#brighid’s cross

[lailoken]

In honor of Imbolc, here is an art study I carried out by illustrating different variations of Brighid's Cross.

[bywandandsword]

I would like it to be noted that within hours of posting these tags, I learned of a lighthouse museum less than two hours from my house, and found a book called The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill right on top of a book on how to sail. The Crane Husband was released only last year, so how it got into the library 'old books for sale' bin, I don't know, but everything together is starting to approach Sign territory

[oh-my-little-hearth]

Story Time!!

I work for a very large haunted house. A while ago our wardrobe trailer burnt down from an arsonist(?)

I was thinking about it now and we fire proof the entire thing now with fire proof paint, and we’re extremely careful nowadays. Butttt we put Brigid’s crosses in our homes to stop them from burning down so why not put on in my trailer.

As the lead I get to decorate lol so I’m super excited! I have to use all my wall space so it’s gonna be painted on I think. The lead makeup artist is also a witch so I’m not worried about anyone getting upset with it, considering when the trailer burnt down the only thing left untouched and unburnt was a doll and they asked him to cleanse and bless it 🤣

[oh-my-little-hearth]

Tig an Geimhreadh dian dubh, gearra lena géire

Ach ar lá le Bríghde, gar dúinn Earrach Éireann.

Iníon le gach tír í, molaimís go léir í.

Gabhaim molta Bríghde, iníon í le hÉireann

[greenwitchcrafts]

February 2024 witch guide

Full moon: February 24th

New moon: February 9th

Sabbats: Imbolc-February 1st

February Snow Moon

Known as: Eagle Moon, Horning Moon, Solmonath Moon, Bear moon, Ice Moon, Wild Moon, Raccoon Moon, Big Winter Moon, Groundhog Moon, Quickening Moon, Storm Moon, Goose Moon, Hungry Moon & Red/Cleansing Moon

Element: Fire

Zodiac: Aquarius & Pisces

Nature spirits: House Faeries

Deities: Aphrodite, Brigid & Nut

Animals: Otter & Unicorn

Birds: Chickadee & Eagle

Trees: Cedar, laurel, myrtle & rowan

Herbs: Balm of Gilead, hyssop, myrrh, sage & spikenard

Flowers: Primrose

Scents: Heliotrope & wisteria

Stones: Amethyst, jasper, moonstone, obsidian, onyx , rose quartz, topaz & red zircon

Colors: Light blue & violet

Energy:  Astral travel, banishing, beginnings, breaking bad habits, creativity expressiveness, empowerment, energy working to the surface, fertility, forgiveness, freedom, friendships, future plans, growth, healing, problem solving, purification, responsibility & science

February’s full Moon is a “Micromoon” this year. Think of this term as the opposite of a “Supermoon.” It simply means that the full Moon is at its farthest point from Earth (not the nearest point).

The explanation behind February’s full Moon name is a fairly straightforward one: it’s known as the Snow Moon due to the typically heavy snowfall that occurs in February. On average, February is the United States’ snowiest month, according to data from the National Weather Service. In the 1760s, Captain Jonathan Carver, who had visited with the Naudowessie(Dakota), wrote that the name used for this period was the Snow Moon, “because more snow commonly falls during this month than any other in the winter.” 

Imbolc

Known as: Feast of Torches, Feast of Waxing Light, Oimele & Brigid's Day

Season: Winter

Symbols: Besoms, Brighid's crosses, candles, candle wheels, fertility symbols, fire, ploughs, priapic wands & white flowers

Colors: Black, brown, Earth tones, lavender, light green, orange, pink, red, white & yellow

Oils/Incense: Apricot, basil, bay, carnation, chamomile, cinnamon, dragon's blood, frankincense, heather, jasmine, myrrh, neroli, red sandalwood, sage, vanilla, violet & wisteria

Animals: Badger, cow, deer,groudhog, robin, sheep, snake, & swan

Mythical: Dragon

Stones: Amethyst, bloodstone, citrine, clear quartz, garnet, green tourmaline, hematite, iron, lodestone, onyx, red zircon, rose quartz, ruby, turquoise, yellow tourmaline

Food: Breads, chives, curries, dairy products, grains, garlic, herbal teas, honey cakes, lamb, muffins, onions, peppers, poppy seed cakes, pork, poultry, pumpkin seeds, raisins, scones, spiced wines & sunflower seeeds

Herbs/Plants: Angelica, ashleaf, balsam, basil, bay laurel, benzoin, blackberry, clover, coltsfoot, coriander, dragon's blood, garlic, heather, lemon, myrrh, rosemary, sage, vervain, wheat & witch hazel

Flowers: Celandine, chamomile, iris, rose hips, snowdrop, sunflower, tansy, violets, white flowers & yellow flowers

Goddesses: Anu, Aradia, Arianrhod, Artio, Athena, Branwen, Brigid, Danu, Februa, Gaia, Inanna, Juno, Selene, Sirona & Vesta

Gods: Aegus Mac Og, Bragi, Cupid, Dian Cecht, Dumuzi, Eros, Februus & Pax

Issues, Intentions & Powers: Activation/awakening, animals, beginnings, fertility, healing, hope, illumination, inspiration, light, pregnancy/childbirth, prophecy, transformation, well-being & youth

Spellwork: Air magick, banishings, candle spells, divination, fertility spells, prosperity & purification

Activities:

• Make & light white candles

• Clean/decorate your altar & consecrate your  altar tools

• Go on a walk in nature & look for signs of spring

• Make a Brigid's Cross

• Have a feast with your family/friends

• Give thanks & leave offerings to the Earth

• Set intentions, reflect & look deeper into your goals for spring

• Start a bonfire

• Find Imboloc prayers & devotionals that bid farewell to the winter months, honor the goddess Brigid, as well as seasonal blessings for your meals, hearth, & home.

