#sages solstice | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cressidagrey · 10 days ago

Text

It's a Love Story - Chapter 9

Summary:

Azriel's shadows find their master a wife.

Azriel would just really like his heart not to get broken again.

And Sky...well, she's just really surprised that that far too handsome male is interested in her at all.

Warning:

Rhys Bashing (as usual), I classified this as Azriel x OC, even when it't technically Azriel x Sellyn Drake (but we kinda know nothing about Sellyn Drake other than that she writes books so Sky is kinda an OC), Cassian is kinda a good guy for once, Azriel has a horrible time, as usual... Stuttering, toxic families (For once I do not mean the IC), Self-Esteem Issues, Secret Identity, Body Image Issues, Fat Shaming, People being utterly horrible. Racism against Illyrians/Lesser Faes?

If any of this triggers you or makes you uncomfortable, please take care of your own mental health and don't read it.

Rhys had the seething hot realisation that he had really fucked up on Winter Solstice.

Before that…well. He could still pretend.

Pretend that maybe Azriel just needed time. That he just needed…time to adjust and would get over himself eventually.

Would get over Solstice two years ago. Would get over Mor finding her mate in Emerie… Would get over it all.

That it was just him moping and licking his wounds and he would be back to normal. That maybe he just needed to punch Rhys, get it out of his system and it would be done.

So Rhys had baited him.

Repeatedly.

Azriel didn’t fight. Didn’t protest.

As a boy…Az had attacked snarling and growling, furious and vicious.

Rhys had waited for that same exact result.

Nothing of that sort had happened.

Now…Now Azriel just looked at him, eyes dark and cold…

“Why should I tell you? I may trust you with this court, Rhysand, but I do not trust you with anything I love. Not anymore.”

And then he turned and left. Not giving them a second look.

Rhys could just stare at him.

He had expected anger, protests, anything. But this...this was worse.

This was Azriel putting him on notice that he didn't trust Rhys at all anymore.

For a moment it was silent.

Then Cassian broke it.

"Give me one good reason, why I shouldn't fucking snap your neck for talking to my brother like that," Cassian seethed. "One reason."

"I didn't...think...

"You didn't think?" Cassian repeated, his voice sharp and incredulous. "Really? You didn't think that your words and actions could have a negative impact on Azriel? You just expected him to be fine after you basically told him that you don't trust him to act like an adult around Elain? That you think Elain and Mor are more important than him? You're unbelievable, Rhys."

"I did what was best for the court," Rhys protested feebly.

"Yes, a spymaster that doesn't trust his High Lord is incredibly good for our court," Cassian agreed with a sage nod, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You told him to go to a fucking pleasure hall and pay for it? You told Azriel of all people that?! What is fucking wrong with you, Rhys?!"

Rhys let out a frustrated sigh. "I was trying to make a point, Cassian," he said. "He wasn't really in love with Elain, he just liked the idea of her."

Cassian gaped at Rhys, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. "That's bullshit, Rhys, and you know it," he snapped. "Azriel had feelings for Elain, real feelings. Maybe still has them. Who knows. He was ready to die, so that Lucien could live. He did that for her. Tell me to my face again that he didn't really love her."

Rhys ran a hand over his face, his frustration clear. "I...I may have underestimated the depth of Azriel's feelings for Elain," he admitted grudgingly. "But my duty as High Lord is to protect my court first and foremost. And I really didn't want to deal with a Blood Duel. Beron was still in play then, before Eris got rid of him. If he got wind..."

"I understand your duties, Rhys," Cassian said, his voice gentler now. "But you went too far this time. You crossed a line, and Azriel feels betrayed and hurt. You dismissed his feelings as if they didn't matter, and that's not right. He's not just your spymaster or soldier, he's your brother."

He was. Which was exactly why Rhys didn't want him anywhere near that particular powder keg at that time. And then Elain had already chosen her mate, and Rhys thought with that...it was done.

"He's just being stubborn. He'll get over himself eventually," Rhys said. Right?

That's how far he got, before Cassian punched him straight into the nose.

Rhys stumbled back, clutching his nose. "What the hell, Cassian?" he demanded, his voice muffled by the blood gushing from his nose.

Cassian stared at him, his expression unreadable. "You are really, really stupid, Rhys. Idiotic. Azriel’s not being stubborn, he's heartbroken. Hurt. Betrayed. And you treat his feelings as if they are nothing!"

Rhys winced, his eyes watering from the pain and the accusation in Cassian's words. "I...I just wanted to protect him. I thought it was for the best..."

Cassian barked out a sharp laugh. "You were doing more harm than good, Rhys. You can't just push someone's feelings aside because it's convenient for you. That's not how relationships work, especially not between brothers."

"And what the fuck were you thinking when you told him to behave about Mor?! Did you ever even consider to maybe try and get Mor to talk to Azriel? That maybe that would be a good solution? Make her apologise for treating him like she did treat him? Azriel had every fucking right to be hurt and angry at her. He would have had every fucking right and Mor would have needed to accept that!"

Rhys winced again. "I...I just didn't want any… arguments, Cassian. Mor and Emerie are happy now. I didn't want to dredge up old hurts and cause tensions within the court."

"So because Azriel keeps his feelings quiet and doesn't complain, you just treated him like shit. Great job, High Lord," Cassian drawled.

Rhys flinched at Cassian's words. Deep down he knew Cassian was right. He had been too focused on preserving the peace and avoiding conflict, that he had overlooked and dismissed Azriel's feelings.

"Azriel has done everyhting in his power to make everybody around him comfortable. Nobody ever does the same for him," Cassian said darkly. "I fucked up too, you know. With Mor. With not being there when I should be...but at least I never told Azriel to Behave like he is either your dog or a child." Cassian shook his head. "I have no fucking clue if you even can fix this, Rhys, even if you wanted to. He clearly doesn't trust you at all anymore."

That had just become very fucking clear.

"I...I never meant to hurt him," Rhys said, his voice cracking. "I just...I thought I was doing what was best for him. For everyone."

"Azriel was willing to go to war for you," Cassian said sharply. "We both were. We knew that everything involving you and Feyre and Tamlin was a war waiting too happen. But we took that risk. And hwne it was time for you to take that risk for your brother, you chose your court over him, Rhys. I get it. I understand why you did it, even if I disagree...I could forgive you that. BUt you telling Azriel to go to a pleasure hall, because he doesn't know his own feelings..."

Rhys felt the weight of Cassian's words settling in his gut like a heavy stone. He had never considered that his actions could be interpreted that way. "But...you have to understand, Cassian. I have responsibilities, a duty to the Night Court and its people. I have to consider the impact every decision has."

“And in this, you were also Azriel’s brother,” Cassian cut him off. “I don’t care about your reasoning. You need to start with a fucking apology. You treated him worse than you would every other of your soldiers.”

Rhys swallowed.

To say that Cassian was furious…That was a fucking understatmeent.

And even if…even if he ignored this…there was something else that…

"His mother..." he wasn't sure how to ask that question.

"Azriel made that decision," Cassian said calmly. "He didn't want you to feel like that was in any way your fault because you sealed Velaris for 50 years. Quite frankly...I think Azriel's mother has been searching for an excuse not to see him anymore for a very long time."

Rhys' expression fell, the weight of guilt pressing down on him even more heavily now, if that was even possible. "I...I didn't know," he said quietly. "I...I really didn't know that it had come to this between Azriel and his mother. I...I really didn't, Cassian, I swear."

"Of course you didn't. We kept it from you," Cassian said drily. "Azriel does know how to keep a secret. Which we have just seen. I had absolutely no clue that he has met his mate."

Rhys swallowed. This should...It should have been...something happy that Azriel met his mate. He should have been telling Rhys and Cassian all about it, eyes alight with excitement and not...not spit it out just to spite Rhys.

He had really messed it up this time, hadn't he? Rhys knew that he had to make things right with Azriel, even if it meant facing the hard truth about how he had failed him as a brother and a High Lord.

"Who do you think she is?" he asked weakly.

Cassian stared at him. "I don't fucking care. She can be Sellyn Drake for all I care and I'll be her very best friend as long as she treats Azriel well and makes him happy," Cassian told him tightly. "And you...You'll keep out of it."

Rhys recoiled as if he had been slapped, but he knew Cassian was righr. He had lost the right to be involved in Azriel's personal life, and it was his own fault.

"An apology is the least you owe Azriel, Rhys. And you owe Mor the fucking truth as well. Namely that the only reason that Azriel is probably civil to her, is that you ordered him to. Actually, you owe all of us the truth."

Rhys grimaced. He knew that he had to come clean and face the consequences of his actions, even if it meant causing more chaos and unrest within his court. "Feyre is going to kill me," he mumbled under his breaht. Cassian didn't look sorry in the slightest.

"Then you shouldn't have behaved like a fucking asshole," Cassian gave back flatly. "Let's go back to Velaris. We'll have this discussion now.”

Rhys nodded, a sense of resignation washing over him. He took a deep breath and steeled himself for the difficult conversation that was awaitng him.

"What happened to your nose?" Feyre asked as soon as he entered the River House. "Where's Az?"

"I broke it," Cassian gave back drily. "Don't worry, Rhysand deserves worse."

Rhys grimaced at the thought of having to explain the whole situation to Feyre. "Azriel...he got...upset. We had a fight. And Cassian punched me. It's...it's complicated," Rhys mumbled.

"Correction," Cassian snapped. "You were an utter prick to Azriel, who decided that he would rather spent Winter Solstice with his mate that none of us knew existed. And I punched you, because you didn't even fucking understand what you did wrong in the first place."

Feyre's eyes widened in disbelief as she listened to Cassian's explanation. "Rhys, what is he talking about?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern. "Why would Azriel get so upset?"

