#free love spells for a specific person

[espithewarlock]

Sorry if this is too personal, but are you from NA? Because I'm in the middle of Take Me With You and so far everything feels just super americanised. Is this intentional or just something that slipped in?

Hello!! Yes, I am US-American! And, as a result of being US-American, all of my fics tend to be unintentionally Americanized. Sorry!! (Not something I can really help because everyone writes with their own bias so???)

[ellecdc]

okay so I just wanted to start by saying I love you're moonwater stories so much.

Ive been thinking about this like paring ig for a bit and your recent moonwater story when r gets home from girls night just made me think of it more so if you're interested id love for you to do it.

Basically its like poly moonwater plus Barty ive been calling it moonwaterkiller in my head (idk if its already a ship or already has a name but I haven't been able to find anything) but basically I feel like r and Barty would be like a chaotic duo and reg and rem would just be like wtf a lot idk... I just think it has some potential and I just love your writing so fucking much.

(I also just love how you write Barty)

so if you're interested I think it would be cool

much love :)

I love the way your mind works babes. thanks for your request! (it's almost two am where I am so please forgive any awkward sentences or spelling mistakes). also, if I didn't completely lose everyone with my DeathStar fics - this may very well do it. && this was written with the help of our fabulous @unstablereader

poly!moonwater x chaotic fem!reader + Barty Crouch Junior

Regulus didn’t know whether to be concerned or slightly aroused at the slightly deranged way that Remus was stalking the halls in search of you and Barty. 

You and Regulus had both at one point or another been in a friends-with-benefits situation with Barty (albeit separately) during your time in school, before you and Regulus went and fell in love with a Gryffindor. 

Regulus still wasn’t quite over the humiliation; both of falling in love and falling in love with a Gryffindor.

Of course, you and Regulus both stayed friends with Barty; Regulus mostly because he couldn’t shake him (ignoring the fact that Regulus really was quite fond of his maniacal friend), and you because the two of you really were sort of two sides of the same hyperactive galleon. 

And though Remus (and sometimes Regulus) liked to pretend that yours and Barty’s friendship caused them grief, they couldn’t deny how much they valued Barty’s loyalty and devotion to his friends; specifically you. 

Regulus’ new favourite thing was easily Remus’ new found appreciation for Barty. 

Up until this point, Barty had been his notoriously flirty and salacious self when it came to the likes of Remus, who wasn’t yet accustomed to Barty’s unique…personality.

However, once Remus realised the history between his two partners and the other Slytherin boy, he quickly came to appreciate the kind of pull Barty could have on people.

So, Remus had started flirting back.

Barty hated it.

Regulus loved it.

You started keeping track of the number of times Remus reduced Barty to a blushing and stuttering mess in your notebook. 

Barty hated that too.

It was nearing curfew and Remus and Regulus hadn’t seen you all afternoon. 

Usually that was fine, considering you were a bit of a free spirit. What was concerning, however, was that they hadn’t seen Barty either.

Regulus watched as Remus checked the stupid map that his brother and their friends had created when his brows furrowed in confusion.

“What? Don’t tell me they’re in the middle of the Black Lake again?” Regulus asked quickly, moving to stand over Remus’ shoulder to peer at the map.

“Again?”

“Don’t ask.” Regulus muttered.

“But…doesn’t Barty not know how to swim?”

“I said don’t ask.”

Seeming to know better, Remus turned back and pointed towards the Ravenclaw common room on the map. “It says they’re up in Ravenclaw tower?”

“For fuck’s sake.” Regulus muttered, dragging a hand over his face.

“How’d two Slytherin’s manage to get into Ravenclaw tower?” Remus asked bemusedly, earning him an unimpressed glare from Regulus. 

“Remus, I love you, but that was perhaps the dumbest question you’ve ever asked me.”

Remus rolled his eyes as he closed the map and tucked it back into his trunk.

“Come on, we might be able to catch up to Pandora on her way up and have her help us in.” 

They had indeed caught up to Pandora, and Pandora had indeed helped them in, though it seemed to be for naught. 

“I thought your stupid map said they were here.” Regulus muttered as he surveyed the common room, unable to spot a single lick of green and silver.

“It’s not stupid and they are in here.” Remus muttered back, moving to stand in the dead centre of the room. 

“How do you know they’re here if you can’t see them?”

Remus glared at Regulus before looking around to ensure no one could hear them. “I can smell them.” He whispered.

Well Regulus just didn’t know what good these wolfy senses were if they were still out two Slytherin’s. 

“Shit.” Regulus heard whispered suddenly as a quill fell from the air and landed beside his foot.

Remus and Regulus both looked up to see you and Barty casually lounging in the chandelier above them.

“Are you sodding kidding me!?” Regulus shouted.

“I think our cover’s been blown.” You said simply to Barty as if you didn’t have two fuming and fretting boyfriends standing nearly forty feet give or take below you.

“Pity.” Barty responded as he peered down. “This was a nice refuge.”

“How’d you even get up there?” Remus cried, pacing like he was getting ready to catch you should you fall.

“Magic.” Barty taunted from above.

“Junior, so help me gods if that witch falls I-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Lupin. I resent the insinuation that I would ever let anything happen to our sweet angel baby.” Barty bit back immediately.

“Okay, okay. Fair enough.” Remus acquiesced as if he were negotiating a hostage situation. “Why don’t you both just come down here, nice and slow, okay?”

Both you and Barty leaned forward to look down at the two boys, causing the chandelier to swing precariously.

“Fucking hells! Stop moving!” Remus shrieked, causing the attention of the few Ravenclaws sitting in the common room to look over.

“Such a worrier.” Barty muttered as he stood and started manoeuvring himself to the edge of the chandelier - you following him over and causing the chandelier to tip to a nearly 90 degree angle. 

“I’m going to be sick, I’m actually going to throw up right here.” Regulus muttered mostly to himself whilst Remus tried to stand directly underneath you lest you need to be caught. 

To Remus and Regulus�� absolute horror, Barty launched himself away from the chandelier, grabbing at the billowy banners hanging from the ceiling causing the chandelier to swing away from him like a pendulum. 

“JUNIOR!” Remus shouted, causing Barty to momentarily look shamefaced as he looked below him. 

As the chandelier swung towards the opposite wall, you too launched yourself at one of the billowy banners hanging from the ceiling and began monkey climbing down them.

“Can you make sure she doesn’t fall, please.” Remus barked at Regulus as he made his way towards Barty.

Barty let out a high pitched screech and began hastily making his way down the wall. “Run Treasure! Save yourself!” He shouted dramatically.

You turned quickly at that and saw Regulus making his way to you.

You let out a surprised squeak and hurried down, and before Regulus realised what you were doing, you had used your wand to open one of the windows and were shimmying out.

“Oi! What the-” but before Regulus could even shove his torso out the window, you’d managed to shift into your animagus form - a mink, which Regulus felt was very fitting considering what a sodding cheeky minx you were being right now - and began scaling your way down the side of the building.

Regulus was interrupted by the sound of a squeal - Remus’ squeal - and turned to see Remus hanging halfway out of the window in much the same fashion that Regulus had been.

Unlike Regulus, however, Remus had been successful in his capture of Barty and had him hanging from the tallest tower at Hogwarts by one of his arms.

“Junior! Are you trying to sodding kill me!?” Remus barked angrily at him, trying to pull Barty up without any help from Barty himself.

Barty looked up at Remus with all the innocence he could muster (read: none) and winked. 

“Catch me if you can, Mr. Wolf.”

And Barty shrunk into his own animagus form - an osprey - and let out a cry before swooping down to pick up something that looked suspiciously like a mink from the eaves of one of the lower towers and took off towards the grounds. 

“Fucking son of a bitch.” Remus cursed as he tried catching his breath, still sitting half out of the Ravenclaw window. “Why do we put up with those two?”

