#remember the threefold law

[virgil-upinthestars]

post ep 5 - SPOILERS

okay okay okay i think billy yeeted them out of the road. we see jen clawing up from the dirt in trailer footage, i think billy just chucked em back to westview. i don't think he's quite there at murder yet, seeing his last conversation with agatha, which? slay king. as a witch and practicing pagan, love him. "no, not for me" you take that negative energy and turn it right on its fuckin head sweetheart. but also please for the love of the gods don't get carried away, don't commit murder, your father would probably have a stroke even if your mother would sit there yelling you're doing great sweetie!!

also i think the reason why rio wasn't there in the last scene was bc she was collecting alice's body. now i'm imagining her walking out, seeing billy standing there alone with lighting coming from his hands and a scarlet witch crown like

[windvexer]

I remember reading a book a while back that mentioned widespread public spells like putting sigils on posters around a town and how that's actually bad and will backfire and I'm curious what your take on those kind of spells is. tbf I cant remember which book and exactly what they said (in all honesty, I dont think they explained their reasoning very well either, but I can't claim that without remembering)

No part of my understanding of sorcery includes a concept that "widespread public spells" are inherently unsustainable, bad (in terms of technique, not morals), or are doomed to backfire.

I have not even heard of a good reasoning for this at all.

Actually this is the first time I am hearing that some people believe "widespread public spells" are bad and will backfire by default.

I assume the author meant just like.... spells you put around town to try and get people to be nicer to each other, or slow down in school zones, or to curse every Bradford Pear, etc.

I don't work on the general unnamed public like this but I know many people do and they're fine with it.

My best guesses would be the author got nervous thinking about people casting on the masses, believes influencing people is a free will violation so the Threefold Law/The Universe will simply not allow it to happen, or just doesn't believe that magic really "works like that."

Of course maybe they've got it quite fleshed out in their paradigm, but those would be top 3 on my bingo card if their reasoning seemed suspect.

[duxbelisarius]

Back to the Dance Part Seven: Westerosi War Finance

Thank you for reading this far; here's the master post if this is your first encounter!

As I said at the end of Part Six, I originally planned to cover fiscal policy/war finance within the posts about strategy, but I've decided to give the topic it's own write-up instead. I found there was more to write about on the subject than I previously thought, especially since this topic helps to further illustrate the issues with how the Dance is written.

i. "Show me the money!"

The natural starting point to discuss war finance in the Dance is with the Greens 'treasury plot,' since the later plot of 'Rhaenyra's tax policy' hinges upon it. The problems with it are threefold: 1) Owing to the peculiarities of Westerosi warfare and military organization, the cost of conducting warfare actually appears quite cheap, especially with the absence of wages (see Parts Three and Four); 2) This impression is reinforced by the narrative, which fails to give us an indication of the Greens need for coin or their expenditures; and 3) The plot itself or at least it's secrecy is unfeasible given what we know about the royal treasury and the position of Master of Coin. When we actually take into account what we're told and shown by the books regarding the role of money in warfare, the later plot of 'Rhaenyra's tax policy' lacks any foundations before the story even arrives there.

We've already discussed the lack of evidence for military wages in Westeros outside of mercenaries, and the books and George's own comments confirm their absence in no uncertain terms. In Catelyn VIII of AGOT, Catelyn Stark makes this observation regarding Robb's army:

This host her son had assembled was not a standing army such as the Free Cities were accustomed to maintain, nor a force of guardsmen paid in coin. Most of them were smallfolk: crofters, fieldhands, fishermen, sheepherders, the sons of innkeeps and traders and tanners, leavened with a smattering of sellswords and freeriders hungry for plunder. When their lords called, they came … but not forever.

It's worth remembering that Catelyn is a Tully by birth, and would have some knowledge of differences in custom or laws between the North and the southern kingdoms. The fact her comparisons are hired guards and Essosi professionals tells us that the Northerners are not alone in organizing this way, but that Westeros as a whole follows a similar mold.

While we don't get such a direct confirmation with fleets, the evidence indicates these are not maintained through wages either; George's 1999 "So Spake Martin" about the Lannister Fleet suggests that large war fleets are raised by calling one's banners as with armies, meaning the ships and their crews would be in the service of their lords much like knights and men-at-arms. It's also worth noting that out of the 200 ships of Stannis' fleet that attacked King's Landing in ACOK, only the Lyseni and Myrish contingents are said to have been under pay, while Stannis' need for coin only comes to the fore in ASOS following the loss of the majority of his bannermen and ships at the Blackwater, forcing him to depend on sellswords and sellsails. The removal of wages means the only substantial 'unit costs' so-to-speak would come from hiring mercenaries or actually building ships, and the only cases of the latter pertaining to the Dance are Dalton Greyjoy's ship-building before the Dance and Johanna Lannister's attempt at rebuilding her fleet afterwards. Black Trombo's Myrish sellswords are the only case we have of mercenaries fighting for the Blacks in any capacity, while the 1800 sellswords that accompanied Cole on his Crownlands campaign and the sellswords and freeriders mentioned in the Hightower army's ranks are the only mentions we have for the Greens.

The only real costs for the armies of the Dance would be maintenance costs, i.e. food, fodder, equipment, weapons, remounts, quartering, etc. Yet even hear, a number of factors would reduce these considerably, starting with the fact that most of the weapons, equipment, animals, and supplies would come with the men themselves or their lords initially, minimizing maintenance costs upfront. The emphasis placed on battles in the setting would also offer ample opportunities to restock by plundering a defeated foe. We saw in Part Two that logistics mostly depends on 'living off the land' and hauling supplies via baggage train, so unless the enemy used scorched earth tactics, feeding a host could be imposed on the enemy population whenever possible. We also know that in-kind taxation exists at the local level in the Seven Kingdoms, i.e. providing goods or services to one's lord in place of coin: Jon's POVs in ASOS and ADWD show that the Night's Watch receives taxes in goods and labour from the inhabitants of the Gift, although Benjen and Ned had hoped to encourage lords to settle there to be taxed for coin; per Jaime I of ADWD, a lord is entitled to a tenth of the grain milled on his lands. It's entirely possible that the lord(s) in charge of an army would cover some of their maintenance costs by extracting goods or services from their subjects as a duty they were owed or to count towards future taxes.

A factor which would further reduce or at least mitigate costs for the royal treasury is the vague command structure of Westerosi armies (see Part Three). The Wardens are the closest thing the Seven Kingdoms have to a central command, but according to George their role is mainly for defending against foreign invaders, and what authority they may have plays no role in the Dance. The only thing close to military infrastructure in the Dance is the royal roads, as Tyland's fortified granaries in King's Landing, Lannisport, and Gulltown were a postwar project. This means that unless the crown supported an army(s) directly with treasury funds, any coin spent on maintenance costs would come from the pockets of the lords leading the armies. The treasury would presumably compensate these lords for their expenditures, but these costs would be paid for at a later date. While warfare isn't 'free' in Westeros, there is a serious discrepancy between what we're told about the costs of waging it and what we are shown and can reasonably infer about the setting, which negatively affects the role of money in Aegon and Rhaenyra's stories.

The second problem with the 'treasury plot' follows on from the first, as the impression of the 'cheapness' of warfare we get from the worldbuilding is confirmed with how the Greens use the treasury. The Iron Bank of Braavos is entrusted with a quarter of the funds "for safekeeping," and no one is sent along to oversee them or to spend these funds on mercenaries or supplies in Essos. Since these funds appear to have been transferred to the Rogare Bank some years after the war, this suggests that the Greens were prepared to potentially fight a war with only 75% of the royal treasury at their disposal. Casterly Rock and Oldtown each receive a quarter as well, and the Hour of the Wolf later describes this as also being for 'safekeeping;' Johanna Lannister returns the funds held at Casterly Rock while Lyonel Hightower returns those at Oldtown, albeit "a good part" of those funds were stolen by his cousin Ser Myles Hightower. The return of the Casterly and Oldtown shares allows Tyland to set aside 1 million gold dragons for reconstruction loans "with the Crown's gold once more secure," which confirms that none of the funds were spent aside from Myles' embezzlement.

This leaves the 25% that remained in King's Landing as the only treasury funds that could possibly have been spent on the war effort, and F&B tells us that "King Aegon had spent every penny of the portion kept in King's Landing." This claim conflicts with what we are told and shown previously of the Greens spending, as "The Blacks and the Greens" tells us "the remaining wealth was to be used for bribes and gifts, and to hire sellswords if needed." We've already discussed the problem of sellswords, while the strategic isolation of the Green Council in King's Landing which I brought up in the Velaryon Blockade analysis (more on that in Part 8!) makes it unclear how such bribes and gifts could have been dispensed. They couldn't send money to the Triarchy because of the Blockade, and the nobles who abjured their oaths to Rhaenyra did so under penalty of death; we have no indication that the treasury funds had any meaningful influence on the Dance through bribery or gift-giving. Moreover, aside from "The Red Dragon and the Gold" mentioning that Otto Hightower was "strengthening the defenses of King's Landing," we have no indication the treasury funds went towards any of the maintenance costs previously discussed, like obtaining food stuffs or building ships. We're also told nothing about the tax policies of the Greens at this time, whether in King's Landing or elsewhere, meaning the impression of the 'cheapness' of Westerosi warfare is all but confirmed.

ii. Kingdoms Seven

The final problem with the 'treasury plot' and it's implications for the role of money in warfare comes down to the mechanics of the plot itself. Treasuries have been transferred in the past and we can point to historical examples: Plutarch recounts the relocation of the treasury of Cyprus to Rome in section 38 of his Life of Cato the Younger, which involved moving almost 7000 talents of silver (c. 180.6 tonnes) by ship, divided into coffers carrying 2 talents and 500 drachmas each, or roughly three talents with a third in coin and the rest in bullion. Alexander the Great seized 6613.4 tonnes of silver, gold, and other valuables from Susa, Pasargadae, and Persepolis when his army entered Iran in 330 BC, which he relocated to Ecbatana using 20000 mules and 5000 camels (Donald Engels, Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army, 79). We don't know the value or quantity of the royal treasury at the time of it's relocation, but the portion sent to Casterly Rock appears to have traveled overland under guard while those sent to Braavos and Oldtown went by ship.

The foremost issue facing the plot is that Tyland Lannister only became Master of Coin because of the death of Lyman Beesbury; not only did Beesbury support Rhaenyra's claim at the very end, he was also the Master of Coin prior to Jaehaerys' death, meaning he held that post for at least 30 years. Considering Jaehaerys' ill-health in his final years and Viserys' tendency to rule through his Small Council, we can be certain that those employed by the Master of Coin would have been loyal to Beesbury even if it was the king who approved the hiring. While Tyrion's list of those under the Master of Coin's authority comes to us more than a century after the Dance (see Part One), we know that Warden of the King's Mint and Keeper of the Keys existed prior to the Dance. Based on what we know about the Keyholders of the Iron Bank, it's safe to say that Keeper of the Keys is a similar post with responsibility for accessing the vaults and coffers of the treasury. That this post would have been filled by Beesbury should present obvious problems, as even if the Greens were able to pull-off the relocation it would be nigh impossible for it to be kept secret. Rhaenyra brutally tortures Tyland in a failed attempt to locate the hidden treasury funds, but even if the Greens bribed all the treasury workers to comply, there would still be too many witnesses around who could inform Rhaenyra if they didn't tell her outright. They couldn't jail those who supported Rhaenyra as this would raise suspicions while leaving the Greens short-staffed for the relocation, nor could they guarantee that those who agreed to assist were not simply lying about their loyalties. Even if the funds could be relocated without incident or loss, there's no way that their whereabouts could be kept secret from Rhaenyra after the Blacks take King's Landing.

