#occult theory

[clairpilferage]

The popularized idea that casting a circle creates a restrictive boundary is one I don't support in the least. That it creates a boundary is secondary to its actual purpose: creation and focus. Through regimented practice of evocation and repeated exposure to Spirit, I think the awareness of this fact becomes self-evident. The proper form of a magic circle is one that does not restrict but amplifies. It creates a microcosm with the practitioner at the very heart of its machinations and carries that dynamic out into the aether to find fruition.

In simple terms, it is the foundations upon which a practitioner stands, a stage wherein the elements and worked rites are able to dominate the entire 'world'. A circle is not a punishment or a restriction or an "abuse" of nature. It is the magnifier through which intent and will and Spirit may pass to become like augmented rays of light, burning the path they've been called to set. Upon its release, that focused, empowered energy can be envisioned almost as a self-contained power system - interlocked in drive and strength and growing within the macrocosm it has been cast upon.

To my mind, summoning demons and angels and such-like entities into a circle follows a similar line of logic. As they are not part of this realm and may not naturally appear upon Earth's surface, a circle becomes a focus upon which their natural preferences and alignments can be charged to enable smoother, easier manifestations. Through the intentional use of incense, herbs, and liquids, the practitioner is able, within its bounds, to create a space that is both of comfort and use to both sides of the working.

Additionally, in the case of demons, the circle itself is not employed for subjugation or domination. It takes the addition of fire and words and sigils, as well as a number of other tools should the summoner wish it, to support such a purpose. In this case too, it is apparent that the circle is a point of focus, rather than a tool meant to cause harm in any way.

I believe the error in associating circles with restriction comes from: 1) a lack of practical application and/or 2) a faulty understanding of the nature of boundaries. It is easy, I should think, to assume when faced with the word boundary to think only of negative associations with the word. But just as it can account for a thorny wall that pricks and scratches to touch, it can apply to the walls of a home holding in heat and fond memories in the dead of winter. In either case, it is the people who build and inhabit them that set the course for which path they will take.

[cosmicportal]

"The universe is written in the language of mathematics, and its characters are triangles, circles, and other geometric figures"

~ Galileo Galilei, Il Saggiatore

[basicallyanotherwitchesthing]

Eugene A. Southwell and Herman I. Feldman (ed.) - Abnormal Psychology: Readings in Theory & Research - Brooks/Cole - 1969

[borkthemork]

I think the funniest difference between Naegi and Hajime would be that one has a filter and one doesn't.

Like we have Hajime being done with so many people's shit, acting on impulse (such as hitting a helicopter), and open to calling people out when he can when they're being assholes, while Naegi is more privy to trying to be more patient and open when it comes to listening (to a fault, he does get angry and impulsive after all in the first game when he feels that things are unfair, or when people get hurt).

But what people don't talk about is how absolutely fucking judgemental Makoto can be with his internal dialogue, like holy shit, for someone who acts very kindly to people or gives them a shadow of a doubt, the amount of sass, sarcasm, and plain rude comments Makoto has to filter on the daily is astounding.

No wonder he is tired all the time, this man is using all of his mental energy to not roast someone to the fiery pits of Hell.

[samwisethewitch]

Queering the elements

In my last post, I talked about the origins of the whole "masculine/feminine energy" thing that we see in witchcraft and occultism. In this post, I want to share an example from my own practice of how I honor traditional gender associations while also making room for more varieties of gender identity and expression, using the classical elements as an example.

To be clear, this is just one example of how we can queer Western occultism. This is what works for me, but you might find that something else works better for you. That is perfectly fine, and I encourage you to do your own brainstorming and find what resonates with you.

I know some queer witches choose to remove gendered associations from their practice entirely, and I think that's totally valid. I, personally, think gendered energies do have a place in my practice, but that goes way beyond just masculine/male and feminine/female.

Binary gender is not inherently bad. I think we can work with masculine and feminine energies while also making room for gender identities that fall outside of that binary. Personally, I think making space to acknowledge and celebrate nonbinary, agender, and genderfluid identities on the same level as binary genders is an important part of this work.

The model I use for the elements in my practice was created by my partner, who has given me permission to share it here. This model still connects the elements with gendered energies, but in a way that is much more inclusive.

Earth is feminine because of its associations with nourishing, community building, and practicality, things I see reflected in the women in my culture, both cis and trans.

