#we won't let you die [ musing & aesthetic ]

[yourlocalguidinglight]

The gentle sound of rain hitting softly against the windows could be heard throughout the whole hotel. It's oddly calming to those who have never been this place before. A blue light illuminating from under a door would catch anyone's attention, as a gentle voice could be heard by your side.

Greetings, Dear Travelers. Do not fear, I am not an enemy. I am here to help you.

Fellow my lead, won't you?

The Guiding Light from the Roblox Game "DOORS"

Semi-Selective & Semi-Literate | Crossover/Fandom, OC and Duplicates friendly.

DNI : Proshippers, Pedos/MAPs, Anti-LGBTQ+, NSFW/Porn Blogs, and people of this type.

Rules :

No NSFW, Suggestive is fine, but still.

Please leave conflict out of this place. Major/More Serious topics are to be treated carefully and most likely be ignored. This is not a therapy section.

If you wish to rp, please do so by reblogging. It gets a bit claustrophobic having to continue by ask only.

Anon hate will be ignored.

I have every right to ignore asks if it makes me uncomfortable.

More may be added.

Other then that, go nuts.

Main/Mun : @fandomandangstlover , call me by Engie.

About Guiding Light :

Feel free to call them by whatever pronouns you like.

Mostly Headcannon based.

Give whatever nicknames you wish to them. So long they're appropriate.

Not interested in any romantic relationships.

The Guiding Light is a fused group of people who have gotten lost and are trapped within the hotel's walls. They only wish to guide travelers on their journey, and to protect them.

Some people that's apart of the Light can separate to help aid the Light in helping the Travelers (Players).

More may be added.

You may now Ask the Light whatever it is that you wish, or ask for advice about the Entities or about the Hotel.

source

[fitzs-trained-monkey]

The Blood of the Covenant

Character and Relationship list

(Call it beta testing. Just wanna see if anyone is interested, otherwise I won't write it.)

This is the story of how the House of Gaunt fell to its knees. And it starts with a couple of kids.

Irene "Ire" Amanecer

The Dirty Half-Breed

Vibe: What Was I Made For by Billie Eilish

"I'm sad again, don't tell my boyfriend. It's not what he's made for."

Ominis Gaunt

The Reluctant Heir

Vibe: Family Line by Conan Grey

"We may share a face and a last name, but we are not the same."

Irene Amanecer and Ominis Gaunt

Two Fools and One Hell of a Grudge

Vibe: Muscle Museum by Muse

"I don't want you to adore me - don't want you to ignore me when it pleases you."

Sebastian Sallow

The Boy Who Wanted

Vibe: Arsonist's Lullaby by Hozier

"All you have is your fire. And a place you need to reach."

Rhuin Gaunt

The Clairvoyant

Vibe: Absinth by IDKHBTFM

"I don't care what mama says. You wind me up, or you wind up dead."

Rhuin Gaunt and Sebastian Sallow

An Arrangement of Convenience

Vibe: Dear Fellow Traveler by Sea Wolf

"Though my love is so wise and so pretty, some nights I still dream of you."

Aramintia "Minty" Nolan

The Catalyst

Vibe: Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths

"You crave the applause yet hate the attention, then miss it, your act is a ruse."

Minty Nolan and Sebastian Sallow

Imperfect Harmony

Vibe: Do Not Let Your Spirit Wane by Gang of Youths

"Isn't it strange all the things that I run from are the things that completeness could come from?"

Anne Sallow

The Girl Who Died

Vibe: O Children by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

"We're all weeping now, weeping because there ain't nothing we can do to protect you."

Anne Sallow and Irene Amanecer

A Forbidden Romance

Vibe: Sweater Weather by The Neighborhood

"It's too cold for you here. So let me hold both your hands in the holes of my sweater."

(Pls comment some thoughts or this story will die like Solomon Sallow and we wouldn't want that, would we.)

(Special thanks to @witchcraftandgeekness for being my biggest cheerleader and making the best aesthetics on this post)

[writergirl3]

4 Town As Songs I Shamelessly Loop

What it says! I've been feeling way more inspired after my week-long trip away. I dove back into my playlists and came up with this idea. Thanks for anyone who's still stuck around after my sorta hiatus. I'm gonna be updating more often again!

Enjoy my absolutely shambolic music taste and look out for more content soon 🧡

Robaire;

Vision of Love - Mariah Carey

'You treated me kind, sweet destiny! And I'll be eternally grateful, Holding you so close to me.'

Something about this song just screams 'Robaire' to me. The mix of slow jam sensuality and jaw-dropping vocals is so on brand for him.

This song is a classic and I could definitely imagine Robaire singing this either before fame in a talent contest or as a solo artist later down the road. Let's face it, if anyone can rival Mariah's whistle tones, it's Robaire.

