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talonabraxas · 1 month

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The Flower of Life

There really is some deep rooted symbolism behind this captivating image. Some say it’s representative of the union of the sacred Masculine and the Divine Feminine, the connectedness of all living things, and others see it as the cycle of life, death and rebirth. Let’s explore the depths of the topic.

Origins & Symbolism The origins of the Flower of Life trace back to the dawn of civilisation, where it is believed to have emerged as a symbol of cosmic order and divine harmony. Its precise origins are shrouded in mystery, with some attributing its creation to ancient cultures such as the Egyptians, where it was found in the temple of Osiris and said to contain a ‘secret code’ (underpinning the basic building blocks of the universe), and also the Sumerians, and the Greeks.

At its core, the Flower of Life is composed of multiple evenly-spaced, overlapping circles, forming a mesmerising geometric pattern reminiscent of a flower in full bloom. Within this pattern lies a myriad of geometric shapes, including triangles, hexagons, and pentagons, each imbued with its own symbolic significance.

The Flower of Life is often associated with sacred geometry, a branch of mathematics concerned with the study of geometric forms and their spiritual, philosophical, and symbolic meanings. It is believed to represent the interconnectedness of all living beings, the fundamental unity of existence, and the underlying order of the universe.

Spiritual Significance In spiritual traditions around the world, the Flower of Life holds profound significance as a symbol of creation and interconnectedness. It is often regarded as a visual representation of the divine blueprint of the cosmos, with each circle representing a stage in the process of creation.

Within the Flower of Life, one can find various sacred symbols, including the Seed of Life, the Tree of Life, all 7 Chakra systems, and the Metatron's Cube, each carrying its own symbolic meaning and spiritual power. These symbols are believed to hold the keys to unlocking higher states of consciousness, facilitating spiritual growth, and connecting with the universal source of energy and wisdom.

Healing & Transformation Beyond its spiritual significance, the Flower of Life is also associated with healing and transformation. It is believed that meditating upon the pattern of the Flower of Life can help to harmonise the mind, body, and spirit, promoting health, balance, and inner peace.

In recent years, the Flower of Life has experienced a resurgence in popularity, with many people incorporating its imagery into their spiritual practices, artwork, and jewellery. Its intricate beauty and profound symbolism continue to inspire awe and fascination, serving as a potent reminder of the interconnectedness of all things and the infinite possibilities that lie within the universe.

Modern Interpretations In the modern era, scientists, mathematicians, and artists have continued to explore the mysteries of the Flower of Life, uncovering new insights into its geometric properties and mathematical significance. Through computer simulations and mathematical algorithms, researchers have gained a deeper understanding of the complex patterns and symmetries inherent in the Flower of Life, shedding light on its underlying principles of order and harmony.

Furthermore, the Flower of Life has found its way into various fields beyond spirituality and art, including architecture, design, and technology. Its geometric principles have been applied in the construction of sacred buildings, the development of advanced engineering techniques, and the design of innovative products and structures.

The Flower of Life: Mysteries of Sacred Geometry:

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respectthepetty · 3 months

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Hi! First off all, brain praise: I LOVE THE WAY YOU SEE I LOVE THE WAY YOU ANALYZE I LOVE THE WAY YOU THINK

*clears throat and shifts feet *

How much do you think the colors apply to people in real life? How far are someone's true colors (hah) identifiable through the colors and accessories they wear? And does your brain highlight those for you in real life too? (If yes please elaborate please)

Do people choose the colors they like consciously and then over time the qualities/traits get magnified/infused (?) or do the qualities make you subconsciously choose those colors as silent representation of the inner self?

Like if a red rascal consistently and consciously is trying to be a green guy or blue boy, will wearing those colors change his red rascal-ness over time?

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read through this

Anon, go look at your closet. What does it say about you? Is it an accurate representation of who you are as a person.

Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. But I KNOW colors apply to people in real life, and I've written about this in other posts:

Why the colors?

Color-coding groups

Cultural color coding

Real-life color coding

Real-life color coding Part 2

Visual Rhetoric

But I'm going to be more scientific in my answer here since you want specifics.

TLWR: The colors mean things in real life, but we cannot color code the same as in visual media.

Most of these research studies are hidden behind a paywall, but the links will show you the abstracts.

A 2013 study found that people who were ovulating wore more red and pink clothing. It was a subconscious decision to highlight they were fertile [x]. However, when the study was conducted again in 2021, the results were not significant. The researchers suggested this change was due to a shift in unwanted attention (e.g. MeToo Movement). [x]

But women who wear red in the service industry receive more tips from men. [x]

Sports psychologist have long noted that players who wear red are deemed more aggressive than those who wear blue. Players who wear green are judged more fairly. [x] [x]

Several studies have found that people who wear black are seen as more attractive, specifically men [x]. There is an entire book about the historical context of Men in Black. [x]

During times of global competitions (World Cup, Olympics, etc.) color association is the strongest for national identities. For example, this study showed that orange was consistently associated with The Netherlands regardless if the person wearing it was Dutch. [x]

Research in educational design, interior design, and architecture concludes that colors affect the space in terms of emotions and production. [x]

Plants react differently depending on the color of the lighting they receive [x]. Animals as well. [x]

Colors mean things.

However, when you ask how colors affect people in "real life" I always have to give a tiny lecture because the term "real life" is broad. I know what you are asking, but art is real life. What colors we see on our screens have a real-world connection; therefore, they have real life implications. Barbie being pink is real life because pink in Eurocentric ideals is a feminine color, and Barbie is the epitome of femininity. We see this carry over into other pieces of visual media like Power Rangers where for thirty years, the Pink Ranger has been a woman.

The Japanese equivalent of Power Rangers finally had a male Pink Ranger in 2022, but culturally, Japan isn't tied to feminine pink the way the United States is. We use these colors in media because they mean something in real life.

But most people do not consciously go around choosing colors. People have favored colors, and they gravitate towards them more. People also have favored prints and styles such as florals or hoodies. So trying to categorize people based on the colors they wear in their everyday lives could quickly fall into dangerous territory, especially because a lot more goes into “real life” choices.

Neutral colors are more accessible in clothing – black and white. Blue can be found in nature; therefore, it has been easier to duplicate in dyes using natural resources. The red dye we typically use today comes from squishing a bug. When inventing new colors that weren’t seen in nature or that could not be duplicated through natural means, we used dangerous ingredients that could not and should not have been produced on a large scale.

All of this is to say that it is difficult for us to color code in real life because we do not have unlimited closets to pick items from like production teams. Most of us are not rich, so we must purchase what is available on the public market, and we must wear what we have available on the public market. Looking briefly at any clothing store, we can see how limiting those options can be:

This man cannot be a Red Rascal nor a Pink Person because the options do not exist for him at this store, and this is true of most men’s clothing. Because we live in a binary society, we get binary options. Men can’t be colorful unless it's blue (standard boy color), but women can. Prime example - The Met Gala.

And yet science tells me that we will find the man in the clothing ad more attractive in black. We will find him more approachable in white. We will deem him nonthreatening in blue-ish grey. We will see him as more of a worker in the tan/brown.

So, yes, I notice colors . . . because we assign meaning to colors.

If I see someone in a red suit in a crowd of black, I’m going to think that person is bold and wants to stand out, but that might not be true of his everyday nature.

People make subconscious decisions based on the society they live in, so if someone is feeling down or wants to appear more attractive, they might wear more black, but if someone wants to stand out or appear Dutch, they could wear orange.

But because it’s real life, we can’t always pick colors to match our emotions or personality. But we CAN do that in visual media, which is why we do. We can be more intentional about everything in visual media, so we are. Visual media is a more extravagant version of real life. So we can get the boy in the blue and the girl in the pink and when they come together, it makes purple.

I could write about this all day, but I have to work for a living and actually get to teach about this ALL SEMESTER because there is a lot to unpack. This is art, biology, psychology, anthropology, sociology, marketing, and so much more because this is life.

