I want you all to know that an Arab Muslim from Tunis proposed the Theory of Evolution near 600 years before Charles Darwin even took his first breath. Don’t let them erase you.
Also, it was not the apple falling from a tree that made Issac Newton “discover” gravity. He was reading the books of Ibn Al Haytham, an Arab Muslim from Iraq, who pioneered the scientific method, discovered gravity and wrote about the laws governing the movement of bodies (now known as Newtons three laws of motion) some 600 years before Newton existed. Without him, modern science as we know it wouldn’t exist. Read on him. His achievements are far greater than what I’ve just mentioned here.
So if you lived in a society where you had to secure your communication in order to be yourself around others, here are the apps that could help you do that.
Signal let’s you securely text and make phone calls.
Onion Browser allows you to surf the web without leaving a trail.
Duck Duck Go isn’t super secure but it won’t record your searches like Google.
ProtonMail is a email client that lets you email other secure email accounts.
Periscope allows you to stream live video.
Semaphor is there so you can securely make group chat rooms.
American privacy laws allow you to use these all. So that’s pretty cool.
take some time to reflect on how much you’ve grown over the last few months, in any way, whether you started going to therapy, got a new job, gained new interests, finished your exams, started journaling, or even became more empathetic towards yourself. remind yourself that growth is always there, and that it doesn’t need to be incredibly life-changing to hold significance. you are growing in every way; and these things often lead to very bright things.
Some things I’m learning about being a witch that probably won’t help anyone else but I wanna say them anyway.
It’s okay to not know what you’re doing. There are many different facets to witchcraft and magic. You won’t understand them all right away. Some of it might scare you at first. It might seem overwhelming. That’s okay. You don’t start performing rituals and casting spells over night.
There are a lot of different kinds of witches out there. Chances are you won’t know what kind you want to be. That is okay. You don’t need to know. It doesn’t matter to anyone else but you. Take your time learning and growing. It’s okay. Your craft will choose you.
You probably won’t have any life-changing experiences right away. You probably won’t see anything the first time you attempt scrying. Your pendulum might not move much the first time you use it, or if it does, you may not get the results you expect. That is normal. Don’t get discouraged. Keep trying.
You might not be able to feel the different energies resonating from different stones. Don’t fret. Chances are you’ve never tried to tap into that part of your senses before. Also remember that it is okay to develop your own associations for different stones and crystals than what you might read somewhere.
Remember that your craft is about YOU.
Stop looking up pictures of Grimoires/Book of Shadows/etc and trying to replicate them if you just find yourself getting frustrated. Your BoS is for YOU. Make it look however YOU want. Don’t worry about getting that leather bound, Celtic knot and tree embossed journal. Focus on connecting with your book. Make a relationship with it. Spend time on it in whatever way you want. Sleep with it, draw in it, write in it, tear out pages that upset you. It is your book. It is for YOU. It is part of you.
You don’t need to know what you are doing. You can try everything. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. Experiment with spells and chants and other forms of magic and communing until you find what makes you most comfortable. Your craft should not make you uncomfortable. If you are not comfortable potion making, don’t do it!
Your altar doesn’t have to be elaborate! You don’t even really need to have one! If you are religious, the Divine will know of your deviation and intention regardless of what you display for them. They appreciate the gesture regardless of what you do to honor them.
It’s okay if you aren’t religious, too. It’s okay to focus on the energy and the feelings and the magick. The Divine do not need your worship, but they are there if you need them.
You don’t need to know everything. Choose what is most important to you. There are no rules. There is no guidebook. Follow your heart; it will not lead you astray.
Can you call up a therapist and be like “hi, I’m therapist shopping”? Can you schedule an appointment with a therapist and then be like “actually I have some questions and I want to spend part of this appointment talking about your practice and whether or not it is garbage?”? Are you expected to phone interview/screen your therapists if you are shopping around for a therapist?
If you’re seeing one therapist are you supposed to/not supposed to tell them if you start seeing another therapist? Is it possible to cheat on your therapist?
I know this one! Or, at least, I know a way to do it, because I’ve done it.
1) When you call them up (or email them, which I prefer, because PHONE, EW), you ask if they’re taking new patients.
2) If they say yes, say something along the lines of “Great! I’m looking for a new therapist. Would it be possible for me to schedule an appointment so we can see whether we’d be a good fit for one another?”
IF THEY SAY NO, THEY DON’T DO ‘INTERVIEWS’: they’re a dick, you don’t want them anyway, don’t bother to make an appointment
3) Assuming everything is a go, head over to the appointment. Bring your notebook, pen, and questions. Also, if possible, have a very brief rundown prepared of what you’d like to accomplish with your therapy (or even what you think your biggest issues are).
