Zodiacal Light

The tiny beauties. 30s, nocturnal, queer, witch, they/them. A perennial lurker who browses and posts in bursts.

[ankhiale]

So this is me

officially coming out. Well, pseudonymously, on tumblr, where no one I know in meatspace reads this, but still. I’ve put bits and pieces of this out there, in various places, to various people, before, but here I am putting it in one place all in a piece. Why? No special reason, except that I promised myself that this year I am going to be myself, bravely.

I’m in my 30s. I’m agender, aromantic, asexual. I prefer they/them pronouns, for now. I prefer to be known as queer, because it feels like my whole package in one nice short word. I’m a pagan with a strong relationship to tricksters, witches, and nighttime gods, and it feels to me that queer often encompasses that too.

I’ve spent a lifetime hiding all this because it was never really the right time, the right place, the right whatever to come out, but I am approaching 40 and frankly no longer give a shit.

So, hi.

Also, for the record, I go through phases of never being on Tumblr and then binging the blogs of people I follow, plus I’m shit at tagging. And if I reblog a post multiple times it’s because I have a shitty memory. I hope none of that makes me too obnoxious.

[homunculus-argument]

There's a fascinating phenomenon that isn't unique to tumblr, but which I have certainly seen here a lot, which I'm going to call the Default Assumption of Incompetence. It's when somebody has the baffling habit of always starting from the assumption that other people do not know anything about anything, or at least that having more knowledge than the assumer is extremely rare and statistically unlikely. To do this, they will frequently go out of their way to ignore context clues that indicate otherwise, or in some cases the assumer simply doesn't know enough about the subject at hand to be able to estimate whether or not this person knows what they are doing.

The assumer will see a social media post about someone's mushroom harvest, which clearly only contains exactly two distinct kinds of mushrooms, which the poster has identified and correctly named in the post itself, and the assumer will feel compelled to warn the forager to be careful out there! Some mushrooms are poisonous and they should be very careful to only pick ones they can identify! The assumer, who has ignored the fact that the poster did identify both of the mushroom species they had picked, and can most likely be trusted to do so in the future as well, has naturally assumed that the person showing off the results of their latest mushroom haul must have been obliviously picking them at random like an unsupervised toddler who is lucky to be alive.

If someone makes a post talking about how they just got a new job as a bus driver, the assumer might swoop in to warn them that driving a bus is extremely dangerous! It's so dangerous that it's literally illegal to do that unless you have a specific special training for doing that! Even a normal driver's license isn't good enough, you need a special license for it! And when the person who just got hired as a bus driver verifies that yes, they know that, they do have the license to drive a bus, and that they wouldn't have even hired someone who doesn't. The first question of the job interview was about making sure that they have a valid license for driving this type of vehicle.

"Well how was I supposed to know that?" is the assumer's standard answer to being corrected. Not embarrassed or apologetic, only defensive and insulted, as if the other person here is the one being unreasonably rude for implying that it was stupid of the assumer to assume that someone who just got a job driving a bus might not know how to drive a bus.

[wiisagi-maiingan]

I cannot believe I have to say this but porn bots and scam bots are not harmless. Spreading them is not justifiable on the very slim chance that they are legit. These bots are used to spread viruses and malware and steal people's personal information, including bank info and social security numbers. Even if all they can get from someone is a one-time payment of money, that is still theft and a loss that many people cannot afford and in a lot of cases, that cash is used to fund things like human trafficking.

We know this. It's a proven fact with tons of studies and investigations. Scam farms are very real, very dangerous, and becoming more and more prevalent.

You cannot share posts that are almost definitely scams on the off chance that they might not be just because "it's only a few bucks!" The majority of the tumblr users making those donations are poor themselves and trying to help out in whatever way they can with the little money they have to spare. That few bucks is monumental to many of us and if we're going to give it away, then we want to know it'll actually go to organizations and people who need it, not to scammers or traffickers.

[purlturtle]

People in crisis do not make Tumblr blogs to ask for help.

(above is from the notes, absolutely agree.)

Anyone who already *is* on Tumblr and is legit asking for help will NOT DO SO by sending spam asks to random people. Or spam message. Or spam reply to a random post. Or spam-@ you.

"Vetting" is one spammer okaying another, and has become UTTERLY MEANINGLESS.

A lot of these scam bots also use heartwrenching, sometimes triggering war pictures (at this point often AI) and incredibly pressuring and guilt-baiting language. "Don't look away!" "We only need x!" etc. - This is all part of the method, to give you a bad conscience, and/or goad you into giving because it's just such a small amount.

I know this can be especially difficult with any form of elevated/divergent empathy, or moral OCD, that kind of thing, but keep telling yourself the truth: the pictures are not real. The messages are not real. This is a bot.

Don't fall for any of this.

