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c7thetumbler · 7 months

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Quick Game Reviews: February 2024

Ayo, let's keep this train rollin!

Shorter month and I didn't have the sudden influx of games from the winter sale, so not a whole lot, but a few worth talking about I think. Also I did get lazy with the banner

Image from the promotional screen shots on the steam page

Quake II: Expansions and 64 (Steam)

I did them all!

At the time of the last Blog post I had only played through the base game and a little bit of Call of the Machine. I won't spend too long on it, but about halfway through Call of the Machine I was very much over it. It's definitely possible that by focusing so hard on doing all of the Quake II content I burnt myself out on it, and that these weren't meant to be played so close together. It's also possible that having an entire lifetime of experience with games and going back to this one kind of ages its gameplay and makes it less fun? Not sure.

That is to say, these expansions weren't bad. They definitely realized that restarting your loadout was a more fun way to play and allowed you to ramp up, as well as refining level design to be harder and more interesting. That being said, It gets very same-y very fast and the levels were getting so complicated that using the compass to find out where I was supposed to go turned into an instinctual habit after every skirmish. There was a lot of back tracking, which for the most part they mitigated by releasing some enemies or changing the level somewhat, but also a lot of "look for this one thing you push against or shoot that you may not know about" that was more frustrating than interesting.

Narratively they were all pretty fun; the mission objectives, as obtuse as they could be, did a good job of tying into the feeling that your were progressing through alien bases and environments, getting closer and closer to your ultimate goal. All in all, if you like the base Quake II game and want more of a challenge, they're going to scratch your itch, but be prepared for some frustrating quick loads and jump/navigation puzzles.

Separately, Quake II 64 was interesting because due to the limits of the N64 the levels were much more concise and focused. It's definitely the shortest of the Expansions, each one of the others rivaling the length of the base game while 64 takes about 2-3 hours, but it was interesting seeing how they managed to accommodate console players while still having a faithful experience. It did however have some frustrating moments I can't imagine were fun on a controller.

Image from the Shadow costume DLC page on steam

Sonic Superstars (Steam)

This one. Oof.

So to kick it off: I paid $30 for this game. That should've been its launch price, as while it *technically* has more zones than the other classics (11 vs 8), three of those zones are 1-offs with only one act, and several of the acts in the other zones are gimmicky.

It's greatest crime however is that clearly the developers knew what made a classic Sonic game. The movement feels pretty good; Sonic's drop dash makes a return from Mania to become his unique gimmick vs the other characters, and it works really well vs. His old gimmick of activating w/e shield he had or shining. However the levels just... aren't that good. There's a few in there that are fun to run around, but a lot have gimmicks that are pervasive through the whole level and just aren't that fun. For example, the Press Factory Zone has two Acts, where Act 1 has a giant press in the background that slams into the ground at regular intervals, causing your character to jump up higher than usual involuntarily if they were on the ground. This was clearly fleshed out in the level's design, but it's just not *fun* to have to deal with. Act 2 changes that with a death machine that kills you instantly if you don't push buttons scattered throughout the level frequently enough, which just kinda sucks as a mechanic. I don't want to be panicking through the whole level and wishing it was over, but that might just be me.

This misunderstanding of what makes classic Sonic fun (and I believe a focus on single screen multiplayer) also led to it's most talked about issue: the boss fights. They suck. Like the best ones are bad, and the worst ones are some of the most frustrating experiences I've had fighting Bosses in video games. Worse, these bosses are at the end of every Zone, and at least half of the Act I zones also have bosses. I believe that this was an opportunity to slow down and have all multiplayer characters on the screen doing something at once, but it just isn't what I'm here for in a Sonic game.

The Final boss in all 3 "stories" is different per story, but none are less frustrating than the others. They all rely on instant death mechanics, have way too much health, have long phases where the player cannot do damage, and absolutely no rings in them (sans the last boss) to help you through, so you run out quite quickly. I spent several hours between all three of the bosses, and would not be surprised if it made up roughly half my playtime. They were also seemingly allergic to letting you use Super <character> in most fights as well, clearly thinking "Oh that trivializes it" and intentionally extending invincibility times long past their visual iframes (over twice as long, in some cases) in order to prevent cheese.

Did I have some fun with it? Yes, but only in the moments where it let me run through the levels without getting slammed by some bizarre gimmick or boss, and those aren't that common here. I'd pass on this one; Sonic Mania + is still peak classic Sonic and I don't think it's going to get beat anytime soon

... anyway I 100%'d it

Screen shot from the Steam Page

Bots are Stupid (Steam)

I played this one for like maybe half an hour before realizing I wasn't in the mood to play a lemmings game. I have no strong opinions on this as a result! Seems fun enough if you're into that.

Image from the screenshots on their steam page

Plants vs Zombies: GotY (Steam)

Gonna post this screenshot to show just how long it took for me to re-pick-up a shelved game I promised I would 100% later:

I got this mid 2010, and finally decided to revisit it now. And I did it! I 100%'d it! I couldn't do it back then, when I was a dumb little...

17 year old...

.. Old popcap games hold up better than wine. You should play it, and no other PvZ entry, and I'm done with this review actually

Screen shot from the Steam Page

moon: Remix RPG Adventure (Steam)

This is a modern rerelease of an old anti-rpg that was on Playstation, brought to you by the brilliant minds behind Chibi-Robo, Little King's Story, and Captain Rainbow. I hadn't even heard of this before some friends started playing it on Discord and I was like "Oh my god I love these designers!"

It's got everything I like about those games aesthetically: Wacky character designs, a strange world, some funny and obtuse dialog and all of that can range from very funny to mildly unsettling (in a positive way). You play as a young kid who got isekai'd into a SNES styled RPG world, and you must find "love" to progress through and I assume escape. You can do this by helping out the NPCs of the world and by saving the souls of the "monsters" that the original protagonist, the brave knight, killed to level up and exp. Getting love levels you up and allows you to stay awake for longer, allowing you to travel further into the world and well into the night in order to solve all the problems and puzzles of the people inside it.

It's fun, but it can get a bit... complicated and confusing. While the charm of the characters and world had me coming back quite a lot, I found myself stuck with no clue how to progress after a while, and often wasted entire in game days waiting for something to happen or trying to activate an event, only to be incorrect as to what that event was. Eventually I looked up a spoilered guide to help me along, but even that was tricky to follow and involved waiting for a number of in-game days to do something I never would've thought of, and eventually I put it down. Someone more patient could probably get a lot of fun out of this game, and indeed I did while I was still able to figure out what to do, but eventually it gets a bit too unclear for its own good

As the image says, this is from the thumbnail to the games announcement in a Nintendo Direct

Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Switch)

It is wild that after writing that review for Sonic Superstars, I have to come out and say that it'd still be a better bang for your buck than this one.

Don't get me wrong; it's a pretty fun game to play in bite-sized pieces and when it was new on the GBA it was definitely worth it. Now though? It's a very weak entry that doesn't really stand out among the multitude of much more clever puzzle platformers that have released in the 20 years since.

I give Nintendo a lot of flak for their pricing structure, from Pokemon always overcharging for any classic rereleases (when they even bother), Link's Awakening releasing for the full $60 price tag, DK Tropical freeze selling for MORE than it did on its original console despite not adding anything other than an easy mode. They're an easy target for this kind of criticism, and it's well deserved.

This one though is especially egregious. The original GBA game had a scoring system that, while archaic, combined collecting all of the collectibles and racing against the clock into one system. Rather than modernizing it by adding any sort of friend leaderboards or nuance to scoring that makes it difficult to level out, they removed it entirely. Instead, there's your normal mode where you have lives (that actually serve no purpose) where you collect all of the things, and then a new TIME ATTACK mode, which has to be entered separately and does not consider your times in the levels otherwise. You also have to unlock it by beating the game. If you're a 100% freak like me, that means you have to replay the game a bare minimum of twice.

It's pure padding for the sake of it, and it shows. Additionally (and spoilers I guess), apart from a small file screen reward for 100%ing the normal levels, there is absolutely nothing for getting all the time attack medals. It's a huge waste of time, and feels like a mobile game with its simplicity.

In terms of improvements, there's very little. The game looks fine, like any other modern Mario spinoff, but that's where it hurts. SMRPG remake made a point to stick to original style to make a great modern imagining, Mario Wonder heavily stylized itself to stand out against its other 2D platformer outings, but this game chose to be exactly what you'd expect with little attention to flair or style. Where the tiny in-engine cutscenes of Mario running after DK on a flat plane and yelling 14 times on the GBA was quaint, here they're lazy and hollow, especially when they did bother to render out the other cutscenes. It's definitely better looking than the faux 3D the GBA had to go for, but again fails to stand out against any recent Mario game, with even Super Mario Party feeling like it made more of a point to portray character expression than this.

... Oh, There's 2 more worlds. Gameplay, right, I should talk about it. There are 6 levels, 6 plus levels, 2 boss fights, and 2 extra levels per world. Generously, that's only 30 additional levels, which sounds like a disservice to say "only", but consider that most levels consist of mainly 2 screens area to traverse and take a couple minutes max. These new worlds aren't really ground breaking either; The one they like to show off in promotional videos revolves around a windy flower mechanic which is interesting, but not expanded upon well. The other one is an ice world, where the gimmick is that you slide. It's as fun as it sounds.

Basically, If you've ever played the GBA version of this, give this a pass entirely; you're better off not spending any money for an essentially identical experience with practically no gameplay improvements or additions. If you've never played it before, it is worth no more than $10, and given that it's a $50 Mario game with a physical cartridge release, that's not going to happen anytime soon.

