sabbat
This year's dates.❝Any of several holidays, usually four or eight in number, in Wicca and related Neopagan religious traditions.❞Sabbats follow a solar cycle. The Lesser Sabbats fall on the equinoxes and solstices or quarter days. The Greater Sabbats fall on the cross-quarter days and are the gateways between seasons and thus the gateways between worlds. I use the Moon cycles to honor the magick, and the solar festivals and fire festivals to honor the gods.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sabbat
sacerdotal
❝of priests; priestly.❞
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sacerdotalism
❝religious belief emphasizing the powers of priests as essential mediators between God and humankind❞There's nothing wrong with setting some duties and things aside for the priesthood. There's everthing wrong with assuming that your priesthood is the only way to the Divine even for those who haven't chosen your faith. That is when politics beomes cloaked in the language of faith. "Who are you to DARE question the Will of the Divine as expressed by the priests?" There's no doubt that a good priest(ess) is a better conduit to the Divine, but they aren't the only one. Their job is not to control your life but to help you live it.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sacerdotal https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sacerdotalism
Sacred Feminine “God isn't JUST a man.”
❝The Sacred Feminine is a concept that recognizes that “God” ultimately is neither anthropomorphically male or female but a Divine Essence (Goddessence) beyond form and duality – an essence that is in balance and unification of masculine and feminine principles – a dynamic interdependent “Immanence” that pervades all life. The Asian Yin Yang icon is a good representation of this idea. However, seeing the divine as an abstract concept of omnipresent consciousness, or immanence, is a challenge for most humans. We all have a basic human need to put the inexplicable into a tangible form in order to explore our relationship to it. Thus we tend to anthropomorphize or attribute human characteristics to the unknowable. In other words, we name and assign form to an abstract concept in order to relate to it at our level of ability. So the Divine Essence or Absolute has become a “Father” God figure that we were taught to visualize, pray to and imagine having a personal relationship with. Unfortunately, seeing the vast, infinite, absolute and indescribable Goddessence only in the form of masculine metaphor and symbol has severely limited our human spiritual potential and greatly hindered our ability to live in peace and balance on this earth.❞➢ What Is the Sacred Feminine? from Spirituality & Health✧
❝The “sacred feminine” is a religious movement that emphasizes femininity as being closer to divinity than masculinity. Those of the sacred feminine tradition worship feminine beauty and the power of sexual reproduction. The sacred feminine assumes that women, through the ability to bear children, are more “sacred” than men. Men can only experience the sacred feminine, spiritually, through sexual intercourse. Advocates of the sacred feminine viewpoint range from pseudo-Christians to radical feminists, goddess worshippers, and Wicca witches. Hints of the sacred feminine viewpoint can be seen in the Bible with the examples of ritual prostitution (Genesis 38:21-22; Hosea 4:14) and goddess worship (Jeremiah 44:17-25; 2 Kings 23:7). Other examples can be seen in the Easter fertility rituals and some aspects of Mariology.❞➢ What is the sacred feminine? from Got Questions✧
❝The term "sacred feminine" was first coined in the 1970s, in New Age popularizations of the Hindu Shakti. Hinduism also worships multitude of goddesses that have their important role and thus in all came to interest for the New Age, feminist, and lesbian feminist movements.❞https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sacred-feminine
sacred fire
A consecrated fire used ceremonially or in religious worship. Often it's not allowed to die, at least during the ceremony. Perhaps the best known American example is the eternal flame at JFK’s gravesite. The Olympic flame is another (although secular) example. Jewish tradition uses a sanctuary lamp or chancel lamp. This has been adopted by many religions. Katherine Kurtz called it the Presence Lamp in her Deryni novels. Many faiths hold that a sacred flame can only be lit from the previous one, the purpose of the sanctuary lamp is to prolong a sacred flame. In some traditions, a sacred fire may only be created only as it's needed. All other flame (and electrical) nearby should be extinguished. A sacred fire should be created from darkness or at least in low light. A sacred fire should be created by friction. A weaker version of the sacred fire uses the unburnt fuel from a previous one. Thus the tradition to save part of the Yule log for the next year's Yule fire.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sacred-fire
Sacred Masculine Creation requires both masculine and feminine principles…
In response to the (sometimes radical) feminist proclamations of the Sacred Feminine movement during the 1970s, a proto Sacred Masculine movement emerged. One central tenet was that not only was the Divine not exclusively male, nor was the Divine exclusively female. Neither gender was closer to divinity than the other, both had their parts in creation and society. The Sacred Masuline movement wanted to recognize and meet with the Sacerd Feminine movement on equal ground. Some of the Sacerd Feminine movement wanted nothing to do with that. They were very vocal about it. Those women saw the Sacred Masculine movement undermining their own efforts to fight a patriarchal society. Were they right? I don't know. It just seems to me that there are reasons why more than one gender exists. It also seems to me that the Sacred Feminine movement created a deep and lasting change in men, just not the specfic one the SFM wanted and not one they wished to acknowledge. From the Sacred Masculine movement came the roots of the men's rights movement. Some men weren't content to be the scapegoats and whipping boys of a strong feminist society. Of the men that did support a strong feminist society, they seemed evenly divided between men taking sexual and financial advantage or those hoping to do so by being nice. Meanwhile, the traditional strong men and "bad boys" got what they wanted. That led in term to things like Iron John and eventually the Red Pill movement.❝Biological men are at their best when they've learned to balance their urges with their future. Like most things, it's easier to play at it than actually do it. Learning to deal with that hard-wired passion is what makes a man instead of a boy. Much of that can be measured by how the man deals with others. Real compassion takes discipline.❞In mythology, men have their positive and constructive roles. Denying men these things is inhumane. The same drives that some women fear in men can make the best men strong protectors, builders, and fathers. Yes, even the occasional trickster. Also strong explorers, discoverers, and atheletes (champions). It's not that women couldn't do these things or that all men did do these things. It's that most women chose not to and most men chose to do. Just as the best of the Sacred Feminine movement doesn't seek to place women over men, the best of the Sacred Maculine movement doesn't want to “restore” women to their “rightful” place serving men. Creation requires both masculine and feminine principles.So does life.❝The warrior appears in many forms and shapes. He is brave and honorable, and fights for that which he believes is right and just. While the warrior may not always make decisions which are popular, he typically tries to make the ones that are fair. The warrior can be seen in deities such as the Roman Mars, the Greek Ares, and the Norse god Thor. The hero is the youthful, more impulsive incarnation of the warrior. The warrior is someone who defends those he loves, and doesn’t raise his sword out of anger. The hunter also appears, in modern society, as the provider. While men may no longer have to go out and spear a mastodon to feed their family, many men remain the primary breadwinners in the home, and find themselves under increasing pressure to continue to provide well.
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The priest, or magician, is the creative inventor or problem solver. He takes on intellectual challenges, asks lots of questions, and becomes analytical in his dealings with others. The magician or priest can also be a bit manipulative, because he’s smart; he’ll sometimes deliberately ask a question knowing the answer, as a sort of test. Another well known aspect of the sacred masculine is the archetype of the fertile lover. He is sensual and passionate, embracing pleasure both for himself and his partner. In the spring, this aspect of the masculine is often embodied in Cernunnos, the forest god. The lover is in touch with his own intuition, and is compassionate and empathetic. If the warrior takes on life’s physical challenges, the lover takes on our emotional challenges. Finally, the kingly archetype is that of the leader. A king is always in charge, because he is able to bring the qualities of all the other archetypes together into one handy package. He has the strength of the warrior, the wisdom of the priest, the compassion of the lover, and the nurturing aspects of the provider/hunter.❞➢ Celebrating the Sacred Masculine from Learn ReligionsSee alsogodmask, Sacred Feminine https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sacred-masculine https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#warrior https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#hunter https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#magician
https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#lover https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#king
Sacred Well Congregation
❝The Sacred Well Congregation International is a Universalist, independent, non-evangelical Wiccan Church. We are organized for the purpose of conducting and promoting religious worship on alternative Spiritual Paths. Our Church provides open, public venues for the practice of the Old Religions; we promote community benevolence efforts, spiritual counseling, and religious educational programs, and provide extensive spiritual and administrative support to service members, their families and military communities. We believe that there are many paths leading to the same spiritual dwelling place, and we affirm the right of any individual to choose his or her own path, and the right of any group to worship the Divine in any lawful manner they may choose. Our beliefs are embodied in our Covenant of Five Tenets. While our Clergy and Kindred practice Traditional Craft Wicca (TCW) as an Earth-centered mystery religion, we honor and embrace all paths Sacred. We count among our members a number of Earth-Centered Spiritualties as well as members of more mainstream traditions.❞The SWC enjoys a good or at least neutral reputation. My biggest concern is that besides event announcements, there is almost no independent information available on the web. That seems odd for a group originating in the 1990s that calls itself “An International Wiccan Church and Fellowship.”https://lexicon.neowayland.com/aa/#sacred-well
❝A place where cowards with cultural authoritarian and pro-censorship leanings go to in order to evade criticism and calling out of whatever absurd ideas they may express, as well as ideas that are even slightly opposed to the safe space dweller's ideas. These are labelled as whatever kind of bigotry would make the safe space dweller look like a victim the most.❞
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❝The term safe space refers to places created for individuals who feel marginalized to come together to communicate regarding their experiences with marginalization, most commonly located on university campuses in the western world, but also at workplaces, as in the case of Nokia. The terms safe space (or safe-space), safer space, and positive space may also indicate that a teacher, educational institution or student body does not tolerate violence, harassment, hate speech or dissenting views, thereby creating a safe place for all people.❞
Yeah, about that. In my judgement, becoming an adult means learning to deal with people who don't agree with you and that you might not particularly like. It's one thing for a child to have a safe space, but needing a safe space strictly enforced by an outside authority isn't a sign of maturity. Or stability. Or self-reliance. Or much of anything except being a spoiled overgrown brat. As long as an adult uses a safe space, they will always depend on the “parental authority” to make it better.
saint
- any of certain persons of exceptional holiness of life, formally recognized as such by the Christian Church, especially by canonization.
- a person of great holiness, virtue, or benevolence.
- a founder, sponsor, or patron, as of a movement or organization.
A saint brings benevolent change into the World and inspires others to make a positive difference. Every single person who I have met and would call saint isn't living their faith, they ARE their faith but without the costumes.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#saint
Samhain
Usually between 31October and 06November. This year's date.Traditional neopagan sabbat. Cross quarter day, Greater Sabbat, High Holiday, fire festival & seasonal gateway. Samhain marks the midpoint between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice and the beginning of winter. Last of three harvest festivals, the “blood harvest” marks the end of harvest season when the herds get culled for winter. Some folklore makes any harvesting or butchering between Samhain and Beltaine unlucky. Traditionally, the Dark weird to Beltaine. Festival of the dead. Celtic tradition holds that it's the end of autumn and the end of old year when the gates swing open for the new year.❝Not only is Samhain the end of autumn; it is also, more importantly, the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. Celtic New Year’s Eve, when the new year begins with the onset of the dark phase of the year, just as the new day begins at sundown. There are many representations of Celtic Gods with two faces, and it surely must have been one of them who held sway over Samhain. Like his Roman counterpart Janus, he would straddle the threshold, one face turned toward the past, in commemoration of those who died during the last year, and one face gazing hopefully toward the future, mystic eyes attempting to pierce the veil and divine what the coming year holds. These two themes, celebrating the dead and divining the future, are inexorably intertwined in Samhain, as they are likely to be in any New Year’s celebration. As a feast of the dead, this was the one night when the dead could, if they wished, return to the land of the living, to celebrate with their family, tribe, or clan. And so the great burial mounds of Ireland (sidhe mounds) were opened up, with lighted torches lining the walls, so the dead could find their way. Extra places were set at the table and food set out for any who had died that year. And there are many stories that tell of Irish heroes making raids on the Underworld while the gates of faery stood open, though all must return to their appointed places by cockcrow. As a feast of divination, this was the night par excellence for peering into the future. The reason for this has to do with the Celtic view of time. In a culture that uses a linear concept of time, like our modern one, New Year’s Eve is simply a milestone on a very long road that stretches in a straight line from birth to death. Thus, the New Year’s festival is a part of time. The ancient Celtic view of time, however, is cyclical. And in this framework, New Year’s Eve represents a point outside of time, when the natural order of the universe dissolves back into primordial chaos, preparatory to reestablishing itself in a new order. Thus, Samhain is a night that exists outside of time and, hence, it may be used to view any other point in time. At no other holiday is a tarot card reading, crystal reading, or tealeaf reading so likely to succeed. The Christian religion, with its emphasis on the “historical” Christ and his act of Redemption 2000 years ago, is forced into a linear view of time, where seeing the future is an illogical proposition. In fact, from the Christian perspective, any attempt to do so is seen as inherently evil. This did not keep the medieval church from co-opting Samhain’s other motif, commemoration of the dead. To the church, however, it could never be a feast for all the dead, but only the blessed dead, all those hallowed (made holy) by obedience to God—thus, All Hallow’s, or Hallowmas, later All Saints and All Souls.❞➢ Samhain All Hallows Eve/Halloween
from The Witches Sabbats✧
❝As October turns to November, thousands of Witches, Wiccans, Druids, and other Pagans across America, Canada, Europe, and elsewhere observe the sacred time of Samhain. Samhain is a festival of the Dead. Meaning "Summer's End" and pronounced saah-win or saa-ween, Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest and the start of the coldest half of the year. For many practitioners, myself included, Samhain also is the beginning of the spiritual new year. Originating in ancient Europe as a Celtic Fire festival, Samhain is now celebrated worldwide. The timing of contemporary Samhain celebrations varies according to spiritual tradition and geography. Many of us celebrate Samhain over the course of several days and nights, and these extended observances usually include a series of solo rites as well as ceremonies, feasts, and gatherings with family, friends, and spiritual community. In the northern hemisphere, many Pagans celebrate Samhain from sundown on October 31 through November 1. Others hold Samhain celebrations on the nearest weekend or on the Full or New Moon closest to this time. Some Pagans observe Samhain a bit later, or near November 6, to coincide more closely with the astronomical midpoint between Fall Equinox and Winter Solstice. Most Pagans in the southern hemisphere time their Samhain observances to coincide with the middle of their Autumn in late April and early May, rather than at the traditional European time of the holiday.❞➢ Celebrating Samhain from Circle Sanctuary✧
❝…in ancient Celtic religion, one of the most important and sinister calendar festivals of the year. At Samhain, held on November 1, the world of the gods was believed to be made visible to humankind, and the gods played many tricks on their mortal worshippers; it was a time fraught with danger, charged with fear, and full of supernatural episodes. Sacrifices and propitiations of every kind were thought to be vital, for without them the Celts believed they could not prevail over the perils of the season or counteract the activities of the deities. Samhain was an important precursor to Halloween.❞
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❝As millions of children and adults participate in the fun of Halloween on the night of October 31st, few will be aware of its ancient Celtic roots in the Samhain (Samain) festival. In Celtic Ireland about 2,000 years ago, Samhain was the division of the year between the lighter half (summer) and the darker half (winter). At Samhain the division between this world and the otherworld was at its thinnest, allowing spirits to pass through. The family's ancestors were honoured and invited home whilst harmful spirits were warded off. People wore costumes and masks to disguise themselves as harmful spirits and thus avoid harm. Bonfires and food played a large part in the festivities. The bones of slaughtered livestock were cast into a communal fire, household fires were extinguished and started again from the bonfire. Food was prepared for the living and the dead, food for the ancestors who were in no position it eat it, was ritually shared with the less well off. Christianity incorporated the honouring of the dead into the Christian calendar with All Saints (All Hallows) on November 1st, followed by All Souls on November 2nd. The wearing of costumes and masks to ward off harmful spirits survived as Halloween customs. The Irish emigrated to America in great numbers during the 19th century especially around the time of famine in Ireland during the 1840's. The Irish carried their Halloween traditions to America, where today it is one of the major holidays of the year. Through time other traditions have blended into Halloween, for example the American harvest time tradition of carving pumpkins.❞➢ Samhain (Samain) - The Celtic roots of Halloween
from NewGrange.com✧
❝Samhuinn, from October 31st to November 2nd, was a time of no-time. Celtic society, like all early societies, was highly structured and organised - everyone knew their place. But to allow that order to be psychologically comfortable, the Celts knew that there had to be a time when order and structure were abolished - when chaos could reign. And Samhuinn was such a time. Time was abolished for the three days of this festival, and people did crazy things - men dressed as women and women as men. Farmers' gates were unhinged and left in ditches, peoples' horses were moved to different fields, and children would knock on neighbours' doors for food and treats in a way that we still find today, in a watered-down way, in the custom of trick-or-treating on Hallowe'en. But behind this apparent lunacy, lay a deeper meaning. The Druids knew that these three days had a special quality about them. The veil between this world and the World of the Ancestors was drawn aside on these nights, and for those who were prepared, journeys could be made in safety to the 'other side'. The Druid rites, therefore, were concerned with making contact with the spirits of the departed, who were seen as sources of guidance and inspiration rather than as sources of dread. The dark moon, the time when no moon can be seen in the sky, was the phase of the moon which ruled this time, because it represents a time in which our mortal sight needs to be obscured in order for us to see into the other worlds. The dead are honoured and feasted, not as the dead, but as the living spirits of loved ones and of guardians who hold the root-wisdom of the tribe. With the coming of Christianity, this festival was turned into All Hallows [commonly referred to as Hallowe'en on October 31st], All Saints [November 1st] and All Souls [November 2nd]. Here we can see most clearly the way in which Christianity built on the pagan foundations it found rooted in these isles. Not only does the purpose of the festival match with the earlier one, but even the unusual length of the festival is the same. ❞➢ The Eightfold Wheel of the Year & the Druid Festivals
from The Order of Bards, Ovates & DruidsSee alsoAll Hallows, All Hallows Eve, Blood Harvest, borders, Feast of Apples, Feast of the Dead, fire festival, fire festival - bonfire, fire festival - livestock, Hallows, Halloween, November Eve, Oie Houney, Samhain: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for Halloween, Summer's End, Wintergate, Wintergate, Wintergate, Winter Nights, The Witches’ Sabats https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#samhain https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#two-main-seasons
sanguine
air❝The personality type of Sanguine is described primarily as being enthusiastic, active, and social. Sanguines tend to be more extroverted and enjoy being part of a crowd; they find that being social, outgoing, and charismatic is easy to accomplish. Individuals with this personality have a hard time doing nothing and engage in more risk seeking behaviour.❞
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- cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident:
a sanguine disposition; sanguine expectations.- reddish; ruddy:
a sanguine complexion.- (in old physiology) having blood as the predominating humor and consequently being ruddy-faced, cheerful, etc.
