#truly a GOAT in this aspect

[wolkewatcher]

his name was Arturo Uslar Pietri btw

are you forever thinking abt tht guy tht said the americas are an invention of the european colonizers or are you normal

[therobotmonster]

The Fae Thought He Had Her, but She's Had Lots of Practice

Actual Title: "On Foreign Soil."

The fae was having a grand old time with his latest toy. Mortals were easily befuddled with the magic of contract-and-courtesy. He'd taken pretty much all he could from the family: several names, the mother's attention, the son's concept of friendship... Even the life of the father.

He'd taken that one taking just the right moment of his time, the one where he moved just out of the oncoming car's path. That also took out the youngest daughter and making a new neverwas to lurk in the pockets of lost time around the home.

The tricks made him strong. The sense of betrayal and regret humans had when they realized how screwed they truly were was like honey: rich, sweet, and immune to spoilage. If anything, in the last sixty-some-odd years he'd been home the humans had gotten more petulant and even easier to trick.

It was a veritable buffet.

So when the eldest daughter returned home from college, he expected her to be easy pickings. The young were always foolish and prideful, and very often rude. They gave him so many opportunities.

So when she threw open the door, and stared at him with cold green eyes, he immediately laughed in delight. His face took on a distinctively 'David Bowiesq' aspect, a trick he found worked well the last time he'd been to the mortal lands.

"Oh, hello. May I have your name, lass?" He cooed in a cocky-yet-soothing voice.

"My name is Alex, and no." She said.

He raised a brow. She was canny, or at least half-canny. She knew enough to object to him taking it. Still, she had answered, and by the laws of the fae, the latter objection did not override the former offer.

So why wasn't he Alex now?

It was odd, but sometimes mortals were a little resistant to magic. He worried for a moment she was a skeptic, but she couldn't be. Her response meant she knew, or at least suspected, what he was. Moreover, he didn't feel the painful chill and sluggishness empiressence caused, nor the crushing weight of the explicable upon his bird-hollow bones.

No, she was just lucky, or was carrying an iron horseshoe, nothing he couldn't handle in his, or someone else's sleep.

"And what the fuck are you calling yourself, asshole?"

He blinked.

The impudence hit him like a slap. She'd just given him the opening to do anything he wanted, but the raw temerity of the insult, it's artless crudeness, it's utter lack of respect stunned him too much to enjoy it. His rage and petulance rushed into the hole left by his shock, and he sputtered.

"You rude little beast, you have no idea what you've brought upon yourself!"

He raised one pale hand, the flesh fading from it to leave nothing but blackened bone, and he pointed the index finger at her in a silent gesture. He let fly his curse. Not just any curse, but his, the one he had made for just such an occasion.

Alex stared at him. Arms crossed. Her hair was the color of the fae's own rage.

"What's the matter, cat got your brain?"

The fae's confidence wavered and the flesh returned to his hand.

"Where are the spiders?" He said. "There... there ought to be spiders! There should be spiders!"

She rolled her eyes.

"You broke the laws of courtesy and decorum! I can do as I please as a wronged noble! You should be spiders!"

"Whose laws?" It was Alex's turn to smile.

"Why, the only ones that matter, the laws of Faerie, as laid down by Oberon and Tita-"

"And Titsforbrains, yeah. I was five once and I can read. I know your dumb politics. Slight problem. Where are you now?"

"The mortal realm?"

"More specifically?"

"The Earth. The United States."

"Exactly." Alex smiled. "And while you might come the land of the platonic ideal of inbred nepobabies, in the United States of America, no law says I can't call a fuckface a fuckface. Fuckface."

The fae tried a different curse, yet Alex was not being twisted into any sort of goat, ironic or otherwise. "But, that doesn't matter! We're a higher form of being, our laws override yours."

"No they don't." Alex said with a confidence reserved for honey badgers and humans of age three. "Now undo all your bullshit and get out of my house."

"Nuh-uh!" The Fae's cocky smirk returned. With a flourish, he pulled out a deed. "It's my house, I got it off your mother, fair-and-square. She traded it for the heart your little brother so foolishly traded me. So you should get out of MY house."

"Contracts signed under duress are non-enforceable." She said in a bored, dismissive tone.

The Fae started to object, but the contract was already crumbling into dried daffodil petals in his hand. He tried to pretend this wasn't terrifying. Inexplicable happenings were supposed to be caused by him, not happen to him. "Are you a wizard?"

"Don't be stupid. I just know my rights." She said. "I'm betting you didn't disclose the full terms of the contracts either?"

The Fae shook his head, more from fear than as a response to the question. Of course he hadn't. If the mortals didn't do their due diligence and couldn't read Linear-B, that wasn't his fau-

The thirty years he stole from the youngest boy ripped themselves out of his body. A half dozen other deals began popping at the seams.

"How are you doing this?" He gasped.

"I'm not doing it. You are. You're idiot who runs on rules and laws who decided to come scam innocent people for your own profit and amusement."

"But it always worked before-" The Fae ran his mind through all his previous romps. Every single human had whined and begged about how unfair things were. Why was this one different?

He ran through those memories again. They were among his favorites so it was easy for him to see every detail. An old man trying to argue Fae law with him. A shepherd girl trying to use her own word games to trap him. A hippie saying almost the exact same words about non-enforceable contracts.

Almost.

He ran through the memories again and again. Always impressed or terrified or blinded by greed, the mortals always argued on his terms, always went back to his wording of the deal or contract, always appealed to the laws of his people and his own noble position.

None of them had ever argued jurisdiction. Once one of them had, it applied, not just now, not just to these toys, but retroactively, and, from how it felt, with interest.

"Oh." Was all the Fae could say.

"Yes. 'Oh.'" Alex smiled like the cat that ate the proverbial canary. "Children can't sign contracts, either, you know."

Everything the Fae had done to the boy snapped back at once. It felt like every seventh tendon in his body had been snipped simultaneously with tiny scissors.

"Nor can someone sign away the right to kill them to someone else, or sell themselves or others into slavery."

Alex's father reappeared in the living room, looking dazed. In his lap was Alex's youngest sister, now remembered by all present as a person that existed. The return of the father's moment was a minor loss, but there was one less neverwas in the Castle of Paradox, and the Baron would blame him for its unmaking.

"Also, names aren't transferable between people, nor are they the whole and sum of a person's identity in this country. The closest thing we have to that is a social security number. And if you steal one of those, well, identity theft is a crime here."

Mr. Baxter, Mrs. Baxter, Julie and Sam's lights all turned on at once, though they were still groggy and half-asleep and would be for hours to come.

A fortune in names, first, middle, last, with nicknames and pet-names and all between, all vanished from the Fae's purse. He could feel its lightness in his pocket.

The Fae turned on his heels. "I fear I must take my leave, so sorry for the inconvenience!"

He was halfway to the door. The impact on the back of his skull knocked him forward off his feet, sending him slamming into the polished wood floor. The projectile that laid him out bounced and landed by his head.

He'd been right about her having an iron horseshoe.

"You don't get to walk away." She said. He felt her steel-toed boot, soles made of entirely synthetic rubber and cleats of cold steel, press against the base of his spine. His hollow, bird-bone spine. "You don't get to fuck with people, say 'my bad' when you get caught, and run."

"Y-your law!" He gasped. He felt his bones cracking. He wanted to turn into something else but he couldn't focus. She was pressing down harder now, because she was half-kneeling. Her hand picked up the fallen horseshoe. "You have to let me go, or arrest me, turn me over to your police, right? You can't just murder me!"

"What are you?"

"I- I'm a Faerie of Arcadia, a sub-Prince of the House of-"

"So not a human. And not an animal." She kept him pinned.

"No!" He growled. Blood the color of an oil slick on the highway began to fill his mouth. The pain made him forget his fear for a moment, and he bared his true face, something between a bug, a wax store mannequin, and a pug-dog. "We-we're a higher form of life! Far beyond anything this miserable pile of dung you call a planet has to offer! You will pay for this impertinence the moment you break the law that holds me!"

"You're a lot of things. A bully, a pest, a liar. But you're not human. And you're not an animal. In fact, as far as the laws of this land are concerned, you aren't real."

Alex lifted her boot to kick him onto his back, then pinned him again.

"Th-then you can't kill me!" He laughs. "You can't kill something that's not real! You've trapped yourself! You'll have to let me go!"

"You haven't been to our 'pile of dung' in some time have you?" Alex asked. She nodded to a strange white book-shaped object that sat unopened, upright, next to the television, next to a pair of white and black crescent-moon shaped objects studded with small white and black buttons.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

--

Six hours later, a notification popped up on Alex's dorm room computer.

