I Always Wanted To Ask People: ‘Are You In Love? What Are You Reading?’

Intimacy is the capacity to be rather weird with someone - and finding that that’s ok with them.

Alain de Botton (via thelovejournals)

"I think we are in rats' alley/Where the dead men lost their bones."

Elliot, T. S. 1922. The Waste Land.

by mpiccaro

65 Questions You Aren't Used To

1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you?

2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you?

3. The person you would never want to meet?

4. What is your favorite word?

5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be?

6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought?

7. What shirt are you wearing?

8. What do you label yourself as?

9. Bright room or dark room?

10. What were you doing at midnight last night?

11. Favorite age you’ve been so far?

12. Who told you they loved you last?

13. Your worst enemy?

14. What is your current desktop picture?

15. Do you like someone?

16. The last song you listened to?

17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up?

18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face?

19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do?

20. What is your best physical attribute? (showing said attribute is optional)

21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do?

22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it?

23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of?

24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal.

25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it?

26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go?

27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be?

28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place? 

29. What is your favorite expletive?

30. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno?

31. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

32. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world!

33. The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back?

34. What was your last dream about?

35. Are you a good….[insert anything you’d like here]?

36. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital?

37. Have you ever built a snowman?

38. What is the color of your socks?

39. What type of music do you like?

40. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?

41. What is your favorite milkshake flavor?

42. What football team do you support? (I will answer in terms of American football as well as soccer)

43. Do you have any scars?

44. What do you want to be when you graduate?

45. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

46. Are you reliable?

47. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?

48. Do you hold grudges?

49. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create?

50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had?

51. Are you a good liar?

52. How long could you go without talking?

53. What has been you worst haircut/style?

54. Have you ever baked your own cake?

55. Can you do any accents other than your own?

56. What do you like on your toast?

57. What is the last thing you drew a picture of?

58. What would be you dream car?

59. Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain.

60. Do you believe in aliens?

61. Do you often read your horoscope?

62. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet?

63. Which is cooler: dinosaurs or dragons?

64. What do you think about babies?

65. Freebie! Ask anything interesting you can think of.

Sometimes I think I am too forgiving to certain people. But then I remember how flowers bloom after the storm, and that even the worst seeds deserve the chance to bloom into something beautiful.

Z.D.R (via wnq-writers)

Tea to Relieve Periods

Hey guys! Recently I had tried this tea I made on my own. It worked so so well the next day to relieve my cramps. The recipe is made by me so I send lots of love and positive energies along with this recipe. I hope this relives your period

Ingredients:

❣️ Dried rose petals/buds to help relieve cramps, acne, and constipation created by the inflammation of the uterus

❣️ Dried rosemary leaves to reduce inflammation of the uterus and breasts

❣️ Dried mint leaves to relive nausea

❣️ Cinnamon stick/powdered cinnamon to relive inflammation and increase blood flow which will increase bleeding but shorten your period 

❣️ Honey to increase energy and sweeten tea

Side Note: Cinnamon will only increase bleeding and shorten your period when drank on a daily basis during your period. If it was drank only once throughout your period, only the day that it was drank will affect your bleeding.

Directions:

1.) Put about 2-3 cups of water in a pot and bring it to a boil

2.) After brought to a boil, turn off the burner and place it on a non-used burner

3.) Throw in your ingredients and place a lid on the pot. If you are using powdered cinnamon, stir that in after the steeping and straining takes place. Let the ingredients steep 5-10 minutes or however long you wish

4.) Strain the tea into a cup and you’re ready to drink!

A Basic Glossary of Herbalism Techniques

Image credit: Sage and Smudge

OK, so one thing that often comes up in Q&A sessions about witchcraft is herbalism. It’s extremely complicated in some parts, and this isn’t helped by the fact that there’s often a lot of new and complicated terminology that can really obfuscate the techniques used to people who aren’t used to it. 

