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Do No Harm But Take No Shit

@animecatstars / animecatstars.tumblr.com

i need a life, can i borrow yours? 3/27 ~ Kitty/Owari/Clay/Star ~ Pan/Fem ~ Wiccan ~ Taken šŸ–¤Art: https://animecatstars-art.tumblr.com/ ~ Ask: https://ask-owari-keys.tumblr.com
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splatoonus

Everyone, meet Dedf1sh. Previously a promising, up and coming DJ, her pursuit of breakbeat perfection eventually led her to a subterranean test facility, where she was ā€œsanitized.ā€ Though little of her former self remains, she continues crafting DJ delicacies, and the halls of the test facility echo with her bumping tracks to this very day.

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L is for the way you look at me

O is for the only one I see

V is very very extraordinary

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chainsawpunk

Egg

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orriculum

ā€œto be a witchā€ falsehoods

there are a lot of misconceptions going around lately on what someone needs to be a witch, i just want to clear some up.Ā 

you do not need:

fancy tools - or any tools at all, really. all you need is yourself and your intent. sure, tools that fit your aesthetic are nice, but you donā€™t need them. if you have the ability to buy and you want to, thereā€™s no stopping you, but please donā€™t feel like you have to go out and buy yourself an etsy broom or a cauldron. and donā€™t stress yourself out over making one either! they are but trappings.

appearanceĀ - in witchy aesthetic photos, itā€™s usually a slim, white girl with long hair. and that lack of a more diverse representation can give the impression that you need to look and be a certain way, but please know it is untrue. it does not matter what your race, weight, hair, or anything looks like.Ā 

aesthetic - you donā€™t need to dressĀ ā€œlike a witchā€. a witch can look like anything. if you want to indulge in the black cat, black clothes look, fine, but you donā€™t need to confine yourself to it if itā€™s not your thing, you can look like whatever you want to.Ā 

gender - there are some in the community that will fight tooth and nail to make it seem you have to be a cis female to call yourself a witch. donā€™t listen to those terfs. anyone can be a witch, regardless of gender. male, non-binary, agender, trans, demi, etc.Ā 

black cat - you donā€™t need a black cat. you donā€™t need to have a familiar either. those are unique relations that should not be forced to happen

dark, mystical attitude - you donā€™t need to suddenly start talking like chaucer or put effort into having an air of mystery. you donā€™t need to be holier than thou, or act like you know it all. witchcraft is a journey that takes time to learn.Ā 

cursing - no, you donā€™t need to curse. but you donā€™t need to shame someone for cursing either.

on a spiritual path - witchcraft does not have to be spiritual! you can practice magic without having to worry about being ā€œspiritual enoughā€, because each craft is unique and deeply personal, you donā€™t need to force it to be something that youā€™re not invested in.

religious - Ā there are many witches that wonder where the power comes from if they donā€™t call upon a god. the power can come from you. you do not need to devote yourself to a godĀ 

wiccan - wicca is not the only way to do witchcraft, it is only one way of practicing magic. there are many people who think the only way to do witchcraft is to be wiccan, but they are misinformed. if you do not want to work with wiccan influences or traditions, you do not have to.Ā 

initiated - some practices, some traditions, initiation is needed. however, to be a witch in general, you donā€™t need to go through any ritual to prove yourself one. be wary of those who insist you do, they are often trying to take advantage of new witches.Ā 

straight/cis - some traditions youā€™ll encounter have homophobic roots/influences. while it is discouraging, you dont have to listen to those, or you can work with others to rework phobic traditions

aĀ ā€œnaturalā€ witch - Ā some people will claim to haveĀ ā€œwitchā€™s bloodā€ orĀ ā€œthe flameā€, meaning witchcraft has been in their families for generations. this does not make them superior or more of a witch than you. anyone who wants to be a witch can, no matter their birth circumstances.Ā 

labelled - a lot of witches label their craft,Ā ā€œherb witchā€,Ā ā€œspace witchā€,Ā ā€œstorm witchā€ etc. you can be as many as you want, or none if it pleases you. you do not need to label your craft however. some people canā€™t put their craft in a box.

td;lr,Ā you do need:

  • to want to be a witch
  • your intent
  • thatā€™s it! happy casting!
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unwinona

The Importance of Mary Sue

When I was in Ninth Grade, I won a thing. Ā 

That thing, in particular, was a thirty dollar Barnes & Noble gift certificate.Ā  I was still too young for a part-time job, so I didnā€™t have this kind of spending cash on me, ever.Ā  I felt like a god.

