#the quintessential fundamentals of existence
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Title: Mirrors: Portals and Uses
Recommended Reading
Altars: Uses & Design
Dimensions & PlanesDualities in Witchcraft
Researching Witchcraft
Spiritwork: First Steps
Basics of Spellcasting
Basics of Warding
Basics of Banishing
Energy Work Fundamentals
Intermediate Energy Work
The Subtle Body
The Wellsource
Correspondences: Research, Creation, & Use
Please note that some information on this post comes from personal experience as well as conversations with my elders and other practitioners.
Introduction
Mirrors harbor a unique and paradoxical role, often existing at the intersection of clarity and obfuscation. Throughout the annals of history, these reflective surfaces have been the subject of mystic fascination and contemplation. Shrouded in a mysterious aura, mirrors are an integral component of various mystical practices across diverse cultures.
A seminal instance is observed within the African Yoruba tradition, where mirrors are emblematic of Oshun, the deity of beauty, love, and prosperity. Here, these reflective surfaces serve as conduits to divine insight, manifesting the ethereal into the perceptible. Parallel to this, in the indigenous cultures of the Amazonian Shipibo-Conibo people, mirrors - often represented by reflective surfaces of water - are perceived as gateways to understanding the complex layers of the universe, thus embodying a significant spiritual tool. Moreover, in many East Asian practices, mirrors carry deep symbolic significance and are fundamental in rituals aiming to ward off malevolent forces. Among the Ainu people of Japan, for instance, mirrors function as amulets, protecting the holder from supernatural harm.
Mirrors as Portals
A ubiquitous yet perplexing facet is the concept of mirrors functioning as portals. These reflective surfaces, more than mere decorative elements or vanity tools, hold a quintessential place in mystic and magical practice, extending beyond their ordinary use to become intermediaries between the unknown and the practitioner. Diving into the understanding of mirrors, one might read about their role as gateways. The duality of mirrors, both reflective and transparent, presents a tantalizing paradox: what they display isn't a mere reflection, but an alternate universe or spiritual plane. This dichotomy positions mirrors as a connective threshold, an aperture between the observable and the unknown, the physical and the mystical. Despite their allure, mirrors necessitate careful handling within a magical context. It is a common misconception that mirrors only function as portals during explicit rituals. However, their latent potential as conduits should not be overlooked. Consequently, it's paramount that mirrors remain shrouded or safeguarded within consecrated spaces to prevent inadvertent connections to unwelcome energies. Approaching this aspect with a measure of respect and precaution is instrumental in maintaining the equilibrium of such spaces.
Historically, the mirror's role as a portal is discernible across a myriad of cultural contexts. In Greek mythology, Narcissus fell victim to his reflection in a pool of water, demonstrating an early symbol of mirrors as deceptive portals to the ego. In Chinese folklore, the mythical creature Nüwa repaired the heavens using a seven-colored stone, comparable to a mirror, again associating these reflective surfaces with cosmic transitions.
Mirrors often represent truth, knowledge, and self-awareness, owing to their reflective properties. However, their potential as portals imbues them with added dimensions of mystery, transformation, and transition. The mirror, in this context, becomes a metaphor for change and personal evolution, presenting a liminal space where the known meets the unknown, thereby offering new possibilities and perspectives.
Given the energetic properties inherent in mirrors, they should always be treated as portals. Their constituent materials - silica and silver - interact in such a way that a subtle, yet potent, energetic field is generated, a field potentially capable of bridging multiple planes. To ensure safety, mirrors should be handled with respect and caution. They should be appropriately covered or warded when not in use, especially within sanctified spaces. It is also recommended to cleanse mirrors regularly to reset their energetic state and prevent any residual energies from accumulating.
Energetic Interactions & Metaphysics
Energetic Interactions
Amid the energetic symphony of the universe, each object reverberates its unique energetic signature, contributing to the collective composition. Mirrors, with their paradoxical and captivating nature, have often been the center of esoteric investigation. This intrigue is rooted not only in their physical attributes but also in their nuanced energetic interactions.
To comprehend the energetic interplay of mirrors, one must first examine the properties of its constituent components. Primarily, mirrors are composed of glass, a substance formed from the supercooling of molten silica into a quasicrystalline structure. Coating the back of this silica-based surface is a thin layer of reflective metal, usually aluminum or silver.
Silica is very insulative, and negentropic, meaning that its natural energetic state eventually resets regardless of influence. It is also Attractive, meaning that it slowly pulls other energetic compounds to itself. Due to the quasicrystalline structure, glass is refractive and enthalpic, meaning that it becomes thermal under pressure- or releases energy. Silver is conductive and repulsive in nature. Due to how silver atoms prefer to arrange themselves (a face-centered cubic lattice) it also tends to be very metastable, meaning that its natural energetic state is not prone to change regardless of energetic interactions. Because the two are constantly next to each other, because of the silver backing, the negentropic nature of the silica causes an energetic cycle of attraction and repulsion, this oscillation combined with the conductive nature of silver and the entropic nature of glass generates a small energetic field. While this is normally negligible, it creates the perfect environment for the propagation of connections between spaces or planes that are out of phase with our own.
The unique composition of mirrors implicates a distinct effect on the ambient energy. Mirrors, with their inherent vibrational resonance, can both pull and push energy, thereby influencing the surrounding energetic atmosphere. The capacity of mirrors to manipulate energy finds practical applications in the sphere of spellwork and energy transmutation. Through their reflective properties, mirrors can serve as effective tools in spells that involve redirection or amplification of energy. They can be used to create energetic boundaries, return energetic influences, or focus and multiply ambient energy and energetic projections.
Common Metaphysics of Mirrors
The mirror, with its intrinsic capacity to reflect, serves as a potent symbol of the Jungian 'Shadow' - the hidden aspects of one's psyche that are often suppressed or ignored. Through the act of looking into a mirror, one is invited to confront and acknowledge these facets, facilitating a journey towards holistic self-awareness. The mirror, in this respect, catalyzes self-reflection and introspection, propelling an individual towards self-understanding and acceptance. Delving into the sphere of mirror magic uncovers its profound connection to personal transformation. The reflective nature of mirrors encapsulates the principle of change, embodying the potential for alteration and transformation. As such, mirror magic can be utilized as a tool for self-development and evolution, offering a means to focus energy towards constructive change. Beyond symbolism and transformation, the metaphysical properties of mirrors warrant exploration. Mirrors, by their construction and function, are potent energetic entities. The amalgamation of silica and metallic elements results in a unique vibrational resonance, enabling the mirror to absorb, store, and emit energy. This energetic characteristic, coupled with the mirror's reflective capacity, amplifies its metaphysical potency, making it an influential tool in various mystical practices. Moreover, the reflective nature of mirrors aligns them with the principle of 'as above, so below', a concept found in various esoteric traditions. This principle speaks to interconnectedness, suggesting that what occurs on one level of reality also happens on another. Mirrors could, therefore, serve as a solid physical replacement for any correspondence necessary.
Divination, Spells, & Ritual
In the enigmatic arena of divination, mirrors command a distinctive presence. Among various techniques, scrying - the act of gazing into a reflective surface to perceive spiritual messages - emerges as a common method of introspection and foreknowledge. This practice unfolds as a tripartite process, encompassing the scrying ritual, technique, and subsequent interpretation.
Scrying, an ancient form of divination, leverages the reflective properties of reflective surfaces, like mirrors, to delve into the psyche, unveil hidden knowledge, or prognosticate future events. This technique transcends conventional sensory perception, engaging instead with subconscious and/or spiritual entities. The mirror functions as a medium, harnessing and focusing the widened attention in order to project images or symbols onto the reflective surface. These visual constructs carry messages from the spiritual domain, providing insights that range from self-understanding to predictive revelations.
Techniques & Rituals for Scrying
Executing mirror scrying necessitates a meticulous approach. Often, the process commences with the preparation of the space and the individual. Creating a tranquil environment, devoid of disruptive elements, facilitates a deeper, unhindered connection with the spiritual plane. Personal preparation includes grounding and centering exercises to align the individual's energy with the ambient energy of the environment. They then place a light source between them and the reflective surface. Once prepared, the practitioner enters a meditative state, allowing their gaze to soften and unfocus while looking into the mirror. This passive observation invites subconscious impressions to surface and be displayed on the mirror. Maintaining an open mind and a receptive state is crucial, as the visions or symbols may not be immediately clear or might require subsequent interpretation.
Interpretation of Images & Symbols in Reflections
Post the scrying experience, the practitioner embarks on the task of interpreting the observed symbols or images. This phase is intrinsically subjective, as the significance of the symbols often rests within the personal context of the observer and their held convictions and correspondences. However, there are common archetypes and symbols that carry collective meanings, which can provide a starting point for interpretation.
For instance, water-themed images might signify movement, emotions, or the unconscious, while an image of a bird might symbolize freedom or spiritual elevation. However, these interpretations are not rigid, and the practitioner must trust their intuition to derive the true message from the symbols. Being able to pull specific concepts from abstraction can be an invaluable tool in this practice. Moreover, it's worth noting that the absence of specific images during scrying does not indicate failure. Sometimes, the experience might be more of an energetic shift or a feeling, which are equally valid forms of divinatory communication.
Examples of mirror spells for different applications
Harnessing the power of mirrors, one can devise a multitude of spells tailored for diverse purposes. One such example pertains to protection, where a mirror can serve as a shield to deflect negative energy. Here, the mirror is positioned facing outward, symbolically repelling unwanted influences, thereby safeguarding the individual or space.
Another practical application can be found in the realm of healing. A mirror, due to its reflective nature, can be utilized to channel and focus healing energy towards a specific target. For instance, an inscription or symbol associated with health could be drawn on the mirror surface. Subsequently, this healing symbol is then "activated" by focusing one's concentration on it, allowing the mirror to magnify the healing intention.
Mirror spells also prove instrumental in the domain of self-improvement. One may write or speak affirmations into a mirror, thereby employing its reflective capability to reinforce positive change. The mirror's surface serves to amplify the affirmation, aiding in its internalization and materialization.
Ritual Practices Involving Mirrors
Mirrors, acting as tools for focus, protection, and transformation. One common ritual involves the use of a mirror as a portal for spiritual communication. In this practice, the mirror is treated as a gateway, a connection point between the physical and spiritual planes. Practitioners may engage in meditation or trance work in front of the mirror, seeking to establish communication with spiritual entities or access deep layers of the subconscious.
Another ritual entails the use of a mirror in a consecration ceremony, where the mirror is "cleansed" of any residual energy and "charged" with a specific purpose. This process involves elements like incense, candles, or natural elements like moonlight, leveraging their specific energetic signatures to cleanse and empower the mirror.
