#natural seem agate

[fishnapple]

THE PERSON YOU WILL MARRY AND YOUR MARRIED LIFE

(can also apply to long-term committed partner)

In this reading, we will find out about the person you will marry or commit long-term to, their personality, physical traits (note at the end of the reading), and how those will affect the marriage or the commitment.

This is a general reading meant for multiple people. Take only what resonates and leave out the rest.

Your feedback is much appreciated. If you find the reading resonated with you, leave a comment, I’d love to know 🎐

About me | Masterpost

Book a reading with me - KO-FI (→ personal reading)

1.AGATE

At first glance, this person seems so intense and even aggressive. The way they deal with the world is not light-hearted and easy, their energy is heavy and serious. But this is not their default mode of being. Some events in the past have altered their perception of themselves and people in general. Could be mockery, betrayal, or competition that dealt a heavy blow to their core.

These events have left them jaded, their trust shattered. They've built walls, convinced that solitude is their only safe haven. These walls will still exist when you're together and even after you're married. It will be a delicate point that you need to touch gently and carefully.

There will be a moment when they are ready to open up to you. Somewhere within their guarded heart, they still hold a flicker of hope. At that moment, they will test you (maybe they will do it subconsciously), they will observe your reaction to their vulnerability and silently expect you to make a promise never to betray them. If you fail to appreciate their effort to open up and react harshly or coldly (by their standards), then they would clam up and build their walls even thicker.

For all their bravery and tough act, you would never have guessed how soft and sensitive they are inside. The moment they've decided that they can trust you, they'll give you their all – mind, body, and soul. Like opening a flood gate, a torrent of devotion held back for so long. If you can notice their walls and wounds early on, make sure to address those before getting into serious commitment with them. Being committed too early can result in hidden issues and resentment later in the marriage. And they probably won't be too eager to rush into anything too serious anyway.

You will like their ambitions and the desire to come out on top. They have a brilliant mind and a decisive nature that can naturally make them a great leader and a reliable person in crisis, this make them pretty popular with people, even when some people find them scary. Of course, that can also make them domineering, wanting to control your life and the marriage. It's one of their ways to feel safe in a relationship, to feel that they have control. Feeling lost is their biggest fear.

They will probably confide in you many secrets, theirs or other's, they're not a gossipy person but if they feel they can trust you enough, they will feel comfortable sharing. Expect many intimate moments, plenty of unplanned trips. Being together in the dark, quietly, talking to each other in a low, soft voice. You will be proud of yourself for being the only person that get to see their softest side, it's a special treatment, really, considering how the rest of the world only gets to see their harder exterior.

Some physical traits: tan skin, dark features, hooded eyes, strong physique, toned, dexterous hands, sharp or raspy voice, looks serious and harsh when not smiling but looks warm and comforting when smiling, sensual, give off the air of sexually experienced (whether true or not), could look older than their age.

2. TIGER'S EYE

I think one of you will fall in love pretty much early on, maybe even from the moment one person laid their eyes on the other person. But it will be kept hidden for a while.

There's something unconventional about you guys being together. It's unexpected and not what you usually see around you. You or them or both of you might have a vision for the person you will marry and what marriage will look like. But this union will subvert that. It will steer you in the direction that you haven't thought of before, but it will be the right direction. You will even feel a fateful element about this. Something inescapable, the circumstances and your own thoughts. You will be on each other's mind, a constant, simmering presence that refuses to be ignored.

Oddly enough, I don't get much of their personality but more of the marriage itself. Maybe their personality will be shown the most clearly through the relationship with you. It will be like they have the opportunity to be their true self when they are with you. And you guys will mirror each other a lot.

If before, they struggled with self-esteem or staying confident. It could be about the material status or body image issue. Through the marriage, they will overcome those issues gradually and be more confident, maybe the marriage itself will bring a lot of new opportunities to improve their life or they will gain new strength through it. But they are not a passive person who will wait for something to come to improve their life. They will take an active stance, especially in their mindset. They are very self aware, they know their weakness and what they need to improve. They will catch themselves in time when the negative thoughts creep in and will adjust their thinking and take actions to address those thoughts. And they will do the same for you, sometimes it will be tough but you will see and feel clearly how much care and faith they have in you.

They are sexually private, faithful and passionate. This energy will be well hidden, being put on a tight leash that you won't be able to see at the beginning of the relationship. They may even appear pure and innocent, detached. They are very selective of whom they share themselves with. If they haven't met anyone compatible, they would rather stay single and celibate rather than jump in relationship after relationship recklessly.

They will feel like a soulmate to you, someone that you can share your soul with and grow together. This connection, it transcends what you thought love could be, steering you on a path you never dared to dream of, but deep down, know that it's exactly where you're meant to be.

Some physical traits: soft and gentle looking, melancholic, mysterious, quiet but still stands out, beautiful fingers, talk fast, twinkle in the eyes, small and delicate features, lanky or prominent bone structure, pointy bones, unique fashion style, uniformity, looks like a foreigner (even if they are not, they just look different from the people around them), strong legs.

3. PREHNITE

I don't know if you subscribe to the idea of past lives, but I feel like this person is someone whom you have shared a past with. This person might feel like a whisper from a past life, a familiar soul returning. Or at least, you will feel very familiar with them, they don't seem like a stranger to you, even if you've just met. Union with this person will touch upon many past issues of yours that can be triggering and require lots of patience from both sides. You might not even be aware of those issues until you've been in a relationship with them. Sometimes, relationships with certain people can have the effect of digging up hidden skeletons buried deep inside us, but it can also dig up treasures.

There's something quite hard to reach about this person. They can appear cold and inexpressive at first glance, especially in a more professional environment, the one who is independent and capable of calling the shot. They might hold a position of authority, or simply exude a distant, contemplative aura. It's not coldness, but a quiet intensity, a mind constantly whirring with purpose. Their furrowed brow and focused gaze could be mistaken for aloofness, they look like someone who always has something to worry about, very mentally focused energy.

They are a deep thinker who puts serious thoughts and considerations into everything around them. But you can feel that their way of being like this is not about wanting to dominate anyone, but they genuinely want better things for themselves and the people around them. They're thoughtful and they care about the future, the meaning and impact of their actions, they are the kind that can suddenly quit their high paying job if they feel that the job doesn't serve a meaningful purpose or doesn't align with their values. When you are actually talking with them instead of looking at them from a far or hearing about them through other people, you will find that many of the first impressions about them are quite not true. They are not that cold and detached like they seem to be. Their eagerness to connect, once you've earned their trust, is endearing. They're simply selective about who gets to see their depths.

In the previous sections, I did talk about how they don't want to dominate people, but they will want to take the lead in intimate matters. They're direct and straightforward. Physical intimacy will be at the focal point of your marriage. This is the area that needs lots of compromising and understanding from both parties. Passion can be accompanied by jealousy. Arguments and stress should be replaced by love and protection.

There is a tendency to release pent-up energies,be it mentally or emotionally, through physical actions. This person probably find it easier to show their love and appreciation through direct actions than words and overtly open romantic gestures. Not that they're incapable of romantic gestures, but theirs are more subdued and quiet.

Some physical traits: long, straight legs regardless of their height, broad shoulders or their shoulders look well structured and angular, looking like a professor or someone who does well academically, glasses, unique aura (they could wear something very casual but still stand out), light features, hypnotic stare, sleepy eyes, gives the feeling of being a good parent for their children (as in capable of disciplining and guiding), stern looking

4. FLOURITE

This person gives of the vibe of someone who is independent, who doesn't need anyone and is rebellious. But it's just a front, an image they project out to hide their deeper needs. I don't know if they will realise this about themselves, but they actually do better when they have someone by their side, a place they can call home, somewhere they can just lie down and relax.

They have a roundabout way of approaching things and people. They are whimsical and a little slow to act. There's a compulsion to mask their true intentions and motives. Maybe it's a playful defense mechanism, a hint of childlike excitement woven into their calculated moves. They might not be even aware of that themselves. There's a desire for fun and excitement, the thrill. They like playing little games, not for toying with your heart or wanting you to suffer to gain a sense of domination or superiority, but like a kid wanting to play with the other kid. They will probably make sure that romance never die out in your marriage. They may tease you from time to time, but it will be tasteful and charming that you can't help but go along with them. They could have some creative hobbies that they might invite you to do together. Expect plenty of handmade gifts and romantic prose, loving letters tucked here and there.

Don't mistake their playful spirit for irresponsibility. They are very hardworking and serious about building a strong, stable foundation. They want to provide and give to their loved ones and they understand what they need to do in order to achieve that. You won't have to worry about them being stingy or overspending, they have a nice balance between saving and spending. They wouldn't hesitate to splurge on something that brings comfort and happiness to you and your family, but their eyes are always set on the long game. This is a partner with vision, with dreams that stretch far into the future.

When they are feeling down or restless, they will suggest you guys go on a trip, to change the scenery. If physically it's not possible, then they will do it mentally. They will want to learn and expand their horizon, and they will take you with them there. It will be quite a sight and especially when you have a warm hand holding yours and a sweet smile melting your heart.

Some physical traits: stocky build, give the impression of sturdiness but not rigid, light eyes or sparkly eyes, eyes that talk, fashionable, alternative style, will act judgmental (playfully) when faced with stuff they deem ugly, colourful stuff, accommodating, fidgety when being in a crowd or public places, alien, could speak at least one foreign language, smirking.