Drunk with power, I fancy-stepped my way to my local B&N.Ā  I was ready to choose new books based solely on the most important of qualitiesā€¦BADASS COVER ART.Ā  I walked away with a handful of paperbacks, most of which were horrible (Iā€™m looking at you, Man-Kzin Wars III) or simply forgettable. Ā 

One book did not disappoint.Ā  I fell down the rabbit hole into a series that proved to be as badass as the cover art promised (Again, Man-Kzin Wars III, way to drop the ball on that one).Ā  With more than a dozen books in the series, I devoured them.Ā  I bought cassette tapes of ballads sung by bards in the stories.Ā  And the characters.Ā  Oh, the characters.Ā  I loved them.Ā  Gryphons, mages, but most importantly, lots of women.Ā  Different kinds of women.Ā  So many amazing women.Ā  I looked up to them, wrote bad fiction that lifted entire portions of dialogue and character descriptions, dreamed of writing something that the author would include in an anthology.

This year I decided in a fit of nostalgia to revisit the books I loved so damn much.Ā  I wanted to reconnect with my old friendsā€¦

ā€¦and I found myself facing Mary Sues.Ā  Lots of them.Ā  Perfect, perfect, perfect.Ā  A fantasy world full of Anakin Skywalkers and Nancy Drews and Wesley Crushers.Ā  I felt crushed.Ā  I had remembered such complex, deep characters and didnā€™t see those women in front of me at all anymore.Ā  Where were those strong women who kept me safe through the worst four years of my life?

Which led me to an important realization as I soldiered on through book after book.Ā  Thatā€™s why I needed them.Ā  Because they were Mary Sues.Ā  These books were not written to draw my attention to all the ugly bumps and whiskers of the real world.Ā  They were somewhere to hide.Ā  I was painfully aware that I was being judged by my peers and adults and found lacking.Ā  I was a fuckup.Ā  And sometimes a fuckup needs to feel like a Mary Sue.Ā  As an adult, these characters felt a little thin because they lacked the real world knowledge I, as an adult, had learned and earned.Ā  But thatā€™s the thingā€¦these books werenā€™t FOR this current version of myself. Ā  Who I am now doesnā€™t need a flawless hero because Iā€™m comfortable with the idea that valuable people are also flawed.

There is a reason that most fanfiction authors, specifically girls, start with a Mary Sue.Ā  Itā€™s because girls are taught that they are never enough.Ā  You canā€™t be too loud, too quiet, too smart, too stupid.Ā  You canā€™t ask too many questions or know too many answers.Ā  No one is flocking to you for advice.Ā  Then something wonderful happens.Ā  The girl who was told sheā€™s stupid finds out that she can be a better wizard than Albus Dumbledore.Ā  And that is something very important.Ā  Terrible at sports?Ā  Youā€™re a warrior who does backflips and Legolas thinks youā€™re THE BEST. Ā  No friends?Ā  You get a standing ovation from Han Solo and the entire Rebel Alliance when you crash-land safely on Hoth after blowing up the Super Double Death Star.Ā  Itā€™s all about you.Ā  Everyone in your favorite universe is TOTALLY ALL ABOUT YOU.

I started writing fanfiction the way most girls did, by re-inventing themselves. Ā 

Mary Sues exist because children who are told theyā€™re nothing want to be everything. Ā 

As a girl, being ā€œselfishā€ was the worst thing you could be.Ā  Now you live in Narnia and Prince Caspian just proposed marriage to you.Ā  Why?Ā  Your SELF is what saved everyone from that sea serpent.Ā  Plus your hair looks totally great braided like that.

