#mexican druids

[inthecityofgoodabode]

The Week Of The Fourth

The fiction I like to tell myself is a group of Mexican druids poured one out for what these gringos did to this crepe myrtle:

The butternut squash have crossed the cattle panel tellis:

This cantaloupe is a beast & it isn't even ready to be harvested:

Juvenile robin:

Wednesday harvest:

A little more Wednesday harvest:

Fungi growing pour old pine stump:

Pigweed... it is actually toxic to pigs:

Volunteer corn from bird seed:

Volunteer millet from bird seed:

Our Russian kale has been hit hard by Cabbage White caterpillars:

But it has made babies:

Fourth of July barbecue:

Fourth of July dinner:

Blurry firework photos... enjoy:

Friday's harvest:

[ttv-budzplay]

I'm live on Twitch, come hang out! https://www.twitch.tv/Budzplay?sr=a

[kermit-coded]

thinking about julio richter. he's mexican. he's been suicidal since his first appearance back in the 80s. he's powerful enough to level california. he threatened to split the earth in half because the guy he was in love with was in trouble. he owns a punk bar. he was one half of marvel's first on-panel same-sex kiss. he's never been in a pride special. he's depressed. he's a little bit of a bitch. he's a hater. he's a character defined by his compassion. he's in love with an alien gladiator from space. he lived with some of the x-men as a teenager. he called his power "vibes". he's a druid. he didn't wear a shirt for a good portion of his early appearances. he's mother nature's special little boy. he's in his twenties. he refuses to go to therapy. he's even gay.

[corvuschronicles]

finally gonna make a post better explaining my real fake psychic shawn spencer au so this might be a long one bc in the past it was mostly rambles as i came up with ideas and trying to make them fit together

i am in the process of actually writing a fic for this and it’s looking like it may be the first part of a 3 part series, below the cut are a lot more details to give context to my au

okay! couple of important things for the overarching universe:

the supernatural exists! though the population is not as prominent as it once was, so the supernatural world learned to adapt and stay hidden, basically for every 20 claims of something supernatural only one is real, and obviously some cities have higher populations compared to others

because of the dwindling population of the supernatural and the growing population of the mundane, it is expected that both would intermingle, so it is actually a lot more common than you’d expect for people to have supernatural bloodlines, though it is often insignificant enough that it doesn’t matter. sometimes that is not the case. sometimes people are born into still active bloodlines so they grow up in that world and sometimes people never know that they even had supernatural blood, let alone that the supernatural exists. sometimes, even though someone’s bloodline may be dormant (and they are or are not aware of the supernatural) unforeseen circumstances can sort of jumpstart said bloodline

with or without knowing it, people with supernatural abilities or bloodlines tend to gravitate to each other

there are few rules that the supernatural community follows, the most important being to not expose themselves to the mundane

within the supernatural community there are different categories; creatures/those with creature blood (vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters), those with abilities (psychics, druids, witches), sentries (those tasked with keeping the supernatural hidden, and hunters (mundanes who became aware and choose to fight it)

explaining the name, real fake psychic:

when he first started working for the SBPD shawn faked being a psychic to avoid arrest

after season 4, shawn has an encounter with the supernatural that essentially gives him real psychic abilities

he keeps up his fake psychic charade because he can’t really say ‘hey guys i was faking it before but guess what? it’s real now!’

now i will go a little into some of the changes/headcanon/general facts of some characters in my au, starting with the main man

shawn:

he’s mexican! this is not central to the story really but it’s my headcanon so i will work it in because i can

somewhere down the line there is maybe some kind of long forgotten supernatural family member, meaning shawn has supernatural blood

the combination of his childhood and eidetic memory and genius is all him but it definitely gets a small push from his possible bloodline, especially in how he visualizes

after The Incident™️ shawn gets real psychic abilities, at first it’s vague and he doesn’t know what’s happening, but then things get too weird and even he can’t ignore it

true psychics are rare, a lot of people only have some aspects (like divination, clairaudience, etc) but of course, shawn ends up with more than the usual

his abilities, especially at the beginning and when they develop more, are rather painful because he is receiving so much more input now, leading to headaches at least

shawn getting real powers is the catalyst to those around him awakening as well, and now that he and the others are aware of the supernatural, it seems to be more present than they realized

gus:

he’s an amplifier

his ability is kind of a paradox, on its own it doesn’t do much because it is mostly dormant outside giving him the supersniffer, but once shawn awakens it causes a ripple effect, they are now in the supernatural world and as a result gus in turn awakens as well

he can amplify his and other’s abilities; this helps shawn because gus can help him focus on certain visions or to make sense of some things he sees, this makes shawn claim that his is now literally magic head

it is a paradox because without shawn’s powers gus’ wouldn’t have come through and gotten stronger, but he also helps shawn’s get stronger, it’s a loop

gus gets the dormant bloodline from both his parents

shawn is not the only one gus helps

juliet:

she is an empath

she is naturally an empathetic person but once she awakens it gives her more of an understanding that she never had before

juliet gets her bloodline from her mother’s side

once they all figure it out, juliet can also help shawn in a different way, as she can now feel the emotions coming through his visions

