I think I’m going to try making my own tallit
will-o-the-witch reblogged
I am mere centimeters away from writing a full on essay about how the “goblins are inherently antisemitic” myth spawned by this website propagates misinformation, displays a huge misunderstanding of what folklore is and does, and contributes to an environment that distracts people from how antisemitism actually operates and the ways in which it’s dangerously on the rise in our current climate–something which, surprise surprise, has almost nothing to do with little green fairy men
There are antisemitic iterations of the goblin! There are also antisemitic iterations of basically everything in European folklore, because if there was one thing people in Europe loved it was hating Jews! But those aren’t definitive and the problem there didn’t originate with the invention of the goblin–which was an evolution of other existing fairy myths, overlaps with them, and isn’t nearly as distinct, differentiated, or universally codified as people seem to think. It originated with people hating Jews, and using pre-existing stories and myths to express that hatred. Most of the time, though, they just wrote about Jews, because they didn’t need a secret magical creature code to be terrible to us. They could just do that! The way that people on this website are obsessed with a single, “original” version of a story, which can then be deemed morally acceptable or unacceptable, goes fundamentally against the way folklore is created, propagated, modified, and used to fit different locations at different times. There isn’t a single “problematic” goblin canon you can point to! They aren’t defined that simply! And no, A Certain Popular Fantasy Series doesn’t count! By focusing on the goblin as the problematic thing, and not the stories about Jews that the antisemitic goblin myths–which are rarer than people seem to think–draw off of, the Discourse™ focuses on a single pass/fail signifier of wokeness instead of actually educating people on the complex narratives that have built different iterations of antisemitism over the centuries. It is also, and I cannot stress this enough, not how folklore works. Learn about blood libel, learn about the myth of the Protocols, learn about how antisemitism uses Jews as the powerful other to justify other forms of prejudice and oppression, and don’t write stories about money-obsessed people with hooked noses. Goblins themselves don’t factor into that as anything other than a footnote.
will-o-the-witch reblogged
You have been visited by the Badger of Executive Function!
May this tenacious beastie grant you the strength to break through whatever is holding you back from completing that important task you've been meaning to get to, and the energy and motivation to
Do The Fucking Thing.
Anonymous asked:
Hi! I hope you're having a good day!
I still have my lulav, willow and myrtle branches from Sukkot. Is there anything Jewish-ly magical that I could do with them? I'm already planning on using the myrtle leaves and the etrog for a homemade besamim mix~
Sorry for replying to this so late!
I think the idea you have already is really good though! I like the idea of just recycling them into different supplies. :) Or maybe looking up the specific metaphorical associations with each thing and using them as supplies for other workings.
Anonymous asked:
I'm the annon that asked about kabbalah in Quimbanda. You mentioned that wikipedia doesn't mention this practice. It really doesn't, the practice itself is called Quimbanda Cabalística (something like kabbalah's quimbanda). The major author of this type of practice is Magno Constantino, his book is called Quimbanda Cabalística. I have no idea if there is an english source for that because is very niche even in the culture itself. I think I didn't specify that is a specific practice within Quimbanda, sorry, it isn't the whole religion that utilize that
Hello again!
Googling Quimbanda Cabalística, that book is still the only source referencing this existing as a practice. Googling Magno Constantino takes me to his Instagram before anything about his books or qualifications. I don't read Spanish well enough to dive too deeply into it, but that leaves me feeling very skeptical. Not that I'm alleging the practice doesn't exist, but it makes me wonder if the author is trying to make it seem like a more established practice than it actually is. If anybody else knows more about it or the reliability of that author, please feel free to chime in.
To answer your initial question from the previous ask, though, yes Kabbalah is closed. There are limited circumstances where a practice may adopt elements from a closed practice through cultural exchange, but even then you still really need to be mindful and do your research. Often that second practice may also be closed in its own right. Obviously I can't verify if any genuine cultural exchange happened in this example. But one practice adopting elements of another closed practice doesn't then make the closed practice "fair game."
will-o-the-witch reblogged
As someone who grew up with "I'm not going to praise you for doing what's expected of you; that's not being good, that's doing the bare minimum" I want to encourage you to celebrate every little thing you can. Everything that takes energy and effort should be appreciated and you're allowed to be happy about trying.
will-o-the-witch reblogged
Local elections and local politics are some of the most important for the environmental cause.
Laws forbidding you from keeping chickens, growing vegetables, or having a pollinator garden? Parks have invasive bushes and giant lawns but no natural space? Town has no sidewalks? Wetland getting sold to a developer?
These are LOCAL laws, LOCAL policies, and LOCAL decision-making!
Which means they can be changed on a local level. It is much easier than changing the whole world, and can start a pattern of other places doing the same thing.
