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youridlisen · 6 months

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Berber Tattooing: Exploring Amazigh Tattoo Culture and Moroccan Women’s Face Tattoos (Book)

Berber tattoos, also referred to as Amazigh tattoos, serve as a vibrant reflection of the diverse cultural heritage of North Africa's indigenous Berber population. These meticulously crafted and captivating tattoos transcend mere skin-deep artistry; they function as vessels embodying the rich tapestry of heritage, social standing, and personal narratives seamlessly interwoven into the very fabric of Berber identity.

With a historical lineage stretching back millennia, the Berber people have fostered a profound connection with the natural world. Within the realm of Berber tattoos, this deep affinity manifests through a striking array of symbolic depictions, each laden with profound meanings that resonate with life, belief systems, and pivotal moments.

Nature assumes a central role in the realm of Berber tattoos, where symbols bear the imprint of animals, plants, and celestial bodies. The towering palm tree, symbolizing strength, growth, and resilience, serves as a potent representation of life and prosperity deeply ingrained in Berber culture. Likewise, the snake, embodying a guardian spirit, symbolizes wisdom and healing, acting as a protective force against malevolent influences and ushering in good fortune.

Amazon Link: a.co/d/gRSF3Jy

Drawing from ancient Egyptian iconography, the Berber people adopted the Eye of Horus, a potent symbol believed to ward off evil and usher in good luck. Equally significant is the Hand of Fatima, an open palm that serves as a protective talisman against the evil eye and negative energies.

The Amazigh Cross, often referred to as the “Agadez Cross,” serves as a compass of sorts, offering guidance and orientation during travels and life’s journeys. In the vibrant world of Berber tattoos, women play a central role, embodying themes of fertility, femininity, and the enduring legacy of the tribe.

Berber tattoos are not mere embellishments; they are markers of life’s milestones and rites of passage. For young Berber girls, their first tattoos, often received during puberty, symbolize the transition into womanhood and eligibility for marriage. These tattoos bear not only ink but the weight of cultural identity and pride.

The complexity and number of tattoos worn can also signify an individual’s standing within the community. Leaders and elders, with their wealth of wisdom and life experiences, may display more intricate and elaborate tattoos.

From “Berber Tattooing: Exploring Amazigh Tattoo Culture and Moroccan Women’s Face Tattoos”, illustrated by Mohammed Jiari

In recent times, there has been a renaissance of interest in Berber tattoos. Efforts to preserve and reinvigorate this ancient art form have borne fruit. Modern-day artists and tattoo enthusiasts explore the depths of Berber symbolism, infusing tradition with innovation to create contemporary designs that pay homage to the past.

This resurgence is not only about the art itself but also about nurturing cultural pride and identity among the Berber community. These timeless designs remain a vibrant and integral part of Berber heritage, ensuring that the symbolic meanings of Berber tattoos continue to thrive, enchanting and resonating with generations to come.

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fnafmangl · 2 years

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A hot wizard and a she-devil in thong shfhf this sexual tension between them ouais ouais Remember, Mr Oddcat is a hypnotist, he has phenomenal power. Also his berber tattoo has a great meaning.

Happy Halloween fellas! ♥

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silvestromedia · 8 months

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Berber Face Tattoos

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marthasfmp · 3 years

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Tattoo history

Decoration of a human body is an old tradition (more than 12,000 years old) and it was done through history for different reasons. People used it is a method of healing, as rebelling, as punishment, as a way of self-expression and as a way of religious worship.

Tattoos have a wide range of cultural, historical, and personal meanings. As tattoos have a historical and cultural sense of being “for tough guys”, an insecure person might acquire tattoos as a way of fostering their masculinity or toughness.

In terms of tattoos on actual bodies, the earliest known examples were for a long time Egyptian and were present on several female mummies dated to c. 2000 B.C. But following the more recent discovery of the Iceman from the area of the Italian-Austrian border in 1991 and his tattoo patterns, this date has been pushed back a further thousand years when he was carbon-dated at around 5,200 years old.

Mummies found with tattoos were usually dismissed by the (male) excavators who seemed to assume the women were of "dubious status," described in some cases as "dancing girls." The female mummies had nevertheless been buried at Deir el-Bahari (opposite modern Luxor) in an area associated with royal and elite burials, and we know that at least one of the women described as "probably a royal concubine" was actually a high-status priestess named Amunet, as revealed by her funerary inscriptions. It may well be that the older women of a community would create the tattoos for the younger women, as happened in 19th-century Egypt and happens in some parts of the world today.

