Lots of things that i'm interested in, working on, or want to share and save. includes tarot, plants, food, witchy things. non-judgemental open minded person, messages and asks open to all! 🌹🌈🌌 I love talking to people, but please don't mistake that for interest in anything other than friendship. I am in a loving, healthy, monogamous, long term relationship, with no desire to change that.
all i want for 2026 is that gigantic rancid AI bubble to finally burst in such a catastrophic way that the consequences will be so good and i'll never have to see another AI generated image ever again
Invention of bread is weird bc it’s like some Neolithic ppl were like “hey you know that tall grass thing that’s sorta edible but not really how about we take it and grind it into a very very fine powder which is extra backbreaking right now bc the wheel won’t be invented for awhile and then we mix it with water and heat it up and you know what let’s also toss some mold in there just to see what happens”
there are a number of distinct steps though, each of which can be observed in isolation. “grind tough seeds to make them edible” is practiced with other foods besides grains (like acorns). the natural next step after that is to add water, which gives you porridge: a common ancient roman meal was puls, very similar to modern cream of wheat. once you have that you also have a simple dough, and baking it to preserve it is a logical experiment (as is baking some you forgot about and left out for a few days, just so you don’t waste it... voila, leavened bread)
there could have been, and probably was (though i’m not an archaeologist) a substantial time between each of these innovations. it’s not too hard to imagine people being chill with “grind seeds for soup, select plants for bigger seeds” for a good while
Do you ever wonder how many amazing things are fated to go forever uninvented because each step necessary to invent them is a completely unintuitive thing to do?
I'm putting this on my bread blog, because of course I am. Also tagging @appendingfic who I think expressed interest.
Tens of thousands of years ago people foraged and hunted for their food and ate whatever they could. Among their forage were wild cereals, which included the ancestors of modern cultivated wheat, barley and others.
People like sweet things. Grains are starchy, but if sprouted they start converting those starches to sugars, so people would've left grains in water to sprout. These sprouts are also easier to digest, thus more nutritious, which bestowed an invisible advantage on those sprouting their grains.
If grains are left in water too long, however, they begin to ferment. Alcohol is produced. People like alcohol.
In ancient Mesopotamia the fermented grains were experimented with, resulting in an early form of beer. The process of making that beer was quite complicated and involved a combination of sprouted and mashed grains.
People wanted beer all year round, but early beers did not have long shelf lives and the grain could only be harvested at certain times. So the ancient Mesopotamians invented a way of storing the ingredients for beer.
It was made of the grain mash, honey, dates and spices that were fermented to make beer. For storage, prior to fermentation, the mixture was baked dry, cut into smaller pieces and baked again to remove all water. This produced bapir, a product very much like biscotti, which could be stored for later rehydration and fermentation. Sometimes it was eaten instead.
I've made bapir, and I've eaten it. It is brittle but delicious. It's also a form of unleavened bread.
Bread was invented as a way to store the ingredients for beer, which was most likely a development from a chance discovery. Leavened bread (that is, with bubbles) may well have been discovered when a mixture like that for bapir was accidentally allowed to ferment before baking. Yeast is responsible for both alcohol production and leavening.
There's a lot more to it, in terms of the cultivation of grains and the development of milling, than I've written here. It's been a process of millennia to go from chewing sprouts to eating soft white bread like that pictured. But every step along the way was small and simple.
Australian First Nations people developed their own bread making culture independent of the beer-base route. As far as I'm aware, pre colonial Australia had little to nothing by way of fermented drinks at all, so the likelihood of beer being part of the evolution of native breads is unlikely. Their breads, made from native grasses, are both leavened and unleavened. There's also different bread making practices using different grains, dependent on location - Australia is big and Indigenous culture over here is no more a monolith than it is anywhere else. Kamilaroi bread is different to Yuin bread, for example.
