I figured out that I like women when I was 13. I knew for sure that I liked women but was always unsure about men. All throughout high school I switched back and forth between calling myself a lesbian and calling myself bisexual because I really just didn’t know, and I wasn’t dating or sexually active.
In college I learned about comphet, and recently I accepted that I might be comphet because I’m never really attracted to men unless its like a fleeting moment or it’s a celebrity. I also lerned that I’m genderqueer.
Here is where the problem comes. I recently am learning that the general consensus is that 1) lesbians are not attracted to other gender identities, and 2) other gender identities can’t be lesbians.
And it’s been so confusing for me these past two weeks. I’ve always heavily identified with the lesbian label; bi never felt right. I’m not pans, because gender plays a role is my attraction.
What if I’m attracted to a combination of female characteristics and a dominance femininity within self?
This description includes women (cis and trans), some nonbinary people, not all (which is accurate as well). It excludes men. To me, this is enough to be a lesbian. What do you think?
Edit: I’m already thinking that maybe it means that I’m pans after all even though there are even though there are no replies yet, because my description isn’t necessarily about gender at all. “Female characteristics” isn’t related to gender, and “femininity” isn’t a determinant of gender. Maybe gender actually DOESNT play a role in my attraction, which would make me panssexual? Still going through a lot of confusion though.

I wrote this own my blog for non-pisces people since there are so many questions. It's certainly not all-inclusive of our limitlessness - but it's a good starting point. I hope you enjoy it and please feel free to add your own nuances and experiences to continue to 'unveil' the mysteries of us!

Pisces is the last sign in the zodiac, and is said to hold all the information of all the signs. What does this mean exactly?
Well, one way to begin understanding this complicated sign is by imagining a room filled with 12 people, one from each sign in the zodiac. And while Pisces can go person to person, and understand each and every one of them by sign, all these folks cannot and will not ever fully understand them. This is because they are the last sign in the zodiac, and it is said that they have traveled through all the signs already to become a Pisces. Some may call it past lives, another may say there is some afterlife afterschool program they attended and achieved their metaphysical degree… no matter how, the magic of Pisces is a mystery - and will stay that way. Still, grasping the basic concepts of the fish sign is your best bet at getting an inch or two under the veil, and is good knowledge to peruse, but unless you have a strong Pisces placement in your own natal chart, truly understanding the mysterious workings of Pisces may be a strictly intellectual exercise.
Let’s get to work on it, shall we?
We can get to know Pisces a bit better from the Pisces spirits and souls who have shared experiences and knowledge about their characteristics with us. Again, even this can be complicated as Pisces express themselves in creative ways. These are not always in a language easily understood. Pisces tend to use emotional outlets to find creative expression. Music, the arts, movies, theatre, writing, poetry and dance are just some of the ways Pisces people express themselves. And in that there is so much sub-text. Viewers and critics are always trying to interpret what they mean. On the off-chance Pisces does express themselves in a direct way, they have to feel safe with whom they are sharing. You can imagine that the list of people Pisces has entrusted with their secrets is very small, and even in that list, the depth of what was shared even smaller.
Let’s talk a little more about why.
Pisces is a receptive sign, the opposite of an active sign. Active signs are outward in expression. ‘It’s go time!’ is an active Mars response. ‘Let’s work it out’ - an active Libra. ‘Let’s hit the road!’ - Active Sagittarius. Half the signs are active (aifire) and half are receptive (earth/water). All three water signs, Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, are more receptive than earth, but none are more receptive than Pisces.
Being that receptive means absorbing all that is surrounding you, from environments to emotions, Pisces feels it all. It’s because Pisces has no boundaries. Traditionally, Pisces is ruled by Jupiter, and in the modern era, Neptune. Jupiter is complete and total expansiveness. It’s infinity and beyond. It’s everything humongous - Neptune is the depths of the oceans and the depths of the universe. So double whammy for Pisces having all that vastness of usable experience. Talk about a google-ton of overwhelm. Because of that, Pisces has unlimited resources, so Pisces is the sign that literally has the ability to travel anywhere anytime in the universe, real or imagined.
How intense is that?
What if I told you that you were moving into a new house that has absolutely no boundaries? Feel a little scared? Sure, it’s your house, but what is in… everywhere? This makes Pisces a bit reclusive, and fickle. Reclusive for protection, and fickle for intended experience.
You ever store something in the attic or basement and forget about it, and then later you uncovered it and were surprised? That’s what it feels like for Pisces ALL. THE. TIME. It would be like you are constantly revealing something that you’ve experienced before - and it’s not always great and wonderful. Hence, reclusive and fickle. So let’s turn that into emotions.
Whatever emotions are being expressed around a Pisces, they too will absorb. Pisces is highly intuitive, lovingly compassionate and selflessly empathetic. And many Pisces are even psychic, so they know the extreme depths of the present moment, and can see and feel things before they happen because they are so tuned in. Sound intense? For them, it is. The Pisces mind is fertile ground with an over-active imagination, so Pisces can easily get overwhelmed. And when the darker side of Pisces takes over, it can reel them in to episodes of self-destruction, severe reclusion, addiction and even institutionalization. Not fun.
What Pisces does like is escapism. Pisces lives in the world of fantasy. Removing themselves from all that physical and mental input is good for Pisces. So even though they are free to roam the universe unbridled, they are often found holed up in a safe room conjuring up their next great creative project or reading a good book that keeps their mind at ease. When a Pisces does feel safe, they are filled with grandiose dreams and desires - and because of that traditional ruler Jupiter, the planet of luck, expansion and fortune, their dreams many times have a way of coming true.
Pisces is a mutable sign. There are three modes to distinguish signs: Cardinal, fixed and mutable. Mutable signs are adaptable, quick and flexible. They are deep thinkers. They are transformationalists and finishers. Pisces shares the mutable mode with Gemini, Virgo and Sagittarius.
Pisces is at home in the 12th House. The 12H is our private life. What we do alone. It’s our intimate experiences with ourselves. It is also the house of the subconscious and the unconscious. People can get lost in the 12H. Become neurotic. Become addicted. Fall into self-sabotage, self-sacrifice and self-undoing. But it’s also the house of faith, dreams, goals and desires. It is interesting to see the polarity of the individual recluse of the 12th house - from healthy retreats, meditation and monasteries to rehabilitative hospitals, prisons and institutions, one needs to find a healthy balance in the 12H to survive.
The complicated sign of Pisces hopefully is a little more clear for you to see, because Pisces is a truly mystical and mysterious sign. I think you can see a little better now why they are the holder of all secrets. So you ever want to know something, ask a Pisces. Although Pisces is also illusive so the answer you get may be poetic or more confusing than the question itself. It’s not that are trying to keep all the secrets for themselves, but more like they are enraptured by so many things that they just don’t feel like sharing - as they are too busy enjoying themselves to want to explain everything anyway.
Universal Blessings,
✪ⴷⵕ/Aquarius
(*A Tropical Pisces / Sidereal Aquarius Sun with a Pisces Moon)

TV season 3 Marvelous Mrs Maisel 1959 - 1960 Dramedy Manhattan, New York, US
Movie LBJ 1959 - 1968 Drama - political Washington, DC
Movie The Help early 1960s Dramedy Jackson, Mississippi, US
TV season 8 Grantchester 1960 Mystery Cambridgeshire, UK
MovienThe Spy Who Came in from the Cold 1960s Drama - political Berlin, Germany
TV sesson 4 Call the Midwife 1960 Drama East End, London, UK
TV season 1 Mad Men 1960 Drama Manhattan, New York, US
TV season 1 - 8 Andy Griffith 1960 - 1968 Comedy Mayberry, North Carolina, US
TV season 4 Marvelous Mrs Maisel 1960 - 1962 Dramedy Manhattan, New York, US
Movie Breakfast at Tiffany's 1961 Drama New York City, New York, US
TV season 5 Call the Midwife 1961 Drama East End, London, UK
Movie Hidden Figures 1961 Drama Hampton, Virginia, U
TV season 1 Breathless 1961 Drama London, UK
TV season 9 Grantchester 1961 Mystery Cambridgeshire, UK
TV season 5 Marvelous Mrs Maisel 1961 - 2005 Dramedy Manhattan, New York, US
Movie That Touch of Mink 1962 Comedy New York City, New York
Movie The Green Book 1962 Drama New York City to New Orleans
TV season 6 Call the Midwife 1962 Drama East End, London, UK
Movie Thirteen Days 1962 Drama - political Washington, DC
TV 2 Mad Men 1962 Drama Manhattan, New York, US
Movie The Missiles of October 1962 Drama - political Washington, DC
TV 11/22/63 1960 - 1963 Drama Dallas, Texas, US
TV season 7 Call the Midwife 1963 Drama East End, London, UK
Movie From Russia with Love 1963 Drama Istanbul, Turkey
Movie Dirty Dancing 1963 Dramedy Catskills Mountains, NY
Movie The Great Train Robbery (1963) 1963 Drama Ledburn, England
Movie The Lady Bird Diaries 1963 Drama - political
TV season 1 Monsieur Spade 1963 Mystery Bozouls, France
Movie The Pink Panther 1963 Comedy Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
Movie It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World 1963 Comedy Los Angeles, California
TV season 3 Mad Men 1963 Drama Manhattan, New York, US
Movie Killing Kennedy 1963 Drama - political Washington, DC and Dallas, Texas
Movie Jackie 1963 Drama Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, US
Movie Mississippi Burning 1964 Drama Jessup County, Mississippi, US
TV season 1 George Gently 1964 Mystery County Durham, Ireland (the books take place in East Anglia, UK)
TV season 8 Call the Midwife 1964 Drama East End, London, UK
Movie All the Way 1964 - 1965 Drama - political Washington, DC
TV season 4 Mad Men 1964 - 1965 Drama Manhattan, New York
TV season 1 - 5 Peyton Place 1964 - 1969 Drama - family Peyton Place, New York
TV season 3 The Crown 1964 - 1977 Drama - family London, UK
Movie In the Heat of the Night 1965 Mystery Sparta, Mississippi, US
TV season 9 Call the Midwife 1965 Drama East End, London, UK
TV season 2 George Gently 1965 Mystery County Durham, Ireland (the books are set in East Anglia, UK)
TV season 1 - 4 Endeavour 1965 - 1967 Mystery Cambridge, UK
Movie Ford vs Ferrari 1966 Drama Le Mans, France
TV season 10 Call the Midwife 1966 Drama East End, London, UK
TV season 3 George Gently 1966 Mystery County Durham, Ireland (the books are set in East Anglia, UK)
Movie JFK 1966 Drama - political New Orleans, Louisiana, US
TV season 5 Mad Men 1966 - 1967 Drama Manhattan, New York
Movie Barefoot in the Park 1967 Comedy Manhattan, New York
TV season 11 Call the Midwife 1967 Drama East End, London, UK
TV season 4 George Gently 1967 Mystery County Durham, Ireland
Movie Platoon 1967 Drama - Vietnam Da Nang, Vietnam
Movie The Graduate 1967 Drama Los Angeles, California
TV Aquarius 1967 Drama Los Angeles, California
Movie Guess Whos Coming to Dinner 1967 Drama - family San Francisco, California
TV season 1 China Beach 1967 Drama - Vietnam Da Nang, Vietnam
TV season 6 Mad Men 1967 - 1968 Drama Manhattan, New York
TV season 2 China Beach 1967 - 1968 Drama Da Nang, Vietnam
TV season 5 - 6 Endeavour 1968 - 1969 Mystery Cambridge, UK
Movie Zodiac 1968 - 1983 Mystery Los Angeles, California
TV season 3 China Beach 1968 Drama Da Nang, Vietnam
TV season 12 Call the Midwife 1968 Drama East End, London, UK
TV season 5 George Gently 1968 Mystery County Durham, Ireland
TV season 4 China Beach 1968 - 1988 Drama Da Nang, Vietnam
TV season 7 Mad Men 1968 - 1969 Drama Manhattan, New York
Movie Catch Me if You Can 1969 Dramedy global
TV season 13 Call the Midwife 1969 Drama East End, London, UK
TV season 6 - 7 George Gently 1969 Mystery County Durham, Ireland
Movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 1969 Drama Los Angeles, California
Movie Belfast 1969 Drama - the Troubles Belfast, Ireland
Movie Chappaquiddick 1969 Drama - political Chappaquiddick, New York
Movie The Italian Job 1969 Drama Turin, Italy
Movie On Golden Pond 1969 Drama - family Maine, US
Movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile 1969 - 1985 Drama Seattle, Washington

