#non-hindu deities

[h0bg0blin-meat]

Mutuals reblog this and lemme know some of the popular pre-Hindu/non-Hindu deities in your local mythologies. I'll go first!

Assamese mythology

Bordoisikhla/Bordoisila: A spirit storm goddess. She's also the goddess of nature, rain and wind. The term is derived from the Bodo (and other Tibeto-Burman languages) where 'bor' = 'wind', 'doi' = 'water' and 'sikhla' = 'girl'. The Bordoisila wind marks the beginning of the spring season, and the Assamese month of Bohag. In Bengali and Odia this wind is usually known as Kalboishakhi.

Kecaikhati: Flesh-eating tribal goddess of the people of Mayong. She's the daughter of Bura-Buri/Gira-Girasi, the Primordial Parents who later got sanskritised to Shiva and Shakti (literal meaning- 'the Old Ones') and the younger sister of Pisadema. Initially, she offered human flesh to her parents for introducing sin into the world, but eventually the priests (called the Deori, and hence forms the Deori community) started sacrificing humans to her instead.

Luit-Dehing: A powerful and benevolent river goddess associated with the Brahmaputra River, popular among the people who live near the banks.

The entire Bathou pantheon (religion of the Bodo people)

The entire Ahom pantheon (religion of the Ahoms)

Non-Hindu deities who are now assimilated into Hinduism:

Kamakhya: Originally a tribal goddess.

Manasha: Originally another tribal goddess, primarily popular amongst the Rabha people.

[vibesaresubjective]

lol

[artsyaech]

happy international asexuality day to:

[PT: happy international asexuality day to:]

asexual men, y’all are so underrepresented

asexual women, you’re not “prudes”

genderqueer / non-binary asexuals, you exist

asexual trans men, you don’t deserve infantilization

asexual trans women, you’re not “just a f3tish”

asexual cis men, your existence isn’t “sad”

asexual cis women, you do NOT just exist to have babies (but if you want to have children, that’s just as valid)

asexuals who don’t experience any sexual attraction, you’re not a “stereotype”

asexuals who experience any amount sexual attraction, you’re not “faking it”

demisexuals

gray-asexuals

asexuals with a high libido

asexuals who don’t label themselves

asexuals who use many labels

asexuals who use microlabels

asexuals who are shy, you’re not a stereotype

asexuals who are outgoing, you’re not pretending

christian asexuals, you’re not “just celibate”

jewish asexuals, your existence is NOT inherently sexual

muslim asexuals, Allah loves you just as much as anyone else

hindu asexuals, your deities respect you

asexual buddhists, kindness will protect you

asexual pagans, (me!!) remember to cherish every moment

asexuals who are in the closet

out and proud asexuals

alloromantic asexuals

aromantic asexuals

aplatonic asexuals

acespecs who don’t identify with the term asexual

every asexual! y’all are so epic!!

[burst-of-iridescent]

South Asian and Hindu Influences in ATLA (Part 1)

disclaimer: i was raised culturally and religiously hindu, and though i've tried to do my research for this post and pair it with my own cultural knowledge, i'm not an expert on hinduism by any means. should i mess up, please let me know.

please also be aware that many of the concepts discussed in this post overlap heavily with religions such as buddhism and jainism, which might have different interpretations and representations. as i'm not from those religions or cultures, i don't want to speak on them, but if anyone with that knowledge wishes to add on, please feel free.

it's well-known that atla draws from indigenous, east and southeast asian influences, but something i rarely see discussed in the fandom is the influences the show takes from hinduism and south asia, and there are actually far more than i think people are aware of.

so here's a (non-exhaustive list) of the main inspirations atla drew from south asian culture and hinduism, starting with...

The Avatar

the title of the show itself is taken from the ancient language of sanskrit, often considered the sacred tongue of the hindu religion. in sanskrit, the word "avatar" means to "descend" or "alight".

the concept of the avatar is a very old one, referring to the physical incarnation of a powerful deity or spirit. the idea of the avatar is most often linked to the god Vishnu, one of three supreme hindu gods collectively called the trimurti, or trinity. the avatar is said to manifest upon earth primarily in times of great need, when balance must be maintained between the forces of good and evil.

atla borrows heavily from this idea in having aang be the incarnation of a divine spirit who returns to the world during a time of immense strife, and is tasked with defeating a great evil to bring balance back to the world. and though i don't know if it was an intentional reference, it's interesting to note that Krishna, the most famous incarnation of Vishnu was also reborn amidst a fierce storm and carried through a raging sea to a new home where he would be protected from the king who sought to kill him. sounds a little familiar, doesn't it?

Agni Kai and the Philosophy of Firebending

the word "agni" derives from the sanskrit name Agni, the god of fire, though it can also generally mean "fire".

the concepts of lightning bending and the sun being the source of firebending are likely also taken from the idea of Agni, since he's said to exist simultaneously in three different forms on three different dimensions: as fire on earth, as lightning in the atmosphere, and as the sun in the sky.

Agni is a significant aspect of many rituals, including marriage rites, death rites, and the festivals of holi and diwali. the concept of Agni is one of duality: life and death, rebirth and destruction. hindu rituals accept and celebrate both aspects, revolving around the idea that destruction is not separate from creation, but rather necessary to facilitate it. the cremation of the dead, for instance, is seen as purification, not destruction: burning away the physical form so the soul is unencumbered, set free to continue the reincarnation cycle.

this influence can be seen in the firebending masters episode, which discusses the idea of fire being vital to life. the sun warriors safeguarding the original fire and demanding that zuko and aang bring fire to the dragons as a sacrifice could also reference the ritual of Agnihotra - the ritual of keeping a fire at the home hearth and making offerings to it. the purpose of this ritual differs depending on which text you refer to, but it is generally believed to purify the person and atmosphere in which it is performed, similar to how zuko and aang must make offerings to ran and shaw and survive their fire before being deemed worthy and pure.

Agnihotra is said to serve as a symbolic reminder of the vitality and importance of fire as the driving force of life, a lesson that zuko and aang also internalize from their encounter with the dragons.

Bumi

bumi's name is taken from the sanskrit word "bhumi", which means "earth". it's also the name of the hindu goddess of the earth, bumi or bhudevi.

one of the things the original animation didn't do and which i really enjoyed about the live action was that they made bumi indian and added desi inspiration to omashu. it makes perfect sense for a king whose name is as hindu-inspired as they come.

