#preserve gourds

[golauralacinablog]

Fall Gourd Decorating: Tips for Festive Centerpieces and Outdoor Display

Decorating with Autumn and Fall Gourds: A Seasonal Guide As the crisp air and golden hues of fall arrive, it’s time to embrace the season’s natural beauty in your home decor. One of the simplest and most versatile ways to capture the essence of autumn is by decorating with gourds. With their rich colors, unique shapes, and rustic charm, gourds are a perfect addition to any fall-inspired space.…

[buffetlicious]

The Economy Rice (菜饭) takeaway came with a steamed fish fillet drizzled with plenty of fried shallot oil and garnished with spring onions and chilli. A wedge of preserved radish omelette (菜脯蛋) sits in the centre and on the right, stir-fried bitter gourd slices with pork over white rice.

[molagboop]

Mawkin children undergo several maturity rites before they're granted full tribal citizenship. The first occurs around eight years old, involving a basic academic evaluation and the child's choice between a physical fitness test or a dream-walk.

The evals are simple: how much has the child learned, what do they know, where can we supplement their education, etc. How can we stimulate their curiosity and foster a lifelong love of learning? Have they displayed any skills or passion for any particular subject? How can we encourage their hobbies and interests? Those are the kinds of questions the adults involved in carrying out the evaluation are asking themselves.

The evaluations help parents figure out (or reaffirm what they already know) ways to engage their childrens' interests in a fun or productive way, and how to help their child along the path to success, academic or otherwise. Every child is different: they have their own needs, and while 8 years old isn't old enough for anyone to ascertain exactly what they wanna be when they grow up, the evaluation is a good starting point for the rest of their academic track until their next formative rites.

The next part of the rites is a branching path. The fitness test is typically favored by more outdoorsy or athletic types, as well as children who are afraid of specters or arent very interested in the old ways. That's fine: old people stuff can be boring! The priests go on and on about the ancestors during holidays, but you're eight years-old and you've never seen the ancestors show up before, so big whoop. You've got toys to play and things to learn.

Another general assumption is that children who are likely to grow into steadfast warriors or athletes may pick the fitness test enthusiastically and without thinking about it, but again, this is an evaluation, and the kids are like, eight. Nothing is set in stone. Eight year olds also typically love playing outside.

A number of kids, hearing about all the cool things their elders know and are capable of, or just being curious about what their ancestors might have to teach them, opt for the dream-walk.

The dream-walk involves exposure to psychoactive fumes, but is nonetheless completely safe: the kid is monitored and made as comfortable as possible.

The dream-walk is overseen by priests and doctors. The burners are lit and the trial-goer falls asleep, entering a state similar to lucid dreaming.

Everyone's experience is different. Some kids have profound surreal experiences: others spend the entire time sitting at a table with a long-dead ancestor having a meal. Some kids are shown events from the past by an old ghost: some even experience said event from the perspective of someone who was there when it happened.

For others, the dream is of an old-fashioned hunt, typically guided by a departed grandparent or neighbor. It's not unusual for Mawkin kids to have experienced the act of hunting for food or sport by this point in their lives: many who hunt take their babies out with them on their backs. The quarry during the dream-walk, however, is typically more than your mundane game beast.

Tribal scholars and doctors of psychology have posited that the dream walk largely reflects the experiences of those involved. Formative memories and strong feelings, they believe, greatly affect the appearance of conjured apparitions in the dream. If a kid is fighting any demons at eight years old or harbor any powerful fears, they may very well be forced to face them head-on during this trial.

Therein lies the value of the dream-walk: it's not just a curiosity to get the kids to engage with cultural practices of yore, it has utility in teaching children valuable lessons through experience without actually making them fight the six-eyed serpent of a hundred and seventeen mouths. And they're usually not facing it alone: the ancestors quite literally walk with plenty of kids during these trials.

There are some truths a given child must face alone, and plenty do. But when they wake, they will find themselves among familiar company, the sweet smell of wood smoke permeating the air and a feast awaiting back home to celebrate their first milestone towards becoming an adult.