Jesse;

Whatsername - Green Day

'I made a point to burn all of the photographs. She went away, and then I took a different path.'

So, I personally hc Jesse as being an ex member of the alternative rock scene. He went through many phases, but his grunge/punk time was one for the books. And like any good punk rocker, he still loves Green Day.

The chilled, mellowness of this song is reminds me of him, too. That and the lyricism, the theme of leaving a romantic interest in the past. I feel like he'd have related to this song with the mom of his kids. He'd definitely have had some long drives blasting this song, screaming out the lyrics as the melody builds.

Aaron T;

Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing - Stevie Wonder

'Don't you worry 'bout a thing, mama. 'Cause I'll be standing on the side When you check it out.'

My God, this song is T to a T. The Latin American flavour, the garbled Spanish in the intro, the upbeat playfulness. It's all him.

Plus, we know T is a supportive friend and S/O. He has a positive outlook on life, and he definitely passes that on to his loved ones. Bolstering them up to take on life's challenges while waiting in the wings to support them through it all.

Aaron Z;

Lavender Haze - Taylor Swift

'Staring at the ceiling with you, Oh, you don't ever say too much. And you don't really read into my melancholia.'

I won't lie, this song gave me inspiration to do this post in the first place. Something about it reminds me of Z. Maybe it's the purple aesthetic, the sombre beats, the whole vibe of giving no f*cks. I don't know, it's all just very Z.

Plus, I feel like he's a night owl. Finding peace in that time of the night when everyone else is asleep and he can let his imagination run wild. Part of him comes alive at that magical midnight hour, and that's what this song is all about to me.

✨Bonus ✨; In the modern AU, I hc Z as having a fat secret crush on Ms Swift. T's definitely planning an embarrassing encounter between them at some point.

Tae Young;

Intro; Persona - BTS

'Persona, who the hell am I? I just wanna go, I just wanna fly. I just wanna give you all the voices till I die. I just wanna give you all the shoulders when you cry.'

I know, I know- picking a K-pop song for Tae-

Buuuuut, I genuinely feel like this song is so Tae. It's all about discovering yourself through supporting those you love most. As I hc Tae as bisexual, and we all know he's the youngest, he's still growing into himself. But he has so much love to give, and the members and 4 Townies see that.

Also, this song is super rogue but honestly such a bop. It's catchy and a lil feisty, and we know that Tae isn't all sunshine and rainbows.

---

Musing Meaninglessly Masterlist

[daandova]

[ ... ] ─── i do it so it FEELS LIKE HELL - i do it so i feel real.

i am only thirty and like the cat i have nine times to die. ─── [ ... ]

O MY ENEMY DO I TERRIFY ??

#DAANDOV. ──────── a writing blog for an ORIGINAL CHARACTER for the LAST DRAGONBORN in 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚'𝐬 𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐕 𝐬𝐤𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐦. [ ... ] focusing on motifs of :: the tragic hero , being nothing but a vessel for prophecy , gods leaving husks behind of their champions , coming out the other side of the hero's journey worse off , dogged loyalty , getting chewed up and spit out , feminine rage , how much more of myself do i have to give? , being doomed by the narrative [ ... ] crossovers are preferred & no knowledge of elder scrolls is needed to interact ── blog established october 2023 , character est in 2018 , loved by ouija , 21+ , she/her , rules below the cut

affiliated with @recitedemise

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ⸻⸻

( ₁. )  character timeline .   ( ₂. )   pre-est connections .   ( ₃. )   spotify .   ( ₄. )   aesthetics .   ( ₅. )   pintrest .   ( ₆. )   carrd .

001. general  ⸻ this blog is a writing blog for my oc VALVARI ALANTAR who i've built over the past five years. intrinsically tied to the legacy of the dragonborn mod, she is a canon divergent last dragonborn. i use caps from baldurs gate just because of it's character creation.

SPARK NOTES :: valvari's adoptive fathers own museums across the world. she's grown up first learning deep history, and being more book focused, but as she began showing a bit of a temper and anger streak, she was sent with one of her father's to start adventuring to begin finding artifacts and curios that are gathered to store in the museums. just recently, they've opened a new museum and val is going to start adventuring on her own in order to help fill it.

002. following ⸻  this is a highly selective blog , i am keeping my circle very small right now and will only interact with those who make concerted efforts to plot with me. i practice mains, i'm not interested in exclusives. i do not follow writers under the age of 21. if you're ever softblocked and you still want to interact, please feel free to follow again, it's never that serious i promise.

i softblock liberally if we have not interacted, i'm not interested in being a number to people. i don't expect to be responding to our threads every day, i don't expect constant ooc talk, we all have lives and other muse interests. what i expect is interaction with other posts that show you're interested in my muse. a like or a reply to a post goes a long way. when time goes on and you're radio silent but still active on dash, i'll likely just softblock just so i'm not feeling unwanted. i promise it's not a big deal, it's just about curating my dash to active mutuals.

