#Vodou water

[conjuremanj]

Spiritual Waters.

On this post I wanted to speak on spiritual waters and colognes these products that I've listed are and have use in different spiritual circles. I think some of this products were added later because of the low cost and having a alcohol base, because alcohol in the south has a lot of uses and could cure most is what my grandparents said🤔😄 But enjoy this post.

Holy Water. Can't get must more powerful thin this as a reverend my self I can tell you it works. This water that has been blessed by an Ordained Priest or a member of the clergy or spirituality ordained person. Used for baptism, spiritual cleansing, to bless individuals, places and objects. To bless or dispell it has many uses.

Florida Water. Actually made in New York it was and still is a male cologne. It was used for a scalp cleaner, a foot cleanser. It has multiple uses it was dubbed paranormal. Now used mostly for spiritual properties, like cleansing, or adding to a wash. It's used to feed your gris gris bag (mojo bag) to keep it going, used to feed the spirit because of the alcohol and is oftentimes used in fire rituals (to stat not to burn), in ceremonies and offerings, venerating our ancestors and the dead. It's a good ingredient used in a African spirituality religion like Vodou or Hoodoo.

Peruvian Florida Water. This cologne is widely used by healers for purification, cleansing, healing, and protection. The Peruvian Florida Water has a sweet, and spicy scent. Different from traditional Florida Water. Because of its sweet scent if a good offering to Erzulie Freda.

Rose Cologne is used for peace and love It can be good to use when working or doing any love and attraction work or used as a offering to a spirit or deity of love. It can be sprinkle around the home or add to your mop with water for attraction.

Kolonia 1800 Natural Water. This is a nice alternative to Florida Water. It has a more manly scent to it and a different vibration. Used the same way to get rid of any spell and curses on your love life, sex life, or your luck etc. This Kolonia colone also come in different scents like 1800 Tobacco if one likes to work with native american spirits or ancestral spirits because probably 60 to 70% of people or spiritual practices deal with tobacco in some way. It's good for one self.

Kananga Water Cologne. A African word that it comes from Jamaica. Kananga water is mainly used for purification and for departed ancestors. Also dispel dark energy from a room, purification of one's spirit, energy, and ancestral communication.

Orange Blossom Cologne is good to use when you have a business to help draw customers. Sprinkle outside the front door, before opening.

The Siete Macho. Is used for spiritual and emotional guidance. It is also used to block or to send back and reverse negative energy, evil eye, hexes and curses. It has multiple uses.

Reve d'Or Lotion. Used to put an end to adverse conditions and open the way for luck, love, money, and happiness. This perfume scent is good for Erzulie Dantor.

Pompeia. Used in many spiritual baths and rituals, sometimes used in Vodou for love A good scent for Erzulie Freda.

Hoyt's Cologne. This is another good cologne. Is said that it's traditionally used in conjure and hoodoo. I can't really say of that true traditionally what ever was available alcohol wise was used.

LOTION FEUILLES D'HAITI (SIMBI COLOGNE) if you been reading my blog you know Water is part of the life source, and energies. Water is one of the four elements that Vodou initiates are taught to respect as natural spiritual forces; it covered the earth at the beginning of time, and separates the living from the world of the ancestors.

So I wasted to add this spiritual cologne to the list an original formula, created in Haiti by Monsieur Trouillot. It’s made with Saut d'Eau Water is French for "Waterfall" it stand approximately 100 feet high and is the tallest in Haiti.

It also has natural, select Haitian herbs. "Lotion Feuilles" cologne gets its name from "feuilles" which is French for leaves. These potent leaves are used by Vodouisants for their medicinal & therapeutic benefits.

It can also be added to Good Luck, Prosperity & Blessing Baths - there are so many ways to use this and it smells good.

Now there are a lot of simbi products but to get the waters from that fall make it that much more special.

Sandalwood Water. Is one of these items that was give to Christ. It's good if you do a lot of prayer work. Prayer circles, seances, spiritual baths even for ones self. I like the spiritual washes that has sandalwood, or frankincense and myrrh.

7 African Powers Cologne is a popular one.

#like and/or reblog! #spiritual #google search #rootwork #conjuring #southern hoodoo #traditional hoodoo #follow my blog #voodoo #Vodou water #Hoodoo colognes #Spiritual waters #Spiritual colognes #Haitian water #ask me anything #ask me stuff #Teach hoodoo #Hoodoo lesson

[iartsysam]

Mistress of Waters: Oshun

Throughout history, water has been used as a symbol of wisdom, power, grace, music, and sensitivity.

Across many ancient civilizations, love was placed under the domain of a particular deity, usually, but not in all cases, a goddess.

In the Classical world, for instance, there were Venus and Aphrodite, love goddesses of the Roman and Greek pantheons, respectively.

In West Africa, the Yoruba people believe in a love goddess named Oshun.

They inhabit the southwestern part of modern-day Nigeria and the southern part of Benin.

Although #Oshun is regarded principally as a goddess of love, there are other aspects to this Orisha.

Oshun is the goddess of love, sensuality, and water and the protective deity of the river Oshun. She is also associated with fertility, lushness, greenness, and life.

Alongside this river is a sacred grove, probably the last in Yoruba Culture, dedicated to Oshun.

When she came down to earth, she wore a gold dress and jewelry. This is why her worshippers also wear gold and yellow attires to honor her.

According to the tales, the gods came down, they completely disregarded Oshun while they engaged in creating the earth.

She returned to the heavens, where she spent time admiring herself in the mirror. Oshun often carries a mirror so that she can admire her beauty.

In the absence of Oshun, the other gods faced difficulties. They could not populate and revive the earth.

They went back to heaven to apologize and beg her. When she came back to the earth, she revived it with water.

Although Oshun governs love and sweet waters, she is also a benevolent deity.

She is said to be the protector of the poor and the mother of all orphans. It is Oshun who fulfills their needs in this life.

Oshun is commonly shown as a beautiful, charming, sensual, and coquettish young woman.