"Because apparently, Little Rhysie in his infinite wisdom, did not only tell Azriel and I quote "If you want to fuck somebody, go to a pleasure hall and pay for it," when he found out about Azriel's crush on Elain, but has also apparently spent the last 2 years telling my brother to "behave" like he's some kind of dog," Cassian said sarcastically. Rhys grimaced. "You should consider yourself lucky that I only broke your nose," Cassian told him darkly. "I ought to fucking throttle you for doing this to Az."

Shock and anger poured all over the mating bond and he met Feyre’s eyes with no small amount of trepidation.

Feyre stared at him, her expression a mix of shock and disappointment. "Is that true, Rhys? Did you really say that to Azriel?"

"Feyre Darling..." he started.

*Did you really tell Azriel "If you want to fuck somebody, go to a pleasure hall and pay for it.”?* she demanded mentally.

Rhys winced, knowing that he couldn't lie to Feyre through the bond. *I...I may have said something along those lines,* he admitted reluctantly.

Feyre narrowed her eyes at Rhys. "And the whole 'behave' thing?" she asked sharply.

Rhys looked down, unable to meet Feyre's gaze. "I...I may have used that phrase a few times," he said quietly.

"A few times?" Feyre repeated, her voice rising in anger. "How many times, Rhys? How many times did you tell Azriel to 'behave' because of his feelings for Elain?"

“It wasn’t about Elain. It was also about Mor,“ Cassian said drily.

“What?“ Mor demanded.

Rhys winced as he realized that the truth was about to come out.

"Mor, I-"

Mor's eyes narrowed as she took in Rhys' reaction. "Tell me, Rhysand. What did you say to Azriel about me?"

Rhys sighed heavily, knowing that he couldn't avoid this conversation anymore. "I...I may have told Azriel to 'behave' around you and Emerie. I was afraid that his feelings for you would cause tension within the court."

Mor's eyes widened in disbelief. "You told him to behave around me?” She swallowed these beautiful brown eyes lined with tears. “You…I thought…I thought he was…he was happy for us but it’s was only because you told him to behave. I let him be, I didn’t try to talk to him, because he seemed fine.”

Rhys winced at Mor's words, feeling the weight of his actions. "I thought it would be easier for everyone, Mor.”

“Easier to make him lie?” Mor asked him, her voice tight. “Easier to forbid him to express his actual feelings? I know…I didn’t behave right with him but I thought we were better. But we weren’t. He was just acting like everything was fine so you wouldn’t lay into him and punish him for misbehaving!”

Rhys felt a pang of guilt in his chest. "I...I never meant to hurt him, Mor. I thought I was doing what was best for everyone."

Mor shook her head, her eyes shimmering with tears. "You weren't doing what was best for him. You were doing what was easiest for you."

Rhys dropped his gaze, knowing that he had brought this situation upon himself. "I...I don't know how to make it right," he admitted. "I've lost his trust, and I don't know if I can ever earn it back."

Amren huffed, crossing her arms, her dark eyes glittering with annoyance. "Well, you certainly made a mess of things, Rhysand." She leaned in closer, her voice low and intense. "But you'd better find a way to fix it. And fast. Because we're not just talking about Azriel here. We're talking about the future of this court."

Rhys nodded tightly. "I know," he said quietly.

He was very much aware what it would mean to their court if Azriel decided to leave them. The disadvantage they woul find themselves in…and this didn’t even start to cover the personal loss of losing his brother.

“Leave him be,” Nesta said at that moment.

Rhys turned to Nesta, his expression conflicted. "I can't just do nothing, Nesta. He's my brother,” he told his sister-in-law, but Nesta wasn’t having it, sticking out her chin.

"And yet you treated him like some kind of attack dog who needed to be kept under control. That's not how you treat a brother, Rhys," she seethed. “I ought to stab you.”

Rhys flinched at Nesta's words, knowing that she was right. "I know," he said quietly. "I was wrong, and I need to make things right with him."

"You sure as hell better," Cassian growled. "Azriel doesn't deserve any of this bullshit."

***

To his surprise… Sky was at home.

He hadn’t thought she would be there…he thought he would be greeted by an annoyed Hector, who would be bitchy that it was him coming home and not Sky.

But Hector was nowhere to be seen. He could hear his meowing though.

He found his mate buried in their bed, seemingly all the blankets in the house put on top of herself…and Hector pawing at the mountain of blankets, demanding to be let in.

"Are you hiding from the world, my love?" He asked softly, as he crawled into the bed next to her, lifting a few blankets so Hector could slither underneath them, which he did immediately. He carefully pulled the blankets away from her face and Sky looked at him, eyes red from crying.

In the same breath he suddenly picked up the salty scent of tears. That was all he needed to pull her into his arms.

“I thought you were having dinner with your family,” Sky whispered, her voice hoarse, burying her face against his chest.

“Didn’t end well,” he told her drily. “Yours?”

“Didn’t end well either,” she said with a laugh that turned into a sob.

A soft sniffle. No. Not again. He couldn’t deal with her crying. He couldn’t…it ripped apart his hear to see his mate like that and he held her tighter."It's all right, love," he murmured, holding her close. "I'm here with you now. Let it all out." He gently ran his hand up and down her back, trying to soothe her.

"Tell me what's happened," he said gently, his voice filled with concern.

“I…I am a ho…horrible p…person,” Sky whimpered.

He nearly wanted to laugh at the pure ridiculousness of that statement. Sky, the sweetest person he had ever met, a horrible person? Not possible.

"You're not a horrible person," he said firmly. "Not at all. You're the kindest, most compassionate person I've ever met."

“I…I to…told Cl…Claire th…that at le…least I…I do…don’t ha…have my si…sister’s slop…sloppy se…seconds.”

He needed a moment to parse it, her stutter worse than he had ever heard it.

“What?” he could just ask dumbly as he blinked. Sky? Sky had said what?!

“I…I to…told Cl…Claire th…that at le…least I…I do…don’t ha…have my si…sister’s slop…sloppy se…seconds,” she repeated and began to cry again, hiding her face in her hands. “I…I am a ho…horrible p…person,” she whimpered.

Azriel gently took her hands in his, guiding them away from her face. "You're not a horrible person, sweetheart," he said firmly.

She wasn’t.

He highly doubted that Sky had said that without…without her sister saying something worse first.

And it wasn’t like it wasn’t…"Besides…you said nothing that wasn’t true,” Azriel said drily.."

Sky hiccuped out a laugh and then started crying in the earnest again.

“That’s why you are so upset?” He asked softly, against her warm skin. “You aren’t a horrible person. I swear.

“N..no.” Sky said softly. “I…I am ne..never se…seeing them again.”

Azriel's heart sank at her words. "Your family? Why…why are you never seeing them again?"

“I…I am ne..never se…seeing them again. Not after what they…they said.” She was dead serious. He could hear that in her voice.

And it was…

Azriel's heart clenched at the thought of her severing ties with her family, of her…they treated her horrible but Sky loved them. Sky loved them so much. So much more than they deserved. "What did they say, sweetheart?" he asked gently.

Sky took a shaky breath, struggling to get the words out. "They... They said…said so…some things," she whispered, her voice quavering. "Things I can't…I can’t for…forgive them for."

"What did they say, sweetheart?" he asked again, his voice gentle yet firm. "I want to know."

He wanted to know. And then he wanted to kill them for upsetting her like this.

Sky closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face. "You do…don’t want to know."

Azriel took her face in his hands, gently wiping away her tears. "I do want to know," he corrected her softly. "Because whatever they said, it hurt you, and I want to be there for you."

“They…They had a pro…problem with the fact that you were Ill…Illyrian,” she whispered.

Ah. “You don’t need to say anything more,” he said wryly. “But I promise that I have heard worse. If you still want to be around them…” he hated how they treated sky but he was not about to let her cut off contact with her family just because they didn’t like him. He could deal with that. He had survived worse.

Sky shook her head fiercely. "No,” she said, her voice so weak…and so definitive. “No.”

Azriel's heart swelled with love for her as she stood her ground. "I understand, sweetheart," he murmured, pulling her closer. "If that's what you want, I'll stand by you, whatever you decide. But I don't want you to make this decision because of me."

“They…They told me that you were a cre…creature and a mo..monster and that they were surprised you hadn’t rip…ripped me apart. My father threatened to disinherit me if I didn’t give up the m…mating bond. So I told him I never wanted to hear a single word from him ever again,” she whispered, her voice growing stronger.

Azriel's eyes darkened with anger as she recounted the hurtful things her family had said about him. He tightened his arms around her.

"I'm so sorry, Sky," he whispered. "You don't deserve any of this. And your family doesn't deserve you."

“I coul…couldn't just…just sit there and let them say those ter…terrible things about you, about us,” Sky whispered. “I can't be around people who would say those kinds of things about the person I love the most in the world."

“…you love me?” He whispered in wonder.

She loved him? She chose him? Even over her family? Even…

Sky looked up at him, these blue eyes looking at him. “Yes. More than anything.”

He swallowed, his heart swelling.

"I love you too, Sky. More than anything," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm so grateful that I have you in my life."

Sky smiled, her eyes shining with love. "You….You don't have to do a…anything to deserve me, Azriel. You just have to be yourself. That's all I've ever wanted. And I wouldn't change a thing about you. You're perfect, just the way you are."

Azriel felt a lump form in his throat. "I'm far from perfect, Sky," he said, his voice rough. "But I promise you, I will always do my best to make you happy. That's all I want."

He pressed soft kisses all over her face, making her giggle softly.

“Let’s just have our own Solstice celebration,“ he whispered softly.

Sky smiled at the idea. "Th..That sounds p…perfect," she whispered. “Just the two of us, together. It's a..all I need."

