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dawnslight-aegis · 5 months ago

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and that's a wrap on my tarot series! the upright majors, at least. there may be others sometime in the future if I am seized by a combination of insanity and hyperfixation once again.

you might notice a few cards are a bit (or in the case of the fool and alternate chariot, a lot) different! I did a few retakes for consistency/style.

below the read more I've included a bunch of notes about symbolism and reasoning behind my choices if that interests you!

(tag for individual card posts)

0. The Fool: Ardbert was really the only choice for this one. He's our stand-in, our shard, our mirror. Feo Ul is included partially because of lore (they are my co-WoL's shard on the First) and also because they also fit the themes of adventure and new beginnings and exploration. Most of the cards I played pretty loose on the posing vs traditional depictions, but this one I wanted to hew a little closer, which is why he's on a cliff with a foot hanging over the edge a bit, with his axe standing in for the bindle. This is my second attempt at the card -- the first was in Il Mheg, but I moved it to Kholusia (Ardbert's home) and dawn to more closely symbolize that it's the beginning of something. Attempts: 2. Difficulty: 8/10, posing Feo Ul was annoying.

1. The Magician: This card could have had several subjects, chief among them Alphinaud or a more modern G'raha, but I settled on Alisaie a) because the other two cards I had in mind for her (Chariot and Justice) were already taken, and b) the card's focus on physical magic and depicting the "tools of the trade" reminded me a lot of Angelo's creation! So that's why she's here, and why I set the card in Matoya's Relict, among the tools of magicians who came before (Matoya, Y'shtola). I retook the shot because I was unsatisfied with the blurriness/the way the light covered her face in the first one. Attempts: 2. Difficulty: 5/10, simple pose but working with Impact's spell effect complicated things.

2. The High Priestess: Another that I never questioned who would appear on it. Y'shtola's arc is entirely about uncovering forbidden, secret knowledge and wisdom, so she fits beautifully. The blue-white orb and the purple staff depict duality between dark and light, and how Y'shtola walks in two worlds, seeing things that are beyond sight, standing before an altar/holy place to the Night's Blessed. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 2/10. Premade pose, knew where I wanted to place her -- the only thing was finding a prop for her off hand.

3. The Empress: Hoo boy did Minfi give me some trouble. I knew that I wanted our Antecedent, who provides both authority and care for the Scions, to represent the Empress, but I struggled to find a depiction that wasn't, well, boring. Minfilia is deeply linked with the Solar, and I didn't want to lean too hard into Word of the Mother/Hydaelyn territory, so I settled on a triple goddess-like idea. Attempts: 3. Difficulty: 6/10. Not mechanically difficult, just conceptually.

4. The Emperor: Another one that I knew who I wanted but struggled with the concept. Haurchefant is very much emblematic of the stability, structure, and masculinity provided by the Emperor, but it wasn't until I decided to add his equally-Emperor-coded father that things settled into place. Together, Edmont and Haurchefant evoke the image of father and son as well as king and knight, filling both major male authority roles that the Emperor exemplifies. Attempts: 4. Difficulty: 6/10. Same as the Empress.

5. The Hierophant: this one was one of the hardest to choose a subject for -- the WoL's allies are largely a bunch of revolutionary firebrands, and I disagree HEAVILY with the popular choice of placing Aymeric here. So I landed on Alphinaud -- out of the Scions, he is the one most concerned with tradition and the "right" way to do things, with formal education and structure. He wants to bring Sharlayan into the modern day, not upend the institutions that raised him and that he very much still respects, much like how he still respects his very traditionally Hierophant-coded father. So I placed him in his family home with a sort of smug look since he can be a pretentious little shit sometimes (affectionate). The spell effect is from Kardia, and I paid special attention to having the shapes align perfectly with the lines in the background, to give a sense of stability and order to the shot, especially contrasted with Alisaie's more dynamic and chaotic depiction. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 4/10, entirely in alignment.

6. The Lovers: Hrasevelgr and Saint Shiva are a great choice for depicting the Lovers as two people, but no one does the Lovers in one subject better than Ysayle. Invoking the spirit of a woman who died for love in order to bring harmony to her people, but it truly being her own power and her own choice the whole time... it's great. Her pose is her transformation/summoning pose, turned into a gesture of affection, which I was particularly proud of. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 3/10, posing monsters is always a little funky.

7. The Chariot: This one has two options -- my co-WoL, Marz, and Tataru/Cid/Nero for the NPC variant. All 4 characters share a singular drive and refusal to let anything stop them once they've set their mind to something, and the 3 NPCs have the added benefit of being associated with a literal "chariot" in the form of airship design. Marz's place on Shadowkeeper has some lore associations (Cylva is her shard on the 13th) as well as being a void mirror to Kaede's sin eater shot. For both I wanted to have dynamic poses to evoke the activity of the card. Attempts: 1 (Marz), 2 (NPCs). Difficulty: 3/10 for both, no major hurdles once the lovely @/karoiseka pointed me at an airship in NG+.

8. Justice: The heart of the Justice card is its emphasis on truth, and no character in FFXIV is more committed to truth even in the face of great suffering than Aymeric de Borel. Because of this, the shot is taken at the top of the Vault, where he confronted his father over his concealment of the truth of the Dragonsong War. The card is usually depicted with a woman holding a sword and balanced scales -- Aymeric is holding his sword in a pose used in statues in the Pillars, and the symmetry of the shot/light and shadow split down the middle is meant to give the feeling of balance. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 1/10. I knew my concept, location, and shader before I even went in, and it came out exactly like I wanted.

9. The Hermit: Originally I had Urianger for this card, who still fits well, but when I moved him to Wheel of Fortune, there was a clear second choice: The Exarch. He even resembles the Hermit, with his cloak and staff, holding himself in isolation and possessing secret knowledge with which he guides the party. G'raha has grown out of this role as of Endwalker, but the Exarch fits it to a tee. I wanted to show his longing to return through his body language and reaching out for the portal that shows him the world he is set apart from. Attempts: 2. Difficulty: 4/10. Nothing major but did have to do two entirely separate cards lmao.

10. The Wheel of Fortune: The one I struggled with the most, conceptually. At first I had a more abstract choice, with the 3 starting city state leaders and Tataru, in a sort of "fate leads to the Scions" idea. But then I remembered that Urianger is a fortune teller who uses a wheel-like weapon with a literal wheel of cards, and, well. Yeah. The man is intimately associated with fate and choice, and the choice to place him on the moon is intentional, to separate him from his more secretive depictions in HW/ShB. He is the one who prepares our second option (flight) while giving us the choice to make our first (fight). Attempts: 2. Difficulty: 7/10. He's up on a high ledge that's not normally accessible and that's always a pain in the ass.

11. Strength: The one that started it all. The original shot of Kaede contained some layer elements I wasn't happy with so I ended up retaking it to better cohere with the others. Strength is about confidence and inner strength "leashing" power, symbolized by the woman and the tamed lion, and there's exactly one good lion model in XIV -- Forgiven Cruelty. It also has the fun side meaning of Kaede conquering and wielding the light that almost killed her. For Moenbryda's, I went with something simple -- her axe to symbolize her strength, but with her archon mark and the Sharlayan Thaliak statue prominently featured, emphasizing her intelligence. Attempts: 2 (Kaede), 1 (Moenbryda). Difficulty: 6/10. Kaede's was straightforward enough (though I had to wait an annoyingly long time for the sky to shift colors correctly), but Moenbryda's involved me floating her up on a building so i could get Thaliak in the shot correctly.

12. The Hanged Man: Holy moly this one was a PAIN IN THE ASS. I knew from the minute I started this what I wanted to do with it -- Lahabrea holding Thancred's ankle as he reaches for Minfilia. The Hanged Man is one that I felt it was especially important to mimic the iconic pose on the card, and this was how I decided to do it, but it took me over an hour and a half to accomplish. Anyway, the Zodiark idol stands in for the Tree of Life, which I really liked. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 10/10. Absolutely infuriating to have to pose 3 actors in three dimensional space like that.

13. Death: I only ever considered Estinien for this card. It stands for transformation and change, for shedding the old to make way for the new, and I chose to depict that by having his old corrupted drachen mail posed behind him like a shadow or an abandoned husk. He has left the hate and the rage behind, but the helmet is meant to symbolize that he always remembers it, and carries it with him so that he can do better. His lance is also vaguely reminiscent of the traditional Death scythe. That spot in Coerthas is where he challenges you in the early DRG quests while controlled by Nidhogg, as well as being just visually striking. Attempts: 1, but it took a while. Difficulty: 9/10. The ground is very much not flat, the helmet is on a minion, and I had to change angles and locations a few times.

14. Temperance: I briefly considered Hythlodaeus here, but Krile fits very well. Calm, competent, but unsure of her own worth. I chose Eureka Hydatos both for its importance to Krile as well as its easily accessible water -- instead of pouring from a cup, Krile is looking at her reflection. This one came together so quickly and easily. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 1/10. In and out of Eureka in less than 20 minutes.

15. The Tower: Originally, before I reshuffled, G'raha was going to be the Tower simply because I didn't know where to put him, and I couldn't think of an ally who is ultimately a destructive force, but it always bothered me because he truly didn't fit. Meteion, though -- despite her innocence and unwillingness, is THE destructive force within Endwalker's story. This card had the highest hurdles -- I had to get 7 friends to help me queue for Endsinger and then leave, and I almost couldn't get my tools to load Meteion in properly. After that it was smooth sailing, however. I used the whole lockout timer, but this was only the 4th shot I took, and it's one of my personal favorites. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 4/10, purely for queuing.

16. The Devil: Addiction, obsession, and control -- Zenos was the only answer for this card. I included Zero as well, despite intending this to be a primarily 6.0 and earlier set, to represent the humans bound in chains to the Devil, using the way she's pinned between Zenos and the scythe to symbolize that she's trapped. Afterward I realized this exact shot and character choice would have also worked quite well for the Tower, as well, but I ultimately prefer the Devil for him. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 3/10. Came together surprisingly easily, despite the fact that I had to make Zero's hat touch pose myself.

17. The Star: Symbolizing hope and new life, I can think of no one better suited than Ryne and the Empty. Ryne herself was given her own new life when Minfilia passed on her power, and the ability to make her own destiny -- and she used that power to revitalize a barren wasteland. My first version of this shot had a photoshopped in central star, but I decided to revisit the concept with an in game effect for the star instead. Helios provided what I needed, with the fun extra benefit of some additional rainbows (happy pride!). Attempts: 3. Difficulty: 3/10. Nothing crazy beyond trying to find a good angle to get the star in the shot, as well as Eden and the rainbow crystal. Second attempt I messed up the framing and had to redo it again.

18. The Moon: The card of dreams, fear, anxiety, and secrets, Gaia is perfect here (and a lovely companion to Ryne as the Star), though I did briefly consider Urianger as well. I wanted to have Gaia on the sand, with the moon hanging between the crystal walls of the Empty above her, but the angles would NOT cooperate to allow me to get the moon in the shot. So, levitation was the only answer. Fortunately it suits Gaia well, especially the distance that it evokes. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 6/10. I hate midair posing.

19. The Sun: Another card that sprang fully formed into my mind. Joy and fulfillment is symbolized by Lyse enjoying the morning light in a free Ala Mhigo, thinking of Papalymo. It also allowed me to get both of these very different characters into a single card, as they are very much a package deal, though I did consider Papalymo for the Hierophant as well. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 2/10. Came together very quickly.

20. Judgement: The last two cards of the Major Arcana are very high concept, with very lofty ideals, so they felt hard to pin down. I thought of doing both my WoLs here, or maybe Elidibus with his three forms for light, dark, and balance. But ultimately I ended up on Emet-Selch and Hythlodaeus, as the sort of "final judgement" before the battle with the endsinger, the last step before everything ends. Their literal rebirth, the resolution of Emet-Selch's conflict with the WoL, the not-redemption but understanding reached, our efforts judged worthy -- it all just seemed to fit. The card design is simple but I hope the colors and emotion of the scene carry the weight of the arcana. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 2/10. No major roadblocks.

21. The World: At last we arrive at the end, not only the last posted but the last taken as well. I always knew I wanted Venat/Hydaelyn for this card, as she is the literal heart of our world, as well as an Azem who has reached the end of her journey, as Ardbert was one who was at the beginning of his all the way back at the Fool. But when I didn't use Elidibus anywhere else, I decided to add him here as well, since he also served as the heart of the star for a time. Light and dark united together, watching over Etheirys. The one who destroyed our world in order to save it, and the one who saved our world only to try to destroy it. Perfect symmetry, a completion of the circle. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 9/10. I had to stitch together 3 separate screenshots in photoshop, with the fore and backgrounds cut apart so I could control the opacities separately. Probably the card that took me the longest, but it was worth it.