Colors are real life.

And they mean things.

#the colors mean things #color coding in real life #color coding is real life #color association #color symbolism #color psychology #color theory #it's everything #because colors are everything!

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useless-catalanfacts · 1 year

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When Catalonia's National Art Museum (MNAC) acquired this piece, they thought it represented Jesus Christ on the cross. On a closer study, they realised it represents a woman: Saint Wilgefortis (Santa Lliberada in Catalan, which means "Saint Liberated").

This wooden sculpture was made by an artist called Andreu Sala around the year 1689 for the church of El Carme in Barcelona, Catalonia. But why does a female saint have a beard? This is not a shock to anyone familiar with this saint's story.

According to the legends, Wilgerfortis was the daughter of a pagan king of Portugal. She converted to Christianity in secret and made a vow of chastity. Her father gave her hand in marriage to a pagan or Moorish king, but she refused to marry anyone. To avoid marriage, she prayed to God to disfigure her to make men find her ugly. God answered her prayers and blessed her by making her grow a beard. The marriage was broken and that made her father angry. He accused Wilgerfortis of witchcraft and had her crucified, like Christ had been.

There are different hypothesis about the origin of this legend:

Some say it might be related to ancient intersex divinities, such as the Ancient Greek Hermaphroditus.

Others say it might have its origin in a side-effect of malnourishment that many nuns had. In convents, it was very common to fast (=not eat for long periods of time for religious reasons), so many nuns had hormonal imbalances that can result in growing facial hair.

The most widespread hypothesis seems to be that Saint Wilgerfortis and similar legends were created to re-interpret the Christs in Majesty that culturally didn't seem male anymore. Because of Byzantine influence, in the Romanesque period (11th-13th centuries), sometimes Christ on the Cross was represented wearing a long tunic tied at the waist and looking calm. After that period, Christ on the Cross was always represented half naked and suffering. They are so different that they look like different saints and the long dress fitted at the waist was associated with women at the time, so people who saw the old representations of Christ would assume it was a woman with a beard, and came up with legends to explain the beard.

Here you can compare the two ways of representing Christ. On the left, the statue called Majestat Batlló, made in the 1100s in la Garrotxa (Catalonia) in Romanesque style. On the right, the Calvari painting made around 1470 in Granollers (Catalonia). Both of them are kept in MNAC.

There are some other saints with very similar stories to Saint Wilgefortis, like Saint Múnia of Barcelona.

Now you might be wondering, how do we know this statue represents Saint Wilgefortis and not Christ? First of all, this statue is from the Baroque period, where Christ was never represented wearing a long tunic and hadn't been for centuries. Culturally, it would not make any sense for a Catalan artist in the 1600s to represent Christ or any normative man wearing what by then was a woman's dress. Secondly, if you look at the statue from the side, you can see that she has some boobs. And lastly, when the statue was restored, they found a textile fragment at the bottom of the tunic, which was a stitching work made from lace. Traditionally, lace has been a type of decoration used in women’s clothing.

So there is no doubt that this statue, like others that can be found all around Europe, represents Saint Wilgefortis. The woman who was blessed with a beard, and who we call Saint Liberated because her beard liberated her.

Couplets in honour of Saint Wilgefortis for the church Sant Cugat del Rec in Barcelona, Catalonia. 18th century. Source: Mediateques Montpellier. Here, the images represent her without a beard, but the poem explains her story.

Traditionally, Saint Wilgefortis has been patron saint of agriculture, travellers, children who were stunted or had difficulty walking, skin diseases, pets, laundresses, and the agony of the dying. In more recent times, two more were added: Saint Wilgefortis is the patron saint of transgender people and has been claimed as a lesbian martyr.

Source: Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya.

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luninosity · 2 months

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The CFP is up for this year's Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) conference! As your Fantasy & the Fantastic Area Chair, I encourage you to send proposals my way, if you've got something dealing with any aspect of, well, fantasy and the fantastic! Happy to consider proposals from independent scholars or creative folks, as well. Please ask me if you've got any questions!

We will be in sunny Palm Springs this year, in November, so come visit Southern California and hang out with us! (There are many other lovely sessions too - from Disney to Food Studies to Medieval Literature - though I will of course encourage you to submit to the Fantasy area! :D )

I'll copy my specific CFP below, and the link to my session - deadline for proposals is April 30!

Fantasy & the Fantastic

Fantasy and the supernatural, broadly defined, shape many popular narratives and universes—from Lord of the Rings to Game of Thrones, from World of Warcraft to The Witcher, from classical and medieval tales of monsters and dragons to the worlds of N.K. Jemisin, Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, and Ursula K. Le Guin. As a genre, fantasy engages with questions of rhetoric, identity, and power in multiple ways, across media, subgenres, and cultural traditions; the enchantment of fantastic and supernatural narratives casts a persistent and global spell. For this standing session, all proposals that explore fantasy's evolutions and impacts, the fantastic and the supernatural, and/or intersections of fantasy and diverse genres, media, traditions, or time periods are invited.

Proposals which intersect with the PAMLA conference theme of “Translation in Action” are welcome, particularly those which consider related questions of translation, mediation, interpretation, power and subversion, challenges and impossibilities and discoveries, histories and practice and representation of translation, language-learning and world-construction, and cosmopolitanism. Direct link to Fantasy area here!

General PAMLA CFP here!

#cfp #fantasy #scholarship #conferences #academia #palm springs #pamla #romantasy #fantasy books

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denimbex1986 · 11 months

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Christopher Nolan’s highly-anticipated movie “Oppenheimer,” set for release July 21, 2023, depicts J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb. But while the Manhattan Project wouldn’t have been possible without the work of many accomplished female scientists, the only women seen in the movie’s trailer are either hanging laundry, crying or cheering the men on.The only women featured in the official trailer for Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ are crying, hanging laundry or supporting the men.

As a physics professor who studies ways to support women in STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – fields and a film studies professor who worked as a screenwriter in Hollywood, we believe the trailer’s depiction of women reinforces stereotypes about who can succeed in science. It also represents a larger trend of women’s contributions in science going unrecognized in modern media.

Lise Meitner: A pioneering role model in physics

The Manhattan Project would not have been possible without the work of physicist Lise Meitner, who discovered nuclear fission. Meitner used Einstein’s E=MC² to calculate how much energy would be released by splitting uranium atoms, and it was that development that would prompt Einstein to sign a letter urging President Franklin Roosevelt to begin the United States’ atomic research program.

Einstein called Meitner the “Madame Curie of Germany” and was one of a pantheon of physicists, from Max Planck to Niels Bohr, who nominated Meitner for a Nobel Prize 48 times during her lifetime.

Meitner never won. Instead, the prize for fission went to Otto Hahn, her male lab partner of 30 years in Berlin. Hahn received the news of his nomination under house arrest in England, where he and other German scientists were being held to determine how far the Third Reich had advanced with its atomic program.

Of Jewish descent, Meitner had been forced to flee the Nazis in 1938 and refused to use this scientific discovery to develop a bomb. Rather, she spent the rest of her life working to promote nuclear disarmament and advocating for the responsible use of nuclear energy.

Meitner was not the only woman who made a significant contribution during this time. But the lack of physics role models like Meitner in popular media leads to real-life consequences. Meitner doesn’t appear as a character in the film, as she was not part of the Manhattan Project, but we hope the script alludes to her groundbreaking work.

A lack of representation

Only around 20% of the undergraduate majors and Ph.D. students in physics are women. The societal stereotypes and biases, expectation of brilliance, lack of role models and chilly culture of physics discourage many talented students from historically marginalized backgrounds, like women, from pursuing physics and related disciplines.

Societal stereotypes and biases influence students even before they enter the classroom. One common stereotype is the idea that genius and brilliance are important factors to succeed in physics. However, genius is often associated with boys, and girls from a young age tend to shy away from fields associated with innate brilliance.

