calsifère

[heikala]

Cozy

[demilypyro]

good thing this here internet box exists. back in the 12th century or whatever i would have had to shout my bullshit from the window

[demilypyro]

me hanging out my window in the dead of night, 1127 AD: I HAVE TWELVE TOES AND SEVEN EYES

a guardsman, already aiming for my nuts with his crossbow: SHUT YON FUCKETH MOUTH

[vegan-yums]

Vegan Thanksgiving ideas

Thanksgiving wraps

Butternut pecan sweet potato casserole

Holiday stuffed mushrooms

Holiday seitan roast

Green bean casserole

Mushroom wellington

Quinoa stuffed squash

Stuffing muffins with mashed potatoes and gravy

White bean pot pies

Roasted thanksgiving bowl

[lexa-bro]

hey. it’s me, your local trans guy, trying to start up his transition. i’m 18, about to graduate highschool, and i need all the help i can get. some of the major transitions i’m trying to do include:

changing my name (which is $200+ alone, and i’m located in Michigan)

seeing a gender therapist (the nearest one is an hour away and the waiting list that i’m on is ridiculously long, so i’ve been looking into others)

finally starting hrt (testosterone)

getting top surgery as soon as possible (i will have to get the double incision method, and it’ll cost around $5,400 for the surgery alone)

i’m hoping that this gets around to a lot of people, my paypal is https://www.paypal.me/ofmq if anyone can help. even the smallest amount means the world to me, and i would be forever grateful. thank you for taking the time to read and share. also, if you message me i’m more than willing to answer any questions you wanna ask or if you need photo proof i’m actually a teenager or whatever, it’s fine!!

[lexa-bro]

hey, please reblog this post if you see it on your dash!

[recreationalwitchcraft]

Back to School Magic

Motivation & Organization:

Motivation Charm Bag Storm Witch’s Motivation Potpourri  Flames Within (for Motivation and Passion)  Study Success Spell Herbs for Studying and School Charm to Light A Fire Under Your Ass  “I’m Tired, I’m Dying” Tea Spell Worker Bee Spell for Productivity  Stones for School and Education  “Get Shit Done” Bottle Going to Class Tea Spell  Study Aide and Test Success Spell  Concentration Sachet  Energy Shower Scrub

Meeting New People:

First Day Friendship Spell Crystals for Social Anxiety Friendly Glamour Beauty & Confidence Glamour Creative Conversation Mints Make you shine: Confidence Spell Goddess Glamour Bath Friendship Charm

Stress & Anxiety:

10 Minute Guided Meditation Stress Fix Bath Anti-Anxiety Smelling Salts Anti-Anxiety Chant Water Spell to Soothe Anxiety Anxiety Reducing Oil Blends Essential Oils for Anxiety and Depression Reduce Stress Sigil Anxiety Relief Jar Spell Crystals to Carry for Anxiety  Reduce stress sigil

Stellar Self-Care:

Soothing Bath Spell  Busy Bee’s Overworked Pick Me Up Spell Collection of Self-Love and Self-Care Spells  More Self Care

[jebiwonkenobi]

Once upon a time I worked in this little burger/coffee/ice cream shop and a lady came in one winter and asked if we had a caramel apple drink and we were like ‘well we have cider’ and she was like ‘no I don’t remember what it’s called but this place made a drink that was chai tea, apple cider, and caramel’ and Breezy offered to try and make something for her but she changed her mind and left so Breezy and I were like ‘alright let’s try this’ because we had chai tea, instant cider mix, a shit ton of caramel, instant hot water from the espresso and too much free time. 

And let me tell you it was delightful. It tastes like watching the leaves changing color and dancing in the wind. It tastes like picking out pumpkins and gourds and fresh apples at the farm up north. It tastes like witches and freedom.

I make it every year now and this year I walked in the house on the morning of October first with all the ingredients and shouted ‘FALL DRINK’ and my roommates were like ‘????’ so I made them Fall Drink and now every time they get home from work they’re like ‘Fall Drink pls?????’

Anyway I remember literally nothing else about that woman but I’m very grateful to her. 

