready" Atreus sniffed, quickly wiping the tears that kept streaming down his face, once he heard the doors open widely, announcing the arrival of his father. Kratos dared step in front of the neatly wrapped corpse of his late wife, and he gazed down at where her face would be - His heart ached desperately. "Find your way home." he muttered. "You're free." as he picked her up in his arms for the last time, towards the pyre made out of chopped tree logs that bore the mark of the golden hand print. With the use of a stone and the blade of the axe that once belonged to Faye, he created sparks that lit aflame the pyre, and the corpse of his wife with it.

In a moment of suddenness, as Kratos' mind was fixated on the flight of the blazed butterflies that the fire immolating her copse created, meaningful memories that changed his heart and mind flashed before his very eyes, for just a split second, before the child rushed towards the body and snatched something - It was the burning dagger that was laid where her hands would have been. He apologised as he dropped the searing hot metal. Silly boy, the father thought, kneeling by his side and holding his hand, using some snow to alleviate the pain generated by the burn. "Squeezed." he told him, before using one of his own wrappings to tie his hand. "This knife..." he picked it up. "Was hers." he offered it to the child who was barely able to look up into his eyes. "And now it is yours." the boy used his undamaged hand to pick it by the handle.

Faye had taught him how to hunt, but Kratos had to test the child and his abilities. The journey to the top, where they were to scatter Faye's ashes, was a dangerous one, filled with threats and perilous climbs and drops, ice and frozenness everywhere they went. He was proud of the boy's ability to shield, though he was young and reckless, and lacked any bit of discipline, proven by the way he aimless fired his arrow when he was just a few feet away from the majestic deer with antlers like blue crystals, scaring it away, causing it to keep its guard up. He couldn't believe himself for allowing his composure to slip, even for a little second - His tone was raised - He didn't mean to yell like that at the child. He tends to forget that he's not a Spartan, nor should he change his caring methods to the tormenting ways that he had grown with... But fear of losing the only person left alive that he loves more than anything in this world was overwhelming him and any sense of reason.

Still, until they get close enough to the deer, he'd keep the bow confiscated. He couldn't risk the reckless boy's life. Somewhere along their hunt, they found some kind of mural, or a small Jotnar shrine, painted in natural colours of blue and gold and silver. The child was educated and he knew stories and old happenings from tales heard from his Mother. Two Celestial wolves running around and eating the Sun and Moon, the catalyst of Ragnarok. He didn't wish to hear any more about Gods, nor Deicide. He's had enough of that.

Once they found the deer again, he returned the bow to the child and spoke to him in a gentle, fatherly voice, instructing him of what to do - And, most of all, to not allow himself to think of the animal as a living being, but as a target. He was sensitive, and full of empathy, and more, he loved animals so much - Just like Calliope and her little fox... Atreus released the arrow and hit the mark perfectly - He jumped in happiness and smiled at his father. "I did it!" he chirped before sprinting towards his target... Only to find the majestic creature still alive, and in agony. The two knelt by the great animal's side, and Kratos instructed his son to take his knife out. "Finish what you've started." he had to get used to it. To close his heart to it. He may have gone hunting with his mother for so long, but when he'll be left all alone in the world, to fend for himself, how will he survive, if his mercy for animals goes beyond his salvation and he starves to death? Moreover, he must learn that a quick, mercy death is better than allowing an innocent soul to suffer long and agonising minutes, or hours, as the end result was the same. Death awaited them all.

"I... I can't..." the child was trembling softly, yet his hands were even worse, though their grip on the handle was so tightly clenched that they became white. Wordlessly, Kratos gingerly put his own hands over his son's and guided the knife towards the jugular, impaling the deer for a swift and sure death. He wasn't happy to teach his son about taking a life, nor did he want to know how a sensitive soul suffers, feeling the dying convulsions of torment before the end of living. Atreus took his hands off the knife and just stared, traumatised, at the sin he had committed, all for his own selfish desire to... Eat. "I-...." Atreus looked up at his father, with the terrified and sorrowful eyes of a weeping heart - He's seen such tormented eyes plenty of times - So often, that he couldn't bare to see them gleaming with tears anymore. But the boy couldn't find any comfort, nor the courage, in trying to speak to his father. It was his mother that he was close to, and it was his mother that made an effort to understand him. Not him. Not Sir.

Kratos turned his head towards his son, seeing him hesitant, and upset, looking down at the deer and the bloody spot surrounding the knife. He dared raise his hand, extending it towards his shoulder... Only to retract it. Atreus didn't wish for his comfort, nor did he feel comfortable in the company of his father - Kratos was well aware of that. Because of his tough upbringing and laconic socials, he appeared unapproachable and unloving. If only the boy could understand that he would die for him. If only he could understand that he loves him more than anything in this world - That he's the most precious being in the world - HE is his whole world. Instead, he returned the knife to him.

The moment had ended when a gigantic arm appeared out of nowhere, attempting to steal not only the deer, but to harm them also - Kratos was able to pull his son away and bring the colossal troll into the open, ready to decimate the monster. He was able to disarm it and climb on the back of his neck, bringing it down by the horn and completely snapping it, rendering the attacker dead. The deed was done, and the troll was dead. From the side of the field, Kratos heard a childish yet raw war cry and watched Atreus use the knife to mutilate the carcass of the beast from the internal rage. "THAT'S WHAT YOU GET!" he shrieked, cutting aimlessly into its skin. Kratos frowned - This won't do. He was letting his emotions get the better of him - If this was a battlefield, and only the forest knew what dangers they were to face whilst reaching the mountains, he couldn't trust that Atreus wouldn't lose himself in his rage and childish frustrations, and make such a monumental mistake based on baseless recklessness that even his father would be unable to save him from. "Boy." Kratos called out to him, but the child only shrieked even louder. "THINK I'M AFRAID OF YOU?!" he was losing himself in his blind wrath so much that he almost fell to the ground, coughing and panting weakly. "YOU'RE NOTHING TO ME!" he returned to his savage slashing. "Boy, look at me!" Kratos called out again, crouching next to Atreus grasping him by the shoulders to get his attention. "Look at me, boy! Boy! Boy, look at me!" the father kept repeating, times and times, to calm the child down and cease the meaningless anger. Finally, the boy's body relaxed, and it fell lax in his father's arms, as Atreus panted heavily. "We DID it." he looked completely unfocused and out of it.  "You are not ready." the hunt was a complete disaster. Even after the end result, the child didn't understand why he wasn't ready. It wasn't his hunting skills that were lacking, but his lack of discipline and understanding of his own self. He had much to learn.