4) Introduce yourself. Reiterate that you want to see if the two of you would be a good fit, so [a nice little social laugh or smile here, while holding up your notebook] you brought questions.
IF THEY DON’T LIKE THAT: they’re a dick, you don’t want them anyway, cut the meeting short
5) Give the rundown of what you want, what your issues are, whatever. See how they react.
IF YOU FEEL WEIRD AT ALL ABOUT THEM: they may not be a dick, but if you don’t feel comfortable with them, then it’s going to be a shit therapeutic relationship
6) Ask your questions — about their therapeutic approach, why they entered the field, whether they feel comfortable working with *your* needs (I, for instance, specifically told my awesome therapist that I needed her to tell me absolutely nothing about her personal life or experiences — as much as possible, I needed a blank wall to bounce things off of. It’s been years now, and I THINK she’s seen at least a couple of episodes of Doctor Who. I THINK. That’s all I’ve got. It’s amazing).
AGAIN, IF YOU FEEL WEIRD ABOUT THEM: go with your gut — your therapy is not the time or place to try and soldier through
7) By this point, you’ve probably hit the 45 minute mark, and you’ll know if you want to see this person again.
IF YES, say that this was a really great meeting, and you’d like to set up a regular appointment.
IF NO, say “Thanks for meeting with me.” If it wasn’t too terrible, feel free to add in whatever social niceties you want to lessen the blow (“I have appointments with a few other people, still, but thank you again!”), or you could just skedaddle as soon as possible.
IF YOU’RE NOT SURE, go a bit heavier with the social nicety: “I still have appointments with a few other people, but I really enjoyed our meeting. I’ll let you know as soon as possible if I’d like to schedule another one. Thanks again!”
Regarding current therapists: If they’re toxic, get rid of ‘em before you even start interviewing others. Nobody needs that kind of garbage. Otherwise, you could keep seeing them while you interview others, and then the second you find one you like (and you schedule your next appointment), get rid of your current one. You don’t have to say why — just say that you’d like to cancel future appointments. Do it over email, if you want. If you like them, you can tell them that you just need something different now, but that you “really appreciate all the work we’ve done together” or something. If you don’t like them, just cancel. They don’t need to know jack.
IF YOUR CURRENT THERAPIST SAYS SHIT ABOUT YOUR LEAVING — and I mean anything other than a positive hope for you in the future — then they were a dick and you were right to find someone else. Who needs passive-aggressive bullshit from a therapist? Nobody, that’s who.
So that’s my philosophy/style with regard to therapist shopping — I may be completely wrong, but it’s worked for me so far. Good luck!
If I ever catch you putting neat essential oils on your skin I am gonna be VERY DISSAPOINTED IN YOU and also any blog who tells you its fine is a hack who doesn’t know what the fuck they’re talking out and is probably going to end up with chemical burns.
NOTE; adding a few drops of oil to your regular skin oil/lotion or shampoo is not using it neat. That is diluting it, and is perfectly acceptable.
I mean, if you get chemical burns it’s because there are harmful chemicals in your oils. Per FDA regulations, an essential oil only has to contain 7% of the actual ingredient to be called “pure”. The rest can be synthetic. This is why there is a greater risk of irritation and why many are not safe for consumption, even citrus oils like Orange and Lemon. And this is why you can get a chemical smell. Stay away from store and other very cheap brands.
AFAIK the only brand on the market that’s ACTUALLY 100% pure is doTERRA. And even then, straight oils can cause irritation on people sensitive skin and children. ALWAYS dilute your oil. Fractionated Coconut Oil is the best way to do this, as it will stay liquid. You can also use regular coconut oil or an I scented lotion. Or of course diffuse a few drops with water.
I’ve seen some pretty bad burns on people who used straight clove and pepper oil. It’s not just because there’s additives. Newsflash! Essential oils are made of chemicals! SOME OF THOSE CAN BE HARMFUL, PARTICULARLY WHEN HIGHLY CONCENTRATED AS THEY ARE IN ESSENTIAL OIL.
And there’s lots of carrier oils you can use. No one is the ‘best’. Almond, olive, jojoba, rosehip, avocado…whatever someone finds works best for them. And doTerra is a good brand, but by no means the ONLY good brand.