[lightrises]

for anyone wondering about proportions/etc here’s op’s answer from the repiles:

[orriculum]

instead of wheel of the year im using wheel of witchblr discourse that makes the rounds every few months to tell time and figure out when to plant and harvest my crops.

my new sabbat list includes:

someone doesnt understand the 3fold law is only a wiccan thing and starts curse-shaming non-wiccans for cursing

the “blessed be” debacle happens again, creepy invasiveness be damned

people conflating wicca with witchcraft / gatekeeping other people’s crafts

cultural appropriation in droves so we have to bring out the afterschool special ^tm posts (special addition, appropriating person says “i was that race, but like,,in a past life”)

someone wants to shame people who like aesthetics, calls them “fluffy bunnies”

TEH BURNING TYMES WERE REAL AYE TELL YEA AND I SAW GOODY PROCTOR WITH TEH DEVIL

“witchcraft is only for cis womyn uwu✿ ” bullshit, sometimes even brought back by terfs that dont even practice witchcraft ??¿?

someone has a problem with other people using emoji spells, despite no one forcing this rando to use emoji spells. 

“love spells are basically rape” discourse happens about the same as a blue moon

this shit happens like clockwork man im telling ya

[magicianmew]

This is perfect. Someone make the graphic.

[orriculum]

ask and ye shall receive @magicianmew

[orriculum]

That time of year again! Elitist bullshit makes the rounds like clockwork, under the impression that anything they say is new and witty 😂

[stormwaterwitch]

@witchiestsuggestions was this that wheel of the year you were looking for?

[femme-fatale-witch]

Witchy Podcasts

🚨long post🚨

🔮Hi everyone! This is a detailed resource on podcasts about witchcraft, spirituality, wellness, creativity, entrepreneurship, queer life, and everything in-between. I hope these become inspirational tools to give you something new for your practice or for your life. I have taken the time to listen to some episodes of the podcasts and I hope the info given is useful! I love listening to podcasts while I drive or while I write, and some of the episodes I recommended have been ones that made an impact on the way I think about my craft.

👉Most of these podcasts can be found on iTouches, Stitcher, Patreon, YouTube, or on their own websites.👈

*some of these paragraphs are paraphrases of the “about” page on the podcast*

(Also note that some of the recommended episodes cover similar topics across the board: I did that so people who are familiar with the concepts can see that they are offered many times with different perspectives, if that makes sense?).

Happy Listening!!💜🖤

~⭐️Nova Rhea

•🔮WitchWave- with Pam Grossman, who is a writer, curator, and teacher of magic and its history. She is the author of What Is A Witch and her writings have been featured in Sabat, Huffington Post, MSN, and Abraxas Journal. Her art shows have been featured in The New York Times and Art in America. She also launched a WitchEmoji sticker pack for iMessage. She currently lives in Brooklyn. Each episode is an interview with someone who is a leading visionary in art, culture, or the occult and they discuss witchcraft. Recommended episodes: Judika Illes (author of 5,000 Spells and other essential witchcraft books), Jessyka Winston (of Haus of Hoodoo), and Gabriela Herstik (author of Craft: How to Be a Modern Witch).

•🔮Hippie Witch- with Joanna Devoe, who is a writer, an artist, and a front-woman of the band Obedient Waves. She’s a very peppy, high-energy host with episodes that talk about Harry Potter philosophy in witchcraft, Stephen King book club, and discusses modern-day topics in a fun, newsie way. Recommended episodes: Rethinking Toxic Terms + Black Panther Magick, The Life of a Psycho-Spiritual Witch, and Spiritual Rewiliding.

•🔮Serpent Cast- a weekly podcast about sex and spirituality by VICE/Broadly astrologer Annabel Gat and GQ/Allure sex writer Sophie Saint Thomas. Featuring expert interviews, magical product reviews, esoteric books, and musings on aliens, herbs, feminism, queerness, and the occult. Recommended episodes: The Fitness Witch, Ammo O’Day, Bri Luna, Hoodwitch, Chelsea Selby, Witch Baby Soap, and Khi Armand: Shaman, Root Doctor, and Houngan.

