RUE

it’s better this way. a little lonelier, but better.

[slowianeczka]

Character traits in Polish, Russian and Ukrainian

Ukrainian - Russian - Polish - ENGLISH

1. активний - активный - aktywny - ACTIVE, ZESTY 2. безкорисливий - бескорыстный - bezinteresowny - SELFLESS 3. пасивний - пассивный - bierny - PASSIVE 4. халібний - жадный - chciwy - GREEDY 5. хитрий - хитрый - chytry - SLY 6. терплячий - терпеливый - cierpliwy - PATIENT 7. ніжний - нежный - czuły - AFFECTIONATE 8. добродушний - добродушный - dobroduszny - GOOD-NATURED 9. добрий, хороший - добрый, хороший - dobry - GOOD 10. вихований - воспитанный - (dobrze) wychowany - WELL-MANNERED 11. допитливий - любознательный - dociekliwy - INQUISITIVE 12. дотепний - остроумный - dowcipny, błyskotliwy - WITTY 13. гордий - гордый - dumny - PROUD 14. стійкий, мужній - храбрый, мужественный - dzielny - BRAVE 15. ексцентричний - эксцентричный - ekscentryczny - ECCENTRIC 16. енергійний - энергичный - energiczny - ENERGETIC 17. балакучний болтливый - gadatliwy - TALKATIVE 18. дурний - глупый, дурной głupi, durny - STUPID 19. гостинний - гостеприимный - gościnny - HOSPITABLE 20. чемний, ґрецгний - вежливый - grzeczny - POLITE 21. примхливий - капризный - humorzasty, kapryśny - MOODY 22. корисливий - корыстный - interesowny - SELF-INTERESTED 23. контактний - контактный - kontaktowy - OUTGOING 24. легковажний - легкомысленный - lekkomyślny - RECKLESS 25. лінивий - ленивый - leniwy - LAZY 26. мовчазний - молчаливый - małomówny - TACITURN 27. розумний - умный, мудрый - mądry - CLEVER 28. милий, приємний - милый - miły - NICE 29. наївний - наивный - naiwny - NAIVE 30. нетерплячий - нетерпеливый - niecierpliwy - IMPATIENT 31. аморальний - аморальный - niemoralny - UNMORAL 32. соромливий - застенчивый - nieśmiały - SHY 33. нетактовний - бестактный - nietaktowny - UNTACTFUL 34. нечесний - нечестный - nieuczciwy - DISHONEST 35. недовірливий - мнительный - nieufny - DISTRUSTFUL 36. нечемний - невежливый - nieuprzejmy - IMPOLITE 37. лицемірний - лицемерный - obłudny - HYPOCRITICAL 38. байдужий - равнодушный - obojętny - INDIFFERENT 39. відповідальний - ответственный - odpowiedzialny - RESPONSIBLE 40. мужній, відважний - мужественный - mężny, odważny - BRAVE 41. стриманий - сдержанный - powściągliwy - RESTRAINED 42. відкритий - открытый - otwarty - OUTGOING, OPEN-MINDED 43. спокійний, врівноважений - спокойный, уравновешенный - spokojny, zrównoważony - BALANCED, EVEN-TEMPERED 44. запальний - воспалительный - porywczy - HOT-TEMPERED 45. порядний - порядочный - porządny - DECENT 46. серйозний - серьезный - poważny - SERIOUS 47. працьовитий - трудолюбивый - pracowity - HARDWORKING 48. пристойний - приличный - przyzwoity - DECENT 49. рухливий - подвижный - ruchliwy - AGILE, LIVELY 50. сентиментальний - сентиментальный - sentymentalny - SENTIMENTAL 51. скупий - скупой - skąpy - AVARICIOUS, STINGY 52. скромний - скромный - skromny - MODEST 53. спостережливий - наблюдательный - spostrzegawczy - OBSERVANT 54. справедливий - справедливый - sprawiedliwy - JUST 55. спритний - бойкий - sprytny - CUNNING, SLICK 56. сумлінний - добросовестный, собросовестный - sumienny - CONSCIENTIOUS 57. суворий - строгий - surowy - HARSH, STRICT 58. симпатичний - симпатичный - sympatyczny - NICE 59. щирий - искренний - szczery - FRANK 60. щедрий - щедрый - szczodry - GENEROUS 61. шляхетний - благородный - szlachetny - NOBLE 62. сміливий, мужній - смелый, мужественный - śmiały, mężny - BOLD 63. тактовний - тактичный - taktowny - TACTFUL 64. товариський - товарищеский - towarzyski - SOCIABLE 65. чесний - честный - uczciwy - HONEST 66. отзывчивыйы - отзывчивыйы - uczynny - HELPFUL 67. довірливий - доверчивый - ufny - TRUSTFUL 68. поступливий, покірний - покладистый, покорный - uległy, pokorny - COMPLIANT 69. впертий, упертий - упрямый - uparty - STUBBORN 70. ввічливий, увічливий - вежливый - uprzejmy - KIND 71. талановитий - талантливый - utalentowany - TALENTED 72. вразливий, чуйний - впечатлительный - wrażliwy - SENSITIVE 73. вередливий - прихотлиивый, привередливый - wybredny - PICKY 74. вимогливий - требовательный - wymagający - DEMANDING 75. пихатий - горделивый, важный, высокомерный - wyniosły, pyszny - HAUGHTY 76. поблажливий - снисходительный, терпимый - wyrozumiały - LENIENT 77. наполегливий - настойчивый - wytrwały - PERSISTENT 78. замкнений - замкнутый - zamknięty w sobie - RESERVED 79. запальний - воспалительный, запальчивый - zapalczywy - HOT-TEMPERED 80. самовпевнений - самоуверенный - zarozumiały - CONCEITED, BIGHEADED 81. принциповий - принципиальный - zasadniczy - PRINCIPLED 82. ревнивий, заздрісний - ревнивый, завистливый - zazdrosny - JEALOUS 83. здібний - способный - zdolny - SKILLED 84. злісний, злобний, недоброзичливий - язвительный, злобный, злостный - złośliwy - MALIGNANT 85. злий - злой - zły - EVIL 86. доброзичливий, привітний - доброжелательный, приветливый - życzliwy - KIND, WELL-WISHER 87. агресивний - агрессивный - agresywny - AGGRESIVE 88. амбітний - амбициозный - ambitny - AMBITIOUS 89. нахабний - наглый - bezczelny - INSOLENT 90. боязливий - боязливый - bojaźliwy, strachliwy - TIMID 91. цинічний - циничный - cyniczny - CYNICAL 92. чарівний - очаровательный - czarujący - CHARMING 93. деспотичний - деспотичный - despotyczny - DESPOTIC 94. дратівливий - раздражительный - drażliwy - HUFFISH 95. дипломатичний - дипломатический - dyplomatyczny - DIPLOMATIC 96. грубий - грубый - grubiański - BOORISH 97. шумний - шумный - hałaśliwy - NOISY 98. істеричний - истеричный, истерический - histeryczny - HYSTERICAL 99. інтелігентний - интеллигентный - inteligentny - INTELLIGENT 100. іронічний - иронический - ironiczny - IRONICAL 101. брехливий - лживый - kłamliwy - LYING 102. чварний, сварливий - склочный, сварливый - kłótliwy - QUARRELSOME 103. влюбливий - влюбчивый - kochliwy - AMATIVE 104. лояльний - лояльный - lojalny - LOYAL 105. ненажерливий - прожорливый - łakomy - GLUTTONOUS 106. настирний - настырный - nachalny - BOTHERSOME 107. непередбачуваний - непредсказуемый - nieprzewidywalny - UNPREDICTABLE 108. божевільний - сумасшедший - obłąkany - INSANE 109. образливий - обидчивый - obrażalski - QUICK TO TAKE OFFENCE 110. жорстокий - жестокий - okrutny - CRUCIAL 111. загрубілий - загрубелый, чёрствый - oschły - SNIPPY 112. благоговійний - благоговейный - pobożny - DEVOUT 113. винахідливий - изобретательный - pomysłowy - INGENIOUS 114. сором'язливий - застенчивый - wstydliwy - BASHFUL 115. пунктуальний - пунктуальный - punktualny - PUNCTUAL 116. марнотратний - расточительный - rozrzutny - EXTRAVAGANT, WASTEFUL 117. розсіяний - рассеянный - roztargniony - ABSENT-MINDED 118. скептичний - скептический - sceptyczny - SCEPTICAL 119. галантний - галантный - szarmancki - GALLANT 120. терпимий - терпимный - tolerancyjny - TOLERANT 121. упереджений - предубежденный - uprzedzony - PREJUDICED 122. веселий - весёлый - wesoły - CHEERFUL 123. владний - властный - władczy - BOSSY There may be added more words to the list in the future.