One must, however, proceed with caution when interacting with mirrors in a ritualistic context. Given their potent properties, mirrors must be handled respectfully and carefully. Always ensure that the ritual mirror is properly stored or covered when not in use to prevent any unintended energetic interactions.
Example Ritual That Incorporates Mirrors
Ritual of Mirror Reflection
Objective: This ritual aims to promote self-reflection, growth, and self-awareness. It harnesses the unique properties of mirrors to aid participants in seeing and understanding aspects of themselves more clearly.
Optimal Circumstances: Conduct this ritual during a new moon, a time known for introspection and new beginnings. A quiet, dimly lit space with minimal disturbances is ideal.
Ingredients and Correspondences:
Mirror: Acts as the primary tool for reflection and introspection
(Optional) A bowl
White Candle or electric candle: Represents purity and clarity.
(Optional) Lavender Incense: Used for relaxation and heightening awareness.
(Optional) Salt: Represents grounding and protection.
(Optional) Incense for grounding
(Optional) Offerings for your spirits
Preparation:
Create a clean, sacred space where the ritual will take place.
Place the mirror on a flat surface.
Practice the incantation until you can recall it without breaking your train of thought: “Show me, guide me, reveal the truth inside me.”
(Optional) Place the salt and lavender in a bowl and then set the candle in the bowl, cradled within the mixture to support it.
(Optional) Place the candle between you and the mirror before lighting it.
If the bowl, salt, and lavender is omitted, just place the candle between you and the mirror. Be sure that the candle is in a glass container for fire safety.
Procedure:
Creating and Engaging the Headspace:
Ensure that your space is free from distractions by turning devices off or on silent, taking measures to get pets quiet and happy, notifying other residence that you require some quiet, putting on headphones with music, and setting comfortable lighting.
Use the flame from the candle dance. Let its clarity inspire your mind to remain focused and clear throughout.
(Optional) Affirm to yourself, “Today, I seek a clearer understanding of myself.” if you think it will aid you.
Maintain this headspace by repeatedly returning your focus to the candle's flame and the points of gnosis whenever your mind wanders.
Entering a State of Gnosis:
Light the incense and take a few deep breaths, inhaling the calming scent.
Sit or stand comfortably before the mirror, gazing deeply into your reflection.
Allow any extraneous thoughts to flow out with each exhale.
Gradually move your awareness inwards on your own psyche.
While maintaining equal awareness of each component, break up your psyche into subsequent parts by whatever categorization feels most optimal for you.
Include awareness of your subtle body in your gnosis, as it also plays a role in the psyche.
Take steps to ensure that your state of gnosis is unbroken throughout the spell.
Programming the Energetic Body:
Within your gnosis, move your center of consciousness into your subtle body.
Incorporate your Wellsource into your awareness and how it feeds energy into your subtle body.
Begin to radiate Wellsource energy out of each energy point radially. Be sure that the amount of energy per second is unilateral for each point.
Energetic Constructs:
While maintaining gnosis, reach out and sense the energetic properties and projections from the mirror. It should be a rapidly oscillating field that projects roughly 10 cm -1 m away from the mirror relative to its size. If you’re using a black mirror, stone mirror, or any mirror that doesn’t have a silver backing it will have a different energetic sensation.
(Optional) Incorporating Spirits:
To integrate spirits, whisper a humble request for guidance from trusted spirits and give whatever offerings they prefer. To identify them, look for sensations of warmth, a gentle pressure, or feelings of serenity.
Ensure that you do not demand, but gently request their presence.
Understand that they will help you if they desire, but do not rely on or expect their assistance.
Ritual Action:
Gaze into the mirror, allowing your eyes to defocus slightly. As you do, softly chant or whisper, “Show me, guide me, reveal the truth inside me.”
With each repetition, delve deeper into introspection, understanding the various facets of your being.
Sink your awareness into the components of your psyche. Try not to label them, and just observe them. Trust that your subconscious will bring back what it is you need from the working.
Concluding the Ritual:
Collect the energy you released and send it into the earth.
Thank your spiritual aids, if you called them, and invite them to leave.
Extinguish the candle and clear the space, ensuring to store the mirror safely.
Cleanse the space using whatever means are more comfortable to you.
Note: Always cleanse the mirror after use to reset its energetic state. This can be done by washing it with salt water or vinegar. If you’d like to seal the mirror, draw a sigil on it and/or cover it with a black or white cloth.
Spirit Work
Mirrors, in their multifaceted roles within various esoteric traditions, exhibit a powerful capacity for spirit work. This encompasses a wide spectrum of practices ranging from entity banishment to spirit communication. The exploration of these applications, while deeply intriguing, also necessitates an attitude of respect and careful handling given the potent nature of this work.
Examples of Mirrors in Use for Spirit Work
In several indigenous cultures, mirrors are employed for spirit work, acting as conduits between the physical world and the spiritual realm. For instance, among the indigenous Huichol people of Mexico, mirrors are often integrated into shamanistic practices to facilitate communication with ancestral spirits. This specific usage is chronicled in "The Huichol: A Culture Walking Towards the Light" by Susana Valadez and "Shamanism and Spirituality in Therapeutic Practice" by Christa Mackinnon.
In Asia, particularly within the indigenous Ainu community of Japan, mirrors, known as "Iyomante," are considered sacred objects that bridge the gap between humans and "Kamuy" (divine beings). Details of this practice can be found in "The Ainu and their Folklore" by John Batchelor and "Ainu: Spirit of a Northern People" by William Fitzhugh and Chisato Dubreuil.
Using Mirrors for Banishing
Mirrors also play a role in the banishment of unwanted entities. The rationale behind this practice is that the mirror's reflective surface 'returns' the entity's energy back to itself, which can prove disorientating or repelling for the entity. It can also act as a portal to another spiritual plane through which an entity can be sent to. A particular method involves placing the mirror with the reflective side facing outwards towards the direction from which the negative energy is perceived to originate. During this process, the practitioner maintains a focused state, using projections from the subtle body to direct the unwanted energy into the mirror.
Using Mirrors for Spirit Communication
The reflective nature of mirrors has led to their usage as tools for spirit communication, serving as a medium through which messages from the spiritual realm can be received. This practice often involves mirror gazing or scrying, where the practitioner enters a meditative state and focuses on the mirror's surface, inviting communication from spirits.
One notable example is the "Psychomanteum," a mirrored chamber used for contacting spirits of the departed, popularized by Dr. Raymond Moody, author of "Reunions: Visionary Encounters With Departed Loved Ones". This technique requires a carefully controlled environment and preparation to facilitate spirit communication. It's recommended for only experienced practitioners or under the guidance of a seasoned professional. It is important to note that while mirrors can be effective tools in spirit work, some methodologies may not work for everyone due their vagueness or whether they’re writing from a personal narrative.
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Lestat’s most quintessentially European quality is that he thinks racism is something fundamentally American and as an European he is above it and doesn’t see race and acts like racism doesn’t exist in Europe. Like he’s like damn Louise mon cher it’s horrid to see how your primitive country treats you and men like you :(. It’s infuriating i cannot understand how americans live like this. This has obviously nothing to do with me and my aristocratic family and my country even though France also participated in colonialism and slave trade and had human zoos. One of the things i like about New Orleans is that you can fuck people of so many different shades here btw
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Buffy for the character asks?
General opinion/how much I care about them: What can I say about Buffy Summers? When she was fifteen years old a representative of an ancient mystical order told her that she alone had the power to stop bad things from happening in the world, thereby confirming something she had hitherto only strongly suspected. She had to keep a fundamental part of her life secret from the world for years but she never learned how to tell a convincing lie because she was too busy thinking up puns. She had a 95th percentile SAT score despite mostly studying in between fighting vampires in a cemetery every night and cutting classes to sneak out of school and fight yet more vampires during the day. All her favorite teachers died or never noticed she existed. She is both a quintessential only child and somebody who would fight a god to save her annoying little sister. She blackmailed the management of a fast food chain so that they would let her keep doing a minimum wage job she hated with co-workers whose last names she can’t remember. She burned down her old high school gym and blamed it on mice and blew up her new high school library while she was at her graduation ceremony and she sunk her hometown into a giant hole in the desert and drove away in a school bus. She died twice before she turned twenty-one. She is one of my favorite fictional characters in any medium.
A ship I love: I didn’t really talk about why I love Fuffy in my Faith answer, so let me try now.
Of all of Buffy’s shadow selves, Faith is the one who spends the most time actually in her shadow. She doesn’t get later character development that takes her in a different direction and makes her her own person; she didn’t start out as something else entirely and get reworked later when the plot required it. She doesn’t even get the illusion of a family and moments of happiness, like Drusilla has in Season 2. When Faith’s not hanging out with Buffy she’s sitting alone in her motel room or lying in a coma or counting down the months in jail. She exists to be a version of Buffy who is not Buffy, who is worse than Buffy, who doesn’t have friends or family or any external support. That’s really all she is. And she knows it. And she hates it. How could she not? “You get the Watcher, you get the Mom, you get the little Scooby gang … what do I get?”
Because Faith is Buffy – the part of Buffy who never came back after she ran away from home and got kicked out of school; the part who can admit to craving a little more than low-fat yogurt after a night patrolling; the part that never got to make friends with Xander and Willow in Season 1 and never had a Watcher who cared about her – so on a fundamental level Fuffy is about Buffy accepting those suppressed and hidden angry parts of herself. But it’s also about Faith accepting the forgotten and ignored parts of herself that are present in Buffy: the idea that she can be a hero, that there are people in the world who care about her, that there are people who she can trust. It’s about asking what if all of the Season 3 subtext – Faith’s whole arc this season paralleling Angel’s a year ago, and “what are friends for?” and “It’s kind of a Slayer thing”, and Joyce marching in the Slayer Pride Parade – was text, and what if the show existed in a world where the characters could act on it?
And because of how Season 3 turns out, it’s also about Buffy and Faith forgiving themselves, and each other, for doing almost unforgivable things to each other. Because there were never meant to be two of them, and they’ve never been able to tell each other what they mean, and because “kill me, you become me”, but she tried and it didn’t help. And it’s about crappy presents and knives to the throat and forehead kisses and shared dreams and hopelessly entangled destinies. It’s ”She could be terrified. Maybe [...] she’s sorry and she’s alone” and “You think you matter, you think you’re a part of something, and then you get dumped” and “All my life there was one person who tried to be my friend” and “I tried so hard to help you and you spat on me” and “Willow said you needed me. Didn’t really give it much thought.”
