#in honour of midwinter

[teruel-a-witch]

steve and danny reunited on the longest night of the year, in the northern hemisphere, steve was in such a hurry to embrace danny he ran outside without putting a jacket on. danny was going to scold him about it later but for now he was just happy to be in his arms at last.

[bookshopcrow]

Ghosts prints available here

"In the bleak midwinter

Frosty wind made moan

Earth stood hard as iron

Water like a stone

Snow had fallen

Snow on snow on snow

In the bleak midwinter

Long, long ago"

I really wanted to post a Christmas illustration so here's my favourite scene from the entirety of BBC Ghosts in honour of its last ever episode today!

It makes me cry so much every time I watch it and it sums up Christmas so perfectly ❤️

[lilianasgrimoire]

Every Pagan Holiday

JANUARY 

KALENDS 

1st January 

Origins: Ancient Greece/Rome 

Observed by: Hellenic/Roman polytheists 

Honouring Janus/Juno, first day of the Year. Kalends brought us the word 'calendar'. 

ÞORRABLÓT (THORRABLÓT) 

End of January/beginning of February 

Origins: Iceland 

Observed by: Heathens, Asatru 

Midwinter Festival honouring Thor, usually by feasting and poetry. 

FEBRUARY 

IMBOLC 

2nd February 

Origins: Celtic polytheism /Ireland, as St. Brigid's Day 

Observed by: Most neopagans, Wiccans, Druids, Asatru (as Charming of the Plow)  

Imbolc is the most widely known and observed pagan holiday in the months of January and February. It falls at the beginning of spring/end of the winter for the Celtic peoples; marking the changing of the seasons, as most holidays do. St. Brigid is a Christianised form of or inspired by the Celtic fertility goddess Brigid who is celebrated on this day.  

PARENTALIA 

13th-21st February 

Origins: Ancient Rome 

Observed by: Greco-Roman polytheists 

Translating to 'Ancestors Day', Parentalia is a nine-day celebration of deceased ancestors. Historically it was observed by feasting and making offerings and sacrifices to the dead and spirits of the underworld.  

VÁLI'S BLOT 

14th February 

Origins: Old Norse 

Observed by: Heathens, Asatru, Norse polytheists 

Váli's Blot is considered by some Asatru to be the Norse equivalent of Valentine's Day but is widely acknowledged as a season changing festival. A day for marriage and celebrating with family and friends, and for remembrance of Váli, the son of Odin who defeated Höðr on this day.  

LUPERCALIA 

15th February 

Origins: Ancient Rome 

Observed by: Greco-Roman polytheists 

Festival thought to honour a wolf who raised abandoned princes, celebrated originally by sacrificing goats to the gods, feasting, and, for fertility, nudity and fornication. 

LESSER ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES 

17th-23rd February 

Origins: Ancient Greece 

Observed by: Hellenic polytheists 

Initiation to the cult of Persephone and Demeter by sacrificing a pig. Prelude to Greater Mysteries, initiations held on these dates. Once completed, initiates could then move onto Greater Mysteries in the autumn.  

ANTHESTERIA 

27th February - 1st March 2021 

Origins: Ancient Greece 

Observed by: Hellenic polytheists 

Athenian festivals dedicated to Dionysus and the dead. Held around the full moon in the month of Anthesterion, which in the Gregorian calendar this year roughly translates to 27th February. 

THE DISTING/DÍSABLÓT 

End of February/beginning of March 

Origins: Uppsala, Sweden 

Observed by: Heathens, Asatru, Norse polytheists 

Celebration of Valkyries and other female spirits, called dísir. Sacrifices were made for a good harvest. Celebrated still by an annual market in Sweden.  

MARCH 

KALENDS 

1st March 

Origins: Ancient Greece/Rome 

Observed by: Hellenic/Roman polytheists 

Honouring the god Mars/Ares. Kalends brought us the word 'calendar'. 

OSTARA/EARRACH 

20th March 

Origins: Anglo Saxon paganism, popularised as Ostara by Wicca 

Observed by:  Anglo Saxon Pagans, Wiccans, Neopagans, Druids (as Alba Eilir), Heathens (as Summer Finding), Ásatrú (as Sigrblót)  

The northern hemisphere's vernal equinox, the word Ostara was introduced though Wicca and named for the goddess Eostre. Surprisingly unrelated to Easter in all but name, Ostara symbolises the beginning of spring. As a seasonal holiday it is widely celebrated by many different groups of pagans.  

RAGNAR LODBROK'S DAY 

28th March 

Origins: Icelandic Sagas 

Observed by: Ásatrú  

Day of remembrance for Ragnar Lodbrok, Viking King of legend  

APRIL 

KALENDS/VENERALIA 

1st April 

Origins: Ancient Greece/Rome 

Observed by: Hellenic/Roman polytheists 

Celebration of the first of the month, this one honouring the goddess, Venus. 

REMEMBRANCE FOR HAAKON SIGURDSSON 

9th April 

Origins: Norway, C9th 

Observed by: Ásatrú 

Day of remembrance for ruler of Norway who claimed lineage to Odin in the Icelandic Sagas.  

WALPURGISNACHT 

30th April 

Origins: German Christianity, originally Saint Walpurga was known for banishing witches and other pests 

Observed by: LaVeyan Satanists 

Anton LaVey chose to celebrate this holiday as a follow up to the spring equinox and due to its past association with witchcraft.  

HEXENNACHT (WITCHES' NIGHT) 

30th April 

Origins: German folklore, as Walpurgisnacht but witches were alleged to convene with the devil in this night 

Observed by: Temple of Satan as 'a solemn holiday to honour those who were victimized by superstition'.  

MAY 

BEALTAINE/BELTANE 

1st May 

Origins: Celtic (Ireland/Scotland/Isle of Man)  

Observed by: Wiccans, Neopagans, Celtic reconstructionist, Ásatrú/Heathens (as May Day)  

One of the more well-known pagan festivals, Beltane is a festival of fire and the beginning of the summer. Also widely referred to as May Day, it is celebrated by lighting fires.  

KALENDS 

1st May 

Origins: Ancient Greece/Rome 

Observed by: Hellenic/Roman polytheists 

Honouring the goddess Maia, for whom the month may have been named.  

REMEMBRANCE FOR Guðröðr of Guðbrandsdál 

9th May 

Origins: C11 Norway, Icelandic Sagas 

Observed by: Ásatrú, Norse, heathens 

Guðröðr had his tongue removed by Óláfr for rebelling against violent conversion from Norse paganism to Christianity.  

JUNE 

KALENDS 

1st June 

Origins: Ancient Greece/Rome 

Observed by: Hellenic/Roman polytheists 

Anniversary of temples to Juno Moneta (protectress of money, her temple was where coins were made), Mars/Ares (God of war), and the Tempestates (goddesses of storms).  

ARRHEPHORIA 

3rd Skirophorion (translates to mid-June)  

Origins: Ancient Greece 

Observed by: Hellenic reconstructionist 

Feast in celebration of Athena and fertility.  

MIDSUMMER/SUMMER SOLSTICE 

21st June 

Origins: Agricultural holiday/longest day observed for centuries by many civilisations. Christianity can date to as early as C4th 

Observed by: Wiccans/Germanic neopagans (as Litha), Asatru/Heathens, Druids (as Alban Hefin)  

One of the main four holidays in the Wheel of the Year and popularised by Wiccans and neopagans as Litha which is taken from the Anglo-Saxon words for June/July, this is the longest day of the year and the middle point and sometimes considered the beginning of summer.  

JULY 

REMEMBRANCE FOR UNNR/AUD THE DEEP MINDED 

9th July 

Origins: C9th Iceland 

Observed by: Ásatrú, Heathens, Norse reconstructionist 

Aud was a traveller in the 9th century moving between Dublin, the Hebrides, Orkney, and finally Iceland following the deaths of her husband and son. This day is to honour her memory.  

