#sometimes este because healing

[eri-pl]

Assuming the Valar were real and legit

..I can't write polls properly: "Manwe and Varda" means "Manwe or Varda", sorry.

[zapshazam]

idk something really rubs me wrong about the way fandom treats Astarion's reactions to the Halsin poly romance and ESPECIALLY the Drow twins stuff. like yes. i get the kneejerk reaction to feel really uncomfortable once you get the line from the narrator about Astarion disassociating during sex with the twins - it's not fun to deal with! you want him to have enthusiastic fun the whole time and your character at that point is definitely in love with him and he's reciprocating, so i get it.

but..... like.... he's an adult man who is coming to terms with how he views himself his sexuality and his desires. he DOES enthusiastically want to try having a big fun sex party once you've completed his personal quest. healing from trauma, certainly SEXUAL TRAUMA, isn't a one-and-done thing. just because he's ready to initiate sex with you at his grave doesn't mean he's going to be 100% comfortable all the time forever going forward.

it happens sometimes. even at your best and most thriving-est sometimes something happens that triggers you and if that's your defense mechanism? boom, you're far away, you're going through the motions. he isn't having a ton of fun but again, he didn't know going in, it's an experiment.

but like. reloading as soon as you see that line about him disassociating because it makes you feel icky (which again, fair, I get the impulse) is kinda. idk. babying? like he's SO enthusiastic about doing it when asked. it doesn't end the best. for me that just means he and Tav/Durge have a conversation afterwards where he comes to a realization that yes, he's into the IDEA, but probably only with people he trusts and knows aren't only banging him because of how hot he is. all the dialogue during that scene, as sexy as it is, is EXTREMELY objectifying toward Astarion. it fits his story that it would make him uncomfortable once it becomes clear that that's The Vibe! let him come to that conclusion, he's a big boy! you don't have to treat him like he's made of glass - he's a survivor and he's his own person who gets to make these decisions and deal with the consequences. with a partner who loves him and can help him through it! that's that real good shit imo, that's the shit that makes this game's relationships and character moments feel so real even when they have to veer into headcanon territory.

[hoodreader]

Sept. 7, 2024. Moon in Scorpio ♡

general transit reading. word count. 1.0K+

keywords healing. subconscious. vivid yet confusing dreams u gotta meditate on. surrender. shadow work. grudges. trauma. triggered. discomfort. survival. the chariot. reality. “i saw things i imagined” by solange.

the moon enters scorpio on september 7th, 2024 @ 1:18 AM EST.

when the moon transits into scorpio, we begin to feel more protective over what is intimate to us, so we recluse into ourselves. transits like these, we become sensitive to the depths of our souls/psyches/minds/emotions.

but the moon isn't comfortable here. despite the fixed-watery nature of scorpio, the moon in scorpio is like frozen ice that's cracking under pressure. there's only so much weight and heat that can be taken before the surface succumbs and vulnerability is exposed. water characteristically flows. it's meant to be malleable and movable, which scorpio isn't (as a result of it being fixed). u must learn to move the water.

for that reason, even though we are now more sensitive to our unseen energies, for those unfamiliar with navigating a malefic-influenced moon (and unsure how to get that water flowing) this can be a confusing and triggering time. u can feel a bit emotionally stuck on what ur being exposed to during the descent into ur own psyche: buried memories, things u tried to repress, and unresolved grudges may bubble to the top like underwater volcanic fissures.

some of these things can trigger u into survivalism if u never processed them. the moon is as integral to understanding ur root chakra energy because it represents shelter, instinct, protection, and intuition: evolved traits we use to protect ourselves. and this is the case of mars (the ruler of scorpio) as well. mars is the blood, the desire to fight and advocate for urself, and so on. but the moon is the benefic, representing security. whereas mars is the malefic, representing insecurity.

moon is the home, the immediate community, food, rest. u must be secure to have a shelter to protect u from the elements/enemies, to have a loving people around u, to be nourished, and to be able to comfortably be unconscious - this is why the moon is truly one of the most intimate planets there is, as u surrender logic and awareness when u sleep.

but mars is the insecurity of survival, of enemies, of starvation, of sleeplessness. when u feel unsafe, u are unable to feel secure. which is why the moon in scorpio transit can trigger people into feeling unprotected, thus, they feel they must switch over to survival mode in order to ensure that the body survives.

this is also the case considering mars in cancer will form a trine and mutual reception with the scorpio moon transit. both of these planets of survival are afflicted. mars doesn’t fare well in the sign of cancer, as cancer/moon is nurturing. cancer/moon represents empathy. and the fact that the moon exalts in the third house shows that these qualities are necessary for community, emphasis on unity. this is at odds with the core principles of mars, which is aggressive and unharmonious.

the mutual reception means that they help each other, but only when blending the respective energies. sometimes feeling triggered is a necessary catalyst. mars will bring heat to encourage the frozen exterior of scorpio to melt away, and expose ur shadow to urself. how many of y’all ever tried to hug, embrace, understand, or merely see ur shadow? y’all get told to kill it, but no. the shadow is a part of y’all. it’s the natural consequence of light.

translate this to the emotions and psyche. the things that may trigger u emotionally up until september 9th, 2024 (when the moon enters sagittarius) may be the shadows u house within urself. a moon in scorpio transit is a time for emotional transformation. mars in cancer likes feeling safe. it’s reluctant to be triggered. it side steps and avoids confrontation unless it’s cornered.

scorpio moon transits can bring a spiral of paranoia. fears of jealousy, enemies, mal ojo, and more. but a lot of times, we undo ourselves in our psyches. sometimes, we corner ourselves with our fear and grudges. when u always looking for an enemy, all u gon find is an enemy. and all u gon find is shit to confirm that there is an enemy. so what u gon do?

eventually, the scorpio moon will form a trine with the boundless saturn in pisces retrograded. many think it is scorpio/pluto who is the body of shadows, but saturn is also significant in interpreting them. this shadow is something like a blurry haze. like the shadows u get from various different light sources shining on the same subject.

reality is tangible and shows one subject, but the shadow (representing the unseen, the misunderstood, the repressed) shows as many subjects as there are light sources. and this can be disorienting for the moon in scorpio — the frozen river — who desires fixed structure for security.

but saturn — being not only retrograded and in pieces — says relinquish reality as u know it. it’s the understanding that the unreal and the real aren’t mutually exclusive. that they blend into each other freely. saturn, the planet of grudges and baggage, tells the scorpio moon (who craves a constant) to let go. let go of the need to constantly be on the defense. the active cancer mars melted the waters. now the boundless pisces saturn Rx encourages the waters to pass.

the afflicted moon contacts two malefics before it enters sagittarius. i don’t expect this transit to feel easy. i expect some folk to be a little defensive. i expect some folk to immediately deflect when triggered b/c they feel attacked. shiii, i myself got cancer placements and a scorpio moon. baby, i’m tired. i know i’m about to get tested. but… this process would be less draining if we stopped resisting our own internal, energetic ‘riverflow.’

knowing that reality and unreality blend in and out of each other, what do u accept in ur reality? what do u want to ‘freeze’ and preserve? what do u want to let wash away? what do u wish to protect and house within u? that’s ur choice. saturn in pisces Rx shows u free will. that ur karmic descent into ur psyche isn’t as determined or fixed as u think. remember, u hold the reigns to ur chariot.

$35 for moon transit x natal readings. includes transit readings centered on the transit moon & natal / transit aspects & timed predictions. 🧘🏾‍♀️

work of hoodreader. don’t repost without credits, reproduce, plagiarize, copy & paste, ai, or translate. all rights reserved.

[a-d-nox]

pac/pap (creature feature: beholder): what do you see that no else does? what aren't you hearing?

welcome to my october pac/pap creature feature series - instead of having a single pac/pap this month, there will be five! every monday (at 5p / 17:00 EST) this october, a new creature will be coming out to play as the sun begins to set earlier and earlier... keep an out; you never know what is lurking in the darkness...

today's creature is the beholder: song queued: "somebody's watching me" by rockwell! do you live in the mountains or near cave systems? the beholder is likely right underfoot or lurking in shadows of your mountainside as we speak... the beholder is a fictional monster originally depicted in dungeons & dragons, a fantasy role-playing game. this creature is a floating orb of flesh with a large mouth containing hundreds of sharp teeth. a majority of its face is a single central eye; surrounding this creatures head are many smaller eyestalks each with their own powerful magical abilities. this creature is mainly reliant on eyes - but where are their ears? their hearing is akin to a snakes - poorly developed and prone to common diseases/infections.

take what resonates leave what doesn't - nothing is 100% for you because these aren't personalized so please no angry comments or dms about what i am saying not being a good fit for you or that you "don't claim" just keep scrolling if that is the case. be kind, self reflect, and have fun.

last pac/pap: how can you be more honest with yourself?

masterlist of pap/pac posts

want a personal reading? click here to check out my reading. options and prices!

pile one

you see other's pasts more clearly than they themselves do. for instance, you can see and understand more clearly why they are discontented in their present / how their past effects their future. you also can see how people can best heal from their past to have a better future. and because of that, you know that change is an inside job first and foremost.

you are likely struggling to hear your feelings; mainly, you are struggling with intuition and self-trust. taking life too seriously and not making time to play and explore causes a lot of strain on any of us. we then struggle to understand our emotions and thus lack a knowledge of what truly brings us joy and happiness. be more sensitive to your, and others', feelings. don't take things too seriously - play; have fun - and realize that not everyone is trying to harm you or your feelings.

pile two

let's face the facts - you see everything. you have a true curiosity when it comes to the world around you. you can also see good thing come towards you from a mile away - chances are you can sense who/what is good or bad for you. keep a watch for opportunities in the world around you; they are surely set to appear.

you aren't hearing the universe shouting at you not to settle. there is no time limits on life. listen to your gut - if you feel something is missing, listen. it is never too late to fill the spaces in your life that you feel are lacking. follow you heart and your instincts when seeking what exactly those missing pieces are. know it is okay to release the things that once brought you joy - you are allowed to change. it's time to declutter life.

pile three

you see what motivates others - you see what they truly want beneath the front they put forth. you also understand what you do and why you do it. you know when someone wants recognition versus when they want attention from others. you might also see the ideal state of things; in that respect, you are sort of an optimist!

you aren't listening to those, and yourself, that it is time to let go and free yourself from false hope. hope is a good thing to have but know that when a pattern presents itself or when you are stuck in a cycle, sometimes it is up to you to walk away. it's not enough for you to hope that things will change, you are have to take action for things to get better. hear me when i say that you must free yourself from your past and from the destructive things in your life - the new year in around the corner; drop the old in time for the new to come in. it's alright to make difficult or unpopular decisions.

want a personal beholder reading? tip 2.99 USD with the comment "beholder" and i will privately get back to you with what you see that others don't AND what you aren't hearing!

other then that, thank you for reading! don't forget to comment down below which monster you believe is coming to join us next monday?

[freyafukunaga]

❤️‍🩹 freya fukunaga on the scene!

there was once a girl in love, and when she was left behind, she couldn't accept it. long did she slumber in a cocoon of blankets, gorging herself on wish fulfillment, until at last she emerged, and declared,

"I'll become one of those vtubers that he loved so much, and make it big so he'll have no choice but to turn his eyes towards me!!"