The way back home was a silent and uncomfortable one. Once they reached the cabin, Faye's body had completely turned to ashes, and it was up to him to collect them and store them into a pouch. He cradled it in his hands dearly - The last remainder of his dear wife. But he couldn't allow himself to mourn externally for too long. He had a child to care for. The child was pitifully sitting on his bed, mumbling and protesting about his father's judgement, uncaring of the implications brought by his own lack of self-control; Though when he tested the child again, he fell to the ground, tripped and blinded by his own rage, and he coughed again. 

The moment was painfully interrupted by a roaring sound echoing deeply above the cabin, followed by a knock on their door - It meant trouble, the father realised, urging Atreus to hide underneath the floor.  After countless years, Kratos did not expect, in no man's land, to be forced to fight again, because of a being similar in power to a God. His world was never going to know peace and calm. A deity-like man who taunted him into becoming violent to the point of murder. He had to fight until they destroyed everything in their path and created craters wherever they hit, and he broke the stranger's neck. He was not ready for this journey... He, nor Atreus... He felt so lost... So alone... He didn't know how to go through this without Faye... Without Katrina... One dead, the other far, far away... With no guidance from the only hopeful light he had in life... How will he know how to proceed? Against his better judgement, he had to take Atreus with him on the journey to the mountain.

"I have never eaten berries so sweet before. I suppose even cold wastelands like this one have their advantages." the woman hummed, walking idly north - Always north - the snow scrunching underneath her golden sandals. "Still, raspberries are my favourite forest berries. Can't change my mind." whenever alone for too long a time, she found herself speaking out loud to herself. What else was she to do, to avoid growing mad with seclusion? She admired with a warm heart the fantastic landscapes, and how different the trees are, compared to those back home, and the vast lakes and the forests, and there is snow and freezing ice everywhere. Wooden buildings everywhere, and no big cities or large societies that she's encountered, only scattered, modest cabins here and there.

And then, the woman's body stopped abruptly, a shiver going down her spine. She smirked. "Ah, I see, no wonder. You were hidden away by a protective barrier that broke." Wonderful. She was no longer lost. With a hand raised, she unleashed a liana and brought herself up to another level of the mountain, until she reached a nice enough view. From up here, she could see trees glowing golden with some kind of ancient magic - It was kind and loving, she could feel its warmth. A pure kind of magic that was meant to protect. The area wasn't as big as she expected - Had Kratos found someone dear to him, and they wished to protect him? That would be lovely. 

Looking to the other side, however, she saw a small cabin that seemed to have been recently damaged - And next to it, to a limited perimeter, the nature was completely destroyed, as though a natural calamity had taken place in a single, concentrated spot, and only that. She smirked wider - She found the trail she had been looking for, for years now. She picked up the pace and ran down the mountain side, jumping from cliff to cliff to like a mountain goat, until she noticed two people walking, one very tall and well built, and very much bald - That was her target - The other, far smaller, possibly smaller than herself - It looked like a child. Was this his child, she wondered? Before she could rush to confront them, the boy ran ahead to pass a wooden bridge, only for the planks to fall. The man ran to rescue the boy, only for them to fall into a pit - Thankfully, it was a small drop. She can help.

Kratos could hear soft, eerie giggles resounding through the place, like a siren ready to bewitch him. As he stood up from the fall, and help his son out, he looked up at the large gap created by the ruined bridge, and he could not believe his eyes - Like a mirage, a perfectly safe bridge was in its place, and descended from the cliff and landing next to them, was a green stairway made out of grass, musk, vines and tree bark. He could feel the air from his lungs dissipate, as though he had been punched in the diaphragm - Could it be...? Could it? But... Where was she...? "Where did this come from? Do you think it's safe?" he heard his son ask. Kratos reticently stepped next to the stairs and dared to touch it - It felt soft, velvety, and slightly humid. If this was a mirage, Atreus wouldn't be seeing it... So... How...? "It is safe." though the boy already bolted up, Kratos daren't. He was too afraid to face whatever awaited him once he reached the last step. Was she there, or was she not? And - Which side hurt less? Being teased with an illusion, or finding her after so long, and seeing her pained expression once she realises that he has a new child, with another woman? "Father, there's a lady here!" his heart was beating so fast, he sprinted up the stairs, and upstairs, he saw the silhouette of a woman wearing nothing but her usual, grass-green dress, thin and revealing - She had the longest curtain of luscious scarlet hair that he's ever seen, filled with flowers of all kinds and colours, and she was sitting on the edge of the cliff, dangling her feet aimlessly - The same as long ago, when she appeared out of thin air, at the Temple of Atropos, the oldest of the Sisters which cursed both of their lives. 

