#turtle shell lyre

[mediocredoots]

Hermes did in fact get away with his crimes🏹🪶

Hermes who was only a few hours old snuck out of his cradle to wreak havoc, and after working up an appetite, eventually stole Apollo's cattle from him. Apollo angered by this theft, calls upon Zeus to find the culprit. When they learn it is Hermes they confront him and have him lead them to where Apollo's cows were taken. There Hermes would show Apollo the first ever Lyre he invented. Apollo is so pleased with the instrument's sound that Hermes gives it to him and in turn Apollo lets him keep the cattle. In the end they become close friends and vow a bond to one another. I'm paraphrasing but this is the gist.

[strawberryisscrumptious]

Silliest billies to ever silly tbh ://

[slugs-n-bugz]

ta-ta!~

my design for hermes, the aloof messenger god of the greeks. After finally reading stephen fry’s mythos, i’ve been enamored by how he portrayed hermes and gave him a goofy and lighthearted voice

now that finals are over hopefully i’ll get to post more art! 🤎 ily guys

[humblefryingpan]

I've got a bunch of plushies and I didn't have names for some of them but I've entered two new fandoms at the perfect time. So now we've got Hermes the pigeon (epic) and Olivia the rat (vat7k, ik she's meant to be a mouse but alas)

Bc like all my plushies are named after fandoms (with two exceptions bc they were named when I was a kid), one day I'll post them all lmaoo

[smirkeapproved]

My take on Apollo + the turtle shell lyre

[s4lty-squ1d]

Update on the turtle lyre… it’s uhhhh… it’s something alright

My brainrot for epic the musical is getting worse by the day… it’s terminal lol

[serpentface]

Young Jazait mother posing for a lore friendly fishing photo with a sea 'turtle'. This is only a modestly sized adult (the biggest could grow almost three times this size), but a lucky catch nonetheless.

While superficially resembling a turtle (and very often referred to as such), these are actually from an entirely separate order of marine reptiles that has remained successful and widespread enough to keep true turtles confined to freshwater habitats. They occupy a variety of niches, with this particular species being more basal and subsisting on a specialized diet of mollusks.

This animal has a very wide range in shallow subtropical and tropical waters, and can be found along all the Imperial Wardi region's coastlines. The sea-turtles and their eggs are widely considered to be delicacies, and hunting pressures have extirpated them from many heavily fished areas, though the overall population has remained mostly stable.

The meat itself is very tender and resembles veal with vague, oil-fishy undertones. The connective tissue around its shell can be boiled with broths to give it a thick texture that becomes highly gelatinous when cooled. In South Wardi cuisine it's often cooked into a pepper stew and eaten with grits; in Jazaiti cuisine the body is most often gutted and roasted whole in the shell while the limbs are boiled for broth. Their smaller pelvic shell is also traditionally used by Jazait to form the body of a lyre.

[nynevefromthelake]

Daeron and Maglor watching the last ship.

And a close up. I changed Maglors’s lyre from the first sketch to this one made of turtle shell. I think it would suit more to the hermit wondering the shores for hundreds of years

[its-all-clouds-in-this-noggin]

Chanelling my older sibling grievances through Artemis here.

They have to go do a scheduled eclipse today which Artemis wants to get over and done with but Apollo is happy to dilly dally a bit.

Apollo's defence 'The vibe is good, my audience beyond the 4th wall deserves a wink, you should slow down and smell the flowers lest you develop brow wrinkles at 12 younger sister'

Artemis's response 'Ult activated, Arrow Rain'

(I tried really hard to draw a ye oldy lyre made w turtle shells but alas I do not know enough about instruments to do it justice ;a;)

[monserelates]

Clueless Idiots 2 ; James Potter

⇨ f!reader x James Potter

⇨ summary: basically f!reader and james potter being oblivious idiots..again. But this time they kiss..right?