Report for spam, block (happens automatically on desktop, you gotta manually do it on mobile), delete.

[dalniente]

Source: UN Office on Drugs and Crime

The other surprising aspect is the contrast between the lives of the people who were forced often against their will to live and work here and the sheer scale of wealth of the people who were in charge of the compound. [...]

[...] people don’t actually have to leave and can stay here for months.

However, even if they wanted to leave, they could not, as we’ve heard from people who were rescued from these centres. Some have been tortured and been subjected to unimaginable violence on a daily basis as punishment for wanting to leave or for failing to reach their daily quota in terms of money scammed from victims. There’s a huge amount of human suffering on this compound.

There are multiple types of victims, the people who are being scammed around the world, but also the people who are trafficked here held against their will and who are exposed to violence.

There are loads of other sources available if you search "scam farm." Be advised that many articles - like this one - contain personal accounts of torture and may be difficult to stomach.

"Signal boosting just to be safe" is not safety. You are handing money to the owners of trafficked slaves so they can expand their operations. If you want to help the people trapped in these compounds, donate to organizations like:

Dark Bali

Chab Dai

IOM Thailand

It may be tempting to think "but if I send money to a scammer, then I'm still helping someone who might really need help," but following that impulse means you are ultimately funding more human trafficking. Sending your funds to a group tackling the problem at its source will help get these people out and ensure you don't create more victims.

[crazycatsiren]

Grimoire - Hellenic Polytheism

Hellenic Polytheism In General: HP 101: Where to start Hellenic polytheism - free (and reliable!) resources Megapost: Resources for Hellenic & Roman Polytheism Things Every Baby Hellenic Should Research/Know Adult Home Study for Hellenic and Roman Polytheists Considering the Hellenic Pagan as an Identity 10 Myths About Hellenismos The Thing About Myths A Clash of Tales: How to Reconcile Conflicting Myths The Gods are not their myths! Some points on Orphism The difference between "religion online" and "online religion" Lets have a chat: about research in recon How to determine if a book on mythology is legit? Hellenic Polytheism: Evaluating “How-to” Books Why learning Hellenic Polytheism (or really any other pagan current) on Tumblr aint a good idea

Concepts And Practices: Khernips A follow-up on pollution and purification Miasma vs. Lyma Thoughts on cognitive hygiene and pollution Spiritual protection in the Greco-Roman world The Hellenic Gods Aren’t Malicious Towards You. Deepening your relationship with a deity Why personal devotion matters Things the Gods Get Mad at Mortals For On Household Worship Zeus Ktesios and the Kadiskos Children in Ancient (Athenian) Festivals Basic Prayer Formula Dissecting the Anatomy of Prayer Kharis: The Reciprocal Relationship with the Gods Invoking Kharis Xenia, and why it is our duty as Hellenic polytheists/pagans to be anti-racist and anti-fascist Pillars of Hellenismos "Pillars" of Hellenic Polytheism… A Rant Oaths and Hellenic Polytheism Hellenic polytheism and witchcraft Witchcraft in Hellenismos Magic in Hellenismos: An Introduction Ingredients of Ancient Greek style reconstructed magic Magic idea: using the Iliad (and Odyssey) for magic Popular Divination Methods in Ancient Greece Introduction to The Underworld as Understood in Ancient Hellas Practical tips for Hellenic Khthonic Ritual Things you could put in a devotional journal Moral and Ethical Guidelines food & worship.

Religious Offerings: Extravagant Offerings Are Unnecessary Libations Effects of Libations in the Garden Basic Hellenic Offering Ritual Historical Hellenic Offerings How to Make an Offering as a Hellenic Polytheist (based on historical methods) dolls as votive offerings Traditional Offerings: water, barley, hair, fruits and nuts, Jewelry, salt

Hellenic Pantheon: Pantheon of the Greek Gods Resources for Cult Epithets of the Greek Gods Theogony What Are Epithets? Choose Your Starter Theoi Modern Hellenic Polytheist Household Deity Worship Agathos Daimon Household rituals for the Agathos Daimon The forgotten ones: on honouring obscure gods Nymph Worship Honouring the Nymphai - The maidens of nature. Ourea: The Mountain Gods Potamoi: The River Gods Offerings to local river gods (potamoi) Hero Worship Hero worship 101 - The basics Hero Worship 101 - Which hero should I worship? How do I contact them? Worshipping Zeus: part I, part II, part III

Festivals And Sacred Days: Libation days in Hellenismos The Attic Calendar Hekate's Deipnon Noumenia Noumenia Agathos Daimon Deipnon, Noumenia and Agathos Daimon Prayers Attempting to set up a "holiday decoration" box Example Modernisation of an Ancient Greek Festival Calendar manipulation in Ancient Greece

My personal posts and resources: My Posts Related to My Practices

My Hellenic deities: The Goddesses In My Life

[thecollectibles]

Art by Apofiss

[victoriansecret]

I didn't think it was possible to shorten words verbally without removing syllables but sailors managed.

