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dailyadventureprompts · 6 months

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Heavy Topics: A Child's Vision of Evil

One of the first big “aha!” moments in my journey to retrofit d&d’s laughably bad lore was the realization that the way the game treated evil didn’t make much sense. As a dungeonmaster I was asked to create dramatic stakes for my players but the out-of-the-box antagonists supplied to me were as laughably one note as the pollution loving villains in Captain Planet. Who would ever worship the demon god of killing everything that lives? Of torturing you for all eternity? Of being unpleasantly covered in slime?

None of it really made sense until I started to understand the world and recent history through a political lens, at which point several things became clear:

Despite how large a bogyman it played in the satan scare of the late 80s, the people who laid the foundations for the lore of d&d came from a background of conservative american christianity, and baked a lot of that ethos into the game.

The conservative christian imagination can only see things in black and white. People who disagree with them can’t just have a different opinion, even if that opinion is objectively good, they need to be wilfully evil . In fact they must be trying as hard to be evil as the christian is trying to be good, because they’re a backwards person, a monster, a demon.

This idea of the “Backwards Person” is the exact process that gave rise to the bloodlibel, to the witchpanics, to the redscare, and yes, the 80s fear that satanists lurk around every corner sacrificing babies and putting poison in candy because they love evil that much. It’s the same thought that’s given rise to Q-anon and the groomer panic. “People who disagree with just can’t just have a different opinion, they must be demons.”

D&D’s classic enemies are similarly all “backwards people”, hardwired to do evil so that players always have an excuse to kill them. While on the surface it seems harmless or even childish it leads to the default d&d world being one where peace is impossible and genocidal violence is the only correct answer.

We can do better in our writing than a bunch of shut-ins who wanted nothing more than to play cowboys and indians while ripping off Tolkien. Whether you want to write a sweeping epic or a mindless dungeon crawler, there’s a way to reconfigure d&d lore.

Join me below the cut for a discussion of different ways to use evil in your games.

Children cannot control their emotions nor their fear, they lack the life experience necessary to contextualize things beyond a surface level reading. If you ask a child to "imagine something bad" they're going to take something that scared them, something gross or unpleasant or threatening and imagine it blown up to cartoonish proportion. Tolkien got bit by a spider as a kid and the entire fantasy genre has never lived it down.

D&D is weird because it keeps these childish ideas about evil and drags them forward into an adult context. Those three demon gods I mentioned in the intro make a sort of sense when you realize they're fears of dying, pain, and uncleanliness made manifest. That said most of us having outgrown our childish simplicity understand that those things are neutral, Spiders might personally gross you out but we all understand that doesn't make them bad on a spiritual level. In the base d&d lore however that personal distaste is ALWAYS true: Evilness is synonymous with ugliness and monstrousness, drawing a thick crayon line between the good people and the bad things.

That's where we get our particular flavor of backwards people, because one of those fundamental (pun intended) fears d&d inherited from it's creators was xenophobia, fear of the strange, but also fear of the stranger. When the white, suburban, middle class, christian creators of d&d imagined the other they took all the bad things they had been told in their youth about people who were not them and made them into monsters: That's why the default thinking enemies of d&d are tribal primitives who squat in the ruins of greater civilizations worshipping demons while coveting the beauty and wealth of cultured people. It sounds hyperbolic, but there's a one for one parallel between between the weird sexual anxieties conservatives have about black men and orcs raiding human lands to kidnap women as breeding stock. Same fears about emasculation and race mixing and ethnic replacement, only d&d gives the good ol' boys a narrative vehicle where they can revenge themselves upon their imagined foe.

Most modern d&d is not like this, and I chalk that up to the demographic shift that's happened both because of time passing and the influx of new voices that came along with the 5e renaissance. We're all media literate enough to avoid the obvious racial pantomime... except in cases like the Hardozee when the devs port something almost word for word from an older edition and we get a thanksgiving uncle/facebook aunt screed about how the silly monkey people are really SO happy to work for the refined and civilized and white elves.

What's left behind however is that pervasive childlike worldview: Where perfectly natural things that creep us out (like rot) or frighten us (like pregnancy) are made universally villainous regardless of any themes that are going on in that specific story. Ask yourself why the creators of a piece of media made their badguys look and act like they did, rather than just accepting that it's that way because "the lore says so".

Anyway, that's my rant over, and I promised you guys some different versions of how to use Evil:

Classic demons or lovecraftian horrors make for good bossfights but are thin on character, one of the basic building blocks of story. To remedy this, pair your unremitting force of darkness and destruction with a troubled and nuanced mortal agent, someone who is trying their general best but has been forced down this low road by circumstances beyond their control. This gives your roleplaying focused players something to play off against while your combat focused ones battle a building sized monstrosity. Raw evil isn't interesting, it becomes interesting when we see what it makes morally grey people, even good people, do in reaction to it.

Extremity is one of the best ways to turn normal people into villains, a looming disaster or recent crisis that's putting the pressure on everyone and preventing anyone from thinking beyond protecting themselves and their own. Beyond the people acting rashly, you're also going to have a legion of opportunists offering to fix the problem as your higher rank of antagonists to overcome.

Similarly, if you're going to have your villain backed up by legions of faceless mooks you're going to need a reason for their loyalty. Your villain is offering them something worth dying for, which gives your heroes an alternate win condition for overcoming their numbers beyond genocide.

If you're willing to take a step into a more fanciful, cartoony universe, feel free to play with the idea of good and evil as arbitrary teams: It's the badguy's job to cause chaos and it's the goodguy's job to stop em, they're all working professionals and the dungeon is the workplace comedy. This is fun, but then lets you escalate the tension when someone doesn't play by the rules. What happens when a zealot starts executing evildoers who'd already surrendered? what happens when the villain summons something that is more interested in devastation than wacky hijinx?

Think of morality like a punnett square: There's the party, and then there's the villain who wants the opposite of what they want. THEN there's the villain who wants what the party wants, and the ally who wants the opposite of party wants. Suddenly rather than a simple binary, the party is forced to balance the interest of varying groups as well as their better judgment. This can be made even MORE complex by creating different categories of "what the party wants", which is generally how you get complex political dramas like game of thrones.

#heavy topics #writing advice #dnd #dungeons and dragons #d&d #ttprg #pathfinder

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rosesnbooks · 1 year

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Astrology observations #3

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-i think it is not difficult to spot someone with scorpio placements/8th house in the big 6 (not that much in the sun tho). their energy appears darker, even when they have more "light-hearted" placements in the chart.

-pisces and leo can get along pretty well, the leo can get pisces out of their shell, and pisces can help them to relax and embrace their strong emotions

-people with scorpio+libra placements are irrestistible to others. they are charming, beautiful and mysterious.

-virgos have a way with words, they are very gifted and super smart. writing down their thoughts and feelings (bonus points if they use other creative outlets to do so) is so helpful for their mental health

-gemini placements can notice someone fake really quickly. i've noticed the same for pisces. geminis tend to really analyze these people, while pisces listen to their gut that is rarely wrong. i know it may sound ironic since many people state geminis are fake, but i disagree with them

-as they get older, sagittarius moons become more interested in spirituality and learning about other cultures; even when these themes are irrelevant to them when they're very young

-virgo stelliums love the color green, a lot!

