The Mona Lisa Has No Eyebrows

https://www.etsy.com/shop/worksofnebula

[bigbluefishi]

i’m glad to be with you samwise gamgee, here at the end of all things

[the-haiku-bot]

i’m glad to be with

you samwise gamgee, here at

the end of all things

Beep boop! I look for accidental haiku posts. Sometimes I mess up.

[servantofthefates]

How to Summon Your Guardian

Neopagans call them guides. Catholics call them angels. Some witches call them fae. Different names in different faiths, yet the same being. The one who walks beside you.

The First Call

My elders say our guardian is close to us when we are children. Because that is when our soul contract with them is fresh and new. As we grow older, we push them away because we have forgotten they exist. They still check on us now and then, but they no longer stay. To call them back to you, do this:

Wherever you are in the world, no matter what time it is, begin by sitting still and closing your eyes. Take deep breaths until you feel isolated from the world around you. Using these exact words, or simply as a guide, speak out loud or in your mind:

“I now recall. You are the good luck that comes to me unexpectedly. You are the bad luck that saves me from worse luck. You are the whisper that tells me where to go. You are the push that shoves me to the right path. You are the caress that heals my aches. You are the pain that strengthens my resolve. You are the companion I had forgotten about. But now I recall. And back to me, I now thee call.”

Make the words true, by recalling the times when an invisible force seems to have saved you. When something hopeless suddenly worked out for you. When some suffering turned out to have been good for you. These are the acts of your guardian.

Then open your eyes.

The Vision

In the next minutes, hours or days — it is not the same for us all… wait for a response. A dream. A sensation. An encounter. Some sign that your guardian has heard your call and has returned at your side.

This will be different for everyone. But when it comes, it will be undeniable. Because whatever sign is sent will be deeply personal. A symbol that meant something to you in childhood. A song you used to love ages ago. Mine was a hypnopompic hallucination.

More often than not, it will also reveal the appearance of your guardian. A glimpse of their face. The sound of their name. A revelation of who they are. And whoever you see or hear will not be surprising to you. After all, you have known them before. Deep down, your soul still remembers.

Wait for this vision before you proceed. If it never comes, repeat The First Call. This time, more solemnly.

The Gift

Give your guardian an offering. An acknowledgment of your vision and a reaffirmation of your intention to walk with them once more.

Whatever you give, it needs to have value — material, sentimental or both. My elders say it is better to offer something you already own and hold dear, instead of acquiring something new and shiny, whose worth could be artificial.

Leave this offering somewhere special for your guardian. If you have a sacred space, an altar or a shrine… leave it there. If not, it could be a dedicated space in your bookshelf, in your dresser or on your desk.

In your own words, tell your guardian this gift is for them.

The Sharing

You want your guardian to share their life with you once more. So you too must share yours with them. This means leaving out for them a piece of something you enjoy every now and then.

Treated yourself to a bar of chocolate? Give them a piece. Put it beside their gift. Dispose of it the day after. Bought a bottle of perfume? Spray some in the air for them to smell. Received a bottle of wine? Pour some in a glass for them to taste.

Make this second nature to you. Share with your guardian your little happinesses. Not as a sacrifice, and not even as an offering. Think of it as having a friend that your eyes cannot see but your soul can sense. This is not a deal, an exchange or a spell. Just an act of decency and kindness.

The Incantation

In times when you need help, or in moments when you feel scared… make sure you have an incantation at the ready to tell your guardian you need them. If you are religious, think of it as a prayer. If you are pragmatic, think of it as dialing emergency.

The words have to be your own. The length needs to feel comfortable to you. The rhythm has to sound meaningful to your ears. Mine is based on a prayer I learned in Catholic school as a child:

“Lucifer… my inspiration, my angel, my friend… Be at my side, to light and guide, to rule and guard. Amen.”

[hecatedeipnon]

⭕️ Casting a circle

is a common practice in many forms of modern witchcraft and is often done as a way to create sacred space for rituals and spells. It is a way of creating a protective barrier around the area in which you will be working and can help to focus your energy and intention!