[scottishmushroom]

Bildad the Shuhite - Cobbler, Obstetrician, and Liar.

Bildaddy does more than craft footwear and assist birthing people. He’s also a weaver of untruths. Let’s explore them, shall we?

#1:

Of course as the audience, we know from watching Crowley throughout the last 6,000 years there’s some shame and self loathing when it comes to his identity as a demon. He is a fallen angel, therefore a demon unworthy of forgiveness. So to hear him phrase this as he does, comes off to me a little bitter. On the exterior his delivery may be one of stating a fact (he is technically a demon), but his inner conflict of being cast from Heaven but still wishing good in the world is a painful reminder of his loneliness.

But a step further, we also know as the audience that he is in fact lying to Aziraphale (and Hell) in this scene. Not about having permission to destroy everything Job owns, we know that’s true. But when he turns around and blows up the goats and sarcastically quips, “Seems legit to meeee” he is in fact lying. The goats are fine, and it wasn’t legit at all.

#2:

Crowley sets Job’s house on fire, and Aziraphale, just short of clutching her pearls says, “But… you said you wouldn’t.” This is followed by the very first time we hear Crowley say “I’m a demon. I lied.” We then get a very scrumptiously assertive Aziraphale standing his ground and insisting the children are safe, and Crowley is not going to harm them. Crowley is being challenged here by an angel, again. An angel. They’ve had limited encounters up to this point since his fall, and here he is being forced by the opposition to question where he truly stands. By backing down and saving the children, he’s not just going against Hell’s orders but also appeasing an angel. Crowley really cares what Aziraphale thinks of him. I’ve already written a meta that talks about this that you can find here: https://www.tumblr.com/scottishmushroom/730259715377020928/gif-credit-dancingcrowley-i-think-by-now-we-can

#3:

This one is like a stab to the heart. He says it so gently, so soft. On one hand, there’s that shame again. Regret and sadness at his identity as a demon, the inability to embrace who he is. The other aspect of it is about protecting Aziraphale. During the cellar scene, if you’re not too distracted with the sight of Aziraphale going absolutely rabid on that ox, Crowley denies that it is lonely going along with Hell as far as he can. By then, he is well aware that Aziraphale and him have that in common when it comes to their respective home offices. He doubts Hell’s decisions, and knows Aziraphale doubts Heaven’s/God’s. But he recognizes that Aziraphale is going to have a much more difficult time with coping with this realization. He lied about it not being lonely to protect him. To soften the blow he knew was eventually coming. To gently ease him into this new reality.

His soft delivery of “I’m a demon. I lied” here is a kindness. This is the true beginning of them on this path together of figuring out how to do their jobs even when it conflicts with their personal beliefs/morals. And also the beginning of neither one of them truly being alone. They may not recognize it just yet, but they have each other now. A group of the two of them.

My favorite thing about Crowley as a liar is when he does lie, it’s either a redirection to hide the truth (that he’s actually doing GOOD instead of evil), or to protect Aziraphale. Which makes it all the more heartbreaking that he always pairs his identity as a liar to his identity as a demon. True demons that lie, do so to cause harm. He lies to protect. He’s not a true demon. Just an angel that sauntered vaguely downwards.

[lambment]

So I completely missed your drawing of white lion narinder and the goat (shits majestic excellent work) and I was wondering what your thoughts on their relationship would be vis a vis the lamb and the one who waits/narinder’s relationship shifted slightly to the left? I imagine the lion to be more magnanimous and performatively regal than standard narinder. There’s also the shift in the goat’s idiosyncrasies in comparison to the lamb (limited for us to interpret given player character positioning).

You always have really fun characterization and relationship thoughts so genuinely interested to hear your thoughts if you have any.

Last fun thing, yknow how the one who waits has blackened skeletal hands? What if the white lion has golden skeletal hands/claws? The aesthetics…Pluto/Hades as the god of Wealth, jewels and gold, and the god of Death.

damn im eating this analysis up btw, I at least imagine the white lion, like you said, to be more showy in their benevolence, to counter Narinder in his more arrogant and caculated show of power.

at first I'd like to believe the Goat, upon revival (if it mirrors the lambs beheading at the beginning), to be entirely enraptured by them. quickly as they get to know eachother, the goat realizes the lion is lowkey an idiot in their neediness for attention lmfao (they were worshipped as a god I cant blame em). with his attendants long past being impressed with him and finally having a new target, I think the lion would grow more liberal with the theatrics of trying to wow the very increasingly unimpressed goat. the veil of awe for goatbert would be quickly shaken.

(from the silly pov) Im imagining the lion getting frantic with their displays of power as the plot of the game moves on and we visit him more, to the point its no longer majestic and just gaudy.

like "yes worship me and be wowed, I am your all powerful god."

the lion does a fucking kickflip, while the goats over here like

"can we please get back to the revenge plot." a very tired coworker

needy for attention + benevolent + jovial + (and dont get me wrong) still majestic

the goat is only truly impressed when the Lion is less concerned about how others view him/showy with his power and gets back to being serious

extrovert Lion vs Introvert Narinder LOL

In love with the way you cooked on the gold aesthetic aspect. Narinder overall is pretty aescetic imo, the most showy part of him is his veil, meanwhile his siblings have drip (tragic) whether thats because he's a prisoner or not. the Lion would absolutley double down on displays of grandeur with fineries and jewels. somewhat content with being imprisioned if he continues to be given gifts, I think the goat would take advantage of his craving for worship and convince him to join his revenge plot to escape.

I want to humble him. im going to make the goat and lion kith.

[akabaka-dev]

Can I ask, what made you think of the "date to die for" thing.

I mean, what did you think when writing the story? (I love your games.)

So way back in 2021, SFL was first conceptualized as part of a game-jam style game collection (Dread X Collection 2), where the theme was adapting Lovecraftian lore. That version of the game you can play for free as Sucker for Love: Prelude on steam. After that iteration, our publisher signed Akabaka for a three game contract

The Sucker for Love story was loosely planned from the start as a 3 game narrative, with interconnected stories following different protagonists and their romantic encounters with the Outer Gods. The original plans were to first expand Sucker for Love: Prelude into a full, dating-sim game, with the protag, Darling, attempting to win a kiss from multiple detailed Eldritch ladies. Cthulu, the King in Yellow, and Nyarlathotep are 3 of the most recognizable lovecraftian gods with a lot of lore to pull from (along with Azathoth and the Black Goat of the Woods.) For SFL First Date, to keep the scope of the game smaller, Akabaka focused on just those three.

The second game was always planned to be a foil to the first game, where the player could go deep with a single Eldritch goddess instead of wide, so the player could get to spend a lot of time with their love interest. For SFL Date to Die For, the Black Goat of the Woods was a complex but interesting character to adapt from Lovecraft's writings. (That's a whole post on its own...) But for a series about "dating sexy versions of eldritch gods", the Black Goat of the Woods fit really well as a datable love interest, when stripped down to her core trait of being the all-mother with a powerful aura who drives everyone in her proximity to madness with desire.

Originally, the protagonist was planned to be a disaster lesbian, sort of a female version of Darling. But in the actual writing of the plot and dialouge, Aka kept hitting a major plot hole: if Rhok'zan has a powerful sex aura that make everyone go mad with lust, wouldn't Stardust basically get vaporized from her already next-level lust being magnified 1000 fold? The solution was surprisingly simple though- the only human who could survive Rhok'zan's aura even for a second would be an asexual person. (An aside: I think that's something really special about DTDF actually- Stardust truly is the only person that could have saved the day, BECAUSE of her asexuality- not in spite of it. Her asexuality is as central to her story as Darling's all-consuming lust is to his ☆)

Also as a foil to SFL First Date, the second game was planned from the start to have a heavier focus on the 'horror' aspect of the series, and a focus on cultists as a real, present danger. Main inspiration here was The Dunwich Horror, where the threat comes not from the Outer Gods, but from the rabid town of cultists who want all outsiders dead.

So with all of those aspects set, the rest of the narrative for Date to Die For came together from there :)

(As for the third game, the plot has been mostly set for a while, but yall will have to wait and see~)

[darkforestfae-tea]

Earth's enchantment: The Earth Elemental

𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁༉‧₊˚.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁༉‧₊˚..𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚

This post has parts! -Earth, The Foundation of life -Earth Correspondences -Connecting with the Earth Spirit

𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁༉‧₊˚.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁༉‧₊˚..𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚

Earth: The Foundation of Life

Earth, often referred to as the root and the belly of the world, provides the nurturing energy and stability essential for sustaining life. Our existence is intertwined with the earth; it supports the growth of our food and serves as the final resting place for our departed. Humans owe their ability to cultivate, construct, and explore to the earth's generosity. The earth's crust harbors valuable metal ores that are vital in the production of machinery, tools, structures, and weaponry. Beneath the soil, plants communicate through their roots, sharing essential nutrients. For most creatures on this planet, earth symbolizes home, offering a supportive and grounding energy to all living beings.

