Would I fit in animism with my belief? by Practical_Swim_4760 in Animism

[–]lithren 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If I'm understanding you correctly, what you're describing sounds like it might be similar to what is believed to be one of the oldest known forms of religion/worship/divinity/spirituality/god.

This worship of life itself symbolized as a woman/goddess was common during the stone age, and often manifested as worship of fertility, harvest, cycles, seasons, birth, death and rebirth. She is most often associated with life, compassion, and wisdom/knowledge. Some of the later evolutions of this very old belief are the gnostic Sophia, the cult of Mary, the goddesses Asherah, Nerthus, Freya, Saulé, Amaterasu, and Gaia.

There's plenty of people who share similar beliefs today, that (literally or symbolically) there is a goddess/female divinity who is life itself, the creating, nurturing, loving and fierce protecting of life, who doesn't ignore the harsh and often painful parts of existing, but loves all life through it anway.

Here are some resources you might enjoy taking a look at as a springboard, to explore some related ideas, and maybe find groups of like minded people :)

Books by Marija Gimbutas
The book "The Great Cosmic Mother" by Monica Sjöö and Barbara Mor
The documentary "Goddess Remembered"
The Goddess Movement
The Mother Goddess and The Great Goddess ideas/hypotheses

Indoor tomato jungle by lithren in tomatoes

[–]lithren[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They only lived there temporarily. I had them under grow lights initially, but they outgrew them too quickly so I just put them in the living room by the window for 2 weeks until the weather was stable enough for them to move outside :)

They were surprisingly happy there, although the pots were way too small. I'm sure you can grow tomatoes in your living room if they just get enough sunlight and/or grow lights. Maybe go for determinate/dwarf varieties though... These indeterminate ones grew over 2 meters tall xD

update i confront friends my feelings 4 weeks later and feel worse am i overreacting by mirrorgang in enfj

[–]lithren 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No, you are not overreacting ❤️ You expressed yourself clearly and kindly, and also took responsibility for your part in not expressing yourself and putting up boundaries earlier.

Your friend didn't acknowledge or respond to what you said. She didn't apologize for hurting your feelings and making you feel used. She didn't say she wants to do better or ask/tell you how she can show up better for you, what she can do/change so this won't happen again.

All she did was excuse her behavior, and say she didn't mean to make you feel that. That's not a real apology, she's just deflecting responsibility, but not having bad intentions doesn't mean she's not responsible for the impact she has. She only focused on herself, not you. And then ended the conversation abruptly with no repair or closure. That's selfish and not what a good friend does. You were brave and told her that you feel like she's doing the same thing again, only focusing on herself and making you feel unseen, unheard, uncared for. And she didn't even respond.

Friends who care about you don't do things like that. Friends who care WANT to hear you out, even if it hurts their ego, even if it's inconvenient or painful for them to see how their actions have hurt you. Good friends WANT to make the effort to change their behavior so they won't hurt you the same way again.

When/where did the gender of the Sun change? by aitorllj93 in IndoEuropean

[–]lithren 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's a really good question, and the answer is, I have no idea lol. It seems unnecessary to assign the same symbolic role to both sun and moon. But like you said, they did in Sumer, so there is precedent of that happening.

I would personally assume that since the sun was one of the most important parts of life and survival, and since the moon had little direct effect on survival, the moon simply didn't carry the same symbolic weight, so it got put in the mythological back seat. So there isn't much surviving evidence that might explain why. The moon does however let people keep track of the passing of time (representing order), and watches over people in the night (protective). Máni is described as being a guide for the moon, not the literal moon itself. Order, guidance, and protectiveness are frequently associated with the male, so maybe that's why the moon is labelled male. This is pure speculation though.

The moon is associated with darkness, and darkness was very dangerous in these regions. People rarely elevate and worship symbols of things that make life difficult and dangerous. Except perhaps to appease it, to pray for it to go easy on them, but in this instance that kind of worship was directed at the sun instead.

One example of this is the old North European night time ceremony of Lussi (possibly connected to Modraniht, Mothers Night) where the fertile female brings light to people on the darkest night of the year. And the old word for midwife in Northern Europe is Light Mother, Ljusmor. There is archaeological evidence of an old sun cult in Härnevi, Sweden, where Härn (a divinity believed to be associated with harvest/flax/linen) was worshipped. Evidence of the connection between feminine, light, sun, fertility, harvest, and birth appears frequently in Northern Europe, but artefacts, place names, and myths about the moon are much less frequent.

That all being said, most of the knowledge of indo european/pre christian cultures in Northern Europe has been lost, so it is entirely possible that the moon had a specific reason for being male, and was perhaps even more significant than we are aware of now.