As much as I wish Faith was in Season 7 more, part of me is glad that this is all we got, because I really don’t think the show could ever have done all this justice. And the little we get is enough to make me a bit crazy.
A non-romantic relationship that I love: I already talked about Buffy and Willow, so I will try to subvert expectations a little here and go with Buffy and Giles. Not the fandom version of their relationship I like to complain about where Giles is an uncomplicated Good Dad, but the messy and complicated and heartbreaking version where he just won’t allow himself to be that person.
I mean, I think it’s very clear from the show that Giles really does care about Buffy far beyond the extent he is supposed to as a Watcher (he tries to go and fight the Master in her place! Even though he knows it would kill him! Even though this is Season 1 of the show and we’ve not yet seen Giles fight a single vampire!) but that everything about his training and his past tells him that he shouldn’t. Buffy cares about Giles a lot (“You can’t leave me, I can’t do this alone” / “it’s a little like having Mom back”) and it’s clear that she would really like Giles to be more involved in her life (she wants her Mom to invite him around for Christmas, she goes to his house for Thanksgiving, she tries so hard not to show how hurt she is when she confuses his attempts to be dispassionate with genuine disinterest) but Giles is convinced that he cannot be that sort of parental figure for Buffy and it would only hurt her if he tried, and so – by purposely distancing himself from her and not letting her get close to him– he ends up hurting her in exactly the way he fears.
And the tragedy is that I think Giles really does believe the line he keeps feeding Buffy about how important it is not to be “distracted” by “personal concerns”. When Quentin Travers told him he had “a father’s love” for Buffy, Travers meant it as a rebuke – and that’s exactly how Giles takes it. He thinks getting closer to Buffy would be bad for her! He thinks by leaving her in Season 6 he is helping her become self-reliant and a better Slayer! Of course he is wrong, but that’s what he thinks, and it is consistent with how he’s always thought. It’s not character assassination or some unjust subversion of his previously established personality: it is a natural and predictable and awful thing for him to do. And he does it because he cares about her and doesn’t know what to do about that! He thinks she’s a much better person than he is (“she’s a hero, you see. She’s not like us”) and he doesn’t want to bring her down to his level! “If you care so much about [these people], why didn’t you leave town?” Ethan asked him in The Dark Age, and Giles didn’t have an answer!
The NOTP: Going to cheat a bit here (honestly, mostly because it feels a bit mean to keep picking on Xander at this point), and say that the ship I don’t like isn’t with a specific person but rather with an idea that I see applied to all sorts of ships. Namely the idea – not supported at all by the text – that Buffy’s various romantic interests are Good People who teach Buffy important life lessons and make her a better person or protect her from the dangerous world around her. I mean, sorry, but this is not how it works! This is a boring fantasy you have projected onto the show in place of what it was actually telling you. The feminism of BtVS is paper-thin, but give it some credit!
In canon, Buffy absolutely does not learn from her boyfriends. She does not rely on them for emotional support. They all cause her more problems than they help her. She rescues them. She makes them better. Honestly her boyfriends all kind of suck. Because that’s her type! She likes losers with no friends who are kind of obsessed about Buffy Summers! (Losers just like Faith!)
Buffy textually hates it when Angel talks down to her: we see repeatedly how furious she gets when he treats her “like a kid” or makes important decisions about their relationship on her behalf. She doesn't mind physically upstaging Riley (“I was holding back a little”) and secretly likes it when he gets hurt because, to quote Dawn, “she says you look even cuter when you’re all weak and kitteny”. The iconic twin shots of Spike and Buffy in The Gift and After Life are deliberately staged so that Spike is looking up the stairs at Buffy and she is looking down at him (“you’re beneath me”, as she told him in Fool For Love). And as she says later in Conversations With Dead People: “Their opinions don’t matter. They don’t know. They haven’t been through what I’ve been through [...] I feel like I’m better than them. Superior.”
So, you know, the preferred power balance is pretty explicit here! I don’t think the show is being excessively subtle. And yet people keep insisting that, oh no, Buffy learns a lot from her boyfriends, or that she can’t possibly cope without their support, or writing fanfics where they swoop in to town to rescue Buffy from trouble. But that is not who Buffy is! She is not some unsophisticated naif or damsel in distress. She would hate that so much! Ship Buffy with whoever you want, but let her be Buffy!
… but also, yeah, rewatching the second season really reminded me how awful I’d have found Buffy/Xander and how glad I am that the show stops hinting at that after Becoming. Sorry, Xander. You can take solace in being … well, a loser with friends?
My biggest headcanon about them: Some time after Chosen Buffy definitely goes back to college and gets that English degree she deserves. I don’t want to think about Buffy living in a gloomy castle in Scotland and still being forever isolated from the world or about her becoming a cop with superpowers or whatever other nonsense the comics insist happens to her after the show ends. I want her to be able to have some time off and read some poetry and make Willow jealous academically.
An idea for a fanfiction I would like to write/read about them: One day I will finish my Season 7 rewrite in which Drusilla is the Big Bad and Faith gets broken out of prison earlier and Amy and Willow get to have a proper resolution and Kennedy is another Slayer from the start and Marcie and Ethan come back for cameos and people remember that Jesse and Kendra ever existed and Dawn actually gets something to do. But first I will probably have to start writing it.
Something that makes me think of them: Nothing makes me think of Buffy. I choose to be like this (for some reason).
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galaxy-brained mlc take of the day: mlc is wuxia, yes and maybeee not exactly? it very much is a wuxia aesthetically, but it's actually - conceptually - xianxia story in the core. (this is different from suggesting that it is a xianxia show.) however xianxia can (or should) be considered a subgenre of wuxia, not its own separate distinct genre despite the idea of 仙 xian being fundamentally at odds with the idea of 侠 xia, because they both stem from the same belief. (as seen in mlc, it works with the conventions of traditional wuxia aka li xiangyi the sigu sect leader, to get to the real bits of xianxia concept aka li lianhua's story.) so, mlc is wuxia through and through, inside out. send tweet 🫡👍
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ok wait I can explain
so, this must be premised on the understanding that any discussion of "仙 xian/deities" in this context is only as its abstract idea of living a life distanced, detached from worldly, human woes instead of the possibility of immortality existing in mlcverse. (if you think about the deities in xianxia stories being basically human beings who have cultivated themselves into immortality.)
this is the explanation of xianxia as a wuxia subgenre (古仙武侠) in the baidu article of wuxia genre:
武侠中的侠，是脱胎于墨家“以天下为己任”的使命感；而仙侠的侠，通常是传达着“能力越大，责任也就越大”的朴素精神。侠乃入世，仙为出世，道教阴阳的无情大道（无情指寻求自我的不断体悟，以达精神的成仙，非没有感情之意）与武侠江湖的有情众生，即是矛盾也是循环，象征着太极之道，这也就是为何古仙武侠也属于正统仙侠流派的原因。
rough tl:
the xia of wuxia is born from the mohist ideal of bearing a sense of responsibility for the world
while the xia in xianxia focuses on the idea of "with great power comes great responsibility"
the idea of 侠 xia is secular. the idea of 仙 xian is beyond the secular - it is to pursue a life of suppressing/taming your own emotions (it does not mean to be completely removed of the ability to feel. it's a pursuit of self-realisation that makes one attain the status of a "deity" spiritually.) 仙 xian is then inherently at odds with wuxia jianghu's deep empathy and connection with the secular world, but it's also connected back to it. this is why 古仙武侠 is considered to be a part of the wuxia genre.
the relationship between xian and xia is conflicting because the former is all about distancing yourself from worldly issues while the latter necessitates an active effort to do something about them.
but it also means that both wuxia and xianxia acknowledge this weight of human emotions and connection to the world. it's just their respective responses and the outcomes they want that they differ in. what is the ideal person? wuxia says it's to be someone who can propagate and execute the ideal of doing something about this weight of your connection to the world, while xianxia says it's to learn to be at peace with that connection, and it's ok to not do anything about it actually - which might even be harder than trying to do something. (and focusing on your own cultivation can be a good thing for the world, in fact.)
with this, I hope it sounds less absurd that I'm connecting mlc's story to the concept of xianxia. lxy's life was a traditional wuxia archetype. (I've already harped on enough about how he fits into the quintessential mohist model of a xia leader.) what happens after, aka his journey as li lianhua, is the real story of mlc. it's a breakdown of that quintessential wuxia hero. it is a story in which the main conflict faced by the protagonist is to struggle with all the worldly woes including his own past and the cases' victims, in defense of the serenity he has found in the past 9 years. it is a natural battle to fight for someone such as llh because as long as you're still human, you will face the implications of human connections and the innate feeling of compassion and urge to do something about it (part of this, I guess, manifests physically in bicha breaking him down and the resistance to cure).
and relating that to an excerpt from an article discussing xianxia in relation to wuxia:
武侠剧的精神内核也是仙侠剧的精神内核，而“仙”实际上是实现新形式的“侠”的手段，由此扩展了“侠”的深度和其实施的时空范围。武侠之中的侠义精神，可以强调其自在，更强调其是自为的，前者是需要逐渐成长和觉醒的。然而对于高于人的仙而言，作为上位者的“侠”之精神，则应该是内在自觉且自为的。
rough tl:
the spirit of wuxia dramas should also be the spirit of xianxia dramas. xian should in fact be another way to bring out and explore the idea of xia.
the spirit of xia in wuxia can be an emphasis on the spirit of freedom, and even more so, the idea of agency and autonomy. the former is gained through growth and awareness. but for xian aka people who occupy a realm above the people on the ground, the xia spirit they embody should manifest in their inner awakening and agency.
it goes without saying that nobody is a deity in this show, and never will be. only in ep 40.5 it came so close to possessing that otherworldly, surreal edge, but that's all to it. deities do not exist in the mlcverse.
but but. it's interesting to point out in the ep 3 flashback when lxy walked through town in the aftermath of the sigu sect vs jym battle, commoners were heard describing it as 神仙打架 百姓遭殃 when immortals fight, commoners suffer. of course they didn't mean it literally but figuratively, that those people of wulin jianghu are high above, detached from the people on the ground. which is. contradictory to the idea of 侠 xia to begin with. so... it could even be interpreted that li lianhua living the spiritually "immortal" life embodied the xia spirit even more deeply than he did as li xiangyi the sigu sect leader, the "immortal" in the eyes of the commoners. actual immortals do not have any real attachment to the people, but a cultivated "immortal" does and is destined to feel and learn to deal with it over and over like llh did. it all comes back in a circle indeed.
