Latest Posts by waterbxy - Page 4

Witches, I need to say something.

Why is there such an emphasis in the modern witchcraft community on "finding your path/type of witchcraft"??

Everywhere you look online, there's always people telling baby witches that they have to decide whether they are a green witch or a kitchen witch or a grey witch or an elemental/sea/celestial/etc witch. I literally see so many young baby witches asking "can I be both [random label] and [other random label]?"

Like yes, of course you can, this isn't fucking Avatar! You can master all the elements! And it's even worse when people who naturally practice more than one narrow path are all lumped together as their own label, eclectic, even if we're trying not to use labels. It feels invasive sometimes.

I get that for some people, labels make them happy. And that's fine. Call yourself a kitchen witch or a fire witch or whatever if you want to. That's not a problem at all.

The problem, in my opinion, comes when we start telling everyone who's interested in witchcraft that "this is how it is, you have to choose a label of your 'path'."

This can be so limiting for baby witches, not to mention the fact that these labels didn't even use to be a thing. They're a modern invention I only ever see on things like Tumblr and tiktok. It's NORMAL to study different "paths". That's what spirituality is about-- learning-- not boxing yourself in so you can fit a specific aesthetic.

We need to stop burdening baby witches with this idea that they have to choose.

Most of the daemon imagines posted on Tumblr.com are too wholesome. To paraphrase George Carlin, “one of the things I really like to do in my life is complain,” so I’ve come up with some that are more accurate to the Salty Bastard Experience.

Imagine you and your daemon swearing at other drivers together.

Imagine the suffering of everyone else in the car, because there are two of you.

Imagine your daemon watching while you play video games and making fun of you every time you die.

Imagine writing a “strongly worded” email to a coworker, landlord, etc. and your daemon looking over your shoulder and giving you advice on how to make it more subtle, or more polite… or more blatantly passive-aggressive.

Imagine your daemon baring their teeth and snarling at people who try to make small talk on public transportation.

Imagine un-settled daemons intentionally turning into the largest form they can to strategically blockade the entire couch from their siblings.

Imagine your daemon actively encouraging you to turn on the sprinklers when the neighbors’ kids are in your front yard again.

Imagine instead of getting the children of people you hate a recorder or a kazoo as a present, getting them an “educational” picture book about extremely loud animals like the White Bellbird, because their daemons will definitely try out those forms.

God I fucking HATE Reginald Hargreeves because the Sparrow Academy is literally the biggest example of his own ego and abusive habits possible. His children travel back to before he adopts them and openly tell him he was a poor father, one of them literally shows him the physical deformities he left him with, they make it very clear that they are fucked up because of their childhoods and you know what he takes away from that experience? That it was their fault. It wasn’t his choices as a parent or his actions that caused a fucking apocalypse, but that his children just weren’t ‘strong enough’ to handle his abuse. That’s why he chose new people for the Sparrow Academy - because he believes the Umbrella Academy must have just been terrible people, not that he’s at fault for being an abusive father.

“…somewhere we’ll leave the world weighing no more than when we came, and the answer will be the same, your hand in mine, mine in yours, in that clearing where the angels come toward us…”

Max has chemistry with everyone in this cast... What a trio. Gotta love Lito "we had sex" and "heeyy" Will evolution 🤣

Sense8

Sense8

Birthday Aniquotes

It’s been awhile since I posted about this, so I thought I’d remind everyone that this is a thing I’m still doing! If you are following me, you can send me an ask or message telling me when your birthday is, and the quote I post on that day will be specially picked for you. 

I can’t promise specific quotes because I want to avoid a lot of repeats, but give me a few requests (characters, books, themes, ships, etc.) and I’ll match at least one of them, more if I can.

I will tag you in the post and wish you a happy birthday, but if you’d rather I didn’t, just let me know! Note: I have occasionally had trouble getting the tags to work, so my sincere apologies if that happens (and if anyone has any suggestions for fixing that problem, I’m all ears).

I originally committed to keeping this up through September 2021, but the demand hasn’t been overwhelming and I’m really enjoying it, so I think I’m going to keep it up indefinitely.

There are no deadlines - you can send me a request any time, but don’t wait until the day of or day before your birthday or I might not see it in time.

There’s also no limit: if you already sent a request this past year, and you want to do it again for your next birthday, that is totally fine!

I will respond to all asks and messages to let you know you’re on the list, so if you don’t hear back from me within 48 hours, try again to make sure I’ve gotten it.

