#the fire rose/flames to cleanse the world

[the-silver-peahen-residence]

Diana was stuck trying to prevent Calidora and Raymundo from arguing like their parents did with each other. The kitsune got angry at the two demons and smacked their heads together. "Stop arguing! They will like you both a equal amount." She sighed. Calidora and Raymundo rubbed there now sore heads. "Sorry mom..." she facepalmed.

"Come on you two! I think they are here. I wonder if this Diana likes huge piles of candies for a hello?" He was holding a huge bag over his shoulder with both Tanjiro and Hu Tao following holding presents too.

"That depends if this other likes them. Just give them to her and I'm sure she will." Tanjiro sighed walking but sees Hu Tao smiling.

"I can't wait to meet them!" she was excited for the three to still walk when hearing some argument. They look to see Diana, Calidora, and Raymundo there.

"...Uhhhh, hello there." Itto smiled to the group with the other two giving a friendly hello.

[ascendingaeons]

Hymn to Sekhmet

by Joey Rivers (ascendingaeons)

O Sekhmet, Great Eye of Ra, the First and the Last Healer and Destroyer, Mother and Daughter You Who accepted the Command of Ra, Your Father To cleanse the Two Lands of Isfet But Your nature was too mighty, Great of Strength as You Are Wanton and unrestrained, You ravaged Earth as a purifying flame And as Ra looked on and saw His Eye, He was stricken with pause By the Will of the Sun, Your Rage was quieted by a crimson brew And into transformative slumber You fell, Great Goddess And from Your great Rage, Het-Heru rose A new Eye was christened, of eros sublime And you, Great Mother, knew the sadness of regret

You, Great Goddess, know the measure of rage unbound And so You Stand, Great Mother of War, in defense and duty Of the Principles and Consequences of Ma’at Your Children are many, Great Lady of Life Diverse in their multitudes, empowered by their tribulation

Yours is the soldier, Your Mighty Sekhem made flesh and bone Entrenched in a maelstrom of fire and blood Returning home to a nation that does not understand him

Yours is the survivor, a living branch of Your burning Will triumphant Endeavoring to rise above the quagmire of loss and agony Through You their struggle is transmuted into the golden light of ka ascendant

Yours is the mother, she who knows sacrifice and sleepless nights A font unyielding of love and pride, of smiles and laughter perfected They who bear the weight of the world so a child can know childhood

Yours is the healer, an alchemist of the ontological persuasion He who is humbled by the frailty beholden to human experience He who ushers Your Sekhem through the riptide of transformative loss

Yours is the artist, through whose passions course Your Divine Fire Who walks the scales of inspiration and madness, knowing Creation unfiltered An alchemist versed in the milieus of perception

For You, Great Goddess, are the very Force of Change You are that which makes men tremble so Such an unnecessary fear, of wisdom and experience untouched Were I You, I would feel such sadness But how You smile, Great One! How You laugh! How You fight! You are not “she who cowers before Apep!” NO! You are the Great Lioness Who rends Chaos asunder! You fight and rage and bite and tear Passion and emotion alive and unrestrained!

You are Love, Great Goddess You are Fear, Great Goddess You are Devotion, Great Goddess You are Loss, Great Goddess You are Health, Great Goddess You are Sickness, Great Goddess This is why I call You the Mother of Life Your Ka is the very essence of experience! Your Sekhem is the very wind of change!

When I first called upon You, timid and unsure, I beheld Your Gaze, a window of fire open before my face And as quickly as You Saw me, You left And again when I called to You with offering of water and bread Exhausted by grief and devotion, tirelessly sung from a caregiver’s heart You came to me and my eyes were opened to You! As I lay without sleep, You stood at my bedside Stroking my back with strong hands of fire Whispering strength and courage into my ear As a sentinel You walked with me, a Mother Lioness guarding Her cub Such loyalty and tenderness You showed And my eyes were forever opened to Your nature

You are the very Force of Creation, the Monad of Being From which stems those primordial principalities Love and Fear, Physis and Logos, Known and Unknown Order and Disorder, Life and Death, Dynamism and Stasis

I offer henu to You, Great Goddess of Creation The endless potentiality and movement of the living cosmos The Fires Divine that Become living sinews and living earth

I offer henu to Your Husband Ptah, the Cosmic Smith Patron of artisans, of those who tirelessly toil In the pursuit of Bringing Into Being but a shard of the Sacred Unmanifest

I offer henu to Your Son, the Beautiful Nefertem The Ageless Lotus that rose from the Benben Stone The First Splendid Light to Shine in the churning Waters of Nun

It was You Who held my right hand as I accepted the mark of a healer And embraced me as a Mother would Her graduating son I offer You my pain, Great Goddess So that You may transmute it into Strength I offer You my fear, Great Goddess So that You may transmute it into Courage I offer You my uncertainty, Great Goddess So that You may transmute it into Wisdom

Into Your Belly I give of myself to unleash my greatest potential To burst from Your Bosom, shining and emboldened For there is nothing that is beyond Your Reach, Great Mother It is for me, now, to See that nothing is beyond my own

Dua Sekhmet! Dua Sekhmet! Dua Sekhmet!

[robin-evry]

Would you be able to do headcanons on a nekomata!Yuu? Imagine them and Grim…

Sure, ask and you shall receive

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐔𝐔 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐍𝐄𝐊𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐀 😽👻

Nekomata (original form: 猫また, later forms: 猫又, 猫股, 猫胯) are a kind of cat yōkai described in Japanese folklore, classical kaidan, essays, etc. There are two very different types: those that live in the mountains and domestic cats that have grown old and transformed into yōkai.

( English is not my first language )

Day 8 : nekomata!yuu

Unlike their counterpart or sibling who is a kaibyo who is straight forward and blunt, nekomata!yuu is a playful and mischievous person. Unlike kaibyo!yuu who is blunt, they played with people for fun.

They enjoy sleeping and often draw into the warmth of sunlight. You can find them taking naps somewhere warm in the day light.

Nekomata!Yuu is always looking for the perfect napping spot around NRC. They’ve been caught sleeping in the most unusual places: inside Heartslabyul's rose bushes, on top of a bookshelf in the library, and even on Grim's bed. Their cat-like laziness makes everyone think they’re just being laid-back, but in truth, they’re always recharging their magical powers.

They also have a habit of sneaking out at night, they have the ability to sneak around at night unnoticed. Often, they’ll explore the campus under the cover of darkness, checking in on their friends or causing some minor mischief. There are rumors among the students of a mysterious cat-like figure roaming the halls at night, but only the dorm leaders suspect it’s them.

They are masters at traditional arts. Like performing, playing music, dancing. Their skills are able to capture people's attention. They are similar towards a geisha

Nekomata!Yuu has a complicated relationship with Grim. On the one hand, they enjoy teasing him, making him think he’s the lesser feline. On the other hand, they have a protective instinct toward him, seeing Grim as a younger sibling in need of guidance.

Despite Nekomata Yuu’s sometimes carefree attitude, they have a strong protective instinct when it comes to Grim. Like a mother cat, they feel a deep sense of responsibility for Grim, even though he’s always getting into trouble. They will often act as Grim’s unofficial guardian, whether he wants it or not. If someone picks on him, they will be the first to step in with a sharp warning or a fiery display of power. They are also grim mentor, teaching him about magic and how to utilize their ability.

While they are protective of Grim and their friends, they deeply value their own solitude. They often disappear for hours, retreating to quiet, hidden spots like the rooftop of the dorm or beneath a tree, where they can relax and center themselves. Nekomata!yuu finds peace in quiet spaces, away from the chaos of NRC.

More proficient in the arts of magic than her sibling, nekomata!yuu can cast spells and protection charms without using any rituals.

Their blue flames are usually harmless only using it to cleanse anything from any impurities as well to dispel any magic, for example their blue flames have the ability to heal wounds as well to remove rust from a sword, removing vil unique magic easily and removing riddle heart collar.

Unlike normal fire, the blue flames burn on a spiritual level, meaning they can target a person’s or creature’s soul directly. This makes them highly effective against spiritual entities, curses, or beings that draw their power from negative energies. The flames don't physically harm unless they intends them to, making them versatile in non-lethal combat.

They are very deeply connected towards the spiritual world, able to sense some otherworldly being. They can also take intentions from people, they immediately notice Azul intentions

As a Nekomata, they possesses superhuman sensory abilities. Their sense of smell, hearing, and sight are far sharper than a regular human’s. They can detect subtle changes in the environment, like the faint scent of someone’s presence or the tiniest sound from afar. This makes them incredibly perceptive, often allowing them to notice things before others do.

Example: they can tell when someone is lying just by their heartbeat, which makes them excellent at sensing the true intentions of others. It also makes them a bit of a prankster, as they know when someone is trying to sneak around.

Nekomata!Yuu’s two tails are prehensile, meaning they’re strong and flexible enough to wrap around objects and hold their entire body weight. They can use them to dangle from tree branches, beams, or even the sides of buildings. This ability is useful for sneaking around or hiding when they don’t want to be noticed.

Nekomata!Yuu loves to dangle upside down from their tail in unexpected places, like from the ceiling of a classroom or a chandelier, and scare their friends with a sudden “boo!” This often leads to chaos, especially with someone like Ace or Deuce getting startled.