Some kids don't fight any major bosses or experience the heat death of the universe through the eyes of a slug, instead deriving value from the dream-walk in the form of sensory-guided introspection. The lesson they learn may not even be apparent to them until six years down the line. It doesn't have to be deep: it can just be an experience that gives then a new perspective on the world.

The senses are heightened supremely during the dream-walk, allowing the dreamer to experience the world in a whole new way. Tasting color, feeling the vibration of every sound beneath one's skin, perceiving the shape of every smell. Even if the kid walks away thinking "huh, I've never experienced the world that way before", the trial will have been a success. In the very least, a child should come out of that dark room with a unique memory for them to examine later on.

Several minor rituals and evaluations occur around twelve and fifteen years, but the foremost citizenship rites occur around seventeen, when an individual's stomach is strong enough to handle sap wine in greater quantities without suffering catastrophic liver failure. The dream-walk is a requirement this time around, as well as a combat test. The combat test is the actual rite that determines one's status as an adult: the mandatory dream-walk occurs beforehand as a way to shed all doubts about the strength of one's resolve if they have any insecurities, and perhaps gain some personal insight in the process. Introspection assisted by psychoactive substances.

You may be wondering how those with varying degrees of disability come of age if they can't engage in the rite of combat. There are alternatives to the combat test if the participant doesn't feel able enough to fight, or otherwise can't exert themselves without experiencing undue pain and discomfort.

There are alternative rites for individuals of every combination of physical and cognitive impairment, and all are treated with the same gravity and dignity afforded to the typical rites. Poetry recitals, music, research projects, an oath of maturity: these are a few examples of things disabled Mawkin have done to establish their claim to adulthood in place of the rite of combat. An individual doesn't have to be "good" at something: they just have to show that they accept the responsibility that comes with being an adult, or are otherwise committed to their community and the tribe at large.

For some people, that commitment comes in the form of thriving to the best of their ability. Surviving to the next day, striving for tomorrow to hurt a little less than yesterday. It doesn't matter whether they can "contribute" or be a "productive member of society": all are one, and one serves all. The Mawkin take community very seriously. There's an age-old adage that says something to the effect of "if one is suffering, all are injured", and "when one is deprived of dignity, we are all cast naked face-down into the mud".

Anyways, that's how juvenile Mawkin are granted all the rights, responsibilities and privileges that come saddled with being an adult. It's worth noting that most of these rites line up with a typical Chozo's molting cycle, with the final rites occurring just as young warriors are shaking off the last loose feathers of their old coat and displaying their first (clear) adult patterns.

[cherry-bomb-ships]

I TOLD Y'ALL I'D POST IT 😳💖😳💖😳💖😳💖😳💖😳💖😳💖😳💖😳💖😳💖😳💖😳💖😳💖😳💖😳💖😳💖😳💖😳💖😳💖😳💖 WHYYYYYY DID HE HAVE TO SAY IT LIKE THAT WHY IS IT SO DRAWN OUT AND SLOW WHY DOES THE WAY HE DOES EVIL HAVE TO BE SUCH HOT GIRL SHIT I CANNOT DO THISSSSSSSSSS

[adamnsey]

my dealer: got some straight gas 🔥😈 this strain is called "his fallible king" 🤴 you'll be zonked out of your gourd 💯

me: yeah whatever. i don’t feel shit

5 minutes later: what if i sacrificed my spiritual autonomy in order to help preserve your feebly-constructed sense of righteousness and integrity

my stupid and kind and marvellous best friend: hey, tiger

[the-fat-raccoon]

🌌 astro-gnomey Follow

Some of you don't want to hear it but at some point we're going to HAVE to acknowledge the effects of storm sorcerers (and keiromancy as a whole) on the environment. The wizard council has been pushing for regulations on these practices for years due to its large ecological effect on the realm, and yet it still stays unregulated because of misinformed petitioners who insist on preserve this harmful practice.

x x x

🌬 420haz3it Follow

hey ops ex here. they literally went through my family's tome of spells and destroyed every page that contained keiromancy. spells that were in my family since the Wizardry Renaissance, that saved towns from floods and droughts alike, are now lost to time and space

also as people in the notes pointed out all of those links are blatant misinformation that ignores what storm sorcerers have done to protect not only their local communities but the environment as a whole for centuries, and the people who spread this information are the exact same people who advocated to repeal the wishing star protection act.

hating keiromancy has always been a distraction so astrological mages can push for more unsafe practices in their own field. don't let them lie about their intent, and don't let the wizard council rush the process to earn an astromage liscense.

