#sweet-superstition-oracle

[dent-de-leon]

Kingsley needs time in the spotlight. We don't know anything about how he's doing during the solstice. Is he having visions? Nightmares? I wish he was talked about and included more.

aHH yes I feel the same definitely!! ; ; Every incarnation of the Circus Man is very dear to me, and I would love to see more Kingsley. We just got him for so little time, and he's so fascinating and such a love letter to how far the Nein were willing to go to save Mollymauk's soul ; ; It does make me sad that he's the only one of the Mighty Nein we didn't get to see yet, but I am hopeful that maybe we'll finally get to spend some time with him soon!

Also, the fact that the novel ends with defining Kingsley as Molly and Lucien both shaking hands, deciding to both come back together and try again...it's just so very sweet and cathartic to me, a transformation and rebirth, a miracle that amazed even one of the gods. A life born out of love.

And there's just so many fascinating directions his story can go! And so many interesting threads that potentially connect him to Rudius to me?? I mean, I still can't get over the fact that Molly was "born" in the Savalirwood, ground zero for Ludinus' first "communion" with Predathos; this cursed, corrupted forrest where restless spirits still roam. Not only that, in the comic he very much appears to be?? Born on a Ruidus flare?? If that's really the case, then...that's definitely something??

In another life, Tealeaf was warned never to trust other fortune tellers who use an "Oracle of the Red Moon"--a deck that mirrors and mocks the Moonweaver's, cards meant to manipulate and mislead, bring nothing but misfortune and misery to others. I can't help but feel like there's something very interesting there, that Molly was maybe the only one of all the Nein to be raised with superstitions about the red moon...Wonder if it would still make some part of Kingsley a bit unnerved to go there, even just subconsciously...

And even if Molly wasn't really Ruidusborn, we know that he/Lucien were fate touched. Thinking about how...it took a fate touched champion of the gods to power Ludinus' weapon. How it must feel to be a fate touched soul when everything Ludinus is doing is to sever the threads of fate and all connection to the divine. Would a part of him feel those bonds breaking, on some level?

And with all kinds of ancient arcane prisons breaking all over the world, I really can't stop thinking about how Kingsley spent years waking from nightmares about a primal scream and black chains. If Tharizdun has grown more powerful since the start of the solstice, do those dreams get worse? Does Kingsley have nights where he wakes still screaming? Or perhaps he has other dreams? Tealeaf, who was saved by the Moonweaver in every life--dreamed of her in every life--does he see her again one night, asking him for help?

Kingsley Tealeaf is born of both the Nein's love and a Divine Intervention of the gods. He's someone who's soul was found and cradled by the Moonweaver in every lifetime. Does a part of him feel indebted to the gods for that? Or perhaps it's just that he still loves the Moonweaver, sees her as something of an old friend? Would protect her the same as the Nein, because that's what you do for family?

There's just so many interesting directions you could go for Kingsley's reaction to the solstice, I think whatever Taliesin--and perhaps Robbie--decide to do would be just fascinating :') Also, I think it will be very fun if we get to see Robbie play King for the Nein episodes and I'm all for it, especially with how excited Tal was about it. But I do still miss seeing Taliesin as Mr. Tealeaf and hope he still plays him again someday too ; ;

[yaldev]

Meeting with His Judgment

Every animal instinct told Decadin to throw his body at the bars, to ram them with his shoulder, bend them with the force of his indignant rage and rip them from their slots. An ancient strength he’d never felt coursed through his body, a power bestowed by the desperate will to survive, a dormant force from the days when wild humans lifted boulders if that’s what it took to break free. Decadin reached forward with trembling hands. His fingers tried to grasp the cold metal, but his body was still curled against the opposite wall and his legs would not move.

The Oracle, she was here in the cell with him. But she couldn't be. Even in a world where Decadin’s own empire would imprison him, some trace of rationality remained, and it was too important to abandon.

“You won’t even try?” she asked.

She was a dream, a hallucination.

“You could scream. Maybe they'll realize who you are.”

She was an illusion, a magic trick from the captors.

“I know you remember the stories. The strength that blesses us in dire times.”

“No!” Decadin yelled. He felt the emptiness in his lungs, and he sobbed.

The Oracle bent over him. “After everything else, this is what stops you?”

“Everything else…” Decadin shook his head with eyes held shut. “Everything else was possible.” They opened. “But those bars are steel. Probably manganese steel, maybe enchanted. It’s too stiff to bend even with hysteria in play, and the tensile strength is definitely too—”

“Possibility never stopped you. Would you just be too embarrassed if you failed?”

“I’m saying there’s no ‘if’ about it. There’s doing the impossible, and then there’s ‘my body cannot exert the force to bend these bars under known physics.’”

The Oracle looked no different than the first day he witnessed her, even as he had grown, changed the world, flourished, wrinkled, regretted. Now this ghost-hallucination-trick was here to gloat.

“I think you’re scared.”

Decadin stared up through his brow. “How astute.”

“You've forgotten what panic is, child, how it feels and how to manage it." Her disdain was palpable. "And now you imagine you’re still in control because you’ve kept your composure, you’ve tried nothing desperate, and you know the mechanics of your cage.”

“The only thing I’m imagining is you.”

The Oracle grinned with ancient menace. “You’re a greater fool than you think.”

“And what about your part in my foolishness? You did this too.”

Her smile closed but persisted. Decadin pushed himself to his feet and took a closer look at that immortal face, at the eyes that stared past his flesh, than he had ever dared.

“Don’t act like you didn’t set my course. Yes, I did this, just as you said, but your predictions would have never come to pass if I never came to hear them.”

“Self-fulfilling prophecy?" She was wreathed in a halo of elemental smugness. "Your science has no data to prove it, so you must rely on your faith.”

“What?”

“You embraced reason since we first spoke, but you were always too smart to let go of your superstition.”

With the strength of dire circumstances, Decadin shoved the Oracle. His hands passed through like a ghost.

He growled. “Revenge for the Old Faiths? Your Deftists, your Eej-Landians?”

Her smile opened. Liquid chaos poured from between her teeth to the floor.

Decadin scrambled into a far corner, staring in horror. “What in Pelbee’s name?!”

“THAT IS STILL THE GOD YOU CHOOSE?” she hissed, closing in with gentle steps. The colorful gas carved runes into the floor, writing in tongues that died before the Ascended Nation was born. “YOU PRAY TO THE CITY THAT EATS YOU?”

“Guards! Come, please!”

“ONE MORE PROPHECY FOR THE HERO WHO SAVED US ALL. THIS IS REVENGE—”

“Sweet Aster, protect me!”

“—FOR NOTHING. ONLY TRUTH!”

The Oracle gasped, savored the stale prison air, and roared a whirlwind of mana into Decadin’s screaming face.

---

Yaldev is a sci-fantasy worldbuilding project by Ulysses Maurer, with art by Beeple. By looking at narratives, stylized loredumps, bad poetry and little details, we'll witness the story of a planet filled with magical power, the nation which tried to conquer it, this empire’s dramatic collapse and the new world which emerged in its wake. Along the way we'll meet the characters who live here, and we'll explore questions about nationalism, rationalism, the natural world and the quest to master it. For all stories in chronological order, check out the pinned posts at r/Yaldev!

[beyondbinaries]

Gonna do a breakdown on the questions for Mana's Buddymeter bc i can,,

Mana loves the color red! It is miles ahead of pink in terms of favorite colors. Her original design had her in a plain red dress!

Given how much she talks about them you'd assume bunnies are her favorite but she actually loves froggos more. There were always frogs in the pond near her house so she could play with them when she wasn't too sickly.

While all 4 options are names of plushies she owns, Mister Bun Bun is the one who goes everywhere with her. He was a gift made by her mother and he carries a whole lot of sentimental attachment.

Mana has 3 siblings! Sunny, Ethel, and Oracle. Her sisters and big bro, it is something that does come up albeit she doesn't elaborate on who she means when she says "sis". They arent her blood related siblings but that dosn't matter.

Peruvian Lilies or Alstroemeria hold a very special place in her heart. They were the flower loved by her mother and she has fond memorues of her papa always bringing them both bouquets of them any time he was out on business trips. If it ain't obvious already, Mana is a very family centered person.

i dont need to tell ya'll her last name

Mana loves making things for others, whatever is closest to her is what she makes. Weapons, plushies, bad art, or friendship bracelets.

Mana loves spicy food and that is thanks to her dwarvish heritage/ the superstition spicy food helps build the immune system. She can't taste anymore so it doesn't matter much. Her aleays talking about sweet food is more or less part of her mask to be deemed as innocent and childish as possible.

Given that angels have absurdly good hearing it only makes sense that she hates loud noises! Yelling will always equal aggressive smol

Mana is the opposite to Sun in many ways and the elemental association is included in that. I bet ya'll didn't know the Mana from the start of her tumblr journey was ice cold and very closed off. Aside from healing magic she also uses ice magic! Also in a certain event she used ice in her biggest prank.

