#read along ancient greece book

[songbirdspells]

Read Along: Ancient Greece A Political, Social and Cultural History by Sarah Pomeroy, Stanley Burstein, Walter Donlan, Jennifer Tolbert Roberts. Long post, reminder that you can blacklist "songbird chirps" and/or "read along ancient greece book" to avoid these posts.

(Pg 15) "The soil in Greece though rocky is fairly fertile, the richest plowland being in the small plains where, over the ages, earth washed down from the hills has formed deep deposits"

Thoughts: Because the soil is rocky and because Greece is so mountainous the soil is relatively thin so it makes sense they would need to rely on terraforming and natural low points. Ties into later quotes about the lack of large scale farming and how much of the population was involved in agriculture, which informs what they focus on.

(Pg 15) "Forests became depleted as time went on, however, and by the fifth century BC the more populous regions were forced to import timber."

Thoughts: just interesting from a socio-economic point, honestly, less about religion. This is just for me, lol.

(Pg 16) " The Aegean, though often calm with favoring winds, could just as suddenly boil up into ferocious storms that sent ships, cargo, and sailors to the bottom--drowning at sea, unburied, was a hateful death to the Greeks."

Thoughts: possibly ties into how Poseidon is portrayed, as he reflects the seas as much as he rules it. Also interesting on the death at sea being bad as the death cults all involve literally going underground and the idea of the after life was going down *underground*. Just interesting given how much of a sea-faring country they were. Will need to cross reference this against more specific sources as it seems an...incomplete...statement.

(Pg 16) "In general, the soil and climate amply supported the "Mediterranean triad" of grain, grapes, and olives."

Thoughts: makes sense, the soil honestly kind of sucked (use the aggie books as back up sources), and common offerings are just what they had, so what they had was...bread, wine, and olives. Especially as noted previously, water wasn't as common. Good confirmation for local cultus and offerings ideas proposed in other sources.

[voluptuarian]

[ikkyfics]

hi im so in love with your writing! I was wondering if I could request an angsty remus fic? maybe with an unrequited love theme where reader has a massive crush on him but he notices and rejects reader before they can even confess? its not that’s ok! mwah tyy <33

Unrequited Love

Remus Lupin x f!reader

Summary: It wasn’t just a crush. It was deeper, more desperate. Every day beside him was a mix of silent happiness and growing pain because, deep down, you knew he didn’t see you the same way. And yet, you clung to any shred of attention. A smile in the hallway or the sound of his name on your lips, which he always responded to with that infallible kindness. You knew you were drowning, but you couldn’t help it.

Warnings: angst

A/N: hi love, you are so kind, thank you so much for the sweet words. I hope I did something that meets your expectations - and gosh, maybe, just maybe I am a little devastated, it's two angsts in a row with my boy Remus (that said, of course I loved doing it)

Masterlist

You couldn’t quite remember exactly when it all started, but at some point between shared classes and comfortable silences in the library, Remus Lupin started occupying every thought of yours. Maybe it was that afternoon, weeks ago, when he noticed you were struggling to understand the theory behind a complicated spell. He approached, gentle but not invading your space, and said: "Can I help? I think I have an easier way to explain this."

You accepted, of course, your face warm and words stuck in your throat. He sat beside you, his voice low and firm as he pointed to the lines of the book with a slender finger. Every time he explained something, he’d end it with a quick glance, as if he wanted to confirm you were following along. You were so captivated by the sound of his voice that the actual understanding of the spell came later, when you were alone.

That’s when you started noticing the details. The way he furrowed his brow when reading something particularly complicated, or how he smiled to the side, a subtle smile, but enough to light up your whole day. He was different. He didn’t draw attention like his friends, who were usually the center of any room, but there was something in the restrained gestures, the care in his words, that made him seem more... real.

You began seeking opportunities to be near him. Not that it was intentional at first, but you always seemed to end up at the table next to him in the library or choosing the same time to study in the empty classroom. He never seemed to mind. In fact, he always nodded or gave a polite "good afternoon" before returning to what he was doing.

There was that day, though, that stayed engraved in your mind with almost painful clarity. It was an ordinary afternoon, and you were in the library. You had mentioned, without thinking, that you loved chamomile tea because your mother used to say it had a "comforting taste." He chuckled softly, a sound that made your heart stumble in your chest. A few weeks later, while you were sitting in a class, he casually leaned in and murmured: "Did you know chamomile tea was used in Ancient Greece as medicine? Seems fitting, doesn’t it?"

Your head spun to him, surprised. He remembered. It was just a silly sentence you had said, but he remembered. The rest of the class passed in a blur as you replayed each word, each glance.

It wasn’t just a crush. It was deeper, more desperate. He seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, but you wanted so much to be the one who could ease some of that. Every day beside him was a mix of silent happiness and growing pain because, deep down, you knew he didn’t see you the same way.

And yet, you clung to any shred of attention. A smile in the hallway, a "Are you okay?" after a tough test, or the sound of his name on your lips, which he always responded to with that infallible kindness.

You knew you were drowning, but you couldn’t help it.

The weeks dragged on like a dream, but a dream that never became reality. With every encounter with Remus, you felt like you were floating, but there was always an invisible weight pulling you back to the ground. He was kind, considerate, but never crossed the line. Every gesture, every word, was filled with a cordiality that you desperately wanted to interpret as something more, but you couldn’t ignore the voice in your head whispering, "He's just being polite. It doesn’t mean anything."

It was in this tension that an idea formed. A letter. If you couldn’t say everything you felt to him in words, maybe you could put it on paper. You had already rehearsed so many times, in your mind, the perfect phrases, the declarations that could, perhaps, make him see you differently. But every time you opened your mouth, the words died before they took shape.

That night, sitting on your bed with the curtains closed around you, you held a piece of parchment. The quill trembled in your hand as you stared at the blank page. Your heart was pounding, a mix of anticipation and fear. What could you write that would capture everything you felt? How could you translate in words the impact he had on you, the way he made the world seem lighter just by being in it?

After minutes that felt like hours, you began:

"Remus, I know this might seem strange or unexpected, but I need to say something that I’ve kept to myself for so long that I can’t keep it in anymore. Since I met you, something inside me has changed. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there’s something in your gestures, in the way you look at the world, that makes me want to be a part of it. You’re more than kind; you’re someone who makes everything seem... possible. I don’t know how to put it any other way, so I’ll be direct: I like you. More than as a friend. And I needed to tell you. Because holding this in is starting to hurt more than having the courage to say it."

You stopped, looking at the words you had just written. Your breath was heavy, and silent tears threatened to fall. It was a relief, in a way, to see it all there on paper. But the weight of what could happen next was almost unbearable.

For a moment, you considered handing him the letter. Not that night, of course, but maybe the next morning, or during the next class. The idea gave you a spark of hope, but also brought an overwhelming fear.

What if he didn’t feel the same?

That question echoed in your mind, over and over, as you carefully folded the letter and hid it in the pocket of your coat. Your hand stayed there, feeling the weight of the parchment like a bomb about to explode.

Remus knew. He had known for some time. There was no way he couldn’t notice.

There was something in the way you looked at him, a hesitant and hopeful gleam, that didn’t go unnoticed. He noticed the moments when you got closer than necessary, like when you sat beside him in the library even when there were empty tables. He noticed how you seemed to hold your breath whenever he leaned in to explain something, or how your words sometimes faltered, as if the weight of something unspoken was too much.

He wasn’t a fool. The subtleties of the heart, however, were a territory he preferred to avoid. Especially when he knew he couldn’t return the feelings.

You were smart, dedicated, kind in a way that made people want to be near you, and you were beautiful. He genuinely liked your company, but not in that way. Not the way you seemed to desire. Remus felt a tightness in his chest every time this reality pressed upon him, because he knew what needed to be done. He knew that the longer he let things drag on, the worse it would be for you.

That’s why, after Potions class that afternoon, he waited for you to finish gathering your things. He didn’t know exactly what he would say, but the words had been weighing on his throat for days.

“Do you have a minute?” His voice was calm, but there was something in his expression, the way he avoided eye contact for a second longer than usual, that made your heart stop.

“Of course.” Your response was automatic, but the nervousness crept into your voice. He was serious, more serious than you’d ever seen him before, and that sent a chill through your stomach.

As you walked beside him, the hallways seemed longer, quieter. You noticed he didn’t look directly at you, and that only made the nervousness grow.

He stopped next to an empty window, where the late afternoon light fell in soft angles. You held your books to your chest, as if they were armor, while he finally turned to face you.

“I... I think we need to talk.”

Your heart seemed to beat too fast, as if trying to prepare itself for whatever might come out of his mouth. You knew he wouldn’t say this lightly. “We need to talk” was never a casual introduction, it never preceded something good. Still, you tried to hold on to the faint hope, that quiet voice in the back of your mind whispering: Maybe he feels something too. Maybe he wants to say he noticed...

“I... I need to be honest with you,” Remus began, his voice low and serious, his words carefully chosen, but they still fell like stones upon you. “I don’t think it would be fair to let this continue without saying anything.”

Your fingers tightened around your books against your chest. Without saying what? Anxiety ran like fire through your veins, and you couldn’t look away from him, even though part of you wanted to run.

“I’ve noticed that...” He paused, biting his lower lip slightly, as if the words were hard to form. He ran a hand through his hair nervously, looking away for a brief moment before meeting your eyes again. “You’ve been... very kind to me, and I appreciate that. Truly. But I... I don’t want you to think that... there’s something here that isn’t.”

The world seemed to silence around you. Only his words echoed in your mind: “Something that isn’t.” It was as if he had ripped the ground out from under you with a single sentence.

“I don’t understand.” Your voice came out quieter than you expected, almost a whisper. You knew what he was trying to say, but at the same time, you refused to believe it. It couldn’t be this. It couldn’t end like this.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” He took a step closer, his gaze filled with something that seemed like guilt. “But I think you feel something for me. Something more than friendship.”

You felt your face burn, your chest tightening as if being compressed by an impossible weight. He knew. All this time, he knew.

“I...” You tried to deny it, tried to find some word that could save you from the abyss opening up, but your voice failed.

“You don’t have to say anything,” he interrupted, his voice softer now, but somehow, that only made it hurt more. “I just... I don’t want you to get hurt. You’re amazing. You’re kind, you’re smart, and anyone would be lucky to have your attention.” He sighed, his shoulders dropping slightly, as if the weight of the situation affected him too. “But I’m not that person. I can’t... see you that way.”

It was as if he had pulled the air from your lungs. Every word felt like a blade, cutting slowly but deeply. You felt tears burning in your eyes, but you refused to let them fall. Not in front of him.

“You’re saying that...” You stopped, swallowing hard, your throat too tight to continue.

“I don’t want you to have hopes where there’s no space for them,” he said softly, as if trying to minimize the impact, but the pain was already there, overwhelming and absolute.

