The Last Of Us Part II.

“Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.”

— Mark Twain

caitlyn’s little sister privilege

Yule Ritual Baths

Every so often I just feel so extremely grateful for the existence of Sefaria.

I mean, like… over a hundred million searchable words of Torah, Talmud, and other texts? With translations? And easily navigable links to and from other commentaries? All of these sources openly available at the mere touch of a keyboard, whether I’m at home or out somewhere? And all of this for free???

This modern world sure does have its perks.

Oh btw look what my sister got me for my birthday

Asteroid Aphrodite (1388): Love you like a love song (part 1)

| credits to Wikipedia & Mecca of Mysticism + @venusfun has a post about Aphrodite in the signs, and other interesting notes about it which I find interesting so go check her out! |

!Please note that this is my own interpretation and other people might have a different stance on this subject. I respect everyone’s opinions and beliefs regarding their interpretation and take constructive criticism.!

So, for starters, who is Aphrodite?

Aphrodite is the ancient Greek Goddess of love, beauty, lust, pleasure and procreation (sometimes presided over marriage). Allegedly born in Cythera and emerged from the foam created after Cronus had cut off Uranus’ testicles and fallen in the sea (ok Cronus wtf). Others say her parents were the Titaness Dione and Zeus.

People would pray to her and ask for guidance when it comes to love, marriage and fertility blessings or sex related issues. It was believed that Aphrodite can inspire, control and shift the feelings of gods and mortals to work in her favour. That’s why she was deemed as the goddess of the sea/sea shore, goddess of war and victory. Her symbols include myrtles, roses, doves, sparrows and swans. People would offer Aphrodite small terracotta statues representing her or were burried with her statues if they were her worshippers.

The thing that stands out about Aphrodite according to mythology is her free-spirited, shallow, confident and impulsive nature.

The main interpretation astrologers give to Aphrodite is aesthetic beauty and the type of woman a person can be attracted to, or the femininity expressed by the native. I personally think there’s more layers to her than just volatile love (we have other asteroids for that such as Cupido).

Aphrodite was worshiped in the ancient times due to her ethereal beauty and the blessings she offered to couples and singles alike. She’s quite extra and dramatic. She wants to be desired and desire others freely to see others being in love and to be sexually satisfied. She is confident that she’s the true beauty among gods and mortals.

Her competitive nature is shown when her beauty is being challenged in this never-ending race on “Who is the fairest of them all” and when she feels desire for someone. Mere mortals aren’t allowed to compete with her, unless they want to have a taste of her wrath.

The same traits can be applied to the astrological interpretation of this asteroid in the natal chart. Furthermore, Aprhodite represents expectations one has in love, expectations which feed the imagination of the native and pushes them to idealise their love interests.

If you're attracted to women, they might have these traits which you find irresistable. Let’s not forget that Aphrodite was always surrounded by admirers and suitors. This can be applied as how the native’s beauty affects admirers and suitors.

Aphrodite vs Venus

I mentioned this in one of my first asks about Aphrodite, I think she symbolises the good and the bad of the feminine energy. I would say this celestial body is here to let us know who we are when we are in love and what we expect of it, what our fantasies are and what our divine beauty is really like. Aphrodite is who we are without the restrictions of the real world which Venus has to deal with. Aphrodite is the teenage dream amongst the gods while Venus is the accomplished and loving woman among mortals.

As an asteroid, she is an energy. Any planet that comes in contact will influence the power that Aphrodite has in the natal chart. Aphrodite itself represents a divine energy that makes you sparkle in the eyes of others. She will influence the aura of the native. Planets can amplify or minimise the her energy. Masculine planets such as Sun, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto can intensify and add a bold direction to Aphrodite’s energy. These planets influnce the suitors that surround her as well. Her suitors are more masculine, dominant, posessive and take the traits of these planets. While feminine planets (Moon, Venus, Neptune) will amplify the already existing traits of the asteroid.

Aspects to Aphrodite

- Sun / Aphrodite: makes the native shine from their core, making it hard for people to not notice them. They radiate a sun-like beauty which outshines everyone else in the room. The native’s confidence can make others feel insecure. Very ego driven, conceited and wants to be seen as divine. Harsh aspects (square, opposition) can bring insecurities and make the native shy away from the spotlight. Suitors are confident, boisterous and ego driven.

