Seven Moons Oracle 12. The Knife

Seven Moons Oracle 12. The Knife

Seven Moons Oracle 12: The Knife

As you form attachments and relationships the cords of life and love are bound. This is even more true at a hand-fasting, as your life cords are literally and symbolically tied together. Every relationship you have forms these cords, and some are cords you no longer want or need. This is where The Knife comes in. Often called “The Devil” in other oracle and tarot decks, this card is seduction and attachment to the material and physical pleasures. Its not that this is bad, per say, but that some of these attachments and pleasures are not all good or bad. They are in a way also knifes, that need careful balance and careful tending. To much of a good thing is possible and too much of a relationship is also possible. Things can turn sour and become burdensome, difficult or hurtful to you. You may need to look at your relationships, habits, life, and people who you spend time with, your physical and material world may be hindering your growth, you need to take heed, care and cut any cords you no longer need, want or have become bad. In the end your life will be better for it. Also remember any cord you cut may be something that helps your relationship with this person or thing, you can re-form your relationship when you have both healed and their is no longer any toxic attachment.

Reversed:

Generally the reverse of this card shows that you are now in a toxic relationship with a person, or object or at work. Things are not good for you and you feel bound, fearful and dominated. Yet you may also feel that your current life is luxurious and had more than it fair share of hedonism, and maybe that’s because you accept things as they are, even though they are wrong for others. You like your life, but things aren’t all ok, and how long will it be ok for you? Are you about to be cut loose yourself? If you live in fear and doubt for your future, this life isn’t ok, and it is scary to use the knife, but will someone else use it for you? I doubt it.

Seven Moons Oracle 11. Patience

Seven moons oracle 11. Patience

Seven Moons Oracle 11. Patience:

The three stones placed by the god of patience Iamoni are in the bottom of a secretive pond in the middle of a field of blade grass beyond the reach of any mortal. It is said when they are finally warn away by the relentless shallow waters very slow grinding, the universe shall end and be recreated from the three stones which contain the spark of life for the next universe after this. Iamoni had said themselves (for patience can have no gender) that the moons shall pass by their sun more than 10000 billion times before the blade grass dies and the waters recede and the three stones be exposed to even the slightest possibility they be found by any person whom could live till then. It is unlikely then that anyone will be able to get to them and try and take them or destroy them and it they are safe in their pond until then. They will return before that day to watch and wait at them till all suns are dead and all the life is dead and Iamoni will continue until nothing but those stones exist and then in the ensuring explosion of the new universe, they shall again be born and start the process anew.

Patience is a card with therefor a obvious meaning, beauty, life, death and many things require time and waiting and it is now that perhaps you have entered a point in which you will have to wait. The hourglass that might be a just visible shape in this card tells you that the time will come, but until it does patience is one of the universal virtues of all life.

What do you get when you commission a artwork?

A portrait of the Cats Azuiki and Shozu, commissioned by Juno

When you commission a artwork form a artist, what do you get? Well aside from a fantastic work of art in watercolor or digital, you also get a certificate of authenticity, a receipt and of course the knowledge of helping a artist produce new work.

A certificate of authenticity is a part of the commission you buy:

A certificate of Authenticity for the above artwork

In the certificate I have care instructions, although some artists will do these separately from the certificate. The materials or applications used in creating the artwork are always stated, the value as at sale, and I include a rights and provenance statement. With digital art, I will include a code in the file to certify that the file is an original. With a physical artwork, I include a seal and this certificate (see above).

Seven Moons Oracle: 8. Strength

Strength is the card of passion and, well, strength. Your conviction, you love, your ability to pull through and do the thing. Your skills, your practice, your life has lead up to you drawing the bow of life on the course to its target. It will hit, as you have the strength to get that bow drawn.

The lioness is often the leader of the hunt, and as such so should you be the leader of your hunt, maybe its for a new job, or the shopping or a actual literal hunt. Whatever is happening you are on the hunt and this card is telling you, use your skill, cunning, guile, lust, whatever, to get you to your target.

Reversed

This card when drawn reversed is somewhat the opposite, as is it most of the time. You have not done the right learning, or enough practice, you are not strong enough for the task ahead. You may come off as being inept, silly or worse corrupt. Or perhaps someone else is leading the hunting team down such a course. You need to practice your skills, hone your bow, get your aim on course, or else things are going to go awry.

