Hi Everyone, Within The Last Few Days, An Entire Community Just Blocks Above Where I Live Has Burnt Down

Sunday, November 20, 2022 Good morning, Lovelies. Prepare to be Victorious and Lauded for your efforts, today!  Tarot of the Day: Six of Wands

This Six heralds triumph, victory, and success in your endeavours. You may have been inundated with troubles and worried that you are overmatched by them but, this Six indicates that you will have a victorious overcoming of the hurdles you have been jumping and the dragons you have been slaying. It is also a gentle reminder that grace and magnanimity should accompany your success. Ensure you don’t get so lost in your celebrations that you alienate the ones who supported and believed in you; give credit where it’s owed and deserved. 💚 At work, the Six of Wands heralds an increase in remuneration or recognition. Both are currency; spend it and save it wisely. 💙 If your relationship - or lack of one - is your focus, today, take heart. This card shows barriers being overcome and a close and happy bond. 🧡 Wherever the Six speaks to you, the message is the same: you are where you are because you slay dragons, overcome demons, and do the right thing. Embrace the sense of accomplishment and joy, and share it. The world needs the gifts that only YOU can offer. Gun a-màireach (until tomorrow), Lovelies Peace out…

GF Maple Pecan Doughnuts

God, I need to start writing again…

I’m kind of disappointed that so much Firelord!Zuko content seems to be about how he’s on the verge of falling apart, and how the nation doesn’t respect him and his ministers won’t cooperate with him, and he’s separated from the gaang

And that’s not untrue. Zuko has to run a government that was, a few months ago, ready and willing to burn the rest of the world to ash, and that’s a serious burden to bear, but it’s not hopeless. This is a new time of peace. A new dawn. Where are all my pieces that focus on peace and growth? About Zuko fostering friendly alliances? About Zuko leading by example?

A servant accidentally drops a serving platter of roast duck during a ball. The juice splatters a noble woman’s gown. She backhands the servant across the face and her husband is calling for punishment and people are watching as though it’s some kind of show, because this is the way it is in the palace. Until, that is, the Firelord steps forward and helps the servant to his feet. Zuko asks the shaking man if he is alright. He calls for another servant to help clean up the mess. He tells the noblewoman in a tight voice that she, nor anyone else in these walls, will not raise a violent hand to anyone under his care

Zuko is walking through a city courtyard as he speaks with the Mayor when a young child waddles up and tugs at Zuko’s golden-hemmed robes, curious at the way they catch the light. The guards rush forward and the boy’s parents fall over themselves to offer apologies and beg for forgiveness, and Zuko bends down and picks the child up under the arms, and settles him on his hip. The child reaches for his gold crown settled in his topknot and Zuko laughs and gently pushes his hands away. He gives the boy back to his parents, and says, “There’s no need to apologise. Curiosity is a valuable trait in a young boy. You should encourage his curiosity for life.” And then he sweeps away with the Mayor in tow, as though nothing is amiss, as though his gentle smile and understanding words didn’t rattle these two townspeople more than a reprimand every would

Zuko shifting the nation’s priority away from militarisation, while trying to create new jobs for displaced people, jobs that will help his nation recover. Zuko implementing a new curriculum in schools. Zuko consulting with all kinds of people, like Iroh and Aang, yes, but also other nobles, and common people, and foreign dignitaries, and historical and cultural experts. Zuko bringing culture back to the Fire Nation.

Zuko struggling with his famous temper, but working every single day to be the kind of leader his people can put their trust in. A Firelord that doesn’t strike fear into his people, the people he’s dedicated to protecting. A Firelord that’s very different to his forefathers, who decimated entire cultures, who burned the faces of their sons and cast them out for speaking out of turn.

Zuko being kind and patient. Zuko working hard but slowly, over time, earning the trust and love of his people.

Beginner Witch Tips - Kitchen Witch Edition

The oven can be your hearth. If a spell or ritual requires a hearth, your stove is just that. That being said, do not set anything on fire in your oven. Bad! No!

You don't need separate kitchen and altar herbs, although it is handy.

Some crystals can be used in kitchen magic, but I don't recommend putting them in or on anything other than a crystal on top of firm dough as it rests/rises. Secure crystals onto mixing equipment or spoons, or forgo using them at all.

Listen to witchy music as you cook or bake. I promise atmosphere is almost everything! It helps me focus. I recommend Peter Gundry.

While pets are cute and certainly carry spiritual energy with them, try to keep them out of the kitchen while you cook, especially if you have a certain intention you're trying to carry into your food. Their presence can distract you, throw off the energy you have accumulated, or otherwise disrupt the process. Once you're more confident with your kitchen witchery, their presence won't be such a big deal.

Take your time. It's okay. Sometimes it takes a while to truly clock into your spiritual energy while you're actively moving about and busy working, especially if you're used to practicing while sitting or standing in one spot. Remember - energy flows with you, not just around you.

Start small. Start with something simple like pancakes. For example: add a dash of vanilla to your pre-made batter mix to invoke self-love.

Write down things as you continue to work. Document what you're comfortable with, what you feel like you're good at, your project, and everything you feel you might want to. As you continue to work on that journal, you can go back and see how you've progressed!

Happy baking! Remember, your mood affects your project; negative emotions = negative influence.

As always, blessed be <3

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Books for Hellenic polytheists! 📚

For an easy overview of ancient Greek religion, read Jon D. Mikalson’s Ancient Greek Religion and Ancient Greek Cults: A Guide by Jennifer Larson.