Yeah yeah, an old saying, reproduction isn't the purpose of life and doesn't determine value, but let me explain...
So, I am a 16 Year Old, who was introduced to ""feminism"" somewhere in 2022 (I think), thanks to a friend of mine. It turns out, this was actually Mysandry, in the sense that he shared how some of these "feminists" were trying to get rid of men in reproduction, one example being the "fact" that their vaginas will evolve into penises and clone themselves, except that would probably make them hermaphrodites and should happen with men too...
Nonetheless, I was "invested", since this gave me an idea about the two sexes (which would be used for a fictional piece in the end, just with a bit of spiece from our Universe, lol), since I am quite the brain stormer, not bragging or narcissism, I just come up with a lot ideas in general. But as time went on, I started to suffer from overthoughts and the amount of information I've found, including myths like "We were all Female", "Females came before Males", "Women have stronger legs", "You're Genetically Superior and Flawless due to XX", "Men are the weaker sex", "You were inside your Mother who was inside your Grandmother", "Inteligence is Mother Only", among other things, although that last one wasn't as common though). There are still fools, especially on Quora, who believe that all embryos start out as females, and just look at some individuals on that site like Anonymous04, horrors! I also tried to ask ChatGPT, but it's pretty much declining and INFURIATING! SO MANY WRONG ANSWERS! SOMETIMES IT'S OUTRIGHT LAZY!
These moments got soooo BAD, that I: -concerned my parents -made my dad think I was... drugged (since I acted blank when I was working with him once) -wasted my school-off week by overthinking -replied to many answers that ANNOYED me (arguably still do, and embarrassed myself, perhaps) -kept talking to my online friends-couldn't change the topic and basically made it my entire personality or routine for like the past few weeks (maybe even months!) -had an existencial crisis, outbursts, screaming, $u!c!d@l thoughts, etc. -and evenbecame skeptical and "mad" at God (yes, and screw off with the atheism)
Needless to say... It's quite complicated with me and I could go in-depth a lot more, but I managed to recover from most issues. However, before I settle things up, I need to settle one more thing, and that is reproduction. As far as we know, both Males & Females exist to reproduce genetically diverse offsprings, the only difference is their investments, Females for Offspring Support & Males for Competition or Attraction.
While I've noted and saved many things to read later on (like Seminal Fluids doing much more than just transfering Sperm Cells), I am still a bit concerned, stressed and annoyed, cause it just feels like females are the more favored sex in like existence (oversimplication to say it like that, really), and so, I'd like to ask some few things... Although I am definitely gonna give a lot due to overthinking and concerns:
1.Nucleous: So, as far as we know, both Ovum & Sperm Nuclei fuse to form a Zygote, a new life. Both parents guide the development of the child's characteristics and functions, however, APPERANTLY Ovum Cells have been illustrated to have a 'Nucleous' in their 'Nucleus', and turns out this is some sh!t that Zygotes "apperantly need". It's from this jackshit article from 2008: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2265587/#:\~:text=Sperm%20have%20no%20nucleoli%2C%20so,oocyte%20for%20its%20nucleolar%20beginnings. But allas, does this really make sense? No other information has been found or mentioned anywhere else. There's the "Germinal Vesicle" (Nucleus) and the "Germinal Spot" (Nuclelous), but apperantly when the Ovum goes through M II or however it was, the Germinal Vesicle breaks down and dissolves/mixes with the Cytoplasm or so. So is the Germinal Spot the actual Nucleus, and the "Germinal Vesicle" is just one of the ""expensive ingredients"" of the Ovum? Sperm Cells apperantly have Nuclear Vascoles, are those influencal?
2.Cytoplasm: Upon researching more and talking to some Chat Bots (for thes sake of sanity... or INsanity), does the Cytoplasm actually create and give rise to our cells and tissues or is that an outdaded misunderstanding, and it's main & actual function is to SUPPORT the development of the cells created by both parents? ChatGPT has also said that it also gives Building Blocks, Energy, Cell Growth & Differentiation or some confusing crap, but are those words actually referring to the processes of the Zygote's more stable and rapid growth? Is it true that this Cytoplasm is the Cytoplasm in our cells, or since it decreases, is it easily replaced by the production of our cells (combination of mom and dad, as we know)?
3.Organelles: Cytoplasmic components that are apart of the Cytoplasm' support, but again, are those organelles still the same as those in our cells? Shouldn't they decrease like the Cytoplasm and be created by our cells again since (and I am using Google Searches, cuz yes): ---Ribosomes apperantly originate from our Nucleo-lus? ---Lysosomes are formed by the fusion of transport vesciles budded from the trans Golgi network with endosomes ---Endosomes form by the inagination of the plasma membrance and are trigger by the activation of cell surface receptors ---Golgi Bodies originate from the endoplasmic reticulum ---The endoplasmic reticulum originates from the outer membrance of the nuclear envelop during cell division and among other things, but is Mitochondria the only organelle that manages to stay in by it's high number and self reproduction? Is Mitochondria like 90% of the Ovum's organelles hopefully thinking and the other organelles are a small amount compared to the Mitochondria?
4.Cytoskeleton: Apperantly, that is also a thing and it's not an organelle, but apperantly it also has evolved from prokaryotic cytomotive filaments. Even then, Sperm Cells apperantly have a highly specialized cytoskeletal organization or cytoskeletal proteins (like actin, tubulin and spectrin), so?...
5.RNA: Do we inherit more RNA from mom due to the freaking egg, or is it irrelevant because it is transient as the embryo starts to produce it's own RNA and proteins? But ChatGPT has also said this crap: "This maternal RNA helps to jump-start the developmental processes until the Zygote's own genome can take over". It has been said that Sperm has "vanishingly small" amount of RNA compared to the Ovum, but then there have been studies that Non-Coding RNA or so can influence Embryo Development or that Sperm delivers a complex population of RNAs to the Oocyte. Based on a Google Research, I've found this: "6871 proteins have been identified and reported in Sperm, 1376 in the Oocyte and 1300 in the Blastocyst. With a deeper analysis of the sperm proteome, 103 proteins with known roles in the processes of fertilization and 93 with roles in early embryo development have been identified." Can the RNA in seminal fluids/plasma be influential or inherited too? Isn't RNA small?

1. Is most of our makeup matrilineal and are we therefore more related, connected or like our mothers???!!
   
2. Epi-Genetics: Is it true that epi-genetics tend to favor mothers more? ChatFuckingGPT has said that RNA can influence certain aspects of cellular function and gene expression, and that pregnancy and even nursing can cause genes to be expressed or some sh!t, but aren't there studies that say that Mammals are more like their fathers (even if outdaded) and that the sex determination & even seminal fluids can cause gene expression too? Do mothers give us more gene expressions? Are we more like our mothers because of the gene expressions? Or are these outdaded myths?!
   

8.Paternal Genetic Speciality: If we happen to inherit the mtDNA from Mom, is there anything genetically special about fathers? I know that children inherit more mutations from their Fathers, which would be variable and probably lead to gene expression & epigenetics, but what else can this bring? Even if these mutations can be harmful or neutral, could they be repurposed and changed for future generations? Is there anything unique about inheriting more mutations from Dad? I have heard that male reproductive genes (including expression or specific function) also evolve faster than any other type of gene, including female reproductive genes. How does this help? However, if the Mitochondria Genome is said to evolve faster than the Nuclear Genome or something among those lines, does this abandon the special features of fathers and most mutations don't come from dad, OR as I decided to copy from a helper of mine: The percentage of mitochondrial DNA in the cells is2.5% of total cellular DNA1% of total cellular DNA10% of total cellular DNANone of the above (toppr.com). There's also this, but I think it's quite the manipulation since every mitochondria is still a copy of each other, right? https://www.quora.com/Do-you-get-more-of-your-mothers-genes-or-fathers-genes/answeTim-Eck-3?ch=15&oid=327935038&share=dea75d62&srid=uk6F9W&target_type=answer
9.Paternal Contributions: It has been depicted and said that only the head of the Sperm gets delivered, but apperantly there are articles that say that this is also a misconception that the entire sperm enters the egg, with the assumptions being that the Paternal MtDNA not being transmitted, but apperantly, the Sperm Mitochondria actually enters the egg but needs to be destroyed to prevent issues like the Mitochondrial diseases. With this in mind though, what else does the Sperm contribute to the embryo? Centrioles, Centrosomes & the Microtubule System & Microspindle-... Apperatus needed for mitosis? are done by the Sperm too, and it also brings the Chemical Signal for the Egg to activate it's metabolism and complete meiosis? Does this chemical also do anything like give calcuim to the Egg or anything else too? If the entire sperm enters the egg, what else could it bring to the embryonic development? Can there be any paternal contributions to milk like the Y chromosome presence in women bodyparts due to boy pregnancy and the high estrogen, prolactin & a bit of progestertone in seminal fluids? Are there more Sperm components and organelles that we can't easily observe? Is it possible that the absorbtion of all Sperm Cells can benefit the cells of females if the tail has more than 1000 proteins? Does the Journey, Agility, Adapatations, Variability, Motility & Penentration of the Sperm influence the Nucleus (therefore Embryo) in any way? What about the penentrations of multiple sperms (even if they won't enter or mege with the egg)? Or am I just fantasing, and reality is cruel? What about the chromatin condensation sperm? Are sperm cells, and therefore males, just doomed to be not helpful and more limted?...
10.Male Investment: We know that Males invest time into various behaviors, but how exactly does this help the species? Do they optimize & improve their genes? Do they evolve new traits? Do they mutate more? Are males a great investment for evolution or adaptability? Anything else unique? If more females than males have reproduced, does that mean that males are inferior or not helpful and that nature prefers females more? If males and sperm cells are simpler, does that mean they are inferior, disadvantaged or not special? Do non-reproducing males still help with something (assuming they haven't died)? Do you need to almost always (excluding species like Orange Cats and Calico Cats) have a 50/50 amount of both sexes so you don't cause genetic problems even if fewer males will pass on their genes?
That's all I really have to say, I probably sound like I am being dramatic, impulsive and immature, but I really have been overthinking and so, I'd like if some help could be given. This sure was long, but I think I might have given something interesting and such. I thought this could be used as a last resort to settle this before I grow up more. I hope I didn't seem bad or anything like that. I am just in a "scared and confused" situation from the amount of stuff I've seen. ChatGPT really isn't good when it comes to mental health, lol

Trichomonas Vaginalis is a protozoan that is a common cause of infection in the United States. It is most commonly found in the lower genital and urinary tract in females, while in males, it is found in the urethra and prostate. The men who are found to have this protozoan are most commonly asymptomatic, while females demonstrate characteristic symptoms. Certain individuals may be more at risk for trichomoniasis due to adverse health conditions or lowered immunity. These individuals include the males and females who have been affected by HIV and who may demonstrate the worst symptoms.

