#without a good mythological source

[dailydemonspotlight]

Slime - Day 59

Race: Foul

Arcana: Chariot

Alignment: Dark-Chaos

June 20th, 2024

...What is there even to talk about here? It's- it's just a slime, man!

Vee-ho, come on! There's gotta be something there! Just look beneath the surface!

I'd rather not?! Look at this thing! It's disgusting!

cOme OooN mAn.. yoU doN'T gotTA Do mE liKe thaT...

Don't you dare insult my friend, ho! Look, even with all generic monsters, there's stuff to dig into, right? Besides, this skit is get-hee-ng annoying! Vee-ho, just go ah-hee-d and start!

...Jesus Christ, okay. How do I even begin with this? SMT has plenty of classical monster tropes that it has its own spins on- whether it be werewolves, vampires, or, well... slimes. Especially in the earlier games in the series, when the concepts of demons were far less well refined, fantasy monsters that some would call generic were dime-a-dozen, and slimes were no exception. In fact, they were everywhere! Sludge Slimes! Green Slimes! Blobs! However, as the series went on and the identity of a demon was given far more thought, most of these extra slime variants began to fade, leaving us only with the classic Slime and his big brother, Blob.

The thing is, nobody is really sure where the concept of Slimes came from, as there has been no single mythological mention that can definitively trace to the idea of a slime itself. This leaves us with a big issue, though! What the hell is this things deal?! I think I have an idea, but it's a bit strained. Slimes as we know them today originally appear all the way back in the first edition of D&D, back in 1974, but it's believed that the idea can be traced back even further, into the 1930's.

In fact, I think I have an idea that has been attested to by... Reddit. Yeah. Slimes may be based originally off of a type of monster described in the Lovecraft book 'At the Mountains of Madness' called a Shoggoth, combined with ideas of slime mold, and a general need for a generic enemy type. Shoggoth are described as massive amoeba-like creatures that glow gently and have eyes blinking all over them, able to form any organs and limbs they need at will. To quote,

It was a terrible, indescribable thing vaster than any subway train—a shapeless congeries of protoplasmic bubbles, faintly self-luminous, and with myriads of temporary eyes forming and un-forming as pustules of greenish light all over the tunnel-filling front that bore down upon us, crushing the frantic penguins and slithering over the glistening floor that it and its kind had swept so evilly free of all litter.

This idea can be further traced back to the idea of the Demiurge in the Hyperborean cycle, a series of short stories written by Clark Ashton Smith, but... that's when the trail runs cold. Clark was good friends with Lovecraft at the age, and they took many cues from each other, and I couldn't even find a good date for the original story that Ubbo-Sathla, the deity I'm referring to, originates from. What makes this even more frustrating is that I can't find a good hook to go into with this! What do I focus on? What do I circle around?!

Just think! C'mon!

You're not helping... but okay.

Slimes could also be based on the classic movie 'The Blob,' and combining that idea with Shoggoths could have given rise to this classical idea, but the thing is, linking an actual origin is difficult. It's incredibly possible that slimes are just the brainchild of a bunch of nerds who wanted to come up with an enemy for their very first TTRPG, and it stuck around ever since, becoming a staple of the fantasy genre for years upon years to come. Shit, slimes are insanely popular everywhere you look! There are entire manga revolving around them, the Dragon Quest series's main mascot and icon is a slime, the first boss in Terraria is a slime, and it's the most popular enemy type- shit, Gelatinous Cubes are some of the first things most people think of when they think of D&D! I gotta respect the fact that, in spite of the frustrations in researching these things, they're both cute and incredibly popular.

OoOoooO, dO I haVe faAns?

I'm getting a headache... I'm gonna go lay down.

She-hee left her computer on... I guess I'll wrap this up.

Overall, in the see-hee-ries, Slimes actual-hee have a rather unique disposition, especially in the Devil Summoner games! I really do enjoy the fact that they don't look too fri-hee-ndly in a lot of the games- as opposed to the marketable mascots of several other series, slimes in Megaten can be downright gross looking. Sorr-hee for the BTS drama in this one, I promise we'll get right back to it soon! Slimes are just a bit hard to look into, y'know.

...dO I gEt My caNdY noW?

Yeah, gimme a sec.

[wandamaximoffsbadgirl]

Now It's Always Summertime

History Professor!Reader x Student!Natasha Romanoff x Student!Wanda Maximoff

Summary: You're just trying to get your thoughts together for the upcoming semester, but there are a few distractions.

Word Count: 850

Warnings: Mentions of getting high, student professor relationship, age gap everyone is over 18.

A/N: I watched a Tik Tok that had the right vibes and this came to mind so here you go. A little treat.

You poured the black liquid from your stove top coffee maker into your glass mug. Your favorite mug with a world map on it. The steam bellowed from both the maker and your now full mug. The overhead lights of the office were off leaving the strings of fairy lights that adorned the bookshelves behind you and the warm glow of your desk lamp as the only sources of light. A Golden pothos falling over the sides of the shelves like waterfalls.

The leather bound notebook sat on your desk with coffee ring stains from setting your mug atop of the blank page. You always thought it gave the page character when one found its way to a page. You transferred your thoughts from the newest edition of the history text book you received for this upcoming semester. 

Going over your previous semesters lesson plan and improving on it with the new text book in mind. You taught a few different classes and with the short summer semester coming to an end only to pick back up. Before you'd have time to do anything it would be Autumn with a chill in the air worthy of the hot cup you sipped on.

A knock against the open doorframe brought you from your thoughts. Looking up over your glasses, hair slipping past your ear as your head moved. Your two favorite students stood in your doorway, Natasha Romanoff and Wanda Maximoff. Neither were history majors, but you seem to have captured their attention as they've now taken two of your classes. Your Western Civ I class along with your Mythology class. The two were already in your schedule for the Fall semester for Western Civ II and Wanda somehow snuck her way into your Norse mythology class. 

“What can I do for you girls?” You asked setting your pen down and picking up your mug, refilling it once more before taking a sip. The two girls stepped in and closed the door behind them. Natasha coming around to beside you and looking at the notes you took. 

“Is this for next semester?” The redheaded Russian asked as her finger ran over the words, a small smudge coming at the bottom where the fresh ink resided. You took her hand in your own after setting the mug down. Much like a mother would you licked one of your own fingers and used it to wipe the mark away on her finger.

“It is and I'd appreciate if my notes could stay intact. My thoughts are jumbled enough without you smudging them Tasha.” You looked up at the red head with a smirk plastered on your face and hers adorned a blush as Wanda came to your other side arms wrapping around your shoulders. 

“We wanted to know if we could help you with anything?” You felt her breath on the shell of your ear. Your attention moving from the Russian to the Sokovian. 

“I'm sure you two could be studying for your finals instead of coming to ask if I need help.” You raised an eyebrow to the brunette, the smirk still on your face as her forehead found your cheek. 

“Need some stress relief.” She murmured against you making a chuckle bubble up from your chest. Wanda let out a whine in protest of your chuckle. 

“Well she needs a stress relief. I'm getting high later.” Your head spun back to the redhead. 

“Without me? Rude.” Natasha started laughing along with you.

“Well I can bring it if you say we can come over tonight and then we can all have a good time.” Natasha wiggled her eyebrows and tugged on your hand that was still in hers. Another whine falling past Wanda's lips is what made you give in. 

“Okay. Okay you two can come over. We'll get high and have some stress relief from finals for everyone's sake.” Both girls became excited at the thought of getting to come over. 

You lived a ways away from campus so you never worried about anyone seeing the girls come over since the three of you started up this throuple of yours at the beginning of the summer semester. 

The classes were smaller and the two girls had already caught your eye. Since neither was a history major you figured once they got their history credits you'd never see them again. The campus was huge and the history building was nowhere near where these two spent the rest of their day. Yet when you saw their names once more you knew you had to say something. So as the old saying goes; one thing led to another and here we are. 