[vigilantsycamore]

The Polish language does an interesting thing with augmentatives (for those who don't know, that's like a diminutive but in the other direction) where augmentatives of grammatically masculine words tend to be grammatically neutral while augmentatives of grammatically feminine words remain grammatically feminine

So żaba ("frog", grammatically feminine) becomes żabula (still grammatically feminine)

But ptak and kot ("bird" and "cat" respectively), which are grammatically masculine, become ptaszydło and kocisko, which are grammatically neutral

Also, aside from indicating larger size, augmentatives also have a connotation of what I can only describe as Thing-ness

[candybanshee]

towards a gentle academic

be up front and honest about the things you do not know

acknowledge the intrinsic value of others’ knowledge bases, even if they do not seem important to you from your institutional context

do not feign mastery where you have none

respect the gaps in others’ knowledge bases

be generous, not only with others

but also with yourself

you overwork yourself at the risk of legitimizing a culture of overwork 

privilege voices and perspectives that have historically been left out of the academy

nothing is ever neutral or apolitical

support the progress of other scholars

collaboration over competition

[chapelofmyheart]

Casting Lots

Let's talk about the ancient Hebrew divination practice.

What were they, and what purpose did the hold?

Casting lots (a more formal term being cleromancy) was a form of divination that was popular among the Israelite tribes but before Yahwism/Judaism became a formal religion, lots were used in many societies. These societies believed in multiple gods, so they used lots to contact their lesser deities and ancestors. Back to the Israelites, though, the main purpose of casting lots was to make decisions without bias, divide property, and to determine the will of God. This practice is mentioned many times throughout the Bible.

Old Testament:

Leviticus 16:8

Numbers 26:55

Joshua 18:10

1 Samuel 14:41-42

Esther 3:7

Proverbs 16:33

Jonah 1:7

New Testament:

Matthew 27:35

Luke 23:34

Mark 15:24

John 19:23-24

Acts 1:26

How were lots made, and how were they used?

Historically, lots were usually made from things like wood, bones, stones, pottery shards, and even glass (I'd suggest using glass craft pebbles to be on the safe side if you choose to make glass ones). Originally, lots depicted symbols on each, which eventually became the Hebrew alphabet. Despite being an alphabet, each letter contains a symbolic meaning, so there is no need to learn Hebrew in order to cast lots.

Lots are quite simple to make. After picking your medium of choice, draw one of the 22 Hebrew letters on each lot. You can use the modern version or one of the traditional versions of the alphabet. If you would like to use lots for yes or no questions, you can simply use mediums of different colors, symbols, or words to differentiate the two to make it easier to read. Lots can either be drawn or tossed, depending on how you want to use them and what you are asking God.

Here are the meanings:

Easy lessons to learn how to read the the ancient pictographic Hebrew script, the precurser script to Paleo-Hebrew, which was in use from an

(I would suggest writing down the meanings of the alphabet so you have something to look back on while doing readings.)