You didn’t know what to say, how to respond. All you could feel was the crushing rejection, the weight of knowing he would never look at you the same way. It was worse than you had imagined, because he wasn’t being cruel. He was being honest, and his honesty hurt more than any cruelty ever could.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, almost in a whisper, and those three words were the final stone that fell upon your heart already in ruins.

You nodded quickly, unable to trust your own voice, and took a step back. You wanted to say something, wanted to pretend you were fine, but there was nothing that could be said. So, you just turned and left, feeling his eyes on your back but not looking back.

The first tear fell before you even turned the corner.

Each step echoed like a drum in your ears, blending with the disordered sound of your thoughts. You pressed the books to your chest so tightly that your fingers began to ache, but it was better to focus on the physical pain than the agony that was boiling inside you.

The students around you laughed, talked, ran. The castle was alive, pulsing with the energy of carefree teenagers, but everything felt muffled, distant, as if you were walking through a bad dream.

You turned down a random hallway, not even knowing where you were going, just needing to get away from everything and everyone. Your heart pounded in your chest, and the knot in your throat seemed to tighten with every passing moment, as if it were impossible to swallow the weight that kept building there.

Finally, you found an empty corner, behind a worn tapestry that no one seemed to notice. It was a temporary hiding spot, but it was all you needed. You threw yourself against the cold wall, sliding to the floor, the books falling from your hands as the tears you had held back for so long finally overflowed.

They came hot and relentless, streaming down your face mercilessly. You tried to stifle the sobs, biting your fist, but it was useless. The pain felt like its own entity, growing and spreading inside you.

Your chest ached, a physical sensation of emptiness and tightness that almost made you gasp for air. Your hands trembled, gripping your knees as if they were your only anchor. He knew. Those words echoed repeatedly in your mind. He had known all along.

Worse yet, not only did he know, but he had decided to tell you in such a careful, gentle way that the rejection became even more painful. He hadn't looked down on you, hadn't mocked you, but that only made it crueler. He had looked directly at you and said, without hesitation, that there was no space for you in his heart.

You closed your eyes, trying to breathe deeply, but all you could see was his face. The calm expression, the soft tone. The contrast between his kindness and the brutality of what he was saying was unbearable.

What had you done wrong? The question burned like fire, consuming everything around you. You replayed every interaction, every glance, every word spoken. There was no way to erase the moments when your heart raced for something he said or did. There was no way to turn back time and rip the feelings from yourself that you knew he would never return.

In the distance, you could hear other students passing by, carefree voices, laughter filling the hallways. Life continued as if nothing had happened, as if your world hadn't ended in that moment. The contrast was suffocating, a reminder that your pain was yours alone.

You hugged your knees, trying to diminish the feeling of falling apart. All you wanted was to disappear, to become invisible. Maybe, if no one saw you, no one would know how broken you were.

Time seemed to drag on, but it also slipped through your fingers like sand. You couldn’t tell how much time had passed since that conversation. Days? Weeks? Every unavoidable encounter with him felt like tearing the scab off a wound that hadn't even started to heal.

Classes became a kind of silent torture. He was always there, just a few meters away, and you could feel his presence like an electric current pulsing in the air. Sometimes, your eyes would meet for a brief moment, and he’d smile hesitantly, almost as if he were trying to offer some form of comfort.

But there was no comfort to be found.

You started changing seats in classes, picking places farther away. You walked through the hallways with your eyes on the floor, avoiding any chance of crossing paths with him. When he was with James or Sirius, laughing and talking loudly, you found some excuse to leave. Seeing that smile, hearing that laugh, felt like a cruel reminder that his life was going on without interruption while yours was in ruins.

You knew he noticed. Remus Lupin was perceptive, perhaps more than anyone you knew. And that’s why, on an ordinary afternoon, he came over.

The hallway was empty, and you were organizing the books in your bag with slightly trembling hands. When his shadow fell over you, your stomach tightened instinctively.

“Hey,” he began, his voice low and cautious, as if he were walking on glass. “Can I talk to you?”

You didn’t want to. You wanted to turn and run, wanted to scream for him to leave you alone. But instead, you just nodded, because running now seemed useless.

He hesitated for a moment before continuing. “I... noticed you’ve been avoiding me.” He ran a hand through his hair, a habit you knew all too well. “I don’t want things to be like this between us.”

The bitter laugh almost escaped your lips, but you swallowed it. “Like what?” Your voice came out harsher than you intended, but your heart was pounding so hard that it was hard to control.

“Distant.” He took a step closer, but stopped when he saw you recoil, even if it was just a little. “I... hope we’re still friends.”

The word pierced like a sharp blade. Friends. Of course. That was what he wanted from you. What he always wanted. And hearing it, said so gently and sincerely, made it hurt even more.

You wrapped your arms around your body as if that could contain the emptiness spreading inside you. “Friends,” you repeated, testing the word on your lips. It felt strange, bitter, as if it didn’t belong there.

“Yes.” He gave a small, hopeful smile. “I really... I’m so sorry, you know? For everything. I never meant for you to feel like this.”

“I know.” Your response was barely audible. You knew he didn’t want to hurt you. That made it all worse.

There was an uncomfortable silence between you. He seemed to be waiting for something, maybe a confirmation that everything was okay. But you couldn’t give him that. Not now.

“I... I need to go,” you finally said, your voice trembling as you slung the bag over your shoulder.

“Of course,” he replied, a little hurriedly. “But... we’re okay, right? I just want you to know, if you need me, I’m here.”

You closed your eyes for a brief moment, trying to breathe, trying to stop the pain from overflowing once more. When you opened them, you forced a small smile that didn’t reach your eyes. “I’m fine, Remus. Thank you.”

Before he could respond, you turned and walked quickly, feeling the tears threatening to fall.

As you turned the corner, you leaned against the wall for a moment, your eyes burning and your breath heavy. He wasn’t cruel. He would never be. And maybe that was exactly what made it all so unbearable.

Night had fallen over Hogwarts, and the castle was immersed in a heavy silence. You were in the farthest corner of the common room, where no one seemed to notice your presence. The only company was the fireplace, its flames flickering irregularly, casting shadows that danced across the walls.

In your hands, the letter you wrote weeks ago trembled slightly. The parchment was crumpled and worn at the edges, as if it had been handled countless times but never read by anyone other than you.

You remembered exactly the moment when you wrote it, the words flowing like a confession from your heart. It was everything you wanted to say to him. All the feelings that had been growing, gaining strength and life of their own. You had poured out every thought, every heartbeat, with the naive hope that he might feel the same.

But now, all that remained was a useless piece of paper.

You smoothed the parchment carefully, your fingers tracing the words written in your hesitant handwriting. Each sentence seemed to mock you now, like a cruel reminder of everything you felt and everything that would never be returned.

The flame of the fireplace seemed to call to you, its warmth offering a final solution to the weight you carried. With a trembling sigh, you stood up, feeling your heart tighten in your chest.

You hesitated for a moment, the letter still firmly held in your hands. Part of you wanted to keep it, hold onto it as a reminder of something that once mattered. But another part of you knew you needed to let go, even if it meant releasing something you never truly had.

"I could never be enough for you, could I?" you whispered to no one, your voice barely above a thread.

Finally, you brought the parchment closer to the flame, and it began to burn slowly. The edges darkened and curled, the fire consuming the words that once seemed so important. You watched each line disappear, one after another, until all that remained was ash and embers.

The pain in your chest was unbearable, but you stood there, motionless, watching as the last particles of the letter were carried away by the wind from the fire. It felt like watching the end of something that never had the chance to begin.

You sat on the floor, pulling your knees to your chest, the tears finally falling freely. They burned, hot and relentless, as you wondered how it was possible to feel so much for someone who would never look at you the same way.

Despite everything, you knew you still loved him. That was the cruelest part of all. Even after all the pain, all the rejection, you couldn’t simply turn off your feelings. He was still the one who made your heart race, who inhabited your dreams, who carried the weight of your hopes and fears.

But he would never be yours.

[what-even-is-thiss]

If you're wondering how so many books got lost and also how we have surviving ones, let me explain how books used to circulate before the invention of the printing press.

These days, a writer gets into a partnership with a publisher and this publisher prints and circulates these books to bookstores or other sellers and a percentage of every new sale goes to the writer and their agent. Used books are either resold privately or in used book stores or thrift stores or online. Some books are gifted to libraries. When the libraries have no more use for these books they are sold or thrown out.

In ancient times, there was no "books" as we currently understand them. Everything was written down or drawn on long scrolls of papyrus or parchment.

A writer would likely finish their final draft and do all their editing on cheap scrap paper or other writing surfaces like tree bark. Then they would either hire a scribe to make a few expensive copies or make the copies themselves if they were trained to do it all with good handwriting or calligraphy all in columns so that you could roll the scroll from side to side, only reading one column at a time.

The writer would then give these copies to their friends and family members, or as a gift to some important person, or perhaps just to someone who hired them to write it.

So let's say you are an educated courtesan or prostitute in the 1st century BC in Roman Greece and you write a fun and informative sex manual going over sex moves and sexual health complete with pictures. So you finish writing this sex manual and have a copy of it made and sent to a few of your other rich friends.

Your other rich friends think your sex manual is really cool and they take care of it and keep it unscrolled and flat stored in their personal libraries along with all of their other books. When they're moving it around or loaning it out to other people they keep it tightly rolled up to keep it compact.

Some people who borrow your sex manual from your friends really like it and want their own copy. So then either your friends will pay a scribe to make a copy of it and gift it to these people or the people who want it will borrow the copy and pay to have a copy made themselves. Copying your book in particular is even more expensive than normal because it has drawings in it so they need to find a scribe that is trained in copying drawings and not every scribe will take a commission for a sexual book, but they like your books so much that they're willing to take on the expense.

So this keeps going. People keep paying to make copies of your book. People like it a lot and eventually it becomes well-liked by the rich and they pay people to make copies of it for all their friends. After a couple of centuries of your book getting copied over and over again your book is a "bestseller" of sorts but you and your descendants never really saw any money from it because the people getting paid in the circulation of your book are scribes being paid to make copies of it and merchants selling what scrolls of it they can get their hands on.

By now the original copies you gave your friends are likely in the hands of their descendants, if the original copies still exist at all. They might've been burned in a fire when your friend's daughter dropped her lantern, or maybe worms ate it, or maybe your friends didn't keep it in a dry enough place and it just started to rot.

If the people who own a copy of your book like it enough or think it's important enough and they see that their copy is rotting or torn or charred, they can pay to have another copy made, but they also might not care enough and throw it out or just let it rot.

Over the centuries, your book slowly circulates less and less and the existing copies of your sex manual slowly rot in libraries or are purposefully burned as Christianity takes over, Rome falls, and literacy rates plummet while attitudes towards sexual books become even worse than they were in your time. Less people can read, less people work as scribes, less people have the skills to copy the drawings that were in your book.