HERACLEIA 

July/August  

Origins: Ancient Greece 

Observed by: Hellenic polytheists  

Festival dedicated to Heracles the demigod and his death, involving feasting and celebration.  

AUGUST 

LUGHNASADH/LAMMAS 

1st August 

Origins: Celtic Britain (Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man) 

Observed by: Wiccans, Neopagans, Christians (as Lammas), Ásatrú (as Freyfaxi)  

Named for the god Lugh, this festival is one of the Celtic harvest festivals and marks the beginning of the harvesting months. It was celebrated by climbing mountains, bull sacrifice, offerings, and feasting. Handfasting is commonplace with Wiccans in modern times.  

REMEMBRANCE FOR REDBAD, KING OF THE FRISIANS 

9th August 

Origins: C7th Frisia (area of Germany/Netherlands)  

SEPTEMBER 

NOUMENIA 

8th September  

Origins: Ancient Greece 

Observed by: Hellenic polytheists 

Celebration of new Hellenic lunar month. Offerings of honey and incense made to household deities.  

REMEMBRANCE FOR HERMANN THE CHERUSCAN 

9th September 

Origins: C9th CE 

Observed by: Heathens, Ásatrú 

Hermann the Cheruscan, also known as Arminius of the Cherusci tribe, led the defeat against the Romans at the Battle of Teutoburg Forest and is lauded for saving Eastern Germanic peoples from being conquered by the Roman Empire.  

AUTUMN EQUINOX (NORTHERN HEMISPHERE)  

22nd September  

Origins: 1970s neopaganism 

Observed by: Wiccans and Neopagans (as Mabon), Ásatrú (as Winter Finding)  

Named Mabon by prominent Wicca and Neopagan Aidan Kelly, after the Welsh mythological figure Mabon ap Moldron, the autumn equinox is one of the harvest festivals and marks the beginning of autumn in the northern hemisphere. Mabon is a relatively new pagan holiday not based on any specific historical festival, but traditionally people around the world would celebrate some kind of harvest festival around the end of September/beginning of October. 

OCTOBER 

PYANOPSIA 

7th October 

Origins: Ancient Greece 

Observed by: Hellenic polytheists 

Pyanopsia, or Pyanepsia, is a festival to honour Apollo, one of the most important deities, God of music, the sun, knowledge, healing, and archery - amongst other things. During the festival, two special offerings would be placed on doorways and carried to the temple. These offerings were a bean stew, and an olive branch wrapped in wool with honeys, pastries and seasonal fruits hanging from it. 

REMEMBRANCE FOR LEIF EIRIKSSON 

9th October  

Origins: C10th CE 

Observed by: Heathens, Ásatrú, Norse pagans 

Remembrance for Leif and his sister Freydís Eiríksdóttir, children of Erik the Red, who are cited with being the first Norse explorers in North America.  

THESMOPHORIA 

12th-14th October 

Origins: Ancient Greece 

Observed by: Hellenic polytheists 

Festival held in honour of Demeter Thesmophoros, goddess of agriculture, and her daughter Persephone, goddess of death and life, Queen of the Underworld. Celebrated primarily by women, this festival is linked with fertility, and we know very little about it due to its secretive rites. It is thought that it involved the sacrifice of pigs (although some sources say women), and abstinence.  

REMEMBRANCE FOR ERIK THE RED 

28th October 

Origins: C9th CE 

Observed by: Heathens, Ásatrú, Norse pagans 

Erik the Red, probably named for the colour of his hair and beard, was the first permanent European settler in Greenland. His children were explorers too, who went to America, and although his wife converted to Christianity, Erik remained faithful to his Norse pagan gods. 

SAMHAIN (HALLOWE'EN) 

31st October-1st November  

Origins: Gaelic - Scotland, Ireland, Isle of Man 

Observed by: Celtic pagans, Neopagans, Wiccans 

Pronounced SOW-in (sow rhyming with cow), Samhain was originally a harvest festival marking the beginning of winter. The day itself is the 1st November, but celebrations begin on October 31st, and this has become the accepted associated day. It's a festival of the dead, where the síthe, fae and spirits, can enter this realm from their own. Wiccans talk of a 'veil' thinning, meaning the boundary between worlds. Similar death related festivals around this time can be noted in other faiths from across the globe, and of course in the modern Hallowe'en. 

WINTER NIGHTS (VETRNAETR), ÁLFABLÓT/DÍSABLÓT 

31st October 

Origins: 

Celebrated by: Heathens, Ásatrú, Norse pagans 

Winter Nights is mentioned in the Ynglinga Saga as one of the three greatest blessings of the year, the other two being Sigrblót in April, and þorrablót in late Jan/early Feb. Winter Nights is the celebration of the beginning of the winter season; Álfablót is a sacrifice to the elves, and Dísablót a sacrifice to the female spirits (dísir) and Valkyries.  

NOVEMBER 

REMEMBRANCE FOR SIGRID THE HAUGHTY 

9th November 

Origins: C9th CE 

Observed by: Heathens, Ásatrú, Norse pagans 

It is not actually known whether Sigrid Storråda, or Sigrid the Haughty, was an actual historical figure, an amalgamation of a few, or simply a myth. The lore goes that she was proposed to multiple times and turned down many but went on to orchestrate conflict when a potential suitor - Olaf Tryggvason, King of Norway - attempted to convert her to Christianity.  

DECEMBER 

REMEMBRANCE FOR EGILL SKALLAGRÍMSSON  

9th December  

Origins: C10th CE  

Observed by: Heathens, Ásatrú, Norse pagans  

Day celebrating the poet, farmer, and berserker Egill Skallagrímsson, who is recalled in The Icelandic Sagas by Snorri Sturluson. Egill is known for his many killings and escaping death by writing an epic poem after being captured when washing up on our Northumberland coastline.  

SATURNALIA  

17th - 23rd December  

Origins: Ancient Rome  

Observed by: Roman polytheists, some Hellenic  

Like Yule and Lesser Dionysia, Saturnalia was the Roman winter festival celebrating the coming return of the sun and honouring the god Saturn. The standard feasting and drinking feature, and slaves would be treated as equals like Dionysia. Saturnalia is another festival cited as being picked up by Christians and used as inspiration for Christmas.  

WINTER SOLSTICE (YULE/MIDWINTER)  

21st December  

Origins: Germanic nations, as early as C4th CE  

Observed by: Norse pagans, Wiccans, Neopagans, LaVeyan Satanists, Ásatrú, Heathens, many Germanic nonpagan peoples  

Yule is the midwinter festival known commonly among pagans as a time for feasting, being with loved ones, remembering ancestors, and looking forward to the return of the light and warmer days. Many pagans will celebrate Yule for more than one day, some celebrating a week either side, some for longer, up to two months, and some for twelve days afterwards. True Yule would have originally been in January for midwinter, but King Haakon the Good  

moved it to coincide with the Christian celebrations in the 10th century, as told in the Ynglinga Saga.  

On the 24th of December, Anglo Saxons are said to have celebrated 'Mothers Night' honouring female ancestors. 

RURAL/LESSER DIONYSIA  

End of December/beginning of January  

Origins: Ancient Greece  

Observed by: Hellenic polytheists  

Smaller festival honouring the god Dionysus (Greater Dionysia took place in cities at the end of winter). Feasting, mask wearing to stop distinction between classes so that everyone could feel equal, sacrifices, parades, and phallic display were all used to celebrate.

[sleepyhollowtimburton]

Origins of the Headless Horseman legend

Despite the legend of Sleepy Hollow being one of the oldest American written horror stories, the origin behind the Headless Horseman is a lot older and originates in Europe.

Washington Irving first published the legend of Sleepy Hollow between 1819-1820. In this story, it is explained that the Headless Horseman was a German mercenary soldier, a Hessian hailing from the German state Hessen, who unfortunately lost his head during the revolutionary war after being hit by a canon ball to the face. It is interesting that Irving chose for a German origin for the Horseman in a Dutch town as both Germany and the Netherlands have legends of headless horsemen, talking decapitated heads, ghost riders in the dark that have its origins in pre-Christian times.