- bloody; sanguinary.
- blood-red; red.
- Heraldry. a reddish-purple tincture.
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❝People with sanguine personality type tend to be lively, optimistic, buoyant, and carefree. They love adventure and have a high risk tolerance. Typically, Sanguine people are very poor at tolerating boredom and will seek variety and entertainment. Needless to say, this trait may sometimes negatively affect their romantic relationships. Because this temperament is prone to pleasure-seeking behaviors, many people with sanguine personality are likely to struggle with addictions. Their constant cravings may lead to overeating and weight problems. These people are very creative and may become great artists. In addition, they are fantastic entertainers and will naturally do well if they choose careers in entertainment industry.❞https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sanguine
sarsen sarcen
❝any of numerous large sandstone blocks or fragments found in south-central England, probably remnants of eroded Tertiary beds.❞https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sarsen
Say's law
❝Say's law of markets is a classical economic theory that says that production is the source of demand. According to Say's law, the ability to demand something is financed by supplying a different good.❞➢ Say's Law Of Markets from InvestopediaSee also en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_of_labourhttps://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#says-law
SBC
Single Board ComputerSee alsoNAS, Raspberry Pi https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sbc
schemata
- a diagram, plan, or scheme.
- an underlying organizational pattern or structure; conceptual framework:
- (in Kantian epistemology) a concept, similar to a universal but limited to phenomenal knowledge, by which an object of knowledge or an idea of pure reason may be apprehended.
For my purposes, a detailed plan for a formal magickal working including every factor I can antiicipate and allow for.See alsoceremonial magick, Wheel of the Year https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#schemata
science Science is about what can be proven because it can be measured and predicted.
❝Science is the pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world following a systematic methodology based on evidence.❞➢ Our definition of science from Science Council❝Science is not scholarship. Science is an inquiry process. If the “science” can't produce results that can be replicated and tested, it's not science.❞❝Science, any system of knowledge that is concerned with the physical world and its phenomena and that entails unbiased observations and systematic experimentation. In general, a science involves a pursuit of knowledge covering general truths or the operations of fundamental laws. Science can be divided into different branches based on the subject of study. The physical sciences study the inorganic world and comprise the fields of astronomy, physics, chemistry, and the Earth sciences. The biological sciences such as biology and medicine study the organic world of life and its processes. Social sciences like anthropology and economics study the social and cultural aspects of human behaviour.❞❝Science isn't about consensus, nor is it defined by popular vote. Science shows what can be observed, predicted and verified.❞❝In a science, you cannot ignore or delete inconvenient data. And absolutely not when lives are at stake.❞➢ Our Children: The Hill to Die On from Granite Grok❝Science is a process, not a destination.Sometimes people start from the wrong place.❞❝That's the whole problem with science. You've got a bunch of empiricists trying to describe things of unimaginable wonder.❞— Bill Watterson✧
❝Science is uncertain. Theories are subject to revision; observations are open to a variety of interpretations, and scientists quarrel amongst themselves.❞— Isaac Asimov❝In our Western culture, we tend to treat Science as THE god of knowledge. We forget that science is a process. We forget how many facts we just don't know yet. We forget how little of the universe we can actually sense and measure directly.We forget that science is the bastard child of magick.❞➢ Act of Change from Technopagan Yearnings❝Scientific knowledge is a body of statements of varying degrees of certainty — some most unsure, some nearly sure, but none absolutely certain.❞— Richard Feynmanhttps://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#science
scientific method (7 steps modified)
- Observation - (T)he first step of the scientific method is to make observations. Really, even if you don't make observations formally, you think about prior experiences with a subject in order to ask a question or solve a problem.
Formal observations are a type of brainstorming that can help you find an idea and form a hypothesis. Observe your subject and record everything about it. Include colors, timing, sounds, temperatures, changes, behavior, and anything that strikes you as interesting or significant.- Question - Ask a question.
- Research - Conduct background research. Write down your sources so you can cite your references. In the modern era, a lot of your research may be conducted online. Scroll to the bottom of articles to check the references. Even if you can't access the full text of a published article, you can usually view the abstract to see the summary of other experiments. Interview experts on a topic. The more you know about a subject, the easier it will be to conduct your investigation.
- Hypothesis - Propose a hypothesis. This is a sort of educated guess about what you expect. It is a statement used to predict the outcome of an experiment. Usually, a hypothesis is written in terms of cause and effect. Alternatively, it may describe the relationship between two phenomena. One type of hypothesis is the null hypothesis or the no-difference hypothesis. This is an easy type of hypothesis to test because it assumes changing a variable will have no effect on the outcome. In reality, you probably expect a change but rejecting a hypothesis may be more useful than accepting one.
- Experiment -Design and perform an experiment to test your hypothesis. An experiment has an independent and dependent variable. You change or control the independent variable and record the effect it has on the dependent variable. It's important to change only one variable for an experiment rather than try to combine the effects of variables in an experiment. For example, if you want to test the effects of light intensity and fertilizer concentration on the growth rate of a plant, you're really looking at two separate experiments.
- Data/Analysis - Record observations and analyze the meaning of the data. Often, you'll prepare a table or graph of the data. Don't throw out data points you think are bad or that don't support your predictions. Some of the most incredible discoveries in science were made because the data looked wrong! Once you have the data, you may need to perform a mathematical analysis to support or refute your hypothesis.
- Conclusion - Conclude whether to accept or reject your hypothesis. There is no right or wrong outcome to an experiment, so either result is fine. Accepting a hypothesis does not necessarily mean it's correct! Sometimes repeating an experiment may give a different result. In other cases, a hypothesis may predict an outcome, yet you might draw an incorrect conclusion. Communicate your results. The results may be compiled into a lab report or formally submitted as a paper. Whether you accept or reject the hypothesis, you likely learned something about the subject and may wish to revise the original hypothesis or form a new one for a future experiment.
➢ Six Steps of the Scientific Method at ThoughtCo✧
❝Using the scientific method, my cohosts and I asked questions and tested over 900 hypotheses, filmed over 7,200 hours, set off 850 explosions, used 43,500 yards of duct tape, and loved every minute of it. At some point during the show’s long, fourteen-season run, it dawned on me that the scientific method could be applied to everything, and that I’d unwittingly been dropping the figurative Mentos into the Coke bottle of life all along, asking questions, forming hypotheses, experimenting, analyzing results, and drawing conclusions to figure things out. Admittedly, my particular style of experimentation has been more like crash testing: I strap myself in, step on the gas, and head straight into a wall with my eyes open. It’s always a crazy ride. I’ve gotten a bit battered and bruised (via bad decisions, bad relationships, dead-end jobs, to mention a few), but I don’t mind my wounds. Scars are cool. Like wrinkles, they prove you’ve really lived. If I hadn’t crash tested through life, I wouldn’t have landed the job at MythBusters, met my husband, made my best friendships, managed major depression, or gotten my wild life under control. I’m a living, limping example of how being a risk-taking methodologist can bring you love, success, and inspiration.❞
https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#method
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❝As this new method found great success, the specter of scientism began to emerge. Both Bacon and Descartes elevated the use of reason and logic by denigrating other human faculties such as creativity, memory, and imagination. Bacon’s classification of learning demoted poetry and history to second-class status. Descartes’ rendering of the entire universe as a giant machine left little room for the arts or other forms of human expression. In one sense, the rhetoric of these visionaries opened great new vistas for intellectual inquiry. But on the other hand, it proposed a vastly narrower range of which human activities were considered worthwhile.❞✧
❝Roughly, scientism is the view that the hard sciences—like chemistry, biology, physics, astronomy—provide the only genuine knowledge of reality. At the very least, this scientific knowledge is vastly superior to what we can know from any other discipline. Ethics and religion may be acceptable, but only if they are understood to be inherently subjective and regarded as private matters of opinion. According to scientism, the claim that ethical and religious conclusions can be just as factual as science, and therefore ought to be affirmed like scientific truths, may be a sign of bigotry and intolerance.❞✧
One growing problem is many people don't recognize the difference between scientistic and scientific.Scientism often uses the trappings and language of science without being based in science. Often scientism starts with the conclusion and carefully selects facts and statistics to fit. In one of the pivotal scenes of the Foundation series, Asimov gave a discussion between the proganist and another character. The other character defined science as reading and comparing the classics of the past. There was no inquiry. The scientific method and revisiting assumptions are the main differences between scientistic and scientific.
scion
In the fictional Dresden Files, Jim Butcher calls the offspring of a supernatural creature and a human a scion. I've never heard the word used that way, but stranger things have happened.
- a detached living portion of a plant (such as a bud or shoot) joined to a stock in grafting and usually supplying solely aerial parts to a graft
- descendant, child; especially : a descendant of a wealthy, aristocratic, or influential family
- heir scion of a railroad empire
https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#scion
❝A subtle form of trolling involving "bad-faith" questions. You disingenuously frame your conversation as a sincere request to be enlightened, placing the burden of educating you entirely on the other party. If your bait is successful, the other party may engage, painstakingly laying out their logic and evidence in the false hope of helping someone learn. In fact you are attempting to harass or waste the time of the other party, and have no intention of truly entertaining their point of view. Instead, you react to each piece of information by misinterpreting it or requesting further clarification, ad nauseum. The name "sea-lioning" comes from a Wondermark comic strip.❞
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Depression that occurs seasonally in the winter or cold weather. Probably caused by the lack of direct sunlight, although that has been disputed. Far too common.See alsodepression, winter blues https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sad
second law of ecology “Everything must go somewhere.”
❝There is no “waste” in nature, and there is no “away” to which things can be thrown. Everything, such as wood smoke, nuclear waste, carbon emissions, etc., must go somewhere.❞➢ The Four Laws of Ecology (Barry Commoner 1917-2012)
from the Public Advocacy Ministry of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches✧
❝The second law of ecology, everything must go somewhere, restates a basic law of thermodynamics: in nature there is no final waste, matter and energy are preserved, and the waste produced in one ecological process is recycled in another. For instance, a downed tree or log in an old-growth forest is a source of life for numerous species and an essential part of the ecosystem. Likewise, animals excrete carbon dioxide to the air and organic compounds to the soil, which help to sustain plants upon which animals will feed.❞➢ The four laws of ecology and the four anti-ecological laws of capitalism
from Climate & CapitalismSee alsoecology, ecology vs. environmentalism,
first law of ecology, fourth law of ecology, third law of ecology https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#ecology2
semi-shaman
(depreciated)Some of my practices and results are similar to traditional shamanism, but my totems were different and my cultural references were wrong. I was always careful to make the distinction. Now I just do it and don’t bother to explain.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#semi-shaman
sensual attraction
❝a desire for touch ie: hugging, cuddling, hand holding, kissing, etc. but not a sexual or romantic relationship with a person. no lust is involved❞https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sensual-attraction
sepulchre or sepulcher
- a tomb, grave, or burial place.