From the start of the Dance, the only significant fiscal 'policy' of the Greens is to deny Rhaenyra access to the royal treasury, as money and wealth play no role in their war effort otherwise. The 'treasury plot' is merely meant to lead into Rhaenyra's 'tax policy' subplot, and here is where any pretense of covering tax policy and war finance in an intelligent way falls apart. The problems with Rhaenyra's tax policy are also threefold: 1) Much like with the 'treasury plot', we're given little indication of Rhaenyra and the Blacks funding requirements prior to the Fall of King's Landing, when she suddenly has desperate need for coin; 2) While we're told she 'replenishes' her coffers through taxation and other methods, this flies in the face of information provided by F&B and a reasonable assessment of King's Landing's current position; and 3) When we take account of the resources at her disposal and what we know about war finance in Medieval and Early Modern Europe, Rhaenyra's policies come off as not just unfeasible but hopelessly contrived.

iii. "This has been my worst physical year ever!" -Bartimos Celtigar (Probably)

In light of our discussion of the 'treasury plot,' we have every reason to question F&B's assertion that Rhaenyra "found herself in desperate need of coin" after taking King's Landing. We have no prior indications of Black funding requirements and only a little about their wealth: Daemon's capture of Harrenhal gives him access to "the not-inconsiderable wealth of House Strong," while Rhaenyra "had at her disposal the wealth of House Velaryon." This is all we're told prior to the Fall of King's Landing, but their resources should be much greater starting with Dragonstone's wealth and incomes and those of Claw Isle. Gulltown's support should be a boon as well with it being one of the major ports and population centers of Westeros outside King's Landing; Isembard Arryn and the Arryns of Gulltown could also be turned to for funds, and Bartimos Celtigar has family ties to Gulltown through Prudence Celtigar's marriage to Lord Grafton in 52 AC. White Harbour is likewise a prosperous port and tied to Rhaenyra by the betrothal of Joffrey Velaryon, while she could also draw upon the great towns of the Riverlands like Maidenpool, Fairmarket, and Lord Harroway's Town.

She could also turn to the Free Cities for loans, as there should be plenty of wealthy individuals that might be induced to loan her funds, while the Iron Bank and Pentos would also be available. The Pentoshi are friendly with Daemon and the Blacks, enough for the princes Aegon and Viserys to be sent there on the Gay Abandon, so the Magisters might be persuaded to offer financial aid. The Iron Bank may have accepted the quarter of the treasury sent by the Greens, but given their reputation for secrecy there's no reason to assume they would refuse to loan to the Blacks, especially since they have a quarter of the treasury for security should the Blacks lose or default on payments. With all these potential sources of coin to fund her war effort, combined with the fact she builds no ships nor hires any sellswords, nor are we ever told of Driftmark or Dragonstone needing to be supplied with imported food, we have no reason to believe that Rhaenyra was forced to resort to the measures she did upon arriving in King's Landing. Driftmark may be worse for wear after the Battle of the Gullet, but Rhaenyra should still have other sources of funding available.

The second problem with this plot is the tax policies themselves: F&B tells us Rhaenyra was able to "replenish her coffers, at grievous cost" mostly through increased taxation, but there are serious issues with this scenario. For starters, the narrative never defines what 'her coffers' entail: we have no idea of the size of the Black 'war chest' previously, and whether the coffers to be filled are those of Viserys I (i.e. the whole treasury upon his death) or Aegon II (i.e. the quarter that remained in King's Landing). It's late autumn when Rhaenyra takes the capital, the kingdoms have been at war for a year, and the only areas that could feasibly send tax revenues to King's Landing are probably the North, the Vale, and the Crownlands, so recouping even a quarter of Viserys' treasury seems like an impossible task. Bartimos Celtigar raises these new funds by reviving the old taxes of Edwell Celtigar, reinstating Rego Draz's entry and exit tolls, and implementing new levies. Edwell's taxes, which date back to King Jaehaerys' regency, tripled port fees, taxed certain goods entering and leaving the city, and placed levies on builders and inn-keeps; Draz's gate fees were assessed on anyone leaving or entering the city, with additional fees for donkeys, horses, mules and oxen, and most heavily for carts and wagons; Bartimos Celtigar's own policies doubled taxes on wine and ale and tripled port fees, tripled the entry and exit fees previously set by Draz, introduced a property tax, assessed fees on shops for keeping their doors open, and charged a silver stag to inn keeps for every bed in their inns. The merchants trapped in the city by the Blockade were made to pay the new port duties, with those that would not or could not forfeiting their ships and cargo, while public executions demanded an attendance fee of three pennies. We're led to believe that by Maiden Day at least these policies have replenished Rhaenyra's coffers, albeit at 'grievous cost.'

The foremost problem with these policies stems from the editing of F&B; "A Surfeit of Rulers," one of the Jaehaerys chapters that were newly published in 2018, has this to say about Edwell Celtigar's taxes:

None of these measures had the desired effect of filling up the treasury vaults. Instead building slowed to a halt, the inns emptied, and trade declined notably as merchants diverted their ships from King's Landing to Driftmark, Duskendale, Maidenpool, and other ports where they might evade taxation.

This is a pretty realistic depiction of the drawbacks of heavy taxation; given how much heavier the taxes are which Rhaenyra seeks to levy on KIng's Landing, it makes little sense why Bartimos Celtigar should succeed while his ancestor failed. Driftmark and Duskendale have been damaged by the war, but there's no reason why places like Maidenpool or even Gulltown could not allow merchants to dodge the fees. Many Kingslanders fled the city when Rhaenyra attacked, meaning the taxable population has already declined somewhat and Rhaenyra's onerous policies would only cause more to flee the city. It also needs to be stressed that Draz and Edwell Celtigar's policies were drawn up in times of peace, with Draz's fees in particular drawing revenue from the increased traffic of King's Landing which stemmed from Jaehaerys' prosperous reign. Rhaenyra and Bartimos Celtigar's policies are being implemented during a war which has raged for almost a year as of the taking of King's Landing, and it's very unlikely that policies which failed at worse in times of peace would have total success in a radically different context.

Rhaenyra's policies are still unworkable when we consider factors like the war and the weather and how these would affect economic activity. Rhaenyra's port and gate fees rely on traffic to and from the city, but what markets is King's Landing supposed to rely on? Armies have been mustered in the Reach, Stormlands, Riverlands, and Crownlands, and if my hypothesis from Part Six regarding Maiden Day is correct then Rhaenyra has a little over a month depending on when she takes the capital before winter arrives. The fighting and concomitant breakdown of authority should also mean an increase in banditry, as Rhaenyra discovers when her party is set upon by 'broken men' after her flight of King's Landing, which would hamper the movement of goods overland in addition to the obstacles raised by the weather and ongoing fighting. If we consider the wine and ale taxes, the autumn and winter weather and climate combined with the disruptions caused by mobilization, fighting, and army demand should seriously affect ale production through the scarcity of grain, while ale itself would be in demand for the armies.

Wine has even more problems, since we know the bulk of wine production in Westeros comes from the south, primarily Dorne and the Reach. The Arbor and Honeywine valley are absolutely off limits since the Redwynes and Hightowers support Aegon II, while Ormund and Daeron's advances bring the rest of the Reach more and more under Green control. Imports from Dorne overland have to contend with the weather and Borros Baratheon's conflict with the Vulture King, and would be passing through Green territory besides; imports via sea must likewise contend with dangerous weather in autumn and winter in addition to the chaos in the Stepstones and southern Narrow Sea due to the Triarchy's dissolution. Wine would also be in demand for the armies of both sides the same as ale, meaning imports that reached King's Landing would demand high prices which the new fees and taxes would only increase. Providing for the sustenance of the city's population might require Rhaenyra's government to purchase foodstuffs themselves, and any revenues from taxes or duties on those imports would be cancelled out by the high prices. The only measures taken by Rhaenyra and Celtigar that are in any way feasible are the confiscations from the merchants and the attendance fees for the executions, but the former could only offer short-term relief and would discourage further port traffic.

iv. Broke-ass sibling f*ckers

The suggestion that Rhaenyra's tax policies could 'replenish her coffers' has no foundation in whatever passes for the reality of this story. The third and final problem with this plot is that the taxes themselves are completely unnecessary: when we consider the resources available to Rhaenyra in the setting and the finance methods available to Medieval monarchs, it's clear that Rhaenyra's policies are founded upon contrivance and not an attempt to explore the challenges of governing in a meaningful way. I covered this topic somewhat in Part 9 of the original analysis, but I want to do so again with greater depth; we'll start with wartime taxation, since this is an area where George's impressions differ greatly from reality.

Rhaenyra's singular reliance upon taxation obscures the fact that it was but one of a number of means of war finance available to Medieval governments. Taxation was by no means insignificant: English tax revenue raised to fight the Hundred Years' War amounted to c.£8250000, 4 million of which was derived from the wool tax (M. M. Postan, "The Costs of the Hundred Years' War," 40). Excluding c.£1.5 million paid by foreign wool buyers gives us £6750000 over 128 years or c.£53000 per year, a not insignificant sum considering revenues in the first 12 years of Richard II's reign (1377-89) were a net annual average of £120000 (Ibid., 40-41; A. B. Steel, "The Financial Background of the Wars of the Roses," 18). Wartime taxation benefitted from England's island status, as besides cross-border warfare with Scotland and French raiding and piracy along the southern coast, the war caused very little physical damage that might have reduced tax revenue or interfered with it's collection. Even then, £53000 per annum paled in comparison to the deficit and resulting debt incurred by fighting the war, which ran at a rate of £15000 per annum in 1400-25 alone and exceeded £370000 by 1449 (Postan, "The Costs," 42).

Existing means of taxation could not cover the demands of war alone, since the exigencies of war invariably required greater sums paid out in much shorter time frames than peacetime taxes could secure. France and the Iberian monarchies of Castile, Aragon, and Portugal had to frequently resort to obtaining subsidies or grants from village, town, and city governments, sending out commissioners to negotiate with and collect sums from these local authorities or calling an assembly for the King to negotiate directly (the Corts or Cortes in the case of Castile and Aragon) (John B. Henneman Jr., "Financing the Hundred Years' War," 276; Donald J. Kagay, "War Financing in the Late Medieval Crown of Aragon," 124-125). Negotiating these sums could be done in a number of ways: assemblies might be granted some oversight as to the spending of the revenues, economic and social privileges could be granted, the money could come from fines paid in lieu of military service, debts or outstanding taxes could be forgiven or pardons issued for certain offenses. This often meant that grants or subsidies took the form of loans to the crown, and thus overlapped to some extent with forms of debt financing that we'll discuss below.