For a complete overview of the key concepts of ancient Greek religion, read The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Greek Religion and A Companion to Greek Religion.

 Korean Beef Sesame Noodles

Love this. Not anon but helpful advice!

im not too sure how to ask this, but i'm reading the first book in the fractures series, and really enjoying it, and you said that you started it when you were 14. i'm 14 at the moment and am thinking of writing a fic and was wondering if you had any tips on how to plan a longfic or for writing in general

Oh my god this was asked back in August I'm so sorry anon.

As it is, I can still give a pointer or two, regardless of how late it is.

So, as much as anyone hates to hear it and I hate to say it, the best way to get better at prose (as in sentence-level writing) is just by writing. You gotta train it, develop your own style, figure out what works.

I have a tendency to be very flowy and long-winded, often to my own detriment, which is something I'm working on trimming down in the Fractures Rewrite without sacrificing the emotional weight from the scenes.

When it comes to planning a longfic, generally the most important first step (for me at least) is figuring out where you want to end it. Anyone can write a fic whose plot goes on and on for eternity, but if you want your fic to kinda be a classic, having an idea of where it's going to end up will immediately help you.

After the end, the hardest part for me tends to be the middle. It is just as important as anything, and you want it to stay just as interesting. The middle part of the story is the plot, the beginning and end are just vessels for it.

Oftentimes, the earliest form of my outline is literally just a document with the entire plot written out. I don't care for length or details, I just sit down, write the beginning, and then write how the story gets to the end. From there, I clean the outline up. I figure out what makes sense to use and what needs to be added or taken away. I start separating the stuff into possible chapters and outlining those chapters to figure out what they will include.

As I'm doing this, I also write out (smaller) outlines for the arcs of individual characters. Depending on the size of the fic and what the focus is, I might do this for dozens of characters or only for a handful. Regardless, I need to know where they start, where they end up, and how the plot changes them to get them from point A to point B.

If you're ever struggling with coming up with a plot that flows well with good tension, one that feels like it's building to something satisfying, you can always just use a plot template from online somewhere. Even if it feels rudimentary, Exposition-Rising Action-Climax-Falling Action-Resolution works for a reason. It's often how I outline stories of my own that aren't related to fanfiction.

One more tip: Read. And I don't just mean fanfiction. The best fics are often compared to published novels, with some even being considered better than them. One of the reasons these stories are so good is because they don't flow like many fanfictions do - rather they flow like published novels, with a proper plot, arcs, prose, and a satisfying ending.

This is definitely not a google drive full of the sleep stuff from the Headspace app, including sleepcasts, music, and wind down meditation, that normally costs 17.99 a month, no siree and you definitely shouldnt share this with people

I’ve never heard of this place before, but it is gorgeous!!

Far too many pics of the Palais Garnier (Part Two!)

In October of 2022, I had the extraordinary experience of getting to complete an 15+ year old dream of mine to visit the Palais Garnier. I took a metric fuckton of pictures and now I want to share them with you all, the PotO community!

Before I start dumping, a few things:

Please reblog this post. I usually don’t post a lot, therefore I don’t have a big following. I’d really appreciate people sharing these as much as they can. When I was a dumb kid in ye olden days of the internet, finding a post like this was the sort of thing I would have been hyped up on for weeks. Help spread that kind of joy!

Feel free to use these photos for any sorts of graphics, artistic reference or any other fandom related projects, as long as it’s not for profit. Please just credit me in some way. In fact, I'd love to be tagged to see whatever creations come from sharing all this!

This is part two, which will be photos of the interior. While there, I also took a tour, Mysteries of the Palais Garnier. I'll share a lot of the things I learned throughout the post and try to provide as much context as I can.

Part one, the exterior images can be found HERE.

Upon leaving the designated tour office area, we entered this large, circular room where our tour began. Giant mirrors lined the walls and one of my companions immediately remarked that she felt as though someone was watching her from behind them.

On the ceiling there was this intricate pattern. We learned that this was Charles Garnier's "signature". He was concerned that at some point in time, his name would be forgotten and he would no longer be remembered as the architect of the Opera. If you look closely, his name is intertwined in the design, as well as the years of the building's construction.

There are salamanders hidden throughout the building as they were said to ward off devastating fires. It was very common for theaters to burn down, then. In fact, the construction of the Garnier was somewhat rushed in the last few years because the company's previous theater, Salle le Peletier burned to the ground in 1873. The Garnier opened in 1875.

We learned in our tour that these cracks on the steps were the result of a great tragedy. A group of ballerinas had been exploring the roof when the glass on the large window above cracked. One ballerina fell through the window and met her demise on the steps below.

With all these pictures of doors to the private boxes, you're probably wondering, "Hey Lotus, what about the most important one?" I got you, boo.

PART 1 (exterior) | PART 2 (here!) | PART 3 (foyer) | PART 4 (soon!)

Somebody needs to write a fanfic. I should write a fanfic.

Y’know, maybe it should never have been shocking that as the son of an amputee, Jayce has no trouble seeing the beauty in imperfections and how they make us who we are.

Jayce didn’t encounter his first disability with Viktor, or in his own household when his leg was broken, but with his mother when she lost her fingers to the cold on the day the mage (Viktor) saved them both. Her disability wasn’t a weakness to Jayce, it was a product of profound strength battling the elements to save her and her son’s life.