#Solstice 23

[l-u-c-i-i-e]

Just before leaving to start my devotions of the week of the solstice. A bulk of soil, tobacco, lavender honey from the village next door, apples, Viennese bread, olibanum resin,… Several bags, all too small, never enough bags in fact.

Along the way, I notice that the Great Mother is now well seated in front of the office of a psychiatrist and that of a hypnotherapist. (After having been in front of a jeweler, then that of a beauty salon, hahaha.)

Then finally, it is clear that there are never enough apples. (In France we say "tall as three apples." Haut comme trois pommes.)

Don't follow my gaze.

When I had finished and was about to deposit the last offering, the pleasure of hearing the characteristic rhythm made by the hooves of a horse at a trot. I almost turned around . Almost.

[stannyramirez]

𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚐𝚒𝚏𝚝 𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚘𝚗𝚎

check the source or HERE for #134 gifs of 𝐌𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍 as 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚 in 𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥. all gifs are 268 px by 165 px and made entirely from scratch by me for role playing purposes. please REBLOG this post if you found it useful and check my rules for more info.

[moron-hassaikai-and-more]

Overhaul: *lay on the floor*

Chrono: are you ok?

Overhaul: it’s just a headache.

Chrono: can I join you?

Overhaul: sure.

Chrono: *lays down with his head on overhaul’s chest* ….I can hear your heartbeat.

Overhaul: tell me if it stops.

[ashotasfireandasdeepastheocean1]

...❄️

[yakny]

nearly broke down when I remembered I had these wips and couldn't find them amongst my many other wips. thought i lost them when my hard drive wiped itself cleaned :'D

[telestoapologist]

SUN KING

WARLOCK // AWOKEN // VOIDWALKER

✦ 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗺 - crown of tempests exotic (queensguard valor) ✦ 𝗴𝗮𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀 - unyielding favor (default) ✦ 𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗲𝘀 - unyielding favor (default) ✦ 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀 - frostreach (queensguard valor) ✦ 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗱 - celestial (queensguard valor)

[taubenloch]

Solstice

Today the day is longest. The light shines far and wide. If you look towards the heavens, the sun will blind you on sight.

He will burn out your retina. He will burn out your soul. The moon is sometimes empty, but the sun is always full.

He will shine with all his power right upon you face. When the rays hit your flower, youre in the right place.

[theblehthatbloos]

It's 2/23/23 2:23, I'm fucked up and the veil thins on the third cold star, my lovelys

[breelandwalker]

2025 Witches' Calendar

For all my witches out there, here’s a handy list of the 2025 dates for the solstices, some commonly-referenced holidays, full and new moons, and special astronomical events. I’ve listed my sources at the bottom.

Dates and times for all events are calculated for Eastern Standard Time, USA, Northern Hemisphere. Adjust for your location as needed and check the DarkSky Placefinder to see what special events will be visible in your area.

On a related note, readers are encouraged to create their own seasonal calendars, holidays, and observances based on your local biome and personal preferences. Enjoy!

Solstices, Harvests, Quarter Days, Some Common Dates

February 1-2 - Imbolc / Candlemas / High Winter

March 20 - Spring Equinox / Ostara

April 30-May 1 - Beltane / May Day / Walpurgisnacht

June 20 - Summer Solstice / Midsummer / Litha

August 1 - Lughnasadh / Lammas / Summer Harvest

September 22 - Autumn Equinox / Mabon / Fall Harvest

October 31 - Samhain / Halloween / Final Harvest

December 21 - Winter Solstice / Yule

Full Moons

January 13 - Wolf Moon ♋

February 12 - Snow Moon ♌

March 14 - Worm Moon ♍ (Lunar Eclipse)

April 12 - Pink Moon ♎

May 12 - Flower Moon ♏

June 11 - Strawberry Moon ♐

July 10 - Thunder Moon (aka Buck Moon) ♑

August 9 - Sturgeon Moon (aka Corn Moon) ♒

September 7 - Harvest Moon ♓ (Lunar Eclipse)

October 6 - Hunter's Moon (aka Blood Moon) ♈

November 5 - Frost Moon (aka Beaver Moon) ♉ (Supermoon)

December 4 - Cold Moon ♊ (Supermoon)

* The full moons in September and October are almost EXACTLY equidistant from the Autumn Equinox this year, so whether you'll have a Harvest Moon in September or October depends on where you live!

New Moons

January 29 ♒

February 27 ♓

March 29 ♈

April 27 ♉

May 26 ♊

June 25 ♋

July 24 ♌

August 23 ♍

September 21 ♍ (Seasonal black moon, second new moon in Virgo)

October 21 ♎

November 20 ♏

December 19 ♐

Special Celestial Events

March 14 - Worm Moon Total Lunar Eclipse

March 29 - Solar Eclipse

September 7 - Harvest Moon Total Lunar Eclipse

September 21 - Seasonal Black Moon / Solar Eclipse

November 5 - Frost Moon Supermoon

December 4 - Cold Moon Supermoon

(Check the DarkSky Placefinder to see what will be visible in your area!)

Mercury Retrogrades (in case you need them)

March 14 to April 6

July 17 to August 10

November 9 to November 29

Happy Witching!

