#time zone witchery

[rmd-writes]

RMD RMD!!!

This image is from this post that @goodways shared.

As an Australian and our resident person who knows and explains things. Please!! Is this a real thing? If yes, for the love of god, why?????

Thank you for your time!

Lemon!

Oh dear. Yes, that map is a real thing. Australian time zones in the summer are a quite literally a (very) hot mess. What that map doesn't show you is that there is a tiny part of New South Wales (the bigger state in the red part) that observes South Australian (middle orange state) time zones for some reason that I don't understand. It's wild.

I'm going to do my best to explain this but the reality is that I don't entirely understand why myself.

Okay so, the first thing you need to know is that Australia is very big. It is about the same size as the continental US. The second thing you need to know is that we are a federation meaning that until federation, each state you can see outlined on the map essentially operated as it's own little country. Western Australia did not want to join the federation but eventually did. South Australia (orange, middle) has the distinction of being the only state that was solely a settler colony, no convicts. They think that makes them very important. Also yes, Australia was initially colonised by the Brits because they had too many criminals and needed somewhere Very Far Away to send them. So, lots of white people here are descended from convicts . Anyway, I digress, the colonial history of Australia is a matter of record and a disgrace and the racist effect of that history is still very present and is most evident in the referendum that happened on the weekend but this is neither the time nor the place for me to get into that and my absolute disappointment in the country I live in. (how's that for a run on sentence)

ANYWAY, sheer size means that many time zones are necessary. Federation means that the states are like squabbling siblings and no one wants to do what anyone else says.

Next fact, the top of Australia is quite close to the equator. The northern part of Australia is classified as sub-tropical to tropical. It's hot and humid. The sun rises very early up north, even in the winter. We do not have long winter nights here. The sun setting in the afternoon is not a thing.

Also Australian populations are concentrated on the coasts, the middle of Australia is sparsely populated. After the coastal areas, there is farm land and then desert in the middle.

In Queensland (big yellow state on the right) there is no DST because the top two-thirds of the state (mostly rural/regional) will not countenance it for reasons such as "the cows won't cope" but also because up there they do not want longer days in the sun because it's too fucking hot and actually they look forward to the sun setting and things getting cooler. The bottom third of Queensland (which is mostly urban) wants DST but the state government cannot implement it without the cooperation of the rest of the state.

As for Western Australia (big blue state on the left), they do whatever the fuck they want and quite often don't opt in to federal laws and do their own thing. I can't explain what's happening there.

Do not ask me about the 30-minute time zone thing happening in the middle. My only explanation is that, as per above, SA thinks it's better than everyone else and did it to be ✨special✨ (the Northern Territory (middle green territory (not a state) at the top) was part of SA until some time after federation which is why they follow the same time zone (except for DST).

Did any of that answer your question? I'm really not sure.

Anyway, Australia where time zones are in the future but are also fucked ✌🏽

#rmd answers #time zone witchery

[ireadyabooks]

Share Black Stories 2023!

Celebrate Black History Month this February with these incredible books by Black authors centering Black characters! 

The Witchery by S. Isabelle 

The Haunting Season is here and the Wolves are awake. When students start turning up dead, four young witches realize they’ll have to harness their powers and stop the Wolves themselves. The cost to break the curse may be greater than any witch or human could ever know... Start reading! 

The Getaway by Lamar Giles

Masterfully breaking down themes of climate change, race in America, privilege, and capitalism, The Getaway is an unputdownable thriller, perfect for fans of Jordan Peele’s Us and The Twilight Zone! Jay is living his best life at Karloff Country, one of the world’s most famous resorts. Then, the richest and most powerful families start arriving, only... they aren’t leaving. In order to deliver the top-notch customer service the wealthy clientele paid for, the employees will be at their beck and call. Whether they like it, or not... Start reading! 

Monarch Rising by Harper Glenn 

Monarch Rising is an unflinching meditation on whether love can save us from ourselves, and what it takes to be born anew. Set in a chilling near-future New United States of America, Jo Monarch has grown up in the impoverished borderlands of New Georgia. She’s given one chance to change her fate... if she can survive a boy trained to break hearts. Start reading! 

Things We Couldn’t Say by Jay Coles 

In Things We Couldn’t Say, just as Gio is owning his bisexual identity, he must also face the return of the mother who abandoned his preacher family when he was nine. He’ll soon find that there are no easy answers to love — whether it’s family love, friend love, or romantic love. Start reading! 

A Girl’s Guide to Love & Magic by Debbie Rigaud 

Perfect for fans of The Sun is Also a Star and Blackout, A Girl’s Guide to Love & Magic is a celebration of Haitian and Caribbean culture, all set against the backdrop of the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn. A story of first love, vodou, and finding yourself, bestselling author Debbie Rigaud infuses this novel with sparkling wit and romance. Start reading! 

Muted by Tami Charles 

Muted by Tami Charles is a ripped-from-the-headlines novel of ambition, music, and innocence lost. When Denver sings her way into stardom, the painful sacrifices and lies she has to tell are all worth it... until they’re not. Denver begins to realize that she’s trapped in this world, struggling to hold on to her own voice. As the dream turns into a nightmare, she must make a choice: lose her big break, or get broken. Start reading! 

The Life I’m In by Sharon G. Flake

The Life I’m In by Sharon G. Flake is the powerful and long-anticipated companion to The Skin I’m In. It presents the unflinching story of Char, a young woman trapped in the underworld of human trafficking. Flake offers readers another timely and radical story of a girl on the brink and how her choices will lead her to either fall, or fly. Start reading! 

#shareblackstories #blackhistorymonth #blackvoices #bipocbookstagram

[sunflowersanddaydreamsingreen]

I have a friend coming down to the lake today who has agreed to let me experiment on them with tea blend flavors. I wanted to try out fennel, a flavor profile outside my comfort zone. So this morning I brewed a couple herbs to test out fennel in a blend. The blend was just fennel and rosemary for flavor, and my ever-present blue butterfly pea for color. It was so good. I didn’t crush the fennel seeds this time, so the flavor was present, but not overwhelming. The rosemary paired perfectly with it. This really motivates me to try other licorice-esque flavor profiles. I’m really excited to see how my friend likes it.

Fennel

From The Herbal Alchemist’s Handbook by Karen Harrison:

Scientific name: foeniculum vulgare

Other name: fenkel

Element: Water

Planets: Mercury, Moon

Parts used: seed, leaf, essential oil

“Like white Sandalwood, fennel enjoys the dual ruleership of Mercury and the Moon. It aids in obtaining psychic impressions (Moon) and interpreting those impressions accurately (Mercury). Fennel is also used in protection rites – strew the whole seeds in each room, burn in an Incense blend, or make an Infusion with the seeds and wash the walls and floor. Burning fennel in Incense or anointing the Third Eye also clears the mind and aids in memory. Fennel seeds are tossed at a wedding couple like rice for health and abundance in the relationship.”

From Entering Hekate’s Garden by Cyndi Brannon (repeat information omitted)

Genius: foeniculum

Classification: Vegetable

Spiritual properties: Communication, courage, healing of the mind, sexuality

Physiological properties: armomative, digestive, pesticide

Magickal properties: breaking curses and bad luck, clarity, communication, courage, dealing with authority and govt, prevention, psychic witchcraft, visions

Elemental correspondences: Air [note that the previous entry listed water]

Archetype: Rixipyle (Breaker of Chains)

World: Upper

Zodiac: Aquarius, Gemini

Color: blue

Stone: blue agate

Animal: magpie

Indications: Generally safe in small doses, but not for use during pregnancy. Take caution with children and pets.

**Select Notes**

“ An ancient member of Hekate‘s garden, this licorice-flavored plant was consumed for courage, protection, and strength, and for victory in competitions by the ancients. Fennel is a breaker of chains meaning that it has the power to remove blockages, especially for all forms of communication.

“Fennel is sometimes used in love philters, to encourage sending off the right signals regarding romance and sex, giving it a reputation as a sexual stimulant. It’s applications extend to all manner of communication problems, from breaking curses to removing barriers for successful engagement with authority figures and government, rendering it in apothecary necessity.”

Formulations:

* The seeds are very easy to work with. Release their properties by lightly grinding them in a mortar with a pestal. To enhance communication, grind clockwise; to remove barriers, reverse the direction.

* Five is the number most associated with fennel. Release its property by using multiples of five when grinding and use seeds and multiples of the same number.

* Fennel is excellent as part of a tonic, although continued daily use beyond six weeks is not recommended. To make a tonic, add 1/2 tsp to a cup of boiled water. Let the mixture steep for 15 minutes, as fennel is a bit slow to release. Use on its own or mix into your daily tonic.

