#why give your oc a dark phoenix feather or some other mystery core when you could give them an interesting wand wood instead

[sk1fanfiction]

the bad luck trio

Ruby = blackthorn and dragon heartstring, = ‘straif’, Halloween (The inevitability of death, protection, revenge, strife and war, balance between light and darkness, long associated with witches’ wands and staffs and witches and heretics were burned on blackthorn pyres, seen as sinister from Christianity, spines can cause septic wounds but the berries are edible and sweetest after a hard frost)

Tom = yew and phoenix feather, = ‘iodhadh’, winter solstice (divination, death and rebirth, graveyards, the Christian Church, the oldest trees in Britain, can be thousands of years old since they can regenerate themselves and are practically immortal, every part of the tree is poisonous, used to make medieval English and Scottish longbows)

Harry = holly and phoenix feather, = ‘tinne’, summer solstice (also has Christian symbolism - ‘crown of thorns’, protection, sacrifice, hope, the spiny leaves act as mini-conductors which protect the tree from lightning and believed to ward off evil spirits, berries are poisonous to humans but not birds)

“”It is almost impossible to cut lengths of Blackthorn bare-handed without pricking oneself and shedding blood… Quite often there will be patches of red or deep orange areas, which look almost like natural blood-stains.”

“ Like Yew and Blackthorn (both also known for their protective qualities) Holly timber is very dense and difficult to manipulate…. . The bark of Holly is a lovely, waxy, deep green and its heartwood ranges from light cream to pale gold, and occasionally olive green. When the bark is left un-removed but polished it has a metallic appearance making it even lovelier to handle and admire.”