Among the numerous ancient cultures who appear to have used tattooing as a permanent form of body adornment, the Nubians to the south of Egypt are known to have used tattoos. Accounts of the ancient Britons likewise suggest they too were tattooed as a mark of high status, and with "divers shapes of beasts" tattooed on their bodies, the Romans named one northern tribe "Picti," literally "the painted people." Extensive facial and body tattooing used among Native Americans, such as the Cree, the mummified bodies of a group of six Greenland Inuit women c. A.D. 1475 also revealed evidence for facial tattooing.

Modern Japanese tattoos are real works of art, with many modern practioners, while the highly skilled tattooists of Samoa continue to create their art as it was carried out in ancient times, prior to the invention of modern tattooing equipment. Various cultures throughout Africa also employ tattoos, including the fine dots on the faces of Berber women in Algeria, the elaborate facial tattoos of Wodabe men in Niger and the small crosses on the inner forearms which mark Egypt's Christian Copts.

In the Maori culture of New Zealand, the head was considered the most important part of the body, with the face embellished by incredibly elaborate tattoos or ‘moko,’ which were regarded as marks of high status. Each tattoo design was unique to that individual and since it conveyed specific information about their status, rank, ancestry and abilities, it has accurately been described as a form of id card or passport, a kind of aesthetic bar code for the face.

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christinevioletart · 4 years

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Baraka Ink on Paper

Berbers are indigenous people living across North Africa. They call themselves Imazighen, meaning the free. They were orginally nomads and merchants crossing the desert during the year.

Their beautiful tattoo designs caught my attention so i wanted to do more research on their culture. Berber women use tattooing as an expression of a rite of passage. The symbols and motifs possess magical power called baraka who offer protection against evil to the wearer.

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#ink art #dark art #dark artists #dotwork #berber #berber tattoo #occult art #magick #horror art #creepy art #artists on tumblr #blackwork #illustration #traditional art #ritual

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louisa-magcd · 4 years

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Reflection

From last week tutorial, I gathered that I was being too scattered and kept on changing directions too many times. This very relevant observation was difficult to realise. I wasn’t happy with the <<progress>> of the work I had made, and lost track of where I was going and what I was doing.

This week I deeply reflected on what truly interested me and what I really wanted.

My work directed towards “form over content” wasn’t made intentionally; I took that direction because of my incapacity to find a “content” that I would feel truly invested or interested in. I felt insecure towards a more personal approach to my work as opposed to something more academic.

“What is the use of creating emotion-based work?”, was a recurrent question that came to my mind.

The constant switch between visual styles was also a struggle of mine as I was paradoxically trying to “please others”, in the sense that I wanted to create something that would be liked by a bigger audience.

I felt confused by the terms “position”, “practice” and “critical position”. Do I really need to define them this soon, is there even a need to define them? Is it wrong to be or feel lost?

Maybe the sense of loss or the loss of self could be a position?

I have always been quite precious with my work and value quality over quantity, and this entire project has been difficult for me so far as the whole point of it is to produce at a high volume (which I haven’t been successful with, at all).

The reason why last tutorial didn’t go well in my opinion (in terms of what I had done), is that I tried to change direction again, out of indecisiveness and my fear of making “meaningless work”. I tried to switch the direction towards something I thought would be more lighthearted but also something that would be more accepted.

I realised this week that I had to find a way to ground myself, and after writing my essay and doing research, I realised that I was clearly more interested in personal and intimate work.

I remember being particularly confused after reading “the death of the author” and it really made me question my own position: am I an author? Is authorship really dead? Is it really impossible to be an author at all?

These questions aside, I was also wondering if it was “wrong” to create around oneself, and if it was really an egotistical and selfish act.

So instead of thinking about how people would perceive me based on the work I produce (something that holds me back a lot), I started thinking about the artists I like and the art they make or made.

I have also been significantly drawn to my Moroccan and French heritage and how I could potentially implement elements of my heritage into my work in subtle ways, and maybe merge them together.

I have been researching around Moroccan female artists specifically.

One of them is Chaibia Talal, one of the most influential Moroccan artists of the 20th century. Her story is especially extraordinary and touching. She was born in 1929 in a small village and married at age 13; her husband died when she was 15 years old. As a young widow and mother, she had no choice but to work as a cleaner in order to sustain herself and her son. She was illiterate.

She began painting in 1963 after having a “prophetic” dream that encouraged her to start painting. Her son had a painting studio, and that is where the art curator Pierre Gaudibert discovered her art work for the first time.

Chaibia Talal was a self-taught artist and she was exhibited all around the world. Although her work wasn’t well received in her time, she is now considered as a pioneer figure of Modern Moroccan Art.

