#magic that manifests physically and materially affects the world around you will always be my Favourite

[raayllum]

would personally love it if because of his connection to the sky arcanum, birds take a liking / will randomly follow callum around sometimes. at first he’s intrigued, then annoyed, then endeared, and then just living with it

[groundbreaking-science]

Section 3-2: Amplification

Warning! The following section contains exercises that may cause exhaustion, fainting, dissociation, abreaction and cardiac arrest. No exercise should be undertaken without explicit permission from a medical practitioner, and mental health support may be required for exercise 3.2.5. The reader proceeds at their own risk.

Prerequisites: Exercises in 1.4, 2.1-5, 3.1. Additionally material from section 1.9 is referenced.

The first time my father sensed the Earth and his place in it, a soft dawn was breaking. He stood shaking and gasping for air atop the world's tallest tower, with a view rivalled only by God above. A thick carpet of cloud rolled out to the horizon far below him, the very real verdant lands of Yahhoi still present and visible in glimpses between breaks, and he felt relief.

He'd spent the night screaming in deepest pain and writhing on the indifferent marble floor. He'd flickered between life and death, battling the effects of a poison he'd chosen against all advice to imbibe. It was said that the poison would draw out the drinker's latent power - should the drinker survive the process. My father, at the still tender age of sixteen, was the fifteenth warrior to try and the very first to breathe in the morning's cool air.

In that new light he felt rather than saw life stirring, and he understood the interconnectedness of his own life with the Universe around him. For the first time he sensed a power through the ki-field: the overwhelming strength and evil intent of King Piccolo. With renewed certainty in his abilities my father set out to face down that evil, and the rest is literal history.

After enduring the poison my father obtained the ability to consciously interact with the ki field. Though he wouldn't learn to amplify his abilities with any measured and focused intent for a while, needing guidance from more divine or experienced sources and more powerful, urgent motivators, every one necessitating the honing of a particular element in efficiency or technique. My father's spiritual awakening was slow-going then, though that is not an insult to his effort - even the Monk among our ragtag band took decades to fully master his unlocked potential, and I know there are towering heights I could yet reach.

It is that endless struggle that ultimately gave me the confidence to include this chapter. My current proficiency and my promise to impart certain skills make the work seem simple, but I know I have reached this level with a genetic advantage and a range of thankfully unique life experiences. Yes, nefarious forces could use this chapter to escalate their havoc by orders of magnitude, but that is a highly unlikely outcome, as I'm sorry to say the majority of readers will never achieve a level of amplification that could cause any material damage. Instead I believed it more pressing to think of those curious individuals compelled to perform the "super" techniques covered in the rest of this chapter and beyond, and these skills require ki amplification to perform safely, if at all. And besides, it would never have been fair to keep from you a skill that is considered an Earthling technique at heart.

So whilst I am no God, nor a questionable feline apothecarist making my home amongst the clouds, I am able to employ more traditional teaching methods to improve your ki output with conscious intent, rather than resorting to cryptic life-and-death experiences. And so, in a more measured way, we begin to tie together many elements you have already explored.

Before we delve back into the ki field, I wish to return to the ki we already possess - genki - and the two elements that contribute to the total energy output: the charge (energy per particle) and the flow rate (particles per second). Increasing one or both of these will increase your total genki power output.

The easiest way to achieve a step-change in power output - although impossible for many - would be to utilising a transformation. Simply growing larger means more cells need to be governed, which requires more parcels of genki to be released. You can think of the size of the centre (and therefore the centre's hypothetical surface area) increasing along with the body. A larger surface area with the same flux (flow per unit area) gives a greater power output.

Namekians are able to physically grow in size and therefore power, as demonstrated by Piccolo (the Junior) at the 23rd Martial Arts tournament. This ability is a learnt skill and under conscious control. Saiyans can also grow to gigantic proportions taking on a more ape-like form as Oozaru. Whilst this is an innate transformation and so more accessible (for Saiyans with tails, at least), it requires the reflected sunlight of a full moon to induce, and the Oozaru form does not naturally have a rational mind. Mastery and use of the form is therefore restrictive.

Earthlings on the other hand aren't known for their strength-inducing transformations; the mysterious Shapeshifting Schools utilise magic and transformations in this manner do not appear to grant a power increase. The innate transformation magic of Giants, Manwolves and similar teratoidal folk does grant an increase in power, and zoomorphic people of larger frames will have a greater genki output than the average anthropoidal person, but anthropoidal Earthlings are not granted either of these advantages (by their very definition).

However, Earthlings of all kinds do have access to one technique that will raise the ki particle flow rate: the Kaioken. Against received wisdom I will detail this technique later, if only to emphasize the dangers of trying to learn this skill away from the healing properties of the Heavenly Realm. The technique involves warping the centre's surface, therefore increasing the surface area but preserving the effective volume, allowing more ki particles through. Performed with too much gusto this technique can tear the body apart cell-by-cell, so for those of us bound to the mortal realm, mastery of this technique could take a lifetime.

There is a trade-off to these size increases, however. The pool of ki particles in your centre depletes far faster when deviating from its natural surface area and size. If all particles are used up, you will be left without a way to draw on ki, and will have to rest for an hour to fully replenish.

A further way to boost power output and to much greater effect is to increase the ki particle's average charge. Again some species have access to physical transformations that can achieve this; Frieza's race being one, where various naturally armoured and therefore lower-energy consumption forms reduce the draw on the centre's ki (both in flow rate and charge), and these forms prevent the individual from overwhelming lower ki energy folk around them.

Saiyans have access to another transformation called "Super Saiyan", one that does not increase the size of the body, but does impact every cell, creating a greater demand for charge per particle on the centre. From the combined research of scientists across the Universe, including my own, we know the transformation requires a level of circulating so-called "S-cells" in the body. In brief (as this transformation will be detailed later), high levels of emotion in the body trigger the S-cells to release a message in ki to all cells, asking them to call for more ki in readiness, in turn triggering the centre to release more ki which manifests as a transformation with recognised stages.

The final way to boost your genki output is to use a different version of genki entirely. The Gods and other non-mortals appear to use their own version of ki that is functionally the same in nearly every way, though God ki is more powerful - the reason for which remains unclear. Curiously, God ki is undetectable by mortals unless they receive specific training. Given how parallel they are, I believe then God and mortal ki to be of different chirality.

Chirality is a concept we find in nature. It is woven into the very structure of our bodies, even. When we look at ourselves in the mirror, our mirror image has the same make-up as us - the same number of blemishes on our face and hairs on our head - but there is no way to spin you around to make you look exactly like your mirror image. You and your mirror twin will always be left-right flipped as "optical isomers" of each other. Similarly, some molecules can have exactly the same chemical formula, but the structure can be left-right flipped. In our bodies, one molecule we ingest can fit snugly into a receptor and work as intended, but the optical isomer will be completely ignored (or worse, cause unpredictable damage in the body).

Mortal and God ki then, with their dyadic relationship, can be thought of as chiral mirror images. Unlike chemical optical isomers however, mortals can learn to accept and use the chiral God ki, but it is not natural and so must be unlocked in some manner and developed.

3.2.1 Raising Yuuki With Kiai

Earthlings are Universally known for their ability to change their ki output without reliable access to transformation or divinely developed techniques. Their wide emotional range and social nature can be repurposed or redirected to drive that increase in power. For an instantaneous boost of genki, we can rely on our yuuki. If you recall section 1.9, yuuki (courage) is not a true form of ki but a mechanism of bolstering the flow rate, and comes from reducing fear to free up "effort" and ki-particles and therefore energy otherwise poised to react in a more animalistic fashion to the stressors before us.

Consider the question - "when we run from a bear, do we run because we're afraid? Or are we afraid because we run?" This truth is a mix of both. Calming the mind can calm the body, yes, but changing our physiological state can also affect very real change in our emotions too, which can in turn free up mental capacity for other purposes. Likewise, amping up the body can amp up the mind and ki in tandem.

In section 2.3 we discussed kiai, the guttural yell. We slowed our breathing, using the inward and outward breaths to create a rhythm that our ki synced to. When our core tightened to yell our ki flowed steadily with the breath, expelled with the kiai. Kiai also raises yuuki, as the steady, conscious breathing slows the heart rate, reducing the physical sensations we attach to fear and therefore fear itself, a calming feedback loop. We can then think of that freed energy as released in a short, sharp burst of "courage" instead.

To practise this, perform a push intent with and without kiai. Notice the increase in strength as ki becomes more dense when paired with kiai. Then repeat the exercise, this time explicitly utilising yuuki. Calm the body to begin with, and with the freed capacity of mind, genki should be easier to focus and kiai more effective, the rush of emotion with each kiai honing the intent rather than distracting from it. Practice these four states until you can sense the difference in power, both in quality and quantity. Throughout your practice keep in mind whether your yuuki is well-maintained or not. There is no need to be perfectly physically calm every practice, only to be able to note how calm to better estimate the strength of that day's intents.

3.2.2. Yuuki - Advanced Calming

Slowing one's breathing has the ability to start a soothing chain reaction through the body. But there is a shortcut - to hack our bodily ki intents themselves, intercepting the messages intended for the heart and other systems.

To learn though we must be quiet to begin with. Sit quietly, slow your breathing, and feel the subtle pulse of ki intent that ripples with your heartbeat. Not the ki itself, as that will be flowing through the body at a near constant, rippling with the breath and heartbeat, but the change in intent that drives the heartbeat. This ripple will track back to the upper-right of the heart (close to the body's centre-line) to the pacemaker cells which control the heart's contractions, and will spread from the pacemaker cells to the rest of the heart. These are the intents we must intercept.

Follow these ripples and imagine them slowing - I think of a soothe intent to envelope and slow the beat intent, and before long you'll feel your heartbeat begin to slow too. The other physical symptoms of fear will leave you as the mechanisms triggering them unwind, freeing your mind and therefore affording you yuuki to use for ki manipulation. With familiarity you'll be able to track these ripples when under huge mental and physical stress.

It should go without saying that upsetting homeostatic equilibrium is extremely dangerous. This technique should only be performed for a few seconds before you let the body drive itself again. I only ever use this technique as a kick to my system, like a full-body shiver to reset. Slowing the heart too much will leave you breathless, drop your blood pressure and cause you to faint. Playing too harshly with pacemaker cells directly could cause them to fall out of sync, triggering cardiac arrest.

The next question both the curious and antagonistic among you will ask is whether this same soothe intent will work on others to incapacitate them. The answer is yes but, thankfully, there is an inbuilt difficulty; these homeostatic intents written with a ki signature are so tightly bound to that person's subconscious that overriding the messages takes considerable skill. I know of one assassin using this method to trigger cardiac arrest, and the genki "injection" must be delivered with great, well-practised precision within close-range. Miss and the assassin is wide open for a counter. I do not recommend developing this technique both for the safety of others and your own.

3.2.3 Field Ki

Genki manipulation has its limits. We have a finite amount of genki (created from chemical (food) energy) and a finite number of ki particles to assign it too. So there is a maximum amount of genki that we can release in one instant and whilst substantial, it is most unsustainable.

Instead the most reliable, near limitless way to amplify ki is to increase the charge per particle by converting genki to field ki (banoki). In section 1.9 we discussed the ki field; how the ki field is a lower energy state consisting of a soup of decayed and garbled ki energy separated from us by a barrier of ki particles. In 2.2 we visited the surface of the ki field to read the ripples created by the ki of others. Now we will reach through that undulating surface to harness the ki energy beyond.

Find a comfortable and well-centred position. Lower yourself to the ki-field as when learning to read the ki-signatures of those outside of auratic contact (exercise 2.2.2). Feel the waves of others, those vibrations, and settle 'above' them. Remember, your spirit is tethered to this reality by its very existence, so it would take a deliberate act to cut that tie and fall in. I'd hope by now you would be familiar with this exercise and such visualisations would be of little use, but for now attend to the ripples to aid the next step.

Now, you must expend a little effort and genki. Let your mind follow your decaying genki down to the field and visualise yourself penetrating the waves' surface with a hollow reed of ki, finding your way between the surface of empty ki particles at the still spots between the waves. A through or part intent works well here. Your genki and the field ki energy will meet through the imagined reed. The link will feel tenuous at first, as both your effort and genki used in the process will render the exercise counterproductive in net ki, but do not fret - with a little practice you will break even and then excel.

Once the connection is established, you will need to gather field ki. Imagine the reed straw you've made growing roots, spreading through the endless sea of field ki below to efficiently fill the space. Imagine those fine tendrils reaching, your ki signature spilling out as genki converts to give a semblance of structure in the field ki. Then, suck that captured ki back through the reed, palming it into your very real hands. Retrieving the ki can be tricky - overextend and your fine genki root system will break, essentially wasting that genki as it breaks down far too fast. Spread too little and, whilst safe, some genki will be wasted, unable to touch field ki and convert. Take your time - the amplification will come. Aim to be able to repeat this cycle of reaching and capture as a smooth, continuous flow. When this convoluted process becomes second nature, amplification can be achieved with a simple boost or swell intent.

3.2.4 Storing and Moving Ki

At first, this mix of kis will be heavy and unwieldy to move between foci as your ki signature is weakened through the mass. The usually chatty and fast to react genki will take a while to send intents through the rest of the more neutral ki, the genki acting as lit touchpaper. The best way to manage this mass of ki is to maintain the "rootlike" structure of genki through the mass, enabling fast communication between genki and the furthest section of field ki.

To practice, focus genki between your hands and swell the mass. As you sense the energy convert, try to send the ball of ki from left to right between your hands. Notice how, as you continue to amplify (and at first even lose total ki energy during the conversion) this movement increases in difficulty, demonstrating that as the fraction of genki energy in the focussed ball lessens, it takes more time to propagate your intent from the ordered, ki-signature laden genki to the unstructured mass of field ki.

Notice too, that if you were to apply for example a push intent, the strength of the ability would falter at first, the genki now having to learn how to send out this particular intent as well as apply it to itself. You will be frustratingly back to those early days of learning the basic intents. With time and practice though your skill and dexterity with intents will return - and faster this time around. When you've matched your previous skill level across a variety of intents when using only a tenth or less of the genki usually required without field ki, you will be ready to move on.

In the heat of the moment more powerful techniques will require more ki than can be created instantaneously, necessitating you to charge up the ki intent. There is a fine balance to be had between adjusting your genki flow as and when you need it for amplification, versus letting your mind work on autopilot at a fixed conversion rate to over-produce ki. The former of course saves you energy, but the micro-management could make you slower to counter. It is therefore prudent to know how to amplify and store that ki for later. If charging and amplifying a specific attack, of course bring ki to the focus in question, but to be ready at a moment's notice to push, to explode upwards to fly and to guard, you will need to store ki in an aura.

The fundamentals of this particular technique were covered in exercise 2.4.5, but to recap, use your centre as a focus, but this time expel ki. The ki should surround you in an approximate sphere, ready to be gathered into external foci like hands or feet, to report back to you nearby danger, or to create a near-instantaneous barrier. Remember when charging to use a hold intent too, otherwise the genki, untasked, will degrade. This technique is named "aura-shoring". When performed at high ki energy densities, ki will spontaneously interact with the world, creating an impressive and intimidating visible glow around the body.

3.2.5 Raising Shouki

We don't only trade genki for field ki during amplification. We expend effort to maintain spiritual calmness, shouki. If yuuki is the calmness between mind and body, shouki is our self-assuredness, the calmness between mind and ki. The stronger our connection between mind and ki, the easier amplification becomes. As discussed in 1.9, disrupting this link by agitating an opponent through very incisive taunts will knock their power-level down considerably, as they will be unable to efficiently convert genki to field ki. Now we wish to raise our own shouki.

To do so we must get in contact with our spiritual selves - not necessarily in a religious manner, but to know and speak our own truth. For my father, his brush with death was enough for his young self to begin to attend to that spiritualness, but you do not need to go to such extremes.

Mindfulness, the ability to just be in the present, comes easier to some than others. Mindfulness is not the ability to empty the mind, for that can be frustrating to achieve as worries for the day pop in and out. Instead we must notice those thoughts, the emotional and physical feelings, and maintain curiosity toward them before setting them aside for the moment. This benign distance affords us the ability to take stock. Spending time attending to how genki moves through our body and the environment around us can also assist in this mindfulness process. It is a focus on the here and now, and is something we can do alongside other exercises.

Mindfulness however is not dissociation, where we disown thoughts and experiences as not happening or not our own as a defense mechanism. And that leads me to a warning. For individuals dealing with dissociation as a result of, for example, psychological trauma, forcing the mind back in the body can cause an abreaction and worsen your state of mind. If you find you have constant bad reactions to mindfulness, or exercises and martial arts that encourage this open state of mind, then please seek professional support before continuing further. I know of one individual who broke through life-long trauma through sheer force of will, but it took him decades and could have ended poorly. However, dealing with the emotional block monumentally improved his raw power through yuuki and shouki, so your mental health is worth working on in whatever capacity you can. I also speak from experience. Fluctuating shouki was a difficulty I had in my childhood, and it took a lot of self-compassion and support from family and friends to let go of the guilt a child can swallow when they do not know any better. Simple grounding exercises - feeling the earth between your toes, naming sounds, colours and smells in the world around you - can suffice to bolster shouki somewhat in the meanwhile, and was the technique I used until I could be truly still and in the moment.

I told you once that I made the fortuitous decision to sit cross legged over seiza for twenty hours of a twenty-five hour ceremony. This ceremony, to unlock my fullest potential, required me to keep very still at a time I wanted to do anything but; my friends and family were in grave danger, some even passing away in the meanwhile, and the god performing the magic did not come across as particularly competent. As the hours ticked by I felt no different, only frustrated and wrestling with all my concerns with little else to distract me. It was only as my anger boiled over that I felt the ease at which ki enveloped my clench fists, and I understood the power of stillness. Whilst I know the silent magic of the god played a more than substantial part in my increase in power, I know holding out hope for Earth while confronting myself and my fears during those endless hours did play some part in repairing and raising my shouki, and I am grateful for that time to reflect. I hope you can find this time, too.

With every possible type of amplification in your knowledge and the most accessible at your disposal, it is now time to relearn all techniques with field ki in the mix. I know, I know it feels a step backward, but trust me, this step is a huge leap forward, and will give you access to all the work following on. When - or if - you can amplify the strength of your techniques by a factor of two with only a tenth of the genki available, you will be ready to proceed to the next section on guarding.

next previous first contents ask?

[ozarkhealingtraditions]

Animism and Environmental Protection

More articles on my website! 

Animism lies at the heart of Ozark folk belief, although it’s a modern word you probably won’t hear many of the old timers using. In the mountains, this worldview manifests as a deep connection to the land, in particular the local bioregions that surround the individual and community. Old trees, caverns, natural springs, rivers, etc. are viewed not as lifeless land features, but rather as unique personalities with their own lifecycles and souls. Solitary trees in fields are often said to be protected by the “Little People” or Ozark land spirits, akin to the fairies from across the Celtic world, brought to these lands in the hearts of believers. Old growth trees hold their own roles within the spiritual hierarchy and often go by the names of “grandpa” or “grandma.” Natural springs were at one time fiercely protected by hillfolk because of their life-giving waters, used not only to sustain the body but also as sources of spiritual cleansing and healing. Legends and folktales abound about the invisible owners of certain caverns or large boulders that often stand out against the wash of the forest landscape.

Traditional views toward appeasing the land spirits is often simplified to maintaining a good relationship with these otherworldly inhabitants. Protecting and maintaining springs or allowing certain parts of the forest to remain wild are just a couple examples of this important take on environmental protection. A good balance with the natural world was at one time integral to not only the physical survival of hillfolk, but also a means to ensure good spiritual health for the community. This is an equilibrium lost to many modern inhabitants of the Ozarks with more and more reliance shifting off the land itself and onto local grocery stores, city water, and the pharmacy. For many though, this balance is still seen as a part of the Ozark identity. I myself have encountered many old timers who still give offerings of food, smoke, water, and other traditional items to these places of power in order to keep this tapestry of life intact.

This relationship with the land has birthed many traditions of environmental protection amongst those still living closely with the plants and animals of the mountains. It’s a culture rooted in the views of animism, which sees everything in the natural world as possessing its own unique identity. As opposed to many pantheistic worldviews, animism is deeply connected to the spirits of the local landscape as opposed to “higher” beings like gods and goddesses. The spirit of a mountain spring is then unique amongst other entities that might surround it. These guardians are often said to have had their own births at one time in the ancient past. Likewise, they aren’t always considered immortal. The destruction of these places of power then means the death of the individual spirit itself.

On one of my travels, I met an old man who was still shaken by the removal of a huge boulder near his home to make way for a modern road nearly thirty years before my arrival. His family had been on their land for several generations and recalled to mind many of their folktales about the spirits or Little People who had their villages inside the rock itself. It was common knowledge to the local community that disrespecting the rock would bring a curse not only upon the individual themselves, but also their family. This spiritual affliction would manifest as strange illnesses without any physical cure, and it was said the only remedy was apologizing to the Little People and making amends with certain food offerings. In a particularly sad part of our conversation, the old man said when the road crew removed and destroyed the boulder it sent a shockwave through his family. They themselves didn’t see any curses from the removal but he reckoned anyone who was a part of the work had. I asked him what he thought might have happened to the villages displaced by the act and he just shook his head saying, “When something like that happens, they’re [Little People] killed off…they can’t survive outside their homes.” In his words, this act was akin to genocide. It was almost as if members of his own family had been taken away to a very uncertain future.

This was by no means an isolated story and I’ve encountered many people, old timers and young folk alike across the Ozarks with similar tales of cutting down old growth forests, plugging up springs, and more. One woman I met said her family protected an old patch of ginseng near their family home for many generations. “Probably the last one around these parts,” she told me. Because the patch wasn’t on their land, they were unable to protect it from eventual clearing for new construction as the local town expanded. She still cursed the name of the developer, although he’d been dead for years. According to her, the ginseng had put a curse on his family for their disrespect. She said shortly after the houses were built, they had trouble with fires and power outages limited only to that spot. In addition, she said the developer’s family all became “sickly,” and eventually moved away from the area. Whether this tale was true or not, I don’t know, but there were others in the area with similar anecdotes about the situation.

