#sagittaries

[bunnymello]

the opposite of the devil’s tango: god’s stand. nothing else, just standing there. probably holding a cup of fruit punch or something. there are 6 other people in the room and everyone is confused

[vinced-meats-art]

Been a bit since I posted here, But art of a character from a centaur based arpg

[witchthewriter]

Aries Sun | Gemini Moon | Sagittarius Rising

[chimeride]

𝔊𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔱 𝔓𝔯𝔢𝔰𝔦𝔡𝔢𝔫𝔱 𝔅𝔲𝔢𝔯

"He appeareth in Sagittary, and that is his shape when the Sun is there. He teaches Philosophy, both Moral and Natural, and the Logic Art, and also the Virtues of all Herbs and Plants. He healeth all distempers in man, and giveth good Familiars. He governeth 50 Legions of Spirits."

Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis. The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King

[futurewriter2000]

My astrology observations:

Every person with Aquarius placement in their big three pisses me off for poofing away when they're sad. LET ME TAKE CARE OF YOU!

Gemini placements talk a lot but nobody knows about what. They are also so funny

Capricorns stare into my soul... They also move SO slow

Leos need a compliment, either from people or themselves.

Sagittarius just don't give a fuck.

Leo women are always late.

Aries rather moves on than fights for you.

Gemini placements can't stand still. LIKE JUST STOP FOR 5 MINUTES! Goddamn, they can be walking from their room to the bathroom 15 times to do what they could have done in one trip.

Scorpios.... There's something about Scorpios that just wants me to make out with them. So hot... And sexy... Plus the eye contact they give...

Aquarius and Pisces are real toxic together. I had witnessed too much of that.

Every Pisces man I met is a coward and a real dick.

Leos could have one friend and still be the bussiest of the Zodiac signs

Scorpios and just being attracted to them

Fire moons usually "overexaggerate" and talk too much during sports games.

Every Virgo I know has stomach issues. They feel through their stomach. They are also one of the most ambitious zodiac signs I know.

Leos are actually quite sentimental. Yes, they want all expensive but bring them a flower and they will put it in their special box of all most important things. Their attitude may be eh but their heart is gold and soft af.

Libra Venus start to become the person they like and they always like somebody so they always change their personalities.

Sagittarius Sun or Risings (not all but most) are usually tall with a dirty blonde and green eyes complex... and nice hips... and ass...

Taurus are so pissed at you and then they will just love you forever and ever and ever and you are their baby.

Pisces? Are you here or did you float away into another galaxy again?

Libra Sun and Risings want to be presented as ✨perfect✨ in society.

I’m afraid of cancers because they are so nice and sweet and all the most wonderful things but I know they can be evil and mean too so I have trust issues with them.

Aquarius are so unbothered and bothered at the same time… like how do you function?

Aquarius Moons are my favourite because they are so fun and so playful and they THINK SO FCKING MUCH.

Virgos are the most stressed out of the zodiac signs because everything has to go their way and when it doesn't they die a bit inside.

Aries moon are explosive af. Like shhhh, use your quiet voice.

Sagittarious moons are so funny to me because they are actually so self-observed but it's the cute kind, you know. I just want to be with them all the time and give them an ego boost because they are so sweet.

Capricorns will never, ever, EVER tell you their next move. They keep their plans to themselves. They keep themselves to themselves. They are here and they are gone.

Gemini placements... cannot relie on them (I have a lot of Gemini placements and I agree. I am unreliable because I think I can manage everything but then I realise I can't and have to cancel 5 plans).

Scorpios are so sharp and hardworking. Nobody realises that but Scorpios will do things AS IT SHOULD BE DONE and they will run you over if they have to. Nothing comes between them and their success.

When leos are comfortable around you, they will never shut up.

Taurus are evil af. They're cute and cuddly on the outside but they have one of the meanest characters. You gotta love them though.

Pisces will not study for an exam but will go in depth to knowing one random thing.

Cancers CAN DRINK! THEY CAN DRINK LIKE NO OTHER! Like damn... how is your liver? They are also a social butterfly and busy all the time. I don't know who said they are emotional and senstitive- they can be such a bad ass.

Sagittarious people are one of the luckiest signs but one thing goes wrong in their life and they will cry for three months about it.

