Amazing Homemade Meatloaf Recipe. The Meatloaf Is So Tender And Juicy On The Inside With A Sweet And

Bird Symbolism

So I was looking out my window and saw two birds and the idea of making a list of symbolism associated with types of birds came to mind. My mom always taught me if you see an animal -especially if they are doing something out of the ordinary- you should take it as an omen. So here’s a list of some basic birds, some of the associations are personal but I hope you like it!

Blue Jay-the truth will be revealed, high energy, playfulness, clarity and communication.

Cardinal-hope, joy, good health, some associate them with angels or deceased love ones, passion and warmth.

Crow-often associated with magic and witches, transformation, power, intelligence and mystery. 

Duck-friendships, new friends, happiness, good fortune and protect against negative energies “water off a ducks back” :)

Dove-peace, harmony, joy, love, might be telling you to break away from a toxic situation, think positive, often associated with Aphrodite or Jesus or Angels

Eagle-power, leadership, freedom, adventure, breaking free.

Hawk- common as spirit guides, courage, protection, and awareness. 

Hummingbird- I adore hummingbirds and often associate them with faeries. Creativity, joy, love and beauty. Can be a sign that you are moving too fast in life and need to take a break.

Magpie-Magpies represent duality because seeing them can be really good or really bad, I know it’s confusing :/ Seeing a magpie can be a good luck omen and new oppurtunities will appear. They also represent illusion and trickery, maybe someone is being a two-faced friend to you. 

Owl- wisdom, associated with the goddess Athena, intuition, spiritual exploration, change, observation and intelligence.

Raven- associated with the nordic god Odin, mystery, magic, fae magic, knowledge, mischieve, and can be seen as a death omen (but can also mean change) 

Robin- luck, prosperity, good things will happen, joy and your hard work will soon be rewarded. 

Sparrow- associated with Aphrodite, new love and relationships, fertility, team work, time of productivity and stop procrastinating.

Stork-long life, prosperity, fertility, new life, wisdom, take time to relax, motherhood and luck.

Swan- also associated with Aphrodite and Apollo, gracefulness, beauty, music, poetry, creativity, loyalty, and long lasting relationships.

Vulture-death, cleaning up other people’s messes, renewal, patient, use your resources and be perceptive.

Woodpecker- hard work, take advantage of new oppurtunities, attention, progress and determination.

Tip! If you are repeatedly seeing a certain animal or have a strong liking to an animal it could be a way a spirit guide is trying to get your attention (or that animal is just really common in your area lol )

Here are the witchy apps I use (Android)

📆 Wicca Calendar (for Sabbaths)

✋Palmistry (it helps when combined with books for more visual)

📖 Black Grimoire (I use it for ideas I have on the go and for planning what I'm gonna put in my actual BOS)

🧪 My EO (essential oils guide)

✨ Nebula (astrology)

💎 Crystals guide (very complete crystal guide)

🌙 Deluxe Moon Premium (moon phases, astrology, wallpaper, etc.)

💤 Dreamboard (to track dreams)

🌸 Wicca oils (essential oils guide)

🧿 Chakras (meditation app)

♐ Upastro (natal chart, astrology, etc.)

🖋️ Runes and runic formulas (readings and guide)

💡Are you Psychic (intuition app)

🔋Crystal Charger (when I feel like they could use a boost but I am unable to charge them properly, you have sun, moon and quartz grid)

🧭 Compass (for casting circles)

🪔 The Aroma App (essential oils guide)

🌿 Herbalist Grimoire (herbs guide)

🕯️Wiccan and witchcraft spells (when inspiration is low)

🎴 Labyrinthos (Golden Thread Tarot Guide)

🌕 Moon (another solar phases app)

🤸 Fitify Yoga ( i like doing yoga for meditation and grounding purposes)

I always see the dog choking info on here, so here’s what to do if a kitty is choking

Save your kitties, we all know they eat everything anyway. 

http://www.wikihow.com/Save-a-Choking-Cat

http://www.wikihow.com/Perform-CPR-on-a-Cat

green correspondences

i’ve made a list of all kinds of correspondences you can find in nature and in the supermarket, based on the book The Green Witch ☆