-i have noticed that some people tend to hate a zodiac sign that is their own moon sign (they're often not aware of this, and not familiar with astrology)for example, i know a scorpio sun with leo moon that dislikes leos, and a virgo sun with taurus moon that dislikes taurus people. this might be a stretch tho

-as a gemini rising, i do sometimes feel like there's so many different sides of me i present to the public, but that's mostly because i can only be my true self around the people i like, and i also absorb some behavior from the people i adore (even speech, unintentionally)

-taurus/2nd house mercuries have strong opinions on things, especially those that are very important to them. they also dislike people who are not trustworthy and direct

-taurus and cancer placements love food and cooking. when they cook, they put love into it and they like to prepare meals for people they love. they want to give others the comfort they seek themselves. they dislike cooking for people who don't appreciate their effort

-mars in leo can be really good with kids. especially if they also have earth placements, they are nurturing, creative and responsible which is the best combo

-venus in virgo/6th house won't enter a relationship with just anyone, they have their standards

-venus in the 11th really do dream about falling in love with their best friend, they wouldn't have it any other way

-a lot of sister signs can get along, but there is something about pisces and virgo that cannot be described (yet i will proceed to try) they have so much understanding for each other and it feels like they complete each other. pisces help them to dream big and accept their emotions (and to be less harsh on themselves), and virgos help pisces to stay firmly on the ground and achieve their goals

-saturn in the 4th house can have very dramatic and difficult experiences with their family. their parents weren't easy to get along with, and they never taught them how to be emotionally vulnerable and mature. they have the pressure to build a family of their own as well, but they struggle with this. however, this doesn't mean that they are doomed, many people can work on themselves and not make their parents' mistakes.

-saturn in the 6th need to be careful not to work too much. especially if they love what they do, they shouldn't spend 24/7 thinking about work, and should start taking care of themselves and nourish their interests/hobbies

-leo moons are said to be creative for a reason. they want to explore so many things and master all of them, or at least reach a level they can be proud of. art can be in their little finger, but they shouldn't be too hard on themselves when they don't reach their own expectations

-capricorn risings have conventionally beautiful characteristics. some also seem authoritative, so people don't want to mess with them and assume they're very serious. also, people often mistake them for scorpios

-uranus in the 1st in one's chart may indicate that this person needs a lot of freedom and they want to have control over everything in their life. they want to be in the spotlight, but they are sometimes scared that people would judge them. they feel different than others and they want to fit in, so that they can achieve their goals. they need to accept their eccentric side and surround themselves with people who appreciate them.

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#astrology #astro observations #rosesnbooks #astrology observations

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viviennelamb · 24 days

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Fake Spiritualists

Nobody wants to talk about the present moment, like ever. Spirituality isn't about community, celebration and culture, it's only about your soul and God. I can tell when people just make up shit because of their vagueness and indirectness which is why atheists get annoyed with mystical speak.

Actual spirituality isn't loving and flowery to most people. Karma is objectively brutal and merciless.

How do I know? Look at the world around you. There's no separation between the physical and spiritual. What you're seeing is a direct result of the ordinary person's actions.

People who get on the internet with their imaginary spiritual platitudes are lying about being content.

How do I know? Because they're still dependent on their outer circumstances to reflect what they want. As soon as they lose everything or get a diagnosis and they haven't done the work to reach God, that's when they will become filled with rage and find out nobody cares about them but God, but by then it'll be too late.

Once you realize you're living in spiritual poverty, then I'll believe what you say about your inner state.

Conspiracy theorists (i.e feminists) will call you insane if you talk about Reality, because that's "woo" to them which demonstrates their level of delusion.

The actual people who are being raped, molested, trafficked and tortured as a result of superstitious heterosexual atheists and fake spiritualists who think their sex is holy because it's "natural" would disagree.

But since they're traumatized into silence and are unable to even perceive what is going on because they've been so incredibly manipulated by just about everybody, their intuition has eroded into nothing.

Luckily I have no trauma, and I know my soul so I can say whatever the fuck I want while people who have the whole world backing them are scared to say anything "too controversial" because they worship men and are prideful about being hideously vain.

The point of Religion is to end suffering. If your "religion" doesn't end aim to minimize suffering it's a hobby or a dogma that's intended to increase suffering.

Karmic Law is the only law that actually exists and Religion is living in accordance to Karmic Law to reduce suffering, not only for oneself but everybody and everything.

Cause and Effect is what every science studies in some manner because there's nothing else to study. Karma is the whole of Law and how the universe works. Karma is why time and space continues indefinitely and Karma keeps every atom in motion which materializes the unseen (thought) into the physical realm.

Bragging about being too dense to know this isn't something you should to brag about, claiming that Reality is "made up" just because you're slow and have never lived in the present moment isn't something to be proud of.

Physics studies Cause and Effect directly, but not in a manner that is relevant to the everyday person - that's what Yogis do.

Everyday, the most relevant aspect of Cause and Effect is lust and sex. Nothing else comes close to the relevance of lust because lust is the root of all evil.

Lust is the reason why the human population is the way it is now and why everybody's motivation to continue living. Sexophiles say this themselves, so this is nothing new: what makes an ego "human" is sex and their reason to live is to fuck.

Since just about everybody thinks sex is a good thing, more of that "good thing" will happen to everybody, including children. Doesn't matter how much you pull up to your pointless rallies and protest against abuse when you go home and sexually abuse yourself and your partner daily.

Nobody gives a fuck though.

What makes it difficult to demonstrate Reality is that we are currently immersed in it. Since everything that is happening Now is considered "normal," saying anything about Reality is considered crazy because pridefully mediocre people hate actual facts and actual science.

So, the ordinary person is in la la land, far out into a future that doesn't exist, dreaming about an all female paradise, which is possible, but won't take the steps to get to that goal right now...

(or she's in a traumatic past, constantly talking about what happened 10 years ago - or even the times before her birth - to notice her current circumstances are a direct result of her actions and becomes a perpetual victim instead).

In the end, what everybody is saying (except for people who live in Reality) are just opinions on how to become happy. But they can't find a way to get there which is why they spend their time arguing online, with every molecule of hubris they can muster up, instead of turning to solitude and silence which is the only place true, enduring happiness can be found.

Your peace of mind makes you a zillionaire regardless of anybody's opinion of you.

To get to that utopian ideal, you have to become a utopian citizen. Want children protected? Become a living aegis for innocence. Want rape to never happen again? Stop fucking. Want to become fearless and untouchable? Realize God.

Change yourself. Nobody else has to change but you because you are the catalyst for change.

The purpose of real Religion is to become blissful.

How does one become blissful?

By living a Spiritual Life.

How does one live a Spiritual Life?

Chastity, scientific meditation and loving God.

That's it. It's that simple.

If you are a real truth seeker who is willing to do whatever it takes to have a peaceful mind, like I was, this wouldn't be a difficult decision for you. The reason why people are avoiding this simple truth is because they like living in agony

When occultists bring up tarot cards and astrology, or in atheists' case the DSM and their millions of hobbies, you know they're desperate to find something to work for them cause whatever they're doing is yet another distraction from the reality that they have nothing.

The only "science" that matters is the Science of Concentration because that is the only way you can live in the Present Moment which is God.

Pause for a moment, look up from your screen and observe the world around you without judgement... that is God. That momentary feeling you had just now of complete stillness and awareness of the totality of Reality is what few people experience 100% of the time after years and decades of daily effort in meditation.

When you live a Spiritual Lifestyle, that is when you're Religious.

When you are 100% God-Realized, as you in live in the Present Moment 100% of the time, that is when you're Spiritual.

