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2 weeks ago

Stop equating animism with anthropomorphism challenge, go!

In my worldview and my understanding of animism, it is more about acknowledging and recognizing that everything on this planet is a part of the planet's whole and that each thing - no matter how big or how small - carries a spark of that whole within its part. That spark does not in any way apply the meaning of "life" as we know it and certainly not human-like intelligence or emotional capacities.

To not appropriate the terms from another culture, the best word for this spark is most likely "spirit" but that is where things get tricky. We often call the remaining presence of a human after death a spirit, but we mean very different things here despite using the same term. When used to describe what resides within all things on this planet, I would say that "spirit" here means something more akin to "life force". But that also gets confusing because by calling it "life force" it can get confused with "living" which is also not really what is meant at all.

If one considers, for a second, that every object inside of your house has one thing in common - to paraphrase Carl Sagan: every bit of it is made of star stuff. More specifically, we exist because of vast volcanic eruptions early in our planet's history so we could say instead (and this is a deeper hint into my personal religious predilections here): it is all made of volcano stuff.

That to me, that space stuff, or that volcano stuff, that is the spark of life - that is the spirit - that is the life force within all things.

That doesn't mean that all things are living (obviously?). That doesn't mean that all things have a big S Spirit or that they have sentience, intelligence, and most certainly it does not mean that they have human-like emotions.

What it does mean is that once upon a time, every object - your plant, your toenail, your cat, your spork - all of them were a part of the primordial fire that created all of this (/crazyhandwaving). That each thing plays its role and has its place. And because it has a role to play and a place - it is deserving of respect.

How does this idea of respect for everything play out in my life? I think about what I consume. I try not to throw things away unnecessarily. I care for the objects in my life by cleaning them, using them as intended, storing them properly, etc. It means that I don't value humans over the other creatures on this planet (we are all made of the same volcano stuff and this is the home to all of it). It means that I don't value the life of animals over the life of plants (sorry vegans - you keep doing you but that doesn't work for me). But that doesn't mean sentience. My knife isn't out to get me and won't get mad if I use another knife because it is an object. It has a simple existence: it is made for cutting. Do I think that you can imbue an object with something more than that? Yes, but I don't believe that it is a simple matter to do so and I don't think that it just happens. I strongly suspect that even knives that have been used to inflict great harm are still most likely just knives. Perhaps it is best to understand that in order for anything to experience the world in the way that we, as humans, experience the world, it would have to be quite close to human. Yes, your cat may experience some level of jealousy if you pet your other animals - or get mad at you when you go away from two weeks; but watch how quickly those emotions leave your animal. Compare that to the way that a human acts and how long emotions remain. Then consider, in the relative scheme of things, how close your cat is to a human.

Your plant doesn't get mad at you if you don't water it. Your house doesn't get resentful if you fall into a depression and can't sweep the floors. In my worldview, even the gods aren't as rageful as we've been led to believe - most of that is just made-up human shit.

And honestly, that makes me feel better about my life, and it makes me feel connected, which is why I keep believing in it.


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4 weeks ago

Spell Energetics: How to Apply the concept of Herbal Energetics to your spell work

Spell Energetics: How To Apply The Concept Of Herbal Energetics To Your Spell Work

Note: I'm drawing here from my knowledge of herbal energetics as they are recognized in multiple herbalism systems, my knowledge of astrology, and the concepts of sympathetic magic - if this isn't your thing, please just move along.

The four elements and the concepts of Energetics run consistently through the framework of much of the Western magic systems but it's something that is often overlooked. Suppose rather than relegating the elements to something that we call upon ritualistically to join us in our magic works (or, that must be represented on an altar), we instead stop and consider what they are, and what they do. In that case, we can gain a deeper understanding of how magic works on a human being.

The idea of the four elements and their associated qualities (dry, warm, cool, and moist - now known as herbal energetics) comes from the Athenian philosopher Aristotle. The fire element is warm, the earth element is cool, the air element is dry, and the water element is wet. This shows a remarkable difference from the modern astrological association of earth being opposed to water, and air to fire as it is shown on the astrological wheel; here, hot is opposed to cold (fire to earth) and dry to wet (air to water). It is worth noting that this can be somewhat proven through action - earth puts out fire, for instance. Today, we understand that there is more to healthfulness than balancing energetics (thank you antibiotics, vaccines, and insert your favorite modern medical miracle here) but there are still a number of views on wellness that encourage considering them. Maybe someday I will write more of this and how it relates to synastry, but let's focus on how this can be used in magic.

From here, we need to take a dive into modern herbalism. Why are we doing this? Because most people use all sorts of herbal components as ingredients in our spells and many of our correspondences have their roots in how that plant matter interacts with the human body. One of the major considerations when choosing an herb is what its Action is on the human body. These actions include Heating (Warm/Fire), Cooling (Cool/Water), Drying (Dry/Air), and Wetting (Moist/Water).

We use these actions all of the time without even knowing that we are doing them. Most cocktail people know that you want to drink a Mint Julip in the summer to cool you down (mint is a Cooling herb). On the other hand, if you need a pick me up, Chai tea which is full of warming herbs - even noncaffeinated versions like Bengal Spice - does the trick. The marshmallow (a Moist herb) does the coating of the throat in "Throat Coat" tea. The conditions of warm/cool/dry/moist are so normal to use as human beings that we tend to overlook them and adjust for them automatically.

With this in mind, I want to bring up a few ways in which this can be applied in witchcraft.

Warm is nice and pleasant. A lot of the warming herbs are used in money and sex magic - they make us feel good. But, like any good thing, they might need to be consumed in moderation. Candles carry the innate action of warmth and just think about how important fire safety is. Some herbs that warm cannot always be handled with bare hands (spicy peppers cause capsaicin burns) and these have long-documented uses in baneful magics of all kinds.

Cool magic can be used to calm and control. It can be used to put a particular situation on ice so that you don't have to deal with it. It can bring down fevers. It can soothe bad tempers and hot-headedness. It can preserve. It can also protect and insulate.

Dry magic can also be used to preserve. It can dry up emotions and stifle passion. It can draw out something or draw something away from a situation. It can create space.

Moist magic can be overflowing and generous. It can also be stagnant and suffocating. Moisture can revive life. It can also drown it.

It is worth noting that all aspects of these factors are always present in our lives. And they don't exist in a vacuum - everything is a combination of the two Aristotlean categories: you have Warm Moist or Warm Dry, and Cool Moist or Cool Dry.

We use these principles in magic all of the time. Anytime that you are using a liquid in a jar spell, you are applying the concept of Moist. If you are applying salt or rice to drain an object, you are using the concept of Dry. A freezer spell is an obvious example of Cool and any time that you are burning something you are using the concept of Warm.