* Carry fennel seeds in a glass vile. They’re excellent for digestion and for on-the-go witchery. Slip a few seeds in where needed. Chew the seeds to ease digestion and to speak the truth. Five will do the trick.

* Fennel is strongly associated with Mercury. Adding this planetary symbol to any working will increase its potency.

Pharmakeia:

“Fennel is a very specific botanical that is eager to help with a variety of situations involving breaking barriers to communication. It is excellent for breaking down resistance. Drink a tonic and watch your procrastination dissolve.

“Fennel at the threshold ensures that only the truth is spoken within. Add it to your home wards—those protective barriers placed at the entrances or around the perimeter…”

Rosemary

From The Herbal Alchemist’s Handbook by Karen Harrison:

Scientific name: Rosemarinus officinalis

Other name: elf leaf

Element: Air

Planet: sun

Parts used: leaf, essential oil

“ The reviving scent of rosemary stimulates the memory and thought process. Its scent when burned or added to any herbal preparation adds an energy of protection and purification to a space. The oil applied directly to rashes and skin blemishes clears the area, and when inhaled, its aroma aides the memory and brain functions. Sprinkling rosemary leaves over a grave brings comfort to the dead and memories for the ones left behind. Rosemary placed in the bath before bedtime wards away nightmares, and when carried in an Herbal Amulet, it gives confidence and courage.”

From Entering Hekate’s Garden by Cyndi Brannon (repeat information omitted)

Genus: salvia rosmarinus, formerly rosemerinus officinalis

Classification: herb

Spiritual properties: Cleansing of the spirit, contentment, invigoration, recollection, restoration

Physiological properties: rub sore muscles and joints with rosemary oil, rub on temples to ease headache, drink a tonic to improve sleep and ease nightmares. Since it is so beneficial, it makes an excellent ingredient in a daily infusion. Balances the menstrual cycle and eases symptoms.

Magickal properties: awareness, banishing, cleansing, comfort, confidence, contentment, focus, loving spirits, memories, renewal, youth

Part used: leaves

Planetary correspondences: Sun

Elemental correspondences: Fire [note: previous entry indicated air]

Archetype: Ergatis (Energizer)

World: Middle

Zodiac: Virgo

Color: Pink

Stone: pink quartz

Animal: toad

Indications: generally safe for all. Large quantities may cause stomach upset.

**Select Notes**

“Rosemary is a kitchen herb with potent magical properties. It was used by Hekate‘s ancient whitches to ward off evil, improve memory, and for invigoration. The traditional lore is that, where Rosemary grows, the woman of the home will be in charge and well. It is not surprising that some husbands ripped the plant from the ground to prevent this from happening. Nowadays, we women can rule the home as much as witches with Rosemary as one of our familiar spirits.

“Rosemary is strongly associated with the sea, given its natural habitat along the shores of the Mediterranean, making this a suitable offering to Hekate Einalia, in her role as a goddess of the sea. Rosemary brings clarity to emotions, tempering the saltiness and depths of the deep blue. It is a warming plant that restores our inner fire without causing an inferno. It is suitable for loving remembrance of the departed, but note that Rosemary is not a botanical used alone for summoning the departed or spirits. Add Sage and Mugwart to a bundle for these workings.”

Formulations:

* Rosemary is an essential in a witch’s apothecary, for it stands alone as the supreme bringer of loving purification and protection. It’s like Hekate’s arms, enveloping you in fierce love.

* oils, tinctures, infusions, and waters can all be made with rosemary.

* Rosemary poultices placed on a sad heart will help it mend.

Pharmakeia:

“ To ensure an untroubled home, free of stress and conducive to health for the occupants, grow rosemary by your main entrance. It’s one of my ultimate witch tips. Rosemary grows well without our involvement. Make sure the plant is big enough to be comfortable. Since this proud member of Hekate’s garden is so hearty, my Rosemary is a bellweather for our home. If the plant shows signs of distress, I investigate to see who isn’t doing well or if there’s a problem with the house or land. A bath infused with rosemary lets you soak in protection and contentment.”

 Both of these books are fantastic and indispensable references in my witchy library. Entering Hekate’s garden provides workings with each plant entry. My notes have been truncated to allow for space. I highly suggest investigating both books on your own.



#green witch #green witchcraft #paganism #witchblr #botanical magic #botanical witchcraft #herbal magick #witches #pharmakeia #hekate #hecate #hellenic polytheism #hellenic deities #hellenic devotion #spell work #herbal witchcraft #witchcraft spells #plant spirit witchcraft #plant spirits #tea magic #herbalwitch #herbalism #herbalmedicine #herbalblends

[brightgnosis]

For me, gardening isn’t a hobby. It is a passion. I am constantly reading and learning from other gardeners’ experiences, and when I first moved to the Pacific Northwest, I enrolled in Oregon State University’s Master Gardener program to better understand the complexities and challenges of this new grow zone. I spend a large chunk of my time working the dirt, tending the living things, propagating plants from cuttings, saving seeds, and reaping the harvest [...] Growing plants is good for the body, mind, and soul. It feels good to be outside with your hands dirty with earth, a witness to the lives of the creatures sharing your space. It’s an uplifting experience to watch something you helped grow become a strong plant and reward you in return with bright cheery flowers, herbs to cook with and empower your magick with, and fruit to eat. The joyful satisfaction at picking vegetables that you grew from seed and preparing and sharing them with your family creates a bond with your land that grows each time you spend time with it.

From Backyard Garden Witchery: Creating Magickal Space Outside Your Door, published 2022; Laurel Woodward (My Ko-Fi Here)

#Backyard Garden Witchery: Creating Magickal Space Outside Your Door #Laurel Woodward #Verderer #Green Witch #Green Witchcraft #Gardening #Natural Connections #Religion & Magic #Quote

[risu5waffles]

Finally Time Enough <glasses fall off and break> For Ten More

ONOR67 really did us dirty wiv that bug suddenly being hazardous. What wiv the level being, like, 15minutes of backtracking and no checkpoints. The environment is top-notch, which is to be expected, but the gameplay/story is nowhere near engaging enough to maintain interest. Kinda disappointing from the creator of the Proxima series, to be honest. Still, i liked the witch/demoness/whatever, and the slug things were cute, and the bit wiv the cheese.

Thankfully this one was not nearly as flashy as advertised, which i was a bit worried about; i don't think are nearly as concerned about photosensitivity as they ought to be. Not quite so thankfully, it's really over-long, and i was starting to want the checkpoint just about half-way through. Certainly by the point we got the grabbinator and bombs bit. That just dragged forever. Blowing things up to progress has never been as fun as it should be, even in LBP1 &2's story modes. The explosives never quite blow up as much as you need to progress, and then it's "welp, guess i gotta go back and do it all again."

Yes it's my level, i know. But hell, i'm proud of it, even if i did only rate it as an Orange Diamond. i'm the only gal running this archive, i can show off a little, as a treat.

Ehhhh.... i really wanted to give something by Efan8467 a look, since they've been doing an awful lot of work republishing old DLC levels in LBP3 for folx to play (i think there's some kind of glitchery-witchery going on, 'cause all the prizes here were, like, the actual prizes from the PSP LBP). Also i never got to play either of the handheld LBPs, so it's always nice getting a chance to see what they were like. That being said, this was the game intro, and you don't really get to do anything. Like jetpacking about on that track was neat, but also really limited? Also also, look, i love LBP to bits, and i honestly think MM's heart was largely in the right place, but they have never had a totally respectful take on other cultures. Very "It's a Small World After All" at best, and i can't imagine their take on Aboriginal culture in PSP was particularly sensitive, and given the history there, it's... kinda a lot, it feels like?

Nicely decorated, if a bit kludgy in shaping. Short, not particularly painful. i wish i could say more, but my mental index card just says "alright level. i had fun." Look, my memory is for shite. That's not on the creator, but i don't have time to watch the video again right now. Sorry MagicalMare!

This one's such a weird little thing, because Pign's levels were usually so polished and well-presented. It's not bad. i know i had a good time wiv it. But it really feels like they were tossing a bunch of things together to see how it all would work. They tell us they were trying stuff outside their usual comfort zone, and i respect that a lot. Even more that they went and left the level public instead of having it live for a few months to gather feedback and then pulling it down.

What the actual but this one is weird. Not weird bad, but definitely weird frustrating. You can tell that they updated some of the things in the dialogue when they re-pubbed it in 2012 (i think?), there are some cheeky references to being "back in 2009;" but if DrunkenFist_Lee got any feedback about, say, maybe having more clarity in communication wiv the player, they did not implement it. It's not a bad experience, but it's certainly not something i feel like i would want to go back to.