The colonization of Australia actively suppressed Indigenous knowledge, and creating an image of the idle wandering tribes was required to justify taking Aboriginal lands. This means a lot of the archeology of how First Nations people developed their breads has not just been lost but deliberately suppressed. The idea that they were settled enough to have ovens, let alone a bread-making tradition, is only now really being examined. I wouldn't be surprised if the grains-porridge-bread route was true for Aussie breads, though.
Archeological/historical evidence such as this is what makes me skeptical of the current (is it still current?) of the so-called "Paleo Diet," and the insistence that eating grains and carbs is somehow "unnatural."
Drug arrives years after pandemic’s peak, but could still offer protection to vulnerable populations.
An antiviral pill has, for the first time, been shown to prevent COVID-19 in people exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus at home, according to trial results published today in the New England Journal of Medicine1.
The drug could be a lifeline for those who still face real danger from the virus, such as care-home residents or transplant recipients on immune-suppressing medication.
One of the funniest tech shit for me is the fucked up weird file types that entirely confuses your phone so much that it asks you shit like 'Open file with : Google Docs, Plague Inc., WhatsApp, Office 365, Clash Royale, Cash App, Spotify'
so like. obviously it's an immensely tragic route to take but sometimes it's just so satisfying for a story to go "there's no happy ending this time. resistance is futile in this scenario. the 'good guys' can't win. this is a pointless last stand. so for their final act, our beloved characters are going to rock the antagonist's shit so fucking hard it makes you stare at a wall struggling to process what just happened and how you feel about it for hours afterwards."
i simply think that sometimes it's the best possible narrative decision to allow characters to become supernovas, imploding on themselves but taking as much with them as possible. "you can't save anyone" "maybe not, but i can hurt you". fuck yes. if you can't beat them, tear them apart.
The best piece of advice I ever got was not meant as advice, but as an edict. If I was going to threaten people as a joke, it had to be so far out of proportion with what happened that it would be obvious I was joking. This changed how I expressed frustration with others. It then changed how I expressed frustration with myself.
Not “I’m going to hit you” but “I am going to buy a tuna sub from the gas station and hide it under the seat of your car”
Not “I’m going to kill myself” but “I am going to walk into the desert and let the scarabs take me”
The other side then happened. When I mess something up, instead of saying it’s bad and perpetuating negative thoughts, swing hard the other way.
Not “this art is terrible” but “this shall be framed and mounted on the wall in my museum exhibition as testament to the suffering I had to overcome”
Have been doing this since high school. It was my drama teacher who asked me to please stop scaring the actors. The other half of the edict was that I had to say it in a polite tone, and end it with either please or thank you.
Life changing. 10/10 Mr Muëller. Highly reccomend.
Hey all. I lasted a while on my job being all I needed (and it being the all consuming force of my life for a while), but right now we have literally only $30 left to afford food, gas, and other things like diapers for two weeks for my entire household. I got paid today and *almost all* the money had to go away to bills and other mandatory expenses. The same applies to my roommate who also got paid today, but he's got literally nothing left.
Comms are open as always, and I'm pushing them as an emergency thing. Any support in any way will help a lot. We have some food that *may* last for two weeks and plan on going to any pantries we can until the next paycheck comes, but we need gas so I can get to work and back, as well as the other things.
Thanks as always, everyone.
Readings Open! Click to see Blooming Phoenix Divination's reading menu.
In late January of 2025, I joined a group of witches online to conduct a ritual for the protection and healing of our communities and for hope to sustain us though the weeks and months to come. Many wonderfully talented people contributed to this working, and I was honored to present an invocation of Brighid and to lead the portion of the ritual where we created the Web of Light.
With the permission of the rest of the circle from that evening, I want to share my portion of the ritual with all of you. (I'm not looking for notes or feedback - this was purpose-built and it exists as it was written.) The more strands in the web, the more lights in the dark, the more love and energy we can give this spell and others like it, the better.
If you feel comfortable doing so, I'd like to invite anyone who is willing to help to join in this working, either by yourself or with your circle. You can do the full blessing, invocation, and casting if you feel comfortable doing so, or just the casting alone. Feel free to invite any helpful spirits, ancestors, deities (especially fire-related), and so forth that you work with to lend their aid.