But let's go a step further. If you are trying to do a warming spell, wouldn't it make sense to use specifically only warming herbs - or, at least - herbs that don't counteract Warmth (aka abstain from using cooling herbs?). Remember, these herbs have a natural and calculable effect on the human body so one would assume that, when used as part of a spell directed at a human body, they will have a similar effect. Even if you're a total candle head (I get it - I LOVE candle magic), consider not adding a candle to a spell meant to freeze somebody out.

When casting a hex, it is worth considering whether you want to burn them out with fire or take the slower more calculated path of ice. (Stop me from quoting Robert Frost here...) If you need to separate a couple who thrives on relationship conflict, drying them out could be a good option - more specifically, I'd probably use cool/dry.

Really we are getting into the basics of all sympathetic magic: using a thing that has an obvious effect to transfer that effect, through our spell, to the spell's intended target. This is why I have been very specific in saying that this applies to magic cast on a human being - here we are using the principles of Energetics and how they affect humans. For a spell on an animal or your house, entirely different sympathetic principles would apply.

The next time that you are choosing between two herbs that are said to have the same associations, consider whether one might be better than the other based on the Energetic nature of that plant. You might find a whole new level of casting open up to you.

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4 weeks ago

Resolving conflicting magical recommendations (for beginners)

(This isn't reactionary I promise, it's been on my mind for a couple of days 😅)

Idk really how helpful this will be, but if you're a beginner who is confused by a lot of apparently contradicting information, here are some thoughts/ideas that are too basic to have been this hard earned, but I'm not called Fool for no reason.

[All of the following are just my beliefs and aren't universal or applicable to everyone]

Resolving magical conflicts through intent

You can find apparent contradictions in almost any magical action. For example:

Light a candle to charge a crystal with energy

Light a candle to burn away an energy and dwindle it down to nothing

When you light the candle, is it going to fill the crystal with energy?

Or, is it going to burn away energy until nothing is left?

My belief is that this is where the idea of intent plays one of its most basic and vital roles in witchcraft.

When you perform a magical action, "setting intent" can be a vital first step that should not be skipped.

If you are aware that the fire could either charge or burn away, then it is very literally up to you what it does. As the agent of control and/or chaos, it is the witch who determines which facets of power come out to play.

Setting intent can be done inside of your head. Or, speak, sign, or write intent.

Rules about how you totally have to write intent can, for the most part, be ignored (e.g., "your intent must be present progressive tense or the Universe will never let you manifest your goals." Nah, the Universe doesn't even speak human language tbh.)

Setting intent is not the only step to working magic, and sometimes literally doesn't matter. ("It's my intent to honor the spirit of this lake with an offering! *Dumps cigarette butts and beer cans into the water* "The lake is honored because that was my intent 😌")

Having a limited set of beliefs about what a certain power can do is like automatically setting intent. ("It's only possible that candles burn away energy, so when I light it, of course it will have a banishing effect.")

Setting intent in this manner only works to the extent that the power you are working with could already do the thing. If you've got a freezer with an ice dispenser on the door you can intend to store food inside it to chill, or, you can intend to get water out of the door, but it doesn't matter how much you intend to fry a chicken. The fridge does not do that action.

Resolving magical contradictions through tradition

Tradition in and of itself can advise how to resolve contradictions of magical meaning. This includes religious, magical, and cultural traditions.

What's important to remember is that just because one group does it one way, it doesn't mean that their way is universally correct.

A lot of people enter into the world of witchcraft with the concept that there is one universally correct set of methods and rules by which to perform magic. These methods are secret, but written down somewhere, and the key to learning magic is to just find the truest set of rules to magic. Magical truth is mutually exclusive, and contradictory information must either replace current truth, or be rejected as falsehood.

And fortunately for everyone, none of that is true!

This is why someone in one school of magic can make a certain claim ("letting spell vessels touch the earth immediately robs them of their power and the magic becomes inert,") and someone else can make a totally contradictory claim ("bury spell vessels for three days to supercharge them with the power of Nature,") and both people can be equally right.

Which set of rules might be true for you?

Well, whichever tradition you're a part of.

This is why it's really important to understand where your beliefs come from, and also to engage in self-examination about what you believe about the cosmos, our planet, and your role within it.

Entering into a tradition has a curious effect - you tend to be bound to those rules and assumptions, whether you like it or not.

Reflect on whether or not your current traditions and beliefs can resolve conflicting information.

Ask yourself what beliefs must be inherent before an assumption about magical 'rules' can be true.

(P.S. you can learn multiple contradictory systems of magic and flip between them depending on needs)

Resolving magical contradictions through experimentation

One witch may be able to charge excellently by burning candles and using intent to direct the burning energy.

A second witch may discover that they really can't charge jack shit with a candle. The energy seems to slip between their fingertips. When they direct it at something, it seems to have a consuming effect - not an invigorating one.

Setting magical intent is like choosing which path to walk down. But, the paths are unique for each of us. For the first witch, the path of "Charging Through Candleflame" is wide and open, a beautiful paved boulevard they can stroll down.

For the second witch, the path of "Charging Through Candleflame" is like hiking up a steep hill littered with boulders, and also the hill is on fire.

Many magical contradictions can be explained by practitioners simply having different personal experiences, and incorrectly assuming that their experiences must be universal.

One excellent way to learn not only about magic as a whole, but also how magic works for you, is to earnestly experiment with contradictory meanings and discover which ones A) make sense to you, but more importantly, B) actually work for you.

Whether or not you can use a candle to charge, banish, or both; and whether or not that's more or less effective for you than using water, or the sun, or pop culture icons, is something that you'll only be able to discover for yourself through experimentation.

Resolving magical contradictions through technique

If setting intent is choosing what path to walk down, then on the course of walking down that path, there is a chance you trip and fall flat (see: "I'm honoring the lake by dumping trash in it!").

Tripping and falling flat doesn't mean that path of magic is impossible for you, or shouldn't be further explored.

It can really just mean that you need some hiking boots and a trail guide.

Or, in other words: setting intent can be insufficient to actually access and manifest certain types/aspects of power.

I have personal beliefs about sorcerous power that dictate that various powers can be more or less difficult to access depending on a variety of factors. And, a witch must learn techniques to access the power. The more remote or hidden that power is, the more capable or attuned a witch must be to access that power.

That is to say, someone intensely aligned with underworld powers may be able to easily access the facets of death and decay that exist within many natural forces. But, someone without that alignment might instead need capable techniques gained through learning and practice in order to access those same powers.

And someone with neither of those things, who only tries to set intent and starts on a difficult path filled with roadblocks, may falsely assume that something "just doesn't work for me," when in reality, it's just more difficult to access.

This is why one witch can say, "roosters are a powerful source of connection to the underworld," another witch can say, "roosters only connect to the underworld if you use their feathers in a certain ritual," and a third witch can say, "roosters don't connect to the underworld," and all three are speaking from valid personal experience.

Experimenting with different techniques means learning a wide variety of ways to perform magic, including different paradigms, rituals, techniques, and methodologies.