Back-to-back LBP1 goodness. This one is much more straight-forward, and manages a few nice presentational touches. Also, i will always love those old-school score bubble spawners. Definitely a fun trip in the way-back machine.

Oh, dear Entropy, what the hell Evandip-? Why would you think that gameplay bit was going to be in any way fun? Especially after a level that was smooth and cruisy? This is why difficulty spikes are such a problem wiv games. The sudden shift in gears can be way more off-putting than if the whole thing was just hard from the start.

Go play Firespike Tower. Unless you don't have LBP3. In which case you can just watch this video. It's a fun level, and i'm glad Morphology76 asked for plays over on the subreddit.

-------------------------------------

And that's that. Another 10 in the bag, and already 100 episodes deep. Just 9million+ to go!

#littlebigplanet #little big planet #lbp #lbp1 #lbp2 #lbp3 #Youtube

[lercheberman70]

Exploring the Multiverse: Minecraft Server Hosting for Modded Gameplay

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[incarnateirony]

I just wanna say if you want to throw in some posts on how you use all the things and are self sustaining, I would love it. At 30 I began living alone for the first time in my life and found out I'm similar, but I'm still learning so much! I want to build an aquaponic mostly self-sustaining ecosystem someday but I know I gotta start small. Also I'm sure your witchery includes more, but I adore the like, herbalist madman vibe you're putting out. Thank you for existing and sharing the existence!

OKAY! SO!!! IF YOU WANT TIPS!!!

I'm going to do what I call "apartment almost self-sustaining living" since not everyone will be able to get like, a house, and land, even if it's a small plot.

I am also going to be doing it based on a generalized diet, so obviously change any parts that you have allergies or moral opposition to personally (eg this will not work for vegetarians without major adaptation but I'm sure you can)

Things you need to start:

A bunch of tupperware, ziplocks, saran wrap--storage basically.

A crock pot, a blender, a microwave. Obv a stove/oven.

Crock pot is key!! It will pay itself over 100 times.

Invest about 40 bucks in various bulk meats. That means BUY that discount pork loin, BUY that whole turkey on discount, BUY that giant ass bag of chicken quarters.

Find a way to freeze most of it and portion out the rest. What I tend to do is start with a 4 lb pork roast in the fridge and then split up the chicken quarters, put a few in ziplocks to slow thaw in the fridge and freeze the rest. This actually sets up a few WEEKS of meals.

When you're buying your meat, invest in the largest bag of white rice, about half as much brown rice (bags tend to be smaller and I don't use as much), largest bag of flour, largest bag of pinto beans, and maybe a few other bean choices. Put these in storage containers. I got this set for like 6 bucks from walmart

This will collectively put your costs around 75~, give or take. After that, allot a budget of about 25-50 bucks for fruit, depending on your expected intake. I like bananas, as when they go bad they DON'T turn into fruit fly zones and they can bake into other breads.

Actually, most fruit can be turned into bread. While I primarily keep them around to make smoothies in my blender--excellent way to keep appetite down while getting a vitamin blast--once they start going bad I make breads etc with it. But make sure you have storage containers for them so YOU DO NOT GET THE FRUIT FLY EXTRAVAGANZA.

Use the flour to make bread. Yes, I said it. It's infinitely cheaper, infinitely better, and infinitely more filling.

Easy bread recipe:

Take 2 cups hot water, throw in 1 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast, as well as a half cup sugar, stir for a sec, let dissolve then leave until it turns into a foam. Then add in about a quarter cup of oil, and start blending in flour one cup at a time, should take 4-6. Knead around for about 7-8 minutes. Dough should be tacky and clean the sides of the bowl. If you think you added too much flour sprinkle in new water. Beat the shit out of it for 7-8 minutes then roll in a well oiled bowl. Leave to sit for about 1 hour while it rises, covered with a wet cloth. Punch it down. Knead it around again for about 2 minutes. Split in half, round hrow it in a bread pan and leave it to sit in a warm area for another 30 minutes or so, or until the dough rises about an inch over the top and shapes to the pan, then shove in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Congrats you just made your own bread for like 25 cents.

If your fruit starts going bad, make fruitbread. Find a banana bread recipe online and then modify it to your fruit of choice, being mindful of differences like liquidity.

NOW TO TOUCH ON THE MEAT AGAIN.

The CROCK POT. I have a 6 quart pot, and a 4 lb pork roasts nests perfectly inside it with just a little extra space around the edges. This is the perfect size. Slow cook your roast in the crock pot 8 hours, fat side up and seasoned to preference, until it basically stews itself. (suggested, sear it in a pan before putting it in).The volume of meat vs the size of the pot, it WILL stew itself. Then once you have this giant glob of like pulled pork you can eat for a dinner and then make sammiches on for a few weeks, you'll have this leftover broth stuff.

Save that. I don't care if you use it immediately same night or just put it in a jar, save the goo. Because later, you can, say, blanche any bone that came in the pork roast in it. Or the next day throw a chicken quarter into the pot and make it more of a pork-chicken broth fusion.

However you choose to base these broths, you can then throw in some rice with whatever meat you're cooking on the day of your choice and some pinto beans in that same crock pot to cook. Add water to the broth if needed. Make small amounts of dense dough to drop in if you want to make it a sort of chicken and dumplings thing. As normal, rice and beans will expand, and you will VERY easiy end up with like, a week worth of food to eat off of.

From there use any fruit or snacks (if you buy snacks, I really don't beyond a few granola/fruit bars) to do variation until it's complete, but you have like 1-2 weeks of: pulled pork sammiches, and chicken dumpling soup with rice that's hearty as fuck.

OTHER INVESTMENTS

Peat moss pots, a bunch of cheap planters. Potting soil.

HERE IS THE LIST OF THINGS I HAVE OR HAVE PLANNED SEASONALLY TO ORDER

Peppermint, Chives, Scallions, Cilantro, Rosemary, Blueberry, Black Cherry, Artichoke, Kale, Broccoli, Amaranth, Calendula, Roma and Beefsteak tomatos, Roaster Squash, Hyssop, Nasturtium, Marshmallow, Boneset, Skullcap, St John's Wort, Yarrow, Mullein, Holy Basil, Blackberries, Asparagus, Poblano, sweet pea, okra, strawberries (specialty types), sunflower, and heirloom beans and corn. Personally I've got a set designed to look festive through fall holidays

Not all of this will be useful to the average person. Like, unless you're like me and make Marshmallow Root tinctures, or St John's Wort, etc, you probably don't need that. But the set above is designed to "blend" on a property to look equally ornamental as they are functional to not get landlords and the city up my ass. Many of them have colorful variants, it'll make a very autumnal yard.

See what of those you expect to use at all and the planting requirements of them. Climbing strawberries and other options may be good for people who just have patio space. Just look up climbing plant seeds on etsy to even get a starter idea.

When it comes to my berries, I actually have a property line. The strawberries are staying near me but I'm just gonna put some out near the bushes so I don't piss off my landlord planting literal bushes up front. But that takes the load off of my fruit orders. I can't really grow bananas or avocados in my situation so those I'll have to buy, but I'm dramatically shrinking my grocery bill as we speak, as you can see. Did you know there's ornamental brocolli? Fractal brocolli? Purple brocolli? Did you know Nasturtium is edible and spicy? You can literally just make your porch look like a showy garden and be hiding an assload of food on it.

If you have the space/time/whatever and aren't apartment based I'd suggest a few egg producing chickens. I haven't flown that one by my new landlord but I checked the city statutes. Done it before. And chickens eat scrap. So guess what, it's the circle of life.

[zephyrthesolitary]

Astrology Charts

Many of us have delved deeply into the craft. We've done spells, we’ve done rituals. We have studied together and apart. We have learned about kitchen witchery, herbalism, medicine crafting, and making; whether it be self-taught. But let’s take a look at Astrology...

I’ll speak from my own personal experiences when using Astrology because I feel like the attached blog image states the main points.

Before my studies, I was always intrigued by astrology. But all I understood was a Sun Sign. And I always thought it was limited to horoscopes we got every day in the newspaper, online or in an app. How wrong was I?? How wrong we all were!