The Characteristics Of Al-Mu’tasim
Foolishness
Al-Mu’tasim was foolish. Historians described him that when he became angry, he did not care whom he killed or what he did.
Dislike Of Knowledge
Al-Mu’tasim disliked knowledge and hated learned people. There was a servant with him who read with him in the book. The servant died and ar-Rasheed said to al-Mu'tasim, ‘O Muhammad, your servant died.’ Al-Mu'tasim said, ‘O yes, my master! He died and rested from the book.’ Ar-Rasheed said, ‘The book will rest from you. (to his men) Leave him! Do not teach him!’ Al-Mu'tasim remained illiterate. When he became the caliph, he did not know reading and writing and his vizier was unlearned. Ahmed bin Aamir described him by saying, ‘An illiterate caliph and an unlearned vizier.’3 He was divested of knowledge, virtue, and any good quality, by which he was supposed to deserve the caliphate in Islam that was the highest and most important position on which justice and equity among people depended. Al-Mu'tasim’s heart was full of spite and malice against Imam al- Jawad (a.s). He burst with rage whenever he heard the virtues and exploits of Imam al-Jawad (a.s) being mentioned. His envy towards him had led him to assassinate him as we shall explain later on.
Bringing Imam Al-Jawad To Baghdad
Al-Mu'tasim had ordered Imam al-Jawad (a.s) to come to Baghdad and he arrived in it in Muharram, 220 AH.9 When Imam al-Jawad (a.s) came to Baghdad, al-Mu'tasim house- arrested him to know all his affairs and activities. He ordered his men to watch him and he prevented him from connecting with his followers and those who believed in his imamate. Mu'tasim ordered Umm al-Fadhl to poison the Imam, and her brother Ja'far ibn Ma'mun, the accursed one, also helped and provoked her. she poisonedn bunch of grapes, and placed it in front of him. When the Imam had eaten from it, she regretted and went on to cry. He-asws said: ‘What makes you cry? By Allah-azwj! May Allah-azwj Strike you with sterility not to be restored, and affliction which cannot be veiled!’ She died in an illness, a hole appeared in the most covered of places of her body parts (private part). She spent her wealth and entirety of what she had owned, upon that illness, to the extent that she became needy to be nourished. And it is reported that the hole was in her private part. The accursed Umm al-Fadhl also contracted leprosy and descended into Hell in disgrace in the desert, and the dogs tore her body apart.
hemlock poison, whose characteristic was that it made the blessed feet of the Imam so heavy that he could no longer walk, and it made the Imam extremely thirsty, such that like his forefather Imam al Husayn a.s he said: 'Al-Atash, al-Atash' (The thirst, the thirst)... The wicked Umm al-Fadhl ordered the maids to beat drums and tambourines and dance so that his voice would not reach anyone's ears. Finally, Imam Jawad, peace be upon him, was martyred in loneliness on the dirt of his room while in exile. For three days, his blessed body remained on the rooftop of the house, and after that, Umm al-Fadhl threw the pure body down from the roof to the ground. The Shias took the blessed corpse and buried it on the 2nd of Dhu al-Hijjah in the presence of Imam al Hadi, peace be upon him.
‘When allegiance was pledged to Al-Mutasim, he went on to check his situation. He wrote to Abdul Malik Al-Zayyat to dispatch to him Al-Taqi-asws and Umm Fazl. Al-Zayyat dispatched Ali Bin Yaqteen to him-asws. He-asws prepared and went out to Baghdad. He honoured him-asws, and revered him-asws, and sent Ashnas bearing the gifts to him-asws and to Umm Al-Fazl Then he sent a drink of citron juice to him-asws under his seal upon the hands of Ashnas. He said, ‘Commander of the faithful has got Ahmad Bin Abu Dawood, and Saeed Bin Al-Khaeyb, and a group from the well-known people to taste it, and he orders you-asws to drink from it with the water of snow, and he has made it just now, and he says, ‘Drink it at night’. He-asws said: ‘It is beneficial (when) cold, and the snow has melted’. And he insisted upon that, so he-asws drank it knowing of their deeds. (The book) ‘Al Manaqib’ of Ibn Shehr Ashub –V4 p 416
وَ لَمَّا بُويِعَ الْمُعْتَصِمُ جَعَلَ يَتَفَقَّدُ أَحْوَالَهُ فَكَتَبَ إِلَى عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ الزَّيَّاتِ أَنْ يُنْفِذَ إِلَيْهِ التَّقِيَّ وَ أُمَّ الْفَضْلِ فَأَنْفَذَ ابْنُ الزَّيَّاتِ عَلِيَّ بْنَ يَقْطِينٍ إِلَيْهِ فَتَجَهَّزَ وَ خَرَجَ إِلَى بَغْدَادَ فَأَكْرَمَهُ وَ عَظَّمَهُ وَ أَنْفَذَ أُشْنَاسَ بِالتُّحَفِ إِلَيْهِ وَ إِلَى أُمِّ الْفَضْلِ ثُمَّ أَنْفَذَ إِلَيْهِ شَرَابَ حُمَّاضِ الْأُتْرُجِّ تَحْتَ خَتْمِهِ عَلَى يَدَيِ أُشْنَاسٍ وَ قَالَ إِنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ذَاقَهُ قِبَلَ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي دَاوُدَ وَ سَعْدِ بْنِ الْخَصِيبِ وَ جَمَاعَةٍ مِنَ الْمَعْرُوفِينَ وَ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تَشْرَبَ مِنْهَا بِمَاءِ الثَّلْجِ وَ صَنَعَ فِي الْحَالِ فَقَالَ اشْرَبْهَا بِاللَّيْلِ قَالَ إِنَّهَا يَنْفَعُ بَارِداً وَ قَدْ ذَابَ الثَّلْجُ وَ أَصَرَّ عَلَى ذَلِكَ فَشَرِبَهَا عَالِماً بِفِعْلِهِم « مناقب آل ابیطالب ج ۴ ص ۴۱۶، بحار الانوار ج ۵۰ ص ۸، منتهی الآمال ص ۱۸۰۵»
(The book) ‘Uyoon Al Mojizaat’ – ‘When Abu Ja’far-asws and his-asws wife, the daughter of Al-Mamoun went out as pilgrims, and Abu Al-Hassan-asws brought out his-asws son Ali-asws, and he-asws was young, he-asws left him-asws behind in Al-Medina, and submitted to him-asws the inheritances, and the weapons, and texted upon him-asws in the witnessing of his-asws trusted ones and his-asws companions, and he-asws left to go to Al-Iraq, and with him-asws was his-asws wife, daughter of Al-Mamoun. And Al-Mamoun had gone out to a city of Rome, and he died at Al-Badeyroun during Rajab of the year two hundred and eighteen, and that was during the sixteenth year from the Imamate of Abu Ja’far-asws. And Al-Mutasim Abu Is’haq Muhammad Bin Haroun was pledge allegiance to during Shaman of the year two hundred and eighteen. Then Al-Mutasim went on to plot in killing Abu Ja’far-asws, and indicated to his-asws wife, the daughter of Al-Mamoun, that she should poison him, because he was aware of her turning away from Abu Ja’far-asws, and the intensity of her jealousy upon him-azwj due to his-asws preferring the mother-as of his-asws son-asws Abu Al-Hassan-asws over her, and because she was not graced with any child from him-asws. She answer him to that and went on to poison in a bunch of grapes, and she placed it in front of him. When he-asws had eaten from it, she regretted and went on to cry. He-asws said: ‘What makes you cry? By Allah-azwj! May Allah-azwj Strike you with sterility not to be restored, and affliction which cannot be veiled!’ She died in an illness, a hole appeared in the most covered of places of her body parts (private part). She spent her wealth and entirety of what she had owned, upon that illness, to the extent that she became needy to be nourished. And it is reported that the hole was in her private part. And he-asws passed away during the year two hundred and twenty from the Hijrah during the day of Tuesday of the fifth (day) vacant from Zil Hijjah, and for him-asws were twenty-four years and some months, because heasws was blessed (to his-asws parents-asws) in the year one hundred and ninety-five
Bihar Al Anwaar – V 50, The book of History – Muhammad Bin Ali-asws, Ch 1 H 26
لَمَّا خَرَجَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ عليهالسلام وَ زَوْجَتُهُ ابْنَةُ الْمَأْمُونِ حَاجّاً وَ خَرَجَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عَلِيٌّ ابْنُهُ عليهالسلام وَ هُوَ صَغِيرٌ فَخَلَّفَهُ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ وَ سَلَّمَ إِلَيْهِ الْمَوَارِيثَ وَ السِّلَاحَ وَ نَصَّ عَلَيْهِ بِمَشْهَدِ ثِقَاتِهِ وَ أَصْحَابِهِ وَ انْصَرَفَ إِلَى الْعِرَاقِ وَ مَعَهُ زَوْجَتُهُ ابْنَةُ الْمَأْمُونِ وَ كَانَ خَرَجَ الْمَأْمُونُ إِلَى بِلَادِ الرُّومِ فَمَاتَ بالبديرون فِي رَجَبٍ سَنَةَ ثَمَانَ عَشْرَةَ وَ مِائَتَيْنِ وَ ذَلِكَ فِي سِتَّ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً مِنْ إِمَامَةِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍعليهالسلام وَ بُويِعَ الْمُعْتَصِمُ أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ فِي شَعْبَانَ مِنْ سَنَةِ ثَمَانَ عَشْرَةَ وَ مِائَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ الْمُعْتَصِمَ جَعَلَ يَعْمَلُ الْحِيلَةَ فِي قَتْلِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍعليهالسلام وَ أَشَارَ عَلَى ابْنَةِ الْمَأْمُونِ زَوْجَتِهِ بِأَنْ تَسُمَّهُ لِأَنَّهُ وَقَفَ عَلَى انْحِرَافِهَا عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍعليهالسلام وَ شِدَّةِ غَيْرَتِهَا عَلَيْهِ لِتَفْضِيلِهِ أُمَّ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ابْنِهِ عَلَيْهَا وَ لِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يُرْزَقْ مِنْهَا وَلَدٌ فَأَجَابَتْهُ إِلَى ذَلِكَ وَ جَعَلَتْ سَمّاً فِي عِنَبٍ رَازِقِيٍّ وَ وَضَعَتْهُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَلَمَّا أَكَلَ مِنْهُ نَدِمَتْ وَ جَعَلَتْ تَبْكِي فَقَالَ مَا بُكَاؤُكِ وَ اللَّهِ لَيَضْرِبَنَّكِ اللَّهُ بِعَقْرٍ لَا يَنْجَبِرُ وَ بَلَاءٍ لَا يَنْسَتِرُ فَمَاتَتْ بِعِلَّةٍ فِي أَغْمَضِ الْمَوَاضِعِ مِنْ جَوَارِحِهَا صَارَتْ نَاصُوراً فَأَنْفَقَتْ مَالَهَا وَ جَمِيعَ مَا مَلَكَتْهُ عَلَى تِلْكَ الْعِلَّةِ حَتَّى احْتَاجَتْ إِلَى الِاسْتِرْفَادِ وَ رُوِيَ أَنَّ النَّاصُورَ كَانَ فِي فَرْجِهَا وَ قُبِضَ عليهالسلام فِي سَنَةِ عِشْرِينَ وَ مِائَتَيْنِ مِنَ الْهِجْرَةِ فِي يَوْمِ الثَّلَاثَاءِ لِخَمْسٍ خَلَوْنَ مِنْ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ وَ لَهُ أَرْبَعٌ وَ عِشْرُونَ سَنَةً وَ شُهُورٌ لِأَنَّ مَوْلِدَهُ كَانَ فِي سَنَةِ خَمْسٍ وَ تِسْعِينَ وَ مِائَةٍ.. «
عيون المعجزات، ص ۱۲۹، اثبات الوصیه ۲۱۹، دلائل الامامیه ص ۳۹۵، بحار الانوار ج ۵۰ ص ۱۶؛ جلاءالعیون ص ۹۶۷، منتهی الآمال ص ۱۸۰۴»
Cause of Imam’s martyrdom
It is mentioned in Tafsir Ayyashi that a man named Zarqan was a close friend of Qadi Ibne Abi Dawud. He narrates: One day when Qadi Ibne Abi Dawud came to me, he was highly distraught. I asked him what the matter was and he told me in a plaintive tone, “Alas! If I had only passed away twenty years ago instead of being humiliated!” When I asked him to explain, he said, “Today, Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibne Ali humiliated me in the presence of the chief of believers, Mutasim.” “What happened exactly?” I asked. “A thief came to the chief of believers and said: I am a thief. Please issue the Islamic penalty to me and purify from my sin.” Mutasim summoned all the jurists including Abu Ja’far Muhammad Taqi and asked us from where the hand should be chopped. I told him from the wrist. When the Caliph asked me for the proof, I said that the Quran has mentioned cutting off the hand of the thief and the word of ‘yad’ implies the hand from the wrist as mentioned in the verse of Tayammum: “…then wipe your faces and your hands…”Surah Nisa 4:43 And the whole nation has consensus that here the word of ‘yad’ implies the hand from the wrist. So it similarly applies for the thief as well and his hand must be cut from the wrist. For some time there was dispute among the jurists with regard to my verdict and some suggested that his hand should be cut off from the elbow relying on the verse of ablution: “…and your hands as far as the elbows…”Surah Maidah 5:6 After that Caliph Mutasim glanced at Imam Muhammad Taqi (a) and said, “Abu Ja’far, what is your opinion regarding this issue?” “The jurists of the community have mentioned their views; now what is the need of my opinion?” Inspite of his reluctance, the Caliphate insisted. He said, “If you are insisting so much; then listen: all the jurists have erred and issued a verdict that is opposed to the Sunnah. The Islamic legal penalty for the thief is that his four fingers must be cut off from the root leaving his palm intact.” “What is your reasoning for that? Mutasim asked. “It is the statement of Messenger of Allah (s) that during prostration (Sajdah) comprises placing the following seven parts of the body on the floor: forehead, both hands, both knees and toes of both feet. If the hand is amputed from the wrist how that person would perform Sajdah? Whereas Almighty Allah has mentioned in Surah Jinn: “And the places of prostration are Allah’s…”Surah Jinn 72:18 It implies the parts placed in Sajdah. “…therefore call not upon any one with Allah.”Surah Jinn 72:18 That is along with those places of prostration do not include anyone else with Allah. Hence whatever comes into the ownership of Allah cannot be cut off.” Mutasim was highly impressed at this reasoning and he ruled that the fingers of that thief be cut off. I was shattered by this verdict and I wished that I had died before issuing such a judgment and facing such humiliation. Zarqan says: That same Qadi visited Mutasim after two days and said: I am here because of my concern for you and I also know that as a result of that my abode shall in Hell. “What do you mean?” asked Mutasim. Qadi said, “O chief of believers, when you gather the scholars and jurists in your court and inquire about their legal verdicts, at that time not only scholars are present, on the contrary, your family members, ministers and your scribes etc are also present and later on these reports are circulated all over the country. But last time you really did something extraordinary! Ignoring the views of all the scholars and jurists of the Ummah, you adopted the verdict of Abu Ja’far. Whereas you should have taken into consideration the fact that from before also a large number of people from the nation believe in his Imamate and they imagine that you have usurped power that was rightfully Abu Ja’far’s. In spite of that you overlooked the verdicts of all the jurists and applied his opinion. This would weaken the foundations of your rule.” Mutasim’s became terribly infuriated and he said, “You have rendered a good advice; may God give you a good reward.” After that the Caliph ordered his minister to invite Abu Ja’far for dinner and poison the food. So that minister invited the Imam for dinner, but the Imam excused himself. The minister said, “We have only invited you for dinner, so that your presence would bring auspiciousness from God and so and so ministers of the Caliph would also like to meet you.” Finally the Imam attended the dinner and then realized that the food was poisoned. He asked them for the mount in order to return, but the host said, “Why the haste? Please stay some more.” Imam said, “It is better that I leave your place and go home.” After that he was in severe pain for a day and then finally passed away Tafsir Ayyashi, Vol. 1, Pg. 319; Biharul Anwar, Vol. 50, Pg. 5.
: الشيخ محمد بن مسعود العيّاشي في تفسيره:
باسناده عن زرقان صاحب ابن أبي داود و صديقه بشدّة قال: رجع ابن أبي داود ذات يوم من عند المعتصم و هو مغتمّ، فقلت له في ذلك، فقال:
وددت اليوم أنّي قدمت منذ عشرين سنة! قال: قلت له: و لم ذاك؟ قال:
لما كان هذا من الأسود! أبي جعفر محمّد بن عليّ بن موسى- (عليهم السلام)- اليوم بين يدي أمير المؤمنين [المعتصم] .
قال: قلت له: و كيف كان ذلك؟
قال: إنّ سارقا أقرّ على نفسه بالسرقة، و سأل الخليفة تطهيره بإقامة الحدّ عليه، فجمع لذلك الفقهاء في مجلسه، و قد أحضر محمد بن عليّ- (عليهما السلام)-، فسألنا عن القطع في أيّ موضع يجب أن يقطع؟ قال:
فقلت: من الكرسوع، قال: و ما الحجّة في ذلك؟ قال: قلت: لأنّ اليد هي الأصابع و الكفّ إلى الكرسوع، لقول اللّه في التيمّم: فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَ أَيْدِيكُمْ [ النساء: 43.]، و اتّفق معي على ذلك قوم.
و قال آخرون: بل يجب القطع من المرفق، قال: و ما الدليل على ذلك؟ قالوا: لأنّ اللّه لمّا قال: وَ أَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرافِقِ [المائدة: 6] في الغسل دلّ ذلك أنّ حدّ اليد هو المرفق، قال: فالتفت الي محمد بن عليّ- (عليه السلام)- فقال: ما تقول في هذا يا أبا جعفر؟ فقال: قد تكلّم القوم فيه يا أمير المؤمنين [قال: دعني ممّا تكلّموا به، أيّ شيء عندك؟ قال: اعفني عن هذا يا أمير المؤمنين] قال: أقسمت عليك باللّه [لما أخبرت بما عندك فيه، فقال- (عليه السلام)-: أمّا إذا أقسمت عليّ باللّه] إنّي أقول: إنّهم أخطئوا فيه السنّة، فانّ القطع يجب أن يكون من مفصل اصول الأصابع، فيترك الكفّ، قال: و ما الحجّة في ذلك؟
قال: قول رسول اللّه- (صلّى اللّه عليه و آله)-: «السجود على سبعة أعضاء الوجه و اليدين و الركبتين و الرجلين»، فإذا قطعت يده من الكرسوع أو المرفق لم يبق له يد يسجد عليها، و قد قال اللّه تعالى: وَ أَنَّ الْمَساجِدَ لِلَّهِ- يعني به هذه الأعضاء السبعة التي يسجد عليها- فَلا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَداً الجنّ: 18. و ما كان للّه لم يقطع، قال: فأعجب المعتصم ذلك، و أمر بقطع يد السارق من مفصل الأصابع دون الكفّ.
قال ابن أبي داود: قامت قيامتي و تمنّيت أنّي لم أك [حيّا] قال زرقان: إنّ ابن أبي داود قال: صرت إلى المعتصم بعد ثالثة ، فقلت: إنّ نصيحة أمير المؤمنين عليّ واجبة، و أنا اكلّمه بما أعلم أنّي أدخل به النار، قال: و ما هو؟ قلت: إذا جمع أمير المؤمنين في مجلسه فقهاء رعيّته و علمائهم لأمر واقع من امور الدين، فسألهم عن الحكم فيه فأخبروه بما عندهم من الحكم في ذلك، و قد حضر مجلسه [أهل بيته] و قوّاده و وزرائه و كتّابه، و قد تسامع الناس بذلك من وراء بابه، ثمّ يترك أقاويلهم كلّهم لقول رجل يقول شطر هذه الامّة بإمامته، و يزعمون أنّه أولى منه بمقامه، ثمّ يحكم بحكمه دون حكم الفقهاء؟!
قال: فتغيّر لونه و انتبه لما نبّهته له و قال: جزاك اللّه عن نصيحتك خيرا، قال: فأمر اليوم الرابع الامراء من كتّابه و وزرائه [4] بأن يدعوه إلى منزله، فدعاه فأبى أن يجيبه و قال: قد علمت أنّي لا أحضر مجالسكم.
فقال: إنّي إنّما أدعوك إلى الطعام، و احبّ أن تطأ ببابي و تدخل منزلي فأتبرّك بذلك، و قد أحبّ فلان بن فلان من وزراء الخليفة [لقائك] ، فصار إليه.
فلمّا طعم منها أحسّ السمّ، فدعا بدابّته فسأله ربّ المنزل أن يقيم، قال: خروجي من دارك خير لك، فلم يزل يومه ذلك و ليله في حلقه [في المصدر: في خلفه، و قال محقّق البحار: إنّ الصحيح في خلفة و هو بالكسر: الهيضة، و هي انطلاق البطن و القيء.] حتّى قبض- (عليه السلام)- تفسير العيّاشي: 1: 319 ح 109 و عنه البحار: 50/ 5 ح 7 و ج 79/ 190 ح 33 و ج 85/ 128 و الوسائل: 18/ 490 ح 5 و حلية الأبرار: 4/ 580 ح 2.
ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَسَّانَ عَنْ أَبِي هَاشِمٍ الْجَعْفَرِيِّ قَالَ صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي مَسْجِدِ الْمُسَيَّبِ وَصَلَّى بِنَا فِي مَوْضِعِ الْقِبْلَةِ سَوَاءً وَذُكِرَ أَنَّ السِّدْرَةَ الَّتِي فِي الْمَسْجِدِ كَانَتْ يَابِسَةً لَيْسَ عَلَيْهَا وَرَقٌ فَدَعَا بِمَاءٍ وَتَهَيَّأَ تَحْتَ السِّدْرَةِ فَعَاشَتِ السِّدْرَةُ وَأَوْرَقَتْ وَحَمَلَتْ مِنْ عَامِهَا.