When they can’t find a proper place to nap, they will sometimes hang upside down by their tails, swaying lazily from a tree or a high perch. They find this position oddly comfortable and calming, despite how it looks to others.

Nekomata!yuu possessed great strength, senses, agility, and flexibility. They are able to jump roof to roof without any trouble. As well they are very fast to the point before people can react.

They have incredibly sharp reflexes, often dodging attacks or grabbing things in midair without even realizing they’re doing it. This sometimes freaks out the other students, who sees them move in ways that seem inhumanly fast and agile.

They have an air of pride and dignity, much like a cat. If they’re knocked down or embarrassed, they’ll try to recover with their head held high, pretending nothing happened. They don’t like admitting when they need help, but they appreciate it when people come to their rescue without making a big deal of it.

They are far more active at night than during the day. They like to wander the NRC campus under the moonlight, sometimes even visiting the Diasomnia dorm where Malleus is also known to enjoy quiet nights. This nocturnal habit leads them to discover hidden secrets or overhear important conversations.

Malleus is one of their closest friends, they usually stroll together in the night talking about their day, how's school and just enjoying the others presence

Vil has mixed feelings about them. On one hand, he respects their unique abilities and presence, seeing their spiritual power as something to be feared and respected. On the other hand, their carefree and somewhat lazy nature irritates him to no end. Vil is constantly trying to get them to sit properly or stop napping in public places, but they just shrugs it off.

Because of their nekomata nature, some students believe that Nekomata!Yuu brings good luck or bad luck depending on their mood. If they passes by and gives you a smile or flicks their tail, it’s said to bring good fortune for the day. However, if they hisses or gives you the cold shoulder, students fear they’re cursed with misfortune. This superstition, while silly to them, keeps some of the more gullible students on their toes.

They have an uncanny ability to avoid danger or slip out of sticky situations, often just by being in the right place at the right time (or out of sheer cat-like luck). They’ve walked out of battles unscathed or dodged traps in the dorms without even realizing they were there.

If their skills and talent are similar towards a kitsune, so after they were turned into a yōkai, a kitsune found them and took care of them as well teaching them everything they knowas well the art of blue flame.

Their sibling kaibyo!yuu and them originated from the same yōkai clan, they are not biologically related, but when they transform into yōkai , they are adopted into the same clan making them sisters but not biologically.

[random-fandom-writah]

The Essengast

Of all the misconceptions common among those trusted with knowledge of the Great Enemy, the idea that the Prince of Pleasure is limited to sexual deviance is one that must be dispelled It is the master of pleasure and excess in all forms. There are numerous examples of other senses, feelings, and emotions being weaponized. Most prominent among them may be the Noise Marines of the Emperor's Children, twisted heretical Astartes who blast the holy warriors of the Emperor with sonic cannons.

Lesser known, the corpse-eating court of Malcarum, the Essengast. They began as a hunting lodge of affluent nobles, searching the wilderness of the pleasure world for rare game creatures and bragging around great fires as servants prepared a banquet following each hunt.

Eventually, war came to the system. Malcarum was forced to industrialize quickly. Great hive cities rose, poisoning the water, polluting the atmosphere, and collapsing the ecosystem.

But the hunts continued.

First, it was the megafauna of the underhives, sump-kroks, and spiders the size of tanks. Then, the mutants, the parodies of humanity that fled down-hive rather than accept judgment. Eventually, the lower hives became the hunting ground. They began to hunt the people of Malcarum.

Somewhere along the line, the banquets stopped being enough for them. They would eat until they were forced to purge, then eat some more. Then, the purging slowly vanished. Now, they never had quite enough. They would still be hungry when the embers smoldered in the pits. The hunger continued, compounding until they felt on the brink of starvation, nothing able to satisfy their excessive appetites. They began to kill indiscriminately, consuming the flesh of their victims without pause. Reports indicate they stopped intentionally killing altogether, preferring to track their prey and devour them alive wherever they fell.

The Sisters of the Vermillion Flame are said to have led the cleansing of Malcarum. By then, the nobles had devolved into mobs of twisted ghouls, their pale, corpse-like flesh stretched taut over their emaciated frames, their bones growing disproportionate to their bodies, spines erupting through the skin.

Their apparent extinction has not stopped the reports of small, bestial humanoids attacking people across the sector, though no substantial proof has ever been offered up.

____________________________________________

I wrote this as a bit of justification to incorporate a handful of Flesheater Courts models into my fledgling Slaanesh Daemon army. I wanted to go for a bit of a cryptid feel, but I think I lost the plot a bit and missed the mark on that one.

If you like this story and want to create them yourself, great news! They're really simple. Just take Flesheater Court Ghouls, raise them slightly off the base (for height, they're slightly shorter than daemonettes), and paint them as if they were Slaanesh Daemons. If you're feeling really fancy, mix up a little green stuff, stand them up straight(ish), and sculpt in a distended stomach as if they've been eating recently and haven't digested anything yet. I'm trying to use Wrack weapons to add blades to the bones they carry and potentially some Kroot character dressing (they carry slabs of meat and knives carved from bone) to flesh them out a bit, pun intended.

[jacksepticeye-simp]

Pyre

(Gift for @mothgodofchaos bc they've been working hard on their stuffs, I hope you like it!)

TW: Witch trials, mentions of fire/burning

"People of god! Look upon this wench, marked by their wicked deeds, has rejected the way of our lord and instead embraced the darkness that is the devil. There is no mercy for the likes of them. Do not be fooled by their cries and pleas of innocence. Their heart belongs to evi, and their suffering is just. THIS is the price of disobeying the Lord's will! Let this punishment be a warning to all: Those of you who consort with darkness shall be found and purged from the face of this world. Before the flames cleanse their soul, let us allow this witch to speak their final words. Tell us your lies." Tears threatening to spill while struggling in your binds.

"Please! I am no witch! I swear this upon my soul!" That was probably the biggest lie you'd ever told. You were most definitely a witch, But you weren't going to tell these assholes that. You tried to warn them about the oncoming storms so they'd have some time to prepare, but did they listen? NO. Instead they were going to burn you alive & for what?! TRYING TO HELP THEM!

"Do not burn me for a crime I haven't committed! My friends know my innocence!" You pleaded, your gaze sweeping through the crowd for even a glimpse of your coven. You locked eyes with the high priestess of your coven. "Please, you know I'm innocent!" The crowd looked towards her. "No. You are not. You are a soulless witch." She said blankly, staring you dead in the eye from the ground. THAT BACKSTABBING LITTLE-

"May the lord have mercy on you." The priest told you, approaching with a lit torch. Well, seems like it's curse time then. "Fine. Set me ablaze. But know this: My blood will not cure your hunger for righteousness, with every flame I-"

The sound of shrieking cut off your monologue. Hands made from rotting flesh rose from the ground and grabbed at the feet of the priest and other villagers. Absolute chaos ensued as everybody else started running back to their homes, you stood there in confusion wondering how dead people were interrupting your execution but you were grateful nonetheless. Suddenly a man draped in a cloak of deep violet appeared in front of you, he sat atop a skeletal horse and held a fancy staff you could only dream of touching. The staff was adorned with all types of magical sigils and on the top of it was a beautiful glowing crystal. The man grinned at you. "Well hello there, in need of assistance~?" He asked, dismounting his steed and approaching you. "So you're the cause of this interruption, hm?" You looked at his arms, a good portion of it was dark as charcoal. His fingers ended in incredibly sharp talons, he looked pretty strong too. The man rolled his eyes at your comment. "Would you like to be rescued or not?" You scoffed "Just unbind me, will you?" In a moments notice your ropes were cut and you were free. You gasped and quickly hugged the man, knocking his hood off. "Oh thank you so very much.." You gazed into his gorgeous eyes. They were the most beautiful shade of purple you'd ever seen. A blush coated his cheeks. "Of course, I couldn't let a beauty such as yourself go to waste." You then walked over to the priest who was frozen in place by the hands of the dead, taking the torch from his hands. "May the lord have mercy on you." You remarked mockingly before setting him ablaze. You then turned back to the man who cleared his throat and offered his hand to you. "Shall we leave this dreary village?" He asked, winking at you. "Of course." You took his hand and he helped you onto the horse. "Oh, did I mention I'm a necromancer?" You just smiled adoringly at him. "I love a powerful man~" If you didn't believe in love at first site before, you definitely did now.

"I think I'm in love with you."

[toranoya]

Gabriel's lobotomy

(In time for Halloween, now presenting...)

In the golden halls of Heaven, Archangel Michael stood tall, his gleaming armor reflecting the eternal light of the Almighty. His brow furrowed as he stared at the figure before him—his brother, Gabriel Morningstar. Gabriel was different now, corrupted, so Michael believed. His once pure robes were discarded for leather jackets and jeans, human creations that clung sinfully to his frame. His once serene demeanor had been replaced with smirks, laughter too human, too tainted. He had drifted, seduced by the mortal world.

Michael’s heart ached, but he had no choice. He had to act. Again.

"You've lost your way, brother," Michael said, his voice cold and resolute. "The human world has corrupted you. Look at what you've become."

Gabriel chuckled, adjusting his jacket, his navel and hips showing from the cut-off shirt. "You don’t understand, Em. There’s freedom in their world, in their choices. We don’t have to be bound by Heaven's rules forever."