Astrology is a beautiful art that contains loads of secrets about our being. It is a wonderful tool that allows us to learn about ourselves, each other and also speaks to self-care and respect. It allows us to teach others we come in contact with HOW we’d like to be treated, our needs, wants, deepest fears, weaknesses, and strengths and to identify the most vital parts of ourselves: 

Chiron (our wounded healer; something we are perpetually trying to fix across lifetimes and struggle with) - it is an asteroid that orbits our solar system between Uranus and Saturn. It represents a bridge between the material and spiritual worlds. In astrology, it is your placement in your chart where you can get to know and understand what your deeper wounds are, as well as the karmic, past-life energy you are here to work through to grow and evolve. 

However, it is our unhealable injuries and incurable trauma. However, it is said that if a person decides to swim as opposed to drown in their own trauma, can accept their trauma and help others who are also suffering and finally accept that suffering is a part of life, then Chiron can act as the key to wisdom or an “Initiation Gate”.  

Like all the other planets in our chart, Chiron has a sign and house it was located at the moment you were born. 

Focusing in on this information, allows you to identify what your greatest wounds are and provides insight on how to heal them.

Some backdrop about Chiron, the wounded healer, and inner teacher: From a mythological standpoint, Chiron was a great healer, wise teacher, and one of the immortal Centaurs. However, he was deadly injured by a poison arrow from Heracles, who was his best and close disciple. Even though it was deadly, he could not die. At long last, he gave up his immortality for the benefit of Prometheus who was suffering, and Chiron was then sent to the underworld. In the underworld, Zeus showed mercy for him and raised him to the heavens.

An Example for your Understanding: My Chiron is in Virgo. People with Chiron in Virgo are generally sick for much of their lives, albeit illnesses they encounter are not serious, moreover, they are chronic and cannot be cured. This is true since many medical professionals fail to provide a correct diagnosis. With Chiron here, I have to learn to live with my health issues and find ways to cure or alleviate symptoms. I also do have a fear that once my illness is done, another one will take its place.

My Chiron is also in the 7th House. The 7th house is the house ruling of partnerships; where our relationships, spouses, and soulmates can be found. Chiron in this house speaks to my experiencing consistent pains and aches with regards to my relationships with others no matter what routes I choose to go down. These are pains that cannot be prevented or remedied. These are wounds that reopen on their own from time to time. Consequently, my course of action in life is to still try and avoid and resist these experiences. 

How? 

By turning away and shying away from people. By bracing for impact once I come in contact with others. However, this can cause me to experience even more difficulties and more severe. All of which is the case. 

We also have our North Node (What we should embrace as it is a lesson learned) to our South Node (What we should learn from and release because it proves truly detrimental to character development). 

They are also keyed ‘Lunar Nodes’. 

Funnily enough, these are not planets but astrology’s own mathematical points that happen to be directly opposite of each other in our charts. These nodes are said to have our life purpose encoded in them and in the line between the nodes.

North Node resembles our life lessons and what we are striving for in this lifetime.

South Node indicates our comfort zone and habitual place. 

An Example for your Understanding: My North Node is in Scorpio in the 8th House. My South Node is in Taurus in the 2nd House. This speaks to the conflict between spiritual and material property, between acknowledging that everything is temporary vs the desire to own something and it is in a state permanence. Recognizing that death is a great teacher. People with this node placement should not base their lives on material values. They should explore spiritual values instead. They also should stop avoiding conflicts and not stay in comfortable sterility. Lastly, they should beware of greed and try to not cling to material assets. 

Having this knowledge puts us better in the position of resolving deeply rooted issues we face in our day to day lives. If you believe in past lives, then these are things you will want to try and resolve/work out before entering the next life cycle otherwise, you may very well encounter these troubles again until you’ve learned!

Until Next Time! 

🌙🧡✌🏽

#wiccan #wiccanblr #witch community #witchythings #wiccalife #witch aesthetic #witchblr #witchcore #witches #pagan wicca #astrology witch #astrology #rising sign #sun sign #moon sign #astrologywitch #wiccamagic #wiccablr #wicca help #witch reference #bookofshadows #astrology chart #baby witch #witchcraft #green witch #wicca aesthetic #witchesofinstagram #witches of tumblr #witchesofig #pagans of tumblr

[lunchcraft]

👩‍💻 Online Witchcraft + Occult Classes 👩‍💻

With the world in lockdown and many in-person events canceled, witches and occult practitioners around the world have begun to offer their workshops and classes ONLINE. This is a true silver lining in this pandemic. I’ve attended so many classes that I would never have the opportunity to join. 

Here are some of my favorite places and offerings: 

✨ The Future Mpls -- My hometown store! I love The Future so so so much. In person, I’ve taken classes on things like mediumship and zine making. Online, I’ve taken breathwork courses, classes that focus on astrology and runes, and most recently, alternative approaches to tarot. 

Many of these classes are priced on a sliding scale and often time offer scholarships or reduced pricing for LGBTQ & BIPOC attendees. 

The classes I’ve taken online have been recorded so you can watch them if you miss the date. 

✨ The Alchemist’s Kitchen -- Based in NYC, most of these courses are going to focus on herbalism and green witchery. I’ve taken a class by the AMAZING Robin Rose Bennett about common herbs/weeds you can use for medicinal purposes. 

These classes are recorded for later viewing. 

✨ Catland -- I haven’t taken any classes from Catland yet, but I’ve signed up for two! Intro to Herbal First Aid & Lunar Witchcraft: The Hunter’s Moon. So excited to dive into these offerings. 

The prices are more than reasonable for a two hour long class and they’re recorded if you miss the session. 

✨ Treadwell’s London -- All the way in LONDON, this is such an exciting thing for a little Midwestern witch like me to be part of. It’s so important to me to start rounding out my education and learning from different magicians and witches from all around the world. I’ve taken a Sigil Magic class that was so much more interactive than any of the other lectures I’ve been part of, and have a Samhain class on my calendar this October. 

If you aren’t based in London, be sure to be careful about the time zone difference when signing up and attending!

✨ Pam Grossman + Janaka Stucky -- And lastly, two of my favorite magickal,  mystical creators. I’ve taken a writing for the occult workshop from them and have signed up for another writing themed course this weekend. I cannot recommend these two enough. 

Their classes sell out FAST... like within hours. I would follow them both online to make sure you get notified right away, and then don’t hesitate. 

Have you taken online classes? Am I missing anything major? PLEASE tell me - I want all the digital coursework I can get. Comment or DM me, I mean it. <3 

#witchcraft #witchblr #witchcraft resources #witch resources #general witchcraft #occult #witch classes #occult classes #sigilwork #chaos magic #the alchemist's kitchen #kitchenwitch #kitchen witchcraft #zoom classes #kitchen magic #magickal properties #treadwell's #witchythings #green witch #herbalism #lunchcraft

[rndyounghowze]

Unanswered Questions: What’s The Future of Tilted Frame?

This @pghfringe award winner for Best Show broke new ground in 2020. But what’s next?

By RnD Young-Howze

Pittsburgh Fringe

Review 229

If there has been one performer(s) that we have seen grow the most in such a short amount of time it is the Techno Improv group called Tilted Frame @Home. Matthew Quinn of Combined Artform leads a group of four improv comedians, Misa Doi, Jaimie Paulson, John Baumgaertner and Diana Brown, through short-form improv games through the online platform Streamyard. What makes them cutting edge is that through the tech witchery of Quinn, David Svengalis, and Miles Berman they utilize all of the range of greenscreen, props, video, and music to make this a true techno improv experience that transcends platform and artform. All of our previous reviews have discussed this before and covered how they dominate the digital stage. That leaves one question left unanswered: How are they going to take this award winning format into the future?

Tilted Frame is one of the mythical Elder Gods of Digital Theatre way before the pandemic was even heard of. In our interviews and many subsequent conversations with all of the performers and tech wizards we hear about the fabled time that Tilted Frame staged a unified improv performance with two casts on two different stages in two different cities with only the ancient virtual meeting space of Skype holding them together. Quinn has told us of the digital game show hosted by Patrick Bristow on Skype that went into people’s homes. This was before there ever was a need to make a socially distanced theatre performance. It was very easy during those years to just walk into a venue and see an improv comedy performance. That means that even before there was a pandemic there were companies acting as midwives to swaddle the infant babe of digital theatre.

They took this experience and brought it onto a completely new plane in the pandemic era. They started in earnest in the summer but it took them a while to truly hit their stride. They were not afraid to experiment and change as they gained new intel. If a certain game was not working it got the axe. If there was a better way to incorporate the audience and take suggestions they found it. They have progressed as a group way further than any other we have ever seen.

Tilted Frame took feedback to heart but also didn’t let it chain them down. By doing so they created a digital venue that looks seamless. This is a digital theatre performance in its purest form: If you could dissect it into its individual parts it wouldn’t have any of the magic of the whole. But could it?