#ffxiv #ffxiv tarot #tarot #ffxiv gpose #had so much fun with this project #I've wanted to do it for years #I'll link this on twitter in a couple days but y'all get it early

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yamayuandadu · 1 year ago

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What is the exact relationship between Inanna and Nanaya? I'm not too well versed on the subject and I keep finding conflicting info everywhere. Were they originally the same goddess that became distinct? Were they distinct goddesses that were later syncretized? Is it both? Or is it something else entirely? lol

When it comes to Nanaya’s origin, there is actually no consensus. Some authors, like Olga Drewnowska-Rymarz (Mesopotamian goddess Nanāja, 2008), assume that Nanaya was originally a hypostasis of Inanna who became a fully distinct deity. The strength of this theory is that the oldest references to Nanaya, dated to the Ur III period (so roughly 2100 BCE), already point to a connection with Inanna, and that a similar process is well documented for other hypostases of Inanna, most notably Anunnitum. Others, like Joan Goodnick Westenholz (the chapter Nanaya: Lady of Mystery in Sumerian Gods and their Representations), argue that Nanaya was initially a fully separate goddess who only entered Inanna’s orbit at some point. An argument in favor of this view is that there are early possibly theophoric Akkadian names with elements which resemble Nanaya’s name. There is also a problem, though, as acknowledged by the aforementioned herself - Nanaya was not popular in the places where these names occur, like Gasur and various cities on the Diyala, but rather in Uruk. Since for now it is impossible to settle, the precise origin of Nanaya and the meaning of her name are uncertain. There were multiple ways in which the relationship between Inanna and Nanaya could be conceptualized in the Ur III period and beyond, though for the most part it is safe to say they were two fully distinct goddesses. In god lists, Nanaya is a mainstay of the entourage of Inanna, and some sources present her as her protegee as well. However, with time she acquired basically equal rank, especially in the local pantheon of Uruk. There is also some evidence for Inanna being regarded as Nanaya’s mother - in fact, there is more of that than evidence for Lulal being her son (once again, 1 reference total) - but it is still very limited. Drewnowska-Rymarz suggested it might not even refer to actual relation between them. The deity most commonly identified as Nanaya’s parent was Urash, the tutelary god of Dilbat. He didn’t really have much to do with Inanna - his wife was Ninegal, but in this case either the independent goddess or Nungal are meant, not her. A different tradition, present in Neo-Assyrian sources, basically put Nanaya in Inanna’s place genealogy-wise, with Sin as her father (and thus, implicitly, Ningal as her mother). Evidence for conflation is, generally speaking, late and typically limited to syncretic hymns (Nanaya had her own, see here) or theological speculation, not to active worship. The only recent paper to claim otherwise was not peer reviewed and ignores that multiple articles and even a monograph about Nanaya have been published over the course of the past 30 years (alas, I’ve seen it cited in a monograph published this year, tragically). Also, note that generally Inanna and Nanaya were not treated as counterparts in the way ex. medicine goddesses or Nergal and Erra were - when Nanaya appears in contexts where a different deity needs to be presented as her counterpart, for example in bilingual texts, this role is assigned to Bizilla, the sukkal of Ninlil, or to Ninzilzil, who might be the same or closely related deity. But then Bizilla obviously had her own role too - Nanaya doesn’t have much in the way of a connection to Ninlil and she was, to my best knowledge, never any other deity’s sukkal - and on top of that in at least one city, Bīt-Bēlti, the two were both worshiped as separate goddesses. So tl;dr the answer is it's complicated but generally they were two separate goddesses.

#mesopotamian miscellanea #mesopotamian mythology #sumerian mythology #inanna #nanaya

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gothicaphrodite · 4 months ago

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Yes, I'm a modern day pagan. Yes, I'm hyper-feminine. Yes, I worship three goddesses actively, two of which are very closely linked to concepts of gender and womanhood.

No, I do not buy into the ~divine feminine~ (or divine masculine) as it's conceptualized in pop esoterism and the current wave of rebranding strict conservative gender roles.

I'm a non-binary and trans-inclusive lesbian communist who adores butches and the implications of the divine femininity stuff towards literally anyone in this planet, let alone gender non-conforming women (and women-adjacent people) are fucking rancid.

Shoo. Only people who understand gender and binary sex as social constructs allowed. No gender essentialism please and good night.

I'd rather the ~divine femininity~ girlies not interact with my blog(s). That shit's like half a step removed from fascism and other reactionary politics and I want that stuff as far away from me as possible, thanks.

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plutoswrath · 4 years ago

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Our Inner Mother Ceres: to love or not to be loved

The dwarf planet Ceres (1) is the biggest object in the asteroid belt of our solar system and got its name from the roman goddess Ceres, also known as Demeter in Greek mythology. Ceres rules fertility and agriculture, she is concerned about the matters of human beings, as she was the one teaching humans to cultivate the earth, so they were able to settle down and thus she plays a big role in the making of civilization. Because of Ceres strong tie to humans and by being respinsible for the harvest, she is also known as the goddess of human law and order, with an empathize on marriage and fertility. She is the daughter and one of the six children of Saturn and Ops and she was part of those five that have been eaten by her father Saturn. Ceres is a more mature goddess and represents an authoroity figure, this is why she’s usually drawn as older compared to other godesses, as Ceres is also a patreon for girls in the transitioning stage to womanhood. Looking at the ethymological background of Ceres, the name can be traced back to the nearest Latin analogue crescere, which can be translated to grow, to arise and to to come to be.

Understanding the Archetype Ceres: where does she come from?

Buckle up for a small mythological lesson, before we get into the astrological part! Ceres archetype is the one of the Mother. She is also known as the provider and protector which is closely tied to her role as a mother as well. Ceres archetype, and the two sides how Ceres can play out in astrology, can be easily explained by the myth of the abduction of her daughter Proserpina (Persephone). Proserpina was always well watched and protected by Ceres, though Pluto (who fell in love with her) was able to abduct her one day, when Ceres wasn't watching over her and left her daughter with her nymphs. Naturally, Ceres was enraged and searched for her daughter, meanwhile she neglected her own task of caring for the fertility of earth, and so winter rose over the land and people suffered from it. According to one version of the myth, it is said that Proserpina was abducted on the island Sicily, so Ceres put a curse on the islands and she blighted its soil (and in one version she even turns the nympths to harpies for not being able to fight off Pluto). Ceres rage was so strong, and her destruction so devastating, that the other gods had to interfere, and as Ceres beloved daughter was found, it settled that Ceres was allowed to see her daughter only six months a year, because technically, Proserpina was bound to stay with Pluto in the underworld. And even though they met at the middle, Ceres was still struck by grief whenever her daughter was absent and with her husband in the underworld, so fall and winter ruled earth and the country became fruitless, unless her daughter was with her. Only then, spring and summer arised and cultivating the land was possible again. Now, why the myth of Pluto and Proserpina? The myth of the abduction of Ceres daughter shows the two sides of Ceres best: the loving, caring and repsonsible mother that gets eaten alive by her wrath and grief when the very being that her love resolved around and motivated her love was taken from her. And this marks the foundation for Ceres and her astrological meaning.

Ceres in Astrology

In Astrology Ceres is about the way we love and care for the self and others: it shows us how we nurture and likewise want to be nurtured. Ceres is your inner mother and is about the way we give and want to receive love, thus Ceres is an asteroid that can reflect a very vulnerable point in our life, as it can be the reflection of the love that was taught and shown to us from our mother figure/home life. Ceres has no astrological ruler, but people argue about it being Virgo/Cancer. It is important to say that Ceres is about the literal way we nurture, care and protect others, this is not a conceptual and abstract way of love, it is about the mother role (nurturer) we ourselves are taking in and identify with. As Ceres is an authorative figure, as well as fierce mother figure, she likes to guide and take the lead when she's in her domaine. Ceres is thus about the actual need, you might even call it task, we have to fulfill in order to feel loved and give love. The roman goddess' profession was to take care of the survival of the humans, when she took care, she was rewarded with the love, worship and loyalty of the people (even though she is a godly being, she still need the humans to exist). Yet, her focal point was still her daughter Proserpina, who couldn't stay with her mother forever though, even though Ceres would've wished otherwise. Thus - and now we come to the destructive side of Ceres - we can also see Ceres as a clingy and obsessive mother, the caretaker that has nothing else than to focus their love in an unhealthy amount only on one being, because without it, they feels empty. It gets to the point where one identifies with the role of the caretaker too much and can possibly try to keep their 'child' dependent on them, which is why in some gruesome cases Ceres has also the possibility to point to emotional manipulation/abuse. Here Ceres can become destructive and irrational and she won't know when to part with others and let them become adults. We see it in the myth first hand: she neglects her task to care for the earth on her search for her daughter, she punishes the innocent on her way (the nymphs and people of Sicily) and even when finding a solution to satisfy all (Pluto, Presorpina and Ceres) she will grieve and make the lands fruitless for half a year, whenever her daughter is absent. Her reaction seems logical and reasonable on one hand (because a mother is bound to her child after all) and irrational on the other hand, because her love blinds her objective view and clouds her decision making completely. Ceres can show a lot about our boundaries (or lack of); the asteroid can show where we lacked the fulfillment of love and nurturing and thus can reveal a lot of our past and upbringing when thoroughly reflected. And on that note, it's also important to notice that Ceres can help us understand of how to love and care for ourselves: Ceres can help us realizing love and working on self love effectively because it shows the areas we might need it the most. Since Ceres is the goddess of agriculture, the asteroid Ceres shows our relationship with food as well. Next to the sign and house position Ceres takes in our chart, possible aspects of Ceres should be considered as well, especially if she is strong in your chart. I have mentioned that in one of my previous posts before, but Ceres can give a deeper insight of how you were cared for and loved by your mother figure. Not only by your Ceres placement alone (by reflecting it that is), but by calculating the synastry of you and your mother figure. Ceres in this particular synastry can show what your mother figures focal point was, what did she care about a lot, where did she show love and what exactly did she nourish? And on the contrary, it also shows the negative sides of your mother figures love and what she has been obsessively 'taking care of'', where she made you (possibly) dependend on her or where love was lacking.

Ceres in signs and houses

Disclaimer: Please, don't copy my work. This post is pretty long, so continue to read under the cut!

Aries: Ceres here is fierce, bold and impulsive. The person can have an 'aggressive' way of nurturing and showing love, in the sense that it is done by gut feeling and acting according to it. This person can challenge those who threaten those they care for and their challenging nature can inspire others to fiercely care for themselves too, just as much as they do. Aries Ceres is by nature less likely to smothers, because they want people to realize themselves, therefore Aries Ceres is best cared for when they are given room for self-realization and the opportunity to act and decide freely, though they do expect the same willingness to fight for those they love and energize them from others. Nurtures by bringing empowerement to others and wants to feel that too. Chances are the mother was very vocal and direct whenever the child was in need the mother was focused on making them 'ready' for the harsh world outside, so it was fine for her that their child took in a few wounds on the go. The child could have felt alone and uncared for as a result. 1st house: Ceres role is part of the self and the native might not realize it. The person identifies with the role of the mother/caretaker, they can thus attract a good amount of people that need exactly that, for better or worse, due to the fact that this is a part of their identity, they can have a hard time detaching from their 'children' and thus become very attached to the ones they 'mother'.

Taurus: Here Ceres can become very focused and thorough on the people she cares about and nurtures. She'll take her time getting to know the people she nurtures and is very body focused, meaning she can be the one giving comforting touches or paying close attention to your body actually needs. Ceres here can act as the 'beautifier' and wants to make the other person feel comfortable and relaxed, Ceres wants to sooth others by slowing down the world around them and helping them focus on their desires and prioritizing them. Ceres here goes out of the way to provide the things in need for the other, and here they want the same kind of devotion back from the other part as well. Taurus here especially wants to stabilize the self worth of the other, the mother could have focused a lot on physical abundance and physical comfort to show the child that they are cared for and loved, though chances are that the mother failed to realize the deep emotional needs and desires the child had. Chances are also the mother was very stubborn and obsessive with the way they cared for their child, because they always integrated their own values as well. Taurus Ceres wants the same amount of devotion and someone who focuses on them and makes them feel good and worthy. 2nd house: Here Ceres mixes with the physical ressources and the value system of a person. Ceres not only uses own material ressources to care for and nourish others, but also the value system integrates Ceres, so 'mothering' others can become deeply tied to their self esteem as well. If they succeed they feel good, if not, their foundation might suffer and they question themself. This is something they need to watch out for.

Gemini: Here Ceres is explorative and offers her nurturing side and care through the words she gives and ideas she shares. She is focused on exploring someones mind thoroughly and learning the details about motivates and discourages others, she might just always know the right words to give and what others want to hear, and she challenges others to broaden their horizon for nurture and healing as well. This individuals words are impactfull. Having a talent for words and unraveling people by connecting and engaging with them, she expects the same openness back. She wants someone who talks/writes thoroughy with her and pays close attention to how her mind is build. Ceres in Gemini needs the verbal validatation reciprocated. Her mother might have had the same approach and payed attention to really connecting and opening up to their child, which might have made the child felt listened to, but on the contrary it could have been the opposite and it was overwhelmed by the intruisvness and felt not actually listened to. 3rd house: Here Ceres merges with the way we structure and observe the world mentally, Ceres is present in the topics and media we find interest in and Ceres influences the way we would like to be taught new things by others or teach others. This can also make someone very verbally about the way they express Ceres. these people can be the ones to speak up for those who might need it.

Cancer: This Ceres is guided by her emotional knowledge and intuition: they reflect on the way others appear and what energies they give off and thus assume what the other needs (which they find themselves mostly right with). What you need might look different each time, so they can provide physical, as well as emotional ressources, they will take care of others emotional needs by allowing them to retreat back into 'their shell' and allow others to comfortably relax and/or reflect on any emotional turmoil. This Ceres is all about emotional guidance as well, she wants to nurture by helping people understand themselves better, by recogniting their own emotional patterns and tendencies. As this Ceres easily falls into the 'mother figure', she can have a hard time accepting the care of others, but secretly finds herself craving it and want others to be just as sensitive and receptive towards her feelings and needs as well. If this Ceres can't help or nurture others, she might feel without purpose. Her mother might have been the same, emotionally guding the child and giving them what she believed they were in biggest need of, but chances are also that the mother wasn't always right but proceeded to insist of giving the child what was based on her intuition. 4th house: Here Ceres has always been present, since the 4th house is about our roots, this individual might have always been the Ceres in their family, and Ceres here becomes part of our emotional patterns. As they identify greatly with the role of the mother to begin with, it's important here not to cling to her 'children' too much and allow them to grow on their own too.

Leo: Here Ceres is loud and expressive, Ceres here wants to bring joy and a 'feel good' nature the ones in need and she acts according to her own subjective views of how this can be done the right way. Chances are with this Ceres, that they are proud when having achieved to make others feel better about themselves, this Ceres is fierce about succeeding in making others see their own light and recognizing their inner flame. They appreciate people for their individuality as they see this as one of the major points to focus on when needing care/being down. Ceres in Leo is an energy that is very much focused on joy and fun, though they are the ones to remind one of their own roots and where they came from, to remember and recognize their inner strength. That ebing said, Ceres here needs the attention, love and recognition back and this is not because they are egoistical, but more so that this works like a review for them, if they have succeeded in their approach or not. The mother figure could have focused on bringing the child joy, giving them words of affirmation and cultivating creativity and talents, but they could have been too subjective and opinionated about it as well, which made the child feel small. 5th house: Ceres becomes a part of the ego and is creatively, and most likely in bigger gestures, shown to others. Nurturing and caring for others are tied to forms of self expression, though this person needs to pay attention to not smother people by their subjectivity when it comes to what's right and wrong for others. This placement can also feel the strong need to care for and nurture children, this person may have a talent in caring for children and sensing their needs.

