▪︎ Hamlet.

Truly underappreciated library resource: Kanopy!

It's a movie-and-tv streaming service that many libraries offer. If your library supports it, you can get a free account with your library card!

It works similarly to Hoopla, with monthly checkout limits, but the amount of movies and tv they have is astounding. They focus on indie movies and documentaries, but they have an impressive variety. A few days ago, some friends and I watched an experimental Afrofuturist queer surreal-cyberpunk musical movie just to try it, and it was a strange and fascinating experience that I wouldn't have gotten anywhere else. (Neptune Frost, by the way. It's interesting!)

Kanopy has animated movies like the French/North African The Rabbi's Cat (Le chat du rabbin), popular indies like The Secret of Kells, up to well-known ones like ParaNorman. It has popular quirky successes like Everything Everywhere All at Once, But I'm a Cheerleader, and Lady Bird, award-winning dramas like Moonlight, classic movies like The Graduate, Dial M for Murder, Roman Holiday, Rashomon, and Seven Samurai. It's got Charlie Chaplin. It's got some classic musicals, like Oklahoma! and Guys and Dolls. It's got classic horror like Suspiria, Nosferatu, and Night of the Living Dead, and a plethora of modern horror as well. It has cheesy old-timey sci-fi from the 50s and 60s, genuinely good classic sci-fi like The Boys from Brazil, cult classics like Donnie Darko, modern feel-good quirky sci-fi like Jules, and just, a WHOLE lot of super interesting creative modern indie sci-fi to browse. It has documentaries. It has quite a lot of PBS and BBC series. It has anime. It has all of Farscape for some reason. It has a really impressive collection of LGBTQ+ film from around the world.

See if your library offers Kanopy, and browse the genres you like - you are sure to find something fascinating that you had never heard of before!

nobody:

the cemetery groundskeeper the morning after jason todds ressurection:

Focus spell jar

cleanse first

salt

eggshells

rosmarie

wax: yellow

POV: Scrolling through Steve Harrington’s camera roll

What are your top 12 favorite fairy tale princesses/heroines?

@ariel-seagull-wings Thank you for this question! <3

I admit that this was harder to narrow down than I thought and I am sure that tommorow I'll remember some childhood favorite that I forgot to mention, but here I go:

1) Kate Crackernuts She is the "less bonny" sister who runs away from home, visits the fairy kingdom like it's nothing, single-handedly saves her sister and saves her Prince. This girl has done it all. I wish there were more adaptations though. The Czech one from 1993 is decent but it focuses more on the love story between Anne and the young king, so Kate doesn't have as much space as I would prefer. And with the book retellings being on the rise in the past years, I am surprised that no-one dared to tackle this story…. (there is a book by Katharine Mary Briggs, I've tried to read it but the language-wise it's a very difficult and frankly, boring read)

2) Allerleirauh I love nearly all variants of this tale, be it German Allerleirauh, English Cap-o'-Rushes, Catskin or Czech Princess With the Golden Star. I definitely prefer versions that go with forced marriage to an evil king, rather than to the Princess's own father and many of my favorite adaptations choose this path as well, be it Russian "Donkeyskin" (1982), Czech "Princess With the Golden Star" (1959) or Czech "You're a Princess, Láďa!" (1979) - which is a more comedic version where the Princess crossdresses as a boy and becomes a kitchen helper.

3) The girl (Bohdanka) from The Seven Ravens I like The Wild Swans and The Six Swans variants just as well, but I very much prefer the Czech version where the siblings are not royal and Bohdanka only becomes a Princess by marrying the young king. I love the 2015 Czech adaptation (Netflix), the 1993 is a bit too dramatic for my taste and takes the spotlight from the heroine which I think is a shame. Märchenperlen's The Six Swans from 2012 was on the other hand very well done, with the story concentrated on the bond between the siblings and the love between the girl and the King, as it should be.

4) Cinderella She was my favorite when I was a child and I always enjoyed Němcová's version* which is actually similar to French "Finette Cendron" and has Cinderella killing ogres before the whole shenanigans with balls and slippers even start. *Božena Němcová (1820–1862) was a Czech collector of folk fairytales I need to talk about my favorite adaptations some other time because this post is already getting way too long :).