[fuckyeahasexual]

I've got 3 generations of asexuals in my family! I'm a sex-indifferent asexual, my adopted grandpa is a sex-repulsed asexual, and when I was talking to my mom yesterday about asexuality she was like "oh, that's me" and now we figure she's a sex-favorable asexual. It's so awesome that I've got so many asexual role models in my life and we're all figuring it out together! I'm so happy to know other people who feel the same as me, and who I can talk to in person. Thank you for all the info too! Bye

[ask-a-vetblr]

Hi, I'm desperately looking for options for my mom's formerly indoor/outdoor cat. The poor guy was happy and neutered and loved being a lap kitty, then a lot more stray cats started coming around (and raccoons possibly) and he began spraying/peeing indoors everywhere. So mom put him outside after a few months or a year of that. He now pees inside if he's in for 5 minutes. He's a big buff kitty so he doesn't get hurt too too often, but I hate that he's outside at all. He is allowed to be (cont)

(Part 2) inside a minimally heated garage that's otherwise full of stuff, not cars, and he has a heated cat house he won't go in yet that we got this fall (northern hemisphere). The thing is, I despise the fact that he lives out in danger. I hate it so much I cry about it often. I don't want my sweet little held kitten to die because he got too cold or too close to the street or just plain sick. I no longer live at that house, but I am desperate for any way to bring him back into a house. (Cont) (Part 3) any house would be better than no house,  in my opinion. So I am asking you and several other people if there is any way to stop a cat from unwanted indoor urination. Or if I should just start saving up money to build an enclosed catio attached to a shed (already have a shed), so that he can spray as much as he wants and will at least live to a ripe old age. It'll have windows. Just no way in or out without thumbs, so he and the local wildlife will be safe. Thank you so much.

Urine spraying inside is very often a medical issue or an anxiety issue and before going with generic advice I’d recommend a vet consult and a urine test.

If he’s prone to stress you might consider trying to collect a urine sample at home using catrine or a non-absorbant litter, but the sample needs to be very fresh to be accurate testing for crystals.

- Dr Ferox

[rams-rodent-world]

My baby girl rats have knocked down all the ladders in their cage and some platforms too, resulting in them having to jump down like 12 inches to get to their food stash. Every time I fix it, they tear it down again. Should I just leave it be? I want them to be happy above all else.

Hiya!

Sounds like they’re telling you they don’t want ladders XD Rats much prefer things like ropes and hammocks they can jump and climb around on. My usual advice is to remove things like ledges and ladders, and instead fill the cage with things like hammocks, baskets and ropes. Corner hammocks (triangular) are great for making a sort of step down. Look online on places like etsy to see if you can find any hammock makers in your country! 

You can go on my “cage setup” and “cage ideas” tags for inspo, and feel free to message me if you don’t understand something I’ve said!

[literallyjusttoa]

7 Flowers for each Riordanverse character based on flower language.

Strap in, this is gonna be a long one.

Percy Jackson:

Apple Blossom: Preference. Fate speaks him great and good

Blue-Flowered Greek Valerian: Rupture

Camomile: Energy in Adversity

Hawkweed: Quick-Sightedness

Larch: Audacity. Boldness

Mistletoe: I Surmount Difficulties

Southernwood: Jest, Bantering

Annabeth Chase:

Azalea: Temperance

Canterbury Bell: Acknowledgement

Cloves: Dignity

Hundred-Leaved Rose: Pride

Indian Lagerstroemia: Eloquence

Red Catchfly: Youthful love

Walnut: Intellect, Stratagem

Grover Underwood:

Bearded Crepis: Protection

Bluebell: Constancy

Cactus: Warmth

Convolvulus: Bonds

Larkspur: Lightness, Levity

Magnolia: Love of Nature

Water Lily: Purity of Heart

Jason Grace:

Blue Violet: Faithfulness

Broom: Humility. Neatness

Fennel: Worthy all praise, Strength

Garden Marigold: Uneasiness

Mint: Virtue

Sycamore: Curiosity

Woodbine: Fraternal Love

Leo Valdez:

Chinese Chrysanthemum: Cheerfulness under Adversity

Fern: Fascination

Fleur-de-lis: Flame. I Burn

Penciled Geranium: Ingenuity

Peppermint: Warmth of Feeling

Thyme: Activity

Yellow Balsam: Impatience

Piper McLean:

Acalia: Temperance

Amaryllis: Pride, Timidity, Splendid beauty

Cabbage Rose: Ambassador of Love

Coreopsis Arkansa: Love at first sight

Holly: Foresight

White Dittany of Crete: Passion

White Mullein: Good Nature

Frank Zhang:

Canary Grass: Perseverance

Christmas Rose: Relieve my Anxiety

Coriander: Hidden worth

French Willow: Bravery and Humanity

Milfoil: War

Small White Bell Flower: Gratitude

Sweet Violet: Modesty

Hazel Levesque:

Aconite-leaved Crowfoot: Luster

Balm of Gilead: Cure. Relief

Flowering Almond: Hope

Holly Herb: Enchantment

Lote Tree: Concord

Lucerne: Life

Sweet Basil: Good Wishes

Reyna Ramirez-Arellano:

Ash-leaved Trumpet Flower: Separation

Barberry Tree: Sharpness

Branch of Thorns: Severity. Rigor

Goat’s Rue: Reason

Quamoclit: Busybody

Striped Carnation: Refusal

White Oak: Independence

Nico di Angelo:

Amethyst: Admiration

Lavender: Distrust

Milkwort: Hermitage

Oleander: Beware

Red Balsam: Touch me not. Impatient resolves

Weeping Willow: Mourning

Yellow Acacia: Secret Love

Rachel Dare:

Auricula: Painting

Beech Tree: Prosperity

Dandelion: Rustic Oracle

Gooseberry: Anticipation

Purple Clover: Provident

Ragged Robin: Wit

Scotch Fir: Elevation

Chiron:

American Starwort: Welcome to a stranger. Cheerfulness in old age

Buckbean: Calm repose

Flowering Reed: Confidence in Heaven

Goldenrod: Precaution

Marsh Mallow: Beneficence

Olive: Peace

Rhubarb: Advice

Apollo:

Before ToA

Bundle of Reeds with their Panacles: Music

Glory Flower: Glorious Beauty

Love Lies Bleeding: Hopeless, not Heartless

Nightshade: Truth

Prophetic Marigold: Prediction

Scarlet Poppy: Fantastic Extravagance

Sweetbrier: Poetry, I wound to heal

After ToA:

Agrimony: Thankfulness. Gratitude

Everlasting: Never-Ceasing Remembrance

Flos Adonis: Painful Recollections

Lotus Leaf: Recantation

Moschatel: Weakness

Scarlet Lychnis: Sunbeaming Eyes

Small Bindweed: Humility

Meg McCaffrey:

Borage: Bluntness

Burdock: Importunity, Touch me not.

Dogwood: Durability

Mouse-Eared Chickweed: Ingenious Simplicity

Mushroom: Suspicion

Oak-Leaved Geranium: True Friendship

Thornless Rose: Early Attachment

Luke Castellan:

Aloe: Grief, Religious superstition, Affection

Begonia: Beware

Belvedere: I declare against you

Dark Geranium: Melancholy

Quaking Grass: Agitation

Raspberry: Remorse

Thorn Apple: Deceitful Charms

Octavian:

Abatina: Fickleness

Buttercup: Ingratitude. Childishness

Citron: Ill-Natured Beauty

Dahlia: Instability

Madder: Calumny

Tall Sunflower: Haughtiness

Wild Geranium: Steadfast Piety

Calypso:

Cornel Tree: Duration

Crowsbill: Envy

Garden Anemone: Forsaken

Lotus Flower: Estranged Love

Vervain: Enchantment

White Camellia Japonica: Perfected Loveliness

White Clover: Think of me

Thalia Grace:

Arbor Vitae: Unchanging friendship. Live for me

Checkered Fritillary: Persecution

Elder: Zealousness

Purple Columbine: Resolve to win

Sainfoin: Agitation

Yellow Carnation: Disdain

Zephyr flower: Sickness, Expectation

Will Solace:

Allspice: Compassion

Ambrosia: Love returned

Cowslip: Pensiveness. Winning Grace

Honeysuckle: Generous and Devoted Affection

Oak Tree: Hospitality

Spearmint: Warmth of Sentiment

Wild Grape: Charity

Lityerses:

Bay Leaf: I change but in death

Birdsfoot Trefoil: Revenge

Box Tree: Stoicism

Columbine: Folly

Hazel: Reconciliation

Mountain Laurel: Ambition

Tremella Nestoc: Resistance

Nero:

Beech Orchis: Industry

Cabbage: Profit

Passion Flower: Religious Superstition

Pidgeon’s Berry: Indifference

Polyanthus: Pride of Riches

Scarlet Auricula: Avarice

Wolfsbane: Misanthropy

Commodus:

American Cowslip: Divine beauty

Centaury Bluebottle: Delicacy

Chestnut Tree: Do me Justice, Luxury

Crown Imperial: Majesty, Power

Hydrangea: A Boaster. Heartless 

Laurel: Glory

Narcissus: Egotism

Caligula:

Agnus Castus: Coldness, Indifference

Bilberry: Treachery

Hop: Injustice

Lobelia: Malevolence

Parsley: Festivity

Purple Larkspur: Haughtiness

Rue: Disdain

[sylleblosscm]

   End-of-year holidays are different in Tenebrae than they are in Insomnia; typically more serious and spiritual. Halloween, especially; it is considered a somber event in Tenebrae, with many superstitions surrounding the date. The Oracle typically spends her day bestowing blessings upon the masses to protect them from the monsters of their legends (though Luna herself doesn’t believe in them, unless Gentiana tells her otherwise). Then there’s usually a grand celebration at the end of the day, in honour of blessings bestowed upon the Oracle by the Gods. 