Casting lots are very similar to the practice of runes in norse religion and bone throwing. More modern practices that share similarities are tossing a coin, rolling dice, and picking sticks from a cup.

[psalmicwitch]

You Should Take Communion at Home 🍞🍷: A How-To for Folks Who Never Have

Also known as: My Protestant-ism is really going to be showing with this one (Sorry to some Catholics).

(Why You Might Wish To Take Communion at Home)

In my faith life, I'm a United Methodist. While many things differentiate being UM from being another denomination (as there always is!), a big part of it is communion. John Wesley, who began the path of what we now call Methodism, "...regards Holy Communion as itself a “converting ordinance” which brings spiritual renewal to the baptized Christian who takes Holy Communion." (1)

Sometimes we all need a little spiritual renewal. In the witchy/folk practice, I may even call this cleansing or grounding. To me, communion is all of this, and a way to connect with my God, a means of grace that was ordained by Jesus himself. You could use this as an evocation or an invocation, a cleansing before a ritual/working, or a method to ground after.

Not belonging to a church because of your theology or practice doesn't mean you don't get to practice the sacraments (specifically talking about baptism and the eucharist (communion) here, since those are pertinent to my faith). To find a way to practice sacraments at home is both a way of honoring how your faith differs from the church, and lets you live out Christianity without sacrificing your solitary practice.

You can also do this if you belong to a church (I do), because you may want to partake in the eucharist more often than your church provides, or want a more private experience.

A liquid. Wine is traditional, grape juice is common, and anything is acceptable.

A bread. Unleavened, a loaf, a wafer, or just about anything is common.

A cup. Just a vessel to hold your liquid. I do have a chalice; you don't need one. You got a favorite mug? Use that.

If you've never experienced several types of communion, I'm about to say some words that you're unfamiliar with. Pick what resonates.

Standard: Bread first, wine second.

Intinction: The bread is dipped in the wine. The bread is eaten, and the wine typically goes on to be used for further individuals. In our practice, it can either be discarded or drunk.

Transubstantiation: The bread and wine actually change into the body and blood of Christ during consecration.

Consubstantiation: The true body and blood of Christ are present "in, with, and under" the forms of bread and wine. 

Symbolic: The bread and wine are symbols of Christ's body and blood

This can be shortened to whatever you need. Need to run out the door but want your Jesus? Shorten it. I'm not a big stickler for what's "required" for communion. Some churches require a full service before communion can be instituted. Most require a clergyperson to have blessed the elements. This is about as long and drawn out as I can make it. I'm a huge fan of ritual and ceremony.

Assemble your Holy Space. This could be an altar, if you have one, or something like your kitchen counter. Whatever it is, if you have the time and energy, physically clean this space; this helps you hold reverence for the items that go upon it. Light a candle, burn some incense, play some music, do something that makes you feel reverent.

Gather your elements, placing them on your Holy Space. You can wave smoke over them, trace a sigil over the cup, something meaningful. That's optional, though; we'll consecrate our elements traditionally in a minute

If it's part of your faith, confess your sins or failings to God. It's not part of mine, so I'll let you decide what that means to you.

Open by reading the passages where communion is instituted, Luke 22:14-20 or Matthew 26:26-29 (you could read the whole chapter, or even shorten these further.) OR pray over the elements, something like "Christ, be present in this bread and this cup, and in me."

Consecrate your elements. If you're reading the scripture, or as you mention each element in your prayer, present them as you do it. As Jesus breaks the bread, hold it over your own head and do the same (Yes, even if it's a cracker). As he blesses the cup, also hold it over your head.

Take your elements. Traditional language is “This is the body of Christ, given for [me]" / "This is the blood of Christ, shed for [me]," each statement followed by you receiving the element (this differs if you're practicing intinction, I'd state the first, dip, state the second, then receive). If you're not into that language, something like “This bread connects me to Christ’s love” / “This cup connects me to Christ’s covenant,” would also be great.