How could these pioneers of the digital space take everything that they have learned into multiple physical spaces and unify them across time zones and coasts in the same way that we have seen them unify the space online? The last thing that we would want is for something to be lost in translation from purely digital to a hybrid performance. We’re saying this knowing that they were pioneers of the hybrid before we were cool. Can Tilted Frame take their style to one venue in front of two audiences: physical and virtual and create a production where it doesn’t matter what space you were in? They get the same level of performance in each space. Or as we like to call it: Can they be pioneers of post-geography in the same way they were pioneers of digital theatre?

This isn’t to say that they don’t have a lot of work to do to make sure that they are taking full advantage of all the digital space available to them. Even though we applaud that they’ve moved their performances to Facebook we have noticed that the rest of their social media presence is lacking. “Wait RnD” you say, “This is a digital theatre review not a social media consult”. We agree. A day or so before the show the performers and crew are putting out calls for suggestions to be used in their upcoming show. In essence that is when the show unofficially starts. Why has this important part of the preshow not been treated with the same production value and unifying design as the rest of the show? Why do we not feel like the show has started the minute the first questions have been asked? We can’t help but feel that an opportunity has been missed here. This could be where an eighth member of the team, a social media tech witch for show specific messaging is in the cards soon.

We consider this award winning show the gold standard for techno improv and improv in general. They are also a shining example of a post-geographic performance. Now as a gold standard what are they going to do in order to keep their luster as the years go by?

This doesn’t mean that we want them to drastically change anything. We aren’t saying that their best isn’t good enough. We are only recognizing that their formula is one of the most complete and stable that we have ever seen. However, can we see them as the pioneers that complete their formula into true digital space domination and move that forward into hybrid theatre?

Check Them Out Here!

Donate to RnD!!!

Venmo: @rndyounghowze

Paypal: [email protected]

Similar Posts

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https://rickyyoung-howze.tumblr.com/post/650323612104015872/the-principles-of-post-geography-the-new-theatre

https://rickyyoung-howze.tumblr.com/post/649679762420285440/tilted-frame-finds-a-better-home-on-facebook

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[recklessinventor]

“In any quest for magic, in any search for sorcery, witchery, legerdemain, first check the human heart.“ (-Hilda)

Twilight Zone Starters - No Longer Accepting

Jeff looks up from his notebook, where he’d been sketching ideas of a machine he’d wanted to build. He and Hilda were sharing a table at the library; after having found that they both liked the fact that the place was a quiet respite from everything awful about the outside world, they’d spent a lot of time there together. Sometimes they talked quietly to the point where their conversations almost got them kicked out, and sometimes they just worked or read in a comfortable silence.

From what she’d murmured a second ago, maybe it was to herself, it sounded like Hilda had been writing. Jeff turns his attention away from his messy notes and drawings of gears and starts to chew on the end of his pen as he looks over at his friend. 

“I like that.”

He mutters in reply, returning his gaze briefly to his notes to quietly shade in one of the parts he’d drawn.

“The idea that magic would be fundamentally like humanity, I mean. Imperfect, but passionate and individual. Good or bad.” He gives her a crooked smile. “Or am I reading too much into it...?”

#containsmultitvdes #[I HOPE THIS IS OKAY HHH] #[i just went :') frens in the library together...] #𝔸𝕟 𝕚𝕟𝕢𝕦𝕚𝕣𝕪 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕞𝕖? [ ASK ] #𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕎𝕒𝕣 𝔸𝕘𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕤𝕥 𝔾𝕚𝕪𝕘𝕒𝕤 𝕚𝕤 𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 [ TEEN JEFF ]

[eilonwiiy]

Though Lovers Be Lost ; a Witchlands one-shot

but I’m still times zones away  from who I was the day before we met. you were the first mile where my heart broke a sweat.

- andrea gibson

Summary: Merik Nihar has overcome death, but is it possible to return to the life he once had?

Ships: Safi/Merik

Tags: angst with a happy ending, hurt/comfort, body image

Word count: 3.8k words

Read on AO3: here

*   .   *   .   *   .   *   .

There were disadvantages to being alive.

Merik stood before the Origin Well of Marstok, hands clasped behind his back.  The water shimmered with the sky above, stars leagues away now within arms length in the ancient basin.  The night air was stifling.  Unmoving.  Dead.

His witchery was gone.

Merik didn’t know what he expected when he went into the sleeping ice.  What was death to a dead man?  But here he was alive.  Given a second chance.  Or was it third?  

He ran a hand through his shorn cut hair.  Hell-waters, there was so much he didn’t understand.

“There you are.”

Merik’s heart stopped.  Swallowing hard, he peered over his shoulder.  The sight he saw stole his breath, and beyond his better judgement, he turned to face the woman emerging from the shadows wholly.

A mistake.  Noden curse him, even after death he was shown no mercy. 

Safiya fon Hasstrel was a domna once more.  She wore a traditional Marstoki gown, a single sheer strip of apricot fabric draped and wound around her body as though bewitched itself, leaving her golden arms bare.  Her hair had grown since he last saw her, since he caught her in his arms before plummeting to her death deep in a nightmare of lightning and wind, but the sandy waves still hung short by her shoulders.  She wore no adornments, save for the glittering threadstone hanging around her neck.  

Safi’s blue eyes gazed at him from across the forest clearing.

“Domna.”  

The corner of Safi’s lip tipped up.  “I was looking for you.”

Merik offered a stiff nod.  The hand clasped upon his wrist behind his back dug into skin and bone.  

Safi made her way towards him, a smile playing on her lips.  The grass beneath her feet rustled against the hem of her dress and Merik was momentarily distracted by the swath of exposed gold the slit in her skirts teased with each step she took, her skin practically glowing in the moonlight.  But then his gaze traveled lower and the warmth that bubbled in his abdomen was suddenly doused in icy water.  

“What happened to your ankle?”

The question cracked through the night, his voice rough from disuse, and Safi paused her steps, ending on what now Merik realized was a limp.  How did he miss it before?  She brushed her gown’s fabric out of the way and looked down at the contorted ligament.

“Oh,” she said, the word light, like she’d only just now noticed that her ankle was twisted in such an unnatural way.  Scars covered the skin of her foot, crooked and white.  She fidgeted with the fabric before rearranging it so that her leg was covered once more.  When she faced Merik, she stood a little straighter.  Lifted her chin a little higher.

“I broke my foot in Lejna.  Well,” -her mouth twisted in a grimace- “the Empress broke my foot.  Smashed it with an iron flail while I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to find the right pier.  It hurt like hell, and obviously, I didn’t make it, but it was worth it.”  Safi flashed Merik a wicked grin.  “She’ll never admit it, but I managed to give Her Royal Highness a black eye that day.”  

A burning heat filled Merik’s throat.  He couldn't tear his eyes away from her ankle.  

It was all his fault.  He had failed her, just as he had failed everyone else.  It didn’t matter that everything worked out in the end.  She’d gotten hurt, and he could have stopped it.  

Safi’s grin faltered in his silence.  She fumbled with her skirts, gave the scarred foot a more careful look, then peered back at Merik, hesitation in her eyes.  “Does it… does it look bad?”

Merik stared at her.  Blessed Noden, how could she look him in the eyes and ask such a thing?  Did she not see the monster he’d become?  The black shadows were gone, but he’d seen what stared back at him in the rippled waters of the Well.  The Fury.  He looked nothing like the prince he’d been when he’d first met her, all scarred skin and protruding bones.  Even as fine as the clothes he wore now were, they hung from his starved body.  Getting dressed now was a shameful and exhausting process.  Every rustle of silk dragged across his skin like a knife.  Wrong.  Wrong, wrong, wrong.  And Safi-

Hell-waters, she was rutting beautiful.  He could barely stand to look at her.  He’d forever be haunted by the kiss they’d shared.  Her hands on his skin.  Her body writhing against his, hungry, desperate for his touch.  The thought of it now only made him feel sick to his stomach.  Knowing for a few blessed seconds he had been hers… and that they could never go back to that.  He was the prince of Nubrevna no more, and the confidence - the arrogance - he’d touted around in everything that he did died along with the crown.  He’d never be able to expose himself like that to her again.  Not when he looked like this.  Even if it was taking every bit of strength he had left to not rush over to her and gather her in his arms.  For several long, agonizing weeks, he had thought her to be dead and all he wanted right now was to feel her heartbeat next to his.

Safi was alive.  

No, not just alive.  She was half of the Cahr Awen.

Merik had never been a believer in his aunt’s stories.  It all rang too close to hearsay and religious fanaticism if you asked him.  But now, standing beneath the moonlight with nothing but the glow of fireflies to illuminate her path, there could be no doubt that Safiya fon Hasstrel was the legendary light-bringer.