1. Ahmad ibn Idris has narrated from from Muhammad ibn Hassa’n from abu Hashim Ali-Ja‘fari who has said the following. “Once I prayed with abu Ja‘far (a.s.) in the Mosque of Ali-Musayyib. He lead the prayer with us and as to the direction of Makka he stood up facing straight. He also has said that a berry tree that was in the Mosque had dried up and had no leaves. The Imam (a.s.) asked for water and prepared himself under that tree for prayer. The berry tree came alive with leaves and fruits in that year.”

Al-Kāfi - Volume 1, The Birth of Abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali, the Second (a.s.), Hadith 10
ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ قَالَ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ حَدَثَ بِآلِ فَرَجٍ حَدَثٌ فَقُلْتُ مَاتَ عُمَرُ فَقَالَ الْحَمْدُ لله حَتَّى أَحْصَيْتُ لَهُ أَرْبَعاً وَعِشْرِينَ مَرَّةً فَقُلْتُ يَا سَيِّدِي لَوْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ هَذَا يَسُرُّكَ لَجِئْتُ حَافِياً أَعْدُو إِلَيْكَ قَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ أَ وَلا تَدْرِي مَا قَالَ لَعَنَهُ الله لِمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ أَبِي قَالَ قُلْتُ لا قَالَ خَاطَبَهُ فِي شَيْءٍ فَقَالَ أَظُنُّكَ سَكْرَانَ فَقَالَ أَبِي اللهمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنِّي أَمْسَيْتُ لَكَ صَائِماً فَأَذِقْهُ طَعْمَ الْحَرْبِ وَذُلَّ الاسْرِ فَوَ الله إِنْ ذَهَبَتِ الايَّامُ حَتَّى حُرِبَ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَانَ لَهُ ثُمَّ أُخِذَ أَسِيراً وَهُوَ ذَا قَدْ مَاتَ لا رَحِمَهُ الله وَقَدْ أَدَالَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مِنْهُ وَمَا زَالَ يُدِيلُ أَوْلِيَاءَهُ مِنْ أَعْدَائِهِ.
. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abdallah from Muhammad ibn Sinan who has said the following. “Once I went to see abu al-Hassan (a.s.). He said, “O Muhammad, has something happened to the family of al-Faraj (the governor of al-Madina )?” I said, “Yes, ‘Umar (a member of al-Faraj family) has died.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “All thanks and praise belongs to Allah.” He said it twenty four times. I then said, “My master, had known it would make you this happy I would have come to running and bare foot with the news (to congratulate you).” The Imam (a.s.) said, “Do you not know what he –may Allah condemn him- once had said to Muhammad ibn Ali, my father?” The narrator has said that I said, “No, I do not know it.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “He spoke to my father about an issue and then said to him, “I think you are drunk.” My father then had said, “O Lord, if you know that I have been fasting this day, then make him test the taste of al-A ‘war, and the humiliation of captivity.” By Allah, in just a few days his belongings were looted and he was captured and know he is dead-may Allah deprive him of His mercy. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, has exacted revenge from him and He continues to exact revenge for His friends from His enemies.
Al-Kāfi - Volume 1, The Birth of Abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali, the Second (a.s.), Hadith 9
ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ اسْتَأْذَنَ عَلَى ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَوْمٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّوَاحِي مِنَ الشِّيعَةِ فَأَذِنَ لَهُمْ فَدَخَلُوا فَسَأَلُوهُ فِي مَجْلِسٍ وَاحِدٍ عَنْ ثَلاثِينَ أَلْفَ مَسْأَلَةٍ فَأَجَابَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَلَهُ عَشْرُ سِنِينَ.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father who has said the following. “Once a group of Shi‘a from the suburbs asked permission to meet abu Ja‘far (a.s.). He granted them permission and they came in his presence. In one meeting they asked him thirty thousand questions. He answered them all and at that time he was ten years old.”

Al-Kāfi - Volume 1, The Birth of Abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali, the Second (a.s.), Hadith 7
ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ الْجَعْفَرِيِّ قَالَ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَمَعِي ثَلاثُ رِقَاعٍ غَيْرُ مُعَنْوَنَةٍ وَاشْتَبَهَتْ عَلَيَّ فَاغْتَمَمْتُ فَتَنَاوَلَ إِحْدَاهُمَا وَقَالَ هَذِهِ رُقْعَةُ زِيَادِ بْنِ شَبِيبٍ ثُمَّ تَنَاوَلَ الثَّانِيَةَ فَقَالَ هَذِهِ رُقْعَةُ فُلانٍ فَبُهِتُّ أَنَا فَنَظَرَ إِلَيَّ فَتَبَسَّمَ قَالَ وَأَعْطَانِي ثَلاثَمِائَةِ دِينَارٍ وَأَمَرَنِي أَنْ أَحْمِلَهَا إِلَى بَعْضِ بَنِي عَمِّهِ وَقَالَ أَمَا إِنَّهُ سَيَقُولُ لَكَ دُلَّنِي عَلَى حَرِيفٍ يَشْتَرِي لِي بِهَا مَتَاعاً فَدُلَّهُ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ فَأَتَيْتُهُ بِالدَّنَانِيرِ فَقَالَ لِي يَا أَبَا هَاشِمٍ دُلَّنِي عَلَى حَرِيفٍ يَشْتَرِي لِي بِهَا مَتَاعاً فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ وَكَلَّمَنِي جَمَّالٌ أَنْ أُكَلِّمَهُ لَهُ يُدْخِلُهُ فِي بَعْضِ أُمُورِهِ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ لاكَلِّمَهُ لَهُ فَوَجَدْتُهُ يَأْكُلُ وَمَعَهُ جَمَاعَةٌ وَلَمْ يُمْكِنِّي كَلامَهُ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا هَاشِمٍ كُلْ وَوَضَعَ بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ ثُمَّ قَالَ ابْتِدَاءً مِنْهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ مَسْأَلَةٍ يَا غُلامُ انْظُرْ إِلَى الْجَمَّالِ الَّذِي أَتَانَا بِهِ أَبُو هَاشِمٍ فَضُمَّهُ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ وَدَخَلْتُ مَعَهُ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ بُسْتَاناً فَقُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنِّي لَمُولَعٌ بِأَكْلِ الطِّينِ فَادْعُ الله لِي فَسَكَتَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي بَعْدَ ثَلاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ ابْتِدَاءً مِنْهُ يَا أَبَا هَاشِمٍ قَدْ أَذْهَبَ الله عَنْكَ أَكْلَ الطِّينِ قَالَ أَبُو هَاشِمٍ فَمَا شَيْءٌ أَبْغَضَ إِلَيَّ مِنْهُ الْيَوْمَ.

1. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl ibn zd from Dawud ibn al-Qasim al-Ja‘fari who has said the following “Once I went to see abu Ja‘far (a.s.) and I had a few questions on three pieces of materials with proper markings and they were mixed as such that I could not distinguish. I felt sad. He picked one and said, “This is the letter of Ziyad ibn Shabib.” Then he picked up the other one and said, “.This is the letter of so and so.” I became awe struck. He looked at me and smiled.” The narrator has said that the Imam (a.s.) then gave me three hundred Dinars and asked me to deliver them to the certain persons of the sons of his uncle and said, “He will ask you to show him a professional person who would help him to buy goods, help show him one.” The narrator has said that I then went to him and gave him the Dinars and asked me, “O abu Hashim, can you show me a professional person who would help me to buy goods.” I said, “Yes, I can do so.” The narrator has said that a camel man asked me to speak on his behalf to abu Ja‘far (a.s.) to take part in certain matters of his affairs. I went to see him (abu Ja‘far (a.s.) to speak to him but he was having meal with a group of people and I did not get a chance to speak to him. He (abu Ja‘far (a.s.) said, “O abu Hashim, eat. He placed food before me. Then he said, initiating and without any question from me, “O slave, take good care of the camel-man that abu Hashim has brought for us. Keep him with you.” The narrator has said that one day I entered a garden along with him and said, “May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, I am addicted to eating fig. Pray to Allah for me.” He was quite and then after three day on his own initiation he said, “O abu Hashim, “Allah has removed your addiction.” Ever since it is the thing that I hate most.”

