#Astronomical-Deer

[boygirlctommy]

gazes off into the distance. maybe i should work on monster band again...

[greenwitchcrafts]

October 2024 Witch Guide

New Moon: October 2nd

First Quarter: October 10th

Full moon: October 17th

Last Quarter: October 24th

Sabbats: Samhain- October 31st-November 1st

October Hunter's Moon

Also known as: Blood Moon, Drying Rice Moon, Falling leaf Moon, Freezing Moon, Harvest Moon, Migration Moon, Moon of the Changing Season, Sanguine Moon,, Shedding Moon, Ten Colds Moon, Winterfelleth & Windermanoth

Element: Air

Zodiac: Libra & Scorpio

Nature spirts: Frost Faeries & Plant Faeries

Deities: Apollo, Astarte, Belili, Cernunnos, Demeter, Hathor, Herne, Horned God, Ishtar, Lakshmi & Mercury

Animals: Elephant, jackal, ram, scorpion & stag

Birds: Crow, heron & robin

Trees: Acacia,apple, cypress & yew

Herbs: Angelica, burdock, catnip, pennyroyal, sweet Annie, thyme & uva ursi

Flowers: Apple blossom, calendula, cosmos & marigold

Scents: Apple blossom, cherry & strawberry

Stones: Amethyst, beryl, cat's eye, chrysoberyl, citrine, obsidian, opal, sapphire, tourmaline & turquoise

Colors: Black, blue, dark blue, blue-green & purple

Issues, intentions & powers: Cooperation, darkness, divination, healing & hope

Energy: Artistic works, creativity, harmony, inner cleansing, justice, karma, legal matters, mental stimulation, partnerships, reincarnation & uncovering mysteries or secrets

The Harvest Moon is the full Moon that occurs nearest to the autumnal equinox date (September 22, 2024). This means that either September or October’s full Moon may take on the name “Harvest Moon” instead of its traditional name. Similarly, the Hunter’s Moon is the first full Moon to follow the Harvest Moon, meaning it can occur in either October or November.

The Harvest Moon & the Hunter’s Moon are unique in that they are not directly related to this folklore or restricted to a single month. Instead, they are tied to an astronomical event: the autumnal equinox!

• October’s full Hunter Moon orbits closer to Earth than any of the other full Moons this year, making one of the four supermoons of 2024!  As the Moon drifts over the horizon around sunset, it may appear larger & more orange—how perfect for the fall season!

It is believed that this name originates from the fact that it was a signal for hunters to prepare for the upcoming cold winter by going hunting. This is because animals were beginning to fatten up in preparation for the winter season. Moreover, since fields had recently been cleared out under the Harvest Moon, hunters could easily spot deer & other animals that had come out to search for remaining scraps. Additionally, foxes & wolves would also come out to prey on these animals.

Samhain

Known as: Ancestor's night, Feast of Apples, Feast of Sam-fuim, Feast of Souls, Feast of the Dead, Geimhreadh, Hallowmass, Martinmass, Old Hallowmass, Pagan New Year, Samana, Samhuinn, Samonios & Shadowfest

Season: Autumn

Element: Water

Symbols: Apples, bats, besom, black cats, cauldrons, ghosts, gourds, jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins, scarecrows & witches

Colors: Black, gold, orange, silver & white

Oils/Incense: Basil, cloves, copal, frankincense, gum mastic, heather, heliotrope, mint, myrrh & nutmeg

Animals: Bat, bear, boar, cat, cattle & dog

Stones: Amber, anatase, black calcite, black obsidian, black tourmaline, bras, carnelian, clear quartz, diamond, garnet, gold, granite, hematite, iron, jet, marble, onyx, pearl, pyrite, ruby, sandstone, sardonyx, smokey quartz, steel & tektite

Food: Apples, ale, beef, cider, corn, nuts, fruit, garlic, gourds, grains, hazelnuts, herbal teas, mushroom, nettle, nuts, pears, pomegranates, pork, poultry, pumpkin pie, sunflower seeds, thistle, turnips & wine (mulled)

Herbs/Plants: Acorn, allspice, angelica, besom, catnip, corn, deadly nightshades, dittany of Crete, fumitory, garlic, mandrake, mugwort, mullein, oak leaves, patchouli, reed, rosemary, rue, sage, straw, tarragon, thistle & wormwood

Flowers:  Calendula, chrysanthemum & heather

Trees: Apple, beech, buckthorn, hazel, pine, locust, pomegranate, willow, witch hazel, yellow cedar & yew

Magical: Faeries

Goddesses: Al-Lat, Baba Yaga, Badb, Bast, Bebhionn, Bronach, Brunhilde, Cailleach, Carlin, Cassandra, Cerridwen, Copper Woman, Crobh Dearg, Devanyani, Dolya, Edda, Elli, Eris, Erishkigal, Fortuna, Frau Holde, Hecate, Hel, Mania, The Morrigan, Nemisis & Nicneven

Gods: Arawn, Baron Samede, Chronus,The Dagda, Dis, Hades, Nefertum, Osiris, Pluto, Woden & Xocatl

Spellwork: Divination, fire magick, night magick, shape-shifting, spirit calling & water magick

Issues, Intentions & Powers: Crossroads, darkness, death, divination, honor, introspection, otherworldly/underworld, release, visions & wisdom

Activities:

•Dedicate an altar to loved ones who have passed

• Boil a simmer pot to cleanse your space

• Have a silent dinner

• Light a candle for your loved ones & yourself

• Decorate your house and/or altar

• Release negative energy & cleanse yourself with a ritual bath

• Pull tarot cards to see what may be in store for you ahead

• Cleanse, clean & de-clutter your space

• Host or attend a bonfire

• Leave offerings for the Sídhe

• Journal & reflect on your accomplishments, challenges & everything you did this year

•Go on a nature walk

• Learn a new form of divination

• Have a bonfire with your friends and/or family

• Carve pumpkins, turnips or apples

• Express yourself creatively through art, music, ect

• Visit a cemetery & help clean off areas that need it or to visit a family member/ ancestor & leave an offering

• Hold a seance

• Bake spooky treats & bread as offerings

• Refresh your protection magicks, sigils & rituals

Samhain is about halfway between the autumnal equinox & winter solstice. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals along with Imbolc, Beltane, & Lughnasa. Historically it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland, & the Isle of Man. 

Samhain is believed to have Celtic pagan origins &  some Neolithic passage tombs in Great Britain & Ireland are aligned with the sunrise at the time of Samhain. It is mentioned in the earliest Irish literature, from the 9th century & is associated with many important events in Irish mythology.

The early literature says great gatherings & feasts marked Samhain when the ancient burial mounds were open, which were seen as portals to the Otherworld. Some of the literature also associates Samhain with bonfires & sacrifices.

• According to Irish mythology, Samhain (like Beltane) was a time when the 'doorways' to the Otherworld opened, allowing supernatural beings and the souls of the dead to come into our world; while Beltane was a summer festival for the living, Samhain "was essentially a festival for the dead".

•The festival was not recorded in detail until the early modern era. It was when cattle were brought down from the summer pastures & livestock were slaughtered. Special bonfires were lit, which were deemed to have protective & cleansing powers.

At Samhain, the aos sí were appeased with offerings of food & drink to ensure the people & livestock survived the winter. The souls of dead kin were also thought to revisit their homes seeking hospitality & a place was set at the table for them during a meal. Divination was also a big part of the festival & often involved nuts & apples.

Mumming & guising were part of the festival from at least the early modern era, whereby people went door-to-door in costume, reciting verses in exchange for food. The costumes may have been a way of imitating & disguising oneself from the aos sí. 

• In the late 19th century, John Rhys and James Frazer suggested it had been the "Celtic New Year", but that is disputed.

Some believe it is the time of The Goddess' mourning the death of The God until his rebirth at Yule. The Goddess' sadness can be seen in the shortening, darkening days & the arrival or cold weather.

Related festivals:

• Halloween( October 31st)-

In popular culture, the day has become a celebration of horror, being associated with the macabre and supernatural.

•One theory holds that many Halloween traditions were influenced by Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain, which are believed to have pagan roots. Some go further & suggest that Samhain may have been Christianized as All Hallow's Day, along with its eve, by the early Church. Other academics believe Halloween began solely as a Christian holiday, being the vigil of All Hallow's Day.

Popular Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (or the related guising & ghouling), attending Halloween costume parties, carving pumpkins or turnips into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, divination games, playing pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories, & watching horror or Halloween-themed films

• Day of the Dead(November 1st-2nd)-

 el Día de Muertos or el Día de los Muertos

The multi-day holiday involves family & friends gathering to pay respects & to remember friends & family members who have died. These celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember amusing events & anecdotes about the departed. It is widely observed in Mexico, where it largely developed, and is also observed in other places, especially by people of Mexican heritage.

•The observance falls during the Christian period of Allhallowtide.