NWT Royal Palace

chief arnook's palace in the northern water tribe takes inspiration from the gopurams of hindu temples, massive pyramidal structures that served as entrance towers to the temple.

gopurams were built tall enough to be seen for miles around, beacons to signal tired or weary travellers who wished for a place to rest that a temple was nearby. it's a nice touch that the chief's palace is located in front of the spirit oasis, a similarly symbolic entryway to a sanctuary housing otherworldly deities.

Betrothal Necklaces

to preface: i doubt this was an intentional reference, and this great post talks about other cultures that could have inspired the water tribe betrothal necklaces. given the desi influence in the nwt architecture however, i figured it was worth mentioning.

the idea of betrothal necklaces being given to women by their male partners is similar to the thaali, a necklace given to hindu wives by their husbands. during hindu weddings, grooms tie the thaali around their brides' necks to symbolize their marriage. once given, wives are expected to wear their thaali till the day they die, as doing so is believed to bring good luck, health and prosperity to their husbands.

Chi-Blocking

though chi-blocking takes primary inspiration from the art of Dim Mak, it is also influenced by the south indian martial arts forms of adimurai and kalaripayattu, both of which include techniques of striking vital points in the body to disable or kill an opponent.

kalaripayattu also shares parallels with firebending, being a very physically demanding, aggressive martial art that emphasises the importance of discipline and mental fortitude. control of the mind is essential to control of the body, a philosophy similar to that espoused by iroh across the show.

Wan Shi Tong's Library

the library draws inspiration partly from the taj mahal, the famous mausoleum constructed by shah jahan during the mughal empire as a monument to his beloved wife, mumtaz mahal.

i'll end this post here since it's getting too long as it is, and the following section will be even longer. for while atla treated the concepts in this post with respect, the same unfortunately cannot be said for its depiction of guru pathik and combustion man - both of which we'll be discussing next.

[ryin-silverfish]

how does rebirth and reincarnation work in Buddhism

do memories carry over and Can personality traits or characteristics also stay the same

or does being reborn erase everything and basically reboot a person

is everyone reincarnated or just some people and what causes rebirth

if you don’t want to explain it can you please reply with links to websites where I can find information on the topic

Disclaimer: Everything I write here is less Indian Buddhism, and more "sinicized Buddhist concepts", aka "Chinese adoptation of the ideas of karmic laws and reincarnation, with a bunch of tweaks".

-There are 6 paths of rebirth: Heavenly/Deva, Asura, Human, Beasts, Hungry Ghosts, Hell. In practice, because of unfamiliarity with the Hindu Asura ("wrathful demigods"), it often gets simplified into 5 paths instead.

-Based on one's karma (consequences of one's causes), one is reborn into one of these Paths after death. The first 3 are commonly seen as the "3 good paths", while the last 3 are the "3 bad paths".

-Technically, even being reborn as a celestial being does not free you from suffering, since, despite the incredibly long lifespan of celestials and the pleasures they enjoy, their stay there is still not infinite, and they'll be reborn into a lower path once their Good Deeds Bank runs out, so to speak.

-However, in lay practice, being reborn in the Heavenly path is often considered "Good enough".

-Similarly, in more doctrinal Buddhism, the concept of "non-being" and the lack of a permanent, eternal self is a big thing (where there's no continuation of the self between each life, memory-wise or personality-wise).

-Yet after its spread to China, it was adjusted to fit, and syncretized with existing beliefs about souls and ancestor worship, and honestly, folks pretty much assumed that there is a...soul thingy that gets reincarnated, and some sort of continuation exists between each life.

-In Northern-Southern dynasty and Tang legends, there are a lot of tales about people who remembered their past lives, or people who suffered misfortune/got a lawsuit from ghosts in the Underworld bc of bad things they did in another life.

-However, in the latter case, they often don't remember. It is kinda implied that reincarnation itself blurred/erased their memories, but never explicitly explained.

-The much later Ming-Qing addition of Mengpo and her amnesia soup could be seen as a "fix-it" to that question: people don't remember their past lives bc the amnesia soup is mandatory, and the few who remembered are folks who had found a way to avoid drinking it.

-Like all folklore stuff, it's far from universally adopted, and in Liaozhai, you can still see tales like Lian Xiang's, where the fox spirit in question died, reincarnated into a human body, and remembered her old ghostly rival-turned-best-friend upon seeing her again.

-In vernacular novels and tales about reincarnated immortals and celestial deities, like JTTS and JTTN, it's more common for the protagonists to remember their original self from start to finish, or recover their memories after being informed of that fact and settle on working their way back into their old position.

-As for "does everyone have to go through reincarnation?" Unless you are a Buddha, a Bodhisattva, or Arhat, technically yes.

-After Daoism adopted the Buddhist ideas of karma and reincarnation, there were also works that suggested, by attaining immortality, you wouldn't have to reincarnate again...

-But I personally saw that as more of a "immortality just means no natural death, not unkillable" situation——the immortal in question won't have to reincarnate bc they can no longer die of old age, but if sth comes along and kill them, or they got demoted by the Heavenly Emperor for breaking celestial laws, their soul will still re-enter the cycle.

-Lastly, what causes rebirth? Well...existing. As long as you are within the Realm of Desire and a being of the Six Paths, you are subjected to the cosmological cycle, and to Buddhists, the only way out is attaining enlightenment.

[talonabraxas]

Green Tara ॐ Talon Abraxas

The Vastness of Tara: Beyond Definition, Friend to Everyone

Do we really comprehend the vastness that is Tara? She is one of the most popular devotional and meditational deities, honored all around the world, practiced by all schools of Vajrayana Buddhism, many Mahayana Buddhists, Hindus, and others.

She is so popular, she is called “Mama Tara”—and She never takes Herself seriously. She’s a daily good friend, ready helper, saving hero, precious guide. She always has “time” for everyone—after all, time is relative. She is just as quick to help the prisoner in jail as the faithful practitioner, without discrimination. If Her name is called, She answers.

One important practice of Tara is the 21 Praises to Tara, here chanted in Sanskrit:

At the ultimate level, She was the “Non Manifested”, Prajna Paramita in Buddhism, but also the non-manifested Wisdom Mother in Hinduism. At the “intimate” relative level, She can emanate as a shepherd girl, ready to rescue a stranded traveler. Or She can incarnate as a Princess ready to help a nation—two simultaneously, in the case of Her more recent history in Tibet and China.