You wrapped and arm around Wanda, pulling her into your lap where her face now buried its away into the crook of your neck. Natasha just leaned against you. More than content to have you against her stomach. You never thought this is where you'd be when you started teaching here, but you couldn't be more happy, more full, more loved than you are with these two in your life.

[berk-brain-rot]

Brain worm of the day: Christian symbolism without preaching Christianity.

Literally just that, Berk can write a book, with a Christian story (Lazarus) on the title cover, and carry that story metaphorically through the entire book, while never making me, a person with severe trauma due to Christianity, ever feel triggered.

Because it's just symbolism, it's just metaphors, and to be quite frank, sometimes it's fueling my religious blasphemy:

That's it, that's all you get for the day, they're good at what they do, and what they do is sometimes weaving Christian symbolism with Greek mythology with a fictional angel with a single episode of the fictional angels show with their own personal grieving process until you're not actually sure where one of those starts and one of those ends.

As always, the source is always more interesting than anything I have to say, so if you haven't yet, go read Lazarus Rises(amongst other things) and follow them on their Tumblr @icaruspendragon because they write so many cool things beyond just their published book.

[amiti-art]

HI! I’m here to ask honest opinion on….Lore Olympus. I’m sorry for putting my opinion here….but I hate it. I’m sorry, I try to see it in a good way….put it paints Apollo as a horrible person. And there are other things that I’d respectfully don’t like about it.However, I want to see your opinion. That is if you’re willing to share it. BTW, I fricking love your drawings., especially the ones about Apollo and his myths! Have a good day or night!

Hello!

I'm glad you like my art 🫶🏻

So, Lore Olympus.

This probably won't come as a surprise to most people, considering how much Apollo art I've made, but I hate Lore Olympus. And not only because of how poorly Apollo was portrayed there.

I'm going to be honest with you: I never read much of it. I read maybe a few chapters some years ago because it was advertised as Greek mythology retelling, but I didn't continue because it was boring to me.

Much later, I saw a lot of posts pointing out all the things wrong with Lore Olympus, and boy oh boy, it's bad.

From what I've seen, it’s hardly a retelling; if the names of the characters were changed, nobody would realize this is supposed to be myth-inspired.

And look, I'm not saying you can't change anything when making a Greek mythology retelling, because it's simply impossible to keep everything the same as in the myths—especially when you want to create a story that covers many myths. The math isn't mathing when it comes to Greek mythology, because the myths changed over time, and different city-states had their own versions of the stories, so it's pretty impossible to make a cohesive timeline without changing something.

But from what I've seen, there isn't much Greek influence in this Greek mythology retelling. From the way the characters dress and speak to the food they eat, there is nothing Greek about this comic, it’s completely Americanized.

And I hate Americanization so much. I remember watching Netflix's "The Witcher" and being so disappointed because there was nothing Slavic about it. They kept Jaskier's original name from the books and called it a day. They turned it into another generic fantasy show.

I know that many Greek people feel the same way about Lore Olympus and other American adaptations of their myths. I love Percy Jackson, but the whole "gods moved to the USA because this is where Western civilization is" is just so icky to me. Greece still exists, hello??????

Back to Lore Olympus. For some reason it's fans think that the comic is a valid source for mythology, and they spread so much misinformation.

For the last time: Persephone was abducted in the myths. There is no version where she goes to the Underworld on her own.

Demeter is a heartbroken mother looking for her beloved daughter, not some evil helicopter parent standing between Persephone and her happiness. Justice for Apollo and Demeter.

Also, Persephone is sometimes drawn like a child and looks more like Hades' daughter than his wife. Why?????

And from what I've seen, Persephone is ridiculously powerful for some reason and fights Kronos or something???????

Also, apparently, Leto is portrayed as a manipulative mother????? Leto??? The Titan goddess of motherhood??? Why????

I don't understand why this comic got so popular, to be honest. Probably because of the artstyle.

[astrojulia]

Asteroid Tantalus (2102): Understanding Its Signs, Houses, and Planetary Aspects

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₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ About the Asteroid: Tantalus is a mythological figure. Once, daring to test the omniscience of the gods, he stole the divine delicacies and served them the flesh of his own son Pelops at a feast. As a punishment, he was cast into Tartarus, where, in a valley abundant in vegetation and water, he was sentenced to not being able to quench his hunger and thirst, since, when he approached the water, it drained and when he rose to gather the fruits of the trees , the branches moved out of reach under the force of the wind. The expression torment of Tantalus refers to the suffering of the one who wants something apparently close, however, unattainable, like the popular saying "So close and yet so far" - Wikipedia .

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Sources and inspirations: As I said, Tantalus is known for his eternal punishment for his unforgivable acts by the gods. As it is an asteroid, in a natal chart, I cannot see it as a great punishment for the individual, but more as something that, if done out of pure ego, will be severely punished. My sources were my astro mutual @a-d-nox. Also, the image template in from minikyuns on deviantart.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Asteroid Tantalus Rx: When this asteroid is in retrograde, the individual may turn their attention inward. They might reflect on the themes associated with Tartalus, such as power, authority, ego, and responsibility. This introspective phase can lead to a deeper understanding of how they've handled these themes in the past and how they wish to navigate them in the future.

Asteroid Tantalus in Signs

·˚ ꒰ Aries꒱This placement amplifies your desire for authority and leadership. You might be tempted to exploit your power or rush into decisions without considering their consequences. Your ambition and drive can sometimes border on egotism, making it essential to balance self-assurance with humility. You might also find that your impulsive actions hinder the attainment of your long-term goals, urging you to cultivate patience and strategic thinking. This placement encourages you to learn the art of measured action and to appreciate the journey rather than just the destination.

·˚ ꒰ Taurus꒱ There's a risk of overindulgence and an insatiable hunger for material possessions. This can lead to an inflated sense of self-worth and a tendency to disregard the needs of others. You may also struggle with authority figures and the misuse of power. Be cautious of impulsively reaching for possessions or financial gains without considering the long-term consequences. Recognizing when you're reaching for the unattainable can help you avoid unnecessary frustrations, leading to more stable and harmonious material pursuits.

·˚ ꒰ Gemini꒱ This placement might cause you to misuse your verbal prowess for personal gain . You may engage in superficial relationships to bolster your ego , while your impulsive words and actions can create misunderstandings. A lack of humility might make you resistant to feedback . The elusive nature of your goals could be due to scattered energy; focus on sustained efforts for true achievement. This placement challenges you to channel your intellect and communication skills for the greater good, avoiding the pitfalls of mental restlessness and thoughtless actions.

·˚ ꒰ Cancer꒱ You can manifest as emotional manipulation and a craving for control over others. You might struggle with humility when emotions cloud your judgment. This celestial influence can lead to a tendency to hoard emotional security and react impulsively to perceived threats . Be mindful of these tendencies to prevent your aspirations from constantly slipping away . This placement highlights the importance of understanding and nurturing your own emotions while maintaining healthy boundaries with others.

·˚ ꒰ Leo꒱ There's a heightened need for admiration and recognition . You might misuse your charisma and influence for self-serving purposes and overlook the feelings of those around you. Be cautious of impulsively seeking the spotlight , as this can hinder your larger goals . Cultivate humility to sustain your genuine connections and avoid overstepping boundaries. This placement encourages you to find the balance between your desire for self-expression and the needs of your community.

·˚ ꒰ Virgo꒱ This can lead to perfectionism and the tendency to micromanage others . While you strive for improvement, be wary of becoming overly critical and impulsive in your quest for flawlessness . Your humility might be challenged by the belief that you know best. Balancing realistic goals with a compassionate approach can mitigate the frustration of pursuits just out of reach . This placement encourages you to harness your analytical abilities for the greater good, emphasizing the importance of self-acceptance and understanding human imperfections.