SOURCES & FURTHER READING:

Bree’s Lunar Calendar Series

Bree’s Secular Celebrations Series

Moon Info - Full Moon Dates for 2025

Calendar-12 - 2025 Moon Phases

Full Moonology - 2025 Full Moon Calendar

AstroStyle - All the 2025 Full Moons

Your Zodiac Sign - Astrology Calendar 2025

Old Farmer’s Almanac - Mercury Retrograde Dates 2024-2025

Sea and Sky - Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events 2025

DarkSky International - Dark Sky Placefinder for Stargazing

Patheos - 2025 Wheel of the Year Astrological Calendar

Image Source - How Stuff Works

=

If you’re enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar, tune in to my podcast Hex Positive, or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊

[thaoworra]

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association recently released the poems that made it to the finalist stage for consideration for the 2024 Rhysling Awards for Short and Long Speculative Poems of the year. Congratulations to all of the nominees! This will be the 46th year these awards have been conferred!

Short Poems (50 finalists)

Attn: Prime Real Estate Opportunity!, Emily Ruth Verona, Under Her Eye: A Women in Horror Poetry Collection Volume II

The Beauty of Monsters, Angela Liu, Small Wonders 1

The Blight of Kezia, Patricia Gomes, HWA Poetry Showcase X

The Day We All Died, A Little, Lisa Timpf, Radon 5

Deadweight, Jack Cooper, Propel 7

Dear Mars, Susan L. Lin, The Sprawl Mag 1.2

Dispatches from the Dragon's Den, Mary Soon Lee, Star*Line 46.2

Dr. Jekyll, West Ambrose, Thin Veil Press December

First Eclipse: Chang-O and the Jade Hare, Emily Jiang, Uncanny 53

Five of Cups Considers Forgiveness, Ali Trotta, The Deadlands 31

Gods of the Garden, Steven Withrow, Spectral Realms 19

The Goth Girls' Gun Gang, Marisca Pichette, The Dread Machine 3.2

Guiding Star, Tim Jones, Remains to be Told: Dark Tales of Aotearoa, ed. Lee Murray (Clan Destine Press)

Hallucinations Gifted to Me by Heatstroke, Morgan L. Ventura, Banshee 15

hemiplegic migraine as willing human sacrifice, Ennis Rook Bashe, Eternal Haunted Summer Winter Solstice

Hi! I am your Cortical Update!, Mahaila Smith, Star*Line 46.3

How to Make the Animal Perfect?, Linda D. Addison, Weird Tales 100

I Dreamt They Cast a Trans Girl to Give Birth to the Demon, Jennessa Hester, HAD October

Invasive, Marcie Lynn Tentchoff, Polar Starlight 9

kan-da-ka, Nadaa Hussein, Apparition Lit 23

Language as a Form of Breath, Angel Leal, Apparition Lit October

The Lantern of September, Scott Couturier, Spectral Realms 19

Let Us Dream, Myna Chang, Small Wonders 3

The Magician's Foundling, Angel Leal, Heartlines Spec 2

The Man with the Stone Flute, Joshua St. Claire, Abyss & Apex 87

Mass-Market Affair, Casey Aimer, Star*Line 46.4

Mom's Surprise, Francis W. Alexander, Tales from the Moonlit Path June

A Murder of Crows, Alicia Hilton, Ice Queen 11

No One Now Remembers, Geoffrey Landis, Fantasy and Science Fiction Nov./Dec.

orion conquers the sky, Maria Zoccula, On Spec 33.2

Pines in the Wind, Karen Greenbaum-Maya, The Beautiful Leaves (Bamboo Dart Press)

The Poet Responds to an Invitation from the AI on the Moon, T.D. Walker, Radon Journal 5

A Prayer for the Surviving, Marisca Pichette, Haven Speculative 9

Pre-Nuptial, F. J. Bergmann, The Vampiricon (Mind's Eye Publications)

The Problem of Pain, Anna Cates, Eye on the Telescope 49

The Return of the Sauceress, F. J. Bergmann, The Flying Saucer Poetry Review February

Sea Change, David C. Kopaska-Merkel and Ann K. Schwader, Scifaikuest May

Seed of Power, Linda D. Addison, The Book of Witches ed. Jonathan Strahan (Harper Collins)

Sleeping Beauties, Carina Bissett, HWA Poetry Showcase X

Solar Punks, J. D. Harlock, The Dread Machine 3.1

Song of the Last Hour, Samuel A. Betiku, The Deadlands 22

Sphinx, Mary Soon Lee, Asimov's September/October

Storm Watchers (a drabbun), Terrie Leigh Relf, Space & Time

Sunflower Astronaut, Charlie Espinosa, Strange Horizons July

Three Hearts as One, G. O. Clark, Asimov's May/June

Troy, Carolyn Clink, Polar Starlight 12

Twenty-Fifth Wedding Anniversary, John Grey, Medusa's Kitchen September

Under World, Jacqueline West, Carmina Magazine September

Walking in the Starry World, John Philip Johnson, Orion's Belt May

Whispers in Ink, Angela Yuriko Smith, Whispers from Beyond (Crystal Lake Publishing)

Long Poems (25 finalists)

Archivist of a Lost World, Gerri Leen, Eccentric Orbits 4

As the witch burns, Marisca Pichette, Fantasy 87

Brigid the Poet, Adele Gardner, Eternal Haunted Summer Summer Solstice

Coding a Demi-griot (An Olivian Measure), Armoni “Monihymn” Boone, Fiyah 26

Cradling Fish, Laura Ma, Strange Horizons May

Dream Visions, Melissa Ridley Elmes, Eccentric Orbits 4

Eight Dwarfs on Planet X, Avra Margariti, Radon Journal 3

The Giants of Kandahar, Anna Cates, Abyss & Apex 88

How to Haunt a Northern Lake, Lora Gray, Uncanny 55

Impostor Syndrome, Robert Borski, Dreams and Nightmares 124

The Incessant Rain, Rhiannon Owens, Evermore 3

Interrogation About A Monster During Sleep Paralysis, Angela Liu, Strange Horizons November