• Pepare plans for your upcoming garden

• Craft a priapic wand

• Spend time with children celebrating Imbolc by making crafts & or baking

• Practice divination & fire scrying

• Draw a cleansing ritual bath for yourself

• Meditate, reflect & say your farewells to winter

• Cleanse & clean your house to prepare for spring

• Create a Brídeóg: a doll of Brigid made of straw

• Make Bride's bouquet satchets & exchange as symbols of good luck and fertility

• Set aside food & or drinks as an offering to Brigid to invite her in your home

Imbolc is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of spring. Most commonly it is held on January 31 – February 1, or halfway between the winter solstice & the spring equinox. The holiday is a festival of the hearth, home, a celebration of the lengthening days & the early signs of spring. 

The word "imbolc" means "in the belly" and refers to the pregnancy of ewes at this time of year. The term "oimelc" means ewe's milk. Around this time of year, many herd animals give birth to their first offspring of the year or are heavily pregnant & as a result, they are producing milk. This creation of life’s milk is a part of the symbolic hope for spring.

Imbolc is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature and it is associated with important events in Irish mythology. It has been suggested that it was originally a pagan festival associated with the goddess Brigid and that it was Christianized as a festival of Saint Brigid, who herself is thought to be a Christianization of the goddess.

Some use Imbolc to celebrate the longer days which herald the return of Spring & The Goddess's recovery from giving birth to The Sun (The God) at Yule. The God & The Goddess are children symbolizing new life, new beginnings & new resurrections.

Related festivals:

• Groundhog Day-  Is a tradition observed in the United States & Canada on February 2 of every year. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day & sees its shadow, it will retreat to its den & winter will go on for six more weeks; if it does not see its shadow, spring will arrive early.

While the tradition remains popular in the 21st century, studies have found no consistent association between a groundhog seeing its shadow & the subsequent arrival time of spring-like weather.

•St. Brigid's Day- 1 February. It was originally Imbolc, the first day of spring in Irish tradition. Because Saint Brigid has been theorised as linked to the goddess Brigid, some associate the festival of Imbolc with the goddess. St. Brigid is the patroness saint (or 'mother saint') of Ireland. She is patroness of many things, including poetry, learning, healing, protection, blacksmithing, livestock & dairy production. In her honour, a perpetual fire was kept burning at Kildare for centuries.

A recent campaign successfully established her feast day as a national holiday in 2023.

• Chinese New Year- (February 10th) the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. In Chinese, the festival is commonly referred to as the Spring Festival,- marking the end of winter and the beginning of the spring season. Observances traditionally take place from Chinese New Year's Eve, the evening preceding the first day of the year, to the Lantern Festival, held on the 15th day of the year. The first day of Chinese New Year begins on the new moon that appears between January 21st & February 20th.

The Chinese New Year is associated with several myths and customs. The festival was traditionally a time to honour deities as well as ancestors. Within China, regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the New Year vary widely & the evening preceding the New Year's Day is frequently regarded as an occasion for Chinese families to gather for the annual reunion dinner.

It is also a tradition for every family to thoroughly clean their house, in order to sweep away any ill fortune & to make way for incoming good luck. Another custom is the decoration of windows & doors with red paper-cuts and couplets. Popular themes among these paper-cuts and couplets include good fortune or happiness, wealth & longevity. Other activities include lighting firecrackers  & giving money in red envelopes.

•  Candlemas- is a Christian feast day on February 2nd commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the Temple. It is based upon the account of the presentation of Jesus in Luke 2:22-40. 

While it is customary for Christians in some countries to remove their Christmas decorations on Twelfth Night, those in other Christian countries historically remove them after Candlemas.On Candlemas, many Christians also take their candles to their local church, where they are blessed and then used for the rest of the year.

•Setsubun- (February 3rd) Is the day before the beginning of spring in the old calendar in Japan. The name literally means 'seasonal division', referring to the day just before the first day of spring.

Both Setsubun & Risshun are celebrated yearly as part of the Spring Festival (Haru matsuri ) in Japan. In its association with the Lunar New Year, Setsubun, though not the official New Year, was thought of as similar in its ritual & cultural associations of 'cleansing' the previous year as the beginning of the new season of spring. Setsubun was accompanied by a number of rituals & traditions held at various levels to drive away the previous year's bad fortunes & evil spirits for the year to come.

Other Celebrations:

• Lupercalia-

In ancient Rome, this festival was conducted annually on February 13th through 15th under the superintendence of a corporation of priests called Luperci. The origins of the festival are obscure, although the likely derivation of its name from lupus (Latin: “wolf”) has variously suggested connection with an ancient deity who protected herds from wolves and with the legendary she-wolf who nursed Romulus and Remus. As a fertility rite, the festival is also associated with the god Faunus.

to purify the city, promoting health & fertility.

Each Lupercalia began with the sacrifice by the Luperci of goats and a dog, after which two of the Luperci were led to the altar, their foreheads were touched with a bloody knife & the blood was wiped off with wool dipped in milk; the ritual required that the two young men laugh. The sacrificial feast followed, after which the Luperci cut thongs from the skins of the sacrificial animals & ran in two bands around the Palatine hill, striking with the thongs at any woman who came near them. A blow from the thong was supposed to render a woman fertile.

In 494 CE the Christian church under Pope Gelasius I forbade participation in the festival. Tradition holds that he appropriated the form of the rite as the Feast of the Purification (Candlemas), celebrated on February 2, but it is likely that the Christian feast was established in the previous century. It has also been alternately suggested that Pope Gelasius I replaced Lupercalia with St. Valentine’s Day, celebrated on February 14th, but the origin of that holiday was likely much later.

Sources:

Farmersalmanac .com

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

Wikipedia

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

Encyclopedia britannica

Llewellyn 2024 magical almanac Practical magic for everyday living

[historia-vitae-magistras]

lol Alistair and Rhys out swinging swords at ghosts and looking like a couple of nutters to the untrained eye. Do you still have the fic or maybe it was an ask about chonklet deluxe being held by a horrifying wraith and screaming like the damned?