⇨ warnings/notes: use of y/n, fluff, mutual pining, excessive idiocy, professors betting again, Sirius being so done, more background chaos

⇨ a/n: thank you guys so so so much for the support i've gotten in the last few days! literally couldn't be more grateful, i love every single one of you. part 2 as requested, hope you enjoy! Also, feedback really motivated me so if you have something to share please do!

word count: 1.7k

There were a few more constants at Hogwarts:

One: Peeves would never pass up the chance to drop ink on someone carrying parchment.

Two: You could always count on the library fireplace to be too hot or not hot enough.

And three: James Potter still hadn’t confessed to Y/N Y/L/N.

It was nearing midnight, and James couldn’t sleep. His mind wouldn’t shut up. About Quidditch, about NEWTs, but mostly about the way Y/N had looked at him earlier.

Like she knew.

Or didn’t. Which somehow made it worse.

He gave up and padded out of the dormitory, barefoot, hair a mess. He wasn’t expecting company in the common room.

But there she was.

Sitting on the windowsill, knees pulled to her chest, the firelight glowing soft against her face. Hair loose, wrapped in a blanket.

She turned her head. "You couldn’t sleep either?"

His chest tugged. "Yeah. Figured I’d come down here and pace like a madman."

She smiled, small and sleepy. "Or you could sit."

He sat beside her, shoulder brushing hers.

For a moment, they just looked out the window.

"Do you ever wish we had Astronomy this year?" she asked.

James raised a brow. "Since when do you like Astronomy?"

"Since I figured out Orion is shaped like a really dramatic bloke showing off his belt."

He laughed, low and tired. "That is literally the point of Orion."

"What’s your favorite constellation?"

He blinked. "Er... I dunno. Maybe Canis Major. Big dog."

"Of course it is."

"Hey, it’s loyal. Follows Orion everywhere."

She hummed. "Mine’s Lyra. The harp."

He tilted his head. "That tracks. You’re all poetic and stuff."

"Not poetic. Just... curious. It used to be a turtle."

He blinked. "What?"

She laughed. "The Greeks thought the first lyre was made from a turtle shell. It became a constellation after Orpheus died."

"So... music, loyalty, tragedy. Sounds like a Hogwarts afternoon."

She nudged his shoulder. "Don’t be dramatic."

"You just compared stars to death."

"You brought up dogs."

"Touché."

Time passed like honey. Slow and warm.

They fell into a lull, the silence comfortable.

Then, softly:

"Do you ever think about after Hogwarts?" she asked.

James swallowed. "Yeah. All the time."

"What do you think you’ll do?"

He shrugged, staring out the window. "Auror, maybe. I want to help. I want to make it better."

She nodded. "You’d be good at that."

"You think?"

"You care too much not to be."

He glanced at her. Her hair was half in her face. His hand itched to tuck it behind her ear.

Again.

But he didn’t.

"What about you?" he asked.

She leaned back against the window. "I want to write. About real things. Real people. Maybe travel for a bit."

"Travel where?"

"Everywhere. France. Greece. That island where the firecrabs sunbathe."

He smiled. "You mean Fiji."

"Do I?"

"You do."

She smiled back, then yawned.

Without thinking, he pulled the blanket more around her.

"Thanks," she mumbled, eyes half-lidded.

She rested her head on his shoulder.

He froze.

Then slowly, cautiously, he let his head rest against hers.

James was scared to take a breath, he really didn't want her to move her head.

When Remus came down for tea at dawn, he nearly dropped his cup.

James was on the couch. Y/N was on top of him. His arms were wrapped around her waist; her face buried in his chest. Both fast asleep.

..

Back in the staff lounge, McGonagall adjusted her spectacles.

"I hear Mr. Potter and Miss Y/L/N fell asleep in each other’s arms."

Slughorn chuckled. "A very compromising position, I’m told."

Sprout grinned. "New bet: who confesses first, now that they’ve practically napped their way into a relationship?"

McGonagall smirked. "My money's still on her."

..

The sun rose on Gryffindor Tower with the kind of golden softness reserved for early autumn mornings, and the Common Room was quiet.

Except for the hushed snickers.

James woke up to a tickle against his cheek and the very distinct feeling that something—or someone—was lying across his chest. And that he, very stupidly, had an arm slung securely around them.