If nothing else, her new place in the world solidified everything he’d come to accept.  That he was not needed.  Not by Nubrevna.  Not by his people.  Even in his holiest of quests, he’d brought nothing but destruction to those he cared about.  

He would not make that mistake with Safi.  She deserved better.

Safi deserved better than a dead man.  Someone like the Hell-Bard commander.  Or even that big brute of a man, the one they called Zander.    

It was too much for him.  He turned away from her.      

But of course - of course - she couldn’t leave him in peace.  He was a fool to believe she would.

“Why won’t you look at me?” she demanded.

Merik said nothing.  He heard a huff of air.

“I’ve been looking for you all day.”  Frustration laced Safi’s voice, but not enough to hide her concern.  

“I...” Merik tried hoarsely.  He shook his head at the raw sound, throat bobbing painfully.  “I just needed some time alone.”

“Right.  Because a year trapped in a mountain wasn’t enough alone time,” Safi muttered.  A strained pause passed.  “I was worried.”

Merik rolled his lips through his teeth, the dry skin brittle and cracked.  “I am sorry, Domna.  I did not mean to trouble you.”

“It-” Safi cut herself off.  Her lashes fluttered with annoyed impatience.  “I wasn’t troubled.  I just- goat tits, can’t you just look at me?”

Merik’s jaw clenched and, silently begging Noden for mercy, he granted her her wish.  He kept his posture neutral, like a Nubrevnan naval officer at ease, hands still clasped behind his back and feet standing firmly on the ground shoulder length apart.  

“Happy, Domna?”

To his surprise, her eyes narrowed at that.  

“Stop calling me that.  Domna.”

“It’s what you are, is it not?”

“It’s not the title that bothers me.”

“Then, what?”  Merik kept his voice devoid of any emotion.  Like Safi was just anyone.  

As if Safiya fon Hasstrel could be just anyone.

“I see you for who you are,” he continued when she didn’t respond.  “If only you’d do me the courtesy.”

Safi’s already narrowed eyes turned into slits.  “What does that mean?” she spat.

In an instant Merik knew he’d killed any chance of her leaving him alone.  Stupid.  He should have kept his mouth shut.  But like Safi, he had a problem keeping his rage in line.  A low rumble of frustration ripped through his throat and he swung away from her again.  Boots stomping, he paced the small clearing, trying to avoid letting loose the fury his witchery no longer could.  The ring of cedar trees seemed to be shrinking in on them.  

“It doesn’t matter,” he retorted sharply, planting himself by the Origin Well.  Exactly where he should have stayed in the first place.

“No, tell me.  What did you mean by that?”

Merik shot a glare at her over his shoulder.  Quick and fierce.  Long enough to see the angry flush of her cheeks, but quick enough that he didn’t have to feel anything.  With a harsh exhale, he whipped back to the waters.  Even the ripples in the pool couldn’t hide the horror his face had become.  He glared right back at the monster.

He needed Safi to understand without him saying the words.  He needed her to see as he did now.

Merik breathed in deeply, held it, then let the air out slowly - like he would if he were calling on his witchery.  He did this again and again and again until his sunken chest rose and fell like the calm roll of the ocean’s waters after a storm.  

He should have been suspicious of the domna’s silence.  He wanted more than anything for her to leave him to his misery, but he found himself looking for her over his shoulder anyway.

Merik didn’t need his witchery to feel the shift in the air.  Safi’s expression was unnervingly blank.  An undercurrent of fear locked him in place.  

“What happened to you?” she whispered.  

A shiver ran through Merik.  His heart quickened against his chest.  

Come, come, and find release.

Come, come and face the end.  

Merik held her gaze until the words slipped out of him.  “I died.”  

The admission hung between them, heavier than the silence.  But Safi’s expression never changed.  She didn’t flinch.  She didn't run.  Her storm blue eyes held his, refusing to release him.  

“But...” she said slowly, and Merik could hear the questions coming.  None of that mattered though.  It was best to end this conversation sooner rather than later.  Spare her the pain.  

He released a resigned sigh.  “It’s… complicated.  And ultimately, doesn’t matter.”

“Right,” Safi murmured more to herself, nodding over the word.  Processing.

Then, her eyes flicked up to meet him.

“You’re right.  It doesn’t matter,” she repeated with more conviction.  And something else.  Had Noden heard his prayers?  Was this mercy?  Merik felt almost relieved.  He didn’t want to talk about this anymore than was necessary and he could feel his resolve cracking.

“You’re here now,” Safi declared, face softening, her lips trembling with the beginnings of a smile.

Merik’s heart sank.  

Hope, he realized.  That was the something he had heard before.  It saturated the air.  Poisoned his lungs.  Made him believe what she was feeling.  

That’s all that matters.  She hadn’t said the words, but he heard them.  If only that were true.            

Suddenly, Safi was striding towards him.  Long, determined steps.  Until she was standing before him, so close that her soft chest almost brushed against his.  He could count every freckle on her nose.  Smell the faint sea-salt in her hair, on her skin.  Horror spiked through him as her hands lifted into the air, time seeming to slow, reaching for his face like she going to-

“No.”

The word ripped from his throat, a monstrous, terrible thing, as Merik spun on his heel.  Blood roared in his ears - almost loud enough to hide the cry of frustration from Safi.

“I don’t understand!”

“That much is obvious, Domna,” Merik snipped and instantly hated himself for it.  He needed to get control over himself.  But she’d almost touched him.  He’d almost let it happen.  Almost gave in to his darkest desire.  

Monster.

A ripple of disgust rolled through him.    

“I don’t know what I did wrong.”

Merik’s head snapped to Safi, and one look at her downturned eyes, her chin dipped low, he knew he was in Noden’s watery hell.  He’d thought he’d known it before, been damned to walk the world with one foot in his grave.  But that was nothing compared to this.  Noden had his trident buried halfway into his heart from the moment Safi entered the clearing and he’d just twisted it the rest of the way.    

“You deserve more,” Merik finally forced himself to say, heart squeezing painfully.  “And I…” he swallowed, unable to finish the thought.  He shook his head once and straightened his spine.  “This is for the best.”

“Don’t.”  Safi’s voice cut through his like a knife as her eyes snapped up to him.  “My whole life men have made decisions for me.  Men I cared about.  Men I trusted.  All in the name of what’s best for me.”

“And I,” Merik ground out, “have spent my whole life seeing what I want to see.  I will do that no more.  Not to you.  I know what I look like.  Who I look like.”

“Who-?” Safi’s eyes widened, flickering back and forth over Merik’s face in confusion.  “What in Noden’s blighted waters are you talking about?”

Merik barked a single bitter laugh.  He’d had enough.  It was time to end this.  Pull out Noden’s trident and let his heart bleed out.  One last death.

“The irony,” he sneered.  “A Truthwitch who can’t hear her own lies.”

Hurt flashed across Safi’s face.  She gaped at him, stunned, and Merik, ignoring the way his chest felt like it was being ripped open, marched away from her, away from the Origin Well, and disappeared into the trees.  

It took Safi all of three seconds to recover, then, she was scrabbling after him.  Desperate hands grabbed at his tunic as though to stop him.

Just keep moving.

“Merik, please.  I don’t understand.”  

“Enough, Domna.”

“Can’t we at least talk?” Safi’s voice grew more and more panicked as she tried to keep up.

“There’s nothing more to be said,” Merik growled.  She had no idea how much it was hurting him to let her go.  “My face says it all.”

Safi breathed a hysterical laugh.  “Do you really think me so shallow?  Is that all you think I see?”

“It’s all anyone can see.  And you pretending that you can’t is pathetic.  I don’t need your lies.”

“Lies?”  Safi cried.  “Lies?!   Merik Nihar you are a sodding cow with balls for brains!  Do you want to know what I truly see?”    

It was too much.  She was too much.  Merik finally came to a crashing halt and whirled around, a tornado of fury, seconds away from tearing through the infuriating woman he was so unquestionably in love with, obliterating them both until there was nothing left to salvage.

“Yes, Domna, tell me,” he shouted, voice echoing through the trees.  “Tell me!  What do you see?”

With the same unbridled ferociousness, two fists gripped the open collar of Merik’s tunic and Safi yanked him to her.  Her face hovered barely an inch from his and she thrust her chin into the air forcing him to see nothing but her eyes.  They glistened with determination and unshed tears.  

“I see a man I once thought was lost to me,” she breathed.  Desperation caught in her throat.  A sob begging to be wrenched free.  “Please, Merik.  If you died - if you truly did die - please.  Do not make me lose you again.”