- Also called Easter sepulcher. Ecclesiastical.
- a cavity in a mensa for containing relics of martyrs.
- a structure or a recess in some old churches in which the Eucharist was deposited with due ceremonies on Good Friday and taken out at Easter in commemoration of Christ's entombment and Resurrection.
- to place in a sepulcher; bury
https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sepulchre
Seuss 6
Six Dr. Suess children's books pulled from publication by Dr. Seuss Enterprises for "racist" and "insensitive" imagery and protrayals.eBay has also pulled listings for these books.And to Think I saw It on Mulberry Street If I Ran the Zoo McElligot’s Pool On Beyond Zebra! Scrambled Eggs Super! The Cat’s Quizzer See alsopolitical correctness https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#seuss
Seven Assumptions of the Comfortably Numb
❝This is the root of almost every socio-economic dysfunction we have today … a set of assumptions that are so banal, they are embraced as The Way Things Are and beyond questioning … a banality that leaves us “comfortably numb”; numb to our vulnerability to the oncoming peril, because of the BLIND trust in “experts” and “leaders” who tell us that everything is all right, and that personal prudence is not necessary because these notables have our backs … even when those notables wear the labels of Republican Libertarian, Constitution, or other “conservative” monikers. We must abandon these assumptions, or we will continue to decline until one day we find ourselves in the ruins of Utopia.❞
- ASSUMPTION ONE: also known as The Biggest Lie of All: All you need to do is show up for work or go to school; we have experts who have the answers to your housing needs, your health care needs, your financial needs … no need to plan for your future or actively manage your career, since we can do a better job than you can; just trust us to solve those problems FOR you.
- ASSUMPTION TWO: “Experts” and “leaders” are assumed to be functionally omniscient, to the degree that they can be trusted to make decisions for us at an individual level, better than we can ourselves.
- ASSUMPTION THREE: Credentials, position, popularity, and presentation skills are reliable indicators of the intellect necessary to be an “expert” or “leader”. Conversely, the lack of such indicators is prima facie evidence of inferior intellect, and such a person and their ideas should be summarily dismissed as irrelevant to any discussion.
- ASSUMPTION FOUR: The “Non-profit” are inherently virtuous, while the for-profit can NEVER be trusted and must be highly restrained to protect the rest of us.
- ASSUMPTION FIVE: The opportunity for human error in decision-making can be diminished to practically zero, if enough rules are applied to “guide” that decision-making.
- ASSUMPTION SIX: Ordinary people neither have the resources, nor the intellect, nor the virtue, to help themselves – or each other – in the “right” ways. Only “experts” and “leaders” can provide such help, and should be empowered with the resources and monopoly on coercive force held by the government to do so.
- ASSUMPTION SEVEN:Establishing the “common good”, as defined at the current moment by our “experts” and “leaders”, is the primary mission of public institutions, particularly our government.
➢ adapted from a Facebook post by Ritchie The Riveter
hat tip to Sparta Report See alsobehavior maps, the default assumption, expert, Hanlon's razor, iron law of bureaucracy, Iron Law of Oligarchy, THE temptation https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#7numb
Seven Principles of
Leave No Trace
- Plan ahead and prepare
- Travel and camp on durable surfaces
- Dispose of waste properly
- Leave what you find
- Minimize campfire impacts
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitors
https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#lnt
sex
Sharing pleasure through touch & sensation. sex links • sex - cautionaryCopulation. Coitus. Strictly speaking, thrusting a penis or other piece of anatomy into a vagina, anus, mouth or body curve/crease for mutual pleasure often resulting in orgasm. Intercourse in all of it's human variations. An activity I enjoy very much. I practice sex. I study sex. I talk about sex when I can. I play. I experiment. Because of the hormonal rush, sex and sexual activity displace rational thought. That doesn't mean you should slave yourself to someone else's morality. Your choice is more than your body's urges. That's why I do what I can to separate sex from politics. I share sex with friends because experiencing it alone is less than half the fun.❝There are three “carved-in-stone” sex rules that easily solve 97% of sex problems in America today. Consenting adults only. If you promised to be someone else’s “one and only,” you’re off limits. Regret does not equal rape.❞➢ Ro3 № 37❝Morality in sexual relations, when it is free from superstition, consists essentially in respect for the other person, and unwillingness to use that person solely as a means of personal gratification, without regard to his or her desires.❞— Bertrand Russell❝You are your own person, no one owns you except you. Sex is something you share with someone you care for and trust. You shouldn't share with people you don't trust or don't like.❞If you care for the other person, if you respect them, if you share deep passions with them, then the sex makes all that better. I discuss the practical and ethical aspects of sex and sexuality, but the NeoWayland Network does not have porn or erotica. You will find nudes, but you won't find sex photos. There is some art showing sex and orgasms in a ritual or mythical context. I enjoy sex with friends if they are willing. My first and most important sex rule is The Lady Always Chooses. You see, it's the seduction that appeals to me most. Why rely on force when friendship is more challenging and more rewarding? I pride myself on my ability playing the nerves of my sexual partners. Giving her pleasure is a bigger turn-on than my own climax. I learned a long time ago that it's worth the trouble to make sure she's got at least two climaxes for every one of mine. It keeps her smiling too. Once you get past the petting and snuggling and stroking and oral manipulation, that's fucking or casual sex. Fucking means letting the animal part of you out. Deep sex is when you connect on multiple emotional levels beyond the immediate sensation. Fucking scratches the itch. Deep sex gets rid of the itch and gives you a whole new perspective. There is a difference. I’m a sensualist. I’m wired for sex and sensation. When I see a pretty girl, part of me is wondering what sex with her would be like. When there’s a woman I respect, part of me is wondering what sex with her would be like. When there’s an intelligent woman, part of me is wondering what sex with her would be like. When there’s an intelligent woman with character who I disagree with, I’m horny and I want to fuck her now! Yes, I’m that sex obsessed. No, I don't think that is unusual for men. In teenagers and younger men, this drive is even higher. Civilized men know life is more than sex, food, and sleep. We don't need to fuck everything with a hole. There's nothing wrong with that desire, it's just better served by focusing on tomorrow instead of today. We're measured by the lives we touch. I'm one of those "nekkid pagans who dig the sex" and my attitudes are considerably different than traditional mainstream America. At least, what they admit publicly and in polite company. There's strong evidence that sex is more about pleasure and bonding than producing children. We know that skin to skin contact releases endorphins. We know that grooming and hair brushing does too. We know sharing orgasms makes people feel closer.❝Just because I like nudity doesn't mean I am tempting random females into unspeakable rites or dragging neighborhood pets into the bushes so I can slake my insatiable lusts. Nudity does not mean coitus. Just because someone sees my genitals doesn't mean instant sex. It also doesn't mean I'm aroused by being naked around other people. Well, within reason.❞➢ nekkidNudity is not sex. Nudity is not love. Nudity does not invite sex. Sex is exploding hormones. Love is commitment. The two should not be confused. Unless it's with me, who you have sex with, how you have sex, and how many times you have sex is frankly none of my business. Likewise, unless it is sex with me, I'm not responsible for the consequences.sex cautionary
One inevitable result of today's political climate is that honest opinions become politically unpopular and problematic. Which means that articles and domains disappear from the internet. Maybe the original authors rethought their views. And maybe selective editing and cultivating link rot is easier than dealing with criticism and fallout.Pagans against sexual abuse In defense of Bonewits' work Whatever happened to the pagan community statement on religious sexual abuse? Whatever happened to the pagan community statement on religious sexual abuse? (Wayback Machine) Killing the Sixties: Abuse, Consent, #MeToo and the Pagan Community So Long and Thanks for All the Abuse: A History of Sexual Trauma in the Pagan Community For Sale: Neopaganism “As Is” Abuse, the Pagan Community, and Our Commitments Sexual Assault, Wicca, and Consent The Frosts and Consent Culture The Frosts and Consent Culture (Wayback Machine) A Long, Cold Look in the Mirror Sex related links
Aa
acknowledge but not celebrate America Unzipped American social behaviors (post WWII) anorgasmia asexual attitudes on nudity attitudes on sex
✮Bb
bawdy Billy Graham rule bisexual
blood magick A bonding behavior books tagged “sex”
✮Cc
carnal casual sex children & sex cisgender closeting (American social behaviors - post WWII) collecting pelts Come Hither companion cunnilingus
✮Dd
deep sex droit du seigneur Dunbar's number
✮Ee
Ellen example Encyclopedia of Love and Sex eros eros erotic ethical slut The Ethical Slut exhibitionism
✮Ff
FamousFeminist fellatio feminism feminism, toxic feminism (first wave) feminism (fourth wave) feminism (libertarian) feminism (second wave) feminism (third wave) femininity, toxic fertility cult fuck fur
✮Gg
gay gender fluid gender role Great Rite The Guide to Getting It On
✮Hh
hat trick hate fuck How to Give Her Absolute Pleasure
✮Ii
incest intersectionality intersex
✮Jj
Jesus fish jus primae noctis
✮Kk
kids & sex
✮Ll
label Latinx lesbian Look Both Ways: Bisexual Politics love
✮Mm
mala prohibita mesopaganism Mike Pence rule miscegenation monotheism’s third sin morality
✮Nn
naturism & naturist nekkid “not all…”
✮Oo
open relationship orientation oxytocin
✮Pp
pagan attitudes on nudity & sex pansexual peak experience pedestal problem pillow talk problem polyamory polyamoury polygamy poser
poseur prima nocta public nudity (American social behaviors - post WWII)
✮queer
✮Rr
risqué Robot, the romantic attraction Ro3 № 5 Ro3 № 19 Ro3 № 20 rule, Billy Graham rule, Mike Pence
✮Ss
sensual attraction sex sex - cautionary Sex Finally Explained! sex - ritual Sex & the Modern Pagan sex magick sex rule #1 - “consenting adults only” sex rule #2 - “one and only” sex rule #3 - “regret does not equal rape” sex rule #4 - “acknowledge but not celebrate” sex rule #5 - “don’t tell who to fuck” sex rule #6 - “incest not a good idea” sex rule #7 - “be honest” sex rule #8 - “don’t collect pelts” sex rule #9 - “shared gift” sex rule #10 - “doesn't fix boredom” sex rule #11 - “making it better” sex rules sexual attraction sexual beings sexual initiation sexual initiation (pagan) sexual revolution (American social behaviors - post WWII) sexuality sexuality - labels sexuality - gender role sexuality - orientation
sexuality - somatic skyclad slut somatic sexuality
✮Tt
2 spirit 3 marks of an adult human 13 virtues Tailltean marriage thirteen virtues Those Who Want to Be Noticed three marks of an adult human tolerance toxic feminism toxic femininity toxic masculinity transgender TruMale™ two spirit
✮Uu
The Ultimate Guide to Cunnilingus
✮Vv
vapor wear Vice Versa
✮Ww
Westermarck effect
✮https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sex
https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sex-cautionary https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/sex-links
sex - ritual sex magick
Formal, structured symbolic coitus used in a religious or magickal rite. Mine is a fertility faith after all. My faith recognizes male and female Principles (and Principals too) while honoring sexuality and fertility. There are variations of course, but the union of male and female is the root. That also means that for me, sex and sexual behavior are sacred. Not because it's sex, but because celebrating life around us and within us reveals our shared Divinity. Sex is one way we can enjoy both ourselves and others. It's a gift from the gods. I seek the Divine in every woman I meet. Sometimes I find it, sometimes I don't. Sex can be a sacrament, but not usually.❝The simpler version is that pagans celebrate life. Sex & orgasms are parts of life, parts often repressed in the name of “decency” and “propriety.”❞➢ fertility cult❝Many Wiccans and witches believe that all things contain a primal energy or vital life force that moves within and among them. This energy is most easily experienced through sexual activity, especially when it is raised with spiritual intent. Through their sexual intimacy, practitioners can participate in a primal moment of creation: a moment when two divine forces or beings—imagined as a many-gendered God/dess making love with her mirror reflection; or a lunar Goddess and a solar God; or a genderless yin and yang, nothing and something—communed together in an erotic union whose vibrations continue to animate the universe.❞➢ Erotic Religion: The Body and Sex for Wiccans and Pagans
from Patheos.comhttps://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sex-ritual
sex rules
❝Passion rules reason, for better or for worse.❞I have eleven main sex rules. The first three are carved-in-stone unbreakable and easily solve 97% of sex problems in America today. Yes, I thought about them in advance. Because when the moment comes, you don't have time to reason it out. Better to work out the morality and ethics while the little head is not running the show.
- Consenting adults only.
Emphasis on the C-O-N-S-E-N-T-I-N-G.Anything else is rape and should be treated as such. No means no.
Emphasis on the A-D-U-L-T-S.My first version of this rule was The Lady Always Chooses. It's still more poetic that way even if the phrasing doesn't work as a general case. I don't have the privilege or right to force myself on anyone without their active consent.
- Consent is not assumed, implied, or coercered.
- Your desire does not control another's choice. For me, that means The Lady Always Chooses. If the lady is not interested, then it's not going to happen.
- Obviously that also means no touching another without permission. Every human is their own person, that includes their body. You own yourself: mind, spirit, and body. Nobody gets to grope you unless you want it. If you don't want that, tell them clearly enough so there can be no misunderstanding.
- Most seduction takes more time than the sex. Done right, seducing is fun and more rewarding too.
- If someone relies on force and threats for something whose triggers are hard-wired into our very biology, that doesn't say much about their character. Or their ability to pleasure their partners and themselves.
- “Don't fuck with kids.” Let the kids grow up and work it out for themselves, just like they do with sports, what clothes to wear, what and when to eat, reading a good book, and using the toilet in time. Being a kid means learning to deal with life. Kids don't need weird adults complicating sex.
- It's not discussed in polite American society, but children are sexual beings. Yes, even the prepubescents. Just because those feelings exist does not mean adults should cultivate those feelings in kids.
- American culture sexualizes children and has for decades. There are eight year old beauty pageant contestants wearing more makeup than a club hopping twenty-two year old.
- The extended childhood thing in the U.S. is a post-WWII innovation. Well into the 1960s, some rural locations had marriages where the bride and groom were under sixteen. Hang around farm animals long enough and you'll learn plenty about sex.
