#home brew pagans

[eugenedebs1920]

There was a moment, a moment when it seemed that the forces of old and evil were losing their control. A moment where the high water mark for corruption was altitudinous above our head, as the waters of oppression, and disengagement drained into the abysmal depths of history.

Alas, that is not the case, forces with such might do not concede, so on the story goes. With renewed belligerence, and smoldering retribution that stranglehold of old chokes progress. The argues drudge for a fairer society, the contention for equality elongated indefinitely.

The blow was a hit to the core, a noxious pain will linger. This is not the end, it’s hardly the beginning. Time to pick oneself off the ground, brush the dust off, and prepare for another round.

This divarication set before us will determine where we our future lies. Regressed to a time where the pigmentation of one’s skin rather than the content of one’s character was the defining feature set upon a person. Where just as the days of Roman crusades to convert the pagans commences. A dominant culture, an overture of subjugation, masters of men, lording their capital and superiority above the masses.

An oligarchy rule, where the fortunes of the rich will personify the very reasonings behind policy. Those whose generational wealth prohibits entrepreneurship in any form. A monopolistic grab for any competition. Ensnaring news outlets, and social media platforms in a preemptive strike against information, squashing dissent.

Simultaneously Shredding any regulations, protections, or provisions that would shield their labor force. A systemic dismantling of all knowledgeable oversight, any expert who would prove invaluable to their study, delegitimized and tossed to the curb. While celebrations of the destruction of the bureaucratic state echo through the air, the general population is reduced to serfs. Unable to afford home insurance, housing becomes scarce. Leaving the giant conglomerates to attain the very basics of humanity in their never ending pursuit of profit.

An atmosphere of contempt brews below the surface. While the air we breathe fills with the toxicity of industry. Poisoning the environment and the soul. While profiteers cherish their freedom, subduing all others.

While the top tier holds the riches they so deeply coveted, it doesn’t stop there.

The workforce so degraded, shows signs of decline. This lessening of servitude threatens the production of capital, endangering their dependency on the subsistence they crave. They have already stolen the sovereignty of a woman’s body, now it belongs the heads of state. The human race must procreate.

A depression of will, a solace not given. The heart can’t go on with such dregs. The soul can’t survive such despair.

For the elites this holds no relevance. Their conquest for finance must go forth. Their agenda of corruption is the itinerary. The itinerary is the plan.

This is one fate that may befall the American experiment. One that has already begun. There are other routes on this voyage. Though the ship has left the port.

Yet, not all hope should be lost.

For the will of the people has not been squashed.

Together a resistance can occur.

Lessening the hardships the masses may endure.

Through the fight in our heart and resolve of our grit.

We push aside the shackles that bind.

A capitulation against those who govern as kleptocratic.

With our backs to the wall our courage we find.

The ongoing battle for freedom will prevails. The momentum rising like wind in the sails. Those who lied and decided, used and deceived.

Their voices shakey with empty promises no longer received.

From the ashes of obscurity our triumph shall ring.

The forces we topple no longer supreme. For in our unity lies our strength and our reasonings.

The change of the guard exposing the treasons.

Those who have committed seditious betrayal.

Will no longer remain with a seat at the table.

for this is our nation, and this is our land. Against the forces of old and evil we take our stand.

Fighting as one we stop their invasion.

A righteous defiance of our indignations. When once we can say proudly the efforts we gave.

To reclaim the land of the free and the home of the brave.

[tansyuduri]

Merlin Loregasm Rewatch S1E4

Hi Everyone! Welcome to my rewatch of Merlin focusing on the lore. I am a giant nerd so pretty excited about this. We're on THE POISONED CHALICE

OKAY so @catsconflictscopicsandchamomile our resident Old English expert explained to me something really interesting. the spell used by Nimueh draws its power from the Spear-Danes, the semi pagan culture featured in Beowulf (Who had their own lake lady in Grendel's mother who was likely a priestess of the old religion And linguisticly called Disir) There is more though The first lines of the spell also seem to be Nimue saying she owes her magic to the spear Danes (that Grendel the monster in Beowolf ate) At this point I'm wondering if its meant to establish she is saying HEY MY SPELLS ARE PAGEN This will not be the only Beowulf reference in this episode. (Its never referenced or quoted after this episode) I'm wondering if the translators threw this in as a joke or easter egg Or in my freind's words "fuck it. lets canonize Beowulf in this universe real fast" (Okay I just discovered one of their choices I'll talk about later and HOLY FREAKING SHIT)

Mercia is traditionally thought of as a kingdom formed during the anglo-saxon settlement of Britain (Which occurs post Merlin acoirding to Merlin having saxons of enemies in later seasons) The historic king Arthur if he existed was said to have fought against the anglo saxons but this is just a footnote as we are focusing on Merlin Universe) HOWEVER a 13th century text says "“Pagans came from Germany and occupied East Anglia, that is, the country of the East Angles; and some of them invaded Mercia, and waged war against the British.” 

British here being Original pre-saxon inhabitents. SO it is possible that a Mercia existed before The Anglo-Saxons. This could also be the Historian using the name he knows. Bayard is not a recorded later King of Mercia either so good choice in name if we want him to be a Britonic king from a Mercia founded before the Anglo-Saxons apear. Fun fact Mercia also resisted leaving paganism longer than any other Anglo-Saxon kingdom! BUT Anyway in Merlin Mercia is a thing, Its ruled by Bayard, and its color is blue. It would be in the midlands of England most likely.

Also he was at war with Camalot, but now is not. I wonder if that has to do with Uther having not inherited but taking over the kingdom! Uther: The treaty we sign today marks an end to war and the beginning of a new friendship between our peoples

I also think Uther as a peacemaker is interesting, especially as we see this more than once. It might be why some people view him as "A good king."

So this at first glance SEEMS like it hints more toward paganism. Beltane is a Gaelic May Day festival. But its renamed version May Day was not exactly Christianized. See most other big Gaelic festivals (usually religious) Were kinda taken over by Christianity when it came. Yule became Christmas Samhain became All Saints Day (All Hollows Eve) ETC. Beltane was also celebrated in some places ALONG with Christianity until the 1800s. (Scotland did this specifically) In modern times Beltane is VERY Pagan. And it is very possible this hints further toward the Camalot is pagan or just nonreligious side of the entire debate. (Despite people using words like god or hell.) But it's not quite as conclusive as many other type of references would be.

(For context despite it saying we've Arthur here is talking about Merlin, who just announced his cup was poisoned, exclusively which is interesting!) See slow gin is a type of alcohol made with juniper berries and blackthorn fruits. It was traditionally brewed (With a lot of home brewing) in October and November and used as a warming drink in the depths of winter. AS you can tell this episode does not take place in winter. I think there are two possibilities for Arthur picking this drink specifically to mention despite that. The first is that as a prince perhaps the drink is available to him year round if he wants it and he doesn't know that is not true of most people yet. The second is he is so panicked at the prospect of the trouble Merlin is in his mind latched on to the first drink that popped into it.

Okay, so Mort means death in Latin. And the ending suffix here Usually makes the word an adjective from proper or place names BUT often appears in flower naming. So basically this plant is named The "Death Flower" Flower or "Capital D Deathly" Flower

Gaius: it can only be found in the caves deep beneeth the forest of Baloch The flower grows on the roots of the Mortaeus tree.

Uh okay. THERE IS SOME SHIT GOING DOWN with this plant. First of all, flowers growing from the roots of a tree is just weird. flowers are basically there to attract things to pollinate a plant usualy. If a tree has flowers they do not grow from the roots. Second of all its kinda weird for flowers or trees to grow in DEEP caves. Sunlight cannot read them there. I would give it a pass if it did not say deep because if there were cracks in the ceiling of the cave that could put light though. It does kinda explain why they can ONLY be found there though. If its so odd and specialized it might be the only place it can grow.

This flower is either innately magical in some odd way or does not conform to evolution. So at this point I am pretty sure it was bred/engineered/magiced into being but some sorcerer. Likely specifically for poisoning people. and that person wanted to limit the people who knew of it and thus kept it in once set of caves. BUT SOMHOW news got out about it. Ok so I also looked up Baloch. In Welsh it can mean dig or sorry. In Irish it means boy and in scottish the same thing. So no info to be gleaned from that

Gauis: A cockatrice-- it guards the forest. Its venom is extremely potent, a single drop would mean certain death. OK first of all I'm doubling down on there being some past sorcerer, Because they were FOR SURE using these as guard dogs. Second of all I LOVE Merlin paying fast and loose with magical creatures from folklore because I can too in my fics A Cockatrice in folklore was a monster created when a toad or snake egg was hatched beneath a chicken. It could kill with a look, or a breath, or a touch, and was basically a two-legged dragonish creature with a rooster head. In the Merlin world it is very diferant. We'll see one soon! "Few who have crossed the mountains of Isgard in search of the Moraeus flower have made it back alive." Yeah can't find any meaning behind the name Isgard! BUT HAVE I MENTIONED I THINK A SORCER ONCE LIVED IN THE CAVES/FOREST.

Okay I think this is a reference to the actual historical job of taster. Basically important people (ESP royalty) would hire someone to taste all their food before thay ate it. That way if it was poisoned the taster would die instead of them. It was viewed as a pretty plum gig because poisoning didn't often happen (ESP if people knew there was a taster) and the taster got to eat REALLY good food and get paid for it. I think its also an interesting character detail that while this kinda implies that Uther might have someone (At least for his private food and not banquets) We see multiple times that Arthur in fact does NOT. It is quite possible he managed to put his foot down and get out of this somehow because he believes it to be wrong. Which not gonna lie is a very Arthur thing to do.

(Context: Arthur talking about how Gaius said they can save Merlin if they get the leaf so it is not a fools errand) Waiiit is this trying to imply that Gaius was the one who brought up the idea that one could use the old religion to give Uther a son? I mean we knew he was the messenger. but HOLY SHIT. And if that is true, Uther somhow forgave him? Why would Uther forgive him? The only thing I can think is if Gaius talked about how magic had tricked him and gave Uther something else to blame. This is all conjecture though. Uther could be referring on how Gaius is close to Merlin or something else. It just feels like it might be a nod at what all went down around Arthur's birth.

Okay so this is Merlin quoting Beowolf here. A Poem that is yet to be written down but might have had some oral tradition and actually takes place at the traditional time Arthur is said to have lived. Merlin is basically talking about how Arthur/Beowolf is endowed with honnor. This happens right after Arthur decides to ride out to save Merlin.

Magic Rule Established: Potions/Poisons can be more potent if magic is used in their preperation

Okay MORE Beowolf

Merlin says Arthurs name then basically talks about a young man doing good deeds.

Playing hard and fast as I said. LOOK Dinosaur!

Okay so more Beowolf At this point I am 99.99% sure the people hired to write the spells at the time where having the time of their life. Let me explain

This line talks about gifts of treasure (the light) he conjuress to help Arthur. Fine. BUT then it mentions Arthur being under his father's protection. Expect Merlinto protectg him. The spell writers used a freaking old english poem to let Merlin call himself Arthur's "daddy" I am not sure what I am expected to do with this knowledge. (It might have been chosen so they could use the next line of the spell but THEY DID NOT HAVE TO DO THIS) The next line (Which is actually also the next line in the poem) says something about how so that when Arthur is older his companions can stand with him when war comes.

Okay so yeah turns out there is no tree or roots. I'm chalking this up to he said she said. STILL GOING WITH THE SORCERER.

OKAY so it a potion is made using magic the antidote may ALSO need magic

Oh look our first hint Merlin is immortal. I find his brand of immortality intersting. HE CAN DIE he just comes back after a bit.

[dandelionjack]

as a natural skeptic i’m gonna be real with you. i’m slamming the brakes on this whole religion thing before i figure out what it really is that i believe. one thing i know for certain is that i don’t think my experiences of the world relate to what you call “hard polytheism” at all, so i will be refraining from referring to myself as “pagan” or “heathen” or similar terms from here on out — as i learned from reddit, actual pagans, i.e. those of you who believe that the Gods from whatever pantheon you follow are literal, actual, 100% independent, non-anthropogenic, non-metaphoric entities, tend to frown upon talk of “archetypes” and co. i don’t want to be seen as insulting your Gods with my home-brewed eclectic woo-woo nonsense, so i’ll keep at an arm’s length until i’m one hundred percent sure that i can defend my own beliefs because i know what they are.

i personally lean towards the chaos magic side of approaching these concepts — although, truth be told, i need to do more reading. a lot more reading. but once again, i stress, personally, i find myself far more comfortable with the concept of egregores. metaphysical entities, congregations of energy and intent, that have been given power and consciousness through centuries of dedicated devotion and prayer from humans. if enough people direct their thoughts towards an idea for long enough, leave offerings for that idea, hold festivities in its honour, write poetry and paint artworks depicting and praising it, then it’s no wonder if it gains a mind and will of its own. i lean towards the idea of deities/other spirit entities as personified aspects of the universe, as currents of energy or patterns of thought or representations of natural phenomena that were given different (or many) names in different historical/geographic contexts and have taken on a semi-solid shape with time

which is to say, i don’t know whether the Presence that has been visiting me — the one that rekindled/sparked/ignited my interest in all of this, pun quite intended if you know who i’m talking about, is genuinely the ambiguous, controversial Norse deity that i have been referring to Them as; whether They are some kind of thoughtform or another separate spirit; a manifestation of my subconscious desire to “Aren’t You Tired Of Being Nice Don’t You Just Wanna Go A Little Apeshit”; or a character i Made Up In My Head (not outside of the scope of possibility, knowing my tendency to spot patterns where there aren’t any). i’m treading with caution. that’s what you do. because after doing some wider research, i really, really don’t wish to be associated with that sort of person — you know the one. edgy. rebellious kid. doesn’t know what they’re talking about. witchtoker

after all, i did come here through pop culture. so, maybe, all this ends up being is another hyperfixation on mythology. i’ve had those before as a way younger teen — thanks, uncle rick. don’t really know how to conclude this, so: i’ll get more educated and get back to you. if any of you (you know who you are) have any BOOK or ARTICLE RECOMMENDATIONS based on what i’ve said above, please don’t hesitate to PUT THEM IN THE COMMENT SECTION

xoxo, ivy

[tarotbee]

Do you have any suggestions for offerings/ways to worship Brigid? Particularly Brigid as a pagan goddess, I know she was later included into Catholicism as a saint because pagans loved her so much! Also would love anything that focuses on low energy things as I’m chronically I’ll and disabled! This would mean a lot to me! I’ve done lots of research on my own but brain fog can be difficult to deal with! Thank you and no rush!