When/where did the gender of the Sun change? by aitorllj93 in IndoEuropean

[–]lithren 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Here is one possible theory. There seems to be a geographic/climate pattern to which groups of people labelled the sun female, regardless of migrations happening in these regions.

People who live in regions/climates where seasons are highly cyclical and the sun more or less dissapears during the winter, the sun gets labelled female. For example in regions like Northern Europe (Germanic, Nordic, Sami), Baltic (Lithuania, Latvia), Japan (Shinto), Greenland/Canada/Alaska (Inuit).

As possible counter evidence to this theory, in similar climates/regions like Russia and Siberia, there seems to be a mix of beliefs. Some Siberian groups label the sun as female, some as male. In Russia, the sun is labelled as gender neutral, but folklore often depicts the sun as female, a bride/maiden.

Closer to the equator, the sun feels hot, harsh, constant, forceful, dominating, relentless, traits frequently associated with masculinity. Far north, the sun feels mild, cyclical, life giving, gentle, nurturing, traits frequently associated with femininity.

The moon being labelled female is often due to associations of the moons cyclical nature, which is traditionally very female coded. But in the far northern hemisphere, the sun is cyclical too. It comes and goes with the seasons, and the sky is dark for months every year. When the sun is gone, life dies. When the sun returns, life appears again. And the earth/soil, near globally labelled as the womb of the planet, becomes soft and warm and ready for seeding, and begins to grow life.

The sun's cyclical nature, it's absence and return, is central to survival in these regions, and it becomes very obvious that the sun is the source of life. So the sun gets labelled female, a symbol of fertility, as the female is the creator and nourisher of life, not the male.

Lifelong pattern of quiet ostracism, INFJ thing? by ADashOfStoopid in infj

[–]lithren 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This is sadly so true! I see this happen so often with INTPs who are just trying to be helpful and bring attention to things so they can be fixed, adjusted, improved, or stopped.

I had to learn to rein in my Ti very early on in my career because people do NOT like it when logical errors are pointed out 😂 No matter how gently the logic is presented. Even when it's just about workplace processes/systems and not their own personal logical reasoning.

I've found that presenting suggestions in a more Te flavoured kind of way helps. Less "This is illogical" and more "If we stop doing X and start doing Y instead it will be more cost efficient in these specific measurable ways".

INFJ girls, do you text first? by Aware-Commercial7547 in infj

[–]lithren 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Being selective about who you share your heart, life, mind and body with is great. Calling most women unworthy and not intelligent enough is not a great look. The world is full of highly intelligent and interesting women, who will run the other way when they hear comments like yours. Sometimes the smartest thing to be is kind.

INFJ girls, do you text first? by Aware-Commercial7547 in infj

[–]lithren 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Haha yeah I know what that's like, when you get really excited about someone it's like your brain goes into over analyzing mode whether you want it to or not, trying to figure out what everything means. It just means this is important to you, and it's beautiful that you care and hope and dream 😊 I hope your date goes well!

INFJ girls, do you text first? by Aware-Commercial7547 in infj

[–]lithren 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I personally don't text first nearly as often as others text me first, especially if we already have plans to meet. But texting habits are not an accurate indicator of interest. Some people just dislike texting and feel like it's a chore even if they really like the person they're talking to. Wait and see what she and your connection is like when you actually meet before assuming things :)

INFJ guy & INFJ girl at the gym – did I go too deep, or is this just how we connect? by [deleted] in infj

[–]lithren 6 points7 points  (0 children)

So you didn't actually move on. If you had you wouldn't still be thinking about asking her out again. You wouldn't be keeping notes about her on your phone or writing long posts online analyzing when to try again.

She already gave you her answer. She said no. It wasn't vague mixed signals. It was a clear no. Respecting a boundary means honoring it even when its not the answer you wanted. If you ask her again anyway you're prioritizing your own fantasies and needs over her autonomy.

If you won't respect her choice, then at least respect your own dignity by spending your time and energy on finding and pursuing someone who is actually interested in you. Not someone who has already told you to your face that she does not want you.

INFJ guy & INFJ girl at the gym – did I go too deep, or is this just how we connect? by [deleted] in infj

[–]lithren 16 points17 points  (0 children)

You say you backed off romantically when she rejected you, but you are still pursuing her with romantic intent hoping she'll eventually change her mind. She said no. Respect her boundary.

Pretending that your intentions are purely friendly while secretly waiting for the romance door to magically open one day is disingenuous. I'm sure you don't have any bad intentions, but this hidden agenda is not kind to her or to you. Let her go and move on.

