#ojibwe word of the day

[neechees]

Hey that's. Thats um. That's not how it works.

Also the "twospirited" was coined based on an OJIBWE understanding of gender & sexuality, & its much more complicated than explaining "two spirits in one body" which is what this book is trying to say. Even if this character was not cishet, historic Crees in the 1800s would not have used the term "twospirit" because we have our own understanding of gender and sexuality, and we don't have any names for sexualities. We don't have a word for "heterosexual" either, and if this character was trans, they still would not have called themselves "twospirit".

Also I should specify that Rose Christo is essentially writing historical rpf in which the historical figure Âyimisîs is a twospirit gay man, even though that's almost certainly not true & I've never heard of any romantic or sexual relationships he could have had with any men, & there's nothing to support that he was not a cis man either.

That is not how he got his name, & he didn't say that's how he got his name

[toadallytickles]

NEST 2024 + Gatherings Going Forward (again)

Attended my 4th NEST this year! This is just a quick point-form summary as I’m still dropping and wanted a write-up before I fly out this weekend to see my moms!

Perhaps I wore my “tickle me I’m cute!” shirt on Friday- and perhaps it got me pinned and gang tickled by 4 friends UGH- I haven’t been gang tickled since last June which is WILD honestly. Kinda hoping wishing this June it happens again 👀

Learning that it’s okay to let people touch me. 🙄😒 From my past writing “AUNT 2024 + Gatherings Going Forward,” I shared that I’ve denied myself from playing with friends until everything felt perfect, but recognized that I set the bar way too high and that maybe I just fear that “awkward first session” because I’m really awkward with touching and this fetish. At NEST this year I’ve allowed friends I’ve met and connected with at previous gatherings to tickle me in the con-spaces to break that touch barrier in a fun, familiar way for everyone. I also let myself engage in pick-up sessions with friends to get that “awkward first session” out of the way! I had to reassure myself throughout the weekend that it was okay that they were touching me, and they were touching me because they wanted to~.

My nesting partner is choosy about the gatherings he attends as he wants to focus on those he has connected with already, and can find gatherings overwhelming at times. This NEST made me feel similar- I want to continue attending gatherings, and I love meeting new people, though going forward I’m going to focus on regular attendees and friends I know from previous gatherings. There are a lot of regulars and mutuals I would love to get to know better and potentially play with- I’m just really awkward and don’t know how to approach people, and in turn I feel I accidentally give off a closed-off vibe. I would like to be part of my friends’ friend group, I just don’t know how to integrate! NEST going forward, I would love to volunteer and help out more to continue making the gathering the best it can be!

Oh, I had my first Wawa experience! I tried their Caramel Cookies and Cream Frozen Cappuccino, IT WAS SO GOOD, Starbucks Frapps could never. definitely kept me up way past my bedtime! 😋 Also the mascot is a (Canada) Goose because Wawa was originally a dairy farm in Wawa, Pennsylvania, and the Ojibwe word “we’we” means “Snow Goose.” Now I need a Sheets experience~.

I got to try out @ticklingduck's vibrating tickling rods! @mister-ttt and I did record content including them! They are like a small Pursonic (without it stopping after 2 minutes~)! 😏 I also BOUGHT ONE!! 🎉 @ticklingduck's socials: Etsy, Twitter, Tumblr.

Wore my Geurdo Link cosplay on auction night, even though I was not participating in the auction, and I was extremely shy so I just sat in the audience and didn’t really show it off LMAO!! (Still editing the tickle video featuring this cosplay, previews are in the NEST Server and on my OF~).

I’ve had the literal pleasure of forming a play partner dynamic with a local friend, and he has really built up my confidence, self-esteem, and has helped me be more self-sex-positive. It was exciting to carry that sex-positivity into some sessions this weekend, and I learned that I really like being consensually sexually violated by friends.. 🥴💦 don't look at me.

This weekend really validated my growth and boundaries. Finding this gathering somewhat personally hard to navigate because I wasn’t meeting my exact wants (a me-issue, not NEST's), that helped me recognize that I’m not the same person I was at my first NEST and other 2019 gatherings, and that I’m truly growing. I wasn’t able to navigate NEST like I did in 2019, so now I know I’m on the right path and know what I’m exactly looking for.

And finally on the last day of the gathering, I’m sitting in the lobby in my lazy travel fit, not showered, sporty wind-breaker, capris, my glasses, pink paw print socks + sandals of course, and a guy I’m pretty sure was not part of the NEST group asked me if I was “Kyle-“ and there were other men around. I say no, and guy just wanders back to where he came from. Assigned Kyle at NEST. I have not felt gender euphoria in a long time. 🥹

anyway, the end. looking forward to the next gatherings~

[creatorsawoman]

my 2s repost the links should lead to archive links <3

Hi I want to apologize for taking so long to respond, I wanted to get my thoughts together, to answer this properly. This’ll be long.

First, it is important that I define to you what exactly I know and see two-spirit as/to be. I’ll start with the definition from wikipedia: “Two-spirit (also two spirit, 2S or, occasionally, twospirited) is a modern, pan-Indian, umbrella term used by some Indigenous North Americans to describe Native people in their communities who fulfill a traditional third-gender (or other gender-variant) ceremonial and social role in their cultures.”

What I know the usage of the term two-spirit to be, yes, it is quite an umbrella term. I find it used all over Canada and America by Indigenous youth who identify as trans, AND by those who are LGB. As it is in usage now, it seems to just be the catch-all for any GNC or LGB indigenous kid. A label. And although I do think it’s wonderful for any LGB or T-identified or gender non-conforming Indigenous child to find a label that makes themselves comfortable and makes it easier to find others who have the same life experiences, I also think it’s wrong.

The intention of Two-spirit is meant, as we see in the wiki definition, as a catch-all describer of “traditional third-gender, ceremonial and social role in their cultures” for anybody who is North American indigenous. Anon I’m sure you know already but for those that don’t, our roles, typically, are heavily appointed by Elders. You don’t just identify yourself into performing traditions, you are appointed it by elders, or else you ask for their, for lack of better word, blessing. But… you’d be hard pressed to find much of our culture that does this for a “third gender” or “two spirit”.

I can’t speak for every indigenous culture as I was raised mainly into the Cree part of my family and not the Saulteaux/Oji-Cree, but in Cree culture the word of our Elders is sacred. Oral history is how we learn of our culture, in part because we were hit hard in the Canadian genocide of First Nations. I can very safely say, out of all the things I learned from my elders, the only thing I ever had to “teach” them was what Two-spirit meant and what a third-gender is. Because they didn’t know. They could tell me what life was like before they were taken away from the reservation, they could tell me tales of creatures, of Wendigo and Little People, they could tell me and teach me what is sacred to us, what our roles as male and female are, but they couldn’t tell me what Two-spirit is. I had to learn that from the white man. Why is that? Well… possibly because it’s not a thing. It’s not sacred. It isn’t part of the history.

And even if it is in any subset of our cultures, all these kids and indigenous youth who use 2S to identify themselves? They were not appointed the term by elders, they label it themselves.

I think it is important to note here that “Two-spirit” itself was a term first (as we know so far according to Wikipedia, so take that as you will) founded and pushed out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, which is Treaty 1 territory, home to Anishinaabe. I am not a part of this territory (although I have Elder family members who are from Sandy Bay, who I can confirm also do not know of two-spirit) but one quick search of “anishinaabe third gender” will even only bring up modern day Two-spirit ideas, and the coining of the term in 1990. Same with any search for “(nation) third gender.” I have had a very lovely Anishinaabe anon in the past, and she has also vented her frustration at the use of the term, especially as an umbrella term for any Indigenous kid who is LGB or T, so I do take some assumption there from her that it is also not much of a thing in Ojibwe culture or any of the other Anishinaabe cultures.