“Merlin’s saggy balls,” came Sirius’s voice, somewhere above.

James groaned.

Y/N stirred.

She blinked up at him. “Why are you—why am I—why are we—”

“Why are you both literally spooning on the Common Room couch?” Lily supplied helpfully, crossing her arms with a knowing smirk.

Remus, sipping his tea behind them, raised an eyebrow. “Comfortable?”

James scrambled up. “I—It’s not—we were talking about constellations.”

Y/N smacked his chest lightly. “Don’t make it sound weirder.”

Sirius pointed to the small blanket still tangled around their legs. “You both fell asleep. Cuddled like a pair of puffskeins.”

Remus looked deadly serious. “This is a violation of the forty-eight-hour deadline I issued.”

“What deadline?” Y/N asked, rubbing her eyes.

“To kiss. To confess. To do something,” Remus deadpanned.

“You hexed us?” James looked betrayed.

“I threatened to. Still might.”

Behind them, a voice chimed from the portrait hole. “Ah, young love.”

McGonagall.

Everyone froze.

She gave them a long, knowing look, eyes twinkling. “Five points from Gryffindor for inappropriate use of the Common Room. And five points to Gryffindor… for finally making progress.”

“Finally?” Y/N squeaked.

McGonagall just smirked and left.

—

Word traveled fast.

By lunch, someone had drawn a very accurate sketch of James and Y/N asleep on the couch and tacked it to the Gryffindor bulletin board under the title THE CHOSEN ONES.

By dinner, Slughorn cornered Y/N and casually asked if she'd like to bring James to his next Slug Club gathering "as her plus one." When she choked on her pumpkin juice, he just chuckled knowingly.

At bedtime, Marlene had had enough.

“Y/N,” she said sternly, hands on her hips, “this is getting pathetic. If you don’t make a move, I swear I will lock the two of you in a broom cupboard with only one pillow and unresolved sexual tension.”

Dorcas leaned on the bedpost. “It’s like watching a romance novel in slow motion.”

“I like slow motion,” Y/N protested.

Lily tossed a pillow at her. “This isn’t slow motion. This is emotional molasses.”

—

Meanwhile, James was pacing.

“Padfoot,” he said, running a hand through his hair for the sixth time in three minutes. “What if I messed everything up?”

“You mean by spooning your crush in public and then still not confessing?”

Peter squirmed. "Don't say crush, it makes it sound like he's thirteen."

James groaned. “I panicked. She looked so peaceful. And I—”

“You what?” Sirius pressed.

“I almost kissed her.”

“YOU WHAT—”

Remus chucked a book at Sirius. “Indoor voices.”

James collapsed on his bed. “I’m an idiot.”

“You’re our idiot,” Peter offered.

“I don’t deserve her.”

“No,” Remus agreed. “But you have her. You just don’t know it yet.”

—

Two days passed.

Nothing changed. Not really.

Except now when James tucked her hair behind her ear, everyone screamed internally. When Y/N offered him a bite of her treacle tart, two Hufflepuffs bet ten Galleons on a Christmas confession. When they accidentally brushed hands in Herbology, Professor Sprout nearly cheered.

It was becoming a school-wide crisis.

And they were on the eye of the tornado.

—

One evening, James found himself back in the Common Room, late again, just like that night.

Y/N was there. Of course she was.

“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked softly.

She looked up from her book. “Not a wink.”

He flopped beside her, their knees bumping. “You know what Sirius said to me today?”

“What?”

“That we’ve gone from Clueless Idiots to Catastrophic Morons.”

She snorted. “Honestly? Fair.”

A beat of silence.

“Y/N?”

“Hmm?”

“What if I said I like you?”

She turned, slowly. “Then I’d say it’s about time.”

His breath caught. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

And then—

Finally.

She leaned in, and he met her halfway.

It wasn’t perfect. It was a little clumsy, a little breathless, but it was theirs.

And when they broke apart, cheeks flushed and hearts racing, Y/N whispered:

“Took you long enough, Potter.”