In a world like this, reclaiming all of your concentration or attention is paramount. Only those who are actually suffering will choose this path. People who like killing their time become atheists and psychopaths become occultists. Once you start getting even a little bit of your concentration back, the fears of the future and anxieties of the past become non-existent, you progressively kill your wants and eradicate your egotism altogether.

The untrained mind freaks out and seeks the nearest distraction because the Present Moment is horrifying to a rotting brain. Can't distract yourself from your karmic depression and nervousness anymore. Can't distract yourself from the world as it is, you gotta go on social media and look at a carefully edited and color graded world because you depend on "hope."

There's no hope. There's only individual, persistent action without breaks. Religious daily sex has brought this world into its current rape-saturated circumstance so what do you think you have to do to get out of it?

Oh, that's too extreme? Then you don't actually want what you think you want. You want filth and degradation and that's what you got. Have fun!

If not, what are you going to do right now to make the world a better place? More theorizing about how to get sustainably raped and femicided by your husbands in a "natural way" or apply absolute purity to your life to experience absolute liberation?

You know, liberation is what a borderline penis-worshipping feminist and her pedophilic sadistic husband can't give you. You're already in the depths of hell if you want approval from these mean and ugly motherfuckers.

The "old religion" was male-worship which is what is getting women and children abused and trafficked enmasse right now. In fact, as long as women keep fucking men, patriarchal phallocentrism will remain the number one philosophy as everything else stems from male-worship, even your precious matriarchy.

The Matriarchy is for Straight female supremacists who want better heterosexual sex and breeding conditions. Nobody owes you that and it will never happen anyways. Sucking dick whether it's with your mouth or vagina will always end in a female holocaust which is happening right now. Anybody with sense has left fake feminism.

The massacre of women, more specifically female children, is regimented, organized and systemized. It's actually a fucking algorithm at this point and I have yet to see any feminists talk about that, ironically. Y'all don't care and the few who do talk about fucking inbetween their false concern about female children. Enjoy your deaths by the dicks you want to "cooperate" with! 🥰

Deeming sex as healing or pure when it causes mass calamity is your #1 problem regardless of who you think you are. If you man-haters want to oppress men in a matriarchy, which isn't possible when you're having sex with him, this will lead right back to women's current slavery because Cause and Effect is the only reality.

What you have dominion over will dominate you, which is exactly what is happening to women right now by choice while you're prideful about being "the closest thing to god on earth" because you give birth to egos. Men are acting in perfect accordance to what females want and they're here to make you live in fear forever until you learn what discipline is.

If there was, one of your useless feminist theories on "finding the right of sex position to make him love me" would've worked by now.

P.S. the only Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine is having a pure heart from Chastity and loving God. Nothing else.

There is already a Cosmic system in place and we're living it right Now. You have to reform yourself before anything else can change and if you're not willing to become pure, as in destroy every particle of lust within you, then you're the problem.

#spirituality #religion #if you don't understand basic physics: the more you think against innocence (& its defenders) the worse your life will get.

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mysticbewitched · 2 months

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To my beautiful anons: I know that you told me to ignore it, but I must speak from the heart and say how I feel. I cannot keep how I feel bottled up inside any longer before I choose to go on a break.

My message to this community:

There are now rumors being spread about me. I’m being called: condescending, immature, and someone who acts superior - all because my words are being twisted to fit false narratives by people who do not know me.

Rumors are being spread all around because of a complete misunderstanding that got way out of hand.

First of all, I never ever called any bloggers here morons. I called the excuse to mock, tear someone down, and make fun of somebody on public blast moronic because I find that kind of behavior to be childish and insanely cruel.

Whether the situation involves anyone from any kind of community on here taking time out of their day to intentionally put someone down in order to make themselves look superior and feel better about themselves.

Yeah, yeah, it’s the internet and all those rebuttals. Well, duh. I’m well aware, but does that make it kind? For an entire community that claims to be all about awareness and compassion, there’s a huge lack of self-awareness surrounding the intent behind some actions and it seems to be devoid of compassion.

It is exactly what it is: immature and childish behavior that only shows deep levels of insecurity. Whether that insecurity is in themselves or their own views. I'm just calling it out for what it is.

Secondly, I called certain concepts that I disagree with stronger and blunt terms such as: ridiculous, nonsense, etc - because I’m allowed to have my own opinions and views about things I disagree with.

I want to make it crystal clear right now that none of those terms were ever directed or aimed towards any bloggers.

I never called any bloggers here: ridiculous, nonsense, moronic, etc.

Those terms were all about certain concepts that I disagree with and have a different view on.

The hypocrisy around here astounds me:

It’s perfectly okay and acceptable for this community to put me on public bash mode, spread rumors about me, and mock me for thinking differently and having my own unique perspective, but God, it’s so outrageous and absolutely unforgivable for me to have an opinion about the concepts that I disagree with.

How did I become the villain?

What’s that all about? How does any of this make sense?

I want to clear some things up:

Let’s start from the beginning, shall we?

This ridiculous drama all started because I shared my thoughts - God forbid I do that on a platform that is solely designed for you to share their thoughts and I brought everyone to the attention about some mockery and making fun of people on public bash mode for the sake of humiliation in this community that I have noticed going on more than once and that somehow made me a villain.

I personally knew someone and I was friends with her. She was harassed to the point where she felt the need to deactivate her account. Why was she harassed and mocked by a community that claims to be so kind? She had a different view that went against the collective standard.

Now I do not know who was all involved in the situation and my message was never directed towards any specific bloggers here in the first which people have twisted into false narratives.

{While we are on the topic, you do realize that there has to be countless bloggers in this community, right? They’re everywhere and there’s probably more around here than you could ever count. It could have been anybody and the fingers were never pointed to any specific blogger.}

I found out again that the same situation happened to another blogger who was harassed to the point of deactivating her account.

My message was about the mob-mentality as a whole collective in this community because from the sidelines, I have noticed a repeating pattern play out.

I feel that there’s a whole unspoken condescending attitude of superiority and spiritual immaturity lingering in the atmosphere of this community as a whole and it has to be hushed.

We’re not allowed to talk about it.

If you dare talk about it - people then come after you and paint you as the villain.

This is what started a fire and then guess what happened? I became public enemy number one.

All because I spoke out on the atmosphere of this community as a whole:

I became the one who was harassed and called “immature” for speaking out about this and validating the experiences of my old friend and the other blogger who went through the same thing.

But I’m the immature one.

I’m the condescending one.

Right, okay. Well, let me get things straight.

I witnessed with my own eyes: anons bringing up my posts with the intention to mock me and humiliate me because it was clear that they felt they were better and “more spiritual/enlightened" than I am.

{ A "who's more spiritual" battle? Really? }

I saw posts made about me by people who don’t even know me: calling me immature.

Now I’m having rumors going around from people who don’t know me at all: calling me someone who is condescending and acts superior.

You want to know why people now think that I act condescending and superior?

This was all because during one of my civil discussions about the disagreement between views, I called out the anons who thought it was cool to mock me and I wanted them to know that I wasn’t blind. I could see exactly what they were doing and I was laughing at their attempts to mock me and humiliate me.

But I’m the condescending and stuck up one who acts superior and immature for standing up for myself?