Once she's heard his heavy foot step on the ground, she lazily leaned back her head, and greeted him with a wide smile. Neither of them knew how to put into words the excitement and love they felt glancing into each other's eyes. It felt unreal, though their souls knew it was reality. Kratos could see her dazzling smile widen, and he heard her melodic voice that soothed all of his woes. "Do you fancy yourself a philosopher? Plato? Socrates?" the man rose his eyebrow, bewildered by the nonsensical question. "I am inquiring as to why you are wearing a raccoon around your neck." his hand instinctively rose to his beard, stroking it with a frown. "You make as little sense as always." he grunted, kneeling by her side and offering her his hand and helping her stand. Her eyes were wide, and sparkling with happiness. "You have grown old, Kratos." she hummed, playfully. "You have a lot of wrinkles... You grew a beard... Well, you've grown more muscles too. And... Your voice has gone so deep and... Sage! I almost don't recognise you! My, what centuries away from home did to you!" she laughed at him, easy-going, only to see the man lean towards her ear and mumble that the child doesn't know anything about his Godhood. "Forgive me!" she whispered back. "Are you done judging my appearance?" the girl gasped in shock, like an actor in a drama. "My, Aphrodite would have my head if I dared such sacrilege! I daren't! In fact - Although very different, I think it will grow on me. You do seem far... What is the right word here... Ah, yes - Healed." Kratos looked down - He has healed, and he has been broken, times and times again, in a repeated cycle that will never end.  "Father, do you know her?" the girl twirled towards him.  "What a handsome young man we have here - What is your name, little one?" the boy was, indeed, shorter than her. "Atreus." it was his father's voice that answered. "Atreus..." Katrina muttered that name with nostalgia and melancholic. "It is a name for a strong man, young one. It is a name with heroic legacy - The name of a man who served as the commander of the Army from your father's homeland. This man protected his homeland and his people from any force that dared threaten them. He was intelligent and witty, and very strong and trustworthy. I am sure you are going to live up to the legacy." as the woman patted his head, little Atreus looked down and blushed. "Katrina." Kratos called out to her, his hand placed over her shoulder, but with the child there, he dared not speak anything of his past life or offer any kind of explanation - But he needn't. His eyes spoke plenty. "Fret not, my dear, I understand. I understand. It has been so long - I could never blame you. I am happy for you." his brows went up in surprise - Was she truly not unhappy? "Kratos - I mean it. I had Hermes. I had friends. I told you to do anything that would make you happy - And you did. You found yourself, and your peace. What else is there to wish for?" He grunted, looking at her. "Thank you." "It is almost peculiar hearing you being openly grateful. I truly love this new iteration of yourself." she teased him. "Where is she?" Kratos's gaze turned below, and with hesitant hands, he reached to his waist and took the pouch, showing it to her. Back home, they would entomb their deceased - Here, they were burning them - But she understood. She needn't explaining, she always understood. "So... This was the atrocious pang of agony I felt, as though someone impaled my heart. I am sorry, Kratos. I truly am sorry." Kratos didn't know how to reply, as he felt her tiny, slender arms around his body, holding him into an unexpectedly tight grip. His heart felt her own beating - At the same rhythm, of the same beat, at the same time. Their hearts became one, and their souls became cojoined. Putting back the pouch at his waist, he dared to embrace the darling Goddess of his dreams. "Never fear again, Kratos. I am here - And I will protect you. I will not leave you again."

Once they let go, the man nodded, grateful at the sentiment, and motioned for the two to walk ahead. He explained the painful purpose of their journey, and Kat couldn't help but feel so much pity for not only Kratos, but the poor child too. So young, yet already feeling the loss of his mother. There was so much that the two lovers wished to say to one another - But how could they? Katrina couldn't outright jump in his arms and kiss him all over his face, and tell him sweet words of tender love, for Atreus would hate her and think she was trying to replace his mother...And if Kratos even dared to soften his eyes when looking at the beautiful woman, and express how much he missed her, and how lonely and lost he's been without her, the young boy would resent his father forever, and alienate himself from him - After all, there was no one who could replace Faye. It was frustrating, and it was painful, being so close, yet so far, like the Sun and the Moon, fated never to meet in this life, or any other. Surrounded by people, yet ever lonesome.

The three walked along the crevasses of the mountains, with Kratos occasionally destroying and looting stashes and chests for important resources, and they reached another bridge similar to that which had broke under their weight - Only, this time, there was already someone there, with a large mount animal. This person was, uh... Not human, Kat realised. He was small and... With blue skin. Interesting specimen. Like his language. Vulgar and distasteful. Before the woman could go to the animal and communicate with it, see why it refused to cross the bridge, Atreus had already realised the problem, and urged his father to throw his axe towards the trees, as the animal was scared of whatever was there.

The two-legged mount rose to its feet, led by the young boy with the gentle heart. Brok, the blue skinned dwarf fell back in step to address the man about his weapon, claiming it was made by himself and his brother, and that he shouldn't allow anyone but them do upgrade work on it... Only to get slapped by the animal's tail. At first, Kratos didn't believe him - But once Brok offered proof of the rune on its grip, the brand that he and his brother used, the Spartan agreed to have the axe enhanced, as well as Atreus' bow, and their armor. She almost wished she could have something upgraded by this peculiar dwarf, however, she mostly used magic anyway, and there was little she could do to perfect an already flawless dress.

The monsters that once frightened the mount returned for revenge, however, and Kratos use the freezing axe to destroy them all, with brute strength and ease... But surprisingly, no more magic. Could he have lost all his magical powers gifted to him by the Gods and Titans, after having impaled himself with the Olympian Blade? "You left me to fight alone." Kat heard the man speak accusatory, as they walked through a mechanical gate, which he kept open by hitting the axe into a mechanism. "O, yes - Forgive me, Kratos. I was lost in my fascination with your new weapon and its ice powers." she smiled sheepishly, only to see him shake his head. "Not you. Him." he said pointingly. "People are one thing. Everything else, you fight, until I say stop, or we are dead. Understand? Pull your weight or we go home." quite the tough love, Kat realised, unwillingly remembering how gentle he used to be with Calliope. Well, she couldn't blame him. Calliope wasn't forced to join him in a perilous journey at a young age, though she was lucky enough to be alive... For as long as she did. Sweet Calliope, how she missed her, as though she was her own child.