Studies have found that by the age of 6, girls are less likely than boys to believe they are “really, really smart.” As these students get older, often the norms in science classes and curricula tend not to represent the interests and values of girls. All of these stereotypes and factors can influence women’s perception of their ability to do physics.

Research shows that at the end of a yearlong college physics course sequence, women with an “A” have the same physics self-efficacy as men with a “C”. A person’s physics self-efficacy is their belief about how good they are at solving physics problems – and one’s self-efficacy can shape their career trajectory.

Women drop out of college science and engineering majors with significantly higher grade-point averages than men who drop out. In some cases, women who drop out have the same GPA as men who complete those majors. Compared to men, women in physics courses feel significantly less recognized for their accomplishments. Recognition from others as a person who can excel in physics is the strongest predictor of a student’s physics identity, or whether they see themselves as someone who can excel in physics.

More frequent media recognition of female scientists, such as Meitner, could vicariously influence young women, who may see them as role models. This recognition alone can boost young women’s physics self-efficacy and identity.

When Meitner started her career at the beginning of the 20th century, male physicists made excuses about why women had no place in a lab – their long hair might catch fire on Bunsen burners, for instance. We like to believe we have made progress in the past century, but the underrepresentation of women in physics is still concerning.

Diversity as an asset to science

If diverse groups of scientists are involved in brainstorming challenging problems, not only can they devise better, future-oriented solutions, but those solutions will also benefit a wider range of people.

Individuals’ lived experiences affect their perspectives – for example, over two centuries ago, mathematician Ada Lovelace imagined applications far beyond what the original inventors of the computer intended. Similarly, women today are more likely to focus on applications of quantum computers that will benefit their communities. Additionally, physicists from Global South countries are more likely to develop improved stoves, solar cells, water purification systems or solar-powered lamps. The perspectives that diverse groups bring to science problems can lead to new innovations.

Our intention is not to disparage the “Oppenheimer” movie, but to point out that by not centering media attention on diverse voices – including those of women in physics like Meitner – filmmakers perpetuate the status quo and stereotypes about who belongs in physics. Additionally, young women continue to be deprived of exposure to role models who could inspire their academic and professional journeys'

#Lise Meitner #Oppenheimer #Christopher Nolan #Manhattan Project

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likealittleheartbeat · 2 years

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Sokka vs. Wan Shi Tong

Was listening to the latest episode of the “Braving the Elements” Podcast about “the Library” episode (which starts off with a solid discussion about Asian representation and appropriation in Hollywood). They started discussing the groups’ contributions of knowledge to Wan Shi Tong. They discussed Katara’s offering of the Waterbending Scroll and joked about how easily she gave it up after working so hard to get it. “She has it in her body now,” Dante said. Now, I think he has a major point about that, and I discussed water tribe relationships to writing in ANOTHER POST. Basically, writing and visual depictions can be read as something more sacred to the Water Tribe, so it makes sense that Katara would entrust this sacred object to a spirit.

But then that primed my mind for thinking about Sokka’s gift and his antagonistic relationship to Wan Shi Tong and the library in a new light. Sokka offers a knot to Wan Shi Tong, and it’s played for laughs, but Dante and Janet and guest host, Phil Yu, fairly identify his knot as a credible piece of nautical knowledge. Nautical knowledge, as we saw in Bato of the Watertribe, is a highly regarded part of SWT culture. It also reminded me of khipu (or quipu), a complex Incan method of record keeping using knots in strings, which were ordered to be suppressed and burned by the Spanish Church in 1583. Wan Shi Tong’s disparagement of the gift is more than just a impartial assessment on Sokka’s intelligence. There’s a cultural prejudice at work.

If it’s simply the pursuit of knowledge he’s after, why does Wan Shi Tong compliment the first edition status of Professor Zei’s book? The god is interested in more than the knowledge within, he’s interested in the book, itself: the material its made out of, whose hands its been through, its production process. He does not simply collect knowledge, he is an archivist. And in a show that’s uniquely obsessed with the erasure of knowledge, cultures, and peoples, he is an immensely important figure for the preservation he represents. Yet, the gaang betrays him, and Sokka leads the charge. We are lead to believe that Sokka and the gaang receive their comeuppance for their betrayal of the archive when their invasion fails. I want to suggest, though, that Sokka’s irreverence toward Wan Shi Tong and the library might actually be a hidden theme the show celebrates in the episode and throughout the series.

Above image from A:TLA Annotations

There are references beyond Sokka’s flippancy encouraging skepticism of ‘the archive’ as an all powerful body of knowledge. When the gaang meets the Professor, he uses a head measuring device to measure Aang’s head as he interrogates him about air nomad culture. That device, a craniometer, is associated with the debunked and racist scientific concept of phrenology, the study of head shapes as indicative of intelligence and character traits. Race science is as much a part of academia’s history as any wisdom revealed through it. Wan Shi Tong in a similar vein, refers to Katara as “one specimen to add to my collection,” recalling the history of empires and their academics collecting and displaying indigenous bodies for ‘education.’ The show, then, draws a connection between ‘the archive’ and the history of domination. Collection, preservation, documentation--from a certain perspective they all embody attempts to dominate the world through containment. If only I could name it, have the knowledge in my possession, keep it safe under my protection... At worst this looks like Zhao’s use of the library as a means to slaughter the moon and destroy the Northern Water Tribe, while torching all the fire nation archives to protect his own people and power. But Wan Shi Tong’s academic hubris and avarice are another form of domination.

There are pieces beyond the cultures of imperialism. Toph refuses to go in the library out of disinterest, pointing at the failures of visual culture toward the blind. Leaving her and Appa, an animal who similarly has little interest in writing, behind in pursuit of written knowledge has tragic consequences for Aang and his friends. It was only the last episode in which Toph blindfolded Aang to teach him about earthbending and his own persistent inner strength. He abandons it for pre-written answers so quickly now, the way I open up an internet browser as soon as I wonder whether or not my finger tapping is a trauma coping mechanism. Why don’t I trust myself to observe and learn from my own body? Why doesn’t the team trust themselves to face the fire nation? Let’s be clear, it’s not absurd to seek out wisdom and strategy from others past and present. However, it’s only one source of knowledge and so many people, like Aang, Katara, and Sokka, overlook the other forms of knowledge available to them.

I think its apt that they learn their strategy from merely a scrap of written information (a scrap which Sokka steals using his his hunting dagger made of jawbone, pointing us toward the indigenous perspective he brings to bear on his exploration of the library), which they then interpret through celestial means. The planetarium returns us to the natural and the spiritual world at once despite being within the archive. Tracking eclipses and the movements of astrological bodies has a deep history for humankind (and animal kind!) preceding writing and has been especially important to seafaring people like the Southern Water Tribe (Moana’s “We Know the Way” does a solid job of illustrating these traditions and their blending with oral story traditions). The information they gain from ‘the archive’ is information that was available to them in the world had they observed closely, and perhaps that’s all an archive is.

Still, there are things an archive can’t contain. Impermanence creeps into everything. That can be a deeply sad fact to face. When we see the incinerated Fire Nation archive, we feel for Wan Shi Tong in the same way we cry over the Library of Alexandria’s end. There’s a joyous side to impermanence, though, which is that there is always new transformed things coming into being and giving us more to learn. “That’s called Sokka style--learn it!” Sokka shouts as he whacks Wan Shi Tong on the head with one of his beloved books. Not only does Sokka reveal the book for its material reality as just a plain old heavy and hard object, his line points us to the novelty of his individual self even within all the indigenous traditions Wan Shi Tong claims to have ‘mastered.’ This is the same method Aang gets to discover in the finale, too. Beyond the labels and titles and data, a strange and unique self, a self that’s both free and connected to the people and traditions and values that made us, exists and emanates for a brief and brilliant flash of time.