... but that's an old story! having healed from much heartbreak, this variety streamer is here to stay! and i am doing! my! best!!

about me!

my usual schedule is thursday, saturday, and sunday evenings at 7 PM EST, sometimes with afternoon streams on thursdays and saturdays as well!

my specialty is otome games, but i'm bi so really i'll take any romance game that lets me be a lovestruck maiden!

i enjoy exploration games as well (counting minecraft and dark souls as part of the same genre) and my utter lack of a sense of direction does not stop me

You cannot begin to comprehend how powerful I am.

i try to get in an art stream once a month as practice as well! trying my best to improve!

overall, just wanna have a fun and relaxed time, because it turns out that streaming is fun! i like to do it, and hope that you'll like to come watch as well ���

links: Twitch | Discord art: baimaobai | rigging: ️toxicneka

[the-girl-who-didnt-smile]

THE WHITEWASHING OF MAMAN BRIGITTE

Why it is problematic to portray Maman Brigitte (Grann Brijitte) as a white woman

Companion piece to: https://the-girl-who-didnt-smile.tumblr.com/post/761617414938148864/baron-samedi-vs-papa-guede

Disclaimer: I have no ancestral ties to Haiti. I am half White and not Black. The following is merely an opinion piece, which I have attempted to support with evidence.

If you have ever attempted to research New Orleans Voodoo, you’ve probably encountered descriptions of Maman Brigitte like so:

In Voodoo, Ma'man Brigit (Grann Brigitte, Manman, Manman Brigit, Manman Brijit) is the mother of cemeteries, the loa of money and death, and the wife of Baron Samedi. She may be related to the "triple" Celtic goddess of poetry, smithcraft, and healing, Brigid/St. Brigit, as her name is Irish in origin. She is usually depicted as a white woman.

The above is inaccurate.

Traditionally, Haitian artists depict Maman Brigitte as a Black woman, where she is not white, biracial, or lighter skinned than Baron Samedi.

Baron Samedi, Grande Brigitte, and Guede Nibo, as portrayed by Andre Pierre. 

Grann Brijitte, as portrayed by Amina Simeon.

Baron Samedi and Maman Brigitte, as portrayed by Gerard Paul.

Grann Brijit, as portrayed by Roudy Azor.

Grann Brijit, as portrayed by Salnave Philippe-Auguste.

In Mythologie Vodou Vol. 2 (1950), Milo Marcelin includes a two-page description of Maman Brigitte (Grande Brijitte). The first paragraph of this section reads as follows: 

Grande Brijitte, femme de Baron-Samedi et mère des Guédé, est une négresse très vieille —c’est pourquoi on l’appelle grande (grand' mère). Elle est identifiée à Sainte Brigitte, patronne de l’Irlande; elle a pour reposoir un «cirouellier» (spondias purpurea L.) ou un figuier maudit marron (clusia rosea Jacq.) et, parfois, dans les cimetières, un amoncellement de pierres la représente. Ses jours sont le lundi et vendredi, sa couleur, le noir.

English Translation: 

Grande Brijitte, wife of Baron-Samedi and mother of the Gede, is a very old Black woman – this is why she is called “grande” (grandmother). She is identified with Saint Brigid, patron saint of Ireland; she has as her resting place a “cironelle” (spondias purpurea L.) or an autograph tree (clusia rosea Jacq.) and, sometimes, in the cemeteries, a pile of black stones represents her. Her days are Monday and Friday, her color, black. 

The full excerpt from Mythologie Vodou, Vol. II is found on pages 177-178, and included at the bottom of this article, in APPENDIX A.

Where does the notion of a white Maman Brigitte come from?

In “Gran Brijit: Haitian Vodou Guardian of the Cemetery” (2010), Kerry Noonan proposes a theory that Gran Brijit is derived from the Irish Saint Brigitte. Initially, I described this article as a “helpful overview”; I no longer agree with this statement. While Noonan’s article does contain some helpful information, many of the connections she makes are poorly argued—including connections to Saint Brigitte, the orisa Oya, and Sheela na gig.

Noonan asserts that Maman Brigitte is identified with Saint Brigitte because of the influence of “Irish settlers and sailors and Breton priests". In one of the most objectionable sections of this article, Noonan characterizes the “Irish settlers” as “indentured servants”. 

As indentured servants, Irish and Scottish people were sent to territories under the control of the British Empire. The British West Indies did not include present-day Haiti. Presumably, Noonan is referring to fugitive indentured servants, called “ingleses”. In “Irish Indentured Servants, Papists and Colonists in Spanish Colonial Puerto Rico” (2007), Jorge L. Chinea claims that “Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and Cuba became popular destinations for the fugitives.” Chinea also describes how the Spanish repeatedly denied the Irish authorization to settle in Hispaniola during the late 1600s: “In this instance, their potential infringement on the Spanish American trade in a colony already heavily involved in contraband was a major reason for turning them down.”

Nowhere does Noonan mention the influence of Irish slave owners. 

"The many Haitians and West Indians who trace their ancestry back to Africans transported on Irish-owned slave ships are living proof that the Irish have not always been the victims of history."

– Joe O’Shea (2012) “The Irish have not always been the victims of history”:

In “Irishness, Whiteness, Blackness, and Slavery in the Early Modern World” (2022), Jane Ohlmeyer describes how the Irish contributed to “one of the harshest systems of servitude in western history” during the 18th century:

“Of the 550 families involved in the French slave trade, seventeen had Irish surnames. One of the most successful Irish slavers was Antoine Walsh, the son of an Irish merchant who had settled in France in the later seventeenth century and married Marie O’Sheil/Shiell, whose grandfather had settled in France. Over the course of his career Walsh made forty slaving trips from Nantes and shipped more than 12,000 enslaved Africans. With his profits Walsh purchased a plantation for himself in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (modern day Haiti), which supplied up to seventy percent of all of the sugar sent to France.”

It may be due to the presence of these slave owners that Haitian women with the name “Brigitte” appear in the historical record. 

Pictured: François Mackandal, whose wife was named Brigitte

Rather than Saint Brigitte or the Celtic goddess Brigid, a likelier candidate for the origin of Maman Brigitte is the wife of the famous Haitian maroon leader François Mackandal, who was named Brigitte Mackandal.

This theory was proposed by Crystal Nicole Eddins’ (2022) Rituals, Runaways, and the Haitian Revolution:

“Mackandal’s wife, Brigitte, may have transitioned into the world of the lwa as Maman Brigitte, who has authority over cemeteries.” (p. 122)

SOURCE: Eddins, Crystal Nicole. Rituals, Runaways, and the Haitian Revolution: Collective Action in the African Diaspora. United Kingdom, Cambridge University Press, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009256148 Retrieved from: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/rituals-runaways-and-the-haitian-revolution/2FCBF92A767FD8DE3615602F589C326E#overview 

John D. Garrigus mentions Brigitte Mackandal in A Secret among the Blacks (2023), describing her in the following terms:

“...Brigitte, described as Makandal’s wife and a ritual leader in her own right, claimed that a makandal bundle “consulted by its servant” could reveal the location of “an escaped slave, who had stolen something that was missing, the poisoner, and other [things]...” (p. 78)

SOURCE: Garrigus, John D.. A Secret Among the Blacks: Slave Resistance Before the Haitian Revolution. United States, Harvard University Press, 2023. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674272828 

Garrigus refers to three primary sources that mention Brigitte Mackandal:

1. Sébastien Jacques Courtin’s (1758) “Mémoire Sommaire Sur Les Prétendus Pratiques Magiques et Empoisonnements…” 

2. Charles Fournier de la Chapelle (1758) “Mémoire pour servir à l’information des procés contre les négres devins, sorciers et empoisonneurs”

3. Michel-René Hilliard d’Auberteuil, “Considérations sur l’état présent de la colonie française de Saint-Domingue” (Paris: Grangé, 1776), 1:137.

I have attempted to transcribe excerpts from these historical texts, which can be viewed here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54861145/chapters/156619222

Commenting further on Brigitte Mackandal, Eddins writes: 

“Women like Brigitte Mackandal and Marie Catherine Kingué demonstrated the “radical implications of black women’s spiritual politics” by embracing acts of “woman-centered preservation,” such as poison, healing, and midwifery, that fundamentally opposed racial capitalist exploitation of black women’s bodies.” (p. 144)

SOURCE: Eddins, Crystal Nicole. Rituals, Runaways, and the Haitian Revolution: Collective Action in the African Diaspora. United Kingdom, Cambridge University Press, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009256148 Retrieved from: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/rituals-runaways-and-the-haitian-revolution/2FCBF92A767FD8DE3615602F589C326E#overview 

Even if there is no connection between Maman Brigitte and Brigitte Mackandal, these documents demonstrate that there existed Haitian women from this time period with the name “Brigitte”. These women might have been named after Saint Brigitte because there were a number of slave owners of Irish descent, such as Antoine Walsh, and possibly from the Celtic province of France (Brittany). The Gede rite, to which Maman Brigitte belongs, contains the spirits of Haitian ancestors. This would explain why Maman Brigitte is not a white woman, but an old Black woman–she is an important ancestral spirit of a Haitian woman named “Brigitte” who lived several hundred years ago.

Of the Haitian women named “Brigitte”, Brigitte Mackandal is a strong candidate due to her leadership role and historical importance. François Mackandal is a very important figure from Haitian history, described as the precursor to the Haitian Revolution. As Brigitte Mackandal seems to have also been a leader among the slaves, it is plausible that her spirit became the lwa Maman Brigitte. 

In Haitian Vodou, Catholic Saints can come to be identified with important ancestral spirits, like so:

“KB: Tell me everyone who "walks with Dantò," everyone who you have here on your altar with Dantò.”

“ML: You have St. Rose of Lima; she is a Petwo. You have St. Philomène. She is Petwo. She is a lwa too, Manbo Philomise. You see St. Andrew? You see Sacred Heart–who walks with Simbi? And then you have St. Jude. He is a Legba Petwo, too.”

“Spirits who have been important to one of the ancestors occupy a dual role in Vodou, one in which they are treated as both spirits and ancestors. So when Mama Lola serves St. Philomène, she also honors the spirit of her mother, Philomise, a well-known healer in Port-au-Prince. It is because of this that the altars can be seen as repositories of family history, or, more literally, as repositories of the family itself.”

SOURCE: Lola, Mama & Brown, Karen McCarthy. "The Altar Room: A Dialogue." In Cosentino, Donald. Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou. United States, UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History, 1995. p. 229-230. Retrieved from: https://archive.org/details/sacredartsofhait0000unse/page/228/mode/2up? 

Maman Brigitte probably came to be identified with Saint Brigitte because of the Breton priests that were sent to Catholicize Haiti.

In “Rev. John J. Burke, the National Catholic Welfare Conference, and the American Occupation of Haiti” (2014) Donald J. Slawson describes how Roman Catholicism was brought to Haiti: 

“The concordat between the Vatican and Haiti dated to 1860. From the time of Haitian independence in 1804 until that year, the condition of the Catholic Church in that country was deplorable…As early as 1834, Rome and Port-au-Prince had entered into negotiations to regularize the status of the Church in Haiti. President Fabre Geffrard finally achieved that goal…Given the nation’s colonial and cultural ties with France, the bishops and clergy came from Brittany.”

Noonan describes the importance of Saint Brigid to Breton priests: "Catholics in both Ireland and Brittany are devoted to the Irish St. Brigit of Kildare, and many churches are dedicated to her in both areas."

According to Sidney Mintz & Michel-Rolph Trouillot's "The Social History of Haitian Vodou", many features of modern Vodou took shape in the century that followed the Haitian Revolution. During this time period, Roman Catholics were sent to Haiti for the purpose of religious imperialism. They were openly hostile toward vodouisants, and sought to destroy African-based traditions. 