5. RED JASPER

You will fall in love with each other fast. At first, it will be a light-hearted connection, being flirty with each other. But then, as time goes on, you both will be able to see that there's a path for you together, and the more you keep thinking about it, the more that path will look promising . Then it will be a natural decision, to be together, to commit to each other.

The union will receive lots of attention. People will admire and watch your relationship closely. There will be blessings, but there will also be intrusive stares that have the potential to bring about unwanted issues from outside. Both of you will have to learn how to be more discerning with people and how to protect the relationship from prying eyes.

This person seems like an extrovert who can befriend people easily, people from many different backgrounds. They would be the kind of person that has many connections with the right people, those of higher ups, those with authority and power, but they can also share a coffee with the musicians they just met on the street and become best friends with them. They are not selective with the people they associate with. There is little to no ulterior motive behind their friendliness. They just like getting to know people's stories, sharing their stories, their more intimate ones, on the other hand, will be kept hidden. If you're someone who is more private and possessive, you could find this friendly trait of theirs a little worrisome. If they are so open and gregarious, would the chances for them to stray are higher? Maybe. This is where you are asked to have faith in them.

They have their own moral compass and ideals that they follow. If fidelity is in their code, they will not stray from it. As long as they see the relationship fitting their ideal, they are contented and have no intention to look elsewhere. The reason they choose to be together with you will probably be because you and the relationship match their ideals and their vision.

This is one of their admirable traits. But it can also be translated into stubbornness. You won't be able to sway them from their beliefs. And they find it hard to let go of the past. Whether the past was beautiful or painful, they kept it all in them. Hurt and pain will linger for a long time.

They have some unconventional habits that you will need to get used to or make a compromise. Getting your habits to align will be an important task that can influence your happiness and enjoyment of marital life.

They are drawn to the finer things in life, a comfortable existence is their ultimate goal, this isn't about having power over other people or making important changes to human history. Who knows, maybe in their pursuit of that life, they may inadvertently spark positive changes in the world, and you will be proud of them.

Some physical traits: dark clothes, beautiful neck, like wearing soft materials, round face, soft and round features overall, refined taste, graceful movements, warm and comforting voice, low tone, not too talkative but their words are on point and funny, dark humour, tall, friendly energy, quick reactions (don't take them to see horror movies), organised mess, minimalism, good eyesight

6.OBSIDIAN

Life with this person will be a constant adventure, one that is filled with many hectic movements, rushed kisses and foreign foods.

This person has a fear-of-missing-out mindset. They do everything in a rush, trying to savour as many things as possible, be in many place, know as many things as possible. Nothing ever feels enough for them.

They have a childlike quality to them that makes you forget all the frustration you have for them. You're mad at them? Not for long, they will stick themselves to you until you give in, smooth talking, caressing you emotionally, physically, luring you in with food or themselves, making promises that you can't turn away from. You don't want to go with them somewhere? Same tactics. You have an argument with each other? Same tactics. This person basically uses the same tactics over and over again. The maddening thing is, you will tolerate them, it's hard to say no to this person. They will have a sway over you. If you are someone who likes to have control in relationship, this could make you uncomfortable. Are they sly and sneaky? Not really, they just like to have their way. And they will let you have your way too, they are not fussy or controlling, just a little needy.

They will probably decide early on about pursuing you. They are a quick and decisive thinker. Partly because they fear that the longer they prolong the decision-making process, the more likely you will walk away. So they have to act fast.

This person can engross themselves in the stream of information. It will be hard for them to put down their phone. They want to know every current trendy thing, the opinions of people. I think you will be the one to gently guide them back to themselves instead of being too absorbed with everything around them. They will learn to develop a more stable and strong foundation, to know when to rest, to stand still, and be firm.

Even then, there will never be a lack of laughter and exciting, unexpected moments. The love you have for each other is visible and undeniable, it will be an inspiration for other people and even for you, when the day gets dark and doubts begin to creep in, you will be reminded of your love and have faith again.

Together, you can learn a lot about each other, yourselves, and the world. They might not be able to be the strong, stable figure that everyone dreams of, but they will be an excellent companion, the one to always be ready to hold your hands and walk (or run, much faster) along side with you, wherever the road is taking you to.

Some physical traits: young looking, smooth skin, translucent, expressive eyes, smooth and soothing voice, like to grab/squeeze things unconsciously, fast walking, not very tall but looks active and compact, sporty, dimple, broad smiles, fashionable, fascinated with other culture's attires, wavy hair.

[just-a-ghost00]

What are they hiding from you?

Group 1 - Howl

Cards : 5 Ochre Sea Star - embrace rapid changes, king of wands, Power, Moonstone - find your natural rythm

There are a lot of sexual references subtly hidden in these cards. As I was shuffling your cards, the song Okay from Chase Atlantic was playing. Then as I started with the reading, two other songs played : Aerials- System of a down & Tied to your body - Monsta X. If you were doubting this person's attraction for you, here is your confirmation that they are into you. They feel a lot of desire for you and apparently they have finally decided to act upon it. There's a lot of fire in the air, excitement, giddiness. They can't wait to see your reaction when they reveal to you what they were hiding. And looking at the cards, that could be happening really soon. I'd say within a few days. This person will either bluntly tell you about their intentions or they will let something slip that will betray them. I was picturing fireworks for some reason. Maybe there's a carnival going on in your town or a festive even of some sort that you will attend to together. This would make sense because of the moonstone card I'm getting a night time energy. The next new or full moon seem to be significant. FIY, the next new moon happens on the 5th of July. Oh and July 4 is Independance day. It is a celebration. Well, if you were planning on celebrating this commemorial day with friends, the night could turn out to be interesting to say the least ;) The next full moon is happening on the 21st of July. So maybe these two dates will be important for you and the person you're thinking about.

Group 2 - Haku

Cards : 13 Dumbo Octopus - Stop chasing and attract what you desire, 2 of cups, reclaim, Bismuth - rewrite your code with rainbows

While I was shuffling your cards, the song Attitude from The GazettE was playing on my speaker. And as I started channeling and writing your messages, Teardrops from BMTH started playing. This person that you're thinking about is tired of waiting for love to come to them. They are tired of trying relationship after relationship just to be heartbroken and deceived by people. They are tired of waiting for you to make the first step. They want to hide from you that they love you and intend to conquer you. They want to step into your connection with a better and healthier energy than what they were into before. They are reclaiming their power and their place in your heart. They may have lost track of who they were and what they wanted from love, from the connection you shared, from their partnerships in general. They came out of a state of confusion and sadness. They've realised that they only live once, that fighting only to mourn what was lost is meaningless, that everything has a start and an end. Including their own life. They don't want to waste time crying or doing meaningless things. They want to live, to love, to laugh, to have fun with life so that they have no regret. They know that if they had given up on you, they'd have regreted it so they intend to come back. The reason they hide that from you is because they fear rejection. It may take some time before this person states their truth. If I had to give you an estimated timing, I would say several months.

Group 3 - Ashitaka

Demons in your dreams - Motionless in white BTBT - B.I ft DeVita and Soulja Boy Honeymoon avenue - Ariana Grande blueberry eyes - MAX ft SUGA

Cards : 25 Mantis shrimp - don't give up now, Destruction, Agate - find your solid ground, 8 of cups

There were several references to demons in the songs that were playing during your reading. Combined with the energy of Mantis shrimp and Destruction, it feels like your person is fighting inner and external battles. For some it could be related to addictions. This person is trying to move away from something that is detrimental to their healt, whether it's a person, a situation or a material thing. I'm picking up on several scenarios. I was getting for some that they are actually trying to cut ties with you. They are tired of fighting for something that they know deep down they can't change. They've been trying really hard but now they realize that moving on is the best thing they can do. But for others, this person is attached to you and loves you a ton but they know that there are things and people in their life that prevent them from being there for you, be a good person to you. Again that could be addictions, certain connections, or a toxic attitude overall when it comes to you. They are willing to put in the work in order to be a better version of themselves that you would be safe with. They are not telling you this because it is a very vulnerable period of their life which they do not wish to show. They feel like telling you would hurt you and the last thing they want to do is destroy what you have, regardless of whether they intend to stay or not. They don't want to be bad to you, they still care enough to be the bigger person and do what is necessary.

[littleeyesofpallas]

Okay okay catching up on Bleach because I was putting it off...

So the soul king has an actual name now and it's apparently Adnyeus(?*)[アドナイェウス] which at a glance I thought was some kind of weird mashup of Hebrew Adonai[אֲדֹ��ָי] and Latin deus as a kind of play on Yhwach's name being based on the tetragrammaton. But actually it's just the name Aidoneus[Ἀϊδωνεύς] which was an old epithet for the Greek Hades, supposedly meaning "The Unseen" which somewhat superficially fits for the Soul King as a king of the dead/underworld.

*(I have no idea where anyone is getting these romanizations I see flying around...)