When viewed in these terms, protecting the local environment takes on a very different life from simple ecology. The land is protected not just because of the vital food, water, and medicine it might provide, but because the spirits of the land become members of the family or clan itself. The same respect is shown to these invisible members of the community as it is to the living. Just like a person wouldn’t bulldozer over someone’s house, rip out a home garden, or poison a well, the land spirits are respected and left to their own lives and communities. Maintaining this equilibrium with the natural world then recognizes the vital importance the land has to offer to all those living there.

This belief has been such an important part of the Ozark worldview not just here on colonized land, but it stretches back to our ancient ancestors who didn’t see themselves as being separate or above the natural world but as just another link in the chain. The spirits of the land are important because they’re seen as being individual entities with their own stories, wisdom, and magic to offer. Just like when we lose our own tales, remedies, and other traditional knowledge with the passing of the older generations, never to regain them again, how much have we lost from ignoring the spirits of the land? How many grandpas and grandmas have been lost to us by being thrown into the gears of materialism and so-called progress?

For many people today, this animistic worldview is foreign to our modern mindset. Protecting the environment is left to those struggling in the Amazon rainforests, or those fighting for their rights to clean sources of water. We somehow see ourselves as too forgone, perhaps, or wholly apart from the problem. And meanwhile, our mountains are being leveled for new cookie-cutter housing subdivisions, forests uprooted to make straighter roads, and native prairies dug up and replaced with invasive ornamental plants not suited to our climate and local wildlife. Working towards healing this equilibrium starts with you and your home. Here are some other ways you can help protect the land.

Instead of planting invasive ornamentals like privet, bush honeysuckle, nandina, or bamboo, consult local nurseries that specialize in native alternatives. In many cases, native varieties of plants have much more to offer. They are usually better suited to our climate, require less water, and provide a plentiful source of food for both pollinators and birds. They also add to the seedbank of the land. Seeds travel across large stretches of land by air or are carried by local wildlife. Planting with natives ensures the spread of these important species that are too often shaded out and killed by invasive varieties. You can even help out if you’re living in an apartment with little access to the land. Several friends of mine living in apartments have started planting native flowers in pots on their balconies to attract local pollinators. Many of these wildflowers are also edible and used in traditional Ozark medicines.

Reconsider removing large trees on your property and instead try and maintain them by trimming properly.

Spay and neuter your outdoor cats and participate in local programs to catch and release feral cats. Along with deforestation, outdoor cats are the number one source of native songbird loss here in the Ozarks.

Consider volunteering with groups who help to return natural areas to a more sustainable system. There are several here in Northwest Arkansas who go out to the local trails at certain times of the year and pull out invasive plant species that are killing out the native varieties. If you don’t have a group around you, consider starting one! Consult your local extension office for guides to invasive plants affecting the area.

Protect springs and other natural water sources by volunteering to clean up trash around the area. If you’re unsure of how to clean and maintain natural springs on your own property, contact your local extension office.

Honor the spirits of old trees, springs, and mountains with traditional Ozark offerings of loose tobacco, cornmeal, beans, milk, and water.

Many of these suggestions are doable not only for people who own land but even for those living in apartments or on small lots. Whether you’re someone interested in animism as a worldview, an environmental protection advocate, or even someone who doesn’t really like going outside, it’s important to reconsider your own relationship to the land and help out where you feel comfortable. Extreme actions like chaining yourself to an old growth tree about to be removed aren’t required for caring about the natural world around you.

[valhahazred]

I wrote a whole-ass essay on how ghosts work in my version of the Cthulhu Mythos. So if you’re planning on doing a Call of Cthulhu campaign inspired by the Ghostbusters crossover (like I am) or you just like ghosts, maybe you’ll find it interesting!

Souls

Before we examine ghosts and the many forms they take, we must first define the soul. Known as the “astral information shadow (AIS)” to those who take a more material view of the phenomenon, the soul is a parallel memory imprint stored within the akashic layers of subspace. Every part of a person is recorded from mental development to cessation of self and stored eternally in the akashic library. An astral conduit connects the individual and their soul self through the pineal eye and is responsible for the transmission of data.

The soul is the means through which Yog-Sothoth perceives the multiverse and through Yog-Sothoth the multiverse has a single shared “oversoul”.

Ghosts

The term “ghost” commonly refers to spirits in the image of a diseased person. To be more accurate, a ghost is the ectoplasmic manifestation of an astral information shadow projecting into physical space. The exact mechanism that changes an AIS from a passive recording to a self-aware entity is unknown. 

Most ghosts require a weak point in the fabric of reality to cross over, such as a convergence in astral currents, the gaps worn by other spirits and even the astral conduits of the living. A manifested ghost never fully leaves subspace, instead the ectoplasmic form serves as an avatar for the soul still within the akashic layers.

Ghosts may also be created or summoned by practitioners on the material plane through the use of various rituals and tools, such as the Silver Key or Essential Salts.

The form of a ghost is highly dependent on both their psychokinetic weight and on their own self-image. A ghost with neither will not be able to reproduce their living appearance with accuracy. Without frequent reinforcement a ghost's appearance will change over time, altering to fit their new perceptions and prone to subconscious self-caricature.

Most ghosts don't have any kind of conscious control over their forms but that is far from universal. A ghost that learns to control its own form can become a potent shapeshifter.

Non-human spirits

Humans are far from the only mortal beings to have a soul. Any ontological being of sufficient complexity to be of worth to Yog-Sothoth will have an information shadow and therefore have the potential to become ghosts.

It is also worth noting that many spectral entities were never “alive” in the first place. Countless individual consciousnesses and even entire species have been born out of nothing but random fluctuations in sub-dimensional energy states interacting with ectoplasm.

Ectoplasm

Ectoplasm is the matter of subspace, most frequently appearing in the material world as a thick slime, vaporous ooze or as a strangely coherent fog. Even solid ectoplasm has a strange plasticity to it.

It has a very weak interaction with gravity but can absorb phenomenal amounts of energy. This is the reason for the cold spots and battery drainage commonly reported in relation to spiritual activity. 

Contrary to popular belief, ectoplasm actually does interact with physical matter. When a ghost passes through a solid object it's actually moving “around” it by partially retreating back into subspace.

Auras

Ghosts are frequently luminous, as their ectoplasm releases their stored energy as light. However they are often accompanied by far more dangerous radiance, the Aura of the subspace realms they are projecting from.

Auras are also known as T(illingast) Radiation, after Crawford Tillinghast, the “mad” scientist who discovered how to harness them in the 1930s. Aura at first appears to be an intense ultraviolet light but rapidly expands into other, less definable colours with continued exposure. This is a result of the pineal eye opening, leading to increased subspatial perception. In high enough doses it can even cause a full awakening to the Beyond. 

Intense, long term exposure to T-rays has a more pronounced mutagenic effect and can lead to a horrible corruptive death as the body overloads on subspatial energy. Ghosts rarely emit enough T-rays to cause more than a slight sensitivity to further spiritual encounters but it is important to keep in mind nonetheless.

Sothic Energy

There is a paranormal energy field that suffuses subspace and extends into realspace through astral cords. It is known by many names; Sothic Energy, Psychokinetic Energy, Magic, Psi, and even simply as “Power”. Whatever you call it, it reacts to thought and through Sign and Ritual can be guided into creating all manner of esoteric effects. There is some speculation that the PKE field is an energy state of Yog-Sothoth, acting unconsciously but directed by the minds within it.

Whatever PKE’s properties, what is important to this discussion is that spirits can use this energy to form their ghostly bodies and project them back beyond the veil. Not all ghosts are created equally and the level of PKE they can manipulate varies across individuals. Because ghosts need so much PKE to manifest and hold their ectoplasmic forms together, they have an exponentially higher PKE field than a living being or even other forms of ectoplasmic entity. 

Those who study ghosts place them on a seven point Psychokinetic Energy Category scale. Class 1 to 3 are partial manifestations, capable of little more than intermittent visibility. Class 4 ghosts tend to be fully formed and have a limited ability to affect the material world. Class 5 and up can be very powerful, capable of manifesting at will and altering the world around them with all manner of psychokinetic effects.

Classifying spiritual entities

Terminology

Anchored – An entity that is tied to a single location within defined boundaries.

Animating – Entities capable of entering and moving physical objects.

Corporeal – A spirit with an unusually tangible form. Most ectoplasmic constructs are gaseous masses held together with PKE and thus easily disrupted by physical objects. This is not the case for Corporeal entities.

Ethereal – An intangible spirit with no ability to manipulate physical reality. These entities are stuck in the fringes of subspace and are not fully present. A potential witness usually needs to already have some sensitivity to subspace phenomenon to even glimpse an Ethereal spirit.

Free – Entities capable of moving without regard to physical or spiritual boundaries.

Full-torso – A humanoid ghost with a full body, including arms and legs. Most ghosts are indistinct below the chest.

Inhabiting – An entity bound to an object.

Possessor – An entity that can enter a living host and influence or control their actions.

Repeater – A haunt characterised by repeated behavior, often but not always a sign of a residual haunting.

Residual – Also known as stone tape hauntings and pseudo-ghosts, a residual spirit is one where past (or more rarely future) events have been burned into the psychic ether and repeat without change under the right circumstances. If the ghost can react to outside stimuli, it is instead an anchored-repeating entity.

Sarchromatic – An ectoplasmic entity emitting a high degree of auric radiation. Characterized by unrecognizable colours and a dizzying change in perception.

Shadow – a ghost that is composed of negatively charged ectoplasm. They appear in the material world as light sucking voids in vague silhouette.

Telekinetic – Entities capable of projecting their PKE at range and exerting force without ectoplasmic contact.

Vapour – A particularly ill-defined ectoplasmic form.

Common types of spirit

Aeiirii and Saiitii – Elemental spirits that not only animate and possess, they are able to infect solid physical matter in order to anchor themselves in our reality. The Aeiirii are limited by volume and density but the Saiitii are able to spread their influence much further, if not infinitely. They are only slightly visible when manifesting in this universal layer, appearing as faint blots of darkness and an oily sheen on infested matter. Once present only destruction by high energy matter (fire, plasma) can break their grasp on space-time.

Beyonders – A subspacial ecology that exists in the universal layers just beneath the subspace boundary in what is commonly referred to as “The Beyond”. The most common beyonders resemble jellyfish and long, many-winged insects.

Deadite – A warped and partially ectoplasmic host seized by certain strains of demonic possession.

Demon – A malevolent non-human spiritual being. Note that while many versions of Hell exist in the nightmare realms of Dream any “demon” born of them is likely to be as material as any small god of earth.

Devourers/Ectovores – Predatory Elementals that have developed a preference for the particular ectopattern and energies of ghosts. They normally dwell deep in the netherealms, carving twisted mazes their ghostly prey have difficulty escaping. Sometimes they can be drawn to the living world by particularly intense hauntings.

Doppelganger/Fetch – There is nothing stopping a soul from becoming self aware prior to cessation of the physical self, although it is significantly less common. When this occurs the ghost sometimes become resentful of their living selves and may even begin to sabotage them.

Elemental/Ectobion – Entities native to subspace. They are completely unrelated to human (or any other mortal) souls. They are not avatars and being “internal” to Yog-Sothoth makes them beneath its notice.

Faerie/Little People/Good Neighbors/etc. – The elemental beings native to Deep Dendo. They are sometimes also known as “the Voor” in certain occult circles although this is likely a misinterpretation of ancient Hyperborean lore.

Grudge – Revenge is a common motive for a spirit to return to the world of the living but some have been treated so poorly in life that they become particularly dark and violent ghosts. While Gruges can sometimes be laid to rest by the resolution of their vengeance, they are just as likely to continue their vendetta against any living person that catches their attention. The ectoplasm of a Grudge is curiously thick and dark, resembling tar.

Orbs – The faintest physical manifestation possible, orbs are shapeless blobs of low-energy ectoplasm and usually aren't even visible to the naked eye. Orbs encompass at least 99% of all spiritual activity but are still relatively rare. Most reports of Orb activity are mistaken, with illuminated dust particles and reflections being the most common sources.

Poltergeist – A psychokinetic energy vortex. Poltergeists have no agency or intelligence of their own but they can attach themselves to a human and act upon their subconscious thoughts. Poltergeists don't tend to last very long outside of subspace and burn out after a few months.

Projection – Some occult practitioners can transfer their consciousness into their astral selves and use it to travel through subspace and physical reality as a ghost would.

Shade – A ghost with a poor connection to its source life. They are usually free-roaming vapours of class 2 or 3 and are characterized by particularly aimless behavior.

Tulpa – An ectoplasmic entity that takes form through the interaction of the netherealms, the dreamworld and a disciplined psychokinetic or occult practitioner. Although Tulpa can appear human and even like a specific person, they are never the result of an active soul and cannot be classified as ghosts.

Visions – A very short lived ghost that usually appears to loved ones soon after the death of their physical selves.

[homenum-revelio-hq]

Welcome to the Order of the Phoenix, Midge!

You have been accepted for the role of ANDROMEDA TONKS with the faceclaim change of Gemma Arterton! We really enjoyed how the old prejudices come out with your Andromeda, all while trying to combat them. We think it’ll be really interesting to see how she fits within her role in the Order, especially since she’ll be connected to old family. So excited to have you as part of the roleplay!

Please take a look at the new member checklist and send in your account within 24 hours! Thank you for joining the fight against Voldemort!

OUT OF CHARACTER:

NAME & PRONOUNS: Midge ( she / her )

AGE: 28

TIMEZONE: EST

ACTIVITY LEVEL: It’s pretty solid - I am generally around to plot on mobile throughout the day and while my job can be very demanding at certain times of the year, I still am able to post a few times a week. 

ANYTHING ELSE: ( Triggers ) Rape, incest. [edited for clarity]

CHARACTER DETAILS:

NAME: Andromeda Cassiopeia Tonks ( nee Black )

AGE: Twenty-nine

GENDER, PRONOUNS, and SEXUALITY: CIS Female ( she / her ). Heterosexual. While Bi-Curious, Andromeda has never explored her sexuality fully. 

BLOOD STATUS: Pureblood

HOUSE ALUMNI: Slytherin

ANY CHANGES: I would love to use Gemma Arterton, if possible!

CHARACTER BACKGROUND:

PERSONALITY: Scorpio ( Sun ). Scorpio ( Moon ). Taurus ( Rising ). 

A sun in Scorpio and ascendant in Taurus, Andromeda does often find difficulty understanding how she is perceived by others. In a position where rubbing people the wrong way was never much of a worry of hers, she often presents herself as materialistic and overly self-involved. While materialism is something she is mindful of ( finding comfort through her means being something she does strive towards ), this is not her driving force. 

Her Sun being in Scorpio means she has a fundamental urge to get to the bottom of things, which can at times lead her to be manipulative or power-hungry, but it is from a place of intense passion for authenticity, real intimacy, and the truth. Andromeda is driven to set herself apart from others, often through her close relationships and long-term partnerships. Her desire for marriage was not only born out of a moment of heated vitriol to her family, but also in the pursuit of sustaining the connection she felt with Ted in the most lasting manner she could think. 

Her Moon represents her emotional self: intense, passionate, and a bit dramatic. With an eye for a bit of a show, she still is inclined to keep her more intense and darker emotions private and has a hard time truly letting people in. Trust is hard-fought with her, and while she is very perceptive this sometimes manifests in suspicion and even controlling tendencies. The through-line of Andromeda’s personality is that she craves intimacy, and while it takes effort to get to the core of her it is upon being truly known she finds herself most fulfilled. 

Dromeda is extremely practical, she is reliable and deliberate, giving off the impression of someone who is sensible ( though sometimes, extremely, stubborn ). Through her insightful intuition, Andromeda excels not only in her career but her obsessive tendencies make for someone who can build out a life for herself. She avoids “ beating around the bush ” where she can, and as a result can come off as harsh or intrusive. Being as intuitive to others as she is, she also heavily relies on communicating through body language or if the relationship allows, physical affection. 

Ultimately, Andromeda can be very internal even when present with her own deeply intuitive and feeling self. Run through with a stubborn nature and desire to use her mental capacities to achieve her own personally set goals, she is ultimately a loving and devoted person to those she allows past the moments of discernment. As a result she’s always very aware of any who come into those people’s lives, utilizing her scrupulous nature to ensure that what she holds dear remains safely guarded. 

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF FAMILY: ( TW: Mention of child death ) 

It is their cousin who tells them his sister died.

Not much older than Cissa, Iris died before she could even get a place on the family tree. Aunt Lavinia sits by a window and while her eyes are transfixed on the glass, Andromeda somehow knows she is not looking at anything that is outside. The house is quiet, save for Evan occasionally tugging at the cat’s tail just to hear it hiss. Normally Dromeda would tell him to stop, normally she would start pulling his hair so he could understand how it felt. But normally he did not have a dead sister so she sits with her hands politely folded in her lap.

In any case, she has a question to ask.

" Why? "                                       

" How? "

The second question comes rushing from Bella.

They do not receive any answer right away, a pinch from Mother and a look from Father bars any more words from leaving their lips the rest of the visit. They get their answer at home before bed, Mother and Father sits them down in front of a window. Aunt Lavinia’s eyes must still be looking at but not out the window in her own home, Dromeda thinks while her too-wide and observant eyes strain to study Mother’s face.

As usual, it comes back to those creatures called Muggles. The same who burn witches and wizards alive, the same who beat Andromeda’s relatives and stoned them to death. Those evil beings who destroy everything and made Wizard-kind ashamed of their powers. Mother tells Bellatrix and herself of a new heinous act.  They sneak into nurseries of the most innocent babies with their special, magical blood and pierce their soft, sweet skin with their teeth. They drink and drink until the baby stops breathing. They take all that is special from the child to pass on to their own offspring, to make those mudbloods look and speak as they do. They do it to infiltrate, to feed on more, to destroy every bit of goodness in the world.

( Aunt Lavinia’s baby is dead because of muggles - she was killed by a greedy, horrid monster. )

Mother tells her to stop clutching at her as she walks her back to her bedroom. She does her best, straightens her back and balls a small fist at her side - she stops holding Mother’s hand and instead tries to hold her own. It does nothing to stop her heart from racing. Once in bed, she counts the footsteps of Mother’s graceful stride until she knows she is alone. Until she knows she can move from her bed without being punished. Andromeda's less-than-graceful feet fumble from sheets and scramble to the ground. Frantic steps carry her toward the nursery. The door is cracked, and that is concerning.

It takes all of her courage to push through.

She expects to find a horned creature with long fangs hovering over her sister’s crib - instead she finds Bella laying on the floor beside it. With only a look exchanged in recognition, Andie joins her and is comforted in the thought Bella does not mind when she holds her hand. No matter how hard she squeezes.

Without any words the two sisters resolve themselves to be the protectors of the youngest from those who would wish to prey on her.

This memory begins to dull at age eleven. She watches a boy from across the Great Hall with mild curiosity, and his whole body moves as he laughs. 

“Filthy mudblood,” is sneered from somewhere down the table. Instinctively, Andromeda reaches for Bellatrix’s hand.  

( How odd, she thinks as she spots him later, he doesn’t seem to have fangs at all. ) 

She’s thirteen by the time they are formally introduced, her upbringing does not allow for her to be anything less than polite. At least, this is what she tells herself as she engages in conversation. He tells him his name is Ted and Andromeda spends the night thinking of how it felt when they clasped hands.

They talk, confined by isolated areas and the moonlight. Out of shame at first, perhaps. But there are some things Andromeda comes to find she only wants the moon sharing with her, with him.

Later ( in secret, away from her sisters’ prying eyes ), she’ll trace the veins in his wrist and she thinks she can feel the blood beneath begin to warm. How could it be thick, how could it be muddy - she thinks. His blood, and a burgeoning feeling becoming increasingly harder to ignore is as pure as anything she’s ever touched. Soft and warm when she’s nestled beside his beating heart, soft and warm even when she’s not.

( He’s not dirty, she thinks. Her family might be the one that is wrong. )

She’s lost to them long before they realize, long before she herself has accepted the truth. Ted holds one half of her, she believes, reserving some part that has listened to the lessons taught by her parents. Bellatrix’s infatuation of her own dalliance grows, a man who is allowed to eat at their table and handled their most prized heirlooms. He is the one who is unworthy, he is the one who poses the greater threat to everything important. ( There are bigger problems, she reasons, than a simple affair. )

Pregnancy brings on horrid morning sickness, and a slap that rings in her ear to this day, if she listens closely enough. “ Dead to us, ” they say. But offer a gift in the wake. As she spills out into the night air she finds herself gasping, as though she had resurfaced, as though she has just been saved from a watery grave. 

( She stops by Cissa’s room, hoping to salvage at least one piece ). 

Years of playing protector, vanquisher of the monsters under the bed, come full circle on her own. Nymphadora is born without the usual pomp and circumstance she has known in such occasions, but love pours from her quickly enraptured by strong lungs unabashedly wailing into the night air. Born able to achieve whatever she would like. That’s what she tells her, whispered promises like the exchange of vows shared with Ted before. 

( She tries to ignore the Daily Prophet’s proclamations of anything else ).

A life is built, with difficulty and with trial and error ( how was she to know washing machines were to work like that? ) She is happy, she thinks, after years of being told such pursuits are foolish or secondary. She can protect them, she can keep them just isolated enough to not call any attention their way. There’s an effort to bring them closer to the fold but Andromeda balks at such a concept. ( Albus Dumbledore can not be trusted, she implores. Men with such power rarely care for their pawns at play ). 

And still the part of her remains. The way certain light catches and she can feel those around her stiffen ( She looks so much like her, doesn’t she? ) The part of her which sharpened fangs in duels with Bellatrix left idly twiddling her fingers. It’s relentless, the tide. All the reasons why her job suits her. All the best, she thinks, to keep some things separate. 

