#non-witchy

[numberonetrashwitch]

Some observations about Baldurs Gate 3 that hit too close to home.

After another few runs i will probably just make an in-Depth Character Analysis for every character simply because they are good reflections of actual trauma-manifestations and how abuse can manifest in people. They are also so well written that it serves a narrative purpose to explore all the material that is out there about them. I am also personally cursed with actual medically-relevant levels of Empathy and Hyperfixation; so writing this helps me put a pin in it and move on.

But so far here are my highlights

(SPOILERS and obviously content warning bc these are deep)

before you ask; i have almost 300h in this game.

You have to convince Shadowheart to eat the Noblestalk. She actually stells you she rather get her memories back from Shar but when you hit the persuasion or intimidation (what the fuck) check to get her to eat it she'll tell you about her childhood friend. Not her name, not her parents but her best firend. Possibly because she has had a closer bond to that person after being abducted and indoctrinated. With her believing herself to be an orphan, she would've looked elsewhere for comfort and sought out her own family, this is why she falls hard and heavy for Shar and builds the backbone of her indoctrination. She is literally ripped out of her home & given a new identity to server her from all she has known. Religious indoctrination, Gaslighting, Abduction, being forced to let go of your personality are her main themes.

There is a scene out there floating around in which you see Astarions pespective of the night when he bites Tav for the first time, in his meditations he is confronted with the rules Cazador put on him, including that he can't eat intelligent creatures, can't be away from Cazador unless allowed to, has to obey every command and that they are should know that they are property. Which in turn means that Astarion literally didn't just have any autonomy, he was objectified (and not just through seductive/sexual measures) and that is really the crux to understanding why he doesn't believe in kindness, but rather shows self-serving behavior in most cases. Since we know that Astarion was extremely young for an elf before he died and became immortal (literally stopping the aging /maturing process) it is also very telling that Cazador constantly calls him brat, boy or other very juvanile names, refering to them as a family... well it is also the story of a very controlling parent. Themes of (Bodily) autonomy, infantilization ( & puer aeternus, forever-child), slavery, depersonalisation, corruption of life and torture to break someone.

Gale isn't just a guy hung up on his Ex, but also a victim of abuse. In this case a power imbalance none of us can fathom; She is described as being a jealous goddess and rules over the domain of mysteries and magic. So with Gale being a Wizard, she is literally his boss. He admits that he was foolish enough to aspire to be an equal to her, but she is so jealous that she tells him he can't really be worthy as long as he takes breath. She could just take his powers away and be done with it, that would be more than enough punishment for a guy who literally made Mystra and her domain his life's purpose, but she rather makes him do it himself. Add to that, that she literally only tells him this after years of self-isolation (after he put down so many wards that he could've blown up a whole army as he says if you click the right dialogue) to really fuck him up well. He also talks about death pretty much constantly, not surprising giving your situation, but he will tell you that he will kill himself at several points in the game, for instance after he comes clear about his nethrese orb. Themes of romantic abuse, power-imbalance, toxic work enviorment, self-isolating behavior, suicidal ideation

Wyll ... well from the looks of it he is the most well adjusted of all the companions (my opinion) but he has something that i'd describe as the "eldest daughter"-syndrome, more commonly known as parentification. This pattern usually occurs within single-household parents and is commonly described as a parent looking to their child for emotional or practical support, rather than providing it to their kid. We meet Ulder and see that he talks over Wyll a lot, not listening but expecting him to follow the standard he sets for him. That is also why Wyll repeats his fathers words like gospel (because this is what, in his mind, fullfills the expectations bestowed upon him) and why he loves fairytales / bard tales so much (because they are an ecapist view of the job he set out to do) Ulder literally exiled his teenage son because Wyll did the only thing he could to save an entire city, by sacrificing himself. Thats a lot to expect from a 17 year old - even more so, he doesn't stop with the heroics. He expects himself, as a human who hasn't even reached the age of 30 to hold up to mystical creatures such as Astarion or Karlach, or even Gale who is a accomplished Wizard. Themes of parentification, escapism, self-harming through putting himself in danger, chronic-self-sacrifice

In plain words; Gortash, Karlach's Idol sold her to a Devil. But add to that that she must have been pretty young when she was sold (late teens to early twenties possibly) and being that if you play as a Tiefling, you face a lot of predjudice she was likely forced into that position as well. Starstruck she was, with a juvenile naitivy that Gortash used. Appropriately, as he is the chosen of Bane the god of "tyrannical oppression, terror, and hate, known across Faerûn as the face of pure evil through malevolent despotism" (Source: Forgotten-Realms Wiki / Bane) So she pretty much was raised in a toxic enviorment, which forced her to become a killing-machine, first figuretively, then with the extraction of her heart, literally. Themes of slavery, oppression, misuse of trust, being taken advantage by a more powerful/older(?) person, being drafted.