Many systems of witchcraft contain concepts of when power is more or less available (the easiest example is the types of power more freely available due to the phases of the moon). Learning these systems can assist in discovering the accessibility of various powers.

Research is your friend.

In summary,

There are many reasons why witches have different lived experiences with magic (the topic of which would be enough to fill a book or two). As a witch-practitioner, your role in the creation of magic can't be ignored.

It's through your own culture and traditions, your own intent, and your own sorcerous techniques and education, through which you will be able to determine what aspects of magic are true to you - and which do not apply.


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4 weeks ago

I'm having trouble understanding correspondences- what makes a plant associated with Jupiter, for example? Is there any reading you'd suggest for a better understanding of these things? Thank you

Oh, I am like the literal worst witch to ask on something like this -- because I'm not a materialist when it comes to correspondences. I'm not of the opinion that particular materials have inherent associations.

Now, a lot of people don't agree with me on this though -- so you might want to ask other people.

I personally believe that materials have correspondences because the witch using them in their magic give them that meaning... well, I'm more of an animist so I think we convince the materials they have that meaning, but close enough.

Now things like herbs often get correspondences because they're literal chemicals acting with physical properties, but in my experience a lot of correspondence lists (like, say, candle colors) are unsourced, unexplained things likely pulled out of someones ass thirty to forty years ago and repeated without questioning by the witches who came after.

So yeah. "Things only mean things because we tell them to mean things" is where I come down in the debate. But believe me, it is very much a debate in the community.


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4 weeks ago

Since bread metaphors are in, I'd like to express a controversial opinion on correspondences.

As the metaphor goes, if you want to learn how to bake bread extremely well, you may study multiple types of bread from various different cultures, because many of these breads will have something to teach you which you can apply to your own bread.

Additionally, in examining the recipes of a multitude of cultures, you may begin to notice a few common threads.

"Bread," you might then say "Is made with flour." And you would not be incorrect.

"But," someone else might point out, "Flour is for making papier-mùché!" And they would not be incorrect either.

So then, does flour have bread-making capabilities, or papier-mùché-making capabilities? It has both.

And what if someone were to add, "Bread is made with almond flour, which is completely different from wheat flour. In fact, you shouldn't use wheat flour, because some people can't use that bread." ("Well I'm allergic to almonds, so really--")

So, if bread can be made without flour, and flour can make things that are not bread, is there any connection between bread and flour at all?

Obviously, there is.

It's just complicated. If you study the practices of many different cultures, and you find similarities, then you might feel inspired to create your own recipe using some of these common traits-- the ones that you find you like the most.

The correspondences of different things are not fixed-- new ones can be constantly invented. Likewise, your spell can be ruined by a bad combination-- or a bad combination for you.

If something is not working for you, find alternatives.


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4 weeks ago

Witchcraft Exercise - Home Brews

There are a lot of opinions in the modern witchcraft community about what sorts of things make the best components for spells. Some go simple, some go fancy. Most published sources focus on specialized materials like crystals, ritual tools, or plants you aren't likely to find outside an occult shop or a botanical supplier.

But any broke witch you talk to will extol the virtues of working with inexpensive common materials from everyday shops or even just items you have lying around the house.

So to that end, here is an exercise you can do at home to familiarize yourself with your available resources and brainstorm new ideas.

Select one room of your home. It can be any room you wish. If you're not sure where to start, the kitchen is usually a good place. Sit in the room for a while and thoughtfully examine the objects around you. Open drawers and cabinets if necessary. Select five to ten items and make a list of them.

Write down all the magical correspondences of the items that you can think of. Brainstorm five ways that each item can be used in a magical working. Brainstorm ten ways that the items can be used in combination with each other. If you're feeling extra creative, try to write a spell that incorporates as many of the items as possible.

Repeat this with other rooms and other items. This will help you build a list of ideas of what you can do with the materials you have to have as well as helping you practice identifying magical correspondences.

For bonus points, turn the exercise around by listing five types of spells and sussing out how to cast multiple examples of each one using just the items you can find around your home.

Pro-tip: Don't just limit yourself to herbs and art supplies. Get creative!

Happy Witching!


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4 weeks ago

Lil concept for intermediate or beginner+ witches

If you've already cast for everything you need in the short to mid-term and you're looking for avenues of practice:

Look ahead and find a very strong astrological election for any desired operation (wealth, social standing, healing, psychism, defenses, etc.). If you need ideas, consider upgrading current enchanted objects or getting permission to cast on a mundane friend.

Dedicate your spare research time to building or modifying an ideal spell for your operation. Especially consider aligning stone, spirit, and herbal allies to the planetary elections you've chosen.

Spend time doing divination as you lead up to this election. Cast small spells to clear the way and prepare conditions for your working.

Seriously, spend several weeks preparing for a single spell. Feel it inside and out. Know why, how, when, where. Still do any other spells you need in the moment... just keep this one in the works.

When the time comes, pour your heart into it. Cast the everliving fuck out of that spell. Let it be The Event that consumes your week, or your month.

Let your research, divination, and development help you grow. Let your casting show you your power. And enjoy the fruits of your labor.


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4 weeks ago

Hi Chicken! I really enjoyed reading your post about spirit shops. It also raised smt that I've been kind of struggling with for a while-- the discernment thing. Everyone in here is constantly talking about this, but it's always in nebulous terms and I'm like wtf do I do?? And have become rather worried and turned off by spirit interactions and trying to have any bc I'm so worried that I'll get something wrong, that I'll be trying to talk to some "higher"(in the god sense) being but something else will respond, and since for now I feel pretty spirit blind I feel overwhelmed. This also applies to when thinking about going to the astral or meditation, you know, to meet spirit guardians and such (as you are speaking about in your recent post). Sorry if I'm making a big deal out of something small. Thank you so much for your posts, I'm enjoying them a lot ❀

Hi!

It is not making too big of a deal. It's not a small thing.

A great deal of modern rhetoric on spirit communication is dominated by the concept that there are so many evil, malicious, or liar spirits out there desperate and waiting to glomp on to any wayward practitioner, so before a person can ever be safe working with spirits, they need to learn X, Y, and Z magics.

Where do you learn this magic, if you aren't able to commune with spirit teachers?

Why, you have to rely on more experienced people, probably the same ones telling you its not safe for you to explore on your own :)

My number 1 suggestion for you is to stop listening to people who are saying those things. Whether or not they realize it, creating anxiety in learners causes those learners to flock to them for help and rely even more on their words.

It's a toxic, self-fulling loop.

If someone is telling you that all these spirits are so dangerous and it's so easy for you to be tricked, what does that tell you about them? It tells you that THEY work with dangerous spirits and THEY are at danger of being tricked, AND they are so inexperienced that they do not understand their dynamic is not universal and other people walk different paths.

This long post I recently made talking about the astral summoning praxis talks about the danger of people within this belief system projecting their beliefs outwards.