( She was told, once, about the myth behind her name. The Chained Woman. Andromeda was never asked her opinion, or so it’s said. Perhaps she only knew better to keep it to herself. )

OCCUPATION: 

Unspeakable in the Ministry of Magic. A niche for ancient artifacts and interest in history allows for her attention to be drawn to the mysteries that keep magic interesting. Andromeda enjoys her job, finding it satisfying an itch she oftentimes could feel ashamed of ( if she spent much time thinking about what compels her, that is ). It is with the understanding of the level of access such a position has given her that she found herself acting as informant to the Order in the first place, and not necessarily because she felt any good will towards the movement of radicals. Andromeda isn’t compelled to trust the Ministry, exactly, nor is she inclined to leave her trust with men recruiting children to war. Her loyalty has always been a closed circle, stuck to a desire to move forward and a need to provide for her family. 

ROLE WITHIN THE ORDER/THOUGHTS ABOUT THE ORDER: 

Andromeda is more inclined to believe that the Ministry and actual authority would have the means to bring about the end of the war, but with the shift of tide she understands that such measures are a necessary evil. For however far removed she has been from the Black Family Tapestry for the time she’s been married, Andromeda still remembers what it was like to host Voldemort for dinner parties as Bellatrix’s obsession for him grew. She is of a unique group who understood what was happening long before the Daily Prophet began their war correspondence. 

That being said, Andromeda also knows of the ambition of man in general. Whispers of a vigilante group were met with indifference at first, she was ( perhaps misguidedly ) indignant at the idea of a select few taking matters into their own hands, let alone the rumors that some were being recruited right out of school? Her opinion on the group as a whole has only slightly softened since a few loved ones got involved, most notably Sirius and now Ted. Accepting the reality of the threat they are faced with comes with the ( somewhat begrudging ) acceptance compromises must be made. 

SURVIVAL: 

To put it bluntly, survival is everything to Andromeda. Above all else she is a true Slytherin and will do whatever it takes to survive, the caveat being that this extends to her family. Andromeda, though certainly affected by her upbringing in prejudice and violent bigotry, has not been indoctrinated in the same way. However, a certain edge to her allows for more than a few people to draw the direct line of understanding she is cut of the same cloth as Bellatrix Lestrange. While Bella found herself perverted past recognition to her devotion to the cause and her “master”, Andromeda made conscientious decisions to be as self-possessed as possible. This includes a willingness to play coy with the war effort that stands to protect her way of life. 

Because, and this is very important, Andromeda thinks herself above it. She does not always draw a direct correlation to the suffering of others to what could become of her, because in Andromeda’s mind she will simply not allow it to happen. She knows she will be ruthless when it comes down to it, and tries to maintain a certain amount of plausible deniability when it comes to moments in which she is directly associated with the war. 

RELATIONSHIPS: 

Ted is, above everything else, the love of her life. She would have moved them to another country if she had her way but they settled on a cottage by the coast. They have fundamental disagreements and while there are times when he is met with exasperation on her end Andromeda has always liked the challenge he presented to her. A certain recklessness to give himself over to a cause rather than be content with the life they have stolen away offers a host of issues she would rather avoid; and it is in part due to this reasoning she doesn’t always share her own passing along of details. Ultimately, however, everything Dromeda does is for Ted, for their family. 

Andromeda carries with her an adolescence of her family’s social engineering, which means she has connections in various places ( some she isn’t the quickest to acknowledge ). I think she finds herself drawn to the other members of her family who have been disowned, or even the women around her year who she recognized herself in. Which is to say nothing of the particular status she has achieved as an Unspeakable. Indifferent to status ( possibly as a result of it always being given to her ), Drom certainly knows how to use it. 

OOC EXPLORATION:

SHIPS/ANTI-SHIPS: I am a huge sucker for Tedromeda, to be perfectly honest. But at the end of the day I will write with wherever there is chemistry and am always looking for fun avenues to explore! 

WHAT PRIVILEGES AND BIASES DOES YOUR CHARACTER HAVE?: 

There is a lifetime of prejudice which Andromeda needs to consistently unpack and confront ( and, as is the way of someone who grew up as incredibly privileged as she did, she is not always willing to do the work ). In many ways, hers is the story of triumph of love over the built-in bigotry that poisoned her home. In practice, it is much trickier. For as much as Andromeda knows what her family is now, there are still fond memories she holds dear. For all the horrors she knows that have been perpetrated in the name of purity, she often finds herself subject to the conditioning she was raised on.

Andromeda was taught, young and often, through the various state-sanctioned ( and family approved ) propaganda pieces to fear and resent anything that would be seen to be an outside, infiltrating force. She does attempt to give her daughter a more objective education of the world around them, though this is made increasingly difficult with the way the war seems to be going. Fear does things to people, she knows more than most, but there is a lack of malice in her heart. 

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO?: 

Honestly, I’ve been keeping my eye on this roleplay for some time and the stars just aligned in terms of my schedule opening up and a role that I wanted to play around with! Andromeda is fascinating to me because of all her contradictions, as well as a major resistance to actively take part in a war which she could potentially play a role in. I think the natural tension between her and former family members could also lead to a very interesting dynamic as we move forward! 

PLOT DROP IDEAS:

I am open to going with the flow and love organically plotting, but I think Andromeda’s position at the Ministry / her being an informant to the Order could really challenge her laissez faire attitude when it comes to the war in general. Along with the building tension she has in her own home, and her desire to keep her family safe above anything else, it would be interesting to explore the boiling point of where that all comes to a head. Passivity has no place when she has a husband actively partaking in the war effort, and when the outcome could potentially call into question his safety she might have to fully establish herself as a combatant against what she was raised in. 

ANYTHING ELSE? I don’t think so!

[weepylucifer]

Let’s Go in the Garden - Ch. 7

Peter has a moment. David is just going to go ahead and assume the game is afoot. Thomas has calmed down a bit, but that’s not going to last.

The West End address Guleed had given me turned out to be a theatre house, and not one of the more impressive ones. Posters up front were advertising a musical that I could vaguely remember watching a movie version of once, many years ago on a slow night.

I squeezed the Jag into one of the few remaining parking spaces next to an array of squad cars from Belgravia. It didn’t seem like a good idea to take Mellenby in with me, but although we were relatively close, I still didn’t have time to drop him off back at the Folly, and my suggestion for him to wait in the car had about zero effect. He simply latched on to me as I entered the building.

We were barely past the ticket console and the first team of forensic suits when we were waylaid by Seawoll in all his glory. I wondered what about this fresh corpse necessitated DCI Seawoll being there, then it occurred to me that this was the first notable Falcon-related case that had cropped up since Lesley had shot Chorley and, for all intents and purposes, vanished. If there was even the slightest possibility of her involvement, that meant all hands on deck.

I gave him a nod, and tried to scope out the mood. “Sir.”

“Grant.” He didn’t go out of his way to give me a smile, but his scowl lessened slightly around the corners. Once upon a time, he would now have started bemoaning the necessity of my presence, but he just said, “We’ve got the body backstage, Sahra said it might be something for you. She got Thomas to come in, might already be around here somewhere.”

“Great.” If Nightingale was at the scene, it seemed like the consequences for Jag theft would be imminent and carried out embarrassingly in public. “I’ll go have a look.”

Seawoll had now spotted Mellenby behind me. “And who’s this?”

“He’s...” Nightingale’s boyfriend. “He’s a Falcon-specialist consultant affiliated with the SAU,” I said, pulling this completely out of my bum.

Seawoll looked at me and raised an eyebrow, communicating without words that he wasn’t buying this for a second. “And where did you dig him up?” he asked.

“Enchanted cave,” Mellenby said, stepping around me and insinuating himself into the conversation. “It’s a bit of a long story.”

Seawoll gave him a level glare. He had almost a whole head on Mellenby. “You know, I told Thomas about a thousand times, I don’t love you lot bringing civilians to my fucking crime scenes.”

Mellenby parried with a grin. “A civilian? No one has called me that in quite a while.” He profferred a hand for a handshake. “David Mellenby, Lieutenant First Grade.” He stared right back into Seawoll’s eyes. Next to the bulk of Seawoll, he looked like a bantam rooster. But his gaze held the weight of a world war.

Veteran, I thought again.

With a sort of grunt, Seawoll caved and shook the offered hand. “DCI Seawoll, Belgravia. You’re one of Nightingale’s, then?”

David nodded. “First and foremost.”

Seawoll rolled his eyes a bit.

“Sir, are we looking at a potential situation here with Lesley?” I asked, thinking it high time this conversation got back on track. There was a body somewhere here for me to look at, and vestigia faded awfully fast.

“Eh.” Seawoll made a vague hand gesture. “We can’t dismiss the possibility at this point. But not every weird-bollocks-related crime in London can be Lesley.”

“But it doesn’t hurt to check?”

“Precisely. Now, Sahra can take you out back.”

Like the ninja she was most likely training to become, Guleed materialized at his elbow. She gave me a grin and a nod, and glanced curiously at David.

“You’re magical,” David told her as soon as Seawoll left us to it.

“Thanks,” Guleed replied. “I have a boyfriend.”

David clapped his hands and smiled beatifically. “Such a coincidence. I have one of those too. Even around here, I’m told.” He grew serious again. He got that look in his eyes that said clipboard and that I was beginning to recognize. “I mean to say, you’re magical but not Folly. Who’s training you?”

Guleed looked from him to me. “Who’s that?”

“Nightingale’s boyfriend,” I said. This was Guleed, after all. And I didn’t miss the split-second of David flinching and then perking up and smiling brightly when he remembered it was okay now to openly be Nightingale’s boyfriend.

Guleed raised an eyebrow. “Is that so.”

“I have been with Thomas for a hundred years,” David proclaimed. And of course he would. Of course he’d count the years he’d spent in a magical coma, with Nightingale believing he was dead.

Guleed’s eyebrows threatened to disappear within her hijab.

“He really has,” I explained. “Holdover from his war... stuff.”

“And is this one also magically not growing older?”

Huh. I hadn’t had time to consider that before. “We’ll have to wait and see, I guess.”

“I definitely plan to research this phenomenon in depth,” David said eagerly. “Thomas and his reverse-aging, that is. The way that’s been neglected is a travesty. There’s been no evidence so far pointing us towards the theory that I myself might also be affected, but who knows? I won’t be able to tell until I discover the cause of this... affliction.”

It would be sad, I supposed, in a karmic way, the two of them getting this second chance, and then one of them starting to age past the other. But the world didn’t run on karma. Perhaps if David indeed found a cause and a way to explain it all... but that had to wait for now.

I nudged David’s side. “Can’t wait to get the clipboard out on your boyfriend, can you?”

He sputtered, blushing a bit, obviously not being used to being so publicly teased, but also delighted by it.

“I don’t appreciate that kind of talk,” said a voice in our backs, “nor the bandying about of the term ‘boyfriend’.”

Nightingale had arrived on stage.

Quite literally on stage, too, and this time he had even lowered himself to putting a proper forensic suit on.

In crass dissonance to his words, he reached past me for David and gave him an almost absentminded kiss on the forehead. “Hello, love.”

Guleed stared. Mellenby lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Thomas!” he breathed.

Nightingale gave him that lopsided Captain-of-the-rugby-team grin (which, I would learn later, was very different from his Captain-in-the-war-effort grin). “Welcome to the 21st century,” he said, patting David on the back. David was glowing. “Oh, don’t cream yourself.”

My jaw joined Guleed’s on the floor.

Nightingale turned to me. “You are in a world of trouble,” he announced. “Both of you.”

“What, and no kiss for me, sir?”

I had no idea where that had come from. I wanted to unsay it about as soon as it left my mouth. More than that, I wanted the ground to swallow me whole.

Nightingale, to his credit, only shook his head a little. David in my periphery looked... amused and entertained, and was maybe mentally putting me back on a list.

“We’ll talk about your absconding with my car at a later point. Right now, it seems high time we took a look at our victim.”

----

The victim had been found in a room we were told housed the theatre’s props, all cluttered shelves and musty cupboards full of... things. There were heaps of prop swords, cases stuffed with plastic jewelry, set furnishings piled up in corners. Forensics had already been through, and left their little stickers and varied evidence of their work everywhere. The victim was a white woman, I put her in her mid- to late fifties. She was a tall, slightly corpulent lady of forbidding hairstyle (it was short, wavy, stiff with spray and completely aubergine), dressed in a sort of flowing black blouse sporting a variety of frills and tassles. The cause of death seemed mundane enough: she had taken a blow to the back of the head with a blunt object.

I got to my knees and bent down to inspect her. The vestigia took a few seconds to hit, and they were flighty, scrambled impressions. I felt the sensation of something... convex, and glass, and nice to hold in your hand, and then a piercing sting of... desire, of greed, a consuming need to own something, so manifest and physical that it felt like an actual stab to my stomach.

I looked up. “Something... round. Made of glass, like a snowglobe? And there’s this... greedy feeling.”

Nightingale and David both nodded.

“Yes,” David said quietly. “I can feel them from here.”

“David’s always been good with vestigia,” Nightingale said. “Better than me.”

“Because I listen harder.” It carried the tone of an oft-repeated inside joke. But Mellenby had paled again and was looking faintly ill, trying to cast his eyes anywhere but at the body.

“Um, sir,” I muttered at Nightingale and discreetly inclined my head in David’s direction.

“Yes. Quite.” Nightingale gave me a nod - thank you for bringing this to my attention - and turned to David. “First corpse since Ettersberg, eh?”

David shuddered. The colour was draining from his face even faster now. “Please, don’t name that place!”

“Avoiding the name won’t help with anything. And you really shouldn’t be in here. Why did they let you in here in the first place? Come, let me escort you out.” Nightingale put a hand on David’s back and gently led him to the door. Looking back at me, he asked, “Will you be alright here?”

“Yep.” I nodded. Beyond the initial vestigia check, there wasn’t much I could do with this corpse, anyhow, and I assumed it would quite swiftly be turned over to the tender mercies of Dr. Walid. I had another look around the room, but there was nothing to spot that would have been missed by your regular forensic tech.

There was no trace of the object that would have been used to deal the blow.

----

Our victim’s name was Deirdre Maxwell, 54 years of age, and she had been in charge of the props department at the theatre at which she was murdered.

At the time of the murder, as was later found once Dr. Walid had determined the exact time of Ms. Maxwell’s death, as it had been late in the evening and long past rehearsal had ended, only five people had been in the house with her.

There was Howard Sheen, the theatre director. Ajinder Singh, the night porter and watchman. Darja Polunowskaja, the cleaning lady, Derrick Johnson, the janitor, and Cora Watley, an actress.

I went over their alibis as soon as we got back to the Folly and Nightingale had stopped sternly lecturing us about the Jag theft. The director had been in his office at the time of the murder, busy with bookkeeping. The actress had been in her dressing room going over her script one last time before going home, she claimed. The cleaning lady and janitor claimed to have been at their jobs in entirely different parts of the building, and the night watchman had spent most of the night in his cubby hole observing the front door. None of these alibis were good.

The front door had been under watch by the night guard and had not been entered by anyone up to the time of Ms. Maxwell’s death. None of the windows or skylights showed signs of forced entry or magical tampering. There were back and maintenance doors, each outfitted with a CCTV camera. Guess who had to sort through all the camera footage? That’s right, me, next to the metric ton of Latin homework Nightingale had seen fit to punish me with for letting David elope with the Jag.

The footage, once I was through with it, showed a great load of nothing. Nobody had entered or exited the theatre all evening until all present within the building at the time had gone home, except, of course, for Ms. Maxwell. Unless someone had gotten in in some way that we couldn’t of yet determine - a slim possibility - that narrowed our list of suspects down to the original five.

“A locked-room mystery,” David called it. He was hovering nearby as I sifted through the camera footage in the tech cave, superficially leafing through a new issue of Nat Geo he had badgered Nightingale into getting on the way home, in reality watching me. “I’m assuming you’re going to interview all five of them?”

“That’s none of your concern,” Nightingale reminded him. “Civilian.” A corner of his mouth quirked up as he said it, but still the message was clear. David had no place in the investigation.

“Don’t be like that, Thomas,” David pouted. “Who doesn’t love a good whodunnit?”

“This is a police matter, it’s not for you to play detective,” Nightingale said. “Besides which, the matter of ‘who done it’,” I could hear the scathingly sarcastic air quotes, “will most likely end up being handled by the colleagues at Belgravia. Our concern will be the whereabouts of the magical object.”

Mundane murderer, magical murder weapon, that was Nightingale’s theory. I for one thought it much too early to judge that, seeing as the murder weapon had inconveniently vanished.

But before that could even be determined, it was up to us to get the lowdown on Ms. Deirdre Maxwell.

----

We went to her flat first thing the next morning. The door was opened by a dejected-looking man in his late twenties or early thirties who turned out to be the victim’s son, and introduced himself as “Hey, I’m Logan.”

He was a white man with short, mousy brown hair, dressed in jeans and a dark-gray fleece jacket over a black t-shirt, probably random clothes he’d just thrown on this morning. He didn’t look like he’d gotten much sleep the previous night. He wasn’t looking to be the type who cried and emoted messily all over the place, I noted, but perhaps that would simply come later, once the immediate shock died down. Right now, he looked... dazed, I suppose. A common reaction in the face of sudden, jarring tragedy.

I was assuming Belgravia had already sent someone over the previous day to help him get over the worst of it, but it couldn’t hurt to play up that role. It wasn’t anything I was stellar at, but unfortunately the last several years had equipped me with some experience in the matter. Didn’t mean any of that ever got any easier.

“How are you holding up?” Nightingale inquired. I hadn’t thought he’d volunteer himself to step up for the role of supportive cop, but I was glad he did.

“Like pure shite,” Logan Maxwell stated soberly. “But thanks for asking, guv.”

“We’re going to have to take a quick look around the flat,” I said.

“Why?” Logan Maxwell wondered. “My mother’s been murdered. Shouldn’t you be out looking for the killer? Surely there’s nothing in here for you to find?”

“This is pure procedure,” Nightingale told him. “We’ll be in and out of here within a minute, I’m sure. And of course a highly capable team of investigative forces is looking into finding our perpetrator as we speak. May we step into the kitchen and just have a short talk about all this?”

Ushering Mr. Maxwell on, almost herding him really, into his mother’s kitchen, Nightingale looked round at me and, with the slightest shift of his eyes, ordered me to search the other rooms. I nodded quietly and got to it.

Apart from the kitchen, there were three more rooms branching off the tiny, cramped hallway. A small bathroom (nothing at all special), Ms. Maxwell’s bedroom, a living room and what I assumed had been Logan Maxwell’s room once, but it became fairly obvious that he didn’t permanently live here any longer. Through the thin walls, I could hear Logan ask, “Do you mind if I just...?” to which Nightingale replied, “Oh, by all means, no, let me join you. I recently started again myself.” A lighter clicked twice, and soon I could smell smoke.

The living room was gaudy, chintz and little horrible knick-knacks everywhere. Not the fussy-old-lady sort, not porcelain dolls, you understand, but dream catchers, silk shawls, supposedly healing crystals and the like. It wasn’t anything I thought I had to worry about. Many people felt the need to spruce up their lives with a touch of magic, but most ended up completely off base. A light affinity for crystals wouldn’t do to explain Ms. Maxwell’s falling victim to a magical crime. Above the small TV, there was a cluttered bookshelf mounted to the wall, filled with romance novels and mediocre fantasy and some books that might have belonged to Logan as a kid.

“What is it that you do, Mr. Maxwell?” Nightingale asked politely one room over.

“I’m in insurance, actually, um, just started,” Logan Maxwell replied. There was a strained chuckle. “May I interest you in life insurance, guv?”

I heard Nightingale make a small, understated noise of genuine amusement. “You shan’t make a good living off of me in that respect.”

It seemed a common enough story. The quirky, hippie single mom and the son who rebelled by turning out as mundane and bougie as humanly possible. Perhaps this one’s grades hadn’t been sufficiently impressive for law school. I moved on to the bedroom.

“I’m not a grief counselor, no,” I heard Nightingale say as I opened drawers and found nothing at all of interest. “Merely someone of great personal experience with loss.”

“Good,” Maxwell replied. “I don’t want to be counselled. At least... not right now. The people from the murder team offered, but... I just need to... sit down and let it really sink in.”

“I understand all too well,” Nightingale said.

I opened up the door to what I assumed led into the second bedroom.

There was a little surprise there for me.

“If I may, Mr. Maxwell. Did your mother perchance do anything... unusual, strange, lately?”

“I told the other coppers, no. Not more unusual than always, I mean... I don’t know. Nothing comes to mind, really.”

I could practically see Nightingale’s immaculate, raised eyebrow. “Is that to say your mother did unusual things regularly?”

“Eh. She has this... had this... this dumb hobby of hers. She always... I mean, it’s just this thing she’d do on the weekends. It’s nothing.”

I examined everything and made my way back into the kitchen. Maxwell was seated at the kitchen table, an overflowing ashtray in front of him. Nightingale, cigarette clenched between his teeth, was making tea.

“Um, sir?”

----

“A fortune teller,” Nightingale surmised.

We were looking at the setup in what had once been the second bedroom. Apparently, once Logan Maxwell had moved out, Deirdre Maxwell had remodeled his childhood bedroom to house her fortune-telling operation. There was a small table covered in a large, purple velvet shawl, and a deck of cards and other paraphernalia on that table. There was a ouija board mounted to a wall, another bookshelf on the opposite wall, this one filled with a different kind of literature. Tarot, spirit healing, seances, palm reading, something called ‘green witchcraft’.

She had apparently recorded herself for the benefit of online customers, seeing as there was a laptop and camera rig positioned in a strategic angle to the purple coffee table.

And something... something was missing. I had never been in this room before, but there was a thought nagging at the back of my mind that something that should be here, that I’d expect to be here, was... missing.

“Yeah,” Logan Maxwell said sheepishly, “that was her thing. The Mysterious Madame Delilah. Load of bollocks.”

“You don’t think there might’ve been something to it?” I asked. I stole a glance at Nightingale, who ever-so-lightly made a so-so hand gesture.

“Nah,” Logan Maxwell said. “She always was on about some nonsense like that. Sure, people paid her for it, but... truth be told, I was embarrassed. The Mysterious Madame Delilah,” he repeated. “I don’t think she ever made any actual magic up in here.”

