#asking the flower deity for her protection

[finalfantasyx]

入鄉隨俗. 就當求花神庇佑了...保個平安. When visiting a foreign land, follow the customs of those who live in it. I'll treat it as a blessing from the Flower Deity for protection.

SNGX Xiaoluo gifset: [4/?]

[irndad]

Hi, I’m so sorry, I searched for request guidelines and must be missing them so if this isn’t something you write I apologize-

Flower prompt heliotrope with Spencer where reader sacrifices herself/or gets shot to save Maeve so Spencer can be happy, even though she’s hopelessly in love with him. 🥹

Little angst, little fluff. You can decide if reader fully sacrifices or just gets really badly hurt and how Spencer reacts.

my dear!! there are no rules yet- i have things i won't fill but thus far the onus has been on me to clarify. i had so much fun writing this- thank you for requesting it!!! requests r open :^) wc: 1.1k

“Is Maeve okay?”

It’s the first thing she says when she wakes up from her hospital bed. Spencer’s shaking, a little woozy too. It turns out that they have the same blood type, and she lost a whole fucking lot of it. He’d been happy to give it to her, although ‘happy’feels like the wrong word to use in this situation. 

She had internal bleeding, and collapsed harshly from the gunshot, scuffing her forehead so badly she needed stitches. Comparatively, it’s the least of her worries, but still- Spencer can’t stop staring at it. She’s literally marred by the choice she made to protect him. 

Maeve is okay. She’s in the same hospital, but Spencer’s spent about ten minutes with her- the rest of the last 12 hours of his life were spent oscillating between donating blood and praying to a deity he’s not sure exists. 

She’d survived. They’d both survived. He should feel relieved- why doesn’t he feel relieved?

It’s a stupid question that he keeps asking himself. Two of the most important people in his life are alive, but still in the moment, her blood spilling over him- the gasp of her breath when the bullet hit her- He’s going to remember the sound of it forever, what it sounded like for her to almost die for someone else. He hates that she’s the type of person to do it. To jump in front of a loaded gun for a woman she’s never met before. 

He’s mad at her. He has no right to be- he gets a chance with Maeve now, and that’s all due to the choice she made. And yet- he’s so, so angry at her. Because she could be dead right now. He could never, ever talk to her again. She made a choice that meant that he might have never been able to hear her voice, do a magic trick for her, ever, ever be near her again. How the fuck could she do that to him?

“Yes,” he replies, “she’s okay.”

She nods agreeably, before wincing at what appeared to be an intense ache at her temples. 

“My head hurts,” she says, her voice low and endearing, and his heart roars with protectiveness. “Do you think I could have a juice box?”

She’s so sweet- he wants to laugh, in a sad desperate kind of way. This is his favorite person in the world, sitting up shakily and asking for juice, clearly groggy and so endearing. He almost lost her. 

“You’re okay too,” he says, “If you’re wondering. You scared us. You had internal bleeding and a concussion. You lost a lot of blood.”

It’s only then she frowns. 

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” she pouts, trying to sit up and speak to him. “But it all worked out, Spence. She’s okay.”

“It didn’t all work out!” Her eyes widen at his outburst, and he feels like scum. Yelling at her when she’s in a hospital bed, taking a bullet so he’d have a chance at romance. 

“You said she’s okay,” she says back, slowly. “I don’t understand.”

“You lost blood. You almost died. That is not it working out. You have to tell me you understand that.” He doesn’t know why he’s being so harsh, but he also doesn’t know why he has to explain this to her. 

“I know,” she sighs, “I know. But this is the job, and I didn’t have time to get a vest on!”

“Then you wait. You wait. You don’t just burst in-“

“And you would’ve lost the love of your life!”

“What makes you think she’s the love of my life?”

A nurse shuffles by the room and Spencer takes a deep breath. He doesn’t want to be kicked out of her room, and on some level he knows how crazy it is to be yelling at a gunshot victim. He pinches his nose, eyes winced in frustration. 

She’s been his favorite person by a wide margin for an incredibly long time. She joined the team as a consultant and he remembers the first time he did a card trick for her- the first time he’d fallen asleep on her shoulder. He was so grateful to know her. Still is. In this moment, knowing feels like time slipping out from an hourglass- like it was almost numbered. Their time was almost finished. 

Maeve was lovely. Maeve listened and she was kind and Spencer really did like her. He’s glad she’s safe, now. But his best friend, his coworker and favorite person- Spencer thought everyone could tell that he’s been in love with the team consultant since the first week he knew her. 

Everything he liked about Maeve reminded him of her. 

And she’d jumped in front of a bullet for someone she thought he was in love with. And fuck, maybe he did love her in some way- but whatever ‘in love’ meant with Maeve, this sorrow, the pain of knowing she’d almost been someone he’d have to remember was far, far deeper. 

“You’ve never mentioned anyone to me romantically. I’ve known you for years, Spencer. She’s important to you.”

Maeve is. She was. It’s all so confusing now. He has liked someone for years, though. He couldn’t tell her, though. Maeve was a welcome distraction from a love he thought was wholly impractical and impossible to love him back— a love that now he has to witness languish in a hospital bed. 

Morgan knew. Morgan would tease him every time Spencer drew a smiley face in purple marker on her coffee cup. He would tell him to just ask her out, and it had always felt so improbable. She’d never go for someone as lanky and uncharismatic as him. 

“You’re important to me.” 

She has no idea how much. 

Her eyes soften at that, and not for the first time, he wants to curl into her arms. He wants to lay next to her in the hospital bed, and feel her pulse beat against bare skin. Feel her pulse and with every beat know that she is alive. 

“I know that, Spence,” she breathes out.

Even though it’s not kosher, not necessarily the right thing to do when your not-girlfriend/girl you went on one date with is in the same hospital, but when his best friend opens up her arms for a hug, he ends up doing exactly what he wanted. 

The team finds her asleep in her hospital bed, with Spencer asleep in her arms. It feels voyeuristic to look at, but Spencer really, really couldn’t care. 

He resolved to tell her that he loves her as soon as she’s healed. With the way Morgan side eyes him every time he ‘helps’ her walk across a room by holding her waist, he’s not sure he’ll last that long. 

[ne-videl]

𝓾𝓷𝓮𝓺𝓾𝓪𝓵 𝓶𝓪𝓻𝓻𝓲𝓪𝓰𝓮

♡

yandere Poseidon x fem reader

hide your tears and smile, little goddess.

yandere, unhealthy relationships, objectification, angst, power imbalance, depressed reader, forced marriage, poor english, sfw. first half – Poseidon's pov, then yours.

word count: ~1.5k

a/n: hii everyone!! how have you been? I have no ideas. like, absolutely. art block I guess?? anyway, have some of my old stuff. this is my least favorite yandere trope, but I love angst, so sometimes I go for it. by the way, when I first started it, I wanted to write a super idolized fluff but... well, we have what we have, or "why you don't want to marry Poseidon". hehe big booba man hehehe

the endless ocean is noisy outside the huge windows.

today, the sea sings a memorial service for you.

two people at the altar – the god and his bride.

Poseidon wants to smile rapaciously at her shaking figure.

she's afraid, poor thing. who wouldn't be afraid? he is, after all, the god of all gods, known for his cruel and merciless temper, the lord of the seas.

and she will become his lady very soon.

[name].

her name spreads like ambrosia across his lips.

even her name is so ordinary, so human, as, indeed, everything else about his charming wife.

she was a priestess in Poseidon's temple: in his own, so there's nothing wrong in taking what was already his. he noticed her by accident.

[name] was sitting hunched over, touching some bright flowers with her bruised palms. he liked to visit this temple sometimes: it was quiet and peaceful in the atrium, noisy humans did not flicker before his eyes.

little human girl did not even flinch when he silently stood next to her, only continued to look with big and very sad eyes at the colorful flower bed.

at their second meeting, she greeted him.

at the third time, she dared to start an idle conversation.

the fourth, and she talked about life in the temple.

at the fifth time she asked why he was coming here.

Poseidon always stood silently next to her, looming over her like a suffocating shadow. he was amused by her chattering, and, unexpectedly for himself, found her presence soothing, pleasant, unlike other humans, the mere sight of whom made the eye of the deity twitch.

life was bad for her in the temple.

[name] told him, she was sent to this place when she was still a girl, and she spent her whole life by the cold blue sea.

new head of the temple did not like her, saying that there was nothing for women to do here. that she should get married, but who needs her?

Poseidon saw the marks of beatings on her girlish body.

so he took her with him. she served in temple made in his name, spent her short life at his domain – it is quite natural that she will become his wife.

of course, it is unheard of that god marries a human – but does he really need someone's approval?

ʚ♡⃛ɞ ______

Hades advised to propose to her. it's the way humans do it.

Poseidon did not ask for her consent, for him it was just a formality: of course she would say yes, he was sure.

he will dress her in the finest silks, she will own the most beautiful jewels on all Olympus, the sea itself would be at her feet – how could a human girl want more?

smile spreads across his face as he sees her eyes widen, as she begins to shake – no doubt, from embarrassment – and his palm rests protectively on top of her head.

of course she agreed, how could it be any other way?

his fiancee is incredibly sweet. but weak and naive at the same time, like the rest of the human race. but he will protect her, give her a better life.

she must be very grateful to him.

ʚ♡⃛ɞ ______

Poseidon remembers their wedding well, how [name] looked in amazement at the beauty of Atlantis, at the greatness of his seas.

in white robes, with downcast eyes, she swore an oath binding her life forever to a cruel deity, accompanied by singing of nymphs and the sound of the ocean.

she was now a goddess herself, whether she wanted to or not. of course, she wanted to, it couldn't be any other way. she loves him.

and, as the new lady of the seas, she will spend her now eternal life by his side. Poseidon will make sure of this no matter what.

she fearfully puts her small palm into his, while he, her husband, leads her through the corridors of the palace. [name] is silent. probably still embarrassed.

from now on, she will be the most beautiful ornament of his possessions, the shining pearl of Atlantis – his precious property, belonging only to him. and the sparkling ring on her tiny finger was proof.

ʚ♡⃛ɞ ______

"wife." – [name] immediately turns around, smiles, comes closer.

his hand rests on her waist, his grip firm, possessively strong. she doesn't notice.

or pretends not to notice.

over time, [name] got used to him, cheered up, blossomed. it couldn't have been any other way, right?

songs, dances appeared, bright flowers and ringing laughter in the cold and empty corridors.

she became friends with his brothers, was able to conquer the proud Aphrodite, whom she now called her friend with visible joy.

Poseidon is pleased to consider himself a good husband.

he loves to see his wife smiling, laughing.

even if it's not just with him. it's better to be patient for a while, he thinks, than to lose her cheerful chatting for the whole evening.

though, she's cute even when she's angry.

Poseidon was gentle with her. allowed her much, much more than others, even spoiled her. [name] was his wife, after all, so he had to make sure she looked good enough.

he's a good husband.

[name] never contradicted him, never raised her adorable voice at him, never was not too selfish.

although deep down, he would like her to become more spoiled. so that, like him, she would not tolerate anyone's presence, except, of course, her husband.

to think of it, why would she need anyone besides him? she can be quite happy within the walls of the palace.

Poseidon dismissed these thoughts from himself – for some reason, his wife liked to be in society, even if without him.

well, he's willing to put up with her quirks as long as she knows who should come first for her.

ʚ♡⃛ɞ ______

the outfit given by Aphrodite was very becoming to his spouse. Poseidon loved to see her beautiful.

in luxurious clothes, undoubtedly worthy of the wife of a sea god, or in the warm candlelight in the night darkness of their shared bedroom, happy or shedding tears, [name] was equally beautiful.

the precious treasure of Atlantis.

he was never moved by her tears – even if she was crying, of course she loved him anyway. [name] is happy. so why make a big deal about it?

none of the pathetic mortals could take care of her like he did. none of them would love her the way he does.

"you are my wife. you're not going anywhere."

ʚ♡⃛ɞ ______

you didn't tell anyone about your sorrow: didn't share it with anyone – neither with Aphrodite, nor with the nymphs and mermaids, your husband's brothers remained in the dark too.

a little human girl shedding tears by the huge waves.

an unhappy goddess, forever imprisoned in an cold palace, surrounded by hypocritical deities, in the iron grip of an unloved husband, eaten alive by sadness and suffocating hopelessness of her position.

none of them saw you as an equal: you were only a curious little thing, a way to dispel eternal divine boredom, and the Olympians, of course, did not bother to hide this fact.

you didn't know what your husband found in you, and you didn't want to. sometimes you wished that back then, many, many years ago, he would have left you in that temple, or that you would run from the garden in terror, or anything. anything.

ʚ♡⃛ɞ ______

you knew your place well.

by his side, always, no matter what. from the very day when you stood at the altar and did not dare to raise your eyes to your fiance, you were no longer anything human.

from that moment, you became an ornament, a property, a beautiful doll. nothing more.