Al-Kāfi - Volume 1, The Birth of Abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali, the Second (a.s.), Hadith : 4
ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الرَّيَّانِ قَالَ احْتَالَ الْمَأْمُونُ عَلَى ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) بِكُلِّ حِيلَةٍ فَلَمْ يُمْكِنْهُ فِيهِ شَيْءٌ فَلَمَّا اعْتَلَّ وَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَبْنِيَ عَلَيْهِ ابْنَتَهُ دَفَعَ إِلَى مِائَتَيْ وَصِيفَةٍ مِنْ أَجْمَلِ مَا يَكُونُ إِلَى كُلِّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهُنَّ جَاماً فِيهِ جَوْهَرٌ يَسْتَقْبِلْنَ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِذَا قَعَدَ فِي مَوْضِعِ الاخْيَارِ فَلَمْ يَلْتَفِتْ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَكَانَ رَجُلٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ مُخَارِقٌ صَاحِبُ صَوْتٍ وَعُودٍ وَضَرْبٍ طَوِيلُ اللِّحْيَةِ فَدَعَاهُ الْمَأْمُونُ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنْ أَمْرِ الدُّنْيَا فَأَنَا أَكْفِيكَ أَمْرَهُ فَقَعَدَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَشَهِقَ مُخَارِقٌ شَهْقَةً اجْتَمَعَ عَلَيْهِ أَهْلُ الدَّارِ وَجَعَلَ يَضْرِبُ بِعُودِهِ وَيُغَنِّي فَلَمَّا فَعَلَ سَاعَةً وَإِذَا أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ لا يَلْتَفِتُ إِلَيْهِ لا يَمِيناً وَلا شِمَالاً ثُمَّ رَفَعَ إِلَيْهِ رَأْسَهُ وَقَالَ اتَّقِ الله يَا ذَا الْعُثْنُونِ قَالَ فَسَقَطَ الْمِضْرَابُ مِنْ يَدِهِ وَالْعُودُ فَلَمْ يَنْتَفِعْ بِيَدَيْهِ إِلَى أَنْ مَاتَ قَالَ فَسَأَلَهُ الْمَأْمُونُ عَنْ حَالِهِ قَالَ لَمَّا صَاحَ بِي أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ فَزِعْتُ فَزْعَةً لا أُفِيقُ مِنْهَا أَبَداً.

1. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from certain persons of our people from Muhammad ibn al-Rayyan who has said the following “Al-Ma’mun did all he could to prove that abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali al-Rida (a.s.) was only a young man of worldly desires. However Al-Ma’mun could not succeed. When he became frustrated he gave his daughter in marriage to abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali al-Rida (a.s.). For the ceremony he sent two hundred most beautiful entertaining girls each with a bowl in her hand with a precious pearl in it to well come abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali al-Rida (a.s.) when he would sit on the special seat prepared for him. They, however, were not of any attraction to the Imam (a.s.) to disturb him. There was a man called Mukhariq who had a voice, musical skills, a guitar and a tall beard. Al-Ma’mun called him and he said, “O Amir al-Mu’minin, if he is a worldly man I will prove myself as dealing him deadly blows on your behalf.” He sat in front of abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali al-Rida (a.s.) and began to bray a hee-haw that made all the people of the house gather around him. He began to play his guitar and sing. He did it for an hour but abu Ja‘far (a.s.) did not pay any attention to the right or left. Then he (a.s.) raised his head and said, “O you, tall bearded one, be pious before Allah.” The narrator has said that the musical instrument and guitar fell off his hand and he could not use his hands thereafter until he died. When Al-Ma’mun asked him about his condition he said, “When abu Ja‘far (a.s.) expressed his disappointment at me it struck me with a huge degree of fear from which I have not been able to relieve myself ever since.”

Al-Kāfi - Volume 1, The Birth of Abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali, the Second (a.s.), Hadith 4
ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جُمْهُورٍ عَنْ مُعَمَّرِ بْنِ خَلادٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ يَقُولُ لِلرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ ابْنِي فِي لِسَانِهِ ثِقْلٌ فَأَنَا أَبْعَثُ بِهِ إِلَيْكَ غَداً تَمْسَحُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ وَتَدْعُو لَهُ فَإِنَّهُ مَوْلاكَ فَقَالَ هُوَ مَوْلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ فَابْعَثْ بِهِ غَداً إِلَيْهِ.

1. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Jumhur from Mu‘mmar ibn Khallad who has said the following. “I heard ’Isma‘il ibn Ibrahim say to al-rida (a.s.), ‘My son feels heaviness in his tongue. I intend to sent him tomorrow to you. Pass you your hand over his head and pray for him. He is your Mawla (slave).’” The Imam (a.s.) said, “He is a Mawla (slave) of abu Ja’far (a.s.). send him tomorrow to him (abu Ja‘far (a.s.).”

Al-Kāfi - Volume 1, Tacit and Explicit Testimony as proof of abu Ja‘far al-Thani’s (the second) (a.s.) Divine Authority over the people after abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.), Hadith 11
ـ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ حُكَيْمٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ قَالَ قَالَ لِيَ ابْنُ النَّجَاشِيِّ مَنِ الامَامُ بَعْدَ صَاحِبِكَ فَأَشْتَهِي أَنْ تَسْأَلَهُ حَتَّى أَعْلَمَ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ لِي الامَامُ ابْنِي ثُمَّ قَالَ هَلْ يَتَجَرَّأُ أَحَدٌ أَنْ يَقُولَ ابْنِي وَلَيْسَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ.

One of our people has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ali from Mu‘awiya ibn Hakim from ibn abu Basir who has said the following. “Al-Najashi once asked me, “Who will be the Imam after your master? I wish you ask him so I will know.” I then went to see Ali al-Rida (a.s.) and informed him (of al-Najashi’s wish).” The narrator has said that the Imam said, “The Imam will be my son.” Then he said, “Can any one say that my son will be the Imam when he has no son?”
Al-Kāfi - Volume 1, Tacit and Explicit Testimony as proof of abu Ja‘far al-Thani’s (the second) (a.s.) Divine Authority over the people after abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.), Hadith 5
ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَشْيَمَ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ بَشَّارٍ قَالَ كَتَبَ ابْنُ قِيَامَا إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) كِتَاباً يَقُولُ فِيهِ كَيْفَ تَكُونُ إِمَاماً وَلَيْسَ لَكَ وَلَدٌ فَأَجَابَهُ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) شِبْهَ الْمُغْضَبِ وَمَا عَلَّمَكَ أَنَّهُ لا يَكُونُ لِي وَلَدٌ وَالله لا تَمْضِي الايَّامُ وَاللَّيَالِي حَتَّى يَرْزُقَنِيَ الله وَلَداً ذَكَراً يَفْرُقُ بِهِ بَيْنَ الْحَقِّ وَالْبَاطِلِ.

1. A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ja’far ibn Yahya from Malik ibn Ashyam from al-Husayn ibn Bashshar who has said the following. “Ibn Qiyaman wrote a letter to abu al-Hassan (a.s.) in which he had said the following. ‘How can you be an Imam when you do not have a son?” Abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.) replied him with signs of anger, “How do you know that I will not have a son? By Allah, not many days and nights will pass before Allah will grant me a male child through who He will make the truth distinct from falsehood.”

Al-Kāfi - Volume 1, Tacit and Explicit Testimony as proof of abu Ja‘far al-Thani’s (the second) (a.s.) Divine Authority over the people after abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.), Hadith 4
Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father that ’Isma‘il ibn Mihran who has said the following. “When abu Ja‘far left Madina for Baghdad the first time of his two journeys on his leaving I said to him, “May Allah take my souls in service for your cause, I am afraid about you in this condition. To who, after you, will belong the task (Leadership with Divine Authority)?” He turned to me laughing and said, “The disappearance, as have thought, will not take place this year. When he was about to be taken to al-Mu‘tasam (179/795 —became caliph 218/833 — 227/841), for the second time I went to him and said, “May Allah take my souls in service for your cause. You are leaving. To who, after you, will go this task Leadership with Divine Authority)?” He wept until his beard become soaked. He then turned to me and said, “This time you should be afraid about my life. The task (Leadership with Divine Authority) after me will go to my son Ali Al-Kāfi - Volume 1 p323
عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مِهْرَانَ قَالَ: لَمَّا خَرَجَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ إِلَى بَغْدَادَ فِي الدَّفْعَةِ الْأُولَى مِنْ خَرْجَتَيْهِ قُلْتُ لَهُ عِنْدَ خُرُوجِهِ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكَ فِي هَذَا الْوَجْهِ فَإِلَى مَنِ الْأَمْرُ بَعْدَكَ فَكَرَّ بِوَجْهِهِ إِلَيَّ ضَاحِكاً وَ قَالَ لَيْسَ الْغَيْبَةُ حَيْثُ ظَنَنْتَ فِي هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ فَلَمَّا أُخْرِجَ بِهِ الثَّانِيَةَ إِلَى الْمُعْتَصِمِ صِرْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ أَنْتَ خَارِجٌ فَإِلَى مَنْ هَذَا الْأَمْرُ مِنْ بَعْدِكَ فَبَكَى حَتَّى اخْضَلَّتْ لِحْيَتُهُ ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ إِلَيَّ فَقَالَ عِنْدَ هَذِهِ يُخَافُ عَلَيَّ الْأَمْرُ مِنْ بَعْدِي إِلَى ابْنِي عَلِيٍّ. کافی ج۱ ص ۳۲۳

I wrote this around May 20th or so, just wanted to share
Here is my teachers feedback: "this is a great analysis of major themes and the musicality of the song...as this is about literature, you should also be discussing the literariness of the song as well."
Wesley’s Theory by Kendrick Lamar serves as the introductory track to his 2015 studio album To Pimp A Butterfly. Rateyourmusic.com claims To Pimp A Butterfly is the top album of all time for any genre. Therefore, the introductory track must have set the tone in a fine way to create the greatest, most cohesive, flawless album ever, no? Lamar and his team of producers, engineers, and writers on Wesley’s Theory do exactly this, each executing their job perfectly and coming together to form a beautiful, funky, conscious introduction describing how the United States systemically takes money from young successful Black people.
The lyrics of the song may be what a listener of Wesley’s Theory might pay the most attention to on the first play. However, the production of the song is near unmatched, as it also adds miles to Lamar’s overall concept of systemic racism. Many describe the song as “funky,” which demonstrates how Lamar chose to combine two predominantly African- American genres: hip-hop and funk. Funk originated in the midst of the United States civil rights movement and stemmed from dance music. The upbeat characteristics of the production ironically contrast with the unfortunate topics Lamar discusses. This may have been chosen to make the song more appealing to a broader audience, and ultimately expand the reach of his message in the lyrics. It might then serve as a critique of the music industry as a whole, for supporting systemic racism and selling Black pain and struggle as entertainment. Regardless, the instrumental was masterfully crafted, including a little beat switch at the three-minute mark to signify the change in voice to become Uncle Sam (will go into this more later). After Dr. Dre’s break, the beat surrounding Uncle Sam’s voice becomes more ominous and cloudy. Listeners question Uncle Sam’s motives and commands, as the production hints he may have evil intentions against the good men such as Lamar himself in the first verse.
Other than Lamar, who is performing on Wesley’s Theory? The track opens up with Boris Gardiner—a sample of his Every N***** is a Star. Upon its release in the 1970s, this song was supposed to empower Black people, so Lamar including this to set the tone of his own 2015 album portrays the persistent presence of racism almost half a century later. Chances are the sample was interpolated to introduce the bulk of the album, versus just this specific song. However, Wesley's Theory’s message is still very similar to To Pimp A Butterfly’s modern racism as a whole to really introduce the main idea of the album to the listeners.
Josef Leimberg’s quick verse after Gardiner is the first mention of the caterpillabutterfly metaphor that actually stays consistent throughout the album. Lamar and other Black people on the streets are reflected in the caterpillar. Caterpillars just consume everything they can, and in this case, pre-fame Lamar would just hustle to the highest level he could to survive by eating and buying his way through his cocoon.
Kendrick’s chorus which starts before his actual verses acts to sum up the whole song. Although it may not make sense upon first listen, it speaks upon Lamar’s complex relationship with the music industry. As stated earlier, he is conscious of music executives selling the pain of Black people as entertainment, and the chorus reflects his shift in his perception of them. He first loved the money, the fame, all aspects of a successful rising star. Later, he found out the truths behind the industry’s intentions and learned his lesson about where his efforts go.
His first verse expands on this idea, and puts the listener in Lamar’s shoes maybe 15 or 20 years ago, aspiring about his goals as a rising Black MC. He would splurge on all sorts of things, from women to cars. Ultimately, he stayed independent and never was pimped, but still the aspirations of spending all this money from his success back into garbage was clear.
There is a section in the middle of the song, shifting from Lamar’s perspective to Uncle Sam. After Dr. Dre’s voice clip, dropping financial wisdom that relates to avoiding the subsequent, Kendrick speaks as the government, going out of their way—although systemically—to take the money from Black creators. They are the ones who instill these expenditure aspirations into a young Lamar. They are the ones making it easy and normalized for such artists to splurge their earnings back into material goods. They are the ones that uphold an environment of poor education causing such people to fail economics class. And they will ultimately snipe Lamar and others if they “slip up financially,” like Wesley Snipes, identifying the meaning behind the title of the song.
Smaller details throughout the song absolutely complete and perfect Lamar’s message. When George Clinton said, “look both ways before you cross my mind,” and his vocals ran from the left ear to the right ear, it emphasizes Clinton’s message in this bridge, of acknowledging where Kendrick’s level of success resides right now, but how quick, easy, and far of a drop can occur with a slip-up. Kendrick’s mixing has a slight reverb to it too, as if there are multiple of him. Which is exactly what he is arguing, as it is a wide systemic issue that affects all sorts of Black creators, he was just lucky enough to not fall for the trap that is to get pimped out. Kendrick’s vocal inflections and slang used throughout the song also add miles toward the words he wants to emphasize and really drill in what sort of environment he grew up in.
Nearing the end of the song, a listener might believe they were just given some insight and behind the scenes information of the music industry and how Black artists are being exploited. The end of the track acts similarly to a conclusion, with George Clinton’s chanting of, “We should never gave n***** money,” intertwined and slowly transitioning with Anna Wise’s chant, “tax man comin’,” to really spotlight and protest against the cause-and-effect relationship.
In sum, Wesley’s Theory combines powerful lyrics with masterful production to critique the systemic racism and exploitation of Black artists, cementing the track’s role as a compelling introduction to Kendrick Lamar’s landmark album.