Regulus shrugged with all the nonchalance he could muster. “‘Cause they’re cute?”

Remus sighed and hit his head against the windowsill. “They’re so sodding lucky that they are…”

“Come on.” Regulus said, offering Remus a hand and helping him out of the window. “Unfortunately, I know exactly where they went.”

Barty loved nothing more than the feeling of his feet sinking into the sediment of the Black Lake below his feet. He also loved the feeling of being near you, his Treasure. He also loved the idea of two handsome men frantically searching for you, and him by proxy.

All this to say, Barty was having a really nice night.

“Junior!”

Barty’s face morphed into a Cheshire cat grin as he turned towards the voice of the man and his boyfriend as they stormed towards the waters edge.

“Well hello, Lupin. How nice of you to join us; care for a dip?”

“Get out of the water.” Regulus drawled in a bored tone.

“Why would I do such a thing? The water’s lovely, I’m in wonderful company, and we’re going to feed the Giant Squid.” He argued.

“Barty.” Remus barked with all the severity he could manage. “You don’t know how to swim.”

Barty scoffed indignantly. “Yeah, well…neither can Reggie!”

“That’s why I’m standing on the shore you absolute bell-end.” Regulus countered quickly.

Remus turned his furious gaze into a bemused one as he took in Regulus. “Do you really not know how to swim either?”

“None of us can!” You shouted from your disturbingly deeper place within the lake as the gentle waves nearly lapped against your skirt.

“Oh, for the love of- you know what? This summer, everyone’s getting swimming lessons.” Remus proclaimed.

“Ou, does that mean I get to see you in your swim trunks, Lupin?” Barty called.

Remus, without missing a beat, started towards Barty, walking into the lake in his shoes and all. “You could see me right now, in less, for free, Junior. You only had to ask.”

Barty let out a screech and tried running towards you, albeit in slow motion on account of the water’s resistance. “Y/N! Treasure! Help! Make him stop!”

“No can do, bubs.” You called back in monotone, still throwing chunks of bread towards the middle of the Lake in hopes of eliciting the company of one Giant Squid. 

“Dove, you’re going to catch a cold; get out of the water.” Remus called to you, pants soaked up to his knees after giving up on chasing Barty in the water.

“We’re trying to make friends!” You whined.

“You cannot make friends with a squid, amour. He will eat you.” Regulus explained from the shore. 

“He wouldn’t eat his friend.” You scoffed. 

“Dove.” Remus barked again.

“I want to see the the big water kitty!” You whined again, turning towards the boys and offering the most pathetic pout you could muster.

Regulus scoffed from his place, still dry on the shore, Remus let out a pained sigh, and Barty all but skipped towards you. 

“A valiant death it will be!” He cheered before he felt the fabric of his jumper being summoned by an accio, dragging him unceremoniously through the water towards Remus.

“No! Ah! AH! STRANGER DANGER. STRANGER DANGER!” He shrieked as Remus threw him over his shoulder.

“Okay, well, now you’re just showing off, Lupin.” He muttered, crossing his arm petulantly as Remus held his free hand out to you.

“Dove, please? Come inside with me?”

You looked distressed at this and moved obediently towards Remus. “Are you mad at me?” You asked timidly.

Barty could actually feel Remus’ body soften beneath him as he allowed some of his tension to dissipate. “Of course not, dovey. I love you.”

You leaned over and pecked a kiss to the corner of his mouth before turning into your animagus mink and swimming to the shore, crawling up Regulus’ pant leg (who admonished you in faux contempt for ruining his trousers), and allowed him to carry you back to the castle. 

Barty was feeling petulant about the whole matter of being chased and chastised so decided then that he was going to force Remus to carry him all the way back to the castle in silence.

Unfortunately for Barty, he hated silence.

He was at least proud he’d made it to the dungeons before giving up on his vow of silence.

“You’re really not upset with her?” Barty asked quietly from his current prison. He could feel Remus’ head tilt in confusion, though his steps never faltered.

“Of course not?” He responded as a question.

“Hmmm.” Barty said, racking his brain for something to upset or fluster this man.

“Oh! What about me having slept with both your boyfriend and your girlfriend?”

“What about it?” Remus asked plainly. 

“Well…aren’t you upset about that?”

Remus scoffed and adjusted his grip on Barty, hand’s migrating none too innocently up the back of his thighs. “Junior. The only thing I’m upset about is that you haven’t slept with all three of us. I don’t like feeling left out, you know?”

Barty made a strangled sound as he struggled in Remus’ grip to no avail, causing you and Regulus to chuckle from a few strides ahead as you all stepped into the Slytherin common room.

“We told you he was smooth, Barty.” You chuckled.

“You should hear him in bed.” Regulus taunted, reaching over to pinch Barty’s arse, causing him to yelp and start cursing at him.

Remus relented and put Barty down, who immediately made for Regulus’ throat.

“Easy, Junior.” Remus chuckled, pulling him back by the shoulder. “You wanna keep Reg around, don’t you?”

Barty harrumphed and crossed his arms indignantly.

“We’d like to keep you around.” Remus continued.

Barty grumbled again and let out a quiet. “Fine.”

Remus beamed at him, which was very alarming if you asked Barty, as they stepped into his and Regulus’ shared dorm; Rosier and Avery were already asleep in their beds with their curtains drawn.

“Yeah? You’ll let us keep you?” Remus asked.

“I said fine, Lupin.” He bit back.

“Great. So we’re in a relationship then.” He explained simply, causing Barty to level him with a severe glare. “How dare you, Lupin. Never say such vile things to me again.” He spat before storming towards the boy’s bathroom.

Regulus groaned and grabbed his own toiletries before making his way to the washroom behind him. “I’ll go make sure he doesn’t try to drown himself in the shower again.”

Remus shook his head and changed into his pyjamas before climbing into Regulus’ bed and pulling you towards him.

“So, explain this to me, Dove. Why is Barty the way he is?”

You snorted a laugh and turned to face him. “You’re going to have to be way more specific, love.”

Remus chuckled and ran his hands up and down your back. “He likes Reg. He loves you. He seems sweet on me. We invite him to be ours and he accepts - but runs when we make it mean something?”

You smiled up at your boyfriend and booped his nose with a perfectly manicured finger - which Remus found very confusing considering you spend your spare time scaling the rafters of grand ceilings and enticing Giant Squids from their hiding places. “Barty doesn’t understand, Rem. He wouldn’t know love if it punched him right in the face.”

Remus could feel his brows furrow and he pulled you in tighter to his chest. “Dove…love doesn’t punch you in the face?”

Apparently that had been the wrong thing to say as you rolled your eyes in exasperation and threw your head back onto the pillow. “You see? That’s the kind of thing someone who grew up loved would know.”

It’s not that Remus ever really forgot to worry about you per se, but he sometimes really worried about you Purebloods. 

At some point in the night, you had apparently decided Remus and Regulus’ bed was too hot and moved to Barty’s. Remus would have been slightly more petulant about the matter if he hadn’t thought you looked absolutely precious with Barty resting his head on your chest.

He looked so innocent in his sleep.

Sleep clearly didn’t know him very well.

Remus was shocked when the four of you entered the Great Hall for breakfast and Barty actually followed you three to the Gryffindor table. Though Remus was trying to play it cool, he couldn’t help but feel a flutter of hope surge within him at what that might mean for the three four of you.

Remus was just about to bite into his toast when a sultry voice sounded from behind Barty.

“Hello, Bartemus.” Amelia Bones sing-songed as she trailed a finger up Barty’s arm.

His brows furrowed almost comically from above the rim of his coffee cup before he slowly lowered it and turned to consider the Hufflepuff.

“Bones. Can I help you?” He asked, punctuating the word help as he plucked her fingers from his being between his two fingers as if he’d found something really quite disgusting on his person.

“I was thinking, you could help me, perhaps tonight?”

Barty turned to look at her incredulously.