Hi my love! As a disabled babe also, I get what you mean and I'd love to help out!

Offerings and Worshipping Lady Brigid

First thing I found is actually that Brigid is associated with water and springs so water would be a perfect offering

Stay hydrated!

Light a candle for her! Brigid is associated with fire!

Bonfires or food related gatherings with friends/families/partners

She is associate with the Hearth/Home. The hearth is often immediately assumed to be the kitchen as wood stoves historically provided warmth for the families but now your hearth can be wherever you feel most comfortable and at home 🧡

Eat good meals!

Celebrate imbolc! Simmer pots are a great smelling, low energy way to do that!

Florals! Flowers flowers flowers everywhere! Brigid is associated with Spring!

Wear floral scented perfumes and floral dresses or shirts

Straw/hay was actually commonly used to welcome Brigid and her gifts into the home and would make a great offering!

Brigid is a goddess of protection and fertility so if you're trying for a baby! Do it to honour her

Alternatively! Take your birth control as an offering

Practice safe sex!

Brigid is revered as a healer, so take your meds babe!

Brigid is also associated with poetry and wisdom which means reading or writing poetry in her honour is a great offering for her

Domesticated animals are also sacred to her so take care of your furry, scaly and slimy friends

Dyeing your clothes, knitting or crocheting

Brewed drinks such as coffee, tea, beer or mead

Cow imagery (especially white cows)

Practice divination

[stonecoldholly]

Worldwalker: Chapter 6

Summary - After witnessing a ritual at a pagan festival in her hometown, Sam suddenly finds herself in a world where magic exists and dangers far worse than everyday crime lurk around every corner. Accepting her unfortunate situation is one challenge; trusting these otherworldly beings to help her is another. As she uncovers the truth, she often finds that it leads to more trouble than it’s worth. Sam must navigate this new world, find her way back home, and restart her life.

Warnings - firearms, slight angst, mentions of war and death

Word Count - 8,041

A/N - Happy New Year, ya'll! I hope everyone had a safe and fantastic one!

AO3 Link

“And I don't want to steal your freedom, I don't wanna change your mind. I don't have to make you love me, I just wanna take your time. I don't wanna wreck your Friday, I ain't gonna waste my life. I don't have to take your heart, I just wanna take your time."

Take Your Time – Sam Hunt

Velaris, Night Court, Prythian

Everything was too bright for her eyes.

Sam, haggard-looking and definitely hungover, sat at the dining table with her eyes closed and a mug of hot coffee against her lips, inhaling its scent like it was her lifeline. The room wouldn't stop spinning or tilting, and the bright sunlight streaming through the sheer burgundy curtains only added to the pounding headache she woke up with. She was grateful to whoever left the glass of water and two pieces of buttered toast on her bedside table, but she would sell her left kidney for three Advils immediately.

It had only been a little over 24 hours since leaving the Day Court for the Night Court, but she wished the latter would live up to its name and go back to being nighttime. The only positive thing that came from this massive hangover was she didn't have the energy to think about all that she had gone through within the past day. The rescinding of her homeland, winnowing into Velaris, the city itself, the unfortunate meeting with Amren, and the midnight conversation with Azriel all seemed too much to think about in her miserable state.

Sam groaned as a sharp pain split her head nearly in two. There had to be something in this world that could ease her headache; it was a magical land, for Christ's sake.

"Good mor-oof. You look terrible." Lucien grimly stated as he entered the dining room a few minutes later. She had heard rustling and movement on the floor above, noting that someone else was awake but wasn't curious enough to find out who it was.

Sam, who still had her eyes closed, inhaled the coffee deeply. "I feel like I got hit by a bus."

"... I'm not sure what that is, but I will take your word for it," Lucien replied, making his way behind her to brew himself a cup of coffee. Even in different worlds, some morning routines stay the same. "Have you eaten?"

"I don't wanna talk about food righ' now," Sam mumbled as she slowly sipped from her cup, the hot liquid sending warmth throughout her body and slowly attempting to wake her up. Her soft slurps caused her head to remind her of its pounding.

Lucien stirred his coffee and sat down at the table across from her, leaning back in his chair with a smug smile that Sam still hadn't opened her eyes to see. "So, what did we learn?" His left arm draped itself over the back of the chair as he lounged, his right hand holding his mug.

She finally cracked open her eyes to glare at Lucien, who looked wide awake and energized for the day compared to her. The sunlight made his long red hair look like liquid fire, and Sam resisted the urge to shut her eyes again. "I don't need you to rub it in."

Lucien winked at her and took another sip. "Ah, yes, but it would be so nice to hear how right I was and how you didn't listen."

"I heard what you said." Sam snapped, closing her eyes again as the light seared through her head and burned her eyes. "I just…"

"Didn't listen."

Sam released a heavy, forced sigh and set her coffee down, opening her eyes to look at him again. She forced her eyes to remain open even as they watered from the room's brightness. "Fine, I didn't listen. I thought I knew better and didn't listen to the wise and noble Lucien. I'm sorry."

His eyebrows raised, tipping his mug to her with a smirk on his lips. "No need to apologize; I'm not the one suffering."

Sam growled at him, grabbing her coffee with a glare to keep smelling it, praying the scent continued to wake her up. He chuckled at her and picked a cinnamon croissant from the pastry dish between them. Everything hurt; her entire body was sore from staying in the same prone position she had fallen into bed at last night. Her hair hurt her scalp when she moved it, so brushing it was out of the question this morning. Instead, she had an uncanny resemblance to an electrocuted chicken.

She desperately needed a bath, but the energy and effort required to run the water were more than she was willing to give with a headache as bad as the one she was suffering from. She ended up sitting at the dining table, cradling a warm coffee mug between her heads, looking worse than she did when waking up in the forest. It was impressive, really, that she could outdo herself in that way.

She knew her brief peace with Lucien, if you could even call it that, had ended when heavy footsteps sounded from the staircase just outside the dining room. She pinched the bridge of her nose, already knowing who it was, and lowered her mug again. Would she ever be able to finish her coffee? Lucien was still smirking from his side of the table, sipping from his cup with a relaxed posture, seemingly thrilled at her suffering and incoming torment.

"And look at our little hungover human! Did you drink too much?" Cassian's obnoxious voice was akin to knives sliding down a chalkboard to Sam's delicate hearing.

Sam groaned, brushing her curly and frizzy hair away from her face. "You sound like a linebacker coming down those stairs." Sam had the fleeting thought that Cassian would make for a good center on a football team.

Cassian, not sure what a linebacker was, continued his thunderous entry into the room; Azriel was a few steps behind him but, thankfully, a lot quieter. "Harder time holding faerie wine than your human wine, huh, Sammi?"

Sam shot daggers at Azriel, who stared back at her blankly. "You were sworn to secrecy."

"I remember no such thing." He replied, taking a place along the wall, avoiding most of the sunlight as the shadows swarmed around him. Even in her hungover state, watching the shadows ebb and flow from him continued to amaze her.

Cassian ruffled Sam's hair as he passed by her, causing her to hiss in pain like a feral cat. "We'll have to go to Rita's one night and see how well you can hold our whiskey."

Sam's whole body twitched involuntarily as a memory of a rough night in Savannah raced through her mind. "I was arrested while drinking whiskey; I haven't had any since." That hangover haunted her throughout the years, the holding cell of Chatham County cold and barren.

"Arrested? Oh, do tell." Cassian grinned, sitting beside her, his wings flaring and shaking themselves out. Sam stayed still, forcing herself to get used to their existence on his back; a hazy memory of doing the same with Azriel last night helped ease her anxiety.

"It was St. Patrick's Day," Sam mumbled as she finished her coffee, the empty mug making a soft clink as she set it down. Her voice was still rough and low from sleep, not having been awake long enough. "I got inna fight."

St. Patrick's Day in Savannah was a huge deal, as it was one of the largest celebrations in the world. Savannah had the reputation of being absolutely wild during that time; alcohol, thousands of people, both tourists and locals alike, and the open container laws downtown not being heavily enforced were usually to blame. The celebration that day and that following weekend brought over half a million people to the city, all looking for a good time. Law enforcement crawled along the historic roads and alleyways, looking for troublesome party-goers to get off the streets. Every year, the number of arrests topped the previous record. It seemed like a right of passage in Savannah to be arrested during the St. Patrick's Day celebration, and Sam earned her green jail stripes and a mugshot to prove it.

"Who knew Sammi had some fire in her?" Cassian nudged her arm, grabbing a pastry from the middle of the table. "So, what happened?"

"A guy was talkin' shit. I was drunk, and he was blitzed," Sam rubbed her eyes, getting the crusties out of the corners, blinking to clear her vision. "Ended up on the pavement. The cop just happened to round the corner when I hit him." Sam sighed, looking at the wall behind Lucien's head. "Only spent the night in jail but had to pay hefty fines and sentenced to a year probation."

"Hard-seasoned criminal," Lucien said, swiping another pastry from the table.

"That was the first arrest."

"Cauldron, how many times have you been arrested?" Lucien asked while he tore a piece off of the croissant.

"Twice, once for simple assault and the other for assault and battery, but it was ruled as self-defense and cleared off my record." She leaned back against the chair, her headache still pounding away. "A firearm charge was dismissed because I have a license to carry. I had a lot of anger and wasn't sure what to do with it in my early twenties."

Cassian studied Sam's profile momentarily before looking at Azriel, who met his gaze. "We should hone your fighting skills. Use your time here while researching a way home for you."

Sam was silent momentarily; between her near-excruciating headache and the thought of exercise, her immediate response would have been a hard 'no.' She was in decent shape but nowhere near being considered 'fit.' She had a soft pudge on her stomach and thick thighs, a full chest, and loose skin on her upper arms; her lung capacity would likely benefit from the workouts due to former tobacco and drug usage, but her motivation to torture herself was subpar at best. Add in embarrassment at how out of shape she likely was, Sam was less than thrilled at the idea.

"We all start somewhere," Cassian said to her, his voice dropping softer as he watched her facial expressions change during her silent mental battle. "You would be training with Azriel and I, my mate and her two friends...we would start slow."

"Can I think about it? I'm in no shape to make decisions righ' now, not when all I want is for my head to explode and end my misery."

A shadow slithered along the table towards her, dodging sunbeams from the window behind Lucien. A small bottle of purple liquid deposited itself next to her hands, circling around her wrists and darting back towards Azriel, curling around his ear.

"It'll get rid of the headache." He said simply, nodding to the bottle.

"It won't turn me into a cat, will it?" The polyjuice potion reference would be lost to them, but it made Sam chuckle inwardly at her own joke.

"...I don't believe so..?"

"Are you trying to convince me or you?"

"If you don't want it—" Azriel started to send another shadow to retrieve the bottle, but Sam acted before he could.

She couldn't grab it fast enough, unscrewing the top and downing it within seconds. She didn't care what was in it, nor the less than pleasant taste of it; even if it did turn her into a cat, she'd deal with the tail afterward. She closed her eyes, feeling the effects of the mystery potion flow through her bloodstream. The liquid seemed to 'pop' her headache little by little like tiny bubbles, and with each 'pop,' her head felt lighter, the pounding receding into a dull throbbing until it was gone entirely.

"I love magic." Sam sighed dreamily, opening her eyes. Her face regained color, her cheeks stained a soft pink, her lips no longer pale and dull, and her eyes clearer.

"You can go take your bath now," Lucien waved his hand towards the door, hardly giving Sam time to bask in her usual, relieved state. "You smell like a bar."

"And your face could scare the stink off a skunk." Sam snapped back instantly, snatching the rest of his croissant from his plate. She took a massive bite and walked out of the dining room towards the stairs.

"What the hell is a skunk?" Lucien’s voice asked as she left.

A few hours later, after Sam had her desperately needed bath, she found herself in the middle of a field, not too far from the townhouse but outside the city limits. She closed her eyes, breathing in the fresh air under the bright blue sky, stretching out her neck as she welcomed the cool autumn air to caress her skin. As the days passed, winter approached, and you could smell it in the wind. Sam was looking forward to winter, never having seen snow before. Sam frowned; she should be more concerned about finding a way home, not seeing snow for the first time.

Cassian had been rambling on about her gun again, nearly obsessed with needing to know how it worked and if he could try it. After giving a brief lecture on what to do and what not to do with a loaded firearm, she relented. Firearms and firearm safety were something she was passionate about; Sam would be the first to admit she didn't know everything about them but was more than happy to share the knowledge that she did have. Dressing in a black shirt and matching leggings, she allowed Cassian and Azriel to lead her to a field, bypassing the city.

"Okay," Sam started, facing Cassian, who was excitedly waiting. "Azriel just put a target downwind, about 20 yards out. Your goal is to hit it, simple as that."

"Alright, that seems simple enough." Cassian reached for the firearm Sam pulled from her hip, but she stepped back, holding up a finger to make him wait.

"It's a little more complicated than just aiming and shooting," Sam replied, turning around to face the target as Azriel returned. "I'll go first so you can hear what it sounds like and watch the recoil in my upper body."

Cassian grinned, taking a step back and to the side to have a good view of Sam and the target. Azriel stayed beside him, both watching with intense curiosity as Sam switched the safety off and readied herself. A thrill of excitement ran through her blood as she checked the chamber and cocked the gun.