He grinned. “I’m still getting us that Honeydukes window.”

“Especially the sugar quills?”

“Especially the sugar quills.”

—

The next day it was a quiet, peaceful Wednesday morning.

Well, until Peeves found out.

“THEY KISSED! THEY KISSED!” he bellowed at the top of his ghostly lungs, cartwheeling through the Great Hall mid-breakfast. “JAMES AND Y/N IN THE COMMON ROOM, SNOGGING LIKE LOVESICK FLUFFY GNOMES!”

James nearly dropped his toast. Y/N choked on her pumpkin juice. Lily patted her on her back.

“WE HAVE WITNESSES!” Peeves sang, doing loops around the enchanted ceiling. “KNEES TOUCHING! EYES SPARKLING! AND A SCANDALOUS FOREHEAD KISS, OH MY!”

“Peeves—!” James hissed, red as a Gryffindor banner.

Y/N slapped a hand over her face. “I hate everything.”

Sirius was howling with laughter. Remus had calmly pulled out his wallet. “I believe this means I win the side bet about it not happening in a broom closet.”

“DO YOU, MISS Y/N, TAKE THIS MESS OF A MAN TO BE YOUR LAWFULLY OBLIVIOUS HUSBAND?” Peeves hollered, throwing confetti made of shredded homework.

Peter leaned in, whispering, “You did kiss him, right?”

Y/N glared. “Not that it’s any of your business, but—yes.”

James stared at her and smiled.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" Y/N asked.

"Nothing, you're just gorgeous, love." He said, followed by a couple of playful groans of his friends and the stares of a lovesick y/n.

“Oh my Merlin,” Marlene muttered, rubbing her temples. “I’m moving schools.”

Above them, Peeves looped the final loop, pausing dramatically midair before screaming:

“THEY KISSED, THEY KISSED, THEY BLOODY WELL—FINALLY—KISSED!”

And Hogwarts, once again, erupted into cheers, catcalls, and the sound of one exasperated McGonagall muttering into her tea, “About bloody time.”

Flitwick clapped politely from his seat, beaming. “They make such a charming couple.”

Slughorn chuckled, already scribbling their names into a guest list for a hypothetical future wedding. “Ah, young romance—always knew James had it in him.”

Sprout wiped a tear. “I feel like I’ve just watched the finale of my favorite romance drama.”

And Dumbledore, of course, simply twinkled behind his spectacles. “Love, as always, finds a way—even if it takes a little extra chaos.”

McGonagall cleared her throat, hand outstretched.

“Pay up, Pomona.”

Sprout groaned and dug into her robes, fishing out a pouch of Galleons. “Worth every Knut,” she muttered.

Slughorn handed over a few sickles to a smug-looking Flitwick, who waved his tiny hand triumphantly.

“I told you it wouldn’t take until Christmas,” he said.

Somewhere in the back, Binns floated through a wall just to mutter, “I had June,” before vanishing again

—

THE END… probably.

taglist: @glittervame @hannah200216 @strlightfilms

[mer-acle]

Artemis and Apollo

@saixria 's design of them really reminded me that I'd been sad about not coordinating them more, so bc I'm doing separate designs for my Slipping through my Fingers AU anyway, I designed them together for that. And yes, they are children bc they are still rather young throughout the story. I drew them at around 10-12 (physically) which is when they join Olympus in the story.

My idea was to connect them via the color green which ties back to Artemis' connection to the forest and Apollo's lyre (which has a turtle shell as a base) I read recently that Artemis' weapons are also described as golden in mythology, not silver, so I gave her golden accessories. I also wanted her to have a kinda shaggy haircut from having cut them herself while Apollo lets his hair grow out. Also, you will almost never see Ari this put-together XD She's much more prone to just run around in something really simple, and barefoot. Apollo likes his layers and his accessories. I'd imagine their sun and moon connection respectively is more a character thing rather than tied to their domains, Apollo is more of an early bird, Artemis likes to sleep in, she prefers cooler weather, that kind of thing.