 If given the chance to either visit or grow up in Insomnia during her childhood, Luna would really enjoy the more jovial Halloween traditions. She likes to dress up as people she knows - one year, she dresses up as Clarus or Cor; another year she dresses up as Ravus and makes a point to pout all day; yet another year she dresses up as Pryna and sweet-talks Noctis into being Umbra so they can match. 

 Should she visit or come to live there as an adult, Luna’s first Halloween would likely be rather overwhelming for her. She’s unaccustomed to things that are scary for scary’s sake, and will undoubtedly be baffled by many of the holiday’s customs. That said, it will grow on her in time, and she does eventually come to enjoy it, if only because it is an opportunity for her to mingle with those she otherwise might not, and spread some happiness in the form of sugary treats.

 (Also she says “tricky treat” please don’t tell her it’s just “trick” or she will be devastated, for she does not wish to trick anybody.)

 Fortunately, the traditions and significance around Yule is far more akin to what she has grown accustomed to. In Tenebrae, the Oracle and her family will visit the orphanages and aged homes, anybody who had suffered hardships throughout the year as they can, and invite as much of their citizenry as they might house back to Fenestala Manor, where they should share in desserts made from sweet berries and powdered sugars, sing ancient songs, and dance. It is, as everywhere, a time of unity and love, and these are traditions she would carry into her life in Insomnia, and pass on to her children. She definitely prefers giving gifts to getting them - any chance to make others smile makes her happy. 

 On top of that, she dearly enjoys the opportunity to take long walks through the festivities, gaze at the lights and be with her family. She loves the splendor of Lucian Yule. It is definitely her favourite time of year. 

[katie-altman]

Sooo I know we all collectively freaked out about Joker and Akechi’s flowers, but I couldn’t help but wonder at the other Thieves’ flower meanings - so I’ve been looking through hanakotoba websites for a few hours and these are the results!

1 Joker - Chinese aster (I will think of you, fidelity) and chamomile (patience/energy in adversity) 2 Ryuji - sunflower (loyalty, adoration) and Japanese iris (friendship, hope, glad tidings) 3 Ann - red rose (love, beauty, passion) and strawberry (esteem and love, perfect goodness) 4 Yusuke - lily-of-the-valley (return of happiness, sweetness) and baby blue eyes (success everywhere) 5 Makoto - balloon flower (honesty, obedience) and peony (bashfulness, compassion) 6 Futaba - dandelion (oracle, happiness) and red carnation (My heart aches for you, fascination, familial love) 7 Haru - pink rose (confidence, grace) and St. John's wort/hypericum berry (superstition, animosity) 8 Sumire - baby's breath (everlasting love, purity of heart) and blue star milkweed (change of heart) 9 Akechi - forget-me-not (true love) and lobelia (malevolence, distinction)

Thank you @ladyarrowhead @rasema @shedramoontauren for all your help!

[pathfuckery]

@lady-lizbian Ooooh, this one was very fun! I had to think for awhile on how to make Local Fungus. Obviously they are a leshy, but what class? What do they do? There’s a lot of room for interpretation. One might think Druid best embodies the full-on Fungus Route, but I went with a slightly different interpretation. Local Fungus, Leshy Oracle 5 Heritage: Fungus Leshy (Duh) Background: Herbalist Str 14 Dex 10 Con 18 Int 8 Wis 16 Cha 19 Skills: Trained in Herbalism, Occultism, Religion, and Society Expert in Undead Lore, Deception and Nature

Class Feats: Reach Spell, Divine Access (Choosing Norgorber for Illusory Disguise, Invisibility, and Phantasmal Killer) Ancestry Feats: Ageless Spirit, Harmlessly Cute, Ritual Reversion Skill Feats: Root Magic, Additional Lore (Undead) General Feat: Ancestral Paragon (Snagging Leshy Superstition) Mystery: Ancestors Domain: Death Local Fungus is an enigmatic horror. An ancestry oracle receiving guidance from the inscrutable Norgorber, No one knows what’s going on behind Local Fungus’ sweet smile. They receive pulls and prods from the spores of their ancestors, which cling to them and guide them. They are ageless, superstitious, and masters of the magic on the fringe. Their spell list gives them control over life and death, and they plod on, disrupting that cycle as they see fit.

[tipsycad147]

The eight Sabbats: Witch's holidays

by Michelle Gruben

Modern Pagans celebrate eight major holidays throughout the year, known as Sabbats. They are based on pre-Christian customs related to the movement of the sun. Most are related to the Celtic agricultural festivals that have given them their names.

Of course, now we know that the sun doesn’t actually move around the earth. And lots of Pagans live far away from the places where our food is grown. But the Sabbats are still a meaningful way to connect with the cycles of the seasons and of human life.

The Pagan Sabbats include the four astronomical holidays (the equinoxes and solstices) and four traditional holidays in between. Together, these eight festivals are known as the Wheel of the Year. They are observed in Wicca and Wicca-influenced forms of neo-Paganism.

Learn about the eight Witch’s holidays and some popular customs for each one:

Samhain

Probably the best-known of the Sabbats, Samhain is celebrated on October 31st. It coincides with Halloween or All Hallows Eve. Halloween is a time when even non-magickal people indulge in spooky activities and ancient superstitions. It's also the time when mainstream culture pays the most attention to the activities of Witches and Pagans.

The word Samhain comes from the Irish Gaelic word for “summer’s end.” The days have become shorter, and the darker half of the solar year is upon us. At this time, farmers would use up the remaining stores of perishable fruits and vegetables, preserving other foods to sustain them through the cold and dark season. They would also slaughter any livestock that they did not plan to feed through the winter. This is why we sometimes refer to Samhain as the Third Harvest, or Blood Harvest.

At Samhain, many people believe the boundary between the words is at its thinnest. Samhain is also known as Ancestor’s Night or the Feast of the Dead. For most Witches, Samhain is the best time to commune with the beloved dead (ancestors and honored spirits). Some also believe that lonely or angry spirits may wander the Earth on Samhain night, looking for humans to annoy.

How Pagans celebrate: For Pagans, Samhain is the beginning of the new year. It is a holiday of reflection and celebration. At Samhain, we cast off the old year’s attachments and turn our attention to the coming scarcity of winter. We feast on the last of summer’s bounty. We contemplate what is worth saving and nurturing during the dark of winter. We try to make friends with Death.

Pagans celebrate Samhain in many of the same ways muggles do: Scarfing down sweets, carving jack-o-lanterns, dressing up in costumes. We decorate with skulls and spiders and go to haunted houses. All of these Halloween traditions are too fun to miss out on—and besides, most of them have their roots in old Pagan beliefs, anyway.

If you’re invited to a Samhain ritual, you may see an ancestor altar. This is a shared altar where participants are invited to pile on their mementos and offerings for the dead. The presiding priest or priestess may invoke a deity who rules over transitions or the migration of souls—Morrighan, Hecate, or Hermes. You may participate in a meditation where you travel into the depths of the underworld, or look departed friends in the eye once more. People will speak the names of loved ones who died during the previous year, or long ago.

Feasting is a component of many Samhain rituals. When we eat sweets, we are savoring the sweetness of life and its impermanence. When we eat meat, we remember that all flesh must die and become nourishment for some creature or another.

We also use food as an offering to the dead—to communicate fond memories, to pay our respects—and perhaps, to appease hungry ghosts. Some Pagans set an extra plate at the Samhain table for spirit visitors. Another contemporary Pagan custom is the “dumb supper”—a silent meal where we invite our ancestors (both known and unknown) to come and dine with us.

Yule

Yule is the Pagan name for the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, it falls on or around December 21.

After the winter solstice, the darkest part of the year is over and the days begin increasing in length. This solar holiday is related historically to Christmas—Pagans delight in pointing out that Christians co-opted the date around the third century CE.

In the overarching neo-Pagan mythos, Yule is the birthday of the divine infant who is conceived in the spring. The dark of midwinter is the period of the Goddess’s confinement and labor as she prepares to welcome the solar child. On the longest night, the Sun God is born to the praise and gratitude of all Earth’s creatures.

How Pagans celebrate:

Yuletide is a time for passive, personal magick—for short days of work and long nights of dreaming. We set intentions and incubate our plans. It is a time of preparing mentally and spiritually for the light half of the year. Some Pagans keep a midwinter vigil, awaiting the rebirth of the sun at dawn.