Little Brown Changeling, Lauren Scharhag, Aphelion 283

A Mere Million Miles from Earth, John C. Mannone, Altered Reality April

Pilot, Akua Lezli Hope, Black Joy Unbound eds. Stephanie Andrea Allen & Lauren Cherelle (BLF Press)

Protocol, Jamie Simpher, Small Wonders 5

Sleep Dragon, Herb Kauderer, The Book of Sleep (Written Image Press)

Slow Dreaming, Herb Kauderer, The Book of Sleep (Written Image Press)

St. Sebastian Goes To Confession, West Ambrose, Mouthfeel 1

Value Measure, Joseph Halden and Rhonda Parrish, Dreams and Nightmares 125

A Weather of My Own Making, Nnadi Samuel, Silver Blade 56

Welcoming the New Girl, Beth Cato, Penumbric October

What You Find at the Center, Elizabeth R McClellan, Haven Spec Magazine 12

The Witch Makes Her To-Do List, Theodora Goss, Uncanny 50

The Year It Changed, David C. Kopaska-Merkel, Star*Line 46.4

Voting for the Rhysling Award begins July 1; a link to the ballot will be sent with the Rhysling Anthology, as well as with the July issue of Star*Line. More information on the Rhysling Award can be found here.

[ancientcharm]

History and evolution of the Roman calendar

In early Rome the calendar had 10 months. January and February did not exist. The year began on March 1st, according to tradition Romulus and Remus was born on the 24th of that month.

 Romulus calendar

The first four months were given a specific name.

Martius (March) The first month of the oldest Roman calendar. It is named after Roman god of war, and ancestor of the Roman people through his sons Romulus and Remus. It was the month of the army. From Martius comes the word Martial.

Aprilis (April) derived from aperire, which means to open, because in this month the earth opens its bosom to begin to produce flowers and fruits; it was under the protection of Venus and has been represented as a man dancing to the sound of an instrument. In later times, in Ancient Rome, this month was celebrated to honor Ceres, the goddess of agriculture. According to Roman tradition, Romulus founded the city on the 21st of this month.

Maius (May); month dedicated to the elderly, who were honored for the work they had done for Rome. Much later, this month was also dedicated to the goddess Maia (originally from Greece). For the Romans, Maia embodied the concept of growth, since her name was related to the Latin comparative adjective maius ("greater" or "elder").

Iunius (June). The queen of the gods, Juno, honours the name of this month.

The rest of the months were named after their numerical position:

Quintilis (Fifth) Sextīlis (Sixth)

September (Seventh) October (Eighth)

November (Ninth) December (Tenth)

Numa Pompilius Calendar

After the death of Romulus there was an interregnum (a year without a king) after which Numa Pompilius was elected by the Senate. According to Roman historians and Roman tradition, the Senate was created by Romulus.

The calendar was reformed beginning in the Kings Etruscan period (7th-6th centuries BC), although Roman historians attributed the reform to King Numa Pompilius. In this reform, the length of the months was modified to last 29 and 31 days alternately and two months were added after December: Ianuarius and Februarius.

Ianuarius (January) related to Janus (Ianus) the god of the portals, the beginnings and endings.

Februarius (February) in honor of Februus, god of the dead and purification. During this month the Romans dedicated themselves to rites and religious functions to purify the body and spirit and propitiate the arrival of the new year. Februaris comes in turn from februum which means "purification".

This calendar was in force until the time of the Republic. In 153 BC, the lunar cycle was replaced by the solar cycle. Since the civil year began and ended on the winter solstice, the calendar had to start on January 1. Thus January and February became the first and second months of the year. Despite this change, the six months that were named according to their numerical position kept their names.

But things were not fixed after this reform, as the official lunar calendar was still out of phase with the seasonal course, based on the solar cycle, it was decided to add two months every four years, one of 22 and the other of 23 days, called intercalary. The complicated system of adjusting the months so that the years would fit the solar cycle was controlled by the College of Pontiffs, but this inconsistency was never satisfactorily resolved.

Until JULIUS CAESAR arrived

The Julian Calendar

With the collaboration of the prestigious astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria, Julius Caesar reformed the calendar definitively.

This reform dated the Roman seasons and festivals according to the astronomical moment in which they occurred. It was agreed that every year should have 365 days, and every four years would have 366 days; these years would be called Leap Years.

The new calendar was implemented in 46 BC; The Romans called it "The last year of confusion."

It was not until this calendar, known first as the Julius Calendar and much later as the Julian, that the months began to have the same number of days as they have to this day.

Following the infamous Ides of March in 44 BC, on the initiative of Mark Antony, the month in which Julius Caesar was born (Quintilis) was dedicated to him and named Iulius (July).

In 8 BC, through the Lex Pacuvia de mense Sextilis, the Senate dedicated the month of Sextilis to Augustus. The homage-requested by Augustus himself- was supposedly because he had been named Consul for the first time in in the month Sextilis but in reality it was because he had conquered Egypt also in that month; such conquest led him directly to absolute power over Rome. Ironically, Augustus died on August 19, AD 14.

Pics: Roman mosaics, “The Calendar”, from the 2nd century, from Tunisia.