That price is also taking into account that you, yes you, right now, can find and emulate GBA games *for free*, so like if you really want to fill in your Mario experience with some classics... it's right there, you can just do that without waiting for Nintendo to sensibly price their game.

Image from the promotional section of their steam page

Corn Kidz 64 (Steam)

I'm not really sure what the Corn stuff is about, nor if there's some deeper lore or aesthetic this game is referencing, but it's an N64-style 3D collect-a-thon so yes absolutely I'll give it a go.

I spent a surprising amount of time on this one; it's a lot more involved and fine-tuned then a lot of my recent Indie 3D platformer experiences, which I enjoy. It reminded me a lot of playing Banjo Tooie as a child, where the world had a lot of different platforming challenges and some parts of it need to be unlocked or activated before you can progress or understand what you're supposed to be doing. The humor's very N64 Rareware as well, combined with some early 2000's teenage looks and jokes.

The game itself only consists of 3 worlds: a tutorial, the second world (which is where you spend most of the game) and a final linear challenge world. Despite that though you'll probably be spending a good amount of time looking for everything in order to progress out of the second world and to the final level, and the game doesn't over or under-stay its welcome. My only complaint is that sometimes it's very unclear what you're supposed to do next, and if you're not paying very close attention to the world you may miss a platforming challenge that leads you to the next thing you need to collect, or you may see something that you can't interact with yet but seems like you may be able to. It could do with a couple more hints, in my opinion.

It's a very good callback to old N64 era BK and Conker, and for only $7 it's definitely worth a purchase!

Image is official promotional material, though I found it on the Splatoon Wiki

Splatoon 3: Side Order (Switch)

This one snuck up on me, which is a pleasant surprise. My favorite part of Splatoon has always been the side content and single-player stuff, and the Octo Expansion in Splatoon 2 was my favorite content in the series so far, so I was excited to see this had dropped. And it did not disappoint! There seems to be a trend where DLC with Pearl, Marina, and Agent 8 is the best content in the Splatoon series, and the replay-ability on this one is welcome.

To summarize, you must ascend a spire in Marina's new game project (They even show you her laptop, which has splatooned Unity & Premier Pro interfaces while explaining plot), with Agent 8 and the Pearl drone. The tower is 30 floors tall, 3 boss fights, and each floor has 3 options for what upgrade and challenge you want to take. Upgrades take the form of Color chips, which you place in your Palette to add or increase your abilities to make the rest of the ascension better. It is incredibly Slay the Spire, but instead of different characters and cards you have different palettes, and it's always worth grabbing the color chip whereas skipping cards in StS is a must.

It starts out pretty tough (after the tutorial), but not so bad it's discouraging. There are several currencies and key items; Membux are essentially score you are rewarded with (harder floors give you more) that you can spent mid-run on Vending machines (rest floors) to get different side weapons, specials, or chips. Prlz (like Pearl) are the reward currency you get upon ending a run, where your chips and membux are converted to score and then to Prlz, which you then spend on hacks Marina has that unlock more stuff for future runs and make them easier. Locker Keys are given every time you clear a boss fight for the first time per palette, with 3 keys available per palette and each palette has its own favored color chips, main, side, and special weapons that represent a Splatoon character. These keys unlock lockers that contain some goodies like more palettes and lore rewards. There's a lot of content there.

I had a lot of fun with this one! The variety in color chips and palettes helps carry the repetitive nature of ascending the tower, and the number of unlocks ensures that for the most part you wont run out of reasons to keep playing until you've beaten the boss with all the palettes. I will say that there is an issue with the number of different bosses though; there are only 3 sub bosses (floors 10 and 20), and only one top boss who has no variety, which gets very tiring when you have to beat him no less than 12 times. The floor variety will also see you getting a lot of repeats, but the difficulty levels and randomized objectives carry those a lot better.

If you have Splatoon 3 already and enjoyed the single player content, this is more good stuff. That being said, the $30 expansion pass on top of the $60 base game is steep, so if you're not into Splatoon already then this is probably also not gonna scratch any itches.

#game reviews #splatoon 3 side order #sonic superstars #corn kidz 64 #mario vs donkey kong #moon remix rpg adventure #plants vs zombies #quake ii

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greenwitchcrafts · 23 days

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September 2024 Witch Guide

New Moon: September 2nd

First Quarter: September 11th

Full moon: September 17th

Last Quarter: September 24th

Sabbats: Mabon- September 22nd

September Harvest Moon

Also known as: Autumn Moon, Child Moon, Corn Harvest Moon, Falling Leaves Moon, Haligmonath, Leaves Turning Moon, Mating Moon, Moon of Brown Leaves, Moon When Dear Paw the Earth, Rutting Moon, Singing Moon, Wine Moon, Witumanoth & Yellow Leaf Moon

Element: Earth

Zodiac: Virgo & Libra

Nature spirts: Trooping Faeries

Deities: Brigid, Ceres, Chang-e, Demeter, Freya, Isis, Depths & Vesta

Animals: Jackal & snake

Birds: Ibis & sparrow

Trees: Bay, hawthorn, hazel & larch

Herbs: Copal, fennel, rye, skullcap, valerian, wheat & witch hazel

Flowers: Lily & narcissus

Scents: Bergamot, gardenia, mastic & storax

Stones: Bloodstone,carnelian, cat's eye, chrysolite, citrine, iolite, lapis lazuli, olivine, peridot, sapphire, spinel(blue), tourmaline(blue) & zircon

Colors: Browns, dark blue, Earth tones, green & yellow

Issues, intentions & powers: Confidence, the home, manifestation & protection

Energy: Balance of light & dark, cleaning & straightening of all kinds, dietary matters, employment, health, intellectual pursuits, prosperity, psychism, rest, spirituality, success & work environment

The full Moon that happens nearest to the fall equinox (September 22nd or 23rd) always takes on the name “Harvest Moon.” Unlike other full Moons, this full Moon rises at nearly the same time—around sunset—for several evenings in a row, giving farmers several extra evenings of moonlight & allowing them to finish their harvests before the frosts of fall arrive.

• While September’s full Moon is usually known as the Harvest Moon, if October’s full Moon happens to occur closer to the equinox than September’s, it takes on the name “Harvest Moon” instead. In this case, September’s full Moon would be referred to as the Corn Moon.

This time of year—late summer into early fall—corresponds with the time of harvesting corn in much of the northern United States. For this reason, a number of Native American peoples traditionally used some variation of the name “Corn Moon” to refer to the Moon of either August or September.

Mabon

Known as: Autumn Equinox, Cornucopia, Witch's Thanksgiving & Alban Elved

Season: Autumn

Element: Air

Symbols: Acorns, apples, autumn leaves, balance, berries, corn, cornucopia( Horn of Plenty), dried seeds, equality, gourds, grains, grapes, ivy, pine cones, pomegranates, vines, wheat, white roses & wine

Colors: Blue, brown, dark red, deep gold, gold, indigo, leaf green, maroon, orange, red, russet. Violet & yellow

Oils/Incense: Apple, apple blossom, benzoin, black pepper, hay/straw, myrrh, passion flower, patchouli, pine, red poppy & sage

Animals: Dog & Wolf

Birds: Goose, hawk, swallow & swan

Stones: Agate, amethyst, carnelian, lapis lazuli, sapphire, yellow Agate & yellow topaz

Food: Apples, blackberries, blackberry wine, breads, carrots, cider, corn, cornbread, grapes, heather wine, nuts, onions, pomegranates, potatoes, squash, vegetables, wheat & wine

Herbs/Plants: Benzoin, bramble, corn, ferns, grains, hops, ivy, milkweed, myrrh, sage sassafras, Salomon's seal, thistle, tobacco & wheat

Flowers: Aster, heather, honeysuckle, marigold, mums, passion flower, rose

Trees: Aspen, cedar, cypress, hazel, locust, maple, myrtle oak & pine

Goddesses: Danu, Epona, Inanna, Ishtar, Modron, Morgan, The Morrigan, Muses, Pomona, Persephone, Sin, Sophia & Sura

Gods: Bacchus, Dionysus, Dumuzi, Esus, The Green Man, Hermes, Mannanan, Thor & Thoth

Issues, Intentions & Powers: Accomplishment, agriculture, balance, goals, gratitude & grounding

Spellwork: Balance, harmony, protection, prosperity, security & self-confidence

Activities:

•Scatter offerings in a harvested fields & Offer libations to trees

• Decorate your home and/or altar space for fall

• Bake bread

• Perform a ritual to restore balance and harmony to your life

• Cleanse your home of negative energies

• Pick apples

• Collect fall themed things from nature like acorns, changing leaves, pine cones, ect)

• Have a dinner or feast with your family and/or friends

• Set intentions for the upcoming year

• Purge what is no longer serving you & commit to healthy changes

•Take a walk in the woods

• Enjoy a pumpkin spice latte

• Donate to your local food bank

• Gather dried herbs, plants, seeds & pods

• Learn something new

• Make wine

• Fill a cornucopia

• Brew an apple cinnamon simmer pot

• Create an outdoor Mabon altar

•Adorn burial sites with leaves, acorns, & pinecones to honor those who have passed over & visit their graves

The name Mabon comes from the Welsh/Brythonic God Mabon Ap Modron, who's name means "Divine/great Son", However,there is evidence that the name was adopted in the 1970s for the Autumn Equinox & has nothing to do with this celebration or this time of year.