Seven Moons Oracle: 7. Valor

Seven Moons Oracle Card 7. Valor

What exactly is Valor? It is courage, resilience, resistance, the ability to go on in tough times when things are not going so well. It is also the ability to see what you need to do to get through, make sure you are prepared to go the distance and also it is the courage to ask for help when you need it. When you need help, it’s ok to ask for it. Valour is about making sure we are aware we are not alone when we face the worst, and that there are others who have walked our path, even if there isn’t anyone here to help you now, you know that their spirit lives on in you and that can help you get to where you can get more physical assistance.

Valour Reversed

This card when drawn reversed is about the opposite of valour, which isn’t necessarily cowardice, more a lack of self-worth, a lack of feeling capable, or even feeling too sure of yourself, too proud to see that you are about to step off a cliff or get hurt. You may even hurt those you love, by having too much, or being unable to have enough, valour, and this is a time for you to seek our weather you have this, and how you can correct your course.

Seven Moons Oracle: 6. The Heart

Seven Moons Oracle: 6. The Heart

Seven Moons Oracle Card Number 6. The Heart

Usually “the lovers” the heart speaks to us in three fundamental ways. They are represented here in three different sorts of heart. The heart of a human, is the organ for many that signifies love, lovers, and a irreversible choice in the actions of you as a person. When choosing to love, you are opening yourself, making a commitment, and seeking to be loved yourself. One cannot expect love if you are not willing to do all three at once. The second is the spiritual symbol for the heart (on the moons of Aloom of course). Be it something you believe in or not, love is a spiritual connection to another person. It is something fundamental to you, and will bind you spiritually to another person. This may not be a love that is, in the end, one that included lovers intimacy. It may be the love of your sons, fathers, mothers, partners, daughters, yourself even. The last is the heartwood of the tree of life, the table that is made of it is under this heart and under the spiritual symbol for the heart. Heartwood is about the fundamental, irrevocable, unchangeable nature of a decision to allow yourself to love. This does not make it a bad thing, but it does tell you that once you love a person, love them completely, you will never be able to really forget their impact on you for good or ill. If your relationship does not work, the heartwood will be scared and worn by this, and it will keep this mark forevermore.

The Heart Reversed

When drawn reversed, the heart points to a failure. Be it failure of love or not, it is likely a failure that will effect you down to your soul. Things being contrary to your love and belief and sadness is likely in your current, if not your future. This is a warning, take it to head. Make sure you are making the right decisions, be extra careful in your dealings, seek extra help, talk to those you trust. This decision, whatever it is, is more important than most and it needs to be taken with plenty of support, as it is likely, if things don’t go well, they may well be disastrous to you and your loved ones.

Seven Moons Oracle: 5. Shaman

Often the seen as a counterpart to the “Priestesses” the shaman represents the passing on of spiritual and magical / occult tradition and knowledge. They are the representation of the journey of initiation into the magical arts, be a tradition or solitary practice. The daulity’s of the shaman represents both male and female, life and death, good and evil, solid and liquid, above and below, knowledge and the unknown and so much more. Generally getting this card drawn upright points to trying to focus on tradition, conformity, adherence to the rules as something that might be needed right now. Drawing this card reversed points to the opposite, freedom, personal belief and challenging the status quo. However, in reality a true Shaman will know that duality is a part and parcel of all magical practice as is all aspects of the trinity that The Priestesses point towards.

Seven Moons Oracle: 4. Father

4. Father

The father card is about passing on knowledge, teaching, learning and practice. No one becomes a expert without practice, and no one knows this more than the father. Year after year in the cycle the father is born, grows into a man, and dies. In the meantime he must learn, practice, and the teach. Like all fathers he needs to pass on his knowledge to the next generation before dying so that they can grow up, have children, live as well as they can, and do the same thing. Be his children male, female, or some other gender no matter what, passing on the knowledge is vital to their survival out in the moons of Aloom. Be it teaching how to cook, eat, make things that are useful, make money, sell, or just being their when they are needed.