Capricorn women have that alpha female power. I don't care what you say, they will go from the bottom to the top with a snap of fingers and they will be the biggest boss in town.

Virgos are the only of the zodiac signs that will see the gratest potential in you or anything really and they will force you to thrive towards that but if you don't believe in it, they will stop trying.

Scoripios and Leos are the realest friends because they will tell you everything in your face and protect you behind you back. Unless, you did them wrong... then they will tell shit about your back. They're petty that way, so choose wisely.

Taurus live a simple life. They don't complicate their lives too much.

Pisces throw great parties. They are also good cuddlers.

(That's it for now. It has been in my drafts for about two years but like if you want more or not.)

[gigglingbat]

Zodiac shiny buttons

"Aries" "taurus" "gemini" "cancer" "leo" "virgo" "libra" "sagittarious" "capricorn" "aquarius" "pisces" "scorpio"

F2U w credits

Requested

[airfieldddrive]

July 14, 2024

If the stars of the Milky Way were not blocking the complete view of the Andromeda Galaxy, it would be as large as the span of eight of our very own moon.

The Milky Way Galaxy is travelling at an astounding 1.3 million miles per hour (2.1 million km/hr ) towards Andromeda .

Earth orbits the sun at an average speed of 67,000 mph or 18.5 miles a second.

The sun orbits the center of the Milky Way (The galactic core) bringing with it the planets, asteroids, comets, and other objects in our solar system. Our solar system is moving with an average velocity of 450,000 miles per hour (720,000 kilometers per hour).

The sun is located in the Milky Way Galaxy in a spiral arm called the Orion Spur that extends outward from the Sagittarious Arm .

The sun orbits the center of the Milky Way Galaxy (Galactic Core) in a clockwise direction. The planets orbit our sun in a counter clockwise direction.

-Walter

The Andromeda Galaxy seen from El Capitan in Yosemite Valley

[mutant-distraction]

Close up and personal with the galactic core of the Milky Way, featuring Dark Horse and the Lagoon Nebula (pink blob left of the Dark Horse) taken from China Beach, just west of Jordan River on Vancouver Island.

Lagoon Nebula, M8, is 5000 light years away and is part of the constellation Sagittarious. It's an emission nebula composed primarily of hydrogen and is visible, although faint, to the human eye in a dark sky region. Earth Sky describes it as a stellar nursery, a place where new stars are born.

Murray Sharratt Photography

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

What native Gallifreyan species are there?

Gallifrey has a diverse range of fauna, both native and introduced. Despite claims of minimal ecological impact, the installation of the Eye of Harmony and millions of years of Time Lord civilisation have significantly altered Gallifrey's original biosphere.

🦋 Invertebrates

Beatitude Flies: Begin as maggots and pupate into golden-winged nocturnal insects. They use nectar to create helium in their bellies and are attracted to light and decay.

Butterflies: Various species flutter across Gallifrey.

Bees: Essential for pollination.

Gullet Grubs: Likely to live in digestive tracts of larger mammals, or similar environments.

Blossom Thieves: Possibly insects that steal nectar or pollen.

Scrubblers: Likely small, cleaning insects.

Neversuch Beetles, Sandbeetles, Waspbeetles: Various beetles.

Dustworms: Likely live in dry, dusty environments.

Scissors Bugs: Possibly predatory insects with sharp mandibles.

Flutterwings: Gigantic insects (3 meters by 25 meters) that never land. Five races include Wild Endeavor, Mandrigal, Silver-Band, Blue Crystal, and Perdition.

Snails

Water-Sligs: Likely aquatic or semi-aquatic molluscs.

Web-Spinning Insects: Including spiders about an inch long.

Other dangerous invertebrates: There are also nasty creatures that live beneath big stones.

🐟 Marine Life

Singing Yaddlefish: Notable for their song, and they can be eaten.

Kittensharks: Hatch from eggs and presumably grow into Catsharks.

Axolotl Salamanders: Amphibious creatures with regenerative abilities.

��� Elapids

Taipan: A venomous snake, 10 metres long.

Venal Snakes: Possibly nest-stealers or highly venomous.

Bat-Snakes: Presumably flying snakes.

Dinosauria: 20-meter-long reptiles resembling brontosaurs with thick chitinous scales and serrated teeth.