All you need for this spell is a quiet place to sit and a candle. (Live flame or LED, either is fine, and if you can't find either one, a flashlight will do.)
Perform whatever opening steps you usually do to begin a ritual (preparing the space, casting a circle, grounding and centering, etc) and when you're ready, begin.
WEB OF LIGHT
Suggested Music for the warmup:
"Brighid's Flame" and/or "Brighid" by Kellianna
"Imbolc" by Lisa Thiel
[BLESSING]
Into this sacred space, I call the light of creation, the light of inspiration, the light of healing, the light of the forge, the light of the hearthfire, the light of hope, which neither wanes nor falters, but burns bright and perpetual within and around us all. Bless those who are gathered here and may the spirits, deities, ancestors, and powers almighty that we invoke here strengthen our resolve, shield us from harm, and guide us in our workings, as we gather to do what is RIGHT, not what is easy.
[INVOCATION]
With the consent of those assembled, I invoke the name of Brighid and invite her presence in this place. Holy Lady of Cill Dara (pron. Kill Dahrah), protector of hearth and home, teacher, poet, healer, forgemaiden, flamekeeper, living link between the old ways and the new, be with us and lend us your aid.
Brigid of brightness, I bid thee welcome,
Brigid of blessing, come thou in.
Brigid of strength, I bid thee welcome,
This night and every night, this day and every day.
Brigid of the threshold, come thou in,
Brigid of the hearthfire, take your ease,
Brigid of the cook-pot, sup with us,
Brigid of all comforts, live in our hearts.
Ancestors all, I embody your legacy,
Ancestors all, I ask for your blessing,
Ancestors all, I offer Brigid’s flame
To light the needfires of deep memory.
Brigid of the timeless flame, bless your [children]:
Those who keep the circle bright,
Those whose faith has never failed,
Those who keep your name ablaze.
Brigid, lend your righteous sword
To those who work for justice,
To those who speak the truth,
To those who seek a better world.
In the name of Brigid, who empowers the oppressed,
In the name of Brigid, who released the enslaved,
In the name of Brigid, who lifts up the downtrodden,
May all our people be honored and free.
[Casting]
Tonight, we come together with courage. Tonight, we come together with hope. Tonight, we come together in common purpose, to turn our combined strength to save what can be saved, to shield what can be shielded, to heal what can be healed, to burn away what must be cleansed, and to keep the darkness of despair and hatred at bay.
Tonight, each of us is a point of light. We are the tenders of the hearth. We are the bearers of the flame which lights the way. We are the workers at the forge. We are the spark before the fire, the dancing light upon the snow, the seekers of snowdrops, the keepers of the healer’s tent, the knowers of the promise of spring.
For even as summer fades into fall, and fall into winter, so the cold and dark must one day yield to warmth and renewal. Even the longest night must end and we will see the sun rise again.
(Light your candle.)
Hold the light within you. Warm, bright, everlasting, a fire which burns bright but does not consume or diminish. This is a fire which shields the helpless, which offers illumination to the lost, which gives hope to those in sorrow. Each of us alone is but a candle, but together, we are a conflagration.
Picture the array of us, spread out across the sleeping world, a scattering of earthbound stars twinkling in the night. Physically, we are apart, but in our hearts and in our magic, we are all a part of each other and of this world. We are the weavers and keepers of this spell, a web that spans mighty distances and connects us all. We are the beacons which will hold the darkness at bay.
Let the light of your magic spread out from you like the lines of a spider’s web, like the roots of a tree, like the paths of a river, like the crackle of lightning. Picture it spreading across the distances between us, each strand connecting one working to another, and another, and another, strengthening with each bond, growing until the space is covered. Each of us holds a line and weaves a portion of the web, and we are blessed to know that none of us walks alone.