That 7% thing you just said? Is a myth, usually used by essential oil companies to claim that THEIRS is DIFFERENT!!!!! It’s untrue, and a lie, and NOT TRUE. So far as I can tell, the first mentions of this were by sales reps of a multi level marketing scam to try and hawk their shit. It’s bullshit. And NOT TRUE.
and
DO
NOT
INGEST
ESSENTIAL
OILS
GOD
DAMMIT
UNLESS
YOU
CONSULT
A
DOCTOR
FIRST
If you want to try oregano for immunity, fine, GO MAKE SOME TEA WITH DRIED OREGANO FOR FUCK’S SAKE
100% this. I don’t even use 100% tea tree oil neat on my skin, I dilute it with jojoba oil. This doesn’t make it any less effective. If anything it makes it more effective, because I’m not irritating the shit out of already irritated and damaged skin. Oils that explicitly state on the bottle are okay to be applied directly to the skin? Have typically been diluted with something else to make it safe. (NB: water does not dilute essential oils, it disperses them, but doesn’t dilute them. The only time water and essential oil should meat without a carrier oil is in a vaporizer or oil burner.)
Also be really careful using menthol oils (y’know, the stuff you use for congestion) around small children, as they can actually cause breathing difficulties in small children and even result in death. https://naha.org/naha-blog/peppermint-safety-info/
I had a witchy friend who made her own sinus congestion oil blend for years, she was a licensed aromatherapist and had been working for decades in the field. And without thinking, used it on her daughter who was under 6, to help ease a bad head cold. The child went in to respiratory distress and died. She did everything right, the oils were 100% organic natural and well diluted with appropriate carrier oils—that still didn’t make it safe to use on a child. I have midwifing friends who wont even apply vicks vapor rub to their kids because of the risk of respiratory arrest.
If your baby is congested, by all means fill the bathroom with warm steam if it will help them breathe, but avoid menthol oils. Please. And do not apply any essential oil neat to their skin. I’m begging you.
Natural does not mean safe. “Chemical free” does not mean Safe. It just means you better know what the fuck you’re doing and that requires doing more research than trusting pinterest-tumblr witch posts that talk about “chemicals” with no basic understanding that Essential Oils are a chemical substance. Synthetically scented or otherwise.
mix with coconut oil, or olive, or non scented lotion. please. Making essential oil is a chemical process that refines plant oils to a concentrate. Meaning if it smells strong as a plant it is going to be 100% stronger chemically, when applied as a concentrate oil to your body!
God okay so I’m going to say this now; PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not risk your health or anyone’s in the form of getting a “cheap” binder of ebay or where ever. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE save your $4-$10 dollars for those cheap ebay ones and put it towards a gc2b binder. Or if you want an Underworks go for that but I highly suggest gc2b. They’re about $40 (with shipping) and will last you WAY longer than any cheap ebay one. They are MEANT for lasting you. I wash mine many times week, wear it daily, Wear them daily. I have two. Had them for almost a year now. But I cannot urge you enough to PLEASE save up your pennies for a PROPER SAFE binder. Binders you can breathe in, binders you can move in, binders that don’t crush your ribs, binders that are comfortable, binders that are safe.
This isn’t a safe binder:
It uses clasps and not compression.
This is a c2b binder; made by trans people for trans people:
These binders have no clasps but uses spandex to compress you safety.
Measure your chest before ordering to make sure you don’t get one too small or too large.
UPDATE (06/12)
I wanted to add more information on where you can buy binders and info in general about binders
If you can’t afford a binder, don’t despair! Used binders are often passed on by post-op trans men or those whose binders may no longer fit. There are a few programs available that help distribute donated second-hand binders:
In A Bind – Started in 2012, to date In a Bind has provided safe compression garments to over 1500 youth in need. Trans* masculine and genderqueer youth living anywhere in the USA can apply to receive a free binder. In a Bind depends on donations. Recently had top surgery? Go up or down a size? Find a style that works better for you? Donate those binders you’re no longer using!
MORF Binder Exchange – Since February 2011, MORF has been providing free binders to trans* masculine people in the UK and around the world. The free scheme (all you pay is the postage) has so far redistributed hundreds of binders. In 2014 alone, over 280 binders were sent out.
If you still remember your old bra size, you can find out your binder size by using theBra to Chest Size Converter Tool. If you don’t know your old bra size, you can measure yourself the old-fashioned way:
Take a snug measurement of the fullest part of your chest using a tape measure (best if measured while clothed) and write that number down onto a sheet of paper.
Measure underneath your chest where the crease is and write that number down as well.
Add those numbers together and divide the sum by 2. This number will differentiate your size not only from brand to brand but from binder to binder as well.