I'm quite happy with Artemis in particular, now all I need is for her to have an arc of some kind in the story. Apollo and his healing magic makes including him so much easier istg.

[officialpenisenvy]

5 minutes later: dude i swear i just saw a newborn stealing my cattle

my buddy hermes crawling: goo goo ga ga [hands me a lyre crafted out of a turtle shell]

[thehumanityofgreekgods]

Hermes | The God with Winged Feet

HOMERIC HYMN 4 to Hermes:

“For then she bare a son, of many shifts, blandly cunning, a robber, a cattle driver, a bringer of dreams, (14) a watcher by night, a thief at the gates, one who was soon to show forth  wonderful deeds among the deathless gods. Born with the dawning, at midday  he played on the lyre, and in the evening he stole the cattle of far-shooting Apollo on the fourth day of the month; for on that day queenly Maia bare him (15).”

PARENTS:

Son of Zeus: King of the Gods (Many of you reading this will probably know who this is. He is pretty popular despite his controversial escapades.)

Son of Maia: Goddess sometimes referred to as a Mountain Nymph, “MAIA was the eldest of the Pleiades, the seven nymphs of the constellation Pleiades,” according to theoi.com, and daughter of the Titan Atlas (Titan punished to hold the planet up by Zeus)

STATUS: Olympian

PURPOSE:

Messenger God of Zeus to Hades. Invented the lyre out of a turtles shell, ox hide, sheep horns, and animal guts then traded it to Apollo for his herd of cows (that he stole). This trade was significant because Apollo then gained the title “The God of Music,” and Hermes became, “The God of Thieves.”

He is also the God of trade, heralds, herds, and athletes.

CHILDREN:

Hermes had many children, mortal and immortal, Human and Gods.

The lists and descriptions in this section were sourced from theoi.com.

Immortal:

Angelia: Goddess, messenger of the Gods.

Eleusis: Son of Hermes and Daeira.

Hermaphroditos: Son of Hermes and Aphroditie. Also known as Hermaphroditus was the winged God of effeminates and hermaphrodites. Belonged to Erotes a group of winged love-Gods.

Oreiades: Also known as Oreads, meaning “of the Mountain”. In short, Hermes was said to be the father of many nymphs of the Mountain.

Palaistra: Also known as Plaestra. Some sources say she was Hermes's daughter, grew up in Arcadia, and was the Goddess of wrestling. Other sources say she was Hermes's lover and the daughter of Chorius, an Arcadian king.

Pan: Half-man on top, half-goat on the bottom. God of flocks, shepherds, & the wild. Famously invented the pan flute; like father like son.

Panes: There were many Panes, some associated with Pan and others with Satyrs, but Agreus and Nomios were sons of Hermes.

Known as “Rustic spirits” responsible for protecting sheep flocks, and goat herds found on highland pastures and mountains. “Panes were depicted as goat-footed men with the horns, tail, beard, snub nose and ears of a goat. They sometimes had actual goat-heads instead of just a few goatish features.”  

Priapos: Also known as Pirapus. God of vegetable gardens, the symbol of the fertility of gardens, and the protector of flocks, beehives, and vineyards. Most sources believe he was a son of Aphrodite and Dionysus.

Satyroi: Also known as Satyrs and fertility spirits, there were many Satyrs in Greek mythology. However, “…the three messengers of Dionysos were sons of Hermes.” Lykos, Pronomos, and Pherespondos.

Mortal:

Abderos, Aithalides, Arabos, Autolykos, Bonuos, Daphnis, Ekhion, Eleusis, Eleusis, Euandros, Kaikos, Kephalos, Keryx, Kydon, Libys, Myrtilos, Norax, Orion, Pharis, Phaunos, Polybos, Saon.

Many were Kings, founders of cities, Lords, Inventors, and Princes. Most if not all were men.