Here are some examples of the headless horseman myth from different countries in Europe:

Netherlands: The belief in the wild hunt was once quite important in pre-Christian times, it's in fact the origin of the modern Dutch holiday of Sinterklaas which was introduced in the USA as Santa Clause. As the days shorten and winter arrives, the Germanic God Wodan, or in some instances the Goddess Hel/Holle, rides through the sky followed by a horde of the undead. Anyone unfortunate enough to see the riders in the sky, would soon die and join the hunt. To please the hunt, people began to give offerings to the God Wodan and his horse Sleipnir, placing carrots in shoes, this tradition is still being done in the Netherlands until this very day. I am myself a Germanic Pagan and I honour the wild hunt by making offerings to Wodan and his horse and blowing the midwinter horn.

There is also a Dutch medieval song 'Heer Halewijn', the origins of which are assumed to be older, an oral tradition before being written down around the 15th century. This song tells the tale of a princess set out to meet Halewijn who in turn ends up being a murderer who decapitates women in the forest. The princess manages to decapitate Halewijn instead and takes his head with her to her father the king, Halewijn's decapitated head however continues to talk to the princess.

Ireland: In Irish folklore, the Dullahan is a headless evil entity who rides a horse while carrying his head under his arm. This spectre is perhaps the most famous and classic example of the visual origin of the Headless Horseman. Not only does the Dullahan carry his own head, he also wields a whip made out of a human spine. Whenever the Dullahan halts his horse, a death will happen by calling out that person's name. Some say that the Dullahan is the spirit of Crom Dubh, a Celtic deity who was worshiped by means of human sacrifices.

There is also the Cóiste Bodhar, a strange headless entity who drives a black coach. Bodhar is a harbinger of death who arrives to announce the passing of a relative or a loved one, quite similar to the grim reaper.

Wales: Now the country of Wales is home to quite a few headless mysteries. One of the more famous stories tells about a headless woman: 'Fenyw heb un pen' who eerily also rides a horse without a head. Another story tells of how Bryn Hall was haunted by a headless horseman until the horseman pointed towards a body which turned out to be the dead body of an illegimate child of Bryn Hall. This version of the Headless Horseman seems to have been more benign, rather than being a harbinger of death or a crazed killer.

Germany: Germany is also home to several Headless Horseman legends and is of course the home country of Irving's version of the Headless Horseman. Most of Germany's legends originate from the Rhineland area and were part of a morality tale. Many of these Headless Horsemen were doomed men, being punished for their sins on earth so they had to wander until they had atoned for their sins. Sometimes these Headless men would perform good deeds, most times however they would kill victims, not by decapitation but simply by touching them. Both Germany and the Netherlands believed in the Wild Hunt legend and it is alleged that many of these Headless Horsemen have their origin in the pagan wild hunt.

England: England also has several legends concerning Headless Horsemen, one of these is part of the legend of Arthur, the Green Knight. This knight challenged one man in Arthur's court to strike him down with his axe but the Green Knight warned the man he would strike the man back later in a year. As promised, the knight got decapitated, picked up his head and later decapitated the man whom he challenged. Another headless horseman legend originates from the Dartmoor area, nothing much is known about this legend other than that people have seen a headless man riding around the countryside.

In the end, the Headless Horseman has its origins in both Celtic and Germanic mythology and new versions of the legend keep on popping up throughout history, either as a bringer/omen of death or as a killer waiting for his unfortunate victims. Seldomly is the Headless Horseman a benign person helping people in need.

The legend found its way to the USA thanks to Dutch, Irish, English and German settlers and was immortalized by Washington Irving in his 1820 story 'the legend of Sleepy Hollow'. Washington Irving himself probably based the story on the old Dutch and German stories as he was familiar with them thanks to his travels. The retellings of German folktakes 'Volksmärchen der Deutschen, 1783 was especially a big source of inspiration for Washington Irving.

[amorgansgal]

Midsummer Memories

Day 1: Halsin Enjoying Midsummer

Here's my first piece for the Halsummer SFW Week! I'm afraid I've failed a fair bit, as I haven't managed to write something for all the days. But I hope you enjoy nonetheless!

The hazy blue sky stretched to the horizon. The heat of the day had lessened and now Halsin was content to lie on top of the cliffside, comfortably resting on a soft bed of grass and wild flowers, whilst the waves beneath broke upon the shore. The continuous rumble and then hushing noise that followed was soothing. It was midsummer and he had spent the entire day busy. Midsummer was truthfully, a rather exhausting time. There were a dizzying amounts of prayers and rituals to mark the dawn, midday, sunset and then midnight, and it did not help that the day was so hot. He’d finally managed to find a little time to sneak away and enjoy a swim in the ocean, the cold water had refreshed him, though he had still hidden away on a rocky outcropping so he could dry off and have some time to himself.

When he’d been a child, many years ago he’d love celebrating midsummer. They’d gathered scraps of ribbon, garlands of leaves and flowers and especially carved wooden medallions that would include little prayers and wishes for Silvanus and hung them over the branches of the largest and oldest oak tree there. There’d been a special stone gate, huge in its size and with sprawling carvings featuring Silvanus and when the sun set, the glorious, heedy warm beams of light would illuminate the gap between the two standing stones. He could still hear the sweet, melodious piping of flutes, the steady beat of drums echoing around the woods, the roar and crackle of fire as a great mountain of kindling, dried leaves and branches were set ablaze and then there would be dancing and sweet honey wine and venison served with the ruby red and deep purple summer berries, and spiced, peach cream cooled by ice. He had once eaten so much of it, he had been sick and his mother had chastised him. Though not too harshly. 

‘Even little bears need to be mindful of what their stomachs can manage,’ she had said affectionately.

He smiled to himself. Later when he was a youth, he learnt that midsummer was for merry making in many, many different ways. He’d had his first kiss there. They’d been as tremulous and nervous as young colts, fumbling their way through a sweet, quick press of lips. But he had to admit, there was something infinitely more pleasant and wonderful about the first little taste of love and innocent desire, than any hot tumble into a lover’s bed. 

He wished the Emerald Enclave’s midsummer celebrations could be like the ones from his childhood. He wished that it wasn’t so formal or, more accurately, unendingly dull. He had thought that he wasn’t much of a leader, but he could at least encourage some enjoyment and joy and fun for their midsummer and midwinter celebrations. But such a matter was swiftly discouraged by Jeorna and Kagha, even Rath had his reservations about changing things.

‘It is meant to be a celebration honouring Silvanus, we can’t be too frivolous about these matters.’ Rath had said.

‘But do you not hear yourself?’ he had asked. ‘It’s a celebration. Most people would not really say we’re fully celebrating. There’s no music or dance or song or-’

‘We do not need to gorge and drink ourselves into a stupor to celebrate midsummer,’ Kagha had muttered.

He shook his head, pushing aside all thought of the discussion where he’d been soundly outvoted to at least include some real form of celebration. There was little point dwelling upon it and feeling sorry for himself. Everyone was different, everyone had a different way of celebrating something and he already did enough to upset the apple cart at every turn!

‘Halsin? Halsin!’ Nettie’s voice called out from the shoreline below and he lifted his head, seeing her walking along the beach and evidently looking around for him. 

He quickly pulled on his breeches and tunic and then called out, ‘I am here, Nettie.’

She swung about and smiled on seeing him. ‘Good, thought you’d swam off for a minute! I’ve been asked to fetch you as we’re getting close to sunset.’

He jumped down from the sandy cliff and made his way over to her. He had tried to smile, but perhaps it had come off as more of a grimace, as she gave him a sympathetic look and pat on the arm.

‘Don’t worry, the day is nearly done,’ she said and began to walk back towards the grove.