[maingh0st]

i decided to get needlessly curious about the progression of time in tfota, then realized there wasn't much about it online. so for the like. two other people in the world who care about this stuff, here's what I've got:

jude says her birthday is nov 13, 2001 when telling dain a series of truths + one lie. the lie is that she can't swim, so we can assume this is truly her birthday

madoc says the new king will be coronated on the autumn solstice, which typically falls in late september (if you want to be really annoying about details, the autumn solstice was on sep 23 in 2019, the year tcp is set)

jude is seventeen at the beginning of tcp (7 yrs old when taken to faerie, and tcp takes place 10 years after that). given the timing of the coronation and her november birthday, she turns 18 during the time skip between tcp and twk (happy bday queen, pls take it easy on poisoning yourself)

twk starts with 5 months of jude's bargain with cardan already past, and by the end (when he proposes) 7 months of the bargain have gone by. this puts us at like... springtime. maybe april?

then there's the tqon exile time jump, which the internet says was four months (i tried looking in the book and couldn't find an exact number, but jude does make a comment about it being early autumn near the beginning of tqon, so this (or even slightly longer) checks out)

tqon timeline is a little foggy but it's pretty fast-paced, so I'm going to posit that it's about a month (feel free to drop details below, i just couldn't find much)

tldr: tfota all takes place in the span of about a year, which we already knew, but it's fun (for me lol) to see it all laid out. jude is presumably not far from her 19th birthday when she's officially coronated at the end of tqon. this also means that oak’s books are set in the future! (2028, i think?)

also, if I’ve done the math right, jude was exiled in the mortal world in 2020, so covid does not exist in this universe. good for them

[court-jester-stuff]

Sharing a room with a not so stranger

Azriel x reader

Warnings?: reader is shorter than Azriel, not beta we die like suriel, kinda rushed? idk it's 23:54 so meh enjoy

Note: the library is based of off the acropolis and what I image Olympus would look like, so is all the rest of the Day Court. pictures from pinterest

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So sorry to bother you," a voice said from behind you. "Can I ask you for a favour?" Turning around you came face to face with Elain. She was dressed beautifully, a light pink coloured dress with a corset with flowers embroidered onto it, sleeves of the shoulders with on the shoulders and wrist embroidered the same flowers as the corset. Her hair was loose with a few braids which all had flowers in it. Truly you’d be lying if you said she didn’t look pretty.

“That depends on what the favour is of course.” You answered her with a smile. In all honesty you hoped it would be something entertaining, these past couple of days have been fun here at the Day Court but you were slowly growing bored. This whole event was to celebrate summer solstice, the Night Court was specifically invited by High Lord Helion as a means to grow a stronger alliance. A full two weeks of celebrating and getting to know each other.

Elain looked behind her and when you followed her gaze you could see Lucien standing in the doorway smiling at her and giving her an encouraging nod.

“Would you, by any chance, …” she trailed of looking at me with an air of hesitance. Giving her a little push you asked:

“Would I…?”

Elain sighed a little but finished her sentence. “Would you mind if Azriel and I switched rooms?” She paused to let the words sink in. “I would really like to try giving this a chance and we already asked Azriel and he’s fine with it, but only if you are. And I know you two aren’t all that familiar with each other but I would really appreciate this.”

At last she stopped talking to gage your reaction only to see a little smile on your face. “My dear, I would not mind at all. You two deserve this moment to try and see where this all leads you.” She perked up at your words and you could see Lucien visibly relax in the corner of your eye. “If Azriel is comfortable with this all then I do not mind.”

She thanked you and said that they would be sure to inform Azriel of you agreeing before they both took their leave.

Once they did take their leave you started thinking about what you just agreed to. In all honesty you and Azriel hadn’t really spoken in quite a while. As members of the Inner Circle it was kind of inevitable but that still didn’t change the conversations you had had with him.

He never seemed to speak much, especially not to you. Only during the rare times that he would ask for help with an injury would you two really talk. And even then it was mostly you talking to him about how to take care of the wound even though he has probably done so a million times.

You’d always find him looking at you with deep eyes whenever you’d look up from your work. He never really seemed to take his eyes off of you while you were working. Whether he was guarded or something else you couldn’t quite decide.

Outside of that there were a few conversations you had had with the spymaster. But lately that had started to change. You were in the habit of sneaking away during each social event to lend yourself a moment of fresh air before stepping back into the crowded rooms. However these last couple of, hell, years you always seemed to get the company of a certain shadowsinger wherever you had decided to sneak of to.

Not that you mind, in all honesty you couldn’t deny the pull you felt towards him. Each conversation, each interaction left you yearning for more. You wanted to hear him speak to you, you wanted to know who he was outside of this persona he had been given.

Deciding that you should try to make things easier for the both of you lead to you walking back to the room you previously shared with Elain with the goal in mind of tidying up a bit. Once there you put away any clothing that was lying around, noting that all of Elain her stuff had already been moved.

The room wasn’t big by any means, in fact you and Elain had specifically requested a smaller sized room. There was a wall with a huge window opposite of the door with the bed against the left wall and a couch on the opposite side next to the window.

Once you deemed the room clean enough you realized that the room might be cozy for you and Elain but Azriel would have trouble getting comfortable in the bed were there someone else in it. Deciding that there wouldn’t be enough space on the bed for both you while allowing his wings to rest comfortably and without the fear of accidental touching, you made the decision to move a pillow and blanket to the couch. Moving that what was on the night stand to the little table next to the couch.

A knock on the door made you pause. Assuming that it was either Elain or Azriel you went to open the door, only to be surprised by a smiling Helion.

“High Lord.” You said with a small bow of the head. You’ve always liked the man, he was polite and kind. A bit of a flirt maybe but still aware of boundaries. And he ruled his court exceptionally well.  All people were well taken care of and very rarely did they find themselves in conflict with other courts. Compared to the Night Court which carried the looming darkness of The Court of Nightmares and Hewn City that was very admirable.

