How y’all enjoyin’ the Black Diamonds and Pearls series so far? There will be plenty of new writers for this month’s feature. I wanted to inject a little bit of a Black Witch mention that I was cataloged at The Pagan Blog Directory so readers over there can find me over here! This feature will be put up in my Press & Other Works page for future reference!
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Today starts another month-long series titled “Black Diamonds and Pearls” which examines Black girls in the Lolita fashion, a street fashion from Japan. A good quick overview would be to click the “Lolita Fashion” link in my “Links of Interest”, which describes the fashion essentially.
I chose Lolita fashion to look into because it is the fashion style that I am involved with and looking at the racial dynamics are very interesting here. As any Alt-Culture Black person knows, there is a lot more to participating in any Alt-Culture that meets the eyes or is at all acknowledged. It is commonly disregarded that there is any bigotry or tokenization or any sense of minority reminders by those within Alt-Culture and in a way they are right. Alt-culture is more accepting than mainstream culture by some respects but not all. Just because someone likes their hair electric blue and with a deathhawk doesn’t mean they won’t say something incredibly stupid and very culturally wayward. There’s a reason why sites like Afro-Punk exist, after all. No matter how weird we all like to be or look, this is not a post racial society and won’t be for a few more decades if not centuries. Then there’s the acceptance by other Blacks, which make it exceedingly easy to develop self-hatred for the race.
Ah, I drifted some. Why I prefer to look at Lolita fashion besides the obvious listed above, it is because the face of the ideal Lolita is very doll-like, porcelain and overall, exceedingly White. Since the fashion stems from the Victorian Era particularly and other European fashion/cultural eras, it makes sense that the face of the perfect Lolita would be White – although some would disagree and say that the perfect Lolita is usually Asian because that’s where the fashion stems from but it is debatable since Japan does have a Western fixation that does shine through in its looks and even beauty ideals. Every magazine that is geared towards the Lolita styles such as Gosu Rori and the Gothic and Lolita Bible show countless makeup tutorials and hair tutorials suitable for the fashion but has nary a tutorial for Black hair. Granted, because the crowd pitched to in Japan are Asian hence it makes sense not to have a rainbow of girls, when the GLB finally made an Anglophone version of the exact same name, there were 0 Black hair tutorials and minorities were practically invisible throughout the whole series, with exception to the last edition. When the last English GLB came out, they actually had makeup and hair tutorials for White girls, Latinas, and Black Girls. The White girl’s tutorial was well done, the Latina was very well done and the Black girl’s was a disaster. Poorly written, the model clearly shabbily put together, no one knew how to work her tone, hair or complexion. It was a big disservice and quite the insult for any Black Lolita who wonders if their hair or skin has a place in the style. Instead of the people of GLB to find someone from a Black hair care magazine to ghostwrite or someone who actually knew Black hair and skincare, they trumped through it themselves, leaving the model to look like a wreck. It isn’t as if some Lolitas didn’t think Black girls should keep their “ghetto” ways out of the fashion anyways, the flub was just more fuel to the fire.
Constantly Black Lolitas new to the fashion ask should they wear wigs, how should they cover up their natural hair, is it okay to be a Lolita and have dreads, are they light enough and what clothes fit them. It is very disheartening that these girls think you have to be very close to the edge of buying bleaching cream and blond tracks just to participate in a fashion they like. There are very little clothes that can fit a Black girl’s body and there are just about no hair and makeup tips readily available for Black girls as just about every Western Lolita publication, even when they don’t mean to, practically assumes their readership is White, judging from the low representation of the Black voice in the fashion or how quickly it is mocked. Black newcomers to the fashion don’t know what to do and often take pretty racist comments disguised as constructive criticism. They internalize that what they already have isn’t beautiful enough, or maybe they’re fawned over like a doll because everyone romanticizes their background or race to the point it’s ridiculous.
Whenever a Western idol takes part in any part of Lolita fashion, the Lolita community is quick to bash that person or accept them – unless Black. For example, Lady Gaga wore shiro loli style, provided by Angelic Pretty. Even though Gaga turned out to be donning eye and face makeup that is so familiar with the Ganguro/Mamba style such as the super tanned skin and panda styled eyes, there was still some love for what she was doing. Yes, not everyone liked it but overall, reception is decent. When Katy Perry also donned a dark colored sweet Lolita dress also provided by Angelic Pretty and wore the neckties wrong (they were across her chest, not her collarbone), some lolitas gave her grief but still overall reception was decent. Both Gaga and Perry were simply considered non-lolitas but didn’t mess it up completely and it was more a work of their creativity (or lack thereof, according to some) than anything. Then came Lil’ Mama and Nicki Minaj. Lil’ Mama wore an apron skirt provided by Angelic Pretty (or Baby the Stars Shine Bright) to the BET awards with a red sports bra and low cut chucks. This was met with vicious reception and very little support. Lil’ Mama was called “Ghetto” and there were plenty subversive and not-so-hidden racial remarks about her wear, including someone saying that Lil’ Mama should have been lynched. Yep. Gaga walks in looking as if she fell into a cake, she’s unique. Lil’ Mama forgoes the traditional blouse and tea party shoes, she should become strange fruit. Lovely. Really. Nicki Minaj has also worn Lolita and donned it on the cover of Word Up magazine. The petticoat was incorrect, the gloves didn’t match and she was without a blouse for such a low cut jumperskirt that was provided by I believe Innocent World. Again, she’s called “ghetto” and racial remarks abound. Lady Gaga has never been called ghetto. No one has ever piped up and said we need to string Katy Perry from a tree. Lady Gaga has been in outfits just as outrageous as Nicki Minaj if not more (Minaj has never worn a dress made of meat) and Katy Perry has also her fair share of unusual wear, just like Lil’ Mama. The difference is race. Already a lot of the girls on the international forum EGL does not know truly know Black culture beyond what they have learned from media, which holds such a massively warped view of Black culture that is deeply racist and very backwards. As I have said before, Lady Gaga is seen as unique, Nicki Minaj is seen as a freak yet the former has done more outrageous things than the later. Lady Gaga can be seen as very favorable in the Lolita community, it would take Nicki Minaj a very long time (and a few tubs of bleaching cream later) to get to Lady Gaga’s status of fashion respect. If ever.
