WIKIPEDIA MONSTER COMPILATION PAGES FOR PEOPLE

Interesting

i unironically believe electricity is the closest thing we have to magic in this universe. consider:

Hermetecism is the spiritual belief in tightly sealed jars

CT, I beg of you, please elaborate

"Hermetically sealed" refers to the work of hermetic alchemists, who invented airtight sealable vessels for alchemical experimentation.

This is actually one of the few things that was actually kinda spiritually important to some alchemical practices. The ability to create a truly "sealed" vessel is a step closer to being able to create a true microcosm, an environment in which the grand works of god could be simulated in the small scale.

There are stories of hermetic alchemists being able to create boxes that cannot be opened no matter how much pressure is applied. These are probably just exaggerations, but the stories inspired Otto von Guericke.

He was 17th century polymath who invented the Guericke Hemispheres. Neat little things that used atmospheric pressure to create a nigh-impenetrable hermetic seal. His work is why we use the term outside of its original alchemical context.

every time i see this image it makes me happy

or this one

White witches stop "smudging" challenge year almost 2023.

Babes: call it Censing. Call it Saging. Stop calling it Smudging.

I know y’all can do better we can all stand to do better.

UNLESS YOU ARE INDIGENOUS YOU ARE NOT SMUDGING. Censing (Latin), Rēcaning (Saxon), Saining (Scottish), Thymiaein (Greek), Kyphi (Kemetic/Egyptian), Takpirtu (Mesopotamian), Hallowing (Old English) -- there are so many options. A detailed breakdown of these smoke related cleansing rituals can be found here.

Reblogging for these wonderful alternatives!!!

Y'know, whenever people want to talk about why aspec people 'count' as an oppressed identity, they tend to go for the big stuff like corrective rape and conversion therapy. And like, we should absolutely talk about that stuff. Obviously those things are terrible and important and we need to raise awareness and deal with them.

But I feel like people often gloss over how… quietly traumatising it is to grow up being told that there is only one way to be happy— and that everybody who doesn't conform to that norm is secretly miserable and just doesn't know it— and then to gradually realise that, for reasons that you cannot help, that is never going to happen for you.

You're not going to find a prince/princess and ride off into the sunset. Or if you do, then it's not going to look exactly the way it does in fairytales. You're not going to get a 'normal' relationship, because you are not 'normal', and everybody and everything around you keeps telling you that that's bad.

You see films where characters are presented as being financially stable, genuinely passionate about their work and surrounded by friends and family, but then spend the rest of the plot realising that the real thing they needed was a (romantic and sexual) partner, to make them 'complete'.

You absorb the idea that any relationships you have with allo people will ultimately be unfulfilling on their side, and that this will be your fault (even if you discussed things with your partner beforehand and they decided that they were a-okay with having those sorts of boundaries in a relationship) unless you deliberately force yourself into situations that you aren't comfortable with, so as to make uo for your 'defects'.

You grow up feeling lowkey gaslighted because all the adults in your life (even in LGBT+ spaces. In fact especially in LGBT+ spaces) are insisting that it's totally normal to not be attracted to anybody at your age, and then you go to school and everybody keeps pressuring you to name somebody you're attracted to because they can't imagine not being attracted to anybody at your age.

And then you get older and realise that one day you're going to be expected to leave home, and that one day all your friends are going to be expected to put aside other relationships and 'settle down' with a primary partner and you don't know what you're going to do after that because you straight up don't have a roadmap for what a 'happy ending' looks like for someone like you.

(And the LGBT+ community is little help, because so many people in there are more than happy to tell you that you're not oppressed at all. That you're like this because you don't want to have sex, and/or you don't want to have any relationships, that your orientation is some sort of choice you made— like not eating bananas— rather than an intrinsic part of you that a lot of us have at some point tried to wish away.)

Even if you're grey or demi, and do experience those feelings, you still have to deal with the fact that you're not experiencing them the 'normal' way and that that's going to effect your relationships and your ability to find one in the first place.

If you're aiming for lifelong singlehood (which is valid af) or looking for a qpp, then you're going to have to spend the rest of your life either letting people make wrong assumptions about your situation (at best that your relationship is of a different nature than it actually is, at worst that the life you've chosen is really just a consolation prize because you 'failed' at finding a romantic/sexual partner) or pulling out a powerpoint and several webpages every time you want to explain it.

This what being aspec looks like for most people, and it is constantly minimised as being unimportant and not worth fighting against— even in aspec spaces— because we've all on some level absorbed the idea that oppression is only worth fighting against if it's big, and dramatic, and immediately obvious. That all the little incidents of suffering that we experience on a daily basis are not enough to be worth bothering about.

I mean, who gives a shit if you feel broken, inherently toxic as a partner, and like you're going to be denied happiness because of your orientation? Shouldn't we all just shut up and thank our lucky stars we don't have to deal with all the stuff some of the other letters in the acronym have to put up with (leaving aside the fact that there are many aspec people who identify with more than one letter)?

So you know what? If you're aspec and you relate to anything I've said above (or can think of other things relating your your aspec-ness that I haven't mentioned) then this is me telling you now that it's enough. Even if we got rid of all the big stuff (which we're unlikely to do any time soon because— Shock! Horror!— the big stuff is actually connected to all the small stuff) we would still be unable to consider our fight 'over' because what you are experiencing is not 'basically okay' and something we should just be expected to 'put up with'.