Yet, Tara goes beyond any constraints of conception, and even imagination: Parajnaparamita, wisdom Dakini Varjayogini, Female Buddha, Consort of great Amoghasiddhi Dhyani Buddha, Hindu great mother, angel to those in distress — all of these and thousands more. There are 21 famous Tara manifestations, one of which is the beloved White Tara. In Vajrayana’s higher tantras she is Chittimani Tara and also, Vajrayogini (Vajra Varahi).

It can be confusing, Her endless labels, but at the same time it defines Her perfectly. She is known by endless names, but consistently as Tara, Arya Tara, and, in Tibetan, Jetsun Drolma. She is simultaneously the spiritual child of Avalokiteshvara, born of tears of compassion, and the Mother of the very same Buddha. Mother and child of the same Enlightened Being. Simply meditating on the vastness of these concepts is, in itself, challenging and rewarding.

Tara’s Mantra

Harmonically tuning with universal energies of compassion and wisdom, Tara’s mantra is most effective for healing, protection, or just simply building positive karma.

The Tara mantra can be spoken anytime, while walking, driving, or when in need. Or, in more formal practice, while reciting the mantra the practitioner will visualize Her beautiful form, and say Her ten syllable mantra as often as possible:

"Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha"

This is pronounced Ohm tah-ray tew-tar-ray tew-rey svah ha. In Tibetan mantric recitation, svaha may be pronounced soha.

In more advanced mantra practice, and in sadhanas authorized by teachers, Tara’s ten syllable mantra may be visualized surrounding the seed syllable Tam (shown in the centre). Surrounding the Tam, are the Tibetan syllables beginning at the top (Om) then left clockwise.

[anonymouswarriorhumanist]

We Need to Talk About RC and South Asian Representation in its Stories

Hey beautiful people, this is going to be a long post yet a very important one. From a Desi (A South Asian) to my fellow Desis and non-Desis (who especially need to hear me out).

I know the popularity of Romance Club as an interactive game. And being a South Asian makes me wanna pick literally any story that represents us. So, I went into RC's stories promising South Asian representation: Kali: Call of Darkness and Kali: Flames of Samsara. Apart from the poor research done on Indian culture which is too niche and trivial to be understood by everyone (relating to Indian languages and North-South differences), there is yet another aspect of Indian society that the game not only completely misrepresents but even whitewashes and this is very harmful to people, especially those with no knowledge of Indian culture, picking up the game to learn smth and that is: CASTE.

While playing the game, I am sure many of u may have come across such terms as 'Brahmin' or 'Kshatriya', 'Vaishya', or even 'Shudra'. And I am sure many of u may even have a rudimentary understanding of the same. This is the caste/ varna (Sanskrit term) that has plagued Indian society for thousands of years. And these terms basically divide desis even today. I especially want non-South Asians to understand that these terms carry a history of violence and discrimation. This was the chaturvarna or the 4 varna/caste sys wherein groups were ranked on their superiority to each other.

1.Brahmin-Priestly class

2.Kshatriya-Soldiers/ warriors/kings

3.Vaishya-merchants and traders

4.Shudras-Servants/slaves, (the lowest rung on the caste ladder and the most miserable)

Do keep in mind that this is not some class sys similar to feudal Europe or France, but this is CASTE which is very diff from what a non-South Asian may imagine. Notions of purity and pollution guide the caste sys (which may not influence class). A Shudra person was considered impure and hence an 'untouchable' and their mere shadows were considered polluting on the other 3 castes, so much so that they were ghettoized. In South Asia, servile work is generally considered 'polluting' and a complex history of multiple factors relegated this strict division of labourers, In simple lang, a Brahmin priest's son could only be a priest (which was a divine occupation and revered) and a Shudra's son could only do work considered appropriate of his caste which usually translated to things such as manual scavenging (still in India) and servile work considered 'polluting' from which they had no respite. This system was horrible towards Shudras in general as their labour was appropriated by the upper castes for their own gain very similar to how African slave labourers worked at white plantations if I hv to draw a rough comparison. Shudras/Dalits (the term 'Dalit' means broken/oppressed and was given by a Dalit leader and Indian legend Dr. Ambedkar to help uplift this community in Indian society) are subject to not only physical but structural violence. They were barred entry in schools, wells, tanks, roads and literally everywhere since their presence of 'polluting'. Now I have 2 more points:

In RC, I know everyone loves the male leads, and rightly so. But u need to understand that Ratan Vaish and Amrit Doobay won't give a fuck if a Dalit person died in front of them no matter how caring they might be. Since Brahmins were the priestly class, they hegemonized control over Hindu deities and mythology and only they could 'talk' to Gods (according to them ofc and their superiority complex). Amala is a Basu (a Bengali Brahmin surname) and hence both Doobay (again Brahmin) and Vaish (def upper-caste surname) r after her. If Amala was a Dalit, Amrit would hv raped and even killed her (Dalit women and the sexual violence enacted upon them by upper-caste men....again to draw a comparison similar to black women being raped by white men during slavery and jim crow eras: Google Hathras Rape case) and Ratan would have ignored her. ( Notice how Amrit was having an affair with that temple lady. She is most likely a Shudra as most Shudra women were forced into sexual slavery in temples by Brahmins like Amrit. Therefore, he treats her like an object and throws her away once Amala i.e. a woman of his caste falls in love with him. A Dalit woman's body is disposable and objectified here. Look at the complete whitewahing of power dynamics in that sexual encounter with Amrit and the temple dancer).We all need to understand that a similar fate would hv befallen Deviya Sharma (again a Brahmin woman) as even she would have been raped and ignored by other Brahmins and upper caste men in the story such as Ram/or Kamal etc. Arhat is likely a Shudra and Deviya will never bat an eyelash at him since his only job is to be in service to her tiger which Deviya probably treats with more respect than she does Arhat. My point is RC is mass producing these stories for the hyper-privileged White people of India i.e. the upper castes and that is Brahmins and Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. Dalits have rarely been entertained in representation much less in India than in abroad. But that is not what I am pissed abt. What I am pissed abt is that an American sitting in their home will check this story and see terms such as Brahmin or Kshatriya thrown abt without understanding them and then even internalize the harmful notions about these terms and caste in general in both stories abt a bunch of upper-castes freaking out over some goddess ritual.

Be very careful people in what u accept and what u don't bcoz even if it is a game, many non-Desi people may not have the relevant positionality (and that is completely fine!) to understand how the insidious caste sys is being shown and represented by RC. It is being glorified even (ik in the earlier chapters of KCD where Brahmins r shown as saviors of society and keeping Indian society stable when in reality they have done nothing but dehumanize and alienate Dalits for generations) and downplayed and even whitewashed as some trivial division. If RC wanted to publish a story about upper-caste people then pls go ahead but don't you dare whitewash it and glorify the caste sys. When impressionable audiences see all this, it is in their best interest to know the ugly truth about Indian society and not some cheap exotisation of the same. BE BETTER, especially for the Dalits who have suffered so much in South Asia. I am also attaching some material as I would greatly appreciate it if more people knew about the horrors of the caste system and how it plagues Desi society even today.