This form of taxation was not unknown to England, as so-called lay subsidies or grants were called upon prior to, during, and after the Hundred Years' War, with the Commons playing a role in negotiating and approving the terms. Unfortunately we know little about town and city governments in Westeros and local government in general, but we do know that monarchs have called upon councils in the past. The Lannister succession was decided by a council after the death of Gerold III, and of course we have the Great Council of 101 AC; Aenys Targaryen planned to call a great council to settle the crises of 37 AC before those were resolved, and Alicent Hightower proposes a great council to settle the succession after Rhaenyra takes King's Landing; shortly after the Dance we have the Great Council of 136 AC, which selected new regents for Aegon III. If Rhaenyra truly was desperate for coin after taking the capital, nothing should stop her from soliciting tax funds from those subjects and allies within reach: the Crownlands, the Vale, the North, the Riverlands north of the Trident and east of the Kingsroad at least, and possibly the Iron Islands and northern Reach.

Lords and ladies, clergy, guild leaders and townsmen and/or their representatives could be assembled for Rhaenyra and her council to negotiate with, or she could send representatives to them, while Syrax and Caraxes also allow Rhaenyra, Daemon, and an advisor or two to fly out for meetings elsewhere, to arrange for tax subsidies. In return she can count these sums as remitted taxes or reduce future tax rates, gives pardons and forgive debts, and other economic and social privileges. TWOIAF tells us that towns like Fairmarket and Saltpans were refused charters by past River Kings that might have allowed them to expand; Rhaenyra could very easily grant charters to towns across her loyal territories in exchange for subsidies, or use the threat of this to induce local lords to be more generous. The complete absence of the Faith of the Seven from this plot (and the Dance in general) is striking: we know from Eddard IV of AGOT that Baelish borrows funds from the Faith, and we might assume from Aegon the Conqueror's exempting the Faith from taxation that this was not the case before the Conquest. Between incomes, donations, possibly tithes even though these are never explicitly mentioned in the books, and so-called 'church plate' or precious metals and valuables held within the septs and other religious sites, the Faith should have considerable reserves of wealth which Rhaenyra could obtain through loans or subsidies, to say nothing of how the armies of either side might plunder these for their own purposes. Regardless, collecting subsidies was a lengthy process historically and would be so for Rhaenyra, but the taxes implemented by Bartimos Celtigar won't produce a windfall anyways; she stands a better chance of raising funds sooner by negotiating subsidies than by hiking the tax rates on a single city and calling it a day.

Wartime taxation was not and could not be the only means of war finance relied upon by Medieval monarchs, and Rhaenyra should be no exception. In addition to taxes and the funding sources she should already have had access to before arriving in King's Landing, Rhaenyra can still sell assets and go into debt to finance her war effort. We should also note that Rhaenyra's strategic position after the Fall of King's Landing is much stronger than Aegon and the Greens'. The Blacks dominate the Narrow and Sunset Seas thanks to the Velaryons, the Greyjoys, and the collapse of the Triarchy; they have six dragons at their disposal, technically seven or eight if we include Joffrey and Baela; Rhaenyra controls the Crownlands and the capital, and commands the loyalty of four of the Seven Kingdoms (Riverlands, Vale, North, Iron Islands) and part of a fifth (the Reach); while Aegon and his dragon are injured and missing alongside his remaining children, his queen, mother, and council are Rhaenyra's prisoners, and as of 'the Fishfeed' only Daeron and Ormund Hightower are offering substantial resistance to the Blacks. Even with Aemond at large, winter on the horizon, and the troubles facing King's Landing, Rhaenyra and her council should be well placed to secure funds based on the realistic expectation of victory.

Rhaenyra's options for war finance are plentiful, beginning with her lands: between Dragonstone, King's Landing and it's environs, and the broader Targaryen demenses within the Crownlands (see Part One) which belong to House Targaryen legally but are managed by tenant houses (Rosby, Hayford, Massey, etc.), these alone are a substantial asset for Rhaenyra. Some of her tenants bent the knee to Aegon, namely Rosby and Stokeworth, and their lands could be confiscated for the crown or transferred to others, and she could probably also confiscate lands from those houses momentarily beyond her reach. She can raise funds from all these lands by selling, pawning, or mortgaging them, with the first means being self-explanatory. Pawning land means she would use it as security for a loan, transferring title of the land to her creditor until she repaid her debts and forfeiting them in case of default, while mortgaging would allow her to retain control of the land but she would losing it entirely in case of default. She can also sell or pawn valuables and heirlooms such as jewels, as Rhaenyra and the Blacks should have plenty to draw upon between Dragonstone, Driftmark, Claw Isle, and King's Landing itself, to say nothing of the fossilized dragon eggs that could be used to this end.

Other assets she could sell or pawn include the ships of the Royal Fleet which should be under her control since the fall of King's Landing; F&B tells us that in 133 AC the Royal Fleet comprised 8 new warships built by Tyland Lannister's initiative and some 20 older cogs and galleys, giving Rhaenyra at least 20 ships to sell or use as securities for loans. Between the Velaryon fleet and the forces Dragonstone and Claw Isle could muster, she has little need for the comparatively small Royal Fleet, especially considering that Tyland Lannister was in charge of it as Master of Ships, and the crown would be freed from maintaining the ships and their crews. Maintaining a fleet was expensive work in Medieval Europe, and selling one's ships was not uncommon: the ships of Henry V's royal fleet were his private property, and 19 of 30 were sold between 1423 and 1425 for a combined sum of c.£1200 compared to their maintenance costs of over £3100 in 1420-22, albeit Henry's ships were most largely sailing ships (C.F. Richmond, "The Keeping of the Seas during the Hundred Years War," 286-287).

Rhaenyra also has assets of a more political nature, as she can sell pardons as well as selling titles and offices within the royal government. Funds could be raised by auctioning off titles and offices, and she could also offer knighthoods or other forms of social advancement like legitimization for bastards to those willing to pay; future Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella granted privileges of hidalguía or lower nobility to volunteers during the Castilian War of Succession, meaning their new status could be passed on to their descendants rather than terminating at death (Rodrigo da Costa Dominguez & José Manuel Triano-Milán, "The Price of the Throne," 98-99). Offices tied to revenue-leasing would be particularly valuable: assuming the posts listed in Tyrion IV of ACOK are applicable to the Dance era (see Part One), Rhaenyra can sell leases to new harbormasters, tax-farmers, custom sargents, toll-collectors, and factor agents. In fact this would absolutely be in order with a new Master of Coin in Bartimos Celtigar, and with the success of the Greens' treasury plot implying that many treasury workers supported Aegon or were bribed to look the other way.

Debt financing is another option available to Rhaenyra and which we've touched on already regarding Pentos and the Iron Bank; in light of the methods Medieval governments used for war financing, Rhaenyra should be able to sell future revenues and sell rentes. The late great historian of Medieval economies J. H. Munro discussed both methods in his excellent article "The Medieval Origins of the Financial Revolution: Usury, Rentes, and Negotiability," which I strongly recommend reading. Selling future revenues means using the revenues obtained from taxes, tolls, duties, etc. for a set period of time to secure a loan; Rhaenyra could solicit loans from wealthy subjects or foreigners and organizations such as guilds or the faith, offering them, say, the revenues of the salt tax for the next decade in exchange for funds. This might involve setting aside a fund into which the promised revenues would be deposited for the creditors to access, or she might simply give them the lease for collecting those revenues and allow them to pocket the agreed funds for the stipulated period until the principal was repaid with interest. Provided payments were made, Rhaenyra's creditors could sell shares of these debts as annuities to recoup their funds; Rhaenyra could do so with the crown's own debtors, selling shares as annuities provided the debtors were still making payments sufficiently to justify the purchase.

Future revenues might be used to secure voluntary loans, but so-called forced loans were also a common form of Medieval finance; there's some similarities here with grants or subsidies, insofar as a monarch or government would exact funds from their subjects, although forced loans were generally aimed at those with the wealth to meaningfully contribute while negotiations with the government were typically part of both methods. Debt financing through forced loans emerged in Europe in the 12th Century AD, with Genoa providing the earliest example in 1149 when a consortium of the city's lenders were granted control of a compera, a consolidated fund of tax revenues used to pay Genoa's creditors (Munro, "Medieval Origins," 514). When Venice besieged Zara in 1187, the Doge financed the operation with a loan of 16000 lire in return for the creditors receiving control over the salt tax and certain house rents for 13 years; by 1264, all of Venice's outstanding debts were consolidated into a single fund which was paid out through 8 specific excise taxes (Ibid.).

Debt financing through voluntary or forced loans faced serious obstacles from the anti-usury doctrines of the Catholic Church, and the Protestant Reformation did not radically alter this situation. We don't know of similar beliefs held by the Faith, but Munro points out in his article that the anti-usury campaign encouraged the development of a different means of public finance, the sale of rentes. These originated in the Carolingian Empire as census contracts, which allowed land to be bequeathed to one party in exchange for the donor receiving an annual, lifetime income derived from the land itself (Munro, "Medieval Origins, 518-519). This evolved by the 13th and 14th centuries into rente contract as it was known in France and the Low Countries, or the Censal or Censuale in Castile and Aragon; these contracts allowed the property holder to sell the right to a fixed annual income from said property or other assets, in return for a fixed sum (Ibid., 519, 533). As a form of public finance, rentes were issued as shares from individual patrimonies (land incomes, property rents, etc.) and/or revenues (taxes, tolls, duties, etc.), paying out incomes to the rente holder in perpetuity (rente héritable) or extinguishing with the holder's death or the death of one of their inheritors (rente viagère) (Ibid., 519).

We don't know enough about land tenure and contracts in Westeros to be sure whether this method could develop there; rentes were initially issued by municipal governments but they were also issued by 'Princely' or feudal governments, albeit these were sold through the municipalities under their rule. During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Counts of Holland and Flanders and the Dukes of Brabant and Burgundy issued rentes secured against their own revenues, particularly excise taxes (Munro, "Medieval Origins," 529). More significant is the case of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, who financed the war against Grenada (1489-92) through the sale of juros de heredad or rentes which were funded by royal excise taxes (Ibid., 535). Provided the buyers were allowed to redeem their rentes for the principal they paid there's no reason in theory why Rhaenyra could not also issue rentes to finance her war effort. Between Rhaenyra's incomes and the future revenues she can offer as securities, Bartimos Celtigar should be able to sell these to lords, towns, merchants, and the banks of the Free Cities. This would allow some room for modest tax increases to ensure some payments could be made early on, but this would not require the extreme exactions resorted to in the story.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the historical means of war finance that Rhaenyra could resort to; she has two sons and two daughters who could be married in exchange for funds, and debasing the coinage is another albeit risky means that could have been used. Nonetheless, I hope I've made it abundantly clear that in addition to information within F&B and analysis of the setting rendering Rhaenyra's tax policy completely unfeasible, it's arguably unnecessary. Between the Blacks own resources and the means of war finance available to Medieval governments, there's no justification for the contrived writing of this plot or the 'treasury plot' for that matter. If anything, our analysis of Medieval war finance creates another problem for the story, as Aegon and the Greens should also have access to many of those methods in addition to the royal treasury and the considerable wealth of the Hightowers and Lannisters. Fortunately or unfortunately for either side depending on the circumstances, money, finance, and tax policy are in the same boat as the environment and logistics during the Dance: they only matter if they have immediate relevance to the plot. The Greens don't need the treasury and so it can be absent when Rhaenyra takes King's Landing, at which point it's absence is suddenly so relevant that Rhaenyra turns the entire city against her in the span of a month to 'replenish her coffers.' To put it another way, money is more important Doylistically, i.e. to the writer, than it is to the characters and the setting itself, i.e. in a Watsonian sense.

v. Back to the garden

This is the last time I'll put off 'fix-its,' but I want to conclude this part with a return to our discussion of George's writing approach in Part One. I'll assume those reading this haven't been living under a rock for more than a decade and will be aware of the stir created by George's question about "Aragorn's Tax Policy;" while it's a tiresome subject by this point, George has come back to this question on multiple occasions. As someone who loves both ASOIAF and Tolkien's legendarium but was introduced to LOTR first, writing this part of the analysis gave me a better sense of the point George was likely making, and also further demonstrated the advantages and flaws of George's 'gardener' style. Our discussion of Medieval war finance indicates that the ins-and-outs of tax policy and government finance are not what interests George, for better or worse. George has spoken before about how he didn't have an expansive secondary world in mind when he began ASOIAF, and even F&B only came into existence after TWOIAF when George found he had too much material for the latter work and elected to create the former. His ground-up, POV based narrative focuses primarily on the characters, with the setting being more of a stage for the characters to act upon than a world of it's own, at least initially.