Kneel, sit in silence, etc. Some like to kneel to receive, some kneel in prayer after. Extend this moment, sitting under the grace of communion for as long as feels right. Don't rush away, if possible.

My relationship with God is broader and often more personal than a once-a-month communion can provide. Taking communion is deeply private to me, and something I've always wanted to do with more frequency. I hope I've provided not only the idea of taking communion at home, but also a method that can be easily altered to fit your life.

And if you're Catholic and don't believe this is communion, don't worry, you also believe the communion I take at church is fake too (a real thing I've heard from a Catholic priest. Much love to my Catholic siblings anyway).

Whenever we practice faith outside a church, as I think we should all do, not just practitioners, the sacraments are often locked behind those Sanctuary doors. I think they shouldn't be. Jesus never says, only do this when you have a clergyperson to institute it, he says, "do this in remembrance of me."

[servantofthefates]

Shielding is entirely pointless.

Its supposed purpose is to prevent the wrong beings from entering your sacred space during a ritual.

But as long as you invoke the right beings, the wrong ones will automatically be shut out.

It is like inviting a king to your house. No impostors would dare come in and tell their lies when the real deal is already inside.

A true king has every right and all the power to make his malicious impersonators suffer or die. No pretender has the courage to put their very existence on the line.

Make sure you invoke your higher power respectfully. Anything beyond that is completely unnecessary.

[servantofthefates]

THREE SIMPLE & EFFECTIVE SPELLS

Banishing Spell

If there is someone who has been harassing you, ask the powers that be to take them away from your vicinity.

Lock yourself in a bathroom, with a piece of natural paper, a wooden pencil and a black candle in hand.

Light the candle, and write on the paper the name of your villain. Pass the paper over the candle as you recite to the divine the reason you want this person out of your life.

When you are done expressing your worries, burn the paper and stare at it until all of it is ash. Blow out the candle as you thank the higher powers for their assistance. Then throw it away.

The people I have recently given this spell to have seen their abusers getting stuck in faraway places during and even after the lockdown.

Problem Solving Spell

If you are facing a dilemma, be it practical, intellectual or moral, ask your higher self for the best solution.

Acquire a small handful of these herbs: rosemary, lemon balm and peppermint. When combined, they invite clarity of mind.

Create a tiny sack from one of your old clothes. It does not have to look beautiful, but you need to sew it yourself. Put the herbs inside it.

Before you sleep, place the sack beneath your pillow, imploring your higher self to help you arrive at the best approach to your problem.

The solution will come to you in your dreams, as a straightforward answer or as symbols that will have a relevant meaning.

Pain Relieving Spell

If you are suffering from pain —physical, emotional or spiritual, activate the healing powers of salt, light and water to cleanse it all away.

On the witching hour, at three o’clock in the morning, run a hot bath for yourself. Place a cup of bath salt in the water.

Light as many tea light candles as the pains you wish to cure: one for your headache, another for your sore legs, a third one for your heavy heart, and so on. Place these candles on the bathtub ledge by your feet.

As you dive in and soak your body, visualize the heat of the water draining away your pains… the sharpness of the salt dissolving them quickly… and the light of the candles melting away any hurt left.

As the warmth of the water fades away, so will your every pain.

[servantofthefates]

Why are traditional spells so goddamn weird?

Because ancient grimoires reflect the reality of their time.

Old love spells often require you to take something from your target because photographs did not exist yet. Even once they did, it was much simpler to grab a hair from someone’s coat than to steal their photograph from inside their home.

And who else would you cast a spell on if not the guy next door who would be so easy to borrow a handkerchief from? People’s worlds were small. There was no social media, TV or frequent travel. The only men most women were interested in were the ones right in front of them.