Perhaps it should have comforted him, but it only left a painful, tight knot in his chest at the thought. The day was almost done. The longest, sweetest day of summer and it felt like it had meant little and nothing. On a day where birds sung long into the night and nocturnal animals slept for longer in the burrows and bears dug greedy paws into beehives searching for honey and long ago elves had danced and sung and celebrated, he was left feeling tired and worn out and utterly frustrated, and it hurt him to feel that way. 

But what was the good of insisting on a celebration if no one wished for it? To order people to laugh and dance and sing and feast and kiss would make him a tyrant, not a leader who simply wanted the best for the druids here. He began to follow Nettie back up the cliffside path and towards the grove once more.

[rowan-post]

m i d w i n t e r t a l e s // f a n t a s y r p m e m e

A holiday themed meme for all your fantasy muses. Add REVERSE for role reversal.

[ KINGS OF HOLLY & OAK ] Sender takes reciever to a midwinter celebration in honour of the Holly King. Once there, reciever and sender get roped into enacting the rebirth of summer by playing the part of each king - Holly and Oak - in a ceremony meant to revitalise the Oak King from his long slumber.

[ CURSE OF THE WINTER WITCH ] Sender is struck in the heart by the witch's ice and reciever tries to thaw them by any means neccesary.

[ THE WILD YULE HUNT ] Reciever attends the Wild Hunt as one of the hunters and sender is (either willingly or not) this year's prey.

[ ETERNAL WINTER'S SONG ] The sender has cast a spell to cloak the land in eternal winter; reciever comes to plead or fight with them in order to undo the spell.

[ BONFIRE WARD ] Sender and reciever have been traversing a deep, dark wood as the clock strikes midnight at midwinter. The veil is at its thinnest, and the undead walk. Now reciever and sender must huddle up and keep watch over their fire through-out the night - for if it's snuffed, untold horrors await.

[ WINTER'S SLUMBER ] Sender is caught in a blizzard and gets sirened and ensorcelled further into the storm by reciever. Sender has just laid down in the snow to let cold take them, when reciever takes pity on them and carries them to safety.

[vagueandominousvibes]

Hi @quorou! I'm a little later in posting this than I would've liked to, but here's the rest of the gift exchange from Discord. It may have been a little longer than I expected. Hope you enjoy it :)

(Fanfic under the cut — 1,377 words, contains some light Vio/Red)

You'll Be Brilliant

Books. Old books, forgotten books, abandoned books. They had been Vio’s treasures for as long as he could remember. They had taught him everything he knew of magic, from how to sprout a seed to how to summon rainfalls during summer droughts. The little chest in the back of Town Hall Library had taught him everything his home could need.

Then, one winter night at the end of the year, the mayor had invited his family to share in their Midwinter Feast. There weren’t large gaps between the social layers of their town, but Vio’s mother had been honoured nonetheless, and Vio and his younger twin-brothers were told to dress up nicely and behave themselves. After all, the mayor had a lovely daughter, and maybe one of them could make a good impression. (Vio desperately hoped it wouldn’t be him.)

Wrapped in their nicest capes they trudged through the snow, carefully avoiding the muddy puddles where carts had passed along the road. 

Vio still remembered his mother’s hair before him, carefully braided and pinned in a rose at the nape of her neck, with dried flowers woven into it. He had whispered a spell under his breath as they walked, and the flowers had brightened and grown into a midwinter crown of holly and rosehips.

At the mayor’s they had been kindly greeted and invited into the sitting room, but there were no lovely daughters there. Instead, a tall bearded man, narrow and ageing, warmed his hands on the fireplace. Fine embroideries, brushed furs, velvet, and polished leather caught the firelight, and when he turned towards them, piercing blue eyes landed on Vio’s mother’s midwinter crown.

“A fine spell,” he acknowledged. “This is your work?”

Vio’s mother curtsied. “My oldest son’s, sir.”

The piercing eyes shifted to Vio, who straightened and inclined his head.

“Come here, boy.”

Vio approached.

The man caught Vio’s chin and turned his face this way and that, examining it in the light. Unreadable, he let go and turned to Vio’s hands. 

Vio had never been embarrassed by the callouses — indeed, had been proud to show that he had worked hard to take care of his mother and brothers — but under this man’s gaze he wished he could withdraw his hands and hide them.

Finally, the man said, “You have potential,” and turned to the mayor and Vio’s mother. “I will take him.”

Vio’s mother curtsied deeply, while the mayor bowed. “Thank you, sir. I am certain he will make you as proud as he has made us.”

The man didn’t look at Vio. “That remains to be seen.” He stepped away from the fireplace, and Vio hid his hands in his sleeves. “Red! We are departing.”

Footsteps sounded from the kitchen, and a dark-eyed golden-haired boy, likely a year or so younger than Vio, in a red waistcoat, dark trousers, and polished leather boots, emerged carrying a bundle of sweet pastries. “Ready!” The boy grinned.

The man shook his head, though his gaze softened. “Leave some for the good folk, Red.”

“But they said I could have it!”

The man raised an eyebrow.

“Fine.” Red handed the bundle to one of Vio’s brothers, keeping two pastries only. “They taste amazing. Enjoy them.”

Vio’s brother blinked.

Then Red was at the man’s side. “So?”

“If he has the aptitude for more refined spells is yet to be seen.” The man inclined his head towards the mayor and Vio’s mother, then headed for the door.

Red offered Vio a grin and one of the remaining pastries. “He’s always like that. I’m sure you’ll be brilliant. What’s your name?”

Red, Vio soon learned, had a talent. Where Vio spent long nights memorising words and phrases of power, and poring over ancient tomes in the Royal Library, Red’s magic was instinctual. In all the years Vio spent as an apprentice to the Royal Mage of Hyrule, he never saw Red read a single book on magic theory or spellwork.

Where Vio struggled, Red breezed through. And by all that was holy, Vio envied him. Not that Red made a point of his talents — not at all. Red was sweet, kind, and full of joy. He helped Vio when he could, spent his afternoons working with herbists and helping out in the infirmary, and experimented with new and convoluted spells that, to him, came as easy as breathing.

Which was why it came as a shock to Vio when Red decided to leave.

Vio stared at him across the dining table, his turkey slices and pudding forgotten.

The Royal Mage put his silverware down and folded his hands. “I cannot say I’m surprised.”

“Really?” Red laughed.

“You are a brilliant mage, but you never took to your training as much as I hoped.”

“I just find it a little tedious.”

“So I gather.” The Royal Mage’s eyes twinkled. “Well.” He picked his silverware back up. “Where will you go?”

“I want to see the world. I’ve saved up enough money to keep me comfortable for a year or so — or maybe start a business somewhere. I know a lot about herbs and healing, but I would like to know more.” Red smiled. “I would like to help people.”

When it was polite to do so, Vio excused himself. For ten years, Red had been a fixture in his life. It had seemed inevitable that Red would become the next Royal Mage, and that Vio would become his assistant. Indeed, if anyone left, it would have been Vio. 

He had fantasised about it occasionally: about returning home to his mother and brothers; about settling back into small-town life; about meeting a clever merchant or traveller his own age, who wouldn’t be opposed to settling down.

Of course he had always known it was a fantasy. Going back would be admitting defeat — to himself, to his mother, to his brothers, and to his home. He would not disappoint them.

Still, that tantalising fantasy had made staying feel like a choice — like he could get up and leave anytime, but chose to stay. Chose to learn. Chose to practice. The castle floors felt cold and unfamiliar under his feet, as if he had never truly noticed them until now. The halls felt vast, dark, and frightening. Now, he had no choice.

He hurried through the cold and the dark, up the spiralling staircases to the East Spire, and murmured quiet words to escape the notice of guards and servants until he could close the heavy wooden door behind himself and collapse onto his bed.

Some time later a knock on the door disturbed his darkness. Softly the door opened and closed. Footsteps approached the bed. The magic that always seemed naturally attracted to Red  — that gathered around him like a warm glow — illuminated his face and his hair, and flickered in his eyes.

“Hi.” Red sat next to him.