- I'm willing to accept the age of consent as a working compromise even though I know a child has been exposed to sexuality pretty much since the day they were born. You can't be human and avoid it. We're wired for it, we long for a simple touch when we don't have it.
- Almost no children have the emotional experience to handle carbonating hormones and relationships. Even without sex, children still learn about relationhips well into their late teens. Sometimes even longer. As the saying goes, people do a lot of growing up between 18 and 25.
- Sometimes I think breaking this rule should result in the forced removal of body parts. Without anesthetic. And dull blades. On live television. But, of course, that would offend modern sensibilities. How it would offend more than rape is something that I am still waiting for someone to explain.
- If you promised to be someone else’s “one and only,” you’re off limits. Honor demands nothing less.
- Regret does not equal rape. Neither does broken promises, drunk sex, falling asleep after coitus, or leaving before your bedmate wakes up.
- Acknowledge but not celebrate. It works for sexuality, religion, and politics. Some believe that their moral choices should compel my behavior. Obviously I disagree. I'm under no obligation to fuck you so you can feel validated.
- I don't tell you who to fuck, and I expect that you won't tell others who they can't fuck so long as it's unpledged consenting adults. See rules 1 & 2.
There is one possible exception to this rule. Sleeping with coworkers can be a Very Bad Idea, especially if one reports directly to the other. Some manage to pull it off, but most do not. I'm not saying don't do it. I am saying be aware of all the things that can go wrong once the hormones start carbonating.
- Incest is not a good idea.
- Be honest with your partner.
Tell your partner what excites you and what you find unpleasant. Don't pretend you are enjoying sex when you are not.
Do not, repeat, DO NOT fake orgasms.
Don't hide infections, somatic sexuality, orientation, gender role, kinks, quirks, and other current partners. Don't conceal who or what you are because you don't think your partner will accept it.
- Don’t collect pelts.
Use sex to boost existing relationships. Casual sex is a Really Bad Idea and won't end well. If you are looking for love or even friendship, sex is the wrong way to start. It can be an even worse way to finish.
- Sex is a shared gift with surging hormones.
Sex can make the good better, the bad worse, and the awesome boring over time. Without an emotional connection besides the sex, there’s nothing to build on. Peak experiences wither away unless the experience reinforces existing passion.
- Sex isn't a way to pass the time. Sex isn’t an idle activity relieving boredom. It's not something to do because you're naked with someone else (nudity does not invite sex).
- Sex should make your relationships better.
Sex should never be the reason for a relationship.
Sex should never be the basis of a relationship.
If you care for the other person, if you respect them, if you share deep passions with them, then the sex makes all that better. More bluntly, don't fuck people you don't like.
At the very least, sex should include close friendship.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sex-rules https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#kidsex
https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sex-rule1 https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sex-rule2
https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sex-rule3 https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sex-rule4
https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sex-rule5 https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sex-rule6
https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sex-rule7 https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sex-rule8 https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sex-rule9 https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sex-rule10
https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sex-rule11
sexual attraction
❝when you are attracted to someone sexually, and want them only to sexually please you or something of the sort. ❞
✧
❝There's always a chance that a sexual attraction can build into something more, but also speaking typically, a sexual attraction usually only lasts a few months at most. You might appreciate the person you are spending time with, and you might care about their well being, but you probably won't be that interested in getting to know them. I've been sexually attracted to people whom I haven't been able to spend more than a few hours with. You can vibe with someone physically and not have any connection to them on an interpersonal level. The laws of attraction get weird like that.❞➢ Sexual Attraction Vs. Romantic Attraction from elite daily See alsoaesthetic attraction, crush, romantic attraction, sensual attraction, squish https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sexual-attraction
sexual beings We long to touch & be touched, sex raises our passions.
As sexual beings, touch and sex are important. We think about it often, sometimes constantly. We're wired to desire it. Sex alone is less than half the fun. But… Your desire does not control another's choice. So much of our social activity is based on making ourselves charming, even if we don't expect sex from everyone else.❝The greatest thing you'll ever learnIs just to love and be loved in return❞✧
❝You must learn to give, from sufficiency, not only take, from neediness.❞— A Civil Campaign, a novel by Lois McMaster BujoldSome people go through their entire lives never learning that simple fact. We're judged by how we touch the lives of others, physically, mentally and spiritually. Touch another without consent and against their will and that is abuse no matter how it makes you feel. Obligating someone with a "gift" is still manipulation. While humans are sexual beings, we’re not defined solely by sex. Looks can be important, sure, but that’s not all there is. What you see on the outside is just the outer layer. People aren't limited by genitalia or body shape. The brain is still the vital sex organ. Sometimes it’s what I learn about a woman that arouses me. Anyone who can hold their own in a discussion with me gets my attention. If they’re female, that means more attention than I gave at first glance. In Western culture, both beauty and sex appeal are cheap and plentiful. But someone who knows how to think! Someone who knows and cherishes honor! Someone who’s willing to stand up for what they believe is right even if it’s unpopular! Those rare qualities show just how worthy someone really is. That’s when it’s not about the perfect body. That’s when it’s about talking and sharing after coitus. That’s when it’s about the smells and sounds and the way flesh feels in the dark. That’s when you want to spend time with someone you trust and admire. That's a sure way to deep sex. Sex is more than exchanging fluids, friction, DNA, viruses and bacteria. Sex is about life. Sex can make your life better. Or it can drain your passion to nearly nothing. Sex is not love although there is certainly a hormonal charge. I think it's one of the great failings of our culture to insist that love and sex are aspects of the same thing. Sex is easy, it's practically wired into the biology. Relationships are hard. Anonymous sex without an emotional connection is mutual masturbation and probably won't be a lasting relationship. I know from experience that one night stands are fairly childish and not emotionally healthy. Given a chance, people outgrow that. I did. Millions of others do too. That differentiates casual sex from deep sex. The body heat and skin-to-skin contact can enhance the bond, but the root of the bond isn’t sex. Do you trust the other person? Do you trust them to tell you truth? Do you trust them not to hurt you or yours? Do you trust them not to steal? Do you trust them enough to share your tomorrow? Can they trust you? Shared trust is what can make it work. What else is worth talking about? No, sex does not equal romantic love. No, nudity does not equal sex. Most importantly, without consent sex is abuse. You are your own person, no one owns you except you. Sex is something you share with someone you care for and trust. You shouldn't share with people you don't trust or don't like. Here’s the secret that all those how-to sex books won’t tell you. If you care for the other person, if you respect them, if you share deep passions with them, then the sex makes all that better. The more you know about them and the more they know about you, the better the sex will be. If they push your mind and spirit while you push theirs, you’ll never be bored. All that without the exotic positions, the extra toys, the role play, and the power play.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sexual
sexual initiation deflower, popping the cherry, taking virginity
First time sex usually between an older experienced lover and a young (but legally adult) person. “Don't fuck with kids.” Done right, it can be an intense and emotional rewarding experience. Done wrong and it screws things up.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sex-initiation
sexual initiation (pagan)
Ritual sex combined with granting power and knowledge.No, I don't know exactly what's involved. I wouldn't tell you if I did. The last thing this World needs is another creep hitting on someone for Secret Sex Rites because of something they read on the internet. Some will tell you that there are no pagan sexual initiations. That's not exactly true, but I personally know of only a handful. Every one was a single line, which means that the magick could only be passed once from teacher to student, who in turn could only pass it on only once. No moonlit orgies there. I understand that some third degree Wiccan initiations could be sexual, but there is a ceremonial alternative. If a group requires sex, it's a safe bet that someone is collecting pelts and you can find something safer AND BETTER elsewhere. If you are uncomfortable with sex and ritual combined, just don't do it. I know of no ethical pagan practice that involves non-consensual sex. Even in the ones that involve bondage and discipline and power exchange, there's always consent. And if you don't believe me, go read your Gardner and Crowley again. Sex and magick can be mind-blowing, but do yourself a favor and keep the sex safe. You'll be glad you did.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#initiation
sexuality
labels • somatic • orientation • gender role • wired differentlyA person's sexual feelings and actions. How society or a person labels their sexual feelings or actions.❝Sexuality is a thing of the mind, not of the genitalia.❞— Maggie McNeill, Rope of SandWe humans have made this very complicated, especially in Western cultures. In my opinion, the labels detract from enjoying the time you spend with others. I don't care who you sleep with as long as you don't demand that I sleep with who you designate. It's all about mutual choice between unpledged consenting adults.❝More and more I've noticed that there is a difference between someone who calls themselves X and someone who calls themselves a person who happens to be X. When you let your politics define your personhood, there's not much room left for your personhood outside of your politics. Without your personhood, you can lose empathy and humanity.❞➢ label❝Remember the Ellen show? That was a sitcom about someone living a wacky life, pretty much the “every person” but in weird, uncomfortable situations. When Ellen DeGeneres came out, the show shifted focus to a lesbian living a wacky life. It niched itself out of existence. The LGBQ stuff was important to Ellen and to Ellen’s character, but not to most of her existing audience. People didn’t care about lesbians, they wanted to see a talented performer and good writing. When they couldn’t relate to the storylines or characters, people tuned out. Of course it was blamed on anti-gay bias.❞Adult human male brains are wired differently than adult female brains. I know that's not a popular idea these days, but it doesn't mean it's not true. Men and women generally expect different things in a sexual partner and get different things from sex. This is a good thing. To get continued sex, most males learn to pay attention in the long term. And to get long term commitment, most females learn to pay attention to what their partners want in the short term. This trade-off and focus on the Other as well as one's self shows maturity and stability. This sharing can lead to bonding between partners. Teenage and young adult males tend to have their strongest sex drive while female sex drives can often blossom later (but not always) in life. Complicating things, most younger men don't know how to pleasure women and have to learn. Younger American women are told that the should enjoy sex just as much as a man, especially their same-age peers. If they don't, questioning their own sexuality is not unusual. Add female tendencies to clique and follow trends, it doesn't take much for one teenager's or young woman's discomfort to spread quickly. Many young women aren't looking for sexual contact or orgasm as much as they are looking for emotional validation. When lesbianism became accepted, that simplified some things on a surface level. It's socially shielding that offers easy choices without consequences and without having to face all their emotions. Difficulties can be blamed on prejudice and oppression and not on one's own actions and needs. One very common male fantasy can further complicate things: seducing an attractive “unavailable” woman and show her what a “REAL man” can do while leaving her panting and begging for more. Yes, this is classic toxic masculinity and TruMale™ behavior. Most men outgrow it. Another complication is that American males are taught from an early age that casual touch is “not good” except among family members and sports team members. While this started just after WWII, it accelerated as open homosexuality was increasingly encouraged. No, these aren't the only reason people's sexuality might shift. It's just worth keeping in mind. I do not think that sexuality is unchanging, I think it depends on time, circumstance and the people around you. Remember that men and women get different things out of sex. Your feelings may change, but that doesn't lock you into the label.Sorting out the labels.
I have issues with the labels. So why does it matter if a “cisgender straight guy” has problems with labels? I think that people who embrace the label instead of the person complicate their lives needlessly. Not to mention the lives of everyone around them. ABNC works. Paraphrasing Alfred Korzybski, the word is not the thing and you are not the label. The label describes you, it doesn't define you. And it does not lock you irrevocably into one thing. At best in this moment you are a person who feels (label). That may change, or not. I'm not getting into if someone was “born that way” or if they can be “cured.” And I won't declare which if any is “normal.” Although if pressed, I'd probably say it varies over time according to circumstances and the people involved. Alternative orientations and gender roles will always exist, but they will never be mainstream or a majority. The best anyone can hope for is acceptance and freedom to live their life responsibly as they choose. Mainly I think using labels makes the label more important than the person. Should I care about your sexuality? Unless you and I fuck, not really. Should I care about any of the other labels you choose to use? No. Should I care how you treat me and other people? Yes.None of these labels have anything to do with promiscuity or casual sex. Just to be clear, my issue is not with the label. My issue is that other people demand that I acknowledge and “celebrate” their chosen label at the cost of my own. My issue is that others demand I lessen myself to proclaim their “superiority” and “moral enlightenment.”
- Asexual - doesn't experience sexual desire or sexual attraction.
- Bisexual - attracted to both men and women.
- Cisgender - identifies with the physical gender they were born with. Doesn't have anything to do with what genders they are attracted to.
- Demisexual - experiences sexual attraction only if they have a strong emotional bond with the other person.
- Gay - formerly (and occasionally today) attraction to the same gender, today it's the common term for attraction between men.
- Gender fluid - someone whose gender identity or gender expression is not fixed and shifts depending on the situation.
- Genderqueer - I'm still trying to figure this one out.
- Intersex - not biologically female or male due to anatomical, genetic, or hormonal differences.
- Lesbian - attraction between women, for some reason a common fetish among straight men and not a few straight women.
- Pansexual - attracted to multiple sexes and gender identities. Some claim that pansexuals are attracted to everyone.
- polyamory - more than one regular committed romantic partner. Not casual or hookup sex.
- polygamy - having more than one spouse, historically usually multiple wives subservient to one husband. The American version seems a particularly bad idea.
- Queer - formerly pejorative reclaimed as a proud declaration, supposedly refers to those not straight and/or cisgender.
- Straight - attraction between men and women, considered “normal.” People are mostly straight, the biology is engineered to produce more people.
- Transgender - describes someone whose gender identity does not match the physical gender they were born with. Some call this conflicting with the assigned gender.
Somatic or body sexuality consists of genitalia and other sexual characteristics that your body naturally manifests. Somatic sexuality compares to biological sex. This is the least important part of a person's sexuality and the hardest to change. We're a social species and we do better with good people around us. While there are medical conditions resulting in a mismatch between physical gender and mental gender, it’s an extremely small fraction of people. Most of today’s transgenderism comes from political activism or psychological manipulation, not biology.Somatic sexuality is not easily modified.