♡ WOODS

APPLE — life, longevity, fertility, fairies, the otherworld, afterlife, creativity, love, healing, harmony

ASH — water, strength, intellect, willpower, protection, justice, balance, harmony, skill, travel, weather, wisdom

BIRCH — cleansing, protection, purification, associated with children

CEDAR — healing, spirituality, purification, protection, prosperity, harmony

ELDER — protection, prosperity, healing

HAWTHORNE — fertility, harmony, happiness, the otherworld, fairies, protection

HAZEL — luck, fertility, protection, wishes

HONEYSUCKLE — psychic awareness, harmony, healing, prosperity, happiness

MAPLE — love, prosperity, life and health, abundance

OAK — defense, thunder, strength, courage, healing, longevity, protection, good fortune, fertility

PINE — cleansing, purification, healing, clarity of mind, prosperity, protection from evil

POPLAR — prosperity, communication, exorcism, purification

ROWAN — improving psychic powers, divination, healing, protection from evil, peace, creativity, success, change, transformation

WILLOW — moon, water, love, tranquility, harmony, protection, healing

WITCH HAZEL — protection, healing, peace

YEW — death, spirits, the otherworld

♡ FLOWERS 

CARNATION — protection, strength, energy, luck, healing

DAFFODIL — love, fertility, luck

DAISY — love, hope, innocence, associated with children

GARDENIA — love, harmony, healing, peace

GERANIUM — protection, fertility, love, healing, courage

HYACINTH — love, happiness, protection

IRIS — purification, blessing, wisdom, peace, harmony, love

JASMINE — moon, feminine energy, love, meditation, spirituality, harmony, prosperity

LAVENDER — relaxation, sleep, peace, harmony, tranquility, love, purification, healing

LILAC — protection, banishing negative energy

LILY — protection, death and afterlife, rebirth, cycles

LILY OF THE VALLEY — concentration, mental ability, happiness

PANSY — divination, communication, happiness, love

POPPY — tranquility, fertility, prosperity, love, sleep, invisibility

ROSE — healing, divination, tranquility, harmony, love, psychic ability, spirituality, protection

SNAPDRAGON — protection, illusion, deception, reflect negative energy

SUNFLOWER — sun, happiness, success, health, abundance

TULIP — prosperity, abundance, protection, love, happiness

VIOLET —  peace, hope, harmony, protection, luck, love, sleep, tranquility, fertility, abundance

♡ HERBS

ALLSPICE — prosperity, increasing energy, love, healing, luck

ANGELICA —protection, purification

BASIL — prosperity, success, peace, protection, happiness, purification, tranquility, love

BAY — success, wisdom, divination, making a wish

CHAMOMILE — prosperity, peace, healing, harmony, happiness

CALENDULA — happiness, prosperity, love, psychic powers, harmony

CINNAMON — energy (booster), money, success, action, healing, protection, love, prosperity, purification

CARAWAY — anti-theft, health, mental abilities, protection, fidelity

CLOVE — protection, purification, mental abilities, healing

COMFREY — health, healing, protection, travel, prosperity

DILL — good fortune, tranquility, prosperity, lust, protection

GINGER — energy (booster), kick-starter for love, finances, success

MAJORAM — happiness, protection, love, joy, family

MINT — prosperity, joy, fertility, purification, love, success

MUGWORT — prophetic dreams, divination, relaxation, tranquility, protection, banishing, consecration

NUTMEG —psychic abilities, happiness, love, money, health

OREGANO — love, courage, action

PARSLEY — power, strength, lust, purification, prosperity

ROSEMARY —protection, improving memory, wisdom, health, healing

SAGE —purification, protection, anxiety, wisdom, health, long life

VERBENA —divination, protection, inspiration, abundance, love, peace, tranquility, healing, prosperity, artistic skill, reversal of negativity