During the slave trade, Oshun was brought to the Americas and adopted into the pantheons, branching out of the traditional African belief system.

#oshungoddess #oshun #oshunenergy #vodou #illustration #artists on tumblr #haiti #africa #astrology #voodoo #waters #african spirituality #african beliefs #esoteric #ancestral work #ancestors #magick #conjure #illustrator #ogoun #oya #iya #shango #damballah #dahomey #guinen

[3rdeyeblaque]

On September 10th we venerate Elevated Ancestor, Voodoo Queen of Louisiana, & Saint, Marie Catherine Laveau on her 222nd birthday 🎉

[for our Hoodoos of the Vodou Pantheon]

Marie Catherine Laveau was a dedicated Hoodoo, healer, herbalist, & midwife who, "traveled the streets [of New Orleans] like she owned them", as the most infamous Voodoo Queen of New Orleans.

Marie C. Laveau I was born a "Free Mulatto" in today's French Quarter in what was then, New France); to a mother & grandmother who were both born into slavery & later freed via freedom papers. It is believed that she grew up in the St. Ann Street cottage of her maternal grandmother.

She married Jacques Santiago-Paris, a "Quadroon" "Free Man of Color", who fled as a refugee from Saint-Domingue, Haiti from the Haitian Revolution in the former French colony . After his passing, she became known as "The Widow Paris". She then worked as a hairdresser catering to White families & later entered a domestic partnership with a French nobleman his death. She excelled at obtaining inside information on her wealthy patrons by instilling fear in their servants whom she either paid or cured of mysterious ailments. Although she never abandoned her Catholic roots, she became increasingly interested in her mother’s African traditional beliefs. The Widow Paris learned her craft from a ‘Voodoo doctor’ known variously as Doctor John or John Bayou.

Marie C. Laveau I is said to have intiated into Voodoo career sometime in the 1820s. She's believed to be descended from a long line of Voodoo Priestesses, all bearing her same name. She was also a lifelong devout Catholic. It didn’t take long before Marie C. Laveau I dominated New Orleans Voodoo culture & society before claiming title of Queen. She was the 3rd Voodoo Queen of NOLA - after Queen Sanité Dédé & Queen Marie Salopé. During her decades tenure, she was the premier beacon of hope and service to customers seeking private consultations - to aid in matters such as family disputes, health, finances, etc, created/sold gris gris, perforemed exorcisms. While her daughter Marie II was known for her more theatrical displays of public events, Marie C. Laveau I was less flamboyant in her persona. She conducted her work in 3 primary locations throughout the city: her home on St. Ann Street, Congo Square, & at Lake Pontchartrain. Despite one account of a challenge to her authority in 1850, Marie C. Laveau I maintained her leadership & influence.

The Queen died peacefully in her sleep in her ole cottage home on St. Ann Street. Her funeral was conducted according to the rite of the Catholic Church & in the absence of any Voodoo rites. To her Voodoo followers, she's venerated as a Folk Saint. In² addition to her Priesthood in Voodoo and title of Queen, she is also remembered for her community activism; visiting prisoners, providing lessons to women of the community, & doing ritual work for those in need.

She is generally believed to have been buried in plot 347, the Glapion family crypt in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans. As of March 1st, 2015, there is no longer public access to St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. Entry with a tour guide is required due to continued vandalism & tomb raiding.

We pour libations & give her💐 today as we celebrate her for her love for & service to the people, through poverty, misfortune, bondage, & beyond.

Offering suggestions: flowers + libations at her grave, catholic hymns, holy water, gold rings/bracelets, money

‼️Note: offering suggestions are just that & strictly for veneration purposes only. Never attempt to conjure up any spirit or entity without proper divination/Mediumship counsel.‼️

#hoodoo #hoodoos #atr #atrs #the hoodoo calendar #conjure #rootwork #rootworkers #ancestor veneration #Marie c Laveau #Voodoo #Voodoo Queens #new orleans #new orleans Voodoo #Vodou Pantheon #Haitian Voodou

[kemetic-dreams]

Several African American blues singers and musicians composed songs about the culture of Hoodoo, including W.C. Handy, Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson, Big Lucky Carter, and Al Williams. African American blues performers were influenced by the culture of Hoodoo and wrote songs about mojo bags, love workings, and spirits. Their songs brought awareness of Hoodoo practices to the American mainstream population.

Several blues songs describe love charms or other folk magic. In her "Louisiana Hoodoo Blues" Gertrude Ma Rainey sang about a Hoodoo work to keep a man faithful: ""Take some of you hair, boil it in a pot, Take some of your clothes, tie them in a knot, Put them in a snuff can, bury them under the step…." Bessie Smith's song "Red Mountain Blues" tells of a fortune teller who recommends that a woman get some snakeroot and a High John the Conqueror root, chew them, place them in her boot and pocket to make her man love her. Several other Bessie Smith songs also mention Hoodoo. The song "Got My Mojo Working," written by Preston "Red" Foster in 1956 and popularized by Muddy Waters throughout his career, addresses a woman who is able to resist the power of the singer's Hoodoo amulets.

Hoodoo practitioner Aunt Caroline Dye was born enslaved in Spartanburg, South Carolina and sold to New Port, Arkansas as a child, where she became known for soothsaying and divination with playing cards. She is mentioned by name in the Memphis Jug Band's "Aunt Caroline Dye Blues" (1930) and in Johnny Temple's song "Hoodoo Woman" (1937).

Blues singer Robert Johnson is known for his song about going "down to the crossroads" to sell his soul to the devil to become a better musician. Some authors suggest that the song invokes a Hoodoo belief in crossroads spirits, a belief that originated in Central Africa among the Kongo people. However, the devil figure in Johnson's song, a black man with a cane who haunts crossroads, closely resembles Papa Legba, a spirit associated with Louisiana Voodoo and Haitian Vodou

#blues music #memphis #vodun #voodoo #hoodoo #african #afrakan #kemetic dreams #africans #afrakans #brown skin #afrakan spirituality #african culture #rootwork #ancestor veneration #pagans of tumblr #conjure #witchblr #african music

[flower-boi16]

So you known how when there is criticism against HH fans would always like to use the "Its hell" or "they are in hell of course it's bad" why is this always the immediate reponse to valid criticism.