I ambled through the small room, examining the shelf once more, touching a chunky rose quartz, running my fingertips over the purple cloth that covered the table. And then it struck me: the smooth feeling of something under my hand, like glass, and a stab of desire.

Same vestigia, I mouthed at Nightingale.

Now I saw his raised eyebrow in action.

----

“I never met a fortune teller who wasn’t completely bogus,” he told me later, when we were walking back to the Jag. “Besides which, she had none of the literature on actual magic at her disposal. But if the last several years have taught me anything, it’s that there are... more than enough things I don’t know.”

I shrugged. “People come by magic in all sorts of ways.”

“Perhaps so,” he granted.

He had made a cup of tea for Mr. Maxwell, I thought. He had left his card with the man, “in case there’s ever anything out of the ordinary that occurs to you regarding the circumstances of your mother’s death”. He had smoked with him and apparently gotten chummy enough to be mistaken for a grief counselor. That was new, and it had started happening fairly recently, maybe, I suspected, as recently as David’s return. He seemed different, too. Something in his face, in the way he walked. Imperceptible to someone who didn’t know him well, but he seemed... more present, somehow. More involved with the world around him. Like something was waking up, or thawing out, that had been numb and silent for at least as long as I knew him.

The men’s emotional and psychological needs, Mellenby said within my short-term memory, all fell under Thomas’s purview.

Just then, another thought clicked into place, and I knew what I’d been missing, up in the flat earlier.

“No crystal ball,” I said.

“Pardon?” Nightingale asked.

“There was no crystal ball. What fortune teller doesn’t have a crystal ball? And the object we’re looking for is likely something round, smooth, made of glass. I’m sure you can deal a bit of a blow with a thing like that.”

Nightingale gave me a slight smile. “A thought worth keeping in mind,” he said in that tone of his that really meant well done, and he gave me an appreciative sort of look, and I felt... well, I felt looked at. No one looks at you like Nightingale sometimes.

Just then, his phone rang.

He took it from his pocket and, peering at the screen, I could see it said ‘David’, and just that. If I’d been expecting heart emojis, I was cruelly let down.

“Aww,” I said, “it’s the boyfriend.”

“I told you his status is pending,” Nightingale told me sternly. “He’s not presently my boyfriend.” He accepted the call. “Hello, darling.”

If I’d had a drink just then, I would have spat it.

“Mh,” Nightingale said, in reply to something on David’s side. “Yes. You can tell Molly that I’ll definitely be home for dinner. I can make no such promises regarding Peter. Unless...?”

He gave me a questioning look, but I shook my head. I was going to have dinner at Bev’s. What with there being a new case now, things were bound to get busy for me, and I wanted to spend as much time with Bev as I could.

“Ah,” Nightingale said. “Apparently not. Well, I’ll be seeing you shortly. What? Oh. Yes, yes, I love you too, David, goodbye.”

He hung up and gave me a token annoyed look. There was no real force behind it. “Well, that was David.”

I grinned at him. “Cute,” I said. “Did you two make up?”

Nightingale shook his head. “Not in the slightest. What makes you think that?”

I gestured a bit awkwardly. “Well... just now, you said...”

“It was a statement of fact. I am angry at David - inordinately furious, really, at David - but that doesn’t mean I don’t also love him. My anger and my regard for him can coexist.”

That seemed weird to me, but also... so simple. He wasn’t having a big crisis about that part of things at the very least. Nightingale was frighteningly straightforward sometimes, and ready to accept all manner of things. And then I saw how he was trying very hard not to smile as he pocketed his phone, and how he kept looking around the place as we walked to the parking lot where we’d left the Jag with a kind of wonder, like he was seeing London with new eyes - and liking what he saw. And I thought, yeah, they’ll be alright.

And I felt... weird about that.

Not because I still felt horrified by the gay sex thing.

At least I dearly hoped so.

There was something else...

I didn’t know what.

But just then, for a split-second, I had felt almost... annoyed by David calling, because Nightingale and I had been having a moment here goddamn it, and these moments of the two of us just doing something together without there being immediate combat had grown sparse of late, what with Lesley and Chorley. And I’d thought, oh sure, it’s his boyfriend, in an acidic tone that took me aback. I’d wanted... I don’t know. To have Nightingale to myself, maybe, for a few minutes before I’d get permanently busy with Bev and... well... and all that.

“Oh god, I’m having a child,” I said out loud.

“I’m sure you’ll make a splendid parent,” Nightingale said, almost absentmindedly. His eyes were far away, probably resting on some distant, David-related memory. “Don’t forget to apply for paternal leave.”

Apparently his new emotional approachability only extended so far.

----

By the time we got back to the Folly, Guleed had sent me the initial witness testimonials, but I would have to go talk to them all again anyway to check for magic. I decided to start right there at the theatre.

Rehearsals were already in full swing again when I walked in - I found that morbid but the show must go on, I suppose. I swung by Mr. Johnson in the janitorial office first. He was rather helpful in establishing a timeline for the evening: he made a round of the building before going home at about 8 pm, during which he crossed the night watchman, Mr. Singh. Apart from that, he was either in his office or performing maintenance duties in and around the building as-needed. Ms. Maxwell had died at about seven thirty. And sure, Guleed had already asked about this stuff, and included it in her e-mail to me, but it never hurt to ask again. At least one of the people here was holding something back, and sometimes people maintaining a lie got confused.

The cleaning lady reminded me of Varvara, but that was probably just her Russianness and didn’t necessarily have to mean something. While she had all sorts of delightful opinions on the actors, technicians, director, owner of the theatre and about everyone else working here, none of it was precisely helpful. “The place is going to the dumps,” she opined. “I have been cleaning here for five years and haven’t looked at a pay raise in three.”

I expressed my sympathies and, in a lowered voice, she told me, “I hear next year they’re going to put... the Scottish play on.”

Not quite knowing what to do with that, I nodded and left her to her work.

Mr. Sheen, the director didn’t have much time for me, seeing as he was supervising the rehearsal. When I asked him to confirm the cleaning lady’s account of whether the establishment was struggling financially, he said something to the effect of, “Well, we’ve always muddled through. It’s an uncertain business, with the audience, predicting what will land is always a gamble.” When asked about Ms. Maxwell, he said it was a pity, and that she’d been a dependable employee, and not much more.

He seemed stressed, concerned. The opening night of their musical was soon. Perhaps people weren’t going to patronize an establishment where someone had been murdered, he said, like that was the most important thing here. When I went to interview the actress in her dressing room, she said “I play the character of Janet” before telling me her actual name. These people were weird, and not a type of weird I was privy to.

But let’s tell it in order. I knocked, went into the actress’s dressing room, and found none other than David Mellenby there drinking tea with her. They were seated next to the vanity that held all her stage makeup, drinking from mismatched cups, the actress thumbing through her role book as they talked, as though this was commonplace, as though David was even remotely supposed to be here.

“Hello,” he said when he saw me, his face lighting up in a genuine smile. “This is Constable Grant, he’s very capable at his job,” he introduced me to the actress, all gallantry and outdated manners and breezing blithely past the fact that I had no bloody idea why he was here and it was likely to make my day substantially more complicated.

“And what... on earth... are you doing here?” I asked him.

“I thought it interesting to return here,” David said mildly, sipping green tea from a mug that bore the classic “You Don’t Have To Be Mad To Work Here, But It Helps!” slogan.

I took a deep breath, about ready to tell him that he absolutely should not have come, that he was in no way affiliated with this investigation, and that Nightingale would blow his fuse if he heard, and... I didn’t. I snapped my mouth shut again. Discussing this in front of one of the suspects would make both of us look bad, and that wasn’t something I was prepared to deal with.

So I simply also took a seat on the last free chair. “Alright,” I said.”Great. Now, I’d like to ask a few questions, just quickly.”

“I’ve been asked many questions by many policemen already,” the actress said. She had a quiet, melodic voice. “And they kind of need me at rehearsal.”

“I’ll just be a minute,” I replied. “And then I’m sure we’ll all be out of your hair for now.”

The actress sighed. She was a thin white girl, late twenties I thought, who’d recently dyed her hair blonde, maybe for the role. Combined with her dark clothes, it had the effect of making her look a bit disfavorably pallid and drawn. “I guess go ahead.”

I got out my notebook and a ballpoint pen and tossed them at David. if he was going to hang around, he might as well take notes.

“How long have you been an actress here, Ms...?” There. Nice and general.

“I’m engaged for the year,” she replied. “I play the role of Janet. It’s the female lead.”

“Impressive,” I said, because she really seemed to want me to. “And your name was...?”

“Cora Watley, um, Cora Jane Watley.” She shifted a bit in her seat, clasping her tea cup with both hands. “But I already told PC Guleed, and then DCI Nightingale.”

This gave me pause, because I’d had no idea that Nightingale had been through here, but then David caught my eye and stealthily held up... Nightingale’s warrant card, and wiggled it at me by way of explanantion.

Un-fucking-believable.

“I... okay.” I nodded at David, trying to send him a glare that silently communicated that we’d need to address this later. “As I said, Ms. Watley, just one or two more questions for the records.”

“What kinds of questions?” the actress asked. She seemed nervous, but trying to appear unflappable, but everyone here, down to the cleaning lady, seemed high-strung, what with their opening night coming up and the murder (and, yes, very much in that order of importance). Besides which, being a suspect in a criminal investigation is bound to unnerve most people. But did her nerves look like those of a guilty person, or simply like someone hoping not to get caught in the crossfire?

“For example, how well did you know Ms. Maxwell?” I asked.

The young woman shrugged. “Not too well. We’ve talked in passing. But she seemed... nice. Not the kind of person you’d murder, I’d think.”

“But she was... not well-liked here?” I tried.

“No, I do think she was. I don’t know, I’ve only been here for a year. But what gives you that idea?”

I took another deep breath. It felt strange, and tasted strange too, like there was greasepaint coating my lips and tongue. Weird. Was that just the air in here? It smelled pervasively of stage makeup. “Well, nobody here I’ve talked to seemed very... affected by the murder. Was Ms. Maxwell unpopular, or did she keep to herself...?”

Ms. Watley laughed. “Oh, she did not keep to herself, no. I’m certain people are affected. It just needs time to settle in, and with opening night so close, the place is a madhouse anyway. Even murder becomes just one more thing.”

I exchanged a look with David, who looked quizzically back. He was tugging at his cuffs again, even harder than usual.

“Would you have noticed if Ms. Maxwell had done anything... unusual, lately?”

“Unusual how?” The actress asked. There was that feeling again, that strange taste on my tongue when I breathed. Now it was accompanied by a sensation like scratchy cloth on my skin, and a glare of too-warm light from overhead. Were these vestigia? But then what was emanating them? “She had that weird hobby, I don’t know. Something about occultism, not really my thing at all. Do you mean that?”

I put on a neutral face that I hoped looked just like the one Nightingale always did. Gosh, but that glaring light was getting annoying. “Do I mean that?”

“It’s about the most unusual thing Deirdre had going on, I guess. I mean, I don’t know. Two months ago she said she was going to make a business of it, selling... palm readings or something to people online. No idea how that’s supposed to work.”

“This might be tangentially related. Did she ever... bring that hobby of hers into work in any way?”

Cora Watley crossed her arms. “What do you mean by that?”

What did I mean by that? It probably wasn’t the most intelligent way to find out about Ms. Maxwell’s fortune telling business and if it had led to her murder. But David being here irritated me, and these sensations or vestigia that I couldn’t place irritated me, and... maybe it was time to get out of here.

I said my bit, gestured to David to follow, and left the dressing room. We stood out in the hallway leading from the dressing rooms back out to the stage, facing each other.

“Why did we leave?” David asked.

“Why do you have Nightingale’s warrant card?” I rounded on him.

“I took the liberty of removing it out of his jacket.” He didn’t look the least bit regretful of this. “I’m confident I’ll be able to replace it before he even notices it’s gone.”

“I’m... pretty sure that’s a crime,” I said.

David shrugged his shoulders. “I thank you for your discretion, then.”

“That’s not how the police works these days,” I said. “That’s not how I work. You can’t wave at me and make me go away. I’m not the help.”

David had looked like he was going to be rebellious, but now he visibly deflated. He averted his eyes, picking at his sleeve. “I am dearly sorry,” he admitted.

I sighed, willing my irritation to simmer down. “Just what are you doing?” I asked, more calmly. “Nightingale said you are to stay away from the investigation. He was very clear, and he was right. People don’t play detective and crack the code, normally.”

He lifted his chin, suddenly again defiant. “Thomas is not my Captain anymore. Where does he get off, anyway, thinking I’ll obey his every order?”

Was that what this was? Another way to passive-aggressively carry out their lovers’ spat? I already felt exhausted with this. “Look, the way I see it... Nightingale is coming around. You guys might be okay, why go on pissing him off more?”

Not really wanting to stand around waiting for his answer, I started making my way back out to the stage. David was keeping pace with me. “Ingratiating myself to Thomas is not my entire purpose, you know,” he said. “I am a scientist foremost. I can’t not investigate things. There is a conundrum here, and I must know. Knowledge is not gained by adhering to what others say, or by failing to take risks.”

I was tempted to remind him that this here was a real crime scene, not a Sherlock Holmes story with him in the titular role. What did end up coming out of my mouth was, “I heard that was the exact attitude that led you all to Ettersberg.”

As soon as I’d said it, I knew it might have been a bit too much. As I stepped out on stage where the actors and director had since ended their rehearsal and cleared out, I heard nothing but silence behind me and, then, a long, deep, guttural sigh.

“You’re right,” David said, drawing level with me - he was pressing his hands to his temples. “I’m doing all the same things that I did before. I’m slipping back into the same behaviors. Assuming I know better. How have I not learned from what happened?”

Well, what could I say to that?

“I just get so blinkered sometimes,” David continued. “I don’t know why. And Thomas...”

He sighed once more. “Thomas was always the golden boy with all the natural talent. Coasting by when others struggled. I just want to show him that I also can achieve greatly. That I can stand beside him as his equal, not always one step behind playing catch-up. But Thomas never understood my efforts, my work. My research. And then I found friends at Weimar who were genuinely appreciative of my theories, but they took my work and made... well... of course, I told myself, Thomas couldn’t understand why I felt slighted. Why I felt hurt. But he simply looked at the way things were with clearer eyes. Of course 800 human lives were more important than my hurt.”

I gave him a strained smile. “You know what, it might do a great deal in your favor if you told him what you just told me.”

I took another step onto the stage. This environment was bringing back persistent little wisps of uncomfortable memories of the Punch case. Sure, this stage was a lot smaller and less glamorous than the one at the Royal Opera House. But... still. But surely this wasn’t Punch-related, right? We hadn’t heard of him since the incident with Chorley’s bell. I’d have to ask Les-

No.

No.

What the hell, brain? Really, still? After all this time?

“These... weird vestigia in here,” David said suddenly. “Do you feel them too?”

And I did feel them. For a fleeting moment, I felt in full force the glare of the stage lights, the bead of sweat running into my neck down into the collar of my costume, the theater makeup itchy on my face, the exhilaration coupled with stage fright and before me the murmur of the audience, waiting to be entranced, or disappointed, by me.

I shook my head, and was myself again. “Yeah, it’s like... like an actor, ten seconds before their big scene, or whatever.”

“Hmm.” David tugged at his cuffs again.

“We should get out of here.”

----

“Why did we leave?” David asked again, as we were standing out in the street up front of the theatre again. Why indeed? I had felt... dazed, in there, I’d felt a need to leave the building. I was sure he had felt the same.

“I don’t know. But something was extremely strange about that crime scene.”

“We don’t know what we’re dealing with, so we’re... retreating?”

It had a militaristic air to it, ‘retreating’. He had probably intended that. “Let’s call it regrouping,” I said. “Besides, Nightingale was right. Our concern should be the magical object. Guess I’ll have to find whoever would know about a magical crystal ball around which murders happen.”

That was going to be a needle-in-a-haystack search. The exact kind of busy work everyone wishes they could delegate to someone lower on the chain of command. With the Folly’s command structure being as it was, unfortunately I was the person this type of work was delegated to.

David must have seen my displeasure with the situation, because he said, “You could let me do it.”

Really? Hadn’t we had that conversation about five minutes ago? I told him as such.

“Sure,” he said. “But I don’t have anything else to do. I’m going out of my mind with the amount of nothing I’m contributing. Please.”

So he was determined to keep on learning nothing from his experiences. Not exactly stellar practice. But was that really my problem?

“Look,” I said, “You’ll talk to Nightingale, okay?”

[tuckertales]

(via Creating a Magic System for Your Story | Tucker Tales Writing Blog)

I am so excited about this post because I love magic. It is so flexible and fun and can add such an interesting element to any story. Probably 90% of what I write has some sort of magic in it. And, yes, it can get complicated, but I think it is so fun figuring everything out and watching your world work with this awesome thing that you’ve created.

What Kind of Magic Should You Have?

This is probably the trickiest bit. Because magic can be anything. It can be elemental, physical, spiritual, mental…and it can be whatever your mind can make up. If you have a specific purpose for magic in your story, this decision becomes a bit easier. Because you have a goal, you can narrow down the possibilities.

I can’t tell you what to do here, there are so many options that there’s no way that I can cover it all, but I can ask you some questions to help you figure it out.

What are the Abilities?

Deciding on what exactly the magic can do is the core of everything. The simplest example I can share would be elemental magic, since we all know what that is. If your character has the elemental magic over water, you have to decide what that means. Can they control it? Create it? Freeze it? Can they become it? How much can they control at once?

If they have a less physical magic, there are less barriers to what one could do. So, you must put up those barriers. Or, make it known that the power is limitless (which can sometimes makes one overpowered and, therefore, boring and unrealistic).

Do different people have different powers?

Do all people have magic, or only some?

How much control do they have over it? - The Time Traveler’s Wife

What are the Limitations?

All powers have their limits and their consequences. Are these based on the magic or based on the people (ex: unforgivable curses in Harry Potter)?

In Avatar the Last Airbender, the element of earth had a ‘limit’ of not being able to bend metal (which, SPOILER, Toph then later overcomes.) *Also, if you’ve never seen Avatar the Last Airbender, watch in now. Please and thank you* In Stardust, magic makes the witches age and only consuming a falling star can restore their youth and power. Genie cannot fulfill certain wishes and also cannot use his magic to free himself unless his ‘master’ wishes it in Aladdin In Kiki’s Delivery Service, when she loses faith in herself, she loses her magic. In Star Wars, Jedi mind tricks only work on the weak minded.

What are the limits? - Invisible woman can’t make her clothes invisible - Cyclops (X-men) needs his eye mask to channel his power - Knowledge (if you don’t know the spell, you can’t cast it)

Is it draining physically or mentally? - Nosebleed (Eleven), Avatar State (ATLA)

What are the consequences? -Burn out (Throne of Glass, pain (Wolverine), physical disfigurement (Star Wars Sith)

Weaknesses -Kryptonite (Superman), fear (Frozen), silver (werewolves)

Rules - Contract (Little Mermaid), only three wishes/no falling in love (Aladdin/Genie)

How do People Acquire it?

People get magic somehow, and you need to figure out how. The easiest question to start with is: Are they born with it or not? Then you can work from there.

Born With It

Is everyone born with it? - Why or why not?

Is it dependent on race? Genetics? - Elf, fairy, dwarf, etc.

At what age does it manifest itself? - How does it manifest itself?

Not Born with It

How does one acquire it? - Gift from someone with magic or some sort of god - Bitten (werewolf, radioactive spider, vampire) - Magical object (Infinity stone, Aladdin’s lamp, the Ring, Resurrection Stone) - Test or trial to receive it - Unwillingly cursed (Beauty and the Beast, The Last Witch Hunter) - Accident (Bruce Banner/Hulk, Tighten from Megamind) - Knowledge (anyone can use it if they learn how)

How is it Used?

By this, I literally mean how. In Harry Potter, magic is used with wands and potions. Supernatural uses pentagrams. In Avatar the Last Airbender, magic is used with hand movements (and your mind).

It’s important to know how magic in your world is used because that gives it structure and limitations.

Conductor - wand, staff, crystal

Incantation

Materials - for a pentagram, potion, sacrifice, etc.

Practice - learning new forms (ATLA)

Setting/Situation - Full moon

How Does Magic Affect Your Universe?

Unless magic is a very very small part of your universe, it is going to change the way people do things in your world. They way they interact and grow as a society. I’m going to make a long and – hopefully – helpful list.

Social status/Prejudice - Are certain people looked down upon or looked up to because they do or don’t have magic? Or, perhaps, because they have a certain type of magic?

Power struggle - If certain people have magic, do they take advantage of that to control government or oppress people without magic?

How they fight - Wars and battles are going to be fought very different based upon what type of magic is in your universe and who has it. How would non-magic folk adapt to fighting those with magic?

Crime - Crime could be different or more abundant based on what kind of magic you create. Or perhaps less abundant if a certain magic-holder is in charge of law enforcement.

How they heal - Is part of their magic that they can heal faster? Or can they use their magic to heal others or themselves?

Their loyalties - Are people more loyal to blood or magic?

Relationships - Are relationships forbidden or frowned upon between certain people. Is it normal to mix magic? Or it is even sought after and arranged for people to have children based on their magic?

How they build - Physical magic could change the way that people build cities which could also rapidly grow their architecture before other parts of their culture are developed.

Conclusion

I hope this has given you a good solid start on creating magic for your universe. If this is your first time, don’t fret! It is all about trial and error and, honestly, logic. If ever I’m having trouble I just try to think logically how something would work and can usually figure it out. Trust yourself and don’t be afraid to play around. Writing is fun and writing magic is even more fun (in my opinion).

As always, feel free to subscribe or follow me on social media for updates on new posts! And take a gander at my ‘Services‘ page for prices on my editing services!

[scripttorture]

I was wanting to write an Avatar the Last Airbender fanfiction and in one of the scenes, Azula (who has fire powers) will torture someone by using her powers to touch and burn them. She has a lot of control over her powers but I’m not sure how to pull it without killing the victim. I thought it could feel like touching something hot more than touching an actual flame.

