Ahhhhh. Zero followers once more.

Perfectly balanced. As all things should be.

For real though. Only just looked at my stuff and...hoooooooly shitake mushrooms, that’s a lot of scantily-clad lady bots. Whelp. Time to put on those extra long yellow rubber gloves a la Dexter’s mom and tidy up.

Ladies, ladies, not all at once [blocking pornbots left and right]

It hurts me every time I see someone recommend "natural" black food coloring in a recipe, then turn around and recommend activated charcoal. Please, please, PLEASE don’t use it in your cooking. For starters, in order for you to get even close to a shade of dark grey, you have to use a ridiculous amount. You’ll never truly get “black” due to several factors, but if you’re curious about learning about paints/dyes, then I recommend looking up some videos about that. It’s really cool and has to do with particle size, distribution of those particles in the mixture, and how hydrophobic/philic the particles are and what you’re mixing it into. The following link comes from an art perspective and mostly talks about paints, but they also cover dyes...and it’s COOL, so I’m just gonna leave this here for you to choose whether or not to look at it:

http://modernistencaustic.com/portfolio-items/pigment-science/#:~:text=Particle%20size%20plays%20a%20key,film%20to%20possess%20rich%20color.

Just know that using charcoal as a black food dye won’t work and that people who say it does have been lying to you. As the above post from lazylittledragon discussed, gel food coloring works well, won’t stop your meds from working, and they won’t harm you. They’ve been tested and retested ad nauseam for efficacy and safety and would not be allowed by the FDA (at least here in the USA) if there were problems. Now for the long-anticipated pharmacy perspective! As far as how activated charcoal works against your medications, just know that it’s used in extreme situations where people have ingested poisons or have overdosed on medications. What it does is it stops the absorption of these medications in your gut and prevents them from reaching your bloodstream. This is because the medications will instead become bound to the charcoal and are thus inaccessible to the body for absorption (just know that the charcoal particles can’t be broken down by the body to a small enough size to be absorbed by the gut). For more information about how this works, here’s a link to poison.org that discusses activated charcoal and the history, myths, and truths behind it: https://www.poison.org/articles/activated-charcoal

For my fellow nerdy science people who would like an in-depth quick review on the topic (including which medication classes are more/less likely to be influenced by the presence of charcoal), here’s a StatPearls article from the NCBI Bookshelf (bless them):

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482294/#:~:text=Activated%20charcoal%20only%20adsorbs%20toxins,tract%20in%20its%20unchanged%20form.

Ya’ll stay safe out there with your baking. :>

time to make my annual post about this again since it’s almost spooky season and somehow people are still doing this in 2022:

do NOT use activated charcoal to dye your food black.

activated charcoal is what you give people who have been poisoned or overdosed because it absorbs it before it gets into your bloodstream. it will nullify your medications. so that leaves all your antidepressants, epilepsy meds, painkillers etc completely useless, as well as birth control (which, with everything going on right now, is really really bad). your spooky black ice cream or lemonade or whatever has the potential to kill people.

as a little spooky alt person, i understand, i really do. but please for the love of god just use black gel food colouring, it’s cheaper and completely tasteless and works WAY better than charcoal would anyway.