🦅 Avians

Owls: Symbol of Rassilon.

Flurry Birds: Likely small, fast-moving birds.

Trunkikes: Game birds whose eggs are often eaten.

Air Diamonds: Fly in the upper atmosphere, possibly crystalline or bioluminescent.

Song Birds: Various species.

Gargantosaurs: Dinosaur-like creatures, twice the size of a hab-bloc, with two legs, vestigial wings (with purple and white feathers), and four eyes.

🦣 Mammals

Plungbolls: Thumbnail-sized furry creatures living in mountains, attach en masse to warm objects.

Taffelshrews: Edible rodent-like mammals.

Fledershrews: Bat-like, mushroom eaters, nearly extinct.

Cobblemice: Mice that sprout wings.

Rovie Mice: Field-dwelling, long-lived if kept safe, sometimes pets. They have short memories.

Moss-Rats: Possibly rodents that live in marshes with moss-like camouflage.

Vex: Burrowing animals.

Gallifreyan Womprats: 1-metre-long rats with fifteen legs.

Pig-Rats: Inhabit the Drylands, presumably combining porcine and rodent traits.

Rabbits

Flubbles: Small six-legged koalas.

Unnamed rounder rabbit-like creatures

Ounce-Apes: Might be tiny monkeys that are particularly agile.

Sealak: Perhaps a kind of seal, often eaten.

Bear-Ass: A donkey-like animal with bear-like qualities.

Horse-Cats: Probably a horse/cat hybrid-like species.

Sagittary: Horse-like creatures.

Elephants

Pig-Bears: Can be trained as pets.

Wolf-like Creatures: With long snouts and black-and-white striped fur, almost as big as adult humanoids.

Broakir: Live in foothills, often hunted for food.

Baanjxx: Arboreal browsers that like to eat hallucinogenic cerub nuts. As a child, the Doctor was kicked by one in the head, apparently.

Cows

Walrus

Gallifreyan Marlot: Purple and unique in all of time and space. Probably a bit cat-like.

House Cats: Revered as symbols of intelligence. Traditionally, Presidents kept them as pets.

🐱 Killer Cats (C.A.T.S)

Killer C.A.T.S: These sapient creatures possess instinctive precognitive powers and cat-like physiology. Known for their lethal gladiatorial contests, they despise Time Lord traditions and live in the Gin-Seng Sector of Southern Gallifrey. Their culture includes mercenaries and oracles; they are telepathic.

🏞️ Ecosystem Preservation

Though Gallifrey's outer ecology has suffered, the Time Lords have used technology to preserve many species. Extinct species have been collected, ensuring none become completely extinct. The more fearsome creatures are contained in the Death Zone, while xeno-zoos hold alien species from other worlds.

🏫 So ...

So there's your whistlestop tour of the species on Gallifrey. One day, I'll try to put these onto a species distribution map. Oh, by Rassilon's Beard, I just gave myself more work.

Related:

💬|🪐🌍How is Gallifreyan geography different to Earth?: The landscape of Gallifrey.

📺|🌳🍎The Fruits of Gallifrey

💬|🐾🐱What could be some biological traits of Gin-Seng cats?: Looking at who the Gin-Seng cats are, their biology, and their place on Gallifrey and in society.

Hope that helped! 😃

Any orange text is educated guesswork or theoretical. More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A and factoids →📢Announcements |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts → Features: ⭐Guest Posts | 🍜Chomp Chomp with Myishu →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired 😴

[samorrin]

''You'd better start running''

Light goreish commission for Crashfurs of his sagittari Callisto. I love his murder vibes

[zodiactalks]

The Zodiac Signs and Their EMPATHY Style

We all know what empathy means, but did you know there are various types of empathy?

In this article, you'll learn about other kinds of empathy, as well as what sign uses it more.

Aries

Fauna Empathy

This courageous and adventurous sign feels a special connection with animals and they find it very easy to understand their needs.

Even when Aries doesn't like a particular kind of animal, they're very in tune with what that animal wants and needs, and it's not uncommon to see Aries go out of their way to make it happen.

Taurus

Physical Empathy.

Taurus is very empathetic towards people and their emotions, but what makes their specific kind of empathy so interesting is how it manifests.