Example: If hell is so bad why should I care about about Blizto not able to get a good Healthcare when they are in literal Hell! You know the same place where people die because they committed acts of crime and spend their rest of their afterlife there. If Hell is this bad place for sinners to be suffering for all eternity then wouldn't it make sense for them not be able to get a good Healthcare.

Using the phrase "it's hell of course it's a bad place" lose its meaning when you apply logic and trying to make Hell as this place of injustice and suffering when that is the whole concept of Hell

Honestly, the "it's hell" excuse doesn't even work anymore with some of the critiques of the show's fatphobia, the Vodou stuff. It works fine for when we're talking about the sinners being shitty people but once you try applying it to literally anything else it starts losing what little water it had.

And ya, Hell is meant to be a place of suffering, so using that excuse when the show is trying to show Hell as a place of "injustice" doesn't really work.

#vivziepop critical #hazbin hotel critical #helluva boss critical #helluva boss criticism #vivziepop criticism #hazbin hotel criticism

[ruiniel]

Vodou symbolism in Castlevania Nocturne

Vodou developed among Afro-Haitian communities amid the Atlantic slave trade of the 16th to 19th centuries. Its structure arose from the blending of the traditional religions of those enslaved West and Central Africans, among them Yoruba, Fon, and Kongo, who had been brought to the island of Hispaniola. There, it absorbed influences from the culture of the French colonialists who controlled the colony of Saint-Domingue, most notably Roman Catholicism but also Freemasonry. Many Vodouists were involved in the Haitian Revolution of 1791 to 1801 which overthrew the French colonial government, abolished slavery, and transformed Saint-Domingue into the republic of Haiti.

At the heart of Vodou are the symbols known as vèvè. These cosmograms are intricate drawings made with cornmeal, coffee, or flour, and they serve as the visual representation of the spirits and deities (known as lwa, also called loa or loi) honored in Vodou. Each vèvè corresponds to a specific spirit, and invoking them involves drawing the corresponding symbol on the ground. This is often performed by an initiate who has learned the technique and is an essential part of Vodou rituals and ceremonies.

Let's look at some of the symbolism shown in Nocturne.

1. Agwe Arroyo or Agwe Tawoyo/Agwe 'Woyo - "Agwe of the Streams"

Captain of Immamou, the ship that carries the dead to the afterlife. He cries salt-water tears for the departed. He assisted the souls of those that suffered crimes against humanity during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Agwe is called to calm the waves of the sea or ensure happy sailing, but mainly he is worshipped by those who fish and whose life depends on the life in the waters. People under his protection will never drown and water will never harm them.

2. Kouzen Zaka, or Azaka

The patron lwa of farmers, but he is also known as a lwa travay, a work lwa. Kouzen Zaka, represented by this vèvè, is the guardian of the fields in Haitian Vodou. The drawing of his symbol showcases elements of agricultural activity, including the earth, machete, sickle, hoe. Zaka is closely tied to work and is revered by farmers and those who rely on agriculture for their livelihood.

3. Erzulie Dantò or Ezilí Dantor

The main lwa of the Petwo lwa family in Haitian Vodou. She is a powerful and protective mother figure, often depicted holding a knife, symbolizes justice and will forcefully fight to protect her children, who are her loyal followers. She is a single mother, a Haitian peasant who is fiercely independent and takes care of her own, a strong protector of women and children.

4. Legba: The Guardian of the Gates

Papa Legba, the first spirit to manifest during a Vodou ceremony, holds a special place in the Vodou Pantheon in Haiti. His vèvè symbolizes his role as the barrier between the two worlds, with two perpendicular axes and his cane. Known as a trickster Loa, he usually appears as an old man on a crutch or with a cane, wearing a broad-brimmed straw hat and smoking a pipe, or drinking dark rum. The dog is sacred to him. He carries a sack on a strap across one shoulder from which he dispenses destiny. He is believed to speak all human languages. In Haiti, he is the great elocutioner: Legba facilitates communication, speech, and understanding. During Vodou ceremonies he opens the spiritual gateway that separates the Loas from our physical world.

In addition, Papa Legba is the guardian of portals, doors, and crossroads. His role is critical in any Vodou ritual, as he's the one who grants access to the other Loas and allows them to manifest themselves during the ceremony.

What we hear Annette chant in the series is 'Papa Legba: Ouvè Baryè'a' (Papa Legba: Open the Gate).

There's a lot more to dive into, but this was a summary.

[uninformedartist]

Well they shocked 😅

Wasn't surprised when people actually found out that Velvette is supposed to be a black woman I mean look at her. The quote tweets are not happy and its mostly poc so Viv you are not looking too good now... again Velvette is not even black coded at all I could not believe you at 1st glance that she is a black woman hah let alone 30 years old according to her leaked info because all of Viv's characters look like teenagers.

Like Velvette didn't even have to be... whatever "black" apparently skin tone she has (she's ashey af and its blatant erasure actually what they were trying with her skin tone) like I said black coded characters exist. Honey swamp is my all time favourite character and was a good example mentioned in the original tweet. Black coded not only in her design (her hair is everything) but also where she's from New Goreleans which is obviously a play on New Orleans. Could've had a voice actor to fit her but oh well but one gets the picture. Like the excuse of "of but she's a demon" 💀 Monster high gave us many poc coded characters that had all the colours of skin tones (not even mentioning the actual black characters like Clawdeen she was a werewolf but clearly black) but we knew they were poc because they were designed to be poc, the designers had that in mind and I do not see it in Velvette's design heck nore Alastor he was a white dude in his early design. Viv just looks like she slapped on him being creole because of the vodou and W-word debacle.