YARROW — courage, healing, love

♡ FRUITS

APPLE — health, longevity, love

CHERRY — love

PEAR — health, properity, love

ORANGE — joy, health, purification

LEMON — purification, protection, health

LIME — happiness, purification, healing

GRAPE — properity, fertility

KIWI — fertility, love

BANANA — fertility, strength

MANGO — spirituality, happiness

PEACH — spirituality, fertility, love, harmony

PINEAPPLE — prosperity, luck, protection

PLUM — love, tranquility

MELONS — love, peace

STRAWBERRY — love, peace, happiness, luck

RASPBERRY — strength, courage, healing

BLUEBERRY — tranquility, peace, protection, prosperity

BLACKBERRY — prosperity, protection, abundance

CRANBERRY — protection, healing

♡ VEGGIES

GARLIC — healing, protection, banishing, purification

ONION — protection, exorcism, healing, prosperity

LETTUCE — fertility, peace, harmony, love, protection

CARROTS — fertility, health

PEAS — love, abundance

CUCUMBER — fertility, healing, harmony

POTATOES — fertility, protection, abundance

CELERY — love, tranquility, concentration

SQUASH — abundance, harmony

MUSHROOM — strength, courage, healing, protection

LEEK — protection, harmony

CAULIFLOWER — protection, prosperity

BROCCOLI — protection, abundance

BEANS — love, family, protection

CABBAGE — protection, prosperity

TOMATO — protection, love

Every Year I Miss You A Little More

There was a text from his mother inviting him to come to have dinner with her Thanksgiving again this year. He sat back as he pondered the thought of spending another holiday with family. Thinking back on the last holiday he actually enjoyed was the last Thanksgiving that his twin was still alive. If he knew then that it would have been her last one he never would have gone partying with friends the night before. He would have spent the whole night sitting up talking to her about her twins, listening to her talk about whatever she wanted to. The hum of the fan droned on in the background as Draven laid on the bed in his room at his mother's house in Brooklyn, where the family was gathered for the holiday. He was loathed to be there for another one of them, but hopefully with the birth of the new babies thanks to his twin. Maybe Raven wouldn't be focused on her son and what he was doing with his life this year. Kaleigh was married with babies, which should have made her over the moon. Nothing really ever made Raven Wolfe over the moon, she seemed to be miserable all the time the past few years. He could smell food wafting up from the kitchen, his mother had been up since before dawn preparing a feast. Draven would never understand why she cooked so much food when there were so few of them. With the grace of a panther, he was off the bed and at the door of the bedroom. His favorite cat perched on his shoulder, Hera. Hades, his faithful familiar ever by his side as he made his way down the backstairs of the brownstone that lead directly into the kitchen. Letting Hades out the back door he set Hera down on the floor before resting his head on his mother's shoulder. "Something smells delicious Ma! When do we eat! I'm starving!" "Ha! You know we don't eat until three." Raven said as she kept kneading the dough for her rolls. She never even looked up at the tall thin young male standing over her. "I laid some snacks out on the table. I knew you'd be hungry when you finally made your appearance. What time did you come in last night anyway Draven?" The petite brunette asked as she finally looked up at her son as he walked over to the table where the snacks were that she mentioned. Shrugging his shoulders as he picked over the plate of fruit and veggies. "Really Ma? Where's the real food? The stuffing and the bird? Can't we ever eat sooner? I have sh*t I wanna do today." "DRAVEN! LANGUAGE!" His mother snapped as his twin walked into the kitchen carrying a basket filled with various sizes of candles. "You will not use that type of language here young man I don't care how old you are!" Raven almost shrieked at her son. "Ma! He only said sh*t, you are acting like he said F*** or something." Kaleigh said in her twin brother's defense, something about her defending him sent their mother into a tizzy. "Kaleigh! What have I told the two of you about using such vulgar language in my home? There are children in this house...." "Ma! They are infants jeez calm the f*** down." Draven said as he winked at his sister, shoving a grape in his mouth. "You're gonna have a heart attack." Taking a seat at the kitchen table he couldn't help but chuckle at the way he and his twin got under their mother's skin. They say that the pain of losing someone is supposed to get easier with time. Those people lie, every year seems to get harder for him to face the family on the holidays as he sinks into his own abyss. He still blames himself for not being there for her when she needed him the most. She was his other half, even though he knows there wasn't anything he could have done. He always feels like maybe, just maybe he could have done more. If he hadn't been wallowing in his own sh*t, maybe he would have seen that she needed him. Picking up his phone as he texts his mother back. "Nah Ma, I'm skipping the holidays this year. Love you."

Pendulums 🧵

Disclaimer This is all based on my research, experiences & opinion. 