Modified somatic sexuality is much harder to reverse.There are very definite and undeniable physical differences between human males and females. These include bone structure, musculature, and brain connections. Most of these differences manifest during puberty. Someone who has goine through puberty as a male and transistioned to female has a higher muscle baseline, denser bones, and higher lung capicity. They shouldn't compete in sports against those who went through puberty as female. At the same time, they tend to be less strong than someone who was born male but never transitioned. To me the solution is obvious, three categories of sports: mens, womens, and trans. These facts DO NOT make one biological sex better or worse. It means that certain things come easily to one sex on average than the other, regardless of plumbing or taste in sexual partners. Like it or not, someone who has gone through puberty as a male will have on average greater upper body strength and other differences. Someone who has gone through puberty as female will possess on average a greater pain tolerance among other things. An adult female pelvis can handle childbirth. This leads to differences in musculature, stride, movement, balance, and how a body stays at rest. The amazing thing is that I have to mention this obvious difference. At present, there is no easy way to change somatic sexuality. Such attempts may create deeper problems, especially before puberty and sexual maturity. Depending on the definition, somewhat less than 3% of Americans may be transgender. Less than 1% of the American population openly identify as transgender. Actual physical transgenders are an even smaller part of the population. The first sentence in that paragraph is important. “Depending on the definition…” The medical conditions have been deliberately confused with the social label. The social label is wrapped up in exploitive politics and lousy psychology. Politics is always bad news for someone. Bad psychology can cause lasting harm for years, decades. Medical procedures exploiting politics and bad psychology almost never work out. When it comes to protecting minorities, American instincts kick in. We make excuses why they shouldn’t be held to the same standards of behavior. We shield them from criticism. Like many American victim movements arising out of the late 20th Century, there are three groups. Those actively oppressed, those who believe they are oppressed, and those seeking political power by exploiting highly visible examples of oppression.❝Rapid-onset gender dysphoria describes a phenomenon where the development of gender dysphoria is observed to begin suddenly during or after puberty in an adolescent or young adult who would not have met criteria for gender dysphoria in childhood. ROGD appears to represent an entity that is distinct in etiology from the gender dysphoria observed in individuals who have previously been described as transgender. It is plausible that ROGD represents an ego-syntonic maladaptive coping mechanism for some AYAs and that peer group and online influences may contribute to its development. It is unknown whether the gender dysphoria of rapid-onset gender dysphoria is temporary or likely to be long-term. The elevated number of friends per friendship group who became transgender-identified, the pattern of cluster outbreaks of transgender-identification in these friendship groups, the substantial percentage of friendship groups where the majority of the members became transgender-identified, and the peer group dynamics observed all serve to support the plausibility of social and peer contagion for ROGD. The worsening of mental well-being and parent-child relationships and behaviors that isolate teens from their parents, families, non-transgender friends and mainstream sources of information are particularly concerning. More research is needed to better understand rapid-onset gender dysphoria, its implications, and scope.❞Although not trendy to say, surgical and hormonal modification with our current technology will complicate the situation and probably won't solve existing problems. I can't see somatic sex modification for pre-teens and teenagers as anything except child abuse. Some men claim to be trans or pre-trans to take sexual advantage of women and young girls.Sexual orientation defines which somatic sex attracts you. Like most social definitions, the label is human created and can change. Depending on circumstances and the people around you, it is natural for sexual orientation to shift. It's also natural for sexual orientation to stay stable throughout a lifetime. I've found that words like straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and pansexual tend to be excuses. You're not exclusively the label, and the word can limit what you allow yourself to be. Remember you are not label, you are a person who at this moment feels label. That can and probably will change. Shorn of politics and power games, the only label is sexual. As long as it is unpledged consenting adults, what else matters? Remember that orientation is a label and that your orientation doesn't govern anyone else. Sex should be about choice and consent.❝I get the impression that sexuality, for many younger people, is now just about sexuality, and not that much about identity. Is this the beginning of the end, then, of identity politics? The gay rights movement was built on recognizing and celebrating differences based on sexual orientation. But as sexual orientation becomes more like a space of fluid and changing experiences, rather than a series of boxes marked "gay," "straight" or "bisexual," sexual orientation loses its power as an organizing force. Can you have a Gay Pride march if everyone is merely "open-minded"?❞
The third major aspect of sexuality is the gender role. This is the persona that one presents to the world. People complicate this and break it into gender expression and gender identity, but I think that just multiplies labels and complicates things. Some cultures have very strict limits on the gender role, especially if it differs from somatic sexuality. Traditionally some cultures have used unusual gender roles to mark religious or magickal practices.✮
I have some final thoughts. If someone talks systemic oppression or uses language drawn from gender studies, it''s probably the politics of victimhood and not individual sexuality. We do have some problems with discrimination in America, but those issues are fading fast. It's not a right unless the other has it too. The best anyone can hope for is acceptance and freedom to live their life responsibly as they choose. Your sexuality shouldn't control another.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sexuality https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#mvf
https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sorting https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#somatic
https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#orientation https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#gender
❝The practice of shadow banning involves an administrator or system operator hiding posts from a particular user in order to minimize their effect on a readership. Shadow banning has been a common strategy on forums for dealing with malicious or inappropriate behavior or censoring some form of user traffic. Shadow banning is also known as stealth banning or ghost banning.❞https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#shadow-banning
shadows
I prefer operating from the fringe. No great recognition, but no glow in the dark targets either.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#shadows
shapeshifter deck
My prefered tarot deck. I've no gift for augury. I use it for meditation not divination.❝The Shapeshifter Tarot, by D. J. Conway, Sirona Knight and illustrated by Lisa Hunt, was originally published by Llewellyn Publications in September of 1998 as a deck. This was the first of many successful Tarot collaborations between Ms. Conway and Ms. Hunt. Though shapeshifting is commonly associated with Shamanism, this deck was inspired by Western European cultures that practiced this spiritual art and has a strong Celtic Shamanic vibe. In Chapter 1 of the Companion book the authors note that shapeshifting is not the physical act of turning into a particular animal, but of taking on their characteristics, traits, talents and qualities for a limited amount of time or for a specific purpose. In this chapter they also note that being a Shaman or a Druid is not necessary to shapeshift and that this deck will assist those interested in shapeshifting to “understand and use the energies of Otherworld Animal Allies.”
… The Shapeshifter Tarot is a non-traditional Tarot deck, meaning that its structure is not what you see in your typical deck. It consists of 81 cards, 25 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana. The three additional cards are all in the Major Arcana (21 The Double, 22 The Journey, and 23 The Dreamer), and per the authors they are Shamanic in origin. The changes in the structure of the Shapeshifter Tarot deck are based on the practices of the Gwyddonic Druid Tradition. The vast majority of the Major Arcana cards have been renamed, and the traditional World card, Oneness in this deck, has been moved from position 21 to position 24.❞https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#shapeshifter-deck
Shockley-Queisser Limit solar photocell limitations
❝…first calculated by William Shockley and Hans Queisser in 1961. A solar cell's energy conversion efficiency is the percentage of power converted from sunlight to electrical energy under "standard test conditions" (STC). The STC conditions approximate solar noon at the spring and autumn equinoxes in the continental United States with the surface of the solar cell aimed directly at the sun. The modern SQ Limit calculation is a maximum efficiency of 33% for any type of single junction solar cell. The original calculation by Shockley and Queisser was 30% for a silicon solar cell.
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The best modern production silicon cell efficiency is 24% at the cell level and 20% at the module level as reported by SunPower in March of, 2012. In a laboratory, the record solar cell efficiency is held by the University Of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia at 25%.❞➢ The Shockley Queisser Efficiency Limit from Solar Cell Central✧
❝The SQ limit is much like the carnot efficiency of heat engines. It puts an upper limit on the maximum achievable efficiency of a solar cell based on fundamental physics, material properties and on the nature of the incident solar radiation. For example, under the assumptions of the limit, commercially popular crystalline silicon solar cells can never exceed an efficiency of 33% in converting sunlight to electricity on earth’s surface. Other considerations further lower this limit, but several techniques can also work around the assumptions and can thus create cells with greater efficiencies.❞➢ Shockley Queisser limit from Photovoltaic Site✧
❝In science, the Shockley–Queisser limit, refers to the maximum theoretical efficiency of a conventional solar cell using a single p-n junction to collect power from the cell. It was first calculated by William Shockley and Hans-Joachim Queisser at Shockley Semiconductor in 1961, giving a maximum efficiency of 30% at 1.1 eV. However, this calculation used a simplified model of the solar spectrum, and more recent calculations give a maximum efficiency of 33.7% at 1.34 eV, but the value is still referred to as the Shockley-Queisser limit in their honor. The limit is one of the most fundamental to solar energy production with photovoltaic cells, and is considered to be one of the most important contributions in the field. That is, of all the power contained in sunlight (about 1000 W/m²) falling on an ideal solar cell, only 33.7% of that could ever be turned into electricity (337 W/m²). The most popular solar cell material, silicon, has a less favorable band gap of 1.1 eV, resulting in a maximum efficiency of about 32%. Modern commercial mono-crystalline solar cells produce about 24% conversion efficiency, the losses due largely to practical concerns like “reflection off the front of the cell” & “light blockage from the thin wires on the cell surface”.❞Using existing technology, there is no way to overcome this limit. It would require a totally different type of solar cell. There's also the limit that solar power only works as long as there is sunlight. Limits on battery technology further limit the amount of energy that can be stored. Footprint is another limit. But the Shockley–Queisser is the biggest limiter.See alsonuclear https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#shockley-queisser
Sierra cup hard tool
❝A Sierra cup (originally called a Sierra Club Cup) is a cup used for camping or Backpacking. Sierra cups are wider at the top than bottom, allowing for stacking. They typically have a fixed wire handle that is formed into a hook for attaching the cup to a belt. Some products, which use the name "sierra cup," have straight handles or handles that can fold away or be removed to save storage space. The cup is normally made of stainless steel, although other materials such as aluminum, titanium, and plastic have also been used. While metal sierra cups may be used for cooking food or purifying water, they were not designed for this use and do it poorly. The narrow base makes a sierra cup easier to tip over. The broad rim creates more surface area for water to evaporate, thus increasing time to boil water in it. The cup generally becomes scalding hot when heating water and cannot be drunk from directly until it has cooled down.❞
One of those useful implements that you'll soon wonder how you did without. Forget finding a "portable cauldron," a good Sierra cup is almost made to order for small scale spellcasting. Just make sure you get at least two, one for "working" and one for you to eat and drink from. I volunteered one year for Sunship Earth, an outdoor education program. That's when I discovered Sierra cups and how useful they could be. It didn't take long to see the "pagan" applications, especially working away from home. The price, durability, and ease of clean up make them ideal for magick.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sierra-cup
In some politics, laws and rules apply to every one else but not your group. Particularly prevailent among Democrats right now, it illustrates one of my greatest frustrations. It's not “Believe all women,” it's “Believe ALMOST all women so long as the accused is not a Democrat.” The First Amendment protects ALMOST all speech, religion, and assembly unless the perpetrator offends you OR prominent people you agree with. The Second Amendment protects ALMOST all gun rights unless the gun owner offends you or might offend you in the future. The Fourth Amendment protects against ALMOST all search and siezure unless the accused offends you. The Fifth Amendment guarantees due process for ALMOST everyone unless the accused offends you. The Sixth Amendment means a speedy trial for ALMOST everyone unless the accused offends you. Then they deserve to rot in jail, forgotten, and overlooked by the system. The Seventh Amendment means ALMOST every accused gets a jury trial unless the accused offends you. The Eighth Amendment protects ALMOST everyone from excessive bail or punishment unless the accused offends you. The Ninth Amendment means that ALMOSt every one has rights that are not specifically spelled out in the Constitution unless the target offends you. Likewise, the law applies ALMOST equally to everyone. But the people “doing good work” deserve a little leniency. We shouldn't make the law too strict for those with good intentions and good reputation. Obviously I think that is all codswallop. I've no problem with people and especially politicos held responsible for what they do and say PROVIDED that all individuals are held to the same standards of behavior. My problem is when the law is made selective against those who offend or protecting those “on your side.”➢ inspired by a TheOtherAndrewB Disqus comment See alsouniform rule of law https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#almost
Silver Rule
❝Do for yourself at least as much as you do for others❞See also3%, enabling, Golden Rule, Golden Rule, Iron Rule, Iron Rule, Platinum Rule, Platinum Rule, Ro3 № 25 https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#silver-rule
simony
- the making of profit out of sacred things.
- the sin of buying or selling ecclesiastical preferments, benefices, etc.