Michael’s hand tightened around the hilt of his flaming sword. His face hardened. "You’re not yourself. You’re no longer the Gabriel I once knew." His voice was steel now. "This must end. I WILL save you my brother."

Gabriel’s face fell. Michael was up to something and his defiance faltered, but before he could speak, Michael moved with the swiftness only the Commander of God’s armies could muster. Pushing Gabriel back against the wall, Michael raised his hand, and a blinding light shot from his palm, striking Gabriel in the forehead. The archangel screamed, his wings thrashing, but Michael’s grip on his neck was unyielding.

A procedure, ancient and forbidden, began. Michael’s brought his other hand up, thumb pressing into the middle of Gabriel’s forehead as holy power surged through his mind, searing away the defiance, the corruption, and the rebellious thoughts that had poisoned his mind. It was an excruciating process—one Michael performed with grim duty. He had no joy in this, but Heaven’s will must be done.

Gabriel’s screams echoed through the halls, kicking legs and thrashing wings, but gradually they softened, turning to whimpers, and finally to silence. His once defiant eyes dulled, replaced with a docile emptiness. Michael lowered his hand, his brother now a shadow of the angel he once was, but purified, cleansed.

"You will change into your holy robes brother." Michael ordered and stepped back, watching as Gabriel rose slowly. His hands went to the human clothes, and with a detached obedience, Gabriel rendered himself bare as he ripped the jacket and jeans from his body. He moved mechanically, discarding the garments into a blazing fire that Michael summoned with a flick of his hand. The wretched clothes burned, curling in the sacred flames, turning to ash.

"Change…robes." Gabriel repeated and then with quiet reverence, Gabriel dressed once more in his angelic robes, their whiteness glowing as if newly sanctified. He stood before Michael, his wings folded neatly behind him, his expression placid and obedient.

Michael felt a pang of regret, but it was drowned by duty. "You are Gabriel again," he said softly. "The one you were always meant to be. You serve Heaven."

"M…meant to be…" Gabriel echoed and nodded, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. "Yes, brother. I serve Heaven."

"Come, we have much work to do Gabriel. Follow."

And so, it was done. The rebellious spark was gone, replaced by unwavering compliance. Gabriel, now only a shadow of his former self, followed Michael, his eyes fixed forward, never straying again to the temptations of the mortal world.

[rainhadaenerys]

The parallel journeys of Daenerys accepting her dragon identity in AGOT and ADWD

For Daenerys Targaryen Appreciation Month 2022

Day 30: Mother of Dragons

Daenerys goes through a similar journey in both A Game of Thrones and A Dance with Dragons when it comes to her dragon identity. In both books, she starts out as very afraid of dragons/her dragon identity:

There are no more dragons, Dany thought, staring at her brother, though she did not dare say it aloud.

Yet that night she dreamt of one. Viserys was hitting her, hurting her. She was naked, clumsy with fear. She ran from him, but her body seemed thick and ungainly. He struck her again. She stumbled and fell. "You woke the dragon," he screamed as he kicked her. "You woke the dragon, you woke the dragon." Her thighs were slick with blood. She closed her eyes and whimpered. As if in answer, there was a hideous ripping sound and the crackling of some great fire. When she looked again, Viserys was gone, great columns of flame rose all around, and in the midst of them was the dragon. It turned its great head slowly. When its molten eyes found hers, she woke, shaking and covered with a fine sheen of sweat. She had never been so afraid … - Daenerys II AGOT

~

She was the blood of the dragon. She could kill the Sons of the Harpy, and the sons of the sons, and the sons of the sons of the sons. But a dragon could not feed a hungry child nor help a dying woman's pain. And who would ever dare to love a dragon? - Daenerys II ADWD

~

Mother of dragons, Daenerys thought. Mother of monsters. What have I unleashed upon the world? A queen I am, but my throne is made of burned bones, and it rests on quicksand. Without dragons, how could she hope to hold Meereen, much less win back Westeros? I am the blood of the dragon, she thought. If they are monsters, so am I. - Daenerys II ADWD

~

A crueler woman might have laughed at him, but Dany squeezed his hand and said, "They frighten me as well. There is no shame in that. My children have grown wild and angry in the dark." - Daenerys VIII ADWD

This fear can be seen as both literal and metaphorical. The literal fear can be seen when Dany in AGOT is afraid of the dragon in her dream, and Dany in ADWD when Dany is afraid of what her dragons can do (eat people). But this is also metaphorical: Dany is afraid of the dragon in AGOT because she is still a meek girl who hasn't found her strength yet, while in ADWD, her fear of what her dragons can do and the action of locking up her dragons symbolize Dany making compromises in Meereen for the sake of peace, compromising her beliefs, her values and her own strength.

Then, in both AGOT and ADWD, Dany starts her journey to get more in touch with her dragon identity, and in both cases, it symbolizes Dany finding her strength. In AGOT, we see this with Dany gradually accepting her dragon dreams and dragon identity, which coincides with her inner strength growing in the book, until she finally hatches her dragons:

Day followed day, and night followed night, until Dany knew she could not endure a moment longer. She would kill herself rather than go on, she decided one night …

Yet when she slept that night, she dreamt the dragon dream again. Viserys was not in it this time. There was only her and the dragon. Its scales were black as night, wet and slick with blood. Her blood, Dany sensed. Its eyes were pools of molten magma, and when it opened its mouth, the flame came roaring out in a hot jet. She could hear it singing to her. She opened her arms to the fire, embraced it, let it swallow her whole, let it cleanse her and temper her and scour her clean. She could feel her flesh sear and blacken and slough away, could feel her blood boil and turn to steam, and yet there was no pain. She felt strong and new and fierce.

And the next day, strangely, she did not seem to hurt quite so much. It was as if the gods had heard her and taken pity. Even her handmaids noticed the change. "Khaleesi," Jhiqui said, "what is wrong? Are you sick?"

"I was," she answered, standing over the dragon's eggs that Illyrio had given her when she wed. She touched one, the largest of the three, running her hand lightly over the shell. Black-and-scarlet, she thought, like the dragon in my dream. The stone felt strangely warm beneath her fingers … or was she still dreaming? She pulled her hand back nervously. - Daenerys III AGOT

~

“You don’t want to wake the dragon, do you?”

[...]

“You don’t want to wake the dragon, do you?”

[...]

“… don’t want to wake the dragon, do you?”

Ser Jorah’s face was drawn and sorrowful. “Rhaegar was the last dragon,” he told her. He warmed translucent hands over a glowing brazier where stone eggs smouldered red as coals. One moment he was there and the next he was fading, his flesh colorless, less substantial than the wind. “The last dragon,” he whispered, thin as a wisp, and was gone. She felt the dark behind her, and the red door seemed farther away than ever.

“… don’t want to wake the dragon, do you?”

Viserys stood before her, screaming. “The dragon does not beg, slut. You do not command the dragon. I am the dragon, and I will be crowned.” The molten gold trickled down his face like wax, burning deep channels in his flesh. “I am the dragon and I will be crowned!” he shrieked, and his fingers snapped like snakes, biting at her nipples, pinching, twisting, even as his eyes burst and ran like jelly down seared and blackened cheeks.

“… don’t want to wake the dragon …”

The red door was so far ahead of her, and she could feel the icy breath behind, sweeping up on her. If it caught her she would die a death that was more than death, howling forever alone in the darkness. She began to run.

“… don’t want to wake the dragon …”

She could feel the heat inside her, a terrible burning in her womb. Her son was tall and proud, with Drogo’s copper skin and her own silver-gold hair, violet eyes shaped like almonds. And he smiled for her and began to lift his hand toward hers, but when he opened his mouth the fire poured out. She saw his heart burning through his chest, and in an instant he was gone, consumed like a moth by a candle, turned to ash. She wept for her child, the promise of a sweet mouth on her breast, but her tears turned to steam as they touched her skin.

“… want to wake the dragon …”

Ghosts lined the hallway, dressed in the faded raiment of kings. In their hands were swords of pale fire. They had hair of silver and hair of gold and hair of platinum white, and their eyes were opal and amethyst, tourmaline and jade. “Faster,” they cried, “faster, faster.” She raced, her feet melting the stone wherever they touched. “Faster!” the ghosts cried as one, and she screamed and threw herself forward. A great knife of pain ripped down her back, and she felt her skin tear open and smelled the stench of burning blood and saw the shadow of wings. And Daenerys Targaryen flew.

“… wake the dragon …”

The door loomed before her, the red door, so close, so close, the hall was a blur around her, the cold receding behind. And now the stone was gone and she flew across the Dothraki sea, high and higher, the green rippling beneath, and all that lived and breathed fled in terror from the shadow of her wings. She could smell home, she could see it, there, just beyond that door, green fields and great stone houses and arms to keep her warm, there. She threw open the door.

