Witchvspatriarchy - Witches Vs Patriarchy

IT👏IS👏NOT👏A👏COSTUME👏

It's original name is Calavera Garbancera (Chickpea Skull) and was created in Benito Juárez, Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada and Porfirio Díaz governments to express the discontent of the people and was a symbol of social and political denunciation that eventually became a traditional wear for day of the dead. This wear is called La Catrina, its not a representation of dead itself but that of a dead woman, and it was created by cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada.

(this 👇 is the original calavera garbancera engraved in metal)

Back then texts called calaveras alegres (cheerful skulls) were written by middle class people critiquing in a mocking way the upper class and the country's situation and were published in "combat newspapers" - this texts were accompanied by drawings of skulls and skeletons dressed in gala clothes, drinking pulque, riding on horseback and in high society parties but all of this in lackluster neighborhoods to represent the misery, the political mistakes and society's hypocrisy.

Origin of the name cheakpea skull: cheakpea merchants were notorious for being indigenous people that tried to pass as European and denied they're indigenous origins and their culture. They would dress in high class clothes but live very precariously. Posada tried to convey that in this work of art that was a critique to the Mexicans that were poor but tried to sustain an European lifestyle that they couldn't afford.

Originally she was naked except for a very big and elegant hat with ostrich feathers. Diego Rivera dressed her up and gave her the name La Catrina when he painted this mural 👇

(Catrin was the name given to extremely elegant and wealthy Mexican aristocracy in XIX)

Posada said this about his inspiration: "Death is democratic. Blonde, brunette; rich, poor; everyone ends up being skulls" and this quote is basically the reason she became so traditional on the day of the dead, since it represents so well mexicans point of view about it.

And the texts that accompanied her (the cheerful skulls) became the calaveritas literarias (literary skulls) which are traditionally Mexican verse compositions that are written on the eve of the day of the dead as a manifestation of culture to make fun of both the living and the dead, and remember that we are all going to die. They are written in a satirical or burlesque language and are very short texts that reflect all the spirit and festivity in the face of death.

This

Is

Not

A

Costume

It

Is

Mexican

Culture

“The most rage provoking element of being a female is the gaslighting that happens when for centuries we’ve been expected to absorb male behaviour, silently. Silent absorption of whatever any guy decides to do. And oftentimes when we, in our enlightened state or our emboldened state, now respond to bad male behaviour or somebody doing to something just out of line, that response is treated like the offence itself.”

🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

This. THIS

In many cultures, ethnic groups, and nations around the world, hair is considered a source of power and prestige. African people brought these traditions and beliefs to the Americas and passed them down through the generations.

In my mother’s family (Black Americans from rural South Carolina) the women don’t cut their hair off unless absolutely necessary (i.e damage or routine trimming). Long hair is considered a symbol of beauty and power; my mother often told me that our hair holds our strength and power. Though my mother’s family has been American born for several generations, it is fascinating to see the beliefs and traditions of our African ancestors passed down. We are emotionally and spiritually attached to our hair, cutting it only with the knowledge that we are starting completely clean and removing stagnant energy.

Couple this with the forced removal and covering of our hair from the times of slavery and onward, and you can see why so many Black women and men alike take such pride and care in their natural hair and love to adorn our heads with wigs, weaves, braids, twists, accessories, and sharp designs.

Hair is not just hair in African diaspora cultures, and this is why the appropriation and stigma surrounding our hair is so harmful.

What “every white person is racist” means

Everytime I see a post of “you can’t be white and not be racist” or something along those lines, there’s always a white person jumping in saying “i’m white and i’m not racist, you saying that is racist” and here’s the thing:

YES. In the USA specifically you cannot be white and not be racist. Why? Because in USA history white people have opressed black people and they have built a system in which they are benefited from their status as white folk.

So you may not consider yourself racist, and maybe you’re not, in the sense that you’re not hateful, or pro-salvery or part of the KKK - but you benefit from the systematic racism in your country. If you don’t recognize your privilege and actively try to deconstruct that system that benefits you while giving black folks the shorthand you are being racist cause you’re enabling that systematic racism - and because if you’re aware that you benefit from it and you don’t want to tackle it and deconstruct it is because you don’t want to lose that privilege. So, yes, it is racist. That makes you racist.

Plus, segregation was “abolished” in 1954 - 66 years ago, your grandparents and your parents were alive and learned the segregation way, you probably have been subconciously taught racism while you grow. Maybe little comments here and there, maybe you’ve been taught to not trust a black person when they come to your home, or you have been taught to lock your car doors when you’re inside and a black person passes by. Keep in mind these arent taught in a verbal way, this are little reaction-habits that are learned subconciously. So yeah, you are most probaly racist in one way or another. The same way all men are sexist, one way or another.

My dad for example, he doesn’t consider himself sexist, and most people wouldn’t either, he isn’t violent, or actively treats women as a lesser kind BUT every time we talk about celebrities his only focus is on the physical attraction of the female celebrities, ive hear him say many times “she’s not pretty enough to play that role”, while his focus on the male ones are about talents and scores and awards and stuff. Those are sexist comments, that is a very sexist pov to look at celebs, so yes, he is sexist.

THIS is what people need to understand, being racist, sexist, lgbtqphobe doesnt always present itself in an ugly oppressive agressive “im better than you and you dont deserve human rights” kind of way, sometimes its subtler and unintentional, and that’s where its dangerous cause most of this people really think they arent like that and when it gets pointed out they get defensive. They take pride in something they think they are, but arent willing to listen and grow.

Please read this!

+

can run

“Tell the world Johnny, tell them Johnny Depp, I Johnny Depp, a man, I'm a victim too of domestic violence, and see how many people believe or side with you” — Amber Heard to Johnny Depp in 2016.

Johnny Depp in 2022

The entire world believes and sides with him.

I'm kinda meh about roof gardens/ grass roofs bc they can accumulate a lot of weight and collapse/ cause leaks

But living walls? Mighty sexy

They provide natural insulation, which not only keeps the heat in during cold days, but keeps the heat out during hot ones. It's better planned and maintained than vines (depending on the plant ofc).

Flooding in urban areas can be reduced since the roots and the growing medium will hold in moisture. Air can be purified, and heat can be reduced because of evaporation.

I just love living walls

When people say white privilege doesn’t exist, use today as an example.

January 6th, 2021 will forever be #ExhibitA

dead