“Hi.” Vio’s voice cracked.

“Were you sleeping?”

“No.”

Red nodded. The magic around him brightened, creating a bubble of light around the bed. He looked down and fiddled with the edge of the covers. “Remember what I told you that first day when we picked you up?”

“That I’ll be brilliant.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m nothing compared to you.”

“That’s not true,” Red admonished. “You’ll be the next Royal Mage and you know it.”

“It’s not like I have a choice.”

“You always have a choice.”

“Not now. He won’t have time to train someone else.”

“So you don’t want to become the Royal Mage?”

Vio pinched his lips together in a thin line.

“Vio.” Red shuffled closer and leaned over him. Even when Red wasn’t smiling, the crinkles around his eyes and the dimples in his cheeks were never far from the surface. 

Vio looked away.

Red blew a stream of warm tickling air directly into his ear.

“Hey!” Vio shoved him off and sat up, rubbing his ear. 

Red was laughing.

“Rude.”

“Are you done being miserable?”

“I’m not miserable.”

“Sure.”

Vio sighed. “Fine. Yes. I do want to become the Royal Mage. I just don’t know if I’m good enough.”

“You’re everything a future Royal Mage would want to be, and more.” Red took his hands and smiled. “You’ll be brilliant.” Softly, he kissed Vio’s palms.

[polyamships]

This is the fifth of six posts to help expand on the prompts for anyone who needs a little more to go on than just one word. We hope these ideas help inspire people, but they are only a jumping-off point and there will of course be plenty more interpretations we didn’t think of!

—

March 21st: Wonder - This could be about something or someone who inspires amazement or admiration. Perhaps a child's wonder, or wonder from anyone at things like nature, the vastness of the world/universe, magic, miracles, or amazing skills. Another possibility is items or locations that are considered a wonder, like revolutionary inventions or grand architectural/engineering feats. Alternatively, do your characters wonder about things? They might be curious, or a worrier. Maybe they have doubts about their relationships, or if they're not in one yet, wonder how things might go, leading to them taking action.

March 22nd: Pirate - Pirate could be the occupation of your characters, the setting for an AU even if your characters aren't the pirates themselves, or even just a plot detail to a story, whether historical or modern. Maybe your characters have a deep love of all things piratical, dressing up as one for a party, watching a pirate film for a date night, playing pirate themed board games or video games for games night. Perhaps they pirate tv shows/film etc - does everyone in the polycule agree with that choice? Don't forget the possibility of space pirates either, for a scifi twist.

March 23rd: Begging - Who is begging whom? And for what? This could be begging for food or money, begging for help of some sort, or something more trivial like playful begging for something non-urgent. It could even be pets begging for scraps of human food from the dining table. What about a kid!fic where your OT3/4/+'s kid is begging for attention or candy or just five more minutes with their computer? For maximum drama and potential angst/whump, a character could be begging for their life or for someone not to hurt them or their partner(s). For a spicy take, this could be begging in the bedroom and how things get there. What kind of playful things make them beg for more?

March 24th: Night - Taken most literally, this can be about anything from relaxed summer nights, to the dark of midwinter, the witching hour late night, or a location that is in perpetual night-time. What do your characters do at night? Going out for a night with friends, game night, date night etc. Do they stay overnight at their partner's place? Are they night owls in terms of habits or do they work a night-shift? Perhaps they only go out at night for medical, or supernatural, reasons. For entertainment, it could be opening or last night of a show/movie. Or anything else that is specific to night, e.g. night lights or night school. Do they use the cover of night for a strategic reason? This could also be metaphorical or spiritual, like 'dark night of the soul'. This also works as a shortening of goodnight, "Night night!".

March 25th: Commitment - What are your characters committed to? It could be people - whether romantic, familial, friendships or QPRs - but it could also be commitment to their career, to an organisation, a cause, an ideal, a duty, or their faith. Perhaps they are committed to achieving a goal or record they've set for themselves, or seeing out a period of time on a team, project, or job. A financial commitment may cause problems or be a serious consideration they must think on and talk to partners about. Are they overcommitted time or energy wise and struggling to juggle everything in their life - do they need to cut back on something? Did they fail to honour a commitment they made? If so, who does it effect; partners or others in their lives? Are there knock-on effects on their relationships?

[thecatsandthecrone]

Wheel of the Year: Yule

Photo by Ksenia Yakovleva on Unsplash ☽🔮☾🕯🃏🌕���✨🍃🍄🧿🌙✩ 🪄📚

Yuletide, Yule, Christmas… one of the biggest festivals in the wheel of the year and definitely one of the most popular ones, as it got adapted into Christianity and popularized as the "day of the birth of Christ". It is now known, observed and celebrated all over the world, be the country Christian or not. Even if Christmas is celebrated the 25th of December, Yule os more commonly celebrated between the 21st and the 23rd December on the North Hemisphere and between the 21st and the 23rd of June in the Southern Hemiphere.

Yule comes right after Samhain and before Imbolc. While pagan in origin, Christianity took from it, adapted it and turned into the majour festival of this religion.This is also one of the easiest to celebrate big time without needing to come out of the broom closet: a lot of the imagery of Christmas actually mirrors that from Yule, in fact.

Yule is the celebration of the winter solstice. Yule celebrates midwinter, and the longest night of the year. What this signifies is that the reign of darkness is over, the tipping point has been passed, and the reign of light is coming back. From now on, days are becoming warmer and warmer, sunnier and sunnier and life will start to come back to Earth, as winter winds down.

We don't know exactly where the origin of the word "yule" comes from, but it is suspected it might come from Old Norse, the word “jól", which meant a celebratory feast. The festival also has ties to Germanic and Scandinavian gods such as Odin, and it also played a part on their folklore.

Yule is a time for rejoicing. It mainly celebrates letting go of the old, accounting for the past year, cleaning house and making room for the new, shiny coming things. It's a time for rebirth, new beginnings and hope. It is also a time for reflection and introspection, to make sure not to repeat the same mistakes of the past year, and to try to steer ourselves in the good direction. It is also a time to chase away the darkness through joy and merriment: ignoring that the harvests have ended and our reserves are almost empty, let's celebrate and make merry for the good times are coming soon!

It doesn't matter where you live: Christmas, and therefore Yule, has become so popularized and commercialized that you probably can celebrate it inside your home and outside the house for the entire month of December. In most countries of the world illuminations, jingles, people dressed up as something or other and all sorts of shiny decorations will help you get in the holiday spirit. This is also one of the strong suits of Yule: you can still celebrate as much as you want, deck the halls and get into the holiday spirit… while still being extremely subtle about the fact that you practice witchcraft !

If you'd like to celebrate Yule, here you have a short list of options available to you. Some might be more adecuate to solitary practice, others might be best if you are part of a coven.Some allow you to get all materialistic about it, while others will help you keep in touch with the more traditional, raw side of the festival. Whichever you choose, make sure to enjoy yourself and look forward to the hope and hapiness this event brings us !

-Candles: Ever wondered why candles feature so prominently in Christmas decor ? Well, it's part of an old tradition where candles and fires were lit for Yule, both to light up the longest, darkest night of the year and to honour the Sun and call it home. Both candles and fire are incredibly popular motifs for Yule and many traditions include them, so if you can, light some: battery candles will do as well !

-Decorate: It's pretty evident that decorating is also a big theme in Yule. Christmas has become extremely commercial and big, lavish, expensive decorations have become the go-to; but just like with all the other festivals you don't need to break the bank to bring that holiday spirit home. Buying commercial decorations is not the only way to deck the halls: crafting your own, or collecting seasonal items such as pinecones, holly or mistletoe from nature are all fantastic options. Just make sure you are not damaging any plants or taking any protected species (holly is endangered in many countries) and you are golden !

-Crafting: Yule celebrates the longest night of the year, which means up until then the hours of night, of dark and of cold have been too long to go outside. This makes Yule a great festival to sit by the bonfire (or by candlelight) crafting decorations. Sew, crochet, felt, draw or create in any way that pleases you both to decorate your house and to offer gifts to your loved ones. I would recommend creating an evergreen wreath: they are so simple to make and so elegant !

