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Seems like it’s been a very low key month for Black Witch: No one bought a raffle for Princeless so there’s no winner and no one has submitted a question for Ask Black Witch so there’s no questions for this month. That means I have free space to do whatever I want.
Meh, I’mma be lazy and post Carlito. I’m at Otakon this weekend so I’m pretty lax, granted I don’t run into weebs or childish people. So far, I have seen a Deadpool in a tutu, it was cute. I better spot Miles Morale or Static Shock somewhere.
Before I begin! I would like to direct your attention to this raffle post! Win a copy of Princeless! Winners are picked on July 27th!
Annnnnnnnnnnnd, another thing! I found this awesome vid via FuturisticallyAncient on tumblr called I, Pet Goat II. It’s really cool and full of symbolism. Watch and behold!
Now on to the rest of the features!
Boobs Don’t Work That Way
If you’re a comic book fan like me, you’ve probably have noticed one thing that a lot of comic book women characters have in common – They’re stacked like towers and their suits don’t provide a whole lot of protection. And if you’re a comic book fan and a girl, it’s easy to feel a bit weird seeing women looking like this:
This is not even…this does not make sense. Boobs that big on a decaying corpse would have fallen off a long time ago given the lack of elasticity a dead body in that state of decomposition, I believe. And importantly, they would not be pert and buxom while the rest of the body looks like it had all its innards taken out with a super suck vacuum.
And then there’s the fact the artist is trying so hard to show both the boobies and the booty:
I have the strongest feeling that this lady’s super power isn’t stretch and I’m also sure at some point at her life she owned a spine.
That’s what the tumblr Boobs Don’t Work That Way is for! To point out how inaccurate and even misogynist these drawings are. Nothing is wrong with appreciating the female form but the female form is more than just t&a.
Y’see, the female form, unlike the male form, isn’t treated so fairly and as if a walking weapon in and of itself like the guys are. For example, it seems even if there is a female version of a male super hero, she is going to lack some pretty important features such as protection for major organs or just look like she had balloons stuff down her shirt and pants. Google Iron Man and Iron Girl/Woman if you don’t believe me.
Everytime I look at comics, I see them more than through the eyes of a fan. I see them through the eyes of a person who sews, a martial artist and most importantly, a girl. Here are the greater offenders.
– Outlined boobs in clothing: No. Just no. Nooooooooooooooo. Clothes, unless molded in something, does not outline breasts as singular spheres. It just does not happen because fabric does not press down in the middle by itself. I imagine that would be uncomfy anyways. Even if the clothing was made out of metal, it still wouldn’t do that, it would just curve out to accommodate the breasts, becoming a functional and practical breastplate. Plus if it were made of metal, the curve would be better because it would take a pretty half-baked shot to the chest to knock the wind out of the fighter if she had individualized cups since all the force would be focused right on the sternum, causing it to fracture or break.
– Barely-Holding-on-Clothes: Case in point: Catwoman in Arkham City. Boobs, being sacks of fat and mammary glands, cannot stay in place in all anti-gravity glory. Newp. If Catwoman’s suit was realistic, she’d be zipped up to her neck (or the zipper would fall) or her boobs would fall out while somersaulting or climbing buildings. I’m sure the last she would need in a fight is to say, “Wait, wait – WAIT! I gotta readjust.”At least they didn’t make her boobs too unrealistic, just her clothes. And I don’t know many girls who would fight skillfully in heels long term and remember, I’m a martial artist. Not saying it’s not possible, it is, but if you’re a crime fighter, fighting in heels constantly would probably be problematic.
– Dipped in oil/water: What is up with the shiny boobs? It makes me think of carpet burns, owwie. Animes and mangas are the greatest offenders. It’s just like watching movies or music videos that have women waking up from what appears to be a deep slumber with complete make up on – it’s totally unrealistic. Same with the shiny. Boobs, just like the rest of the body, is covered in skin, which isn’t very reflective. You shouldn’t be able to burn an ant colony or blind a random driver just by turning a particular angle on a sunny day. Please see a doctor or scientist if you can.