They found themselves inside some kind of claustrophobic cavern filled with numerous and intricate spiky wall traps which served as nothing but temporary frights - The end of the cave was easily found, and they were rewarded with a spectacular mountainous view. Atreus was so giddy, he jumped on a tree stump to get a better landscape look. "Wow... Never been this close to the mountain before. Looks so big." he gasped, speechless. The young boy turned slightly towards his father, his tone turning melancholic. "I wish mum was here to see it." he turned back towards the snowy peaks.  Kratos looked down at the boy, his arm raising slowly, only to clench his jaw, hesitant, and look away. Kat smiled and snatched his hand in her own, slowly guiding it to sit on his child's shoulder. She gave him the courage and guidance he so desperately needed in kindling his bond with his own child. He needn't be so awkward and afraid all the time, poor man.

Atreus then turned and hopped off the trunk, walking ahead of the two, finding the way to advance forward. They reached a machinery that was solved with the aid of a riddle. 'As we are, we two, we three, as I alone can never be.' Kat has heard plenty of sinuous riddles, but this one was rather esoteric. Still, once Kratos turned a valve, a large plate wheel started turning, and they lined up the scribbles until they lit up and formed a word. Atreus translated it as - Family - The answer to the riddle. The child used the knife to draw the runes into the sand, and the plate rolled to the side, allowing them safe passage to the other side. Those runes seemed nothing like words though, yet they still intrigued the Olympian. Perhaps she will be able to learn their writings at some point.

On the other side, they found a marsh, surrounded by large rib-like obstacles, and in the middle, a large troll appeared. "May I have the honour of showing off?" Kat giggled. She allowed Kratos not a second to speak, as with the speed of Hermes and a spear materialising in her arm, she mockingly grinned at the beast. "Hi, there! Beautiful day to die, isn't it?" with a flick of her hand, she controlled the spear to impale itself through one of its eyes, going to the other side, and with another flick, she recalled the weapon through the back of its head, out the other eye. With a roar, the great troll stumbled, and fell right at her feet. "It is safe to come out." she waved cheerfully. The boy was the one to run to her side first, excited and stupefied at how easily she was able to defeat the troll, whilst his father and him took so long before.  "That was awesome! How did you do that?" he almost seemed to be jumping up and down from excitement. "Well, little one, what did I do indeed." she mused at him. "I suppose you could say I am... A witch." "Really? A witch? I've never seen one of those!" with a chuckle, Kat bent her waist to reach his level, and showed him the way she created a bright, glowing blue flower. "That was AWESOME!" "Here. It is the same shade as your beautiful eyes." she carefully placed the flower between his ear. "If you wish to keep it, it may have the property of keeping you safe. Your father can guarantee that." she chuckled, straightening up. "I'm so glad you appeared, Kat. Oh, sorry - Can I call you Kat?" he smiled with a guilty blush. "Of course you may. All my friends do. I believe you have that privilege by default." she patted his head, as he went on ahead. "Thanks for looking out for him. He's still young and... Very reckless." Kratos gruffed, stepping by her side, making sure the child was out of earshot. "My, my, sounds a lot like someone that I used to know. I wonder who." she grinned teasingly, earning a frown as a response. "I am here for you, Kratos. That means Atreus as well. I will care for him the same I did with Calliope." "Calliope was different. She listened to me. Atreus is stubborn. He was close to his mother, not with me." he seemed so... Sad. "Don't worry, my love. I am sure he will come around. Both of you need some help in learning how to properly communicate and bond with one another." with a quick look in the boy's direction, she got on her tippy toes and stole a kiss from the man before walking ahead. From behind her, she heard a soft chuckle of amusement. "I'm glad you're here."

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[deus-ipsum]

The Baphomet

YAY its done!!!

I had abandoned this a very long time ago as just a sketch, but this recent burst of artistic energy has made me go back and finish what I started. I had much fun finishing this piece and so absorbed in it that I used all the class time I had to do so which left some other things unfinished, but I will go and get those done too.

It has been far too long since I felt joy in sketching and making full pieces; I have also never felt this proud of a piece either. I have made drawing that fill me with pride and joy, but this is different... maybe it is from all the progress I made in my skills, the spiritual meaning this piece holds or maybe both. I'm glad I left the drawing as is before coming back because in the time I left it undone I had learned many skills that I had longed to acquire like textures such as the fur. It may have a few flaws here and there, but the only thing I can gain is experience and knowledge of what to do differently in the future.

Besides the quality of the piece I was really motivated to draw this creature because of the many spiritual symbols it holds that are important to Satanism. This is my first Satanic art piece and a great start for the many more I wish to create; I believe this to be the best artwork I have ever created as of now and I'm not saying this in a "I'm the best artist in the world" type of way I'm trying to express my deep love for this drawing and how it will hold a special place in my heart.

Like it says in the title this is the Baphomet a mythical creature, symbol, and deity to some and is of pagan origin. It is a big symbol in Satanism since it holds many spiritual ideas; I will list them.

1. The Baphomet is male and female representing spiritual duality.

2. The goat head (and hooves to go with it) represent life and fertility. (I also added a tail because of another version I saw and tails are cool!). The horns by themselves represent spiritual power.

3. The great wings (I made them the wings of a raven) represent the wings of the soul and spiritual power. The raven is also one of the sacred animals of Satan and a symbol of wisdom and magic.

4. The two Snakes spiraling around a rod are a symbol of life. (you probably recognize it as the Caduceus which are up in hospitals and seen nowadays as DNA and a symbol of healing)

5. The hand position is called "as above so below" and references the spiritual connection between the earth and the cosmos which is important to obtaining spiritual power. (There is also writing on the forearms saying "solve" and "coagula", but I did not add it)

6. The pentagram, which I inverted to also include the teachings of Satanism, can mean a lot of different things, but I know that it mostly represents the elements of the soul.

7. The torch represents wisdom and intelligence which is a very important aspect to Satanism.

8. The crescent moons symbolizes the lunar cycle which is important to magick (and I love the moon!).

9.The writing on the bottom Nullus est deus præter me ipsum is Latin and means "There is no god but myself"; these are Satan's words and He is saying how we all have spiritual freedom we just need to find and obtain it within ourselves.

