#The little witch of the forest

[asyayordanova]

I'm gonna mess you up

[plushlikecreaturesgallery]

Halloween mini creatures of this year 🎃 now looking for homes on my shop!

[picnicbask3t]

I LOVE RPG HORROR GAMES SO MUCH GODDAMNIT

[nightbunnysong]

My confort film: Little forest

(2014 japanese film)

In August, as the heat of summer still reigns and the cicadas continue their endless chorus, the first hints of autumn are already starting to make their presence known. Although the full embrace of fall is still a ways off, subtle signs of the changing season are beginning to appear. The forest carries a whisper of autumn in its scents, with the crisp aroma of fallen leaves and the faintest trace of cooler air. The late summer flowers and early ripening grapes add their own touches of color to the landscape, while the evenings bring a refreshing coolness that hints at the coming season.

In this transitional time, Little Forest serves as my comforting escape. The film's landscapes and scenes evoke the serene beauty of my Pedemontana village, reflecting both my life and that of my neighbors through a gentle, introspective lens. As the Italian and Japanese Prealps prepare for autumn, they present a mesmerizing display of colors and forms. The Italian mountains, adorned with golden and amber hues, contrast with the Japanese peaks draped in shades of crimson and orange, each touched by a delicate mist that adds an ethereal quality to the scenery.

Both cultures celebrate their landscapes with rich folklore. Italian tales of mountain spirits and mystical creatures intertwine with Japanese stories of deities and ancient rituals. This shared reverence for the natural world and its seasonal transformations underscores a universal connection, revealing how deeply we are all tied to the changing beauty of our surroundings.

🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂

Edit by sageflm on Instagram

[wis-art]

🦇

[tales-from-a-little-witch]

Rules of the woods:

If you see person or a pet that has passed on in the woods, Do not go towards them

That isn't your loved one.

[littlegaydruid]

@crunadh regarding this post here. This is a long post so hold on to your hat.

Thank you for your question! I honestly felt much the same way starting out. It's kind of a hard practice to get into if you don't join a group for it.

I’ll point out first that my practice is solitary, so what I do likely looks a fair bit different than those who belong to a grove or order. I'm also in no way an expert. If anyone else wants to reblog or comment with their own resources, please do.

It's also my opinion that, much like with being a witch, there’s no “wrong” way to practice druidry exactly. The fact is modern druidry (or "druidism") is really just an inspiration of what we think the historical druids did because we have so little information on them. The information we do have almost entirely comes from roman sources, and that was usually in the context of like, conquest. So if anyone tells you they know the one true way to be a druid, side-eye them because they either don't know what they're talking about or they're being highly disingenuous. With that out of the way…

I personally try to do three things (and feel free to try any of them to see if they work for you):

On a spiritual level, I go out into nature when I can. I believe humans are very much a part of nature and unfortunately, we've become disconnected as a society because of greed, capitalism, and the mindset that we are somehow better than nature. For this reason, rebuilding and maintaining a connection is very important. (This was easier when I lived in the mountains instead of the city but I make do with what's around, whether that's in a park or with the birds who come visit the trees outside my apartment.) At most I’ll bring a sketchbook, and I’ll walk among the trees or wherever I am, perhaps sit with them a while. And I’ll just observe, and meditate. I like to take notice of the sounds around me- the leaves rustling, the birds, the squirrels, the deer, the stream. Sometimes I talk to the trees. They don't literally talk back, but very occasionally I notice a subtle shift in their presence if that makes sense. (If there are any gods/goddesses you believe in, this is where I might suggest you could incorporate them or leave plant/animal-safe offerings in some way, but you don't have to.)

While I'm doing these things I try to maintain an awareness and respect for the fact that I was not the first one here. Both in the sense of "hey, this is not my house, but my grandparents' house," and in the sense that, "hey, Indigenous folks were here before me," because I'm from the US. Imo it all goes hand in hand and is a simple step but a necessary precursor to physical action.