#atla meta #sokka #wan shi tong #aang #katara #braving the elements #aanglove #SWT #colonialism #buddhism #professor zei #imperialism #the world is wide

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luciaiscool7 · 6 months

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The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. - Superhero Roundtable

How do structural mythology, cultural studies, and cultural history reflect the series’ world and world-building around superheroes?

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K centers on the titular character, Saiki K, a highschool student with Superman-esque levels of psychic power. He has trademark pink hair and must wear green glasses and antennae in order to limit his powers. Saiki, as one of the only actual psychic characters in the anime, actually doesn’t want to solve problems, or help anyone with his powers, and most of the show he uses his powers to minimize attention and keep to himself. His only really widespread use of power was changing everyone in the world’s hair color to also be colorful so that he doesn’t stand out as much. In direct opposition to Saiki’s nonexistent need for attention and immense psychic power, his classmate Kaidou, has no power whatever but claims to be The Jet-Black Wings, the only person standing against The Dark Reunion, an evil organization running the world behind the scenes. This is played for satire as Kaidou loudly brags about being the Jet-Black Wings and blames every mishap on the Dark Reunion, wears red bandages on his arms to “control his power,” and a dramatic action song “Judgement Knights of Thunder” plays everytime he does anything.

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Saiki K is a comedy anime satirizing the idea of a “superhero” through Saiki K, who kind of sucks and doesn’t care that much about other people, but even in using his powers selfishly, ultimately helps the people around him. This show challenges the idea that superheroes would necessarily swing to complete good or complete evil, and makes fun of those ideas in the example of satirizing binary thinking through Kaidou’s fake enemy, The Dark Reunion. Although the show begins with Saiki K doing everything he can to avoid attention and making friends, he warms up to his classmates over the show and uses his powers for their benefit, even as he convinces himself he’s just trying to help himself.

The origination of manga in Japan was influenced by the globalization of American comics, including superhero comics, brought during WWII. Interestingly, as members of the Axis Powers, Japan and Japanese characters were featured in American superhero comics as enemies to the nation, often depicted as racist stereotypes for wartime propaganda. On an international scale, superheroes are associated with the US, as a national export and national representation of American might and power. This can be seen in superhero anime like My Hero Academia, where All Might represents the All-American superhero figure. Shows like Saiki K and Mob Psycho 100 have superhero-like characters and themes but distance themselves from calling them that, positioning themselves as psychics rather than superheroes.

In what ways are the superheroes and their abilities informed by their racial, gender, sexual, and cultural identities?

Saiki K definitely participates in the de-racialization of characters as Will Bridges spoke to in “The Past Tense and the Future Perfect,” which we read for Cowboy Bebop. All of the characters are assumed to be Japanese, and are very homogeneous in appearance, save Nendo, whose butt-chin and weird mohawk are played for laughs. In many ways, Saiki represents the ultimate hegemonic male character who is conventionally attractive, cishet, middle class, and extremely able bodied. The only way that Saiki represents “other” could be through his lack of romantic or sexual interest in the show, much to the chagrin of Kokomi, the self proclaimed queen of the school, who appears with a halo of light around her at all times and has caused multiple stampedes of men chasing after her. The character Kaidou, who isn’t very popular with his classmates (somewhat because he always talks about the Dark Reunion), could be acting out social rejection through his fixation on being a superhero fighting evil, above the social dynamics of highschool.

In what ways do costumes and concealing identities further separate the superheroes from normal society? How necessary is it for the superheroes to hide their true identities to successfully achieve their goals?

For Saiki, hiding his identity is his goal. To this end, he has changed everyone’s hair in the entire world to be colorful so that he doesn’t stand out. When the school has a sports test in gym class, Saiki has to tone down his supernatural speed and strength to blend in, including teleporting a ball back when he throws it so far that it can’t be seen, and squeezing a grip strength monitor so hard that that needle goes all the way around and it looks like he has an average score. For many superheroes, putting on a costume/disguise is necessary to carry out their goals, but for Saiki, his physical appearance is connected to his supernatural abilities, and the antennae and glasses he wears serve not to express his powers or his superhero role, but rather to minimize and control them.

How do the economic, political, and social events that occurred during the series’ creation and broadcast cultivate and inform the superheroes’ decisions and actions?

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K first appeared as one-shot manga chapters published from 2012-2011, then serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 2012-2018. The anime based off of this manga was aired from 2016-2018. I think Saiki K intentionally builds off of the context of preexisting superhero media to satirize it, questioning the characterization of other characters with superpowers as good and selfless or evil and self-serving- Saiki is literally just some guy and he doesn’t feel any pressure to use his powers for anyone. The anime creates a depoliticized superhero- he isn’t connected to any hero organizations or governments, he doesn’t have any enemies. He is so depoliticized and inactive as a superhero figure that his morals swing all the way around into questionable because he is so powerful, and could solve so many problems, but only changed everyone’s hair.

How do the superheroes question themselves, each other, and their obligations and duties to the people around them?

Saiki K as a show challenges the superhero trope of questioning their purpose, sense of self and obligation to others by making Saiki antisocial and feel pretty neutrally about everyone besides himself. He always ends up helping the people around him, even when he doesn’t mean to, often doing so because it’s the easiest way to avoid being exposed, or not taking action will negatively impact him in some way. In one episode, he watches a magician on TV being locked in a box, and when it seems like he won’t be able to escape in time, Saiki teleports onto the set to save him. He does this in order to save the magician from a deadly incident which could potentially delay the rest of the tv channel, including Saiki’s favorite mystery show that after the magic show. He does help people, but his obligation is (allegedly) to himself first.

@theuncannyprofessoro

#oxyspeculativetv #Youtube

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shai-manahan · 2 years

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hello!!! how are you? :) i was wondering if maybe you could teach me how to make diverse characters? like fr i try so hard to make characters from diverse background but always end up with the same old american or british character when there are so many nationalities to be covered!! if i could learn even a fraction of your greatness i'd be grateful to you for life 😗👉👈

p.s. the last time i attempted to make a nepali character i was almost stoned to death so im terrified of creating new characters incase i offend someone accidentally... ehe

It’s not really something I can teach. I can only offer my opinions, and I am certain that other writers of color will not feel the same way in some regards, so please understand that while I made a long post about this, you shouldn’t use this as the only guide you’ll use for writing. This is not a list of everything you need to know. I can see you’re being genuine about it, but there’s a whole lot of extensive research you’ll have to do based on what you’ve said in this ask.

First of all, I think it would be a better idea for you to take a moment and assess why your readers hated the way your Nepali character has been portrayed. Because I’m going to be honest with you; even minority authors are terrified of writing characters that have a similar heritage with them -- perhaps on an even larger extent compared to when white authors write characters of color -- and that fear never really goes away. We also make mistakes. We sometimes make writing decisions that are seen as bad by the people belonging to our communities. But we do try to learn from them, and that’s what matters the most.

So your first step should be to look back, trace your logic, figure out what went wrong and what you can do to prevent it from happening again, and only when that happens can you attempt to write characters that come from varying origins.

I know it’s easier to avoid all that effort and make it so that every character in your story comes from one or two backgrounds only, but using that reason, wherein an author refuses to write characters of color because they can’t be bothered to research other people’s experiences... it’s honestly a lazy decision that will make your readers of color to feel excluded.

But of course, writing a harmful representation of minorities is just as bad, if not worse. I am by no means an expert, but I do have some general tips you can perhaps start with.

1. Research

I know this is already a given, but I cannot tell you how many writers tend to skip this stage. Make sure that your sources are reliable, preferably written or made by people who come from that culture themself, and gather every single bit of information you can while keeping in mind that not everything you see in a single google search would be accurate. Look at the associated stereotypes, study their culture, read memoirs, articles, studies, etc., and start building a backstory for your characters.

