#most common transformations are rabbits. but there's many others!

[limboneto]

Offers a wild Dingus and runs-

[genderfeel]

im so sorry you missed out on nick cartell because that man is phenomenal

i liked rehberger's suicide though (fly system issues(?) nonwithstanding i just got a railing hop lmao) would you wanna talk more about that? i like seeing other peoples perspectives but its okay if not!

oh to clarify i have seen nick cartell once before in 2023, so i haven’t missed out at all. huge fan for obvious reasons—dude is top tier. and omg sorry you had a jump malfunction. i had a beast transformation malfunction when i saw batb live and they had to stop and start over 😭😭

but honestly it’s hard for me to untangle my issues with specific suicide performances from my issues with how the suicide as a musical number is written so i’ll break the two out and try to talk about them separately and i’m so so sorry this is so long but i have to fully explain myself and the floodgates are open

it’s also hard to articulate how i prefer actors to take the suicide without audio so i would reference this recording of clarke to see what i mean (ty claire 🥹). my issues with rehberger’s suicide are actually pretty common in the average javert performance, so i wouldn’t say he’s an outlier in that regard

there’s a tendency to play javert angry in general, but i think this is a mistake particularly because it sets up the suicide for failure. playing javert as wooden in most of his interactions is (to me) the most in-character you can get. he can be cunty or whatever but i think getting across the idea that this guy has never let himself feel anything in his life is the goal. adding maliciousness into it muddies the waters here, because what you need with javert is contrast between his inner and outer world

both stars and the suicide are windows into javert having first a crack of emotion and then a full-on break. if you don’t get that contrast, the explosion at the beginning of the suicide loses all impact. the second part of this contrast comes between the first verse and the rest of the song. obviously there are an infinite number of interesting ways to play it, but there needs to be some kind of shift at that point that makes you feel for this man for probably the first time. like, oh man this guy actually can feel things and it’s all coming too fast and hard. i need genuine emotion here to connect with. and there are soooo many emotions to play here. javert should be feeling simultaneous anger, fear, confusion, love, admiration, regret, etc. that’s what makes the piece so varied in how you can play it but also so difficult because you’re juggling all these things, but the song does allow for a lot of creativity in this regard imo

(also needs to be said but stars is written like a love song and should be played at least in part that way. bringing some of the romantic tone from stars into suicide in the way javert sings is fully essential to making this work to me, but this is suchhhh a specific thing i’m looking for. i think i’ve seen this show too much maybe)

rehberger unfortunately played it angry all the way through, never pausing to really consider all the other emotions he should be struggling through. i need to see him thinking. just didn’t get that at all from what i saw. which sucks, but i think it’s a standard way to play it because of a fundamental misunderstanding of the character. i also feel spoiled by clarke’s performance, which genuinely makes the best use of the number i’ve ever heard. it’s genuinely the most difficult number in the show to get tonally correct, but i think the way the song is also just prevents it from ever feeling “right”

so. the suicide in general. i would say musically (lyrics are a whole other rabbit hole i don’t care about right now) i think it’s wonderful right up until the final verse. the vast majority of les mis adaptions, musical included, do what i consider to be a tasteless way to depict suicide, fully on-screen and preoccupied with screaming or crying or splashing (and head cracking. hi 2012) and general spectacle. the musical digs into this and has him yelling all the way down along with silly flailing. i laugh at it like every time which is like obviously not the tone to hit here. it’s tasteless as a suicide scene and doesn’t align with the book’s very deliberately quiet and “off-screen” approach that makes it so haunting

my ideal re-staging of this scene would have javert finish the song as-is (if a little quieter near the end) and then have the orchestra go dead silent as he gets up on the railing and quietly jumps out of sight. also it’s less technically taxing and expensive to produce, which is what some productions avoid by just having him shoot himself (which i don’t actually hate entirely. could be interesting staging but maybe not the best thematically) but that’s all just a pipe dream anyway lol. there are many things i would change about this musical but i’ll take what i can get

[endlessmidnightcreates]

Finally was able to finish the character sheet of my girl, Opal Skai for my most recent DND campaign. It's going super well so far!

Can you see all the lil notes I made, I had a lot of fun doing those :3

Here's the low down on her below the cut

She is a Fire Genasi Druid who is all smarts and like 2% fight despite her ferocious appearance (some would say). She is sometimes seen smoldering or glowing. But she is a Huge Nerd and Babygirl and a bit odd.

Opal is a Bookshop Keeper in Baldur’s Gate. Even though the town is regarded as a nest of vipers, she values knowledge and community and takes pride in the family library/store that she runs with her mother. People around it respect her and the store and it’s seen as neutral ground and is both used for gang negotiations and occasional toddler reading circles, sometimes in the same day. 

She Spends 50% her time in the store, 30% in nature and doing #HotDruidShit (like hot girl shit but with druids) and then the other 20% vibing. She’s quiet, but not shy and actually quite talkative when the moment is right (someone asks her a question about a book–or she’s drunk). She will talk and say hi and bye to people on the street. When it comes to fighting, she prefers not to but that won’t stop her from slapping a bitch (with her hand or staff). But like she reeeeally prefers not to (int. modifier Is -1). Mainly cus she’s Genasi and she is mostly untrained so she would rather not kill someone. But she’s capable.

More Deets

Occupation: 

She owns a small bookshop specialty store. Well, technically it belongs to her mother, but it will go to her once she retires or dies (god forbid).

Denizens of Baldur’s gate can get a wide range of books and scrolls as well as several common herbs and spell components. Everything from eye of newt to various animal bones. She partly keeps it stocked with her own foraging as well as having a supplier and an elderly mother (human npc) who watches over the shop and manages logistics. She manages the front of shop. Having read all the books and catalogued everything in the store, she has begun to work on her every-expanding growing “To buy” list that consists of various rare books and magical items. 

She has started to take on minor mercenary/adventurer jobs to build up capital. There are expensive texts and components in Elturel that she wants to get her hands on. These jobs have ranged from delivering 20 rabbit pelts to serving court papers in creative ways (read: transforms into a cat and tricks them into letting her in). Though, for some of the more rare artifacts, she figures, the easiest way is to tag along with one of the many Adventuring parties in BG to gather information on its whereabouts. 

Class: Druid

Why is she a druid. Druidism runs in the family. Opal’s mother and a few aunts and uncles are and were druids. Her grandmother was as well. It was only natural that Momma Opal taught the ways to her flaming baby. But Opal was resistant to the lifestyle as a young one. The spells, the philosophy, heck, being around leaves as someone whose average body temperature could easily reach 300°C made it difficult for her to find the value of the practice. She figured that blacksmithing would be more useful. Being a Druid helps her live more in harmony with the energies and elements that swirl around in her blood. She’s a valued member of the Druid Community in Baldur’s Gate because she’s just a cool gal, but also because she has helped many a druid get lava flowers (a flower that grows inside volcanoes)[i also literally just made that up] 

Combat 

Opal has only ever unwillingly killed once. She was on one of her many quests. She was an ox, lugging a massive stag carcass behind her. Bandits attacked her and she fought them off, maiming a few and kiling one instantly. The others escaped. She went straight home, fleeing the scene. That was the first time she had ever been attacked. She was rarely provoked or approached in human form because of her stature. But as an ox, people didn’t recognize or fear her. She missed a big payday that day. She doesn’t know if they survived or not. She tries not think about it often. 

Fighting and killing are not things she often does. She’s the type of gal to grab a spider and let it outside rather than smush it. But– She CAN do it. She CAN fight (in humanoid form) and she CAN and WILL hurt someone if they hurt or try to hurt her. She will turn into what the situation needs and act accordingly - need to make a quick getaway? HONSE. Need to serve court papers? KITTY. Need to slap a bitch? HUMANOID

She will not attack unless provoked physically. Her moral code is fuck around and find out but reeeally hopes that they don’t have to find out, cus she doesn't know herself tbh.

Childhood:

Opal doesn't know much about her Genie father’s side, though he comes to visit often enough from the elemental plane. She also has a way to contact him whenever she wants.

She has 12 aunts and uncles who are scattered throughout the country, quite a few of them are druids and frequent their local bogs while the others reside in normal villages and have average families and lives. Opal has ALOT of cousins.

She has an aunt and uncle who live in other parts of Baldur's gate. they sometimes take shifts at the shop. All of them contribute to building the shop’s library and maintaining goods. Her aunt is an adventurer while her uncle is a cook at a tavern.

Religion:

She believes in the spirit of nature. Thus she tries to respect it whenever she has the opportunity. Aside from that, she tries to be respectful of everyone else’s gods, except the evil ones (like bal) or the ones that expect an unhealthy blind devotion. She’s not a devout worshiper. Prays on occasion to the universe but other than that, she focuses on her own actions.