I’ll be reblogging this post periodically as a reminder. I cannot stress enough how much enjoyment I’ve been getting out of this project, so keep ‘em coming!

some t*rf in my inbox: aphrodite told m-

aphrodite herself rising from the sea in a sea shell: shut the fuck up trans rights are human rights

Animorphs Battle Markings AU

This was actually an AU I came up with quite a while back but haven’t gotten time to develop. 

The premise is that in canon Animorphs (including Ax, and also any other morph-capable beings) don’t develop physical scars on their natural form from battle wounds received in morph. But in this AU, any injuries they receive in morph appear as skin discoloration/marks/conditions in their natural form.

Rachel and Jake develop freckles.

Marco’s skin peels.

Cassie has discoloration.

Tobias develops striping/speckles on his feathers.

Ax’s fur brightens and spots (and this happens with all Andalites).

As all scars, these marks can and will fade. But with their constant battling, it always comes back. Some of the more severe injuries leave very permanent/long lasting marks.

(meat of the post under the cut!)

Seguir leyendo

animorphs + favored battle morphs/true forms

Finally scanned all my Animorphs bookmarks.  

Yup.  My childhood.

Bestiary and wildlife.

Jake: *morphs a goldfish to forget everything for a little while*

Jake: *advances science’s knowledge of animals again*

Jake: Crap.

Apparently seals in Aberdeen have learned to climb onto a branch and rest there

Arboreal seals

I AM LOSING! IT!!

ARBOREAL SEALS

THE GODS AS CUTE STUFF THEY DO

Aphrodite: Always has some candy in her pockets so if she meets little kids or someone sad she can cheer them up. She bewitched the candy so it’s always the favorite flavor of the person who eats it.

Hermes: Lets his friend catch a ride on his back if they’re in a hurry and there’s mad traffic. Never asks anything in return because he secretly loves normal people’s reactions to flying.

Dionysus: Reads every single post on Hestia’s blog and comments encouragements on her poems under fake names.

Hephaestus: Has an almost unhealthy addiction of adopting small stray animals for a few nights. Tried to rescue a venomous snake that was in danger of freezing once and got bitten. Had no regrets because the snake survived.

Hestia: Cooks for the family and packs their lunch in little name-coordinated boxes. Everyone pretends like they are way too mature for stuff like this but they love it.

Ares: Wears each and every friendship bracelet he’s received from kids over the literal thousands of years on his belt.

Artemis: Organizes themed Christmas greeting cards, succeeds in getting everyone in the pic (“even uncle Hades and his idiotic dog”).

Apollo: Plays the guitar and sings around campfires. Somehow manages to not be really fricking annoying while doing so. And in his own words: Doesn’t kill Hermes every time he asks for Wonderwall.

Demeter: Names plants after people she likes and grows a section of “cheer up herbs”, that smell like a combination of cotton candy and wild flowers when touched. She gives a batch to everyone from time to time to prevent family disasters. Dinnertime catastrophes decreased since she started.

Athene: Reads books in her spare time to kids and elderly. Sometimes she tells stories from her past instead of what’s actually in the book. Kids love her.

Persephone: Takes care of Cerberus when Hades is away. Acts like they don’t really get along but absolutely spoils the dog when it’s just the two of them. They even sleep in the same bed.

Hera: Somehow senses when someone in the family is in trouble. Hermes and Dionysus have escaped death thanks to this mom power several times.

Hades: Hosts the best game nights ever. Unlimited snacks, games, everything you can think of. Apollo once made fun of him and now game night’s only once every 6 months but it’s still awesome.

Poseidon: Gathers and repairs stuff that’s fallen into the sea and gives it to those in need under anonymous donations.

Zeus: Dresses up as Santa every Christmas to fly around the city real low and waves at kids who spot him from their window. Insists on keeping his beard all year long so he can “Stay in character. Method acting, ever heard of it?”