Introduction  I got sent an ask referring to pendulums & although I use pendulums & have made a post before it was quite short & poorly written so here we are again with a new one! 

Defining & Acquiring A Pendulum 

What is a pendulum?  The mundane definition of a pendulum is-  “A weight hung from a fixed point so that it can swing freely backward and forward, especially a rod with a weight at the end that regulates the mechanism of a clock.” While this is simply the mundane definition, it gives you a good idea of an object or creation that might qualify as a pendulum. From a witchcraft perspective, a pendulum is a small item that hangs from a string/thread/chain that can be used for divination. 

Why use a pendulum? Many forms of divination require a bit of in depth analysis & aren’t very useful for simply or yes/no questions while a pendulum is perfect for this. It is also fairly simple, beginner friendly, closet witch friendly, cheap & portable! 

Where do I get a pendulum?  I got mine at a shop that specializes in crystal jewelry but you can make a pendulum, use a necklace, or buy them at crystal, metaphysical, or witchy/pagan supply shops. 

How do I make one?  You can make a pendulum out of really any small object and a string/thread/chain. A common way to make one easily is by using a needle on a thread. There a lot of options though depending on what you have access to, how much time you want it to take, how much knowledge you have & how witchy you want it to look. If you want to make a pendulum that is anything but simple then google pictures! 

Where can I get a pendulum? | How do I pick?  If you would like to buy a pendulum instead of make one there are a wide variety of things people use to make pendulums but a common one is crystals. Mine is opalite! The type of crystal or other material the pendulum is made out of will correspond with the uses the pendulum has. Ex: a rose quartz pendulum is good for questions relating to love. Other materials may carry correspondences too, such as wood or metal. 

How do I use a pendulum? 

Cleansing & Charging  As you do with all items you intend to use for witchcraft, cleanse the pendulum before you use it! You can also choose to charge it, especially if its crystal but this isn’t as deeply essential as cleansing. 

Method Selection  You can either ask the pendulum to “show you yes/no/ect” and watch/record the way it swings or use a pendulum board (good idea to google one so you get a better idea what I’m referring to.) A pendulum board has “yes/no/ect” written on it and you hold the pendulum above it. It swings & its answers are indicated by the board below. I have always used the first method personally but it’s entirely up to you! 

Basic Question  Now that you’re prepared, ask the pendulum several questions you already know the answers to. You could also chose to interview the pendulum as you would other divination tools such as a tarot deck. This is entirely up to you though. 

Practice  Practice makes perfect! If you want to get used to using a pendulum, practice a lot. Ask it diverse questions & record your results! 

Tips & Reminders 

Pendulums are best used for yes/no questions. 

If you can’t come up with a question, think of something that’s been troubling you & how you can turn that into a question. This also works with other forms of divination. 

If you use the method where you ask the pendulum to “show you” yes or no, it is advised you don’t just ask it to show this on the first reading & record results but ask it before each reading. Some pendulums are consistent, some are not. Some witches are consistent, some are not. 

I hope this helped you or you learned something!  Enjoy!  Have a lovely day 💖

HOW AND WHY YOU SHOULD BE TAKING SPIRITUAL BATHS

There are so many times where you’re either having a bad day, have a lot on your mind, or you just aren’t feeling up to par. How do you tackle these ailments so that you can move freely throughout the day?

WHAT IS A SPIRITUAL BATH?

So what exactly is a spiritual bath?

A spiritual bath is nothing more than a cleansing session where you take the necessary time to yourself to cleanse the physical body, your aura and you mind.

There is no set way to take a spiritual bath, your ritual is completely up to you. We’ll go over some examples of what you can use and how you should proceed with the bath later in this post.

Now I bet you’re wondering, “Why should I take these baths? How do I benefit from them?” Let’s start by saying that there are no negatives to indulging in a spiritual bath. Many of you already bathe in the tub anyway, so why not take an extra step to heal yourself and your mind? Along with cleansing, relaxing, and attracting positive things into your life, the baths aid in grounding the soul. Listed below are some of the possible steps and tools you can implement when you begin to take your much needed spiritual baths.