A little bit! And it was initially an ask. This fic is brand spanking new because I forgot how cool of an idea that shitpost actually was if I took it seriously. Please be warned that this fic is gory and involves child endangerment, a bastardization of mythological creatures and just general violence. Also here on ao3.

Rural Lancashire, 1590

Dusk draped heavily over the world as the last light of day darkened into a thick grey. Arthur had ducked out the door to catch the midwife as she crossed his property on foot. If he was quick, he could often walk her as far as the edge of the village and consult her on whatever it was Alfred had done now. Teething, his first words, the seizures that had gripped him last spring, croup, the rare occasion Alfred was ever colicky. She was a steely woman with hair to match and indulged him at least, giving the best advice she had after decades of bringing children into the world. He'd hardly paid attention to the labours of women, and children so often died that there was rarely time to pay them any heed as they went from the cradle to the casket so quickly.

He had turned back to make his usual beeline for the house, pushing past and between the square hedges and sprawling kitchen garden. Some of the stronger-smelling herbs must have been finally in season; there was a reek Arthur couldn't quite identify. He had hardly cleared the fence when he heard Alfred's usual cry, demanding attention. The baby was a social thing, as personable as Rhys or Brighid and twice as bold about his want of company. He didn't like waking alone, wrapped up cozy in the cradle or otherwise.

Another sound, shrill and high. This one sent a spike of anxiety through Arthur's spine. He paused for the shortest moment. Then he was moving. That was not the cry of a baby who was lonely or wanted to be picked up. That was a terrified howl from his boy. He shot into the house, through the atrium, up the stairs, and into the nursery. Heaving, he flung open the heavy oak door. The smell was there again. The figure of a woman stood in relief against the low fire, Alfred cradled in her arms and screaming. For a stupid, foolish moment, he hoped it was the scullery girl he had told to mind the baby should he begin crying. But the smell. He took a step forward. At a new angle, he could see rotten eyes staring at his son, a cheek missing to decay and teeth gleaming through the gap.

"Baby." Came the garbled sound from long-dead vocal cords.

"You do not belong in this realm," Arthur said, cooly gesturing for her to hand him the child. His guts churned, bile in his throat. The revenants were often as confused as they were disgusting, pulling themselves out of whatever corner they had died and remained undiscovered. "Give me the child."

The Revenant turned to him. "Mine."

"You do not belong in this realm," Arthur said again, gesturing to Alfred again. He was losing patience with fear, the ceaseless screaming from Alfred turning into a hopeless, frightened sob. She tilted her head, and it fell limply to her shoulder, tendons snapping on the other side. She lifted one hand to push it back onto her neck, and he saw her hand for a moment in the light. Her fingers were torn freshly away. Oh, good Christ, this one had crawled out of her grave as they sometimes did when there was an infant's ceaseless crying above them. But Alfred had never stepped foot in the churchyard, and it was nearly a mile and a half away in the village.

"Rhys!" Arthur screamed, praying to god his brother was in the house and not out in the lambing pens.

The woman transferred Alfred almost tenderly to one arm and lunged at him, hand outstretched and her rotting jaw open. It couldn't close and Arthur couldn't hit her; Alfred was a heavy child and would fall to the floor as a leaden weight, and his soft little body would smash. Arthur was cold. Alfred was still crying.

"Give me my fucking son." He lunged, snatching at her arm. A layer of grey slime came away, and he retched even as he got fingers wrapped into the swaddling nearest Alfred's feet. He was suddenly wrestling a corpse, each of them struggling to get their hands on the blanket. One of Alfred's arms had slipped free, and he flailed, a fresh rolling scream emitting from his tiny scarlet face. Arthur had never seen him so flushed. He tried to shove her away and kick at the rotting creature, but more of something wet disintegrated from her legs. His hand was suddenly slick with gore and a piece of her fell to the floor with a putrid plop, unseen under the half-rotten chemise she had been buried in. She almost looked to grin at him and pulled Alfred closer.

"Let go!" He commanded, trying to get a purchase, but his hands were too slippery. He lunged after her as she retreated towards the door. "Let him go!"

Then a sword was through her belly. Something degassed like fetid blacksmith's bellows. Arthur's senses nearly abandoned him at the smell, but his hands closed around Alfred and tugged him to his chest, and he shot back against the wall, as far from the thing as he could get.

"I know. I'm sorry." He gasped, a clean hand cradling Alfred's head. "I'm so sorry."

The creature groaned and collapsed to the floor on its knees, struggling as its guts dissolved around the blade. Rhys stood behind her, still in his lambing clothes and boots, mother's leaf-bladed sword in his hands. He lifted it, and her head fell from her shoulders. The rotting eyes followed Arthur across the room. He watched as Rhys found one of the seams of her skull with the tip, plunged the sword in, twisted like he was splitting a log, and this time, she lay still, dismembered.

"Are you all right?" Rhys said, stepping over the body to look at him. He approached close enough to pull the blanket away to look at Alfred. Arthur tried to meet his brother's eyes. "Arthur?"

He couldn't. He could only close his eyes, hold Alfred tighter and collapse down the wall. Alfred pressed as tight as he dared against his sternum, and Arthur tried to breathe. Alfred's crying had softened, terror fading to a heartbreaking relief, and Arthur kissed his head. To close. Too fucking close.

"He's fine," Rhys said; his voice was much softer this time. "You're both fine, I promise."

[tyetknot]

This year's Brighid's Cross. I tried the three-armed version this year, because why not? And of course I used my lovely girlfriend's lovely red hand-spun yarn to tie it, because why not? It's ever-so-slightly too big, and it's a little messy, but it's fine, I'm sure.