Like the roots of the trees, like the mycelium of the mushrooms, this web of light is not visible to all. Those that seek to harm, to disrupt, to oppress, and diminish, let them be blind, let them be powerless, let them find nothing. We give them NOTHING. But those who have need of us, those who need healing or shelter or knowledge or hope, we give them eyes to see. And those that see, let them light beacons of their own, until the night is bright as day and the sun comes up again.
(Extinguish your candle. If you ever feel that you need strength or hope or the time feels right to further empower the spell, light it up again.)
Suggested Music for the cooldown:
“Star Maps” by S.J. Tucker
"Wonders" by S.J. Tucker
(If you choose to share this ritual elsewhere, please credit me. Thanks!)
For all my witches out there, here’s a handy list of the 2026 dates for the solstices, some commonly-referenced holidays, full and new moons, planetary retrogrades, and special celestial events. I’ve listed my sources at the bottom. This year's listings have also been updated to include full moon and seasonal observance dates for the Southern Hemisphere.
Dates and times for all events are calculated for Eastern Daylight Time (GMT -5). Adjust for your location as needed and check the DarkSky Placefinder to see what special events will be visible in your area.
Please Note: This is not meant to be a universal or infallible system of marking seasonal or lunar days of import for witches and pagans. Readers should take their own paths and beliefs into account, and are also encouraged to create their own seasonal calendars, holidays, and observances based on your local biome and personal preferences. Enjoy!
Northern Hemisphere Solstices, Equinoxes, & Cross Quarter Days
February 1-2 - Imbolc / Candlemas / High Winter
March 20 - Spring Equinox / Ostara
April 30-May 1 - Beltane / May Day / Walpurgisnacht
June 20-21 - Summer Solstice / Midsummer / Litha
August 1 - Lughnasadh / Lammas / Summer Harvest
September 22-23 - Autumn Equinox / Mabon / Fall Harvest
October 31 - Samhain / Halloween / Final Harvest
December 21 - Winter Solstice / Midwinter / Yule
Northern Hemisphere Full Moons
January 3 - Wolf Moon ♋ (Supermoon)
February 1 - Snow Moon ♌
March 3 - Worm Moon ♍ (Lunar Eclipse/Blood Moon/Micromoon)
April 1 - Pink Moon ♎
May 1 - Flower Moon ♏
May 31 - Blue Moon ♐
June 29 - Strawberry Moon ♑ (Micromoon)
July 29 - Thunder Moon (aka Buck Moon) ♒
August 28 - Sturgeon Moon ♓ (Lunar Eclipse)
September 26 - Harvest Moon ♈
October 26 - Hunter’s Moon ♉
November 24 - Frost Moon (aka Beaver Moon) ♊
December 23 - Cold Moon ♋ (Supermoon)
Southern Hemisphere Solstices, Equinoxes, & Cross Quarter Days
February 1-2 - Lughnasadh / Lammas / Summer Harvest
March 20 - Autumn Equinox / Mabon / Fall Harvest
April 30-May 1 - Samhain / Final Harvest
June 20-21 - Winter Solstice / Midwinter / Yule
August 1-2 - Imbolc / Candlemas / High Winter
September 22-23 - Spring Equinox / Ostara
October 31 - Beltane / Halloween
December 21 - Summer Solstice / Midsummer / Litha
Southern Hemisphere Full Moons
January 3 - Thunder Moon (aka Buck Moon) ♋
February 1 - Sturgeon Moon ♌
March 3 - Harvest Moon ♍
April 1 - Hunter's Moon ♎
May 1 - Frost Moon (aka Beaver Moon) ♏
May 31 - Blue Moon ♐
June 29 - Cold Moon ♑ (Micromoon)
July 29 - Wolf Moon ♒
August 28 - Snow Moon ♓ (Lunar Eclipse)
September 26 - Worm Moon ♈
October 26 - Pink Moon ♉
November 24 - Flower Moon ♊
December 23 - Strawberry Moon ♋ (Supermoon)
*The astrological signs should remain the same for the Southern Hemisphere, it's just the names that are flipped around due to the difference in seasonal cycles.