Sorry, but if you think it’s ultra-cool and perfectly acceptable to publicly mock someone with the intention to humiliate someone - going as far to lurking on the person’s account to link it on another blogger’s account with the clear intention to mock and shame that person:

It only shows your character and the undeniable fact that you are an insecure individual who gets off on wanting to tear people down and humiliate them. You only make yourself look like a fool.

What happened to nonduality’s philosophy of: all is one? You defeat the philosophy you claim to follow at that point. That’s what was so funny to me about the situation and how that one post was just blowing up in flames with traffic.

You know, if anyone came to my account with the intent to mock or humiliate another blogger for the sake of fun - I would shut that down real fast because I do not play those games around here.

Unlike some people in *any* kind of online community, I do not feel the need or desire to put others down in order to make me feel better about myself. In fact, that type of behavior is never and has never been welcome on my page.

So let me get this straight: I’m not allowed to call out the cruel treatment that is hushed and swept under the rug in this community because nobody wants to talk about it, but it’s perfectly acceptable and okay to publicly bash people with the intent to mock them and make fun of them.

Is this what’s going on here?

I can hear the outlash now.

“People can have their opinions!” Of course, I agree with that notion completely, but I would call such actions childish mockery and the intent to humiliate someone.

Speaking of opinions, what about my opinions and my own views to share?

What about my own perspective?

Oh, that doesn’t count. Right.

Because apparently I’m not allowed to acknowledge God/awareness for what it is since I don’t follow the concept of removing labels when referring to the nature of awareness, but it’s perfectly okay and acceptable for others to do the same.

I’m just the only one around here who is not allowed to do it, right.

It seems here that I’m also not allowed to share my own perspective without being accused of spreading misinformation. Right, cool.

“This is not what nonduality/AD is all about”

“You’re spreading misinformation-”

I thought there was no such thing as concepts or philosophies. You can’t have it both ways.

Another thing to add, it seems to me that I’m not allowed to share my own thoughts and views in the space of my page without being told that my views are wrong and theirs are right.

Or the way I share the philosophy of nonduality is wrong and only their way of teaching is right.

Here’s what I want to say about this:

You do not have the right to tell me how to run or share this philosophy on my page.

Seriously? All because I choose to keep the labels around and enjoy creating my own reality from knowing my true self as God while acknowledging the existence, incredible beauty, and deep meaning out of the physical human experience?

Somebody tell me what the issue is. I have to be missing something here because I just cannot understand what the problem is.

I’m not in on the joke. What is the issue?

What’s unbelievable to me is that we’re constantly told to turn within, right? I completely agree with that piece of advice. We are supposed to turn within and come to our own answers about realizing the nature of awareness in order to shift our perception.

Well, that’s exactly what I did and I found my own answers that I feel could help my followers and transform their lives. This is all I’m trying to do here.

I am simply doing things my own way because what has helped me and transformed my world may open the doors for anyone who comes across my page. I am only offering a new and unique perspective to consider.

I don’t care if you approve of the way I share nonduality’s philosophy or not because I am not here for you. I do not need your approval.

I hear what your demands are loud and clear: share the philosophy of nonduality the way you teach, remove the labels when referring to awareness, stop teaching manifestation, get on board with the pointers, and the list goes on.

Well, you hear me: You don't own me and you do not have the right to police what I can and cannot share on my page.

I was perfectly fine with the civil discussions at first, but with all the spread of rumors about me now and people saying that I spread misinformation all because I’m offering a new perspective: this has gone far enough and I’ve had it.

I’m done with the games.

I am never going to cave to your demands and force myself to change myself or my personal views because that’s what you demand of me. I will never be what you want me to be.

For a spiritual community that claims to be kind, open-minded, and accepting: I find it to be very bias, hypocritical, and controlling in terms of its entire attitude as a whole when it comes to the way this philosophy of nonduality and oneness is taught.

Because all I’m hearing is: “things must be done/taught in a certain way or you’re excluded.”

Hear me out now and listen to me closely:

▪︎ I’m not going to remove the labels and concepts and I will acknowledge awareness as awareness.

It is not limiting to acknowledge awareness by its label while recognizing its limitless, boundless, and omnipotent nature. To say that it is - is a contradiction, especially when we take into account what the definition of true and absolute omnipotence means.

(Yes, in its true form: awareness is nameless, but in this human experience the label for awareness is awareness and that’s what I will call it.)

▪︎ I’m not going to get on board with the pointers. I find it to be robotic, tedious, and passionless. It doesn’t resonate with me or speak to my heart.

I am only going to speak from the depths of passion and follow my heart because that is what feels right to me.

(If I have to hear the concept of pointers one more time then I may bash my head against the wall.)

▪︎ I will not be vague or keep my descriptions short. My approach is about being direct and clear. This is just the way I naturally speak which is in a more formal nature and I prefer to break things down for my followers. This is something they appreciate and I am here to inspire my followers.

▪︎ I’m going to continue to share about the aspect of manifestation because it is directly tied into nonduality's philosophy. The human form is a manifestation, and the whole human experience is a manifestation. All of this is a manifestation itself.

The whole entire nature of human existence and reality itself is all an elaborate manifestation from awareness. You cannot share the concept of nonduality without acknowledging manifestation.

▪︎ I’m going to embrace the beauty of the human experience because it is deeply meaningful and beautiful to me. I will not ever promote the idea that everything is meaningless or pointless because there is now deep meaning, treasured moments, and value in the entire human experience. It is a gift.

To summarize it all, I am going to share the philosophy of nonduality in a way comes straight from my heart and passion for it.

I’m not going to share or teach the philosophy of nonduality the way you want me to and if I have a certain outspoken opinion on a concept I do not agree with then I have the right to share my views on the concept I don’t care for.

Go ahead, exclude me. I will happily wear the crown as the black sheep around here who dares to think for herself and stay true to her views.

Exclude me, mock me, and think whatever you want about my views. I really do not care what you think of me. I am not here to please you.

I will not be pushed around and told how to share this philosophy on my page. That’s where I draw the line. My page is my own safe space for me to share my views with the intention of inspiring.

I am more than confident enough in my own views to the point where I do not feel the incessant need to pressure another to bow down and change their perspective to conform to the collective’s standard way of sharing this philosophy.

Let me ask: If one is truly secure and confident in their own views or perspective on their page then why is there a need to control or pressure to change how other bloggers share their own views?

That right there to me just reveals insecurity and a lack of confidence in your own views and teachings. You should always remain confident in your views regardless of what anyone else thinks of you.

So from now on, if anyone comes onto my page and tries to police how I run things then they will have to be blocked. I have the right to be left alone in peace and free to run my page however I please.

With all that said, I guess I have become the villain around here because of my outspokenness, my stubborn loyalty to my views, and refusing to have the way I run things on my page controlled or pressured to change to conform to the demands.

But you know what? If I’m the villain now, I’ll just wear the title proudly with a pair of black cool shades because people are going to think what they want to think anyway, right?

You can’t please everyone and at the end of the night, people will draw their own conclusions whether they see the whole situation with their eyes open to listen to the individual’s side of the mirror or clouded by their own false narratives.

Now to end things here:

Speaking from the voice of my true self:

Nonduality is supposed to be filled with kindness and compassion for all since we are all one and interconnected. This beautiful philosophy is meant to deepen one’s empathy and compassion for others which leads to a more profound way of relating and connecting to each other on a deeper level as one. We are all here to connect with each other as one and achieve our greatest potential from realizing our true self as divine and unlimited awareness while having the time of our life living by and sharing this empowering philosophy of oneness.