Food Poisoning and Toxic People

I had a lot of time this morning to reflect over my decisions made throughout the year. Granted, it was around 04:30 with stabbing cramps in my gut as I voided my bowels in the most violently disgusting way we humans can. The night before, I had eaten some venison...which in and of itself can be a lovely experience. It’s delicious, lean, and goes wonderfully with a mushroom leek gravy and some cranberry sauce. No. The problem laid in the fact that it was my friend’s first time cooking a deer that he’d hunted, so he didn’t know that you should never have wild game anything less than well-done for safety concerns. I knew that he was inexperienced, but accepted the plate of venison smothered in the aforementioned gravy. Ravenous as I was, I didn’t notice that the meat was a smidge on the...red...side for about half of my meal. My bad. At this point, I decided to sleuth around in the kitchen to see what I could find. Lo and behold, I found the leg joint that the meat had been carved from...VERY undercooked and rather red, with deep red juices nearly overflowing from the pan. This boy had fucked up. I had fucked up by not checking when I knew that he was new to this. At this point, I should have stopped eating entirely and had a chaser of Pepto Bismol to ease my passage...but no. No, I decided to be stubborn and finish cooking my portion in the microwave. A free lesson to everyone who may eventually read this: While you may cook the meat by doing this, if it’s been sitting out for a long while or if the food was contaminated during the preparation process to begin with prior to cooking, you will still have problems. This is because, while the heat will kill the bacteria, it will do nothing for the toxins the bacteria have already produced, which is what will make you feel ill. I mean, at least the bacteria are dead and are no longer around to make more toxins or wreak havoc on your intestinal flora, but the problem of the toxins still exists. But, yes, I decided to be stubbornly polite and finish my plate and “Of course I’ll have more, it’s delicious!”. So yes. Poor decisions made by past Cattywompus came to bite the then present Cattywompus in the ass...quite literally. This went on for hours. Plenty of time for self hatred and introspection. New Years Resolution: Don’t be so polite you find yourself shitting out half of your digestive tract at the asscrack of dawn. Sounds like a promising resolution. We’ll see how we do. 

So how does this factor in toxic people (see title)? Well, during my introspection upon the porcelain throne, I thought about a toxic friend who I think (hope) has finally gotten the hint that our relationship is over. It was a friendship I’d had for years. Nearly a decade now. Unfortunately, I’m a bit of a pushover and people pleaser (I’ve gotten better! Kind of!), so this relationship mostly consisted of a LOT of give and very little take. A non-exhaustive list includes: always rescheduling around their plans, making time several times a week for 3 hour phone calls (dialed that back quick once pharmacy school started), spending 7/8 of those phone calls just listening and the other 1/8 being picked apart for what I had to say, my opinions never really being taken into account, being picked apart about my appearance (clothes, weight, hair, teeth), always being the one giving rides, always being the one to pay when we went out, being unable to talk about differences in beliefs (they are very much a “my way or the highway” in ALL matters sort of person), etc. So, yeah. It wasn’t pleasant. I spent years weaning them off of me, as a dependence on my presence had formed. I had seen a small part of me in them and tried to help them figure shit out because it would have been great to have that at one point...but now I see that they allowed those aspects of themself to continue onward despite the many opportunities to grow and change. We may have had some similarities...but I had made the effort to learn and adapt and move past the bullshit (perhaps another story for another time, but probably not, lol, it’s a bit too heavy for an online forum). So I’ve let them go. And while the process has been painful and I feel a little guilty, it’s also quite freeing.

As I sat on the toilet this morning, experiencing something that no living being wants to experience, I was hit with a bit of clarity: Getting rid of a toxic person is like dealing with food poisoning. You feel really bad around this person and experience pain and distress. You know that you have to purge them from your life and you know it’s gonna suck ass (heh), but you know that you’ll feel sooooo much better once they’re gone. It’s gonna burn, it’s gonna stink, and it’s gonna be an overall shitty experience (snort)...but you’ll feel so much better once you rehydrate and move on. This time, you’ll be a little bit wiser to the kinds of people that you can’t stomach being around. And you’ll know to not eat fucking undercooked venison, goddamnit.

Albinoblacksheep?!?! No, no, no, no. No.

Newgrounds.

Newgrounds was the original posting site. Ya’ll make me feel decrepit.

I...I may have to go to the crafts store soon.

i dont think i posted these but here i made a little frog pattern to make tiny frog toys with my grandma

this is the first lil guy I made while still learning how i should sew it

It’s not International Women’s Day. However, much like with other holidays, we shouldn’t earmark a specific day for a specific thing and leave it at that.

“Many of my movies have strong female leads - brave, self-sufficient girls that don’t think twice about fighting for what they believe in with all their heart. They’ll need a friend, or a supporter, but never a saviour. Any woman is just as capable of being a hero as any man.” -Hayao Miyazaki

Happy International Women’s Day!