Father reversed
Tradition is a blessing and a curse. Each tradition has a start, a reason to exist and a death. Much like the father. However some will get stuck in thoughts, feelings, traditions, beliefs, so much that they can stop being truly their for their children. Some mothers do this too. The father reversed is a call to action, a point of telling you that a tradition, belief, thought, feeling should be let go. If you do not, it is likely the card will just keep appearing again and again until the consequences of your lack of action become so vast, you are unable to take heed and repair the damage.

Seven Moons Oracle: 3. Mother

3. Mother

The mother is about fertility. The mother of the moons brings fertile life to her seven kin. She is about abundance and looking after your family as best you can. By keeping your life open to fertility you will always find the mother is one who keeps making sure you are looked after. Her friends are the forest and the trees, and for those who help look after them she brings a bountiful harvest. Be warned though she is kind, loving and fertile, she is also a goddess of death, although you cannot see that here, it is in the background. Life needs death to function, and she is all to happy to kill to make sure life keeps going if need be. Basically, you may think your all that for being her kin, but your not all that if you don’t look after the land, she will come over and say why you not look after this land I give you? You should have. Now you shall see my vengeance is as harsh as my kindness is loving.

Mother reversed
You really need to look at your life. Fertility isn’t coming. The rains are not falling. The smoke won’t clear and you are down to your last meal. The mother is as cruel as she is kind and you need to look after your land as much as you look after yourself. If you are in a bad place, its time to leave. You need to look toward your feminine side and what can be done to help yourself get to more fertile pastures, or just look at how you can better look after the pastures you arealy have.

Seven Moons Oracle: 2. The Priestesses

2. The Priestesses

Often the High Priestess, this card usually is meant to convey stillness and passivity, but that is when the person writing the card believes that to be ultimate ideal woman. In the Seven Moons Oracle, it is not the case.

In the Seven Moons Oracle this card is about letting yourself be, yourself. Reflect yourself inwards as you do outwards. If you want to have a great big rock concert to do it, then that’s what you need to do. Being true to your inner instincts does not mean being silent. This is what this card is trying to convey.

It also reflect that the feminine form need not be one that reflects anyone else’s ideals. If you are female, right now in this moment, then that is what you are. If you are no female, then perhaps it is time to think about your own feminine side and what someone being female means to you. It can be loud, out and proud, or perhaps it is something else, just a spotlight on a stage, or a instrument of love and caring. Amplify this feeling and reflect upon it, let it shout out beyond yourself and sing.

The Priestesses Reversed
In the shadows of a stage their are cables, their are bits that poke out, lights that don’t shine as bright as they should, songs that aren’t as well received as they should be. You are seeking guidelines on what has gone wrong. As much as the priestesses is about being yourself, it is also about being a part of something bigger. How did your plans go awary? Did you make sure that cable was tied? Did you check the amps? Did you sing that last verse right? Did you do all the planning you could?

Things going wrong are often a sign that something in the planning was not quite right. The priestesses reversed often means you need to double, tipple check, or list all the things you did and work out exactly what it was that happened and look towards planning better in future. You fate very well could depend on it.

Seven Moons Oracle: The Mage

The Mage

The mage is the card for transformations. Particularly transformations that require a bit of magic. You will need your talents to help you through your next tasks. Anything you are good at and possibly things you are still learning and need to get better at. The mage points at both the sky and the earth and is the connection between the two. Connecting the heavens and the earth is something that requires magic and talent to get the result you are after. You may need to transform yourself, or help someone else make the transformation they need. Be careful though, to much magic can lead you astray. You will note two animals join the mage, the crab and the swift. Both are animals that live on the boundaries of life. The crab lives in both the sea and the earth and the swift lives in the sky and the sea. Transferring between them easily. The mage has learnt how to transfer between these two boundaries easily as well, and you may need to as well. Exploring the mysteries of the places we can’t easily travel without the help of a guide. The crab and the swift both help the mage explore and you will likely find yourself your own guides to help you on your journey. Perhaps they will be kind and wise, perhaps they may be dangerous and scary. Either way, they will have much to teach you and help you on your jouney.

