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Brick from the moon ziggurat with dog paw prints from the ancient city of Ur.  From the 3rd Dynasty of Ur (circa. 2112-2004 B.C.) now in the British Museum.

Pets have been walking over our stuff since the dawn of civilization.

(Image heavy)

This arc is doing a great job setting up the friendship among Aizawa, Present Mic, and Shirakumo. We find out they were in class 1-B!

They might not have been the “Big Three” of their era, but were clearly ride-or-die friends with bright futures (and no, I’m not up-to-date in Vigilantes).

So when you see your friend as a living corpse:

That hurts.

And then your friend tries to emerge from nomu hell:

Okay, this might be one of the creepiest panels in the manga. Shirakumo seems to be sharing a body and will with Kurogiri. But more importantly, AIZAWA BROKE THROUGH.

And thus, his heart breaks a little more.

(This is the Aizawa version of “I’m not crying, you’re crying.”

Despite having a shitty day, he still pulls off that tortured badass hero look, emphasis on tortured.

In Part 1 of the the chapter 254 theories , a possible timeline has been established between Shirakumo becoming Kurogiri .

“You were always in high spirits , always facing forward without considering what came next ! “

This is the line Aizawa said about Shirakumo , but to me , it reminded me of another character . Someone who he calls Problem Child. 

Time and time again , since the beginning , we have seen how Aizawa sees him as a reckless child . Though he was high spirited , he continuously injured himself. When it was Izuku’s turn near the beginning of the series , he erased his quirk and considering expelling him . From this chapter , we know that he always had a motive behind this . 

As I mentioned previously in my chapter 253 theory, every single decision he took was influenced by Shirakumo . The very first thing he told students after their reaction of being expelled on the first day was , “ Natural Disasters, Highway pileups , rampaging  villains , calamity is always right around the corner . I’d say Japan is full of unfair things “ 

From this , we can see how he tells the future heroes the harsh realities in life and they must overcome now . 

“ Being self- sacrificing isn’t the same as being suicidal . So many kids confuse the two .  “ 

Shirakumo was self- sacrificing . He died protecting the kids , as we see in the vigilantes manga , but when Midoriya saved Uraraka from the 0- pointer , it was suicidal . 

To us readers , we know the true reason for Izuku’s lack of control , but from outsiders point of view , especially someone as critical as Aizawa ; it was suicidal . The whole reason Izuku got inside UA was because of  rescue points . To Aizawa , it was a reckless move , how could the school encourage a person who destroyed themselves to be a hero ? 

He also mentioned to Principal Nezu that he wanted to  “expel and re- enroll the students  “

When one is close to death, they realize that they need to give it their all. A second chance to redeem their selves . They forget the very thing that holds themselves back ; their insecurities , doubts , fear , arrogance ; everything vanishes when each single one of them faces the same thing : the inevitable fate of death . No matter how weak or strong one is , it is something no one can avoid . 

Aizawa himself had gone through this and realized that the only way he could make the students learn and redeem their reckless ways is to make them face “ death “ in the form of expulsion . The state of mind becomes similar to the real situation . 

This pushes them to move forward , beyond their limits and work harder to prove that they were worthy to become a hero and follow their dreams . They weren’t going to let their admission into UA be meaningless . 

In Midoriya’s case , he managed to keep a cool head , even with the expulsion threat and prove Aizawa’s words wrong in the beginning . This made Aizawa realize that the kid wasn’t as suicidal as he thought and had a good head on his shoulders . 

“ Because I want guys like you …. heroes like you who can pull others along … to live … good long lives “ 

This emotional line ties up to another set of lines he had said during the hero license arc. 

“ When it comes to class A , one thing becomes obvious after watching them long enough . They probably haven’t realized themselves but the class revolves around a certain pair ………… But at one point or another , they infected the rest of their class with their passion and fever ….The very presence of these two raises the bar for the entire class.   “ 

Midoriya and Bakugou .

Their drive , motivation and passion towards heroics and their aim to be top heroes pushed their classmates to their limits . The students realized , even at the face of danger , they both were incredible . To go through so much and still work harder made them feel they were slacking off , it even inspired them to take the goal of being a hero more seriously . 