What’s most important, and why I oppose it so much (other than the fact that it’s just, as I see, straight up a white man-made concept) is that the term “two-spirit” was created to replace other, more offensive words.

It’s main replacement is for “berdache”, a white (French) word, used against male Indigenous men, particularly homosexual Indigenous men. It is a slur. ��Male berdaches did women’s work, cross-dressed or combined male and female clothing, and formed relationships with non-berdache men.”

It is, also, meant sometimes to replace the word, Winkte, or winyanktehca. Lakota meaning ‘wants to be like a woman’. Particularly used against, again, homosexual Lakota men.

It is, also, sometimes used as a replacement for Nádleehi, which was/is used in Diné culture as a word for effeminate males. Particularly used against, you guessed it, homosexual Diné men.

Now, to me, I think it is pretty plain to see that this is a term meant to replace some of our more homophobic terms used in Indigenous communities. But replacing homophobic terms with new ones doesn’t make it any less homophobic. These terms were meant to other homosexual indigenous men, and they were also used by white people. For us to, in this day and age when our culture is shifting to a less homophobic one, use the term two-spirit to continue to other LGB indigenous people? That’s not right to me. There was no reclamation of any of these terms, there was just a white replacement word that doesn’t sound as bad. But it still means the same thing. It’s still as white as a Frenchman calling a gay Indigenous man berdache.

I could keep going on and on, especially about how it is used in current day culture by indigenous youth as a special label, and how none of the people using it seem to actually have talked to their elders about it, but really my biggest problem with it is just how extremely homophobic it is. And how white people use it as “proof” that transgenderism has “always existed” when those same white people don’t even bother to fucking listen when some of us scream at them how wrong they are. And then I could keep going on screaming about how it’s been shoehorned as an acronym onto Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women which is so fucking disrespectful.

[deathbydarkelves]

I’ve made some edits to my AU master doc that don’t warrant their own posts, but that I want to share anyway. So here’s the patch notes:

In kaldorei culture, it’s customary to bring small amounts of food and/or alcohol when visiting someone else’s home. This custom also happens to be shared with the pandaren and tauren.

The kaldorei have domesticated goats derived from mountain goats of northern and central Kalimdor, and a small species of deer, which provide both meat and milk.

Added a note in the War of Thorns recap that I’m still working out the finer details of why and how Teldrassil happened.

Kaldorei music includes but is not limited to (in broad terms) drums, pipes, flutes, their own varieties of lutes, and sometimes an instrument made of a large, hollow tree branch akin to a didgeridoo/yidaki.

The kaldorei use a lunisolar calendar with twelve months of twenty-eight days each, following the phases of Elune while also tracking the seasons. The new year starts in spring. Leap years occur every two or three years and add a thirteenth month. (This is inspired by the Chinese and Ojibwe calendars)

((To make things easier for myself I'm just going to make Azeroth orbit its sun and rotate at the exact same rate as Earth, and make the timing of Elune's phases occur at the same rate as our moon's. The Blue Child remains unaccounted for, for now.))

I also added sections on Pandaria, the pandaren, and their language. They're pretty short at the moment but for Pandaren the language, I've added:

Pandaren is extremely varied, with countless local dialects and accents even within one region. Someone from the northern Jade Forest may find a southerner’s accent difficult to parse at times, or feel the need to ask for rephrasing should they hear a word new to them.

Some argue the Wandering Isle dialect should be considered its own language, as the isolation from the mainland has led to so much divergence in both the spoken and written language that complex mainlander/islander conversations can be outright impossible.

Pidgins of a sort are extremely common among traders and other travelers such as Lorewalkers and the shado-pan.

I'm also gonna make a post on shadowmelding and tangentially the Wardens sometime soon. I'm supposed to be working on a comm today so I'm gonna do that first though lol

[cynicalrosebud]

Writing Ojibwe Characters: A Basic Guide

Creating well-rounded, respectful Ojibwe characters takes a bit of research and consideration. This guide gives a quick overview of things to think about when writing Ojibwe people and incorporates some context to avoid common pitfalls. Writing any Indigenous character means approaching with care, so let’s dive in!

1. Understand Ojibwe Culture and Community

Get to know the basics of Ojibwe culture, beliefs, and values. My people, the Ojibwe (also spelled Ojibwa, Ojibway, or Chippewa) are part of the Anishinaabe people. We are present across Canada and the northern U.S. Midwest, with diverse communities that each have their own practices and perspectives.

Community-centered thinking: Many Ojibwe people have a strong sense of connection to community and family. Recognize that we tend to prioritize our connections and often have a deep relationship with our elders and youth.

Language and terminology: Use respectful terms. The Ojibwe language (Anishinaabemowin) is central to identity, even if a character doesn��t speak it fluently.

2. Avoid “Spiritual Mysticism” Stereotypes

Steer clear of clichés about Indigenous mysticism. Instead, focus on how Ojibwe spirituality is lived in everyday ways—whether through ceremonies like smudging, seasonal celebrations, or even just respecting the land and ancestors. Characters don’t need to be “shamans” or mystical guides to show their culture.

Spirituality in balance: While many Ojibwe people honor spirituality, each person practices differently. Just as in any culture, some may be very connected to it, while others are more secular.

3. Use Realistic Names and Nicknames

Ojibwe names often have meaning and are given in specific cultural contexts, sometimes in ceremonies or after significant events. If using an Ojibwe name, make sure it’s well-researched, and consider including a backstory on how it was given to your character.

Nicknames are common and can range from family names to personal traits. Think about nicknames that resonate with your character’s personality and family background rather than something “exotified.”

4. Research Traditional Roles, Not “Warrior” Stereotypes

Ojibwe people are often cast as “warriors” or “stoic fighters,” which is limiting. In reality, Ojibwe communities have had diverse roles throughout history, including diplomats, healers, artisans, teachers, and more.

Consider what makes sense for the time and place your character lives in—an Ojibwe character could be a modern-day artist, teacher, software developer, veteran, or lawyer. Complex portrayals highlight our adaptability and contemporary lives.

5. Acknowledge History Without Making Trauma the Focus

Many Indigenous communities, including Ojibwe, have endured hardships like colonization, boarding schools, and loss of land. However, it’s essential not to reduce characters to trauma alone. Show their resilience, joy, humor, and everyday experiences alongside their histories.

Avoid “tragic backstory syndrome”: A good character is multidimensional. Balance struggles with strengths, showing how they thrive in the modern world while honoring their roots.

6. Respect Language and Use It Thoughtfully

If your character speaks or knows Anishinaabemowin, use it respectfully and sparingly unless you're fluent. Small phrases or words can add depth without risking inaccuracies. If they use Ojibwe words, provide a translation for context.

Resource suggestion: Check out the Ojibwe People’s Dictionary for phrases, pronunciation, and examples of how the language fits into daily life.

7. Research and Connect With Indigenous Resources

For non-Indigenous writers, it’s important to engage with authentic sources and, if possible, speak with Ojibwe individuals or consult books, articles, or online resources created by Ojibwe authors and scholars.

Media to check out: Look for books, films, and articles by Ojibwe creators (such as works by Louise Erdrich or Gerald Vizenor) for direct perspectives.

8. Show Ojibwe Humor and Resilience

Ojibwe humor is a big part of the culture—often dry, sarcastic, and shared among family and friends. Including humor adds authenticity and breaks away from “stoic” stereotypes. Remember, we laugh, joke, and enjoy life as much as anyone else!

