Night Flight from Mary and the Witch’s Flower- May 2018
I’m so proud of this piece because I put it together by ear, and it’s a song I’m really excited about.–You don’t hear dulcimers featured that often in music! Also, enjoy a cameo from my cat, Izumiko, in the background.
hammered dulcimers are my secret obsession. this is beautiful!!
every todd howard meme uses the same exact picture of him and its such a subtly menacing picture. there is no love for humanity in todd’s eyes. maybe there never is.
I don’t usually soap-box, but I’m going to for a hot sec since this has been on my mind:
Cults are getting better branding, prettier leaders, hipper-sounding cosmologies, and wider reaches due to social media. They’re not all deity-focused. Thoughtful, intelligent people can get sucked into them. Just…stay safe out there, guys. Do your research, look at all your options, and trust your gut, not your guru.
I’m glad this is resonating with people.
I do want to emphasize, again, that cults (and toxic groups with cult-like attributes, I’m using this term pretty loosely) don’t usually look like what you’d expect. A lot of toxic and dangerous religious movements are tiny and you won’t find much about them via Google. Cultish non-religious movements are the same way.
Start-ups, multi-level marketing companies, activist groups, fan groups, political groups, and internet gurus who run retreats can all be cult-like and dangerous. Tune your BS detector, ask family, friends, and experts for advice.
Here are some warning signs:
Pressure – pressure to make quick decisions, to give (or pledge) considerable amounts of money, to move in with a group, to abandon family or cut off friends. Elevated Leaders – anyone claiming special insight, special powers, or that they aren’t human. Demanding special treatment (compared to other followers). Misuse of funds or money collecting at the top. physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse. Lack of accountability or oversight. Isolation – encouraging (or requiring) members to cut off family relationships, friendships with those outside of the group, leaving jobs, moving to isolated areas, taking away communication methods. Strong “us-vs-them” mentality. Vilification of ex-members. Love-bombing. Altered states of consciousness – long work hours, sleep deprivation, lack of access to adequate food or water. Otherwise unproblematic activities like meditation/prayer/chanting, but done for hours. Discouraging doubt – discouraging or punishing doubt and critical thinking.
If these send up red flags for you or loved ones, here are some collected resources: one, two.
-a lot of people in the cult have been told “this isn’t a cult”, and they are used to it, so when they invite other people to functions they don’t even fully realize how deep it is
I am fairly sure there are other explanatory factors for a dropping life expectancy, such as skyrocketing obesity rates and no one exercising enough. There’s not much evidence that increases in the quantity of working hours is linked to a dropping life expectancy.
It upsets me that his first instinct, even in literal combat scenarios, is to not fight, and how violently everyone reacts to him.
In light of this post crossing 10k notes and on the suggestion of one the rebloggers,
Also,
He learned. He was banished because he went looking for a fight for a fight’s sake. He didn’t know the cost then. Didn’t understand it. Now he does. And it’s not a price he wants to pay.
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