Here’s how:

📍 Choose a location: Find a location that is quiet, private, and free from distractions. You may also want to consider the energy of the location and whether it feels supportive and calming to you.

🗡Gather your supplies: You will need a few supplies to cast a circle, including a tool for marking the perimeter (such as a wand, athame, or staff), a candle, and incense. You may also want to have other altar tools or altar items with you, such as crystals, herbs, or a chalice of water.

🌍 Ground and center: Before you begin the process of casting a circle, it is important to ground and center yourself. This helps to connect you to the earth and to your own inner wisdom, and can help you to focus your energy and intention. This will also prevent you from depleting your energy since you will be pulling from the earth rather than just yourself. To ground and center, take a few deep breaths and focus on your breath. Imagine roots growing from the soles of your feet, down into the earth.

🔔Cleanse the space: Before you start to cast the circle, you may want to cleanse the space of any negative energies or distractions. You can do this by smudging with sage, using a bell or chime, or sprinkling salt or water.

⭕️ Mark the perimeter: Once the space is cleansed, it is time to mark the perimeter of the circle. You can do this by walking around the space, using your tool to draw an invisible line in the air. As you walk, you can recite a simple statement, such as "I consecrate this space and cast this circle to hold the energy of this ritual."

🕯 Light the candle and incense: After marking the perimeter, light the candle and incense and place them at opposite points of the circle. The candle represents the element of fire, while the incense represents the element of air.

🔥 🌍 🌊 💨 Invoke the elements: The next step is to invoke the elements, which are the four natural forces that make up the physical world: earth, air, fire, and water. To invoke the elements, you can recite a simple statement or prayer, or use an element altar tool (such as a pentacle for earth, a wand for air, a candle for fire, or a chalice for water).

📞 Invoke any deities or spirits: If you are working with specific deities or spirits, you may want to invite them into the circle at this point. You can do this by calling upon them by name and asking them to join you in the circle.

🙆‍♀️Close the circle: When you are finished with your ritual or spell, it is important to close the circle. This helps to release any energy you have raised and to protect the space from outside influences. To close the circle, simply walk around the perimeter again and state your intention to close the circle. Extinguish the candle and incense, and thank any deities or spirits you may have invited into the circle.

Casting a circle is a simple but powerful way to create sacred space and to focus your energy and intention for spell work.

[where-our-stories-start]

Last Week Tonight, March 16, 2022

[kangals]

if you’re ever at a vet hospital and can hear dogs/cats howling and screeching and making terrible noises from the back, please be aware that 99% of the time it is NOT because:

they are dying

they are in terrible pain

they are being tortured

It almost always IS because:

someone is taking their temperature

someone is placing an IV catheter

they’re mad about being in a kennel

[craftycrab]

other likely reasons why animals are screaming in vet clinics!

they saw another animal

no one is looking at them right now

they are happy to see this particular staff member

they’re a pug getting a nail trim

they’re a shiba inu getting literally anything done

they’re a husky

[sixlegnag]

The Shiba inu may not even be getting anything done

[knightinpinkunderwear]

They heard another animal howling/screaming

[three--rings]

This reminds me of the time I went to pick one of my cats up at the low-cost spay neuter clinic near us and they told me I’d have to wait a while because they had 19 feral cats brought in that day and some of them escaped their cages and they couldn’t get past them to where my cat was. The SOUNDS from the back, omg.

[dandelion-witch]

If it's my cats, add

- they do not want that door closed

[sunset-synthetica]

What the fuck do neurotypicals talk about. I tried telling my mom about a show that I really like and explained the symbolism and she made fun of me for “talking about a tv series for like 20 minutes”. Same with like 4 other people around my age. All of them even told me outloud they wanted to hear me talk but then mocked me for actually being serious. I do not understand

[milfking]

me at a NT person: do you mind if I tell you about x?

Them: sure!