And then on some unknown date, the last copy of your book is quietly eaten by worms in a damp and poorly cared for library.

This is what happened to The Book of Elephantis, a sex manual written by a prostitute or some other kind of sex worker working under a pseudonym somewhere in Greece in the 1st century BC. Her book was really popular in the time of the Roman Empire but it's since been lost. All the copies of her book just rotted away or burned over a thousand years ago. People just didn't care about sex manuals anymore and most people couldn't read them either.

It's also why most of the oldest copies of stuff like the Iliad we have are from the middle ages. The surviving works we have for the most part are the ones that people kept making new copies of and were stored properly.

Sometimes we get lucky and find some really old parchment scrolls in a dry cave or something or we scan books we have and can find where ink was scraped off and the paper was reused. But for the most part stuff gets lost because someone just didn't want to pay the expense to make a new copy.

Be thankful it's so cheap to make copies of books now and that modern paper lasts longer than parchment.

[theoi-crow]

The chess game between Medea and Jason and how Medea's original story is a feminist story:

So a few days ago I was talking to @teawiththegods about a book he had read that was a feminist re-telling of Medea. The author seemed to have lacked a very fundamental understanding of Medea's character because Hecate wasn't mentioned in the book at all, which is wild since Hecate is Medea's go-to goddess for every spell she does!

But as we talked further it was clear the author also lacked a very fundamental understanding of Medea and Jason's relationship towards the end of their separation but it's one of my favorite parts of Medea's story which, in my opinion, makes it feminist by itself but not many people understand that because they lack the ancient context for which it was written that drives the point that:

Medea won a chess game where the odds were stacked in favor of Jason and the game was rigged against Medea herself:

How were the odds of the game stacked in favor of Jason:

1) Medea couldn't kill Jason or he'd win:

One of the main things people complain about regarding the story of Medea is Medea killing her children and wonder why she didn't just kill Jason instead. But the reason why she didn't do that, and why she couldn't kill Jason at all was because she would have immortalized Jason's heroic persona.

In ancient Greece they believed the best thing someone famous could do was die at the height of their popularity so they wouldn't have time to ruin their own reputation and legacy. At the beginning of Euripides's Medea, Jason is at the height of his popularity. This is evident by the king of Corinth wanting him to marry his daughter because he was the legendary Jason from Jason and the Argonauts (the ancient equivalent of being the modern leader of the Avengers since he also assembled legendary heroes in his ship like Hercules and Orpheus).

Jason knew he had the upper hand and if Medea killed him, he would forever be remembered as a hero who was tragically killed by his jealous wife (in the same way Agamemnon was killed by his own wife Clytemnestra) and Medea herself already had a bad reputation for killing her own brother, despite her only doing so to help Jason escape her father.

2) If she killed Jason, her own children would have to kill her:

Her children would be bound by the gods to kill her and if they did kill her, the furies would come to torment them for killing their own mother.

In Aeschylus's Oresteia, written a good 20 plus years before Euripides's Medea, One of the main tragic points in the story was Orestes being duty-bound to avenge his father which meant he had to kill his mother. In ancient society this was a rule. Children, especially sons, needing to avenge their parents, especially their fathers, so Jason knew that if Medea killed him, not only would she ensure his heroic legacy, but the ones in charge of carrying out his revenge were his sons, the keepers of his legacy, who were also the great-grandchildren of Helios (Medea's father was his son).

Medea preferred living with the guilt of killing her own children rather than the thought of forcing her own children to kill her and be forever tormented by the furies if they did, or be punished by the gods for not avenging their father if they did not. She had already killed her own family member for Jason before, so killing again for Jason would be a type of dramatic irony that now also affected him.

3) If she did nothing Jason would still win:

When I say Jason had everything, I mean he had everything. He was going to become the king of Corinth and live his life as a hero.

Medea is the reason behind him getting the golden fleece and she is the power behind all of his success and he was going to take her credit and cast her out of his new kingdom along with their children. He didn't care if his children were going to be bound to a woman who had a cursed reputation and be doomed to living a life of extreme poverty. He only cared about getting rid of his previous family to make room for a royal family, in his opinion, a proper life fit for a hero. He was Hera's favorite and even Medea could see that he had insulted Hera (the goddess of marriage) by not honoring his own marriage vows to her. Jason was being selfish and Medea couldn't let him just get everything he wanted.

Imagine working so hard to help someone you loved and trusted and you sacrifice your own comfortable and cushy life only for them to steal your credit, take all of your stuff and curse you to a life of poverty, and despite how he fucked you and your children over, your children still had to praise their father because they are bound to his legacy! He is the reason why you are irrelevant and no one will ever remember you except as a stepping stone for HIS success!

Jason took Medea's credit, used her as a stepping stone to reach his heroic status and had children with her who were a part of taking care of his legacy and bound to avenge him if she killed him. But if she chose not to do anything to him he would win either way and his legacy was set to be praised forever, this time as a king who could continue to expand his legacy and potentially turn into a god like Hercules. There was nothing she could do about it.

How she won and ruined his legacy and reputation:

1) Using her status as Jason's property:

Like most ancient Greek women, Medea was seen as Jason's property which made her his responsibility.

A lot of people think it was unnecessary for her to have killed the princess of Corinth because it wasn't the princess's fault who her father wanted her to marry but Medea was trying to kill the king of Corinth himself and she knew he was going to hold his dying daughter without realizing he too would get killed through the poisoned garments. Plus Medea knew the princess of Corinth wanted to exile her children with her and doom them to a tragic life which is why she sent her children with gifts from Helios in order to beg the princess to change her mind about exiling them.

What would killing the king and his daughter do to Jason? He would be blamed for not knowing how to "handle" his woman and "control" her, as was expected of men back then. Her outbursts were his responsibility.

Her killing the leader of Corinth and his only successor made Corinth vulnerable for another kingdom to invade. As Jason's property this made Jason the reason behind Corinth's downfall, thus causing Jason to be known as a cursed hero who will ruin your city-state if you try to associate with him or even welcome him into your home.

2) Jason depended on his children to fix his reputation:

Did Medea have to kill her children? Yes, because she knew that if she didn't whether they wanted to or not, they would undo everything she had done to ruin him because when ancient Greek people did well their fathers would also be praised because their father's names were used as a last name for the child for example: Odysseus's full name is actually Odysseus son of Laertes and thus in the ancient world whenever you praised Odysseus you were also praising his father Laertes.

Similarly, Jason's children had a duty to fix their father's reputation which means that if she allowed them to live, they would also do their best to uphold his reputation and undo everything and Jason would still win. Even if they didn't like him or they didn't' want to they had to. Plus already being the great-grandchildren of Helios, the sun itself meant they were already great, which meant their father was already great because they had "son of Jason" attached to their names as a last name.

So imagine your ex has ruined your life because before he came into your life you were the princess of Colchis, the granddaughter of the sun itself, your father was a demigod and your aunt was Circe! The same Circe who turned Odysseus's men into pigs. You had everything and you left your glamorous life because you fell in love with someone who stole your credit, used your ancestral connections to Helios and ultimately betrayed you. And now that you found a way to ruin him in order to avenge yourself, your own children, regardless of their own complicated feelings towards their father would have to undo everything you did and uphold his legacy as a hero so he still won. But killing them would ensure your ex will be seen as a walking bad omen and ruin his reputation forever.

3) Killing her children sealed Jason's fate:

Jason never expected Medea to kill her own children, no one did because no woman had ever done that before but Medea herself was already a walking curse, she knew that if she killed her children the world would pity them and never blame them for what she did but if she allowed them to live they would be at odds with her because of how society favored fathers plus she also risked ruining their reputation and living a miserable life anyway because of her own reputation.

Being exiled meant they would potentially have faced a lot of SA as children who are doomed to wander and potentially live as slaves if they got kidnapped. Medea herself would have to be a sex worker if she wanted to make money to support her children as a single parent while Jason lived a glamorous life as the king of Corinth.

If she killed Jason they would have to kill her no matter how much they loved her or they would be cursed by the gods.

If they live they would automatically fix Jason's reputation if they gained glory and would have to blame their mother in order to explain why their father, the hero, was cursed. No one would care that Jason stole her credit and she was angry about it because they were married and according to their customs, she is his property and her credit is his credit.

But if Medea killed them, they would not be blamed for anything, they wouldn't be used as pawns to fix Jason's reputation and Jason would also be blamed for not knowing how to "handle" his wife and save his children, and Medea would finally get the revenge she has been wanting for every wrong Jason has ever committed. He would finally feel the pain she felt from his betrayal. He would finally feel as helpless as this game of chess made her feel. He would finally suffer in the way he made her suffer.

In the end she cursed him to live a life where his reputation was ruined and when he finally became irrelevant, he died being killed by the rotting wood of the very same ship which once made him great.

Checkmate.

[written-with-blue-ink]

Patrochillies headcanons? Literally any in general, I love these two depressed gay men so much.

Hey! Here are a few headcanons! I love these two gay men so much <3

Patrochilles Headcanons, Hades 1&2

Odysseus is the one who sets these two knuckleheads together. He saw brooding Achillies fawning over Patroclus who wasn’t picking it up at all and set them up.

He picked some yarrow flowers and left a note for Pat to meet his secret admirer at the edge of camp, and left Achilles there for him to confess with a bouquet of the yellowish petals. 

Patroclus started writing poetry because Achilles had terrible nightmares when they were growing up and in the Trojan War and didn’t wanna sleep. Pat’s poems and running fingers through his golden locks were the only things that put Achillies to sleep. 

After Pat died, Achilles kept a scroll/book of all of Pat’s poems and would read it every night instead of sleeping. 

Achilles is really good with braids and other hairstyles. His mother taught him growing up how to take spectacular care of his hair (at least in Ancient Greece where Shampoo was a new invention).

All this led Achilles to do Pat’s hair in large communal baths, braiding it and helping it heal after years of neglect (because Pat seems like the type who doesn’t care about his hair and it fell into tremendous disarray after he died).

The first thing Achillies does when they reunite (after hugging and kissing and crying) is sit Pat down and comb his hair out, dipping the comb into the river Lythe to help wrangle the curls and knots

Achilles, as a child of a sea goddess and related to the sea nymphs, has a heavenly singing voice. Patroclus called it “his siren song” whenever he sang. 

Pat always talked about growing old together so when both of them died, they accidentally chose similar ages (around 50's) because they died around 25ish max.

Achilles has always been extremely protective and cautious around new items, especially if they would hurt Patroculus who was naturally really curious and danger-prone as a child.

After the events of the first game, the two pseudo-adopt Iphigenia (which I headcanon is the Supportive Red Shade).

She chose to look younger (well, younger than she was when she died) by a few years, around 11-14.