It’s not often that you find large group rituals for Yule—probably because lots of Pagans are busy traveling and visiting with non-Pagan family! Instead, Yule rituals tend toward the home-y and conventional.

We decorate with evergreens and holly. We exchange gifts with friends and family. On Midwinter Eve, we light candles to herald the return of the sun. (The ambitious among us may set a Yule log blazing.) We eat traditional, calorie-rich holiday foods: Tamales, eggnog, rum cake, ham, and chocolate. We give thanks for the life-giving energy of our planet’s sun.  

Imbolc

Imbolc is a festival of purification and the early signs of spring. Imbolc is celebrated on Feb 1. (Not yet spring in most of the world, to be sure—but sometimes spring-like in Britain due to the warming influence of the Gulf Stream.) It is the first of the three Pagan fertility festivals, followed by Ostara and Beltane.

In Old Irish, Imbolc means “in the belly” and was associated with the onset of the lambing season. It was an obscure Irish folk festival until the 20th century, when neo-Pagans revived it as part of the Wheel of the Year. It coincides with the Christian festival of Candlemas and with that old farmer’s oracle, Groundhog’s Day, both observed on Feb. 2.

For our ancestors, the significance of Imbolc would have been the beginning of the ground thaw. It is the time to prepare for the planting season—to survey the land, take an inventory of tools, and make any repairs or modifications that will be needed. For the Witch, it also a time of preparation. We clean and bless our altars, and make sure that the tools of our practice are attuned to their intended use.

Mythically, Imbolc celebrates the awakening of the Goddess after giving birth to the young God at Yule. In the Earth, we observe the first stirrings of life after the frozen winter. (If you don’t know what a frozen winter looks like, ask your grandmother.)  Imbolc brings the energy of creativity and imagination. Projects that were put on hold during the holiday season start to creak into motion again. Our midwinter dreams resolve themselves into their first visible shapes.

How Pagans celebrate:

Imbolc is especially sacred to Brigid—Celtic Goddess of hearthfire, healing, the bardic arts, and smithwork. Many Imbolc rituals honor Brigid with candlelight, poems, and woven ornaments known as Brigid’s crosses. The first light of spring is evident by now, and it is an auspicious time of year for rites of cleansing, healing, and blessing.

Imbolc is a time for spiritual dedication and re-dedication. Some covens—especially women’s covens—initiate new members at Imbolc. For old Pagans, it is also a time to examine and refresh our practice. If we have become lax, Imbolc is an opportunity to purify our intentions and reconnect with spiritual guides. We light candles, open windows, and wash the floors to cast out the last gloom of winter. Some also use Imbolc for divination for the year’s harvest.

Imbolc is not really a feasting holiday, as the season of grains and fruits is months away. The first food of the year is dairy. Butter, milk, and cream are traditional foods for the Imbolc table.

Ostara

Ostara is the spring equinox, which falls on or about March 21 in the Northern Hemisphere. It is opposite the autumn equinox (which Pagans refer to as Mabon). But any desktop calendar can tell you that. Ostara is the Pagan cousin of the Easter holiday, a modern revival of one or more ancient spring celebrations.

Ostara is the second of three fertility festivals, a time when the blessings of spring become more visible in the natural world. Flowers bloom, the birds and the bees do their thing, and grocery aisles fill up with pastel-colored treats. Ancient fertility symbols like eggs and bunnies are everywhere. (Yep, Ostara is the Sabbat with the rabbit!)

Astronomically speaking, Ostara is a midpoint of the year, and day and night are equal at this time. The Sun God (who has been growing and gathering strength since Yule) is an adolescent. The Great Goddess, who has been getting progressively younger since December 21, is in her maiden form. These two lusty youths are now the same age, and will soon conceive the child who will be born at Yule.

How Pagans celebrate:

The original meaning of Ostara as a fertility festival is not lost on modern Pagans. Ostara provides a perfect opportunity to work magick for love, prosperity, and gains of any kind. We harness the energy of the lengthening days to fuel our desires and bring projects to fruition. We honor the gifts of the earth Goddess, who is presently blessing the land with beauty and nourishment.

Pagans also use Ostara as a time to reflect on the principle of balance. Everyone has goals and responsibilities—work, family, art, spirituality—that compete for our time and attention. At Ostara, we take a moment to notice things that may have shifted out of balance. We reset our priorities as the austerity of winter gives way to the exuberance of spring.

Beltane

Beltane is the ancient name for the May Day rite, held on May 1. Originally a fire festival, it was widely celebrated in pre-Christian Ireland and Scotland. The name comes from the god Bel (“the bright one”) and means “Bel’s fire.” It is the second of two principle festivals on the Celtic Pagan calendar, the other one being Samhain. Samhain and Beltane are the two poles of the magickal year, when the gates to Faery and the spirit world are most open to travelers. ­­­

In traditional Wicca, Beltane is a sexual festival, the last of the three fertility festivals. It is the time when the Maiden Goddess takes a lover in the form of the young God. Wiccans enact this drama through the ritual marriage (Great Rite) of a High Priestess and High Priest, whose union will bless the land.

How Pagans celebrate:

Theoretically, Beltane is an occasion of unbridled sensuality and revelry. However, sexual rites are rare in modern covens. If invited to a Beltane ritual, you’re far more likely to dance around a maypole or witness a symbolic Great Rite (with a chalice and athame) than encounter an orgy.

For the social Pagan, Beltane season abounds with bonfires, festivals, concerts, and campouts. Solitary Pagans might celebrate by making an altar to the young God and Goddess or connecting with a lover. Flowers, honey, sweets and wine on the altar echo the sweetness of the occasion. Beltane is also a time for illusion, seduction, and Faery tricks. By the light of the Beltane fire, the real can become unreal (and vice versa).

Since Beltane celebrates the union of the God and Goddess, it is a popular time for proposals, handfastings, and renewing of vows. Magickally, the combined masculine and feminine energies lend a powerful alchemical surge to almost any type of spellwork.

Litha

Litha is the summer solstice, which in the Northern Hemisphere falls on or about June 21. Linguists disagree about the origin of the Sabbat’s name, but summer festivals were common across pre-Christian Europe. People lit bonfires to keep the sun’s light alive for as long as possible. Solstice revels were supposed to bless the crops in the fields and drive away evil spirits.

Litha is the day when the Sun God is at the peak of his power. It is an auspicious day, ruled by the Sun and the element of Fire. After Litha, the nights will begin to grow longer and the Sun will move further away each day. With the fall harvest imminent, Litha is an opportunity for anticipating the (actual or symbolic) crop. Medieval people believed that Midsummer Night was blessed, and that whatever a person dreamed on this night would come true.

How Pagans celebrate:

Outdoor rituals are common at Litha, as Pagans take advantage of the long hours of daylight. It is a joyful Sabbat. Bonfires and summer games brighten the space between earth and sky. We decorate our altars with solar symbols, and honor the God in his aspect as Father.

Litha is an appropriate time for all magick ruled by the Sun. This includes spells of cleansing, protection, charisma, and truth.

Lammas

Lammas is the first harvest festival on the Pagan calendar, observed on or about August 1. It is related to an old agricultural holiday celebrating the reaping of grain. Lammas probably comes from the Old English words for “loaf mass.” Loaves of freshly baked bread would have been prepared from the first grain and blessed in churches around the countryside. Lammas is also called Lughnasadh, after the Celtic sun God, Lugh.

As the summer stretches on and the days grow shorter, the sun God symbolically loses some of his strength. He is not yet dead, but is aware that the dark season will soon approach. The god of summer “dies” in the fields to nourish the people, and prepares for rebirth at Yule.

How Pagans celebrate:

Lammas is a time to welcome the harvest. We give thanks that the year’s work is proceeding as planned, and that we will soon enjoy the fruits of our labor. Grain is the traditional food for the Lammas table, in the form of wheat, barley, beers and ales.

Celtic Pagans celebrate Lammas/Lughnasadh as the feast of Lugh, an agricultural god—but also a patron of poets, musicians, and craftspeople. At Lammas, we may show off the skills we have acquired and trade them for things we will need. It is a traditional time of year for craft fairs and local markets.

Mabon

Mabon is the autumn equinox (or as us Texans call, it “fawwwl”). In the Northern Hemisphere, it falls around Sept 21. Mabon is the pivot point of the solar year when the days begin to shorten and winter is on its way. (The name of the festival is modern and dates from the 1960s or early 1970s.)

Mabon may also be called the Second Harvest, because it is the time when autumn fruits and nuts reach their maturity. It is a time to contemplate what we have worked for in the previous year and what rewards we are ready to reap. We give thanks to the waning sunlight and prepare to store our wealth away for the scarce season. We shift from active to contemplative magick. Mabon season is a fine time for workings of prosperity, gratitude, security, and balance.

How Pagans celebrate:

Mabon is a time for celebration after the hard work of the harvest. Though it is sad to watch the beauty of the growing season fade away, we revel in the mild weather and rest that autumn brings.