How fucked up is it that some of these people have projected their beliefs to the point where it is dangerous to talk to gods totally unrelated to their system? They are literally gatekeeping Hellenic, Kemetic, Norse, etc., gods, because their unrelated spirits in unrelated systems have all these rules, so obviously Hekate and Isis need to be approached the same way a conjurer approaches a trithorkian glitter salamander they met in the astral.

It's absolutely ridiculous, and I'm sorry you've been dragged into this culture of fear. People out here are literally making you afraid to meditate. That's fucked up.

So, as far as actionable steps go:

1. Throw out the astral. I mean absolutely just drop it. You do not need to astral travel to meet spirit guides. Let go of every single concept of the astral. Decide for yourself, "maybe astral travel is for me later on, but right now I have so much baggage about it that I need to let it go."

2. Throw out the concept that all these spirits are somewhere far away in nebulous realms. Some are, yeah. Let's not work with them. Let's find our family here on Earth. Our siblings in the land, our parents in the solar system, our cousins in the sea and sky. They have physical bodies on earth: the trees, the stones, the grains of sand. We have physical bodies here on earth. We're all family. Family first, maybe getting to know astral strangers later :)

3. Practice spirit communication with stuff around you, not in the astral. Avoid disassociating or leaving your body. Stay fully within your body, talk to spirits around you (no astral, no meditation).

4. Discernment is literally just having psychic senses that are clear enough so that you can understand what is going on around you in the ethereal/metaphysical layers of reality. Discernment is not a concept limited to spirit work. For example, energy workers discern whether or not they have created a shield. Spellcasters discern whether or not they have properly raised energy. If you want to improve your psychic senses, try an exercise like this one. Other activities, such as "vibe checking" enchanted objects with friends (can be done with photos online), attempting aura readings, all divination, energy work, and spellcasting will help improve your psychic senses over time.

5. "Tricksters" are not coming through in the place of gods. Some people out here are doing really stupid shit and setting themselves up for complete failure when it comes to divine communication, and then turn around and act like we're all in danger. We're not. No need to set up an altar. No need to do fancy devotionals. Siddown and pray. "Jesus Christ, I need to talk to you today. Tumblr is out here spreading lies again." Or you know like, "Athena, I need to talk to you today. I've heard you got the good vibes, I'd love to get in on that."

6. Getting something wrong isn't a big deal. If you're just wanting to pray to your ancestors and receive advice from guides, it's not a big deal. There isn't some little incidental mistake you can make that is going to make you possessed by a demon. There are not hoards of evil spirits straining, clawing to get through to you. There just aren't. The world is not evil like some people think it is. You are not prey. You are not a future victim. You are not a tiny little weak person trapped in an isolated cabin with evil spirits piling up around you like snow in a blizzard, and there's only one path to safety.

You are a person surrounded by friends and family, in a warm house with a crackling fire, you are sitting on the rug before the fire, they are watching you with loving smiles, your eyes are squeezed shut and you're holding your knees to your chest, and they are so ready for you to open your eyes and join them at the dinner table -

Whenever you are ready.


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2 months ago

I'm having trouble understanding correspondences- what makes a plant associated with Jupiter, for example? Is there any reading you'd suggest for a better understanding of these things? Thank you

Oh, I am like the literal worst witch to ask on something like this -- because I'm not a materialist when it comes to correspondences. I'm not of the opinion that particular materials have inherent associations.

Now, a lot of people don't agree with me on this though -- so you might want to ask other people.

I personally believe that materials have correspondences because the witch using them in their magic give them that meaning... well, I'm more of an animist so I think we convince the materials they have that meaning, but close enough.

Now things like herbs often get correspondences because they're literal chemicals acting with physical properties, but in my experience a lot of correspondence lists (like, say, candle colors) are unsourced, unexplained things likely pulled out of someones ass thirty to forty years ago and repeated without questioning by the witches who came after.

So yeah. "Things only mean things because we tell them to mean things" is where I come down in the debate. But believe me, it is very much a debate in the community.


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8 months ago

I still haven't read your fic because of the website is down.

Just wondering, what do you think it means when Camerawoman briefly turned into Cathy in the last episode? I would hate it if that was really her transformed.

hi hello yes good morning

ok so my idea is kind of simple but essentially? two ideas;

- the POV cameraman in that episode had a flashback to what she used to look like OR remembered a specific time she’d talked to them in his memories before as a human

- camerawoman is able to project into people’s minds(like visions) the previous version of herself to say specific messages as she doesn’t have a conventional way of verbally communicating normally.

on that latter point, I hc that the reason why she doesn’t do this previously is because she’s still coming to terms with the other life she’d lived before (since the memory just kind of. appeared after plunger man died and she had no idea about who her creator was or that her creator was literally a core foundation of her new identity before it came up.) once she fully accepts it, she embraces the new sense of self and actively employs it to communicate to others on the frontlines.

also ao3 is finally up so if you wanna go read my fic you can do so now :)


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2 years ago

what if in good omens 2 the armagedon has to happen again but this time, instead of waiting for the kid to turn 11, they just take care of the baby from the beginning


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My theory for Kitty’s death:

Historically, pineapples were used as decor to show that you have money, as they were very expensive.

And, in ‘The Thomas Thorne Affair’ (S2E4) Kitty says ‘Pineapple?! Goddess, no. They were wealthy, but they weren’t royalty.’

And in ‘Something to Share?’ (S3E5) we see her sister purposely get Kitty in trouble by moving her mothers bust so she knocks it over.

Then, in the season five trailer we see a pineapple on a stand, being focused on.

So my theory is: Kitty’s family had a pineapple on display as they were rich and wanted to show it. Awhile after it had been purchased, Eleanor tricks Kitty into eating the pineapple with the intention of getting her in trouble, as they ate an expensive bragging item. But as it was old she gets food poisoning which results in her death. (A pineapple allergy or chocking could also happen.)

Thoughts?


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GOOD OMENS SEASON 2 SPOILERS

It’s quite a common theory/headcannon that Crowley doesn’t remember his time as an angle before he fell. If this is true, they would both have different a first memory of eachother, meaning their first impression differ. I think this would explain the assumption that both Aziraphale and Crowley make to metatrons offer.

Aziraphale’s first memory is of the happy Angel whose happily created the galaxy and asks questions about why it has to end, which gives him the impression that Crowley would be happy to be a Angel again, wants to ‘reform’ heaven and prevent Armageddon 2.0, therefore would want to go back.

Whereas Crowley’s first memory (as far as he knows) is of the Angel who betrayed heaven to help Adam and Eve by giving them the fire sword, and over time continues to betray heaven, leaving the impression that he isn’t very loyal to heaven and likes humans, therefore wouldn’t accept it.

Then over their 6000 years on Earth, they both betrayed their sides. Giving Aziraphale the idea that Crowley liked heaven and Crowley the idea that Aziraphale didn’t.