Stability, grounding, and abundance are symbolized by Earth. Engage with this element through activities such as spending time in nature, gardening, or using crystals and gemstones. Incorporate grounding practices like walking barefoot or meditating on the earth to harmonize your energy with the nurturing essence of the Earth element.

𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁༉‧₊˚.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁༉‧₊˚..𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚

In earth spirituality, some common correspondences are as follows:

Orientation:

North

Qualities:

Stability, Nurturing, Growth

Magical Tools:

Pentacle, Crystals

Ritual Focus:

Prosperity, Fertility, Abundance, Stability, Money, Grounding

Preferred Places:

Mountains, Woods, Forests, Caves, Mines, Canyons, Valleys, Fields

Natural Elements:

Rocks, Crystals, Stones, Soil, Sand, Dogs, Worms, Ants, Horses, Cows, Trees, Plants, Seeds, Dirt, Flowers, Leaves, Mushrooms, Moss, Wildlife, Fruits, Vegetables, Roots, Bears, Wolves, Hares, Gemstones, Minerals, Metals, Stags, Boars, Wolverines, Goats, Ungulate Animals

Tarot Suit:

Pentacles

Runes:

Jera, Ur, Othala

Zodiac Signs:

Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

Nature Spirits:

Goblins, Trolls, Gnomes, Giants, Brownies, Dryads, Elves, Fairies, Pixies

Deities:

Geb, Gea, Gaia, Demeter, Ceres, Cupra, Cybele, Artemis, Diana, Dionysus, Bacchus, Liber, Libera, Osiris, Cernunnos, Pan, Ariadne, Kore, Persephone, Rhea, Rhiannon, Adonis, Tammuz

𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁༉‧₊˚.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁༉‧₊˚..𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚

Connecting with the Earth Spirit

Practice patience: Take life one step at a time and acknowledge that there's no need to rush.

Connect with nature: Spend time outdoors, bask in the sun, walk barefoot on soil and grass, embrace trees, gaze at the clouds, interact with animals, and appreciate Earth's bountiful resources.

Connect with yourself: Foster a positive relationship with your self-image, encompassing your body, mind, and emotions.

Indulge in sensory pleasures: Engage your senses, appreciate your beauty, use affirming language, embrace sexual freedom, light incense and candles, savor fresh fruits and vegetables, and enjoy warm tea.

Practice mindfulness: Instead of impulsively reacting, remain composed, think before speaking or acting, and plan ahead.

Embrace discipline: Set achievable goals and persist in pursuing them, adapting or reevaluating as necessary but never giving up.

Be organized and responsible: Establish routines or create to-do lists to stay organized in various aspects like skincare, exercise, schoolwork, and chores.

Manage your time effectively: Learn about time management to prevent feeling overwhelmed and ensure successful goal achievement by understanding your limits.

Maintain firm boundaries: Stand your ground, assert yourself, and confront challenges without allowing others to undermine you.

Spend time with loved ones: Surround yourself with those who truly comprehend you, with whom you feel relaxed and authentic, enabling you to be yourself without reservation.

𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁༉‧₊˚.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁༉‧₊˚..𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚

The Earth Element is symbolized by the varied topographical features found worldwide, such as forests, fields, caves, rocks, valleys, and gardens. It is linked with abundance, prosperity, and resilience. Earth not only supports plant and animal life but has also provided the clay and minerals for crafting tools, as well as the trees and stones used in constructing our dwellings and other edifices. However, Earth's energy also has a destructive aspect, manifesting in earthquakes, avalanches, and mudslides. It can interact with the Water element by either absorbing it or being shaped by it, depending on their proportions, similar to its relationship with Fire and Air. Overall, Earth is the most stabilizing element, offering a sense of calm and grounding amidst life's unpredictable events.

Common lessons often involve grounding and understanding your position within various aspects like your social circles, life, or the ecosystem. Individuals also discover how to find beauty even in challenging times, along with the magic of home, generational connections, and harnessing personal strength. It's crucial to acknowledge the Earth's generosity, as it provides without expecting anything in return. Remember to reciprocate this kindness by giving back to the Earth in your practices, as it's unfair to take without returning the favor. Ultimately, the Earth reclaims all things from the living, reminding us of her immense power and kindness.

𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁༉‧₊˚.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁༉‧₊˚..𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚

Ways to embrace and discover these lessons:

Spending time in nature

Tending to plants

Engaging in herbal practices

Participating in community projects

Embarking on explorations

Practicing grounding and meditation in outdoor settings

Establishing a connection with the earth

Reflecting on the essence of humanity

Common forms of Earth Divination

Bone Throwing (Osteomancy)

Dirt Divination (Abacomancy)

Tree Whispering (Dendromancy)

Reading Tea Leaves or Fallen Petals

𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁༉‧₊˚.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁༉‧₊˚..𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚

Thank you for Reading! I absolutely love sharing my knowledge & learnings with others. I try to make posts a few times a week! & they are all organized on my profile.

Until we cross paths once more! Best wishes to all you wonderful witches! Warm regards, Tea.

For more blogs, please find me on the following! Tumblr: @darkforestfae-tea Facebook: @theblackdahliaemporium

For my shop, please visit: shopblackdahlia on Etsy! Facebook: @theblackdahliaemporium

[captainfantasticalright]

“The Ineffable Wheel of Misfortune”.

Some time ago, I wrote a small meta about this. I truly never go much into that terrain here, but I did write a study on the Goddess Fortuna and thought it most appropriate to share some of the facts about her wheel of Fortune here.

I will not go into much detail about who exactly Fortuna was. Her depictions vary from culture to culture and from age to age (Tyche being the name in Greek, which came before the Roman Fortuna, but many debates have been had about these origins and even comparing the two). But if there is something that remains; one essential aspect: her wheel.

One very important quote from the Prime extra videos revealing some easter eggs:

"There isn't a single prop or a single bit of costume that hasn't been thought through". And that begs the question, why show this prop so openly in the easter eggs section, but not in the show itself?

As Dylan Thomas wisely said: to begin at the beginning- although just to emphasize something:

Fortuna’s wheel is commonly known as the wheel of Fortune- yet what we have here is a wheel of misfortune. But there are two contradicting factors here, namely “misfortune” and “ineffable” fitting in the same description.

Now fate and ineffability could shake hands sometimes, depending on the belief of the doer. But ineffable and misfortune throws us unto different territory.

Now before focusing on the words of the wheel, let’s take a look at the picture keeping the wheel together.

Not only is the bench uniting the two figures (obviously you can see who they are), but the color scheme derives from here too. Cloud and flame, combine into each panel with the flaming sword and the fluffy, goat opposite. Horns and halo are on clear display, but this wheel has no pointer to indicate which fate is chosen. An outside force spins the wheel (Fortuna herself), but where does it land? The only pointer- indicator- is the flaming sword. It comes out of the circle, it is the guidance. It is quite literally cutting through the fabric of Fortune because even though Fortuna spins the fate, the sword guards against any circumstance.

Is this a prediction of Aziraphale taking the center place in guiding and protecting against all odds? Most definitely.

Now, you’ve probably seen the Zodiac signs on the wheel. Those are there because:

Although this states that the wheel of fortune moves from east to west (counterclockwise), let’s keep in mind that this wheel defies fortune and is actually ineffable misfortune.

For that reason, one takes the liberty to assume that this wheel spins in a clockwise direction (west to east).

One reason I am reading this "clockwise" is because I want to correlate it to Crowley's "it's always too late" and to "metaphorically started ticking", as if the options on the wheel follow time strictly in a way. But the wheel has a mind of it’s own:

A wheel can rotate indefinitely. So even if there is a stop at a certain spot, it most definitely will change again. It is in this case, an eternal repetition of ups and downs.

One can fall from the wheel and rise again. Interestingly when reading what’s on the wheel, one starts with the upper left hand side- the best moment at the moment. Coincidentally, ineffably, Aziraphale’s flaming sword is pointing exactly to that point - “blessing for you”.

Spin the wheel and you’ll land on the next part- good news.