This attitude persisted into the 20th century, as described by Melville Herskovits in Life in a Haitian valley (1964): 

“The attitude of the Church toward vodun is one of intransigent hostility. The anger with which the priest preached his sermon on the Sunday morning following a vodun dance held close enough to town so that the sound of the drums, plainly audible, "disturbed" him the night long, clearly indicates how deeply the priests of the Church resent the worship of the African gods. In Mirebalais they tell how, at the instance of the Church, vodun rites were unmercifully suppressed by the Americans during the occupation, to whom it was represented as a potential focus for revolt. In the place huge bonfires were made of vodun drums painted and "dressed" in elaborate manner. Everything found in the humforts and the private houses of worship was confiscated, and the "thunder stones," necklaces of the devotees, and other sacred objects that would not burn were thrown into the Artibonite River. Today the Church takes full advantage of its status as the only recognized religious organization in Haiti to dictate the official position of government toward vodun.”

Long story short, it is most likely that the important ancestral lwa Maman Brigitte originates in a Haitian woman who was named “Brigitte” – possibly, Brigitte Mackandal.

The narrative that connects Maman Brigitte to indentured servants is a fiction invented by white people. 

Pictured: Mambo Racine

“Maman Brigitte, the Mother of the Gedes” is a Google Groups conversation on alt.religion.orisha, dated Jun 16, 2001 - Jun 19, 2001. In this conversation, which may have only involved white people, there is an exchange between Mambo Racine and Kenaz Filan (at the time, named Kevin Filan). 

The full conversation is included in APPENDIX B. The top post is the most relevant one:

Maman Brigitte is a manifestation of the Celtic Goddess Brigid. During the formative period of Haitian Vodou, many Scottish people were deported from Scotland to the Antilles because of the Stuart wars, and those Scots were the most traditionalist, the least Christianized. They were the ones who brought Brigid to Haiti.

During this time, blacks outnumbered whites about 4000 to one. This is a literal fact. So it is unlikely that those few whites could prevent Africans from having drum dances - it seems to me more likely that an uneasy truce obtained, you know, the whites said in effect, "Do your work and I will leave you alone."

At that time the whites most likely to participate in drum dances were of course the poor whites, not the few French elite whites. And among them, the most likely people to participate were the women - just the folks most likely to have preserved the service of Brigid.

(Before I go any further let me suggest that anyone who hasn't read Jayelle's "White Women in Vodou" do so!)

Now, the first woman buried in any cemetary is by definition Brigid, and the first man buried in any cemetary is by definition Baron. Of course when those drum-dancing poor Scottish women died they were buried in the same earth as Africans, and the agglomerative, pragmatic nature of Vodou as it developed would of course naturally incorporate Brigid, and metamorphose her into Maman Brigitte.

Now, to make Gede lwa, Maman Brigitte and Baron La Croix take souls from "under the water" and rebaptize them. That is why all Gede lwa have the last name La Croix, because their father is Baron La Croix. This is a real birth, out of the waters, Baron and Brigitte are not "adoptive parents", they are as much parents as any parent can be.

For more information on the travels of one Gede lwa, see "Biography of a Lwa" under the Special Topics heading on The VODOU Page. And for more information on ancestral lwa in general, see Vodou Lesson 2 under the Vodou Lesson heading on The VODOU Page.

Peace and love,

Bon Mambo Racine Sans Bout Sa Te La Daginen

"Se bon ki ra" - Good is rare Haitian Proverb

The VODOU Page - http://members.aol.com/racine125/index.html

It goes without saying, this is not well-researched. 

This is how Maman Brigitte became something of a “patron saint” for white people involving themselves in Vodou, at the expense of Black women.

It feels childish that I even have to say this, but I don’t want anyone to send this woman hate. I don’t think it is fair to rake someone over the coals for saying something stupid over 20 years ago. Additionally, it would be unfair to pin the blame on this one person, as she is not necessarily the originator and it was clearly a group of people who believed this. Rather, it is important to learn from past mistakes by examining the cause and effect.  

This false narrative didn’t stay confined to a small group of people. It spread into publications, which are now sitting in libraries and websites all over the internet. 

Recall the description I included at the beginning: 

In Voodoo, Ma'man Brigit (Grann Brigitte, Manman, Manman Brigit, Manman Brijit) is the mother of cemeteries, the loa of money and death, and the wife of Baron Samedi. She may be related to the "triple" Celtic goddess of poetry, smithcraft, and healing, Brigid/St. Brigit, as her name is Irish in origin. She is usually depicted as a white woman.

This is an excerpt from Denise Alvarado’s (2009) The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook. This is one of several popular books that mischaracterizes Maman Brigitte in this manner. Artists, authors, and other creators read these books, which informs their character designs.

See how Maman Brigitte is typically portrayed in popular media: 

This is not the fault of this actress, at all. American Gods was actually praised for its portrayal of African spiritualities! At least, by some people… There could be intense internet discourse about how bad this portrayal was, which I am not privy to because I don’t use Twitter… 

I genuinely think the creative team behind American Gods (and possibly Smite…I wouldn’t know because I don’t play…) made a serious attempt to research New Orleans Voodoo. It is not because they didn’t care or try to research this topic; rather, it speaks to how widespread and deep-rooted this problem is. 

This matters because it contributes to colorism and racism against women. All across popular media, dark-skinned Black women are denigrated and erased, which impacts how people see and treat Black women in real life. Whenever they do appear, they are often stereotyped and/or excessively criticized by audiences, who can’t be normal around a “twofer minority”. This pattern has been the norm for most of human history. It went uncriticized until very recently, and continues into the present day.

More to the point, the lwa are sacred to Vodouisants of Haitian heritage. Haiti Vodou is embedded in the history of Haiti – the first nation to permanently ban slavery. This was won through a bloody Revolution, which is why the lwa are these warrior-like spirits of justice. The whitewashing of religious figures is disgraceful–especially the lwa of Haiti.

There are regional differences in Haitian Vodou, which is why accounts from different, credible sources can vary. Unfortunately, this is used as an excuse to invent falsehoods about the lwa. It is inaccurate to describe Maman Brigitte as a mere manifestation of the European saint or goddess. Instead of viewing her as European or African in origin, Maman Brigitte is best described as a lwa that is uniquely indigenous to Haiti–probably, the spirit of an important Haitian ancestor who was named “Brigitte”.

Haitian Vodou is a part of Haitian national heritage, and the lwa are ancestral to the Haitian people. We should respect the depiction of Maman Brigitte as she is portrayed by Haitians.

She is not this:

But this:

CITATION LIST:

Alvarado, Denise. Voodoo hoodoo spellbook. Weiser Books, 2011: p. 34. 

Chinea, Jorge L. "Irish Indentured Servants, Papists and Colonists in Spanish Colonial Puerto Rico, ca. 1650-1800." Irish Migration Studies in Latin America 5.3 (2007): pp. 171-81.  https://www.irlandeses.org/0711.pdf#page=35 

Desmangles, Leslie Gerald. “African Interpretations of the Christian Cross in Vodun.” Sociological Analysis, vol. 38, no. 1, 1977, pp. 13–24. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3709833. Accessed 9 Sept. 2024.

Hebblethwaite, Benjamin. A Transatlantic History of Haitian Vodou: Rasin Figuier, Rasin Bwa Kayiman, and the Rada and Gede Rites. United States, University Press of Mississippi, 2021. p. 204

Herskovits, Melville J.. Life in a Haitian Valley. United States, Octagon Books, 1964: pp. 289-290. https://archive.org/details/lifeinhaitianval0000hers/page/288/mode/2up 

Marcelin, Milo. "Mythologie vodou (Rite Arada), Volume II." Pétionville: Éditions Canapé Vert (1950). pp. 177-178 

Mintz, Sidney & Trouillot, Michel-Rolph. “The Social History of Haitian Vodou”. In Cosentino, Donald. Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou. United States, UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History, 1995: pp. 123-147. https://ghettobiennale.org/files/Trouillot_Mintz_LOW.pdf 

Noonan, Kerry. “Gran Brijit: Haitian Vodou Guardian of the Cemetery.” In Goddesses in World Culture: Volume 3, Australia and the Americas, edited by Patricia Monoghan, 123-133. Denver, Colorado: Praeger, 2011

Ohlmeyer, Jane. “Irishness, Whiteness, Blackness, and Slavery in the Early Modern World.” American Journal of Irish Studies, vol. 17, 2022, pp. 5–38. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/27290673. Accessed 9 Sept. 2024.

Slawson, Douglas J. “Rev. John J. Burke, the National Catholic Welfare Conference, and the American Occupation of Haiti (1915-34).” The Catholic Historical Review, vol. 100, no. 3, 2014, pp. 514–54. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43898675. Accessed 9 Sept. 2024.

APPENDIX A: FULL EXCERPT FROM MILO MARCELIN’S (1950) MYTHOLOGIE VODOU VOL. 2:

GRANDE BRIJITTE

Grande Brijitte, femme de Baron-Samedi et mère des Guédé, est une négresse très vieille —c’est pourquoi on l’appelle grande (grand' mère). Elle est identifiée à Sainte Brigitte, patronne de l’Irlande; elle a pour reposoir un «cirouellier» (spondias purpurea L.) ou un figuier maudit marron (clusia rosea Jacq.) et, parfois, dans les cimetières, un amoncellement de pierres la représente. Ses jours sont le lundi et vendredi, sa couleur, le noir.

Grande Brijitte est aussi puissante que son mari. Parfois elle préside au cimetière. Si la première personne enterrée dans un cimetière nouvellement construit est un homme, on dit qu'il est Baron-Samedi et il est le maître de ce cimetière; si c’est une femme, elle est Grande Brijitte et elle est maîtresse de ce cimetière.

Les cas de possessions de Grande Brijitte sont fort rares. Quand elle possède une personne, celle-ci est comme morte. On lui bande la mâchoire avec un foulard noir, on lui met du coton aux oreilles et aux narines, on la couvre d'un drap blanc, on l'asperge de clairin (rhum blanc) et on chante:

Ou dit Manman Brijitte couché,

L’ap’ dômi!

Ou dit Manman Brijitte couché,

L’ap’ dômi! 

Lô-r la réveillé,

Dèniè hounsi dô-bas!

D'leau lan gé Manman Brijitte!

Lô-r la réveillé

Dèniè hounsi dô-bas!

Tu dis que Maman Brijitte est couchée,— Et qu'elle dort! — Tu dis que Maman Brijitte est couchée, — Et qu'elle dort! —  Quand elle se réveillera,— Toutes les hounsis (serviteurs du temple) seront dos bas! — Il y a de l'eau dans les yeux de Maman Brijitte! — Lors-qu’elle se réveillera, — Toutes les hounsis seront dos bas!

Grande Brijitte ne parle jamais. Quand elle se retire de son cheval (de sa possédée), on chante parfois cette chanson:

Manman Brijitte alé

Guingue, gongue!

Manman Brijitte alé

Guingue, gongue!

Manman Brijitte est partie – Guingue, gongue (tintement de la cloche: le glas funèbre!) – Maman Brijitte est partie – Guingue, gongue! 

Parfois Grande Brijitte et Baron-Samedi apparaissent ensemble. On revêt ce dernier d'un linceul, on lui met aussi du coton aux oreilles et aux narines. Il s'assied sur le lit où est étendue sa femme. Lui non plus ne parle pas, ne boit pas, ne fume pas. On les veille alors, comme on fait pour les morts.

Une invocation à Grande Brijitte: 

Brave, oh!

Alé rhélé Manzè Brijitte pou mouin!

M’ prall’ Thomazeau!