• Though many cultures see the second harvest (after the first harvest Lughnasadh) & Equinox as a time for giving thanks before the name Mabon was given because this time of year is traditionally when farmers know how well their summer crops did & how well fed their animals have become. This determines whether you & your family would have enough food for the winter.That is why people used to give thanks around this time, thanks for their crops, animals & food

Some believe it celebrates the autumn equinox when Nature is preparing for the winter months. Night & day are of equal legth & the God's energy & strength are nearly gone. The Goddess begins to mourn the loss she knows is coming, but knows he will return when he is reborn at Yule.

Related festivals:

• Sukkot- Is a Torah-commanded holiday celebrated for seven days, beginning on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei. It is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals on which Israelites were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. Originally a harvest festival celebrating the autumn harvest, Sukkot’s modern observance is characterized by festive meals in a sukkah, a temporary wood-covered hut, celebrating the Exodus from Egypt.

• Mid-Autumn festival- September 17th

Is also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival. It is a traditional festival celebrated in Chinese culture, similar holidays are celebrated by other cultures in East & Southeast Asia. It is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture; its popularity is on par with that of Chinese New Year. The history of the Mid-Autumn Festival dates back over 3,000 years. On this day, it is believed that the Moon is at its brightest and fullest size, coinciding with harvest time in the middle of Autumn.

During the festival, lanterns of all size and shapes – which symbolize beacons that light people's path to prosperity & good fortune – are carried & displayed. Mooncakes, a rich pastry typically filled with sweet-bean, egg yolk, meat or lotus-seed paste, are traditionally eaten during this festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival is based on the legend of Chang'e, the Moon goddess in Chinese mythology.

• Thanksgiving- This is a secular holiday which is similar to the cell of Mabon; A day to give thanks for the food & blessings of the previous year. The American Thanksgiving is the last Thursday of November while the Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated in October

• The Oschophoria- Were a set of ancient Greek festival rites held in Athens during the month Pyanepsion (autumn) in honor of Dionysus. The festival may have had both agricultural and initiatory functions.

-Amidst much singing of special songs, two young men dressed in women's clothes would bear branches with grape-clusters attached from Dionysus to the sanctuary of Athena Skiras & a footrace followed in which select ephebes competed.

Ancient sources connect the festival and its rituals to the Athenian hero-king Theseus & specifically to his return from his Cretan adventure. According to that myth, the Cretan princess Ariadne, whom Theseus had abandoned on the island of Naxos while voyaging home, was rescued by an admiring Dionysus; thus the Oschophoria may have honored Ariadne as well. A section of the ancient calendar frieze incorporated into the Byzantine Panagia Gorgoepikoos church in Athens, corresponding to the month Pyanopsion (alternate spelling), has been identified as an illustration of this festival's procession.

Sources:

Farmersalmanac .com

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

Wikipedia

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

Encyclopedia britannica

Llewellyn 2024 magical almanac Practical magic for everyday living

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thecupidwitch · 4 months

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Elements And Their Correspondences

Earth

Direction: North

Time: Midnight

Season: Winter

Color: Green, brown

Zodiac: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

Ruling planets: Venus and Saturn

Tarot Cards: Pentacles, Coins

Tools: Pentacle, salt, stones, dirt, crystals, wood, flowers

Cystals: Emerald, Jet, tourmaline, quartz, onyx, azurite, amethyst, jasper, peridot, granite.

Animals: gopher, bear, wolf, ant, horse, stag, deer, dog, cow, bull, bison, snake, worms, moles, voles, grubs

Herbs: Oak, cedar, cypress, honeysuckle, ivy, primrose, sage, grains, patchouli, nuts, magnolia, comfrey, vetivert, moss, lilac, lichen, roots, barley, alfalfa, corn, rice.

Rules: Grounding, strength, healing, success, stability, sturdiness, steadfastness, foundations, empathy, fertility, death, rebirth, wisdom, nature, animals, plants, money, prosperity.

Water

Direction: West

Time: Dusk

Season: Fall

Color: Blue, Indigo, Sliver

Zodiac: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Ruling planets: Moon, Neptune, Pluto

Tarot Cards: Cups

Tools: Ocean, sea glass, cup, bowl, seaweed, hag stones, cauldron

Cystals: Moonstone, pearl, silver, aquamarine, amethyst, blue tourmaline, lapis lazuli, fluorite, coral, blue topaz, beryl, opal, coral

Animals: fish, snake, frog, crab, lobster, eel, shark, dragonfly, seahorse, dolphin, sea otter, seal, whale, alligator, crocodile, beaver, octopus, penguin, salamander, turtle, starfish, koi, coral, barnacle, manta ray, manatee, jellyfish, nautilus, heron, duck, geese, crane, swan, water birds, ammonite, dragons, serpents

Herbs: seaweed, aloe, fern, water lily, lotus, moss, willow, gardenia, apple, catnip, chamomile, cattail, lettuce, kelp, birch, cabbage, coconut, cucumber, comfrey, eucalyptus, gourd, geranium, grape, licorice, lilac, pear, strawberry, tomato

Rules: emotion, intuition, psychic abilities, love, unconscious mind, fertility, self-healing, reflection, lunar energy, deep feelings, curses, death

Fire

Direction: South

Time: Noon

Season: Summer

Color: Red, Orange

Zodiac: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

Ruling planets: Sun, Mars

Tarot Cards: Wands or Swords (depends on belief system)

Tools: Athame, candles, swords, wands, dagger, lamp, flame

Cystals: Carnelian, red jasper, bloodstone, garnet, ruby, agate, rhodochrosite, gold, pyrite, brass, fire opal, lavastone, tiger's eye

Animals: Lion, snake, coyote, fox, ladybug, bee, shark, scorpion, horse, mantis, tiger

Herbs: Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice, basil, cacti, marigold, chilis, garlic, mustard, nettle, onion, heliotrope, hibiscus, juniper, lime, orange, red pepper, poppies, thistle, coffee, jalapenos, lemon, cumin, saffron, coriander

Rules: Energy, will, destruction, strength, courage, power, passion, lust, sexuality, anger, war, new beginnings, protection, loyalty, transformation, action, movement, achievement, creativity, desire, willpower

Air

Direction: East

Time: Down

Season: Spring

Color: Yellow, gold, white, light blue, pastels

Zodiac: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

Ruling planets: Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus

Tarot Cards: Wands

Tools: Feather, wand, staff, incense, broom, bell, sword, pen

Cystals: Amber, topaz, citrine, jasper, agate, pumice, alexandrite, amethyst, fluorite, mica, clear quartz

Animals: Birds, flying insects, spiders, bats

Herbs: Bergamot, lavender, marjoram, peppermint, sage, dandelion, bluebell, clover, frankincense, primrose, lemongrass, pine, aspen, yarrow, violets, vervain, myrrh, dill, anise, aspen

Rules: Intelligence, wisdom, knowledge, logic, thought, communication, truth, inspiration, intuition, memory, creativity

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kasarasun · 7 months

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what if I made a thing or it already was that while Airplane wrote the world, Peerless Cucumber illustrated it (only the animals. And Binghe, fighting the animals.) And then then then

He'd totally do it on an alt account, right?? Peerless Cucumber can't be seen making fanart!! (And he's good at it. Like, wiki is using his art in the monsters and beasts pages (that Peerless Cucumber volleyed for. He also separated it from the plant section.) Because 1 its good 2 the artstyle is consistent 3 there isn't a lot of monster official art, other than that one with the black moon rhinoceros python and those other ones and 4 it's really that good)

Haha incomprehensible parenthesis nesting aside, Airplane is watching the forums, right? Not sure about other stuff in canon but he looks at the forums and the fanart and the fiction and most of it is probably corn and binghe and just a little bit of mobei-jun and also the wives tm but!! There's also that guy!!! The monsters guy!! (People would probably suspect 'Drawing the Beast's Ire'- or some other sex euphemism I'm not good at making those- of being Peerless Cucumber because 1 the writing style is the same 2 Peerless Cucumber is the number 1 contributor to the PIDW wiki and a lot of it is the monsters and beasts section and it makes sense, yes??) Anyway, Airplane shooting towards the sky suspects but not too seriously suspects Mr ire of being cucumber's fanart alt but uh uh that ends pre-transmigration section

So, Shen Yuan starts running about, right? Things seem really... familiar, maybe thats the word?- for some reason. This is because every animal and plant he's ever drawn, sketched- maybe even thought about but that's a stretch?- is his design. The firefly parallels hold their forelimbs like butterflies. That is how far down it goes. Maybe it doesn't come up until later, but beasts and monsters from fanfiction get involved, oc species, too... anyway,

Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky transmigrates 30 years (iirc) before Peerless Cucumber. He was an avid enough follower of Drawing the Beast's Ire to recognize that these are their designs! Here's where it gets really crazy. Xiao-Mobei comes along, and while he's still pretty young, Airplane can tell that this is Drawing Ire's design! Some aspect, maybe his ears or teeth, (this isn't a well built theoretical tangent) of Mobei isnt canon. Its Drawing Ire's. From that one Northern Kingdom collection. Whatever stretched his world building into coherence, completion, didn't just pull from fanwork, official art, whatever it could find, it went for Drawing the Beast's Ire's designs specifically. Damn that's crazy Airplane ahahaha moving on,

This is getting really long so I'll be a bit more concise, (want to know more? Talk to me. Please talk to me. I want to interact with the fandom. Ask me questions. Poke your fingers into my cage.) This all comes to head at the Immortal alliance conference. The monsters and beasts really start pouring in! And Shen Qingqiu/Yuan remembers his creations. However, he assumes that this is because like 1 other person maybe was Drawing ghost head spiders.