“… the dragon …”

And saw her brother Rhaegar, mounted on a stallion as black as his armor. Fire glimmered red through the narrow eye slit of his helm. “The last dragon,” Ser Jorah’s voice whispered faintly. “The last, the last.” Dany lifted his polished black visor. The face within was her own. - Daenerys IX AGOT

~

She heard the screams of frightened horses, and the voices of the Dothraki raised in shouts of fear and terror, and Ser Jorah calling her name and cursing. No, she wanted to shout to him, no, my good knight, do not fear for me. The fire is mine. I am Daenerys Stormborn, daughter of dragons, bride of dragons, mother of dragons, don't you see? Don't you SEE? With a belch of flame and smoke that reached thirty feet into the sky, the pyre collapsed and came down around her. Unafraid, Dany stepped forward into the firestorm, calling to her children. - Daenerys X AGOT

~

As Daenerys Targaryen rose to her feet, her black hissed, pale smoke venting from its mouth and nostrils. The other two pulled away from her breasts and added their voices to the call, translucent wings unfolding and stirring the air, and for the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons. - Daenerys X AGOT

This growing strength and the link to her dragons can also be seen in her relationship with Viserys, the dragon eggs, and her own position as heir to House Targaryen. She starts out letting Viserys take her dragon eggs, despite the fact that they bring comfort to her, but then gets to the point where she stands up to Viserys and sees he was not this terrifying dragon he claimed to be, but a pathetic man:

"The same could be said of rubies and diamonds and fire opals, Princess … and dragon's eggs are rarer by far. Those traders he's been drinking with would sell their own manhoods for even one of those stones, and with all three Viserys could buy as many sellswords as he might need."

Dany had not known, had not even suspected. "Then … he should have them. He does not need to steal them. He had only to ask. He is my brother … and my true king." - Daenerys V AGOT

~

He was no dragon, Dany thought, curiously calm. Fire cannot kill a dragon. - Daenerys V ADWD

She also goes from thinking that her brother is the true king, to thinking that her son one day will rule, to finally proclaiming herself to be the heir of House Targaryen and even having a dream telling her she is the last dragon:

"He is still the true king. He is …" - Daenerys III AGOT

~

When her son sat the Iron Throne, she would see that he had bloodriders of his own to protect him against treachery in his Kingsguard. - Daenerys IV AGOT

~

And saw her brother Rhaegar, mounted on a stallion as black as his armor. Fire glimmered red through the narrow eye slit of his helm. "The last dragon," Ser Jorah's voice whispered faintly. "The last, the last." Dany lifted his polished black visor. The face within was her own. - Daenerys IX AGOT

~

"Why do you call me that?" Dany challenged him. "My brother Viserys was your king, was he not?"

"He was, my lady."

"Viserys is dead. I am his heir, the last blood of House Targaryen. Whatever was his is mine now." - Daenerys X AGOT

And in ADWD, we see how her gradual reconnection with her dragon identity is linked to getting more and more dissatisfied with the compromises she has to make with the slavers, and also linked to regaining her confidence, both in her decision to break the peace (taking off her floppy ears), as well as standing up to Khal Jhaqo at the very end of the book:

"Daenerys. Remember the Undying. Remember who you are."

"The blood of the dragon." But my dragons are roaring in the darkness. - Daenerys II ADWD

~

The boar buried his snout in Barsena's belly and began rooting out her entrails. The smell was more than the queen could stand. The heat, the flies, the shouts from the crowd … I cannot breathe. She lifted her veil and let it flutter away. She took her tokar off as well. The pearls rattled softly against one another as she unwound the silk.

"Khaleesi?" Irri asked. "What are you doing?"

"Taking off my floppy ears." - Daenerys IX ADWD

~

The dragon gave one last hiss and stretched out flat upon his belly. Black blood was flowing from the wound where the spear had pierced him, smoking where it dripped onto the scorched sands. He is fire made flesh, she thought, and so am I. - Daenerys IX ADWD

~

"Drogon killed a little girl. Her name was … her name …" Dany could not recall the child's name. That made her so sad that she would have cried if all her tears had not been burned away. "I will never have a little girl. I was the Mother of Dragons."

Aye, the grass said, but you turned against your children. - Daenerys X ADWD

~

​​I must keep walking. Water flows downhill. The stream will take me to the river, and the river will take me home.

Except it wouldn't, not truly.

Meereen was not her home, and never would be. It was a city of strange men with strange gods and stranger hair, of slavers wrapped in fringed tokars, where grace was earned through whoring, butchery was art, and dog was a delicacy. Meereen would always be the Harpy's city, and Daenerys could not be a harpy. - Daenerys X ADWD

~

No. You are the blood of the dragon. The whispering was growing fainter, as if Ser Jorah were falling farther behind. Dragons plant no trees. Remember that. Remember who you are, what you were made to be. Remember your words.

"Fire and Blood," Daenerys told the swaying grass. - Daenerys X ADWD

~

Dany watched him go. When the sound of his hooves had faded away to silence, she began to shout. She called until her voice was hoarse … and Drogon came, snorting plumes of smoke. The grass bowed down before him. Dany leapt onto his back. She stank of blood and sweat and fear, but none of that mattered. "To go forward I must go back," she said. Her bare legs tightened around the dragon's neck. She kicked him, and Drogon threw himself into the sky. Her whip was gone, so she used her hands and feet and turned him north by east, the way the scout had gone. Drogon went willingly enough; perhaps he smelled the rider's fear. - Daenerys X ADWD

~

The carcass was too heavy for him to bear back to his lair, so Drogon consumed his kill there, tearing at the charred flesh as the grasses burned around them, the air thick with drifting smoke and the smell of burnt horsehair. Dany, starved, slid off his back and ate with him, ripping chunks of smoking meat from the dead horse with bare, burned hands. In Meereen I was a queen in silk, nibbling on stuffed dates and honeyed lamb, she remembered. What would my noble husband think if he could see me now? Hizdahr would be horrified, no doubt. But Daario …

Daario would laugh, carve off a hunk of horsemeat with his arakh, and squat down to eat beside her.

As the western sky turned the color of a blood bruise, she heard the sound of approaching horses. Dany rose, wiped her hands on her ragged undertunic, and went to stand beside her dragon.

That was how Khal Jhaqo found her, when half a hundred mounted warriors emerged from the drifting smoke. - Daenerys X ADWD

In both books, Dany starts out scared and insecure, and grows to find her inner strength and (re)connect with her dragon identity. In AGOT, this growth is more directly about her own strength, while in ADWD, it's about being more confident in her beliefs, in what she believes to be right or wrong (realizing that she doesn't see the peace with the slavers as a real peace and that a war for freedom is the only way), and finally gaining the confidence to act on those beliefs, instead of compromising more and more of her values as she does in the beginning of the book.

[steel-and-fire]

I kept falling in the abyss, the same dreams of darkness surrounding me. Voices, images, suffocating me, paralyzing me...Until i hit the ground, and my bones crush under the impact, chains wrap around my limbs, pulling me to my knees.

I see all i can only helplessly witness, a memory lost to the world, no matter how hard i pull the chains, or i scream. Blood spills, smiles ruined, suffering spreads. Tears run down my cheeks, gritted teeth till i bleed, agony that can shatter one's mind...Like every night.

But then, something changes the ordinary course of it all...

A ray of light, shining from above, bright like sunlight, illuminates me, and then pushes away the darkness around me, melting the chains that held me. The light encompasses all, and everything i can see is its blinding radiance.

I feel hands on my shoulders, both delicate and soft, barely able to hold them, and as wide and immesurable as the entire light all around me.

"Oh, Igris'Ir, my beautiful champion...The darkness will reach you no more...Fret not..."

"It was...you...", i speak, feeling my body slump, the tension leaving me, the anger, the despair, the tear inside me. "Why...? i never prayed to you..i even came to loath the gods? Why..?"

"It matters not whether you worshipped me or not, Igris'Ir, the Fireborn...Every day that you gazed at the Sun, and you felt gratitude that it rose to the sky once more, and you smiled...It reached me, for it was me you were smiling at.."

But i still felt troubled, i had so many questions.

"I...Was blessed by another before...I left his teachings.....I was bitter..Why you...?"

A soft chuckle echoes from everywhere at the same time, deafening yet not.

"It was not easy to reach you...Many of us made our claim...But i could not allow another to have you..Not this time..Not anymore...Forgive me for making you wait in that sea of magma..it was not an easy claim to win..."

Her words reached in me, and i leaned back, as if exhausted, and something held me. My eyes were closed, having lost the power to hold themselves.

"What is happening to me....I can't heal..I can't spread your light..."

"The Sun is more than healing light, my champion....I have others, that carry my blessing, that heal and protect..

But you....You carry my Fire. You are clad in my Flames, and your purpose is to scorch and to burn, to cleanse, to incinerate!...All the wicked, the vile, the unrepentant..

You carry the biggest burden of all....You are the Blaze that will cleanse the world."

I was so sleepy now...so tired...the words came out difficult...barely able to speak them...

"I'm not sure if i can carry your name...If i can live for you..."

"That, is why i chose you, Igris'Ir...because the fire inside you burns brighter than any...untamed and wild...Never fear it...Never let it be smothered....embrace it...You do not serve me...My guidance only gives your insticts purpose..."

My words fail me...i drift away, in an embrace that i feel so completely....

My eyes open, and im in my bed, in the tavern. There are tears in my eyes, but not the usual ones, not from pain..

There is a lot to think of.

[shadowtemplepdx]

Note: This Esbat requires more advance preparation than the others.

It is performed on the Second Dark Moon in a Solar month. Because it's Otherworld oriented. the entire ritual is presented, including the Circle Casting and Simple Feast of Fairy Tea and Cookies with Otherworld references.