They ran into her when they went to watch a match between Zagreus and Theseus, tagging along in her loud and vibrant cheers before they ever realized who she was.

Things were awkward between her and Achilles on part of the whole “thinking they were engaged before the truth came to light that she was there to be sacrificed” thing.

They train her in combat and she tags along with Achilles sometimes to meet Zagreus (who immediately recognizes her and absolutely adores her).

Achilles loves seeing them get along, his pseudo-adopted kids and Pat make his world whole. 

They have monthly nights where they kick Agamemnon’s ass (Achilles' enemy during the Trojan War and Iphigenia’s abusive father for those who don’t know).

[schwarz-san]

Danny is a normal fourteen year old boy in a household in a normal family.

His parents are doctor and engineers and has a smart older sister who likes psychology. He has a goth and a technerd as bestfriends in a normal highschool.

Then all of a sudden he's been kidnapped to be used as a sacrificed to a Eldritch Death God from beyond by some cult that literally came out of nowhere—

---

Danny is a normal kid.

Well, as normal as a kid of a couple with triple doctorates in Chemistry, Engineering and Demonology as well as black belt in multiple martial arts could be anyway .

He has a older sister that is interested in Psychology and proficient with Matial arts.

He's friends with a rich rebellious goth girl who likes plants and a tech genius boy who could probably hack pentagon if wanted that likes meat.

Life is fine.

Then he got interested in demonology and started reading his parents books.

(Maddie and Jack is so proud, their boy is following their footsteps!)

He then read something about a High Ghost King of The Infinite Realm from one of their ancestral books from his dads side. Way back when the Fentons was still called Fentonightingale's and still worked as the greatest and most infamous supernatural hunters around in the olden days.

He got hooked very quickly.

He studied and research more and more about the Ghost King, learning that its existence could be seen through out multiple civilization and mythology all across the globe and has been around way, way back to ancient greece, china, japan, egypt and so on.

He learned that it was considered as a Death God, Eldritch in nature in some cases. That its also represent life and death, balance, Stars, Planets, space and the entire cosmos itself as well as the sea of possibilities, that is simply known as the multiverse in modern culture.

It was known through various titles such as The Balance between Realms, The Absence of Heat, The Protector, The Great One, Halfa and many more with the title High Ghost King of the Infinite Realms being his most notable one.

Danny loves learning about the ghost king and the infinite realms.

On how it was the afterlife, and how it hold all other afterlife with itself. Its pantheon, its customs and its king.

Life is fine.

He graduate highschool with honors and recently got accepted in college, aiming for Engineering.

(He may love studying the supernatural but he still loves space and still defenitely aim to be an astronaut.)

Life is fine.

Then it reality came crashing down all in a blink of an eye.

His family got caught in a rouge accident while visiting gotham, only danny survived.

People who wants his parents tech and research are all hounding danny for their patents, for their tech, their researchs.

And they never stop.

Time passess and Danny is just tired of everything.

He dropped college.

He's pennyless.

Jobless.

His friends are out of reach.

(He heard rumors about the government and high standing people hounding them as well due to their connection with him)

And pretty much after that, he loss just about everything he has.

All except his fenton family heirloom books and his parents researchs.

So he lays on the floor of his crappy rundown apartment, disheveled, thick dark lines under his eyes, and unshaven face. His books, his parents research scattered and discarded around him on the floor along with numerous empty bottles and cans of beer and alcohol. Some bottles were even broken.

Danny is drowning and life is not fine.

Despair clawed deep in his chest as he continue to drowned in just about everything.

Despair

Sadness

Anger

Hate

Loneliness.

So on, so forth.

It was too much. Too much for a simple man like him too bear alone.

Until one day, he just can't anymore.

Broken shard from empty bottle of beer fall on his hand and his mind swirls. Every emotions, every suffering and all of his despair cultivating in to a potent, potent poison like poisonous critters fighting inside a poison jar.

He raised the broken shard in his hand before his bloodshot eyes fell on a discarded open book on the floor.

The Fenton family heirloom.

One that mentions the King of the Infinite Realms.

Then all of a sudden, memories rush back to Danny like water from a broken dam.

His childhood.

His parents.

His sister.

His friends.

His dreams of flying out of the planet.

His obsession with the ghostking and the ghost zone as his family labeled it.

His happy memories.

The accident that take everything away from him.

On how he loss everything.

On how… he doesn't have anything else to lose.

The fact that he doesn't have anything else to lose.

Tired, resigned and resolved, danny made his decision and blood fell to the floor.

--

Danny is an engineer.

A very smart one infact that he was often compared to the likes of Tony Stark and Reed Richards.

CEO of Fenton Works and formerly, Dalv co. (His Godfather insisted of making Danny inherit everything and Danny doesn't have the heart to refuse a dying man) , which he merged with his parents small company with the same name Fenton Works.

They are advance compared to other tech companies and could keep up to Stark's tech (probably one of the very very few that could keep them on their toes) that continue to ridiculously advance at a terrifying pace due to continuous study of alien tech that Stark manage to observe and get his hands on due to his superhero stint.

(No. Danny isn't jealous. Not by the fact that Stark could go in and out of space at his leasure. Not by the fact that he could go to other planets or the fact that he could meet real life aliens. No, shut up Tuck. Seriously dude, stop laughing–!)

Life is fine, he's engage and happy with his life and his family.

Then he got on a accident.

Sam is in coma, with no concrete time on when she'll wake up.

Her parents were angry of course but relented when they saw that state danny was in.

His arms were crushed and he cant feel anything from them.

The vary same hands that he use to craft. The very same hands that sam compliments whenever he made a new invention that made that hammer dude green with envy and made stark speechless.

Fenton work is declining. It wasn't obvious yet but they are slowly losing footing in the industry. All because he couldn't make anything new.

His parents helped, and the only reason that the company isn't crashing and burning to the ground yet. But even they could not totally prevent the company's slow and steady decline.

They then tried to find a way restore his hands.

They tried a lot of things, cybernetics to medical operations and medication, so on, so forth. They worked. But only by little as everything felt horryfyingly wrong whenever he tried any of his options, but for the sake of the fenton works, danny endured. Everything to ensure sam that everthing is alright the moment she woke up from her com.

It's been half a year since then.

Danny was in his office, typing on his computer with the Fenton Ghost Gloves on his hands that let him do work despite the condition of his hands when Wes suddenly barged to his office holding a flyer, yelling something about a way to permanently heal his hands and a possible way to wake up Sam from her coma.

That immediately got Danny's attention.

With hope in his eye and determination burning in his chest, Danny take the flyer and went to the place right of the bat. Lets just say that it wasn't what he was expecting at all.

Danny new of the supernatural. Kind of hard not to when your family have a been written in history books a the worlds greatest and infamous Supernatural Hunter bearing the Fentonightingale name and with Gods and all the magical shenanigans that keeps happening left and right that the Avengers have to deal with.

Which means that he shouldn't have been surprised that magic is involved with the flyer promising miraculous healing.

It's also strange (hah) to meet Stephen Strange again.

He knew the man, a little arrogant but definitely have the skills and talent to back it up. He also heared that he had an accident similar to his that led him to give up his medical career entirely unlike danny who make do with his fenton gloves.

Now he's a sorcerer, not just any sorcerer but The Supreme Sorcerer and may have been a Avenger now for all he knew. Doctor Strange, then gave him the option to either help him heal his hands or learn magic.

Danny chose magic of course.

(Sam would be so mad the he went on and learn magic on his own without her and Tucker)

Now, he just need to learn the magic to wake her up safely.

A year pass and Danny is a full bown sorcerer.

It baffled everyone how fast he learned that he's already nearing the Supreme Sorcerers level with only just a year. Definitely faster than the progress that Doctor Strange himself shown.

They all shuddered in horror once they heared his family name though, and Danny understand their reaction. A descendant of Fentonightingale himself, the greatest Witch Hunter, having magic is a image that they never would have imagine.

That said, it's also been a month since Sam woke up ( there was so much crying involve) and has been in rehab ever since.

She's mad that he learned magic own his own as expected and demanded that she and tucker learn it as well.

(He couldn't say no to her)

It also a shock to learn about Tuckers potential with magic, something about having Egyptian roots. Sam is jealous. Well, that was until she obtain some form of plant magic and make herself a walking terror to everyone.

(The illegal loggers and companies were not ready)

Meanwhile, Danny's specialty is tapping and looking through diferent dimentions, secretly of course, and space magic as well as exorcism related magic in honor of the Fentonnightingale name.

Life is well.

Until one day when he was scrying through other dimension, he encounter a very very large, endless dimension consisted of green skies. It's a dimension that Danny doesn't recognise so he got intrigue and he knew he should have told Doctor Strange immediately but well… his curiosity get the better of him and he take a peak. Just a little wee bit of peek and—

A massive Eldritch Eye looms and stare back at him.

"Uhhhhh—GAAAAAAAAAAHHHH—!"

-

It's been Eons and Danny has been The High Ghost King for quite a time.

Probably more considering that time in the Realms never really flows in a linear Fashion.

(He could tell, with all the time he spent at Clockwork's Lair, his position as the High King, dominion over Space and the fact that Time and Space are always intertwined and are lowkey perpendicular to one another so it's nly natural for him to do so)

Danny just got back from his vacation to another universe and may or may not have traumatize a lot of people (Arceus still won't remove the barricade he put at the Hall of Origins, Giratina may be traumatize as well but enjoys watching Arceus suffer so its worth it. Revenge for being lock away in his own lair. Hah!) And is feeling great! Sure Tuck and Sam were mad that he leave them with his own paperworks but can you say no to this adorable face? (Sam and Tuck grumbled as Danny make the Ookemon team he got from vacation to do puppy eyes with him and aim it to Sam and Tucker, like seriously, its not fair! Hes thousand years old how can he stay adorable after all that years!)

They forgave him but demand that they be included along when Danny decide to have another vacation. Though not before stealing his Pokemons and dumping athe backlogged paperworks on his desk.

Great…

So there he is, doing work like he hadn't taken a vacation and a Mt. Everest worth of paperworks.

(Danny doesn't know what he'll do with out his duplicates)

He's done about half of them (what can he say, hes fast and just want to go to bed) when he felt something.

He could feel it. The ripples from countless universes hapening everywhere all at once, they touched the surface of the Infinite Realms and made themselves known. Normally, ripples isn't something to be worried about. There will be people, gods, cosmic beings and such that will always deal with them one way or another so beings from the realms rarely bothered. This one though is different. Because it messes with the realms, something that almost never happened before.

Further more, he could feel something tugging at his core, which only happens when he was being summoned most of the time.

Putting his paperwork aside (oh yes, finally a valid excuse), Danny take a look to the one he could feel is scrying throigh the realms with magic.

He tuen Eldritch and peak back to the rude person peaking without permission.

Danny wasn't expecting to see a version of him scrying through the realms with sorcery of all things.