Taurus's empathy manifests in physical ways, so if someone feels sick, Taurus feels sick, if someone feels hot, Taurus feels hot, etc.

This, of course, is a double-edged sword, as while it allows Taurus to understand what others are feeling, it can also make them feel ill or under the weather without any warning whatsoever.

Gemini

Telepathic Empathy.

Geminis are extremely sensitive to other people's moods, which means they can easily identify people's emotions and emotional states just by being in their proximity.

More impressively, Geminis can even transmit their emotions to others, particularly if they're feeling something very strongly.

As you can imagine, this can be used for good or can be used for bad. It's all about what Gemini chooses.

Cancer

Chameleonic Empathy.

Cancers are the purest kind of empath in the Zodiac, and they can sense and react to other's emotions without even thinking about it.

What's interesting about Cancer's specific type of empathy is that it tends to reflect itself in Cancer's body language.

If someone around Cancer is feeling insecure, Cancers will adopt a more closed-off body language. If someone is feeling confident, Cancer will reflect this, and so on.

Leo

Psychometric Empathy.

Leo's particular type of empathy is one of the coolest to see in action, as it almost seems like a super-power.

Leos are amazing at understanding others and their emotions when they touch something valuable to someone else.

If something holds a special kind of meaning for someone, there's a good chance Leo will figure out why that object is so important by just holding, and looking at it.

Virgo

Flora Empathy.

Virgos have a natural green thumb and, more impressively, a very special connection to plants in general.

They tend to feel more energized when there are plants around them, and can easily tell what a plant needs to thrive.

Virgos make excellent florists, not only because they know what the plants want, but also because they understand what kind of plant is ideal for every type of person.

Libra

Receptive Empathy.

Libras can literally feel what others are feeling, which explains a lot about the sign's desire for stability and conflict avoidance.

When people around them are experiencing very strong emotions, there's a chance Libra will feel it as well, and while this isn't a problem when it comes to positive emotions, it can certainly be hard to deal with it when it comes to negative ones.

This is part of the reason why Libras often try their best to make sure everyone around them is in a good mood. They might not realize it, but the fact that they're so in-tune with other people's emotions certainly explains a lot about them!

Scorpio

Medium Empathy.

Scorpios are very good at feeling spirits and invisible entities, even when they don't actually believe in them.

They attract unexplained phenomena no matter where they go, and those who work hard to become even more sensitive to this particular kind of empathy can actually become conduits to the spirit world.

Sagittarius

Enlightening Empathy.

Rather than feeling people's emotions, Sagittarius can feel what makes people tick, which makes them capable of sussing out lies even when they've just met a person.

Even more impressive is the fact that Sagittarians are great at matching people with goals and objectives. They're good at identifying exactly what people want from life and pushing them in that direction.

Capricorn

Geomantic Empathy.

Capricorn's have a very strong connection to places and are capable of identifying places that have some significance to others even if they've never been there before.

They're the kind of people who'll feel sad in a place where someone died, or happy in a place where someone received great news, and while they may not be able to explain why they feel like that, they're certainly able to identify what they're feeling.

Watching a Capricorn's empathy in action is truly something else.

Aquarius

Gaia Empathy.

Aquarians are born to connect with the very world they inhabit, which makes them one of the most powerful signs in the Zodiac.

They can feel when there's something wrong in a specific area, and though they don't have the same kind of connection Virgo has with plants, they're still able to pinpoint when something is unbalancing the ecosystem.

Pisces

Astral Empathy.

Just like Scorpios can connect with spirits, Pisces can connect with other planes and those who exist there.

They're in tune with people's energies and emotions and can detect negative intentions and thoughts.

They might not be able to feel what others are feeling, but they're great at figuring out the intent behind people's words and actions.

[witchthewriter]

Capricorn Sun | Capricorn Moon | Sagittarius Rising

[aleximustdr4w]

Sagittarious + red moodboard for my favorite bastard's birthday ❤️

[ms-m-astrologer]

Transiting Sun enters Sagittarius

Wednesday, November 22 - Friday, December 22, 2023

This has always been one of my favorite times of the year. I love the lights, the good cheer, the hot chocolate, the buying or making presents, all of it. I love the feeling of the old year coming to a close (great memories!), and the anticipation of what the coming year could bring.