Mabon foods are comfort foods, those that evoke fond memories and connect us through sharing. We bake and brew, pickle and can. Offerings of wine, cider, fruits, and boughs may adorn the Mabon table—along with that most Pagan of centerpieces, the Cornucopia.

On the Pagan religious calendar, Mabon represents the turning point to the dark half of the year. We shift our attention from the youthful merriment of the summer Sabbats. At Mabon, we honor the Crone and Sage deities, the cycles of aging and death, and the spirit world.

Mabon is a popular time for large outdoor rituals—in part because the weather is good and it doesn’t conflict with any major mainstream holidays. We gather together to feast and express gratitude for our lovely tilted planet. Many cities host a public Mabon ritual as part of their annual Pagan Pride Day gatherings. Solitary Pagans might celebrate Mabon with offerings at a home altar, or a contemplative walk in the woods.

https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/the-eight-sabbats-witchs-holidays

[seaofserene-a]

a look at what serenity used to look like, before she became an immortal! as well as her ex partner (who i’m still debating on a name for ; i may update this later when i eventually do decide.)

headcanons under the cut detailing her backstory.

serenity’s real name is seren. she used to be a mender of light ; a class within her people’s civilization who are tasked with healing injuries & illnesses, and take on a more pacifistic & spiritual path in life. they are normally fairly in tune with the magical side of hydrokinesis & are able to use water as a medium for many different magical abilities.

she was once a sweet and timid girl, and cared deeply for her people.

despite that though, she was somewhat morally grey. she wanted to learn more about what she could do with her magic, and discovered it was possible to drain vitality from other living beings and transfer it into your own being, or other beings ; essentially discovering how immortality could be achieved. a very selfish act in the eyes of their deity, as it was breaking one of calypso’s most sacred laws; respect all forms of life and never take it for your own.

although seren wasn’t intending to use it to live on forever, she believed that it could be used to help her people instead. that there were ways to use it while still remaining respectful to living things. her people wouldn’t see it that way, though. and so, she kept quiet about her discovery.

her partner was a sentinel of light ; they are the warriors of her kingdom. they use hydrokinesis in it’s most basic nature.

he helped her come out of her shell a lot. he was very laid back and down to earth, and had a way of pulling her out of her head and making her feel more at ease around others. she cared for him deeply, and the two had been courting for quite a while before she eventually asked him to be with her, and he agreed. they were promised to each other.

eventually seren opened up about her discovery, to which her partner was... unsettled by, but didn’t admit to it. he tried to gently discourage her because he was really worried that the path she was going down would get her in big trouble. seren, although she was sad he disapproved of it, agreed to not use her magic for such things anymore.

at some point, a member of their people (who’d later go on to become the first oracle) received a vision from their deity, which told of a great catastrophe that was on the horizon, a god that would be angered by the greed of other civilizations ; threatening to destroy the rest of the world in it’s wake. but there was a way to avoid it, it would require them to leave their home for good.

this vision was met with a lot of skepticism from several members of the clan, and they were split pretty 50/50. seren was one of these people who was skeptical, the thought of leaving her home based on some superstition scared her. her partner, however, was more inclined to believe it. after having a talk that evolved into an argument, they eventually agreed to stay. 

or so... seren thought. 

when the time came for it, she discovered that he had left. she didn’t have much time to nurse her broken heart before perfect chaos’ wrath was unleashed and what remained of her civilization was caught in the crossfire.

swept out into the ocean and suffering a grave head injury, seren nearly met her watery fate had she not used her magic to sap any nearby living creatures to keep her living.

eventually, she managed to pull herself from the waves and see what remained of her civilization. which was essentially... nothing. not a single living being left. she was alone, and alone for a very, very long time.

enraged, devastated, and feeling deeply betrayed, this event lead to seren’s sanity essentially slipping from her and leaving her with a great amount of rage and hatred for other beings. believing they were all selfish and only caring for themselves. this anger only continued to fester when nobody came back to look for any survivors ; seren felt as though she’d been abandoned by her own people (despite the fact it had been her choice to stay behind).

and so she took this pain out on any other mortal that crossed her path, stealing their life force and over time... becoming what she is today. serenity, a monster of the sea.

[yaldev]

Meeting with His Judgment

Every animal instinct tells Acolyte Decadin to throw his body at the bars. To ram them with his shoulder, bend them with the force of his indignant rage and rip them from their slots. An ancient strength he’s never felt courses through his body, a power bestowed by the desperate will to survive, a dormant force from the days when wild humans lifted boulders thrice their size if that’s what it took to break free. Decadin reaches forward with trembling hands. His fingers try to grasp the cold metal, but his body is still curled against the opposite wall and his legs will not move.

The Oracle, she’s here in the cell with him. But she can’t be. Even in a world where Decadin’s own Empire would imprison him, some trace of rationality remains, and it is too important to abandon.

“You won’t even try?” she asks.

She’s a dream. A hallucination.

“You could scream. Maybe they don’t realize who you are.”

She’s an illusion. A magic trick from the captors.

“I know you remember the stories. The strength that blesses us in the most dire times.”

“No!” Decadin yells. He finally feels the emptiness in his lungs, and he sobs.

“After everything else, this is what stops you?”

“Everything else…” Decadin shakes his head with eyes tightly shut. “Everything else was possible.” They open. “But those bars are steel. Probably manganese steel, maybe enchanted. It’s too stiff to bend even with hysteria in play, and the tensile strength is definitely too—”

“Possibility never stopped you. Would you just be too embarrassed if you failed?”

“I’m saying there’s no ‘if’ about it. There’s doing the impossible, and then there’s ‘my body cannot exert the force to bend these bars under known physics.’”

Decadin had sought out the Oracle when he was a boy. She looked no different now, even as he had grown up, changed the world, flourished, wrinkled, regretted. Now this ghost-hallucination-trick was standing over him to gloat.

“I think you’re scared.”

“How astute.”

“In your academy days, you learned how real panic felt. Then you forgot, and now you imagine that you’re still in control because you’ve kept your composure, you’ve tried nothing desperate, and you know the mechanics of your cage.”

“The only thing I’m imagining is you.”

She grins. “You’re an even greater fool than you think.”

“And what about your part in my foolishness? You did this too.”

Her smile closes, but persists. Decadin pulls himself to his feet and takes a closer look at that immortal face—at the eyes that stare past his flesh—than he had ever dared.

“Don’t act like you didn’t set my course. Yes, I did this, but you’re the one who set my imagination running. I don’t think your predictions would have come true if I never came to hear them.”

“A self-fulfilling prophecy? Your science has no data to prove it, so you must rely on your religion.”

“What?”

“You embraced reason since we first spoke, but you were always too smart to let go of your superstition.”

“Is that why you did this to me?!”

Decadin shoves the Oracle. His hands pass through the image. He growls.

“Revenge for the Old Faiths? Your Deftists, your Eej-Landians? I never thought I’d have to let that poison into my mind again.”

Her smile opens again. Liquid chaos pours from between her teeth to the cell floor.

Decadin scrambles into a far corner, staring in horror. “What in Pelbee’s name?!”

“THAT IS STILL THE GOD YOU CHOOSE?” she hisses, slowly approaching. The colorful mana carves runes into the floor, writing in tongues that died before the Ascended Nation was born. “YOU PRAY TO THE CITY THAT UNMAKES YOU?”

“Guards! Come, please!” “ONE MORE PROPHECY FOR THE HERO WHO SAVED US ALL. THIS IS REVENGE—”

“Sweet Aster, protect me!”

“—FOR NOTHING. ONLY TRUTH!”

She gasps, savors the stale air of the prison, and breathes a torrent of gaseous mana into Decadin’s screaming face.

---

Yaldev is a sci-fantasy worldbuilding project by Ulysses Maurer, with art by Beeple. By looking at narratives, stylized loredumps, bad poetry and little details, we'll witness the story of a planet filled with magical power, the nation which tried to conquer it, this empire’s dramatic collapse and the new world which emerged in its wake. Along the way we'll meet the characters who live here, and we'll explore questions about nationalism, rationalism, the natural world and the quest to master it. For all stories in chronological order, check out the pinned posts at r/Yaldev!

[whiteappalachianwitch]

The Eight Sabbats

There are eight major holidays Pagans celebrate throughout the year known as Sabbats. These holidays date back to pre-Christianity and are related to the movement of the sun. They are given names relative to the Celtic agricultural festivals. 

Historically we were once farmers and believed the sun moved around the earth. Modern Pagans are far moved from this way of life. However, the Sabbats are still important for connecting to the cycles of the seasons and human life. 

There are four astronomical holidays included in the Pagan Sabbats: the equinoxes and solstices--and the four traditional holidays in between. These eight festivals make the Wheel of the Year, observed in Wicca and Neo-Paganism religions that are Wicca-influenced. 

I Samhain: October 31st 

One of the most well-known Sabbat is Samhain, celebrated on October 31st. This holiday is celebrated as Halloween or All Hallows Eve also. Halloween is the time of the year when everyone participates in spooky activities and ancient superstitions. Culturally, Pagans and Witches are paid the most attention during this time of the year. 