I just want to say that I wish everyone here in this community nothing but love, happiness, and compassion on their own spiritual path. We are all one as divine awareness and unified with all of existence at the end of the night and I find that to be such an incredibly beautiful truth.

Lastly, I want to send a whole ocean of love to my precious followers who I consider to be my family.

I will always have your back and support you the same way you’ve had my back and continued to support me throughout all the madness.

I love you all very dearly from the bottom of my heart and there are no words for me to describe how much your loyalty and support to me has remained throughout all of this. It has meant so much to me and your messages of kindness and understanding throughout these rough times touched my heart. You have been a light in darkness for me and you guys are the absolute best. 🖤

By the way, to show that manifestation is a fundamental aspect of nonduality - read this.

Now I am going on break for a little while and when I come back, the posts will continue and it will be a brand new fresh start for everyone.

I have said all that I needed to say and I wish to put all of this to rest now. Much love to my followers. 🖤

#nonduality #nondualism #awareness

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wistfulweaverwoman · 1 month

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I have been marinating on something for the last day.

For roughly ten years I have been sharing my analysis of different aspects of THG books, but I started writing in depth character analysis before I ever joined the fandom. By nature of analysis they are subjective to comprehension, education, and personal experiences, however, I do my absolute best to keep them as unbiased as possible.

I understand that what I offer may not be what you've interpreted, and that's fine. We can discuss where we're each coming from, and agree to disagree if we don't come to an understanding. There are some things that I've shifted on over the years as I learn more about classic literature and symbolism, and even people pointing out text in a way that I never noticed. My mind continually seems to be blown by these books.

What's completely uncool is to not only tell me that my analysis is wrong, but that Susanne Collins wouldn't want me to interpret what I did, they way I did.

Motherfucking what now?? The two of you bffs? You discuss this over brunch??

So what's my beef? It stems from the kerfuffle from a few days ago where there was a bit of arguing over Katniss and whether she felt sexually aroused when Gale kissed her in 2. I did't know this was hotly debated issue till after. The person was complaining about Gale and so I offered some insight by linking my Gale analysis, (which I've already decided needs to be rewritten because there's things I'd like to add or provide further clarification on).

My analysis is metaphorical, specifically comparing THG to Dante's Comedies and how the series is Katniss's own journey through the seven hells to paradise through spiritual transformation.

They said they agreed with everything except Gale having sexual feelings for Katniss (weird take, but okay). I went on to explain that Gale represents the most base of men, and that that he's meant to provide contrast to the feelings she has for Peeta, which elevate above sexual desire to a more spiritual level. Specifically, the cave kiss, when Katniss first realizes that she does not want to lose the boy with the bread, mirrors the kiss in 2 with Gale, in which she realizes Peeta will never come back or she’ll never return and she’ll go to the Capitol to die, and he’ll die hating her… all while Gale is actively kissing her neck. And because nothing matters anymore she kisses him back:

“Gale’s touch and taste and heat remind me that at least my body’s still alive, and for the moment it’s a welcome feeling. I empty my mind and let the sensations run through my flesh, happy to lose myself.”

They then tell me that Katniss only feels arousal 2-3 times in the book (whereas I believe it's more, but they're feelings that aren't worth mentioning because those feelings aren't important, but there's hints in the narrative of her desire for Peeta, often in bed) and that what she felt while Gale was touching her wasn't arousal. I say let's agree to disagree, and then they @ me TWO more times to continue to tell me I'm wrong and the bit about SC. So they're blocked, which I have never done before, beside porn bots.

PSA for the folks that don't know this because they haven't experienced these yet:

There's a difference between sexual arousal from physical stimulation, being sexually attracted to a person, and being with someone you're in love with.

You can, in fact, be aroused by someone you're not at all attracted to, it's a physical response to stimuli. Even rape victims have felt sexual arousal, which is totally normal, though generally leaves them with a sense of shame and horror. So yes, Katniss was aroused, but not actually attracted to Gale. Again, this provides contrast to what she feels with Peeta!

"I kissed Peeta about a thousand times during those Games and after. But there was only one kiss that made me feel something stir deep inside. Only one that made me want more. But my head wound started bleeding and he made me lie down. This time, there is nothing but us to interrupt us. And after a few attempts, Peeta gives up on talking. The sensation inside me grows warmer and spreads out from my chest, down through my body, out along my arms and legs, to the tips of my being."

When she's referring to how she feels with Gale it's described physically and she uses the word "flesh". What she feels with Peeta is far far more than sexual arousal. She's not saying she's horny. Katniss feels this in her soul: "to the tips of my being".

You don't have to agree with me, but if you're going to come at me with half baked theories at least back it up with textual evidence, and not like throw some bullshit at me. Stop projecting your own shit on these characters and then calling it #cannon!!

#wistfulweaverwoman #personal #fandom bullshit

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transmutationisms · 8 months

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can you say more about the way van der kolk conceptualizes trauma/our response to it & with what aspects you take issue?

it's been a minute since i read 'the body keeps the score' but my recollection is what irritated me was a continual invocation of pop-neurosci explanations that basically sought to exonerate people of moral culpability for their 'trauma responses' by presenting these things as quirks of biology that are mechanically driven, out of their control, &c. think like, the idea of the 'lizard brain'—rudimentary neurological architecture that responds to fear or threats on a more 'primitive' level than the outermost, higher-consciousness-producing anatomy. besides the fact that this builds on basically a recapitulationist read of evolution (meaning like, 'ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny' à la haeckel)—and the political valences of such discourses about 'primitiveness' or 'primordial organs' or vestiges / atavisms—besides all this, which is a whole different post, this type of explanation of trauma or any other psychological phenomenon is infuriating because it takes for granted the presumed dichotomy within which something can be 'biological' (mechanical, out of your control, not your fault) OR it can be 'psychological' (a spiritual / conscious / immaterial phenomenon that you are responsible for; your fault).

there's no room here for any further nuance, for example along the lines of "your psychological response / pain / suffering is not your fault regardless of whether there's a biological mechanism that 'explains' it, and regardless of whether we can ever find or 'fix' such a thing" or, "psychological phenomena can be biologically instantiated without being biologically caused", &c & so forth. i think van der kolk appeals to a lot of people because the dominant medico-psychiatric paradigms can't help them, and then blame them for having 'recalcitrant' problems or being 'non-compliant'. so to have someone like van der kolk saying "actually, it's not your fault, you really are suffering, and it's out of your control" is very appealing and sells a lot of books. but fundamentally his work operates within the same paradigm as doctors who will just blame you for your own suffering if they can't fix it with pills or diet; van der kolk just takes the opposite stance within this therapeutic model, and this is why he so often has to invoke really shitty, oversimplified, outdated or simply not evidence-backed models of neurology and psychology because they feel intuitively true and validating. again my position here isn't defending neurologists or psychiatrists; it's the opposite. i disagree with this whole paradigm, with the false binary between 'neurobiology' and 'things we consciously control', & with the idea that an experience being biologically or neurologically instantiated automatically means it is mechanically caused or can be mechanically 'treated'.

#bessel van der kolk

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redditreceipts · 4 months

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hi varona, it's the same anon from before. so i replied to the TIM with what you had written, and this is what mister "Charlotte-chan" had to say:

"Hating me won't make you feel better about yourself while accusing me of things I didn't do. I can only hope you find homeostasis one day rather than having to externalize self hatred. You hate not only yourself but the other half of the species because of paradoxical feelings towards them. You feel your existence is tied to them despite your fears and resentment and thus towards yourself

Your transphobia has no affect on me. I know who I am. I refuse to fall to your level and lack of empathy. Women, men and transfolk alike are hurting. I won't forsake them

One day I just hope you can let go of this lie and slave mentality. How you achieve this is up to you."

what do you make of this?