It’s just going to be a little more challenging to enjoy it, this time. The Sun makes few “flowing” aspects (sextiles and trines) during its 2023 trip through Sagittarius. We’re all going to be prone to the less positive Sagittarian traits. Jumping to conclusions, oversimplification, commitment-phobia, excess, insisting that one’s own traditions are the only valid traditions.

Maybe you can’t decide which holiday party to go to, and your refusal to commit results in you sitting home, alone. Maybe you’re determined to have a lavish holiday, and you overspend. You could quarrel with someone over when to open gifts. (A teenaged Ms M was horrified to learn that not every family opens presents on Christmas morning.)

What can we do? Keep in mind that this Sag season brings challenges, and rise to the occasions. Work hard to avoid materialism and competitiveness. Cut everybody a ton of slack, including yourself, during this especially stressful time of year. The whole point of Sagittarius is to be resilient and tolerant and wise - and the best way to develop those traits is to get experienced.

Give all these aspects a day or so on either side.

Thursday, November 23:

Sun/Sagittarius square Saturn/Pisces, 0°49

Sun/Sagittarius (0°57’) sesquiquad Chiron Rx/Aries (15°57’)

This is Thanksgiving Day in the US, and it’s easy to imagine these aspects manifesting over the dinner table. Disappointment and hurt feelings.

Friday, November 24 - Sun/Sagittarius semi-sextile Pallas Athene/Scorpio, 2°25’. Wanting to be strategically sneaky about something, but not having all the information.

Monday, November 27 - Sun/Sagittarius inconjunct Vesta Rx/Cancer, 5°16’. Back to work or school, in the US, and difficulty with concentration and focus.

Wednesday, November 29:

Sun/Sagittarius inconjunct Jupiter Rx/Taurus, 7°14’

Sun/Sagittarius (7°34’) sesquiquad North Node/Aries (22°34’), semi-square South Node/Libra (22°34’)

These are excessive. Jupiter rules Sagittarius, and him being in Taurus points to material excess. We’re trying to force our viewpoint and it isn’t workkng.

Friday, December 1 - Sun/Sagittarius (9°18’) sesquiquad Eris Rx/Aries (24°18’). A lot of bluster. (If Geminis are “blarney” then Sags are “bluster.”) We’re trying to shout our own way.

Tuesday, December 5 - Sun/Sagittarius (13°37’) semi-square Pluto/Capricorn (28°37’). The outside world intrudes. Trying to make a profound change but running into problems and delays.

Thursday, December 7 - Sun/Sagittarius trine Chiron Rx/Aries, 15°37’. Here’s where we can try to make it up to people we may have hurt or offended. And where we see that forgiving is healing.

Saturday, December 9 - Sun/Sagittarius square Juno/Virgo, 17°53’. Probably some disagreement about how to celebrate the holidays.

Monday, December 11 - Sun/Sagittarius inconjunct Uranus Rx/Taurus, 19°56’. Another occasion to be wary of going overboard with material things.

Wednesday, December 13:

Sun/Sagittarius (21°07’) sesquiquad Jupiter Rx/Taurus (6°07’)

Sun/Sagittarius trine North Node/Aries, sextile South Node/Libra, 21°49’

We may not be getting our own way about something, but we can handle it.

Saturday, December 16:

Sun/Sagittarius trine Eris Rx/Aries, 24°13’

Sun/Sagittarius square Neptune/Pisces, 24°55’

Trying to get into that “holiday spirit” a little too aggressively?

Wednesday, December 20 - Sun/Sagittarius semi-sextile Pluto/Capricorn, 29°01’. The final degree of their respective signs - intimations of the future. Their conjunction will be at 29°59’ Capricorn, and both move on into Aquarius immediately afterward.

Thursday, December 21 - Sun/Sagittarius opposite Vesta Rx/Gemini, 29°38’. Distraction &/or lack of focus, as we try to finish up the Sag-type business, most likely in the form of another person. (Or are we the ones distracting them?)

The Sun’s trip through Capricorn will yield us many opportunities and blessings - so hang in there!

[sortiarus-de-naturas-daemonum]

Buer- An Infopost

Image Source

Buer is a daemon from the Livre des Esperitz, Psuedomonarchia Daemonum, Ars Goetia, Grimoirum Verum, and the Dictionairre Infernal.

