#the great handfasting project

[samwisethewitch]

Pagan Wedding Flowers (and other plants) Cheat Sheet

Flowers have been associated with weddings for almost as long as humans have been getting married. In fact, the use of flowers in ritual may actually be older than humans! Neanderthal graves in Iraq suggest that Neanderthals buried their dead with flowers. There are mentions of flowers in our earliest recorded accounts of weddings, such as in Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

Historically, couples would have used whatever flowers were available to them. While some cultures had flowers they preferred for weddings because of their symbolism, couples would have been limited by what grew in their area and by what was in bloom at the time of their ceremony. To be truly as historically accurate as possible, consider using flowers you grew or foraged yourself. Bonus points for native blooms!

For those who aren't into growing or gathering your own wedding flowers, modern florists and greenhouses allow us to choose from a wide range of flowers, many of which aren't native to our homes. This makes it much easier to choose flowers based on their symbolism, history, or cultural meaning.

Historic Wedding Flowers + Plants

Roses have been the flower of choice for Western weddings pretty much forever, and with good reason. The rose is associated with several ancient goddesses of sex, fertility, and/or romance, such as Inanna, Ishtar, Aphrodite, and Venus. (Later, medieval Christians would also associate this flower with the Virgin Mary.) Including the goddess's flowers in a wedding may have been a way of invoking her blessing on the union. Sappho called rose "Queen of the Flowers."

Roses are held in a high regard in pretty much every culture with access to them. They're strongly associated not only with love, but also with beauty, wholeness, blessings, and even spirituality.

Rose was included in wedding celebrations in Ancient Hellos (Greece) and Rome. It is associated with the planet Venus and the water element.

Wheat was also a popular inclusion in weddings in ancient Greece and Rome. Hellenic brides would carry sheaths of wheat or another grain to invoke fertility and good fortune. Wheat was strongly associated with agrarian goddesses like Demeter, Persephone, Ceres, and Proserpina. Carrying wheat may also have been a way of expressing a wish for the marriage to produce many children. Pliny the Elder explicitly says in his Natural History that wheat was included in weddings to honor Ceres.

In modern occult systems, wheat is associated with fertility, the conception of children, and wealth. It is associated with the planet Venus and the element of earth.

Olive branches also featured in Hellenic weddings. Olive was an important crop in the ancient Mediterranean, and olive branches were a symbol of peace and friendship. Olive was also used in the victors' crowns in the Olympic Games. In Athens, the olive tree was a symbol of Athena. It was also carried by worshipers of Apollo when they visited the Oracle at Delphi. Olive was also important to the Romans, who associated it with Mars in his aspect as a protector of peace.

In modern magic traditions, olive is associated with beauty, healing, stamina, wealth, fertility, protection and of course, peace. It is associated with the sun and the fire element.

Orange blossoms were included in Hellenic weddings as a sign of happiness. These strongly scented white flowers also sometimes appeared in Roman weddings. Thousands of years later, Queen Victoria wore a crown of orange blossoms at her wedding, but for her they were a symbol of chastity.

In modern systems, orange is associated with joy, partnership, sweetness, and good luck. It is associated with the sun and the fire element.

Hawthorn appeared in weddings in ancient Rome. Pliny the Elder said that Roman bridal processions included a hawthorn torch dedicated to the goddess Ceres. In Rome, hawthorn was more generally associated with love and good luck.

In Celtic cultures, especially Ireland, hawthorn was believed to be a fairy tree. For this reason, cutting a hawthorn tree or bringing hawthorn branches inside was considered bad luck.

The blooming of hawthorn trees was used to determine the date of Bealtaine, and hawthorn boughs were often decorated with flowers, ribbons, and egg shells to make a May bush, which was placed by the front door for good luck. In Britain, hawthorn wood was used to carve maypoles. Hawthorn flowers may be especially appropriate for a May wedding or handfasting.

In modern occultism, hawthorn is associated with protection, healing (especially healing the heart), romantic love, fertility, granting wishes, and happiness. It is still strongly associated with weddings and marriage. It is associated with the planet Mars and the fire element.

Lotus may have featured in ancient Kemetic (Egyptian) weddings. The lotus was an important symbol in Kemetic religion, and was associated with the sun, rebirth, and the creation of the world. Lotus flowers featured in festivals to honor Hapi, the androgynous god of the Nile. The lotus is used in art to represent Upper Egypt. An Egyptian poem from 1100 BCE connects the lotus to marriage.

Lotus flowers were also popular in ancient Chinese weddings, and they're still used by some Chinese couples today. In Chinese culture, lotus represents purity, honor, and long life.

In modern traditions, lotus is associated with protection, spirituality, and blessings. It is associated with the moon and the water element.

Yellow flowers were used in pre-Christian Ireland for blessings and protection. The exact flower used for these rituals is not specified, so it seems like the color was what mattered. Modern pagans looking to carry on this tradition have lots of yellow flowers to choose from. Some popular choices include yellow roses (see above), yellow amaryllis (associated with creativity, playfulness, and joy), chrysanthemum (associated with long life, optimism, and protection), marigold (associated with happiness, rebirth, and vitality), and/or daffodils (associated with love, fertility, and luck).

Modern Wedding Flowers

We've gone over some of the flowers that were popular in historic pagan weddings, but it's also easy to pagan-ify the flowers that are most popular in modern weddings. Here's a quick rundown of some popular wedding blooms and their neopagan and occult symbolism:

Peony is associated with purification, healing, prosperity, and success. In ancient Rome, peony was believed to be sacred to Mars. It is associated with the sun and the fire element.

Dahlia is associated with mystery, occult wisdom, and transformation. It is associated with the moon and the water element.

Lilac is associated with balance, peace, romance, protection from evil, and attracting friendly spirits. It is associated with Venus and the water element.

Sweet Pea is associated with comfort, charm, and sweetness. It is associated with Venus and the water element.

Hydrangea is associated with healthy boundaries, breaking negative patterns, hex breaking, and protection. It is associated with water and with both the moon and Neptune.

Tulip is associated with beauty, desire, gratitude, love, prosperity, and simplicity. It is associated with Venus and the earth element.

Orchid is associated with beauty, elegance, sexuality, fertility, and romance. It is associated with Venus and the water element.

Lily is associated with spirituality, beauty, harmony, and protection from the evil eye. It is associated with Venus and the water element.

Carnation is associated with beauty, love, rebirth, strength, and healing. Carnations are associated with same-gender love and especially love between men because of Oscar Wilde's fondness for them. They are associated with the sun and the fire element.

Gardenia is associated with love, peace, healing, and spirituality. It is associated with the moon and the water element.

Resources:

"New Neanderthal remains associated with the ‘flower burial’ at Shanidar Cave," Cambridge University Press

"History of Wedding Flowers" by Benna Crawford

The Roman Wedding by Karen K. Hersch

"The Olive in the Ancient Mediterranean" by Mark Cartwright

"The History, Mythology, and Offerings of Hawthorn" by Meghan Pivarnik

Where the Hawthorn Grows by Morgan Daimler

Temple of the Cosmos by Jeremy Naydler

The Magic of Flowers by Tess Whitehurst

The Magic of Trees by Tess Whitehurst (see my disclaimer about Whitehurst's books, but these are some of her better ones)

Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham

#the great handfasting project #handfasting #pagan wedding #wedding magic #queer wedding #pagan #paganism #pagan witch #hellenic polytheism #hellenism #religio romana #cultus deorum #roman polytheism #kemetic paganism #kemetic polytheism #irish paganism #irish pagan #irish folklore #wicca #wiccan #flowers #flower magic #correspondences #love magic #love spell #green witchcraft #green witch #witch #witchblr #witchcraft

[lilianasgrimoire]

Herbs & Correspondences A-F

This is going to be a looonnnnnggg post, I have gotten all the herbs I can find/remember the correspondences of herbs in alphabetical order, so I might actually break it down into sections and link them on each post at the top.

Acorn - Good luck, personal power, protection and wisdom. Dried acorns are a natural amulet for youthfulness. Associated with Litha. Element water. 

Agrimony - Shielding and hex-breaking, aids sleep, brings luck towards you and is powerful in spell reversal.  Element Air. 

Alder - Helps you to face up to things you are avoiding, divination, teaching especially anything arty and weather magic. Element Fire. 

Alfalfa - Money, prosperity and a happy home, also anti-hunger. Generosity and luck.  Element Earth. 

Allspice - Draws money and business success.  Aids compassion, luck and healing. Element Fire.   

Angelica - Also called Archangel. It is a very powerful protection herb, healing, creates harmony and courage and helps in exorcisms.  Aids vision. Element Air. 

Apple - Garden magic, love, healing and wisdom, also vanity, marriage and beauty. Associated Mabon & Samhain. Element water. 

Ash - Spells relating to the sea, protection, and luck. Make your Yule log from ash and burn to bring prosperity. Yggdrasil was an Ash tree.  Element water. 

Basil - Also called witch's herb. Use in spells for Love, exorcism, wealth, sympathy, and protection. Associated with Imbolc. Aids astral projection. Element Fire. 

Bay Leaf - Protection, success, purification, strength, wisdom and healing, also increases psychic powers. Element Fire. 

Beech - Happiness, inspiration and divination. Represents the Green Man.  Element Air. 

Belladonna - Also Called: Deadly Nightshade. Toxic. Use for forgetting past loves. Protection, beauty and original flying ointments. Adds energy to rituals.   Element Water. 

Benzoin - Purification, prosperity, and helps to soothe tension by dispelling anger and lessening irritability, de stressing, helps depression, concentration and astral projection. Element Air.  

Bergamot - Money, prosperity and sleep.  Protects from both evil and illness. Good luck and wealth. Increases magical power.  Element Fire.  

Birch - Protection, exorcism and purification. Dispels lightning, infertility, and the evil eye. Associated with Yule. Element Water.  

Black Pepper - Banishing negativity, exorcism, and offers protection and help with inner strength.  Element Fire  

Blackthorn - Exorcisms, warding off negative spirits and general protection.  Associated with Samhain. Element Earth.  

Bladderwrack - Protection, sea and wind spells, attracts money, psychic powers, and customers to your business. Element Water. 

Blessed Thistle - or Holy Thistle. Purification, protection against negativity and evil, hex breaking and aids vitality.  Carry on you for strength and protection. Element Earth. 

Blueberry - Protection of children, keeps evil out, and strengthens the aura.  Associated with the Great Spirit. Element Water. 

Borage Flower - Self Courage, peace, calm, self-love and strength. Element Air. 

Burdock - Also called Beggar’s buttons. Used for cleansing magic and warding off negativity. Protection, healing and persistence spells.  Element Water.  

Calendula - Also called Marigold. It attracts success and justice in legal matters. Increases psychic/spiritual powers and aid prophetic dreams. Dispels negativity.  Element Fire.   

Cardamom - Lust, love, and fidelity. Sweetens the personality   Use in handfasting's. Element Water.  

Carnation - Protection, strength, healing, enhancing magical powers, and achieving balance.   Element Fire.  

Catnip - Also called Nepeta. Use when working with animals.  Draws love, luck and happiness, also used in beauty magic.  Associated with Bast. Element Water. 

Cedarwood - Luck, strength and power.  It helps increase money and protection. Also healing.    Associated with Mabon. Element Earth. 

Cedar Berries - Also Called: Juniper Berries.  Protective, cleansing and repels negativity very well. Used in healing rites.  Element Fire.  

Celandine - Cures depression, treats piles, improves circulation. Brings about Joy and happiness. Solar Magic.  Element Fire. 

Chamomile - Love, sleep, protection and purification, also reduce stress.  Use for meditation work and to attract money. Solar Magic. Element Water. 

Chervil - Helps healing, flatulence and superstition.  It is considered the herb for bringing in new life.  Element Water.  

Chickweed - Also called Witches Grass. Use in moon spells. Also good for animal magic, relationships, love and fertility. Element Water.  

Chili - Fidelity, love and passion.  Also hex breaking. Element Fire.  

Cinnamon - Also called Sweet Wood. Use for Solar magic.  Meditation and astral projection. Increases spirituality, success, healing, protection, power, luck, strength, and prosperity. Element Fire.  

Clover, Red - Also called Trefoil. used in any spells relating to marriage, love, lust and fidelity. Success is linked to money.  Element Air.  

Clove - Use to protect, banish negative forces, and divination.  It also helps with any teeth spells. Aids money and draws love.  Element Fire.  

Coltsfoot - Aids wealth.  Works with peace, tranquility, prosperity, and love. Associated with Brighid. Element Water. 

Comfrey - Also called Slippery Root.  Supports magic healing and safe travel. Use for money, endurance and stability spells. Element Water. 

Coriander - Love, lust and health.  Used as an aphrodisiac and to heal migraines. Brings peace & protection to the home. Element Fire.   

Cornflower - Used primarily as an Ink for your Book of Shadows. It is the patron herb of herbalists. Use in rituals to give honor to the mother of all nature, also connected to Rainbow and Crystal children.  Element Earth. 

Cumin - Fidelity, protection, and exorcism.  Also used in love spells and food which can also promote fidelity.  Element Earth   

Cypress - Associated with death and mourning; stimulates healing and helps overcome the pain of loss.  Other properties include self-esteem, protection, love and banishing nightmares. Element Earth. 

Damiana - Lust, sex magic and attracting love. It is thought to be an aphrodisiac. Use for astral projection and spirit quests.  Element Fire. 

Dandelion Leaf - Used to summon spirits, make wishes on, healing, purification and defeating negativity.  Element Air.  

Dandelion Root - Magical uses include divination, wishes and calling spirits. It also enhances dreams and works well in astral projection. Element Air. 

Dock Root- (Yellow). Used to release baggage no longer needed. Also, fertility, healing and money magic. Clears blockages and cuts bindings.  Solar Magic. Element Air. 

Echinacea - Adds a boost to clairvoyant and psychic abilities. Adds powerful strength to spells used in money drawing magic, fertility and abundance and provides the user with protective power. Element Earth. 

Elder Tree - Sleep, releasing enchantments, protection against negativity, banishing. 

Elderflower & Berry - Peace, protection, and healing, plus aids in exorcisms.  Element Water.  

Elm - Energizes the mind and balances the heart. Aids love spells and offer protection from lightning. Element Water. 

Evening Primrose - Ideal for moon magic. Also use in love charms and to attract fae.  Element Water.  

Eyebright - Increases mental power, psychic ability and inner vision.  Element Air.  

Fennel Seed - Helps with meditation.  Healing, purifying and protection.  Also linked with new motherhood and offers inner strength. Element Air.  

Feverfew - Aids poor health.  Protection against accidents when travelling and protection when working with spirit.  Carry on you for inner strength. Element Water. 

Flax Seed - Also called Linseed. Used for money spells and healing rituals. It helps with beautiful spells and offers protection.  Element Fire. 

Fleawort - Healing, Cleansing, strength and power. The Goddess' herbs. Element Earth. 

Frankincense Resin - Use in solar magic. Associated with Beltane, Lammas, and Yule. Use in rituals and magic associated with self-control, spirituality and protection.  Also regulates emotions and helps depression. Element Earth  

Fumitory - Associated with the underworld and used at Samhain. Linked to spells for monetary gain, consecration and protection. Element Earth.  

#witch #witchcraft #witchblr #pagan #wicca #witches #pagan witch #paganism #pagan wicca #polytheism #herb #herbs #spell work #herb correspondences #kitchen witch #kitchen witchcraft #witch community #hedge witch #green witch #herbs a-f

[freyja-lestrange]

Acorn - Good luck, personal power, protection and wisdom. Dried acorns are a natural amulet for youthfulness. It's associated with the Sabbat of Litha and the element of water.

Angelica - Also called Archangel. It is a very powerful protection herb, healing, creates harmony and courage and helps in exorcisms. Aids vision. Element Air.

Apple - Garden magic, love, healing and wisdom, also vanity, marriage and beauty. Associated Mabon & Samhain. Element water.

Basil - Also called witches herb. Use in spells for Love, exorcism, wealth, sympathy, and protection. Associated with Imbolc. Aids astral projection. Element Fire.

Bay Leaf - Protection, success, purification, strength, wisdom and healing, also increases psychic powers. Element Fire.

Belladonna - Also Called: Deadly Nightshade. Toxic. Use for forgetting past loves. Protection, beauty and original flying ointments. Adds energy to rituals. Element Water.

Bergamot - Money, prosperity and sleep. Protects from both evil and illness. Good for luck and wealth. Increases magical power. Element Fire.

Black Pepper - Banishing negativity, exorcism, and offers protection and help with inner strength. Element Fire.

Blueberry - Protection of children, keeps evil out, and strengthens the aura. Associated with the Great Spirit. Element Water.

Calendula - Also called Marigold. Attracts success and justice in legal matters. Increases psychic/spiritual powers and aid prophetic dreams. Dispels negativity. Element Fire.

Cardamom - Lust, love, and fidelity. Sweetens the personality Use in handfastings. Element Water.

Chamomile - Love, sleep, protection and purification, also reduce stress. Use for meditation work and to attract money. Solar Magic. Element Water.

Cinnamon - Also called Sweet Wood. Use for Solar magic. Meditation and astral projection. Increases spirituality, success, healing, protection, power, luck, strength, and prosperity. Element Fire.

Clove - Use to protect, banish negative forces, and divination. Also helps with any teeth spells. Aids money and draws love. Element Fire.

Dandelion Root - Magical uses include divination, wishes and calling spirits. It also enhances dreams and works well in astral projection. Element Air.

Evening Primrose - Ideal for moon magic. Also use in love charms and to attract fae. Element Water.

Ginger - Increases magic power. Success, love, money and power. Element Fire.

Hibiscus - Attracting love and lust. Use in divination. Associated with lunar magic. Element Water.