It's actually not the first time the name has come up. some eagle eyed fans caught that what appears to be "ADNYEUS" was shown back in episode 6 of TYBW in Ryuuken's notes, above the illustration of the castle Silbern. And then at the end of the previous season the anime added a chant to Yhwach's Auswählen that ran:

Kakageyo Gin no Monshou, Haiiro no Sougen, Hikari ni Uzumoreta, Enkan no Michi, Menou no Gankyu, Ougon no Shita, Zugai no Sakazuki, ADNYEUS no Hitsugi. Kakageru mono wa, Omae no Shinzou: AUSWÄHLEN [掲げよ 銀の紋章 灰色の草原 光に埋もれた円環の途 瑪瑙の眼球 黄金の舌 頭蓋の盃 アドナイェウスの棺 掲げるものは お前の心臓 聖別(アウスヴェーレン)] "Raise up Crest of Silver, Ash-colored(gray) Meadow, Circular Road hidden in (the) Light, Eye(s) of Agate, Tongue of Gold, Grail* of Skull, Coffin of Adnyeus. That which is Raised up is Your Heart: Auswählen."

*notably in one of Uryuu's German chants, the Japanese word for a [杯]:"sake cup" was paired with the German word Gral:"Grail", and [盃] and [杯] are alternate kanji for the same word. At the most literal the chant in Japanese just uses the word for "sake cup" like the one he uses for the schrift eucharist, but I feel like the more implicitly western imagery evoked by "skull Grail" or maybe "...chalice" is more in line with the ongoing aesthetic of Quincy spells

I'm not actually in a position to go doing a real deep dive on this but it does seem like at a glance there are associations with that alternate title with a specific incongruous variation of the god of the underworld--that is to say: characterizations of him under this epithets are not consistent with other more common interpretstions-- where he's actually got a lot of strong sun iconography. This of course maps almost perfectly with a bunch of stuff I've ranted on about a few different times in my Bleach ramblings.

Incidentally it is also the scientific namesake of the Papilio aidoneus... a black butterfly... In the first place Bleach's hell-butterflies were already a play on the real world association of butterflies and death, often either as psychopomps or themselves the souls of the dead. That they tie back in to the Soul King himself isn't too big a stretch.

As for this "triplet world" thing... We were already told that Hueco Mundo isn't actually it's own formal realm, it's the interstitial realm that just naturally exists in the space between one world and the next. So it kinda annoys me that this feels like it's really only being acknowledged because after the fact it's just where a big chunk of Bleach's plot happened, rather than actually being cosmologically on par with the other two.

Anyway the translations going around I notice are a little sloppy, mostly in that a few are clearly just machine translated and so ignored the use of Bleach specific terminology, like "reishi" and "kishi" so here's my quick breakdown of it (thank god it's short...)

原初の海から分��たれた尸魂界,現世, 虚圏の三つの世界。 The Three Worlds of Soul Society, This (the mortal) World, Hueco Mundo divided* from the Sea of Origin. 遍く魂魄の流れを司る礎であり, かつ世界の楔たる存在によって, The universal flow of spirits is the foundation to control, as well as the lynchpin of the world which is due to existence, 霊子の世界,器子の世界,砂の楽土の三世界が分離され, the Three Worlds of The World of Reishi, The World of Kishi, The Paradise of Sand are detached*, 『生』と『死』が隔てられた。 "Life" and "Death" were isolated*.

*so interestingly all three of these different words could be translated into english as "separated" but seem to be fairly distinct contextual differences: the first means like cutting one big thing up into smaller things the "A came from B" dynamic being the focus, the second means to be separated out almost like being categorized, and the third is to be isolated or alienated.

So first it's saying the three worlds came from one sea of origin, and that the flow of spirits between those three worlds is the key to existence being what it is, which is to say three distinct realms where death and life are these things that can never coexist. All of which is stuff we really already knew.

Also we're supposed to have just completely forgotten about Hell since it's not the current plot line, I guess? I anything the Three Worlds should be Soul Society, the Material World, and Hell, with Hueco Mundo as the interstitial void/aether, like it was originally defined as. That would at least map more sensibly onto the buddhist 3 realms of Form(Humans & animals: those bound by their physicality), Formless(Deva & Asura: those who exist in a hightened mental/spiritual state), and Desire(Preta & those in Hell: those defined by their strong need for what they lack)

Maybe that only real point of interest is the reference to Hueco Mundo as suna no rakudo[砂の楽土], a "paradise of sand." In this voice I think the idea is that if life and death being separate realms is a bad thing that Yhwach seeks to rectify, then by being an inbetween realm, Hueco Mundo is a paradise, because it's a place of neither life nor death? But if it is a place of rest and comfort then I wonder if that doesn't validate my thoughts on the Vastolorde being the natural path of development for a soul in reincarnation afterall?

That aside, this mostly just lines up with existing Buddhist/Hindu parallels that were always pretty obviously implied but not so directly touched on. Once again things I've babbled about in some form or another already... I'm not about to go digging them all up right now.

[genshin-hsr-rambles]

do you think the gems they’re named after can spoil stuff about the stone hearts?

I wouldn’t say spoil per se, but it certainly gives some insight into their character due to it being the whole basis of their concept. Allow me to elaborate.

Topaz is generally associated with wealth, a perfect concept to introduce the audience to the IPC through. It is believed to heal and promote strength/vitality, tying into Topaz’s lore regarding her planet’s deterioration with the IPC restoring its ‘health’ and the strength of the people in turn. Also tying into her planet’s lore is the fact that in its natural state, common topaz is traditionally colourless. It is the heat or radiation treatment that gives it its colour, reflecting how the IPC’s grooming of Topaz and her entire planet’s citizens into IPC employees largely shaped who she is today. In Feng Shui, topaz is viewed as a stone of nobility, love, passion and purpose. These aspects reflect in Topaz’s personality, with her love of animals and passionate drive for work and customer satisfaction.

Aventurine primarily symbolises good fortune, again tying in with the core concept of the IPC. Green aventurine in particular is said to be a stone of opportunity and good luck, linking with Aventurine’s infallible luck and subsequent (self-destructive) gambling tendencies. More blatantly, it is known as the ‘gambler’s stone’ since it is believed to bring fortune in games of chance. Interestingly enough, aventurine is associated with the planet Mercury, named after the Roman god of wealth, good fortune, commerce, fertility, and thievery. These aspects tie into Aventurine’s ethnicity as an Avgin, the poor reputation of his people and their mother goddess’ blessing. Cruelly ironic, some believe it to represent self-love, and it is cheaper than most gemstones.

Jade holds symbolism of purity, harmony and protection, referencing Jade’s false guise of sincerity to seal her deals. It is a very valuable and sought-after gem, translating into Jade’s status. East Asia covet jade for its cultural and spiritual affiliations, serving as a metaphor for virtue, wisdom, truth, and Heaven and Earth. This is most likely where Jade Lilith/Eve dual symbolism was derived from. Jade is actually an umbrella term for two silicate minerals, nephrite and jadeite. Again, this seems to be inspiration for her two-faced nature. As of the time of this post, we do not know much about her past and as such it cannot be determined how interlinked it is with her stone.

From the three playable Stonehearts (as of the time of this post), we can clearly see that their lore is deeply interwoven with the symbolism of their gems. They are, in a sense, the embodiment of their Stoneheart namesake. So can it spoil the next Stonehearts? Without context, probably not. But we can still speculate, right?

Obsidian is heavily associated with blocking, absorbing and/or transforming negative energy. It isn’t actually a mineral, rather volcanic glass, typically classified as igneous rock or a mineraloid. For a long time, obsidian was primarily used in the creation of weapons, not jewellery. Referred to as the stone of clarity, it is beloved to release spiritual blockages and draw out stress and tension. Obsidian is naturally quite sharp, and as such some consider it to be capable of piercing into darkness to reveal the truth itself. Like her namesake, Obsidian could be one to cut through false pleasantries in favour of the raw truth, no matter how violent or unpleasant. She certainly seemed quite eager for a bloodbath in the Stoneheart trailer, perhaps due to having an affinity for the true nature of people being revealed and to tie into the primary purpose of obsidian being weaponry. The transformation and absorption of negative energy aspect could potentially relate to the vampire symbolism she seems to has.

Agate generally symbolises strength, protection and courage. It is believed to protect people from negative energy and enhance communication. Ironic, considering Agate is the only Stoneheart who doesn’t communicate at all in the Stoneheart trailer. In Greek mythology, it is linked to the earth mother, Gaia, and symbolises strength and stability. Interestingly, agate is formed within lava and is primarily found in areas with high volcanic activity. Its colour is dependent on the presence of other surrounding minerals. This is interesting because it seems that Agate and Obsidian share some common ground in terms of creation. Perhaps the characters will share similar views or characteristics too, explaining why Obsidian was allowed to vote on Agate’s behalf. The mineral agate being dependent on other minerals seems to further strengthen the idea of Agate possessing some form connections with another Stoneheart (seemingly Obsidian from the little information we have, but could be anyone).

Pearl signifies innocence and faith. It is believed to enhance personal integrity, inhibits immodest behaviour and bring truth forward. Pearl is often used in bridal jewellery as it can symbolise beauty and new beginnings. The gem is of organic origin but is not organic material, perhaps inspiring her existence as an Intellitron, alive but not technically living. We do seem to have enough information on Pearl to link her to her gemstone, another aspect being she seems to hold justice as a primary value. This seems to lie in the pearl’s symbolism of truth and integrity. Perhaps Pearl still believes in an inherent good in the world too, tying into the gemstone representing purity and innocence.