Poseidon wanted to see you happy – and you smiled, laughed, you did everything that you thought he would like.

are you satisfied? please tell me you're happy. I'm scared.

scared.

your husband allowed you the freedom he thought his property could have, and you greedily soaked up every drop of it.

you're lucky, you told yourself, you're very, very lucky. It could have been worse. any other girl would give her soul to be in your place, – repeated, looking at your own reflection in the cold glitter of jewelry.

you must be like it yourself. a thing. a thing, of course, must have an owner, and a thing cannot be sad.

Poseidon's cold hand rests on your waist, pulls you into his arms, and you do not allow yourself to resist: you exhale into his neck, placing your small palms on his broad back.

your spouse is purring contentedly.

he's happy. you can relax a little.

ʚ♡⃛ɞ ______

sea nymphs comb your hair, weave pearls into thin braids, fold strands into an intricate hairstyle.

"what's bothering you, madam?" – the lady of the seas does not bother to answer, your dead calm gaze wanders over the high ceilings, walls and huge windows of your chambers.

a common topic of idle conversation among the Olympians was Poseidon's boundless adoration for his charming wife. cruel god who fell in love with a mere mortal – what a beautiful story.

even the ocean itself seemed to dote on you. whenever the warm waves caressed your feet on the coast, your dried-up insides were filled with melancholy. your body was here, in Atlantis, which became a prison for you, and your soul, which remained to pain in your chest human, floated far away. your tired mind wandered, and you are a little girl again, and once again the bright sun warms your childishly plump cheeks, and in your hands are colorful flowers, and the kind grandpa from the temple strokes your head.

Poseidon will be coming for you soon – as always.

as always, you will talk about something, laugh, sitting on his lap in the throne room. or in one of the living rooms, or in the bedroom – you were not allowed to leave him without permission.

you flinched when you felt his strong hand on your shoulder.

Poseidon smirked.

his wife is not going anywhere. she will stay with him.

forever.

not the best one of my works but uh well I felt like posting something

maaybe will be deleted since it doesn't look as good as I thought it would be in english

btw thinking about writing tartaglia fic soo the next one is probably gonna be genshin man again

thanks for reading!!

[chthonic-sorcery]

PSA for new Pagans❗️🚩🚩🚩

(Overlooked pagan holidays)

Paganism isn't a singular religion,

it is an umbrella term for thousands of different pre-christian polytheistic faiths that span Antiquity. Heathenry (Norse polytheism) Mesopotamian, Phonecian, Hellenic Polytheism, Kemeticism/Netjerism, Slavic Polytheism, Celtic, Roman, Basque, etc. It goes on and on. Sometimes, these religions are even combined or synchronized, like Greco-Egyptian polytheism.

So, no, not all pagans celebrate Yule, or Beltane, or whatever.

Yule itself seems to be more of a Wiccan (new age) revival than a continued tradition.

There are quite literally thousands of holidays and traditions celebrated that no one talks about because people, especially newer converts, seem to believe paganism is its own singular religion.

So, here are some of my favorite holidays I celebrate that aren't usually talked about:

The Anthesteria:

A 3 day drunken celebration in honor of Dionysus and the Dead. Houses would be decorated with spring flowers, ghosts swept from the home; feasting and drinking no matter your status, and offerings given to the Dead and the Furies so that may not harm you, as they were said to roam the earth at this time.

Tar/pitch was also spread onto doorframes and black hellebore was hung to protect the home.

It was held each year from the 11th to the 13th of the month of Anthesterion, around the time of the first full moon of the year.

The Haloea:

The closest Greek equivalent of "Yule" celebrating the winter solstice and which honored Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, crops, fertility, and harvest.

During the festival, people would celebrate by preparing a rich meal with dough cakes in the shape of genitalia, telling lusty jokes and swearing with vulgarity, singing, drinking, and dancing.

The festival took place in Athens and ended in Eleusis during the month of Poseideon, which is December.

The Dionysia:

where plays originated! Comedy, tragedy, and drama.

The Festival of Dionysus, otherwise known as the “Greater Dionysia” took place in the spring (around our March) when playwrights would compete to entertain Athenian citizens,

complete with parades of giant phalluses and sacrifices of bulls!

The Feat of Sekhmet:

an annual festival at the beginning of the year, which began around August for the Egyptians following Wep Ronpet, or the New Year.

The festival was a time of drunkeness with red beer and wine, where Egyptians would dance, play music.

The goal was to imitate the drunkenness that had once stopped the goddess Sekhmet from destroying humanity.

According to Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet became so bloodthirsty from humanity betraying her father Ra, that she nearly destroyed all humans on Earth. The other deities asked Ra to stop her, and he eventually pacified her by making her believe the wine or beer was blood and she drank herself to sleep, turning into either Hathor or Bastet.

the Aphrodisia:

The festival of Aphrodite! The festival occurred during the month of Hekatombaion, which modern scholars recognize as starting from the third week in July to the third week of August.

the first ritual of the festival would be to purify the temple with the blood from a dove, the sacred bird of Aphrodite. Afterwards, worshipers would carry sacred images of the goddess, as well as Peitho, in a procession to be washed.

During the festival it was not permitted to make bloody sacrifices, since the altar could not be polluted with the blood of the sacrifice victims, which were usually white male goats.

This of course excludes the blood of the sacred dove, made at the beginning of the ritual to purify the altar. In addition to live male goats, worshipers would offer fire, flowers, and incense.

This was even celebrated in Thebes, Egypt, where Aphrodite had a large cult following.

Wep Ronpet:

Wep Ronpet is the Kemetic New Year.

It falls usually somewhere btwn late July and mid-August. The date for Wep Ronpet varies each year, as it is marked by the rising of Sopdet, modernly known as Sirius. Wep Ronpet is in fact one day long.

However, there are 5 days of excitement leading up to Wep Ronpet that we typically call the Epagomenal Days, or the Intercalary Days.

The Epag. days came about from a myth where Nut got pregnant with 5 kids. Ra got upset about this and forbade her from giving birth on any day of the year. Thoth, being the tricky guy that he is played a game of Senet with the moon, and upon winning this game of Senet, he received a small portion of the moon which he used to create an extra 5 days which she can use to birth her five children.

Traditionally, these days are said to be a little weird because they are ‘outside of the norm’. Usually great care was taken not to take too many risks.

So, each day is dedicated to the god that was born on that particular day. The order that it goes in is:

Osiris

Heru-wer (Horus the Elder)

Set

Aset

Nebhet (Nephthys)

Normally, celebrations of Wep Ronpet include prayers to Sekhmet against the 7 arrow or plagues of the year: libations and offerings to the Netjeru, song, dance, feast.

Ritual bathing for purification is sometimes done afterwards.

Personally, I like to perform execration, banishing all the illness, negativity and harm from the previous and coming year.

[esotericpluto]

messages from your future spouse

from left to right; intuitively choose the pile you feel more connected to. To make it easier, you can take a deep breathe, close your eyes and ask for guidance to your deities or guides. These are all general messages, so just take what resonates and leave what doesn't. This reading is timeless. If it resonates, feedback is always appreciated and motivates to keep doing pick a card readings.

these are intuitively channeled messages. I also channeled a book and looked at the quotes until I found the one that I intuitively matches your story better.

pile 1

sunshines, rainbows, picnics, lakes, swans, ducks and bunnies is the energy this pile is giving me. It feels like your future spouse is looking forward to taking you to such dates and it seems like they cannot wait until this becomes a reality as you will be their sunshine.

"It is you and me against the world. You are everything for me, my flower, my castle, my sun, my moon, my world. Never leave me and I'll make you the happiest person in the world. We are in this together and I'll never abandon you. I'll be your lighthouse and guide you and you will be my candle in every unknown path of life. We are one and I can't wait until we marry and have children. I am sure they will have your beautiful eyes. We will me meeting soon, just trust your heart and let go of fear"

"She began now to comprehend that he was exactly the man who, in disposition and talents, would most suit her. His understanding and temper, though unlike her own, would have answered all her wishes. It was an union that must have been to the advantage of both: by her ease and liveliness, his mind might have been softened, his manners improved; and from his judgement, information, and knowledge of the world, she must have received benefit of greater importance.” – Pride & Prejudice

pile 2

I feel like your future husband has tendency to act rough and strong, even in moments where they just want to break down and hold onto softness. Strength and resillience become weary and too much of a weight to endure and carry after so long, especially after years of going through so many hardships, difficulties and even traumas. Your future spouse struggles with opening up, with letting someone in, with showing vulnerabity or even some form of weakness.

However, they are telling me, and this is the message for you, that you make them feel like they are safe and taken care of. You are the warmth in their coldest days, you make them feel secure and like they can finally lean on someone, like they don't have to go through everything alone. With you they will learn how to trust, how to break down their barriers, their fears, their deepest worries. They want to give you the world and will defend you and protect you from everything they want. They are definitely the type to be very bold and strong towards other, but a full sweetheart towards you and this is something that will greatly enrich your heart.

I feel like they are telling me that you will also be scared at first as you will feel as if they are going to break your heart. They can assure you they would not, they would rather the whole world ending than your love going away and they will stick to their words and promises. Trust your intuition always.

"The first symptom of true love in a man is timidity, in a young woman, boldness" – Les Miserables

pile 3

"If we have had many ups and downs, many struggles, many back and forths. I thought I would lose you for real, that I had truly messed up, yet we are here again. You are in front of me, in this altar, in this sanctuary of love, exchanging vows. You made me the happiest person in the world and I can only thank you for that. I am sorry for failing you like I did, I am sorry you had to see the worst parts of myself the way you did and if I could give you the universe to compensate you, I would.

I am glad we could meet again, be together again. I knew our hearts would always find our way back to each other. I saw you in my dreams, I remember you from past lives. Our love was destined and nothing that could have happened could have separated us or changed that. You are my angel, my salvation, my inspiration to become better everyday. You have a shine in your eyes that lights up my smile. Thank you for giving me another chance".

I do not think this is an ex (although, for a minority of you, it is possible). It feels more like someone who you will still meet, have a separation with and find your way back to each other eventually. They seem to have really learnt from their mistakes and will do everything in their power to show that to you.

"Good-bye, till we meet then—I embrace you warmly, warmly, with many kisses. Yours till death." – Crime and Punishment

[infernoprogeny]

𝕾𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖚𝖊𝖗𝖙𝖊: 𝔖𝔞𝔦𝔫𝔱 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔞𝔱𝔥 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔊𝔬𝔡𝔡𝔢𝔰𝔰 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔞𝔡 

When it comes to death, there are many variations of gods that come to our mind from different cultures, since this process is an inevitable and crucial part of all our lives notwithstanding our ethnicity, race, social status, religious beliefs, etc.  

Most of us heard about one such deity: Santa Muerte, who is commonly known as a folk saint and is closely associated with Mexican el Día de Muertos or Day of the Dead. Usually she is depicted as a skeleton with traditional feminine features, long hair, flower wreath and in a bright dress. 

Despite her status among Spanish Catholics, the catholic church doesn’t accept her as an official saint since some other figures play this role in catholicism, as well as Santa Muerte’s eerie connections with witchcraft and narco cartels don’t quite fit Christian morals. 

But what do we know about the origin of the Mother of Death? 

Origin

Although Santa Muerte is an unofficial catholic saint, her roots are more complex than they seem and aren’t limited by her status among Spanish Catholics. 

There are a few main theories of where Santa Muerte comes from:

Aztec death deity Mictecacihuatl

Figure of Grim Reaper during Black Death

African death goddesses

And more others.

But there is no general agreement on which one is true. It can be confusing, but at the same time, it allows us to analyze and define the truth for ourselves.

Still there is one most popular theory which is related to Aztec beliefs.

Aztec death goddess

As we know, Santa Muerte has the most popularity in Mexico. From the history overview, the Valley of Mexico was earlier the Aztec home before the conquest of this land by the Spanish in the early 16th century.

Before Mexican el Día de Muertos, the Aztecs had their own celebration connected to several death gods: Mictecacihuatl and Mictlantecuhtli. Few principal gods were represented as female (Mictecacihuatl) and male (Mictlantecuhtli) embodiments of death and rulers of Mictlan (underworld).

!For the remark: they are not the only ones, there was goddess Tonantzin as well, but she is related to the other catholic figure. 

One of the theories is that Mictecacihuatl and Santa Muerte are the same deity because the Spanish had to accept some Aztec customs due to their cooperation. Also, Mictecacihuatl was a dominant death deity in the Aztec pantheon, so it was important to save her figure even under a different name.

Many faces of Mother of Death

Apart from Santa Muerte’s grim image and direct relation to death, she is patient with the newbies and her devotees and has a pleasant presence and nurturing nature. 

Like all deities, Lady of Death is versatile and can be both gentle and destructive. Don’t be surprised to learn that she has a strong connection with drug traffickers and many of them honour this goddess so she gives them protection and prosperity. 

Another feature is that Mother of Death accepts all people since death doesn’t care about your social status, sexual orientation, colour of skin, gender, and any other things. She is a protector of those who are rejected by society and helps them to stay safe and find their way in life. 

But you need to keep in mind that she should be respected as any other deity and she won’t forgive your ignorance or rudeness towards her. 

How to start working with Santa Muerte

As many of us know, it is important to understand which aspects have certain deities when we start working with them. It helps us to figure out for what purposes we can contact them. 