-Bake: Like I mentioned just before, the days before Yule are too dark and cold to be out of the house much. The harvest season has also ended, so fresh ingredients are lacking: baking with dry ingredients such as flour served a double purpose back in the day (cleaning up the pantry from non-perishables that would sustain you through winter and starting the oven that would light up the entire house). Cookies and biscuits are traditional, but so are breads, pies, cakes, pizza… highly caloric, sugary food is favoured as well: you need to put on some weight to be able to deal with the freezing winter temperatures!

-Feast: "Feast", "festival"… close enough. You can't have a festival without feasting, and what are you going to do, not eat all those delicious cookies you just baked ? To really honour the season and bring some good luck and prosperity your way, make sure to share that feast with your loved ones or to do some charity !

-Share: While Christianity and Christmas might have popularized the "charity" aspect of Yule, it was always important to share during this season: those neighbours that weren't as fortunate in the past year might be running low on supplies and ingredients. Therefore, sharing is extremely important during Yule if you have extra, no matter what shape it takes: share your abundance by inviting your loved ones to a feast, give lovely gifts to those around you, share your time and joy by volunteering at a soup kitchen…

-Divination: Yule is close enough to the end of the year that you might be wondering what it has in store for you. Using a pendulum, scrying, tarot, tasseomancy… any way is good to discover what the future might hold and to look forward to it.

-Deep cleansing: Yule is a moment of saying goodbye to the past and honouring rebirth and new beginnings, so it is a particularly auspicious moment to make inventory, clean house and make room for the new and coming. This might be more metaphorical (looking back in the past year and letting go of what didn't serve you) or more physical, like really cleaning your house. Cleanse yourself and your house and don't forget to protect yourself to keep the wacky energies at bay.

-Shadow work: Yule is a particularly good moment for self reflection, for looking into the past and for being honest with ourselves. Shadow work will help you come to terms with the most painful parts of your past and of yourself, make a clean break with them and, if you can't let them go, make strides to integrate them into yourself and to start the healing process.

-Honouring: Yule marks the day where the Sun, the brightness and the warmth start to return to us. It would be a good moment to honour the Sun, honour your deities, honour yourself and everything and all that have allowed you to come to this place. Meditation, self reflection, gratefulness, offerings to your deities… all things that help you feel connected to yourself and the world, and everything that makes you feel grateful and hopeful for the future, works here.

-Decorate your altar: We can't have a festival without decorating your altar ! Add colours, motifs and themes that remind you of the season to your altar. It's also a good option to add offerings to any deities you might work with.

Colours associated with Yule: White, black, red, green, silver, gold Crystals associated with Yule: Black obsidian, red jasper, carnelian, calcite, sunstone Food associated with Yule: Apples, spices, wine and alcoholic beverages, baked items, meat, berries, sweets

I hope you have enjoyed this post. If you would like me to continue making posts like this please support me so I can continue making them: you can support me by donating here https://ko-fi.com/bunnymatchamochi or by visiting my Etsy store here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LovenestAtelier?ref=profile_header Reblogs and likes also help ! Thank you so much for reading me !

[alephskoteinos]

The wolf of Mars

After asking about Mars and wolves and getting inspired to look around I'm just going to go all on in here on the subject just like on Twitter because by gods the more I think about the subject the more I love it.

Mars apparently was frequently accompanied by wolves, and not just because his offspring were raised by a wolf. Livy apparently described a statue of Mars on the Appian Way in which Mars was accompanied by wolves. Livy also, in The History of Rome, recounted a story where a wolf appeared as a reminder of Mars as the founder of the Roman people and an omen of their good fortune. In Rome there was also a "lupus martius", or "wolf of Mars", that was believed by Romans to be an omen of victory in battle. There is also Roman iconography featuring Mars mounted upon a wolf, or being carried on a chariot driven by wolves. See example from the 2nd century below:

This motif appears to have carried on in later depictions of Mars from well after the Christianisation of Rome and much the European continent. An example here would be "Mars on his chariot pulled by wolves", painted by Claude Audran the Younger in 1673.

Wolves were most definitely the sacred animal of Mars, a connection that is perhaps not entirely separate from the founding myth of Rome, where the sons of Mars are raised by a she-wolf.

I also cannot help but interpret resonances with a broader chthonic context relevant to the larger culture of ancient Italy. Mars, on his own, has his own chthonic context, in that he was regarded not just as a god of war but also of fertility and agriculture, patron of the virtus of the earth. He can also be seen as a descendant of similar Etruscan deities, such as Maris, who were chthonic and vegetative in nature. This link is discussed further in The Issue of Descent of the Deity Mars by Ekaterine Kobakhidze.

More importantly, in Etruscan culture, wolves were inherently chthonic symbols. They were believed to be liminal beings that could pass between presence in this world and in the underworld. Wolves were often seen by the ancient Etruscans as either demons or the spirits of the dead, or perhaps even as representing death itself. Etruscan gods of the underworld, such as Calu, Suri, and Aita, were also strongly identified with wolves. Aita himself, a god very similar to the Greek god Hades, is distinguished by his wearing of a wolf skin cap.

There may also be certain reflections of this association in ancient Greece. The goddess Athena, for instance is sometimes depicted wearing a wolf cap, such as in statues of Athena Albani. This wolfskin cap itself is traditionally worn by none other than Hades, and the Illiad refers to Athena wearing this "cap of Hades" to avoid being seen by Ares. Wolves were also strongly associated with Apollo, and the heads of wolves also featured in necromantic rituals aimed at invocation. To quote Greek and Roman Necromancy by Daniel Ogden:

Greek language lychomancy recipes borrow necromantic procedures. In one, the lamp is set on the (disembodied?) head of a wolf. Chthonic demons are summoned, and Hades is invoked. There are libations of wine, honey, milk, and rainwater, and offerings of flat and round cakes.

Not forgetting about Lupercalia, that Roman festival which revolved around the veneration of a wolf deity, Lupercus, possibly linked to Pan, Faunus, or Apollo, and celebrating the ritual purity of the community by way of the passage of ancestral spirits through the underworld.

The warrior association also invites consideration of the wolves with the bands of warriors academically referred to as "Koryos" or "Mannerbund". In Greece, for instance, adolescent war bands honoured Apollo as the master of the wolves that symbolised their fighting style. The Norse Ulfhednar, who saw themselves as shapeshifting into wolves, are often counted as another example of a similar war band. In Russia, on the steppes at what is now Krasnosamarskoe, there were midwinter rituals where people consumed the flesh of dogs or wolves to become dog-like or wolf-like themselves.

It's kind of difficult to imagine how it all leads together outside of pure UPG. I just happen find whatever thread runs between the wolf symbolism of Mars to be fascinating, though I can see how it mostly just connects to the founding myth of Rome.

[shallwepagan]

Io, Saturnalia! (Starting on Dec 16 or 17)

[josefavomjaaga]

Letter from Josephine to Eugène

Translated from “Les Beauharnais et l’empereur”, edited and published by Jean Hanoteau, containing letters written by Josephine and Hortense to Eugène while the latter was in Italy. This is in fact the very first of those letters.

Plombières, 18 Thermidor [an XIII = August 6, 1805]

No, my dear Eugene, I have not forgotten you [...]

Should be the standard introduction for any of Josephine's letters, considering how long it took her to write.

[...] for I am constantly occupied with you, with what you are doing, with your pleasures, but above all with your sorrows, and I assure you that when I learn that you are suffering some vexation, I am more affected than you are. The Emperor always seemed to me to be pleased with you; he was only a little annoyed that you had sent for a man who had made false statements. He said - and rightly so - that you should have had him reprimanded by the Minister of Police and that it was not in keeping with your dignity to have him come to you. But he said that this was coming from a young man and a young man with honour. It would be curious to know from whom he heard this.