Virgo: Ceres in Virgo is all about the details and how to improve the well being of the other in the best, most efficient way. This Ceres will want to be 'of use' if you will, which can take on various forms. If there's somethng that can enhance the well being of her 'children', she will go out of her way to get it for those in need. Same with Ceres in Cancer, here comes a feeling of purpose to Ceres, because analyzing others, connecting the dots and finding out what can be done comes naturally to them, and other (for better or worse) can definitely realize it and profit from it. This Ceres focuses on a more real and down to earth approach, which doesn't mean she isn't sensitive, but being ciritcal and adding to the improvement of others is the way she just operates. This fine eye for detail is the sign of caring, and she wants others to show it back the same way. Show devotion, show that you really listen, really look closely to what they are wearing, remember their appointments and schedules: show that you are focused, because they are too. Chances are that their mother figure was equally critical and payed attention, that the child hasn't been lacking anything that might have made them feel unsafe, but the words of improvement could have been equally irritating and uncalled for, leaving the child hurt and overly criticized. 6th house: Here, Ceres can make the individual to a natural healer/humanitarian because they can see others well-being as their responsibility and thus naturally fall into the role of the guide/mentor for others. Though, on the contrary people can also avoid taking this responsibilty out of fear. As we talk about the 6th house, this can also hint to a possible job that requires caring for others/healing others.

Sagittarius: This Ceres is lead by their believe system/ideology. There is a strong believe in her that motivates her to empower and entlighten others. She wants her children to feel that there is a possibility to heal and feel cared for and nurtured everyhwere around the world, thus she can also find inspiration in the believe systems and ideologies of other cultures. This Ceres can be an authorative figure that actually encourages her 'children' to become free and independend. Having that said, this Ceres can form strong opinions, and just as much as she can bring hope and perspective to those in need, she can also be destructive when her believe is focused on the negative. Ceres here is not the typical mother, but someone who watches from affar, even though they are passionate, they form of receiving love and caring comes in the form of freedom to explore and expand the self. She likes the discussion, she enjoys the debates and the exchange of experience, she takes part in worldly issues, but she doesn't want to be responsible for you and vice versa. Chances are that her mother was encouraging the child to figure things out on their own by starting the journey of self exploration, or had a believe system/ideology/religion that she used to comfort the child. Though it could have been effective to a degree, the child could have felt alone or boxed in by their mothers methods and thus created their own. 9th house: Here due to Ceres position theories and believes regarding healing, caring for other and nurturing are developed and knowledge is gathered from everyhwere. Ceres in the 9th can become preachy and a know-it-all when not paying atention, but Ceres, healing, caring and nurturing, plays into your believe systems and concepts that explain the world/universe for you.

Capricorn: This Ceres is providing structure and order for others and will nurture in practical manners mainly. Here, Ceres sees caring and nuturing for others as a duty, and is willing to help other realize and achieve their goals. This Ceres can be very much about the material realm, they can potentially come across as harsh or inconsiderate, but only because they are very focused on realizing their help and the plan to help others. Seeing others succeed and accomplish their goals makes this Ceres proud and as if she had fulfilled her task. She might find herself of the role of the teacher, and mainly refers to ethics, morals and the circumstances that influence us. That being said, this Ceres empathizes her authorative nature. She might not be the ones who find the warmest words or gestures, but in the way she practically operates reflects her motherly love. This Ceres has high expectations of not only herself, but also her 'children', and once she realized her duty, she wants others to acknowledge it. She will not be greedy and demanding, but she will notice who shows her the same amount of care as she does. She will give her 'children' the feeling that she isn't depending on their services, but if the situation does call for it, she wants them to be there. The same type of behaviour could have been shown in the mother, as she had a clear order in the household and strong morals of how to raise their child the right way, but by teaching her the ways of the world, she could have appeared to unpersonal and pushed the child emotionally away. 10th house: Here Ceres becomes part of this persons public persona. They might be aware that they are known for their reputation to be Ceres and thus it can be hard to let go of that role when it isn't needed anymore. Here Ceres can also be part of their image at work/career, Ceres here can be integrated in the persons life in that way that they become a mentor or manager for the needs of others.

Aquarius: This Ceres can be seen as the unconventional mother figure. Unconventional in the way, that their approach of caring and nurturing others can be very different to what is common and the norm. This Ceres is objective and detaches from people and situations to find new solutions, so that's why her 'children' may think she's not as emotionally involved in their concerns, but she really is. This may be due to the fact that the way the mother figure cared for and nutured the child was very eccentric and different, or focused on external problems/other people too much, therefore they developed the sense of originality and seeing things from another perspective, but one part of intimacy might have suffered from this and resulted in some sort of detachement. Regardless, Ceres here encourages the originality and difference in everyone and tries to sooth those in need by connecting and building bridges based on what might have been rejected by the greater collective. Here we find a philantrophic Ceres, but that means she is a mother for all and not just for one person alone. She wants to be accepted and listened to, here Ceres wants to unfold in front of others in her pace and thus feels cared and nutured when she has the possibility to be unrestrictedly herself. 11th house: Ceres shows in communities and friend groups. This means you take on the mother role in those social groups and initiates nurture and healing. Concerned with the future, the individual cares for the future and wants to heal it and can be very compassionate towards humanity but a lack of boundaries can make them suffer the consequence of their will to help and heal quickly.

Pisces: This Ceres is selfless and receptive to the feelings and needs of most who need her healing and nurturing. Here, Ceres can feel called out to give and receive love, as they are able to understand most sides people are coming from- she collects children from everywhere and offers her open heart to those. Her worldly concern might result out of her depth and sensibility, and due to her natural patience she can be the companionship for those who go through hard times. Offering her vulnerability and heart as a playground of reflection and growth, she can be unaware of those, who should have already let go of her protection, but this Ceres can feel lonely rather quickly, and so she might even enjoy those children that straight up refuse to leave the nest. But it's because the sense of love has been imprinted on them since they were a child. Chances are, the mother figure was equally giving and decided to choose heart and forgivness over boundaries and strictness. While they were a role model regarding emotional intelligence and compassion, they might have not taught the child not a lot about protecting the self. Regardless, this Ceres can still expect to meet people who offer the same emotional support as they do. They desire someone equally comforting and a rock in the shore that will always be there, just as they are. 12th house: Here Ceres needs alone time from while to while to heal herself from any emotional bagagge and because she can feel for all. Ceres in the 12th house manages the emotions of the great collective and try their best to leave a positive mark on this world. It might be not directed towards someone specific, but maybe it can be useful in the future regardless. In the 12thhouse, Ceres needs to pay attention not tot forget the self.

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paladinsbrainrot · 2 years ago

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Arm Wrestling Tournament (part 2 because I loved youe hcs):

Mike - Will

Nancy - Robin

Steve - Eddie

The winners of the first two rounds face off, and then that winner goes against the winner of the Steve - Eddie round.

What are the results of all the rounds?

AH YES OFC!!

Will beats Mike. (Do I need to explain?) Although Will debates for a long time about letting Mike win just for the pleasure of seeing his face light up.

Robin tends to be very strong conceptually and Nancy is more strong physically, I think. Both have won their fair share of arm wrestles in the past (Robin against Dustin and Steve, Nancy against Mike or Jonathan) but I definetly think Nancy is winning the battle. Have you seen how she handles those guns?

Anyways, I think Eddie is beating Steve on this one. Only because Eddie has a lot of core strength and agility and I kind of perceive Steve as a witty and puny kind of guy, especially to people he knows well. (Does this diverge from the canon? Either way, I don't care.) Eddie totally rubs it in Steve's face and Steve falls flat against the counter and tells Eddie that his "arm slipped or something". Steve is 100% a sore loser.

Now.. for the second round:

*Sigh* Why must I put them against each other? For a lot of reasons, Nancy and Will are very similar. Smart, shy and quiet, but gosh do they know how to handle a gun. I think that Nancy beats Will, solely out of experience and the fact that she's a lot more physical than Will is, at least, in upper-body strength. (Will's a good sport about losing though, but later Mike would tell him that "We don't need those losers anyways.")

And for the finale, it's actually a close call. Both Nancy and Eddie are rightfully strong people, both physically and mentally, but compared to the actual goddess that Nancy is, I think she's claiming victory. Eddie tends to be a bit more of a frazzled human being and I think his cockyness from winning the Steve round would get in the way.

Oh, and Robin's totally taking Nancy out to celebratory ice cream with Mike and Will later.

#will byers #nancy wheeler #eddie munson #steve harrington #stranger things #ally hcs

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mc-critical · 4 years ago

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[2/2] i was reading one of your posts about dilruba & something about it made me wish dilruba had more screen time because she’s the only princesses who was extremely dutiful towards her mother & brother but also managed to achieve her own happiness through her marriage. also, one more thing which i wish was done with her character... so like we all know how safiye sultan practically worships hurrem, w/ always remembering her, showing her ring off etc. the way she talks about hurrem is very exaggerated, “hurrem sultan was head to toe power.” which is true but at the same time, the show really didn’t show her full & complete power like it was historically and we all know 2 seasons of hurrem went in being immature & not really regal or completely power [& she was still constantly overshadowed by the sultanas of blood]. however, hurrem was still almost like a goddess type figure in mc:k and despite safiye’s strained relations w/ nurbanu, she still praised her a lot. basically, the two figures of the sow & the ring holders from the first show are remember in the second show. but what about mihrimah? she was a vital figure in history & in mustafa’s downfall & in the last season of the show even though she didn’t receive the ring to signify her as a part of the sow. what i wished for is dilruba idolising mihrimah, aspiring to be a protector of her brother like she was & exaggerating her power like safiye did w/ hurrem. this way, mihrimah could also be remember. also, dilruba’s character was more of what i had imagined for mihrimah. i didn’t imagine her to love rustem like dilruba loved davut but i expected mihrimah to be more powerful & dutiful towards her mother [more compared to dilruba but ofc also not to the extent of wanting to kill kids who were part of the dynasty]. anyhow, dilruba could’ve really taken mihrimah as her idol imo as her, halime & davut were a parallel of mihrimah, hurrem & rustem. sorry for the long post! but this is something i wish mc:k had done. [worth nothing that rustem & davut were also similar villanish type guys who’s only redeeming qualities could be their toxic love for their sultanas & their loyalties towards hurrem & halime, though rustem did waver in his loyalty whilst halime sold davut like the dog he is lol]

Dilruba's character development was truly very condensed in these 9 episodes, so there was never going to be enough of her, from whichever angle you look at it. I kinda cut the writers slack, because I know the ratings played a considerable part in MCK's script and they had a lot to do and a lot to rush (whereas in MC they could practically do whatever they wanted, because their ratings were perfect, I guess that's why they had so many concubine arcs hehe), but I love Dilruba and I would've loved more screentime with her. The time we spent with her could feel so minimal to the point we get the impression that we got to know little Dilruba a bit more than the older Dilruba. (the opposite case of little Mihrimah, who was almost a completely different character with a different thematic set-up, her childish love for Bali Bey aside. The older Mihrimah went on a completely different path as a character.) This isn't a bad thing, per say, because little Dilruba had already set the foundation of the character as a whole and we didn't need much more context for her actions than what we already got, but this little amount of screentime could limit her role to a simple, a bit flanderized antagonist to Kösem, which is honestly a trend for all of Kösem's antagonists in S01.

{Safiye's cult for Hürrem is one of the most interesting things about her as a character, but it is over exaggerated for the reasons you mentioned just as it simply isn't real. Safiye has never met Hürrem in person and even if MCK didn't call back to that, Mihrimah actually played an important part in establishing that cult in her training of Safiye. Safiye knows of this powerful S04 Hürrem who makes everyone tremble before her and considers "survival of the fittest". (MCK Safiye shares the exact same philosophy) What she worships in Hürrem is rather a picture she has formed in her head, the figure from Mihrimah's stories. This aspect of Safiye's character is used to form her own path in the evolution of power in the SOW, so we could see symbolically how much of what Hürrem represents has she moulded to her own agenda, it's indeed not presented as the actual truth. It also brings the question and perspective of what fragment of Hürrem Mihrihah herself sets as an example for herself and others, knowing that she does not completely idealize her own mother in the show. She was perfectly able to call out Hürrem's own flaws as much as she could openly take Hürrem's judgement.}

That worshipping of Hürrem in MCK truly sounded far too ideal and almost god-like, but in reality, not so many people in the show actually practice it. The only person who actively does, is Safiye, a main antagonist. Ahmet only mentions Hürrem when he gave her crown to Kösem. The references to the MC characters and especially the SOW in MCK is fascinating because you can see how you get only the accomplishments of people you've only heard narratives on, but never their actual stories, their actual struggles. People who were actually around the worshipped people and knew them personally obviously have a clearer understanding of who they truly were, like how Safiye called Nurbanu the most beautiful but also the cruelest sultana she's ever known, which makes perfect sense, knowing their rivalry and enmity. Nurbanu is inspired by Hürrem, but still stood against her with all her might. The people who have heard only basic facts of the more unrealistically idealized sides of those they worship praise merely the symbols of these people, what they were known to represent. Ahmet wants to be as accomplished as Süleiman, but we, as audience, know of Süleiman's detrimental flaws as a person and a padişah and we see that, he isn't exactly a person to be praised, let alone worshipped. It's interesting how the SOW call each other back in different ways, but it's all the more interesting that neither Kösem, nor Turhan call back to their predecessors. Is it because they've known each other closer than any of the worship? Is it simply because their characters have a different purpose? Is it because the theme of letting go of the past reached its fullest peak? I definetly can't say for sure.

That said, MC Mihrimah isn't from the SOW in the show both symbolically and arc-wise, but having a character that is not from the SOW (Dilruba) worship another character from the other show that also isn't from the SOW (Mihrimah) would be intriguing, judging by their similarities. However, these exact similarities prevent me from assessing this idea entirely, because I don't think it would do the show many favors. It could add even more depth to Dilruba: her willingness to protect Mustafa at all costs would be even more understandable then, knowing how the person she worships did the exact same thing in her eyes - it would turn not into a necessity, but into an ideal to live by, something that not only she has to do, but considers as honorable to do and loves it. But Dilruba is close enough to Mihrimah along with the traits and conceptual differences that set both of them apart - having the parralel be "addressed" in-universe through a direct worship would remind the audience even more that Dilruba is similar to Mihrimah and that may prevent endearment to her character. There are people that consider MCK so similar to MC already, that would be the last nail of the coffin. It may have been a risky move because of the ratings? Safiye worships Hürrem, but Safiye has a different narrative role than Hürrem and a more distinct personality, while Dilruba is a more obvious and open parallel. Not to the point of repetition, of course, but it's still close enough for a possible worship for Mihrimah in the show itself to be a dealbreaker for some. I wouldn't mind such a thing for Dilruba at all, but I can see why it possibly wasn't the case.

