The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions The Road

The Survivor - René Magritte / Alligator Blood - Nicole Dollanganger

Nkondi figures are a Congolese tradition that resolves societal struggles. A figure, treated like any other member of the society with its own personality & living space, has a nail driven into it by the local spiritual expert/diviner in order to produce enough energy (or pain/sensation) to free the spirit from the figure for a time. This is done after relevant matter (things like dirt from a grave site, herbs with protective qualities, or blood) is placed into the compartment typically found in the figure's chest. Through this process, the figure's spirit engages with the unseen realm & ideally resolves the issue of interest. On the figure can be seen the village's history over the years in the form of sharp objects that have accumulated. In this image the Madonna & child has been treated as an Nkondi figure.

My doctor after hearing me describe my symptoms

I don’t want to feel so alone anymore

Prayer

☁️ magnus archives entities; THE LONELY.

fear of abandonment, isolation, being disconnected.

one of the best ways i’ve found to combat that inherent depressive pessimism without veering into toxic positivity territory is simply the phrase “i’m open to the possibility”

this particularly works with anything negative i’ve forecasted. “i woke up feeling like shit today, so my day is gonna suck” isn’t a particularly helpful thought, but “it’s a great day to be alive!!!!!” feels hollow and insincere when i have a pounding headache & am running on three hours of sleep

instead i’ll tell myself, “i really don’t feel good right now, but i’m open to the possibility that coffee and breakfast might perk me up a bit.” or “i’m in a lot of pain today, but i’m open to the possibility that my workday might still have fun parts despite that”

sometimes, when your impulse is to slam the door on anything good, but you’re not exactly up to going out & hunting it down yourself, leaving the door open just a crack makes all the difference

life fans be like it gets good 40 years in