Fire is masculine because of its associations with movement, passion, and determination, things I see reflected in the men in my culture, both cis and trans.

(To be clear, I'm not saying that only women can be nurturers or that only men can be passionate and determined. Obviously, any person of any gender can have any of these traits.)

Air is associated with agender and nonbinary identities and with anyone who does not feel a strong attachment to any particular gender. Air is ethereal, thoughtful, and intellectual, traits I see reflected in the nonbinary and agender people around me.

Water is associated with genderfluid and genderqueer identities, and with anyone whose identity cannot be easily labeled. Water is mysterious, flexible, and intuitive, traits I see reflected in the genderfluid and genderqueer people around me.

I like this model because it still includes some of the traditional gender associations from older occult practices, but it opens things up to embrace more identities and experiences. For my practice, this is a good balance between tradition and inclusivity.

I'd love to hear from other queer witches about if and how y'all work with gendered energies in your practice! Let me know what you've come up with!

[engineer-gunzelpunk]

The Daemonic Theory of Engine Sentience: Introduction

OK, strap yourselves in, Gunzel is now going to posit my own idea of engine sentience within my own TTTE AU universe.

***

This is such a difficult topic that its virtually asking, where does Life itself come from?

Once we get beyond the natural world and the world of humans, such a question becomes kind of dicey. Engines that live shouldn’t exist, shouldn’t have faces and thoughts and feelings and independent wills, but here we are. In-universe, they are definitely alive, not in an illusory fashion, actually independently alive. Exactly why is the question. They have no organs, no nerves and yet they can talk, move, argue, have free will and feel pain.

Victor Tanzig has in-universe in his own AU hsd outlined at least 3 theories of engine sentience:  Biochemical (at some point during the creation of the locomotive, the conditions are created just right that life occurs when the fire is lit and the generation of the process of life is fundamentally material) , Attention (that attention and care from humans to the locomotives grants sentience) and Revenant (the souls of the dead animate the locomotive shell).

I propose kind of an extension of the third theory that posits no material explanation, or psychological one. Rather, I believe the process of First Ignition is a spiritual one.

“Daemon” is the Ancient Greek word for ‘spirit’, or minor deity, from which we derive our word ‘demon’. The spirit, so called, inhibits the shell of the locomotive and the body is awakened by the First Ignition. These aren’t the spirits of the dead as the Revenant theory proposes, but an abstract living “Spirit”.

The catalyst for it seems to be the First Ignition imbuing it with a literal or symbolic fire (in the case of diesels and trucks and cars, etc. that channels the power of the spirit into the material shell of the engine. In ages past, this may be called divine or Promethean fire, phlogiston, or Azoth. 

It's not clear whether it is a pre-existing spirit, or a new fully fledged daemon thus being born in this way that brings life to the shell. All possess a certain individuality and sensitivity that make each one unique. The possible divinity of such a process is inferred by the fact that all locomotives coming to life in such a manner all wake up with fully functioning if inchoate human level intellects, though education is still required and emotionally they may not be all there. This does not necessarily mean that First Ignition can fix or overcome the flaws of a bad build, as the example of Henry Mrk 1 demonstrates.

Nor does the theory suggest that the spirit that animates this shell is separate from it, any more than the presence of human consciousness means that the body is entirely separate. It seems clear that once First Ignition has animated the shell, the mind and the body are one, as is clear from the fact that non-faceless vehicles can feel pain or sensation or feel physical satisfaction and energy from burning coal and boiling water.

Further more, this can be replicated over and over again. But it is not guaranteed that a machine will become non-faceless, otherwise every machine could have a face and be sentient. That trucks and cars and airplanes can also become sentient also complicates things... well, a lot.

Clearly it is very complex. But it appears that certain workshops have the ability to consistently produce non-faceless machinery, or certain people running them have the ability to insure the ritual of First Ignition creates the result needed.

There is no religious dimension to this, the religious faith of the workers or shop owner does not seem to matter. But there does seem to be a correlation between actually crafting the locomotive/car/rollingstock etc. with a human hand rather than machining it with robots…

Not all locomotives are daemonic in this way. Some might be animated by other kinds of intelligent spirits or energies. This is just one theory of many theories of engine animation that has been crystalised.