Appearance with me: A Lion-Centaur hybrid wearing a lab coat

What you can work with him for:

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧 Nature Magice

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧 Healing Infirmaries

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧 Healing

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧 Learning Astronomy

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧 Learning Astrology

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧 Counseling

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧 Learning Geology

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧 Learning Herbalism

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧 Familiars

Keep in mind healthcare from daemons should not replace healthcare given by your medical professional

His Grimoire appearances:

From the Livre des Esperitz- Gemer is a great king. His office is to teach the virtue of herbs and all sciences, and cure those who are sick when one commands him, and also make people sick; and beneath him he has 40 legions.

From the Psuedomonarchia Daemonum–Buer is a great president, and is seene in this signe *; he absolutelie teacheth philosophie morall and naturall, and also logicke, and the vertue of herbes: he giveth the best familiars, he can heale all diseases, speciallie of men, and reigneth over fiftie legions

From the Ars Goetia– The Tenth Spirit is Buer, a Great President. He appeareth in Sagittary, and that is his shape when the Sun is there. He teaches Philosophy, both Moral and Natural, and the Logic Art, and also the Virtues of all Herbs and Plants. He healeth all distempers in man, and giveth good Familiars. He governeth 50 Legions of Spirits, and his Character of obedience is this, which thou must wear when thou callest him forth unto appearance.

From the Grimoirum Verum–Heramael teaches the art of healing, including the complete knowledge of any illness and its cure, He also makes known the virtues of plants, where they are to be found, when to pluck them, and their making into a complete cure.

Sigil:

Offering Ideas:

Misc: Bows and arrows, Artwork of him, Imagery of Centaurs, Astronomy Imagery

Herbs: Medicinal Herbs would be a great option, but a good list here is of: Bay Leaves, Aloe, Thyme, Yarrow, and Rosemary

Animals: Horses, Deer (UPG), and (maybe) Lions (since the Dictionairre Infernal Illustrations are not too accurate unless your UPG relates to it)

Crystals: Tiger’s eye and Garden Quartz (Make sure they are ethically acquired)

[leareadsheresy]

Horus Rising Parts 2 and 3: Brotherhood in Spiderland and The Dreadful Sagittary

This post contains spoilers for Brotherhood in Spiderland and the Dreadful Sagittary, the second and third parts (together comprising roughly the second half) of Horus Rising by Dan Abnett, first published as a novel on (as nearly as I can tell) April 6th, 2006.

Unlike the first half of the book, where I have reservations, I pretty much don't have anything negative to say about the second half. I think it's deft storytelling that does what it intends to do and effectively sets up a tragedy that False Gods will, if I recall correctly, fail to deliver on. There's one specific part that's a bit on the nose; I'll get to that.

Basically four things happen in the second half of the book. The 63rd Expeditionary Fleet go to (ultimately embarassingly pointless) war against a planet of giant spider-aliens to rescue a group of Emperor's Children who are themselves there to rescue a group of Blood Angels; Loken is introduced to the Davinite Lodge secret societies; Loken is introduced to the horrors of the Warp; and Horus meets and fails to make peace with a much more enlightened integrated human/alien society called the interex, testing out a tragic could-have-been version of rebellion against the Emperor, which also, I feel, clarifies his urge to rebel somewhat.

So! I really, really like Brotherhood in Spiderland, and not just because it's called Brotherhood in Spiderland. It's well-written bolter porn that serves as a critique of bolter porn. Blood Angels throw themselves at a death planet, which is so hostile that you can only get there by drop pod and then can't leave because of weaponized weather, botch it so badly they name the planet Murder, ask for help. Emperor's Children, who are largely arrogant assholes, show up and decide to help by throwing themselves into the exact same blender. We meet Eidolon, Lucius, and Saul Tarvitz, who accidentally clears a hole in the weaponized weather, then our 63rd Expeditionary Fleet shows up to save the day, Tarik Torgaddon arrives, and then Tarik, Saul, and Lucius get up some Big Soldierly Brotherhood Feels bits that would be familiar to anyone who's a fan of the Clone Wars series, with even notorious future villain Lucius getting a humanizing moment. We're then told they wage a pure glorious war of extermination against the spider aliens for six months, performing many awesome feats of glory and heroism… and then an interex ship shows up and goes "Hey, why are you attacking our nature preserve? Didn't you see the beacons we set up that clearly say not to go down to the planet we moved the spider-monsters to after taking away their space flight tech so we and they could co-exist peacefully?" The whole glorious six month war full of brotherly feels and tragic deaths and heroic accomplishments was all just the 63rd Expeditionary Fleet attacking a lion habitat at the space zoo because they couldn't read the sign, just stickin' a series of hands in a series of wild animal mouths because Imperial doctrine demands it no matter how pointless it is. Womp womp. This makes it sound silly but it's great and it serves the themes of the book, I don't really have critique here, it's all well-enough executed that I'm satisfied just kinda describing the events as they happen. Whatever the hell glorification of the Imperium would look like, this isn't that, no matter what YouTube lore shorts that describe the Megarachnids as terrifyingly deadly alien threats would have you believe. They're big spiders that want to eat you because they're big spiders, you can just not go down there and you'll be fine.