In comparison to other forms of alternative fashion or even Western takes of Eastern street fashion, Lolita is pretty accepting of people and their differences as there are girls who are the minority but refuse to be shut up by those with very supremacist ideals. However, it is not always enough for Black girls who are still afraid to be Black. That’s why there are groups for Black Lolitas such as LaLolitas on Livejournal and Afro-Punk Lolitas on Afro-Punk, to provide as a safe place for Lolitas to talk about their hair issues, skin issues and racial identity issues which constantly impact the lives in these girls to the point that they don’t want to be Black or assume that the BET-styled Black monolith is all Black culture has to offer them. It is already enough to have to worry of acceptance from others within a group these Black Lolitas want to be in but to be a minority within a minority is wrenching since people call them “White” or other wack names implying that Black is not cultured, diverse and definitely not accepting.
This month will provide guest blogs from various Black Lolitas in the fashion sharing their perspectives of being Black and being a Lolita and what it all means to them. At the end of the month there will be a The Arts that shows where one can get clothes from the Lolita fashion, Black Lolita blogs and more. If you would like to ask any questions about the Lolita fashion or of the girls (and guys) within it, use the normal “Ask Black Witch” form or email.
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Alright, there’s no ABW’s for me to answer and currently I am packing up to head to New York City for the Afro-Punk Festival. It’s my second year and if you follow this blog, you already know some of the people I am very excited to see – okay, the one person we all know I am super stoked to see: Janelle Monae. Love her to death, she’s more than a refreshing breath of air to Black music. Plus, I get to see my wonderful mate, Kellindo, always a plus.
Now, since I have free space to talk about whatever, I would like to ponder and wonder why I get people coming to my blog, Black Witch, about Janelle Monae. It ain’t about her music either and I think I’m a leeeeettle outside the color spectrum to be mistaken for the Wondaland wordpress. It’s people wondering if Janelle Monae is a Witch.
A Witch.
Really? I know the music industry sucks super hard rocks right now and so does mainstream Black music (sorry, Lil’ Wayne is no one’s prayers and if you know Black music history – and Western media history in regards to race – you’ll clearly see why. Or just Google “Nicholas Brothers” and then look at a modern day Black music video for a quick overview) but Witchcraft? Are you seriously that stupid or the type to believe Jay-Z is a Satanist and the music industry is ran by the Illuminati?… Wait, wait, both the former and the latter are pretty much one and the same, I guess I should find a how-to for tin-foil hats so these people can get something worthwhile out of this blog. A Witch? Janelle Monae, a what? Witch? Wait, what? Why? Because she does the Tightrope and wear suits? Then what the hell does that make me?
Okay, readers. For the record, I’m a Witch. I cast spells. I make potions. I do divination. I’m Pagan. Janelle Monae does not cast spells. Janelle Monae does not make potions. Janelle Monae does not do divination. Janelle Monae is Christian. And most of all, she is definitely not a Witch. I’ve been around Wondaland, Janelle Monae’s people – I’m friends with the guitarist, remember? – and I’ve had to worry about them, Monae included, not accepting me and my witchcraftin’ self. Man, I still do and it’s been over a year. I still remember one of Janelle Monae dancers hopping behind Kellindo when I brought up Black Witch – a reaction that does not come from people who already know Witches but the exact opposite, trust me.
The reason why this all bugs me so? The short answer is “Because people are stupid and that bugs me.” The defined answer is because it’s ridiculous that a person – no, a Black woman, is actually doing right for herself, her gender and her race by actually relying on her talents and not her tits to sell her music – I’m thinkin of one who stumbled through lolita and made aplenty Black lolitas rue, her wigs are colorful though – and because she’s not desiring to become another stereotype but is still being successful, someone has to think magick is behind it. Not talent. Not the fact we are in the middle of a talent drought in all forms of the fine arts. Not the fact that 2010 is her breakout year but she’s been at it since ’04/05. Not the fact that she’s got friends in pretty high or important places such as Big Boi of Outkast or even Puff Daddy/P. Diddy. Magick, is what people think. Hello, I’m a Witch and I can say short of selling your soul to Satan, no one simply rockets to the top fresh out the oven. And even that may not ensure anything besides feeling empty from the fame. How do I know? I’ve been around the music industry, it’s no cupcakes and rainbows. Well, maybe it is, if the cupcakes were poisonous and the rainbows rained poo and every pot of gold found was more like a shiny, distracting rock. (‘Tis purdy, though!) Janelle Monae is a hard worker, that’s the reason of her success. Not witchery. Work. Her energy is amazing but that doesn’t promise she’s a Witch. I know lots of people with strong energy, and very few of them are Witches. Still amazing and enchanting at what they do though.
I think another reason it bugs me is, well, I’m a Cancer in three planets (Sun, Mars, Mercury (Rx)) so when I care, I care deep. When I support, I support, especially when it means something more to me than just doling out another cd. Janelle Monae and her music means a lot to me as an alt-culture Black girl raised in the hood in Baltimore. My only regret is that her music couldn’t come sooner to make me feel less alone when I was growing up. Plus, it’s that whole “friend of a friend” thing that can also prod me. Kellindo is my friend and I extend my kindness to anyone he cares for too. That’s just me. Oh, and I’m a Witch, I love setting the record straight whenever I can whenever it comes to my area of expertise. For example, I still think Michelle Bachmann* Christine O’Donnell is a batty and racist moron as well as a sign the Republicans really can find someone who’s worse than Sarah Palin, who was worse than Bush.
So yeah, any future “Janelle Monae, Witchcraft” search terms to my blog gets the same old treatment as always: made fun of on my Twitter, around friends and to my potential pool of 8,000+* readers. To those going, “Black Witch, be nice! It could be genuine inquiry, leave room for that.” You’re right, and to that I say the inquirer should have had some sense to listen to her discography before asking such a stupid question. That’s like someone asking me if I’m really a Witch after reading this blog. Besides, the inquirer will use their context clue skills, I’m all for intellectual advancement! And those who assume that an artist is using occult means to get ahead seriously do not know how the music industry works. The industry can be quite evil, I’ll admit, but no need to play it up like Voldemort own Atlantic Records and everyone signed to it has the Dark Mark hidden on them somewhere.