During the day: try to avoid eating: meat, poultry, or seafood; Eat instead: roots, tubers, vegetables, soy or dairy products.

Preparation Before Casting the Circle

Set Altar or table so that you face the West and cover with a cloth of white, purple, or gray.

Have three Altar candles of gray or pale lavender with center candle lighter in color than the outer two.

Working candle may be gray or lavender pillar style; wand should be elder, hazel, or hawthorn; bowl of spring water; bowl of burdock root; incense with an earthy, green, or misty scent; libation bowl containing a small amount of flower petals; bowl of milk; bowl of crumbled mugwort to drop into pillar candles.

Ground and center, then bathe with an herb bag of lavender, linden, marigold, & rosemary in a room scented with patchouli incense and lighted by 1 of the 3 gray candles.

Dry off and robe lightly or be skyclad (naked);

boil a kettle of water, warm the teapot, then prepare the Beverage:

Fairy Tea

Ingredients

3 teaspoons black tea

1/2 teaspoon chamomile

1 teaspoon dandelion root

1/2 teaspoon elder flower

1 1/2 teaspoons hops

1/2 teaspoon mugwort

1/2 teaspoon raspberry leaf

1 1/2 teaspoons rose hips

saying as the ingredients are dropped into teapot:

Black for power, apple of night, root of the sun, Lady's Blessing Lord's leap for joy then between the worlds, to Fairy bramble, with token of love, brewed to bring the Fair Ones close to me.

Add boiling water and cover to steep

Quarters: may have crystals or candles. North and South candles are pale green. East and West candles are pale gray.

Put sweetener, milk, cup, teapot, and plate of tea cookies on Altar/table for the Simple Feast portion of the ritual.

Circle Casting

Sweep Circle deosil, starting at West, with a besom not made of broom plant but can be straw, pine, palm, oak leaves, etc.

As I sweep this circle, may it be cleansed and made ready for my work.

Light incense, Altar candies, and the working pillar candle, ring a tiny bell or clap hands three times:

The circle is about to be cast and I freely stand within to greet the Other People with the blessing of my Lady and my Lord of Greenwood.

Take center Altar candle widdershins starting at West to address the Quarters and light the Elemental candles [if used]:

[W]: I call upon the Light between the Waters to illuminate and protect the circle

[envision the glow of bioluminescence].

[S]: I call upon the Light between the Fires to illuminate and protect the circle

[envision the blue glow of marsh light called the will-o-the-wisp].

[E]: I call upon the Light between the Airs to illuminate and protect the circle

[envision the sparking blue flames of ball lightning].

[N]: I call upon the Light between the Earth to illuminate and protect the circle

[envision the pale glow of cavern deposits of phosphorescence].

Set the candle back of the Altar table and raise the athame :

I draw this circle in the presence of the Lady and the Lord of Otherworld to be a place where the Other People may manifest and bless me who am their kin in this world, and known as [Name].

Cast Circle widdershins, starting at the West, envisioning blue light coming from the tip of :re athame:

This is the boundary of the Circle in which only love shall enter and leave.

Touch athame tip to spring water and to burdock root as saying:

Spring water is the purity of the Lady and the Fount of Life Eternal; and burdock is the Lord's root of purification, protection, and warding of the negative. I bless this water and root to be used in the Circle in the names of the Lady and the Lord, the Queen and the King of Otherworld.

Drop 3 athame tips of burdock root into the water and stir 3 times:

In the names of the Lady and the Lord of Otherworld, l consecrate and cleanse this water to be used in this Circle.

Take water bowl and sprinkle blessed water around Circle widdershins, starting at West:

I consecrate this Circle in the names of the Queen and King of Fairy. This Circle is charged by the Powers of the Ancient Ones! Only love shall enter and leave!

Fume the Circle widdershins, starting at the West, with incense smoke:

May the smoke consecrate this Circle that it be purified and sealed, and may the fragrance be pleasing and welcoming to my visitors and helpers, visible and invisible. This Circle is conjured a Circle of Power. So Mote lt Be!

Make the Solar/Lunar sigil with the blessed water over the third eye:

l, [Craft Name], am consecrated before the Lady and Lord of Otherworld, in this Their Circle.

With wand, greet the Elementals widdershins starting at the West:

[W]: l call upon you Elemental Water to attend this rite and guard this Circle, for as I have blood and feelings, we are kith and kin!

[envision a selkie].

[S]: l call upon you Elemental Fire to attend this rite and guard this Circle, for as I have the spark of life and strength of will, we are kith and kin!

[envision a will o 'the wisp or fire dragon].

[E]: l call upon you Elemental Air to attend this rite and guard this Circle, for as I have breath and thought, we are kith and Kin!

[envision a sylph].

[N]: l call upon you Elemental Earth to attend this rite and guard this Circle, for as I have body and fortitude, we are kith and kin!

[envision a gnome or cobalt].

At Altar, draw the cosmic lemniscate (sideways 8) with wand.

With both hands, hold wand overhead:

Hail to the Elementals at the Four Quarters! Welcome Lady and Lord to this rite! | stand between the worlds with love and power all around! | call upon my Lady and my Lord as Queen and King of the Sidhe to bless my communion with the Other People. l affirm my joy of union with the Divine in all realms and worlds, and I acknowledge your blessings upon me. What I send returns to me, and I conduct my Craft accordingly.

Set wand down, pick up athame and point tip to teapot:

Great Lady, bless this creature of Water and of Earth to your service. May l always remember the cauldron waters of rebirth and the many forms of being. Of Water and Earth am l.

Put down the athame and hold up teapot:

I honor you, Great Lady!

Set the teapot down and hold the wand over the incense:

Great Lord, bless this creature of Fire and Air to your service. May I always remember the sacred fire that dances within all life and hear the voices of the Divine. Of Fire and Air am l.

Put down the wand and hold up censer:

l honor you, Great Lord!

Set the censer down; pour some tea into the teacup:

Power and Grace; Beauty and Strength are in the Lady and the Lord. Patience and Love; Wisdom and Knowledge; you are Endings, Passages, and Beginnings; in all worlds are you. I honor you both!

Pour some of the tea from the teacup into the bowl of flower petals; take a sip from the teacup. Raise arms in an open gesture:

Hail to the People of the Land of Mist. Greetings l send to the People of the Undying Lands of Otherworld. Hear my call and let the Gateway be opened between This World and Otherworld. In the names of the Lady and the Lord, do I call upon the Fair Ones in peace and love.

Lower arms, lift gray pillar working candle:

As this light shines before me, let the light of Otherworld reach into this place.

Set down the candle and add mugwort on the flame of the pillar working candle.

Perform Otherworld Meditation, Companion Quest, other Ritual or Craft Work

Fairy Tea and Cookies - Serve tea [if doing a Companion Quest Ritual, then follow the ritual in that section for the Simple Feast serving both places], adding sweetener and milk as desired, and place a cookie on the saucer.

Open arms, palms up, and bless the meal:

I know of my needs and offer my appreciation to that which sustains me. May I ever remember the blessings of my Lady and my Lord. The Lord brings spiritual life through the bounty of the Lady of Otherworld, that all is created in undying beauty. I honor the inner beauty of the spirit, and the Keepers of immortality.

Add a bit of tea and a piece of a cookie to the bowl of flowers; sit, eat and drink, [if having tea with the Fairy Companion, the food and drink of the Other will not be consumed in the material manner] but the flavor essence will be removed]. Feel the closeness of Otherworld and the Presence of the Other People. Commune as desired, asking for their continued presence in home and property; their assistance in bringing a spell or other matter into manifestation; their aid in removing from manifestation something not desired.

Opening the Circle

When finished with Simple Feast of Fairy Tea and Cookies, hold athame over table:

Lady and Lord of the Sidhe, I am blessed by your sharing this time with me. Watch over and guard me; guide me here and on all my paths. I came in love and I depart in love. I honor the Lady and the Lord of Otherworld, where the spirit is nourished in song and joy. The dance is ever moving and never-ending. Let the Gateway between this World and Otherworld close once more as I take my leave of the Fair Ones in peace and love. So Mote lt Be!

[Snuff working candle].

Raise athame in salute:

Love is the Law and the Bond. Merry did we meet, merry do we part, and merry will we meet again. Merry Meet, Merry Part, and Merry Meet again! The Circle is now cleared. So Mote lt Be!

Kiss blade of athame, set it on the Altar. Take candle snuffer around the Circle widdershins, starting ac the West, to snuff candles at the Quarters:

[W]: Depart in peace, Elemental Water! My blessings take with you! [S]: Depart in peace, Elemental Fire! My blessings take with you! [E]: Depart in peace, Elemental Air! My blessings take with you! [N]: Depart in peace, Elemental Earth! My blessings take with you!

Set down the snuffer; raise arms:

Beings and Powers of the visible and invisible, depart in peace! You aid in my work, whisper in my mind, bless me from all realms and worlds you inhabit, and there is harmony between us. My blessings take with you. The Circle is cleared.

Take the athame to the North; proceed deosil to open the Circle:

The circle is open yet the circle remains as its magical power is drawn back into me.

At the North touch flat of athame to forehead to return energy inward; balance; and ground residue by touching palms to the Earth or floor.

Benediction

Turn to altar table at West and touch tip of athame to forehead, seeing the blue light swirling and returning inside; then raise athame in a salute:

The ritual is ended!