Santa Muerte is an universal goddess who has keys to the many doors on our paths. It is no wonder, because death is ever-present and has power over all. 

When you decide that you would like to ask Santa Muerte for something, you should define your request and reach out to one of her seven colours or aspects. 

!However, if you aren’t sure which colour is right, it is fine to reach out to Santa Muerte without referring to a certain aspect of her. 

The Seven Colors of Santa Muerte 

I will give a short guide of her seven colours, so it will be easier to define which aspect is most suitable for your problem or situation. 

Niña Blanca, White Santa Muerte

Protection, cleansing, renewal, starting new projects, healing, opening new paths, punishing enemies.

Niña Violeta, Purple Santa Muerte

Magic, secret knowledge, wisdom, spiritual growth, clairvoyance, divination.

Niña Azul, Blue Santa Muerte

Partnerships, social life, human interactions (she can both harmonize and destroy relationships).

Niña Dorada, Golden Santa Muerte

Money, wealth, prosperity, fate, luck (as well as lack of money, poverty and bad luck for enemies).

Niña Roja, Red or Pink Santa Muerte

Romantic relationships, love, lust, attracting a partner (it is possible to punish unfaithful partners with Red Santa Muerte’s help).

Niña Verde, Green Santa Muerte

Winning legal cases, justice, defining truth, protection from criminals, imprisoning someone, making someone commit illegal acts, endanger someone to be robbed or assaulted. 

Niña Negra, Black Santa Muerte

Neutralizing curses, malevolent spirits, ending bad luck or all kinds of problems, protection, spiritual transformations, harming enemies.

Associations

Planetary aspects: 

Moon and Saturn (but it can vary depending on the aspect)

Plants:

Rose, rosemary, syrian rye, tobacco, marigolds, aloe

Animals: 

Owl, raven, butterfly, snake, worm

Incense: 

Rose, vanilla, sage, copal, myrrh, rosemary, aloe, palo santo

Symbols:

Scythe, skull, flower wreath, golden jewelry, scale, cloak

Tarot:

Death, Queen of Swords, Judgement, the Empress, the High Priestess, the Hierophant (but it depends on your perception as well)

Offerings

Tequila, red wine, chocolate (or any other sweets), red apples, pomegranates, fruits (especially exotic ones such as pineapples, mangoes, dragon fruits), coffee and cacao, salt, bread, flowers (mostly red or white roses), red meat, chicken hearts, candles (the colour depends on the aspect or you can choose the black one as universal), incenses. 

𖤐

Let me know if you would like new posts about Santa Muerte. Mother and I will be happy to tell you a lot more.

[robin-evry]

Hiiiiiii !!!! Could I please ask for half-flower (rose) yuu? ♡

Sure thing, ask and you shall receive

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐔𝐔 𝐈𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐅 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 / 𝐍𝐘𝐌𝐏𝐇 🌹🥀

A nymph (Ancient Greek: νύμφη, romanized: nýmphē; Attic Greek: [nýmpʰɛː]; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, landform, or tree, and are usually depicted as maidens.

I know this isn't what you ask for, but I decided to modify it a little to have a little background, I chose nymph due to them being a personification of nature, so this yuu will be a nymph that is the personification of the flower rose

( English is not my first language )

Yuu's appearance is deeply tied to the rose motif. They have half of their body adorned with intricate rose patterns, where thorny vines twist elegantly along with their skin, possibly wrapping around their arms and legs.

They are calm and nurturing like a flower in full bloom, but if someone harms those they care about, they reveal her "thorny" side, becoming sharp-tongued and quick to defend themselve and others.

They are the embodiment of the rose—elegant, serene, and welcoming to those who approach them with kindness. They value harmony, often seeking to create peace among those around them, much like how a rose beautifies its surroundings. However, like the thorned stem of the flower, they have a sharp edge. They are fiercely protective of their friends and can be quite intimidating when someone threatens them.

When they walk past the surroundings with plants, flowers or roses start to bloom out of nowhere since they have a connection to nature. Become NRC affocial gardener

Regardless they are actually very good at gardening, when Crowley was visiting ramshackle he saw that ramshackle is like a green house rich with beautiful plants, instead of a run down shack it looks like a rich and bountiful house that are filled with flowers around it making it beautiful. Soon they were hired to be a gardener including a paycheck for them.

And it did not disappoint, the school became a lot more popular, the school has become a much nicer place than RSA, the film research club usually films scenes that takes place in forest or an area field with flowers in exchange of not damaging the flowers, even some famous brands, photographer etc do their photo or filming in NRC, Crowley managed to double the amount the his getting but 80% of the money was given to yuu.

During some time epel ask half flower!yuu to help him with the trees in his village, since their grandparents have apple trees and it been getting hard to maintain. As well to use their natural ability to turn dead trees into flourishing apple trees.

Each winter, they're powers and energy slowly begin to dwindle as the weather turns colder. Much like how roses enter dormancy during the winter season, they also withdraw from their usual lively state. Their body and magic are tied to nature, so they require this period of rest to rejuvenate their powers. During hibernation, the rose vines that adorn their body recede slightly.

This hibernation period usually lasts from late fall until the first signs of spring. During this time, their personality becomes quieter, more introspective. They tend to avoid conflict, conserving their energy by staying indoors and using her magic sparingly. However, even in this dormant state, their thorns remain sharp, ready to defend themselves and others if necessary.

Since they're connected to plants and nature, they have the ability to manipulate any plant similar to poison ivy powers but the drawback they are unable to create plants, only be able to only existing resources.

Example : during the savanaclaw arc, they were unable to manipulate plants due to the lack of plants or nature in the area. So they carried a sack of seeds In case of this situation.

They're floral pheromones can calm, soothe, or subtly influence others. At NRC, they uses this ability carefully, often to de-escalate conflicts before they spiral out of control. In dangerous situations, they can amplify the effect to create an overwhelming sense of peace, putting their opponents into a dazed or passive state.

In ramshackle, there's a small garden filled with rare flowers, and some students found half flower!yuu tending the flowers during their free time and if any students pluck their flowers without permission or destroy it, they will dangle by the leg upside down for half an hour.

Their dorm room is a sanctuary of its own, filled with potted plants, vines, and roses that respond to their presence. It has a calming atmosphere, with the faint scent of roses always lingering in the air. Friends often visit their room for peace and quiet when the chaos of NRC becomes overwhelming, knowing that their plants will offer comfort and protection. They've become known for her green thumb, and their room is a hidden oasis amid the more chaotic, dark environment of the school.

They are also knowledgeable about biology on plants. During their free time if a student manages to come in contact with their dangerous plants, they will create an antitude for the situation. They are also excellent pharmacists.

Classes like potionolgy are extremely easy for them, one of Mr crewel star pupal. Some students seek for them for their guidance on the subject

Them and Vil share an appreciation for beauty and elegance. Vil respects their natural grace and sees her as a symbol of refined strength. They bond over skincare, fashion, and the art of presentation, though Vil sometimes wishes they would embrace a more high-maintenance beauty routine. meanwhile, they enjoy Vil's dedication to perfection but reminds him that even roses have imperfections that make them unique.

Also they usually have a sun bath, they will lay in the ramshackle ground wearing a sun glass and enjoy the sunlight.

They are also to be described as very confident and brash by people, described by people as their thorn side even tho that people said this side is ugly, half-flower!yuu would ignore them due to them loving both sides of themselves and always be true to themselves.

Even tho people see them as a kind and brash person, they are also very judgemental immediately judging people's fashion sense, during their first meeting with ace, in their head they are judging his uniform and hairstyle. They also had a very sharp tongue immediately roasting the first years during their first meeting.

[naisaspalace]

Personal Nakshatras observation series:

ARDRA NAKSHATRA Part 1:

obs: this series will have multiple sources from random websites to authors/professors that contributed to the creation of this "Article". my opinions are not the ultimate truth and everyone has a different understanding of the same topic. my purpose is to spread my interpretations to help people. contact info will be available at the end of the post.

Nakshatra Characteristics:

6.40 –20 degrees in Gemini.

Meaning: the star of sorrows.

Translation:  "The Moist One", "Fresh", "Green"

Deity: Rudra. (one of Shiva's manifestations)

this nakshatra story starts on the Rohini where Brahma (the creator) wanted to have an intimate relationship with his daughter, Rohini, so in the following constellation, mrigashira, Rohini turned herself into a deer to run from Brahma and he also became a deer to chase her and shiva became so furious that he opened his third eye in anger and from that a powerful spark emerged and transformed into Rudra and he cut off brahmas head to save Rohini.

this action shows the empathy and protective nature of Ardra.

ruler: Rahu. (north node)

element: water

guna: tamasic

dosha: vata

tree: Long Pepper or Krishna Kamal Flower (karimaram)

symbols: teardrop, diamond, and a human head.

yoni: female dog.

star: Belteguese

mode: balanced.

goal: kama (pleasure, desires, fulfillment)

Body parts: Top and Back of Head & Eyes.

Sex/Gender: Female.

Upward Facing.

Direction: West (or southeast). Color: Green. (mercury gemini)

Disposition:  Sharp and Forceful (Tikshna)

Chakra:vishuddha (throat chakra)

story interpretation:

Ardra nakshatra is the first rahu-ruled nakshatra of three and it comes after mrigashira, ruled by Mars, the previous constellation talked about a mind that was constantly chasing something that most of the time ended up being things that would bring a sense of temporal satisfaction. Those people are those who usually are lost trying to search for something to satisfy themselves and after they are satisfied they simply go out searching for the next thing.

But things change when they arrive at Ardra, here is the first time the mind starts to wonder about what the mind storms and turbulences mean, and this time they actually are focused on getting to the end of the search that usually started at mrigashira, by dissecting the problem and arriving at the end goal fiercely like Rudra.

The star of sorrows

The nature balances the universe with its constructive and destructive abilities. water creates lives and also ends lives by hydrating and drowning and by striking lightning to end the bad and damaged environment that can eventually become powerfully strong as a diamond or cause mass destruction. This is how Ardra's energy manifests itself they bring a storm that transforms us either for good or bad, you are the one who decides who you face this.

pop culture manifestation

effy stonem (drug abuse, destruction, illusion)

Kaya Scodelario has moon-ketu (conjunction) at Ardra and she played Effy a troubled teen who started to drink and use drugs to cope with her emotions and ended up bringing destruction to herself and the people around her.

she was often seen as this sexy attractive woman and she used a lot of her seduction to cause chaos among the men

the illusion of drugs that make you feel like the mind is now pacified

she loved chaos so much that she chased it constantly or at least thought she loved it.

a beautiful young woman having fun you might wonder what is wrong with that? effy grew up around an unstable family and this led her to idealize the use of substances to escape herself to a point where she would constantly run away and record vlogs asking her mom to find her and nurture her.

ardra is the first rahu constellation, also called as the “birth of rahu” or his “infant state” alongside rahu it comes with the birth of the intellectual mind ardra is also called the star of sorrows and the symbol is a teardrop

effy represents a state of disorganized destruction and the consequences of self-neglect created by Maya, illusions, where one fails to find the strength to leave their storms and continues to feed their infinite hunger for emotional satisfaction and the inability to face reality as it is

the storms come to us but they don't come to destroy us they are here for us to thrive above to raise the heavens, just like Rudra throwing his arrow to the sky.

"Rudra is known as the divine archer, who shoots arrows of death and disease and who has to be implored not to slay or injure in his wrath"

Effy ended up with a psychotic depression. She attempts suicide but Freddie (her boyfriend), foreseeing this, saves her and she is taken to the hospital and later, institutionalized. Eventually, she lost her memory because the doctor used strong medication and he also manipulated effy into breaking up with her boyfriend and attempted to make her fall in love with him and murder her boyfriend.

to me, this is where the actress ketu comes into play, as you know ketu represents detachment and liberation and she finally achieved her freedom by losing her memory even if it was momentarily she finds a few moments of peace.

three years after this whole situation she moves to another place but we find her, she seems to be better but she ends up being arrested at the end of the series for being framed by her boss, he frames his fraud crimes into her. Eventually, she told his superiors and he got arrested as well

refusing to heal her past traumas, ketu, she ends up being followed by outside storms that mirrored her mental state; The star of sorrow indeed.

Taylor Swift (profit, high goals and achievement, superation, philosophy, and fame).

taylor is a pop singer and writer who started her career at young age when she was discovered by a executive of a record label and became a famous celebrity later on.

revenge, pain, mental disturbance.

(The snake is one of the rahu's symbols, hes the head of the snake represents the mental part)

she became successful due to her telling her heartbreak stories on her music, specifically her ex-relationships, her sorrows became her brand and she is often described as a revengeful person because if you mess with her she will just write a song and win millions with all of this chaotic mess.

Taylor has ardra moon-jupiter and her birth time is not confirmed some will say she is a sideral scorpio rising and others will say she is a Sagittarius, I personally agree with both but for the sake of this interpretation, I will ignore the house where this conjunction falls and give a general interpretation.

moon grants taylor the emotional unbalancing experience and jupiter grants her the wisdom to work with multiple music genres and the writing ability. We all know that jupiter amplifies whatever he touches and this granted taylor her huge popularity and success and guaranteed that she would be able to rise above all of the chaos she faced during her career. Taylor also knows how to play some musical instruments and when she began her career she also had some acting jobs.