I'm satisfied with what we got with MC Mihrimah, but I can understand why you would want more power and agency from her. She could be very clueless sometimes which contrasted with her moments of perceptiveness. That was a solid character flaw of hers, but it could be very annoying. But then again, I also get why Mihrimah was the way she was, because MC put the personal motives of a character before any kind of power (or a character wants power for personal motives). Dilruba was perhaps way more ruthless, because MCK itself was more ruthless and it built on the MC themes. Power was already for the sake of power, the time period was more ruthless, everything was happening instantly and there wasn't a place to breathe. While with Mihrimah we got a deeper exploration where we saw more vulnerable sides, Dilruba had both her screentime and this ruthlessness stopping her from developing more and letting her be who she is. I guess both characters had their reasons to be who they were thematically, but writing improvements could still be made, of course.

#magnificent century #muhteşem yüzyıl #muhtesem yuzyil #magnificent century: kösem #muhteşem yüzyıl kösem #dilruba sultan #mihrimah sultan #ask #mihrimah-sultan-can-rail-me

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zhaozaipalooza · 3 years ago

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Your Weekly Insight into SA Culture! - The Ocean

ALRIGHT Tui, you’ve had your turn in the spotlight (rightfully so, all hours are Yue-loving hours), BUT the ocean is pretty significant in Hinduism, and clearly to the navy. So we’ll shift the lens for a minute, and come back to the Moon Spirit next time... ;s

I know three main stories involving the ocean in our mythology, and boy, they’re dramatic. There’s the god Rama from his own epic, the Ramayana, who pulled a very close Moses when crossing the ocean to reach Lanka and rescue his wife. Instead of large-scale waterbending, though, it was more along the lines of earthbending. Rocks inscribed with Rama’s name were tossed into the ocean, and voila - his name itself defied gravity, and the stones were used to form a floating bridge.

And guess what? You can see this bridge from space! Check out Rama’s Bridge, or the Ram Setu, located off the northwestern coast of Sri Lanka.

The second and third stories would be the incarnates of the actual Avatar in our mythology: Vishnu, known as the superior deity - who dealt with the ocean flooding the world on two separate occasions. These floods served as a sort of “cleansing” before a new epoch, washing away the old world and starting anew. The first appearance was in the form of a fish, the next a boar.

Matsya, the Fish, was actually the very first incarnation of Vishnu (there’s ten total, the tenth is yet to arrive... *Scooby-Doo theme music*). Matsya warned mankind of the flood and told them to save their grain, and to usher living creatures onto boats (yeah, God, stop playing favorites with Noah << guys that’s a JOKE).

Varaha, the Boar, is the third incarnate, and like his name suggests, was called to dealt with rougher circumstances. The asura Hiranyaksha dragged the entire frickin’ earth to the bottom of the sea, and Varaha singlehandedly raised it back to the surface using his tusks. (TW: some bloody demon-slaying below.)

And hey, looks like there’s another ocean-related incarnate I’d forgotten about. The second incarnate of Vishnu, Kurma, the Tortoise, churned the ocean, such as one churns milk. The ocean itself was considered to be full of mysteries, so when it was stirred, many of them emerged! Among them were new gods and goddesses, rich gems, powerful horses, and other divine creatures and treasures.

Now, the more conceptual belief-oriented aspects of the ocean were highly diverse, and I found it all brilliant. We’ve already seen the ocean as a reset mechanism for each new age (called a “yuga”, I believe), and as a swirling enigma, full of magical secrets. Sagara or Sumadra would be the name of the actual ocean god, and MAN, what a realm he presides over...

Existence is compared to the ocean, which manifested all worlds, beings, and materiality. Rivers are seen as connected to the supreme entity Brahma, with us as the individual souls flowing back to a cosmic whole. The ocean is seen as the source of life and immortality, producing an elixir that was drunk by gods and asuras to live forever. The ocean is also seen as all-pervading, in the form of storms, tempests, waves, and monsoons.

Hindu philosophy compares the ocean with instability and struggle, which humans have to cross in order to conquer themselves. In early times, the ocean was considered to be the edge of the earth, hence seen as the realm of immortals, the wellspring of creation, and the universe itself! The ocean is a “subterranean world”, filled with living and celestial beings, water spirits, nymphs, etc. The ocean is “the resting place of the sun”, the battleground of gods. The ocean is consciousness, commotion, tranquility, suffering, support, death, life, infinity... a yin-yang on its own!

I didn’t know half of these meanings myself before some light research. Just incredible!! Really a shame the ATLA world didn’t dive deeper here... though we always have the chance to take it upon ourselves!

And that’s your South Asian two cents on the black koi fish, basically ~ give it up for La! 🎉🎉

#bro... the ocean be lit #ray’s insight into SA culture #tw: blood #zhaozai palooza 2021 #atla #avatar the last airbender

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the-softest-puffball · 4 years ago

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of the naming of planets and the colliding of galaxies

notes: yes this is just an excuse to infodump about space and also make more space metaphors, but i like it so

prompt: Song/Stars

pairings: analogical

warnings: a curse word or two

read on AO3

@analogicalweek

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“The constellation Orion contains two of the brightest stars in the observable night sky,” Logan said as he pointed towards the recognizable cluster of stars, “Betelgeuse and Rigel. Betelgeuse is about 300 times the size of the Sun’s diameter. It also is a red supergiant star, which is the largest class of stars. It’s so big, in fact, that when it dies, it will create a giant fireball that will be so bright it will outshine many of the stars around it for a brief moment.”

“Wow,” Virgil muttered from beside him. “That’s really cool.”

“Fascinating, isn’t it?” Logan said, his gaze fixed on the constellation. “Rigel is directly opposite to Betelguese in Orion's chest in the constellation, and it is a blue supergiant, meaning it is still larger than the sun like Betelgeuse. However, it’s surface is thousands of times hotter, making it appear blue.”

“That’s awesome.” Silence filled the air around them after that, both deep in thought. Logan kept watching the constellation, imagining the surface of the stars, imagining seeing them up close with his very own eyes.

As if Virgil could hear his thoughts, he spoke again. “Do you think we could ever visit outer space? Like, I know space travel already exists and stuff, but do you think we could go that far into space to see those stars?”

“Well, it will possibly never happen unless we somehow discover the power of immortality, as it would take us about 8 million years to reach Betelgeuse, at least where it is now.”

“Oh, jeez. Time’s so fucked up.” Virgil laughed to himself, which made Logan smile as butterflies began to awaken in his stomach.

“Yes, time is a very strange construct.”

He looked over to Virgil, who was back to gazing at the sky with complete wonder, his eyes reflecting the stars as if he had captured them from the night. Logan’s breath apparently was also captured by him, and Logan willed himself to calm down.

The cosmos Logan could understand. He could conceptualize the creation of stars, gases coming together under pressure from an intense amount of gravity until it explodes in a sequence of fusion reactions. He could comprehend the constellations in the sky, how ancient people saw shapes in the sky and decided to connect them to their own mythologies and history. However, Virgil and his feelings towards him were an enigma.

Logan didn’t ever mean Virgil being an enigma as a bad thing; he always thought of enigmas as a new thing to learn, a new thing to explore. Virgil was another mystery that he wanted to uncover. Another universe that he wanted to understand, which confused him the most.

Logan had never been so fascinated by another being before. Space had interested him since Thomas was a child, and chemistry had come later, so much so that his infatuation with it spread to Thomas and pushed him towards getting a degree in chemical engineering. It was one of Logan’s proudest achievements, but Virgil made him feel different things than when he was looking through a telescope at the newest star he had learned about or when he was mixing different elements together to see how they reacted to each other. Virgil made him feel like he was solving a puzzle, but a puzzle that gave him figurative butterflies and distracted him from everything that wasn’t related to him.

Logan was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice Virgil had turned back towards him, possibly to ask a question, until he started talking again.

“Hey, you alive there?” He said with a joking smile, Logan quickly blinking for a moment to break the trance he was in.

“Yes, I’m alright. Why would I have died if I had been lost in thought too long?” He replied, catching back up to Virgil’s words.

“It’s an expression, Lo.” Virgil laughed again, the combination of Virgil’s laughter and the nickname he had used making Logan’s heart figuratively skip a beat. “Anyways, I have another question.”

“Of course, what is it?” Logan was glad Virgil seemed excited to learn about space and shared a similar appreciation to it. Answering questions was something that Logan thought was one of his strengths.

“How did all the planets get their names? I know they’re all based on ancient gods and stuff but how did we decide on those names for each planet?”

Logan thought for a second, trying to recall the information as he looked back out to the sky. “The planets in our solar system are named after ancient mythology, specifically Greek and Roman mythology, which you are correct about, but they were named over thousands of years ago. Mercury was named after the god of travel, possibly based on how fast it moves across the sky. Venus is named after the goddess of love and beauty, and only the moon and the sun shine brighter than it, at least from our viewpoint on Earth. Mars was the god of war, therefore the red planet, a color associated with blood and war, was named after it. Jupiter was the ancient Roman’s version of Zeus, and it is the biggest planet in the solar system. Saturn was named after the god of agriculture, though we are not sure why. Those were all of the ones that were observed by ancient astronomers, the outer planets only being discovered more recently, following the naming process of the other planets.”

Logan turned towards Virgil again, who had been watching him explain. “I hope that wasn’t too much information.”

“Nah, that’s really interesting. So the planets besides Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are all observable from Earth?”

“Yes, you are correct.”

“Wow.” Virgil looked to the stars. “Can we see any right now?”

Logan followed his gaze, scanning the night to see if he recognized any of the planets. Then, he spotted the small red spec of Mars, pointing at it. “There, you can see Mars clearly next to the constellation Taurus.”

Virgil leaned closer to him so he could follow his hand easier, which made Logan fluster slightly. It wasn’t the first time he and Virgil had gotten this close, but something felt different this time.

He looked at Virgil’s face, seeing as he stared with a furrowed brow, concentrating on trying to see it. Logan thought he looked adorable like that, which then made him want to shake his head to get the thoughts out of his mind. It wouldn’t actually work, but it didn’t make the urge to do it any less strong.

However, Virgil’s eyes then lit up as a grin stretched across his face. “I see it!”

Logan quickly looked back at the planet, feeling Virgil move away from him, which made Logan a little more upset than it should have. God, his feelings were so confusing.

“That’s awesome,” Virgil muttered. “That’s really Mars?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Woah.” Virgil paused. “Really puts into perspective the size of the universe, doesn’t it?”

Logan thought about it for a moment. The red spec floating between the billion of stars that looked about exactly the same size was a planet. He had never thought about it that much to realize it fully. “I suppose you’re right." He paused. "Doesn’t it make you feel small, though?”

“No. In fact, it kind of gives me comfort, you know? Like, you were telling me last time, we are all made of the same atoms and elements the stars are made of, so it almost makes me feel at home. We might be only here for a small amount of time but the universe has been here for billions of years, and just, I don’t know, it’s nice to know that we aren’t all alone. Maybe we'll become our own stars when we die.”

Logan looked back towards Virgil, the intense feelings of confusion and butterflies and love rushing back to him. The idea of Virgil finding comfort in the stars in that way made Logan understand the universe in a whole different way. He had always seen the universe more as collection of things to learn, but Virgil offering such a different perspective, connecting what he had learned to an emotion of loneliness and home was something Logan had never been able to do. The thought of Virgil being such a fascinating enigma returned, this time in such a profound and fond way Logan had to at least express his appreciation for such an interesting, figuratively eye-opening idea.

“You are much more astute than people lead on,” he said, hoping that Virgil understood what he meant.

“What? No, it’s nothing,” Virgil replied, glancing over at Logan before looking at the grass they were sitting on, slightly flustered.

“It is not nothing, you offered a fascinating perspective that I have never been able to even connect together myself.”

“Well, thanks.” Virgil sent him a smile, Logan noticing even in the dark the red dusting his cheeks. Logan returned the smile himself, hoping it didn’t look too fond as he didn’t want to let all of his emotions for Virgil figuratively spill all over the floor.

“You are a wonderful listener, Virgil. Thank you for joining me these past couple times.”

“Yeah, it’s no problem. Anytime.” Virgil looked back to the sky, his grin returning as he gazed at Mars.

Logan checked the time with his phone. 1:21 am. They should probably go to sleep soon if they wanted to be able to help Thomas fully tomorrow.

“We should go back, it has gotten quite late,” he said, voicing his earlier thoughts.

“Okay,” Virgil replied, but making no moves to actually get up. Logan slowly stood to his feet, stretching a bit as sitting on the grass for an hour or two was not very beneficial for his body.

He held out a hand for Virgil to grab, pulling him up when he did. Virgil also stretched, Logan turning around so he couldn’t see how flustered he was. His feelings were going to be the death of him if every time Virgil even touches him it sends shockwaves up his spine.

He started making his way to the door of the Imagination, which was just about a 3 minute walk away, but then he heard Virgil behind him speak.

“Hey, uh, actually, I have another question,” he said. Logan stopped, turning back towards him.

“What is it?”

Virgil got closer to him. “Well, you were talking about how the planets are named after ancient gods, and, uh, so Venus is named after the ancient Roman god of love, so, do you think that, uh, affects our lives here?”

“Well, of course, Venus is the name we use for the planet-”

“No, I mean, like…” Virgil paused and took another step closer, which was starting to distract Logan to an unreasonable amount. “Does that planet, and therefore the god it’s associated with, affect our relationships with people and how we feel about them?”

“Oh, you mean like astrology?”

“Yeah, I guess, yeah.”

“Well, there’s no specific scientific evidence supporting it, but perhaps, since many have said the planets’ positions in the universe is quite accurate in figuring out certain personality traits or relationships with others.”

“Oh, well, uh, okay.” Virgil seemed more anxious than usual, and Logan began to worry.

“Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, it’s just, uh, that was actually just a really shitty segway into the actual question I wanted to ask, which is…” Virgil gulped and took Logan’s hands with his own. Logan instantly flushed deeply once more, and his stomach felt like the figurative butterflies had multiplied. “Since we mentioned a goddess of love, I wanted to ask…”

Logan didn’t dare interrupt. He didn’t know where Virgil was going with this, but he didn’t seem to care when it felt like he could barely get a sentence out anyway.

Finally, Virgil found the courage to say it.

“Can I kiss you?” He looked right into Logan’s eyes as he spoke, and Logan felt as if he was going to fall over if it wasn’t for Virgil’s touch grounding him. “Like, just I already liked you before, but right now I just realized while you were talking that I think I’m in love with you, and it’s cool if you don’t want to or if you don’t like me that way, we could just pretend this never happened, and yeah.”

Logan couldn’t find the words to reply. It was as if Virgil had taken all the words from his mouth by saying four words, four that Logan couldn’t believe he would ever hear. He knew he should respond, but his mouth wasn’t responding to his brain, which he knew was actually unlikely but it felt like it. How Virgil had managed to make him completely speechless was another mystery that Logan was desperate to solve. However, he noticed Virgil still staring at him, probably waiting for him to say something, and Logan sucked in a breath just enough so he could speak.

“Please do,” he said, breathless and a whisper, which he thought was completely pathetic but Virgil must have thought it was the best thing he’s ever heard because he grinned as bright as the sun before pressing their lips together.

It was as if two galaxies collided together; a merging of completely different planets and stars forming into one beautiful spectacle. Logan went to run his hand through Virgil’s hair, tugging slightly and moving his lips against Virgil’s as Virgil’s hands moved to his hips. Logan felt like he was moving through an entirely different universe, but it was one of the most captivating and effervescent universes he had ever seen.

This amount of emotions Logan was experiencing at that very moment threatened to overwhelm him, so he pushed Virgil back a bit to break the kiss.

He took a couple shaky breaths, his eyes still closed. He still had so many questions about Virgil, perhaps even more now, but when he opened his eyes and saw Virgil staring at him like how he stared at the stars he couldn’t seem to mind anymore.

“That was… wonderful,” he said, at a loss for any other words that could describe even the slightest of what he feels. Virgil laughs.

“Nerd. Come on, let’s head back.” Virgil separated a little more, but still grabbed Logan’s hand with his own as they began walking back to the door.

Logan looked back at the sky, stopping Virgil in his tracks as well, and watched as the stars twinkled knowingly from their spots in the night. He gave one last glance at Betelgeuse and Rigel and smiled.

Maybe he understood how to connect emotions to the stars after all.

#analogical #logan sanders #virgil sanders #liz writes #analogicalweek #of the naming of planets and the colliding of galaxies

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comicaurora · 4 years ago

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What are the months in this world, and what kind of “woohoo it’s not winter!” festivals are there? (Is there an equivalent to the maying?)

Ooh, I get to show off the calendar!

Aurora’s year is 380 days long. (Days are still roughly 24 hours.) The Ancients divided the year up for practical purposes, and while the days have gained additional associations over the millennia (most feast days now honor specific global conceptual deities), the base structure has remained unchanged.

Due to a combination of a noticeably elliptical orbit and an axial tilt, each hemisphere experiences a half year of temperate weather (the “long spring”, where the heat or cold of the axial tilt is offset by the cold or heat of the variable orbit), followed by an intense summer and then a sudden shift into an equally intense winter (where the heat or cold of the axial tilt is augmented by the heat or cold of the variable orbit).

The year is divided into thirteen twenty-eight-day intervals called sindahlan, a word roughly meaning “two-hand-pass”. It refers to the fact that the small red moon, Sword, makes exactly two full orbits in that time, describing it in terms of a combat maneuver where the sword is passed behind the body. Each sindahlan is further divided into four seven-day intervals, each called a sef. The days in a given sef are Wayann, Sinunn, Hemunn, Jifedann, Jauann, Jesann, and Sefann, which roughly translate to “first sun”, “second sun”, etc., up through “seventh sun”.

Each sindahlan begins with a feast day that is not considered part of the regular schedule. There are thus thirteen feast days, each followed by 28 regularly scheduled days, and this schedule of 13 29-day intervals accounts for 377 days of the year. Three days are left over, and serve to close out the year with a three-day festival before the schedule restarts with the new year.

The first sindahlan begins with The Feast Of The Scales, a festival that honors Wys, god of balance and temperance. The larger moon, Shield, is always full on this day. It heralds the beginning of winter in the northern hemisphere, though in the southern hemisphere it just falls in the midpoint of the long spring. In the northern hemisphere, crops are harvested and bonfires and feasts are held to celebrate and prepare for the coming cold. In the southern hemisphere, it’s a more generic festival, but the party atmosphere is maintained, and new beginnings are celebrated.

The second sindahlan begins with the Feast of Liunn, a festival in honor of Liunn Keen-Eyed, goddess of inspiration. While mostly considered a fun public holiday with lots of bonfires and dancing, for artists and creatives this holiday is much more personal. They present their current unfinished work for public scrutiny, in the hopes that the mortifying ordeal will draw the eye of Liunn and grant them a burst of inspiration to help them make progress. For chefs, this tradition has morphed somewhat, and many use this as an opportunity to taste-test their newer, more experimental creations, some attempting to one-up each other with more and more wild creations. It’s often considered unwise to eat any suspicious festival pastries, and the more mundane they look, the more dangerous they might be.

The third sindahlan begins with Ishva’s Turn, a festival that honors Ishva, The March Of Stars, deity of time and decay. In the heart of northern-hemisphere winter, families celebrate at home with a hearty meal and an exchange of gifts. Some children honor Ishva by constructing effigies from snow - as they melt and deteriorate, it is seen as a reminder of Ishva’s inevitability. The southern hemisphere has no snow at this point, but honors Ishva with a special drink - a hardened sugar candy shaped into an effigy of Ishva is stirred into warm milk and allowed to dissolve, a delicious reminder of life’s impermanence.

The fourth sindahlan is led with Twin’s Turn, a festival the Ancients celebrated to honor The Twins, the only gods the Ancients seem to have deemed worth notice. This sindahlan sees many animals reproducing in advance of warming weather, and the new life is celebrated with specialized pastries and bonfires among the melting snows. The southern hemisphere celebrates similarly despite nearly being in summer by now - the Ancients never colonized that far south, so the holiday traditions migrated later without really adapting.

The fifth sindahlan begins with Hesta’s Embrace, a festival honoring Hesta, The Open Hearth, goddess of compassion. In the northern hemisphere it heralds spring, while in the southern hemisphere it heralds summer - the whole world embraces the coming heat with a festival of dancing and song. In honor of Hesta, all food is shared with at least one other person.

The sixth sindahlan begins with Pendulum’s Swing, a festival in honor of Graiann, god of justice. Shield is full on this feast day, and it is seen as a turning point in the year. This is a grimmer holiday than some, and the festival is a more subdued affair. Debts are repaid or forgiven, a tradition which in some areas has evolved into a symbolic exchange of gifts. Also, sometimes seekers of vengeance will choose this day to take their revenge, hoping that Graiann will favor their endeavor.

The seventh sindahlan holds the exact midpoint of the year (the 15th day of the sindahlan, specifically, which is technically the equinox as well as the point where the planet's distance from the sun is exactly midway between its two extremes), and thus its feast day was considered too significant to dedicate to a single conceptual god. Instead, it honors the sun itself. The sun does not have a god (at least, not one anyone on the planet has ever seen) but it is sometimes personified in literature and artwork as Yanna the Golden, a shining figure with indistinct features. A wide assortment of pastries and fruits are eaten on this day - anything is permitted as long as it’s round and yellow-to-golden-brown. Some specialized desserts are also made for the occasion, creatively called “sun-cakes” - though their only defining feature is the stylized sun stamped on them, and the exact recipe can vary a lot from region to region. Some are even savory or spicy. Lots of outdoor festivities.

The eight sindahlan marks the beginning of winter in the southern hemisphere, and begins with Lyssandra’s Turn, a festival honoring Lyssandra, She Who Finds A Way, goddess of survival and adaption. While the northern hemisphere is deep in the long spring at this point and enjoys a typical relaxing holiday with a few specialized dishes, the southern hemisphere celebrates by harvesting the crops and sharing a feast of cured meats and very solidly-baked bread - the leftovers are stored to help survive the coming winter.

The ninth sindahlan begins with the Feast of the Storykeeper, a festival honoring Shanyasi, goddess of music and stories. Poets and bards sing tales of monsters, gods and heroes, plays are performed, etc. Supposedly, Shanyasi incarnates in disguise and shares a story nobody’s ever heard before - though the truth of the story is highly dubious, as it’s in a story’s nature to change, and Shanyasi has never been very invested in the truth. This puts her at odds with Sennaia Word-Seller, goddess of knowledge, who ALSO supposedly incarnates on this day to try and fact-check Shanyasi before she misleads any mortals. Some of the older bards insist that this is just how they flirt.

The tenth sindahlan honors Emnis, god of dreams, and begins with the Feast of Rest, a relaxed celebration with some low-key public festivities and soothing mulled beverages. Emnis is a very old god, supposedly worshipped before humans and elves even left the caves, so this festival seems to be a very ancient holdover from something celebrated before their civilization properly began. Revelers hope for sweet dreams and uninterrupted sleep, and some share their most interesting or wild dreams - which handily tend to lull listeners to sleep. But some also remember to honor Emnis’s less-liked sister, Erebas, the Nightmare Queen. While Emnis brings restful, pleasant sleep, Erebas more often brings warnings of future dangers, and so some remember to appease her as well, to ask that their nightmares be more than just unpleasant. Erebas is honored with a bitter drink mulled with a mild hallucinogen.

The eleventh sindahlan begins with the Feast of Serenis, a festival honoring Serenis Bright-Eyed, deity of love. This sindahlan marks the end of southern-hemisphere winter and the beginning of the long spring, and the beginning of northern-hemisphere summer. Spirits are high, and an air of togetherness permeates this festival. While many would-be couples take this opportunity to confess their feelings, Serenis appreciates honest expressions of love in all its varieties, and many revelers simply spend time with their friends or families.

The twelfth sindahlan begins with Siodha’s Turn, a festival honoring Siodha Swift-Footed, deity of safe travels. With the world warm and temperate, many people travel in this sindahlan, and some trade routes reopen in earnest here. Siodha is honored casually, with very few public festivities, but anyone planning on traveling in this interval leaves a drink outside for Siodha to quench their thirst. If the cup is emptied by the following day, it’s seen as a good sign for the hopeful traveler.

The thirteenth and final sindahlan begins with Learner’s Lesson, a festival honoring Brenn Ever-Changing, god of learning and wisdom. On this day, people reflect on the lessons of the previous year and what they’ll do going forward. Some pray to Brenn to help them internalize the lessons they've learned and develop better habits. Many treat this as the last chance to make good on their resolutions for the previous year, too. Public festivities are common, and many revelers engage in a form of self-deprecating humor where they explain the funniest, most slapstick lesson they learned that year.

The final three days of the year aren’t dedicated to any one god, and are celebrated in a myriad different ways around the world. Usually they’re dedicated more to local gods or spirits, and in regions where such things are rather less relevant, these three days mark a general period of rest, relaxation, and contemplation.

#aurora #asks #worldbuilding

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recallingrealities · 4 years ago

Text

Aligned - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Grounded

Zelda x Reader

For Chapter 1, click (here)

You were growing comfortable in the days following that evening. It was as if the rarity of your circumstance with Zelda Spellman had been an omen to the unexpected tranquility you'd come to reside in. Especially in these days to come; you felt as though the exuberance of exploring new spaces was literally intoxicating.

You had spent the first several days unpacking your belongings. Feathering your nest was a task you found pleasing. Having spent so much of your introversion and contemplative meditation in a familiar space, it only seemed right to transform your new one to embody such comfort. In arranging, you were getting to experience the conceptual process of embodying the divine self; the you, deep down, you yearn to become. You were getting to create the optimum space that your optimum self would reside in. Every second of that felt fantastically exciting and magic to you. This would become a space where you'd find peace and safety, let alone every intuitive realization that would change yours and others experiences henceforth. In fact, you were sure it had already begun.

Once preened, you felt it dutiful to explore the grounds. You had already known you would be teaching at the academy, so your lesson plans were completed long beforehand. You found in accomplishing tasks in honor of the Goddess, you often exceeded every expectation you would have thought to set for yourself. Lately you’ve formed the habit to carry this practice into space for yourself as well, for taking time to honor yourself, honors the Goddess.

At the time, you had no idea what you were doing. As like most things, tasks as the Goddess intended would align at their exact right time for a most bountiful fruition. In this case, that included your early preparedness, and complete trust in her control. It was not necessary for you to understand.

With your lesson plans pre-executed, you became momentarily separate from most of the other faculty. They were huddled in their offices, in nose-pressing dedication to reference whatever relevant studies were to be taught this coming semester. All the while, you were free in joyful meditation; able to explore the grounds and many halls of the Academy of Unseen Arts.

You had recalled Ambrose mentioning the rumours of it's infinite corridors. It didn't seem to you, an impossible concept. With an open schedule, and mind however, you could take this chance to implore those which rooms appeared to you. What better time would there be to familiarize yourself with what you were aligned to discover?

The first hall you seemed to walk down, felt as if it was ever stretching. In exiting one of the doors, you were sure you were across the hall across from where you entered. Most of the doors looked the same, and you found a martyr any witch knew where to be at any given time. Then again, perhaps the proper door you were meant to enter would be that which you opened, or willed to enter. As an establishment for exploring and practicing magical arts, willing your experience to your pleasure would be a valuable asset to have familiarity with. It would certainly be interesting that the room held before you would open to you based upon your intention. You had even made an attempt to open the same door twice, but upon finding the same place, you weren't sure if that meant each room simply was it was, or that perhaps that was the one you were meant to, willed to open. After a third attempt, finding the same room as the two beforehand, you leaned your forehead against it's frame. You couldn't help but let out a small laugh, not knowing what it was you had expected. You weren't sure if you were easing into a migraine from thinking too hard, or had just been ignoring your bodily need in thirst. You decided to take a break before continuing this conquest. To be fair, you had been exploring the corridors alone for at least an hour or two, you were surprised you hadn't decided to take a break earlier, especially with the hall's resemblance to an optical illusion.