🪄 tradmage12 Follow

Being from a family of storm sorcerers puts a direct line from you to the Great Calamity that wiped out our magic for a millenia. You deserve to lose that tome and every last spark of magic in you.

🌬 420haz3it Follow

what

🌬 420haz3it Follow

theres no way youre serious. you dont actually believe that.

🪄 tradmage12 Follow

We all know it, the Great Calamity would have never happened if the sorcerer faction had listened to the wizard councils orders and steered clear of dragon hunting. But they didn't listen, and everyone suffered because of it. Don't act like there's no reason to not trust your kind with their own practices. You just can't help yourselves.

🌌 astro-gnomey Follow

I leave for the Berry Harvest and come back to this mess, really funny how you'll mention me taking action against your family's evil dark spells but don't mention that you only dated me for your weird gnomeplay fantasies. Also pay attention to the language used, very Anti Mage rhetoric being spread. What else would you expect of a storm sorcerer, of course they want to keep their powers, I'm going to shut off reblogs if people in the notes cant see how they're being manipulated by keiromancers. Quit trying to be 'progressive' when you just want to keep ruining the course of nature and keep down the mage class.

🌬 420haz3it Follow

get me off this fucking lichsite. there is no 'anti mage rhetoric', that's not a fucking thing. mages aren't some repressed class no matter how much you want to pretend that, they haven't had to deal with magical restrictions since before the great calamity even happened, meanwhile sorcerers to this day are still fighting to be seen as magical equals.

and while im at it 'keiromancers' is a made up term to put all weather magic users under one umbrella, as if forms of keiromancy arent so diverse amongst the realms that you cant even begin to compare them. it is not the same as saying necromancers. dont even start that bs.

also, gnomeplay is perfectly normal and acceptable between consenting partners, which we were, so idek why you bring that up. if i as a half elf want to have gnome partners theres literally no issue with that, youre mad because gneillielle has a more bountiful gourd harvest and far more whimsical tunes than you ever brought to our relationship.

storm sorcerers have done nothing wrong, you're the problem.

perhaps some shadow work could unlodge the staff youve got stuck up your cap and you could see the filthy fuckign system youre supporting as an astromage, im sick and tired of this.

🎱 claire-vances-fourth-eye Follow

op starts posting untagged wizard council x reader failed abjuration content in a year btw

5,482 notes

[uwmspeccoll]

It's Fine Press Friday!

On this final Friday of 2023, we end the year with a slightly different fine-press production, issues 1 and 7 of the Mexican arts journal La Jícara, published in San Crístobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, México by Taller Leñateros in 1994 and 1997. These issues were silkscreen printed on craft paper sprinkled with atol agrio, a characteristic masa-drink of San Cristóbal de las Casas, under the direction of Taller Leñateros founder Amber Past and art director Estela Hernández.

Past, an American-born Mexican poet, founded Taller Leñateros in 1975 as a Mayan book arts collective in Chiapas. La Jícara, which refers to a bowl or cup made from a gourd, was developed as a literary, artistic, and historical journal to preserve and promote Mayan and mestizo culture.

View another work by Taller Leñateros.

View more Fine Press Friday posts.