“Patience in the times of conflict, Humbleness in the time of success, Cleverness of tongue in company, Attack in battle, Wish during fame, Addiction in weaponry – These 6 virtues are in-built and can only be seen in the brave man. Whoever houses these virtues becomes a great soul. Thus, the one who wants to succeed and become greater than he is shall house all 6 of these virtues.)” ― HEM RAJ JAT, RUDRA: The Name of Destroyer

taylor symbolizes the high ambition and dreams of the ardra native, the amount of chaos she passed not only made her strong but she managed to won again and again jupiter guaranteed her success and the ardra moon gave her the ambition drive to achieve it all.

rahu is highly ambitious and material-obsessed/attached and taylor shows this attribute by never stopping working on her career, she is one of the few artists who did not have a pause during her musical career and during the pandemic she not only announced two new upcoming albums with new and expensive merchandise

the world was in a pandemic state yet Ms. Taylor didn't lose the opportunity to make millions she broke records and became even stronger. rahu is also the significator of social media and taylor is highly influential there.

her gigantic success overshadows her character flaws and she also managed to create this persona, illusion, of ultimate good and moralistic character. this is once again due to rahu being a good manipulator and liar.

don't be mistaken I was once a huge fan of hers but this is an analysis and I cannot act blind towards her motives and actions, she is talented and manages to earn her success and she has good and bad actions just like all of us but we shouldn't be blind towards Rahu, right?

overall she behaves like a good agent of maya making fame seem delicious, fun, and worth having. to me, her story is of superation, hard work, and good writing with philosophical intellectual exploration on her folklore and evermore albums and just like effy sorrows seem to follow her around.

Daenerys Targaryen ( illusions, transformation, strength, fantasy and victory)

Emilia Clarke is a famous actress most known by her role as Daenerys Targaryen and she have a possible ardra moon

daenerys had a hard life and she was dependent on her abusive older brother, Viserys, and was forced to marry Dothraki horselord Khal Drogo in exchange for Viserys' army to reclaim the Iron Throne in Westeros. she becomes the khaleesi and with this new title, she also gained three petrified dragons as a wedding gift.

a little time has passed and pregnant Daenerys loses her husband and child, but blood magic allows Daenerys to hatch three of her dragon eggs. The dragons provide her with a tactical advantage and prestige.

Oftentimes serpents were described as dragons and magic is also another significator of rahu.

she managed to conquer the seven kingdoms and became the queen after many years of pain and trial she won with fierce and ultimately strength

Daenerys finds her inner strength and courage and emerges as a natural leader adored by her people. She is often described as honorable and compassionate, if somewhat naive, although she can be harsh and vengeful against those who seek to harm her or her followers.

here ardra manifests as a warrior whos strength and ambition led her to the ultimate goal the throne that she had lost and was willing to fight until she won.

Don't forget that also took revenge and created destruction all around yet shes a manifestation of a fearless warrior determined to eliminate the opposition without hesitation, just like rudra.

however she had a sad ending, she was betrayed and killed by her lover Jon who was also another candidate for the throne, she found out near the end of the show, after she became mad like her ancestors

the mad queen was dead but her legacy and story lived on to show how great one can become by using the right methods and having a good character one is also capable of greatness but just like all of the ladies before the sorrows followed her into her death.

okay being serious the last season was awful and neither her nor Jon had a proper ending we didn't get the chance to see her becoming mad like her father and her character was destroyed yet her story was awesome i dreamed of jon having the throne and i hated the forced sibling rushed romance and I've loved jon i am a sucker for the forced to become a hero trope fight me ... she was doomed to fall because of the prophecy and she did but she didn't enjoy the throne and deserved better.

End of the first part of ardra analyses.

this was my first post analysis so please be kind and i did my best to be impartial because i do enjoy taylor's work and the other two characters are good! i did not intended to throw hate at any these women i just did my personal observation using the constellation behaviour i hope i was able to spread some knowledge and also to help those who desire to learn.

please share your thoughts and if you want to recommend a theme for me to talk about feel free to do so.

and my reading services are open.

contact info.

[buriedpentacles]

Hi! I'm not sure if you've mentioned it on your blog, but I'd love to ask about your relationship with Mother Nature! How do you communicate with her? Are there specific signs that let you know when/if she's reaching out?

I love any excuse to talk more about my great Mother so here's some more on my relationship with Mother Nature:

I initiated the relationship, she didn't "reach out" to me in some special way, instead I chose to worship her. I was struggling with my understanding of the world, of gods and faith, and so I decided to step away from that and worship something real and tangible - that was Nature.

I have always admired nature and the decision to worship it as my deity felt so much more "right" than the other practices I had dabbled in. After a few weeks of offerings, prayers and messy attempts at communication, Mother came to me in a dream and we spoke. I decided I wanted a relationship beyond just worship and she agreed. Over time I have grown in my works with her, and am now a devotee - I have given my life to Mother Nature.

I am a zoology student, my years of study at University are dedicated to Her, entirely.

I spend weekends exploring forests, hiking mountains, cleaning beaches, all in Her name.

My future career, my home, my life will always be intwined with Nature. I will work in natural science education or conservation, I will ensure my home is full of life and I will have a garden if I have space, I will make the best decisions I can to protect nature. I am devoted to Nature not just in a spiritual sense, but in a tangible manner.

There are many facets to Mother Nature, all of them are as beautiful and powerful as the next. She is an impartial judge, an unmoving observer of cause and consequence, she is a cold winter that kills and culls and has no mercy or kindness, she is a beloved mother sheltering those in need, she is a warrior who defends her home. Mother Nature is life and birth, she is spring flowers and slow rivers, she is rot and death, harsh winters and lethal rapids, she is autumn and change, the wind beneath a bird's wings and the gravity that drags it down, she is the summer warmth and dew drops on the grass. She is all of this and more. I have seen her in many forms, from the long haired nymph to the stag-headed mother, from the hooded man to the small child, from the crow and fox, to the maggots and morels. I am grateful to see her in all her cloaks.

I speak with Mother through my tarot cards a lot - I am good at interpreting them, it is familiar and easier for me, she has her own devoted deck. I often use oracle cards in tandem as well. However, Mother Nature is pushing me to communicate with her in more ways. I use charm casting and bone throwing with her, grateful for my new set built from the sheep (?) teeth she gifted me. She also speaks to me in much less obvious ways - I find her messages in the world around me, written on cobwebs and in the needles of thistles, her whispers echo in the rustle of leaves and the crash of waves. I feel her more than I hear or see her, images and visions flashed in my waking and sleeping mind, feelings that aren't mine, conclusions I would not reach, understanding that was previously out of my grasp.

She is all around me and so I never feel like I must reach for her, I need only speak and I know that she will hear me.

This has been quite the tangent and I know its probably not quite what you were looking for - if you think Mother Nature is reaching out to you, or if you desire a relationship with her please send in more asks or dm me!! I would love to hear from any other worshippers or devotees!

[starsthewitch]

Star’s guide for Freyja worship 💛🪶

Who is Freyja?

Freyja is the goddess of love, sex, beauty, witchcraft, war, strong women, magic, death, the runes, the Valkyries, love, marriage, fertility, female sexuality, the Disir (female spirits), women, life, plants, joy, happiness, and cats.

Though she is most known for her love influences, being the wife of The All Father, Odin, and her cat and Valkyrie associations.

What are some things she is associated with?

Animals: Falcons, cats, boars, deers

Plants: Practically every plant, flowers, and medicinal herbs

Colors: Yellow, gold, white, green, red, pink, and light blue

Crystals: Amber, rose quartz, rubies, red jasper, jade, malachite, emeralds, tigers eye

Runes: Fehu, but she’s often associated with the runes in general

Incense: Vanilla, cinnamon, frankincense, sandalwood, rose

Her tarot card: The chariot

What can I give to her as offerings?

Gold jewlery

Erotic or romantic poetry

Chocolates

Aphrodisiacs (chocolates especially)

Cannabis

Mead

Wine

Honey

Bread

Pork

Roses

Edible flowers

Amber

Strawberries

Citrus fruits or drinks

Pretty rocks

Skulls or bones (animal only)

Imagery that depicts her

Cat imagery, whiskers, or claws

Falcon feathers or talons

Devotional acts or things you can do in her honor

Wear devotional jewelry

Masterbation (if comfortable)

Sex (if comfortable)

Being kind to cats

Learning the runes

Learning divination methods

Learning witchcraft

Fighting for womens rights

Create or listen to a playlist dedicated to her

Talk to her (tarot cards, dice, pendulum, bones, and other methods work just fine)

Write her letters

Draw imagery of cats and falcons

What is it like working with her?

When it comes to Freyja, she can take on an almost motherly or sisterly role. She often watches from the sidelines, coming to you if you need her or if she would like to say something to you. You can feel her presence as clear as day, it’s warm and comforting, and maybe a little bit heavy and overwhelming.

Praying to her for the first time was quite easy for me because of how comfortable I felt in her presence.

Here are some things I’ve experienced while working with her

I was absolutely terrified one night. There was a meteor shower I completely forgot about that was happening. I have my own room in my basement, and being in the basement meant that you could hear every last one falling. I was afraid because it sounded like someone was breaking in. I closed my eyes and asked Freyja for protection because I had no idea what else to do. And I dreamed that my head was in her lap, her rubbing my head gently and looking down softly at my face.

Seeing cats a lot and them being nice to me!! Often happens with strays

When I would let my cat in my room, she often hopped up on her altar space and sat down, usually not disturbing anything but her crystals. At that time, Aphrodite and Freyja’s altars were right next to each other, and she left Aphrodites alone completely.

She has helped me gain confidence, i’m getting better at speaking out about things

You will often see a lot of her sacred animals. Ladybugs and deers being one of them. I would see them very often, I still do

Back when I needed to get surgery, I told her I wouldn’t be able to work with her much due to my recovery, but to still protect me because this would be my first and major surgery. I was barely in pain, I slept decently well, and there were no complications. I felt safe.

That is it for my beginner Freyja worship guide! I will be doing these for another deity I work with, Apollo.

I do hope these were helpful. If you have any questions or need assistance with anything, my ask box and my dms are always open. So be sure to shoot me a message!

Much love to you. <3

[isa-ghost]

dropping my qphil hcs on you

- Phil’s wings are a complete mess not only cause they’re clipped and broken but because he’s too stressed 24/7 to preen them. He doesn’t want to push any more of his problems onto the kids so he won’t ask them. Missa used to but…well. And he just hasn’t felt comfortable enough to ask fit and Etoiles, it’s way too vulnerable for him.

- When chayanne was still a baby (like first month) and phil was teaching him to fight he would have to stop and pause every once and a while because it reminded him of spars with techno.

- After the nightmare phil would see floating eyes outside of his window, not realizing they were his own reflection. He would stay up all night waiting for an attack that never came.

- Some of his shi y’s include (a lock of his children’s hair, a flower from rose’s sanctuary, a piece of metal from tubbo’s train tracks, and a rock from purgatory he found in his wing)

- he regularly tries to open any doorways that don’t have doors because he’s flown into a glassdoor one too many times. this confuses everyone on the island when phil is pushing air.

- chayanne once asked if he could one day see phil’s hardcore world but phil had already planned on taking him there as soon as they escaped the island.

-tallulah used to remind phil of rose but more recently he’s been thinking of her as the blaze empress

-he was happy when rose contacted him not only for protection but because it meant his deities didn’t think he abandoned them.

EATING THESE EATING THESE EATING THESE I AM ADOPTING THESE INTO MY OWN PERSONAL CANON REAL NOT FAKE YOURE SO BASED LOCK

[theeternalwombtarot]

your next quantum leap

Message: hey, first “big” reading in a long time, I hope that you guys haven’t been feeling like I’ve neglected doing readings I’ve been undergoing a lot of changes and working a lot behind the scenes as of lately! Thank you so much for waiting and being patient with me! I love you and I hope that everything is going well and if it isn’t that it shall pass and you’ll receive peace very soon.

***

i.

pile one, your next quantum leap brings the gift of love and relationships or comes under the cover of love and relationships. You are receiving your ten of cups finally, divine love, true love, fulfillment, etc. or are in the process of preparing for it’s arrival. I see flowers as a representation of growth and transformation. Many of you are feminine energies. The flower of a plant is the seed bearing part of a plant, you’ve been planting seeds or are in the process of releasing them in order for them to be dropped down into the soil to grow. Many living organisms also help in the process of spreading the seeds of a plant by helping to disperse them. Someone you will love and someone who loves you is coming into your life (or for some of you is already present) and they will help you plant your seeds, and help you grow as well. The imagery in the picture for pile one is a woman standing in the center of a garden, she’s topless/nude and I feel like that represents vulnerability and receptivity. There is nothing but growth around her.