Me: speaks for 5 minutes interrupted

Them: not every thought you have needs to be said :))))

me: oh. *never speaks again until we leave that wretched place*

[iwilleatyourenglish]

this isn’t a neurotypical thing y’all. this is an asshole (at best) thing.

you’re being treated poorly by people who don’t care about the interests and thoughts of others and enjoy hurting people’s feelings, belittling their interests, etc. this is not normal at all and i’m really sorry people have done this to you

[iwilleatyourenglish]

like again, none of this is true. this is not the norm. i’m gonna try to be gentle here, but the comments on this post are… not good.

1. this might be the most important point: you cannot tell if someone is disabled or mentally ill based on their interests or how they talk or how they present themselves. you cannot assume someone is neurotypical because they like things you don’t. you also should not forget about masking, which people will especially do at places like work.

2. most people have as many interests and as rich of inner lives as you and it’s potentially harmful to assume they don’t. it leads to you dehumanizing and potentially really hurting those around you. “they’re not as smart/insightful/interesting as me” is not a great approach to socialization

3. just because something doesn’t interest you, doesn’t mean it’s objectively uninteresting or meaningless. and no one is all deep conversation all the time. most disabled and mentally ill people i know, myself included, also like talking about our jobs, pets, etc.

4. you are upset by people dismissing your interests while… dismissing people’s interests. a lot of the comments are just dissing people for not being interested in talking about film/tv or for liking things like sports.

5. i’m autistic and i hear that autistic people are “gifted” or “super geniuses” or whatever a lot and it’s dehumanizing. the idea that i have some deeper insight or heightened intelligence because of my disability is not helpful.

6. sometimes conversation is about give and take you will need to listen to and talk about things that don’t interest you much because you value the person you are talking to and they deserve a turn to share

tl;dr: people who dismiss your interests are rude, cruel, and/or doing so unintentionally. call them out or try to distance yourself from them. surround yourself with people who care to listen. at the same time, people who talk about things that don’t interest you are not inherently boring, shallow, or neurotypical. neurodivergent people can and do talk about things like the weather and going shopping.

[fairy-leights]

It is so hard to have a partner who’s in shape, confident, getting compliments on his body and looks, while I’ve gained like 70 pounds in the last two years and can’t stand to look in the mirror anymore.

[heathercollinsmd]

fyi for those in Phoenix Arizona: stay away from Target because the Phoenix Police still won't arrest this dude despite it being illegal to declare intention of violence like this 🙃

[prismatic-bell]

I’m in Phoenix.

It’s very likely he’ll get help from the police instead of opposition.

Jesus fuck this is terrifying.

[theconcealedweapon]

[sandersstudies]

I am OBSESSED with people telling me how they met the love of their life. Just found out my director met his wife through a misdirected email - that’s fate right there.

[sandersstudies]

“I saw her last name was Jewish - and I’m Jewish, so when I corrected the email I told her Shabbat Shalom with a smiley face — this was the very beginning of the emoticon era, you understand. She had a watermark of a dog rescue at the bottom of her email, and I love dogs, so I found her website and there she was — all these videos of her rehabilitating dogs and talking about the organization. I fell in love with her just from those videos.”

😭😭😭

[sandersstudies]

“I asked if we could meet for coffee, told her I was looking for volunteer opportunities — which was halfway a lie — and she said ‘okay, but just so you know I have a boyfriend, so this is strictly business,’ and I was so disappointed, but I did want to meet her. We sat in that coffeeshop until they turned the lights out on us, and she broke up with her boyfriend the next day.”

[sandersstudies]

MULTIPLE people in the notes have told me how important these tags are to them so here’s to keeping it in the main post.

[collector73-deactivated20230303]

[inkribbon796]

I . . . I need a moment.

[red-faced-wolf-deactivated20251]

I love this actually

[lakemichiganbaby-moved-deactiva]

btw being excessively nonconfrontational is NOT a positive trait. it does not mean u are “too nice” or just too kind to hurt people, it means u have a problem communicating and you need to work on it.

[mallk-z]

There are people in the notes saying that the alternative reason is that they’re doing it because of trauma and i gotta say that

1) same. I did have this same problem and reason for doing it.

2) this is not actually an alternate reason. You guys also have a problem communicating and while you can trace exactly WHY you have trouble communicating that doesn’t mean it’s okay to treat everyone like they’re potentially your former abuser and that you DO still need to work on this.