#莲花楼#mysterious lotus casebook#lhl#lhlmeta#my posts#dear diary it's (only) day 45 since completion and the symptoms are getting worse#i can imagine at this moment someone putting a hand to my forehead and ask me if i'm ok#not sure if this conversation about wuxia/xianxia genres is welcomed at all but ANYWAY. i just have a lot of feelings about cn stories#i'm discussing the genres in what i think are its barest forms rather than referencing to the ways they've manifested in popular fiction#esp since i'm not as familiar with many of the classic works on a personal level#AND there are so many other elements in play in these genres!!#personally not a fan of that definition of xianxia being 'stories about mythological figures like deities monsters demons etc'#just having deities monsters etc does NOT make it xianxia. that's just 玄幻/神话 fantasy/mythology(!!!)#an interesting distinction i learnt is that mythologies like 后羿射日 and 沉香救母 could be considered as proto-xianxia#simply based on the idea of xianxia being about deities + a sense of heroism#but they would still very much be classified as mythologies instead of xianxia. there's just a lot of overlaps i guess?#went down this rabbit hole a little and just word vomitting as I go. i may not be 100% right or accurate in my interpretations so.
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Silverflint BDSM and Kink Fic Rec List
Guess who is finally compiling this? Eyooo!
If you’ve been around for longer than thirty seconds you know that character study through hardcore smut is my favorite thing on planet earth.
Powerplay and kink exploration aren’t only to titillate us, for me they are fundamentally about vulnerability and trust. Tools I can use to peel away the facades of the characters, to put them in intense situations in order to reveal their tender juicy insides, pushing them through arcs they may not otherwise have been able to experience.
Uh, but yeah also they’re about factory reset via prostate orgasm.
I’ve devoured every single example I could get my hands on and written a fair amount of it myself. So, for your viewing pleasure, here are my must-read Silverflint stories exploring BDSM or kink.
Enjoy~ 👀👀
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Let me see you in your darkness by ember_firedrake:
Summary: "I have an exceptionally low tolerance for pain. I'd say anything to make it stop."
An alternate take on 1x03 where Flint decides to punish Silver for stealing the schedule, and both of them are unprepared for their reactions.
Notes: A s1-s2 series where SilverFlint fall into some BDSM and then catch feelings. This is one of my fave BDSM series of all time, I def took inspiration from it for a lot of my stuff. Includes: impact play, knifeplay, blindfolds, restraints, wax play. They get very intensely emotional which Jay laps up with a GIANT SPOON. Note that the ending of the series is bittersweet. Best entry is my heart is under arrest again if you’re pressed for time.
Any Port in a Storm by Farasha:
Summary: Fairlead: A ring or hook that keeps a line running true, preventing it from rubbing or fouling."
I don't want to be a pirate, I'm not interested in the life, I'm not interested in the fighting, I'm not interested in the ships. Don't care much for the sea while we are on the subject." - John Silver
Notes: This series is my second favorite with BDSM. It has less in it than let me see you in your darkness but it starts right off with rough sex and powerplay so the dynamic is similar. It follows through s2, the boys fall into a sexual relationship that contains BDSM elements and they, well, catch feelings lol. Plentyyyyy of vulnerable stuff. This one has a happy ending. The best entry is Kissing the Gunner’s Daughter if you are pressed for time.
A Ship is a Republic by robotboy:
Summary: Flint and Silver train every day on the cliffs, and Silver starts to realise he likes being told what to do.
Notes: I think of this as both the quintessential cliffs era as well as the quintessential Silverflint spanking fic. This author’s treatment of the pirate boys’ dynamic was a MAJOR INSPIRATON when I started writing my own fic, thank you for your service.
What It Feels Like Not to Hurt by robotboy:
Summary: So. This is a 9k slow burn watersports fic. That's a thing that now exists in this fandom. But it's mostly about Silver recovering in the warship cabin and working out how much of his humanity is tied to humiliation. To echo my esteemed colleague purplecelery: 'I'm gonna gently suggest that anyone who's not usually into this take a gander anyway because you might be surprised.'
Notes: This is Thee Gold Standard (heh lol) for watersports, absolute mastercraft character study through kink. Set during the s2-s3 break, warship recovering times directly after Silver’s amputation.
find you and hold you down by vowelinthug:
Summary: Sorry, Silver, Flint doesn't have time for any of your bullshit. He's all tied up right now.
Notes: Flint gets captured in a nebulous early s3 during the raids and Silver finds him chained up. Bondage and breathplay oh my~~
I’m Honest With Nobody Else by samedifference61:
Summary: “Give me your hands,” Flint says, voice soft but commanding, a captain’s call to action. And Silver is visibly thrown at that. The look of surprise colors something crackling and bright in the blue of his eyes.
Notes: Set in the s3-s4 break on Maroon Island, jealous Dom!Flint, bondage, semi-public sex, comeplay. Om nom nom.
I’ll Carry You Home Tonight by x_etoile_x:
Summary: “What are you doing?” Flint asked in a sharp undertone as soon as they were alone.
In lieu of an answer, Silver slid his hand further up Flint’s thigh, watching carefully to gauge his reaction; he recognized the subtle signs of the effect he was having. This was dangerous, but he wasn’t wrong: Flint’s breath quickened, the rise and fall of his chest becoming visible; he was perfectly still but brimming with tension, muscles quivering, like a highly strung horse about to bolt.
“What does it look like?”
Notes: Pirate date night, set in nebulous s3-s4 break. The boys go have a nice night out in Port Royal and get up to some absolutely kinky shenanigans. Impact play, orgasm denial, and D/s dynamics but also soft shit and Feelings.
Also there’s a podfic. That’s how much I liked it, I recorded it lmao.
Another Way by x_etoile_x:
Summary: Silver doesn’t get the chance to turn back and attack the Spanish soldiers when he and Flint are captured on the warship, so he needs to come up with a different plan. Things get out of control. A retelling of their time on the warship at the beginning of S2, in the aftermath of this.
Notes: Nicknamed Dubcon, Silver does some sexual performativity to save both their lives aka facefucks Flint in front of the Spanish soldier. Then role reversal at the end with Dom!Flint tying and gagging the boy and riding him into the sunset. Delicious powerplay, delicious character study and shifting dynamics.
Hey look, another podfic! Yeah I like this one a normal amount too.
The Soft Animal of Your Body by x_etoile_x:
Summary: Silver has a problem. Flint has an interest, as it turns out, and tells a story.
Notes: Part two of what I consider the Silverflint watersports trilogy. It’s also desperately sweet.
A Vulgar, Holy Thing by Lupismaris:
Summary: A quiet night in harbor leaves Silver brooding and pensive. So much had changed since he found himself with the damned page, he’d hardly be recognizable to the boy he was then. He’d relearned his body, relearned his place in the world, after Charleston, but now, despite his best efforts, Flint was causing him to relearn it all over again.
Notes: A non explicit entry on this list! The powerplay here is done in a sort of indescribably tender way that makes me ache, it’s gorgeous, the pacing is perfect. One of my all time favorites, and uh, “pup” as a nickname for Silver is GOOD, my stance on this is well-documented.
As Good As Gone by spinninginfinityboy:
Summary: “If I have learned anything these past few days, it is the importance of understanding one another.”
There’s a heaviness to the words which speaks of some deeper meaning, but if there is one, Flint cannot parse it. It has been a long time since he cared to try. If there is a world in which he does not have to spend his every waking moment second guessing John Silver, that is the world upon which he has set his sights. The alternative seems only exhausting.
One way or another, Flint and Silver learn how to communicate.
Notes: Set in nebulous late s2, during the journey to Charles Town. The best hatefuck I’ve ever had the privilege of reading, Flint gagging Silver with a gold coin, lives in my brain rent free wtf.
while the world burns by princesskay:
Summary: Flint kisses Silver in the longboat after the shark hunt. When they reach the Maroon island's shores, Silver tries to navigate whether it was a moment of reckless passion or genuine desire and is surprised by the truth.
Notes: Contains the softest most loving spitting in someone’s mouth I’ve ever read in my life. Also there is a sequel with watersports and omorashi which is the softest most loving pissing fic I’ve ever read in my life.
after the winnowing by princesskay:
Summary: After Charles Town, Silver convalesces at the governor's mansion in Nassau while Flint chooses what happens to the gold - and their futures. Flint tries to take care of him, but are the kind gestures what they seem?
Notes: Featuring silk pajamas, overstimulation, comeplay, intense D/s with somewhat newly amputated Silver, in the break between s2 and s3.
the sack saga by princesskay:
Summary: sub!Flint is plundered, pillaged, and destroyed; Silver reaps the spoils.
alternatively, a treatise on cock & ball torture
OR the most insane character study via bdsm I have ever had the privilege of inflicting on the world
Notes: A seven part series. An exploration of kink, especially cock and ball torture, within the bounds of canon, beginning in 3.1 and following the show events all the way through til the very end.
In my humble opinion, this is the crown jewel of all Silverflint BDSM fic, there is simply nothing else like it. An EXTREMELY thorough and nuanced character exploration through kink that will tear your heart out in the best way possible. For my part, it rivals the actual ending of the show for devastation and having me sob in a puddle. Uh, also, it is the most sun-scorching intense smut I’ve ever read in my life. NOBODY does sub!Flint like Kay. I simply cannot recommend this highly enough.
I have so many feelings about it that the only way I've been able to fully express them is to do audio adaptations lmao.
Cornered by Thiebes:
Summary: It was only a dream.
Notes: Starts with accidental somnophilia which is a favorite trope that I don’t see very often! Also, honorable mention that this author has also written some pirate hazing chair sex with Silverflint side pairing that ahem you should check out.
Join your hands to your hearts by jauneclair:
Summary: Madi's approach to diplomacy in negotiating relationships is not what Flint expected.
Notes: MadiSilverFlint during the s3-s4 break. Domme!Madi does impact play with both boys to everyone’s benefit. This is my FAVORITE dynamic for this triad, expertly handled.
don’t let me in with no intention to keep me by brinnanza, jaynovz
Summary: Silver sees red and the words are out of his mouth before he can stop them: “I’m not your fucking dog, and I don’t come when you call.”
There is a beat of silence. Flint’s moustache twitches. The air all evaporates out of the room, consumed by the flash of fire in Flint’s eyes, and Silver can’t breathe, suddenly lightheaded.
Notes: Woof woof, bitch. Here it is, the puppy Silver fic that started an Awakening. Set in early s2, this story explores petplay with sub!Silver and soft Dom!Flint. Including muzzling, cockstepping, drooling, praise kink, face licking, and indulgent inspection of the prize poodle. We continue to blame Luke Arnold and the Fetch Phillips Archives for this (affectionate).