Sapphire is considered to be a stone of wisdom, royalty, prophecy and divine favour. It is a symbol of power and strength, often connected to religious symbolism. From what we’ve seen of Sapphire, this seems to check out. They value oaths above all else and exude an air of righteousness. Much like Pearl, they seem to have a strong set of morals. It is worth noting that sapphire is the second hardest natural mineral, second only to diamonds. So Sapphire has the potential to be one of the strongest Stonehearts in terms of raw power.

Amber is rather obviously associated with natural warmth, but also cleansing and renewal. As far as I have researched, its symbolism seems to revolve around protection and positivity. Consisting of fossilised tree resin, amber is classified as an organic gemstone and isn’t technically a gemstone at all (potentially similar to yet opposite of Pearl?). It was historically believed to bring good luck to warriors in battle and could be used to assist in creating balanced decision-making. The latest aspect may possibly have influenced Amber’s seeming neutrality in the Stonehearts trailer. Bringing good luck to warriors in battle could translate to avoiding conflict altogether, so all parties involved will not lose any prospects. Judging by the gem’s symbolism, Amber seems to be a bit of an outlier amongst the Stonehearts and perhaps that’s why she has yet to show her face.

Sugilite is a stone that drains unwanted connections and evil thoughts. Thought to be a nurturing gemstone, it promotes positive emotions and installs a deep satisfaction of freedom. In great contrast, Feng Shui depicts sugilite as possessing high Yang energy. It is full of emotion, passion and action. This could potentially reflect Sugilite’s personality, driven by passionate desires behind a mask of apathy. Regarding the satisfaction aspect, perhaps Sugilite lives in chase of fulfilment, hence the feast imagery in the Stonehearts trailer.

Opal is considered to be a symbol of hope, purity and truth. Since opal possesses most colours of other gems, the Romans believed it was the most precious and powerful of all gemstones. Indigenous Australians believed it to symbolise a bridge between the earthly and the divine. This seems to align with what we know of Opal so far. I’d wager he’s a little full of himself, tying in with the Roman view of his namesake. Opal also appears to be something akin to the right hand of Diamond, essentially the bridge between the emanator and the other Stonehearts.

Diamond symbolises strength, love and health. They are often worn by leaders and people in power to represent invincibility. The diamond is also considered a symbol of light and brilliance; unconquerable; treasures, riches and intellectual knowledge. We know very little about Diamond, but this all does seem to align with the idea of the leader of the IPC’s Strategic Investment Department. A powerful, untouchable figure, seemingly benevolent and caring but really only in it for the money.

Of course, I’m no expert on gemstones and so this information should be taken with a grain of salt. But that is my take on what I believe we can learn about the non-playable Stonehearts (as of the time of this post, have faith guys) from their gems.

TL;DR: No, information about the Stonehearts can’t be spoiled by their namesake gems. It can be speculated though.

[amelikos]

Sango looking at her Tera Orb wistfully (which confirms that she does have a Tera Orb, similarly to Onyx, so maybe she'll get to use it later in the series) and talking about how bored she is.

Sango is someone who constantly seeks entertainment and fun and needs an outlet for her feelings, which is probably why she joined the Explorers.. She doesn't seem to care about the real motives of the Explorers. She ditched her mission back in HZ050 and went to get churros instead of following Liko, Roy and Dot around, and there were many other instances through the series where she picked her own entertainment over the mission. Even during her battle with Roy in the previous episode (HZ066), she made it clear that she didn't care about what the Explorers were doing and she just wanted to have fun battling with Roy. It doesn't look like Spinel or Agate share information with her and Onyx, and even if they tried to explain, I doubt Sango would understand since she is not a researcher and doesn't seem to have deeper ties to the Explorers or their history. She is just there because "anything goes in the Explorers" and they give her an opportunity to let loose and battle, but she is starting to get bored now.

I think she (along with Onyx) probably enjoyed the Terastal Course a lot, given the way she looked at her Tera Orb. They both had fun and actually participated in the school events. They were looking forward to the Elite Four battles in HZ055 and seemed thrilled about the fact that they were going to face strong opponents. The Terastal Course gave her and Onyx a purpose, if only for a short amount of time, and something to do. She is probably a bit sad leaving it behind.

Also, I really liked the way they shared food in this scene, since food has been used as a way to connect them to others characters (Liko, Roy, Dot). In general, food is shown as something you share with people you love in the series and as a way to open up, etc. So, the fact that Sango and Onyx are finally shown eating food together onscreen feels significant (there was the implication that they went to eat churros together back in HZ050 but it wasn't shown).

Onyx's kindness and considerate nature shows in this scene, which even Sango points out since she says it's sweet and considerate of him to get something for her (that's the way she thanks him!). And in turn, Sango's kind side shines through since she immediately shares her sandwich with Onigohri. Sango can be selfish at times, but she definitely cares about her Pokemon and doesn't think twice before sharing food.

Their last exchange was also great. Sango points out the fact that Onyx picked a sandwich of all things, and he asks her if it's something she is fond of, which she denies and she asks him about his own choice of food (an onigiri)...

They are not really talking about the food itself here, but obviously about the nicknames they used during this chapter. Onyx declared that he played student long enough in HZ064, and Sango also said she was done being Sandwich but they clearly seem to be a bit reluctant to leave their school lives behind. The whole scene feels wistful on their side, they are reflecting and thinking back about their times as students, and it feels like they are leaving behind some regrets? Like they didn't really want their time there to end. They are not completely honest either, since Sango pretends that she isn't fond of the sandwich specifically, and Onyx doesn't reply when asked about his own choice.

I wonder where their characters will go from here. It feels meaningful that their last scene in this chapter doesn't depict them in the Explorers base, but rather in a random place outside. They are taking the long way before going back to the organization. I wonder if they are starting to realize how fragile their place in the Explorers is, given what happened to Amethio. They both seemed shocked that he had gotten expelled, and maybe feel like it could be their turn next, which would presumably leave them with nowhere to go.

At the very least, their experiences as students (and their personal interactions with Liko, Roy, and Dot) didn't leave them indifferent and they were clearly affected on some level. Perhaps they will start considering other paths to take and slowly stray away from the Explorers? I personally never felt like they really belonged there, especially Sango. In a way, they come off as directionless but with the right amount of guidance, they could be set on the right path.

[storiesbyrhi]

Witch!Reader x Bat/Vampire!Eddie Munson Series Masterlist The Grimoire The Timeline

Warnings: canon typical violence, horror genre typical violence/some infrequent gore, swearing, animal death, no beta, death in childbirth (mentioned, not described), abusive parents, suicide, spiders/bugs, grief/mourning; light smut; warnings updated each chapter.

Synopsis: No witch has stepped foot in Hawkins since 1845, but when Vecna opens the ground and poisons the town, a voice begins to call to you. Have you been brought back to this cursed place to heal the townspeople’s wounds, to save a hexed bat that always finds its way to you, or to redefine your history with a reunion 150 years in the making?

Chapter Summary: Looming doom. 2590 words.

1986

It was all about intention. When an individual is hexed, they are actively fighting the magic. The violence becomes part of the curse itself, making its results darker and stronger, and making it all the harder to break. However, if an individual invites the magic in… If their intention is to let the magic wash over them like a warm blanket in the dead of winter… Well, then wonderful things can happen.

White baneberry. Powdered tacca chantrieri. A little this. A little that. Spellwork and trust and love.

And there he was. Definitely more stoic than the bat you’d once known, his fur a shade or two lighter as well. But, your bat was back.

He looked at you from the floor before climbing out of the piles of clothing around him, clutching the ring you’d made Eddie wear during the ritual. The moss agate stone sparkled. The bat chittered, no doubt complaining that he should have been naked the whole time.

You held your hand out like you used to. The bat didn’t move.

“Please?” you asked, trying and failing to hold back your excitement. You didn’t want vampire Eddie to get a complex about you loving bat Eddie more.

The bat climbed into your palm. Bringing him up to face level, you smiled widely. He’d taken the same form of species - Eptesicus fuscus – but he was not the exact same bat. The lighter fur was the biggest indicator. The leather of his wings seemed a little thicker too. Eddie was a healthier bat, you figured.

“Hi… How did it feel? Are you you?”

Eddie chittered.

“Squeak once for yes, two for no. Are you you?”

One squeak.

“Did it hurt?”

Two.

“Good…” There were more questions you wanted to ask, but his overwhelming cuteness was making your brain go blank. “Eddie… You’re so adorable. It’s like… Like I need to squeeze you so hard you explode.”

With that, Eddie’s wings branched out and he flapped up and away from you, landing on top of the refrigerator.

You laughed. “I’m not gonna do it! I’m just… complimenting you.”

He stayed where he was.

Laughing again, you bent down to pick up Eddie’s clothes and carefully place the agate ring on your makeshift altar in the living room. As you turned back, you thought to yourself that he looked so innocent. So innocuous. So part of the natural world that-

“Fuck!” You crossed the space and leaned against the fridge, looking up at Eddie. “This is it. This is how you come with me when I go see the coven. Not one of them is going to see a bat in a tree and think ‘oh yeah, that’s probably a vampire…’ Right? This is it. It’s genius!”