The reason why it is important for me to talk about this artist comes from a need to discover more other Moroccan female artists that I can look up to.

Her work is extremely colourful; she was influenced by the “COBRA” avant-garde European art movement, but also pulled a lot of her themes from moroccan culture, depicting moroccan women in traditional costumes. There is an evident play with figuration and abstraction, and the very consistent use of patterns is also an echo to moroccan culture and craft.

Pattern making and symbols are an inherent part of Moroccan culture, even before it was a country. The west part of North Africa was actually constituted of nomadic Berbers.

These nomadic group of people would worship different divinities and symbols would be used both as protection, directly on the skin in the form of tattoos, or on the fabric they made and wore. Clothing was especially important as it was an indication not only of social status, class and wealth but also an indication of the nomadic group they belonged to.

Symbols had associated meaning with different purposes.

Pattern making became even richer after Islamic influences arrived in North Africa. Indeed, it is prohibited in the religion to depict God or any divine figure to Man’s image. Subsequently, symbols and patterns were used to palliate to this. Calligraphy was, and still is, a highly valued form of art; Koranic texts would be embellished and treated as images as opposed to just writing.

Geometry and symmetry was seen as a high form of art as well; there is an element of repetition, interlacing shapes, texts, and symbols that is prevalent throughout Moroccan Art, and craft History.

Symbols have always interested me whether it be part of my heritage, or other new found interests, such as the occult. I have always been fascinated by how different meanings and interpretations can be pulled out of one image or symbol. How visuals can be transformed and used as a new form of language.

There is also a very superficial reason to this as well. There is something about looking at an accumulation of symbols on one images that is, to me, pleasing to the eye. Even if I can’t necessarily fully comprehend the artist’s intention behind every details of their work, I naturally associate a meaning to it based on my own experience and subjectivity.

A good example of this would be Hieronymus Bosch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights”.

I am aware of its religious ties, and there are extended interpretations made of this triptych oil painting. Yet, I much prefer look at it and create my own narratives out of the images and symbols I can observe from it. I enjoy the fact that there are a multitude of narratives enfolding on one big image.

In tarot as well, each card is illustrated with specific visuals that aid in the interpretation of its messages. The cards, put side by side, form a narrative that is enriched by a diversity of symbols.

Folklore too, have consistently used symbols and metaphorical analogies to express a deeper meaning.

The French fabulist Jean de la Fontaine is well known for using animals, insects and plants to convey more sensitive messages, at a time where criticising the King and his court was a real offence and a punishable crime.

After listing down all of the things that I loved, I realised that they weren’t so impossible to connect. At a first glance, they seemed impossible to link, but they all share a similarity: they all use symbols and images to attach personal meanings to them or convey certain messages or narratives.

In conclusion, I would like to develop my own “Visual Dictionary/Library”, or at least start this process.

Through this project, my aim refocused on its intended purpose, which was the expression of self through a diverse set of symbols and images.

By doing so, I go back to my very early iterations from Elaborate, where my work was more emotion-based; I intend on keeping the idea of self-reflection through making and researching, in order to develop my own visual language.

#reflections magcd

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katarinaliasallem · 4 years

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Day 1

Exploring the harmonious coexistence of two diametrically different cultures as an expression of my own identity.

The facial tattoos represent Berber (Tunisian) and Slovak culture which I come from.

Although both of them having their distinctive historical and social context as of their unique meaning within tribes, societies and religions, when put together, the symbols create a harmony.

More than often it’s just the matter of perspective. The mask we put on as our identity can be a lot more hybrid than we think.

Background:

The tattoos that my ancestors, the Amazighs, also known as the “free people” marked their bodies with from the ancient pre-Islamic ages represented their social and marital status. The placement symbolized the purpose of each tribe, the history of their land and familial ties and served as a unifying force.

The deeply inserted ink in their skin expressed their identities for centuries and therefore creating a simple paper face mask wasn’t enough.

The symbols aged with them and moved in the motions of nature. I decided to express that with a plastic wrap.