"Safety off, live and loaded." She called out, a habit drilled into her by the instructors at the gun range and Josh, who had been her shootin' buddy back home. A fleeting longing struck her at the thought of her friends, but she buried it back down where it was. Now was not the time to get distracted.

Sam stepped her right foot back, centering her body weight and bracing her stance. Her hands got into position on the pistol, her left hand cradling the right, which was gripping high on the backstrap. Her shoulders relaxed as she raised the firearm, and suddenly, she had tunnel vision as she marked the wooden target that Azriel had placed out in the spacious field.

Aiming the pistol this time felt much better than when she aimed it at Lucien. She was back in control and relaxed, not frightened or afraid for her life. She felt at ease, and that was something she had been craving. The sunlight reflected off the metal in her hands, the heaviness of the weapon a comfortable weight between her palms.

Taking a deep breath, her right pointer finger brushed along the trigger, squeezing it gently. The sound of a firearm discharging echoed throughout the field, and while Sam's body absorbed the recoil of the gun, the target had already been struck, the bullet having pierced the wood like it was made of butter. The ring of the shot had made Cassian and Azriel startle, their heads whipping down to the target when the sound of splitting wood followed seconds after.

Sam lowered the firearm and clicked on the safety as her ears rang. She faked a yawn, fingering her ear to ease the noise and pop her eardrum. She had barely a moment to recover before Cassian was on her, nearly bursting with excitement.

"Show me."

Sam grinned. Cassian's excitement was contagious. She remembers when she first got into shooting, having been introduced to paintball by her rambunctious group of friends in middle school. Once the air gun in her hands was fired for the first time, Sam's love for the weapon ignited, along with the dire respect that it demanded.

"Hold high on the backstrap, feel that? Is that comfortable? Okay," Sam stepped closer, rearranging his fingers along the pistol, tilting his wrists forward. "Now lock them like that, yeah." Cassian followed her instructions and allowed her to manipulate his hands and arms. "Step back, brace. Good. Now, when you aim, aim a little lower than you feel like you should. That recoil will absorb into your shoulder, and while I'm certain you could take it," She poked his muscles for emphasis, and he smirked at her. "I need you to be ready for it. So, aim low, and when you do, squeeze the trigger, but don't pull it. And remember to breathe."

Cassian nodded, looking down towards the target in the field. Sam's bullet had pierced above where the bullseye would have been if it was an actual target, and the wood had a split running up from the hole. It wasn't a bad shot; it was decent enough to get the job done. If it had been a person, it would have hit in the area of the stomach region, the wooden target Azriel placed not being that tall.

Sam stood by Azriel, watching Cassian align himself better, settling his weight between his wings and feet. Even though they didn't have weapons like she did back home, once that pistol was in Cassian's hands, it was clear that he was a soldier to his core. His entire presence shifted, and for a moment, she imagined him in camo greens, strapped to the nines with weapons and bullets, ready to be deployed for war. The image was so vivid that Sam had to shake her head to clear the vision.

The sound of the discharge echoed throughout the field again, and the bullet struck the target, clipping it in the middle near Sam's shot. Sam released a low whistle, impressed by the aim of a male who had never seen a gun, let alone shot one.

"Great shot, Cassian!" Sam exclaimed, giving him a round of applause. "Now click the safety on and lower the weapon. Amazing!"

Cassian did as she asked and handed the gun back to her. He stood taller, his confidence boosted, and his ego stroked. "That’s a hell of a weapon!"

Sam laughed, double-checking the gun and smiling at him. "Yes, and we have all different kinds of guns where I’m from."

"I'm going to convince Lucien to visit the Dawn Court so they can replicate those bullets. Or maybe even the weapon itself. They could put faebane in the bullets, giving us an advantage if war came. Maybe-"

While Cassian rambled through his excitement, Sam felt an unease settle in her stomach. Should she be the one to introduce this style of weapon into Prythian? Given the history of her home country, it was both good and bad that weapons like this existed. The advancement had helped win battles and wars, allowed the citizens to protect themselves, and allowed them to hunt for food and sport. However, and possibly the most glaringly obvious issue, when put into the wrong hands, this weapon was viewed as evil, causing mass destruction, carnage, and death. Good people, innocent people have lost their lives because the power was put into the wrong hands.

Sam could only imagine how gun laws in Prythian would be established and how citizens would be held accountable. Who would be allowed to carry? What laws would protect innocents? Who determines who gets a weapon? What would the requirements be? How long would they need training? Is training even required? Endless, complicated questions started filling her head, and she realized she didn't want that weight on her conscience. She would not be responsible for advancing Prythian's weapons of war. She would not be remembered as the human girl from another world, causing the destruction of this one. That would not be the legacy she left behind.

"Cass, perhaps we should pump the brakes on that," Sam said, interrupting his speech about, as Sam predicted, military use and strengthening of the armies of the Night Court. Perhaps it was already a losing battle; the knowledge had already been shared. If Rhys wanted the information bad enough, all he had to do was take it. "Maybe we can talk about it later, but...it might not be a good idea to let anyone beyond us know how this weapon works."

Cassian was quiet momentarily, and Sam could see the argument before he could voice it. The issue was that Sam understood where Cassian would be coming from. She could see both sides of the argument, and she agreed with points from either side, but the thought of innocent people in this world dying because of something she did turned her insides cold.

"She's right, Cass," Azriel's voice shook her out of her inner turmoil. "While it would not go against the bargain, it could lead us into a situation where it would."

"I only agreed to protect her to the best of my ability and not share information about her. You-"

Azriel interrupted him quickly, "And giving a Dawn Court alchemist access to otherworldly weapons to replicate would not be a wise decision, regardless of Sam's involvement. One question that would draw attention would be ‘Where did we get it?’."

Sam's mind wondered about the bargain tattoos that inked their skin. Did they match hers? The ink on her skin snaked its way down her spine, swirls of black intricately stretching along her right hip and thigh. Sam's new art merged beautifully with the colorful tattoos on her upper arms, her half sleeves blending seamlessly with her new back piece. She had yet to match her tattoo to anyone else and wondered if they all had the exact ink she did or pieces of it. Then again, she won't go up to every Inner Circle member and ask them to remove their shirt.

"We can discuss this with Rhys later; I'm sure he will see the situation as I do," Azriel concluded, turning his attention away from Cassian, who wanted to continue defending his point. Sam gave him a sympathetic smile; she agreed and disagreed with him. If she allowed the Night Court to do what they would with the replicated weapons, it would only be a matter of time before the other Courts got a hold of one and had an arsenal for themselves.

Technology would only advance from there, as would the carnage.

To break the tension, Sam asked Azriel, "Wanna try?" If these were the only rounds she would have during her stay here, she would at least have the two Illyrians know how to fire the weapon if needed. Sam couldn't think of why they would, but then again, the future was unknown, and the contracts stated multiple times about possible dangerous situations. Her mind returned to how excited Cassian had been moments before, and she wanted the same for Azriel. She wanted this to be a good memory to take back with her when she finally went home.

Azriel strode forward in an effortless glide, his shadows nowhere to be seen as the sun shone brightly. He stopped short in front of her, and for a moment, she forgot what she was supposed to be doing. His entire presence suddenly made her feel small, overwhelming her senses to the point of being rendered stupid. His wings were relaxed, flexing to soak in the afternoon sun as his tanned skin seemed to glow. She looked up at him, his hazel eyes intense as he stared back at her, and she almost forgot to breathe. Their heights were not as drastic as hers and Cassian's; Sam stood at 5'10, Azriel stood four inches taller, and Cassian towered over them at 6'5.

Clearing her throat, she broke the eye contact, returning her attention to the firearm. "Okay, so, here's the gun; hold high on the back strap." They pivoted as a unit while Cassian moved out of the way towards the sidelines. Sam's hands went to Azriel's, gently molding her hands along his scarred skin. Azriel said nothing as her fingers guided his hands into the correct position, and Sam said nothing about his scars or their rough texture. "Cant your wrists for-yup, perfect, now lock 'em. Good." His shadows swirled around her arms and waist as she stayed close to him, the sun ducking behind a cloud. The scent of night-chilled mist and cedar invaded her senses, and she nearly rolled her eyes at the deep, clean scent. Someone needed to put that scent into a candle immediately. "Now, move-" She tapped his right hip twice. "Move that leg back and brace."

She explained what she needed him to do, and he listened, all his attention entirely on her as she instructed him. He tore his eyes away from the target down the field, his eyes wandering over her face while she wasn't looking at him. She looked down, ensuring his feet were in the correct position while she continued talking him through the steps, and he took that opportunity to observe her.

He watched as her dark burgundy hair changed to a deep purple as the sunlight touched it, how the color made her green eyes turn even more vibrant than they already were, and how smooth her skin looked, and Azriel found himself committing every detail, every change, to his memory.

He wasn't sure where the need to look at her honestly came from. A voice in the back of his head urged him to drink her features in. He returned the small smile she gave him when she decided he was ready to shoot. The way her eyes lit up made something in his gut pull tight.

“And whenever you’re ready, fire!” Sam wandered back towards Cassian, who was watching him with intense concentration.

Azriel turned his attention back to the target, clicking the safety off as Sam had instructed, aimed slightly lower than he felt he should, and fired his shot. Sam’s head whipped to look downfield, a grin so large it was almost painful as her cheeks rounded out.

“Amazing! Bullseye!” Sam’s accent elongated ‘bullseye’ as she clapped her hands, bouncing on her feet in happiness. “Wonderful job, Az! Helluva shot!”

Azriel's wings shook at the praise and the use of his nickname. It was the first time she had used the shortened version of his name, and he found that he liked the sound of it coming from her. He clicked the safety back on and handed the weapon back to her, back strap first.

"I'm not sayin' that that was better than mine or Cassian's, but…" Sam gave him a little shrug that implied that it was precisely what she was saying but wouldn’t voice it. “I’m thoroughly impressed.”

"Give me another chance, and I'll blow Azriel's shot right out of the water!" Cassian exclaimed, but all Sam could do was laugh, joy flowing through her.

“Don’t even think about pulling out the rulers,” Sam hit Cassian in the arm with the back of her hand. “Put it away.”

Cass grumbled his disappointment, and Sam continued to assure him that his attempt was just as good as Azriel's. He claimed that both of their shots were better than hers and that she had been using firearms for years. That seemed to calm Cassian down, even though Azriel’s shadows whispered that she had lied to ease Cassian’s ego.

Azriel couldn't resist: "I believe we already know whose wingspan is bigger anyway, brother. There's no need for rulers now.”

Sam began coughing, choking on her own saliva, as Cassian began shouting at Azriel.

-x-

Once they returned to the townhouse, Sam found herself on the rooftop garden again. The evening had transitioned into the nighttime, and it was becoming a routine to go outside at night and review her day. She found comfort and peace on the roof, the illusion of being on top of the world. For the time being, she could only imagine what the view from the House of Wind would be like once she finally made it there. Even from her spot on the rooftop, the House of Wind was an enormous landmark jutting out from the mountainside and overlooking the city. Sam could see countless railings illuminated by the lights inside the House, and she had wondered briefly how exactly she would get up there.

She turned her attention to a notebook she had brought from her room, intending to start writing down notes on where she needed to begin researching, but found her mind completely blank. Her mind wasn't jumbled or running rampant; it wasn't filled with self-deprecating thoughts or self-doubt. Having the afternoon out of the townhouse to partake in something she enjoyed soothed her nerves like a balm, settling her anxiety and fear to a quiet rumble. She was thankful to Cassian and Azriel for the time they had given her and the time they had spent with her participating in a hobby of hers.

A small part felt a little guilty that she had enjoyed herself. That voice in the back of her head tried to crush her uplifted spirits by reminding her that she had only been in this world for a short time and didn't deserve to have fun. She should be finding her way home. She had just renounced her homeland less than 24 hours ago, and now she was out gallivanting with two Illyrian warriors? It was absurd.

Even though those thoughts and voices tried to penetrate her bubble of happiness, she defended herself against them. She deserved that small moment of fun after everything she had gone through. As fleeting as it was, she deserved to feel like herself again, no matter how short of a time. For that small moment, she felt like she had belonged. She wasn't just the human girl with a strange accent and massive, otherworldly problems that needed solving. No, for that moment, she was just Sam Damato, and they were just Azriel and Cassian, having a good time in each other's company. A sense of familiarity and comfort surrounded them as they exchanged halfhearted insults with each other, each of the three being the butt of a joke and all taking it in stride. Sam couldn't remember when she had laughed as hard as she did.

She looked up from the blank page of her notebook in time to see the rooftop door open. Cloaked in that fascinating black mist, Azriel emerged from the doorway and exited onto the roof. The soft glow from the faelights around the garden illuminated his face just enough that she could see he was already looking in her direction.

She smiled at the sight of him and waved at him from her spot at the table, "Come to join me again?"

Azriel glanced at the sprawling city stretching out before him for a moment, rehearsing the excuse he had come up with beforehand, but as Sam spoke, he felt the need to be honest with her instead. "I did." His excuse would have fallen flat anyway.

Sam motioned to the empty chair across from her, "Your chair awaits."

He went to where she was at the table, pulled the iron chair out, and sat down, trying not to be as awkward as he felt. His wings fanned out to give himself more space, and Sam watched with rapid attention. She had gotten comfortable, more or less, with being around their wings, but that didn't get her used to them by any means. They were still a strange but fascinating extension of his being, one that Sam was intrigued about. It wasn't considered normal where she was from, which made it all the more interesting to her.

Sam noticed his gaze on her notebook, his shadows swirling around her legs and feet, slowly climbing higher around her body. Their cool, gentle touch against her bare legs tickled her and glided along her skin as if they were assessing her. She didn't mind them; it was a part of who he was, and they seemed curious about her. They were harmless as far as she had witnessed, but she was sure they could do far more damage than she could imagine if needed.