When it comes to tax policy and finance in ASOIAF, the information we get is scant and not highly detailed: Eddard's POVs in AGOT give us the big scary numbers of the royal debt so that we know the dire financial straights of the government, and Dany's ADWD POVs cover taxation to some extent, but Tyrion's ASOS POVs are really the only ones we get where a character has to concern themselves with taxation and finances. Of course Cersei's POVs in AFFC involve her small council, but her chapters have far more important ground to cover than the 'inside baseball' of how she finances the 'Aurane Waters Yacht Club.' When it comes to how tax policy is portrayed through Tyrion in ASOS, a crucial factor is that we've already had two books of set up with regards to the mess he inherits: AGOT gave us the crown's debts and ACOK showed us many of the negative consequences of the outbreak of the War of the Five Kings, meaning we already have some sense of the challenges facing him as Master of Coin. Parts of King's Landing need repairs, the Blackwater Rush is a mess, the city's population skyrockets with the arrival of the Lannister and Tyrell armies who must be maintained, while Joffrey's wedding must be paid for and will guarantee more visitors. Tywin refuses to pay with Lannister gold and relations with the Iron Bank are poor; while it should raise some eyebrows that the wedding is able to take place and things are ostensibly fine otherwise, the importance of taxes like the 'dwarf's penny' lies not in how they work and what revenues they raise but how their implementation affects Tyrion as a character.

The narrow perspective of Tyrion's POV and the focus on the personal consequences he faces from the negative reactions to the taxes skirt around any questions that might be raised as to how the taxes function and whether they could actually work. This makes sense with George's character-centered approach, being less concerned with the policies themselves and more so with the characters that implement them, the reaction these policies elicit from those around them, and how this ultimately affects them at a personal level. In Tyrion's case, whatever doubts we might have about the feasibility of those policies is assuaged by the fact that we see the consequences of those policies for him, which sets up his actions later in the story. Tywin saddling him with the thankless job of meeting the Crown's demands for funds and the predictable backlash towards the increased taxes which is directed entirely at him, compounds his already strained relationship with his family and his resentment at his role in the defense of King's Landing being ignored, setting up his actions post-the Purple Wedding. The result is we see and know more about the outcomes of policies than the policies themselves and their creation, but this is made up for by the narrative showing us these outcomes and their consequences for the characters.

While Tyrion's tax policies show us the advantages of George's approach, the 'treasury plot' and 'Rhaenyra's tax policy' expose it's disadvantages. While our perspective and knowledge of the world is limited by the characters whose POVs we read from in ASOIAF, TWOIAF and F&B were explicitly written to expand the world, nor is F&B as broad and general as TWOIAF. There's also a wider cast of characters to introduce with more limited space for character development, while the POV is a chronicler who in turn juggles multiple POVs from his sources which cannot provide information through any internal monologue. The means for skirting around shallow worldbuilding or the limits of George's own knowledge are of no avail here, resulting in their exposure with such examples as the absence of soldier's wages or Rhaenyra's abysmal tax policies. Information is withheld or ignored so that desired plot beats can happen, as with Beesbury's treasury staff and Rhaenyra's finances prior to the Fall of King's Landing, leaving us with little to no set up for events within the story and no real stakes or consequences. We end up with a war in which the Greens can function without 75% of the royal treasury while Rhaenyra cannot, as the foundations of both plots contradict each other.

In the end, George set himself a task in F&B which did not lend itself to his 'gardener' approach, and so it's disappointing but hardly surprising that F&B leaves much to be desired. That being said, unlike Mark Antony I have come to praise Caesar, not bury him; I strongly believe that the Dance can work as a story without the myriad problems that plague it, and that George's vision can be maintained. Now that I've covered the 'worldbuilding' topics I needed to analyze, we can turn to the task ahead: Analyzing the Dance itself and the strategies pursued by either side. Next time we'll finally start in to those 'fix its,' so stay tuned for "Strategy in the Dance!"

[yallthemwitches]

Catch the Wind Chapter 17: Threefold Law

A flicker of pain flashed past Snape’s eyes, mouth twisting into a grimace. “Look what he’s done to you—how could you let him—” “Would you even believe that I asked him to? Or are you too pathetic and in denial to see that maybe, just maybe, I could want something that doesn’t revolve around you.” She watched as his expression went from triumph, to anger, to complete hollow sadness. There was no going back now—if he wanted to hear the worst of his fears, she was willing to give it.  “I love him ,” she choked out. “I love him with a kind of love you will never get—not from me. You forfeited that chance the day you chose dark magic.”

Smut, fluff, angst, plot...the gang's all here!

Thank you everyone who has asked for an update or has kept supporting me and this work. This fic is especially a labor of love and it makes me happy that people look forward to it!

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It’s hard to ignore whispers when they are about you. 

“Alright—explain.”

 Lily kept her eyes on her toast, too tired and sore to put any energy into Marlene’s interrogation. 

“What, we’re just going to ignore that the whole bloody school is talking about how your precious boyfriend went absolutely nutter at Sluggy’s last night?”

Of course the news would get out. Anyone who had half a brain would have jumped at the chance to talk about it. What was more juicy than the head students deciding to have a raging meltdown at a professor. 

“He was angry, there’s not much to say.” She murmured, head still bowed. A dull ache reverberated from between her legs, reminding her of the only part of last night she wished to remember. 

“Not much to say? Babe, I heard you two stormed out of there–heard you were right pissed too.”

Was she? At this point she hardly even knew. She didn’t like that James had the tendency to be impulsive, and in hindsight she should have shown a bit more tact when trying to remove them from the party— but hadn’t he been right? She placed her mind’s eye back in the room, picturing the faces of Regulus and Avery, coming up short once she tried to recall how James looked when staring down at a very frazzled Slughorn. 

“I’m not saying Slughorn deserved it, but James did have a point. What they wrote about us was awful and they shouldn’t have gotten away with it.” She took a large bite of her toast, punctuating her statement.

“And it doesn’t occur to you that now you will be even more of a target? Think about it Lils, you poked a sleeping dragon with this move. Maybe James was trying to be Mr. protective but–”

A surge of anger bubbled up. The only explanation was that it had been trapped inside her all evening, repurposed at the time in the form of lust, but now spilling forth unfiltered. 

“But what, Marlene? They are going to attack me whether someone says something or not. At least I have one person who isn’t willing to pretend like it isn’t bloody happening.”

Marlene shrunk back, eyes darting wildly over her friend's face. 

“Christ Lily, I didn’t mean it like that,” Marlene whispered, sounding smaller than she had ever heard, “You know that I want the best for you. I’m just worried is all—those blokes who hang around Slytherin are evil—even Snape.”

“Trust me, I know that.”

Lily stood up, feeling less hungry than when she came down. She was aware that the anger was irrational, but it coursed through her nonetheless. She wished she had never left James’ arms that morning, wished they could be in that limitless space where all that existed was their bodies intertwined and the heavy scent of sex. At least there the anger was transformed into something more self-serving.

As she retreated from the hall with Marlene’s stare boring into her back, she promised herself she would apologize later for her overreaction, not having the energy in her now to repair things. She headed for the stairs, hoping to find a solitary place where she could calm herself down and hide from the whispers that continued to plague her since she stepped out of bed. 

As she turned the corner, James came bounding down the steps. He hadn’t even bothered to comb his hair and the strands still had memories of her fingers sliding through them. She rushed towards him, reaching up to throw her arms around his neck.

“I was a fool this morning to get out of bed—let's skip potions.” James froze as her lips skimmed against his pulse point, her tongue flicking out for good measure. 

“I just want you again– please.”  

She moved her hand to pull at his belt, but a calloused one wrapped around her fingers, stilling her urgency. 

“Lily–-wait. We need to talk.”

Eyes flashing up to meet his, she could see something harboring in his usual cool gaze. 

“What. What happened?” 

“Let's just—yeah, let's skip potions and we can go to the office.”

He took her hand in his, pulling her back up the steps. He didn’t look back at her, shoulders set as though heavy boulders were pressing them into a straight line. When they reached the office, James motioned for her to sit and she obliged, watching him pace back and forth in front of her, face twisted up in pain. 

“James, if this is about me being upset about what you said to Slughorn last night, I’m not —-”

“Snape saw us.” His voice cut through hers, clear and simple. “He saw us in the corridor—and I let him. Merlin Lily, I’m such a bloody fucking piece of shit.”

“What?” She stood up, fingers grabbing at the sides of her skirt for something to stave off the growing anxiety. 

“When we were shagging. He just appeared…and I didn’t stop it—he couldn’t have been there more than a few seconds but—”

She took another cautious step forward, eyes unfocused, trying to track his erratic movements. She opened her mouth to speak but he lifted a hand for silence, misery pouring out of his mouth. 

“Godric, I’m just as bad as him. Even Sirius practically agrees and you know you’ve fucked up when Sirius chastises you.” His reserve was crumbling, completely unraveling right in front of her like a loose spool. 

“You deserve better. I should have stopped, should have stopped him, should have told you when it was all happening— ah Lily. ”

He was barely keeping it together, cracking under the weight of his own remorse. Tears were springing up into his eyes and he knocked his glasses askew trying to wipe them away. 

“I’m shit—I haven’t changed at all. I’m still that arrogant, ego driven ass from fifth year who just wants everyone to see that I am better than them—that I have you.”

She was close enough to touch him now. He kept turning his head, trying to simultaneously wipe away tears while averting her gaze.

“James—” She reached a hand out for his chest, but he recoiled from it. 

“No, I don’t deserve it, Lily. Do you understand? I broke your trust. I broke it.”

“James.” She tried again, her voice now strong and demanding. “No you didn’t—I don’t care.”

He stalled, tears still gathering under the rim of his glasses. A small part of her wished she could take a photo to remember his vulnerability forever. 

“Did you hear me? I don’t care.” She repeated, her voice stern. “Fuck Snape, and fuck all those people at the party while we are at it.”

“But Lily, he saw us,” he said, voice pained.

“Good–maybe now he will leave me the fuck alone.”

They stared at each other for a while, sizing each other up. It felt like a strange impasse of emotion, one wanting to repent and the other not willing to accept it, somehow seeing no fault in the misdeeds. 

“You’re being serious?” 

Lily reached out a hand, wiping the salt streaks that marked their way down his cheeks. 

“James—no one has stood up for me like you did that night. No one—and especially not Snape,” she let her hand trace its way down to his chest, toying with the buttons of his collar. 