Okay, so here's what I would answer (if you're still texting):

"classical use of thought-terminating cliché. What is a thought-terminating chliché? According to Wikipeda, it's:

"A thought-terminating cliché [...] is a form of loaded language, [...] intended to end an argument and quell cognitive dissonance. Its function is to stop an argument from proceeding further, ending the debate with a cliché rather than a point."

Examples: "Stop thinking so much." – Redirects attention from the topic, idea, or argument at hand to the alleged overuse of thought itself. "Let's agree to disagree." - Used to stop discussion of an issue rather than attempt to resolve it.

What you just said was: "All of what you say comes because you are hurt yourself". You find this holier-than-thou-rhetoric more than anything among religious and spiritual people. Other examples include:

"What you are saying comes from a place of hurt"

"You just hate me because you hate yourself"

"You just disagree because you haven't found Jesus yet"

"I hope you find peace and healing instead of being angry about [justified reason to be angry about]. "

"If you learned to love yourself, you would be able to love others as well and not be so upset"

"You just want to make others feel bad because you feel bad as well"

There is no way in proving or disproving any of the things you said. It doesn't help the conversation. If you have an actual argument, I'm still happy to hear it"

But idk, I'm kinda a smartass sometimes and don't pick up well on tone of conversation (it's because of autism I guess). Maybe another answer would be better. but that's just genuinely what I got out of this conversation.

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distortedclouds · 7 months

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A bit of a controversial take/hot take/unpopular opinion/??? But I think Armin is much better at fingering than he is at fucking

At least, it takes him a good while to get there

You're not allowed to disagree with me on this one. I just know it on a spiritual level that no matter how good that dick gets, the fingers will always be better

#not sfw #also aruani because thats where all ny hc come from #but sure #headcanon #Armin arlert #Armin

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brightgnosis · 4 months

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One more time, now- together, this time, please: Wiccans Are Not Your Boogeymen

People who use "Wiccans" as a catch-all term to ultimately encompass "practitioners I dislike or disagree with", and / or "practitioners who aren't a part of my tradition", and / or "practitioners who don't use the exact methodology I think of as being correct or valid", and / or "practitioners who are actively doing things wrong or dangerously" really need to take a step back and look at why:

➽ (1) They refuse to actually learn to differentiate actual Wicca from the Eclectic NeoPaganism commonly masquerading as Wicca due to capitalism and terminological ease-of-use (especially when most of the things they complain about on a legitimate Spiritual level is an issue with Eclectic NeoPaganism and not actually a problem with Wicca specifically, and they are incorrectly conflating the two with one another); and ...

➽ (2) They're so dead set on making Wiccans, specifically, "the bad guy" at every turn- and not actually "the exact and very specific people I'm actually talking about who perform the exact and very specific actions I'm talking about" (which are frequently not at all actually exclusive to any one singular group and are actually a widespread issue across multiple unaligned groups because it's an issue of culture and not actually an issue of religion or craft tradition).

Repeatedly throwing an entire (incredibly diverse) set of (near-completely independently organized and operating) religious traditions under the wheels of the bus- and doing so largely because you are too lazy to actually take the appropriate time to understand them, and have a very misguided bone to pick with outdated and incorrect information that you think you know about them? Will never be acceptable ... It's not acceptable for Christians to do to us (which y'all're always bitching about). And it's certainly not acceptable for us to do to each other.

"Wiccans" are not your Boogeyman.

"Wicca" is a word that honestly needs to be taken away from y'all at this point and put up on a damned shelf until y'all learn to actually use it correctly again.

#Personal #Wicca #NeoWicca #Paganism #Witchcraft #2023 #Religion & Magic #Something Something 'You Can't Continue To Poison The Well And Then Wonder Why No One Drinks' In Regards To Community Survival

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brongusthearcanist · 2 months

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Sci-fi and Fantasy are linked in a strange way. Both deal with impossible premises and both typically have what we call "magic" but we don't normally call Sci-fi shenanigans magic, unless they are strictly spiritual. Sci-fi approaches the impossible as if it's simply not possible yet, and that this world has made a break through, allowing them to make this possible. Sci-fi also tends to spend a lot more time explaining how something works with science, or a modified version, while Fantasy explains it through the supernatural and mysticism.

Obviously no series in either category perfectly follows these rules. The cosmere explains that the supernatural is actually natural and measurable, therefore spiritualism is just another part of science. Star wars in my opinion does the opposite. It takes place in a society with future technology and all the trappings of Sci-fi, but it does it in a very fantasy way. Lightsabers are I think the best example, why would you ever need a sword when everyone else has laser guns, because cool fantasy that's why, it's a laser sword. The futuristic elements are portrayed with a mystic elements. And of course there is magic, they try to make is sciency later by explaining that the force is medicorians or whatever, but it still operates on a spiritual and mystical level, and truly isn't completely comprehensible. Which is in contrast to the Cosmere where all the mystical elements just feel like science that hasn't been explained yet.

Dune is where it gets a little weird to me. I think most people would put this in the hard Sci-fi camp, but I disagree. Yes this series is to Sci-fi what Lord of the Rings is to Fantasy, but I think there's a lot of Fantasy in there. I mean the voice? That's magic, Bene Gesseret being able to transmute substances in their body including poison? Magic. Prescience? It comes from a magic drug, made by magic worms! Yes the books do try to approach this from a very sciency way, but a lot of it just feels like magic, no matter how much Herbert tries to make it scientific. (Btw Sanderson's favorite book series other than the Wheel of Time is Dune, so you can definitely see a lot of his inspirations in this, in fact Taldain, the setting of white sands, is definitely just Cosmere Arrakis, like it even has its own version of sand trout.) There's also a shit ton of mysticism in Dune, and yes much of it is discussing the manufactured nature of religion and aspects of spirituality to control the masses, but there is also a sense that not all of it is made up, that the people in power are manipulating truth without really knowing what it is, just so they can get ahead and stay that way.

Obviously genre, especially in books are really just marketing terms designed to help find the right audience for a particular story. This is the same with YA. YA is an even less concrete genre as it requires very little. Mistborn was not originally marked as YA, it's an epic high fantasy, but after a couple years the boys at TOR figured out that it has a lot of the trappings of YA. It's fast paced, has a young strong female protagonist, a dark dystopian setting, and is written in pros that don't require an incredibly dense knowledge of vocabulary, making it easy to comprehend for all ages. It was a no-brainer for Tor to start printing a YA version(just a paperback with a different cover that is stylized in a way that is very common for YA). YA really just means a teenager could read this without feeling like it's homework. That's really it. There are a lot of people who hate YA for incredibly weird reasons. I personally am weary of YA, simply because I enjoy a slower plot with more room for nuance and sitting in the moment. YA tends to be more fast paced, which I enjoy, but it often comes at the cost of depth. There are a lot of YA books that I enjoy and a lot that I would enjoy if they were written to be a little more "boring". But some of y'all really just don't wanna read anything that is labeled as YA, and I'm positive it is just misogyny. Like y'all just don't wanna read books that are popular and "primarily" marketed towards women, and it's really, really pathetic.