"I was just trying to write down some research topics...ya know, where to start and whatnot," Sam answered the silent question. One shadow wrapping around her thigh had shot back towards Azriel's ear, curling around it, but his face betrayed no indication that he heard what it had said.

"How far have you gotten?"

"...I opened the notebook…"

Azriel's expression was momentarily blank before a small smile formed on his lips. "Well, I believe it's a start." He waved his hand and a soft, thin blanket formed within the black mass of his shadows. "It's chilly out here; your legs should be covered."

Sam gave him a grateful smile, accepting the blanket and covering herself with it. He was right; it was chilly outside, but she didn't find it within herself to run back inside and grab a cover. "I just can't seem to think of where to begin,” Sam replied, motioning back to the notebook as she adjusted the blanket. “I even thought about asking Rhys or Feyre to pull my memories for me, as uncomfortable as that is. The longer I think about what happened, the more my memories become mixed up, filling in blanks where facts should be.

"It wouldn't hurt to ask them; they would be more than willing to help. Rhys can also project your memories to those around him if need be," He paused at the expression on her face, watching her soak in the information. Azriel knew what weighing pros and cons looked like from the outside, and her expression was no different. It was a lot to ask, to risk, but he knew his High Lord and Lady and knew they could be trusted with such information. Rhys had already seen her memories, and he was sure Feyre had seen them too. "Just something to think about."

"Would you watch them?" Sam asked after another moment of silence. Her face was caught between hopeful and shyness. "My memories?"

Out of Mor, Lucien, Cassian, Amren, and himself, Azriel believed he should be the last to see her memories. He would have guessed she would want Lucien to witness her world as he was the one who helped her first in this one and brought her to safety. It was evident that they had a connection between them, one that would only grow as the days passed. Or perhaps Cassian, whom she seemed to have bonded close to in the short time they have been in each other's company. Cassian had already started joking with her and poking fun at her like an older sibling, their conversations and banter so easygoing and comfortable. Or Mor, as a female confidant, would see her life and understand it from a female's point of view. Her understanding of events could provide crucial insight. Or even Amren, despite the evident distaste for the human, research purposes triumphed over personal feelings.

Then there was him. He was nothing to Sam, a shadowy figure lurking in the background of every room and silent as the grave more often than not. Ominous and foreboding, he resigned himself to a life on the outside looking in, living on the narrowing ledge between contentment and depression. He didn't deserve much out of life, but he was satisfied with what he had, knowing what it had taken to get it. He had nothing to contribute to her life besides what he had agreed to, but she wanted him to see her memories.

Sam observed him, and she had the raw feeling of holding out her heart for him to either take and protect or shatter into pieces on the floor. She felt vulnerable as she waited for his response, a heavy feeling that she didn't like, and her nerves started to trigger her anxiety. Maybe it was asking for too much; they hardly knew each other. She opened her mouth to rescind the offer, unable to take the silence between them when he finally answered.

"If that is what you want, yes." He answered her quietly, his mind still silently spewing his self-hatred. That other voice told him that he wasn't good enough to see her memories and what she loved and lost. Why would she ever want him to see them? His shadows writhed as his mind continued to drag him further and further into the depths of his demoralizing thoughts.

"I want you to see it," she said softly, looking down at her hands. Azriel's acceptance of her offer caused her anxiety to relent, and a warmth spread through her chest. I want you to see my home, my life. We haven't known each other long, but I trust you, Azriel. I feel comfortable around you."

His mind seemed to go quiet, his shadows settling down as she spoke, and a flash of urgency shot through him. He didn't want her to stop talking, her words – her voice – like water on the flames of his wretched thoughts. "Tell me about it."

Sam's green eyes landed on him as her brow furrowed, and she cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"Not about what led you here," Azriel clarified. "Tell me about your life there, what you enjoyed doing; tell me about you.”

Sam studied her notebook before deciding to close it; she would write down her notes when she either got to the House of Wind or whenever she could see Rhys or Feyre again to ask them to help her. Azriel's question left her with a blank. She knew who she was, but how do you explain it to someone else? It was akin to writing an 'About Me' section on a social media page or essay: daunting and slightly egotistical, never wanting to share shortcomings or weaknesses publicly.

But this was Azriel, someone Sam considered a friend, and this is exactly how you make friends, wasn't it? By giving yourself to someone else, piece by piece, and hoping they don’t hurt you in the future?

"Well, in the city, there was always something to do, some event was always happening, so you weren't often bored." Sam began, "I always enjoyed walking around downtown, learning more about its history. Um, I loved going to the beach." A smile started to form on her lips as she thought more about what to say to him. This was far more difficult than she had thought it was. "It wasn't an impressive beach by any means, just a strip of sand, but the sunsets are beautiful there."

Sam shifted in her seat, adjusting the blanket again. "There's a small National Park off of Skidaway Island," Her smile was nearly a shining star itself; it was so bright. "It's a seven-mile walking trail that I loved going to. The nature is beautiful, but you gotta time it righ' when goin' because the sand gnats will eat you up quick. I can't tell you how many times I've been ate up by those damn things."

She continued to talk about the museums and graveyards in Savannah, how old they were, how haunted they were, and the backstory of the city she had called home. She told him how massive container ships would travel down the Savannah River to the port just past that silver bridge he had seen a picture of. The more she talked, the more animated she got, and the more her accent slipped into that melodious southern drawl of hers. Words became elongated, her vowels became mixed, and she spoke slower as if savoring every word she said. Azriel had never heard an accent like it and was mesmerized by it.

"...but there were a lot of local restaurants and shops that I liked to pop into. I like to experience new foods and flavors; that’s where my love of cooking comes from.”

“You love to cook?” He asked, leaning back in the chair, filing away all the information she was giving away in his memory.

"Oh yeah! I make a mean chicken cordon bleu and fire biscuits and gravy; I'll have to make it for y’all one day." Sam grinned at him and crossed her legs, leaning her weight on the elbow that propped her up on the armrest. "You'll love it."

"I'm sure I will." He returned the smile even though he wasn’t sure exactly what those dishes were. "You'll have to make a lot; Cassian and I can put away some food."

"Can't be as bad as a high school football team," Sam leaned back to look at the night sky as the memory flashed through her mind. "I don't think I made so many cheeseburgers and chicken sandwiches in my entire life. Before comin’ here, I worked in a small restaurant in town, and football is a biiig thing in the South, so the team was traveling to another county to compete for a spot in the playoffs, and, lord have mercy, are teenage boys the equivalent to garbage trucks.” She laughed loudly with a hand on her stomach. “I made over 200 burgers that day to feed the entire team and coaching staff; I couldn't eat a burger for a month afterward.”

“What’s football?”

Sam's eyes grew wide before a wicked smile grew across her face. Azriel suppressed a shudder as a thrill ran through him at the sight of it. "It's the best sport out there, American Football, that is. There are different versions of 'football,' but in America, we like to be different from the rest of the world. We're pains in the ass, really.”

A talon scraped against the barrier of his mind, and he fought the sigh that threatened to escape him as Sam launched into her explanation of the sport. He was enjoying his time with her, sitting on the roof, forgetting their respective traumas, and allowing themselves to exist alongside each other. It had grown rare with his family since each brother had found their mates.

He lowered his mental shields enough for Rhys to slip through, “Az, where are you?”

"At the townhouse with Sam, " he mentally replied. He watched Sam slowly stop speaking when she noticed his tense posture, which he had tried to disguise.

"I need you and Cass to go to the Day and Autumn border to intercept Eris. A message arrived at the Court of Nightmares demanding answers to the breach, and I would like to prevent him from reaching the Night Court."

“That didn’t take him long.”

"I'd be impressed if Sam had already settled in, but time is of the essence."

“Anything else?”

“Sooth his curiosity but give no further information.”

“Understood. We will depart here in 20 minutes.”

“Safe travels.”

Azriel felt Rhys leave his mind, and his mental barriers snapped back into place. Sam leaned forward against the table, “What is it?”

Azriel looked at her apologetically, deciding then and there to give her an answer. He didn't feel right leaving her in the dark when the matter concerned her and would likely continue to affect her. It was becoming a habit of his when he was with her. "Rhys needs Cass and I to go intercept someone. We will be leaving shortly."

“Oh,” Sam did her best to hide her disappointment at his leaving. “Well, I’ll make a note to explain football later.” She cracked a smile, but he could tell she had been enjoying their conversation as much as he had been.

“We will be back tomorrow afternoon or tomorrow evening," Azriel assured her, rising from his chair. Enjoy Velaris tomorrow, and take Lucien with you."

Sam turned to look at Velaris, at all the twinkling lights from below and the glistening reflection of the Sidra. She wanted to explore the city before going to the House, where she would be fully immersed in her research. Who knows when she would have another chance to do it? "That sounds like a good idea. Hopefully, Lucien won't mind taking me.”

Azriel turned to look at the city, and a sickening feeling erupted within him. He wanted to be the one to show her Velaris, to see her expression of wonder again as she experienced what the city had to offer her. Another thing lost to Lucien. "Visit the Palace of Hoof and Leaf. It's a market square near the townhouse with various spices and herbs. I think you would enjoy it."

Sam lit up at the idea, looked towards him, stood up with him, and grabbed her notebook. "Be safe, okay? I don't know what you'll have to do, but whatever it is, be safe."

Azriel nodded, holding out his hand so she could walk back inside the townhouse first. As they descended the stairs together, Az caught sight of the scars on his hands and felt the frown on his face. He knew she had seen them the night before, and today, she touched his hands during the afternoon target practice. He felt disgusted with himself, knowing that she had felt their roughness and that he hadn't worn his gloves to hide them. She hadn't said anything about them, but he feared what she would say when the story came around, highlighting the trauma of his childhood and, subsequently, who he became after it.

He stopped before her door without realizing he had walked her back to her room. She turned to him and smiled. "Thank you for trying to get to know me. I appreciate the effort."

“I find...I find you interesting.”

Sam snorted, “I don’t know why besides the obvious reason, but...either way, thank you. It means a lot to me that you’re doin’ it.”

Azriel felt his chest swell, his wings tucking in tightly. "I will see you tomorrow, Sam; get some rest."

“Thank you, Az. Be safe.” She opened her door and stepped inside, looking at him one last time before shutting the door quietly behind her.

He stood outside her door momentarily, contemplating telling Rhys that he and Cass would leave tomorrow morning instead, but he didn't have a good enough reason for the delay. Also, Eris would inquire about Sam; his job was to protect and keep her under the radar as much as possible. He sighed, turning to walk down the hall to the room he had taken up as his while at the townhouse. One of his shadows stayed behind, slipping underneath Sam's door and running along the edge of the room.

Cassian met him back on the roof ten minutes later, outfitted in his Illyrian leathers and a pack of supplies strapped between his wings. Resolving the situation should only take a day, but they had been sent out on enough missions that they knew a snag in the plan was likely, especially when Autumn Court was involved.

Azriel and Cassian launched into the sky, wings beating against the current as they found their altitude, the wind aiding them in their flight south. Sam watched from her window as the two winged males, black specks in the darkened night sky, grew smaller and smaller until they were invisible.

Tag List: @smol-grandpa, @daughterofthemoons-stuff, @plants-w0rld, @rcarbo1

[ladylilithprime]

= Suptober2024 Masterpost =

Well, it's definitely been a wild ride across several different pairings and a few different continuities, new and old! Every story will be going up on AO3 in between my work on Novelember, but here is the big collective Masterpost of all of the fics (with notes about continuity and content warnings) that I managed to write over the course of October. Since apparently the Great Pumpkin decided to bring me the gift of being able to write smut this year, the stories with "lemonade stand content" will be marked with a 🍋 [lemon emoji]. Please click responsibly!

Day 1: Autumn

Sastiel. Castiel takes a moment to appreciate the promise of the day and the one with whom he gets to share it.

Day 2: Spa Day

Sastiel. Sam gives Castiel a manicure, and Castiel has no time for Dean's more chauvinistic attitudes.

Day 3: Royalty

Sastiel, follow-up to Day 2. Castiel gives Sam a massage.

Day 4: Birthday

Gen, implied Sastiel. Canon-compliant, including the Finale. Sam really doesn't like celebrating his birthday for a lot of reasons.

Day 5: Scars

Sastiel, picks up from Day 3. It's Castiel's turn to get the royal massage treatment.

Day 6: Electric

Sastiel, prelude to Day 7. A case turns out not to be a case, leaving Sam and Castiel with a paid for motel room and a whole night of unexpected free time. No lemons yet, but the lube makes an appearance.

Day 7: Thankful 🍋

Sastiel, direct follow-on to Day 6. Castiel lays Sam out on the bed and gives thanks for the feast he is being given to enjoy. While the author is of the opinion that this is exactly the sort of content one should read in church, your respective clergical staff may not agree.

Day 8: Witch's Brew

Sastiel. Castiel eventually notices that Sam prefers tea to coffee and goes about ensuring his beloved can enjoy it more often.

Day 9: Moon

Pre-Wincest, set in the werewolf!Sam'verse, Dean's POV of finding out his brother isn't as innocent, or as human, as he used to be. Sam's POV is Day 28.

Day 10: Mushrooms

Jamstiel, set in the Grand Not-Coven of Palo Alto series. Witch!Sam and his familiar, Bones, take hunter twins Jimmy and Cas Novak on a foraging expedition.

Day 11: Myth

Sastiel, wherein Sam is Hades, Persephone is the name of Castiel's vessel, and the story of their meeting and getting together has a lot less kidnapping.

Day 12: Harvest Festival

Sastiel. Sequel to With Festive Airs Attending from the 2017 Sastiel Love Week. Companion to Day 30. Sam and Castiel go back to the Autumn Festival where they had their first date.

Day 13: Monster Mash

Wincest, set in the werewolf!Sam'verse after Day 19 but before Day 23. A werewolf, a hunter, and an Angel of the Lord walk into a bar to meet up with an Archangel hiding as a pagan god.