So, no. Janelle Monae is not a Witch. She’s a musician. There you have it. Deal.
Now I got that out my system, I’m off to NYC, da Big Apple! I will be pestering Cee-lo Green, meet a couple readers, maybe sign something, chill with Kellindo proper, fangirl around Janelle Monae, say hi to Santigold and listen to the Bad Rabbits. Say hi if you see me! Bring a print out of your favorite post, I’ll totally sign it!
Also, next month is a Black Witch series titled “Black Diamonds and Pearls”, which looks at Black girls in the Lolita fashion. Normal Pagan-related postings will resume in October. And check out my interview with Daughters of Eve on Patheos.com!
Editors Note: It’s Christine O’Donnell, not Michelle Bachmann, who claimed she did Witchcraft when she was a teen. I still find Michelle Bachmann both bigoted and batty, though.
*Was 8,000 but Afro-Punk has gotten over 10,000 at this point. Remember, this site is just the external version.
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Just a mini update before I send off to NYC for the Afro-Punk Festival, check out the interview I had with Patheos.com’s Black Pagans group Daughters of Eve. It’s really cool!
Check it out! It will be added to the “Press and Other Works” page as well.
And remember, September is a series month so there will be no Pagan-related Black Witch posts. The series explores Black girls in lolita fashion and is titled “Black Diamonds and Pearls”. Normal Black Witch postings resume in October. See you at the Festival!
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I love short films. It’s practically the only reason why I go to yearly summer arts festival Artscape each and every year. They’re so amazing, actually have content and are very creative and inventive. I’m tellin’ you, the silver screen and the small screen are missin’ out wasting their time with stereotypes and worn out minds focused on the next sequel. Short films showcase what films should be: touching, funny, thoughtful, interesting and most of all, diverse. Even when short films visit time old subjects of love, happiness, friendship, hardship, personal reflection, etc etc etc, it’s seen through a fresh perspective.
Here are some notables before going to the features
“Now At Last (Made In China)”
I spotted this above vid on Angry Asian Man, I found it to be very cute and touching. Plus Angry Asian Man had it right, “The simple story of this little mechanical guy has a million times more heart than a single second of all three Transformers movies combined.” I agree ever so much.
It should be known that I like graffiti. A lot. It’s part of any city’s character and a venue of voice from those who are marginalized. I don’t think that art should be sitting in a boring building to be stared at and talked about as if it’s the holy grail of mankind by people who are practically coughing dust and had every sense of art beaten out of them by the time they’ve made it to curator status. Art should blend and be expressive, not how well someone can draw according to some school of logic. Graffiti is very genuine in art. Just because it doesn’t have a frame around it or have some rich White guy doting over its minute details or some dopey middle class White kid pretending they understand it doesn’t make it any less than a creation. Graffiti is not an eyesore and it’s not vandalism. That would be the advertisements bombarding you from each and every way before you can step out your door. Now that’s an eyesore and vandalism altogether.
“Muto: A Wall Painted Animation by Blu”
Never one to pass up on politicals. This next notable talks about the history of evil as man perceives it and is quite stunning – and pretty accurate.
“A History of Evil”
Now that we’re done with the notables, onward to the features!
Sijia Luo “Kidnapped”
I saw this at the recent Artscape that happened last month. It was so amazing and adorable it must be shared. It’s about a little chick and why it was late.
Vancouver Film School
The VFS I have found while passing through Youtube looking for short films, actually. It can sometimes be hard to get a hand on some short films because they have a limited run and are for select markets (i.e. the audiences of SXSW, Maryland Film Festival, Sundance, etc). VFS I don’t know much background on but their films are very outstanding and an amazing reflection of diverse talent they have at that school. Here are a few:
“The Room”
“Heavy Lifting”
[youtbe=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzpRghBmmgU]
“Common Senses”
“The Moon”
Amazing, huh?
Wong Fu Productions
A constant feature on Angry Asian Man, I love their short films and the fact that they make films directed at the Asian-American audience as well as reflect the Asian-American culture which, just like Black culture, is not monolithic and filled to the brim with stereotypes but with people. An idea that mainstream media fails to get almost each and every time like friggin’ clockwork.
This video I discovered by one of my friends, Tim and I thought it was hilarious! Watch:
“Kung Fooled”
A vid I discovered again through Angry Asian Man also by Wong Fu Productions:
“Too Fast”
There are many short films out there to be watched and they are very stunning indeed. It does show that not all media is becoming dull, you just need someone different behind the camera once in a while.
Next week is Ask Black Witch, so if you got questions, send ‘em! Use the Ask Black Witch submission form on the right, tweet @thisblackwitch and/or use the hashtag #askblackwitch or use other methods as listed on my About Me/Contact Me page and they’ll be up here on Black Witch next week!
Also, as a heads up, A) The Black Witch book has been delayed to December 9th. I mentioned it on Afro-Punk but forgot to mention it here. I’ll be changing the pre-order badge for that soon, I’ve been mad busy. B) September is the start of another Black Witch series. This one is titled “Black Diamonds and Pearls” and talks about Blacks in the Lolita street fashion (check out my “Links of Interest” to learn about the fashion). I will be featuring a variety of Black lolitas and their take on the fashion, race, alternative culture and how it affects or reflects them. Normal Black Witch postings will resume in October.
If you’re going to the Afro-Punk Festival in NYC next Saturday and Sunday, I’ll see you there!
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The Establishment (Afro-Punk) Version
NB: I will be short on time to do the Ask Black Witch for this month due to the Afro-Punk Festival so if you have a question to submit, please send it now! Check the About Me/Contact Me page to learn how.
What’s a fairly common question I get when doing divination? Death. “Am I gonna die?”, “When am I gonna die?”, “Can you see when my death is?” Seriously wanna make you speed up the process while doing Darwinism a favor.