A big fat tear escaped the corner of her eye and the storm raging inside Merik reached its final crescendo.  He wrenched Safi to him and his lips crashed into hers.

Gone was the ice cold sleep.  Gone was the puppeteer.  All there was was Safi, and, with her heart thrumming against him, he realized with stunning clarity that this was magic.  Kissing Safi was the first three seconds after leaping off a cliff, the moment before your witchery ignites, when you’re falling and there’s nothing but you and the open air.  

Release rumbled through his throat, dark like thunder, as his hand buried itself in her hair and he deepened the kiss, surrendering himself to her completely, until the fiery hunger devoured his fear and doubt and burned it all away.  Safi sighed into him, her arms trapped against him, hands still gripping his collar.  He felt the hard press of her knuckles dig into his chest, almost painful.  He welcomed it and the bliss of knowing that she was here with him that came with it.

And then it was over.  Lightheaded, Merik leaned forward to brace his forehead against Safi’s, the heat of her blazing on his skin.  Moonlight spilled through the leaves painting them in ethereal light, their shared ragged breathing was almost deafening, alone, deep in the woods.  Tears clung to Safi’s eyelashes, stained her flushed cheeks.  Merik cradled her face in both his hands, his thumbs gently smoothing away the wetness.

“Please don’t cry,” he whispered.  “Please.”

She laughed, a watery thing that broke Merik’s heart.  “Then stop being a royal ass.”

Merik couldn’t help it - he smiled and kissed her again.  Gentle this time.  A slow press of his lips to hers.  

Many minutes passed before another word was said.  The sounds of the forest slowly returned as Merik’s pounding heart settled and his blood hummed with happiness.  He watched Safi slowly rolled her lips together.  A sign of restlessness.  But he continued to absently caress the blush of her cheek, perfectly content with taking inventory of every inch of her face and committing it to memory.  The freckles dusting her sandy skin.  The moon glittering in her blue eyes.  The bump along the bridge of her nose.

Hold on.  

Merik traced the slope of Safi’s nose with his index finger and paused at the small protrusion.  

“Where did this come from?”  he asked.  Unlike with the ankle, there wasn’t so much concern in the question as there was exasperation.  

Safi pursed her lips, fighting a smirk.

“Well?” he demanded.  It was like scolding a child.

“Would you believe, I got into a duel with a pirate queen?”

“You know, Domna, I would.”  Merik pulled back slightly - enough so that he was able to give her a once over, but not so much that he had to release her from his embrace.  He didn’t plan on doing that any time soon.  “Tell me, are there any other new facets to your being that I should be aware of?”

Although the question aired on the side of teasing, Merik’s eyes darkened.  He was entirely serious.  If she had been hurt in any other way, he wanted to know.  

Color rose to Safi’s cheeks under the intensity of his gaze.  “None that I can think of.  Though,” she murmured, peering coyly at him, “perhaps there’s something I’m forgetting.  It may be worth your while to do a more thorough search somewhere more private.”

Merik’s heart skipped a beat.  And judging by the smug way Safi’s lips curled, she felt it.

Merik never thought he’d ever feel the scorch of lust ever again after dying.  His body was a broken, dead thing to be poked and prodded by Esme’s merciless hands.  And yet, blessed heat fanned out deep in his core, melting his defenses from the inside out.  Desire was a feeling long since forgotten until now.  But however wonderful it felt, he pushed the sensation down.  Just the thought of Safi enduring more suffering than what he already knew was enough to snuff out the flame between them.  

“I’m serious, Safi.”

Safi tilted her head and let her hands wander up his chest.  “So am I.”

A fresh wave of yearning flashed through Merik, more powerful than the one before.  There was no uncertainty in her sapphire eyes.  He felt his face flush and blinked away, only to become very aware of the silk wrapped over the lovely slope of her shoulder.  One tug and he was sure he’d have her bare.  It almost frightened him how fast his mind went there, when minutes ago he could barely stand the thought of putting himself in such a vulnerable and intimate position.  If he were honest, even in his lust-dazed mind, it still made his stomach queasy.

Something must have registered on his face, because Safi’s playful smile faded.  Merik felt her left hand twitch, warm against him - and then, it was gone.  He could scarcely breathe as he watched her carefully raise herself to his scarred cheek.  Her eyes never left him, watching for any sign of discomfort or unwant, hand hovering inches away from his face.

This time Merik stayed where he was, resisting the urge to pull away.  He could do this.  His grip tightened on her waist in anticipation and he closed his eyes, heart pounding against his chest, in his ears, overwhelming all other senses.  

There was no stopping the sharp hiss of breath when skin met skin.  Safi’s touch, like his witchery, was a ghost of what should have been there.  He could barely feel it, most of the nerves on that side of his face burned away in the explosion that killed him.  

Grief he couldn’t explain throbbed at the base of his throat.  A burning sensation that spread behind his eyes.  He cracked them open and his chest expanded painfully at the sight of Safi’s eyes.  They were the color of the sky - and he was falling headlong into it.

Merik expelled the air that he’d been holding and let himself lean into her phantom touch.

Maybe it didn’t matter that he couldn’t feel her.  Maybe knowing mattered more than feeling.  Knowing that it was Safi touching him.  Standing in his arms, warm and alive, looking at him like he was the only thing that existed.

Besides, he did feel it.  In his heart.

“I thought you weren’t that type of girl,” Merik murmured huskily when he found his voice again.

“I’m not,” Safi murmured back, her thumb still stroking the ridged skin just below his eye.  “But I’m also not the same girl you met in Venaza.”  

“Nor am I the same man.”  Merik’s forehead dropped to her’s.  He pressed his eyes shut like he was praying to Noden for help.  A shaky breath rattled his chest and he felt the tear that fell from his undamaged eye.  “Safi, there’s so much I still need to tell you.  I wasn’t lying when I said it was complicated."

“Then tell me,” she urged him kindly.  “I want to know everything.”  She paused.  “Is that something you think you can do?”

Merik nodded numbly, overcome with emotion.  He kept his downturned gaze anchored to the hand on his chest covering his heart.

“Ok,” whispered Safi before falling into silence.  Then: “Can I at least kiss you one more time before you do?”

Merik answered her with a searing kiss, and a whisper of a breeze rustled through the trees, carrying a promise of hope.

#the witchlands #witchlands #safiya fon hasstrel #merik nihar #safik #safi x merik #otp: eye of the storm #truthwitch #windwitch #sightwitch #bloodwitch #my fic #mine

[sansatully]

I was tagged by @baoshan-sanren and @mika--82​ ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ thank you!

Top 3 Ships:

1. Wangxian - I don’t engage a lot with Wangxian content anymore, honestly I think I’m a bit burned out because of Wangxian overload since CQL started, but I still remember how 2 years ago I fell in love with this ship utterly and irrevocably. The donghua had just come out, we only had one version of the Wangxian song, which is the audio drama version, and the MV was all in black and white until the chorus hit and it burst into colors... as Lan Wangji’s life in those 13 years of waiting was monochrome until he found Wei Wuxian again. Hnff. Wangxian invented love, thank you for coming to my TED(x) Talk.

2. Ranwan - OK listen, 2Ha has my whole heart and I just. If Wangxian invented love, then Ranwan invented choice, sacrifice, and atonement. I find myself screeching over them at least three times a day throughout the 350-chapter arc of their relationship(s), and every moment is as heartbreaking and heartwarming as the last. The journey of Mo Ran’s character development from extreme dumbass to Mo-zongshi, the gradual reveal of Chu Wanning’s inner world and how dysfunctional it is and yet how pure his soul, the literal “to hell and back” nature of their relationship, “Hell is too cold, I’ll be buried with you” / “The human world is too beautiful, I don’t want you to die with me”... truly a work of art.

3. Meimeng - 99% of my free time is spent writing Meimeng because. Xue Meng Xue Ziming, the Young Phoenix, the Young Lord of Sisheng Peak, Bestest Boy of 2Ha, has TWO hands, and both of them are held through TWO LIFETIMES, no matter which mortal world. I. I just. Meimeng invented unconditional support and steadfast devotion. Also, the dynamics are either 1) heartbreaking or 2) delightfully hilarious, and there’s no in-between. This is truly my comfort ship.

Honorable mention: Nielan, the only MDZS ship I still write for. I don’t need to explain how excellent these two are for each other. So functional. So healthy. So wholesome.