He began to talk – to screech and chitter and flap his wings – and you couldn’t stop him. He had a lot to say and you understood none of it. When he took flight, you spoke the spell to undo the transformation.

If it happened slower, it would be horror on the grandest scale. Snapping bones and stretching skin and shedding cells. It was over in a second though, leaving a naked Eddie standing in the kitchen a little shaken.

“Sorry,” you said. “But I didn’t know what you were saying,”

“You need to tell me when you’re going to do that.”

The fear was barely detectable, but it was there nonetheless. “I’m sorry.” You reached out, pulling him into you. “You sure it doesn’t hurt?”

“It doesn’t hurt. But it felt like falling. A long way.”

Nuzzling into the crook of his neck, you nodded. “What were you saying?” you asked, voice lulled.

“I was saying that I do not like the idea of walking into a coven of witches defenseless.”

On paper, it was a valid point. Eddie had no control over the spell. Once you turned him into a bat, he had to wait for you to utter the words and reverse the magic. It was ultimate trust, but also ultimate vulnerability.

“Your defense is me.” Your lips were on him, the words mumbled, only just audible.

“And you have all my faith. It’s not you I worry about,” he whispered back, tilting his head so you had better access to his neck. You kissed him over and over. “You are my favourite witch. You are the witch that saved this town, this world. You are powerful and strong and predictably underestimated by your coven… But we cannot make the same mistake as them.”

You kissed Eddie’s sharp jawline, then cheek. “Say that again.”

Confused, Eddie went to repeat his last sentence.

“No. Not that. Who’s your favourite witch?”

“Oh. Oh.” The grin that split his face was a little evil and it made you weak at the knees. “You need me to tell you that you’re my favourite witch in the entire universe?”

“Mmmhmm,” you hummed, your cheeks burning with beautiful warmth.

“That every single thing you do is magic… That you are my sun and my stars. That I would bleed the world dry for you.”

You nodded, letting yourself go limp so Eddie had to hold you up.

“My favourite witch. My beautiful, little witch. Such a good witch.” Eddie hoisted you up, throwing you over his shoulder, and took you to the bedroom. He dropped you on the bed unceremoniously. “If you be a good witch for me now, I’ll let you do your little spell later and I’ll sleep in your pocket all night,”

“Promise?”

Eddie was on his knees, pulling you by the ankles towards him. He opened his mouth wide, sharp teeth a flash of white before he bit down on the softness of your inner thigh. A gasp melted into a moan, and when Eddie looked back up at you, his mouth was a blur of red.

“I promise. You be a good girl for me now. I’ll be a good bat for you later.”

…

Practice made perfect and after some fine-tuning, you and Eddie had the spell down to a couple of seconds. He wore the moss agate ring around his neck on a chain constantly. That meant the spell could be cast anywhere, at any time. It also made it easier when he turned for him to find it and fly it to you.

A week of testing showed that the potion that needed to be inside his body for the spell to work lasted twenty hours. Every morning when you woke, Eddie would drink a glass of it. Sometimes he’d down another at sunset if he wanted to remain small and cute overnight.

That was Eddie’s favourite part of it – the sleeping. Not only was he immune to the sun’s burn when in bat form, but he could sleep. Although he often stayed up to read and learn, he loved to fall into a soft nothingness with you.

When the ritual of it all became second nature, you decided it should play a role in the protection spell you were writing for when you traveled to the Catskills to reunite with your coven. Potion and agate locked and loaded, all you had to do was speak “sic fiat” and Eddie would be battified.

He could tell, though, that you weren’t satisfied with the process. He would catch you deep in thought, staring almost through him.

“Unburden yourself.” Eddie was suddenly in front of you, hands cupping your face. “Share your troubles,”

“You’re so dramatic,” you sighed, making no movement to push him away.

“But I’m right. Something is worrying you,”

“I’m not worried. I just… I think there’s something we have to figure out before we go see them,”

“Ah, I see. And presumably, I will not like this something.”

The way you were chewing your lip made Eddie sad. He wedged his thumb between your teeth to stop you.

“We need to know if you’re still… the same… when you’re a bat,”

“We know that. We know I’m still me,”

“No, I mean, if sunlight doesn’t hurt you, what does witchfire do? And if you’re hurt as the bat, does that injury stay when you turn back? And then, when you’re the bat again… Do you scar? And what about the-”

“Hey, hey, my love, calm down,” Eddie hushed. He pulled you into him, rocking you gently. “Fate did not disobey all her rules, only to lead us to doom.”

You looked at him through your tears. “But what if she did?” It had taken 150 years to find your way back to each other and the mere thought of losing Eddie again was enough to drive you mad.

“Come on now. Aren’t you meant to be telling me that this is all connected in some mystical and universal way? That all the pieces are falling into place?”

He pressed his lips to your forehead, the coolness of his skin a balm for your hot anxiety. You breathed out as he kissed down your nose, finding your mouth and kissing you deeply.

Eddie spoke softly. “We will do this again and again, until you have filled a book with knowledge. Then, when you are ready, we will face whatever comes next.”

…

The weather was almost as hot as it would get that year. Eddie didn’t sweat. His cheeks never bruised red with heat. He was your own personal cooling system. That is when he wasn’t swooping through Hawkins with one part grace and one part mania.

“I never truly felt the American sun,” he’d told you one night. You were lying on the bed, naked, lazy, in love. “And summer at night is different. Europe is different,”

“You can get sunstroke, so you have to be careful.”

Eddie laughed. As a bat, he could sleep and fly by day, and as your weeks of testing revealed, go unharmed by witchfire. He felt more alive and more unstoppable than ever before.

“Don’t laugh at me! Remember, when you hide your vampireness from magic, your mortality is suddenly seen by everything else.” He laughed again, so you hit him with a pillow and yelled, “Sic fiat!” before he could retaliate.

Eddie fluttered his wings against your hair, causing chaos and knots.

“Nawww. Is my precious little baby bat angry?”

He perched in the corner of the room, aiming for broody and landing on sulky.

“If you promise to be sun safe, I’ll turn you back.”

Eddie chirped with indignation, but came back to the bed. You broke the spell and kissed Eddie on his human and very pouty lips.

“I promise,” he whispered.

You giggled into him, letting him growl and pull you under the sheets.

…

What if it wasn’t enough? What if the magic, just the bastard daughter of the forest gate spell and other protection charms, couldn’t shield Eddie from your coven’s craft?

“We may not need it at all,” Eddie offered kindly.

Dramatically, you rolled your head to look at him, dead expression, moody as hell. He chuckled and reached out to boop your nose. You swatted him away and turned back to your altar.

“We haven’t talked about…” Eddie hesitated, ever mindful of how you felt. “…what exactly you want or… need from this… meeting.”

The black cat bone was ground to the finest powder possible, but you continued to aggressively smash the pestle against the mortar. Eddie waited for you to reply, but rather than speak, you began to rip sage leaves apart like a wolf with a rabbit.

It was risky, but Eddie asked, “Do you expect them to apologise?”

“I don’t need an apology,” you snapped.

“What else is there but that?”

The ignominy of the coven finding out what was done. Revenge or retribution. Surely you did not seek these things, for the Wiccan Rede demands peace and healing. An ye harm none, do what ye will.

Pushing yourself up off the floor, you walked too quickly to the kitchen and filled the kettle with water too violently for any of it to be normal. Eddie stayed where he was, giving you space to process.

It hurt so much. Your heart ached and body felt heavy with embarrassment. You wanted justice, although its form you didn’t know. You wanted harmony within the coven. You wanted to feel how you did before 1836, brimming with solidarity and in love with sisterhood. You wanted your mother and aunt to fix what they had done.

The scene was so vivid. A picture of a life with meaning. Eddie and your coven and magic with purpose. It could all happen. It could. But your imagination was writing stories in wet sand, the waves threatening to wipe it clean at any moment.

You felt like a silly, stupid little girl.

Eddie tried your name again, after the first few times fell on deaf ears. You turned around, kettle still in hand. He gently took it from you, placing it on the stove and igniting the flame. Tea would do you good.

“It is not impossible,” he comforted.

“I’m… scared… I don’t want to have to choose,”

“You won’t have to,”

“You don’t know that! We don’t know anything.” The mug you pulled from the cupboard was slammed down hard. You threw a teabag in it, which concerned Eddie. You always brewed a mix of loose leaf and herbs. “We don’t know if they’re going to try to kill you as soon as they see you. We don’t know if they’re going to try to kill me.” The water wasn’t boiled but you took it from the stove and poured it haphazardly into the mug. “We don’t know anything!” And it spilled. “FUCK!”

Eddie caught the falling kettle, placing it back on the stove, while hauling you away from the mess before more damage could be done. He took your hand and assessed the burn. It was red and angry, but not as much as you.

“So fucking stupid,” you seethed, tears running down your cheeks. You forced yourself out of Eddie’s embrace and ran the kitchen tap, placing your hand under it.

He wanted to tell you to heal it, but knew better. You didn’t want to be told what to do. You certainly didn’t want to be told what to do with your magic.

Eddie was easy to read. You sighed and looked down at your burnt hand. “Just… let me feel it for a minute. Before I fix it.”

He nodded, taking a tentative step towards you. “For a minute,” he repeated softly.