[self-indulgent-paw-patrol]

Ask Game

Marshall

My first impression - Awww they got a Dalmatian and omg he looks like a total sweetheart-- HE'S A TOTAL SWEETHEART HELP

My impression now - My son, love of my life, I'll defend him forever

Favorite thing about that character - His upbeat way of life. Half full glass kind of guy. Always ready to lift everyone's spirits and assist his friends with whatever they need.

Least favorite thing - At least half of his fandom, probably. The fact they barely ever let him put out FIRES. He's literally the town's janitor instead.

Favorite line/scene - I have both a favorite line AND a favorite scene, so let's go for both.

Favorite line:

And favorite scene:

Favorite interaction that character has with another - IN THE MIGHTY MOVIE, THAT MOMENT WHEN MARSHALL JUST BEGAN PLAYING AROUND WITH ZUMA IN THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER, THAT WAS SO STINKING CUTE, I CAN'T

A character that I wish that character would interact with more - Everest, they're always cute together, let them see each other more, come on aaaaaaaaaaa

Another character from another fandom that reminds me of that character - Appearance? Lucky (101 Dalmatians), I cannot escape the fate that my drawings of Marshall will always look like he came from the 101 Dalmatians.

Job? Heatwave, from Transformers Rescue Bots.

Personality? MILES TAILS PROWER-- and tbh Cream The Rabbit too.

A headcanon about that character - Apparently, it's a common headcanon among us that whole thing about Marshall becoming deaf when he grows up, so I'll go with my OTHER headcanon, the cause for his bad genetics would be for being inbred, born at a puppy mill.

A song that reminds of that character - "All In"

An unpopular opinion about that character - I don't want him to be the main pup in a movie just for "he deserves it". Been there, seen how it goes. When a franchise produces something just to cater to fandom wishes/angry demands, the risks of it coming out real badly made are HIGH. I love Marshall and I want him to be the star under a movie spotlight just like most of you do, but I absolutely DO NOT want to demand for it. I do NOT want the next movie to be about him. I do NOT want them to make something just for the sake of making something. I will NOT get mad if the next movie isn't about him. Whenever they make a movie about him, I just want it to be well made and I do NOT mind waiting how many years it'll take. And if they won't ever make it, I'll be sad, but not mad, not angry, I'm not gonna drop the show just for that. As much as I love Marshall with all my heart and soul, I am well aware he is a fictional character and I am a real living person. I got my priorities in order and I can create fan content myself if I decide I want to.

Favorite picture - Good boy, happy boy, winner boy

[multidimensionalguidance]

The Astrology Behind: “The Chronicles of Narnia” Pt.1

Services

I recently went on a rabbit hole reading all about these books and movies, which honestly started out as boredom and a tad of nostalgia. It had been so long since I watched any of them that I could not recall the rich, mystical and esoteric history behind all of this material.

I'll be breaking down the writer and the characters astrological placements along with some interesting insights as well for entertainment. So, major spoiler alert for those who haven't read or seen the movies. At any case, this will be a long series! Enjoy <3

The Author, C. S. Lewis, has a really interesting chart that screams wizard and esoteric connoisseur. He was often hailed as the ‘Father of Modern Fantasy,’ and has been regarded as one of the most versatile authors in terms of topics and genres.

One of the most noticeable things to me was his Scorpio placements which indicate the depth behind his stories and the occult messages in them as well. Anuradha is a sign that has heavy themes of friendship, alliances, and devotion. As well, the darker side of this nakshatra comes with its Saturn influence where the native must first experience betrayal of trust, broken friendships, isolation in order to attain real long lasting connections. In the series these are all highlighted topics with the Narnians building a strong bond not just with the original queens and kings, but also with all the other humans who wanted to aid. It was all about joining forces towards a common good and being devoted to the magic of faith.

His rich and vivid imagination was most definitely triggered by that Moon conjunct Neptune. I think his moon is most likely in sidereal Gemini rather than Taurus, simply because of his profession as a writer. His intuition and creative abilities were palpable with this conjunction, regardless of sign.

Neptune creates illusions and delusions which can be detrimental if there's no tool to release it, and Lewis obviously knew exactly where to pour it all. There's a good chance that a lot of his writings were channeled since this conjunction gives natural psychic abilities, and many spiritual experiences as well.

His Moon was also conjunct Pluto, which not only brings many deep transformative spiritual lessons, but a tumultuous inner world as well. It's possible that writing was his safe hiding place from all the difficulties he experienced at home and/or with his mother.

In the movie we become familiar with the children who in the middle of war had to be separated from their mother in order to survive. They were left with their innocence and imagination to connect with the new world that was thrown upon them. It was only after they entered Narnia that their inner and external world enmeshed into an almost Alice in Wonderland sort of experience. Bizarre, visceral, colorful, and deeply transcendental. The plot and all of themes match very well with the authors life.

He was also well known for his religious interest and writings as well, which is expected of someone with Mercury in Sagittarius, specifically in a Ketu nakshatra which represents roots, be it of a plant or our own. Mula natives have a strong connection to their past and their ancestors, hence why for Lewis continuing to share/communicate/write about his faith taught by his family was an essential part of him. This nakshatra also loves to act like detectives, searching and digging in the past, like an archaeologist.

It is also note worthy to mention that Mercury was conjunct Rahu and these individuals often have an endless hunger for knowledge. It is almost an obsession to them, which is on theme for Rahu's shenanigans. Aside from this, the physic abilities are also strongly present. So, overall, Lewis was very much connected to the ether and his "imagination" was actually pulling from a deep well of wisdom passed down by his ancestors and spirit guides who wanted to use him as a channel for sharing hidden truths, even if it was under his religious scope.

Now, I'll continue with mentioning that the seven (7) books were each inspired by a planet. As mentioned earlier Lewis interest for magic and the cosmos was as deep as a blackhole. He strongly believed in Astrology despite the opposition that existed in his own religion.

He mentioned in non fiction books how Astrology was never an issue with the church until the Copernicus model came around putting emphasis on the Sun, which has been historically associated with God in many different religions. Due to this and other reasons most theologist deemed prediction or worship of planets as a blasphemy.

Lewis’ inclusion of the Seven Heavens avoided all three of these heretical dangers. As such, Lewis’ use of medieval cosmology falls well outside the scope of what modern-day Christians would condemn as astrology, which allowed him to use it without guilt or shame.

The planet Lewis assigned to each book is as follows:

Jove (Jupiter): The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Mars: Prince Caspian

Sol (the Sun): The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Luna (the Moon): The Silver Chair

Mercury: The Horse and his Boy

Venus: The Magician’s Nephew

Saturn: The Last Battle

I've only seen the first three movies, and I can definitely see each planet reflected into all of them. Jupiter in the first with all of the expansion of the magic, the war, traveling far from home and to another world, etc.

In the second movie, it was very Martian with the invasion of humans aggression and Narnians essentially becoming either extinct or pulled away from their higher consciousness to become like any other animal. It was also the heavy military ideals, the difficulty in both main masculine characters with controlling their dominance, etc.

In the last one the whole plot revolves around the two youngest siblings who still had a connection to "Aslan" (the Sun or Jesus archetype) returning to fight against a dark mist that was haunting Narnians. They had to go on a journey of recovering 7 magical swords and using them to return the light back into the lands. At the end, Aslan gives the characters the option of returning back into his world with them since Narnia didn't need of their protection anymore. The whole plot was centered around bringing light, truth, and stability.

As you can tell this series has a lot of knowledge and spiritual insights hiding behind the cover of a child's story so I will separate it into several parts. In the next one, I will go over the main character's charts and their astrological association, connection to author and books as well. Thank you for reading!

[lilithsaga]

Happy Birthday to the lovely Lilith Saga! (aka me) 🥳

I dont have much to offer other than sincere gratitude for everyone who supports me. Thank you all so much! 💜

That said, here is a short lore/origin excerpt of my story:

Or, better yet, feel free to read it below!

In my darkest moments, when everything seems hopeless, the one thing that consistently saves my life is a good story. This doesn't apply to every good story out there, of course; everyone has their preferences. I'm not going to pretend my tastes are better than anyone else's. But the kind of stories I appreciate are heart-touching enough to rip out dormant feelings that were buried deep, awe-inspiring enough to keep me invested in a lifestyle I never knew I needed to learn about, and thought-provoking enough to shatter my world to pieces and mold a new one from the remnants of what once was.

My name is Lilith Saga. I am a writer, succubus, and PNGtuber. I'm sure these titles that I label myself as seem a little strange at first. How can an introverted, shy, bookworm writer be the same as a sexy, alluring, tantalizing succubus? It's simple. Contrary to popular belief, succubi and incubi consume strong emotions to live.

Given our indecent reputation, desire and arousal are considered the most common emotions to consume because of how powerful and simple they tend to be. But for those of us who don't wish to get involved in that way, we also collect other human emotions. Anger, sadness, fear, disgust, joy, etc. The triggers for these emotions are different for every person, and are never guaranteed to work the same for everyone. However, there is one tried and true method that never fails to evoke deep emotions.

Storytelling!

So, for me personally, I prefer to say that I consume stories.