Last song: 琵琶行 (Pipa Xing) as sung by Luo Yunxi... woke up and saw @mika--82​‘s post and I am just reminded of how many times I’ve played that song (and that particular version) on repeat and how ridiculously I tried to sing the Beijing opera part. The song is really catchy, and it’s actually based on an ancient poem by Bai Juyi. Here is an English translation of the poem that I really like.  

Last movie: Portrait de la Jeune Fille en Feu. I cannot overstate just how much it hits 99% of my aesthetic. Cynical French girls running up and down the coast in a story of forbidden love, painting each other, Eurydice and Orpheus analogy, bonfires and witchery, the total absence of men, extremely quotable lines (”In solitude, I felt the liberty you spoke of. But I also felt your absence”), gruesome and unflinching look at historical injustices done against women... ugh, fav.

Current reading: Tian Guan Ci Fu! I’m going very very slowly (1-2 chapters a day) because I need to 1) actually write for work, 2) write Meimeng fics, 3) watch that new drama The Romance of Tiger and Rose that I just picked up, and 4) obsess over 2ha. But so far I like TGCF a lot, it’s very plotty and cute and I like MXTX’s writing so it’s a bit of a comfort zone. 

Tagging: if you’re up for it, friends! (∩｀-´)⊃━☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ @pyatova​ @theshmorca​ @hearts-companion​ @midorigable​ @xanaxinmycoffee​ @the-apostates-martyr​ @yourfavouritedoll​

#tag game #my reading list has been very chinese #my norwegian novels are sad on the bookshelf #rip knausgaard i'll come back to you one day

[blackevermore]

x Our past, your future, my love (More fleshed out)

- Tayonna was bought at the age of 15 in New York in 1681 to the Wealthy Prussian/German-Russian Masters family. She wasn't the only servant they bought, but she was the one who was left in charge of house duties. Vlad(an) was the eldest son who stayed behind in Germany for schooling but once he was done he came to America to join the rest of his family.

- The family didn't deal in the slave business but they did have servants. While they were kind people they still upheld the idea that blacks were under them.

- During her time there Vladan found out that Tayonna came from a witch bloodline and she would show him the magic she could do. He thought she was going to kill them all and it took a lot to convince him she was actually putting a spell over them to extend their kindness until she died. She didn't want to be sold again. Over time Vladan would sneak her books he would find about witchery.

- The family taught her German, Proper English, to read, to write, but she was told when anyone the family was not too comfortable with to pretend uneducated.

- When Tayonna was 21 and Vladan was 28 the parents died and Vladan was then her master. He returned to German to carry out the family business. He gave her strict rules on what she could and couldn't do while they were back in the German empire. They lived there for about four years, long enough for Vladan to establish himself and they go back to America to continue the business.

- They fall in love but they make sure to keep it a secret but word got out while in America that Vladan was in love with a slave (though he never saw her a one) and the business was becoming tarnished. Vladan started to panic because this was his family lifeline and he didn't want to destroy it due to love. One day, while guest were over Tayonna, overheard someone tell Vladan he should sell her to someone to clear his name. And for a short moment, Vladan thought about it but dismissed it bc he was helplessly in love with her.

- Then the people found out Tayonna was a witch when they caught her playing with Vladan and making them fly. In due time a mod was formed to come and kill Tayonna and "free" Vladan from her doing since ya know black + witch is bad.

-When Vladan tried to leave America, the boat captains were told to no allow him to board especially if he was with Tayonna. This lead to another mob trying to break into his home and kill Tayonna. There is a wild chase into the woods and a riverbank that Tayonna trips into and nearly drowns. But she wills herself to get out of the river and thats when its fully confirmed she's a witch.

- Tayonna escapes the mob and hides in the Woods and Vladan is taken under the local priest for "protection" but he gets out and is deemed unsavable.  

-Vladan overhears that once again a mob would be going after Tayonna and hunting her down so Vladan takes matters into his own hand and goes out to find Tayonna.

- He finds her hiding by the bank of the river and kills her to "save" her from the mob and anyone that wanted to cause her harm. This would be the betrayal Tayonna's ghost would fester off of and become a poltergeist.

- After he kills her the people deem him saved and freed and he hurries to leave America his life in guilt in the German Empire until his death

- Modern day Clockwork was aware that Vlad family tree was broken and eventually the past would come up again. He knew Vlad would be reborn and would become a hafla. But he failed for the first time to prepare Vlad for the return of Tayonna when she reawoke at the tampering of the ghost zone.

- Vlad goes off into the ghost zone with Danny to figure out what's going on (bc in this au Phantom Planet never happened and Vlad stop bugging Danny with trying to get with his mom) and they find more hidden areas of the ghost zone they never been too. Since Danny is king of the ghost world he kinda has to go and see what's going on and that's when Tayonna sense the return of her "lover" and a battle breaks out.

- It's very clear she has no business with Danny and goes straight for Vlad despite him not being in his human form. She can sense his soul and she knows that who she has to kill. they make it out alive after Danny manages to knock Tayonna out and Vlad is sooooo confused and rushes to start figuring out what the living fuck is going on.

- That's when CW visits him finally and very vaugily he explains to Vlad that Tayonna is a ghost form his past that was never put to rest. And Vlad needs to 1) figure out where she fits into his story 2) figure out a way to finally put her to rest. A lot easier said than done 

#📖Ghost Stories👻 #self ship #self shipping #self shipping community #oc x canon #vlad masters

[nat-matamorosm]

Hello everyone! For those who don’t know me, my name is Natalia de Jesús Matamoros Marín (yes, my middle name was chosen from the man in the bible and yes, I’m always asking my mom “WHY?” because well it’s obvious that I don't like it haha). I’m 21 years old and I live with my parents and my sweet little dog Rocco, he’s literally the love of my life and I love him SO MUCH.

I'm a Gemini and I like things related to astrological signs and witchery, also I love to read books when I have the time because I'm working a full time job and I'm taking 5 courses in college so I don't really know what free time is haha. I like to go out when I can because I love to explore new places and meet new people.

I was studying industrial engineering and it was not my cup of tea but I continued studying it until this year that I decided not to study it more and I made that decision last year that I went to work in a summer camp in New Hampshire USA to improve my English and of course I left my comfort zone and I realized I was doing something I did not like so when I came back to Costa Rica I told my family I wanted to study teaching because I wanted to study it since I was in school, so this year I started it and now I’m really happy with what I’m studying. I chose English because this language has become really important in my life because I work in a place where I can only speak English, I’m studying English teaching and my boyfriend is from England and we only talk in English so as you can read, most of my time I’m talking more in English than in Spanish. I’m really good in languages so my next goal is to learn Portuguese and French because I really like languages and I feel it’s something good to learn because you’re learning a new language and at the same time you’re learning about a new culture.

And I’m going to finish now because I have been writing A LOT but well like I told you I’m a Gemini and I like to talk A LOT hahaha so thank you for reading my Ted Talk and see you later alligators!

[fakangin-blog]

hi all! excuse my TERRIBLY late arrival. time zones. meet your local dashingly disappointing bachelor, 𝐲𝐢 𝐤𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧. with a chip on his shoulder, he embodies the society loathing cat lover with too many college commitments to count. here is his profile and some more background! i’m super excited to be here and to mingle with all of your muses; my name is enna, or en [gmt+10, she/her], and below the cut are some quick fire facts about claws-out kangin. [off to liking intro posts i go~]

yi kangin, 22, familiar

familiar form is a cloud-grey russian blue … a rl baby who loves lingering around rando balconies <3

comes from a long line of aristocracy, witchery, and lots of hierarchal issues within the familiar side of his family

subsequently, he has a victim complex quite literally generations in the making 

to elaborate, his older sister was the witch of the family and thus he was born to exemplify the traditions of subservience

hyper-dogmatic and goal driven lifestyle with a big mouth to boot 

just began his joint masters degrees. one in korean l&l, and the other in cryptology

he’s just indecisive, work addicted and painfully impatient 

also works part time as a waiter 

family has money money... he’s just trying to prove a point of independence

still lives under the financial umbrella of his family fortune, so he can’t act too out of line [supposedly]

dances in his bedroom alone to ‘nobody’ by mitski to ignore the inevitability of his pisspoor future 

hates his purpose and place as a familiar. has absolutely no time for the concept of it all 

all of his successive grudges just make him opinionated and closed off. but behind it all he’s just bitchin and lonely. in conclusion, he does NOT pass the #vibecheck whoops~

#𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞! | 𝐨𝐨𝐜. #familiarintro #and to my 1d/wayv bender i return #flgkhdslfk im so late... this aint even allwoed to be posted.... im SORRY #please plot w him and i... we are but small pumpkin seeds... waiting to sprout 🥺