21st Century ROLES:

Hadestown (Broadway Production); Hermes was played by Daniel Breaker (Andre de Shields in the original cast)

Percy Jackson: Sea of monsters (Movie): Hermes was played by Nathan Fillion

Percy Jackson and the Olympians (TV series): Hermes was played by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Clash of the Titians (Movie): Hermes was played by Alexander Siddig

Disney’s Hercules (Movie): Voiced by Paul Shaffer

Featured as a companion of Persephone in Lore Olympus

This is Hermes in Lore Olympus created by Racheal Smythe. Picture from webcomic episode 125. (The art is incredible in this series HIGHLY recommend)

There are probably many more.

[klimkovsky]

Beta Lyrae - Sheliak

The small constellation of Lyra is not only very beautiful in the configuration of the stars that make up it, but also contains among them absolutely unique universal diamonds. The star Sheliak - Beta Lyrae is one of such jewels.

Translated from Arabic, Sheliak means a turtle shell (or even the turtle itself), but the same word is used to name an ancient musical instrument similar to a harp or, in fact, a Lyre, because a resonator body was made from a turtle shell, which was necessary for a more melodious sound of the strings. A musical culture on Earth was born somewhat cruelly, singing, among other things, the heavenly distances in which man saw the Worlds of his future - incomparably happier than the one in which he lived then. But man evolved, and at some point, wood began to be used more and more often for making musical instruments - Kifaras and Lyras with a wooden body sounded even better than turtle ones. But the dim star in the constellation Lyra remained called the Turtle.

What exactly this star attracted the attention of ancient astronomers is unknown now, but it was clearly not deprived of attention. It is simply that much of the scientific information from that historical period was lost. And in the 18th century it was discovered that about once a week the star slightly "winks" - fading for a short time, becoming dimmer by about two times. This could easily have been noticed in ancient times, and certainly was noticed (as astronomers of all developed countries of the ancient era noticed similar behavior of the star Algol in the constellation Perseus), but they just could not explain it.

The variability of Beta Lyrae (as well as the variability of Algol) was explained by a young amateur astronomer, John Goodricke. He had no special education, and was also deaf and dumb, but a very keen-sighted and insightful person. John's passion was observing stars, and by the age of 20 he had already examined many of them for brightness variations - simply with the naked eye, since there were no other methods at the end of the 18th century.

Only intuition can explain John Goodricke's guess that the apparent brightness of some stars most likely changes because in reality it is not one star, but two, which, rotating around the center of mass of the system, periodically obscure each other for an observer on Earth. This bold assumption was confirmed a hundred years after the death of the amazing seer.

John Goodricke died very young - at 22, succumbing to pneumonia - two years after discovering and explaining the variability of Beta Lyrae, and just four days after being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London.

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, astronomers learned to perform detailed spectral analysis of stars and track the behavior of absorption lines in their spectrograms. In the spectra of Sheliak (Beta Lyrae) and Beta Persei (Algol), the lines behaved similarly - slightly swaying around the places assigned to them by the chemistry of the star - synchronously with the dynamics of brightness changes. This clearly indicated the presence of two luminaries in the system and their orbital motion. This was irrefutable evidence, but indirect. A century later - already in our days - a direct image of the Beta Lyrae system was obtained using the CHARA infrared interferometer. And astronomers saw with their own eyes two stars orbiting the center of mass of the system, alternately eclipsing each other.

It was also discovered that the shapes of these stars are distorted by tidal interactions and resemble oblong melons. It was even discovered that matter flows from one star to another, which changes the proportion of masses in the system and slows down the rotation, increasing the period by 19 seconds per year. At the same time, part of the matter forms an extended accretion disk around the system, which partially dissipates into interstellar space. And in addition to the exchange of mass in this system, there is a significant loss of it.

The period of brightness variation in the Beta Lyrae system is 13 days. But since eclipses occur twice during the entire period (the stars eclipse each other in turn, as if changing places), brightness minima occur approximately once a week. But they are slightly different in depth - 0.9 and 0.5 stellar magnitudes.

Nowadays, the horizons of astronomy have expanded somewhat, thanks to advanced technologies for studying the Universe. And it is already believed that Beta Lyrae is a relatively close system to us. But still, 900 light years is not that close. To see separately stars that are twice as close to each other as the Sun and Mercury is a great achievement for optical interferometry.