My heart swings against my rib cage when a story captivates me and takes my breath away. I adore listening to tales that make me laugh, make me cry, and keep me intrigued in a person and their world. Often times, when someone is telling their story, they go through the highs and lows of emotion when relaying it to me. Hearing their tale sparks a connection of mutual understanding, and we tend to grow a little closer because of it.

It's become an addicting feeling, one that I can't help but chase. If I had more time, I would spend every day searching for new stories to consume. Books, movies, TV shows, stage plays, musicals, comics, poems, songs, podcasts, fanfiction—every available format possible! There are so many different stories to consume that it can be difficult to keep up!

But... I know I can't.

I can never consume them all.

I'm not as healthy as I once was, not as happy, not as free. The older I've become, the more responsibilities I've acquired. More responsibilities mean more busy work. And more busy work means less time to indulge in stories. I feel as if I'm stuck in a cage where I'm so busy with mindless work that I neglect to take care of myself. I never found the key, nor do I expect to anytime soon. But, despite this, I found a warm blanket to make my stay more comfortable.

"Hellooooooooo Everybodyyyyyyyy~!"

This is my reality.

Channeling my creativity into YouTube like this was the best decision I've made in centuries. What started as an impulsive decision after getting laid off from my day job, turned into an outlet for me to enjoy storytelling once more. Currently, I play visual novels and RPG Maker games. Then I upload my playthroughs to YouTube. It allows me time once a week to go down the rabbit hole and experience stories I've always wanted to explore.

At first I thought it would be fun to document my journey to hold myself accountable, making sure I kept to this new habit. But then I noticed something. I wasn't the only person watching my videos! It never occurred to me that other beings around the world would tune in to my commentary and find it entertaining. I was just a silly succubus enjoying stories from games. And yet, without realizing it, I found a way to share these stories with others and connect on how the story impacted me.

My mind escaped to a world of creativity that I've been longing for. I've learned how to do social media, branding, public speaking, networking, project management, the list goes on. I have story concepts reaching me like how they used to when I was younger. I can feel this invigorating energy coursing through my veins. There's nothing in this world that can stop me-

Bzzt.

Oh yeah. Time. My mortal enemy.

...

Well, let's get to work, shall we?

[jimahalangel]

Gelatin Skeleton

Summary:

Apparently the multiverse doesn't need your permission to Isekai you. It doesn't even have to give you the courtesy of letting you know it happened.

…

Undertale is gone, like it never existed.

…

You would know—you've looked.

…

"Wait- so you're telling me the void ate my universe? I'm living the weirdest 'I survived' book?!! Introducing to scholastic book fairs everywhere: 'I survived the destruction of the universe when the void decided to get all schlorpy schlorpy!?'"

…

"I am unfortunately fully aware of what information your universe had in the way of… fanfiction about my friends and family-"

...

Notes:

Formatting is better on AO3 (italicized font and such)

Update schedule: AO3 will get new chapters earlier (probably about a day) than Tumblr. (Aiming for once a week, on Thursdays or Fridays - not set in stone)

Link to read on AO3:

Chapter 1: Wikipedia, my beloved.

(read chapter 2 here)

Going to sleep in one universe and waking up in another sounds like the kind of thing people would write about in various types of fiction. Because it is . It's such a prevalent trope that it has its own genre: Isekai .

As defined by Wikipedia, "Isekai, ( Japanese: 異世界, transl. "different world" or "otherworld") is a genre of speculative fiction—both portal fantasy and science fiction are included. It includes novels, light novels, films, manga, anime and video games that revolve around a displaced person or people who are transported to and have to survive in another world, such as a fantasy world, virtual world, or parallel universe. Isekai is one of the most popular genres of anime, and Isekai stories share many common tropes…"

You'd think someone would notice being Isekai-d; that you might feel different upon waking up in a world where things are changed in new and mysterious ways—perhaps feel empowered? Surely when one is suddenly transported into another reality, they might remember the day it happened?

Apparently the multiverse doesn't need your permission to Isekai you. It doesn't even have to give you the courtesy of letting you know it happened.

Or, well, you think this is another universe, at least? Because an entire chunk of internet-culture/pop-culture was missing when you went to Google it yesterday.

Is missing.

Still.

Undertale is gone, like it never existed. You would know—you've looked.

It's not like years' worth of memes and fanfiction and fanart pertaining to a game that changed the entire gaming industry could just up and disappear out of nowhere, could it?! But you can't find any sign of it anywhere online or offline—and you definitely had physical evidence.

You'd stayed up all night last night searching for a single trace of the game and fandom you'd spent years of your life looking toward for comfort and entertainment. You’d looked everywhere.

But it's gone.

All of it.

Everything.

It's impossible.

There has to be an explanation.

Which brings you to your current Isekai theory: Maybe it's not gone— you are. You might be somewhere new where it never existed in the first place.

Either that or your brain is really majorly messed up and created an alarmingly huge chunk of false memories.

.... Actually… How long has Undertale been missing for you?

Has this happened before and you just can't remember it?

You check your search history. Nothing about Undertale before yesterday. Which is definitely strange because you'd been on AO3 looking through Undertale tags two weeks ago. And there's no need to delete your search history when you live alone. Your most recent search history from right before your rabbit hole yesterday is still the same Wikipedia article you remember reading.

Strange.

So Undertale being wiped from the face of the Earth must've happened sometime in the past two weeks.

You check the Google search trends for the words, 'Undertale' and 'Meglovania,' among several other words and phrases more unique to the game and fandom than 'Sans,' and 'Papyrus.' You want to get to the bottom of this, but you're pretty sure those character names won't get you any closer to an answer with how common they are to describe non-Undertale related things.

It's somehow not a surprise to you when search trends show that exactly zero people are looking for the answers you are.

Okay, so that kicks the possibility of finding anyone else who remembers Undertale.

You check search trends for 'alternate reality,' 'alternate universe,' and 'alternate dimension,' and you also open up a separate tab to the Wikipedia article for 'Isekai.'

It seems like there's definitely a good amount of search queries related to each term, but upon further inspection, they're mostly about isekai anime and tv shows like Dr Who.

Not really all that helpful, but maybe when you're not dealing with the real-world issues of dimensional travel you can take a break and watch the ones that seem interesting.

You bookmark a few articles that seem to be about actual science and not sci-fi media, but besides scientific papers and articles misquoting those same scientific papers, you've hit a dead end. You turn your attention towards finding discussion posts or forums on the topic —Maybe something on Reddit?

…..

Okay, nope.

You're not going to have much luck bringing in other people to help you with this unless you're looking to end up institutionalized. Not that there's any shame in that, but you don't think it'd help you much in this particular situation.

Man, you are really hoping for your Isekai theory to ring true. Otherwise, you're SOL with no way of finding out what's going on here. You feel like that guy who had to rewrite all the Beatles songs from memory in that one movie. What was it called? Yesterday?

Not that you think you could reproduce any of the content you remember about Undertale.

No, you definitely couldn't, especially not the game itself. You aren't a one-man game dev team, and the idea of trying to profit off someone else's ideas like that makes you feel slimy. Even if you're in an alternate dimension or if your brain actually came up with everything and created false memories, you couldn't bring yourself to claim what you feel is someone else's intellectual property. You'll just have to quietly remember on your own and create fan-content privately from now on. That thought makes you feel kind of alone…

You push that down and bottle it up for future you to deal with. Right now you need to determine how and why this happened through some gentle research. No need to end up on any government watchlists.

[theantarwitch]

Clothing & Wearing Magic – Part 2

Part 1: Location.

Part 2: Materials

Just as it is emphasized that wood, an amethyst, salt, and sugar have different spiritual properties due to their physical and chemical capabilities, clothing and accessories can also have different properties based on the material they are made of.

In this post I previously talked about metals, so I won't go into details, other than remembering that a silver ring and an aluminum ring have different properties to take into account. So everything that is jewelry is included there. But it also includes belt buckles, metal buttons on jeans, zippers on clothes, and everything that is metallic. If metal exists, it can be enchanted based on its specific properties.

Materials:

All the plant-based materials, like yarn, hemp, cotton, bamboo, jute, linen and their derivations, are a pure Earth element, are part of a plant that grows from the ground, fed by the Sun. That alone brings the properties of both elements and will be beneficed by spells related to both, like protection. The most commons to find in a normal cloth are cotton and linen.

Cotton: Is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll and is covered with thorns. The white color of the fiber gives its characteristic association of cleanliness and purity, just as the ability to retain vibrations, help protect from negative energies (the thorns add more aggression to it) and is known for represent simplicity and harvest. It also has properties as being static electricity resistant, absorbs water and “breathes”, can withstand heat, detergents, and bleach, so naturally act like a barrier.

Linen: Is made from the fibers of a plant, but in this case, from the “inner bark” and since is hard to make, it is also more expensive, that’s why is related to elegance, luxury and sophistication. Used by members of high class, usually priests, got the idea of be linked to the righteousness and purity, and the common use to sheets, made it corresponded to the rest. It is the second strongest fabric after the silk and also static electricity resistant.

