#i might not always answer but you have my permission to rant into my inbox

[ganondoodle]

Oh man I saw your totk issues post and I agree 100%!! Those are all things that have really bothered me about playing totk, and things that made playing it not nearly as fun (the dungeons, the shrines, the building, etc).

Especially the map!! When I tell you I was so disappointed by the maps on totk, I was hoping for something new! It really just feels like a modded botw, not an official sequel.

I was wondering what your thoughts are on the concept of “what if they had sent link to the past instead”? So the surface map would feature huge differences in the land forms and buildings that exist, and we’d get to see more ganon whenever he visits Hyrule, or go out to the desert to see Gerudo town, etc.

If they really wanted no sheika tech, they could also just have it being newly built? And you could introduce the new characters and such, etc etc.

(I also think the past champions are such a missed opportunity? If botw is about grief and loneliness, and finding hope in the hopeless, and Totk is about coming together despite that, it could have been really interesting if Link had gone to the past! They could have used the past setting as an eerie reminder to what Link and Zelda had lost when the Calamity struck!)

THAT BEING SAID: I’m not as familiar with the legend of Zelda lore, and haven’t played totk very much! I wanted to know your thoughts on this because you seem to have a lot of story and game mechanic knowledge that could explain why this could be a bad/good idea!

(Plus, your discussions are always super interesting to read, as is your custom totk lore, so I’d love to know what you think🩷)

I’m sorry if you’ve already answered an ask like this! If that’s the case, feel free to point that out and I’ll go through your ask tag if you have one:) I hope you have a great day!⭐️

Hi!

im glad you enjoy my rants, i often feel like im being overly mean but tbh were else could i just rant as much as my heart desires without getting spammed by annoying people (certainly not on twitter lol)

i have talked alot, and i mean ALOT, about totk and my issues with it, both lore and gameplay wise, i dont claim to be an expert on any, though i am an old zelda fan and aspiring gamedev, i really only talk about what i feel about it, what i think about it, and by all means im biased as hell xD

if you dont know yet, the "ganondoodles rants" tag is where all my rants go, so if you are interested in reading more on my totk thoughts thats the way to search (given tumblrs search in blog works ..)

and to answers your question, i have touched on it briefly, sending link back in time before the shiekah tech existed would have been an easy way to excuse how they jsut got .. rid of it, bc they didnt, it literally didnt exist yet- and for reusing the map- though that argument falls a little flat bc ... they coud have already done that in present totk, like i brought up in one of said rants, things like flooding gerudo desert, collapsing death mountain, drying out zoras domain etc, and changing the location of the main populations would have already done alot without having to redo the map in its entirety;

the little changes to map itself really wouldnt that big of a deal if they didnt also send you to the EXACT same locations AND repeat the SAME LOCATIONS AGAIN but in the underground, like thats a fact i have talked about multiple times bc its so illogical in every way, anywhere theres a settlement on the surface theres a bigger mine below, its so stupid, the shrines conenct to a lightroot, the same, again, you dont need to explore bc theres nothing TO explore (its also extra weird bc theres one below taburasa (tarrey town) which .... link literally build with dumsda (hudson) a few years ago .. unless that got retconned too idk wth do i know anymore honestly- AND it makes the sonau extra weird bc why the hell do they have a bigass mine under every settlement ESPECIALLY UNDER GERUDO TOWN like, that just adds to my suspicions towards them)

anyway, link to the past was the point and yes, it could have solved a few issues (mainly shiekah tech and the whole "story" taking place AGAIN in the past completely disconnected from you the player) i personally am not so much a fan of it, but that mostly comes down to me just not liking time travel, i dont like going back in time, i want to play and do things in the here and now, i want to repair the damages of the calamity, find out its origins, maybe fix that too, i love to learn about past stuff too, but that more in text, no literal flashback (unless done well), i want to connect to the past but it also holds alot of mystery that maybe shouldnt be touched upon, some mysteries and unkowns are much more interesting when left as such, i want to THINK about things and come to conclusions that are logical and makes sense in hindsight even if it wasnt clear at the start, i dont want information and what to think about it told to my face over and over like im stupid

after botw i really didnt care much about the past, maybe about the acient hero who alot of people specualted to be of gerudo origin due to its red hair- which also got a monkeys paw curled bc in totk they do sth with but its so stupid and insulting that i do not accept it as canon, say what they want, there are no dog people anywhere in the past nor present botw/totk wtf is that i hate it- and its not even .. why is that the reward for that, it has literally NOTHING TO DO WITH TOTK ITSELF I COULD YELLLL AAAARGH