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1 year ago

on the subject of control

People can only be truly happy in the two extremes of control: either total control or none at all.

think about it. you gain access to one thing, total say in what one thing does, you’ll want control over more. What it creates, what creates it, what it does. And that leads to wanting more and more and more and there’ll always be that thread of dissatisfaction, no matter how small, until you get absolute control over everything.

on the flip side, complete lack of control means absolute peace. A state of non-existence because you don’t even have control over yourself, your thoughts, your emotions, thereby reducing you to nothing. So since you don’t exist, you are both the happiest you can possibly be and not at the same time, because ‘you’ don’t exist.

and since nobody will ever have full control over everything, everyone will always have that thread of dissatisfaction. we also all want this level of control, but it will never exist so long as there are other living beings. which could also be a way of saying as long as other living, thinking things exist we will never get over that small thread.

Or maybe it’s just me and my melodramatic brain making everything philosophical who knows.


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4 weeks ago

So, I just rewatched the pilot for The Gaslight District and a thought occurred to me. During Ken's confrontation with Temperance, the audience is specifically led to believe that the secret the Virtue is keeping for Ken directly relates to Mel and her being the prophesied human, but I don't think it actually is. Like, obviously there is some connection there, but there are signs throughout the episode of Ken's ongoing animosity to the Virtues that feels to me like it's more than just him being protective of Mel. Obviously, that could be chalked up to his (possible) torture at their hands in the Inferno, but then why would they intentionally make the scene so weighty and mysterious. Mel's secret is known to the audience basically right off the bat, so there's clearly more to what's going on and I think I might have figured out what. I think...and stick with me here...Ken IS a Virtue. Sort of. There're those weird flashes of color whenever he gets uncontrollably angry, where half of his brain is highlighted. That's got to be more than just an aesthetic choice, right? Why the mystery of it all if it's not important. So, my theory is, that the version of Ken the Butcher we see in the Inferno, is not fully him. Not yet at least. I think that a Virtue replace half of the Butcher's brain with its own. It makes a certain amount of sense; the Virtues are basically just brains after all. Now, why would a Virtue do this, why would one of the seeming leaders of Paradise Lost physically bond themselves to the body of a rotling, which they all seemingly have nothing but disdain for? I think it has something to do with the rotling's immortality. The Virtues don't appear to be immortal in the same way, not based on what we've seen so far at least. I also think the reason might have something to do with which Virtue Ken might have gotten his half-brain from. I think it was Kindness. Not only is it the one that fits most closely with the name Ken, but I think it really fits with his personality too. You can tell how much he cares about people; not just Mel, but everyone. Everyone except the Virtues that is. It also sort of works narratively. All of the other heavenly virtues could easily be corrupted into concepts related to purity, duty or other sort of authoritarian ideals, but you can't really do that with true kindness. It seems pretty obvious to me that whatever the relationship between the Virtues and the rotlings is, it is clearly the Virtues who hold most of the power. I wouldn't be surprised if they turned out to be responsible for the apocalypse of the distant past (there is some obvious biblical symbolism there with the flood and the whale), or even the Black Hand and the rotling's horrific immortality. I imagine the supposed embodiment of kindness itself would have a hard time going along with things at that point, especially if the Virtues were then planning on wiping all of the rotlings out. It might even drive them to take drastic action. I think there's something poetic about the idea that Kindness is engaging in such cruelty as we see Ken perpetrate in the show in order to prevent something even worse from happening. I also definitely think that Temperance was the one who performed the surgery, hence why they knew the truth of everything. The butcher's knife, possibly the entire butcher persona, is there to explain away the headwound that would never really heal on a rotling body. Speaking of bodies, I think that what's left of the original Kindness, the other half of their brain and what not, is what is inside the pseudo-egg thing inside of the laboratory that Temperance is seemingly keeping alive for some reason. Thoughts?

*Small edit because I was wrong about the knife being there in the flashback scene


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6 months ago

Season 1: Vi and Jinx both cling to memories of who the other used to be.

Season 1: Vi And Jinx Both Cling To Memories Of Who The Other Used To Be.

Season 2: Vi and Jinx confront and learn to accept each other (and themselves) for who they are in the here and now.

Season 1: Vi And Jinx Both Cling To Memories Of Who The Other Used To Be.

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11 months ago

Knowing the Pop Trolls' habits of terrible parenting, Val being a lost Pop baby who was adopted and raised by the Rock Trolls actually makes way too much sense.

Knowing The Pop Trolls' Habits Of Terrible Parenting, Val Being A Lost Pop Baby Who Was Adopted And Raised

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5 years ago

My AHWM Yancy Theory: A Truth About Love~!

Disclaimer: 

This post will contain spoilers on A Heist with Markiplier

This is a headcanon theory so please do not think I am stating any of this as fact

    I was able to complete AHWM on the first day it came out in about 4 to 5 hours. I wrote down every ending and posted about all of them as I went on Twitter. A week later Mark and Amy had their stream on Youtube talking about the behind the scenes and process of making the videos. I was able to watch almost all of it, I probably only missed around 20 minutes all together. So this is the kind of information I am working with as I write this down. 

   Now the theory I am proposing today is that Yancy actually becomes Illinois and Captain Magnum through paradoxical time shifts based on the similarities between them and how Mark has formed his previous characters in other works. 

   It all begins with the Scientist ending that is the canonical ending to AHWM. In this ending you receive the end credits and behind the scenes snippets. The Scientist, during her time on screen, explain that there is some type of anomaly out there causing all of these strange things to happen. These strange things include paranormal/supernatural phenomena, events overlapping, repeating, and skipping, and overall time manipulation. Taking the paranormal phenomenon out for a moment, let’s focus on the elements related to time. If say that no matter what time line you go through this artifact you have stolen, despite it’s content, could still be causing a temporal paradox as you are the one carrying it around. If so, my theory could totally be happening. 

   In Mark’s stream on the filming production he mentions how the first day was the jail house, so Yancy was the first character besides Mark himself he focused on (not yet called Yancy though). We could also see this as the secondary timeline a player should go through when diverging from the true ending. Now Yancy as a character is a showman, he is playing a game of pretend in an environment he feels comfortable in. As seen through his tough guy act even though he’s from Ohio. He admits that he has killed his parents, he has killed people he loved, and in one ending he even kills his fellow inmate (who he cares for) to stay in jain in order to remain inside this constructed delusion. So love is a big part of Yancy’s character and it’s actually apart of the other two as well.

  While interacting with the character Illinois he mentions two key things, one of them being that all those who fall in love with him tragically die. Now this is obviously a reference to a popular film series we probably all now about, but what if they don’t actually die in these so called tragic ways? What if, Illinois is Yancy years in the future where he actually falls in love with you, decides to escape prison, and make up for his crimes by doing some good in the world? Yancy is able to find all the nooks and crannies of a location and you have experience in stealth, together you go all over the world looking for treasures to share with the world. Obviously, he’ll have to change his name since he escaped so why not go with another Midwestern state to stay true to home. 