Wool, leather and silk, on the other hand, come from animal sources, which also add the Fire component to the equation, adding the life force and energy of said element.

Wool: A textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids, with the characteristic to be insulating, temperature regulating, mold resistant and flame resistant. Since the wool grow back each season is linked to the hope and renewal, durability, comfort and warmth. Each type of wools can also bring the energy and characteristics of the specific animal to which come from, so can be useful to focus in these features at the moment to enchant it.

Leather: At difference of the wool, the leather doesn’t grow back, is the result of the death of the animal, which brings even more Fire element to the equation, just as the instinct and strength of the animal to which come from. Can be completely waterproof and hard to burn, which bring extra protection.

Silk: Is the strongest natural textile in the world, a natural protein fiber, composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The process is time-consuming and delicate, which explains the high cost of this fabric but also brings the correspondence of being a symbol of wealth, luxury and prestige. In certain lighting conditions, silk produces a shimmering optical effect, which is due to the triangular prism-like structure of silk fibers. These prisms reflect light at various angles, which results in the subtle rainbow hue that has made silk so famous, which add the capacity of the transformation and magical insulation.

Within the synthetic fibers you can find lycra, polyamide, neoprene, polyester, and many other mixtures of synthetic origin, most of which are derivatives of plastic. Despite the fact that it is an “artificial” product and that the environmental effects it produces are devastating, its origins remain natural in some way. But rather than focusing on where it comes from, in this case it is useful to ask the physical abilities when giving it an occult correspondence. It is waterproof and can completely nullify electricity (that ability to be completely null could be an excellent shield against magical energies, since it doesn't react at all), it can be molded into any shape (perfect for transformation spells), it doesn't oxidizes and can last thousands of years (long-term resistance). It may be the least interesting, but a good witch sees opportunity in even such a thing.

In some clothes, especially excellent level jackets, we can also find an insulating feather padding, which is a primordial Air element, associated with freedom, escape, spirituality, wisdom, power, strength, trust, honor, lightness, dryness, the heavens, height, and speed.

Some garments may also have wooden buttons, a powerful Earth element from which any witch can deduce its properties.

Knowing now what material a garment is made of, this knowledge can be used when potentiating enchantments, and even more if the color of said item is taken into account.

Part 3: Designs and Colors. 

[talesofsonicasura]

Hybrids: Cybertronian

A ramble stirred from insomnia, curiosity and a thought that has been stuck in my head for DAYS. If the title wasn't a clue then it's about potential hybrids involving our favorite extraterrestrial robots from the Transformers franchise. This will include possible creation methods outside the stereotypical pregnancy as I prefer variety and some people are uncomfortable about it too.

For who is chosen, basically any non-humans mentioned from posts here or my main blog. Posts in question: FEOCP, Glamorous Mishaps. Let's begin.

Deku Scrub

Let's start with a LoZ race rarely utilized as an civilization, much less expanded on in concept than just the normal enemy stereotype. A creation of a hybrid would be a Spark energy charged seed or Cybertronian metal engulf in magically charged Deku leaves. These options stemming from Deku Scrubs being plant like beings.

Both seedlings are can planted underground or put in an incubator. Like plants, they develop quite quickly if given enough sunlight and water. The Sparkling will emerge from a fully grown Deku Flower. It serves a tool for protection passed down by their botanical parent.

The youngling can use these flowers as a bunker to avoid harm until they're fully grown. Deku Flowers from hybrids are VERY durable, non-flammable, and still able to grow even when it's respective bitlit had matured. It's an uncommon tradition that these flora are handed down through generations or given to a potential sparkmate as part of a Conjunx ritual.

Hybrids mature at a similar rate to humans but can live for a very very VERY long time. No matter the frame type, they tend to reach staggering sizes thanks to their symbiotic halves. How big? Those with a Minicon parent can disguise themselves as a medium sized tree while a cityformer can mimic an entire large forest!

Every Deku Cybertronian hybrid are half plant and machine with both sides in a symbiotic relationship. They can consist of a normal Transformer diet or choose to nourish themselves via photosynthesis plus water. Hybrids are most likely to be born with chlorokinesis(ability to control plants), magic potential, and on rare occasions both.

Deku Cybertronian can disguise themselves as plants with the usual option being trees or large flora such as bushes. Although they're often mistaken for botanical cryptids like dryads. It's advised to be nice to nature unless you want to piss off these particular hybrids.

When it comes to their EM fields, many describe as being around nature. These feelings can range from frolicking in a peaceful meadow to getting destroyed by a tornado. Even non-Cybertronian races such as humans can feel it!

Yaoguai

Next up are a species that originate from Chinese mythology. A hybrid can be created through various means but the most common is the charm method. Objects charged with their respective parents energy that 'hatch' over time or an immediate creation of a newspark.

Charms can come in different forms but must contain an element from both creators. Yaoguai Cybertronian hybrids tend to be Triple Changers with a beast form and beast like traits that varies depending on their supernatural parent. These include: rabbits, eastern dragons, Qilin(chimeric/draconic horse), skeleton, spider, ogre, etc. For traits: scales, fur, feathers, etc.

Hybrids tend to be born with an orientation towards magic. This can range into any branch of the mystical arts that becomes noticeable as Sparklings mature. A hybrid might be born with element manipulation specifically water, fire, metal, earth or wind depending on the yaoguai parent.

Yaoguai Cybertronian mature at different rates between individuals. Some are on the same level as humans or take 50-100 years. The maturation factor is random.

Hybrids can subsist on a Cybertronian diet, their yaoguai parent's diet or even human food. Caution is advised if the other half comes from vampiric/cannibalistic species like jiangshi. Food therapy is required for these particular hybrids to avoid endangering others through hunger.

Yaoguai Cybertronians can live for a very long time with spirit types being ageless. They share their supernatural parent's weakness but it's only half effective no matter the species. A harmonious heritage that embodies the mystical and mechanical.

Yaoguai Cybertronian's EM field tend to be quite mixed but also share a magic like feel. How these are read by others depend on the element one possesses. Fire= warm to burning, Water= cool to drenched/freezing, wind= breeze to a intense storm, metal= firm to crushingly heavy, and earth = gentle to an seismic quake.

Data Virus

Moving from magic to technological here. Hybrids are born through a 'cobble', a mesh between Cybertronian metal and virus coding. A newspark develops in a special incubator that steadily feeds data into the cobble.

This is to protect anything technological without virus protection from having their systems crashed. Up to 3-6 Sparklings emerge between 1-2 weeks depending on how much data is fed into the cobble. These hybrids are kept in a special containment for a few days as their corruptive nature needs time to stabilize.

Newsparks can't crash their respective Cybertronian parent. An adaptation said to be crafted during incubation inside the cobble. Some hybrids bear various visible features or traits depending on their virus parent.

Virus Cybertronian are born with different levels of datakinesis and data corruption. It's vital to have powerful debugging programs alongside virus protection to properly handle young hybrids. Maturation for the species is 20-25 years. This is due to the virus carefully developing, refining and melding the mechanical half to increase survival.

Hybrids are essentially ageless but quite mellow with those around them. Virus Cybertronians can travel through data networks and often make temporary homes during long travels. If one is staying in your computer then show common courtesy as they feed on errors or other viruses.

Hybrids can live on a Cybertronian diet but usually prefer harmful data. Unique Triple Changers that are able to create their own secondary alt mode. These special modes always suit a Virus Cybertronian's being as a whole. When it comes to imagination, these hybrids go beyond.

EM fields from these Virus Cybertronians can be described as intense. Any shared with non-hybrids or respective family are water down a bit. This is because their EM fields are strong enough to make the receiver have constant errors to even a temporary system reboot! Yikes!

And that's it for now! Until next time folks, Transform and Roll Out!

[nitroish]

I myself dont have much time to talk but. What are some silly headcanons you have for your favoritest blorbos? Do they have a favorite food? What are your hcs for their sexualities? Do they stim, and if so, how?