There still was a rabbit he had hunted in the cooling cabinet…and so while Azriel took care of cooking thst, Sky was making…something that involved stale bread, milk, eggs and plenty of sugar for dessert.

Azriel smiled as he watched her work. "What in the world are you making, love?" he asked, peeking over her shoulder. "It smells delicious."

Sky grinned, holding up the bowl she was stirring. "It's…It’s a bread pudding," she said. "I found an old recipe in a c…cookbook. It's supposed to be a t…traditional Winter Solstice dessert."

Azriel raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You never cease to amaze me, sweetheart," he said, chuckling. "I can't wait to try it." He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek, his heart full of adoration for her.

Sky blushed at his affection. "I just hope it turns out okay," she said, adding a pinch of cinnamon to the mix. "But even if it doesn't, it will be p…perfect just because we're together."

Azriel smiled at her words, feeling a warmth spread through his chest. "You're right," he said softly. "As long as we're together, it doesn't matter what we eat or what we do. Just being with you is a gift in itself."

“You should write poetry,” his mate told him sweetly and he couldn’t help but laugh. He had picked up one of the poetry books she kept weeks ago and had found the whole thing… well. As long as Sky liked it…

Azriel chuckled, shaking his head. "I don't think I have the talent for poetry, sweetheart," he said, grinning. "But I'm glad you think so highly of me."

Sky playfully nudged him with her shoulder. "Oh come on, I'm sure you could write the most beautiful sonnets if you r…really tried," she teased. "I've heard you whisper s…sweet nothings in my ear before, and they sound pretty poetic to me."

Azriel laughed and wrapped his arms around her. “I'll leave the sonnets to the experts and just continue whispering sweet nothings to you instead,” he promised her softly.

“Sounds perfect to me,” she agreed brightly.

Dinner with Sky was better than any dinner with the inner circle could be. Roasted rabbit and crusty bread, followed by caramel bread pudding…

And then it was just him and Sky wrapped into each others arms on the couch, with Hector stretched out in front of the fireplace, blankets wrapped around him…

They had promised each other to not go overboard with gifts. But clearly oone of them had not listened, which hadn’t been him… there was a pile of wrapped gifts appearing on the couch table.

Azriel raised an eyebrow at the pile of gifts, chuckling. "Well, someone certainly didn't stick to our agreement, did they?" he teased, glancing at Sky with a playful smile. "Not that I mind, of course," he added, reaching for one of the packages. "I just hope my gift isn't embarrassingly small in comparison."

“…I…I only got you o…one thing,“ Sky admitted weakly, staring at the pile of gift.

Then who… Azriel stared at the shadows who were swirling happily around sky.

“I think I know the culprit,” he said drily.

*I thought I told you not to buy her anything new,* he told them drily.

*We didn’t!* they assure him.

Azriel chuckled at the insistent swirling of the shadows. "I don't know, love," he said with a grin. "It seems like my shadows are feeling particularly generous this year." He reached for the nearest gift and handed it to her. "Here, why don't you open this one first?"

“You got me something?” Sky asked the shadows. “You shouldn’t have! I didn’t get anything for you!”

Azriel laughed, knowing that it was pointless to try and reason with the shadows when they were in a playful mood like this. "They don't care about that, love," he said, nudging her gently. "They just want to make you happy. Go on, open it."

Azriel had no idea what to even give the shadows anyway. *You could give us permission to ruin her sisters life,* they told him brightly

Azriel laughed again, shaking his head. *As tempting as that may be, I don’t think that's the best way to spread the holiday cheer,* he said drily.

*She deserves it,* the shadows murmured. *We wouldn’t outright kill her…*

*No, you’ll find some mischievous and chaotic way to torment her and make her life miserable,* he retorted with a grin. *Don’t physically harm her,* he warned them quietly. Tacit approval. The shadows danced in the spot as Sky opened the first box. Velvet wrapped.

Jewellery.

A chicken egg sized sapphire in the middle of a necklace consisting out of sapphire and diamonds. He just sighed. Sky stared.

“Please…Please t…tell me that’s n..not r..real,“ she said weakly, her voice shaking.

*Of course it’s real,* the shadows assured her like even the suggestion of it being fake was an affront. *Master’s mate doesn’t wear fake gems!*

Azriel would have liked to face palm.

"I'm afraid the shadows insist that they only give the best for their master's mate," he said wryly.

„This must have cost a fortune!“ Sky protested. “Where am I even supposed to wear it?“

Azriel chuckled, "I wouldn't waste my breath trying to argue with the shadows. And as for where you're supposed to wear it, well… anywhere you want, really, love."

*Please tell me you didn’t steal that,* he told the shadows

*We didn't! We got it fair and square!* the shadows protested innocently.

Azriel raised an eyebrow, not quite believing them. *And how exactly did you manage that?* he asked dryly.

*We paid for it,* they told him innocently, fluttering around like they hadn’t bought her the biggest and most expensive sapphire he had ever seen.

“I can’t…“ Sky trailed off.

“You’ll break their heart if you turn it down,“ Azriel said with a sigh."Just accept it, love," he said gently. "They mean well, even if they have a tendency to overdo it sometimes,” he said pointedly, something the shadows happily ignored. "They have their own line of credit, so whatever they buy is theirs to do with as they please," he said drily.

Sky grimaced, staring down at the necklace…

"Please…please tell me there isn't…isn’t more pr…priceless je…jewellery in that stack?" she asked with a grimace. "

Azriel laughed, "I wish I could tell you that, but knowing the shadows, I wouldn't be surprised if they've bought you enough jewelry to start your own royal collection."

They had behaved...mostly.

If one ignored the hair comb dripping with some other blue stone...and the earrings that matched that necklace...and the quill that he was pretty sure was encrusted with actual diamonds.

Otherwise they had procured plenty of books for Sky, and had somehow found her a whole stack of notebooks…

(He was pretty sure they lied to him when they told him that they hadn’t bought any of this stuff knew. Where had they kept it otherwise?!)

Azriel couldn't help but shake his head in amusement as Sky opened each gift one by one. "Well, at least they managed to keep it under control for the most part," he said with a wry smile. "But knowing them, I'm sure there's still more where that came from."

Sky's eyes widened as she looked at all the gifts. "This is too much," she protested weakly. "I don't deserve all of this," she muttered. He would have argued, but instead he just pressed a kiss to her temple. "Thank you very much," she thanked the shadows that happily twirled around her hair at her words.

Azriel chuckled, watching the shadows twirling in the air around Sky's head. "I think you just made their day," he said with a grin. "They're always happy to spoil you, love."

"I…I just hope they re…realize that I have a…absolutely no place to wear all of this," she said with a laugh. "I don't want to look like a walking jewelry store every time I leave the house…"

Azriel chuckled, "Well, they do have a bit of a tendency to go overboard when it comes to their gifts. But I can't really blame them, they just want to make you happy." He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek, his eyes twinkling with love. "And you deserve everything and more, love, even if it makes you look like a walking jewelry store every once in a while."

She melted into the kiss.

"I went a very different route for your gift," she told him drily, handing him a sole gift bag.

The first thing he pulled from it was a tin of tuna.

The laughter was immediate. He couldn't help it. Deep belly laughter, his amusement apparent, warmth filling his chest. Azriel couldn't help but burst into laughter as he pulled the tin of tuna from the gift bag. "Is this for Hector or for me?" he asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"I did promise to buy you tuna," Sky gave back with a laugh. "I just thought it would set the tone for the second gift."

The second gift he pulled from the bag was a knitted sweater. Slits down the back for his wings...made out of thick and warm and soft black yarn.

Azriel's laughter faded into a gentle smile as he took in the knitted sweater. "Sky, is this..." He trailed off, fingers brushing the soft, warm fabric. "Did you make this?"

"I did promise to knit you a sweater too," she said simply.

Azriel couldn't help but melt at her words, feeling his heart fill with warmth. "You remembered," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I can't believe you made this for me, sweetheart." He pulled Sky into a tight embrace, feeling her heart beat in sync with his. "It's perfect," he murmured, his voice muffled against her hair. "Just like you."

"I'm glad you like it," Sky said softly. "I know it's not as a King’s ransom in diamonds… but I wanted to give you something that was made with love."

Azriel pulled back slightly to look into her eyes, his expression softening even more. "It means so much more to me because you made it," he said, his voice tender. "I'll cherish it always, just like I cherish you. Though I must admit my present is going to pale in comparison to that egg sized sapphire too," he told her drily.

Sky laughed, leaning into Azriel's embrace. "Well, to be fair, it's hard to compete with a sapphire that size," she said with a grin. "But I'm sure whatever you got me is perfect, even if it's not worth a small fortune."

It kinda was though. Even though it didn't look that way…mostly because he had spent a good few weeks until he had found a stone that even had a chance to stand next to her eyes. An oval sapphire flanked by two diamonds...set in white gold.

Azriel handed her the last box, trying to appear nonchalant. "Here, open this one," he said, trying to hide his nervousness. "I hope you like it."

Sky carefully untied the silk ribbon wrapped around the box and lifted the lid, her eyes widening in awe as she took in the ring inside.

"Marry me," it burst out of him.They had already accepted a mating bond. A marriage would be nothing more than a couple of vows in front of a priestess. But he...he wanted...

Azriel's heart was racing as he watched Sky's reaction to the ring, hoping and praying that she felt the same way he did. "I know that we already have the mating bond," he said softly. "But I want more than that, sweetheart. I...I want everything."

These devastating eyes lifted, looking at him."I want to spend every day for the rest of my life by your side," he continued, his voice rough with emotion. "I want to wake up next to you every morning and fall asleep holding you every night. I want to build a life with you, a family with you." He took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving hers. "And I want to make it official, in every way possible. Will you marry me, Sky?"