“Oh you, there is no need for such titles. Call me Helion, please.” He chuckled a bit at the formality of it all but still kept a smile on his face as he corrected you.

“Well then Helion, is there anything I can help you with?”

His smile widened a little at your question. His eyes sparkling a little. “I heard that you take care of a large portion of all the knowledge that is stored in the Night Courts library, I must say it is quite the collection. One to be proud of.”

Mirroring his smile you replied with a hint of proudness to your voice. “Yes, indeed. I travel a lot and when I do I can’t help but try to take at least one book with me to further the collection you speak so highly of.”

“Well, the Day Court does have quite the library as well and I thought that I could interest you in taking a look around.” He gestured with his hand down the left corridor.

Your gaze followed the direction from his hand before looking back inside the room. Everything seemed in order for when Azriel would arrive. “Is it just down the hallway?” You ask.

He shakes his head with the same smile on his face that has been there since you opened the door. “Why don’t I show you there, it’s a bit of a maze in here.”

You nodded and walked out into the hallway, closing the door behind you before making your way to the library. The empty hallways were filled with easy going small talk between the two of you before you eventually reached the library.

To say that it was beautiful would be an understatement. It was truly breathtaking. It looked like a place where gods would walk, the high ceilings and windows with no glass allowed as much natural light in as possible. The walls were a cream colour with beautiful paintings on the ceilings.

You should remember to tell Feyre so she could come get a look.

The bookcases were white with golden accents, they crowded the entire room except for the space right before the window. Leaving enough space for several couches and a table surrounded by chairs. Even the wood of the furniture was a light colour.

You don’t know how long you simply admired the space but when you turned around Helion was looking at you with a proud smile and a look of admiration on his face.

He clears his throat and says: “It’s beautiful is it not?” You weren’t really sure what to say. It was beautiful but outside of the beauty of it you were also surprised by its sheer size. Maybe it was the lighting but it looked so much more spacious than the library at the House Of Wind.

“It is very beautiful, I honestly don’t really know what to say. The lighting and colours are so much brighter than those of the ones we have. Even the books match the pale colours. And the amount of books here is admirable. This truly is a fine library.”

“Well, I am more than happy to have shown it to you. Please, feel free to look around and spent as much time here as you please. I’m afraid I cannot stay with you for much longer, duty calls, but rest assured that you are more then welcome in this library. Or even my court.”

You smiled slightly at his words and told him you would keep it in mind. It wasn’t for long before he excused himself and left you to your own company.

You roamed around looking for any books that peaked your interest and finally settled on a handful of them. You found another window with seating space, albeit this on smaller, and settled down on the plush couch facing slightly away from the window.

You don’t know how much time you spend sitting there but when you finally looked up from the third book that you were reading you realized that the sun had set and the sky was now adorned with stars. Granted, there weren’t as many or as bright of ones as in Valaris but it was a sight none the less.

Deciding to call it a night you got up and realised just how long you had been sitting in that same position you stretched and gathered the books you had laying around you. Walking up to the desk you left the books there for someone to find in the morning.

The hallways were quiet now, beside your own steps and breathing there as nothing to be heard.

Ones you had made your way back to your room you were very careful while opening the door as to not startle or wake up Azriel.

When the door was open far enough to slip inside you did so carefully, the room was bathed in moonlight and given the light you could see Azriel’s sleeping figure on the bed. He had moved himself fairly far to the window leaving enough space for a second person to lay down next to him if needed.

But you didn’t need to and getting in the bed would mean having to move his left wing out of the way and you weren’t about to touch the one place that Illyrians loathed to be touched.

Quietly making you way to the bathroom you quickly changed into night clothing and treaded very lightly to the couch. You laid down and when you finally settled you felt something twirling itself around your fingers. Looking down you realised it was a shadow. You smiled at it, mouthing good night before it parted from you to return to their master and with that you went off into slumber.

When you woke up again there was not yet any sunlight in the room. You looked over at the clock on the wall above the door and noted that it was almost time for sunrise. You looked over at Azriel realising he was still fast asleep and decided to take one of the books of your little makeshift nightstand before shuffling to the open balcony.

It must be a dream for winged people to be able to simply fly up to their rooms from the outside without having to first enter and walk both the hallways and stairs.

You sat down on a sofa that was located opposite to where the bed stood so you could keep an eye on Azriel in case he were to awake.

Before long the sunrise started, it was truly magnificent. The colours weren’t simply red, pink and yellow. No, you were sure you could make out nearly the entire rainbow from the sky.

You once again felt a little coolness around your fingers which finally prompted you to look away from the scenery.

“Hello you, we meet again.” You smiled softly at it while speaking in a whisper, mindful of the early time. “What are doing over here, hm? Shouldn’t you be guarding your master?”

It moved around your fingers and palm before deciding to return to the figure on the bed. Looking over you realised you had been caught making small talk with a shadow.

From the bed a tired looking Azriel looked at you with eyes of wonder. “Good morning.” You greeted. “You should go back to sleep, it’s still very early.” Which granted it was. Looking at the clock once more you saw that it read six.

He hummed as if in thought before turning his head into the pillows and stretching. His legs coming out from beneath the blanket and his wings stretching wide. They nearly hit the wall on his right from how wide they were.

He relaxed again before letting himself fall back into the mattress. For a bit you thought he had taken your advice but alas he started turning so he could sit up in bed.