“I know I’m mental, but it actually meant a lot to me what you said to Slughorn. I’ve always been too afraid to tell him off for his house and you did that for me.”

She reached a hand to cup the back of his neck, twisting the strands of his hair lightly with her fingers. 

“Also—technically I did invite anyone to walk up on us—sort of shit karma that it was Snape but what are you going to—”

“I really love you, you know.” He cut her off again, but this time it was heavy and pure.

“I mean it. This isn’t just some teenage fancy that I’ll shrug off after school. I love you and if I ever lose you because I did something stupid, I’d never forgive myself.”

He pressed his forehead to hers, his breath hot and sweetly familiar on her face. 

“You aren’t losing me—especially because of Snape. I love you too.”

They stood like that for a while, arms around each other with their faces pressed together. After months of clawing for carnal physical touch, the quiet swaying together felt right, a reminder that love could take many different forms, each just as powerful as the next. 

After a while they curled up on the couch, James placing her on his lap so she could lean her head against his chest, combing his hand through her hair. Lily tilted her head upwards, humming at the sensation of his fingers on her scalp. 

“I can’t believe you told Sirius,” she murmured, still leaning in to let his fingers reach around and tangle through the other side of her hair. 

“You can’t? I tell that bloke everything—well almost everything.”

She snorted. “Yeah, apparently even the naughty details of our sex life.”

“Hey! I was in crisis mode! What was I supposed to do?” James whined, giving a strand of hair a little tug. 

“Whatever Potter, but if he starts making sly remarks, I will actually be angry.”

James leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her nose, a mischievous glint in his eye. 

“Well, good for me you're very sexy when you are mad.”

********

She knew she didn’t have much time before one of the boys would catch on. She ran down the dark corridors of the dungeons, wand raised in case someone lurked in the shadows, waiting for exactly someone like her to be found alone and unguarded. 

She couldn’t pinpoint how she knew he’d be there, but she was right: Snape stood behind the empty teacher’s desk they had always used together, looking down at a closed potions kit that he clearly had no intention of opening. Her divination had always been terrible, but when it came to him, she was a prophet. He was easier to read than tea leaves. 

At her entrance, he looked up, eyes expanding before lowering into slits, a twisted scowl forming on his lips. It hit her suddenly that he was probably replaying whatever he saw that night—no doubt some moment of carnal lust that was never meant for him. She didn’t want to linger on the thought of what state she was in when he last looked at her. 

“We need to talk.”

His mouth pulled into something of a smile, more sinister than she was used to seeing directed at her. 

“Was it you?” Her voice bounced off the thick stone, making it seem booming in comparison to how she felt. “Was it you who wrote those things on the pitch?”

He kept his mouth tight, lips nothing but a straight thin line. 

“If it wasn’t you then it was one of your mates—don’t deny it.”

He picked up the knife that was laying on the table and turned it gently in his hand, eyes fixated on the gleaming silver. He spoke slow, seething. 

“I didn’t want to believe it—but what they say in my house is true. You let him fuck you like some kind of animal–.” 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lily cut in, her face twisted with anger. She knew he was saying it to deflect, to get some upperhand from his witness. 

“He let me watch it, Lily.” The knife clattered back on the table and he looked up at her. His voice was edging on hysterics.

 “He wanted me to see you begging for him because as much as you lie to yourself, he treats you no better than any of the Slytherins do.”

Lily took quick strides forward, eyes blazing into his. “And what if I wanted it, hm? Did it ever occur to you that maybe I want him to fuck me like that? Because I trust him enough not to think like you. ” 

Snape looked like he had been slapped, face cocked to the side.

“James told me you saw. So quit acting like you have some high ground.”

A flicker of pain flashed past Snape’s eyes, mouth twisting into a grimace. “Look what he’s done to you—how could you let him—”

“Would you even believe that I asked him to? Or are you too pathetic and in denial to see that maybe, just maybe, I could want something that doesn’t revolve around you.”

She watched as his expression went from triumph, to anger, to complete hollow sadness. There was no going back now—if he wanted to hear the worst of his fears, she was willing to give them. 

“I love him ,” she choked out. “I love him with a kind of love you will never get—not from me. You forfeited that chance the day you chose dark magic.”

Severus’ jaw clenched, eyes now glassy. He stepped away from the desk, rounding so he could get closer. She took a step back, realizing her wand was still tight in her hand.

“They are planning to eradicate all muggleborns from the wizarding world.” His voice was low and cold, coming down like a hammer. “Voldemort is gaining footing in the Ministry–it won’t happen fast but it’s what they are working towards, and when they do all opposing parties will be exterminated.”

Lily could feel the blood in her veins congeal, the room getting fuzzy at the edges. 

“Do you think Potter is going to lay down his family’s life and power because he wants to fuck some muggleborn in the corridor?”

“Stop it.” She took out her wand and pointed it at him but he didn’t flinch, staring down at it like she was brandishing a tree branch like they did as children.

“Potter’s family has already chosen their side and they will lose. I’ve spoken to the proper channels—told them how brilliant you are. He’s said he’d be interested—”

“He who? He as in Voldemort?”

Severus shifted a little, shoulders squaring backwards. “Yes.”

Lily’s hand shook, her wand still pointed at his face. 

“He’s willing to meet with you if you accept. He will protect you, Lily. We can be together— safe. We can—”

The room was no longer fuzzy, it was over-saturated, a brilliant blinding sharpness of color. 

Stupefy

She saw Severus’ eyes grow wide as the spell hit him square in the chest. He lay motionless on the ground, gazing at a fixed point upwards. She let out a scream and it echoed through the corridor, sounding like thunder the farther it traveled. 

“You disgust me.”

She turned around without giving him a second glance. She didn’t know where to go but she needed to leave, making it only around the corner before shrinking onto the ground, the world going dim and claustrophobic. 

It felt like she was watching herself hyperventilate in real time, sucking in air rapidly and then forgetting how to expel it. Her fingers clawed at her knees, trying to gain purchase on anything to ground her. 

Lily—

He was there, miraculously, like a spectral vision. His head appeared first before his whole body flashed into the foreground. Throwing off his invisibility cloak to dive towards her, she made a whimpering sound as he wedged both forearms under her backside, lifting her up against his body like one would a wounded animal. 

“Lily–Lily. What happened? Breath, baby. You aren’t breathing.”

The distance of his voice didn’t match the feel of his body. She tried sucking in another breath, then another, realizing that the choking sounds were coming from her. 

James placed her back down against the wall in a seated position. Her hands sandwiched between his, he hooked his thumbs around so he could guide her palms together, then slowly drift them apart while counting slowly: one, “two, three, four…. . “ He repeated, opening and shutting their hands together until she no longer heard the horrible choking sound and her lungs were able to fill with air.

“He’s already one of them...” She murmured out, dropping their hands and lunging forward against his chest. Usually the smell of him against her made the rest of the world disappear, but the floor was still cold beneath and the smell of molded stone warped her scent. 

“Already what? Who is?” James spoke slowly, cradling her head against his heart and caressing her back. 

“Sev—Snape. He told me—He’s met Voldemort.”

James' body stiffened under her, fingers clenching to the point of causing pain. 

“Where is he—Lily did he touch you?”

He was pulling out his wand, looking down the corridor to see if any movement would appear out of the shadows. 

“No—but he said—he spoke to Voldemort, about me…about sparing me if I—if I .”

James reared back. She could see the fire in his eyes, a murderous gaze. 

“Where is he, Lily. I need you to tell me.”

“No, There’s no use doing anything.”

James let out a cathartic cry, swishing a hand through the air. 

“Fuck off with that Lily—stop protecting him. I’m going to kill him–really kill him.”

He was getting to his feet, wand still in hand. She had never seen him like this, not even when he would get in stupid duels with Slytherins. It was an anger that well surpassed what he had shown at Slughorn’s party. It was palpable and deadly. 

“I need you with me James. Please don’t leave me here.” She knew it was the only way to get him to listen. Any other reason and he would have stalked off, gone to get his map and hunted down Severus like a pig for slaughter. But she wasn’t lying either, she did need him. He was the only thing grounding her away from the complete void. 

He ran a hand through his hair and let out a strangled cry, turning to crouch back to her. It was the second time she had ever seen tears in his eyes. This time he let them run freely.

“Voldemort—-Snape, fuck he’s an idiot…” James fell into a series of babbles, trying to string together a cohesive thought but was coming up short. It was Lily’s turn to console, lurching toward him and grabbing his face to wipe away the tears with her thumbs. 

“Shh--I’m right here with you. Look at me.” 

James placed his hands on top of hers, pressing her hands against his cheeks. 

“Nothing is going to happen to you, Lily. I will not let anything happen.”

“I know.”

She didn’t know how long they stayed like that, but by the time they picked themselves up and walked back to the Gryffindor tower, the sun was peeking out from the mountains. They slipped into the boys dorms then behind the safety of his bed curtains, shucking off their clothes so they could tangle as close as possible. A fleeting sense of safety.

******

Lily didn’t know what time it was when she woke but she could sense that all of the other boys had left for their classes. Her face pressed into James’ bare chest, warm and reassuring breaths rose steady like a wave against her. She could tell he was asleep by the way he hummed softly, sounds stolen from a place far within his mind. 

 Their legs tangled together out of familiarity. One of her thighs was hitched up against his hip and she could feel a heavy arm wrapped around her in a protective hold. Against her pelvic bone, a hardness pressed against her, causing something in her body to stir. She instinctively wiggled against it, and he gave a soft moan, before drifting back off.

It felt good to be held like this, to be wanted by him even in the deep recesses of his sleep. As she continued to rouse from her haze, she realized that it was something she wanted more now than ever: to be as close to him as possible. War was no longer coming, it was there–and they were about to lose precious time where they could be wrapped together like this so often.

She waved her hips in a circular motion, brushing her pelvis back up against him. He responded again, this time with a hand reaching down to her bum, giving it a soft squeeze. His eyes were still closed but his body worked on muscle memory. 

Uncurling a hand from against his chest, she started to make the passage down, her fingertips skimming over his taut chest muscles until it found the small path of hair that led down to his groin. Passing through the black curls, she reached her objective, palming his erection with a warm, lulling hand. 

“ Lily.”  His eyes blinked open, still blurred from dreams. 

“Ah, sorry—” He was still too delirious to realize that his cock was pressing into her willing hand and he tried to shuffle back. In response, she curled her fingers around him, watching as the realization flooded his face.

“Lily—ah Merlin .” That woke him– the feel of her fingers yanking him completely out of any subconscious still lingering. The hand that had grabbed her arse now contracted against her, fingers pressing deeper, roaming around to kneed at soft skin.

“I want to feel you baby,” She murmured and he responded with a noise that blended between a squeak and a growl.

“Lily–you’re so lovely. How do I deserve to wake up like this…. Shit.” He reached his other hand around to cup one of her breasts and her tit hardened under his touch, yearning for him to keep swiping a thumb over its flat center. 

Lily moaned into his chest, arching her back to press her breast farther into him. The hand around his cock started to slowly tug from the base up, reaching his tip and finding that some of his come was already dripping. She smeared her thumb through the liquid, using it as lubricant to slide her hand back down. A rumbling groan quivered their connected bodies.

“ Ah Merlin–oh shit—”

She hitched her leg up higher onto his thigh, pressing her body forward so her center leaned against where her hand worked him. His tongue moved erratically, switching to her other tit and swirling into his open mouth. With every stroke of her hand his eyes fluttered, fighting to stay open.