9. Give Credit and Respect Acknowledgments

Mention that you’ve researched Ojibwe culture and language if possible, and consider a small acknowledgment to the sources you used. It shows respect for our culture and the people who helped make the character accurate and relatable.

Sample Character Traits for Inspiration:

Joyful and witty, known for quick humor but deeply thoughtful.

Family-oriented, regularly calling or visiting relatives or helping out in the community.

Resourceful and resilient, finding creative ways to navigate the modern world while honoring traditional values.

Quietly proud, choosing to celebrate their heritage subtly but meaningfully, like wearing Ojibwe beadwork or carrying traditional items.

Writing an Ojibwe character respectfully and fully means creating someone real and complex. Remember, the best portrayals come from genuine understanding and thoughtful depiction. Happy writing, and Chi miigwech (thank you very much) for taking the time to represent us well! 🪶✨

And if you are ever confused, ask! I love answering questions about my culture!

[blues824]

After reading the dorm leaders with a fem reader who's great at textile work made me wonder: How about the vice dormleaders? I'm sure Trey and Ruggie's families would adore her.

I loved writing the first one, so here’s the second part of this! I also rushed this, so I apologize if it’s not the best quality.

Trey Clover

He is happy that you found your hobby in Twisted Wonderland. Whenever he comes to give you some sweets you baked, you always have a gift for him. It’s become a thing between the two of you that he always looks forward to.

The most memorable thing that you have made him was a quilt you had designed. It had two birds with a heart in between them, and he found it adorable. Whenever he made his bed, he made sure to put the quilt on top of his duvet as a little decorative piece.

You both are artists in your own ways, so it’s an interesting experience when you both try each other’s arts. Neither might come out looking great, but it’s fun for the both of you. The amount of times you would get flustered when he put his hands on yours as he helps you with the rolling pin-

He probably set up an entire shelf in his room dedicated to the things you make for him. He gets embarrassed when you point it out, but you can’t help but be flattered by how he treasures the things you created. You wish you could do the same with his food, but alas: the things he bakes are perishable goods. (He has told his family about you, and they absolutely love you even though they haven’t met you yet)

Ruggie Bucchi

If you have a shop open, he will most definitely help you with the packing and shipping process if you need any assistance… just as long as he gets paid for his work. He is a hardworking hyena, and he needs compensation for it!

One day, after you closed up shop, you presented Ruggie with a donut plushie that you had made for him. He found it absolutely adorable, and he makes sure that he puts it in a place where he can view it everyday and be reminded of you.

He doesn’t have any free time, so he doesn’t have the opportunity to try his hand at the type of art you hold dear to your heart. If you gave him more things, he would absolutely cherish every single one of those items.

However, when you do, always make sure you praise him. Pet his ears and call him a good boy, your favorite, whatever. He just soaks. It. Up. He would walk around with a dopey grin all day because of it, alright? Make him feel appreciated. (He has also told his family about you, and they also absolutely adore you even though they haven’t met you yet)

Jade Leech

He finds this hobby of yours quite interesting. You would sit for hours at your sewing machine, just doing what you do best, and it was like you turned the fabric into something that was truly a wonder all on its own.

The item that you made for him that he holds dearest was a mushroom tapestry that you had created. He immediately went to put it up in his room, and he loves to see it whenever he wakes up. You really knew how to bring life to the things you made.

He also doesn’t have much free time, but when he does he has to take care of his plants. When he is finished with that, then he will sit and listen as you explain the current piece you were working on. He held onto each and every word you said.

He does get a bit jealous whenever you make something for someone else, but he knows that it's your way of showing friendly affection. Just make sure to give him attention and love later, otherwise he will ‘cry’ about how you neglected him all day.

Jamil Viper

He was glad that you weren’t out causing trouble. In fact, when he was younger, he remembers the seamstresses in the streets making rugs and fixing clothes. He always found it fascinating how the technique was all in the hands.

You once made him a dream catcher. He didn’t quite understand until you explained that the Ojibwe Tribe back home believed that these talismans, specifically the bead inside, were supposed to catch the bad dreams and nightmares drifting in the air. Sure, it was more for children, but the concept was adorable.

He most certainly doesn’t have free time, so you are mostly on your own. He wishes he could sit beside you and do some form of textile art as you gently guide his hands, but he simply can’t because he’s too busy being both the Vice Housewarden of Scarabia and a servant to Kalim.

Be sure to assure him that it’s alright. He feels so bad for not making time for you in his already hectic schedule. Just be there for him at night. Run your hands through his unbraided hair and talk to him in a gentle voice. It makes his heart flutter so much.

Rook Hunt

It was interesting because most of the Pomefiore dormitory also took interest in textile art, especially Vil. The poor hunter is always debating as to which is more beautiful. It’s a lot like the story of Athena and Arachne (a story that he himself is unfamiliar with since Greece doesn’t exist in Twisted Wonderland).

His favorite thing that you have made him is a tapestry with a deer as the subject. No, he does not use it as a target. It’s much too beautiful to destroy in such a harsh manner. He hangs it up in his room, just so he can admire it as he falls asleep.

He has some experience with sewing, but you may have to teach him more advanced things. Since his favorite art mediums include photography, he will teach you how to handle a camera in return. He always encourages you when you feel your art isn’t good enough, and you do the same for him.

A lot of Pomefiore students go to you to repair their dorm uniform because they are too scared to ask Vil. Rook knows about it, but doesn’t tell his Housewarden about it. After all, he goes to you as well. It’s not out of fear, but because he loves feeling your hands on him as you gather his measurements and how big the tear is.

Lilia Vanrouge

He finds it absolutely adorable. Whenever you are able to get your hands on a high-quality ball of yarn or spool of thread, you have this sparkle in your eye that makes the old fae absolutely swoon for you. He doesn’t recall a time where he had ever been this in love with someone before, let alone a human.

He loves everything you make for him, but if he had to choose it would be a plush bat. The irony was absolutely hilarious, so that’s why he likes it so much. He keeps it on his desk whenever he plays video games just so he can be reminded of you.

I feel like he has experience with almost every single medium, but he believes that his art could never compare to yours. Also, he makes you think that he needs help just so he could feel your hands against his; a reminder that you are here with him and this isn’t all a dream.

As the significant other of General Lilia Vanrouge, you are held in high respect around Diasomnia. Even Sebek has to set aside his pride. Both Malleus and Silver see you as their mom, so you might want to get used to being held on such a pedestal. You are probably one of those couples that sit by the fire as you are knitting and he is reading a book, just enjoying the feeling of being in each other’s presence.

[mistresskayla-blog1]

A Superior Find

Lyn's Writing Event Day 3

May 3rd : Week 1:  Wendigo 

Characters: Dr Scott White & OC (Mika Awi-Mino Deh D’eh) Aka Mika Deer-heart       

“Deer with a strong heart” (Ojibwe)

Fandom: Richard Armitage – Sleepwalker

Word count: 1.0k ++

Location: Gwinn, Ontonagon (MI – US) “Superior State”

OC Character based off a real Ojibwe metal sculptor Louise Solomon “Likeness”

Warnings: nightmares, dark content, dreams, hallucinations, tremors, fear, native american lore,

Deep in the forest of the Superior state, Mika tossed and turned on her pillow, fighting off the sweating and trembling sensations in her limbs as a large glistening black skinned creature is chasing her in her dream. The deepness of the winter had sunken into the cabin and she was alone again, the fire out and her thoughts swimming as she sat up in bed panting and clutching her chest. A frosty breath resounded from her mouth as she tried to claim the fresh air into her lungs. She looked at her hands and they were shaking uncontrollably. Was she shivering or still coming out of that dream? Her skin was cool and clammy, and she peeled off her shirt and padded to the shower to start it up hot. She reset the pilot on a potbelly furnace and started the peat for an ignitor.  Smoke gushed out of the vent; she stepped back coughing. Waving her hands and covering her mouth with her arm, the taste was ashy and acrid. She heard the shift of the water heater and walked away from the stove allowing it to warm the space, flipping the haft toggle bar to make sure the flew was open to the chimney.

