#*topic

Arith Härger has recently uploaded a new video where he talks about a question that comes up among neo-pagans:

I always really enjoy his videos because they really get me thinking about things - his perspectives on topics around paganism are extremely fascinating and give lots of food for thought.

In regards to this topic in particular, he also does state some things that were important to point out once again, in my opinion:

While some sort of “temples” or in general buildings that are centers of a certain religion could definitely help raise awareness about paganism and help make it an officially recognized confession when it comes to census and rights... it’s definitely a strange idea to build an enclosed place for pagans to practice their spirituality. He very correctly points out that sitting in a room with other people and trying to force some sort of spiritual experience sounds more like something Abrahamic religions would encourage. It doesn’t seem suitable for pagan spirituality at all, since the pagan spiritual experiences happen "organically” and therefore rarely at an agreed-upon time and place.

I too feel that a better use for temples would be to act as “havens” for the community. Offering a spot for pagans to meet up and interact with each other, exchanging about their experiences, but not limited to this kind of interaction only; building places that offer shelter, pastimes and information (education) with no strings attached seems more in the “spirit of” paganism to me than creating isolated chambers of scheduled worship.

I share Arith’s focus on animism, and that’s why I also share the sentiment that you cannot isolate animist spiritual experiences from the world around us. You won’t experience it in a place and time that is disconnected from it. You have to immerse yourself in it physically and mentally to experience it.

So, in summary... Like he says in the video, while the possibility for a more “official” and “serious” pagan community exists in the option of building temples, it would in the end probably just lead to “more of the same”.

I also had some not entirely related additional thoughts:

This is just a spontaneous idea I had while watching the video, but when looking at all the different “splinters” of modern paganism that can be seen online, it seems almost like an imitation of the countless splinters of US churches. So I’m wondering if many pagans who were raised culturally christian in the US have internalized this idea. Maybe this strange habitual hyper-individualism is a big hurdle in the way of paganism becoming more of a united community rather than everyone “cooking their own little pot of soup”.

Here's all we know (this might be a little wrong because i don't watch lab rats in english, so some things might have been translated differently):

1. They were genetically engeneered (Donald mentions this in the first episode and also in the chip switch episode)

2. They have chip that gives them the ability to control their powers (or does it give them the powers?? This isn't really discussed)

3. Some parts of their body are metal (Chase's finger is a usb in one episode and they also have port for their chips on their necks, although that might be just an assumption)

4. They can be controled through their chips (triton app)

5. They themselves don't know what powers they have, and how to control them (last episode of first season)

6. Douglas gives Krane bionics through some weird operation (you know which episode - the one with Krane)

7. Douglas is able to give them new bionics powers (brother battle episode)

8. This is pretty much it?? Which is not a lot...

If you read through this (short, just like Chase) list you will probably come to the conclusion that the one thing that gives people bionics are the chips. That is obviously not true, but the show does nothing to better explain just how do the bionics really work. This has always bugged me, so I came up with some headcannons:

1. They have their 'powers' even without their chips, they just can't use them

2. They don't have the DNA of a normal human

3. They can't just gain random powers, they biology is modified to allow the bionics to exist - Bree's heart and lungs are larger than normal human to be able to keep up with her at higher speed, she also has that aerodynamical shape, even though she's not aware of it. Adam's muscles and bones structures are very different from normal humans, thay are stronger. Part of Chase's brain is actual computer.

3. Bree's invisibility is the result of Douglas playing with DNA of octopuses that can make themselves 'invisible'

4. The metal in their bodies made it really painful growing up. On similar note - their chip port is connected to their nervous system and if it gets damaged they could die

!!!!!! of course !!!!!!

firstly and probably most importantly, the first six chapters are posted already on wattpad (x) I’d recommend starting there tbf. 

tbh idk what you want me to say so i’m just gonna ramble.

so my girl, addy fleming is a ted lasso oc. paired with jamie tartt, because my love for lance corporal will jensen still shines bight even after all these years. i miss him dearly and will only forgive mj bassett under certain circumstances (give me the sb movie i was promised in 2015 pls and thanks. But somehow bring back Mac, Novin and Wyatt tho. But have my boys Scott and Stonebridge as the mains but don’t you dare k*ll them).

so actually onto my girl. 

Anyway, Sophie would see Amy who has a wife and ten dogs and is simultaneously 'I could've had that' and 'I need to keep the world safe so Amy doesn't lose what she has'. And it kind of sinks in that she no longer has any ties to the human world and that those who remembered her from school, etc., declared her a cold case because she was never found. And in a way she becomes more like a fairy creature and untethered to the world. I think it is very interesting.

one word: yes. this hurts and I love it and desperately want it.

also I love messing with time!! All the implications and devastation it can wreak...so good. In one of my oc stories time and messing with time plays a huge role, part of why I've been avoiding working on it for so long because I need to thoroughly plan everything from the beginning; i could take it in a go with the flow approach, but that wouldn't have the same effect that I want. but that's besides the point--I love it when time doesn't align!!

Amy forgetting Sophie would hurt her so much, but I think deep down she might be like. Okay. This was how everything was supposed to be. I wasn't supposed to be part of their world and now i'm not and I can leave them. But there would be so much despair and angst wrapped up in that!!

I've seen it happen a few times in faerie stories (probably not that specific podcast, though), but I think most of the one's i've seen have the character come out after everyone is dead or elderly (It's been a while since I read a story like this so I don't remember). And that way there's no lingering connection--they may see the descendants of people they used to know and recognize features, but it's not the people they know. So having Amy be middle aged...that's a person that's still going to exist for a while. And that's her person. That the sister she grew up with--and then there's the element of her realizing she'll never get to grow old like that! I don't know if she'd mourn the idea of growing old, but more so the idea of normalcy it promises. Because people who grow old are safe. People who grow up are the people who survive. And Amy gets to be one of them without any threats anymore.

Don't mind me, just gonna internally scream (/pos) about the idea of Sophie becoming more inhuman. I love inhuman things so much!! I know this would be painful for her because all she ever wanted was acceptance and it's becoming less and less attainable, but I can't help but be a little excited about the idea.

Sophie had so few ties to the human world in the first place that I imagine loosing the one she had left would be devastating. Before she knew she was an elf she had her family--that was really it. She didn't have any friends, didn't have any concrete plans for the future or any interests. And then she lost the connection to her whole family--but then she got Amy back. But loosing Amy again...I think it would really sink in for her then that she wasn't human.

Repeatedly throughout the series she struggles to use the "right" language, referring to elves as other because she doesn't see herself as one of them. I don't think she saw herself as fully human ever, but I think that was closer than being an elf. And now it's farther away. Now she realizes that she never was close to human, she was just emotionally close to one human and couldn't let her go. I just think it'd be an interesting mental shift for her to have!