003. formatting  ⸻ i don’t care about formatting or icon usage on your end , you do what makes you most comfortable. i personally use normal text with some formatting, and icons only show up in writing if i feel like it. i'll use them if i'm feeling it, otherwise there may be threads or posts where they're absent because i couldn't be bothered to add them. if there's something about my formatting that doesn't work for you let me know and i can adjust.

004. shipping ⸻  i love shipping and am always open to discussing it. val requires chemistry to ship with and i require being comfortable together ooc. it's not going to be a focus on this blog and i'll never be the first to ask in order to keep people from feeling uncomfortable. if you are interested, let me know, i won't consider it forceshipping, but be aware i may say no.

please note :: val is sex positive and a bit blunt, so she may flirt if she thinks your muse is attractive but i'm ALWAYS okay with her being shut down. i promise it's never that serious, and i'm not trying to beg for a ship. she will also drop the topic the moment someone isn't interested.

005. plotting ⸻  i rely heavily on plotting and interacting ooc and my attention will be focused around those of my followers who i have a plot for and rapport with. it isn’t necessary to have one off the bat , but if interactions are going to go anywhere , plotting is required. i typically prioritize these threads/muses and if we go a period of time without interacting or you showing interest in my muse/blog at all, i'll softblock so i can keep my dash to the people i'm actively writing/chatting with.

006. interacting ⸻ i will like starter call , but do not wait to see one on my blog because it won’t happen often. instead , please send memes. they can always become threads. and they are great ways to explore our muses while we aren't working on our active threads. send them and send them often, i'm never agitated if you're sending multiple. i'll delete any i don't have muse for but i'll always answer some.

007. triggers ⸻ there will be adult content present on this blog including , but not limited to :: sexual content , potential mention of self harm , violence , adult language. if you are uncomfortable with any of these please tell me and i will avoid them in our threads. i don't have any specific triggers, however i will always tag potentially triggering things as : trigger tw

008. ooc ⸻ hey i’m ouija , 30+ i’m just a nerd. I have a full time job and a home to maintain so my activity will vary. icon border by ariapsds and icon psd by jaynedits

i've grown comfortable existing on the edges of fandoms and just fitting val within them, thus i'm very crossover friendly. rape, incest, pedophilia, hate / bigotry (ie: racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, etc) is not accepted on this blog. i may keep myself distant from callouts or personal drama that appears (mainly just because i don't like calling attention to myself), however i'm not against them when it comes to keeping the dash safe and letting people know about problematic people.

[nexusnox]

// Hi! I'm Jack. This is the pinned post for nexusnox, and has my rules, a link to Alex's bios and verses, and a taglist. It also has a list of potential triggers you may find here.

"Here's to the ones to let shine through the rain; The ones who stood for something more, we won't forget your names. The tide is high, say goodbye, we're setting sail; And all those midnight secrets told, we'll take 'em to the graves."

-

RULES

Communicate!! My #1 rule for rp is communication. If you're upset, want to change something, just having fun- please tell me!

My memory is worse than a goldfish's. Literally. Please don't hesitate to remind me of things! In fact, please remind me of things. Help. What day is it.

Godmodding: don't do it. If you absolutely need something to happen, see rule #1. Also, please tell me if I accidentally do this!

My muses are fickle, stubborn, and uncooperative. I can only do so much to wrangle them. As such, my replies can be sporadic and unpredictable- but I will do my best to reply asap!

I have anxiety. So much anxiety. Please be patient with me.

I tend to write very stream-of-consciousness, with many asides and tangents, which often results in long, multi-paragraph replies. Don't feel pressured to match me, although too many one line replies tend to sap my motivation.

Assume my muses come from a different canon than yours. By which I mean; relationships, motivations, circumstances and even experiences may be different than you expect.

On shipping; it's great! It's fun! Talk to me first. As long as it fits my muse, odds are I'll be happy to ship, but I prefer to talk it out first. Also, as a multishipper, I rarely do 'exclusive' ships.

On NSFW; I don't mind it, but I'll probably do a fade to black to keep anything too spicy off this blog. However, I'm fine with something more explicit in dms.

Check the potential triggers, and if you need something tagged, let me know. Also tell me if I tagged something incorrectly!

Last but not least, be kind and have fun!

-

BIOS: [X] VERSES: [X]

Potential Triggers; Violence, death, discussions of death and trauma, possible descriptions of panic attacks, occasional unreality.