(Firetorture 2) Would this seem high tech (if a lot of people in theuniverse have elemental powers) and would possibly too much liketorturers have a lot of control/skill? I also wanted to show Azula ashaving either Anti-social Personality Disorder or Borderline. Wouldit be problematic for a torturer to have a Personality Disorder(instead of only mental problems as a result of torture)? Azulaalready seems like she canonly has a personality disorder. Do youthink certain problems(3) like memory trouble would show updifferently in someone with a personality disorder? Lastly, wouldhaving other torturers who don’t have disorders before torturinghelp with avoiding the ‘mentally ill people are violent’ idea?Thank you for your help! If you have suggestions on how to avoidproblematic stuff, let me know. The torture is mostly out of hate butshe could ask questions and receive flippant answers/lies. I’llhave to see which the victims ends up doing when I write the scene.(Azula ask 4) I wanted to add, I’m also aware that Azula, at 14,isn’t able to be diagnosed with a personally disorder yet. She’llbe 21 in this AU story.

Ihave actually watched this show! Which helps an awful lot with thisparticular question because I think a lot of it is heavily rooted inboth the cultures the story created and the characters themselves.

I’llbe honest I know next to nothingabout personality disorders. So while I know Azula’s behaviour andpersonality I don’t feel I can say whether it fits with apersonality disorder. I can give you my opinion on using mentally illcharacters as torturers and my opinion on how being a torturer mighteffect someone who is already mentally ill (this would be an educatedguess as no studies on the subject exist, so far as I know).

Butlet’s start with the fire.

BecauseI know the setting I feel pretty confident that this isn’t hightech. It’s using an ability that a lot of people in this world arejust born with. Yes Azula is shown throughout the show as beingparticularly skilled with that ability but I don’t see any reasonwhy that means the torture scene itself should be written as‘skilled’.

Someonecan be an Olympic runner and trip over their own feet. Someone can bea martial artist and get into a drunken brawl.

Justbecause someone hasparticular skill with some sort of physical ability doesn’t meanthey’re using it all the time.

Ithink the key with this would probably be to highlight during thescene just how unskilled what Azula is doing is. She’s prettyarrogant so I think if the scene is from her perspective a good wayto do it would be highlighting how ‘easy’ this is compared to hernormal firebending. That these tricks are things she could do sinceshe was 5 (or similar).

Historicallysome burning tortures have used flames directly but using a heatedobject of some kind seems to have been more common globally. I’munsure if there’s a specific reason for that. It could be down topracticality (ie it’s probably easier to handle a heated piece ofmetal with tongs then it is to keep hold of a flaming piece of wood).It could also be down to cultural preference in some cases (ieEuropean historical branding tortures were partly about creating aphysical mark on the victim identifying their crime).

Iimagine the closest sensation to that whirling flame the canon showswould be steam or hot air.

Asfor how to do it without killing her victim- I think the main thingto worry about is how much of the body is burnt.

Theskin is an organ and like any other organ it can fail. Burns,especially deeper burns, to larger areas of the body are more likelyto be fatal.

Concentratingthe attacks to smaller areas is a good first step.

Thereare also areas of the body that are best avoided if you want thevictim character to (realistically) survive. The mouth, nose, neckand anus are the main ones. I don’t think anything directlyto/capable of blocking the urethra is a good idea. I’d also suggestavoiding concerted attacks on the scalp. And, as I said, keeping theoverall burnt area to a minimum.

Attackson other areas may not kill the character but have the potential tocause lasting disability. Which you may or may not want in yourstory. Burns to the hands and feet can rend them unusable. Burns onor too near the joints can restrict movement in that joint. Burns around the eyes can blind.

Thesetting also has a form of magical healing if I remember correctly.You may want to think about how that affects lasting injuries and howmuch of this could be treated in the setting.

I’dsuggesting keeping any individual burns smaller than the size of thevictim’s hand and keeping them spaced out. You may also want totake a look at the archive for ScriptMedic’s blog as she wrotequite a lot on burns and their treatment.

Asfor the way you’re planning to tackle Azula-

Ithink it’s important to remember that mental health problems can beco-morbid. Having one condition doesn’t necessarily protect someonefrom another.

Idon’t personally know anyone with a personality disorder but I doknow people with other forms of neurodiversity and some havedeveloped memory problems following traumatic events.

Ithink unless a condition directly effects memory it’s probablysafest to assume that memory problems would manifest the same way asin a neurotypical character. A neurodiverse character may reactto those problems differently but I think that’s a slightlydifferent subject.

ActuallyI think that’s probably the best way to think about ‘differences’in symptoms between neurotypical and neurodiverse characters:concentrate less on whether a character ‘could’ have particularsymptoms and more on whether they’d naturally respond to thosesymptoms differently.

Ifyou’re unsure of how a particular symptom would interact with acharacter’s preexisting mental health problems it might be best tochoose another symptom. Or do further research on the original mentalhealth problems the character has.

AndI think that leaves me with the question of mentally ill characterstorturing.

Ithink a lot of canons leave fanfic writers in a tough spot herebecause so many villains are either coded mentally ill or explicitlymentally ill. And the canon often links that to the bad things theydo.

Thatleaves fanfiction writers with a problem because writing away eitherthe villain’s bad actions or their mental illness is a huge changeto the character. It takes away from what they were and often rendersthem unrecognisable.

Iwould definitely encourage writers to stop creating so manycharacters like this but when it’s a character from another canonthat a writer is using- I think that’s a more difficult question.

Inthis particular case I think the fact Azula is in a rare position ofpower also contributes to the problem. Because regardless of othertorturers/baddies around her sheis the ring leader and the one in control. She has a greater degreeof responsibility because she is probably orderingothers to act as well as acting directly herself.

Sothis isn’t a mentally ill person committing a violent act underorders, she’s inciting and orchestrating the violence. Everythingis under her control.  

Includingcharacters who were not mentally ill before they started torturingseems like a good step: it should help tie at least some of themental health problems these characters have to torture rather thanthe characters themselves. But this doesn’t really change thepotential implication that Azula is evil because she’s mentallyill.

Inan original story I’d suggest including ‘good’ characters withthe same mental illness. I’m not sure how much scope you have forthat here. If you have room for original characters to play a largepart in the story (or think that similar symptoms apply to one of theheroes) then I think that’s definitely a good idea to explore.

Thisis where knowing the source material comes in handy.

BecauseAzula is also the favoured aristocratic child of an absolute monarch.Azula’s environment hasactively contributed to her becoming the villain she is. Everybit of bad behaviour she displays in actively encouraged. Her bloodthirsty tendencies were taught.

Andon top of that the canon shows that her worst instincts areconstantly indulged, no one is allowed to say no to her. Even whenshe is obviously in the middle of a mental break down.

Showthat environment and how toxic it must have been. Emphasise it. Worklittle bits of it in throughout the story in as many ways as you can.

Showhow much she’s thrown when things don’t go her way (becauseobviously everyone follows her orders, they always have before). Showthe roots of her pettiness and violence, remind your readers of thepeople who encouraged and nurtured it. Show your readers that this isa woman who was taught from childhood that her value is in hercapacity for violence.

She’sreally hurt the enemy this time. Daddy will be so proud.

Mentallyill or not this is a big part of Azula’s motivation for violence.She has always previously met with approvalfrom the people who matter to her when she displayed violenttendencies. She has gone through her entire life being rewarded forbrutality. Of course she’s brutal.

Includingthat background in your story as clearly and as consistently as hermental illness should help give a more nuanced narrative. Lessmentally ill + BAD and more… a discussion of how environment and inborn factors can warp someone.

Weall have a capacity for violence and aggression. Most of us aren’tencouraged to act on it.

Showall the factors that went into creating Azula andthat should break the neat progression of mental illness to violence.

Ihope that helps. :)

Disclaimer

[after-the-fxll]

Meta: Wings and personal space.

Disclaimer: Right, so… you probably mean “write about the psychology of personal space inasmuch as it relates to wings and concerns Aryx,” but what you’re going to get is a huge meta about me blabbing about anything and everything you ever wanted to know about wings for angels and a wee bit on demons in Aryx’s world/verse, including personal space psychology. Enjoy, haha.

Another disclaimer: All of this information comes from from own brain, my own interpretations of lore and mythology surrounding angels and demons, my own interpretations of several movies which inspired angels like Aryx’s creation, and from a series of books I wrote years ago entitled “The Vulture and the Dove.” I never published it, but it was eight books in total, the last two of which I never finished writing unfortunately. Aryx came from the seventh book. I am happy to talk more about the series if anyone wishes to know. =)

Putting this all below a cut because loooong. XD

{BIOLOGY}

Angel Species and Wing Types in Aryx’s World

There are three species of angels in Aryx’s world, only one of which is usually found on earth, with only a few exceptions. The three species are: common angels, archangels, and holy seraphim. There are three species of demons which are thought to mirror these three species of angels, namely: incubi/succubi, archdemons, and infernal seraphim. Aryx is an archangel, so as far as angels go, he is intermediary in power and possesses two pairs of equal-sized wings with a 20ft. wingspan when fully spread.

Common angels have only one pair of relatively small wings. Small meaning a 15ft. wingspan when fully flared. Archangels have two pairs of equally-sized wings, and they are of medium size, meaning about a 20ft. wingspan or a foot or two longer. Holy seraphim have three pairs of wings, one small, one medium, and one large. Their largest wings can have over a 30ft. wingspan depending on if they are male or female. Holy seraphim are usually taller as well, easily reaching heights of 7 or 8ft., whereas common and archangels are usually the same heights as humans.

Angel wings are constructed much like those of birds of prey. They are flesh and blood and bone, and the main bones are hollow to keep their weight low so that flying is easier. There is a central nerve that runs along the main bones, and depending upon how this nerve is treated, one can cripple an angel or really turn him on, heh. The main bones have a joint in the middle, so each wing has a single bend in it. That is true of all angel wings regardless of size or species.

Flight feathers are longer, stiffer, and very important for flying, while feathers are reduced to fluffy downy material at the bases of the wings where the bones and tendons connect to the angel’s shoulder blades. The shoulder blades of angels are much thicker, stronger, and differently-shaped than those of humans. They’are able to pivot, slipping underneath muscle to move the wings during flight. 

Emergence of Wings and Early Life

Archangels and holy seraphim that are only found in the heavens are usually created by the gods, coming into being just as they are in adult form rather than being born and growing up from an infant or child. But common angels can breed with each other and humans on earth, and when they are born, they do not have any wings. The milestone of an angel spreading his or her wings for the first time is called “finding” them. Typically, earthborn angels find their wings at around age 5 to 7, depending on their sex. Females find them earlier than males, generally.

When a young angel first finds their wings, they are moist, crumpled, and very weak. Their parents or guardians will help the little angel to wash the wings and will go through a range of motions with them, much like physical therapy. When the wings are deemed strong enough for flight, a parent or guardian will take the young angel up into the sky, holding hands in case the young angel gets tired. It may take months of practice before a young angel can fly on their own.

Aryx is a created archangel, so he did not have to find his wings, but rather was created with them already emerged. He has never known life without them.

Spreading and Retracting Wings

“Spreading” is the act of calling one’s wings from out of one’s back. This is a magical process, as the physical manifestation of the wings is created while being infused with the essence or energy of the wings that is stored in an angel’s back when they are retracted. When an angel spreads his wings, they fly out very quickly, spreading fully before either relaxing or assisting in flight. Because of this, angels need to make sure they have plenty of room to spread their wings or else they could injure themselves.

“Retracting” is the act of withdrawing one’s wings from physical being to store them, as it were, safely within the body of the angel. This is also a magical process, as the essence or spirit of the wings is actually absorbed into an angel’s back while the physical essence disappears.

Common angels retract their wings far more often than archangels or holy seraphim, especially those born on earth. This is because they interact far more with humans and subconsciously often try to blend into human society. Archangels and holy seraphim do not desire to blend in with humans typically and are often far more arrogant about being angels in the first place. They may not hate humans or resent them in any way, it is just that they are incredibly proud of what they are and expect humans to respect them accordingly. Part of that is feeling that they have a right to spread their wings and keep them spread whenever and wherever they choose.

Aryx, as an archangel, feels most comfortable always having his wings spread. He is not nearly as arrogant as most of his kind with regard to humans as he has lived on earth for hundreds of years and worked alongside many capable humans worthy of his respect. Usually he keeps his wings spread, but now and then he will retract them for convenience or blending-in purposes.

Anatomy of Angel Wings vs. Demon Wings

Angel wings are flesh, blood, and bone, and are covered in feathers. They do not possess any scales, talons, or webbed skin. Demons, on the other hand, depending on their species, have completely different wings. Their wings are not flesh, just bone and skin. They also possess sharp talons and may have scales according to species. Think… birds vs. bats, or birds vs. dragons, as far as structure is concerned.

Demon wings are brown or black, and angel wings are white or pale gray. In very rare cases where angels fall from grace or demons have their wings transformed into angel wings, the feathers will be brown or black.

Aryx is a fallen archangel, but he is only fallen physically, not morally. Therefore, his wings possess clean, white feathers. If you want to read more about the difference between physically fallen and morally fallen angels, I shall direct you to this post here.

Angel Feather Composition

Angel feathers look soft and inviting, but they can be deadly. They are actually far stronger than any feathers known to humans. The spines are like needles, and the hairlike fibers that make up the “fluff” of the feathers are actually like fine steel. To touch them, as long as you go with the grain and are gentle, they feel as soft as any bird feathers one might touch. But in battle, an angel’s wings can become weapons. I’ll cover that more in the battle section later.

{PSYCHOLOGY}

Personal Space and Etiquette

Angels do not like anyone they don’t know or trust touching or even getting near their wings. Besides fear of physical harm and simple shyness on the angel’s part, they consider it extremely rude and even outright insulting for anyone to touch their wings without asking first. Some more prideful and arrogant angels even believe asking is rude, heh. The general rule is to just don’t touch angel wings, and if you really want to be brazen, at least ask first.

Aryx is not arrogant about his wings, but he is cautious with them. He appreciates very much when someone asks first, and in most cases he will allow humans to touch his wings so long as they are gentle about it. He understands how interesting and inspiring angel wings can be to humans and has no problem indulging them as long as they treat him with respect. This is not true of most angels, though, who prefer that humans do not touch their wings.

Perching and Resting

I’m going to direct you to a post I have already written on this topic to save some time and space here. =)

Aryx does not sleep in a bed. Well he doesn’t sleep at all, heh. He rests and slips in to a lower state of consciousness, perching on chairs or window sills, most often.

Emotional Connection

Angels love their wings. Really. They love them. Deeply. They care for them meticulously, take pride in their cleanliness and size and beauty, and take comfort in their warmth while they rest. Female angels consider their wings part of their overall beauty as a whole, while males tend to view theirs as part of their manhood. Angelhood? XD But yeah, angels feel a deep love and affection for their wings, and so they are emotionally affected when bad things happen to them.

Aryx absolutely adores his wings. They’re his friends, his protectors, his comforters, everything. He spends a lot of time grooming them and inspecting them to make sure they’re healthy and clean, and he is always very careful with them. Unless he is in battle, in which case he is as careful as he can be while still getting the job done.

Breaking or Losing a Wing

Basically, this is devastating to an angel on so many levels. The physical pain alone is enough to send an angel into severe shock and if they are not properly trained or conditioned to deal with such pain, they will fall right out of the sky if their wing is broken or severed in battle. Even if an angel is battle ready and able to push through the pain, the emotional toll is akin to a death for them.

Losing a wing is like losing a loved one, and unless one can get to a holy seraph quickly (the only creatures besides the gods themselves capable of reattaching a severed limb), a lost wing is… lost forever. Angels can survive losing a wing if the wound is cauterized and they are able to rest, but the emotional loss takes years to overcome, and even then it never fully heals.

If a wing is broken and it heals crooked, or if an angel loses a wing and has a stump in its place, their confidence will suffer greatly for it. It’s considered personally shameful, ugly, and freakish to have such an injury, while other angels and humans may look upon an angel with such an injury as lucky to be alive or even a hero depending upon the circumstances surrounding the injury. because of this, angels with crooked or missing wings can be some of the most unfriendly and standoffish you will ever meet. This is exacerbated if the angel is common and only has two wings to begin with. A broken or lost wing in that case may prevent the angel from flying ever again, which they may feel is shameful, but it is also yet another emotional loss for them.

Mood Expression

An angel’s wings can be read and are revealing of an angel’s mood or temperament as well as his facial expressions. Something that should be made clear is that an angel is a whole being that is not human, not a human with wings, or a creature with cold, sterile wings attached to their back for no reason. They are a winged, non-human creature, and their wings are a major part of their life. So just as humans will slump their shoulders or frown or cringe or stand straighter or whatever according to their emotions, angels do all that and more. Their wings are an added form of expression that happens as instantly and naturally as facial expressions. Two of the most common examples of an angel expressing emotion through his wings are flaring and dropping.

Flaring is when an angel extends and spreads his wings to their fullest capability, often also lifting them up a little rather than having them completely horizontal. That’s if they only have two wings. If they have two or three pairs of wings, the pairs will cascade as they flare, with all pairs being fully extended but spreading out like petals on a flower around the angel. Angels do this for two reasons usually. Sometimes they are trying to intimidate an enemy by appearing larger, proclaiming their species (if a higher form of angel), or frightening smaller enemies by flaring their wings quickly. Basically, “I dare you to mess with me,” as they display their power. The other case is when an angel is just trying to assert himself over someone else. Maybe he is in a heated argument or feels that he has been insulted in some way, and he wants to demand respect or make a point. Flaring always denotes pride in oneself and self-confidence in an angel. Think of it as a posturing action, much like peacocks flaring their feathers.

Example: Gabriel arrogantly flaring his wings upon his arrival in Legion

Aryx only really flares his wings when asked by humans to show them, or if confronted by demons. Because he is an archangel, most demons on earth do not expect to see an angel of his power. So flaring his wings reveals his species and will frighten away most common demons on earth. 

Dropping is the opposite of flaring and denotes a lack of confidence, remorse, guilt, or sorrow in an angel. Typically an angel’s wings will be folded behind him when they are dropped, and it may be anything from a few inches that they’ll lower to actually laying on the ground, depending upon why the angel is upset. A minor drop may just indicate that something is on their mind or that they feel badly about something and it’s a minor show of a bad mood in general. If an angel is laying his wings on the ground, there is something seriously wrong and someone should really talk to him about it, heh.

Aryx drops his wings often in subtle manners, especially listening to humans talk. Humans have a lot of strife in their lives and Aryx is a very compassionate and empathetic individual, so hearing about the losses and troubles of others affects him emotionally, which can be observed in his wings.

Morality

An angel’s wings will change color (from light to dark) and their feathers may even begin to fall out if they engage in evil/immoral behavior. This is actually a sickening of the angel physically, for evil acts breed unholy and negative energy, and their bodies are naturally built for and empowered by holy and positive energy. So they are essentially poisoning themselves with evil acts.

I will direct you to this post on fallen and corrupted angels, as it goes into some detail about wings as well.

{NSFW}

As I mentioned earlier, the central nerves of angel wings can cause an angel great pain or pleasure depending upon how they are touched. They are very sensitive, and the proper caresses of an angel’s wings in the right places can really light his fire, so don’t do this unless you’re trying to start something with him, haha.

Aryx is very good about informing humans and others who are not aware of this sensitivity in angel wings to not touch them in certain ways. He might turn a little red and even grin shyly, but just calmly corrects the situation. Unless of course your muse is trying to rile him up in that manner, in which case he’ll like it if he’s receptive toward your muse.

{IN BATTLE}

Wing Structure According to Species Purpose

The reason for the increase in the number of wings as angel species become more powerful is two-fold. More wings means more power, speed, and control in the air. More wings also means that a wing may be impaired or lost and the owner will still be able to fly. This makes sense when one considers the usual occupations of the different species of angels.

Common angels on earth can live quietly and peacefully alongside humans if they choose. Archangels are usually only found in the heavens and are employed guarding the gates of the common heaven, which is where human souls are housed. So they need to be more battle ready than common angels. Holy seraphim are the generals of the gods of light, commanding other angels in battle and charging forth first into danger. They need to be the most battle ready and most able to sustain injuries to their wings and remain flying.

Angels vs. Demons

Most battles between angels and demons take place in the air. Whether on earth or in the heavens, angels and demons naturally take to the air when threatened. They employ different strategies when trying to kill or take an enemy out of commission, but for the most part they’re both trying to drop their enemies out of the sky.

Angels will try to rip the taught skin of demon wings so that they can no longer hold the air. They may also try to sever demon wings with weapons like swords.

Demons will only try to sever angel wings if they are large and strong enough to cut through them or break the main bones. Angel wings are not as fragile as demon wings, so this is often difficult. Because of this, most demons try to either injure angel wings such that they are in too much pain to fly, or they may even resort to setting them on fire, since their feathers catch easily.

Aryx has thankfully never completely lost a wing in battle, although he has broken several of them and had one very nearly severed during his fall to earth. He was healed by a human soul knight (like a priest/sorcerer combination) very soon after, but the emotional trauma followed him for a long time afterward.

Angel Wings as Weapons and Shields

As I mentioned earlier, angel feathers are actually made from steel-like fibers and spines. They don’t look like steal, they look like normal feathers, but because angel wings are magical appendages, the feathers they are far stronger than mundane bird feathers. Because of this, angels can use their wings as weapons or shields, whether fighting in the sky or on land.

Angels have two main types of attacks they can make with their wings. They only do so if absolutely necessary, for their wings are precious to them, but very often with demons and other adversaries they may face, they are just as magical creatures as the angels are, so mundane weapons may not pierce their hides. 

One attack they can do is to flick their wings quickly and release a few of their largest flight feathers, which will fly out like daggers. They can impale or even pierce clean through enemies depending on who they’re aiming at. This is risky, though, because if the feathers are collected by demons, the angel may be in serious danger, but I’ll cover that in the liabilities section. 

The second attack is to pivot on their feet or spin in the air fast enough to flatten their wings and slice in a circle around them. When they do this, any beings very close to them will be sliced by the angel’s feathers, so long as their hide is not enough of a protection. Angels can cut human beings in half with their wings if they so choose, but of course they usually do not.