First and foremost: Yes, you’re going to die. Everyone is. It’s a terrible fact of life that is not easy to come to grips with but everyone you know and love, including yourself, is going to kick the bucket hardcore one day. It’s not a fun fact but a true fact. Unless someone’s got some immortality secret, everyone is bound to meet their Maker one day. The main question is whether it will be sooner or later.
I don’t do death divinations in that, no I don’t care to predict when or how you are going to die and frankly, I couldn’t care less. I know it’s a common thing in movies and television for some normal individual get a palm reading and the fortune teller says with a knitted brow that their end is very near, possibly at the hands of some very misfortunate events or a psycho-killer. Or maybe the normal person will get their tarot cards read and dun dun duuuuun – the Death card shows up. Then the victim dies or escapes death or helps someone mistakenly die or escape death somewhere down the line in the script. Cut and scene.
What’s up with all this dying nonsense? Diviners aren’t death clocks. Unless reeeeaaaaaallllly close and possibly related to something very imminent such as health taking a turn for the worse or something like that, death isn’t that easy to spot and certainly something diviners shouldn’t be looking for. Besides, divination isn’t even that scary, not even the Death card.
Revelations Tarot
Let’s talk about the Death card, one of the most popular divination depictions in entertainment, especially when a plot twist or foreshadowing is needed to keep the story (and viewer’s attention) going. It’s card number 13 (XIII) in the major arcana in your average, run-of-the-mill tarot deck. Usually defined with a symbol of death almost regardless the deck so it could be a scythe, the grim reaper, a skeleton, etc. It’s always refers to death somehow. In the deck I use, The Revelations Tarot, the death card is symbolized by the Hindu death goddess Kali dancing while balanced on a scythe and a skull lingering in the background. Now, I’ve had this card show up in my readings for myself tons of times and haven’t freaked out once over it. It’s just the death card symbolizes more often than not a symbolic death instead of a physical death. It’s the end of something, a job, a relationship, education, etc etc. It could be downsizing at work, a break up or a graduation, something that’s going to bring the current or future situation to a stop. Nothing vicious there, everything has to end someday, especially for something new to come along. The Death card is more about transformation than someone simply croaking. The only way I would ever concern myself with the Death card and actual death is if the Three of Swords were right beside it because that’s usually symbolized with a heart that has three swords in it and that’s a little piece of lore that I was taught. Even then I wouldn’t say, “Zomgz! You’re gonna die! …Can I have your watch and tv?” but more along the lines of, “I think there might be a health warning in this spread, have you seen your doctor lately?”
If it’s not tarot, it’s palmistry I get the “Am I gonna die?” questions. I seriously don’t know why but I’m a-guessin’ it’s got something to do with stuff that’s either on the big screen or small screen. That and lore which floats around and tells you that you can be told of your death on the palm of your hand. Either that or people who probably have no lives that are desperately trying to come off as funny or cool but succeed only as coming off annoying and stupid sounding.
It is possible to find out when you’re going to croak through palmistry because unlike tarot, it’s a more expansive form of divination that looks at more the forest than the trees. If you can work the timing on your hands very well (a pretty tricky talent to hone), it is possible to learn of your death but I doubt those who are suicidal or have abrupt deaths all have short life lines on their palms, there’s more that goes into situations like that which would spell it out. Things such as proneness to bouts of depression and a complex that makes a person refuse help or deny acknowledgement of the notion that they need help in the first place (can lend itself to suicide), to have a run of bad luck or terrible coincidences, etc etc etc (could lend itself to accident). Palmistry uses timing using either two things, the mercury mound under the pinkie finger, the venus mound resting as the padding of the thumb which measures the life line. However, I just about never do death timings because as I have stated before, I have no interest in them. Besides, you’re going to find out one day.
Even with the availability of being able to discover timing of death, it’s not all a sure thing. Just about nothing in divination is written in stone and hence has the potential to be avoided. Keep a healthy diet, exercise, stop smoking, etc etc, things of that nature which naturally extends life. Granted, there are some things that just can’t be stopped in life for some reason or another. Sometimes, something is bound to happen one way or another but hey, that’s life. Either way, yes, you’re going to die. Everyone you know is going to die. People come and go on this earth always, you and those that you know are no different.
It’s just a matter of when, where and why and that, you’re going to have to find out on your own.
Next Week on The Arts!: Short Films!!!!!!!!!!!
– Sijia Luo
– Vancouver Film School
– Wong Fu Productions
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The Establishment (Afro-Punk) Version
Lord, I saw this on my twitterfeed a few weeks back, someone had a dream about Janelle Monae and they thought it was yet another one of their “layered, complex, and seemingly random” dreams (I seriously quoted that, copy and paste, no edit). Monae was a Marvel comic-styled superhero. Not something mega far-fetched, mate.
Y’see, I don’t mean to single this one person out but he resembles a people that I all too commonly come across as a dream interpreter, the my-dreams-are-soooooooooooo-deep-Freud-would-have-to-name-a-new-theory-after-me-just-to-only-partly-understand-it type. Or in other words, the “speshul snowflaek” type.
Ah, special snowflakes, they think they’re so unique. The term stems from the childhood chatter from adults that everyone is as unique and special as a snowflake because no two flakes are alike (although I am pretty determined to prove that wrong, I have been known to staaaare at snowflakes for hours on my black gloves, mentally cataloguing whatever I see until I get a match. No luck yet.) and hence are comparable to people, who have “unique” experiences and lives. Now, I’m all for making people feel special and happy. The problem is, is that this creates a sense of over-inflated self-esteem for those doing absolutely nothing but existing, hence the term “speshul snowflaek”, which is written in such a fashion that reflects the moronic qualities these people generally hold about themselves. Nothing is wrong with being unique but not when it’s for something not very unique. For example, this blog is unique in subject matter (albeit that is starting to dwindle in itself expectedly because other Black Pagan blogs are coming about) but not in the fact that it is a blog. There are millions of blogs on the ‘net. A special snowflake is a person who makes something so common or trivial seems grandiose, kinda like wanting applause for getting open a difficult jar of pickles. They are an annoyance to dream interpreters everywhere.