Traditions connected with the holiday include honoring the deceased using calaveras & marigold flowers known as cempazúchitl, building home altars called ofrendas with the favorite foods & beverages of the departed & visiting graves with these items as gifts for the deceased.

 The celebration is not solely focused on the dead, as it is also common to give gifts to friends such as candy sugar skulls, to share traditional pan de muerto with family & friends, & to write light-hearted & often irreverent verses in the form of mock epitaphs dedicated to living friends & acquaintances, a literary form known as calaveras literarias.

 Some argue that there are Indigenous Mexican or ancient Aztec influences that account for the custom & it has become a way to remember those forebears of Mexican culture.

• All Saint's Day(November 1st)- 

Also known as All Hallows' Day or the Feast of All Saints is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the Church, whether they are known or unknown.

Sources:

Farmersalmanac .com

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

Wikipedia

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

Encyclopedia britannica

Llewellyn 2024 magical almanac Practical magic for everyday living

[reem-alajrami]

I swear my heart is breaking from the cruelty of what my family is going through.Things are getting worse,prices are becoming astronomical. Every day I look at my family and I am helpless.I cannot provide them with food.Please donate so I can see the happiness on my family's faces🙏🏻❤️

gofund.me/49656309

💕 Please if you can help do not hesitate to do so I will be grateful to you for the rest of my life. 💕🙏🏻

@90-ghost @wayneradiotv @sayruq @bilal-salah0 @omegaversereloaded @magnus-rhymes-with-swagness-blog @rickybabyboy @danijaci @annabelle--cane @beserkerjewel @sporesgalaxy @weirdmarioenemies @sawasawako @that-house @ot3 @thatdiabolicalfeminist @fairuzfan @tamamita @apas-95 @redbuddi @beetledrink @velvetys @communist-ojou-sama @bixels @komsomolka @tpwrtrmnky @myceliacrochet @collgeruledzebra @gazavetters @northgazaupdates2 @amygdalae @comrademango @sunidentifiables @postanagramgenerator @valtsv @bunjywunjy @mintaii @hotvampireadjacent @emil @3000s @lady-katherines @pocket-deer-boy @itwashotwestayedinthewater @wellwaterhysteria @poetrylesbian @extremelycursedimages @prisonhannibal @girlinafairytale @dippersguidetotheunexplained @honeygordo @heritageposts @kurtwagnermorelikekurtwagnerd @kibumkim @littlestpersimmon @lesbianchemicalplant

[threestarsaboveclouds]

do you have a favourite celestial body?

TSAC: I hesitate to pick just one object of interest... my area of study finds me analyzing the sky as a whole, after all.

However, if I had to choose... one type of object I enjoy observing are supernova remnants. These nebulae are left behind by the collapse of a massive star, and they often exhibit very unique properties. One supernova remnant in the constellation of the Rain Deer is particularly intriguing.

The nebula is very young by astronomical standards- the supernova that created it is thought to have been recorded by astronomers of the early Green Hegemonic dynasty, before the Void Fluid Revolution. It was even bright enough to be seen during the day! This apparent disruption of the Celestial Spheres was considered quite exciting to scholars of the time.

In the present day, the corpse of the massive star that created this supernova remnant can be found in the center of the nebula as a pulsar. This dense, rapidly spinning stellar remnant is a very strong source of radio emissions, as well as x-rays and gamma radiation. This energizes the surrounding gas of the nebula and causes it to glow unusually brightly.

I enjoy listening to pulsars such as this. The tempo of their pulses is extremely stable, which makes any changes in their output very exciting. The pulsar at the center of this nebula occasionally exhibits "glitches" in its otherwise stable period of rotation. The source of this instability is unknown, but might be related to activity below the pulsar's surface. I believe the exotic matter existing inside of dense stellar remnants such as this may shed some light on the more enigmatic properties of Void Fluid, and the Void Sea by extension. I find this prospect quite exciting!

On a different note, another focus of my research is the discovery of other planetary systems orbiting distant stars. Studying the properties of these planets might help us understand our own planet's relationship to the Cycle.

In my research I have come across many potential exoplanet candidates, a portion of which are even within their Suns' habitable zones, where liquid water may exist.

One exoplanet system is of particular interest. Planetary transit analysis of the system's G-class host star has revealed at least eight planets; four gas giants and four terrestrial planets. Two of the terrestrial planets are potentially within the system's habitable zone, with spectral analysis showing one in particular has a substantial atmosphere with a considerable amount of water vapor.

Liquid water is considered essential for life, even on other planets. This distant planet could possibly be home to an array of complex alien life forms! If life does exist on this planet, I wonder if its inhabitants are bound to the Cycle as well. One can only speculate!

[ OOC: If you want to see the un-obstructed projections you can find them here! ]

[seenoversundown]

Insidious : Five

Jake Kiszka x Rory (Fem OC)

Warnings: Language, Violence, Mentions of Blood, Anxiety, Mentions of Drugs, Drinking, Gross Behavior, Disrespectful comments, Panic, Fainting. (I think that covers it all - if you feel something was missed, please shoot me a dm)

Word Count: 2.2k

Author's Note: This one felt good to write- I think you'll understand why.

Tempe, Arizona | Show #1 

Earlier that night..

“How the fuck do you think we’re gonna pull that off?” I bark into the phone. My blood is pumping through my veins at an astronomical rate. 

“Figure it out,” he tells me, matter of factly. Hanging up before I can say anything else. 

“That motherfucker,” I let out. How does he think we’re gonna— I hear the sound of rocks being slid against the ground. Turning and seeing Rory looking at me from the back door. 

Her eyes went wide as I started walking toward her, like a little deer in headlights. I bark out, “What the fuck are you doing?” My body feels hot but also numb as I quickly make my way over to her. 

She sounds nervous, but letting out a hesitant, “Uhhhh..” 

“How long were you there for?” I ask, staring at her with a scowl. 

She whispers, “Like thirty seconds.”

The look on her face stops me from questioning her further. She looks terrified of me at the moment, which no matter how much I poke and prod at her— I never want to be actually scary. I mutter, “Don’t fucking do that again.” 

At least she didn’t hear anything, I’ll take what I can get but I fear she’s going to find out sooner rather than later. 

Post-Show.. 

The boys decided to just hit the hotel bar tonight, which was shocking to me that they didn’t want to go out. But, I wasn’t going to complain about being able to just take an elevator and be back at my room. 

“Do you think Rory is gonna come down?” Josh asks. 

I shrug, “I don’t know? I haven’t spoken to her since before we played.” 

His eyebrows pull together, “How?” 

“Well,” I start, and then realize he’s gonna be pissed. “She may have walked outside while I was on the phone with—“ 

He rolls his eyes, “Were you an ass to her?”

“I may have yelled at her a little,” I cringe.

I know I shouldn’t have yelled at her the way I did, but hindsight or whatever. 

“I’ll text her,” he says, pulling his phone out. 

I grab my beer off the bar, walking off. Finding myself on the opposite side talking with some random men, who have also found themselves here. 

They seemed nice enough, but frankly, I was distracted. From the moment Rory walked into the bar, a dude near me kept looking over at her, but for some reason, it felt off. I couldn’t stop glancing over at him. 

“Where are you guys playing next?” The man next to me asks. 

I watch as this dude leans over to his friend, whispering something and the hair on my arms stands up. I don’t know what it is about his presence but it’s not sitting well with me. 

“Uhh..” I hesitate to answer his question. “New Mexico, I believe.”

He sips his beer, “Oh! You should stop—“ continuing to ramble off a few places near Albuquerque that he recommends us to stop at. I feel a little guilty not paying closer attention, but my brain was fully locked in on whatever this fucking guy was up to. 

A few minutes pass, and I see Rory walk over to him, Josh was stood next to her for a minute, but then wandered off. Come on, Josh. How are you leaving her there? 

The way she’s smiling at him, that little lean in when she laughs. He probably thinks he’s won her over. I feel insane watching from a distance, but I force myself to look over to this guy and try to talk with him a little longer. Doing everything in my power to not just fully stare at them while he tells me about where he’s from. 

Out of the corner of my eye, he walks away from her, toward the bar. I don’t love that. I see the bartender hand him a drink, but naturally he’s behind people so I can’t see him until he’s almost back to her. Nodding along to whatever this man is on about, not intentionally ignoring him, I just can’t shake this feeling. 

A few minutes pass, and I feel eyes on me. Turning to check on this dude and Rory’s staring directly at me, but looking away quickly like she was caught. I can see from here the way she’s swaying a little. 

“Hey, excuse me for a second?” I say to the man I’ve been kind of listening to and setting my drink on the table. 

Slowly walking closer to them, I can hear her tell him, “I’ll be right back.” My eyes locked on her as she starts to walk past him, but her legs start to give out. The sound of her drink hitting the ground and glass shattering made the rest of the boys look over. Pushing a chair out of the way, catching her as she starts to fall, holding her against me as I look up at this “man.” 

“What the fuck did you give her?” I snap at him, feeling her go limp in my arm.  