Vote in local elections. Be involved in local politics. Go to town hall meetings. Learn what plans there are for your community.
Do it for the plants, the bugs, the animals, and the humans, which are their caretakers.🕷️🐞🐝🦋🐛☘️🌸🌺🪷🌾🌿🌱🌼🌻🌵🦎🐌🦇🐿️
Anonymous asked:
I discovered a very specific thing about a local religion here in Brazil. Apparently, they implemented kabbalah into the practices and the whole construction of a branch of the religion. It's called Quimbanda, a branch of the Umbanda religion. I know for a fact that the creation and development of Umbanda was, to put it simply, a mix of african practices brought with slavery, indigenous practices and Kardecist Spiritism, which is already mixed with Christianity, brought from Europe. It's confusing, but what I am not entirely sure of is if kabbalah is actually a closed jewish practice. I know it's originally jewish, but I don't know if who developed it made it exclusive. Also, because they implemented kabbalah, an originally jewish practice, some Quimbandistas do work with Lilith, it's not common, but it exists. Long story short, is kabbalah closed?
Yes.
Also, looking up Quimbanda on Wikipedia yields nothing about Judaism or Kabbalah as part of its practice or history whatsoever. Not entirely sure where you’re getting your information from on that?
will-o-the-witch reblogged
this post is for you. yes, you! you are so deserving of a good, happy, content life. you are so strong and resilient, and i am proud of you. you will make it through all this hardship and come out the other side doing better than ever.
Anonymous asked:
so idk why tbh but i associate you with unique divination methods and recently i randomly started kind of divining with my cats food lol
she’s not one that will eat all of her food straight away so i will feed her in the morning and after she’s had her first little munch and walks away i look at the shape(s) she’s made in the food and sometimes will try to interpret a sort of vibe for the day
it’s definitely not specific enough for me to say whether it’s a successful method but it sure is fun and it made me think of you ^^
I’m so happy to have that association lol! Honestly it sounds like you could apply the same techniques you apply to things like tea leaf reading and make that work
will-o-the-witch reblogged
Reblog to make your blog a cozy tavern for your followers to stay in/visit
will-o-the-witch reblogged
I am mere centimeters away from writing a full on essay about how the “goblins are inherently antisemitic” myth spawned by this website propagates misinformation, displays a huge misunderstanding of what folklore is and does, and contributes to an environment that distracts people from how antisemitism actually operates and the ways in which it’s dangerously on the rise in our current climate–something which, surprise surprise, has almost nothing to do with little green fairy men
There are antisemitic iterations of the goblin! There are also antisemitic iterations of basically everything in European folklore, because if there was one thing people in Europe loved it was hating Jews! But those aren’t definitive and the problem there didn’t originate with the invention of the goblin–which was an evolution of other existing fairy myths, overlaps with them, and isn’t nearly as distinct, differentiated, or universally codified as people seem to think. It originated with people hating Jews, and using pre-existing stories and myths to express that hatred. Most of the time, though, they just wrote about Jews, because they didn’t need a secret magical creature code to be terrible to us. They could just do that! The way that people on this website are obsessed with a single, “original” version of a story, which can then be deemed morally acceptable or unacceptable, goes fundamentally against the way folklore is created, propagated, modified, and used to fit different locations at different times. There isn’t a single “problematic” goblin canon you can point to! They aren’t defined that simply! And no, A Certain Popular Fantasy Series doesn’t count! By focusing on the goblin as the problematic thing, and not the stories about Jews that the antisemitic goblin myths–which are rarer than people seem to think–draw off of, the Discourse™ focuses on a single pass/fail signifier of wokeness instead of actually educating people on the complex narratives that have built different iterations of antisemitism over the centuries. It is also, and I cannot stress this enough, not how folklore works. Learn about blood libel, learn about the myth of the Protocols, learn about how antisemitism uses Jews as the powerful other to justify other forms of prejudice and oppression, and don’t write stories about money-obsessed people with hooked noses. Goblins themselves don’t factor into that as anything other than a footnote.
will-o-the-witch reblogged
May HaShem protect our shuls, our synagogues, our temples, or wherever we gather to daven and celebrate the High Holy Days this year.
will-o-the-witch reblogged
Pomegranate pngs. ♥️
will-o-the-witch reblogged
Shana Tova! Happy 5785!
will-o-the-witch reblogged
[image description: the bugs bunny in a tuxedo "I wish all (blank) a very pleasant (blank)" meme edited to say "I wish all of my Jewish followers a very pleasant rosh hashanah". In front of Bugs there is a jar of honey, a stack of apples and pomegranates. In front of bug's mouth there is a shofar.]