   Yet, tragedy really does strike and you die somehow and Yancy, who is now Illinois, breaks down in grief. He no longer has the jail , a comfortable and familiar place,  or you to cling to. You were still his connection back to that lifestyle of routine and control. Now, there is no control so he has to make it all over again as Illinois. Back to that first key point about how all his love interests die tragically, what if it’s all a fantasy? What if he has gone back to his old ways of killing those he loves? Illinois is actually killing all his lovers in a similar manner to how you died in order to keep this new delusion stable and concise. You don’t die; however, because you never actually did fall for him like you did with Yancy in another timeline. 

   Now what about that second key thing Illinois mentions, well that deals with Illinois’s love for treasure and adventure. It’s time to talk about how Illinois, once Yancy, becomes Captain Magnum! Illinois at this time is a serial killer that has now scoured the Earth, but he can’t keep it up forever. One day that boulder that follows him everywhere (probably possessed by all the lovers he killed) finally catches up to him and takes away his feet. This breaks him down even further into his own delusions as he can no longer go exploring the way he used to. He has to find another way to reconnect with you and now sees treasure as a means to do so. Killing lovers like you is no longer an option, but collecting treasures is. Illinois, now without feet, has to wear large log peg-legs to maintain his balance. decides that the best way to collect large amounts of treasure is to become a pirate. Thus, going back into his criminal roots. 

    However, this time he works to make no human connections and finds it easy to toss away his crew or neglect them. You can see his uncaring and awkward expression as his first mate cries and prays for his fallen friends.  Additionally, Yancy is a showman at heart so he decides to create an eccentric character like Captain Magnum in order to appear dominant and in control. As the leader he can maintain his delusion himself unlike in the jail when the warden dictated his life or with his solitude and grief as Illinois. Yancy has always had a problem with authority, but now he is the authority. You could also say Captain Magnum is Yancy/Illinois’s magnum opus of a character and the final character. 

   In another timeline you do end up meeting Captain Magnum and as well takes a shine to you as Yancy and Illinois did (at least over time). If you pick the right path you end up as part of his crew and you can see the Captain start to develop some kind of feelings for you, but more as a parent since he is older at this time. He trusts you enough to pick which island to go explore next for more treasure and as you end up on the Island of Golden Treasure (a choice the Captain agrees with) you are sacrificed for his beloved treasure. Yet another person he loves killed by his hands. 

   This is the story I’ve put together around my theory/ headcanon. I’d love to know if the first character besides himself that Mark came up with was actually Prison Mark, because that would be amazing!

   Either way I think the way Mark writes and develops these characters follows a pattern of looping. The idea that each character influences the other and that eventually a loop will be created. This can be seen in all of his fleshed out characters! Damien and Celine in a loop of revenge, the Colonel aka Warfstache in a loop with madness, Warfstache and the Detective in a loop of vengeance, the Colonel, Celine, and Damien in a loop of tragedy, etc. Mark’s characters become other characters, but at the same time retain parts of who they used to be. 

   So it’s not strange for this idea to be unintentionally true. I’m not saying it is, but it’s kind of interesting to notice. Nonetheless, I had a good time writing this theory and I hope it blows your minds even a little bit!

  Thank you!

P.S. @markiplier is going to hate this. 


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5 years ago

This is probably dumb but here’s a theory I have about A Heist with Markiplier

The reason Actor Mark likes it when you choose a path that will lead to a bad ending is cause he knows your gonna go back to get a better one, which means you’ll spend more time in his stories.

“Perpetually plunging down the rabbit holes of his stories.”


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1 year ago

I noticed that little Stede is holding flowers (and there’s blood on his face), I wonder if it’s foreshadowing his historical death? Some sources say he walked to the gallows holding withered flowers.


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5 months ago
Jinkz' face in the middle and around Vanders teeth and jaw.

Is no one going to talk about how the shattered glass looks like Vanders teeth!? Is this a foreshadow of her ‘death’!?

same row of teeth!!
Is No One Going To Talk About How The Shattered Glass Looks Like Vanders Teeth!? Is This A Foreshadow

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10 months ago
A Sarentu girl peeking behind Nor's seat and the boy next to her.
I Want To Know What Happened To Them. There Are Three Other Sarentu Children And We Do Not Know What
Nor could be seen clearly but there are two Sarentu girls behind him and one next to him.

I want to know what happened to them. There are three other Sarentu children and we do not know what happened to them, did they survive?

When So’lek saves you and the others there are some of the sleep incubators(or whatever they are called.)—are opened.

Theory? I think I’m the next DLC Secret of the Spires

Nor will be with them, maybe even guiding them? I think because of how they are behind Nor and how Nor is the one in the light?

Well you never know! Comment your thoughts.


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2 years ago

just a thought but if the next game is following atreus in egypt, you’d think his new weapon would be a pair of khopesh. wouldn’t that be cool?


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1 year ago

👏👏👏

Okay, I’m gonna do a separate post since I don’t want to hijack @dad-plo-koon‘s post.

Here’s my theory about why Mandalore is the way it is in TCW. Even better, the canon isn’t saying I’m wrong. 

image

Cut for length:

Keep reading


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8 months ago

The Bsd "Fyodor is Atsushi's Father" Theory:

My Not-so-Deep, Not-so-Serious Explanation on Why This Could Totally be Canon

Signed: A Sleep-Deprived Idiot

(Spoilers for the Entirety of Bungou Stray Dogs)

So... with Chapter 118 in bsd releasing, I have noticed a lot of Fyodor as Atsushi's father related things popping up and... I'm not mad about.

If anything, I'm happy the theory is getting more attention. People even seem to be taking it as canon fact, even if just jokingly.

Really, I believed the theory was plausible since it first was brought up in the fandom, but I never actually thought it would be canon because that just seemed too crazy. But those were the thoughts of a sweet summer child since the manga has gotten to the point where that might be the least crazy thing possible.

So, here I am at my keyboard yet again, ready to ramble about how, if this does somehow turn out to be canon, this might be actually rather predictable even to those who don't dive deep into the nitty-gritty lore.

Now, I won't ramble on and on endlessly about the book and Atsushi's ambiguous past and how he may be the book or a page from the book and yaddy-yadda. Instead, I'll focus on some key aspects of Atsushi's character design. First off...

His hair.

As I said, this is not all that serious or deep, so take my words with a grain of salt before you start bashing me or something for being ridiculous. You signed up for ridiculous when you started reading past the title.

Anyway, back to Atsushi's hair.

As we almost all know, Atsushi used to have a black streak in his hair that was later removed for unknown reasons, but he also has white hair.

Now, I could jokingly proclaim, "Hehe, biologically impossible Fyodor x Nikolai lovechild," and be done with it, but I am no clown, unlike Nikolai. No, I have a better, probably completely wrong, idea.