His hair was frizzled and stood a little upright. He had dark circles under his eyes and a sleepy look covering his face. He blinked a few times before moving to sit with his legs over the side of the bed. The blanked had fallen and you couldn’t help but look at his chest, the muscles well defined, quite a few scars, some bigger than the others and a tattoo covering the entirety of his upper chest. It looked just like the shadows that had started swirling around him again.

Curling through his hair and around his ear, likely whispering little things they noticed or deemed important enough.

Deciding the stop gaping at the male you moved your eyes back to the other side, the sunset nearly over by now. Even though only a matter of two to three minutes could have one by the sun had risen fast. Likely a Day Court thing. It shone brightly and you could feel it’s light gently ceres your skin.

Feeling a presence nearby you noticed that Azriel had started moving towards you, yawing in the process before settling down next to you in the sofa.

You sat in comfortable silence for a bit before he spoke. “The sunrise is likely the only thing I enjoy about this court.” You smiled gently at his words before looking over at him.

He was looking at the sunrise with a small smile on his face before he turned his attention to you. His eyes seemed to soften a little bit more when they met yours.

“How did you sleep? I heard you come in quite late and you were up early.” He noted with a small furrow of his brow. Although the gentle smile stayed on his face.

“I slept pretty decent actually. I had lost myself in a book in the library so I was back rather late, I am sorry if I woke you.” You replied back, spoken in soft voices.

He assured you that you had not awoken him, rather he himself were still awake.

“I noticed one of my shadows with you this morning, they don't usually do that. Have they done that before? Because I’ll tell them off if they make you uncomfortable, although I must say that it did not seem that way just now.”

You beamed slightly at his words. “I don’t mind at all, in fact they are rather nice.” You smiled a little brighter as some of them immediately darted towards you, some playing with your fingers other roaming around, a few even went into your hair.

Azriel looked slightly startled as they did this. “I think last night while I went to lay down was the first time. Whichever one it seemed to have wanted to come say goodnight to me.” You thought for a bit, admiring them before realisation hit you. “Wait, actually, I think they might have done that before. Back during Solstice a few of them curled around my arm when I passed you. I completely forgot about that.”

You looked over at him and he seemed to be deep in thought, his brow was really furrowed now and his smile was no longer. When he didn’t seem to snap out of it you placed your hand on his wrist.

He blinked in surprise before looking at you hand on him which had him frowning once more.

You removed your hand before clearing you throat. “Sorry, I would have taken your hand but you seem to always shy away when people do that. I shouldn’t have assumed that your wrist would be any different.”

He looked up at you expression unchanging. He opened his mouth to say something right as a knock sounded from the door. You looked over at it before deciding to go over and see who it was. You looked back over at him to see him still staring. You gave him a little smile, after apologizing again you stood up and made your way to the door.

You opened it just after another knock sounded and were surprised to see your own High Lord.

He looked slightly surprised by you before giving a smile. “Well good morning, it seems our dear Azriel is in good hands then.” He chuckled softly, mindful of those still sleeping.

Just as you were about to ask him what was wrong or what he had meant you felt a hand on your waist. While the other grasped the door besides your head.

“Can we help you Rhys?” Azriel sounded kind of agitated, a clear difference from simple moments ago. You couldn’t help but wonder if it was because Rhysand was here or because you touched his wrist.

“Not necessarily, I simply wanted to check in on you both. I had heard from Feyre that Elain and our dear Azzy here had switched rooms.” He said the last part while grinning at you.

Before either of you could say anything else Azriel decided that the High Lord and his brother had overstayed his welcome. “If you aren’t here for a decent reason could you let us be?”

He surprised you with that but the high fea before you seemed unbothered, maybe even pleased.

“Of course, of course. I wouldn’t want to bother you two. Remember that meeting we have at nine.” He barely finished speaking when Azriel pulled you back into him begore closing the door.

You both stood there for a moment until you decided to turn around. Only then did you notice how close he really was and how very bare his chest still was.

After a second of standing in a daze staring at his chest and tattoo you seemed to come back to reality when you moved backwards a step, which in turn caused your back to hit the door. You looked up and Azriel followed your step until his arm was pressed into the door above your head.

He leaned in slightly while you tilted your head upwards to try and look at him properly. If you didn’t know better you’d say he was blushing.

“I don’t mind you touching my wrist. Or my hand.” He paused while looking at you. He leaned in even more, noses nearly touching. “I never mind when it’s you.”

You both held eye contact between each other until his gaze flicked over your face as if searching for something. Eventually he pulled away and you smiled at him, hoping he couldn’t hear the loud drumming of your heart.

Later you found yourself once again in the library. Azriel left at eight, presumably for the meeting Rhysand was talking about. And given that you were once again alone in your room and that you could read the books you had with you you could read another time you decided to return to the library.

A good portion of the day had passed, before you knew it the empty plate upon which the dinner that one of the helpers had given you had been cleared and replaced with coffee.

You finished yet another book and decided to try and find a book you had been looking for for a while. While strolling through the aisles you couldn’t help but have the feeling that you were being watched.

You wondered if it was something alike the House or Byraxsis. Although you doubted that something as ‘terrifying’ could be found in the Day Court.

Not to lie you had always enjoyed the presence of Byraxsis, you would read to it after a long day. And sometimes, just sometimes they would ask a question or ask for a book you could read.

You missed them sometimes, although the same cannot be said about Cassian.

When you reached for a book you noticed that you were once again joined by a little shadow. You smiled at it before returning to looking for your book.

When you were about to enter another aisle the little shadow decided to pull you a different way. You ended up three aisles down from where you were going. The little shadow kept going before stopping before a specific bookcase. You looked around it for a bit, curious at what the littlz thing would want to show you and that’s when you saw just the book you were looking for.