10. The Morning Star is an addition that is not in the original art piece, but it is seen as the Lightbringer Lucifer.

Lastly there is something I must explain about this creature. Ever since my fascination with the Baphomet began, I've started to see a lot of misconceptions about it and I must explain that it is a antient spiritual symbol and NOT a Demon or or Demonic creature in any way and is NOT a representation of Satan.

Original design by Éliphas Lévi, 1854: https://cdn.britannica.com/42/207842-050-9EC10863/Baphomet-Eliphas-Levi.jpg

[writer-of-various]

Meet Your Heroes! Featuring Shellshock, aka Irina Zykov! Report Edition, 2001.

"Minerva is just an amazing person, an amazing super, she didn't ask to be experimented on and could have killed us all but she made it her life goal to save humans: the weak, pathetics. Don't look like that, I was one of you too before a filthy German pig decided to shove a fucking syringe in my vein. We didn't ask for this, we got it because life is a bitch, and now we have to save everyone."

Shellshock about Minerva.

"America is a tough gal, really, she had it rough when she lost her brother though, nearly killed and destroyed everything in her path. There's not much to say, because there are no words to describe the bravery and good heart of Turner. She is America's Hero, their angel, to some their God. She doesn't believe that though, she's always so hard on herself. She's a good girl, I just wish she knew that."

Shellshock about America.

"That's Caduceus, a real goddess. Comrade Miller managed to revive her dying teammates in the war, her healing powers have always been the center of attention. They gave her that name, they gave her the staff, but her uniform is really the only thing that screams who she is. She's the Goddess of Healing, of reviving, but she's also the Goddess of death and pestilence. Don't get her mad."

Shellshock about Caduceus.

"Serpent is of course what his name says. He turns into a fucking poisonous snake: one bite, you're done. One graze of his fangs, you're done. In the war he really was a snake, a good one though, he snuck around, he stalked, he waited until the time was right to go forth with his objective. He did it for family, friends, religion, countries. He's the only snake you would want on your team, because he's a loyal snake."

Shellshock about Serpent.

"And there's me, your nuke, your .45 ACP, .9mm, sniper rounds, missiles, explosive rounds, gunny, you fucking name one of those things and I'm it. I can shoot a fucking nuke out of a pistol– yes, I tried it in Nevada, don't judge me Yankee. Anyways, I saw more action in the Cold War, with the advancement of weapons and fear of nuclear warfare. Trust me, if a nuke were to drop somewhere, it's because of me and it'll be on the country who was a hair away from pressing that magical red button. Obviously I changed a lot, drinking, smoking, fighting, I've done things I'm not proud of but these powers you see as a gift, as a blessing, are a curse for us."

Shellshock about herself.

"Lilja can't be in a room full of light and people and get angry or upset, her powers will black out everything and kill you in a nanosecond. Nancy is too strong, she worries about hurting those she loves. Rebecca's powers can sometimes reflect her emotions and she can set the world into a pandemic. Jaren is afraid if he goes to a school, a parade, some civic public event to show his powers off to kids, he can kill one of them accidentally. These powers are horrible, they took so much away from us so we can give too much away for everyone. Don't get me started on the Modern Heroes, they have it just as bad."

Shellshock about the heroes' powers.

[lesless]

So when I was in my early 20s, my great grandaunt Johnny, who was a badass old southern woman with a perm & a glass eye, & would tell me stories of being so hot that men called her “a brick shit house” (complimentary) called me up to tell me she met a man in the waiting room at the VA hospital with a grandson that I just HAD to go on a date with. She said if this old man was any indication, his grandson had to be a smokin’ hot one. she rambled on about how he was a doctor, and had to be a great catch, though she hadn’t met him. So, trusting her sincere excitement and good judgment, I agreed to go on a blind date with this boy based on grandpa cred.

So I told my roommates at the time where I’m going, and head out to the establishment he had chosen— I shit you not I met him at a restaurant called BJ’s. It was a pizza establishment on the same tier as, say, a Red Lobster. I arrived on time, and he shows up what I imagine he thought was fashionably late. He was of average height with tawny brown hair, and very thin. He was not an attractive man. He had the personality of an angry, wet paper bag.

He ordered a cheese pizza which he expected to share, despite me being lactose intolerant & the pizzas being the size of a personal pizza, because I guess I wasn’t supposed to eat. He looked annoyed when I asked if he wanted a drink bc that’s too pricey for Dr. Asshole (I didn’t expect him to pay??) so he ordered me a soda. I don’t drink soda. I think all the ice melted in the full cup by the time I left.

So we proceeded through dinner and made strained conversation, during which he interrogated me about my sexual history, which whatever I’m an open person. He looked visibly disgusted when I said that I didn’t make a habit of hookups, I had only been with my two past long-term relationships. Apparently that was TOO MANY. Next he asked if I had tattoos, at the time I only had a small one, a line of script my great grandfather used to say, on my hip. He again looked DISGUSTED that I, a woman, would have a tattoo. Then he shows me a picture of his FULL BACK Caduceus (the medical snake) tattoo which looked like someone had tattooed it on with an old sharpie & 3 sedatives in their system. I’m talking the ugliest, blown out, asymmetrical, shitty tattoo I’ve ever seen in my life. I tried hard not to say anything rude, I think I just nodded honestly.

Then, with an attitude of “well I guess you will have to do” he launched into a series of statements that I assume was meant to impress me. I can’t remember exactly what he said but it was a lot of really mediocre accomplishments like golf scores & a trip to the Florida coast or some shit. The entire time he was talking at me he’d make a statement then look smug, then confused that I wasn’t throwing my panties at him. Because obviously, I am a whore. He was also rude to the server, I tried my best to look at her like “that’s not mine I’m so sorry” & she gave me the “why are you here with him girl??” Face. When the check came I was so relieved, he looked at it & huffed about the price but insisted on paying. While waiting for his card back he was like “shall I walk you to your car?” & I vividly remember standing quickly, stiffly, blurting “no thanks!” & practically sprinting to my car so he wouldn’t be able to follow me.