Hey, Peerless Cucumber really liked the monsters, right? The deadlier, crazier, more intricate, the design the better! So maybe, when he was drawing, he... added some things, really believable, logical additions, really just small creative decisions...

Anyway, the monsters that Drawing the Beast's Ire made were where it came to a head.

Lets have another Canon divergence. Maybe, during or after Binghe gets pushed in, out of the rifts comes a species that Drawing Ire created. It's beautiful, poisonous, beloved, and really quite deadly. Shen Yuan/Qingqiu, Peerless Cucumber, Drawing the Beast's Ire... realizes, quite like airplane before him, that he's illustrated, practically sculpted with his own hands, monsters from the Endless Abyss with claws and teeth and poisons as deadly as Peerless Cucumber thought that the really cool monsters could deserve. It feels like he's the one cutting, biting, poisoning his sweet little sheep. It feels like he's digging out the marrow from his little white lotus disciple's bones.

Ok it is shut up time 👍

#svsss #shen yuan #shang qinghua #idea vomiting #mobei jun #my writing #long post #text post

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breelandwalker · 4 months

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Strawberry Moon - June 21, 2024

Grab your baskets and your moon jars, witches - it's time for the Strawberry Moon!

Strawberry Moon 🍓

The Strawberry Moon is the name given to the full moon which occurs in the month of June in the Northern Hemisphere. The name is taken from the ripening of those little red heart-shaped berries we find in so many summertime treats. Strawberries are typically ready to harvest beginning around the summer solstice, though this will vary depending on variety, planting times, and local weather. Sadly, the Strawberry Moon does not turn red or pink to match the berries.

Other European names for this moon include Honey Moon, Rose Moon, and Mead Moon. North American Indigenous names for the June moon include Blooming Moon (Anishinaabe), Green Corn Moon (Cherokee), and Hatching Moon (Cree).

This year's Strawberry Moon also roughly coincides with the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, with peak illumination occurring at 9:08pm EST on June 21st. (The solstice is occurring one day prior, on June 20th.)

What Does It Mean For Witches? 🍓

Full moons are excellent times for bringing wishes to fulfillment and plans to fruition, all the more so under one named after a prolific berry. This is an optimal time to make things happen!

Your intuition may be stronger than usual during this time, so pay attention to those little inklings and gut feelings that won't be ignored. They might be telling you something important. Dreams may also be more vivid, though not necessarily more accurate or revealing.

This is a time to explore things that catch your attention or pique your curiosity, and to let yourself be open to new ideas and new opportunities.

What Witchy Things Can We Do? 🍓

With a full moon ripening in the sky and the summer solstice upon us, it's time to prepare for a full bloom. Here's hoping you've been nurturing those plans and seeds of growth you planted in the spring, because they're about to start flowering and the way is clear to sow the next stage of your plans. What they will be and what new prospects the summer will bring is entirely up to you.

The full moon is always a good time to look ahead to the future. Think on the plans you have in process and let yourself dream of how things might turn out. If you're inclined to journaling, make a note of how things are going so far and how you hope they'll turn out. Pick your favorite divination method and do a reading for the month ahead. (Make sure you write that down too so you can check back later!)

This is a great time to go berry-picking or flower-gathering, so check your area for pick-your-own farms or farmer's markets with local produce. Have a picnic with friends or just enjoy a quiet afternoon with your own thoughts and a few favorite treats. Make a jar of sun tea or a sweet and summery berry salad. If you're partial to strawberries, indulge that sweet tooth!

Strawberries are also excellent ingredient in spells for love, beauty, fertility, and emotional healing. Create a charm for self-love or perhaps to attract a summer romance. Enchant your favorite makeup or skin care products with a glamour of confidence. Just as expectant mothers once carried strawberry leaves as a folk remedy for pregnancy pains, you can carry a clutch of them in your pocket to help heal a broken heart or assuage the pain of grief. A packet of strawberry leaves is also a potent good-luck charm. Snack on strawberries to bring fertile abundance into your life, whether you're looking for creativity or opportunity or perhaps hoping to grow your family this year.

Charge your crystals and spell jars and moon water under the light of Strawberry Moon to catch the energy of blooming flowers, ripening fruit, wishes coming true, and carefully-laid plans realized. (If you're planning to use it for any consumables, please make sure you're using fresh, potable drinking water rather than rain or runoff.)

Spend a little time reflecting on how your year has gone thus far. Try to focus on the things that have improved and how you've grown as a person and in your life journey. Reflect on your accomplishments and what you plan to do next. Take a moment to be unashamedly proud of yourself for everything you've done and for making it this far despite everything life throws at you.

Happy Strawberry Moon, witches! 🌕🍓

Further Reading:

Bree's Lunar Calendar Series

Bree's Secular Celebrations Series

The Full Moon of June: A Special Solstice Full Moon, The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Strawberry Moon Meaning: The Spectacular Full Moon of June 2024, The Peculiar Brunette.

Everyday Moon Magic: Spells & Rituals for Abundant Living, Dorothy Morrison.

Image Source - Pesto and Margaritas

(If you're enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊)

#witchblr #witch community #lunar magic #full moon #strawberry moon #witchcraft #summer solstice #witch tips #moon magic #lunar calendar

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racerchix21 · 2 months

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It’s the Buck Moon Evan Buckley

Summary: Evan isn’t the only one who knows a bunch of random facts. Something Tommy takes pleasure in proving when he asks his boyfriend on a moonlit chopper flight.

Buck Moon for reference

Work Text:

Tommy’ll admit he’s gotten more and more fascinated with the moon and the stars since he and Evan met. Not to say that he wasn’t fascinated before but since meeting Evan everything’s been intensified by 1000 because his boyfriend is always spouting off factoids he’s learned over the years. The longer they’re together and the more comfortable they’ve gotten with each other the more he’s fallen for the guy.

This morning had been perfect, he’d woken up with Evan wrapped around him like an oversized koala bear and enjoyed watching him sleep. How much younger and relaxed Evan looked than he had the night before when he’d walked in the house and immediately collapsed on their couch to cry. At some point he’d kissed Evan awake before they’d gotten up and made coffee and gone their separate ways. Tommy to make sure everything was in place for his proposal and Evan to go hang out with Maddie and Jee.

Now hours later he’s leading the love of his life across the tarmac and he’s nervous. He’s about to ask Evan for something huge and he knows Evan’s gonna say yes that’s not the issue it’s just that he’s been this in love before and he’s worried that it’s too soon.

He hurriedly wipes his hands on his jeans before reaching over to grab his boyfriends hand where it’s clutching his elbow, sliding it down to lace their fingers together. “We’re almost there, Ev. Then I’ll answer all your questions.

“Tommy where are we going,” Buck tries asking again following Tommy’s lead. Not that his boyfriend had given him much choice since Tommy refused to give him any clues no matter how much he’d begged. “TOOOOOMMMMMMYYYYY,” he begs trying a different tactic.

“EVVVVANNNN,” Tommy parrots back. “We’re almost there, I promise. Look here we are now you ready for this babe.”

“You’re gonna take me flying,” Buck asks. “What happened? Did I forget my birthday or your birthday? I forgot something didn’t I?”

“No, babe I just wanted to take my pretty boy up to see the full moon tonight. Now up ya get sweetheart,” he grins. “I can always give ya boost if you want one baby.”

“Thomas, you touch my ass we’ll never leave the ground and I don’t think there’s enough room in the chopper to fuck,” Buck answers climbing into the seat and going through the mental checklist Tommy taught him during their first flying lesson.

“Alright here we go,” Tommy says as they begin they’re assent to the skies.

Buck gasps as they come level with the moon and he glances over at Tommy. “So what’s so special about this moon that you wanted to show me?”

“It’s the Buck Moon. July is the month when a bucks antlers are in full growth mode,” Tommy answers now feeling kind of silly. “It’s a Native American belief and this isn’t the least bit interesting is it?”

“It is actually. My man knowing a whole bunch of stuff about the moon and what the Native Americans called things is amazing. Now what else did the tribes call this moon?”

“Well the Cree called it the Feather Moulting Moon and to the Tlingit’s it’s the Salmon Moon because the salmon came back and we’re ready to be harvested. There’s a bunch of others that are more berry and plant based from the Dakota’s Moon When the Chokecherries are ripe to the Cherokee’s Month of the Ripe Corn Moon,” Tommy rambles off glancing over to see a look of pure love and adoration on Evan’s face.

“So it has to have some sort of meaning right,” Buck asks smiling at him again.

“It’s funny you say that because I wanted to ask you something important and the Buck Moon is supposed to be a period of setting intentions and embracing change.”

“New change huh? What kind of change you wanna talk Tommy?”

“The kind of change like you and I sharing a home and a name. So will you Evan James Buckley marry me,” Tommy asks holding the small velvet box out.

“A million yeses. Now I suggest you put this chopper down so I properly show you much I love you Thomas Jude Kinard and so I can give you something. I was gonna ask you to marry me next weekend when we went to the lake with the dogs but you beat me to it.”

“Well you can still ask me next week if you want so your big plan doesn’t go to waste,” Tommy says teasingly. “I’m gonna say yes by the way.”

“I love you T.”

“And I love you Ev.”