M’ pa gaingnin Manman, 

Qui pou palé pou mouin!

M’ pa gaingnin Papa,

Qui pou palé pou mouin!

Brave, oh!

Alé rhélé Manzè Brijitte pou mouin!

M’ prall’ Thomazeau!

Brave (Guédé), oh! — Va appeler Mam'zelle Brigitte pour moi! — Je vais à Thomazeau (ville du Département de l’Ouest)! — Je n’ai pas de Maman, — Pour prendre ma défense! — Je n’ai pas de Papa, — Pour prendre ma défense! — Brave, oh!— Va chercher Mam’zelle Brijitte pour moi! — Je vais à Thomazeau!

Le menu rite du repas de Grande Brijitte est composé de patates, de bananes (plantain), du hareng-sel et de la morue boucanés, du maïs et des pistaches grillés, du gros-sirop (sirop de canne à sucre). On lui offre du clairin (rhum blanc) et en sacrifice, des poules noires.

APPENDIX B: “Maman Brigitte, the Mother of the Gedes”

Racine125

Jun 16, 2001, 4:37:00 PM

to

Maman Brigitte is a manifestation of the Celtic Goddess Brigid. During the

formative period of Haitian Vodou, many Scottish people were deported from

Scotland to the Antilles because of the Stuart wars, and those Scots were the

most traditionalist, the least Christianized. They were the ones who brought

Brigid to Haiti.

During this time, blacks outnumbered whites about 4000 to one. This is a literal fact. So it is unlikely that those few whites could prevent Africans from having drum dances - it seems to me more likely that an uneasy truce obtained, you know, the whites said in effect, "Do your work and I will leave you alone."

At that time the whites most likely to participate in drum dances were of course the poor whites, not the few French elite whites. And among them, the most likely people to participate were the women - just the folks most likely to have preserved the service of Brigid.

(Before I go any further let me suggest that anyone who hasn't read Jayelle's "White Women in Vodou" do so!)

Now, the first woman buried in any cemetary is by definition Brigid, and the first man buried in any cemetary is by definition Baron. Of course when those drum-dancing poor Scottish women died they were buried in the same earth as Africans, and the agglomerative, pragmatic nature of Vodou as it developed would of course naturally incorporate Brigid, and metamorphose her into Maman Brigitte.

Now, to make Gede lwa, Maman Brigitte and Baron La Croix take souls from "under the water" and rebaptize them. That is why all Gede lwa have the last name La Croix, because their father is Baron La Croix. This is a real birth, out of the waters, Baron and Brigitte are not "adoptive parents", they are as much parents as any parent can be.

For more information on the travels of one Gede lwa, see "Biography of a Lwa" under the Special Topics heading on The VODOU Page. And for more information on ancestral lwa in general, see Vodou Lesson 2 under the Vodou Lesson heading on The VODOU Page.

Peace and love,

Bon Mambo Racine Sans Bout Sa Te La Daginen

"Se bon ki ra" - Good is rare Haitian Proverb

The VODOU Page - http://members.aol.com/racine125/index.html

Kevin Filan

Jun 17, 2001, 3:43:50 PM

to

Thanks for a fascinating essay on Maman Brigitte. While I can't comment

on her place in Haitian Vodou, I do have some knowledge of Scots and

British history, as well as a bit of experience doing scholarly

research. While I think you make a couple of questionable assertions,

you also have raised some interesting points.

Racine125 wrote: > > Maman Brigitte is a manifestation of the Celtic Goddess Brigid. During the > formative period of Haitian Vodou, many Scottish people were deported from > Scotland to the Antilles because of the Stuart wars, and those Scots were the > most traditionalist, the least Christianized. They were the ones who brought > Brigid to Haiti.

http://www.learner.org/biographyofamerica/prog13/feature/index_text.html

Tells us the first African slaves in the New World arrived in Hispaniola in 1501... and the first slave rebellion in Hispaniola was in 1522. By that time Scotland had been Christian for over a thousand years. While Neopagans love to speculate about isolated villages practicing "the Olde Pagan Customs" well into the 20th century, I've yet to see any evidence of same. I certainly doubt VERY strongly that there were any Scotsmen of that time, no matter how isolated a little town they came from, who would have considered themselves "Brigid worshippers." I'm even inclined to think that by the time of the Stuart Wars poor White indentured servants were largely becoming a thing of the past, as the Slave routes became well-established and the full horror of that machinery was coming into operation. There were certainly Catholic Scots who got the heck outta Dodge during the Stuart Wars: many of them wound up in Catholic France or some of the French colonies. But I'm not sure that they came to St. Dominique as indentured servants.

Here's an excerpt from http://www.scotlandspast.com/religion.htm which shows that Christianity was well established in Scotland by the 8th century: the whole site, BTW, is fascinating and well worth a read.

* * * * *

The first named missionary to Scotland is Ninian who is referred to in an aside by Bede while discussing the conversion of the Picts in his Ecclesiastical History of the English People written in 731 AD. In this aside he says 'The southern Picts, who live on this side of the mountains, are said to have abandoned the errors of idolatry long before this date and accepted the true Faith through the preaching of Bishop Ninian, a most reverend and holy man of British race, who had been regularly instructed in the mysteries of the Christian Faith in Rome. Ninian's own Episcopal see, named after Saint Martin and famous for its stately church, is now held by the English, and it is here that his body and those of many saints lie at rest. The place belongs to the province of Bernicia and is commonly known as Candida Casa, the White House, because he built the church of stone, which was unusual among the Britons.' Ninian is also dealt with in Miracula Nyniae Episcopi which also mentions a king called Tudwal, historians have used the above evidence to date Ninian to the 5th century, about the same time as Patrick. There have been many suggestions that Ninian operated much further north than Galloway and dedications to him can be found as far north as Fife and even into Angus. Although the term missionary has been used here it is likely that Christianity of some kind already existed and that Ninian, Columba and the other early saints were not missionaries in the modern sense.

* * * * * *

That being said, there certainly were indentured White servants in Haiti during the earliest days of its colonization. From http://208.154.71.60/bcom/eb/article/6/0,5716,108616+21,00.html

* * * * *

As the English, French, Dutch, and, to a lesser extent, the Danes colonized the smaller West Indian islands, these became plantation settlements, largely cultivated by blacks. Before the latter arrived in great numbers, the bulk of manual labour, especially in the English islands, was performed by poor whites. Some were indentured, or contract, servants; some were redemptioners who agreed to pay ship captains their passage fees within a stated time or be sold to bidders; others were convicts. Some were kidnapped, with the tacit approval of the English authorities, in keeping with the mercantilist policy that advocated getting rid of the unemployed and vagrants. Black slavery eventually surpassed white servitude in the West Indies.

* * * * *

By the time of the Code Noir, there was some effort made to distinguish between Blacks, mulattos, and Whites: I suspect by that time most of the ancestors of the early indentured Whites were considered mulatto at best. Some of the worst buccaneers of the time were headquartered on the Island of Tortuga, an isle populated by creoles, escaped indentured servants, escaped slaves and other "lawless riffraff." So there was definitely mingling of the races and mingling of the cultures.

> During this time, blacks outnumbered whites about 4000 to one. This is a > literal fact.

I was under the impression it was more like 20 to one, but if you could cite some source which says otherwise I'd certainly be open to correction.

> So it is unlikely that those few whites could prevent Africans > from having drum dances - it seems to me more likely that an uneasy truce > obtained, you know, the whites said in effect, "Do your work and I will leave > you alone."

It generally appears that slave owners were, if anything, *hostile* to attempts to convert their slaves. They didn't want to deal with the responsibility of teaching these savages, never mind giving them time off to go to church. While they punished anything which smacked of rebellion with truly horrendous savagery, they of course weren't able to stop every drum dance or religious service.

> At that time the whites most likely to participate in drum dances were of > course the poor whites, not the few French elite whites. And among them, the > most likely people to participate were the women - just the folks most likely > to have preserved the service of Brigid.

This involves a whole bunch of assumptions, some of which may not be true. I think the assumption that the service of Brigid was preserved is a dubious one at best. (I'm also not sure that Brigid was particularly popular in Scotland: I was of the impression that she was more favored in Ireland). And were White women regularly participating in erotically-charged (at least in the popular White imagination of the time) drumming rituals? While the Code Noir allowed intermarriage, there were certainly social taboos against this, particularly against White woman sleeping with Black men.

> (Before I go any further let me suggest that anyone who hasn't read Jayelle's > "White Women in Vodou" do so!)

An excellent and moving piece which describes what Maman Brigitte means to Jayelle and how she has integrated Maman Brigitte into her own life. I have no interest in "debunking" Jayelle's personal mythology, or in "disproving" her belief that her Maman Brigitte is related to the Celtic Brigitte. Jayelle seems like a very nice and very intelligent person: if her service of Brigitte does good things for her, then I wish her well. I can respect the opinions of a devout, sincere Moslem, without believing that the Koran is the direct word of God and that Mohammed is the seal of the prophets.

That being said: I think one of the big problems facing Neopagan theology today is flabby scholarship. "Authorities" pull assertions out of their posteriors without any kind of evidence: other "authorities" then point to these assertions as "proof." I saw a recent claim, for instance, that the "Black Madonna" found throughout Europe is really a survival of Isis and Horus worship. I didn't see any evidence backing that claim up -- just a bald-faced assertion. I could just as easily claim the Black Madonna was a survival of Parvati holding the Infant Krishna, or of the infant Guatama being held by his Mother. I'm sure that I could find a "Mother holding a Child" figure in the art of just about EVERY culture: does that prove that the Black Madonna is a survival of Inuit rule over Europe, or that Europe was once occupied by South Sea Islanders? Speculation is one thing: so long as you clearly say "This is what I believe," or "This is one possible explanation," I'm not inclined to complain. But once you and others start presenting your speculation as Historical Fact, you can run into all kinds of problems.

> Now, the first woman buried in any cemetary is by definition Brigid, and the > first man buried in any cemetary is by definition Baron. Of course when those > drum-dancing poor Scottish women died they were buried in the same earth as > Africans, and the agglomerative, pragmatic nature of Vodou as it developed > would of course naturally incorporate Brigid, and metamorphose her into Maman > Brigitte.

You're assuming a lot here again. I'm not saying that you're wrong, but I'd like to see some scholarship regarding the ethnic makeup of indentured servants in Haiti, the interactions between indentured servants and African slaves, and the religious beliefs of indentured White servants in Haiti. As I said before, there certainly were intermarriages and interrelationships between poor Whites (particularly escaped indentured servants) and African slaves. And if you can point me in the direction of evidence that Brigid-worship survived in Scotland as late as the 17th century, I would be greatly appreciative.

Peace Kevin Filan

-- Now in the graveyard of my secrets there's a hope buried beneath All this talk of peace and righteousness as left me weary beyond belief And there's this unwanted mistress in my bed late at night She says "I know you're a criminal -- you been on death row all your life."

- Bill Mallonee

Racine125

Jun 17, 2001, 4:34:43 PM

to

In article <3B2D3334...@SPAMBGONE.com>, Kevin Filan

<mrha...@SPAMBGONE.com> writes:

>..the first African slaves in the New World arrived in Hispaniola >in 1501... and the first slave rebellion in Hispaniola was in 1522....

I don't mean that Scottish deportees were in Haiti from the beginning of the slave trade! The Stuart wars took place later, in the mid-1700's, which is in plenty of time to contribute to the formation of the contemporary Vodou religion. Not only that, but Scottish people were being deported to the West Indies including Haiti long before the Stuart wars - that is where all those Jamaicans get names like Fitzwilliam and Fitzroy, and that is why there are Haitians named Bailly.