PLEASE NOTE; Alex's backstory means he is incredibly apathetic to the concept of dying, as it doesn't stick for him, and he will end his own life if he finds it more convenient to do so. While he- and I (as someone who has been suicidal)- don't see this as suicide, more like turning a computer off and on again, it may be triggering to you. Please take care of yourselves!

TAGLIST;

threads : spinner weave a tale for me end thread : spinner rest your weary hands starter call : the crows are circling open starter : ravens on a fence closed starter : raven at the window prompts : spinner's needles ask : are you not entertained? anonymous : a murder of crows OOC : glance behind reality's curtain guests : the raven lies blog maintenance : molting season crossover : reality is a tapestry made to be rewoven musings/headcanons : seven for a secret ne'er told aesthetics : one for sorrow two for joy wardrobe/gear : spoils of the magpie music : they do not call songbirds a parlaiment silly things : this isn't a crow this is a pigeon verse : the promise is in the point of the blade verse : nothing has ever lived that will not die verse : the flightless blind venturing out into the dark verse : names mean nothing to the dead verse : there must be blood and this I knew (I believe there must be wonders too)

[for-a-future-that-never-came]

TAGS LIST

MAIN BLOG TAGS

Mr. Meek Speaks (OOC)

Been There Done That Got The T-Shirt (Answered Asks)

I Was Lightning Before The Thunder (Memes)

I’m Key Look At Me! (Self Promo.)

What Do We Have Here? (Promo.)

NSFW Tag - (NSFShinra)

Are Queue Satisfied With An Average Life?

ABOUT ➽➽➽ AESTHETIC ➽➽➽ CLOSET ➽➽➽ HEADCANONS ➽➽➽ IC POST ➽➽➽ INTERESTS ➽➽➽ MUSINGS ➽➽➽ PLAYLIST ➽➽➽ SHIPPIING ➽➽➽ VERSE ➽➽➽ VISAGE ➽➽➽

BLOG INFO ➽➽➽ BLOG MAINTENANCE ➽➽➽ DASH COMMENTARY ➽➽➽ DASH GAMES ➽➽➽ FEATURED MUSE ➽➽➽ INBOX CALL ➽➽➽ MAGIC ANON ➽➽➽ MUSE LIST ➽➽➽ MY ART ➽➽➽ MY WRITING ➽➽➽ OPEN STARTER ➽➽➽ POLLS ➽➽➽ PSA ➽➽➽ SHIPPING CALL ➽➽➽ STARTER CALL ➽➽➽ TAGS LIST ➽➽➽ TO DO LIST ➽➽➽

CHARACTER TAGS

If HIstory Could Set You Free From Who You Were Supposed To Be (αℓℓ мυѕєѕ)

Don't Get Hung Up On It Just Soldier On With It And Good Luck With Shooting The Moon (¢ℓσυ∂)

Heal Me I'm A Monster You Spill My Blood 'Cause I'm Just A Dreamer (gєиєѕιѕ)

The World May Live Or Die But I Will Rise I'm On The Warpath (нєι∂єggєя)

I'm Learning All Your Tricks I Can Hurt You From Inside I Made Myself A Promise You Would Never See Me Cry (кα∂αנ)

If You Wanna Start A Fight You Better Throw The First Punch Make It A Good One (яєиσ)

Little Dogs Will Kill You Dude As Soon As You Let 'Em Out (яυfυѕ)

Oh Such Grace Oh Such Beauty So Precious Suspicious And Charming And Vicious (уαzσσ)

PET TAGS

Black Hole Sun Won't You Come And Wash Away The Rain? (∂αякѕтαя)

Sparks Is The Name Wharks Is The Game (ѕραякѕ)

VERSE TAGS

None At This Time

EVENT TAGS

None At This Time

MY BLOGS/MUSES TAGS

Trying To Be Ruthless In The Face Of Beauty In This Matrix It's Plain To See It's Either You Or Me (Heidegger & Rufus)

Dazzled Doused In Gin (Rufus & Reno)

You Got Yourself Into Your Own Mess You Know The Demon's In The Design (Yazoo & Kadaj)

Come Back To Me A While Change Your Style Again (Rufus ♡ Reno)

& TAGS (SPECIFIC)

None At This Time

SHIPPING TAGS (SPECIFIC)

[reachingforstars]

//tag dump

[nuravity]

Owo url meme?

Send Me A URL and I’ll Respond With My Opinions…

Roleplaying/Writing

My favorite muse(s) of theirs and why: All their muses have my heart (but Sanguine Deku is special!)

My favorite interaction/thread of theirs: I'm gonna be a cheat and say our first interaction with Vampire Deku because that stuff was like an adventure in itself!