[frickingnerd]

the jealous kind

pairing: brighid x gn!reader

summary: you tease your girlfriend about getting jealous...

brighid had that cute little frown on her face. ever since she had seen you being a bit too familiar with that woman earlier, she couldn't get that frown off her face. the way she had touched your arm as she talked, how she leaned in closer… it really bothered her! and it showed. 

"you're pretty cute like this…"

your words snapped brighid out of her thoughts, making that frown disappear for a moment and replacing it with a surprised expression. 

"like this? i don't understand"

you chuckled softly. brighid was so smart, yet she had that oblivious side to her as well. 

"you're cute when you're jealous, i mean"

brighid gasped softly and that frown appeared on her face again.

"i am not jealous!"

she crossed her arms in front of her chest, getting a quick chuckle out of you. brighid was always so serious. too serious to admit that she felt jealous like everyone else. 

"oh, of course… whatever you say~"

[saline-coelacanth]

Troubling Thoughts

(Quick Xenoblade 2 One Shot I wrote about Zeke and Pandoria taking place between Chapter 6 and 7)

Read on ao3

Summary: After Rex is injured and Pyra is taken away by Torna, Zeke is given some time to process his thoughts over everything that just went down. And luckily, Pandoria is there to listen to his thoughts.

Word Count: 1,899

_______________________

Tensions were definitely high in the group after their recent encounter with Torna. Everyone was still recovering, both physically and mentally, although none of them had it as bad as Rex did. He had been knocked out all day, resting in bed while the others waited for him to start feeling better. The group had spent most of their time waiting in the main lobby of the inn, none of them really knowing what else to do.

Nia stared at the table, her face scrunching up slightly before shaking her head.

“Rex better be ok after all of this,” she said. “He’s gotta start feeling better so we can get Pyra back.”

“With how severe his injuries are, it may take time for him to fully heal,” Dromarch reminded. “Even healing arts have their limits.”

Nia’s expression shifted at Dromarch’s comment, although it was subtle and it seemed the others didn’t pick up on it.

“We’re all worried about Rex,” Morag said. She closed her eyes as she remembered the fight. “He fought with more valor than any of us, and he paid the price for it.”

“Paid the price?!” Nia replied angrily. “He could have died! And Pyra, she-”

“Mind cooling it a little?” Zeke stepped in. He had been standing off towards the side the whole time, not really talking too much to the others, only now deciding to enter the conversation.

Nia turned her attention to Zeke, although her frustration seemed to remain the same. “We have no idea what Malos and Jin plan on doing with Pyra,” she vented, “and we can’t just go after them after that fight! So tell me, why exactly should I ‘cool it’?!”

“Because getting angry won’t change anything,” Zeke stood firm. “Best we can do now is try and stay level headed, yeah?”

Nia wanted to strike back with a comeback, but she was stopped before she could.

“Zeke is right,” Brighid chimed in. “All we can do right now is wait for Rex to get better and then plan from there.”

Nia was still clearly tense, but eased back as she felt Dromarch nudging her. Nia looked at her Blade who stared at her with a sympathetic gaze. She sighed, accepting defeat and sitting back down. The lobby fell silent once more as Nia calmed down. Zeke continued standing to the side, pretty secluded from the others except for Pandoria standing right next to him. Zeke kept his eye on the others, taking mental notes on how each of them were taking this whole situation.

Nia had obviously shown the most anger, although Zeke could tell it was just a mask hiding how terrified she was. Tora on the other hand had worn his fear more plainly to see. The Nopon looked up to Rex a lot, so this big of a defeat clearly left him shaken and worried. Poppi was about the same, and Zeke had assumed she had never even dealt with a friend this severely injured before. Morag, Brighid and Dromarch had seemed the most calm, and that made sense. They were the ones who were trying to remain composed and logical, not wanting to jump to any drastic conclusions. It was the same way Zeke had wanted to go about the situation, and he liked to think he did a good job coming across that way to everyone else. But even he couldn’t fully hide how he was really feeling about everything.

Without saying a word, Zeke started walking off. Morag and Pandoria seemed to be the only ones to notice. Morag stayed silent while Pandoria immediately followed the prince.

Zeke hadn’t gone far, he was standing just outside of the shopping district, his arms crossed as he stared.

“Just wandering off without a word, huh?” Pandoria questioned as she walked up to him.

“The mood is so down in there,” Zeke explained. “I didn’t want to damper things any more.”

“Damper? When do you ever damper things?” Pandoria asked. “Although I guess some people aren’t fond of your… how should I put it? I don’t know, but you’ve got this aura to you.”

Zeke didn’t respond. Silence like that was how Pandoria was able to tell he was really upset.

“What’s wrong?” Pandoria asked, dropping the overly cheerful tone.

“To put it bluntly, I’m bloody pissed,” Zeke responded.

“Care to elaborate?”

“There’s a lot,” Zeke admitted. “I haven’t stepped foot in Tantal for ten years, and now that I’m back, I can see plainly how nothing has changed. My old man still runs things like a coward. Even worse, he’s not even who he claims to be.”

“Ah, still upset about the whole Addam thing,” Pandoria realized.

“Of course I’m still upset about that!” Zeke replied, his voice a lot harsher. “The royal family has been lying for 500 years! And keeping that secret has cost this kingdom just about everything!”

Pandoria frowned. She was never the best at navigating these types of fragile emotions. In fact, between the two of them, Zeke was by far more emotionally intelligent than Pandoria.

“And now everything with Torna…” Zeke continued.

“You mean… with Rex getting injured?” Pandoria asked. “And Pyra getting taken away?”

Zeke nodded. “I want to try and stay collected for everyone’s sake,” he explained. “Last thing we need is this group falling apart.”

“So that’s why you walked off like that,” Pandoria said. “Just needed to blow off some steam, huh?”

“Yeah, guess so.”