> I certainly doubt VERY strongly that there were any Scotsmen >of that time, no matter how isolated a little town they came from, who >would have considered themselves "Brigid worshippers."

Oh, I don't doubt it for a moment, I bet Scots*women* kept Brigid alive in their hearts - that is no different from the modern Haitians in the north of Haiti who are hereditary Muslims! Documents written by Christians claiming that the "Picts are Christianized" mean as much to me as modern documents written by Christians in Haiti claiming that the majority of Haitians have renounced Vodou.

The population statistics I quoted are from historical documents of the time, it's on the 'Net in a few places, I will look and see if I can find them again.

There is no doubt that Brigitte is a manifestation of Brigid, although we may go rooting around a bit to decide exactly how and when. Like Bob Marley said, "Half the story has never been told."

Kevin Filan

Jun 18, 2001, 11:58:10 PM

to

In article <20010617193443...@nso-mc.aol.com>, Racine125 says...

>

>In article <3B2D3334...@SPAMBGONE.com>, Kevin Filan

><mrha...@SPAMBGONE.com> writes:

>

>>..the first African slaves in the New World arrived in Hispaniola

>>in 1501... and the first slave rebellion in Hispaniola was in 1522....

>

>I don't mean that Scottish deportees were in Haiti from the

>beginning of the slave trade! The Stuart wars took place later,

>in the mid-1700's, which is in plenty of time to contribute to

>the formation of the contemporary Vodou religion. Not only

>that, but Scottish people were being deported to the West

>Indies including Haiti long before the Stuart wars - that is where

>all those Jamaicans get names like Fitzwilliam and Fitzroy, and

>that is why there are Haitians named Bailly.

I don't think you were seeing a lot of indentured servitude in St. Dominique by the 1750s. At that stage in the game they were mostly using the "labor camp" model: buy slaves, work them to death, repeat as necessary. For the most part the farms were divided into massive plantations where indentured servants would be working as overseers at best. It's highly unlikely that any overseers were hanging out at African drum dances ... in fact, I'd say the overseers would have been among the first killed when the rebellion started.

I think a more promising approach might be to compare some of the folk beliefs of the early French settlers, particularly any settlers from the Breton area, and compare them with the beliefs and rituals found in Haiti today around Maman Brigitte. For that I'd look no later than the early 18th century, before the Code Noir and before the disenfranchisement of the Mulattos. At that period you would have had a prosperous Creole culture where you might have seen that kind of interaction between Whites and Blacks and their belief systems. Later you get much more a "state of siege" and an effort to keep the systems separate. (You can still see the psychological effects of this among Haiti's mulatto elite). And then, during and after the Revolution, the Whites who weren't killed out got the heck out of Dodge: after that time there wasn't enough of a white presence, IMO, to have that kind of an impact on the development of Vodou.

I just picked up W.Y. Evans-Wentz's 1911 book *The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries.* While he engages in a fair bit of psychical and theosophical speculation, he also did a goodly amount of field work in the British Isles and in Breton. He was also a disciple of the great American philosopher William James: I can definitely see the influence of *Varieties of Religious Experience* in the preconceptions he brings to the table when compiling his data. From what I've read so far, the book is fascinating and thought-provoking, although you may want to keep a salt shaker handy when reading.

http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/ffcc/ has an online edition of this book.

One thing I've noted is that Bretons strongly identify the Fae folk with the spirits of the dead, arguably more so than other Celtic peoples. If this is true (and, again, I've not done the research to verify all of Evans-Wentz's claims), then it might be an explanation of how a goddess frequently assoicated with the Fairy Kingdom became the Queen of the Dead.

When are Maman Brigitte and the Baron first mentioned in print? I know that the scholarship on Vodou is woefully thin, but in present day Vodou these are two of the most popular and well-known Lwa. If we could get some idea as to how long Brigitte has been served, perhaps we'd get some better clue as to her origins.

>> I certainly doubt VERY strongly that there were any Scotsmen >>of that time, no matter how isolated a little town they came from, who >>would have considered themselves "Brigid worshippers." > >Oh, I don't doubt it for a moment, I bet Scots*women* kept >Brigid alive in their hearts - that is no different from the modern >Haitians in the north of Haiti who are hereditary Muslims!

The broker who got us our apartment was a Lebanese Haitian: I've gathered there is also a Syrian population in Haiti as well. Are these the Muslims of whom you speak?

I would expect that most of the peasants from France, Scotland, England and Ireland would have considered themselves Catholics. They might pay homage to "saints" like Brigid in ways which reflected the pre-Christian worship of Brigid... but they would likely consider this Catholic. While I am open to the possibility -- and would love to see it, actually -- I have not yet seen any evidence of widespread survival of pre-Christian religion in Europe, particularly a pre-Christian survival which recognized itself as such. I suspect the situation resembled African-American Hoodoo: lots of bits and pieces from an earlier structure, but lacking major amounts of the underlying philosophy of that structure and incorporating many Christian ideas.

>Documents written by Christians claiming that the "Picts are >Christianized" mean as much to me as modern documents >written by Christians in Haiti claiming that the majority of >Haitians have renounced Vodou.

What those documents prove is that there was a pretty established Christian community in Scotland as early as the 8th century. It doesn't prove that the pre-Christian customs had died out entirely ... indeed, if Evans-Wentz's field research was at all accurate, many of them survived as late as the 19th and early 20th century. What it means is that we can expect these pre-Christian myths to have incorporated a good deal of Christian mythology by the time St. Dominique was being colonized.

>The population statistics I quoted are from historical documents >of the time, it's on the 'Net in a few places, I will look and see >if I can find them again. > >There is no doubt that Brigitte is a manifestation of Brigid, although >we may go rooting around a bit to decide exactly how and when. >Like Bob Marley said, "Half the story has never been told."

I'm not saying that you're wrong here, although I think you may be pointing a bit in the wrong direction. I'm definitely interested in hearing more about why Maman Brigitte "comes from England" and for how long this identification has been made. Do you know any other Maman Brigitte songs? Looking at those lyrics might help to uncover other clues as to Brigitte's origin.

I know we have a few people on here with some knowledge of Celtic culture and mythology. Any recommendations for good books on the subject which avoid the Standard Newage Pitfalls?

>Peace and love, > >Bon Mambo Racine Sans Bout Sa Te La Daginen > >"Se bon ki ra" - Good is rare > Haitian Proverb > >The VODOU Page - http://members.aol.com/racine125/index.html

Peace Kevin Filan

"My country, right or wrong," is a thing that no patriot would think of

saying expect in a desperate case. It is like saying, "My mother,

drunk or sober." - G.K. Chesterton

Other

Jun 19, 2001, 6:05:57 AM

to

<snip>

> There is no doubt that Brigitte is a manifestation of Brigid, although

> we may go rooting around a bit to decide exactly how and when.

> Like Bob Marley said, "Half the story has never been told."

>

Don't forget that there is a Catholic Saint, St. Bridget who is clearly a

Christianized version of the Goddess Brigid.

-- Troy

"Self, I could do bad pencil drawings of Mr. Spock!"-Robin Wood

Racine125

Jun 19, 2001, 9:16:10 AM

to

In article <6KCX6.678$yp1....@www.newsranger.com>, Kevin

Filan<mrha...@excite.SPAMBGONE.com> writes:

>I don't think you were seeing a lot of indentured servitude in St. Dominique >by >the 1750s. At that stage in the game they were mostly using the "labor camp" >model: buy slaves, work them to death, repeat as necessary.

They who? Think again, Kevin - wealthy French plantation owners did not soil their shoes going down to the cane fields or the indigo patch or whatever. That work was done by poor whites and some "trusted blacks" usually Kongo men because they were considered by whites the most likely to betray their own people.

>It's highly unlikely that any overseers >were >hanging out at African drum dances ...

To the contrary - where else would they hang out? The fancy whites wouldn't have anything to do with them. I want to stress again and again the incredibly high numerical disparity between blacks and whites, it wasn't like the USA, whites were few and far between, and they had to have an "understanding" with blacks who outnumbered them vastly (By the way the source of that population data is online somewhere and I will keep trying to find it and give it to you). And also remember that the most likely participants were the women! These were not refined, constrained Frenchwomen, these were rough, lower class independant Celtic women accustomed to taking responsibility for themselves. Now, faced with a choice between some boring white guy and some big handsome Ashanti or Ibo, I know who I would rather hang out with! LOL!

> in fact, I'd say the overseers would >have >been among the first killed when the rebellion started.

No, that came later - in the beginning there were groups of blacks who protected whites whom they felt had done their best to protect blacks, sometimes even to the point of battling for them, getting them out of the country... it was Dessalines who brought on that mentality that led to pregnant white women being split open and their fetuses pulled out for the purposes of general amusement, that kind of thing. In fact at one point he promised a large group of white women and children safe passage back to France, and then when they assembled, he had his men cut them to pieces with swords because he "wouldn't waste the bullets".

>I think a more promising approach might be to compare some of the folk >beliefs >of the early French settlers, particularly any settlers from the Breton area, >and compare them with the beliefs and rituals found in Haiti today around >Maman >Brigitte.

That might have been a part of it too! But you know, the Vodou song which refers to the geographical origins of Maman Brigitte says that "Maman Brigitte, li soti nan anglete", anglete being properly "England" but by extension the British Isles.

>One thing I've noted is that Bretons strongly identify the Fae folk with the >spirits of the dead, arguably more so than other Celtic peoples. If this is >true (and, again, I've not done the research to verify all of Evans-Wentz's >claims), then it might be an explanation of how a goddess frequently >assoicated >with the Fairy Kingdom became the Queen of the Dead.

Brigid was identified with the dead in her own country, and with healing and smithcraft too.

>>Oh, I don't doubt it for a moment, I bet Scots*women* kept >>Brigid alive in their hearts - that is no different from the modern >>Haitians in the north of Haiti who are hereditary Muslims! > >The broker who got us our apartment was a Lebanese Haitian: I've gathered >there >is also a Syrian population in Haiti as well. Are these the Muslims of whom >you >speak?

No, I am talking about black people in the north of Haiti whose ancestors were Muslims when they came over from Africa. Their contemporary descendants remain Muslims until present, and the anthropologists are having a field day with them! LOL!

>>Documents written by Christians claiming that the "Picts are >>Christianized" mean as much to me as modern documents >>written by Christians in Haiti claiming that the majority of >>Haitians have renounced Vodou. > >What those documents prove is that there was a pretty established Christian >community in Scotland as early as the 8th century. It doesn't prove that the >pre-Christian customs had died out entirely ... indeed, if Evans-Wentz's >field >research was at all accurate, many of them survived as late as the 19th and >early 20th century.

So there.

>I'm not saying that you're wrong here, although I think you may be pointing a >bit in the wrong direction. I'm definitely interested in hearing more about >why >Maman Brigitte "comes from England" and for how long this identification has >been made. Do you know any other Maman Brigitte songs? Looking at those >lyrics >might help to uncover other clues as to Brigitte's origin.

Of course I know more songs for Maman Brigitte, but none of them say anything about her origin.

Kathy Latzoni

Jun 19, 2001, 10:10:50 AM

to

In article <20010619121610...@nso-mi.aol.com>, Racine125 says...

>

>In article <6KCX6.678$yp1....@www.newsranger.com>, Kevin

>Filan<mrha...@excite.SPAMBGONE.com> writes:

>

>>I don't think you were seeing a lot of indentured servitude in St. Dominique

>>by

>>the 1750s. At that stage in the game they were mostly using the "labor camp"

>>model: buy slaves, work them to death, repeat as necessary.