In time, hopefully, these hardworking fanfiction authors realize that itā€™s okay to be somewhere in the middle and their characters adjust to respond to that.Ā  As people grow and learn, characters grow and learn.Ā  Turns out your Elven Mage is more interesting if he isnā€™t also the best swordsman in the kingdom.Ā  Not everyone needs to be hopelessly in love with your Queen for her to be a great ruler.Ā  There are all kinds of ways for people to start owning who they are, and embracing the things that make them so beautifully weird and complicated.

Personally, though, I think itā€™s a lot more fun learning how to trust yourself and others if you all happen to be riding dragons.

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geekmehard

Mary Sues exist because children who are told theyā€™re nothing want to be everything.

A girl making herself the hero of her own story is a radical act. Stop shaming girls for doing it. Stop shaming yourself for it.Ā 

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Fanfiction idea: Every single one of the sides was a dark side at some point and now all of them are attempting to hide it from each other.

Bonus points if Deceit knew them all as dark sides and is watching everything unfold with a bucket of popcorn.

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yikesy

now THIS is a ā€œdark side angst dramaā€ fic iā€™d read

Iā€™m just thinking this as one of those weird suspense, where everybody is suspicious of each other and all of them are incredibly bad at lying, as deceit just unfolds a bucket of popcorn as the ā€œlight sidesā€ go in a chaotic mess of suspecting each other and incredibly bad at denying the truth

ā€œHmm HOW WOULD YOU KNOWD THERES MULTIPLE DARK SIDES??ā€

ā€œbecause everybody knows thatā€¦?ā€

ā€œ..ā€

ā€œYouā€™re rightā€

yeah, i imagined it as somewhat of a comedy/parody where everyone is really over the top, like full-on monologuing about how no one could possibly love them if they discovered their ~dark secret~ at a completely audible volume while pacing at the middle of the living room, and deceit being the only one that can see how ridiculous everyone is being, but, as a good chaotic neutral, doesnā€™t do anything because are u kidding?? this shit is too funny and,, just stands in the sidelines wondering when Thomasā€™ mind became such a soap opera.

This is EXACTLY what I want to see

This sounds awesome!

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university/college witch tips

ā˜•ļø brew a cup of tea in between, after, and/or before classes. use herbs according to certain correspondences(I personally use lavender & chamomile after class, rosemary & mugwort before or in between if I have enough time). stir in sugar with intention. pour in a thermos if youā€™re on the go.

ā˜€ļø wake up 20 minutes early and meditate. set intentions or goals for the day, say your prayers, give thanks to the universe or to your deity, focus on your chakras. whatever feels right and simple, make it a part of your morning. [alternative: if you have 20 minutes in between classes this can really help you unwind before your next class]

šŸŽ§ instead of listening to your regular music, find something spiritually enriching to listen to when you have a moment. thereā€™s plenty of wonderful spirits on youtube, instagram, etc. that speak to me on a daily. listen to an astrology forecast, a tarot reading, info on certain gods or deities, other witches and their practice, anything that resonates with you. [alternative: find witchy playlists on spotify, tumblr, or 8tracks* ]

šŸ“” combine your practice with your planner. jot down the astrological influences of each week/day. track your tea intake. record pre-planned workings/spellwork/rituals/etc. dedicate a spread to your intentions each Moon cycle, at the end of the cycle cross off everything that manifested, migrate the remaining intentions to the next spread. this is a great pastime when youā€™re bored in class

ā™„ļø shuffle your tarot/Oracle/etc. cards in class. take them with you throughout the day, let them experience what you do. at the end of the day ask them for their thoughts, or any other thing you feel. make sure to cleanse your deck however you prefer after a long day, your cards will absorb all the energy around you and it may lead to them acting wonky

šŸ–Š draw sigils to help you study and prepare for tests. if youā€™re struggling with lateness, come up with a sigil to help you be more time efficient. if you suck at homework, write a symbol for wisdom or focus on yourself before you start doing it. sigils are an urban witches best friend

šŸ’ø to save money, diy items for your altar. if you live on a college campus, thereā€™s plenty of places where people give away unwanted items either or free or really cheap. get them, if they resonate. paint them, sculpt around them, whatever. then put it on your altar

*I have a bunch of songs that I can put together in tailored playlists if anyone wants

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