A self is not something static, tied up in a pretty parcel and handed to the child, finished and complete. A self is always becoming.

She began to feel the sense of wonderful elation that always came to her when beauty took hold of her and made her forget her fears.

I think your mythology would call them fallen angels. War and hate are their business, and one of their chief weapons is un-Naming - making people not know who they are. If someone knows who he is, really knows, then he doesn't need to hate. That's why we still need Namers, because there are places throughout the universe like your planet Earth. When everyone is really and truly Named, then the Echthroi will be vanquished.

It strikes me as somewhat odd that the people who use God's name most frequently, both in life and in literature, usually don't believe in him.

Don't keep putting your anger off. Until you go through it, you can't get out of it.

Anything that's natural can't be sinful-it may be inconvenient, but it's not sinful.

Come t'e' picciol fallo amaro morso! Dante. What grievous pain a little fault doth give thee!