No matter what anybody tells you, we have the right to demand more from life than this.

do you ever think about how if you dive into the ocean and go deeper and deeper you will pass through layers of darker and darker blue until everything is black and cold and the pressure will be so intense that it will kill you without protection but if you keep going you will find little glowing specks of light, and if you go up into the sky and go higher and higher you will pass through layers of darker and darker blue until everything is black and cold and the pressure will be so intense that it will kill you without protection but if you keep going you will find little glowing specks of light

#the universe is a fractal endlessly echoing itself in all directions

As above so below

Caduceus: hello pumat can I have some magical items please ☺️

Pumat, bursting out from the back room:

For The Masses:

http://gen.lib.rus.ec

http://textbooknova.com

http://en.bookfi.org/

http://www.gutenberg.org

http://ebookee.org

http://www.manybooks.net

http://www.giuciao.com

http://www.feedurbrain.com

http://oll.libertyfund.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=380

http://www.alleng.ru/ 

http://www.eknigu.com/ 

http://ishare.iask.sina.com.cn/

http://2020ok.com/

http://www.freebookspot.es/Default.aspx

http://www.freeetextbooks.com/

http://onebigtorrent.org/

http://www.downeu.me/ebook/

http://forums.mvgroup.org

http://theaudiobookbay.com/

More Here

no one coulda reblogged this a month ago when i spent 500

momentsbymarcus

Look at KB coming through

Every time you see this, reblog it. There is always someone in college that will see this.

there’s something so compelling about stories where a character’s virtues intensify into flaws that lead to their downfall. loyalty and love becoming so all-consuming that compassion outside of them ceases to exist. duty overwhelming any moral compass until order becomes more important than justice. selflessness so intense it becomes self-destruction. let me watch while whatever saved the hero in the beginning destroys them. let me see them fall to their own worst impulses disguised as what once made them good.

“When you have a virtue, a real, whole virtue (and not merely a mini-instinct for some virtue), you are its victim.” – Friedrich Nietzsche, The Gay Science, section 21 (translated by Walter Kaufmann)

#this was the source of all his motivations in his original characterization in the mcu you know#it wasn’t that he was treacherous and immoral and only cared about himself#it’s that desperation twisted his desire to protect asgard and to earn the love of his family into something reprehensible#to the point that he wound up himself taking the very action he was initially trying to prevent thor from doing#this is why he’s so incredibly tragic and compelling as a character#and why it’s a goddamn crime how marvel has been trying to dumb him down into a one-dimensional prankster since 2017#like defacing a priceless piece of art with finger paints (tags via @nikkoliferous​) 

that’s him tho. priceless art. irreplaceable. precious. unique. beautiful.

and the tragic victim of his own virtue

True. Basically Loki was never accepted among the gods. They wanted his atypical and smart ways to solve their problems but as soon as sth went wrong, they would threaten to hurt Loki. Loki is a named the scapegoat of the gods for a reason. He is partially responsible for how the gods treated him since he caused many problems that he later solved. But the narrative never clarifies why Loki caused those troubles in the first place. Maybe he really enjoyed it without any particular reason. But stories like the one with the Giant who built a wall around Asgard and his horse, portrays a different picture. Loki tried to help and still got the blamed and the gods threatened to kill him if he didn’t make up for sth he had no way of knowing would happen.

I have an interpretation of Loki’s story that is perhaps just me reaching, or the result of reading Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology, or probably I got the myths wrong. But I think there’s sth poetic and symbolic in the story of death of Baldr and everything that followed.

I often think about why Loki killed Baldr. It could be because he is just a trickster and wanted to cause trouble. But the trickster archetype is also the one who shows people’s mistakes in unconventional ways.

I might be wrong but I don’t remember a story of Baldr ever doing sth to save the gods from trouble. While Loki usually is present and partially helpful in those stories. But Loki never gets praised or thanks from gods. So maybe Loki can’t stand it when he sees that Baldr gets honored and adored when he has done nothing for Aesir. And then he realizes Frigg has made all the objects to swear not to harm Baldr. Except mistletoe which they perceive too small and unimportant to cause harm. And Loki makes a weapon out of it and tricks the blind Hodr to kill his brother. Maybe Loki sees a connection between himself and the forgotten mistletoe. Maybe he is trying to tell us not to underestimate small things. Not to disregard anyone as unimportant. Because our blindness to them can stop us from seeing when they become dangerous as a result of that disregard and cause us harm.

The reason giantess Tokk, who is believed to be Loki in disguise, refuses to mourn for Baldr and brings him to life is in line with my interpretation. Because she says whatever Baldr ever did for me that I mourn for him?

And then we have the Lokasenna. When Loki realizes he wasn’t invited and that might be the last straw for him as he starts insulting everyone and revealing truth after truth about all the terrible things the gods have done. But they all pretend that they’re so good and it is Loki who is the worst person among them.

And what is interesting for me is that it’s not Loki causing Bladr’s death that make the gods punishing Loki. It is after Loki shows to the gods that they’re no better than him, after he is revealing all those truths about them, that the gods decide enough is enough and punish him in the worst imaginable way possible.