>

>They who? Think again, Kevin - wealthy French plantation owners

>did not soil their shoes going down to the cane fields or the indigo

>patch or whatever. That work was done by poor whites and some

>"trusted blacks" usually Kongo men because they were considered

>by whites the most likely to betray their own people.

Hmm. Why were the Kongo [as opposed to Africans of other origins] considered the "most likely to betray their own people"? <:/

I'd be interested in seeing your sources for this information...

>Brigid was identified with the dead in her own country, and with healing >and smithcraft too. >

In my own [somewhat casual] studies of Brigid, I have heard her identified with all of these things as well -- but again, this has mostly come from pagan or women's-spirituality books and websites, which often don't give many academic citations, or statistics, to back up the assertions they make. [Yes, I'm familiar with the quote about "lies, damned lies and statistics" ;) ... but that would at least provide some primary research for us to evaluate.]

Your own reading has probably been more extensive than mine: are you able to give us some more "hard facts" to support these conclusions here?

KL

Racine125

Jun 19, 2001, 11:31:52 AM

to

In article <uILX6.1515$yp1....@www.newsranger.com>, Kathy

Latzoni<lat...@my-deja.com> writes:

>Hmm. Why were the Kongo [as opposed to Africans of other origins] considered >the >"most likely to betray their own people"? <:/ > >I'd be interested in seeing your sources for this information...

Oh dear, another bibliography search, huh? There are actually quite a few references to the "execrable Congos" and how other ethnic groups scorned them because they would sell out incipient rebellions, all sorts of stuff.

There are echoes of this kind of thing in current Haitian parlance too - for instance "owsa" (Hausa) means "pickpocket", and apparently Hausas had a reputation for being lightfingered in Africa as well.

I am getting on the plane very shortly and won't be able to look it up for you but the references abound, it won't be hard for you to find.

[pumpkin-genocide]

“Abnormal Nights in Gotham”? Never heard of her!

I know that isn’t how the joke goes, suffer.

Here are some questions about this page and the “Abnormal Nights in Gotham” podcast my crew reminded me I probably should answer;

What platforms are the episodes going to be on?

Currently, episode 1 and 2 are up on YouTube. We also have episode 1 and 2 scheduled to come out at 4:00pm (EST) on Sunday and Monday on RSS. I am planning on putting it up on Spotify if I ever figure out how that works, and I’ll notify you guys if I ever figure out how to use any other platform. https://youtube.com/@pumpkingenocide?si=mLPVhLvJNMpNunAm

https://rss.com/podcasts/abnormal-nights-in-gotham/

How many original characters are added to this series?

Ummmm errmmm uuuhhh *looks over to my entire landfill full of original characters* ummm just a few :D

No, but seriously, there are a lot of original characters in this. I’ve had this story for a while, and half of these characters I even put into my own original stories just so I can have them for myself. The Ruby-Blu siblings are just a few main character original characters, I have a lot more where that came from that you’ll meet in the series.

Who voices who in the series?

This list can change because we have a limited amount of voice actors and a lot of characters, but here is the list so far:

Ernest Ruby-Blu - Roy

Jay Ruby-Blu - Nick

Oliver Ruby-Blu - Oliver aka Dr Strainge

Elijah Clystone - Roy

Chelsea Chesher - Shannon

Harley Quinn - Chloe (sometimes Roy because of scheduling problems and such)

Two Face - Roy

The Penguin - Nick

Riddler - Oliver aka Dr Strainge

Scarecrow - Caleb

Mad Hatter - Nate

Catwoman - Shannon

Calendar Man - Oliver aka Dr Strainge

Killer Moth - Mikey aka Humanity

Poison Ivy - Taylor

Dr Joesph Arkham - Oliver aka Dr Strainge

Jack Ryder - Roy

Matthew Steward - Mikey aka Humanity

Vicki Vale - Taylor

Robert Martin - Nate

Kitty Feldzeig - Roy

like I said, this list could change at any moment and we make more episodes, more characters will be introduced onto this list.

Are there explicit content? (Bonus question that one of the crew said I should clarify - Do you make money off of this?)

You bet it! Always look out for the content warnings, because a lot of these episodes dive into some serious and sometimes sore subjects. I like to use my storylines as ways to address real life problems that people face, and this story is no different. There is going to be angst, hurt, anger, despair, and a lot of pain that eventually can turn into healing.

bonus question answer - NOPE, we just like making this stuff and we literally make no money at all. Like we’ve said in the past, we are just some buds having a good time.

[thediktatortot]

Putting out feelers for a Harringrove, Steddie or some Harringroveson friendship The Last Of Us Au Rp. I’ve been trying to get myself back into writing after this winters bout of depression so I need something I can chip away at with someone. I have a NSFW Rp going on with someone else atm, so I’m looking for someone very Gen for this one (though I still want there to be like…romantic tension and all that good stuff.)

Looking for something either medium or long story idea wise. Low pressure to respond, I can sometimes need a few days reprieve from writing, so no pressure for having to wait between posts. I can also get into the groove, so if you get into a groove no shame lol. EST hours.

I wrote up an opening already because I was inspired, so just hit me up if you are interested. I’m primarily asking Mutuals.

I had a partially thought of story idea for a TLOU crossover where Steve and Billy end up meeting up in the open world, probably a smaller city where Steve was separated from the kids and the other adults at some point in time but he learned about where they were taken, somewhere up northern to another GQ zone that's much bigger and is run by more official government so it's assumed to be 'safer' though it's not necessarily, but it's still pretty heavily guarded. Billy is ALSO trying to get there, but for very different reasons (I imagine he's apart of the fireflies in this only because he doesn't agree with Fredra's ways and he is a survivalist). He got seperated from his partner Eddie who was taken by raiders and he's trying to track him down since he had the information they needed to bring down that particular section of Fedra.

Billy has been unfortunately wounded and is holed up in a house/building somewhere to heal, rationing his food before Steve comes along and finds him. They get into a fight obviously, or Billy traps him or catches him off guard but they eventually figure out they aren't going to kill each other.

Steve is open, too open and just happy to see people and tells Billy all about the kids and his adult friends and how he's desperate to find them and be reunited with them. Billy of course, at first, takes advantage of his naivety bc he doesn't know this guy from adam and he needs help to get what he needs. So he tells Steve he'll guide him to the GQ if only they go after to save his partner.

Queue adventure.

——

Steve stepped up to the entrance of what looked like an old dollar store, glancing side to side down the road to make sure there wasn't anyone watching where he was going before he adjusted the backpack against his shoulders and pushed the old glass door open. It creaked on it's hinges causing him to cringe, stopping so there was just enough space for him to squeeze himself through before closing the door once again.

He'd been safe so far, strayed away from populated areas after escaping the Indiana GQ zone, stuck to dense forests and mountains before walking large swaths of flat grasslands that made up the Iowa state. Or at least, he hoped he was in Iowa, seeing as he'd never used a map before his escape from Fedra's walls.

"*fuck*." Steve whispered to himself, staying quiet as he listened for any movement inside the smaller building, eyes raking through the pilfered racks of old junk food and magazines. Nothing was ever easy, nothing was quiet and nothing ever turned out right if he was to believe the people in Fedra, their propaganda on staying in the safe zones they'd made for the people of this world.

Safe was relative in this life, seeing as Fedra had done their own fair share of destruction and killing to rival the infection.

Steve wished he saw what the world before looked like, seen it in magazines some of the other boys in the GQ had found after coming back from illegal trips outside the walls. It was...colorful back then it seemed, lights everywhere, music and noise, no one afraid to step outside their door in fear of getting bitten or raped by the many monsters that existed in this world.

But he'd never get to see that so he pushed on, ruffling his hair of the dust that fell down from the top of the old door and coated him, leaning down to pick up a piece of debris to toss into the back of the store.

Nothing. No movement.

"Fucking finally." Steve sighed, rubbing a dirty hand over his stubbled face as he walked further into the old store. He was exausted and hungry, his rations getting smaller and smaller by the day and he knew he needed the energy to spend a few days resource gathering but he'd only manage to do it if he had a nights rest. Sleeping on top of box trucks and in trees wasn't really a way to get a full eight hours of shut eye.

"Ok...search, secure, sleep." Steve mumbled to himself, having been alone for a while now that it was the only way he got to hear another voice. "Maybe you'll get lucky." He huffed, fingers sliding along the metal shelf as he walked the isle slowly. "Maybe this time you might find some expired boxes of crackers or something- *oh* or maybe-" Steve moved quicker to the back of the store, his eyes lighting as he saw a can on the ground, the top unopened.

[honeii-puff]

16 & 17.| stop my pain (it's crashing down, the sound of thunder)| WHUMPTOBER 2024

Wound Cleaning| Nowhere Else to Go - Thomas "The Cat King" Title from Infection by Lacuna Coil Word Count: 0.83k

Thomas wasn’t quite sure how Mordecai had found him.

Or how he was even alive. He had last seen him in 1879 at a banquet that Mordecai had very much been shot at. By him.

Well, that part didn’t matter, because the man was pissed. And he couldn’t really blame him.

But he could blame him for the several stab wounds in his chest.

He may have been a powerful being, but it still hurt like a bitch.

In a puff of purple flames, he managed to summon himself to the first place that had come to mind, immediately slumping down against the wall. He glanced up slightly at the door, his eyes landing on the gold text on the door.

DEAD BOY DETECTIVE AGENCY, EST. 1990.

Thomas winced as he reached his arm up to hit the buzzer next to the door, the sound ringing out and stabbing into his ears.

After letting go of the buzzer and letting his arm drop, he heard the door click and swing open, causing him to look up slightly. If it was Charles, he was most likely screwed, and Crystal would probably kick him in the-

“Cat King?” A startled voice answered. A voice he would recognize anywhere.

Edwin.

Thank fuck.

“Hey pretty boy.” Thomas grinned weakly, an arm still pressed against his chest. “Care to give me a hand?”

He watched Edwin blink a few times before pulling him up by the arm and dragging him inside the office.

The decor was very Edwin. Bookshelves lined the walls in front of the desk, all neatly organized and put in its proper place.

“Where’s your bat-weilding ghost mate?” He raised an eyebrow from where he now laid in the middle of the floor as Edwin started searching through his neat stacks of books. “I don’t think I’ve seen you more than five feet apart for longer than two minutes.” His voice was wheezey, pain throbbing throughout his chest, making it hard to breathe without sending a torrent of stabbing needles through his nerves.

“He’s helping Crystal with a human thing. At this point I have learned that sometimes it is better to not ask for specifics.” Edwin answered, pulling out a dark green volume and flipping through the pages.

Thomas lifted his hand up slightly. “Magic doesn’t work on me, Edwin. Unless it’s my own magic, it isn’t going to do shit.” He coughed, wincing heavily. “And my magic doesn’t have a reputation of healing properties.”

“Believe me, I know.” He shut the book, setting it on his desk. “We don’t have anything to treat mortal wounds here.” He watched the Edwardian ghost squint “Why are you here.”

He shrugged weakly. “To be honest? It was the first place I thought of.” He coughed again, the metallic taste of blood starting to seep into his mouth. “I didn’t want to die– again– in my warehouse because of some petty revenge plan from some psycho immortal. It freaks the cats out.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re taking their feelings into consideration.”

“I wouldn’t be a just ruler if I didn’t, now would I?” He tilted his head slightly, biting the inside of his cheek at the pain that the one small movement had caused throughout most of his body.