gus is able to help juliet develop her abilities more, and she develops a type of danger sense, which comes in handy in their job

her bloodline is weaker so she’s not the strongest empath, and her prolonged exposure to a shield made it harder for her abilities to develop as well

carlton

he is a nullifier

lassie’s ability is that he is essentially immune to the supernatural to a point, things like curses, jinxes, telepathy, etc do not work at all or barely affect him, most physical attacks would still work because he is still human (like poisons or tactile telepathy)

however, this also affects positive things such as blessings or good luck charms

his ability is like an aura around him, meaning that those close around him may be affected as well, such as o’hara who, as his partner, is often exposed and it put a hamper on her own abilities

shawn is also affected, but in a good way; the constant bombarding of psychic readings stop when he touches lassiter, and even just being around him can ease the headaches

this is eventual shassie

unlike the others, lassie is an anomaly, he has no actual supernatural bloodline, he is the first in his (recent) line

henry

he is a non-believing, non-aware, mundane person

he notices shawn acting stranger than usual, he also avoids coming to the house more than usual

he has his own Incident™️ in which he witnesses something that shows shawn is now telling the truth when he says he’s psychic

madeleine

is a whitexican; not exactly relevant other than the fact if goes with my mexican shawn headcanon

it is her side that had the supernatural bloodline

just like her son, if she were to awaken she would probably develop some minor abilities, most likely clairaudience

SBPD

for the most part, unaware of the supernatural

anyone born into or active in the supernatural community stays away from the police as they tend to live outside mundane laws and prefer to police their own

few key players in charge of or above the police may be aware or are a part of the community

the fact that a psychic and friends with abilities work for the police becomes controversial

chief vick is unaware but someone close to her is not

if anyone wants to add anything or simply ask questions or talk about feel free to do so! i love talking about real psychic shawn <3

[same-pic-rick-roll]

I’ve been reading up on dnd lately and have some thoughts.

“Druidic” is a secret languange that only druids speak in dnd.

From a game mechanic pov, druids are a Class that players can choose from.

From a lore perspective, druids are basically priests of a religion that worships nature, but they get magic from it.

I DO NOT like druidic.

Since druids are a religion, lets compare them to an IRL religion. Due to mu familiarity with it, I’ll choose Christianity.

Christianity is a large religion practice on every continent.

There are christians in europe and africa and asia and australia and south america and north america,

A christian from europe moght speak dutch or english or spanish or finnish.

A christian from north america might speak french or spanish or english.

A christian from Asia might speak mandarin or hindi or thai.

And so on.

Lets say Mexican christian Maria is travling abroad and meets Chinese christian Chang. Maria speaks Spanish and English. Chang speaks Mandarin and Japanese.

Maria and Chang meet each other. They both worship the same god, have basically the same beliefs, and go to church every week. They can see that both are wearing a necklace with a cross on it, symbolizing their religion.

they both know they are christians. But they dont speak each others languages.

The same things go for druids.

Dnd is a large complicated setting, and has many different planets, especually if you go with the Spelljammer setting.

For simplicity, lets look at toril, a dnd planet im familair with.

Notice, thid has several continents. Doubtlessly each continent has a large and varied history.

Do you really think druids would all speak the same language? No.

We're no strangers to love You know the rules and so do I A full commitment's what I'm thinking of You wouldn't get this from any other guy I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling Gotta make you understand

Never gonna give you up Never gonna let you down Never gonna run around and desert you Never gonna make you cry Never gonna say goodbye Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

We've know each other for so long Your heart's been aching But you're too shy to say it Inside we both know what's been going on We know the game and we're gonna play it

Anyways obligitory rickroll.

[toadallytadpole]

🩷HELP WITH IDEAS FOR A DND CHARACTER🩷

currently brainstorming for my DnD character for a new campaign I'm gonna be doing with some friends...

[DISCLAIMER!!! I have never really played DnD and also this is the first night I've done real planning for the character so things may be incorrect cuz I haven't finished my research... so if anything is majorly wrong plz feel free to lemme know cuz I def wanna know as much as I can!!]

my ideas so far:

• Water Genasi that's aesthetically based on the Wild Green Axolotl [which will include the type of darkish green/blue skin coloring Water Genasi can have, maybe some cool hair style that mimics the axolotl's external gills, and also maybe include some Mexican fashion cuz axolotls are native to Lake Xochimilco]

• possibly a druid or a cleric for their class? I was originally wanting to play as a cleric [but I was also originally thinking of playing as a dragonborn] but now I'm thinking the druid would match the Water Genasi better? But also my DM said he doesn't want much magic/sorcery in our campaign cuz of the storyline he's planned so I dunno how that'd work tbh... but we'll see what he says...

• I want their weapon to look kinda like a fishing hook to keep with the water theme, so I was thinking a sickle kinda weapon cuz it can have the same kinda shape and I can just make the sickle a giant fishing hook? But also another player said she wants to be the one with the sickle weapon so I dunno if I can convince her to be okay with me also having a sickle like weapon too? Again, we'll see what she says...

Anyways now I gotta ask y'all's opinion on some name ideas...

Thank you to those that read/suggest ideas or give me more info if I get anything wrong!!! Okie dokie, bye!!!