He smirks at me, mumbling, “She must be a light weight.” 

My eyebrows shoot up staring at him, asking, “Do you think I’m fucking dumb?”

“I mean..” he starts, standing in front of me now. “Just wanted her to.. Relax.”

 My heart pounds at the thought but I spit out, “So, you drugged her?” 

“I can take her from here,” he says, reaching his hand out.

Shaking my head a few times, backing up, and letting out, “The fuck you will?” 

“What’s going on?” Josh’s voice finally graces my ears, I look over to him and then glancing down at the now passed out version of Rory. He whispers, “I’ll take her.”  Holding her, he carefully walks out of the bar, heading toward the elevator. 

“So, y’all can share her, but I can’t have her for one night?” the shitty man says, stepping toward me.

Taking his lead, I get closer, tilting my head, “Can we talk about this outside?” 

“What if I say no?” he tries to question, when I see Sam and Dan come out from behind him. Danny’s hand landing on his shoulder, gripping tightly. 

Sam leans close to his ear, “You don’t really have a choice, Big Dog.” 

Walking out a back door, Danny practically throws this guy out the door before him. He stumbles before quickly walking toward me. 

“What the fuck?” he lets out, getting far too close to me. 

I can practically feel his breath on me, and unfortunately, I know what his fate is, but I don’t think that he does. 

“What’s your name?” I calmly ask. 

He shakes his head, “Sawyer? Why do you care?” 

I nod a few times, glancing over at Sam and Danny who are already smiling behind him, so patiently waiting. I laugh out, “Trust me, I don’t give a single shit about you.” 

He finally cracks, his fist balling up my shirt, getting in my face, he spits out, “Then what the fuck are we doing here?”

Knowing what’s about to happen, the grin on my face has to piss him off even more. I tell him, “Well, you think it’s okay to fuck with unwilling women– try me.” 

His arm pulls back, and I see the fist form as it comes racing back at me. Reaching up, and unfortunately for him, I’m faster– grabbing his wrist as it gets closer, holding it still in front of me. Letting out a laugh, glancing over to Sam, I bark out, “Really thought you’d pull that off, huh?” 

My hand drops his arm, and with no hesitation, my other fist makes contact with his jaw. Watching his head whip to the side, stopping for a second before looking back at me, his eyebrows furrowed. 

Stepping toward me, he swings again and misses– but I don’t, this time making direct contact with his nose. It’s a matter of seconds before he’s dripping blood onto his shirt. Not giving him time to recover, swinging on him, but he bats my arm away. Shoving me back against a wall, he attempt to hit me, but I dodged fast enough that his hand makes contact with the brick behind me. He closes in on me, grabbing my shirt again, but this time he tightens up on it enough to make it harder to breathe– he doesn’t need to know that. 

The blood trailing over his mouth now, I can’t stop the smile from growing on my face. He gets one good punch into my stomach, taking whatever breath I had away. Pushing him back, he comes at me with another swing, and it barely grazes my jaw as I watch Danny come up behind him, wrapping his arms around him to pull him back. 

Sam comes over to me quickly, whispering, “You good?” 

“Yeah, I got it,” I mumble back. 

Sawyer grumbles out, “What the fuck is your problem?”

“He already told you. Don’t do that shit, asshole,” Danny tells him. 

I walk toward them, not taking my eyes off of him as I do. My heart pounds as I get closer, something tells me that I shouldn’t be done with him yet. 

“Is she your girlfriend or something?” Sawyer hastily asks. 

Everything went silent after that. The blood pulsing through my veins faster than ever, the ringing in my ears is bordering painful, my jaw clenched tight. Every movement feeling like a blur, as Danny backs away from him and my foot connects with his chest, knocking him back. I stalk him shoving and swinging on him until he finally trips backward, landing on his ass. My foot pushing against his chest until his back hits the pavement, kneeling down over him as his chest struggles to rise with breath. 

I don’t know how many times my fist connected with his face, but the blood from his nose had splattered onto me. Feeling Sam’s hands grab my arms, pulling me off of him. 

“Jake,” he yells. “You did enough.” 

I look down and it’s hard to judge if he’s even conscious. 

“Go inside,” he tells me. “We’ll take care of it.” 

I turn my head far enough for my neck to crack loudly, before looking over at him. Muttering, “No traces left, okay?” 

Knocking on her room’s door, I whisper-yell, “Josh!” 

It takes a minute but he lets me in, carefully shutting it behind us. He mumbles, “She’s still gone.” 

“Shit, alright.” 

I step into her bathroom, turning the water on low, glancing into the mirror. I look like hell right now. Maybe it’s good she’s still out cold. Washing my hands as quickly as I can, watching the remnants of blood circle the drain as I do. 

“I don’t want to leave her alone,” Josh tells me as I walk out into the actual room. He’s sitting on the bed next to her— it looks like her body hasn’t even realized she’s in a bed. 

“Probably for the best,” I whisper back. Moving to the other side of the bed, and sitting in the armchair next to it. “God, what a fucking prick.” I breathe out. 

Josh leans over, looking at her, and giving me a tight-lipped smile. He mumbles, “At least you caught it quickly.” 

My hands wipe over my face, sitting back into the chair. I tell him, “I felt weird about him the entire time.” 

“I didn’t love the vibes I was getting,” he admits. “I even told her that someone was staring.. I didn’t think she’d actually go for it.” 

A sigh leaves my body at the thought, why would she do that? Did she not find him even slightly creepy?  I groan, “She probably already had too much alcohol in her. Did she eat anything today?” 

Josh stares at me blankly, muttering, “Now that you ask.. I don’t think she did.” 

I stand up, sitting next to her on the bed. God, she looks so helpless. A little shiver runs down my spine. Shaking my head to rid the thoughts, gently moving her hair away from her face. I whisper, “Do you want to stay with her?” 

“I can.” 

Standing up, I carefully slide her shoes from her feet. It’s a team effort to get her actually under the covers, but we managed and she didn’t even flinch. Poor thing. 

“Text me when she wakes up,” I tell him. 

He nods, turning the tv on and immediately muting it. Mumbling, “You did the right thing, Jake.” 

I stare at him for a second, my heart racing at the comment, and all I can say is, “I’ll see you in the morning.” 

The sound of the shower felt louder tonight. I stood there in the hot water, as it was just pelting my chest. Making sure to rid of anything that could remind me of what happened earlier. 

At least you saved her. 

Shaking my head, hoping that it helps the thoughts go away. Running the hot water over my face for a moment, trying to soak in the feeling. 

“You did the right thing, Jake.”

Closing my eyes tighter, the anxiety washing over me as I stand here. My heart pounds trying to forget again. It had been a while since this happened. 

I end up sitting on the floor of the shower, the water is still running over me. Tucking my head forward, practically against my knees, and my throat feels tight. I can see her. 

I succumb to the memory, and all I can choke out is, “I’m so sorry.” 

Four

Six

Masterpost

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@justwantjosh

[musingsofahistorymajor]

As of yesterday I have officially been at my job for a whole year!! Woo!!

In honor of this milestone I thought I'd share some fun things from my job at the natural history museum that I've encountered:

Singing the Oscar Meyer jingle for a large group of people because the astronomer has a song about Isaac Newton that goes to that tune but they couldn't remember how the original went. So I ended up singing it myself for them. Twice. From across the hall.

New job title: Dinosaur Handler. We have an puppet/animatronic Dinosaur that we have use during special events and I was trained on how to be a handler for it. AKA make sure the person inside the puppet doesn't walk into a wall and that the public doesn't punch it in the butt.

Met so many fun animal ambassadors from the Wildlife Center like the albino raccoon and the porcupine who both paints and dances and cute turtles and a pack of coyotes and a possum named Tumble

The coyotes all start to howl whenever sirens pass by the museum

I learn so much fun space things from our astronomers just by eavesdropping on their programs. I'm starting to get pretty good at recognizing constellations! Did you know there is a dachshund constellation?

Got yelled at by a guy who said he worked on the skeletal structures of some of our taxidermy animals and he wanted to see them but those are currently being placed inside our new galleries which were still a construction zone at the time and not open to the public yet. He had no appointment. He got furious when we told him he couldn't go in. We had to call the cops on him.

Total Solar Eclipse party in the square. Was SUCH a blast. I had so much fun and the eclipse was INSANE. Won't forget that any time soon.

Giving directions is never boring when you get to say things like "make a right at the sauropod" and "head towards the gems case" and "the bathrooms are near the moon rock".

Having to tell a guest that came in dressed like he just walked out of Game of Thrones, cloak and all, that he couldn't bring his sword in the building, he'd have to leave it in his car.

Being able to take time to sketch the skulls in the display cases around me when it's slow at work is wonderful

I'm already tired of answering the question "is that (insert specimen here) real?" When the plaque next to it says if it is a cast or replica or not

Got asked if that staircase went upstairs.....Where else would it go?

The phone call asking me if he can talk to a paleontologist about "the new species of dinosaur" he found in his backyard. Guys he found a deer skeleton.