#30daysoffailure

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samohsai · 4 years

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🌙✨ The God Anzar and the Goddess Tiziri! (Not to be confused with the other adorable Tiziri who is named after her). So there is this legend in amazigh mythology called “Tislit n Anzar” which means Anzar’s betrothed or Anzar’s fiancée. The ritual is still practiced in regions of Algeria and Morocco. This is my personal interpretation. 🌊Anzar is the god of water (equivalent of Poseidon if you will, though some scholars even say Poseidon was actually based on Anzar.) His forehead tattoo is a ship, which represents water, strength and wisdom. ✨ 🌙 Tiziri, the goddess of Moonlight, and the daughter of Ayur, god of the Moon. Her tattoos are moon and stars and their signs associated with fertility, change and renewal. I don’t think I’ll include them in my current story, but I do want to explore pre-Islamic Amazigh gods, goddesses and religion in some ways...For now here are their sketchy designs :) it’s a love story hihi. ⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰⵓⴰ #art #characterdesign #samohsaiocs #gods #mythology #amazigh #berber #originalcharcters #originalcharcter #god #goddess #fantasy #fantasyart #tattoo https://www.instagram.com/p/B5f5z6XlawT/?igshid=18g0obx6sq8hk

#art #characterdesign #samohsaiocs #gods #mythology #amazigh #berber #originalcharcters #originalcharcter #god #goddess #fantasy #fantasyart #tattoo

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nafjosephjeagar · 2 years

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running out of ideas, so just putting these here until I can make a post.

guy with a mask that looks like a canid, the armour would be plated to look like scales or bones.

The Benin solder

berber tattoos meanings chart, for future reference.

picture from when I was at the British museum, this is a panel from the Benin bronzes. it inspired the above solder.

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thebrokenblackman · 3 years

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Berber sing the blues by Hakeem Bilal Ture

Come Home, Black Woman

why do you fight what is right?

Why are in competition with me?

Where did you go seeking ?

What did you go seeking?

Where did you take the oil lamp in the the valley of clay dirt under the stars?

Did you go seeking the man who wife lust for me?

did you go to worship who built obelisk in worship of my nature?

did you not see me and denmark a plotting something?

Did yo not feel that whip on yo barren back?

The one that carried the pain of regeneration of population for generations?

Why did Hatshepsut seize the throne from her teenage son of his inheritance?

Why did Cleopatra marry into luciferians?

Why did Queen tiye change god from one to 3 ... after ahknaton submitted and became friends with Allah

Once again confused by who enslaving you

we hebrews pharoahs past was wicked

where do you kick it? in the white university with your anhk tattoo

what does that even mean to you ? yo black panther propaganda tshirt

the brother just like huey you go on social media and insult

i wish you wasnt a hotep she sang from her platform built on my blood

you call thomas sowell a coon

but over lil uzi vert you swoon

how can i please you ?

Who do i need to be .....

for you to come home to me.

i sang. the blues ... I Mississippi john hurt.....

Baby whats wrooooong with you ?

you keep voting for my oppressor and. telling me what to do!

You took money from our enemy and said i cant live with you !

NOw you want my son to be yo daughter and my daughter to walk on a leash like Kamala

im getting mighty tired of you

my father just left or chose to be controlled

cuz they fathers was alcoholics or called prison cells they home

for being caught in the frontlines.

Prisoners of war throwing up signs.

They daddy was mighty good to you

built cities and universities for you to go to school.

Fraternities for you to mirror till bombs came down on tulsa from democrats with helicopters

and democrats in white sheets came own our lawn burning our garveyite crosses

why did you give up on me?

ill be waiting in that patch work quilt granny made in front of that fire

reading quran surahs until master fard come with another hanging

maybe youll be home again.

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atlasweaversmoroccanrugs · 3 years

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Interesting Stories about Symbols Found On the Berber Rug

For some time now, many tales have been told through the use of symbols. Tribal life allows the mind to focus on what really matters. Repeated symbols are not unusual either, usually because there's a particular importance to them. When it comes to minimalist design, repetitive symbols are a focus on the vital.

Berber Rugs

These woven rugs make use of magic symbolism in their otherwise minimalist design. It is what gives them an appeal that's unique. Every single one has a desire from the weaver for the human spirit to have protection from negative energy. There is also a weaver's desire carried by the rug for the human body to have a shield from the elements. No matter how they're used (wall decor or on the floor), they are essentially works of art that double as talismans. Each Moroccan Berber rug has a different story to tell that is uniquely its own.

Symbolism

With the passage of time, many symbols have lost their meaning over time. Many weavers have passed certain designs and motifs to their grandchildren and children. However, commercialization has set in and many sources produce Berber-inspired rugs without knowing the meanings behind the symbols they learned to wave. Berber designs were deeply personal, even in instances that depicted tribal beliefs and traditions.

Keeping that in mind, interpretation must be done with caution. Especially since there is a long route to take in order to translate or understand certain designs. This involves gaining a deep understanding of various tribes' legends, songs, and cultures. Aside from rugs, Berbers also use symbolism in tattoos.