As you made your way back towards the center of the rotunda, you held the corner of your cheek in a half smirk. You couldn't help but laugh at yourself. It seemed very characteristic that you not only indulged in the rarity of breaking meditation, but had done so to fixate on something so silly. Of course taking a break had been more of a revelation than an answer to alleviate you. Ambrose had said they were infinite, but you certainly wouldn't be yourself without questioning someone wiser on the subject.

When you finally made it to the hall's opening, you spotted the High Priestess discussing something intently with a young witch. Your eyes drew to hers, almost instinctively. After a few words into the discussion's progression, her eyes caught yours, passing over the witchlings shoulder. She gained that same glint in her eye as when you watched the crackling embers burn in their reflection that night; especially upon realizing it was you she had locked eyes with. You felt your pacing slow if only to keep your gaze on her a little longer. You gave her a soft smile, wanting to bid her a silent hello before you met the juncture of the rotunda, where she was standing, distanced from you. You also did not wish to distract her, but a silent greeting felt fitting for you, words unspoken had already become a kindling of a sort to your relationship - new and budding the flames. Her lips didn't smile at that moment when she brought her eyes back to her conversation, but her eyes did seem to gleem in reply. After half a moment, she returned, lifting her eyes to you again. Only this time, she let them travel wantonly over your figure. They seemed to trace the shape of your legs, the hem of your dress, your abdomens subtle contour, and across your collar. She had lingered on your neck for just a moment as the student spoke, before locking her eyes with yours. This time, she did smile. You felt a shiver pass over you and your heart was now at a steady gallop in your chest. You realized she had looked at you this way before. And this time, she meant for you to know it. You felt your cheeks burn before you let a soft smile lay upon your lips. You closed the end of the hall before tracing your steps on the rotunda's border, feeling her eyes grace you, as your own traced the floor. Then, lifting them in satisfaction, as to not be ashamed of this silent attestment. As you moved up the stairs towards your chambers to retrieve your intended glass, a warmth blanketed your entire body - and you felt as though all the air in the Academy now glowed with embracing affirmation.

When you finally arrived there, your heart was still racing, shaking slightly in the fingers you poured your glass with; able to unravel in the vulnerable privacy of your own quarters. You could hardly believe she had just… raked her eyes over you with such want and lust. Shamelessly, at that. If that student had turned around they might have noticed… or perhaps they had been too engaged in their conversation. 'Praise Lilith' you thought, before lifting the cup, sipping hard, generous gulps. Your mind now danced between a myriad of things to think about. How hard she had pressed you for your intent and position, how you had felt her unfold your insides without preface as you had done hers, how she had unwinded, unraveling like dark smoke in your office, enveloped you with heat and genuity with just a glance. You were bewildered.

You’d decided you would transition your plans to traverse the forests depths. The mossy, twisted green, a home for settling your wandering mind. Though your meditation typically held you securely in listening, Miss Spellman was beginning to have a knack for tipping your scales a hair beyond alignment. You felt yourself rebalancing as each step synchronized you with the hum of Earth beneath your feet. You had taken off your shoes, placing them on the ground, near a tree back towards the Academy. There was no reason for separation between you and the Earth here. Your shoes had only protected you from the toils of manmade forgings.

You need not understand why, but as you drew towards the beating heart of the forest’s web, the trees showed you small visions of things to come. Mother Lillith kissing your hand, and greeting the High Priestess, unholy mass and ritual movement, the dance of the Litha fires during a Summer’s Solstice. The visions overlapped, moving in no particular order to envelope your mind, keeping it bidingly occupied in your quiet admiration of each wood and wise elder tree. It was then you approached a large, mothering tree. She called to you with waves of unseen light, shimmering leaves illuminating the grey and mist of the forest surrounding you. Her branches towered above you, seeming to everstretch, interweaving between the other neighboring trees. You felt drawn to kneel before her. Bowing your head you touch a gentle root, birthing from the ground before you. As your fingers grazed the fine seems of the bark, you felt a sudden luscious warmth again. A premonition of desire.

When you’d hear the Goddess’ voice, it wasn’t in a way literal or sensory, it was like that you would note in your mind’s eye. A humming resonance that your body translated for you - far more intimate, it felt than even Lillith gracing you in human form.

“Your untouched desires are known, and are granted, awaiting you.

Your deductions manifest with every changing present.

You are so loving to me, dear one.”

Tthe words surrsurate through you, feeling yourself overwhelmed by her praise.

“My love, my dear sister, my daughter” She called “I have drawn you towards the trueness of your desires, the silent call of your yearning.

You have not asked, you have not begged, only weaved and devoted every moment of yourself to the seeds I’ve had you sow and tend to.

This is life’s purpose. To find the light of what is desired, and tend to it lovingly unbridled.

In turn, I reveal to you what is to come.

What is true and intended for your awareness.

Embrace it shamelessly.

Let me dissolve your fear, and allow you to embrace divinity in ecstasy”

Though the voice was not tangible, every beat, every syllable felt like a swell of overlapping, unwavering love. Beyond what the stimulus of your mind could find imaginable, your body had never experienced such richness, as this experience. You became aware that though your coming to the Academy was a part of her plan, it also was an unhindered gift for your dedication. It had never gone unnoticed. Something you were already recognizing, but felt unwaveringly humbled to know she was intending to please you. She wanted you to be happy in every moment, and not only wanted it but willed for your deepest pleasure. Intended to forge towards your every subconscious desire. She formed time and your world’s exactness to shape to it. It was then you understood this was what made the universe. She shaped the web this way, for everyone. It was in your dedication to truness, to embracing and shaping towards light and love, that made you able to relish in the rewards of what was meant for you.

You felt a tear stream down your cheek and nose, as your head craned in gratitude. Like a vision, but less tangible; you felt the school, your teachings, a home where you could exist in joyful solitude but also feel surrounded and safe. A teacher, a priestess who would guide you and draw you closer to magic and law than you had ever been taught before by any mortal or woman, and now you were realizing, this was whom you were willed to love. You felt her touch, her eyes, her smile, you felt her laugh and warmth, and your stinging thigh all at once. You received waves of unbridled pleasure quake heavily throughout your entire body - and as abruptly so, you realized the voice had gone.

Your hand still touched the root of the mothering tree. Your skin dewed with sweat, your breath quietly labored. You had felt as if you had dreamt something beyond an Earth shattering orgasm. You had experienced your Goddess, the embodiment of all desire. You took a few minutes to regain yourself, catching your breath. The cool breeze of the forest floor calming you. You felt its radiating purity in the dancing leaves, twirling down towards the forest’s floor. It blew like a soft, intimate breath, cooling your skin.

You had felt as though you were waning an intangible sunburn, the healing energy of the forest regaining you to stand and steady.

As you made your way back to the school, you felt weighted, grounded with ease. It was a sturdiness that held you with every fiber of your awareness. You were content and exhausted from the communion, unable to question what had been revealed. The Goddess had not intended you to fear it, what was to come. Instead of foreboding thoughts of questioning, how and when what would happen, you found yourself budding with blossoms of that residual warmth. In gratitude you were reminded that everything was as it was meant to be, and always would be. No matter what level of consciousness or chaos you’d feel.

(( Authors note: oh goodness!!! There is SO MUCH TO COME! The next chapter is already in the works so you won’t have to wait so long! Thank you so much for tagging along with me for this ride. I love a good slow burn. The intertwining of each relationship is what makes each scene and relation so much richer, especially that of the Goddess. I hope you don’t mind the contextual aspect of the story so far, because it is so important in how it will be told! This is one of my absolute favorite personal projects and I am so excited for you to see what unravels <3 Blessed be, lovelies! Love & Light! ))

#zelda spellman x reader #zelda spellman #CAOS fanfiction #Zelda Spellman fanction #CAOS #the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #miranda otto #self insert #reader insert #slow burn #aligned fic #mine

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itsclydebitches · 5 years ago

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Why do you like Lore Olympus? I'm genuinely curious because I've seen a lot of harsh criticisms toward the comic, from its inaccuracies regarding its use of Greek Mythology to the plethora of harmful queer stereotypes. I tried reading it myself but honestly, if you took out all the Greek Mythology references and naming, it just seems like another "far older man courts a barely adult woman" love story with bad queer rep thrown it.

Happy to explain! Let’s tackle what’s perhaps the most complicated aspect first.

As a former Classics major I can tell you that there is no “Greek Mythology.” Meaning, there is no singular Greek Mythology that can be referenced and consulted in any uniform way. Which is a really difficult thing to conceptualize in an age of print publications and careful record keeping. Unsure about whether Harry ever cursed Draco with such-and-such hex? Re-read the Harry Potter books to find out. Want to claim that Sherlock was horrible to Watson and frequently insulted him? We can comb through Doyle’s shorts stories and novels, tally every insult, and find out. These are canons and, as messy as the term “canonical” has become with more adaptations and transmedia storytelling, most characters have a set, fixed existence that we can return to and use as evidence. Not so with Greek Mythology. Born of oral storytelling, there are a hundred different versions of every myth, some changes more stark than others. Some of those versions were written down. Then written down again (differently). Then written down again (differently still). Then we realized they were almost all being written down by men and huh, I wonder if that has any impact on how they framed the story (spoiler: it absolutely does). And all of this doesn’t even take into account the issue of translation. Regardless of what Ovid may have put down on the page, you’re going to get a different experience depending on whether you read Melville or Gregory. There’s a reason why everyone was so excited over Emily Wilson being the first woman to translate The Odyssey into English. Her perspective and her experience as a woman by default changes the way she approaches the text. Even something as simple as a single description can have a HUGE impact depending on how it is translated. Take this excerpt from a NYT article:

“The prefix poly,” Wilson said, laughing, “means ‘many’ or ‘multiple.’ Tropos means ‘turn.’ ‘Many’ or ‘multiple’ could suggest that he [Odysseus] is much turned, as if he is the one who has been put in the situation of having been to Troy, and back, and all around, gods and goddesses and monsters turning him off the straight course that, ideally, he’d like to be on. Or, it could be that he’s this untrustworthy kind of guy who is always going to get out of any situation by turning it to his advantage. It could be that he’s the turner.”

Is Odysseus a poor victim turned around by monsters and fate, or is he a schemer capable of turning it all to his advantage? It all depends on how it’s translated and whoever wants to make a case for Odysseus being a “good” or “bad” guy can point to this translation as evidence… or another. Or another. There are just too many versions for anyone to definitely say what these gods and others are “really” like.

I put so much emphasis on this because the biggest criticism I’ve seen leveled against the comic is the characterization of Apollo. He would never rape Persephone! How dare you twist his character like that! Except Apollo isn’t a character that exists in a fixed canon. He belongs to an overwhelming corpus of complicated, contrary, contrasting myths… and yes, in some of those he raped. Arguably. It, again, comes down to translation and interpretation. Take this excerpt from Nancy Rabinowitz’s paper “Greek Tragedy: A Rape Culture?”

Creusa, raped by Apollo years ago, conceived a child and abandoned him… For the purposes of this paper, I have to address the question of whether Creusa was in fact raped by the god. Hermes mixes the terminology in the prologue; he asserts that the god Apollo “yoked the daughter of Erechtheus in marriage (γάμοις)”, but he also says “by force (βίᾳ)” (10-11). Ion later (1524-25; cf. 341, 325) wonders whether Creusa was really raped, or whether she was just alleging that the god took her by violence to cover up an indiscretion of her own – a similar situation could be imagined in our own day, where false allegations may arise from young girls’ fear of confessing consensual relations to their parents. Lefkowitz argues that women tend to cooperate in their seduction by a god. While it might seem obvious that Ion is simply wrong, there is the further implication that though Apollo raped Creusa, she also desired him” (11-12).

So if we’re looking for evidence that Smythe’s interpretation of Apollo is the “correct” one, it exists… depending on what you read and how you choose to interpret it: whether a mortal woman can ever truly give consent due to the power difference between her and a god, whether it was safe to say no, whether she might have lied to protect herself, whether it was something a part of her desired but perhaps didn’t entirely want, etc. It’s that last bit in particular—those difficult questions—that Smythe explores in her comic. Persephone wants to explore her sexuality. She wants a way out of her virgin obligations. But she’s also pressured into sex by Apollo. He doesn’t stop when she expresses discomfort. She doesn’t feel safe asserting herself and telling him to stop. It’s rape, but it’s a far more complicated situation than the rape scenario of “Evil man forces himself on woman in the back of an alleyway” and Smythe treats the tragedy with nuance and respect, even in a comic filled with so much humor.

The people I see most upset about Lore Olympus are those who talk about the gods and their associated mortals as if they’re characters out of a book. They read one version once—or maybe two—and, as is natural in the 21st century, decided that This Is How The Story Goes. Even though every academic would be losing their mind over such definitive statements as, “Such-and-Such would never do this.” That’s simply not how records this ancient, sporadic, political, and downright messy work. So as someone with some knowledge of how Greek Mythology functions, I’m not at all put off by the comics’ “inaccuracies.” Because they’re simply not inaccuracies, just interpretations. Not liking those interpretations is fine, but that doesn’t mean Smythe was wrong for providing them.

As for the rest, I’ll try to limit myself to bullet points:

The age difference between Persephone and Hades is definitely A Thing and I admittedly didn’t realize that was the case when I started reading. I assumed that Persephone, like most of the cast, was hundreds/thousands of years old and just had a child-like personality. I basically realized around the time Hades did that she’s so young. That being said, the issue of age differences changes for me once you reach such insane ages. That’s why I still ship Ozqrow: Ozpin is hundreds of years older than him but at that point he’s going to be older than everyone. Always. Limiting his ships to only those who are close to Ozpin’s age means you can’t ship him at all (unless you ship him with Salem post-grimm pool and… no). It’s a similar situation with Hades. Yes, there are plenty of gods his age that he could date (and indeed he does) but he is always going to be thousands of years older than Persephone. She can literally never catch up to him, so if someone has an issue with the age gap then they have to accept that it will simply never go away. They can never be a couple in which case yeah, then the comic just isn’t your thing.