My thoughts on their unique characterization/interpretation of their muse(s): Okay, you can not only hear the characters voices but you can also see how different they are in the mannerisms and how they speak. Like Deku will always have situations in which he stutters or Bakugo cursing in between words. I just find it amazing!

My thoughts on their writing style as a whole: It's so...detailed? Even with short replies? They don't shy away from fight scenes either and they always have the perfect (and aesthetically pleasing) icons to go with each situation.

Situation(s)/Plot(s) I’d love to see their muse(s) in: Oh! I'd love to see vampire Deku close to breaking point tbh Like maybe him contemplating of either destroying others or himself due to immortality/constant hunger. Or maybe him trying to fight tooth and nail to protect someone precious. Or perhaps trying to get rid of the League because they won't leave him alone? Or being faced with the decision of either turning Uraraka or letting her die (sooner than him). Hero x villain dynamics with any muse (Uraraka included). Let him be a villain (forced or willingly)! So many situations I'd love to see him in!

Someone else I love seeing them interact with: @kibouhero (their villain Deku) because it'd be fun to watch vampire Deku beating the crap out of that bastard! (I love his villain Deku though so no hard feelings, yeah? Lol) @iamgroundzero @ignitionxblast @strxight-up-villxin

Anything else I want to say about their roleplaying: I love and admire the speed of their replies! Like the speed of light! Lol

If We Know Each Other

What I Think Are Their Best Qualities: Their patience. (I know I said this to others but it's true!)

What I Think Are Their Strengths: The way they can get words on paper (or screen) because I am always struck with feelings.

A Memorable OOC Interaction Of Ours: Ah, if only I could remember. Maybe the back and forth texting during our first rp. That was nice!

Why Others Should RP With Them: Because they have good plotting ideas and their portrayal is on point!

How Others Should Approach Them: Through IMs I think. Asks are also good maybe.

Other Roleplayers I’d Recommend To Them: @oncforallxbroccoli @tenacityblitz @phantasmalcalamity

Anything else I want to say about them: I love your writing, no matter which muse and I'm so glad we became mutuals! :3

If We Have/Plan To Interact Together

A plot I’d like to write with them: Let Uraraka snap him out of villainy (perhaps done by the League so he won't run away anymore)! Or more time travel? Let him turn Uraraka before she dies (in an AU!) Let them both meet other versions of themselves (maybe with other rpers) through dimension travel! Too many ideas!

A muse I want to introduce to them: What about Terra from Teen Titans?

A ship/broship I’d like to propose to them: DekuxToga, Dekuxkaminari, BakugoxIida? DekuxIida, DekuxFroppy, DekuxMomo He is so shippable! Lol

A thread with them I’m excited about: We didn't plot yet but I'm always excited lol

Anything else I want to say: I'll always love writing with you! Even with your other verses and I love how you don't shy away from dark threads either. You're amazing! :3

[phemonoi]

Philosophy | Divine Madness

Plato's Phaedrus.

I wanted to start with this dialogue because even if it comes kind of late in history of antiquity, it really describes a very important part of greek tradition that influenced later philosophy and was very much present in romantic poetry and art. It's also a very pretty dialogue and one of my favorites. The Phaedrus of Plato was written in his midlife, around the 370 B.C. It presents his famous allegory of the Chariot, where he states that the soul has “wings” and explains how it becomes material, but mainly the dialogue is about love and the Madness of the Gods, which will be my specific focus here. This dialogue has been wrongly treated as mainly aesthetic, but the truth it's a theological dialogue with many spiritual additions, because love was for Plato a spiritual thing, not just an art or a satisfaction.

☀️ Synthesis

So let’s establish a little bit of context. The dialogue takes place in the countryside, and its actors are Socrates, as usual, Phaedrus, and Lysias (although he’s just mentioned). Lysias is a famous sophist, meaning he’s a speaker, and Phaedrus has a copy of one of Lysias’ most recent speeches, that after a lot of teasing and insistance, he ends up reading to Socrates. The speech verses about how it’s best to establish erotic relationships with a loveless person, rather than do it with a passionate lover. What Lysias says is that the loveless person won’t end up attaching to you, and the relationship won’t create gossip, involve jealousy, and it will much certainly allow for a larger selection of other lovers. Socrates is actually very sarcastic so he replies to this conclusion that Lysias should’ve written about the benefits of being the lover of an older or poorer man rather than a younger and richer one, and his words would be a good cause for the whole city. However, Socrates demostrates why he disagrees with Lysias, pointing precisely at the divine nature of passionate love. So in a very, very beautiful manner Socrates discusses why it's more beneficial to be loyal rather than a hoe lol. The dialogue treats the knowledge of the Gods and the nature of passion, how it comes to our souls through Eros, and helps us get closer to the divine and experience Them. This speech of Socrates is called the palinode.