Notice how you’ll go through some seemingly good events until you reach those that can be read as their opposites. Even putting it like that, a blessing for you can come back again and not be a blessing at all.

On the image above, the qualities are also opposite their negatives. For example peace-war, patience-impatience, and so on.

On the ineffable wheel of misfortune you could choose to read it as color opposites. So take the yellow "pleasure ahead" and match it with the opposite yellow "going on a journey" and it still makes sense, it could be the good and the bad- or it could be nothing at all.

There are many wheels of fortune out there, eternally rotating by the hands of a force outside our control.

Hopefully you’ll have realized by now that even though the wheel belongs to Fortuna in mythology and literature and art and everywhere else, this wheel belongs to God.

Because God plays an ineffable game of their own devising- much like Fortuna does with the fate of mankind.

Yet, there is room to escape the wheel. To defy ineffability, to build another wheel turned by your own hands and to finally say “it’s not too late”.

[21milespastblue]

this is pondering mostly onto myself but im little confused by the role of alternate universe powder in act 3. she serves to reconcile in ekko his perception of jinx, to remind him of how good she might have been, remind him of her potential in a way? a jinx that grew up far more supported and less spurned by the world is the best of every merit we've seen in jinx, her creativity and genius, her ability to connect, her compassion for the people she loves (however that may manifest).

something im seeing a lot of the online discussion about this to me is that ekko leaves, mourning somewhat this perfect life that could have been. i believe that as he makes the hard decision to leave that is definitely an aspect of everything that's going on in his head. but the greatest contradiction to me is that i don't think that ekko *personally* loved for alternate jinx. as much as i love me alternate versions of a character, im of the school of thought that loving this alternate person/version is the same as loving your own version. that's not to say that ekko didn't have any affection for her, he showed a great deal, but one can argue that these affections are as much a manifestation of his feelings for his jinx as they are a reflection of his feelings for alt. jinx. ekko's return and reaching out to jinx symbolizes that to me in a way; alt. jinx was a prompting to remember everything about her that's good not in spite of what makes her so complicated complex and difficult to categorize morally outside of grey but because of such. his jinx may have lacked the support that alt. jinx had in the wake of tragedy, may have had her life go to shit in a way that alt. jinx's life quite didn't--but he is reminded she is still very much capable of so much good, to be so much more than she thinks she is.

seeing that any universe i think that jinx is self-doubtful in a sense, not aware of how much value she truly has is an important aspect of the takeaways for ekko's dimensional adventure. aside from a display of his boundless determination and strength of character, ekko is able to fully realize the bulk of who his jinx is at her core. he tells alt jinx he "doesn't want her to change," thanks her for everything. at this point, i feel myself repeating the show; ekko monologues that in getting consumed in all the days the undercity wasn't, he forgot what it was, what it is--that same idealogy applies to his jinx.

to approach redundancy,

ekko: "I gave up on it. Gave up on you."

this was written to appease my own mind! and relate back to my earlier point that alt jinx simply reminds ekko of all the affection he used to and still has for his jinx. i think he loves her in the same way you may love any alternate version of someone you love, but he knows they are not the same. this is sort of response to all the people calling ekko the goat for leaving behind a perfect life with the girl he loves and the world substantially better (he still undisputably is!). but it's just a little different to me, not so much in that he's leaving behind this "perfect" jinx--she isn't his jinx and he's still very much leaving behind an almost ideal reality to his own--but that he's leaving emboldened to "save" our jinx. this relates back to what arcane asserts to be one of its major themes in the series finale. jayce languishes (platonic/romantic/3rd catergory love? sure! not love? no way) to viktor in a way that perfectly encapsulates it; "flaws" are irreparable and important parts of the people we love and are not barriers to love, but its cause. we love people because of who they are, warts and all, and not bc of what they lack.

TL;DR: i think that alt jinx wasn't supposed to be a "perfect" jinx for ekko to leave behind to show how badass he is (purely, still plays that role in some aspects), she's meant to remind him that his jinx, flaws and all, is worth loving and "saving." we love ppl bc of all their fucked up little bits and pieces not in spite of them

[boymanmaletheshequel]

Offerings for Pan 🐐

You guys seemed to like my Artemis altar, so I figured I might as well share what I keep in my pan altar as well, and why, so that you too may have some ideas on what to offer the handsome and enchanting god of the mountains and music! Let’s dive in:

Lilac Fragrance

In traditional Hellenistic and Phoenician mythology it is said that pans favorite flower of the woods and mountains is Lilac! (A great choice IMO) so offering up something lilac scented, such as soap or a candle, is a great way to appeal to his affection! Personally I offered him this bar of French lilac soap, with the understanding that I WILL use it some day in his honor! (Can’t waste a good bar of soap)

Lilac Iconography

If you can’t or don’t want to offer the fragrance of lilac, (although why wouldn’t you? It smells so good!) the likeness of the flower should be just as suitable! I personally gifted him a porcelain tea sugar cup from the 50’s with lilacs adorning it, but you don’t have to be that fancy, even a simple self made drawing of lilacs will be more than enough to please him!

Wild Bird Feathers

As a god of the mountains and music, it’s no surprise that wild song birds are sacred to pan, being natures music boxes and all! Now, the trick with this is to be ethical about it, because fun fact you might not have known, (and one that I only found out about last year) is that it is a federal FELONY to collect wild bird feathers from any species of wild bird in the United States and Canada due to the migratory bird act. HOWEVER, this is almost entirely reserved for poachers and people who attempt to SELL animal curios. As long as you are ethical about it, (I found these cedar waxwing feathers in my backyard) and don’t try to sell them to anybody, you should be just fine! So Just, y’know, don’t go ripping the feathers out of live birds or anything. Pan wouldn’t like that and the federal government CERTAINLY wouldn’t 😭

Goat horns

Pan is a satyr, a half man, half goat deity who is known for his billy goat like personality and Hooved feet, similarly to other mountain and nature gods such as Cernnunos of Celtic mythology. Because of this, recognizing this magical and unique part of pan by offering him a goat horn, (again, ethically obtained!!! Don’t go ripping the horns out of goats lmao) is a great way to connect with that wild, often unpredictable but joyous and hearty part of his vibrant and rich personality! I obtained my horn (mountain goat) from a friend who is a park ranger in Olympic national park, who collected my specimen off of an unfortunate baby goat who lost its footing and fell to its death into a ravine :(. Now, however, it is at peace, and it’s horn is used to honor a man who will truly look after it at his altar, where it is forever safe in death. I hope he is happily licking that mineral in the afterlife somewhere ❤️

Garden snail shell

As a god of the mystical and musical aspects of the forests and mountains, a classic spiral snail shell is a perfect token to the more mystical and mysterious aspects of pan’s character. Just make sure your shell is empty before you give it to him, and leave it be if it is occupied!

Acorns

Acorns are one of the symbols sacred to Pan, the fruit of the oak tree, itself dappled in layers of sacredness and mythological value across many ancient religions. They are considered to bring the owner good fortune and abundance, and by offering them to pan, you are both honoring him and asking him for his guidance when it comes to your luck in his realms!

Moss Agate

Reminiscent of what I can only assume is his very mossy goat beard, moss agate is a staple offering to pretty much any nature deity, but I feel like it fits pan exceptionally well!

Garden Quartz

Garden Quartz feels like a terrarium inside a stone, formed when layers of actively crystalizing Quartz grows around a chemical impurity blocking its growth path. It is a perfect stone for a mountain god, reminiscent of the mossy hills and lichen beards that dangle from the trees in the alpine which pan calls home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All these things and more make exceptional offerings or additions to a pan altar! Let me know, what do you find pan likes on his altar?

[martialartslover7]

Team Hard Workers United

...I swear, man. These three should have become an alternate team, as soon as Sasuke left the village. Look at the three! Look at them! Casually rocking his green fit!

And if you pick these three in Ultimate Ninja Heroes as a team, you get a hit. And they are called "Hard Workers United". I am not kidding, look it up.

And Rock Lee, the GOAT that he always has been, is the type of best friend you never know you need, until it matters most. And it's not me making it up, after the Five Kage Summit, it was all Rock Lee's idea to pay Naruto a visit, along with the others, as he knew, he still felt so depressed about the entire situation with Sasuke. Maybe it was filler, but it just cemented Lee even harder as THE GOAT, of the entire series.

Need more proof why these three just blend so well together? Here you go.

Plus, I dunno about you guys, but Rock Lee HAS to be THAT person, outside of Naruto, that someone like Hinata truly needs in her life. He always manages to turn misery into positive motivation and strength. Hinata needs that sort of light in her life, especially if she needs to approach someone to perfect her Taijutsu. And toughen up, in general.