Really, I think the bigger issue is not the gap itself but Persephone’s age, period. Again though, I appreciate that Smythe treats the situation with a great deal of respect. This isn’t a story of a much older man hunting a younger woman. It’s the story of a much older god who, like me the reader, assumed he had fallen for a slightly younger goddess… and then freaked out when he found out he was wrong. He’s called out for his ignorance. Others are incredibly protective of Persephone. They both try to stay away from one another and find themselves struggling. Which, to be frank, is an interesting dilemma to me. And it’s one I’m more interested in with gods as characters as opposed to humans. Because it feels less predatory to me. A man going after a much younger woman is threatening in part because we’re mortals who have so much to lose, including our youth. If you enter an abusive relationship that alone is horrible enough, but it also means you’ve lost all those years and all that experience to toxicity. When a god goes after a much younger goddess… they’re kind of static. They have eternity stretching out before them. Persephone potentially “losing” ten years to a relationship with Hades just isn’t the same thing as a mortal losing ten years to a relationship of their own. Gods, though they seem quite human, simply aren’t and thus for me questions of morality and what’s ethical in any given situation changes. We have a cast who, when Eros gets upset and murders a whole bunch of humans, Zeus shrugs and says they’ll just make more. Their concept of right and wrong differs from ours and it invites the reader to apply that to every situation: is it as wrong for an older god to go after a 19yo goddess as it would be for an older man to go after a 19yo woman? Many readers may decide it is—to some extent the text decides it is—but the story still possesses ambiguity and invites the reader to grapple with it. That’s compelling.

Connected to this, I like how much agency Persephone has throughout the series. She’s very much a character who defies expectations, particularly when it comes to her sexuality. Far from being a meek, vulnerable woman who is preyed on by Hades, she is making constant, active decisions about her own romantic and sexual encounters. Even if that decision is just acknowledging how unsure she still is: does she want to remain a virgin? Does she want Apollo? Does she want Hades? Is it okay to make out with Ares? Wear this very short dress? Get drunk? Explore a city? Invite this person over? Have feelings for your boss? Persephone is grappling with a lot of questions that don’t have easy answers and the fact that the story gives her the room to do that grappling is fantastic. I’ve spoken before about my dislike of the Strong Female Character—someone who is not just physically intimidating but who also never, EVER hesitates. She knows precisely what she wants and she’s going to take it! Which is a great portrayal of one kind of woman… but I’m not that kind. I hem and haw and am anxious like Persephone. So for me it’s refreshing to see a story that paints uncertainty as strength. She’s allowed the space to be unsure and confused and is never belittled for that.

Honestly I’m not sure what the issue with the queer rep is? Beyond the fact that Lore Olympus doesn’t seem to have any (unless I’m forgetting some. Very possible). Which, admittedly, is far from great, but if I dismissed every story due solely to a lack of queer characters I would limit a lot of my potential media. So for me, personally, that’s not a deal breaker. Taking a stab in the dark, I’ll make an assumption that people are upset about certain characterizations like Eros? Which, fair. But we also have the flip side that effeminate, flamboyant men do exist. It’s another complicated, touchy subject, but there’s a fine line between enforcing stereotypes and acknowledging that those stereotypes often do arise out of something. Some people hate the media image of the queer kid decked out in rainbows. Other people look at their own wardrobe and backpack and go, “Actually… yeah. That can be accurate.” For me stereotypes are primarily an issue given their prevalence. It’s an issue when that’s the only way queer characters are portrayed, but Lore Olympus doesn’t have that problem because, again, it’s focused on het relationships. Eros might potentially be a (non-confirmed?) queer stereotype… or he’s a battle-hardened warrior who also likes to gush about gossip while baking, the sort of complex gender portrayal that people claim to want. It depend on how you approach it. So no, Lore Olympus isn’t breaking any ground with queer rep but, as said, I do appreciate how it treats sexual assault—among other sensitive, relevant issues. It’s a trade-off. No piece of media is going to be perfect. I could say the same thing about so many great stories. The Mandalorian doesn’t have any queer rep! No, it doesn’t, but it is giving us a fantastic story about a bounty-hunter turned dad that challenges a number of Western gender assumptions so… trade-off.

I likewise enjoy that characters call one another out on shitty, toxic behavior without completely losing who those characters are. (Again, supposedly who they are based on the lecture I gave at the start lol). Meaning, it would be kind of weird if Zeus wasn’t a womanizer. That’s what we expect of him, so changing that would likewise change one of the most fundamental aspects of what makes Zeus-Zeus in the general public’s perception of him. But we still have scenes of Hera and others calling him out on that shit, so it’s a balance between modern sensibilities and character expectations.

The characters overall are just wonderfully complex. Persephone doesn’t seem so at first glance, but that’s partly the point: she’s nothing like what everyone assumes she is and it’s those assumptions that she’s learning to push back against. But overall Smythe has a real knack for emphasizing the human (or god) complexity. We hate Eros for helping Aphrodite punish Persephone. Then we feel bad for him because of his sob story. Then we pull back because he’s called out for being a dick and making himself look like the victim. Then we come to the realization that his side of the story was still accurate in many ways and finally end on… he’s flawed. He’s just a flawed person. He’s not a saint. He’s not the devil. He’s a guy who screwed up one moment and did something good the next. Perhaps it’s just me coming out of the nonsense that was Volume 7 of RWBY, but it’s refreshing to read a story where that complexity is emphasized and (most) flaws are forgiven while still being acknowledged.

Overall I just find it to be a fun, entertaining story! lol. The artwork is beautiful. The humor is great. There’s a nice balance between plot and introspection. There are issues with the series, sure, but none thus far have kept me from enjoying the experience of reading it. I fully support anyone’s right to go, “Nope. Not for me.” For any reason. But I also feel like Lore Olympus is a good example of Tumblr’s recent emphasis on pure media: it must be PERFECT. Otherwise chuck it in the bin. Lore Olympus does a lot of the things that people on this site call for. Respectful depictions of assault. Emphasis on mental health. Storytelling from a woman’s perspective. Numerous types of woman characters. Being careful about who engages with sensitive material and how (each chapter that contains such issues has a trigger warning at the start, impossible to miss). Lore Olympus does a lot right… and some things wrong. Which is what we would expect of any good story. So it feels disingenuous of me—if not outright dangerous—to paint it as worse than I actually think it is. I want media to continue to improve, but I also don’t want to scare off authors from even trying because they were raked across the coals for not creating perfection. Smythe, to my mind, is definitely trying and that should be acknowledged.

#Anonymous #rape tw #lore olympus #greek mythology #mymetas

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lord-of-the-demons · 3 years ago

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Omniverse Theory

Anything you can conceptualize exists on another plane of existence, but believing and writing or telling stories and giving this concept a following brings your creation to life. Once created, they will operate according to the agency instilled in them by those that believe in them and will continue to change/evolve even if that following dies out. For example, the Greek gods still exist but have been dormant for centuries, as are the Norse gods or other Pantheons that have widely fallen out of devotion. While small worship societies may remain, the only way to have the god/gods still act in this world is to return the first place of worship to a place that believes in those deities.

That is not to say that those gods did not exist before we thought of them, but they obtain a physical form once many begin believing in them. Before gods and goddesses were worshipped and conceptualized by a conscious mind, gods had their powers and free reign over the universe. The gods are all directly connected at all times to their believers. Before being believed in by their followings, the gods lived forever and existed until the end of time itself, but gaining this following led to them getting a clock on their existence. The longer their support lasted, the longer the gods can act. By gaining favor from the conscious, they gained the power to interact more directly and narrowly than ever before but at the cost of their mortality to time.

At the end of time, there is the death of the last conscious mind and the final religion. When there are no more gods to keep power over the universe, time ceases to exist, and the universe dies. A multiverse is the next step, with its gods and own belief systems and its very own expiration date. The next verse is always a collection of all the previous universes and multiverses thoughts of their conscious minds and lasts forever. With each new verse comes the next bubble or stepping level into a more all-encompassing accumulation of everything ever, until finally reaching the Omniverse. The concept of this totality of existence can never be described in writing, instead only to be felt or known. The Omniverse is the collection of everything that could ever exist, could never exist, and of everything and nothing all in one space. Numbers and words to describe this notion of countless vast spaces filled with all things possible to conceptualize and all the stuff that our feeble brains could never comprehend.

Our universe exists with humanity as it is now, but in a different universe exists another world, but slightly altered. In a universe farther away, you or I may not even exist due to some series of events. This universe resides in our multiverse, still grounded in the same laws of physics that run our world but more drastically altered compared to our own. Yet another universe might not have you or me, but not someone like Superman or Harry Potter who incorporates different forces like magic or superpowers into their universes. They’re both from differing multiverses from our own, as a zombie plague has yet to burn the world down, and Percy Jackson has yet to melt The Gateway Arch. Our multiverse does not allow for magic or superpowers, but theirs does. Their multiverse will also have varying differences between universes but with all the same core forces. They have the same governing laws of physics with magic or superpowers as an addition. Physics becomes increasingly different the farther apart any two multiverses are. In the center of every plane of existence except the monoverse is a verse filled with nothing as there are no rules or conscious beings with the ability to create or destroy.

In the center of the Omniverse is nothing and at the farthest reaches of the Omniverse is everything that could ever be or happen and even more that never will be known. Even within our universe still exists finiteness in the edges, ever-expanding further and further into nothingness. The farther we go up the ladder of verses means the farther we get from absoluteness. That isn’t to say that there is a small number of Universes in the multiverse, as there still is an infinite amount. Less and less infinity exists the farther one goes down the ladder of verses until a point of singularity can be reached. From that one point, everything explodes out higher and higher into an infinity that is incomprehensible by anything other than that one being.

The point of singularity is the mind of a single individual who could be considered the deity of the Omniverse. This being consists only of purely conscious thought, with their randomly created ideas and concepts becoming the foundation of the next higher plane of verse. Those ideas become a real thing in the next plane and conceive more ideas that travel up to the next plane of existence, making this entity the one to single handily create the Omniverse. A full expression of the inner workings of this being is impossible to convey, as it is a concept that our minds are not capable of understanding. Our minds are only designed to direct thoughts towards the next higher plane, creating more beings to build another higher plane, and so on.

The process of evolution in our world perfectly mirrors this and is found pretty much everywhere possible. Life begins with a single creature that creates more complex creatures. Those beings then continue to form more complex beings, this process continuing until you arrive at a global civilization that can travel into space and across continents in a matter of days or hours. Where humanity is right now is only on the cusp of the next step: interplanetary travel, where we will be able to then travel to other solar systems, galaxies, and one day entirely different universes. Humanity has achieved interdimensional travel from a thought perspective, but not of the physical form yet. Physical movement has been accomplished countless times over in other universes uninhibited by greed, war, or other factors that cause humanity to tear each other apart.

Beings have certainly been able to travel freely between the universes and between the multiverses. These entities most likely appear to humanity in dreams, physically, or in other ways that we have or have not comprehended. It is even possible that some were stranded here, with cryptids, folklore, and mythology of our species being evidence that interactions with these creatures may have happened. We may not have been able to process the close encounters with life forms from different multiverses, but we most definitely process beings that belong to our multiverse. A world where humans evolved thick fur all over our bodies, as opposed to clothes, or one where we descended from flying insects might explain Bigfoot or the Mothman.

#essay #creative writing #writing #everything #universe #creative #brain funky #worldbuilding

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flores-et-dracones · 5 years ago

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I’m a spanish literature student (I’m from Costa Rica) I’m studying to be a spanish teacher, and I’ve got a question, do you consider Sappho a lesbian? Cause I’m my Greek literature classes we touched that part..

The difficulty with Sappho is that we know very little about her. Of her nine books of poetry, only one poem survives in full - the rest are all lost, or survive only in fragments. However, I think many of those fragments display a clear desire for women. Take fragment 94, for example: Sappho and a female companion lament their impending separation. Sappho tells her to remember all the beautiful times they had: flowers and dances, perfumes and soft beds, on which ‘you would let loose your longing’ (trans. Carson) or ‘satisfy your desire’ (exies pothon). Some scholars argue that Sappho takes on a male persona, and thus writes from a male perspective - that is clearly not the case in this poem, as Sappho herself is named and addressed by her companion. See also fragment 96, where Sappho writes ‘but she goes back and forth remembering / gentle Atthis and in longing (imeroi - a word used of sexual desire) / she bites her tender mind’ (trans. Carson). In fragment 31 Sappho is overcome by intense passion and jealousy as she watches the woman she desires conversing with a male companion ‘he seems to me equal to gods that man / whoever he is who opposite you / sits and listens close / to your sweet speaking / and lovely laughing - oh it / puts the heart in my chest on wings / for when I look at you, even a moment, no speaking / is left in me / no: tongue breaks and thin / fire is racing under skin / and in eyes no sight and drumming / fills the ears / and cold sweat holds me and shaking / grips me all, greener than grass / I am dead - or almost / I seem to me’ (trans. Carson). Centuries later, the Roman poet Catullus translated this poem into Latin, and addressed it to his lover Lesbia. Scholars like to point out that Catullus thus uses the poem as a model for heterosexual love, as if that tells us something about Sappho. It doesn’t. In the one poem that survives in full, Sappho calls upon Aphrodite, the goddess of sexual desire, to aid her in a case of unreciprocated love. Aphrodite promises that the person who now shuns her will soon pursue her. Carson translates: ‘if she flees, soon she will pursue / if she refuses gifts, rather she will give them / if she does not love, soon she will love / even unwilling’. Some scholars have pointed out that the pronoun ‘she’ is not present in the Greek, which gives us only the third person singular ending of the verbs - this means we could just as easily translate the lines ‘if he flees, soon he will pursue’ etc. This is correct. However, the participle etheloisa, ‘unwilling’ is in the feminine form, and this tells us that the love interest in question is a woman. The final example I’ll give of a poem that expresses same-sex desire is fragment 16. Most scholars accept that this poem was written from a female perspective, as it turns the typical male values of heroic warfare on its head, and proclaims the superiority of love. In it, Sappho compares her desire to that of Helen when she sailed off to Troy, and writes: ‘... reminded me now of Anaktoria / who is gone. / I would rather see her lovely step / and the motion of light on her face / than chariots of Lydians or ranks / of footsoldiers in arms’ (trans. Carson).