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❝Simony, buying or selling of something spiritual or closely connected with the spiritual. More widely, it is any contract of this kind forbidden by divine or ecclesiastical law. The name is taken from Simon Magus (Acts 8:18), who endeavoured to buy from the Apostles the power of conferring the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Simony, in the form of buying holy orders, or church offices, was virtually unknown in the first three centuries of the Christian church, but it became familiar when the church had positions of wealth and influence to bestow. The first legislation on the point was the second canon of the Council of Chalcedon (451). From that time prohibitions and penalties were reiterated against buying or selling promotions to the episcopate, priesthood, and diaconate. Later, the offense of simony was extended to include all traffic in benefices and all pecuniary transactions on masses (apart from the authorized offering), blessed oils, and other consecrated objects. ❞➢ www.britannica.com/topic/simonySee alsoActs 8:9-24, Question 100. Simony from New Advent: Summa Theologiae https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#simony
Single Board Computer
SBCSee alsoNAS, Raspberry Pi https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#singlebc
situational vortex
A series of ever expanding tasks moving further and further away from the original goal. In order to do one task (hang a shelf), another task (borrow a level) should be completed. But to really do the second task right, a third one (return a pipe wrench) should be done. As long as the third task is going to be done, then a related fourth task would be easy enough. And so on and so on. Inspired by an essay by noted outdoor humorist Patrick F. McManus.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#situational-vortex
A common practice among some bloggers and websites where most of the text in an entry came uncredited from someone else. Sadly, I’ve done this more than I should have. In my blogs, I do try to limit what I quote and give credit whenever I can. In my reference sites (like this one) I always credit.See alsoFair Use https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#skimmed
skinny dipping nude swimming
The “natural” way to swim. Swim suits are a 20th Century invention, and originally not all that comfortable. Bathing costumes existed in the 19th but were very much a sign of affluence. Skinny dipping is perhaps the last example of semi-acceptable American public nudity outside of private property or a designated "clothes optional" area. It's a great and fun way to let your inhibitions loose, even if no drinking is involved. And it usually doesn't include sex.See also15 Huge Don'ts For Skinny Dipping from TheTalko, American social behaviors (post WWII) - public nudity, Frank Answers About Swimming Naked from Frank Answers, How to Skinny Dip (with safety tips) from wikiHow, naturism, nekkid, skinny dipping from fine art america https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#skinny-dip
skyclad
Nudity does not necessarily or even mostly equal sex.❝To be naked, specifically during spiritual ritual (pagan/wiccan). Some believe that clothing interferes with the natural energies of magick, and that it brings you closer to the Earth.❞
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❝But why do these Covens choose to practice in the nude? The intent behind this custom is not perverse by any means. It instead entails a logic concerning the combination of energy flow and the reverence of nature. Ritual nudity has been observed since the days of ancient paganism. The Practitioners of old believed that clothing limited the maximum flow of energy exerted from an individual, and thus it would help them achieve their Magickal goals by removing their clothing. This idea was reinforced by the fact that Rituals were a form of worship of the Divine and her natural beauty, and it should follow that all participants be in their most natural form. These people thought nothing of it at the time. However, Skyclad of modern times has generated much more controversy. Perhaps this notion is more controversial today due to the emphasis that we place upon clothing, or because society’s collective conception of ‘decency’ has changed. Even so, it seems as if the scrutiny that Covens practicing Skyclad grows each day.❞➢ What is Skyclad? from 7witches CovenWhen it comes to magick, yep, I usually shuck the clothes and do the "nekkid pagan guy" thing. Nudity doesn't usually excite me, but magick does, with all the physical reactions. Yes, I get erect and my nipples get harder. Despite my body's reactions, I very seldom use an orgasmic release in my magick. I'm not the only pagan who prefers to work nude. It's probably because most pagan paths are experienced rather than revealed, unusual sensuality is a major part of experience. That's why some pagans use ritual garb chosen as much for it's texture as it's color. Nudity is not necessary for magick. It's very much a personal choice. It can be distracting and in today's society and can introduce sexual complications (even though it shouldn't). That's one reason why I wear clothes when I work with others or when someone is likely to see me. I'm also a desert-dweller and not stupid. Without a fire, the desert gets pretty cold at night. Even more so in the high desert. There just isn't that much concrete, asphalt, and buildings to hold the heat. Some of my favorite parts of the Arizona forests are colder still. I'd rather be warm than nekkid.❝The real spirit of witchcraft has nothing in common with the banal sexual fantasies of thriller writers and the yellow press. Nor is it anything like the over-intellectualised occultism of both East and West, that takes to itself much importance today, and requires many long words to express itself. The real secrets cannot be expressed in words. They are much more matters of feeling and intuition, than they are of the intellect. The joy and exhilaration of dancing naked is one way of drawing close to them. However, present-day ‘exposers’ of witchcraft are not the first to be excited by the idea of naked witches. A number of artists in times past have delighted to represent witches as voluptuous young women, naked and shameless. A notable artist of this genre was Hans Baldung Grun; and it was a picture of his that gave Albrecht Durer the idea for Durer’s famous engraving, The Four Witches. This wonderful work of art, dated 1497, shows four buxom women stripping for a witch rite. The point of the picture, not always realised, is this: the women have removed all their clothes except their head-dresses, and these head-dresses, all different, show the various classes of society from which they come. There is the great lady, with an elaborate coif of delicate material upon her head. There is the courtesan, with loose flowing hair, bound only with a garland of leaves. There is the respectable burgess’s wife, with a plain, rather severe head-dress, which covers all her hair closely and modestly. Lastly, there is the peasant woman, with merely the end of a scarf or shawl over her head. The artist is saying that all these are sisters in witchcraft, and that witches come from all classes of society. When they are naked, they meet as equals, and social distinctions are forgotten.❞✧
❝In some Pagan traditions, including but not limited to Wicca, rituals may be held in the nude, also referred to as skyclad, or “clad only by the sky.” Being skyclad is not sexual in nature. Of those who practice skyclad, many say that it helps bring them closer to the Divine, because there is literally nothing between them and the Gods. In other traditions, a person may be skyclad only during certain ceremonies, such as an initiation rite. There are a number of reasons for going skyclad, but there is not a hard and fast rule that it must be done. Just as many Pagans work robed as skyclad. Why would someone choose to work in the nude? Let's take a look at some possible reasons. For some, it's because there is a sense of freedom and power that comes from being without the confines of clothing.
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In many cases, whether a group chooses to work skyclad or not depends on a number of things, such as the age of participants and comfort level with each other, weather, and how much privacy is available. It's one thing to have six naked adults in your living room, but completely another to have them scampering around in the local park while the non-Pagans are having a picnic with their children.❞➢ Do Pagans Practice Nude? from Learn Religions See alsoBeltaine, cross-quarter day, fertility cult, fire festival, moonbathing, naturism, nekkid, Nudity in Wicca and Paganism Part 1: A Brief History, Nudity in Wicca and Paganism Part 2: Why the Skyclad Tradition Continues, pagan attitudes on nudity & sex, sex - ritual https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#skyclad
❝The self-deluded idea that by liking, sharing, or retweeting something you are helping out.❞
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❝Slacktivism (slactivism or slackervism, a portmanteau of slacker and activism) is a pejorative term for "feel-good" measures in support of an issue or social cause. Slacktivism is showing support for a cause with the main purpose of boosting the egos of participants in the movement. The action may have little effect other than to make the person doing it feel satisfied that they have contributed. Slactivism is often a form of virtue signaling. The underlying assumption being promoted by the term is that these low-cost efforts substitute for more substantive actions rather than supplementing them, although this assumption has been criticized. Many websites and news platforms have integrated social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter into their interface, allowing people to easily "like", "share" or "tweet" about something interesting they saw on the Internet. People can now express concern about social or political issues with nothing more than the click of a mouse, raising the question of what is actually being accomplished by these "likes" when very little thought or effort is required. Slacktivist activities include signing Internet petitions, joining a community organization without contributing to the organization's efforts, copying and pasting of social network statuses or messages or altering one's personal data or avatar on social network services. Research is beginning to explore the connection between the concept and modern activism/advocacy, as groups are increasingly using social media to facilitate civic engagement and collective action.❞
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❝Plastic straw bans are essentially environmental virtue signaling. The green impact is negligible, especially if the bans are done piecemeal instead of nationally. The most one might say of them is that they’re a small way to insinuate environmental consciousness into the average’s person daily routine. The least one might say is that they’re green slacktivism.❞https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#slacktivism
slut
- Disparaging and Offensive. a sexually promiscuous woman, or a woman who behaves or dresses in an overtly sexual way.
- Informal. a person with a seemingly insatiable but often undiscerning desire to do or have something specified
- Archaic.
- a prostitute; harlot.
- an immoral or dissolute woman.
- a dirty, slovenly woman.
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❝A slut is a woman with the morals of a man.❞A sexually active person, usually a woman. One who openly pursues sexual partners. One whose clothing emphasizes or exposes body parts commonly kept covered. I'm not going discuss risks of pregnancy or sexual diseases here. Although those topics should influence your behavior, they do not have bearing on the definition. Except as an excuse to disparage another. Sex in moderation is a good thing. As I see it, the problem comes when society or religion limits sexual activity for “moral” reasons. Anything outside those limits gets labeled immoral and risqué. Like any other human activity, self-discipline and self-moderation make the difference.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#slut
❝The word smishing combines SMS, the primary technical format for text messaging, and phishing. As in other phishing attacks, the criminals masquerade as government workers, tech support representatives, long-lost friends, or financial institutions and try to lure people into divulging personal details that could lead to fraudulent credit card purchases or identity theft.❞➢ Smishing: A Silly Word for a Serious Fraud Risk
from Consumer Reportshttps://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#smishing
SNAFU Situation Normal All Fucked Up
\https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#snafu
snowflake (slang, pejorative)
❝The pejorative sense of "an overly sensitive person" arose from a still-common misconception that no two snowflakes are alike. "Snowflake" as a derogatory term was popularized by its use in the 1996 novel Fight Club, by Chuck Palahniuk (see quotation above), but the insult had existed for a significant amount of time prior to this, although not in popular use. In recent years, the meaning has expanded from "a person who believes they are unique" to also denote someone who is too sensitive and is easily offended, based on conceptions of snowflakes' fragility and weakness.❞
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❝Began being used extensively as a putdown for someone, usually on the political left, who is easily offended or felt they needed a "safe space" away from the harsh realities of the world, but now has morphed into a general putdown for anyone that complains about any subject.❞
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❝Following Fight Club, the terms "special snowflake" and "special snowflake syndrome" were applied to individuals with a negative connotation.[8][9] Such terminology refers to a person who believes their status as a unique individual means they are destined for great success, or deserve a special career, with abundant praise and admiration. According to Merriam-Webster, in the 2000s snowflake referred "mostly to millennials who were allegedly too convinced of their own status as special and unique people to be able (or bothered) to handle the normal trials and travails of regular adult life"❞https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#snowflake
❝In moral and political philosophy, the social contract is a theory or model that originated during the Age of Enlightenment and usually concerns the legitimacy of the authority of the state over the individual. Social contract arguments typically posit that individuals have consented, either explicitly or tacitly, to surrender some of their freedoms and submit to the authority (of the ruler, or to the decision of a majority) in exchange for protection of their remaining rights or maintenance of the social order. The relation between natural and legal rights is often a topic of social contract theory.❞
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❝The idea of the social contract had a huge impact on the American Founding Fathers, especially Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) and James Madison (1751–1836). The U.S. Constitution starts with the three words, "We the people...," embodying this idea of popular sovereignty in the very beginning of this key document. Following from this principle, a government established by the free choice of its people is required to serve the people, who in the end have sovereignty, or supreme power, to keep or overthrow that government. Jefferson and John Adams (1735–1826), often political rivals, agreed in principle but disagreed about whether a strong central government (Adams and the federalists) or a weak one (Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans) sufficed best for supporting the social contract. ❞➢ The Social Contract from ThoughtCo.
- Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from other people
- Do not gather in groups
- Stay out of crowded places and avoid mass gatherings
➢ Social Distancing from the CDC✧
❝“Social distancing is a very general term, so there are a bunch of different types of measures that can fall under it,” Dr. Susy Hota, an Infectious Diseases Specialist and Hospital Epidemiologist at the University of Toronto’s research hospital University Health Network (UHN) tells TIME — people choosing (or being allowed) to work from home would count as social distancing, she says, as would organizations canceling mass gatherings and events. “All of these measures are trying to achieve the same thing… but [with] slightly different tactics and slightly different nuances.” It is widely viewed as an effective behavior and something that anyone and everyone should practice. “[Am I] doing the kinds of things that put barriers between me and the people that I’m dealing with?” Denise Rousseau, a professor of organizational behavior and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University, suggests people ask themselves. “This is how people need to think when they’re in their day to day interactions at a time like this. How can I reduce the risk?”❞➢ What Is 'Social Distancing?' from Time✧
❝Given the increased danger from new strains of influenza and the reality that existing antiviral drugs like Tamiflu did not work against all contagious diseases, Drs. Hatchett and Mecher and their team began exploring other ways to combat a large-scale contagion. It was about that time that Dr. Mecher heard from Robert J. Glass, a senior scientist at Sandia in New Mexico who specialized in building advanced models to explain how complex systems work — and what can cause catastrophic failures. Dr. Glass’s daughter Laura, then 14, had done a class project in which she built a model of social networks at her Albuquerque high school, and when Dr. Glass looked at it, he was intrigued. Students are so closely tied together — in social networks and on school buses and in classrooms — that they were a near-perfect vehicle for a contagious disease to spread. Dr. Glass piggybacked on his daughter’s work to explore with her what effect breaking up these networks would have on knocking down the disease. The outcome of their research was startling. By closing the schools in a hypothetical town of 10,000 people, only 500 people got sick. If they remained open, half of the population would be infected. “My God, we could use the same results she has and work from there,” Dr. Glass recalled thinking. He took their preliminary data and built on it by running it through the supercomputers at Sandia, more typically used to engineer nuclear weapons.❞➢ The Untold Story of the Birth of Social Distancing from the New York Timeshttps://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#distancing
❝Social engineering is a form of techniques employed by cybercriminals designed to lure unsuspecting users into sending them their confidential data, infecting their computers with malware or opening links to infected sites. In addition, hackers may try to exploit a user's lack of knowledge; thanks to the speed of technology, many consumers and employees don't realize the full value of personal data and are unsure how to best protect this information.❞➢ Social Engineering - Definition from Kaspersky
I first heard of social engineering back in the 1970s well before the term had any association with computers, cybercrime, or online activity. No matter how well the system is designed, people are the least consistant part. Social engineering exploits cultural mores, social conditioning, and personal expectations. As long as almost everyone sticks to the acceptable, cultural mores and social conditioning are usually benefiticial or at least mostly workable. We expect others to play by the rules. When our passions get in the way we don't always notice when fraudster is not using the commonly accepted rules. The counter is recognizing when parity no longer applies and then stop playing fair. If someone else is gaming the system, you aren't under any obligation to make nice.
❝Social engineering, in the context of information security, is the psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information. This differs from social engineering within the social sciences, which does not concern the divulging of confidential information. A type of confidence trick for the purpose of information gathering, fraud, or system access, it differs from a traditional "con" in that it is often one of many steps in a more complex fraud scheme. It has also been defined as "any act that influences a person to take an action that may or may not be in their best interests."❞
❝Social justice is getting what you don’t deserve because you are favored.❞— Allie Stuckey, Social Justice Isn't Justice from Prager UniversityRemember, social justice means the accused is presumed guilty unless there is overwhelming emotional reason otherwise. No other evidence is needed, the allegation is blame enough.❝Social justice is a political and philosophical theory which asserts that there are dimensions to the concept of justice beyond those embodied in the principles of civil or criminal law, economic supply and demand, or traditional moral frameworks. Social justice tends to focus more on just relations between groups within society as opposed to the justice of individual conduct or justice for individuals. Historically and in theory, the idea of social justice is that all people should have equal access to wealth, health, well-being, justice, privileges, and opportunity regardless of their legal, political, economic, or other circumstances. In modern practice, social justice revolves around favoring or punishing different groups of the population, regardless of any given individual's choices or actions, based on value judgements regarding historical events, current conditions, and group relations. In economic terms, this often means redistribution of wealth, income, and economic opportunities from groups whom social justice advocates consider to be oppressors to those whom they consider to be the oppressed. Social justice is often associated with identity politics, socialism, and revolutionary communism.❞➢ Social Justice from Invesopedia✧
❝Social Justice as a concept arose in the early 19th century during the Industrial Revolution and subsequent civil revolutions throughout Europe, which aimed to create more egalitarian societies and remedy capitalistic exploitation of human labor. Because of the stark stratifications between wealthy and the poor during this time, early social justice advocatesfocused primarily on capital, property, and the distribution of wealth. By the mid-20th century, social justice had expanded from being primarily concerned with economics to include other spheres of social life to include the environment, race, gender, and other causes and manifestations of inequality. Concurrently, the measure of social justice expanded from being measured and enacted only by the nation-state (or government) to include a universal human dimension. For example, governments (still today) measure income inequality among people who share citizenship in common. But social justice can also be considered at the level of humanity as a whole. As the United Nations states: “Slaves, exploited workers and oppressed women are above all victimized human beings whose location matters less than their circumstances.”❞➢ What is Social Justice? from pachamama alliance✧
❝Common Good. Social justice is typically associated with some notion of the common good. "Common good" is a wonderful term that goes back to Aristotle, but in practice, it often hinges on a key question: namely, who decides what is the common good? In ancient societies, often the wisest and strongest person was the ruler, and it was he who made the important decisions, such as where we will camp tonight or near which source of water we shall build our village. The person with the greatest strategic and tactical sense of what is safe and the greatest ecological sense of where there will be good community life would make these decisions. In contemporary times, beginning a century or two ago, that responsibility gradually shifted to the bureaucratic state. Decisions became too numerous for the ruler himself to make, and they became delegated to a variety of organizations. Further, such decisions came to be decided by many people at once. No longer is there one clear person to be held responsible and accountable for these decisions. Quickly, the beautiful notion of the common good gets ensnared in red tape.