The cheeseburger scavenger hunt!

We were given pride lanyards and pins by upper management for pride month and nothing made me feel more safe and happy about where I've chosen to work. The whole staff is full of lbgtq+ people and I love that this museum recognizes it. I had many patrons during Pride Month recognize my lanyard and the line and either flat out say that love it or give me a very knowing smile and visibly relax. Yes, you are safe here!

During the eclipse week I had a lady tell me she was worried because she thought the occultists would use the eclipse to open a portal and unleash hell. Looking at the state of the country now, maybe she was onto something 🤔

Watching creationists in the evolutionary exhibits is....something else.

Little kids and dinosaurs. I love it. They're so cute when they walk in and see the giant haplocanthosaurus greeting them.

One kid called it a "broccli-saurus" 🥦 🦕

The one kid who walked around to each specimen and went "WHOA!" at each one.

The little boy who came up to me and shyly asked if things come to life at night. His mom behind him look like she's trying not to laugh. I leaned down to his height and said in a very conspiratorially voice told him that actually yes and we all play fetch with Balto after work and Happy tells us all goodbye when we leave for the day. He was so excited he ran to his sister and told her "THEY ALL COME TO LIFE AT NIGHT!" It was so adorable.

The little girl who made a kitty cat (her words) at our origami activity station and then went around the whole museum showing every. Started with me, then the stranger behind me, then the taxidermy bald eagle on display, then the giant dinosaur, then my coworker down the hall. It was adorable.

People asking me where a certain specimen is and they are standing right in front of it.

My coworkers are releasing a paper in the next couple of months and I know what it's on and I'm very very excited to read it because even though I know the subject matter they can't tell me the conclusions but I want to know! IT'S VERY EXCITING! I'm excited about their conclusions and I'm excited that they are getting to publish a paper on it!! It's awesome!

Had a guy and his wife leave the museum after an hour and as he left he shouted at me "Any more blood, sweat or DNA you guys need for me to see the things my tax dollars pay for!?" I thought he was joking cause what a ridiculous statement but he was dead serious and left the building telling everyone on his way out how much we charge for everything.

One of my new coworkers who is in charge of all media in the museum used to work on Blues Clues and STEVE VISITED THE MUSEUM WHILE I WAS WORKING!! We were all more excited about his visit than a very famous local sports player who visited like a month earlier. I watched grown ass adults come running downstairs giggling and asking "did he come by here? Where's Steve?" It was amazing.

Every parent who encourages their littles ones to ask me their questions always make my day. Yes little one I would be so happy to answer your question! I had one little girl who was terrified to ask me but her mom was so great with her and I did my best to be as non threatening as possible and we were patient and the little girl came up and asked me if she could have a second hand stamp. To which I was enthusiastically said yes and she was so happy and her mom was so proud of her. It made my day. I've had lots of other kids after that but she'll always stick in my memory

That time I dropped an entire stack of attached blank tickets and it tumbled to the ground in a heap and several patrons came over to help me gather them up. That was so nice of them.

It's surprisingly hard to explain what a planetarium is to someone who has never heard of a planetarium.

And so much more. I honestly really love this job. It's been a blast so far. It's not perfect and I get frustrated with some problems that the whole museum field has but working in a museum is never boring and this is the first place I've worked where I truly see a future for myself. I have options and hope that I can move up into the collections department some day. Hell, two collections managers heard about my experience and degrees and told me they want me to come downstairs when they are accepting volunteers or hiring again.

[quiltofstars]

NGC 7331 (C30, center) and the Deer Lick Group // Ivan Raichev & Rob Calfee

This visual grouping of galaxies is known as the Deer Lick Group (or NGC 7331 Group) and it is just that: a visual grouping. The central, largest galaxy, NGC 7331 aka "the deer", is only about 40 million light years away. Meanwhile "the fleas" are much further away, approximately 300 million light years away.

The name was given by amateur astronomer Tomm Lorenzin in honor of Deer Lick Gap in the mountains of North Carolina where he observed and once had an especially brilliant view of this group of galaxies.

[cannibalismpdf]

hiya this is the on repeat tag game <3 tagged by the wonderful @goddisposez tyyy.

Rules are to shuffle your on repeat playlist and then add the ten first songs that come up!

I see your venus in furs and I raise you my one of your girls.

one of your girls - troye sivan

sinner - the last dinner party

at sea - lord huron

the grants - lana del rey

the love club - lorde

idaho - gorillaz

the astronomer - ghost quartet (the musical)

uulia - nive nielsen & the deer children

guess - charli xcx ft billie eilish

body paint - arctic monkeys

Tagging @avocadoarms @anothera @loverboyfae @reddeyedrabbit @birdsandbeetlesandmoths @fitzjamesbulletwound @brechtian

[sierrawitch]

what are some good ways to worship Gwydion, Arawn and Arianrhod (perhaps Cernunnos too)? i feel a connection to them i just dunno how exactly to worship them? sorry if that's a stupid question

No question is stupid when you’re curious enough to pursue knowledge. I’d like to preface by saying if you’re just starting out on a pagan path, I would recommend connecting with one deity first before establishing relationships with multiple at a time. It’s a very personal process and can take time as well. I liken it to adding a friend to your close circle; you wouldn’t willy nilly add new people to your close circle of friends. You’d spend a lot of quality time with them first to see if they’re right for you. Meditate and reflect on which deity you would like to pursue the most and try starting there.

Now, moving on! Considering that Gwydion, Arawn, and Arianrhod are primarily worshipped in the Welsh tradition, I’m not too familiar with them since I follow a Scottish/Irish path. (I am a bit more familiar with Cernunnos, however.)

Generally speaking, some good ways to worship the gods include daily devotionals, (dedicating some time each day to read and learn about the deity in question), offerings (the deity’s preferred foods, beverages, or other small items), and rituals (performing rituals in the deity’s honor, or performing rituals with their guidance). These are some basic practices, and are not required in any specific order or frequency from the devotee. Deity relationships are very personal. So do what works best for you!

Gwydion is a trickster god, master of magic and poetry. Some personal suggestions for reverence to him include poetry or writing compositions, riddles, singing, or playing an instrument. Other offerings he might enjoy include cold, light foods (like fresh vegetables or cold meats), salt water, flowers, and tree branches. If you’re a natural creative, reach into your artistic talents to find interesting and fun ways to give offerings to Gwydion.

Arawn is king of Annwn, the Otherworld, associated with magic, death, justice, and hunting. Some personal suggestions for reverence to him include meditation on the duality of life and death (and other themes like peace and war, etc), dreamwork, and caring for animal and plant life (pets count too, specifically dogs since Arawn is never without his hounds). Other offerings he might enjoy include deer bones/antlers, wine or other alcohol, game meats, and incense.

Arianrhod is goddess of the cosmos, the sea, fertility, fate, and reincarnation. Some personal suggestions for reverence to her include weaving, knitting, or embroidering, astronomical divination, and poetry composition. Other offerings she might enjoy include silver, feathers, tapestry or other crafts, fruits, grains, and flowers.

Cernunnos is the horned god of flora, fauna, life, wealth, and fertility. Some personal suggestions for reverence include nature crafting, cooking, hunting, caring for animals and plants, and quality time through song, prayer/conversation, or meditation. (For those 18+, he’s a god of fertility. Make of that what you will.) Other offerings he might enjoy include fruits, grains, vegetables or house plants, alcohol, deer bones/antlers, coins, and pinecones and acorns.

I highly recommend reading The Mabinogion if you haven’t already. It’s rich with Welsh folktales and has additional information on deities, heroes, culture, and traditions of medieval Wales.

[phoenixfire-thewizardgoddess]

Had a funny though about the cannibal children and felt sad at the though of never seeing a tiny red deer child cannibal but also wanted to respect Alastor's Asexuality.

Baxter is reputed to be a scientist in hell for.. I'm guessing maybe crimes against nature? But more like doing things because he can whilst not thinking if he should?

So he gets his hands on Angel feathers, specifically rare shiny red ones sourced from the dumpster behind Hazbin Hotel.

Now the working theory is that Baxter works for Vox and Vox is a obsessive freak with a shrine to Alastor which probably has suspiciously sourced strands of hair on the altar...

So Baxter with minimum supervision, a Voxtek budget (to buy Exorcist blood by the vat from cannibal town at astronomical prices) and his overlord too distracted to keep a close eye on what he's doing in the lab...

Angel Dust spots the lab grown baby and assumes the worst of the Vee's (Nope, Vox was just too busy, Baxter was left unsupervised, Valentino and Velvette though it was funny af) telling the hotel, Alastor goes on a rampage.

The misunderstanding is corrected, Alastor (Who now has even more feelings to parse on top of his growing fondness for the Hazbin misfits and his deal situation) returns to the hotel with baby because like hell he's leaving his child with Vox, the man perpetually lives like a eternal bachelor in his neon lit sweaty gamer boy mancave and eats like a broke college student.