·˚ ꒰ Libra꒱ This may manifest as a desire to manipulate situations to maintain “harmony” . You might struggle with making decisions that prioritize your own needs and act impulsively to keep others content . Developing humility could help you find genuine equilibrium in your relationships. Balancing your pursuit of fairness with practicality can prevent elusive goals from slipping away . This placement encourages you to explore the delicate balance between your personal desires and the needs of those around you, fostering true harmony through understanding.

·˚ ꒰ Scorpio꒱ This can intensify power struggles and manipulative tendencies . You might wrestle with a desire for control and secrecy. Beware of a sense of entitlement and ego-driven actions that can damage your relationships. Be mindful of impulsively pursuing intense emotions without considering their consequences. Temper your impulses with thoughtful consideration, and develop humility to avoid the pitfalls of ambition. Your pursuit of transformational goals will require patience and strategic planning. This placement challenges you to harness your intensity for profound change while maintaining ethical integrity.

·˚ ꒰ Sagittarius꒱ There's a risk of recklessness and impulsive decision-making . You might struggle to recognize boundaries when pursuing your adventurous endeavors. The quest for freedom might sometimes lead to egotistical behaviors that hinder your connections. Cultivating humility will be vital in learning from your experiences. Your pursuit of expansive goals can be fulfilling if grounded in realistic planning. This placement encourages you to explore the world with a sense of wonder while understanding the importance of measured exploration.

·˚ ꒰ Capricorn꒱ This can magnify your ambitions and drive for success . However, an excessive focus on power and authority might lead to arrogance and exploiting others for your gain. Be cautious of impulsive shortcuts that disregard ethical conduct. Embracing humility can help you maintain your position without losing sight of your values. Your enduring pursuit of goals will require careful planning and ethical decision-making. This placement challenges you to navigate the path to success with integrity, understanding that true power is rooted in responsibility.

·˚ ꒰ Aquarius꒱ This might lead to a desire for unconventional power and recognition. Your innovative ideas can sometimes lead to an inflated sense of uniqueness . Be cautious of impulsive actions that disregard the needs of the collective. Cultivating humility will help you foster genuine connections. Balancing your visionary pursuits with practical considerations can help you bridge the gap between your aspirations and reality . This placement encourages you to channel your creativity and forward-thinking ideas for the betterment of society while maintaining a sense of grounded humility.

·˚ ꒰ Pisces꒱This may lead to idealism and a desire for spiritual mastery . Be cautious of escapism and addiction as ways to cope with challenges. The pursuit of transcendence can sometimes lead to a lack of humility , creating barriers in your relationships. Strive for self-awareness to avoid being blinded by your own spiritual pursuits. Balancing your dreams with grounded actions will be key to achieving your goals. This placement encourages you to explore the depths of your intuition and spirituality while staying grounded in the practical aspects of life, fostering true spiritual growth through humility and self-awareness.

Asteroid Tantalus in Houses

·˚ ꒰ 1st house꒱ Can manifest as a strong desire for personal recognition and leadership. You may grapple with issues of authority and power in your life, striving to be in control. This could lead to egotism and a tendency to overstep boundaries . Your impulsive actions may be directed toward asserting your identity. Learning humility is crucial here to maintain healthy relationships and avoid isolation. The sense that your goals are just out of reach could drive you to constantly reinvent yourself.

·˚ ꒰ 2nd house꒱ There may be a strong desire for material wealth and possessions. You might be tempted to misuse your resources or engage in impulsive financial decisions. Guard against an inflated sense of self-worth based on your possessions. Cultivating humility in your approach to wealth is essential for sustainable financial growth. The feeling that financial stability is always slightly out of reach could motivate you to develop a solid financial strategy.

·˚ ꒰ 3rd house꒱ Can manifest as a desire for recognition through communication. You might misuse your words and manipulate situations for personal gain . Be cautious of an inflated sense of intellectual superiority that could hinder your relationships. Impulsive communication might lead to misunderstandings. Cultivating humility in your interactions can help you build more meaningful connections. The feeling that true understanding is just out of reach could drive you to explore deeper levels of knowledge.

·˚ ꒰ 4th house꒱ You might grapple with issues of control and power dynamics within your family . There's a risk of egotism and a need to dominate in your domestic sphere . Impulsive actions may disrupt family harmony. Cultivating humility is vital for maintaining a nurturing home environment. The sense that emotional fulfillment is just out of reach could motivate you to create a more balanced and harmonious family life.

·˚ ꒰ 5th house꒱ Can lead to a strong desire for recognition in creative endeavors and romantic pursuits. You might be tempted to misuse your creative talents or seek attention through dramatic gestures . Guard against an inflated ego that could hinder authentic self-expression. Cultivating humility in your creative and romantic interactions is essential for genuine connections. The feeling that true love and creative fulfillment are just out of reach could inspire you to seek more authentic expressions of self.

·˚ ꒰ 6th house꒱This may manifest as a desire for recognition through service and work. You might grapple with power struggles in your workplace or be tempted to assert your authority excessively . Impulsive actions could affect your daily routines and health. Cultivating humility in your service-oriented efforts can lead to more harmonious relationships with colleagues. The sense that a balanced and healthy life is just out of reach could drive you to develop a more sustainable approach to wellness and work.

·˚ ꒰ 7th house꒱ You may grapple with power dynamics and control in your relationships . There's a risk of egotism and a need to dominate your partnerships . Impulsive actions might lead to conflicts with others. Cultivating humility in your interactions with partners is essential for harmonious relationships. The feeling that true partnership and balance are just out of reach could motivate you to develop healthier and more equitable connections.

·˚ ꒰ 8th house꒱ Can manifest as a desire for control over shared resources and deep transformations . You might be tempted to misuse your power within joint ventures or financial matters . Be cautious of an inflated sense of importance or secrecy that could hinder emotional intimacy. Impulsive actions in shared matters might lead to conflicts. Cultivating humility is essential for navigating the complexities of shared resources. The feeling that true transformation and deep connections are just out of reach could drive you to explore the depths of your psyche more consciously.

·˚ ꒰ 9th house꒱There may be a strong desire for recognition through higher knowledge and exploration . You might be tempted to misuse your intellectual pursuits or beliefs . Guard against an inflated sense of wisdom or cultural superiority that could hinder your ability to connect with diverse perspectives. Impulsive actions related to travel or education might lead to misunderstandings. Cultivating humility in your quest for knowledge is essential for authentic growth. The sense that true enlightenment and expansive experiences are just out of reach could inspire you to explore a more balanced approach to learning and expansion.

·˚ ꒰ 10th house꒱Can lead to a strong desire for recognition and power in your career . You might grapple with authority figures or misuse your authority . There's a risk of egotism and a need to dominate your professional sphere . Impulsive actions related to your career could have consequences. Cultivating humility in your professional interactions is essential for lasting success. The feeling that true recognition and accomplishment are just out of reach could motivate you to develop a more authentic and ethical approach to your public life.

·˚ ꒰ 11th house꒱May manifest as a desire for recognition and power within your social circles . You might be tempted to misuse your influence or manipulate group dynamics . Be cautious of an inflated sense of importance in your social networks that could hinder genuine connections. Impulsive actions related to friendships might lead to misunderstandings. Cultivating humility in your interactions with friends and communities is essential for building lasting bonds. The sense that true collective change and friendship are just out of reach could motivate you to seek more meaningful connections.

·˚ ꒰ 12th house꒱ There may be a strong desire for recognition and power in your spiritual pursuits and inner world . You might grapple with issues of control within your subconscious . Guard against an inflated ego or spiritual superiority that could hinder your spiritual growth. Impulsive actions related to your inner world might lead to inner conflicts. Cultivating humility in your spiritual practices is essential for authentic spiritual progress. The feeling that true enlightenment and connection with your inner self are just out of reach could motivate you to embark on a more profound spiritual journey.