[madamlaydebug]

Amon Ra (Amun or Amen Ra) is the King of Gods, Father of the Gods, Lord of the Thrones of the Two Lands, Lord of Truth whose shrine is hidden, and Amun rathe Lord of Wisdom. Amon is the Abraxas and Sophia to Gnostics, and Christos (or Gnosis) to Christians. According to Plutarch, Amon is the first being and all things, and Ra is the sun-god.

To put it simply in 2013, Amon Ra is the power that lies within the DNA and minds of each one of us. You communicate with Amon Ra when you do not let your passions or appetite rule you, and by conquering your animal self and this world that is ruled by Satan. When we conquer ourselves and this material world in order to live in the light of a more spiritual existence based on love and truth, we begin to know ourselves and to live in truth. To live in love through the heart and truth in our minds, our spirits ascend to the greatest heights like that of Christ or Buddha, to convene, communicate, and receive ideas from the Father God, Amon Ra.

In scientific terms, Amon Ra is a section on both sides of our head, and in the middle of the brain that is part of the temporal lobe called the Ammon's horn (Amuns Horn) or the hippocampus. Amon Ra, the Ammon's horn or the hippocampus is the King of the gods, Lord of heaven, and the Great ruler of the Temple; our brains in which memories are acquired and past life knowledge is accessed. The Amon is where we process our DNA, in which our hippocampus is the processing unit that stores memories of this life and past lives.

The Gnostic God of Amon Ra was worshiped in the capital of the Brotherhood in Egypt at the City of the Ark, or the City of the Brain located in Thebes (Theba). The Brotherhood of Amon Ra were both Gnostic Warriors, priests and or Pharaoh Kings such as Seti I, Ramesses II, Ramesses III, and the Ptolemaic dynasty; Alexander the Great, and Augustus Caesar were also initiates. I discussed these facts in my last article titled, The First Gnostics: Brotherhood of Amon Ra.

An example of the adoration paid to the God Amon (Amen) by the Pharaohs of the New Kingdom can be found in Thebes at the Great Stele Of AmenHotep III Plates XI, XII that reads;

The monument made by the king of Upper and Lower Egypt Men-maat-ra (Sety I) for his father Amen-ra king of all gods." 'This p/oves the restoration by Sety after the erasures of Amen by Akhenaten. The restored parts are the figures and names of Amen, the whole of the first 21 lines, parts of 7 lines lower, and the names of Amen in the lowest 3 lines.

Right Hand. The king is standing, "Offering libation to Amen that he may give the gift of life." Above is "The Good God, lord of the two lands, Neb-maat-ra, Son of Ra, lord of the diadems, Amenhotep prince of Thebes. Great [by his] monuments, multiplying wonders, beloved by Amen, gifted with life." Over Amen is "I have given to thee all life and purity which is with me; I have given to thee all joy of heart which is with me, Amen Ra, lord of heaven."

Left Hand. The king is standing, "Offering wine to Amen, that he may give the gift of life." Above is " The Good God, Lord of the two lands, Neb-maatra: son of Ra, lord of the diadems, Amenhotep prince of Thebes; Image of Ra in the two lands, elected by himself, beloved of Amen, gifted with life." Over Amen is " I have given to thee all health which is in me; I have given to thee all vigour which is in me, Amen-Ra, prince of Thebes."

Secrets of the Pyramid Cool Image 3Due to the power and influence of the Brotherhood of Amon Ra, this secret society had spread its teachings and initiates who had reverenced the God as "the hidden wisdom" to the Greeks, Romans, Chaldeans, Phoenicians, Druids, Mexicans, and to many ancient peoples around the world. This same Brotherhood were not only the founders of what I would like to coin the term as "organized gnosticism," they were also the founders of almost all modern religions such as Judaism and Christianity.

Amon becomes "Amen" in the Abrahamic religions. In Hebrew, the word "amen" means "to support, to be loyal, to be certain, and to place faith in" or more commonly as "truly". In English and Christianity, the word "amen" is used to affirm or to praise the Lord and also as a name for the Lord. You will find the word 'amen" 22 times in the Old Testament and much more in the New Testament with 129 occurrences. The writers of the New Testament such as Saint John, appear to have much more of a Gnostic influence than that of their predecessors. The facts are that Christianity is a Gnostic Religion in itself with the historical story and teachings of these ancient Gnostics concealed in allegory from the profane or non-initiated.

For example in Revelation 3:14, is where we find "the Amen" is used for the prince of peace and cornerstone of the Catholic Church as a title for Double Headed Eagle Freemasonry Jesus. Amen is applied to the title of our Lord: "The Amen, the true and faithful witness," in Rev. i. 14 and also in Revelation 3:14; "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation, and in Corinthians 1:20; "For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

These Christian allegorical descriptions of the God Amon are the same that we find in the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead such as this Hym; "Praise to Amen-Ra, the good God beloved, the Ancient of Heavens, the oldest of the earth, Lord of Eternity, Maker Everlasting. He is the causer of pleasure and light, maker of grass for the cattle and of that Thou hast given us birth; we give Thee praises for Thy mercy to us."