She had had enough sunny days to go without a little bit. Residual heat from the other space heaters was enough, but today the chill was there, and it clung to her like her shirt had, a deep embrace. Mika stepped into the clawfoot tub and pulled the shower curtain with a scratchy noise against the metal bar above her. The water hit her skin and flayed off a layer, she cursed out loud and turned it down, letting the steam seep into her lungs, and the water finally to warm her, but not burn her. She checked for marks all over her body, again, this creature came to her, and she did not know what it meant, her great grandmother had said that such a creature meant famine long ago, and she certainly didn’t need that omen.

There were shallow scratches on her arms and hips, but she didn’t remember it getting that close to her. The thought made her shiver under the hot tap, and once she felt clean, she stepped out and toweled off, heading back to the bed. She pulled open a wardrobe hutch, a squeak of the hinge on the door let her know it was still unearthly quiet in this space for morning. She looked up out the paned glass of the windows, the sash was open, so what light was here poured in. The wind was still outside and the snow was crisp, white and calm. Nothing was stirring, not even the birds or squirrels, and that gave Mika an uneasy feeling. This deep in the woods she could always count on the animals to tell her when things were safe.

Mike got dressed and yanked the phone charger out of her phone, scrolling to find the clinic number. Finding Dr John Whitehorn on her “recents” gave her a pause. Maybe she was crazy. She knew he wouldn’t treat her that way, but still, it niggled in her mind, that something was off.

The phone rang as she waited, “John Whitehorn” Mika paused, “Hey Doctor, “ He responded immediately, “Mika, my dear, how are you feeling, did that tea work at all?”

Mika looked over towards the kitchenette, “Sorry, no. I forgot to try it. He came again, or it. And I think it is getting closer. I woke up with scratches.  How does that happen?”

John, “Well, that is a progression, (frowns audibly) we should have you come in. I know a specialist in California that can help. I’ll call him and then we will schedule time for you to come in, alright? Try to eat and do some activities that remind you on being awake, get outside, its supposed to hit the 30s today”.  Mika hmm-d against his tone, “Yeah I will try that. Thanks Doc”. 

“My pleasure. I will call you soon”, Dr John said, hanging up the call and immediately placing a call to Dr Scott White at the Henderson Sleep Institute in Los Palos, California.  

---

Scott was at his desk when his cell phone rang, it startled him a second, he was lost in thought about a client, and sipped his coffee for the morning. It was early, but late for his shift was nearly over. When you work in a sleep clinic you rarely have the night off. Scott picked it up, “Scott White”, Scott said, a male voice on the other end spoke immediately, “Dr White? This is John from the Sacred Heart Clinic in her in Gwinn,” Scott nodded, “Sure, yes, John. How are you, how can I help?”

“Look, I have a patient, Mika and she is having some very strong somatic responses and I was wondering if you had some time to come out and see us here for, maybe a week?” Dr John was hopeful sounding as he paused waiting for Scott to answer.

“What sort of disturbances? What are her symptoms?" Scott asked. John paused, as if looking at notes, Scott heard shuffling, “Sweating, nausea, tremors, and now she has visible scratches on her arms and hips” Scott’s eyes dilated slightly in the resounding pause, “I see. That is quite a unique disturbance. And she is where exactly?”  John answered, “She lives up in the woods here, about 20 miles from the towns. She’s an artist so she likes seclusion, but I think it is getting to her. Our winters up north here can last 6 months or more”.  Scott looked thoughtful, scribbling some notes on a pad in front of him, “Right, well that certainly can’t help matters. How long has she been having these disturbances?”  John, blew out some air, “Oh gosh, Id have to check my notes, but since last year I suppose, its been building. Off and on. She really doesn’t contact me too often. I go up and see her at least once a month, or have her come down” Scott cleared his throat, “I’m sorry are you her primary physician then?” 

John responded, “Yes, here on the reservation, there are only 4 of us accredited in the Western way, so I specialize in psychiatry, sleep, and general practice”.  Scott nodded again, taken in the information. He opened a calendar on his desktop, “I could be there in a few days, if you think she will hold until then”.   John, “Fine, fine. I will make an appointment to have her come down from the hills, no problem. She maybe be a little skittish, but its just the Wendigo spooking her. We’ll see you on Friday then?” John was about to ring off when Scott stopped him, “Did you say the Wendigo, like the lore of the Deer man?”  John smiled proudly, “Yes, you know of our native stories?” Scott spoke carefully, “He appears in dreams and in the flesh haunting people in the wood. I remember reading something back in college. Sleep myths are kind of a hobby of mine, (smirks)”.  “Well that’s great, then she will be in good hands, we will see you on Friday. Pack heavy we’ve got 8 more inches expected that night. Ill send you an email with details on how to get here from the city (referring to Marquette)”. John chuckled and hung up. Scott looked at his computer and down at his notes, “tremors and scratches” he mumbled to himself, “Hmm”.

(More to come... stay tuned.... )

@legolasbadass @fizzxcustard @lathalea

@scariusaquarius @middleearthpixie @riepu10

[breelandwalker]

Worm Moon - March 25, 2024

The world is thawing and spring will soon be sprung. Dust off your garden tools and get ready for the Worm Moon!

Worm Moon

The Worm Moon is the name given to the full moon which occurs in the month of March in the Northern Hemisphere. Most sources claim this name is taken from the renewed visible presence of vermicast (worm droppings) and earthworms themselves, as the spring thaw allows them to emerge from the soil.

There is a possible alternative explanation, involving a colonial explorer's notes about the Naudowessie (Dakota) observation of emerging worm-like beetle larvae from the bark of trees. "Every month has with them a name expressive of its season; for instance, they call the month of March (in which their year generally begins at the first New Moon after the vernal Equinox) the Worm Month or Moon; because at this time the worms quit their retreats in the bark of the trees, wood, &c. where they have sheltered themselves during the winter." (It's entirely possible that this "worm" in this instance is a mistranslation of an indigenous word for "larva," since it refers to the larval state of certain beetles. Without knowing whether the language in question makes a distinction between larval worms and earthworms, it's impossible to tell, and I was unable to find further sources.)

Other North American Indigenous names for this moon include Goose Moon (Algonquin and Cree) and Crow Comes Back Moon (Northern Ojibwe), in reference to the reappearance of migratory birds, and Sugar Moon (Ojibwe) and Sap Moon (Shawnee), in reference to the season in which the maple sap begins to run and can be tapped for the production of maple syrup.

Fun Fact: The term "Worm Moon" only occurs in southerly indigenous nations. The March moon is commonly named for trees or birds in more northerly areas of North America because in those places, the native species of earthworms went extinct during the period when glaciers covered that portion of the continent. About 12,000 years ago when the glaciers receded, the forest grew back without earthworms. The species which now inhabit those areas are invasive or introduced specimens originating from Europe and Asia.

The March moon, if it occurs prior to the spring equinox, is also the Lenten Moon, named for the Christian holiday of Lent. If it occurs after the equinox, it is called the Paschal Full Moon, corresponding with the Christian holiday of Easter, or Paschal Sunday (This year's Worm Moon will occur the week after the equinox and Easter Sunday will be March 31st.)