The old gods are not dead

I hear Athenas war cry in the shouts of protests,

fighting a war now closer to home,

I see her in the young women with picket signs

clenched tightly in their fists

Hera curses the names of the abusers

The ones who break families and marriages

Her voice heard in the wedding bells of young lovers

Poseidon now resides in a beach home

Going out every night to pick of trash left by the day

Shooting daggers at the drunk men letting their bottles be swept away

Demeter can be heard cursing the politicians refusing to believe in global warming

Names of scientists and studies on the tip of her tongue

She is found teaching young children how to grow their food at the community garden

Ares is found on the front lines of a different war, not fighting but protecting the innocent

Guiding classrooms of children away from gunfire,

His shield protecting the terrified

Apollo can be found at opens mics

Reciting his latest works

Or walking down the street in docs on his feet and a guitar on his back

He knows he’s the coolest

Artemis is seen on the streets

Her bow and arrow have long left her

Carrying nothing more than a knife and mace

She hunts a different kind of monster now

Hephaestus resides in a workshop at all hours of the night

Creating custom pieces for the right price and a warm smile

The hammer making him feel invincible

Aphrodite’s song is heard in the breathy kisses of teenagers

Shes found walking down the street, lips a blood red

Punching the men who dare disrespect her  

Hermes is seen with a smirk as he walks long well-traveled roads

Delivering the messages of those needing to be heard

Traveling, telling stories, and wearing out another pair of shoes

Dionysus’s voice heard only over the pounding bass in the bar

Keeping watch over young girls drinks

Dancing, partying and living as he throws another one back

Hades is seen weeping over the graves of those taken much to soon

Looking to his wife for comfort

He’s long lost his faith in humanity

Persephone found in the gardens beside her mother in the spring

Brushing off girl’s dirty knees and putting flower crowns on their heads

She can be seen holding onto hades as he mourns the loss of life

Hecate will be found running metaphysical shops

Bringing hope to powerful women wanting more

Selling potions, nobody thinks will work

And collecting graveyard dirt for a new spell

Zeus is watching over everyone

Watches Athena cry

Hera curse the men, he being one of them

Poseidon’s glares

Demeter’s harsh words

Ares raising his shield

Apollos singing

Artemis as she tracks a new beast

Watches Hephaestus work

Sees Aphrodite punch

Hears Hermes words

Sees hades weep

And Persephone plant and comfort her partner

And grins as Hecate keeps magic alive

The old gods are not dead

They are alive

And they are watching

- Sayali C.

What form would your daemon take?

In the world of His Dark Materials, what would your daemon appear as?

this was a long undertaking but i’m beyond excited to post what i believe is the most comprehensive daemon-finding quiz to date, featuring 34 categories of animals and over 320 total possible outcomes! from insects to owls to seals to wild cats, you’re sure to find a unique result that fits your personality.

tag or comment what your daemon would be! :) mine’s a cocker spaniel!

EDIT: the quiz has two parts, the category which this post links to (34 options), and then the specific animal within that category (5-15 options) which you’re linked to once you get your result!

“Five kids with a death wish.”

Animorphs mood boards. Jake, Cassie, Marco, Rachel, Tobias, Ax.

Hey everyone, an Animorphs fan who describes themself in their bio as an “authoritarian” and a “nationalist” just followed me. This made me realize to my horror that perhaps some of my Animorphs followers are fascists. So, I would like to make a few announcements about the politics of Animorphs so that all fascist followers will promptly fuck off. Did you know that Animorphs is:

Anti-war and colonization (the Yeerk war is a metaphor for the horrors of the Vietnam War, in ways that are made explicit in The Andalite Chronicles when Loren compares Alloran to her father, a Vietnam vet)

Anti-genocide (the genocide of the Hork-Bajir is portrayed directly and gruesomely by Dak Hamee, one of its victims, in The Hork-Bajir Chronicles)

Anti-racist (Cassie, a black girl heroine, turns into a polar bear to terrorize a white man who calls her the N-word, one of the greatest most heroic minor characters in Eva, a Latina immigrant)

Deeply skeptical of government authority (see the portrayal of world leaders in the David trilogy, the fact that the military leadership of the Andalites was ready to genocide the Earth even though they could have ended the war with much less loss of life)

Feminist (Cassie and Rachel are just as important as the male Animorphs, Rachel is the most fearsome warrior of the group and regularly attacks men who try to control her)

Anti-homophobic (Tobias laments in book 23 that humans are unlikely to accept Hork-Bajir when they can’t even accept gay children)

Environmentalist (the importance of protecting the Earth and its biodiversity is raised in nearly every book)

Any authoritarians and fascists can unfollow me right now, and go choke on your own hatred. And maybe find another book series to stan, because Katherine Applegate hates you too.

Here's a collection of hundreds of books about magic, religion, history, the occult and witchcraft.

The server is updated weekly with more books, all of which are vetted by experienced practitioners and organized in an easy to consume way.