Zeke stayed where he was, his arms still crossed as his thoughts ran through his mind. Pandoria made her way closer to him, gently resting her head on his shoulder.

“Well, despite… all of that,” she said, “it is kinda nice having a group of people to rely on for once instead of being on our own.”

“Yeah, you’ve got that right,” Zeke agreed. He glanced back towards the inn. “Definitely gonna have to keep an eye on that Rex. He’s got a lot of potential. Potential like that needs guidance.”

“You mean since he’s the Aegis’ Driver?”

“Not just that,” Zeke said. “People like Rex, they don’t come around often. He holds so much hope and optimism inside of him. Sure, some of it might be naivety, but I think he’s got more to him than that.”

“Hope and optimism…” Pandoria repeated before chuckling quietly. “Kinda reminds me of you when you were younger. Is that why you took such an interest in him?”

Zeke was quiet for a moment as he continued staring at the inn. Eventually, he did speak up. “There are things no person should have to witness in this world,” he said, “especially when you’re still young like that. I’m worried something might break that kid.”

Pandoria went quiet this time. She stared down at the ground. “Yeah, like when you were younger…” Pandoria looked up again. “But then again, you didn’t have a mighty Bringer of Chaos looking out for you.”

This actually got a chuckle from Zeke. “No, I did not,” he agreed. “And that’s exactly why I gotta look out for our chum. I gotta keep him on the right path. Can’t have two Zekenators running around, that would be too powerful for this world to handle.”

“Wow, that’s humble for you,” Pandoria joked.

The two of them laughed a little bit with Zeke eventually going quiet again.

“You know,” he said, “I get where my old man was coming from. At least a little. But I can’t stop thinking about what he tried to do. Things here probably would have gone much more smoothly if he hadn’t tried offing Pyra like that.”

“Yeah, I don’t blame you for still being upset,” Pandoria responded. “Pyra hadn’t even done anything, and he just decided to get rid of her! And we see how that ended up going.”

“I get he had no way of knowing any of this would happen,” Zeke continued. “In his eyes, he would simply eliminate the Aegis and be done with it. But he gets on my case for how I act and then pulls that type of reckless bullcrap!”

“Let’s just be glad things worked out.” Pandoria paused as she realized her poor choice of wording. “Well, besides Pyra…”

“That girl really is a tough Blade,” Zeke commented. “And I’m not just talking about her being the Aegis. No, she showed more guts than any of us during that fight.”

“Yeah,” Pandoria agreed, somewhat quietly. “Let’s hope we can get her back.”

“As soon as Rex wakes up, that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Zeke insisted.

Pandoria nodded, a determined smile appearing on her face. Her smile then faded as her eyes shifted to look towards Zeke’s torso. His bandages were visible with his coat open like he had it.

“How are you holding up?” Pandoria asked.

“What do you mean?” Zeke questioned. “I gave you my grievances already.”

“I’m talking about your stab wound,” Pandoria clarified, her voice sounding more blunt. “You know, the one you got from Jin?”

“Oh, that,” Zeke realized. “It’s healing up fine, no need to worry about it.”

Pandoria shook her head disappointedly. “You can’t just brush off an injury like that,” she reminded. “You got lucky,” she said before mumbling, “For once in your life…”

“Hey, I heard that!” Zeke responded. “And I’m telling you, it isn’t that big of a deal. Do I need to remind you how quickly I recover?”

Pandoria still didn’t look pleased. “You’re starting to rely on that too much for my liking.”

“Look, I’d just rather not bring attention to it, that’s all,” Zeke explained, his voice going a little bit quiet. “I mean, we’re still sort of new to the group. Not sure how they’d feel knowing… you know…” Zeke placed a hand over his chest.

“Yeah, I can see where you’re coming from…” Pandoria replied. “I mean, they seem trustworthy. But… I don’t know if they really need to know about that either.”

“Yeah,” Zeke agreed. “And you know what? We can change the bandages once we head back to the inn. Would that make you feel better?”

“I mean, it’s your injury,” Pandoria replied with a somewhat teasing tone.

“Oi! Don’t say it like that!” Zeke got defensive. “If I die, you die too.”

“Oh, so now you WANT me to worry about it?” Pandoria continued teasing.

“Tch,” Zeke huffed. “There you go again, acting like a little bully.”

“Hey, someone’s gotta keep you humble,” Pandoria reminded. “Besides, you know I don’t mean it. You’re my Prince, I’d do anything for you.”

“Same goes for you, Pandy,” Zeke replied.

The Driver and Blade both smiled at each other, a rare moment of genuine warmth since everything went down against Torna. Zeke then glanced towards the inn again.

“I suppose we should be heading back soon,” Zeke suggested. “Don’t want to make the others worry needlessly over where we went.”

“Yeah, good idea,” Pandoria agreed. “And then I can check on that wound, maybe see if we can get it patched up a bit better.”

Zeke sighed as the two of them started walking back towards the inn. “How do we always find ourselves in these situations?” he asked.

“Well you’re really accident prone,” Pandoria reminded. “Probably has something to do with that.”

“I am not that accident prone,” Zeke argued.

“Yeah, yeah,” Pandoria replied, “you keep telling yourself that.”

[misspjsuperior]

The splatters from the other page practically begged me to make them into some of Brigid’s freckles.

Brighid/Brig is an ancient Irish goddess associated with fire, among other things, and renowned with many blessings from protection to poetry. The most ancient surviving texts recounting her to this day describe her having two sisters of the same name, Brighid the Smith, associated with metalworks in both weaponry and jewelry, and Brighid the Healer, associated with herbalism and song. This has led to Brighid being hailed as a Triple Goddess in her ancient form. ☘️

Indeed the triplicate of Brigid seems to have transformed along with the Irish diaspora following Catholicism and English oppression. St. Brighid appeared in Ireland under the rule of the Catholic Church, most likely another example of Christianizing pagan figures as seen cross culturally. The Feast of St. Brighid coincides with the ancient Celtic pagan late winter festival of Imbolc on the first of February after all.