Day 14: Fave Episode

Swesson. Dean Smith is a very successful VP of Sales and Marketing, but he's kind of an idiot about his crush on the hot IT guy.

Day 15: Sigils

Inspired by Somebody Else's Thanksgiving by @posingasme , wherein Castiel is determined to warn Sam and Dean about Heaven's deceit and Sam has an unorthodox plan to derail the Apocalypse.

Day 16: Falling

Sastiel. Snapshot within the beginning of Day 31. Home repair is occasionally hazardous. Castiel has falling trauma.

Day 17: Wings 🍋

Sastiel. Follows Day 7, wherein Chekhov’s Lube from Day 6 makes its return appearance.

Day 18: Family Business

Gen, background Jamstiel. Set in the Fearie Court of Avalon, NJ series. Sam is a half-faerie prince, Cas and Jimmy Novak are his husbands, and Jack is their adopted selkie son. Summer break is looming and Jack's plans are apparently less foregone than some people thought.

Day 19: Dark & Stormy Night

Pre-Wincest (Sam is on board but Dean is oblivious), set in the werewolf!Sam'verse after Days 9 and 28 but before Day 13. Wolves don't like thunderstorms any better than small boys.

Day 20: Limbo

Sastiel, set in the Familiar'verse. Sam Winchester is a lawyer and practicing witch. Detective John Castiel Novak is a cat shapeshifter and Sam’s familiar. Dean Winchester officially works for the FBI as a hunter community liaison.

Day 21: Cozy Treats

Sastiel. Set after Day 4. Actual Curtain Fic. Finale-compliant, with fem-vessel!Castiel as the Blurry Wife.

Day 22: Ladies

Donnamelia. Takes place in the Faerie Court of Avalon, NJ series. Donna Hanscum is a selkie sheriff. Amelia Everett Richardson is a veterinarian specializing in magical animals and animal forms. Matthew Pike is their foster son and best friends with Jack Kline Winchester, who is the adopted son of the faerie whose magic helped Amelia transition in exchange for her first born child– Amelia’s suggestion. The child’s sire is either John Castiel Novak or James Constantine Novak, who are twins and Sam’s husbands, and donated their sperm to the cause by way of artificial insemination. Bechdel test compliant.

Day 23: Fever 🍋

Set in the werewolf!Sam'verse, approximately mid-season 3. Sam and Dean are pledged to Loki, and Sam didn’t die at Cold Oak. No demon deal, no looming Apocalypse. Full-blown Wincest ahoy!

Day 24: Branded 🍋

Set in the werewolf!Sam'verse. Immediate Part 2 follow-up to Day 23. Wincest and lemony goodness ahoy!

Day 25: Parody

Gen...ish? Apologies to Edgar Allen Poe. I had a plan, and then Dean decided to be a jerk.

Day 26: Enchanted

Sastiel. Features Castiel's true form, magical artifacts, and the perils of a patriarchal secret society. While sex is discussed, none occurs within this narrative. Will be expanded later.

Day 27: Prayer

Wincest. Set in the werewolf!Sam'verse. Immediate follow-up to Day 13, before Day 23. Asking Dean to pray is a bad idea.

Day 28: Graves

Pre-Wincest. Set in the werewolf!Sam'verse, concurrent with Day 9 and before Day 19. Sam's POV of the events of Day 9 and how he became a werewolf.

Day 29: Blue

Phoenix and Dragon'verse. Established Samichael, pre Casamichael. So. Many. Angel wings~

Day 30: Nostalgia

Dean-centric, background Sastiel. Companion to Day 12. Dean gets to kick back by himself for a bit while Sam and Cas are on their "couples retreat".

Day 31: Halloween/Costumes

Sastiel. Set in the same continuity and after Day 16. Curtain-ish fic.

Enjoy!

[brooklynislandgirl]

Advent Calendar || Day Three @ifyoucatchacriminal

Maybe there will come a day when Spencer regrets letting Beth have a spare key to his apartment. Maybe one day he will notice that her joking about being menahune will become funny to him. But as she puts the last touches together, she's already starting to second guess herself. She isn't even sure if Spencer has a particular observation or subscribes to any particular denomination of belief. He's never negatively questioned her about being able to hold onto different beliefs herself, as if one can go to mass several times a week and certainly celebrate Catholic holidays while still having faith in the gods of her mother's culture, blending them together into a kind of neo-paganism that is extremely personal. Given that she has a set amount of hours to work with, she waits in her car until he leaves for work. Barring a new case popping up, she has roughly ten hours or so to work her okole off and she does; the tree ~ a living one, because neither of them are fond of killing, and a potential engagement to replant it in the future ~is so very modest compared to the ones in her townhouse, the Admiral's, and her church's. But the decorations are all antique. Things from her attic boxes, new lights, bulbs curated over weeks from various thrift stores and estate sales. Some are hand made, like the stocking she places on one of the small outer branches. And so is the tree skirt upon which a modest collection of gifts rest. Not only for him but for Diana, the members of his team. Beth knows enough to understand family in all its various shapes. She's carefully anchored a shelf to act as a mantle that won't ruin his wallpaper. Boughs of cedar mixed with holly, dried orange wheels studded with cloves wrap green arms around a single candle ~white, beeswax, hand-dipped~ in a hurricane glass. She can't hang the mistletoe high enough to have it hang over his head. Mostly because she can't reach a good spot with his tray-ceilings. That will have to be a cautiously negotiated verbal contract with them. Dinner catered in because she doesn't want him to suffer food poisoning rests in the oven to keep arm, along with desserts and breakfast from Jay's shop sit temptingly on the counter. Wine chills in his fridge but she's got a pot of coffee brewing. A home filled with light, warmth, joy, comfort. Everything he deserves to come back to, or at least what she wants to give him. She's adjusting the star atop the tree when she hears his key in the lock and feels her belly tighten. There's no way he can't hear the soft, instrumental holiday music playing on his turn table. And just as he turns in, she turns around. Tender smile and gleaming eyes in contrast to the hip hugging dark skirt and matching cropped shirt. Bare feet with one set of toes atop the other, the faintest jingle of the belled anklet. Her voice is cinnamon-tinted apple cider warmed. "Some say, that ever 'gainst that season comes, Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated, This bird of dawning singeth all night long;

"And then, they say, no spirit dare stir abroad. The nights are wholesome, then No planets strike, no fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm, So hallow'd and so gracious is the time."

[broomsick]

What daily things do you find your gods in? For example, finding Freyr in the sound of a bird's song or Loki in the flames of a fire. It'd be cool to see a list of your associations for them. c:

Personal day-to-day associations with the Gods

Óðinn: the traditional Scandinavian music I listen to, reading books, hearing or telling stories, darkness in general (like after having closed all the lights in the house), red wine and strong alcohols such as spirits, local woodland berries such as currants, gooseberries, blackcurrant (etc). 

Yngvi-Freyr: cooking/baking (especially traditional food), windy days, hikes in the woods, fall colors, sunsets, road trips, picking flowers, light rain, gardening, the countryside, cold tea, the moment when spring becomes summer.

Thórr: doing manual work, beer, dusk, taking well deserved breaks from work, cloudy days, evergreen trees, disconnecting from technology and reconnecting with the open air, eating or cooking red meats, weather events ranging from light snow to strong rains, singing at the top of my lungs, joking around with friends, going to the bar after a hard week’s work, celebrations in general.

Freyja: showering and taking baths, perfumes and anything fragrant, eating fruit, doing a skincare routine or buying a new skincare product, collecting fallen tree leaves, visiting a pagan shop, practicing magic, warm colors and especially red, petting cats, having funny exchanges with friends and sharing current concerns with them. 

Frigg: learning traditional crafts, attending local events, speaking with elders, enjoying a moment of harmony with family, feeling at home, cooking or baking, browsing through farmers’ markets, telling a loved one I love them, doing nostalgic stuff to reconnect with my childhood (such as watching children’s movies!) and doing divination, especially tarot.

Baldr: the color blue, cloudless skies, very cold days, whenever I see springs or waterfalls (which doesn’t happen that often but still!), seeing children play, birds’ song, listening to soft music such as flute, harp or lyre, whenever I willfully build up self confidence (I always feel like He’s the one encouraging me).

Loki: listening to classic rock or power metal, starting bonfires or woodstoves, fire in general like playing around with a lighter or matches, playing pranks, making spontaneous decisions, puzzles and riddles, masks though I’m not certain why.

Týr: seeing fur garments such as fur coats or winter clothing, traveling by boat, camping in thick and isolated woods, browsing through medieval shops, wolf imagery, cuddling up by a fire after a cold day spent outside, whenever a battle scene comes up in a movie or show, celtic music but I’m not sure why I make that association honestly!

Hel: gothic-style clothes, incense, skull imagery, practicing magic and divination, spirit work, ancestor work, visiting loved one’s graves and leaving flowers, graveyards in general (especially those in small villages), learning about different spiritualities and the way they each envision the afterlife.

Heimdallr: caring for animals, spending alone time outside, climbing trees or rocks, high places in general, reading through the Völuspá, making the effort to listen instead of speak, making a kind gesture randomly, helping people in general.

Skaði: hiking in the mountains, stays at cabins, exploring woods, staying at very unpopulated areas, evergreen trees and especially spruce, watching snowstorms, meditation, hearing/reading mythological stories, winter comfort foods such as soups and meats, stargazing.

Eir: herbalism, learning about local plants and trees, brewing potions, caring for a sick loved one, kitchen witchcraft, and something we call “grandma recipes” over here, that consist of dubiously scientific medicine (lying on your left side to heal an upset stomach quicker, using potato peels against warts, etc). I’d have to make a whole post to list those out. These types of medicine tricks that seem mysteriously effective ahaha!

These are only a few of my deities, but they’re the ones I feel closest to these days.

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 9.23

Holidays

Al-Yaom Al-Watany (Saudi Arabia)

Asian Corpsetwt Day [Every 23rd]

Asteroid Day

Autumn Stroll Day

Barbara Gordon Day

Batman Day (DC Comics)

Bi Visibility Day (UK)

Bonn Phchum Ben (Ancestors’ Day; Cambodia)

Celebrate Bisexuality Day (a.k.a. Bisexual Pride & Bi Visibility Day)

Checkers Day

Chuuk Liberation Day (Micronesia)

Day of the Genocide of Lithuania's Jews (Lithuania)

Dogs in Politics Day

Education Technology Day

Flashbulb Day

Gray Cat Day

Grito de Lares (Puerto Rico)

Haryana Veer and Shahidi Divas (Haryana, India)

Holocaust Memorial Day (Lithuania)

I Have Not Yet Begun To Fight Day

Innergize Day [Day after Equinox]

International Bi Visibility Day

International Day Against Sexual Exploitation & Trafficking of Women & Children

International Day of Sign Languages

International Hospitality Women’s Day

International Restless Legs Syndrome Day

International Za’atar Day

King’s Birthday (Western Australia)

Kyrgyz Language Day (Kyrgyzstan)

Landscape-Nursery Day

Learn to Code Day

Martyrs Day (Haryana, India)

National AFM Day (a.k.a. Acute Flaccid Myelitis Day)

National Acute Flaccid Myelitis Day

National Checkers Day

National Day of School Failure Prevention

National Day of Women’s Political Rights (Argentina)

National Field Marketer’s Day

National Fitness Day (Ireland)

National Go With Your Gut Day

National Maritime Day

National Property Manager’s Day

National Redhead Appreciation Day

National Singles Day

National Teletext Day (UK)

National Temperature Control Day

National Volleyball Day

Neptune Day

New Year's Day (Constantinople)

Nintendo Day

Pancake Queen Memorial Day

Puffy Shirt Day (Seinfeld)

Restless Legs Awareness Day

Saffron Day (French Republic)

Speed Racer Day

Sügise Algus (a.k.a. Sügisene Pööripäev; Estonia, Finland, Sweden)

Teachers’ Day (Brunei)

Thrue Bab (Blessed Rainy Day; Bhutan)

Teal Talk Day

That'll Be the Day Day

West Nordic Day

World Adopted Dog Day

World Maritime Day (UN)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Chewing Gum Day

Gastronomy Day (France)

Great American Pot Pie Day

Hummerpremiär (Lobster Festival; Sweden)

National Apple Cider Vinegar Day

National Bacon Butty Day (UK)

National Baker Day

National Snack Stick Day

Za’atar Day

Independence & Related Days

Duchy of Prussian Britannia (Declared; 2014) [unrecognized]

Unification Day (Saudi Arabia)

4th Monday in September

American Indian Day (Tennessee) [4th Monday]

Canterbury South Province Day (New Zealand) [4th Monday]

CASAColumbia Family Day [4th Monday]

Dominion Day (New Zealand) [4th Monday]

Family Day — A Day To Eat Dinner With Your Children [4th Monday]

Meditation Monday [Every Monday]

Mellow Monday [4th Monday of Each Month]

Monday Musings [Every Monday]

Motivation Monday [Every Monday]

Mushroom Monday [4th Monday of Each Month]

National Eat Dinner with Your Family Day [4th Monday]

Weekly Holidays beginning September 23 (4th Full Week of September)

Falls Prevention Awareness Week (thru 9.27)

Global Week of Student Prayer (thru 9.27)

International Happiness at Work Week (thru 9.27)

International Week of the Deaf (thru 9.29) [M-Sun including Last Sunday]

Festivals Beginning September 23, 2024

Mayberry Days (Mt. Airy, North Carolina) [thru 9.29]

Feast Days

Adomnán (Christian; Saint)

Augustalia (Ancient Rome)

Bunster Winding (Shamanism)

Carl-Henning Pedersen (Artology)

Cicciolina Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Cissa of Crowland (or of Northumbria; Christian; Saint)

Citua (Feast to the Moon; Ancient Inca)

Corneille (Positivist; Saint)