Within this theory of machine sentience, there are three developed branches: the Hermetic school, the Masonic school and the Goetic school. This isn’t to say that the names given to these schools of thought encapsulate the whole of their philosophies, only in so far as they can be applied to non-faceless vehicle creation.

It is not necessarily that one even has to be conscious of these theories in order to create new non-faceless vehicles. They are merely models that try to explain why different machinery seems to come to life or why they come to life in a certain way and others do not.

[interstellar-elf]

I may have some kind of weird ass theory coming up for Tf One, given how I feel like Sentinel Prime represents the Christian idea of angels as humans with wings and how Airarachnid represents Biblically accurate angels with her eyes and weird proportions.

[templeofthescarletstar]

"The Forgotten Mother: How Erasing the Divine Feminine Corrupted Spiritual Truths and Empowered Patriarchy"

The Suppression of the Divine Feminine:

I remember when they tore down her image. The Asherah pole stood tall beside Yahweh’s altar, a symbol of the divine mother’s nurturing presence. But Josiah’s men came with fire and iron, hacking it to splinters. They said she was an abomination, that Yahweh alone should be worshipped. But we knew better. The mothers whispered her name in secret, praying for fertility and protection. They could burn her symbols, but they couldn’t erase her from our hearts.

— A witness to King Josiah's reforms, 2 Kings 23:6

I was a priestess of Astarte. We danced under the moon, honoring the goddess of love and war. But then the men came, calling her a harlot, twisting her name into a curse. They said her temples were dens of sin, that our rites were wicked. They turned the goddess into a demon, erasing her from the heavens and casting her into hell. Our power was stolen, our voices silenced. But the goddess still lives in the blood of every woman who remembers.

— A priestess reflecting on the demonization of Astarte. 

Sophia’s wisdom flowed through us, guiding us toward the light. But when the Church fathers gathered their councils, they cast her aside. They called heretical the Gospels that spoke of her—Pistis Sophia, The Sophia of Jesus Christ. They said wisdom belonged to men alone, that divine truth must come through their hands. They feared the light she offered because it made their authority fragile. So they buried her words beneath the weight of their dogma.

— A Gnostic teacher witnessing the suppression of Sophia in early Christianity

I was given to him like a goat or a piece of land. My father struck the deal, and I was his prize. “Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you,” they said. I had no voice, no choice. The scriptures made it law: Exodus 20 lists me as property in the same breath as oxen and donkeys. They cloaked my chains in holy words.

— A woman reflecting on her role under the laws of Exodus 20:17 and Genesis 3:16

I heard the words from the pulpit: “Let your women keep silent in the churches, for it is not permitted unto them to speak.” My heart burned, but my lips stayed shut. They said I was born from man’s rib, destined to serve and obey. Paul’s letters—Corinthians, Timothy—became my shackles. The men claimed divine order, but I knew it was fear. Fear of the power they couldn’t control.

— A Christian woman silenced by Pauline doctrine, referencing 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:11-12

When he took me as his fourth wife, I knew my fate. The Qur'an allowed it, as long as he treated us “fairly,” but fairness meant nothing. My worth was measured in obedience, my defiance punished by law. “Men are in charge of women,” they said, and Surah An-Nisa sealed my fate. I was his possession, veiled and hidden, my voice lost beneath layers of scripture.

— A woman reflecting on her subjugation under Islamic law, referencing Surah An-Nisa 4:34

While the narratives above are a work of fiction,  the events and doctrines mentioned are historically documented. 

Here’s a quick breakdown:

1. Asherah Suppression:

Historical Fact: The Bible records King Josiah’s reforms in 2 Kings 23:6, where Asherah poles were destroyed to consolidate monotheistic worship of Yahweh. Archaeological finds, like inscriptions from Kuntillet Ajrud, mention “Yahweh and his Asherah.”

2. Demonization of Astarte:

Historical Fact: Archaeological evidence includes the discovery of nude female figurines in ancient Israelite sites. These figurines, often associated with goddesses like Astarte. 

Additionally, in the biblical narrative, king Solomon introduced the worship of the Phoenician goddess Astarte, referred to as "Ashtoreth" (Ashera) in the Masoretic text. 

3. Suppression of Sophia in Gnosticism:

Historical Fact: Sophia is central in Gnostic texts like Pistis Sophia and The Sophia of Jesus Christ, which were removed and banned as heretical after the Council of Nicaea (325 CE) and other early Church councils that defined orthodoxy.