•🔮Living Open- is a podcast for mystics and seekers hosted by Tarot reader, Reiki practitioner, and yoga teacher Eryn Johnson. Explore these topics along with crystals, meditation, travel, entrepreneurship, activism, and more. Recommended episodes: Folk Tarot Reader and Witch Tess Giberson on Magic as Your Birthright, Crystal Resonance Therapists Christel Alberez and Nerissa Alberts on Intuitive Crystal Healing, 11-Minute Chakra Opening Meditation, and Yoga Teacher Kassandra Reignhardet on Lunar Yoga and Yin Yoga as Shadow Work.

•🔮Self Service- with Jerico Mandybur, who is an LA-based writer and editor of Girlboss Radio. This is your cosmic comfort zone, an “inner-beauty school” where self-care is celebrated, where getting real with emotions is a treat, and an interest in thoughtful, funny conversations, weird wellness and astrology is unabashed. Episodes have astrology reports with Jessica Lanyadoo. Recommended episodes: How to Be a Spiritual Activist, Crystals 101 and What to Do with Crushes in Astrology, What About Women of Color in Wellness?, A Sober-Curious Guide to Sobriety with Ruby Warrington.

•🔮The Fat Feminist Witch- Paige, the self-acclaimed fat, feminist witch. It’s a podcast with ranting, raving, and wand-waving! Paige examines witchcraft and paganism from a modern perspective featuring topics such as author interviews, magical ethics, social justice, law, and witchcraft from around the world. Recommended episodes: Chakras Plain & Simple, #WitchNBitch-Witch, Ya Basic!, Glamour Magic with Deborah Castellano.

•🔮Your Own Magic- hosted by Allie Michelle & Raquelle Mantra. This podcast connects you with inspiring artists, wellness experts, humanitarians, spiritual leaders, entrepreneurs, and other influential visionaries who are living magic and making an impact. Recommended episodes: Energy Muse: the Crystal Episode, Koi Fresco, Enlightenment, Soulmates, and Astral Projection, Jill Wintersteen: Astrology, Dreamcatchers, and Strengthening Intuition, Shaman Durek: The Spirit Hacker, Sahara Rose: Doshas, Dharma, Kriya, and Karma.

•🔮WitchCraftsy- with Amy Lynn. This podcast is a place for any Dreamweaver looking for healing, inspiration, and conversation about all things occult and taboo. Topics include healing heartbreak, spirit guides, astral planes, sex magick, death, community, and breaking patriarchy. Recommended episodes: Craft of Conjure: How do you Hoo Doo? With Loretta “Loo” Ledesma, Spiritual Factors of Illness & Health with Herbalist Raven Rose, Queer Hip-Hop with Kitty Crimes, Witchy Spiritual Lessons- Where the People Are.

•🔮Sovereign Society- hosted by Sabrina Riccio, a medicine priestess, soulistic alchemist, and speaker from Joshua Tree ,California. This is a detailed, extensive podcast on topics such as kundalini yoga, astrology, psychedelics, shamanic breathwork, Reiki, sound medicine, chakra system, spiritual leadership, business design, metaphysics, self-love, and conscious health living. Recommended episodes: Upleveling to Your Authentic Radness with Luke Storey, Connecting With Loved Ones on the Other Side and Radiating Your Holiness with Arielle Ford, Spiritual Bypassing + Upleveling with Kundalini Yoga with Krisa Reierson, Aligning and Activating Your Sacred Business with Brianna Rose.

•🔮Priestess Podcast- with Julie Parker, founder of The Beautiful You Coaching Academy where she trains people to become life coaches, and is the Editor-in-Chief of COACH magazine. She is a published author and speaker. She is a priestess that focuses on Celtic, Balkan, Iberian, and Greek lineage. This podcast has interviews and intimate conversations about the divine feminine, goddess culture, women’s spirituality, and spiritual business. Recommended Episodes: Mariah McCarthy on the Divine Feminine & Being Non-Binary, Gala Darling on the Modern Witch, Jessica Reid on Clairvoyancy and Channeling, Sarah Magdalena Love on Queer Magic, and Hibiscus Moon on Crystal Power.