This post is therefore meant to clarify a few things about terminology to help people decipher what the hell is going on. It does not go into the effects of herbs (like what the difference is between a sedative and a hypnotic), that’s for a later post. This one talks about actual techniques used to MAKE a herbal preparation.

NB: The terminology I use is the most common terminology and definitions used in Western tradition herbalism. Some terms have different definitions in biochemistry or in other herbalism traditions to the ones they have in Western tradition herbalism (WTH). If a term is likely to cause confusion, I’ll try to put an asterisk (*) beside it.

—

Acetum* ­– A tincture that uses vinegar as its menstruum. The plural is aceta.

Active ingredient – The medicinally active component chemical(s) of a plant; these are what you’re trying to extract.

Aqueous* – An extract that is prepared with water is called an “aqueous extract”, or simply an “extract” (though this is correct, it is vague and therefore should always be clarified as an aqueous extract).

Aromatic* – A chemical that has an easily-discernible fragrance or smell, e.g. menthol from peppermint

Ayurveda – Literally “science of life”, this is a form of Indian herbalism. Included because people often ask what it is and I’m sick of answering.

Cold infusion – A form of herbal preparation in which a herb is steeped in room temperature water overnight as a means of extracting active ingredients.

Constituent – Any component chemical of a plant, regardless of activity.

Decoction – A herbal preparation in which plant matter is simmered in water without boiling until half the liquid has been evaporated.

Double decoction – A form of decoction where the water is evaporated down to a quarter of its original volume, rather than a half.

Elixir* – Any liquid preparation that contains both alcohol-extracted and aqueous-extracted components.

Ethanol – An alcohol with the chemical formula C2H4OH, also known as drinking alcohol and ethyl alcohol.

Extract* ­– Any liquid preparation in which plant matter is left in a liquid solvent for several weeks. The word “extract” can also refer specifically to aqueous extracts.

Filtrate – The liquid retrieved from a physical filtering separation process.

Fluid Ounce – Also known as an ounce by volume, this is a measurement of fluid equal to 1/16th of a pint by volume, or approximately 0.03L metric. Weight-to-Volume ratios measure volume in fluid ounces most commonly. Symbolised as fl. Oz.

Folkloric extract – A herbal extract prepared without measuring weights or volumes of the marc or menstruum. Much more variable in dosage than measured extracts, and therefore more risky.

Glycerine – Also known as glycerine and glycerol. A chemical with the formula C3H5(OH)3, often used in the preparation of sweet-tasting extracts.

Glycerite – Any extract prepared using glycerine as the solvent. Glycerites should be a minimum of 55% glycerine by volume in order to preserve their contents against bacteria.

Hot infusion – A herbal preparation made by steeping plant matter in boiling or boiled water for at least 10 minutes. Less than 10 minutes forms a tea instead.

Inactive ingredient – Any molecule in a plant that does not have medicinal or biological value. A plant will always have more than one inactive ingredient, but a herbal preparation could theoretically have only one (although it never will).

Liniment – An extract, most usually a tincture, which is used topically on the skin rather than taken orally. Also known as an embrocation.

Lipid – Any fat. Often used as a solvent when dealing with fat-soluble compounds, for example cannabinoids.

Lozenge – A herbal preparation in which the active ingredient is made into a thick syrup, heated until candying occurs, and then allowed to cool and harden. Often used to make unpleasant-tasting medications more palatable, such as for children.

Marc – The solid matter in an extract or tincture.

Menstruum – The liquid component of an extract or tincture.

Ounce – A measurement of weight, 1/16th of a pound, and just under 30g metric. Symbolised as Oz.

Pastille – A herbal preparation similar to a lozenge, but unheated and therefore preserving many of the medicinal compounds that are otherwise heat-sensitive. Made by grinding herbs into a powder, and then mixing them with sugar and a binding agent. Maple syrup or honey is often used.

Preparation – Any herbal remedy, of any kind.