[inconclusionray]

new(ish) due South fic, anyone? In ascending order of spice, we have Strawberry Jelly, written as a gift fic for @cro-mignonette back when we were both on the tumblrs, on the stresses that can lead to alcohol abuse in remote areas, on Ray moving to the middle of nowhere and being undiagnosed ADHD starting to get bored out of his gourd, but mostly about... fruit preservation. As it were. Ahem. Rated T for teen because there are allusions to canon-typical violence between our beloved duo. Then there's Know I'll stay beside that telephone line, which wasn't directly responsible for the change in relationship status between me and @hereeatthiskitten but also wasn't not, so. Kept private because sometimes things are just too precious to be public for a while; she gave me permission to post it years ago, nonetheless, but did I? Look, it's there now, isn't it? Anyway, it's about longing, and repression, and how challenging it can be to change the shape of a relationship, even when you both know the other knows you want to. Talking is awkward, okay, sometimes it's easier in a chat box over the telephone. Rated M, because there is sex, but it's mostly alluded to, not described. Finally, we have the fully smut rated Book, Book, Duck, which if I recall correctly was just me trying to prove to @hereeatthiskitten that Fraser and Duck could so do the deed (ish), what that would look like, and what Ray's reaction would be. It's about... libraries? and alleys? okay it's about dopplegangers and public-ish sex and jealousy and desire. Explicit, no question, though once again, the point is the feelings. Please leave comments on this, it took me over seven years to finish, I crave the validation. That's it! Enjoy! Feel free to use this to promote your new-ish old fandom creations, too! Fic, art, gifs, meta, squees, literally any engagement with this cheesy buddy cop show that is way too good for being as absurd as it is!

[esoteric-chaos]

Samhain Masterpost - Spoonie Witch Friendly

Samhain, Halloween as we know it. Celebrated on October 31st to November 1st (May 1st in the Southern Hemisphere). Samhain is a cross-quarter fire celebration and the halfway point between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice.

Samhain is the 3rd and final fall harvest festival. This day is also known as the Witches New Year.

The veils are believed to be thinned, allowing the dead to return to the earth. Samhain is celebrated in many different cultures around the world. An important holiday to most.

Correspondences 

Colours

Black

Deep Purple

Silver

Grey

Orange

Gold

Dark Red

Herbal

Sage

Mugwort

Rosemary

Garlic

Hemlock

Belladonna

Marigold

Red Roses

Cedar

Cinnamon

Edibles

Apples

Pumpkin

Spiced Cake

Gourds

Squash

Mulled Wine

Corn

Mead

Nuts

Cider

Seeds

Fermented Food

Animals

Cats

Spiders

Moths

Wolves

Owls

Crows

Ravens

Scorpian

Bats

Vultures

Rats

Swans

Crystals

Moonstone

Amethyst

Carnelian

Obsidian

Black Tourmaline

Bloodstone

Silver

Iron

Onyx

Spiritual meanings & intentions

Transformation

New Journeys

Ancestors

Heritage

Death

Sorrow

Loss

Afterlife

Rebirth

Knowledge

Insight

Foresight

Relaxation

Recuperation

Divination

Planning and preservation

Shadow Work

Thinning of the Veil

Fae

Scents

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Cloves

Honey

Pine

Star Anise

Sage

Pumpkin

Gods / Goddesses / Spirits

The Morrigan (Irish)

Hekate (Greek)

Demeter (Greek)

Hel (Norse)

Freyja (Norse)

Persepone (Greek)

Cerridwen (Celtic)

Rhiannon (Celtic)

Psyche (Greek)

Osiris (Egyptian)

Anubis (Egyptian)

Hades (Greek)

Cernunnos (Celtic)

Loki (Norse)

Dionysis (Greek)

Need some suggestions to celebrate? I got you covered.

High energy celebrations

Cleanse

Do a release ritual

Divination

Connect with ancestors

Carve a jack o’ lantern

Make a besom

Create witches bottle

Visit a graveyard and give your respects (be respectful!)

Low energy celebrations

Leave offering for ancestors

Chat with the folk about family history

Light incense

Burn something you’d like to let go on a piece of paper

No spoon celebrations

Eat pumpkin or any sort of squash

Leaving some of your food aside for the ancestors

Any sort of mischief. Telling a joke or pulling a prank

 Remember that it’s okay if you cant do much while you are unwell. That you come first and you simply existing is a blessing.