Before I start this post, I must give a shoutout to the brother "Iron in the Soul" from YouTube for inspiring this post.
As I have gone along my journey of SR and experienced the changes that this practice has brought upon my mind, body, soul, and character, something slowly started to dawn on me. SR is one of the most catalytic practices for the purification of a man. If this practice is followed long and steadfastly enough, I am convinced that it will slowly purify a man to angelic proportions.
Now before we go any further, i'd like to dispel the erroneous pagan depiction of angels as seen in many ancient art pieces and scriptures. These satanic historical accounts often depict angels as feminine childlike creatures with wings that fly around naked shooting arrows through people's hearts or playing musical instruments. Trust me when I say that this depiction is pretty much the polar opposite of what angels actually are. In actuality, angels of the most high are masculine spiritual beings with the following qualities.

1. Angels are masculine and strong
2. Angels always conduct their lives and affairs in accordance with natural law
3. Angels do not tolerate rubbish from anyone, but are subservient to God
4. Angels stand on business and are very productive
5. Angels are stern, but also humble and kind
6. Angels are very attractive beings of light
7. Angels have an intimidating presence
8. Angels have extremely powerful voices and don't speak unless absolutely necessary

The qualities above describe the few men I know that are really serious about the SR path. I find that the longer men go on this journey of masculine purity, the more of the characteristics above they adopt. After you've been on SR for a while, you become a lot stronger mentally and physically. You start to have almost allergic reactions to foods and drinks that are not natural. Physically gorgeous, but morally corrupt women start to make your skin crawl. Although you gain much more patience for people who legitimately need it, you also become much less tolerant of rubbish from corrupt people. People start to develop this mix of admiration and fear for you that puts you in exalted positions wherever you go, but because you are subservient to the most high God, you always move with humility and kindness. In short, SR and masculine purity makes angels of men.
Till next time brothers, Godspeed and remain blessed.
Brother Cooked.

This thread will be posted by the automoderator every 48 hours at 6:00 PM PST.
Hi all,
This thread will attempt to limit the amount of low-effort posts we get in the subreddit. Yes, we all started somewhere at some point, and being new can be difficult and scary, but that is no excuse to not do any research and think that every question that pops into your head warrants a brand new post.
This post will initially be made by me, but will subsequently become a recurring automoderator thread.
Most questions can usually be answered with the following guides:
Basic, Commonly Used Replica Terms Defined (QC, GL, RL, Batch Names, Batch Tiering, etc)

Agent Basics

"I have never used an agent - how do I learn?"
In the current landscape, it is difficult to recommend any agents. Once an agent arises that seems trustworthy and efficient, a How-To Guide may be written. At this time, this group does not have a How-To Guide for agent purchases.
"How can I order this pair? The website (Weidian/Taobao) is in Chinese."
Web Browser's such as Apple's Safari or Google Chrome have built-in translation features that you can use to translate the page. Additionally, copy-pasting the link into an agent website translates the page for you.
"W2C?" "Do you have a link?"
I see these comments underneath posts at least daily, and I fear those of you commenting these things will not read this post either. All QC posts are mandated to have W2C links. All W2C links are either in the caption of the photos or in the comments section. Please check these two areas before posting "W2C?"
"I don't know what size to purchase"
If you've never ordered from an agent, you may not have ever referenced European sizing. Weidian listings are most commonly listed in EU sizing. I am a US 8.5, and that is an EU 42. Convert from your US or UK size to find the appropriate size! There are multiple size charts online, but the one I use myself is this one from N1k3.
In my experience, most shoes and batches are true to size, or at least fit like their retail counterparts. Order whatever size typically works for you in that silhouette. If it's your first time buying a certain silhouette, you can ask for insole measurements, though this isn't something I typically do.
"Wait - but X Middleman in another subreddit charges double the price for these! Am I being scammed by purchasing of Weidian?"
No, you are not being scammed. In short, middlemen do not produce pairs - they source them from the same places Weidian sellers do. Middlemen mark up the price as they are profiting off of user laziness and desire for maximum convenience, as well as providing usually faster UPS/FedEx shipping (a ~$55 value to the US). Some middlemen will lie and say Weidian is scamming you - this is not true. These sellers are simply trying to instill fear in ignorant, usually newer rep buyers in order to maintain business. These sellers also usually pay off other group moderators in order to be given the "trusted seller" status. This status was not earned, but bought. Keep this in mind when perusing other subreddits with weaker moderation.
As stated in my guide, batch is what matters, not seller. If you buy the same batch from a middleman as an agent, it will be the same exact quality. Please do not discuss overpriced middlemen from other groups here as that is against subreddit rules. Please try to do your own research on any outside information prior to bringing it into this subreddit as it may be unreliable. The only discussion regarding direct shipping allowed in the group is for Weidian sellers in the community as they offer the most competitive prices and have maintained a good reputation.
"I bought a pair in another subreddit from a middleman and want to know what they sent me! Can I post here asking for the batch identity?"
That is unfortunate that you purchased from a seller in another subreddit where sellers are not upheld to standards for transparency and putting the seller first. This group was not made to be a crutch to these other subreddits. We here encourage you to purchase from sellers who have gained their reputations organically, and who will be held to consequences if they breach that trust. You are welcome to post in other groups asking for batch identities, though that is not allowed here in order to maintain our ecosystem and not help maintain other, shadier subreddits.
"But middlemen said that if I use an agent, I can't get QC pictures or RL pairs?"
This is false and again, an attempt to keep your business and keep you from saving money. You can see all of the QC pictures in this group. Being able to GL or RL pairs depends on the listing. Certain sale listings or B-Grade listings are non-refundable, so you will get QC pictures, but you won't be able to return them except for severe circumstances (seller sent wrong shoe, seller sent wrong size).
"What is a B-Grade pair? How do they differ from regular products?"
B Grades or B Versions have imperfections that prevent the pairs from being sold at regular price - it’s impossible to know what imperfections will be present, though typically for top-tier batches, the imperfections are relatively minor. The flaws can range from scuffs to loose stitching, differences in tumbling to wrinkled leather. Sometimes, but not always, do the sellers state what types of flaws to expect on the pairs. I typically avoid any pairs where the sellers warn about mold, as that is not something I want to deal with or put on my feet.
"Well, do you recommend B-Grade products poncecatchemall?"
If you can’t tolerate minor flaws, do not purchase. These pairs are typically non-refundable. If you’re willing to compromise minor flaws that you’ll likely acquire rapidly anyway from wearing your shoe, pick the B-Grade pairs up and enjoy the discounted price - I personally recommend B products from top batches as I’m not bothered by imperfections that quickly come from wear.

QC Questions

"Which post flair should I use, Agent or DIRECT, and which price range should I select?"
Because the group will temporarily allow direct shipping from our Weidian sellers, QC Post Flairs were split for each price range into Agent Purchases and Direct Shipping Purchases. Please use the appropriate flair for how you purchased the item.

1. If you are purchasing through an agent, use the QC Post Flair that captures the price of the shoe on the Weidian Listing. For example, a 470¥ pair of GX Batch Jordan 4s would use the Agent QC 400¥ - 499¥ flair.
2. If you are purchasing the same GX Batch Jordan 4s pair directly from a Weidian seller, without an agent, you should use the DIRECT QC post flair that captures the total price (including direct shipping). If that GX Batch Jordan 4 pair comes out to $119 shipped, or 861¥ (470¥ + 390¥ Direct Shipping), you should use the DIRECT QC 800¥-899¥ post flair.

Using the appropriate flair helps keep the group organized (good for me) and more importantly, places prices in the direct view of all buyers in order to compare prices across sellers and ensure that no one seller is price gouging anybody (good for the community).
"Can I post screenshots of my QC pictures instead of downloading the pictures and posting the actual QC pictures?"
No. Posting screenshots of the QC photos reduces the picture resolution and makes actually providing any accurate QCs much more difficult. On your agent site, download the QC photos the agent has provided. Users should post the actual QC pictures with the appropriate title format.
"Wow, the pair I ordered using an agent looks like the colors are all off - why is that?"
Warehouse lighting is terrible and often distorts colors. You cannot QC color shades or saturations through warehouse lighting QC pics. Either 1) ask for natural lighting pictures (though not all agents do this) or 2) look up in-hand pictures of the batch you are purchasing, as in-hand pictures typically have better lighting. The latter tends to be easier unless it is a brand new batch on the market. Remember, colors typically do not vary within a batch. For example, all LJR TS1 Highs have a yellow midsole, and that does not change from pair to pair unless the batch is updated. The midsoles might picture differently among different agents or purchases, but they'll all look the same in person.
"I think I may have been bait and switched - what should I do?"
If you post asking if a pair you received is not what you purchased, your post must include specific reasoning as to why you believe that is so.
Acceptable reasoning includes specific characteristics of the shoe (leather cuts, wings logo placement, colors, etc) that differ from known pairs, different production dates from known pairs, sellers with confirmed recent history of bait and switch, etc. The most important part is to include some sort of reasoning. Posts without reasoning will be deleted, as these posts are typically made from newer members to the replica community, and the posts lead to unnecessary fearmongering and damage to seller reputations.
Please order a QC picture of the size tag so that we can see the production dates. Production dates on size tags can help rule out a batch identity. However, matching size tags does not guarantee a batch identity and requires some additional information. I order size tag pictures by asking my agent for additional "Detailed Photos" with the following statement in the request comment: "Complete picture of inner white size tag clearly showing both production dates."
"There are so many differing opinions! I don't know who to listen to. What do I do?
Being new in the rep game is hard - it is difficult to know who is a credible commenter, and who is not. For this reason, certain members in repweidiansneakers have been given User Flairs to distinguish them from the crowd as reputable, knowledgeable members of the community. They have earned their flairs, and if there are conflicting opinions on a QC, I personally would give their opinion more weight.
"What is the best batch for X shoe?"
Oftentimes, and especially for very popular shoes, these questions have already been asked and discussed in detail. Recommendations for navigating this are:

1. Check poncecatchemall's batch guide if available
2. If the shoe isn't listed on there, utilize the group's search bar to search for the shoe in question to look at QCs. You can also utilize the group's search bar to search by the Rep vs Retail Flair in order to see comparisons of batches on the market.
3. You can also check the comments history of any of the group experts to see if they've discussed these shoes in the past.

These 3 methods answer most questions. Please do some research prior to making a new post.

Shipping Questions

"How much will it be to ship X amount of shoes using an agent?"
There are often too many variables to give a blanket answer. Which agent? Shipping to which country? Using which shipping method? The most optimal way to use an agent in terms of cost is to make a haul of at least 4kg in my opinion, which is about 3-4 pairs of shoes. Previously, I myself typically shipped out 8kg-10kg hauls using my agent through GD-EMS, the haul typically arrives in 2 weeks, and the shipping cost per shoe is usually around $30.
"How much should I declare for the value of my package for Customs?"
This varies by country. For the US, I declare $12/kg. For 10kg hauls, I thus declare $120. Other countries have different guidelines. Hopefully members from different countries can state what they declare for their hauls per kg in the comments.
"Is my package seized?"
Does your tracking say your package has been seized? If yes, then yes, your package has been seized. If no, then no, your package has not been seized. Patience is a virtue and is the name of the game. Read your tracking information. Whatever it says is what the current status of the package is. That is the purpose of tracking information.
"But my tracking information hasn't updated in 3 days? Should I panic?"
No. Again, patience is key.
"Should I post a generic picture of my boxed haul about to ship out with a corny caption?"
No.