Also exists as a Jay podfic!
for that devious dance between you and me by jaynovz:
Summary: What madness is this that has possessed him, to be taken by such thoughts after so long? He’d thought himself past such consuming desires, and how can it be this lying, scheming thief who brings them to the surface again? But Flint, still deep in shadow, has moved closer to the couch where Silver is laid out before him like an offering, a divine temptation to which it would be so easy to succumb. Surely this is another of Silver’s manipulations: he makes a display of himself, and he must know the reactions he draws, what he looks like, it's frankly obscene.
The whirlpool of depravity has caused Flint’s breathing to grow heavier in the quiet, his mouth gone dry and fingers twitching with the urge to do something. Suddenly, he realizes Silver is watching him in return.
Notes: Set in s1 after Flint returns from the Andromache chase. Featuring Silver shackled and at Flint’s mercy, or is he? Highlights are the hairpulling, choking, little bit of blood and comeplay, and the push and pull of complex D/s dynamics.
did the twin flame bruise paint you blue by jaynovz:
Summary: A few people milling about in the center dance floor migrate towards the bar, and suddenly through the crowd Silver spots him. The person he’s both hoped and feared to see the entire evening.
James Flint stands not fifty feet away from Silver, chatting with Eleanor, his mouth quirked in a half smile as she says something amusing. There’s no fanfare or drama or some grand entrance like Silver has been conjuring in his mind over and over again… No, Flint is suddenly just here, winked back into existence, careening into Silver’s life. Silver has not seen him in a year, (barring the weak moments obsessively checking Flint’s rarely updated social media), and now Flint is right across the room.
Notes: My novel of a modern au, nicknamed Break Up AU, more an exploration of the most fucked up toxic ways to do kink and powerplay lmao. Bad BDSM Etiquette serves as a plot point, as does cuckholding kink and exhibitionism. There is a veritable buffet of different types of sexual encounters, definitely the most powerplay and varied kink exploration I have done by density, and also the most sophisticated/complicated. It features my favorite Flavor of desperate sub!Silver and possessive Dom!Flint heavily, though some role reversal surprises await you as well.
Saps by yeaka:
Summary: There’re no fluids aboard save what John produces.
Notes: Trans!Silver providing for the crew via sex fluids during the doldrums while Flint supervises. The voyeurism and somewhat by proxy of it all, the edging, the cannibal vibes...? This ficlet rewrote my brain chemistry.
The Oak & the Reeds by Little_White_Lie:
Summary: They didn't do it, but they could've done it. If only someone had seen that beneath the impenetrable armor of Captain Flint, there was a man named James McGraw who ached to be touched. If only something had made him bow.
or
Fuck you Jon Steinberg and Robert Levine, they could've made it if Madi had given Flint a hug and Silver had blown his back out.
Notes: Set in early s4, a rewrite of canon from the perspective of the boys entering into a powerplay relationship after Silver returns from the sea. Absolutely choice Dom!Silver and sub!Flint content with fealty dynamics. As well as the pre OT3 content Jay craves.
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As always, I love to get feedback on entries that I may have missed. Mwah.
#black sails#silverflint#jay's esoteric rec lists#fic recs#silverflint fic recs#black sails fic recs#phew okay I think it's DONE I had to reread and reskim a lot of my bookmarks#ENJOY!!#john silver#james flint
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Could you read Reynolds willingly ingesting poison at the end as a sort of rejection of the types of body fascism he has been practicing? Sorry I just watched it last night and something in its treatise about consumption is making me very uncomfortable but I don’t know what
well it's a kind of local alteration to his normal bodily practices in the same way that proposing to alma is: a house unchanging is a dead house, or however that line went. reynolds seeks disruption in certain limited and specific ways, like the meal he orders at the very beginning (in between projects) or inviting alma into his home in the first place. however i wouldn't say that the willing ingestion of the poison is a true 'departure' from his normal attitude toward food and the body. i think these practices are actually totally complementary to one another.
what makes the poison compelling and even titillating for reynolds is precisely the fact that he views sickness and bodily chaos (eating being just a milder form of this) as inherently humiliating, terrifying, threatening, &c. i don't read the end as reynolds changing fundamentally; rather, his rigidly controlled and restricted life has always also depended on the thrill of these brief bursts of intemperance. the fact that he lets alma care for him through this is somewhat new (cyril has not previously approached him in sickness in nearly the same way) but, again thinking about their first meeting, alma was already introduced in a position of being his caretaker (waitstaff), and this has always been an element of their relationship that reynolds likes as much as he struggles to openly accept it (see also how he manages his seamstresses).
this is ofc a quintessentially bourgeois idea of what a controlled or disciplined body is: it's a fantasy state of total independence which in fact can only exist with a vast amount of labour and accommodations from everyone around you. and for reynolds's particular psychology, it's also an ideal of 'control' that derives its appeal partly through the constant implicit comparison to its opposite, and that therefore also contributes to the taboo pleasure of those brief episodes of indulgence or bodily betrayal. willingly ingesting the poison is a more extreme way for reynolds to surrender to both his wife and his body than what he's done before, but there's no disjunction with his previous bodily practices or attitudes.
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While writing Fire for @zealouswerewolfcollector I ended up thinking a lot about the parallels Tolkien creates between Fëanor and Fingon.
Most remarkably, how similarly he describes the moment of their final battle and death:
There upon the confines of Dor Daedeloth, the land of Morgoth, Fëanor was surrounded, with few friends about him. Long he fought on, and undismayed, though he was wrapped in fire and wounded with many wounds; but at the last he was smitten to the ground by Gothmog, Lord of Balrogs, […]
And then:
At last Fingon stood alone with his guard dead about him; and he fought with Gothmog, until another Balrog came behind and cast a thong of fire about him. Then Gothmog hewed him with his black axe, and a white flame sprang up from the helm of Fingon as it was cloven.
Fëanor and Fingon both lead their people to a battle against Morgoth with a tragic end. They are both left fighting on the battlefield alone, surrounded by fire, and perish at the hand of the exact same Balrog.
It is a seemingly strange parallel to make because these two characters often appear as complete opposites in the narrative. Fëanor divides his people by burning the ships at Losgar - while Fingon unites the Noldor by saving Maedhros. Where Fëanor begins a rebellion for his own cause of regaining the Silmarils - Fingon seeks ‘not his own, neither power nor glory.’
And yet, despite their differences, Fëanor and Fingon are the quintessential Noldos of the first age. Fingon becomes everything that Fëanor prophesizes for the Noldor in Beleriand:
We are threatened with many evils, and treason not least; but one thing is not said: that we shall suffer from cowardice, from cravens or the fear of cravens. Therefore I say that we will go on, and this doom I add: the deeds that we shall do shall be the matter of song until the last days of Arda.
Fingon's lament in The Lay of Leithian echoes Fëanor‘s prophecy (the lines were adapted later to be Gil-Galad’s own hymn):
The song of Fingon Elves yet sing,
captain of armies, Gnomish king,
who fell at last in flame of swords
with his white banners and his lords.
Fingon indeed becomes the epiphany of the exiles: the combination of his remarkable heroism, valor, and the final doom that awaits him. Essentially, the fundamentals of The Silmarillion itself.
It is no wonder then that during the rebellion of the Noldor, Fingon the Valiant is moved by Fëanor’s words: ‘Yet I am not the only valiant in this valiant people’ (my emphasis).
They share an ambition, a capacity for leadership, and a skill of voice and strength, not to mention their connection to Maedhros, and the element of fire.
Letting Fëanor and Fingon die almost the exact same way signals the beginning and the end of an era for the Noldor in Beleriand: the death of their first King and, for all intents and purposes, the last.
Fëanor leads the Noldor to Beleriand, and with Fingon, they cease to exist as united people. Turgon becomes King, but who does he rule beyond Gondolin? The remainder is scattered and isolated after the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, the Wars of Beleriand are effectively ended until the Valar take action, and the Doom of Mandos is completed.
For the sons of Fëanor, more than anyone, the Nirnaeth and the fall of Fingon signify a return to the very beginning. A cycle that starts all over again: with the death of their King in flames, their homes destroyed, their hands stained, and being left with nothing but an unfulfilled Oath to regain the one remaining piece of Treelight.
The fight for victory in Beleriand begins with Fëanor and ends with Fingon. It will have to continue in a new book with a new story that goes beyond the fate of Fëanor‘s Silmarils.
The War of Wrath shifts the narrative to a new continent, with a new generation of Elves and their High King - who will die in flames, much like Fëanor and Fingon, fighting before the very gates of Mordor.
But that certainly merits another post.
#everyone's favorite feisty kings#tolkien really loves death by fire#and balrogs#which makes ecthelion a very underrated badass#feanor#fingon#gil galad#doom of mandos#noldor#beleriand#the silm meta#the silmarillion#tolkien#musing and meta#cw: death
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Due to the way the world of Arknights is structured, with its myriad of irons on different stoves, it’s easy to think everything is more or less a different problem unrelated to the other doomsdays and Catastrophes (capitalized or otherwise) happening all around Terra, and in some cases, whether it be because we don’t know much about the issue at hand or because the relevance of Originium is not quintessential to said issue as it is in others, it’s true: What we know of Kjerag so far suggests that Originium is not terribly protagonistic, and the capitalist hellscape that is Kazimierz doesn’t really have anything to do with Originium, with the sole link being the discrimination towards the Infected, but even if you don’t take the Infected into account and decide Originium doesn’t exist, Kazimierz is still a capitalist hellscape.
Now, another such scenario that is easy to think of as completely unrelated to Originium and, hell, most of Terra for the most part is what’s going on with the Aegir, the Abyssal Hunters, and the Seaborn. However, the more we learn and the more you think about it, that is not the case. These are actually very intimately related issues narratively speaking. The troubles of Aegir are a warning to the surface, the biggest warning there is.
Let’s put it this way:
What’s the deal with Originium? It’s a scarcely understood substance that exists in Terra, explicitly, in the surface. It can be harnessed for great industrial power and is even the root of the so-called Originium Arts, where Terrans harness the residual Originium in their bloodstream to bend the laws of physics or radically alter the chemistry in and around them to produce “magic”: Psychic colossi, fireballs, pure darkness, power over gravity and time, you name it. And the more Originium one has in their bloodstream, the stronger their Arts. However, Originium is fundamentally dangerous, with Oripathy, or Originium Infection, being a lethal, terminal illness one can only stave off, and the sheer abuse of Originium has led to the residues directly causing Catastrophes, intense weather events that can include thunderstorms, tornados, earthquakes and even meteor showers. That’s not to talk about how Originium’s sheer industrial utility has resulted in incredibly morally bankrupt practices despite how dangerous it is, being one of the most used and abused substances in the setting for practically everything and anything. It’s a society that has largely grown dependent on its own poison. Worse still, it’s implied Originium is sentient and actively wants to kill Terrans very, very much, and those who are particularly badly infected tend to hear voices that try to command them to do horrible things to others.