Selecting a binder brand and style can be difficult: there are so many options that it can be overwhelming! Plus, there aren’t very many reviews of binders other than those about Underworks’ and T-Kingdom’s more popular models. After buying your binder, help make the experience easier for guys in the future by contributing your review to one of the review sites listed below.
Essentially, there are two types of binders: short ones and long ones. The short ones end right at your waist. The down side of these is that if you carry some extra weight, short binders tend to roll up and act more like a bra. The long ones can be pulled down past your waist by several inches, however it’s inevitable that it will still roll up. To reduce the chances of this, wear a belt. Choosing between a short and long binder has more to do with your body type, specifically your abdomen, and not your chest size.
Lastly, consider the location of the company you’re buying from. Buying from a company that’s closer to you can save you a significant amount of money on shipping costs.
How to Put On a Chest Binder
It might seem silly, but you’re probably going to need some help figuring out how to put on your new binder, particularly if you purchased one of the longer styles.
Put your binder inside out and upside down.
Step into your binder and pull the bottom of it up, ideally to your belt line. The binder should still be inside out and upside down.
Use the sleeves as handles to pull the top of the binder (the end closer to your feet) up to your shoulders.
Put your arms through the sleeve holes and adjust your chest to your needs. You may need to pull the bottom of the binder out from underneath itself if you don’t want it folded under. For others, leaving it folded under may help stop the binder from rolling up.
Don’t be disappointed if you look in the mirror and it looks like you have one big boob in the middle of your chest. You just need to adjust your chest. Reach in from the neck hole and push your chesticles down and out. You’re basically pushing your nipple toward your armpit to achieve the flattest looking chest possible.
FTM Chest Binding Tips
Very important: When binding, you should not by any means feel as though you can’t breathe or like you’re going to pass out from a lack of oxygen.
Binders aren’t the most comfortable things in the world. To make binding more comfortable, and to reduce the possibility of the binder moving around a bit, some guys wear a light shirt underneath.
Depending on the size of your chest, you may need to layer clothing on top of the binder to get optimal chest flattening. You’ll find that some of the shirts in your closet require you to layer more than shirts in your wardrobe.
You can swim in your binder. Just wear a sleeveless or sleeved T-shirt over it. Don’t worry if your binder seems less effective after a swim, this isn’t permanent. Simply wash it and it will go back to normal.
Your chest will look bigger than it really is when you look down at it. Check in the mirror for a more accurate side view.
Not all binders breathe well, and the reality is that you’re probably going to get hot. If you’ve already started testosterone, you’re definitely going to sweat. The build up of sweat can irritate your skin causing rashes and sores. Wearing a thin cotton shirt that breathes well underneath your binder may help prevent this. If you find this uncomfortable, try applying corn starch to your body before putting on your binder to help keep it from holding in moisture. If you’ve already experienced skin irritation of some sort, take care of it the same way you would an open wound. Washing the irritated area with anti-bacterial soap will keep it clean and help it heal faster.
Conclusion
Chest binding, as cumbersome as it may seem, can be very freeing for transgender men. There’s a plethora of quality FTM chest binding products available for body types of all shapes and sizes. Regardless of what you use for binding, please remember to put your health first. Now that you’re armed with all the information you need to find the right binder for you, go forth and feel more comfortable in your skin!
FTM Chest Binder Reviews
Chest Binder Reviews Site: Written reviews of various chest binding products. Binders are rated for effectiveness, comfort, and discreetness.
Binder Reviews’ YouTube Collab Channel: This is a collab channel dedicated to providing reviews of a wide variety of chest binders on different sizes and shapes of people.
Hudson’s Guide to FTM Binding: Includes a complete list of other products you can use for chest binding, such as compression garments and sports bras.
FYI Binding Tips: The Butchelor has some useful tips on how to put on a binder, how to keep it from rolling up, and how to wash a binder.
Do you have any tips about binding? Want to share your experience with a particular binder brand or model? Do you know of other binder manufacturers, particularly those outside of Asia and the US? Please leave your comments below.
This isn’t a userbox but I wanted to reblog this here for all of our followers who bind!! Stay Safe lovelies and just a reminder not to use Ace bandages!!! – Daniel
BLESS THE PERSON THAT PULLED ALL OF THIS TOGETHER!!
Guys, this is really important. Until now, Google collected your data, but did not attach your name to it. Now, they can, and will. This new thing they’re doing will allow them to collect your data across searches, your email, Youtube, Maps, Google+, and all their affiliates, and build a complete profile of YOU.
If that doesn’t bother you, maybe this will: they own and can sell all that data, including anything you create and send (artists and writers, take note).