Tagging: @rdng1230 @waywaychuck @kneazle @sinderellanightwolf @ohlookitsthearkhamknight @betterkeepmewetterthanabayou @bidisasterevankinard @geekwarrior107 @consumedbyfeels-reblogs @practicallybegging @jaxkssn @princessjackstiara @brsboyer @evansboyfriend @helishmelli @kyellin @verschlimmbesserung @whats-our-motto @houseofevanbuckley @justagirlwantinghership @bucksxkinard @girlwonder-writes

#I spent entirely too much of my day researching this stuff #I have more if anyone’s interested #evan buckley #tommy kinard #bucktommy

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leaslichoma · 11 months

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I've been fascinated with the Aztec god Xolotl recently.

Xolotl (pronunced Sho-lo-t followed by an L like sound that doesn't exist in the English language) was a Mesoamerican god associated with many things, including fire, lightning, disease, deformity, twins, the Mesoamerican ball game, death, dogs, the planet Venus as the evening star, twilight, shapeshifting, and monsters. Xolotl was the twin and sometimes companion of his more famous brother Quetzalcoatl. Xolotl was thought to guide the dead in their journey through the underworld, and to guide the sun through the underworld each night. Xolotl is usually depicted as either a dog anthro, a man with a dog head, or a dwarf skeletal jester. Xolotl is usually depicted missing eyes. Xolotl seems to have been feared by the Aztecs and especially hated by the Spanish, but I have a more favorable view.

Some of the most prominent myths about Xolotl involve the story of the fifth sun, or how the current world was made from the previous, destroyed one.

The first myth involves the recreation of humanity. The tales differ as to whether Quetzalcoatl was responsible, Xolotl was responsible, or if it was a collaborative effort. The humans of the fourth world were destroyed, and humanity had to be brought back. To this end Xolotl and/or Quetzalcoatl traveled to the Aztec underworld, Mictlan and met with its king, Mictlantecutli. The god(s) asked to gather the bones of the previous humans so they could be created anew. Mictlantecutli. Mictlantecutli gives them tests but later decides against letting them gather the bones. Xolotl and/or Quetzalcoatl fall into pit, breaking the bones in the process which is why people have different heights. The bones are later resurrected. The versions of this tale differ as to which god went to Mictlan and whether they did tests for Mictlantecutli or simply stole the bones.

In the second myth, the gods are sacrificing themselves in a fire to create a fifth sun for humanity because the previous one went out. They choose Nanahuatzin, a poor and humble god with syphilis and some relation to Xolotl to become the moon; and Tecciztecatl to become the sun because he is wealthy and strong. However, Tecciztecatl is unable to throw himself in the fire when the time comes, so Nanahuatzin becomes the sun instead. Tecciztecatl is sacrificed after and becomes the moon (and also the man on the moon), but has a rabbit thrown at his face which is one explanation for the rabbit people sometimes see.

Later, Xolotl is the last to be sacrificed to the new sun. In some versions this is because he was the executioner for the previous gods. However, in some tales he refuses to sacrifice himself. Xolotl begs and cries until his eyes literally fall out but this does nothing. Xolotl transforms to escape Ehecatl who has been executing other gods to make the sun move. Xolotl at first transforms into a corn plant with two stalks, then an Agave americana, and finally an Axolotl amphibian. But he was still caught in the end.

What I find most interesting about Xolotl is his relation to disability. Since deformities are among Xolotl's best known domains, he could be considered a god of disabilities as well. Xolotl is also a god of monsters, and it's worth mentioning that the Nahua word "Xolo" which his name is derived from and means monster, is used for both mythological monsters and those with physical abnormalities, much like the Latin word "Monstrum". (I think in literature analysis the themes of monsters as outcasts could be explored more) In many, perhaps even most historical (and unfortunately even modern) societies the attitude towards those with disabilities has been very negative. In the Aztec world twins were considered unnatural, and sometimes one of them would be murdered shortly after birth. Wikipedia mentions an speculation by Eduard Seler that resonates with me: that Xolotl represents the murdered twin who dwells in the underworld while Quetzalcoatl is the living one who is cherished in the world of light.

Another connection with Xolotl and disability is that he was sometimes depicted as a jester with dwarfism. It's relevant the jesters around the world were often disabled. European court jesters were known for having the freedom to criticize and mock royalty, and were sometimes selected from the intellectually disabled because they could not be held responsible for what they said. Additionally, the Spanish during the colonization of the Aztecs sent some Aztec jesters to Spain, who were described as humpbacks.

This is what I find most interesting about Xolotl, that he is a reflection or shadow of society. Historically Xolotl was often considered a sinister god, but when society is itself sinister who is to be believed? My view of Xolotl is more favorable. The god of the disabled is feared because the disabled are hated. Xolotl is the outcast, who is hated and feared yet has done no wrong. Xolotl is the murdered twin, who looks upon the world of light and life, from a place of darkness, the world he was not given, never had the right to enjoy. He is the god who is looked upon with disgust due to his role in hardship, yet is the only one who stays with you through that hardship the entire time. Xolotl is the disabled child, who is called a child of shame and hidden away in some institution to be forgotten by their more privileged relatives. Xolotl is viewed with contempt, but his domains are just as necessary to the universe's function as any of the more handsome gods. The janitor, who is viewed with contempt and disgust yet whose works are vital for society.

The "evil twin" Xolotl, misunderstood twin and hound of Quetzalcoatl who lives in the world's shadow, watching the world of life and guarding the light of the sun through the underworld.

#LONG POST #xolotl #aztecs #aztec mythology #aztec religion #aztec gods #mexica mythology #mesoamerica #ableism cw #cw ableism #ableism tw #ableism mention #infanticide mention #filicide mention #mesoamerican mythology #infodump #infodumping

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sharks-n-bones · 8 months

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I'M OFF WORK!! YA KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS???

Guess what time it is? 👀

THAT'S RIGHT BABY IT'S BRUCE TIME LET'S GET IT

Bruce, obviously, realized the world was flooding pretty quickly. He has a restaurant right on the beach! Of course he'd notice!

At first, they thought it was just tide coming in a bit more than normal. It happened sometimes, though usually it was because of the moon being a bit closer to the planet, but whatever. Nothing unusual

But then the tide didn't go out nearly as much as it should've, and the next time it came in it rose even further. After a few days, Bruce finally realized something was wrong. The tide was gonna reach the restaurant within a few days, at this point!

The other Vacationers seemed to notice too, as the next day, everyone was building boats so they could head to the mainland. With the help of Brandy and a bunch of other Vacationers, Bruce made a restaurant-style boat

The lower decks had rooms for him, his kids and Brandy and the top deck was set up to be a restaurant. It was built Vacationer size with plenty of amenities troll size as well, for himself and any other trolls who visit his new sea restaurant

Bruce's original thought was to head to the mainland, see if they could rebuild there and build a dock for his restaurant, but the flood was taking over the mainland as well. The beach was just gone, the water reached the trees and was creeping higher

Then the storms came. Every other day, storms ravaged the remaining land and the rising sea alike, and Bruce and Brandy had to steer their ship away from the land and further out to sea to escape them

It was hard to tell the kids that the world was flooding, that they had to stay on the open sea’s now or at least until the water stopped rising

When the water stopped rising though… there weren't anymore island's big enough to be sustainable long-term

So after stopping at a couple more islands for wood, fruits and vegetables, they built another layer above the restaurant and made a small farm. They grew wheat, fruits, veggies, potatoes, corn, whatever they could

They learned through trial and error how to make flour and which plants had medicinal uses. They weren't experts by any means, but they were learning

Whenever they made an island stop, Bruce and Brandy made time to have fun with the kids on the beaches. They'd swim and surf and enjoy the water whenever they weren't working or gathering more resources for the ship

Despite everything, the water just felt better and better. It felt rejuvenating, refreshing, especially after a long day of work. They didn't get as many customers as they used to, but still many ships would stop to try out their restaurant

Bruce honestly thought his hair was going to go downhill, but it looked better than ever! It was nice! He hardly had to do anything to maintain it anymore, it was almost weird. He still did his usual hair routine though, when he could. Resources were limited nowadays, after all

A few months pass since the water stopped rising, and Bruce was starting to get the hang of things. Word spread about his restaurant on the sea, and he and Brandy would get customers more often than not

There were some odd things happening, though… Bruce didn't know what to think of it. He didn't know if he was hallucinating or if the skin between his fingers had somehow gotten… longer… it was something he'd noticed after washing his hands before cooking, one day, but he assumed it was just his mind playing tricks on him

There also seemed to be a small rash going around, though for some reason it only affected the sides of the neck? He'd gotten it, Brandy had gotten it, as have his kids and some coworkers. Their homemade itch relief ointment helped, but the soreness remained

Another kind of strange thing that Bruce has noticed is a new genre of Trolls visiting the restaurant. Sea shanty trolls, they said they were. Their music was so unique, but it sounded nice and sounded fitting for the world being flooded. Bruce would find himself humming their songs as he worked

They had set anchor at another island for supplies, and a few other ships full of trolls, vacationers, and a couple bergens had stopped by to try out their restaurant on the sea. Even a few techno trolls came out of the water to try it out! It was busy, for once, and Bruce was going around taking orders as usual

He paused when he passed a table of mixed trolls, hearing a techno troll mentioning something about how the flood started. His ears perked and he walked over. He asked how they were enjoying their food, before easing himself into the conversation and asking what the techno troll was saying about the flood