•🔮Almost 30- with Krista Williams, creator of The Hundred Blog and has been featured in Women’s Health, Self Magazine, and Refinery 29; and Lindsey Simsick, actress, singer, model, and SoulCycle instructor. This podcast focuses on wellness, entrepreneurship, spirituality & self-development. Recommended podcasts: How to Expand Your Consciousness + Align Your Chakras with Reiki Healer Milana Snow, Modern Mystic + Sexuality Goddess Alexandra Roxo, Relationship Coach + Teacher John Wineland Parts 1 & 2, and Jill Willard on Becoming Intuitive.

•🔮Highest Self with Sahara Rose- she is the best-selling author of the Idiot’s Guide to Ayurveda, which is critically acclaimed by Deepak Chopra. She discusses how to tune into your life, find your purpose (or Dharma) and how to be the best person you can be. She goes into detail on Ayurveda and other similar practices that can transform your life. Recommended podcasts: How to Balance Your Chakras Through Dance, Activating Your Shamanic Roots with Shaman Durek, Who is Your Highest Self?, and How to Spiritually Grow Through Ease.

•🔮That’s So Retrograde- Elizabeth Kott and Stephanie Simbari have been coined “the Ab Fab of the new age.” Merging pop culture, wellness, and spirituality together in one podcast, these women deliver conscious conversations with realness and humor, all while providing tips and expert insight to guide listeners to their most enlightened path. Recommended episodes: Magical Sabbatical with Sage Goddess, Fairy Godguru with Guru Jagat, The Genius Life with Max Lugavere, and Full Circle Moment with Andrea Bendawald.

•🔮Balanced Blonde- with Jordan Younger, an entrepreneurial and wellness blogger. She discusses everything from branding and writing to friendships and things that set your soul on fire. Recommended episodes: Jasmine Hemsley-Ayurveda Meets the West, Nicole Cogan-Girl Talk with NOBREAD: Numerology, Trevor Hall- The Spiritual Power of Writing Music, Psychic Medium Mayhem! With MaryAnn DiMarco, and Biet Simkin-WHO ARE YOU?

•🔮Elevator- with hosts Britt and Tara of Elevate the Globe, the spiritual lifestyle movement. Their mission: elevating the vibration of the planet, one person at a time. They discuss ancient and modern spiritual principles, practices, and tools to elevate the vibration of your own energy. Many episodes are interviews with guests who talk about their favorite way to elevate themselves and what their journeys are like. Recommended episodes: Elevate Your Intuition with Jill Willard, Helping Others Get Stronger + Heal by Taryn Toomey, Bringing Mysticism + Yogic Practice into the Arts with Jamie Wollrab, Britt + Tara on All Things Kundalini, Everyday Rituals to Tune into the Real You with Energy Muse, and RISE UP: Everything You Need to Know About Your Chakras + Allowing Yourself to Live a High-Vibrational Life.

[returntoeden]

I love the living open podcast! eryn is a babe!

[heatherwitch]

How to return to the craft

I’m finally looking to the future and creating posts I can link, instead of answering the same questions over and over. It’s not that I mind answering them, it’s just that I usually don’t have the energy to give you the solid answer you deserve.\

Where to start?

I generally wouldn’t recommend picking up where you left off. You spent a lot of time building up to that point, jumping right in is going to be a lot. I would recommend starting slow, and slowly building back up. Get a solid foundation back under your feet:

Make a list of the things that you’d like to relearn, and do one per day. 

Start at the basics, even if you knew the advanced stuff. Act like a beginner again and relearn. Chances are, you’ll learn some things you missed before!

Don’t compare it to your old craft. Crafts and paths are constantly shifting over time, taking a break doesn’t change this, time has passed and your craft will likely be different.

Do what excites you! Learn new things too! What drew you back into the craft? This is a great chance for a fresh start!

Drawing a blank? Here’s some ideas of things to research/relearn:

Altars.

Astral travel/projection.

Astrology.

Crystals.

Deities (perhaps learn about a new pantheon!)

Divination (any type)

Local wildlife; birds, animals, plants. 

Mythology (maybe local mythology and lore?)

Sigil creation and using.

Space; the cosmos.