*cough* Ahem, definitely not me hinting at a Pre-Shippuden based story, where Hinata is given one whole month to prepare for a rematch with her cousin, Neji, and Naruto and Rock Lee promising to train her, Rocky style. *cough*

But another thing... me being a Sonic fan, these three, just by looking at their personalities and how well they work together, in MANY aspects, to me, are not beating the Team Sonic parallel allegations. Lemme show you.

Team Sonic:

Naruto - Sonic (Speed)

Hinata - Tails (Flying)

Rock Lee - Knuckles (Power)

...Nuff' said.

[kirango-rouge]

Angsty thoughts about my wife now that i've well played the dlc

it makes me more emotional now when Varré says how Luminary Mohg has strenght, vision and love.

If Mohg was indeed truly capable of love once, Varré never got to know it and died unaware of his lord's previous life, by the hand of his lambkin, and still thinking that the Luminary Mohg that tortured him was the "true" Luminary Mohg.

It adds another level of pathetic to Varré's character and i want to kick him on the ground and marry him under the erdtree and make him my dear little wife 😂😭😔💕

Because now with the dlc it feels like Mohg used to be truly capable of love.

I miss a little the unapologetical tyrant who inflicts upon others his trauma, either knowingly, either because it's the only life he's ever knew, but even the bewitching doesn't erase entirely this aspect of his character.

(I love Ansbach, he's my goated man who has my back, but i feel like his character and dialogues were build this unilaterally and undoubtedly wholesome only to drill once and for all in the player's head (especially the westerners) that "Mohg wasn't the monster we thought he was all along". Except he was. Or at least he became to this extent after the bewitching.)

It makes me think that there was a time when Mohg was indeed a leader of an underground faith at leyndell where he converted nobles and preached with Esgar and had his own personnal guard of these "pureblood knights", but after the bewitching, Ansbach switched allegiance and Mohg left the capital for the mohgwyn dynasty grounds where he started his squat with the bloody fingers and knights of blood.

His behaviour probably completely switched at this time and that's surely when the abduction of the white masks happened.

Because if the abduction happened before, Mohg couldn't have been this noble figure that Ansbach's character wants us to ultimately think, unless retcon. Because what sort of kind figure abducts people, corrupt them with blood, and leave with a traumatic dependance syndrom the only survivor of the ordeal. It doesn't make sense. Unless Ansbach is delusionnal about his master's true nature like Varré is in the base game. But if that's the case, who from the two is right and who is delusionnal???

If the abduction happened after he left leyndell with the cocoon, the cruel aspect can still be kept, in which case it adds another level of tragedy to Varré's fate.

That there was indeed once a time when Luminary Mohg was indeed capable of love and vision and strenght, during Ansbach, and probably Esgar's time, and Varré never got to know it. Varré only knew Mohg when he tortured him and his group and eventually associated it with a loving act to cope with the traumatic experiment he went through. For his sufferings to mean something greater and not just be for a selfish purpose.

Varré lived and died in this dynasty thinking he knew the true Luminary Mohg, but the torture of his group was all for vain ends. Miserable and sad. "pathethic sort ahead, but lover…" And Ansbach fought in the dlc probably without knowing all the atrocities Mohg commited when he was away with a new god.

A duality of two characters: Ansbach whose motive to help us beating miquella is mainly to atone for his personnal guilt of abandonning his former loyalty while making us feel like "we do this to be a lord for men" even though we can be just like radahn2.0 with ranni, or four versions of lord of marika, or frenzy lord.

And Varré whose loyalty was initally forced upon him through foul methods and genuinly sought to find himself a true lover in the tarnished protagonist wile actively working for a new dynasty and age that doesn't follow the two fingers, even though he was doomed to fail by the narrative.

[mist-the-wannabe-linguist]

So, Pern has limited resources for writing materials, illiteracy is common among people and there is strong oral tradition. Aside from songs this also means the Pernese people should have many proverbs. I know there are already some canon ones, but to spice things up a little I tried to translate some Czech proverbs and sayings and adapt them to fit Pern, which turned out to be a pretty fun exercise. If you have ideas for your own, do share! If you'd like to use any of mine in fics and such, feel free!

Here goes:

"don't provoke a (tunnel) snake with your bare foot" - don't tempt fate

"no Master Harper has ever fallen from the sky" - orig. "no scholar has ever fallen from the sky", no one is born an expert; it's okay to make mistakes

"once in a Long Interval" - orig. "once in a Hungarian year", same as "once in a blue moon"

"to make a herdbeast a Masterfarmer" - orig. "to make a billy goat the gardener", to make someone manage a task they're woefully unqualified for

"every rider praises his own dragon"/"every feline praises its own spots" - orig. "every fox praises its own tail", people tend to emphasize the virtues of whatever is dear to them, or whatever they're trying to sell

"to wheedle a clutch out of a green" - orig. "to wheedle a calf out of a heifer", to be very convincing; to charm someone into doing absolutely anything

"Weaver, stick to your yarns" - orig. "shoemaker, stick to your last", you should stick to things you truly understand

"yeah, and then the Harpers sang for him"/"and now tell the one about a talking wherry" - orig. "and they said they sang for him"/"and now the one about Little Red Riding Hood", said when you don't believe anything someone's just told you

"one about a wagon, the other about dragon" - orig. "one about a goat, the other about a cart", when people talk about completely different things while thinking they're on the same note

"after Threadfall, everyone is a Weyrleader" - orig. "after battle, everyone is a general", it's easy to criticize things in hindsight, especially for unqualified people

"a Smith's runnerbeast walks barefoot" - orig. "a blacksmith's horse walks barefoot", those who craft/sell a particular thing often don't have enough of it for themselves

"so the dragon can eat and the herdbeast remains whole" - orig. "so the wolf can eat and the goat remains whole", essentially "to have your cake and eat it too", a solution that deals with the unpleasant aspects while still benefiting you

"wait like a guardfowl for grain" - orig. "wait like a goose for grain", advice to be patient

"having cheek is better than owning a Hold" - orig. "having cheek is better than owning a Meierhof", being daring and impudent often gets you in better places than being rich

"a fire-lizard on your shoulder is better than a bronze/queen on the Sands" - orig. "a sparrow in your hand is better than a pigeon on the roof", it's better to be grateful for smaller things you already have than to hope for things you have no guarantee of getting

"who wants to beat a wher always finds a cane" - orig. "who wants to beat a dog always finds a cane", people who want to do harm always find a way to do so

"fast of wing, short of mind"/"he's like a green - fast of wing..." - orig. "fast of feet, short of mind", an impulsive person who doesn't think things through

"bubbly pies don't bake themselves"/"roasted wherries won't fly in your mouth" - orig. "kolache don't bake themselves"/"roasted pigeons won't fly in your mouth", if you want something, you have to work for it

"for a quarter-mark he'd let them drill through his knee" - when someone is willing to do anything for money, even at the cost of one's own wellbeing

"beauty without a good heart is like a house without door, a spring without water, a rider without a dragon" - physical appearance means nothing when the person is bad

"every Hold has bread with two crusts" - every place has good and bad things

"what has once left your mouth, not even a pair of draft beasts can pull back" - watch what you say because you can't take it back

"fish start to smell from the head" - when something isn't working, the problem is likely in upper management

"doesn't have to be a downpour, a drizzle is enough" - success doesn't have to come all at once

"smart ones need advice, dumb ones need a kick" - for some people a hint isn't enough, they need to be shown explicitly

"the heart won't ache for what the eyes can't see" - some things do less harm if they're kept secret; blissful ignorance is sometimes better

"sing the song of those who give you bread" - kind of like "don't bite the hand that feeds you"; if you take favors from someone, you should act in their favor too

"he who digs a hole for others often falls in himself" - essentially "hoist by his own petard"

"the tunic is closer than the coat" - people tend to focus on their own interests rather than the interests of wider society

"the scythe has hit a rock" - when someone encounters something beyond their competence

"repetition is the mother of wisdom" - essentially "practice makes perfect", but sounds fancier. could be especialy in connection to memorizing teaching songs

"don't fight fire that doesn't burn you" - mind your own business, don't try to fix other people's problems

"the sated don't believe the hungry" - privileged people tend not to believe others' misfortunes

"he's got butter on his head" - essentially "keeping skeletons in his closet"

"rough fabric needs rough patching" - being soft on nasty people will achieve nothing, you have to answer in the person's own language

"the cape goes where the wind blows" - when someone is too obedient, a blind follower. said as "he's kind of a 'the cape goes where the wind blows' kind of person"

"honey in his mouth, venom in his heart" - a charming, sweet-spoken, but malicious person

Edit: more in reblogs!