Many ancient vengeance spells require the body parts of a hanged man because such corpses littered the streets back then. They would be left there for months, even years, to deter people from committing crime. Cutting a piece of their skin was as easy as picking an apple from a tree.

Animal sacrifice too was rampant because livestock were valuables. People’s wealth was measured mostly through the size of their land and the number of cows in their farm. Not through the model of their Apple Watch or the carat of gold in their necklace — things that some offer as sacrifice these days.

This truth is not restricted to spells. It applies to things like literature too. Poets could write hundreds upon hundreds of words about trees and rivers alone because they are what surrounded them back then. Now we are surrounded by malls, McDonald’s and Starbucks. That is why today’s poets often write metaphors about coffee, shopping and whatnot.

When reading ancient grimoires, keep that in mind. These witches’ reality was different from ours. Although, in traditional witchcraft, the goal is to stay true to the old path. As true as sensibility allows.

[the-writers-society-deactivated]

Are These Filter Words Weakening Your Story?

After putting my writing on hold for several weeks, I decided to jump back in. I expected to find all sorts of problems with my story–inconsistencies in the plot, lack of transitions, poor characterization–the works. But what began to stick out to me was something to which I’d given little thought in writing.

Filter words.

What are Filter Words?

Actually, I didn’t even know these insidious creatures had a name until I started combing the internet for info.

Filter words are those that unnecessarily filter the reader’s experience through a character’s point of view. Dark Angel’s Blog says:

“Filtering” is when you place a character between the detail you want to present and the reader. The term was started by Janet Burroway in her book On Writing.

In terms of example, you should watch out for:

To see

To hear

To think

To touch

To wonder

To realize

To watch

To look

To seem

To feel (or feel like)

Can

To decide

To sound (or sound like)

To know

I’m being honest when I say my manuscript is filled with these words, and the majority of them need to be edited out.

What do Filter Words Look Like?

Let’s imagine a character in your novel is walking down a street during peak hour.

You might, for example, write:

Sarah felt a sinking feeling as she realized she’d forgotten her purse back at the cafe across the street. She saw cars filing past, their bumpers end-to-end. She heard the impatient honk of horns and wondered how she could quickly cross the busy road before someone took off with her bag. But the traffic seemed impenetrable, and she decided to run to the intersection at the end of the block.

Eliminating the bolded words removes the filters that distances us, the readers, from this character’s experience:

Sarah’s stomach sank. Her purse—she’d forgotten it back at the cafe across the street. Cars filed past, their bumpers end-to-end. Horns honked impatiently. Could she make it across the road before someone took off with her bag? She ran past the impenetrable stream of traffic, toward the intersection at the end of the block.

Are Filter Words Ever Acceptable?

Of course, there are usually exceptions to every rule.

Just because filter words tend to be weak doesn’t mean they never have a place in our writing. Sometimes they are helpful and even necessary.

Susan Dennard of Let The Words Flow writes that we should use filter words when they are critical to the meaning of the sentence.

If there’s no better way to phrase something than to use a filter word, then it’s probably okay to do so.

Want to know more?

Read these other helpful articles on filter words and more great writing tips:

Filter Words and Distancing Point of View

The Reasons Editors reject Manuscripts

Filter Those words and Strengthen Your Writing

[deansdirtylittlesecretsblog]

@spnfanficpond

[sitting-1n-silence]

Creating a spirit womb

A "spirit womb" is what I call a tool I use to bring spirits into this world. With the aid of this empowered bowl or pot you can give life to new beings, allowing them to be born into vessels in our realm.

The bowl/pot should be about the size of a human head, or big enough to hold a small/medium doll. Smaller spirit wombs can be useful as well for birthing spirit seals, which can be put into spirit vessels, instead of whole vessels.

Making a spirit womb:

To prepare your chosen object wash it out with consecrated water, cleansing it of all it's pasts uses. Dry it out, and then fill the vessel with incense smoke and let it dissipate. Cover the vessel with a black cloth and let the object rest untouched for about a day.