5) The heroine from East of the Sun and West of the Moon As with Allerleirauh, I like all the variants of this tale I've read so far, I love how it gender reverses the usual trope and it's the heroine who sets off to save her lover who is, for the most part, more of a passive character (ok, special shout out to Black Bull of Norroway, who literally slays a devil/dragon)

6) The Princess from "Fearless Mikesh" Doesn't matter if we're speaking of the written tale by Němcová or one of its film adaptations, such as The Brave Blacksmith (1983) or Fearless (1988), the core story is the same: a young man sets off to learn how to fear and decides to find a kidnapped and/or enchanted princess that disappeared from her kingdom. The princess secretly helps him on his way, often in different forms (as a fox dwarf or an old hag), to test his skills and to lead him to the magician who cursed her. (cool girl, shapeshifting powers probably borrowed from the evil wizard who kidnapped her, helps the hero to save the day)

7) Růženka (Rose) from "The speaking bird, the water of life and the three golden apples" by Božena Němcová (gets magical objects, saves her brothers, resurrects her mother, reunites her parents and calls it a day) Recently a variant of this tale was adapted by Sechs auf einen Streich series: Three Royal Children/Die drei Königskinder from 2019.

8) The Peasant's Wise Daughter from the fairytale of the same name (outwits the king, fights for justice for the lower class)

9) The Princess from The King of Seven Veils ("Il Re dei Sette Veli", collected by Antonio de Nino) It's kinda like gender swapped King Thrushbeard or Němcová's Punished Pride: instead of a proud princess refusing a perfectly nice king, here we have a beautiful but vain king who refuses a lovely princess. And she does what any other girl in her position would do: sets off to the world with a regiment of soldiers (they always come in handy), in one kingdom she saves a princess, in another she saves a queen, before finally arriving the the land of the King of Seven Veils. He falls in love with her and she embroiders his veils with a picture of a monk and a nun (because he said he won't marry her unless he becomes a monk and she becomes a nun), but he doesn't take a hint, so she leaves him an actual written note and returns to her kingdom, so he can pursue her :D. I just had to include at least one Italian fairytale, I love how active the heroines in Italian fairytales are, many of them just literally go around the world and save random people before returning home/finding true love for themselves. And I love this one especially because it was loosely adapted as a Czech 1999 TV fairytale film "The Princess of Rimini" which I adore to bits <3

10) The Frog Princess/Vasilisa the Wise While the Princess from Fearless has magic because of her curse, Vasilisa seems to have magic independent of Koschei's powers. And I am always here for witch-princesses, we need more of them in our fairytales. Shout out to Mila Sivatskaya as Vasilisa the Wise in The Last Warrior (2017) who is literally a kick-ass apprentice of Baba Yaga in this adaptation.

11) Beauty from Beauty and the Beast No, it wouldn't be fair to omit "Belle" whom I loved from Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont's version even before I've seen the timeless Disney movie.

12) Princess Desirée from The White Doe/The Doe in the Woods by Madame d'Aulnoy She is not a particularly active character which might make her a strange choice among the others I named, but I was always fascinated by her curiosity of the outside world and later by her free life in the woods where she's a doe during the day and a human by night. As a child, I thought it was a cool deal and I was disappointed when she got "saved" by the Prince and left the woods where she's been so happy.

Honorable mentions: Fanta-Ghirò the Beautiful, Molly Whuppie, Sorfarina, Janet from Tamlin, youngest princess from Salt Above Gold, Tatterhood…

Ok so when YOU put on skits for your family, your parents think you’re cute and show you “love” and “affection.” But when I do it, it’s all “what means this play?” and “u have to go to england for committing treason”

The Tarot Deciphered

These notes on Tarot, Tarot meaning, Tarot symbolism were given to me years ago by @chaotic-hypnotic-erotic. They're concise and also focus on traditional meanings and interpretation. They can be helpful even for the most intuitive of readers.

Devotional Acts

For love or beauty deities

Skin care

Make up (or embrace your natural beauty)

Dress up a little

Paint your nails

Love letters

Self /love/ iykyk

Change your bed sheets/clean up your room/space

Listen to love songs/songs about sex/loving yourself

You know that trend of people, typically women, painting a canvas black and then painting their legs/ass/hands/boobs and making a form of silhouette art for their partners?