[valyrfia]

what's your top 5 best drivers on the grid (based on pure skill, not cars)

Excellent question anon. Let's get to it.

5. Oscar Piastri

A bold choice perhaps considering he's one of the greenest on the grid still, but Oscar is a future WDC. His attitude and approach to the sport is cool, calm, collected and reeks of a future WDC. The mental aspect is such a large part of F1, I mean, look at his teammate for example. Lando is a brilliant driver but he can't seem to overcome a mental block he has to being in P1. Oscar, on the other hand, seems almost unfazed at the idea of winning, or if he has an issue with the car he seems almost zen about it, still trying to drive to the best of his ability. And Oscar has ability, lest we forget his pedigree as F3 and F2 champion in his rookie seasons. I think Oscar will ultimately have to move teams in order to mount a proper WDC campaign, since McLaren have made it fairly clear they'd prefer to centre Lando, but I have no doubt that from 2027 onwards Oscar will be competing for WDCs.

4. Fernando Alonso

Crazy consistent and he's our beloved Shakesperean villain who just can't seem to die. He puts that Aston in places it should not be and can still pull off some pretty insane racing (his overtake on Checo in Brazil 2023?). He's still got it. Nothing more to be said really.

3. Lewis Hamilton

I physically could not place the GOAT, the greatest driver this sport has ever seen anywhere outside the top three. In fact, the only reason why he's not higher is because P1 and P2 are younger and have the benefit of having easily a decade to improve their skill further. But make no mistake, Lewis Hamilton is the greatest of them all. He's had a rocky couple of years with Merc, and I honestly think his results now are just a reflection of his and Merc's relationship breaking down and should not be taken as a deterioration in skill. I have no doubt that from next year, we will start to see Lewis wins again and maybe even a WDC campaign in 2026.

2. Charles Leclerc

We all know my heavy Charles bias is a thing that exists, but Charles is truly probably the most naturally talented driver on the grid at the moment. The way he handled that brake balance in Bahrain when probably any other driver, save the two others in the top three here, would've had to DNF. Charles's F2 season was also absolutely insane, to the point that he was drug tested more than any other driver IN THE PADDOCK (F1 included) in 2017 because the FIA were convinced he must be cheating. The hype around Charles is justified and true, and the ONLY reason why he doesn't have a WDC yet is Mattia Binotto. But I truly think 2025 could be a year for a Charles WDC, for reasons ranging from Red Bull hitting a development ceiling and Lewis Hamilton drawing in an insane amount of talent to the Scuderia. I think in a lot of ways some of the drives that Charles pulls off get overlooked because he makes them look so effortless and easy. He will be the next driver to win a WDC, make no mistake, and with the way that Fred Vasseur is setting up Ferrari, I think it's likely that we will see a period of crazy Charles Leclerc dominance before this decade is done.

Max Verstappen

I debated between Charles and Max for n1, but ultimately I think Max's consistency speaks for itself. I mean, he's won from the most positions (P1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 14), and has an average race placement of 1.27 last year. Yes, Max has had the gift of a consistent car and a brilliant team for the past few years, but even before he started his crazy winning streak, his average race finishing position minus DNFs was 3rd in 2020. Max is on peak form right now, and to place him anywhere other than first would be ridiculous.

[omghallucinations]

hello!! apparently there's an alleged confirmed birth time of bp's jennie. 4:45 am, in seoul, 16th jan 1996. that makes her a sag rising, what are your thoughts on it?

omg a scorpio moon queen to add to my suffering deck??? thank you for bringing her to my attention i gotta keep my scorpio moons in my agony locket.

blackpink jennie: holy shit so many modifiers (lilith puppet mastering the chart, 0°s everywhere, neptune conjunct sun, uranus conjunct mercury, yodssss)

literally said "woah" out loud when i put her into my astro software. jennie has a wild chart. and like... a chart that truly makes sense to me given what she's shown of her life. look at all those 0 degrees! uranus at home in aquarius at 0°, venus exalted in pisces at 0°, lilith in leo at 0°--like you could write a treatise about this alone. no wonder she's so iconic all the time and also ummMMM inspires... a lot of... reactions? and wow you can See those interpersonal issues up in there! (speaking as a fellow scorpio moon of course, i know how we be)

question: jennie = capricorn with a scorpio moon? me: ... technically true? neptune exactly conjunct her sun: false. not true at all. erases me from the narrative. how dare you.

her chart has so many asterisks jennie's big 3 are barely accurate as major players. scorpio moon and sag rising can stay, but the sun... it's really missing the intense pisces energy from the neptune conjunction, plus her 12th house placements and her exalted pisces venus at fucking. 0 degrees!!!! like that's a reeeeeally different lens to put over a capricorn. that's a real pisces-capricorn if i've ever seen one. sea goat ass.

first off she does make sense as sag rising to me. many a sag rising will walk into a party and be the most charming and most delightful person there, and they will leave without saying goodbye because they have to escape and they're exhausted from putting on this show and then they go home and sink back into their depression nest where they question the meaning of life then they ghost you for six months before showing back up like nothing happened

jupiter in the first house will sometimes make somebody Too Much for some people, like very buoyant and eats up a lot of air in the room. since her jupiter is in its fall in capricorn this is less overwhelming in a bouncy way but is still like--massive power of personality, which we can see, and the pull of that is so strong it can rub people the wrong way, but other people love it. also saturn is setting her up for some big falls to teach her shit all the time. :/

jupiter is also her chart ruler, which shows in a big way how much of her Journey is about the self, self-assertion and self-expression.

there's something so poetic irony about a sag rising ruled by jupiter in its fall in capricorn in the 1st. it's like jennie is so lucky but that often fucks her over too. in fact it's actually that luck that fucks her over the most.

unsurprisingly jupiter's most major aspect is sextile venus--a natural talent for beauty, music, fashion and art, and for expanding that, broadcasting it. and yet, again, this is her talent but it can absolutely screw her over. unfortch that is really essential to her life Journey--with her sun in capricorn, in this life she's gotta figure out how to judge the worth of different things, how to mature, how to become self-determining, to be the big boss herself

lilith???? girl????

and like---dude look at her lilith. that's the black moon guy up in the 8th. i don't count lilith for a "handle" in a bucket chart since it's a point and not a planet, so she still has a bowl chart with everything clustered in the 12th-3rd houses, but eeeeverything interacts up there.

like... bro??? and at 0° leo in the 8th house--you CANNOT WRITE THIS SHIT i swear to god.

important shit to know about lilith

so the moon moves in this oval shape, right, so it doesn't have one center. there are two focuses--the earth, and a calculated point that we call lilith. there's also an asteroid lilith but it's a real physical thing. black moon lilith means the "shadow side" of the moon.

sidebar: there's 2 ways to calculate the lilith point-- mean lilith, where you find the average of the moon's weird orbit and true lilith (this is the one i do) which shows where lilith is at that exact point in time

so lilith (handshake) the moon, and the moon is your kneejerk emotional reaction shit, your ego, all that stuff.

as humans we love to grow and shit, the sun for example is very intellectual this way and Develops over time, but the moon... ... the way it presents can soften as you learn to manage your emotional impulses better but like... she is what she is. you're gonna react and seek safety in this way pretty much forever babe. that's what's up.

if you're a scorpio moon you are going to love the drama. i mean we hate it but do we??? you need people to acknowledge your agonies. you fear betrayal. you're paradoxically super vulnerable and super guarded. you are going to react INTENSELY out of proportion to shit, frequently.

any water moon can feel like they are Always The Victim, despite the many MANY ways in which we are fully doing this to ourselves lmao. also we can be manipulative as hell in order to get our needs met.

many a scorpio moon's black moon shadow is in leo. and ahhh jennie. babe. my sister in scorpio moons and leo liliths.... sometimes insecurity becomes a way to channel your self-obsession. i mean who among us does not at this point. but... babe....

leo lilith at 0° (basically take the leo dial and turn it all the way up)

captivating, charismatic, eye-catching, creative, power of personality and presence, good heart but great at self-deception

NEEDS attention to survive, NEEDS to be special to survive

Ah, I Give SO MUCH To Others, Yet All They Do Is TAKE!! POOR ME!!! ALL I EVER DO IS GIVE!!