Edwin was now pacing back and forth in front of the desk. He didn’t have his jacket on, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, exposing his forearms which were quite a bit more defined than Thomas was expecting.

He was dying and focusing on the forearms of an Edwardian ghost.

“Do you plan on dying int he middle of the office?” Edwin asked him, and he blew out a painful breath. 

“Probably? I don’t really have a choice now do I?” His eyes went to the ceiling, the edges of his vision darkening. Thomas hated this part.

His vision went first, his consciousness slowly seeping out of his head. The last to go was his hearing, the sound of a book being slotted back onto a shelf.

Then he burst out through his own chest cavity. His fur felt sticky with his own blood, his paws stained pink. He shook off before shifting back into a human form in a spurt of purple fire.

Edwin blinked, looking at him. “Your hair is white.”

Thomas ran a hand through his hair, grinning slightly “My hair hasn’t been this fluffy since my first life.” He looked down at his clothes, which consisted of white skinny jeans and a cropped mesh top, also white. Both were splattered with red, and he wasn’t sure if that was a design or his own blood.

“It looks… Presentable.” He said after a moment, his eyes flickering to the body on the floor.

Thomas looked down at his dead body. “There goes my fourth life.” He blew out a breath. Part of him anticipated the pain, but it didn’t come. “Sorry about the blood. It’ll probably come out of the rug.”

“Probably.”

[thanathicca]

Pathologic Fest Day 17: Notoriety (1)

Part 1 - #crystalclaraity

This belated entry for @fellowtragedian is also crossposted on AO3! and yes, this is set in my 22nd century Thanatica AU, ISMIE (imperare sibi maximum imperium est).

Warning: medical scams, internet drama, ableism, xenophobia, suicide baiting, anti-vaccine behavior

Everything in this story is fictional. Any resemblance to real people, places, or events are purely coincidental.

gemmedicine

posted July 13, 2165

you guys need to lay off of crystalclaraity’ accent guys. just because she’s russian doesn’t mean she’s a plot to undermine the us government via tocktick. get real

#crystalclaraity #crystalclaraity discourse #discourse #you USians are CRAZY #not everything revolves around y’all

120 Likes | 66 Reblogs | 18 Replies

Replies have been limited for this post.

illogical-conclusion

Do you forget that CrystalClaraity is literally scamming people by selling them rocks that “”””heal the plague””””??? She forfeited the right to not be insulted by making people disregard safety protocols just to watch her “”””perform miracles”””” holy shit!!!

6969plaguefucker6969

@\illogical-conclusion those people in her videos are probably paid actors.

illogical-conclusion

@\6969plaguefucker6969 THAT DOESN’T MAKE IT BETTER????????

gemmedicine

@\illogical-conclusion i’m just asking y’all yankees to stop pointing out her accent. it’s literally embarrassing that you still mock foreigners for speaking english in their own accents in the year of the lord 2165

illogical-conclusion

@\gemmedicine I’m not American???? LMAO???????

gemmedicine

@\illogical-conclusion sorry

~

bonked-silly-style 

posted July 19, 2165

gem/medicine literally believes in crystal healing. So unserious. How does he expect anyone with half a brain to take him seriously? xD

#discourse #crystalclaraity #crystalclaraity discourse #xDDD #gemmedicine #crystal healing doesn’t work you guys xP #drama #internet drama

250 Likes | 53 Reblogs | 11 Replies

gemmedicine

@\bonked-silly-style some alternative medicine *can* work. my russian mutual @\prodxedwithgay ordered crystalclaraity’ stuff and it actually helped her.

destieldashcondankmemes

As a Russian, I disown @prodxedwithgay WTF why would you buy from crystalclaraity. Go to the WHO website or whatever instead of using TockTick for medical information -_____________-

never-traumadump

you say it like it is, man. my mom got into the alternative medicine pipeline cuz my little sister is autistic and she doesn’t want to vaccinate her 🙄 and now she’s totally entrenched in conspiracy and we’re not even allowed otc medication anymore. i have to wear crystal necklaces to school. i really need a new phone but noooo she had to use our savings to buy a mAgIc CrYsTaL i feel like i’m going insane.

never-traumadump

like. crystalclaraity says shit like “this plague isn’t real” and like it’s “just the negative energy pooling in the world that my crystal can neutralize”. i bet she’s fully vaccinated and doesn’t even listen to her own videos.

crazy-poor-asian

@\never-traumadump you think Crystalclaraity’s thing is a bit???

mychangelingfantasy

@\crazy-poor-asian Just like a stand-up comedian, sometimes a bit can result in a career 😌

~

pandemic-news

posted August 25, 2165

CrystalClaraity, the health influencer that has accumulated 3.5 million followers on TockTick, EyeTube, Twatter, and InstantGram, has been drowning in controversy. CrystalClaraity has been selling healing crystals that allegedly protect you from the virus and reduce symptoms of the plague since the pandemic began in January 2165.

Research has found that some of the crystals sold in CrystalClaraity’s shops contain lead, asbestos, and several radioactive materials

(...)

The hashtag #KillerClaraity has been used as a campaigns for mass recalls and refunds are surfacing on several social media platforms.

Source

#crystalclaraity #pandemic #tw pandemic #cw pandemic #alternative medicine

19,874 Likes | 3,160 Reblogs | 252 Replies

vigorovsky-trash

LEAD? ASBESTOS? RADIOACTIVE SHIT?! THIS DUDE IS LITERALLY A CARTOON VILLAIN!!!!

anti-vigorovsky

@\vigorovsky-trash how does it feel to know you support child abuse? kys <3

bone---throne

I hope they go to jail for this. This is unacceptable. Innocent people are getting hurt because internet social media platforms don’t have ways to prevent these scams from happening and getting bumped by the algorithm.

wowsonormal

Isn’t Clara literally a teenager?

bone---throne

No one knows how old they are.

killerheadache-fromouterspace

Speculation of CrystalClarity’s age by u/NotaConArtist

HOW OLD IS CLARA THE CRYSTAL PEDDLER? AN ANALYSIS BY MAKEUP ARTIST

Cosplay Wig Expert Weighs In: Clara is Wearing Shitty Brand Wigs

CrystalClarity candid photos (unedited) (footage not from socials)

I SAW CRYSTALCLARITY IN MY HOMETOWN?! (NOT CLICKBAIT)

brainrotting413

@\killerheadache-fromouterspace i SWEAR IF THIS IS A RICKROLL I’M GOING TO CRAM YOUR TOENAILS INTO YOUR ASS

fuckedupandmorallyambiguous

It’s not a Rickroll.

~

bonked-silly-style

posted August 26, 2165

EAT THAT, @\gemmedicine!

#killerclaraity #crystalclaraity #discourse #gemmedicine #crystalclaraity discourse #crystal healing is stupid and anyone who thinks it works is an idiot

431 Likes | 109 Reblogs | 77 Replies

Replies have been limited for this post.

rationalhumanbeing

…imagine listening to someone with a minion porn avatar

bonked-silly-style

@\rationalhumanbeing What are you doing reading minion porn? xD Devil’s sacrament moment xDDD

~

gemmedicine

Posted August 26, 2165

some people really be using serious cases just to further drama. touch grass. if you know who i’m talking about leave them alone btw. “touch grass” applies to everyone on this hellsite

#personal #crystalclaraity discourse #crystalclaraity #discourse #oh well #i’m gonna go touch grass #maybe remake my blog #moots dm me for new user

Reblogs and replies have been disabled from this post.

[elluendifad]

Earenya meditation and offering

Below is a long transcript of a weekday observation for tolkien elven religion <3 Thursday is Earenya, the day of waters and the three Valar associated with water.. It is a day of the external waters of the world (Lord Ulmo), and the internal waters of our hearts (Lord Nienna) and our bodies (Este.) These three Valar are communed with, worshiped, or worked with on this day. My practice every single day is to give a potion offering to the Valar of the day and meditate on their place in my life. Sometimes the moon phase or month changes how specifically i focus on this practice.

Starting out with seven minutes of silent sitting with this drone in the background, just breathing and feeling the flame of my fëa, the light of the flame imperishable in the world around me. Slowly, the boundaries between my ideas of things and the reality of them goes fuzzy and soft.

Then, prepping my offering for today. Just clean drinking water with a little potion of powdered lion's mane, rhodiola, and orange, then tincture of mullein. Stirred while admiring the swirl of the water counterclockwise, opening the nets of my body and heart to release what it has caught over time.

I stand and sing lindë elenlotë using my finger to mark the points of the star flower: like a clock, 4-- Elenya, 8-- anarya, 2-- isilya, 7-- alduya, 12-- menelya, 5-- earenya (today! the warmth of Ulmo's joy washes over me), 10-- valanya, and back to 4-- arda.

I then face the directions and intone them one at a time: East, Rómen. (also 12 on the star: menelya, the day and direction of Varda and Manwe) Downward, Undo. (5 on the star: Earenya, day and direction of Ulmo and Nienna) North, Formen. (10 on the star: Valanya, day and direction of Tulkas and Vána (though valanya is day of all valar, not just those two.)) Within, Enda. (4 on the star: Elenya--day of Varda and all elves, but direction of Orome and Nessa) West, Númen. (8 on the star: Anarya, day of the sun and fiery valar, but direction of Namo and Vaire.) Above, Vilya. (2 on the star: Isilya, day of the moon and cool/silvery valar, but direction of Este and Irmo.) South, Hyarmen. (7 on the star: Alduya, day of the two trees and day and direction of Yavanna and Aule.) facing same direction, intoning Illúve for the illumination of Eru we all share.

Because today is Earenya, day of waters, day of Ulmo, Nienna, and Este, I crouch and set my offering down and put both palms on the floor to either side of it.

"Hail Ulmo, lord of all waters in the world, whose waves carry the sound of the original song of creation and stretch over all the width and depths of the world. You touch my life at every possible layer and support me in ways i cannot fully know. Thank you, for your joy in the creation, for staying with my people in all forms of exile, for your warnings and protections. Enjoy the fruits of my cup, which are your fruits--this clean water is your gift to me. My joys are your joys, and my sorrows are your sorrows.

"Hail Nienna, Fui, whose heart stretches across all darkness and all time, to every wound and uncertainty. Thank you for the cleansing process of grief, the waxing and waning of suffering that lets wisdom grow. Thank you for your constancy in my life and the depths of compassion you enable in my heart. Take the fruits of my cup, the waters of my tears and my labors. My joys are your joys, my sorrows are your sorrows."

I then stood with the cup and lifted it upward, Vilya, the direction of Este and Irmo.

"Hail Este, who teaches me my trade and has designed so many wondrous plants in communion with other Valar. Thank you for your kind attention to our bodies and their capacity to heal, and for the wide interwoven web of plants and other life that can heal and feed one another. The fruits of my cup are absolutely yours, the fruit of my learning herbalism, which could not be without your constant inspiration and remonstrations. My joys are your joys, and my sorrows are your sorrows."

I then faced south and held my cup outward.

"Hail Lord Yavanna, giver of all fruits and maker of life: this is your month, Yavannie, the month of final harvest. This time is rich with food and light, though soon it will wane and fade. Thank you for the cycle of life and death that feeds and makes food of all. My cup is your cup, my joys are your joys, and my sorrows are your sorrows.

I sat a while with the cup to my chest, breathing in joy in the light of our flaming souls, and then drank the offering after the Valar had their time to enjoy it.

This was crossposted a couple of places including cohost.

[shizukateal]

Mini Mahou May week 1: Ballerina Magical Warrior

This is Sara Dubois my single most beloved-est OC. While not really a ballet-exclusive magical warrior, it is one of her main expertises, and besides I almost never draw her and will use any excuse to do so.