And it’s poetic imo that it is Loki, the trickster, the trouble maker, both the villain and the savior, the teller of lies and bitter truths, the scapegoat who is disregarded and vilified and left to be tormented for eternity, is the one who in the end rises and brings the end not only to gods but to everything. And his destruction according to Norse mythology starts a new cycle of life.

So Loki might be sidelined, disregarded and put in chains for eternity, but no chains can hold Loki forever. In the end he always breaks free.

The specific insults Loki uses in Lokasenna more or less support your conjecture. At least with the men, most of his insults are essentially accusations of unfairness. He accuses them of being benchwarmers, or rewarding people who haven’t earned it, or making unjust decisions. (His insults of the women are either that they’ve been unfaithful or just plain promiscuous… but eh) So it seems pretty reasonable to conclude that Loki really takes issue with that particular sort of social unfairness, where the deserving are passed over and the undeserving get all the acclaim, and it’s likewise reasonable to think that Loki was irritated by how beloved Baldr was, when he had literally never done anything except look pretty, and here’s Loki saving the Aesir’s bacon every other weekend and getting no thanks whatsoever.

And you’re also absolutely right about where the story ends up. But the thing I think is interesting and rarely see mentioned… is the other end of the story. Why Loki was in Asgard to begin with. Yes, yes, presumably he became pals with Odin on his travels and ended up getting invited back to Asgard with him, and is he gonna pass up the chance to become a god? but then… the way he was treated? Why did he stay? He certainly didn’t have to. He could have left. He could have said fuck that shit, I’m out. He’s a trickster; he could have gone wherever, found other playgrounds.

That’s the thing I think is really interesting. That he didn’t. Why not? Why did it matter so much to him? Why stay where you’re disliked and distrusted and constantly maligned? 

Because he wanted these particular people (and probably specifically the ones he had been known to be close to: Odin and Thor) to finally appreciate him, and he wasn’t going to be satisfied until that happened. And if it never did… then to Hel with everything. 

#and that’s why i’ve always held that myth loki is more similar to MCU than many people believe#and in different ways than some have suggested#grand unified theory of loki (tags via @illwynd )

I love desire paths. There's something so wonderous about seeing an echo of humanity. Depending on it's location, a desire path can mean so many different things.

In a city, like the pic above, they represent rebellion, and efficiency. The messiness of humanity. We like to imagine we're oh so logical and neat so we design our cities to be logical and neat an then real humans literally trample on that idea. The ego required to think you can design something perfect that checks every box. Life is all about compromise and patching stuff when some new problem arises. Though people have certainly tried! Ohio state univeristy let students carve their desire paths, and then paved them over. It looks pretty artsy.

Some people will try to discourage desire paths, but this is almost always going to fail.

Eventually, people just have to accept them. Humans are too dang stubborn.

Certain desire paths are just adorable. A 0.5 second time saver. You just can't design for maximum efficiency, humans will always find shortcuts!

Though on occasion a desire path can actually be the least efficient way...especially if you're superstitious.

In a wilder area, such as below, they show us the curiosity of humans. A desire path somewhere natural often tells you there's something interesting just ahead. (Though remember some ecosystems are fragile and will suffer if trampled! Stick to paths in these sorts of areas)

And how about desire stairs? I always think these look so cool. We get see humans determination to climb, to traverse every kind of terrain.

And for something really crazy...a desire path used for centuries will create a 'holloway'

All of these pics are off the Desirepath subreddit, check them out for more examples! And many thanks to the users who submitted these photos.

I’m sorry I have something stupid to say

You know those makeup videos where like they they show what the use and focus their brushes on the camera with their hand behind it and have an over voice over shit-

That but Snape with fucking potion shit

“You’re gonna need a scalpel…This is mine…I got this from dollar tree…We potioning on a budget…”

Snape projecting hard into his videos like

“Now you wanna get different tools for this- But with the salary of a teacher here forced to work for a school where the average death is once per year and the refuse to give me a raise-we’re just using this kitchen knife I got in the dollar bin.”

“And you’re gonna want to destroy this frog leg here- Kind of like how my dad destroyed any dreams of me living a stable life.”

Harry Potter would have been more interesting if this happened

For The Masses:

http://gen.lib.rus.ec

http://textbooknova.com

http://en.bookfi.org/

http://www.gutenberg.org

http://ebookee.org

http://www.manybooks.net

http://www.giuciao.com

http://www.feedurbrain.com

http://oll.libertyfund.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=380

http://www.alleng.ru/ 

http://www.eknigu.com/ 

http://ishare.iask.sina.com.cn/

http://2020ok.com/

http://www.freebookspot.es/Default.aspx

http://www.freeetextbooks.com/

http://onebigtorrent.org/

http://www.downeu.me/ebook/

http://forums.mvgroup.org

http://theaudiobookbay.com/

More Here

no one coulda reblogged this a month ago when i spent 500

momentsbymarcus

Look at KB coming through

Every time you see this, reblog it. There is always someone in college that will see this.

Why I love Severus Snape [ A rather long rant]

People have a rather misguided notion over my reasons for falling for Severus Snape's character. They think I am whitewashing him. So, I decided to correct all of their misinterpretations once and for all. So anyone who decides to give their unwanted two cents on why I shouldn't simp Snape while browsing through my account, you are all welcome to read this and then respectfully go to hell.