4. Women as Property in the Bible:

 Exodus 20:17 lists a neighbor’s wife among possessions like a house, servants, and livestock. Genesis 3:16 establishes the hierarchical relationship post-Eden.

5. Pauline Suppression of Women:

 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:11-12 explicitly instruct women to remain silent and subordinate in church, influencing Christian gender roles for centuries.

6. Islamic Suppression of Women:

 Surah An-Nisa 4:34 outlines male authority over women, permitting men to discipline their wives. The Qur'an allows up to four wives if treated justly, though interpretations and implementations vary widely across cultures and history.

The removal of goddesses like Asherah, Sophia, and Shekinah from spiritual traditions wasn’t accidental—it was systematic. Archaeological evidence, such as inscriptions from Kuntillet Ajrud in ancient Israel, shows early Hebrews worshipped Yahweh and his Asherah. Yet, over time, Asherah was erased from sacred texts, her presence scrubbed from worship as monotheism took root. The Deuteronomistic reforms under King Josiah (2 Kings 23) describe the destruction of Asherah poles and temples, further evidence of the active removal of the goddess from public worship.

Similarly, Sophia, the embodiment of divine wisdom, is central in Gnostic texts like The Sophia of Jesus Christ and Pistis Sophia, but these were labeled heretical by the early Church and excluded from the canonical Bible. In mainstream Christianity, the divine feminine became fragmented or wholly absent, replaced by male-centric doctrines. Even the Shekinah, a feminine presence representing divine immanence in the world, was relegated to the fringes of mystical Kabbalistic thought rather than mainstream theology.

Despite this suppression, echoes of the divine feminine persist, particularly in Kabbalah. The Shekinah is still recognized as the feminine aspect of God’s presence, dwelling within Malkuth, the Sephirah representing the material world. But this divine connection was corrupted by the Church’s focus on material domination, wealth accumulation, and earthly power rather than spiritual enlightenment.

In part two of this chapter we will discuss how the corruption of this Devine connection is apparent within the church and manifest itself on each one of the Qliphoth. 

As Always I would like to give a sincere  thanks to my newest Patreons Mary Grassrope, Dimmy Love, and Joselyne Galaviz and of course anyone who has or is supporting my work. I love you all. If you would like to be mentioned in the comments just follow the link below and become a Patreon. Even if you can only pledge one dallar. It all really helps to keep the content coming.

Patreon.com/themadwitch 

[astrexx]

So I made another theory video on TikTok about Sebastian’s true form or inspiration, so I thought I’d post I here!!!!

This is the second part, so feel free to add things to the theory!

[cosmicportal]

“There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres”

-Pythagoras

[random-theories-and-stuff]

Matilda theory

Spoilers of SCP and Matilda (the book) under the cut

May I present the evidence, first from Matilda:

Matilda Wormwood is telekinetic due to all of her pent-up mental energy.

According to Study.com, Matilda is set in an English village

Since the book was published in 1988 and it mentions a small TV and TV dinners, it's probably also set in the '70s-'80s.

This screenshot from Wikipedia:

Now, the second part of my theory. These facts have been taken off the SCP Wiki, specifically from the article SCP-4231. (TW: SA, read at your own risk)

The GOC once launched a project named after a biblical character who is mentioned only twice. The project's aim was to liquidate every Type Green (reality bender) they found.

In the peak of this project (the 1980s), the GOC killed off ~75% of all Type Greens.

Usually, the average lifespan of a Type Green is 19 years old, because they usually just /gamemode creative at that age. During the project, however, the average age of a Type Green was 8, because that's when the GOC found them.

Also, this screenshot showing the distance from Cornwall to Buckinghamshire (it's about 4 hrs by car in the 2020's):

THEREFORE

Either Ms. Honey/Mrs. Phelps was part of the Serpent's Hand and took Matilda to the Wanderer's Library to keep her safe, or Matilda didn't end very happily.

[some-pers0n]

I'm not sleeping tonight I just rediscovered the endless abyss of a rabbit hole that is plurality and otherkin wikis

[aitiuilghrain]

[graycloak]

Occult Book Podcast?

I’m thinking about going through these two books and podcasting the experience. Would that be of any interest to folks? Maybe we could work through them together as a parasocial community 😎

I only just thought about this a few minutes ago, so there’s still time to stop me 😆