Many more examples of these similarities between the Ancient Egyptian God Amon Ra and the Christian Amen can be found by those with an eye to see and or the blood that contains the inner Gnosis in order to comprehend these hidden teachings. I will explore these teachings in future articles and videos, and there are links to previous articles that you can find below this article. Please remember that it is simple. Gnosis is acquired through the blood, mind, pure living and a loving heart, that our Ka (soul) communicates and remembers, in order to receive the spirit through the Father Amon Ra.

This is when we become a true master of ourselves and our universe. We become a Christos and not an Anti-Christos. A true shining morning star that is bright enough to teach humanity, how we too died on the cross (logos) like Jesus, or gave up the world like Buddha, and how we were resurrected from the dead (darkness ) into the light in order to truly KNOW THYSELF. We become a true Gnostic, a true Christian, Buddhist, or whatever title you want to place on perfecting, loving and knowing thyself, thy-neighbor and thy-world.

Here is a great description of how the Brotherhood had portrayed the teachings of Amon Ra in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics as done with the cross in the book, The cross in tradition, history, and art by William Wood Seymour;

In Egyptian hieroglyphics the cross has been variously interpreted. When with four equal arms, sometimes formed of serpents, it has been assumed to be an emblem of the four elements.When composed of two or four sceptres with a circle at the point of intersection it is said to indicate " divine potentiality." The simple cross has been interpreted as meaning " support," or " Saviour," sometimes " avenger," ' and " protective power " *; but when the circle, the emblem of eternity, is placed upon it, forming the crux ansata, its signification, which also is implied often in the simpler forms of the cross, is " Life to come."

To this interpretation the early Christian historians bear witness, and their statement has been confirmed by modern savants.' The crux ansata,therefore, is the inseparable accompaniment of the chief triad of the Egyptian deities, Ra, Amon-Ra, and Amon, who are represented as holding in one hand the crook, or crosier-like staff, the symbol of power, peace, and purity, and in the other the "sacred Tau."

Amon Ra crook and staff

It is very significant that the second person, Amon-Ra, is generally represented as seated up- From Haslam's The Cross and The Serpent.

Cross and serpent

The ancient Egyptians believed that he had two natures, divine and human, that he was their defender against evil, and also the inspirer of counsel and wisdom. Nor is the crux ansata confined to the superior deities; the inferior also frequently bear it. For instance, we find the goddess of Truth presenting it to the figure of the Sun, as if intimating that life—of which the sun is the source—and truth are eternal.

The crux ansata is placed, to indicate the ever living spirit, on tombs and sarcophagi. Sometimes it is in the talons of a conventional figure, representing the soul, bearing a human head and the body of a bird, hovering over, and protecting the body of the departed. The deities are frequently depicted holding the sacred Tau in their mouths, or presenting or receiving it from the lips of a dying man,* who is often lying on a lion shaped couch.

[skylarynns-1870]

Roll Call: 1870s Adventurer Edition

Josephine "Josie" Doyle, Old West Gunslinger

Player: Skylarynn [Yours Truly] Mark of Handling Human Outlander background Level 7 Gunslinger Fighter

Born on the Western Frontier to an American cowboy and a Mexican senorita, Josie grew up a bit more rough-and-tumble than other young 'ladies' her age. After a monster attack that cost her her eye and her family their lives, leaving Josie irrevocably changed in more ways than one, she finds herself called to battle the eldritch under the guidance of someone - or something - that calls itself Damocles.

Basil Morgan, Victorian Gentleman Thief

Player: Sage Mark of Finding Human Noble background Level 1 Rogue/Level 7 College of Eloquence Bard

Born in the more refined upper crust of Victorian society, Basil has become a remittance man - a younger son with no hope of inheritance sent away to America and paid a small allowance to stay out of trouble. Basil being Basil, however, tends to walk headlong into trouble anyway, and when he meets a one-eyed lady gunslinger [Josie] haunted by danger at every step, Basil does exactly what his family would forbid and runs headfirst into peril by her side.

Kojiro Mori, Disgraced Former Samurai

Player: Kai Mark of Sentinel Human Haunted One background Level 9 Samurai Fighter

Raised in the hallowed traditions of the Japanese warrior caste, Kojiro's world is now falling apart as the Meiji reign takes over, making the caste - and Kojiro himself - obsolete relics of an older time. Then, when crossing the Pacific to request aid from samurai descendants in Mexico goes horribly wrong, Kojiro spirals into an existential crisis as he questions the futility of his original quest when something as unstoppable and unforgiving as the Sleeper in the Deep exists.

Lafayette Chastain, Elderly French Pirate

Player: Lawrence [Sage's dad] Variant Human Sailor background Level 15 Swashbuckler Rogue

Decades ago, Lafayette was a charismatic young privateer at sea in the Caribbean, adventuring with fearless abandon in a world of excitement and opportunity. Now, he spends most of his time in various bars and saloons across America, regaling fellow patrons with embellished tales of his exploits as he seeks one last adventure; a man who has outlived his destiny.