To Aizawa , this is what he truly wanted to see . Students who could pull others along . Class 1 A never left a single student behind , they worked hard to pull everyone together and work towards a common goal . 

This is the theme of the 2nd Movie . This shows us how they are going to be the heroes of tomorrow. 

As we move through autumn, a popular time for those wanting to get into spirit work for the first time, I wanted to link followers to some posts about working with ancestors and link to some excellent examples of ancestor altars. Obvious credit to the original posters whose work I find so helpful. 

Why You Need an Ancestor Altar

Ancestor Work FAQ

What is Ancestor Work

Ideas for your Ancestor Altar

Ancestor Altar Examples: 1, 2, 3

Holding a Silent Supper this Samhain

What if my Family Sucks Pt. 1

What if my Family Sucks Pt. 3; or, What If I Have No Family

Spirit Work Resources Masterpost

Greek or Roman polytheists generally begin prayers by calling on either Janus or Hestia, which makes sure the prayers “go to the right place.”

On a daily basis, I ask the gods, Agathos Daimon, the Lares, and our household spirit to bless and protect me, my family, and our home. I keep the shades open so the sun (and occasionally the moon) can shine in, I try to keep up with routine cleaning so no physical or psychic varmints may to tempted to move in, and I cleanse the place every so often with aromatic incense smoke to warn off and remove any uncanny interlopers. Oxuthumia, the purification of the home preceding Hecate’s Deipnon, also removes any nasty spirits who might possibly be loitering about.

When I did an internet search to make sure my answer was on the right track, I discovered that the barley groats Hellenic polytheists scatter on the altar before worship also has a reputation for keeping evil away. Some people like keep a bowl of salt on their altar, and salt has the property of driving away evil. Likewise, so do fumes from incense, which many of us burn when we pray and worship. Some people scatter protective herbs around their altar, or spray the air with salt water or water infused with purifying herbs. Many of us wear an image of a deity as a necklace, and that acts not just as a symbol of devotion but also as a protective talisman.

Having said all that, I think it would take a very brazen entity to answer a prayer addressed to one of the gods, and I’m pretty sure a deity would respond rather …aggressively…to being impersonated.

This post is dedicated to the bees, make sure you do your part to save the bees! 

Facts to increase your love for bees:

They have personalities.

They can recognize human faces.

Their honey contains all the substances needed to sustain life.

Eating Honey can make you smarter.

Honeybees can only sting once.

They beat their wings up to 200 times per second.

Honeybees are the only insects that produce food for humans.

Bees don’t sleep.

All worker bees are female.

Ways to attract bees:

Plant flowers that attract bees.

Build a bee houses.

Place bee waterers and bee baths around your garden.

Do not use pesticides or herbicides of any kind.

Plants that attract bees:

Bee balm

Lavender

Crocus

Snow Drop

Wildflowers/Any native species

Catmint

Borage

Anise hyssop

Heliotrope

Sunflower

Oregano

Yarrow

Coneflower

Black eyed susan

Asters

Goldenrod

Foxglove

Marigold

Pansies

Sweet peas

Nasturtiums

Bee folklore:

It is unlucky to kill bees.

Believed to have the knowledge of the future and all secrets. 

If a bee lands on your hand, it suggests money is on it’s way.

If a bee lands on someones head, they will become successful in life. 

If a bee flies into a home, it means either good luck or a stranger is on their way. If you kill the bee it means the stranger will be bringing bad news.

Seeing a single bee will bring luck.

Bees buzzing around a child’s head foretells a happy, successful life.

Bee mythology:

Ancient Egyptian pharaohs used the bee as their royalty symbol. They believed honey bees were born from the tears of the sun God, Ra. To the Egyptians, bees represented resurrection and protected against evil spirits. 

Druids believed that bees represented the sun, the Goddess, celebration, and community.

The Greeks thought that a babies whose lips where touched by a bee would become a great poet or a great speaker. In ancient Greece it was also thought that they symbolized industry, hard work, messengers of the dead, and obedience. Honey was often used as an offering to their Gods. They also believed bees were the surviving souls of the priestesses who served the Goddess Aphrodite. 