Miscellaneous

"Wow I saw a hilarious meme on another subreddit, can I post it here?"
No. Please keep the low-quality spam in other groups. Posting memes, "Fire up the rep machines" posts, or anything similar will result in a 14-day temporary ban from the group.
"I threw together a list of low-quality items in a spreadsheet and called it THE ULTIMATE FINDS LIST, just trying to get people to use my affiliate link for an agent - can I post it?"
Do not spam the group with low-quality "finds" spreadsheets. The majority of you doing this don't even know how to QC or make solid, informed recommendations. If you actually have good recommendations, I will make an exception. However, the majority of your "1:1 spreadsheets" are terrible, and thus are not allowed in this group.

A close friend of mine, whose gay, told me about the multiple times he underwent sexual Harassment because of perceived 'feminine' characteristics. Other close people I know have had these experiences. The only emotion I feel is anger. I want to kill these men and break them up. I feel no empathy for people who for their pleasure act such devilishly. For all those people who've undergone such acts, I wish I was as strong as you. For people who're the aggressors in such acts, I wish you rot in hell immediately.

The makeup of the Florida Panthers is the blueprint to how you get things done in the playoffs. I don’t care how talented you are; if the other team can intimidate you enough so that guys are scared to make plays and stick their necks out too far, you are cooked. These guys are big, mean, strike fear into their ops, and bully the shit out of everyone they play. They will run you through the wall every single time you have the puck. These aren’t shoves we’re talking about; these boys hit to hurt. You’re not going to be holding on to pucks for too long when these men are on the ice. Big boy hockey club.
Let’s transition to the team we all love dearly, the Wild. Having Billy as our GM, you would think that he more than anyone would want to build a similar style team. However, from the beginning of his tenure as GM, we have gotten smaller and meeker. Yes, guys like Rossi, Marat, Jojo, Boldy, Freddy, Ohgren are all talented, but they are small and they are 2-ply. Those guys hit you and apologize right before make contact. There is no fire in them and that killer instinct in them. I’m sure if you polled the entire NHL and asked every player to assign one word that summarizes any of those guys, the word you would get is: nice. Boys, nice is not winning you Lord Stanley’s cup. You know what is? Words such as mean, vicious, assertive, hard, oppressive, heavy, big, and unpleasant. These are all characteristics that you cannot teach into a player. You either have that fire or you don’t. In the past, the wild have played their best hockey when they thrive In the shit that happens after the whistle. Hartman confirmed this two years ago by telling reporters that a lot of their success had to do with their ability to be a tough team to play against. When Bill preaches to his players that he wants them to have more “FU” in their game mom, this is what he means. The problem is that Bill should not have to remind guys about that. That should be ingrained deeply in the soul of every Wild player.
Now more than ever, the future is looking passive. I want guys that are bloodthirsty. Take Shawsy for example, he may not have the size to his advantage, but he damn sure played with the attitude of a spartan. He has that dominating mindset hardwired into him. The players that I mentioned about cannot give you that in the playoffs or during the season.
Love me some hate in my hockey.
Thanks,
Dok

So i started dating INTJ and they are very good at reading things. She said i am an entp not estp like the results i get. She nailed it that Se can see body language and behaviors and go ahead from there while im not present at all.
So here are few things about me and maybe u can advise.
I get ESTP of tests.
I can be intense especially if I am into a topic.
I get very passionate about causes where in my head I can start a revoloution.
I have watched Dante in Fast X and heath ledger joker both Entp but I am not laughing while going after batman. i dont see myself as that but I am very random and my attentioin can lose focus very quick if i see something thats gets my attention curiousness whatever u can call it.
I cant focus for crap.
I get called gay alot.
I dont fit roles of men should be and how women should be. I have characteristic of both.
One second i can be wathing cartoon and next second I can have a political debate and that very second I can bring something out of the left to the conversation.
I get called random alot.
I dont see myself or how I am so its hard for me to type myself.
If im interested in something I will get all the books and videos and be conusmed into it for few days and than drop it like it never existed.
Ive always been all over the place as far as my behavior like cant sit in one place and will get into something but lose interest reale fast too.
When going out dating it just hit me that the people have a certain dance or role they expect from u and can see their eyes and confusion look when I dont fit that mold. Its as if I just destroyed the image they had and broke them lol.
I am very talkative especially if i get into something and a topic arises I am into my voice gets very high pitch.
I daydream all day.
I find sitcoms ground me as they are childhood shows.
My taste change all the time. I can be into certain fashion and drop it and get a whole new look and vibe. But my randomness stays with me.
When I talk to people its as if they see me as an alien lol. Not sure if its my communication interaction.
I live in my head and if i have to do something i jump in and do it and than go back in my mind cause i find it better than reality unless i see something like an item or a person and get curious and start talking and one thing leads to another.
I can see things a mile away like a narcissist or fake bs or hypocrite. What do u think?

https://www.northumbriangames.com/post/of-orcs-and-ai

Of Orcs and AI

Made vs. Created and the Nature of Orcs

J.R.R. Tolkien's stories are deeply rooted in Thomistic metaphysics and Christian theology, where the distinction between "made" and "created" is pivotal. This distinction underscores the nature of goodness, creation, corruption, and the intrinsic limitations of evil. The dichotomy between making and creating is most vividly illustrated through the origins and nature of orcs, the monstrous foot soldiers of Middle-earth's dark lords.

Creation: The Divine Act

In Tolkien's world, true creation, or creatio ex nihilo (creation from nothing), is the exclusive province of Eru Ilúvatar, the supreme deity. This act of creation involves bringing something into existence that possesses the Flame Imperishable (or the Secret Fire), which grants true life, free will, and inherent goodness. Beings created by Eru Ilúvatar, such as the Ainur (angelic beings), elves, and men, are imbued with this divine spark, making them fundamentally good and capable of independent existence and moral choice.
From The Silmarillion:

"Therefore Ilúvatar may not only send forth the Flame Imperishable into the Void, but he may also bestow it to others, who may then sub-create, though only as permitted by Ilúvatar"​​.

Making: The Act of Sub-creation

In contrast, the Valar and other beings can engage in making or sub-creation, which involves shaping or manipulating pre-existing matter. They cannot infuse these creations with the Flame Imperishable. A notable example is Aulë, one of the Valar, who crafted the Dwarves. Initially, these beings were mere automatons, moving only according to Aulë's thoughts. It was only when Eru Ilúvatar chose to bestow them with the Flame Imperishable that the Dwarves gained true life and independence. This story illustrates the fundamental difference between divine creation and sub-creation: the former grants true life and free will, while the latter lacks these essential qualities until blessed by Eru. Tolkien clarifies this distinction in his letters:

"They [the Valar] shared in [the World’s] 'making'—but only on the same terms as we 'make' a work of art or story. The realization of it, the gift to it of a created reality of the same grade as their own, was the act of the One God"​​.

Orcs: The Corruption of Creation

The origin of orcs in Tolkien’s mythos serves as a poignant example of the difference between making and creating. According to various writings, orcs were not created by Morgoth or Sauron but were made by corrupting pre-existing beings. In "The Silmarillion," it is suggested that orcs were originally elves who were captured, tortured, and perverted by Morgoth's malevolent influence. This corruption transformed them into beings of evil, stripped of their original grace and beauty. In Morgoth's Ring we find:

"It became clear in time that undoubted Men could under the domination of Morgoth or his agents in a few generations be reduced almost to the Orc-level of mind and habits; and then they would or could be made to mate with Orcs, producing new breeds, often larger and more cunning. There is no doubt that long afterwards, in the Third Age, Saruman rediscovered this, or learned of it in lore, and in his lust for mastery committed this, his wickedest deed: the interbreeding of Orcs and Men, producing both Men-orcs large and cunning, and Orc-men treacherous and vile."​​.

Tolkien emphasizes that orcs, though rational and capable of independent thought, lack the divine spark of the Flame Imperishable. This absence signifies that while Morgoth could mar and twist the creations of Eru, he could not create life himself. In Flame Imperishable, Tolkien is quoted as saying:

"Treebeard does not say that the Dark Lord 'created' Trolls and Orcs. He says he 'made' them in counterfeit of certain creatures pre-existing. There is, to me, a wide gulf between the two statements"​​.

Philosophical and Theological Implications

The distinction between made and created has profound implications in Tolkien’s universe. It aligns with Christian theology, reflecting the belief in a singular, omnipotent Creator who alone can grant true life. This distinction underscores the inherent limitations of evil: it is parasitic, relying on the corruption of what is good rather than generating new existence.
Orcs epitomize this concept. They are beings made through corruption, reflecting the perversion of creation. Their existence as fundamentally corrupted creatures illustrates the limits of Morgoth’s and Sauron’s power. They can induce suffering and manipulate life, but they cannot originate a true life that burns with the Flame Imperishable. This underscores a central theme in Tolkien’s works: the resilience of good and the ultimate impotence of evil to truly create.

On Artificial Intelligence

This leads us to Artificial Intelligence. Modern large language models (LLMs) and artificial intelligence systems, despite their sophisticated capabilities, are constructs without true volition or understanding. Basically, an LLM is an advanced version of autocomplete. These systems operate on vast datasets and algorithms designed to predict and generate human-like text (or audio or images), but they lack genuine consciousness, intent, and moral agency. Unlike beings created with the divine spark in Tolkien's world, LLMs do not possess free will or intrinsic purpose; they are tools made by humans to process and mimic patterns. Some commentators have even referred to AI as an alien intelligence, a ~shoggoth with a human face~, meaning that while the text may look humanlike, in reality, it originated not from a human but from an unknowable, formless alien process, which is the LLM.

"Well, we're fooled by their fluency, right? We just assume that if a system is fluent in manipulating language, then it has all the characteristics of human intelligence. But that impression is false." --Yann Lecun​​ on the Lex Fridman podcast #416

The outputs of an LLM are determined not by experience, education, and emotion but by the data and programming they receive, reflecting the biases and limitations inherent in their design. This underscores the crucial distinction between artificial constructs and beings endowed with the Flame Imperishable, with true life and volition. Parents, for instance, should think carefully about giving a child unbridled access to an LLM which has no discernible ethics. The AI is a soulless, thoughtless machine built by human researchers, much like an orc is designed by Sauron simply to act as an instrument of his evil desires. The ethical and philosophical results of deploying such constructs into our society is staggering indeed.

The AI is only the Tool of the Maker

Of course, while the analogy between LLMs and Orcs highlights the artificial nature and purpose-driven creation of both, there are clear and fundamental differences in moral intent and potential for ethical use. LLMs are not (as far as we know) inherently evil constructs. They seem to be neutral tools that reflect the intentions of their creators and users. As such, the focus should be on ensuring that AI development and deployment are guided by ethical principles to maximize their benefits and minimize potential harm. That said, as with social media, we may come to regret the technology and wish to fling it back into Mordor's fire.

Conclusion

Tolkien's distinction between made and created is a metaphysical aspect of Middle Earth. It emphasizes the unique power of Eru Ilúvatar's true creation and the corruptive nature of evil. The orcs symbolize this dichotomy, illustrating how evil can distort but not create. This concept resonates in modern large language models and AI systems, which lack genuine consciousness and moral agency despite their advanced capabilities. Orcs and contemporary LLMs demonstrate the ethical implications of using such technologies and serve to enrich the philosophical depth of Tolkien's work.

DISCLAIMER: This post does not provide medical advice. Only a doctor can establish a diagnosis and select the appropriate treatment.
In this post, I tried to find a scientific explanation for the side effects of Lion's Mane. If you are experiencing side effects and don't want to go into the theory, you can move on to the next post:
Recovery: The Complete Guide

What is known about the pharmacology of Lion's Mane?

Lion's Mane contains many components – Erinacines, Hericenones, Polysaccharides and others. Obviously, the science is not yet aware of all the effects of Lion’s Mane due to the large amount of substances. But as practice shows, usually only one or a few substances isolated from mushrooms and plants have a significant effect on humans. In my opinion, in the case of Lion’s Mane, Erinacine E has the most significant effect. Erinacine E is an agonist of the k-opioid receptor.^\1][2]) Activation of the k-opioid receptor can cause the following effects: analgesia,^\3][4]) stress and anxiety,^\5]) panic,^\6][7][8]) psychotomimesis and dysphoria,^\9][10]) dissociation and changes in sensory perception,^\11]) disruptions in sleep,^\12]) depression and anhedonia.^\13][14][15][16])
Several in vitro studies have found that Lion’s Mane affects NGF and BDNF.^\17]) This may also contribute to the development of side effects.

Other natural agonists of the k-opioid receptor

Salvinorin A (main component of Salvia Divinorum) is a potent selective k-opioid agonist.^\18]) This substance can cause severe dissociation (depersonalization and derealization), dysphoria, pro-depressant effects, fear, terror, panic, increased perspiration and other negative effects.^\11][19][20]) There is at least one known case of toxic psychosis after intake of cannabis in combination with Salvia Divinorum.^\20])
Noribogaine (component of Iboga) is most potent as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, but it also acts as a moderate k-opioid receptor agonist.^\21]) There are several known cases of Iboga-induced manic episodes. They lasted 1-2 weeks and manifested as insomnia, irritability, impulsivity, emotional lability, grandiose delusions, rapid tangential speech, aggressive behavior and suicidal ideation.^\22])

Lion's Mane side effects

Stories from this community describe the following side effects:

• Dissociation (depersonalization and derealization)
• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Blunted emotions, anhedonia and low libido
• Dysphoria (gloomy mood, irritability, self-criticism, auto-aggressive behavior, suicidal thoughts)
• Poor sleep or insomnia
• Mental confusion
• Anesthesia-like effects (loss of skin sensation, tingling sensation in the body)
• Intestinal problems
• Heart palpitations
• Headache and/or pressure in the head
• Muscle twitching
• Visual noise
• Tinnitus
• Other more rare symptoms have also been described.