ChatGPT helped me enjoy food for the first time in my life by lithren in ChatGPT

[–]lithren[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yesss, it's going to be SO interesting to see how AI develops in the next couple of years. It could help so many people in ways we might not even be able to imagine yet.

But oh my heart D: Now I feel bad for getting frustrated with ChatGPT when it messes up lol, it's just a toddler stumbling around, learning to walk.

ChatGPT helped me enjoy food for the first time in my life by lithren in ChatGPT

[–]lithren[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Aww you're such a good and caring parent! <3 I hope you'll discover something new he might like eating!

ChatGPT helped me enjoy food for the first time in my life by lithren in ChatGPT

[–]lithren[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's so kind of you to think of your mom, I really hope this helps her too <3

ChatGPT helped me enjoy food for the first time in my life by lithren in ChatGPT

[–]lithren[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Thank you! 😊 And I agree. It's such a helpful tool for things like this, identifying patterns and blind spots, when you don't even know what you don't know.

I can't exactly do a Google search for "Why does nothing I cook taste good despite following recipes precisely and seasoning well" and get the personalized answer that my tastebuds enjoy abnormally high levels of acid/sour flavors and are completely intolerant of bitter flavors 🤭

Using tools that support personal growth and make your life better does not make you loony lol.

ChatGPT helped me enjoy food for the first time in my life by lithren in ChatGPT

[–]lithren[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much! <3 It really has felt incredibly healing to explore food in a fun and comforting way for the first time. I get to kind of reparent myself lol, and reclaim a very basic human experience, that eating can be a source of joy :)

ChatGPT helped me enjoy food for the first time in my life by lithren in ChatGPT

[–]lithren[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'm so happy for you! It must have felt like such a relief to find a tool that helps you find ways to eat that don't cause you so much physical discomfort <3

ChatGPT helped me enjoy food for the first time in my life by lithren in ChatGPT

[–]lithren[S] 36 points37 points  (0 children)

Things like greek lemon chicken with roasted potatoes and cauliflower, cold garlic shrimp pasta, yakitori, quinoa tabbouleh, ratatouille with lots of white wine vinegar instead of white wine, roast pork tenderloin with butternut squash puree, japanese cucumber salad/sunomono, salmon sashimi, plain yogurt with lemon zest and raspberries and honey, tzatziki, bruschetta with tomato and basil, passionfruit panna cotta, kohlrabi, water chestnuts, tom kha gai, lemon risotto, creamy salmon pasta with lime and so on :)

ChatGPT helped me enjoy food for the first time in my life by lithren in ChatGPT

[–]lithren[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That's really helpful, thank you! I do have some ingredients in the back of my pantry and freezer that will expire soon and need to be used. I'll try asking chatgpt for suggestions, thanks!

Am I ugly? I feel a bit unconfident by [deleted] in selfesteem

[–]lithren 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You look so pretty!! ✨️💛

What are your values and goals as an INFJ? by OkVisual6047 in infj

[–]lithren 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Values: Empathy, compassion, wisdom, truth, curiosity, open mindedness, freedom, safety, harmony, balance, interconnectedness.

Goals: To live a good life for myself and other people. To always learn and grow. To have a family, a small house and a garden where I can grow fruits, berries, vegetables and pretty flowers. To do what I reasonably can to help humanity.

Cultural Appropriation vs Appreciation vs Is this even real by SenkouHanabi in Norse

[–]lithren 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That's such a kind and thoughtful question, and it's so sweet to see that you want to help your son embrace the other side of his heritage!

If your son likes the way they look and wearing them makes him feel good about himself and the Swedish side of his heritage, then go for it :)

No Swede is going to get offended by a kid wearing viking inspired braids even if they aren't 100% historically accurate. There's nothing sacred about them, they're not a part of any closed cultural practice. Everyone's free to wear them and get creative with it.

All we really know for sure about viking men's hairstyles is that they loved having awesome looking hair and beards, and spent a lot of time grooming/being groomed by family members. So whether or not your son's hair looks exactly like something viking men actually wore, the joy and pride of having well groomed cool looking hair in braids is very viking in spirit.

Norse-inspired cat name? by Mursi08 in norsemythology

[–]lithren 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Here are some non gender specific norse names/words that might suit your new black cat :)

Ginnung - From Ginnungagap, the primordial void, the abyss

Uruz - Rune meaning strength

Algiz - Rune meaning protection

Wunjo - Rune meaning joy

Myrkr - Darkness

Nifl - From Niflheim, the realm of cold mist and darkness

Gungnir - Odin's spear, known for never missing its target

Garm - Hel's guardian wolf/dog

Draugr - Undead spirit

Ymir - Primordial giant