They have been seen as a symbol of sacredness and could be associated with the Great Mother or Divine feminine. The Mother can be symbolized as the queen bee. 

In Celtic mythology honey bees had great wisdom and thought to be messengers between worlds. Honey was sacred and used in rituals.

In some cultures they can be associated with purity, health, and wealth. Some also believed bees were a symbol of the human soul.

The druids believed that bees symbolized the sun, the goddess, celebration, and community.

Deities associated with bees and honey:

Aphrodite

Ra

Vishnu

Pan

Vishnu

Cybele

Mellona

Melissa (Melisae)

Neith

Apollo

Artemis

Freya

Thor

Demeter

Bees in Magick:

Bees are closely associated with the fae and their presence in gardens which indicates blessings of fae. Encourage the bees, by putting up bee houses, hives, planting bee-friendly plants and waterers and not using pesticides. Thus, encouraging the blessings from the fae, while harming bees can anger them and cause them to seek revenge. 

The symbol of a bee can be used to seal a spell with sweetness for one who appreciates good will and a sting for one who takes it for granted or doesn’t keep his end of the bargain. 

Honey stirred into your tea can ‘sweeten’ your day. 

Honey is used often in magick to sweeten a situation.

Anointing your lips with honey will make your words sound sweeter. 

Bees in your dreams:

May be a good omen.

Bees in your dreams may be telling you to take a look at your social networks. They may be pointing toward a desire for more harmonious and functional relationships, or celebrating the ones you already have.

A visit from a bee in a dream may also be notifying you that a friend or family member needs to speak with you. You will know as this person will also pop into your mind somehow. It means call them or perhaps, that you will hear from them soon.

Dreaming of a beehive usually relates to the home and family or your business and coworkers. A happy, buzzing hive means a happy, buzzing home. It may foretell incoming abundance, and fruitful times ahead. If the bees are swarming around the hive, rather than working in it, proceed with caution. There is a lack of harmony that is interfering with productivity.

A swarm of bees may indicate that you feel that a group of people upon whose cooperation you rely is becoming chaotic and out of control. Perhaps the need to balance your own interactions with your different business and social groups for your own sanity.

Beehives bring to mind abundance and prosperity: bees seem to work hard and are rewarded by flowing stores of honey. An empty beehive, then, represents the opposite: lost opportunity and financial misfortune.

A beehive can also represent a home. The fullness or emptiness of the beehive may indicate unconscious feelings about family life, marriage, children, or the house itself. Honey may represent your property or belongings.

A beehive on fire or burned bees are often interpreted depending on your emotional and physical condition. Burned bees may mean you are overcoming fear and want to take control of life and anger, are you’re progressing through life with more confidence without any fear of obstacles. Burned beehives can also mean you have lost something precious, like money, a relationship, or some valuable information that you’ve forgotten or ignored.

If a bee or a swarm of bees is chasing you in dream, it may mean there is some unsettled business or a memory that haunts you. Make sure you let it go from your mind or deal with it in order to avoid these bees.

If you dream about getting a bee sting then something may be bothering you, or you have a persistent annoyance in your life. Concerns about your relationship, career, finance, or some unknown issue is bugging your subconscious mind. Find out what it is and sort it out.

Magickal uses for Honey:

Can be used in binding spells to symbolically stick things together.

Used for offerings to fae and deities.

Can sweeten a person or a situation.

 Honey is sacred to Aphrodite.

Can be used in spells corresponding to purification, health, love, happiness, spirituality, wisdom, good fortune, fertility, 

Use certain types of honey that corresponded with your spell.

Bathe in warm water and honey to attract love.

A dish filled with honey can attract angels and beneficial spirits.

Do your part to save the bees they are an important part of our life and in our magick practices. 

May the moon light your path!

==Moonlight Academy==

In my previous chapter theory , I had explained about how much Shirakumo influenced Aizawa and how each of his emotions and decisions he took afterwards . As we see the scene of All for One speaking , we can see that he knew all the most useful quirks needed for heroics were in UA . Seeing a student dead , he didn’t want to waste any time and with the help of the doctor , made him into a person who could care of Shigaraki . I’m going to be delving a bit on the timeline to see what decisions he might have taken . 