Do you think the form of a dæmon is determined in part by the dæmon’s personality rather than just the persons?

I was going to answer this in the morning, but now I can't stop thinking about it lmao

I had never thought of it this way, but I actually think that might be the case. Even before the new daemon lore (introduced in TBOD) Daemons showed something of their nature and their human's rather than represent something, if that makes any sense (it might not). People in Lyra's world are born perceiving the message a daemon conveys about them and their human: they don't need to translate it into words, they simply see a daemon and their shape and make assumptions, or even get feelings, about what that person might be like. Very rarely these feelings are inaccurate (there's an example of this "mistake" in Serpentine, but Lyra isn't super observant, so she isn't reliable).

My point is, yes, I think a daemon's form is based on both personalities. I don't know if canonically I can 100% back this opinion, but the daemon lore is volatile and loose, so I think this is a decent take on them. Daemons, of course, don't show just personality but much more and it goes much deeper than just superficial emotions. They show spirituality and psyche, as well as their own nuances of all these things, so it's a bundle of force of nature, in my opinion.

Pan would be a decent example but I want to use the monkey, with his golden fur and his vicious behavior. The monkey, when violent, is the opposite of Marisa: she is a creature of appearance and etiquette, hiding her nature behind mask and lipstick and sweet words. The monkey is raw wrath, and he is obsessive and impatient. But, both her qualities and his qualities are present in each other: she is as animalistic as he can be and he can make use of sweet words and playing nice. His form shows who she is, who they are: beautiful and savage.

Now just to add some spice before I go to sleep: if this is really the case and daemons take on both personalities, it would be interesting to see Daemons taking a form that is much closer to the person's personality than their own, because they favour the human (who has the strongest physical presence). Having distinct personalities in this scenario could cause a daemon to resent their human, for having such a powerful influence in their own free will.

I love conflicting daemon/human relationship.

Many of the political attacks on trans people—whether it is a mandate that bathroom use be determined by birth sex, a blanket ban on medical interventions for trans kids or the suggestion that trans men are simply wayward women beguiled by male privilege—carry the same subtext: that trans people are mistaken about who they are. “We know who we are,” Page says. “People cling to these firm ideas [about gender] because it makes people feel safe. But if we could just celebrate all the wonderful complexities of people, the world would be such a better place.”

Page was attracted to the role of Vanya in The Umbrella Academy because—in the first season, released in 2019—Vanya is crushed by self-loathing, believing herself to be the only ordinary sibling in an extraordinary family. The character can barely summon the courage to move through the world. “I related to how much Vanya was closed off,” Page says. Now on set filming the third season, co-workers have seen a change in the actor. “It seems like there’s a tremendous weight off his shoulders, a feeling of comfort,” says showrunner Steve Blackman. “There’s a lightness, a lot more smiling.” For Page, returning to set has been validating, if awkward at times. Yes, people accidentally use the wrong pronouns—“It’s going to be an adjustment,” Page says—but co-workers also see and acknowledge him.

Whatever challenges might lie ahead, Page seems exuberant about playing a new spectrum of roles. “I’m really excited to act, now that I’m fully who I am, in this body,” Page says. “No matter the challenges and difficult moments of this, nothing amounts to getting to feel how I feel now.” This includes having short hair again. During the interview, Page keeps rearranging strands on his forehead. It took a long time for him to return to the barber’s chair and ask to cut it short, but he got there. And how did that haircut feel?

Page tears up again, then smiles. “I just could not have enjoyed it more,” he says.

ELLIOT PAGE for TIME Magazine › 2021 interview by Katy Steinmetz, photography by Wynne Neilly

littlebusinesslibrary.com

Can I ask for a dæmon aesthetic for us? My dæmon's name is Kleytos, he's form is an euroasian otter and we love the sea and witchcraft🥺🥺

Thank you in advance

Here you go! Hope you like it! ✨✨

list of mundane things that feel like ancient human rituals

cleaning or wipe your bare feet

breaking off a piece of bread and handing it to someone

putting the weight of a basket on your hip or head

eating nuts or berries while hunched over close to the ground

seeing something startling just out of your line of sight and very quickly stepping or leaping on to a larger object to get a better view

cupping your hands into running water to wash your face

the unanimous protection of a baby or child in a public space where women are present

when an elderly woman laughs and grips your forearm tightly

parents who tell their daughters they are ugly are bad parents

Meta/Document Fic: Daemons and settling

(I don’t know, guys. This thing just happened and demanded to be written. Excerpt from a college student’s sociology paper on daemon settlement.)