– Big Enough for Own Orbit: Bigger isn’t always better. A busty crime-fighter would not have thin strings or dinky things holding her down lest she wants to be knocked senseless by her own endowment. Plus, she would definitely pass on anything that creates support from behind her neck because that would feel like a total guillotine since the weight of her own chest would put all the pressure on the back of her neck – and this is saying nothing of the back! And no need to make them so big it looks like the girl could put them behind her and sit on them with ease. Make her something besides a walking sex object. Like a crime fighter.
– Underboob: Newp. File this under “Barely holding on clothes”.
All this making fun of unrealistic drawing of women who are supposed to be fighters is wearin’ me out. Here’s a picture of a female warrior who’s dressed for battle.
Everyone, this is Aveline, from Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation.
I found this video through my friend Bill on Facebook (huzzah, social networks). And it turns out the film is called The Backwater Gospel. It tells the story of The Undertaker coming to visit a small God-fearing backwater town. If The Undertaker comes, then someone is going to die, drawing tensions within the community as they wonder who is going to be the (un)lucky one.
Miles Jai
I’m sure many of you have probably seen the “Like Mah Status” video that he did a while back”
Since seeing that, I saw a few more of his videos and found them to be remarkably funny, such as “How to Get a Boyfriend”. The cinematography is pretty skilled and the animations are hilarious.
His most recent work I really liked, such as the video about his gender and how people reaaaaaaally should stop questioning him on it as if it were as important as the health of the American economy. (Something I agree on, gender policing sucks)
Annnnnnnnd that’s all! Next week is Ask Black Witch so send in your questions! Good questions shall be answered honestly, bad questions I shall eviscerate happily.
Oh and if you’re in the Baltimore area, three things:
1) I’m going to be at Artscape this weekend. As per usual, I will most likely be watching short films. It’s free to everyone and I believe Brian McKnight is going to be there on Saturday.
2) I’m going to Otakon next weekend. I’ll be in lolita all weekend (I wanted to cosplay Lil’ Slugger from Paranoia Agent but that’s not happenin’)
3) There’s a precious little kitty that was taken to BARCS shelter named Janelle. Black as night and a total sweetheart. I found her during one of Baltimore’s nasty heat waves, kept her for a night and took her there because I’m not well enough for an animal yet. So if you want a little kitty, please adopt/foster her! Here’s a picture:
Summer is a pretty good time to do magick (unless you’re me and abhor heat). Unlike Winter, this season can get you up and moving. Everything is in bloom – or baking from the heat – there are festivals everywhere, more energy roused up. It’s a pretty nice for spells that involve movement and action.
Although, for a person that doesn’t like heat and such, the concept of sun, summer and light is very appealing to me. Since the vast majority (most likely all but I’m leaving room for error) of my magick revolves around the abilities of fire for both creation and destruction, it makes me feel as if it boosts my spellwork where as the winter makes me focus on energy internally. Or makes me light more things. Fire is pretty much a staple in my spellwork as I use a crap load of candles and even a stick of lit incense for a wand. I like the combustibility of fire and its absolute nature. Once you burn something, it’s gone and there’s no turning back. Hence, I personally prefer candle spells because I like fire. I’mma firebug, it runs in the family (mainly on my dad side).
When I was younger, I used birthday candles and would cast with a big pool of water nearby, such as doing spellwork on the ledge of a filled sink, because my mom had a strict no-fire rule (despite being a smoker, oh lol) and if something happened and I freak out, I can just shove everything into the sink and clean up afterwards without anyone knowing what went on. Of course, I didn’t use incense, too fragrant. I just made do with birthday candles and even a pack of Hanukkah candles a friend gave me. Actually, I still use birthday candles, I just bought some new ones recently.
Candle work stuck with me because they come in such different colors and if you’re new to magick, very affordable. Every Witch is different but I would feel the spell was going better with the visual cues of lighting a candle set for a purpose, seeing the smoke wafting in the air, watching the wax either pool up or disappear, if the wick curls up or break apart. There were times the candle I lit for whatever spell I was doing at the time would flare up greatly like a torch. I know I remember a time a flame went from a normal flickering light to a steadily burning five to six inch flare when I was doing a spell that involved Mars/Ares. All these visual cues would help me feel that the spell is moving forward and that the gods are communicating with me while doing the spell. I get a sense of things going right, things going wrong (I have had spells where things have gone very wrong) and if energy is moving or not. It tells me that a spell has been successfully sent into the universe when there’s a change in the flicker, color or height of the flame.