Emmuska Orczy (Writerism)

Feast of Chukem (Deity of Footraces; Colombia)

Feast of the Ingathering (a.k.a. Harvest Home, Kirn or Mell-Supper; UK)

Festival of Papa, Wife of Rangi (Maori; New Zealand)

Festival of the Goddess Ninkasi (Sumerian Goddess of Brewing)

František Kupka (Artology)

James Carroll Beckwith (Artology)

Libra zodiac sign begins (Pagan)

Linus, Pope (Christian; Saint)

Louise Nevelson (Artology)

Manolo and Carlo Flamingo (Muppetism)

Matthew Pratt (Artology)

Paul Delvaux (Artology)

Padre Pio (a.k.a. Pio of Pietreclcina; Christian; Saint)

Pekka Halonen (Artology)

Sossius (Christian; Saint)

Stan Lynde (Artolgy)

Suzanne Valadon (Artology)

Thecla (Roman Catholic Church)

Walk the Plank Day (Pastafarian)

Wesley Chu (Writerism)

Xanthippe and Polyxena (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [39 of 53]

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [45 of 60]

Premieres

Abraxas, by Carlos Santana (Album; 1970)

Aja, by Steely Dan (Album; 1977)

Arsenic and Old Lace (Film; 1944)

Baa Baa Black Sheep (TV Series; 1976)

The Blacklist (TV Series; 2013)

Blonde (Film; 2022)

Brave Little Tailor (Disney Cartoon; 1938)

Bridges to Babylon, by The Rolling Stones (Album; 1997)

Bunker Hill Bunny (WB MM Cartoon; 1950)

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Film; 1969)

Capture the Saint, by Burt Barer (Novel; 1997) [Saint #52]

Corpse Bride (Animated Film; 2005)

The Count of Monte Cristo (Hanna-Barbera Animated TV Special; 1973)

Crazy House (Andy Panda Cartoon; 1940)

Daffy’s in Trouble (WB LT Cartoon; 1961)

Difficult Loves, by Italo Calvino (Novel; 1970)

Dolphin Tale (Film; 2011)

Educating Rita (Film; 1983)

Enola Holmes (Film; 2020)

Girls with Balls (Film; 2018)

The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt (Novel; 2013)

Goofy Gymnastics (Disney Cartoon; 1949)

The Greatest Beer Run Ever (Film; 2022)

Heroes, by David Bowie (Song; 1977)

Highway Hecklers (Chilly WIlly Cartoon; 1968)

I’ve Got to Sing a Torch Song (WB MM Cartoon; 1933)

JAG (TV Series; 1995)

Jeepers Creepers (WB LT Cartoon; 1939)

The Jetsons (Animated TV Series; 1962)

Light of the Midnight Fun (WB MM Cartoon; 1939)

Mad About You (TV Series; 1992)

Moneyball (Film; 2011)

Modern Family (TV Series; 2009)

Mom (TV Series; 2013)

Mutiny Ain’t Nice (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1938)

NCIS (TV Series; 2003)

Night of the Living Duck (WB LT Cartoon; 1988)

North, by Elvis Costello (Album; 2003)

The Nylon Curtain, by Billy Joel (Album; 1982)

One Tree Hill (TV Series; 2003)

Only When I Laugh (Film; 1981)

Oo-oo Birds of a Feather (George of the Jungle Cartoon; 1967) [#3]

Parallel Lines, by Blondie (Album; 1978)

People Are Strange, by The Doors (Song; 1967)

Phantom of the Opera, by Gaston Leroux (Novel; 1909)

Pink Pull (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1978)

Pink Suds (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1978)

The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran (Prose Poetry; 1923)

Rodent to Stardom (WB LT Cartoon; 1967)

Round Trip to Mars (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1957)

Scooby-Doo! And the Goblin King (WB Animated Film; 2008)

The Shawshank Redemption (Film; 1994)

Sicque! Sicque! Sicque! (The Inspector Cartoon; 1966)

Sky Scrapper (Ub Iwerks Disney Cartoon; 1928)

Sledge Hammer! (TV Series; 1987)

Slouching Towards Bethlehem, by Joan Didion (Essays; 1968)

Storks (Animated Film; 2016)

Up a Tree (Disney Cartoon; 1955)

The Veldt, by Ray Bradbury (Short Story; 1950)

When I Was Cruel, by Elvis Costello (Album; 2002)

Whose Line Is It Anyway? (UK Improv Series; 1988)

Wild Ralph Hiccup (Super Chicken Cartoon; 1967) [#3]

The Wolf’s Side of the Story (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1938)

Today’s Name Days

Gerhild, Helene, Linus, Thekla (Austria)

Elizabeta, Lino, Pijo, Tekla, Zaharija (Croatia)

Berta (Czech Republic)

Linus (Denmark)

Diana, Dolores, Tekla (Estonia)

Mielikki, Miisa, Minja (Finland)

Constant, Faustine (France)

Linus, Gerhild, Thekla (Germany)

Iris, Polixeni, Rais, Xanthippe, Xanthippi (Greece)

Tekla (Hungary)

Lino, Pio, Rebecca (Italy)

Ivanda, Omula, Vanda, Veneranda (Latvia)

Galintas, Galintė, Linas, Teklė (Lithuania)

Snefrid, Snorre (Norway)

Boguchwała, Bogusław, Libert, Minodora, Tekla (Poland)

Zdenka (Slovakia)

Constancio, Lino, Pío, Tecla (Spain)

Tea, Tekla (Sweden)

Autumn, Linnet, Linnette, Lynette, Lynn, Lynne (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 267 of 2024; 99 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 1 of Week 39 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Muin (Vine) [Day 23 of 28]

Chinese: Month 8 (Guy-You), Day 21 (Geng-Yin)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 20 Elul 5784

Islamic: 19 Rabi I 1446

J Cal: 27 Gold; Sixday [27 of 30]

Julian: 10 September 2024

Moon: 61%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 15 Shakespeare (10th Month) [Almarcon]

Runic Half Month: Gyfu (Gift) [Day 2 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 2 of 90)

Week: 4th Full Week of September

Zodiac: Libra (Day 1 of 30)

Calendar Changes

Libra (Balance) begins [Zodiac Sign 7; thru 10.22]

[tleeaves]

you're into homeopathy, right?? i find the internet is getting worse and worse at being able to find homeopathy writings from actually half decent sources. and it's really annoying bc we use it to help out with medical stuff for the guinea fowls when avian vet things are still in their infancy, and my grandma is the most knowledgeable in the family but i think mental health stuff has been influencing her intuition and idk what to do for her but also i really want to learn as holitic healing fascinates me. so where do you find yours?

In a sense, yes. More like I hate taking more pills and drugs than I need to since I've been having them heavily on and off since I was ten years old and it's taken a toll on my digestive system, and so I turned to some more natural remedies in my diet, and recently I've taken a dive into herbalism history and theory. The most I know is about herbalism, really, and just the things that are good for certain ailments. I'm no expert at all, so I'm always looking to other sources.

So, for holistic healing, or for looking for a place to start in that direction, I recommend several things from how I've gone about it in my experience:

Start online with any questions you have about foods/drinks. For example, you want to know the health benefits of chamomile or chamomile tea (the latter, in my view, being the best way to consume it anyway, and many sources agree), so you search it, and you also find out its uses. I recommend going to sites like healthline and Dr. Axe (I mostly use and trust healthline though, and I recommend always seeking out more than one source). Always seek the more medical sources, in my opinion.

If you don't know precisely what foods and things to begin, I would usually start then with a problem: ie. "foods to help with anxiety" and go from there (you'll see chamomile come up, as well as green tea (I'm very into tea-related remedies particularly)).

Go to your local library and borrow books on homeopathy, herbalism, and other related topics. You don't need to overload yourself -- I've only just started with herbalism books since I had the seeds of knowledge about it and wanted to expand a bit out of curiosity (I was led down the rabbit hole when looking into paganism and witchcraft, funnily enough).

Some towns have a specialty business for alternative medicine, or you can occasionally find what you're looking for (say, bottles of ginger pills or something) in a regular pharmacy. Otherwise, many ingredients are things you can find in your supermarket or garden, and be incorporated into dishes and brews.

As you seem to know, a fair amount of this tends to be passed down as families have their own variants of "home remedies". I know of one where my yiayia would use vicks but apply it to the sole of your foot before putting socks on to help with colds, and occasionally things to do with potato slices at night in your socks, or lemons in your mouth for other things -- I could ask her about it, but I haven't since I mostly have stuck to other things I know (I am not ready to coat my feet in goop). And I think everyone knows the eucalyptus steam trick for nasal congestion. But anyway, I would recommend asking someone whose knowledge you trust. I'm also lucky to know a few pharmacists, and I tend to check with them on everything, just in case. A pharmacist I would trust over a doctor in terms of medicinal cures, and I would encourage you to check with them at the counter on anything if/when you buy.

Anyway, I will always most strongly recommend books on the subject. Get a few so you can cross-reference the advice and information. Trust your gut as well, weird as that may sound. Know the herbs that can have adverse affects, try to stick with the safer items first. Definitely just learn more about how your diet affects your health holistically.

And that's all I've got! Hopefully you got something out of that, idk if my advice is all that good. Please don't sue, I do not claim to be an expert in anything at all. Homeopathy is not quite my area, I just think of it as "things humans can eat or drink that benefit their health" and work off that.

[fearsmagazine]

LORD OF MISRULE - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Magnet Releasing

SYNOPSIS: Rebecca Holland, along with her husband, Henry, and their 9-year-old daughter, Grace, has now spent a full year in their new home, the small British village of Berrow, where Rebecca is the vicar of the local church. Berrow’s annual four-day autumn festival approaches, a time when villagers dress up in strange costumes and a masked figure known as the Lord of Misrule leads them in casting out the evil spirit Gallowgog. For this year’s reenactment Grace has been chosen to play the Harvest Angel. As dusk falls, Rebecca loses track of Grace in the throng of villagers in a ceremonial field where bonfires burn. Rebecca searches for her in vain, but Grace has disappeared. A desperate search begins and Rebecca uncovers secrets from the town’s dark past. Soon, she must decide how much she is willing to sacrifice to rescue her daughter from the grip of the evil that dwells in Berrow.

REVIEW: The director of “The Devil Inside,” “The Boy,” and “Orphan: First Kill,” comes a haunting folk tale of a secluded community in the British isles that practices a pagan ritual steeped in a horrific truth. The film is an excellent marriage of narrative and visuals to craft a terrifying tale.

I love Tom DeVille’s narrative. He does a superb job of mixing this pagan tale with contemporary themes and adds in a supernatural element with an evil spirit, Gallowgog, to create a horrifying fairy tale that is every parent’s worst nightmare. The Lord of Misrule is a tale that is found in European cultures, with its origin being traced back to the Roman celebration of Saturnalia, that took place from the 17th to 23rd December. In the film, De Ville anchor’s the legend as part of a harvest celebration. He brings in some of the background of how the Catholic Church and the Church of England forced their religion onto the local people and replaced their festivals with Christian ones. Clearly there is a troubled past brewing at the Holland household. Rebecca and Henry are having issues, and when we first meet Grace we get an idea that something is wrong. Is that a result of the darkness that resides in the town or something the family is trying to escape. Rebecca tightly holds onto her beliefs as she is confronted by the town’s grim history; she demonstrates a strength through her logic that leaves the viewer feeling she might survive this encounter. There is just so much here for the sophisticated genre fan to sink their teeth into given everything DeVille weaves into the story.

Filmmaker William Brent Bell, as with several of his previous films but more so here, has an excellent location that permits him the opportunity to create a visually arresting fairy tale nightmare for De Ville’s story to play out in. Add to that excellent productions designs, costume designs, with arresting visual and special effects that make for a hypnotic tale. He does an excellent job of pacing the film as to allow the viewer to feel Rebecca’s becoming disoriented in the horrors that develop without slowing the film down. Brett Detar’s score adds so much to the film. There is a particular moment in the film when the town folks show up with food and start setting up for dinner where the score underpins Rebecca’s mental state and the insanity of everything that is going on around them. Itadds depth to the visuals and enhances the build ups of terror and suspense.

LORD OF MISRULE features an exceptional ensemble cast. There is an aspect to the supporting cast that I found reminiscent of Rosemary Woodhouse’s neighbors in Polanski’s film. I loved actor Ralph Ineson’s performance as Jocelyn Abney. It is grounded more in a character that feels lifted from today’s news feeds like a Brexiteer or Maga Republican. It makes for a new kind of sinister. Evie Templeton does not have much screen time as Grace, but what she delivers is enchanting and horrifying at times. Tuppence Middleton is someone who you’ll know that you’ve seen before, and clearly her performance here demonstrates why she has appeared in so many projects, from episodic shows to big studio features. Her portrayal of Rebecca is an emotional rollercoaster ride that conveys the intense emotional journey of the character as she navigates this cinematic nightmare.

Filmmaker William Brent Bell and screenwriter Tom DeVille, along with a marvelous cast headed by Tuppence Middleton and Ralph Ineson, tell a rich and haunting tale that is as much an epic horror tale as it is social commentary. This spellbinding cinematic tale is a complex visual and narrative experience that feels like it could be based on a bestselling novel from a master of the genre. LORD OF MISRULE is a film worth going to the cinema to experience. Bell and DeVille are an impressive team who I’d welcome an opportunity to take in something they might again unite on.