- Moon / Aphrodite: Comfort is very important for this native. Emotional attachments to their crushes are very likely to happen, with squares/oppositions aspects the native might hide their emotions or neglect themselves due to a lack of healhty examples of love from their mother. The native might be really harsh on themselves and prone to emotional outbursts. The native could use their emotions to play as the victim.

Otherwise the native is very loving and might even want to care for their love interests. Suitors are really protective and emotionally open towards the native. They might even overshare with the native bc of their soft and comforting aura.

- Mercury / Aphrodite: The native’s youthful presence and intellect pulls people in here. Aphrodite here is driven by knowledge and she might make the native prone to ask questions and express curiosity as a sign of interest. Might attract younger and energetic suitors who will talk their ears off lmao. Squares/Oppositions bring shyness and immaturity + gossip and lies used against the native.

- Venus / Aphrodite: Very lovely connection if positive. The dream-like presence of Aphrodite meets the eartlhy influence of Venus. Aphrodite’s dream of a fulfilling love story can become a reality. Basically Aphrodite’s and Venus’ energy is aplified as an earthly goddess. Careful with conjunctions tho, the expectations of the native might be wayyyy too high here and might be prone to delusion. But the native’s love here is guaranteed (you don’t have to question whether this person loves you or not).

Squares can indicate an unrequited love scenario, where the native will have strong feelings for someone but will fear being rejected. The native could repress their creative talents and overspend their money recklessly as a coping mechanism. The native could also try to lure in suitors or love interests with money to win their affection. Oppositions amplify the hedonistic side of the native, making them hard to pin down and break some hearts in the process. People might try to force them into a box. Very hot and cold with their suitors, who are always left guessing about the native’s true feelings. Speaking of suitors: they’ll have this ethereal energy to them and more likely to exceed the general beauty standards. Could have lots of admirers flocking around them.

- Aphrodite / Mars: COM-PE-TI-TIVE. Very passionate lover in and out of the bedroom. Flirty and usually well liked. Sex appeal is turned to the max. Mars here fuels the fire and mixes in passion and determination to Aphrodite’s aura. The native is more determined to reach their goals, and use both their intelligence and sex-appeal to get what they want. Might be really popular with the opposite sex.

Suitors might resemble Ares (Aphrodite’s classical lover), impulsive, dominant and quite self-centered.

Squares makes the native vindictive and selfish. Their anger could blind them from what’s truly meant for them, and their ambitions might be fueled by spite, impulsive wants and a desperate need to win. Oppositions might make other feel possessive, violent or hostile over the native.

- Aphrodite / Jupiter: Larger than life aura around the native. Similar to Mars, Jupiter might give player tendencies to the energy of the Goddess. Jupiter can make natives be beautiful and likeable inside and out. The native might confuse suitors since they act the same way with everyone. Harsh (conjunction, square, opposition) aspects can indicate cheating or cause the native to be confused about their feelings. Others might think the native is “too nice” even (lmao) or amplify the jealousy of others. Careful if you’re having sex bc Aphrodite’s fertility isn’t just for show, so wrap it up.

- Aphrodite / Saturn: Has an “Old Hollywood” aesthetic to it. The native might have a more traditional view on love and romance, and be attracted to more mature partners. Suitors might hold onto appearances and not be vocal with their feelings, they might take a while to court the native + their approach might be unromantic but very loyal and persistent (for harmonious aspects). 

Harsh aspects (conjunction-in this case, square, opposition) can be challenging since the native might act needy and bratty around mature figures or attract indivisuals who wish to “tame” them. Suitors might be overbearing and stoic, which might push away the native to seek for freedom away from them, then come back.

- Aphrodite / Uranus: the native might be hard to pin down aesthetically (there’s a love here for different aesthetics, for combining them) and romantically. The native might not have a type and their romantic fantasies revolve around different types of people and non-human beings.

Similar to Jupiter, their suitors always have to break a sweat when keeping up with the native’s feelings. Harsh aspects might make the native feel inadequate or too eccentric for other people to accept (conjunction, square, opposition). These aspects might push the native to rebel against traditional expectations of love.