The Mage: Reversed
You have found yourself stuck in a place you do not like. You are unable to transform. You can’t find or do what you want. You need to find your path again. You may need help. Perhaps in a form you do not like. To start to transform yourself you may have to listen to advice you are not ready to hear. It is time to be gather what energy you have left and listen to the advice you haven’t been willing to listen to. It may not all be 100% true. It may not be what you want or like. But listen you must, and use it in your best way to transform yourself back to who you want to be. You can then finally start on your journey again, and be able to look back on this time as a place you have no need for anymore.

Seven Moons Oracle: The Traveller

The Seven Moons Oracle is an oracle deck for storytelling and helping with writer’s block. It can also be used as a decision helping tool. If you don’t know what choice to take, the deck can help you revel the choice that is right for you. It might be used for prediction, that is true but that is not really my intention for the creation of this deck. The cards are also a part of my world-building for my modern fantasy universe, The Seven Moons of Aloom. Aloom is a gas giant that helpfully sits in the suns golden ratio zone. Its seven populated moons play host to an exceptionally diverse number of intelligent and non-intelligent species. There is also a magical force called Mai. Technology and those not blessed with the gift of being able to wield Mai, however, have been getting more complex.

Note for all the cards you can supplant the word “You” with “your character” or “your story”, etc., You, in this case, is just the easiest noun.

The Traveler

The Traveler is the card of beginnings. Every journey has a beginning. If this a journey you know has been coming, you are prepared, packed, ready to take any companions you need. You have your vehicle and you know which way the wind is taking you. If it is one you haven’t quite got ready for then it is probably time to prepare as you will be leaving soon and the wind favours those who are prepared. You need to make sure you are going the right way, the map is leading you to where you need to go, the hotel is booked, etc. Any time now you could be off on your new journey and you need to make sure you are ready.

Often this card in a lot of Oracle decks is called The Fool or The Beginner. However, you need not be a fool or a beginner to start a new journey. You can be an expert traveller or even just one who has done this before. Going on this journey may not be what you want, or need, but it is going to happen anyway and that doesn’t stop you from getting ready and trying your best to learn from the trip.

This doesn’t have to be an actual journey. Perhaps a new thing is coming into your life, a new friend or challenge, a new job or even a spiritual journey you are about to go on. Your journey can just be a new year or a new day. Every part of life is a journey.

The Traveler Reversed
This is not a journey you are prepared for. You are already on the road and you have forgotten some essentials. You you can see a storm on the horizon and you are scared. You need not be scared though. The traveller teaches us that we can keep on going no matter what happens and if we can find someone to help us, then all the better. Get your friends, family, whoever you can to help you. You will need them. Get your journey to take you to the shops and get some supplies. Anything to keep you going as your journey is not over and you need to find your bearings at keeping ongoing.

Pink Punk and Trans Fighter now on Redbubble [Shop]

For those who follow my comic, I have now made two new bits of art that are fetured in my comic. Pink Punk and Trans Fighter, both of which are featured here. Again 90% of funds raised going to my surgery fund, the other 10% to Greening Australia and A Gender Adgenda. Why these places? Well they both helped me in some pretty dark times in my life and I feel they both need help to keep on doing what they are doings. Of course once my surgery has happened I may up the amount that will go to them from sales.

Anyway here are the links and images of the two new products:

Happy purchasing,
Anne

Comfortable Guinea Pig and Brain-fi now in the Redbubble store!

 

 

Find them here!

 

Animals as Elements: A introduction

The Animals as Elements art series started for me, like some of my art as a reaction to another similar art project another artist was doing. In there case, so they were depicting the elements anthropomorphically as humans or human-like animals or as mythical generally human shaped animals.

I thought, hey what if I drew the elements as if they were animals? And so Animals as Elements was born. In the beginning, they started as A5 cards that I used to depict the element and the animal in an abstract or surreal depiction. I never felt that made it real enough. These elements are as real as the animals I am using to relate to them. I want people who see this art to get that relationship between our real world, our abstraction of the real world and the strange world that exists in-between. Eventually, I was led to me depicting each element as related to an animal.
Elements as Animals wasn’t a great name for the series, so I decided to make the series named Animals as Elements.