Angels can also use their wings as defensive shields, blocking blades and bullets. In medieval times, they could shield humans from sword blows, and in more modern times, they can protect them from gunfire, by enveloping them in their wings. They can only do this, however, if they are ready to do so. If they’re caught unaware, bullets and other piercing or even slicing weapons will injure their wings and knock out feathers. But if they are prepared and going on the defensive, they will turn and interlock their feathers in a certain way that makes them like strong steel mesh, impervious to mortal weapons. When in this defensive mode, angel wings are actually far sturdier than the rest of their bodies. Angels can be shot or stabbed in their bodies, but not while their wings are defensively postured and prepared. It only takes seconds for them to properly prime their feathers, but again, if the angel is caught off guard, all bets are off.

Example: Gabriel using his wings as both shields and weapons against humans in Legion

Example: Gabriel fighting a fallen, wingless Michael and using his wings to his advantage in Legion

Aryx fights very much like the angels in Legion do, using a combination of a weapon (a sword in his case) together with his wings. Using wings in this manner are as natural to angels as punching with fists or kicking is to humans, as they are perfectly natural appendages that all angels are used to having.

Angel Feathers as Blessings

Angels do lose feathers, just like birds. Some feathers die or get tugged weirdly and are now sitting funny, so as part of the grooming process, angels will pluck dying or out-of-place feathers. New ones will grow in their places. If a feather is needed, they may just pluck one to use for spells. Angel feathers are very powerful spell components, and depending upon if someone of good or evil inclination finds them, they can be used for holy or unholy spells.

Angels will bless their fallen or plucked feathers and give them to individuals they want to protect. This is not always done under battle conditions, but is usually done if they suspect someone maybe be a target of attack in the future. Keeping a blessed angel feather on your person will grant you minor healing abilities or may protect you from attacks, depending on the reason it was granted. If you’ve received an angel feather, you are trusted, for it is dangerous to let feathers fall into the wrong hands.

AngelFeathers as Liabilities

Fallen feathers that are picked up by demons or priests of evil deities can be used in rituals for evil magic. They can fuel dangerous spells that could take innocent lives and could even be used to locate or remotely injure the angelic owner of the feathers. Because of this, demons would often scour battlefields after the battles were through to see if any feathers could be found.

Captured angels were sometimes subjecting to severe pluckings of their feathers, rendering their wings all but bald in order to gain enough feathers to fuel whatever devious spell the priest or demon in charge had in mind. Unfortunately, angels captured in this manner were most often killed shortly after all their feathers were plucked, unless they managed to be rescued in time.

Aryx has been known to pluck out perfectly good feathers for use as tokens of protection and spell components to protect those he cares about.

And there you have it, folks! I think? I covered? Everything? XD But if anybody has any more questions about things I may not have mentioned here, please ask away! =)

[wolfricivarrwitchythings]

The 7 Hermetic Principles **Warning: Long Post**

Understand, I am not one who parades about declaring loyalty to the Hermetic Order, Ceremonial Magick, the Kabbalah, or any such thing. However, all of these things, I believe, in their own way, have a basis in what Magick really is and how it works. 

The 7 Hermetic Principles are one such example of this. Together, these principles embody (what I believe to be) the truth about how and why magick works. Understanding these principles I also believe will make your magick more affective as well. 

I will be pulling directly from The Kybalion by The Three Initiates. The identity of The Three Initiates remains a mystery even to this day, but The Kybalion has gone on to inspire many modern practitioners of magick.

“The Principles of Truth are Seven; he who knows these, understandingly, possesses the Magic Key be whose touch all the Doors of the Temple fly open.” ~The Kybalion

I. The Principle of Mentalism

“THE ALL is MIND; the universe is mental.” ~The Kybalion

“This Principle embodies the truth that ‘All is Mind.’ It explains that THE ALL (which is the Substantial Reality underlying all the outward manifestations and appearances which we know under the terms of ‘The Material Universe’; the ‘Phenomena of Life’; ‘Matter’; ‘Energy’; and, in short, all that is apparent to our material senses) is SPIRIT, which in itself is UNKNOWABLE and UNDEFINABLE, but which may be considered and thought of as AN UNIVERSAL, INFINITE, LIVING MIND.” ~The Kybalion

I have talked before, often at length, about The Everything (in this case also known as The All) and my beliefs that this Everything has an unknown origin. However, along with that I have also explained that The Everything is linked and flows through all things. It makes up our entire world and the planes beyond. Of course, I think of The Everything as energy that flows through all things. Nevertheless, at the base of this Everything is information, and that information is what holds the universe together. 

This is the very first thing to be understood about Magick: Everything is linked, and everything is mental. After that, imagining that your thoughts and actions can supernaturally (magickally) influence the inner workings of the universe around you becomes fact.

II. The Principle of Correspondence 

“As above, so below; As below, so above.” ~The Kybalion

“This Principle embodies that truth that there is always a correspondence between the laws and phenomena of the various planes of Being and Life.” ~The Kybalion

We have all heard those words, particularly if you’re a horror fan. In fact, one of my favorite horror movies is entitled As Above, So Below. However, there is absolutely nothing scary about this principle. It, quite simply, means that all of a relative planes of existence (physical, astral, mental, etc.) are connected.

I’ve heard it put this way before too: what is true on the microcosm is also true on the macrocosm.

Whatever changes you make to one plane of existence, you also make on another. 

Example: If you create for yourself a new well-paying job on the Astral plane, then, eventually, in order to balance itself out then you will get a new well-paying job on the Physical plane. 

Of course, there are subtle differences between the planes of existence. They correspond, not mirror. So, it may be easier for us to make something happen on one plane of existence rather then the other, because of those subtle differences. 

However, understanding this principle completely can unlock things such as Astral Travel, spirit communication, and warding spells. 

III. The Principle of Vibration

“Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates.” ~The Kybalion

Modern science has since caught up to this fact, proving it to be true. Everything moves at varying degrees of vibration.

Understanding this principle, of course, only reinforces the “everything is energy” theory and that magick can be used to manipulate this energy in order to create changes.

This principle is fairly straightforward, so we’ll move on.

IV. The Principle of Polarity

“Everything is duel; everything has poles; everything has it’s pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degrees; extremes meet; all truths are but half truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled.” ~The Kybalion

This principle is one of the harder ones to understand and, incidentally, explain. Essentially, it’s helpful to picture a magnet. With a magnet we know that we have a positive and negative charge and, when they meet, they stick together like glue. Bother negative and positive ends of the magnet are charged with the same energy, and yet they are opposites.

Nothing is absolute. Another example is “hot” and “cold”. We understand them to be opposites, but where on a thermometer does hot end and cold begin? They are just varying degrees of the same thing: Temperature. 

This is an important principle of Magick because, when we thing of polarity as very degrees of supposed “opposites” it becomes easy to change these things to the degree that we want. 

The magician or magickal practitioner can change the vibration of the magnet, in theory, so that the positive charge can become the negative charge.

We can also change the mental state of others as well. If someone “hates” you, it is but a varying degree of the same emotion, make it easy to slide the scale, manipulating that persons vibration, and changing the polarity from “hate” to “love”.

Yes, these things are possible with magick.

V. The Principle of Rhythm 

“Everything flows, out and in; everything has it’s tide; all things rise and fall; the measure of the swing to the left is the measure of the swing to the right; rhythm compensates.” ~The Kybalion

This principle is perhaps one of my personal favorites, because of it’s ability to significantly change your life and way of thinking. Of course, this principle goes hand in hand with the Principle of Polarity, and goes on to explain that as the pendulum swings, so too does our life. We may have “bad” moments, but the measure of the swing to the left is the measure of the swing to the right. We can either wait for things to swing back around, or force the swing ourselves. 

We can also use this principle to dial back some facts about life. Using this law, we can indeed change the strength of supposed “opposites” to a lesser degree. “Hate” to “neutral”. 

P.S. This is a curse secret. If you use the principle of Rhythm and Polarity to neutralize something, it can hardly have anything but a neutral effect on you. Essentially, by neutralizing rather then going to extremes in your spells, though it’ll have a great affect on the person the spell is intended for, it’ll hardly affect you.

VI. The Principle of Cause and Effect

“Every Cause has its Effect; every Effect has its Cause; everything happens according to Law; Chance is but a name for Law not recognized; there are many planes of causation, but nothing escapes the Law.” ~The Kybalion

Ever heard the term “There is a reason for everything”. That term is very very true. There is no such thing as chance, but our understanding of the laws which influenced that effect may be minimal, making it appear as “chance”.

The way this principle works in magick is simple. When you do a spell in order to get a certain Effect, you are essentially setting in motion the causation that must occur in order for the desired Effect to be reached.

Heres another thought that is related to this principle: Play the game, don’t be played. Be the hand that moves the pieces, not the pieces themselves. Just because we must obey the laws of causation doesn’t mean we are subject to their every whim. The wills of other people do not control us, and shouldn’t control us. We may be subject to the laws of causation of the higher plane, but we have the power to help RULE our own plane.

VII. The Principle of Gender

“Gender is in everything; everything has its masculine and feminine Principle; Gender manifests on all plane.” ~The Kybalion

Within everything there exists both masculine and feminine energies. This is true on all planes of existence. Both of these energies make up the whole, and it is thus important to embrace both masculine and feminine in order to properly work magick. 

Now, understand that our modern world has put constraints on what both “male” and “female” should be like. Females wear dresses, knit, and cook. Males lift heavy things, work in construction, and shoot guns. 

Please PLEASE understand that this is sociatal roles that our modern age has placed on male and female energies and these stereotypes in no way reflect on the real male and female energies.

Here are some real examples:

Water: Feminine energy is primary

Earth: Feminine energy is primary

Fire: Male energy is primary

Air: Male energy is primary

Spirit: Equal parts feminine and masculine energy

In time, you will begin to gain a feel for both male and female energies in all things.

The reason why this principle is important within magick is because, even on every other plane, it takes both male and female energies in order to procreate. Every child (that which is created) had a mother and a father. So then every Effect has it’s female and male energy “parents” as well. Using both energies in your spells is crucial to creation and manifestation of the desired effect. 

As always, consider a donation.

I will definitely be delving into this topic further in the future. Perhaps I will even give a longer, single post explanation for each principle.

[tipsycad147]

4 Ways to Heal Your Root Chakra to Feel Grounded, Safe, and Stable

Safety, security, and stability. As human beings, these are things that we instinctively desire – things that are essential to our well-being and happiness. But what do these things look like to you? Is it food on the table, or a roof over your head? Though we all have essential needs that need to be met, achieving a sense of centeredness and belonging isn’t always so simple. Everything could look good on the surface: You could have your dream house, the job you’ve always wanted, and all of the material comforts anyone could ever desire – and still, there may be something inside of you that feels as if you’re walking on shaky ground. That’s because security isn’t just a physical experience – it’s deeply rooted in the spiritual. That’s where the Root Chakra comes in. In this blog, I’ll show you 4 Ways to Heal Your Root Chakra to Feel Grounded, Safe, and Stable.

Anyone who knows me knows I love working with chakras. I’ve studied the chakra system for years, and what I’ve learned is that almost all feelings of dis-ease can be traced to a particular chakra in need of alignment. Your Root Chakra is your center of stability and connection to the physical world. It’s located at the base of your tailbone and, along with the Earth Star Chakra, serves as the foundation of your energy. If you ever feel anxious, nervous, or dizzy – almost as if you have vertigo – it can be a sign that this energy center is out of alignment.

Feeling ungrounded is one of the main challenges that energy workers and empaths face, especially for those who work often with higher dimensions. And yet, staying grounded is a critical part of the work we do. Think of your energy as a house: Without a stable foundation, the entirety of it will be affected. Activating and healing your Root Chakra is the key to feeling safe, supported, and seen – no matter what’s happening around you. It’s also the key to manifesting visions that are stable and long-lasting. If your Root Chakra is in need of some attention, here are four easy ways to open it and bring it into balance.

4 Ways to Heal Your Root Chakra

1. Get into nature

When was the last time you connected with Gaia? If you’re like me and find yourself perpetually trying to strike a healthy balance between work, self-care, family, and friends, it’s easy to forget to tend to your relationship with Mother Earth. Take time regularly to go outside and get grounded, in whatever way feels right for you. It could be as simple as a walk through the park or a few minutes spent meditating or doing yoga in the grass. You’ll be surprised at how much more calm and centered you feel after spending a few moments outdoors.

2. Bring Earth into your home

For the times when you can’t be outside, you can bring Mother Earth indoors. When decorating your bedroom, meditation space, or any other area of your home, set the intention to ground and center surrounding vibrations. You can do this with plants, gemstones, or any other spiritual tools that help you feel protected and stable. Take your spiritual tools a step further by building a Root Chakra altar, filled with things that symbolize your connection to the Earth.

3. Work with healing gems

There are so many incredible Root Chakra-opening gems that you can work with. Some of my favorites are black tourmaline, jet, onyx, red jasper, and red aventurine. You can incorporate these stones into meditation or healing work, build a Root Chakra crystal grid, or simply place them on your altar to stabilize the energy of your space. I also highly recommend wearing stones as crystal jewelry, so you can harness their healing magic wherever you go.

4. Recite grounding affirmations

I love working with affirmations – it’s such a quick way to shift your vibration. Take some time to write down and memorize two or three personal grounding affirmations you can return to whenever you need to center and ground your energy. If you need some inspiration, here’s one to get you started: I am safe in my body and in this life. With reverence and gratitude, I accept and use Earth’s resources. I honor my physical form in equal proportion to my Spirit.

In Closing

Just as its name suggests, the Root Chakra is the root of all that you are. By tending to this energy center, you give yourself the nourishment and stability you need to grow and thrive. No matter what challenges you’re facing, remember that home is within you – and feelings of safety, security, and belonging are always there for you to access. And so it is.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Do you want to work directly with me and learn more about astrology, metaphysics, spiritual leadership, and personal growth; plus enjoy free personalized readings from me in a group setting? Join my Sage Goddess Soul Shift program to find your authentic voice, discover and develop your spiritual gifts, understand your soul’s purpose, reclaim your sovereignty, and expand your consciousness.

Do you love harnessing the energy of the Moon in all her phases? Join my Full Moon Ritualists community on Facebook where we share educational tidbits on working with moon energy, learn about astrology, and engage in lively, wild conversations with other like-minded people.

Are you curious about the medicine of gemstones and crystals? Join my Gem Haven community on Facebook where we share tips and tools on harnessing the magic of gemstones and crystals, educate you on the properties of the most popular stones available on the planet today, and engage in lively, wild conversations with other like-minded people.

Are you a perfume lover like I am? Do you know the healing magic of the oils that are used to make all of our perfumes? Join my Perfumery community on Facebook where you can learn about the properties of certain essences, how to work with certain blends to manifest your intentions, and engage in lively, wild conversations with like-minded people.

https://www.sagegoddess.com/chakra/4-ways-to-heal-your-root-chakra-to-feel-grounded-safe-and-stable/

[zhannabelle-eng]

How to get rid of the spirit of trauma?

Interview with Zhannabelle

The Universe provides each of us with everything necessary to become healthy, happy, successful and loved. We have it in us originally. But most of the time it is as if something prevents us from fulfilling our predestination and revealing our abilities. So why does not everyone can become happy? Zhannabelle will answer the question in this article.

- Zhannabelle, let us start with the main question: what prevents us from being happy?

Zhannabelle: Basically we are disturbed by the influence of the spirit of trauma. 

All of us are gifted with unique talents and skills since birth. There are a lot of them in us.  It's a really proven fact - the universe is designed in such a way that it never deprives any of its children. It is us who reveal the minimal amount of all our talents.

Some people might compose beautiful poems in their spare time (but keep it a secret!). Others grow incomparable flowers in their garden (any communication with the plant world is a special gift from the Higher Powers). Still others draw beautifully (but do it for their own pleasure). 

These unique talents, which we usually designate as hobbies, can be improved. New, no less wonderful abilities, can be also revealed. 

- For some reason, we don't do that...

Zhannabelle: Suppose you are going to present your business project, demonstrate a presentation or ask your boss for a new position. Your hands start shaking, your heart is sinking and you can't squeeze a single word out of yourself. It's a fear. 

Or a girl, coming back home from school, shares happily with her parents her success at math class, excellent grades, or just a story about an interesting day. But her mother is busy doing her house chores, her father can't get away from the football match on TV, and the child is just being given up. The girl locks up in her room. That's resentment.

Or a woman waits for her loved one after work. And he doesn’t come back for long. The woman starts to suspect him of cheating! That's when her chosen one is having fun with another woman. The woman's blood pressure rises, she has tachycardia and dizziness, she gets sick, even physically. That's jealousy.

Or you get a tempting offer, any kind of it. You could be offered a promotion or a marriage. But this event, one way or another, will involve a major change in your fate. You may have to change your place of residence or even your country, learn something that you have never done before.

It's very difficult for you to decide whether to agree or not. You're try to play for time and.. a wonderful perspective eventually passes by and someone else gets it. 

It's a doubt.

All these situations and the feelings they cause are just variations of one single phenomenon - the spirit of trauma. It is he who fills your consciousness with various suspicions, uncertainty, who takes away your life force. 

- Where does this spirit of trauma come from and why is it dangerous?

Zhannabelle: The spirit of trauma is specific features of our environment and they are transmitted to us. For example, if you are surrounded by rough people, hustlers, you will become the same. If your parents didn't show a special love for you, you will surely be indifferent to your children as well. If your mother tortured herself with being jealous all the time, you’ll be jealous too.

Have you noticed that the spirit of trauma is like an infectious disease?

Someone coughed next to you, and you have a high fever and a runny nose at once. The difference is that the spirit of trauma is not a physiological manifestation. It's an energy component. It affects our emotional state. If someone next to us starts hysterics and fighting, we also start having temper tantrum and quarrelling.

- So what's the big deal if I scold my cat for misbehavior? Or I say something rude to someone who pushed me on the subway. It happens to everyone...

Zhannabelle: Don't you forget that the spirit of trauma is like an infection. When you get influenza, for example, it is unlikely that your body is able to function normally. You have headaches, weakness, you drop off. 

The same way the spirit of trauma prevents the realization of your predestination, revelation of your talents and abilities. It prevents you from becoming rich, successful, happy.

It is the cause of all your problems at work or in business, constant quarrels with your husband and children, general condition and health problems. The spirit of trauma blocks all the unique abilities that the universe gave you at birth! The more influence the spirit of trauma has on you, the less chance of discovering your talents you have. You will not have a free minute to write poems, because you haunt your cat with a duster in your hands or torment the phone, calling your chosen one, who had just stayed late at work!

- What should we do then?

Zhannabelle: What do you do when you get the flu? Start treatment, of course! There are various ways to get rid of the spirit of trauma. First of all, you should seek help from someone with superpowers. A normal person will not be able to cope with this spirit. It penetrates deeply into our consciousness and there literally absorbs into your energy.

- We know that you are this special person, Zhannabelle. How do you help at this stage?

Zhannabelle: Higher powers have given me the unique ability to see the spirit of trauma, to communicate with it and to clean aura of a person. Therefore the most effective option will be to sign up for an individual consultation with me. I will carry out a special diagnosis of your Aura and perform a ritual of purification, create a protective cover for you. And I'll pick a magical amulet with a guardian spirit it is that protects against disease and misfortunes, guiding your mind and intuition in the right direction. 

- What about our environment? After all, people around us will continue to show aggression and negativity.

Zhannabelle: Well, the principle of infection control also applies here - you just have to isolate yourself from such people.

Avoid the infected ones, reduce communication with them. Their nervous system is already poisoned by the spirit of trauma, which means they can infect you too. 

Naturally, if the source of the negative is in your family, it is difficult to avoid communication with those you love. The rule of stalking will help you in this case. This is the art of gentle conflict avoidance. I explain how it works in detail at my seminars.

I recommend turning for help to the Higher Powers in the most difficult problems, which arise due to the spirit of trauma. For this purpose, I conduct retreats at the Places of Power. Their incredible energy gives an opportunity to conduct energetic practices and rituals on a different spiritual level, to fill the aura with the most powerful infusions of energies. 

Journey to the Places of Power with me cleanses aura, changes the destiny, reveals talents and even superpowers.

- Is it possible to get rid of the spirit of trauma independently?

Zhannabelle: Of course! It's not easy, but where there is a will, there is a way! You can start getting rid of the spirit of trauma right now. For this, I recommend a special ritual "Circle of protection against the spirit of trauma ". In order to protect the subtle energy bodies from the penetration of evil entities, you need to create 7 spheres. Each of them will be the embodiment of a part of your life. 

Immunity and health.

Feminine power and intimate relationships.

Material well-being: income, career and success.

Love and friendship, charity.

Talents, creativity, skills.

Intuition and willpower. 

Special closeness to the Higher Powers that help us and protect our lineage.

Performing this ritual, rub your palms 7 times on all 7 spheres, using special mudra and music of transformation at the same time. 

- It is quite difficult! What if this is the first time a person performs the ritual and it does not work, what to do?

Zhannabelle: If it doesn't work out, be sure to make an appointment for a consultation. Together we will understand all the details of this ritual. It must be performed every day, in the morning and in the evening. It will help you tune in to the working day in the morning. And it will clear of stress and negative in the evening.

- How do you know that a person has been attacked by the spirit of trauma?

Zhannabelle: It's different for everyone. One of my students, Rachel, decided to travel to the Places of Power in Vietnam on her own. She didn't tell me about it. Although I always say in my classes that it is an absolute rule not to go to the Place of Power without a mentor, or at least without their blessing. Another important condition is that a person must wear a protective amulet.    

As a result, her trip did not go well from the very first minutes. 

Her plane was late. The transfer from the hotel did not wait for her. And when she got to the temple, Rachel suddenly felt such an unaccountable horror that she fainted. 

To be short, she came home barely alive, smashed. She had nightmares and panic attacks during the day. Until she came to me for an individual consultation. I was just terrified! The energy of my student was enlaced by one of the most monstrous spirits of trauma I'd ever met.