Asteroid Tantalus Aspecting the Planets

·˚ ꒰ Sun꒱When Asteroid Tartalus forms an easy aspect, such as a trine or sextile, with the Sun, it can indicate that the individual has a natural ability to balance power and authority with a sense of humility . They are often able to recognize their own strengths and weaknesses without inflating their ego . This aspect may bring a harmonious integration of their desires for recognition and their ability to wield power responsibly. When Asteroid Tartalus forms a hard aspect, such as a square or opposition, with the Sun, it can signal a more challenging dynamic between the desire for power and the need for humility . These individuals may struggle to balance their ambitions with an inflated ego , leading to power struggles and conflicts in their lives.

·˚ ꒰ Moon꒱ When Asteroid Tartalus forms an easy aspect, such as a trine or sextile, with the Moon, it can indicate that the individual has a natural ability to balance their emotional needs and desires with their power and authority . They are often able to recognize their emotional strengths and vulnerabilities without inflating their ego . This aspect may bring a harmonious integration of their emotional nature and their ability to wield power responsibly. When Asteroid Tartalus forms a hard aspect, such as a square or opposition, with the Moon, it can signal a more challenging dynamic between their emotional needs and their desire for power . These individuals may struggle to balance their emotional vulnerabilities with an inflated ego , leading to emotional conflicts and inner turmoil.

·˚ ꒰ Mercury꒱ When Asteroid Tartalus forms an easy aspect, such as a trine or sextile, with Mercury, it can indicate that the individual has a natural ability to balance their communication style, thinking processes, and intellectual pursuits with their power and authority . They are often able to communicate their ideas and thoughts effectively without inflating their ego . This aspect may bring a harmonious integration of their mental acumen and their ability to wield power responsibly. When Asteroid Tartalus forms a hard aspect, such as a square or opposition, with Mercury, it can signal a more challenging dynamic between their communication style, thinking processes, and intellectual pursuits and their desire for power . These individuals may struggle to balance their intellectual strengths with an inflated ego , leading to conflicts in communication and decision-making.

·˚ ꒰ Venus꒱When Asteroid Tartalus forms an easy aspect, such as a trine or sextile, with Venus, it can indicate that the individual has a natural ability to balance their love life, relationships, values, and aesthetics with their power and authority . They are often able to express love and affection without inflating their ego . This aspect may bring a harmonious integration of their emotional well-being and their ability to wield power responsibly. When Asteroid Tartalus forms a hard aspect, such as a square or opposition, with Venus, it can signal a more challenging dynamic between their love life, relationships, values, aesthetics , and their desire for power . These individuals may struggle to balance their desire for beauty, love, and harmony with an inflated ego , leading to conflicts in relationships and matters of the heart.

·˚ ꒰ Mars꒱ When Asteroid Tartalus forms an easy aspect, such as a trine or sextile, with Mars, it can indicate that the individual has a natural ability to balance their assertiveness, energy, desires, and actions with their power and authority . They are often able to assert themselves and take action without inflating their ego . This aspect may bring a harmonious integration of their drive and their ability to wield power responsibly. When Asteroid Tartalus forms a hard aspect, such as a square or opposition, with Mars, it can signal a more challenging dynamic between their assertiveness, energy, desires, and actions and their desire for power . These individuals may struggle to balance their ambition and assertiveness with an inflated ego , leading to power struggles, conflicts, or impulsivity.

·˚ ꒰ Jupiter꒱When Asteroid Tartalus forms an easy aspect, such as a trine or sextile, with Jupiter, it can indicate that the individual has a natural ability to balance their expansion, growth, optimism, and abundance with their power and authority . They are often able to pursue their goals and dreams without inflating their ego . This aspect may bring a harmonious integration of their expansive tendencies and their ability to wield power responsibly. When Asteroid Tartalus forms a hard aspect, such as a square or opposition, with Jupiter, it can signal a more challenging dynamic between their expansive tendencies, optimism, and abundance and their desire for power . These individuals may struggle to balance their enthusiasm and growth with an inflated ego , leading to conflicts, overindulgence, or impulsivity.

·˚ ꒰ Saturn꒱ When Asteroid Tartalus forms an easy aspect, such as a trine or sextile, with Saturn, it can indicate that the individual has a natural ability to balance their discipline, responsibility, structure, and long-term goals with their power and authority . They are often able to establish authority and achieve their ambitions without inflating their ego . This aspect may bring a harmonious integration of their disciplined nature and their ability to wield power responsibly. When Asteroid Tartalus forms a hard aspect, such as a square or opposition, with Saturn, it can signal a more challenging dynamic between their discipline, responsibility, structure, and long-term goals and their desire for power . These individuals may struggle to balance their ambition and authority with an inflated ego , leading to conflicts, rigidity, or impulsivity.

·˚ ꒰ Uranus꒱ When Asteroid Tartalus forms an easy aspect, such as a trine or sextile, with Uranus, it can indicate that the individual has a natural ability to balance their innovation, uniqueness, independence, and unconventional thinking with their power and authority . They are often able to embrace change and unique perspectives without inflating their ego . This aspect may bring a harmonious integration of their innovative spirit and their ability to wield power responsibly. When Asteroid Tartalus forms a hard aspect, such as a square or opposition, with Uranus, it can signal a more challenging dynamic between their innovative thinking, independence, and unconventional nature and their desire for power . These individuals may struggle to balance their urge for change and uniqueness with an inflated ego , leading to conflicts, rebelliousness, or impulsivity.

·˚ ꒰ Neptune꒱ When Asteroid Tartalus forms an easy aspect, such as a trine or sextile, with Neptune, it can indicate that the individual has a natural ability to balance their imagination, intuition, spirituality, and creativity with their power and authority . They are often able to embrace their inner world and spiritual side without inflating their ego . This aspect may bring a harmonious integration of their spiritual and creative nature and their ability to wield power responsibly. When Asteroid Tartalus forms a hard aspect, such as a square or opposition, with Neptune, it can signal a more challenging dynamic between their spiritual, creative, and intuitive nature and their desire for power . These individuals may struggle to balance their connection to the mystical and imaginative realms with an inflated ego , leading to conflicts, illusions, or impulsivity.

·˚ ꒰ Pluto꒱When Asteroid Tartalus forms an easy aspect, such as a trine or sextile, with Pluto, it can indicate that the individual has a natural ability to balance their transformation, power, intensity, and depth with their power and authority . They are often able to undergo profound personal changes and harness their inner strength without inflating their ego . This aspect may bring a harmonious integration of their transformative and intense nature and their ability to wield power responsibly. When Asteroid Tartalus forms a hard aspect, such as a square or opposition, with Pluto, it can signal a more challenging dynamic between their transformative, intense, and deep nature and their desire for power . These individuals may struggle to balance their drive for personal transformation and intensity with an inflated ego , leading to conflicts, power struggles, or impulsivity.

(CC) AstroJulia Some Rights Reserved

[twinsarekeepers]

I’m curious as to your honest thoughts on the show? Like I love pjo and all but the show was a bit of a let down writing wise. There’s always the point of “it’s an adaptation, not a carbon copy” like yes but this new writing isn’t exemplary better than the book just because it’s rewritten by the author himself

I think the show is well-written not because Rick is attached to it, but because I actually like the way the writers are approaching adapting the source material. I have a lot of issues with the original books in terms of writing quality because frankly speaking, I don’t think Rick is a very good writer. He has a lot of interesting things in those books that he never explores or drops within the first two and this fandom gives him and the books too much credit imo.