Fortunately, Her Majesty's curiosity can easily be satisfied: The guy chatting so unwisely was a certain Prince Eugène, Viceroy of Italy, who still believed he had to dutifully account to his stepfather for every move he made. But he will soon receive a letter from Duroc with some advice between the lines: Just don't tell him everything, dimwit.

Besides, he knows your devotion to him and your attachment to him and he loves you dearly. The same is not true of his family. They saw with the greatest sorrow your nomination. Murat always plays the courtier. His wife has been ill. It seems so, because she is quite changed. She has retained that air which she calls dignity (which I call composure) which does not suit her at all. It's wrong for all these people not to like us. If they wanted to be good people, they could not have better friends than us.

Sounds like all bridges have already been burned between the Beauharnais and the Murat side of the family. Unfortunately, we do not get to know what "playing the courtier" means and if it is related to the "Duchatel" affair that allegedly caused Eugène some brief disgrace. Josephine does sound somewhat jealous of Murat's influence in these letters.

The Emperor is always very kind to me. I also do whatever it depends on me to do to please him. No more jealousy, my dear Eugene, and what I am saying to you is quite true. This way, he is happier and I am happier. I cannot tell you anything about the political news, it is a mystery which the Emperor never lets you in on. He is at this moment in Boulogne. All I know is that he has been waiting for eight days for a letter which was to decide his departure. You probably know that the Prince of Baden's marriage has fallen through, which gives great hope for the person you know.

Yes, that person would be a certain princesse Auguste. Though, in her opinion (and in that of the whole Bavarian court) the marriage to Karl von Baden was still happening. Of course it would be happening!

I have seen her portrait. She is as beautiful as can be. Your sister is well, as are the children. I had the second child with me at Saint-Cloud, and he is very beautiful. Louis is still in the same state. I am looking forward, my dear Eugène, to midwinter. That is the time when you promised to come and see me. How happy your mother will be! You will know, my dear son, that I grieve every day at being separated from you and that my eyes are always filled with tears whenever I think of you or am spoken to about you. If I have not written to you since my arrival, it is because I have been very tired and tormented by visits. Besides, there was nothing new; I shall write to you every week from now on.

Eugène: Sure, mum... (It took her another month until she sent of her next letter.)

I have agreed with Lavallette to send him my letters. Goodbye, my good Eugene, the most tender of sons. Your mother embraces you with all her heart and loves you madly.

A thousand kind things to Mme Litta and Méjan.

[ambiguouspuzuma]

desire

I saw a robin today. the sun was out, and so were the birds. jackdaws. blackbirds. blue tits. others. but robins too.

he pecked at the crumbs around my shoes and my thoughts returned to December, when I would hang his likeness in my home, on a card, and sing songs in his honour. but now it is April and he is a stranger at my feet.

robins are sedentary birds; all weather friends. we venerate them in winter, not because they are anything more, still the same small ball of feathers, curios and brave, but because our options are less. the other birds fly south, and we turn, lonely, to the redbreast in the snow.

the trees are the same, but green against that white. evergreen. spruces and firs and pines each just as lush in summer heat, but unappreciated, unremarkable; until the others are gone. we bring them into our homes, draped in baubles and tinsel and lights for their company, their rich, winter beauty, which doesn't earn a second glance in spring. in April, the other trees have blossom. flowers. decoration of their own.

this is what I am to you, I think. a December comfort. you turn to me when others fade, a hearth to warm the bleak midwinter of your heart. you kindle me to fill that void, adorn me with desperate love, hold me up as more than the simple person underneath. so that, come the warm light of spring, when the air is filled with petals and birdsong, I can only disappoint. in a world of options, I am easy to discard, less visible in sunshine than in shadow, though standing by you just the same. but your loneliness is gone, and mine can wait until that winter next returns, and I might be worthwhile wanting once again.

I am used to shivering in the warm.

[the-fools-errand]

Three things to end the year

Thank you @thehoneybeet (Three things here) for tagging me into the three things thing :) It’s about to be NYE in the part of the world where I live, and with this well-timed tag, it only seems fitting to end the year with a bit of reflection. 

This year between June and September I moved to a new country, which ended up being an even bigger adventure than I had expected. While I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, I’ve found myself being pulled away from some of my creative pursuits and redistributing that energy to settling in to new habits in a new place and learning a new language. I’ve definitely missed being an active part of the Drarry fandom, but I have loved watching from the sidelines as new fics and fests have posted, and this community never fails to fill me with joy when I need it most. So thank you everyone for making this such a special corner of the internet! 

1. The Secret Keeper (2021, 225K) - My most popular fic by a longshot, SK is a special fic to me for many reasons. HD/BB was the first fest I ever participated in, modded by the incredible @gracerene and @writcraft, without whom this fic would never have seen the light of day. I was travelling for my job as I worked on this fic for the better part of a year, including on 15+hour flights across the globe, and even a particularly memorable setup using an ironing board as a desk in a small hotel room during the final weeks before the finish deadline 😂

I also had the extreme luck/joy/honour of being partnered with @razielim who illustrated the fic with three showstopping pieces that still take my breath away. When Razielim sent me the first drafts, I was standing in a cafe and literally exclaimed out loud. It’s hard to put into words what it means to partner with an artist and see a collective creative work come to life. When I stumbled in the home stretch of writing, I’d take a look back at these pieces and be re-inspired to carry on. 

Without hyperbole, the single most integral piece of SK was working with my incomparable Beta partner, @thehoneybeet. HB was part of the story from the time it was just a collection of sticky notes on a wall, through to middle-of-the-night speed writing/editing sessions, and everything in between. Stephen King once said that every author should write for their “first reader,” the person they can trust to believe in and bring out the best of their work, and for me, that is HB! Love ya, friend. 

Secret Keeper is a Hogwarts-era canon rewrite AU, in which Dumbledore hides Harry’s survival at the hands of Voldemort under a Fidelius Charm, leading the Wizarding World to believe that none of the Potters survived, and for Harry to grow up as a muggle. Draco is set to take up the mantle of a Death Eater once he comes of age, but when Harry shows up at Hogwarts under McGonagall’s direction, he’s brought under the charm to teach Harry Occlumency. The story is an exploration of the clash of destiny and agency, and what happens if we choose not to follow the path laid out for us. Plus there’s a sonnet. 

The last thing I’ll say about SK is that as my first real piece of writing that landed in this community, I had no idea what sort of response to expect from readers -- and was utterly blown away with the kindness and encouragement I received. I read every comment with a full heart, and when @sitp-recs wrote this rec, I thought I would just about explode. I often revisit this AU in my daydreaming, and HB knows, I have fully outlined a sequel if I can ever get around to it! Maybe for the next BB :) 

2. In the Bleak Midwinter (2022, 105K) - I’m cheating on the three things prompt and putting up my second most popular fic, because this one was a surprise even to me! I truly had no plans to write a longfic at the beginning of the year, but as I perused the LCDrarry prompt list, an incredible Peaky Blinders prompt by @seekercass caught my eye and I was hooked. My partner in crime, HB, even watched the full first season of PB for me, just to be able to advise on characterisation and plot points. Fest mod @celilasart was an epic support, and helped me with timing as I dashed to make the posting cutoff. 

In the end, what resulted was a dark AU, where Voldemort had won years ago, and the boys were living in a world where magic was banned, the wizarding world had broken open into the muggle world, and Hogsmeade was a town riddled with crime. Draco (as Tommy) is a complex and tortured head of the Black family gang, keeping everyone afloat while trying to carve out a better life. Harry (as Grace) is an agent of the Order, reporting in to Snape (as Campbell), and sent on a mission to Hogsmeade to solve a case of missing wands, a shipment meant for the front lines of Voldemort’s ever-expanding territory. 