"Yes," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Yes, a hundred times yes. I want all of that too, and more. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, to be by your side every step of the way. I want to build a life together, a family together."

Quite frankly, Azriel thought that this Winter Solstice may be the best one he ever had, as she kissed him.

"We could get started on making that family," Sky told him, biting her lips as she pulled back. "You know how High Fae fertility can be...could take us decades..."

Azriel's eyes widened at her words, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Are you saying what I think you're saying, love?" he asked, his voice low and raspy as he pulled her close.

Sky nodded, her expression shy and hopeful as she looked up at him. "I…I want to be a mother s…someday," she said softly. "And I can't think of anyone I'd rather have children with than you."

Azriel felt his heart melt at her words. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have found someone who loved him as much as Sky did. "I want that too, love," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "Nothing would make me happier than to have a family with you."

#acotar fanfiction #azriel x reader #azriel x oc #azriel fanfic #azriel fanfiction #it’s a love story

530 notes · View notes

sagesipsblog · 2 years ago

Text

Happy Holidays

Whatever your path, whatever you find holy, may the growing time of the sun light your way to health, happiness, peace, prosperity, wisdom and magic.

View On WordPress

#2022 #bird #cardinal #christmas #hannuka #happy holidays #Sage Snow #solstice #sun #TaoCraft Tarot

0 notes

witchboxco · 1 year ago

Text

Mabon Altar Ideas & Correspondences

Mabon, also known as the Autumn Equinox, marks the midpoint between the summer and winter solstices. It's a time to celebrate the abundance of the harvest season and express gratitude for the blessings of the year. One way to honor this occasion is by setting up a Mabon altar, adorned with items and symbols that resonate with the energy of the season. Here are a few ideas for when you’re putting your altar together.

The Altar Cloth: Choose an altar cloth in rich autumnal colors such as deep red, orange, or brown. These colors represent the changing leaves and the bountiful harvest.

Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables: Incorporate apples, pumpkins, squash, and corn, or any local harvests you have in your area. These are traditional symbols of the harvest and abundance during Mabon.

Candles: Use candles in colors associated with Mabon, such as gold, yellow, orange, or deep red. These represent the changing colors of the land. Alternatively, you could use black and white candles to represent the balance of dark and light on the equinox.

Crystals: Consider placing crystals like citrine, amethyst, or jasper on your altar. These stones resonate with the energies of balance, gratitude, and abundance.

Symbols of Balance: Include items that represent the balance of day and night, such as a yin-yang symbol or two candles, one for the sun and one for the moon.

Leaves and Acorns: Collect fallen leaves and acorns to symbolize the changing season and the promise of new growth in the future.

Chalice and Bread: A chalice filled with wine or cider and a loaf of bread represent the traditional elements of water and earth, symbolizing the harvest's bounty.

Deity Representations: If you work with specific deities in your practice, add representations of them to your altar. Some gods and goddesses associated with Mabon include Demeter, Persephone, and the Green Man.

Mabon Correspondences

Colors: Deep red, orange, yellow, brown, and gold.

Herbs: Sage, marigold, hops, and thistle.

Foods: Apples, grapes, nuts, grains, and root vegetables.

Symbols: Scales, cornucopias, and the autumn wreath.

Activities: Apple picking, making wreaths, offering prayers of gratitude, and sharing a feast with loved ones.

Intentions: Reflect on balance in your life, give thanks for your blessings, and set intentions for the darker months ahead.

May you be blessed with abundance and gratitude.

#mabon #mabon altar #pagan #paganism #witch #wicca #neopagan #witchcraft #occult #magick #wiccan #autumn #autumnal equinox #autumn equinox #fall equinox #witches of tumblr #witchblr

1K notes · View notes

whimsigothwitch · 1 year ago

Text

Yule (December 21st)

Also know as Yuletide/Winter Solstice, we celebrate the longest night and shortest day of the year. After the solstice, the days are slowly getting longer again. Celebrate with family and friends, reflect on the past year and make plans for the coming year.

Correspondences for Yule: Symbols of Yule | Yulelog, tree, witch yule balls, fire, candles, holly, mistletoe, pinecones, deers, snow, garlands, wreaths, bells, lights. Colors | White, silver, gold, blue, red, green, burgundy. Spells | Planning/new beginnings, blessing, family/hearth, love, reflecting. Crystals | Clear quartz, citrine, snow quartz, snowflake obsidian, bloodstone, ruby. Herbs and flowers | Peppermint, sage, cinnamon, anise, pine, rosemary, ginger. Food | Apple pies, cakes, cookies, meats, nuts, gingerbread, chocolate, egg nog. Activities | Make wreaths, yulelog, bake for family and friends, go for a walk in nature, light candles, decorate your Yuletree, reflect on the past year, decorate your space and altar.

1K notes · View notes

astra-ravana · 1 month ago

Text

Celebrating Samhain

Samhain, pronounced "SAH-win", is the eighth Sabbat and final spoke on the Wheel of the Year. With ancient Celtic origins, Samhain was one of the four fire festivals, and falls at the halfway point between the Autumn Equinox ans Winter Solstice. Opposing Beltane on the Wheel, Samhain also similarly features a 'thinning of the Veil', a time when the barrier between our world and that of spirits and other magickal entities is weakened and easier to cross. While Beltane famously is a strong time to interact with the Fae due to the Veil thinning, Samhain is most known for interactions with spiritual entities, the dead, and ancestors.

Samhain is also known as the third and final Harvest Festival (the first being Lughnasadh, and the second Mabon). The frost is coming, and most of the produce has been collected from the fields and stored away. As people prepared for oncoming harsh weather and lack of food/resources, they had to cut back on everything that wasn't crucial to their survival. Thus, this festival was the time of the animal harvest. All creatures who could not be fed through the harsh Winter were harvested during this time, and celebrated for their sacrifice.

Other names for Samhain and similar celebrations include:

• Halloween

• All Hallow's Eve

• The Witch's New Year

• The Third/Final Harvest

• Calan Gaeaf, "The First Day Of Winter"

• Oiche Shamnhna

• All Soul's Day

• All Saint's Day

• Devil's Night

Common Samhain Traditions

• The Dumb Supper is when a meal is hosted and consumed by the living, but the dead and spirits are invited to participate and given seats and places at the table as a sign of respect. Often the windows are all open during a Dumb Supper to invite the spirits into a home. Sometimes specific spirits or ancestors are invited or the invitation is simply left open to any spirits that wish to attend. The living attendants traditionally eat in silence to honor the spirits and hear their messages.

• Carving Jack-O-Lanterns originally came from the myth of "Stringy Jack", which is an Irish folktale about a man who tricked the Devil and now has to wander the world with a lit piece of coal protected inside a carved turnip. This evolved into people carving their own turnips and potatoes and placing them in windows or doorways to scare away Stringy Jack and other tricky or potentially harmful spirits. Once Irish immigrants came to America, the tradition was continued with pumpkins.

• Trick-Or-Treating is also derived from old Samhain traditions. The Celts believed that by dressing up they were disguising themselves from negative spirits who wandered the Earth on Samhain. In the Middle-Ages, "guising" was when children or impoverished people would dress in costumes and go door-to-door begging for food in exchange for songs or prayers. This practice was known as "souling" and the participants called "soulers". In Ireland, the practice of "mumming" involved dressing up in costumes and going door-to-door to sing in exchange for tasty cakes and baked goods.

Samhain Correspondences

Colors:

• Black

• Green

• Orange

• Purple

• Red

• Silver

Crystals:

• Black Obsidian

• Bloodstone

• Amethyst

• Black Tourmaline

• Carnelian

• Jasper

• Jet

• Malachite

• Iolite

• Onyx

• Vivianite

• Ruby

• Smokey Quartz

• Garnet

Herbs/Plants:

• Cedar

• Allspice

• Cinnamon

• Hemlock

• Sage

• Rosemary

• Patchouli

• Hazel

• Dittany of Crete

• Bay

• Clove

• Belladonna

• Dragon's Blood

• Wormwood

• Mandrake

• Mugwort

• Snapdragon

• Gourds

• Nutmeg

• Frankincense

• Ginger

• Pine

• Hyssop

• Marigold

Animals:

• Bats

• Snakes

• Cats

• Spiders

• Scorpions

• Coyotes

• Jackals

• Dogs

• Wolves

• Foxes

• Crows

• Ravens

• Owls

• Rats

• Stags

Food/Drink:

• Pumpkins

• Cider

• Beef

• Chicken

• Pork

• Cranberries

• Turnips

• Potatoes

• Garlic

• Soups/stews

• Pears

• Corn

• Ale

• Apples

• Grain

• Pies

Deities:

• Hekate

• Lucifer

• Anubis

• Loki

• Lilith

• Morrigan

• Nyx

• Hades

• Persephone

• Osiris

• Apollo

• Cerridwen

• Hel

• Freya

• Demeter

• Bast

• Mercury

• Yama

• Dis

• Herne

Magickal Workings:

• Spirit Work

• Ancestral Work

• Banishing

• Cleansing

• Divination

• Baneful Magick

• Shadow Work

• Rebirth/Resurrection

• Transformation

• Creativity

• Defensive Magick

• Preparation

• Ambition

• Purification

• Protection

Bonus: Samhain Incense Recipe

• 2 parts Rosemary

• 1 part Frankincense

• 1 part Cinnamon

• 1 part Cloves

• 1 part Patchouli

• 1/2 part Sage

• 1/4 part Hyssop

• Pinch of Sea Salt

144 notes · View notes

lucysstoryworld · 5 months ago

Text

The Veil Whisperer | Azriel x Reader (3)

Summary: The Veil Whisperer settles into the Night Court and attends a dinner with the inner circle.