Dominique Escharra-Romero, Spanish Catholic Priest

Player: Damien Mark of Passage Human Acolyte background Level 6 Celestial Warlock

Charismatic, devout, and ambitious, Dominique was a rising star in the Church of his homeland Spain - which may be why his contemporaries shipped him overseas to serve in Mexico where he was no longer a threat to their careers. Ever-unflappable, Dominique took the transference in stride and immediately began thriving in his new position; though perhaps that has to do with his newfound powers of healing that he ascribes to the divine.

Izel Maria Torres, Aztec-Descended Druid

Player: Iris Plane Shift[?] Human Courtier background [might be wrong on that one] Level 4 Circle of the Primeval Druid/Level 2 Grave Domain Cleric

Born first a daughter of the people and baptized a daughter of the Lord, Izel is as much a child of the native Nahua of Mexico as she is a child of God. Despite the struggles of living in two very different worlds, Izel has successfully bridged the two cultures in her life, reconciling her 'pagan' attunement to nature and the wild with her faith in Christ under the proud tutelage of Father Dominique.

Gideon Ross, Union Veteran Sniper

Player: Gavin [Matt's older brother] Plane Shift Human Marine background Level 12 Renegade Fighter

Already a veteran of the Mexican-American War, Gideon was not eager to fight again until his only son Jesse died for his country in a Confederate ambush. Once the war was over and the Confederacy crushed, Gideon migrated westward, roughing it out in the wilderness.

Boris Starkov, Russian Cossack Deserter

Player: Barry Variant Human Soldier background Level 3 Cavalier Fighter/Level 5 Oath of Devotion Paladin/Level 1 Great Old One Warlock

Boris has always trod the path of the loyal and faithful soldier, but that was shattered when his superiors left his unit to die while they fled. Forever changed, Boris hunts eldritch things wherever he travels, pushed ever onwards by the mysterious Pythia.

Carmen de Oliveira, Brazilian Escaped Slave

Player: Cameron Variant Human Urchin background Level 7 Way of the Capoerista [Drunken Master] Monk

Life on the Brazilian plantations was arduous, exhausting, and abusive, but Carmen has finally broken away and escaped to freedom. Fleeing bounty hunters and slave catchers alike, Carmen makes her way to Mexico to start anew.

Alina Reiter, Austrian Noble Refugee

Player: Alison [Cameron's younger sister] Variant Human Courtier background Level 6 Phoenix Soul Sorcerer

Scion of an ancient and powerful family of shadow sorcerers, Alina's potent and blinding magic is unique, to say the least. But now that her brother Aleksander has taken his role as leader of the family, Alina has absconded into the night, knowing that she cannot let her magic remain in their hands.

[swordshapedleaves]

My Saturday Call of Cthulhu game came to a conclusion (50% survival rate!) so we're swapping game hosts and my partner is gonna run a short prewritten d&d 5e adventure. The Fiend of Hollowmine from Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel. It's a level 4 adventure inspired by the rural Mexican west and dia de los muertes.

So, death holiday, and fiend in the title. My first thought is to play a cleric or a paladin. I've played a ton of clerics over the years so during our session zero I start building a pali.

I'm chatting with the other players and. The rest of the party is a bard, a rogue, a druid, and a monk. Everyone is dumping int.

So I'm going to be playing a wizard. He's a goblin named Mutchkin.

[ttv-budzplay]

He is fing dead | budzplay on #Twitch #streamer #Huntshowdown #help #tip...

[dankusner]

TRANS4M: Day of tricks, treats segues to the spiritual

All Saints’ Day, marked by many around the world, has deep roots

WARSAW, Poland — It’s the time of year — tradition says — when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is lifted.

That traditional belief has morphed over the centuries into the spooky and secular celebration of Halloween.

But one day later, Christians in many countries around the world celebrated All Saints’ Day on Friday, a somber and spiritual day in the church’s liturgical calendar that shares pagan roots with Halloween.

The word “Halloween” derives from “All Hallows Eve,” which means the eve of All Saints’ Day, a holiday that has also been known as All Hallows.

It honors martyrs and saints — those who were hallowed, or deemed holy — a tradition begun by the Roman Catholic church in the early medieval period.

Scholars believe that the spectral aspects of Halloween emerged primarily from Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival that occurred during the harvest season, said Morgan Shipley, a professor of religious studies at Michigan State University in East Lansing.

It was a time when people were “transitioning from harvest and bounty and the fullness of summer to the desolation of winter,” he said.

“And it was said that in this time the veil between the physical, material human world and the spiritual world essentially dissipates away.”

Some of the spirits or spectral beings were viewed as demonic in nature, and bonfires became a way to ward them away, or were used in divination by druid priests and priestesses when the veil between the material and spiritual world broke down, he said.

As Christianity spread, many pagan rituals were adapted to the new faith to be more attractive to converts.

The period of reflecting on the dead continues though Nov. 2, which is All Souls’ Day.

In Central Europe, the Slavic and Baltic populations had their own rituals in which the living communed with the dead between Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.

Believers and non-believers alike in many traditionally Roman Catholic societies observe the day.

In Poland, many travel back to their family homes to gather with those still living and reflect on those who have left them.

In the Philippines, millions trooped to cemeteries across the country Friday to observe the annual tradition, visiting tombs of their loved ones.

Italians traditionally visit cemeteries to pay tribute to deceased family members on All Souls’ Day, lighting candles or laying flowers.