On a mental level, I study. I like to research herbalism and how to identify the different types of plants and animals. Not necessarily to forage (though I do enjoy that, too), but I found it's a good way to get to know the plants and wildlife in an area, especially if it's hard to get outside sometimes. I also like to research both local folklore, and "Celtic" histories and mythologies (I'm a bit of a reconstructionist). This includes researching what we do think we know about the historical druids and the history of the modern druidic practice and spiritual concepts like Awen. I also like to study philosophy, ethics, and morals because I've found that it ties in quite well.

Then finally on a physical level, whenever I go out, I try to give back to nature. To me, picking up trash is a perfect offering to nature/land spirits. If I can, I try to find a new use for it so it doesn't end up in a landfill (recycling is a bit of a lie, so to me "reuse" takes priority). If I see an animal that was hit by a car, I try to see if there's any way to (safely) move it from the road. Little things like that can go a long way.

I also take action at a voter level and monetarily where I can. I mentioned in my other post that I greatly enjoy the concept of solarpunk. The mentality behind it (one of hope) is one that I like to embody, and I like to use it to help spread awareness about the environment and potential solutions to many of the climate problems we face, especially in the areas that I'm most knowledgeable (for me that's the construction and housing industries).

I do small things as well in observance of the solstices and equinoxes. I don't exactly follow the wheel of the year, but I want to mention druids do have one that is similar to the Wiccan wheel of the year but with different names for the festivals.

Resources

For getting into it yourself, I can point you to a few places.

OBOD (druidry.org) - You might have found this one already because its one of the first to show up when you search for druidry on google. The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids was founded in the 1960's by Ross Nichols and currently lead by Philip Carr-Gomm. They have distance learning kits that you can buy if thats your cup of tea. You can also join their order. If not, they still have a fair bit of resources and information on their website for free. They also host lives on their facebook and youtube. Philip Carr-Gomm has his own youtube as well.

The Druid Network - A resource founded by Emma Restall Orr after she left OBOD. It has information you can read about regarding practices, events, and has a whole list of books that you can read to get yourself started.

Living with Honour, A Pagan Ethics by Emma Restall Orr - She has quite a few books actually and you'll find some of them recommended on TDN, but I wanted to mention this one because it's not listed there and I think it's still relevant.

What do Druids Believe by Philip Carr-Gomm - This one IS mentioned on TDN, but I wanted to highlight it in particular as a kind of supplement to the info you can find with OBOD.

If you're interested in incorporating Celtic reconstructionism into your druidry, I recommend you check out Alexei Kondratiev's Lorekeeper Course as a potential place to start. Its an entirely free online resource.

Mhara Starling has a nice little video here talking about the differences between witchcraft and druidry with a friend of hers so I'd recommend giving it a watch.

Unfortunately, there aren't really set rules on how to do druidry like there are with organized religions, but hopefully what I've mentioned here will help point you in the right direction and get started. <3

[hi-im-just-a-fan-here]

Hello Tumblr, haven't been here a while have a little oc drawing I did

[quillkiller]

maryjames au where lily is the kidnapped princess and mary & james go on a quest to find her… james is the flynn rider type guy who’s been Pining after the princess for years even though he’s never met her. mary is his trusty right hand man who’s been pining after Him since forever. they find lily and she was 1. neither kidnapped and 2. not the girl james had made up in his head. and then mary ends up in some sort of danger and james realises woahhhh it was mary all along……. big romantic saviours mission..

[dreamc4tcherr]

[asyayordanova]

[softquietsteadylove]

Hi! Newbie here🙈 it took me months to send my first request. Can I request something like witch Thena randomly seeing Gilgamesh in the forest and playing with her magic so she randomly turned him into a baby bear. And of course she had to face the consequences of taking care of him because bear Gil doesn't leave her alone, he always finds his way to Thena. So Thena finally gave up and took care of him, she hated it at first but bear Gilgamesh is just so cute and is all clingy to her and would also throw cute tantrums. She had to endure how messy bear Gil eats and how he needs to be cuddled up to sleep. And each night Thena tries to put a spell or a potion on him and at one point there's this last potion she has left and it didn't work. Bear Gil was just teary when it didn't work on him and Thena just had to apologize because she turned a random person into a bear forever, she could only cuddle him to sleep. But when she woke up, she wasn't expecting that the small bear she was cuddling last night was back into its original form and still cuddling with her.