- Aphrodite / Neptune: Harmonious aspects (trine, sextile) give a youthful, fairy-tale like appearance. Soft in nature and very giving. Very observant and sweet. Usually well liked.

With conjunction the already hedonistic side of the Goddess is being amplified by Neptune, bringing unrealistic expectations. She becomes the ultimate fantasy. The native can go all Beyoncé Partition and be like “~the kinda girl you like is right here with me~” bewitching everyone and every camera. Prone to extremes and sacrificinng themselves (especially their looks) to please others.

Squares will bring inner conflicts on whether the native should showcase their beauty and their creations. Might struggle to be more serious when it comes to love, or avoid/exchange the reality of love for fantasies. Oppositons lure people in but get disappointed or feel like they’ve been conned by the native when the fantasy they projected doesn’t match with who the native is. Suitors are dreamy but unclear about their feelings, might be prone to making promises they can’t keep or ghosting.

- Aphrodite / Pluto: Very discreet but intense. Aphrodite is pulled in the deep end, which could drive her to fear love or obssess over the search for the deeper meaning of love. If afflicted, the native can become vindictive and manipulative towards love interests, spread lies to deflect others from their crush. Harsh aspects can be similar to Mars, the native might have a desperate need to win. Their beauty can deceive and their hunger for power never cease.

Suitors here have an intense aura (especially their stare and presence), might be fearful when it comes to expressing feelings. Powerful and demanding individuals who might hide their true intentions or be really reserved.

Something I want to say:

- Harsh aspects between Aphrodite/Moon/Venus attracts the jealousy of other women. The native might feel like they need to repress their beauty and the way they express love in order to avoid the hostility of other women. The native needs to realise that they can’t please everyone, that other women’s jealousy isn’t about their beauty specifically but it’s merely a reflection of their insecurities. What I want to say to these natives is that life’s too short to give a f*ck about other people’s insecurities, that’s not your issue, be your beautiful self and live freely 💅🏻💗💗

<In part 2 I’ll be delving into Aphrodite in the houses, since I couldn’t fit everything in one post>

Yom HaShoah

Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) begins this year on sundown on April 27th, 2022 and ends sundown, April 28th.

The ADL's Audito of Antisemitic Incidents for 2021 released just yesterday, reporting hate crimes in the United States at an all-time high since they began recording in 1979. (A 34% increase from 2020.) Jews make up less than 3% of the United States population (0.2% globally) and remain the biggest target of religion-based hate crimes in the US both in raw numbers and per capita.

Now is a good time to check in on your Jewish friends and support your Jewish communities. If you are able, I highly encourage supporting a charity that helps Shoah survivors (most of whom still live alone and in poverty) or putting money directly into the hands of Jews in need or local Jewish organizations.

It's also a good time to analyze the way we talk about the Holocaust. This article about The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas highlights common problematic tropes to look out for in other works. If you can I HIGHLY encourage getting a copy of People Love Dead Jews by Dara Horn. It's a collection of well-written essays tackling the world's fascination with dead Jews, how Jewish history is exploited to comfort the living, becoming dehumanizing even when done with the best of intentions. It's sharp, insightful, powerful, poignant, and deeply disturbing. For Jewish readers, this helped me put to words things I always felt uncomfortable about but could never articulate why; it's very cathartic in many ways. For others, this is a great window into how it often feels being Jewish in a world that hates Jews, showcasing nuances of modern-day antisemitism I've never seen tackled elsewhere. I cannot recommend it enough; I consider it a must-read.

Actual ancient lapidaries or "the ancient Greeks and Romans probably didn't use crystals the way you think they did"

The Internet being of cyclic nature, I feel like talks about the use of crystals come back to view at least twice a year. I usually don't pay much attention to those discussions, since they tend to be unfruitful and, to be quite frank, boring. However, the topic of the historicity of linking certain stones to certain gods -or more widely- properties is an interesting one nonetheless.

But first, a disclaimer: 1) Some of the practices I will be describing below are not safe and should not be reproduced at home. I feel like this should go without saying, but the fact Goop's jade egg is still on the market only proves the necessity of such disclaimer. 2) I do not care about people's personal practices. If you associate certain stones with deities, good for you. It's not my problem and this post isn't meant to attack your practice. It's merely meant to put some things within context.