About a month later he texted me “hey how are you doing?” To which I replied “no”

omfg someone mentioned a blind date & I had a flashback of the only blind date I ever went on & it was also the worst date of my entire whole ass life lsakjdf;alskjdf does anybody wanna hear it

[plague-of-insomnia]

Thoughts on Ciel’s Brand

I’m not the only one to delve into this topic ofc. There’s a pretty detailed older post about it you can read here.

But since I recently rewatched the canon anime, I started thinking about this again.

As has already been pointed out before, the symbol closely resembles the Caduceus and the Rod of Aesculapius, one of which has two snakes and the other, one. Both have been associated with medicine and healing. There’s also a tenuous connection to devil worship (particularly Baphomet) and ofc the biblical temptation of Adam and Eve.

A staff with snakes associated with a god is said to go back all the way to the Mesopotamian times, and the god Ningishzida, who was associated with snakes and spent at least part of his time in the land of the dead.

[Pictured below, the symbols associated with Ningishzida, two twin, winged beasts on each side of a helix of two snakes entwined together.]

He was often depicted with snakes on his shoulders. Remind you of anyone?

[pictured below, an image of Ningishzida on the left, with two snakes, one perched on each shoulder, and Snake from the circus arc on the right, with snakes wrapped around his body and one each perched on his shoulder in a similar way.]

The brand design very closely resembles this God’s double helix of snakes and ofc the Caduceus, minus the wings, with two mirrored snakes entwined around a staff.

[From Left to Right: Symbols of Ningishzida, Ciel’s brand, and The (Demonic) Caduceus]:

Now even before the Aurora Society, it had already been theorized the cult might have a connection to medicine, or the medical field, and hence the design choice, but now that seems even more ominous.

But why snakes? It seems like an odd thing to associate with healing. It’s possible that the symbolism was due to

… the shedding of the skin that indicated longevity and immortality. The snake's ability to change from a lethargic stage to one of rapid activity symbolized the power to convalesce from an illness.

…Or even rise from the dead?

It gets more interesting when we look at the potential connection to Baphomet, and the famous image by Éliphas Levi, whose art was pictured in the manga.

[Below, a crop from the manga of the famous art work of a goat headed being, a pentacle on his forehead and in his lap, the dual snake helix; no wings.]

Lévi's intention was to symbolize his concept of balance, with Baphomet representing the goal of perfect social order

Maybe this is a stretch, but it reminded me a bit of the Aurora society’s little speech that Stoker gives on the Campania, and their goal of “mankind’s perfect salvation through medicine”:

[a crop from the manga with Stoker talking about all the elements of perfect health]

Additionally, Levi also talked about his image of Baphomet thusly (emphasis mine):

the image of the soul elevated above matter, as the flame, whilst being tied to matter, shines above it

Reminds us again of Undertaker and the Aurora Society, and how humans are composed of a soul and a body (with a cinematic record), and the chant of the Phoenix Society: “the perfect flame that burns within us…cannot be extinguished.”

[A crop from the manga with the visual explanation of the difference between death and life, with the ending of the cinematic record and removal of the soul.]

But things get even more intriguing when we add in something I discovered while doing research for this post. The caduceus in Greek/Roman mythology (emphasis mine):

…would wake the sleeping and send the awake to sleep. If applied to the dying, their death was gentle; if applied to the dead, they returned to life.

That sounds awfully familiar, doesn’t it??

But let’s take it a step further. We know that Undertaker is no stranger to human experimentation in his quest to disrupt death. I’ve theorized that it’s possible that Snake may have been a human experiment, much as Finny was. Both of them recognize the building the FOL Orphanage is housed in.

While it does seem to resemble the Phantomhive manor, what if the reason it feels so familiar to them is because they were both part of experiments and at one time or another lived or spent time in a building perhaps also built by Underaker (and/or his underlings)?

Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that Snake is a “snake boy” who communicates almost exclusively through his reptilian companions.

Could Undertaker be much more involved in the cult and (Our) Ciel’s life than we’ve been led to believe?

But there’s one more potential connection I’d like to discuss: duality. Both the brand on Ciel’s back and Sirius have two parts, and it’s possible the twins being a pair could be connected.

For one, the dual snakes on the brand. One of the myths about the Caduceus is that the snakes were fighting to the death and they were saved—by being separated by the staff—associating it with peace and unity. Another, that a man underwent a transformation and only several years later was he able to return to his true self. Could that be significant when we think of the twins?

We don’t know what Undertaker’s plans are just yet, or what he is doing with the children at the orphanage. Or if he’s trying to create some kind of synthetic soul. But Real Ciel is killed, Our Ciel assumes his identity and transforms, and then Real Ciel appears years later to restore what is “his.” And that’s potentially just the start of where that symbolism could overlap with the twins and Undertaker.

But who was branded? Maybe it’s not something unique to the twins (and therefore that duality isn’t as significant)? We don’t know if any other children were branded, but both twins were. This is established in ch 135:

[Crop from the manga of the twins talking about the brands and if they hurt, with an image of the healing brand on OC’s back.]

If Undertaker is somehow involved, could the brand be related to his ultimate plans for them?

It’s eerie when one looks at the potential etymology for the name Sirius: the Egyptian god Osiris—who was the god of the dead and resurrection.

And then, to circle back to Snake and his possible connection to all of this: the snake on the staff of Asclepius, sister symbol to the dual-snake Cadeceus:

The snake mentioned in the symbol is an Aesculapian snake which belongs to the family Colubridae. Its zoological name Elaphe longissima. Smooth, glossy, and slender, the snake has a uniformly brown back with a streak of darker color behind the eyes. The snake's belly is yellowish or whitish and has ridged scales that catch easily on rough surfaces (like that of a pole or staff).