New Moons
January 18 ♑
February 17 ♒
March 18 ♓
April 17 ♈
May 16 ♉
June 14 ♊
July 14 ♋
August 12 ♌
September 10 ♍
October 10 ♎
November 9 ♏
December 8 ♐
Special Celestial Events
January 3 - Supermoon
March 3 - Lunar Eclipse, Micromoon
June 29 - Micromoon
August 12 - Total Solar Eclipse
August 12-13 - Perseid Meteor Show (coinciding with new moon)
August 28 - Partial Lunar Eclipse
October 21-22 - Orionid Meteor Shower
December 13-14 - Geminid Meteor Shower
December 23 - Supermoon
(Check the DarkSky Placefinder to see what will be visible in your area!)
Planetary Retrogrades
November 11 2025-March 10 2026 - Jupiter ♋
February 26-March 20 - Mercury ♓
May 6-October 15 - Pluto ♒
June 29-July 23 - Mercury ♋
July 7-December 12 - Neptune ♈
July 26-December 10 - Saturn ♈
October 3-25 - Venus ♏
October 25-November 13 - Venus ♎
October 24-November 13 - Mercury ♏
December 12 2026-April 12 2027 - Jupiter ♌
Happy Witching!
SOURCES & FURTHER READING:
Bree’s Lunar Calendar Series
Bree’s Secular Celebrations Series
Witchcraft Exercises for Building Your Craft
Full Moon Calendar 2026, Space.com.
Moon Phases Calendar 2026, MoonInfo.org.
Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events 2026, SeaSky.org.
The Year in the Sky: 2026’s Most Noteworthy Celestial Events, Scientific American.
Dark Sky Placefinder for Stargazing, DarkSky International.
2026 Wheel of the Year, Patheos.
Astrology Calendar 2026, YourZodiacSign.com.
2026 Retrograde Planets Calendar and Astrology, Astrostyle.
Image Source - How Stuff Works
=
If you’re enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar, tune in to my podcast Hex Positive, join my Patreon, check out my published works, or shop for handmade witchy wares in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊
Feds Pay $885M to Kill Off 2 More Wind Power Projects
Interior Department says companies have agreed to pivot to fossil fuels after lease refunds
By Rob Quinn withNewser.AI
Posted Apr 27, 2026 5:10 PM CDT
President Trump's administration is paying almost $900 million to kill off two more wind power projects. The Interior Department says it will return a combined $885 million in lease payments to developers of two planned wind farms—one off New York and New Jersey, the other off California—in exchange for the companies giving up their federal leases and steering that money into oil and gas projects, including liquefied natural gas facilities along the Gulf Coast, the New York Times reports. The move mirrors a deal last month with French giant TotalEnergies, which walked away from two other offshore wind projects while pledging new fossil-fuel investments in return for being reimbursed around $1 billion.
I intensely dislike the person in charge of doing this. That i did not vote for. That i did not want in office. This is just another reason why I thought it would be a bad idea to put him in charge.
Hey someone suggested I use ChatGPT to figure out adulting today, and as I was going through the mental list of places I'd rather look, I realized "beloved strangers on Tumblr dot net" was on that list.
So if you have an aspect of adulting that you're really good at-taxes, budgeting, cooking, insurance, credit, time management, house upkeep, anything-please feel free to reblog with any tips.
That's us! Professional internet adults, specializing in financial stuff! We recommend starting with our Grand List of All Articles, or one of our Masterposts:
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need To Know About Taxes
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need to Know about How to Increase Your Income
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need to Know about Retirement and How to Retire
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need to Know about Credit and Credit Cards
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need to Know about Investing for Beginners
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need to Know about How to Pay off Debt
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need To Know About Living Independently for the First Time
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need to Know about Repairing Our Busted-Ass World
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need to Know about Self-Care
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need to Know about Getting a Job, Raise, or Promotion
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need to Know about Saving Money and Being Frugal
germansingergirl
izzy806
baratheonpilled
snowghoul
titsay
yousharknotpass