What Does It Mean For Witches?

Full moons are both the beginning and end of the lunar cycle. With the Worm Moon, we can look forward to the beginning of spring and the yearly harvest cycle. So now is the perfect time for seasonal divination, plans for the coming months, and the setting of goals for the future, both short-term and long-term. You can also check in with goals you may have set back in January and record your progress. (Remember - even a little progress is still progress!)

Consider also how you can change or begin new routines and habits to improve your life, make better choices, streamline your schedule, or just give yourself a much-needed break. If there’s something hanging around that no longer serves you, now is the time to consider bidding it adieu and moving forward to a new path.

What Witchy Things Can We Do?

The Worm Moon heralds the imminent start of the planting season. If you’ve got green fingers, now is the time to begin planning your garden for the season. Prepare your sprouting trays and browse your favorite seed catalog for inspiration.

It’s also time for that all-important spring cleaning, so open up those windows on a warm day and air out all the staleness from winter. As you scrub and dust and declutter, you can also magically cleanse your space of stagnant, disruptive, or unwanted things, replacing them with your own energy and your good wishes and goals for the upcoming season.

This is also an excellent time for spells focused on fertility, optimism, and new growth. It’s important to remember that fertility spells don’t just have to focus on procreation. They can also be geared toward planting, creating, opportunity, inspiration, motivation, prosperity, abundance, and anything that requires nurturing and productivity.

The season of growth and renewal is upon us, so it’s time to Ready, Set, GROW!

Happy Worm Moon, witches! 🌕🌱

Further Reading:

Worm Moon: Full Moon for March 2024, The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Worm Moon: The Stunning Full Moon of March 2024, The Peculiar Brunette.

Travels Through the Interior Parts of North America, in the Years 1766, 1767 and 1768, Capt. Jonathan Carver, London, 1781. (Text available on Project Gutenberg)

The Next Full Moon is a "Supermoon" Crow Moon, NASA, March 5 2020.

Easter and the Paschal Full Moon: Determining the Date of Easter, The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Everyday Moon Magic: Spells & Rituals for Abundant Living, Dorothy Morrison, Llewellyn Publications, 2004.

(If you’re enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊)

[dear-indies]

Okay so this is a big ask, and I truly cannot say PLEASE AND THANK YOU hard enough for even considering answering this. I’m thinking about making a blog that goes through an entire bloodline. Starting with a bit more old times fantasy stuff, into modern day, and maybe heading into a more cyberpunk era.

I have a base but and ideas for characters that can fill in gaps but I do need some help and opinions, and sorry to say, you’re the best one for this. Sorry for how huge this is gonna get lol. Know that you have my eternal gratitude for even looking at this though.

Okay so for the main base I’m thinking Ram Charan, but I would like a fc that you think could work for a younger fc for him (early to mid 20s)

Up next in the line I just need general fc help. Character is a male about middle aged, and Indian. Very gruff and angry at what seems like the world, but kind deep down. Nearest thing I can liken him to would be the punisher from marvel.

Next up would be my modern muse. I was thinking Avan Jogia, but if you don’t think he’d fit the trend of the previous characters ethnicity wise, I am more than open to different suggestions.

Lastly is the character in a more futuristic type setting. I’d like a woman that very much has a cool biker girl vibe could literally be anywhere from like early 20s to mid 30s.

This got ENORMOUS, but your insight is invaluable when it comes to fc help, but if this is too much for you that’s fine too. Feel free to let me know either way. You do so much for us, and I cant say thank you enough.

Hey anon! Thank you so muck for your kind words! I almost finished this ask but somehow it didn't save so now I'm doing it again. 😭😭

Ram Charan, early 20s - here are all the Telugu actors I know in their 20's!

Adarsh Gourav (1994) Telugu.

Shiva Kandukuri (1994) Telugu.

Panja Vaisshnav Tej (1995) Telugu.

Master Bharath (1996) Telugu.

Santosh Sobhan (1996) Telugu.

Sri Simha Koduri (1996) Telugu.

Akash Puri (1997) Telugu.

Male, middle aged, Indian. Very gruff and angry at what seems like the world, but kind deep down - I didn't know if he had to be Telugu but I did include Telugu suggestions!

Nagarjuna (1959) Telugu.

Suniel Shetty (1961) Tulu.

Shah Rukh Khan (1965) Hyderabadi, Pathan, Kashmiri.

Salman Khan (1965) Marathi, Dogra, Alakozai Pashtun.

Vikram (1966) Tamil.

Akshay Kumar (1967) Punjabi.

Ravi Teja (1968) Telugu.

John Abraham (1972) Malayali Syrian / Irani Zoroastrian.

Arjun Rampal (1972) Indian, part Dutch.

Farhan Akhtar (1974) Irani.

Sendhil Ramamurthy (1974) Kannadiga / Tamil.

Hrithik Roshan (1974) Punjabi and Bengali - I didn't know he has polydactyly!

Nandamuri Kalyan Ram (1978) Telugu.

Vaibhav Reddy (1978) Telugu.

Tottempudi Gopichand (1979) Telugu.

Avan Jogia muse:

I'm not sure which bloodline you wanted this muse to follow so please get back to me!

Cool biker girl, early 20s to mid 30s:

Aiysha Hart (1988) Saudi Arabian and White - has spoken up for Palestine!

Lolly Adefope (1990) Yoruba Nigerian has spoken up for Palestine!

Gia Mantegna (1990)

Rosaline Elbay (1990) Egyptian has spoken up for Palestine!

Rina Sawayama (1990) Japanese - is pansexual and bisexual has spoken up for Palestine!

Tiana Okoye (1991) African-American - has a link to Gaza charity on her page!

Kelly McCormack (1991) - is queer - has spoken up for Palestine!

Pınar Deniz (1993) Turkish [Lebanese] - her vibes in Aktris - has spoken up for Palestine!

Sarah Kameela Impey (1991) Indo-Guyanese / White - we vibes in We Are Lady Parts - has spoken up for Palestine!

Seychelle Gabriel (1991) part Mexican - vibes in Blood Fest - has spoken up for Sudan and Palestine!

Hari Nef (1992) Ashkenazi Jewish - is a trans woman - has spoken up for Palestine!

Sky Ferreira (1992) Brazilian [Portuguese, possibly other] / Ashkenazi Jewish, Ojibwe, Cree, Chippewa Cree, Cheyenne, White - has Chronic Lyme Disease.

Medalion Rahimi (1992) Iranian, Iranian Jewish - uses she/they - has spoken up for Palestine!

Olivia D’Lima (1993) Goan and White - has spoken up for Palestine!

Mina El Hammani (1993) Moroccan - has spoken up for Palestine!

Devery Jacobs (1993) Mohawk - is queer - has spoken up for Palestine!

Anna Leong Brophy (1993) Irish, Chinese, Kadazan.

Jordan Alexander (1993) African-American and White - has spoken up for Palestine!

Jesse James Keitel (1993) - is a trans woman.

Mia Khalifa (1993) Lebanese - has spoken up for Palestine!

Jasmin Savoy Brown (1994) African-American / White - is queer - has spoken up for Palestine!

Adeline Rudolph (1994) Korean / White.

Natasha Liu Bordizzo (1994) Chinese / White.

Juliette Motamed (1995) Iranian - has spoken up for Palestine!

Coty Camacho (1995) Mexican [Mixtec and Zapotec] - is pansexual.

Jessica Darrow (1995) Cuban - is a lesbian - has spoken up for Palestine!