“Help with what, Amelia? I’m really quite busy.” He spat, gesturing wildly to his cup of coffee. 

“An orgasm or two? Gods, you’re pissy in the mornings.”

Barty scoffed, sounding completely scandalised as he clutched at non-existent pearls adorning his neck. “I am sitting here with my beloveds, Amelia. For shame. You see this lot? I’m theirs, capiche?” 

Amelia looked bemusedly at the group of you before shaking her head in confusion. “Whatever you say, Junior.”

She moseyed on away, and Barty turned back towards his cup of coffee. “The gall of some people, honestly.” He said in exasperation, downing the rest of his still hot coffee and standing unceremoniously.

“Well, I best be off. Things to fuck up, people to scare. Tah-tah.” He called, pressing a quick kiss to your hair as he left the Great Hall.

Suddenly, realisation dawned on Remus.

“Ah, I see. So no to a relationship, but he is ours.”

You and Regulus chorused a hum of acknowledgement. 

“That’s just how Barty operates. You’ll get used to it.” You explained, still not looking up from the Daily Prophet you had been reading all this time.

Remus didn’t mind getting used to that; not if it meant he managed to get everything he wanted.

[shadysadie]

I love that Raine got to be part of the final battle.

With as many people as Belos hurt, pretty much all the characters deserved to be there to help deliver the final blow (or final *stompstompstomp*) but short of doing a giant Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood style showdown in the middle of the castle (which would not suit this show like it did FMAB) there was just no way that everyone who deserved to see Belos destroyed was going to get that satisfaction. 

I really love that the one extra person that got to join the Owl Family for this was Raine. 

Because Raine has given absolutely everything to the revolution. Idle Scree has a fantastic video on the subject, but to sum it up, Raine went into the bard coven with the explicit goal of working their way up through the ranks and uncovering the truth behind Belos’ plans. It has taken them decades of espionage to get where they are. They cut themself off from all of their relationships, crossed moral boundaries, and even asked the woman they love to give up her life in order to take Belos down. 

So when Belos takes control of them they fight back.

While Hunter’s possession is a lot more brutal, simply because Belos specifically wanted to make Hunter suffer as much as possible, while mocking Luz and friends, Raine’s struggle is almost harder to watch.

They’re getting tossed around, their arms are getting dislocated at the very least, they’ve vomiting Belos goop, but they are still fighting with everything they have to regain control because they did not spend their life trying to take Belos down just to end up his play thing. 

Hunter had to crush his best friend with his own hand in order to break free of Belos, Raine is fighting with indignation and fury alone.

And they keep fighting.

Even without their weapon, as soon as they have enough control to get their fingers to their mouth, they cast Belos out. And after that, they could have given up. They were free. They must have been exhausted, but they are clever, probably the most clever person on the Boiling Isles, so they realize exactly what’s going to happen and they can not let that happen.

The way they fall up the stairs here shows just how hurt and tired they are. Think of what their timeline has looked like from their perspective: the Day of Unity happened, they nearly died from the draining spell, they fought through excruciating pain to save Eda as what they thought was their final act, then the eclipse ends and they are still alive, but suddenly these evil stars are attacking them, then they spend months “sequestered in a darkness like onto death” only to be awoken and have their most hated enemy take over their body. 

And through all that THEY KEEP GOING.

And again, this fight is brutal, they are basically suffocating in Belos’s flesh towards the end, and they still don’t give up.

They shatter their weapon in one last ditch effort to stop Belos, but it doesn’t work.

They lost. They were a second too late and now everything they fought for is for nothing. Belos made it to the heart. He can take control of the very Titan itself, and there is nothing Raine can do to stop him.

But even then, they don’t give up. They keep whistling, even if it’s weak, even if it doesn’t do much, they whistle to keep themself alive, because they are going to keep fighting until their very last breath.

So after all of that, the fact that they get to be one of the people who actively take Belos down…well, I think they say it best for themself…

[billcyp-her]

Blog Guide

i'm going to pin this so all of my posts are here, in case you're looking for something specific :) {last updated 05/20/24}

beginner

I think I want to get into witchcraft, what do i do? - a guide for where to start research/practice

witchcraft tips for poor people - witchcraft tips that dont require money

my personal experience with Pyromancy/how i do pyromancy

witchcraft book recommendations

housekeeping in general - please make sure you're cleaning your house correctly

the core 5 basics document - banishing/warding etc...

low effort witchcraft - small things you can do without using a lot of energy

digital grimoire and associations -a good place to look if you ever need to figure out associations of things

learning to cook like a witch: the absolute beginning - kitchen witchcraft!!

beginner witch resource list - masterlist of a bunch of resources including podcasts and books

resources to help you fact check what you see/read/hear - make sure you know if you're being fed propaganda

how to incorporate spirituality into daily life

the thing about dreams (not a guide) - commentary/info post about dreams

witchcraft tools - common tools used in witchcraft

associating demons as negative spirits (not a guide, just some commentary)

coffee in witchcraft - how to incorporate coffee into magic

little bits of herbal magic - how to use herbs/plants in magic

what witchcraft wont do (informative)

commentary on gut feelings

use things you already own for witchcraft

brief explanation on elements (images)

witchy self care and mindfulness (images)

a short guide to pyromancy

plants and their correspondences masterlist

The structure of pagan prayer

Ways to connect with Gods without an atlar

Subtle deity worship master list

Sköll and Hati

Consumerism and witchcraft

intermediate

spirit work basics

basic spirit contact etiquette

working in graveyards and graveyard etiquette

dark moon protective barrier

correspondences for death

want help making spells?

all about Baphomet

The magical girl guide to faerie witchcraft

Deity interactions

not witchcraft but still worth the read

not everything is a sign

love war and disability (Hephaestus, Ares, and Aphrodite)

joan of arc is trans history

hating Nazis vs loving Jewish people

how to stream media for free (guide)

PSA about the R slur

why we don't like it when children hit us back

purity culture and sex

The seven deadly sins are christian bs

You don't have to worship deities to interact with them

Don't cry, much love

_______________________________

i will keep updating this as a post/reblog more things.

[moutainrusing]

wildfire

492 words, @wolfstarmicrofic

“I am officially a wildfire,” Sirius declared, flopping backward onto his mattress.

“Sorry?” James squinted at him in confusion.

Sirius sighed, “Y’know how wildfires are caused by long periods of dry weather?”

“Yeah…?”

“Well, I myself have been experiencing a dry spell.”

“Like, you cast a bad drying charm on yourself?”

“No, Prongs,” Sirius rolled his eyes. “I mean, I haven’t shagged in quite a bit, and now I’m kinda… sexually frustrated. Like a wildfire.”

“Ohhh, so shag someone. Problem solved.”

“Y’know, there’s a reason I haven’t shagged in a while. I just don’t want to.”

James frowned, “But now you’re sexually frustrated, so clearly you do.”

Sirius waved a dismissive hand at him, “No, I…” He tried to gesticulate with his hands; explain that he no longer found anyone attractive, because for some reason, he was fixated on one person, one specific person, whom he couldn’t shag even if he wanted to. He tried to explain how that person’s smile outshone everyone else’s until it was the only thing he could see, the only thing he wanted to see. All he wanted was to make that person smile, not shag a bunch of pathetic losers who paled in comparison.

James’s eyes widened to the same shape of the ‘o’ his mouth had formed. “You’re in love with Moony.”

“What— When did I— How did you— What?!”

James threw his hands up, “You literally just told me.” He proceeded to demonstrate with his hands, in a similar fashion to Sirius, imitating his voice in a high-pitched squeal, “This is how tall Moony is and oh Merlin, isn’t he just so bloody hot up there, I want him to lift me by my collar and snog me.”

While Sirius gaped at him, James gestured to his eyes and teased, “If Moony’s eyes were the last things I saw, I’d die happy,” then James mimed opening a book and wheezed, “I want Moony to open me up like he opens his books— Pads, why did you have to tell me that?!”