Then you have Alastor and Lucifer (who is his typical asshole to sinners self), they still absolutely hate each other but are determined to co-parent (Alastor threatening to sue for child support live on radio if Lucifer tries to be a deadbeat) and it's hilarious to watch.

Then there's Lilith, newly back from heaven, who's slightly out of the loop and now faced with a midlife crisis of supposedly having driven her ex-husband into the arms of the (homewrecking whore who obviously did it to get back at her for chaining him) Radio Demon of all people.

Alastor would be enjoying the drama if he weren't at the center of it.

Chaotic, 10/10

[cuckoo-on-a-string]

Promises Five: The Hunt

Dark!Morpheus x (female)reader, fantasy/medieval AU, 18+

Master List

Dream of the Endless had been promised a bride.

A/N: I'll offer song recs to folks who are interested in asks! Still dealing with some mental health issues, but pushing through. HOLY SHIT THE NEXT CHAPTER. 0,0 Liking is sweet, commenting is divine. Talk to the lonely hermit, people. Her dog is tired of her shit.

The hounds sang after the hinds, and their masters followed them under the trees.

In the distance, the high castle sat like a toy house from which all the dolls had escaped, spreading their games and pageantry through the forest with bells and horns to warn away the deer and fox. Huntsmen released other deer, fox, and fowl from prearranged cages out of sight of the king and his swarm of courtiers, so the dolls could play pretend at feats of skill.

The bard kept to the back, holding a tight rein on her grey mare – who didn’t understand why she couldn’t stop and graze if the bard insisted on moving so slowly – in the company of the ladies Alder. Eilwyn, who’d visited the bard’s chamber two nights past, glimmered and glowed, illuminated like a piece of art in the dappled sunlight and the eyes of a few dozen would-be suitors. Officially, no one could pay court until the Endless had his pick. Unofficially, Eilwyn had received six declarations of love, five bad poems about her eyes, one good poem about her hair, and an uninspired puzzle box containing a gaudy necklace without a single gem of value.

Eilwyn loved it all, of course.

But as the younger woman amused herself snaring hearts for her collection, the bard conversed with the Dowager Alder, Eilwyn’s grandmother.

“The city lights are unbearable,” the elder Alder insisted. “My eyes are bad enough as it is, but when every street and tavern glows like the moon, I can hardly make out the planets with my telescope, let alone the fainter stars. With the travel time, I’ll lose whole weeks of work, and gods know if I’ll be alive to note my calculations this time next year.”

Manly shouts and howling dogs suggested something ahead had died, or was about to. The bard wondered how many of these fools in their fine furs would discover the material cost of bloodsport when they couldn’t scrub the stains from their velvets in the morning.

“You say that every year.”

The Elder Alder, on her aged palfrey, squinted at the green canopy shielding her beloved sky and tutted.

“And one year I’ll be right, like I always am in the end.”

The woman was an astronomer, a mathematical magician, and the idea of death hadn’t scared her since the bard first met her as a young maid. The wheel of the heavens moved before her, and it would move after, and that was well enough if she could just understand the damn thing before she shuffled off this mortal coil. She’d written books, and papers, and more books, and the bard wondered if Death would really hold off until the universe held no more mysteries. It wouldn’t be the first time.

“Of course, Lady Alder.”

Arthritis had long-since gnarled the lady’s hands, and they twisted over the saddle pommel and a hank of her horse’s main like knobby cypress knees, straining with the roll and sway of her palfrey’s gait.

“How far is the damned camp?”

Another lady – one of the fools hoping to wed her daughter to the Endless riding very far ahead near the king – seized the reins of her precious child’s horse and passed the odd trio. She did not look to the side. She did not look at anything. She lifted her nose far too high. And she nearly trotted over her own servants in passing.

The bard waved, and the daughter gawked with wide eyes as she was spirited away from poor influences and dangerous words. Really, any damage was already done, and fleeing the scene of battle only showed weakness. What kind of lesson would the girl really learn besides the fact that her mother enjoyed making a spectacle of her piety? Parents really had the strangest ideas about children.

“Grandmother!” Eilwyn exclaimed, clearly delighted.

The bard, equally delighted, couldn’t help herself. “Such language from so fair a lady. Shocking.”

The Dowager shifted in her saddle, face puckered in discomfort. “Hush, the both of you.”

Oh, if only she could. She laughed to imagine how much pain and trouble might’ve been saved. And how many adventures missed. They never would’ve been friends at all if the bard kept her own counsel.

“You expect a bard to hold her tongue?”

“The sun will freeze first.” The Dowager made a point of staring down her granddaughter, though, and her granddaughter made a point of smiling very prettily in reply. A lord several lengths ahead called for Lady Eilwyn’s attention, and she brokered an armistice by riding out of her grandmother’s line of sight entirely, leaving the two old companions to fight their own wars.

“My old bones are not made for riding.”

A jolt of pity seared the bard’s belly like the pain after eating a rotten fish. She’d rather purge it and be done, but the prickling discomfort would only grow with age. There was no course but to swallow it down and imagine it hurt much less than it would in time.

“Why didn’t you take the coach then? It could’ve brought you in comfort.”

Swollen knuckles flexing, the lady scoffed. “With the rest of the invalids? Don’t insult me.”

“But it’s so much fun, old friend.”

“Old,” Lady Alder muttered. “Yes. I am that.”

The bard shifted in her own saddle, wondering if she could stomach any of the inevitable banquet awaiting them.

“That wasn’t the word I’d hoped you’d echo.”

An eye sharper than any hawk’s pinned her from the side, and she felt like a child caught sulking. “If you need reassurance as to that, then you are not half so clever as you make yourself out to be.”

She seized on the opportunity for levity and smiled with all her teeth. “You’ve known me for a fool many years, have you not?”

“Aye, but a clever one.” The lady considered. “Most days.”

“Such praise you give me.”

“You fished for it so often the lake is empty.”

“Unfair but not untrue.”

The lady hummed her affirmation, welcoming in a moment of calm as they road in the wake of the hunt’s chaos.

Ahead, those most eager to prove themselves brought down smaller prey on their way to the day’s camp. Once all had a chance to refresh themselves with wine as their horses grazed, most would sally out again in the name of dead beasts. Dusk would bring them back, and they’d spend the night drinking, feasting, and debauching one another just outside the safe ring of torchlight, pretending to be very daring and wild for fucking someone in a bush.  A bit more hunting in the morning for those who could still sit straight in the saddle, and then all would return bloody and victorious to the castle.

The bard struggled to understand those who found the prospect of a royal hunt… thrilling. None worried to go home hungry, and the creatures they met in the wood came hobbled, with teeth filed and tusks blunted.

Rushing down a winding stair risked greater peril.

Bored by the day’s excitement, she let her thoughts spin out in wider and wider passes, circling the crux of the drama.

What did the King of Dreams dream of?

Revenge, she suspected. Vengeance on the king that may boil over on the land he ruled, and she must guide her favorites out of the flood’s path. Those practical answers satisfied the part of her that always craved a direction, a purpose, the next challenge to conquer, but the Dream King’s retribution sat like a wax seal over a longer letter. She would very much like to read that letter, even if it was dangerous, and unwise, and entirely reckless.

The Prince of Stories must have depths unfathomable, millennia upon eon of secrets and experiences carved into his bones. She wanted to dismiss her curiosity as nothing but interest in a vision of her future. Would she be like him in another thousand years? No. She’d still be human, and he was Endless. All the lifetimes of the Earth couldn’t teach her to understand one such as him.

But that didn’t mean she had no desire to try.

From farther up the line, a runner came jogging, peering up at the faces of the mounted company. He looked from one to another, seeking the right address to receive his message. The bard paused, recognizing the Everard house colors on servant’s tabard. Her horse stamped, whickering around the bit as her rider leaned out of the saddle to catch the young man’s eye. He saw her and darted to her side quick as an arrow.

“Is all well?” the bard asked.

“My lady Alis Everard and my lord Tomas Everard request you ride with them.”

The bard looked to Lady Alder. She hardly needed her friend’s permission, and none of the Alders were the sort to cherish grudges over perceived slights. But the bard didn’t want to leave her to ride alone, either. She needed good conversation and someone who cared enough to notice if she swayed on her horse.

“Oh, go tend to your nervous foal.” Lady Alder waved her off. “My own proud filly will see you pass and return to keep me amused. We favor different arts, but she has a sharp enough eye to see trouble riding by.”

“Thank you.” The bard pulled out of the column of riders, careful to avoid the servant at her side. “I’ll see you at the camp.”

Whatever Lady Alder replied was lost to the wind. Finally given her head, the bard’s mare leapt into a canter, her hooves thumping a second heartbeat that rattled up and through her rider. Old loam and the sharp green scent of freshly broken twigs gathered around her like a cloak as she moved just left of the path, removed from the rock and dust of the road.