I don't love Severus Snape because he was a misunderstood noble hero.

Nah! Bleh!

What a thought!

I love Severus Snape because he was a super intelligent, genius brained, lethally loyal, ferally deadly, petty, caustic, acerbic tongued, razor sharp, I-don't-give-a-flying-fuck-bout-anyone-else's-opinion, having a morbid sense of humour, sassy li'l bitch.

There you go.

The utter crystal candid truth for you all Ladies and Gentlemen and everyone else.

I have always been fascinated with complex characters with innumerable layers and Severus Snape falls perfectly into that category. The man is absolutely fascinating and most of his actions throughout the series are so deliciously confounding that it makes me almost salivate. I had always been attracted to him and his entire vampire-ish dressing sense (I could care less for physical unattractiveness). It was somehow weird as he never gave me the vibes of being a totally side plot villain making the protagonist's life miserable. He was more like an unsolved mystery.

A highly volatile chemical compound gaining momentum in the background, ready to explode at the shortest notice.

Snape's highly confusing behaviour had me successfully entranced and guessing as to his motives. Which made me want to read him all the more desperately.

And of course, that razor sharp tongue complete with that sadistic humour just added to his overall persona beautifully. I myself am quite a sarcastic person and I use sarcasm and biting humour to hide a boatload of issues, and a few skeletons in the cupboard. So I relate to him at a personal level which had made me wonder (in the initial books of the series) whether he had something to hide as well.

Another thing I loved about Snape was that he was a startlingly pragmatic character. He was never taken in by Potter's hero status, anyone's sweet behaviour or the usual paraphernalia of the slightly overbearing demeanour of the concocted situations at Hogwarts. His no nonsense attitude appealed to me at a personal level. I have had the misfortune (as might have many of you I am assuming) of working with diabetically sweet people who have nothing but the worst intentions in their minds hidden for you while sprouting honey to your face. I hate it.

I'd rather work with a difficult colleague who has no qualms about telling what he/she thinks about me to my face than a overtly friendly one who back bitches.

And Severus Snape fits that bill perfectly as well. He might have nothing good to say to you on your face but he doesn't seem like a man who would be sweet to you in face and back bitch, ie; unless you are Voldemort (though I highly doubt that he was 'sweet' to you-know-who as well, deferential maybe as an act... but not cute.)

Of course one of the key factors of loving Snape obviously came later in the books where he was revealed to be a Spy for the Order of the Phoenix. I have always loved men in the espionage business. There is something uniquely appealing about them. You have to be fundamentally crooked to be a successful and efficient spy. The thrill and scent of lethal danger has always stuck to Snape's whole persona like a leach ever since he was introduced. And the facts unearthed about him later just solidified the beliefs further. I mean, how can you not admire the man's courage when he routinely engages in a mind battle with the World's most talented Legilimens who also happens to be the foremost terror of every wizard and witch's life, a genocidal maniac who has an obscene fascination with torture, who would never stop to think before killing someone painfully and with powers beyond anyone's comprehension with no compulsion of misusing them for fun if not anything else.

And this man, a child almost in comparison to the wizards who control him like a puppet, faces both of his almighty masters with a distinct lack of the physical expression of fear and laudable control.

His respect, admiration and dare I say affection of sorts for Dumbledore is a mystery to me as well. I mean, given Snape's evident intelligence and pride, he has to know that he is being played by the genial old wizard like a pawn in his elaborate game with Riddle.

Dumbledore trusts Snape implicitly because he knows his reasons, he knows his deepest darkest secrets, he knows that he owns Snape's soul. He can twist and break him, mould and mutilate him to his whims. And hence the absolute trust. Snape knows that he is powerless and helpless at the situation with his present master. He serves Dumbledore even after the Leader of the Light had failed to keep his promise of keeping Lily safe. He trusts him to win the war knowing that he himself will get sacrificed at Harry Potter's altar. Yet he plays on and somehow mysteriously feels a hint of adoration for Albus Dumbledore even though the centenarian has done nothing notable to earn it.

And of course one of the most notable reasons for loving Severus Snape would obviously be his die hard loyalty. How ironic it is for a spy to be so deadly loyal. He has played triple agent for most of his life yet maintained an unfailing loyalty to the memory of a dead woman who once happened to be his childhood friend. A woman who had abandoned him at convenience and jumped into the sack with his worst teenage tormentor. He pledged to protect Harry throughout his life for honouring his mother's memory. For wilfully righting a wrong he had committed.

And here in lies one of the most voraciously and viciously discussed controversies. So it is imminent that I add my two cents as well.

Severus Snape had in his short tragic life filled with adversities of the worse kind, made only one true friend who lasted for an even shorter period of time.

And he had loved her.

Maybe it was romantic, maybe it was platonic but that is not the point.

Love can be expressed in various forms but at its core the emotion remains the same. Severus Snape had loved Lily Evans Potter to the best of his capabilities. And it was due to his love for her that he ultimately changed sides and joined the right side of the war. And why not. Why should his decision be damned by everyone as selfish because he changed sides for love. Isn't that what is the ultimately reason why we do what we do? The love for one person, the love for our families, the entire community as a whole... whatever. Love is love... whoever you express it to. So why should we make an exception for Snape. He might not have thought of the so called greater good but why the heck should he? He might not have even thought about James Potter and their son (and no I don't care.. I would have spat on Potter's dead body while bypassing him).