Spell writing and casting. 

Spirit work.

Warding/protection.

Whatever you want!!

Some recommendations if you feel stuck/hit a block:

Browse the baby witch tag and help some beginners out. They have so much motivation and inspiration, and it’ll likely leak over to you (and you’ll reinforce some of the knowledge you forgot you had).

Buy yourself something witchy (it doesn’t have the be expensive, even just a new little candle you only burn for witchy things).

Find a friend who is also getting back into the craft, talk about your practices!

Look up some tips and tricks on overcoming art block/writer’s block and find a way to apply them.

Know that it’s perfectly normal to hit blocks and lose motivation (it happens to me all the time at least). And it’s okay to take as many breaks/hiatuses as you need.

[queerofwands]

a little urban witchcraft story

the best, and most successful ritual i’ve ever done was in the back of a shopping complex’s parking lot, at the bottom of a hill that sat about a mile from the highway.

we were totally concealed yet in plain site

with some of my closest friends we wished for better lives, more money, and the happiness that comes with it. we wanted to have fun and get paid for it. money isn’t everything, but we’ve all been struggling for it lately. we made that collective wish.

our circle was made from glitter spray paint. we didn’t have salt.

we haphazardly threw around herbs and shoved them in our respective jars, since one of us needed to get to work on time. it was rapid-fire witchcraft, and by the end of it we were covered in glitter, herbs, grass, maybe a little bit of candle wax. we passed around ingredients in a circle, and the energy was pure chaos. it was the most fun i’ve had in a while.

we gave offerings to our respective deities.

poured them out by the nearby man-made lake.

and to end the spell, we all stood up and talked about what we wanted to manifest, ending each affirmation with hoots and hollers and applause from one another. each spell jar was blessed with that energy, the energy of love and support for a friend! i still feel it now.

it was one of the quickest and sloppiest spells i’ve EVER done, but the positive energy of my friends was just PALPABLE. and guess what? the spell worked.

you don’t have to have fancy rituals in dark rooms. you don’t have to do it by the book. if it feels right, and you FEEL that energy, you did a good ritual.

[fangwitch]

Visualisation

Visualisation is incredibly useful in witchcraft as it is the base of energy work. From this, you can do all kinds of practices.

You can use visualisation for meditation, astral travel, sending energy into objects and many other things. These will all be covered in the future.

So, how do I start?

Here’s a basic exercise for you to practice. It’s very simple and many of you will probably be able to pick it up easily if you’ve already done visualition techniques!

1.  You’ll need a very quiet area where you’ll be comfortable. Even lying in bed and putting white noise in your headphones is useful. Get rid of all distractions, put your phone on silent etc.

2.  Close your eyes and empty your mind. Your mind might feel like a blank sheet of paper, and you’re going to create something in there.

3.  Picture an apple, any old apple. Zoom in and see its shape,  it’s colour. Does it have leaves, more than one colour? Look at every tiny detail of the apple you’ve created.

4.  Next, take a knife and cut this apple in half. Focus on the detail inside:  the colour, how many seeds there are etc. The more detail, the better.

5.  Now you use your senses. What the apple feels like, smells like. Bite into it and taste it. You’re using visualisation to not only see the apple but understand everything about it.

From this, you’re able to visualise and interact with objects in your mind. Practice often with anything you like!

[fancywitchery]

small and easy health tips that make a lot of difference

wash your face every night - washcloth, warm water, and a simple cleanser will do wonders. plus, warm water helps make you all sleepy for bed

take a multivitamin every day - and keep an eye open for coupons for them. usually multivitamins have some pretty great coupons

if you can, open the windows every once in a while. fresh air does a lot of good for your body (and state of mind)!

keep a few cleaning supplies in the bathroom. every so often after having a shower, give things a quick wipe-down. the steam from the shower dislodges any sink guck, making the job much easier - and never underestimate the power of a clean bathroom for both physical and mental health

keep a water bottle by the bed and drink some water when you wake up. it’ll help you greet the day a little easier, and plus - whose mouth ISN’T as dry as the sahara when they wake up?