2. Get sensitivity readers

This is very important. If you know people who would be willing to give their feedback for free, then good for you. But take note that whether or not you paid for their services, there is a possibility that there could be some bias existing, so please, if you can, get multiple sensitivity readers. One person’s opinion should not be your sole source of information. People who belong to minorities are not a monolith, after all.

Also! Please, please never accuse anyone of racefaking. There is no excuse to this. Just because a person doesn’t agree with you, no one has the right to accuse anyone of that. I have seen some authors do this... and it’s highly disturbing. (and no, it doesn’t matter if you’re getting the rudest anons on your blog. it’s blatantly racist)

Just keep an open mind about everything you might hear, because some of them will be uncomfortable to your ears and might even seem harsh through your perspective. It won’t even be surprising if some of your testers simply walk away after an argument or two, as it can seriously be tiring to have to explain to an author what they have done wrong -- much more if the author never took an effort to listen -- but like with everything else, you can learn from your mistakes.

3. Writing characters of color should not be a mere part of a checklist

Look, this needs to be said. A mere mention of your character’s nationality is never enough for a representation. I’m including this because I am seeing countless stories where the supposedly ethnically diverse characters aren’t really... diverse. Regardless of their viewpoints towards their heritage, people’s ethnicities do affect the way they live in some ways (as well as their gender, education, sexuality, religion, and social status) and some authors seem to forget that.

I hate seeing writing advice being phrased like -- “it doesn’t matter where they’re from! just write them as you would any other character!” -- because while there are some points to consider there, people coming from vastly different cultures would be shaped by those cultures no matter what, albeit in different ways.

As such, even things like answering asks on your blog and describing their favorite things aren’t enough to say that you're properly representing them. If you as an author can't manage to include how the character's identity affects them within the narrative of the game, then what is it all for?

Be careful about distancing your character from their culture too much as well. Unless you have another character with the same heritage that balances that out, this is almost like you’re erasing the identity they had to live with. You are not being diverse by doing this; you are simply stripping away the very thing that has molded your character’s life; and it is such a huge disrespect to the people who have been wanting so long to finally see their identities be represented properly for once. You’re refusing to do the work that should have come with using that background. You are stealing it.

If you want to show that you respect the ethnicities from which your characters come, then make efforts to represent who they really are, not just the portions of their habits that you find interesting enough to parade around.

And I will be brutally honest here. If you can replace a minority character's ethnicity in your head while reading the story and everything remains the same, then I have to say the author has failed. Of course, this will only be assessed when the story’s over, because character developments happen. But they do have to happen.

4. Keep reading works made by people from those backgrounds (and support them if you can)

I don’t think I need to elaborate too much on that. Most of the time, it’s a great way to see the relevant issues the writer themself faces daily within their community, and reading their works might provide you some understanding. And yes, my work does reflect mine to some extent.

Some more points to consider:

Avoid tokenizing your characters.

Don’t expect praise for the diversity you’ll be including, no matter how detailed they will be.

There are simply some cultures you absolutely cannot touch -- those wherein research and even getting help from others would not be enough. When that happens, back off respectfully. I have an Agta background (some call it Aeta) and I am seriously scared of seeing our heritage in a white author’s work, because there’s too many misconceptions even in actual published books to the point that it’s improbable to represent it well unless you have someone who directly comes from that ethnicity.

Research more into cultural appropriation and fetishization, then learn how to avoid them.

Consider your character’s interactions with those who are not part of the minority. There are huge stereotypes here that might be difficult for some to avoid.

If you have to, you can use tropes and stereotypes for the sole purpose of deconstructing them. But I do not advise you to do this unless you have a good grasp of the implications behind them. I use this with some of the ROs in Hollowed Minds, and I can attest that you have to be very careful.

Be mindful of the privilege and prejudices you have as you write.

There is no one perfect way of representing minorities, and characters should also be portrayed as individuals.

Things you might want to avoid when writing BIPOC unless you are one:

Racism

Slavery/Human trafficking

Colonization

Excessive violence towards that particular group

Segregation systems

Tragedy exploitation in general

I hope this helps a little. I can share some insights as to how I prepared creating my characters in Hollowed Minds, especially with Alonzo and Jade, but you would have to ask more specific questions. I’ve spent a lot of time on figuring out their identities, and there’s so much I want to share that I can’t include here (the post is long enough).

For some parting words, let me just say this. Be prepared to do a lot of revisions. There will be inaccuracies in your writing, and there will be mistakes. No one expects you as an author to be 100% accurate on your first attempt, but do your part, learn to accept valid criticism, and your readers will be a lot more forgiving. After all, while you have the right to include what you want to write, it would be wise to remember some of these have responsibilities attached. Good luck on your writing!

#I might add more on this tomorrow or some other time #I just. want to publish this post now because it's been on my mind for several days now #writing

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deathlessathanasia · 11 months

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“First of all, I cannot emphasize enough that Aphrodite is not the “goddess of love.” The time has come to leave such an anachronistic label aside, along with the stereotypical image it conveys, because this does not belong to Greek history but to our own. What we call “love,” far from being universal, is a culturally determined idea. Its modern use is not neutral and therefore does not guarantee the objectivity required for scientific study within the field of ancient Greek religion. It is far better to examine the Greek way of referring to Aphrodite’s actions and of representing her competences. Ancient evidence attributes to her the power to arouse eros, to “mix” living creatures, and to tame them through sexual union: ἥρως, μ(ε)γνυμι/μιγναι (‘to mix’) and δάμνημι/δαμναι (‘to tame’) are at the core of the Greek way of referring to Aphrodite. Archaic poets also used the word φιλότης in relation to her powers, but, contrary to current tradition, which is influenced by the image of the “goddess of love,” this term in the case of Aphrodite does not mean ‘tenderness’, ‘fondness’, ‘reciprocity’, or indeed any other element in our modern notion of romantic love. Rather, it means ‘intimate relationship’, or ‘sexual union’. Despite the fact that ταφροδισια (the ‘works of Aphrodite’), like the words already mentioned, refer to the realm of sexuality, the label “goddess of love” should not be replaced with that of “goddess of sexuality.” At first sight, the label “goddess of sexuality” appears like a less subjective definition than the label “goddess of love.” However, this label is not entirely free from anachronism either. Yet in the course of my research, I have noticed that Aphrodite’s domain does not exactly coincide with what we understand by sexuality. Most importantly, her realm is a vast, varied, and tightly articulated sphere of influence, which is impossible to summarize with any such classification. Any static definition will betray the polyvalence that characterizes the deities of a polytheistic system.

There are good reasons why the Greeks did not use the formula “god of ” or “goddess of ” to describe their divinities. The case of Aphrodite illustrates well the misunderstandings caused by this descriptive method. The canonical portrait of Aphrodite is, in fact, as reductionist as the common label of “goddess of love.” I am referring to the conventional image of Aphrodite as the icon of femininity, the incarnation of love and beauty, alternatively associated with grace, tenderness, and harmony, or with seduction and deception. As Nicole Loraux has said, “a goddess is not a woman,”17 but when it comes to Aphrodite, everyone tends to forget this poignant statement. As I noted, a deity is not, strictly speaking, a person, with a well-defined personality. Rather, a deity represents first and foremost a divine power, one which can manifest itself in nature, in society, or in an individual, without itself being any of these manifestations. The Greeks produced various representations of their gods, which have their specific place within a precise context of elaboration and communication. Let me also remark that history may play a role in this variety of representation, even though ancient evidence makes this point difficult to pinpoint. Be this as it may, multiplicity is an essential feature of the Greek god: Hesiod’s Aphrodite is not identical to the Aphrodite in the Iliad, nor is the Aphrodite of Sparta the same as the one of Athens. Even within the same city, the goddess offers more than one facet, depending on the location of her cults and the epithet she carries. Historians of Greek religion do not need to amend this multiplicity by boiling it down to a simple formula.”