And thank you! I hope this is not a lot, bye😭🙈

Thena huffed as a nose nudged her elbow. "What?"

The bear whined/growled at her, her cloak between his teeth.

She sighed. There was once a time she would have given it her coldest glare and yelled at it to get away from her. But she accepted the cloak before pulling it around her shoulders, "thank you."

The bear moaned before lumbering across the fire from her. He sat patiently, knowing how this worked by now.

It was far from their first attempt to change him back into a human.

If she knew how she had turned him in the first place, she would undo it. But it had been reactive--instinctive! She had felt a presence in the precious isolation of her northern forest and responded by sending out a burst of magic as a hand grasped her shoulder. Then, the next thing she knew, there was a small bear lying in the snow.

He was all paws, at first. Clumsy, unused to this body. She reasoned that time as a bear would do him some good! Humans were such terrible creatures, no magic at all, unconnected from the elements and the world around them.

But the bear toddled after her, whining and growling in its frustration. She had slammed her door in its face at first. But when the chill of the night set in, as did her guilt. She had only intended to let it in to warm by her fire for the night. Then she would find it a new home.

But the bear made itself at home. He got into her honey, pawed at her spell books, even made his way to her bed to snuggle up to her! She had half a mind to turn it into a mealyworm for that, but maybe its pitiful little face had gotten to her. She said just that night!

Now it was later, a number of new moons past. She couldn't undo it--she couldn't even figure out what exactly she had done to cause it! And the creature once a human trapped as a bear cub was now a midsize bear. He had acclimated to his new form, and cooperated as she tried to find ways to undo her magic.

It wasn't a spell, because spells wore off, or changed with the condition of the subject. It wasn't a hex, that couldn't be completed by reflex alone. And it wasn't a curse, because nothing had happened to her in the process. Nothing tethered her life to his.

But she had a duty to him, nonetheless. He had gotten too big for her bed, but he still slept by her hearth every night, she still shared her meals and they tried spells and potions every night together.

"This might be it," she dared to speak aloud as the steam from the potion receded. Its colour turned, and she could practically see her face in the surface of the viscous matter. She picked up a ladle of it and offered the bowl.

The bear sniffed it and recoiled, sticking out its tongue.

"Oh, stop," she chided him, still holding it out.

He puffed through his nose before accepting it in his paws. They were twice the size of her hands, now. He sniffed at it a little more before taking a lick.

She smiled as he flinched. "It's steaming hot, you."

He made a variety of sounds, and she wondered if she would ever know what he sounded like as a human. He set the bowl down and took a mouthful of snow before eating the potion with his grotesque teeth.

Thena held her breath, gripping the edges of her cloak as they waited for a reaction. The wind even this far up the mountain was chilly, but he was now to the size where they didn't really want to experiment with spells inside the cottage. The last one had doubled the volume of his fur, creating a mess that took her a week to clean in total.

He looked around him for a few moments, then at his paws, before slumping down in the snow again. It didn't work.

Thena looked down at her feet in the snow as well. Yet another failure. It wasn't just the potion, it was how truly saddened he seemed. Perhaps he was yearning for home. Perhaps it was nearing a time in his human life of significant importance. She hadn't exactly gotten around to asking if he had a family waiting for him.

The bear sat up again, although his ears had a heavy droop to them. He moaned faintly, his breath showing in the cold air from his muzzle.

Thena's throat clenched. For every time that didn't work, this was the worst. Their hopes had been high, and after more than half a year, she really did think she had found the right mix.

She had even gotten his hopes up about it. They had read the spell book together, gathered the ingredients. She had told him that perhaps this would do it--a potion to revert the development of cells. Technically it was for unpickling a vegetable, but she had done her research, and she was confident she could use it on a living subject.

She had practised on fish! All of which went to him as a meal to reward him for his help. But she had successfully used it.

"I'm so sorry."

The bear lifted its head, and even seated, he could see eye to eye with her. Even the breath from his wet black nose was visible in the air.

"I thought-" she pressed her lips shut as her throat squeezed again. She had no right to cry. It was his life which had been changed irreparably. She moved her hand to his head, rubbing the soft black fur there and around his much softer ears. When he would sneak into her bed for warmth, she would play with them while he slept. "I thought this would be the one."