After at least a day as passed, bring out the vessel during a time when the sun is not shining or in a space where daylight can't reach. Bring the vessel to a cemetery, or bring cemetery dirt to the vessel. Fill the bottom with about an inch of dirt, then allow incense/tobacco smoke to fill the vessel too. Declare that this vessel strip all things put into it of their past, allowing them to be cleansed and born anew. Recover the pot with the black cloth, and let it sit for at least 1 night.

When at least 1 night has passed, empty the dirt inside the pot and save it. Now take the vessel to a place where plants grow in abundance, such as the woods, a farm, gardens, etc in the daylight. Gather dirt from this land, giving offerings to it's spirit as you do, and fill the pot once again with about an inch of dirt. This time adding a sprinkle of water, then raising the open vessel towards the sun, declaring that this vessel allow all things placed inside it to grow new life inside it, and be born from it with might and vigor. Allow the vessel to sit in the sunlight (either in this spot, or in a window) until it sets.

When the sun has set the vessel you've prepared is ready to be put to use. Take it to where you work your magic, and empty out the content into the same container the the cemetery dirt that once filled it. Allowing them to mix, with your right hand mix the soils further with a clockwise motion. As you do feel the power in the dirt coil and rise like a serpent, traveling up your arm and into you. Take the same hand, and now place it over the vessel palm down, saying a prayer to the land calling on it's gestational and fertile forces. Begin putting the combined dirt into the pot with your right hand. Stop when you feel satisfied or a sense of pressure on/around your hand. Leave this dirt base in the pot, and save this extra dirt should you need to replenish it.

Raise up your vessel, declare it a "womb of spirit", where any spirit you wish may be brought forth through. Sit with the your newly created tool, feed it offerings of bread, honey, and wine. Burn and candles and incense in it's honor. Allow it to give you it's name and teach you how to use and adorn it if you so wish.

Utilizing the spirit womb:

Once your spirit womb has been created/consecrated you may begin the process of birthing new spirits. To do so, make or acquire a vessel for this spirit being born. It can be pouch filled with herbs/stone, a statue, doll, or simply a spirit's seal. Whatever the spirit's vessel it to be place it inside the womb. If the object can't be sealed inside the bowl/pot then cover it with a black cloth. Ask the womb to lend it's fire to this spirit, allowing them to grow in/through the pot. Feed the spirit womb offerings of water, fire, bread, and wine so it has the force to lend the growth of this spirit.

This spirit will tell you when it's ready to born, often through dreams or divination. Frequently spirits need about 3 days to gestate, sometimes 9. Spirits that are fully formed in the Other and simply being put into a vessel may only need 1.

When the spirit is born into their new vessel they must be baptized with holy water, given their name, and their fire so they may carry out any desired work. When baptizing the spirit anoint their head with water in the shape of a cross, then anoint the vessel with oil (if using a doll, this should be done of their hands, feet, and eyes). When this is complete, hold the vessel over the womb declaring them born and wrap them in a while cloth like a new born. Clean up the vessel, let it rest for a night, and then in the morning you may begin putting the spirit to work.

[lunarsilver]

Polish superstitions about luck

There may be similar (or even the same ones!) in other countries, especially the neighboring ones, but I know for sure that these superstitions are a thing in Poland; that's why I titled this post the way I did. I don't think the list is complete, so feel free to add more.

! I think it goes without saying that just because I'm putting them on the list, it doesn't mean everybody knows all of them or believes in them.

The ones popular in many other cultures and, therefore, the most obvious ones are: a black cat crossing your path heralds misfortune, walking under a ladder brings bad luck, and so does breaking a mirror.

What I find interesting is that the phrase "knock on wood" in Polish is "odpukać w niemalowane drewno" which translates to "knock on unpainted wood". Often shortened to "odpukać w niemalowane" ("knock on unpainted [wood]").