Horsetail - Use for strength and resolve. Protection, cleansing and clearing unwanted emotions. Element Earth.

Jasmine - The herb of attraction. Helps prophetic dreaming, money and love. Element Water.

Lavender - Magical uses include healing, sleep and peace. It also promotes chastity and love. Increases longevity of life, tranquility and happiness. Element Air.

Lemon Balm - Also called Melissa. Love, success and healing. Aids psychic/spiritual development. Supports mental health disorders and compassion. Element Water.

Lemon Grass - Psychic cleansing and opening. Use in lust potions and when using Dragon Magic. Element Air.

Lime Tree Leaf - Healing, calm and love. Aids strength and tranquility, Element Air.

Marjoram - Use for cleansing, purification, and dispelling negativity. Also aids grief and sadness. Element Air.

Mint - Promotes energy, communication and vitality, protection and draws custom. Element Air.

Mugwort - Use for strength, protection and healing. Mugwort amplifies magic. Aids astral projection, and psychic power. Element Earth.

Nettle - Uses include dispelling darkness & fear,and curse breaking. Healing and protection and increases lust in partners. Renewal. Element Fire.

Orange Peel & Flower- Attracts abundance, luck. Love and happiness and strengthens divination. Element Fire.

Passion Flower - Attracts friendship and passion. Caming, peace and instills passion into stale relationships. Good for house blessings too. Element Water.

Patchouli - Used in spells for connecting with spirits. Money attracting, increases fertility and lust. Calming and peaceful. Element Earth.

Peppermint - Use for headaches and other forms of healing. Increases sleep and love. Use for increasing psychic power and divination. Element Air.

Rose - Use for divination, increased psychic power, love, lust and healing. Helps strengthen close friendships. Place around sprains and bruises to help them heal faster. Element Water.

Rosemary - Use in healing poppets and love/lust spells. Improves memory. Increases sleep, mental power and protection. Burn to help purification and removing negativity. Associated with faery magic. Element Fire.

Sage - Used for self purification and cleansing. Helps grief and loss. Healing and protection, also increases wisdom. Element Air.

Strawberry Leaf - Attracts success, good fortune, and favorable circumstances. Increases love and aids pregnancy. Element Water.

Thyme - Attracts loyalty, affection, and love. Increases good luck and psychic power. Drink in tea to aid sleep. Element Air.

Verbena - Psychic protection, peace and purification. Healing and helps depression. Increases beauty and love. Mind opening and clearing. Ideal use for exams. Element Earth.

Willow - is Used for lunar magic, drawing or strengthening love, healing, and overcoming sadness.. Element Water.

From the Herbal Grimoire by the blog The Wiccan Lady. Here's the link to the blog for the complete list and further reading:

#herbs #herb correspondences #herbalism #witchy herbs #herbal magick #witchcraft #wicca #witchy #witchy info #correspondences #witchblr #wiccan #witches of tumblr #witchy correspondences #green witch #green magic #herbal #witch #wiccanblr #grimoire #book of shadows #baby witches #herb list #herb meaning #kitchen withcraft #kitchen witchery #earth

[arius-the-harbinger]

Short list of herbs and there uses

Acorn - Good luck, personal power, protection and wisdom. Dried acorns are a natural amulet for youthfulness. It's associated with the Sabbat of Litha and the element of water.

Angelica - Also called Archangel. It is a very powerful protection herb, healing, creates harmony and courage and helps in exorcisms. Aids vision. Element Air.

Apple - Garden magic, love, healing and wisdom, also vanity, marriage and beauty. Associated Mabon & Samhain. Element water.

Basil - Also called witches herb. Use in spells for Love, exorcism, wealth, sympathy, and protection. Associated with Imbolc. Aids astral projection. Element Fire.

Bay Leaf - Protection, success, purification, strength, wisdom and healing, also increases psychic powers. Element Fire.

Belladonna - Also Called: Deadly Nightshade. Toxic. Use for forgetting past loves. Protection, beauty and original flying ointments. Adds energy to rituals. Element Water.

Bergamot - Money, prosperity and sleep. Protects from both evil and illness. Good for luck and wealth. Increases magical power. Element Fire.

Black Pepper - Banishing negativity, exorcism, and offers protection and help with inner strength. Element Fire.

Blueberry - Protection of children, keeps evil out, and strengthens the aura. Associated with the Great Spirit. Element Water.

Calendula - Also called Marigold. Attracts success and justice in legal matters. Increases psychic/spiritual powers and aid prophetic dreams. Dispels negativity. Element Fire.

Cardamom - Lust, love, and fidelity. Sweetens the personality Use in handfastings. Element Water.

Chamomile - Love, sleep, protection and purification, also reduce stress. Use for meditation work and to attract money. Solar Magic. Element Water.

Cinnamon - Also called Sweet Wood. Use for Solar magic. Meditation and astral projection. Increases spirituality, success, healing, protection, power, luck, strength, and prosperity. Element Fire.

Clove - Use to protect, banish negative forces, and divination. Also helps with any teeth spells. Aids money and draws love. Element Fire.

Dandelion Root - Magical uses include divination, wishes and calling spirits. It also enhances dreams and works well in astral projection. Element Air.

Evening Primrose - Ideal for moon magic. Also use in love charms and to attract fae. Element Water.

Ginger - Increases magic power. Success, love, money and power. Element Fire.

Hibiscus - Attracting love and lust. Use in divination. Associated with lunar magic. Element Water.

Horsetail - Use for strength and resolve. Protection, cleansing and clearing unwanted emotions. Element Earth.

Jasmine - The herb of attraction. Helps prophetic dreaming, money and love. Element Water.

Lavender - Magical uses include healing, sleep and peace. It also promotes chastity and love. Increases longevity of life, tranquility and happiness. Element Air.

Lemon Balm - Also called Melissa. Love, success and healing. Aids psychic/spiritual development. Supports mental health disorders and compassion. Element Water.

Lemon Grass - Psychic cleansing and opening. Use in lust potions and when using Dragon Magic. Element Air.

Lime Tree Leaf - Healing, calm and love. Aids strength and tranquility, Element Air.

Marjoram - Use for cleansing, purification, and dispelling negativity. Also aids grief and sadness. Element Air.

Mint - Promotes energy, communication and vitality, protection and draws custom. Element Air.

Mugwort - Use for strength, protection and healing. Mugwort amplifies magic. Aids astral projection, and psychic power. Element Earth.

Nettle - Uses include dispelling darkness & fear,and curse breaking. Healing and protection and increases lust in partners. Renewal. Element Fire.

Orange Peel & Flower- Attracts abundance, luck. Love and happiness and strengthens divination. Element Fire.

Passion Flower - Attracts friendship and passion. Caming, peace and instills passion into stale relationships. Good for house blessings too. Element Water.

Patchouli - Used in spells for connecting with spirits. Money attracting, increases fertility and lust. Calming and peaceful. Element Earth.

Peppermint - Use for headaches and other forms of healing. Increases sleep and love. Use for increasing psychic power and divination. Element Air.

Rose - Use for divination, increased psychic power, love, lust and healing. Helps strengthen close friendships. Place around sprains and bruises to help them heal faster. Element Water.

Rosemary - Use in healing poppets and love/lust spells. Improves memory. Increases sleep, mental power and protection. Burn to help purification and removing negativity. Associated with faery magic. Element Fire.

Sage - Used for self purification and cleansing. Helps grief and loss. Healing and protection, also increases wisdom. Element Air.

Strawberry Leaf - Attracts success, good fortune, and favorable circumstances. Increases love and aids pregnancy. Element Water.

Thyme - Attracts loyalty, affection, and love. Increases good luck and psychic power. Drink in tea to aid sleep. Element Air.

Verbena - Psychic protection, peace and purification. Healing and helps depression. Increases beauty and love. Mind opening and clearing. Ideal use for exams. Element Earth.

Willow - is Used for lunar magic, drawing or strengthening love, healing, and overcoming sadness.. Element Water.

#witchythings #witch herbs #witch community #witchcraft

[liminalminds]

✨I need a Pen/FOC fic ASAP please and thank you✨

Two soft femme "spinsters" who've moved in together (to save money ofc, and yes they affectionately call each other wife and dance together at all the balls but really they're just great friends and isn't it nice these two sweet spinsters have found some contentment 😉.)

FOC I HC has a Greek myth name too (Hestia? Althea? Cassandra? Idk), and she calls Pen her "Wonderful Weaver", what with all her writing (and encouraged her to do more than just Whistledown, and actually writes some segments herself when Pen is too busy with other projects as she knows her wife's knife-like words inside and out) and they talk philosophy and grow beautiful sprawling gardens together, and nobody quite knows how they can afford the large townhouse and gardens, or the lavish parties, and surely they don't make much as governesses but somehow, they can sponsor a gaggle of young girls who affectionately call F!OC Mum and Pen Mama and weave flowers into their hair, who grow up to be the most formidable, intelligent and loving young women. Lady Danbury helps tutor the girls and they call her Grandmum and she's one of the few that knows the true nature of their relationship after walking in at an... inopportune moment.

F!OC is an artist and is constantly getting Pen to pose: Pen recites poetry she's written about F!OC whilst posing. Their love making can range from soft tender passion to 🔥🔥 INTENSITY, they argue and debate freely with each other and it doesn't worry them BC it's always from a place of love.

They get handfasted by Lady Danbury in the gardens surrounded by flowers and candlelights and their multitudes of daughters and that's more than they could have hoped for and it's Enough.

(Penelope is the one that proposed first, only because she beat F!OC to presenting the ring)

...

I have so many ideas for this PLEASE 😭😭

#Sapphic Penelope #please #bridgerton #penelope featherington

[lifeofawitch2020]

Necromancy, Hedge Craft, & Spirit Work Items

Mullein

soft, lamb ear like leaves. The stalks can be used and dried for rituals of necromancy. It is burnt to see manifestations of the dead, to see into the otherworld, and to communicate with spirits and deities of the dead alike. Personal favorite of mine as it’s easy to find during the summer. Mullein provides you with protection from nightmares, sorcery, and cursing. It helps to bring courage, and is used for invoking spirits. Carry to help attract love. Used as a substitute for graveyard dust in spells. Wear it as protection against wild animals, and burn to banish bad influences and unwanted energies. Magickal Uses: spirit work, invoking spirits, courage, protection, health, love, divination, exorcism. Known as the “Hag’s Taper”. The soft leaves are used as candle wicks and the dried stalks are soaked in beeswax or tallow to make a torch for rituals of necromancy. It is also burnt to see manifestations of spirits of the dead at night, to see into the Otherworld, and communicate with the spirits and deities that dwell there. Can also be used in talismans.

Cedar chips & needles

Cedar can be burnt to exorcise malevolent energies. The dried needles can also be used for calling spirits, and an offering for the dead. The dried needles when smouldered serve both as a sustaining feast and call for the blessed dead, and the smoke is used to exorcise malevolent shades. The wood works for this purpose as well when turned into a fetish or as a staff.

Wormwood

used for summoning spirits to you and your environment & helps them manifest. Used to remove anger, stop fights, inhibit violent acts, and for protection from the evil eye and other dangers. It may be used as incense for clairvoyance, to summon spirits, or to enhance divinatory abilities. Can be used in curses and harmful magick. Note that Wormwood can be poisonous, so use with caution. Magickal uses: necromancy, vivid dreaming, enhance psychic abilities, protection, breaking spells, warding off negativity, purification, banishing, divination, sexual energy and curses.

Wolfsbane

do not handle this plant unless you know what you’re doing. Can be used to attract protective and guardian-like spirits. Aconite: Also known as Wolfsbane or Monkshood. Because of its incredible toxicity it is better to not to harvest it. If one has the dried root it can be preserved in order to serve as a tutelary spirit. Not to be used by amateurs.

Henbane

Dried Henbane leaves are used in ceremonial consecrations. It is also used in love sachets and charms to gain the love of the person desired. Used in divination, necromancy and to obtain wisdom. Thrown into water to bring rain. Magickal Uses: necromancy, curses, binding spells, rain magick, love magick, divination, and wisdom. 

Yew

Yew is known in Europe as the death tree, and symbolizes death, longevity, and reincarnation. Can be used for protection, banishment, and necromancy rituals. Known in European countries as the Death Tree, it is a symbol of death, reincarnation, and longevity. Is planted in graveyards to protect the spirits of the dead. It can be used to banish malevolent spirits of the dead. Often associated with sorcery and dark magic. It is considered the sister of the Tree of Life, the birch.

Mugwort

can be ingested as tea to aid divination, astral travel, and talking to spirits. Good for washing divination tools as well. A personal favorite of mine. Drink mugwort with caution, and please do your research. Mugwort is carried to increase lust, fertility, prevent backache and cure disease, and madness. You can place mugwort around divination tools to increase their power or near the bed to enhance astral travelling. Add to a sleep pillow or a sachet under your pillowcase to bring about prophetic dreams. Magickal Uses: Promotes psychic opening, clairvoyance, prophetic dreams, lucid dreaming, divination, opening the third eye, protection both from evil, faes, on travels etc, purification, cleansing, exorcism, and necromancy. Also boiled in water and, then the liquid is used to wash divination tools.

Bay Laurel (Bay Leaf)

used to aid communication with the dead. Easily acquired in the form of bay leaves. Can be purchased at a grocery store. I utilize this in my personal practice as well. Bay Laurel (leaf) is used for purification, house and business blessing, and clearing confusion. It can also be used for attracting romance. Place Bay Laurel in a dream pillow for sound sleep and to induce prophetic dreams. Magickal Uses: Protection, purification, repels negativity, prophetic dreams, clarity, promotes good fortune, success, victory.

Lavender

burnt to bring peace of mind to the dead. An efficient cleansing herb that can also be burnt for relaxation and purification. Lavender is often associated with love spells, as well as for workings to bring calmness and peace. Lavender is often used in healing, for example it promotes healing from depression. Other properties are protection and purification. Lavender also have a strong connection to clairvoyance and psychic abilities. Magickal Uses: clairvoyance, cleansing, consecration, happiness, healing, love, Midsummer, money, passion, peace, peace of mind, protection, psychic protection, purification, tranquility.

Marigold

associated with funerals and used in funeral rites & splays. Used in many memorial like ceremonies and left as an offering. Easy to obtain in summer. Marigold attracts respect and admiration, provides good luck in court and other legal matters. Great for bath spells, sachets, amulets, and incense for love. Place near the bed or in dream pillows for prophetic dreams. Scatter under the bed for protection while sleeping. Magickal Uses: Promotes healing, psychic opening, prophetic dreams, clarity, and clairvoyance.

Jasmine

Jasmine is often used in money, wealth and love spells and helps to promote new, innovative ideas. It is also used in divination, prophetic dreams, spirit work, and is good for charging quartz crystals. Magical uses: love, money, dreams, purification, wisdom, skills, astral projection, to attract love and money, for luck in general, especially in matters relating to love.

Asphodel

sacred to Persephone, Hades, and the Underworld. Thought to be good offerings for the dead and chthonic deities. In Greek legend is connected with the dead and the underworld. Sacred to Hades, Persephone, and Hekate. The roots were eaten by the poor of Greece and hence thought good enough food for the dead. Could be burnt as incense or the roots could be given as food offerings.

Dandelion

Dandelion is used for summoning spirits, healing, divination, wishes, protection, purification and defeating negativity. Bury in northwest corner of yard to bring favorable winds. Use in sachets and charms to make wishes come true. Magickal Uses: Divination, wishes, calling spirits, strength, protection.

Yarrow

Yarrow is used for healing, handfasting, and weddings, in addition to love. It is used in divination and to promote courage, confidence. It helps for psychic opening, spiritual awareness, and prophetic dreams. Carry as a sachet or amulet to banish negativity, ward off fear. Magickal Uses: Magickal uses are psychic powers and awareness, love, courage, breaks curses, healing, divination, ceremonial magick, prophetic dreams, protection against evil forces and negativity.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon and cinnamon oil can be used in love spells and to make charms to draw love, happiness, and money. Cinnamon is connected to spirituality and psychic powers. It is usrd to gain success, and for healing, protection, power, love, luck, strength, and prosperity. Burn as an incense or use in a sachet to raise spiritual and protective vibrations, and stimulate psychic powers. Cinnamon sticks are often used in charms for money and prosperity. Magical uses: Clairvoyance, consecration, divination, energy, good luck, love, money, passion, peace, prosperity, protection, psychic development, success.

Rowan

Rowan is used for protection, magickal power, and success. Use leaves and berries in amulets for healing and promoting psychic powers. Also good for use in luck spells and mixtures. Rowan wood is often used to make wands and divining rods. Magickal Uses: Psychic powers, healing, divination, power, success, protection.

Peppermint

Peppermint is often used in healing, protection and purification spells. Mint also attracts money, luck and love. Tie a little mint to your wrist to keep a good health. You can use the essential oil in spells to create positive changes in your life. Other uses are spiritual awareness, psychic opening, and prophetic dreams. Magickal uses: money, protection, purification, healing, love/lust, spirituality, psychic opening, dreams.

Rosemary

Rosemary is useful for ritual cleansing as it removes any negative energies. It is also helpful in blessings and purification in combination with water. Use rosemary in spells to enhance memory, including those spells for success in school. Rosemary is also associated with healing, love and friendship. Magical uses: remembrance, memory, protection, purification, energy, healing, prevent nightmares, preserve youthfulness, dispel depression, love and friendship.

Vanilla

Vanilla is associated with calming, consoling and soothing spells, it vitalizes energy, promotes a happy and healthy environment. It attracts good fortune, enhances mental stimulation, used in spells to enhance physical energy. It is used to help you obtain psychic awareness and enhance memory. Magickal Uses: mental alterness, psychic awareness, soothing, stimulate amorous appetites, and enhance memory.