Most of us know that Fyodor has a thing for white-haired men.

Exhibit A: Every fucking member of the Decay of Angels

The Bsd "Fyodor Is Atsushi's Father" Theory:
The Bsd "Fyodor Is Atsushi's Father" Theory:
The Bsd "Fyodor Is Atsushi's Father" Theory:
The Bsd "Fyodor Is Atsushi's Father" Theory:
The Bsd "Fyodor Is Atsushi's Father" Theory:
The Bsd "Fyodor Is Atsushi's Father" Theory:

I rest my case.

Also, I feel the need to mention that 3 out of 6 of them have red-ish eyes while the other two have purple-ish/blue eyes. Just pointing out that little tidbit I noticed while finding pics for them.

So, it would make sense for Fyodor to pick and choose which attributes to give to his quote-on-quote "son" when he made him from the book, picking out certain traits he found appealing and pleasing to the eye.

(Also, yes, this could mean that Fyodor could have chose specific attributes that were similar to Nikolai. Boom, lovechild route.)

This could explain certain similarities between the characters who seemingly have no biological connection between one another. Their only connection then only being through Fyodor by just knowing him.

Got all that? Alright, next up...

His eyes.

Now, Atsushi's eyes are rather unique, even for the world of Bungou Stray Dogs. What also sticks out about them is the fact that they are pointed out and focused in from time to time.

Example:

The Bsd "Fyodor Is Atsushi's Father" Theory:

(Fucking gorgeous eyes he has, btw)

To break down the colors of his eyes... While in normal lighting in the anime, they appear to be normally purple and yellow with just a hint of green in it, but under the full moon (as seen here) we can see that his eyes are a light green-yellow at the bottom and purple on the top that fades into blue.

(There are also a few times where his eyes also change while using his ability. Like when they turn almost fully yellow.)

I want to point out the colors of his eyes and the fact that they change due to certain circumstances (i.e: using his ability, being under the full moon), which is clearly not normal in their world seeing as how other ability users don't seem to do that at all.

(Edit here: I actually would like to mention that, in the manga, Nikolai's eyes also change color. The green one sometimes will change to match his normal eye whenever he uncovers it. I saw a theory talking about how it might change depending on whether or not he is lying at the time, which is pretty neat. More Atsushi and Nikolai parallels.)

Now, this might seem like a bit of a stretch just like the rest of this post, but the colors used for his eyes are similar to the eye colors of people Fyodor knows, though they are different shades.

The Bsd "Fyodor Is Atsushi's Father" Theory:
The Bsd "Fyodor Is Atsushi's Father" Theory:

Purple like Fukuchi. Green and blue from Nikolai.

Fyodor's eyes are also a shade of purple, kind of, so... Yeah, that works too, but Fukuchi's shade of eyes are closer to Atsushi's.

Yeah, that's all I can think of now and this is already way too long (if I start talking about Atsushi's mysterious past, I'm going to make this a mile long. Maybe later tho), so I'm ending it here for now.

Alright, bye ya'll.


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9 months ago

HSR Sunday's Boss Fight Theory.

(Spoilers for Penacony Quest Below!)

I feel like people are not talking enough about how Sunday literally almost ascended in his boss fight, as far as I can tell, anyway.

Like, he was the 'Embryo of Philosophy.' He was in the middle of turning into an Aeon following the path of Philosophy and ascending to take the place of Order instead of reviving Ena without his knowledge.

I think it is really sad when you think about how Sunday fully believed he was doing the right thing and tried to revive Ena, only to be tricked into unknowingly starting to ascend into Aeonhood.

I could ramble on and on about how sad of a character Sunday is and all that, but I have to stay on topic for now.

Anyway, back to his ascension.

So, I do want to point out something I noticed during his boss fight that I found rather... interesting.

During his third phase, we all know about his big attack that practically nukes your team, right?

Well, during that attack, we see a hand coming down and reaching towards Sunday, to which he reaches back and they touch fingers, causing the attack to happen.

'Embryo of Philosophy' Sunday finger touch attack.

The attack and scene in question.

Now, most people tend to assume that this is Ena, and I do as well. At least, I did think it was Ena until I stared at the screen a bit too hard and went, "Wait a damn minute–"

Dearest gentlereader, care to take a little looksie at Ena for me?

Ena, the Order.

Ena, the Order.

Do you see that? Their hands?

That's right! Ena's hands don't match the hands during Sunday's boss fight at all.

So, I am going to tell you that this is not Ena and not Xipe either, because that wouldn't make sense at all. Even then, Xipe's hands are a deep blue, so that wouldn't match either.

Now, I know during that move, Sunday speaks as if he is talking to Ena, yes. However! If Sunday is truly oblivious to the fact he is ascending and is under the full belief that he is reviving Ena, he probably also does not realize that who he is talking to. IS. NOT. ENA.

So, who is it? Who is this this mysterious hand coming from the heavens? Well, what if I say it is the Aeons version of Sunday's hand?

Alright, don't scroll or click off, just hear me out!

The hand shares certain similarities to both Ena and Xipe. (The white part with the gold design being reminiscent of Ena. The thumb also shares a bit of Xipes color scheme, albeit with a bit of a stretch.)

You can also see during the scene that there are angel feathers coming down from where the hand comes from, something neither of the other Aeons possess. But you know who has feathers and wings? The handsomest man in Penacony, that's who!

During the build-up to the move, the subtitles were repeating the words from his diary, if I am correct, (which might has well just been a Bible at that point) until you get to the hand scene, as if slowly bridging the gap between his mortal body and his soon-to-be Aeon form.

Am I crazy? Am I right? I have no clue!

I might be totally off the mark with this, but I'm posting this anyway.

Bye ya'll, hope I didn't completely waste your time!


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8 months ago

A big misconception I see come up a lot is that tarot can predict the future. In a sense, it might, but it's a lot more nuanced than that.

There is no 'THE future'. There are lots of different futures and lots of different paths you could be led down, but not all fates come to fruition based on the choices we make.

Tarot should be used to gain insight and reflect on your current and alternative paths. You can't necessarily predict how something is going to go, but you can use them to look within yourself and see what might need to change to get on the path you want to be on.

This is one of the earliest things I learnt when beginning tarot, and learning this can open you up to different paths and possibilities, as well as allowing you to ask the right questions to get where you want to be.


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9 months ago

How do cards gain meaning in an occult sense? Like, both tarot and french-suited playing cards started as game pieces, but they have gained an understood meaning. Is it just someone whips up an organized table of connected ideas or is each card interpreted from a certain framework?

Oh good question!

Many things that we now consider staples of western magic are ideas that have been added to over generations by several layers of thinkers. Tarot Divination specifically is an excellent example of this!