This is why I’m not very moved when people try to ascribe meaning to a certain scene or choice he made in the books to get mad at the show for changing. As an example, one of the main things people were upset about was the kids “knowing everything” in the show when they were getting tricked left and right in the book. Many posts were dedicated to how the book version is superior because it illustrates how they’re just twelve years old kids so of course they’ll make mistakes and get tricked by monsters.

That’s a perfectly fine interpretation but I was twelve years old when I first read tlt and I was able to anticipate almost every single trap, despite being pretty gullible and naive at that age. My knowledge of Greek mythology consisted of Disney’s Hercules, maybe two Google searches, and my second grade teacher’s reading of the kid friendly version of the Odyssey. No where near the level of Percy who’d been learning for a whole year in an established class on the topic with Chiron or Grover who was literally a satry born into the world or Annabeth, who spent the majority of her life dedicated to studying specifically quests and Greek mythology and was also on the run fighting monsters for a good portion of her childhood. Like twelve year olds can be dumb but those three stumbling into every trap was asking me to suspend my disbelief too far. I remember being upset that they weren’t able to figure it out because it was obvious that Rick wasn’t making that choice to show any personality flaws or character dynamics (because he would’ve had them learn and grow but they never did they just kept being not smart), he just wasn’t able to figure out a way for them to fall into those traps organically so he had to dumb them down.

I think the show was able to get across the characters’ childishness without compromising their established backstories. Yes, Annabeth knew it was Medusa right away because that makes sense for a kid who has experience with running into monsters. But, she still acted very much like a child in her interactions with her (and throughout the episode and season). She lashed out and called her a liar and wouldn’t listen to her side of the story because it painted her mother in a bad light. That’s peak twelve year old behavior.

Yes, Percy figured out Kronos was behind everything, but it makes sense because Percy knows Greek mythology and where Kronos resides. He still very much acts like a child when he asks Hades to give him back his mom in exchange for nothing because it’s the right thing to do.

There are dozens of examples like this for a lot of complaints of the show. And this is not me saying that the show is perfect: every single show has flaws. For me, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the dialogue or the exposition dumping. It didn’t hinder my enjoyment though because I don’t think it was egregious (and wrt the exposition dumping, I expected it because the book did it and there’s really no way to “show not tell” Greek myths). I also didn’t like that we didn’t get to really see the huge clashes between Zeus and Poseidon in the weather (we got references to it through news reports but I would’ve liked something more). I was able to look past it because I really liked the storytelling and the themes the show was pulling out of the original source material.

I loved Medusa-Sally parallels and Medusa-Annabeth parallels. I loved the juxtaposition of Pan’s quest to manifest density. I loved Percy and Annabeth’s opposite trajectory in respect to their relationships with their godly parents. I loved exploring Sally’s choice to send Percy to school instead of camp. I loved explicitly coding Annabeth as autistic. I loved Luke’s backstory being brought earlier into the story. I loved the deadline passing and Poseidon surrendering to save Percy. I loved Persues-Andromeda and percabeth parallels. I loved fleshing Grover out. I loved glory vs home seeking being the central theme of the show.

And lastly, I was able to understand that with a limited number of episodes and run time (due to the nature of child labor laws!), they did the best they could and I feel like they did a pretty good job for a first season.

These are not ALL of my thoughts on the show because that would be a very long post. I gave one detailed example of why I think the show succeeded in something the fandom tries to ascribe the books and it was like three paragraphs lol. Anyway this is not the post to try and convince me that the show is bad for whatever reason you have cooked up. I’m not going to change my mind and I doubt I’ll change yours. Here’s to a season 2 that builds on a solid season 1!

[wildflowercryptid]

now that kieran's champ look dropped, i could finally draw their mjverse designs for indigo disk. there's a 1 year timeskip between the 2 dlcs in my canon so i wanted to make them look a lil different to show that passage of time, ( carmine's not here bc i don't really see her look changing much. )

some info about what juliana and florian were up to during that 1 year gap under the cut! ⤵

JULIANA : after attaining her champion title and helping solve the team star situation, juliana's skills as a battler have become pretty well known around paldea. this new status initially ostracized her a bit from her peers, much like what nemona experienced, but she was able to show others that she was still just as approachable as she was before by tutoring some fellow students that wished to improve their battling skills. she's also realized that she really loves teaching others and is pretty damn good at it, too.

besides battling, juliana has also found a love of art thanks to hassel's art class. if you couldn't find her at the academy's battlefield, she'd most likely be working on a new piece in the art room. as a result, a lot of her clothes have speckled with paint ( like her favorite sneakers. ) seeing her passion for art and hoping to help her hone her skills, hassel took up the position as her mentor and is a great source of encouragement and support for her. juliana has also started dating penny soon after the end of post-game story.

FLORIAN : after getting back to mezagoza from his trip to kitakami, florian was a bit of an emotional wreak ( to say the least. ) he spent well over a month languishing over what happened with kieran, most of it spent moping around juliana and his shared dorm room while listening to heartbreak playlists. the rest was spent coming to the realization that his skills as a battler were still severely lacking. his last battle with kieran was an extremely close call, he only barely won with the skills he had gained during his journey through paldea. with how things were, there was no way he could fufill the duties of a pokémon professor if he couldn't effectively protect the pokémon entrusted to him, let alone himself or others he cares about. he couldn't keep resting on his laurels, he had to work towards improving himself.

so, for the past year, florian's poured himself into improving his battling skills with nemona and his sister's help. while he still isn't on their level, he's become quite the formidable battler. ogrepon, which he's given the nickname "pon-pon," has also become a staple of his team. the rest of his time is dedicated towards studying in the hopes of becoming pasio's next pokémon professor, being the most interested in mythology and terastallization. he still talks to arven frequently after he ( finally ) graduated, along with becoming friends with ortega and atticus. he even dated ortega briefly, but it was very clear that florian was still hung up on kieran so the relationship didn't last long, ( they're still good friends, though. )

when cyrano approaches the cavallari siblings and asks them to come to blueberry academy as exchange students, florian accepts the offer without hesitation. this could be his only chance to reconcile with kieran so there's no way he'd pass it up. juliana is happy to tag along since a school that focuses on battling sounds right up her alley, that and she's still peeved about not getting to go to kitakami. though, she's a little concerned for her brother and what may be waiting for him when they get there.

[writers-potion]

Hi! I just wanted to ask if you have any world building tips? I'm considering making a whole society and culture about a species that live on a planet in the Andromeda Galaxy.

Now for context, In my story, Earth doesn't know for sure that aliens exist, there are three characters that are going to be focused on in that universe are basically the first scouts that were sent after their society recently discovered Earth. Two on the planet and one stationed in a nearby celestial body which is where their "base" is, Their goal is to gather intel without alerting humans.

In terms of trying to imagine their biology, would it be good to first imagine the environment and climate of their planet and then address how their bodies adapt and deal with it or vice versa?

I'm also a bit worried about making them too humanlike in terms of their way of thinking since I thought they'd likely be very different from us without any chance of one influencing the other before the story.

Could I use certain myths and legends about non-human creatures as inspiration for the race of sentient beings I'm trying to come up with?

This is a lot so thank you so much if you do answer and I'm sorry if I asked too much of you. Have a nice day!

Inspiration for an Alien Species

For non-humanlike alien characters, look into pre-exising creatures and try tweaking them:

Take a historic/extinct animal and change it. 

Take two animals/insects/bacteria and combine their features. Tweak them until you land on something original.

You can start with a human, and add/subtract features. 

Use mythological creatures – they should offer a good source of intelligent nonhumans! Research about the kind of terrain these mythical creatures live. 

You requirements of how intelligent the aliens are, and what their primary activities are will also determine what physiological features you give them. 

Are they intelligent enough to use tools? What kind of machines? If they are to navigate complex machinery you need to give them arm-like appendages like tentacles, etc. 