- Gabriella Pironti, Rethinking Aphrodite as a Goddess at Work, in Brill’s Companion to Aphrodite

#aphrodite #greek gods #quotes #excerpts

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gothhabiba · 1 year

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Tamazight, the other prevalent first language in Morocco, is spoken by roughly 40-50% of the Moroccan population. Varieties of Tamazight in Morocco are generally considered lacking in social, cultural and economic capital and arguably comprise the most devalued language in Morocco (Ennaji 2005; Sadiqi 2007). They are associated with folklore, poverty, rurality and women (Hoffman 2006). In response to a long history of discrimination against Tamazight, the Moroccan King Mohammed VI created the Moroccan Royal Institute for Amazigh Culture charged with directing Tamazight language policy and cultural affairs. He also publicly recognized the Tamazight language as a valuable part of the cultural heritage of all Moroccans and adopted the Tifinagh writing system, an alphabetic system based on a 5,000 year old script, with which to teach and to write a standardized variety of Tamazight (Errihani 2006). According to the new constitution voted for on July 1, 2011, Tamazight is now also an official language alongside Standard Arabic. Moroccan Arabic, by contrast, was not recognized in the constitution.

Errihani (2006) argues that the new Tamazight language policy in Morocco is seen by many Moroccan intellectuals as merely a symbolic and political maneuver by the Monarchy to appear responsive to Western, pluralist, identity politics and discourses of minority rights. He warns it will be ineffective in either teaching Tamazight to Moroccan Arabic speaking children or raising the cultural and economic value of Tamazight language varieties more generally. Furthermore, he notes that Tamazight, while a mandatory school subject, is never the medium of education and that by taking effect only in public schools it targets the poor and disadvantaged disproportionately, since children of the elite tend to enroll in private French or English medium schools where State education policies have limited reach. My experiences visiting public schools in the central region of Morocco support this view. I repeatedly heard teachers complaining that they did not have the training necessary to teach Tamazight and Tifinagh and that the amount of time, when spent on the subject at all, would have been better put towards French or English. One school I visited in the region of Beni Mellal had placed all the Tamazight educational materials received by the government directly into storage, and years later had yet to utilize them because according to the director, the children’s parents were against the teaching of a standardized Tamazight to native Tamazight speaking children. They viewed the Tamazight standard developed by the Moroccan government as a fake and inauthentic language imposed upon them for political purposes.

— Jennifer Lee Hall, Debating Darija: Language Ideology and the Written Representation of Moroccan Arabic in Morocco (PhD dissertation), 2015, pp. 18-19.

Ennaji, Moha 2005 Multilingualism, Cultural Identity, and Education in Morocco. New York: Springer.

Errihani, Mohammed 2006 Language Policy in Morocco: Problems and Prospects of Teaching Tamazight. The Journal of North African Studies.

Hoffman, Katherine 2006 Berber Language Ideologies, Maintenance, and Contraction: Gendered Variation in the Indigenous Margins of Morocco. Language and Communication 26(2):144-167.

Sadiqi, F. 2007 The Role of Moroccan Women in Preserving Amazigh Language and Culture. Museum International 59(4):26.

#sociolinguistics #linguistics #Morocco #Tamazight #Jennifer Lee Hall #quote

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talonabraxas · 2 months

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Sunflower Eikoh Hosoe

The Flower of Life There really is some deep rooted symbolism behind this captivating image. Some say it’s representative of the union of the sacred Masculine and the Divine Feminine, the connectedness of all living things, and others see it as the cycle of life, death and rebirth. Let’s explore the depths of the topic.

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certainwoman · 1 year

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"Film programming, a key facet of film exhibition that is often overlooked in film theory and scholarship, I would argue, played a pivotal role in this shift toward queers loving queer “bad objects” that had long been accused of producing homophobic and transphobic injury, shame, self- loathing, and stigma. “Programming,” which I define as the practice of selecting and grouping films to be exhibited for a specific venue and anticipated audience, was, over time, able to change the meanings and affective associations of once offensive texts. Although there are several queer examples of this phenomenon, it is perhaps the ongoing programming of lesbian “bad objects” that presents the most complex case studies, given the intersection of gender and sexual oppression and the illuminating feminist reading strategies that had become especially prominent by the 1990s.

(...)

I zero in on several specific programs to demonstrate how repertory programming, by way of repetition, leads to reparative relationships with individual films by continually putting them in relation to other films. As I will explain, this comes with time’s passing, as texts lose their relevance and intensity, but repeated programming and viewing also weakens a text’s unity or rigidity, making films riper to be treated by audiences as what Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick refers to as “part- objects” or what Richard X. Feng deems “scavenged bits and pieces,” those shards or fragments of texts that can unmake and remake attachments.The examples that follow help tell the story or explain how problematic texts were “reclaimed,” but the programming of films such as Daughters of Darkness or Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! also lend nuance to theoretical definitions of reparativity. The later relationships lesbian feminist audiences forged with these films reveal that the reparative position entails more than a simple reversal of the paranoid one.

"Reparative reading” has become a popular practice adopted by queer theorists of affect since Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick first employed Melanie Klein’s psychoanalytic concept in her essay, “Paranoid Reading and Reparative Reading; or, You’re So Paranoid, You Probably Think This Essay Is about You.” This essay, which urges critical theory to integrate joy, pleasure, and healing into its analyses of cultural texts, has also made some cameo appearances in film and media studies. Strangely, however, no one has considered it in relation to those films that have been maligned in the past but later exonerated. Reparativity is a less reactive and more robust framework for approaching the questions laid out here than the notion of “reclamation,” which suggests some kind of cultural ownership, or “negotiation,” which might in turn suggest wishful thinking and feeling on the part of the spectator. “Reparativity,” in my conception of the paradigm, is not meant to simply explain a kind of unadulterated pleasure that takes the place of negative feelings. It is not simply about “feeling good.” Reparativity, instead, leaves room for a messy plentitude of simultaneous spectatorial psychological and emotional states in which empowerment, ambivalence, and shame, among others, may cohabitate. Like Patricia White’s use of the psychoanalytic term “representability” instead of “representation,” “reparativity” over “reparation” here attempts to gesture at what is available and apprehensible— as an open question or a proposition— to a spectator, as an option that may prove enriching or insufficient, and that may change with time."

Marc Francis, For Shame!: On the History of Programming Queer Bad Objects

#marc francis #queer theory #queer cinema #lgbt

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shamandrummer · 5 months

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Archaeoacoustics and 'Songs of the Caves'

Archaeoacoustics is a sub-field of archaeology and acoustics which studies the relationship between people and sound throughout history. It is an interdisciplinary field with methodological contributions from acoustics, archaeology, and computer simulation, and is broadly related to topics within cultural anthropology such as experimental archaeology and ethnomusicology. Since many cultures have sonic components, applying acoustical methods to the study of archaeological sites and artifacts may reveal new information on the civilizations examined.

The importance of sound in ritual practice is well attested by historical and anthropological evidence. Voices and instruments (pipes, drums) will also have played a key role for prehistoric societies, and a number of studies have sought to demonstrate that by measuring the acoustical properties of archaeological spaces and open-air locations. One of the principal difficulties, however, is to establish a robust methodology. Every space or location will have an acoustic signature, but that does not imply that vocal or musical performance was an essential part of ritual practice; nor that those places were specially designed or selected for their acoustical properties.

Palaeolithic painted caves have occupied a special place in this debate since studies in the 1980s suggested that the placement of paintings and murals within the caves might have been guided by the acoustics; that they might be directly correlated with resonance. In 2013, Durham University (Durham, England) archaeologist Chris Scarre joined a team of acousticians, archaeologists and musicians led by Professor Rupert Till (Huddersfield University) in a systematic on-site analysis of acoustic properties and prehistoric motifs in five Upper Palaeolithic painted caves in northern Spain: La Garma, El Castillo, La Pasiega, Las Chimeneas and Tito Bustillo. The Arts and Humanities Research Council funded project was supported by Spanish colleagues Manuel Rojo-Guerra and Roberto Ontañon, with permission from the Gobierno de Cantabria and Gobierno Del Principado de Asturias.