Within my art, I try to depict connections, as well as the subject. I also try and bring a certain rawness, an unspoken truth of the reality that is faced.
I hope you enjoy each elemental depiction and my reasoning behind each one. This art series has been a work of love and taken me five years to make and will appear as a zine for purchase in due course.

Yours in art,
Anne

Elves vs Dragons: Aily Morning

When the elves started to explore the further reaches of the Faewild they came across Dragons that had never been encountered before. Ones of course that were easier to get on with than the Dragons in their homelands whom had disappeared many eons ago. The elf empress though still remembered the dark times those dragons had brought upon all the elves tribes. So she tasked four tribal lords to take, breed and make them her a Dragons worthy of a empress.

Aily Morning, leader of the Trickle clan donned their magic amour and practiced spells to shield them from a direct contact with a commen Green Rook (Draco Caerules Petrosus) also know as a Welsh Green dragon. They knew this dragon was as dangerous as the ones in their homeland but they still wished to tame them in the hope of breeding a stronger dragon than the other tribes.

Grit the shimmer

I’ve never been able

The grit and the table

Horse and her stables

Bridge lovers cables

Various embodiments of Hagel

Shimmer ever alongside clouds

Light seems to trip all the mounds

Pending upon fur pound

Very trod vent shaped like hounds

Crime embers bring high fowls

Fights dreamed in cowls

Emery gathered and bound

Cherry pie went, four clouds

Animals as elements: 117-118 Tennessine Tennessee Cave Salamander, Oganesson Cat

Tennessine is a transactinide with a half life of 51 milliseconds. It might have more stable isotopes, however production of Tennessine is very expensive as it requires other rare elements. It’s tied with the Tennessee Cave Salamander, a Salamander native to Tennessee.

Oganesson is the last animal and elements for this series. Named after Yuri Tsolakovich Oganessian it is probably a solid radioactive element that is radioactive. Unlike its Nobel Gas forebears further up the periodic table, Oganesson isn’t likely to be non reactive. Only 4 or so atoms of Oganesson have ever been produced.

Cats are one of the most wonderfully adaptive animals. The Domestic cat is extremely good at hunting, and survival in even fairly extreme condition. It’s very adapt at desert survival and will likely outlast the end of the human they are tied to Oganesson for this reason. This is also why their is a clock in this picture, the clock is near midnight, near the time when climate change and war drives humanity into a spiral of self destruction, leaving cats to take our place.

Animals as elements: 115-116 Moscovium Giant Jerboa, Livermorium Woodpecker

Moscovium is a transactinide that has a half life of 0.8 seconds and thus is very difficult to get a hold of. Despite this it seems a little easier to synthesize than previous transactinides in that about 200 atoms of it have been produced. It’s named after the Moscow oblast.

Great Jerboas are a mouse like mammal that lives in Europe and Russia. One might used to be able to find one in the lands around Moscow however they have become extinct in that region. They are bigger than almost all other Jerboas alive.

Livermorium has a half life of about 60 milliseconds and thus it has had not many chemical experiments taken place on it. It’s tied with Woodpecker as Livermore California after which it the elements is named has woodpeckers.

Animals as elements: 113-114 Nihonium Squirrel Glider, Flerovium Tube Worm

Nihonium gets its name from Japan (Nihon) as the naming rights went to the Riken institute in Wakō. It’s a transactinide that has a very short half life of about 10 seconds. It’s isotopes however are slightly more stable and have contributed to the “Island of stability” theory.

Squirrel gliders are a Australian animal, and as much as I wanted to find a Japanese native animal that was as flighty and unpredictable as a squirrel glider I struggled and eventually ended up tying them to Nihonium.

Flerovium is also a heavy transactinide that sits in the Carbon group of elements. It has had a number of chemical experiments that have shown it behaving somewhat like a liquid or gas, rather than a solid.

Giant Tube Worms are much like other Tube Worms only giant. They are actually fairly small creatures comparatively that live under the ocean near volcanic vents. They build up their Tubes over time and may even pass them onto their offspring. They are tied to Flerovium as they live in heavy liquid.

Animals as elements: 111-112 Roentgenium Drugstores Beetle, Copernicium Deer

Roentgenium is one of the more interesting transactinides in that it has in what little experiments that have been carried out on it behaved like gold. Although this isn’t entirely surprising as it would be expected as gold is directly above it in the periodic table. It’s highly radioactive and has a shortish half life, but might have more stable isotopes.