This upcoming season, throughout these next few weeks and months, you may need to learn to outgrow the habit of selling yourself short, minimizing your value or minimizing the possibility of miracles or things working out in your favor. There are gifts for you, there are blessings for you, there are manifestations for you to receive, the seeds that you’re planting will have grown and be ready to harvest but it’s up to you whether you’ll be collecting what you’ve grown and reaping the benefits of your hard work and cultivation. You’ve planted something, you should harvest it and put it towards your abundance and prosperity and let it bring you good things.

During this season, you may feel confused or disconnected from your intuition in a way, there’s a message here about not knowing what to do with what you’ll be receiving, feeling overwhelmed, or feeling as though you’re having to relearn everything you’ve ever known because your life has shifted so drastically. You asked for change, you asked for what you deserved and the universe gifted you exactly that. But because you’ve done things one way for a long time or have only received one thing for a long time, the gifts you receive may feel foreign to you, you’re about to shift into a new version of yourself. You’re finally shifting into your higher self. Transformation and rebirth are significant. You may feel passionate about children lately or motherhood. Or recieving lots of imagery or seeing lots of posts on social media about children, parenting and motherhood.

There’s a possibility you’ve gotten in arguments lately about what people deserve, what children deserve or what’s best for people or what’s best for someone in particular. There’s a diety who thinking of, I’m not super familiar with her, a Haitian deity named Ezili Dantor who protects women and children fiercely. This season you’ll be in the process of fully and wholly shifting into your feminine energy after a long time of having to switch back in forth from your masculine and feminine or having to step out of the energy of recieving and relaxation to push things into fruition or make things go in a way that you felt was right for you. Some of this behavior may have shown up frequently these past couple years in trying to force relationships to work or push people into being in alignment with you or giving you what you’ve deserved all along and/or even having to stand up and remove yourself from situations that weren’t serving you in order to open yourself up to recieving these gifts or open yourself up to moving into a period of ultimate rest and relaxation forever.

You’ll be working hard this season on building a foundation for yourself or continuing to work towards cultivating a life of prosperity, peace and abundance. You may be shifting your energy into your career, into your education or your finances. Whilst love is here, and you’re building your connections and are in flow and in tune with whomever this person may be, your external energy is focused on your material and physical world and preparing things for yourself. While your feminine energy is at ease, is being loved, is being fed on a soul level, your masculine energy is out creating a world for you, building a foundation, making a name. You’ve created balance. 👥. The wheel is turning in your favor, complete transformation, all blessings are coming in, the dam separating you from your manifestations and from everything you’ve earned all this time has began crumbling.

Oracle:

29 • Let Go • “The Blood Moon” • Full Moon • Mother : “the full blood moon is a time to let go. Here I painted the mother, breaking away from her past self, as represented in the shadow of herself, fading behind her. This mother is letting go of the past, and everything that haunts her soul, so she can move forward with the child that is inside her. it is time to let go of the past that has haunted you to this point. That is the person you used to be and even though that old self has allowed you to be the person you are today you are no longer that individual this card also represents that now is a perfect opportunity to release the negative factor in your life. This could be a person or a habit that harms your happiness or sense of self. Think about what you need to set free.”

39 • Personal Alchemy • “The Cold Moon” • Waning Moon • Crone: “ the waning, cold moon is a time for you to process the deep, embodied, yet personal inquiry of yourself as the crone is illustrated on this card she is reaching deep inside herself finding her soul represented in the glowing orb she holds within her chest. This indicates the time to start identifying the areas in your life where you want to make changes gather the resources to make those shifts plot out of plan, and then take steps to implement the new ideas, we engage with this process of change by breaking it up into small easily, implemented new habits. where in your life can you apply personal alchemy and start changing those patterns?”

7 • Explore • “The Crow Moon” • Waxing Moon • Maiden : “ the waxing crow moon is about exploring through your inner self to find what you may be missing within as this maiden is depicted walking through the forest, guided by her lamp glow, and her crow companion. She’s looking deep into the darkness she’s trying to find her true path and the courage within herself to move forward now is the time to explore yourself your surroundings, and even current connections you have with other people what new routes can you take to solve a current predicament you may be in? examine what is around maybe there’s a different path you can make such as a new job or a new class? this other avenue may guide you in the direction where you would like to be in life perhaps a connection with an acquaintance, or friend, may lead you to a unique opportunity.”

17 • Decisions • “The Mead Moon” • Full Moon • Mother: “ the full mead moon, is a time for decisions about how you harnessed the earths restless, energy and where you are going to apply it here the mother of the mead moon is depicted standing before two paths. She is looking upon these paths, deciding where she should refocus her life which will fulfill her soul. Time is up now is the time to choose one with conviction this card is a reliable indication that time is up, move forward and make that decision that has been bouncing around the back of your mind that decision that you’ve been hesitating to make act now to take steps toward a resolution to the problem, you have been mowing over, move forward in the direction that feels right in your soul.”

***

ii.

Pile two, your next quantum leap brings up the question of understanding your inner feelings, listening to your needs and desires and following and listening to your heart. There’s a message here about serving yourself Justice and exercising self love by allowing yourself to have what you’ve been asking/wishing for, or coming to terms with what you want and what you should do in order for you to be happy, prosperous, and fulfilled. This season you’ll be having some sort of breakthrough, coming to a conclusion, or coming up on a new idea. Whatever this new idea or decision might be for you may lead to communication between you and others or you and someone and particular. Emphasis on new communication. You may say something you may have not usually have said or you may say something or express something or communicate something you had not intended to say or share for a long while or until way later.

There could also be new news you’ll be sharing with your friends and family and loved ones regarding something incredibly significant. While one side of you on an internal scale will be focused on serving yourself Justice, focused on self love and the cultivating of a space space on for yourself and others and preparing you for the overcoming of a new obstacle or the receiving of a new opportunity. The other side of you, on an external scale will be focused on gaining financial independence, saving and investing money, or bringing more stability to your financial life. You could be saving up for something special, budgeting, or preparing to make a large financial investment or move soon. Some of you are masculine energies, and are shifting into the energy of a provider. You may be about to offer someone your cup or offer someone stability or commitment.

You could’ve been unsure about something or in the process of coming to conclusion(s). Throughout this season whatever this is will be heavily on your mind, and you’ll come to some sort of resolution or realization. Mental breakthroughs on whatever this is are in store for you within the next couple of months. You may be working through any deep seated fears, healing karma (detaching from karmic behaviors, habits, people, etc.) on an independent and personal level. You’re preparing yourself for a transformation or a shift in your reality. A lot of this could have to do with love and relationships and the decision to move into the energy of love or the energy of recieving love and preparing yourself to be in a long term commitment. Financially, mentally, and emotionally.

The world card upright signifying completion of cycles, integration, and accomplishments. You may also find yourself traveling or planning to travel very soon.

Oracle:

21 • Dreamwork • “The Buck Moon” • Waning Moon • Crone : “ the waning buck moon is a wonderful time to undertake dream work for this card. Here is the crone with a swirling universe in the front of her like luminescent Stardust. butterflies float around her in a dreamy landscape. The crone gazes at you as if she can see your inner self by doing so she tries to get your soul to manifest the imagining in your mind, this card encourages you to look back at your recent dreams and consider what you may have conjured in your sleep. Dream work is the process by which the unconscious mind alters the manifest content of thoughts to decode their real meaning for the dreamer, your higher self, or your dream self has been waiting for you to start paying attention. What were you dreaming about? What could be the meaning behind such images and emotions? were you afraid in your dream angry, or forlorn? try to think back to your vision and reflect on what your inner self is telling you.”

20 • Prepare • “The Buck Moon” • Full Moon • Mother: “ the full buck moon is the time to prepare. It is time to make something ready for use in your current situation. The mother is illustrated on this card, perched upon a pillar, as she has been given a place to concentrate on the strategy that she is preparing for her current undertaking, this is a strong signal that it is time for you to develop a plan. is there a business idea you would like to launch or maybe you are looking to remodel your home? sit down and write out the necessary steps you need to get this project in motion maybe it is time for you to start packing for a trip or organizing your home for a new baby. consider where in your life you may need to make some preparations and plans.” 

37 • Reach Out • “The Cold Moon” • Waxing Moon • Maiden: “ the waxing cold moon, represents a time to reach out to another as the maiden is illustrated here strong in both carrying an owl upon her shoulder she stretches a hand out to help those in need now is the time to make an effort to do something for other people. This indicates that it is essential to lend a compassionate hand to those in need. Maybe there’s a classmate who may need help on a paper where you excel reach out and offer your support. Perhaps there’s a person who is struggling with addiction who needs encouragement? Where in your life can you do something good for another?”

35 • Take Root • “The Snow Moon” • Full Moon • Mother: “ a full snow, moon is a time to become established in your life to take hold of a new idea, or a way you wish to live. The mother is illustrated on this card firmly rooted to the earth. Timing is ideal to take an idea or belief and make it become established or accepted. If you believe that, you would be happier, living a vegan lifestyle. This could be the time to embrace and commit to it maybe you moved to a new city, and you have been feeling alone, consider volunteering or spending more time in your community. where in your life do you need to be accepted to have a permanent solid base to turn to? time to take root and do what is necessary to be a part of that World.”

***

iii.

Pile three, your next quantum leap has everything to do with you coming to terms with and finally feeling some deeply rooted emotions regarding where you stand in life, what you’re doing, what you’re accepting and some of the decisions you’ve made. This will ultimately lead you to walking away from something or making better choices but first comes the storm before all things can be watered after months without proper rain, before the dirt that hides the truth is washed away, and before we can step into peace and alignment with what is necessary for us to be fulfilled and happy. There’s a catalyst under way or you are in a position where you are experiencing one. You could’ve caused someone or others a great deal of trauma or pain, and in the process caused yourself a great deal of trauma and pain. This is your karma for some of the decisions you’ve made. But, with karma comes resolutions for everyone. You’ll get to see what happens when you make choices that aren’t in alignment with you and when you make choices at the expense of others.

You may be dealing with issues regarding co-dependency, may have karmic issues and cycles to heal regarding your parents, your childhood, addiction, certain people you choose to love and be around, etc. you’ll be dealing with a heart chakra opening and an awakening regarding how you feel and how you’ve made others feel. I hear ambulances out side of my window. There might be a great tower moment in store for you this season. A rude awakening or a long time moment of depersonalization that has caused you to step outside of yourself and reality in order to look at everything from a distance or different perspective.

You may also have a spiritual awakening for some of you. Whilst as a whole, your status quo, belief systems, and regular way of behaving and thinking will be challenged and broken down. Your old way of doing something or doing things may not be working out for you or in your favor any longer. You may struggle with accountability, struggle with confronting your feelings and accepting feelings of loss. There may be elements of your past that threaten to come up and break your heart as you’ve been done nothing to aid in or heal your past heart break. I’m getting a message about a phantom itch or phantom pain, something or someone who’s no longer there anymore is resurfacing for you on an internal level and bringing you pain and revelation. You’ll have to be strong, you’ll have to be willing to fight through this in order to get to a better place and find true peace.

You may find that things you want may not all be available to you any longer due to your choices and your decisions, but don’t be discouraged, there will be more for you to receive when the time comes to be rewarded for hardship. But you must do the inner work. Your past and your negligence is confronting you and you’ll have to face the consequences of your actions. Once in for all. You feared your shadow, you feared what the consequences would be for all that you ran from, all that you didn’t take accountability for, and all the damage you may have done with the intention to protect yourself or shield yourself for more wounding but it’s here for you. All you can do is learn from it. This energy is heavy and there’s a lot of heart break and defensiveness coming through here. You’ll make it through, I’m sure of it. But it won’t be easy. Surrender. If you run anymore, you’ll be sorry.

Oracle:

33 • Prophecy • “The Blue Moon” • Waning Moon • Crone: “ the waning, blue moon is a time for prediction and foresight as the crone is shown upon this card there is a skull referring to the past, and how she can use that for insight going forward. future selves are pictured as ghostly figures around the wise woman, and the raven represents divination and awareness. Now is the time to use past experiences to predict the outcome of a current state of affairs. It is also time to seek knowledge of the future, or the unknown by supernatural means. reflect on what has happened in the past, and how that can likely happen again. how did you react previously to a specific situation? Do you want to act that way again or is it time to change paths, maybe a loved one treated you poorly before and may do so again with current circumstances think about possible outcomes to the events that are about to unfold.”

14 • Propagating Energy • “The Hare Moon” • Full Moon • Mother: “ the full hair moon is a time to cultivate, or tap into the tulleric current, which is the energy that derives from the heart of the Earth. Here the mother of the hare moon is pictured holding the earth in her hands as the current of energy swirls from the center. She is cradling this earth energy in her palms, ready to use it within herself to make her strong and intuitive. This card represents the need to gather your personal energy. you need to take inventory of all your unused or more importantly your misused power and store it for an essential purpose. Have you ever been in the situation that drained you of your vitality? Is there a specific person you deal with who depletes you? Reflect on what parts of your life are diminishing your energy, and how to pull that energy back to you and redirect it towards a better purpose.”