Pope Francis will visit Rome’s third-largest cemetery, the Laurentino Cemetery, to celebrate Mass and lead prayers for the dead.

In recent years as the holiday approaches, there are discussions about Halloween and its compatibility with Christian beliefs in the afterlife.

Some Catholics worry that it also might be sinful due to allusions to devils and ghosts.

Pushing back, some church groups have begun holding alternative events for All Saints’ Day.

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

What do the altars mean to those who make them?

Traditional offerings, decorations of sacred significance

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is celebrated every year on Nov. 2.

The tradition that originated in Mexico invites families to welcome back the souls of their deceased loved ones.

According to a report from the University of the state of Hidalgo, Mexico, dating to pre-Hispanic times, indigenous cultures in Mexico viewed death as a passage to the Mictlán, the realm of the dead.

Indigenous beliefs assigned afterlife destinations based on death type, contrasting Catholicism’s moral-based heaven or hell.

Spanish colonization merged indigenous and Catholic traditions, creating a unique Mexican Catholicism evident in the Altar de Muertos, the report says.

An altar typically consists of two to seven levels, symbolizing the journey of life and the afterlife.

Each level hosts distinct elements that reflect the spirit’s journey, such as sacred symbols and offerings.

OFFERINGS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE

The most common altars are two levels, representing heaven and earth;

in contrast, three-level altars add the concept of purgatory to this view.

Meanwhile, a seven-level altar symbolizes the steps needed to reach heaven and rest in peace.

Offerings typically contain various elements and symbols that invite the spirit to travel from the world of the dead to spend the day with their loved ones, according to the report.

On the first level, images of the deceased are placed at the top of the altar facing away, with a mirror in front, so the deceased can only see their loved ones��� reflection, and vice versa.

The second level is meant for the souls in purgatory to obtain permission to leave.

The third holds salt, symbolizing the purification of the spirit for children in purgatory.

On the fourth, the central element of the Día de los Muertos celebration, bread, is placed as an offering to the souls that pass by. Representing the eucharist, it was introduced by Spanish evangelists, shaped as “muertito” or round domes, adorned with cross-like bone figures and coated with sugar and anise.

The fifth level holds the deceased’s favorite foods and fruits that are offered for their enjoyment.

On the sixth level, photographs of the deceased with their loved ones, to whom the altar is dedicated, are displayed.

Finally, on the seventh level, a cross made of seeds or fruits, like tejocote and lime, is placed.

The cross, introduced by Spanish evangelists, is used in all altars to blend Catholic teachings with indigenous practices.

It’s placed near the picture of the deceased, made of salt or ash.

DECORATIONS

Additionally, other optional elements are added to the altar for decoration.

Papel Picado:

This cut paper symbolizes the celebratory spirit of Día de los Muertos and represents the wind.

Candles and Lanterns:

Considered as guiding lights in this world, they are traditionally purple and white for mourning and purity.

Candles may be arranged according to the cardinal points, with lanterns forming a path to the altar.

Water:

Symbolizing the purity of the soul and life’s regeneration, a glass of water quenches the spirit’s thirst after traveling from the afterlife. It can be accompanied by soap, a towel and a mirror for the deceased’s clean-up.

Flowers:

Customary altar and grave decorations, marigold flowers guide spirits with their scent.

Skulls:

Sugary or ceramic skulls are spread across the altar, symbolizing death’s presence.

Alcoholic Beverages:

Drinks like tequila, pulque, or mezcal are placed as “shots” favored by the deceased.

Personal Items:

Belongings of the deceased are included to help the spirit recall their earthly life.

For children, favorite toys are displayed.

[yuraimi-lee-bunny]

you art is really cute. i know this must be an annoying question for you, but do you take requests or commissions?

Hi! Thank you so much for you kind words!

No way, it isn't an annoying question. Look:

I'd be happy to do commissions and requests if you'd like, but for now I could only do it nationally (I'm Mexican) and I still don't know how to use PayPal 8"D, I'm working on it and if all goes well, by 2025 it might be ready!

The announcement would be on my illustrator Tumblr @lyn-druid and of course, here too!

Thank you for your ask!

[gladstones-corner]

On the Power Bag

I've mentioned this before, but I want to dive in deeper today. Before we do, however, I need to get a couple things out of the way regarding my qualifications to speak on this topic.

About Glad

First, as many of you know I am a member of the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA). At my current degree, the Order introduces a tool called the Crane Bag. I am not authorized to disclose certain details, but for more information please consult the public AODA article on the subject. What I can say is that the Crane Bag is one expression of a cross-cultural phenomenon.

I know that some will bristle at the idea of a "non-indigenous" culture using such a tool, but there is technically a mythological precedent for it (check page 4 here) among Celtic practitioners--of which the AODA is strongly influenced by.

Secondly, I am biracial. One of my parents is Mexican, the other Germanic. While the latter cultures generally do not carry such a bag, several cultures within the United Mexican States do. They are called many things (Medicine Bag, Sacred Bundle, etc.), but again are cultural expressions of a cross-cultural phenomenon.