Discrimination (all types) r shitty and needs to kicked in the balls. Many times, it is subtle and while we may not know much, it is our responsibility to know more and try our best to stop it in whatever way we can.

Thank you for staying and take care y'all.

[mahayanapilgrim]

What is Yab-Yum?

Yab-yum is a symbolic representation of the union between a male deity (yab) and a female deity (yum). The term itself originates from Tibet, where the word "yab" represents the masculine aspect, often referred to as the Father associated with wisdom and compassion, and "yum" represents the divine feminine, embodying the role of the Mother often associated with bliss and emptiness.

In artistic depictions, yab-yum is represented by a male deity in a seated position, often portrayed as a peaceful and enlightened Buddha or a deity like Vajrasattva, and a female deity sitting or standing in the lap of the male deity, embracing him. The female deity is often portrayed as a compassionate figure, such as the goddess Tara or the consort of the male deity.

The Spiritual Symbolism of Yab-Yum

An iconic image associated with tantra, the yab-yum position holds significant prominence within both Hindu and Buddhist tantric art. The posture transcends the boundaries of conventional human sexuality and delves into a realm of divine and cosmic union. At its core, the image embodies the concept of duality, therefore represented through the masculine and feminine union but gives direction towards a state of non-duality, or Advaita, where the illusion of separation dissolves, and a profound unity is experienced. It represents the profound understanding that existence arises from the interplay of opposites and that the ultimate reality encompasses both the manifest and the formless.

The yab-yum position signifies the merging and harmonizing of opposing forces. It represents the balance and integration of polarities within oneself and the universe. The masculine and feminine energies are seen as complementary aspects that together form a complete whole. In essence, the yab-yum symbolizes the union of wisdom and compassion, form and formlessness, masculine and feminine, and represents the inherent unity and interconnectedness of all things in the tantric worldview. 

The fundamental concept of 'Advaita,' or non-duality within Yab-Yum

In Sanskrit, the term, advaita means non-duality. It is also a concept commonly associated with Advaita Vedanta but equally relevant in the profound teachings of tantra. To understand the concept of Advaita, one must carefully deconstruct the linguistic implication of the term Advaita or its English translation 'not-two-ness.' Here the words do not suggest becoming one or infusion; it does not imply a merging into homogeneity. Instead, it represents a state where separation, division, and the illusion of individual identity cease to exist while the diverse elements retain their inherent nature. It is a state of neither loss nor acquisition. 

This understanding eludes the grasp of the rational mind, which can only comprehend the world in terms of singularity or plurality. Therefore, the yab-yum depiction of the union of a male and female deity highlights the fundamental principle that the apparent duality between self and other, subject and object, is illusory. It alludes to the understanding that the true nature of reality transcends dualistic distinctions signifying the inseparability and interdependence of the masculine and feminine energies, symbolizing the dissolution of all dualities but not infusing into a singularity. 

Vajrasattva and his consort in Yab-Yum

Vajrasattva is the embodiment of purity and compassion and, in his solitary form, is a familiar subject in Buddhist art. However, although less frequently, Vajrasattva is depicted with his consort in the yab-yum posture, alluding to a profound father-mother aspect of Vajrasattva. In the Yab-Yum depiction, he is joined by his consort, Vajratopa or Vajragarvi. The consort is often depicted holding a Kartika in her right hand and a kapala in her left, symbolizing the transformative and nurturing aspects of the feminine principle.

[priestessame]

Sumeru Men during Ganesh Chaturthi.

♥♥♥Okayy this might be a little too niche but for that 1% desi genshin fans pspsppspspps. ♥♥♥

A/N: Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival we celebrate in india, where we bring an idol of the popular hindu deity Ganesh home.

﹆ꕤ⊹Desi Sumeru Head cannons: Ganesh Chaturthi special.﹆ꕤ⊹

.. ♥Kaveh, Al Haitham, Cyno, Wanderer, Tighnari ft. Kaeya ♥ ..

Kaveh Head of decorations. Art child of the house forced into becoming the head designer for the festival. The entire responsibility of the decoration is pushed onto him, whether he's okay with it or not. By the end of it he'll be sitting on the ground with flower garlands and fairy lights around his neck. STRESSEDDD, he has to get the space ready before they actually bring the Ganpati idol home and right now nothing is sticking to the wall, the lights look ugly and Al Haitham is getting on his last nerve. 

Cyno SELLOTAPE MAN, bro cannot be trusted with anything other than cutting small pieces of sticky tape and holding them ready for kaveh. He might even start sticking them on Scara's hat so that they're easier to peel.  He has a little shop of every type of sticky tape available- the double sided one, masking tape, the yellow coloured one for the light arrangements and the clear see-through ones, whatever you want. Will offer bad jokes with every piece. Also primarily here for the spiced milk.  

Tighnari The environmentalist that goes on about how they should use eco- friendly decorations and ban polystyrene but does nothing to actually help. Will bring all the raw material for the flower and fruit arrangement and that's his only contribution. The rest of the time he'll play music and and give Kaveh bad advice. Also the kind to get modak edibles for the gang so they're all high as hell during the ceremony. The kind of soft launch his s/o to his fam by inviting them to the festival. 

Wanderer The non-native that's experiencing it for the first time. Let's be honest, his mom forced him to be here. He could not give a flying fuck about what the festival is and why its celebrated. But apparently its important to socialize, so fine he'll show up. He's given the huge bundle of fairy lights, pulled straight out of the attic so he can sit in a corner untangling them while the others conceptualise the decorations. Eventually has to work with the sellotape man. His hands hurt from holding the lights up because kaveh can't make up his mind on where they look good. The wires are old so might get electrocuted accidently. Also complains about the noise pollution outside, then dances his ass off during Visarjan, after eating Tighnari's edible. Al Haitham The critic. Exists solely to shit on all of Kaveh's ideas. He'll lounge around the room, not involving himself in anything, but the moment Kaveh assembling things he'll point out everything he's doing wrong. Will give random pointers until Kaveh rips his hair out. 100% will start fighting. "WHY ARE YOU HERE THEN? JUST WHY ARE YOU HERE? GO HOME" "I'm here because you're incompetent." ♥ "Yeah, that is not going to hold."  "Stfu Al Haitham, I'm the architect here, you think i don't know how these things work? I know what materials work with what kind-  The entire decoration crashes down on him the moment he says this, its 3am in the morning and kaveh is on the verge of tears.  "Told you so."  ♥ Kaeya The one NRI cousin that lives abroad and cries on Instagram over how much they miss the festival. Will dress up regardless to take pictures, attempt to make the sweets on their own and video call their fam all the time. Somehow finds an university club, or local desi community that celebrates the festival in that country and spams on socials.

bwhahahaah this was so much fun to write, i was actually imagining them as me and my cousins.