Themes: Love/hate relationship, enemies to lovers kinda.

Warnings: Mentions of violence, MDNI. Let me know if I missed any.

Part One | Part Two

Masterlist

Words: 6,659

"What are you doing?" The Shadowsinger asked. Not more than a moment ago, one of his slithery friends watched... well you weren't sure if they had eyes. Regardless, one of the swirling shadows observed you pull a herb bundle from your bag, light it off a nearby candle and begin to singe the ends of it. It did not wait for any further action before it slinked away. Its master followed no more than thirty seconds later, standing before you with impatient scepticism rippling off him in waves.

Your head rolled around your shoulder, watching him for a moment with the bundle still smouldering in your hands. It baffled you, really. How males like him, who had cut through the lives of his enemies as though they were a shortcut could be so easily shaken. Though people were often fearful of that which they could not understand. Azriel stood, arms crossed with a face stone cold. "What are you so afraid of, Spymaster?" You asked with a gentle purr. One that you knew would set his teeth on edge.

Your smirk widened into a grin when his jaw feathered just the slightest bit. Satisfied with your desired effect, you blew on your herb bundle. The simmering glowed brighter and brighter and smoke began to billow from it. The various aromas of sage, basil, rosemary and more brought a certain comfort to you. It had been a long time since you last left home for a job. A few decades at least. "I'm not afraid of you."

"You may not be afraid of me," You began, the smile on your face becoming less and less forced, "But you are afraid of what I can do, Azriel," You purred his name.

Azriel did not reply. Instead, he stalked further into the room. His shadows spread around the room, weaving and slithering in and around your belongings. You said nothing either, allowing his nerves to be quelled by your oh-so threatening cosy pyjamas. They lingered in your packed bag, rooting through every pocket. One zipped back to its master, bobbing around his ear. "What is that?" Azriel asked as he pulled a wrapped object from your bag, wariness thickening in the room.

The invasiveness began to grate on your nerves. You more than understood his need to make sure you weren't going to attempt to collapse his brother's court, but you thought you deserved more credit than hiding your plans in your bag next to your fuzzy socks. "It's nothing important," You spoke carefully. The need to snatch the object from him made your fingers twitch.

Azriel's eyes remained fixed on your hands. Quite the remarkable observer he was. "Doesn't seem that way." Those eyes darted to your own. You held your own. Though, you noted the amber brilliance shining back. They looked like the sun rising on a summer morning, a hot whiskey on a solstice eve. His eyes bore an intensity you hadn't felt before. It was thoughtful and warm, yet edged with a fierce need to protect.

"Unravel it then," You warned with mock seriousness, using the goading to pull yourself back from the trance this male's stare just had you in. You watched as he delicately began to unwrap the cloth.

"Careful!" You shouted.

Azriel's hands froze, and his head shot up to look at you. The Spymaster was met with your smug face, holding back laughter as you beheld his face. His face instantly twisted into a scowl and it broke your resolve. With your giggles providing an annoying addition to Azriel's sour mood, he uncovered the mystery object in his hand. However, his confusion remained unresolved when a child's toy stared back at him. The Shadowsinger looked at you again, waiting for an explanation as to why you would possibly be carrying a child's toy.

Your chuckles died down to nothing and you allowed yourself to stare at Azriel with a look that would remind him that he was in front of the Veil Whisperer, not some low level spy or rat he found in his court. A look that would remind him that if you truly wished to crush the Night Court, his snooping around your belongings would do little to stop you. When the point was made, you held out your hand for the toy. This time, Azriel did not argue. He just placed your belonging back into your hand and made a start towards the door. He stopped at the entrance. Facing away from you, he said "Rhysand and Feyre have invited you to dinner this evening to formally introduce themselves and our court to you. Please be ready to leave at sundown, I will escort you there." And he left.

***

A slightly satisfied huff made its way from your mouth as your temporary lodgings felt like your own. Your trinkets littered every bit of shelf space. Crystals and books on some, jewels and items previous customers had retrieved for you on others. A stick of incense was smouldering close to its end, and it was the finishing touch to making the room more you than it was Night Court. A set of footsteps neared your room, of which you were unfamiliar with. They were too heavy to be that of your shadowy stalker and his counterparts, but the stride was no less confident. Deliberate, letting you know that they were coming. And an aura that seemed to be seeping from them from all angles. Old, but new to this world. Grave, yet used for good. Your lips began to curl, this being's power causing the hairs to raise on your arm. It had been a long time since another's power had caused a spike of fear to zip through you.

Like a cold breeze on an autumn morning, the kind that cut into you, Lady Death stood at your door. You had heard whispers of the Made Archeron sisters, about how the High Lady contained a sliver of power bestowed unto her by each of the High Lords and whose true potential had yet to be witnessed. Then, her two elder sisters. Elain, the sweet one from what you had been told, was gifted the Sight by the Cauldron because she was just so lovely. But this female, she sent shivers down your spine. Nesta Archeron who took her power from the Cauldron. A power of pure death. Power that many thirsted for. Yet, she gave it back in return for the birth of her nephew and the life of her sibling. A strong female; to not only take power but to relinquish it.

"How can I help you, Nesta Archeron?" You asked with a slight dip of your chin.

Her stare weighed on you. Nesta's eyes scanned you slowly. They stopped in some areas, and shot away from others... particularly at the tattoos that littered your face. You stared right back, your eyes not leaving hers. You could understand why this female made other fae piss their pants.

"I just wanted to see what the fuss was about." Nesta's voice was as smooth as the finest silk in the lands, yet edged with razors.

"Is that so," You replied with a ghost of a smile on your lips. While her voice was calm and smooth, you could tell there was more to this visit than she was going to let on.

Her lips tightened and she raised her chin, those piercing eyes hardened with wariness. "Well I assumed that the female who had my brother-in-law shaking in his boots would be more... impressive."

A haunting grin spread across your face and you couldn't help the cackle that left you. Both at the revelation that you truly did scare the most powerful high lord in history and that Nesta Archeron was as infamous as you had heard. "And here I was thinking that you, Nesta Archeron, would be more... boring." You did not miss the slight shock on her face. "But do not underestimate me. I have been around longer than you and I understand your power more than you do. It would be wise to do yourself the favour of remaining in my good graces."

The staring contest that ensued was palpable. Both of you scrutinised the other, allowing your intuition to guide your opinion. That power danced behind her eyes was cold, yet beautiful. For reasons you weren't sure of, you allowed your own power to snake to the surface. It warmed your eye sockets, sent tingles down your fingertips. It wasn't often you let your true nature loose, especially not in a childish, animalistic show of dominance. If you had witnessed other fae do this, you'd roll your eyes and spit on their names. Yet, here you were standing off with Lady Death herself. And for a moment, no more than a fraction of a second, she faltered. Her chest fluttered the slightest bit and you knew your point had been made. You forced your power back behind its wall and dipped your chin to Nesta. Even though you triumphed in your juvenile staring contest, you respected her will to stand up against the flicker of fear.

"Will you-" She stopped herself. Nesta looked as though she was having a mental debate. With a sigh, she squared her shoulders and looked upon you once again. "Will you teach me about my power? Amren and I have been working on it but Bryce... she uh..."

"Who's Bryce?" You asked coyly.

"I'm not sure I am permitted to tell you... and I am on fairly thin ice lately." You could tell that her pride was bruised from the way she spoke.

"Ah the World Walker," You mused and this time Nesta did not hide her shock. "I knew about the World Walker the moment she tore into our reality... I knew nothing good would come of it. It is what has resulted is my being here, as I'm sure you know by now." You gestured for Nesta to come in and sit. She weighed on it for a moment, stopping herself for a moment before deciding to comply. With all the grace in the world, she sat and rested her hands in her lap. "Did you have much interaction with this Bryce?" Although the thoughts of a World Walker being anywhere near you set your nerves alight, you also couldn't help the curiosity that gnawed at the back of your mind.

"Some," Nesta stated, with a ghost of a smile curling her lips. "She is an interesting female."

"I'm sure she is. But her visit has left you troubled. Personally." Nesta would have to get used to you cutting right to the point.

"Yes." Nesta answered. "I think you will be able to help me. I asked Rhysand about requesting your help with it while you were here and he told me not to due to... your usually strange and taxing demands in exchange for your services. So I would like to get an idea of what this would cost me."

A humoured breath pushed through your nose. "Your High Lord knows me well."

"He's not my High Lord," Nesta snapped.

"Regardless," You rolled your eyes. "He knows me well. But for something such as this... I cannot put a cost on it. You will either agree to this and I will work with you or you can go and try figure it out on your own."

Nesta breathed a long sigh, frustration rippling off her in waves. "But you won't ask me to retrieve a plant from the Bog of Oorid that will cause me to feel like death warmed up?"

"If I think it will help you discover more of your power then I just might," You warned with a devilish grin. "But I will ask for nothing that will benefit me. It will not be easy, Nesta Archeron, at times you will question why you even came to me in the first place."

The eldest sister's lips tightened. "Why won't you charge me?"

"You are the first high fae to ever come to me for help discovering their power. I have seen a variety of beings over my time, and high fae have been the most arrogant by far. They come to me with their judgments and demands that they think will progress their position or give them an edge against their enemies. But you are the first one to come to me asking for genuine help. Innocent. I respect that." The pride that you saw reflected in her gaze made your smile turn kinder. Nesta nodded. "And in my culture, it is back luck to deny a request such of this. It was the first thing my mother taught me about our way of life. But my transaction with Rhysand must take precedence. I will make time for you where I can. Be prepared, Lady Death."

Nesta rose and smoothed her hands over her dress. "Please do not say anything to the High Lord and Lady about this... or any of them for that matter. This is something I wish to do for myself and I will tell them in my own time."