Among the African diaspora in the Caribbean, where English colonists sent both enslaved Africans and indentured Irish servants to work sugar and other plantations, revered loa of the Voudun pantheon from West Africa were famously hidden within icons of Catholic saints. It is within this particular tradition that Mama Brigitte is found with her flaming red hair, having been married into the Ghede Spirit family to Baron Samedi, syncretized with St. Brighid. Her feast day varies among Vodouisants from coinciding with Imbolc or All Saints Day, which is also when Dia de los Muertos (as a result of the colonial church) is on November 2nd. Still many acknowledge that Mama Brigette came from Ireland. With this consideration of the origins of Samedi’s bride, their union is representative of the legacy of Irish and African history under European colonial exploitations- we Irish descendants practicing paganism today may do well to remember this manifestation of blessed, vibrant, poetic, protective Brighid’s triplicity in solidarity against the exploitations of empires that go on to this day. ❤️‍🔥

[fiantacleasai]

How I’m Celebrating Imbolg

As a Brighid devotee, I thought I’d share how I’m spending Imbolg with my partner!

I’m personally celebrating the evening of January 31st through February 3rd! Most fire festivals were more than a one day event and I didn’t want to pack everything into 1 day anyways.

On January 31st, we put out our Brat Brídes, hanging white cloths on our door.

Then we candle painted! Using little tea lights, we painted with the hot wax onto some larger candles

I had my own flame tending shift so I finished that

Today, February First, we got all of our supplies for the day and went to the park to spend some time in nature while drinking our coffees. I found a dandelion to bring home for Brighid’s altar and also some rosemary!

Then we came home and started baking some bread, specifically Garlic Braided Bread and also made our own butter

We are preparing a bit of a feast, we got some apples and 3 different kinds of cheese (baking some brie!) to go with the bread along with some mashed potatoes.

Some bread and cheese will be offered to Brighid.

After we eat, we’re going to do some Imbolg divination spreads for the season ahead

Lastly for the night, we will make a Brighid’s doll (Brideog) and a Leaba Bhríde to put her in.

Tomorrow, February 2nd, we will be walking the bounds and grounds, doing some cleansing and cleaning and then some warding around our home.

Then we will be baking some Rosemary and Lemon Curd Tassies! (recipe below) We will offer one to Brighid as well.

On February 3rd, we will be meeting up with a friend to conclude our festivities

We’re going to go to a cemetery and commune with the spirits

Then we’re going to find some natural material for making Brighid’s Crosses and do them while we’re out!

Finally we’re going to go to a local plant store and buy a new houseplant, and plant our intentions for the season while potting it.

What’re you doing for Imbolg??

[little-witchys-garden]

Why I love using cats in my witchcraft

I love cats, they're one of my favorite creatures and one of the few creatures I love using in my witchcraft.

I love cat symbolism, cat figures, cat themed things, cat magick, connecting with cat spirits, and allowing my own pet cats in my witchcraft.

So let's talk about cats!

The spiritual symbolism of Cats:

cats are symbolic of rebirth and resurrection, per their nine lives. Because they are nocturnal, they are also associated with darkness independence, guardian energy, the esoteric, and mystery, elegance, curiosity, independence, protection, magic, and other notable qualities.

Divine cats connect with:

Bastet

Sekhmet

Eros

Nergal

Mafdet

Kasha

Wadjet

Mishipeshu

Nyx

Selene

Ceridwen

Palu

Dawon

the yule cat

The cat sithe

Brighid

Ovinnik

Hecate

Li Shou

Ai-Apaec

Bòge cat

Freya

Maneki-neko

Tezcatlipoca

Kapitángan

And that's not even all not them!

Different cats have different meanings:

Yep that's right! We all know the black cat = bad luck thing but did you know there's lots of superstitions around cats? I'll name a few!

Black cats are bad luck unless you're a sailor or a witch then they're good luck.

For sailors white cats were bad luck!

Calico cats in Japan are actually seen as good luck and even luckier if they have a bobbed tail!

It is bad luck to cross a stream carrying a cat.

If a cat purrs at nothing, a ghost is in the room.

Bathing a cat will cause it to rain.

A cat at a wedding is a good omen

If you can pluck a pure white hair from an all-black cat without being scratched, you will be lucky all your life long

Cats can see death

Fishermen’s wives believe that their husbands will be safe at sea if a black cat is kept in the house

A kitten being born the same day as your baby means your baby will have a lucky life.

Blue eyed cats are good luck

Cats spread gossip so they should not enter rooms where private discussions are taking place.

When you see a one-eyed cat, spit on your thumb, stamp your palm with your thumb and make a wish.

Killing a cat means 17-18 years of bad luck

If a cat jumps across a grave, that corpse will return as a vampire.

If a cat sneezes three times, someone else is going to catch a cold.

If a cat has kittens in your house, it is a sign that your house has no evil spirits

If you head off on a journey and see a cat on your left side, it is a sign of good luck.

Visiting a home with a cat? Kiss the cat for good luck.

And that’s just a few cat superstitions!

Cats in witchcraft/spirituality in history:

Cats were feared and thought to indicate the presence of evil, either being the Devil himself, or a witch in disguise, a demon, a faery in disguise, undead, immortal or a ghost.

As early as the 13th century, the Catholic Church linked cats to Satan, heretics, witches, pagans, demons, ghosts, the fae, vampires and zombies. Over time during slavery of both the Irishs and Africans the church connected them too hoodoo, voodoo and Irish paganism though it was mostly because slaves would keep these creatures as cherished companions during their years of slavery since cats were a plenty and often times were from/born on the plantations. Cats also had a connection to native Americans as well! Many cats essentially pregnant Cats get abandoned by their owners left on many reservations, these abandoned cats become the devoted pets and mouse hunters on reservations helping in keeping rodent populations down And with that came native based spiritual beliefs around cats! Cats have been beloved and faithful companions of the oppressed for centuries!