The neon troll's voice hushed to just above a whisper. He told of a legend among techno trolls, of an ancient species of troll known as sirens. He told of their beauty, of their strength, of their voices so powerful they could hypnotize people

He told of their control over water, how they had the bottom halves and colorings of ocean creatures and how they could make themselves look like land trolls, legs and all

He told of how he believes the elder techno trolls made a huge mistake. How centuries ago, the techno trolls used to live alongside sirens. He told of how they used to live peacefully alongside each other, of how the sirens would protect then from the big fish in the sea and how the techno’s accepted them as their own

Then, he told of how the ancient elders feared the sirens power and their abilities. The elders feared what would happen if the sirens suddenly turned on them. He told of how the elders discovered an old and powerful magic

He told how the elders lied to the sirens, saying there was a giant eel in a large cave system that had been lurking at the edges of their village, possibly waiting to strike. He told of how the sirens, wanting to protect their friends, ventured into the cave to fell this great and terrible beast, and he told of how the elders followed them in secret and sealed them inside with that old and powerful magic they had found

Bruce was horrified by this story, but it didn't end there. The techno troll then told that when the world began to flood, the current elders ventured to the cave and found it in shambles, completely broken apart and collapsed. The sirens had broken free, and the elders worried that they wanted revenge

Bruce paled. He slumped into the empty seat he'd been standing next to. The techno troll continued, saying how there was something different in the water now. Some ancient and powerful magic

He mentioned how he'd noticed changes in land trolls and vacationers who'd spent a lot of time in the water. How he'd noticed the spaces between fingers becoming webbed, how rashes appeared on the sides of the neck, how their voices were becoming stronger

Bruce paled further, thinking of the rash on his neck, on Brandy's, on his kids- he looked at his hands, at the spaces between his fingers, at how the webbing really did stretch higher than before. He wasn't hallucinating

The techno troll went on, saying how his theory is that the siren elders must've pumped this ancient magic into the water to make land species more accustomed to ocean life. As a courtesy or as a warning, he didn't know

Bruce let out a shaky breath. He asked the techno if he had any idea what the sirens were planning. The techno shook his head. Warned him to just be careful. Told him not to fear the physical changes, as they'd help them survive in the ocean

Bruce nodded and got up, attempting to go back to work as usual, but how could he after all he'd heard? He handed the orders off to a coworker and rushed off to tell Brandy of what he'd just learned

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vitaminseetarot · 1 year

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PAC Pick a Palette: One Small Thing That Will Help You Grow ☕🌞💴

Welcome back to my pick a card readings! This time we're looking at the time between our New Moon sowing and our Full Moon flowering. At this stage of the magic making process, work has gone underway to build upon the seed that was germinated and growth happens. Soon it will reveal the peak of its work through the flower, but before then the stem and leaves also deserve attention. They're the ones helping to power the whole thing!

It's important, then, to look at what you're using and where you are in the process. Not everything is meant to grow at the same rate, but sometimes the right ingredients like plant food or pruning clippers can do an incredible job at providing a needed boost.

Pick one of these three color palette swatches to find out what you can add or remedy to assist the growth of your own magic!

(Forgive me if the spread out looks a bit funky this time, it's all about finding the part of the house with the best natural lighting!)

Pile 1: Coffee Beans

Draw: Four of Wands; Queen of Pentacles, Page of Wands, Death 18 - Communication, Aries Rising - Act, Heartsease - Compassion "Tread a little more tenderly."

You need more space to grow whatever it is you're creating. A bird can try to lay an egg without a nest, but it's never going to be easy. Building a sturdy nest increases the young's chance of survival. You should try considering the space in which you're using to create your project or desire: are you writing a novel in a cluttered room, or cooking a meal when you can't find half of your measuring cups and saucepans? Are you meditating in a place where it's difficult to tune out the background noise?

Four of Wands talks about creating the space for you to thrive like the corn in Queen of Pentacles. The Queen is able to cultivate her garden in peace and certainty that abundance is hers. You are meant to take what it is you're doing and allow it to grow, so the Queen is being quite literal here. But she wants you to do it from a place of joy and enthusiasm instead of dread.

The Page is fired up from drinking coffee and is ready to go. But you must be in a place of ease with yourself to do this. Your message is to act upon your growth, but do it from a gentle place and at a gentle pace. Do not try to over exert yourself when you do have the space to practice or create. Do not try, for example, to squeeze 45 minutes of exercise into 5 minutes, thinking that it's all the time you're allowed, so why not go overboard, amiright? This is the fast lane to killing what you're growing and your joy for it, pile 1, and what you're growing is still in a very delicate stage. You have time to work out the details, so don't rush this. Heartease was the first card to pop out and the only card to jump, so it's really emphasizing the need to be careful with how you spend your time and energy.

The Communication card is the only one that really stands out to me. Perhaps what you're developing has to do with communications. Writing a book, preparing a speech, blogging, interview, etc. but it could also have to do with growing your connections with other people through how you communicate. You could be rekindling an old friendship from school or meeting someone for coffee? In any case, Compassion is the keyword here. Be gentle and ready to listen more to feedback, while creating a safe space for your friend or colleague to communicate clearly with you. This is a meetup you'll want to act upon, but do so from a place of kindness.

Also for some reason, maybe it's because I heard the song recently while out, but Tom Petty's "Free Fallin" is in my head while typing your reading and only your reading. Argh, such an earworm! If this person you're meeting up with hurt your heart in some way way back in the past… yeah it's cool to be on the defensive, assert your boundaries. Heartease, however, still asks that you treat this situation with diplomacy.

Pile 2: Radiance

Draw: Eight of Wands; Queen of Pentacles, King of Swords, Knight of Pentacles 19 - Healing Grief, Pisces Rising - Dream, Wisteria - Longevity "Plan for and take the dedicated path."

You have some similarities to pile 1, so if you were interested in that pile I recommend checking it out for messages. For starters, you have Queen of Pentacles in the exact same space on your spread, so that tells me there's a lot of collective push for undertaking rapid growth at this time. The Queen does it from an appearance of near effortlessness, but it's not without considerable effort on her part. She's able to handle a lot with grace and consistency.

It seems like in your cards, pile 2, you're pretty solid when it comes to growing towards your goals. You've become used to trucking along without must reprieve, as if it's from one thing to another as smoothly as the train cars pass the railroad crossing. You're being asked to remember about the power of momentum, and about the little things that add up. Think of how a bird takes off. When it starts flapping, it flaps hard. Once it's high in the sky, it spreads out and soars with ease. It requires a lot of steady pushing, one flap at a time, but eventually when it takes off it gains more speed than ever.

Again like with pile 1, you have all the time you need to make your dreams grow and flourish. Just don't be surprised if this takes a rather long time to accomplish. The Queen of Pentacles is less interested in quantity or time efficiency as she is in quality. It's not that she isn't punctual, far from it, but she and the Knight know that the best fruits are ones that ripen when they're ready to. You're being encouraged to plan for the long term, with wise judgement as the King of Swords suggests, and to open yourself up to envisioning more brilliant avenues to fly through. Imagine what would make your heart soar, and grow that instead of something that you merely feel "obligated" to do. Great things can take time, but it'll be completely worth the wait.

Also, my sun catcher reflected a rainbow perfectly on the osprey in this Eight of Wands card, it's nice. There is a radiance that comes from taking time to grow something to how you want it to be, like the bird with its fish catching talents (it can pluck them right out of the water and fly around boasting its catch). Your skills will shine here, just be sure to care for yourself in the meantime.

Pile 3: Perfect Penny

Draw: Nine of Wands; II High Priestess, XIV Temperance, Seven of Wands 25 - Truth, Taurus Moon - Relax, Belladonna - Silence "Listen more and quiet be."

So this was an interesting spread because at first I couldn't tell if the message was to hold on or let go. Maybe that's your current dilemma when it comes to growth. And it's a valid one, cause it's a lot like the pruning stage. You have to decide which leaves are valuable to your health, and which leaves are dead and must be clipped away.

The penny is like… saving a wishing penny for a rainy day. You're on the defense with Nine of Wands. Do I use this penny now to accomplish this, you ask, or I should I save it for later when I might use it for something else? Nine of Wands is a lot of energy being deliberately held back for a reason, like an arrow ready to fire. It could be that you're maybe putting a little too much perfectionism into the idea. What you're growing has not yet been grounded into the material world, it's still a passion idea or a fire in your heart but you're holding it back. But Nine of Wands is also a Sagittarius card, doubly so since Sagittarius is the 9th sign. The requirement here for growth is pushing forward with optimism that your wish will not go to waste. There's an energy of perfectionism here especially as it took me exactly nine photos before I settled for this one. I finally decided it didn't have to be perfect, it just had to feel ok enough!

My first reaction was to say "trust your gut and you'll learn to balance the give and take," then High Priestess and Temperance came out together! Somewhere inside you already know what it is you would like to do with "the penny" of an idea you're casting into the wishing well. You don't have to overthink this. It's a matter of coming from a heart-centered place of Truth. Belladonna is showing you how to tap into your intuition: "listen more, silent be." Listen closely to what your heart is wishing to do. Balance this out with how others may perceive your goals or growth. There may be people who say something like, "you're going to use what you got on 'that'?" or "are you really sure that's what you want to do?"