Meanwhile, Loken is inducted into one of the Luna Wolves' secret warrior lodges, which is… cool and chill and doesn't seem to be a cult. Maybe it's a bit love-bomb-y but giving these strictly regimented emotionally stunted child soldiers a place to just be people does seem like a good idea, even as Loken points out that their secrecy could make them problems even if they're fine right now. Again, this is set up as an effective tragedy -- we, the audience, know that the Davinite lodges will ultimately be the cancer that rots the traitor legions from within through secret chaos cult infiltraton, so the book sells them as something fulfilling a genuine social and emotional need as the buildup to that tragedy and as an implicit critique of how official Space Marine social organization fails them as people and forces their emotional lives into the closet where they can be victims of manipulation. Good section! Smart writing! Even here it's clear that the Heresy is going to go down not just because of the ambition of Horus and the machinations of the Ruinous Powers, but because the Emperor opened the way for them by refusing to recognize the Astartes as people. The only reason the secret warrior lodges are secret is because the Emperor doesn't like them, because they don't involve his soldiers spending all their time lining up in neat rows.

Also Loken gets pointed to an epic Unification-era war poem where he finds references to daemonic possession that match his experence with Samus and Xayver Jubal, and all I can think is, this is great, I wish the bit in Part 1 where Horus just explains what went down had been written not to make this superfluous. In the better version of the book where Loken is figuring out what happened on his own and Horus didn't just hand him the answer and tell him to keep it a secret, this bit is unchanged!

So, the interex. My read on how the interex situation goes down is that Horus, who has been given license to prosecute the Great Crusade as he sees fit via the Emperor bestowing him the mantle of Warmaster, wants to do it right and wants to do it his own way. He's out from the Emperor's shadow and wants to spread his own wings -- he wants to rebel. But… he doesn't actually want to kill the Emperor and take control of the Imperium by force, he just wants to prove that he has wisdom and authority to make his own decisions. And so we see him try to fix his mistake from 63-19 by making peace with this peaceful, functional human society, who he has no reason to war against despite the fact that they exist in a multi-species civilization, which is itself an abomination in the eyes of Imperial doctrine. Horus is like "I'll show my dad and not do a xenocide." That's a good idea! It also probably never would have worked, because the Emperor wouldn't have accepted that outcome, so there's that inevitable tragedy raising its head again. The interex themselves -- and this is not an original observation -- serve as a critique of the Imperium, proving that it's a lie to say the fascism of the Imperium is the only way to survive in the 30k galaxy. They visibly coexist with multiple alien races, from the peaceful to the openly hostile, and they deal with the threat of Chaos by educating everyone about how much of a threat it is so people don't mess with it. They were doing fine.

The bit where Horus screams at the sky "Father, why have you forsaken me?" is a bit much, but part of that is me being a bit allergic to Christian allegory in fantasy and science fiction. It's fine, I'll move past it.

Interesting anachronisms: There's brief mention of a massive Space Marine "in gold Custodes armour." Didn't know they ever wore that.

Also, not an anachronism, but there's a delightful bit that stuck with me where Loken and Torgaddon are walking down a hallway and Torgaddon runs ahead and jumps to slap some pipe work on the ceiling, just for the joy of it, and then brags about being able to do the same in another part of the ship where the piping is twice as high. Space Marines are just people.