The distance separating the components of this system is estimated at 40 million km. Somewhere at this distance from the Sun, in the era of the famous Le Verrier, astronomers were looking for the planet Vulcan. And they found nothing. But now they see a system of two giant stars with similar orbits.

Both components of this system are quite massive — 3 and 13 times the mass of the Sun. And in luminosity — 26 thousand and 6 thousand times, respectively. It is interesting that during the existence of the system — about 20 million years — these stars seemed to have swapped roles. The one that is now massive was skinny, developed more slowly, and the neighboring star — having quickly swelled to the size of a giant — began to share matter with the smaller star. The neighbor was not modest, and took over as much as was given. And now the star that had less mass has gained it in excess. And continues to do so.

Somewhat removed from this close and amazing pair of stars, another component of the system, the so-called Beta Lyrae B, slowly drifts along a huge orbit. What we talked about before was Beta Lyrae A. But there are many more stars in this system.

Beta Lyrae B is clearly visible even in binoculars - it is a 7th magnitude star, separated from the eclipsing variable pair by 46 arc seconds (this is the apparent size of Jupiter). In a small telescope, this double star looks very nice and is an easy object for beginner astronomy enthusiasts. Now it is known that it is also a double system, though a spectral one - not divisible into components in any telescope (they are very close to each other, or maybe it just has not deserve such close attention, and some super-powerful interferometer has not yet been deployed on it).

Another star was found 64 arc seconds away from the main pair of stars, though rather faint for amateur optics - Beta Lyrae C - 13th stellar magnitude. And further away from the aforementioned luminaries, astronomers are now checking for involvement in the system of several more stars - D, E and F. Moreover, in relation to Beta Lyrae F, even convincing evidence of a gravitational connection has been found.

Once again, we started with one star and ended up with a whole star cluster. However, this situation is not uncommon in our Universe. A rare type of star in it are stars like our Sun - stable and completely alone. But maybe that is why we now have the opportunity to study the entire diversity of other cosmic luminaries.

[blueiscoool]

A Roman Tiny Tortoise Figurine Found in England

In July last year, a small Roman copper alloy tortoise or turtle figurine was discovered by metal detectors near the village of Wickham Skeith in Suffolk, England.

There is no exact date, but experts date it to the early 2nd century AD, as a similar example was unearthed in settlement layers dating to around 100-400 AD during excavations in the Roman city of Colchester.

At just over one inch long and just under one inch wide, the figurine’s body is shaped like a typical turtle/tortoise shell, sub-circular in plan and D-shaped in section. While the top of the shell is very worn, it appears to have once been decorated with two sets of crescent-shaped grooves, positioned on either side of the midpoint. The figurine has a crudely shaped head protruding from the apex of the shell, and four feet projecting from the sides. The left forelimb seems to have been broken away some time ago, leaving only a short stump. There is also a small tail on the lower edge. The underside of the shell is flat and does not appear to have been decorated.

Tortoises or turtles were most often associated with the god Mercury in the Roman world and Mercury is often found accompanied by turtles/tortoises in iconography. Mercury was the god of commerce, communication and travellers. A possible reason for the association with Mercury was that tortoise shells were used for making lyres, stringed musical instruments used in antiquity, the invention of which is attributed to Mercury in mythology. It may have been associated with Sabazios, too, a god of the Phrygians and Thracians.

Metal detectorists who report their finds to the Finds Recording Team have resulted in an increasing corpus of Roman turtle/tortoise figurines in recent years. Several similar figurines have also been recorded in Suffolk, near Barking, and near Little Blakenham by the Portable Antiquities Scheme over the years.

The wee tortoise was reported to the Suffolk Finds Liaison of the Portable Antiquities Scheme for documentation and has now been returned to the finder.

The Portable Antiquities Scheme is an initiative to encourage the recording of archaeological objects found by members of the public in England and Wales.

By oguz kayra.