Now, let’s think about the troubles of the world beneath the water’s surface: Aegir has incredibly advanced technology, what little we’ve heard has made it obvious that the level of technology and quality of life of Aegir was far, far superior to anything the surface world has ever seen. Skadi and Specter, separately from one another, have complained that the surface doesn’t even have automatic toilets, and when Ventus, in his fully transformed Seaborn form, starts charging a beam, Skadi immediately identified it as a “particle beam”, meaning that Aegir not only likely has plenty of research involving molecules and particles, they may even have particle beam cannons themselves. In fact, Gladiia confirms that the reason Abyssal Hunters use weapons such as swords and spears instead of their supertechnology is so Seaborns cannot copy it and adapt to it. However, think about what Seaborns are: A barely understood, sentient cluster of organisms that exists to evolve, expand, and reproduce, even if it means taking over the Aegir capital. There was no space for dialogue. To combat this incredibly dangerous threat that only grew stronger day by day, Aegir decided to create the Abyssal Hunters: Aegirians spliced with Seaborn genes. This resulted in incredibly capable supersoldiers capable of defeating even the biggest Seaborn monstrosities without the aid of their supertechnology... At the cost of possibly becoming Seaborn themselves, if the mutations got out of control or if their mental stability was sufficiently compromised, turning into one of the enemy. It is unknown what has become of Aegir, with only a few confirmed survivors of the Hunters (a mere four as of Stultifera Navis: Skadi, Specter, Gladiia and Ulpian).
Aegir is a warning to Terra.
Both Aegir and Terra are fighting enemies they barely comprehend, enemies that cannot be identified as people, but rather, as a force of nature, sentient and hostile and utterly incomprehensible. The closest thing to communication to either of these forces is Mizuki, who comes from a specific group of Seaborn that seems to be the exception rather than the rule. Enemies that encompass the environment itself, enemies that can’t be identified as a unified army under a ruler with a clear, predictable intent. Aegir and Terra might as well be fighting the world’s will, for all they know. The Ocean is sentient and hates Aegirians’ guts, and it’s so pronounced that you don’t even need to be a Hunter to reciprocate, as we learned with Thorns: He heard the Ocean call him out, saw a Seaborn popping out from the water, and without really understanding it himself, strongly felt “I am meant to kill that thing”. There’s nothing to suggest the soil itself is any different. For all we know, Originium might be a way in which the Earth is trying to kill off those who deal it.
But regardless of the truth behind Originium, it is fact that comparing Originium to the Seaborn is very easy:
They both grant incredible power to those who harness them, at the cost of subjecting themselves to incredible danger. Originium grants powerful Originium Arts, Seaborn genes turn you into a nigh-unkillable, exceedingly strong Abyssal Hunter, but Originium is a terminal, deteriorative illness, and Seaborn genes will eventually, inevitably turn you into a Seaborn, another vehicle with which to kill your loved ones. The Corrupting Heart is a hypothetical case of Skadi not being able to resist her Seaborn blood, turning into an all-assimilating apocalypse scenario. Ifrit, on the other hand, can potentially be an all-destroying force of nature if she’s not kept in check and under treatment diligently.
They both chew at the sanity of the subject. Skadi and Gladiia both struggle in different levels to keep their Seaborn mutation under check not unlike how Ifrit and Ptilopsis struggle to keep the voices inside of them from making them harm themselves and others.
They both are sentient yet incomprehensible, hostile and alien existences that humans cannot communicate with or relate to in any way, and could even be considered to be the will of the very environment or planet itself, depending on how you read them. *Mizuki being a very extreme exception.
Perhaps one could consider the tale of Aegir, lost in the depths with nary a peep in decades, to be a warning for the rest of Terra: Harnessing the very power that wants to kill you might not be the best idea, and a direct fight against the very nature around you can only result in defeat, perhaps instant, perhaps prolonged, but defeat nonetheless.
But given that the surface world, for the most part, already runs on Originium... Well, who can say where this will lead in the narrative?
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What’s the Deal with Kush? The Origin of a Classic Strain
Before we get into the article about what the deal with Kush is, here is an actual deal on Kush, delivered to your door in Canada. Rad.
Everyone knows Kush means quality. There’s a built in expectation that the weed should slap if it bears the classic name. It’s also a well known parent to many classic varietals. Before the names O.G. Kush, Chem Dog, and Cookies became household among growers worldwide, there existed a time when the Kush strain remained relatively obscure. Let’s look into the intriguing history of the Kush strain and its transformation into one of the most renowned medical marijuana varieties globally.
Just like any other modern cannabis seed strain, landraces played a pivotal role in establishing the fundamental genetic foundations of everything we smoke today with the Kush name on it. Numerous countries harbour a diverse array of marijuana landraces, thriving particularly in regions characterized by hot climates and mountainous terrain. In these areas, expansive fields of landrace cannabis plants flourish organically. Owing to the cannabis plant’s inherent robustness, these fields have been subject to countless generations of natural backcrossing over the span of hundreds, if not thousands of years.
Among the most well-known Kush varieties today are Hindu Kush, Master Kush, and Afghan Kush, all originating from these locations as original landraces. Through meticulous backcrossing efforts, breeders sought to unearth the quintessential phenotype for cannabis cultivation. Since its introduction in Amsterdam nearly three decades ago, numerous seed banks now offer a broad spectrum of landraces and hybrids, with many of the original landrace strains still available to enthusiasts.
The Kush cannabis strain found its way to Amsterdam during the late 1970s or early 1980s, carried by intrepid cannabis enthusiasts who ventured through the rugged landscapes of the Himalayas, spanning Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan. They returned with seeds sourced from the Hindu Kush mountain range, nestled between northern Pakistan and Afghanistan. The name “Kush” derives from this region and intriguingly translates to “killer” in ancient Persian.
The aromatic profile, taste, and effects of Kush strains are the key attributes that make them highly sought after both in the context of a coffee shop’s offerings and for growers. The scent of this medical marijuana variety is unmistakable, often likened to the odour of jet fuel and characterized by a pungent, dank, and lemony quality. The potency of the Kush aroma is such that even the tiniest dried bud can fill a room with its distinctive fragrance. When it comes to taste, a well-cultivated Kush strain mirrors its aroma but adds a lingering jet fuel undertone that lingers with every puff, creating a truly unique and memorable experience. Typical of other heavy Indicas, real kush plants stay short with tight internodal spacing, creating dense foliage and buds. The plants finish quickly and produce well, making them a favourite for more modern growers all over the world for decades.
A joint of OG Kush, like I posted above, will transform the surrounding air, saturating it with a dense, rich, and almost viscous quality. A few puffs of this potent strain with its unmistakable jet fuel aroma will promptly initiate a profound shift in your state of mind and body. The initial effects manifest as heavy eyelids and an almost immediate sense of being pleasantly stoned. Energy levels plummet, and motivation wanes, ultimately leading to a state of complete relaxation and tranquility. Notably, the THC content in Kush varieties has consistently been subjected to testing, with results often exceeding the 20% threshold.
Kush strains are renowned for their robust pain-relief properties. Whether smoked or incorporated into edibles, the medicinal impact of Kush is often likened to a nearly narcotic experience. It proves highly effective in addressing a range of conditions, including insomnia, appetite loss, and anxiety. Patients grappling with pain stemming from bone, nerve, or muscle issues also find considerable relief through Kush usage. For those coping with conditions like Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s, and a multitude of other illnesses, medicating with Kush and similar indica strains has proven to be indispensable.
Cancer patients, in particular, derive substantial benefits from Kush, often experiencing relief that surpasses the effectiveness of pharmaceutical resources. Many report improved appetite, better sleep, and the restoration of regular bowel function when incorporating this cannabis strain into their treatment plans.
While sativa strains are typically favoured by patients seeking heightened energy levels and motivation, Kush continues to hold appeal for many due to its potent anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. Recognizing this, numerous breeders, including Spliff Seeds, are now focusing on developing Kush hybrids that aim to preserve its distinctive medicinal potency while mitigating its pronounced couch-locking effect. One such example is Spliff Blue Medi Kush, a strain developed in collaboration with medical marijuana users, tailored to serve precisely this purpose.
If you’re looking for a classic you can’t miss with a well grown Kush strain.
By Meso Potamia, Ganja Guy, for Potsmart
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The Primordial Dynamic
“There are marvelous relations between beings and things, in this inexhaustible whole, from sun to grub, there is no scorn, each needs the other… Every bird that flies has the thread of the infinite in its claw. Germination includes the hatching of a meteor and the tap of a swallow's beak breaking the egg, and it guides the birth of the earthworm, and the advent of Socrates. Where the telescope ends, the microscope begins… A bit of mold is a pleiad of flowers; a nebula is an anthill of stars. The same promiscuity, and still more wonderful, between the things of the intellect and material things. Elements and principles are mingled, combined, espoused, multiplied one by another, to the point that the material world, and the moral world are brought into the same light… In the vast cosmic changes, universal life comes and goes in unknown quantities, rolling everything up in the invisible mystery of the emanations, using everything, losing no dream from any single sleep, sowing a microscopic animal here, crumbling a star there, oscillating and gyrating, making a force of light, and an element of thought, disseminated and indivisible dissolving all, that geometric point, the self.”
Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
Love and Fear are the quintessential forces of expansion and restriction within the physical universe. In human terms, they are what we instinctively gravitate towards and expel from. In the physical sciences, they are regarded as opposing binaries. In cosmology and religion, they have been regarded as primeval beings or forces associated with creation and destruction. Regarding the psyche, they are the First Principles of positive and negative emotion. To strip any emotion of its social and behavioral trappings is to reduce it to either Love or Fear. When viewed in this light human behavior becomes far more understandable and a great many obstacles no longer appear so impossible to surmount.
Love and Fear are dynamic forces as opposed to static binaries; a magnetism altogether different from that of the humble classroom magnet. I have come to regard them similarly to Aeons in the sense that they behave like higher organisms of which descending orders of matter, energy, and consciousness are essentially involved components (e.g. cells). They are part of us, flow through us, but are simultaneously beyond us. Humanity is not insignificant or meaningless compared to them, but quite the contrary. They grant us the opportunity and means to attain completion.