it’s not always easy, but try to make doing dishes before turning in for the night a habit. i can’t express how lovely it is to wake up and walk into a clean and tidy kitchen

keep snacks in the fridge that are delicious and healthy - my faves are strawberries, cherry tomatoes, and grapes. i love snacks. plus, there’s not really much prep involved with those kinds of things

sweep! sweeping takes up a bit more physical energy, but it’s become one of my favourite things to do. i put on some nice music and visualize sweeping out not only dirt, but anything else clouding up my space - negative energy, self doubt, etc. it’s a nice, witchy little ritual for me now.

light a candle, specifically one that smells delicious

identify the things that make you feel better about yourself and your surroundings and prioritize them and only them when you’re feeling sucky. that way, you still feel accomplished, but you aren’t using up all your mental and physical energy trying to run through all your tasks/cleaning/etc

remember that you’re doing these things for you, and not anyone else. you deserve to feel happy and at ease!

[laylawolfwind]

Best kitchen tip my Grandma ever taught me

I keep veggie peelings, cuttings, herb clippings and all other veggie compost in a freezer bag in your freezer for up to a month. At the end of every month I dump this bag into my crockpot, add 6-8 cups of water and cook on low for 6 hours. I drain out the veggies and herbs, and viola! You have like 8 cups of veggie broth.

I save things from veggies like: celery, garlic, onion, carrots, kale, squash, parsnips, peppers, etc. Basically any vegetable that would go into a soup, I save.

I also save bits of herbs that don’t make it into other recipes, or veggies about to go bad I have no other intention for. It’s an amazing way to cut back on costs and food waste. This stock can make enough soup to feed a whole family, or you can freeze it if you are only feeding yourself and thaw as needed.

You can customize with herbs and spices now, or when you go to make your soups. I like to at least toss in garlic, onions, a bay leaf, pepper and rosemary to the broth itself.

I havent bought soup broth in years, and I can make sure my broth is salt free or at least low salt!

It’s such a simple thing to do, and its noticable in your food budget.

[witchbitchemma]

Witch house aesthetic 🌿🍂🌷🌙☀️☕️

[witcheshaven]

Magical pies ✨ by karinprieffboschek

[my-aesthetic-vibes]

[abomination-of-yondo-deactivate]

Hey since TERFs buried the original, higher quality recording, here’s the only surviving recording of trans activist Sylvia Rivera’s infamous “Y'all Better Quiet Down” speech, along with full transcription, now free and open on Archive.org. The transphobic fucks can try their best to scrub us from history, but we’re not going anywhere.

[ratherembarrassing]

and if you can, go and see The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson, which includes this footage as part of a fuller segment on Sylvia Rivera’s life right up until her death. what an amazing person who the world was not ready for.

[trancer21]

(Transcription follows:) Sylvia Rivera: I may be—

Crowd: [booing]

Sylvia Rivera: Y'all better quiet down. I’ve been trying to get up here all day for your gay brothers and your gay sisters in jail that write me every motherfucking week and ask for your help and you all don’t do a goddamn thing for them.

Have you ever been beaten up and raped and jailed? Now think about it. They’ve been beaten up and raped after they’ve had to spend much of their money in jail to get their [inaudible], and try to get their sex changes. The women have tried to fight for their sex changes or to become women. On the women’s liberation and they write ‘STAR,’ not to the women’s groups, they do not write women, they do not write men, they write ‘STAR’ because we’re trying to do something for them.

I have been to jail. I have been raped. And beaten. Many times! By men, heterosexual men that do not belong in the homosexual shelter. But, do you do anything for me? No. You tell me to go and hide my tail between my legs. I will not put up with this shit. I have been beaten. I have had my nose broken. I have been thrown in jail. I have lost my job. I have lost my apartment for gay liberation and you all treat me this way? What the fuck’s wrong with you all? Think about that!

I do not believe in a revolution, but you all do. I believe in the gay power. I believe in us getting our rights, or else I would not be out there fighting for our rights. That’s all I wanted to say to you people. If you all want to know about the people in jail and do not forget Bambi L'amour, and Dora Mark, Kenny Metzner, and other gay people in jail, come and see the people at Star House on Twelfth Street on 640 East Twelfth Street between B and C apartment 14.