You let him press you into the bench, pining you to it. He rested his head on your shoulder and arms around your waist. Closing your eyes, you took a shaky breath in and out. In and out.

After two minutes (he timed it), Eddie reached out and turned the tap off. You complied with the unsaid instruction and healed yourself.

“I don’t know if I’m scared of having to choose, or if I’m scared that I know I’d choose you,” you confessed. What kind of witch doesn’t choose her coven? What kind of woman follows a man over her sisters?

“It won’t matter. I will not make you choose. I will take that burden from you.”

Turning around, you buried yourself in Eddie. He held you tightly, just a little too tightly, just how you liked it, then brought you to the couch. Another film on his list, A Nightmare on Elm Street, was pushed into the VHS player, and not another word was uttered until daybreak.

End Note: Thank you to @deathbecomesthem for help with this chapter (ages ago, so you might not even remember helping hehe).

I am beginning to map out how this story ends, so if you have any requests for things you want to see happen, now is the time to send them in! Ideas for dates you want them to go on? Movies you want them to watch? Any weird little thoughts you’ve got rattling around in that pretty brain of yours? I’d love to hear them.

Fic Taglist:  @paranoidmunson  @idkidknemore @paprikaquinn @stardustworlds @loz-brooke @wyverntatty @vintagehellfire @dark-academia-slut @scarletwitchwhore @becks1002 @mrsdollardog @heyndrix @luceneraium @rosaline-black @devilinthepalemoonlite @goldencherriess @iamwhisperingstars @wiltedwonderland @blueywrites @breezybeesposts @jadehowlettthewolf @spikesvamp79 @foreveranexpatsposts @tortoiseshellspells @wingedpeachjudgegiant @stardustmunson @live-love-be-unique @fangirling-4-ever @reanimated-alice @b-irock @gh0stlybunnie @myown-worstenemy-2003 @woozzz @cyberxlust @hiscrimsonangel @buckysbarne @m00nlight101 @word-wytch @spicysix @briasnow-blog @goth-cowgirl-03

All Eddie Taglist: @solomons-finest-rum @ruinedbythehobbit @sweetpeapod @thorfemmes  @corrodedhawkins @grungegrrrl @lilzabob  @averagemisfit03 @ches-86 @ilovecupcakesandtea @onehotgreasymechanic @hazydespair @mel-the-fangirl @eddies-hid3out @siren-lungs @aheadfullofsteverogers @hiscrimsonangel @dashingdeb16

[boymanmaletheshequel]

Offerings for Pan 🐐

You guys seemed to like my Artemis altar, so I figured I might as well share what I keep in my pan altar as well, and why, so that you too may have some ideas on what to offer the handsome and enchanting god of the mountains and music! Let’s dive in:

Lilac Fragrance

In traditional Hellenistic and Phoenician mythology it is said that pans favorite flower of the woods and mountains is Lilac! (A great choice IMO) so offering up something lilac scented, such as soap or a candle, is a great way to appeal to his affection! Personally I offered him this bar of French lilac soap, with the understanding that I WILL use it some day in his honor! (Can’t waste a good bar of soap)

Lilac Iconography

If you can’t or don’t want to offer the fragrance of lilac, (although why wouldn’t you? It smells so good!) the likeness of the flower should be just as suitable! I personally gifted him a porcelain tea sugar cup from the 50’s with lilacs adorning it, but you don’t have to be that fancy, even a simple self made drawing of lilacs will be more than enough to please him!

Wild Bird Feathers

As a god of the mountains and music, it’s no surprise that wild song birds are sacred to pan, being natures music boxes and all! Now, the trick with this is to be ethical about it, because fun fact you might not have known, (and one that I only found out about last year) is that it is a federal FELONY to collect wild bird feathers from any species of wild bird in the United States and Canada due to the migratory bird act. HOWEVER, this is almost entirely reserved for poachers and people who attempt to SELL animal curios. As long as you are ethical about it, (I found these cedar waxwing feathers in my backyard) and don’t try to sell them to anybody, you should be just fine! So Just, y’know, don’t go ripping the feathers out of live birds or anything. Pan wouldn’t like that and the federal government CERTAINLY wouldn’t 😭

Goat horns

Pan is a satyr, a half man, half goat deity who is known for his billy goat like personality and Hooved feet, similarly to other mountain and nature gods such as Cernnunos of Celtic mythology. Because of this, recognizing this magical and unique part of pan by offering him a goat horn, (again, ethically obtained!!! Don’t go ripping the horns out of goats lmao) is a great way to connect with that wild, often unpredictable but joyous and hearty part of his vibrant and rich personality! I obtained my horn (mountain goat) from a friend who is a park ranger in Olympic national park, who collected my specimen off of an unfortunate baby goat who lost its footing and fell to its death into a ravine :(. Now, however, it is at peace, and it’s horn is used to honor a man who will truly look after it at his altar, where it is forever safe in death. I hope he is happily licking that mineral in the afterlife somewhere ❤️

Garden snail shell

As a god of the mystical and musical aspects of the forests and mountains, a classic spiral snail shell is a perfect token to the more mystical and mysterious aspects of pan’s character. Just make sure your shell is empty before you give it to him, and leave it be if it is occupied!

Acorns

Acorns are one of the symbols sacred to Pan, the fruit of the oak tree, itself dappled in layers of sacredness and mythological value across many ancient religions. They are considered to bring the owner good fortune and abundance, and by offering them to pan, you are both honoring him and asking him for his guidance when it comes to your luck in his realms!

Moss Agate

Reminiscent of what I can only assume is his very mossy goat beard, moss agate is a staple offering to pretty much any nature deity, but I feel like it fits pan exceptionally well!

Garden Quartz

Garden Quartz feels like a terrarium inside a stone, formed when layers of actively crystalizing Quartz grows around a chemical impurity blocking its growth path. It is a perfect stone for a mountain god, reminiscent of the mossy hills and lichen beards that dangle from the trees in the alpine which pan calls home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All these things and more make exceptional offerings or additions to a pan altar! Let me know, what do you find pan likes on his altar?

[path-of-grass-and-leaves]

Localizing A Magical Journal

When I was starting out, every book I read on the subject of witchcraft seemed to contain a long list of crystals and imported herbs. Many of these were not easily accessible and didn't fit into my personal practice. Magic came easier to me and became significantly more meaningful after I started localizing my practice.

It has also made writing my magical journal that much easier. Even after over a decade of practice, I still found the task of writing a grimoire to be a daunting one. Adding more local and personal elements to my practice has helped me to organize my journal, making the act of actually writing in it much less strenuous.

If you're looking to localize your grimoire and don't know how to get started, here are a few ideas:

Sections for Native and Invasive Plants

This section can include folklore, culinary uses, medicinal uses, cultivation, a planting calendar, which animals/insects they attract, and a personal correspondence list. I would write one chapter for invasive plants and another for native ones. Additionally, you could add a section for garden crops if desired. I would also add notes on toxicity to humans and pets.

Why work with invasive plants? Because they're abundant! Foraging them helps reduce their population and we get the benefit of a new plant to use in our practice. In fact, mugwort, a popular herb among the occult community, is an invasive plant where I live.

Local Animal Symbolism Section

I organize my animal symbolism section by mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, and fish. These chapters can include folklore, physical characteristics, behavior, habitat, diet, and correspondences/symbolism.

Entries can be made more personal by observing animals and recording experiences (just no hand feeding or interacting). I also like to include different forms of veneration. This can be spiritual in nature, like leaving offerings, or mundane, like installing a nesting box for birds.

A chapter on bugs and insects is also a good idea. This could be helpful if you keep an outdoor garden and want to record information on common pests and pollinators.

Local Stones and Crystals

One of the least ethical occult practices, in my opinion, is the use of crystals. The rising popularity of crystals is the cause of a lot of suffering. Does that rose quartz really promote love when it was sourced through child labor? It's important to know where your crystals come from and how they are harvested.

One way to localize your stone and crystal collection is to research which are specific to your area and where to find them. For example, there are certain rivers in my area that contain agate, jasper, and quartz. If you can't go out and search for them yourself, finding an ethical distributor to purchase from is more than sufficient.

Entries can include their composition, how they are formed, what they are used for, and personal correspondences.

Family Recipies and Local Edible Plants

I imagine that having a recipe section would be very important to a practitioner who performs most of their workings in the kitchen. I love to cook, but it rarely makes its way into my practice unless I'm preparing an offering of some sort. Either way, I think that having even a small section of culinary recipes can be beneficial, because it adds a personal element to a grimoire.

I would include your favorite recipes, family recipes, and even dishes that can be made from locally foraged plants. Correspondences can also be noted for each dish and recipes can be specific to certain deities, holidays, or workings.

Urban Legends and Local Superstitions

Urban legends and local ghost stories can be a fun addition to any personal grimoire. You can research the origins of these stories, read the personal experiences of others, and record them in your journal. You can also visit places associated with urban legends (only if it's safe and legal to do so) and record your own experiences.

Another way of localizing your grimoire is to research common superstitions in your area and where they come from, or record your own family superstitions.

Local Spirits and Places of Importance

For spirit workers, research local spirits and entities, their associations, appearance, and origins. In addition to this, write individual entries on spirits that you work with personally. I would include their assumed appearance, location, personality, how to call them, preferred offerings, and areas of strength/weakness. You can also add a section on thoughtforms, if you use them in your practice.