What do they like doing most? What kind of sports do they play, and what kind of body parts would they need for that?

What do they eat? How do they eat? 

How do they reproduce?

Are they “pleasurable” to the typical human, or are they “disgusting” or “monstrous”?

Here are some features you could work with:

lead claws (for poison)

quil shooting

mantis arms

fire breathing (hydrogen also works as a flamable if you don't wanna use ethylene)

acid sptting (add venom sacks at the nose to squirt the acid) WARNING make sure the creature is immune to the acid, add a mucus to protect it from its acid.

multiple heads

forked tounge

electricution

bioluminesence

geovores (feeds on rocks)

whip tails

infared vision

gas (if you have seen poppy playtime chapter 3 catnap did this, if not than just imagine a creature breathing accept breathing out deadly gases on command)

Camoflouge

beaks

mandibled and/or multiple jaws

Alien First, or Planet First?

The choice between adapting your alien to the environment or adapting the environment to your alien depend on which of those your worldbuilding depends on. 

If your story is about an asteroid slamming into Earth and there happens to be life on it, the environment is more important. 

If the story is about a human girl befriending an alien, the alien is more important. 

Since you mentioned that your aliens are visiting Earth, your aliens (and how they navigate in a spaceship/Earth) seem more central to the storyline – you can think up of the alien you want, then build a planet they would thrive in. 

How to Differentiate Them 

Religion

Human religions provide (1) an origin story for the world and humans and (2) provide meaning to an essentially meaningless human existence. But what if your aliens have the ability to see far into the past and into the future? God as a Creater wouldn’t work in their world. 

Religion as a response to their physiological needs. E.g. An alien species that have to hibernate would value the God of Warmth the most. 

Religion as a response to a hostile envrionment. What elements of nature do your aliens fear the most? Are they agricultural? What’s their main source of energy? 

Language

Human language is mostly dependent on sound and vision. What if your aliens only communicated via touch, taste or smell?

Based on their habits and social organization, come up with a list of alien vocab. 

French musician Jean-François Sudre created an artificial language called “Solresol”. His language has seven syllables to match the heptatonic musical scale. However, a writer could convert the notes into the seven colors of the rainbow and use Solresol as the basis of a color-based alien language.

What body language do they have to express emotions?

History

Come up with a rough timeline of alien world history. Outline major wars, technological developments, major pandemics, artists and politicians. 

Given their history and culture, how would they view humans?

History repeats itself. 

Art

Standards of beauty are dependent on biology. Scientists say that the faces humans find the most attractive are the most likely to be healthy and fertile.

What standards of beauty would your aliens develop?

What sorts of biological advances would they look for in a mate?

What kind of art would aliens develop if they saw heat, rather than light? 

What about aliens who communicated via smell? 

What kind of art would a race of sentient trees create? Could you create art if you were immobile?

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* . ───

💎If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 

💎Before you ask, check out my masterpost part 1 and part 2 

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[janehaster]

Dwarves and Magic: The Wild Card

Everyone's talking about how elves will be relevant to Veilguard, because elves this, elves that, Solas, the Evanuris, Arlathan, eluvians, ancient elven magic, asf

But what people have been ignoring so far is HARDING USING MAGIC. And TITANS. And SOLAS' POWER TO PETRIFY PEOPLE BEING EXACTLY THE SAME AS HARDING'S (which btw WAS ALSO MYTHAL'S POWER!!!)

Plus, THE PROPHECY. (Wait, what prophecy, OP?) THE PROPHECY, MY GOOD BITCH. The one spoken by Sandal in DA 2. Enchantment boy, who had been touched by a Titan and could use magic, petrifying people Solas/Mythal style. But back then, no one knew that.

Again, I'm gonna say it: Titans are the wild card here. I don't think they were shown in Descent just so that we would get to play another cool DLC. There's A STRONG LINK between Titans and the Evanuris, and it was SO IMPORTANT only completionists bothered to find out about it in the Trespasser DLC:

The mural Death of a Titan shows Mythal being able to subdue a Titan and kill it (if such creature can even be killed). AND THEN MYTHAL INHERITS ITS POWER, being able to turn people to stone with a mere gaze

She was this almighty creature all along, but mostly kept to herself. Hell, she could've ended the fucking Blight by herself in DA:Origins if she wanted. Guess she preferred to let other people do her work, huh?

But the main point is: the Titans hold a mysterious, unfathomable magical power which hasn't even begun to be explored in the DA lore. And that power seems to be the key for many important things in the DA universe. As I said in another post, I'm fully convinced by now the Black City IS A TITAN, one who has been killed or sundered, and The Fade is likely either its broken body or its dreamless mind. For The Fade to be whole again, its core (or Sun) would have to be restored, and that's likely how the Blight would be finally defeated once and for all.

It's worth noting that, in ancient mythology, Earth is represented as being alive and even as a deity. Titans could very well be the Divine Aspect of Thedas, alive and connected to all life on that world, and magic would be a manifestation of their holy nature. By killing a God - a Titan -, one would then become a God themselves. But at what cost?

So far, we always thought elves were central to understanding the source of magic and immortality. But given how Bioware casually slipped Titans under our noses and even gave us some secret lore with that mural, I place all my bets in that the TRUE secret to learning the source of magic and of immortality lies in learning more about the Titans. They're the missing piece of the puzzle, without which, fans keep going in circles trying to make sense of it all, only for the greater picture to elude them at every turn.

As Sandal said, all magic will return, and everything will be as it once were. And the secret for that to happen lies not with ancient elves, or elven secrets. It lies within the very earth. With the dwarves and their forgotten true gods: the Titans.

[what-even-is-thiss]

Since people ask me a lot how to research this or that type of mythology or religion I'll just tell you how I go about researching mythology and religion I'm not familiar with in general.

Keep in mind I'm not an expert. I'm just a guy who reads a lot about mythology.

So first, know what you're looking for. What culture's belief system are we looking at? Because you can't just look at a broad region. If you wanna know about "African" or "Asian" mythology generally that will not help you. You need to be looking at something specific. A specific group or religion.

So let's say, as an example, you want to research the stories and beliefs and history of Tibetan Buddhism. Because that's something I'm looking into researching right now, so I'll take you through my process of getting started on it.

So the first thing I do is... google Tibetan Buddhism. Now this is a still-living religion that has continuously been practiced since it's founding, so I scroll past the Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Britannica entries until I find something by the people currently practicing it. In this case, I found an article by the Sakya Monastery in Seattle that gives a basic overview of their beliefs and different types of the religion that is currently practiced. This is what I'm looking for. I want to give myself a fairly good foundation of understanding of what's going on here before I start digging past the surface.

After this, I look for more articles and videos by monasteries explaining the basics. If this were from a religion that is either dead or has not been practiced continually since its founding I would skip all this and just go to the next step. Watching YouTube videos made by outsiders.

So after I give myself an idea of how people who practice the religion present themselves, I go searching on YouTube for overviews. I'm specifically interested in videos made by people that regularly make videos about this kind of thing and take it seriously. Sometimes this can take some digging. Something to look for is people who cite their sources, people who present the facts without outward judgement, and people who acknowledge their own biases while they explain these things.

A lot of these videos often give me ideas for books and primary sources to start referencing. With Tibetan Buddhism there's a lot of the regular Buddhism texts, along with a few others. I'm not looking to become an expert in this religion or convert to it, so I'll settle for reading about these books. I'm fairly familiar with Zen Buddhism specifically and the history of Buddhism more generally so this helps me a teeny bit here but Tibetan Buddhism is very specifically its own thing so I start googling specific stories and types of practices mentioned in the videos and articles I've been using.

Once I have been reading things from various different perspectives and feel comfortable enough to the point where I feel like I could explain the basics to someone who knows nothing about the mythology or belief system, this is the point where I start looking into books. This is also the part where I actually start combing through various Wikipedia articles, following chains and looking through reference sections to see if there's any good sources I should be digging into.