Their methodology in recording the acoustics of these caves was to use a swept-sine (also called a chirp) source signal in conjunction with a set of microphones, adjusting the position of the set-up to provide an overview of the acoustics of specific sections of the caves. In each location that was measured, the position of imagery on the cave walls was also recorded. The fieldwork generated a large body of data that was used to generate acoustic maps of the five caves that could be compared with the distribution of the imagery (paintings or engravings, representational images of animals, or abstract symbols). A Principal Components Analysis (a mathematical method used to reduce a large data set into a smaller one while maintaining most of its variation information) provided an averaged set of acoustical characteristics. This showed that the variance of the acoustic data can be explained by two main components, associated with (a) temporal decay of energy (rate at which it fades to silence) in the cave space and (b) the existence or absence of resonance. Other factors, such as the distance of motifs from the original cave entrances (some of them now blocked) were also recorded.

Statistical analysis concluded that motifs in general, and lines and dots in particular, are statistically more likely to be found in places where reverberation is moderate and where the low frequency acoustic response has evidence of resonant behavior. The results suggest that the location of Palaeolithic motifs might indeed be associated with acoustic features, and that an appreciation of sound could have influenced behavior among Palaeolithic societies using these caves. The study also demonstrated the application of a systematic methodology of recording and analysis to the archaeoacoustics of prehistoric spaces.

#archaeology #acoustics #ethnomusicology #cave art #paleolithic #resonance

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gallifreyinstituteforlearning · 1 year

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Rassilon = Rassilon /ɹˈasɪlˈɒn/

Name, Singular. Non-gendered.

Definition There once was a Time Lord named Rass, Who studied relative mass, While stating a theory His cheeks became weary From talking out his own ...

[CENSORED BY THE HIGH COUNCIL OF GALLIFREY]

[NEW DEFINITION FOLLOWS]

AKA the "Conquerer of Yssgaroth", the "Overpriest of Dronid", the "First Earl of Prydon", the "Patris of the Vortex", and the "Ravager of the Void", blessed be High Lord Rassilon, for it is they who created Time Lord society and hath made much sacrifice for us that we might be mighty in the universe they hath gifted unto the Homeworlders.

Example ↪ Romanised: Oxasai'Maezol-Rassilon! ↪ English: Serve mighty Rassilon! ↪ Audio:

↪ Sollifreyan (font v1):

Advanced

Etymological and Morphological Breakdown:

Ras- (Stem): The stem 'ras' in 'Rassilon' is deeply rooted in the Gallifreyan language, signifying 'strength'. This association is directly linked to Rassilon's character and his foundational role in Time Lord society. It reflects his status as a figure of immense power and capability, whose legacy has shaped the very fabric of Time Lord civilisation.

-lon (Suffix): Gallifreyan scholars are not in agreement, but it's posited that the suffix '-lon' in 'Rassilon' may be derived from 'lop', relating to 'light'. This part of the name could symbolise enlightenment, guidance, or illumination, qualities that Rassilon, as the founder of Time Lord society, embodies. Some scholars also posit that the '-n' suffix could be related to future tense, making '-lon' akin to 'light of the future', but this is disputed in academic circles.

Usage and Additional Notes:

Honorific Title: Maezol-Rassilon (High Lord Rassilon): Rassilon is one of the few individuals in Gallifreyan history to receive the highly honorific title 'Maezol-Rassilon', meaning 'High Lord Rassilon'. This title underscores his esteemed position and the high regard in which he is held. 'Maezol' is a term that elevates his status, indicating a level of respect and reverence accorded to few others.

Cultural Significance: Rassilon's name, and particularly the honorific 'Maezol-Rassilon', carries immense cultural weight. It is a name that's invoked with great respect and is synonymous with the foundational principles and achievements of Time Lord society. His influence is so profound that his name has integrated into the language as a stem for words related to strength.

Symbolic Representation: The name 'Rassilon' symbolises a blend of strength ('ras') and enlightenment ('lon'), reflecting the dual aspects of his character as both a powerful leader and a bringer of knowledge. This duality is central to understanding his role and legacy in Gallifreyan history.

Modifiers: ↪ Plural: Rassilon-ua (Rassilons) ↪ Negative: yapki-o (not Rassilon) ↪ Honorific: Maezol-Rassilon (High Lord Rassilon)

(GIL Gallifreyan Conlang Guide (coming soon))

Gallifreyan Word for Wednesday by GIL 》 need a translation? / see more Gallifreyan words If you like what GIL does, please consider buying a coffee to sustain our tired human writer with enough caffeine to continue this madness and help make future projects.

#doctor who #dr who #time lords #gallifreyan language #conlang #GIL #gallifrey institute for learning #GIL words #TOTW: Rassilon #whoniverse

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sp-epari-digitalmedia · 5 months

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The Simulation in Ghost-Runner Through Baudrillard's Spectacle of Simulacra

BLOG 4: SIMULATION IN GAME

While exploring the wide world of video games, I became aware of an odd phenomenon: the differing levels of relatability between different games. Some felt strangely detached to me, despite being deeply rooted in or inspired by our reality. Conversely, there were some that I could really relate to that were only found in the world of fiction. Of these, Ghost-Runner stood out as an intriguing outlier. Paradoxically, it held me in a manner that few others could. It was strikingly devoid of any concrete connection to the outside world.

Until I came across the theories of Simulation and Simulacra, the mystery remained. With my newfound understanding, I set out on an analytical journey using the Spectacle of Simulacra by Jean Baudrillard as my compass. The objective was to ascertain what in Ghost-Runner's virtual world prompted such a feeling of familiarity. Come along as we investigate the relationship between philosophy and gaming, trying to find the answer to the fascinating question that has been bothering me: What aspects of the game's portrayal resonate so deeply with me?

About Ghost-Runner

Ghost-Runner is a dynamic first-person action slasher game, where players step into the shoes of an agile android ninja armed with a katana. With slick parkour-inspired moves like wall running, sliding, and time manipulation, players ascend neon cyberpunk skyscrapers, confronting foes with each potent swing. Set in a dystopian city governed by the oppressive Key-master and plagued by violence, poverty, and class inequality, players aim to reach the top, uncovering the technology to stand against enemies and revealing the secrets of their identity. This cyberpunk adventure delivers an adrenaline-fueled experience, seamlessly blending abilities and melee combat for ultimate satisfaction in a futuristic world torn by conflict.

youtube

Academic Standpoint

Two key studies have shaped my perception of how media is portrayed through simulation.

First of all, a fundamental framework is provided by Jean Baudrillard's investigation of simulacra. According to Baudrillard, reflection is exploring ideas in order to offer different points of view—basically, trying to reflect the real picture of the social or natural world that is bounded by preexisting boundaries. He breaks down the simulation process into three essential steps: simulation, which indicates copies without the original; series, which indicates copies of copies of the original; and counterfeit, which indicates copies of the original. (Grandy and Mills, 2004)

Additionally, the work of Mark J.P Wolf and Bernard Perron, outlined in their book, introduces the idea that to simulate is to model a source system through a different system while retaining some of the behavior from the original system. This perspective adds another layer to the examination of Ghost-Runner, allowing for a nuanced understanding of how the game constructs its virtual reality and the implications of this simulated environment on player experience. These academic foundations serve as guideposts in unraveling the intricacies of Ghost-Runner's portrayal and its alignment with theories surrounding simulation in media studies. (Perron and Wolf, 2013)

Noticeable Game Features and Analysis

In dissecting the notable features of Ghost-Runner, various elements come to the fore, providing rich material for analysis.

Cultural Reference Points

Swords and Katana

The game uses swords and katanas that are typically associated with ronin or samurais, drawing inspiration from the rich cultural history of mediaeval Japan. This representation, which was assembled from various video games, websites, and gaming platforms, turns historical allusions into entertaining content for viewers.

