Trigger Warning For Nazis And Antisemitism.

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.

a VOLTRON Paladin torso armor pattern

Hey dudes~ so someone asked if i was willing to share my armor patterns, and the answer is HELL YEAH.

So, here’s the dealio with these:

1. I used a dress form sized to me to make these.

( that’s 5″5, ~150lbs, 39-40″ at the bust lv,32″ at the waist.and 16″ across the shoulders.)

they can resize, but that’s on you. ;D

know your measurements, know where things line up.

2. These are designed with EVA foam as the intended material. Stuffed fabric could also work. (maybe.)

3. I’m all for sharing creativity, but for frack or quiznak sake, don’t repost and say you made these. don’t remove the text. its irritating and ugly fine, but the notes on the armor are important.

(it will confuse people and hurt my feelings okay? let’s be a cool fandom everyone.)

Let’s start!

I recommend using a ruler. since this is on pattern paper (a godsend, btw) the distance between the little blue marks is all a perfect square inch.

the EASIEST way to achieve symmetry is to do one half and fold and copy it to the other.

*I haven’t done the V shape yet, but can add it later or just make a proper tutorial thing.

Note: registration marks! also, this is designated as the LEFT shape, and connecting to the BACK piece of the armor. not the front. (flip it over and you got the right side!)

Now, I realized after cutting the foam and making sure i can get my head through the hole, this could get interesting really quick when getting the chest piece on and off, especially since my suit zips up the back…

SOLUTION: DO. NOT. GLUE. THE. BACK. PIECE. TO THE SIDES.

(or do, if you can fit. I can’t. broad shoulders.)

instead,on the back, I’m going to glue/staple/glue some black stretch fabric, and shape the gap to fit at an angle. it should sit flat when in place, and stretch when you need it to.

that way, you can get it on and off easily.

**I will update on how this goes.

this is where folding the pattern for symmetry is REALLY handy.

and a good example of how great this paper is.

the length of my guard is 20 inches.it lines up with the marks on the torso pieces.

the line going across as labeled is the light level. (EL tape goes there! diffuse your LED’s guys! be careful of your circuits!)

I still need to figure out the shoulder pieces, but this is what i got so far!

ALSO:

for anyone new to EVA foam:

https://www.youtube.com/user/evilted40/featured

Evil Ted Smith’s youtube channel is a friggn gold mine, guys.

if you do use EVA, please be careful. its difficult to cut, foam gives off fumes when heated or burned, and knives are sharp and most dangerous when slightly dull. use a dremel to fix an edge, not a knife. (it wont work.)

I’d also be happy to make a tutorial for using a dress form for this kind of thing!

feel free to message me personally if you have any questions, happy and safe cosplaying~!!

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oceangodz

4 years ago

— Tiwaz —

Tiwaz is the rune associated with the god Tyr, and as such it represents much of the same qualities as him. It is a rune of victory and honor, but also of justice and sacrifice. It embodies the idea of the phrase “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one”, and can be used to represent sacrificing now in order to prevail later.

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oceangodz

4 years ago

Norse Small Devotional Acts Masterpost

Æsir Baldr Bragi Eir Frigg Heimdallr Lofn Máni Nanna Njörun Oðin Rán Sigyn Sól Thor Tyr Üllr Víðarr

Vanir Freyja Freyr Njörðr

Jötnar Ægir Jörð Skaði Rökkr Hati and Sköll Hel Fenrir Loki

*This list is a work in progress and I will be creating more in my future free time!* Feel free to message me requests, just know I won’t necessarily get to them immediately. Updated: 03/29/2020

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oceangodz

6 years ago

They really said that…

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oceangodz

8 years ago

♥♥♥

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oceangodz

6 years ago

Where my mutuals with tinnitus at make some noise

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oceangodz

7 years ago

Tiny Dangerous's Object Head Tutorial (With pictures!)

Hello all! I’ve gotten quite a few people askin how I went about putting together my head for a recent costume I did at Anime Iowa 2014, so I figured I’d make a tutorial for it! More under the cut!

Keep reading

☽ Sea Knot Magick: a Wish Bracelet Spell ☾

This spell in particular is very special to me as it was one of my first successful spells when I started practicing in the 7th grade. It’s a perfect example of Sea/Lunar Witchcraft and Knot Magick!

What you need:

☾ a Full Moon

☾ 5 different colored embroidery threads - one color to represent the moon (white, silver, even yellow), one color to represent the ocean, a color to represent your birth stone, a color to represent the wish (red/pink for love, green for luck/prosperity, etc.), and your favorite color. The length of the threads is dependent upon the type of bracelet you choose to make–I did a double chevron, throwback to friendship bracelets (▰˘◡˘▰)

☾ A conch shell

☾ A symbol (a piece of jewelry that has sentimental value; could’ve been given to you by a loved one, or perhaps you choose a piece that represents the sea)

☾ Blue lace agate, which can be used as a wish stone, or stones that correspond with your wish

☾ Rain water, salt water, or sea water; I recommend water charged by the moon, your crystals, or blessed by Poseidon/Aphrodite/Selene/your patron

☾ (Optional) a Sea Altar or altar honoring a Sea Deity

What to do:

Take the embroidery threads and begin to make a bracelet of your choice out of them; it doesn’t matter what pattern you choose, be it chevron, double wave, diamond, etc.

While you make each knot, visualize your energy flowing into the bracelet. Charge it with your wish. I even repeated my wish as a mantra in my head during the process as a type of affirmation as well, focusing on the outcome of my wish. While making the bracelet (which, depending on the pattern, can take a while), have some ocean-scented candles or incense burning! Let the bracelet sit on an ocean themed altar when you aren’t working on it.

Upon finishing it, let the bracelet soak in a bowl of your salt/rain/sea water for 10 minutes. Use blue lace agate or your stone(s) of choice to charge the water beforehand–remember to research whether or not the crystals are safe to sit in water overnight! If the water hasn’t already been blessed, this would be a good opportunity to place the bowl on your altar, place an offering beside it, and ask a Sea Deity or your patron to bless it!

Wrap the bracelet around your symbol and place it underneath the conch shell for 1 full day

On the next full moon, place your bracelet outside in the light of the full moon.

Wear the bracelet until the wish comes true!

When I did this spell originally, I had confused the new moon symbol with the full moon symbol on my calendar by accident. The night it was supposed to sit out in the moonlight, I figured the moon had already risen and fallen by then, so I went to bed and had a dream about the full moon. The next morning, I woke up and noticed it had already started to take effect. I remember realizing that magick worked in strange ways, and I was astonished and how fast it worked–I highly recommend this spell for sea witches! Feel free to incorporate the appropriate herbs or an incantation!

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oceangodz

6 years ago