CAST: Tuppence Middleton, Ralph Ineson, Matt Stokoe, Evie Templeton, Rosalind March, Jane Wood, Luc Ineson, & David Langham. CREW: Director - William Brent Bell; Screenplay - Tom DeVille; Producers - Nik Bower, Deepak Nayar, Jason Newmark, Laurie Cook, William Brent Bell, James Tomlinson, &Alison Brister; Cinematographer - Simon Rowling; Score - Brett Detar; Editor - Andrew Leven; Production Designer - Alison Butler; Costume Designer - Libby Irwin; Hair & Make-up Designer - Haelwyn Adams; SFX Supervisior - Sean Harland; Visual Effects - KOALA FX; Character Design & Illustrator - Zsombor Huszka; Special Effects - Matter FX. OFFICIAL: N.A. FACEBOOK: N.A. TWITTER: N.A. TRAILER: https://youtu.be/j8MqDwHEPxA?si=6WZFLifU_JUXIGBz RELEASE DATE: In theaters and on VOD December 8th, 2023

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

[haggishlyhagging]

Writing and surveying were essential to the existence of urban civilization, and Nisaba is thereby honored as the one who makes cities possible: “the place which you do not establish, there humankind is not established, cities are not built.” Other goddesses were also involved in such learned occupations. Amageshtinanna, who composed laments for her dead brother Dumuzi, was also called "mistress of scribes, and the goddess Nintu is also called the "great knower who knows everything." But it was primarily Nisaba who filled this role, honored by the scribes who ended their compositions with the short sentence, "Nisaba be praised!"

The scribes praising Nisaba were generally male. Why, then, did they imagine their profession to be under the tutelage of a female? And why did the singers and healers, many of whom were also men, pray to and praise their patron goddesses? The answer lies in the skilled nature of these activities and the contribution of women to their development. The cultural arts are learned occupations which require the accumulation of technological knowledge. They are wise activities and, as such, are attributed to wise women. Part of the reason that women were considered wise is psychological, for women were the chief caretakers of nursing children. This meant that the child developed in the presence of what seemed to her an all-knowing, all-powerful mother of early childhood, the "goddess of the nursery." There is another historical factor that should not be overlooked. Men were engaged in strenuous large-muscle occupations for which their superior upper-arm strength and generally heavier musculature was needed. In early Mesopotamia, they spent their time ploughing with oxen, digging ditches for irrigation, and building city walls for defense. Women, on the other hand, were tending children at home and producing basic goods by cooking, cloth making, and beer brewing. Such activities are technologically sophisticated and complicated and must have appeared particularly intricate in comparison to the activities in which most males were engaged. The skilled nature of women's activities must have reinforced from early childhood the psychological impression of the wise mother. These two factors contribute to an image of the female as accumulating, utilizing, and dispensing expert knowledge.

-Tikva Frymer-Kensky, In the Wake of the Goddesses: Women, Culture, and the Biblical Transformation of Pagan Myth

[piscesseer]

Lughnasadh: The First Harvest

Lughnasadh is a pagan holiday that falls on the first of August to celebrate the beginning of the harvest season. It’s also known as Lughnasa, and Alban Heruin.

This holiday celebrates the abundance of the growing season as we look forward to the rest of the harvest. It's time to give thanks for the first fruits of the harvest, enjoy the fruits of one's labor and to celebrate the abundance of the earth. It is also a time to reflect on the past year and to look forward to the future. Be grateful for the blessings in one's life and appreciate the beauty of the world around us.

The origins of this day are Celtic. According to the lore, the Celtic God Lugh prevailed over the evil Balor, and saved crops from scorching. Lugh is a god of light, healing, and knowledge, and his victory over Balor is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope for a better future. The crops that were saved from scorching represent the abundance and prosperity that comes with the light of the sun. We give thanks for the light of the sun and celebrate the victory of light over darkness.

Lughnasadh has been interchanged with the Christian holiday Lammas, or Loaf-mass. This holiday also celebrates the abundance of the growing season. It was customary for bread to be baked and blessed at the church. Today, it has been taken up with many neopagan religions, along with Christianity. While today the importance of the first harvest may not be as prevalent today, the idea of spiritual harvest is encouraged. This is a time of growth and renewed energy.

Lughnasadh and Lammas are often interchanged, but it’s important to know that the roots of the holidays are different. In time, they have come together to celebrate the first harvest, celebrate spiritual and personal growth, and enjoy the abundance of the Earth. Celebrate what feels right to you!

If you have set intentions this year and have been working with it through the seasons, now is the time to reflect on how you have grown and what these intentions are bringing you. 

Reflect on how your seeds from Imbolc have become ripe and vibrant. Think about all the hard work you put into them, from planting them to watering them and caring for them. Think about how they have grown and changed over time. Be proud of yourself for what you have accomplished. They are a reminder of your own strength and potential. Give thanks for Earth’s bounty and the beauty that surrounds us.

There are many ways to celebrate Lughnasadh. Some people attend festivals, while others hold feasts or go on picnics. Some people also make offerings to Lugh, such as bread or ale.

Here are some ideas for celebrating Lughnasadh:

Go on a walk to observe the changes in nature, check on your garden and gather herbs for spellwork. Go to the Farmer's Market, go apple picking or berry picking.

Spend time in the kitchen or around food, especially those that are associated with the harvest season, can be a great way to connect with nature and the cycle of life. Mess around with new recipes! Bake bread or toast bread you buy with herbs. Eat some late summer fruits.

Have a bonfire, picnic or dinner. Invite friends and family.  Share a brew with a loved one.

Decorate your home or alter. Tidy up your house and refresh your altar. Here are some symbols to add to your decor and alter: - wheat, corn, grains, or sunflowers - the colors green, orange and yellow. - animal symbols such as crows, pigs, calves, roosters and salmon. - more herbs, plants and flowers to use are oak trees, apple, basil, marigold, rose, rosemary

Update your witchy journals. Reflect on your talents and goals. Make a gratitude list.

Make Sun Water, used for protection, healing, clairvoyance, happiness, fertility, and creativity. Fill up a jar with water and put it on a windowsill or outside. The perfect time to place it is early morning. Add crystals, herbs and flowers if you want.

Fire and Sun spells are great around this time. Prosperity spells are wonderful too.

Lughnasadh is a time to celebrate the beauty of the natural world and the bounty of the harvest. It is a time to give thanks for all that we have and to look forward to the future. Find ways to celebrate that resonate with you. These are just suggestions that might inspire you!

[thesaintofnevergettingitright]

Oh thank god, I actually came up with an idea for the steddie bigbang. I was so scared I was gonna sign up and then freeze.

(brainstorm word vomit beneath the cut if anyone’s curious lol)

it’s not fully flushed out yet, but I’m thinking of going with an

~*~Orpheus/Eurydice Retelling~*~

I feel like the whole “drag your one true love out of hell but if you look at them you’ll both DIE” thing has very Steddie energy, ya know??

BUT I want Steve to be motivated mostly by Dustin and Lucas’s grief (at first)

cuz I think that Dustin would take Eddie’s death HARD. Like harder than the end of the last season would have us believe

especially since I’m thinking that, after Dustin tells him that Eddie’s gone, Wayne leaves Hawkins because he can’t stand being alone in the familiar place with all the memories etc. (which is very fair and valid)

but I think losing that one connection to Eddie would be the last straw for Dustin’s poor traumatized soul

Meanwhile Max isn’t snapping out of her coma and with every day that goes by, Lucas gets more and more withdrawn.

It gets to the point where Lucas isn’t talking to ANYONE and is spending every waking moment in the hospital. It’s unhealthy.

and so both Dustin and Lucas are getting more and more consumed by grief and Steve can see it happening and feels totally helpless to do anything

so he gets more and more desperate to find a way to FIX IT because the only thing he’s ever been able to do right is to TAKE CARE of these kids and now he’s FAILING

and the harder he tries to help, the harder Dustin pushes him away and the further Lucas retreats into himself

until finally Dustin lashes out in some way and blames Steve for everything that went wrong and says something hurtful (cuz he’s a deeply traumatized and grief-stricken child.)

and Lucas stops eating or sleeping and starts sneaking out of the house to spend even MORE time at the hospital

no! I lied! actually what Lucas starts doing is spending more and more time sleeping and no one really understands why (other than standard grief reasons)

finally Erica gets so worried that she goes to steve for help

So steve and erica (and robin because she and steve are a package deal) research the upside down and mythology and D&D and theoretical science and whatever else they can to try to find a way to make everything BETTER (I think Steve is claiming that he’s mostly focused on Max and getting her back, but he’s fully willing to do whatever it takes to get eddie back for dustin, including fucked up magic or sacrificing himself or WHATEVER)

this results in them adding eleven and will to the research crew cuz they need Upside Down experts

(I was thinking nancy might be a part of the research team, but actually maybe the wheelers leave town? In fact I think Nancy herself might pressure her parents into leaving for they sake of Holly’s safety? And mike would probably flat-out refuse to leave and end up staying with the Byers-Hopper clan, but I think Nancy would be haunted enough by Vecna’s vision that she’d do whatever it took to keep her family safe)

And they keep coming up empty on the research until Steve finds Eddie’s D&D notes for the campaign he was planning on running after they defeated Vecna

it was going to be a home-brew based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, but tweaked to fit better into D&D rules/logic, where the goal of the campaign was to save a god and a goddess who were trapped between worlds

Eddie based his version on the orpheus/eurydice myth, d&d lore, and some satanic rituals he’d found while searching for new ways to antagonize the entire town lmao.

so robin/erica/steve end up retracing eddie’s steps in all of this research and suddenly Steve “The Hair” Harrington easily knows more about Satanism and like pagan magic than anyone else in Hawkins, probably INCLUDING eddie

somewhere in the middle of all this, steve starts dreaming about eddie and, at first, he thinks it’s just because he’s been thinking about him so much from retracing his steps. But then he starts feeling like the conversations he’s having with dream!eddie are feeling more and more real....

anyway they discover that the main difference between the original myth an the version Eddie came up with is that it would take TWO people to save each trapped god: a rescuer and an anchor

the anchor would help keep the rescuer connected to the “real”/mortal/whatever world, and the rescuer had to have a strong bond with both the person getting rescued AND the anchor

in the campaign, the “rescuer” was going to be determined by prophetic dreams getting sent to specific players, but they all write that off as just part of the game and figure all that’s needed is a strong bond.

so the plan is to send in El to rescue Max with Will acting as her anchor

they all wish they could do something to save eddie, but the focus is on max right now because she’s the one they KNOW is stuck between worlds

and steve and Erica both feel unsure about this plan, but Steve is used to trusting that his friends are smarter and doesn’t even know why he’s so unsure so he’s willing to go along with it...

but it turns out Erica was less willing to just go along with it and has essentially tattled to Dustin about the plan so before they can start the ~ritual~ or whatever, Lucas and Dustin burst through the door yelling incoherently

they’ve discovered two things:

1) it turns out that Lucas has been sleeping so much because he’s been having the same kind of dreams Steve has, but about Max

this prompts Steve to share his dreams with the group, saying that maybe this means that Eddie is actually alive, which Dustin agrees with and adds

2) it’s not just “any” strong bond that will work for the rescuee/rescuer/anchor bonds. Eddie’s notes were right, the rescuer has to be the person receiving dreams about the person stuck in the in-between, and the rescuer/anchor bond has to be FAMILIAL

so this means Eddie is out there and savable, because Steve is having dreams about him. No one really seems to understand WHY that bond manifested between Steve and Eddie, but they just have to roll with it

Lucas and steve are officially the Rescuers(TM)

then dustin gets this stricken look on his face cuz he realizes that Erica can be Lucas’s anchor, but there’s no one to anchor steve cuz his family sucks. so dustin starts insisting that steve shouldn’t go in cuz he’d just get lost along with eddie and that’s not what eddie would want and dustin doesn’t think he’d make it through losing steve too and and and and.....

and then steve shuts him up with a big hug and says something like “what are you talking about? I’ve got my whole family right here, including the world’s most annoying little brother.” *cue dustin sobbing*

just to be safe, both robin AND dustin step in as steve’s anchors

*insert emotional trip through the In Between (which I’ve decided is the name of the place Max and Eddie are stuck in)*

they make it out and there are a lot of very emotional reunions etc. etc. but for some reason eddie is avoiding eye contact with steve

That’s right we’re not done! now it’s time for part 2: just miscommunication and falling in love

so things are kinda awkward and tense between steve and eddie, especially when it’s determined that the smartest thing to do is to get eddie out of town while hopper works on clearing his name and creating a story for How Eddie Munson Isn’t Dead

Which means it’s time for my favorite trope: Road Trip to Murray’s!