It's also important to think about which local areas are significant to you personally. Is it a river? A clearing in the woods? A hiking trail? Your own backyard? Make a list of areas that inspire you. How can you get there? What grows there? What kind of animals live there? Are there spirits? Would you perform specific workings in these areas?

[floofgryph]

*All was peaceful for Ames, she was just in her bedroom playing with some of her life like plushies*

@the-plushie-friendships

Outside of Ames' place is an angel with twenty gargantuan, yet glistening European bee-eater wings with peacock feathers sticking out. She has snow-white skin, purple apatite eyes, and black claws and talons. She has long, layered hair of coppery red with curtain bangs and slight curls. She dons a full suit of plate armour that appears to be made from gleaming, slightly battle-worn gold. It has a carmine lustre and she’s also wearing a half-skirt of verdigris with yellow-orange and amaranth purple geometric shapes.

She's carrying around a claymore made from red clay, clouds, and the primordial mist, and it has six eyes of purple agate in a vertical row. The blade is slightly curved and it seems to be covered in a translucent, honey-like substance. However, she seems to be in a tranquil and loving state of mind. She quietly admires the natural environment.

[balkanradfem]

Since I found the youtube channel of a cool woman who identifies and collects rocks, I've been reading up on rocks, and I gathered some new knowledge! Maybe this is already commonly known but I just discovered it, so I got excited about it!

One of the first rock facts that I find super cool is that many rocks, that can be commonly found outside, are pieces of cooled down lava! Granite, for example, is an igenious rock, which means it was created from lava, and I had no idea, I didn't know I could hold a piece of tamed lava in my hands, it feels powerful and special. Reading more about igenious (lava) rocks led me to the information that 95% of the earth crust is cooled lava, and most of the oceanic crust as well! Floor is literally lava, the children are correct, we are all walking on tons of lava every day, nobody told me this?? Everything under the ocean floor is also lava? I am so close to lava at every point on my life. This is a cool lava planet.

Another cool thing I didn't know is how many awesome rocks you can find outside; I've found out that out of the rocks I've been collecting for fun, a few of them seem to be pieces of quartz! I'm not sure if they are, because I've only started to identify it, but they are white and half-transparent, if you shine a light trough them, you can see inside the rock, sometimes there's brown coloring inside as well. So quartz is cool because it's one of the hardest materials out there (7 on the hardness scale, diamond is 10); you can't scratch it with steel, but it is capable of damaging both iron and steel. To test this, I used a stainless steel pan I found in the river earlier, and I tried to scratch it – the quartz rock stratched it immediately! (don't worry, it wasn't a pan I use). Apparently because of this hardness, quartz can be used as a flint – if you rub it against steel, it will expose the iron inside, iron will react with oxygen, making a spark, and that's how you can start a fire. I've tried this with my pan, but found that the noise was so awful, I stopped before making a spark.

Okay so now that we know about quartz and how cool and transparent it is, nows the time for another very cool info – most of the sand out there is made out of tiny particles of quartz. This, to me, finally solved the mystery of how glass is made, because I knew it was made from melting sand, but that made no sense to me, why would sand become transparent in its melted state? It seemed illogical, BUT, if the sand itself is made from a transparent crystal, then it makes all kinds of sense it would become completely transparent when melted and cleaned out of all impurities. It also means glass is completely natural since it just comes from quartz, I was so happy to know this! Glass is chemically different from quartz, it's not as hard (5.5 on the hardness scale), can be scratched, so it's less cool, but more transparent.

Lots of rocks underground end up under high temperatures and pressure, and sometimes they melt and band together, making 'metamorphic rocks', which sounds made up, but it's what we called them! In specific examples you can actually see layers of different colors, seeing where they melted and banded together, and they're called 'agates', they look colorful, artistic and special. I didn't think you could randomly find something like that outside – turns out you can, if you live in a specific location, or you're close to a river which carries these types of rocks around! I've maybe found one that looks like that, but again, can't identify it for sure, it could be a type of a jasper.

Jasper is a reddish brown type of stone that is also extremely hard, cannot be scratched by steel, and is completely non-transparent, no type of light can shine trough it. It's very common and easy to find! I realized I had a few pieces that are probably jasper, that I liked because of their deep brown color and how smooth they are. If you found a dark brown or red rock on a beach, it could be a jasper. They can also come in dark green, but these are rare! Jasper is also somehow a type of quartz, which just feels wrong.

A cool info I found on youtube was that polishing rocks to make them super shiny and reflective of light, is done by imitating how nature does it; if you find a smooth rock in nature, it's likely been in the river or sea, brushed by the waves and currents against the sand and all of the other rocks, to the point where its surface became smooth and shiny. So people invented a method called 'tumbling', where they put a bunch of rough rocks, sand, water, and some extra material like porcelain in a bucket, close the bucket, then put it in a machine that turns it round and round for about a month! They're taken out every week to be cleaned, then put back into the bucket to get more shine. After they're done tumbling, the rocks become smooth and clean and shiny, looking much more beautiful and satisfying for humans to touch.

One thing I did not know before is that all of the gems that are popular, like amethyst, carnelian, citrine, are all just different types of quartz with some other minerals inside that give them the beautiful color. Quartz really is that cool, she gave us everything.

These are the cool new facts about rocks I now know! If I've said something terminally wrong, please be kind in correcting me, I've learned all this 2 days ago. Incredibly excited to be able to point my finger at a rock outside and say it's name if it happens to be one of the 3 rocks I can now name (jasper, quartz and granite). If you have more cool knowledge about rocks, or know a source to read about it, please give me the link I am drowning on wikipedia.

[feiofthefae]

wait so what else is up with awoken amethyst besides the reflection thing

oh boy oh boy oh boy do I have an essay for you! it's mostly irl nerd stuff, but!!

Awoken amethyst is nothing like amethyst from Earth! Actual amethyst is almost always purple [but can have blue as a secondary hue], usually has color zoning and belongs to the hexagonal crystal family. Awoken amethyst is blue, has no color zoning, and has a pentagonal structure [which doesn't occur naturally]. Also, a lot of it hums and glows!

It is so unlike actual amethyst that it has been compared to a variety of other gems/minerals, including azurite, fluorite, tanzanite, sodalite/lapis lazuli and agate. So far, the Oracle Engine seems to be the main exception:

"But some of it looks purple. Why is that?" Good question! From what I've seen, it comes down to lighting and backlighting. In the Confluence and Blind Well, Awoken amethyst looks purple in the shadows but is blue when you step back. In The Corrupted strike and seasonal areas like the Coil, it's the opposite - it's purple from afar yet blue up close. The Last Wish raid shows it in purple backlighting at first, before giving way to its true color (blue).

Something something "nothing is as it seems," I suppose.

There is one more exception besides the Oracle Engine, however. And I think it's an interesting one. At the very back of Harbinger's Seclude, by the statue of the first Awoken queen Alis Li, the arches are clearly purple and resemble polished irl amethyst. What does it mean? I have no idea, I'm not a lore expert. But I wouldn't be surprised if it did mean something.

Other than that, I only know the standard lore stuff about Awoken amethyst. It's a symbol of Awoken royalty, it can be created thru Awoken favor, Techeuns use it to enhance their powers, it was once given as diplomatic gifts to Eliksni, so on and so forth. And yes, Mara did wish for the Dreaming City to be built out of amethyst.

Being a rockhound and aspiring mineralogist [and Awoken lore enthusiast], I'm always on the lookout for amethyst-related lore, but this is all I've got at the moment lol. Also I don't know if I actually answered your question but thank you for the Ask!!

Here is a screenshot of my Hunter as a token of my appreciation:

[lemons-kid]

Headcanons about Cody and Heatwave's relationship on Agate Au?

I think despite technically knowing each other longer, they have a closer relationship because they just spend way more time together than Cody and Chief.

If/when Cody comes out Heatwave would be the first they’d tell because an alien wouldn’t judge you for being queer (it not just because they see him as a father figure, just a friend). Frankie would probably be one of the next.

Heatwave also seems to have a strong relationship with Frankie in the Tv show but more likely as friends.

I think they share an interest in Griffin Rock’s history and we know they are both involved in rescue work. Still, I think Heatwave would be one of the first to accept Cody not following in the family’s footsteps and instead working in nature. I think he’d still hurt/have guilt from being one of the last rescue Bots. He wants to keep Cody safe and keeping them out of dangerous rescues seems like it’d work (it doesn’t).

[rose-quartz-kinnie]

“Why didn’t Rose take Spinel with her?”

Spinel would’ve immediately given her away I fear, in multiple ways. Read more below the cut! Be warned, this is a half asleep rant i did just to rant, bear with me with these points.

- Spinels seem to be a specialized gemtype. Possibly status symbols like pearls, and or entertainment for higher ranked gems (possibly they were even made only for diamonds and no other gems). If people saw a Rose Quartz with a spinel, I feel as though the Agates would immediately be suspicious.

“But, she took her pearl! How’d she not get caught with her then?”

- Unlike Spinels, pearls are much more generic gems that are both highly customizable and probably given to other gems as rewards for loyalty or something. Nobody would care much about a stray pearl as much as they would a stray spinel since pearls are literally a dime a dozen.