How you celebrate the holiday does not matter. You can choose to do any activity that feels right. These are only suggestions and remember that you're enough no matter what.

[thefugitivesaint]

‘Curious Alice’ was an anti-drug production created by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) targeting 8 to 10 year olds on the dangers of using drugs. The messaging is muddled, overshadowed by the wonderfully alluring cut-and-paste montage animation (described in many reviews of the film as “Monty Pythonesque”).  “...the film shows young Alice reading Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland in a sunny dappled meadow before nodding off. She soon finds herself plunging down the rabbit hole and in a wonderland … of drugs. The King of Hearts is hawking heroin. The Mad Hatter is tripping balls on LSD. The hookah-smoking Caterpillar is stoned out of his gourd. The Dormouse is in a barbiturate-induced stupor and the March Hare, who looks like the Trix Bunny’s ne’er-do-well brother, is a fidgeting tweaker. “You oughta have some pep pills! Uppers!” he exclaims. “Amphetamines! Speed! You feel super good.” You can essentially ignore the confused anti-drug narrative of the film while appreciating the animation. And, it’s the animation that I wanted to focus on here, namely, how the “scratched, torn, and spliced print” whose “color had faded so that all of those vibrant hues were reduced to pasty pink” held by the National Archives was resuscitated by the film preservation specialist Charles Joholske (who died of cancer in 2009). After a copy of ‘Curious Alice’ was found in a defunct lab in Pennsylvania, it was taken to the Motion Picture Preservation lab of the National archive where:  “Charles Joholske took on the task of making new prints of Curious Alice, despite the fact that he could not use the color analyzer to time the negative. That meant he had to look at the image and make his best guess at what light values to use for the printer. Only it wasn’t a wild shot in the dark: Charlie had decades of experience and the ability to look at the negative and assign light values by eye. With a couple of short tests to confirm his educated guess, Charlie created the three polyester film prints that the National Archives holds today.” Another aspect of this story, as noted in the above article, is the fact that this kind of accumulated skill and talent is slowly being lost as specialists like Joholske die (or move on to other careers) and the labs dedicated to film preservation gradually evaporate for various reasons.  Give it a viewing. 

[blueiscoool]

1,400-Year-Old Treasure Stash Found Under Playground in China

Underneath the playground of a school in China, archaeologists uncovered ruins of a 1,400-year-old settlement that included dozens of storage pits and thousands of artifacts.

Archaeologists excavated the playground of an elementary school in the eastern coastal city of Ningbo ahead of planned construction, the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said in an Oct. 10 news release.

The excavations uncovered 65 pits, eight wells and several other structures all over 1,400 years old, the release said. Archaeologists identified the ruins as part of a settlement.

In one storage pit, archaeologists found 796 copper coins in tied-up stacks. A photo shows the stash of muddy coins with square holes in the center. In one of the wells, they unearthed 1,682 more coins.

Based on the number of coins and their style of burial, archaeologists concluded the treasures were buried as an emergency measure by residents who feared a disaster was coming, the release said. The age and location of the coins match — and might be linked to — a period of rebellion and famine in the sixth century A.D.

Archaeologists also found preserved plants in one of the pits. The plant remains included bamboo, gourds, peach pits and a large number of acorns. A photo shows what remains of these nuts.

The other pits and wells contained pottery fragments, tiles, altars, washbasins and other artifacts, archaeologists said. Two lamps, part of a bronze chandelier, were also uncovered, a photo shows.

The artifacts mainly date from the Han dynasty, a period from 206 B.C. to 220 A.D., and the Six Dynasties, a period from 220 A.D. to 589 A.D, according to the release and Encyclopedia Britannica.

Ningbo is in Zhejiang province and about 135 miles south of Shanghai.

By ASPEN PFLUGHOEFT.

[buffetlicious]

Stall bought Packed Lunch with stewed preserved Chinese mustard, pork belly & peanuts, cabbage stir-fry and a piece of stuffed bitter gourd with minced pork.

[dragonskxn]

I compiled a list of different dishes and drinks that Anna would make, fantasy or otherwise!