A fundamental truth of Love and Fear is that they exist in varying degrees within the sum composite of the created universe, including but not up to:
Biocentric (as a mechanism/particle)
Anthropocentric (as a thought-form)
Logocentric (as frequencies/emotions)
Cosmocentric (as energy/waves)
Psychocentric (as an organism)
Inherent in man is a unique separateness and the awareness thereof: we descend from Nature but are not of it. This has been conveyed in allegory (Genesis 3:4, 3:22-24) and verified through paleoanthropology. It is an inescapable human trait to deviate from the natural order, struggling against complacency while ascending the steps of higher ideals. The cosmos is kept in balance by the principle of duality, from the tiniest particle to the grandest star, which is reflected in the microcosm: when one defies their true nature and chosen purpose they begin to stagnate and suffer.
About 4 million years ago, our planet experienced a climate shift which set our hominid ancestors on the course towards civilization. Among the biological shifts they underwent was the straightening of the spine. As our ancestors began to walk upright, they were forced to look forward, creating a scission between the emergent species and the homeostatic order of Nature; whence came a new kind of intellect, once concerned with the future. One of the most significant differences between Homo sapiens and earlier hominids was the dramatic increase of the cranial capacity and the simultaneous development of smaller jaws and teeth. These evolutionary changes paved the first steps toward a species genetically predisposed towards communication.
We are a species that doesn’t quite have a place in the natural order. While emotion and intellect are clearly observable in the behavior of animals, they lack the creative spark known to humanity—the qualitative difference between the soul and spirit. Perhaps it is more accurate to say that given their nature animals possess no need for our spiritual flame and the complications thereof. It is because of this Promethean Spark that humanity is prone to genius and madness in equal measure, as we are easily defined by our passion, inspiration, beauty, ingenuity, advancement, suffering, and irrationality—essentially, that which brings about empowerment, evolution, and change.
Humans are the only species on Earth known to possess a sense of Self. Carl Jung defined the Self as the sum composite of an individual consciousness. Ian Lungold defined consciousness as “the awareness of being aware” and man, as Erich Fromm writes, “is life being aware of itself.” To quote a line from The Shoes of the Fisherman (a film I’m perhaps too fond of), “man is the animal that knows and knows that he knows.”
There is balance in all things and from the moment humanity gained that Promethean Spark, the presence of Self, we have been children of both Chaos and Cosmos. Their dance can be observed on the subatomic level in electrons existing in superposition and the instinctual consciousness of flora and fauna. It is with the human species that it begins to meet genuine resistance, as we are uniquely displaced from the natural order. To deny one is to deny a critical part of ourselves. It is unhealthy for the psyche to be always happy, always loving, and never hateful or despaired. Such a mind inhibits growth.
It’s far easier to paint the world in corridors of shadows and lights rather than take stock of the vastness. Love is chaotic, messy, and without guarantees but without it we would still be living in caves, brutalizing one another over genetic material. It is a single half of the primordial magnetism, a vitality older than the Cosmos. I do not doubt that there is symmetry enough in the cosmos for the dynamism of Love to flourish and unpredictability enough for us to evolve that we may appreciate it all the more.
The Primordial Dynamic has appeared in allegory and symbolism for thousands of years. It has been embodied in symbols such as the sonnenrad, taijitu, hunab ku, and merkaba. Nearly every ancient civilization developed an understanding of the cosmic equilibrium and many creation myths illustrated this with warring titans and primeval forces. Although this cosmic mystery play changed its countenance with each retelling, it maintains certain characteristics:
It is a perpetual struggle in infinite space between opposing forces, e.g. attraction and repulsion, in a process that ensures continued life, death, and rebirth in the Cosmos.
The Laws of Heaven are the same as the Laws of Earth. The universe resonates with the same current which is disseminated through descending orders of consciousness. The changing tension of the Primordial Dynamic plays out in a series of rises and falls, affecting gods and planets as much as human beings. Humanity’s journey is linked to that of the stars, for what happens in the Cosmos happens on Earth.
Matter and energy exist in a state of entanglement. Every particle interacts with every other particle and every object interacts with every other object. As such, time and space are not detrimental to the completion of the cosmic mystery play.
The Primordial Dynamic is a balance between the Principle or Form of Being (Physis) and the assertion of it (Logos). Human perception is grounded in the interaction between matter and vibration. Matter is inherently passive and catalytic, the seat of potential that manifests in the womb or an ungerminated seed. It is defined by feminine, receptive energy. Vibration is dynamic and volatile, capable of both creation and destruction and is thus understood as an inherently masculine force.
Just as human cells comprise organs, which in turn comprise our physical selves, so too does humanity function as the active cells of the planet Earth. The human body mirrors the surface of the Earth; circulatory pathways become rivers, the lungs become trees, the womb becomes the effervescent mantle, and the atmosphere becomes the skin, which happens to be the largest organ in the human body.
For much of their lives, some human beings are not unlike fitful dreamers encapsulated in the volcanic womb of the maternal Earth. A womb is a place of passive development and safety, a realm of unbridled potentiality borne of the chaotic waters that precede creation; yet all too often humans find themselves clashing with their nature and destroying their sanctuary. By our very nature, human beings are intimate with and separate from the natural order. As the only species on Earth to have evolved a sense of Self, we are the means for a conscious universe to experience itself; for evidence, we need only to look to the developing fetus.
We begin our journey as a single-celled organism called a zygote, a synthesis of masculine and feminine principles. After the egg is fertilized it divides and multiplies rapidly to form an embryo. The fourth week of development gives way to the pharyngeal arches, the precursors to gills in aquatic species. In terrestrial vertebrates these form parts of the jaw, larynx, and inner ear. Through the course of our evolution, human beings have modified these tissues for verbal communication as opposed to extracting oxygen from water. In the fifth and sixth weeks of development, the heart and lungs form and descend as well as the vestigial tail, giving the embryo a reptilian appearance. By the eighth week, the vestigial tail is absorbed into the body forming the tailbone, giving the child a more mammalian appearance; it is from this point forward that the child is referred to as a fetus.
Around the sixteenth week, the fetus develops its first hairs called the lanugo. These cover the body in abundance by the twentieth week, giving the fetus a recognizable primate appearance. By the thirty-sixth week, the fetus has shed most if not all of its lanugo and begins to resemble a human child. Human gestation is a reflection of the entire span of the evolution of all life on this planet. We are not viruses or parasites, but the manifestation of consciousness. This has been observed since time immemorial by ancient peoples and recorded in modern religions.
There is still so much more for us to discover about our history, our place in the universe, and most importantly about ourselves. I’ve always believed that there is profound goodness in the seat of the human soul. We are capable of great compassion and terrible cruelty in an unequivocal measure, yet at the core of our being, there is an unbounded iridescence that defies the mere duality of light and shadow. Our existence is neither meaningless and random nor fated and supreme. A slight shift in the stellar winds or mutation in a virus could have forever altered the course of human history and that makes humanity all the more precious.
Title image is a relief on throne of Senwosret I, second pharaoh of the 12th Dynasty. It depicts Set and Heru-wer, twin forces in the Primordial Dynamic, Uniting the Two Lands. (Credited to wikipedia)
Table concerning the Primordial Dynamic is credited to Joey Rivers (ascendingaeons).
#as above so below#love and fear#holographic universe#consciousness#metaphysics#metaphysical#cosmic consciousness#merkaba#yin yang#balance#hope#synchronicity#cosmic love#cosmos#chaos#pagan#paganism#eclectic pagan#occult
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ria give me the time travel rant (please)
Ok time travel rant (@legitcookie this is for you too!)
There are two ways to do time travel correctly: Loop or Alternate Universe. I have yet to see another version that makes logical sense, and a combination of the two (explained later in this post) has never made sense to me.
But maybe I just haven't seen enough media with time travel.
The Loop method can be best explained (unfortunately because I can't find a better example) by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The characters run into their past selves doing their past actions, and the timeline does not fundamentally change. Time travel actually facilitates the correct order of events. It's as if time is a straight line, and the alternate path (resulting from the characters going into the past and experiencing the same progression of events) is a looped branch. It branches off at one point, runs parallel to the original timeline, and reconnects back, without breaking the timeline.
Make sense? I hope so, but I doubt it. I'm tucked into a corner of the room, furiously typing before I have to take notes.
The Alternate Universe method can be best explained by Avengers: Endgame. In this method, we assume that time is completely and utterly linear. The characters can't go forward or back in their same timeline. They can, however, travel to other timelines and other points in time. They can't go back to the past to change their past, but they can go to another universe's past and take whatever they need to rectify their present in their timeline. Timelines exist on their own planes, and the characters hop back and forth between lines, but they always land in their present on their line.
(I'm aware that this makes the end of Avengers: Endgame make no sense. I've been salty about this since 2019.)
So, as for that combination of a Loop and Alternate Universe that makes no sense? Back to the Future. I love Back to the Future. I know it's the quintessential time travel movie.
The logic doesn't hold up.
Originally, we assume that Marty goes back in time on his own timeline (a la the Loop) to fix his parents' meeting. However, the timeline gets changed when George punches Biff, and when Marty goes back to his time, he's greeted by a very different set of parents and siblings. By itself, that's fine. We can assume that Marty went to an alternate universe and stayed there (even though that leaves the question of what happened to that universe's Marty McFly, since his new parents and siblings recognize him.)
But that doesn't happen by itself, since Doc uses the letter to warn himself that the terrorists are going to kill him, and we see Marty from the beginning of the movie take the Delorean and travel back in time, which he does in that first universe. So, we're left to assume that it is a Loop, but it can't be a Loop because the timeline is changed.
So, which is it? Loop or Alternate Universe? Who knows! Not me!
Anyway, that's my time travel rant. Please tell me your thoughts because I love discussing it and theorizing new interpretations!
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A few songs in Bengali Films that sets the mood for the viewers to watch it
It is widely opined that Indian cinema is fundamentally deficient without its alluring songs. Therefore, it comes as no astonishment that we have been bestowed with copious instances of melodious tunes that effortlessly captivate the hearts of the audience, serving as the quintessential companion to the presented opus.
In my particular case, I have chanced upon a few invaluable gems that instantly transport me to the realm of the film, summoning the desired sentiments. Permit me to bestow upon you my adulations:
Tabo Charana Nimne (Oh! Behold the beauty below) - First and foremost, we have the 1966 magnum opus "Subhaschandra", skilfully directed by the venerable Piyush Basu. This cinematic marvel delves into the existence of Subhash Chandra Bose, an extraordinary patriot who played a pivotal role in India's National movement. The film exhibits an array of patriotic melodies, deftly composed to resonate with the narrative and ignite the fervor of patriotism within the hearts of the viewers. In my humble opinion, the song that truly encapsulates this sentiment is none other than 'Tabo Charana Nimne', crafted by the illustrious Rajanikanta Sen. Although I certainly appreciate the other musical offerings, this particular melody, when juxtaposed with the film, instils in me an unparalleled sense of patriotism and motivation. The musical genius Aparesh Lahiri, in collaboration with Maestro Manna Dey, ensures that this song is performed with utmost delicacy and finesse.