We know that Shirakumo died around their second year in UA , he was 17 years old . Assuming Aizawa and Present Mic were near to the same age , we can try guessing how many years ago this had occurred with the current timeline. Roughly,  I would say 13 years ago Shirakumo was declared dead . 

All Might had his big battle with All for One 7 years ago ( since now it’s January in the timeline ) . In my chapter 239  theory , I had explained why Shigaraki became All for One ‘s successor and mostly it revolved around the fact that he got injured by All Might . It’s explained more clearly and detailed in the theory . 

 Shirakumo must have been 24 around that time period . If we roughly estimate according to Shigaraki’s current age to the age he was back then ,he was 14 years old . Using this age if we go back accordingly ; to the time when he met All for One , he must have been 4 or 5 ( Since quirks start appearing around the age of 4 and it could be possible he was late bloomer ) . Shirakumo would be 14 or 15 . 

Now here is where things get interesting . From this information , we can theorize that maybe All for One planned on killing a student from UA ,by sending that monster which brought down the building and killing Shirakumo or it was just luck that he found a student of UA dead . Since the doctor owns many hospitals ( or clinics according to wiki ) , he could have slipped inside and managed to swap the body like Gran Torino said . 

Shigaraki was a young child and even though All for One was grooming him , he couldn’t always take care of him . He needed someone whom he could trust , a person with a heroic and caring nature , who would take care of young Tomura . Kurogiri memories of his past must be suppressed similar to how Shigaraki’s past were suppressed . Kurogiri must have been brainwashed or have ( forced ) amnesia and make him believe that All for One was his savior and his duty was to protect the young child who was traumatized . Despite not able to remember who he was , he felt sympathy towards the child and began taking care of him . Thus , he has a very deep bond with the child and started guiding him . Thus this became his “ mission “ . 

This is what must have mostly happened , with the information we have gained in this chapter about the advanced Nomus and Shirakumo . 

ℨ𝔬𝔡𝔦𝔞𝔠 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔠𝔥𝔢𝔰 𝔥𝔞𝔱

Crystals are a modern concept. Thats it basically. 

Look since being on tumblr (which i’ll admit isn’t long however i’ve been practising for almost a year without it) i’ve realised that witchcraft has really gotten mixed up with other modern concepts such as ‘the healing power of crystals’ which is fine if your into that but I guess thats not the path I’m on? I’ve been looking a lot more into historical witchcraft because thats where I feel the most connection being english and all.

In historical witchcraft it isn’t the ingredients or tools that have power. Its you. yeah of corse there are associations and I will be continuing to use herbs and other natural tools. However,I won’t be using crystals or anything else that is said to have a ‘power’ of any kind. I’m not a particularly religious person. Nor am I someone who really ‘believes’ in forms of divination such as tarot or rune stones. 

For me witchcraft is a way of saying “this is what I want” a way to feel like I have some control of whats happening. By putting my energy into making something like a spell bottle I have quite time to reflect on what I want. Having something charmed, or something hanging up for protection makes me feel secure. But I just can’t get behind the idea that a piece of quartz actually has any “power” or ‘energy’. Id probably feel better carrying around a random rock from my garden for luck than an expensive rock with good vibrations.

I hope people can respect this change to my practice, and a change that will be made in my blog. You may still see some crystals around in the background of photos for aesthetic purposes but I will no longer be using them in any way. I will probably be switching to simply using pretty rocks I like!

“Crystals are a modern concept”

That’s not true. DSIC–Drawing Spirits into Crystals–is a traditional method of scrying found in Classical grimoires such as the Arbatel and Elizabethan magic like the Enochian system of John Dee. Lapidiaries, or books of magical stones, go as far back as the fourteenth century in the Hygromanteia. The hagstone, a stone with a hole bored through the middle by air or water, is something found in traditional witchcraft as well, usually to see spirits by gazing through the hole. Stones and crystals themselves are not solely New Age, although much of their use now in common perception and common practice is very New Age. If you like crystals and rocks there are ways to utilize them traditionally if you wish. It will just take research and study on your part.