“Lily, my darling, my life, my love—oh fuck Lils.” 

She gripped him again at the base and guided his tip to the top of her clit, massaging his cock against her for stimulation. Her head tilted back with a guttural moan and he released her tit to catch it, his tongue slow and soft as it started to tangle around hers. 

“I want you inside me. I want to feel you deep. I need you every moment I possibly can.”

He panted out a noise against her lips and she lapped it up with her tongue, skimming it across his lower lip until his mouth welcomed her in again. Tilting her hips forward, she rubbed his cock through her arousal until she reached her opening, letting his tip slide in just enough to feel the tug of her muscles expanding to accommodate him.

“Lily baby, I won’t last long. You are so tight–so beautiful, you have no idea how good you feel—.”

She pushed him in a bit farther and the words cut in his throat. Pulling her leg to hook against his waist, he rutted his hips forward until their hip bones met and he filled her completely.

They rocked like that for a while, him helping her body move back and forth on him by pushing and pulling on her ass. She threaded her fingers through his hair and panted on his neck, stopping only to give small nips and licks to his pulse point.

Unlike the last time where their lust was rabid and frantic, they meld together in a calm serenity. She could feel every rotation of his hips as he pushed himself farther inside, letting every delicious moment of friction be savored. His voice was a whispered mantra, her name falling out of his mouth like whips of smoke that wafted away as soon as they left him. 

“Baby, I’m going to come–” he breathed. She could already feel him shaking under her, his body preparing for climax. 

Grabbing his face with her hands, she forced him to look at her, his eyes round and clear without the hindrance of his glasses. 

“Come for me baby. I love you, I want you always. Always.”

She watched as his eyes dilated in release, mouth falling open like holding a long rapturous note. She caught it in her own, letting him sing it into her throat. She wanted to drink up every moment of his pleasure and feel it coarse through her. 

Coming down, he rolled to the side, falling onto his back as though his soul was now depleted. Eyes closed, a shadow of a smile pulled at his lips. He reached over and pinched at her hip, beckoning her to be close again. 

“C’mere.”

She could feel the sticky evidence of his climax between her legs as she complied, curling into the crook of his shoulder. He grumbled, dissatisfied, and reached to pinch her hip again.

“No, on top of me.”

His eyes were now open, flooding again with the desire that had pushed him into a blinding ecstasy moments before. She swung a leg over his waist and hoisted herself atop him, her moist thighs pressing against his already re-hardening erection.

“Higher.” 

She arched an eyebrow, but he didn't give an explanation. Grabbing onto her thighs he slid himself downward until she could feel his breath drifting into her center, mixing with both of their slick arousal. 

“ Oh gods– oh fuck James–” Her mind caught up slower than the pleasure his tongue made as it darted up into her, causing all vision to go white. She could feel her hands digging into his hair, tilting his head as she mewled for more. 

“Let me take care of you.”

His mouth closed in again, and with every kitten lick a new universe was born. The world fell away, hot and spiraling through a dimension she didn’t care to know and hoped to never come back from. 

******

In the laws of muggle created magic, there is the fundamental belief that any energy you put out will return to you threefold. Of course, Lily didn’t believe in false magic systems, but she was starting to feel like maybe they were onto something. 

She wasn’t sure what kind of karmic energy she had sent into the world to cause such a visceral reaction, but the effects were certainly coming back to her. Looking down at the note in her lap, she hoped this was the final blow.

Lily,

Vernon wants to propose to me but his family has requested that they meet ours before we become officially engaged. I expect you to attend. 

It will be a dinner at Vernon’s sisters (address below) on November 4th, 19:00

Petunia

She sat on the top of the astronomy tower and reread it multiple times, memorizing each curve of her sister’s handwriting. It looked messy to her and she wondered if she had been physically pained to write it. Something told her she wasn’t too far off. 

She fished into her bag, found an old cigarette that Remus had offered her one drunken evening and used her wand to light it. To watch the smoke waft towards the Scottish mountainside felt as close to serenity as she was going to achieve. 

If dealing with the fallout with Snape wasn’t enough, she hadn’t had the heart to go back to potions since the party, presumably failing the one thing she had a shot of doing occupationally when she got out of school. As much as it haunted her, she couldn’t let her mind linger on what Snape had said—that somewhere out beyond those mountains the most powerful wizard in the world knew her name and was interested .

“Oh no! Our valiant Head Girl! Fallen from grace!” Sirius loped into view, followed by Remus who squinted at his mate before offering her a soft smile. 

“Bad day, huh.” Remus and Sirius flanked her, the former doling both of them smokes from his trouser pocket. 

“What gave it away?”

“You don’t smoke unless you're drunk or stressed—it’s kind of your tell.”

Of course Remus picked up a pattern she hadn’t even realized herself  and of course he was right. 

“Care to elaborate on your woes.”

Lily held the note straight out in front of her so both boys could lean in to read. In such close proximity, she could tell that Sirius and James used the same shampoo. 

After a few moments of quiet reading, Sirius’ face scrunched up into a scowl. “What? Is his family sizing up yours like some sort of dog breeding set-up.” 

“I mean his sister is a dog breeder so—that’s not too far off base actually.” 

“Fuckin’ hell—these muggles man.”

Remus took a drag of his cigarette and reread the letter. “Alright, so don’t go. Simple as that.” 

“But she expects me to.”

“Yeah and my parents expected me to be a Slytherin prick who wanks blood purity, but we can’t always get what we want.” Sirius retorted, forming his mouth into an o to blow out an impressive smoke circle. 

Lily looked at the letter again. Something tugged at the deep part of her subconscious, something that related to Snape and what he had said about the potential future if Voldemort rose further up the ranks. If wizard families were going to be exterminated, what did that mean for muggles?

“Ask James to go—-Merlin knows his sappy arse will sit straight in the line of fire if that means making you happy.”

She struggled to picture it, James at a table with the Dursleys while her sister loomed over them all like some vulture waiting for the kill. To the boys’ point, even the James in her imaginary scenario looked happier just to be beside her.

“I dunno—I’d need to ask permission to leave grounds for it and having both Heads out of school would be a bit much.”

“Bollocks—Remus here can keep the school afloat while you're gone!” Sirius gave Remus a hearty smack on the back and he retaliated by shoving him until he tumbled over. 

“Fine fine. I’ll ask for myself but I’m not going to make any waves getting James to come too. We are already in hot water as it is after Slughorn's party—we can’t be the first Head Students in history to lose complete credibility.”

She said her goodbyes to the boys and slumped her way towards the clock tower on the south side of the castle. The note firmly clenched in her palm, she found the owl scepter and whispered Gum Drops into its ear, making it screech to life.

She watched as the owl unfurled its wings and rose into the air, bringing her with it. A hollow feeling thumped into her chest, not because of her stupid sister but because being in this close proximity to Dumbledore meant there was a good chance she wouldn’t be able to control her fear anymore. 

Since the morning, she had mostly been able to pretend like it had been a nightmare: just a delirious dream that could easily be waved away by the streaking sunlight of morning and the feel of James’ pulse against hers. She wasn’t ready to reckon with it, the idea that the boy who she had once laughed and played with was now close enough to someone so despicable ...and had put her name into his mind.

She didn’t want to fathom what Voldemort found interesting in her. She was a mudblood, worse than dirt in his eyes, a pawn at most. James had been right: Snape was a fool to believe that he would want anything to do with her besides to see her dead.

The owl halted in front of a brightly lit archway that led into a study. A phoenix slept on its pedestal while Dumbledore sat looking over some parchment while a quill scribbled on a journal next to him. 

“Miss Evans, was I expecting you today? Surely if I was I would have put a kettle on–”

He stood up with a smile, opening his arms as a gesture of welcome before nodding towards the ornate wooden chair across from the desk. As she sat, a bowl of gum drops floated in her direction and she nudged it a way with a quiet no thanks.

“Is this about what happened at Professor Slughorn’s party? Because I would just like to assure you that Horace is not upset, though perhaps a little startled—he says he really misses you in class, do return to it. He won’t bite.”

Lily’s cheeks bloomed red. It hadn’t occurred to her that their stunt at the party would make it all the way to Dumbledore’s ears.

“No actually—though I am sorry about that—I’m afraid it’s quite silly actually but—”

All of the sudden, she felt like she was back in first year, being spoon fed even the most basic understanding of magic. She took the note and reached it over the table, letting Dumbledore take it to skim himself, his mouth moving silently as he read the words. 

“It’s my sister—she’s getting engaged and uhm–”

“Congratulations to your sister!” Dumbledore clips in, giving her an approving nod.

“Er, thanks. Well, as you read, she expects me to be there and I feel a sense of obligation–”

“Miss Evans, you know full well that I always put family before anything else. I’ll give you permission to leave the grounds as long as you return within the same day. I’ll alert Hagrid of your departure so he can unlock the gate for you.”

She didn’t know whether she should feel relief or dread. No matter what, there was no going back now. 

Dumbledore turned to look out the window, arms folded behind his back. A silence descended on the space and Lily felt the distinct feeling of energies shifting. 

“Wonderful season, Autumn. It is the most beautiful part of the year, yet it is the closest nature is to dying.” He didn’t turn around, standing as though turned to stone.

“We live our lives so terrified of death that we sometimes forget the beauty in the process of living.”

She didn’t respond, unclear if he was inviting a conversation or just ruminating. 

“I hope you know you can share anything with me, Miss Evans.”

He didn’t turn back to her but she could feel it, feel that he had already looked deep inside her and sensed her fear. Perhaps he already knew, heard it from a secret source well beyond the confines of the castle. There was no possible way he wasn’t aware of the tensions building within his own student body and suddenly it felt awfully ignorant of him to have done nothing all this time. 

Still, if anyone could do something, it was him. She could rat Severus out, tell him about the plan with the ministry—everything. It was vital information for a man with the power to wield it, yet there he still stood, watching the leaves fall to the deaths at the window. 

Her response sounded far away from her. “Yes, I know, thank you Professor.”

He turned back to her, a curious glint in his eye. “Very well—you enjoy yourself and give your sister my congratulations—but when you come back, could you come visit me again? I have a particular proposition I would like to share with you.” 

The hairs on her arms bristled, but she didn’t respond. Rising to leave, the weight of what had been left unsaid globbed like tar in her chest.

“Oh and Miss Evans?” Dumbledore sat back in his chair and leaned with his elbows on the tabletop. 

“Bring Mr. Potter on both occasions–the dinner and the next time you visit—something tells me he will find a way to include himself anyhow. Better we save him the trouble.”

