Dear Friends Of Tumblr,

Trigger warning for Nazis and antisemitism.

I came across the above image being shared by a friend, and I would like to point out some problems with this simplistic approach.

For context, I am a Jewish man, I read and write elder Futhark fluently, I am familiar with runic divination, and I have MANY close Norse neopagan friends: even my sister is a Norse pagan. This post is not an attack on the pagan community. It is a reminder that we MUST address reality, not fantasy.

I understand the sentiment this image is trying to convey, and if you are a Norse pagan, you should resent and defy Nazis for abusing something that is important to you.

However, the reality is that symbols carry meanings given to them by humans, and Nazis have given hateful meanings to Germanic symbols, beginning under the third Reich and continuing to this day. Those symbols include the Futhark runic alphabets, specifically odal and sowilo, as well as symbols like the equal armed cross, the valknut, vegvisir, and mjolnir. These symbols have carried deeply hateful antisemitic meanings since before you, and most of your parents, were born. You CANNOT ignore that, or make it go away.

It would be blind to assert that the swastika does not belong to Nazis, has no antisemitic and evil meaning, and is not tainted by their use of it. Indigenous people groups who value that symbol in their own cultures have reacted differently. For example, some Desi cultures still use it, but the Navajo people do not, because of the Nazi implications it now irrevocably carries. If you are white, you DO NOT get to "reclaim" the swastika, no matter how much you love other cultures.

While I understand that these symbols and others are important to my pagan and wiccan friends, you can't deny the darker meanings that they carry. If you are going to be using them, you are accepting upon yourself an obligation to educate people about their meanings - ALL their meanings - and to make it abundantly clear that you are an ally of the Jewish people.

Unfortunately, when I see people wearing or using Germanic symbols, I WILL think "I wonder if they're a Nazi" every single time. Every time. It is an inescapable reality that these symbols are being used as silent dog whistles for hatred of Jewish people and other "non-whites."

If you don't want people to suspect you of being a Nazi, you have ONLY two options.

1: Don't use Germanic symbols

2: Make it FIERCELY evident that you are an ally to Jews, POC, and queer people

Gentiles, you are invited to reblog this post.

Antisemitism will not be tolerated on this post: specifically, do not speak over Jewish voices on the issue of antisemitism, and do not assert that the claims in this post are false.

Motivational* Slenderverse Quotes

If I’m totally honest, 2016 has been a thoroughly execrable year for reasons that, to quote Noah Maxwell, “ranged from dispiriting to insipid to insidious” -both personally for many of us, myself included, and generally for the world at large. So it’s at times like these where the stories most resonant to me are the ones whose rare glimmers of hope will acknowledge that things aren’t okay, or even motivate out of spite alone, but persist nonetheless… anyways, I hope the quotes under the cut help you out a bit like they helped me.

Keep reading

i’m asexual and tired. reblog if you are also asexual and tired. 

pls

An asexual and pansexual become room-mates and have wacky adventures

The show is called ‘All or Nothing’

Trizza Tethis from Hiveswap

(Anon request)

(In celebration of Hiveswap not getting released again))

Small Devotional Acts to Rán

Admire the unfettered power of the ocean.

Research the history of mermaids and selkies.

Do not change your own course for others.

Recognize that it’s okay to be unforgiving to those who have harmed you.

Leave coins or offerings of fish and bone for Her.

Wear shades of green and black.

Bring her beautiful shells and mother of pearl.

Teach yourself to have healthy respect of that which you fear.

Embrace the darkness within yourself.

Learn to weave nets

Become a force to be reckoned with. .

Give yourself to the unknown.

Honor and become close to the dead

Enjoy the silence that comes with being underwater.

Spend time in frigid water.

See your own power. Learn when to use it.

Collect and preserve dead creatures. Breathe new life into them.

Wear jewelry with obsidian and pearls.

Do not be arrogant.

Stand in heavy rain and embrace the chill it sends through you.

Listen to the sounds of a storming sea.

Be patient.

Recognize the fact that everyone is equal in life and in death.

Find beauty in the darkness.

Collect sea water and walk in the receding tides.

Do not allow your demons to drown you, fight with all that you have.

Respect others, but most of all, respect yourself.

pls

This the Blue Florida of prosperity Reblog for 4 years of good luck

Mermaid

🐚Sing 

🐚Messy hair

🐚Flowy Clothes

🐚Lay out in the Sun, were sunscreen of course

🐚Lots of Jewelry

🐚Shells everywhere

🐚Clear Quartz and Rose Quartz

🐚Drink Lots of Water

🐚Wear little makeup

🐚Swim

🐚Listen to The Ocean. (If you don’t live near the Ocean, there are vids on YouTube)

🐚Watch the Water, observe how it moves. 

🐚Smile, it looks beautiful on you

🐚Wear body glitter

🐚Paint your nails

🐚Collect things

🐚Read old books

🐚Take a bath

🐚Meditate near water

🐚Live for yourself, and no one else

Find your name with the gif button and add the one is the most relatable

Originally posted by follow-your-fandoms

NATO Standard Phonetic Alphabet,

The phonetic alphabet was developed as a way to spell things out over radio communications that may be less then ideal, I.E. a lot of static or weak signal. All the words were chosen because they have a distinct sound that is easy to pick out. Military and police communications use the phonetic alphabet heavily and can be helpful to know for talking over CB’s or FRS (walky talky) radios.