Sirius grinned. “Well, I’m sorry, I guess the truth hurts.”

“Bloody. Hell. Just shag Moony then!”

“I can’t!”

“Look, this can go two ways. You confess, he reciprocates, and he can shag your dry spell away. Or you confess, he rejects you, and you’re free to shag someone else!”

“But I don’t want him to reject me!”

“He won’t.”

Sirius gave him a flat look.

James sighed, “And if he does, it’ll be easier for you to move on. So confess.”

“Okay.”

“I don’t see you going to confess.”

“I’m going, I’m going,” Sirius raised his hands and backed out of their dormitory, down the stairs to the common room.

“Moony,” he said to Remus’s back. “I’m… a wildfire.”

“FIRE?! WHERE?!” Instinctively, Remus leapt up and spun around, casting a jet of water out of his wand, drenching Sirius.

Then he hastily began apologising, while Sirius laughed, “Wow. I really do love you.”

[isuckmorethanjustblood]

witchcraft / deity work on a budget

if you, like me, don't have a lot of money but still want to practise witch craft / give offerings to your deities, here's some general tips on how you can do all that on a budget:

you don't need to burn a whole stick of incense or a whole spell candle at once. in fact, if you light a candle or incense with a specific intent and then burn it over the course of a couple of days, it might actually be more effective. unless you're using it to banish / get rid of something, then it might be better to burn it all in one go.

on that note, you don't need fancy spell candles, a tea light with a sigil carved into it can be enough

if you want to give food offerings but can't afford to waste / not eat food, you can just invite your deity to sit with you as you eat or you can put certain ingredients associated with your deity into your food, like for example wine for dionysus. or you can give them a small crumb of your food or a small sip of your drink to symbolise a whole meal. a lot of deities will also accept simple things like water or olive oil as offerings.

also: offerings don't need to be physical, you can perform certain actions in your deities name, just look up devotional acts for your deity, there's tons of useful stuff out there.

doing creative things like writing your own prayers or making devotional art is actually probably better than most physical offerings, since you put a lot of effort and time into it and its something personal to you. it doesn't even need to be good, you just need to put love and effort into it. this is especially good for deities who rule over the arts.

if you can't buy a whole tarot deck, theres lots of free online versions you can use, or you can use a simple deck of playing cards as a substitute.

anything you find outside can be magical, you don't need to buy any spell ingredients.

feel free to add onto this if you have more tips!!!

[imsosleepyofyourbull]

This is an impulsive draft of a scene I thought up based on @orange-artist‘s Time Travel AU of the Kamaboko Squad… if you read this, know that I love your art and that I genuinely can’t stop thinking about it. Please enjoy the hyper-fixation soup of words that I call my unedited writing!

“Kanata and Kiriya,” Kagaya gasped, his usually gentle and composed features overrun with surprise as he desperately hoped he had not misheard them. “How… how many of the children did you say survived this year’s Final Selection?”

“Of the thirty-three test takers, thirty-three have passed and will continue to serve the Demon Slayer Corps,” Kanata replied dutifully.

“Of those thirty-three,” Kiriya continued after, already anticipating their father’s next question. “Five were noted to be especially skilled.”

“The independent swordsman who developed his own breathing style, Hashibira Inosuke.”

“The independent swordsman who does not use a breathing style, Shinazugawa Genya.”

“The youngest student of the retired Rumbling Pillar Kuwajima Jigoro, Agatsuma Zenitsu.”

“The newest student of the retired Water Pillar Urokodaki Sakonji, Kamado Tanjiro.”

“And the only student of the current Insect Pillar Kocho Shinobu, Tsuyuri Kanao.”

Kiriya gave their father a moment to commit the different names to memory before concluding, “the remaining twenty-eight state one or more of these five had saved their lives at least once and stayed close by until they were healthy enough to survive the rest of the week. We saw each of them waiting at the edge of the forest for the rest of the stragglers before passing themselves. Additionally, the Kasugai Crows we sent on a final expedition of the forest afterward reported that only one or two of the demons were left alive.”

Kagaya had believed the Miracle Selection to be a once in a lifetime phenomena — marked by a lonely gravestone in their strange family’s shared cemetery and the memory of a peach colored fox wielding violent waters in defense of its peers.

Unimaginable, and unrepeatable.

He was right, but only because this Miracle Selection was nothing like the first. This one was intentional and decisive and everything that his family made of blood, bone, and steel had been waiting for. The beginning, or perhaps just the first visible omen, of a change in the very course of the world that Kagaya had been unable to foresee until it had already happened. Was it any coincidence that there were thirty-three survivors specifically? That, of those thirty-three, five of them in particular had saved the rest?

The Ubuyashiki were superstitious by nature; marrying their heirs to the daughters of priests and teaching their children to create rings of salt around their beds when they wanted some extra protection at night. The importance of the numbers three and five were not lost on him. With the three sacred treasures and the five directions (the five senses) marking their way, there was no question as to what he must do. Kanata and Kiriya know it too, or they would’ve sent a crow instead of making a personal report.

“Tell our most reliable kasugai to follow the five children you just mentioned,” he ordered Kanata, “they don’t have to be especially quiet… though I would appreciate it if they were undisruptive.”

He could not see her, but he knew that she gave him a solemn bow before turning to leave.

For Kiriya, “I need a missive to be sent to all of the currently active Pillars as well as the retired Rumbling and Water Pillars for a meeting at the northwestern estate three months from now.”

“Understood.”

The tide of change was fast approaching, and he knows that it will spell the end of this centuries long battle against the night. Kibutsuji Muzan will not live to see the next era — that, he promises.

(What he does not know just yet is that his chosen children have already sat on the horizon of a demon free world, and they know that they cannot afford to fail twice. Once was enough.)

[mysticheathenn]

What Are You Currently Manifesting?

Hi, Hexlings!

This pick-a-card reading is all about what you are manifesting in your life right now. I felt called to do this reading, hopefully, this reading gives you some sort of guidance and hope.

This is a general reading, remember to take what resonates and leave what does not. This reading does not supplement your need to seek professional help. Tarot should be used as entertainment and not a for sure answer to your problems but as a guide, a sense of hope, and amusement.

Take your time when choosing your pile. Ask yourself the question and choose the picture that you can’t stop looking at. Listen to your intuition.

MasterList

Patreon Link

Ko-Fi Donations

Pile l:

What are you currently manifesting? Tarot: 5 of Pentacles (reversed), 6 of Swords, Page of Pentacles, 2 of Cups, 6 of Cups, The Hermit.

You are currently manifesting releasing the old and bringing in new energy, specifically relationships and possible friendships but with the 2 of cups..this reading feels more about romance. This pile may be used to attracting the wrong kinds of people who want to do nothing but use and waste your time and you have reached the stage in your life where you are tired of this kind of energy constantly reappearing in your life. You are wanting new energy. The song Angel Numbers by Chris Brown is playing in my head on repeat "Healing energy on me, Baby, all I really need's one thing, Healing energy on me." You are looking for a healing connection that will help you in replacing your current feelings and past memories about love or for some of you people in general. You want nothing but love and light coming in towards you and if it isn't that you don't want it. You have finally seen the light that you are deserving of a good love, a healing love that will help you grow as a person and mend your heart. Currently, you may be in isolation or have been thinking about going into isolation. I think this is the best option for you right now pile l. Going into isolation will help ground you in a sense of knowing exactly what you want in your next relationship and not settling for less no matter what. Some of you may currently either be celibate or thinking about celibacy.

Extra Messages: Sacred Destiny Oracle: Openness, Purity, Solitude, Enlightenment, Going Forward, Focus.