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Monday, December 23 & Tuesday, December 24

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

there's bound to be a ghost at the back of your closet (Angel/Cordelia, T) by eagle_eyes

Our love is madness (Buffy/Spike, M) by LinaInEden

I'm Pine-ing For You (Buffy/Spike, E) by TheAcidQueen

Merry Christmas, Angel (Buffy/Angel, G) by crowncitydreams

"Christmas Is All Around" (Buffy/Faith, G) by Cumultus9

Interesting (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by honeygirl51885

A Cold Winter's Bite (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by the_big_bad

As You Were, You Will Again (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by MillennialCryBaby

Your Friend, Will (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by EnchantedWillow

Silent Night (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by CheekyKitten

Buffy's First Christmas (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Lilacsandorangeblossoms

Spiralizer (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Girlytek

The Threefold Law (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Girlytek

[Chaptered Fiction]

Rewind Love Chapter 9 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Blade Redwind

Unbroken Chapter 16 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Blade Redwind

Snowfall and Second Chances Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by acb6293

2000 Miles Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, R) by VioletMoon

Gargoyle Chapter 12 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by ClowniestLivEver

Way out Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, R) by simmony

Faith's Tasty Treat Chapter 1 (Xander/Faith, E) by FluffyLordoftheDead12

Slayer in Chief Chapter 2 (Buffy/Faith, E) by storiwr

[Images, Audio & Video]

PODCAST : Episode 132: Entropy by mythtakenbtvs

PODCAST : Episode 54 - An Immature Blueberry Scone (The Prom) by thesunnydalediaries

[Fandom Discussions]

Did Spuffy help Buffy's Depression? by Miss Muffet

Did Angel leaving make BTVS a better or worse show? by Buffy Summers

Buffy commercial by NefariousLlamas

Why does no one talk about Giles in season 7 by Fxcking_goth_bitch

I hate all her ‘friends’ by Vast_Zebra_9625

Am I the only one who hates Angel? by Tight-Target-2065

The Buffy Christmas Episode Always Makes Me Cry: Season 3 Episode 10 AMENDS by kipcarson37

I was remembering when I wrote how I think the finale should go… by BrianTheReckless

“Get It Done” by Pitiful-Talk-7798

Slayer Strength by Pitiful-Talk-7798

The drug in Eternity (Angel S1 E17) by Medium-Pundit

Empty Places was Almost Great by Nostromo87

Is there an episode that triggers you too much to watch? by FruitPristine1605

Do you think Spike ever told Buffy about having sex with Angelus back in the day? by yeahitsme9

Romances like spike and buffy? by FrogiKei

Those are the characters I cannot see others actors play by Cailly_Brard7

Angel is the superior show? by East_Mushroom683

Wouldn't it have been better ? by FoxIndependent4310

so….where’s Buffy’s dad? by thunpnz

Charisma asking fans if they would be interested in a rewatch podcast!!! by authenticriver

Does "City Of" still hold up as a good series premier for ANGEL? by JB92103

What "controversial take" annoys you? by SafiraAshai

1 Thing you love about a Character you hate?! by Alioquin

The Trio are the dark versions of the Scooby gang (Season 6 spoilers) by nachoquest

So much Angel hate and Spike love by Ziggy_Stardust1986

Finding spike much more sympathetic in the rewatch by mother-of-trouble

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[lailoken]

Maybe this is a silly question, but do you think a 16-year-old can practice witchcraft?

I am 16 and was once told by an older witch with extremely closed-minded views that I was too young for the craft and had no idea what I was doing simply because it was not passed down to me by someone in my family. I was wondering what your thoughts on this were, as while I acknowledge that I am still young and fairly inexperienced, I already have a patron god and a personal spirit who has been protecting me since I was 8. I know how to do divination, manifestation, and basic protection and am skilled with harnessing my energy.

Sorry for the long message. I want to follow your blog but am extremely nervous to do so because the last time I encountered a witchy blog on Tumblr, they decided to try to gatekeep my own practice from me and talked down to me in such a way that they had no place to considering as they didn't know me.

There is a lot here to address, and I don't think this is necessarily the best way to try and do so, but I will give it my best attempt.

Firstly, when you say witchcraft, I assume you mean magic in general? Just because, to me, witchcraft has specific connotations. Until only a few years ago, I viewed a witch as any magical practitioner who specifically makes compacts with numinous entities—generally leading to a spiritual metamorphosis of some sort—and who is involved in the mythos and praxis of Sabbatic flight. This really isn’t far off base, however, as time has gone by, I have also come to associate it more with people who use that spiritual support specifically to sow harm and/or discord (whatever the witch's goal for that behavior might be.)

So, if you do, in fact, mean the latter when you ask about witchcraft, then yes, I do think you're too young. Unless someone is in such a bad situation that it's their only hope, I absolutely don't encourage minors to get involved with malefic magic, as it can be really tricky to deal with. And not in "threefold law" way, but in the "magical equivalent of a trying to make drugs in your shed" way. What's more, while do think witchcraft has its time and place, I don't think anyone should be champing at the bit to use it. For example, though I did use maleficia in 2023, I could count the times on one hand, and the people I used it on were more than deserving of it by pretty broad moral standards.

As for magic in general, I don't believe that someone needs hereditary transmission to become a mage, and I don't think that the teeange years are too young to begin that sort of work. But I do think it's important that people remember their limitations and not try to push themselves to unwise places simply because they want to prove themselves. It's great to be curious and spiritually inclined, and some young people truly are ahead of their time when it comes to magic, even if they're not formally trained—but try not to be in a rush. You have a lifetime of experimentation and growth ahead of you.

What's more, I also think it's important for you to remember that, as a minor, most adult practitioners are going to distance themselves from you explicitly—and they should. For the most part, it's not normal or healthy for adults—especially organized groups of them, such as covens—to be interacting with people your age, and if any of them do then I strongly advise you to walk the other direction.

Best of luck to you in finding your way along this path, and remember that passion and power are often at their best when they walk hand-in-hand with earnesty and prudence.

[iteh3xael]

Witchcraft Ask Game

What drew you to witchcraft?

Old bestie in HS was into it (we bonded over Charmed) and then had a REALLY weird series of run ins once I graduated college and did some psychedelics. Remembered I used to lucid dream and was fascinated by the Christian Book of Revelation as a CHILD and that kind of all merging into the queer pagan I find myself today.

2. Do you follow a specific witchcraft tradition, or are you eclectic?

I have a whole theory on DND and how witchcraft plays into that and how we basically are imbued with the power of our namesake and then the rest of kind of based on whatever you're exposed to and I'm not saying crystals will straight up give you super powers but like, runes have meaning and maybe don't fuck the stalachtite

3. Do you believe in the Threefold Law or karma in witchcraft?

There's something to be said about consequences to actions and the 2nd Law of Newton (equal and opposite) and 1st Law of Thermo (energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred) that definitely applies. FMA also taught me about fucking with life and death magic and you gotta be REALLY careful with what you ask for because the universe is VERY finicky.

4/5. What advice would you give to someone who feels called to witchcraft but is unsure where to begin?

Gonna self plug a post here about things I wish I knew when I started (everyone actually practices to a degree, it's just become really archaic to exist in a present fashion while also embracing the wonderment of things like dreams.

6. Have you ever had a dream or vision that felt prophetic?

Used to! Don't as much but I think it's a skill. Some people naturally have premonitions through dreams and mine are more like vivid intrusive thoughts that play through my head and I have to figure out which is actually useful.

7. What do you think of Aleister Crowley?

Ngl had to Google who that was because I don't really follow many contemporary people and knew he was a "magician" of sorts but I don't take any stock in orgs like the Free Masons or even Satanism even if I think there's probably ~something~ there. He was clearly smart enough to make it work but idk how much is just really smart social engineering (he was a spy, afterall) and a smattering of esoteric networking that led to him being fairly successful at whatever his craft was

8. Do you think witches can create their own deities?

So... I think witches occupy a kind of weird realm/dimension (on my scale it's on like, the 6th degree akin to the "inverted" dimension where we would think of them being akin to IRL angels) and so our calling is rooted in whatever incarnation pulls from original sources. Our names have power and "create" the source of inspiration (deities, gods, spirits, w/e) hence why we "choose" them when "coming out" as a way of embracing our sense of servitude to a higher being outside of our general sense of self.

9. How do you feel about people worshiping deities from pop culture?

Sure, why not lol.

10. What’s your opinion on the idea that "all magic comes with a cost"?

Ohhh yes yes yes. Hence why I affirm that people need to be serious about their approach to science as magic is just when science and art come together perfectly (think of siren's and their songs, beauty inspiring wars, love SAVING people).

11. What’s the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to you during a spell?

For years, I had never done a spell with another person before and kind of just fucked around and using objects that I figured would have SOME use, I just didn't know what for.

For instance: there was this ridiculous rubber ducky I got from some rando woman at a hotel from a work thing I was at in bumfuck Pennsylvania where she basically FORCED it upon me after I literally said no and tried to give it back but they were SO insistent despite being a complete stranger. I HATE having useless shit and usually just throw it away immediately but I didn't want to be rude so I threw it into my bag and kind of forgot about it.

Anyway, fast forward to me visiting my old bestie (mentioned prior) talking about The Craft while I'm unpacking my bag and how I never could seem to figure out spells while at the SAME time, being like "Oh hey! Do you want this rubber ducky?"

They flipped their shit because, there is a VERY particular spell about rubber duckies and not just finding one, a portion of the spell reads:

"...presented by hand, in a way that's select

a peculiar find, to earn the craft's respect"

and since then we did a spell about keys that still kind of haunts me to this day so uh... be careful y'all lol

12. If you could cast one spell right now, what would it be and why?

A relationship healing spell. Any help would be greatly appreciated. <8

13. What’s your belief on the afterlife, and how does it affect your spiritual practices?

I definitely think there's another realm out there and I try to just be present with what comes my way since this reality is already full of surprises. I really don't do any major spirit work because I kind of have a deep seated respect where the sense of awe is a bit terrifying so I just kinda see where it takes me and ask mindful questions.

14. What’s your opinion on the importance of connecting with the land in witchcraft?

Plz touch more grass lol If the elements of the Earth (AT LEAST FOUR of them aren't present when approaching a situation, you might need to recenter.

15. How do you feel about using magic to influence others?

Whether we like it or not, magic will ALWAYS be used to influence (literally just think of money or words as a concept). We have a duty to be responsible wielders for we are practitioners in a Dark Art that has a reputation for being misconstrued as evil. Embrace all the shades and don't be shy from the glimmers from the light :3

16. What’s your opinion on hexing or cursing?

I would advise against it though my namesake literally deals with them so uh, just be wise.

17. Do you believe in spiritual psychosis?

I want to say yet but honestly unsure of the full scope of the question so... TBD?

[fireangel]

"Remember that time I summoned an earthquake in the Mediterranean for Mabon?"

I'm going to be permanently insufferable

Anytime someone questions my predictions or craft I'm just going to be like:

[madamelaydebug]

It is needless for us to concern ourselves with that which lies far ahead of the race. Immediate problems call for attention - problems which are personal or racial and which all concern the control of the astral vehicle. Opportunity is offered to demonstrate in chaos the potentialities of the ego or soul, and its capacity to control and dominate in its little sphere of influence. Therein lies for all aspirants at this time the peculiar effort of the coming days, and I would - for your guidance - make certain suggestions to be followed by you or not as deemed wise.

We must remember that every aspirant is a focal point of energy and should be, in his place, a conscious focal point. In the midst of the whirl and storm he should make his presence felt. The Law of action and reaction works here, and often the Great Ones (foreseeing the need of just such points of inner contact in periods of world unrest, such as the present) gather into certain localities those who are aspirants to service. They act as a balance and aid the general plan, and at the same time they themselves learn much needed lessons.