Steve insists on coming along with Eddie, not trusting eddie not to disappear again, plus he wants to know why eddie’s been so weird around him ever since they got out of the In Between, plus it makes the most sense: he has a car, and his parents are never home so no one will notice that he’s gone for an extended period of time

When he finally demands eddie tells him what’s going on, turns out eddie is furious that steve risked his life to try to save him. like FUMING. and steve is so confused and distressed because he thought they were really connecting, hell he even thought he might be catching feelings for him....

then eddie doesn’t want steve to feel like he’s responsible for him or like he owes him anything etc. etc.

basically eddie is doing everything he can to push steve away, seemingly under the assumption that steve is there out of obligation

finally, Murray reveals that he’s been snooping through eddie’s stuff and whips out a piece of paper. It’s an as-yet-unknown secret missing page from Eddie’s D&D notes that the gang never found. Turns out the twist of the campaign was going to be something Eddie discovered in his research: the bond/the dreams only work between soulmates (ohmygod the were soulmates)

turns out eddie’s been functioning under the assumption that the soulmate bond went one way, cuz steve is straight (obvs), and thinks that the rescue only worked because he was so pathetically in love with steve, it made up for the deficit

Murray points out that this is stupid

steve also points out that this is stupid

they make out about it

some other stuff happens but that’s the most important parts

the end

[brookston]

Holidays 9.23

Holidays

Al-Yaom Al-Watany (Saudi Arabia)

Asian Corpsetwt Day [Every 23rd]

Asteroid Day

Autumn Stroll Day

Barbara Gordon Day

Batman Day (DC Comics)

Bi Visibility Day (UK)

Bonn Phchum Ben (Ancestors’ Day; Cambodia)

Celebrate Bisexuality Day (a.k.a. Bisexual Pride & Bi Visibility Day)

Checkers Day

Chuuk Liberation Day (Micronesia)

Day of the Genocide of Lithuania's Jews (Lithuania)

Dogs in Politics Day

Education Technology Day

Flashbulb Day

Gray Cat Day

Grito de Lares (Puerto Rico)

Haryana Veer and Shahidi Divas (Haryana, India)

Holocaust Memorial Day (Lithuania)

I Have Not Yet Begun To Fight Day

Innergize Day [Day after Equinox]

International Bi Visibility Day

International Day Against Sexual Exploitation & Trafficking of Women & Children

International Day of Sign Languages

International Hospitality Women’s Day

International Restless Legs Syndrome Day

International Za’atar Day

King’s Birthday (Western Australia)

Kyrgyz Language Day (Kyrgyzstan)

Landscape-Nursery Day

Learn to Code Day

Martyrs Day (Haryana, India)

National AFM Day (a.k.a. Acute Flaccid Myelitis Day)

National Acute Flaccid Myelitis Day

National Checkers Day

National Day of School Failure Prevention

National Day of Women’s Political Rights (Argentina)

National Field Marketer’s Day

National Fitness Day (Ireland)

National Go With Your Gut Day

National Maritime Day

National Property Manager’s Day

National Redhead Appreciation Day

National Singles Day

National Teletext Day (UK)

National Temperature Control Day

National Volleyball Day

Neptune Day

New Year's Day (Constantinople)

Nintendo Day

Pancake Queen Memorial Day

Puffy Shirt Day (Seinfeld)

Restless Legs Awareness Day

Saffron Day (French Republic)

Speed Racer Day

Sügise Algus (a.k.a. Sügisene Pööripäev; Estonia, Finland, Sweden)

Teachers’ Day (Brunei)

Thrue Bab (Blessed Rainy Day; Bhutan)

Teal Talk Day

That'll Be the Day Day

West Nordic Day

World Adopted Dog Day

World Maritime Day (UN)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Chewing Gum Day

Gastronomy Day (France)

Great American Pot Pie Day

Hummerpremiär (Lobster Festival; Sweden)

National Apple Cider Vinegar Day

National Bacon Butty Day (UK)

National Baker Day

National Snack Stick Day

Za’atar Day

Independence & Related Days

Duchy of Prussian Britannia (Declared; 2014) [unrecognized]

Unification Day (Saudi Arabia)

4th Monday in September

American Indian Day (Tennessee) [4th Monday]

Canterbury South Province Day (New Zealand) [4th Monday]

CASAColumbia Family Day [4th Monday]

Dominion Day (New Zealand) [4th Monday]

Family Day — A Day To Eat Dinner With Your Children [4th Monday]

Meditation Monday [Every Monday]

Mellow Monday [4th Monday of Each Month]

Monday Musings [Every Monday]

Motivation Monday [Every Monday]

Mushroom Monday [4th Monday of Each Month]

National Eat Dinner with Your Family Day [4th Monday]

Weekly Holidays beginning September 23 (4th Full Week of September)

Falls Prevention Awareness Week (thru 9.27)

Global Week of Student Prayer (thru 9.27)

International Happiness at Work Week (thru 9.27)

International Week of the Deaf (thru 9.29) [M-Sun including Last Sunday]

Festivals Beginning September 23, 2024

Mayberry Days (Mt. Airy, North Carolina) [thru 9.29]

Feast Days

Adomnán (Christian; Saint)

Augustalia (Ancient Rome)

Bunster Winding (Shamanism)

Carl-Henning Pedersen (Artology)

Cicciolina Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Cissa of Crowland (or of Northumbria; Christian; Saint)

Citua (Feast to the Moon; Ancient Inca)

Corneille (Positivist; Saint)

Emmuska Orczy (Writerism)

Feast of Chukem (Deity of Footraces; Colombia)

Feast of the Ingathering (a.k.a. Harvest Home, Kirn or Mell-Supper; UK)

Festival of Papa, Wife of Rangi (Maori; New Zealand)

Festival of the Goddess Ninkasi (Sumerian Goddess of Brewing)

František Kupka (Artology)

James Carroll Beckwith (Artology)

Libra zodiac sign begins (Pagan)

Linus, Pope (Christian; Saint)

Louise Nevelson (Artology)

Manolo and Carlo Flamingo (Muppetism)

Matthew Pratt (Artology)

Paul Delvaux (Artology)

Padre Pio (a.k.a. Pio of Pietreclcina; Christian; Saint)

Pekka Halonen (Artology)

Sossius (Christian; Saint)

Stan Lynde (Artolgy)

Suzanne Valadon (Artology)

Thecla (Roman Catholic Church)

Walk the Plank Day (Pastafarian)

Wesley Chu (Writerism)

Xanthippe and Polyxena (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [39 of 53]

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [45 of 60]

Premieres

Abraxas, by Carlos Santana (Album; 1970)

Aja, by Steely Dan (Album; 1977)

Arsenic and Old Lace (Film; 1944)

Baa Baa Black Sheep (TV Series; 1976)

The Blacklist (TV Series; 2013)

Blonde (Film; 2022)

Brave Little Tailor (Disney Cartoon; 1938)

Bridges to Babylon, by The Rolling Stones (Album; 1997)

Bunker Hill Bunny (WB MM Cartoon; 1950)

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Film; 1969)

Capture the Saint, by Burt Barer (Novel; 1997) [Saint #52]

Corpse Bride (Animated Film; 2005)

The Count of Monte Cristo (Hanna-Barbera Animated TV Special; 1973)

Crazy House (Andy Panda Cartoon; 1940)

Daffy’s in Trouble (WB LT Cartoon; 1961)

Difficult Loves, by Italo Calvino (Novel; 1970)

Dolphin Tale (Film; 2011)

Educating Rita (Film; 1983)

Enola Holmes (Film; 2020)

Girls with Balls (Film; 2018)

The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt (Novel; 2013)

Goofy Gymnastics (Disney Cartoon; 1949)

The Greatest Beer Run Ever (Film; 2022)

Heroes, by David Bowie (Song; 1977)

Highway Hecklers (Chilly WIlly Cartoon; 1968)

I’ve Got to Sing a Torch Song (WB MM Cartoon; 1933)

JAG (TV Series; 1995)

Jeepers Creepers (WB LT Cartoon; 1939)

The Jetsons (Animated TV Series; 1962)

Light of the Midnight Fun (WB MM Cartoon; 1939)

Mad About You (TV Series; 1992)

Moneyball (Film; 2011)

Modern Family (TV Series; 2009)

Mom (TV Series; 2013)

Mutiny Ain’t Nice (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1938)

NCIS (TV Series; 2003)

Night of the Living Duck (WB LT Cartoon; 1988)

North, by Elvis Costello (Album; 2003)

The Nylon Curtain, by Billy Joel (Album; 1982)

One Tree Hill (TV Series; 2003)

Only When I Laugh (Film; 1981)

Oo-oo Birds of a Feather (George of the Jungle Cartoon; 1967) [#3]

Parallel Lines, by Blondie (Album; 1978)

People Are Strange, by The Doors (Song; 1967)

Phantom of the Opera, by Gaston Leroux (Novel; 1909)

Pink Pull (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1978)

Pink Suds (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1978)

The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran (Prose Poetry; 1923)

Rodent to Stardom (WB LT Cartoon; 1967)

Round Trip to Mars (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1957)

Scooby-Doo! And the Goblin King (WB Animated Film; 2008)

The Shawshank Redemption (Film; 1994)

Sicque! Sicque! Sicque! (The Inspector Cartoon; 1966)

Sky Scrapper (Ub Iwerks Disney Cartoon; 1928)

Sledge Hammer! (TV Series; 1987)

Slouching Towards Bethlehem, by Joan Didion (Essays; 1968)

Storks (Animated Film; 2016)

Up a Tree (Disney Cartoon; 1955)

The Veldt, by Ray Bradbury (Short Story; 1950)

When I Was Cruel, by Elvis Costello (Album; 2002)

Whose Line Is It Anyway? (UK Improv Series; 1988)

Wild Ralph Hiccup (Super Chicken Cartoon; 1967) [#3]

The Wolf’s Side of the Story (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1938)

Today’s Name Days

Gerhild, Helene, Linus, Thekla (Austria)

Elizabeta, Lino, Pijo, Tekla, Zaharija (Croatia)

Berta (Czech Republic)

Linus (Denmark)

Diana, Dolores, Tekla (Estonia)

Mielikki, Miisa, Minja (Finland)

Constant, Faustine (France)

Linus, Gerhild, Thekla (Germany)

Iris, Polixeni, Rais, Xanthippe, Xanthippi (Greece)

Tekla (Hungary)

Lino, Pio, Rebecca (Italy)

Ivanda, Omula, Vanda, Veneranda (Latvia)

Galintas, Galintė, Linas, Teklė (Lithuania)

Snefrid, Snorre (Norway)

Boguchwała, Bogusław, Libert, Minodora, Tekla (Poland)

Zdenka (Slovakia)

Constancio, Lino, Pío, Tecla (Spain)

Tea, Tekla (Sweden)

Autumn, Linnet, Linnette, Lynette, Lynn, Lynne (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 267 of 2024; 99 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 1 of Week 39 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Muin (Vine) [Day 23 of 28]

Chinese: Month 8 (Guy-You), Day 21 (Geng-Yin)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 20 Elul 5784

Islamic: 19 Rabi I 1446

J Cal: 27 Gold; Sixday [27 of 30]

Julian: 10 September 2024

Moon: 61%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 15 Shakespeare (10th Month) [Almarcon]

Runic Half Month: Gyfu (Gift) [Day 2 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 2 of 90)

Week: 4th Full Week of September

Zodiac: Libra (Day 1 of 30)

Calendar Changes

Libra (Balance) begins [Zodiac Sign 7; thru 10.22]

[progressivemother]

The True Meaning of Thanksgiving, Our Thanksgiving, and The History of Thanksgiving

In the USA during Thanksgiving, families gather, friendships are renewed, and everyone will exclaim what they are “thankful for” or “giving thanks for the blessings they have received during the year.” Enormous plates of food will be served, including turkey, potatoes, and pumpkin pie. It’s an American eating tradition. Through this blog, I will talk about our simply Thanksgiving and the history of Thanksgiving and where is comes from.

Our Thanksgiving was simple yet fun. I didn't have to cook the meals. We had Thanksgiving at my in laws home. My husband and I hardly ever host Thanksgiving under normal circumstances, especially now that we have kids and the holidays have become a special time for us to visit family.

It's a simple holiday. There are no presents to give, no menu to reimagine (although we don't usually fo turkey ), and the whole day is focused on the one thing we all could use more of: gratitude. Gratitude is one of the greatest practices we can teach our children. But sometimes, moms have a hard time feeling grateful, even if they lead seemingly rewarding lives. In reality, life is stressful. We take care of the bills, the house, the kids, the pets, etc. We have a lot to worry about and that can make us feel a little less grateful for our lives despite being well off and relatively happy. So we can focus on what we lack (time, money, extended family) or, more importantly, on what we have (this moment, our immediate family, our home). I would rather think about what I have compared to what I don't. We are better off than most families and I should be grateful for that.

Now for the history of Thanksgiving.

It has much more meaning than a simple family holiday and no, it isn't anything to do with the natives and pilgrims; although for many this doesn't have anything to do with the holiday either. For most, it is simply a family holiday to get everyone together and be thankful for what we have and our family.

Throughout history people have gathered together for great feasts celebrating the harvest or the first beers being brewed, or any of a number of celebrations tied to the earth. And anyone who is anyone knows that earth-based anything has its roots in paganism.

The great civilizations of the past had their own versions of Thanksgiving. The Romans celebrated a holiday called Cerelia where the festivities included feasting while thanking the Goddess of the Harvest, Ceres. In ancient Greece they honored Demeter, the Goddess of the harvest and agriculture. The Celts and Anglo-Saxon’s had many celebrations connected to thanking the gods for a productive harvest. Lammas, Mabon, and Samhain were the names of the three great harvest festivals of the ancient world. For the Celts, it was called Mabon and it marked the Autumn Equinox, when day and night are equal, making it a time of balance, equality and harmony. In ancient times Mabon was a celebration of the second harvest (Lughnasadh was the first) when farmers gathered hearty foods like gourds, grapes and apples.

As time progressed, these events were adopted and adapted. In England, an autumnal feast called Harvest Home was celebrated and was derived from a variant of the ancient Celtic Pagan feasts. Harvest Home was a three-day feast that began with a special church service followed a communal dinner. Later, the Puritans would shun Harvest Home as well as Christmas and Easter on the grounds that they had pagan origins. Let's face it, the Puritans were never any fun. They were much too strict within their religion. But since many Christians still celebrate this holiday, thanking their god for the things and family in their lives seems just fine.

The holiday was later shared with the Natives of the americas. It can be said that the Natives most likely gave thanks to the spirits and celebrated their creator.

Symbols of Thanksgiving & Their Meaning:

Cornucopia – A Cornucopia is a horn shaped basket, usually filled to the point of overflowing with the bounty of the recent harvest symbolizing "plenty". The cornucopia dates back to ancient Greece.

Corn – One of the easiest symbols of Thanksgiving to recognize is corn. Native Americans would know it as maize or maiz. Native Americans had been growing corn a long time before the pilgrims arrived in the new world, and they taught pilgrims how to grow corn and help them survive the bitter winter. Corn was from that day forward, a part of the Thanksgiving dinner.

Turkey – Long before the pilgrims sat down to eat with the Native American’s who saved them from starving, the turkey was associated with abundance and being thankful. It is native to the americas.

We have to remember and respect where this holiday comes from and what it means to each person. But no matter what religion or non-religion, this day is a time to be thankful for what we have, even if it is only a little, and look to the future while we spend time with those that we love. Our children should also be educated on what this day means and where it came from.

I hope everyone had a great holiday.