Drugstore beetles are one of the most expensive beetles known to man, not in their beetle state though. Their larvae can eat through even lead in desperate times. The eggs will spread quickly piggybacking on yeast spores and decimate any stores in a matter of weeks. They particularly like strychnine but also happily eat hair, leather, parchment, leather and books. So they are not good news for a library. They are tied to Roentgenium because of it’s danger and stark beauty.

Copernicium that has been produced has short half life of 25 seconds. Again a transactinide that is predicted to behave like zinc or mercury, if a more stable isotopes can exist. Deer scatter when scared and I felt somehow that this made them a good match.

Animals as elements: 109-110 Meitnerium Chicken, Damstradium Taenia solium

Meitnerium is another highly radioactive element that has a half life in the seconds. It is named for Lise Meitner who was one of the discoverers of process to achieve nuclear fission. She did not receive the Nobel Prize for her work. Some attribute this to endemic sexism. Meitnerium has not had many chemical studies on it as it’s half life is to brief.

Chickens are domesticated bird, however their ability to survive now in general depends on humanity survival. It’s tied to Meitnerium as much like Lisa Meitner chickens do not get nearly the praise for the contribution to humanities continued survival that they should have.

Darmstadtium is element 110 (only 8 left) and again a highly radioactive with a short half life. It’s named after Darmstadt as it was originally discovered by a team of nuclear physics in the town.

Taenia Solium is better known as a tape worm. The human varieties of which have in general come from pork meat that has been poorly cured or cooked. I’m not making any purposeful reference to the town of Darmstadt by tying it to Darmstadtium! The creature is very like any heavy transactinide in it ability to only survive in specific environments and be somewhat deadly when not properly managed. Darmstadtium was the only element in the 110-118s left to fit it as a animal as element, when I was allocating the last few animals to elements.

Animals as elements: 107-108 Bohrium Megascolides australis, Hassium Giant Sloth

Bohrium is a very unstable radioactive transactinide element that can only be produced synthetically like all of the elements above 100. Only limited experiments have been performed on Bohrium as it half-life is barely a minute long.

Megascolides australis is a giant earthworm that makes a thumping noise in response to noise above them. Much like Bohrium, they are rare and secluded.

Hassium is so unstable that only about 100 atoms of it have been created in a lab this far. It’s named after the German state of Hesse.

Giant Sloths used to live throughout most of the American continent. Now, unfortunately, they are extinct but they did eat Avocado and spread their seed, Hass is a common verity of avocado and it rhymed with Hassium so that was why I chose it to represent Hassium.

Animals as elements: 105-106 Dubnium Elephant, Seaborgium Leafy Sea Dragon

Dubnium named after Dubna a town in Russia where it was discovered. It’s a unstable radioactive transition metal, and has a half life in minutes. Much like other elements in the 100s is only used in high level radioactivity experiments.

Elephants never forget or so a certain saying goes. Elephants used to live all over Europe and Asia, including in Russia. Unfortunately human activity and environmental changes have caused it to become extinct in many areas it used to live. I felt elephants being heavy they would tie with a heavier elements, and so I decided to tie them to Dubnium.

Seaborgium is named after Glenn Theodore Seaborg who after his involvement in the Manhattan Project became one of the most strident proponents of nuclear arms control. He also was the co-discoverer of 10 elements and the use of iodine-131 in medicine for thyroid treatments.

Leafy Sea Dragons are a relative of the Seahorse that live on the south coast of Australia. They are very peaceful well camouflaged creatures. As Seaborg was a propensity of peacemaking I felt a peaceful Sea creature was best.

Animals as elements: 103-104: Lawrencium Electric Eel, Rutherfordium Kakapo

Lawrencium is a actinide metal (technically) and it sits on the very edge of the “island of stability” and thus is one of the few elements past 100 that have had chemical experiments performed with it. Though it is still radioactive and these experiments revel more about how the elements behave overall than Lawrencium itself. It’s tied with electric eel as electric eels also tend to like to sit on the edge of islands.