main point is that really, i wanted to explore the past .. in the present, i hoped to find broken old shiekah structures, old labs and maybe some left over damage and records from when the old king persecuted the shiekah for their tech, i wanted to know where the ancient energy the shiekah used was coming from, what the boss arena in the middle of hyrule castle really was- so many things just discarded and acted like they never happened or mattered; i dont want to travel into the past, i want to discover whats left of it, piece it together, discover dark secrets you can ask no one about bc all that knew about it are long gone- thats what intrigued me about botw, it felt like there was so much left to discover only for totk to throw it all away and just do its own thing .. but not commit to that hard enough either so its neither its own thing nor a sequel-

.. that wasnt really what you wanted to know was it? xD sorry i tend to ramble on if someone seems to give me permission to

to sum it up, i think it COULD work, sending link to the past instead, if done well, but so could canon totk have been, it could have been done well but wasnt for reasons i dont know and tbh even fear bc i worry its sets a dark future ahead of zelda; i personalyl am just not a fan of time travel so i dont have that much to say to it :O

#ganondoodles answers #ganondoodles talks #zelda #ganondoodles rants #adding this to that bc i .. ranted again #you ask for a pebble and get a landslide #my rambling mouth could never shut up #also dont apologize pls #i might not always answer but you have my permission to rant into my inbox #i often feel alone in my rants like its just my own brainrot taking hold

[tipsycad147]

7 Common Questions About Witchcraft Answered

Curious about the Craft?  The article below discusses some of the more common questions about witchcraft.  If you’ve wondered about these things, you’re not alone.  All of the questions below come up constantly in my inbox, on discussion threads and even over coffee with my friends.

Can anyone be a witch?

Yes!  There is a little magic in all of us.  Like anything else, the more you develop your practice, the better you get.

Never let anyone tell you that you need to be of a certain heritage, or born into a tradition of witchcraft in order to learn.

Certainly, some people are gifted with special talents (like sharp intuition, or a keen ability to focus).

But you have your own special talents.  The trick is to discover what they are and how they apply.

Are you a great cook?  Try the art of kitchen magic.

Love gardening?  You’re a green witch in the making.

From midwifery to a knack for raising parakeets, there’s a way to translate almost any ability into a magical practice.

Do spells really work?

Ah!  This is a tricky one.

It kind of depends on how you expect them to work.

If it sounds absurd when you say it out loud, it probably is.

But I think most people with experience in the magical arts will tell you that spell craft does change your life and your outlook in the long run.

The ways in which this happen are often subtle, barely perceptible, and easy to talk yourself out of.

They also rarely go as planned.  The Universe has a pretty twisted sense of humor that way.

I don’t know if it’s really helpful for me to say “I did X, and the result was definitely Y, and I’m sure it happened because I did X.”  For skeptics, this will always sound like self-delusion, and for me, it kind of prostitutes a very profound, personal experience.

Magic is very personal.  And the way it effects you is, too.

Let me put it this way: millions of people around the world practice some form of witchcraft—whether they call it that or not.  People have been doing this for tens of thousands of years.

I think it is extremely dismissive to say that all these people are simply ignorant and backwards and there’s no merit to a magical practice at all.  Certainly, I know lots of intelligent, rational people who consider themselves magical practitioners.

But ultimately, I think it’s best for you to judge this for yourself and your own life.

Is witchcraft evil?

No.  Of course not.  Not inherently, anyway.

In fact, you probably practice some form of witchcraft without even knowing it.

Ever carried a rabbit’s foot for good luck?  Opened a fortune cookie?  Worn the same socks to win a baseball game?

Did your grandmother ever come at you with some funky-smelling home remedy to cure a cold?

Have you ever seen an herbalist?  Practised meditation?  Carried a good luck charm?  Blessed a meal?  Talked out loud to a dead relative?

(Okay, maybe that last one is just me).

Magic is everywhere if you know to look for it.  It’s no more evil than than plucking petals from a flower and chanting “He loves me, he loves me not.”

There are lots of really messed up historical reasons that mainstream society and religion continues to demonise witchcraft.  For more on this phenomenon, check out How Witchcraft Became Associated with Evil.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t people with bad intentions who also happen to practice witchcraft.  Just like there are people with bad intentions who practice Catholicism or Buddhism.