Now that this is out of the way, let's define the matter at hand. Let me start by saying that from this point on, I will refer to "crystals" as "gems" or "stones". Both terms seem to be more appropriate and widely used in academical context.

The sources

We do not lack evidence of gemstone usage in the Ancient world, both literary and archaeological. Usage included jewelry making, medicine, and magic. The first is a given so I won't dwell on it. I am more interested in the other two and how they relate to each other.

On the literary side, the earliest Greek treatise on stones is from Theophrastus (371 - 287 BC), titled Περὶ λίθων ("On stones", quite literally). In this work, he lists the stones known to him and their properties from a physical standpoint and explains where they are found in the Greek world. He gives, in general, very few indications of potential magical properties.

We start having much more literature around the properties of gems in the Roman period, especially around the 1st century BC onwards, with Pliny the Elder's (23/24 – 79 AD) Natural History, and the works of Greek physicians like Dioscorides (40–90 AD) and Galen (129 – 216 AD). Some of those works will be considered of importance throughout the Middle Ages, while some will be "rediscovered" at the Renaissance.

On the archaeological side, we have thousands of magical gems (see: the Campbell Bonner database). Here is the official definition given by the database:

"The designation 'magical gem' is a category of modern archaeology, which denotes the most sophisticated amulet type of the Roman Imperial Period. Magical gems were carved of precious stones sized 1 to 3 centimeters, chiefly between the 1st century BC to the 4th century AD, and were designed to bring their owners health, prosperity and love. Their typology follows the shapes of Graeco-Roman glyptics complemented with a few Mesopotamian and Egyptian variants. They are distinguished by their characteristic engravings of inscriptions, signs and images, which usually appear on both faces of the gems, and sometimes even on the edge."

Their usage

Interestingly, the timeframe the previous definition gives fits the one where we find the majority of literary sources. This is probably no coincidence, and it probably isn't a coincidence that interest in stones and gems seems to appear after the Classical period, especially if we consider the importance of Egyptian and Mesopotamian elements found on them. This would coincide nicely with the growth of the Hellenistic Empire.

Before I jump into what would be considered "magical use" (the lines are blurry, as we'll see), let me give a few examples of medical use taken from Dioscorides:

IV, 139 λίθος σάπφειρος, Lapis lazuli Lapis lazuli seems to help people stung by scorpions when drunk. It is drunk for internal ulcerations and it shrinks excrescences, defects inside the cornea, and pustules on the eyes, and it joins together the rents of their membranes.

Here we have an example of how the stone could be used as an ingredient: filed down to a powdery state and most likely mixed with wine before being drunk by the patient. Another example, still from Dioscorides, would be qualified today as on leaning more on the magical side:

V, 142 λίθος ίασπις, Jasper There is a jasper which is emerald green, another like crystal resembling phlegm, another light blue, another smoky as if it were blackened with smoke, one which has cracks that are quite white <and> shining and which is called astrios, and there is one called terebinthizon, resembling turquoise in color. All seem to guard against evil when hung on a person and to promote a speedy birth when tied around the thigh.

While, in the case of Selenite, both "medical" and "magical" properties are offered:

V, 141 λίθος σεληνίτης, Selenite Selenite, which some people have called aphroselenos because it is found at night when the moon waxes, occurs in Arabia. It is white, transparent, and light. Filed down, it is given as a drink to epileptics and women use it as a protective amulet. It also seems to make trees fruitful when attached on them.

There comes the issue of correspondences. Here Dioscorides gives us straightforward uses but doesn't necessarily tell if the colour matters and/or if something should be carved on it. Meanwhile, the archaeological pieces we have are all inscribed somehow (and it's very likely how the modern eye could distinguish them from just any shiny rock).

So the question is, what makes magical gems magical? Attilio Mastrocinque in his article The Colours of Magical Gems noticed a pattern between the colour of the chosen gem and the organ/bodily function/secretion it is supposed to regulate or heal:

The series of gems discussed above show that haematite (and its reddish-brown variety, i.e. limonite) was used to protect red-brown organs, such as the liver and kidney, and that natural pieces of this stone actually have the shape and gloss of these organs. The inscriptions on several gems confirm that they were amulets for the liver. Moreover the Syrian god Adad was known for his stone kidney, and a Syrian haematite intaglio is shaped like a kidney. The colour and properties of stones were supposed to be syntonic with the world of the gods.