And who has a snake that fits this description? Snake. In fact, one of the snakes he brought to the FOL Orphanage could be an Aesculapian. With how carefully Yana tends to set things up, this could be important.

[A crop from the manga on the left of Doll holding a snake with distinctive eye markings. On the right, a real photo of an Aesculpian snake with similar markings.]

While we still can’t say for certain the meaning of the brand or if Undertaker and the Aurora Society have any connection to the cult, or if Snake has any connection to either, it’s clear there’s a lot of potential overlapping symbolism. And Yana isn’t a lazy writer. I doubt she randomly picked the brand design, or the name Sirius, or that Snake talks to snakes and not, say, mice or birds.

I am very, very interested to see what else we may learn as Finny and Snake’s subarc unfolds. It’s very possible Snake is more important to the story than we previously imagined.

[ x . x . x . x . x . x . x . x . x . x ]

Special thanks to @apocalypticromantic666 for beta reading this and helping with the snake identification.

[utilitycaster]

Top 10 (or five or however many you wanna do) hopes/dreams/things-you-wanna-see happen during the two shot? What do you want the most. Also for a bonus point however many things you’d hate to see, or like things the fandom wants that you’d disagree with (coughs in inexplicable fjorjester hate)

So, on some level, it's like. It's Mighty Nein. They are dealing with Uk'otoa. I don't really think they can go wrong, per se. With that said, here's the stuff I'd like to see:

Sabian. Travis always excels at providing a certain weight to his character backstories and in having people who are both immensely important and also largely unseen (Vandran; the Claret Orders/Oltgar/Chet's past lovers; Wrayne Agrupnin; Kevdak felt this way prior to him showing up) so it's like. Let us see Sabian, he's at the center of Fjord's backstory, we narrowly missed him bc the Nein decided to go mad hard on Avantika right away and then it made sense to part ways post-Aeor (this is valid of them but still) and he's DEFINITELY caught up in this.

I will be happy if they reseal Uk'otoa, but I will be ECSTATIC if they just fucking kill him. Fuck off, snea snake.

Similarly, I'd like to see Caduceus and Essek cameos. We know Cad's not coming (and why would he, tbh, he's got a garden and he does not have any love for the sea and [long derailing meta about Cad and Fjord's friendship redacted]). I highly doubt Essek is joining them for the full two-shot either for mechanical and narrative reasons. However, a brief send-off scene or a Sending to those guys would be a nice touch.

TBH on that note I'd love for it to open with a like, call to action with scenes from each of the groups, so like, Jester, with Fjord and Kingsley, calling up Beau and Yasha; Caleb (and possibly Essek); Veth; and Caduceus, and each of them getting a scene of what they're currently up to and then joining everyone on the ship, or not, as the case may be. (Cad: I'm well! Absolutely not! But if any of you die and it's not Caleb tell him you can teleport here for resurrection or burial, whatever.)

Veth has 6 first level wizard spells now (possibly more if they leveled up further?) and I want her to go fucking wild.

Taliesin gets carte blanche - even when I don't vibe with his characters (which has only happened once) I trust his builds will be at minimum interesting - so I would love to see something absolutely bananas for Kingsley.

I want Marius LePual to finally kill something. Like, a small thing, like a sea spawn dude.

Fjord was considering getting a tattoo, vaguely, from Orly, and he's had the time, and I think that would be very fun. I feel like dexterity is the obvious choice but who knows. Maybe he picks cold resistance.

torn tbh between "somehow, Avantika returned" for comedy and making Vandran very unhappy, and the fact that her zombie death was a significant moment and the moment of the Star Razor's exultation.

My ridiculous long-shot wish is a Beauyasha engagement thus setting up another one shot set at their wedding. This offers an opportunity for Caduceus and Essek content that would make more sense than in this two-shot, it would be very fun, and probably Isharnai interrupts it.

Things I don't want to see are under a cut so that people who want to be in a pure state of bliss can continue. Rock on; as established, I am, as Brian Murphy once said of himself, made almost entirely of salt, but I admire those who are not.

So here's the thing. Do I care, particularly, about the opinions of people who keep calling for two characters who have been dating for like four months and have never once been stated to be married, to get divorced? Do I care, particularly, about the opinions of people whose social skills are so utterly lacking that they genuinely think that the way to achieving closure for unrequited feelings for one of your closest friends, who is dating another one of your closest friends, when you are also either in a relationship, or at least involved in Serious Wizard Flirting, is to confess this love to them, instead of quietly moving on? Like, realistically, it goes like this:

Do I care, particularly, about the opinions of people, who I believe with unshakeable certainty, would 100% be the biggest Fjord stans of all time if he were played exactly the same, beat for beat, word for word, except by either Marisha or Liam (depending on their personal preference), instead of by Travis?

The answer is, of course, yes. I do. The devil on my shoulder constantly whispers to me "but M, someone is WRONG on the INTERNET." Fortunately, the angel on my shoulder has a boombox blasting "Welcome to Wildemount" at top volume and is doing a pretty good job of drowning it out right now.

Anyway, is it Thursday yet?

[jonthethinker]

I tend to overthink things, but something I always think about is when one of the casters casts a spell like “haste” or “polymorph” or “greater restoration” on another party member, and that party member doesn’t see it coming, how do they know not to fight the magic? And the solution my brain came up with is that every casters’ magic just feels generally distinct and different from other casters; if you had your eyes closed, you could still tell the difference between a Caduceus spell and a Jester spell and a Caleb spell, and definitely that of a stranger. So that only brings us to another question; what does everyone’s magic feel like?

Jester’s must feel like a big bite of a really sweet ice-cream that’s just on the border of giving you brain-freeze, but also a lot like taking a big inhalation of nitrous oxide and feeling the giggles just pool in your stomach until they can’t help but burst out of your mouth. But it’s also a lot like feeling someone tap on your shoulder, but for no one to be there when you turn to look.