Orchids

Orchids are mainly used in love spells, however are also good for communication. Giving an orchid to a person is said to help put romantic energy into movement. The tubes that hold the flowers, once dried, can be turned into powerful amulets for love. Orchids are also good for contacting the spirit realm, as well as for letting your loved one know you are thinking of them. Overall Orchids are a wonderful flower and plant to use for any spell to contact someone you love either living or dead, help grow new love, and help create peace and harmony in a given space.

Dittany of Crete

Used to aid in the manifestation of the spirits of the dead. Also has somewhat of a nasty reputation because of where it tends to grow. Harvesters tend to fall from the cliffs and crags where it grows and plummet to their death.

Apple

Considered the food of the Irish dead and the inhabitants of the Otherworld. Can be added to incense blends to feed the spirits of the dead and ancestors.

Copal

Serves as a offering to the dead and can be used to appease the spirits  who remain in states of trauma or confusion after death.

Willow

The wood of the willow is used in incenses and in the construction of fetishes dedicated to the dead.

Tobacco

May be presented as a herbal offering upon a ancestral altar or a grave in the form of a incense or sacramental smoke to honor the shades of the dead.

Cypress

The oil of this tree serves as a great addition to incenses and formula of the underworld.

Myrrh

The oil aids in all blends of a necromantic design. Can also be mixed into incenses.

Graveyard Mold/Moss

Technically no folklore or magical traditions associate this herb with necromancy of any kind. However I have included it here because I believe it can be used as a compound in necromantic incenses. Since it grows on graves it should contain some of the essence of the dead.

Mandrake

According to legend King Solomon carried a piece of this root in his seal ring to give him sovereignty over souls. Since one of its names is the “Little gallows man” it can be used as a poppet for laying curses of death, illness, pain, etc

Birch

Petitions and blessings are written on the bark of this tree which is then burnt or buried in the grave of the spirit.

Chervil

Also known as garden chervil or “gourmet’s parsley” a tea or other drink made with it can be imbibed to aid in rituals of communion.

Thyme

Burnt as an incense helps ease the soul of a person who died a violent death.

Elder

In Norse mythology the tree is considered the Guardian of the Road to Hel (and thus sacred to Hela, Goddess of the Dead). Also associated with the ancestors.

American Sycamore

Known as “Ghost Trees” for their distinctive patchy appearance. Associated with the dead and poverty

#witchcraft #witch #magick #spirit communication #necromancy #hedge crossing #evocation #necromancer #magickal correspondences #magical correspondences #spirit worker #spirit work #spirit

[emeraldragonfly]

The Cycle of the Seasons in the Desert

The pagan Sabbats follow the cycle of the seasons, and often, this cycle is easy to visualize. In terms of temperature, of course, we generally have:

Winter/Cold --> Spring/Warm --> Summer/Hot --> Fall/Cool

We go from cold to warm to hot to cool and repeat. In terms of how the plants and animals respond to the seasons, we tend to think of it like this:

Winter/Death/Hibernate --> Spring/Mate/Birth/Growth -->

Summer/Birth/Mature/Growth --> Autumn/Fade/Hoard Food

We say the seasons follow the cycle of birth, growth, death, and rebirth. 

That’s all pretty straightforward. The problem is . . . those concepts don’t apply equally well to all climates on earth.

Now that I’m in the southwest US desert, some of the pagan holidays seem a bit, well, out of step with what’s going on outside. It’s taken me some time to ponder these differences. I’m going to summarize some major ones now.

The Desert Simply Isn’t Well Suited to Farming

A lot of the cycle of life metaphors used are ones about farming. You ‘sow’ new ideas and projects in the spring, nurture them over the summer, ‘reap’ the fruits of your efforts in the fall, and rest in the winter and plan the new year. Also, the pagan holidays often feature feasts that involve crop foods that are in season for those times of the year. 

Here’s the thing though-- I’m in the middle of Utah. This is not a great place to grow crops. It never has been. Do we grow some crops here? Sure, of course. Mostly hay for cattle, in fact. Also certain grains like corn and barley. But really, most of Utah’s agriculture comes from cattle, who can free-graze on the local, desert-tolerant brush. The fact is, the soil and climate are not suited for most typical crops. And growing them requires expending a lot of extra resources.

There’s a reason why the Native Americans who were here long before white people didn’t farm extensively. They mostly relied on hunting and gathering, with some supplemental farming near rivers (which allowed for irrigating crops). So, the idea of huge harvests of typical crops, full of lush fruits and vegetables, and feasts organized around them, isn’t very meaningful here.

A Yearly ‘Death’ or Winter Hibernation Is Not Universal

Many, many animals do indeed hibernate or otherwise enter some sort of state of decreased acitvity during the winter. They do this to conserve energy when resources are scarce. In plants, this can be seen very dramatically when plants die off entirely and go to seed, or when deciduous trees shed their leaves and remain as dormant, bare-limbed creatures for a time. 

The thing is, while a winter hibernation is very common in a lot of plants and animals . . . there’s also a lot who don’t follow that rule. 

Plenty of animals remain active year-round. They may simply shift the emphasis in their diets during winter. For example, the cute little white-tailed antelope squirrels eat a lot of vegetation in spring and summer while it’s growing, but in fall and winter they focus more on fruits and seeds. Cottontails and jackrabbits eat fresh vegetation in spring and summer but focus on woody plants and dry vegetation in fall and winter. 

Other animals may travel back and forth between spring and winter feeding-grounds within their home range. Mule deer feed at higher elevations during the spring growing season and then switch to lower elevations during winter (where there’s much less snow). 

Other animals might migrate greater distances to warmer, wetter places during winter. Birds are especially known for having a lot of species that migrate, and a lot of our ducks are only seasonal residents here.

Whatever method used, for many animals winter is not a time of rest at all, but of steady activity.

This holds true for plants, as well. Many plants are “evergreen.” In the desert, many of the shrubs, cacti, succulents and trees are evergreen. They do not undergo that dramatic death or dormancy, and instead just steadily go about doing their planty business. Many of the typical “signals” to people that winter is coming-- the leaves are falling, animals are vanishing or going to sleep-- just aren’t here. Many of us are just carrying on as usual.

Summer is a More Complex Season Here

The typical view of summer is that it’s a celebration of the power of the sun, of the vitality and abundance of life, a time of handfasting, and of enjoying early harvests. 

It has a different flavor in the desert, though. While summer is certainly a time of growth and power, it’s also other things, too. Summers here are intense. Absolutely scorching, in fact. Temps climbing into the triple F digits is pretty normal-- expect something in the 90s or 100s. It’s genuinely a life-threatening risk for hyperthermia and dehydration for people who don’t take appropriate precautions. Summer needs to be taken seriously. Outdoor activities are . . . pretty hard to enjoy in these conditions. Especially when the windstorms kick in, blasting scorching hot winds and sharp sands and red dirt into your face. Even when the sun sets it can take a long time for the place to cool down. If you want to go for a comfortable walk outside during summer, you pretty much can only aim for a very short window of opportunity in the very early morning-- but better be quick, because it won’t last long.

This isn’t difficult just for people. Animals face the same challenges. How do they deal with it? By being very selective about when they are active during summer. Almost every single animal in the desert avoids midday entirely, staying hidden the shade of shrubs or in underground dens, where things are cooler. (I think the only animal here that braves the raw sun are the ants-- remarkable little creatures.) Animals will be active either in early morning and evening or are completely nocturnal. Many, many desert creatures come out at night, when the world is at a much more tolerable level.

In fact, the summer heat and dryness can be so intense that some animals will even enter into a special type of summer hibernation. This is called estivation. They bury themselves underground and await cooler temperatures and rainfall.

In any case, the point is that summer is a time of rest and sheltering for desert inhabitants. This is normally only associated with winter, but our summer extremes are often a reason to conserve energy and shelter from the sun as well. 

The funny thing is, summer is not just a time of rest and shelter. It’s also a time of growth and activity. Animal breeding is often in full swing during the summer, as well as plant growth and plant reproduction. Why is that?

Our summer has two faces because while it’s our most extreme time of year in terms of heat and dryness, it’s also the growing and monsoon season. Deserts, as you know, get very little precipitation. That’s what defines a desert. A lot of our water comes from melted snow that gathers in the mountains over the winter, which then runs into rivers. But the rest comes from what little rain we do get. Most of our rain occurs in spring, paving the way for a busy summer: Plants grow in the spring, ensuring there’s food available in summer, and thus, it’s a good time for animals to breed. Additionally, there are the summer rains.

The summer rains or “monsoons” (really just thunderstorms) come suddenly and with little warning. They then will dump incredible amounts of water onto the ground. The soils here are very poor at absorbing the water, so we get what we call “flash floods.” There’s this sudden overabundance of water in a place that’s normally starved for it. Animals and plants RUSH to take advantage while they can. Plants suck up as much as possible (cacti and succulents are designed to be huge sponges for these events), as do animals. Frogs and other amphibians, as well as arthropods like dragonflies, quickly breed in temporary puddles while they have the chance. It’s a great frenzy of activity. They don’t have much time because not long after the flood, things will dry up again.

So, in conclusion, our summer has two extreme sides: lots of rest and sheltering from the raw power of the sun, and a rush of activity, fertility and relative abundance. 

Ok. So I’ve rambled on about all these differences in the desert. But what’s the take-away from all this? How can we incorporate it into our pagan or Wiccan practice? 

I have a few ideas.

Reduce Farming and Feasting Metaphors: Replace With Foraging

We aren’t usually wandering along plentiful apple orchards here, or fields of potatoes, or filling our larders with cheeses, or slaughtering loads of lambs, or any of that. The traditional Celtic foods and feasts don’t really fit in here-- nor does the lifestyle. Does that mean you can’t be a pagan in the desert?

No, I don’t think that’s what it means. I think it just means maybe adjusting things a little. Maybe lean less on these farming metaphors for sowing and reaping, and less on those traditional foods. 

They can be replaced with the kind of story that this desert tells us. This is a different story, a lot less about the hard labor of planting large quantities of crops, all the anticipatory waiting for it to grow, the praying for good rains and sun to nurture the crops. A lot of the story of living in the desert comes from foraging. Foraging in an arid desert is not an easy affair. Survival itself in the desert is often not an easy affair. Life is more scarce in the desert because resources are more scarce here. Things are more spread out and scant. You must forage and eat what you can find, often traveling and working quite a bit to gather up enough food. 

Native Americans found things such as roots (wapato, wild onions, sego lily bulbs), seeds (bulrush, goosefoot, pine nuts, sunflower), grains, and other plant parts (wild rice, ricegrass, pickleweed, thistles, cactus flower buds, cactus fruits). There also were berries (raspberries, chokecherries, strawberries) and insects-- a very healthy source of protein (grasshoppers, crickets, ants). Of course, there was also small game (rabbits, mice, squirrels, waterfowl) and occasionally larger game. 

This may not sound very glamorous to you, or very tasty. But it is very resourceful, and sometimes the focus was more on survival than on being gourmet. 

What I propose is that desert pagans think about foraging metaphors and not just farming ones. The steady work of gathering up lots of little bits here and there-- that’s a useful metaphor too, in my mind. Sometimes projects aren’t just about sowing, nurturing and reaping. Sometimes projects are about the steady daily work of foraging, making progress bit by bit. Making use of what you can find, crafting useful things out of them, and ultimately accomplishing something surprisingly huge at the end. Remember, Native Americans even in this harsh desert built incredible, massive apartment-like structures into the cliffs. The “slow and steady” work of foraging (or of erosion!) is a useful metaphor too.

As to celebratory foods . . . why not draw inspiration from Native Americans or early white settler’s ideas on cuisine? Here’s a link to a great article about some Native American recipes (from, you know, an actual Native American). Of course I am not suggesting you treat these things like you “own” them. These inspirations may not come from your personal direct ancestors. But it’s still valid to respectfully borrow cuisine ideas from others! These are foods that grow naturally here or are more easily farmed here, so it makes sense to celebrate with foods that connect you to the land here.

Consider Alternative Seasonal Cycle Ideas

I have been trying for months now to develop an alternative to the traditional season cycle. The traditional one is something like this:

Winter (Death/Rest) ---> Spring (Birth/Growth) ---> Summer (Birth/Growth) ---> Fall (Mature/Wane)

What if we consider our ideas on how many plants and animals here are “evergreens,” and the fact that summer here is a little bit different? Maybe it would look more like this:

Winter (Rest/Forage) ---> Spring (Birth/Growth) ---> Summer (Birth/Growth/Rest) ---> Fall (Mature/Forage)

This suggestion gives two seasons of rest, during the most extreme times of year; winter and summer. It gives two seasons of growth and fertility, during the “light seasons” of spring and summer. And it gives two seasons of “foraging” during the “dark seasons” of fall and winter.

I’m using the word “foraging” as a moderate word that can fit in-between the life energy extremes of “death/rest” and “growth/reproduce.” For animals, foraging is the calm, steady work of searching for and gathering food. It’s a time when you are not hibernating but you also are not putting out the explosion of energy that comes with new growth and reproduction. For evergreen plants, “foraging” is the steady work of photsynthesis that continues even in dark seasons. You’re not doing much new growth or blooming flowers/etc., but you’re not in total dormancy either.

Ultimately these suggested changes are not huge. But I think they’re tweaks that help us connect more! We can see winter as a time of rest for some, enjoying the old traditional metaphors of winter. But we can also see winter as a time of steady progress for the ‘evergreen’ among us. For summer, we can see it as a time of much growth and vitality, but we can also acknowledge that resting and recovering in between moments of intense energy is a good thing and a part of the desert’s cycle.

#myposts #living in the desert #desert pagans #long post #holidays #sabbats #wheel of the year #this got longer than I intended but I promise I make some actual suggestions

[whiteappalachianwitch]

The Eight Sabbats

There are eight major holidays Pagans celebrate throughout the year known as Sabbats. These holidays date back to pre-Christianity and are related to the movement of the sun. They are given names relative to the Celtic agricultural festivals. 

Historically we were once farmers and believed the sun moved around the earth. Modern Pagans are far moved from this way of life. However, the Sabbats are still important for connecting to the cycles of the seasons and human life. 

There are four astronomical holidays included in the Pagan Sabbats: the equinoxes and solstices--and the four traditional holidays in between. These eight festivals make the Wheel of the Year, observed in Wicca and Neo-Paganism religions that are Wicca-influenced. 

I Samhain: October 31st 

One of the most well-known Sabbat is Samhain, celebrated on October 31st. This holiday is celebrated as Halloween or All Hallows Eve also. Halloween is the time of the year when everyone participates in spooky activities and ancient superstitions. Culturally, Pagans and Witches are paid the most attention during this time of the year. 

Samhain is a term derived from the Irish Gaelic language meaning “summer’s end.” During this time, the days are short and the darker half of the solar year is near. Farmers will use up the remaining stores of perishable fruit and vegetables, and preserve other food to keep throughout the winter. Livestock is also slaughtered that does not feed through the winter, a reason why Samhain is referred to as the Third Harvest, or Blood Harvest. 

Pagans and superstitious peoples believe the boundary between worlds is at its thinnest during Samhain. This holiday is referred to as Ancestor’s Night or the Feast of the Dead. Many witches believe Samhain is the best time to communicate with ancestors and honored spirits, also known as the beloved dead. Lonely or angry spirits are believed to wander the earth on Samhain night looking to irritate humans. 

Celebrate How To

Samhain is the beginning of the new year for Pagans. Reflection and celebration are the focal points of this holiday. Casting off the old year’s attachments and turning attention to winter and it’s scarcity. Feast on the last of summer’s harvest and contemplate what is worth saving and nurturing during the dark times of winter; make friends with Death. 

It is important to note participating in the celebrations of Halloween and trick or treating. This is a celebration of muggles, but has its roots in old Pagan beliefs anyway. 

Samhain rituals may involve ancestor alters, where participants are invited to place mementos and offerings for the beloved dead. The priest or priestess may invoke a deity ruling over transitions or migration of souls, such as Morrighan, Hecate, or Hermes. Individuals who died during the previous year or long ago may have their names spoken. 

Feasting is important in Samhain rituals. To eat sweets is to acknowledge the sweetness of life and its impermanence. To eat meat is to acknowledge all flesh must die and become nourishment. Food is also an offering to the dead for communication of fond memories, pay of respects, and appease hungry ghosts. Some Pagans will leave a plate out at the Samhain table for spirits that may visit. Dumb supper is a silent meal when Pagans invite their ancestors both known and unknown to come and feast. 

II Yule: ~December 21st

The Winter Solstice, or Yule, is the longest night of the year. If you live in the northern hemisphere Yule falls on or around December 21st. The darkest parts of the year is over and the days begin increasing in length after the winter solstice. 

Christmas falls around this time of year, adopting Yule customs. Christmas is the belief of the birthday of a divine infant who is conceived in the spring. The dark of midwinter is the time of the confinement of the Goddess in labor as she prepares to welcome the solar child. On the longest night, the Sun God is born as the earths creatures praise and thank Him. 

Celebrate How To

Passive, personal magick during Yuletide is the best practice for short days of work and long nights of dreaming. Set your intentions and incubate plans. Mental and spiritual preparation is important during Yule for the light half of the year. Some Pagans keep a midwinter vigil while they wait for the rebirth of the sun at dawn. 

Yule is not usually a time for group ritual gatherings since many are visiting family and traveling. For this reason, the rituals during Yule are more home-y and conventional. 

Decorate with evergreens and holly, exchange gifts, and light a candle to herald the return of the sun on Midwinter Eve. If you are ambitious, set the Yule log blazing. Give thanks for the life-giving energy of the sun. 