Venison Stew with Cabbage and Leek

Dandelion Salad with Fresh Berries and Herb Vinaigrette 

Acorn Bread Rolls

Honey Buns

Cheese Stuffed Giant Mushroom Caps

Buttered Onions 

Creamy Potato Soup

Assorted Cheeses, Cured Meats, Figs, and Olives on a Platter

Tomato, Mozzarella, and Cucumber Salad

Mushroom Soup

Snail Chowder

Escargot

Trout and River Clam Stew

Chicken Soup with Celery, Carrots, and Peas

Pumpkin Soup (served in carved out pumpkin)

Miso Soup

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Radish Salad

Dragon's Eggs (Artichoke Stuffed with Soft Boiled Egg)

Fried Snakeskin

Lentil Soup

Rabbit Stew

Suckling Pig with Baked Apples and Honey Glaze

Spit roasted Wild Boar

Roasted Quail with Orange Rind

Eel Pie

Spiced Venison Ribs

Vegetable Risotto

Salmon Meuniere

Roast Swan with Truffle Sauce, stuffed with Onions and Potatoes

Rosemary Lemon Chicken

Elk Rump Roast

Grilled Cockatrice

Meat (or Grilled Vegetable) Stuffed Pumpkin

Roasted Eggplant with Cheese

Beef Heart, rubbed with Herbs and Spices

Turtledoves cooked in Wine with Figs

Balsamic Roasted Finches

Almond-crusted Trout with Lemon

Gourd Casserole

Gnocchi with Pesto and Cheese

Stuffed River Crabs

Roasted Rabbit Haunches with Peppercorn and Cloves

Lemon Blueberry Angel Food Cake

Blackberry Pie

Bioluminescent slime gelatin

Lemon Tarts, topped with an assortment of berries

Creme Brulee

Sweetrolls

Pumpkin Pie with Fresh Whipped Cream

Raspberry Cheesecake

Mushroom-Shaped Pastries with White Chocolate and Preserves Filling

Rose Tarts

Pumpkin Pudding

Pears roasted in Cider

Lavender sugar cookies

Cinnamon Apple Pie

Assorted Tea (Elderberry, Lemon Balm, Ginseng, etc)

Lavender Lemonade

Assorted Freshly Squeezed Fruit Juices

Blackberry Wine

Dragon's Blood Wine 

Peach Wine

Honey Mead

Ale

Wyvern Whiskey 

Apple Cider

Omelet (Choice of Chicken, Quail, Duck, or Goose Egg, as well as assorted toppings such as Green Onions, Ham, Sausage, and Cheese)

Blueberry Pancakes

Sausage Links (Beef, Pork, Venison)

Cured and Peppered Ham Slices

Toast with Honey or Jam (assorted breads and jam flavors available)

Oatmeal with cinnamon

Butter porridge

Soft-boiled Egg

Miniature heart-shaped meat pies

Pecan-crusted Bread Rolls

Watercress Sandwiches

Cucumber Sandwiches

Hot Buttered or Honeyed Apples

[what-even-is-thiss]

If you wanna start deep diving into Norse mythology and religion primary resources there’s not actually that much to dive into but thankfully the stuff we do have, although filtered through a Christian lens, is mostly in story format in the form of the eddas.

Or at least you’d think that wouldn’t you. Because that’s what everyone talks about. But listen, bucko. Do you want to go insane? Just absolutely bonkers? Do you want to lose your gourd? There’s Icelandic sagas to dig through. And yes I do mean dig. There’s medieval legal codes to read through that outlaw certain pagan practices which accidentally preserved an account of those practices. There’s frickin “histories” written by people in the Middle Ages slapping a very human person label onto a bunch of Norse gods. There’s runestones referencing stories that’ve been lost to time that you wanna bang your head against the wall about. There’s an endless well of half references and horse sculptures you can fall down and it will drive you mad.