Jaheira - to be honest, you need to know the lore of the previous baldurs gate games or just listen to her dialouge, ask her all the questions. She is a war-veteran against Bhaal, the good of ritual murder, and has a long history of fighting to achieve some sort of balance of power. She lost her husband and several close people all to this, or any other war, but due to her wisdom and strength people look to her for guidance. Themes of: Survivors Guilt.

Halsin - he is really closed off at first but then just casually hits you with "i was captured in the underdark and spent 3 years chained to a bedroom wall by a pair of drows who used me as they pleased". He is reprimanded by some of his druids for leaving the grove as soon as opportunity struck, just to get back and leave the next day, and if you talk to him about his position in the grove he is actually very forthcomming. He actively holds himself back; indulging in simple hobbies because he knows what lies within his heart. He is afraid of himself and his potential (canonnically he can't control his wildshape, which is very weird for an ARCH-druid) Themes of: impostor syndrome, avoidant-based self-harm, sexual opression, loss of control, emotional regulation.

Lae'zel is a very tragic case, and one that closely resembles the stories of Shadowheart and Karlach. Her entire existence is based upon a matriachial war society allowing her to live if she proves she can be of use and that in a culture which only values brutality, dominance & service. All of that culimating in her finding out that her oh-so-beloved Queen is actually just an imposter, and that everything she has lived for up to that point is merely political propaganda created to make her, and the rest of her entire species, willing pawns in a war that has no longer bearing on their survival alone, but is fought to justify Vlaakith's (the reigning monarchs) personal ambitions. Not only is she forced to reconcile that she is turned into the thing that controlled her kind for hundreds of years, that the only cure she knows of would kill her and then on top of that, that her hopes and dreams were lies and that she is now the Nr 1 enemy of the person she has served with all her being. themes of: oppression, propaganda, casual violence, objectification, child-warfare, eternal warfare

Minthara in short, her story is about being shamed for growing up in the same scenario that Lae'zel grew up in. Lolth, the god of the Lolth-sworn drows is a crazy queen who values scheming & backstabbing so much and is so volatile that you can't know what to expect of your deeds (and i mean it; there were people who were appraised by her for scheming against her, but also those who were killed. It's almost random.) She considers Lolth to be cruel and abandoned her for the Absolute, only to then be used and abused the same way Lae'zel has. Not with promises, but erasing her memory and exposing her perceived weakness. Themes of: casual violence, violent culture, her own ambition colliding with her desire to be safe, being a pawn in a larger game.

#baldurs gate #bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #non-witchy #baldurs gate iii #baldurs gate character #background to baldurs gate 3 #character analysis #analysis #fan theory #media analysis #astarion #wyll #karlach #minthara #halsin #jaheira #lae'zel #gale #minsc will have to wait #im sorry its so long #yeah some characters are a bit more shallow #i will go in depth sometime #dark urge has a grip on me i swear #please do yourself a favor and look up the earlier 2 games

[themori-witch]

There’s a not-so-small part of me that is hoping that, since Eddie Munson has become a beloved icon, men will start growing their hair/teasing it/styling it again.

#my partner is growing his hair out and every time he puts it into a little bun it ruins me so we're getting there #non-witchy

[backwoodsmagick]

Let's hear it for non-traditional engagement rings (mine is an amethyst)!

#engagement ring #engaged #non-witchy

[evenlyevi]

Girls' night

#original #illustration #digital art #purple #lavender #clutter #witchy vibes #mirror #plants #hands #id in alt text #image description in alt text #another one for you purple lovers out there #ive been looking at so many of these ornate little items lately i just had to draw some as a way of collecting them in my head #tell me in the tags which one (1) item would you take from here :D #non fandom tag

[thestrawberraefae]

#witchcraft #witch #pagan #wicca #salem #grunge #gothic #personal #witchy woman #witches of tumblr #feminism #divine feminism #non binary #gender neutral #lgbtq #trans rights #protect trans rights #hex the patriarchy #down with the patriarchy #liberal #cry baby

[wizardsaur]

Yo so....