I will admit that just because I am Mexican-American does not entitle me to speak as an expert on the Sacred Bundle. I am not a curandero, and thus do not have the training nor the authority to speak about the particulars of such a tool. However, my heritage has made me familiar with the tool, at least to the extent that I can speak about its prevalence in Latin America.

One last note: to be as non-appropriative and account for as many cultures as possible, I will be referring to the general tool as the Power Bag. I will disclose no details about any real Power Bags I know of.

Okay, let's get started.

What is the Power Bag?

The Power Bag is a bag or bundle that contains objects sacred to its owner, who typically keeps its contents private. There are varying beliefs as to why they're private, but I don't need to preach to other magicians about the Levi's Fourth Tenet: to keep silence.

The Bag itself can be of any size, and indeed has been most reasonable sizes throughout history. It is traditionally made of hide or leather, though in the modern day any natural material may be used. In the case of large Power Bags, the wrap itself often serves as the pad upon which the contents sit when in use.

As for the contents, they can be any sacred objects within the magician's working life. This can of course mean physical tools, like a blade or rune set. However, it also includes objects of power, such as incenses, offerings, or amulets. Note that these objects have spirits of their own, and thus are not simply disposable. The magician must build a relationship with their sacred objects and mindfully decide the next stop on their journey when they are finished working with the magician.

What Goes Into a Power Bag?

Let’s take a brief look at some examples of the Power Bag by reintroducing our hypothetical magicians Sam, Kelley, and Nick (from my article on working together). They each carry a Power Bag, but because they have different foci, their contents are different.

Sam is an avid hiker. They often find themselves on the trail. As a result, their Power Bag contains a knife, lighter, paracord, and other survival gear. It also contains a journal of leaf and spore prints, along with photographs of things discovered on the trail. Finally, it holds their wand and vessel, allowing them to perform their version of the Great Rite outdoors.

Kelley is less of a hiker and more of an artist. Therefore, their bag contains some notebooks, pens, pencils, and other art supplies. They also carry incense, a burner, and small deity statues they sculpted for offerings. Kelley’s bag also holds their wand, which they use as an all-purpose magical focus.

Finally, Nick is a divination specialist. As a result, their bag contains witch-stones, a tarot deck, runes, and a casting cloth. It also holds a journal and pen for keeping a divination log. And as usual for this group, Nick’s bag carries their wand—but they also keep travel sizes of the blade, vessel, and disc to complete the elemental ritual set.

Making Your Own Power Bag

Hopefully this has given you a solid idea about what the Power Bag truly is, at least from a practical standpoint. But don’t give into the temptation of getting a large backpack, stuffing it with every magical item you own, and lugging it everywhere. Recall that the objects in the bag should be significant to your daily life. Start with what you already carry.

Do you have a purse? Perhaps you carry a satchel to work? Already you have the beginnings of your Power Bag. Some people like to keep their bag separate; others don’t mind mixing them all together with mundane items. I do a little of both, depending on the situation—but I digress.

Ask yourself what you can carry that would benefit you without being burdensome. Does your shrine have a spare crystal that calls to you? Maybe you have some loose tobacco or coffee that you want to scatter as offerings to the local nature spirits? Think small.

That said, I have some suggestions for items that are common to Power Bags. Items from the natural world are nearly always present—a few crystals, some seeds, nuts, or leaves, even some fur or feathers (legally and ethically obtained, of course). I am a traditional magician; I believe that you at least need a wand and vessel. Though I find the Great Rite a bit too heteronormative for my tastes, the wand is a ubiquitous magical focus and the vessel holds everything from offerings to consumables.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the important thing is that your Power Bag reflects your practice. Its contents should be portable, or at least wieldable enough to take with you daily. You should use them for meditation and magic, giving power to them when you can and drawing power from them as needed. Giving power to the items doesn’t always have to be an active thing—sleeping with the Power Bag nearby, keeping it with you, and using the items inside all charge them and imprint your magical signature upon them. In time, the Power Bag becomes a microcosm of your practice.

As always, thank you for reading. Stay safe and stay tuned.

Blessings~

[brownhairedbookworm]

"Ahhh, your mentor? Ahhh, traditional, is he?" She shrugs and just nuzzles Monika a bit more. "Right, right. The other thing first."

She moves back to across her desk to sit with her time carefully, looking it over herself. "So, before we reeeeeaaally get into this? Do you have any idea of your family lineage? Any at all?"

"Traditional, in a way. He's an old Druid, any old master from any type of school has a tendency to like the way things ought to be. I don't mind, so much, it's just something I need to practice." She smiles at the nuzzling, gently patting Anya's arm.

"...Not much about my father. He was adopted." He's also not where this bloodline would come from. "I... I know my mother's side of the family is Mexican, of course, but not much beyond that. A lot of my appreciation for my own culture is... Well, it's not born from my home, it's born from having other Mexican friends."

Her eyes seem to glow as she looks at the book in Anya's arms. Not her irises, like using her powers, something deep in the back of her pupil.

[neonnightwriting]

NEON NIGHT INTRODUCTION

i decided to make a dedicated writeblr for the series i’m working on, Neon Night.