In Morocco, one way of storytelling is through Berber rugs. Each one is designed with the aforementioned weaver's desires: shelter from the elements for the human body, protection for the human spirit. Even the Berber's colors have a story to tell:

Blue - Used to convey wisdom

Green - Used to convey peace

Red - Used to convey protection and strength

Yellow - Used to convey eternity

Berber Rug Symbols

Barley - This signifies fertility. It is typically a rectangle with a light and dark checkered pattern.

Bird - This signifies good fortune and healing through carrying baraka (a divine power in their belief system). It is typically intersecting rectangles that create a similarity to a cross.

Eye - This signifies a specific kind of protection, one against the evil eye. It is typically a diamond pattern that's concentric with either arrows at the edge or a cross in the center.

Finger - This signifies protection. It is typically similar to a tic-tac-toe board or the pound symbol (also referred to as a "hashtag" symbol).

Frog - This signifies fertility and magical rites. It is typically a more ornate design made with diamonds, from the head, tail, to the legs on either side.

Conclusion

There is a deep meaning to symbolism when it comes to Moroccan Berber rugs, which signifies storytelling. The arrangements and motifs also make a considerable difference. Each Berber rug is unique, but there are meanings behind some symbols. This includes barley (for fertility), bird (for good fortune and healing), and finger (for protection).

Looking to get an Atlas Berber rug? Reach out to Atlas Weavers today! We are a fair trade artisan project and a premier supplier of authentic Moroccan decorative rugs.

source https://atlasweavers.com/blogs/news/interesting-stories-about-symbols-found-on-the-berber-rug

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identies · 5 years

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Basics of Mehndi Designs

Mehndi designs have grown to become a significant part of various Western and Indian Occasions.

Decorating your body with Mehandi Designs will not only make you feel better about yourself. Legend has it that these Simple Mehendi Designs can also bring good luck to their wearers. The darker the colors of your Mehndi Design, the better your chances of getting good luck.

The popularity of Best Mehandi designs has continue to grow over the past few years. This sensational trend immediately became a part of wedding culture. It also became the most sought for body art technique because of the therapeutic benefits that it brings.

Symbols and Meanings Of Mehndi Designs

Various Mehandi designs have been popular over the past few years. In India, game boards are included in the collection of traditional henna patterns. Today, this design is also incorporate with different contemporary patterns use for body art. Sometimes, those who use this pattern use it as a metaphor for the game of chance referring to marriage.

Scorpion patterns, also known as ancient symbols for life force or reincarnation, were popularly use during the late Neolithic Age until the early Bronze Age. This pattern is use as a representation for love. Love is compared to a scorpion sting that catches you off guard and makes you feel breathless. Some people also use it as a protective amulet that can sting Evil Eyes.

Read More: Easy and Simple Mehndi Design in 2019

Meanwhile, paisleys and peacocks were use to represent good luck and fertility. Paisleys are rich is spiritual and symbolic meanings. Indians regard paisleys as the time for harvest ad socio-economic prosperity. In Eastern religions, the combination of two paisleys represents the interaction of two polar energies that can lead to creation.

Tradition To Fashion of Mehndi Designs

Traditionally, mehndi design is an art form that is more associate with women than men. However, in countries where it is most commonly use – including India, Pakistan and parts of North Africa and the Middle East – men also have parts of their bodies paint to bring good fortune for special occasions. History also tells us that men have worn mehndi designs in matters related to murder. Today, the art form is also on the increase among men in the US and Europe with non-Asian backgrounds, where the use of henna by celebrities and its growing presence are making it a popular choice.

Tradition (mehndi ki design)

The use of henna is usually associate with a religious festival or a rite of passage and it has a positive connotation. In some cultures, men have always and will continue to use mehndi designs for important occasions. The Marwari of the Indian state of Rajasthan, for example, continue to paint their hands like their brides as part of the preparation for a wedding in the hope that it will help bring a successful union; one that sees children running around, and brings happiness and enough wealth to avoid approaching the bank for a loan offer.

The practice is not just confine to weddings. The people of Siwa, in Egypt, are said to descend from the Berbers of North Africa, who widely use mehndi for special occasions. During male circumcision ceremonies in Siwa until the twentieth century and possibly still today, boys’ hands were paint with mehndi designs. Following the ceremony, henna was also put onto the wound as it also is thought to have medicinal properties.

While much is known about the historical use of henna by women, less is known about usage by for men. However, historical records of the first century, written by Jewish historian Flavius Josephus record that henna was use in warfare to aid disguise.According to the historian, Simon the Zealot made his troops have their hands paint with henna, their eyes outline with kohl pencil and dress as women to pose as prostitutes. So disguise, they lured opposing forces inside the walls of the then Roman-occupie city Jerusalem and kill them.