The bard knew what colors to look for, and she let all definition blur as she moved past lords, ladies, knights, and their scores of attendants. They all looked so strange and out of place in the tunnel of green woods, dressed to stand out in a part of the world where blending in more often preserved life.

Near the front of the cavalcade, she found the Everards. Alis stared with wide eyes as the bard pulled even with her, mare prancing and snorting in frustration as her run came to an end. Her dramatic entrance pulled other eyes, and the king – only a few riders ahead – glanced back with frustrated disgust. Perhaps she should apologize that she wasn’t a stag. For all of the ruckus she’d heard from afar, she saw precious few carcasses dangling from the hunters’ belts.

“Thank you for coming in such haste,” Lord Everard said. Stifled amusement plucked at his lips, trying to lift them into a broad, laughing gale. It would be bad manners to laugh too loudly too near the king over a jest to which he wasn’t party, but Everard clearly struggled.

She answered with the grin he’d tried to school away. “Best way to travel. Now, what is the matter?”

Lord Everard gestured to his daughter, and she in turn tried to sink into the mud of the forest track. She hunched low, like she could melt into her boots. Her complexion had gone pale, despite the flush of embarrassment creeping up her neck, and her gloves creaked as her dainty hands squeezed into fists. The bard let the merriment fade, looking and listening beyond the girl’s silence.

Alis’s doe eyes flicked towards the shadow who rode beside her king, and the bard understood.

Dream of the Endless wore his customary black, with the blood-red ruby shining on his breast like a heart he’d ripped from his prey. His nightmare mount had teeth where it ought to have eyes, and it laughed with a man’s voice. He carried a raven on his shoulder rather than a hawk on his glove, and anyone who hadn’t met his sister may mistake him for an aspect of Death. Or something worse, perhaps.

Lord of Nightmares indeed.

“He frightens me,” Alis whispered, leaning close. “I’ve had nothing but bad dreams since I came to the castle.”

As she should. A glance at her father confirmed he thought the same. Just because he’d been forced to bring his child to this storm didn’t mean he didn’t fear the lightning. He had too much sense for this farce and too big a heart to let the girl suffer. If his wife were not busy running the estate, she’d be here to shelter and comfort their little girl, but in her absence, he must ask the bard to fill the role, and she gladly pulled Alis’s attention from bad dreams to simpler truths.

“And you’ve never had a nightmare before?” She didn’t chide. She reminded. Even in the security of her own bed in her own home, the girl had touched the darker shores of the Dreaming. Its king would not reach out to swallow her now, even though he prowled so near in the Waking. “Alis, believe me, you are safe.”

Alis pulled her spine straight, taking a deep, intentional breath that shuddered on the way in and trembled on the way out.

“Do you promise?”

“I promise that if I’m wrong, I’ll find a convenient sword to fall on, and you can say you told me so. Does that make you feel better?”

“A little.” Realizing what she’d said, Alis blanched and rushed to add, “But only because I know you’d come back!”

This time her father did laugh, and the bard reached to reassure her with an honest to gods giggle, when chaos erupted at the front. The king and his companions came to a dead stop, and without warning or order, those who rode behind struggled to halt in time. Rearing horses and shouts of alarm rolled down the line like a breaker, and in the wave of confusion that followed, the bard once again left the road to circle forward.

They’d reached the camp.

A glory of golden stitching over swaths of emerald, the vast tents might cover an entire town, and smoke rising with the smells of rosemary and stewed venison hinted at the delights within.

The display paled behind the entity waiting at the edge of the woods, however.

Golden eyes like licks of flame from the sun’s heart smiled over ruby lips. Welcoming and menacing and all-too pleased with themselves.

Power perfumed the air, like honeysuckle and ambergris, clashing with the winter-cold snap of Dream’s clear displeasure. The King of Dreams had lost the veneer of humanity, and he set himself against the intruder like the deepest hour of the night resisting the dawn.

Few creatures could stand up to the king’s guest. Even fewer commanded the presence of function beyond personification. The bard did not know who the stranger was, but she knew what they were.

Another fucking Endless.

Every inch screamed of passion, romance, obsession. Golden hair and loose-fit silks that flowed like water into a garment that was neither tunic nor gown inspired sensual curiosities. They rode a unicorn, a bay mount with cloven hooves, a lion’s tail, and a goat’s beard. The russet horn glinted with flecks of gold, like treasure winking through a smear of blood.

The King of Dreams sneered, lip curling as he shared a frigid greeting.

“Sibling.”

The Endless in their path laughed, bright as bells and smooth brandy. It sounded to the bard’s ears like trouble. “I hope you don’t mind if I join in your hunt. Big brother.”

[zaolat]

OC Deep Dive: Domenica Gallo

what common/uncommon fear do they have?

Domenica has Existential Thanatophobia - that is, an intense fear of ceasing to exist after death. She has already died, technically, so she isn't necessarily afraid to die, and she knows that souls exist, and she has passing knowledge of things such as Wraiths - but she knows there are ways that the soul can cease to exist or be obliterated entirely. Namely, diablerie. This translates into an intense fear and abhorrence of diablerie, and she cannot fathom why some subsects of her clan practice it from sire to childe (especially since she is close with her own sire).

do they have any pet peeves?

It is not relevant to most Kindred/Cainites but it is a pet peeve of hers that carries over from her time as a mortal. SEASON. YOUR. FOOD. She is southern Italian and Mediterranean judgement is eternal.

what are 3 items you can find in their bedroom?

Domenica keeps her true valuables down to a few things she can easily grab in case she and her sire have to move on short notice due to danger. But there are a few things that are always consistent. Namely her grandmother's rosary, a book written completely in Enochian that was given to her by her sire, and usually at least one cat curled up sleeping on the bed.

what do they notice first in a person?

Body language is key to her - how someone is standing, whether they're relaxed or nervous, their expression, whether they're observing their surroundings, whether they're observing her. Not only is this key to Domenica's own survival as an Autarkis Salubri, but it also tells her how she should interact with people if she's speaking with them one-on-one.

on a scale of 1 to 10, how high is their pain tolerance?

Honestly, she wasn't that experienced with pain during her mortal life, and she's Healer caste, not a Warrior or Watcher. Early on it's rather low, at a 3/10, but will increase as she gets older and encounters more hardships. Theoretically she can heal her own wounds and never has to deal with pain for that long, but she is overly concerned with others over herself.

do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure? (or freeze and fawn)

Domenica is in danger the most from other Kindred, so her instinct is to fawn and convince them she's not a threat or that she's useful. If that doesn't work it's a toss up as to what she'll do: fight or flight.

what animal represents them best?

A deer. Prey to most, and good hunting for those looking for a target. But she's not a doe, she's a stag. And G-d forbid you mess with her herd, because those horns are sharp.

how would a stranger likely describe them?

A demure young woman with kind eyes, a shy smile, skin freckled light the night sky, and black curls falling out of her bandana who looks like she wants to just disappear into the crowd.

do they have any hobbies?

She's a stargazer, you better believe she's pulling her sire outside for every meteor shower or lunar eclipse or other astronomical event and she knows all the intricate details about why exactly said event is happening, with hand drawn charts and equations that he definitely doesn't understand because he's several thousand years old and hasn't taken Calculus 4 and graduate level physics in university. Besides that she is also a casual video game enjoyer and sews!

I was tagged by @kavalyera! THANK YOU SO MUCH THIS WAS SOOO MUCH FUN TO DO!!! I got to ramble about my girl!!! I have such brainworms about her and she is sooo self indulgent <3

Most of my vtm mutuals have already been tagged and I'm always too shy to tag people anyway sooo 🫵 YOU'RE TAGGED! If you've done this already and want to do it again here's your excuse! And if you're a non-vtm mutual or follower who wants to yell about your oc GO AHEAD! Consider yourself tagged!

[greenwitchcrafts]

December 2024 Witch Guide

New Moon: December 1st & December 30th

First Quarter: December 8th

Full moon: December 15th

Last Quarter: December 22nd

Sabbats: Yule: December 21st-January 1st

December Cold Moon

Also known as: Aerra Geola, Drift Clearing Moon, Frost Exploding Trees Moon, Heilagmanoth, Hoar Frost Moon, Little Spirit Moon, Long Night's Moon, Moon of Popping Trees, Moon Before Yule, Moon When the Dear Shed their Antlers, Oak Moon, Snow Moon, Winter Maker Moon, Wintermonat & Wolf Moon

Element: Fire

Zodiac: Sagittarius & Capricorn

Nature spirts: Snow Faeries, Storm Faeries & Winter Tree Faeries

Deities: Athena, Fates, Hades, Hathor, Hecate, Ixchel, Minerva, Neith, Norns, Osiris & Persephone

Animals: Bear, deer, horse & mouse

Birds: Robin, rook & snowy owl

Trees:  Cedar, evergreen, fir, holly & pine

Herbs: Bay, cinnamon, English ivy, frankincense, mistletoe, myrrh & sage

Flowers: Chamomile & poinsettia

Scents: Cedar, cinnamon, frankincense, ginger, lilac, myrrh, nutmeg, patchouli, pine, rose geranium, rosemary, saffron, violet & evergreen

Stones:  Aquamarine, bloodstone, cat's eye, garnet, jacinth, obsidian, peridot, ruby, serpentine, topaz, turquoise

Issues, intentions & powers: Dedication, devotion, love, peace, prosperity & strength

Energy: Alchemy, darkness, endurance, death&rebirth, higher education, reaching out to others, religious, spiritual paths, travel & truths

This full Moon has also been called the Long Night Moon (Mohican), as it rises during the “longest” nights of the year, near the December winter solstice. This name is doubly fitting because December’s full Moon shines above the horizon for a more extended period than most full Moons.