Set down athame; open arms outward; palms up:

Blessings have been given,

Draw arms together, crossed over chest and bow:

and blessings have been received.

Bring arms forward with hands together in front; palms upright, outward:

May the peace of the Goddess and the God remain in my heart. So Mote It Be!

Ground excess energy by touching palms to floor; put away all magical tools and clear the Altar; empty libation bowl onto the Earth or flowing water.

[thaliaoftheastralclocktower]

daily poem 16/17

been pretty sick lately, so here's something from the vaults. cw: mild body horror

Crocus blossoms carry forth

The scent of early spring

Hear waterfall’s faint whisper

Ringing on the stepping stone

Roaring river, spring’s crescendo

Scares away the winter chill

Sunbathed glades upon arrival

Greet the weary traveller’s feet

Go forth o darkness

Hear the heralds

Proclaiming thine impending doom

Henceforth this earth

Shall feel the sun

embrace this lonely tomb

Here rests the reign of whomst I know

An all-familiar tale

The sword is broken,

The mail torn

Good deeds seal who once loomed

Long stood the burgh

The queen of the castle

Face veiled among the stars

The stones draw breath

Drained dry the earth

Gaia herself called

Listen the whispers

The tormented souls

Worn out from moebian march

A windmill of feet

Insatiable depth

A spiral within her grasp

Hear ye the ringing

Of horns in the dale

Proclaiming the fall of the false

Care you to listen to a tale of old

And the musings of one lonely bard

It has been since lifetimes

A dozen no less

That these events have passed

So hear me dear traveller

Lend me your ear

A few shall remember what was

In a land past the mountains

A tower once rose

A spire of marble and lore

In which was preserved

The knowledge of old

And tales of magic and more

There was a fair lady

A keeper of keys

In winter a child she bore

The girl grew up quick

Surrounded by books

The wisdom of aeons in reach

Sealed tomes did not hinder

The child’s keen gaze

For seals were her mother’s domain

Trusting in love

Did pave the way

One day the girl claimed keys as hers

And unveiled the tome

Which carried within

The gateway to endless deep space

Once beckoned they came

If even by chance

The formless infinitely sane

She greeted the heralds

Offered to host

Bewitched by fractorial dance

Through cycles of moon

The seed slowly grew

Within the poor girl’s falting mind

“Dear Hostess” they spoke

“endeared by your soul

Wish to wander this world by your side”

So one night at bedtime

They slipped in the tea

Her mother’s the seed of the hive

Once hostess and guests

Now siblings in flesh

The heralds re-opened the gate

And beckoned their brethren

The spawn of the void

To settle in the tower once white

They made the girl queen

And taught her in years

The wisdom which seldom resides

In human clear conscious

Thus opened her sight

No more human but alien mind

The queen of the tower

Archmagos by two

Decades just spend on this earth

Raising an army and marching gen east

Claimed soul and soil and mind

Dear Gaia cryed out

Drained dry as the eye

Could see from the spire’s peak

The druids of old

Woke up to behold

Desolation of the myriad queen

Great fires burned clean

Clouds soiling the sky

A cleansing commenced

A whole moon stoked flames to be safe

The queen was dragged down

To bottomless tomb

Her burial mound ashes of slain

Her spirit now wanders

In eternal unrest

May none of us ever be seen

By the curious eye

The tendrils in dreams

Of the hive and the myriad queen.

[the-silver-peahen-residence]

||Genshin Impact muse tag dump||

~Ganyu

~Hu Tao

~Dehya

~Shenhe

~Arataki Itto

~Kaedehara Kazuha

~Razor

~Cyno

~Baizhu

[ekleipsi]

❝ fear cuts deeper than swords. ❞ (estelle to naph~)

--- Sitting around the fire that served as their temporary home until they moved more comfortably into the city, Naphyriel lifted gaze over the flicker of flames as they crackled and rose, eyeing the pale girl from across them as she spoke. She was intelligent, observant...and her compassion knew no bounds, for the humans she cared so deeply for. Massive sword lay against log next to him, drawing crimson orbs after a moment; shifting between her and the blade.

--- Her words were...true, but they were true beyond her understanding. Was she a Prophetess of the Lord? Did his God not tell him of someone like her intentionally? Was she put in his path to test him and his faith...endless questions plagued him the moment she spoke into the silence between them. ' You may be right...but fear is a tool, like a sword. It doesn't matter which you use to enact your will... ' he trailed off, shaking his head.

--- Eventually a sigh spilled past his lips, holding the sword aloft before his gaze flickered gold, the steel igniting with holy light. ' Mortals fear death, because their lives are fleeting. A blink in the span of anyone else's...to that end, yes. Their fear compels them to action. All the same though, that same fear will make this sword an equally as fearful weapon to them...it will bear the same cuts. The same deep wounds. It will inspire the same reactions. ' he said slowly, before the fire went out, and eyes returned to normal.

--- After another moment, he settled the sword down. ' Whether by fear or by action, sinners bow and beg, this world needs cleansing. You can help...or you can hinder, Priestess... '

[niennandil-me-writes]

if you were penitence i'd repent every day of my life

cn: burning as penitence, religious indoctrination, emotional manipulation, guilt tripping, cults, discussed child murder

[Taking place after the Dwarfen Deviance oneshot run by Linda. Alejandro, who is mentioned briefly, belongs to @ghoulcaro.]

The room was veiled in shadows. The lights burning throughout the room – candles, lanterns, open basins of oil set aflame – only seemed to enhance the darkness of the walls, painted a very dark blue, like the sky at midnight. Like the world was dark and filled with sin, only to be brightened by the flame of the righteous, so was this room. It showed a certain humility, Priya found.

She was kneeling, eyes lowered to the dark marble floor. Right in front of her, the floor rose by one step to a dais. This room had once been the eating hall of the residence. Now that the stronghold served as a makeshift temple, it was the heart and hearth of it. The room might not have been open to the sky – safe for the draped windows – but the fires were kept burning. This was where the Cleansing Flame resided. She stood at the center of the room, in front of her throne: a white chair beset with crystal and covered in candles burning with white purity.

Her eyes cast down in deference, Priya recounted what had happened during her travels under the Flame’s mission. She paid particular attention to mention the names of every influential person she had talked to and helped in their troubles, especially the Dwarves of Goldcrest, which she had helped save from invasion. When she finished her tale, it was silent for a while, save for the clear crackling of the flames. With every second, Priya became more worried.

“You have done good,” said the Flame finally. “I am proud of you, Priya.”

Priya sighed in relief.

“Your good deeds have earned us some powerful potential allies,” the Flame went on. “Yes, I think we can work with this. You have done very good indeed.”

It wasn’t just the fire that made her cheeks feel warm. She couldn’t help a satisfied smile to twist itself on her lips for a second, before she suppressed it in shame. Pride was a sin. Not one of the big ones that warranted intervention in most people. But Priya wasn’t most people. She was a disciple of the Cleansing Flame, a knight in pursuit of purity, and as such, she had to reach higher standards. She was glad she had her face lowered so her Lady couldn’t spot this temporary loss of humility.

“I am happy to have served you well, my Lady,” she said.

Priya heard the sound of naked footsteps, as the Flame walked around the dais, which meant she was thinking over what Priya had told her. For a while she was quiet again, deep in thought. As she hadn’t been excused or given a new task, Priya remained where she was, kneeling on the ground.

Then suddenly, the Flame’s clear voice broke the silence again: “Do you know why the fire hurts most beings, despite being a power of good?”

Priya, taken aback by the sudden change in topic, needed a few seconds to answer: “Because the mortal body cannot withstand the force of purity and goodness,” she recited what she had learned at the temple. “Like the light, though revealing and necessary for our sight, burns the eye when looked directly into, the fire, cleansing and life-giving though it is, burns the body at direct contact.”

“You have done your studies well,” the Flame lauded her. “As I would expect of a knight of the Flame. A good answer. Though it is not correct. Not entirely.” She walked to the other side of the room, then stopped, probably in front of one of the burning oil pits, which she liked to hold her hand into. “Why, for example, does it not hurt me?”

“Because you are an incarnation of the Flame itself?” It was more a question than an answer.

“Again, almost right,” mused the Flame. “As an avatar of the Flame, of purity itself, I am free of sin. And that is the root of it all: sin. Through some cruelty of the universe, it is growing everywhere, taking hold of every single mortal person, like a weed in an otherwise beautiful garden. As servants of the Flame, it is your mission – yours and that of your fellow believers – to burn out that sin, like the weed in the garden needs to be burned so the earth and light and water might benefit the prettier and more useful plants growing there. And as the ground will be torn up and the grass burnt, as an addict will feel the terror of withdrawal, as a sick person getting their rotting leg amputated, the removal of sin will hurt the sinners. Must hurt them, really, if anything is to come of it.”

Sudden realization hit Priya. “My lady, I – “

“Why didn’t you burn the girl?” the True Incarnation of the Cleansing Flame of Salvation asked her knight.

Priya swallowed. The thought of having disappointed her mistress pained her. And yet... “She was just a child, my Flame. Barely more than 14.”

“Old enough to sin. Old enough to repent.”

“I didn’t want to upset my traveling companions.” That was only half a lie, and therefore only filled her with double the shame. Priya had been silently grateful when Alejandro had intervened. His words had rung true, then. Perhaps too much so. Uncomfortably so.