Whoo I fear hazbin coming out because this is shakey waters to be on before a show drops.

Small edit: the w word is in reference to a native American creature, the "wendy", hope the just of it comes across what I'm referring to. I won't type the full name out of respect.

#vivziepop critical #hazbin hotel critique #hazbin hotel critical #spindlehorse critical #Velvette critical #do poc characters justice Viv

[blairstales]

Scottish Folklore of Cursed “Dolls”

There is a rarely talked about (though seemingly uncommon) historical custom in Scotland that will likely sound a lot like the exaggerated “voodoo dolls” (which, despite the name, are not prominent in Haitian Vodou or Louisiana Voodoo) of media.

The Scottish version is a doll that is a form of sympathetic magic(a magic category invented by Scottish folklorist James George Frazer).

Sympathetic magic has two varieties; one of which requires similarities, and the other requires contact or “contagion.”

“The former principle may be called the Law of Similarity, the latter the Law of Contact or Contagion. From the first of these principles, namely the Law of Similarity, the magician infers that he can produce any effect he desires merely by imitating it: from the second he infers that whatever he does to a material object will affect equally the person with whom the object was once in contact, whether it formed part of his body or not.” “The Golden Bough” by James George Frazer(1878)

The dolls of this topic are a form of imitation type sympathetic magic. For these, the dolls were crafted with ill-intent in the likeness of the person you wanted to curse, then what was done to the doll was thought to harm who it was made to look like.

While they are called dolls, they are not really what you might expect a child to have. Instead, they are sculpted of clay but not cured in an oven.

“An image of the victim was made of clay, and because it had a certain resemblance to him (likeness denoting real connection), it was believed that whatever was done to the image would produce a similar effect on the person whom it represented. “ “The misty isle of Skye : Its scenery, It’s people, Its story” by Eneas Mackay, Stirling, (1927)

It could be stuck with pins and needles to cause aches and pains, or you could do far worse. For example, if you put the doll into a stream, as the clay broke up in the water, so was said to gradually happen to the targets health.

“When any one wished evil to another he made a clay image of the person to be injured, and placed it in a stream with the head of the image against the current. It was believed that, as the clay was dissolved by the water, the health of the person represented would decline. The spell, however, would be broken if the image was discovered and removed from the stream. In the counties of Sutherland and Ross the practice survived till within the last few years.” “Folklore of Scottish Lochs and Springs” by James M. Mackinlay (1893)

It is perhaps no surprise that this was not a type of magic talked fondly about, and is instead classified in books as an evil act of black magic.

#scottish folklore #scottish customs #scottish magic #scottish #scotland #folklore #cursed doll #cursed dolls #magic #black magic #Sympathetic magic #folkmagic #folk magic

[dragon-discourse]

Rainbows

A common motif in mythologies across the world is to zoomorphize the rainbow as a serpent or dragon. Examples of this include:

The Balaur is said to travel along rainbows, or in Romania the rainbow itself is a two-headed Balaur.

In parts of Ukraine, the Rainbow is called tsmok, a common term for Slavic Dragons. It drinks water from the ground and transports it into the sky, where it becomes rain.

Hong is a Chinese Word for Rainbow, which is depicted as a dragon with a head on either end. This term, as well as the other two words for rainbow: didong and ni, all contain Radical 142, a radical associated in the Chinese language with insects, reptiles, and dragons.

Ayida-Weddo is a snake loa found in Vodou, which is associated with, among other things, Rainbows. This loa is connected to a similar figure found in West African mythology, who holds the world in their coils.

Aboriginal Australian mythology has a wide range of Rainbow Serpent deities and entities.

#Rainbow #Rainbows #Themes and Motifs

[anarcheamor]

So I Wanna Talk Vodou in Castlevania: Nocturne But First...

We gotta talk about Magic in Castlevania as a whole. The problem though is that there's not much new to say that one can't grasp from watching the show and being exposed to other media which includes magic (which is like what? 99% of all fantasy fiction?). The show doesn't go out of its way to explain anything about how magic works but then again what is there that needs explaining? Pretty brown lady does some finger stuff and something goes boom or sparky, a couple of guys can raise the dead, something something levitating sword, something something magic portals, something something something something magic exists, just deal with it. What seems to be of interest to the show is how magic is used by each character and what that says about them, their roles in the story, and their arcs.

Sypha, for example, is the powerhouse of the main trio boasting the most diverse and deadliest set of abilities since her magic consists of control over fire, water/ice, and lighting. This has led her to be key to some of the team's wins over various vampires, creatures, or even humans. While Trevor may struggle with one enemy, she could be handling several at once. This dynamic is most evident during the fight with Dracula as Daddy Drac could handle his son and a Belmont but Sypha was a wildcard that he knew he would have trouble. Even if you can argue that by herself she could never beat Dracula, her presence was the edge that the trio needed. But what does that say about her? She's adventure- loving, brave, and her knowledge as a speaker gives her insight where Trevor's experience and Alucard's vampiric and scientific knowledge might fail them. However, none of this is more important, I think, than her role as the "heart" of the team. Trevor and Alucard are cynics held back by their respective familial traumas to see the world for what it is, she provides optimism and love for life and humanity that both lacked and this aspect of her character enabled them to think in ways they weren't able to before. Like her magic, she's able to take the elements of those she loves and make them into something more powerful than what they seem capable of. Get it?