• This December is unique because there will be TWO new Moons. This is called a Black Moon.

A Black Moon is a special kind of New Moon, just as a Blue Moon is a special kind of Full Moon. Neither are astronomical terms; both are catch phrases for an unusual lunar calendar occurrence. For this reason, the definition of a Black Moon can vary and may refer to:

-The second new Moon in a month. This is the definition of Black Moon that’s used most often & it’s the most common. It occurs once every 29 months.

 -The third new Moon in a season of four New Moons. Every season (spring, summer, fall, winter) has 3 months & 3 new Moons. However, occasionally (every 33 months), there is a season with 4 new Moons. In this case, the third New Moon is called a Black Moon.   

-When there are NO new Moons in a month. This can only happen in February since it’s the only calendar month that is shorter (28 days) than the lunar month. When there is not a new Moon in February, there will be two new Moons for both January & March. It’s a rare occurrence (every 19 years or so) and the next one isn’t until 2033.

Yule

Known as: Alban Arthan & Winter Solstice

Season: Winter

Element: Earth

Symbols: Baskets of clove studded fruit, decorated evergreen trees, evergreen boughs, gifts, gold pillar candles, holly, mistletoe, poinsettias, wreaths & Yule logs

Colors: Gold, green, orange, red, silver, white & yellow

Oils/Incense: Bayberry, cedar, cinnamon, frankincense, myrrh & pine

Animals: Bear, boar, deer, pig, squirrel & tiger

Birds: Eagle, goose, kingfisher, lapwing, robin & wren

Stones: Alexandrite, bloodstone, blue topaz, cat's eye, citrine, clear quartz, diamond, emerald, garnet, green tourmaline, jet, kunzite, pearls & ruby

Angel: Auriel

Food: Caraway cakes, cookies, eggnog, fruits, gingerbread, ginger tea, nuts, pork, spiced cider, roasted boar, roasted chicken, turkey & wassail

Herbs/Plants: Bay, bayberry, blessed thistle, cedar, cinnamon, evergreen, frankincense, holly, ginger, ivy, juniper, mistletoe, moss, myrrh, oak, pine, rosemary, sage, valerian & yellow cedar

Flowers:  Chamomile & yarrow

Trees: Birch, cedar, chestnut, fir, holly, juniper, oak, pine & yew

Goddesses: Alcyone, Aphrodite, Ameratasu, Bona Dea, Brighid, Cailleach Bheur, Demeter, Diana, Fortuna, Frau Holle, Frau Perchta, Frigga, Gaia, Great Mother, Kolyada, La Befana, Idunn, Isis, maat & Tiamat

Gods: Apollo, Attis, Baldur, Bragi, Devak, Dionysus, Divine Child, Green man, Janus, Hel, Helios, Holly King, Horned One, Horus,  Lord of Misrule, Lugh, Mabon, Marduk, Mithras, Oak King, Odin, Ra, Saturn & Surya

Spellwork: Earth magick, happiness, harmony, love & peace

Issues, Intentions & Powers: Darkness, divination, light, messages/omens, purification, rebirth, renewal & transformation

Activities:

• Set up & decorate a Yule altar

• Clean, organize & cleanse before decorating your home

• Make witch’s balls to hang on your tree (protective & pretty!)

• Decorate & bless & Yule tree

• Stay awake until dawn to observe the cycles of nature

• Give gifts to your family & friends

• Donate your time or helpful items to charity

• Collect snow for winter/ snow magic

• Go caroling

• Hang mistletoe in your doorways

• Make Wassail

• Prepare a Yule Log

• Host a Yule feast

• Craft your own decorative wreath or garlands with oranges, cinnamon & pine

• Decorate your house with Yule colored candles

• Welcome the Sun

• Go on nature walks & leave offerings to nature

• Meditate & reflect on the passing year

“Yule” comes from Old English geol, which shares a history with the equivalent word from Old Norse, jól. Both these words referred to a midwinter festival centered around the winter solstice, which traditionally marked the halfway point of the winter season. After the solstice—the shortest day of the year—the days again begin to grow longer, so it’s thought that Yule was a celebration of the re-appearance of the Sun &the fertile land’s rebirth. 

• The celebration of Yule is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world. Ancient people were hunters & spent most of their time outdoors. The seasons & weather played a significant part in their lives. The customs & traditions associated with it vary widely. Scholars have connected the original celebrations of Yule to the Wild Hunt, the god Odin & the heathen Anglo-Saxon Mōdraniht (“Mothers’ Night”)

• Some believe it marks the rebirth of the Sun (the God) from the Earth (the Goddess) & the cold days of winter will soon begin to wane. The Goddess is seen in her virgin Maiden aspect

In towns and cities throughout Sweden during the Christmas season, large goats are constructed out of straw. It is thought that the tradition originated in ancient times, perhaps as a tribute to the god Thor, who was said to ride in a chariot pulled by goats. In Sweden the goat came to be associated with the Christmas celebration & the Yule goat is now considered by many to be a companion or counterpart to Santa Claus.

This connects to ancient proto-Slavic beliefs where the Koliada (Yule) festival honors the god of the fertile sun & the harvest. This god, Devac (also known as Dazbog or Dažbog), was represented by a white goat. Consequently the Koliada festivals always had a person dressed as a goat, often demanding offerings in the form of presents. A man-sized goat figure is known from 11th-century remembrances of Childermas, where it was led by a man dressed as Saint Nicholas, symbolizing his control over the Devil.

Related festivals:

•Christmas- December 25th:

An annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ as the son of God. For Christians, believing that God came into the world in the form of man to atone for the sins of humanity rather than knowing Jesus's exact birth date is considered to be the primary purpose of celebrating Christmas.

Hanukkah-December 25-January 2nd:

 A Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem & subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE.

Hanukkah is observed for eight nights & days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar. The festival is observed by lighting the candles of a candelabrum with nine branches, commonly called a menorah or hanukkiah. 

Kwanzaa-December 26th-January 1st:

An annual celebration of African-American culture, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually on the sixth day. It was created by activist Maulana Karenga, based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of West & Southeast Africa. Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966. 

A Kwanzaa ceremony may include drumming and musical selections, libations, a reading of the African Pledge & the Principles of Blackness, reflection on the Pan-African colors, a discussion of the African principle of the day or a chapter in African history, a candle-lighting ritual, artistic performance & finally, a feast of faith (Karamu Ya Imani).

Saturnalia- December 17-23rd:

An ancient Roman festival and holiday in honour of the god Saturn, The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn, in the Roman Forum & a public banquet, followed by private gift-giving, continual partying & a carnival atmosphere that overturned Roman social norms: gambling was permitted & masters provided table service for their slaves as it was seen as a time of liberty for both slaves & freedmen alike.

 A common custom was the election of a “King of the Saturnalia”, who gave orders to people, which were followed & presided over the merrymaking. The gifts exchanged were usually gag gifts or small figurines made of wax or pottery known as sigillaria. The poet Catullus called it “the best of days”.

Other celebrations:

Feast of Epona- December 18th:

Eponalia is the feast day of Gaulish Goddess Epona, the Divine Mare & in the time of the Roman Empire

Epona is known to be one of a very few Gaulish deities whose names were spread to the rest of the Roman Empire. This seems to have happened because Roman cavalry units stationed in Gaul followed her & adopted her as their Patroness. This may have started because many of the cavalry troops were conscripted from Gaul as they were superb horsemen. From Gaul the Romans took Epona with them including to Rome where She was given her own feast day on the 18 December. They worshipped her as Epona Augusta or Epona Regina & invoked her on behalf of the Emperor. She even had a shrine in the barracks of the Imperial Bodyguard.

Hunting of the Wren-December 26th:

A traditional custom carried out on the Isle of Man on  St. Stephen’s Day. It consists of groups of people going around villages and towns singing and dancing a traditional song and dance around a decorated wren pole.