When I look to buy or borrow books, it depends on how in-depth I want to go. As is, I'm probably gonna buy a couple of different books on a beginners guide to Tibetan Buddhism and perhaps something on the history of it. With each book I consider I look up the author. Are they an expert in this subject? Do they practice this religion? Would I rather buy a book by someone that follows the religion or someone that's a scholar of it? Because you will get very different results depending on who is writing it. Things written for spiritual purposes are very different from purely educational books, so what do you want to get out of this research? Are you just looking for entertainment? Do you just want to be more knowledgeable about the world in general? Does someone you love find importance in this subject? Are you doing research for a project? Are you looking to incorporate aspects of this religion into your own life? The types of books you buy or borrow will heavily depend on your intentions and you should be careful about actually reading the book descriptions and reading the backgrounds of the authors to make sure you're buying the correct one for what you're hoping to get out of this.

My purpose in this case is simply feeding my own curiosity, so I'm leaning towards buying Essential Tibetan Buddhism by Robert A. F. Thurman. It's a bit old but it's written by someone that's a professor of Tibetan studies and has translations of some essential texts in it, so it seems like a good starting point for me, and possibly also an ending point. Because like I said, this is mostly about my own curiosity.

If I wanted to dig further I'd probably start looking into the reference sections of various books for other things to read, start digging into lists of primary sources, possibly find free to watch lectures online by people with doctorates in this sort of thing, and read into primary sources I find referenced in the various secondary sources I've been consulting up to this point.

Basically, start on the surface and follow the rabbithole down. And always remember that the perspectives of people who study something in a secular way for a living and people who actively practice a religion will be different from each other. Pick and choose what sources you use depending on what your intentions are. Reading something about Orphic hymns for scholarly reasons or for other research purposes and reading Orphic hymns because you're a Hellenistic pagan who wants to incorporate them into your personal practice are two extremely different things. Both are valid reasons to buy a book on Orphic hymns but the two books that the two hypothetical people here would buy are very very different from each other.

Good luck out there and always be respectful while you're poking around.

[alpaca-clouds]

One Quick Thing about the historical Elisabeth Báthory

Okay, I do need to talk about the historical Elisabeth Báthory, because my inner "well, actually" needs to get this one out there. People who watched Nocturne will probably be at least vaguely aware of the entire mythology around the historical Elisabeth Báthory and how she got connected to the entire story.

She was a Hungarian noblewoman and the reason why she is remembered while most Hungarian nobles are not is the entire outrage around her alleged crimes.

The story goes somewhat like this: Elisabeth Báthory was very afraid of growing old. One day one of her maids cut herself and the blood dripped on Báthory's skin. Which on the next day was so much smoother. After which she became convinced that the blood of girls and young women would hold her aging. So, she had girls brought to her castle to bleed them dry and then bathe in their blood.

It is said she killed more than 300 young women like this, which she was charged with. Given she was a noble she was actually convicted for it, but given she was a noble, the punishment was only "house arrest" in her castle. Never the less she died just three years later of unknown (but probably medical) causes at the age of 54.

So, here is the thing why I want to talk about this. Now, please note: I do not think this will play any role in Castlevania: Nocturne. I think there she really just is a bad guy. But... I just gotta talk about it.

Because today scholars are at times questioning whether the story how it often is remembered. There is a by now very common theory that the reason for her accusations were two-fold: For one, she was a single woman who held a lot of money and power. For the other, she was practicing medicine, learning it partly from herbal practicioners, but also incorporating "modern" knowledge at the time.

Basically, she was already rich because her husband was rich. Then she just happened to be very good at politics, making her - as a widow - amass more power and riches. And people looked unfavorably onto her as a woman having this much influence and riches without a man attached to her.

The other aspect is, that we know she wrote about medicine. She did medical research on her own. And yes, even though she incorporated more herbal knowledge (something people frowned upon at the time, by the way), a lot of medical knowledge at the time also involved a lot of bloodletting. And there is some historical sources out there that show that at least some folks she tried to treat died through her treatment.

So, I got this one out of my system. I just needed to bring this one up. Because the two big historical serial killers we know about might well both have been innocent. The other being Gilles de Rais, who also is the main antagonist in my Castlevania fanfiction The lesser Evil (which you should totally read) - but there it also is a plotpoint that he was innocent.

Okay. That's it for now. I am out.

[figayda-rights]

I'm not 100% sure how I feel about MisMag. But I do want to say that they can't just slap the word parody on something and say that's enough to make it a critique. Crown of Candy doesn't critique Game of Thrones. Coffin Run doesn't critique vampires. Weird Al doesn't critique music. Parody is just adopting a style fir humorous effect. It contains no other meaningful engagement with the source material

exactly. Something being a parody doesn't make it a critique or satire. Something being BASED on something else doesn't even necessarily make it a parody. Like, you can't just pull together commonly used themes and pop culture environments and call something parody or satire. Is Anne of Green Gables a parody of Canada? Is Percy Jackson a parody of Mythology? Or are they just Set In Those Environments.

You NEED clarity of purpose, intent, execution, and message for satire. You need to actually have the insight and want to take a look at the source material, understand how it impacts the world, and use comedy and contrast to lay bare it's problems and impacts. There is a reason good satire is hard to do, and good satirists few and far between.

This is why without insight or input from actual trans women or Jewish people, mismag could never be satire. No one else has the experience in those identities enough to hold a mirror up to the source material and in any way create satire of it's issues. The Creator is attempting to say something in a conversation she simply doesn't have the experiences to speak about.

A love letter to a wildly misremembered transphobic childhood obsession isn't satire. Even if you say ""fuck terfs"".

[bots-and-cons]

I loved the werewolf headcanons you did for that other anon! if you could, i'd love to have headcanons for the same but for tfp optimus, ratchet, and bulkhead :D (ps, am i the only person who only watched the wolf scenes of twilight because i thought they were cool but never had the attention span to watch the whole movies 😅)

A/N: The first part with the cons can be found here. This was pretty fun to write tbh. I put a lot of those fanfic werewolf things into this, since I thought it was pretty funny last time. I didn’t do Bulkhead because I didn’t feel like it. Also no you’re not the only one who does that, I have a friend who watches the movies purely for the werewolves

~Optimus Prime~

•Optimus had no idea that werewolves even existed before you told him you were one

•When you first transformed in front of him, he was mostly just curious, he gave you a little pet, very carefully

•You quite enjoy getting some scratches behind your ears and Optimus thinks you’re very adorable

•Being the former archivist he is, he of course wants to do some research to know more about werewolves

•He ends up getting his information from some questionable sources aka some fanfiction and “mythology” sites, but a lot of the information seems contradictory, or just different depending on the source

•So when he comes to you with some questions, you have to correct him a lot

•He asks about the whole “alpha, beta, omega” thing, and he’s got it very, very wrong

•You tell him that, alphas are pack leaders, betas are the second in command and omegas are lone wolves without a pack, but it has absolutely nothing to with the fictional sex thing that fanfiction is about

•Optimus was pretty skeptical about that to begin with, but he wanted to make sure so he asked you

•You really love running in the woods, and you sometimes go with Optimus on scouting missions or patrol

•Your sense of smell is as good in your human form as it is in your wolf form, so you’re a great tracker

•The cybertronians smell a bit odd to you normally and when Optimus comes back from missions, his scent can sometimes be really bothersome to your sensitive nose

•You love sleeping on Optimus’ chest in your wolf form, it’s just nice to be close to him and the scritches and pets aren’t bad either

~Ratchet~

•When you finally revealed your werewolf side to him, his reaction was pretty bland to be honest

•In his head he was pretty much going “What in the name of Primus?!” because how can humans keep getting more complicated?