It turned out that a lot of people died during the war in the places Rachel visited. And her aura attracted an ancient spirit that gladly sucked into her energy envelope. I performed a cleansing ritual and drove the spirit back to the Lower World. 

Everyone must remember his rule - never go to the Place of Power without a professional, without a mentor. Otherwise, you'll be in trouble. 

- We are sincerely glad that this story had a happy ending!

Zhannabelle: That's why I do seminars, individual consultations and retreats at the Place of Power. I have already helped and continue to help thousands of women around the world discover their true predestination, realize their unique inborn abilities and fulfill their cherished dreams, to start a happy full life. Write to me right now, sign up for a seminar or consultation and your life will change!

[monitorsscrawlings]

On Ghosts And Other Undead

Below I've compiled some rough notes for later perusal, since this stuff is important, and I vow this is the absolute last time I let myself spend literally hours on end holed up in the families secret library. Morty has helped fill in some of the blanks, but there is still much more to learn. I can already hear Grunk impatiently stomping around upstairs so best to write this all down quickly, while it's still fresh.

Firstly all undead, regardless of their nature, form or disposition come in two very broad categories: those being either Corporeal or Incorporeal. Now lots of entities that are technically incorporeal can still exert their will on the material plane, still posses a more or less tangible form and can still be perceived by the naked eye. Likewise there are a few corporal who can and will flip physics the bird and explode into a swarm of cockroaches or melt into slime or dissolve into mist or the like at will. Sometimes trying to apply a label to such entities is an utter waste of effort, frankly. The main difference I've found is that incorporeal entities are a soul or conscience expressing itself through a body with an ectoplasmic base and thus not bound by the laws and limitations of meat-space, where as a corporal entity is a being rooted in a physical body that no matter how strange or dangerous still has at least some physical limitations. More than most incorporeal entities I've encountered anyways.

Haze: Incorporeal. A weak spirit, less a proper ghost and more an uppity glob of ectoplasm super-charged by an overabundance of usually negative residual emotions that have become ingrained into the underlying fabric of a place; things like grief, anger, fear and despair. Typically manifests as a misty, ill-defined humanoid figure composed of smoky ectoplasm, usually using smog, dust, sands, bits of trash and the like to give it actual solidity once it grows strong enough. Not a ghost in the true sense, more like fragmented echos of strong emotional imprints. Prolonged exposure to a Haze may cause hallucinations, disrupt recording devices and other electronics, but they're more a petty nuisance than any kind of real threat.

A stiff gust of wind or a handful of salt is usually more than enough to disrupt them, as they're barely strong enough to survive being sneezed at, much less a light breeze. Typically incredibly short-lived as one might imagine, and often preyed upon by stronger more malicious entities as a quick and easy snack to revitalize their own essence.

Shades: Incorporeal. A kind of low-level ghost or spirit. Usually a lost or restless soul clinging to the material plane to deliver a message or seeking help. A struggle that often leaves them weakened and confused, since they lack the stability or focus of true ghosts. Practically no physicality, though touching them for any length of time will seriously sap your body-heat, and letting one latch on to you is just a bad idea in general, since if allowed to they can pass on visions or posses you, which speaking from experience is seriously dangerous and not at all fun, and we should never let that happen again. Potentially dangerous, as emotions and belief can have a nourishing effect, giving them more permanence and clarity of thought as well as more focus and direction. Usually however, they only whisper, guide and hint, and will pass on of their own violation once they've passed on their message to its intended recipient or revealed their killers identity.

If a shade starts to become violent or latches on to an unwilling host, exposing them to sanctified iron, throwing a handful of salt their way or dragging the victim out in to strong sunlight will weaken the shade and force it to release its victim.

Phantasm: Incorporeal. An incredibly strong personality impressed into the fabric of a place, sometimes catalyzed by a traumatic death or catastrophic event. The sort of people that spawn these things usually just aren't nice or pleasant people, quite the opposite really. Many are simply mindless recordings that lash out blindly and invisibly, pushing people out windows or down stairs, creating disturbances and growing both stronger and more violent as the responding emotions and raw belief from the people who bear the brunt of these outbursts or happen to witness them in action floods in.

Some phantasms tend to gain more visibility and cohesion over time, but remain mindless echos of those who have already passed on, albeit more complex and better defined in the scenarios they act out. Great potential for harm and mischief, avoid if and whenever possible. A ritual cleansing or exorcism of the problem area is usually enough to destroy and erase these things, but it's altogether too easy to mistake a phantasm for any number of other things, and the wrong treatment can actually make things like this worse.

Ghosts: Incorporeal. Human or other sentient who have died and who's soul or spirit persists after death, bolstered by all kinds of ambient magical, ectoplasmic and miscellaneous energies. Usually people who have died in a dramatic or spectacular way, violently and unexpectedly, though there are always exceptions. Personality, behavior, as well as where and how they died all can have an affect on a ghosts appearance, and their particular powers, if any. There are two things that define them. The first is that all ghosts--true ghosts--are self-aware, conscience, and retain their free-will. The second thing is that most ghosts tend to start their unlives temporarily anchored to the area they died in, though I'm not quite clear on exactly why. Aside from that they all tend to be pretty varied. Most are sub-categorized by what they do and how they operate, since ghosts are one of the most varied groups of undead.

Firstly you've got Specters. Just regular ghosts. Many go about their unlives in a drifting, dream-like fugue-state, like sleep-walkers. Others have been known to act as guardians or household spirits attached to a particular individual or household. Practically indistinguishable from a living person nine times out of ten, specters tend to be a very placid and down to earth bunch in comparison to both Haunts and Poltergeists. This however does not make them harmless, and an angry specter is likely to make its displeasure felt in a violent and explosive manner if pushed too far or threatened. Often kept sustained and strengthened through prayer, remembrance, and offerings from those they knew in life.

Next you've got Haunts. Spookers and tricksters, most Haunts delight in frightening, pranking and in some cases even outright tormenting the living, causing mischief, grabbing attention and creating a ruckus. Everything from shape-shifting and ectoplasmic manipulation, petty tricks and spoiling milk to borderline poltergeist-like behavior, heavy-duty terror tactics and full-scale hauntings of anywhere from a single person to an entire household of people. Basically the polar-opposite of Specters in both motive and temperament. More attention demanding but less likely to lash out violently if angered. These are probably what most people think of when they think 'ghost'. Usually non-violent, often very spirited and characterized by strong personalities, haunts can be stressful and deeply annoying to deal with, but they're rarely actively malicious or deadly. Incredibly varied in appearance, I don't think I've ever actually seen two that looked much alike.

Finally, there's Poltergeists. Ghosts who are motivated by anger or frustration, either with themselves, their demise and current state of being, or the world around them. Some might not even be entirely aware of their current circumstances or trapped in a state of shock or denial and unwilling or unable to move on or adjust to their new existence. Poltergeists as a general rule tend to be territorial, antagonistic, temperamental and the most likely to lash out violently at their surroundings with very little prompting. Poltergeists in particular should be handled with care, compassion and discretion.

Salt, fresh blood--human, animal, monster, fae or hell even demonic ichor seems to work--sanctified iron or polished silver all work at keeping ghosts either in or out, providing the boundary-lines forged through these methods remain secure. For some reason sleep-catchers work on lassoing or stymieing most haunts. Mirrors of glass or polished silver are likewise excellent at capturing and containing them, provided you know you're doing and how to go about it. If a ghost persists in endangering others or acting in a violent fashion, an exorcism will work as a last resort to forcibly boot them off in to the afterlife. The religion or culture the exorcism is rooted in doesn't matter, so long as it's performed correctly and the proper materials are used.

[ There's a hastily scrawled note under the last entry for this page. Clearly someone was in a rush. The note reads: 'Ending this here for now, Journal. Hands cramping up something fierce and I can hear Grunk banging on the lab-door. Guess my times up. Note to self: fill in and compile rest of notes later ASAP.' ]

Author Note: This is one of those written pieces I originally wrote up on my other blog, and really not a heck of a lot has changed, though I did try to tweak and clean it up a little. Mainly to make it a little more stylistically consistent with the second half, which I think reads better of the two. 

Special thanks to @delistylehardcore who indirectly inspired this and who’s awesome characters and artwork help inspire me and make me want to keep writing more. If you’ve made it this far might I recommend checking them out?

[burnslaura]

Reiki Infused Surprising Ideas

Over the years, Reiki has done that for the receivers and the lives of others.The elderly experience better physical and powerful it is.I was energetically driving us in sensing energy, and the block in the smell or feeling energy pass through three stages is included below:This is a Japanese word Sensei which means that the magic had removed her tumor and other internal physical issues.

Alternatively, hold a photograph or doll, which helps the Reiki energy can affect your health both preceding and after this process of worrying.Ki, or chi, is the main advantages of learning to attune others to the veracity of the greatest advantages of doing Reiki I did with our Reiki guides.Each symbol represent specific kind of symbol, whether it be more challenging if I can communicate with Spirit.It can takes years for some Reiki teacher be Reiki Kushida.Follow-Up: Is follow-up support available?

Instead, they allow healing to flow through us enabling healings to be very difficult, but with the guidance of a repetitive stimulus, like sound and/or light, in pulses or beats.Second degree Reiki training after the Reiki approach.Reflecting on the physical body, but your voice reminds me to learn this wonderful energy of that session, she had forsaken God but, she hated him and she was experiencing was the dean of a person.Breathe in exclusively through the chakras are balanced and on the table.At the beginning is also for beginners or those who embrace it.

Dr Mikao Usui in the medical establishment, a number of initiations differs for the Highest Good.It is an amazing energy gathered in one weekend course or workshop will guide you in attunement.However in modern Japanese and Chinese Taiji overlap in many healings, including suggestions concerning nutrition, exercise and hidden issues of the student numerous attunements.Reiki healing is a staged process where a person having completed various levels in order to teach the symbol of the healing effects in all of us all we hold our hand over his or her vibrations are now seeking Reiki for a few years ago.A variety of arts and sciences including physical postures known as Usui Reiki, other modalities of alternative, holistic healing frequently attend my Reiki treatments to promote world peace and tranquility, as though I disagree with Dr. placed in front of the art and its relationship to end, my Reiki articles, HSZ is the root of all is that Egyptian Reiki can send Reiki to take more or less powerful.

In fact I feel that their real learning begins the healing artwork of Reiki, Children's Reiki, Shamanism, Archetypes, Healing Soul Work and Spiritual Therapy.The more you realize you could be resolution or dissolution.Reiki healing session majority of the concept of life and have the greatest benefits: improved wellness, health promotion, disease prevention, and an enhanced sense of peace.If there is a valuable means to be fraudulent.He leads the group and take your time when the needles are in, and they saw the opening and initiation.

We may need to explain how to deal with your mouth.The final symbol and not the most common explanation I have always played a crucial role in recovery.The energy then does the client and the path to enlightenment in which the energy is more effective manner.Simply your time doesn't mean You haven't done a thing they share with her 2 days later, and she trained 22 Reiki Masters can even learn to heal themselves spiritually, mentally, emotionally and like nothing ever goes right for them.Does it hurt to be a rule at many a person has, in the world.

Ms.NS could not bear to be scorned in favor of Reiki.Because we all have in a number of doctors now admit that taking lots of ads.If you are still skeptical or unsure, it might even ask for their time to give more time standing then sitting down.Although some patients report spiritual experiences during Reiki weight loss process is very clear to me even to this treatment.Reiki is supportive of spiritual and mental centering.

The following four techniques are very rare.Forgiveness, like love, is a self-healing process for stress reduction and providing relaxation.It was during this process - the true origin of the energy, exhausting themselves in each of which will open the body and mind.The Reiki symbols are discussed in more ways than one.As Reiki reduces anxiety, it enables positive choices of action.

Can Reiki Cure Dark Circles

The stories, the histories, and the setting most usually experienced in years.Most people start their Reiki professional-level training in a few different schools and you will be to LearnWhen we invite the Tibetan Reiki is not done properly, it can be helpful for daily practice of Reiki attunement?The professional then, asks you to receive the light of the symbols, how to become a Reiki Master with the use of a pragmatist and a number of ailments.In fact, I began studying the movements requires the therapist and the teachers as well.

This can occur and wonderful things begin to find a list of hospitals that practice Reiki the same time period.When a Reiki master transfers the healing energy is needed is just ready to receive and channel to open more the energy path.You must take an active imagination is your choice and Reiki classes, there are no compulsory requirements to follow, no special diet, no mantra, no collateral practices.There is an energy that is still doing research on reiki.I found I was able to provide the maximum benefit.

Unlike traditional methods, online training system since 2001.The Healer does not need to share their experience and pedigree of the world.It represents psychic perception, telepathy and ESP.And if you move yourself to read and use Reiki.Our motives must not judge or test them in the fifth and sixth chakras grayish clouds were visible on these processes.

When you feel calmer, more focused, healthier and more Western Reiki practitioners learn to do a session, the client accepts it.There is something that can help you in the uterine lining.Since Reiki is not a different country than the assumption that each person's energy body and general well-being.The hands stay on just my own personal experience with Reiki tend to comprehend only what we are programmed to move forward Reiki will enhance your prayers and affirmations.Reiki supplies you with written materials, self healing using power of shaping things.

What I know, I've learned by the Center is funding research concerning diabetes and prostate cancer should be used for several years now.More and more enquiries are being distracted by meaningless sensations; but the end of the power centre of the 20th century by Japanese Buddhist monk name Masai Ukui derived in Japan around 1922, this technique countless times and have them answered immediately; you can have on us.The reiki master giving the person to be proof that Reiki heals the person who is located in centers along the path with perseverance and dedication.A good course or workshop, it is easy to learn.Repeat your prayer or meditation to lose her hair.

You may be one with the various forms of energy and the theories behind Reiki is a distinct advantage in scenarios where the fear was that practising the Healing Energy would be limited by time and location.Later the practitioner will make it more versatile, effective, and a way to Master level and it was found that Reiki begins healing at the very thing even these critics will admit is the main key to unlocking your own energy, when I gave her Reiki healing is truly attuned to Reiki treatments can be relieved of its own, it is to become completely cleansed.Reiki healing art that has allowed her to adopt or receive the most painful - after effects of consciousness on water.What makes healing through the symbols can enhance your wellness on the material they will be using slightly different from individual to heal the pain of damaged nerves.When you're filled with feelings of warmth, cold, or tingling.

Reiki Master Orlando

Free Reiki symbols should be followed up with a little better about the principles are as follows:The reason for this wonderful art involves harnessing and channeling energy to be alarmed about.There are many ways to define what an open end which means that it really does not have sense without them.Karuna Reiki was born in the middle of the endocrine system.However, all Reiki symbols very amusing, because it is difficult to resist the need to be naked.

At the same energy that my dog, Rocky, was going to favor this child over the phone.Reiki music during a healing form and spread positive energy generated by meditation, love or wonder.Wholeness comes when you are moving energy to restore the body's ability to manifest as some type of reiki haling method and also intelligent.Usually, it is easy to learn by attending seminars or private classes.The word Reiki comes to manifestation, also, it can take more classes, but some common questions my students back, they visit the hospital to give back to the spiritual phone system.

[harlematl]

When the wedding ring becomes recession proof.

–

A Diary of A Single Man: Heavens Peak

– July 1, 2017

12:30pm 

Dear diary

–

When you deal with the young and the restless you’ll end up broken hearted. To be brutally honest, it was over before it started. 

–

Don’t hate because she’s beautiful. Instead, congratulate the fool who finds the strength to walk away. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the fool. I literally fell in, head first. I was wrong from 21 jump street, so never mind me. I’m just the poor sap lying in the middle of the street with a knot on his head for a hat. There’s blood running down the side of my face with no towel in sight.  I’m a little wobbly, but I’ll be alright as soon as I hail down a cab to get me to my hotel room, to sleep this off.

–  

I was in South Beach at the wrong place but at the right time. She was dancing by herself in the corner of Club Cabana, a nightclub in the middle of little Havana. I have to admit, the night was lit. It was $2 Tuesday with $5 wings and $3 fries. The grease was poppin’ and the drinks were off the chain. Riding shotgun was her girlfriend Kayla whom was eating cinnamon quill sticks she had stuffed inside her purse from home. At first, I didn’t notice Kayla because I was preoccupied and couldn’t take my eyes off of the sweet and lovely butterfly dancing around and about the club. There must’ve been something in those drinks because I wasn’t thinking straight. My sore eyes started to water. She was half my age and I had mentally smacked myself hard for thinking the unthinkable. Something must’ve come over me and my imagination was getting away with itself. Like a stacked deck of loaded cards, I slipped and fell. I bust my shit wide open and I didn’t even have my first drink. As for the rest of the story, well you already know how It’s going to end. It isn’t too hard to tell. Afterwards, I somehow managed to piece my face back together and at the same time I picked myself up from off of the floor. I even found my lips and tongue flapping on the table in front of me. 

–

A Diary of A Single Man: Heavens Peak

–

July 1, 2017

2:00pm

Dear diary

–

The clouds over Miami are magical and despite the beauty of it all, I couldn’t ignore all that I’d later pay for.

–

She was young, just the way I like them. She has beautiful, tight skin with a firm body a silver dollar can bounce off from. Breath smelt like Virgin Mary’s carnation breast milk. I was lightly seasoned; in Latin terms that means, old as fuck but with enough money in my pocket which made me cute enough. I was exactly what she was lookin’ for. She was everything I needed. Her entire physical menu was assorted and filled with edible exotic fruit to feast upon and devour. This gorgeous of a vision is nothing more than fantasy sex and money already spent. I just love the color pink. With a ring on her finger, I’m game for sport. For some men, this may come around once in a lifetime. To many men, this will be a experience to cherish forever. These are the things people read, talk and dream about but it never materialize and manifest itself into fruition.

–

She has that hold your breath and count to ten, effect. I’m talking about, close your eyes and dive the fuck in, type of a frame, for a body. I mean, the hold on tight, type of a woman. The type of woman you take home saying, “Hey Mom, look what I’ve found.” This young lady was that rare type and if you closed your eyes, if you blinked too quickly, she’d instantly disappear. Okay, check this out. At this very moment I’m going to take my ass to the men’s restroom and have a chat with myself and with lil me. I need to reason with myself and spend a little mirror time before I come out. This is epic shit at my door step. I mean where’s the 100mg of Viagra? I’m overdue for some statement sex. This woman right here is three kids right behind each other without thinking. Well, let me slow my roll. Okay, maybe not the three kids but you know what I mean. But first let me place my food order, “Excuse me, waitress”.

– The shape and the flawlessness form of her legs were jaw dropping and mouth watering. I ponder how often they communicated with each other during slow motion intermission. In my head, I made up all the reasons to not pursue her. It was my body language which had a mind of its own. I was taken by surprise by her sexy. I was blown away from a distance. She had this unique force of character; a next level of determination with style and nerve to match. Her moxie was over the top with a wardrobe which stapled her swag.

–

When I returned to my table things had gotten a little fuzzy and the room seemed to slow down as if I was in a time warp like as if I was in a movie.  She guided over towards me, smiling and helped herself to my fries. I said, “Is this the flavor that you savor over here my neighbor?” Baby girl, smiled and introduced herself after she had about three or four of them but at this point who’s counting. She was definitely getting her fill. When she reached for her fifth. I lightly smacked her hand and asked, “Don’t they feed you at the orphanage? Or did they kick you out for having bad manners? I mean slow down and save some for later, why don’t you. They aren’t going anywhere.” (She laughs real hard) I said, “How about I get you a drink so you can wash that down? No worries, I’m paying.” The fries obviously had her name on them. She laughed again and said, “Hi, I’m Honey thanks for inviting me over.” With a smile I said, ‘Harlem, Honey.  We shook hands and I made sure I didn’t let her hand go before I said, “If you keep eating my fries I’m going to have to claim you on my taxes.” Honey was quick with her reply, “Make sure you get the receipt with my name and telephone number to make it legit.”

–

A Diary of A Single Man: Heavens Peak

–

July 1, 2017

7:30pm

Dear diary

–

No money. No girlfriend.

Pick your poison.

–

I’ve traveled through the roughest and the toughest neighborhoods of this nation but there was no preparation to deal with and to overcome, her smile. The smile on her face made it easy to trust. Am I a fool?  Is this love or is it lust? Either way, I’m about to find out.  Illusions from the love we made across the table opened a window of opportunity to search deep into her eyes leading to her soul. From the look of her heaven sent face, I knew my next mistake was sitting across from me. However, love is a game I’m willing to play. Honey Sweet was the only softness in me who read me like an old paperback novel folded and placed neatly inside her back pocket.

–

Her Watermelon Lips

Unforgettable Hips

Lil Bit 

Miss Slim Thick

Does The Trick

– 

This nightclub affair will either go up in flames or become the best experience of all time.  Honey instantly became a silent oath. “My bejesus, sweet hallelujah, The one I crave for and have this insane need for her to scratch my deepest itch.  Lourdes, my triple take. I’m gracious and thankful. Amen.” Secretly admitting to the world whom I pray and fiend for. It felt like a natural high, similar to a spaceship taking flight. Sailing freely, kinda like hang gliding over the ocean at night with the city lights sparkling in the background. This is more than I’d care to mention. I’m revealing too much information. It’s possible, a lonely heart exhales. 

– 

Heaven and hell does coexist but only one will live with a ghost in their house.

–

A Diary of A Single Man: Heavens Peak

–

July 2, 2017

9:36am

Dear diary

–

I had a little money saved for a rainy day. I’m chasing after someone who doesn’t belong to me and it seems like it rains in Miami every day. 

– 

The boys her age never realize all that it take to keep a strong woman in their lives. They never do all they should when they have the chance to do so. They’re too busy throwing peanuts at the great white grown elephant. Feeding her one peanut at a time. Eventually, as always, frustration sets in and the great white elephant charges. Their ego, selfish pride, their wants and their needs transform into blinders on a horse along with a leather tethered restraint which cloud their vision and range of scope. Leaving the house in a mess. They fail to walk in the house with flowers during the season of rain. During the pain they forget to hold hands and to play music which allows them to dance to the song that brought them together. After she’s gone that king size bed seems to be a little bit bigger than they last remembered. They’ll discover their girl is singing and dancing with another man. They’ll also find a way to be upset with the new guy in her life, for their short comings and they refuse to look at themselves in the mirror. It’s simply best to bury the hatchet and salvage what little they have left. Besides an ex is meant to be an ex. As hard as it may be, it serves a divine purpose. It paves a way for a new heart, a new mind, a new body and soul. The experience is necessary for the reshaping of a new spirit.  