31 • Honoring The Past • “The Blue Moon” • Waxing Moon • Maiden: “The Waxing Blue Moon represents a time to honor your past. Here the Maiden is pictured cradling a skull in her hands, honoring the dead or those who have gone before. The raven represents prophecy and insight into that past, where she can grasp the full meaning of how those experiences impacted her life. It is time to recognize what has passed in your life. Understand that without those bygone days, you would not be the person you are today. It may be that you honor the past you, the unenlightened you, the you who did not know back then. Maybe it is time to praise the integrity of someone in your past, like a parent or friend. This person's advice may have led you to the right path. Think about the lessons learned, and let those ethics and morals guide you in the future.”

29 • Let Go • “The Blood Moon” • Full Moon • Mother : “the full blood moon is a time to let go. Here I painted the mother, breaking away from her past self, as represented in the shadow of herself, fading behind her. This mother is letting go of the past, and everything that haunts her soul, so she can move forward with the child that is inside her. it is time to let go of the past that has haunted you to this point. That is the person you used to be and even though that old self has allowed you to be the person you are today you are no longer that individual this card also represents that now is a perfect opportunity to release the negative factor in your life. This could be a person or a habit that harms your happiness or sense of self. Think about what you need to set free.”

4 • Purification • “The Ice Moon” • Waxing Moon • Maiden: “The Waxing Blue Moon represents a time to honor your past. Here the Maiden is pictured cradling a skull in her hands, honoring the dead or those who have gone before. The raven represents prophecy and insight into that past, where she can grasp the full meaning of how those experiences impacted her life. The Waxing Crow Moon is about exploring through your inner self to find what you may be missing within. As this Maiden is depicted walking through the forest, guided by her lamp glow and her crow companion, she is looking deep into the darkness. She is trying to find her true path and the courage within herself to move forward.”

***

May peace be upon all of you! ❤️🌺

[ray-does-witchcraft]

2024 Attic Calendar - January

Currently working on my own version of the adapted Attic calendar! So far I only have January, but February is almost done as well. Fair warning, this goes in depth about what the festivals/celebrations are and how to commemorate, so this post is gigantic. Attention: This is for the SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE!

⛧ [10/01/24] [Hekatombion 40th] - Hekate Deipnon

WHAT IS IT & WAYS TO CELEBRATE: It takes place at the end of the Lunar month. Hekate means "bringer of light", so at the darkest part of the month, we prepare our homes for the transition to a new month and offer her a meal. Think of it as a mini new year; clean/cleanse your house (especially altars), get rid of things you don't want to bring into next month (physical, spiritual, etc), and leave Hekate an offering at sundown (preferably a meal, but if you can't afford to waste food, just give her something else. Maybe bury or burn it if you can). Here's a list of good offerings (best left outside or at her altar, if you have one for her):

Bread

Cake (especially lit with candles)

Pomegranate

Wine

Honey

Cinnamon

Milk

Chocolate

Roses

Lavender

Poppy seeds

Dandelions

Incense (Frankincense, Lavender, Jasmine, Citrus, Dragons blood, Rosemary, or anything you have at hand)

Keys

Candles

Tea lights

Bones

Fire/Bonfire

Oil lamps

Crow/Raven/Own feathers

Poetry, Literature, Music, Hymns, etc

⛧ [11/01/24] [Metageitnion 1st] - Noumenia

WHAT IS IT & HOW TO CELEBRATE: The Noumenia is the first day of the visible New Moon and is held in honor of the household Gods. The Noumenia is a celebration of the start of a new Hellenic month and seeks blessings for the household. Honestly? You can just kick back and relax if you want or can, to invite calm energies into the upcoming month. But, if you (like me) want to be a little extra, here's some ways to celebrate:

Start a new personal project or hobby, or just pick back on things you've been putting off.

Set intentions for the coming month, and make plans for any of the month’s upcoming festivals, or for any of your personal upcoming plans.

Leave offerings for your deities.

Moon/stargaze, maybe meditate under the Moon.

Do a reading with your preferred divination method with the Theoi, asking what you should focus on in the coming month.

⛧ [12/01/24] [Metageitnion 2nd] - Agathos Daimon

WHAT IS IT & HOW TO CELEBRATE: One of my favorites! Daimons are household spirits that look after you and your family, so this is a day to honor Him! Pour a libation (especially wine, but mine likes milk better to be honest), make an offering, light a candle, maybe even make Him a lil altar! He's heavily associated with snakes, but aside from that you can offer (or put in His altar) anything you correlate with abundance, good luck, protection, etc. These guys are so overlooked and I love them. Here's a more in-depth post about Him and the holiday.

⛧ [13, 14, 16, 17, 18/01/24] [Metageitnion 3th, 4th, 6th, 7th & 8th] - Athena, Aphrodite/Hermes/Eros, Artemis, Apollo, Poseidon

WHAT IS IT & HOW TO CELEBRATE: Not exactly festivals, that's why I compiled them into one section, but these Lunar days are sacred to these deities in that order. Maybe leave them an offering or light them a candle, maybe even just devotional acts! Here's a good list of offerings for each:

ATHENA

Owl feathers/imagery

Pottery

Books

Toy weapons, athames, etc

Roses

Bread

Olive

Honey

Milk

Olive oil

Olive tree branches/leaves (real or not)

Clear crystals

Silver jewelry

Incense (Frankincense, Dragon's Blood, Cedarwood)

APHRODITE

Apples

Chocolate

Honey

Milk

Olive oil

Baked goods

Anything vanilla scented/flavored

Golden jewelry

Flowers (especially roses and anemones)

Sea stuff (sand, seashells, water, etc)

Perfume

Self care products

Rose quartz

Incense (Frankincense, Rose, Myrrh, Jasmine, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Cypress)

HERMES

Currency (real or not) (especially foreign)

Strawberries

Lemons

Dice

Playing cards

Travel tickets

Honey

Milk

Olive oil

Clovers

Cool rocks

Hematite

Incense (Frankincense, Myrrh, Safron, Dragon's Blood)

EROS

Honey cake

Chocolate

Fruit

Sweets (he likes candy a lot)

Milk

Honey

Olive oil

Rose quartz

Feathers

Flowers (real or not)

Heart-shaped objects

Arrows

Jewelry

Incense (Frankincense, Myrrh, Rose)

ARTEMIS

Animal related stuff (Imagery, bones, teeth, etc)

Moon related stuff

Moonstone

Clear quartz

Amethyst

Bows & Arrows

Leaves

Wild flowers

Acorns

Pine cones

Milk

Honey

Olive oil

Water

Silver jewelry

Incense (Frankincense, Cypress, anything woodsy)

APOLLO

Sun related stuff

Arts and crafts

Clear quartz

Citrine

Sunstone

Bows & arrows

Dandelions

Sunflowers

Poetry

Music

Honey

Milk

Olive oil

Water

Honeyed chamomile tea (he loves it)

Golden objects/jewelry

Divination items

Incense (Frankincense, Myrrh, Cypress, Clove, Cinnamon, Bay)

POSEIDON

Saltwater/Seawater

Seashells

Fish

Sand

Toy horses/horse imagery

Photos of the sea

Olive oil

Milk

Honey

Salt

Aquamarine

Sapphire

Incense (Frankincence, Myrrh, Pine)

⛧ [25-27/01/24] [Metageitnion 15-17th] - Eleusinia

WHAT IS IT & HOW TO CELEBRATE: The Eleusinia was a thanksgiving festival held to honor Demeter for the gift of grain. A modern way to celebrate is to have a big dinner (maybe include some breads and baking) and give thanks to Lady Demeter through it! Thank her for grain and the agricultural processes that we benefit from!

⛧ [28/01/24 ?] [Metageitnion 18th ?] - Adonia

WHAT IS IT & HOW TO CELEBRATE: A festival mourning the death of Adonis, one of Aphrodite's human lovers. Traditionally, it was celebrated only by women (as a trans guy, I personally don't give a fuck and celebrate it anyway). Also, there's no source for an exact date, so this is an educated guess at best (most sources just refers to it as taking place "midsummer"). For a way to celebrate, I found this amazing hymn/poem. Remember to honor Aphrodite on this day as well.

⛧ [30/01/24] [Metageitnion 20th] - Hera Telkhinia

WHAT IS IT & HOW TO CELEBRATE: A minor sacrifice for Hera, taking place in the suburbs of Athens. Again, not a lot of info, but if you worship or have a connection to her, maybe read her a hymn, pour a libation honor her on this day! Here's a Orphic hymn to her:

Hera, incense aromatic herbs and spices. You are seated in a cerulean cavern, having the form of air,    Íra queen of all, happy one who shares the bed of Zefs, You provide gentle breezes which sustain the soul. Mother indeed of storms, attendant of the winds, all-begetting. Apart from you life and generation cannot be found;    Mingled with the majestic air you partake of everything. You alone hold sovereignty, ruling over all. You are the stream which flutters down through the rushing winds. And now you, happy Goddess, many named, queen of all, Come with a countenance of kindness and joy. 

[acrystalwitch]

An example of a polytheistic witch’s practice with deities:

Here’s how I incorporate the deities I work with and worship into my life and what I feel like I gain from them.

🖤 Shadow work:

Lucifer: church trauma

Loki: internalized transphobia and past s.a

——————

💙 Learning things:

Odin: Runes and Norse myths

Selene: Greek myths, moon spells and phases and crystals

Anubis: tombs and Egyptian history, and mythology

Horus: traditional kemetic religious practices

——————

💚 Activities: (places I regularly, easily incorporate them)

Ares, Thor, Horus: Video games, working out

Anubis: playing with/walking my dog, going to cemeteries, listening to music and dancing, art.

Thor: nature walks, standing in the rain

Selene: staring at the moon, art, anything aesthetic

Freyr: meditation, picking daisies and looking at flowers at the park

Odin: poetry, writing

Tyche: picking clovers for her at the park

Lucifer: lots of casual hanging out together, watching YouTube videos about people who left Christianity, Art

——————

💛 Working relationships:

Tyche: for luck spells and prayers

Anubis: for protection spells and prayers

Thor: for positivity and trans things

Freyr: for meditation work and positive masculinity influences

Selene: for charging moon spells, crystals and meditation

Odin: for wisdom and guidance

HeruSaAset: for perseverance and quitting nicotine (I did! First try over 3 months no nic)

Ares: for bringing out my confidence to stand up for myself

Hecate: for assistance in spells I don’t want to/can’t ask my other deities for

Nyx: (I have once worked with her to help me with protection wards for my home, I gave her coffee grounds in exchange for advice.)

—————

This isn’t exactly meant to be a “how to” guide, your relationship with your deities should be special and unique to you! But I thought it might be nice to see an example of what that actually looks like in the life of a polytheistic witch. 🖤 I’d love to hear everyone else’s examples if they’d like to share. Or even just use this as a template to figure out what you’d answer for these categories in your own personal pantheon!

[taluvi-does-stupid-things]

ok, @guess-ill-dye you asked about my OCs, now bear the consequences.

beware this post is rlly long

First of I need to explain a bit of the world-building;

In the beginning there was nothing. Only darkness and the freezing Cold. Out of that nothingness Aviya was born. Aviya was the first light, warmth and life itself. He created the world as we know it. But with life there comes death, and with it Amaia.

Over time, more and more deities weee born. Fauna, the Animals and wildlife and her sister Flora, the plants and flowers, Munin, the moon and the memories of the past, Morgan, the water that flows over our planet and Ojuna, the love that inhabits every being on earth. There’s also a bunch if smaller more insignificant deities like Celia, the deity of the seasons.

All of the major deities have regions to them self, with different cultures and practices dedicated to their deity. In the middle of the map is Aviya‘s region, the capital.

At first it was one singular big culture with Aviya being seen as the most powerful and important of the deities, because he was the first and also „created“ the others. But over time the different cultures started to separate and Aviya had less controll and overall was worshipped less.

He grew jealous and yearned for the times where he was the biggest. He made it his mission to overtake the other deities‘ cultures and make them center around him again.

Because he felt Amaia was the exact opposite of him and destroyed everything he created he started with hers.

Fast forward a couple hundred years into the furure, is where the story actually takes place.

Elleonora grows up on a farm in a small town outside the capital. She lives there quite happily with her mom, dad and brother, until her father leaves seemingly out of nowhere.

Elle is blessed by Amaia, wich causes her a great deal of trouble and bullying in the small town under Aviyas rule. Her father was the only one really understanding and protecting her. With him gone her mother and everyone else have free reign to bully, ridicule and abise her.

She grows up mainly playing on her own in the forests surrounding the town, playing with the wolfs and wild dogs that life there.

Until she meets Blanca, who becomes her best friend and later her lover.

Elles mother does not approve of Blanca and her daughters relationship, and shoots the former after catching them in the barn behind the house.

Elle runs away and meets Anya, a wolf shapeshifter blessed by Fauna.

Anyas family is blessed by Munin, and was killed when Aviya took over the tribe. She fled to the nearest woods, was adopted by a pack of wolfs and blessed by Fauna.

She joined a rebellion against Aviya and is recruiting new members until she meets Elle. She joins in hopes she can avenge Blanca.