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2. Haridaser Bulbul Bhaja (A roadside snack prepared by Haridas) - Progressing to Tarun Majumder's romantic comedy extravaganza of 1972, 'Sriman Prithviraj'. Allow me to assert that the captivating opening song, 'Haridasher bulbul bhaja-', wonderfully crooned by the talented Tarun Bandyopadhyay and brought to life on screen by the incomparable Rabi Ghosh, effortlessly grasps the attention of the audience. Unbeknownst to them, it ushers a delightful smile onto their countenances, preparing them for the enchantment that lies ahead. Penned down by the beloved lyricist Gauriprasanna Majumder and composed by the legendary Hemanta Mukherjee, this delightful melody, in my view, wholeheartedly caters to the desires of the audience. One might even consider it an 'anthem' for the roadside food vendors in India, who, as a crucial part of the masses, satiate the hunger of weary travellers with their freshly prepared and reasonably priced delectables.
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3. Potaldangar amra kojon bikhyato char murtiman (We are the famous four musketeers from Potaldanga) Now, let us venture into the whimsical world of "Tenida", where we are regaled by the exploits of the spirited Tenida and his three precocious juniors, Habul, Pyala, and Kyabla. Unlike typical elder figures in any group, Tenida not only acts as a member of the gang but also manages to reduce the average age of the group! The song 'Potaldangar amra kojon', penned by the esteemed Shibdas Bandyopadhyay, brilliantly captures the thoughts and aspirations of a teenager embarking on a new world. It seamlessly combines the innocence and purity of adolescence, presented in a simplistic manner. Ajoy Das, with his musical prowess, and the enchanting voice of Manna Dey, add that extra touch of magic! While I personally believe that the film may pale in comparison to the novel, this particular song successfully revives the ambiance and endeavors to engulf the individual in a world of cheer and merriment, far removed from the clutches of despondency.
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4. Chalo Ekhono Somoy Ache (Let's go for there is still time) - Next, we step into the enchanting realm of Anjan Dutta's 2008 spectacle 'Chalo Let's Go'. This cinematic masterpiece delves into the themes of camaraderie, intricate relationships, and most importantly, travel. The song 'Cholo ekhono somoy ache', performed by the talented quartet comprising Anjan Dutt, Ujjaini Mukherjee, Sreekanta Acharya, and Rupam Islam, under the skilled musical direction of Neel Dutta, splendidly encompasses the essence of bohemianism, offering a nonchalant glimpse into life accompanied by a wave of nostalgia. The line within the song, 'Ei poth jodi na sesh hoy-', is guaranteed to bring a smile to any Bengali's countenance even today! This song ingeniously combines the Bengali yearning for exploration with a hint of nostalgia. Personally, I find it to be a melodious bridge that seamlessly connects the audience to the film's narrative. Thus, I strongly assert that this song possesses an extraordinary connection.
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5. Jekono Bhumikay Somaane Lore Jaai (I fit into any role) - Last but certainly not the least, we have Abhijit Choudhury's 2003 cinematic marvel, "Patalghar". This film bestowed upon us the unforgettable song 'Jekono bhumikay somaane lore jaai-', rendered with great finesse by the talented Kharaj Mukherjee, under the musical supervision of the revered Debojyoti Mishra. This delightful masterpiece isn't merely a song; it encompasses dialogues and harmonious chaos, paying homage to the luminaries of Bengali cinema, such as the legendary Uttam Kumar and Chhabi Biswas.
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Allow me to emphasize that what I have just shared is but a minuscule fraction in the vast expanse of mesmerizing songs that adeptly set the ambience and instantaneously connect the audience with the audio-visual experience. And mind you, this is merely within my vernacular! I am acutely aware that there are countless melodies in other languages, awaiting discovery and admiration. Hence, I beseech my cherished readers to share their thoughts and recommendations, as I eagerly yearn to explore even more musical masterpieces within the confines of my own vernacular.
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So where, after all, does the “Churchill Cult” come from? Like so many bad ideas, it has its roots with Margaret Thatcher. In his opening chapters, Ali draws on the analysis of Anthony Barnett, his onetime colleague at the New Left Review, who argued in 1982 that Thatcher’s government was drumming up “Churchillism” in order to justify the Falklands War:
“All the essential symbols were there: an island people, the cruel seas, a British defeat, Anglo-Saxon democracy challenged by a dictator, and finally the quintessentially Churchillian posture—we were down but we were not out. The parliamentarians of right, left and centre looked through the mists of time to the Falklands and imagined themselves to be the Grand Old Man. They were, after all, his political children and they too would put the ‘Great’ back into Britain.”
To this end, British Conservatives did everything possible to draw parallels between themselves and Churchill: overnight, their meetings became a “War Cabinet,” and those who wanted to see a peaceful diplomatic settlement with Argentina were accused of “appeasement.” For her part, Thatcher took up the habit of referring to her predecessor as “Winston,” implying a personal friendship that had never actually existed—an ironic move, since Churchill was a vehement sexist, and claimed that “only the most undesirable class of women” wanted to be involved in politics. In this way, the Falklands campaign was successfully sold to the British public, and “Churchillism” passed into the nation’s political orthodoxy, where it remains largely unquestioned.
The most basic assumptions behind this narrative, however, are very much questionable, and none more so than the idea that Churchill was a staunch opponent of fascism. Long before he promised to “fight on the beaches,” Churchill expressed a disturbing amount of sympathy for the fascist government of Italy, calling Mussolini the “greatest law-giver among living men” in 1933, and praising his “magnificent courage and audacity” as late as 1937—more than ten years after the March on Rome and the banning of all opposition parties. A lifelong royalist, Churchill had been personally outraged by the success of the Russian Revolution, and believed that fascism could serve as a necessary—if distasteful—corrective to the “pestilence” of workers’ uprisings; as he told Mussolini, “If I had been an Italian, I am sure that I would have been whole-heartedly with you from start to finish in your triumphant struggle against the bestial appetites and passions of Leninism.” Moreover, he embraced much of the antisemitic rhetoric of his time without question, writing of a “sinister confederacy” of “International Jews” in the essay “Zionism versus Bolshevism.
[...] When Churchill made his famous speech to the House of Commons in May 1940, urging Parliament to reject negotiations with Hitler and fight on despite the dire situation at Dunkirk, he made no mention of any fundamental quarrel with fascism or antisemitism. At the moment of truth, there was no talk of “bestial appetites” or “envious malevolence,” as there was when he referred to socialists. Instead, his concern was simply that “The Germans would demand our fleet —that would be called ‘disarmament’,” and that “We should become a slave state, though a British Government which would be Hitler’s puppet would be set up under Mosley or some such person.” In other words, it was not really an antifascist war that he wanted to wage—he had urged “the strictest neutrality” in the Spanish Civil War, just five years previous—nor a strongly ideological one at all. Instead, it was simply a war to preserve Britain’s status as a sovereign superpower on the world stage. It was the notion of a rival empire arising, and surpassing Britain, that was intolerable—and it was within this logic of imperialism that all of Churchill’s most important decisions, both in wartime and outside it, were made.
— Winston Churchill, Imperial Monstrosity
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WHY did they pick jazz btw. i mean i know the answer ok they wanted to set korra in 1920s-30s america and jazz is an integral part of that era, but it has its roots in *checks notes* BLUES and BRASS BAND and SHOWTUNES, all of which are quintessentially american traditions. jazz obviously exists in east asia and southeast asia but if you dont have america in your setting im sorry but jazz music just does not make sense. there are so many cool musical traditions in china, japan, indonesia, veitnam, the philippines... u cld absolutely think about what kind of musical traditions would emerge after the colonization of the earth kingdom by the fire nation!!! but u cant. u wont. bc atla, and lok, are americanized versions of these cultures. theyre all muddled up with american pop culture and literary and musical traditions. so when u think post-industrial revolution, u think early 19th century america, u think abt the cultural foundation of america and europe and then mix in east/southeast asian influences. avatar is not fundamentally asian, its fundamentally the creation of two white american dudes with a fascination for asian culture!!! its that fucking simple
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People have the impression that Haruki Murakami sex scenes are bad because they're really un-titillating but I think it makes a fundamentally mistaken base assumption that sex scenes exist for the purpose of titillation.
In a very lit literary lit-fiction way, sex which is boring to hear about serves as one of those quintessentially adult slices of life like losing money on scratch tickets, buying your girlfriend the wrong brand of tampons, and calling in sick to work because you're actually hung over.
Sex scenes that I'm bored-of and embarrassed-to-be-reading are really just real-deal riajuu set dressing so that the real story about fish raining from the sky or whatever seems like a real departure from the norm.
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So generally, my ideas for my Sakamaki Sister OC vary slightly between who ends up being her mother in the specific piece I'm writing.
Fundamentally, Sakamaki Makiko is the same person in every iteration, she has a steel to her that's hard to remove.
Largely though? She can also just as easily end up being a very different person at her core.
So, naturally, I've gotta give the AU where all the wives had daughters a try.
And naturally, as funny as the idea that them all coincidentally naming their daughter's Makiko would be, they really do deserve unique names in that situation.
Cordelia's daughter remains, quintessentially Makiko in every sense of the name, it just fits. As the first one I attached her concept to, and it follows easily as it's meaning 万貴子 'ten thousand', 'precious', 'child'.
It's definetly something Cordelia would inflict, a statement, her ultimate use to her, the first born daughter.
By comparison, Beatrix is kinder, and a little more tactful in her naming, 'Haruka' is simple and straightforward, and even more so with the meaning of its meaning, 'forever'.
Granted, 'Haruka' has never used her mother's favored Kanji for her name, always insistent of making her own of it. She prefers 遥 'distant'.
Christa's is so unfathomably cruel despite it's innocent intentions, she loves her daughter dearly, there is no questioning of that, but what is meant as an expression of love can be turned mocking an terrible just the same.
Kagami, for the gold of her eyes, for resemblance to her beloved husband, for the 'reflection' of love she represents.
...and this ain't even getting into Mukami Sayaka or Tsukinami Hiyori, or the unique wife she could, potentially, be born of.
Still, if I ever write for an AU where all versions of her exist, then it's best to give unique names.
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