When you went to thank the little one, you realized that it was nowhere to be found.

Shrugging it off you decided to focus on the matter at hand. To get the book that was placed about a meter and a half above you. You tried to reach it by standing on your tiptoes before someone reached out above you to take it of the shelve.

You immediately recognized the scars on the hands, the siphons and the little shadows that had once again decided to dance along your skin.

Lowering your hand you turned around to see Azriel leaning over you in the same way he had been that morning. Except this time he was smiling softly, it tugged on a heart string to see him smile like that. Gods what you wouldn’t do to see him smile like that more.

“A bit short aren’t you.” It wasn’t a question as much as it was a tease. You huffed but smiled and thanked him for the book. But just as you went to reach for it he held it out of your reach. The smile on his face widened at your playful glare. You reached for it again but this time he held it above his head. So you decided to step closer until you were practically chest to chest and place one hand on his chest and raise one to reach for the book.

He seemed surprised by your boldness and movement that his arm went slack and you managed to lower it and grab the book.

You smiled at the look on his face and patted his chest. You took a step back.

“I’m surprised to see you here. Wasn’t expecting it.” You said softly to respect the space.

He shrugged and smiled. “Maybe I wanted to read and saw a damsel in distress.” You laughed a little, denying being a damsel or in distress. He leaned in closer with is head and upper body and added. “Or maybe I just wanted to see you.”

You flushed at that and he laughed quietly, deciding that you were red enough he gestured for you to follow while he offered his arm. Which you took.

He led you to where you had sat yesterday and took a book of his own. He sat down besides you on the couch and started reading.

You finished your book rather fast and decided to read another and another. As did he, only he didn’t read nearly half of what you read.

Once it started getting late, and both of you began to get hungry he announced that you should be retire to the bedroom. You obliged, still you toom the books with you to the front desk so they could be placed where they needed to be. He smiled at you once that happened and once again offered his arm.

Back in the room, you both decided to wear something more comfortable. Azriel had once again ditched his shirt and opted for loose black sweatpants instead of his leathers.

The food was delivered to the door and you both ate in silence until he spoke up.

“Why did you sleep on the couch tonight?" You raised your head from your food and blinked at him. “I mean there was enough space for us both and as much as it is pretty that couch does not look comfortable.”

You smiled perhaps a bit sheepish and said: “I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable, you had already moved so for to the right and still there was little space. I definitely would have touched you, which I thought you were uncomfortable with. And I would have had to move your wing and even now that is a boundary I will not cross. Especially not in your sleep.”

He smiled softly at you and his eyes softened. “I wouldn’t mind you sleeping in the bed with me. Not at all.”

And so that’s how you ended up next to the shadowsinger. It was well past midnight and it appears that Azriel had found sleep, the same could not be said for you.

The blanket had little weight and was very thin. But getting out of the bed would mean waking Azriel zo you bared with it.

After a count you turned your head to Azriel to find him already looking at you. Startled at first your eyes widened before turning into a smile to match his own. You turned on your side to look at him better and did he look good.

His sleepy smile paired with that dammed look in his eyes.

“Why do you look at me like that?” you asked.

A beat passed, then he sighed and said: “Because you are simply stunning.”

A blush crept up your face. “So are you, dammed handsome truly.”

You thought that he would laugh or say something back but instead his face faltered. It hurt to watch that, you frowned and wondered why that happened. Did he not believe you? Does he think you’re lying?

No, that’s not possible, I mean look at him. But his smile went completely and you felt such dread seeing it ago, and that’s when it happened.

Snap

…

“You…. You’re..” You weren’t sure what to say. It’s like your entire world got flipped upside down.

“Wait, you can feel it?” He said, leaning on his elbow. Your mouth opened and closed before you nodded with disbelief. He knew?

His smile started returning before he started reaching for me. Although he stopped abruptly, he looked at his hands and before I knew is I had taken them in mine and placed a kiss on the knuckles, the back of them and both palms.

His eyes glossed and his voice sounded so little as he asked: “You don’t mind? You don’t mind that it is me that is your….” His voice trailed off at the end.

“I do not, truly I am utterly delighted.” You took the side of his face in your hand while guiding him to lay back down. “I am more than happy to be your mate, Azriel.”

His eyes scanned mine for a lie, a single hesitation and when he found none he said upright and brought both wings to the correct sides. He gestured for me to sit up so I did. He laid back down with now the wing beneath me.

I hesitated and he told me once again: “I don’t mind when it’s you.”

So begrudgingly you laid down on his arm atop his wing while the other draped over you, along with his arm and shadows. The added weight was welcome and so was the warmth against the chilly air.

“How long have you known?” You ask.

“Remember Solstice two years ago, when we were having one of our conversations again?” You nodded. “And how all of a sudden I had to make the worst excuse ever to leave?” You nodded again.

“Well, you had said that my shadows were adorable and you called them ‘little ones’ ande then it just… snapped. I panicked cuz I did not know what to do, I almost spilled it all right then and there but I felt like you deserved better… or at least for it to be natural. Honestly even before the bond I really liked you, you should ask Rhys and Cass. They have some stories of me trying to impress you and it going terrifically wrong.”

You laughed and stared in wonder, you mate is a dork. And you love him. So you told him just that.

“I would love to het to know you better, truly. But know that even before and now still, I love you. My mate is such a dork and I’d love to hear all the stories.”

His arms wrapped around you tighter and the shadows seemed to do the same. And so you both laid there in each other’s arms.