The mind is a very intricate place, granted. It is woven together from genes, experiences and personal revelations or lack thereof. If the mind were a simple box to tinker in, psychology would not be the expansive and perplexing field that it is today and mental problems would very rarely, if ever, reach to the point of debilitating without the aid of any pill or expensive session with a therapist. Mental institutions would be unheard of and most movies that talk about insanity would look like the very pieces of utter nonsense that most of them actually are. Dreams are the free (if you don’t count lucid dreaming) expressions of that mind and has its many symbols and deeper web of meanings so yes it’s going to be pretty baffling at first, uneducated glance. The reality is though, thanks to many centuries dedicated to understanding the mind inside and out, the mind is still a perplexing state but not nearly as much as it was 200+ years ago. Dreams are indeed layered and complex and seemingly random but seriously, you just described practically everyone, excluding those who may have a strong case of alexithymia, a disorder which gives those affected logical, rational dreams (as in a dream about a bowl of cereal is just a dream about a bowl of cereal) due to lack of imagination. I can tell you with honesty and experience from doing dream interpretations for others: no one has the weirdest or quirkiest dreams to rule them all. All dreams can be off the wall in their own respects, there is nary a dream that stands out to me with any “whoa” factor and I’ve handled hundreds. Not. One.
But still that does not stop a horde of people who claim so hard that they are indeed that speshul snowflaek, that one person with a mind so deep and amazing that they are indeed an enigma. An enigma like none other. That all who experience the intricate labyrinth that is their mind, they will marvel in response at the amazement of what their expansive brain can drum up during their mortal slumber…even if it is Janelle Monae in a cape drawn Marvel comics style – which I think can be spotted online somewhere, check fyeahjanellemonae tumblrs first.
There’s nothing wrong with taking fascination into dreams and the mind, I wouldn’t be doing any of this stuff otherwise, but please don’t think that you’re the uniquest of them all to walk the earth. If you have been raised in a culture that is acknowledged by someone in the psych field or psych-savvy over the course of history, I can probably explain away your dream with the help of a good dream dictionary and some background in both psychology and sociology. The mind is a puzzle but every puzzle, no matter how unsolvable, has pieces to them. Even if they don’t fit together perfectly or something is missing, they have something to put it all together with. That’s minds and dreams for you.
Got crazy dreams? So do I. So does Janelle Monae. So does your best friend. Obama too. We all sleep. We all dream. We all have dreams that make us sit up and go, “Wait, what?” They’re going to vary among us because of who we are and our backgrounds and some of the symbols are going to be personal to us because they affect us differently. Think about it: if Obama, Monae and I dream about the White House, a concert stage or a forest we’re gonna say something different each because of our separate statures in life – but they can be explained somehow or related to something. It just depends on how far one’s mind can reach to understand the links.
Don’t be a speshul snowflaek. Just be you. You dream. They’re weird. It happens. You’re a person with a functional mind so definitely feel free to mention your dreams and write them down and stuff because it’s very helpful in you getting a better understanding of yourself. But please, know that you’re not the only one who dreams of their favorite vocalist as a superhero. It happens all the time, trust me.
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I know it’s not strictly enforced (because it never had to be) but actually I have a three question monthly quota. Since this is the first month I’ve actually gone over, I’ll answer all questions. I keep the quota around just in case I get a slew of questions but since this is really a first, I have no issue answering everything. Same for the upcoming months unless there are more and more question filled months but I provide warning first. In short, all is spiffy.
I have been cursed or hexed to not have or keep money. What can I do to break the hex or curse? Or what can I do to attract success or money to me.
– Louis R.
Usually when people come to me saying they’ve been cursed, I’m a bit of a skeptic but only because I’ve seen many people come to me claiming to be cursed when really it could be their own downfall or a general downfall that’s been going around (i.e. bad economy, illness, stress) and not a curse. The general rule of thumb is that the more developed a nation, the likelier that someone has not been cursed really but got some bad luck going but even then you have to stratify that to socio-economic levels and environments (in other words, if you’re upper class and fairly wasp? It’s probably bad luck, mate) so still people can get hit with a hex but it’s not common. Improbable but not impossible, basically.
Now as for Louis, I can’t tell for sure if you’ve been actually jinxed out of money, I’d have to hear more to be able to rule out the fact we are currently in a pretty sluggish economy and as of this writing, with US unemployment at 9% and Black unemployment at 16% and even big businesses are feeling the brunt of the economy. That can have an easy chain effect on a person’s spending and finance. Also, hexes don’t come from nowhere (no one really hexes a random person just for the screw of it, that’s mad rare) so if it’s not really traceable (as in, without doubt. Not, “Well, I got that weird coworker…”), it could be unfortunate circumstances that has fallen upon your head. I’m just throwing that out there to make sure you know what you should look for roughly when it comes to figuring out if it’s bad luck or bad juju.
How are you hexed out of keeping money? Surprise bills? Things keep breaking that are in constant need of repair (and shouldn’t be)? Mugged every time you step off your front step? Banks constantly go, “’Paychecks’? What’s that?” Magick takes the path of least resistance usually but when it comes to hexes, they can throw in wrenches like none other. For example: Say you have been magickally knocked in the pockets. It could express itself by the bank losing track of say, your direct deposit and no one’s been notified. You don’t have money (that you honestly should) in your bank account, which you seriously did not know and so you spend like normal, which hits you with overdraft fees and not-so-nice letters from the banks, possible not-so-nice letters from bill collectors and you try to check into it but every human on a computer is saying all is fine and you screwed up (even though it was an error in the system, either human or technical) and because the blame is pinned squarely on you, ya gotta fork up some cash to remedy (which, remember, you don’t have because of your status of direct deposit went awry) and that all snowballs into a giant headache, to put the ending nicely. These are all situations that could and has happened to people in the past: banks making mistakes on accounts, programs have an error, unknown overdraft fees get accumulated, banks going “Not me” even when it is squarely their fault, etc etc. They’ve all happened before in human history of modern finances. But it’s quite a queer probability all of that happening at once and if it’s pretty sudden as well as have a super hard time being corrected, as if obstacles keep falling onto your path.