PREPARING FOR YOUR BATH AND SETTING INTENT

One of the first and most important steps you should take before taking your spiritual bath is setting your intent. Setting your intent is basically figuring out and knowing the reason why your doing something. I find that it helps to write it out on paper as I say it out loud. That way I am using multiple senses. I am using touch (writing), sight (reading), and hearing (my voice as I read).

You can draw your bath and expect healing results without knowing where to direct the healing energy. To get the best and most effective results, be sure to cleanse your space. Remove the clutter, get rid of any trash, and open the windows to let in fresh air. It may also be a great idea to shower before the bath, to be sure your body is open to new energy.

GATHERING YOUR NECESSITIES AND SETTING THE MOOD

The items you bring into the bathroom with you should all be there to support the intention you are focusing on. There are not set rules on what you should have or use during your spiritual baths.

One way to set the mood is by utilizing candles. Candles are great because they serve so many roles. They can be used in place of inorganic light, the aromas are extremely therapeutic, and create an ambience like no other.

You may also want to incorporate herbs and essential oils. You can choose ones for health or relaxation or that correspond to the intention you choose to set. There are tons of herbs you can use, it’s just the matter of picking the ones that suit your needs. In The Grimoire for the Green Witch, Ann Moura lists several herb blends to incorporate in your herbal spiritual baths:

FOR COMFORTING: Calendula (Marigold), Chamomile, Lavender, Mint, Raspberry Leaves, Rosemary.

FOR ENERGY: Heather, Lemon Balm, Rosemary, Savory.

FOR PEACE: Chamomile, Hops, Lavender, Peppermint, Rose.

FOR RELAXATION: Chamomile, Dianthus, Heather, Jasmine Flower, Lemon Balm.

Soothing: Calendula, Chamomile, Lavender, Mint, Rosemary.

FOR STRESS RELIEF: Chamomile, Dianthus, Lemon Balm.

Music is another component that I believe could really help bring in wanted energy. You could listen to meditation music, nature sounds, or your favorite songs. You can also use white noise machines, which are pretty unique on their own. Of course, be sure to keep all electronics away from the water because you can’t go into a spiritual bath creating additional problems for yourself.

Sea salt is another must have in my opinion. Sea salt is used to help draw out the impurities in the body, such as bacteria and other debris. When choosing you salts, be sure to pick the best quality, unprocessed salts. Normal table salt should be avoided because it takes out needed minerals, instead of drawing them in. 100% natural, raw and unrefined Himalayan Pink Sea Salt is wonderful.

COMBINING IT ALL AND DIVING IN DEEP

Now that you’ve cleansed your space, and gathered your intent and tools, it’s time to combine it all together. Step into the water filled with lovely scented herbs, sit down and begin to take that mental dive into the world of relaxation. If you are tense, this bath just won’t work for you. As the water rushes around the tub, imagine all of the negative energy being pulled from your body and your intentions being manifested. When you are settled in, take some time to pray and then be still and listen for God's response. When your bath is complete, release the water down the drain and envision all of that unwanted energy flowing away, and thank the universe for all it has done and will do for you.

This lesson was loosely adapted from an article by Star Wolf's Den.

Found on Digital Smoke Signals’ Facebook Page

Why the law of attraction is not working and how to fix it

First things first, the law of attraction is always working. Whenever you claim that the law of attraction is not working, you’re actually using this very law to convince yourself that indeed – it’s not working for you. And that, my friend, is a vicious cycle. 

However, you have to understand that there’s so much more to the law of attraction than those hyped steps: ask, believe, receive. It took me some time to fully comprehend the crucial principles, and now I’m going to share them with you.

So, why the law of attraction is ‘not working’?

You don’t practice detachment. Pretty often, people become too obsessed with their manifestations. They think about the thing they want to manifest 24/7 and complain about the lack of it. Wrong! Seriously, don’t you have better things to do? Whenever you put something on a high pedestal, you create resistance. Actually, an ocean of resistance. Learn how to detach and trust the Universe.

You don’t do shadow work. Take care of the quality of your canvas before you start painting. Oftentimes all of the past traumas and limiting subconscious beliefs are holding you back. Let go of them. Heal them and then move on. You can’t hold on to this kind of negative energy forever. 