He shut his Sorcerer version's spell as he heard the man scream in terror.

(Danny snorted, for some reason, he found it hilarious)

Welp, I guess it's about time to visit Clockwork.

[whencyclopedia]

Ecclesiazusae

The Ecclesiazusae (aka Assemblywomen) is a comedy play written by Aristophanes, one of the great Greek comic playwrights. Written sometime between 393 and 391 BCE, it is, along with his play Wealth, one of only two he wrote after the Athenian defeat in the Peloponnesian War. In 403 BCE a new democratic government was reestablished in Athens; however, continued conflicts with Sparta had drawn heavily on both the finances of the city and its manpower. The future of the city remained in question. In the Ecclesiazusae Aristophanes proposed a unique solution: turn the running of the government over to the women of the city. As in his play Lysistrata, the central character of the play is a strong-willed woman - Praxagora. Together with other wives, who are disguised as men, she presents her ideas at the Assembly of Athens and convinces the men to relinquish control of the government. As the newly appointed commander, Praxagora quickly enacts a series of radical changes: community property, communal dwellings and meals, and no brothels. Reluctantly, many of the men quickly adapt to the new order of things. Of course, the possibility that women might rule in a city where they could not normally even vote and Aristophanes' use of that notion for comedy is indicative of just how male-dominated the society of ancient Athens was.

Life of Aristophanes

Aristophanes was one of the best examples of the “grace, charm, and scope” of Old Attic Comedy. Unfortunately, his works from this period are the only ones known to exist - only eleven of his plays have survived. Very little is known of his early life. Since most of his plays were written between 427 and 386 BCE, it helps place his death around 386 BCE. A native of Athens, he was the son of Philippus and owned land on the island of Aegina. He had two sons, one of whom became a playwright of minor comedies. Although participating little in Athenian politics, Aristophanes was an outspoken critic, via his plays, of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta and those politicians who supported it. His portrayal and attack of the statesman Cleon in the play The Babylonians landed him in court in 426 BCE. Author Edith Hamilton, in her book The Greek Way, said that Aristophanes wore the “halo of Greece” and that all of life could be seen in the plays of Aristophanes; politics, war, pacifism, and religion.

By the time Aristophanes began to write, Greek drama was in serious decline. Although Aristophanes is sometimes condemned for bringing drama down from the high-level of the tragedian Aeschylus, his plays, with their simplicity and vulgarity, have been recognized and appreciated for their rich fantasy as well as humor and indecency. Editor Moses Hadas in his book Greek Drama wrote that while Aristophanes could write poetry that was delicate and refined, he could also, at the same time, demonstrate bawdiness and gaiety. To many his comedies were a blend of wit and invention. Although somewhat quiet on the subject of Athenian politics, Aristophanes opposed all changes in the traditional aspects of philosophy, education, poetry, and music. Norman Cantor in his book Antiquity said the playwright reflected the conservative opinion of many Athenians, showing them to be people who valued old simplicity and morality. In short, they viewed all new innovations as being subversive.

Continue reading...

[gotstabbedbyapen]

Hyacinthus Iceberg Meme EXPLAIN (P5)

Part 1 ✿ Part 2 ✿ Part 3 ✿ Part 4 ✿ Part 5

It's time for me to answer your questions about this Hyacinthus iceberg meme. There is a lot to tackle, so I'll divide it into 5 parts for the sake of my sanity.

Quick disclaimer: I am NOT an expert in Greek mythology, just a fan of Hyacinthus who wants to learn about him and anyone related to him. Most of the things I'm about to discuss are just theories and speculations of a passerby on the Internet, so do not take them as valid facts!

Bonus disclaimer: We are now entering the "just a theory" section of the iceberg. While the previous parts have myths and essays to back them up, most of the sections here are theories I made up (or shared with other scholars) and might not always be supported by literature texts.

What is the meaning of Hyacinthus' name?

We know is that "Hyacinthus" is a very old name, because the "-nth" suffix indicates its pre-Hellenic origin, or at least that's what Bernard C. Dietrich's "The Origins of Greek Religion" said (cited on Wikipedia). I haven't found a free PDF version of this book yet so I can't verify myself, but if any of you can, I would really appreciate your input!

Because "Hyacinthus" is very ancient, I have two questions: what is the meaning of this name and or what word/root did it derive from?

According theo Theoi.com, Hyacinthus' name was translated to "Larkspur flower" (as seen below)

However, I suspect this translation was coined much later when the god Hyacinthus had been watered down to a mortal, and the name meaning had been morphed and might not hold true for the ancient Hyacinthus. Or the ancient Hyacinthus name did mean "larkspur" and the myth was written to explain why this god share the same name as the flower.

Who knows!

Hyacinthus is the aboriginal god of Amyclae

This is just me doing some Olympic-level mental gymnastics. I can't remember where or if I've read this theory in any other research before, so you gotta endure my mindless rambling in this part.

With the many evidence indicating Hyacinthus was a pre-Hellenic god with a defined role and worship in Amyclae (Sparta), can he also be the very first god in this land? Here's how I think it's plausible:

According to Pausanias' Description of Greece, in Lacedaemonian traditions, Hyacinthus is a direct descendant of Lelex, the in-myth aboriginal king of Laconia. So what if this is a case of people from the same family line being conflated with each other? It seemed to happen with Polyboea and her great-granddaughter Phylonoe, who were often identified with one another (although this one is still questionable as I haven't found any academic articles).

And there you have it. Hyacinthus and Lelex. There could be a slim chance.

Why was Hyacinthus watered down into a mortal???

Hyacinthus was once a chthonic vegetation god worshipped in Amyclae, so why was he watered down into a mortal (or at best, a demigod) in the now-known myth? Was it because when Apollo's cult came along he was turned into a mortal and killed off to "make room" for the new god? But even then, Hyacinthus was still brought back and worshipped with Apollo as a duo, so why all the changes?

And this is not just a strange transition for Hyacinthus. Ariadne was also an ancient Great Goddess of Crete (even with the super cool epithet "Mistress of the Labyrinth") now became a princess. I wonder if the other mortal heroes, especially the ones that was made immortal later, had the same treatment as well.

Hyacinthus and Apollo are "married"

The word "married" should be put in triple quotation marks because Apollo and Hyacinthus weren't actually married like a gay couple would in the 21st century. What I mean is they are "married" in the sense of sharing a shrine together and are worshipped as a duo. Zeus and Hera, a famous married deity couple, shared a lot of shrines together.

So now we have the Apollo - Hyakinthos cult. Hyacinthus once had a wife (who could be Polyboea, as seen in the next section), but she was replaced by Apollo. What's interesting is that Apollo became Hyacinthus' shrine spouse instead of replacing him, resulting in a male-male duo, rather than the typical male-female duo, with seemingly equal respect. Some would argue they were one and the same.

As to why this happens to Apollo and Hyacinthus, I haven't found articles discussing it yet. I will try though!

Polyboea is either Hyacinthus' OG wife or daughter

I suspect the OG shrine spouse of Hyacinthus - before Apollo's worship came to Amyclae - was Polyboea.

Brother-sister sibling duos in Greek mythology are often depicted as husband and wife, e.g. Kronos-Rhea, Zeus-Hera, and even Apollo-Artemis were derived from a married couple before they became twins. Because Polyboea and Hyacinthus are siblings, were depicted to be carried to the Heavens together, and possibly worshipped in the same shrine and festival (the Hyacinthia), they could have been an ancient deity couple in Amyclae.

Are there any basis on this? Well, the website Occult World cited that "The Golden Bough" by James George Frazer was the one suggested this theory, and I'm still looking for a free PDF to fact-check it (yes, I'm a cheap one looking for free stuff)

I've mentioned the theory of Polyboea being Hyacinthus' daughter in part 4, that is was suggested in the book "Cults of Apollo at Sparta" by Michael Pettersson:

Basically, Hyacinthus the prince and Hyacinthus the father of the Hyacinthides (in part 4) could be conflated with one another, and therefore, the scene of Hyacinthus and Polyboea on the altar relief was depicting a father sacrificing his daughter. But there is also another interpretation in this book: Polyboea, the daughter, is going through a ritual where she went from a maiden to a woman.

The Hyacinthia was also seen as an initiation rite by ancient Spartan, where young boys and girls who attended the festival will leave it as official adults. The boys will become men ready to join the military and the girls will become women ready to enter marriage.

Furthermore, the presence of Demeter - Kore/Persephone - Hades trio and Artemis - Athena - Aphrodite trio might serve as allegories. We know, from part 4, that the former trio was connected to the Hyacinthia because Persephone's abduction myth symbolize the girl-to-woman the transition.

But what about the latter? Well, according to Pettersson:

Yeah, the virgin goddesses Artemis and Athena represent Polyboea's maidenhood stage and Aphrodite, goddess of love and fertility, is her entering the married life of womanhood.

As from the allegories from the gods, along with the preparation for a sacrificed maiden and a soon-to-be-wedded bride being similar, Polyboea's role as the "sacrificed daughter" and the "maiden becoming woman" could go hand in hand.

Of course, the explanation is more complicated than what I just presented, so I really recommend you guys to check out the book itself for a full view!

Who is Hyacinthus before Apollo?

Let's be real, we (admittedly, myself included) know Hyacinthus first as a lover of Apollo, and second as his own person. When we read the myth, it mostly focus on Apollo's conquest and grief, not much about the prince himself.

So it begs the question: who is Hyacinthus before Apollo?

Is he a local god the Amycleans worshipped before the arrival of Apollo's cult?

Is he a real life man with such great deeds that he was deified in the eyes of his people?

What other heroic achievements did he make?

Was he ever known by a different name?

Has he always been Hyacinthus or is this just the final form he took after millennia of changes?

We cannot know for sure, and we probably never will.

In fact, this final part of the explanation series isn't to be answered, but be used as a prompt for future studying of this prince and god of Sparta. As you can see from my iceberg meme and explain series, there is actually a lot more about Hyacinthus than meets the eye. His historical impacts, worship evolution, mythology roles, etc. aren't as well-documented as other characters, so he can be quite obscure or not analyzed as much by the general audience. He was more than just a lover who died.

This is one of the reasons why I love Hyacinthus, studying him is both a thrill and a pain because there is so much and so little to obtain. And I hope my silly brain rot over him will inspire you to learn just a bit more about my favorite Spartan prince.

THE END

[haruniki]

Movie Night- CSM

What your fav is choosing for movie night!- Power, Kobeni, Reze, Asa/Yoru, Quanxi(+the gfs), Makima, and Himeno

a/n: first post that i am making from a computer waaaahhh, sorry if it’s bad lol I watched some movies today and i wanted to share what I think some of the characters from CSM would watch! I hope you guys enjoy, also trying to branch out writing some of the characters so there's a bit more in this one i think. Also all movies choosen are just ones that i think they would watch, these are also mostly movies I’ve watched! some of these movie choices suck/are probs overused

POWER:

Power has a very versatile list of movies that she wants to watch every single time

Getting to watch a movie dates are most likely her reward from you for bathing or being good

Power’s pick of a good movie are mostly likely horror movies. The more gorey the better, the more blood shown the better as well.