Stomach or intestinal diseases, pregnancy and the womb’s other functions, and breast-feeding were dealt with thanks to Chnoubis and his gems. The liquid secretions on which bodily health depended are red (blood), black (when the intestine is bleeding), green or transparent (the stomach juices), and white (milk). Chnoubis gems are rarely red or yellow, whereas they are often white, green, and sometimes transparent or black. If we reject the idea of casuality, we must look for a logic or a taxonomy in the choice of colour. A possible explanation emerges from the colours, because white stones were suitable for breast-feeding and the iconography of a threeheaded Chnoubis appears on a white gem. This iconography is known as useful for breast-feeding. Therefore: white gems = milk. Greek physicians recommended, in case of stomach diseases, green or transparent stones with the image of this god. Therefore: green or transparent gems = the stomach, whose juices are green or transparent. Other physicians recommended transparent stones for pleuritic and hip diseases, and therefore another possibility is: transparent gems = pleura and hips; but in this case the colour was scarcely related with the disease. Another numerous group of gems shows this god over the womb, and these gems are of haematite.

The divinities majoritarily represented on magical gems are not strictly Greek. Chnoubis or Chnoumis is the Greek name of the Egyptian creator god Chnoum, for example. Even hematite gems which are described as representing Ares are explained by Mastrocinque this way:

This Ares is not the Greek god, but the result of cultural synthesis in which a Syrian god assumed the iconography of the Homeric god. This iconography was used to represent Syrian gods like Azizos and Arsou, or the warlike god of the Nabataeans.

It seems more and more clear that the Greeks and, by extension, the Romans, adopted a long Egyptian and Eastern tradition. There are, still, gems that clearly show Greco-Roman elements:

Pliny describes a type of coral called Gorgonia, after the monster’s name. In fact a series of coral gems with Medusa’s face have been preserved (Pl. 3a). Red jasper could be used as a substitute for coral, as is proved by gems with the same subject. These gems often have an image of Hekate on the reverse; both Gorgon and Hekate were considered to be powerful characters in averting demons, illnesses and enemies.

In this case, we find both the Gorgon and Hekate in very traditional apotropaic positions. More interesting, however, in a series of amulets showing Herakles fighting the Nemean lion serving this purpose (Christopher Faraone, Text, Image and Medium: The Evolution of Graeco-Roman Magical Gemstones):

In his chapter ‘On the colicky condition’ Alexander of Tralles, a 6th-century ad Greek physician, prescribes the following treatment for colic, a painful disease of the lower intestine: ‘On a Median stone engrave Heracles standing upright and throttling a lion. Set it in a gold ring and give it to the patient to wear’ (2.579). There is some confusion about the precise identity of the ‘Median stone’ in this passage, which may have been a form of haematite or magnetite but Alexander’s description coincides well with a popular series of amulets that consist of an opaque red stone (almost always jasper) engraved with the wrestling scene that he describes; [...]

This particular case is interesting because, as Faraone notes, we know of the existence of a carnelian scarab with the same scene that was found in a 5th century BC grave in Cyprus. More curious is the fact that this specific scarab also has two eyes of Horus next to Herakles. It is impossible to know if this amulet was just that, a protective amulet featuring two highly apotropaic symbols or if it was intended as something else.

One last notable example before I start wrapping things up. There is a series of lapis-lazuli gems that represent Aphrodite Anadyomene ("rising from the sea"). The Campbell Bonner database counts 23 of these. On these, Faraone says:

On the back of the stone we find the magical word arôriphrasis which is typical of these amulets, as we can see from one of the lapis stones in the British Museum (Pl. 12c). Scholars, myself included, sometimes repeat the claim that arôriphrasis transliterates an Egyptian title of the goddess Hathor as ‘The Lady of the Blue Stone’; the epithet exists, but apparently bears no phonetic resemblance to the word arôriphrasis on the gemstone. We do find, however, on one lapis gem of this type the name ‘<H>athor’ inscribed before arôriphrasis, suggesting that the word – whatever it means – was, indeed, an epithet of some sort, and since Hathor and Aphrodite are assimilated in Graeco-Roman Egypt, there is some logic to the appearance of the name and Aphrodite on these blue stones. As in the case of the other types, a rare inscribed prayer tells us much about the perceived power of this kind of amulet: on a greenish lapis gem of another type (with Aphrodite and Ares) we read: ‘Arôriphrasis, give your charm to the bearer’. It would seem, then, that like the name Chnoubis, arôriphrasis identifies a divinity – probably Aphrodite/Hathor – who is thereby invoked to produce charm and beauty in the person who wears the gem.