What has the world even given him except alienation, ostracization, pain and humiliation?

A person cannot be called evil and his reasons cannot be deemed as selfish only because he is not altruistic (which is an individualistic trait and only a paragon of virtue of the highest order can achieve it and also no... the marauders didn't join the light side because they cared for the entire world, they did it because they hated the other side).

Snape's love for Lily has been termed as obsessive and creepy.

Why? Because it was not returned? I mean seriously?

History has borne testimony to the greatest love stories which end up being unrequited. Unrequited love has been told to be the most powerful form of it.

There is one thing I want to stress here.

The consequence of the actions of your lover (requited or not) does not in any capacity define the intention or intensity of your love for him or her.

Anyone who thinks otherwise has to be truly brainless.

So, in accordance, Lily Potter's not returning Severus Snape's feelings (platonic or romantic) does not automatically make his love for her as wrong or impure. He has never forced his feelings on her. He has never forced her to return his feelings. He has never manipulated situations in an attempt to make her fall in love with him. He has never used her weaknesses or someone she loves as means to make her comply with him. [Cue, all the things one James Potter has done canonically]. He has never even told her about his feelings.

Heck the man has never even addressed her with her maiden name, after she had married, harbouring no spite against her while speaking of her in her absence.

So just because Lily didn't choose Snape doesn't automatically make his love for her false and just because she married James doesn't make him true and pure in default. [which is an argument I have sadly come across many times... I mean seriously!!!?]

From when did his love start becoming creepy or obsessive? Where in the world has it been written or even admitted that you cannot love a person who is committed to another? You can't control who you fall in love with or even when to cease loving that person. You can only control your actions towards that person. And I can find no actions that can be used to testify in favour of obsessive behaviour against Snape.

The Patronus you say...

I will give you all an answer.

James Potter's Patronus is a Stag and Lily Potter's Patronus is a doe. They are the male and female versions of the same breed. A stag which can primarily dominate over the doe in means of physical strength and otherwise. Severus Snape's Patronus on the other hand is a doe as well. What I would like to believe is... in this way Snape see's Lily as his equal. A love which primarily focuses on equality. Even if someone doesn't want to interpret this in this way. Would you all agree then to the fact that Harry's Patronus being a Stag directly implies that he is obsessed with his father..? Eh?

And ultimately if his motto was to... fuck... Lily (which is also one of the many insulting motives I see people use to twist Snape's sacrifices and make fun of) how could he have done that precisely.. coz Lily was... dead..? Remember that... what had he thought? He'll fuck her in heaven?

See people might start giving me reasons like he bullied children, took unfair points, was rude and harsh and etc etc.

Please don't.

I like him harsh and rude and arrogant. The man is far more knowledgeable and clever than most of the wizarding community combined. He can afford his arrogance. Not like Lockhart who could only boast and do nothing.

And the unfair points taking.. he did have to maintain a image in front , because of Albus's belief that Voldemort would return and that he would have to have a good explanation ready to get back into the Dark Lord's good graces. Half the Slytherin's parents were Death Eaters. You think they wouldn't have gone back and complained to their parents if they had seen Snape being congenial or fair to the Gryffindor's and other houses.

And personally to Harry... yes he was petty and no I don't care.. plus he had to, again, maintain his hatred filled image for Potter in front of the rest. He could not even pretend to be bad and then be good later in secret, because.. hey.. Voldie's a legilimens.

And sometimes I agree with him taking the points...

Harry is not a very respectful child anyways. He has some major anger management issues to work out for sure. Everyone might not appreciate cheek from students. And that's totally fine.

But coming to the end of my terra sized rant I would like to sign out by giving you all the most important reason why I adore this fundamentally fucked up man (and no, its not cause he was loyal to Lily... I could care less for that... bleh!).

It is because even after being pushed into the darkness. Letting it creep into him, festering like a stale mould inside his soul, all the bitterness and cynicism, agony and humiliation, pain and pride and arrogance aside... Severus Snape had the courage to admit he was wrong. And then immerse himself in the path of redemption to correct his mistakes, atone for his misdeeds. Yes, he was wrong and he made a fucking mistake.. don't we all. But he worked towards correcting it once he was shown the light. He toiled and broke and twisted himself, letting everyone despise him, isolating himself from all comfort and care and walked the path of redemption.

And he achieved it in the end. Whatever the price he paid for selling his soul to the Devil... he was redeemed in the end. We can't know whether he had done more than was required or just as much, but no one can, in their right unbiased and logical mind, say that it was less. It can't be and you all know it.

He bore the Dark Mark on his left forearm, darkness in his soul, wore dark clothes and served a Dark Master for the entirety of his miserable existence and fought for the light, was hated for it till his very end and yet ultimately it was because of him that Harry Potter won the wizarding world the war both times considered.

And he didn't give a flying fuck either ways.

And thus I love him.

Period.

Okay, end of rant. Thanks for coming.