“In historical witchcraft it isn’t the ingredients that have power. It’s you.”

That’s not quite true either. In Classical magic, it is not belief alone that carries the tech, it is the tech itself that ensures the results. That is because the tech, both in sense of technology and technique, are inherently powerful. It is the tools and the technique that make the results happen. It’s why someone who has never done magic before can still attempt the Ars Goetia and hurt themselves, even if they don’t “believe” what they’re doing is real. “It’s all about belief/intent” is a contemporary modality in magic, only maybe 50 years old or so. That is a New Age belief, and has no bearing on the outcome of traditional magic. Tools do have to be made a certain way, at certain times, with certain materials. That is a hard and fast rule in traditional magic going back to the time of the first century up until now. And that rule has been followed and held and unchanged because it works. Do you think if it was just a simple matter of believe really hard our ancestors wouldn’t have done that earlier?

And the thing is, some objects inherently do have power. Consecrated communion hosts for example, which are a staple in the work of a Sabbatic witch. These have power because they have been ritualized, or are rare, or are omens. Lightning struck wood, the hand of a man who has been hung, dirt from a grave, herbs picked under the New Moon. Those things have power. They are not just random selections for “spooky factor”. They are there present in the current because they are functional and have spiritual weight. It isn’t about what you believe or not, it’s the fact that they’ve been used for sometimes thousands of years to direct and focus magic, and by other people successfully up until now. This is inescapable in traditional and Classical magic. Or even Afro Traditional Religion.

There are lineage witches/magicians and also the concept of “having the witchblood” in tradcraft but that is a delicate and nuanced topic that would take a separate post and is not immediately relevant here.

“I’m not a particularly religious person”

Okay, you don’t need to be religious to do traditional and Classical magic. That’s fine. I hope you do know however that spirits are very, VERY real. And if you don’t know now you will if you decide to pursue trad work. And don’t be surprised if you see religious items, names, or people in your research. A lot of magicians were priests. A lot of witches went to Mass by day even when they were meeting the devil at the Sabbat at night. And usually those things are also there for a reason, not be removed or changed just because you don’t like Christianity or religion. In some cases this will gut the entire piece of tech and leave it unusable.

“I don’t ‘believe’ in forms of divination like tarot or rune stones”

Then find something you do trust. You can’t do traditional magic without having a way to double check yourself. You are going to get hurt, at the very worst, and at the very least, you’re not going to have a way to double check your work, ask questions about how to streamline operations before you do them, or have a way to suss out what is and isn’t a result of your magic. This is going to stunt your growth. You are depriving yourself of a tool that is going to make you better at magic. Magic without divination is like walking into a minefield blindfolded. It’s not about vaguely predicting the future; it’s about information gathering to your benefit.

“For me witchcraft is a way for me to…feel in control”

Real magic doesn’t make you simply feel in control. It puts you in control, in objective actuality. Why else do magic? Magic that is powerful and effective is not some “spiritual journey” for self-discovery (although sometimes it can turn into that). Real magic is about affecting your environment, tangibly. You should be able to hurt people. You should be able to heal them of actual illnesses. You should be able to find treasure and make money materialize out of nowhere. You should be able to speak with the dead. You should be able to know things that otherwise you would not have. It worries me to see any other approach to magic. Make no mistake. Magic done well actually does allow you to really and truly control things.

“I hope people can respect this change in my practice”

My guy, don’t worry about people respecting you or not. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that your magic gets results. And when they do, you won’t care about people’s respect. For…obvious reasons lmao.

I would recommend you read some academic books about traditional witchcraft and Classical magic instead of just reading Tumblr posts about it. That will do a lot for shaping your practice for how you want it to be.

What did my great-to-the-nth-power grandmother enjoy doing in the 13th century? Maybe she enjoyed baking bread for her children and telling them stories her mother used to tell her.