Also just adding in feng shui cats are seen as protectors and good luck!

Cats also are symbols of femininity, queerness, ABC being on trans spectrum.

There's so much more about cats in mythology, folklore, superstitions, witchcraft and other spiritual beliefs!

So if you wanna add animal symbolism into your craft then the protective, lucky and mysterious cat might be for you!

Artists name on photo!

[carriechambers]

Wheel of the Year 101 - Imbolc

The post on website

Hello tumblr! Since we're in the Imbolc season, I've decided it's the best time to make a post on it. And it can also be my way of celebrating.

In this post, you'll find out:

the history of Imbolc

when and how to celebrate (MANY examples)

links to all kinds of tutorials (like Brigid's cross, recipes, crochetting, playlists and a tarot spread)

correspondences (colours, foods, topics, ...)

Click Keep Reading to read the entire post, or you can read it on the blog page Imbolc.

Imbolc

History

Imbolc (which is pronounced ee-molc btw), sometimes also called Brigid’s Day, is rooted in Gaelic history and is mostly about the Celtic goddess Brigid, goddess of learning, healing and fertility. She, as hearth goddess, is associated with cooking and family life. Traditionally, it marks the first showings of spring. However, as we often orientate ourselves around a calendar rather than how nature changes, it is usually celebrated on February 1st, as a midpoint between winter solstice and spring equinox. Some people do like to celebrate it closer to February 5th or on the second full moon since winter solstice though. And some celebrate on January 31st. Technically speaking, the celebrations were often stretched across multiple days around the actual date, so don’t worry if you don’t get it exactly right.

Marking the start of spring, it mostly was the start of agricultural season. The early celebrations were focused on welcoming the growing light, cleansing and purifying (take the spring cleaning for example) and fertility (milk is a common association, as the birth of lambs and other livestock was also happening through this season and was also important for agriculture).

In Wiccan traditions, Imbolc is when the God is developing and the Goddess is recovering from giving birth to him at Yule.

  How to Celebrate

A well known symbol of Imbolc is Brighid’s cross. Typically it has 4 arms with a woven center, but there are other versions too (like a 3 armed version). It is made of rushes or wheat stalks. Kind of like Yule log, it is meant to be kept around the whole year - leave them where you want, often it is hanged above fireplace. It’s supposed to protect the residents from illness, hunger and fire. Each year you’re supposed to make a new cross. I couldn’t find any sources that would talk about how to deal with the cross from previous Imbolc once you make a new one, but considering Yule log is meant to be burnt, I would say this one is likely meant to be burnt as well, or burried. You can see it as a talisman collecting the negative energy so that it doesn’t get to you, and then burrying / burning the negative energy. And here are some tutorials on how to make it: Written Tutorial Video Tutorial 3-legged cross video tutorial

As I’ve already mentioned, Imbolc is closely associated with cleaning. This can be both physical cleaning and spiritual cleansing, often you can combine the two (like by visualising while cleaning that the dust / dirt is negative energy).

Since it is the beginning of spring, another good activity is planting seeds. And this can be done both literally and symbolically. We often plant seeds for something we want to improve, or a project we want to start. Then we take care of the plant and our goals grow with it. This can be also done just in visualisation, or by writing our goals / wishes on a piece of paper and burning it.

Part of this festival is lighting candles to celebrate the growing light. Make sure to let air in too though, we don’t want the candles burning away all our oxygen. And as for all holidays, you can set up a seperate altar, or just decorate your usual altar with things from Imbolc correspondences. The correspondences can be honoured in many ways - like by cooking (with) them, wearing the colours, etc. And some other unusual things to celebrate can be making a playlist for this season, crochetting, etc. You can get creative.

And another thing can be taking a walk in nature and looking for signs of spring, like some flowers poking out, or trees starting to get their leaves again. Though, it can be hard to do in some colder regions, and even in other ones when the weather is changing, as if winter starts later than it used to.

And as it is the Brighid’s Day, the goddess of hearth and family, you can also have lots of family time! Watch some movie under a warm blanket, gather at a fireplace, in the kitchen, cook together… The options are limitless.

Other things:

Cleansing simmer pot

Sunflower crochet tutorial

Flower bookmark crochet

Spotify playlist

Youtube playlist

Imbolc tarot spread

recipes

Imbolc ritual cake

Recipes to celebrate Imbolc

Bannock

Baked custard

Honey butter

Honey cookies

  Correspondences

Incense: rosemary, frankincense, myrrh, cinnamon, peppermint, basil, jasmin, wisteria, apricot Herbs: angelica, basil, myrrh, willow, yellow flowers, bay Decorations: corn dolly, besom, candles, Brighid’s cross Colors: white, orange, red, green, brown, pale yellow Foods: dried fruits, grains, bread, cheese (any milkproducts really), nuts, eggs, seeds (like sunflower seeds), spicy foods, honey Stones: ruby, onyx, turquoise, garnet, bloodstone, amethyst Other names: Imbolg (Gaelic), Oimelc (Saxon), Brighid’s Day Other celebrations: Candlemas (Christian), Lupercalia (Roman), Feast of Nut (Egyptian), Groundhog Day (numerous places in Europe and America) Misc: beginnings, change, fertility, seeds, cleaning, cleansing, family, inspiration, creativity

   Sources

Llewellyn’s Sabbat Essentials - Imbolc (Rituals, Recipes and Lore for Brigid’s Day) by Carl F. Neal (2015)

wiccaliving.com - imbolc

mabonhouse.co - history of imbolc

thornandclaw.com - imbolc

paganpages.org - imbolc correspondences

Imbolc by Willow Martine on P&W amino

Imbolc by Damilein on P&W amino

Thank you for reading! Consider hopping into the blog and into Library. This is only the second post, but it'll keep filling up. I'm also reblogging useful witchy or pagan info, so if you're interested, do follow 💜

[bywandandsword]

🧭🌞🔥

🧭 - What led you to your practice?