This could be zelda related or not whichever you prefer, im giving you a reason to ramble about whichever characters you like most :)

oh hell yeah lets go

im going to answer these with my legend in mind , so keep That in mind ! thank u thank u

under the cut . o7

legends favourite food is eggs on rice. a simple, easy to make meal! he only eats it A Singular Way as well oops - the way He cooks it. wild learns how to make it legends way [ its not all that hard of a feat to accomplish ] . he tries to change it up sometimes but legend absolutely notices every single time and refuses to eat it.

legend can cook but its mostly easy-to-make + overall cheap options that he can make in bulk / eat off of for awhile . goulash and curries. soups, breads, etc.

hes rly good w apples too tho, outside of those kinds of meals . his favourites are honeycrisp, and hes made or helped make wine , pies , jam , etc with the fruit in general :)

he has a damn sweet tooth and its impulsively indulged every time he passes a pastry shop or some shit. if there is an apple or cinnamon flavoured Anything he is going to try it [ not cinnamon roll, though ]

he is gay as shit !!! homosexual + somewhere under the ace spec but only thinks himself Loosely tied to the term [ he does not bother to find exactly where and i dont have much care to do that much searching either. ]

stims consist of many different things so here are some different kinds

hat fiddling, fiddling with things in general [ rings, hair, tunic, bag, blahblah ], waving weight from one foot to the other, tracing designs on things [ arm bracers, armour, swords, saddles, yadayada ], large exaggerated arm/hand movements, cracking bones [ <- stress stim ]

shine !! he will watch his rings or weapons shine in the sun, will move hands back and forth to watch the gleam of light move over the designs. he likes watching clouds move. he'll stare at the campfire for hours cos he likes to watch how the colours move.

humming, whistling [ usually random tunes he picked up from the others or towns ], clicking his tongue, mimicking accents [ NOT mocking . theres a difference . unless its twilight , then he mocks because its silly /lh ]. he likes to repeat words he hears tht r fun . yippee . . . conkcrete . . .

idk random things

warriors and legend are in a qpr [ duh ]

legend draws. wars writes.

system four my beloved

times good w magic spells. hes a quick learn, tho he doesnt rly use em

legend is more magic-able thn he lets on , understands spells and what they do / what words do that , but doesnt know how to use spells without conduits that Move the magic for him

they all know sign or are learning sign . legend doesnt like to teach, but he DOES stick around to help translate if need be

legend knows so many languages but this is common knowledge

legend has two dark world forms [ wolfos and rabbit ] <- the wolfos coloration is like a maned wolf

hyrule isnt very fond of bein in the fairy transformation , very overwhelming experience rly , but he Does enjoy the ability to sit on shoulders when he winds up in it

hyrule n legend make deez nuts jokes n warriors falls for them every time . warriors learns how to weaponize words to make his own jokes of the same caliber

twilight likes to collect bugs for agitha still . other eras have silly bugs and someone asks why hes hoarding all the damn glass bottles and when he carefully gets tghem out they each have a singular fucking bug in them

[reveseke]

Few Rogue headcanons about BNHA universe

most likely to have been done or to be rather obvious ones. I just feel like dropping these.

Disclaimer — most likely half assed burst of energy thoughts and headcanons of the universe. I'm quite thick headed with my understandment of things and may not realise i have made a mistake about something, feel free to correct me if i have ~ Also these are just for fun.

I'd love to hear your own thoughts about these topics, if you have your own headcanons, do not try to start an argument you will be ignored after catching on, thank you.

TW — mentions of discrimination | mentions of ableistic behavior? | Fr-slur mention | The commission of Japan(it will count as a warning itself in my blogs lol) | brainwashing & conditioning whump mention ( tell me if you spot something else i didn't pick up on lol )

You cannot convince me that sensory relieving products are not one of the most common things to see in public in BNHA universe. And they are not judged upon having them bc they understand that many people due to their quirks may need them, it's not the ND people majority anymore to use them. ( Not saying that NT people don't use them, but it's more common for sensory relieving, stim things etc to be found with ND people. ;³ )

I swear to ukko that there is always something in the quirks that makes sensory relieving common. Even if it's the little things.

You can try to pry that out of my cold deathless hands lmao .

Uhhh also it's not weird anymore if someone buys animal products to be used on themselves. Esp if they have a mutation type quirk lol and don't find any of the mutation-type specific products working on them but some animal / pet products seem to do the job with little side effect maybe? Itchy skin, possibly inflamed skin/eyes etc etc.

I think related to the last one that there maybe some argument worth thoughts about non-mutation-type people using mutation-type products. Like as an example how if a straight hair person uses haircare products meant for type three and/or four hair.

Since we've seen how some mutation quirks are sometimes seen as ugly or feared bc the appearance they give the people with the quirks. ( Hint to that one episode with AFO and OFA origin tale where AFO speaks of the man with the mutation quirk scaring his parents bc how he looks ) . I just think there maybe a lot of discrimination on mutation types more than any other types of quirks. Of course never to forget the discrimination that's seen in our own world and how serious that is, just a little add on the list that might be discriminated against in this universe.

Oh yeah it was confirmed that the time consuming rabbit hole of a clock app is a thing in the BNHA. So I'd think there would be pretty intensive content and really dangerous ones at that actually.

Also about bullying, it would be more intensive looking at the way how quirks work and form (expect for mutation types) at the age of four.

But as I said few paces up about the mutation-type discrimination, it's easy to see how that would turn out for growing kids with more " scarier " or " disgusting " or " freak-like " mutation quirks would muddle their sense of worth.

Disabilities would either be treated the same like it is in our world, or they would be more better or worser. Actually thinking about it more when it comes to quirk related disabilities it wouldn't probably be much of a problem to outsiders since it would be more visible, but of course there could be the whole bad days and good days with the disabilities that are seen as something some abled people cannot understand enough and are being assholes about. But when it comes to invisible disabilities i really think they could be possibly undermined more or there could be more resources either way can be true or true-ish.

I think there are divisions in sports for different types of people. Like quirkless division, few different divisions for emitter-types, mutation-type quirks, and transformation-types.

Within the sports and divisions is altered rules, techniques and limitations. Then ofc there are sports only for different types that aren't generally held for other types of quirks or quirkless people. Some may be only for mutation-types, some for different kinds of emitters and some only for quirkless as an example.

Then there's ofc different types of jobs, some jobs that usually required a machines help can be replaced with a certain quirk and some that only hire one type of quirk people or only quirkless people.

BTW about the commission of Japan that's shown in the series, i really think they can be more ruthless and inhumane than they were with the shown heroes/srs . Like literally, brainwashing, conditioning in general etc i really think they would be more than able to do so. With all their resources and the confidiality on the job they would even get away with it if they pull it off.

[pvnktimez]

The Tao of Pooh, a book review

Welcome to a world of childhood nostalgia and ancient wisdom, where Benjamin Hoff guides us through the magical 100 Acre Wood we all know and love with a special eye for life’s simple pleasures. 

What’s this got to do with Tao? If Uganda Knuckles doesn’t know the way, how can I expect Pooh Bear to? 

These are great questions, I hear ya. I hope the idea of ‘ancient wisdom’ doesn’t scare you off, dear reader. This is no intellectual textbook. It reads very much like a slice of life with Pooh and his buddies ol’ pals. This is the perfect pair to a Sunday morning cup of coffee. I spent many dozens of minutes drinking in a few pages, enjoying the classic story-book illustrations while listening to the rain pattering on my window before catching the bus to work this winter. 

I think Hoff’s ability to seamlessly thread core Toaist tenants throughout classic excerpts from A.A. Milne’s O.G. Winnie the Pooh stories make for a wonderfully smooth read. The chapters are easy to digest, the tales are fun to follow along, and the cultural lessons are insightful for fellows new and old to Chinese philosophy. 

Nature follows its own laws, which frankly have very little to do with the willings of humankind and the societies we’ve constructed. By listening to the way of the natural world, it’s here supposed that our experienced lives may be orchestrated in closer harmony with the universe at large. The whole point is trying less, an idea against our hyper-productive society. 

This is funny because ‘going against the grain/stream’ is a common punk rock notion, but the thing is that punk rock is pushing against society and it's important to understand that society is not the grain or the stream. Society is the thing that has paved over the grasslands and damned the streams from free flow. Or, maybe it’s the capital incentive, and society can actually work along with the stream. 

Maybe we can stop trying so hard to damn it. 

In this book, Hoff takes the friendly characters of Winnie the Pooh and relates them to the various human conditions we see around us. As he puts it most concisely, “You might say that while Rabbit’s little routine is that of Knowledge for the sake of Being Clever, and while Owl’s is that of Knowledge for the sake of Appearing Wise, Eeyore’s is Knowledge for the sake of Complaining About Something”. 

Yanno, I’ve heard people relate the conditions of these characters to various mental illnesses, too. Piglet to anxiety, Eeyore to depression, Rabbit to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and so on. Such a theory is rather compelling, although mental illness seems to also be a state of human conditions gone haywire, extreme, or maladapted. Are we not all susceptible to any of these traits? Who hasn’t related to these characters - to the ego satisfaction of complaining about our day, or the puff in our chest when we get an info dump to our friends? 

The biggest lesson of the Tao seems to be to learn how to live our life directly from our own experiences, not what other people tell us is right, from books or any other kind of content, like Tik-Tok. Isn’t it ironic, how here in the Western World there is a book suggesting we put the book down, go outside, sit down and commune with the wind? 