[baldudiable]

the link between Mercury and the Magician

before writing this post, I was planning on speaking about how Mercury is linked to the Magician card because our thoughts (a Mercurial principle) create (a Magician principle) our reality. the universe is ruled by a number of laws, and one of them is the law of attraction. this law is the belief that our thoughts have an indirect incidence on our reality. pur thoughts push us to act a certain way, to meet certain people, and to find ourselves in particular situations. We accept our fate, because we believe that what we're encountering is what we deserve. we accept our fate, until we believe that we can have more. then, we change our thinking. We start acting differently, and our trajectory changes.

this post was meant to be solely about that. but as I was researching information on the subject, more ideas came to me. I now see more similarities between Mercury (both the divinity and the planet) and the Magician Arcana.

let's get into it.

first off, the myth of Mercury

fruit of the union of Jupiter and Maia, Mercury is born in a cave of the Mount Cyllene. he runs away shortly after his birth, while his family sleeps, only to steal the cattle of his brother's herd. these beasts are then given as an offering to the Gods of Olympus. once the deed is done, he goes back to his bed, his absence unnoticed. Apollo, who has been alerted of his brother's actions, accuses the young one. Maia will then defend her son, justifying his innocence by showing him soundly asleep in his bed. Mercury will still be asked to defend himself by his father, though. he manages to do so without effort, thanks to his charm and way with words.

Mercury was indeed the God of speech and information. For that, he knew how to flatter and manipulate people in order to get their approval.

he was not only gifted with wit, but also with great creativity. it is to him that we owe the invention of the lyre, which he allegedly created with a turtle shell. he invented the flute, which he gave to Apollo in exchange of the caduceus, an object that eventually became his symbol.

Jupiter, proud of his son's innovative spirit, eventually names him Messenger of the Gods. wearing winged helmet and sandals, Mercury flies between the earth and the sky, playing the role of intermediary between Man and God. he is also given the task of bringing the dead's souls to Hell. as a matter of fact, he is one of the few people allowed to enter Hell, and to come out of it.

Mercury in astrology

Mercury is the fastest moving planet in the solar system. Like the God to which it is associated, it rules speech, transmission of information, and mental faculties. it is a cerebral and rational celestial body that influences our way of speaking, thinking, and learning. its placement in our chart gives us an hint of where our passions lie, what pieces of knowledge we should pursue in order to feel mentally fulfilled, and also, how to best utilize that knowledge.

as I said in the introduction, our thoughts generate a particular vibration that attract specific experiences to our reality.

take fire Mercury for example. It's a placement that is direct, impulsive, and gives the native strong opinions. this energy is bound to attract opposition, which the native gladly accepts since they usually like a challenge. this placement can give them the possibility, or the desire, to be a spokesperson that fights for others, and allows them to stand in the spotlight. success is meant to happen for the native, as the fire element makes them believe in themselves and their abilities.

another example would be mutable Mercury. tt indicates a flexible, changeable nature. it makes someone more open to change and opinions that differ from theirs. contrary to the Fixed modality, it welcomes novelty and the experiences it brings with joy. it makes one less inclined to be conflictual, since they want to learn from others, and not limit themselves to their way of thinking. this modality can lead one to surround themselves with people who are different so that they can grow and evolve. it can put someone in the position of a guide, or mentor, who will teach and challenge the minds of the people they are in contact with.

last but not least, the Magician

the Magician is a highly spiritual figure.

upon looking at the Arcana, we can see this character pointing at both the sky and the ground, as he stands between the two. like Mercury, he plays the role of messenger between Heaven and Earth. the Magician has great dreams. he was gifted with the faith and the will necessary to accomplish them. whatever he ends up creating will not only benefit him, but also everyone who encounters it.

like the God, he is highly versatile and creative. the tools laid on the tables are a Wand, a Cup, a Sword, and a Pentacle. these objects respectively symbolize spiritual, emotional, mental or relational, and material ressources that are at his disposal to make his vision come true.

as it is the first Arcana of Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot, the Magician is like a guide that shows us the way. the message it brings is that if we believe in ourselves and our gifts, we will achieve whatever dreams we have.