Later artistic evidence points to the use of mehndi designs among Iranian military and upper-class males about two hundred years ago. Portraits show fingernails painted with henna. There is also evidence that Afghan tribesmen earn the right to have henna tattoos if they avenged their tribe by killing an enemy.

Fashion (Simple mehndi design)

There is growing interest among Westerners with non-Asian backgrounds in mehndi design, who know it better as henna art or painting. Partly triggered by Madonna’s use of mehndi designs in the 90s, a whole host of US celebrities has been photograph with henna on their hands, bellies and feet, most of whom are women. Singer-musician Prince has also had mehndi designs on his hands and Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood has been photograph with henna art on his naval. Comedian-actor Russell Brand also wore mehndi to his Hindu wedding to singer Katy Perry. The popularity of the art also extends to the sporting world where the most muscular of bodies of a number of boxing champions have been paint for the ring.

Whether for Hollywood gatherings, sporting events or local village festivals, mehndi design is an increasingly popular attraction. Although it has no cultural or traditional background in this context, it has a number of benefits. The impermanence of mehndi makes it an alternative to permanent ink tattoos, since they will soon fade and can be replace with a different image, making the body an ever- changing canvas. Furthermore, unlike tattoos, mehndi design does not hurt. This growth in popularity means that mehndi artists are now including images for and of men on their websites.

Just as traditional mehndi art varies from region to region, these artists and men are taking the art in their own direction.Understandably uninterest in the intricate or floral designs that are often worn by women, the images chosen by men are different.They are more likely to appear on the neck, back or head rather than the hands or ankles and are more similar to the permanent tattoos they might have chosen – Eastern symbols like the Om or Chinese characters, simple geometric designs, mythical beasts and animals.

Speaking of which, there is a tradition of using mehndi designs on animals too. Hollywood and fashion will surely follow.

#mehndi #mehndi design #mehendi #simple mehndi design #arabic mehndi design #mehndi ki design

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tialovestelevision · 7 years

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All the Way

Maybe this episode won’t be about how overwhelmed Buffy is? Please?

1. Previously On, then Halloween at the Magic Box. Xander is a pirate. He’s going arrr. And selling fireflies. From a volcano. He looks stupid. Giles asks him for help. Anya is one of Charlie’s Angels. Dawn doesn’t have a costume. That makes Anya sad. On the other hand, she gets to have sex with Xander after work. Tara rescues Dawn from that conversation by sending her to help Willow with the magical texts. Anya asks Tara if she’s played Shiver me Timbers, and Tara says she’s not much for timber. Willow is telling someone dressed as a witch to rethink the stereotype. Dawn joins her at the books. There is an adorable tiny witch who wants candy corn. Dawn sees a large coin or medallion or doubloon on the tale and palms it. Anya sends Buffy to check the basement for mandrake root; Buffy says not to blame her if there’s a time loop. Buffy runs into Spike in the basement. He’s running low on berber weed for spicing his blood. He wants to steal some. She’s doing this to help out. Spike knows where the mandrake root is. If you pack them too tight, they get weird. He asks if she wants to patrol; she thinks he’s suggesting sex and turns both down. Spike is going to watch “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” Buffy goes back upstairs. Anya sends her to help Giles. Giles is in a wizard costume. He sent Xander away in hopes of Xander ending up in a universe that has a 50-foot pirate-squashing Giles. Buffy wants to go patrolling, but it’s Halloween, so nothing's happening. She has to bag things.

2. An old man is walking around humming “Pop Goes the Weasel.” He has a grocery bag. He goes into a house. There’s a toy carousel and a hat rack. And taxidermy. And a pot full of something cooking. He goes to look out the window at the children out trick or treating. He says he’ll give them something special this year and gets a big sharp knife out. Opening credits no Tara.