Always laughing at the horrific scenes

Doesn’t like horror movies where the people have to go through elaborate puzzles to live. Power finds those boring and way to long. (Definitely not disliking Saw)

Power’s go to movie is Texas Chainsaw Massacre! It reminds her of Denji and she likes taking notes of what’s going on then asking Denji if he’s able to do the things that were in the movie.

While watching the movie, Power is really invested! Finds the movies very interesting. Holds Meowy up to see the screen while asking Meowy questions.

“Meowy, don’t you think the movie is interesting? Oh wow! Look at him chopping up that human! Weaklings! I would never be killed in such a way.”

KOBENI:

Kobeni likes movies that have a nice storyline and cute characters!

When she’s able to, Kobeni always choosen a movie that makes her feeling happy! She’s most likely choosing a Studio Ghibli film or a popular romance film!

Howl’s Moving castle is one of Kobeni’s favorite movies to watch on her days off. She likes to be able to be in her pajamas while laying either on the couch or on the bed cuddling with you. Maybe even having a snack or two nearby.

She loves pointing out detail in the scene as well as repeating some of the lines that she knows by heart, though she’ll get embarrassed if you tease her about it.

Kobeni especially loves it when you remember little facts that she tells you about the movie!

“uhh, I know it’s not in the movie, but Sophie.. Sophie actually has powers in novel! I really think they could’ve added it in the movie but I suppose it makes the movie storyline move better. AH! Sorry, I was rambling!”

Kobeni’s favorite character is Turnip Head! She finds Turnip Head helping Sophie along in her adventures adorable!

REZE:

Action Movies with a bit of romance!

While it might be a bit cheesy, Reze likes movies that have both action and some romance. She think it’s nice that throughout all the violence that occurs that the main character and their love interest can still fall in love.

Her top movie of this kinda of movie is Divergent. 

She likes the main character and finds the storyline exciting and interesting.

Definitely read the book series and liked it just as much, maybe even better than movie itself.

Likes explaining niche details in the movie, maybe slightly spoiling the movie/book itself.

“So in this scene, you can see that she’s about to get a tattoo, but your gonna wanna notice the kind of tattoo it is! This will be important for later in the movie and- Heyy (y/nn) are ya listening?”

definitely looks up the actors to see what other movies/shows they’re apart of 

Reze also nit picks certain parts of the movie and how they differ from the book 

ASA/Yoru

Asa doesn’t really watch movies. I see her watching more documentaries than movies.

Likes watching documentaries with you on different topics from oceanic life to ancient greece life.

Doesn’t really talk during these moments you both are watching, but will pause to discuss part of it with you or to correct the speaker about how the information they said was slightly incorrect. (mostly does that during oceanic documentaries)

“I disagree with what they said. While yes you can eat starfish, you have to be careful. A large handful of starfish are poisonous and it’s dangerous to eat them. You can differentiate between them though but that would involve you having to do your own research about such a topic. I don’t see you having to eat those anytime soon, plus if you did-”

Asa is always proud when you praise her for knowing so much. Even offering to teach you a bit more as a study date!

Yoru doesn’t really watch movies or anything but does also like documentaries. Specifically, about weaponry or even wars.

Watching the weaponry documentaries provides her with more ideas for weapons. Likes to also watch the clips of the weapons being made.

War documentaries are a bit different with Yoru though. She oddly proud of them and wishes for you to praise her for them, going so far as to slightly nudge you to hopefully prompt you to compliment such awful events.

“Y’know, I’m the one who cause all of that. Such memorable events came from me! It’s shame that nobody else seems to remember them, ah! But you can boast about how your dating someone so powerful if you wish.”

You might have to explain why those aren’t boastful events even if she pouts.

QUANXI(+the gfs):

Quanxi doesn’t choose what movie is being watched. She usually lets you and the other girls choose. 

However, it isn’t unusually for her to be a tie breaker for a movie. Depending on the movie and her mood, she’ll choose whichever she feels more like watching.

These can range from a horror movie (Cosmo’s choice being Halloween) to mystery movies (Pingsti choice being Where the Crawdads Sing) 

Quanxi usually chooses the movie of whoever she hasn’t been paying more attention to. 

A cuddle pile always occurs during the movies in which almost everyone falls asleep.

Snacks are also always present during these movie nights too. A whole buffet of choices

Quanxi most likely feeds one of the girls and the rest then all ask to be fed there choice of snack

“Eveyone got to eat there snack right? Oh (y/n), c’mere, you got a little somethin’ on your mouth.”

This leads to movie getting completely forgot, sometimes it’s a wonder why a movie night is even held.

MAKIMA:

While a bit of a mystery, one thing that’s for certain about Makima is her love for films.

Makima loves having movies night, especially when you choose then film. She likes to know the reasoning behind your choice. 

Are you sad or mad? Perhaps in a mood for laughs? Romantic movies perhaps you wish for something to happen throughout the movie?

Whatever the reason is, Makima enjoys watching you pick movies.

Makima usually chooses films that might make no sense or that have an artsy way of videography. Though she usually doesn’t say anything or show much emotion during the film

Makima doesn’t really have a favorite film. She likes ones that can make her feel emotions that she might not normally.

A film I believe Makima might genuinely like is Titanic. While an old movie and probably over used movie, it still has a nice storyline and pretty visuals.

“This movie is quite interesting. Were you interested in the romantic aspect of the film or perhaps the tragedy that was the boat sinking? Truly an interesting event, yes?”

Whatever the movie choice is, Makima is sure to even slightly enjoy even if it isn’t something she likes or usually watches.

HIMENO:

On the days that Himeno isn’t working or out drinking with her friends in the division, Himeno enjoys watching movies all day in her pajamas while eating either take out or whatever she has in her house with you.

She always welcome a nice laugh, so comedy movies are definitely her favorites.

Himeno especially likes movies that feature Adam Sandler

Whether that be Grown Ups or Hotel Transylvania, she doesn’t mind.

Loves quote random lines even if the lines are cringey.

Will probably watch any/all comedy movies the she can get her hands on. As long as she can get a good laugh she’s fine with it!

Definitely calls you to tell you that she bought five new movies that you both just have to watch right that moment.

“ Okay so before you come home, head to the convivence store near our place and buy an assload of snacks, OH! And drinks, can’t forget those, No need to grab any beer, i think there’s already some in the fridge. See you at home, ‘kay?”

Overall, Himeno is probably chill with whatever kind of movie you want to watch, but prefers things with comedy or atleast a comedic relief.

[thevirginwitch]

The Origin & Evolution of Correspondences in Witchcraft

This post was shared a week early over on my Patreon! Working a day-job and running a blog full-time is a ton of work, so any support is insanely appreciated! Patrons will receive early access to content, exclusive content such as research notes and book recommendations, free tarot readings, access to a private Discord channel within my server, discounted products from my Etsy store, free digital files, voting power on my content, and MUCH more! Check it out here for as little as $2/month.

If you’ve been a witch for a while, you’ve probably asked yourself: where do correspondences come from? Who decided that lavender was good for calming, or that obsidian was good for absorbing negative energy? Where does the concept of correspondences come from in the first place? To answer these questions, we must first look at something called “correlative thinking”: Marcel Granet (1884-1940), a French sociologist, coined the term “correlative thinking”, which can be defined as “thinking of an item of one class by correlating it with an item of another class”, typically organizing and relating “natural, political/social, and cosmological data in highly ordered arrays or systems of correspondence.” Sound familiar?

Correlative thinking takes many forms throughout religion, philosophy, and humanity – even showing up as early as Mesopotamia, where they believed events on earth ran parallel to events in heaven: “each city-state had its own patron god and every change in the balance of power between the city-states was seen as the direct reflection of a change in the relationship of the gods.” (Cavendish, pg. 12) In ancient Greece and among Hellenic philosophers, they came up with the “macrocosm/microcosm” analogy, which describes the relationship between the smaller, human being (the microcosm) with the much bigger, seemingly infinite cosmos (the macrocosm).

This correlative thinking is prevalent in many magical texts throughout the years – including The Emerald Tablet (late 8th-early 9th century), The Picatrix (a 9th century Arabic grimoire), The Key of Solomon (1312), and the Three Books of Occult Philosophy (1533). After the publication of The Three Books of Occult Philosophy and the boom of new-age spiritualism in the 1970s, there have been a massive number of publications related to witchcraft, correspondences, ritual magic, and more. For the purpose of this post, however, we’ll be focusing on these foundational texts to better understand the evolution and origin of correspondences.

The Emerald Tablet, dated around the late 8th-early 9th century, is one of the most highly influential texts within the philosophical and occult realm. An English translation of a line of text within The Emerald Tablet provides one of the most popular terms among new agers and modern pagans: “That which is above is like to that which is below, and that which is below is like to that which is above”. A shortened version of this phrase, “as above, so below”, can be found in Helena Blavatsky’s work, Isis Unveiled (1877), where it became massively popularized among the modern pagan community. This phrase, along with terms related to correlative thinking, tie back to many cultures – including China, India, and more.

The Picatrix, 9th-century Arabic grimoire on astrological magic, is yet another influential piece of text. This text contained astrological magic, magical potions and spells, and different Hermetic, Neoplatonic, and Aristotelianism philosophical passages – and it also included the explanations of links between planets and intangible objects such as colors and perfumes/fragrances.

After a few series of translations in the 12th and 13th centuries, the information within the Picatrix (and other sources) were recorded and arranged by Henry Cornelius Agrippa (1486-1535) in his work, Three Books of Occult Philosophy in 1509 (not being published until 1533). From there, Dr. John Dee (1527-1604) expanded on Agrippa’s work in the 1580s and 1590s.

Shortly after, in 1620, the Magical Calendar was published, which compressed much of the previous material. This calendar, amazingly recorded on one page, “contains tables of correspondences arranged by number, from one to twelve. The material is based largely on the extensive tables in Agrippa, book II, but goes beyond this, especially in its inclusion of sigils.” (Skinner, pg. 14)

Moving onto another incredibly influential text, The Signature of All Things, published by Jakob Bohme in 1764, covers a similar concept to correlative thinking known as ‘the doctrine of signatures’: God created everything on Earth with a “signature”, or sign, that tells you what that object’s purpose is. The idea is that any plant, herb, or object on earth should resemble what it’s purpose is – for example, walnuts (which look like brains) are used for brain health, and tomatoes (which are red, plump, and contain ventricles like the human heart) are used for heart health. Obviously, this concept was adopted in the context of medicinal use – by looking up an object’s signature within this book, a physician could theoretically find treatments for specific illnesses. While the contents of this book (and similar texts) have been debunked as pseudoscience, the influence of the doctrine of signatures is prevalent in witchcraft correspondences today.