I love it when Spirit highly aligns the reading with oracle cards. Seeing the purity card as well as focus, and solitude confirms my message. Some of you are thinking of going celibate if not if you decide to do so it will bring more focus, clarity, and discernment in your life regarding how you treat yourself and what you will allow from others. With the openness and going forward card you are moving forward on this new journey and there is no going back. Be open to the experience that this new solitude will bring you. When you feel alone or lonely speak to your guides and remember why you are going through this period of your life right now.

Pile ll:

What are you currently manifesting? Tarot 3 of Wands, 6 of Wands, 9 of Cups, The Star, Queen of Cups, The Chariot

A lot of wands and cup energy pile ll. Right now you are currently manifesting showing up as your highest self. If not your highest self you want to show up as your best self where you are thriving, succeeding, receiving recognition, and living an abundant life. I feel that some of you have been in your masculine energy for so long that you are dying to walk in your feminine energy where you are receiving amazing blessings, awards, money, and just everything you have been crying, praying, and doing spells for. Weirdly enough Part of Your World by the Little Mermaid is playing in my head. It's the part where she sings.

"Up where they walk, up where they run Up where they stay all day in the sun Wanderin' free, wish I could be Part of that world"

You want to experience life the way others you have been following on your social media page are living. Some of you might want to be content creators, wanting to work from home where you can travel and work from anywhere, or even just being a stay-at-home girlfriend/boyfriend or parent. Either way, you want to bring in this happiness, luxury, abundant lifestyle for yourself.

Extra Messages: Energy Oracle Cards: Angel of Strength, Man Holding a Heart, Door to Romance, Adjacent Possibilities, Cornucopia, Fourth Chakra - Archangel Raphael.

Seeing the Man holding the heart and Door to romance confirms that some of you want to be a spoiled girlfriend/boyfriend or just a stay-at-home parent. For others of you, this is just confirmation that love is coming in for you in general. With the Cornucopia card and adjacent possibilities, it's just saying that you have many ways that you will be abundant in your life and it won't be just financially. It can be abundant of people who care and love you, abundant of food, money, travel, and job opportunities. Whatever it is you want more of, you got it.

Pile lll:

What are you currently manifesting? Tarot: 9 of Cups, The Fool, King of Wands, Hang Man, The Wheel, 10 of Swords.

You are manifesting the end of your current story and walking into a new journey, direction, business opportunity, etc. Either way, you are wanting the cycle that has been repeating in your life for quite some time now to end so you can bring in happiness and passion to your life. Some of you may even feel that your life has been at a standstill where nothing is happening or maybe even live in a small town where you want more to your life and want to venture out into the unknown, don't worry your manifestations are being heard loud and clear for you to walk into this new path. Some of you may be looking for more passion or trying to find your passions in this current part of your life and you're wondering if any of this will lead to somewhere or at least be beneficial to your mental health. Your pile is a little shorter than the rest because your cards are straight to the chase of you wanting a new journey, story, etc in your life. Your old story is ending or whatever it is that you are wanting to end in your life and amazing things will begin to appear in your life. I also feel this reading is a bit short because there will be so many of you that resonate with this pile that spirit can't relay every single things because that would be bonkers.

Extra Messages: Energy Oracle Card: Man holding a coin, Man holding a heart, Door to Personal healing and happiness, Storm warning, Blossoming Abundance.

Definitely, someone new is coming in for you whether this is for business/career opportunities or romantic, someone new is coming in. But over all abundance, healing, and happiness are in this cards for you and all that you are manifesting. Storm Warning can go two ways for some of you, you have a bit of turbulence coming in to shack up your. life to bring in this new beginning and for others of you this is saying your storm is finally ending.

Pile lV:

What are you currently manifesting? Tarot: The Fool, Death, Justice, Page of Wands, Temperance, Awakening, 4 of Pentacles.

You may somewhat have been drawn to pile ll but not so much as this reading is all about you getting back to the self and not so much of already at the stage of showing up as your highest self. You want to get your life back on track with a schedule, better eating habits, doing rituals, or connecting with your spirituality or religion, either way, you are manifesting balance and going back to the basics. It's as if a lightbulb had switched on in your head randomly where you kept telling yourself something needs to change and you are starting with yourself and then changing things on the external front. Some of you may want to pamper yourself more or cut back on excessive spending. This kind of feels like an ego death for a lot of you where you lose yourself a bit in order to come back home to who you truly are. Living your life in accordance with what you need and want right now. Some of you are releasing the past and letting life handle your past woes and sorrows. You are now longer entertaining the pity me, people did me wrong mentality but excepting that life happens and sometimes people are dicks. Yeah, some of you are going through a spiritual awakening and ego death finding yourself again. You are probably figuring out now in your life what is it that you want from not only yourself, but from others, and what life has to offer you. This is going to be a long but rewarding journey for you pile lV. e prepared for the highs and lows that come along with coming back to the self, finding your highest self, or becoming your best version. Stick to it, develop discipline, and everything will work out. You will benefit so much from this, you won't even recognize who you are within a year.

Extra Messages: Going Forward, Protection, Solitude, Enlightenment, Flow, Simplicity, Taking Risks.

I'm starting to feel anxious, some of you may be feeling anxious about all of this because it's overwhelming and something new that you are trying to take and you are hoping for all the best to go well. Go with the flow and listen to your intuition. Don't second guess it, sit down and meditate or go for a walk out in nature to listen to what your gut and highest self is trying to relay to you on your next steps. You are being protected during this time of refuge and solitude. Do not worry about leading yourself down the wrong path, you are protected and will always find your way back to where you need to be and you are being led away from anything that can be harmful or misleading on your journey.

Thank you for liking and reblogging my readings. I always appreciate you guys on here and on Patreon.

Stay safe and be blessed

Next Reading: Romance Related (Patreon, may upload later today or sometime before Monday)

[sepublic]

            I love ragging on Belos but also DAMN he’s fiendishly clever. Like let’s analyze his ‘reunion’ with the Collector;

         Gets caught, Collector is suspicious and scared? Belos immediately calms him down by making the Collector feel in control over his own spell he openly doubted, pointing to the moon symbol on Raine’s forehead; Telling this kid not to worry about his most immediate question! And then Belos justifies the anomaly by playing along with the wishful fantasy rules of a kid who believes in the magic of friendship! Anything can happen, so no need to question any further, he flatters the child.

         Then there’s his next line, in which Belos warns the Collector that he’s in danger, which is incredibly vague and could mean anything; And in the couple of seconds it takes the Collector to react in derision, Belos figures out he needs to be more specific and how to elaborate on this, claiming someone is going to betray the Collector.

         Note that he never name-drops anyone on his own, because Belos doesn’t really know who’s around the Collector, other than Odalia. But just in case, he keeps it vague so the Collector can provide an answer for him, the first person he’d assume, and thus the one whose betrayal he fears the most: King!

         Belos latches onto that. He sees King isn’t here, so he asks where is he? Note he doesn’t give an answer, doesn’t make any claims because he doesn’t KNOW anything. Belos is trying to avoid saying something that can be contradicted later on, so he keeps it vague by throwing a very simple, ‘safe’ question that nevertheless makes the kid doubt.

         The Collector watches, is reassured, looks back to Belos to brag! Then he checks again, sees what King said, and looks away. The kid is concerned, but he’s not jumping to any conclusions, and you may think, oh! This is where he checks again, just to be sure.

         And that’s when Belos drops the bombshell; Luz is here. And as he so cleverly plans, this revelation shocks the Collector, distracting them from checking on King again to hear what he ACTUALLY meant. Because Belos doesn’t know for sure how genuine King is or not, but either way, the less this kid is actually in touch with the outside world, the easier it is for Belos to control the narrative and filter all information through himself. The kid has seen enough to doubt, no need for him to find out more and potentially clarify.

         Likewise, Belos has been manipulating this kid for hundreds of years; Like it or not, the Collector is the longest relationship he’s ever had in his life, by a long shot. He knows the kid’s psychology in and out, he knows exactly which buttons to press, and he guesses at how jealous the Collector can get. If he’s friends with King and holds him in high regard, then King has probably told him about Luz during the time they’ve been hanging out. 