Witchcraft is actually hella customizable. You can invent shit. I don't know how this: "By the book, uber traditional, heavily controlled" thing gained so much traction, but...

You can make your own holidays

You can make your own Gods

You can design your own divination methods

You can make sigils -however the fuck you want

You can create your own theory on energy systems based on your personal experience

Write your own ethics and codes of conduct

Describe crystals or herbs by their ENERGY instead of a keyword list you got off Pinterest

Cleanse in a completely different way than the books tell you to

Literally the possibilities are unfathomably endless. And I've successfully done all of these. Go forth and get weird with it.

#magick #witchcraft #magic #witch #witchy #spell #pagan #witchcore #wicca #wiccan #chaos magick #chaos witch #secular witchcraft #non-traditional witchcraft

[fliegenengel]

People sometimes ask me why I have the forest with me. You know, they gave me shelter once, now I take care of them. That's why you can't tear us apart. They blessed me with a wooden heart

#soerenbaptism #soeren baptism #nature is non binary #forestwitch #cottagecore #naturecore #witchy #forestcore #cottage garden #dirtcore #faekin #forest #trees #trees and forests #woods #forest cottage #forest witch #woodland #wooden heart #love me tender #elvis #muss i denn #wiccan #pagan #wald #mossy #hiking #caravan #vanlife #occult

[simder-talia-blog]

#blog #non sims #samhain #samhain info dump #witchy things #spells #altar #samhain altar #rituals #samhain activities

[deathianartworks]

Eva <3

#artists on tumblr #art #artwork #digital artist #deathianartworks #deathians ocs #original art #pls reblog this instead of like it im begging you #eva #my girl <3 #so normal about her i swear #shes so silly #magma doodles with the queers #that hozier song has been in my brain non stop #ALSO THAT JERMA IS MOTIVATING ME SO MUCH #shoutout to witchy for that jerma <3

[numberonetrashwitch]

Since this is such a good question, i want to answer it in full. Obviously Spoiler for BG3 / Astarions Questline "The Pale Elf" Vampirism is a Curse

Despite the evidence you can find in the Szarr Manor, i don't think Vampirism is (just) a disease. It is infernal in nature and more akin to a curse, and one that whittles away your humanity - but in levels, the more "infected" you are, the more it turns you into a power-hungry monster. It's also something that Astarion will tell you early on (under the right conditions of course) We also see this in the Palace itself, once we find the remains of the Vampire that turned Cazador. You'll learn what that Vampire did to Cazador - and how it panned out. That is because once you'll turn your Spawn into Vampires, they automatically become your Enemy in the endless fight for control/power

Weakness (this includes mercy) will get you killed if you're a Vampire.

Abuse / Trauma is Cyclical, and a bitch

Astarion didn't just face 200 years of trauma, but as we know through various interactions, was mentally and physically tortured. We're talking about flaying, sensory deprevation, starvation, repeated verbal abuse. Now, victims of this kind of abuse always fault themselves for it, even if they rationally know it's not their fault. Especially if mental torture is involved, these words, bearing enough repetition, will convince you - regardless of your resolve.

That is a loss of control, victims of with often either get addicted to, or will try to avoid it at any cost neccessary. The first kind will often seek out the situation in which they have been abused and try to recreate (or exced) the risk involved, the second type - to which Astarion belongs in my opinion - seeks to gain control, even over trivial matters, as a way to ensure that their needs are met. Nobody has been nice to him in 200 years, and then came Tav... he doesn't understand why they are so kind to him, but it feels good to be seen as more than a toy, a prostitute, a monster, - all the things he sees himself as, still, even away from Cazador. If you break up with Astarion before freeing him, he'll actually say that he knew it wouldn't last simply because he has "nothing to offer Tav, except his burdens"

(snippet of exactly that, in german) Yes, Astarion presents himself as this self-obsessed, smug Guy but that is all a facade to hide how he actually feels; weak, pathetic, lonely, useless, at fault for his abuse.

He is utterly in "love" with Tav.

Remember, Tav is the first person to see Astarion as more than just an object but as a person, and, on top of that, a person deserving of love and affection, regardless of what he brought to the table.

This feels good. Now, again, with Vampires everything comes down to power, and he can't have Tav leave. In this mix of dark urges & new, relatively unexplored feelings his love for Tav turns into an Obsession; He will not let them leave.