[queeranarchism]

‘This behavior comes from trauma’ and ‘This behavior is harmful to you, to others and to your relationships with others’ are two truths that can co-exist, and that do co-exist quite frequently.

[blackwoolncrown]

America is a place

[prime89]

What the hell actual?

[anotherdayforchaosfay]

I got hit with this charge and called the billing department. They explained that it was due to calling in a counselor (which didn’t happen), providing emotional support (I was given a stack of tissues and left tf alone), and extra labor from the present nurse (by extra labor do you mean handing me a box of tissues and shutting the door when she left?). After a firm chat, they removed the absurd charge.

Call and have a firm chat. No cursing or yelling, just explain the absurdity of this.

[muppethole-deactivated20240312]

genuine props to this publication for finding such a stark, simple, provocative way to say... all of it

[funnytwittertweets]

[prideknights]

Moms for Liberty cry when ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill gets turned against heterosexual parents

The American conservative “advocates for parental rights in schools” known as Moms for Liberty have been busy working on making sure your children are protected from things like critical race theory (CRT), and any talk about gender identities (and...

[wholove]

Hi hello could we please make sure that no one watches this and that it flops. Moffat can’t get back on his bullshit in 2020 let’s all leave him back in the 10s thank you very much.

Just a few reminders

[liminal-zone]

FUCK THIS GUY

[natural--blues]

This is the same man who:

joked about the Ninth Doctor sexually assaulting Nancy from the Empty Child (watch the behind the scenes, he openly jokes about it, and basically calls Nancy a tramp for having been a teen mother, despite the hinting that the situation wasn’t one of choice), 

wrote Madame du Pompadour as a sex fiend when she suffered from vaginismus and suspected endometriosis to the point that she would barely even kiss Louis – the King kept her because he was in love with her mind, but none of that came across – this would be a fact the Doctor knew well, because he fucking reads,

said if RTD hadn’t put Rose in another Universe he would have killed her off because she was not classy enough or good enough to be the Doctor’s wife, 

said Rose was the sort of character you were shocked wasn’t teen pregnant but had clearly been around, 

said he chose Karen Gillan for Amy when he saw her in the hallway, and she was more attractive and skinny than the actress that had hit the mark in her audition

calls women he finds unattractive ‘dumpy’

is fatphobic

is racist

is homophobic

is misogynist

joked about Rose’s abusive ex boyfriend ‘’just being sick of her’’

joked that her being lost to Pete’s World was “convenient” for the Doctor, so his cloying needy girlfriend could be gone from him, 

said that the most romantic part of the Time Traveller’s Wife, the problematic book that he based River Song off of, was when she purposefully met the Time Traveller before he ever met her so that she could lie about him marrying her and make it so that he purposefully continued meeting her thinking she was his wife out of love – and. look. what. he. wrote, he literally said “if you watch it, you’ll see that he never actually married her, River isn’t the Doctor’s wife but he just lets her think she is” 

said the part in the Time Traveller’s Wife where she had sex with him before his vasectomy so she could get pregnant by him despite his insistence to her that he didn’t want children ever is ‘so women, right?’

is rumoured to have been handsy on set with his female actresses,

made multiple comments about how women try to trap men

wrote a scene where the Doctor forces a kiss from a lesbian woman

joked about Amy Pond not being as sexy if she was poc

joked about how the Doctor was supposed to save the universe if she was menstruating

made abrasive comments about Jodie being cast as the Doctor

called David Tennant ‘overrated’

made all of his actors sign an agreement that they could never reprise their roles on DW without his express permission

joked about asexuality not existing re: sherlock, saying it was an excuse

said he only casts female actresses that he finds attractive

called his wife a whale and said she deals with everything to do with the kids because that’s her job

joked about bisexual people being selfish

joked about lesbians still liking men

He was the worst thing to come to Doctor Who, and the amount of people who defended him as “well he was just kidding!” split the fandom. This man is a crusty old bigot who is way too high on himself. Do not support him, don’t watch his stupid shows, he doesn’t deserve the money. 

[micaxiii]