Maybe my biblical times greeeeeeeaaaaat grandma liked to watch fishing boats.  My 200 AD foremother could have heard of the power of Rome and dreamt of moving there and starting a business.  My early hominid foremother could have liked picking wildflowers.

“…There’ll be scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago…”

So I have been thinking about our Contemporary conceptualization of the Christmas season a lot lately and it’s kind of interesting. So many things we associate with Christmas – Christmas trees, greeting cards, Santa Claus, his reindeer and elves, gift-giving in general – all of these things came into vogue in the 19th Century and are very sticky-sweet, in my opinion. They’re lovely, but not filling. If we just scratch the surface of the Christmas we know and love and peek back into its history, we find something much meatier.

Before the cheerful Christmas tree, a number of other plants were associated with Christmas. The holly, associated with sacrifice and the blood of Christ, and the parasitic mistletoe, associated with the death of Baldur in Norse mythology – these were the plants associated with Christmas before the Christmas tree became the standard.

Also, the Yule log. The Yule log, meant to provide light on the darkest night of the year, was a magic charm in and of itself. If it did not burn through the night, it would be a terrible omen. By watching the fire and coals of the Yule log, one could also predict who would give birth and who would die in the coming year.  

When our simple Santa Claus is reduced to his predecessors, one is left with Odin, ancient Norse God of battle, Saint Nicholas, the canonized former bishop of Turkey, and Father Christmas, the hard-drinking gluttonous representation of holiday merriment. And all of them brought ghastly friends – Odin, the spirits of the Wild Hunt and Saint Nicholas, his helpers (including Knecht Rupert, Krampus, etc.). Father Christmas, more of a personification of the season than a night visitor, undoubtedly brought many hangovers.

Before stories about reindeer, snowmen, or things of that ilk, there were ghost stories. Charles Dickens did not invent the Christmas ghost story in “A Christmas Carol,” but popularized an already-existing folkloric trend. If we look to the old tales of Christmas, we find stories about witches that rode the night air, cursing the birth of the Savior. There are stories about fairies, ghosts, and Devils that wreak havoc, frightening livestock and damaging property. In an era before television or radio, homemade storytelling was one of the primary forms of entertainment. And winter was the storytelling season.

You also have mumming, wassailing, and caroling – dressing up in colorful costumes and (sometimes drunkenly) begging for money door-to-door. As John Grossman notes in his book “Christmas Curiosities,” Christmas before the Contemporary Period resembles our Halloween more than it resembles the Christmas we know now.

“This Is A Negativity Free Zone”

Sticker / Clock / Shower Curtain / Throw Pillow / Coasters

Sun in the 6th: their daily routine ensures the sun will rise and fall, just as it always has, it’s the promise of tomorrow that is as regular as the heartbeat

Moon in the 6th: routine is essential for inner stability, but when these are used to cope or suppress emotions they are taken hostage by these rituals rather than using routine to the advantage of emotional clarity

Mercury in the 6th: thoughts follow a certain pattern the ‘thought’, page, sentence, etc; must have to be finished or repeated or adhere to a ritual

Venus in the 6th: a regular routine of socialisation is integral to wellbeing, maybe commitments to meet at the same time and venue each month or leave time in their schedule for friends and family

Mars in the 6th: a daily routine of physical activity with the opportunity to exhaust mental and somatic energy is integral, such as in the workplace or physical training

Jupiter in the 6th: a routine of having a future event or opportunity to look forward to is essential for their wellbeing , attending one and planning the next, it makes it easier to get through the daily mundane

Saturn in the 6th: a steady routine of work with the promise of future contracts and longevity is essential to wellbeing, unemployment is difficult for almost everybody - but each day can reach a state of catastrophe for these people

Uranus in the 6th: if there is a routine it’s suddenly stopping or sabotaging a job, opportunity, or plan with complete intention to follow through and make progress

Neptune in the 6th: a regular routine of sleep and time to dream is essential for daily and psychic balance, may always seem like they are ‘catching up’ on sleep, their job, order, or whatever

Pluto in the 6th: can experience ritual carried out or enforced by the unconscious that can seem to take hostage of will and operate rituals to extremely damaging or almost fatal states