"In fairy tales, witch is used as a powerful symbol and reflection of the wicked inner conscience of human self. A witch depicts the archetypal deviant woman that denounces the norms of patriarchy and exercises the privileges of freedom, autonomy and outspoken nature often enjoyed by men. A witch thus challenges the conventional order of male-centrism by not confirming to societal expectations. In a word, the portrayal of witches and other "evil women" in the tales perpetuates the stereotypical notion of the witch. The tales — didactic, cautionary and entertaining in nature — are conventional, conservative, and paternalistic.
The tendency to depict a malevolent maternal figure that explains the formulaic existence of evil stepmothers/witches cannot be more appropriate for such patriarchal and sexist tales.” Witches, in fairy tales, are depicted as unattractive, scary old crones living in the outskirts of human dwellings or forests as an outcast and engaged in malicious actions harming others. In certain fairy tales such as Hansel and Gretel, witch exhibits cannibalistic tendencies such as deluding and devouring children in spite of evil inclinations. She attracts children with her house made of confectionaries and bread to feast upon them. - Reconstructing the ‘Witch’ Image in Fairy Tales: Exploring Katherine Arden’s Winternight Trilogy Jasna Jalal
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Now is the time for the chilly presence of autumn to grace you at its peak. The end of the harvest and the cycle of death and rebirth to begin. Be closer with the spirits and ancestors that guide you as the veil thins between this world and beyond.
Enjoy some tasty cider, walk among the fall leaves, or warm yourself by a crackling fire and honor the forgotten. Reflect on your inner self and emerge anew.
Let the passion of fire be with you.
Let the stability of the earth be with you.
Let the tranquil of water be with you.
Let the ascent of air be with you.
No matter where you roam.
May a wonderfully spooky Samhain be upon you all!
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Samhain, 31st October - 1st November, the birth of Winter.
"Listen...
With faint dry sound,
Like steps of passing ghosts,
The leaves, frost-crisp'd, break from the trees
And fall.",
from November Night, by Adelaide Crapsey.
"I move my hand and feel a touch
move with me, and when I brush
my own mind across another,
I am with my mother's mother.
Sure as footsteps in my waiting
self, I find her, and she brings
Arms that carry answers for me,
intimate, a waiting bounty.
"Carry me". She leaves this trail
through a shudder of the veil,
and leaves, like amber where she stays,
a gift of her perpetual gaze.",
from Samhain, by Annie Finch.
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autumn bucket list 🎃
read “autumnal” books like the secret history, the picture of dorian gray, dead poets society, coraline, ninth house, dracula, etc.
visit a haunted house and go pumpkin picking with friends !!
bake seasonal meals and treats! experiment with different recipes that incorporate pumpkin, apple, etc.
visit family owned bookstores and cafés
long hikes on misty & rainy autumn morning when leaves are littered on the forest floor
rewatch gilmore girls, harry potter, twilight, practical magic, hocus pocus, and over the garden wall <33
try pumpkin spice lattes from different coffee shops around my area :)
go thrifting with an goal of finding a cozy/oversized sweater
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