But most Catholics and Buddhists are good people who practice with good intentions and want what’s best for the world around them.

The same is true for witchcraft.  It is what you make it.

If you practice with malice in your heart, you’re almost certainly setting up yourself for disaster.

But I would no more fear a bad witch than a bad Catholic, and neither should you.  Speaking of which:

Help!  A witch says she cursed me.  What should I do?

First of all, on behalf of the pagan community, I’m sorry you ran into one of these idiots.

Most of us find this behaviour profoundly embarrassing.

Rest assured, 99% of time, these people are either frauds or lunatics or both.

My advice?  Ignore it.  Recognise it for the stupidity it is and move on.  Do not engage.

If the person in question continues to pursue or harass you, treat it as you would any other form of harassment.  Document anything you can document, save any harassing emails or phone calls, and if need be, call the police.

Whatever you do, don’t rant about curses or you’ll make yourself look crazy, too.   Just stick to the facts.

Law enforcement will likely recognise this nutter for what he or she is.

If all else fails, contact a lawyer.

Stalkers are much more dangerous in the physical realm than the spiritual.  Concern yourself with that and ignore the rest.

Can you be a Christian and a witch?

Who are you asking?

If you’re asking me, yes.  I welcome you to the Craft.  I respect your Christian faith, and I absolutely believe you can honour it and still practice magic.

Lots of people do.  Most of my tarot clients are Christian.  At least one of my coven members is a practising Catholic.  There’s a whole Christian witch movement.  I can’t really speak to that branch of witchcraft, because I’m not part of it, but there are almost certainly Christian witches out there who will be happy to help you along that path.

However, I can’t promise you other people on both sides of the coin won’t tell you differently.

Unless you’re a Unitarian Universalist, Christian clergy will likely discourage the practice of witchcraft.

On the flip side, there are, unfortunately, practising witches who have an attitude problem about Christians.

Wait, why do they have a problem?

For what it’s worth, many of them had terrible experiences in the Christian church.  In some cases, they were downright traumatised, and it’s difficult for them for recognise that not all Christians are the same.

In some cases, it’s the opposite.  Some pagans have little actual contact with Christians and only rely on what they’re heard or read about them.

I know it’s a lot to ask, but try to be patient with them.

We need more Christians in our community to show them that there’s more to Christianity than oppression and abuse of power.

Trust me:  it’s the very best way to change their minds.

Also, keep in mind, we’re not all like that.

Personally, my experiences with Christians have been largely positive, and I try to recognise that as often as possible in my own circle.

Bottom line:  your faith is your business.  And I sincerely hope that foolishness does not deter you from pursuing your chosen path.  There are lots of us on it who want to help you along the way regardless of your spiritual background.

I’m interested in beginning a magical practice.  Where should I start?

Wherever you want.

Pick a subject that interests you.  Maybe you feel drawn to tarot cards, or you want to learn more about how to set up an altar.

Start there.  Let your practice evolve as you evolve.

Or, go for the broad overview, and pick up a 101 book on witchcraft.  Here are some of the more common titles (affiliate links below):

The Green Witch by Arin Murphy Hiscock

The Modern Guide to Witchcraft by Skye Alexander

Wicca Herbal Magic: A Beginner’s Guide to Practicing Wiccan Herbal Magic, with Simple Herb Spells by Lisa Chamberlain

The House Witch: Your Complete Guide to Creating a Magical Space with Rituals and Spells for Hearth and Home by Arin Hiscock

A Year and a Day of Everyday Witchcraft: 366 Ways to Witchify Your Life by Deborah Blake

Is it okay to include my children in my practice?

That is a deeply personal decision.  No one can answer it but you.

I’ve seen people go their entire adult lives as practitioners and never once include a child in ritual.

I’ve seen people with children who never miss a full moon.

Certainly, if you decide to, there are lots of kid-friendly ways to introduce your child to a magical practice.

Of course, you should never include other people’s kids in your practice without permission, no matter how benign you think it is.  Holding a bonfire in the backyard to celebrate the Summer Solstice and including your kids’ friends probably seems pretty harmless.   But to someone with deeply religious convictions of another faith, it might be downright blasphemous.

Always respect other people’s decisions about what’s right for their families when it comes to religion.  Don’t get defensive and never take it personally.

moodymoons.com/2018/12/12/7-common-questions-about-witchcraft-answered/