III Imbolic: February 1st

Imbolc is a festival of spring and purification. Celebrated on February 1st, the day of not yet spring in most of the world. This is the first of the three Pagan fertility festivals, with the other two Ostara and Beltane. 

Imbolc is an Old Irish term meaning “in the belly” associated with the coming of lambing season. Other festivals that coincide with Imbolc are Candlemas, a Christian festival, and the old farmer’s oracle Groundhog’s Day, both on February 2nd. 

Imbolc is significant for our ancestors because this was the beginning of the ground thaw when planting season preparations were made. The land was surveyed and inventory of tools were made for repairs and modifications that were necessary. Witches would also prepare by cleaning and blessing the altars and making sure tools of practice were attuned with intent for use. 

The mythical side of Imbolc is a celebration of awakening the Goddess after her journey of birth to the young God at Yule. The first stirrings of life after winter are observed. Energies of creativity and imagination are brought about by Imbolc. For this reason, many projects that were put on hold are now being picked back up again. Midwinter dreams resolve into visible shapes. 

Celebrate How To

Brigid holds Imbolc especially sacred as the Celtic Goddess of hearth fire, healing, the bardic arts, and smith work. Brigid can be honored with candlelight, poems, and woven ornaments known as Brigid’s crosses within Imbolc rituals. Cleansing, healing and blessing are appropriate since the first light of spring is evident. 

During Imbolc, it is a time for spiritual dedication and re-dedication. New members are often initiated in covens, especially women’s covens, at Imbolc. Examining and refreshing your practice during Imbolc is appropriate if you are a seasoned Pagan. If you are too relaxed and have not given time to your craft, Imbolc is an opportunity to purify intent and reconnect spiritually. Light candles, open windows, and wash the floors to cast winter gloom out. You may also use Imbolc for divination for the year’s harvest ahead. 

This holiday is not a time for feasting. The first food of the year is dairy, butter, milk, and cream; foods for the Imbolc table. 

IV Ostara: ~March 21st

The spring equinox, also known as Ostara, falls on or about March 21st in the northern hemisphere. This equinox is the time Pagans refer to as Mabon, the opposite of the autumn equinox. 

Ostara is the second of the three fertility festivals, where blessings of spring become more apparent in the natural world. Flowers are blooming, birds and bees are twitter pated, and pastel-colors fill the stores. Eggs and bunnies, ancient fertility symbols, appear everywhere; Ostara is the Sabbat with the rabbit, ha! 

Ostara is the midpoint of the year where the day and night are equal. The Sun God has been growing and gathering his strength since Yule, making his age an adolescent. The Great Goddess is getting younger and in her maiden form. The two are youthful, full of lust, and the same age, which will soon have them conceive a child born at Yule. 

Celebrate How To

The time of Ostara is a great time for love, prosperity, and gains of any kind within your magickal work. Harness the energy of the lengthening days to propel your desires and projects into fruition. The land is beautiful and nourishing, and the earth Goddess is honored. 

Ostara is a good time of reflection on the principle of balance. For this reason, it is a good time to balance work, family, art, spirituality and all your responsibilities. Take time to notice things that have shifted your balance. Reset priorities. 

V Beltane: May 1st

The ancient name for the May Day rite is Beltane. This festival was originally a fire festival and celebrated in Ireland and Scotland before the days of Christianity. The god Bel, or “the bright one,” is responsible for the name of this festival and means “Bel’s fire.” On the Celtic Pagan calendar, Beltane is the second of the two principle festivals, with the other one being Samhain. Samhain and Beltane are the two markers of the magickal year, when the gates of Faery and the spirit world are the most open to travel. 

Within Wicca, Beltane is a festival of sexual activity since it is the last of the three fertility festivals. During this time, the Maiden Goddess takes the young God as her lover. Wiccans will marry as the Great Rite to enact this drama the High Priestess and High Priest; their union will bless the land. 

Celebrate How To

With unbridled sensuality and revelry, Beltane is the time of sexual rites. However, this is a rare occurrence and you’re most likely to witness a symbolic Great Rite with a chalice and athame, or a dance around the maypole rather than an orgy. 

Bonfires, festivals, concerts, and campouts are the social aspects of Beltane season. If you are a solitary witch, you may make an altar to the young god and Goddess, or connect with a lover. Flowers, Honey, sweets, and wine are good things to place on your altar. This is also a good time for illusion, seduction, and Faery tricks. 

Beltane is a popular time for proposals, handfastings, and renewing of vows. The combination of masculine and feminine energy will become a powerful alchemical surge for any spell work. 

VI Litha: ~June 21st

The summer solstice, or Litha, is the time in the northern hemisphere around June 21st. Bonfires to keep the sun’s light alive for long as possible are lit. Blessing of the crops in the fields and banishing evil spirits is common practice.

Litha is the day when the Sun God is his most powerful self. The sun and the element of fire rule Litha. After Litha, the nights will be longer and the sun will move farther away. Within Litha, anticipating crop is evident as the fall harvest is imminent. The Midsummer Night was blessed, according to Medieval people, and whatever a person dreamed on this night will come true.  

Celebrate How To

Rituals are usually outdoors during Litha, as it is the time to take advantage of the long hours of day. This Sabbat is joyous with bonfires and summer games. Decorate the altar with solar symbols and honor the God as Father. 

Any magick ruled by the sun is perfect for Litha. Spells of cleansing, protection, charisma, and truth are especially appropriate. 

VII Lammas:~August 1st

This holiday is the first harvest festival on the Pagan calendar. This celebration is related to an old agricultural holiday of reaping of grain. Lammas most likely comes from the Old English term for “loaf mass.” Loaves of bread would have been prepared from the first grain and blessed by churches. Lammas is also known as Lughnasadh, named after the Celtic sun God, Lugh. 

The days grow shorter in the summer, and the sun God will lose his strength. He will die in the fields to nourish the people in preparation for rebirth at Yule. 

Celebrate How To

During this time, it is appropriate to welcome the harvest. Give thanks to this year’s work and plans as you will soon enjoy the fruits of labor. Grain is the food of tradition for Lammas, in the form of wheat, barley, beers, and ales. 

Lammas/Lughnasadh is celebrated in Celtic Paganism as the feast of Lugh, who is an agricultural god, but also a poet, musician, and craftsman. Showing off skills and trading them for things you need is a common practice. This time is usually a time of craft fairs and local markets. 

VIII Mabon:~ September 21st

The final of the eight Sabbats is Mabon, or the autumn equinox. The days will begin to shorten and winter is coming. Mabon is also known as the Second Harvest because of the reaping of autumn fruits and nuts. This holiday brings with it the time of deep contemplation for what we have worked for in the previous year and the rewards for reaping. Giving thanks to the waning sunlight in preparation for storing bounty away for the scarce season. The shift from active magick to contemplative magick is made in Mabon. This is the final time for prosperity, gratitude, security, and balance work. 

Celebrate How To

The hard work of harvest is done and now we must celebrate! It is sad to watch the growth season’s beauty fade, but the mild weather and rest autumn brings is welcomed. 

With Mabon brings comfort foods that promote fond memories and connection through sharing. Bake, brew, pickle, and can; offer wine, cider, fruits, and boughs upon the Mabon table. The Cornucopia is the centerpiece of most Pagans during Mabon. 

Mabon is the turning point to the dark half of the year on the Pagan religious calendar. The shift away from youthful merriment is made. Honoring the Crone and Sage deities, the cycles of aging and death, and the spirit world are appropriate during Mabon. 

This Sabbat is a popular time for outdoor rituals large in size mostly because of the weather. Gathering to feast and express gratitude for the planet during Mabon is the focal point. Some cities will host public Mabon rituals as a part of their annual Pagan Pride Day. If you are a Pagan in solitary you may celebrate Mabon with offerings at a home altar, or walking in the woods in deep contemplation. 

Reference

Gruben, M. (2017, November 26). The eight Sabbats: Witch's holidays. Retrieved July 19, 2020, from https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/the-eight-sabbats-witchs-holidays

#mabon #lammas #lughnasadh #litha #beltane #ostara #imbolc #yule #samhain #White Witch #Greenwitch #wiccan #wicca #pagan #pagans

[mosylufanfic]

A Year and a Day

This is for the Killervibe Week Theme Arranged Marriage! (oof I love me an arranged marriage fic)

A Year and a Day

The party broke up early, as these things went. Generally handfast parties went into the wee hours of the morning, but the second moon had barely risen by the time people started drifting out of the town hall and back to their houses.

Of course, Cisco thought, looking across the room at his bride, this wasn't your normal handfasting.

Caitlin Snow had taken his hand and recited the vows without any dramatics, but also without any enthusiasm, and when the ceremony was over, she'd dropped it and turned away. She'd spent pretty much the entire party with her crew, and the whole table had deflected any attempts on the part of the colonists to get to know them.

Great.

Usually handfast parties were a welcome for the new colonist, a chance for them to meet and bond with the people who would be their lifelong neighbors if all went well. But this one had made it clear she only intended to stick around long enough to qualify for permanent citizenship, and then she'd be back on her ship and breaking atmo the first chance she got.

Of course, he'd see her again after that. She was half-owner of the ship that loomed in the moonlight on the edge of town. Now that it was owned by a colonial citizen, it was automatically registered to the colony and would be making runs for them. But it would come back only a few times a year, and he had his doubts she'd seek him out.

They just had to get through the handfast year first.

"Thanks for doing this," Barry said at his side.

He grabbed a bun as the tray went past and bit into it with only a hint of savagery. "You asked," he said through the mouthful of bun.

And Barry had asked him, even though he'd handfasted twice already, because Captain Tannhauser had flatly refused the idea of sacrificing her first mate for the entire year, so Cisco would be making some trips on the Snowfall. He was one of the few people in the colony who could be spared for a week or a month at a time as the ship sailed the lightyears between systems.

"Hey, you'll get to see some of the galaxy," Barry said.

Cisco looked out at the window at the ship. "Yeah," he muttered. "In a tin can."

He'd never left the Trappist colonies, never been to the Kepler system or the Teegarden system or even back to the Terran system, which everyone still called home even if they'd never seen it. Yeah, he might have wondered what was out there, but he had a life here. And he liked it.

"It's just a year," Barry said.

"I know," he replied and let out a sigh. "I know."

He left Barry and went walking over to the table where his bride sat. Caitlin Snow, part-owner, first mate, and ship’s medic of the Snowfall, a year older than him, and in the eyes of the Terran government, his wife. 

Unless they screwed up and managed to get this marriage nullified before the year was out. Then she'd lose her citizenship and the colony would have to pay not only all the fees and taxes for a new, unattached colonist, but also late fines. And after the past few years, they didn't have that kind of money. Not to mention they'd lose access to the Snowfall and have to start hiring out cargo haulers from the inner systems again, at twice the rate the Snowfall charged.

"Hey," he said, and the crew turned to look at him. He cleared his throat. "Long day, right? You want to, uh, to go get settled in?"

They all stared at him for a moment, and he thought, Shit, I didn't threaten to ravish her! I just want to show her my house! You know? Where she's going to live for the next year?

Then the captain nodded sharply.  "We should get started loading her up. The McGee settlement on Trappist-e expects us by tomorrow evening."

"Yep," Cisco said. "Everything's out on the dock, labeled and ready for you."

The captain nodded again, her face rather cold. As if that had been a signal, the crew got to their feet and started filing out. A few of them touched Caitlin's shoulder and one pretty, dark-skinned woman squeezed her hand. Cisco noted that she squeezed back. A friend? A lover? Would she even tell him?

Finally, it was only the captain and Caitlin standing there, face-to-expressionless-face.

"Clear skies, Caitlin," the captain said.

"Smooth landings, Mom," Caitlin said.

The captain nodded one last time and walked out the door, following the rest of her crew. Caitlin reached down and picked up a plain black rucksack, slinging it over her shoulder. "Where are we going?" she said.

"Uh, my house," Cisco said, gesturing vaguely. "That way down the street."

She marched out the door, turning her face away from the crew walking up the street toward the Snowfall. 

He fell into step with her. Normally, he'd be pointing things out - that's the botany center, that's the recreation center, there's the greenhouses, there's the library, there’s the clinic where you’ll work . . . but she didn't seem interested. The silence fell between them and until he found himself blurting, "That's your mom?"

"What?"

"Captain Tannhauser. You called her Mom."

"Yes," she said. "You didn't know that?"

He'd missed it somehow. Of course, Barry had made all the arrangements, Cisco just had to show up. "Well, you have different last names."

"Snow was my dad's name."

"Are you two always so - " He broke off.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Are we always so what?"

"I mean, it's a pretty big day, and she's leaving the planet. Like, now. You're not going to see her for a couple of weeks, easy. But you acted like you were saying goodbye to a co-worker you didn't like that much."

"We're not given to histrionics," she said.

He was so busy gaping at her that he almost missed his own house. "Oh, whoa, whoa, hey! This is me. Right here. My house."

She swiveled and backtracked the couple of steps she'd taken past his front door. He tapped the button and the door swished open. He spread his arms. "Home sweet home."

She stepped inside and looked around.

It wasn't a big house. It wasn't like the ones he read about in old books from Earth, or the year-old holomovies they got out here. Those houses with glimmering smartglass walls and floating beds, 'bot maids and house computers that anticipated your every need. But it was his. He'd painted the walls, built the furniture, woven the rugs on the floors. 

But she'd been so many places. Seen so much. And she was looking around his house without any expression whatsoever.

"So it's - so this is the front room," he said. "Couch, there, very comfy for afternoon naps. That wall over there is where I project stuff. Holos and files and whatever." He reached in his pocket and tossed his comm on the glass-covered table. "This is the charging table. Hooked up to the solars on the roof but it's got a good battery. Kitchen right over there. My chiller. Not big, I know, but I get a lot of fresh ingredients, seasonal, so I don't need much storage. Uh. You like to cook?"

She blinked. Said, "I don't know how."

She didn't know how to cook?

"Okay," he said. "Well." He turned away from the kitchen. "So here are the other rooms. My lab, first, here." He patted the first door on the right.

"Your lab?"

"I build things. It's kind of - it's my deal. I build things. It's a mess right now so I'm not going to give you the tour.  You can check it out later if you want, I'm not precious. Just don't mess with anything or I'll have to go all Bluebeard on you."

She looked at him blankly.

"It's this story - okay. Never mind." Clearly she didn't share his taste for antiquated Terran mythology. "Okay, so, bathroom here. I cleared off a shelf for you to put your - " He eyed her rucksack. Did she have anything in it? "- your, you know, bathroom stuff."

She ignored the shelf in favor of staring at the shower stall. Maybe it was too small for her. He cleared his throat. "This time of year we get more hot water because the pipes are all laid along the roofs and they get the sun on the way in. But during the rainy season, we're all limited to ten minutes because otherwise it's cold showers for half the town."

She nodded. 

"Right," he said. "Okay, so to continue your tour - " He led the way out of the bathroom and to the door directly across the hall. He hit the button. "This one here is my bedroom. Tada."

She walked in, setting her pack on the bed.

"Whoa! Hey, what are you doing?"

"Getting unpacked," she said. She frowned at the bed and unzipped her bag.

"No! No. Oh my god. You're not sleeping here." 

She turned her frown on him. "You said it was your bedroom."

"Yeah, mine! Not yours. You don't have to share with me." He stepped back and pointed at the last door. "There. That's your room. There."

She picked up her rucksack again, following him to the door as he opened it for her. She didn't make any move to go in. "This is where I'll sleep?"

"Yeah. It's all ready for you, sheets on the bed and everything." He gestured as he spoke. "Uh, you got your charging table here, some shelves, right, put whatever you want. The closet, obviously, hah. The window opens if you like to sleep with some night air. I oiled the latches." 

The room was the same size as his lab and his own bedroom. But it looked plain and small, suddenly.

"You can do whatever you want to it while you're here," he said quickly. “Paint, pictures - Allegra got really into weaving, and like textiles? She had literal tapestries up. It was wild. She took them all with her when she moved out."

"Who's Allegra?"

"My last handfast. You might have met her tonight."

"You've been married before?"

"It's not a marriage," he said. "It's a handfast. This isn't forever." He stepped back. "I'll let you get settled in."

--

This house was huge.

Caitlin set her rucksack in the center of the bed and stared at it for a moment. Then she shifted it to the end of the bed and sat. She let out a squeak as springs creaked and the mattress sagged under her. Unprepared, she almost brained herself on the wall before springing back up. 

There was no storage under the bed, or above the bed. Not like her snug berth on the Snowfall. Just shelves and hooks. Clearly everything was just supposed to sit out in the open. Loose. Not secured at all.

She desperately wanted cabinets, doors to swing shut and latch. Some way to fold the furniture up into the walls. If you had things just out like this, they'd all go flying if you had bank hard to avoid an asteroid. If there was a rough re-entry, you could come back and everything you owned could be all over the floor if you hadn't secured it properly.

No asteroids, no re-entries. She was on land. Nothing was going anywhere.

She nudged the table next to the bed with her foot, and it scooted across the floor.

It wasn't even bolted down. 

A comm, he said. You can charge your comm here.

She didn't have one. She'd never needed one. The Snowfall had a PA system. You just found the nearest terminal and  called out for whoever you needed. They would come find you. It never took more than ten minutes, even if they were on the other end of the ship. Sometimes she carried one of the ships' comms when they'd made planetside and she was out in the port city to shop for supplies or explore. But it wasn't hers. 

She felt lost, in freefall. She'd lived her whole life on that ship. Slept every night, after she could sleep on her own, in the berth tucked up against the engines, their low basso hum the only lullaby she'd ever needed.

He'd asked if she liked to cook and it was as if her brain shorted out. She enjoyed preparing the ship's meals, when her turn came up on the rota, but it was all dehydrated, freeze-dried, powdered items that she put together, from recipes that had been meticulously planned. 