This New Yorker article points out that Sappho’s personal poetry may not have been very personal at all, as it was probably performed publicly. This is likely true - most poetry from antiquity was intended for a public audience. Even the letters Ovid wrote from exile, which he addressed to individual friends, were meant for a wider readership, one that included the emperor Augustus himself (the letters were essentially a publicity campaign - Ovid was trying to win sympathy and thus pressurize Augustus into recalling him from exile). There is also a debate over whether the love interests in Sappho’s poems were real people, or entirely literary creations (this debate applies to the love poetry of Ovid, Catullus, Propertius and others too). However, I don’t think this has any real bearing on the question of Sappho’s sexuality. Even if they are literary creations, Sappho still positions and portrays herself as a woman who desires other women. The love interests of many male poets may also have been literary constructions, but no one uses this to question their sexuality, to suggest that they weren’t actually attracted to women.

There is some evidence which may suggest Sappho also desired men. There is a tradition that she died when she threw herself into the sea, having been overcome with love for a boatman called Phaon (Ovid includes a letter from Sappho to Phaon in his Heroides), and in later Greek and Roman writing - especially Greek comedy - Sappho is portrayed as a sex-hungry predator of men. However, Phaon seems to have been a largely literary creation, and the portrayal of Sappho in comedy is not a reliable source, especially considering the strong misogynistic tendency in male-authored comedy to portray women as whores with insatiable (always hetero)sexual appetites (see this Eidolon article for a good discussion of this issue). More suggestive are the few fragments that seem to have been addressed to men (these are far fewer than the fragments involving women). Carson translates fragment 138 thus: ‘stand to face me beloved / and open out the grace of your eyes’. The word translated as ‘beloved’ is philos, with a masculine ending, indicating that the person in question is a man. Philos can be used for lovers, family members, or friends, but eye contact is strongly associated with sexual desire in Greek thought, suggesting that Sappho is addressing a male lover here. We also have fragment 121, in which Sappho (or a literary persona adopted by her) rejects love/marriage with a younger man. Carson translates: ‘but if you love us / choose a younger bed / for I cannot bear / to live with you when I am the older one’. Here again philos is in the masculine form. Finally, we have fragment 102, which Carson translates as ‘sweet mother, I cannot work the loom / I am broken with longing for a boy (paidos) by slender Aphrodite’. However, the word paidos is technically gender neutral - the more proper translation would be child or youth - thus this fragment could just as easily be an expression of longing for a girl.

To sum up: Sappho’s poetry expresses desire for women, and in one or two instances, desire for men. Thus she was likely a lesbian, but possibly bisexual. I know the ancient Greeks didn’t conceptualize sexuality the same way we do, that they didn’t think in terms of lesbian/gay/bisexual. I am well aware of that. I am also well aware that many of my fellow classicists get upset when we use these terms to refer to figures from the ancient world, and start throwing around the word anachronism. And while it is of course important to understand and bear in mind these differences between the modern and ancient world, I find the insistence that we avoid using modern terms like ‘lesbian’ entirely unhelpful. We are reading these poems in the 21st century. In many of the poems, Sappho portrays herself as a woman who desires other women. If we can’t use the term ‘lesbian’, what term can we use? I see it more as a convenient use of language rather than a gross anachronism.

I would love to hear what conclusions your class reached.

p.s. in addition to the two articles linked above, you might also be interested in this piece from @theatticoneighth

#sappho #classics #asks #mine #on sappho #lgbtq #lesbian #sapphic #history of sexuality #my analysis

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alatismeni-theitsa · 5 years ago

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Please correct me if i'm wrong here, but Persephone wouldn't be a spring goddess until after marriage, right? Because the seasons wouldn't exist before then? IDK i just found it weird LO keeps emphasizing Persephone being a better spring goddess than Demeter (which just seems kinda mean to her...) when logically Persephone wouldn't be one until she's reunited with her mother. Theoi com says she's more of a death, curses, and ghost goddess before spring growth too. Am i reading that wrong?

Ι have been looking for the origins of Persephone but I won’t be close to my files for the next two months so I am gonna write what I remember. So apologies for any misinformation. Correct me as well, if I say something out of canon.

Persephone originally begun as a earth fertility goddess. She had power over the earth but the earth is also kinda the realm of Hades. As the crops went into the earth on Winter, so did she. I think her abduction had already happened at this point. The way I read it it seemed like the ancients first saw her as a goddess of Death and Fertility and then worked backwords and came up with how she wedded Hades. Her wedding to Hades was probably conceptualized later, since she is depicted alone in the first foundings in Phaistos, Crete. But I don’t remember if this plant goddess in Phaistos was proved to be Persephone. I encourage you to research a little bit there.

Strangely enough, whatever I have heard or read that myth in Greek, the powers of Persephone doesn’t appear at all before her abduction. She was just “the daughter of Demeter” and Demeter was the one who brought the Spring because she was happy her daughter came back or something generic about crops growing.

However, from my understanding, she had powers before being abducted. For three reasons:

She was the child of Demeter and Zeus. She must had some power!

She had existed without Hades in the beginning of religion and she was still a fertility goddess.

In later religion we never got to see those powers because people were not interested in her life before her marriage.

I read the Orphic Hymn to Demeter and the Orphic Hymn to Persephone again and I didn’t see one goddess being stronger than the other. Persephone is “the one who gives life to all and kills everything” (φέρβεις γὰρ ἀεὶ καὶ πάντα φονεύεις). Demeter has also the power to kill everything (”τότε άγονη και ολέθρια χρονιά στην πολυθρέφτρα γη για τους ανθρώπους έκαμε, κι ούτε το έδαφος φύτρωνε σπόρο, γιατί η Δήμητρα η ευστέφανη τον έκρυβε” modern translation) but also the power to make crops grow (”Σεβαστή Δήμητρα λαμπρόδωρη, συ η ωριμάστρια των καρπών” // “και η ευστέφανη Δήμητρα δεν απείθησε και γρήγορα ξανάδωσε καρπό απ’ τα εύφορα χωράφια” modern translation).

I would argue that Persephone can create Spring but doesn’t actually bring it. She can make things grow but the change of seasons happens because her mother is happy and because, symbolically, the new crop connects with the old one in an act of rebirth. True, the seasons didn’t exist before Persephone’s abduction but that means they didn’t have Winter before abduction (the only infertile period for the fields in Greece). They still had Spring / Summer / Autumn though and somebody had to make things grow during that period.

Persephone was also invoked when cursing someone and she was connected to Death as much as her husband. But I don’t think this happened before the first Spring (cause she didn’t have time to establish herself as the Queen yet).

Theoi.com is not very accurate any more :/ Read this post and see what misinformation they have spread recently. (Link)

#persephone #answered #greek mythology #demeter #orphic hymn #ancient greece #greek gods

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astrallines · 5 years ago

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Rulership of Time

Astrology functions as an assessment of temporal quality, but is the archetype of time ruled by any particular sign? Preface The wheel of the zodiac is often depicted with Aries on the left, thus keeping it in line with the houses: that is, Aries corresponds to the ascendant and first house, Taurus occupies the second house, and so on.

However, there are some interesting patterns that emerge under other rotations. Rotating the wheel one sign counter clockwise, so that the first house is held by Taurus, we find Cancer and Leo on either side of the nadir, the lowest point of the wheel. This emphasizes the wonderful symmetry between each pair of signs that share rulers:

The exception being, of course, the Sun and Moon which rule one sign each. This might point to a secret identification between these forces, which are typically conceptualized as the most fundamental opposites: consciousness and the unconscious, light and dark, etc. The arcane marriage of these principles is a motif which humanity has been pondering since antiquity. Positioning this syzygy at the bottom of the wheel gives the impression that the other signs spring forth from this coupling as a series of portraits from one luminary to the other; as call and response music, or dance steps. One can say that the entire zodiac functions as a mythological alphabet that elaborates of the riddle of the Sun and Moon.

Time Under this cosmic lens, let’s examine a feature essential to our experience of the universe: time. Where does time show up in the zodiac? Can any particular sign be said to govern this concept? At the very least, we can draw the strongest general associations between time and these signs:

If you ask astrologers which sign most corresponds to the concept of time, Gemini would be a common and reasonable answer. It is the traditional ruler of clocks and measurements of time, and is said to rule the time-dependent concepts of transit and commuting.

Capricorn is another traditional response, since it rules the schedule, the time table, the restriction of time, the inexorable march of time. Father Time, the bearded old man with the scythe and the hourglass, is one of the most well known personifications of Saturn.

Aquarius is a bit more esoteric in this regard, but perfectly valid. Aquarius is most associated with the concepts of the instant, the moment ... suddenness! Moreover, it is the traditional ruler of kairos, the ancient Greek idea of “pregnant time.” From Wikipedia:

The ancient Greeks had two words for time: chronos (χρόνος) and kairos. The former refers to chronological or sequential time, while the latter signifies a proper or opportune time for action. While chronos is quantitative, kairos has a qualitative, permanent nature.

Chronos is a clear attribute of Capricorn, therefore these two notions of time are represented by the two Saturn-ruled signs. These two signs are farthest from our supposed origin-nadir, the Cancer/Leo threshold. Capricorn is opposite Cancer, and Aquarius is opposite Leo. This suits the mythological conception of Saturn as the demiurge, the architect of mundane incarnation, the mechanic of the machinery of the cosmos.

To complete this symmetry, we would hope that Virgo is also associated with time. That way, Saturn-ruled signs can roost up at the dome of time, representing its furthest limits, while Mercury ruled signs can reflect each other as attendants to the atemporal solar/lunar archetypes, initiating those forces into the game of time. Gemini does this job perfectly for the Moon, showing how time is “reflected” in the mind through the image of the clock.

So, is Virgo then one of our rulers of time? Ever humble and self-diminishing, Virgo does not jump out as readily as the others, but it does indeed complete a very crucial and unglamorous role. Any astrologer will tell you that Virgo rules punctuality. That is, the adherence to time. If Gemini is the clock at the train station, and Capricorn is the schedule, and Aquarius is the fortune of sliding through the closing door, then Virgo is the plain fact of showing up on time.

So it is clear that there are affinities between rulerships. The two mercury-ruled signs rule basic, mundane relationships to time: time measurement and time observance. The two Saturn-ruled signs rule the extremes of time: time’s bondage and time’s potentiation. There are also affinities between elements, which we explore later. But there are also delightful parallels between the pairs of signs which share no essential qualities. Consider that Gemini and Capricorn both rule structural, objective attributes of time, summarized by the clock and the schedule respectively. The other pair rules more subjective qualities of time: Virgo corresponds to the season, and Aquarius to the zeitgeist.

Elemental Purports What does it mean that all four of these time-governing signs are earth or air? At the most obvious level, we should note that in the cultural imagination water and fire are characterized by motion, while earth and air are not. Air is about potentiation; it is the closest element to pure yang. It is the breath, which corresponds esoterically to the pneuma, the coherence of spirit which vivifies matter. It is atmosphere: that which surrounds every atom, and every germ of life, from the smallest bud to the egg of the cosmos. In a sense, pure potentiation means being eternally unborn. It is actually full activity—boundless perpetual motion—or “unlimited wind” in the Vedas—the inexhaustible first word of creation which has no duration, and obviously no equivalent upon the time-dependent material plane.

That plane is brought to us in part by earth, the closest element to pure yin. It is easy to understand how “pure passivity” is not comprehensible within time—easier than the concept of “pure activity” which we looked at previously. There is only ever the appearance of stillness in our perception; never an object which is actually fully static. The signature “movements” of matter may be entropy and decay.

We should also understand the conventional elemental associations with the astrological attitudes: cardinality is “like” fire; fixidity like earth; mutability like air. Therefore these time signs are:

The airy part of air (Gemini)

The airy part of earth (Virgo)

The fiery part of earth (Capricorn)

The earthy part of air (Aquarius)

So earth is implicated in three of these, and air is implicated in three of these. The only exception to air is the fiery part of earth; earth in its cardinal aspect. This means it is the apparent, self-projecting aspect of earth; earth with its essence on display. Capricorn governs, if you’ll remember, the bondage aspect of time, and the sign that is the most common answer to the naive question of time rulership.

The only exception to earth is the airy part of air: Gemini. This is notably the second-most common response to the question of time rulership. And, as we have seen, together Gemini and Capricorn account for the objective qualities of time. Here’s a weird one: if Gemini and Capricorn are the most obvious rulers of time, perhaps that is partially due to the subjective quality of our time, which is so concerned with, and aware of, objective qualities!

Or maybe it is the fact that the subjective qualities of time are defined by contradiction, and thus more difficult to understand in any age. After all, what is the “earthy part of air” and “the airy part of earth”? There does seem to be an especially elusive mystery about Aquarius: the concept of kairos, but also of the wish, and of heaven. What are we to make of the fact that Aquarius is “familiar to the alien”? Or the fact that it is associated both with the moment and with “timelessness”? We have seen air as pure potentiation, necessitating boundless movement; how could there be a “fixed” expression of such a principle?

In contradiction to the most “alien” sign, Virgo is typically tagged as the most mundane sign. The relative anonymity of Virgo is also contrasted with the radical idiosyncrasy of Aquarius. And its tradition-mindedness would appear also to chafe against Aquarian novelty. Yet let us remember what these signs share: they given definition to the subjective attributes of time. We mentioned that Aquarius holds both the uniqueness of the moment, and the unchanging eternal, but Virgo holds this mystery too. Virgo’s anonymity comes from a deep, intuitive understand that we are all the same. That is why the goddess and the virgin go by so many names. In fact, they necessitate that many names, because the multiplicity of the expression is part of the expression. Virgo is the scattering of the atoms; matter in full possible diffusion. The secondary ruler of Virgo, besides mercury, is not one planet but an abundance of asteroids. Virgo knows both “I am a link in a chain” and also “I am this link.” What is punctuality but specificity? What is a unit of matter but a detail? Virgo knows both, “This season has come before,” and also, “This summer is this summer.”

Summary The wind of Gemini is the wind that blows in the quality of time, existing in some unknowable potentiation beyond this world. Capricorn is the slow-burn of matter upon which quality plays, and is thereby bound. Virgo rotates the wheel, perpetuating the cycle through its incremental movement. The rotations are then recognized by their quality of motion. Aquarius imagines the wheel stopped, glimpsed in gestalt, and the wheel is recognized by the quality of its stillness. Cumulatively, these four archetypes collaborate to describe the terms of the dance through which psyche extends itself into its many other guises.

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