☀️ The immortality of the Soul

First of all Socrates points at the immortality of the soul. To prove the existence of the Soul —of course, with the scientific knowledge available to them in their time—, Socrates points out movement. Things move because of a force, or because of will. For him, the sole observation that the Cosmos is full of movement and it's constantly advancing is enough proof for the existence of will and force, and thus the Soul. It's as easy as follows: things that move because of an external agent move by force and lack a soul, like stones, for example, or leaves. Things that move because of will have a soul and are bound to excercice it. For Socrates, the sun seems to move by will so it's evident that he has a soul, a much more complete soul than ours, bigger, and that makes him divine. The being that moves by will won't stop living, he says, because his movement must be continuous; if we move by will, but we die, then there's a part of us that doesn't die; our souls are divine and immortal. The body is a receptor of the soul, since movement by its own is the escence of the soul, and drive by force the escence of the body. So basically Socrates is saying you have soul because you can choose, you can think, you can move by will, and things that don't have a soul are less complex and can't do all of this. A body moved by will is animate, a body moved by force is inanimate.

Socrates then explains that the Universal Soul rules over the inanimate matter, and makes its evolution through the cosmos, manifesting itself under a million different forms. He speaks also of the wings of the Soul, that carry with them what is heavy (the material body) to the superior regions, where the Gods reside. This means that the Soul participates in divinity, through vibration. To explain it with a more modern concept: low vibes get you closer to matter, high vibes get you closer to the Gods. He also mentions that the Gods can't be defined by reason because reason is a human thing; nature lacks it, the universe lacks it, it's ours, and it's entirely theoretical.

Socrates also speaks of Himeros, God of desire and love; the feeling of exaltation that comes from him elevates the soul and helps it recover its wings. Socrates says:

“This affection, love, mortals know as Eros, the winged God; but the immortals know him as Pteros, the giver of wings.”

☀️ Theia Mania —the madness of the Gods

Remember what Socrates said about reason being unable to define the Gods? In Phadrus, Socrates exchange human intelligence for something greater and more beneficial: divine madness.

I know this is supposed to be our main topic, but really: Plato doesn't really say much about it. However, according to Thomas Taylor (who you should definitely read if you ever wonder about Plato, because he was an expert on the matter and openly pagan), Plato was usually exalted and inspired by divine madness when writing, specially dialogues like this one¹.

So as we had discussed in the summary, the dialogue starts with a discussion between Socrates and Phaedrus on Lysias' speech about choosing a non-lover rather than a “mad” lover. Phaedrus agreed that the mad lover will cause problems because he is so drunk in passion, that he cannot control himself: however, the non-lover will be satisfying enough, perhaps a bit cold, but won't cause troubles because he won't be invested in the relationship. As we know, the cause of desire is Eros. But Eros is a God, Socrates says, and Gods cannot be the cause of harm, ever. So the desire that the God has inspired in the mad lover must then be of good nature, beneficial and excellent. This madness of love, then, leads in the end to the highest kind of philosophical cognition.

There is two types of madness: the human type involving an internal state of psychic disharmony, and a divine type, involving possession by a God. Socrates says that the divine type of madness is always good, and we can see it in the Pythia, the priestess of Apollo. He says that when magicians try to read divine symbols or interpret certain phenomena, like the shape of the clouds or the sound of the birds, this is a type of wondering of the future that lacks divine inspiration because it uses human knowledge and it's more possible to fail. However, when the Pythia is possessed and inspire, it has been proven that her prophecies are true, and they do happen; she is actually losing control of her body to let the Divine enter her mind. These prophecies have always been beneficial to humankind, so this madness of the Gods is good and is real.

There is four types of divine madness, Socrates says:

Ecstatic Madness: caused by Apollo and Dionysos. Mantika, the prophetic madness of Apollo, and Telestika, the ritual madness of Dionysos. Then there's Inspirational Madness: caused by the Muses and Aphrodite. Poetika, the artistic madness of the Muses, and Erotika, the passionate madness of Aphrodite and the Erotes.

This madness spontaneously adapts itself to its producing cause, imitating a divine power, and thus necessarily becomes magnificent, vehement, and exuberant: for such are the characteristics of it's source².

Ain't this beautiful? The idea of divine madness will be later developed by neoplatonists and adapted to a set of practices called theurgy, which will presume the aid of achieving such unity with the Gods.

☀️ Observations

When reading on this topic, one must be careful and check the sources. Plato is a philosopher thats has been thoroughly misinterpreted and edited across history by both atheists and christians. Most authors will tell you he was a monotheist, or even an atheist. He wasn't: Plato was the product of his time and his culture, and a polytheist. When he speaks of divine madness and the Gods he does so literally, as he's a faithful and pious philosopher. His metaphysics are pluralistic and this dialogue is an evidence of such.