Read romance novels

Play Interactive romance novels/romance games (stardew valley, dream daddy, The Arcana, etc)

For war deities

Listen to angry music

Advocate for yourself

Reinforce your boundaries

Cut out the negative people in your life

Feel your anger, recognize your anger, don't force it down, but don't lash out to others. "I am angry. This thing made me angry. It's okay that I am angry, it is not okay to cause harm to those who do not deserve it." Etc etc

Read biographies or accounts of war, or dystopian novels (accounts of war like Night by Elie Weisel, dystopian like Divergent or Hunger Games)

Learn self defense

Learn about how your area was used in past wars.

Play fighting games (call of duty, mortal combat, etc)

For music/art deities

Create! Learn an instrument

Write a song

Paint for them

Listen to experimental or storytelling music. All music is art, so find a vibe for your deity.

Take pictures of nature, art is everywhere in nature, from the paintings on butterfly wings to the sunset

Read/write poetry

Read poetry books, or books about music or art (think biographies from musicians/artists, or books like Guitar Notes by Mary Amato or such) (guitar notes is a midgrade book but it's the only one I could think of the name of)

Visit galleries or local shows, support local artists

For wisdom deities

Read books, any type, but mostly classics like Sherlock Holmes or Jane Austen

Watch documentaries

Take free online courses on subjects that interest you

Visit and support your local libraries and independently owned bookstores

Find old unloved books at thrift stores

Learn a new skill

Listen to music from different time periods

Visit museums

Play strategy games (chess, supreme commander, etc)

Do puzzles

For nature deities

Raise a plant, or a garden

Listen to nature sounds, or music with nature sounds

Observe nature persevering, vines crawling up a building, dandelions in cracks in the pavement.

Read wilderness guides

Learn about your area's native flora and fauna

Visit local parks

Open windows and let the fresh air in

Scavenge/forage (in safe areas)

Play cozy games (animal crossing, etc)

For death deities

Visit local graveyards/cemeteries (don't forget to be mindful and conscious of others and the spirits there)

Listen to music by artists who have passed on, or music about death

Learn about different cultures' funeral practices

Safely move roadkill out of the road, leave a small offering if possible (again, do so SAFELY)

Read books that have death themes (like Edgar Allen Poe, Wuthering Heights, or They Both Die In The End)

Think about how you want your body to be treated in death. Do you want to be buried? Cremated?

For home/hearth deities

Read cozy books

Play cozy games (sims, animal crossing)

Make your house seem warm and inviting to visitors

Learn how to bake, either from scratch or a box, both are acceptable

Learn how to sew or knit or crochet.

Watch cozy movies

Light candles if you don't have a fireplace

Listen to soft music

Visit your friends or family and bring them baked goods

For strong parental deities

Take care of your friends

Make sure your friends eat and are drinking water, do the same for yourself

Tell the people in your life you love them, you're proud of them, they're doing a good job

Read books about found family, self help books

Listen to music that makes you feel safe and loved

Carry a figure that represents them

Take care of yourself the way that they would take care of you.

Cook for yourself. Make yourself feel safe and loved

For health deities

Carry bandaids and Tylenol and extra pads/tampons for people who may need them

Learn about the human body and how it works

Take your meds

Make art out of old pill bottles for them

Know and respect your limits

Watch documentaries about doctors or health sciences

Research holistic remedies and see if any might be of use to you (DO NOT SUBSTITUTE THEM FOR MODERN MEDICINE) be careful of misinformation, and any interactions that certain things might have with your meds

For sea/ocean/water deities

Have a small fountain in your home (you can find them at some dollar stores, or if you're mechanically savvy, make your own)

Salts in your baths

Visit local streams, creeks, rivers, or beaches.

Read about marine life / river life

Read about your local water sources, learn about the water cycle

Collect rain water

Stand in the rain, feel it on you, let it ground you

Listen to music about water/with water sounds/the ocean/the beach

Have pictures in your home/space of the ocean

If you visit the ocean, collect some water and sand and seashells (make sure you follow your own personal gratitude system) to have in your home

Don't fret if you're landlocked, you're practice is valid, you don't need to be at the ocean all the time to feel it's presence. The rain clouds blow in from hundreds of miles away. The ocean is always with you.