It's a long story, so here's a much abridged version. I used to be Catholic and made it all the way through Confirmation, during which I took the name Brigid, because her stories just resonated with me for some reason. But when I was a junior in high school, I was trying desperately to feel represented as an afab person in my religion while at the same time delving heavily into witchcraft, which led be briefly to a sort of Catholic-Wicca syncretism, then just Wicca for a few months, then when I realized Wicca didn't make any gd sense to me, I switched over to polytheism proper. Some advice I found initially when I started looking was to look into the gods of your ancestors, so I started looking into Irish gods and Celtic Recon and I've been here ever since. For a few years I was syncretic with Norse Polytheism, but it feels like that chapter in my life is closed. Right now I'm focused on the Gaelic gods, but I also worship/work with local land spirits, Hades, Brythonic spirits, and will occasionally throw a petition to a saint on behalf of one of my Catholic family members

🌞 - Which deity(ies) are you closest to/do you worship the most often?

I'm devoted to Brighid 🥰🥰🥰 You'll note that I took her name even before I was pagan, so I like to think I've been her creature since the beginning

The second deity (I'm using that term because 'spirit' doesn't feel right) I devote a ton of mental space to is the Mississippi River. I tend to think of river spirits in terms of goddesses, just cause that's how they're normally depicted in the Celtic mythologies, and I haven't gotten the vibe that she objects with those terms. However, because I'm no where near the Mississippi River or her tributaries atm, I can't really work with her? It doesn't feel right, because my experience of her is so localized to back home. But in the spring when I can be outside for extended periods without turning into a popsicle, I'm going to start trying to develop a relationship with the Penobscot River in earnest. I cross her every day on the way to school. She has a lovely energy

The other deities I regularly devote space to are the Morrigan and Hades. They both got my attention during periods in my life related to death. They're not particularly vocal or active, but the crows make it clear they're still around

🔥 - Do you have a favorite myth or tale from your pantheon or others?

There's a few and I can't chose just one

The Tale of Oisín (Gaelic)

The Curse of Macha (Gaelic)

The Meeting and Marriage of Rhiannon and Pwyll (Welsh)

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Arthurian)

Raven Steals Fire (Tlingit)

The Tale of Wind Horse (Choctaw)

[murdermeadow]

okok so. I've been cooking up something for A While, but it's taken quite a long time to figure out and steep BUT I'VE FINALLY DONE IT! so now I get to share it all with you :]

to preface: this is all hc! just me spitballing with ideas I personally enjoy, don't feel like you've gotta agree with me

so. I think about the crew's lives pre Aionios pretty often, and I think the person who most perplexes me is Taion - of course, he's the only one without clear ties to any previous characters or other existing characters in story! but I kept thinking about him and Nimue, and how they had that sort of sibling relationship to me. I already had another hc that Nimue was Mòrag and Brighid's eldest daughter, with Sena having come around later! naturally, I combined that with her connection to Taion to get him having been an adopted sibling to the two. it's cute! it's heartwarming! but there was always my other, more pressing question... how on Alrest did Taion become a blade-eater when he was only a child? this is what really stumped me for awhile, but this is what I cooked up.

so. Taion and his family were moving away from the lower parts of the Mor Ardainian titan, thinking it would be better to now live in the capital. Taion suggested their route - he had already scoped ahead, of course. unfortunately, what he didn't know is that the land they were going to cross over was taken and guarded by a very territorial village of criminals hiding from the law. so the minute they got caught, well... things turned out for the worst. his parents were killed, and he nearly was too, having been left for dead. Thankfully, Nimue had found them while out on one of her own personal adventures to get a lay of the land (gotta know your territory if you're gonna be such a central royal figure!). using the technology she had learned from Pandoria and Zeke whenever they had visited, she implanted part of her core crystal into where the boy was shot, saving his life. she rescued him and took him back to the castle, where the rest of the Ladair family took him in with open arms (and if not, well, Nimue was already rapidly becoming quite protective of him). she soon became his older sister figure, and Sena as his other adopted sister. he met Mio through the Ladair connections as well, n the rest is history :3 (not really history but y'know, they become besties, and probably go on a quest to find their missing soulmates)

ya !! that's it !! I think it's so much fun to think about their lives outside of Aionios, and this'll definitely help me in my path to eventually write a few scenes from it :]

and now, some Nimue stuff as well

[historia-vitae-magistras]

Are there any photos or paintings that inspire or either that you have personally seen just looking at that make you go "Wait a minute, This is exactly like what I wrote/will write"?

Zee reading a letter from a friend's mother after she died in childbirth. I like the way she's kind of isolated despite being at the family breakfast table because that's... very symbolic of what her dual identity, sex and general gender presentation do in her life sometimes.

Matt and Katya at the 1919 Canadian premier of the Carol of the Bells. Off screen there is a Ukrainian choir on tour and an orchestra playing. They're both so tired. Katya in a new dress, her hair in her crown braids her forlorn hope clearly on her face with this Canadian display of her culture, a vision of what she hopes is an independent future. She has about 6 months of hope she might end up an independent democracy. Matt standing because they only purchased one seat between them, his arms crossed and his curls cropped short from soldiering and his arms because he doesn't quite remember what it is to be a man listening to something beautiful with the woman he loves, if only for a moment before she reaches for his hand and squeezes it, even if her eyes never leave the stage.

Alfred interrupting Brighid and Romano's post war reunion make out in 1920 something NYC and getting this look. Brighid trying not to make horny noises in public, Romano really glaring like 'You really couldn't wait another 15 seconds? We're trying to spark another torrid love affair over here.'