LENGTH: it’s planned for a trilogy, but if it does well, i have plenty of material for more books; i’m trying to keep the first book around 100,000 words

POV: multiple alternating first-person perspectives, with each POV having a different vibe

PACE: this is a fast-paced story with a betrayal or a new secret or a gunfight every page turn

GENRE: it’s damn near everything: its a crime drama, its a queer romance, its a comedy

THEMES: anti-capitalism, anti-colonization, finding a reason to keep living despite everything, morally gray characters who do bad things and good things and are experts at compartmentalization

WHAT HAPPENS UNDER THE NEON NIGHT?

SHORT SUMMARY: Legal day jobs and illegal night lives all collide in a single summer in the beating heart of Minnesota as several strangers, friends, and enemies find their lives irreversibly entangled in Neon Night.

POV CHARACTERS & EXTENDED SUMMARY:

Xavier Campbell (26, he/him, trans, gay) has more problems and secrets than anyone ought to, and when his neighbor, Henry Townsend (39), angry about the recent death of his son, suggests they commit a scheme to steal money directly from corporate bank accounts, Xavier reluctantly agrees, falling back on old instincts he’s tried to suppress—instincts he’ll need if he’s to keep their ‘perfect scheme’ hidden, something that grows increasingly more difficult due to Henry’s recklessness, Xavier’s own altruism, and attention from organized crime syndicates.

The O’Shea and the Kinney crime families have been embroiled in a cold war for two decades, but the sudden arrest of Eamon Kinney threatens to turn the conflict into a full scale war. Upon her father’s arrest, Saoirse (20, she/her, cis, grayaroace lesbian) takes over as leader of the Kinneys. She must outsmart the FBI, untangle the mystery of who set up her father, and save her family from all-out war with the O'Sheas, all while paranoia and pagan superstition threatens to turn her against her own blood.

Macha O'Shea (22, she/her, cis, ace lesbian) and her brother Roan handle the trickiest jobs in the O'Shea family—threatening uncooperative officials, maintaining the network of underground city utility tunnels the O’Sheas use, and most recently, interpreting whether or not Macha’s vague and violent visions of the future and the past are evidence of her being a druid, or simply the result of the overactive imagination of a traumatized woman.

Camilo Ramos (26, he/him, cis, bi) and his family have been on the run from the paramilitary group known as the Mexican Liberation Front for three generations, aided by his Grandfather Rafael’s visions granted to him by Santa Muerte—visions Camilo refuses to believe in. The O'Sheas have used this information to extort the Ramoses financially, and forced medical student Camilo to work as their unlicensed surgeon. His life intersects with Xavier who works at his aunt’s restaurant and the two begin a romance beset by family secrets neither one feels they can divulge to the other.

Fun things in this story that don’t fit anywhere else: yes those tunnels are real they really exist underneath downtown St. Paul and they’re so much more extensive than I ever imagined (i have photos and maps!); POV chapters from side characters like Amelia Ngo (33, she/her, trans, bi) who inherits her mother’s mostly legitimate investment company; Lorcan O’Shea (16, they/them, nb, pan) who was definitely legally adopted and is an expert sniper; Farrah Musad (19, she/her, cis, lesbian), a hijabi biker who runs an underground medical practice primarily serving Somali immigrants as well as people on the ‘wrong’ side of the law. While not a POV character, Casey Donnegan (29, they/them, nb, aroace) is an absolute delight in every scene, being a completely feral crime family leader, talking way too loud in public about murder plans, and refusing to do a damn thing unless you buy them brunch first.

If anyone is interested in keeping up with this story, I will make a taglist. Current word count as of writing this intro post is about 30,000 words.

[curiouslyodd]

30 Days Wild 2023, Day 2

Hey, so 30 Days Wild, which is an initiative by the Wildlife Trusts here in the UK to try to get everyone to do something in nature every day in June, started yesterday. 

I completely forgot until yesterday evening, but as luck would have it, I’d popped along to the Altar Stones earlier in the day, so I’d actually done something for it!

Spotted a few Germander Speedwells about - cute little blue flowers dotting the green grass.

The Altar Stones themselves. Despite the name, it’s unlikely that they were used for sacrificial rituals by bloodthirsty druids in days of yore. Just a cool rock formation on top of a hill. 

Anyway, I was a little more organised today, so I ventured out into the garden to take photos and do some little tasks to make it a little more comfortable for our at-risk wildlife.

We have a Mexican Orange Blossom bush that’s proven quite popular with our local pollinators, including this honey bee.

This Cabbage White blended in quite well with the white petals of the flowers it suckled from - I lost it a few times while trying to take a picture!

Nearby, this hoverfly briefl rested its wings on a blade of grass. With all the bees and wasps flying about, it’s easy to see how its yellow and black stripes might fool a potential predator!

I think this cute little furball is a mason bee of some kind - I hope it didn’t mind me taking pictures of it sunbathing!

This harvestman was probably not best pleased to be lifted with the fragment of flowerpot it was resting on. Ah well - the piece was a good shape for a shelter for small animals, so I popped it by our pond. We have newts in there at the moment, so hopefully they’ll like having somewhere cool and protected they can shelter when they’re on dry land. 

I’ve made a start on creating a bug hotel, but it’s stalled for a bit until I can find some nails. Ah well, I have a month ahead of me!