You can basically extend this analysis to most of the cast. Nothing entirely too deep either for people whose hobbies involve over-thinking about the stuff they watch. You see, my thing is magic in most fiction isn't really... magic and that has some bad implications for Annette's Vodou in Nocturne. Why? Because it's basically just science when physics is weird and wonky. That's not even off brand for it either, we all know that one quote about advanced enough science being indistinguishable from magic but even before this quote some Italian guy name Giovanni Pico della Mirandola said that magic was the practical application of natural science. The video I reblogged of the guy moving a crowd of bugs from the light in his yard to the streetlight is absolutely magical... but pretty easy to explain using bug psychology. Hell some scientists go out of their way to find miracles from various faiths (mainly Christian though) and try to explain them just for funsies (or apologetics) to stretch the limits of what science can explain and what it can't. This is all well and good for a view of magic that is centered around the idea of it being manipulation of phenomena but it kind of runs against other perspectives that see magic and adjacent activities as more than just phenomena. Take, for example, the existence of deities. If there is a fire god, what is fire magic? Does the magic come from the god? Do you need to have a special connection with the god to do the magic? Is it possible to become a fire god if you're powerful enough or is there something more to the title? What separates what the god does from the magic a human performs? If not a god, what about a fire spirit? Is there a difference between a spirit and a god? Do spirits take on the form of the element itself or are they separate from it? Notice how me adding in the element of a conscious thinking entity now muddies the waters a bit. Now what would be a simple "application of science" is now a question of relationships between two persons.

Let's apply this back to Sypha. Sypha's magic is manipulation of fire, lighting, and water. Assuming that elemental spirits/deities exist, how did she acquire such skills? Does she pray to them, bargain with them, worship them? Is there a ritual involved that she has to perform? It's a bit of a headscratcher if we think on it but I don't believe that she's dealing with any external entities with her magic and I'm certain the writers intended for her magic to be as straight-forward as it appears. And notice how the other magic in the show fit a similar simplistic "mold"? Alchemy and Forgemastery are basically in the same "do a thing then a thing happens" territory that Sypha's elemental kinesis fits in. But just like how adding in a "second party" into the mix of the magic throws a kink in how we're supposed to perceive Sypha's magic, doing so for Alchemy and Forgemastery does the same. In fact, Alchemy stops being Alchemy the moment you start adding in cosmic beings because it practically ruins the point of alchemical work. So in a world where all the magic is connected together by a common "science-y" theme to it all that's supposed to enable us to shut off our brains and just accept said magic without explanation because we trust that there is one, how do you fit magic where entities are a part of how everything works? And when the magic you're introducing is from a faith that's been demonized to hell and back, how do you make it fit into your world with good representation? Well, for Nocturne, the answer is not terribly but not all that good either...

#castlevania netflix #castlevania nocturne #castlevania anime #sypha belnades #magic #annette castlevania

[mywifeleftme]

316: Toto Bissainthe // Chante Haïti

Chante Haïti Toto Bissainthe 1977, Arion

“These songs are mostly slave songs taken from the Vodou cult. They speak of the quotidian, of the suffering of exile, and the desire of Africa, not as a geographical place but as a mythical land of freedom. They express their resistance and their refusal: resistance to the colonizer, refusal of his politics, of his religion, of his culture, of his language.”

So begins Toto Bissainthe’s statement on the rear of Chante Haïti, her 1977 collaboration with a small combo of Antillean folk and French jazz musicians: vocalists Marie-Claude Benoît and Mariann Mathéus; percussionists Akonio Dolo and Mino Cinélu (Miles Davis, Weather Report, Gong); Patrice Cinélu on acoustic guitar; and Beb Guérin on the double bass. The songs indeed fuse the Vodou ritual of her native Haiti with the European avant garde sounds of her adopted milieu of Paris, where she had moved to pursue acting and found herself a de facto exile due to the political situation back home. Bissainthe had become a prominent figure in the French theatre, performing in new plays by Beckett and Genet and co-founding Les Griots, France’s first Black theatre company; by the late ‘70s, she was an acclaimed recording artist to boot. Her accomplishments made her a prominent figure in the Haitian diaspora and her activist streak is apparent throughout Chante Haïti, explicitly linking the grief and yearning for liberation in these traditional ceremonials with the country’s contemporary struggles.

Like many songs on the album, the Creole words of opener “Soley danmbalab” mourn the people's estrangement from Mother Africa, a crossing which can neither be reversed or repeated. It begins like a field recording, Bissainthe’s soulful, Miriam Makeba-esque voice set to a chorus of rattles and bells and gurgling masculine whispers. As the song develops, her melody wends like a stream through the dense jungle of percussion, dissonant bass, and counterpoint chanting. Eventually, Mino Cinélu’s arrangement becomes more free, the male chorus imploring the Oungan (a male Vodou priest) to intercede with the creator on the people’s behalf as the tune breaks down into an increasingly abstract bass and drum interplay, while the three female singers exchange birdlike vocal improvisations.

“Ibo Ogoun (Variations)” is even wilder, evoking a trance ritual, the spirits speaking in many tongues through the celebrants as they seek to summon Ogun, God of Iron and War, to lead the battle of liberation. One of the male percussionists times his tanbou beat so that it hits just as he sings certain notes, creating the illusion that he voice has suddenly lurched down an octave for a moment, almost like a DJ freaking a vocal sample. Bissainthe, Mathéus, and Benoît match the intense drumming with some crazy syncopations, sometimes talking, sometimes hissing and whispering, sometimes wailing and ululating.

Most of the album takes on a more meditative tact, anchored by Guérin’s plangent double bass. On the smoky “Papadanbalab,” an entreaty to the serpent creator Damballa to bear witness to the penury of his people, Bissainthe sways over a slinky jazz bass line, Patrice Cinélu adding mellow acoustic fusion licks. The song seems like a brief stopover in a Parisian club. But even the less overtly intense tracks pack plenty of musical interest. “Lamize pa dous” has this hypnotic rhythm that sounds exactly like a micro house beat—in fact, the first thing it made me think of was Ricardo Villalobos’ Alcachofa, or Animal Collective at their campfire ravingest. The song is about the moment of surrender to death, the winnowing of time represented by water encroaching on all sides, the realization too late that “we spend our lives trying to fill the sea with stones.”

Listening to a record like this, especially in light of Bissainthe’s note on the back excoriating the colonialist ethnographer who reduces Haitian folklore to “excitement and violence,” requires at least a smidgen of awareness from the white listener that Chante Haïti is not intended for them. The traditions it engages with are of deep spiritual significance to many Haitians, both in the ‘70s and today. But for those inside and outside the culture who are willing to approach it with respect, Chante Haïti is a fascinating fusion of Antillean and European musics, and a peek into a profound and secret history.