"No one will hear it from me."

With that, Nesta made for the door. You watched as she neared the door. She paused at the door, the same place she had when she first sought you out. "Thank you, Veil Whisperer." And then she was gone.

***

Azriel rubbed his face, in the comfort of his room. A few days had passed since he returned from his mission... and yet it felt like he was still on the mission. The nap he had taken the day of his return had been the only bit of meaningful rest he'd gotten, and it had only been a couple hours at best. Whenever he closed his eyes, the stress of that thing being loose ran marathons in his head along with the presence of her keeping pace with it. Work and home had never been the same thing before for Azriel. This had always been a place of rest, a place where he could put his job and all its nasty details into that shadowed part of his brain and he didn't have to think about it. Now, Azriel felt as though he was working double time. The constant need to send his shadows to check on the Veil Whisperer and her actions was a fulltime job itself. This was going to be a long mission, and the adjustment after it would be hard.

The way that female grinned at him like he was a fool set his teeth on edge. Azriel couldn't get that cocky look from his head, the way the lines tattooed on her face curved and bent when she bore that sharp toothy smile. It was a smile that was cruel, yet full of amusement and the image of it would be burned into his memory forever. Azriel felt his frustration begin to rise at the thought of how she spoke too. The Veil Whisperer had a melodic voice, smooth and sure but the words that held that sound made Azriel want pull his hair out. He found himself replaying her snide remarks in his head over and over, each time he wanted to clap back with his own petty comment. Though, even his imaginative version of her managed to out-word him. Gods, he really hated her. Not only for performing her... ritual on him and his brothers but also for the lack of respect since. Azriel thought he might be able to cope when she came to the border -- any idiot could have seen how stressed she was. But no, the Veil Whisperer quickly settled back into her asshole persona.

Two short, gentle knocks sounded on his door. Azriel didn't have to ask who it was, not with his shadows whispering the name of his visitor. Azriel approached his door, pulling it open and the sweet scent of fresh soil and flowers filled his nose. "Hello, Elain. What are you doing here? Did you take the stairs?"

Elain smiled bashfully and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Hello, Azriel. No, I didn't. Cassian flew me up earlier, I have been tending to the gardens and thought I would come to see you while I was here." Elain's voice was like music to his ear, so soft and words so kind. It was a needed change from what he had been dealing with.

The winged spymaster gestured for Elain to enter and a shadow pulled a chair out for her by his window. "Thank you." Elain settled herself into the seat and smoothed her hands over her skirts. Azriel watched as she gazed out his window and it sent a painful reminder of how she was when her and Nesta were first Made. He truly hoped she never fell back into that woe again in her now very long lifetime. "I suppose I really wished to come and tell you that I'm sorry."

"Why would you want to say sorry?" Azriel asked.

"Well I feel as though I might have overstepped the other evening at dinner. I did not intend to push you, I just worry about you." Elain's cheeks dusted with rose the more she spoke, and she could not meet his eyes. She raised her head and smiled meekly, pulling something from her pocket, "So I brought you a peace offering. It's a salve to help with stress. I used some of the herbs I've been learning to grow to make it."

Azriel's heart thumped painfully in his chest when Elain raise the small tub of salve. He stared at it for a moment, feeling both an overwhelming sense of adoration but also sadness. "You did not overstep," Azriel began and took the salve from her hand. He then took her wrist and twisted her hand and raised it to his lips. The Shadowsinger kissed her gently, trying to pour all his gratitude into the action. Elain's cheeks were blood red by the time the action was complete. "And you do not have to apologise. I apologise for being dismissive. I would hate to offload my troubles onto you, Elain. You do not deserve to hear the horrors that entails my line of work."

The middle sister smiled, looking as though she was going to protest but remained quiet. Instead she rose from her seat and took the tub from Azriel. Gingerly, Elain unscrewed the lid and looked at Azriel for permission. Azriel felt like a lovesick teen with the way his breath seemed caught in his lungs. He nodded slightly, and he felt blood rush to his own cheeks when Elain coated the creamy balm on her fingers. The sight of the pair of them would be enough to make Cassian gag if he were present. Azriel felt all thoughts fall away from him when Elain massaged the product into his temples. Her touch was soft, the motion gentle. The breath that seemed to be screaming in Azriel's lungs released slowly, and it seemed to melt away the tension in his wings, back, neck and everywhere that Azriel didn't even know was tight. Elain's soft breaths were shaking, her cheeks redder than they had ever been. It was such an innocent moment, yet it was the most intimate experience Azriel felt like he'd ever had.

"Is this okay?" Elain whispered, her doe eyes staring into his with such... trust.

Azriel closed his hands around Elain's, as though she was a feather, and he held her there. He wished he could keep this moment paused forever. Rhysand's previous warnings were nowhere in his mind, not with how sweet this all felt. It was like taking that first inhale of fresh air after being inside for hours or the smell of fresh rain. It was such a natural feeling, it felt right. Azriel leaned in slowly, his nose brushing against her nose. It was his turn to ask "Is this okay?"

Azriel couldn't help the way his heart dropped when Elain took a minuscule step back. Despite her rosy cheeks and wide pupils, she stepped back. "I..." She began and looked down apologetically. She pulled her hands away and linked them together in front of her. "I like you Az, I do but..." She looked away.

"It's okay, Elain. You do not have to explain yourself." Azriel smiled with as much reassurance he could muster despite his heart feeling like lead that was sinking to the pit of his stomach.

"No, you don't get it," Elain almost snapped. "I wish I could just do this with you, that I could enjoy this feeling with you without worrying about what people might do or think!"

"What Lucien might do." Azriel stated blandly. If it had been appropriate and he was a lesser male, he would have rolled his eyes and whisper a curse to the heavens about how much he wanted to kick that redhead in the ass... but he was not a lesser male. Azriel could understand the predicament Elain was in.

"Not just Lucien... though I have been reading up on the uh... mating bond," Elain said uncomfortably, "and I worry that he might do something brash so I'm trying to find my footing. But also Feyre and Rhysand. I know Rhysand warned you, Feyre warned me also. She warned me that I'm not ready. At first I was so angry with her, angry because who does she think she is to be making these decisions for me. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised she's right." Azriel remained quiet. "In a very short space of time I went from a betrothed human, to a High Fae female who has a mate. And while that mate did his best to get to know me, all I wanted was my human fiance... and now there's this!" Elain exclaimed gesturing frantically between herself and the Illyrian warrior who felt little more than a boy in that moment. Elain ran her fingers through her hair. "It's lovely, it truly is but-"

"But it's too fast and you need space," Azriel finished.

"It's too fast and I need space," Elain echoed and released a long sigh. "I'm sorry. I just-"

"Stop right there," Azriel interrupted. Elain frowned. "You do not need to apologise for anything. I understand. We can take a step back and you can take as much space as you need to figure everything out." The look of relief on Elain's face made Azriel's heart hurt. "I can wait for you." He added softly, and caressed her cheek. Elain nodded once, and smiled once again. It made Azriel weak in the knees.

"I don't know how long it will take... or if I will even choose anyone," Elain warned.

"That's fine. I will wait until you tell me to either stop or you decide that you want me too." Azriel said. He pined after Mor for so long. He could manage this.

***

Elain had left hours ago and Azriel had ruminated over his exchange with her over and over again since. He wished that, for once, something in his love life could go smoothly. Just once. He thought it was happening when she brought him that salve. The way she had massaged his temples... it felt so right. Felt like they had been together for years. And like always, the moment was ruined just as quick as it started. He ruined it just as quick as it started. Azriel cursed himself for trying to kiss her again, his mind ran circles around itself wondering if that conversation would have happened if he didn't jump the gun.

Whatever, he thought to himself. Azriel looked at the time. He actually rolled his eyes this time when he saw that it was time for dinner. Time to go get you and bring you to the family dinner. It felt like a violation to have the Veil Whisperer of all people joining something that Azriel held dear to his heart. Yet another part of his personal life tarnished by this chore you were becoming. Azriel left his bedroom and tracked his way to the guestroom. Though, he could smell whatever you were burning from down the hall. It was pleasant, he hated to admit. Azriel knocked on the door twice, not wanting to barge in and uncover another ritual you could be performing.

You opened the door, smirking widely at him. "Good evening, Azriel." You purred and leaned your head against the door. It took effort for Azriel to not react. He wished he could wipe that smirk off your face.

"Good evening," He replied stiffly. "Are you ready to go?"

You opened the door wider and Azriel was surprised to see that you dressed... pleasantly. He didn't know what he was expecting, but the fabrics layered on top of each other to create a two piece top and trousers definitely wasn't what he had in mind. A necklace with some inscriptions that he couldn't understand sat delicately on your chest. Azriel turned on his heel and began to walk, not even checking that you were following. Your soft footsteps padding close behind him were enough regardless. Azriel did not speak nor did he make any other sound until he reached the balcony.

"We will fly down." Azriel stated and offered nothing else.

"You sure you don't want to winnow us down, Spymaster? You look like you're going to shit yourself." Azriel's jaw tensed at your snotty words.

"You're not worth the effort." Azriel did not wish to explain himself to you. He hadn't flown much since he arrived home and he wanted to stretch his wings... carrying you was a necessary evil for that.

"Ouch," You said flatly, though Azriel could almost taste the sarcasm dripping from your tone. Instead of getting into a word battle with you, he merely opened his arms. He stared straight ahead as you stepped into him. Azriel lifted with ease and flapped his wings widely. In moments, he was airborne.

You looked out over the city initially, but as Azriel climbed you turned your head and looked at this face instead. He made a point of not looking at you. Yet when your hand came up and grabbed his shirt tightly, it was his turn to have a cocky grin. "The wise, old, scary Veil Whisperer is afraid of flying is she?"