He'd talked about fresh ingredients. She didn't know how to cook with those. Fresh fruits and vegetables were a rare treat, reserved for Rosh Hashanah or when they got a bonus for bringing the cargo in early. And actual meat like they'd had on the tables at the party? Not reconstituted protein, but honest-to-Terra meat? The idea of cooking with that struck terror into her heart.

She must have looked like a total rube, gaping at the water shower. She'd seen water showers in movies. Read about them in books. But water was too heavy to carry more than what they needed for drinking or rehydration. She'd used sonics all her life. She couldn't picture getting clean by pouring water all over herself.

She went over to the window and flattened her hands against the glass. There was a latch. It opened, Cisco had said. Oh, no, no, no. Having a window was going to be bad enough, all that land out there, so wide open she thought she might float away through it. No, she wouldn't be opening this window at night. Or possibly ever.

There was a low, familiar rumble, and Caitlin pressed her hands hard to the glass. The Snowfall rose above the houses, her bow already tilting up. Her stern glowed with the blaze of the engines.

Caitlin had seen her like this before, times when the port authority made them change docks. But she was always lifting up and coming down again a little ways away, and Caitlin could walk over and join her again. Mostly, she was onboard, feeling the pressure of G's mounting, pushing her into her seat in the cockpit as they lifted up into the blue sky and watched it turn black and fill with stars as they broke atmo.

 It seemed to hover for a moment, and then it lifted away, pushing up into the atmosphere, getting smaller and smaller.

Gone.

Something bubbled up in her throat, and she pressed her hands to her mouth. Instead of vomit, tears poured down over her hands as she watched her ship, her home, her family disappear.

Don't be stupid, she told herself fiercely. Don't be such a child. You knew this would happen. They'll be back. You'll see her again.

But the tears wouldn't stop.

Over the hiccuping gasps of her breath, she heard a light knock. She shook her head but couldn't make herself say anything.

"Caitlin?" he called. "Everything okay?"

Go away, she thought, but an especially loud hiccup of a sob escaped instead.

The door swished and his footsteps echoed on the floorboards. Not the familiar thunk-thunk of boots on a deck, but a sound of bare feet on wood. "Caitlin?"

She turned her face to the window. "I'm not crying."

"Sure," he said. "That's why there aren't tears all over your face."

She dragged her sleeve over her face. "Please go away."

"God," he said. "You're acting like fucking Persephone kidnapped by Hades."

"Who?"

"It's this old - you know what, never mind. I mean, you're acting like this is the end of the world. It's not that bad here, okay? I mean, I like it."

Startled, she lifted her head. Tears still dripped off her chin.

He stood in the middle of her room, arms crossed, a scowl on his face. "So we're not a full planet yet, we don't have cities or operas or - I don't know, whatever it is you're used to. But it's nice here! You see those mountains? I fucking love those mountains, okay? Prettiest place in the galaxy and you can quote me on that. The ocean's an hour away by speeder and in a month or two it'll be warm enough to go swimming and sailing. The people are great. We have an ice cream parlor! We make ice cream now. There's, there's - it's not that bad, all right?"

She stared at him. "It's not about being here," she said. "It's about not being there." She pointed up to the star-filled sky that had swallowed her ship. "It's about my ship flying away and I'm not on it." The tears started up again and she turned her face away.

He was silent for so long she thought he'd left. But then the soft scuff of footsteps warned that he was coming closer, and two strong arms came around her. "Oh my god," he muttered. "Oh my god, I'm such a jerk. I'm sorry. Shhh. You're okay. You're okay. Let it out. You'll feel better."

She never cried in front of people. She hated it. But for some reason, she dropped her head to his shoulder and sobbed as he stroked her hair, crooning softly.

Her head ached and her face felt sticky by the time she'd cried herself out.

"Better?" he said, taking her shoulders and looking her in the face.

He'd been right. She nodded, wiping her face on her sleeve again. 

He let out his breath. "I'm sorry I was such an asshole right now. I thought you were crying because you hated it here."

"Your planet's okay," she said. "It looks nice. It wasn't that."

He fished in his pocket and offered her a handkerchief. She blew her nose and mopped her face, then tried to give it back.

"No," he said blandly, "you can keep it. That's okay. I've got others."

She managed a smile and tucked it in her pocket. "I'm sorry," she said. "It's just - the Snowfall left. And I was here. And I couldn't - "

"Yeah," he said, with a depth of understanding in his voice. "You're homesick, aren't you?"

She felt her lip wobble again, dangerously. "I've never been off my ship," she said.

"Never?"

She waved her hand impatiently. "I've walked on land," she said. "I'm not that much of a space baby. I just - even if I was at a hotel or something, I always knew she was close, and I was going back soon. But she's gone."

He reached out and undid the latch, swinging the window open. He leaned on the sill, looking out at the stars. "How old were you when you started flying?"

"Neonatal," she said, looking at the window, all open to the elements. Cool air washed around them, smelling sweet and green.

It took him a moment. "You were born on that ship?"

"My dad was the ship's medic. My mom was the first mate. They fell in love. They bought out the last captain when I was five and renamed her.” She edged closer to the window, cautiously. She failed to fall out. “When my dad died a few years ago, I inherited his shares. I know it looks like a tin can to you, but to me, it's home."

He winced and looked out at the stars. "Why did you agree to this?"

She studied his position and copied it, bracing her elbows on the sill next to him and propped her chin in her hand. He felt sturdy and warm at her side. If all that openness out there tried to swallow her, he would catch her. "Do you know how docking fees work?"

"Huh? No . . . "

"Every time we make planetfall, we pay a fee to the port authority. They give discounts based on the owners' citizenship. But nomads pay full price. Always. Everywhere."

"Nomads?"

"Ships whose owners have no citizenship. We used to be registered to the Starlabs station off Mars,  but - "

"Yeah, we heard about that disaster, even out here. Why didn't you apply for refugee status on some nice planet?"

"We would have had to stay wherever we applied. We couldn't have flown. So we flew as nomads. But that wasn't working."

"So you handfasted with me to avoid the taxes?"

She groaned. Why had she expected a rockfoot to understand any of this? A colonial rockfoot, too; everybody knew what they were like. "We have to figure those fees in anytime we bid for a job, and nomads bid for all our jobs. If we bid too high, we don't get the job, of course not. But if we bid too low, we don't make a profit."

"And that would be terrible."

"Don't give your utopian colonial attitude. We need to buy fuel and supplies. We need to pay the crew a fair wage. We need to perform maintenance so we pass annual inspections or guess what? It's another fee. My mom and I aren't some greedy fatcat ship owners like you see in the holos, cackling over our piles of money. We're in the red. All the way down. Drowning in red."

He took that in. "So you - could you lose the ship?"

"If we'd had another month like the last six, we would've."

He was quiet for a moment. "So that's why you wanted citizenship. And the cargo runs that Barry was guaranteeing." 

Caitlin sighed, remembering her own indignation at that list of runs, half of which were colony-to-colony in the Trappist system. Not to mention the stipulation that they'd carry any colonist where they needed to go. We're not planet-hoppers, she'd snarled to her mother. And we're not a passenger ship!

Her mother had snapped back, For the next year, we'll do it with a smile, because those runs are a sure thing.

She said, "Colonial ships pay the lowest fees anywhere, and they don't pay any fees between colonies in the same system.. But we barely had the spare change to pay our crew for this last run. We couldn't buy into a colony."

"Most people can't," he said. "And you know, we pay a lot of money to the inner systems for unattached colonists, too. That's why almost everybody who was born here has done at least a couple of handfasts to bring new blood in. We couldn't afford to expand, otherwise."

She turned her head to look at him. "How many people have you married so they could come here?"

"Two," he said. "Chester Runk and Allegra Garcia. You'll see them around town.  And again, it's not a marriage. Marriage is . . . it's different. It's forever. Handfasting is just one year. And people here aren't really going to treat us like a married couple. We're more like roommates. Or a mentorship."

"Is that why you didn't want me in your bedroom?" She'd felt strangely insulted by that. She wasn't a virginal princess or anything. She'd had port lovers, and one short-timer on the ship who'd spent most of his off-time in her bunk in between Proxima Centauri-B and Teegarden's-C. "You're not allowed to sleep with your handfast?"

He laughed and - blushed? It was hard to tell in the moonlight. 0"No, nothing like that. A lot of handfasts sleep together during their year, and there's a handfast baby every now and then. It's just - I didn't want you to feel like it was required."

"Did you sleep with your other handfasts?"

"Ah - " He scratched his eyebrow. "With Chester. But Allegra was more like my little sister. I am attracted to women, but I wasn't into her like that."

Hmmmm. He'd been very quick to make that clear, hadn't he?

He reached out and brushed her hair out of her eyes. She felt herself go still, holding his gaze. "Look," he said in a low voice. "This is new and strange for both of us. Did you know I've never been off this planet?"

She felt her eyes widen. "Never?"

He shook his head. "Not even once. You want the truth, I'm kind of terrified of going into space."

"Don't be. It's beautiful. Wait until you see it."

He smiled at her and it was a completely different smile than the ones he'd aimed her way all day. Those had been bright and shiny, pasted on. This one seemed to come from all the way inside him, beaming out at her like sunlight.  "Okay," he said. "You can show me. But for the next year, the longest we can be apart is seventy-one hours.”

She nodded. She’d read the contract closely. If they hit seventy-two, the Terran government would nullify the contract. “I know. I’d lose my citizenship.”

“And then you lose your ship and the colony loses a shit-ton of money we can't afford. It's disastrous for both of us. All of us, if you think about it. We're in this together. So let's try to do this together, okay?"

A ship couldn't fly if the crew was all at cross-purposes. She nodded. "Okay. Together."

He straightened up. "Get some sleep, okay? You're getting the grand tour of the town tomorrow, and we're totally having ice cream."

It made her smile. "I'll hold to you that."

He smiled back and started for the door.

Something prompted her to call out, "Cisco?"

He paused. "Mmm?"

"You said that marriages were different than handfasts."

"Yeah," he said. "Handfasts are about convenience, and growing the community. Marriages are about love. Partnership. They're forever."

"Does a handfast ever turn into a marriage?"

"It's happened," he said. "Why do you ask?"

She shrugged and turned away from him to close the window. "I was just curious."

FINIS

#Cisco Ramon #Caitlin Snow #killervibe #killervibeweek20 #mosylufanfic lives up to her damn name #fanfiction #arranged marriage AU #IN SPAAAACE #the flash

[samwisethewitch]

On Lughnasa (August 1st), 2023, under a full moon in Aquarius, my partner and I got married in a handfasting ceremony.

We designed this ceremony from scratch ourselves, incorporating elements from our own faiths. My personal practice is a mix of Heathenry and Reclaiming (and, ngl, is heavily influenced by Wicca) and my now-husband is Roman pagan. We also both have Irish American heritage that is important to our families, which is why we chose to incorporate historic Irish elements.

And our boyfriend was our officiant!

#the great handfasting project #handfasting #wedding #pagan wedding #heathenry #heathen #inclusive heathenry #reclaiming #reclaiming witch #irish polytheism #irish paganism #religio romana #roman paganism #roman polytheism #polyamory #queer #queer wedding #mine #personal

[canid-slashclaw]

The Outliers - A Guild Wars Love Story

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9,  Chapters 10 and 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16 , Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20,  Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23,  Chapter 24 Chapter 25

"You alright down there?"

She shouted gruffly. "Fine. Except this flux isn't bonding the way it should."

"Mind if I come down?" Kaleb asked as he saw the flickering torch lights coming from the open doorway.

"Bring me a pint when you do."

"Lager or mead?"

"I don't care. Either will do," she said in a noticeably annoyed tone.

Kaleb knew that she was in the zone with her work, and any disturbances would only serve to piss her off even more. After leaving some coin for the tab, he helped himself to two tall steins of lager. When he took them to the new workstation, Amalthia was sitting on the bench, donning her welding goggles and completely absorbed in whatever it was she was working on.

"Over there by the soldering table," she said pointing towards the wooden table.

"Dammit!" She angrily threw down her welding torch, shut down the outflow valve then pulled off her goggles and tossed them to the edge of the bench.

Kaleb handed her a stein. He took a sip as well from his own.

"At the risk of getting my head bit off, whatcha working on?" He asked.

She walked over, took the stein from the table then gulped it down as if she were dying of thirst.

"I'm sorry, Kal. Didn't mean to sound crabby. It's just I'm getting walloped by something that I usually have no trouble figuring out. For some reason, this flux is just not bonding properly to the metal."

He walked over then began massaging her shoulders. "I hate seeing you stressed like this. Hey. I was going to give this to you yesterday, but I figured you were too busy to be bothered."

Kaleb handed her an envelope that was written in charr pictograms. Amalthia took the letter, opened it and a smile suddenly crept across her face.

"It's from my warband! They've been asking how I've been doing and whether or not I plan on rejoining them." She folded the letter then handed it to Kaleb as her smile faded just as quickly as it appeared.

He fumbled with the parchment then asked her. "So does that mean you plan on going back to them?"

Amalthia grabbed hold of Kaleb's hand and stroked it in reassurance. "No. Like you, I am now a free agent. My place from here on out will always be with you. So don't worry."

"But don't your people frown on that sort of thing? You know... turning your back on your comrades in arms?"

Amalthia shook her head. "It's not like that. They would respect my decision given the circumstances. In fact, I probably can keep my suffix name of Steelblade if I do go as a free agent. But no matter what happens, they will always be my brothers and sister in arms."

Her mate's face suddenly brightened. "Hey! How about we do a big meetup between your warband and my comrades. I'm sure Cynth and Brad would love to meet your crew."

"Um. We aren't ausarans. Only they have krewes," she said mockingly.

Kaleb playfully thumped her on one of her horns. "What's with you and the homophones?"

"It's my duty to make your life as entertaining as possible," she gently cuffed him on the face with her clawed hand.

The two lovers embraced in a kiss as their passion became more intense. Kaleb began to completely disrobe when Amalthia stopped him.

"Hold it, tiger. I'm still tired, sweaty and very cranky from this project. I'll be in the mood once I get cleaned up and dressed into something more appropriate." She smiled then gave him an affectionate lick on the side of his face.

"Anyway, I think having our 'crews' meeting up would be a wonderful idea. It might take a week or two to get things arranged, but I'm sure they would be thrilled to meet your people," she said as she tucked the letter into her pocket.

Since their stay at Ulfgar's, the couple had become practically celebrities among the people who patronized the tavern. Everyone clamored to talk to and be entertained by the human and charr who openly professed their affection for each other.

After the two had cleaned up and got dressed for a day on the town, they headed downstairs to the main bar. As always, Ulfgar was there to greet them.

"Top of the mornin' to ye, youngsters," the big norn said while holding up a tall mug of ale in a salutary fashion.

Both of them responded in unison. "Hey Ulf."

Kaleb and Amalthia sat next to each other on the bar-stools and each ordered a half-pint of lager. Kaleb was the first to drink his down.

"I wonder when Ari will have those outfits done for us," he wondered while stroking his mate's long golden mane.

Amalthia turned to him and said in a soothing voice as she stroked his arm with her pawed hand. "They should be ready sometime tomorrow. Hey. While we are in Lion's Arch, I would like to do a bit of research."

"Oh? What kind of research?"

"Those life commitment rituals your people call marriages."

Ulfgar let out a hearty laugh.

"What's so funny?" Kaleb and Amalthia asked simultaneously.

The mighty norn leaned down and crossed his arms on the table as he looked at his two dearest friends.

"The one force nothing on the face of Tyria can stop. I meant no disrespect to either of ya. But seeing the evolution of this amazing occurrence brings warmth to this old norn's heart."

"I would love to hear about how your people perform their life commitment rituals," Amaltha stated.

Ulfgar held his arms aloft and grinned. "The traditions of our people are carried in spoken word and written form. As a matter of fact, a cousin of mine is having a handfasting with his beloved in the next month. I would be honored if the two of ye attended."

Kaleb stood up then bowed in respect. "It would be my honor, Ulfgar."

"This is an honor, sir. Thank you." Amalthia saluted then bowed as well.

"You are both most welcome. Oh. Kaleb - I almost forgot. There's a letter for ya," Ulfgar said as he reached under the counter and pulled out an envelope. "It arrived first thing this morning."

After Ulfgar handed him the envelope, Kaleb saw that his father addressed it.

I wonder what this is about, he thought as he opened it.

Upon reading his father's letter, Kaleb looked up at Amalthia and Ulfgar and said in a slightly distressed voice. "My sister, Rachel, has been accepted into the Asuran College of Synergetics. They plan on throwing a going away bash tonight."

Amalthia's ears flattened. "So are you going?"

"Why should I? After what she did to me, I don't owe that kid a minute more of my time." Kaleb crumpled the letter in disgust then threw it on the table.

Ulfgar looked at the wadded piece of paper then back at his longtime friend. He sighed as he bowed his head.

"We norns tell of heroic deeds and epic struggles on the battlefield. But even our people face some of the fiercest, most heartbreaking battles of all - the ones that occur under the roofs of our own homes."

"You've had backstabbing siblings too?" Kaleb asked as Ulfgar handed him back the crumpled piece of paper.

"Lad. Some of the most grievous wounds inflicted upon the heart are the ones given by those closest to us. Hell, I remember a time when my own brother left me for dead after my great hunt. He was jealous over the fact that my deed had won over the heart of one of the most beautiful lass in all of the Shiverpeaks. It took him over three decades to forgive me of that transgression," the old norn said somberly.

"It's so hard to do, Ulf. I mean it was my sister who was responsible for me getting kicked out of the house," Kaleb said angrily.