[h0bg0blin-meat]

What hindu gods/deities are lgbt (I'm sorry if this is rude or ignorant I just wish to learn as I've heard some are)

Dw it's neither rude nor ignorant. Now before I start I do wanna say that almost all the queerness we see in Hindu mythology is highly subtextual most of the time, which is like pretty obvious cuz these were the ancient times. So this might lead to a varied number of interpretations, and I can only offer the same. But most of them are pretty convincingly queer, so let's get into it cuz why tf not. (This is gonna be a loooooong post so buckle up)

Vishnu

This fella is probably the most pan-coded deity in the entire pantheon. Extremely comfortable with both his masculine and feminine side, Vishnu can sometimes be considered one of the peak genderfluid icons out there. His avatar, Krishna, despite being referred to as the Parampurush (in other words the manliest man in the entire universe), his physical appearance (which is what is considered to be a very feminine body for a man today, i.e., slender and soft) breaks the stereotype of what masculine man should look like. There are paintings of him and Radha where I've stared for like a hot minute trying to figure out which one is Radha (mostly in grayscale cuz otherwise their complexions are a dead giveaway) and yet, he slays it like a badass.

Then we also have Mohini, the goddess of beauty probably the best seductress out there, and the only female avatar of Vishnu. Through her having a union (yk what they mean by that) with Shiva (AHEM subtext amirit), Vishnu gave birth to Ayyappa, and wouldja look at dat he has two dads, which was actually prophesized. Mohini in one of the versions of Mahabharata (not the original one) ALSO slept with Iravan (Arjun's son) the night before he was gonna offer himself as a sacrifice for the Kurukshetra war. Reason was that Iravan had a wish to get married and spend the night with his wife before dying, and wishing his wife would mourn for him after his death. So Krishna felt bad for him, turned himself into Mohini and married him. The next day she held her husband's body and mourned for him like any wife would. We can also go back to the time where he sported (make of that word what you will) with Arjuni (female version of Arjun) as well as the female version of Narad (for a year in the latter's case).

In short, we can see how chill Krishna is with his fluidity with sexuality and gender, so much so that it's hard to put a label on him sometimes, which is fine. But yes interpreting him as queer wouldn't necessarily be a preposterous claim after all.

Shiva

Tbh Shiva is also pretty queer-coded, given his union with Mohini (and yes he specifically ASKED Vishnu to turn into her and hence he KNEW it was his best friend after all), and him turning into a woman to join Krishna's leela that one time, which also denotes that he's pretty confident in his gender fluidity as well, to some extent. He also has a sort of female avatar, who's actually very underrated. I think it's called Shivani. Also no one can deny the tension between Shiva and Vishnu let's be real here. They even have a ship name- Harihar, PLUS that "Vishnu is in the heart of Shiva and Shiva is in the heart of Vishnu" line. Btw this was a joke, but now you know why they're one of the popular ships of Hindu mythology. I personally have very neutral stance to the kind of bond they share, whether you call it platonic or something else.

(Note that I personally do not consider Ardhanarishwar and Vaikunthakamalaja as any genderfluid thingy because I just see them as literal fusions of the two couples, but yes many consider these two fused versions of Parvati-Shiva and Lakshmi-Narayan respectively to be gender-nonconforming, or non-binary of some sort.)

Lakshmi

Why did I add her here? Because I have a feeling she might be bi, given the fact that her husband is also technically her wife, considering we take Mohini into account, who I'm pretty sure she loves just as much as she loves Vishnu. But again, that's just my take on it.

Agni

Now he's one of the more popular queer-coded Hindu gods, specifically known for his implied poly-esque relationship with his wife Svaha and Soma (the wind god). Now many sites on Google have claimed Soma to be his husband, but I am yet to find a scriptural evidence for that claim, so I suggest you to take their words with a grain of salt. But what IS true is that these two guys do share a pretty profound bond. There was also this one instance where Soma went to a mountain and Agni followed him. Then both of them at the top of that mountain, 'became one' (what does that mean? not sure but it sure as hell sounded romantic. anyways). Also Soma is considered the "seed" and Agni the "progenitor" hence releasing the "seed". Now again what does that mean? Idk but that's sus as hell for sure.

Plus, Agni is also very well-known to be the (oral) receptor of Shiva's (and sometimes Soma's but not sure about the second one) semen, which he then flung into Ganga cuz it was too hot to bear for him, and that's how Kartikeya/Murugan/Skanda (Shiva and Parvati's son and a God of war) was born. So yeah.

Mitra-Varuna

These two.... are another pair of popular queer-coded Hindu deities. They're almost always summoned and worshipped together, and you can say they have canonically.... well had a union, and good news is none of them became a woman for the deed. Their union is recorded in the Shatapatha Brahmana 2.4.4.19, where Mitra is said to have "implanted his seed in Varuna" (hmmm nothing homosexual going on here) during the waning moon. Many people consider this a metaphor for the cyclic nature of celestial phenomena so it's upto you to interpret it however you want.

Now they also give off that sunshine x grumpy vibe, with Mitra being the god of friendship, sun, daylight, dawn and stuff while Varuna is the god of the waters, moon, nighttime, dusk etc. Plus, the latter has anger issues but he has a bubbly Mitra (pun intended) to calm him down for dat :D.

They are also known for siring two sages, Agastya and Vasistha after they accidentally released and mixed their semen into a pot as a result of getting enchanted by Urvashi (one of the apsaras or celestial nymphs).

Budh and Ila

Budh is technically an AMAB non-binary (or intersex) deity (and technically the planet Mercury) born to Chandra (who's also synonymous to Soma most of the time) and Tara, to put it simply, and got cursed to be neither male nor female because Chandra had an affair with someone else's wife -_- (Tara was the wife of Brihaspati, or Jupiter, who was also the guru of the gods).