If what I described above sounds pretty close to your situation, then yep, you just might be right, someone’s put a fix on you. How to solve it? Depends on your background and how good you are with faith and spirituality. If you are particularly spiritual and part of a particular religion (i.e. Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, etc etc), then generally you’ll be able to find some prayer that’s meant for protection from evil and harm as well as for prosperity and good fortune. Faith would seriously do some good now because prayers and rituals can’t be done without heart in them. Salt is useful for neutralizing but I’m not at the point where I’m going to tell you to sprinkle it about (and if you do, don’t do it on your lawn, it’ll kill the grass). Hexes are spells just like any other, they come in different kinds and thus must be handled differently. Dragon’s Blood (it’s a resin and can come in the form of oil, incense and even a bath solution) is good for uncrossing and for protection. Patchouli and Jade are great for finance and success. I’m giving beginner’s grade stuff because I don’t know your background in magick and I don’t want to suggest anything that has a very good chance of screwing up if you don’t know what you’re doing. Also since I don’t know the nature of the potential jinx, I can’t really subscribe anything more particular than that. Believe it or not visual mediation may also best aid you in severing ties from your hex (that should have prayer woven in there somehow because you can’t do it on your own) by visualizing actual dark ropes you are severing mentally.
Granted this is if all your money troubles stems from a hex, remember. If life is still pretty crappy no matter what you do, it could be life throwing you a hardball that’s completely striking you out. Hopefully things will work out.
Hi, I have read your blog and seen you on facebook… My question is that I done a prosperity spell last week visualizing that I make sales at my telemarketing job, it worked the first time ( I made a sale) but the second time nothing happened. Strangely I got called 2 days later about a job offer working for a company that I love and a career I love! I don’t have the job yet because it opens later this month but it seemed very strange that all the sudden after the ritual they called me… just wondering.
– Olivia L.
How astonishing! You have my first name. I would say definitely that it was probably the ritual helping you out to do bigger and better things. Now for the reason why something happened the first and not the second time: Magick, not always like the movies, does not promise you’ll get it in each and every time. Plus the spell could have bundled up energy from what could have been the second good sale in a row and become a big opportunity altogether, which is forever better. I hope you’re happy in your new position!
I happen to know a couple of these ‘preachers’ that frequent the buses down in this county, and it does annoy me, but what can I do about it?
– Torrence B.
This question is in reference to the recent post Get Off the Bus. My suggestion is either get some good headphones to blast them out, debate with them until they note their own fallacies and shut up or you might just have to deal with it until they get off or you get off. It’s not easy dealing with people like that, I’m certain, but sometimes you can’t do something or may not have the will to do it. I wouldn’t upfront suggest debate because not everyone has an extensive amount of religious knowledge and it can be a battle of personalities too so if you don’t have a dominant personality or just an expression of strong yet silent will, it could put you in a bad spot because these people don’t really respond or dialogue, they just think it’s the Devil in you making you speak out and shut them down so they may simply grow more persistent and shouting matches help no one. If you have the knowledge and background to flip whatever they say on its ear, perhaps go for it because I can say for myself it does make them pipe down but if you don’t have what it takes, that’s okay. It’s not okay that these people take free license to be total bigoted douchebags who don’t know the difference between spreading the word of God and forcing it down people’s throats but your well-being has to go before their empty-headed ways. Informing the bus driver may not do anything except get you scolded and that’s not good. So your best bet is to get a good Mp3 player with nice headphones and slip them on when they start yappin’.
Hi and nice to meet you. I come from a very strong Christian background so this is a very big step for me it’s just god irritates me so you know. By the way this may be a rather long message but please read it I am desperate to get an answer I have tried so many other people and not got a reply. So please let me tell you a bit about my self so this will all cover the question I need to ask.
I hate how I look I have a big nose and thin lips and puffy eyes and I am always either pink or red and I am very prone to spots.
I also look a lot like my mum and we aren’t on the best of terms right now so I would prefer to look more like my dad. Recently I have met a girl who I imagine would look just like my dad’s daughter if there was no interference from my mum. It’s also a rather funny story actually because my friend looks a lot like her dad who she does not like and I also look a lot like her mum so it’s really weird. So I was thinking what if I had been born in her body and she had been born in mine so we would still be recognised as the same person who we are now. so obviously it would be very difficult as you can probably imagine to find spell that would have the power to do that so I was thinking about trying to make my own spell or maybe you could give me a spell hopefully but if not I will try and make my own but another question is is would a spell be able to change the past because I’m not just talking about a body switching spell I am talking about a spell that could actually change the past!
I don’t want to be a different person I still want to be me just to have been born in another person’s body. I also don’t really know if making up my own spell would work so I guess that’s three questions altogether and I really hope you can help me. Hope I hear from you soon
– Jershua
It sounds like two interconnected questions to me.
I read your question over several times (It was a little hard reading, mate. I figured the British prided their language more than us Americans) and I’m going to be quite frank and start with the bottom and go up. You say you don’t want to be a different person but you actually do. Your whole letter bleeds with that intention because in your mind, you think you can escape your mom (and ultimately the bad relationship with her) if you were just in another physical body or to switch up the past. You could switch bodies with anyone from your friend to your next door neighbor to the Prime Minister, but keep the same mind and you’ll always be tortured because your problem is in your mind, not on your face. You could cast a spell to change the past but I can pretty much assure you what you’re asking for is waaaaaay beyond your skill set and most likely will forever be since you’re tipping into high magick and that’s no walk in the park. I have major difficulties with it and I’m a practiced Witch of nearly ten years. Besides, by changing the past to change the present and the future, how do you know the wheel of fortune will spin in your favour the second time around?
Now, since you would have someone to switch bodies with, your good friend who doesn’t like her dad, how do you know she would want to switch places with you? Can’t exactly pull a “body snatchers” thing, especially not on an unsuspecting and new friend. And how do you know you would be happier in her life – actually, body since changing bodies doesn’t promise a life switch – than you are in yours and that she vice versa? It just sounds a little one sided in your question. Even if you two equally do want to switch bodies (but not minds), what happens if one of you want to switch back?