Sasha Calle (1995) Colombian.

Myha'la (1996) Afro Jamaican / White - is queer - has spoken up for Palestine!

Lauren Jauregui (1996) Cuban [Spanish, possibly other], likely some Basque - is bisexual - has spoken up for Palestine!

Imaan Hammam (1996) Moroccan / Egyptian - has spoken up for Palestine!

Ella Balinska (1996) Afro Jamaican / White.

Yumi Nu (1996) Japanese / White.

Tati Gabrielle (1996) African-American, 1/4 Korean.

Blu Hunt (1996) Oglala Lakota, Apache, White - is queer.

Kassius Nelson (1997) Black British - vibes in Dead Boy Detectives.

Alaqua Cox (1997) Menominee, Mohican - is deaf and a below the knee leg amputee - vibes in Hawkeye.

Julia Dalavia (1998) Brazilian - vibes in Pantanal.

Odessa A'zion (2000) part Ashkenazi Jewish - has spoken up for Palestine!

Reneé Rapp (2000) - is a lesbian - has spoken up for Palestine!

I hope this helped!

[richincolor]

New Releases

I got an early look at Rez Ball and am really looking forward to seeing it out in the world. I'm excited for that and several others this week.

Rez Ball by Byron Graves Heartdrum

This compelling debut novel by new talent Byron Graves tells the relatable, high-stakes story of a young athlete determined to play like the hero his Ojibwe community needs him to be. These days, Tre Brun is happiest when he is playing basketball on the Red Lake Reservation high school team—even though he can’t help but be constantly gut-punched with memories of his big brother, Jaxon, who died in an accident. When Jaxon’s former teammates on the varsity team offer to take Tre under their wing, he sees this as his shot to represent his Ojibwe rez all the way to their first state championship. This is the first step toward his dream of playing in the NBA, no matter how much the odds are stacked against him. But stepping into his brother’s shoes as a star player means that Tre can’t mess up. Not on the court, not at school, and not with his new friend, gamer Khiana, who he is definitely not falling in love with. After decades of rez teams almost making it, Tre needs to take his team to state. Because if he can live up to Jaxon’s dreams, their story isn’t over yet.  This book is published by Heartdrum, an imprint that publishes high-quality, contemporary stories about Indigenous young people in the United States and Canada.

Those Pink Mountain Nights by Jen Ferguson Heartdrum

In her remarkable second novel following her acclaimed debut, The Summer of Bitter and Sweet, which won the Governor General’s Award and received six starred reviews, Jen Ferguson writes about the hurt of a life stuck in past tense, the hum of connections that cannot be severed, and one week in a small snowy town that changes everything.

Over-achievement isn’t a bad word—for Berlin, it’s the goal. She’s securing excellent grades, planning her future, and working a part-time job at Pink Mountain Pizza, a legendary local business. Who says she needs a best friend by her side?

Dropping out of high school wasn’t smart—but it was necessary for Cameron. Since his cousin Kiki’s disappearance, it’s hard enough to find the funny side of life, especially when the whole town has forgotten Kiki. To them, she’s just another missing Native girl.

People at school label Jessie a tease, a rich girl—and honestly, she’s both. But Jessie knows she contains multitudes. Maybe her new job crafting pizzas will give her the high-energy outlet she desperately wants.

When the weekend at Pink Mountain Pizza takes unexpected turns, all three teens will have to acknowledge the various ways they’ve been hurt—and how much they need each other to hold it all together.

Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes edited by Nora Shalaway Carpenter & Rocky Callen Candlewick Press

Channeling their own experiences, sixteen exceptional authors subvert mental health stereotypes in a powerful and uplifting collection of fiction.

A teen activist wrestles with protest-related anxiety and PTSD. A socially anxious vampire learns he has to save his town by (gulp) working with people. As part of her teshuvah, a girl writes letters to the ex-boyfriend she still loves, revealing that her struggle with angry outbursts is related to PMDD. A boy sheds uncontrollable tears but finds that in doing so he’s helping to enable another’s healing. In this inspiring, unflinching, and hope-filled mixed-genre collection, sixteen diverse and notable authors draw on their own lived experiences with mental health conditions to create stunning works of fiction that will uplift and empower you, break your heart and stitch it back together stronger than before. Through powerful prose, verse, and graphics, the characters in this anthology defy stereotypes as they remind readers that living with a mental health condition doesn’t mean that you’re defined by it. Each story is followed by a note from its author to the reader, and comprehensive back matter includes bios for the contributors as well as a collection of relevant resources.

With contributions by: Mercedes Acosta * Karen Jialu Bao * James Bird * Rocky Callen * Nora Shalaway Carpenter * Alechia Dow * Patrick Downes * Anna Drury * Nikki Grimes * Val Howlett * Jonathan Lenore Kastin * Sonia Patel * Marcella Pixley * Isabel Quintero * Ebony Stewart * Francisco X. Stork

Monstrous by Jessica Lewis Delacorte Press

Forced to spend her summer in her aunt’s strange small town, a teen girl discovers dark secrets hidden in the woods. From the author of Bad Witch Burning comes another pulse-pounding novel perfect for fans of Supernatural and Lovecraft Country.

Don’t go outside past dark. Come straight home after church. And above all—never, ever, go into Red Wood.

These are the rules Latavia’s aunt tells her as soon as she arrives in Sanctum, Alabama for the summer. Weird, but Latavia isn’t here to solve any scary small town mysteries; she’s here for six weeks and six weeks only, and then she’s off to college and won’t look back. Still, Sanctum has its perks—mainly, the cute girl who works at the local ice cream shop.

But Latavia can’t ignore how strange her aunt’s tiny town is. The residents are suspicious of her and at times hostile, and it’s clear she’s some kind of outsider. That’s proven when Latavia is dragged out of her house in the dead of night, into the forbidden Red Wood, and presented as a human sacrifice to an ancient monster.

Latavia won’t be eaten without a fight. She’ll do whatever she has to do to survive—even if that includes making a deal with the monster, endangering her crush and family, and even risk turning into a monster herself.

The Name Drop by Susan Lee Inkyard Press

New from the author of Seoulmates comes a story of mistaken identities, the summer of a lifetime, and a love to risk everything for.

When Elijah Ri arrives in New York City for an internship at his father’s massive tech company, Haneul Corporation, he expects the royal treatment that comes with being the future CEO—even if that’s the last thing he wants. But instead, he finds himself shuffled into a group of overworked, unpaid interns, all sharing a shoebox apartment for the summer.

When Jessica Lee arrives in New York City, she’s eager to make the most of her internship at Haneul Corporation, even if she’s at the bottom of the corporate ladder. But she’s shocked to be introduced as the new executive-in-training intern with a gorgeous brownstone all to herself.

It doesn’t take long for Elijah and Jessica to discover the source of the they share the same Korean name. But they decide to stay switched—so Elijah can have a relaxing summer away from his controlling dad while Jessica can make the connections she desperately needs for college recommendations.

As Elijah and Jessica work together to keep up the charade, a spark develops between them. Can they avoid discovery—and total disaster—with their feelings and futures on the line?

Goddess Crown by Shade Lapite Walker Books US

In this thrilling Afro-fantasy, the first set in the lush, opulent kingdom of Galla, a girl raised in secret must leave her sheltered rural home for the subtle dangers of the royal court, where she becomes caught up in deadly power struggles and romantic intrigue.