316/365

#toto bissainthe #haiti #haitian music #vodou #haitian vodou #vodou music #diaspora #spiritual jazz #Kréyol djaz #creole #'70s music #female singer #female musicians #protest music #music review #vinyl record

[conjuremanj]

Erzulie Freda.

Okay. When I saw this I had to share it. This is from Houngan Jak. A doll of Ayibobo Mambo Maitresse Erzulie wearing beautiful real jewelry and clothing.

(If you're wondering. Ayibobo is a ritual word that's a equivalent to “Amen” or "Blessings" and a few other meanest depending on how it's used)

👇Next is a photo of her being bathed in and bath made for her.

👇This is her altar. With items that she loves.

👇Oh, Check this out a Florida Water bottle created for her.

These aren't my photo they belong to Senjsk a Vodou priest. I just wasn't to share these.

If you are a devotee of any spirit, deity, Gods, Ansestors etc Look at the things they like or tell you they like and create something personal for them that comes from you.

They'll like it.

#like and/or reblog! #spiritual #rootwork #voodoo doll #vodou lwa #vodou deities #Erzulie Freda #Vodou altar #Florida water #haitian vodou priest #haitian vodou #follow my blog #african diasporic #african spirituality #african vodu #Vodou deity #Voodoo spirit #ask me a question #message me #Message for help #Spirituality #spiritual help #spiritual guidance #Custom work

[iartsysam]

In the beginning: Damballah Wedo and Ayida Wedo ⚕️🌈🐍🤍

Symbolism is important. I believe there’s always a message. Whether it’s sent through animals or people, there is importance and meaning behind it and by being as present, grounded, and conscious as I can be, I won’t miss it.

Meditation is one of the tools that aid me in staying present and more grounded. I find it relaxing to meditate near water and in nature. I hear more loudly when in quiet surroundings. My mind feels more at ease and a lot clearer.

I learn a lot from being observant and I search deeper and discover more about my culture, roots, and myself.

I’ve learned butterflies are deep and powerful representations of life. They are beautiful and have mystery and are a metaphor representing spiritual #rebirth, #transformation, change, hope, and life.

As for apples, the forbidden fruit is a symbol of the beginning, knowledge, immortality, and temptation.

I’ve learned that snakes and their worship were essential to the people of west Africa, such as the Fon and Dahomey.

The serpent spirit is ancient, I’ve learned about it and the rainbow’s tale and even people who know very little about Haitian Vodou seem to know about it.

Sacred stories traverse boundaries and limitations, and this story of two divine snakes is no exception.

In a time before, there were two serpents- masculine and feminine. They were lovers, intertwined souls, who danced their magick on the continent of #Africa.

There came a time when that was no longer possible. Due to War and strife, the possibility and the push of a new land became necessary. The serpents made the journey to the new world.

Damballah made the trip beneath the seas, the realm of the ancestors, and profound wisdom.

Ayida traveled across the sky as wearing the crown of the rainbow. They met and intertwined again in the New World, bringing the joy and beauty of their majesty.

Each time you see a rainbow, you’ll know that these two are meeting to rejoice in their love. The rainbow is also the symbol of hope and new beginnings. In love, in a career, or in any aspect of life.

#art #illustration #wisdom #iartsysam #vodou #artist

#vodou #artists on tumblr #illustration #vodun #africa #voodoo #astrology #haiti #hoodoo #lwa #spirits #spiritualawakening #spiritualhealing #african spirituality #spiritual work #damballah #da #dahomey #ayidawedo #damballahwedo #rada #spirit #african beliefs #haitian vodou #african religions #ancestry #ancestral work #ancestral veneration #ancestralwisdom #guinen

[3rdeyeblaque]

On January 7th, we venerate Ancestor & Hoodoo Saint, Auntie Zora Neale Hurston on her 133rd birthday (updated 2024). 🎉

Novelist, Anthropologist, Folklorist, Scholar, Vodou initiate & Historian, Zora Neale Hurston's legacy is forever cemented in Hoodoo Culture (and beyond) as the masterful wordsmith who cast a shining light on black excellence in all everyday forms/spaces, our ATR roots, & the preservation of Black Voices during the prime of the Harlem Renaissance.

Auntie Zora was born in Notasulga, AL and raised on 5 acres of land in Eatonville, FL by her preacher-father and free-spirited mother ; in what would be the first all-Black township in the country. After the shattering loss of her mother, Zora turned up in Baltimore, MD where she presented herself as a 16 year old (10 years her junior) in order to access free public school education resources; thereby finishing school. From then on, Zora lived her life presenting herself as 10 years younger than she actually was. She'd go on to graduate from Barnard College in 1928. 

She published several novellas & articles, including "Mules & Men"; a collection of Hoodoo Folklore. She entered the zenith of her career in the late 30s/40s after publishing her masterworks: "Their Eyes Were Watching God", "Tell My Horse", "Moses, Man of the Mountain", & an anthropological study on Hatian Vodou .After publishing her autobiography, "Dust Tracks on a Road, "Auntie Zora finally received the public recognition & literary respect that was long overdue. Despite her successes, and unprecedented contributions in classic literature & anthropology, Zora never received the financial contributions that her work so deserved. 

Zora Neale Hurston passed away; penniless, alone, & drifting into obscurity. Friends and supporters from near and far raised $600 for her funeral service and burial. She was buried in an unmarked grave, in a segregated section, at the Garden Of Heavenly Peace Cemetery in Fort Pierce, FL. Over a decade later, in 1973 the Great Alice Walker found the unmarked grave and ordered a headstone to be placed on it; engraved with, "Genius Of The South" in Zora's honor. It remains in place today.  “Let no Negro celebrity, no matter what financial condition they might be in at death, lie in inconspicuous forgetfulness. We must assume the responsibility of their graves being known and honored.” - Zora Neale Hurston to W.E.B. Dubois Auntie Zora wanted to be remembered & demanded that the same honor and respect be given unto her peers & others. Never forget the infectious voice that defined & defied, inspired & struck fear in many hearts of her time & after. We pour libations & give 💐 today as we celebrate Auntie Zora for her enigmatic spirit, ancestral wisdom, labor of love for Hoodoo Folklore, & for the seeing the beauty in the dark, sometimes solemn, corners in Black Culture. Let her studies continue to inform our own. Let her spark a fire in us to reconnect to our roots & grow within our lineages.