Besides candles, I use incense for a wand. I don’t always feel like charging or cleansing a wand and that’s already ignoring the fact that a) I don’t have one and b) never really had a strong desire to own one. Maybe if I start learning high magick/ceremonial magick I might get one. But for now, I use incense for wands because they’re more adjustable for magick work since you can get a particular stick for whatever type of spell you’re casting. Money spell? Patchouli incense. Good fortune spell? Sandalwood. Banish spell? Dragon’s Blood. Very versatile. It fine tunes the spell in a way that I feel a crystal can’t (or at least can’t for me). Not only but with incense, it’s used for that one spell so it’s specialized and hyper focused in guiding the energy of intent. It’s easier to charge or charm items because the waft of smoke provides visual aid. As the stick of incense burns away, the more it releases the spell to do its thing. If I did all that with a candle, I would have a mess everywhere from the dripping wax and may even potentially set something on fire with the open flame, something no one wants. Incense is great general way for me to do magick from setting the circle to conducting the spell itself. Plus, once it’s all burnt out, I can chuck the little stick. A wand I have to put back – and keep out the hands of others who may want to simply play with my spellwork items – incense doesn’t catch anyone’s eyes or the person could be allergic to it and hence not want to touch or simply don’t like smoky things. Not to mention a wand, especially a metal one, is a strong conductor and if the practitioner is working around electricity, the built up energy can cause a spark (okay, the metal ones are likely to cause a spark, wooden ones are fine). There’s just an ease of use of incense for me and much like using a candle, it helps me guide the spell better.
I’ve tried using other methods of fire resemblance such as fire type stones or fire type plants but it simply doesn’t work for me. I see the connection but subconsciously, it still doesn’t make the jump because I associate stones and plants with earth unless there’s a strong connection to another element (for example, a water lily can represent water for me because water lilies, well, grow on water). It doesn’t make me a purist, just finicky. And simply letting my inner firebug shine.
That’s all for this week! Next weeks is The Arts! and look at who we’re featuring:
– Boobs Don’t Work That Way
– The Undertaker [Short Film]
– Miles Jai
Also, don’t forget to check out the current raffle that is going on right now with Princeless. Here’s the post on it!
And apparently the Black Weblog Awards nominations are happening again but I’ll write on that later. Don’t wanna overwhelm myself.
Everyone! I am finally doing the Princeless raffle! The prize is the first four physical books (#1-4) of the comic Princeless. This is such an amazing series, I thoroughly enjoyed it myself and it’s a wonderful gift for any little Black girl or even grown up Black girls! Here lies a stunning story that turns the idea of the helpless princess/damsel in distress theme on its side! Read the first issue here!
Want your own copy of the first four books? Here are the prices (USD) for raffle tickets:
Odds of winning depends on how many tickets you buy. The winner will be picked on July 27th. Click on which ticket amount you prefer to purchase, you’ll get an email with your ticket number(s) and you’re a participant! Good luck everyone! And be sure to pass the word around!
So, there’s been something recent occurring in the online Pagan community. There was a rehash on Pagan.about.com about minority Pagan bloggers and of course, some commenter named Silvia felt mighty brave in her Whiteness and cried tears about how Wicca should be left to the White folks. Everyone, please witness this demonstration of why saying “Post-Racial America” is a long way off:
This is a very dusappointing article. Other races have their own pagan traditions. Wicca should be reserved for whites. White people have almost no place where they can come together and experience collective pride for their culture and ancestors. Wicca was one of rare exceptions. Now, thanks to Patti, we don’t have even this. I don’t see any point to be Wiccan then.
Firstly, if you’re gonna be racist, please learn to spell. I mean, if you’re going to be heavy on the whole “White race is superior” lean, at least learn how to spell the King’s English. What, are you scared of spell check or dictionaries? I mean, at least back then, racists had used science and literature to justify their bullsh*ttery, the very least you could do is try. C’mon, don’t make baby Hitler cry. That’s my job.