The earliest and most common folklore story accounting for the origin of hunt the wren tells of a fairy/enchantress/witch whose beauty lures the men of the Isle of Man to harm, for which she is chased and is changed into the form of a wren. It is therefore in punishment for her actions that the wren is hunted on St. Stephen’s Day

Sources:

Farmersalmanac .com

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

Wikipedia

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

Encyclopedia britannica

Llewellyn 2024 magical almanac Practical magic for everyday living

[kociamieta]

what are tfb's thoughts on rain deer (because the antenna.) also what are all of the iterators thoughts on scavs

she finds their behavior interesting! they're fun to observe - how their "hierarchy" affects the interactions between the deer, and how they interact with other creatures as well. if it was physically possible, i think she'd like to meet one.

as for the scavs-

HS wishes they'd leave his facilities alone, or at least use the equipment properly, haha. until we get a scav astronomer he's just annoyed by them.

BROS finds them amusing at times - scavs are quite lively and seem to at least grasp the concept of the medical equipment they find around their structure.

SDA does their best to keep them out, as scavs mess up the order they're used to, and don't "respect" what the ancients left behind. not a fan

TFB sees them as some of the most interesting creatures, with how complex their social behavior is and how well they seem to fare in this world! she believes they might be the next big civilization, and has attempted to interact with them, to little avail for now.

[thekenobee]

Deerest Friend

You have got me

You reblogged something about Hermann Gottlieb and I’ve spent the last three days in a German chaos scientists spiral

So which Burn Gorman role should I be totally normal about next?

(I hope your Xmas was ok and you found things to enjoy and so on <3)

My DEER FRIEND! I'm trying not to hyperventilate whilst answering this lovely ask, that's what a particular German Scientist does to me, you see! I managed to survive Christmas, thank you for asking (Burn content kept me alive)!! Hope you had a wonderful time<3

*takes a breath* OKAY

1. AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (2015)

Detective William Blore

Dear Burn plays a shady copper (which gives so many Thursday vibes, you'll love) and tho he's not the main character he steals EVERY SCENE he's in, he also nailed the working class accent, it's DELIGHTFUL.

Look at his tiny glued moustache

or his little hat

What's more, the whole cast is MAGNIFICENT and the acting is SUPERB. There's Aidan Turner, Charles Dance, Burn, Toby Stephens, Sam Neill!

There's also a reference to Cabin Pressure (you'll know it when you see it!) :>

And it's on YT in HD for free!!

2. TURN: WASHINGTON'S SPIES

Major Edmund Hewlett

I have no words to describe Edmund Hewlett, his character development is the best thing that ever happened on the telly, he ended up being my favourite character even when I least expected it.

Some call him Oyster Major(derogatory) because he's guarding the Oyster Bay and not fighting on the front lines but we call him Oyster Major (affectionate)

Look at this bean

Look at this shy little bean

There are times when he doesn't wear a wig and has such soft hair and fandom LOVES IT

Really, if I loved him less, I might be able to talk about it more coherently, he's a phenomenon you have to discover on your own. You won't regret it! I'll send you the link to the series later!

3. The Expanse (season 4)

Adolphus Murtry

I have already said this, but The Expanse is probably the best sci-fi show I've ever seen. (I remember watching season 3 in one DAY It was Hella unhealthy but so worth it. There were legit moments where I actually forgot i wasn't watching 0 gravity footage but a sci fi show, its absolutely Amazing)

If you decide to watch the whole series it would be GREAT but if you're super excited to see Burn, he appears in season 4. He's that bad guy you love to hate, and he definitely ATE SO WELL

4. HALO (TV series)

Vinsher Grath

I need to say this- he's the only good thing, apart from the design, about this series. He's serving an astronomical amount of cunt even though he's in like 4 episodes in total, look at him-

(he then extinguishes that cigar in his fucking pool)

I really hope I was coherent enough for you to make some sense of it - I'm beginning my journey with BURNVERSE and I will keep thee updated on new content!

I missed you my deerest friend<3

[atmilliways]

Wrong On The Money (19)

part 19 of ?? | 1018 words | Teen+

Blackmail fic on Ao3 | on tumblr

Summary:

He looks up from jamming a rag into a Molotov cocktail, both startled and completely unsurprised to see Eddie standing there. From the drawn look on his face, it must be time for Steve to finish that conversation from the woods.

I took a posting break on Sunday, but here's slightly more words than usual to make up for it.

19.

“Steve, a word in the RV?”

He looks up from jamming a rag into a Molotov cocktail, both startled and completely unsurprised to see Eddie standing there. From the drawn look on his face, it must be time for Steve to finish that conversation from the woods.

His eyes slide over to Robin. “You mind finishing these?”

She shoots him a flat look. “Oh, no, whatever will I do without your strong and manly assistance with these last two bottles?”

“Suffer?” Steve suggests brightly, and slaps both hands on his knees to lever himself up. The bites on his torso ache still, a constant background throb even after redressing them with a field kit from the War Zone. He waves towards the RV. “Lead the way, Munson.”

Following Eddie up the steps, he doesn't comment on the fact that Eddie’s boxers are riding up while his jeans, supported by barely any ass at all, are riding down. That would make it too obvious that he’s been looking. Noticing it a while ago while the guy was play-wrestling with Dustin doesn’t exactly help his case there.

Eddie’s energy is . . . strange, for him. He’s always a little restless, messing with his hair or fidgeting with his rings. But now there’s an unfamiliar, almost pained pinch to his mouth now, and the degree of fidgeting is astronomically high. Even for the guy who Steve once witnessed get detention for dropping his pencil too many times during a five question pop quiz.

As soon as the door shits behind them, Eddie wheels around and launches straight into it. “Why the fuck did you pay me, Steve?”

Those deep brown eyes settle on him, trying to bore into him to get at the truth by sheer force of will. Steve still has yet to decide for sure if he wants Eddie to look at him, but it’s happening now and it’s making his breath catch in his throat. (Even though he's pretty sure Eddie hates him on principle.) He fixes his own gaze on Eddie’s hands, twitching in agitation at his sides.

“I know it’s not because you didn’t want me to tell Robin where I saw you,” Eddie continues, “or because you had the money to throw around. So why?”

Steve frowns at the second part. “Who told you that?”

“Dustin said your dad cut you off a while ago. And some of the other kids confirmed when I asked.” Eddie’s hands flex, fingers curling hard into his palm. If there were more light in here, his rings would glitter in it; Steve’s never seen that before, because they’ve almost always met each other at night. “Answer the fucking question.”

“Alright.” Steve crosses his arms across his chest, which pulls at his injuries, but not so much that he can’t ignore it. “Dustin told me about your uncle being sick.”

“He. . . . He what?”

Steve meets Eddie’s shocked deer-in-the-headlights stare (fucking Bambi eyes that make him feel rooted where he stands) and shrugs. “Told you he’s a butthead. But, uh . . . yeah, he was all upset when he first found out, because he kinda lost his dad the same way.”

“You—” And there Eddie's hands go, flying up to his hair, one on top of his head as if to keep it from popping off and the other twisting into a clump of it. “You knew about that? This whole time?!”

Despite not having anything to hide, nothing he’s ashamed of in this, Steve’s first instinct is still to backpedal. Something about seeing Eddie all doe-eyed and squeaky and . . . he looks like he feels bad.

“Yeah?” Steve ventures, running a hand through his own hair, and worries a corner of his lip with his teeth. “Look, I know you don’t have any reason to like the guy I was in high school, and I’m not asking you to. The bottom line is that it’s shit I’m trying to make up for now, and I knew you weren’t blackmailing me just to be a dick, so . . . yeah, I just sort of went with it.”

Eddie makes a sound of objection, but otherwise doesn’t interrupt. 

“I gave you money. I helped somebody not die—" Steve ticks them off on his fingers as he goes "—and didn't even get another concussion doing it, which is a new personal record. Oh, and I figured out how to make ends meet. Which is something I really need to know, considering my job prospects since I didn’t go to college. Mutual, uh. . . .” Steve frowns, shrugs. “We both got something out of it. It’s not that big a deal.”

And the thing is, he means it. He walked into this knowing what he was getting into, accepting it right from the start.

They stare at each other for a long moment before Eddie shakes his head in disbelief and leans back against the kitchenette table like it’s a stool.

“You’re something else, Harrington,” he mutters, rubbing both hands over his face. “I can’t believe you’re a good dude, it flies in the face of everything I believe . . . and fucking yet.” Sighing, he peeks over the tips of his fingers with big, expressive eyes that, for once, aren’t glaring or squinting at Steve suspiciously.

The warmth creeps up into Steve’s face. It’s not exactly a standing ovation, but Eddie Munson isn’t known for doling out praise to jocks. 

It’s been a long day, and they’re in for an even longer night. There isn’t much time to process what’s happening. But he takes exactly one step forward, no plan in mind, only knowing that while Eddie isn’t looking he can move again—

“Steve,” Robin yells, with a bang on the side of the RV. “Your kids were playing with sharp spear-knives and had an accident, bring band aids stat!”

Sighing, he redirects to grab the first aid kit. When Eddie drags his hands down to open his eyes again, Steve offers a rueful half-smile. “We’ll finish this up after?”

He doesn’t actually wait for an answer, but it doesn’t look like Eddie has anything lined up to say, the way his jaw drops.