Conceptual Synonymity

Self-Sufficient Building

The primary theme centers on an autonomous building, a notion that finds resonance in the ongoing development of The Line in Saudi Arabia, which is an independent city housed inside a structure. This real-world parallel fits with modern architectural advancements and lends credibility to the game's story.

Hierarchy within the Building

The in-game societal organization is conceptually underpinned by the hierarchical settlement of elites on upper floors and the less fortunate on lower levels, which is modelled after historical social structures such as the French feudal system or the Hindu caste system.

Hyper-real Environment

Japanese Elements

The backdrop, which has a lot of Japanese aesthetics and is reminiscent of Cyberpunk 2077, is another example of how various media forms work together to create an environment that seems extremely real. The gaming experience is enhanced by this intertextuality.

Post-apocalyptic Elements

The post-apocalyptic setting, a recurring motif in television shows and films like Wall-E and The Walking Dead, adds to the hyper-real setting by portraying a world that has been completely destroyed and altered by terrible events.

Simulated Identities

Android Protagonist

The game joins the conversation about human-machine hybrids by introducing an android protagonist. With allusions to a variety of media, including Iron Man, Chappie, Terminator, DC Cyborg, and Chappie, Ghost-Runner delves into the complex effects of technological progress on identity.

Prosthetic Limbs

The development of prosthetic limbs in real life serves as the basis for the animation of the hand in the first-person perspective. This integration bridges the gap between speculative fiction and current technological possibilities and gives the character an additional layer of authenticity.

Conclusion

Essentially, Ghost-Runner is a game that goes beyond traditional gaming experiences because it skillfully combines historical, cultural, and hyper-real elements. It does this by providing an insightful journey that can be viewed through the prism of Jean Baudrillard's Spectacle of Simulacra. The game creates a visually stunning and emotionally impactful hyper-real environment by fusing references to mediaeval Japan with a post-apocalyptic, futuristic story. From a conceptual standpoint, Ghost-Runner draws inspiration from actual events, like Saudi Arabia's The Line, which gives the story more plausibility. The game's artificial intelligence (AI)-driven hierarchy and exploration of simulated identities, which include an android protagonist and prosthetic limbs are modelled after historical counterparts. In addition to being a game, Ghost-Runner is a sophisticated investigation of simulation and reality that challenges players to consider how the boundaries between the virtual and the real might become hazier in the constantly changing world of digital storytelling.

Reference

Grandy, G. and Mills, A.J. (2004) 'Strategy as Simulacra? A radical reflexive look at the discipline and practice of strategy*,' Journal of Management Studies, 41(7), pp. 1153–1170. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2004.00470.x.

Perron, B. and Wolf, M.J.P. (2013) The Video Game Theory Reader, Routledge eBooks. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203700457.

PlayStation (2020b) Ghostrunner - Launch Trailer | PS4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt8yOLn8vmo.

#video games #gaming #game #game design #game of the year #game theory #game art #videogame #gamers #fps #ghostrunner #ps4 #pc games

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story-weavr · 7 months

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A Study in Astrology:

Arising from its ability to indicate the seasons and their respective natural activities, astrology has played a massive part in human cultures.

The importance of them even goes as far as to indicate what a person is like when they are born.

Rather than the stars being determinators of a person’s character, I believe astrology is a tool that God gave us to be more introspective of ourselves.

To honestly look inside ourselves and see who we truly are and what we need, whether it’s to enhance our strengths or address our flaws.

Below is how I interpret the planets and the stars. I highly encourage the reader to use this as a tool for their own interpretation of or investigation into astrology.

Planets:

I am only considering those planets that would have been visible to the naked eye as they would be the ones that would indicate events. I will also include which Babylonian god rules them.

The first three are what is considered the inner world of a human

Sun ☀️ _the ego, consciousness _ Shamash

Moon 🌙 _ Emotion, unconsciousness _ Sin or Selardi

Rising/ Ascendant/ 1st House ⭐️ _ expression _ as it the constellation that is rising from the horizon at one’s birth

The following are how one interacts with the world

Mercury ✍️ _ communication, logic _ Nabu

Venus ♥️_ expression of love _ Ishtar

Mars 🔥 _ passion, drive_ Nergal

The next two planets are both about growth as indicated by their brightness & must always be considered together.

Jupiter 💼_ ambition, “to reach” _ Marduk

Saturn 🧙‍♂️_ wisdom, experience_ Ninurta

Descendant/7th House/House of Balance_ the shadow self, the part of a person one doesn’t realize that they have_ the star sign which setting on the horizon at the time of one’s birth

Stars

Each constellation and their symbols are tired very closely with the mythology of different ancient cultures: Babylonian, Egyptian, and Greek just to name a few.

They will be listed according the Babylonian New Year, which began in March-April

Aries ♈️ _ Babylon_ Agrarian worker -> ram due to association with Dumuzid, god shepherds & agriculture, 1st husband of Inanna, -> Canaanite = Adon -> Greek Adonis

Dumuzid spends half the year in the underworld and the other half above with his wife -> his yearly death brings hot dry summers

Egypt_ Amun-Ra = ram, fertility, creativity; Greek _ the ram who saved innocent children; Chinese _ cattle sacrifice, harvest

Bringer of plenty, self-sacrificing, adaptive to changing situations

Taurus ♉️ _ bull, related to “Seven Maidens”; spring equinox;

Heavenly Bull_ Sumerian-Inanna (divine wrath) & Egypt (sacrifice for sake of spring)

if provoked frightening

Gemini ♊️ _ the twins,

Babylon- minor gods guarding doorways or specifically Underworld or representations of major god Nergal, plague and pestilence & King of Underworld (warlike but necessary for protection of the peace)

opposing traits (peace & war, life & death) working in conjunction

Cancer ♋️ _ Greek-Hera’s crab, Egypt-Scarab (immortality/rebirth -Sirius), Babylon- snapping turtle (death, passage to underworld) + Enki,

initiate summer solstice

basically will justifiably bite a bitch; literally what turtle does to get rid of Nergal and summer; shell protects inner soft bits

Leo ♌️ _ lion, Egypt-Sekhmet or Sumer’s Inana

- protection, regality, Sun

- fierce hunter, passion, aggressive

Virgo ♍️ _ female (maiden or mother)

Demeter &numerous Greek maidens

Egypt = beginning of harvest

Babylon-Shala war of grain

Libra ♎️ _ Greek- Scales (Themis-justice); Babylon-claws of scorpion & the balance/ scales (Shamash- Sun, truth, justice)

Scorpio ♏️ _ Babylon = the Scorpion with Libra as its claws = scary guardians, serve higher beings

Sagittarius ♐️ _ centaur firing a bow & arrow

Babylon_ Nergal the chimera-centaur; Sumerian _ Pabilsag, elder/Chief & warrior/hunter; Greek _ centaur or satyr

The cunning intelligence of man and wild instinct of animal

Goal oriented, fierce

Capricorn ♑️ _ sea goat, Babylon- Enki = water+earth, fertility, hope

- stability, creativity

- high expectations, ambitions, standards

- sensitive and emotional;

- wary and kind(nurture in others/ survival)

Aquarius ♒️ _ water carrier, Babylon-Ea or Sumerian-Enki,

flood of water- positive or negative depending on region

Pisces ♓️ _ Greek - 2 fish, Babylon - 2 constellations: “the great swallow”(dove?) & “the lady of heaven” (Inanna?), Egypt - great fish who saved Isis

plentiful bounty _ the sun, wisdom, helpful

I hope this guides you on your journey of introspection, both of yourself and those around you. 🌌 🔮

If you want to find you’re birth chart, use the following site:

#my work #astrology #planets #zodiac #western astrology #egypt #ancient egypt #babylonian #mythology and folklore #greek mythology #star signs #philosophy #anthropology #history #spirituality #introspection #introspective #god #goddess

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