This si gold

Why do we love Snape, or the character who was unkindly written

Claire Jordan in one of her Quora essays said that she’s been in fandom for decades and has never seen a character so loved as Snape. I concur. Excluding some recent trends that purposefully misinterpret Snape by projecting onto him a set of stereotypes he was never supposed to embody, Snape remains one of the most loved characters in the Harry Potter universe. Every poll on Harry Potter’s favourite characters confirm that Snape is always on the top 3, sometimes reaching first place.

This is not some “bad boy syndrome”. There are two main reasons for readers to have latched onto Snape so furiously, for Snape to have been so ardently discussed and defended after HBP – and these feelings only intensified after the 7th book. The reasons, I would posit, are:

1.      Snape is a character that the narrative portrays as ambiguous.

2.      Despite this, the narrative is often, objectively, unfair to Snape especially in favour of other characters.

Let’s address the first point. Snape is ambiguous because he has to be. There are two big plot-twists in Harry Potter: Harry is a horcrux and Snape’s loyalties. These two end up closely connected because it is through the knowledge of Snape’s loyalties that Harry discovers he must die to kill the part of Voldemort that is inside him. Snape is therefore largely written as a suspect in a murder mystery. Several commentators have argued that the structure of a Harry Potter book resembles a crime novel, and I agree. Snape has to appear guilty, but the books have to give enough clues to the reader as to his true loyalties. Independently of authorial intent, this is what makes Snape so compelling. Because:

a.      Snape is cruel to his students but he constantly protects them (Harry, Draco, Katie Bell, Luna and Hermione, Neville and Ginny).

b.      Snape is described as ugly but his use of language is the most sophisticated of the series to the point it becomes sensual. Just consider his first speech in class about the beauty of potions and how they “ensnare the senses” and “bewitch the mind”.

c.      Snape is mean and petty but these characteristics are often accompanied by sarcasm and irony which make some of his most awful comments quite funny, such as him telling Crabbe not to suffocate Neville because he would have to mention it in a reference letter if ever Crabbe applied to a job. There is also a lot of incongruent humour in play with Snape. For example, him reading about Harry’s love life is hilarious because Snape and teenage drama are two irreconcilable dimensions.

d.      Snape is cruel and bullying but the narrative offers several reasons for this. While Dumbledore’s past is revealed mostly through conversation, Snape’s past is slowly revealed in images which makes it much more vivid. Snape getting a glimpse of a werewolf at the end of a tunnel. Snape’s father yelling at his cowering mother. Snape upside down and petrified by Sirius and James. Petunia calling him “an awful boy”. More than any other character, Snape is rooted in a social context that brings with it inescapable references: poverty, domestic abuse, neglect, bullying.

e.      Snape is often ridiculed (by Neville’s Boggart and by the map) but he is also given the title of “Prince”, a character with whom Harry sympathizes. He is also one of the characters who carries a sword, and whose love is presented as “the best part” of him. These are characteristics that ennoble Snape.

f.       Snape is dismissive of people’s feelings but he is also the character who is defending children because of their mothers. Lily because of his guilt, and Narcissa whom he allows to trap him in an unbreakable vow to protect her son.  

g.      Snape is taken as evil but the character whom the narrator uses as a morality mouthpiece – Hermione – often defends him.

h.      Snape kills a man but the narrative is quick to add that his soul would likely remain intact as it would be an act of mercy, arranged between the victim and the perpetrator as Harry reinforces. Harry goes as far saying that Snape “finished him” instead of using the verb kill or murder. Furthermore, we know remorse is something that mends the soul and Snape’s whole arc is about guilt and remorse – immortalized in the scene where Snape weeps at 13 Grimmauld Palace.

i.       Snape is apparently a murderer but the narrative goes to some lengths to show that just like Harry Snape has a thing for saving people. “Lately, only those I could not save” and him risking his cover to save Lupin.

j.       Snape’s trauma is often discredited but the narrative allows part of his tragedy to come at the expense of the hero’s father whom Harry spent years admiring. A relevant part of James’s goodness is sacrificed in favour of Snape’s own character construction.

k.      Snape’s trauma in relation to having been bullied is more often discredited by the narrative, although Fudge’s comment “the man is quite unbalanced” and the comparison established between James and Sirius’s use of Levicorpus and the Death Eaters using it on a muggle woman shows that it is something to be taken serious, although never acknowledged.

This last point leads me to my second assertion that the narrative is fundamentally unfair and cruel to Snape. For two main reasons:

a.      Snape’s trauma in relation to the Mauraders is discredited by everyone that counts, namely, Lily and Dumbledore. Only Harry comes closer to understand its dimensions. We can argue as to why this is, and as to whether there was authorial intent or it is simply that JKR didn’t realise how it would sound. Lily nearly smiles when Snape is being bullied which puts in question Lily’s character as well as her friendship with Snape. Both in Snape’s Worst Memory and in the conversation about the prank, she also fails to show concern that her friend was being bullied by the boy she liked.

b.      The second instance of unfairness is more serious because it is far more insidious. A careful reading of text will tell us that Snape was set up for death by Dumbledore. That Dumbledore planted the Elder Wand on Snape while thinking its power had died with him and while knowing that Voldemort would eventually reach conclusions about the Elder Wand and wish to possess it, thus killing its current owner. Not only Dumbledore never tells Snape, but he plans it beforehand. This is why he “admits” to Harry that the intention was to let Snape have the wand. Harry understands exactly what this means, and in the Final Battle tells Voldemort that Dumbledore intended the power of the wand to die with him.