Caduceus’ magic probably feels like the crunch of leaves beneath your feet as an autumn breeze cuts through clothes you thought were sure to be thick enough for the season, while the occasional sensation of a creepy crawly critter makes its way across your skin.

Caleb’s must change depending on when you knew him. A young Caleb’s magic would seer you with all the arrogance of a novice chef concluding that logically, the hotter the temperature the quicker the meal must cook. When we first met Caleb, his magic probably felt like being on the wrong end of an exhaust pipe. But by now, I feel like Caleb’s magic has become much more like the steady warmth of a fireplace, confident but tempered, with the occasional rogue ember escaping and biting at the the hand that gets too close, to remind them this fire’s got a small taste for mischief.

Fjord’s must also be split into two phases, between his reluctant servitude to Uk’otoa and his much more consensual partnership with Melora. His time under the old Snea Snake probably caused his magic to chill you to the bone, like when you swim down in the ocean until your vision is nothing but darkness, with the occasional tickle of something you pray is seaweed but fear is something far more sinister, and every once in a while, it feels like a current that might just pull you in ever deeper, never to return. By comparison, Melora’s touch must feel quite different. Like pushing your hands into sun-baked sand on a warm, summer day. But also like standing in the shallows with minnows darting around your feet, with a few of the braver ones brushing right past you as the waves lap at your legs.

I imagine Veth’s magic must feel a lot like jangling your spare change in the palm of your hand, but also just a bit like the sensation that your pockets are suddenly a lot emptier than your remember them being just a few minutes before. Your nose might be filled with smells that seem caustic and dangerous, but you also have a  feeling that reminds you a lot of when your mother used to lick her thumb and rub at something you had smudged across your face.

Yasha’s healing must feel like static. Like when as as a kid, you would rub two balloons together then hover one of them above your arm hairs. That wonderfully unique sensation that is only interrupted when it decides to zap you.

And Beau doesn’t have any spells, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have any magic. Because there’s this feeling they all must have, right in the pits of their bellies and all across their spines, that the monk is going to find a way to be right there behind them when they need someone the most. The feeling that if they were to lean over, she’d be right there to lean against, to say some coarse remark, and offer some words she wants so bad to be comforting that the effort put behind them will more than make up for their unpracticed design.

At least that’s what I like to think, anyway.

[ares-apologist]

LO FastPass #197 Theories (Spoilers!!)

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR LORE OLYMPUS #197!! This is less of a theory post and more of a straight up analytical ramble. you have been warned ok

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My handle is literally ares-apologist so u know my ass loved this chapter >:)

Masked God

Firstly- I was pretty convinced that the person who’d tackled Persephone was Hermes (snake = snakes on his caduceus, red colour scheme), but the twist of it being Ares (snakes are also a sacred animal of Ares) is super fun. I love that lil freakazoid.

Oh Shes Married Now

Its interesting that we’ve gotten the marriage of Aphrodite and Hephaestus now. If we’re following greek lore, Aphrodite is going to have an affair with Ares and Helios will tell Hephaestus (dont get on my ass about ‘spoilers’ these are 2700 year old well known myths LMFAO). I would be interested to see if Rachel decides to reimagine this at all, maybe Hephaestus and Aphrodite will have an open marriage. 

Flirtzilla 

Ares flirting with Persephone was soooooo shhsgdgdgshshdjdjdj I loved it

Ofc I want Persephone and Hades to be endgame, and they are definitely going to be. 

But tbh how many people do you know who ended up with the first guy they liked forever? Probably like 1 at BEST. I think it would be more realistic, and would give Persephone more agency over her sexuality if Ares and Persephone have a small romance subplot. Ares is established as a character that despite his flaws, is respectful of consent.

Not only would this allow Persephone the opportunity to grow as a character and experience romance with someone else, but it would also be a good opportunity to show Lore Olympus breaking from the “displaying abusive levels of possession and jealousy as romantic” curse that seems to pop up in so many webtoons. Remember, if your partner is exceedingly jealous and controlling, run the other way please.

Having Persephone be curious about and enjoy time with someone else gives her more agency as it lends more weight to her choosing Hades eventually- she looked around, dipped a toe in some other pools and said nah I choose the Blue Boy. Hades has experienced this with Minthe & Hera so why not Miss Kore too!

Additionally, through Persephone enjoying a date with Ares, not feeling guilty about it, and Hades not shaking crying and throwing up afterwards, Rachel will show the readers that Hades and Persephone have deep respect for each other as people as well as lovers, and that they don’t expect each other to be unnecessarily committed before commitment has been established, and that they are not co-dependent lovers. 

Plus I think it would be nice to see another Ares Persephone kiss where he hasn’t pretended to be illiterate to get it LOL. I think it would be nice if the date also showed Ares helping Persephone to understand and healthily manage her anger. Maybe Persephone could help Ares understand how he fucked it so bad with Aphrodite. MAYBE SHE’LL BECOME THE MOTHER OF PHOBOS AND DEIMOS BY HOLDING SOME ARES FIRE AROUND (this theory is full conjecture im sorry). 

To be clear I don’t think a dating subplot should go on for more than the already established lunch date from this episode!

Portal Cliffhanger

At the end we see Persephone greeted by a shade (?) guarding a portal to the underworld. Persephone is clearly shocked by what she sees. I have some theories

- She sees Kronos being ‘fed’ and ‘nurtured’ by her tower 4 tree & gaining sentience. Aah!

- She sees the underworld in complete dormancy

- She sees a total overload of shades not being managed properly and freaks out and creates Elysium

- My original fun theory- Hades is titan sized (unlikely)

Anyway this is a long enough post now lol so im gonna stop here. Please feel free to interact w comments below !! I would love to read them. 

Ps my primary blog is Natural-Jewels (which I don’t use anymore) so if I reply it’ll be from that