"No, lad. She only revealed a truth that would have eventually come out in the end. As painful as it was for you, it was a necessary step in your relationship with Amalthia. Perhaps your sister is afraid of something or someone."

"Rachel's always been the perfect little angel, always going to church to look good in the eyes of her mother. I mean, she seems to get a free pass when she's all gaga over that asuran boyfriend of hers. Yet when I mention having a relationship with a charr, my whole family goes to pieces. It's really not fair, yanno?"

Amalthia held Kaleb's hand and smiled. "Kaleb. I think I may know why your sister may be such a brat."

"Oh? You never met her and how would your people know anything about how my people behave in situations like that?" Kaleb observed as he clasped his hands with hers.

"Listen. Hate is a universal principle. It sounds like your sister deeply resents your mother. Trust me, I know this. One day, I would like to talk to members of your family so they can get to know me better."

"My youngest sister would probably love you because she would think you are cute and cuddly. But Rachel... she's an entirely different story altogether. And my mom... I'm afraid she would lose it if she saw you. I'm sorry Amalthia, I just don't think my family is ready for you at this time," Kaleb said somberly.

She nuzzled him. "It's okay. I understand. Like I said before - one step at a time."

"One step at a time, then." Kaleb kissed her on the cheek.

Evening had arrived as Kaleb was walking down the street that led to the place where he was born and raised. He asked Amalthia to remain at Ulf’s since this was a matter that he had to resolve with his own family. Once he neared his former homestead, he heard a faint commotion coming from the barn. Curious about the noise, he changed his course to investigate.

Moaning sounds were coming from one of the spare stalls just on the other side of where he was standing. When he took a lantern to check out what was going on, he looked down and noticed several sheets were sprawled out atop the haystack. In the center, two large lumps began wiggling as groans of pleasure emanated from them. Seconds later, the sheets were flung back revealing the faces of an older man and a much younger woman.

"Uncle Will? Trish?!"

Kaleb's ex-girlfriend saw his dark eyes and hair illuminated by the amber glow of the light. As soon as she saw him she jerked the sheets over her exposed breasts.

"Kaleb... just what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with that charr girlfriend of yours?"

"Trish, Trish. Why does seeing you naked in a hay barn with my uncle, no less, somehow not surprise me? How much lower could you stoop?" Kaleb shot back.

"Kaleb, I..."

"Don't say anything more, uncle. She's just making you feel twenty years younger so she can talk you into marrying her. Am I right?"

Moments later, a barn cat ambled by as it came up to Will Grimwald, begging for a scratch on the neck. But as he began stroking the cat's chin, Patricia abruptly grabbed the feline by the scruff of the neck.

"Screw you, you feline fornicator! Here. Is this what you like making love to? Cause here... have some more pussy!"

Patricia flung the hapless cat through the air as it careened into a hard wood panel of the stall. Unfortunately, Kaleb had no time to react fast enough to catch it. He saw the limp body of the innocent creature and his face suddenly filled with rage. With lightning-fast reflexes he drew his sword then lunged straight towards his ex.

"I would take your head off right where your slutty body lies. What say you now, whore!?" Kaleb was now a force of vengeance.

His uncle was quivering in fear, but managed enough courage to say something. "Kaleb, please. This was all a misunderstanding. I... I cannot believe you did that to the cat, Trish. You had no right to do that to Fredricka."

"What? You were about to propose to me and all you care about is a damn cat?"

Kaleb's rage boiled over. He grabbed the lantern then hovered it just in front of his face revealing his maniacal visage.

"I've offed worthless people like you before. The next time I see your sack-sucking face around here again, I swear I'll have your head mounted on my wall!" He pushed the edge of his sword unto her neck until it drew a slight trickle of blood. When his ex got up very quickly to leave, the man she had been sleeping with jerked back and commented on how the sheets got wet. Kaleb deduced that he must have quite literally scared the piss out of her.

Once the former girlfriend had departed, Kaleb helped his wayward uncle to his feet.

"I can only say that I'm a little disappointed in you, uncle. I just hope she doesn't come back a couple of months later saying that thing in her belly is yours."

Will looked up at his nephew with shame. "I'm so sorry Kal. She said she loved me and wanted me to marry her. I guess I was just a lonely, old man who was desperately seeking companionship."

Nearby, a slight mewing sound could be heard. Kaleb looked over to see that Fredricka was still alive.

"If you don't mind, uncle, I'm taking the cat. She will be much safer with Amalthia and I anyway."

"Take her, please. It was my fault that all of this happened in the first place."

Kaleb picked up the injured feline then gently tucked her into the crook of his arm.

"I've got to go. This night didn't turn out at all as I expected."

His uncle looked up and asked. "Are you still going to Rachel's college acceptance party?"

"Hardly. Given what just happened, I believe that I'll even be less welcome than I already am. Besides, I saw Trish heading towards the family house. No doubt she's spreading more lies about me... well except for the part where I threatened to kill her for doing this to the poor cat. Please enlighten my dad to that fact in case they believe the lie that I just randomly threaten people without good reason," Kaleb said as he departed from the barn while carrying Fredricka in his coat.

***

Over an hour later, Kaleb was back at the tavern showing off the newly rescued feline to everyone. When Amalthia examined the injured animal, she immediately began scrounging for some medical supplies.

"She appears to have a fractured tibia judging by the way she reacts. I'll make a splint. Just give me about five minutes and I'll have something that should help mend the bones properly," Amalthia said as she began salvaging some metal stirring sticks then took them to her workshop to fashion a makeshift splint.

Kaleb took the cat with him being careful to shield her eyes from the flickering blue welding flame. He, then, gently tucked their new charge into a set of sheets at the foot of their bed.

Once Amalthia was done with the splint, she fastened it onto Fredricka then began stroking the creature until it was fast asleep. Kaleb kissed his mate on the cheek then covered the lower half of the cat's body in a knitted shawl.

"I think she'll be fine. Thanks m'dear for crafting that for her."

Amalthia shook her head. "You never told me what happened to the poor thing."

"A vengeful ex happened. I caught her and my uncle in the act and she got pissed, grabbed the cat and threw it against the side of the barn wall." Kaleb's face grew red with anger over replaying the incident in his head.

"Did you lop her head off? I sure would have."

"I came damn close. But she pissed the sheets in fear. For me, that was satisfaction enough."

"I can do her real slow if you like. Go for the kneecaps then work my way up."

Kaleb shook his head disapprovingly. "No dear. A charr killing a human in that manner would only validate bigotry. That little tramp is not worth the powder or the lead in a single cartridge. One way or another, she'll get what's coming to her."

"I gather you didn't make it to your sister's whatever-it-was party."

"Nah. Given what had happened, I don't think I'm going to be exactly welcomed by my family at this time. I just hope my father and uncle see Trish for the person she really is." Kaleb bowed his head as he rubbed his temples, hoping to alleviate an oncoming headache.

"I wrote back to my warband and invited them over to our place this weekend. Didn't you say that Brad and Cynthia would be joining up as well?" Amalthia queried.

Kaleb nodded. "Yup. They'll all be here - pretty much everyone from my unit."

"I hope it'll take your mind off all that's happened." His mate licked him on the forehead then rested her head atop his.

"What will we do with this little girl? I would love to keep her but the two of us are usually gone so much of the time," Kaleb asked.

"Would Ulfgar take him? He seems to love animals."

"He told me that he's allergic to cats. Loves dogs, though."

"Waait... I know..." Amalthia was about to say when Kaleb interjected.

"Ludrick. Of course! I'm sure your old man... err, charr... would love this little gal as a companion."

Amalthia massaged the back of Kaleb's head using her long claws. "Well. We can make plans to see him tomorrow if you like. Don't worry; he's forgiven you for what happened. The only problem may be that he's not forgiven himself for what he did to you."

"It doesn't matter. I understand your father's reasons for doing what he did. Let's call this a peace offering."

"You think your ex will press charges?" Amalthia queried offhand.

Kaleb shook his head. "She has no proof anything happened. Plus, if she did then she would have to hear my testimony of how she not only abused an animal but also pissed on herself and my uncle. The humiliation alone would be enough to deter her from doing anything."

"I hope you're right, love." She kissed him and he returned the favor with a passionate kiss of his own.

"Hey. Our outfits are going to be ready by tomorrow, right?"

Amalthia nodded.

"Good! Then maybe we can both spend some time doing some research into the marriage thing. That is, after we drop our little friend off here at your father's."

The two lovers headed to bed then drifted off to a deep and peaceful sleep as their charge curled up between them and purred loudly in contentment. For the first time in her existence, Fredricka was in a place where she was both safe and loved.

(All chapters have been posted to AO3. Chapter 25 is posted here.)

#gw2 fanfic #tyrias-library #guild wars fan fiction #the outliers #kaleb and amalthia #cw adult situations

[circe-poetica]

20. The All-Encompassing Hand, from the RUMI Oracle Card deck, by Alana Fairchild, artwork by Rassouli

The All-Encompassing Hand:

“You are the essence of my existence; Who am I? A mirror in your hand! Whatever you do, I will do. I am your irresistible reflection.

With every breath, I feel my heart is beating with yours. In your joy, I am exuberant! In your sadness, I am in sorrow. If you are bitter, I become bitter. If you are grace, I become grace. My joy is when I am bewildered in your beauty and taste the sweetness of love on your lips.

If I pick a rose without you, it becomes a thorn in my hand. If I am the thorn, I become the rose in your hand.

~ RUMI

“I have held your hand in mine for so long that I have long since ceased to distinguish where your sacred flesh once felt separate from mine. This sacred grasp pulses with love divine, and there is one hand, holding and held, one being, loving and loved, though we may appear by less ecstatic angels to be two. The love that gives us this handfast, beloved, is so powerful we could spin the entire universe upon its axis, and still our hands would be joined, gently and yet enduringly, in unfailing love and sublime friendship.”

“Perhaps you are in need of reassurance, dearest one. Perhaps you have been feeling somewhat alone on your path, or struggling with a matter deep within your precious, beautiful heart and speaking of it to no one. Such loneliness that can foster in the heart! With no other to bear witness to your life experience, you may question your life, your sanity, your truths, and create doubt where no doubt need be. This must stop now. You are worthy of so much more, and this suffering is not essential for your growth now. It is time to let it be and to open up to the touch of grace.

So this oracle comes to you as the hand of the Divine. It is the all-encompassing hand, the hand that has no limitation upon the blessings it can bestow, upon the troubles it can lift from you, upon the tenderness it can communicate to you through sacred touch. Allow that divine hand to reach for you, beloved. Do not turn it away. Do not let old shame, guilt or mistaken notions of false independence keep you from accepting this heavenly hand! This hand reaches to gently wipe away tears of the past. It will deftly unravel the ties that have bound your own hands, preventing you from fully giving and receiving according to your worth which is incontestable and without limit.

This divine hand will reach for you in your meditations, your sleep and your prayers. It will reach for you through life circumstances, through the smile or hug you receive from another, or the touch of another human being. It will reach you through the song of a bird, the falling of leaves, the soft fur of a beloved pet, through song lyrics that seem to speak what you are feeling deep inside, or the colourful dress of the stranger across the street who catches your eye and makes you smile. This divine hand is reaching for you now through this oracle.

‘Yes,’ says the Great Beloved, ‘I am reaching for you. Yes, I know you – you are my own! I would never abandon you! Perhaps you have turned from me unknowingly, forgotten how much I love you because the world is in a forgetful daze too, and ignores the caress of the breeze, the joyful acknowledgment of every sunrise and the reverence made radiant in every sunset. Life is the touch bestowed by my hand. Shall you receive me? Let me love you! Let me restore your soul and remind you there is nothing to fear now. Come; lay down your weapons and your fear for this moment. Quit using that mouth to cry for war or to cry in despair. Bring yourself to my table and use that mouth to taste some bold and rich wine instead. Enjoy with me, in this moment, the unbreakable bond that lies between us. Allow me to bring the cup of wine to your lips. Behind your head, so gently, lies my all-encompassing hand. Know the peace of my love; so deeply can it register with you now, that you shall never again forget it.’

This oracle comes with a particular message for you. There may be a situation or circumstance in your life that you may feel is somehow unable to be solved. This oracle comes with reassurance that there is nothing beyond the reach of the divine hand of grace. All can be solved, all can be resolved; there is always a higher, better, more beautiful outcome possible.

You are asked to pray using the sacred honouring ritual, and to do so with conviction. The Divine has this situation ‘in hand’ and all is unfolding as it should be. Ask for help each day by saying: ‘I ask for help this day, in all ways, through unconditional love. Thank you.’

You can be more specific in your request, asking for help in a particular relationship, or project too if you wish. The Divine wants to ‘lend you a hand.’ You must ask for help first however – so ask. Empower that all-powerful hand of grace to bless your life and all circumstances, relationships and situations that have been or are yet to be for you.”

Sacred Honouring Ritual: “Place one hand resting upon the other with palms joined together.

Say aloud: ‘Through the loving grace of RUMI, brother of my soul who loves me without condition, these hands are now blessed as the hands of the lover and the beloved, as the one divine hand, all-encompassing. I am blessed, protected, nurtured and received. I am touched by the Divine with compassionate mercy and loving tenderness. I call on the hand of grace to touch, heal, bless and protect all aspects of myself and my life journey. Through divine grace, so be it.’

Simply rest with your hands in the same posture for several moments, then finish your ritual.

If you wish, you may continue by speaking in prayer to the Divine and offer up any issue or concern you have. Give it a voice; it doesn’t matter how small or major the issue may seem. Talk it over with the Great Beloved, a wonderful and responsive listener!

When you are finished, place your hands in prayer, bow your head, and simply say thank you. You have completed your sacred honouring ritual.”*

~ by Alana Fairchild

#rumi oracle #all encompassing hand #oracle #rumi #1 december 19

[witchescompendium]

Sunday School Week 6 and 7 Sabbats, Esbats and The Wheel of The Year

SUNDAY SCHOOL WEEK 6 & 7

SABBATS, ESBATS AND THE WHEEL OF THE YEAR

               WHEEL OF THE YEAR:

The Wheel turns and so do we, changing as the forces of nature change, our powers ebb and flow, wax and wane, we move on a mystic cycle that we seldom realize. But take a moment if you will and look at yourself now, in this season. (As I am writing we are in late Spring) You may feel you are eager to be outside, to work in nature to start new projects or begin a new adventure, its natural in the Spring to feel this way  because nature is waking, it is in full bloom and plants are blooming, wildlife is giving birth and we are finally away from the winters cold dark hold.

As the season change so do we. Our minds, bodies and spirits acclimate to the changes, as the Winter comes we retreat within and often we get down, as we turn to the Spring we become more awake, and shaking off the gathered grime of the past season, and then we move to Summer, where we tend to be more active and free. As the Fall comes on we begin to settle down and start nesting, preparing for winter and repeat.

As the Wheel of the Year turns, it brings about more than the seasons, it brings opportunities, possibilities and magic, all we have to do is to be open to them. We are presented with so many chances and opportunities we just have to be willing to take them and be open to receive them.

As the Wheel Turns we go through the cycles of life and the seasons, but we also turn with the phases of the moon. This affect us just the same as the changing of the seasons, bring us to different awakenings, and pulls. The Moon affects our spiritual and emotional energies as the season do our physical and mental.

The Wheel of the year is divided into 4 quarters, each of these quarters contains two Sabbats and in a normal year 3 Esbats, per quarter there are 1 major and 1 minor Sabbat. The Wheel turning, as it is known, follows the path of the sun and the Sabbats and Esbats mark times of growth and enlightenment along the way.

SABBATS:

The Sabbats fall to the seasons, and a particular time of the year. They originally marked important dates or times in the cycle of life and nature, much of our ancstors survival depended on the timing of these particular festivals to begin planting, and harvesting, breeding live stock and other things. The Sabbats are divided into two groups, major and minor. The minor Sabbats mark the cross quarters, or the the two solstices and two equinoxes, while the Major Sabbats mark the midpoints between them. The Four Major Sabbats are:

Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas.

The Minor Sabbats are:

Ostara, Litha, Mabon and Yule.

The Sabbats are Solar festivals, each one representing a different  aspect or trait, and a cycle of life, depending upon its placement in the wheel. Depending upon the tradition and the practice of a particular wiccan, pagan, witch or coven, can also depend on when the wheel starts over and ends the old year. Some will say Samhain (as is generally a traditional approach) others say Yule, (this too is fitting do to the practice and celebration of the day)

               BREAK DOWN OF THE SABBATS:

I like to begin with Samhain, 1. Its my favorite sabbat, and 2. Because I practice that the Wheel turns to Samhain and begins again, it’s the witches new year. You can adjust to your own liking and preference as with anything you learn here. This is a bases a guide for you to discover your own path, or build off of this one.

SAMHAIN: Also known as, All Hallow's Eve, All Saints' Day, All Hallows, Day of All the Saints, Feast of All Saints, Solemnity of All Saints, All Souls Day, Ancestors Night, or Feast of the Dead and more commonly HALLOWEEN. One of the Major sabbats. Falls on October 31 or  the first full moon of Scorpio. Samhain is probably one of the most infamous witches holidays and is still seen in bad context among many groups and people. It is also seen as one of the Highest of holidays and most important among the practice. (Beltane being its equal) Samhain is the night of the thing veil, when the departed may cross to the land of the living once more, magic is said to be strongest and highest on this night. Samhain is the time to celebrate the harvest, to plan for the coming year, and to remember the ancestors and be thankful for their journey, that has paved the way for your footing now. It’s a time to reflect on the past year and honor our loved ones no longer with us. It begins the time of rest and the time of darkness upon the year as we begin to transcend into the Dark Half of the year. Samhain is also known as the Witches New Year. We honor the Great God who departs this world on this day and journeys to the afterlife. Many of the traditions of the modern Halloween are part of the customs of old, such as dressing in costumes, carving jack o lanterns and the spirits of our departed, can be reflected in the modern ghost.