3. Everyone is exhausted after a long day. Except Anya. She’s grateful. She’s doing a post-holiday clearance. Buffy does not want to work tomorrow. Giles is offering brooms all around. Willow suggests a Fantasia-style self-cleaning incantation. Giles points out the obvious - that in Fantasia, that was a disaster. Dawn and Anya are doing the Money Dance, which is even better than Numfar’s Dance of Joy. Xander is staring. Xander says he’s going to marry that girl. He’s announcing their engagement. Dawn is happy. Tara is happy for them too. Willow is disbelieving. Anya says she thought he was waiting for the right moment. He says he did. Then they kiss. Anya is still holding the money. She tosses it to Dawn and they keep kissing. Giles doesn’t want to think about this. Buffy: Is that why you’re always cleaning your glasses? So you don’t have to see what they’re doing?” Giles: “Tell no one.” Heh. Buffy says they have to do something. So now they’re having a party. Anya wants a party. Willow uses magic to decorate. Tara seems nervous, but Anya is happy. Giles also looks nervous. Tara and Willow are in the kitchen. Tara is telling Willow that she’d have preferred to decorate naturally. They’re having an argument. Apparently Tara hasn’t liked how much magic Willow’s doing for a while. Dawn sees them arguing. Then we go to Xander and Buffy hugging. Buffy is surprised that he’s getting married. Dawn wants a tattoo; Willow and Buffy have both told her no. I love Anya’s earrings. Dawn is going to sleep over at Janice’s. Buffy is suddenly worried about that. Buffy tries to foist the decision off on Giles, but he doesn’t take it. Buffy lets her go. Dawn is roaming the streets instead of going to Janice’s. She hears a bottle rattling. She gets a giant board. Finds two people making out, then runs into Janice. Janice, who has told her mother she’s staying at Dawn’s house. I think it’s time to move to another entry.

4. They’re all meeting at the park, where the monsters gather on Halloween. There’s a few guys there. One is Zack, who is apparently dating Janice. Justin is there too; Dawn’s seen him at parties. Crush there, apparently. Janice asks what the guys want to do. Then they go egging houses and letting air out of tires. Dawn likes Justin a lot. Justin thinks Dawn is cute. Janice says she’s getting bored. Zack wants to hit one more house.

5. Giles sits next to Xander and tells him that Anya is a wonderful former vengeance demon and that they’ll have years of non-hell-dimension bliss. He asks if she’s moving in with Xander. Of course, she’s already moved in with Xander. He suggests they look at buying a house. Future talk is making Xander nervous.

6. Zack has focused on Old Man Kaltenbach’s house. This is probably a bad thing. Dawn thinks he’s crazy. Zack encourages Janice to go smash Kaltenbach’s pumpkin; Janice won’t, but Dawn says she will. Justin says she doesn’t have to. She says she wants to. She strides toward the house. Lifts the pumpkin. The door opens behind her. Kaltenbach grabs her and tells her that sometimes pumpkins bite. The pumpkin falls to the ground and breaks. Then Kaltenbach invites them inside. “Daddy’s got a treat.” Zack thinks this is cool; Janice is terrified. Now they’re inside. Zack is playing with a toy robot. Kaltenbach is an old toymaker. Why am I thinking about The Seventh Guest now? Kaltenbach says he was the best. “And then that thing happened. One little mistake, and they took it all away from me. They took my toys. Time for the treats!” He asks who wants to help in the kitchen. Justin volunteers. Kaltenbach says he could always use more hands. Janice really wants to run. I’m with her, though that would leave Justin behind. Zack doesn’t want to miss the treat. Dawn’s ready to go too. Zack was playing with a jack in the box, and it has no head.

7. Justin and Kaltenbach in the kitchen. Kaltenbach grabs a large knife. And Justin is a vampire. He’s eating Kaltenbach. The treats are Rice Crispie Treats. Dawn runs off to check on Justin. Justin comes out of the kitchen and tells them to run because he swiped Kaltenbach’s wallet while he wasn’t looking. Oh, Zack is a vampire too. They’re deciding whether to just eat the girls or turn them.

8. Anya is talking about wedding plans. Xander is getting more and more nervous. She brought up babies. Xander looks terrified. Giles suggests naming babies after himself. Anya dismisses that. Anya is very happy. Xander and Buffy step outside. Xander’s going to express his nervousness to Buffy. Buffy says this is good - love and celebration and moving forward. The way life’s supposed to work out. Xander says he’s wallowing, not drowning. Buffy’s going to go patrolling; Xander’s going back to the party.

9. Justin and Dawn are walking and talking. He gives her some money from the wallet. She tells him she steals all the time. He likes that. He gives her his jacket. Janice asks where Zack is. Zack is eating people and taking their car.

10. Buffy is walking around, looking for trouble. Or anything. Watching couples. Families. Ambulance goes past; Buffy goes to check on it. Vampire victim; she’s alive. I think she was the driver of the car.

11. Janice’s mother has called the Summers house, and Giles answers. She’s chewing Giles out. He says he’ll let her know if he hears from the girls.

12. Xander, Anya, and Willow are dancing while Tara looks on very sadly. Giles turns the music off. Giles asks Xander and Anya to stick around the house in case there’s a call, Willow and Tara to check downtown, and he’s going to Spike’s place.