Poultice – A herbal preparation formed by mashing fresh, solid plant matter into a mash, and then directly applying it to the skin. Sometimes also involves wrapping the plant matter in gauze or fabric to prevent it coming apart.

Precipitate – The solid matter that forms from the marc when making a tincture or an extract of some kind.

Proof* – As it related to alcohol, this is a measurement that is equal to either two times the alcohol percentage (US definition) or is equal to 1.75 (4/7th) times the percentage (UK definition). Almost all sources use the US definition, but all sources will also use the alcohol-by-volume (ABV) metric, which is a simple percentage.  

Residue – The solid matter left in the filter after a physical filtration separation.

Solubility – The ability of a substance to dissolve in a solvent.

Succi ­– The preserved juices of a plant. Alcohol is the most common preservative.

Syrup – A decoction that has subsequently had sugar added to it, and is then simmered down further until it forms a thick, sweet liquid. Mostly used for making herbal preparations that are unpleasant-tasting easier to swallow.

Tea – When boiling water is added to plant matter and is left to steep for no more than 10 minutes. If it is left for longer than 10 minutes, it is described as a hot infusion.

Tincture* – Any liquid extract in which alcohol is the solvent. The word tincture is often used interchangeably with extract in herbal sources, but they are actually different things.

Weight-to-volume extract – Any extract in which the marc and menstruum are actually measured out before manufacture. This is a little more complicated, but makes the dosage much less variable and therefore much safer to use.

—

This took bloody ages to write, so I hope like hell that someone finds it useful!

– Juniper

american horror story: the seven wonders

FACES

Drawing a face (the circle thing)

How to draw faces

Heads in profile

Drawing heads

A face tutorial

Avoid same facing

Diversify your faces

Face shapes

To make your drawing look like the person you’re drawing

Make your faces look like the person

Expressions

More about expressions

Drawing lips

Lip tutorial

Drawing ears

Drawing eyes

Realistic eyes

Drawing a nose

Drawing kisses

Drawing glasses

Drawing hoods

BODIES

Guide to human types part 1

Guide to human types part 2

Guide to human types part 3

Different kinds of athletic body types

Ladies tutorial (nudity)

Fellas tutorial

Curves on girls tutorial

How to draw necks

Drawing shoulders

Drawing arms

Drawing hands

Hand tips

More hands

Hands tips and techniques

Hands, arms, legs and feet

Legs, torso and expressions

Drawing boobs

How to boob

Boobs and hips

Drawing abs

Beer belly tutorial

Drawing backs

How to draw back views

Legs reference

Drawing knees

How to draw butts

Penis tutorial (nsfw)

Drawing feet and shoes

Sitting reference

Realistic woman body shape chart

Hair

Drawing hair

Hair tutorial

Drawing curls

Drawing braids

ANIMALS & CREATURES 

Canines vs felines

Drawing cats

Drawing cats tips

How to draw big cats

Drawing rats

Basic deer tutorial

Deer sketching

Dog anatomy

Dog anatomy tutorial

Dog nose tutorial

Dog paw tutorial

Basic wolf tutorial

Horse tutorial

Sheep vs goats

Drawing giraffes

Basic owl tutorial

Bird wing tutorial

Drawing bird beaks and faces

Butterfly tutorial

Drawing animal legs on humans

Winged people anatomy

Dragon tutorial

Drawing dragons

Dragon wing tutorial

Fur tutorial

Drawing sharp teeth

OTHERS

Drawing clothes

Clothing folds tutorial

Collars, vests and pants reference

Hats reference

Drawing jeans

Drawing bows

Drawing trees

Tree tutorial

Drawing water

Water tutorial

Drawing crystals

Ice

Clouds

Creating form

Perspective tricks

Character design reference

How to draw better (video)

Learn how to draw better

Art reference & tutorials blog

Tutorial masterpost

How to draw anything

a reference for herbs and their magical uses !!

source :: Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (1985)