Even in the vastness of magick, possibilities can come with limits and things happen for a reason. It’s clear you want to separate yourself from the hurt and that makes total sense but this really is not the way. You don’t like your physical features because of who they relate to so there’s nothing you can do really that would truly heal your problem on the physical level except to deal with them on the mental and emotional level where they reside. Work on whatever problems you have with your mother because running won’t solve anything. Talk to a counselor, therapist or someone that you trust to help iron out the problems. That’s the only way to solve this issue. The problems you have with your body are simply red flags to a deeper issue that need far more attention than the shape of your nose and lips. And try some Witch Hazel solution for your skin, it takes care of the red very well and keep spots at bay with consistent use.
I apologize if this is a strange question, but I was browsing and found your site, and was curious if you had an answer for me. First off, let me say that I am not a pagan, nor am I very familiar with pagan customs; but, I felt that if I wanted to gain some understanding, I’ve got nothing to lose in asking and searching.
So, as for my question:
I have been having an interesting recurring dream. Well… sort of. I’ve had an interesting recurring “visage” lately. Every couple of nights or so, I drift off to sleep and I see this girl. She has lovely features, but never says a word. In my dreams I often walk with her and talk to her. (The setting is always a moonlit glade or stream). She simply smiles and listens until I wake up.
Well about a month ago, I had the most peculiar thing happen. I was laying, staring up at my ceiling in the dark early morning. I think I must have only been half awake, but I could feel a presence in the room with me. And just for the strangest moment, I felt a cold but calming touch on my face…. and (this is going to sound really bizarre) I saw the girl’s smiling face in a glimpse and she kissed my cheek… I think. As I startled awake, the image and feeling was gone.
I know I must sound completely insane, or that it’s just my “hormones” running away with me. It’s for this very reason I haven’t told ANYONE about this. I can’t explain how, what or why, but this being whatever she is, feels so real to me. I am currently happily in a relationship, and yet the “girl” doesn’t seem to care. What’s really strange is that, being with her feels natural… It doesn’t feel in any way conflicting with my current relationship… Which makes me feel a little guilty.
Again, I know I must sound crazy. Please forgive the strangeness of my question.. but I am just curious if you, as a witch, had any sort of insight for me.
Truly and sincerely yours,
S.S.
If I had a nickel for every “This is a strange question”, “I’ve an interesting dream” or “I must sound crazy”, I would never worry about money again.
Have you ever thought that this dream could be crafted by your own mind because sometimes a cigar is just a cigar? I don’t know how long you’ve been having this dream versus how long you’ve been dating the girl you’re currently with but it sounds like you’re just having a happy dream. It doesn’t mean that you don’t love your girlfriend, it doesn’t mean you’ve gone nuts, it could just mean that you’re just dreaming. Even the half-asleep part, which is probably you already being halfway in the dream state hence touches and things like that feel real.
Nothing to feel guilty over until you put more focus on the dream girl than the real girl or even worse, try to turn the real girl into the dream girl. People can have reoccurring dreams of good things just like they can have reoccurring dreams of bad things. So go with it unless things take a turn for the worse.
That’s all the Ask Black Witch for this month! Want to ask a question? There are various ways to contact me! Everything is on the About Me/Contact Me page but you can also use the Ask Black Witch Submission Form on the right or tweet me @thisblackwitch and/or using the #askblackwitch hashtag. ABW questions are answered on the last Friday of every month.
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You read the title folks, Black Witch is starting to open up for some scratch (because she could use some pesos). This is starting with the Black Witch shop which is operated through Zazzle so you can see my designs there in the form of mugs, magnets, mousepads and more. This shop will be updated consistently with new designs for you, the reader, to choose from and purchase. Right now everything is with the black and white logo but expect a wonderful ream of colors in the future, I’m just figuring everything out for now. And since I am figuring everything out for now, if there are issues, please contact me.
Right now, everything is produced by Zazzle but in the future, there will be a store (probably done through Etsy if nothing better catches my eye) of actual handmade products made by me from journals to cell phone charms to shirts to whatever else my sewing machine and crafting workstation can churn out. That I am aiming for around Samhain/Halloween but no later than Dec because guess what? Black Witch, the writer of this blog, will be moving to a new location so there will be actual space to handle whatever responsibilities maintaining a webshop for handicrafts shall bring. Since that place won’t have a kiln or a machine to churn out mousepads, the Zazzle shop will still be available then too in case you still want a Black Witch mug or mousepad.
So click through to the Black Witch Gift Shoppe (yep, renamed because it sounds cuter), buy stuff and be happy.
Oh and pre-order for the Black Witch book if you want as well.
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It’s The Arts! of July, let’s hop to it! – Actually, before we do, did you know that you could pre-order Black Witch: Life from the Black Pagan Perspective, vol. 1? It comes out on Sept. 9 through Lulu publishing. Check out the Black Witch Shoppe for information!
AngelBopByeYa/VirtuouslyVindicated
I’ve actually never featured a tumblr before so this is a first. Tumblr, for those who don’t know, are an alternative to the blog for it is easier to post multi-media in addition to text instead of the other way around. I have found Angel’s tumblr to be a very nice read to keep up on because a lot of tumblrs out there seemed to be nothing more than carousel pukes of pictures and things that are supposed to outline an edgy life that doesn’t actually exist. Angel’s tumblr, VirtuouslyVindicated is a refreshing and very genuine read that is very nice to keep up with.
The tumblr has a lot of Janelle Monae content so if you’re a big fan of the android herself, this is a definite go but instead of being a total fan site, there’s a healthy mixture of genuine insight and likes. It’s a very honest tumblr, I really love the Christian postings because it’s super rare to find that kind of traditional living in a modern mind nowadays, especially with younger people in a way that doesn’t sound like robotic talking. I was raised in a very traditional Christian manner and really appreciate it (hence why I harp the derp ones) so it’s nice to see it here. A post Angel made that I liked is the discussion between a science student who is Christian and an atheist professor:
Professor: You are a Christian, aren’t you, son?
Student: Yes, sir.
Professor: So, you believe in God?
Student: Absolutely, sir.
Professor: Is God good?