Ruthfordium is a transition metal, though this doesn’t make it stable. It’s also has very long history of naming called the transfermium wars.

The kakapo or night parrot is a strange nocturnal parrot native to New Zealand. Their are not many left and it is critically endangered. It’s tied to Rutherfordium as I felt like it.

Animals as elements: 101-102 Mendelevium Godwit, Nobelium Ermine

Mendelevium could have easily been named Seaborgium due to its discovery. It was fairly difficult to capture and like most elements with numbers beyond 100 is only used in research.

The Godwit is a long-legged, long-beaked migratory bird. They are hard to distinguish between each species and were once considered a delicacy. They are tied to Mendelevium as it required Aqua Regia to prove it wasn’t Fermium and because it was almost called Seaborgium. That’s probably the most stupid chemistry joke I will ever make.

Nobelium is an element with a history almost as grandiose as its name. It had several false discoveries and nine controversies that could make a good TV documentary to fall asleep too. It is close to impossible to produce in large quantities and so most of its properties aren’t fully known.

Ermine (Stoats) are ferret-like creatures that live in most of the northern hemisphere. They were once used for fur and sometimes domesticated by those allergic to both dogs and cats. They were also sometimes considered Nobel and thus their connection to Nobelium.

Animals as elements: 99-100 Einsteinium Human, Fermium Osprey

Einsteinium was discovered in the debris of the first nuclear explosions. It has no long lasting isotopes, and what is present is so radioactive it will glow blueish. It was first discovered after the Ivy Mike nuclear test. However it’s discovery was kept secret until after the end of World War II. Humans have intrinsically linked to Einsteinium discovery as the discovery led Humanity into the Anthropocene (at least in mind). It also is amazed at how easily humans forget they are animals too.

Fermium was also discovered in the debris from Ivy Mike though it was more difficult to find enough of to prove it was indeed a different element. Fermium is named after Enrico Fermi who was a major researcher in nuclear physics .

It’s tied with Osprey as Ospreys are birds that live all over the world and as they still can be found at the Fermi lab in Illinois today.

Animals as Elements: 97-98 Berkelium Coyote, Californium Bear

Berkelium is named after Berkeley California, much like it’s neighbor Californium which is named after the state. Thus both are depicted as animals one might find in California the Coyote and the Brown Bear.

Berkelium is a transuranic metal only used to synthesize heavier elements and can only be produced in nuclear experiments and explosions.

Californium is slightly more useful in being used to produce neutrons to start nuclear reactors and also the heaviest element currently discovered, element 118 oganesson. It’s a silvery transuranic mental that tarnishes in air.

Animals as elements: 95-96 Americium Bald Eagle, Curium Moon Jellyfish

American is an element that sits (in the periodic table) under Europium and thus names after America. I expect element 149 would be named Australiacisium, but that’s just speculation. It’s used in Smoke Detectors and in some nuclear battery applications. It’s tied to Bald Eagle for obvious reasons.

Marie and Pierre Curie were long term researchers of radioactive isotopes and Curium was named in their honor. It’s a hard and dense metal that forms strongly fluorescent bonds with organic compounds. It’s from this ability that some have got the idea of people glowing after exposure to radioactive isotopes. Curium is mostly used to produce other radioactive isotopes.

Crystal Jellyfish are round relatively small Jellyfish that can survive rather depleted oxygen regions. They can be bioluminescent and thus this is why they are tied to Curium.

Animals as elements: 93-94 Neptunium Earwig, Plutonium Dog

Neptunium is a hard radioactive metal that comes just after Uranium. Because of this it was named Neptunium as that’s the planet after Uranium. No prizes for where Plutonium gets it name from. It’s mostly produced as a by product of Nuclear energy production or to make heavier elements.

Earwigs are a rather surprising motherly bug, in that they will look after their young up to their second molt. Their wings resemble ears when unfolded, hence the name. They are tied with Neptunium as I felt how they got their name was similarly odd.

Plutonium is probably the most famous post transuranic metal. Its used nuclear fusion and fission explosions and bombs. It’s also had use a medical indicator but this was never developed beyond lab tests that were nonconsensual. Much like Pluto, Micky’s dog, Plutonium is depicted as a dog. In this case my Dog Willow.