In the past, Polish housewives in the countryside would grab the chimney sweep by his button to make him check their chimney first, as long as he was still clean, and his clothes wouldn't dirty the house. Because of this, there is this superstition that grabbing a button when you see a chimney sweep brings good luck.

If you go out somewhere but realize you forgot something, after you come back to your house to grab it, you should sit down and count to ten, or something bad may happen to you.

If someone wishes you good luck ("powodzenia"), you shouldn't thank them. I and some other people I know say "nie dziękuję, żeby nie zapeszyć" ("no thanks so as not to jinx it"). I basically explain why I don't say "thank you" because I don't want to be rude. The idea is that it didn't happen yet (whatever that person wished you good luck with), so you should rather thank them afterward.

If you find a coin on the ground, breathe on it with your mouth (make a "huh" sound) and put it in your pocket to have good luck with money, to multiply them.

Don't say goodbye or hello at the doorstep. Either both of you are in the house or out of it. Otherwise, it can bring bad luck. I'm pretty sure this superstition is also a thing in other cultures. It comes from the belief that a handshake when one person is in the safe house and the other is in the much more dangerous outside world comes with a risk of inviting some unwanted, bad powers into your house.

If you say a possibility of something bad happening to someone (even if you say that you don't want that to happen, like "just let nothing bad happen to them"), you should spit it out behind your back. Actual spitting is rather gross, of course, so people rather opt for an onomatopoeia of spitting, like "ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!". Again, it's to not bring this bad thing that you said to them.

[fictionadventurer]

Those "modern fairy tales where the princess saves herself" types of books not only misrepresent the gender roles in fairy tales (there are tons of stories where girls get to save the day), but they fundamentally misunderstand the entire genre.

Fairy tales aren't about saving yourself.

These aren't epic myths or heroic legends about the great warriors who slay every monster in their path because they're so awesome. Fairy tales are almost always about ordinary, even incompetent, people who get thrown into strange situations where they only succeed because of the help of others.

It's not a gendered thing. The boy who goes off to seek his fortune is usually the dim-witted third son whose older brothers are the strong, smart ones. The third son succeeds because he is kind to the magical helpers who then complete the tasks for him--and the exact same thing happens when a girl is the main character.

The characters in a fairy tale rarely succeed because they embrace their own strength and take their own path. Much more often, they are told step-by-step what to do, and they succeed because they obey--respecting the wisdom of others.

The core virtue of a fairy tale is not pride, but humility. It's not a story about the strong, but those who are weak, small, helpless. The people who can't do it all on their own, but can recognize the worth and wisdom of others.

Turning this story into a "girl power" (or even a "boy power") story warps it into something that is fundamentally the opposite of a fairy tale, and it has nothing to do with the gender of the main character.

[theambitiouswoman]

Every time you begin a new month ask yourself

(1) what should I stop doing

(2) what should I start doing

(3) what should I keep doing

[pollen]

Mary Oliver, from "Dogfish"

[lunamonchtuna]

— Mary Oliver, from The Gardener (via lunamonchtuna)

[classycookiexo]

[leninisms]

is this the end of all the endings? … come one come all it’s happening again… hand on the throttle thought i caught lightning in a bottle oh but it’s gone again… how did it end? ……… he’s got my heartbeat skipping down sixteenth avenue… i can’t find a pulse my heart won’t start anymore for you… stopped CPR after all it’s no use….. clearing the air i breathed in the smoke… six weeks of breathing clean air i still miss the smoke……. i want to teach you how forever feels… you and me forevermore… he saw forever so he smashed it up…….. your integrity makes me seem small you paint dreamscapes on the wall… when your impressionist paintings of heaven turned out to be fakes well you took me to hell too………. but i’m a fire and i’ll keep your brittle heart warm if your cascade ocean wave blues come… don’t want no other shade of blue but you… you sacrificed us to the gods of your bluest days……… all’s well that ends well to end up with you… and i’ll still see it until i die you’re the loss of my life…………….