[twelve-forfend]

Luo Binghe's Actual Age

While I was grabbing screenshots, I came across this part and had to pause. Shen Qingqiu asks how old Luo Binghe is, and Binghe replies: “弟子虚岁14” （This disciple is the nominal age of 14).

The NOMINAL age of 14?

I ran to the book to check and, sure enough, nominal age is specified there, too.

I had to lean back and stare at the wall in front of my desk for a moment. Why does this matter? Well, it doesn't — not really. But it puts some things into perspective.

You see, when counting the nominal age of a person, that person turns one year old the very moment they are born. And usually on the Lunar New Year (though some elders today insist that it happens on the winter solstice, which is today by the way — 冬至快乐🥟 ), everyone ages up another year together.

From the book, we know that Luo Binghe was born on the coldest (though not necessarily longest) night of the year. He could be a one-day old two year old. Or two month old two year old, if we count it by LNY and not Solstice. Either way, this CHILD is (to the West's age-counting system) two years younger than he announces using the NOMINAL age system.

Luo Binghe is twelve (not fourteen) when he meets Shen Yuan as Shen Qingqiu.

Luo Binghe is fifteen (not seventeen) when he's stabbed and pushed down into literal Hell and finds out he can regrow entire limbs.

Luo Binghe is sixteen (not eighteen) when he subjugates the Northern Kingdom and Sha Hualing's holdings under his rule.

Luo Binghe is seventeen (not nineteen) when he arrives at Huan Hua Palace.

And when he meets Shen Qingqiu again in Jin Lan just before the disaster at Hua Yue, he's eighteen (phew), not twenty.

That puts him at 23 (not 25) at Maigu Ridge.

He's still an adult when everything goes down, but no wonder Binghe is so messed up. He was so young!

[itsguysnightitsironic]

R.I.P to the COS gang they could have loved "La Revetlla de Sant Joan"

"La Revetlla de Sant Joan" (Saint John's Eve) takes place on the 23 and 24th of June to celebrate the summer solstice with communal bonfires and pyrotechnics. (plus specific celebrations from town to town)

Maybe we're on high alert from a drought, but OUR BONEFIRES.

I like to think Sarnax could like it,

While also hating it-

[witchynyx]

2025 Witches Calendar

Seasonal Festivals: Southern Hemisphere

❤️ Lammas/Reflection: Feb 1 (traditional) / Feb 3 (astrological)

🩷 Autumn Equinox: March 20

💜 Samhain/ShadowFest: April 30 (traditional) / May 5 (astrological)

💙 Winter Solstice: June 21

💚 Imbolc/Quickening: August 1 (traditional) / August 7 (astrological)

🌿 Spring Equinox: September 23

💛 Beltane/Floralia: Nov 1 (traditional) / Nov 7 (astrological)

🧡 Summer Solstice: Dec 21

(Dates given are based on GMT+8 - Check the dates/times of the seasonal festivals in 15 different timezones)

...

Seasonal Festivals: Northern Hemisphere

💚 Imbolc: Feb 1 (traditional) / Feb 3 (astrological)

🌿 Spring Equinox: March 20

💛 Beltane: May 1 (traditional) / May 5 (astrological)

🧡 Summer Solstice: June 21

❤️ Lammas: August 1 (traditional) / August 7 (astrological)

🩷 Autumn Equinox: September 22

💜 Samhain: Oct 31 (traditional) / Nov 7 (astrological)

💙 Winter Solstice: Dec 21

(Dates given are based on GMT - Check the dates/times of the seasonal festivals in 15 different timezones)

...

New & Full Moons

🌑 December 31

🌕 January 14

🌑 January 29

🌕 February 12

🌑 February 28

🌕 March 14

🌑 March 29 - Super new moon

🌕 April 13 - Micro full moon

🌑 April 28 - Super new moon

🌕 May 13 - Micro full moon

🌑 May 27

🌕 June 11

🌑 June 25

🌕 July 11

🌑 July 25

🌕 August 9

🌑 August 23 - Black moon

🌕 September 8 - Total lunar eclipse

🌑 September 22

🌕 October 7

🌑 October 21

🌕 November 5 - Super full moon

🌑 November 20 - Micro new moon

🌕 December 5 - Super full moon

🌑 December 20

(Dates given are based on GMT+8 - Check the dates/times in your local timezone)

...

About the Calendar Wheel

The image on this post is the calendar I made for 2025, based on my location in Boorloo (so-called Perth, Western Australia), on Wadjuk Noongar boodjar.

From the centre, outwards, you'll see:

The 6 Noongar seasons

The 8 seasonal festivals (I've used the common names for the cross-quarters, since I'll probably use this on my business socials)

The 12 months of the year

The 52-ish weeks of the year

The 365 days of the year

The new, full, and quarter moons for 2025

Depending where in the world you're from, you might also notice some things look a little different than you expect...

The wheel is arranged Southern Hemisphere sunwise. Because the sun skewing towards the equator at midday take it to the north, the sun's path over the course of each day appears to move counter-clockwise (because clocks were made based off northern hemisphere sundials).

The quarter-moon icons seem inverted, because we're viewing the moon from a different vantage point. Southern hemisphere moon phases look like:

🌘🌗🌖🌕🌔🌓🌒

Likewise some dates might seem a little off - Astrological events occur at the same instant, regardless of where in the world we are, but how we mark that instant on our calendar will depend on what timezone we're located in (and which side of midnight that timezone places us).

I'm located ~12hrs ahead of the Eastern United States, so a lot of the events above might be the date before for folks in earlier timezones (likewise for folks in Eastern Australia and New Zealand, a handful of events might be the date after if they're in the early a.m.)