Samhain is a term derived from the Irish Gaelic language meaning “summer’s end.” During this time, the days are short and the darker half of the solar year is near. Farmers will use up the remaining stores of perishable fruit and vegetables, and preserve other food to keep throughout the winter. Livestock is also slaughtered that does not feed through the winter, a reason why Samhain is referred to as the Third Harvest, or Blood Harvest. 

Pagans and superstitious peoples believe the boundary between worlds is at its thinnest during Samhain. This holiday is referred to as Ancestor’s Night or the Feast of the Dead. Many witches believe Samhain is the best time to communicate with ancestors and honored spirits, also known as the beloved dead. Lonely or angry spirits are believed to wander the earth on Samhain night looking to irritate humans. 

Celebrate How To

Samhain is the beginning of the new year for Pagans. Reflection and celebration are the focal points of this holiday. Casting off the old year’s attachments and turning attention to winter and it’s scarcity. Feast on the last of summer’s harvest and contemplate what is worth saving and nurturing during the dark times of winter; make friends with Death. 

It is important to note participating in the celebrations of Halloween and trick or treating. This is a celebration of muggles, but has its roots in old Pagan beliefs anyway. 

Samhain rituals may involve ancestor alters, where participants are invited to place mementos and offerings for the beloved dead. The priest or priestess may invoke a deity ruling over transitions or migration of souls, such as Morrighan, Hecate, or Hermes. Individuals who died during the previous year or long ago may have their names spoken. 

Feasting is important in Samhain rituals. To eat sweets is to acknowledge the sweetness of life and its impermanence. To eat meat is to acknowledge all flesh must die and become nourishment. Food is also an offering to the dead for communication of fond memories, pay of respects, and appease hungry ghosts. Some Pagans will leave a plate out at the Samhain table for spirits that may visit. Dumb supper is a silent meal when Pagans invite their ancestors both known and unknown to come and feast. 

II Yule: ~December 21st

The Winter Solstice, or Yule, is the longest night of the year. If you live in the northern hemisphere Yule falls on or around December 21st. The darkest parts of the year is over and the days begin increasing in length after the winter solstice. 

Christmas falls around this time of year, adopting Yule customs. Christmas is the belief of the birthday of a divine infant who is conceived in the spring. The dark of midwinter is the time of the confinement of the Goddess in labor as she prepares to welcome the solar child. On the longest night, the Sun God is born as the earths creatures praise and thank Him. 

Celebrate How To

Passive, personal magick during Yuletide is the best practice for short days of work and long nights of dreaming. Set your intentions and incubate plans. Mental and spiritual preparation is important during Yule for the light half of the year. Some Pagans keep a midwinter vigil while they wait for the rebirth of the sun at dawn. 

Yule is not usually a time for group ritual gatherings since many are visiting family and traveling. For this reason, the rituals during Yule are more home-y and conventional. 

Decorate with evergreens and holly, exchange gifts, and light a candle to herald the return of the sun on Midwinter Eve. If you are ambitious, set the Yule log blazing. Give thanks for the life-giving energy of the sun. 

III Imbolic: February 1st

Imbolc is a festival of spring and purification. Celebrated on February 1st, the day of not yet spring in most of the world. This is the first of the three Pagan fertility festivals, with the other two Ostara and Beltane. 

Imbolc is an Old Irish term meaning “in the belly” associated with the coming of lambing season. Other festivals that coincide with Imbolc are Candlemas, a Christian festival, and the old farmer’s oracle Groundhog’s Day, both on February 2nd. 

Imbolc is significant for our ancestors because this was the beginning of the ground thaw when planting season preparations were made. The land was surveyed and inventory of tools were made for repairs and modifications that were necessary. Witches would also prepare by cleaning and blessing the altars and making sure tools of practice were attuned with intent for use. 

The mythical side of Imbolc is a celebration of awakening the Goddess after her journey of birth to the young God at Yule. The first stirrings of life after winter are observed. Energies of creativity and imagination are brought about by Imbolc. For this reason, many projects that were put on hold are now being picked back up again. Midwinter dreams resolve into visible shapes. 

Celebrate How To

Brigid holds Imbolc especially sacred as the Celtic Goddess of hearth fire, healing, the bardic arts, and smith work. Brigid can be honored with candlelight, poems, and woven ornaments known as Brigid’s crosses within Imbolc rituals. Cleansing, healing and blessing are appropriate since the first light of spring is evident. 

During Imbolc, it is a time for spiritual dedication and re-dedication. New members are often initiated in covens, especially women’s covens, at Imbolc. Examining and refreshing your practice during Imbolc is appropriate if you are a seasoned Pagan. If you are too relaxed and have not given time to your craft, Imbolc is an opportunity to purify intent and reconnect spiritually. Light candles, open windows, and wash the floors to cast winter gloom out. You may also use Imbolc for divination for the year’s harvest ahead. 

This holiday is not a time for feasting. The first food of the year is dairy, butter, milk, and cream; foods for the Imbolc table. 

IV Ostara: ~March 21st

The spring equinox, also known as Ostara, falls on or about March 21st in the northern hemisphere. This equinox is the time Pagans refer to as Mabon, the opposite of the autumn equinox. 

Ostara is the second of the three fertility festivals, where blessings of spring become more apparent in the natural world. Flowers are blooming, birds and bees are twitter pated, and pastel-colors fill the stores. Eggs and bunnies, ancient fertility symbols, appear everywhere; Ostara is the Sabbat with the rabbit, ha! 

Ostara is the midpoint of the year where the day and night are equal. The Sun God has been growing and gathering his strength since Yule, making his age an adolescent. The Great Goddess is getting younger and in her maiden form. The two are youthful, full of lust, and the same age, which will soon have them conceive a child born at Yule. 

Celebrate How To

The time of Ostara is a great time for love, prosperity, and gains of any kind within your magickal work. Harness the energy of the lengthening days to propel your desires and projects into fruition. The land is beautiful and nourishing, and the earth Goddess is honored. 

Ostara is a good time of reflection on the principle of balance. For this reason, it is a good time to balance work, family, art, spirituality and all your responsibilities. Take time to notice things that have shifted your balance. Reset priorities. 

V Beltane: May 1st

The ancient name for the May Day rite is Beltane. This festival was originally a fire festival and celebrated in Ireland and Scotland before the days of Christianity. The god Bel, or “the bright one,” is responsible for the name of this festival and means “Bel’s fire.” On the Celtic Pagan calendar, Beltane is the second of the two principle festivals, with the other one being Samhain. Samhain and Beltane are the two markers of the magickal year, when the gates of Faery and the spirit world are the most open to travel. 

Within Wicca, Beltane is a festival of sexual activity since it is the last of the three fertility festivals. During this time, the Maiden Goddess takes the young God as her lover. Wiccans will marry as the Great Rite to enact this drama the High Priestess and High Priest; their union will bless the land. 

Celebrate How To

With unbridled sensuality and revelry, Beltane is the time of sexual rites. However, this is a rare occurrence and you’re most likely to witness a symbolic Great Rite with a chalice and athame, or a dance around the maypole rather than an orgy. 

Bonfires, festivals, concerts, and campouts are the social aspects of Beltane season. If you are a solitary witch, you may make an altar to the young god and Goddess, or connect with a lover. Flowers, Honey, sweets, and wine are good things to place on your altar. This is also a good time for illusion, seduction, and Faery tricks. 

Beltane is a popular time for proposals, handfastings, and renewing of vows. The combination of masculine and feminine energy will become a powerful alchemical surge for any spell work. 

VI Litha: ~June 21st

The summer solstice, or Litha, is the time in the northern hemisphere around June 21st. Bonfires to keep the sun’s light alive for long as possible are lit. Blessing of the crops in the fields and banishing evil spirits is common practice.

Litha is the day when the Sun God is his most powerful self. The sun and the element of fire rule Litha. After Litha, the nights will be longer and the sun will move farther away. Within Litha, anticipating crop is evident as the fall harvest is imminent. The Midsummer Night was blessed, according to Medieval people, and whatever a person dreamed on this night will come true.  

Celebrate How To

Rituals are usually outdoors during Litha, as it is the time to take advantage of the long hours of day. This Sabbat is joyous with bonfires and summer games. Decorate the altar with solar symbols and honor the God as Father. 

Any magick ruled by the sun is perfect for Litha. Spells of cleansing, protection, charisma, and truth are especially appropriate. 

VII Lammas:~August 1st

This holiday is the first harvest festival on the Pagan calendar. This celebration is related to an old agricultural holiday of reaping of grain. Lammas most likely comes from the Old English term for “loaf mass.” Loaves of bread would have been prepared from the first grain and blessed by churches. Lammas is also known as Lughnasadh, named after the Celtic sun God, Lugh. 

The days grow shorter in the summer, and the sun God will lose his strength. He will die in the fields to nourish the people in preparation for rebirth at Yule. 

Celebrate How To

During this time, it is appropriate to welcome the harvest. Give thanks to this year’s work and plans as you will soon enjoy the fruits of labor. Grain is the food of tradition for Lammas, in the form of wheat, barley, beers, and ales. 