I will refer to @morgana-ren who has this point flashed out way more, but in short - by turning Tav into Spawn Astarion essentially ensures that they can't be taken from him. Neither through (natural) death nor by her own will, should they find out that Astarion has in fact, turned into a monster.

paraphrased: "don't move too far away from me... but you wouldn't do that, right?"

If you break up with him after he ascended and bit you, he will laugh in your face and not allow you to leave. You're his, after all.

There you have it, an in-depth answer to this question.

#baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #astarion #non-witchy #baldurs gate #baldurs gate astarion #spoiler

[themori-witch]

I want to play Cyberpunk 2077 because it’s my fixation at the moment, and absolutely one of my favourite games ever, but GOG is down and I’m all crochety and fidgety because I had my heart set on playing, and now do not know what to do with myself. 

#non-witchy #REEEEEEEEEEEE

[satanicwitchery]

Satanic Altars: A Beginners Guide, Part 1

#Satan #Satanist #satanism #hail satan #satanic #baphomet #Baphy #Satanic Altars #Altar #Satanic altar #666 #Church of Satan #the satanic temple #Non theistic satanism #Theistic satanism #Atheistic witchcraft #Satanic witchcraft #Witch #Witchy #Witchcraft #witches of tumblr #witchythings #Goth #Gothic #Satanic Ritual #The Satanic Witchery #Satanic Witchery #Satanicwitchery #Lucifer #lucifer morningstar

[evenlyevi]

A New You.

#illustration #blue #starry #otherworldly #artists on tumblr #digital art #original #non fandom tag #eye motif #art #witchy #new years

[monstersandmaw]

Figured you lot would probably like this lil terrarium/greenhouse I made today.

Please give this a watch on Ye Olde Instagramme if you can - it’ll give my page a boost even if you just click it and don’t have an account. :) thanks, the algorithm is cruel over there and you lot are nice on here.

(C) do not use, edit, reupload

#Ghosti makes stuff #ghosti’s Instagram #witchy vibes #Dunc the bear #totally helped me build this #non monster post #personal post #chill vibes #ghosti’s study

[thestrawberraefae]

#witchcraft #witch #wicca #pagan #grunge #witch community #personal #gothic #witchy woman #they them #non binary #lgbtq #be yourself #love yourself #self love #spiritual healing #spiritual growth #healing era

[mommabird1772]

Happy Witchcore Samantha Wednesday!

This week's moodboard is about celebrating the traditional celtic festival of Samhain, also known as All Hallow's Eve or Halloween. It is a time when the world is transitioning between the seasons of fall and winter, and the veil between spiritual realms is the thinnest. Pagan observers may choose to honor this holiday by cleansing and protecting sacred spaces, honoring ancestors by holding a dumb supper, baking traditional foods like soul cakes, or reading tarot cards or practicing other rituals and spells. I'm excited for my celebration this year because my friend and I are baking a spiced apple and pear fruit galette for a Halloween party, and I am blessing my friend's new house with a protection spell! I hope you all have fun plans scheduled!

Next week we will switching cultures by special request, as I collaborate with @cordellwinchesterwalker to bring you their celebration of Dia De Los Muertos!

As with the rest of my moodboards, none of these pictures are my own, and I claim no credit for any art or design used, only for the concept created

Tagging: @somethxng-angel @lord-kaira @hexlorde @regnumveritatis @need-that-sastiel-serotonin @ruinedsam @allieyourally @stemroses @eunoiastarz @wendibird @thewinchestersruinedmylife0924 @sassyfoxunknown @oh-no-its-danger-gays @heaven-ecologist @the-gray-ghosty @stuckysdaughter @clairenovak-winchester @moostiel @fandom-hoarder @magpie-wings @mxltivxrse2020 @hey-its-moss @fae-and-night @twobrothersoneheart @annoyingdinosaurnoises @kayla-sparrow @fangirlxwritesx67 @nvybloo @pastornovak @zwahkmuchoney @cordellwinchesterwalker @willgrahamscat @mychem1calbr0mance @chimerazodiac

#witchcore samantha wednesday #sastiel #Cottagecore sastiel #genderfluid cas #trans sam winchester #bird mom answers #non binary jack kline #Samhain #witchyvibes #all hallows eve #witchy things #Blessed be #witchblr #cottage witch #baby witch