I don't know how this turned into what it is, and I don't have a final point to end this on that will tie it all together. Enjoy this ADHD clusterfuck of a post where none of my points are truly taken to completion

I do not know how to end this, I just wanted to talk about it

#fanatsy #cosmere #dnd #brandon sanderson #scifi #publishing #star wars #dune #i really should get back on my meds

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benevxllain · 2 months

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Who are your favorite Diabolik Lovers couples? I'm a little curious about :D

Ayyyyy!! Wb! I hope you've been doing great in this crazy world of ours! Thanks for the message! Now, allow me to discuss these cuties that live on in my memories. Once upon a time, I was a member of a bustling discord where I was blessed to be in the company of creative people, whose ships and ocs kept me enthralled for months on end. They lived rent-free in my head; I was a cookie monster for every new crumb and detail, and, so, now, let's see how accurately I can describe them for you.

Shitzu (Shu x Mitsuha @crowtunezz) - Mitsuha feels like the modern tomboy we all relate to in our awkward, authentic, and endearingly goofy way. She reminds me of Chizuru Yoshida from Kimi ni Todoke! The way she goes blank when Shu is near, like Mitsuha.exe just crashes is so SWEET and real, while, internally, she isn't confident and assumes she hasn't the slightest chance that he'll ever be interested her in a million years, which ngl makes me root for her OVER and OVER because their dynamic is actually so precious?? He's chill and tired; she's energy personified, without being obnoxious and I can see his face lighting up with grins and laughter he hasn't had since he was a small boy. She brings him to life and he draws her back to her earth with a casual touch - that may or not result in her faceplanting and burning bright red from head to toe with steam pouring out of her flustered ears.

Yita (Yuma x Rita @margherita-dascenzo - Rita is PRECIOUS, built perfectly, and I don't care who disagrees because the way she was written speaks to me on a spiritual level. What girl out there doesn't have aspirations to live comfortably and hold some amount of power in the world? On the surface, she's sunshine and springtime, but behind this social butterfly is a woman in mourning for all she's lost to time - centuries of faces she'll never see again. She and Yuma have this natural chemistry about them that can range from relaxed and lighthearted to chaotic shenanigans to ALL KINDS OF SPICY???? His ears might eventually fall off from the amount of stories she tells him and, honestly, even though that part of her annoys him at times, I love that, over time, he accepts that part of her personality and doesn't try to change her because it is a part of her charm - he's important to her, and she just wants to tell him every single thing she can. On a surprisingly sad note, as I write this out, I realize a huge part of the reason she overshares is that she wants to tell him all she can tell him and solidify what they have because one day she just might not have him around anymore, and like so many, many others long gone, he, their memories, and their future family will remain forever woven into the depths of her heart.

Kalice (Kanato x Alice @eyelessdoll-y) - I tell no lies: I HAD NO TIME FOR THIS DOOD until I met this girl. I couldn't see what Kanato stans see in him, but this is the one that opened my eyes with her masterful insight, as if she'd designed him from scratch herself. From her very first, very detailed post, I was hooked on why he's so critical, so mistrustful, so changeable - and how Alice initially suffered horribly, but also how she redefines his very biased, very harsh preference of the perfect 'doll' girl. It angered and pained me to read how she accommodated him, empathized with him, understood him, and in his recklessness, his arrogance, he's not prepared to accept what's developing in his heart. As the already distraught Alice's mind is further manipulated and wounded by Laito and another Sakamaki who's looked on in envy, coveting the affection she showered onto his brother so dotingly, I feared the worst, and couldn't help but wonder whether or not the pair would ever reconcile. But, when they do, it's honestly the most touching thing - his flustered face, unprepared for how she wears her heart on her sleeve, but also how he dotes on her and wants her to have the most high-quality gowns, shoes, and accessories, to be suitable only for him, happy only with him - my heart weeps???

Kinklett (Kino x Scarlett @kindan-no-rp) - Where do I start? Dare I say the Kinkening? The step on me that started it all? These two have banter for days in the most electrifying ways. I needed popcorn one moment, and all the refreshments in the refrigerator the next. On one hand, Kino is hellbent on proving himself and not being outdone, but the depth in which he likes/loves Scarlett gets to me every single time. I live for his internal panic when they clash or confusion arises, and he faults himself -GASP ACCOUNTABILITY?? IN DL?? Someone pinch me- if/when he's wrong/witnessing her teary-eyed or upset because, despite his jokey, chaotic nature, he's actually very, very aware of how alone he is both in his ambitions and in his social circle - yes, there's Yuuri, but no one actually wants him until now, and he doesn't want to lose her, this woman he's pestered and played with, teased and charmed, and fallen hopelessly in love with, and can't go for too long without messaging her or popping by to spend time in her company, even if only to listen to her at the piano, practicing and perfecting her skill. Commitment is a nightmare to Scarlett, who's known unspeakable torture and enslavement, never again wanting to be tied down, controlled, or vulnerable to anyone - but when the red string of fate combines their lives, sparks fly, there is friction, and, underneath, a fierce, unbreakable loyalty and passion that both can't believe is actually, finally theirs and theirs alone.

#midnight-glasses #midnightglasses #//I hope some of this made sense. Honestly I feel so rusty xD I should sit down and write more often so I can be confident again #but dis them!#diabolik lovers #ship shippity ship ship ships #Shitzu #Kalice #Yita #Kinklett #my art

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lanterne · 2 years

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Recently in my history class, we learned a little bit about Robespierre and other stuff around him. We were told that he "had the characteristics of a cult leader", and that he got Danton, Camille and their supporters executed in an effort to stop the terror from being ended. And that he didn't want the terror to end so that he keep his power and position within the CPS. What are your thoughts on this?

ohhh anon sorry if i get long-winded and rambly bc

there's a lot to unpack here

i'll take a look at each of the claims you were told, hope this helps clarify them.

First I should clarify that by "terror" I mean the emergency measures put in place by the convention to get through the crisis. I have to clarify this bc most people think the terror was just guillotining people. Newer history books (and I mean academic ones, not school textbooks) say that calling it "the terror" its inaccurate, but that's more advanced (?) and i dont wanna confuse you with that, so I'll just keep refering it as "terror" from now on.

"had the characteristics of a cult leader"

Which caracteristics? cult leaders claim to be special chosen ones or that they have access to hidden knowledge, they seek to attract and manipulate vulnerable people so they can take advantage of them and demand complete subservience.

Is true Robespierre got an obsessive following that got to weird levels of adoration, but it was more like the parasocial following of celebrities (people get that weird with modern celebrities too). There's no proof that he exploited them economically or physically. Yes, he had an ego like every educated white man from the era, and he had a tendency to self-martyrise in his speeches, but he didn't claim to be special or that he had all the answers. However, it is a common cliché that he sent to the guillotine anyone that disagreed with him, but he didn't have the authority to do that, and he even went out of his way to save political enemies he didn't see as direct threats to the republic (ie, he opposed the arrest of twenty-two (? I think, I always see a different number tbh) girondins in may 1793).

That being said, i see where your teacher is coming from, this is an easy assertion to make if you learn about the festival of the supreme being without the historical context behind it and come to the conclusion that this guy simply made up a religion out of nowhere.