Yew Tee Eyes

“Warding off of the malicious Yew Tee Eyes” is a ritual done after sexual intercourse involving urination, cranberry essence, and cleansing waters. If not properly performed or forgotten entirely, then the holy temple that is a woman’s body may become susceptible to the curse of the Yew Tee Eyes.

The ides of March have left our Caesar feeling a bit more holey than he wanted his people to perceive him.

Seriously, folks. Let’s not create mustard gas and be labeled “that idiot” when teaching kids what happens when people don’t pay attention to clearly labeled instructions. Use common sense, read the labels, and double check a reliable internet source if you have doubts. Not only could recklessness like this hurt YOU, but it could also hurt OTHERS. A little extra precaution is all we’re asking for.

hey remember how awhile back i mentioned that tiktok has a whole trend where people mix cleaning supplies well i redownloaded tiktok so im finally able to show you what i mean

German Measles

Okay. So, I just read a fanfic on AO3 where the writer claimed that the German measles has no vaccine and isn’t covered by the “normal” measles vaccine. As this fic no longer allows comments, I figured that I’d just spread the knowledge here so that those very few that DO read this will be educated.

The German Measles go by another name: Rubella.

You usually don’t hear the term “Rubella” unless you hear it alongside “Measles” and “Mumps”. That’s because, since the 70s, it’s been more commonly vaccinated against as a trio using the MMR vaccine (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella). It’s a vaccine series that is given throughout early childhood and may be boosted later on in life if the need arises.

If you’re interested in learning more about Rubella, MMR, or vaccine safety in general, here are some links to some educational explanations from the CDC.

https://www.cdc.gov/rubella/index.html

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/mmr/public/index.html

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/index.html

TW: animal death / animal neglect

I wanted to draw this comic for a long time, but I never knew how to approach this issue. In my childhood all my friends had budgies, all of them were put aside somewhere and left alone. Treated like “annoying” decoration. Don’t get a bird if you can’t meet its needs.

Heilung and The Sword are both amazing! If anyone out there still hasn’t heard of these groups, then do yourself a favor and check them out!

Heathen Music Recommendations

One of my favourite things about the Norse pagan community is the amazing music and art we create. Growing up around musicians and being involved in my local punk scene, music is a huge part of my life, and I incorporate it into my religious practices in as many ways as I can. When I first started following Norse paganism some six years ago my first goal was to find as much related music as I could. 

I want to cover as many different genres here as I can, cause everyone’s got their own preferences, and I know not everyone out there is gonna dig the viking/death metal.

So, for any people new to Norse paganism, baby witches, or just people that are interested in some damn good music, I hope this helps you out!

Osi And The Jupiter - Folk group from Kent, Ohio. Osi And The Jupiter is different from most other norse pagan groups in the best way. Their music has a Appalachian element that melds beautifully with the natural and pagan themes that make up their discography. If you’re a fan of folk rock I reckon you’ll dig their song These Ancient Bones. Also to any devotees of Óðinn out there, the song Swamp Hymns will be right up your alley. For classical/instrumental fans, the song Baldur has some beautiful strings.  (see bottom photo)

Gealdýr - Ambient/Folk artist, very peaceful music, lots of deity centric songs, my two favourites being Loki and Baldr. I would recommend the song Yggdrasil to anyone who’s looking for steady repetitive prayer like music.

Wardruna - I had tickets to see these guys last year! Covid-19 postponed the concert but I’m so stoked to eventually see them. Wardruna’s music is probably best described as Nordic folk music, ambient, or folk metal. The project’s frontman is Einar Selvik, former drummer for the band Gorgoroth, and alongside him is Gorgoroth’s ex vocalist Gaahl, and singer Lindy Fay Hella (and many others). Helvegen (The Way to Hel) is one of their most well known and popular songs alongside Solringen and Kvitravn. For me, Wardruna is a staple, their songs have incredibly powerful lyrics and vocals, and most with a steady beat that I find helpful for meditations. Their album Skald is one of my favourites alongside Runaljod-Yggdrasil, offering acoustic versions to a number of their songs. Vindavla (Skald) is a profoundly powerful three part song that I’d consider a wonderful example of galdr.