The bear bellowed gently, moving his snout to brush his nose against her cheek before resting his head on her shoulder. His arm tucked her closer to him, his paw hanging loosely so he wouldn't claw her by accident. Bears had amazingly warm bodies.

Thena sighed against his neck. He smelled much better now than he did when he was small, always getting his food everywhere and needing to be brushed. She patted his shoulder, "come on."

He followed her silently, kicking snow up with his paws behind him to douse their fire. It was a sombre occasion; they could come back for her cauldron in the morning.

Thena tried to keep her tears at bay as they walked back into the cottage. She hung up her cloak while her companion lumbered right over to the fire. He dropped down on the rug she had woven for him more heavily than ever. Her heart twisted again.

He stirred as he felt her against his back.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again, pressing the tears she couldn't contain into his fur. He huffed and she nuzzled into him until it rustled her hair, "I'm sorry I have altered your life so. It was never my intention."

He didn't exactly have a reply for her.

"I won't stop," she promised, leaning more heavily against his shoulder. She was exhausted. "I won't stop until I change you back."

Even if he was a human. Even if he hated her. Even if he yelled and screamed at her as soon as he was back to being a man. She couldn't blame him for it, now could she? Even if he returned with a pitchfork to burn their cottage to the ground.

No: her cottage.

She had brought him into her home. But for him, this was just a shelter from the cold, after she had turned him into a beast. Surely he was yearning for his own home. Was he missing a wife who would say soft things to him at night? Did he have children who asked every night where their father had gone? Did their mother tell them stories of wicked witches who snapped away handsome men to be their familiar servants for all their lives?

She would try the potion again. She would test it more. She would test it on more species, larger and more varied. If a witch's life was devoted to magic and the pursuit of its endless knowledge, then she had a new mission. Her only reason for all her days forward was helping this bear become a man again. A man who would hate her and curse her name for generations to come.

She had no idea how she could sleep at all with thoughts like that in her head. But she had indeed slept, her face buried in the bear's soft fur, smelling of the smoke from the fire. But he was just so warm. She nuzzled her face against it again, even coming her fingers through it.

It didn't feel the same, though. And he wasn't as soft as he had felt the night before, either. She winced as she tried to drag herself awake. Potions still required magic, and creating a new potion or casting a new spell every night had her at her limit.

"You okay?"

"Hm," she sighed, blinking as the sun hit her eyes. She was still on the floor, she realised as she looked up at the hearth, eating up the smoke from the fire that had gone out in the night. She should have been freezing, though, if that were the case. Why wasn't she in her bed? She was on the floor. She was on...a chest.

Her head shot up. It wasn't her bear, with his massive black eyes and cold, wet nose. It was a human. A human man with a face, and a smile. It was a nice smile. He had a soft voice.

"Hey."

[musubiki]

i adore the little plant sprout(?) blobs around oscar in your header omg what are they 😭😭

i was wondering if someone was gonna notice them!!!!!!!! they're the little forest spirits that he befriended, also the catalyst for getting him into the guild!!!!

TLDR oscar guild recruitment story: he lives next to a very strange forest that has a lot of forest spirits (that disguise/inhabit the local floral), and the forest spirits dont really like humans wondering around so he kept like. almost dying while exploring around by "Mysterious Accidents" like trees falling over, big hole in the ground, etc (little traps they set for him)

so one time he takes mochi and lime there for Fun Cool Exploration and the cat witchs presence in the forest dialed the spirit activity WAY UP. so they had to go rescue oscar from one of the bigger forest spirits that was gonna straight up murder him LOL. anyway afterwards he has the cat witch's medallion which is kind of like a sigil of "This human is ok. Fuck with him and get the wrath of the cat witch" kind of thing, so he ends up hanging out with and making friends with the spirits!!!!

(also one of the reasons why madam springs later cant not have him as an apprentice because hes the only one she knows besides her that the spirits actually like)

[shannonsketches]

Don’t mind me I’m just still in my Ganon 🤝 Din camp

look at this perfect match

[blee-bleep]

@belivinginyourselfistherealmagic thank you for the request of sucy! this was a very satisfying prompt, i love it!

[sirkoru]