•You’d think there’d be some sort of limit on how weird things can get but apparently that’s not the case

•You keep revealing new sides of yourself to him, and he discovers more about you every day, but usually the things aren’t as big as you being a werewolf but still

•He doesn’t have a ton of questions, mostly just if there’s anything he needs to know in connection to your health or safety

•His first concern is if your transformation and if it hurts

•He does learn from Miko that werewolves are supposed to only turn on full moons and be aggressive during that time

•He of course sees that this is not correct, when you transform in the middle of the day

•Also the aggressive thing doesn’t seem to apply either, which Ratchet is just glad about, because he would rather not quarantine you every full moon

•The werewolf thing doesn’t bother him, he’s just worried about the fact that your internal body temperature is so high

•Of course it’s natural for you but he still thinks it’s odd, but he just accepts it as another one of your nonhuman features

•In your wolf form you’re a very big, fast and also fluffy, and you’re protective of your family, which is the autobots and the kids

•You’re always looking after the trouble trio of Miko, Raf and Jack and you’re very good at it

•You can always smell the cons a mile away, so you know to keep the kids away from them

[eldritchboop]

I am Angry at The Lost Book Project so please enjoy this curated list of ebooks

TL;DR: A company is trying to resell books from the Internet Archive at a markup. Here are roundups to all the free links instead.

Please donate to the Internet Archive if you find this post valuable.

42 Ancient Medicinal Plant Remedies

7 Lost Books and Texts on Meditation

The Witchcraft and Magic Collection (51 books)

11 Secret Books for Spiritual Seekers

11 Classic Numerology Books

The Lost Entrepreneurs Handbooks

21 Rare Books on Sacred Sexuality and Magick

16 Seminal Books on Law of Attraction and Manifestation

The Ancient Greece Collection - 36 Rare Books

The Ancient Key to The Tarot - 21 Books

The Definitive Demonology Book Collection

33 Rare Hidden Books on Freemasonry

The Manly P. Hall Collection

45 Rare Supernatural Books - Ghost Stories and Mysteries

37 Ancient Lost Texts on Buddhism

20 Books On Astrology, Zodiac and Horoscopes

The Lost Book of Spells - Spellbooks and Rituals

37 Lost Books on Ancient Mesopotamia

18 Lost Alchemy and Occult Science Books Works Of Sir George Ripley

The Vikings & Norse Mythology Book Collection

My angry rant as to why I am willing to do this in my spare time is below the break.

So I received a target Facebook ad for a website called the Lost Book Project (I refuse to link to them) advertising a collection of herbal books for a nice low price. Problem - the first book I saw them selling was Culpepper's Herbal from the 1600s, meaning it's well outside copyright. I own a digital copy for this reason!

So logically, I decided to check if the other books on the list, most of which are outside copyright, were also available on Archive.org. Sure enough, the whole list is available there.

Now, for starters, this makes me INCREDIBLY angry. It's not illegal to sell out-of-copyright books, but the Internet Archive is my favorite place for old books, and like Wikipedia they operate entirely on donations. Their average donation is $17 - just about the cost of this collection.

Websites that are making money off of a free service by locking them behind a paywall are anathema to everything that the Internet Archive stands for. Furthermore, if you're in the US or UK (where most of these books are sourced from), your tax dollars have already paid for these books to be stored and digitized.

EDIT: I have also noticed that two many books are still in publication and under copyright! I have sent notices to their publishers.

Things like this activate my sense of fairness to the nth degree. I hate scammers. I hate people who sell things without adding value. And I really hate it when they're taking money from good institutions that need it. Imagine if half of the people who paid for these books donated instead!?

So please help yourself to the links on each roundup. I'll continue to do the work needed to link all of the books they offer to their proper sources.

And fuck companies exploiting the work of others for their own profit.

[genericpuff]

Im trying to write a Hymn of Demeter based story element in a story with many characters, but want to avoid possibly being offensive to Greek mythology. I know many comics bend the rules a bit and take inspiration instead of full on adapting the mythos. Any advice on good comics that meet in the middle with this, or ways to avoid this so I don't end up accidentally having similar problems to stories like Lore Olympic. (For reference I have read Plunderland and Theo mania, just if you have any tips I'd greatly appreciate them!

My presphone is already on the more serious dark humor side get shit done side so it's definitely not 100% accurate to the hymn

You'd be better off asking someone who's actually Greek when it comes to cultural respect, that said, Lore Olympus disrespecting Greek myth doesn't really have to do with it being a modern interpretation or taking creative liberties with the original story and its characters, it has more to do with how much it's morphed public opinion and knowledge of the myth both through how it doesn't regularly remind readers that it's fanfiction and its creator who claims to be "better read" on Greek myth on other people (which she very clearly isn't). Even Hercules is frankly more respectful towards its source material than LO in spite of all its inaccuracies (Hercules' name, Hades trying to overthrow the Underworld, Zeus being a loyal husband, etc. lol) because Disney makes it clear it's meant to be purely for entertainment purposes for general audiences (kids and parents!), and you can tell the animators and artists put a lot of work into stylizing a film that was uniquely Greek. Plus the writing and characterizations are genuinely well done, it doesn't feel like it's spitting in the face of Greek myth like LO does lmao Supergiant's Hades and Hadestown also attempt to tell either retold or completely new stories through the lens of Greek myth characters and settings. Even works that aren't retellings like Final Fantasy XIV manage to include Greek myth references and parallels without being disrespectful to Greek culture or myth as a whole.

The real beauty of Greek myth is that it's something that's been retold and re-interpreted into all kinds of works - the stories and its characters are timeless and can be adapted into just about anything! There's always more room for fun and unique Greek myth interpretations, retellings, fanfiction, etc. just be on top of your research and be clear in your goals and intentions with your audience (whether you're trying to do a serious and accurate retelling vs. using Greek myth as simply points of reference vs. writing cozy fanfic of Greek myth material etc.) !!!

So unless you go around calling yourself a "folklorist" or allowing whatever readers you gain to run around calling your work fact, you're likely not gonna cause the same kind or amount of damage to the Greek myth community and its stories that LO has (￣ω￣;)

[librarycards]

At the origin of trans medicalization lies what remains a fatal flaw: there was, and is, no way to objectively diagnose someone as trans, except if you accept that they want to transition. The problem of detransition is therefore a mythology, the accumulated effect of decades of storytelling to justify why doctors and psychiatrists had to reject trans people without being able to say it was because they aren’t objectively trans. Detransition, much like its cousin, medicalization, are mythologies that rationalize the intense social hatred of transition acted out by clinicians, dressing it up as sober caution.

Any pundit today can take up the vast field of out-of-date studies from this era, online misinformation, and the cultural shock value attached to changing sex to rationalize a call for limits on transition, but they will get no closer to legitimacy than the brutality of the gender clinic of the 1970s. They call for more guardrails, more caution, or more psychological assessment, not needing to know that what they really call for is the medical totalitarianism of yesteryear, barely blunted in recent reforms. For at the heart of the myth that transition is something that people can accidentally do despite how impossible it is to obtain in the real world is an uncomfortable truth. There is a form of social and political control implemented by medicine, a way to sever an unpopular minority from their own bodies and then sell back limited access to their bodies if they will submit to a set of trials to prove they can be good people, or at least made better. The people opposed to that kind of medicalization simply think that trans people enjoy no right to their bodies at all, under any circumstances.

If you want to debunk the politicization of detransition, by all means, seek out credible sources that do so. My point is more elementary. I ask you this, New York Times reader: if, tomorrow, your ability to make decisions about your own body were taken away from you, and the only way to get it back was to submit to the process that trans people go through to transition, would you agree to those terms? If you would not, then why are you okay with it happening to us?

Jules Gill-Peterson, Detransition is a Mythology

[emphasis mine]