Kalothia has grown up in the shadows of her kingdom, hidden away in the forested East after her parents were outed as enemies of the king. Raised in a woodland idyll by a few kindly adult caretakers, Kalothia can hunt and fish and fend for herself but knows little of the outside world. When assassins attack her home on her sixteenth birthday, she must flee to the king’s court in the West–a beautiful but lethal nest of poison, plots, and danger, overseen by an entrenched patriarchy. Guided by the Goddess herself, can Kalothia navigate this most worldly of places to find her own role? What if she must choose between her country and her heart? Excitement, romance, and a charismatic heroine shine in this first book set in the unforgettable kingdom of Galla.

[starcaptainslangs]

Day 39 - MyLang, exploring alignment & word order

Oh ho! We're starting to get into grammar!

I don't need to set anything or make a decision today, just explore. First, I considered what word order I wanted to do. In my main lang, K'awatl'a, I have a VSO word order and an Active/Passive alignment, so I won't consider those options as I want to do something that I haven't done in a major lang of mine.

That left me with SOV and SVO. I decided to go with SVO. I haven't used it in the past for any lang really, because I thought it was too ~~Englishy~~ (yes, I had the edgy phase of making a lang that was as NOT English as possible). I think it'll work great for MyLang! It's a word order I'm familiar with so hopefully that will let me concentrate more on other features that are more unfamiliar, like alignments!

For alignment, I'm considering two major options: Nom-Acc and Direct-Inverse. The reasoning behind Nom-Acc is that I haven't used it before so it'll be cool to approach something familiar and find a way to make it my own.

As for Direct-Inverse, it feels really cool and I'm vibing with it if I can figure out how to execute it well. The summary (or the summary of my understanding) is that there is a hierarchy that a participant can be on. One example the Wikipedia page mentioned, had a hierarchy of like 1st person > 2nd person > third person > obviate, and then within that I think the animacy of the participants matters too (like humans are more animate than a rock).

A simple example based on how I understand how Ojibwe does it (this is likely not that correct in the context of that language's entire grammar):

man sees-direct cat The man sees the cat

man sees-inverse cat The cat sees the man.

Another example from Sahaptin also seemed to include case markers for Nom and Acc and, I think, uses it mostly as a topicalization marker? Not sure on that.

So, at the moment I think that I am going to try for a direct-inverse alignment, and if that ends up not working, go to a Nom-Acc alignment.

[shakertwelve]

Pale has an Ojibwe character who’s not a caricature, has interiority, and her storyline is directly tied to the injustices First Nations peoples face in modern day Canada at the hands of police. I still wouldn’t recommend Pale, because it should have ended several million words ago, but it does genuinely handle race and ethnicity better than any of Wildbow’s other works.

interesting! i am still not going to read several million words of it.

[traegorn]

Fastest way I know of to get an answer since either you'll have an idea or have big enough reach that someone will know. On to the question.

I bought a "dreamcatcher" making kit thing today in my ongoing quest to find craft things that look easy enough for me to achieve in my sit at home all day boredom. It's a hoop, some string and instructions basically. If I'm making it myself, not calling it a dream catcher, and using it for knot magic, is it still appropriation? It looks more like a spiderweb to me than anything else. I've been feeling guilty since I bought the thing with not being sure, so I don't know if I should return it or if I'm just being ridiculous. I hope someone will know. Thanks. Sorry.

Okay. I'm not sure why I'm the person you're asking this, so I'll give you my best answer. For the record though, I'm not indigenous, and should not be taken as the final word on the topic.

The person selling the kit, if they're not Ojibwe, is definitely appropriating, and it's probably not great to support them (especially since you probably could have gotten the supplies cheaper at a craft store).

That said, you have the stuff, you're not calling it a dreamcatcher or claiming it is one, and not selling the final product to someone else yourself. With that in mind, you're probably perfectly fine to just use the materials how you want.

Like the issue isn't white people making personal craft items, it's them taking them and selling them as "dreamcatchers" without the proper cultural understanding of what they're doing. That's the issue.

But, again, you could probably find the craft items for cheaper on their own.

[doc-avalon]

NAME: Rabbit or Hare, when the mystic or divine aspect of an animal is the subject that animal’s name is used, only it is capitalized, so there are rabbits and hares, and there is Rabbit and Hare, depending on the word used in the culture in question.

Some hare or rabbit gods & goddesses are

- Hittavainen the Finnish god of Hares,

- Kaltes, the Siberian goddess of the moon who often took the form of a hare,

- Jade Rabbit, who pounds out medicine on the moon for the Chinese the moon goddess Chang'e

- Ometotchtli (Two Rabbits,) Aztec god of fertility, parties & drunkeness who led 400 other Rabbit gods known as the Centzon Totochtin,

- Kalulu, (Central African) Trickster god.

- Nanabozho (Great Rabbit,) an Ojibwe deity who took part in the creation of the world.

We might also add Frith, the god of the rabbits, in the novel Watership Down.

(Note how many double sounds we have in the Hare & Rabbit god/desses above)

SYMBOLS: Depends on the culture; some are such things as colored eggs, several different glyphs and icons, and the “lucky” rabbit’s foot, which, if done right, should only come from a rabbit caught and killed in a graveyard on the night of the Full Moon on a Friday (New Moon according to some, and some say it has to be raining!) and only the left hind foot is to be taken.

One very prominent one that stretches from China, through the Middle East, to Europe is the three hares or the three rabbits in China.

The image is so old that its exact meaning is lost and consists of a circular motif that features three hares or rabbits, either chasing each other or running around in a circle. Each of the ears is shared by two animals so that only three ears are shown, forming a triangle.

While common. Its origin and meaning are uncertain; it is also unknown if this image spontaneously sprang up in the places where it appearers or moved from the East to the West or West to the East.

However, the earliest occurrences seem to have occurred in cave temples in China, dating to the sixth to seventh centuries. One of the latest ones is a coin from Iran dated around 1300.

In England, the three racing hares are almost always found next to the Green Man, a symbol known for its links to paganism.

Whatever the case, whether they are rabbits or hares, for critters running around in a circle, they have been able to travel a very long way!

USUAL IMAGE: Depends on the culture, but pretty much all of them focus on the long ears. Though the Aztecs also give Rabbit fangs!

HOLY DAYS:

- First Sunday following the first ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or after the day of the vernal equinox; this particular ecclesiastical full moon is the 14th day of a tabular lunation (new moon), and the vernal equinox is fixed as March 21.

- July 4th, date in 1862 on which the story “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” arose with the appearance of the White Rabbit as told by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, during a boat trip on the river Isis (the local name for the stretch of the Thames that flows through Oxford) from Oxford to Godstow with his friend Robinson Duckworth, and the sisters Alice, Lorina and Edith Liddell

- July 27, Bugs Bunny’s Birthday

- The first day of each month; see below.

FORM OF WORSHIP: Originally Welsh, the custom has spread and varies from place to place; the essential folk tradition is the saying of either Rabbit or Rabbits, or White Rabbits once or three times on the first day of the month; variations are saying Bunny, or Black Rabbit the last day of the month before going to bed, and White Rabbit on waking up on the first.

This is supposed to bring good luck; however, if you say Rabbit a second time that first day or hear someone else say it before you, it brings bad luck.

This peculiar folk belief, in its many other permutations in the method to be performed, survives to this day.

GODS & GODDESSES ASSOCIATED WITH RABBITS OR HARES: Eostre or Ostara (Anglo-Saxon) / Chang, ‘e (Chinese) / Ixchel (Mayan) / Hecate (Greek) / Okuninushi (Japan) / Venus (Roman) / Freyja, who had hare attendants (Norse) / Cerridwen (Celtic) / Andraste (Britain) / Holda, who had a whole troop of hares that carried torches for her. (Teutonic.) / Orion, whose hounds chase the constellation Lepus / Windmaker (Sioux) / The Buddha, who, as he was dying, called for all of the animal kingdoms, one the 12 that showed up was Rabbit, earning Rabbit a place in the Chinese Zodiac.