It takes practice to choose from a place of intuitive open mindedness, but it will reward you in this case. You're being reminded to stay relaxed and steady about this. Making the next move doesn't have to come from a place of high pressure or unneeded stress, even if it's time sensitive. But by learning to listen to your intuition more, the part that tells you how to proceed from a place of optimism within reason, you'll be able to more quickly expand and grow upon what it is you're creating. With penny's copper corresponding to Venus as well as Taurus moon, it's suggested here that you could receive monetary or financial growth through this, as well.

This reading has not been evaluated by the FDA to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or infection. Please ask your physician before going online.

2023, @VitaminseeTarot ™

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heliosphere-underthesky · 4 months

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COMIC: Flower Moon (10th Birthday DTIYS!)

(Heliosphere: Under the Sky is an original solar system project with personified stars and planets)

Happy 10th Birthday, Heliosphere: Under the Sky!!!

Space facts!

The full moon in May is the Flower, Corn, or Corn Planting Moon. There are many other nicknames for this, but the most known seems to be "Flower Moon".

This year, the Flower Moon rises on 23 May 2024.

NASA's page about Flower Moon

#art #heliosphere: under the sky #dtiys #do this in your style #dtiyschallenge #comic #comics #space gijinka #solar system gijinka #solar system #gijinka #personification #flower moon #promo art #heliosphere events #heliosphere birthday #DTIYSHeliosphereUtS10th

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bonefall · 1 year

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Clanmew Masterpost

Clanmew is a constructed language made for Warrior Cats that I, @bonefall, run with my buddy @troutfur! I make the vocab and he does the grammar. I hope that this post will become a good, central place to keep links to everything we've done so far.

CURRENT VERSION: 1.0 LAST UPDATE: 6/3/2023

Clanmew is an OSV-order language, made with the sounds cats make in mind. "Base Clanmew" is built around the Clan Culture updates of the Better Bones AU, which means it is made with the ecology of southwestern Northern England in mind and only contains words for plants and animals found there. It also has phrases for cooking and crafting.

(specific regions modeled: Lancashire, Chester, Manchester, Merseyside, Clwydd is modeled for river biomes specifically)

You are free to use it for your own projects! We encourage you to consider how this language would evolve in your Clan's history, and add or remove words to make a dialect that reflects the culture's feelings and needs.

THE BASICS:

Everything you need to know for basic structure is in CLANMEW 101. Start here.

We have a constantly updating LEXICON of all the words we have made so far.

Have you made a dialect? Let me know and I can link you here so others can see what you're doing with it!

Below the cut:

In-universe information; How Clanmew evolved linguistically

"Expansion Pack" posts where I discuss etymology

Pronunciation stuff (until I make that IPA chart I keep promising)

Working translations; Names, parables, OC submissions

Dialect submissions (These are manned by other people!)

Historical Trivia

The linguistic evolution of Clanmew from Old Tribemew and Parkmew

Animals are named for the sounds they make.

How pronouns for objects change based on how the speaker feels about it.

More, using human examples

there is a secret post about cursing but you have to find that on your own ;)

Through Time Travel Shenanigans, Hollyleaf's name evolves into the word "Scourge"

The Clanmew Play-by-Play of that

The word for Everything

How hard is it for speakers of the other in-universe languages to pick up Clanmew?

On nicknames!

Squirrelpaw and Crowfoot discover corn

The names of the three ideologies... also thistles.

The Invalid Five

Expansion Packs

Colors

Directions, way-finding

Spirituality terms

Rocks

Beetles

Follow up: some plant parts

Patch (pattern) vs Patch (plants)

Den, camp, territory, construction

The two violets

Shapes of flowers

Volume

Generic terms

Rollypollies and centipedes

Insults

Rain... because this is England

The Clan Clock; time terms

The four seasons

Clerics and Common Herbs

Roses

Water movement

BIRDS AND BATS

Finches

Texture

Dogs

Mint

Parts of fur

Forest terms

Foxes, parts of a forest

Cuckoo bird

DEER

Shade and understorey

Cedar

Waterside words

Pronunciation Stuff

Closest thing to an IPA chart I currently have

My process for coming up with words based on vibes

I was asked for more behind-the-scenes stuff so here you go?

How I hold my mouth when I speak

Trout Tips

How would Clan cats pronounce the Slavic TS, or the word pizza?

On the Double yy

Working translations

BB!Scourge's new warrior name, Iceheart, in Clanmew... and Nightheart!

Light, moon, wind, BB!Raggedstar's pre-honor title name

OC SUBMISSION: Flameshell, Fogwhisper, Willowsong

OC SUBMISSION: Lichennose, Mudthistle, Longpounce

OC SUBMISSION: Fallensky

PACK PACK KILL KILL

"I love you"

Baby talk

"What have I done?"

"Fool Tale"

How to Clanmew-ify a strange word

Dishonor Title for "Mudpuddle"

OC SUBMISSION: Riverrunner, multiple-word names, walking words

OC SUBMISSION: Firefang, Rabbitdash, Peachfeather, plus a bunch of words for weasel-like animals

Ivypool

The use of tense in names

PROPHECY SUBMISSION: "Dust and flame will combine to destroy home"

Skywatcher

OC SUBMISSION: The Caldwell Family

Foxheart

Runningnose

PROPHECY SUBMISSION: Six will come of every rank

OC SUBMISSION: Witherstrike

"I like this" and also parasitic worms

Prism, rainbow-color

OC SUBMISSION: Piebald Creature

Gayheart

Sneeze and Knockout

OC SUBMISSION: Penny-fitzgerald

OC SUBMISSION: Voidwhisper, Chalkwhistle

OC SUBMISSION: Poppyflare, Spikemane, Blizzardfang

OC SUBMISSION: Burning Hawk-fur

Mistyfoot

BRAMBLESTAR BUTCHERS THE BLOSSOMKIT NAMES

Dialect Submissions

Pfurr Clanmew (@troutfur)

#Clanmew #Clan culture #clanmew masterpost

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zoesblogsposts · 8 months

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o 625 words to know in your target language o

There is a really interesting blog called "Fluent Forever" that aids foreign language learners in tricks, tips and techniques to guide them to achieving fluency "quickly" and efficiently. One of the tricks is to learn these 625 vocab words in your target language, that way you have a basis to start delving into grammar with ease as you can understand a lot of vocab right off the bat. Plus this list of words are common across the world and will aid you in whatever language you are learning. Here is the list in thematic order

• Animal: dog, cat, fish, bird, cow, pig, mouse, horse, wing, animal

• Transportation: train, plane, car, truck, bicycle, bus, boat, ship, tire, gasoline, engine, (train) ticket, transportation

• Location: city, house, apartment, street/road, airport, train station, bridge hotel, restaurant, farm, court, school, office, room, town, university, club, bar, park, camp, store/shop, theater, library, hospital, church, market, country (USA,

France, etc.), building, ground, space (outer space), bank, location

• Clothing: hat, dress, suit, skirt, shirt, T-shirt, pants, shoes, pocket, coat, stain, clothing

• Color: red, green, blue (light/dark), yellow, brown, pink, orange, black, white, gray, color

• People: son, daughter, mother, father, parent (= mother/father), baby, man, woman, brother, sister, family, grandfather, grandmother, husband, wife, king, queen, president, neighbor, boy, girl, child (= boy/girl), adult (= man/woman), human (# animal), friend (Add a friend's name), victim, player, fan, crowd, person

• Job: Teacher, student, lawyer, doctor, patient, waiter, secretary, priest, police, army, soldier, artist, author, manager, reporter, actor, job

• Society: religion, heaven, hell, death, medicine, money, dollar, bill, marriage, wedding, team, race (ethnicity), sex (the act), sex (gender), murder, prison, technology, energy, war, peace, attack, election, magazine, newspaper, poison, gun, sport, race (sport), exercise, ball, game, price, contract, drug, sign, science, God

• Art. band, song, instrument (musical), music, movie, art

• Beverages: coffee, tea, wine, beer, juice, water, milk, beverage

• Food: egg, cheese, bread, soup, cake, chicken, pork, beef, apple, banana orange, lemon, corn, rice, oil, seed, knife, spoon, fork, plate, cup, breakfast, lunch, dinner, sugar, salt, bottle, food

• Home: table, chair, bed, dream, window, door, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, pencil, pen, photograph, soap, book, page, key, paint, letter, note, wall, paper, floor, ceiling, roof, pool, lock, telephone, garden, yard, needle, bag, box, gift, card, ring, tool

• Electronics: clock, lamp, fan, cell phone, network, computer, program (computer), laptop, screen, camera, television, radio

• Body: head, neck, face, beard, hair, eye, mouth, lip, nose, tooth, ear, tear (drop), tongue, back, toe, finger, foot, hand, leg, arm, shoulder, heart, blood, brain, knee, sweat, disease, bone, voice, skin, body

• Nature: sea, ocean, river, mountain, rain, snow, tree, sun, moon, world, Earth, forest, sky, plant, wind, soil/earth, flower, valley, root, lake, star, grass, leaf, air, sand, beach, wave, fire, ice, island, hill, heat, nature

• Materials: glass, metal, plastic, wood, stone, diamond, clay, dust, gold, copper, silver, material

• Math/Measurements: meter, centimeter, kilogram, inch, foot, pound, half, circle, square, temperature, date, weight, edge, corner

• Misc Nouns: map, dot, consonant, vowel, light, sound, yes, no, piece, pain, injury, hole, image, pattern, noun, verb, adjective

• Directions: top, bottom, side, front, back, outside, inside, up, down, left, right, straight, north, south, east, west, direction