(... babe... it is us who is doing most of the take take taking... not the give give giving... people are doing so much for us all the time... which we tend to take for granted... bc of leo royalty complex.... we accept alms from others and shit without blinking.... or realizing how much we are taking....)

bright side, leo is an incredibly honest sign and a leo lilith can really own this reality and be like lol... yeah... damn that one was on me huh....

there is nothing wrong with needing AtTENTIOn and feeling SPECIAL and being IMPORTANT but we gotta... acknowledge what others do for us and stop thinking we're always the victim

leo lilith at 0 in the 8th house... uh oh

GIRL!! this is the area where jennie can see her dark side so she can deal with it which um. concerns. me. a lil bit.

jennie has Seen Some Shit

some reeeeeeEALLLL dark entertainment industry power mess

she attracts some Dark shit and people into her life and they do prey on her--or have in the past, she may have put up defenses at this stage of her life--and she consciously or unconsciously manipulated situations like these to get what she wanted

(to be clear she should have done that imo. that was the right thing to do. if ur gonna get the shit, at least get yours)

honestly lilith already gives "scorpio moon" just by itself, but the 8th house is the scorpio house so. u can see how the darkness will be. intensified.

there's a lot of questions about sexuality and power, contracts and power, birth and death, that kind of thing, whether she is wielding her own sexual power or whether others are wielding it on her, whether this is empowerment or #trauma, u get what i mean

and this all REALLY weighs on her--lilith opposite sun/neptune/uranus/mercury/mars and forming a yod with venus and jupiter. this is issue numero uno. this is the one she's gonna come back to over and over again.

yoddddDD with jupiter, venus and lilith: :|

i don't yod in a major way with anything that is not a planet or the MC or ascendant, but i gotta make an exception here because wow. don't get me wrong this is not a traditional yod, but it still gives the like. Life Question, Crises, Thought Complex vibe of a yod. yods have a lot of talent/potential/ability but also... agonies. tests and trials.

lilith-jupiter-venus: our major topic!! dark side of your nature/darkness in general, belief expansion goals the future, beauty love art pleasure. 8th house-1st house-3rd house: areas of life and other flavors! power sexuality secrets transformation, the self identity creation, communication curiosity. leo-capricorn-pisces: extra flavor and energy! ego, shine, creativity, optimism, childlike, mature, structured, anxious, The Work, seriousness, escapism, dreams, romantic, floaty, poetic, artistic, forgiveness

this does feel generational to me--it's a very female issue as in it's pretty societal. capricorn jupiter shows profit off of established rules and structures, but it's also not a great place for jupiter to be in. jupiter wants to expand and capricorn wants to shut it down and pick a lane. venus in pisces however is deliriously happy and unencumbered there. she's very romantic. there's part of jennie that is sneakingly aware of her own powers of sort of manipulation and swaying the room (leo lilith) and that preoccupies her. it's like, did she create these situations she was in when she was younger because of her own manipulative abilities? (no!! she didn't!!! it's trauma girl!!! you didn't have a real choice!!!)

ahhh this is gonna get a little real for a second.

to me this looks a lot like the complex between whether jennie feels like she was taken advantage of or if she took advantage of opportunity to get ahead (thus "putting herself" in those situations). it's also what she should continue to do to fulfill her vision and dreams (jupiter) and express her art (venus). should she let the situation subsume her (pisces) or be more suspicious (capricorn). leo lilith is pulling her one way and she needs to figure out whether she's going to deal through escapism (pisces) or through maturation (capricorn), both of which have pros and cons. honestly this is a super complex dance here idk if i'm communicating any of it well at all.

phew well ok. let's keep going at 0°!

more shit at 0°: iconic

so we met our pal lilith at 0° in leo, 8th house. let's move on to....

venus exalted in pisces at 0°, 3rd house

now this energy SHOUTS. no, this energy SCREEEEEAMS.

you cannot put a planet more on blast without also putting it in the 1st house or at an angle. even if this was venus at home in libra at 0 i don't think it would be this loud. a planet at home has more shit to do, you know? a planet that is exalted is wearing vacation fits. hellOOO. pisces x100000. incidentally, her ruling planet jupiter also co-rules pisces, so pisces in general is amped up.

in increasing order of Loud it would be:

planet at 0 planet at 0 at home planet at 0, exalted sign (jennie's venus in pisces) planet at 0, exalted sign in the 1st house or conjunct MC

talk about a real gift and a curse, too. her venus qualities are super amplified--she has a natural love for all things pisces and venus, a lot of which are very fashion-y, very artistic, but so are... the love of red flags. "but daddy i love him" ass! jennie... girl... please stop believing the best in people all the time... please... ... as a personal favor...

there's also something about a pisces venus that makes people want to protect them. she is basically never single and she does not want to be either. especially with a scorpio moon, a romantic partner feels like a need to help her with a stable emotional foundation. any water moon needs reflection to feel safe--they need their feelings to be acknowledged--and sometimes this can be like "must have romantic partner" for that reason.

the 3rd house is also the gemini house, and gemini is very childlike and youthful in general. flirty, chatty, social. also. very curious. will very much touch the stove to see if it is hot. jennie is curious about people and experiences and unfortunately this is how you get 'em. she'll let people in even when they are like

pls girl... don't do it...

pisces venus square 12th house sagittarius pluto

:|

that red flag man? jennie will die for him and he better die for her, because that's love, bitch!! (not saying every romantic partner she picks sucks, am saying she can make a lot of questionable romantic choices in general and trust the wrong people)

ever been rejected in ur life? not jennie!! she will do whatever she has to do to win someone over. she met this person and now they are her forever.

iconic appearance and beauty as power

sexuality as power

if you are beautiful you will be loved

if you make money you will be loved

unconsciously manipulates everyone to make them love her because she's so afraid all the time they won't love her for herself

thinks she can only be loved for her beauty sexuality talent power money

can transform any rag into a scene stealing gown

pisces venus sextile 1st house jupiter in capricorn

love me!! invite me to the party!!!! fomo!!

affectionate, generous, empathetic

cries at commercials

idealizes the relationship partner and then gets disappointed later

grass is always greener a little bit (usually has someone lined up when she breaks up with someone, also true of 3rd house pisces venus)

uranus at 0° in aquarius, 2nd house

uranus at 0° is less like. fun??? than venus at 0°. venus at 0° is a party, but all the outer planets usually are here to uhhh smack you with shit a little bit.

uranus at 0 in aquarius is PROFOUND feelings of alienation and loneliness and other-ness, in the 2nd showing she feels like she never has enough resources and doesn't belong anywhere. and. and!!! it is conjunct her retrograde mercury. girl!!

jennie is waYYYY smarter than people think she is man. mercury and uranus are both very intellectual and kind of amoral planets, and they're in aquarius, an intellectual and kind of amoral sign. uranus is yassified mercury already, so combined we really have some speedy brain movement and objective Vision here. jennie is not easily influenced ideologically. with love, yes, oh so easily. but ideas and her life? no.

with her 2nd house stellium it gives her a taurus flavor--i don't think she cares much about people knowing she's actually really smart, although she cares a lot about her perception in other ways. she's very practical when she's not like. in her head about everything.

aquarius mercury-uranus is so obvious jennie's response to controversy lmao

not gonna apologize

rebellious

when she thinks something is stupid she is gonna say so

tactlessly

has her own mind about things (this is so good considering what we just saw with her venus, that could've gone really badly without some balancing factors)

can "go cold" without warning, usually when she's trying to figure something out

honest (too honest sometimes)

once she's in a Mood she will not play the game

hates the status quo

mercury-uranus in general can be unpopular because it doesn't bend itself or try to make nice

retrograde mercury can also show getting into trouble with what you say, and/or needing to communicate in other ways besides language (like art, music, fashion)

some people really like the combo because this person is super electrifying and exciting to talk to

very clear why jennie seems more interested in working outside of korea and has generally been popular internationally! she gets into a lot of trouble with what she says and does within a stricter society and she's not about to change.

uranus-mercury conjunct mars: bored easily, sticks to her convictions, impulsive, "cut the crap", sees right through you (again, EXCEPT FOR PEOPLE WITH BAD INTENTIONS!! STOP TRUSTING THEM, JENNIE!)

uranus-mercury conjunct neptune-sun: doesn't lie but does spin, makes it cute, makes it sexy, makes it shiny, makes it adorable, u forget why ur mad because she's so cute and pretty

also can get the ole depresh from time to time from feeling so judged or misunderstood (also a scorpio moon theme tbh)

scorpio moon in the 12th

COMPLETELY shuts down to feel safe. goodbye!!!! hermits herself

super emotional and sensitive and terrible lack of boundaries

prone to the ole depresh

TIRED

fame was maybe not the best path for her emotional well being :/ takes shit to heart a lot or just becomes overwhelmed by it all

all scorpio moons have mommy issues of some kind but jennie's look more like she sensed her mom's emotional upheaval than issues with their relationship

moon trine saturn shows that her mom showed her discipline and structure and helped her feel really secure in herself

capricorn sun conjunct neptune in the 2nd house

"capricorn is all about their career" FALSE!!!