On another topic, we can see divine madness across many cultures in human history. The possession by a God always leads to a greater benefit and is good and pleasurable. So one can judge many experiences based on this: the possession by a lower spirit wouldn't bring forward the same results, emotions and characteristics that the possession by a Divine agent would.

So I want to know, if you've come this far, what do you think about Plato's approach to Divine Madness? do you have any thoughts on this concept? Please add your comments, I'll be glad to read them!

I hope this post has helped, there will be more ☀️💫🌻 A sidenote: this post and the whole series of Philosophy of the Gods is being made in devotion to Apollo, as he is the God of Philosophy, my patron God as a disciple, and was the God of Socrates.

Sources:

¹ Plato, Phaedrus, spanish edition (Gredos).

² Thomas Taylor, Introduction to Philosophy and Writings of Plato, The Prometheus Trust Edition.

[aboundlesswombofcultivations]

t h u r s d a y    n i g h t    (w h e n    d r e a m s    c o m e    t r u e)

--- L E V   R U B I N S H T E I N

--translation of Lev Rubinshtein by Philip Metres and Tanya Tulchinsky

1

All night I was dreaming of the frontier regions of existence. Waking up, I could remember only something between water and dry land, silence and speech, sleep and waking and managed to think: "Here it is, the aesthetic of uncertainty. Here it is again..."

2

I dreamt as if someone long gone and, it seemed, completely forgotten, suddenly appeared and looked at me so attentively that I woke, my heart pounding...

3

I dreamt that I had to get up and look if she were sleeping. I woke up, and could not remember for a long time who I was thinking of. Then I remembered...

4

I dreamt that I had to hide in my shell for awhile, and then, as they say, we'll see. I woke up and thought "Well, I don't know, I don't know..."

5

I dreamt that happiness truly knew no bounds. Waking up, I thought "Well, I'll be damned..."

6

I dreamt that you only have a chance four times in life. Waking, I thought that there was surely something to this...

7

I was dreaming that the most important thing was to find the most adequate form of sympathy for each other. Then I woke up...

8

I was dreaming that the idea of a clear page is a short circuit to any consistent aesthetic experience. Then I woke up...

9

I was dreaming that one could proceed from the fact that our sense of self is a sense of self of self-created personages, existing in their own time and space. And that the starting point of such sense of self, as a matter of fact, draws us together. Then I woke up...

10

I dreamt two whole arguments in my support, but of course I could not remember them...

11

I dreamt a third argument as well. But it also remained there in the dream...

12

I dreamt of the long-awaited coming of a hero. His appearance was often gloomy, but his constant readiness to be happy was indubitable. He was impressive in his open and keen relation to reality. Waking up, I thought that there was nothing to add to this.

13

I dreamt the rare flitters of fading hopes. Neither bright, nor warm, they silently smoldered down in the windless deeps of the consciousness.

I was so used to them, my tired brain almost failed to acknowledge them, my head would no longer lift at their sight, my nostrils would no longer inflate, my pulse would no longer quicken. It seemed that nothing could break my despondent calm. It seemed that nothing forbode any change...

14

I dreamt of an ancient park with trees immersed in thought. Along its shaded alley, a lonely figure moved towards me. I noticed it from far off and almost immediately guessed who it was. But you've probably guessed as well...

15

I dreamt that they were obviously not alone there. Someone prowled in the night without a sound, like a thief. "Quiet-whispered Heinrich with his lips pursed-you didn't hear anything?" Both listened. Silence ensued again. It was as if lightning sudde nly sliced through the dark...

16

I dreamt of creaking floorboards and balding rugs of a small boarding house on the shore of Lake Bodenskoe. The weather during these days was rainy and unpleasant. The mistress of the boarding house was a good-natured and flabby woman about fifty years old. The table usually sat about ten or twelve guests. They were of different nationalities, habits, and interests. There was nothing to talk about, and lunch was stale. Boredom and despair reigned at the table.

Still, one of the guests did grab my attention. He was a young, sickly-looking Italian, always silent, who would only rarely cast around an obscure glance, as if something known only to him had momentarily awakened him from his usual stupor...

17

I dreamt of a massive gray Ministry of Navigation building. It was located just a couple steps from my old apartment. And my windows looked right out onto the same despondent square. And along my windows each morning and each night strode the faceless chain of clerks. If I could have thought then...

18

I dreamt of little Kolya's face, happy for no reason, and the concentrated faces of his family, and the impatient face of the driver, and all the other faces-relatives, acquaintances, those barely known, and those not known at all. All of them diffused in the dim consciousness of Konstantin, merged into one quickly revolving spot, and he fell, as if cut down, to the wet asphalt of an empty train platform that morning.