Ila is another genderfluid deity. Some versions of the myth says they were born a woman, some say they were born a man called Sudyumna, while some say they were born a woman, but since their parents wanted a son, Mitra-Varuna (who they preyed to) changed their gender and Sudyumna was born (but then there was some issue with the rituals, which led to the duo to turn him back to a woman, which is when they took the name of Ila. Ik, too much gendershifting going on, bear with me). Anyhoo they got this genderfluidity from Shiva's spell and every month they'd change sex from Sudyumna to Ila and back to Sudyumna and so on. Budh got enchanted by Ila and married her, and bore the Pururavas with her.

Later on, some versions say Ila permanently turned into a man with Parvati's boon. But personally interpreting, Budh was technically still married to Sudyumna so..... idk what happened to them afterwards tho. I hope they were still spouses...

[janaknandini-singh999]

When the non binary planet fell in love with a gender fluid deity <3

part 1

part 2 here

Ila/Sudyumna: she/him

Budh: they/them

source: the Hindu mythology tales according to which Ila gave birth to Chandravanshis (the lunar dynasty) and Budh was the Mercury planet

"Do I know you?" the prince batted his long eyelashes, furrowing his eyebrows

Budh sighed. Their heart broke every time their lover didn't even recognize them.

Budh had been cursed by their maharishi (sage) father to be born as a gender neuter when he had come to know that Budh was an illegitimate child.

"You have betrayed me!" He had shouted at his wife "May your child be born neither as male or female. Be it be outside just as you're neither here nor there!"

Budh had been often made fun of because of that. It used to hurt them all the time but their mother used to say "Don't worry, child. You will find your purpose, too." gently patting and kissing their forehead

They weren't as convinced of that, though

Not until they met Sudyumna

As soon as they laid eyes on him, they knew their destiny had come walking right to them. As soon as he had entered that forest, Budh had hid behind a tree, biting their lips and frantically thinking of calling out to Sudyumna to warn him that this was no ordinary forest but a magical one woven by Shiva himself called Shravana. Any being who'd enter this forest of Shravana would be turned into a female. It was a special place where Shiva and Parvati made love but Parvati was furious one day when males used to enter and intrude them so Shiva granted the forest the ability to turn anyone who'd enter it, to a female

"Prince- !" Budh started

Too late

Sudyumna had already started transforming into a woman. He looked around at his body slowly changing but before he could react, it was done

Budh's eyes had widened. Sudyumna had turned into the most beautiful woman they had ever seen. The jewels and clothes were still the same but now a female body inhabited the prince's attire.

"Who am I?" Sudyumna had been confused after having forgotten everything about when he was a male

Suddenly Sudyumna's gaze had fallen upon Budh

She had blinked her long eyelashes "Please help me. I think I'm lost" she had whispered in broken tones, afraid that she was all alone in this vast forest and she didn't even remember who she was "I know it sounds absurd but I- I don't.. Do you know who I am?"

Budh had been so pained to see Sudyumna this way but they still couldn't just help but fall for Sudyumna even more

"Ila" Budh said the first name that came to them

"Ila" she echoed, relishing the sound of the name, making it settle in her heart.

At last, she had smiled

And Budh had smiled back

A month went by and both had grown deeper in love with each other, living happily in the forest together

Budh had told Ila about what happened to Sudyumna, about who she really was. They didn't want to hide anything from her. And Ila listened in awe. It was hard to believe at first but as soon as Budh showed her other male creatures entering the forest instantly turning into females, she was dumbfounded

On the last day before the next month, Budh told Ila that now she'd change again into the male body as Sudyumna, losing memories of everything during when she was Ila. And this is how it would go on. One month as Ila, one as Sudyumna and so on.

That is the law of Shivshakti's Shravana

Ila closed her eyes and nodded slowly. When she opened them again, there were tears in them

"I will forget you, too?"

Budh nodded, unable to form any words because of the grief. Grief of losing the only one who had understood them, who felt so connected to them. Gender had rolled a dice and played a game with both of them so they were similar but Budh didn't fall for their lover just because of that. Gender was never the determinant because Budh loved regardless of when their lover's body was of a man's or woman's, whether it was this birth or any other

They loved Sudyumna/Ila. Always

"I don't want to," Ila continued, lowering her eyes, averting them away from Budh. Suddenly, she looked up, a wistful glint in her eyes "Make me remember again. Like you did. Please, I can't afford to forget you" she held Budh's hands tightly, as if clutching an anchor of her memories with them. She caressed Budh's face, as if to memorize each atom of their skin, their soul. So reverently, praying that nothing would be ever able to forget her of this. "Make me remember us. Every time. Promise me, please."

"I do" Budh kissed her eyes

Ila smiled and dissolved into a light as her body started transforming again. Budh stood back

And there he was

Sudyumna

Budh turned around and started walking away, seeking shelter behind the trees as he did before Sudyumna came in their life. They will always keep a protective eye over their lover from there

"Hey!"

Budh stopped in their tracks, heart banging against the chest. Maybe Sudyumna did still remember them, after all! Budh turned around

"Do I know you?" The prince batted his long eyelashes, furrowing his eyebrows

Budh sighed now "I am Budh"

"Nice to meet you, Budh!" Sudyumna held out his hand

Budh smiled politely and shook it, their eyes falling on the scar visible on his palm

"Oh, that's just another battle mark. Badges of honour, ya know? I have many!" Sudyumna beamed

Budh nodded "I know"

They remembered tracing and kissing all scars on Ila's body. There were actually a lot of them. And Budh knew exactly where each one was

"Maybe someday as Sudyumna I could tell you the stories behind each one of them" Ila had whispered, kissing Budh back

"You know about my scars?" Sudyumna said now "Isn't it the first time of us meeting.. umm? OH, where are my manners!? I didn't even introduce myself. My name is Sudyumna and-" He suddenly looked around at the forest "Wait, how much time exactly have I been HERE? I'm sorry but I really need to rush back to my kingdom right now. Again, it was a pleasure to meet you, Budh."

Budh looked at his silhouette going away

Neither here nor there

So, somewhere in the midst of it all

Meet me again?

[thevirginwitch]

Pearl Correspondences & Uses in Witchcraft

Friendly reminder that this post was available for early access over on my Patreon! Unlock early access to my future content (as well as exclusive access to my research notes, free tarot readings, digital goodies, access to my online library, and TONS more) by subscribing to my Patreon for as little as $2/month!