        And that Collector is an insecure kid… So Belos creates an Us VS Them scenario, plays into the Collector’s worst fears of King replacing him for Luz (gee, it’s like Philip speaks these insecurities from experience). The fact that Belos himself contributed deeply to the Collector’s trust issues, and is now using them is just. Ugh.

         Now Luz is something Belos DOES know about, having inhabited Hunter, knowing she followed right behind him and does plan to change things, and herself doesn’t know any more than he does; If anything, she knows less! So Belos is a lot more free to make claims about Luz’s motives and goals here, because he actually knows them for the most part. Luz is something Belos can guarantee and thus reliably interpret for the Collector to support his claim.

        That creates an unpredictable element that unsettles the kid, pair that up with the ambiguity of what King said (never checked back on, due to Belos diverting the Collector’s attention) and you’ve got the perfect recipe to manipulate this child all over again… An empty sandbox the Collector can’t verify from which Belos can craft a new narrative with, and anytime something comes along that can be interpreted in its favor, like the ending of the episode? You betcha.

         God he’s so smart, so confident that you might not even notice at first how baseless Belos’ claims are. You’d understandably think he actually DID somehow know, and wasn’t just adapting and having good luck in guessing! Imagine society if Belos weaponized his autism for actual good.

[writers-potion]

Writing Weapons (6): Magical Weapons and Warfare

Material, Size and Shape

Solid, natural material like stone, wood or bone. The boen can be from a ritually sacrificed animal, a human ancestor/sacrifice, a hero or a saint, or a slain enemy.

Crystal or precious or semi-precious stone: good at storing and intensifying magical energy.

Elonged shape, like a wand or staff. May be disguised as an everyday elonged object like a pen or a walking stick.

Can be of any size, smaller objects often disguised as everyday objects; large, stationary magical items (like a statue) can be a landmark everyone knows about

A religious connection, like the weapon being sacred to a goddess, blessed in a temple, manufactured by monks, forged by a god, bestowed to the hero by a deity, etc.

Inherited through generations

It can only be given, not obtained via force or theft.

The manufacture of the weapon involves a ritual and a sacrifice.

How It Works

The use of a magical weapon is seldom purely physical - there must be a mental effect, like the user concentrating, casting a spell, or being born of a certain bloodline.

The damage incurred by a magical weapon may be invisible

Damage caused by a magical weapon may only be felt by the victim after a lag, when it's too late to seek help.

The weapon may affect the target's mind rather than the body (robbing the person of the will to live, love, or fight)

Many magical weapons are element-specific (like fire, water, air, etc.)

The weapon may be capable of hitting hidden targets

The user needs magic training (like directing energy, mental focus, power raising) to use the weapon. Otherwise, the magic of the weapon might kill him.

Charging and Cleansing

A magical weapon often needs to be magically fuelled ("charged") to be used.

This can be by a certain person, at a certain location, involving (religious) rituals, perhaps even involving sacrifices.

Sometimes, the weapon may be charged by leaving it lying in running water, or exposed to sunlight or the light of a full moon.

After use, the weapon may need to be cleansed. The ritual to cleanse the weapon can be equal to the ritual used to charge the weapon.

Fictional Complications

The weapon only works for a specific period after being charged.

The weapon only works in the hand of certain people - male virgin, post-menopausal crones, etc.

The weapon depends on the user's attitudes and beliefs. What if the weapon only works for someone who is free from fear, or has an unshakable faith in the fact that the Earth is flat?

The weapon only works if the user know the true name of the victim

The weapon only works if the user is in a state of altered consciousness - they cannot be waken up.

It takes time for the user to wake the weapon up and direct herwill at the desired outcome.

Magic requires extreme concentration, which can be difficult to get in the middle of a raging battle.

The weapon ay work only in the presence of a certain element (water, airm eath, fire)

How to Defeat a Magician

For the magician, the primary weapon is his mind, and the ability to concentrate in order to channel his/her powers to the target.

If your MC is a magician, show how he recites his spells (so that he'll be able to cast them correctly under stress) and undergoes mental strength exercises.

The best time to attack a magician would be right after she finishes casting a difficult spell and suffering the aftermaths (momentary lack of power, mental sluggishness, etc.)

Magic in Warfare

There may be a single magician serving as an advisor to the commander-in-chief, or each legion might have their own magician, with different specializations.

There may be specialized magician units, like engineering or medical units. Groups of magician-soldiers are also plausible.

Magicians can fill the role of consultants, astrologers, prophets, psychologists and priests. They determine an auspicious date for battle, bless the banners and all for the favor of the gods.

Magicians can create protective spells which deflect bullets, arrows and sword blows. They may even invent a device that places shields on the wearer.

Protection or healing spells may take time to carry out, which means only the elite or the most valued soldiers will be given the previllege - this can cause resentment and lead to interesting dynamics betwen men who are desperate to survive battle.

If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 📸

[altaneenarts]

"Oxeye Daisy" Printable PDF

Here it is! A physical copy of @cgogs amazing c!dnf series "Dreamer's Memoir", "Oxeye Daisy", and "epilogue." It's taken a lot of time and effort to put this together so I hope you guys enjoy :) And thank you so much to @cgogs for letting me bring this story to life and for writing such a lovely fic series <3 The files included will be a 409 page PDF containing all three fics (which have been lightly spellchecked & grammar edited), a summary of all three fics, a table of contents, some decorative graphics, and a separate PDF of a Penguin Classics style book cover (both for Paperback & Hardcover). They're all sized for an 8.5" x 5.5" (Digest Size) book.

Below I've attached printing instructions and the needed files to print your own book. To be clear, I am not selling this book and any price you pay will be strictly printing and shipping costs. These files are for personal use only and if I find anyone selling copies/files I will take them down <_< so behave. Now go have fun and enjoy your own copy! (And if anyone catches any spelling errors that I've missed, feel free to message me so I can fix them & reupload the document :D) INSTRUCTIONS:

Create an account on lulu.com

Go to the home page and click on Create > Print Books > Start My Print Book

On the Start My Project page select Print Book for both the Product Type & Select a Goal. For Book Details put whatever you'd like & click Design Project

Upload the interior file PDF (ignore the transparency warning)

For Book Specifications I recommend Black & White Standard > 60# Cream > Paperback or Hardcover (depending on your budget/preference) > Matte

For Book Cover Design, upload the respective Cover PDF (Hardcover or Paperback) > Click Review > Publish

Once published, you can add the book to your cart and buy it :)

FILES:

Interior File PDF

Hardcover Design PDF

Paperback Design PDF

[anxious-witch]

Some thoughts on Edwin through the lenses of flaws and sexuality, specifically connected to his meetings with the Cat King and what metaphors I think are cleverly used through the offers he makes to Edwin.

(Under the cut bc this will be long and I don't wanna spam the tag)

Part 1, because I realized halfway through it will be too long for one post.

Let's start with him being trapped in Port Townsend. As much as I love Edwin, we see that at the beginning of the season, he shows disregard towards people and things that he either doesn't already care about or aren't in the sphere of his interest(as seen through Crystal and briefly Niko, when he was literally ready to write her off as hysterical at first), and under that falls the cat he gets the information from.

I don't believe he has any malicious intent, but he disregard the fact that the cat is a being worthy of respect. He could have befrended the cat and get the information that way, but he didn't think it was worth his time. He even says all the cats look the same to him. To Edwin, who pays attention to the smallest details? That speaks volumes on how much he simply doesn't care about cats. Which is why the Cat King makes him count all of them. Remember all of them, for all their differences.