This was written in the 1980’s. As the internet has continued to develop, our obsession with knowledge and information has only grown, not without both benefits and pitfalls. In my perspective, it seems more important than ever to remember to touch grass as often as we listen to our phones yap about nonsense. This book is one of those reminders that I’m appreciative of. Aren’t we trying to dream of a new world for our future generations to live in? How do we transform a world when we’re too busy running away from it? Anyways… 

If you’re fed up with the state of things, this just might be the book for you. Traffic is too trafficky? Overwhelmed with going here and there and to and fro but you don’t feel like you’re really getting anywhere at all? Do you dream of dozing off in a rocking chair on a commune porch in the middle of a hot summer afternoon, ice melting in your tea from the sun, which you’ve forgotten all about during your snoozing? Are you *pinches my thumb to my index* this close to quitting your job and burning a bank down? Do you depend on social media to get half your socializing in, but despise the algorithm and advertisements to which we are at the whim and mercy of? 

Maybe Pooh has some answers for you. Maybe the path of pathlessness which he wanders down might be a nice change of pace for you to meander with. We live in some pretty crazy ass times, and maybe a new approach is calling. Come see what’s going on at the 100 Acre Woods, have some tea and a slice of pie, and get comfortable with doing nothing for a while.

====

originally published in issue 02 of Punk Times, when it was still under the title 'Underground'

[rndyounghowze]

Philadelphia April Reviews

PHL-10

THE GOOD PERSON OF SETZUAN

WRITTEN BY: BERTOLT BRECHT

TRANSLATED BY: WENDY ARONS

ADAPTED BY: TONY KUSHNER

DIRECTED BY: JUSTIN JAIN

PRESENTED BY: WILMA THEATRE CO

Dana would like to inform people that Ricky has only given a standing ovation twice this year. This year they have both been at Wilma Theatre Company. They are always looking for a body of artists who come together to create moments of communal emotion. The audience can come into a space of belonging that represents them and who they are as a community. In The Good Person Setzuan director Justin Jain gathers a community of artists to reclaim a play by a German Bertolt Brecht, translated by a white woman Wendy Arons, adapted by a white man Tony Kushner and transformed it as a work with an unmistakable Asian and Paciic Islander identity.

Its about a woman Shen-Te who is considered good by the gods, given a gift, and told to do good and live well. But the circumstances of the world she lives in means that if she does good she can’t live well, and if she lives well she can’t do good.

Jain worked really hard to bring Good Person of Setzuan out of a white privileged comfort zone and enthrone it securely in an AAPI identity. We are used to knowing exactly what someone is saying, what the signs say, and have an answer for everything. We’re so used to trusting a director to make everything clear to us. Yet when we turn around and trust fall into Jain’s arms then we can truly understand the mission of this show.

The goal is to make us question everything. What is a performance? What is onstage and offstage? Where is the line between orchestra and main cast? Where is the line between performance space and audience space? By creating this garden of questions Jain allows new questions to grow, “who is really good? What would I really do with that money? How many needy people did I pass by crying just like Wang? Jain tore down walls and expectations to plant a forest of meaning.

We’re going to go out on a limb and say that Brecht knew only slightly more about Setzuan than McDonalds did when they made “Szechuan Sauce”. What he did know was destruction, desolation, and desperation. He made his life’s work as a socialist making plays for the common man and creating the “Alienation Effect” Dana would like to over simplify it for everyone and say it’s Bugs Bunny. Freezing the scene to talk to the audience, playing fast and loose with reality, being aware that it’s a play are as much in Brecht’s realm as it is the Rabbit’s. Essentially you know you are watching a play and the play is watching you right back. The goal isn’t just to entertain you or to inform you. It’s to create modern day fables that require the audience to inspect themselves and the world around them. Brecht acts as defense council and prosecutor putting our world in the dock. The audience is the judge. It’s up to us to reach a final verdict.

One character, Wang, carries the emotional weight of the show and the other;Shen-Te feels it. Ngo had to show us a character struggling under a fluid morality. She had to create another human being to become the minute she had to protect herself and others. She had to play a woman torn apart by her own kindness. She did almost too well because in the relaxed performance we were almost screaming at her. Kim was the character that we couldn’t understand yet he was also the one we empathized with the most. In a way Wang is given a gift from the gods too, the gift of purpose. He became our handhold in the story, inviting us in and showing us how the world worked.

These artists’ bios comprise a word soup of art. Choreographer, musician, founding member, producing collective, performer. Together they combine to form the vital word “ensemble”. Each single one of these performers could have commanded the stage. They have all of the talent and the requisite skill. It’s harder to blend together into a cohesive whole. They seamlessly act as one on the stage. That is what theatre is all about.

Gooooooooddddds!!! We’re now going to start saying that every time we enter a room. These three did a wonderful job portraying the gods as “shoobies” (that’s Jersey speak for tourists. With Beschler’s physical comedy, McLenigan’s expressive face and Scammel’s vocal mastery they create a trio more likely to be canonized for their guitar chops than their good works on the earth. They did a great job being over the top, clueless, and all powerful, a dangerous combination. They also, on top of playing gods had to play people who were stuck in this environment. Great job!

We have the music to thank for one of the few times that Ricky bawled like a child in their seats. Our two composers did a wonderful job creating work that created a sonic backdrop to performance. If the performance was the pebble in the pond the music was the ripples emanating into the audience. Dana would call this a musical but Brecht would consider it another way to alienate the audience. The songs don’t follow normal musical logic. It created the water the show swam through.

We have the music to thank for one of the few times that Ricky bawled like a child in their seats. Our two composers did a wonderful job creating work that created a sonic backdrop to performance. If the performance was the pebble in the pond the music was the ripples emanating into the audience. Dana would call this a musical but Brecht would consider it another way to alienate the audience. The songs don’t follow normal musical logic. It created the water the show swam through.

Brecht’s ultimate goal was to make the audience uneasy. You’re supposed to be all too aware that this is weird. If you’re left scratching your head and wondering what you just watched Brecht would be pleased. If you walked out of the theatre and started questioning the world you live in his work would be done. How many desperate people do we pass on the streets to get to the bus? How many times have wanted to help but asked ourselves “do we want to feed the needy or be the needy”. Brecht was ultimately a socialist. There are only two ways to view his work: you’re an outsider looking at a world you don’t truly understand, or the poverty and misery looks all to familiar to you. In any case, the key to a Brecht play is to embrace the confusion and the feeling of being lost because that’s exactly where you’re supposed to be.

PHL-11

BalletX Festival At The Mann

Featuring Choreography By:

Jamar Roberts, Takehiro Ueyama, and Natasha Adorleee

With Music By: Ensemble132, Kato Hideki, and Jac Ross

Presented By: BalletX

We love finding centers for the arts that reflect the community around them. Walking into the Mann Center makes you feel like you are in a hometown community center. Kids are running and playing and dance organizations are giving free demonstrations. Then you see the Philadelphia skyline in the distance as you eat your fried chicken and biscuits. Then we got into our seats to watch our first BalletX performance. We shared a row of seats with children eating snacks on one side. On the other side was a nice couple who shared their wine with us. The lights started coming down and Jac Ross sat at the piano to open the show. It dawned on us that The Mann Center had built something special on top of that hill. That was before the ensemble at BalletX had even started the show to blow us away.

Anyone Googling the Greek myth of Eros and Psyche would understand the theme of love versus the soul. Yet they might be tempted to choreograph a soft and sensual pas de deux. They might think of a sultry piano or brash jazzy horns. Roberts delved deeper and crafted a conversation in movement. Roberts played with unison and discord. There were many times when our dancers converged in unison. Then the two would diverge and make patterns on their own. It created a dissonant feeling that was begging for harmony and oneness.

Roberts dared to bring grotesque and direct movements to the stage. It stood out boldly against the pleasant underscore of Glass’s music. We don’t love Phillip Glass. Yet, hearing his music interpreted by Ensemble132 was a wonderful surprise.

We loved the repetitive physicality Ueyama brought to the stage. He brought the daily grind of the Japanese worker post-WW2 to life. We could feel the deluge of anger and despair washing over us from the stage. Ueyama replicated that feeling well with the partner work. The partners fight over and over about the putting on and taking off a jacket. Dancers are throwing themselves off of chairs into each other’s arms. They are diving to the floor. It simulates that feeling of working oneself to exhaustion.

Hideki’s composition created a desolate beginning to the piece. It felt like a bleak wasteland laying a foundation for a jazzy boom. The misery kept moving despite the foxtrot’s invitation to dance. This left us with a heavy feeling in our seats when the lights went down at the end.

Adorlee’s choreography felt like a celebration. Usually, an ensemble dancing behind a Grammy-nominated singer would become backup dancers. The audience would see them as ancillary to the star. The BalletX ensemble matched Ross’s energy and even gave more than it got. This energy turned the band and the ensemble into performance partners. The audience lapped it up. We love seeing an audience whooping and cheering in their seats. It’s their way of giving back the energy the performers gave them.

Adorlee and Ross shook Ballet out of its box. It brought Ballet into the now. They played with changes of pace and rhythm. They brought in dance moves that wouldn't be out of place in the club. Adorlee even broke gender norms with same-gendered partnering. Male performers lifted men. Female performers supported males. Roles shifted from one to another in a fun youthful atmosphere.