So, in Black culture, Silvia is being what we define as “rachet”. Extremely wretched, honestly. Poor thing must have cried oceans when McCain lost and if we scan the internet enough, probably did a “Leave Santorum Alone!” when people were dropping heat on him because he nearly called President Obama a not-so-presidential word. Let’s pick apart her comment, folks!
“Other races have their own Pagan traditions. Wicca should be reserved for Whites”: Ah, ha, ‘dis heffa not only can’t spell but doesn’t know history either. Wow. Well, literacy does usually lead to knowledge and she did prove she lacked literacy so I guess looking for intelligence should have been a farther pitch. Y’see, thanks to the draw of Orientalism from the era that Gerald Gardener was in, all that is put into Wicca. That means you have some Egyptian in Wicca (Africa) and you have Eastern philosophy of various sorts such as Hindu and Buddhism (Asia) implemented. I mean, Wicca was established in 1957, how much originality do you think it’s going to have? Shucks, even the idea “An’ it harm none” stems from the “Golden Rule” which is in Christian beliefs, a faith that came from the Middle East. Wicca is a conglomeration of various occult paths, including non-Western paths. Then you have the fact that Wicca is pretty broad due to the fact that it is a religion with a take on polytheism where you can use any pantheon since the face of the God and Goddess is not particular. If anything, the different goddesses and gods are considered the varied faces of the God and Goddess, which is a bisected split of the Great Spirit (Doesn’t that sound so Native American?) of the universe.
“White people have almost no place where they can come together and experience collective pride for their culture and ancestors. Wicca was one of rare exceptions.”: Wow, I think she’s crying White tears*right here. All that whine, so vintage. It’s certainly old, like Monroe Doctrine old. Is this lady serious? She lives in the Western world, where White privilege is rampant. She can turn on the tv and see herself, read a magazine and hear people who shares her opinions, Newt Gingrich can rant and be an angry White guy and everyone calls it “vigor”, she can see movies that star White people – even if the movie is supposed to star minorities. You’d be hard press to find any advertisement that is supposed to be for a general audience but lacks White people. White history and culture is pretty much Western culture and vice versa. Our holidays mainly revolve around White people, history likes to Whitewash until White people look like the victors or the victimized. There is collective pride for White culture and ancestors – waaaaaaaaaay too much of it because that collective pride sure like to be the only one getting the limelight, to the point it will block everyone else’s. Even Wicca has it, just look at the Wheel of the Year’s holidays.
“Now, thanks to Patti, we don’t have even this. I don’t see any point to be Wiccan then.”:Byyyyyyyyyyye, heifer. Now if only we could remove your point to exist. Orrrrrr maybe you just got into Wicca because you thought the Grand Wizard of the KKK and a regular wizard were the same thing and you’re just a tad confused. ‘Ey, if I had low watt smarts, those robes would baffle me too. Here’s a basic hint to tell them apart: look for eye holes in the hood, that’s the Klan. That would be your coven, so bounce.
Now, let it be known that I’m not in the “let’s be kind to racists” group. Nope, they got that way possibly due to not enough pushback. I am not going to sit here and let some two-bit chick tell me that I need to leave a faith I’ve practiced for over ten years because she’s crying White tears over me being there. If she don’t like it, she can cast a time traveling spell and get lost.
Paganism is a very diverse belief system and so is Wicca. The face of Wicca (and Paganism) is Whiter than a snowstorm but that’s why blogs like mine exist. I still remember some simple chick named Dion getting mad I said that, I think during an interview I had with Daughters of Eve. She was complaining that I shouldn’t have said the face of Paganism matches the color of mayo. Lol, it sure isn’t the color of a rainbow, she may need to take off her shades made of privilege before she tries to throw any shade next time. Then there’s the one time a reader posted my column “The Invisibility Cloak” on her blog and some White Pagan with a name that sounded like a bootleg Harry Potter name, Lucius-something, came along and said “Yes racism exist but could you not say racism exists in Paganism?” Everyone, this is what logic-bending looks like.
*White Tears: Basically means that a White person is feeling unnecessary anguish over the fact that their privilege is crumbling away and they can’t be as racist as they like. Example of White Tears: Any Republican presidential runner from this current election and supporters of George Zimmerman.
Now, tomorrow starts a raffle for Princeless! Keep on the lookout for a post on it.
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