YULE: Also known as, Alban Arthuan, Saturnalia, Winter Solstice, Mid Winter. Falls on the Winter Soltice, (Between Dec 21-23) The origins of many of the Christmas traditions. One of the Minor Sabbats. Yule is about rebirth, the return of hope and the return of the Sun God who brings the Light. From the Winter Solstice we know the days will get longer and warmer and as the sun is reborn we are offered a fresh start and a new day. Yule is when we celebrate the sun god who departed us at Samhain, returning, reborn to the Great Mother Goddess, now in the aspect of the Crone, and with his return we are reminded that nothing ever goes away forever, we are all reborn and return.

IMBOLC: Also known as, Bride's day, Candlemas, Candlemas Day,Brigantia, Groundhog Day, Festival of Lights. Falls on February 2 or the first Full Moon of Aquarius. This is one of the Major Sabbats, Imbolc is about brushing off the winter and setting ourselves to de-clutter and de-stress from the winter. At Imbolc we light candles and fires, it is a festival of light after all. We light the candles to drive away the shadow and welcome the sun back into the world as the sun slowly gains power and the God grows. We also do this to help light the spark of inspiration and creativity within and to prepare for the seaon of growing that is coming.

OSTARA: Also known as, Alban Eilir, Eostar, Eostre, Lady Day,Vernal Equinox, falls on March 20-23, (The Spring Equinox), one of the minor sabbats. Ever wonder why people dye eggs at Easter? Or how the Bunny fits into the Easter story? Well Ostara is a sabbat about rebirth, and awakening. Growth and renewal are the themes for this day. At Ostara the Day and Night are equal, and the male and female energies balanced. The Rabbit and the eggs are both signs of fertility, as this would be a time when the earth begins to stir and life begins to blossom and awaken all around us. A perfect time to begin to expand on those plans made and begin sewing the seeds for your future.

BELTANE: Also known as, Beltain, Beltainne, Beltaine, Bealtaine, Beltany, May Eve, Lady Day, May Day, Walpurgis Night (although some people consider Walpurgis Night to be April 29, the night before Beltane)Falls on  May 1st, or The First Full Moon in Taurus. A Major Sabbat. Beltane is the day of the Green Wood Wedding, or The Handfasting of the God and Goddess. By now the God has moved from his youth stage, to his Green man form, and the Goddess from her Maiden aspect to the Mother. In this time their union blesses the earth and makes the grounds fertile and ready for planting. This a joyous time to celebrate and rejoice that Winter is gone and that light and mirth are all around. Beltane is also Sister Sabbat to Samhain. On the wheel they are adjacent from one another. It is said that during Beltane, the strength and power that is felt at Samhain can also be felt. Beltane is another of the most commonly known of the Witches holidays. It’s a time of love and growth.

LITHA: Also known as, Alban Hefin, Gathering Day, Midsummer, Vestalia, Summer Solstice, Falls on The Summer Solstice (June 20-23) A Minor Sabbat. On Litha, the powers of the sun are at their highest and most powerful. Day light hours rule this day and is a pure Solar Sabbat. As the Sun and the God are at their peak, so to is nature at hers. The woods and forests are at their fullness, and life is spilling forth. The light triumphs over the dark and, the crops are busy growing and nature is alive and happy. We know however that from this day forth, the light shall dwindle and grow weaker. That we will have to face the darkness in mere months, but for now, we must embrace life at its fullest, and celebrate the bounty that is all around us. This is supposed to be after all, a joyous time.

LAMMAS: Also known as, Lughnasad, Lughnasadh Lunasa, Falls on August 1 or the first full moon of Leo, a Major Sabbat, Lammas is the first harvest, when the first of the crops are beginning to be cut down and brought in. This was an ancient festival of Hope and Fear. Hope being in that the harvest was coming in and that nature and hard work had provided what was needed for survival, Fear came in the same manner, it was feared that the harvest wouldn’t be enough and the cold of winter would win. At Lammas we are thankful for what we have and also it is a time for facing our fears, and creating protection. Defending ourselves and what we value and care for. If we allow the fear to out weigh our hope, then we will surely loose.

MABON: Also known as, Alban Elfed, Fall Equinox, Autumn Equinox, Harvest Home... A Minor sabbat and falls on the Fall Equinox (September 20-23) once more day and night are equal but ultimately the Night shall win out and the dark of the year will begin as days shorten. Mabon is the second harvest, and is a time for being thankful and grateful, a time to share with others what you have. It is a time to honor and thank the universe and the earth for what it has given you, but also to look back at what others have given you, nd what you have given yourself. Remember you reap what you sew. Mabon is the last sabbat before Samhain and the cycle begins again.

As you can see the turning of the Solar Wheel has effects on our physical as well as our mental and spiritual energies and beings.  This is a brief summary keep in mind, and more can be found online and in books. Regardless of what may be written about the sabbats, remember that as with anything in magic, it’s the feelings you get, and the purpose and message you take away from the ritual that matters.

Now for the moons.

FULL MOONS

As the Solar festivals (sabbats) deal with a more physical, the Moon Rituals (Esbats) deal with more of an emotional and magical aspect. The Moons have various names and each month contains a full moon. (For more on moons and phases see the lesson on Moon Phases)

Here we will delve into each moon and its meaning and purpose in the cycle of the moon.

Jan: Wolf Moon, also known as Moon of the First Circle, Wolf Moon, Chaste Moon, Ice Moon. During this moon we turn inward looking for inner strength and inner power. This is a time of looking inward to discover who we are, what our purpose may be. It is also a time of beginnings and rebirth, for protection and purification. It can also be a good time to prepare for the changes you wish to achieve in the coming year.                                              

Feb: Storm Moon, also known as Storm Moon, Moon of the Seer, Snow Moon, Quickening Moon. The moon of this month fights through the cold to shine enough light for us to see into our own darkness. The purpose is to see into our inner truths and overcome our inner demons. We all have them and we all have things we choose to leave in the darkness that we rather not deal with, however, burying them in the shadows does no good because eventually we return to the darkness and those demons come back to us. With the Storm Moon we are challenged to overcome and learn from our darkness.                                            

March: Chaste Moon, also known as Moon of the Wind, Quickening Moon, Hare Moon.  As the winds of change blow away the darkness of winter, we are granted the chance now to blow away those things we no longer need in our lives. This is the time of the “spring cleaning”. Strength is another symbol of this moon, discovering and embracing your own strength, as well as the evolving of ones spirit.

April: Seed Moon Also known as, Moon of Waters, See Moon, Grass Moon, Rain Moon. Can you guess what the theme is for the April Full Moon? Water is fundamental for survival. Its celebrating the life force of the universe. It is about continuing the evolution of the spirit, and growing and nurturing your soul. As nature unfolds and life comes into bloom, we open our souls and our minds, that they may grow and bloom, so we may open our minds, bodies and souls to the Gods and Goddesses and Universe that they may help us to continue to grow.                                                  

May: Hare Moon, also known as, Moon of the Faeries, Flower Moon, Milk Moon, and Merry Moon. Open your heart, reach out embrace the power around you but more importantly with in you. Now is the time of intuition and of balance, of healing and hope and pleasure. A time to connect to your spiritual energy, and to listen to that inner voice. It is a time of healing death, when you finaly put those things to rest that have caused you such strife, listening to the good and the bad of that inner voice, and growing from the bad, by turning it into something better. It is also the time of the faeries and is believed that at this time it is easy to feel the realms and the energies and magic of the realms and the faeries.                                

June: Lovers Moon, also known as, Moon of Life, Mead Moon, Dyad Moon, Honey Moon, and Strawberry Moon. A Time to balance your energies, your physical, mental, spiritual and emotional self, it is time to bask in the moonlight and to embrace your true self, to feel fully alive and connected, to the energies around you, but mostly to yourself, take pleasure in what is around you, in the things that have been given to you and gotten you this far. It is a time of hope and pleasure, strength and self.                              

July: Mead Moon, also known as, Moon of Fire, Blessing Moon, Wort Moon, Thunder Moon. Self confidence is a common theme as obviously is fire. The flame is to remind us of the spark within us all, that burns in our souls and spirits, that drives us and guides us. It is to remind us of the powers of fire, and its fundamental purpose, for warmth, to cook, to provide light and gives a since of protective energy and safety.

August: Wyrt Moon also known as, Moon of Delight, Herb Moon, Barley Moon, Corn Moon. Unity and memory are themes here. Remember the past because it has paved the road for your future. Only by seeing where you came from can you appreciate where you are now. Wisdom and preparing for the future, quiet yourself, silence your voice, quiet your mind and listen for the guidance of your guides.

Sept: Harvest Moon also known as Moon of Harvest, Grain Moon, Fruit Moon, Green Corn Moon, Truth, knowledge, and changing of life cycles. This is a time of preparing for the coming darkness, the harvest time, a time to gain the necessary energies to make it through the coming months. Time to realize the truths about ourselves and the coming months, the darkness is inevitable, a time of transformation, as the season begin to change and so do we.

October: Blood Moon also known as Moon Before The Dark, Blood Moon, Hunters Moon, Harvest Moon. We enter into the darkness of ourselves, and embrace the immortality that lies within us all. This is a magical time as October tends to be a magical month anyway, you can incorporate bits of Halloween, (Samhain) into your moon magic, so likewise, the moon reflects the dark mystery of the universe and our self. The life cycles of life death and rebirth.

Nov: Snow Moon also known as the Moon of Decent, Snow Moon, Mourning Moon, Frosty Moon. As we descend within we prepare and rest to regroup and turn our eyes inward. As winter approaches we tend to over indulge and become materialistic, so be warned of this. The moon reminds us once more of the truths and falsehoods we have come to know and wear as masks and shrouds.

Dec: Oak Moon also known as Moon of Completion, Cold Moon, Snow Moon. Take time to notice if you have met the goals for the last year that you set. Have you achieved the things you wished to or started in the direction you planned? This moon also asks you to look beyond  the surface of the situation and realize, things are never as bad as they seem. As the year closes, remember that things that have happened cannot be changed, but learned from and used to help plan your future, and start making new plans or building off the old ones for the new year.

 Much more information can be found in many amazing books, as well as online. Many usually will contain some form of ritual as well as to the celebration of the Sabbats and Esbats. There are of course generic rituals which serve as great outlines for your own writings, should you wish to try your hand at it. I advise looking over other rituals so that you can gain a better understanding of the sabbats, the ritual structure and activities that can take place during these festivals, as well as spells and magic designed to cater specifically to these rites.

You will discover though as you research more that many different views and practices will produce many different rituals and ways of celebrating. Do not think you are limited to just one. That’s the beauty of the craft, you can take from these the parts you like and build your own way, your own celebration. As with our coven, we tend to change up the rituals every time, our June Full moon for this year will be vastly different from the previous years, as will our Samhain rite. However, you may find passages or parts of a ritual which you love so much you want to included them year after year, or you may even be so lucky as to come across or create your own ritual that is so astounding that you need not change a thing. All of these are common.

And I cannot stress enough this point, READ, READ, READ. The more you read, the more knowledgeable you will become and the more understanding you will gain. Start a note book to keep notes, or designate a file on your computer where you wish to save things you have found. Just remember to give credit where it is do, don’t try to pass off someone else’s works as your own, not only can it be considered plagiarism, but it’s also rude (see future lesson on Witches Etiquette).

I hope this helps you to understand a bit more about the season, the cycles, the turning of the wheel and the Sabbats and esbats.

#sabbats #esbats #full moon #samhain #yule #ostara #lammas #litha #imbolc #mabon #beltane #wicca #witchcraft #wiccan ritual #witch ritual #wheel of the year

[parabataisarah]

BOOK 3, CHAPTER 12

Masterlist here.

LAST CHAPTER OF BOOK 3 AND OF THE ENDLESS SUMMER TRILOGY.

Tag List: @brightpinkpeppercorn​, @roonarific​, @sceptilemasterr​, @endlessly-searching-for-you​, @irrelevanthough​, @likethetailofacomet​, @indiacater​.

Reactions under the ‘Keep Reading’ cut.

- We’re at the end of the trilogy y’all. Damn.

- I feel like this chapter will be very short.

- Rourke stay-- Wait, what? MC, why let him up??

- It might mean everything to you Jake, but I can’t let Rourke take over the world.

- As great as it’d be that we’re all safe and together on the island, I can’t take you guys from your families.

- Let’s get these memories!

- I think I know which ending I’m picking... Why does it hurt? Woooow.

- WAIT?? FIDDLER SAVED MICHELLE??? HUH

- Zahra becomes the new Clockmaker??

- PUSH HIM OFF THE BUILDING AL!

- WELL. FUCK.

- WAIT WHAT? MC IS THE SECOND OMEGA??

- Jake’s working a taco truck with Mike and the King Crab??

- Hey! Purple Polaris!

- DA FUCK? MALATESTA, GET OFF OF CETUS’ HEAD!

- Craig had the heart that time?!?!

- JAKE NO WTF?!?!?

- GRACE DIED??

- Awh nooo.

- CRAIG NOOOO!

- I wanna punch Rourke.

- Wait, is The Endless showing me ALL 2000 odd scenarios?!

- WAIT, HOW IS ALEISTER AN UNCLE TO TAARI???

- Michelle and Craig, huh.

- JAKE AND YVONNE??

- Estela and Zahra?????

- Awh, Quinn and Kele.

- I AM ALWAYS GONNA LOVE YOU TOO, SEAN!

- I’m not letting Rourke take over the world, and I’m not letting you guys hide away here on the island, either.

- As I said earlier, I know which ending I’m picking. I’m gonna rejoin with Vaanu.

- As much as I say that I cried in the other chapters, this chapter is getting to me.

- Fuuuuuuck. Sean told me to “think about us” when I make the decision, and I am. If I finish Project Janus and Rourke alters the world, all our memories ill be lost, so we won’t know each other. If I stop Rourke and stay on La Huerta, I’m taking Sean away from all his family, as well as the others, and if I merge with Vaanu, they’ll have a normal life again, I just won’t be a part of it.

- I’m so sorry Sean, but I want you to have a normal life with your family and friends and go on to do great things.

- I just recorded a message for them I assume?

- dontcrydontcrydontcrydontcry

- Screw you big time, PB.

- “You’re in my heart forever, MC.” And you’ll always be in mine, pixelized or real.

- Well, Earth is back to normal.

- Bitch, I’ve made my choice, and you can’t change that.

- I mean, I might replay the last chapter (for myself?) and see how the other endings pan out, but I dunno)

- Well, Rourke finally got his comeuppance.

- “I wanted to make things right.” And this truly was the only way. I might've made friends and found love, but I am not a real human. I was wished into existence, and Vaanu needed me back.

- I’m sorry, Jake.

- DAMMIT PB, WHY YOU MAKE ME FEEL THINGS??

- Good on Grace and Aleister for being Valedictorians!

- I AM SO SORRY SEAN!

- I'll miss you too, Quinn.

- Awh, they all made their Embers a reality. I’m so proud!

- Story complete. Clues: 67 of 67 found. Dossiers: 12 of 12 found. Rourke discovered. Catalyst Idols: 12 of 12 found. Endless met at Threshold. Embers of Hope: 11 of 11 found. Communed with Vaanu.

- Handfasted: Sean (with devotion flower). Top Friendships: Sean (Three hearts), Jake (best friends), Diego (close). Lowest friendships: Aleister (friends), Lila (friends), IRIS (like).

- Well, we've reached the end, my friends. What a ride! Thank you so much Mar, for convincing me to do this. I’ve loved it so much, and I understand the meaning it has to you and so many others. And to you guys! Thank you so much for reading/liking/reblogging these! You’ve been so sweet. Seriously, thank you, I love you guys!

- Oh! If you guys want me to do this for another book/series let me knw! I know Mar wants me to do this when I play LoveHacks, but if there’s any you guys want from me, let me know! (TC&TF, TF Series, #LH, RoE)

- Official end of Sarah’s Liveblogging and playthrough of Endless Summer.

#playchoices #endless summer #es #choices es #sarah's liveblog

[musicallisto]

Bonjour Belle✨, Can I know more about your ES MC with the MC ask game? ✨

Thanks for asking! I love talking about my OCs until I annoy the heck out of people ^^

#01. Name? Any nickname? Taylor Hera Montgomery-McKenzie, although she doesn’t know she has a middle name. It isn’t written on any of the paperwork involving her since her birth, adding to the mysteries surrounding her. Hera, in addition to being a mythological figure, of course, is also said to derive from the Greek ‘ηρως (heros) “hero, warrior”; ‘ωρα (hora) “period of time"; or ‘αιρεω (haireo) “to be chosen”. Those three ideas combined pretty much sum up her personality and fate.

#02. Birthday? As her file says, she was born on January 1st on La Huerta.

#03. What’s their family like? She has lost all rememberance of her family. It started bothering her more and more as time passed on the island. When she got on that plane, she clearly remembered her parents, her father’s kind smile and her mother’s warm eyes, her little brother’s cheerful enthusiasm, but the more time she spent on La Huerta, the less she thought about them and the more those colors and laughs started to blur as though the island was having some tricky effect on her mind - or perhaps it was revealing the true nature of what she deeply considered as her memories and her history. She has only confessed those doubts to Jake during their honeymoon, but brushed it off lightly, not wanting to kill the mood between her husband and her, and aware he could do nothing about it.

#04. Relationship status? She is handfasted to Jake McKenzie, which can be considered as a marriage despite not being one in the Western norm.

#05. Top 3 songs?