Once again, we have a case of an association linked to a Greco-Egyptian syncretism. It is worth noting, however, that other gems representing Aphrodite aren't necessarily blue. She is also found on hematite, carnelian, or amethyst, amongst others. This would lead us to believe that the choice of the gem is not made upon the basis of correspondence with a divinity, rather than the function, as seen with the medical examples above or, as with this example, a specific epithet or specific voces magicae (and even then, there is an example of Aphrodite Anadyomene on orange/red carnelian...)

This perhaps explains why it is possible to find such statements in some studies:

"It may be observed that gemstones depicting Jupiter are frequently cut on milky chalcedony; those showing Sol are often on heliotrope which was thought to reflect the sun’s rays; of Mars on red jasper or cornelian, the colour of blood; of Demeter on green jasper which has a sympathy with vegetation and of Bacchus on amethyst which was believed to be wine coloured hand to prevent drunkenness. Such systems of correspondences, differing in detail no doubt, form a continuous tradition linking the Hellenistic age to the very end of the Middle Ages. During all that time lapidaries, stone books, were consulted. No doubt they were in Roman Britain."

This quote I took from Religion in Roman Britain by Martin Henig, who only references Joan Evans as source (Magical jewels of the middle ages and the renaissance particularly in England, 1922). Some of those observations, which clearly are hard to consider valid for generalization (counterexamples are plenty) also contradict other systems of correspondences, such as the one found in PGM CX. 1-12:

. . . a voice comes to you in conversation. Lay out the stars on the board in their natural order, with the exception of the sun and the moon. Make the sun gold, the moon silver, Kronos of obsidian, Ares of yellow-green onyx, Aphrodite of lapis-lazuli streaked with gold, Hermes of turquoise; make Zeus of a [dark blue] stone, but underneath of crystal.

The PGM (Greek Magical Papyri) is always a difficult source to assess because of its syncretic and fragmented nature. In any case, its material is dated between the 1st and 4th century AD, which is a timeframe that is likely to be in sync with Roman Britain. It is worth noting that this specific passage of the PGM refers to the planets carrying the names of deities.

In any case, none of those correspondences seem to fit with modern ones, which are, for the most part, taken from an entirely different system (especially the bastardized/westernized idea of chakras). As for other uses, we can clearly see that some of the health claims made by "lithotherapists" (or just Karens on the Internet) trace back to ancient Greek medical treatises. And, please, don't ingest crystals.

-

Attilio Mastrocinque, The Colours of Magical Gems

Veronique Dasen, Magic and Medicine: Gems and the Power of Seals

Christopher A. Faraone, Text, Image and Medium: the Evolution of Graeco-Roman Magical Gemstones, all 3 in: Gems of Heaven : Recent Research on Engraved Gemstones in Late Antiquity c. AD 200 (eds. Chris Entwistle & Noel Adams), British Museum Press, 2012

Hans Dieter Betz, The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation Including the Demotic Spells, 1986

Dioscorides & Lily Y. Beck (tran.), De materia medica, 2005

“A library is many things. It’s a place to go, to get in out of the rain. It’s a place to go if you want to sit and think. But particularly it is a place where books live, and where you can get in touch with other people, and other thoughts, through books. If you want to find out about something, the information is in the reference books – the dictionaries, the encyclopedias, the atlases. If you like to be told a story, the library is the place to go. Books hold most of the secrets of the world, most of the thoughts that men and women have had. And when you are reading a book, you and the author are alone together—just the two of you. A library is a good place to go when you feel unhappy, for there, in a book, you may find encouragement and comfort. A library is a good place to go when you feel bewildered or undecided, for there, in a book, you may have your question answered. Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people—people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book.”

—

E.B. White

시발비용 = Fuck-it Expense