[victoriansecret]

boatswain -> bosun main sail -> mains'l tree nail -> trunnel etc. etc. etc.

[ltwilliammowett]

May I add a few more?

coxswain - coxsun

crossjack - crojik

forecastle - fo'c'sle - folksil

gunwale - gunnel

mast- mist

sail- sill

schooner - skunner

tackle - taykull

topgallant mast - t'garns'l mist

topgallant sail - t'garns'l sill

[hervey-gervey-chip]

based on the research i've done (and lived experience) of nautical linguistics- the syllables are the most important part of the word! for every command- historically and on modern tall ships, the command must be repeated by the crew exactly is it was heard: no conjugation, no changing of word order, nothing (referred to as a "call-back"). so it makes sense that these words are shortened in this manner.

boats are big, the ocean is loud, and there's a lot of stuff that gets in the way of words traveling coherently across the deck. it's also so rare to get a command when you aren't already entrenched in something else, and so may not be able to turn your head before acknowledging that you've heard. i've linked an NPR article from 2015 about how words travel in different environments, but basically the big takeaway for this scenario is: consonants get lost easily in windy or obstructed environments. there's been many a time (even in fair weather) where i'm having a conversation, on the opposite side of the boat, or even down below when an order is given, where i just hear the cadence of a command i'm familiar with and know immediately what i'm supposed to be doing.

on particularly well-practiced crews, i notice that even the tonal pattern of the officer giving the command is repeated. even without the tonal match, it's critical for the officer to have immediate feedback AND immediate response. when you get an order, you lay into it with urgency; therefore, if you repeat just as you head to your station, redirection can be given swiftly if an incorrect order has been transmitted, BUT if you heard it right the first time there's no delay in the task.

Did The Language You Speak Evolve Because Of The Heat?

People speak very differently depending on where they live, and the climate and environment might have something to do with that. Crisp Engl

quick example (callback italicized):

"haul away!" "haul away" clear! exactly the same! i know they heard and the sail is doing the thing!

"haul away" "hauling" sounds an awful lot like holding.. is something wrong? did we forget something? was someone not ready? oh the sail is going up they said HAULing

also explains @ltwilliammowett 's example of "topgallant sail - t'garns'l sill" ... in "gallant" and "garns'l," less than half the consonant sounds are the same but the SYLLABLES match. its just the representation of what the garbled mess that comes across the deck usually sounds like for that Specific Thing!!!

[victoriansecret]

Merging these versions because they're both really interesting!

[dajo42]

does anyone else remember when peoples talking point against asexuality being a queer identity was to make up a cisgender heterosexual but aromantic man who wanted to get in to all the lgbt society meetings or was that just an embarrassing thing people i knew did

[dajo42]

the question was always "do you really think that guy should be allowed in" and it was like.... first off you made him up to get mad at for some reason. second off yeah he can come in if he wants. hes aromantic of course he can. other stuff doesnt matter to me. what are you a cop. why are you policing peoples identities so hard

[janokenmun]

[fuckyeahchinesegarden]

suzhou gardens in autumn and early winter by 茂茂茂, 灵邪-Rin, 想要一颗榴莲糖

[dipnomorpha]

i fucking hate people who are like "no one has a right to live alone, just have roommates if you can't afford it, i had them for so long" etc because every single person my age that i know has a horrific roommate/housemate story. i genuinely believe that being able to afford living alone is deeply important for human dignity and also like, sanity, and i also think you should be able to throw your roommate out of a window if needs must

[wizardarchetypes]

i love truck stops in winter bc i love a little good old fashioned reconnaissance. i’m at a wyoming truck stop eating taco bell with a bunch of random truckers discussing road conditions like we’re in a high fantasy tavern & inn and we’re warning each other about monsters and highway men. everyone talking about where we’re coming from and going to and how bad it’ll be getting there.

THE tallest man i’ve ever seen in real life just stopped me in the hallway by the coin operated laundry apropos of nothing and asked “which direction are you going?” i said east and he said “good” and walked away.

i caught up with him and asked why and he said “west’s no good right now. i just came from there.”

apparently a truck jackknifed and has traffic backed up ten miles but he sounded for all the world like he just found his village raised to the ground by an evil mage’s army

[rosslynpaladin]

...it's super cool in a 'historian with goosebumps' kind of way that this whole experience is essentially timeless.

As long as we've had ROADS or even game trails this

very scene

has played out in brush shelters, shrines, taverns, inns, post stations, and hotel lobbies.

Humans, out upon the Ways, where danger may be, sharing information because we live when we cooperate and share and we all know it out there.