You don’t express gratitude. If you’re not grateful for the things you already have, you’ll never be able to upgrade your life. Lack of gratitude keeps you entangled in the lower vibration. Gratitude is the magical frequency. The more you are thankful, the more you attract things to be thankful for.

You’re not specific. If you change your mind all the time, you send mixed signals and receive mixed results. Maybe for the first time in your life, ask yourself these questions: What do I really want? What does my ideal life look like? Vision boards and scripting can be very beneficial because they show the Universe your perfect blueprint.

You’re not living in the present moment. If you always think of the past or worry about the future, you lose all of the precious possibilities the present moment can offer. Now is the only existing time in this Universe, so learn how to be more conscious.

You don’t work on your vibration. Everything that surrounds you is in the vibrational alignment with your state of being. When your vibration is low, you attract more things vibrating at the same frequency. It’s super important to raise your vibration and to learn how to maintain the higher state of being.

You don’t nurture self-love. If you don’t love yourself, if you’re constantly criticizing yourself, it impacts your energy and your entire belief system. This self-hate is going to manifest in every aspect of your life. It’s almost impossible to create anything if you’re devoid of the most important thing: love. And love starts within you.

I would highly encourage you to try some of these strategies. They’ve had a profound impact on my own reality. One of my current goals is to manifest a book deal for the novel I’m working on, and thanks to these strategies, I’ve noticed a huge positive shift! I’ve started to attract the right people and circumstances into my life. It’s like having a magic wand!

Apple Pie Cookies

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 16 cookies 1x

Category: Dessert

Method: Oven

Cuisine: American

Description

Apple Pie Cookies – sticky and chewy, bite-sized caramel apple pies. Sometimes the regular old apple pie recipe is just too much dessert to handle. These gooey bites bring you the best of both worlds: the fruity-caramel flavor of traditional pie, with all of the convenience of a simple cookie recipe! (No fork required!!!)

Ingredients

For Apple Pie Filling :

3 apples (about 1 lbs.)-peeled and sliced into 8 slices each

1–2 tablespoon lemon juice

3 tablespoon white sugar

3 tablespoon brown sugar

3 tablespoon corn starch

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

A dash of nutmeg

3/4 cup water

For Pie Crust :

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter cut into cubes-chilled

2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup ice water

(or you can use 1 package Refrigerated Pie Crust (2 crusts))

Filling and Topping:

1 and 3/4 cups apple pie filling-chopped into small pieces

1 cup caramel sauce

1 egg -lightly beaten

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup sugar

Instructions

To make Apple Pie Filling:

Toss sliced apples with lemon juice and set aside.

In a saucepan or a pot combine cornstarch, sugar, browned sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and water. Stir well and bring to a boil over medium-high heat whisking constantly. Let it boil 2 minutes until thick, then stir in apple slices.

Reduce heat to low, cover the pot and let it simmer about 10 minutes. Apples should be soft but not mushy (cooking time depend on sort of apples). Remove apples from heat and leave them covered to soften and cooled.

When it’s cooled take out the apples from the sauce and chop into small pieces, set aside.

To make Pie Crust:

In a large mixing bowl place flour, salt and sugar and mix to combine.

Using a pastry blender incorporate chilled butter cubes into the flour mixture(the mixture should resemble coarse meal)

Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water over the mixture and blend, repeat with another 2 tablespoons water. When you squeeze the dough it should holds together (you may have to add more water if the dough crumbles, add 1 tablespoon at a time)

Divide the dough into two equal pieces, flatten and form two disc, pack each disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.

Lightly dust working surface with flour, place chilled dough, dust the dough and the rolling pin, too. Turn the dough as you rolling to prevent it from sticking. Roll it out 1/8-inch thick.

Repeat the process with the other disc.

Assembling the Apple Pie Cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350 F, line cookie sheet with parchment paper, spray with non-stick spray and set aside.

Spread the caramel sauce onto one pie crust.

Spread chopped apple pie filling over caramel and gently tap the filling with your palms.

Cut second pie crust into 1/2 inch strips and create a lattice top over the filling.

Using round cookie cutter (about 2.5 inch) cut out the cookies and place them onto baking sheet.

Beat the egg with a fork and brush the top of cookies.

Combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle the cookies generously.

Bake 20-30 minutes (until golden brown).

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