You frowned deeply and your heart was beating so fast that Azriel could hear it over the wind. "I'm not that old and I'm not afraid."

A yelp-gasp type of noise escaped your lips when Azriel suddenly dropped a few feet. He was sure his shirt would rip from your grip at any moment yet he laughed at your fear. "That was not funny!" You growled breathlessly. The Shadowinger held his own razor sharp grin as the townhouse came into view. If you were going to be a miserable pain in his ass, he would do the same to you.

Azriel landed on the balcony at the townhouse and set you down. He watched as your legs wobbled a bit, not enough for someone other than the Night Court Spymaster to see but in your case... Azriel began walking as soon as you were out of his arms. Once again, he did not wait to see if you were following. He strode straight for the balcony doors. Azriel smirked once again once he heard your hurried footsteps behind him. In the short walk to the dining room, Azriel heard you take a few deep breaths.

Rounding the corner into the room, Azriel watched as everyone was already there and stood from their seats and your arrival. His eyes scanned the room and everyone's faces held a different look. Mor looked curious, tilting her head to try see the female behind him. Amren look as though she couldn't care less, as per usual. Elain looked visibly nervous and didn't look into his eyes.

"Good to see you, brother," Cassian said and pulled Azriel into a hug. The General looked into your eyes over his brother's shoulder. He slid away from Azriel and stood before you. "And uh, it is a pleasure to see you again." Cassian extended his hand to you.

You took the General's hand and shook it firmly. "It is good to see you too, General. Have you recovered from our last encounter?" You asked slyly.

Cassian, to your surprise, smiled like a cocky teenager. "I am doing just fine, thank you." Nesta came up to his side and made her greetings to which you played along with. She was clearly serious about her wish to keep your little pact a secret.

Everyone took their turn introducing themselves to you, each different from the last. Finally, the middle Made sister was before you. "I'm Elain, it is nice to meet you." Elain bowed her head slightly towards you. Well, you could understand why the Cauldron liked her so much just from her looks alone.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Elain." The middle sister looked surprised at your simple response. To be honest, she looked like she was afraid you would bite her. Her lips twitched into a small smile as she dipped her head again and retreated back to her seat.

"Thank you for inviting me to this meal," You addressed the High Lord and Lady. Feyre gestured to the empty seat between herself and Azriel who had since seated himself with Elain on his left. You made your way to the seat and settled yourself into the plush chair.

"Well," Rhysand began, "As I'm sure Azriel explained, this dinner was to introduce you to everyone in our inner circle. We are at your full disposal given the nature of this... issue." You nodded once. "Now time to stop with all this chat and let's eat." Not even a second after Rhysand finished talking, the food appeared on the table and everyone began digging in.

Some time passed, and you tried not to comment on the fleeting glances that almost everyone seemed to be throwing your way. Everyone apart from Azriel who either stared at his dinner, or engaged in conversation with Elain. It amused you to no end that you wormed your way under his skin so easily. With another more than obvious stare for The Morrigan, you rolled your eyes and sighed, "Clearly some of you have questions, so go ahead and ask. I'm not going to hex you for talking to me."

Feyre smiled into her wine at your dryness. Though, before she managed to talk, Morrigan blurted out, "What's a hex?"

"A hex is a curse. It can be viscous or just cause annoyance." Mor's mouth made an 'O' shape and she sat back into her seat, clearly running through all her subsequent questions.

"Do you hex people often?" Rhysand asked, to your surprise.

You turned your head to look at him, your signature smirk on your lips. "No, I don't make a habit of it. Hexing is a delicate process. One wrong word, one wrong intention and they can backfire in the most twisted ways."

The High Lady looked at you intently. "Have you ever had a hex backfire?"

Your smirk turned into a bitter smile. "I think every practicing female in my culture has had a hex backfire... it's like a rite of passage." You smiled as you took a drink of your wine. The silence at the table was palpable.

"How did it backfire?" Elain's voice was next.

"Elain!" Feyre whisper-shouted.

You raised your hand in dismissal, "It's fine. Most practicing females begin their lessons after they have their first blood. We learn about the dangerous stuff first... I suppose that's because we can try it while we're still young and stupid and don't have enough training to cause any serious harm. Anyways, there was a male in my village who I was convinced was my future mate," You smiled. That earned a few snickers. "Though, he had zero interest in me. In fact, I believe his mother warned him to stay away from me because of our... reputation. I did my best to get his attention, even covered up this," You gestured to the lines decorating your face. You didn't expect anyone at the table to understand how taboo it was for your to cover the tattoos, yet when you met Feyre's eyes, she looked sympathetic. "But instead, he and his friends berated me. They threw their food at me and beat me. So that night, I snuck into my mother's study and spent all night conjuring up my little hex. It was supposed to make his and all his friends' hair fall out. I was so confident in myself. Yet when I woke up the next morning, I was balder than the day I was born." The table erupted in laughter, to which you joined in.

"What did your mother say?" Nesta asked.

"Oh she knew what I had tried to do the moment I stood before her in tears. I showed her what I had done and she found where I went wrong immediately. I was punished accordingly, as if being bald wasn't punishment enough. But I learned my lesson."

"What happened to the boy and his friends?" Amren asked, who had remained very quiet throughout the dinner.

"Oh, I ended up lacing their drinking water with laxatives a few weeks later." Another round of chuckled occurred.

The table went quiet. You finished your plate and washed it down with your wine. "Your mother taught you?" Nesta asked cautiously.

"Yes, and my grandmother." You replied, your mind wandering to them. It was clear by your demeanour that neither female was alive anymore.

"How did they pass?" The High Lord asked.

Your brows furrowed and you looked at him with confusion. "You don't know?"

The silence at the table became thick with tension. "What do you mean?" Rhysand asked, his eyes hard.

"Your father killed them." Everyone halted their movements, even Azriel who had made a point in eating and drinking through your previous story telling. The High Lord clearly looked lost for words, his eyes flickering as if trying to remember the details. Feyre grabbed his hand beneath the table. "During the war..." You began. "He didn't tell you?"

"I'm afraid not, you have my apologies," Rhysand spoke with as much sincerity as your had seen.

"During the war, your father caught wind that my mother and grandmother could predict certain things, sway events in his favour..." You began, and cleared your throat. Azriel turned his head to look at you for the first time since dinner began. You looked back at him, feeling a certain comfort in his amber eyes. You turned your head back to the table, "It was an exaggeration of our gifts. We don't get clear images, just flashes. The future can change, it it not a set thing. Their predictions were true for the most part. Some of the battles were won just from those glimpses. But our deities will only show us what they want us to see," You said. You knew you weren't being totally clear, it would take a lot more time and a lot less emotions to explain how it worked. "My grandmother was the female who taught some of you scrying, which I believe is now used widely enough." You missed how most eyes darted to Nesta briefly. "Anyways, there was one day where the predictions showed that your father would lose a battle. And lose hard. The Battle of Blossom," You voice was grave.

"I remember it well," Azriel stated. "It was during the time we were all separated for the war." Cassian and Rhys tensed their jaws. "It was a massacre, we barely made it out. There has only been a few times that I have been too close to death and that was one of them."

"Well my mother and grandmother warned it was going to happen. But the former High Lord forced them to do every ritual they could to turn the tide in his favour. They tried to explain it to him, but he would not hear it." The anger rose in your chest, you felt sick.

"My father was not the listening kind." Rhysand's dry words told you enough about his regard for his late father.

"Yes, and my mother and grandmother found that out together. When the battle was lost and your father returned, he had them both executed for treason. Said that they were traitors." Your stomach was filled with lead. The dead air across the table was as uncomfortable as it could get.

"I'm sorry," Rhysand spoke barely above a whisper.

You shook your head, as though you were shaking the bad thoughts away. "Don't apologise, you didn't execute them."

"Do you mind me asking how you know all this? If I didn't know, how did you?"

"My mother's journal was sent to me along with a letter from his General explaining that they were dead. She documented a lot of what happened." You didn't need to explain more.

The loaded stares you were receiving made your skin crawl. "Anyways, your father died not long after so I suppose he got his just desserts," You said with a sigh and you finished the rest of your wine in one gulp.

"You didn't uh..." Cassian began nervously, "You didn't hex the former High Lord did you?"

The laugh that bubbled in your chest escaped before your better judgement could stop you. Especially with the apprehensive look all the inner circle was giving you. "Rest easy, Night Court," You soothed. "I did not hex your father. I wanted to, I truly did. But I was grown by then and knew better than to even try something like that. You heard what went wrong with a mediocre hex..." Understanding rippled throughout the room. Following that heavy conversation, light chatter broke out across the table again. You did not engage with anyone, your mind elsewhere. Tiredness weighed on your eyes, the wine didn't help. You observed the people around you, seeing how much warmth radiated from each person to the next. It reminded you of your family, once upon a time. It had been a long time since you had seen such harmony between people. A sour feeling crawled up your throat.

A cry pulled you from your thoughts. Young and full of woe. Everyone looked toward Rhysand and Feyre. Ah, you had forgotten they were new parents. Yet, the sound rattled your soul. Your jaw tightened with each cry, tension causing a pain in your spine. "I'll go," Feyre said and stood to leave.

As she left, you turned your head to Azriel. "Do you mind bringing me back?" Azriel looked into your eyes for a few beats and weighed whatever laid in your gaze. He nodded and stood. "Thank you for dinner, please pass that along to the High Lady," You announced to the table and made for the balcony. You did not wait for any reply, the need to get away from that house controlling you.