Together, Elle and Anya go to the Capital, where they stay at a cemetery run by Alfred, a member of the rebellion who is also blessed by Luci, the deity of the soul.

In the capital they’re joined by May, a girl from a family of great doctors, all blessed by Emmi, the deity of healing, that holds her up to dangerously high standards.

together they go on a journey to be able to fully end and, in order to maintain balance, replace Aviya.

There’s like much more details that i’m just to lazy to write down right now ^~^ You‘re still very welcome to send me asks about more details though!!

[x0x0josephinex0x0]

rare child | yeosang

this was a fun one to write! genre: fantasy warnings: def some spookiness and some local folklore inspiration, reader is mentioned to have the form of a woman and gendered terms are used, reader is said to have grayish brown eyes, also reader is some kind of forest spirit/deity so keep that in mind as you read

He was a rare child, that Yeosang. 

Not just because he was uncommonly beautiful (which he was) or unusually thoughtful and kind (which was also true). But also because he could see what the normal children could not.

His mother was the first to know his gift, as mothers often are. Her boy was quiet, withdrawn, and rather shy, and she knew the other children in the village could be unkind to those who didn’t want to join in their loud games where they pretended at war or pirate mutinies or crusades. So she, despite the pestering of her husband, did not bar Yeosang from sitting with her on the flat black stone as she tended to the water lilies in their pond.

It was on one of these quiet summer mornings that Yeosang suddenly sat up straight, his eyes wide and frenzied. “What is it, lad?” she whispered to him. And wordlessly, Yeosang had pointed at a lily pad.

“There’s a little person on that flower,” he stated. Not a hint of a joke could be seen written across his delicate features, which were serious and concerned, a little furrow between his brows.

“Which one?” his mother asked, squinting. 

“That one, the smallest in the group of three,” he replied, pointing with greater urgency.

“Does it have wings?” his mother asked calmly.

He cranes his neck. “Yes,” Yeosang confirmed. “She’s pretty.”

“She is,” murmured the mother, fighting tears. Her husband had only given her one child, this son, and the family gift was only said to be passed on to daughters. But it seemed Yeosang could see like her. She didn’t understand why — perhaps it was his still, gentle nature that allowed the fair-folk to bestow their favor upon him. But she knew that the gift must be nurtured and protected.

And so, all through his childhood and into adulthood, the boy and his mother spent hours and hours exploring the little world within their village, seeking out the creatures no one else could see. As he grew, the boy became more beautiful and more strange and quieter still, until as an adult whispers went around the village about the son of the healer. Rumor spread that he was cursed, or a changeling, or that he wasn’t a human after all, but rather some creature from the otherworld that had infiltrated the carefully guarded borders of the mortal world. As the rumors grew, the people became more and more unkind, and Yeosang retreated into the forest, building himself a cabin and only venturing down into town for the essentials.

It wasn’t long after the move that Yeosang started seeing the things in the woods. Most were neutral - neither friendly or unfriendly, and not keen to interact with humans. But every once in awhile there was something else — one time, he’d seen a pair of reflective eyes, higher than his own eye level, staring at him from the foreboding treeline. The violently murderous energy radiating from the creature had turned Yeonsang’s blood cold. When he’d done a double-take, whatever it was had vanished…or moved. He’d gone home immediately and locked the door after that. The worst was when he would hear a cheery whistle from the trees that Yeosang could only describe as beckoning. He always ignored it, but it sent full-body chills down his spine every time. Because who — or what — would be so keen to lure him further into the woods?

Yeosang had long learned that if he ignored the more unsavory creatures, they’d leave him alone. So that’s what he did. But that was all about to change. 

He’d heard screams in the woods before, and most of the time he’d known it was just one of the things that wanted him to come sprinting into the woods in the dark. But this time it was different. Yeosang was already in the woods, searching by his own torchlight for a particular kind of winter flower for his mother, when the short scream burst through the silence and was immediately cut off, a strange choked yelp in its place. As good as the things were at imitating human noises, that was one he’d never heard before. It struck that particular chord in his body that crystallized into one single, urgent thought in his mind. Real. 

So he took off running. This was difficult through the brush and the two feet of powdery snow, but he managed, bounding into a clearing and stopping in his tracks at what he saw. 

A woman — from the looks of it — was tied by the wrists and waist to a tree, shrouded by fifteen or so humanoid figures in long black cloaks. A knife protruded from a wound in her chest. 

A wound that leaked silver blood.

Without really knowing why, Yeosang shouted, “let her go!” And then watched with distrust as the figures dissipated like smoke into the surrounding line of firs. 

—-

You were fading. You could feel it.

In a fever dream, you felt your soul straining against the tether binding it to the broken wreck that had been the body it had inhabited for the whole of your immortal existence. Death was not something common to your kind, but as you hovered between it and the pain of staying alive, you once again felt a moment of kinship with the humans. No wonder so many saw death as mercy, if living felt like this.

It was odd being in this position. You weren’t able to move your limbs in your disconnected state, and yet, your heightened senses allowed you to feel and nearly see the warm hands that tended to the wound in your chest. All you knew was that someone was taking care of you. After all the torture you’ve been through, the feeling of hands on you is frightening, but these hands are gentle and skilled in healing. As time passes, you start to become aware of voices. 

“Why do you think they did this to her?” asks a soft deep voice.

“Religious turf war, I’ll bet. She governs the forest, and another deity wanted it,” a higher voice, probably feminine replies.

“I didn’t think goddesses could die.” This was a whisper. Barely distinguishable.

“They can’t,” the feminine voice assures. “Unless you exert inhuman effort. The only way to kill a goddess is to call a demon.”

A sharp gasp came from the deeper voice — and then you felt a hand on your face. 

“She’s beautiful.”

“Even now,” the deep voice agrees.

“And she hasn’t died yet. I think she’s still deciding.”

There is a pause. You are starting to drift out of awareness again, but just before you sink into the warm nothingness, you hear the deep voice whisper, “you should stay. I’d like to know you.”

—-

It takes another two weeks for you to open your eyes.

Every day when Yeosang would check on you, there would be a new improvement, which he would write in a little notebook he kept by his bed — a bed which you now occupy. On Tuesday: a new flush in the cheeks. On Wednesday: deeper, more filling breaths. On Thursday: slight movement in the fingers. And so on. Your eyelids flutter for an hour before you blink them all the way open, peering around the cottage with a wide grayish-brown gaze. The first thing they really land on is the pretty boy in a chair at your bedside, sitting with rapt attention, enthralled by every one of your movements. 

“Oh,” you say, your softly musical voice laced with recognition. 

Because of course you know this boy — the one who sang mournful songs at the base of the trees he felled to build his cabin, who left warm honey in little jars through the forest for the fairies who dwelt there in your care, whom you had paid a visit to months before. You hadn’t gone in your true form, instead choosing to follow him as a fawn, curious as to how he could see your subjects so clearly and even more puzzled at how kind he was to them. You had watched him from a distance, trying not to alert him to your presence, and had been shocked when he had laid a loaf of freshly baked bread at the mouth of a brownie’s lair. Where most humans were frightened by you and your kind, this odd human seemed to care for them.

Yeosang reaches a hand out toward you before thinking better of it and withdrawing it. “My lady,” he says with a small nod. “How do you feel?”

Angry. Overwhelmed. Crushed. “Who are you?” you say, and you can hear how frightened your voice is — it shakes around the corners of your words.

Yeosang moves his chair forward quietly. “It’s alright,” he whispers. “You’re safe.”

When your eyes narrow in suspicion, he sighs. “My name is Yeosang.”

“You’re the boy with the honey,” you venture, and though your eyes are still hesitant, they seem to warm just slightly.

“Yes,” he agrees. “I am.” He looks at you — really looks at you, like no human had ever looked at you before as the keeper of the forest, with a mixture of wonder and curiosity and trepidation. Your heart speeds up, beating painfully, reminding you of the wound you’d sustained. Your hands fly up to your chest, where a neat row of stitches hold what was probably a gaping hole closed. 

You take a deep breath, but despite your efforts to remain calm, a wild breeze blows through the cabin, buffeting Yeosang back from your side. He has to hold onto the doorframe to keep from being blown right off his feet, and stares at you almost reproachfully after the gust dies down -- which almost makes you laugh. 

But then Yeosang approaches you again, and his fingers wrap around your nearest hand, which is ice cold. He rubs warmth into it, a familiar action it seems he has practiced many times before. “Do you know why you were in that clearing?”

You clench your jaw to avoid releasing another flurry of wind. “Yes,” you say grimly. “Because of a demon who wants this forest for his own. If I hadn’t recovered, you and your village would be decimated by him. As it is, he is probably thinking of ways to come for me again.”

“How did he capture you?” Yeosang asks curiously. 

“Like a coward,” you spit. “He snuck up on me. If he had tried to take me head-on, I could’ve fought him off.” 

“I believe you,” Yeosang breathes, still massaging your cold fingertips with his warm ones. You fixate on this for a moment -- it has been eons since you felt a human’s touch. 

“Most mortals can’t see me,” you finally say, looking up into his dark eyes. “And around here, the only ones who could see me were --”

“Women,” Yeosang finishes. “Yes, my mother told me.” 

“Who is your mother, then?” you asked him. 

“She is the healer in the village. Her family has the favor of the fair-folk.” He clears his throat and avoids your gaze. “Somehow, I inherited it, although it’s only supposed to pass to the daughters. Perhaps it’s because I am my mother’s only child.”

You watch as he tangles his fingers with yours absently -- another familiar gesture, and yet it makes your stomach flip over. “How long have I been --”

“It’s been a month,” Yeosang says. “The forest is unusually dark these days.”

“It’s because of me,” you whisper. Slowly, you move to sit up, and Yeosang springs into action, reaching around to support you as you inch into a seated position. 

You can’t help but stare at him, his soft dark hair falling in front of his eyes, his uncommonly beautiful face inches from your own. He is not paying attention in the slightest, using all of his focus to help you, stepping back once you are sitting up with your back against the headboard. “Is this alright?” he asks you, watching you carefully as he steps back a single pace.

“Yes,” you reassure him. And truly, you feel galvanized now that you aren’t flat on your back. “Are you not afraid of me?” you ask suddenly, surprised by his closeness. 

“Do I need to be afraid of you?” he counters, a bit amused.

“Right now, maybe not,” you allow. “But when I haven’t just been pulled back from the brink of death, I am normally one of the more powerful forest guardians that exist in this world. Most humans feel...unsettled in my presence.”

Yeosang blushes. “I never said I don’t feel unsettled.”

“So you are afraid, then?” you ask him with a raised eyebrow. 

Slowly, he shakes his head. “More...nervous,” he admits, avoiding eye contact.

The room feels suddenly hot, and his hand in yours becomes somehow heavier. As you try to determine the reason for this sudden shift in your mood, the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. 

Something is watching you from the trees.

You can almost see them through the brush visible through Yeosang’s small bedroom window -- you probably would be able to see them if it weren’t for your current state of weakness. As it is, the only thing you can pick out is a sound: the slow, careful shifting of weight of something trying not to be seen. This was a common enough sound. Animals do it all the time. But this is different. Every other noise from the forest falls silent to listen to it.

Yeosang watched you carefully as your spine stiffens, your stormy grayish-brown eyes narrowing as you strain to pick out what you’re hearing. And then, through the eerie silence — that whistle. The same beckoning call Yeosang had been hearing since he moved to his cottage on the darkest forest’s edge. Carefully extracting his hand from yours, he steps in front of the window and locks it. After pulling the curtains closed, he looks around at you with a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. “Get some rest. I will come for you in the morning.”

“You knew what that was?” you ask him. It was just a guess, but he’s grown pale, and his dark eyes are wide.

He doesn’t reply, just unconsciously places a comforting hand at your shoulder. Then finally he speaks. “I don’t know what it is. I just know that it scares me.”

******

It takes you another week to feel like yourself again. Yeosang bullies you into walking through the closest trees with him, but respects your wishes not to travel back into the deep woods. Instead, the two of you walk side-by-side, usually hand-in-hand, the human and the guardian of the wood, and talk -- about everything from Yeosang’s childhood memories to your favorite creatures from the forest. You are fascinated by the beauty and strangeness of him, and the more he speaks, the more you find yourself wishing to know about him. 

On the sixth day since you awakened, it snows. You step outside to watch the white flakes dance down from the clouds, finally able to see the patterns in each one. Yeosang is quiet for a human, but the sound of the powder beneath his feet alerts you to his presence behind you. A part of you wants to turn toward his warmth, toward that funny little smile that he always seems to wear when he speaks to you, but you’re too occupied by the falling snow. “Hello,” you call.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” he replies fondly.

“I love the snowflakes,” you tell him.

“I can see that.” You hear him take a step closer, and jump a little when you feel a hand at your waist, but relax into his touch easily. “It’s just me,” he reminds you in a soothing voice as his arms wrap around you, his chin finding a resting place in the crook of your shoulder.

“I know,” you say softly as you almost automatically entwine your arms with his. He’s never held you like this before, but the warmth is welcome.

“Is this alright?” he murmurs in your ear.