Writing this fic was an unexpected delight, where unlike Secret Keeper, I really had very little idea of where I was going with everything when I started. Getting to weave in characters like Sirius, Tonks, Pansy, Neville, and Narcissa, was such a joy, and it was an exercise in opening up my creative process to different styles of writing. That said, this was probably the fic where I hit my biggest creative roadblock, when I couldn’t get Harry and Draco to stop being Grace and Tommy and start being themselves. HB was there for a major kill-your-darlings rewrite moment, which was totally necessary, and in the end I love where the fic ended up.

3. Silver Lining (2022, 14K) - For my hidden gem, I’m picking a fic that (gasp) isn’t even a Drarry! One of my goals at the start of 2022 was pushing my boundaries in terms of character and voice, and when I came across a prompt for a super small fest, which was simply “Neville re-sorted,” I knew I had to give it a try. Neville had been a surprisingly crucial character in both SK and ITBM, and unexpectedly so. So having the chance to explore him as a character in his own right was a really fulfilling exercise, and this fic ended up being an arc about friendship more than anything. 

SL is a cannon rewrite AU (because somehow I still only write AUs), where Neville is sorted into Slytherin and Draco takes up the responsibility of making sure his fellow housemate lives up to his full potential. Seven short sections, spanning seven years at Hogwarts. This one is short and sweet, and yes, I still managed to fit in Drarry somehow 😜

Honourable Mention: A Mutual Inconvenience (2022, 4K) - after a complete hiatus from writing for most of the year, I pulled together this short gift for my first reader and fandom bestie, HB. A bit of holiday melancholy which scratched a certain itch this season, and is a bit of a deviation from my usual stuff. 

Just want to take a moment to put some love out there again to all of you reading this. it’s been such a delight getting to know many of you and just being part of a fandom as special as this one. If you’re seeing this any you haven’t already been tagged to do your Three Things, please do! Happy New Year, and here’s to a magical 2023!

[maypoleman1]

24th December

Christmas Eve

Source: The Book of Christmas, The Enchanted World, Time-Life Books

Today is Christmas Eve and a night of ghosts and spirits. Like Halloween, malevolent phantoms are said to roam the mortal world on Christmas Eve and the evil alter ego of St Nicholas, the monstrous Krampus, will weave spells of dark winter magic to entrap those who do not give the eve of Christ’s birthday due respect. More benignly, the ancestral dead are said to revisit the hearths of their loved ones tonight and make merry once more. Before retiring to bed, the people of northern Britain would leave a Christmas repast for their deceased forebears to help them enjoy their ghostly seasonal revels. At Rainham in Kent a coach with a headless horse is said to gallop towards Bloor’s Place tonight, allegedly carrying the ghost of a notorious womaniser known as Christopher Bloor who was waylaid and murdered by cuckolded husbands who chopped off his head, although, confusingly, not that of his horse.

Tonight the Ash Faggot or Yule Log was brought into the homes of the Anglo Saxons and the Scandinavian settlers of the Danelaw. The Log had to be found in woodland and dragged back to the family hearth, where it was sprinkled with ale or cider before being thrown onto the fire where it was intended to burn the whole Yuletide through. The pagan origins of seeking divine light in the midwinter darkness of this practice are clear enough. Its possibly more bloody origins are hinted at by the sketching of a human figure into the bark in Cornwall and the fact the Log was known as The Christmas Old Wife, indicating the festive log may be a symbol of abandoned midwinter human sacrifice.

Christian legend has it that tonight cattle kneel and sheep face east towards Bethlehem in honour of Jesus’ birth; for the duration of the night all farmyard animals can talk, but to overhear their conversation brings terrible luck in the New Year - something to dissuade the curious from disproving the legend and destroying some Christmas magic. It was a tradition to feed all the livestock well and generously over the Christmas season: birds in particular were given a special cake of fat and grain known as the Christmas Sheaf.

[ts-wicked-wonders]

Why do we celebrate the winter solstice?

Let’s start with the science. The Winter Solstice is the point of the year at which the path of the sun in the sky is farthest south. Here in the Northern Hemisphere this occurs in December, between the 20th to the 23rd of the month. The sun travels the shortest path across the sky giving us the shortest day of the year with the least sunlight and subsequently, the longest night.

The hushed darkness of winter is at its deepest on the solstice, yet for thousands of years it has been celebrated as a promise of the brighter days ahead. The winter solstice is a tipping point, a moment of stillness when the balance of the seasonal scales will once again begin to tilt towards the light. Since long, long ago humans have been aware of this tipping point and celebrated the long night as a marker of new life and warmth returning.

These days we may find that Christmas celebrations become the focus of our attention around this time, there is usually so much to do and little time to rest when we find ourselves preparing for family visits, buying gifts and tackling the mighty food shop! But there is so much internal gold to be mined at this midwinter point, so much connection and grounding to be found in this quiet seasonal milestone, I think it’s well worth carving out some time for each year, if we can.

How to celebrate the Winter Solstice

3 simple ways to honour the shortest day

1. Light up the longest night

“In the Druidic tradition the name of this festival is “Alban Arthan”, Welsh for “Light of Winter”. According to an older and more poetic interpretation, the name is “Alban Arthuan”, meaning “Light of Arthur”. In this poetical image, Arthur is symbolized by the Sun. The Sun dies and is reborn, just as the mythical Arthur is sleeping deep inside a mountain and will wake up again when the people need his help.” Www.druidry.org

Of course I would choose candlelight for number one! Even the small act of striking a match and lighting a wick can be easily turned into a mindful ritual, an action which provides a minute of clarity within a busy day and one which takes us back to the present moment, even in a house full of noise, chaos and kids running wild!

Bringing light to the dark is a simple yet powerful acknowledgment of the seasonal shift and an invitation to take some time to consider what the winter solstice means and how we are feeling at this point in the year. Candles are symbolic of the returning of the light and have been used for many centuries past to focus our attention and create a sacred space.

Lighting a fire in the grate, or a bonfire in the garden is also a traditional way to mark this day. The ancient Norse would burn a Yule log in their celebration of the return of the sun at winter solstice. “Yule” came from the Norse word hweol, meaning wheel. This practice of burning a Yule log can also be found in many other countries and in the Pagan, Wiccan and Druid traditions too.

2. Reflect on the year gone by

The solstice and equinox points give us quarter milestones in the year to reflect and reset. This has been a year of huge upheaval, emotion and uncertainty so I know I am likely not alone in needing a little time to consider what this past year has changed in me and how I might use that knowledge in the next chapter ahead.

Winter is a time for stories, a time for hopes and dreams birthed from the darkness and given time to stretch and grow before they see the light of day. What story do you want to see come to life next year?

Journaling is a wonderful way to get down some of these thoughts and reflections on the winter solstice. Remember that journaling doesn’t have to look like pages and pages of thoughtful verse – you can choose to jot down a few key words which sum up your feelings, or if you are more visual person sketch out a spider diagram or mind map which pulls out your perceptions of what has passed and your hopes for what might be – use whatever method works for you.

“There is a reason why some of our most enduring holidays of mysticism occur during the cold months. Winter is a time when unseen energies steps forth out of the fog— when the above-ground world goes back to the roots and the hidden mysteries of spirit can bloom.” Asia Suler – One Willow Apothecaries

3. Find nourishment in your favourite winter comforts

Brew up your favourite seasonal tea or make a hot chocolate with the works. Find something which warms your body and feels like a small luxury and take it to a quiet part of the house, or over to your favourite window. Sit down and take the time to savour it. Letting our bodies be still and allowing our minds to wander doesn’t always feel easy, there is a temptation to constantly fill ourselves up with scrolling, doing chores, working, cleaning – anything to keep our minds occupied.

But the stillness of the winter solstice, and the call of the winter season in general, is an invitation to let ourselves drift. So try to give yourself a little time to do just that.

“Pause here. You are deep in the heart of the darkest nights. The world is hushed: The trees are dwelling in their roots, and the earth’s small creatures have gone to ground. Turn inward and listen to the stories of your deepest self.”- Maia Toll

http://www.Tswickedwonders.com