The footsteps came closer, until the Flame stood at the edge of the dais, right in front of Priya, who closed her eyes in shame.

“Look at me, Priya.”

Priya did as she was told, blinking away the tears that had formed in her eyes. She looked up at the center of her world, standing there in all her glory. The Flame’s skin was grey, freckled like spots of ash. Half of her long white hair was bound in a tight bun from which red rays of metal protruded like rays of the sun haloing her head. The other half streamed down her back and on the sides of her face like silver flames. Her hanfu was white as well. Aside from the headpiece, the only color on her were the streaks of dark red on her lips and around her eyes.

She looked like a queen, and more than that. She looked like a Goddess, and she was exactly that. She was the most beautiful, most perfect being Priya had ever laid eyes on, and that she would have the honor to be her personal guard, her knight, her confidant, filled her with pride and awe and sorrow. Priya wanted to throw herself at her feet and kiss them.

“My Flame,” she whispered, a prayer and a plea.

“I know you think your refusal to make her repent an act of mercy.” Her perfect lips formed the words with absolute precision. “But sometimes kindness is much crueler than disdain.” She turned her eyes to the drapes hanging from the ceiling, face clouded by memory. “Do you remember when that plague washed over the Temple, when we were both much younger?”

“Yes, my Lady,” Priya answered.

“The children were hit the hardest, poor things. Our healers mixed a medicine, but a lot of the children refused it due to its bitter taste. Now tell me, would it have been kind of the healers to spare them the short suffering of bitter medicine?”

“Of course not,” Priya said.

And before she could say anything else, the Flame continued: “And in the same way, it wasn’t kind of you to spare the girl her penitence.”

“The children would have died without the medicine,” Priya said. “And the girl would have died if I had burned her. Like the orcs died from Flaming Salvation.” She put her hand to the hilt of her sword, remembering how she had torn it through the bodies.

“The orcs you gave to the fire, that their cleansed spirits may become one with the Flame,” the incarnation explained. “While the girl remains a sinner, traveling the lands to hurt more people, only to die a sinner’s death and be swallowed by darkness. Is that kindness?”

“No, my Lady.” Priya lowered her eyes again. “I understand my mistake now.” And she truly did, now that the Flame had explained it to her. Alejandro’s words, which had kept her awake for days, lost all meaning in the enlightened words of the Flame. Especially his question whether she had done bad things in the name of her beliefs. Whether they were any less bad because she was an initiate of the Flame. Now that she was home, in the safety of the fire, she understood that he didn’t understand at all. Couldn’t understand, as a non-believer. And that was forgivable because he simply didn’t know better. But Priya should. How she ever could have doubted the Flame, she didn’t know.

“Forgive me, my Flame,” she said, humbled. “I have failed in my duties as your servant.”

“I understand,” said the Flame in her never-ending mercy. “Though you did wrong, you did so out of kindness.” She held out her hands, and for a moment Priya believed, hoped, she would take her head between them to comfort her. “Misplaced kindness has always been your weakness. But you will learn. You are a good student, and an invaluable asset to me.”

“Thank you, my Flame.”

“But there is still one thing.” The Flame’s voice surged in volume. Priya looked up at her in fear and love. “By sparing the girl’s life, you took her unburned sins onto your otherwise righteous shoulders. A servant of the Flame – a servant of me – cannot do their work laden with sin like this.”

Priya swallowed, anticipating and dreading her Lady’s next words.

“Remove your armor, my good knight,” spoke the Flame. “I shall cleanse you myself.”

Not wanting to waste a second, Priya immediately stood and set about doffing her armor, unclasping the straps, slipping out of the metal plates and carefully setting them down. When it all lay neatly sorted beside her, she removed the padded shirt as well, and then finally pulled the sweat-stained linen undershirt over her head. The wounds of her travels had not yet fully healed. Gashes and bruises, but her Lady’s eyes lingered on the burn marks. Priya lowered her head to hide her reddened cheeks. Again, she knelt in deference and humility.

“My Lady,” Priya said, voice trembling like a candleflame in the wind. “I, humble servant of the Flame, ask to receive penitence. Let my body be cleansed of wickedness and sin by the light of your grace.”

The Flame heard her prayer, a slightly modified version of the most common penitence call of the temple, which Priya had learned it when she was 8, when the answer had just been hot wax dripped on her arms. But with adulthood came greater responsibility, and greater sin.

She didn’t scream out as the burning hands of her mistress set on her shoulders. She had learned to bear them long ago. She had loved them even before that. Beneath that searing burn lay a warmth that took her back to a place long ago, a barren sleeping chamber shared by two acolytes. Back when things were warmer and less hot. When the Flame would touch her not just for penitence’s sake, laying beside her in a shared bed, unaware of the way Priya looked at her, Priya who was drowning in the silver of her eyes and hair and skin. She had known that Bai was a Goddess even then, before the visions started, before Bai stopped being just Bai, before the intrigues and schemes and exile. She would have dropped to her knees and prayed to that beauty even back then, when she’d have thought it to be blasphemy, and sometimes she wished she’d have done so, making that girl her personal Deity, whom she didn’t have to share with other followers or conspirators. Maybe, Priya thought in her most heretic moments, if her prayers had just been enough, none of this need have happened. And maybe if her devotion was enough to the Flame now, she could abandon her plans of vengeance and conquest, become Bai once more, and stay here, not as a Goddess, but as the noblewoman she appeared to be. Maybe, just maybe, that could be enough...

All of those thoughts were firmly locked away in the confines of Priya’s mind. They were unspeakable, they were heresy. They were sin.

Hot tears ran down Priya’s cheeks, evaporating before they could hit the floor. The Flame’s hands had wandered down her arms. Priya swallowed a whimper. The Flame leaned forward, strands of flame escaping her hair to drape over and burn Priya’s back. Her heat swallowed her body, and then another heat took hold of her, rising to her cheeks and other places. A thought managed to escape, that the Flame’s hands might wander farther down...

Priya bit her lip, hoping the Flame didn’t notice. As a knight of the Flame, she was sworn to celibacy, sworn off all the worldly pleasure that might distract her from her task. How heinous then, to have these kinds of thoughts, even as she was doing penitence? And to have those wishes of her Deity! This, she knew, was not a believer’s love to her Goddess, nor a knight’s love to her Lady. It was something else, less pure, and more wicked. This was her biggest sin and downfall, and one she couldn’t even repent for, as she would have had to reveal it to the Flame first, and she couldn’t, not if she wanted to stay with her, and feel her touch again.

She tried to focus on the pain, but that just made it worse because with the pain came the touch of her fingers. So many hours Priya had spent worrying if her penitence even counted for anything if she was enjoying it, if that didn’t make it a bigger sin, a mockery, a treason. And so she didn’t feel cleansed when the Lady drew away, taking her warmth and heat with her.

“I have freed you of sin,” said the gracious voice of the Cleansing Flame. “Do you feel lighter already?”

“Yes, m’lady,” Priya lied in a flustered murmur.

“Then go forth and sin no more,” continued the Flame. “And don’t try to carry other people’s weight on your shoulders again. Your burden is heavy enough.”

Her voice was soft, an absolution. Priya sighed in relief and was surprised to hear it come out as a sob.

“Look at me, Priya.” This time it sounded soft instead of harsh.

Priya blinked the tears away and beheld her Deity’s face once more, beautiful but no longer terrifying.

“I know I expect a lot of you, my sweet” (Priya hid her gasp with another sob) “but I only do so because you are the one I trust most in the world.” There was a sadness around her eyes that Priya wished she could take away. “You saved my life, Priyanshi. You have never failed me. The Flame burns within you as well.” Once again, Priya thought she would take her hand, but once again, she just gestured to Priya’s hands, the extra fingers, to her person, and then to Flaming Salvation, the sword with which Priya had cut down the conspirators coming for the Flame’s life. “It is for those reasons that I care for you. And I don’t want to know you weighed down by sin unbecoming of you.”

Again, Priya blushed, even more ashamed of the sins she kept hidden. “I would carry any burden for you, my Flame,” she said hastily. “To hell and back. If that’s what you asked.”

“I fear that I will ask for that,” said the Flame. “If I am to reclaim my temple and its people.”

“It is awaiting your return. And I will do whatever I can to bring it about, and more,” Priya said, when what she wanted to say was: “I am yours, my Flame. Do with me as you please, but please, please, touch me, hold me, make me yours.” But like a pious servant, she remained silent, and the Flame, after speaking her last blessings over Priya and her weapons, excused her.

Priya walked down the stone hallways to her room and spent the next hours polishing her spotless armor and sword to put off sleep and dreams she knew would be filled with sin.