The effort on the part of all aspirants should not be to resist and repel the pressure or to fight and ward off. Such a method centers the attention upon the not-self and leads to added chaos. The effort should be along the lines of an endeavor to make contact with the higher self, and keep it stable and steady, and to be in such direct alignment that the force and power of the soul may be poured upon and through the lower threefold nature. This pouring through will bring about a steady radiation which will affect the surroundings exactly in proportion to the extent of the inner contact, and in direct relation to the clarity of the channel linking the physical brain to the causal body. The aspirant should also strive after that self-forgetfulness which merges itself in the good of those contacted. This self-forgetfulness refers to the lower self. Self-recollectedness and self-forgetfulness should be companions.

[communaldigitalaltar]

Eros, god of lust and desire, help me through the difficult times. Help me to control the desires I can not have and to enjoy what I have. Help me to know that not only is pleasure for me but also for my partner. Help me to not be selfish and to be giving and to show that I love and care for my partner. Help me to overcome the desires that I want that will not benefit me or anyone else that is involved. Help me to understand the opposite sex as well as the same sex. Help me to remember that being a selfless person is a way to show someone that I love that I'm thinking of their wants and needs. Help me to please the person that I love. Remind me of the law harm none and the threefold law that whatever I do to my love will be returned to me whether good or evil.

Eros, help me to treat my lover as good as you treat yours. Remind me of the power of love and desire. Blessed be!

[relocators2025]

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN CHOOSING PACKERS AND MOVERS

Would you like to reach out to the best Packers and Movers Chennai to Mumbai? Or then again would you say you are remembering to move your resources from your present area to an alternate area? Obviously, your answer will be yes and for that reason we are hanging around for you. Along these lines, you realize that many individuals shift their resources two times or threefold every year and they go with various moving strategies for their assets.

For instance, we can take the name of migration administrations in India. Obviously, these sorts of administrations are genuinely exceptionally helpful and useful administrations for individuals and many individuals pick the methods of migration for their assets. You get a wide scope of offices with the assistance of the specialists of moving organizations. In this way, with regards to movement should enlist a trucking organization.

Yet, something significant is here that you ought to continuously keep to you is that generally search for a dependable and steadfast moving group. Obviously, just a dependable, notable, and enlisted moving can furnish you with a fruitful approach to moving. Thus, search hard and go with a safe moving arrangement. Presently, in the event that we talk about the change or examine of moving, there are numerous significant things that you ought to ask and clear while picking an organization.

In this article, we will examine a few inquiries that you should pose to movers and packers prior to picking them. Thus, read the article totally and cautiously.

Request the Costs

There is no question in saying that packers and movers are really extremely supportive for individuals and many individuals pick them for their moving necessities. You can get the best arrangements from them. However, prior to booking with a group you ought to pose a few significant inquiries and things like we can take this point.

Indeed, we are saying request the expenses or costs. Without a doubt, there are many phony organizations that can swindle you. Yet, you can clear every one of the questions at the time choice. Along these lines, we couldn't want anything more than to recommend that generally request the expenses and rates. Likewise, be clear with regards to the secret accuses and go all of the time of an organization that is totally lawful and ok for you.

[warehousing2025]

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN CHOOSING PACKERS AND MOVERS

Would you like to reach out to the best Packers and Movers Chennai to Mumbai? Or then again would you say you are remembering to move your resources from your present area to an alternate area? Obviously, your answer will be yes and for that reason we are hanging around for you. Along these lines, you realize that many individuals shift their resources two times or threefold every year and they go with various moving strategies for their assets.

For instance, we can take the name of migration administrations in India. Obviously, these sorts of administrations are genuinely exceptionally helpful and useful administrations for individuals and many individuals pick the methods of migration for their assets. You get a wide scope of offices with the assistance of the specialists of moving organizations. In this way, with regards to movement should enlist a trucking organization.

Yet, something significant is here that you ought to continuously keep to you is that generally search for a dependable and steadfast moving group. Obviously, just a dependable, notable, and enlisted moving can furnish you with a fruitful approach to moving. Thus, search hard and go with a safe moving arrangement. Presently, in the event that we talk about the change or examine of moving, there are numerous significant things that you ought to ask and clear while picking an organization.

In this article, we will examine a few inquiries that you should pose to movers and packers prior to picking them. Thus, read the article totally and cautiously.

Request the Costs

There is no question in saying that packers and movers are really extremely supportive for individuals and many individuals pick them for their moving necessities. You can get the best arrangements from them. However, prior to booking with a group you ought to pose a few significant inquiries and things like we can take this point.

Indeed, we are saying request the expenses or costs. Without a doubt, there are many phony organizations that can swindle you. Yet, you can clear every one of the questions at the time choice. Along these lines, we couldn't want anything more than to recommend that generally request the expenses and rates. Likewise, be clear with regards to the secret accuses and go all of the time of an organization that is totally lawful and ok for you.

[transfer2025]

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN CHOOSING PACKERS AND MOVERS

Would you like to reach out to the best Packers and Movers Chennai to Mumbai? Or then again would you say you are remembering to move your resources from your present area to an alternate area? Obviously, your answer will be yes and for that reason we are hanging around for you. Along these lines, you realize that many individuals shift their resources two times or threefold every year and they go with various moving strategies for their assets.

For instance, we can take the name of migration administrations in India. Obviously, these sorts of administrations are genuinely exceptionally helpful and useful administrations for individuals and many individuals pick the methods of migration for their assets. You get a wide scope of offices with the assistance of the specialists of moving organizations. In this way, with regards to movement should enlist a trucking organization.

Yet, something significant is here that you ought to continuously keep to you is that generally search for a dependable and steadfast moving group. Obviously, just a dependable, notable, and enlisted moving can furnish you with a fruitful approach to moving. Thus, search hard and go with a safe moving arrangement. Presently, in the event that we talk about the change or examine of moving, there are numerous significant things that you ought to ask and clear while picking an organization.

In this article, we will examine a few inquiries that you should pose to movers and packers prior to picking them. Thus, read the article totally and cautiously.

Request the Costs

There is no question in saying that packers and movers are really extremely supportive for individuals and many individuals pick them for their moving necessities. You can get the best arrangements from them. However, prior to booking with a group you ought to pose a few significant inquiries and things like we can take this point.

Indeed, we are saying request the expenses or costs. Without a doubt, there are many phony organizations that can swindle you. Yet, you can clear every one of the questions at the time choice. Along these lines, we couldn't want anything more than to recommend that generally request the expenses and rates. Likewise, be clear with regards to the secret accuses and go all of the time of an organization that is totally lawful and ok for you.

[shipment2025]

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN CHOOSING PACKERS AND MOVERS

Would you like to reach out to the best Packers and Movers Chennai to Mumbai? Or then again would you say you are remembering to move your resources from your present area to an alternate area? Obviously, your answer will be yes and for that reason we are hanging around for you. Along these lines, you realize that many individuals shift their resources two times or threefold every year and they go with various moving strategies for their assets.

For instance, we can take the name of migration administrations in India. Obviously, these sorts of administrations are genuinely exceptionally helpful and useful administrations for individuals and many individuals pick the methods of migration for their assets. You get a wide scope of offices with the assistance of the specialists of moving organizations. In this way, with regards to movement should enlist a trucking organization.

Yet, something significant is here that you ought to continuously keep to you is that generally search for a dependable and steadfast moving group. Obviously, just a dependable, notable, and enlisted moving can furnish you with a fruitful approach to moving. Thus, search hard and go with a safe moving arrangement. Presently, in the event that we talk about the change or examine of moving, there are numerous significant things that you ought to ask and clear while picking an organization.

In this article, we will examine a few inquiries that you should pose to movers and packers prior to picking them. Thus, read the article totally and cautiously.

Request the Costs

There is no question in saying that packers and movers are really extremely supportive for individuals and many individuals pick them for their moving necessities. You can get the best arrangements from them. However, prior to booking with a group you ought to pose a few significant inquiries and things like we can take this point.

Indeed, we are saying request the expenses or costs. Without a doubt, there are many phony organizations that can swindle you. Yet, you can clear every one of the questions at the time choice. Along these lines, we couldn't want anything more than to recommend that generally request the expenses and rates. Likewise, be clear with regards to the secret accuses and go all of the time of an organization that is totally lawful and ok for you.

[dispatch2025]

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN CHOOSING PACKERS AND MOVERS

Would you like to reach out to the best Packers and Movers Chennai to Mumbai? Or then again would you say you are remembering to move your resources from your present area to an alternate area? Obviously, your answer will be yes and for that reason we are hanging around for you. Along these lines, you realize that many individuals shift their resources two times or threefold every year and they go with various moving strategies for their assets.

For instance, we can take the name of migration administrations in India. Obviously, these sorts of administrations are genuinely exceptionally helpful and useful administrations for individuals and many individuals pick the methods of migration for their assets. You get a wide scope of offices with the assistance of the specialists of moving organizations. In this way, with regards to movement should enlist a trucking organization.

Yet, something significant is here that you ought to continuously keep to you is that generally search for a dependable and steadfast moving group. Obviously, just a dependable, notable, and enlisted moving can furnish you with a fruitful approach to moving. Thus, search hard and go with a safe moving arrangement. Presently, in the event that we talk about the change or examine of moving, there are numerous significant things that you ought to ask and clear while picking an organization.

In this article, we will examine a few inquiries that you should pose to movers and packers prior to picking them. Thus, read the article totally and cautiously.

Request the Costs

There is no question in saying that packers and movers are really extremely supportive for individuals and many individuals pick them for their moving necessities. You can get the best arrangements from them. However, prior to booking with a group you ought to pose a few significant inquiries and things like we can take this point.

Indeed, we are saying request the expenses or costs. Without a doubt, there are many phony organizations that can swindle you. Yet, you can clear every one of the questions at the time choice. Along these lines, we couldn't want anything more than to recommend that generally request the expenses and rates. Likewise, be clear with regards to the secret accuses and go all of the time of an organization that is totally lawful and ok for you.

[crating2024]

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN CHOOSING PACKERS AND MOVERS

Would you like to reach out to the best Packers and Movers Chennai to Mumbai? Or then again would you say you are remembering to move your resources from your present area to an alternate area? Obviously, your answer will be yes and for that reason we are hanging around for you. Along these lines, you realize that many individuals shift their resources two times or threefold every year and they go with various moving strategies for their assets.

For instance, we can take the name of migration administrations in India. Obviously, these sorts of administrations are genuinely exceptionally helpful and useful administrations for individuals and many individuals pick the methods of migration for their assets. You get a wide scope of offices with the assistance of the specialists of moving organizations. In this way, with regards to movement should enlist a trucking organization.

Yet, something significant is here that you ought to continuously keep to you is that generally search for a dependable and steadfast moving group. Obviously, just a dependable, notable, and enlisted moving can furnish you with a fruitful approach to moving. Thus, search hard and go with a safe moving arrangement. Presently, in the event that we talk about the change or examine of moving, there are numerous significant things that you ought to ask and clear while picking an organization.

In this article, we will examine a few inquiries that you should pose to movers and packers prior to picking them. Thus, read the article totally and cautiously.

Request the Costs

There is no question in saying that packers and movers are really extremely supportive for individuals and many individuals pick them for their moving necessities. You can get the best arrangements from them. However, prior to booking with a group you ought to pose a few significant inquiries and things like we can take this point.

Indeed, we are saying request the expenses or costs. Without a doubt, there are many phony organizations that can swindle you. Yet, you can clear every one of the questions at the time choice. Along these lines, we couldn't want anything more than to recommend that generally request the expenses and rates. Likewise, be clear with regards to the secret accuses and go all of the time of an organization that is totally lawful and ok for you.