In ancient Chinese culture, pearls were used in artwork, folktales, and charms to represent wishes, fortunes, gratitude, and even the moon:

Marquis of Sui’s Pearl, a gemstone in a folktale dating back to the Warring States period (475-221 BCE), is given to a leader, Sui, from an injured snake that he nurses back to health, as a symbol of gratitude.

In Hindu and Buddhist traditions, The Chintamani (equivalent to the importance of The Philosopher’s Stone in alchemy) is known as a wish-fulfilling jewel that is sometimes depicted as a pearl.

In Chinese artwork, dragons may be seen holding or playing with a “flaming pearl” – in this context, some believe the pearl may be representative of “an object of great value that enhances the benign dragon who treasures it”, however it is more commonly (especially in Westerners) believed to be a cosmological symbol of the moon – in fact, there is an ancient belief that full moons are solid pearls, while new moons are hollow pearls.

In holistic circles, pearl powder is also known to help you with longevity, beauty, bone-health, among many other (non-FDA approved) benefits – and in Ayurvedic medicine, pearl is said to be an antidote for poison, and it was also used in love potions.

Knowing the traditional symbolism of pearls in Chinese and Eastern cultures, as well as its (supposed) medical benefits and Ayurvedic uses, we can create our own Correspondences for Utilizing Pearls in Witchcraft:

The Moon

The inner/subconscious-self

Wishes

Gratitude

Abundance

Love

Beauty

Longevity, good health

Pisces, cancer

Hidden knowledge

Uses for pearls (or pearl powder) in modern witchcraft:

Use pearl powder as highlighter in makeup for an easy glamor-spell

Mix with salt and other herbs associated with abundance to make “money-salt” for money spells

Add whole pearls or sprinkle pearl powder in your money bowl

Blow pearl powder onto your front door at the beginning of each month to bring abundance to your home

Write down a secret or something you want to get off your chest, and bury it with a pearl to keep it ‘hidden away’ from others

Make a wish with a pearl by leaving it out in a rainstorm, or dropping it into a natural body of water (pond, lake, etc).

Offerings to sea-related or beauty-realted deities

Fun pearl facts:

Genuine pearls (and pearl powder) doesn’t burn! Pearls may discolor, but they shouldn’t go up in flames.

Pearls are made as oysters try to protect themselves from irritants or parasites – they add layers and layers of this ‘pearl’ coating to intruders, and viola!

Pearls are the only gemstone that come from a living creature

Pearls come in many colors

Pearls are obtained from oyster farming – which is actually beneficial to the environment! Additionally, pearls can be harvested without killing oysters.

Be careful when shopping for pearls – many places do not sell genuine pearls and they may be fake. Use caution when looking to purchase!

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquis_of_Sui's_pearl

https://sci-hub.ru/https://doi.org/10.2307/1512907

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cintamani

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight_Treasures

[santoschristos]

Maharakta Ganapati

The meaning of Ganapati is tsog gi dag PO, mar Chen in Tibet.

Ganapati is called the Tantric Buddhist form of Ganapati related to the Chakrasamvara Cycle of Tantras.

Spritual power of Ganapati

Ganapati is known as Ganesh and Vinayaka who is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon.

Ganapati’s image is found throughout India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Thailand, Mauritius, Bali, and Bangladesh.

Hindu denominations worship him regardless of affiliations and devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains and Buddhists. This form of Ganapati is regarded as an emanation of Avalokiteshvara.

OM GANAPATI ARGHAM, PADYAM, PUSHPE, DHUPE, ALOKE, GANDHE, NAIVIDYA, SHABDA, HUM SVAHA OM GANAPATI OM AH HUM !

Praise to Maha Deva Ganesha

The embodiment of Buddha’s body, speech and mind,

Arise from the non-dual wisdom.

The Lord of accumulation, the power of accumulation and owner of accumulation,

I prostrate to the great owner of the Geg obstacles. Image: Mahaboka

[alephskoteinos]

Tantric synthesis

There's a heuristic coming along that feels close to something I've been wanting to find for a long time. It all comes down to hongaku (original enlightenment) on the one hand, and Tantric and theurgic non-dualism on the other hand, and from there I think I have a way of making some interesting connections possible.

When I read Hellenic Tantra during the last week or so I noticed that Gregory Shaw tries repeatedy to establish a connection between the concept of the theurgist and the jivanmukta at least on the grounds that both meant that the individual practitioner would become divinised while embodied and alive (though only fully joining the gods after death). Well, it turns out there's a Japanese Buddhist concept that's at least somewhat similar to the premise of the Tantric jivanmukta and Neoplatonist theurgy, or at least the way Shaw presents them. The Japanese term "sokushin jōbutsu" means to "become a Buddha in this body", and it seems to have originated in Shingon Buddhism.

"Sokushin jōbutsu" refers to the Shingon doctrine that buddha-nature could be realised in your own present lifetime, in your present body, in your present appearance (maybe now even). This idea is often attributed to Kukai, the founder of Shingon himself, who may have adapted it from Chinese esoteric Buddhism. Different versions of the concept were proposed by Saicho, another Shingon scholar, who accepted a partial realisation of buddhahood, and Annen, a Tendai scholar, who viewed it as the full attainment of buddahood in this life.

For Kukai this involved the practice of mudras, mantra recitation, mental concentration, and visualisations, which were supposed to lead to unification or mutual identity with the Buddha Mahavairocana. If this sounds like how Gregory Shaw talked about Tantra, well...

Maybe it's to do with the fact that Shingon has its roots in Tantric Buddhist traditions, or Kukai's own background in that tradition studying the tantras, or that at a certain point the Japanese concept of Mikkyo (esoteric Buddhism) generally denoted a kind of Tantric Buddhism. That Tantric Buddhism was also very obviously, to some extent, inspired by Hindu Tantra, with its inclusion of Hindu gods and often centrally centering the gods of Shaiva Hinduism. This seems to have been especially true for medieval Tendai given the role of deities like Mahakala and Kojin.

The doctrine of "sokushin jōbutsu" also seems to have involved collapsing any difference between physical and "ultimate" reality, the human body and the "dharma body", and positioning the body (and matter) itself as the site of realisation and a symbol of the entire universe. This form of nondualism probably did align with Tantric Hinduism to some extent. In fact, as Faure notes, Hindu Tantra itself developed from the Vedic tradition and inherited an originally Vedic conception of the human body as a microcosm of the universe.