In 1888, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was founded, and during that time S L MacGregor Mathers (1954-1918) and Dr. Wynn Wescott (1845-1925) prepared knowledge lectures for the Order, which eventually led to the generation of a Book of Correspondences (unpublished). According to Adam McLean in his edition of The Magical Calendar, this book circulated among members of the inner order of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and was later published by Aleister Crowley as his own work, Liber 777 (1909). Meanwhile, in 1908, The Kybalion (an anonymously written text, though often attributed to William W. Atkinson [1862-1932]) was published, including topics like “The Principle of Correspondence” and “The Planes of Correspondence”.

From here on, we have an uproar in magical texts, thanks to the new-age/spiritualism movement of the 70s and 80s – popular authors like Gerald Gardner, Scott Cunningham, Ray Buckland, and many others published works on the subject of magic, often including their own correspondences, typically influenced or inspired by the works of Crowley, Mathers, and Atkinson. Of course, the contents of these modern texts are what is most recognizable to practitioners today – we usually find tables of information, relating astrological signs, herbs, planets, feelings, colors, and more to their “meanings”: protection, anti-stress, happiness, love, etc.

As it stands, correspondences are a by-product of the ‘correlative thinking’ concept we covered earlier – this correlative thinking shows up in Mesopotamia, and evolved throughout magical texts and grimoires, eventually becoming these “tables of magical correspondences” that we are familiar with seeing in modern witchcraft and pagan books and resources.

As I round off this post, I want to share a quote from Richard Cavendish in his book, The Black Arts: “Man is a tiny replica of the universe. If two things are naturally associated together in the human mind, which is an image of the ‘mind’ of the universe, this is evidence of a real connection between the two things in the universe. Many of the important magical analogies and connections are not natural to most people’s minds today, but have been handed down by tradition from the remote past. This enhances their value for occultists, who believe that humanity was a great deal wiser in these matters in the remote past than it is now.” As practitioners, particularly modern practitioners, I feel we put too much emphasis on older concepts and traditions. While there’s nothing necessarily wrong with sticking to traditions and building off of older magical systems, I think it’s just as important that we work on our own magical systems – what does the color red mean to you? What about the planet Jupiter? Find out what works for you – you may find that it makes you feel more connected to your craft and your practice, and your workings could become more powerful, too.

Sources/Further Reading:

Dictionary of Gnosis & Western Esotericism by Wouter Hanegraaff

Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa

The Signature of All Things by Jakob Bohme

The Black Arts by Richard Cavendish

A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult by DK

The Complete Magician’s Tables by Stephen Skinner

Neurobiology, Layered Texts, and Correlative Cosmologies: A Cross-Cultural Framework for Premodern History by Farmer et al

https://youtu.be/p0z3MuuB9uc

https://youtu.be/gYSGSjU84vE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx1av438mLY

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/matauryn/2018/06/03/magickal-correspondences/

https://howardchoy.wordpress.com/tag/correlative-thinking/

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/An-abstract-diagram-meant-to-illustrate-the-perfectly-correlative-structure-of-the_fig4_237249544

https://swedenborg.com/emanuel-swedenborg/explore/correspondences/

[songbirdspells]

Read Along: Ancient Greece A Political, Social and Cultural History by Sarah Pomeroy, Stanley Burstein, Walter Donlan, Jennifer Tolbert Roberts. Long post, reminder that you can blacklist "songbird chirps" and/or "read along ancient greece book" to avoid these posts.

(Pg 2) "Though religion inspired much of architecture, literature, and even athletic competitions, which were held to honor the gods, Greek government and society often seemed to function in an entirely secular manner. Marriage, for example, was a purely civil affair, and divorce was not believed to distress the gods at all. The gods were nowhere and everywhere. Ideals of equality were preached by men who usually owned slaves and believed in the inferiority of women."

Thoughts: The quote "the gods were nowhere and everywhere" hits hard but no real use for it -Interesting that they list a lot of everyday aspects of life then say things are mostly secular. But makes sense in a way--humanity has remained roughly the same and some people make religion a part of every single thing and other people are the 'church on major holidays' sorts of people. Would like to see their source for this, though, as whether the original authors were religious or not seems to greatly affect their opinion. -The slave thing...yes. Noted a lot especially in literature about Athens life, Spartan life, agricultural, and mining operations. Just like now, philosophers tended to be wealthy men who ignored the people doing the actual labor. For some reason these authors then go on to quote those same slave-owning bastards with their hot takes on Greek labor with no caveats so that's fun.

(Pg 4-5) "Materials decay, and the soil of Greece is not good for preserving things. Accordingly, artifacts made of wood, cloth, and leather are rarely found. Metals fare better: gold and silver last almost forever; bronze is fairly durable, iron more subject to corrosion. Another material, virtually indestructible, is terra-cotta."

Thoughts: Survivorship bias is something to always be mindful of. Especially looking at what is surviving--it is all materials by and for rich people, who will not give us an accurate portrayal of day to day life of the Greeks, and will leave us holes in terms of every day worship practices. However, terra-cotta was extremely cheap and plentiful so possibly also explains the amount of surviving votive offerings with it.

(Pg 6) "The most common medium for writing in the ancient Mediterranean was papyrus"

Thoughts: rip people's grocery lists and burn books. But in seriousness, again, survivorship bias! We see such a small amount of how the majority lived and worshiped.

(Pg 9) "When all is said and done, what stands out about the Greeks is the great paradox: a single people, yet totally disunited and regularly at war with itself."

Thoughts: Why it's important to note geographical locations when speaking about rituals when possible. What happens in one polis may not happen in another. This is American-centric but it's very similar to how the states are set up. People from Alaska don't have much in common in day to day life with people from Iowa, but they're both American and statistically are going to hold similar religious beliefs. There is never going to be just one way to do things. Also explains the different holiday calendar due to differing climates and needs.

(Pg 15) "Water, the most precious natural resource, is scarce in Greece because there are very few rivers that flow year round, and few lakes, ponds, and springs"

Thoughts: Find that agricultural book again and look for references for wells. It could also explain the importance of libations above all offerings--they're giving a finite resource. Could also explain why even the gods give libations. One drought and I can promise everyone is religious as all get out. Also, remember the messages left at Zeus' temple and how snippy people got about the rain. It is likely connected, reference maps between those temples and location of rivers to ensure mental connection is correct.

[hero-israel]

So I'm Christian & I'm Sierra Leonean and Irish & I'm like, the biggest Zionist in my town 😅

Today someone brought up the recent post Bassem Yussef (idk that i spelled that right) (https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBIspyMJjZu/?igsh=NzhvOHhkYTA3OHZl) made, about how Jews only tie to the land is religion, but they wanna claim Israel is not a theocratic state. & I sorta blew up at the chick who brought it up & now I'm doubting my accuracy. & since you seem to know your stuff, I figured maybe you could approve or give me a hint, so I can correct my claims before she fact-checks me on it 💀

Basically, my argument was -

He can't be that stupid. History. The answer is history.

In and outside of religion.

It's just like most of Cyprus and Turkey could justifiably be called and claimed by Greece (and has been attempted to do so) (due to historical & archaeological proof, which is based on and revolved around Ancient Greek Religion).

Israel's archaeological history proves the claim and origin of the Jewish people.

Now, no one can really argue that no Arabs today should have any claim to the land, I'm sure Jews converted in Arabic Palestine and when they were slaves in Roman and Christian Europe. & I'm sure at some point genealogy becomes a untraceable mix.

But historical fact also proofs that not many people ever converted to Judaism (it was just not practical, or popular or save to do so.)

So, most Judaism today is the only inherited trait the then slaves taken by the Romans (and possibly refugees) still share.

And genetically, most of them can actually be linked in some way. Judaism is the only/mosy persistent historial tie to the land. The only thing descendants of Roman slaves still have in common.

Black people have skin colour to indicate their heritage and getting rid of melanin takes quite a while.

But take, say native Americans out of the US for 500 years, send them to places like North Korea or Belarus, or Russia or China & allow them to mix with the them - there's not going to be much of a traceable indication of who they were left, except the stories, believes and rituals that past generations pass down them. That doesn't diminish their claim to the land or their history tho.

And it's the same for Jews. I'm sure there's tons of European Christians or Middle Eastern Muslims or Indian Hindus, who have Roman slaves (or Ancient Palestinian/Israeli refugees) as ancestors & have ties to the land.

But we have forgotten our past & let go of our connection, somewhere along the family tree. And that is okay.

We're allowed to forget. We're allowed to accommodate others. But you cannot deny the history or the truth.

Thank you for writing - and for helping to spread the word about our right to live in our homeland in peace!

I try to be patient with Bassem Youssef, I really do. He's very telegenic and he's not at the hatemongering level of a Mehdi Hasan or Mohammed El-Kurd. The question he asked wasn't inherently unfair - it's just that it also wasn't very meaningful and someone who had read a book about Jews and Israel could have firmly answered it in ten seconds.

Yes, as you said - our history links us there. It is very literally the Jewish homeland, you don't have to believe in talking snakes and burning bushes to be able to dig up archeological sites mentioned in the Torah and still bearing Hebrew writing.

Youssef is being disingenuous re: whether the Jews have "more" of a right to the land than Palestinians. Is he talking about in the 1940s, when for decades "Palestinian" had meant Jew and the modern understanding of a Palestinian Arab identity hadn't really formed yet? Or is he talking about today - when Palestinians live under Palestinian governments in Palestinian territories? He can argue for improving Palestinian rights and sovereignty, or he can morally preen and splutter about "how DARE those Jews of all people!" - he really can't do both.

And note that while he's not full hatemonger level, he is pretty explicitly denying that Jews are a people or ethnic group - we can ONLY be a religion, so anyone who is an atheist can't be Jewish and can't press any claim to the land. The concept that Israel is a "theocracy" is in itself laughable, as is the notion that any country with a favored religion must be one; Denmark and the UK certainly aren't. Note that his "all you Zionists in particular are atheists" snotglob is basically a copy-paste from pseudohistorian Ilan Pappe.

[maverick-werewolf]

NONFICTION BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT - The Werewolf: Past and Future now available in HARDBACK!

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT - my popular nonfiction werewolf book (on folklore and many things besides), The Werewolf: Past and Future - Lycanthropy's Lost History and Modern Devolution, is now available in hardback, in addition to paperback and ebook/digital!

Click here to purchase on Amazon.com!

Also check out the many pics of it in this post (plus the book received cat approval; pics included)! Note that pictures are, obviously, of a proof copy.

The book is very good quality! I'm impressed! You won't be disappointed. The hardcover is nice and hefty without being bulky, and the spine is sturdy and lovely.