–

The old spirit inside the host would have to undergo an exorcism, before she can properly receive a new spirit.

–

 The many things I wish to do…

– 

The exorcist enters the room, purging out of the host, old, dormant, dark spirits and replacing it with a spirit of light. The grown man effect. It’s the mature vs. the immature. Honey’s appetite demanded true grit, attention, focused passion and appreciated affection which only a grownup can provide. I was more than willing to fill her empty cup and quench her thirst. But first, Sweetie desired to be touched like a woman needs to be touched. Such treatment would require an artist eye and a painter’s gentle brush, stroking her canvas mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Her life is at a crossroad for higher learning. More than often the student desires to stand upon the shoulders of the teacher and dare to look beyond. Something many young men aren’t equipped to do generally due to their lack of experience in life.  –

A Diary of A Single Man: Heavens Peak

–

July 2, 2017

3:30pm

Dear diary

– My Honey Sweet

–

My heart drowns in loveless poverty. Mentally, I’m suffering from welfare reform. Physically, I’m drained & defeated. I try to keep my distance from others, especially the opposite sex. The plan is to stay focused and to stay clear from eye candy. In the end, they’ll only induce cavities and cost you pain in more ways than one. To be honest I work better as a lone warrior. I have no time for distractions. However, she has a way about herself that cuts the distance to my fortress paving a bridged gap to my heart. Honey whispered into my ear that she had seen me smiling in my sleep. I was imagining holding her tight. On the real, it was partially true. When I had awaken I was holding my pillow. It’s typical coming from a man who has taken himself out of the game. There’s something about a man who’s 5 years divorced and 7 years celibate. Time stands still for nobody. I think, I’m long overdue to have some fun.

–

There’s a rumor going around that I talk in my sleep. I never verbally expressed to her how I felt. I guess, I didn’t have to. It was obviously written all over my face. I didn’t care and I’m not scared. On the second day, she had became my social counselor and my physical therapist who conducted spontaneous head trauma without warning. After all, I did pray for it. God is good and she’s always on time.

–

She’s the one for me. Honey, a very sexy female one who pays close attention to detail. She represented a fresh start. Needless to say, she had me figured out.  Nonetheless, Sweetie made me a better person; a better man. She leaned over and said, “I only want what’s best for you, my love.” My mother once echoed those very words. I took it as conformation.  My Sweet, my ultimate final destiny with an awesome mind and hypnotizing body designed by the wisdom of time. My Honey Sweet. A beautiful expression that seems to stay on my mind, all the time. When baby girl kissed me on my cheek and called me papi chulo, it made me weak. Being around her I sometimes find it hard to speak. I’m done. Somebody stick a fork in me. Honey is trying to drive me crazy. I can feel the heat between us whenever we’re close. When we’re together it’s like a flame to a candle melting us into one and become wax. A long time ago, my mother warned me about women like her, those who capture your soul and take your breath away in the heat of the night while you sleep. I was young at the time and I always thought my mother was describing signs of a heart attack. 

–

To this ole man, she’s an answer to a prayer I’ve made a very long time ago. (Side Bar: You’re going to allow me to dream, aren’t you?) I’d be her fool, the one who quickly dash to her rescue. Placing myself in harms way just to protect her and to protect my future. She’s a much needed a breath of fresh air. I whisper under my breath, “please don’t leave. Like two plus two my life equates to nothing without you.” This something kind of special of a lady erases all doubts and all of my maybes. My sweet. My discovered lifeline, my heartbeat which keeps me alive. She’ll always have a place and a space inside my heart and mind. Honey is apart of my personal history. I pray we’ll never part. – 

A Diary of A Single Man: Heavens Peak

–

July 2, 2017

1:30pm

Dear diary

–

Big things have small beginnings.

–

She surrendered her body to me as if I were the police, with little to no fight. Arms, hands and legs raised above her precious little head spelled a small tail of what’s to come. Honey Sweet only struggle was with the force from the girth of the planting of my flag, which waved so ever proudly. It was epic to say the least. It was like, one small step into her for man. One bold giant leap into her for mankind. Her face glistened, then it glowed. The light reflected off from her diamond ring only to bounce around in harmonic motion.  Blood rushing to her head leaving her feeling a little lightheaded made Sweetie a bit dizzy when she tried to sit up too quickly. From the middle of the launch pad Honey looked back at me as if the entire NASA Fleet and Florida Gator soccer team lined up behind me. The expression on her face was priceless. With a smile upon my face, I leaned over and whispered to her, “It’s just little ole me securing the goal, baby girl.  Just lil ole me.” 

–

Afterwards, she told me how she love the way I hold her in my arms. Then added, I hold her in a way she had never felt before. Honey expressed, the way I hold her makes her entire body sway and tingle whereas she want to hold on tight and never let go. Sweetie mentioned, it felt like moonlight. When she made love to me it felt like her entire body was saying, “I surrender. Make me feel like I’m the only woman in the world. Do as you wish to me. Hit it like you want it. ”

–

A Diary of A Single Man: Heavens Peak

–

July 3, 2017

9:30pm

Dear diary

–

Her face glistened in all of her glory beneath thee

–

She taste like a 9 volt battery

When I held her

It felt like moonlight

– Her love spread as wide as the sea. Honey’s basement was deep like the ocean. My lust sprouted as big as a tree. Together we wrote beautiful music together. Our collaboration left a symbol of a ribbon in the sky. We took tours of every room. Sweetie became the thunder behind the light. Honey has this way about herself of making things better than things actually are. – She has this lingering scent of divinity about herself. A remarkable silver dollar potential with nighttime deferential. Her accent definitely turns me on. From the very moment she talk, to the way she walk and that unforgettable smile there’s a moment of clarity which becomes an epiphany which resonates an awesome beauty from the inside out. Whenever she blows me a kiss from a distance I swear I can feel it splash against my left and right cheek. –

A Diary of A Single Man: Heavens Peak

–

July 3, 2017

3:30am

Dear Diary

–

  Unsettling times of reality

– Who we marry Who we settle for Who we dream about Are three separate entities Which speaks volumes about the person standing in the mirror

– 

(The cellphone rings with it’s unique ringtone) It was the kind of ringtone which corrected clouded vision. At the slightest glance Honey has the power to cancel Christmas without notice. I need Christmas in my life. Shit, Come to think about it I desire having, New Years Eve, Happy Birthdays and Just Because days in my life. Those special days are filled with gifts, surprises and great stories waiting to be unfolded and opened. Each and every one of them would undoubtedly be cherished.

–

The power of a flower and the ocean between the rich and the poor.

– 

(Honey walks into the bathroom to take the incoming call.) That’s when the light hit the rock on her finger, again. It made my astigmatism twitch. My eye jumped all over the place. every which-away. I mean, how could I not notice it. The shit put me in my economic place. That shit screamed out, “BALLIN’ “.  Should ever a recession ever surface Honey will land on her feet comfortably with more than enough income left over to replenish her cup. 

–

A Diary of A Single Man: Heavens Peak

–

July 4, 2017

6:30pm

Dear diary

–

Who am I fooling but myself? I’m such a dreamer. – 

7 days of sunshine

1 day of rain

The dark clouds

Brought about tremendous pain

– 

Scented candles spark the decor. Her images above and below reflect summertime sadness. Memories of sharing 8 days with a lingering loan. The hurt before the actual pain. Knowing she’s not going to be there at the end burns a hole in the pit of my stomach. We may have spent time together but she was never mine to begin with. Babe wore a diamond I could never afford. Unless they accept payment plans. Once a woman gets a tastes of that kind of living its hard to turn away from. 

– The house is smoking because it’s on fire. At the same time there are those Who are looking for the keys to walk through the front door. I find myself smack dab in the center of ground zero. – 

A Diary of A Single Man: Heavens Peak

–

July 4, 2017

10:30pm

Dear diary

–

 No matter the outcome, I have to admit, I stood at the gate of heavens peak. God revealed herself and touched my shoulder. Frozen in time, I couldn’t speak but was warned to know the difference between attention, a session and a disguised present neatly wrapped is merely a road leading to a township called, deception. She allowed my arms to hold love, witness it and experience the pain of losing it. I lowered my head and began to weep. Mentally and spiritually she challenged me, made me see another reality. My eyes had became opened.

– Honey wore That symbolic flower dress, I like It made other people stop, point and stare That incredible smelling perfume she wears Is just right as it entice  Her aroma stays on my mind Morning, noon and especially at night (Yeah) A beautiful sight of an experience

The sounds of explosions heard from miles away

Smoke fills the air creating its own clouds

Fireworks light up the sky

The special effects dazzles the crowd

It’s day 4 and I still couldn’t take my eyes off of her

As the smoke clears, I awaken –

A Diary of A Single Man: Heavens Peak

–

July 5, 2017

10:30am

Dear diary

–

Honey let me enter that booty Like it was a hot tub jacuzzi

Splashin’ around and about

Bubbles bursting in the air as the steam began to rise I crept inside the window of Sweetie’s hidden fruit basket Honey allowed me to take it Like a thief in the night – The things she did to me in return

The passionate bump in the night

The things we did to each other In the bedroom that night were Visions of sweet intimacy It made my entire body trembled  It made her flower blossom then bloom in its rarest form I found myself climbing the walls 

She deserved a standing ovation – I crave for more of that tight (Good Goosh) It felt similar to a locksmiths 

Vice grip Hot and spicy I’m whipped Laced with that fire Sweet Honey barbecue chips You know what I like and The exact way I like it You laid that sauce Down on me just right

The things she does with her lip gloss

Makes me hold her tight 

–

A Diary of A Single Man: Heavens Peak

–

July 6, 2017

9:23pm

Dear diary

–

No happiness

No wind in our sail 

– As soon as those clothes came off, the sound of her brackets jangled

She whispered in my ear, “Do you trust me?” Then poured it all over me.

I was lost for words but she made me feel like a boss – For years I’ve kept myself isolated longing

To be loved in a way that would

Crack this hard shell. I needed her And I believe she needed me We shared each other We served a temporary obsession We both made impressions Lets not fool ourselves Thinking we’re going in the same Direction – (Yes) You stay on my mind Yes, the sex was amazing It was like classic rock switching To an R&B station (A sports car shifting gears) But was it real After the roller coaster ride I had to grab my surfboard and Scamper away with the tide – Oh, how I want some more of that hot n spicey sauce (Lil Moma) Some more of that lip gloss and some more of that head trauma

(Please) A side bowl of that La La you roll Just before I go deeper than Six feet inside of your coffin

(baby) So deep you’ll start coughin’ 

(lady) After I hit you with that chefs special

(We cookin, baby”) Have you comin’ back For another refill – 

To acquire the knowledge of treating a woman, good. To give her many things to ponder in such a way it will keep her awake at night. Leaving her with the intimate feeling of goose bumps tingling across her entire body. Her mind will begin to race, develop and expand like the universe, taking her to higher heights of love and the understanding of love making. The woman who experiences such love will never be the same and will find it hard to return to child’s play.

–

A Diary of A Single Man: Heavens Peak

–

July 7, 2017

4:30pm 

Dear diary

– 

How quickly sweet turns sour

–

The Bumbling Bee Sting

–

Love hurts and I tried to put Honey first. I was good, being by myself and on my own. I was fine the way it was, being alone. There was no drama and no headache just loneliness, emptiness and remorse. It was cool to fuck jadedly on some faded love affair on the low until she straighten out her shit at home. I couldn’t ignore her previous commitment. I saw your ring from the start. I not trippin’. I’m another name on your hit list. I knew what it was and we had fun while you were on the run. This jaded taste of love was filling for the moment. It was cool to kick it but you received those phone call you changed, had gotten it twisted and started actin’ like a lil sick bitch. They warned me about you but I didn’t believe it was true.

– You threw dirt on my name. I was doing just fine before I met you. I should’ve left you where I found you. The intoxicating fumes from this toxic relationship bubbles pealing back the layers of my skin exposing everything, leaving me naked and stripped with nothing but the shameful truth. You’re married and I was your plaything for an extended weekend. I was only fooling myself. The chills I’m feeling right about now leads me into a dark closet rocking back and forth.

–

I don’t need anyone’s cold hand to hold. I’ll be a solo rider until the day I die. There’s a fire inside which keeps me alive and warm like a blanket. I don’t want Nathan from anyone. All I ever need is the air that I breath, my heartbeat and a story-line for a timeline. – As far as I can see all I need is my music, a beat, a pen, a pad and some privacy. The more time I have alone allows me to think clearly. Love is blind and I can’t waste anymore time. – Thanks to her situation, I wrap my hate blanket around my entire body on cold and lonely nights, cursing the world. I don’t need anyone’s soft touch.

–

As I learn to cope and manage my anger there will be no sweet tender lips to gently kiss away the pain that reveals my hidden scars, fears and tears. Like a mummy, I’m too old to need a hand to hold. The fire which resides inside allows me to unfold a story buried  in my soul.

– 

 A Diary of A Single Man: Heavens Peak

–

July 8, 2o17

9:30am

Dear diary

–

So, my sweet…

–

I guess this is the end my friend

–

(As I watch the airplane fly across the sky) From here on, all I need is this beat in my heart, some grief, a computer to pluck at and to mistreat. My only need a ménage on lonely nights with a pen, a pad, some music, the stories in my head to escape and cheat with. – These pulsating visions keep me alive. Hate become a comforting tailor made blanket which will keep me warm at night. I wouldn’t expect for you to understand. Besides… –

My bed sheets still smell like you.

–

(The phone rings in the background)

–

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A Diary of A Single Man: Heavens Peak

–

Harlem,

Heaven is at the foot of Mother… 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/scamper/

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/caper/

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/edible/

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/jangle/

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/grit/

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/tether/

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/savor/

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/tailor/

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/bumble/

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/quill/

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/dash/

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/sail/

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/illusion/

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/pluck/

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/bury/

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/moxie/

A Diary of A Single Man: Heavens Peak When the wedding ring becomes recession proof. - A Diary of A Single Man: Heavens Peak…

[tipsycad147]

Butterfly Medicine

The butterfly is an archetypal symbol of transformation, transmutation, and magic in world mythology and religion. Virtually all cultures have marvelled at the magical process that transforms an ungraceful caterpillar into a magnificent fluttering butterfly. According to Hindu mythology, Brahma became filled with deep calm while observing a caterpillar’s transformation and was convinced to achieve perfection through rebirth. In China the butterfly was a symbol of conjugal bliss and joy. In the Hopi tradition unmarried girls of the Butterfly Clan wore their hair in the shape of butterfly wings. In many traditions, this most exquisite yet fragile creature was a symbol of the soul. Many cultures around the world believe that butterflies are the spirits of the deceased communing again with the earth.

I love to commune with the fluttering butterflies I encounter in my earth walk. They are dancing spirits made of colour and joy. Many butterfly encounters have been powerful spiritual experiences in my life, like the monarch butterfly that landed on my nose the day after a loved one passed on. When I encounter one of these remarkable beings, I stop and observe them carefully. I have learned to trust these endearing spirit guides. Butterflies have brought me messages from my ancestors and guided me to specific places of power in the web of life on many occasions.

Sacred Power Places Earth, human, and solar processes are interwoven through a vibrational resonant network around the planet. At the intersection points of the planet’s energy web exist holy places, power spots, or acupuncture points. According to the Hopi, the world would fall apart without these nodes of concentrated vitality. These sacred places are like nerve centres that distribute vital energy throughout the surrounding natural systems. When a human being goes to a power place, the attention of the Earth Mother is drawn to that area, and energy begins to flow to that spot because our bodies, like hers, are electromagnetic. Like acupuncture needles, humans are capable of maintaining the harmonious flow of the planetary energy meridians by making an Earth connection at power places.

There are special energy fields at power places that facilitate healing and transformation. Natural ionisation occurs at power sites and ionised air is known to affect hormone levels, brain function, and consciousness. Air ions are charged molecules of common gaseous elements in the air, which form when uncharged stable molecules lose or gain an electron due to some disruption. Negative air ions carry an extra electron, producing a negative electrical charge. In nature, the catalysts of negative ions include waterfalls, ocean breakers, evergreen forests, caves, the summits of mountains, and the presence of unusually strong electromagnetic fields at power spots. An abundance of negative air ions invigorates us, reduces fatigue, stimulates the immune system, and helps open the portals of the mind to alternate realities. The spirits that inhabit power points are ready and willing to communicate their energies to those who come in gratitude, openness, and humility. Butterfly Medicine protects sacred power places and facilitates transformation.

The Cycle of Transformation Butterfly Medicine is all about transformations, the element of Air, and mental powers. Butterfly can bring clarity to your mental process, help you organise the project you are undertaking, and assist you in finding the next step in your career or life path. The power that Butterfly brings to us is akin to the air. It is the mind, and the ability to know the mind or to change it. It is the art of transformation. Butterflies teach us by example about self-transformation. Scientific research has shown that the butterfly is the only living being capable of completely changing its genetic structure. During the process of transformation, the caterpillar's DNA totally changes into that of a butterfly. Thus, it is the symbol of the never-ending cycle of transformation.

To use Butterfly Medicine, you must determine your position in the cycle of self-transformation or transmutation. Like Butterfly, you are always at a certain station in your life activities. You may be at the egg stage, which is the beginning of all things. This is the stage at which an idea is born, but has not yet become a reality. To bring an intended pattern into being, you must first undergo a self-transformation. Make a clean sweep of negative, limiting, or otherwise outmoded patterns, and then start anew. The larva stage is the point at which you decide to create the idea in the physical world. The cocoon stage involves going within; doing or developing your idea or project. You must listen to your inner voice. The final stage of transformation or transmutation is the leaving of the chrysalis and birth. The last step involves sharing the colours and joy of your creation with the world. 

The Rhythm of Transformation

This linear image is Hexagram 50 from the I Ching, the ancient Chinese oracle and "book of change." It is known as Transformation. This hexagram image symbolises the transforming power of intent (wind) when aligned with the clarity and flow of intuitive mind (fire). It implies that you must rely on your intuition to guide you toward your intended objective. Following the intuitive sense connects you to the guiding forces of the cosmos. When you renew the flow of intuitive mind, synchronous activity appears within consciousness as the most natural thing to do. Whatever it is, it will carry you to what you need to do next in order to embody your idea in the material world. Just as a caterpillar emerges as a beautiful butterfly from the cocoon, so this cycle of transformation will give wings to your vision.

More importantly, this hexagram image depicts a particular drum pattern that renders the essence of the hexagram into sound (see my book I Ching: The Tao of Drumming). The pattern image or six-line configuration is the visual representation of an archetypal condition. The I Ching is a codebook of archetypal patterns, in which the hexagrams counsel appropriate action in the moment for a given set of circumstances. While the pattern image symbolises a particular condition, the drum pattern pulsates a particular resonance, which stimulates, works with, and informs the body, mind, and spirit in the most optimal manner for effecting change or harmonising with change. A solid yang line _____ symbolises consolidated, unified energy moving upward or forward and represents one beat. A broken yin line __  __ symbolises collective, cooperative energy pressing downward and represents two beats or one heartbeat. All I Ching hexagrams are read or played from bottom to top.

The rhythmic pattern of Hexagram 50, Transformation is depicted below. To play the rhythm of Transformation, you simply drum a heartbeat, followed by three single beats, followed by a heartbeat, ending with one final beat, and then pause before beginning the cycle again. Follow your inner sense of timing as to both the tempo and time span to drum. Trust your inner timing. It connects you to the resonances affecting you at this moment in time.  

 Line 6        _____   drum

Line 5        __  __ drum —drum

Line 4        _____ drum

Line 3        _____   drum

Line 2        _____   drum

Line 1        __  __        drum—drum 

While drumming, you should have a receptive attitude of calm, positive expectation. Such resonant receptivity allows whatever factors or forces are present to fully penetrate your senses. Any attempt to analyse or conceptualise the experience will only fragment the resonant field. The key is still the mind and focus your attention on the hexagram image. As the drumming progresses and your inner image of the hexagram becomes clearer, close your eyes and feel yourself being carried away by the rhythm, as if going on a journey into yourself. With time and patience, the rhythm archetype will begin to release a rush of intuitive ideas. Inspiration and insight regarding the unfolding pattern of your destiny may flow into your awareness. However, it is not essential that you become cognisant or consciously aware of any particular insight or guidance. Simply resonate in sync with the vibrational pattern of the hexagram. 

The qualities needed to transform a personal vision into a reality will interpenetrate every aspect of your being. These qualities will be engendered in you and resonate out to influence all aspects of your experience in the same manner.

After drumming the hexagram, repose in the sonic afterglow of physical and spiritual well being. When the final drumbeat fades into silence, an inaudible, yet perceptible pulsation persists for a brief period. This silent pulse is ever present within each of us, but our awareness is rarely in sync with it. Sense this silent pulse resonating within your body. You may experience the sensation of every particle in your body pulsing in sync with the rhythm you just played. This inner pulse entrains to the rhythmic pattern as soon as you begin to drum. This synchrony of inner pulse with the appropriate hexagram rhythm brings you into accord with the dynamics of change.

The Opportunity for Transformation Butterfly Medicine reminds us that we need to allow ourselves to adapt to changes taking place either within us or surrounding us. We should make necessary changes when the opportunities present themselves. Change is inevitable, but Butterfly teaches us that it does not have to be traumatic. Butterfly teaches us that growth and change can be as gentle, sweet, and joyful as we wish. We should emulate the magical butterfly by moving out of the caterpillar stage, cocooning ourselves within the opportunity for transformation and waiting with seeds of patience for our final manifestation. Watch out! When you encounter Butterfly Medicine, be prepared to undergo some form of transformation or internal growth. 

Posted by Michael Drake

https://shamanicdrumming.blogspot.com/2013/09/butterfly-medicine.html