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The Progressive Agenda. The progressive agenda begins with lack of faith in the new discoveries and the new vitalities introduced by what would soon become known as capitalism. Beginning in about 1600, European societies began experiencing a turbulent, dramatic shift from agrarian society to crowded commercial towns.
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There began to be developed a progressive agenda, first around labor. As you increase the numbers and the range of these little workshops and they hire more than 10--maybe 50--workers, the factory system began to grow. Now, for the first time, you were cutting off from their farms working people who used to be farmers, so they no longer grew their own food. They worked in the factory. Neither in the country nor in the factories did they work only eight-hour days. Nobody worked in the fields for only eight hours; they worked from sunup until sunset, and they did the same in the cities and in the factories too. The problem is that workers were now entirely dependent on their wages. It used to be that those who had a roof over their heads and enough to eat weren't poor. When the Bible says, "The poor ye shall always have with you," it suggests that's a rather good, normal condition. If you have a roof over your head and enough food, you're living the good life. But in the new towns and cities where workers became wage-dependent, some writers now spoke of "wage slavery." Workers became so dependent on their employers that they lost their rural independence. They lost the solidity of their old way of life. In this context, the progressive agenda was to "right" some of these wrongs. It meant being on the side of labor, the proletariat, as Marx put it. "Proletariat" is a word invented to mean people who work in factories, something that they thought hadn't existed before.
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Compassion. All these concerns fly increasingly under the flag of social justice. One more to note: There used to be a Tammany Hall saying: "Th' fella' w'at said that patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels, underestimated th' possibilities of compassion." In addition to "equality" and the "common good," the third term that came to be used in association with social justice was "compassion." The most extraordinary thing since about 1832 is that everything is done in the name of the poor. Modern revolutions are almost all fought in the name of the poor. (Not in the United States, but in the rest of the world.) What actually happens to the poor under revolutionary systems is a different question entirely. The Tammany Hall saying wittily calls attention to the fact that more sins have been committed in the name of compassion in the last 150 years--by the Nazis, by the Communists, and by the African and Asian despots who justify their regimes as "socialist"--than by any other force in history. We must not allow that beautiful term "compassion" to blind us. There are true forms and false forms.❞➢ Social Justice: Not What You Think It Is from The Heritage FoundationSee alsosocial justice warrior https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#social-justice
❝A pejorative term for an individual who repeatedly and vehemently engages in arguments on social justice on the Internet, often in a shallow or not well-thought-out way, for the purpose of raising their own personal reputation. A social justice warrior, or SJW, does not necessarily strongly believe all that they say, or even care about the groups they are fighting on behalf of. They typically repeat points from whoever is the most popular blogger or commenter of the moment, hoping that they will "get SJ points" and become popular in return. They are very sure to adopt stances that are "correct" in their social circle.❞
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❝A person who uses the fight for civil rights as an excuse to be rude, condescending, and sometimes violent for the purpose of relieving their frustrations or validating their sense of unwarranted moral superiority. The behaviors of Social justice warriors usually have a negative impact on the civil rights movement, turning away potential allies and fueling the resurgence of bigoted groups that scoop up people who have been burned or turned off by social justice warriors.❞
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❝What is a Social Justice Warrior? The term "Social Justice Warrior" (SJW) came about as a pejorative term to refer to a person who berates other internet users over matters of political correctness, but has since evolved to refer to a specific movement within tech and gaming culture that is based around professional victimhood, intimidation, and the proliferation of falsehoods.❞➢ The Sarkeesian Effect from Patreon.comIt is not about justice, it is about politics. Politics strives to control the behavior of others. Social justice warriors base their arguments on exploiting guilt politics, collective identity and intersectionality. Expect language games and kafkatrapping. Don't expect individual responsibility or merit. Results are measured by the gains made by a minority against a majority and emotional peaks. SJW types try controlling the language and the agenda by claiming a higher moral authority. Remember that the Practical Grudge Limit can be very useful when escaping the collective guilt.See alsoPresumed guilty until proven innocent, social justice, True Believer Rant, Why I MARGINALLY prefer conservatives over liberals https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sjw
Socratic method
❝the use of questions, as employed by Socrates, to develop a latent idea, as in the mind of a pupil, or to elicit admissions, as from an opponent, tending to establish a proposition.❞My preferred debate tactic. This IS NOT sealioning.❝Socrates engaged in questioning of his students in an unending search for truth. He sought to get to the foundations of his students' and colleagues' views by asking continual questions until a contradiction was exposed, thus proving the fallacy of the initial assumption. This became known as the Socratic Method, and may be Socrates' most enduring contribution to philosophy.❞➢ The Socratic Method from Law School of the University of ChicagoSee alsodæmon, maieutic, Socrates, Socrates https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#socratic-method
sojourner
One who chooses and takes the Journey and experience faith, actively Manifesting that faith, focused on their own path. Their path is experience. It's about the Journey, that movement along the way that can't be predicted. It's juicy, it's messy, it's mind blowing and it’s supremely passionate. It's ecstatic in a way that passivity never will approach. The Journey is SUPPOSED to drag you out of your comfort zone and your expectations and your perceptions and your understandings. You can't walk between the worlds if you have both feet and nine fingers firmly anchored in one.See alsothe Story vs. the Journey https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sojourner
solar festival
dates of solstices & equinoxesAn equinox or solstice, a quarter day that marks the peak, valley or balance of solar power. Despite popular belief, a solar festival is the MIDPOINT of the season, not the beginning. Most neopagan traditions mark solar festivals as Lesser Sabbats. Another name for the winter solstice is Midwinter (also here), another name for the summer solstice is Midsummer (also here). On my WebTree path, a solar festival begins at sunrise of the the day before the actual solar event and lasts until sunrise the day after. That makes it the three days.❝At the Solstices, the Sun is revered at the point of its apparent death at midwinter - and of its maximum power at the noon of the year when the days are longest. At the Equinoxes, day and night are balanced. At the Spring Equinox, the power of the sun is on the increase, and we celebrate the time of sowing and of preparation for the gifts of Summer. At the Autumnal Equinox, although day and night are of equal duration, the power of the sun is on the wane, and we give thanks for the gifts of the harvest and prepare for the darkness of Winter. These four festivals are astronomical observances, and we can be sure our ancestors marked them with ritual because many of the stone circles are oriented to their points of sunrise or sunset. By the time the circles were built, our ancestors had become a pastoral people, and times of sowing and reaping were vital to them.❞Commerical hard-copy calendars and almanacs use UTC to mark astronomical events. This means that the time and often the date don't usually match the local time of the event. Most date websites and digital calendar programs can compensate.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#solar-festival
solitary practitioner
❝Solitary practitioners are individuals preferring to work in private rather than within the confines of a group or coven. Some practice and study a particular single tradition, while others, like the Eclectic Wiccan pick, choose and blend different traditions. Wicca with its diverse number of traditions works well with this sort of practice, and Solitary working can be as fulfilling as working in a group setting. Because of its solitary nature and without clear guidance, it does involve a great deal of self-study and determination to achieve results and without a Mentor, it is easy to go astray as no one is around to correct any mistakes or deviations. However, many Solitaries follow the way of Nature and let themselves enjoy the ride within Mother Nature Herself, knowing that Nature cannot be wrong. Solitary Wiccans often undertake a ritual of self-initiation to dedicate themselves to the Goddess and God.❞➢ Traditions - Solitary Witchcraft from Controverscial.comhttps://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#solitary
solstice
See archaeoastronomy.com for dates this year
- Astronomy.
- either of the two times a year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator: about June 21, when the sun reaches its northernmost point on the celestial sphere, or about December 22, when it reaches its southernmost point.Compare summer solstice, winter solstice.
- either of the two points in the ecliptic farthest from the equator.
- a furthest or culminating point; a turning point.
Solstice comes from the Latin root sol meaning sun. Because of of the Earth's axial tilt solstices and seasons aren't the same all over the planet. In the northern hemisphere, December 21 is the winter solstice and is the longest night and shortest day. In the southern hemisphere, December 21 is the summer solstice and is the shortest night and longest day. But it's the same solstice, just from different perspectives. From a mythic standpoint, cultures and religions that celebrate the solstices also recognize natural cycles. If the light is stronger today, there will come a time when the light is weaker as the cycle continues. Commerical hard-copy calendars and almanacs use UTC to mark astronomical events. This means that the time and often the date don't usually match the local time of the event. Most date websites and digital calendar programs can compensate.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#solstice
somebody else's problem
❝Somebody else's problem (also known as someone else's problem or SEP) is a psychological effect where people choose to dissociate themselves from an issue that may be in critical need of recognition. Such issues may be of large concern to the population as a whole but can easily be a choice of ignorance by an individual. Author Douglas Adams' comedic description of the condition, which he ascribes to a physical "SEP field", has helped make it a generally recognized phenomenon. Somebody Else's Problem has been used to capture public attention on matters that may have been overlooked and has less commonly been used to identify concerns that an individual suffering symptoms of depression should ignore. This condition has also been employed as trivial shorthand to describe factors that are "out of scope" in the current context.❞
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❝"Somebody Else's Problem", an effectively-magical field that obscures things you think aren't relevant to you, such that even though you see them (or hear them or read them) you don't actually *notice*, and quickly forget. More generally, the phenomenon that causes people to ignore issues that they know about but think of as either not something they can do anything about, or not personally relevant to them right now. This can result in something that's very important to a group of people being ignored by every individual member of that group. Popularized by Douglas Adams in the "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" series, in which Ford Prefect describes it as: "An SEP is something we can't see, or don't see, or our brain doesn't let us see, because we think that it's somebody else's problem.... The brain just edits it out, it's like a blind spot. If you look at it directly you won't see it unless you know precisely what it is. Your only hope is to catch it by surprise out of the corner of your eye." ❞
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❝There’s actually a psychological term for an SEP field: the bystander effect. When a group of people observes an emergency like a fire or a mugging, there’s a tendency for them to believe that someone else has the situation under control. Someone else is probably calling the fire department. Somebody else will probably find a police officer. The bystander effect is apparent in the business world, too. Let’s say you have two lists of tasks: one list is directly assigned to you, while the other is “up for grabs” by anyone on your team. Psychologically, you’re more likely to cross things off your own list before you worry with the team list.❞➢ Somebody Else’s Problem? Issue Tracking And The Bystander Effect from The Done Done Blog✧
❝The bystander effect occurs when the presence of others discourages an individual from intervening in an emergency situation. Social psychologists Bibb Latané and John Darley popularized the concept following the infamous 1964 Kitty Genovese murder in New York City. As Genovese was stabbed to death outside her apartment, neighbors failed to step in to assist or call the police. Latané and Darley attributed the bystander effect to the perceived diffusion of responsibility (onlookers are less likely to intervene if there are other witnesses who seem likely to do so) and social influence (individuals monitor the behavior of those around them to determine how to act).❞https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sep
Sparkpoint
This year's date.A WebTree fire festival & cross quarter day. Sparkpoint marks the beginning of spring and the return of the light, staring at sunset the day before the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, ending at sunset on the day after (traditional three days). Sparkpoint marks the beginning of the WebTree year. I'm winterborn in the first part of January, so this has always been special. I was premature, so this might even have been my birthday.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sparkpoint
spell
A formularized and possibly ritualized way to change reality. See magick.Spell Casting 101
The long answer is very long and I am only going to touch on it here. Here's what most people absolutely need to know about spellcasting. For most purposes, spells are not that much different than prayers. It's the intent and passion behind them that is important. There's also if it's in harmony with the basic assumptions of society. As for the rest, paraphrasing Star Trek, "Nothing supernatural exists." Understanding what is already there and the balances involved is one key. Watching a Harry Potter film will no more let you hurl fireballs than watching Bruce Lee will let you win a no-holds barred fight with ten men. Knowledge, mastery and discipline can look miraculous if you don't understand the context and circumstances. Now this is the important thing, and it's the bit that most overlook. Almost all those supernatural enemies from beyond space and time that are out to get you, those are shadows that you yourself cast. You can't mess with the primal forces of the universe without understanding yourself. Just because it is unknown doesn't give it power. Right now I'm updating my lexicon entries. I know enough coding so that when I specify a h3 heading is going to be class "word" and style "color: inherit; display: inline;", it's gong to make the text appear a certain way on the page. But if you don't know HTML or CSS coding, you have only the vaguest idea of what I am talking about. It can sound esoteric and mysterious if you don't understand the basic framework and assumptions, but it really isn't. There is a difference between ceremonial and operative magick. Ceremonial magick honors the Divine, the magick, and the spiritual. Ceremonial ritual (hopefully) brings me in harmony with the World and it's natural cycles. Almost all my rituals are ceremonial and not operative. Operative magick is where I impose my will on reality. Since I'm a big believer in natural cycles and individual growth, I almost never use it. There are always consequences, sometimes very unexpected and often very unpleasant. Honestly it's easier and much more practical to do things normally. In fact when someone approaches me for help, I do everything I can to move it back under normal circumstances. That causes much less disruption and doesn't make me responsible for the choices of another. Away from pagans and spellcasters, I mention spells only when someone else raises the subject. Usually that person is either dangerously mistaken or deliberately spreading information. It saves me time and effort. Online, I never detail complete rituals even on my own sites. I figure if you don't understand enough of the basics to pick up my hints, you have no business trying to sling spells.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#spell https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#spellcasting
spellform
Similar to a thoughtform, but with an independent existence after creation. Usually tied to specific conditions with a physical object and not autonomous.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#spellform
squish
❝A squish is a platonic crush, one where you like someone and want to be close to them, but not in a romantic way.❞https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#squish
stag to ram
Some anthropologists charactized the transition between a hunter/gatherer culture to an agrarian culture by citing prey animals and herd animals. When prey animals are the the primary meat source, it's usually a nomadic hunter culture and religious rites focus on the hunt. When herd animals become the meat source, it's pastoral settlements and farms. Religious rites focus on fertility. Both hunter and agrarian cultures focus on Nature and the seasons, but for different reasons and using different markers. As a culture becomes more urbanized, it focuses more on personal interactions and things rather than animals and land. Cities overtake the rural areas as centers of thought. Natual cycles seem less important. Religious symbols and rites grow more abstract and esoteric. “Essential” status markers help displace style and practicality with fashion and trends. It's not uncommon for a culture to distance itself from World while claiming that humans are the reason for existence.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#stag-ram
standard argument, THE
❝The people who pay attention to laws are not the ones you should worry about.❞It applies to every single mala prohibita law you can name. The people who obey the law will obey. And those taking advantage will simply break the law with no real consequences unless they are caught and convicted. The only things that increase are taxes and government power.See alsogeneralized argument https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#standard-argument
Stars above and Earth below
One of my common expletives. I avoid profanity as I think overuse robs the passion. I wrote the original mnemonic/chant sometime around 1993 or 1994. In those days I didn't always date “the pagan stuff.” I also wrote it in longhand, something my fingers won't let me do today.See alsoHearthside https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#stars-above
Starwell
Winter solstice.A WebTree solar festival & quarter day marking the winter solstice and the middle of winter. A time of blood, contrasts and promises that celebrates the height of winter's power and the Wheel turning towards spring and eventually summer. Starwell lasts from sunrise on the day before the solstice to sunrise the day after (traditional three days). The Nightlord reaches his greatest strength and pays with the Wound while his weird the Daylord is reborn.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#starwell
Still, the
Not one of my prouder inventions. I stop speaking to someone, usually for months at a time. Goal is supposed to be a year and a day, but I’ve never made it that far. Sometimes it seems the best way out of a bad situation.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#still
stone fourteen pounds, or 6.35 kilograms
❝England and other Germanic-speaking countries of northern Europe formerly used various standardised "stones" for trade, with their values ranging from about 5 to 40 local pounds (roughly 3 to 15 kg) depending on the location and objects weighed. The United Kingdom's imperial system adopted the wool stone of 14 pounds in 1835. With the advent of metrication, Europe's various "stones" were superseded by or adapted to the kilogram from the mid-19th century on. The stone continues in customary use in Britain and Ireland for body weight, but was prohibited for commercial use in the United Kingdom by the Weights and Measures Act of 1985.❞https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#stone
“Stop learning, start dying.”