This is so insidious – and cruel – that it is never openly acknowledged. Dumbledore betrays Snape, showing an impressive disregard for his life – far more than he showed for Harry’s because he knew Harry had a good chance of survival. But Snape is never given the satisfaction of having this acknowledged in the text. Snape yearned for Dumbledore’s affection but not only Dumbledore denied him that, he also denied him the truth of what he really wanted of him. Snape is betrayed by both his masters at the end. But we are never explicitly told this. This happens because the narrative is unwilling to portray Dumbledore in a truly badly light. His apparent sorrow (“poor Severus”) and his “admission” of guilt are not enough to show him remorseful because the narrative cannot bring itself to say: “I set Snape to die by planting the wand on him so Voldemort would come to possess a useless weapon”. This would change the readers’ view of Dumbledore, especially after Prince’s Tale. Remark on how cruel it is: Snape had to agree to kill Dumbledore in “good faith” so the power of the wand died with him, but all the while Dumbledore knows that Snape would get a target on his back and die from it. Dumbledore manipulates Snape into – possibly – ripping his soul and tricks Snape into his own demise. Snape thought Dumbledore was raising Harry as a pig for slaughter, but he is wrong. It is him whom Dumbledore is raising to die. The fact that this is never openly stated, and is purposefully obfuscated by the language, is somewhat cowardly. Dumbledore barely apologises, he barely recognizes it. If he did, the readers would be horrified. As with Lily, Snape is again sacrificed in favour of apparently “better” characters whom the narrative wants the readers to like more.

However, the flaw in the plan is that…readers aren’t stupid. I caught on to this when I was a teenager, and it has only intensified as I grew older.

Even at the end, Snape understands from the moment Voldemort mentions the wand that he is going to die. JKR said in a tweet that Snape could’ve saved himself, presumably by setting Voldemort straight, and so his silence ensured Harry’s victory. It is a possible interpretation. More possible still is that Snape accepted death after giving Harry his memories. The fact that he stops trying to staunch the bleeding once Harry appears shows it. His “look at me” is the request of a man who knows he’s going to die and just wants to do so by looking at the eyes of the woman he loves. In this sense, following Dumbledore’s words that “there are things far worse than death” and that for an organized mind death is “the next big adventure”, Snape showed far more courage than both Dumbledore and Voldemort who on several occasions tried to fight the inevitability of death.

It is true the narrative offers some vindication for Snape. Harry tells Tom Riddle of Snape’s true loyalties. Riddle is not allowed to die before knowing that Snape had betrayed him and colluded with Dumbledore, all because of a power Riddle doesn’t understand – love. Harry also names the son with his – and his mother’s – green eyes Severus. Finally, Harry tells him that Snape was probably the bravest man he knew.

But still, Snape is not kindly written. There is an underlying cruelty in how Snape is treated throughout the books. Because he is so profoundly unloved, because he is barely shown kindness and because no one ever takes responsibility for what happened to him, the readers feel compelled to do so. That, I think, explains why Snape is so widely loved, and why people are so ready to defend him in unprecedented ways.mak

You’re right about all of this, Snape is unfairly portrayed while “heroes” can do questionable acts.

please hate my favorite fictional character accurately at least

so weird how in english some words are really just used in expressions and not otherwise… like has anyone said “havoc” when not using it in the phrase “wreaking havoc”? same goes for “wreaking” actually…

reply with more, i’m fascinated

these are called fossil words! here's a whole list

Also interested in words that originally had opposites but don’t anymore; i.e. how we say ruthless but not ruth.

Let’s Talk About Elitism in the Witchcraft Community

It always seems to come back to this but I want to talk about witches in the community who give confusing, and often times misguided, advice to new comers in an attempt to separate themselves from the “soft” or “baby” practitioners.

I’m on witchtok (a community on an app called TikTok, in case you were unaware of what I’m talking about) alot and there’s something I noticed about the witches there; something I’m sure alot of you have noticed too. There’s 2 major groups of witches on the app. The ones who post “easy” and “simple” spells and information, and the ones who post up reactionary spells and information.

There seems to be this need for witches who feel better than or more educated (in their opinion) to posts videos in response to or in direct opposition of other witches. Usually these other witches are seen as newbies to the craft. And if they aren’t new (as in they’ve been practicing for a while) they’re considered uneducated or unwilling to learn.

The “why aren’t witches reading books anymore?” and “I think it’s them being more worried about aesthetics than actually learning.” comments are frustrating and reveals a huge disconnect and sense of privilege within our community. I’ve also seen comments / videos specifically criticizing the popularity of spell jars in recent years. The funniest thing though is that a lot of them are suggesting doing charm bags instead… as if that’s not just another form of a spell jar.. except it’s in a bag… not a jar :/ They want so badly to be “other” and “better” that they’re actually giving advice that’s basically saying “hey instead of using X container to hold your spell, have you tried using Y container instead?? If you read books and not just get your info from Tik Tok blah blah blah.” As if they’ve suggested something grand or much different than what someone is already doing.