The people are trying to do something for all of us, and not men and women that belong to a white middle class white club. And that’s what you all belong to!

REVOLUTION NOW! Gimme a ‘G’! Gimme an ‘A’! Gimme a ‘Y’! Gimme a ‘P’! Gimme an ‘O’! Gimme a ‘W’! Gimme an ‘E! Gimme an ‘R’! [crying] Gay power! Louder! GAY POWER!

[canmom]

There’s some really important commentary on this event by several trans women on the previous upload of the video. I’m going to quote it here so it’s not lost; unfortunately the original commenters have deleted their blogs or gone private so I can’t provide full attribution.

lilacbootlaces said:

[[Trigger warning: suicide]]

Sylvia went home that night and attempted suicide.

Marsha Johnson came home and found her in time to save her life.

Sylvia left the movement after that day and didn’t come back for twenty years.

@ourcatastrophe said:

this is incredible, she is incredible, I highly recommend watching it

but I think the addendum re: the effect of this day on sylvia is really important

so often we valorise decontextualised moments of tough, articulate resistance and rage

and the suffering of the people who embodied them is not acknowledged, it’s uncomfortable, it’s not inspiring, we want them to stay tough and cool and stylish forever

which is particularly terrible when I think about how sylvia felt like that because of women like me — women who are now watching this video and feeling inspired and impressed and maybe a bit pleased with ourselves for finally having watched a speech by the famous and really cool to name-drop sylvia rivera

girl-assassin said:

rebloggin for the true as fuck commentary (bolding mine)

n like, on one hand this moment is decontextualized as fuck, but on the other hand a lot of ppl try to hyper-contextualize it to make it “history” and a very specific historical moment, so we (cis women) can be like “oh so sad that’s how it was in the 1970s, radfems were so awful, but it was only the whole second-wave scene that was the problem, glad that’s over.”

Like have we forgotten the fact that Sylvia only died in 2002? And she died young, if she were still alive she wouldn’t even be 65 yet. I know hella older ppl in NYC who knew her personally, and hella “leaders” of the NYC queer scene pulled horrific shit on her constantly in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, like literally until the day she died (ppl from Empire State Pride agenda literally went to St. Vincents to beef with her on her death bed) Where are the video tapes/memorializing of that shit?

N now the Manhattan LGBT center on 13th st has a room dedicated to her memory, despite the fact that very center permanently banned her in 1995 for daring to suggest they should let homeless QTPOC sleep there in sub-zero weather.

N now there’s a whole homeless trans youth shelter on 36th st named after her, Sylvia’s Place, that kicked my TWOC friend out on the streets for testing positive for marijuana; failing to recognize how fucked up that is in a shelter named after a woman who struggled with addiction all her life, and was very vocal about the relationship between drug use and the stress of living under constant threats of violence.

N from the late 90s onward rich gays and lesbians openly fought against Sylvia to try to shut down 24/7 access to the piers that she n hella other QTPOC cruised and lived on bc they were bringing down the property values of their multi-million west village apartments.

N like 90% of the individual people who perpetuated fucked up violence against Sylvia are still alive and high-profile leaders in the NYC LGBT “community” today.

So like yes, good, remember the oppressive weight of our history of transmisogyny…but also remember that this shit specifically ain’t even history, it’s the current reality of the NYC queer/trans hierarchy today—like not even figuratively, literally the same people who pulled shit like this on Sylvia are still alive n well n all over NYC cutting the ribbons to the newest Sylvia Rivera memorial n eulogizing her like they never tried to fucking kill her themselves.

[abandoneda]

Sorry for constantly reblogging this but here’s some more info?

[sideofmaduros]

It’s important to know this info to contextualize not just this speech, but the queer community’s history and the queer community’s current state. This ain’t just about NYC when it comes to how ppl treat trans poc, especially trans women like Sylvia and Marsha, who are essentially the founders for us to have an activism platform. They started this. I know this post ain’t all positive to read, but this is stuff we need to know so we can be better to each other, and so that we can recognize the needs of members of our community and then tend to those needs. This is the context of our present.