Jim Butcher used this pharse in the Dresden Files novel Turn Coat. The phrase probably came from an Einstein quote, “Once you stop learning, you start dying.” Good advice wherever it came from.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#stop-start
storge or storgh
Familial love, common empathy, the love of parents for children or children for parents. To a lessor extent, other relatives as well, although philos plays it's part there too. One of the Greek words for love.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#storge
Story, the
Stories are important, but they are signposts.The Story is told while the Journey is lived. The only two purposes of the story are to honor the memory of those who have gone before and to teach you to recognize where the path begins for your own Journey. The rituals are not the faith. The map is not the territory. The words are not the thing. The book tells you how to start, not how to end. Story People are the followers of a revealed faith, “the answers could be in the very next book.” Story People seek to live the fable.See alsothe Story vs. the Journey https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#story
straw man fallacy
❝The straw man is a fallacy in which an opponent's argument is overstated or misrepresented in order to be more easily attacked or refuted. The technique often takes quotes out of context or, more often, incorrectly paraphrases or summarizes an opponent's position. Then after "defeating" the position, the attacker claims to have beaten the real thing. Although the term straw man is a recent coinage, the concept is ancient. In the "Topics," Aristotle acknowledges "that in argument it would be inappropriate to interpret as someone's position an opinion that he did not express or is not committed to, in virtue of what he said" (Douglas Walton, "Methods of Argumentation"). The name of the fallacy represents the idea that although a straw man may look like a human, it won't put up any resistance in a fight.❞➢ Definition and Examples of the Straw Man Fallacy from ThoughtCo. See alsoTCoL #2 https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#straw-man
streetlight effect or drunkard's search
❝The streetlight effect, or the drunkard's search principle, is a type of observational bias that occurs when people only search for something where it is easiest to look. Both names refer to a well-known joke:A policeman sees a drunk man searching for something under a streetlight and asks what the drunk has lost. He says he lost his keys and they both look under the streetlight together. After a few minutes the policeman asks if he is sure he lost them here, and the drunk replies, no, and that he lost them in the park. The policeman asks why he is searching here, and the drunk replies, "this is where the light is".
The anecdote goes back at least to the 1920s, and has been used metaphorically in the social sciences since at least 1964, when Abraham Kaplan referred to it as "the principle of the drunkard's search". The anecdote has also been attributed to Nasreddin. According to Idries Shah, this tale is used by many Sufis, commenting upon people who seek exotic sources for enlightenment.❞
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❝Evidence of the streetlight effect can be found across several fields, from physics and astronomy, to economics, in which cases investigators draw suspect conclusions from analysis of irrelevant data.❞➢ The Streetlight Effect and Bias in Clinical Researcht from Clinical Pain Advisor✧
❝We're all sometimes guilty of letting our hopes get ahead of our heads and taking the chance that we'll find the best solution in the place that's easiest to search. For most, it doesn't have such dire consequences. Occasionally, though, we have to acknowledge that we're not lucky enough to find truth coupled with ease.❞➢ How the Streetlight Effect keeps scientists in the dark from Gizmodo✧
❝It's also like the way people keep trying to fight oppressive political systems by working within those systems, arguing that it will be much easier to defeat the oppression machine using the tools the machine gave them.❞➢ The Streetlight Effect: When People Look Within The System For Solutions To The System from Caitlin Johnstone See alsologic, politics https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#streetlight
Studley Tool Chest
❝Any good woodworker has a decent toolbox, but no one has ever created something as special as the Studley Tool Chest. This beauty is 20×40 inches when closed (40×40 inches when open) and contains 300 tools within its carefully crafted mahogany rosewood, ebony, and mother-of-pearl case. As interesting as the piece itself is, it has a long history, which at one point saw it displayed in the Smithsonian.
…
Designed to hold his own tools, as well as a collection of 19th-century hand tools, Studley worked diligently to craft an ingenious system that would pack everything into the relatively small space. Flip up trays, hidden compartments, and multiple layers conceal everything perfectly, like a well put together jig-saw puzzle. Each tool has its proper space, even clicking when pushed into place. A work of art itself, the Studley Tool Chest is full of detail, with mother-of-pearl and ivory inlay that speaks to his career as a piano man. The mammoth piece weights 72 lbs when empty and 156 lbs when open, meaning a full squad is needed to move it.❞➢ 19th-Century Tool Box Is Meticulously Designed to Hold 300 Tools
from My Modern Methttps://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#studley
Sturgeon's Revelation
“Ninety percent of everything is crud.”❝I repeat Sturgeon's Revelation, which was wrung out of me after twenty years of wearying defense of science fiction against attacks of people who used the worst examples of the field for ammunition, and whose conclusion was that ninety percent of SF is crud. Using the same standards that categorize 90% of science fiction as trash, crud, or crap, it can be argued that 90% of film, literature, consumer goods, etc. is crap. In other words, the claim (or fact) that 90% of science fiction is crap is ultimately uninformative, because science fiction conforms to the same trends of quality as all other artforms.❞https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sturgeon
sub rosa
https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sub-rosa
Summergate
This year's date.A WebTree fire festival & cross quarter day. Summergate marks the beginning of summer staring at sunset the day before the midpoint between the vernal equinox and the summer solstice and ending at sunset on the day after (traditional three days). The Winterlord throws open the Gates of Death and enters the Underworld.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#summergate
Suncrest
Summer solstice.A WebTree solar festival & quarter day marking the summer solstice and the middle of summer. A time of blood, contrasts and promises that celebrates the height of summer's power and the Wheel turning towards autumn and eventually winter. Suncrest lasts from sunrise on the day before the solstice to sunrise the day after (traditional three days). The Daylord reaches his greatest strength and pays with the Wound while his weird the Nightlord is reborn.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#suncrest
superior conjunction
❝the instant when a planet passes on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth (Mercury or Venus)❞https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#superior-conjunction
supermoon
❝A supermoon is the coincidence of a full moon or a new moon with the closest approach the Moon makes to the Earth on its elliptical orbit, resulting in the largest apparent size of the lunar disk as seen from Earth. The technical name is the perigee-syzygy of the Earth-Moon-Sun system. The term "supermoon" is not astronomical, but originated in modern astrology. The association of the Moon with both oceanic and crustal tides has led to claims that the supermoon phenomenon may be associated with increased risk of events such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, but the evidence of such a link is widely held to be unconvincing.❞https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#supermoon
adj.
- Of or relating to existence outside the natural world.
- Attributed to a power that seems to violate or go beyond natural forces.
- Of or relating to a deity.
- Of or relating to the immediate exercise of divine power; miraculous.
- Of or relating to the miraculous.
n.- That which is supernatural.
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❝Though often considered 'supernatural,' magic actually operates within a traditional view of the universe, complete with a recognizable set of natural laws.❞— Jay Kinney from “Magic: What is It?”, Gnosis № 2, Spring-Summer 1986
“Supernatural” has come to mean outside normal experience. That's accurate as far as it goes. Yes, there are things outside of our perception and comprehension. A couple of centuries ago, who understood radio waves or integrated circuits? That doesn't make those things unnatural or beyond nature. It's just some things are currently outside human perception and comprehension. I think the modern fascination with the supernatural can be traced to monotheism’s second sin. If humans are special and outside of nature, then it follows that what humans don't understand must likewise be outside of nature.❝Nothing supernatural exists. The word "occult" is beter, it means hidden. If something changes the universe, it can be measured. If it can be measured, it can be analyzed. If it can be analyzed, experiments can be performed. All the sudden this is sounding a lot like science class, isn't it? You might not have expected that, but here we are. Science grew out of experimenting with things unseen and unknowable. Science is the bastard child of magick. By my definition, magick is initiating, celebrating, and directing change. You could use Crowley, but I think this works better. And I am paying for the server space. Nothing supernatural exists. So the first step is finding out what does exist and what can be used.❞➢ Nothing Supternatural Exists from Technopagan Yearnings
❝Historically, supernatural powers have been invoked to explain phenomena as diverse as lightning, seasons and the human senses. Naturalists maintain that nothing beyond the physical world exists, and point to a lack of reliable evidence for anything supernatural, and hence maintain skeptical attitudes towards supernatural concepts. The supernatural is featured in occult and religious contexts, but can also feature as an explanation in more secular contexts, as in the cases of superstitions or belief in the paranormal.❞
supine
❝The Supine temperament is the quintessential model of a servant leader. They always place their own needs secondary to the good of the body. It is presented as a balanced mix between Melancholic and Sanguine temperaments, while the person may be introvert and extrovert as well. Motivated to be useful in a larger sense, Supines are driven to serve a higher cause than their own self-interest. This can lead them to appear subservient and even indeferent when it comes to their own needs, but in the interest of their chosen causes, they can be fiercely assertive. At their best, they’re caring, gentle, dependable and loyal; at their worst they can be insecure, weak-willed, and indecisive.❞
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- lying on the back, face or front upward.
- inactive, passive, or inert, especially from indolence or indifference.
- (of the hand) having the palm upward.
➢ www.dictionary.com/browse/supine?s=tSee alsofour temperaments, Four-Temperament Ensemble from TVTropes, Five Temperaments from Psychology Wiki https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#supine
surveillance capitalism
Monetizing data gathered through surveillance, often without the willing permission of the followed.See also
The Secrets of Surveillance Capitalism
from Frankfurter Allgemeine,The price of connection: ‘surveillance capitalism’
from The Conversationhttps://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#surveillance-capitalism
Survival Rule of Threes
On Earth, humans can live:
- 3 minutes without AIR
- 3 hours without SHELTER
- 3 days without WATER
- 3 weeks without FOOD
- 3 months without HOPE
➢ The Survival Rule of Threes from Urban Survival Sitehttps://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#survival
sustainability
- the ability to be sustained, supported, upheld, or confirmed
- Environmental Science. the quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance
A noble goal and a great marketable add-on feature, but not itself a practical industry.https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sustainability
swale
❝A swale is a sort of ditch, which is dug ‘on contour’, to catch the rainwater before it runs away, and soak it into the soil. The more water that is soaked into the soil, the less supplemental water is needed to water what is growing in the soil.❞➢ The purpose of a swale from living permaculture✧
❝Grassed Swales are an appropriate stormwater management practice for most regions of North America. Swales are a low cost low maintenance option to remove sediments, nutrients and pollutants. They increase stormwater infiltration and add a visually aesthetic component to a site. Establishment of grassed swales is a potential solution wherever stormwater needs to be transported from impervious surfaces, slowed down and allowed to infiltrate into soils. Exceptions to their use are in desert like areas where irrigation would be required for long-term maintenance and in colder regions with permafrost where infiltration is minimal. In northern climates without permafrost, design and maintenance requirements should be modified with respect to a shorter growing season, management of meltwater and depth of frost in soil… Typically grassed swales are used as an environmentally preferential solution or sometimes as an enhancement to the more traditional curb and gutter based storm sewer system. The linear structure of swales favors their use in the treatment of runoff from highways, residential roadways and common areas in residential sub-divisions, along property boundaries and in and around parking lots.➢ Grassed Swales from LakeSuperiorStreamshttps://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#swale
sybaritic
- pertaining to or characteristic of a sybarite; characterized by or loving luxury or sensuous pleasure:
- of, relating to, or characteristic of Sybaris or its inhabitants.
https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#sybaritic
syllogism
- Logic. an argument the conclusion of which is supported by two premises, of which one (major premise) contains the term (major term) that is the predicate of the conclusion, and the other (minor premise) contains the term (minor term) that is the subject of the conclusion; common to both premises is a term (middle term) that is excluded from the conclusion. A typical form is “All A is C; all B is A; therefore all B is C.”
- deductive reasoning.
- an extremely subtle, sophisticated, or deceptive argument.
https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#syllogism
syncretism
Syncretism happens, no matter what the purists think.
- the combination of different forms of belief or practice
- the fusion of two or more originally different inflectional forms
https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#syncretism
syzygy
- Astronomy. an alignment of three celestial objects, as the sun, the earth, and either the moon or a planet:
- Classical Prosody. a group or combination of two feet, sometimes restricted to a combination of two feet of different kinds.
- any two related things, either alike or opposite.
➢ www.dictionary.com/browse/syzygySee alsomonth, lunar https://lexicon.neowayland.com/ss/#syzygy