Lammas/Lughnasadh is celebrated in Celtic Paganism as the feast of Lugh, who is an agricultural god, but also a poet, musician, and craftsman. Showing off skills and trading them for things you need is a common practice. This time is usually a time of craft fairs and local markets. 

VIII Mabon:~ September 21st

The final of the eight Sabbats is Mabon, or the autumn equinox. The days will begin to shorten and winter is coming. Mabon is also known as the Second Harvest because of the reaping of autumn fruits and nuts. This holiday brings with it the time of deep contemplation for what we have worked for in the previous year and the rewards for reaping. Giving thanks to the waning sunlight in preparation for storing bounty away for the scarce season. The shift from active magick to contemplative magick is made in Mabon. This is the final time for prosperity, gratitude, security, and balance work. 

Celebrate How To

The hard work of harvest is done and now we must celebrate! It is sad to watch the growth season’s beauty fade, but the mild weather and rest autumn brings is welcomed. 

With Mabon brings comfort foods that promote fond memories and connection through sharing. Bake, brew, pickle, and can; offer wine, cider, fruits, and boughs upon the Mabon table. The Cornucopia is the centerpiece of most Pagans during Mabon. 

Mabon is the turning point to the dark half of the year on the Pagan religious calendar. The shift away from youthful merriment is made. Honoring the Crone and Sage deities, the cycles of aging and death, and the spirit world are appropriate during Mabon. 

This Sabbat is a popular time for outdoor rituals large in size mostly because of the weather. Gathering to feast and express gratitude for the planet during Mabon is the focal point. Some cities will host public Mabon rituals as a part of their annual Pagan Pride Day. If you are a Pagan in solitary you may celebrate Mabon with offerings at a home altar, or walking in the woods in deep contemplation. 

Reference

Gruben, M. (2017, November 26). The eight Sabbats: Witch's holidays. Retrieved July 19, 2020, from https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/the-eight-sabbats-witchs-holidays

[sooibian]

Flambé | F | Complete

Description: pull up a chair. take a taste. come join us. life is so endlessly delicious. - ruth reichl

Notes: Chef!Soo 

Chapters: One | Two

Moodboard by the amazing @pororodks​

Niche memes by the hilarious @changshapatrol​

Reference notes:  yt channels: maangchi, one meal a day, bore.d, honeykki; netflix shows: midnight diner, street food: asia, chef’s table

Word count: + 20.1k 

Between a Rock and a Hard Place | F / M |

Description: It’s Sehun’s wedding party. Kyungsoo knew these couple of hours with you were going to be anything but pleasant, however, he didn’t expect things to spiral so quickly. 

Notes: Established Relationship AU, Fluff, Crack, Loosely inspired by the anime Horimiya, sexual themes, themes of sadism and masochism (nothing explicit), slight swearing.

Word Count: ~ 2.7k

So Let's Runaway | F / A | Ongoing

Description: A bachelors trip turns into a soul-searching journey when an unlikely group of three travels through the scenic landscapes of Spain. Their experiences present them with opportunities to mend bridges, face their fears and fall back in love with the true essence of life.

Notes: Fluff, angst, humour, travel AU, road trip through Spain, travel buddies Chansoo, Grief, loss, heartache, toxic relationships, mildly explicit language.

Chapters: Prologue >> Costa Brava >> Seville >> Cuéllar

Word Count: 8.3k so far

Tempting Fate  | A | On hold

Description: You’re forced to make a choice between a present that you didn’t choose and the idea of what could have been.

Notes: Arranged Marriage AU / Exes AU Ft. Minseok

Chapters: One | Two | 

Moodboard by my dear friend @pororodks​

Word Count: ~7.6k and counting 

Dittany | F | Collab

Description: broken bones and a tedious detention - can I still say that this is the best christmas i’ve ever had? it’s because I found magic in him - the big eyed, dark haired, hufflepuff boy. funny I say that as a witch! but sadly, good things don’t last forever.

Notes: Slow burn, young love

Word Count: ~ 16.5k

Edit by @jaeyoonurl​

Twist of Fate | A |

Description: Much against your wishes, you are back in your hometown to write about the murders of two young women - your only ticket out is the criminal psychologist who has been assisting Superintendent Kim Minseok with offender profiling.

Notes: Serial killer AU - angst, grief, loss, murders, descriptions of anxiety, reactive and attentive immobility, asphyxiation, indicative of humiliation, explicit and graphic situations.

Word Count: +3.7k

Twice As Much | F | 

Description: Of kitchen disasters and little savants

Notes: Dad!Soo

Word Count: ~1.1k

Moodboard by the loveliest @kyoonqs​

Quiet Like Love | A |

Description: The end was always so close in sight.

Notes: Exes to lovers AU

Word Count: ~ 1k

Edit by @jaeyoonurl​

An Eye For An Eye | A |

Notes: Experimental work, Ambiguous AU, mildly triggering

Word Count: ~ 1.2k

DRABBLES

Palette | F |

Waiting | F / A |

Deviant | M / F |

Play Date | F | 

Untitled | F |

The Spy Who Loved Me | A |

Description: An obsessive cat and mouse chase

Notes: Assassin Reader, Spy Baekhyun, dark comedy, angst, heavily inspired by season one of Killing Eve

Niche Memes by the hilarious @changshapatrol​ : one | two

Word Count: ~ 2.8k

My Lovable Curse | A | Complete

Description: Not even in his wildest dreams had Baekhyun thought he’d have to team up with you to take down one of the most notorious criminal masterminds, CEO of tech company Stratio, Doh Kyungsoo.

Notes: Spy AU, Assassin AU, angst, dark humour, thriller, inspired by Killing Eve. Sexual themes, indicative of depression and anxiety, blood, weapons, violence, language. This fic is continuation to The Spy Who Loved Me but it can be read as a standalone two-shot. 

Chapters: One | Two

Word Count: ~ 12.5k 

Moodboards: Baekhyun | Minseok by bestie @his-mochi-cheeks​

Like Father, Like Daughter | F |

Description:  Your three year old is growing up to be just like her father - Byun Baekhyun. Can you handle it?

Notes: Dad!Baek, easily the most popular story on this blog 

Word Count: ~ 1.1k

Moodboard by the loveliest @kyoonqs​

Little Miss Byun | F |

Description: Miss Byun is not so little anymore and dad!Baek is trying to do his best to…adapt.

Notes: Dad!Baek again!

Word Count: ~1.6k

“Clay”-doh | F |

Description:  "When was the last time we did something together as a family?" you ask Baekhyun and...it backfires.

Notes: Dad!Baek...yet again!

Word Count: 1.4k

Star-Crossed | A / F | Collab

Description: In his struggle with his inner demons and the outside world, will Baekhyun succeed in saving the one he loves?

Notes: Romani AU, magical realism, fluff, angst, mildly explicit, implied smut, secret relationship, knife related superstitions

Word Count: ~8.2k

The Daisy Oracle | F |

Description:  In the days leading up to Baekhyun’s enlistment, you find yourself dissecting every word of his and he’s been saying...all the wrong things.

Notes: Fluff, soft angst, a hint of spice, established relationship.  To accommodate this anon request, the story does not take the “BBH public service worker” route.

Word Count: ~2k

Catch These Hands | F |

Description: Living with Baekhyun comes with its own challenges

Notes: Fluff (surprise!!!!), established relationship, make up artist and masseur Byun, a little bit of byuntae, and one (1) Eminem reference lol  

Word Count: ~1.7k

Trespassing is Prohibited! | F |

Description:  Byun Baekhyun has had enough. He finally wants to ‘man up’ and make you his. But things continue to spiral out of control all thanks to his friend, philosopher, and guide (a.k.a. The Worst Wingman Ever) Park Chanyeol.

Notes: Fluff! Fluff! Fluff! Crack. Friends to Lovers AU, University AU (ish), a very rambly Baek and a longwinded confession!

Word Count: ~ 3k 

Homebodies | F |

Description: when you get comfortable with each other…a little too comfortable

Notes: Gamer boyfriend Baek

Word Count: ~ 1.1k

Stranger Things | F | Completed

Description:  While waiting to receive Kyungsoo at the airport you run into an insufferable someone - Byun Baekhyun. Despite yourself, you are unable to resist his charms. 

Notes: Meet cute. lawyer!Baek, farmer!Soo

Chapters: One | Two | Three | Four

Word Count: ~9k

Freed | A |

Description: Dedicated to smol bby @vampwrrr ’s magnificent mistresspiece Sweet Lies. A headcanon exploring SL OC’s thoughts after Baekhyun’s confession.

Notes: Dark themes, destructive thoughts, Ambiguous AU

Word Count: ~1.3k

Hands Where I Can See Them | F |

Description: Minseok is protective of you to say the least and has only just begun to accept your relationship with Baekhyun. But all hell breaks loose when he witnesses something he shouldn’t have.

Notes: Overprotective hyung Minseok, byuntae Baekhyun 

Word Count: ~1k

Forget Me (Not) | A |

Description: …only his smile will set you free

Notes: Loss, Ambiguous AU, Late!Reader

Word Count: ~ 1.1k

DRABBLES

Untitled | F | first fic!!