“Well, she could’ve sworn Spinel to secrecy like pearl then?”

- Hm. This is doubtful. Spinel is shown to be a..and I’m not trying to insult her, childish gem at best. I highly doubt she’d be able to take Rose and Pearl’s plans seriously, simply because she wouldn’t understand them or even misinterpret it to all be one big game and accidentally blab about it to the wrong gem, then it would all be over, just like that. She is, to put it bluntly, a liability by her very nature.

Now, with this, I’m not trying to say that what Rose did was the “right” course of action by leaving her in the garden, but you do have to understand that she didn’t feel like she had any other real options. She did. What she thought would be right thinking that maybe someone would eventually come and get Spinel, but that was never the case. She had no malicious intentions, she was just an inexperienced person in a new, difficult situation. Faking your death isn’t a walk in the park, I’d know.

(Legal disclaimer: I have not and will not fake my death in order to start anew as a new person.)

[gamerbearmira]

Diamond au -

So, I caught up on some more scenes from the show (Mostly just the diamond scenes and wiki) and here's what I got.

(So, the diamonds in the show typically run their own colony on a certain planet. The Diamonds used their essence to create new Gems, who would become subordinates and dedicated their lives in the name of their Diamond. Gems were distinguished by the diamond emblem on their uniform, corresponding to the color of the Diamond they served.

In order to expand the Gem race, the Diamonds took control of celestial bodies for colonization purposes. This would allow Gems to be mass-produced by utilizing outside resources. Each Diamond owned specific colonies and was in charge of making sure they were successful. Gems produced on a specific Diamond's colony was under their control; for instance, Gems produced on Earth belonged to Pink.)

I decided to change some things around a bit-

Gems naturally burst out of any planet (Ones not known to man) and are basically like babies. They somehow naturally know how to talk and are fully grown but that's as far as intelligence goes and height goes.

What do the diamonds do when that happens?

They teach morals, do's & don't do's, right from wrong, etc. They also help their colonies in a certain area they lack. (The "kids" help as well.)

Which diamond "owns" a colony?

Magenta, Blue, Yellow, and green do. The grand-diamonds are in training (if they want to be) or just don't feel like having that sort of responsibility yet.

Yellow/Pepa helps with the weather because the planet her colony belongs to has horrendous weather conditions. If she isn't managing it, her colony suffers.

Blue and violet/Isabela help with flora and medicine. Isa creates the plants and flowers needed and Blue uses her natural ability to create medicine. She also teaches her colony how to do it as well.

The diamond adults do "own" a certain colony on a certain planet. But they aren't all that authoritarian at all. While the Diamonds continue to rule over Home world, they allow every Gem to live freely the way they want without judgment or punishment. Gems are free to fuse with whoever they please, and the caste system was dismantled so that no Gem is better than another. 

Home world has some kind of democracy, meaning the Diamonds, despite retaining a level of importance on Home world, allow Gems to take charge as leaders of their kind through elections.

The diamonds don't see any non-gem life form as inferior, but more interesting. Humans are mainly a curiosity to them, but they see how humans...are mainly hostile to anything different from them (especially to each other) and don't feel like interacting at all.

As far as interactions go when it comes to earth is just watching things called "movies", just to look at certain cultures and behaviors, fashion, and way of life.

Magenta/Alma doesn't like the word "own". It seems a bit rude to say she owns something when she had no control over when or how gems came to be.

So, she instead uses the word "care". Because that's technically what she and her "kids" do. They care for their colonies as long as they need to.

Young diamonds typically explore their "parents" gem worlds. Having fun, making friends & what not.

Certain gems/crystals found on their planets:

Pepa's planet - Golden Barites, Golden Beryl's, Golden south sea pearls, Heliodor's, Honey Calcites, Honey Topaz, Lemon Jades, Lemon quartz, and many more.

Bruno's planet - Jades, Tourmaline, Verdelite, October birthstone, Alexandrite, Malachite, Peridot, Sapphire, Apatite, Chrysoberyl, and many more.

Julieta's planet - Blue agate, Apatite, Azurite, Aquamarine, Benitiote, Blue Chalcedony, Chrysocolla, Dumortierite, Blue fluorite, and many more

Alma's planet - Padparadscha sapphire, Rubellite Tourmaline, Ruby, Spine, Watermelon Tourmaline, and Viva magenta.

The grand-diamonds don't have gems to look after yet but they do have planets to watch over. Each planet is similar to their colors/name. It's truly boring for them so they don't spend their time watching them much.

I searched up "planet that rains diamonds" and I found out that Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter are rumored to have natural diamonds. So, that's where Alma, the triplets, and the grandkids came from.

The triplets came from Saturn, Alma came from Neptune, and the grandkids are from Jupiter.

Also, Antonio's name in this au is Apricot. It's cute and it has 'A' in front of it, so it fits. I

SO COOOOOLLL ‼️‼️‼️

W Diamonds for at the very least being decent gems 😭 give them mfs some sense of self, so at least there’s that. Planets are super cool 🤭🤭 also the fact that the grandkids find watching their plants boring is. So funny. Like there’s basically nothing on them, so it!s understandable 😭

Using plants that rain diamonds honestly makes a lot of sense. ALSO APRICOT LETS GOOOO 🤠🤠🤠

While not a dictator or authoritarian, I think Alma just has a very misleading face 💀

[srlgemstone]

This waterline agate seems to carry the mystical aura of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. The interwoven patterns and rich natural tones evoke the silhouette of a woman offering tributes to Apis, the symbol of abundance and fertility. However, upon closer inspection, you may notice that the woman transforms into a duck adorned with flowers on its head. This unique stone offers a captivating depth, both artistically and symbolically. It is truly a magnificent piece that brings together the elegance of nature and the spirit of ancient cultures.

[scraftyisthebest]

So in the upcoming chapter of Horizons, "Terastal Debut", it seems Liko and co. will be attending Naranja Academy. But it seems Onyx, Agate, and Sango (or as the dub now calls them: Sidian, Chalce, and Coral respectively) will be attending the school as well. Chalce/Agate will be signing up to act as a teacher, while Onyx/Sidian and Sango/Coral are acting as students, since they're wearing student uniforms. Most likely, they want to get Tera Orbs themselves so that Amethio isn't the only one using Terastal. But it's quite interesting how Coral and Sidian are both acting as students while Chalce is acting as a teacher in the academy.

Onyx and Sango (or as I should say, Sidian and Coral) are pretty clearly a duo with each other and they pretty much always stick together. They seem to be the comic relief of the Explorers group and form a comedic duo with the contrast between them amplifying their dynamic for maximum comedic effect. Coral is a petty, short-tempered brat who easily loses her shit at even the pettiest of things, while Sidian is much more level-headed and serious to an almost extreme degree which complements her in a funny way.

These two really feel like the Jessie and James of the Explorers and Liko's story. Two troublemakers who everyone else in the organization sees as a nuisance and pain, play the comedic relief at times, and seem to be frequently in confrontation with the heroes and directly confront them in battle, although they're also a lot more competent than those two ever were. They tend to show up in contexts outside of the Explorers' missions and stir up comedic antics like Coral going after Wiglett sweets and getting mad about not getting any, and in this case there's clearly setup for them to have antics around Liko, Roy, and Dot as fellow classmates and students at Naranja Academy, and likely tension between them on equal levels as students. Maybe during their time here they'll end up battling each other in a formal school setting, like a tournament or something. Liko and Roy vs. Sidian and Coral in a Tag Battle once again. A recurring trend that they may keep up over the course of the show. They definitely feel like a more competent version of Jessie and James who despite being antagonists also have a comedic relief angle and will likely have the most personal relationship with Liko, Roy, and Dot over the course of the show. Well, aside from Amethio. Especially since as students and classmates of our heroes, they're interacting on a formally equal level here in this next chapter. They may start to have a close relationship with them that borders on the two frequently meeting and being weird frenemies who like-hate each other on a personal level.

Chalce (aka Agate) acting as a teacher on the other hand raises some interesting questions about her role in the Explorers group and in the story as a whole. This would imply that she's the most senior admin of the organization and has authority over the other admins. This was kind of hinted at as she was the leader of the operation to capture Rayquaza and in charge, giving Sidian and Coral orders to follow. She doesn't seem to have any particularly standout traits as an antagonist, and is very straightforward and calm, but has natural authority in the group, and acting as a teacher in Naranja Academy likely reinforces that. That said she seems to be little more than someone who is experienced at what she does and takes her job seriously, which is different from Spinel who clearly has his own motives outside of the group and admits to using them as a means to an end for his own self-gain.

Getting to see the rest of the Explorers admins in proper action as of late has shed more light on their characters, and I look forward to seeing how each segment of the Explorers continue to play a role in the story. We have a duo of troublemakers in Sidian and Coral (Onyx and Sango) who are sort of comic relief, a senior admin in Chalce (Agate) who takes her job seriously and has the most authority of the lot, a particularly selfish and evil one in Spinel who is trying to use the group for his own selfish motives, and Amethio is pretty unique in that he seems to have a personal growth arc and is the protagonist of his own story, while he hangs out with his two subordinates who keep him grounded. There's a lot of differences between these three and it will be interesting how their roles in the story and their relationships with each other and the Rising Volt Tacklers continues to change over the course of this show.