You lean into him further. “You’re warm,” you reply, and Yeosang chuckles, pressing his lips to the side of your head. 

“So are you.”

There is something ancient about the way it feels to be so close to him — something that, for all your time watching over the trees, you can’t remember experiencing as an immortal being. And yet, it’s as familiar as breathing. It reminds you of when you were human.

That afternoon, on your walk, it is Yeosang who asks the question. “Were you always...the way you are now?” he asks, squeezing your hand as it swings back and forth in his own.

The corners of your lips raise. “Why do you ask?”

He blushes a little. “Well, for a deity, you seem so...” He trails off. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to offend you.”

“You haven’t offended me,” you say, amused. He hadn’t even finished his sentence. “I was human, once.”

“You were?” he says, nodding for you to continue.

You sigh. “It was...an age ago, it seems. Hundreds of years. Maybe thousands.” The memories are fuzzy, but after all this time, you still ache. “You want to hear the story?”

“Please,” Yeosang implores.

You take a deep breath and fixate on the bare branches of the trees overhead. “The forest was new then. I was young. And in love. It is hard to remember exactly what happened...someone from my family didn’t approve. I was...nobility, I suppose you might call it. And he was a farmer who lived on our land.”

“Do you remember his name?” Yeosang asks.

You shake your head. “Only that it sounded like music to me.” The ache in your chest is growing sharper now, more pronounced, as though the wound Yeosang removed the stitches from only days ago has split wide open again. “We ran from our village into these trees. Deep within them. And we got lost. The woods were empty then — it was a bitter winter, and we didn’t have any food or any way to get it. I had been well-fed, but he…” 

You are surprised at how easily the tears spring to your eyes as you struggle to recall what happened. Drawing in a great shuddering breath, you continue. “In the end, it wasn’t even the starvation that took him from me. It was love. He gave me his cloak to wear as a blanket every night when we slept, and one morning I woke to him sitting cold and unmoving beside me.”

Yeosang is still watching you with gentle eyes, offering an arm around your shoulders to comfort against the cold and the rising emotion. “My kind are made immortal by some unknown power that attaches to us, at the right place, in the right time, and only when we are at our most vulnerable. At this very moment, when I lost a love meant to last eons, the transformation took place. With every cry of all-consuming anguish, I found myself slipping further into madness, until I was as wild and undying as the woods themselves.”

“Have you loved since then?” Yeosang quietly questions. His arm around your shoulders, the shawl he wraps around you every time you’re about to leave the warmth of the hearth, the days he spent at your side as you decided whether to succumb to death or not, all swirl around like a breeze in your mind. 

You give a soft laugh. “I am made of love. It is the reason I persist. I can do nothing without it. I love the trees as my own home. I love the creatures who dwell in my home like my own children. I even love the human lovers who have wandered into my arms.”

“Do I have a place in your heart?” Yeosang asks. “Am I one of your children, then? Or one of your trusts?”

The moment you look into his eyes, you have your answer. “You are not like a child or a lover to me, no.”

“Then what am I?” he challenges. And his voice is still quiet, but his eyes flash. 

“I see in you the echo of the love that changed me,” you whisper, pausing in your walk to bring a chilled finger up to Yeosang’s pink cheek. “You have the same essence.” You hesitate before you make your tearful admission. “A part of me fears that you’ll meet the same fate he did.”

Your murmur sends a shiver down Yeosang’s spine — or perhaps it’s the contrast of your cold hand against his face — but he takes a step closer, so close you can feel the warmth coming from him. 

“Let me be clear, then. I may not be the only one you love, nor can I be the first, but I want to be the name that even thousands of years cannot erase from your memory.”

And then he presses his lips to yours. 

You are only able to register the sensation -- the soft brush of sensitive skin, and his large, calloused hands cradling your face -- before the wind starts, buffeting the two of you as you stand in each other’s embrace. You feel it snake up your body, stealing the warmth from your limbs as you cling to Yeosang.

It is odd, though. Even as the wind picks up speed, flinging your skirts and your hair and the snow all around you, you feel as though nothing exists but the feel of Yeosang’s kiss, as though time has stopped for just this moment and you and he are the only real things in the world. His hands slide back to knot in your hair as he deepens the kiss, seemingly unperturbed by the raging gale around him, as content to do it amid the frigid gusts of air as he would by a warm fire.

In the evening, when it is time for sleep, you wordlessly pull Yeosang into his own bed again to sleep beside you, knowing he will understand the invitation for what it is. You spend the cold night curved around each other, his muscular arms wrapped snugly around your waist, keeping each other warm. In your immortality, you had shared a bed with many humans, and you always knew it would be temporary. With Yeosang, it almost convinces you that you are human again.

***

One night, not long later, your sleep is unsettled. You hover between waking and uneasy dreams full of shadows and teeth, your eyes flying open as you realize the space in the bed that Yeosang usually occupies is empty. The panic grows worse when you realize that there is a cold draft in the cabin from the door that’s propped open, swinging gently in the freezing wind.

Petrified, you jolt out of bed and run to the doorway, the sight that greets you only confirming your fears. There are no footsteps in the newly fallen snow leading down from the cabin’s steps. Yeosang has been taken.

Just as you come to this realization, the wind suddenly falls silent, and you hear it.

The whistle. The cheery, beckoning sound -- the invitation to travel deeper into the woods. 

You pull the blanket around your shoulders, tug on your boots, and run into the snow, heading right into the trees. 

The whistle guides you, occasionally sounding from your right or left as an indication to turn. As you run, you feel a friendly breeze picking up speed beside you, blowing you quicker toward your destination. Thanks to your forest, and the life that inhabits it, you are able to cut an inhumanly quick path through the growth, even allowing the wind to fully carry you down the steeper hills and around particularly sharp turns, until you come upon a wide clearing and stop in your tracks.

Because there is Yeosang, crumpled at the feet of something that is nearly impossible to make out in the darkness. Once you can tell what it is, it is only your immortal side that keeps your human side from bolting like a deer at the sound of a branch cracking. 

It is about the height of a man, with what looks like the face of a man -- but it’s too long, slightly too smooth and hairless, and the eyes are unnaturally glassy, like a doll’s. It turns its head as you burst into the clearing, its movements jerky and awkward, as though imitating a human rather than really being one. The arms are too long as well, as are the fingers, and as the mouth splits open in a grotesque attempt at a smile, the teeth glint unnaturally, almost like animal eyes do at night. 

The voice that echoes across the clearing doesn’t seem to be coming from the creature’s mouth. Rather, it seems to materialize from the darkness, as sudden and harsh as a slap to the face. “The lady of the forest has returned.”

You give the creature your coldest stare. “So it seems,” you call back. “What have you done to the human?”

You can hear the anger in your voice, hot and dark as the moonless night. It would make other creatures cringe and cower, but this foul beast only laughs, a clicking, disharmonious sound that scrapes at the bones. “He offered me his life for yours when I came to end your life tonight,” the creature tells you. “Poor thing. I think he thinks he’s in love with you.”

“This war is between us,” you say. “Release him, and let us finish this.”  

Another sickening laugh sounds across the clearing before the creature begins to limp toward you at a jarring speed, contorting hideously onto all fours as it gets closer. You breathe in the frigid night air and feel the heat rising in your chest as your whole body lifts off the forest floor into the air. The wind starts to whip around furiously, coming to your aid, as usual. You hover two feet above ground and look upward as light begins to erupt from your fingertips, the crown of your head, even your chin and your cheekbones. The clearing is suddenly illuminated, and the creature shrieks as beams of hot light zap into its skin, creating disc-sized burn marks all over its body.. 

But then yet another shout echoes across the clearing. You look toward the sound to see Yeosang, his brow furrowed in that same way it had been the first day you’d woken up, when you’d nearly blown him out of the room. Almost amused, almost reproachful. He’s alive, you think, and the wind slows down enough for you to drop to the ground and bolt towards Yeosang through the piles of untouched snow as the creature writhes in pain behind you.

You notice he’s kneeling as you approach, and you slide to your knees as well when you reach him, flinging your arms around Yeosang’s neck. “What did he do to you? Where are you hurt?” you ask him frantically

He gently pulls away. “I am not hurt,” he insists, pushing your hair out of your face so he can better cradle it. “I came freely.”

“Why were you unconscious?” you ask. “And why did you go with him?”

He sighs. “His power was growing every day. I knew he would come for you soon. It was the only way I could think to keep him from doing anything to you.”

The creature behind you has now recovered, and is scuttling toward you once again. “Get behind me!” you scream at Yeosang, flinging your arms out and letting a jet of light shoot from your eyes. It sears a small burn into the creature’s hand, and it screeches, but there’s another yell -- this time from Yeosang. When you whirl around, he’s nursing a burnt hand, too. 

“What --” you begin, but Yeosang interrupts by placing both hands on your shoulders.

“Listen carefully, my darling,” he says urgently. “I made a deal with him.”

“No,” you say, rejecting this news immediately. Because to make a deal with something like that monster meant certain death for a human. Their deals are unbreakable, inescapable, binding. If Yeosang really did this, he’s lost to you forever.

“He promised to leave the village and your forest alone,” Yeosang continues, ignoring your protest.

“And what must you give him?” you demand, terrified of his answer.

He gives a weak smile. “Everything.”

“What does that mean?” you ask in a broken whisper.

“The way he tells it, he will absorb me into himself. I will...become something different. Perhaps something like he is.”

You cannot speak. You simply stare at Yeosang, who is eyeing the creature over your shoulder, still staggering in pain. “Please, my love. Please get yourself somewhere safe. You cannot hurt him without hurting me, so there’s nothing more you can do here.”

Your thoughts are racing. “Not again,” you say quietly. “Not this again. No.”

When you were human you might have had words for the grief you feel, because as a human your capacity for it was so much smaller. Many times you’ve wondered if that’s not why you were changed -- because your pain was so overwhelmingly large that you couldn’t manage it unless you became impenetrable. But it is the first time since the change that you’ve felt this way: the ground beneath you seems to crumble to dust, the world fading to a helpless gray devoid of all the colors of hope and joy and lust and love and passion and mercy and goodness. “You cannot leave me here without you,” you say in a flat voice that can barely contain the burgeoning storm inside you, which threatens to burst from you at any moment. This is the first time you’ve said out loud what has been screaming in your brain for as long as you have been immortal.

His smile is sad. “I don’t know if we have much choice, love,” he admits. “Can you make me a promise?” When you don’t answer, he quickly continues, “Will you say my name every day, for the rest of eternity? So that you never forget about me, or how much I loved you?”

“Yeosang,” you whisper, and he nods in gratitude. But he doesn’t realize -- the emotions are bubbling up, dangerously close to the surface, and as the creature your love is chained to begins gearing up for another attack, a bright light bursts from you, from every part of your body. This is not the searing light of destruction: this is pure power, and it envelopes both he and the creature. 

At the same time, you let out a primal shriek that echoes through the forest, raising a sea of bats into the night in fright and causing owls and mice and other nocturnal creatures miles away to become disoriented and confused. Even the tenants of the village hear the scream of a goddess, noting how it shakes the earth and brings piles of snow and ice hurtling down from the trees.

As the light surrounds Yeosang and the creature, the beast begins to dissolve. Bit-by-bit, the creature’s essence is absorbed into Yeosang’s body -- preserving the sanctity of the deal, but preserving the one person you refuse to lose. It happens quickly, the light fading with your scream, and by the time all traces of it have evaporated into the air, Yeosang collapses to the ground. You fall to your knees, exhausted, but can’t help but crawl through the snow toward his fallen figure. As you gently roll him over, he opens his eyes, and they glow red in the darkness. 

You blink once, before the searing pain behind your eyes overtakes you and you faint.

*** Immortality is an intoxicating and dizzying mass of colors and lights, where the sequencing of time becomes distorted and waxy. Life among the trees gives your immortality structure, the changing of the seasons making obvious the passage of years, into decades, into centuries.

And every autumn, your heart returns to you.

He had survived the contract -- not just his body, but his soul. In the many conversations the two of you had had, in the dead of the forest, in the heart of the winter, he’d told you that he secretly believed this had been the reason for his strange gift. In an odd way, he’d been destined to save you. 

There was something inside of him that kept the darkness in him at bay -- he swore that it was his love for you, but as sweet as that was, you felt that it was simply his goodness, his purity, that kept him from acting on the rabid hunger that possessed him. Because it was him -- he couldn’t, he wouldn’t.

There was a sadness to everything, though. As the world became warmer, the anger he held inside of him became restless, and he would need to leave. You didn’t quite understand, but you knew how tenuous his hold on himself could be if he tried to stay with you, so at the opening of spring, he would depart, leaving you to rule the forest on your own for half of the year. But he always returns to bring the autumn.

Even now, you wait in the customary clearing, unable to keep a smile from your face as a chill steals over the earth. You watch as the grass frosts beneath your very feet, and the whistle sounds from the treeline. The whole world seems to hold its breath for a moment, and then --

He emerges from the trees, as beautiful as ever, shrouded in shadows and with his piercing red-tinged eyes fixed unfailingly on you.

And your whisper seeps through the whole clearing as the frost does.

“Yeosang.”