[stardust-swan]

Chic Cottagecore Plans for Autumn 🍂🍄🥀

🍄 Make: apple pie, fancy hot chocolates, different types of soup, homemade pumpkin spice mix, cinnamon rolls, mushroom risotto, root vegetable tarte tatin, pumpkin tagine, homemade tea blends, and preserves and syrups for winter

🍄 Crochet or knit

🍄 Embroider some mushrooms

🍄 Watch the Harry Potter series, Kiki's Delivery Service, Frankenweenie, Hocus Pocus, Coraline, the Addams Family, the Corpse Bride, the Nightmare Before Christmas, Twilight, Dead Poets Society, Labrynth, A Series of Unfortunate Events, the Love Witch, Jennifer's Body, Carrie, Rocky Horror Show Picture, the Witches, Maleficent, Monster House, and Paranorman.

🍄 Read Gothic novels, Jane Austen, The Little Book of Hygge, and Autumnal poetry

🍄 Go to Starbucks and Costa and try out some of the new drinks they have for Autumn

🍄 Take walks in nature and admire the trees changing colour

🍄 Play games like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley

🍄 Curl up with a good book, blanket, fluffy socks, and cup of cinnamon tea when the weather is bad

🍄 Take Polaroids of the fall foliage

🍄 Light cinnamon scented candles

🍄 Put a pouch of whole cloves in the sweater drawer

🍄 Listen to the Taylor Swift Folklore and Evermore albums

🍄 Make an Autumn floral arrangement

🍄 Make pinecone bird seed feeder

🍄 Make Autumn terrarium

🍄 Visit the Farmers Market to find seasonal foods for Autumn like pumpkins, apple cider, and gourds

🍄 Plant bulbs for spring

🍄 Go to a candlelight concert

🍄 Look up art galleries and concert halls to see if there are any exhibitions or events on with Autumn themes

🍄 Wardrobe: soft sweaters, turtlenecks, high-waisted jeans, cardigans, flannels, plaid skirts, woollen dresses, opaque tights, trench coats, crocheted scarves, Doc Martins, chunky Mary Janes. Colour scheme: burgundy, forest green, tan, black, plum, mustard yellow, olive, terracotta, and burnt orange.

🍄 Makeup: copper eyeshadow, terracotta or berry lipstick, brown eyeliner, subtle gold highlight

[outofangband]

Autumn Headcanons: Elves

Obviously I couldn’t go through each group or culture so please feel free to send one and I’ll tell my ideas for them! I’m going to do humans next. 

World Building Masterlist 

The elves of Nargothrond use gourds hollowed out to make lanterns lit with fire or other luminescent materials. These hang around the entrances of the caverns and around the halls. More complex designs are sometimes used to create light shows and effects

Autumn in Himring is a time of intense preparation. Little gathering, foraging or hunting can be done in the winter because of the cold and other weather conditions, on top of the other prioritized efforts. There is a similar tradition to the summer readiness days where time is set aside to cut or salt meat to last (one of the few elven settlements where salting is used), preserve vegetables and plants by pickling or drying, prepare wool to make blankets, cut wood, and do any other tasks that will become far more difficult and time consuming once the first snow hits.  (Incidentally for Maedhros, the increasing cold has a marked effect on his body and chronic pain as this can often be impacted by temperature and weather. And as I’ve talked about before, he’s more sensitive to the cold than most of his kin. Anyways)

The elves of Doriath make wines out of beech and oak. These tasks are actually left to a select few who have (often literally) ages of experience and knowledge but the help in preparation is often a communal activity. Fires are rare in Doriath for warmth and the chopping of firewood even more so. 

The Teleri in Valinor (where autumn is present before the first age albeit milder and without the risk of snow at least by the waters where they live) have a festival dedicated to autumn winds. Wooden instruments are carved specifically for this and played alongside traditional dances. The songs are often somber ones, particularly after the beginning of the first age, of changing times and bitter weather, but the festival itself is a joyous one. 

The Green elves also enjoy an autumn festival. This one is dedicated more to the trees and climbing and gathering contests are held, especially among the children along with song and feasting. A dessert made from preserved berries is a favorite delicacy during.

(as I said please feel free to send me more to go over!)