Let’s Talk Privilege 

First lets be clear that privilege doesn’t mean you haven’t had “hard times” in your life. And being privileged in one way doesn’t make you privilege in every aspect. You can have class privilege while also experiencing hardship in relation to another aspect of your life. I am white, I have white privilege. I’m also a poor high school drop out. Which means I don’t have class privilege. It’s important that I make this clear because I know some people are gonna identify in someway with one or more of the under privileged groups that I’ll be talking about and that’s normal. That doesn’t mean that you can’t also identify in someway with one or more of the privileged groups that I’ll be talking about. 

Why don’t you just read more books? / Why don’t you just experiment with more tools, supplies and options like crystals, candles, herbs, tarot etc? / Why don’t you just invest in better tools and supplies? 

This falls under class privilege. Not everyone can afford to spend money on these things. “Well the library is free” not everyone can afford to spend time on these things. And I know, to someone who has the money and has the time, these sound like excuses to just not work “hard enough” (which we’ll get into why this statement is ablest in a minute) but it’s legit the reality for a lot of people. Let’s also remember that public libraries in underfunded poorer communities are.. well under funded and don’t offer the same selection that a well funded library would. Also the cost of going to and from that library (or a much better one with a better selection). Personally, I live in what is known as the bible belt and my local (underfunded) library has 5 books on witchcraft. 3 are reference books and can not actually be checked out. The other 2 require a 10 dollar deposit to check out. I kid you not. You have to pay to check out those books.

I saw a comment that said “crystal grids and crystal magic is very beginner friendly and easy, why don’t more witches do this?” And I want to shake them and scream “crystals cost money you doodoo head!!” LOL.

Supplies and tools are expensive. Yes, there’s plenty of information online about how to use what you have on hand… and those same witches sharing cheap and easy alternatives to supplies and tools are also sharing cheap and easy alternatives to spells and rituals. Hence how spell jars became so popular.

“They just don’t want to put in the effort” / “They aren’t working hard enough” / “They’re just in it for the aesthetics”

This falls under ableism. 1. Expecting other witches to match your energy and effort is hella ablest and you should stop. Not only is it unrealistic to assume we’re all on the same page, it’s unhealthy to project your own expectations on to {most likely} complete strangers just because you share one interest [witchcraft] with them. 2. Some people are visual practitioners (whether they’re ND or not) and so they need to and work better with seeing what they’re doing. It’s obvious that the type of witchcraft lots of ND people use is the type that is overly criticized in our community. (ND = Neurodivergent)

Physical disability is also something to keep in mind. Not everyone is physical able to do all the things you can do. Personally I experience hand tremors. Basically using an herb bundle to do a smoke cleansing is a huge ass mess for me and is more headache than it’s worth. So I opt out of smoking cleansing that way. It doesn’t mean that I’m not trying hard enough or that I’m not putting in the effort to make it work… it means I have a disability that makes it more difficult and I’ve found other ways to do these cleanses.

Also, witches are allowed to like pretty things. Like pretty things and valuing the beauty in your practice is all perfectly fine. There’s nothing wrong with wanting your space, yourself or your practice to look “pretty.” 

I Need To Mention Cultural Awareness

Another reason something might not make sense to you is because it isn’t for you, literally it has nothing to do with you or your practice and so you’ve chosen to put it down rather than mind your business. That’s really all I can say about this as I practice a fairly common form of folk magic and the practice, as well as the culture in which it’s derived from is open. So there’s nothing I do that’s really considered for specific cultures only. I’d rather someone else with more experience talk about this in more detail. 

Misguided Information and Superiority Complex 

When sharing information and experiences it’s probably better to do so without needing it to be in reaction to someone else’s information and experiences. I don’t think there is anything wrong with sharing other forms of magic or witchcraft. I think most of us want as much information to be as easily accessible for as many people as possible. The issue comes from only sharing this information and experience because you think the oppositions is/are wrong. Not because you want the help people learn. And actively putting down certain information because it was shared via social media, while also insisting that your information is the actual correct information.. while also sharing it on the same social media platform.

“Don’t believe everything you see on the internet…. except me. You can believe me.” Is what it feels like. And I think what gets to me the most is the amount of UPG that is sprinkled into a lot of the information that these “I know better” witches share. Thinking you know better or know more because you’ve been doing it longer or doing it different, doesn’t actually mean you do. 

I’ve said this before: No one is sharing their entire practice online

“Why are you only doing spell jars?” why do you assume that the only time they practice witchcraft is for a video / photo that they post online? 

Better yet, why are you demanding they share more than they’re comfortable with sharing? Why do you feel entitled to know everything about their practice? 

Just because a witch’s Tik Tok, Instagram, Tumblr etc is only filled with pretty spell jars and aesthetic photos of teas, doesn’t mean that’s their entire practice. That’s the part they’re willing to share with the world. And even if it was their entire practice, why do you care? Why is it your business? When did they ask you to tell them what you thought of their practice?

In conclusion

Before you make that post or make that video about how X witches aren’t doing Y thing right because I did it Z way, remember we’re all different. Times change. And something being popular doesn’t mean it’s not effective or useful. Something being mainstream doesn’t make it bad or stupid. And witchcraft becoming more and more modernized doesn’t mean it’s losing it’s roots or that the next generation of witches are gonna be “sissy babies with nothing but a bunch of pretty jars.” and even if they are, it’s non of your business.