But I digress. Let's go back to the Cat King's offers to set Edwin free and look at them through the lenses of storytelling. First thing we need to remember is what Cat King says before that. "My kingdom is all about wants and pleasures". But is it? We see on several ocassions that Cat King acts upon an act already commited against something or someone, as someone who delivers consequences of those actions. Trapping Edwin for trapping his cat, kissing Monty without permission for him kissing Edwin without permission, exploiting Esther's immortality loophole through Crystal after Esther's exploited his immortality loophole. And eye for eye. Now, back to the offers.

Cat King offers Edwin to sleep with him or to count all the cats in Port Towsend. Or as I like to see it-accept your desire of being attracted to men, or face your flaw. Neither of which is easy for Edwin, although by the end, he bith accepts his desire and overcomes his flaw(at least in part, since no one is perfect).

We see it again when they meet during episode 4. Yes, the Cat King flirts with him and shapeshifts into Monty at Charles, playing up Edwin's desires once again. Enticing him to it. But when Edwin refuses his desires, Cat King turns to his flaw again and makes him admit it through the truth spell. "I am ashamed, it is selfish" says Edwin after.

And the Cat King could have used his shame to manipulate him, but that wasn’t the point of his character. He wants Edwin to face himself. Because you can't improve withour facing yourself.

Now, when they meet in the forest, I think their dynamics shift drastically. Specifically bc of what happens in-between their meetings. Ala, Edwin begins to actually grapple with and accept both his desires AND flaws. He realizes he is in love with Charles and the whole thing with Monty, although ends awkwarly, is a big step in the direction of accepting that he does like men romantically. And we also see him open up to Niko more, to start accepting Crystal as a person, not a rival for Charles' affection.

So with that in mind, I think he has a lot more power now, that the last time he saw the Cat King. He is blindsided for a bit with the reveal of Monty lying to him. But what I think is also really interesting, is that Monty is the one uncovering both desire and flaws in Edwin here.

When he says Charles is the one Edwin has feelings for, that it's obvious, in Edwin's eyes, he is practically throwing his desire in his face. And what does Edwin resorts back to? His copying mechanism. His flaw. "Even if it were true, you are a bloody crow!" Because Edwin isn't ready to admit to wanting Charles. Not yet.

Which is why I think the Cat King only batters with his desire afterwards! "Second kiss is always better". And while Edwin rejects him, it is noticeable different. Edwin isn't scared, he is angry. And he doesn't deny his desire like the fiest two times. "Hear me, I am not your toy to yank around. I owe you nothing". Which is why Cat King gets angry foe the first time! He can feel how close he is, and yet Edwin rejects him yet again.

Then, Edwin shows off the bracelet and says "this is all that you are." As others have pointed out, the bracelet is obviously a metaphor for Edwin's sexuality that he keeps trying to hide. Yet, here he shows it off, throws it in the Cat King's face. "I desire you, but I do not love you. This is all that you are, an attraction, a fancy". And what does Cat King do or say? Nothing. Because he is powerless in the face of Edwin's acceptance.

I'll leave their last meeting for Part 2, because this got wayyy too long already

[imagining-in-the-margins]

New Beginnings CM Challenge 🌱

The following are prompts involving a new relationship, fresh start, etc.!

This event is over (Masterlist of Fics here), but you are welcome to use any of these prompts. If you would like to be added to the existing Masterlist of entries, please check out the Rules below!

🌧 Prompts 🌱

Describe Character's first day at the BAU

Character celebrates a milestone of sobriety

Characters are getting the hang of being new parents

Character goes overboard with New Year’s Resolutions

Character decides to try something new in the bedroom

Character is entering the dating scene after their divorce

Character changes career paths with a very different job

Character introduces their new partner to their kid

Character comes out as trans and introduces themselves

Character finally agrees to get set up with a date after a long dry spell

Character learns to navigate their everyday life after a traumatic event

Character escapes an abusive relationship and the recovery is harder than they thought

Character swears that this year they will definitely fulfill all their New Year's resolutions

Character just came out as LGB and goes on their first date with someone of the same sex

Character decides to cut off a member(s) of their family, and the team reminds them that they still have a whole lot of (found) family left

Character lost a partner and swore they would never love like that again... but that hasn't stopped them from falling in love in a different way

Character got a pet for the first time and they realize how much easier it is to take care of themselves when someone else is counting on them

Character had previously come out as something, but then realized they were something else... coming out is even more daunting the second time

More prompts below + Make your own!

🌤 Dialogue Prompts🌻

"The time will pass anyway." (Earl Nightingale)

"If you jump, I jump with you."

"I can't wait to see who you become."

"I love every possible iteration of you."

"To be brave, you must first be afraid." (Bear Grylls)

"You aren't alone in this. None of us are." (Baldur's Gate 3)

"Is it too late to go back?" "Don't you dare."

"This is all new to me." "What?" "Being happy."

"I don't know what I'm doing." "No one does. That's life."

"There are always a million reasons not to do something." (The Office)

🌒Character Specific Prompts🌲

Spencer's life after prison is nothing like before

Spencer decides to pursue his dream of being a cowboy/rancher

Spencer becomes dedicated to turning his life around after relapsing

Spencer doesn't think about Maeve on a special occasion for the first time

Hotch finally stops wearing his old wedding ring

Hotch embraces his role as a single dad

JJ's children are almost grown, and she struggles to reconnect with who she was before she was their mother

Penelope realizes she doesn’t like the person she’s become after leaving the BAU, so she decides to change

Lauren Reynolds died—it’s time Emily start acting like it

Rossi struggles with suddenly becoming a (grand)father

🍂Rules🍃

The fic can be a Reader insert, an Original Character, a character/character ship, a platonic ship, or a Gen fic. It can feature any Criminal Minds character. AUs and crossovers are more than welcome.

Tag me in the fic, or send the link to me in a Direct Message. It can be already written, or you can write it for the challenge - I’m collecting both! You can also tag it “#mentioningmargins” which is a tag I track.

The fic can be any genre, but ONLY send me smut if your bio states you are 18+. I DO NOT WANT smut written by minors. Ever. At all. I will check. Platonic ships and pure, fluffy fics are 100% allowed.

Please include Content Warnings and a one-sentence Summary of the fic in your post.

Have fun!

The Masterlist of fics will be posted around March 1. If you finish after that, no problem - just send me the fic once you’re done and I’ll add it after-the-fact!

Feel free to message me if you want help developing a plot, have any questions, or just want to gush about your fic. I’m happy to help, and I’m happy you’re here ❤️

Happy Writing!

[raayllum]

like Callum made the right choice in 5x08 for his character and the thematic narrative. Thematically, Rayla cannot permanently die (she's too sacrificial) nor can she have a partner, honestly, who'd be willing to sacrifice her like that. Callum also cannot be willing to sacrifice her like that for the life of a stranger dragon he's never met, or not take the dark magic risk; not only is this how he's always clearly been ever since S1 ("But not everything [has changed]: I would do anything for you") but doing so would make him exactly like the worst of Viren: "If you have to choose between [the world] or your brother, pick the egg." Callum is having a dark path arc, but he's not having an antagonist or villain arc.

That said, there's a reason Callum is Chained Up when he gives the spell and locked in a damp dark brig and has to use the snake-chain spell specifically, because TDP loves its irony: what gets more ironic than freeing yourself from chains in order to free and save your girlfriend, when you know in doing so you're chaining yourself further and further to the main villain and his will in doing so? When you know that you would?

There's a reason 5x08 ends with Callum looking scared and sad and the shot of the snakes, because those aren't fun things (hi Ocean arcanum epiphany) to learn or fully accept about yourself. There's a reason that what characters justify with "I had no choice" or "this is the right thing to do" isn't always the literal case. "I had to, to save my friends" or you could've left it. You could've tried something else than dark magic. But you didn't, because you thought that was the one thing you could do in order to not lose your friend, so you did it; You Made Your Choice.