We often say that light is the water that the performers swim in. Yet Korsch used rays of light like watercolor paint. It seemed like he was painting the shadows on their skin. It felt like Korsch drew the darkness closing in on the performers with ink and a brush. It rivaled Mother Nature's lighting design as the sun set outside the pavilion.

There was a term we love for art and music called the “sympathetic” movement. The cloth flowing around the performers becomes another partner in the dance. Stallings’s use of coats and handkerchiefs became another character in the performance. The coats symbolized the weight of the world on their shoulders.

If BalletX doesn't have a slogan let us suggest "Dance For Everyone". The three compositions in this performance took us on an emotional rollercoaster ride. The mix of styles and performers reminded us that Ballet is for everyone. Ballet welcomes all the members of the community with open arms. Like the music invites you to cry or tap your toes Ballet should invite us to think or cheer. BalletX invited the whole community in and created a performance for all. The applause and singing by the audience was overwhelming evidence of that.

[umichenginabroad]

Week 8: Praha Midterm Season

Hello hello! This week’s Prague blog features mostly academic content, plus some margaritas to celebrate midterms being over and a weekend trip to London! As usual, feel free to jump to sections that are interesting to you. Enjoy! 

Brady in Praha!

One of my closest guy friends from my hometown came to visit! We walked around the gardens and vineyard near our school and then grabbed dinner with two other guys from my high school that I wasn't as close with. It’s always nice to catch up with people you don’t normally talk to, we’ve all grown so much. We went to U Bulinu, a nearby Czech restaurant that was, to my surprise, really good! That is, despite a couple questionable menu items like “beef cheeks” and “rabbit head”. I played it safe and ordered the roast chicken, but one of the guys licked the plate of beef cheeks clean.

Architecture Tour

This week in architecture we visited Malá Strana, otherwise known as “lesser town”. Our tour was centered around the High Baroque architecture in the area, characterized by dynamic ornamentals, grandeur, and drama. Baroque arose from a competition between two Christian movements: the Catholic Church and the Protestant Reformation, with the Catholic Church initiating a counteraction to reaffirm its significance in society. Baroque evolved from Renaissance style and beauty, as artists introduced more extravagance and ornamentation into their work. High Baroque art and architecture, which flourished during the 17th century, features highly dynamic statues and ornaments that seem to move ‘in time’, contrary to the static or ‘above time’ appearance of the Renaissance style.

The first site we visited was the Church of Our Lady Victorious. Originally constructed in 1611 as a Protestant church, it was transformed into a Baroque-style church by the Catholics after they took control of Prague. The church’s most captivating feature is the "Golden Window," which frames the statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague. The gold symbolizes deity and sanctity, and the statue famously depicts God reincarnated as a baby. This profound image deeply resonated with devout Christians, turning the church into a popular pilgrimage site.

Next, we visited St. Nicholas Church in the center of Lesser Town Square, which stands at the site of a former Gothic church from the 13th century, also dedicated to Saint Nicholas, and before that, a small Romanesque rotunda. It is by far the most decorated church I have been to in Prague, and has been described as the greatest example of Prague Baroque. I’ve included a picture of the incredible interior below.

Malá Strana has also long been recognized for its aristocratic settlements. Today, the former noble Schoenborn Palace serves as the US embassy, illustrating the common practice of repurposing former palaces to house government ministries or embassies. Interestingly, Malá Strana also encapsulates a layer of Prague’s history during the communist era, when the KGB utilized an office within St. Nicholas Church to secretly monitor the nearby American embassy. This aspect adds a complex dimension to the church, juxtaposing its outward religious significance with the covert operations of the Soviet Union's secret police.

Cafe Louvre in Česky

We took a field trip with our Essential Czech class to Cafe Louvre to practice ordering in Czech. I’m the type to get anxious before ordering at any restaurant in English, so you bet I rehearsed the following sentence a couple times before the waiter came around to me. “Dam si avokadu chleb, prosim.” which means “I’ll have avocado toast, please.” He understood, but the toast came out a little weird since they boil their eggs before slicing and spreading them over the avocado mash. It tasted fine, so I’ll call it a success! 

Alllll the presentations

This week I had way too many presentations. In architecture, my group presented on the architectural style of Vienna, which ended up being interesting due to the city’s historical significance as the Habsburg capital. During our Czech brunch, I also did a brief presentation on Milada Horakova, an incredible feminist, anti-Nazi, anti-Communist activist of her time. In Communications, we had to present on any topic, so my group chose UFOs and Area 51 and quickly compiled slides and graphics. And finally, in Databases, everytime we finish an exercise our professor spins a wheel which lands on one of the students in our class to present their work. This Thursday, I was the unlucky nominee. It called for a brief presentation of one of the database schemes we had to make and its associated SQL, so it could’ve been worse!

TEthics Midterm

The only real midterm exam I had was for my Tech, Ethics, and Public Policy class. I didn’t prepare too much since I’m in CoE so all of our grades transfer back as P/F, but I’m glad I’ve been participating in class because I’d already memorized most of the terminology just from paying attention.

The entirety of the exam was written. The first page had fill in the blank type questions, and the second two pages prompted a couple sentence responses. The final two pages were essay-type questions, with multiple prompts to choose from to write about. Overall, the exam went well considering the brief preparation I did for it.

Las Adelitas con Las Chicas

We found out that the Mexican restaurant near our apartment has discounted margaritas on Wednesdays for ladies, so obviously we had to hop on that. Mihika, Alisha, Lydia, and I booked a table for 4 to celebrate our midterms being over. We racked up 2 rounds of drinks before meeting a group of guys who were also American and studying in Prague. I jokingly offered to buy them drinks because the discount didn’t apply to them and they responded in sincerity, “can you actually?!” So we pulled up four chairs to our table and ordered another round! It was a gamble whether we would be charged full price for these since we *very visibly* passed them over to the guys, but the waitress was cool and gave us the discount anyway! Great service, insane tacos, and overall highly recommend to any girlies reading this.

London

This weekend I went to London and was blessed with amazing weather and blossoming flowers! I landed Thursday night and got horribly lost my first time on the London Underground trying to navigate between terminals to get to my hotel, and wound up a few stops beyond the airport. I was fed up with traveling for the day and called an Uber to bring me back. It was only slightly awkward when he asked where I was traveling to this weekend… “Uhhh, London” I said, defeatedly. 

I delegated most of Friday to my walking tour of the city. I was staying right on Gloucester, so I was able to explore all of Westminster, including the Kensington gardens, Buckingham Palace, The London Eye, and Trafalgar Square (made famous to me by Mario Kart). The entire area smelled like fresh roses and lilac, it was such a gift. I also *had* to stop at Nandos afterwards and get some insane food! See views from my walking tour below, along with some good eats :)

Saturday, I met up with a friend studying there and explored Borough Market and Old London. We got the infamous chocolate covered strawberries at Borough (definitely lived up to the hype) and split a street food style sandwich doused in parmesan cheese. It was super crowded and hard to move through the market itself, but lines moved fast. Afterwards we walked along the water towards the old City of London, crossed the London Bridge, and then explored one of the oldest fortifications in Europe. Finally, we headed to Camden Market and Brick Lane to do a bit of shopping before dinner. These markets are known for thrifting, antiques, jewelry, and clothing as well as street food and drinks, which made it slightly more overwhelming than the Borough market for me, which was strictly food, but still enjoyable.

On Sunday we got delicious Dutch pancakes for brunch before saying farewell until the Summer. I had planned to visit the British Museum before my flight, but street protestors blocked entry so I pivoted and headed in the direction of Borough Market. I ended up wandering into a super cool Art exhibit. It was free too, what a pleasant surprise! Along the river I also saw a bunch of street performers, doing magic tricks, juggling, playing instruments, and more! It turned into a really nice day.

Ins:

Las Adelitas staff <3: Our waitress came in clutch and gave us the Ladies’ Night discount on the margaritas we ordered for our new guy friends. I said it before and I’ll say it again: great service, insane tacos, and overall, highly recommend to any girlies reading this who love margs!

London markets: All the food at Borough definitely lived up to the hype. The chocolate covered strawberries and the sandwiches in particular were to die for. Good vibes all around, attracting locals and tourists alike on the weekends!

Outs:

The first time trying a new public transport system: I swear I get so lost and confused every single time I enter a new city and try to take the metro for the first time. Traveling with another person makes a huge difference because you can try to talk it through and navigate with them, which is super helpful. Unfortunately I struggled alone this weekend. No tears though!

Keeping the cabin lights on throughout the entire flight: European airlines tend to keep the cabin lights on the whole flight, even when it’s nighttime and dark outside and people (like myself) would prefer to sleep. Tragic.