Tangled | F |

Walk on Memories | F / A |

Talk To Me | F |

Who Cares | F / M |

Light | A |

The Swear Jar Equivalent | F |

Untitled | F |

Tempting Fate  | A | On hold

Description: You’re forced to make a choice between a present that you didn’t choose and the idea of what could have been.

Notes: Arranged Marriage AU / Exes AU Ft. Kyungsoo

Chapters: One | Two | Three

Moodboard by my dear friend @pororodks​

Word Count: ~7.6k and counting

IRS and Prejudice | F |

Description: In which Kim Minseok is nothing like other bosses. Nothing.

Notes: Fluff!!! Frenemies to (maybe) Lovers? Office AU with some references to ‘The Office’, flirtatious, cat-whisperer, Aries Minseok vs Aries reader!

Word Count: ~ 2.7k

DRABBLES

Allow Me To | F |

Wherever You Are | A / F |  Collab

Description: When you least expect it, love, quite literally, sweeps you off your feet.

Notes: Romani AU, magical realism, romance, angst, drama ™ (i grew up on a healthy dose of Bollywood and it! shows!), secret relationship, heavily influenced by Mmmh Kai

Word Count: 9.5k

Heal | A |

Description: You don’t need his heart, for it belongs to another. All you need is for him to tolerate you.

Notes: Arranged Marriage AU

Chapters: One | Two | Three

Word Count: ~4.1k

DRABBLES

Untitled | F |

Mortal Combat | F |

Description: It’s you vs Chanyeol in the Muay Thai arena

Notes: Park Passion Alert!!

Word Count: ~1k

DRABBLES

Haven | A |

Wedding Crashers | A |

DRABBLES

Tell Me You’ll Stay | A |

The Man Of My Dreams | A |

DRABBLES

Resolution | F |

Untitled | F |

Paragons of Virtue | Childhood AU |

DRABBLES

Untitled | F |

Beginner’s Luck | Sci-Fi |

DRABBLES

Mine | F |

exowritersnet 

exosnet 

bbh-net 

supermwritersnet

FIC-RECS

[milksalamander]

Omina

Fandom: ABEA, created by @locria-writes, all characters featured or mentioned also belong to them.

Due to much of my time being freed up by Korea’s current spike in COVID cases, I got to finish this one! Today, I’m gonna be nicer to our sweet prince. 

I mean...he’s still sad but, hey, at least I’m not calling him a drunk, or wishing for his immediate demise? That counts for something, right? Enjoy!

---

Omens can be found in the simplest of places. 

The dropping of a hand mirror. Entering your home with the incorrect foot. Malalignment of the veins in the liver of a sheep. A dead dog bearing your name. Dreams, even, were believed to foretell prophecy. There seemed no end to the amount of inconsequential circumstances that could bring ill fortune upon one and all that share their blood. 

From childhood, Launcelin had been educated in how to appease fickle spirits that anger over the smallest of deeds. Which weeds should be worn for headaches, which oracles and temples to consult should the birds fly the wrong way, or, the wrong star rise in the night sky. A lifetime of amulets for luck and protection wrangled around his neck or stuffed into his pockets. Of augers, listening to bird calls or examining the organs of slaughtered beasts for predictions of the future. 

All this training, and he is not wary when his mother calls him to her chambers. The halls of his mother’s palace cloaked in shadow, the crackle and roar of a storm raging outside. If Launcelin were a superstitious man, he’d claim to see the faces of the dead in their eternal vigil over the living.

He finds the Empress lounging on her klinē in her sitting room, lush and luxuriant. 

“Do you still study the Nazhutai language?” She asks him, absentmindedly picking at a bowl of honeyed figs.

An unsettling start; Launcelin steels himself, “I do, Mother. Why do you ask?”

Dread grows with his mother’s smile. It settles in his stomach like a rock as she instructs Meriald to bring ‘it’ in. 

“It” is a portrait in the Nalaantai style. At the center of blank parchment rests a child, a girl no older than eleven summers. 

Sat in a gilded chair, her shoes peek out from under her finely embroidered garbs. Pearls hang from her ears and decorate her forehead, cheeks, and temples. Her hair is arranged in a complicated style, adorned in hairpins and combs set with precious stones. The girl’s eyes look past him, her placid gaze settling somewhere over his shoulder. Launcelin’s own gaze shifts from her bejeweled head to the writing near the edge of the parchment. 

Dobaan E'zhing Mingsuuma, Princess Mingyu of Nalaantai.

So this is what she wanted.

“What do you think of her, dear son? Isn’t she quite lovely?” 

Launclin’s attention snaps from the painted child to his mother, who has risen to gaze at the portrait beside him, “She is pretty, Mother; like a budding flower.” 

Ignoring him, she hums in agreement. “Isn’t she? Or, at least she probably is. This portrait is rather old.” 

His mother playfully pouts, “I had requested a newer one be made for you, but King Yuwa hasn’t sent it. He doesn’t seem interested in having a new one painted. You know those people, don’t like too many strange men around their daughters.” 

Unease peaking, Launcelin shifts on his feet. When he was young, his mother’s sitting room had always been a place of comfort and safety, and her presence within a balm for any ailment. Now, this place that seemed warm and inviting so long ago, has grown cold and hostile. What comfort and joy that could’ve been found here gone with his childhood.

If his mother is aware of his discomfort, she does not show it, “She would be a good addition to the court, would she not? A fresh beauty to liven the place. I have heard--” 

“Mother,” he interrupts, his toga pulla weighing heavily upon his shoulder, “Seluua has not been allowed any time to rest.”

His mother only stares at him blankly; he continues. “Would it not be...unseemly to enter another betrothal so quickly? Especially with a girl so young?” 

Frowning, she raises a delicate hand to grip his shoulder, “Your apprehension is understandable, my dearest. Young as she may be, Mingyu is the eldest, and only, princess Nalaantai has.” 

Looking back to the portrait, the Empress does not see how his jaw clenches, “I suppose you could decline, and he could be allowed to marry the princess. Nalaantai may be particularly discerning, but not enough to condemn her to spinsterhood. Yet, if that were to happen; there would be no protection for us; for your sisters, or for little Ouren.”

Launcelin allows his head to hang, eyes fixed on the marble floor. He does not want to be here. He does not want to talk about this. All he wants is to be allowed to mourn his Seluua -his poor, suffering Seluua- in peace.

“Do you think he is not trying, dear one? Where do you think he’s been all of these months? Sitting patiently underneath his mother’s skirts?”

Amusement by her own imagery, she scoffs, “Though I would not be surprised to find him there. Along with half the men in court.”

Amusement dissipated, her focus quickly shifts back and she continues, unrelenting, “If he is the one to be betrothed to the princess, we all might as well lay in our graves and wait for the assassins.”  

Moving her hand from his shoulder, his mother steps to his front. Cupping his cheeks, she tilts his head up, forcing Launcelin to look her in the eyes, “My dearest son, you know this to be true. Seluua, may her soul eternally rest, would understand. If she truly loved you, she would forgive you; she would know that you need to do this for your family.” 

Would she? Would she understand? How can his mother be so sure of how his beloved Seluua would feel? For the short time they had been married, he cannot remember a single time she’d spoken kindly to, or of her. For all his mother knows, Seluua could be rolling in her grave--

“I know, Mother.” He answers, tone clipped.

Once the epitome of Essenian beauty and elegance, his mother’s features were now marred with pity. “It pains your mother to see you suffer so, beloved. I would take your place; if I could. I would protect you from this. Protect all of us from this.” 

She sighs heavily, “Alas, we can only do what our stations allow. And this, my sweet boy, is what you can do- what you must do.”  

Her worry fades from her face as quickly as it came, and she looks at him sternly. If she wasn’t holding his head, Launcelin would still not be able to break from her gaze, “Will you do this? Will you bear this burden to safeguard our family from those who seek to destroy us?” 

As much as his mother’s hold on him allowed, Launcelin nods. Satisfied, his mother offers him a weak smile, leaning forward to kiss his forehead. A small gesture that, had he still been a child, would’ve abated him--should’ve abated him.

It pains him when it does not. 

--- Some End Notes!---

If you’ve read so far, thank you! I would be happy for any criticism, or suggestions on how to make my writing better :)

And, if you’re Locria, thank you for creating such a compelling game/setting! I look forward to every update it receives. 

Omina and the superstitions mostly come from the Romans. I “tried” looking for some juicy Byzantine superstitions, but they were markedly less superstitious.

For some examples of what the MC’s dowry portrait would look like: I based it on two Song Dynasty portraits of Empress Zhu and Empress Wu. 

Toga pulla- mourning clothing worn by men in the Roman Empire, made of darkly dyed wool. I also “tried” looking at examples of mourning clothing from the Byzantines/HRE but I couldn’t find a lot that I liked. There really are just no good references for Byzantine clothing :/

Klinē- a type of furniture used in Ancient Greece and Rome, that you would recline on. For the Empress, I think hers would look something like this. 

This fic can also be found on my AO3!