For example, if we're talking what happened in 5x08 in a "this would keep The World 100% safe" type of deal? Callum fucked up twice. He gave the spell and he didn't know Finnegrin would be dead or unable to use it by episode's end. He did dark magic — with no idea that it wouldn't let Aaravos automatically possess him in that moment — because a world where he didn't even try and save her was worse to him. But it was a risk! Both of those things were massive risks!

Just because they didn't amount to the extreme consequences they could have had, yet, doesn't mean that they won't, since soo much of TDP is just "this thing had unforeseen/unwanted consequences as a result of the choices you made" (the loss of Rayla's team, Harrow's death, Sarai's death, the possession at all, Karim's banishment, Zubeia's corruption, Claudia's 5 season long descent, and I'm sure going to the Starscraper next season, just to name a few quick examples off the top of my head). As Harrow says:

H: But I do know I will pay the price for the choices I've made. I've done terrible things. I thought they were necessary. Now I don't know.

Rayla thought she had to leave; she didn't. Rayla thought she had to find Viren, twice; that wasn't true. She chose to leave both times. She also chose to come back both times. She could've doubled down, but she didn't. Viren, finally, didn't.

Every step forward is a choice.

That's true for Every Single Character in the show.

To deny them that is to deny the agency they do have in the circumstances they find themselves in; Soren could've not stabbed his father, Terry could've chosen to tackle rather than stab Ibis, Viren could've chosen to grieve his son. That doesn't mean they didn't have good reasons to do the things they were doing, that doesn't mean their justifications weren't strong, that doesn't mean they were necessarily wrong to do so. But they made Choices.

So did Callum. And he chose what regrets, sacrifices, and losses he could live with, in order to save the person he decided he couldn't live without.

It's that simple, and that complicated.

[galacticnikki]

A Baby Witch's First Grimoire

Grimoire Entry 2 - How to easily create sigils!

What are sigils?

Sigils are symbolic representations of our desires, holding our intent and often used in various spells. They can range from simple shapes to complex markings. Creating a sigil involves focusing on a specific intention, then crafting a unique design that encapsulates this intention. Once created, the sigil is charged with energy through meditation, visualization, or ritual, making it a powerful tool for manifesting our goals. Whether you’re seeking protection, prosperity, or personal growth, incorporating sigils into your practice can enhance the potency of your magical workings.

How do I make sigils?

There are two common methods for making sigils:

Consonant Letters

An easy way to create a sigil is by using consonants. This method provides a unique sigil for any intent without requiring extensive creativity or knowledge of shape language. To create a sigil using the consonant letters method, start by writing down your intent. This could be anything, such as prosperity, balance, divination, clairvoyance, or wealth. Next, remove the vowels from your intent. For example, 'wealth' becomes 'WLTH.' Then, design a symbol that incorporates all the remaining letters. If there are duplicate consonants, drop the duplicates. For example, 'prosperity' becomes 'PRSPTY' and then 'PRSTY.' By following this process, you can craft a sigil that is both personal and powerful.

Shape Language

Shape language is a more complex method of creating symbols. It involves imbuing different shapes with intent and meaning, using their correspondences to design a symbol that aligns with your specific intention. For example, hearts are commonly associated with love and romance and are often used in witchcraft to signify these emotions. By understanding the symbolic meanings of various shapes; such as circles for unity, triangles for change, or squares for stability; you can create a sigil that resonates deeply with your intent. This method allows for a more personalized and nuanced approach to sigil creation, enhancing the power and effectiveness of your magical practice. Experimenting with shape language can lead to a richer, more intuitive connection to your sigils, making them a potent tool in your spiritual journey.

Feel free to check out my master post for more information!

[welcometotheravenclawcommonroom]

(South) Indian Harry Potter Headcanons:

Harry knew he was Indian (mostly because the Dursley’s used to say racist shit to him) but he didn’t know where in India the potters were from until he went to Hogwarts. He finds out from the Patils, who were close with the potters because desis stick together.

The Patils are from the north and use Hindi to speak to each other. Neither of them knows Telugu/Tamil/Marathi/Malayalam/insert Southern language of choice here (I personally headcanon Telugu because it’s the only Indian language I speak and because there’s a huge diaspora of telugumandi in the west, but feel free to choose whatever you’d like). So Harry has to rediscover his heritage language on his own.

He also studies Sanskrit, and it opens up a HUGE world of spells that they don’t teach at Hogwarts (because of course Indian wizards don’t do spells in Latin). He and the Patils know a bunch of spells that nobody else does.

Harry’s pleat game is ON POINT. It makes sense, since he had to do all the chores at the Dursley’s and that includes perfectly folded and ironed laundry with the edges aligned neatly, or else he would risk being punished. But the result is that if you want your saree drape to pass the inspection of even the most judgemental auntie, you go to Harry to help with your pleats.

Even when they’ve graduated and all have their own homes, it’s a pretty regular sight for the Patil twins to come through Harry’s floo, half dressed, to have Harry pleat their sarees or their lehenga dupatta for them.

Harry LOVES spices. The dursleys only liked bland food, but Harry has always liked flavorful foods, and has no problem with (hot) spicy food either. He uses lots of spices in his own cooking now. His food is very flavorful, but when he’s cooking for himself, it’s too spicy for all his friends (even the Patils). So nobody can eat his leftovers unless he was specifically cooking with other people in mind. Ron learned this the first time he rummaged through Harry’s fridge after a night of drinking. Now Harry labels all his food as to whether or not it’s “Harry spicy”.

James LOVED to buy Lily sarees. He’d order them with custom, wizard-themed designs from weaving villages in south India. The women who made them assumed he was just very imaginative, so he wasn’t violating the statute of secrecy since saree patterns are often vibrant and unique. Harry finds some of them in the old potter manor, and they still smell like the perfumes and scented oils his mother would wear when James took her to the local temple for Hindu holidays.

Indian witches often store extra magic in or enchant pieces of their copious jewelry with spells that can keep them safe if they’re ever in a situation where they don’t have their wands. stuff like, each bangle can function as an emergency portkey that can take you to different safe locations if you say the activation word, or ones that create an instant magical shield when you tap them. Harry finds some of his mothers gajulu, gives them to his female friends.

He ties Rhaki on Ron and Neville, and all the weasley boys. Ron was the first person he ever tied it on, because Ron was the first person who he ever bonded with, and his closest brother.

Harry always cooks idli sambar or dosa for his friends for breakfast the next morning after a night of drinking together, and it’s the perfect hangover food because it definitely brings you back to full alertness/knocks the last bit of post-hangover grogginess right out of your system.

Harry’s parselmouth abilities are valued in his native culture because of the sacredness of snakes in Hinduism, and it comes to be something he’s really proud of (personally I think the ‘parselmouth connected to the horcrux’ thing is dumb, so I’ve always imagined Harry was just naturally a parselmouth).

As the number of Indian immigrants/expats continues to grow after they graduate, Harry helps some of his students (he’s the DADA teacher) start the Hogwarts “South Asian Student Union”.

He always has snacks out for his students when they come to visit his office hours, and they’re all Indian snacks and sweets. His personal favorite is kaju barfi, but he always has a good variety of both sweet and spicy treats, especially for stressed out owl and newts students.

He collaborates with Hermione, who works in the ministry, to make it mandatory for Hogwarts students to a “foreign magical language” course so they can broaden both their minds and their spell repertoires. Padma Patil becomes the “Sanskrit Spells” teacher, and Seamus teaches “Irish Gaelic”. (It took him a little longer to get his course started, since it turns out that at least 40% of Gaelic spells are just increasingly complicated and violent ways to repel the English).

Hermione and Harry also work together to make sure there are employees in the international magical cooperation department who specialize in post-colonial relations, because the magical world also has its issues with that colonialist mindset towards countries that were formerly part of the empire.

Just south Indian Harry embracing his heritage, learning about what was ripped from him, and using it to enact meaningful change in a multicultural magical society.