Thanks for keeping up with me! Have a good rest of your day :)

Na schle,

Reese Liebman

Computer Science and Engineering

Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA) CS Tech Career Accelerator in Prague, Czechia

[lovehealgrow]

Self-Care for Parents: It Isn’t A Luxury – It’s A Necessity

Welcome to the rollercoaster ride of parenthood! It is a wild journey that know one can quite prepare you for. It is filled with ups and downs, with more twists and turns than a Dr. Suess bedtime story. Many parents have a dreamy vision of pregnancy – the glowing skin, a picture perfect baby bump, birth plan going as prepared for, and instant baby bonding bliss. But as new parents quickly discover – this reality often looks a little different. With the joy of welcoming a new baby, there can also be a whirlwind of emotions, grief, uncertainty, and transformation – all of which can literally happen over night.

Once the baby arrives, it is easy to get sucked down the rabbit hole of tracking wake windows, feeding schedules, and developmental milestones, while constantly researching the best developmental toys or products (why are there SO MANY to choose from?!). Next, cue the inner critic with all the “shoulds” – our house should be cleaner, we should have these people over to meet the baby, I should know what to do, I should be back to my pre-baby weight already, I should be enjoying this time more – everyone says it goes by so fast! Moreover, parents can feel touched out from consistent close proximity to the baby, so touched out that it reduces intimacy between you and your partner. Parents can feel unable to make simple decisions because of being burnt out from constantly putting your whole heart into making informed choices for your child’s well-being.

Now, let’s talk about grief. Grief can present itself in many different ways. It is most common to relate grief to the experience of a loss of a loved one. However, there are numerous ways grief can present itself in parenthood including: grieving the loss of who you were before children, grieving the pregnancy you dreamed of or the birth plan you prepared for that didn’t go as planned. Or grieving the relationship you had with your partner prior to having children. Missing your pre-child life is common. This can include feeling a loss of control of a life that was once filled with socializing, traveling, spontaneity, and a schedule that revolves around one person. All that being said, it is 100% possible to feel all those things, while still loving your children fiercely.

Here’s the truth: It is ok to feel a jumble of emotions and it is ok when things don’t go as planned. It is ok to have boundaries. All of this can really take a toll on a person. While this is a time to embrace and bond with your baby, your beautiful growing family – it is also crucial to remember that taking care of yourself isn’t selfish. In fact, it is essential for your family’s well being.

Taking the time to take care of yourself and your partnership during this time is one of the most important things you can do for your family. In an airplane, we are instructed to put our oxygen mask on first before you help those around you. We can do the most good when we are recharged and healthy ourselves. When we burn out, it is harder to show up for our children as our best selves.

Here are 6 ways to reconnect with yourself amidst all these changes. Research shows that making small, attainable goals is the best way to make long lasting change. How can you add one of these into your life?

Ask for help: Asking for help is HARD. By asking for help, many of us feel that we are presenting as incapable or not dedicated enough to our children and family. We might really need the help, but the fear of being judged steers us away from actually asking for help from others. Additionally, parents can also feel guilty for being away from their children or lack of control of what will happen while they are in the care of another. Let’s support normalizing and cultivating a safe space for parents to ask for help! Additionally, you may notice that people do offer help, but we so rarely take them up on it. It’s important to remember that when people offer their help, they mean it. Take them up on it. Don’t feel guilty saying “yes, I do need help”. By asking family or friends for help, this time away can support you in reconnecting with YOU – not Mom or Dad you, get the kids to school you, or tissue that your child wipes their face on you. But deep down in your core YOU. This will support you in recharging and showing up for your family as an energized, happy, and sturdy leader.

Keep the fire burning: Date night? As a parent??? YES! This doesn’t have to be a myth! Take the time to stay connected with your partner by going out or doing an at home date night. Excitement and novelty help support keeping that spark alight in a relationship. Get out and try something new together. Or stay in and order a yummy dinner delivery after the kids go to sleep or cook something special. Get creative with a painting challenge or put on your favorite album, light some candles and play a questions game to go deep with your partner. Engage in a dual spa treatment with each other! Ways to keep the ideas flowing is to write date night ideas on a piece of paper and place them in a jar. Every week or every other week pull one out to enjoy together!

Follow your bliss: How can you add more of what you love into your life? This could be putting baby in a stroller and getting outside, incorporating art and creativity into your daily rhythm with your children, reading one chapter of a book at night before bed, asking your partner to cover for you while you get out to spend time with a friend or carve out time for your personal hobbies.

WHAT LIGHTS YOU UP MATTERS! YOU ARE IMPORTANT! The best way that children learn is through modeling. By modeling that you prioritize your well-being, you are teaching them to value self-care.

Mindfulness: It can be hard to make time for yourself every day. However the beauty of mindfulness is that it can be as big or as small of a practice that you want it to be. And with consistency, it provides a profound impact on well-being. This can be done by carving out 1-10 minutes a day for a guided meditation, or even being intentional and mindful while doing day-to-day tasks such as taking a shower or doing the dishes.

Communication: Now it is time to pump up your communication game with your partner and those around you. If you need a break from washing bottles or doing laundry – communicate your needs. Open yourself up to hearing the needs of your partner to support you both in reducing burn out. “I” Statements can work beautifully to support assertive communication. The formula for this is stating “I feel – – -, when you – – -. Please – – -.”

Be kind to yourself: Remind yourself that it is ok that your house is messy, that you have permission to go to sleep when there are dishes in the sink and toys spread out throughout the house, it is ok to stop folding laundry and scroll on your phone or watch that TV show you’ve been wanting to binge! You are still a good parent if you turn on the TV and watch Bluey with your children or duck out to lay down while your child uses screen time. Life is about balance!

The birth of a child is a precious, joyful time when your heart could just burst with all the love you feel for this human that you created. Amidst the chaos, the tears, the self-doubt – something beautiful is truly happening. As your baby grows, so do you. Every sleepless night and diaper change is molding you into the remarkable parent you were meant to be. Remember, when a baby is born, so is a parent.

In case no one has told you this today: you are an incredible parent, in fact – you are the best one on this planet for your child. They are so lucky to have you! Parenthood is a wild ride, but it is a beautiful journey of unconditional love and self-discovery. You’ve got this.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the therapists at Love Heal Grow.

[bells-of-black-sunday]

Animal Spirits

Animal spirits are a type of nature spirit, though they originated as animals that lived to be 1000 and in their wisdom nature gave them magic, in modern times there's very few that are that old. Most of them now are just children of those who have lived that long, but they are still worshipped by many druidic circles today just as they were in the past. Though animal spirits do typically hold humanoid forms, they can also turn into the animal they came from as well as having a spirit form as well. Some spirits are better at shifting than others and it's a skill that's honed rather than what you're born with.

That being said you can always tell an animal spirit by the features they can never hide. Examples being fox spirits tails and ears, spiders with their extra eyes and limbs, rabbits ears, etc.

And of course I won't be able to cover every animal, but here's a few:

Rabbit spirits

Rabbit spirits are said to be symbols of motherhood, fertility, luck, the moon and magic by those that worship them they also say they're most active at the end of winter through the spring as they help transition the seasons over with the first thaw. In the past they did help transition the seasons, but modern day not so much. Though spring festivals still hold a lot of rabbit themed items and it's not uncommon for spiritual leaders to be there to give their blessings. Though rabbits have often been seen as good omens, they still are often turned away by followers of God due to them commonly being around witches.

Fox Spirits

Fox spirits are said to be spirits of mirth, beauty, trickery, wisdom and resilience by those that worship them they are also said to be most active at the end of summer heralding the come of autumn. Fox spirits are interesting in that while they were once benevolent spirits readily sharing the land with humans they quickly turned malevolent as humans did everything in their power to capture their beauty and wisdom.

Each fox spirit carries a bead in their mouth like a pearl that holds all the knowledge they've obtained in their life time and can only be transferred by a kiss. Unlike the softer rabbit spirits, these beings feed on humans often times only stealing their livers and leaving the rest behind. Though they are still a common sight to be seen around Halloween and other autumn festivities.

Wolf Spirits

Wolf spirits are said to be symbols of community, messengers of the moon gods, education and loyalty they're also said to be the most active at the end of spring heralding the start of summer. Though like all animal spirits, they don't often carry messages from the gods or change the seasons they are still often called upon to bless the children of druidic circles so that they may call upon their spirit to transform into such a beast.

Wolf spirits even in modern times tend to mostly stick around druidic circles rarely ever being seen in busy cities due to there being a strong root of spirituality among them unlike a lot of other animal spirits. There tends to be shrines to wolves at festivals to ask for boons of community.

Elk Spirits

Elk spirits are said to be symbols of dignity, power, and passion they're also said to be most active at the end of summer and beginning of fall to help change the season. Those that worship Elk spirits believe that if you follow one it'll always bring you back to the path and are often seen as the opposite of Fox Spirits. They're proud spirits that carry themselves with the strength and grace of nature, but they don't have the ego of those at the top of the food chain.

Most in the modern era don't care for the comparison, but often get compared anyway. There's a lot of shrines to Elk on hiking paths so you can give offerings for safe travels.