In 1770, A french printmaker and occultist going by Etteilla published a book about how to do cartomancy with a 32-card Piquet deck. He writes down some simple but strict associations for the cards, and makes what is probably the first mention of reversals in carotmancy. He said that he learned the system "from an Italian." Now, its unclear how much of the system is his own invention, people have been doing cartomancy for as long as there's been cards, but the text presents a larval, bare-bones version of the cartomancy methods we know and love today.

Its 1780-ish. The Rosetta stone hasn't been discovered yet. Occult-inclined Europeans are obsessed with Egypt. That's where our boy Trismegistus is from! There's a concept in Egyptian mythology called The Book of Thoth, a mythical book of spells penned by the God of Knowledge himself. This was the Holy Grail for European Occult Egpytaboos.

In 1781, Antoine Court de Gébelin claimed that Tarot cards were the "original book of Thoth," Saying that Tarot cards had been used by ancient Egyptian priests for their own magical ceremonies, and that their designs contained ancient mystical secrets. This is 100% not true, but he writes a pretty fun pseudohistory for Tarot that involves Romani people bringing the decks to Europe through the Levant where they then taught its esoteric secrets to several Popes.

Then in 1783, Ettellia responded with another book. ManiÚre de se récréer avec le jeu de cartes nommées tarots ("Way to recreate yourself with the deck of cards called tarots") Where Ettellia basically claims "uhm actually I knew about tarot divination way before Court de Gebelin published that big ass book. But anyway here's an interpretation of Tarot symbology that includes multiple references to Egyptian, Zoroastrian, and Greek mythology." But the smartest thing he did was include spread methods that involved Thoth and Numerology. Napoleonic Occultists fucking loved Thoth and numerology.

In 1788, he formed a little magical society for the express purpose of discussing and workshopping ideas for Tarot divination. In 1789, he made a TRULY smart decision, and published a Tarot deck that was Specifically For Magic, and that basically cemented Tarots place in magical history.

Occultists just kept iterating! Someone would speculate "maybe the suits correspond to the elements" and people went "yeah, they correspond to the elements! That makes this tool even more fun and interesting to use!" Then people go "What if the suits and the elements also correspond to parts of the Self?" and people went "Sure they do! That makes this tool even more interesting!"

But its also not just one thread. Eventually you get the Golden Dawn saying "The Major Arcana correspond to the nodes and paths on our version of the Quabbalistic Sefirot, you know, the hermetic version with a Q." and some occultists responded "Idk about that! Love what you've done with the color symbology though!"

The development of magical ideas is an iterative process. It is people whipping up a table of correspondences, but that table needs a mythology to keep it together. Originally, the mythology that gave tarot "power" was its Egyptian pseudohistory, but these days its the fact that occultists have been iterating on and fine-tuning this system for hundreds of years.

Humans don't think in tables of information, they think in stories. The cool thing about stories is that they're flexible. If magic is anything, its learning how to engineer stories to make the tables of information more effective.

I'm gonna plug my patreon where I post all of my occult research if you wanna see more stuff like this


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9 months ago

The True Value of Tools in Magic (It’s Not What You See Online)

When you’ve spent enough time looking at the occult and witchcraft communities online, you begin to notice patterns that repeat themselves. The type of tools people use, the way people set up their altars, how much money people put towards their craft
 I feel like it is important to talk about the true value of these things, because ultimately the tools aren’t what matter the most.

Before I go any deeper into this post, I want to put out a little disclaimer. There is no shame in spending a lot of money to buy fancy tools and such. This is all a matter of personal preference. This is not a post meant to shame people with expensive tools. This post is meant to reassure those who don’t have the luxury of buying expensive tools for their craft.

There seems to be a growing number of people online who talk about why you absolutely need this or that in order to do a little spellwork or honor some sort of entity. You need to buy this expensive candle to honor a deity. You need to use a cauldron of some sort to burn things. You need to be using this herb because it is the best thing you’ll ever use. I’m here to tell you: you don’t need anything that you cannot afford or do not want. Although I do believe they are the minority, I have seen some individuals who will drag others through the mud because they aren’t seeing a reflection of their personal craft in other people’s personal crafts. I feel like some people in the occult and witchcraft communities need to humble themselves and accept that some people simply cannot afford to buy expensive tools, or they just simply do not want to buy them.

I grew up asking my parents “can we afford this” instead of “can you buy this for me”. I was always aware that my family wasn’t as financially well-off as others. I often saved my begging for Christmas because at least that was the time of year when people would go out of their way to please their families. Even today, now that I am an adult, I still pay extra attention to my finances. I don’t buy myself expensive things for my craft often. When I do, it is because something was on sale. I prefer to grow my own herbs, make my own tools and create things by myself. That’s just my preference and it is also more affordable to me. I wasn’t like this when I first started practicing witchcraft, though. No, I was pretty set on buying all kinds of things when I first started. I saw all the pretty things other people were using and thought that I was going to need it. It took me over two years to figure out that all I needed was what I wanted. Two years is how long it took for me to realize that my passions beyond witchcraft could also be applied to my craft.

So, what is truly valuable in magick if not tools? If intention is what you are expecting me to say, sorry. That ain’t it. I’m not a believer in “intention is everything”. I feel like intention is similar to tools, in a way. You can have them, but that doesn’t mean they will make the magick on their own. What I find to be most valuable, beyond intention and tools, is the ability of the individual.

I’m sure many of us have failed when doing spells and rituals, especially when we first started to actively perform spells and rituals. We didn’t get the results we were seeking. Some of us may have gotten the exact opposite. I know that was the case for me. I believe that is because our abilities were only just beginning to grow. You see, I like to think of the individual’s ability to perform magic like a tree. It starts off as a seed. It has potential, but that potential needs a few things in order to grow. In the case of an individual’s ability to use magick, what they need is energy, practice and patience. The individual may not see any results for a while, and if they do see results it may not be anything impressive. After some time, though, the individual will see their abilities grow. They will find what works for them. They will find their path. The individual’s ability grows from that one, little seed into a sprout, then into a sapling and eventually, it grows into a magnificent tree.

Tools and intentions are only two parts of the formula to success in magic. The final, and most important thing, is the individual’s abilities.


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4 years ago

Kim Seokjin aka The Vampire

Evidence & Reasoning:

- He doesn’t age.

Kim Seokjin Aka The Vampire

- Jin has a Garlic allergy. (maybe)

Kim Seokjin Aka The Vampire

- Seokjin thinks so himself!!!

Kim Seokjin Aka The Vampire

- Jin has a normally low temperature.

Kim Seokjin Aka The Vampire

(Credit to owner)

- Last but not least, Vampire Jin would be AWESOME!!!

Kim Seokjin Aka The Vampire
Kim Seokjin Aka The Vampire
Kim Seokjin Aka The Vampire

There you have it! 💜 I don’t own any of the images. Please tell me which member to do next and as what. 😊 Have a good day!!!đŸ’œâ€ïžđŸ’œ


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