[prokopetz]

An incomplete taxonomy of esoteric texts:

This text is discussing esoteric subject matter

This text is being deliberately obscure because its author knows they don't have a coherent thesis and they're blowing smoke

This text is written in earnest, but its author has very poor communication skills

This text's translator has misunderstood something that was meant completely literally as a complex metaphor

This text is actually perfectly straightforward in its native language, but every available translation fucking sucks

[clonerightsagenda]

I was rambling on the issue of museums and human remains and how certain populations are more likely to have their bodies put on display to be gawked at and then went "well I guess the Pompeii casts were of Europeans. there are bones in there right?" and Googled it to make sure, at which point I confirmed that yes there are bones in there, but more interestingly DNA testing revealed that a cast of an adult holding a child everyone assumed was a mother and child were, in fact, a man and a kid entirely unrelated to him. Honestly that's more moving to me. Maybe they were connected in a way other than blood, but maybe a stranger saw a child when the world was ending and thought the one thing he could do was hold them.

[naamahdarling]

People who argue that it is in human nature to be cruel and ruthless, and that only the fittest should survive, any of that crap. They could not be more wrong. It is in human nature to love and to protect. Or we would not any of us fucking be here.

[headspace-hotel]

the problem i have with the whole "humans and nature as opposed and mutually exclusive forces" style of environmentalism is that it discourages people from a sustainable, mutualistic relationship with the ecosystems around them, because getting resources from an ecosystem is Bad. Therefore it requires you to think that parts of Earth that provide resources are not ecosystems.

this is where you get unbelievably stupid crap like the "half earth" project that proposes "protecting" half of Earth's land mass as nature preserves, never mind how we choose what half or what happens to the other half.

this type of environmentalism literally encourages people to think of their own presence as excluding or cancelling out "Nature."

And so people think of their lawns as Not Ecosystems, as Not Nature, so they cannot think "How do i live in right relationship with my ecosystem, as its caretaker?" This is death to ecological thinking.

The lawn was consciously created by intention and design, with heavy machinery that was manufactured, sold, and operated, it is not spontaneously created by fumes that the human body gives off.

You act upon the land, now time to learn what you are doing, and who you are doing it to.

[mad-dyspunktional]

The way people started talking about making their feminism intersectional and then completely failed to do so by ignoring the way marginalizations interplay with, augment, and at times even decrease the access to privilege someone has on another axis.

The way people started talking about privilege and oppression and then failed to realize that privilege is not an innate trait and is granted by society and thus, if society overwhelmingly does not recognize you as a member of a privileged class (or sees you as a heavily flawed member), your access to that classes privilege is shaky at best and just flat out not there at worst.

[solitaryfossil]

[necrodivergent]

It’s called the foot-in-the-door method. First, you propose something that is slightly outside of allowable norms: denying gay people wedding cakes on grounds of “religious freedom”. Then, you slowly ramp up how extreme your demands are, coercing the other side to giving a tiny bit of ground each time, until you’ve shifted the entire fucking playing field. Conservatives are also very fond of the door-to-face method, which is demanding something completely outlandish that you know will be refused, and then asking for something less ridiculous by way of compromise, again resulting in a gradual shift in norms until views that were once considered moderate or reasonable become unthinkably liberal by destroying people’s sense of standards. The combination of these methods is called the “foot-in-the-face” method, which sums up where this whole thing is headed quite nicely.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Door-in-the-face_technique

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot-in-the-door_technique

[unthrifty--loveliness-deactivat]

Hey remember how you guys kept saying “why not just go to another bakery”? 

[sushigal007]

[strongermonster]

perhaps some will disagree, but i think the world got worse when we changed the colour of the night

[strongermonster]

this is what i mean

[degenderates]

Via @bulbaderp

[itistimetodisappear]

To be clear, THIS is how nights of the future should be lit

This is bat friendly street lighting, which not only looks sick as fuck but allows bats to pass through without disturbance, as they cannot see red.

orange and especially white lights deter bats and prevent them from reaching feeding grounds at nighttime. Please if you can, write to your local council and encourage red street lights!!!!

[anarchistmemedistro]

ALSO! red light doesn’t fuck up human night vision much so you can go in and out of lit areas without readjusting

[anarchistmemedistro]

[makerio90]

red light gang rise up

[discoursedrome]

monks debating whether vows of silence should still allow you to leave emoji reacts on the monastery groupchat

[gallusrostromegalus]

So a guy I went to middle school with now works in the vatican and according to Cam, the rules on:

Whether you can leave emoji reacts in the groupchat

Whether you can leave regular messages in the groupchat

Whether you can HAVE a groupchat

Whether you can have Electronic Devices

-vary from one silent monastic order to another, but none of them have ever successfully banned "Long trail of increasingly hostile post-it messages on the fridge".