And best of all, the book comes kitty certified, inspected by Ty Beanie Baby (yes, that is his name) himself.

He gave it a sniff.

And even honored it with a rub. Clearly it's a good book. And it didn't fall over! It's very sturdy.

(Disclaimer: He did just want treats afterward, as he cannot read. Treats and pettings were of course given.)

Synopsis:

Since before recorded history, werewolves have captivated human imagination. Simultaneously, they represent our deepest fears as well as our desire to connect with our primal ancestry. Today, werewolves are portrayed negatively, associated with violence, cruelty, cannibalism, and general malevolence. However, in ages past, legends depicted them not as monsters, but as a range of neutral to benevolent individuals, such as traveling companions, guardians, and knights. The robust legacy of the werewolf spans from prehistory, through ancient Greece and Rome, to the Middle Ages, into the Early Modern period, and finally into present-day popular culture. Over the ages, the view of the werewolf has become distorted. Media treatment of werewolves is associated with inferior writing, lacking in thought, depth, and meaning. Werewolves as characters or creatures are now generally seen as single-minded and one-dimensional, and they want nothing more than to kill, devour, and possibly violate humans. Hollywood depictions have resulted in the destruction of the true meanings behind werewolf legends that fascinated and terrified humans for so many ages. If these negative trends were reversed, perhaps entertainment might not only discover again some of the true meanings behind the werewolf myth, but also take the first steps toward reversing negative portrayals of wolves themselves, which humans have, for eons, wrongfully stigmatized and portrayed as evil, resulting in wolves receiving crueler treatment than virtually any other animal. To revive the many questions posed by lycanthropy, entertainment must show respect to the rich history of so many cultures all around the world – and rediscover the legend of the werewolf.

Again, be sure to check out the book on Amazon.com!

If you would prefer to buy a signed copy directly from me, I'll have something very fun in store for you in October... along with another surprise: a brand new book! And it's more werewolf nonfiction. My big fiction publication is coming next year, and it's also werewolf-related. It's a great time to love werewolves.

Expect another big announcement soon about a brand new nonfiction werewolf folklore book!

So stay tuned for a whole lot more on the way! Be sure to give me a follow here and elsewhere on social media. I'll also have a newsletter coming very soon that'll help you keep up with my work, and it'll come with free reading!

Until next time, and happy fall!

Patreon --- Wulfgard --- Werewolf Fact Masterlist --- Twitter

[soular-sisters]

The Origins Of Horoscopes 🔮

as an astrologer who has been mesmerized by the cosmos for 10 years, i have come to have an honest disagreeance for horoscopes. although those whimsical columns are what naturally gravitated me to the world of astrology, it is a shame that horoscopes are what seems to come to the average person's mind when they think of the zodiac. it is our personal belief that the fantastical nature of horoscopes overshadow the beauty of astrology. but this made us wonder.... where did horoscopes come from? continue on to learn about, the origins of horoscopes.

Ancient Times

🔮 The Silk Roads: The earliest evidence of horoscopes date back to the 3rd millennium BCE in Mesopotamia.

🔮 Astrology was adopted on the trading routes of The Silk Roads during the Tang Dynasty (705-907 CE).

🔮 Along these trading routes, traders would sell horoscopes as a service to different regions such as Central Asia, the Iranian Plateau, & China.

🔮 China became very fond of horoscopes during this time & adopted them into the framework of Chinese astrology today.

🔮 Chinese horoscopes at this time were derived from the Hellenistic Period of Ancient Greece.

🔮 During this time, it became Chinese tradition that newborn Chinese babies would be given a horoscope upon birth & then throughout pivotal moments in their lives.

🔮 One of the most important astrologers of this time, Abu Ma'shar (8/10/787- 3/9/886), wrote a book called “Book Of Thousands”.

🔮 “Book Of Thousands” (written in 850)

🔮 The book did not survive to today. Remaining fragments show us that the book was a chronology of world history (from Christian, Persian, & Islamic sources) that intended to connect past, present, & future events to the stars. 🔮 The remaining fragments of the book were collected by David Pingree in 1968 & can be found on select scholarly sources online today.

🔮 Astrology became very popular in Medieval Central Asia.

🔮 It was during this time that two types of astrology formed; mathematically-based astrology (what we astrologers go by) & the magical form of astrology (AKA: horoscopes).

The 20th & 21st Century

🔮 Prominent British astrologer, R.H. Naylor (6/9/1889- 1952), was hired by the Sunday Express (a London-based newspaper) to write a horoscope article.

🔮 Naylor was an assistant to the leading British astrologer of the time called Cheiro. 🔮 Cheiro was sought out by many celebrities of the time for his brilliant astrology services to read their natal charts. He was known to have read the palms of such significant figures such as Mark Twain, Grover Cleveland, & Winston Churchill.

🔮 The article was about the birth of Princess Margaret, born August 21, 1930. (a leo beauty)

🔮 The newspaper decided to run a few more articles. In one of the next articles, Naylor predicted that “a British aircraft will be in danger” between October 8th and 15th. On October 5th, British airship R101 crashed outside Paris with 48 of the 54 on board the plane passing away.

🔮 The population became amazed with the incredible prediction Naylor made. The editor then offered Naylor a weekly column & “What The Stars Foretell”, the first ever horoscope column in human history, was born.

🔮 "What The Stars Foretell”

🔮 The column started as advice for people whose birthday fell on each specific week the newspaper article was published. 🔮 By 1937, the article became more grandiose & spoke of “star signs” to relate to a wider audience. 🔮 This was the creation of the term “star signs”.

🔮 From there on, the world caught on to the eye-catching spells of horoscopes & publications from all over the world began to replicate what Naylor created. This is why historically, horoscopes are written by writers assigned to the task of creating a spellbinding horoscope piece & not astrologers.

Well folks, there you have it. Although the roots of horoscopes share soil with the beautiful creation of astrology, they became more of an object of purchase than the art that astrology truly is. I do believe if horoscopes were intended on sharing truth & not appealing to the masses as a means to sell a product, they would hold value to humanity. But in all honesty, if horoscopes remain to just be a tool to spellbind their readers & curate them into consumers, then they hold no good intention to the art of astrology we are so passionate about.

Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate our lil astrology community so much & hope you learned something from this lil trip down astrology lane. 😊

Research Disclaimer: All research was conducted by Andrehya in May 2024. This is all information found by her own research. Sources are listed below for your own curiosity.

Sources:

The Silk Roads Info

Ancient Horoscope Scholars

Modern Horoscope Info

EXCITING NEWS: we are in the process of configuring our work to create a lil astrology instagram for all of us astrology lovers! please go check it out & show your support by giving us a follow! we really appreciate it. 🥰 IG: astrology instagram

-A.A.

[rayless-reblogs]

2024 Book Recommendations

I have an embarrassment of riches this year -- I had the chance to read a lot, and I kept finding so many good books. So many that instead of my normal ten recs, you're getting fifteen.

As always, these recommendations are not complete endorsements. Especially with the older books, there are definitely elements present that are questionable and even offensive.

Dragons – Pamela Wharton Blanpied (fantasy written as nonfiction, the first section recounts what happens when dragons invade Earth, the second section is a treatise on the habits and biology of dragons, and the third is a fascinating series of field notes from those who dare to befriend the monsters)

The Chatham School Affair – Thomas H Cook (mystery, a rural school, a beautiful lonely teacher, a lake, luscious language, loaded with atmosphere, you keep making and remaking your theories as you guess what happened)

Plain Bad Heroines – Emily M Danforth (mystery, braided narrative between the early twentieth century and present day, copious narrator commentary, cheeky footnotes, extremely funny but also extremely dark, gothic tropes, mostly female cast)

Cloud Cuckoo Land – Anthony Doerr (sci-fi, braided narrative spanning centuries, the story of one ancient text's journey through history, ancient Greece, medieval Constantinople, the present day in a small-town library, space travel and ai, it all comes together across the endless reach of time and you feel a lot)

Fanny Herself – Edna Ferber (pre-WW1 coming of age women's story, old-fashioned Anne of Green Gables thoughtfulness and sweetness in some places, rousingly modern in other places, strong focus on the heroine's Jewish identity, extremely funny narrative voice, the love of nature versus the industrial verve of Chicago, will our heroine keep her soul?)

The Vows of the Peacock – Alice Walworth Graham (Middle Ages, poetic fantastical language, Isabella the She-Wolf of France, messy politics, a darkly sexy historical villain, a complex but at times quite moving arranged marriage, an absorbing female protagonist)

A Thousand Ships – Natalie Haynes (Homer's women retell Homer's stories, angrily, tragically, bitchily, including many women you might not have thought of [and it isn't just the women Homer mentioned – we get into the weeds], the story is cut into bite-sized pieces that still offer filling food for thought)

The Masqueraders – Georgette Heyer (Georgian-era glitz and witty repartee, the heroine lives as a man, her brother lives as a woman, their father is full of wild schemes that might very well get them all executed for treason, the romance is a slow burn, and we get highwaymen)

Venetia – Georgette Heyer (a Regency-era GH romance, if you know GH then you know she's the author every other Regency romance writer is trying to be, it's funny, it's daring, it's tender, GH's romances are solid, but this one especially stands out for its strong-willed and capable heroine)

The Haunting of Hill House – Shirley Jackson (the house is a character, and not a nice one, psychological instability, unreliable narrator, creeping inchoate horror, whose hand am I holding, let's dwell on the unhappiness of being a smart woman in the 1950s)

Thornhedge – T Kingfisher (Sleeping Beauty but WHAT IF, I love the heroine, her name is Toadling, it's funny, it's romantic, it's thoughtful, it's even folkloric, there's a lot about ugly lady lake trolls, the prose reads beautifully, and it's compact, it doesn't waste your time and is short enough to knock out in a day or two)

The Silver Metal Lover – Tanith Lee (sci-fi, awkward dystopian-glam girl falls in love with a robot, whom she does not own, the sci-fi is as soft as pudding but it's more about the vibes anyway, inimitably stylish Tanith Lee weirdness, the robot is an absolute doll along with being a robot)

Pony Confidential – Christina Lynch (a pony is on a revenge mission against his former Horse Girl, but what if it was both funny and serious, but what if there was also a murder mystery, but what if we dwelt on human-animal negligence a la Black Beauty, but what if we also brought in Homer's Odyssey, it gets emotional)

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich – Deya Muniz (fantasy, graphic novel, nonbinary protagonist lives as a man and is appalled to suddenly fall in love with the local heroic princess, gorgeous gorgeous shoujo-ish art, also very funny, it will make you crave cheese)

The Alice Network – Kate Quinn (WW1 and WW2, braided narrative, women acting as spies in occupied France, little-known historical events unfold on the page, so much Baudelaire, an old heroine and a young heroine and both are smart and bitter and compelling, but there's still room for some sweet romance and sharp humor)