It is on this basis that Tantra proposed the mutual identity of the human and the universe, and so Faure interprets Tantric Buddhism as having returned to the Vedic micro-macrocosmic vision. The Shingon doctrine of buddhahood involving Mahavairocana seems to match this vision. Faure also interprets this as a departure from earlier and more ascetic forms of Buddhism. In fact, he suggests that, in India, Tantric Buddhism assimilated the gods of Hinduism so successfully that it ended up losing distinctions from Hinduism, and folding back into Hinduism.

This obviously did not happen with Japanese or Chinese esoteric Buddhism. But, in Japan, Tantra can still be seen at the root of Mikkyo, and, as Nobumi Iyanaga observed, Shaiva Hindu deities played a special role in medieval esoteric Buddhism.

Both Tendai and Shingon are accepted as developments of Tantric Buddhism, in the sense that esoteric Buddhist derived from the larger Tantric tradition, and in that sense it seems the concept of hongaku seems was just part of Japanese Tantric Buddhism.

Although the formal concept of original/innate enlightenment did not originate (at least in these terms) in Tantric Hinduism, it seems to have definitely been part of the Tantric Buddhist milieu in Japan. And if you think about it, that makes sense given the logic of hongaku. Tendai hongaku establishes a collapse of the boundaries between ignorance or passion and enlightement or dharmarata, and therefore the distinction between the demons and the buddhas/gods, but it also logically connects to Mikkyo notions of matter as a symbol of the universe or the Buddha-mind. In that sense, it's hard to not connect hongaku to Tantric philosophy and its nondualist logic. And from there you can access the larger significance of the demon gods in Tantric terms. I'd even argue you have all you need for a kind of "Tantric synthesis".

And what's more, you can get to a sense of that kind of cosmic vision in the way Shaw describes theurgy or for that matter its goetic origins and correspondence as elaborated by Kent, and then there's extent to which can actually apply them to each other. After all, in pagan Neoplatonism, the body of the theurgist, while embodied and alive, is to be figured as a synthema for the divine or the creative activity of the Platonic Demiurge or Helios, and in a way you can kind of parallel that with what sokushin jōbutsu entails.

What comes next, of course, is the erotic significance. In Japan, Tantric esotericism that at least allegedly involved outright sexual rituals was called sadō mikkyō, which basically meant heterodox esoteric Buddhism, or "left-handed esotericism", as in the Left Hand Path. That the Left Hand Path should be directly defined by eroticism or sexual ritual is not surprising: it logically follows from the way the terminology was applied in Hinduism. But, in Japan, it also allowed some esoteric Buddhist schools to single out their rivals as heretics. It probably also dovetails nicely with efforts of some schools to define themselves as "pure" schools, focused only on Buddhahood, as opposed to "mixed" schools, allegedly only focused on worldly goals: a line functionally identical to Iamblichus' on theurgy versus goetia.

But this is an area where, real or imagined, the Left Hand Path points to the possibility of religious and magical eroticism as a vital if not fundamental element of the body as the site of spiritual realisation, which is critical to understand socially as a realm of freedom. The heuristic of "Tantric synthesis" here would function as a backdrop for the Left Hand Path as a pursuit of supra-cosmic individualism through an autonomous embrace of eroticism and mystical transgression, divinising the self by collapsing extant normative distinctions.

[talonabraxas]

Maharakta Ganapati Talon Abraxas

The meaning of Ganapati is tsog gi dag PO, mar Chen in Tibet.

Ganapati is called the Tantric Buddhist form of Ganapati related to the Chakrasamvara Cycle of Tantras.

Spritual power of Ganapati

Ganapati is known as Ganesh and Vinayaka who is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon.

Ganapati’s image is found throughout India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Thailand, Mauritius, Bali, and Bangladesh.

Hindu denominations worship him regardless of affiliations and devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains and Buddhists. This form of Ganapati is regarded as an emanation of Avalokiteshvara.

OM GANAPATI ARGHAM, PADYAM, PUSHPE, DHUPE, ALOKE, GANDHE, NAIVIDYA, SHABDA, HUM SVAHA OM GANAPATI OM AH HUM !

Praise to Maha Deva Ganesha The embodiment of Buddha’s body, speech and mind, Arise from the non-dual wisdom. The Lord of accumulation, the power of accumulation and owner of accumulation, I prostrate to the great owner of the Geg obstacles.

[hyakinthou-naos]

Theoi Info Sheets Series Part 7: Hermes

"I cannot write about Hermes impersonally. He is the first god who moved me, who opened my hear to the mystery of the gods and the extraordinariness of the ordinary. He is the god of the unexpected, of luck, of coincidences, of synchronicity. 'Hermes has entered in our midst', the ancient Greeks would say when a sudden silence entered the room, descended on the coversation, inroduced into the gathering another dimension. Whenever things seemed fixed, rigid, 'stuck', Hermes inroduces fluditiy, motion, new beginnings - and the confusion that almost inevitably preceeds new beginnings"

- The Gods of Greece, Arianna Stassinopoulos & Roloff Beny

I want to take a moment to talk about the syncretisms I personally have for Lord Hermes.

I personally syncretize Lord Hermes with Lord Mercury, The Buddha, and Lord Budha (the Hindu God of the planet Mercury).

I feel as though the syncretism with Lord Mercury is fairly self explanatory so I'll move on to The Buddha.

Both Hermes and The Buddha act as messengers between the realms of Earth and the Aether; Hermes delivering messages to the Theoi and The Buddha delivering messages regarding Dharma and the path to enlightenment. Along the same line, both Hermes and The Buddha are Psychopomp figures; Hermes guides the souls of the departed to The River Stix in The Underworld and The Buddha guides souls toward spiritual liberation and enlightenment.

When comparing Lord Hermes and Lord Budha, there is one obvious parallel- they both rule over/are associated with the planet Mercury. Additionally, both entities are associated with intellect, learning, knowledge, wisdom, and wit. An often overlooked similarity between Hermes and Lord Budha is there association with transgender/non-binary figures.

For Lord Budha, his spouse is the Devi Ila. While this Goddess is sometimes referred to as female (and occasionally regarded as an aspect of Saraswati) she is also referred to as male. I interpret these “inconsistencies” by viewing Ila as a transgender deity.

For Hermes, he (with Aphrodite) fathered Hermaphroditus - an intersex deity associated with androgyny, balance, and the harmonious integration of different energies.

If anyone shares these syncretisms I'd love to hear from you! I have yet to see anyone connect Hermes to The Buddha or Lord Budha.

Divider/Banner Credit

*You may have seen this info sheet before on thewitchfarhan.tumblr.com - that is my old Tumblr. These info sheets are my own creation - please do not repost without credit.