3. Enrique Iglesias - Bailando2. Amaral - Alerta1. Muse - Unintended

She’s definitely one for what people would consider “guilty pleasure music”. She loves all genres, but has always had a soft spot for reggaeton and hispanophonic music in general, whether it be from South America or Spain. Spanish is a language that she’s always felt drawn to, maybe because of its warm and sensual sound. Alerta is a song she finds utterly beautiful, despite not understanding any of the lyrics at first. If you hear her humming a tune, that’s probably the “ale ale, ale ale alerta”s from the chorus. And Unintended… Unintended reminds her of her adolescence, when she went through her rock phase like almost every 90′s kid - the thing she’s never quite gotten out of it, and fell utterly in love with this band and this particular song when she was fifteen. It reminds her of her relationship with Jake every time she listens to it and always manages to soothe her.

#06. Fave book? Taylor is one for mystery, thriller and science-fiction. She’s in love with Agatha Christie’s books, always been, so it’s clear that her favorite book of all time is Ten Little Niggers, a novel that is so different from everything she’s ever read before. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux is a very close second though. She didn’t think she would like it that much when she first picked it up, usually not that interested in romance nor historical fiction, but it became her number two through the years thanks to the deep, complex personalities of the characters and the mystery surrounding the phantom.

#07. Fave movie? Although the Phantom of the Opera adaptation from 2001 holds a special place in her heart because of how much she adored the book, her favorite movie is Silence of the Lambs.

#08. Fave show? She’s never watched a lot of TV-shows, but if she had to choose one, it would be Black Mirror, which she never finished because of her life-changing trip.

#09. Hobbies? Swimming. She’s a very strong swimmer, it’s her favorite sport and what she’s always done when she needs to get her mind off of things a little bit. She’s never participated in any competitions though. She also used to practise horse-riding when she was little, but stopped when she entered middle school.

#10. What Perfect Match type would they be? She is the Leader. She has that little something that makes all people instantly confide in her and trust her to make the best decisions and guide them through the storms. She’s most comfortable when in command.

#11. Biggest guilty pleasure? As I mentioned before, it’s all about Latino music! She doesn’t personally consider it a guilty pleasure, just songs that are often played at parties and nowhere else, but she loves to have a little Gente de Zona dance party on her own. She’s a terrible dancer, but that doesn’t stop her from enjoying it, right?

#12. Deepest darkest secret? Apart from being the Endless, she doesn’t remember anything very huge, and her life as she remembers it has always been pretty uneventful and calm. Nobody knows that she has stolen money from some of her classmates in high school when she was in very tough times. It’s not something she’s proud of, and wouldn’t really mind if that shameful memory turned out to be a scam.

#13. Fave childhood memory? She remembers when she went to Disney World in Florida with her parents and her brother - she must have been six or seven, and insisted on going on every. single. ride. much to her parents’ dismay, they were dragged by her brother and her all around the park, but that’s still Taylor’s most prized memory.

#14. Sweet or savoury? Savory, and if possible, spicy.

#15. Hogwarts house? She is a Gryffindor through and through!

#16. Fave food? Argentinan parrilla! More commonly known as grill, but Argentinan parrilla sounds better to her, and Argentinan steak is definitely the best of all.

#17. Fave drink? She doesn’t like sodas, so she would stick to water or lemonade most of the time, but she is also a great mojito fan.

#18. Most treasured possession? A quartz necklace her mother offered her when she turned eighteen, something that has passed through her family for generations and generations. She doesn’t know if everything in her past is false, but at least the necklace isn’t, securely resting on her neck.

#19. Their goals for the future? She wants to escape this hell of an island, spend a few years away from everything by the shore with her husband while helping him clear his name and attending college to finally graduate - then find a stable career and maybe have kids.

#20. Dog-lover or cat-lover? She’s a dog lover! Dogs are better than anything or anyone in her opinion. She doesn’t necessarily hate cats, but she does dislike their tendency to be very independent and snobbish at times.

#21. Early bird or night owl? She’s a night owl. She has no trouble being awake past midnight, but is unable to wake up before seven in the morning. Ever. E v e r.

#22. How do they relax after a bad day? She takes a bath, a long, hot shower or goes swimming in the pool. As I said before, she’s literally a fish in the water and that’s her element.

#23. What do they see as their biggest flaw? She’s aware of her tendency to be quite bossy. Accostumed to being the leader of her group of friends or in school projects, the respected older sister, and with lenient parents, it’s understandable that she would develop the tendency to think that she’s in the position to give orders to anyone. When meeting other strong, commanding personalities like Sean, it was obvious it would clash at first.

#24. And their greatest strength? On the other hand, she is cold-blooded and knows how not to lose her temper when facing a dangerous situation. She knows a lot about survival and feels at ease with responsibilities.

#25. Tragedy strikes! How do they handle a crisis? At first, she shuts everyone off, isolates herself and tries to think about it on her own, but not for long or she’s bound to go crazy or do something stupid. Most of the time, she tries not to show the effect it has on her, but it’s sometimes difficult to hide her feelings from people she’s with all the time.

#26. Coffee shop order? I’m not sure she really likes coffee, or at least, if she can avoid drinking it, she will. She often orders a hot chocolate instead.

#27. It’s Friday night and they’re home alone, what do they get up to? Probably go clubbing with friends or throw a party at her place! She loves music, she loves dancing, she loves being surrounded by people, so it’s the best alternative to concile those three things.

#28. Fave pizza toppings? There’s this pizza that has BBQ sauce, lardons and mushrooms… it’s her ultimate favorite.

#29. What would their superhero name be? Harley Quinn. She’s always liked the tortuous comics character and her complex relationship with the Joker, and their partner in crime-like dynamic reminds her of her complicity with her friends and especially with Jake - besides, Joker was the first nickname she gave him.

#30. What would their ideal day look like? Something adventurous, ourdoors, something out of the ordinary, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Something like paragliding over the bay, or one of her biggest dreams: swimming in the open sea with marine animals.

#31. What did they want to be when they grew up? Has it changed? Believe it or not, when she was little, she wanted to be a firefighter. She’s always been attracted to the idea of helping other people and being in the heat of the action. After she grew up, she abandoned that idea and thought about becoming a doctor. She doesn’t mind what field, she’s sure about the fact that she wants to save people, whatever the cost is.

#32. Do they believe in ghosts? I mean, after being repeatedly saved by one, it’s a little hard not to. But even after La Huerta, a part of her always believed in them.

#33. Do they like amusement parks? oh YES she adores them and would spend DAYS in there if she could.

#34. How many pillows do they sleep with? Three. She likes to be comfortable when she’s sleeping and bury her face in the soft fabric.

#35. What song always gets them dancing? Bailando by Enrique Iglesias. No matter the context, she will always try a few flamenco moves (and fail).

#36. Fave boardgame? Mafia! She’s the one who proposes a game of Mafia at literally every party ever and therefore kills the mood with her childishness lol

#37. If they play Monopoly, what token are they? The ship. To blow up her enemies better, she says.

#38. What does their laugh sound like? High-pitched, a little airy and always with her infamous flirtatious notes.

#39. Describe their aesthetic. Dancing until four in the morning, summer nights and their infinity of stars, tipsily walking down the streets in the unholy hours of the morning, neon lights, cocktail umbrellas by the beach.

#40. Do they exercise? Yeah, she loves running and as I mentioned before, swimming, so she does both on a daily basis. She’s quite athletic, but absolutely not gracious or flexible. So forget everything about dancing or gymnastics.

#41. Fears? Waking up before seven a.m., essentially. Also, she’s terrified ogf being alone, she cannot stand solitude. And she’s never told anyone about her phobia of bugs. Especially wasps. Those creatures deserve hell. She will lose her mind if a wasp is around and try to find the closest source of water to avoid it. They’re the worst for her, and she’s already had panic attacks when being bothered by a wasp when she was little.

#42. Proudest achievement? Surviving La Huerta is already a good one, but apart from that, running 500m in 1′31 minutes when she was eighteen. She hasn’t been able to beat that record ever since, and it’s safe to stay she will never do it again… unless she’s chased down by a horde of zombies.

#43. Fave type of weather? Sunny! She hates the cold and can’t stand foggy weather.

#44. Fave animal? I can see her really liking small monkeys, malicious and clever, but her favorite animal of all of them is the tiger. There’s something so majestic and venerable about them.

#45. Do they like fairytales? She loved them as a kid, but they remained in her childhood. Let’s say she doesn’t care about them that much.

#46. Describe them in 3 words. Fierce piña colada. That’s it. That’s Taylor.

#47. Biggest pet peeve? Slow walkers. she’s always moving, jumping, hyperactive, she has to have space to move.

#48. Hobbies? Swimming, dancing, running - she used to take some guitar lessons when she was younger, but basically only remembers how to play the intro riff of Come As You Are and it’s a very, very painful process.

#49. Extrovert or introvert? Extrovert! That doesn’t mean she can’t be shy in some situations, but she feels more at ease when she’s around a large group of people.

#50. Random headcanon She’s never been to a music festival, nor a concert for that matter. She promised herself she would go one summer to Reading Festival or Coachella with Diego, but never got the chance to do it. It’s one of her biggest regrets when she’s stuck on La Huerta.

MC questionnaire!

#mc appreciation week #pixelberry #playchoices #endless summer #ask

[kpopchangedme]

L’Opéra: The Vicomte

Have you met our new patron? They say he’s beautiful beyond words and a romantic at that! A doomed lover of the art with a strong distaste for aristocracy, a lost boy on the verge of adulthood. This is his prologue.

Protagonists: Park Jinyoung - You - (Im Jaebum)

Genre: Romance - Drama - Love Triangle - Childhood Friends - 1880s!AU

Words: 1.7k

Moodboard: By yours truly.

L’Opéra [Mini Masterlist]

Blah blah blah. How annoying. Jinyoung taps his finger on the edge of the wooden desk, barely listening to the conversation in front of him. He’s very excited about the project, that’s not it. It’s just boring listening to the two businessmen talk about opera like it’s something they understand. They’re all about the number of asses in the seats and money. They know nothing about Art.

Still, Jinyoung said yes. Of course, he did! Ever since his childhood he always dreamt of becoming mécène of an artist. He just never expected to become the patron of a big Opera House. Those can be quite lucrative, but they need funds to build decors, sew costumes and feed the crew before opening night. That’s when Jinyoung comes of use to these men.

So now he’s their new sponsor, a benefactor. He smirks, he always liked that term. His father would have stopped him, though. He would have told him to find a less costing hobby. He, for example, loved violinists and pianists. He sponsored one straight to the Conservatoire de Paris, he always talked about that. He never cared for singers; never understood his son’s fascination with them.

For Jinyoung, there’s nothing quite like hearing a new unique voice, nothing like a talented vocalist, even if he’s simply practicing his arpeggios. He sighs; he’s not that bad at singing himself. He had to practice for hours a day in his youth, because of his speech disorder. He’d receive a lot of compliments about his abilities at boarding school and also at church. Jinyoung would have loved to become an actor, a poet. He wouldn’t mind sleeping in a different bed every night, never knowing what that night would look like. He doesn’t fear the unknown or the unexpected; he always loved it, ever since that particular summer… Besides, it’s not like growing up in a higher society is any fun. He envies the life of actors and performers, full of drama, lovers and-

“Hannibal?” Jinyoung interrupts Mr. Firmin and Mr. André, his attention caught up by a word he just heard.

“Yes, Vicomte” Firmin nods, convincing. “We’re taking over now, but the staffs were already working on Hannibal, the Première is already set in two days!”

“Who’s the female lead singer?”

“La Carlotta, monsieur.” Jinyoung nods, satisfied, Carlotta is quite a big household name. It’s pleasing to know she’ll be part of his Opéra. “You should come, what a great honour it would be for the workers to meet you there!”

“I wouldn’t miss it, I've never heard of a lead Soprano with as much experience as her.” André claps his hands happy, and the Vicomte tilts his head. “But I also heard she is a lot of work... Quite the diva reputation even eclipsing her amazing technique sometimes.” Firmin wiggles from one foot to the other, glancing nervously at his business partner.

“Hum, yes.” André licks the roof of his mouth, thinking. “To tell the truth, she really has been a challenge to please. Always asking for m-”

“Lovely lovely voice’s technique, a nightingale!” Firmin interrupts him and André winces. “Her face is as lovely, monsieur, and she’s unmarried.” Jinyoung eyes flutter in annoyance at the impudence and he bites his cheek.

“Monsieur Firmin! I’m sure our dear Vicomte has already a lady somewhere in the countryside!” André nods apologetically his way, but already, Jinyoung’s mind is far. “His fiancée is probably an accomplished lady!”

___

“My hand?” You throw your head back laughing and he wants to tell you to keep your voice down, but he’s frozen still. Instead, he glances behind his shoulder worried that someone might find you. “Why would you want it?” Jinyoung's gaze widens, he imagined many scenarios, but this wasn’t one of them. He thought you’d get it right away, but then again, maybe you are just teasing him.

“Hum, I-I…” He curses himself for being unable to control his stuttering, he wishes he’d be so much more than who he is right now. Able to speak like his father would want him to; like a man. You lean against a big tree and wait for him to go on; eyeing the young man’s tormented expression with an amused half-smile. “I’m just asking f-f-for…” He sighs in frustration.

“Do you want to sing it?” Your crystal laugh echoes when he shakes his head with irritation. “Or should we play charades?” He watches as you lick your lips, pensively. How could you still not know how he feels, even after all this time. “We used to do this younger... When you didn’t want to talk…”

At that he frowns, Jinyoung always wants to talk with you; it’s just that his words don’t come out. It’s an infuriating thing that leaves him powerless. To be honest, he’d talk to you all the time if he didn’t have to stop to hear the sweet sound of your voice back.

“You want my hand… For?” You run your tongue on your lower lip again and for a second there, he wonders what the pink skin tastes like but looks away. He feels his cheeks burn like fire and his hands sweat at the thought. “Are you alright, Jinyoung-ie?” Your eyes are suddenly big in fake concern. “It doesn’t matter you know. You can ask me later…” But it does matter though. Nothing, nobody, ever mattered as much to him. He wants to ask you now, promise, before going back to school.

“You know I am leaving tomorrow.” He breathes out without halting, he’s relieved and you proudly grin.

“See?” The white light of the day is shining through the branches above and illuminating your tied hair, forming a halo around your head. “It’s better now; you don’t have to be nervous.”

“We both are f-f-fi-fifteen now” He hates words that start with that letter the most. You blink, waiting for him to elaborate with a knowing smile. “I want to tell you how I f-feel-”

“Y/N!” Somewhere, your maid calls for you. She’d disapprove of finding you alone with a man, so you both hide. You grab Jinyoung’s hand and he lets you guide him through the trees, bewildered by the warmth of your fingers intertwined with his. After a few minutes you turn around to face him, not very far away, she still calls your name.

“We don’t have time, I’m sorry I teased you.” Jinyoung twitches in surprise as you release his hand to reach for your hair bun. You should’ve been wearing an outdoor hat, but you were never one to bother with conventions. You set your hair free from the tight bun and he watches in awe. He hasn’t seen it undone in years. Jinyoung reaches for a lock, but you grab his fingers before he can touch it.

“I’m giving you this.” He notices what you are doing without realizing much. Your fingers work around his wrist, tying your sky blue ribbon until both of your hands are held together. He raises his eyes to meet yours, heart beating fast, it’s the ribbon he got back for you the first summer. What you did looks like something familiar; handfast. He blushes heavily, realizing that you understood what he meant to ask earlier.

“Jinyoung, I-I tied us...” You sigh and smile; trying to find the words he would never be able to master. “I can’t give you much, but know that my heart is yours. It has been for years now and I love you... too.” It feels like his chest is going to burst. “Even when you are far, I only see you, I only think of you. Father and I, we’ll always be… obliged to your family…”

“Don’t say that.” Jinyoung wrinkles his nose, looking at your hands fastened together in wonder again. “I don’t want you to say it’s because of that.”

“I’m not.” You giggle. “But I also know who you are and where you stand. We’re not the same.”

“Do not talk like him!” Jinyoung grimaces and lowers his voice, worried that the maid might find you. “It doesn’t matter what they think. We’ll be together; if you just say yes then we’ll be together.” Your lips curl, encouraging him to continue. “Hell, we can even run away!” He laughs, his confession coming easily. “Nothing else matters if you are with me, we can leave the old country if you want to! If you wish, I’ll ask your father after boarding school, he likes me. I’ll find a way to convince mine. I’ll-”

“Jinyoung” He stops to stare into your eyes again, a bit scared of what you’ll reply.

“What?”

“You haven’t stuttered in over a minute.”

“… Oh!” His gaze widens and without waiting, you lean in slowly, delicately brushing your lips against his. The touch is so soft, sweet and pure that it simply stops the world.

Jinyoung shakes his head. After that, you weren’t there anymore. In a short year, everything you both were was destroyed.

“No fiancée.”  He waves his hand to André and Firmin, letting them know he’s not offended. “I’d be honoured to meet with the lead actress for supper after the performance if you want. I’m curious as to what all the fuss around her is about.”

Both gentlemen’s eyes open in shock, but they nod, approving. Jinyoung doesn’t care for conventions; he doesn’t deny himself the simple joy of eating with a beautiful lady he’s curious about. It doesn’t matter from what society she is, he’ll probably lose interest after five minutes of conversation, like with all the other women he met so far. Many tried to catch his eye, but he’s impossible to hold on to. Strangely, they all want him for that exact same reason; he yearns for much more than them. They’re never enough, but they all wish they could be.

Jinyoung smirks, he already lost his heart once; the prospect of it happening again isn’t particularly appealing.

“Right, perfect. I’m sure La Carlotta will be honoured to share a meal with you, Vicomte.”

L’Opéra [Mini Masterlist]

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