RABBITS & HARES FROM FOLK & POP CULTURE WHO HAVE FOUND A PLACE IN THE PUBLIC’S MIND:

Brer Rabbit in the Uncle Remus stories by Joel Chandler Harris were all based not on African but Cherokee tales of Rabbit.

Bunnicula carrot-sucking vampire bunny (Deborah & James Howe)

Peter Cottontail (Thornton Burgess)

Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, the Flopsy Bunnies, the Fierce Bad Rabbit, and others (Beatrix Potter)

St. Peter Cottontail, the first and true pope (South Park)

Rabbit, one of Winnie the Pooh’s posse (A. A. Milne)

Uncle Wiggily's subject of stories and an old board game (Howard R. Garis)

The Velveteen Rabbit

Hazel-rah, Fiver, Bigwig, Blackberry, Dandelion, Pipkin, Silver, Speedwell, Hawkbit, Buckthorn, Acorn, and all the rest from Watership Down and El-Ahrairah & the Black Rabbit of Inie (Richard Adams)

The White Rabbit & the March Hare (Lewis Carroll)

One unlucky bunny in Of Mice and Men

Bugs Bunny, the American Trickster god

Frank, the 7-foot-tall apocalyptic rabbit in Donnie Darko

Harvey (actually a pooka) in Harvey

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney’s main hero before Mickey Mouse

The Rabbit of Caerbannog from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Roger Rabbit, originally a cynical disillusioned Toon actor (a separate species from humans) who committed suicide in the 1983 novel, Who Framed Roger Rabbit by Gary K. Wolf (no spoiler warning needed, this all happens in the first chapter!). Turned into the very type of stereotypical cartoon rabbit that the Roger of the novel despised in a much more famous film set in 1947 that was totally unlike the novel.

Thumper, Disney’s Bambi

Bunny Rabbit, Mister Moose’s pal from Captain Kangaroo

Crusader Rabbit is the favorite cartoon of Elvis.

The Duracell Bunny Energizer Bunny

Mr. Herriman from Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends

The Trix rabbit

Binky Binkenstein from Life in Hell

Bun Rab in Pogo

Captain Carrot, leader of the “funny-animal” superhero group the Zoo Crew

Cutey Bunny from Army Surplus Komikz

Hoppy the Marvel Bunny, a member of the Marvel Family

Max from Sam & Max, “ground level” black and white comic book.

Snowball from The Secret Life of Pets.

Officer Judy Hopps from Zootopia

Alice and Thistle from Alice's Farm: A Rabbit's Tale by Maryrose Wood

And many, many others.

DETAILS: Most animals are regarded as sacred or manifestations of the divine to some degree or other in the past among some people.

It's easy to figure out the bear or horse for its ferocity or strength, the dog because of its loyalty, the cat because of its mysterious nature, eagles, hawks, and other birds for flight, and even the lowly spider because of its ability to spin webs.

Therefore it stands to reason that rabbits and hares would show up somewhere on the sacred radar screen as well.

The question, I think, is why have these creatures, who are one of the few to serve as pets, pests, and food simultaneously, gained such a prominent place in world myth, legend, and religion while other animals we are closer to show up less, or have less esteem?

Why have they found a place beside so many gods and goddesses that a dog, cat, or horse would more logically fill?

Is it their fertility? Their seeming ability to survive in a world where almost everything else seems to want to eat them? Their speed? Their agility? Perhaps it’s that they remind us of ourselves.

Small creatures in a larger hostile world with no allies and the companion of nothing, yet able to survive and multiply.

It’s a thought, and if that is the case, it seems that our ancestors might have been on the money; a recent study has shown that rabbits and hares are not as closely related to rodents as was thought but are, in fact, closer to primates.

Perhaps it’s just those ears.

[dove-da-birb]

Bonjour, hello! :)

I'm going to snag the question you asked Sofia and send it back your way: Which languages do you speak? Do you have any you are learning or want to learn?

or, alternatively - if you would like to instead answer something else - do you have a favourite piece of your writing? (One you are most proud of or had a lot of fun creating?)

I'll actually answer both!

Language

Currently, I am only fluent in English, as it was the language I was only immersed in growing up. Je parle un petit peu francais; but the education system is awful at really doing anything to cement it in if you didn't attend a French immersion school. I need to work on getting it back, but that's going to be a long work in progress. Just happy my accent is good (aka not a baguette accent).

As for languages I want to learn;

Spanish will be after French since both are based in Latin.

Ojibwe, as Indigenous languages are dying; there used to be over 3,000 distinct Indigenous languages in Canada and the handful that are left are dying too.

American Sign Language, since it is super useful; currently I just know a few signs. Another reason is that places rarely have someone who can sign and translate signs.

Dutch for family reasons.

Eventually I would like to know a bit of Mandarin, but that is far into the future.

Favourite Piece of My Writing

Right now it would have to be Ruggie's Soul Match story; first off it made me cry in the first 800 words and then I cried again later. I rarely cry while reading books, so I was very surprised that it happened twice.

Jade's Soul Match story is my second favourite and was only demoted off the throne once I finished writing Ruggie's; he got to be a lil shit in his story. Also, it was a great chance to get in his head.

I quite like how all of the Soul Matches came out, and it was my first time in years writing more long-ish form fics; each story is 5K. Had really bad art/writing block for years.

I really need to re-read some of my works; I don't really read them once I 'publish'.... Also in total, there are 69 pages so far for the Soul Match AU, and for the first round, there are 10 characters, 6 of which are now completed.

*Don't be like Dove and write 31K in 34 days. Don't do it. I just have a lot of free time rn

[comrade-heather]

🍂 October Language Learning Reflection

Swedish

Finish Duolingo Tree

2 units left in Semester 3!

duolingo has changed the tree so many times this year it's impossible to tell how far along I am

Keep up With Anki

days I did reviews: 2/31

Finish S2 and S3 of Bonusfamiljen

fallen out of love with this show :/

new goal: finish Phineas & Ferb S1 (w/ swedish dubbing)

progress: 10/26

Master the "100 most common" level on Clozemaster

mastered: 493/493

progress: 100% 🎉

Master the “500 most common” level on Clozemaster

played: 417/2,643 (15.78%)

mastered: 0/2,643 (0%)

Ojibwe

Anki: 3/31 days

German

Anki: 4/31 days

immersion content: I've started watching Die Küchenschlacht, which is a great starting place since food is something our A1 textbook features a lot. unfortunately it doesn't have subtitles but that's better for my auditory comprehension in the long run haha

Reflection

It's been a good month for language learning! Not only do I continue to get mandatory (if not slightly painful) practice for GER 110, but I've been on quite the foreign TV kick. Nothing better than spending a fall evening in, comprehending 10% of a TV show under the ambient lights in my dorm :) As I've said in nearly every update, Anki continues to be a habit I just cannot get into. Maybe this month will be my month.

German: Homework for GER 110 is often a drag, but my motivation to learn is very strong. Swedish continues to be a huge help, I'm struggling much less with vocab and word order than some of my peers.

Swedish: A large portion of my hours this month were Phineas & Ferb. I actually never watched it as a child, so this was the perfect opportunity!

Ojibwe: Been struuuuggling with remembering emotion words. More often than not Ojibwe is my palate cleanser between two very similar germanic languages.

Temptations: If I'm good about German Anki for the next 6 weeks, I can learn the Cyrillic alphabet over winter break as a treat....