Usually, people have only part of these symptoms. Also, everyone has different intensity and duration of effects. In most cases, noticeable improvements are seen 3-4 months after the onset of side effects. Symptoms may increase and decrease in waves.

Lion's Mane can cause Substance-Induced Disorders

Substance-Induced Disorders (SIDs) occur when a drug or medication triggers a mental health condition. SIDs typically match up with symptoms of their non-substance-related counterparts. For example, substance-induced bipolar disorder and normal bipolar disorder can appear the same from the outside. The key difference between them depends on the cause: substance-induced bipolar disorder is caused by abuse of medications like stimulants, while it's believed that a mixture of genetics and upbringing causes normal bipolar disorder.^\23][24])
If not much time has passed since the last use of Lion's Mane, it is too early to suspect the development of any disorder. Here is a quote from the HPPD test – it may be relevant to other disorders as well:

"Psychedelic and other drugs especially can cause increases in neuroplasticity and visual oddities in the immediate period after trips that may last as long as two weeks. If it has been less than two weeks, this may be a result of the drug's acute impact rather than a longer-term condition like HPPD."^\25])

In addition, a disorder is only diagnosed if its symptoms cause significant distress or significant impairment in daily functioning. If symptoms already existed before taking substances, it is not Substance-Induced Disorder, but an exacerbation of an existing condition.^\23][24])
Substances that can cause SIDs include: caffeine, cannabis, metamphetamines, alcohol, hallucinogens, opioids, benzodiazepines and other substances.^\23])
Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder
ICD-11 code: 6B66
Symptoms of depersonalization include:

• Feeling detached and disconnected from your physical body, yourself, or thoughts, as if you were an outside observer.
• Feeling emotionally and physically numb.
• Not trusting your memories.
• Feeling robotic, mechanical, or automated.^\26])

Symptoms of derealization include:

• Feeling like you're in a dream or a movie and detached from the outside world as if in a fog or looking through a glass barrier.
• Distortions in the surroundings, time perception, space, and distance.
• Feeling emotionally disconnected from loved ones.
• Feeling as if the world is lacking in depth or meaningfulness.^\26])

A survey of 394 adults found that the group with drug-initiated DPDR showed significantly greater improvement over time than the group with non-drug-initiated DPDR, although the groups did not differ in reported psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy effectiveness.^\27])
Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder
ICD-11 code: 6C4E.71
Common symptoms of a substance-induced anxiety disorder include:

• Irritability
• Insomnia
• Fast heart rate or pounding heartbeat
• Excessive sweating
• Shakiness
• Shortness of breath
• Pain or tightness in the chest
• Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
• Low energy and fatigue
• Muscle tension
• Panic attacks
• Significant worry and nervousness
• Trouble concentrating or paying attention^\23])

Anxiety Disorders include Panic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, etc. You can find more information about Anxiety Disorders in this article.
Substance-Induced Sleep Disorder
ICD-10-CM code: F19.982
Common symptoms of a substance-induced sleep disorder include:

• Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• Waking up a lot during the night
• Not feeling rested from sleep
• Excessive sleepiness or tiredness during the daytime
• Sleeping much longer than intended
• Displaying abnormal behaviors during sleep^\23])

Substance-Induced Depression
ICD-11 code: 6C4E.700
Common symptoms of substance-induced depression include:

• Sadness
• Worthlessness
• Low energy
• Difficulty concentrating
• Isolation
• Suicidal thoughts^\23])

Lion's Mane causes dysphoria, so the following symptoms may be more relevant:

• Irritability
• Powerful emotions such as guilt, anger, or melancholia
• Feelings of failure
• A deep sense of discontent or dissatisfaction
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Aggression and hostility
• Lack of pleasure in daily activities^\28])

Additional substance-related disorders:

• Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD) is a DSM-5-listed condition in which people experience lasting, debilitating changes to their visual perception after using drugs, especially psychedelic drugs.^\29])
• Substance-induced sexual dysfunction is a condition in both men and women that causes difficulties with sexual desire, arousal, and/or orgasm due to a side effect of certain substances.^\23])

You can find more information about substance-induced disorders in the following articles:
https://www.addictionhelp.com/mental-health/substance-induced-disorders/
https://www.madeofmillions.com/conditions/substance-induced-disorders/

Other causes of Lion's Mane side effects

Allergy. At least one case of anaphylaxis after consuming Lion's Mane has been described in the scientific literature.^\30]) A food allergy is an abnormal immune response to food. The symptoms of the allergic reaction may range from mild to severe. They may include itchiness, swelling of the tongue, vomiting, diarrhea, hives, trouble breathing, or low blood pressure. This typically occurs within minutes to several hours of exposure. When the symptoms are severe, it is known as anaphylaxis.^\31])
Cytotoxicity. Studies of Lion's Mane aqueous extract on three cell types showed no cytotoxicity.^\32][33]) In addition, animal studies of Lion's Mane mycelium and fruiting body have found no signs of toxicity, morbidity or mortality even at high dosage.^\34][35][36])
Post-Finasteride Syndrome (PFS). Finasteride side effects are primarily sexual and include erectile dysfunction, decreased ejaculatory volume, a decrease in libido, as well as gynecomastia.^\37]) There are no stories in this community mentioning gynecomastia, which raises doubts about the PFS theory.
Other contradictions:

• Lion's Mane reduces 5-AR activity by about 20%, which in no way distinguishes Lion's Mane from other medicinal mushrooms;^\38])
• Finasteride reduces blood DHT levels by about 70%.^\39]) Most likely we would already know about the comparable effect of Lion's Mane, but we have no such data;
• Finasteride side effects are primarily sexual. Lion's Mane side effects are primarily psychological (anxiety, dysphoria, etc.);

A study of the characteristics of men with Post-Finasteride Syndrome found no abnormalities in blood tests, but fMRI showed changes in the activity of brain regions involved in sexual function and depression.^\40]) This is the main similarity with the effects of Lion's Mane. But in my opinion, the changes in brain activity during Lion's Mane administration are mostly caused by the activation of k-opioid receptors, not by 5-AR inhibition.
Undeclared substances and contamination. Supplements in general may contain undeclared substances and contaminants that pose health risks. Judging by the stories in this community side effects due to contamination are very rare. Here are the studies on the subject from Johnny Harris' video Your Supplements are a Lie:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QpeAf2LG20HzloFg59R8hVI1W4J3NmaaHwJ9YU08niE/edit?usp=sharing

Some thoughts

In my opinion, the most dangerous side effect of Lion's Mane is dysphoria, as it increases the likelihood of self-harm and suicide even in healthy people. I dread to imagine what could happen to people who already have a depressive spectrum disorder... Unfortunately, there is already one known case of suicide after taking Lion's Mane. If you can influence this situation in any way, such as spreading the word about the side effects – please do so. It is hardly possible to ban this supplement completely. But there should be a warning with contraindications on the packaging so that people will be aware of their risks.
References are listed in this post.

Related posts:
Theory: What Does the Science Say?
Recovery: The Complete Guide
References:

1. Erinacines E, F, and G, stimulators of nerve growth factor (NGF)-synthesis, from the mycelia of Hericium erinaceum
2. Erinacine E as a kappa opioid receptor agonist and its new analogs from a basidiomycete, Hericium ramosum
3. Kappa-opioid receptors and analgesia
4. Peripheral kappa-opioid agonists for visceral pain
5. Role of kappa-opioid receptors in stress and anxiety-related behavior
6. Participation of dorsal periaqueductal gray 5-HT1A receptors in the panicolytic-like effect of the κ-opioid receptor antagonist Nor-BNI
7. The Blockade of µ1- and κ-Opioid Receptors in the Inferior Colliculus Decreases the Expression of Panic Attack-Like Behaviours Induced by Chemical Stimulation of the Dorsal Midbrain
8. µ- and κ-Opioid receptor activation in the dorsal periaqueductal grey matter differentially modulates panic-like behaviours induced by electrical and chemical stimulation of the inferior colliculus
9. Psychotomimesis mediated by kappa opiate receptors
10. The Dysphoric Component of Stress Is Encoded by Activation of the Dynorphin κ-Opioid System
11. Salvinorin-A Induces Intense Dissociative Effects, Blocking External Sensory Perception and Modulating Interoception and Sense of Body Ownership in Humans
12. Effects of Chronic Social Defeat Stress on Sleep and Circadian Rhythms Are Mitigated by Kappa-Opioid Receptor Antagonism
13. Depressive-like effects of the kappa-opioid receptor agonist salvinorin A on behavior and neurochemistry in rats
14. Antidepressant-like effects of kappa-opioid receptor antagonists in the forced swim test in rats
15. Effects of kappa-opioid receptor ligands on intracranial self-stimulation in rats
16. Selective kappa-opioid antagonism ameliorates anhedonic behavior: evidence from the Fast-fail Trial in Mood and Anxiety Spectrum Disorders (FAST-MAS)
17. Neurotrophic and Neuroprotective Effects of Hericium erinaceus
18. Salvinorin A: A potent naturally occurring nonnitrogenous κ opioid selective agonist
19. Salvinorin A regulates dopamine transporter function via a kappa opioid receptor and ERK1/2-dependent mechanism
20. Toxic Psychosis After Intake of the Hallucinogen Salvinorin A
21. Noribogaine is a G-protein biased κ-opioid receptor agonist
22. Iboga (ibogaine) (Drugs.com)
23. Substance-Induced Disorders (AddictionHelp.com)
24. Substance-Induced Disorders (Made of Millions)
25. HPPD Self-Assessment Test (Perception Restoration Foundation)
26. Depersonalization: Everything You Need to Know (Columbia University)
27. Is depersonalization disorder initiated by illicit drug use any different? A survey of 394 adults
28. Dysphoria: What It Is, Symptoms, and How to Deal With it (Verywell Health)
29. FAQs (Perception Restoration Foundation)
30. DANGERS AT THE DINNER TABLE – A REPORT OF ANAPHYLAXIS TO LION'S MANE MUSHROOM
31. Food allergy (Wikipedia)
32. Neurotrophic properties of the Lion's mane medicinal mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (Higher Basidiomycetes) from Malaysia
33. Neuroprotective effects of Hericium erinaceus (Bull.: Fr.) Pers. against high-dose corticosterone-induced oxidative stress in PC-12 cells
34. Acute and developmental toxicity assessment of erincine A-enriched Hericium erinaceus mycelia in Sprague-Dawley rats
35. Evaluation of the toxicological safety of erinacine A-enriched Hericium erinaceus in a 28-day oral feeding study in Sprague-Dawley rats
36. Haematological, biochemical and histopathological aspects of Hericium erinaceus ingestion in a rodent model: A sub-chronic toxicological assessment
37. "5-Alpha-Reductase Inhibitors" Blake H. Salisbury; Prasanna Tadi
38. "Mycelium Running" Paul Stamets - page 205
39. PROSCAR® (Finasteride) Tablets
40. Characteristics of Men Who Report Persistent Sexual Symptoms After Finasteride Use for Hair Loss
41. Catastrophizing (Psychology Today)
42. A Comprehensive Study of Therapeutic Applications of Chamomile
43. Chamomile (NCCIH)
44. GABA (Examine)

Hello,
As an empath, I am prone to giving more of myself than I should and not realizing when my boundaries are blurred and taken advantage of. I would be grateful if you would offer me insights on how to improve this by recommending self-care/self-love practices, and books/podcasts/video recommendations that could provide help in this regard. I have been in toxic cycles of attachment before with men who have displayed NPD characteristics, and lately, I have been interacting with someone on Bumble who somehow subliminally gives me the vibe that he may be no different. I would be grateful if you could help a fellow soul sister out.
XX
I

I’m asking for help whether I’m doing something wrong or not understanding this game. I come from more than 500 very short and entertaining hours on Battle Brothers and it’s been some years I had WarTales on my radar, with incredibly high expectations. Like better graphic, more detailed managing, crafting and so on. So I took it and spent my 10 h of it. And it has all of that, delivering the in-depth I was looking for. But the main component, imho, of a band of mercenaries game, COMBAT, feel just dull.
It feels to me there is no challenge, there is no tactic to implement, or to think and analyze through, no formation for my men to support each-other. Either you win a fight incredibly easily with the enemies barely chipping the armor of my men, or you get swept out. It feels slow and uninteresting even if it has all the right characteristic on paper: interesting and interactive scenarios, multiple abilities and classes of the mercenaries, enemy reinforcements coming and so on. But I still find it lacking in its core. With the rare exception of the bosses fight, which are actually challenging
Is just the lack or RNG? Am I missing something? I would really like to start enjoying this game properly, so I would like any advice, because I don’t think it’s worth playing just for the occasional boss fights (are there going to be more later on?)
I don’t want to let it collect dust in my library, but if I have to force myself to play there is no meaning