Robespierre was very spiritual and the festival was important to him, but he wasn't the one that proposed it. It was another deputy, Mathieu, that brought a project to the CPS to organize a series of civic festivals consecrated to the supreme being (more on that on Mathiez's fall of Robespierre). Robespierre was in charge of presenting Mathieu's project to the convention and made a speech defending the social utility of a state religion, so the convention approved it. Since he was president of the convention by the time the festival was scheduled, he was the one to precede it, which gave him a lot of visibility that was used against him later. The point is that while he was very invested and attached to the festival, it wasn't something he did out of a whim.

Second, the concept of deism and the supreme being was very old at that point. Both declarations of the rights of men and the constitutions of 1791 and 1793 were consecrated to the supreme being. French revolutionaries in general were influenced by enlightenment ideas about God, which affirms that the universe was created by a supreme being, but rejects organized religion. Robespierre was very religious in this sense, but he still believed in religious liberty, and the point of these civic festivals and decreeing that "the french people acknowledge the existence of the Supreme Being and the immortality of the soul" was to foment religious liberty (idk if they thought of this, but the idea of a Supreme being is so vague, anyone can project whatever God they want into it) and appease the divisions caused by decristianization.

2. he got Danton, Camille and their supporters executed in an effort to stop the terror from being ended

This only makes sense if one believes that Robespierre had complete control of everything that was happening in France at the time. The dantonists' arrest was the work of the committees of public safety and general security in conjunction. I probably should explain how it got to that point, but it's a very long and complicate story and tbh i don't have a full grasp of it myself. It was a chain of events that started with Fabre shenanigans trying to cover his tracks stealing from the liquidation of the east india company and it became a massive mess that ended up with conspiracy charges against a bunch of people including Danton.

Before that, Danton and Desmoulins were advocating for a cease of the terror (and by terror i mean the state of emergency) because they believed that, since the Vendée and federalist revolts had been repressed, it was time to go back to normal, however there still was the external conflict (against all of Europe) in one side, and the Hébertists in another. The hébertists were demanding an increase of the terror and were threatening to overthrow the government if it didn't comply. So, Robespierre thought it wouldn't be wise to end the terror right there.

Robespierre tried to defend them for a while, despite disagreeing with them over stopping the terror, but at some point the evidence against Danton became too much for him to ignore. Whether that evidence proved anything or not it's still up for debate but what matters here is that he and the committees believed it, and at that time there was a lot of paranoia around treason and foreign conspiracy, so what might have been just a case of embezzlement turned into treason etc. But no, Robespierre had hesitated a lot to sign their arrest and when he was arrested himself in 9 thermidor, he was accused of trying to defend Danton AND blamed for his death because this man can never win.

3. he didn't want the terror to end so that he keep his power and position within the CPS

This one's tricky and I'm gonna get subjective/speculative territory because, on one side, I believe he was sick of the terror and there's some "cries for help" that hint of his exhaustion, but he didn't think it should have ended right away when it was the time to end it (with the french victory in the battle of Fleurus). He was mentally deteriorated by the crisis and the conga line of treasons had made him unable to see an end to it, he kept seeing conspiracy and murder plots everywhere. But also by that time he pretty much ghosted the goverment for a month, so whatever he thought about ending the terror or not didn't matter, the goverment kept going with it and using and abusing his prairial law anyway. The goriest period coincides with his absense. You could argue that he still caused it with the prairial law, which I agree, but I think the convention, the committees and the tribunals were equally responsible. Tbh this is a can of worms and historians still fight about it, so i cant give you a definitive answer.

I don't think he would want to stay in a position that had destroyed him physically and emotionally, with people that he hated, to keep power that he didn't have anymore. Being in the CPS didn't even pay well. He said himself in the 8th thermidor speech that he valued his position as a deputy of the convention more than his position in the CPS. I see him quitting soon and staying as far away from the goverment as possible, maybe even from Paris, had he survived... But that's just my personal opinion.

Im so so so sorry for this Bible length post anon, I had many thoughts about it. I don't recommend you to fight your teacher with this info bc I'm not a historian, I'm just some guy online. However, be critical of what you learn in school (assuming it's school, if this is the first time you learn about the frev) bc it simplifies history a lot and the nuances get lost. I know this is a lot of info to take in, I hope I didn't just confuse you further.

#frev #Robespierre #This post is like... Congratulations! or sorry what happened #Genuinely sorry for the length anon

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dragontamerno3 · 12 hours

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DS9 S1 E20 - In The Hands Of The Prophets

Soooooooooooo.... I finished S1. And I officially hate Space Karen.

I want to get this out of the way so I hopefully never have to say it again because praising this character hurts me deep in my religiously traumatized soul (lol), but she is *really* good. I mean, of course she was going to be well played given the actress who plays her (RIP Louise Fletcher), but she's so fucking good at how evil she actually is. We're meant to hate her, I get that. But the writing and acting is phenomenal when it comes to this level of religious bigotry and scheming.

I have seen actual people IRL that were just a couple steps down the ladder from being pure fanatics to this dangerous level and the shit they've said in some cases were almost word for word how she spun in.

We started out the episode though with a fun note on Keiko joking with Miles and clearly hinting at something that is probably just supposed to be her playing at being jealous but definitely reads as swinger language to me. Which, from what I've gathered DS9 is one big polyam fam so I may be picking up on those vibes.

Which, I'm kinda sad Neela was the traitor here. I called it when the tool was discovered missing though "it" hadn't been revealed to be secret traitor levels yet and I just assumed she used the tool for some reason. I still knew it was her and when the episode went on and murder turned into potential terrorism I was just... bummed. She seemed to truly be getting alone with Miles and the scene in the shuttle def added to my polyam/swinger thoughts, but she really seemed to actually care for him. This didn't take away from my... enjoyment, can one really call it that when one is also seething? Anyway, it didn't take anything away from the episode from me, if fact it kinda made it feel a bit more realistic cause I have absolutely lost people I cared about because of religion. It just sucked.

Then Winn shows up at the school to talk religious nonsense and the "real" trouble starts. Oh I hate that woman.

And then Kira backing Winn? I know she's also got her own spiritual beliefs and journey but that felt... a bit much? Not aligned with who she had been up to this point? Not the teaching the kids part but the "lets separate everyone" idea. It definitely threw me out of the scene for a bit. I accept it, though, based on the very end of the episode where she explained that she hoped her beliefs were as strong as Winn's, but this was the one bit of writing that I disagreed with. If something has to wait to the end to be explained like this, it could use some fixing.

Quark and Odo meeting in secret to talk about a case seems to me like the writers were trying make up an excuse to get them alone together....

Watching Winn turn all the parents and kids against Keiko was frustrating. The Bajorian food seller not selling to them because of this wasn't so much upsetting as it just made me roll my eyes, but I adore Miles for wanting to jump the counter for his wifes honor lol

When the school blew and Miles ran towards it? And then Odo had to hold him back so he didn't jump into the fire? My heart. It was such a good scene.

I think my favorite part of this episode was Siskos speech. The "You've just made your first mistake" speech. I'm being a bit egotistical for this bit, though. I love it cause these are the same exact speeches I like to make in my ttrpgs. The "You think you've won but really you've severally underestimated us and we're going to ruin you now" speeches are my fucking favorite and I live for them. Sisko wins the gold star for this one.

8.75/10 cause I couldn't decide if I wanted to rate this one a 9 or an 8.5 so split the difference lmao

#star trek #star trek ds9 #ds9 #watchalong #star trek deep space nine #space karen #ds9 winn #I hate her so much #fuck winn #in the hands of the prophets

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