13. Janice, Dawn, Zack, and Justin get out of the car. Janice kisses Zack and runs off; Zack puts his game face on to chase her. Dawn and Justin are in the car. Justin says cold doesn’t bother him. They flirt. They get the radio going. Dawn is cold. Justin asks if she wants to go. He says he just wants to taste her. They start to kiss.

14. More kissing. Dawn seems to have enjoyed it. Dawn is stumbling around talking about it. They kiss some more.

15. Now we’re at the Bronze. With a concert. How did we get here? Willow and Tara are here. They’re being flirty and sweet again. There’s too many people in the room. Willow looks over it and starts a spell. Tara tells her not to cast the spell. The spell does sound kinda awful. Willow silences the room. Now they’re arguing again. Tara says that Willow is using too much magic. Willow says something mean; Tara storms off.

16. More Dawn/Justin kissing. He bit her lip. They go back to kissing. More kissing. She’s running her hand on his chest, his neck, his face… his game face is on.

17. Buffy is at Spike’s place. Spike told her about Dawn disappearing. Giles falls over while searching the cemetery. He hears a girl screaming and starts jogging. He finds Janice and Zack. Punches Zack off her. Starts to fight Zack. Giles is actually making a show of himself… and uses a tree to stake Zack.

18. Dawn is getting out of the car. Justin is asking her to wait. He thought they could hang out. She’s not like other girls. He wants to be close to her. He says it’ll only hurt for a second. Giles found them. Then a bunch of cars pull up and vampires get out while Giles is threatening Justin. Giles is rather surrounded… Spike shows up, and so does Buffy, who asks Dawn if she was parking with a vampire. Neither Buffy nor Dawn wants to hear from Justin. The vampires want to fight. Buffy asks if anyone came here to make out; one couple raises their hands. Buffy tells them to run, then tells the vampires to scream. Now we get an action scene. Buffy nonchalantly stakes a vampire. Dawn fights off Justin. Giles stakes two vampires. Spike is having trouble with a vampire. “What is your malfunction, man?” “It’s Halloween, you nit. We take the night off. Those are the rules.” The vampire says they’re rebels. Spike: “No. I’m a rebel. You’re an idiot.” Then he shoots the vampire with a crossbow. Another vampire tackles him. Buffy is fighting a vampire on the hood of a car. This is going badly… well, it was. And is again. Buffy hits him with the car door. Then decapitates him with the car door. Dawn is in the woods, trying to escape. Justin comes in behind her. Tackles her, pins her down. Dawn gets teary, says she thought he really liked her. He says he does, and that she likes him too. She says she does, then she stakes him.

19. Buffy is apologizing to Xander about the party. Anya wants strippers. Spike leaves. Willow tries to talk to Tara, but Tara goes to bed. Buffy checks on Giles’s face. Buffy hands dealing with Dawn off to Giles and rushes off upstairs. Giles goes into the dining room to talk to Dawn. “We need to have a conversation.” Dawn: “Is this the part where you tell me you’re not angry, just disappointed?” Giles: “Pretty much. Except for the bit about not being angry.” Willow and Tara in the bedroom. Tara wants to not have this conversation now. She goes to bed, suggesting they forget it ever happened. Willow takes a flower from an incense burner and says “Forget.” Then she joins Tara in bed. Tara is giggling about cold feet. So… she forgot. Gods, Willow. Episode end.

Overall: Well, it wasn’t about Buffy being overwhelmed! Mostly. It was about Xander’s fear of the future, Dawn being a mess of a human being, magic suddenly being a problem for Willow to use, Willow using it to erase her girlfriend’s memory, and… well, yeah.

I don’t really think a lot of this season’s narrative threads hold together. Willow’s magic is a marvel in seasons 2 and 3, a metaphor for lesbianism in seasons 4 and 5, and now it’s… drugs? Or addictive, corrupting power? I don’t know. We’re being told it’s wrong for Buffy to hand off responsibilities to those around her, but those responsibilities aren’t hers to begin with - she died and her story finished - and she’s constantly showing signs of being overwhelmed by the list of responsibilities she has. Handing things off is responsible, and if she’s picking the wrong things to hand off… well, she’s not really getting help on the whole delegating thing. If Xander has a reason for his issues with marriage (like, say, worry about becoming like his horrible, abusive father), the show really needs to point that out at some point. Otherwise, I basically have to assume they’re doing Generic Male Character Plot #8.

The next episode is the musical. It has Hinton Battle! He’s won 3 Tony Awards for Featured Actor in a Musical! He played the Scarecrow in “The Wiz!” He choreographed a musical based on Evil Dead! He’s Hinton Battle!

If anyone can save us from this season, Hinton Battle can.

#buffy the vampire slayer #buffy season 6 #all the way #season 6

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