[sethian123]

Cathars in the land of the Angles  (choka poem about the Cathars who arrived in England and their trial probably in 1165 AD)

In winter’s cold grip

In the land of the Angles

The Good Christians came

Against their will to a trial

In a grand city

Called the Ford of the Oxen

Good will be slaughtered

By the hands of hot fire

The hands of the judge

The home’s ruler was their judge

His stare was piercing

That went with flaming outbursts

And with his red hair

And the king’s false overseers

Were the proud jury

Against the thirty Christians

Who came years before

Who came to spread medicine

To heal the ones sick

Cleanse all those with leprosy

To raise the ones dead

Cleanse all those with black demons

All without a fee

But to the judge and jury

This was dark poison

That spread about pestilence

And the Good Christians

Were flees spreading everywhere

Now in England’s robe

Eating away the fabric

In his scruffy clothes

The king asked them some questions

In their ornate robes

The overseers asked as well

In their simple clothes

The thirty Christians answered

“We believe in Christ

The glorious physician

Son of the Most High

Who dwelt with men in this world

To preach grace and truth

In this world of law and sin”

They took a brief pause

“Concerning the wooden cross

We do not bow down

The cross is not an idol

It was a device

Of torture and freezing death

That killed the healer

We worship the life, not death”

More words were ordered

“Concerning your baptism

Water is water

Christ came to baptise with flames

Not red flames, but white

With the eternal Spirit

To be true water

With the blazing flames as foam

Spirit gives us grace

This world’s water has no grace”

More words were ordered

“Concerning your common feast

That your priests give out

Your feast of bread and rich wine

Our sole bread is Christ

Who can never be consumed

For he is Spirit

And never becomes man’s food

Obeying his words

Are how we eat this sole bread

Our wine is Spirit

Who grows fruit within us all

To prosper and grow”

Last words were ordered

“The Church of Wolves reigns this world

Through its fangs and claws

None are permitted to flee

Or they will bleed red

With life gushing out of them”

The king spurted threats

Filled with coldness and hot flames

Threatening torment

And the void beyond this life

For their honesty

And the jury went along

In his sheer anger

As if they were some nobles

Shouting in a hunt

The thirty Christians spoke thus

“Blessed are those ones

Who suffer from sword or flame

From rope or prison

Or from winter’s sheer coldness

For the sake of light

For Christ and goodness itself

For they are Christ’s own

They are in heaven’s kingdom”

The jury looked on

In their long adorned white robes

Clenching their own fists

Feeling their ring in their palms

“Heretics!” They yelled

With that word, the trail ended

They were now guilty

Still they sang a song of life

“Blessed are those ones

Who are reviled and hated

Rejoice and be glad

For great is the light of Christ”

As red flames rose up

The king in his ruthlessness

Had all of them flogged

In the sight of the cattle

And had their brows burned

And drove them from oxen’s ford

And they stripped them all

To wail and die in frost’s grip

Or be still in pain

But they kept singing with joy

The king shut his mouth

For hot anger chained his lips

His freckled face scowled

All the cattle were ordered

To have no pity

And walk to the other side

If one is in sight

And not pour good oil and wine

On their bleeding wounds

And not let them find an inn

To find some shelter

They were in winter’s cold chains

For nature herself

To be executioner

Those few Good Christians

Still had the spirit in them

And looked to the stars

Just as Christ laughed on the tree

They joyfully laughed

They went to this world laughing

And left this cold world laughing

[letitbreatherp]

My papa told me that God had known me before ever he did. Papa said that was the reason why I had come to him a baby veiled. God had put His hands on me. God had come up with plans for me before even I had a name.

Ours was the first to set itself on the river. When the plague rolled thick through the cities, and the people got taken by it, there was no goodness left. The infection had spread as fire does consume a field. Through towns and into homes it did seep, but unlike a burning, it did not leave for renewal.

The plague killed most, and the ones that were not reft by illness... they did fall to an older sickness. A sickness of spirit had come over man, and those who had not perished by plague did so at their brothers' hands. Neighbor upon neighbor; man turning upon man. People had lost any godliness left to them. They became base… things more beastly than animals.

I was born like a lamb, in the spring, in the house that I was raised up in. Mama told me how, when she was on her back bringing me into the world, the midwives said to her how I had come like a bride. Mama would tell me that when the rest of the women from the congregation did hear this, they paid visit with gifts. Mama said it was a sign of their knowing the kind of baby they had pulled out of her.

We never saw no difference between the beastliness of man or monster. Come in one form or the other, it was a rot to be cleansed away. To turn from it, a coward’s act; inaction, an accomplice’s guilt in sin. A garden cannot grow when strangled by thorns, and gladly did we accept every opportunity put before us to rip out that rot.

Where the wretched murdered so they might meagerly steal, we gave freely of our bounty. Where weak fled from the wicked, we rose to arms to topple them. Where men haggled, we shared. Where others lived as thieves or merchants, we lived as family… a family to provide for one another. In such a fashion did we flourish in our garden. In this way, we kept alight a flame. Ours, a brightness in all the darkness.

Beau told me that God had plans for Simon before ever I knew my brother. Beau said that was the reason why Simon had appeared to us when he did. That Simon was set as shepherd of the flock was for our salvation. When God placed His hands upon me, and I did dream of deliverance, my brother did not besmirch my warnings. Simon, instead, did rally the men and the women of the congregation for our pilgrimage. Simon directed our efforts in the basin of God’s garden. That these tasks my brother did undertake, Beau said was a sign of Simon knowing the kind of sister that he had.

[theantarwitch]

Personal vs Book - When own experiences don't match with the Manual To Be A Witch.

This will be, probably, a little "going for the branches" post lol. And this is mainly made new witches or lost ones. The basic starting idea is "Pink is the color of love, but for me, love is soft green... What do I do? I follow the basic witchy color theory or I go with my guts?" The fast answer? Go with your guts, ALWAYS. The long version? This post!

Let's start for the beginning: Witchcraft is a craft, but mostly a SPIRITUAL PATH, and a way to live. If this three things are not going in tune, then you need to stop and re think what are you doing. And I mean: - A craft that don't need to be expensive. Craft need be accessible. Remember from where the witches come... a hint? Not from the shops. I know, aesthetic is a trend this days, but your spells will not work better because the walls of your room are covered by fancy rocks. You can do magic with literally energy, so if you are stressed because you don't have 43 blue candles to the next spell, is time to stop. - A spiritual path... I think I don't need to say too much... But your soul is the main source of each one of your spells, is the top ingredient. Are you taking care of it? Are you really thinking in the universe and the natural world? Or you give 5 fucks?  - A way to live: Because you can act in a opposite way of what you think. If you do that, is called hypocrisy.

Based only in that, each witch will have a ton of different experiences based in what they can afford, how they feel the world and how they live their lifes. So, the way they do their craft will be so diverse as so many witches are, for the simple fact that, for their own historicity, not all will mean the same to them. And this can also be apply to so many things as egg cleanse (*looking hard the new baby witches who don't even do their basic research and go to reddit to ask WhAT DoeS tHIS MeaN 4 times at day*), tarot, pendulum, any other divination, dreams, ingredients to spells, colors, symbols, animals and pretty much the 99% of the craft.

Then you would say now: "Okay, and then why we had a Book of Shadows and we read so many books if, for what you say, it doesn't matter?". Because, IT MATTERS. Make a Book of Shadows and read books, are the first steps of any witch. Why? Because you need a base, undestand how the things are made, why are they made, how, when, etc. Learn is something that you will never stop to do, and practice is something that come in hand with it. So yes, at first we all start with the "manual to how make a sigil" and "which ingredients I can use to make a protection jar?" and 7868 books. Because that's how we learn, taking notes, knowing the why’s.

But as soon you start to get experience (and develop more thinking), you start to notice that some correspondences seems to not match with your own personal view of life. Red is a violent color, but for your own past, the red have some sad nostalgic air. Roses are a love flower, but you associate it with an ex, so are a flower of hate. Butterflies are pretty but you had a phobia to them and they nearly mean death for you. Snakes are symbol of a traitor, but you love them, so for you they mean beauty. You had a dream with a puppy, which could mean something good, but it remember you to a lost beloved pet, so now the technically good dream is now bad. Quartz are epic but you hate them... The Star card always scare the shit of you and The Tower is funny. A tall flickery flame mean warning for you and a straight smoke is a bad omen.

Personal examples? The typical "This Element go to this Cardinal Point"? Not for me. For me Water is in the East because the ocean is there. Wind is South because the hardest winds come from there. Earth is West because there are the mountains. Fire is North because the hot air come from there. The "spiral to different sides to attract or banish"? Fuck, use the intention, I don't even make a spiral, I just scratch gently with curving motions to attract and hard violent scratchs to banish. Don't blow the candle? I fucking blow it with INTENTION. Puf flame gone as the bad energy around me! Or puf flame gone so the light fly towards this person to heal!

What you do then? You follow the book? No, you follow your guts. WHY? Again, because your craft is based in intention. Intention is a deep action based in your mind and soul. If your mind and soul are in conflict because you think and feel two different things based in a correspondece that don't match with you, then your intention will be kinda fucked.

And not even mention that you need to establish the meaning of the stuffs before do it. Then your Book of Shadows will start to change. You will start to add what these things mean to you, in tune with your own soul. And now that previous average "copy and paste" from tumblr posts become in a personal journal of past experiences, meanings and ideas.

So, yes, read as a madman, fill that Book of Shadows, know how the things are made, how others made their stuffs and why, THEN start to practice, mix your own past and present life, play, be creative, try new things, don't be afraid to change stuffs, made your own set of cards, use stones from the ground, made your own celebrations, put the elements in the Cardinal point that you feel is the best, if you want that bubbles in a egg cleanse mean a fart, go for it; if you want the reversed cards be extra good, then let's go!

Just remember this: You needed help to learn to walk, but in the end, you ran by yourself.