to develop healthily and feel good about themselves capricorn suns need to create structure for themselves, usually make or produce something tangible and basically like be a big kid now. they gotta make choices which unfortch means cutting off possibilities!

capricorn sun conjunct neptune um.... hm. well.

pros: beguiling, artistic, sensitive, great aspect for a musician, might be psychic??? cons: mmmm delusions, escapism, incessant swooning, has never met reality before, totally lost a lot, confused about her own identity, nOO boundaries

the cap goals are even more important for jennie to feel more empowered and like herself but they are also harder to attain bc neptune is like. leading her into the fog all the time. there's also some absent dad stuff here, also with the wide conjunction to uranus.

classic neptune-sun is like a) looking for a savior when you're young then b) being the savior to someone else when you're older.

in the 2nd house is sOOO shapeshifter, can pull off any concept, the physical transformation.

sidebars

saturn and pluto are strong in her chart which is like #thanksforthelessons, kind of her entire situation

her strongest element is air, which makes sense to me

pluto in the 12th is a heavy karmic placement, lots of past life stuff, some like... deep internal sense of nebulous guilt stuff??? feels like she needs to merge with others to feel safe

shittons of planets square her lunar nodes, which shows some interruptions in her soul journey in past lives

her south nodes goes wild with aspects, also shows a lot of karmic stuff here

12th house placements = she is so tired

sag rising jupiter in the 1st = she can pull out a firework of energy now and again

wow really can't get over how damn evocative this chart is. talk about archetypes bro. like damn. there's so much going on i feel like i barely covered it but man i feel like i get her a lot more now--she really didn't give a traditional capricorn and now i can see why lmao. like she is a capricorn but that's a quality she's gonna have to lean into and develop. she didn't pop up out the womb with a checklist, u know? she did pop out the womb with the #vision tho.

[aquadestinyswriting]

New Year, New Traditions

Summary: Selene and Edwin get a chance to share their favourite traditional recipes for the Year's End feast. Written as a Secret Santa gift for the writeblrcafe

Words: 910

Tags: @writeblrcafe, @druidx, @lexiklecksi, @philosophika, @asher-writes

Warnings: None. Fluffy fluff is fluffy.

Notes: The bunny buns are a traditional Toreguarde treat made for Winter's Feast and @druidx has written up more about them here

An icy wind blew through the mixture of bare deciduous and evergreen trees that lived within the walls of the Gardens of Galana. Winter had well and truly hit the beleaguered city of Toreguarde, but the citizens went about their days with cheer regardless. The city had survived the worst that could be thrown at it and survived. The Winter’s Feast holiday was now in full swing and a new year was just around the corner.

Selene hummed happily as she chopped up the beets that she’d been saving for the last three months. It had been quite a long time since she’d had the opportunity to cook anything for the New Year’s holiday, and she was looking forward to sharing one of her most treasured traditional treats with Edwin for the first time. She glanced over to the old and worn carved stamp that now sat atop the flour container, smiling at the memory of Yastromo handing it to her on the first Winter’s Feast day they’d shared together. She looked up as the door to the kitchen creaked open,

“I was wondering when you’d be ba – what in the hells is that?” she asked upon seeing the large, awkwardly shaped package Edwin was attempting to manhandle through the door. Edwin beamed at her, the exposed parts of his face red from the sting of the wind outside. He kicked the door closed and placed the package on the table,

“It took quite a lot of negotiation, but I managed to wrangle an actual goat’s leg from a trader passing through on their way from Fangthane.” he replied happily. Selene eyed the wrapped piece of meat dubiously,

“Why do you need a goat’s leg, exactly?” she asked, not entirely sure if she’d appreciate the answer her partner was going to give her. Edwin looked over at her, pausing in his attempts to pry his sodden gloves off his hands,

“Well, since this is going to be the first New Year’s holiday I’m spending with you, I wanted to share one of the few traditions I picked up from my time living in Fangthane.” he replied, turning his attention back to his outerwear, “I thought it might be nice to have the opportunity to create some traditions of our own, and where better to start than by trying to blend some aspects of the cultures we’ve both come to appreciate so much.”

Selene nodded, carefully putting the knife down before turning and leaning back on the counter,

“That seems fair.” she agreed, “I’m sure Oakrose and the others will appreciate the opportunity to try something new. So what are you going to be doing with the meat, exactly?”

Selene wasn’t sure what kind of answer she was expecting, but she almost certainly never would have predicted the next words to leave the Abouna’s mouth,

“I’m going to pickle it.”  Edwin replied cheerily, finally turning to face the wizard he now shared his life with, his expression falling on seeing the quickly stifled horror on the wizard’s face.

“No, Edwin, I’m sorry, I'm sure it’s wonderful –” Selene stammered before taking a deep breath and trying again, “I’m sorry, I just wasn’t expecting that as an answer.” 

“Can you at least give it a chance?” Edwin asked, his fingers trailing over the greased parchment that the goat’s leg was wrapped in. “I know it doesn’t sound like it should work, but the recipe that I finally managed to wrangle out of Auld Derek is the best one in the whole mountain. At least as far as everyone I talked to tells it.”

Selene couldn’t help but quirk an eyebrow at the last part of Edwin’s statement,

“You managed to get Auld Derek to share an actual family recipe?” she asked, “How in the Pit did you manage that? From what I kept hearing from Egrim, Derek’s family recipes are some of the best kept secrets in the entirety of the Frostholme region.” 

Edwin smiled and tapped at his nose,

“That would be telling.” He looked over at the counter behind Selene, “So what are you making?” he asked.

Selene looked at the half-chopped sugar beets behind her, then turned back to Edwin with a big smile,

“Bunny buns! It’s been years since I’ve made my own, and while the ones that are made in the Council Tower kitchens are nice, I very much prefer the recipe I grew up with.” 

“Bunny… buns?” Edwin asked, confused. Selene nodded, reached over and picked up the stamp she’d set aside, showing it to Edwin,

“It’s a somewhat silly sounding name, but this is why they’re called such. The rabbit comes from an old folk tale that’s been passed around the people living in the Pagan Plains for generations.” she explained. Edwin cocked his head to one side, looking over the old, but well cared for carving,

“Huh, I would have expected them to be more of a springtime thing.” he mused. He gestured to the goat’s leg still sitting on the table “Let me get this leg in the larder and you can tell me that old story, because I don’t think it’s one I’ve heard before.” 

Selene nodded, returning to the half-abandoned beets she’d been chopping. She smiled as she looked out at the blizzard that was now starting to rage outside. This was going to be one of the best Winter’s Feasts for a long, long time, of that she had no doubt.

[asmrrpaddict]

I just realized I never did a channel recommendation post for one of the GOATs!! I’m sad and embarrassed because I legit thought I did! 😭

The best pirate you will ever hear of is Captain Matt ASMR! I have posted about him several times and I will continue to!

In all seriousness, I have listened to a number of pirate audios, but Captain Matt’s content is incredible! He is truly on another level! His vast knowledge about pirates shows in his work. He is one of maybe half a dozen VAs who I have listened to all of his audios! He also just celebrated his 2 year anniversary as a YouTube ASMR artist!! 🥳

Hilariously, as I’m typing this, I get the notification of his newest audio!

He has something for everyone. Dominent, yandere, adventurous, sweet, cheeky, slice of life, sleepy, and even futuristic space pirates. I have his videos in many playlists including sleep and a just in case playlist for times when I need to make my brain stop being mean.

He has a good balance of m4f and m4a audios. His incredible collab partners including one huge collaborative project involving animatronics are amazing and so much fun!

Like most of my favorites, he does a lot of series, but he does have some one offs if that’s more your speed. His series range from 2/3 to 10+! Much like Escaped Audio, Good Boy Audio, Redacted Audio, Yuurivoice, Reverie Audios, and Nomad Tales and Audio, Captain Matt puts so much work into his content and it shows with his acting, effects, and stories that the immersion level is off the charts!

I will continue to listen to and love Captain Matt’s content for as long as he continues to make it! He is a severally underrated and talented creator in all aspects. Please go check out his channel and I’ll go listen to the new audio! 💙🏴‍☠️🫡