(Un)settled: An analysis of atypical patterns of daemon morphic fluidity

The ‘standard’ pattern of morphic fluidity in daemons is a bell curve[1], punctuated by the long tail of settled adulthood. The brief window of infant stability, transitioning to the rapid-fire shifts of childhood peaking around age ten, before slowly dropping to a stable set of preferred shapes and ending with settlement into a final adult form by the point of legal adulthood.

There is no public conception of non-traditional settlement except as a stigma, a moral failing. Non-traditional settlement is pathologized, treated as a sign of mental illness at best, moral depravity at worst. [2] This refusal to teach or consider other settlement patterns leaves many of the most vulnerable members of society out in the cold.

In this essay, I will discuss the most common alternate settlement patterns: delayed settlement, precocious settlement, two-stage settlement, long-phase polymorphic settlement, short-phase polymorphic settlement, traumatic resettlement, and traumatic unsettling.

Delayed and precocious settlement are both recognized medical conditions, akin to disorders related to puberty and development. [3] Two-stage settlement, polymorphic settlement, and trauma-based settlement patterns meanwhile fall under the umbrella of psychiatric disorders. [4]

Delayed settlement is defined medically as any daemon settlement after the age of sixteen, but is not considered ‘serious’ unless a daemon remains unsettled past the age of majority. The oldest recorded settling was Bazhenov Vyacheslav|Emiliya at 39 years old. [5]

Precocious settlement, on the opposite end of the spectrum, is daemon settlement before age thirteen.[6] Precocious settlement is most diagnosed in boys, despite studies [7] which suggest girls are three times as likely to settle precociously than boys are. The youngest recorded settlement was Faraji Shabani|Jahaira at five years old. [8]

Two-stage settlement, also known as ‘false settling’, is defined by the DSM-5 as ‘periods of involuntary quasi-settlement, where a daemon is morphically stable for a minimum of six months’.[9] The DSM-5 definition is not without controversy – proponents of neuro-morphic theory argue that ‘quasi-settlement,’ by definition, is only applicable to daemons who retain metamorphic ability. 10]

Long-phase and short-phase polymorphic settlement are marked by limited retention of metamorphic ability. Polymorphic daemons have a set range of forms – as few as two, or as many as twenty [11] have been recorded. In contrast to unsettled daemons, polymorphs often describe their shifts as involuntary or situation-based. (e.g. a polymorph is always a yorkshire terrier at home, but shifts to a husky while at work.) [12] The division between long and short phase polymorphs is largely artificial, useful more for describing the entire population than any one individual. A polymorph who shifts more than once a month is considered a short-phase, one who shifts less often is a long-phase. [13]

Traumatic resettlement and unsettlement were, until recently, treated only as symptoms of PTSD. [14] The DSM-5 reclassified them as trauma disorders in its own right, [15] which has drawn disapproval from multiple groups.[16]…

THIS IS SO IMPORTANT

Simon’s friends in the movie were so mean to him. After he was blackmailed they left him on the sidewalk in tears. And were straight up RUDE. 

Simon’s friends in the book were so fiercely protective of him. After martin outed him they stayed by his side and glared at anyone who even looked at him sideways Abby nearly beat up some bully’s and they all stayed with him nearly the entire day to make sure he was okay.

Conclusion book Simon’s friends deserved all the love and movie Simon’s friend’s do NOT.

this has been a psa 

New girl in my Sunday school class: Are you a girl?

Me: No, but people used to think I was a girl.

Girl: Oh. Is that why the other teacher called you (deadname)?

Me: Yes, that’s my old name I used before I told people I’m not a girl. But I haven’t used my new name forever so sometimes (other teacher) forgets.

Girl: Okay. I’ll remember to use your new name! *bounces over to the toy cars*

…….

Me: I want you to start calling me Mx instead of Miss. Okay?

Little boy: Okay. *violently stabs crayon into paper* Mx Roman, I broked the crayon.

Me: That’s probably because you stabbed the paper with it, buddy.

…….

3 y/o : Are you a boy or a girl?

Me: Sometimes I’m a boy. Sometimes I’m not a boy or a girl.

3 y/o: *proudly puffs out chest* I’m a girl all the time.

Me: Good for you, kiddo.

3 y/o: I know.

…….

Preschoolers understand better than any adult I’ve ever met.