Student: Sure.
Professor: My brother died of cancer, even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn’t. How is God good, then? Hmm?
(Student was silent)
Professor: You can’t answer, can you? Let’s start again, young fella. Is God good?
Student: Yes.
Professor: Is Satan good?
Student: No.
Professor: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From.. God.
Professor: That’s right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.
Professor: Evil is everywhere, isn’t it? And God did make everything. Correct?
Student: Yes.
Professor: So who created evil?
(Student didn’t answer)
Professor: Is there sickness? Immortality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don’t they?
Student: Yes, sir.
Professor: So, who created them?
(Student had no answer)
Professor: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son.. have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.
Professor: Tell us if you have ever heard your God.
Student: No, sir.
Professor: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God, for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I’m afraid I haven’t.
Professor: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.
Professor: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, Science says your God doesn’t exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have my Faith.
Professor: Yes, Faith. And that is the problem Science has.
Student: Professor, is there such a thing as Heat?
Professor: Yes.
Student: And is there such a thing as Cold?
Professor: Yes.
Student: No, sir, there isn’t.
(The Lecture Theatre became very quiet with this turn of events)
Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don’t have anything called cold. We can hit 458 Degrees below Zero which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of Heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.
(There was a pin-drop silence in the Lecture Theatre)
Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Professor: Yes. What is night if there isn’t darkness?
Student: You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have Low Light, Normal Light, Bright Light, Flashing Light… But if you have No Light constantly, you have nothing and it’s called Darkness, isn’t it? In reality, darkness isn’t. If it is, You would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?
Professor: So what is the point you are making, young man?
Student: Sir, my point is, your Philosophical Premise is flawed.
Professor: Flawed? Can you explain how?
Student: Sir, you are working on the Premise of Duality. You argue there is Life and then there is Death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, Science can’t even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?
Professor: If you are referring to the Natural Evolutionary Process, yes of course, I do.
Student: Have you ever observed Evolution with your own eyes, sir?
(The professor shook his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument was going)
Student: Since no one has ever observed the Process of Evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a Scientist but a Preacher?
(The class was in uproar)
Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor’s brain?
(The class broke out into laughter)
Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor’s brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? .. No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established Rules of Empirical, Stable and Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures?
(The room was silent. The Professor stared at the student, his face unfathomable)
Professor: I guess you’ll have to take them on Faith, son.
Student: That is it, sir.. exactly! The link between man and God is Faith. That is all that keeps things alive and moving!The student’s name was Albert Einstein. Brilliant.
— I have nothing against science…except when it challenges my faith. God IS. That’s all. [♥]
This pretty much sums up my perspective on faith and science too, ha ha (Although, I thought Einstein was Jewish or at least had Jewish relation. I’ll research that later.)
Virtuously Vindicated also has a lot of Obama pictures, especially documenting Mrs. Obama and her influence on Black little girls everywhere. It’s a good face of Black culture, politics, belief and music all wrapped up into one place. It’s a wonderful tumblr and a good reminder that not every American kid is going to wind up face down in the barrel of stupidity and false identities.
VirtuouslyVindicated
AngelBopByeYa Twitter
Black Pagan
I think this is the second blog I have ever heard about being Black Pagan. It is still new and among the recent crop of Black Pagan blogs I have seen (I’ll compile a list later but look on African American Wiccan Society). The blog is from an older Black Pagan’s point of view and talks about the Pagan holidays (something I noticeably don’t do since I don’t really celebrate them greatly) and what it is to practice her diverse interpretation of Paganism. The blog is still fairly new, as in there’s less than three months of content, but it seems pretty promising. It updates on Mondays, check it out
Weeaboo Stories
Summer time means convention time and one of the most frequented are anime conventions. I’ve been to a few myself, it really is a lot of fun. There are so many people all gathering for anime, mangas and East Asian street culture (Lolita, the fashion I’m part of, is a type of J-Street Fashion) and it really has picked up over the years. WeeabooStories is a tumblr about the worst of those kinds, Weeaboos.
A Weeaboo is a pretty much an Otaku that haplessly fetishizes Asian culture, with a particular preference for Japan. Their knowledge for Japanese is very limited (as in, they seriously don’t know jack about Japan except for whatever American and Anime Culture has taught them) and they can be mad obnoxious. They don’t live in reality but through cartoons characters and drag everyone through it.
Weeaboo Stories is a tumblr where you submit your run-ins with these people so if you get upset about what gets posted, hate the player not the game (for those not savvy with Black lingo: get pissy at the submitters and contributors, not the person who runs Weeaboo Stories). Besides, the site is very quality, it’s not all about bashing the socially and racially inept of a fandom but there will be good stories, pictures and times to be had on that site. And to top it all off (for me), the site’s Black Owned (Ran?), the person behind the tumblr, going by Weeaboo Goddess, is Black (and a lolita). Happy days for me and leaves me thinking… Why the f**king hell didn’t she run for a Black Weblog Award? This girl got my vote faster than Obama, mate.
Oh and some weeaboos don’t like the fact that she’s Black and running a quality site and will post hate at her about it, pulling out all of the stops. Like, “Birth of a Nation” mixed with a dose of White Privilege shaken up in a bowl of Racist-R-U-Srs? and a dash of “Whites Only” on the side. Some of the terrible things those shut-ins have said to her really sound like stuff you’d hear on the street in 20 – I mean the 1940s, 1950s. So if you feel like shutting down the Third Reich kids for whatever reason or another, knock yourself out.
Like I said, Weeaboostories is super cool. That’s actually where I found the video Carlito
And because I found it insanely awesome, here’s another video of the vocaloids that has done Carlito alongside a pair of humans doing a wonderful imitation of it! And here’s the original without the humans.
Oh, and another vid I found on Weeaboo Stories that can show that it actually is quite fun to be at a ‘con.
Weeaboo Stories (NB: Viewed best on Chrome)
That’s all The Arts! for this month! Next week is Ask Black Witch! If you haven’t submitted a question yet, do it nao! Use the Ask Black Witch submission form on the right-hand side, go to About Me/Contact Me page, do whatever you can, just submit, submit!
Black Witch 