Here's a rundown of her abilities:

Flight: self-evident enough.

Chlorokinesis: mostly through her dancing, but she also favors a bow-and-arrows approach for faster range. She usually makes vines to bind or hang around if one of her teammates can't fly, thorny vines for extra painful binding and blocking (note: she does not like harming people so.), or poison ivy, or straight-up trees sometimes, but she can get creative! She has a passion for plants, you see. (no I did not steal the bow and arrow from Madoka, it's just that my ideas are b a s i c )

Intimate Healing: as long as someone feels loved near her, she can heal them. She can also heal herself through affection. This can take the form of physical affection from/towards her, or other people being affectionate to eachother and her healing them by proxy. However, healing an unconscious, unconsenting/unaware person transfers the damage to her. One can only imagine what would happen if she tried to bring someone back to life. People who do not feel loved or like they don't deserve love may also be hurt by this power.

Flying kisses (not pictured above): the power system of her story allows her to send kisses in the form of arrows to her team to heal them during battle. Same rules as the power before apply.

Love Arrows (not pictured above): What it says on the tin except not, kind of? When someone says "love arrows" people usually think "basically an aphrodisiac, but in arrow form", but Sara's arrows are not an aphrodisiac. Whoever they hit will get real feelings of love for who they immediately see next, and those are not exclusively sexual or romantic feelings. Depending of the people involved, any kind of love will bloom.

The power system of the story would allow her to infect people with Hanahaki Disease. However, Sara would never do that, because she is a good person.

[choicesflashfics]

Week #31 Prompts

This weeks prompts are:

Prompt 1 — “I’ll be damned if I don’t make you smile at least once today.”

Prompt 2 — “Whoever said ‘time heals’ is a liar.”

Prompt 3  — “Wait a second. Pause and rewind … what did you just say?”

Guidelines: 

You have to use at least one of the prompts, but you may use all if you’d like.

The fic can be no more than 2500 words. Word count must be present. Text fics are welcome as well. 

The prompts must be used exactly as they are. 

Whether you use one, two, or all three, the prompt(s) must be bolded. Please put in your A/N which prompt(s) you’re using. 

Use proper warnings/tags for the fics if they require any (nsfw, etc.)

Tag @choicesflashfics when you post and your fic will be reblogged. If your fic isn’t reblogged within 48 hours of posting (because we all know how tumblr tags are wonky sometimes), send a message with the link.

Post your fic by Saturday, May 6th (11:59 EST). 

Happy writing! 

*just a reminder that asks are open for those who want to submit their own prompt suggestions!*

Tags: @aallotarenunelma @ao719 @bebepac @blackcatkita @burnsoslow @charlotteg234 @choicesfanaf @choiceskatie @choicesmonthlychallenge @dcbbw @deb-1106 @delightfullysweet @emkay512 @foreverethereal123 @jerzwriter @katedrakeohd @leelee10898 @lolablackwrites @lucy-268 @neotericthemis @niaellariious @peonierose @phoenixrising0308 @polishchoicesfan @queenrileyrose @sfb123 @sincerelyella @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam @twinkleallnight @txemrn @writing-not @zaffrenotes

(If I’ve missed anyone, I’m so sorry. Please let me know if you’d like to be added to or removed from the tags. If I’m unable to activate your tag, I will try to reach out in the comments!)

[jameswilsonsupremacy]

Hi Lucas! Can I pls ask for Gold and Gray? Also can I participate in the ask game, too? Like, on my blog?

-juju🦦 @sarcasstic-jpmvr

OMG HI JUJU ILYSM /p🫶🫶🫶 of course you can participate in your own blog!!! I’ll be sure to send in some asks :)

Grey - is your bedroom themed?

Mine is not!! I’ve always been super envious of anyone who has a themed bedroom, they’re all so pretty!! The closest I have to a theme is that I have numerous musical posters on my walls—specifically Team StarKid and Tin Can Brothers! I also hang up my friends’ artwork :)

Gold - for any new followers, who are you?

A question I ask myself every day lol!! But in all seriousness, on Tumblr, I am just a silly little fandom blog! Primarily House MD, but I dabble in others as well—it’s just focused on one media because I am suuuper hyperfixated haha.

Identity label-wise, I’m a non-binary (they/them in English, elle/elles en español, & iel/iels en français!) latine/latinx student in the USA (timezone: EST). I am going for a BA in Writing, and am a part of my university’s honors college!

My dream job is a journalist covering the real-life stories of queer individuals (especially trans folks) in Middle Eastern and African countries, while also calling out western society & their hypocritical standings of shaming/critiquing other countries for how they treat their 2SLGBTQIA+ citizens when… the government (in the USA) is not doing much to protect their own queer citizens lol… I expect that this work will inevitably be something I cannot make a living off of, since western media tends to blatantly Not Care about anything that will contrast with their values, so I’ll probably work in a coffee shop for the rest of my life and live with a bunch of roommates!

I am also super pro-mental health care, and a real-life example that there is always a better tomorrow. I have multiple diagnoses that sometimes come up in my headcanons of characters because protection is a loved coping skill <3 I’ve been in recovery/healing for about 10-11 months now, and grateful for my opportunity to find love in the form of sunny days and comforting drinks. I still have dark days, and hopelessness still crawls in sometimes—that doesn’t mean my story is over yet. Yours isn’t either. Please stay safe and value your mental health <3

At the end of the day, I’m just a silly, overthinking black coffee lover who writes poetry in their free time and projects onto fictional characters! I’m really bad at answering messages right away simply because life is busy, but I always love making new friends!! Please feel free to reach out!!

[arcplaysgames]

okay before we get into anything, IF YOU PUT YOSUKE IN THE GEKKOUKAN UNIFORM, HE DOES JUNPEI'S VICTORY POSE. THE GALL. THE UNMITIGATED CHEEK. YOSUKE DREAMS OF BEING AS GOOD AS JUNPEI, MY MAIN MAN, MY RIGHT HAND, MY BRO-EST OF BROS.

still, very cute

okay so I FLEW through this place. Yosuke is doing 350-420 per special attack, which is even more than Kanji lately, and he dodges I would estimate about 40% of all attacks. I even wondered if I accidentally fucked with the difficult settings but no, everything is on normal, Yosuke is just a murder machine?????? wild

We knew that Namatame bounced out via the TV, this is not shocking.

ALSO KANJI AND NAOTO HAVE A DUAL-MOVE CALLED "THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST" and listen I have wanted to swat Naoto before for being particularly rude but I'd never call them a beast personally

Green is not this guy's color, can I just say that?

But Namatame has Nanako, and it's November, and shit is Fucking Weird.

Namatame keeps talking about the Midnight Channel like it's putting a hit out on these people and he's reacting to it. So he's not especially informed about how the fucking thing works.

I... cannot figure out his angle here, and what he means about "saving" people. Does he understand that people left in the TV die? Like, how does he explain what happened to the announcer lady and to Saki? Why did he threaten Reverie to try and get him to stop rescuing people?

Is this guy so deeply confused about what the TV World does that he doesn't get that it kills people... or is he so far-gone on some righteous plight that he interprets their deaths in the TV as a salvation?

I have NO fucking idea!

When his Shadow emerges, it's already a part of him???? This... proposes a lot of questions. Is he unified with his inner self and is doing what he genuinely wants? Is there zero part of him that understands that shit is fucked?

Also, he thinks of the TV World as safe and clean while the real world is tainted. Why?

WHAT IS YOUR ANGLE MATT MERCER i mean namatame (matt mercer is v capable of being a chameleon voice but this time I was liek "oh hi mercer whaddup")

Yosuke and Kanji force Namatame back so we get Nanako away from him and then shit gets Weird. Like Mega Weird.

Teddie and Rise say all the shadows are converging on Namatame, and he turns into a big weird angle with "love and peace" typographically on his robe and a huge halo made of peace signs.

What in the absolute fuck.

NAOTO SOMETIMES YOU ASK QUESTIONS AND I JUST WANNA STARE AGOG AT YOU

TURN AROUND DUDE, YOU LOOK AT THAT GUY AND TELL ME HOW SOLID HIS GRASP ON REALITY IS

Namatame is weird to fight. Not particularly difficult, feels very much like a Story Set-Piece. I can't help but notice that even more than other fight arenas, his looks like the central backlot area of the TV world, the 'hub' area. And his more dangerous attack is not offensive but when he seems to use a TV antennae to mind control party members to turn on Reverie.

A TV antennae that controls minds. Very intriguing.

Anyway, Yosuke kills the fuck out of him while Knaji plays back-up and Naoto and Reverie heal.

At the hospital, Nanako is in such bad shape no one is allowed to even see her, which is..... concerning. Teddie says she was too young to have a shadow self. WHICH REALLY? FEELS LIKE A COP-OUT. I WANTED TO SEE SHADOW NANAKO SO BAD.

..... Adachi is still giving me the heebies and the geebies but maybe I'm just being paranoid because he actually volunteers to do something and stays with Dojima so Reverie can go home and rest. Which.... okay. Did I misjudge Adachi?

I mean, I didn't misjudge Shinjiro, Ken The Murder Child, or Ryoji, SO I THINK THERE IS SOMETHING UP WITH ADACHI. I just have no proof yet. 8\

I know one thing for sure: Namatame doesn't know shit about fuck, so the actual mystery of wtf is the midnight channel is STILL completely in the air, so he's maybe the tool the killer is using but is not the, like, mastermind of wtf is happening.

OOF. Anyway.

[padredeem]

＊ TO LET ME DREAM OF YOU . ＊ independent , selective , private . ː Joel Miller from HBO's and Naughty Dog's The Last of Us . written by Katie , she/her , 34.

Back then, there were basically two main ways of lookin' at things. Some people wanted to own everything. And some people didn't want anyone to own anything at all

Carrd ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ Pinterest ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ Promo

Quick Rules beneath cut!

01.     hi my name is Katie! I have been around Tumblr for years, I have another blog at lightsblinded. I'm 34 living in the EST!

02.     Heads up! I had a stroke in August 2023, while I have healed a lot, I am still healing and learning how to write again and that means I make mistakes sometimes. If you can't stand to see tiny mistakes like the wrong form a verb or a misspelling, you may not want to follow. I am always working to correct my mistakes as I notice them. If you can be kind, you are free to let me know if you see someone that I missed.

03.     This Joel is mostly HBO centered, however, I love the game and parts of game Joel probably can be found in my version. I could have a game verse for anyone that want's that too! I love Troy's Joel just as much as Pedro's. Because I use Pedro, my Joel does has some Latinx roots outside of his game verse.

04.     Give me a few days to follow you back if I don't quickly. Because of my busy job, weak attention span and affinity to playing video games, I won't always get to reading your rules and info, and I like to do that before following anyone.

05.     On SHIPPING. while I recognize that there are a lot of people who want to ship with Joel, I am really picky about romantic relationships. this is something that has developed with age. I want to build romantic relationships with friends that I enjoy talking to. I want the characters to have chemistry as well as the other writer and me. that said, I want to write MORE kinds of relationships. I want friendships adopted kids for Joel, antagonistic ships, etc. please note that I will NEVER ship with Ellie. .

06.     Joel's blog will contain triggering content, he lost his daughter in most verses and he's straight up a killer. This is strictly canon and will be included in at least some of his AU verses, so if this bothers you, I wouldn't follow. That said if you have any triggers you need for me to tag, please message me. I am happy to keep my followers as comfortable as possible.