• Seasons: Summer, Spring, Winter, Fall, season

• Numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 21, 22, 30, 31, 32, 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, 60, 61, 62, 70, 71, 72, 80, 81, 82, 90, 91, 92, 100, 101, 102, 110, 111, 1000, 1001, 10000, 100000, million, billion, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, number

• Months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

• Days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

• Time: year, month, week, day, hour, minute, second, morning, afternoon, evening, night, time

• Verbs: work, play, walk, run, drive, fly, swim, go, stop, follow, think, speak/say, eat, drink, kill, die, smile, laugh, cry, buy, pay, sell, shoot(a gun), learn, jump, smell, hear (a sound), listen (music), taste, touch, see (a bird), watch (TV), kiss, burn, melt, dig, explode, sit, stand, love, pass by, cut, fight, lie down, dance, sleep, wake up, sing, count, marry, pray, win, lose, mix/stir, bend, wash, cook, open, close, write, call, turn, build, teach, grow, draw, feed, catch, throw, clean, find, fall, push, pull, carry, break, wear, hang, shake, sign, beat, lift

• Adjectives: long, short (long), tall, short (vs tall), wide, narrow, big/large, small/little, slow, fast, hot, cold, warm, cool, new, old (new), young, old (young), weak, dead, alive, heavy, light (heavy), dark, light (dark), nuclear, famous

#second language #language #learning #rory gilmore #smart #tips

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greenwitchcrafts · 4 months

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June 2024 witch guide

Full moon: June 21st

New moon: June 6th

Sabbats: Litha/Summer Solstice- June 20th

June Strawberry Moon

Known as: Aerra Litha, Birth Moon, Blooming Moon, Brachmanoth, Dyad Moon, Egg Laying Moon, Green Corn Moon, Hatching Moon, Hoer Moon, Honey Moon, Lovers Moon, Mead Moon, Moon of Horses, Moon of Making Fat, Partner Moon, Rose Moon & Strong Sun Moon

Element: Earth

Zodiac: Gemini & Cancer

Nature spirits: Sylphs & Zephyrs

Deities: Aine of Knockaine, Bendis, Cerridwen, Green Man, Ishtar, Isis, Neith & Persephone

Animals: Butterfly, frog, monkey & toad

Birds: Peacock & wren

Trees: Maple & Oak

Herbs: Dog grass, meadowsweet, moss, mugwort, parsley, skullcap & vervain

Flowers: Lavender, orchid, tansy & yarrow

Scents: Lavender & lily of the valley

Stones: Agate, Alexandrite, cat's eye, chrysoberyl, emerald, fluorite, garnet, moonstone, ruby & topaz

Colors: Gold, green, orange & yellow

Energy: Abundance, balance, change of residence, communication, decision making, education, family relations, full & restful energy, love, marriage, prosperity, positive transformation, prevention, protection, public relations, relationships, responsibility, strength, tides turning, travel & writing

While strawberries certainly are a reddish-pink color and are roundish in shape, the origin of the name “Strawberry Moon” has nothing to do with the Moon’s hue or appearance.

• June's full Moon is typically the last full moon of spring or the first of summer. The June Full Moon will be extraordinary. For the first time since 1985, Full Moon happens precisely on the summer solstice, when the Sun is highest up. Because the Full Moon is always opposite the Sun, this year, you will see that the Moon is 10 widths lower on the horizon than the Sun ever is.

This “Strawberry Moon” name has been used by Native American Algonquian tribes that live in the northeastern United States as well as the Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota peoples to mark the ripening of “June-bearing” strawberries that are ready to be gathered. The Haida term Berries Ripen Moon reflects this as well. As flowers bloom and early fruit ripens, June is a time of great abundance for many.

Litha

Known as: Alban Heruin, Summer Solstice & Whit Sunday

Season: Summer

Element: Fire

Symbols: Besom, fairies, God's eyes, sunflowers & symbols of the sun

Colors: Blue, gold, green, orange, red, tan & yellow

Oils/Incense: Cinnamon, frankincense, heliotrope, lavender, lemon, lily of the valley, mint, musk, myrrh, orange, orange pine, pine, rose, saffron, sandalwood & wisteria

Animals: Cattle, crab, horse & octopus

Birds: Goldfinch, kingfisher, meadowlark, owl, robin & wren

Mythical: Fairies

Stones: Bloodstone, diamond, emerald, jade, lapis lazuli & tiger's eye

Food: Ale, bread, cheese, edible flowers, garden fresh vegetables & fruit, lemons, meade, milk, oranges, pumpernickel bread, summer squash & wine

Herbs/Plants: Anise, basil, betony, cinquefoil, copal, elder, fennel, fern, frankincense, galangal, hemp, ivy, larkspur, lemon, lemon balm, mistletoe, mugwort, mullien, nettle, orange, orpin, plantain, rue, saffron, sandalwood, St.John's wort, thyme, verbena, vervain, wild thyme & ylang-ylang

Flowers: Carnation, chamomile, daisy, heather, heliotrope, honeysuckle, lavender, lily, marigold, orchid, rose, wisteria & yarrow

Trees: Elder, holly, laurel, linden, oak & pine

Goddesses: Amaterasu, Aine, Anahita, Dea, Cerde, Dag, Dana, Eiru, Fenne, Gwydion, Kupala, Mabd, Phoebe, Skhmet & Sul

Gods: Apollo, Baal, Balder, Bel, The Dagda, Donnus, El, The Green Man, Helios, Huon, Jupiter, Llew, Loki, Lugh, Maui, Mithras, Oak/Holly King, Ogmios, Ra, Surya, Thor & Zeus

Issues, Intentions & Powers: Agriculture, changes, divination, ending, fertility, life, light, manifestation, power, purpose, strength, success & unity

Spellwork: Fire & water magick

Activities:

• Charge and cleanse your crystals in the solstice sun

• Make Sun water

• Create crafts with natural elements such as flowers

• Burn a paper with things that no longer serve you or that you are trying to let go

• Invite friends & family over for a bonfire and/or feast

• Gather & dry herbs for the upcoming year

• Clean, decorate & cleanse your altar with summer symbols

• Brew some sun tea

• Take a ritual bath/shower with flowers

• Make your own sun dial

• Craft a door wreath out of flowers & herbs

• Enjoy some sunrise/sunset yoga

• Volunteer at a food kitchen or animal shelter

• Plant trees (especially ones that may provide fruit or berries to feed the wildlife)

• Watch the sunset & say a blessing to nature

• Make flower infused anointing/spell oils

• Eat fresh fruits & berries

• Participate in a handfasting

• Create shadow art

The history of Litha reveals its deep connections to ancient agricultural societies & their reliance on the sun's power. Celebrated as part of the Wheel of the Year, Litha symbolizes the balance between light & darkness. Throughout history customs such as bonfires, herb gathering & the construction of sunwheels have marked this festival. Today, Litha continues to be celebrated by various communities, with gatherings at sacred sites & private rituals in natural settings. It serves as a reminder of our connection with nature and the cycles of life.

• The traditions of Litha appear to be borrowed from many cultures. Most ancient cultures celebrated the summer solstice in some way such as the Celts celebrated Litha with hilltop bonfires & dancing. Many people attempted to jump over or through the bonfires for good luck. Other European traditions included setting large wheels on fire & rolling them down a hill into a body of water.

Litha is often associated with Midsummer, a celebration that extends beyond the pagan and Wiccan traditions. Midsummer festivities are observed in many cultures around the world, including Scandinavian countries where it holds a prominent place in their cultural heritage. Midsummer dances, bonfires, & feasts are integral parts of these celebrations, often accompanied by folklore and traditional rituals that honor the sun's energy and the abundance of nature during this time.

The summer solstice is the longest day of the year & in some traditions, Litha is when The Sun(The God) is symbolically at it's peak time of power & the World will soon be ripe to harvest. It is also when The Goddess is pregnant with The God who is to be reborn at Yule.

• In the Northern Hemisphere the Summer Solstice occurs when the Sun reaches its highest and northernmost points in the sky. It marks the start of summer in the northern half of the globe. (In contrast, the June solstice in the Southern Hemisphere is when the Sun is at its lowest point in the sky, marking the start of winter.)

Some also believe the history & spirit of Litha revolve around two deities, The Oak King & The Holly King. In Wiccan and Neo-Pagan traditions, each King rules the Earth for half of the year. From Yule to Litha, the Oak King rules. On Litha, the two battled for the crown and it is then that the Holly King triumphs. The Holly King will rule through fall until Yule, and the cycle will begin again.

Related festivals:

• Vestalia- June 7th -15th

Was a Roman religious festival in honor of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth & the burning continuation of the sacred fire of Rome. It was held from 7–15 June & was reserved as a women's-only event. Domestic & family life in general were represented by the festival of the goddess of the house & of the spirits of the storechamber — Vesta & the Penates .

On the first day of festivities the penus Vestae (sanctum sanctorum of the temple of Vesta which was usually curtained off) was opened for the only time during the year, at which women offered sacrifices. As long as the curtain remained open, mothers could come, barefoot and disheveled, to leave offerings to the goddess in exchange for a blessing to them and their family.

For the last day, the penus Vestae was solemnly closed, the Flaminica Dialis observed mourning & the temple was subjected to a purification called stercoratio: the filth was swept from the temple and carried next by the route called clivus Capitolinus and then into the Tiber.

Sources:

Farmersalmanac .com

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

Wikipedia

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

Encyclopedia britannica

Llewellyn 2024 magical almanac Practical magic for everyday living

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