19

I dreamt the situation was such that if a clear and quivering voice suddenly appeared amid the inarticulate din of the crowd, it, too, would be lost in the gnashing. Those who would manage to hear it would only exchange looks, nod knowingly to each other, and that would perhaps be the end, if not for the

20

I dreamt that we all had to live by touch: here a loophole, here a fence, there a solid wall. And our life passes, from decision to doubt, from a nod to an interjection, from dream to toil...

21

I dreamt a light went out somewhere in the middle. And the voice crying out in the wilderness could no longer be heard. The warmth had dispersed, never to return. Only glass glancing at glass, fleeting, inarticulate...

22

I dreamt of a caustic smoke and my own death mask. What will we give as a momento? What will we grab at the last moment? Paradise is not for us, so we don't walk in pairs. It's so basic it's not worth explaining...

23

I dreamt my heart's pulled out from its sheath each night. What do we know? What can we do? Whoever knows, be silent...

24

I dreamt of the emptiness of the sky. We both felt lost in it. You said: "The swallow over there will remember us until we die..."

25

I dreamt we were saying goodbye on the bridge. We are tired, we'll take a rest... All nature's actions happen for a reason. No one will be delighted to receive us. Neither of us knows what will happen tomorrow, or the day after. Our final meeting. We are saying goodbye to each other on the bridge...

26

I dreamt he was buried in a grave, out of his mind. With a long flame the candle burned recklessly...

27

I dreamt he lay down on the sand forever. Who could understand the earthly bustle, if not him? That nothing is what it seems... That what's said is beyond us. And here above the earth our dear comrade soars... We'll also go the way water wouldn't flow. Where brains fall off, and shrieks, and pitch dark. We'll go as well--it's time, it's time for us to leave this home. We wanted to live, and this is what it's come to...

28

I dreamt at dawn of my balcony all twined with snow, overflowing with something crimson, and my stallion's nape marked with murderous fangs, the vengeful glare of wolves-- luminous fish sparkling, then disappearing--as they head for the woods.

Over my shoulder I heard my rifle's parting cry, a crazed laugh of a fallen animal's shriek.

My dying horse, a white steam through a wide-open door, an unending blizzard, a ski trail overgrown with snow...

29

I dreamt my scarcely breathing ship was sinking, while in the storming space I was engaged in a miraculous prayer...

30

I was dreaming of nothing much-- just numbness and endurance. Let's hide our beaks in our plumage at this crossroads of winds. We know how much this is worth, and that too. But who'll be in charge of our stage, when we take up the pilgrim's staff and bag? And how do we proceed in such mist, not for an hour, not for a day, but for a thousand years-- our contempt stuck in our pocket, tet a tet with the cold wind?

31

I dreamt as if they were running--my remaining days, looming ahead, while I was left behind. The quiver of six transparent wings revealed myself to me, and I woke up...

32

I was dreaming he was right here, sitting on my bed. He was here, clear as day, and yet he wasn't here. Who knows better than him that all has changed, and there's no place for hope or an unbiased mind.

The quiver of six transparent wings revealed myself to me, and I woke up...

33

I was dreaming at dawn of a half-demon, half-corpse staring with its many eyes out of a gilded frame. He said: "Don't wait in vain--a miracle won't happen. If you have a place to run to, then get out of here." He said: "Follow me, I'll show you the way." With a heavy head I woke up...

34

I was dreaming of a balance of paper, a memory gone to sleep. Lulled by the song of dripping moisture I let slip another spring. My tongue was nursing the stingy definition of life's meaning. But then long ray fell on my blanket, and I woke up...

35

I was dreaming that dreams bring relief, yet take something from you forever. And then I woke up...

36

I dreamt of a phrase: "my Deep Throat muse."

After I woke up, I lay with my eyes open for a long time...

37

I dreamt that retelling dreams you don't remember is a kind of occupation.

Waking up, I thought, "why not?"

38

I dreamt that I didn't care who cried because of which onion. Waking up, I thought, "I don't care."

39

I dreamt that if "today's Thursday" is said on Thursday, then it means that today is Thursday. If "today's Thursday" is said on Friday, then it's either or lie or a mistake, or something else.

Waking up, I thought that, really, what is said is as important as when it is said...

40

I dreamt as if we were sitting here and doing the same thing that we're doing now. Waking up, I thought that there really was nothing unusual about this...

41

I dreamt an uncountable number of various possibilities.

Waking up, I tried for a long time to remember something, anything...

42

On the very brink between dream and waking, I dreamt what whatever exists, does indeed exist.

Waking up, I thought: "That's how it should be..."

[notjustthegoodguys]

Mirajane Strauss tag dump;