Azriel followed you out a few seconds later. The Illyrian looked as though he was going to pass a snide remark but when he saw the withering look you bore, he remained quiet. The silence continued throughout the short flight back to the House of Wind, even while your grip on him was nothing short of bone crushing. When he set you down on the balcony, Azriel watched as your stormed away from him with a quiet 'goodnight' followed by the slam of your door. The recurring thought in Azriel's head was that there was a lot more to you than meets the eyes, yet he knew you were going to be a massive pain in his ass.

Taglist: @landofpetrichor @jojodojo02 @bookwormysblog @morticiaofthedead Please let me know if you wish to be added!

I would also love to hear your thoughts :)

#acotar azriel #azriel x reader #acotar #azriel angst #azriel x you #a court of thorns and roses #azriel shadowsinger #cassian acotar #amren acotar #morrigan acotar #feyre archeron #rhysand acotar #azriel x reader angst #azriel spymaster #azriel acotar #azriel #acotar series

114 notes · View notes

greenwitchcrafts · 1 year ago

Text

December 2023 witch guide

Full moon: December 26th

New moon: December 12th

Sabbats: Yule December 21st-January 1st

December Cold Moon

Known as: Drift Clearing Moon, Frost Exploding Tree Moon, Moon of the Popping Trees, Hoar Frost Moon, Snow Moon, Winter, Aerra Geola, Maker Moon, Heilagmanoth, Long Night's Moon, Oak Moon, Wintermonat, Moon of the Long Night, Little Spirit Moon, Wolf Moon & When the Deer Shed Their Antlers Moon

Element: Fire

Zodiac: Sagittarius & Capricorn

Nature spirits: Snow, Storm, & Winter Tree faeries

Deities: Athena, Fates, Hades, Hathor, Hecate, Ixchel, Minerva, Neith, Norns, Osiris & Persephone

Animals: Bear, deer, horse & mouse

Birds: Robin, rook & snowy owl

Trees: Fir, Holly & Pine

Herbs: Bay, cedar, chamomile, cinnamon, English ivy, evergreen, fir, frankincense, holly, mistletoe, myrrh, pine & sage

Flowers: Christmas catus, holly & poinsettia

Scents: Cedar, cinnamon, frankincense, ginger, lilac, myrrh, nutmeg, patchouli, pine, rose geranium, rosemary, saffron, violet & wintergreen

Stones: Bloodstone, blue topaz, cat's eye, garnet, jacinth, obsidian, peridot, turquoise, zircon, ruby & serpentine

Colors: Black, blood red, gold, green, red, silver, black & white

Energy: Alchemy, darkness, endurance, death & re-birth, higher education, publications, reaching out to others, religion, spiritual paths, travel & truth

Today, December’s full Moon is most commonly known as the Cold Moon—a Mohawk name that conveys the frigid conditions of this time of year, when cold weather truly begins to grip us.

This full Moon has also been called the Long Night Moon (Mohican), as it rises during the “longest” nights of the year, near the December winter solstice. This name is doubly fitting because December’s full Moon shines above the horizon for a more extended period than most full Moons.

In Europe, ancient pagans called the December full Moon the “Moon Before Yule,” in honor of the Yuletide festival celebrating the return of the sun heralded by winter solstice.

Yule

Also known as: Alban, Arthan & Winter Solstice

Season: Winter

Symbols: Baskets of clove studded fruit, Christmas catus, decorated evergreen trees, evergreen boughs, gifts, gold pillar candles, hung mistletoe, poinsettias, wreaths & Yule logs/small Yule log with three candles

Colors: Gold, green, orange, red, silver, white &yellow

Oils/incense: Bayberry, cedar, cinnamon, frankincense. Myrrh & pine

Animals: Bear, boar, deer (stag), pig, squirrel & tiger

Birds: Eagle, goose, kingfisher, lapwing, owl robin & wren

Stones: Bloodstone, garnet, ruby, alexandrite, blue topaz, cat's eye, citrine, clear quartz, diamond, emerald, green tourmaline, jet, kunzite & pearl

Foods: Caraway cakes, cookies, eggnog, fruits, ginger tea, nuts, pork, spiced cider, turkey, wassail & lamb's wool (ale, sugar, nutmeg & roasted apples)

Herbs/plants: Bay, bayberry, birch, blessed thistle, cedar, chestnut, cinnamon, evergreens, fir, frankincense, ginger, holly, ivy, juniper, mistletoe, moss, myrrh, oak, pine, rosemary, sage, valerian & yellow cedar

Flowers: Chamomile, poinsettia & yarrow

Goddesses: Alcyone, Aphrodite, Ameratasu, Bona Dea, Brighid, Cailleach Bheur, Demeter, Diana, Fortuna, Frau Holle, Frau Perchta, Frigga, Gaia, Hel, Great Mother, Idunn, Isis, Ishtar, Kolyada, La Befana, Maat & Tiamat

Gods: Apollo, Attis, Balder, Bragi, Dionysus, Divine Child, Green Man, Helios, Holly King, Horned one, Horus, Janus, Lord of Misrule, Lugh, Mabon, Marduk, Mithras, Odin, Ra, Saturn & Surya

Issues Intentions & Powers: Darkness, divination, light, messages/omens, purification, rebirth/renewal & transformation

Spellwork: Earth magick, happiness, harmony, love & peace

Activities:

• Set up & decorate a Yule altar

• Clean, organize & cleanse before decorating your home

• Make witch's balls to hang on your tree (protective & pretty!)

• Decorate & bless & Yule tree

• Stay awake until dawn to observe the cycles of nature

• Give gifts tomyour family & friends

• Donate your time or helpful items to charity

• Go caroling

• Hang mistletoe in your doorways

• Make Wassail

• Prepare a Yule Log

• Host a Yule feast

• Craft your own decorative wreath

• Decorate your house with Yule colored candles

• Welcome the Sun

• Go on nature walks & leave offerings to nature

• Meditate & reflect on the passing year

“Yule” comes from Old English geol, which shares a history with the equivalent word from Old Norse, jól. Both these words referred to a midwinter festival centered around the winter solstice, which traditionally marked the halfway point of the winter season. After the solstice—the shortest day of the year—the days again begin to grow longer, so it’s thought that Yule was a celebration of the re-appearance of the Sun &the fertile land’s rebirth.

The celebration of Yule is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world. Ancient people were hunters & spent most of their time outdoors. The seasons & weather played a significant part in their lives. The customs and traditions associated with it vary widely.

Scholars have connected the original celebrations of Yule to the Wild Hunt, the god Odin, and the heathen Anglo-Saxon Mōdraniht ("Mothers' Night")

Some believe it marks the rebirth of the Sun (the God) from the Earth (the Goddess) & the cold days of winter will soon begin to wane. The Goddess is seen in her virgin Maiden aspect

In towns and cities throughout Sweden during the Christmas season, large goats are constructed out of straw. It is thought that the tradition originated in ancient times, perhaps as a tribute to the god Thor, who was said to ride in a chariot pulled by goats. In Sweden the goat came to be associated with the Christmas celebration, and the Yule goat is now considered by many to be a companion or counterpart to Santa Claus.

Related festivals:

Christmas- An annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ as the son of God, primarily observed on December 25th

Hanukkah- A Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem & subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE.

Hanukkah is observed for eight nights & days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar. The festival is observed by lighting the candles of a candelabrum with nine branches, commonly called a menorah or hanukkiah.

Kwanzaa- An annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1st, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually on the sixth day. It was created by activist Maulana Karenga, based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of West & Southeast Africa. Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966.

A Kwanzaa ceremony may include drumming and musical selections, libations, a reading of the African Pledge & the Principles of Blackness, reflection on the Pan-African colors, a discussion of the African principle of the day or a chapter in African history, a candle-lighting ritual, artistic performance & finally, a feast of faith (Karamu Ya Imani).

Saturnalia-

is an ancient Roman festival and holiday in honour of the god Saturn, held on 17 December of the Julian calendar & later expanded with festivities through to 23 December. The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn, in the Roman Forum & a public banquet, followed by private gift-giving, continual partying & a carnival atmosphere that overturned Roman social norms: gambling was permitted & masters provided table service for their slaves as it was seen as a time of liberty for both slaves and freedmen alike.

A common custom was the election of a "King of the Saturnalia", who gave orders to people, which were followed & presided over the merrymaking. The gifts exchanged were usually gag gifts or small figurines made of wax or pottery known as sigillaria. The poet Catullus called it "the best of days".

Other celebrations:

Feast of Epona-

Eponalia is the feast day of Gaulish Goddess Epona, the Divine Mare & in the time of the Roman Empire it was celebrated on December 18th.

Epona is known to be one of a very few Gaulish deities whose names were spread to the rest of the Roman Empire. This seems to have happened because Roman cavalry units stationed in Gaul followed Her & adopted her as their Patroness. This may have started because many of the cavalry troops were conscripted from Gaul as they were superb horsemen. From Gaul the Romans took Epona with them including to Rome where She was given her own feast day on the 18 December. They worshipped her as Epona Augusta or Epona Regina & invoked her on behalf of the Emperor. She even had a shrine in the barracks of the Imperial Bodyguard.

Hunting of the Wren-

A traditional custom carried out on the Isle of Man on the 26 December, St. Stephen's Day. It consists of groups of people going around villages and towns singing and dancing a traditional song and dance around a decorated wren pole.

The earliest and most common folklore story accounting for the origin of hunt the wren tells of a fairy/enchantress/witch whose beauty lures the men of the Isle of Man to harm, for which she is chased and is changed into the form of a wren. It is therefore in punishment for her actions that the wren is hunted on St. Stephen's Day

Sources:

Farmersalmanac.com

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

Llewellyn's 2023 magical almanac: practical magic for everyday living

Wikipedia

Encyclopedia Britannica

316 notes · View notes