Einar Kvitrafn Selvik - Einar Selvik is hands down one of my favourite musicians, incredibly talented and an amazing voice. Outside of his work with Wardruna he’s released his own music, ranging from projects alongside Ivar Bjørnson (Their album Skuggsjá is incredible, the song Kvervandi features some great guitar), his own single Snake Pit Poetry, and compositions for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Get ready to see this guy involved in lots of musical groups, and frequently featured in songs. 

Eivør - You really can’t box Eivør into a single genre, her music branches out through folk, rock, hip hop, jazz, and pop. A lot of songs are Faroese ballads, probably the most well known being Trøllabundin. She has an incredibly distinct, beautiful voice, and for any lovers of pop music, the song Stirdur Saknur (featuring the man the myth the legend Einar Selvik) and any other songs off of her album Segl are definitely for you.

Hindarfjäll - Swedish folk group, they just released a new album! I haven’t gotten the chance to listen to it all the way through yet but I really enjoyed the two singles that they’ve released. Give the song Alvatid a listen! It has some of the best harmonies I’ve heard. 

Heilung - Heilung’s music has been a literal godsend, I use so many of their songs in my work as a heathen. They fall along the lines of experimental folk/folk metal, their songs range from aggressive chants to clamer meditations, and killer combinations of both. Heilung is for the shaman, for the berserker, the poet, and the witch. Their music is invigorating and empowering, it’s impossible to miss the amount of soul they put into their work. Lyrics are mostly Old Norse, Old English, and Old High German (sometimes a sick mix of two), and can be traced back directly to primary iron age sources. If you’re interested in the runes, the song In Maidjan has an excellent nine stanza Elder Futhark chant. (bottom photo credit to Ryan Muir)

Danheim - If you’re looking for Norse techno/ambient music then look no further my friend. Danheim has a dark sound and a strong beat, and uses a lot of traditional instruments while incorporating electronica. 

Forndom - If you dig Danheim, Forndom will be another group to take a listen to. Dark ambient themes are the speciality here. The song Nio Nätters Led is a slow paced song with a mysterious sound to it, this is another great song for meditation. 

Faun - Faun is a German darkwave pagan folk group that uses a wide variety of instruments and languages in their songs. Their selection of instruments is very holistic, including but not limited to Swedish nyckelharpa, hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes, flutes, and celtic harp. With a strong emphasis on vocals, you can find songs with elements of German, English, Greek, Latin, and most Scandinavian languages. Walpurgisnacht has all the elements of a great folk song, accompanied by a pretty rad music video, perfect festival/celebration music. And another for the Óðinn devotees, the song Odin (featuring, you guessed it, Einar Selvik)

Wolcensmen - Dark Folk/Neo Folk, Medieval Folk. Most of their music verges more on the Old English side of things but songs like Sunne, Lorn and Loath, and Foreboden and Gainsaying are not lacking Norse themes or values.

The Sword - Heavy metal band from Austin Texas, lots of songs with strong Norse themes. A few Freyja/Goddess centric songs including Freya and Cloak of Feathers. Their album Age Of Winters rocks and the album art is beautiful. (highly recommend the song Iron Swan off that same album)

Skálmöld - Viking metal/folk metal band from Reykjavík, Iceland. Their album Vögguvísur Yggdrasils, goes through all of the nine realms of Norse cosmology, and a number of other song lyrics take directly after traditional Norse poetic meters such as and sléttubönd and fornyrðislag. All the band members are a part of Ásatrúarfélagið, Iceland’s religious organizations of heathenry. They’re still making music and just released a new single!

SKÁLD - Chants, chants, and chants. SKÁLD offers some really energizing and upbeat chants (go check out the songs Odinn and Ó Valhalla). They also do a killer cover of The Doors song Riders On The Storm.

To finish up I have to say that this list isn’t conclusive, and that there are so many more incredible artists out there. I’ll be putting up a playlist soon including these artists and many more for anyone interested in taking a listen, so stick around and I’ll keep you posted.

I also want to give thanks to all the pagan creators out there making such amazing art, you’re all incredibly talented and creative, and in my opinion, the backbone of this community. Art brings us together.