There is a way you can opt out of this ridiculousness. It’s described in the link, but if you’re still not sure about it, please ask me and I’ll guide you through how to turn all this off.
This is my wake-up call. I’ll be locking down my devices and scaling back what I put through the big Google machine, which means you may see less of me across social media. I’m going to keep researching this, but it may mean in order to keep the rights to my creative work, I’ll have to keep it out of Google’s hands. And that may take some doing.
Duckduckgo is a nontracking search engine….may be worth a try.
So according to the article there is an opt out for this. Instructions are I the last paragraph. I’m on mobile so I’ll edit this more later. EDITED TO INCLUDE OPT OUT INSTRUCTIONS
To opt-out of Google’s identified tracking, visit the Activity controls on Google’s My Account page, and uncheck the box next to “Include Chrome browsing history and activity from websites and apps that use Google services.“ You can also delete past activity from your account.
Some of the attitudes towards spirits right now seem to be a bit…. degrading, and I’d like to tackle that.
For the life of me I could not find it, but there’s a post somewhere on this godforsaken website pointing out that trans boys (I believe it focused on trans boys) are treated as uwu precious pretty marshmallows uwu by some people on tumblr, and not only is said attitude preteen but it’s uncomfortable. We’re people, not fictional characters, and not everyone wants to be degraded into an uwu pretty boy aesthetic that must be protected.
While the situations are different, the spirit companion community is uncomfortably reminiscent of that issue.
The act itself of matching bound spirits is not necessarily degrading when consent is present and everyone is properly informed, that is not the point of this post. But the attitude towards the spirits can easily turn this into a degrading practice. That is clearly seen with those who treat them as collector’s items or pets, and no one wishes to lump themselves into that category.
But on the opposite side of the spectrum? There can still exist issues.
Spirits are people. We all realize that, but real people do not exist to be treated as children. Some of the attitudes I’ve been seeing recently are more appropriate for your OCs than a living being with freedom and independent thought. They aren’t precious little children to giggle over and pat on the head, they aren’t fuzzy pets to take care of, they aren’t something to fit neatly into an aesthetic. Those kind of attitudes are demeaning. They’re demeaning when real people are treated in such a manner, and they’re demeaning to spirits as well.
Just because we are not all ultra formal with our spirits doesn’t mean they lose their dignity. While some may consent to being shown that attitude, you need to have an actual relationship with the spirit before doing so (yes, that would be weird and creepy towards strangers) and actually make sure they are okay with it. The entirety of spirits are most certainly not to be treated as precious children to be protected and you should never assume that a spirit is comfortable with an attitude typically seen as demeaning outside of preteen tumblr. It implies they are too weak to care for themselves.
Not being pets also means that your spirit companions do not need to be taken care of. They are self sufficient, they lived without you and will continue to take care of themselves. If they are too young to take full care of themselves or to know how to do so, that is an issue. If they are in a situation, such as former abuse, which means they may need help to do so, you seriously need to have prior spirit working experience to be helping that spirit and are going to be spending a large amount of time and energy to prepare and live with them. Otherwise, the relationship strikes me more as a toy to give you brownie points as a kind person and the spirit is not in the optimal situation.
Whether or not they require assistance, treating people as if they can’t take care of themselves is demeaning. It makes the majority of adults uncomfortable to be treated in such a manner, and these boundaries do not fade simply because the being is nonphysical. You are implying that they cannot take care of themselves – like a pet.
Spirits should not be entirely reliant on their companion. In physical relationships this is easily recognized as a power imbalance and is dangerous no matter the type of relationship.
Your spirit friends do not need you. They have a home to live in without you, they are capable of caring for themselves, and they should not be in a position where they must rely on you for survival. There should be no issues with them leaving and living without you, otherwise they are not free and that is not a balanced relationship.
Spirits matched in shops should not be of these positions. That is a red flag if they are treated with the independence of a pet. If a spirit cannot possibly wait any longer for interest in them…. They are not ready and should not be offered. If they will have difficulty caring for themselves or a decreased quality of life if separation occurs, they should not be offered. If they are being treated more like fictional characters than people, I must heavily question the shop.
I realize that this coddling attitude is a common joke in tumblr, but it has grown to the point where some of you are completely serious with it. Not everyone is treating it like a joke and recognizing that the spirits are real people. Newbs are coming in and seeing that this attitude is the normal interaction they should be having, because almost everything I see coming out of this tag involves spirits being treated as helpless. Yes, that includes shop blogs.
Y’all talk big about spirits not being pets, now put your actions where your mouth is. Hell, your mouth ain’t even there.
teakepp 