Drink water

Carry a small vial of water with you (could be ocean water, river water, or tap water with or without salt in it) you can keep it in your car, in your pocket, or wear it as a necklace

Carry a small vial of salt with you (could be hand harvested from the ocean, table salt, or any kind of off the shelf salt)

For sky/wind/air deities

Let the air in, open windows when possible

Let yourself be free.

Sit outside for a few minutes a day, or longer.

For traveler deities

Pick something up for them on your travels, could be a rock, could be a souvenir

Put a symbol of them in your car

Wear shoes that are good for walking

Drive/walk around to explore new places (you don't even have to leave your town)

Take backroads

Be a (respectful) tourist in every new place that you visit, don't be afraid of looking stupid.

For queer deities

Educate yourself on queer history

Express yourself truthfully

Listen to queer music

Read queer books

Embrace your identity

Read queer poetry, like that of Sappho

Keep yourself safe in spaces that are less open to identities.

Support local queer owned businesses or artists.

Queer art

Love yourself and take care of yourself.

Go to drag shows

Relish in the fact that queerness has been around since the very first civilizations

For Inventive Deities

Do a metal puzzle

Learn metalworking, or just read about it

As always, please feel free to add on, I only work with one deity so please tell me if anything is incorrect or confusing.

Blessed be <3

how to start reading again

from someone who was a voracious reader until high school and is now getting back into it in her twenties.

start with an old favourite. even though it felt a little silly, i re-read the harry potter series one christmas and it wiped away my worry that i wasn't capable of reading anymore. they are long books, but i was still able to get completely immersed and to read just as fast as i had years and years ago.

don't be afraid of "easier" books. before high school i was reading the french existentialists, but when getting back into reading, i picked up lucinda riley and sally rooney. not my favourite authors by far, but easier to read while not being totally terrible. i needed to remind myself that only choosing classics would not make me a better or smarter person. if a book requires a slower pace of reading to be understood, it's easier to just drop it, which is exactly what i wanted to avoid at first.

go for essays and short stories. no need to explain this one: the shorter the whole, the less daunting it is. i definitely avoided all books over 350 pages at first and stuck to essay collections until i suddenly devoured donna tartt's goldfinch.

remember it's okay not to finish. i was one of those people who finished every book they started, but not anymore! if i pick up a book at the library and after a few chapters realise i'd rather not read it, i just return it. (another good reason to use your local library! no money spent on books you might end up disliking.)

analyse — or don't. some people enjoy reading more when they take notes or really stop to think about the contents. for me, at first, it was more important to build the habit of reading, and the thought of analysing what i read felt daunting. once i let go of that expectation, i realised i naturally analyse and process what i read anyway.

read when you would usually use your phone. just as i did when i was a child, i try to read when eating, in the bathroom, on public transport, right before sleeping. i even read when i walk, because that's normally a time i stare at my screen anyway. those few pages you read when you brush your teeth and wait for a friend very quickly stack up.

finish the chapter. if you have time, try to finish the part you're reading before closing the book. usually i find i actually don't want to stop reading once i get to the end of a chapter — and if i do, it feels like a good place to pick up again later.

try different languages. i was quickly approaching a reading slump towards the end of my exchange year, until i realised i had only had access to books in english and that, despite my fluency, i was tired of the language. so as soon as i got back home i started picking up books in my native tongue, which made reading feel much easier and more fun again! after some nine months, i'm starting to read in english again without it feeling like a huge task.

forget what's popular. i thought social media would be a fun way to find interesting books to read, but i quickly grew frustrated after hating every single book i picked up on some influencer's recommendation. it's certainly more time-consuming to find new books on your own, but this way i don't despise every novel i pick up.

remember it isn't about quantity. the online book community's endless posts about reading 150 books each year or 6 books in a single day easily make us feel like we're slow, bad readers, but here's the thing: it does not matter at all how many books you read or what your reading pace is. we all lead different lives, just be proud of yourself for reading at all!

stop stressing about it. we all know why reading is important, and since the pandemic reading has become an even more popular hobby than it was before (which is wonderful!). however, there's no need to force yourself to be "a reader". pick up a book every now and then and keep reading if you enjoy it, but not reading regularly doesn't make you any less of a good person. i find the pressure to become "a person who reads" or to rediscover my inner bookworm only distances me from the very act of reading.