Offering suggestions: money, music, read/share her work, libations of water, & flowers.

‼️Note: offering suggestions are just that & strictly for veneration purposes only. Never attempt to conjure up any spirit or entity without proper divination/Mediumship counsel.‼️

#hoodoo Saints #Hoodoo Saint #zora neale hurston #Hoodoo #vodou #haitian vodou #the hoodoo calendar #hoodoohistory #hoodoos #atrs #atr #hoodoo culture #bvm #Hoodoo Folklore #Black authors #Black writers #own voices #Black Power

[ghosting-medium]

・❥・ West ˗ˏˋ꒰ ✨ ꒱

Moodboard & Information credit: Kalmi

Looks Like:

Credit: AngeoArt on Deviant

West is gracious and regal but never harsh or untimely. She appreciates decent formality. Her eyes and hair are bejeweled with stars. There is no true “color” to her iris but I’d describe it as a black-ish purple. Her hair is long but is obviously coiled with very defined curls which are very soft. Her skin is highly pigmented to a near jet black and amongst this I can see glimpses of shimmers and glittery constellations on her body. She wears a type of tiara on her head that has 3 small silver star symbols on it. Her body moves likes water, there is no “structure” to her shape; she is extremely flowy.

She feels like a “zing!” when she touches you. Suddenly, I am highly aware of the part of my arm that I requested she touch and I seem to have stronger clairvoyance after the touch. This is just the effects it had on me, of course. What’s interesting is that she is gentle with her words, her movements, everything but the effect it has on me, personally, is still strong and powerful.

West is gender-fluid but seems to lean towards she/they pronouns and to me she presents in a feminine manner. If that is different to you then absolutely embrace it!

The 3 Stars

On her crown/tiara we see two stars on the outside which are similar to Nsoroma (Child of God within Adinkra symbols). This symbol represents the divinity of humans and faith but also represents getting through hardship and still remaining “holy”. Usually referring to having faith for the Supreme Being, The One, The Creator, The Universe (however you choose to label it).

The star in the middle is similar to the Star within Vodou Vévé that represents Ife, also known and documented as the Star of Life (seen with a snake and rod aka the Rod of Asclepius). This symbol is used within medicinal spaces! It, generally speaking, represents healing, rejuvenation, and recuperation.

To West, upon asking what the meaning meant to her, she explains that the stars are her connection to humanity as well as the divine. She elaborates that the stars are to guide herself to others who require assistance and wish to become in tune with their intuition and spiritual-selves. She usually handles very “dark” situations where a flashlight shouldn’t be given, as it is too obvious and may alert the attacker. So, stars are her choice of weapon.

Palace, Residence:

The energy of their Palace is that it's time and galactic based and inspired from, it's elegant and beautiful. Respecting her wishes I will not be detailing visuals, and symbolism. I do ask that if you want to visit, to properly and respectfully reach out, and wait West's response.

Ruling, Domain:

Correspondences:

Days of the Week:

Wednesday - The hump day. It’s the middle of the week where we are usually the most exhausted and simply want the week to be over… but it is also the day of Mercury. West can assist practitioners with communication and the idea of letting go / moving on. She is the epitome of Mercury; intellect, travel, networking, perceiving… clairvoyance. She will help you gently confront people and situations that you, perhaps, have been avoiding. The best day to devote to her is Wednesday.

Special Days:

September 13th holds a lot of significance to West. The Tower and The Death card are the best representations of this day. A day for renewal and honesty. Pure honesty. Extreme tragedies, fights, and emotions are celebrated an remembered on this day (a time where communication didn’t go so well). Historically, natural disasters, deaths and chaotic events have happened on this day (wildfires, floods, eathquakes, celebrity deaths, etc). On this day, remember and refresh.

Any day that Mercury rules!

Elements:

Air, “Darkness”

Numbers:

6, 10, 9

6 - Traditionally a solar number and is also connected to harmony, peace, truth and balance. I, personally see this number as how I see Oya (Orisha); an everchanging power that is able to be gentle (like soft rain) and fierce (like a storm).

10 - Completion! Ending a chapter but opening a new one, the transition between stages. I see this energy aligning with giving and receiving love and overall celebration.

9 - Satisfaction, the journey before completion, being almost satisfied and continuing to manifest with hope. Intellectual power can also associated with the number 9. 9, within Chinese culture, is associated with wisdom and magic since it is the same word for “long-lasting” — I personally also associate 9 with the story and woman Modjadji, the Rain Queen.

Colors:

Purple, black, deeper and darker shades, whimsical colors

Planet:

Mercury, Jupiter

Zodiac Signs:

Gemini, Virgo, Capricorn

Animals:

Otters

Whales

Bats

Crocodiles

Turtle

Grey Heron

Eagle

Vulture

Plants, Fruits, Flora:

Black mustard seed

Lemongrass

Hibiscus

Papaya

Citron

Lavender

Willow

African violet

Fern

Essential oils/incense:

Sleepy Scents

Cedar Wood

Lavender

Patchouli

Scents known to help physic abilities + clairs

Jasmine

Crystals:

Citrine

Agates

Aventurine

Mica

Pumice

Quicksilver

Zinc

Lapis Lazuli

Creedite

Sugilite

Divination associations:

Tarot:

The Tower

The Moon

The High Priestess

The Lovers

4 of Cups

Family:

History, Mythology:

She wishes any history of her known to be kept private currently

Epithets:

Wise West (epithet focuses on her wisdom and overal knowledge)

Lady Galaxias (epithet focuses on her connection to the stars and galaxy)

Miss Mutatis Mutandis / Miss Mut’Mut (epithet focuses on change, literally means “With things changed that should be changed” or “With the necessary changes having been made”)

Lady Sermitas / Sermo Veritas (epithet focuses on her connections to truth and communication)

Offering & Devotional Acts:

Studying astronomy and astrology

Meditating

Aiming to improve your clairsenses

Learning about the astral

Astral projecting

Connecting to her animals + herbs

Making sleeping remedies

Enhancing psychic ability spells

Understanding the stars/your zodiac

Meditation with West

Set boundaries for yourself

Seek out and attempt communication

Enjoy herbal teas

Silver jewelry

Coins + charms

Listening to music

Listening to the kpop band, Dreamcatcher

Looking into tragedies and extreme changes

Embracing change

Self-care

Banishing rituals

Banishing workings

Psychic workings

Healing workings

Dream work

Crossroads

Celestial water

Rain water

Smoke (incense)

Finding your family

Finding your community and true self

Spend time with your true family + friends

Attempting to leave toxic relationships

Attempting to leave toxic family

Dark feathers

Shark egg sacks

Starry/celestial images

Dark chocolate

Night-blooming flowers

Keep a dream journal

Keep an astral journal

Connect with your ancestors

Take a nighttime walk (safely)

Create art and paintings for West

Face west when doing rituals/spells/prayer to her

Explore your solo, personal, sensuality

Altar Suggestions:

Any imagery associated with her correspondences

Research devoted to West

Cloth in their associated colors I would include silver, and gray to that as well.

Have the altar facing, and pointed West

Candles in her colors, and with herbs in their correspondences list

That is all the documented information that we have on West

Signing off, Ghost ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

#West #Cardinal #The Way of the Fellowship #May the path guide you West

[autisticempathydaemon]

make you (feel my love)

tags: William & Alexis, mentions of Past Sam/Alexis, mentions of violence, my Southern and Autistic-coded Alexis

We know better than to judge a book by its cover, so let's flip through the pages, shall we?

Exploring who Alexis used to be and the person she's become through Will's eyes

Also available on AO3

Once upon a time, there was a captive princess- revered, admired, lonely- and the delicate, beautiful chains entrapping her.

Anyone that bothered to listen would be shocked to learn William’s first blood wasn’t always a bold, fearsome, not-so-young lady of ill repute. Before she was Alexis of the Solaire clan, she was Alexis l’Oiselet. Before she was a creature of the dark with fangs and shadows as her weapons, she was a sonal energetic without a voice. Before she was his “problem child”, she was just that- a child with a problem. 

New Orleans in the 1970’s was a gorgeous time and place, air heavy with humidity and magic, streets rife with auras of every kind. In a buzzing metropolis of Catholicism and Vodou, unempowered and magicked, human and other, William Solaire adored the opportunity to slip into the dark or stop the show, to dazzle or hide, depending on which Decatur bar he decided to patronize.  That particular watering hole was as mundane as it came, no buzzing magic in the air, just jazz. Forgoing the dramatic ebony and crimsons so popular with the local vampire enthusiasts, Will was dressed like any other man ready for a night out on the town… which made it all the more surprising when the St. Charles socialite came to him with an offering of blood and a wild-eyed, desperate request to be taken away. 

Any person who spent any time in the quarter could recognize the l’Oiselet princess, the only daughter of a revered, old-money family of sonal energetics. Her imperious, comely face was often splashed across both the empowered and unempowered social pages, especially as she came of age and debuted in polite society. Will had seen her in person only once, this past Mardi Gras, paraded on the arm of a handsome water elemental, the belle of the Bacchus ball. Only now, months later, seeing her black hair coming loose from its chignon, her old-fashioned dress wrinkled without care, her fine, leather shoes splattered with mud, did William finally hear her and listen.  

After all, William Solaire was not unfamiliar with imploring youths begging for the bite. As he aged, their number only grew, empowered and unempowereds alike pleading for strength, speed, immortality and promising anything his heart could desire in return. It was a proud young boy that once vowed to never take progeny, a stubborn old king that held fast to it, and a soft-hearted man who changed his mind.

The Solaire king asked many questions that night. He asked if she could bear to lose her high status. He asked if she could bear to lose the sonic core that had been a part of her all her life. He asked if she could bear to lose her family. 

That night, the first of all her nights, Alexis answered him truthfully. She told him becoming a lower-class vampire was preferable to being married off as a high-class trophy wife. She told him sonal magic is only as good as the voice that wields it. She told him her family wouldn’t miss their strange, silent showpiece of a daughter- not when they have their son- and she wouldn’t miss them.

“Why this?” William asks, looking across the bank where the sun threatens to rise over the Mississippi. “What do you want that you don’t already have?” Alexis’s voice can be barely heard over the morning din, so burdened with untrained magic. The sound should ring through the leaves with the morning lark calls but instead hangs low and heavy like fog. Her words send ripples up the river, and William sees as Alexis watches them with envy. 

“I don’t want money. I don’t want prestige. I don’t want my fuckin' magic.” Her sonic core spikes with her emotions, a discordant note screeching through the air and scaring away the birds. Alexis grits her teeth as she forces herself calm and quiet for what she hopes to be the last time. “I just want to be free.”

Once upon a time, there was a fierce warrior- unleashed, wild, free- and the fine, sharp weapons she learned to wield.

In the beginning, Will couldn’t help but worry for Alexis. He had wondered if a young, pampered energetic could handle the both literal and figurative blood and viscera. After all, birds born in captivity almost never survive in the wild, lacking the instincts needed to hunt and thrive. 

Years later, Will looks back at his naïveté with fondness and amusement. Songbirds and hawks all look the same in cages; you don’t see their true colors till they spread their wings.

“Alexis, my heart,” Will greets gently, strolling out of the ballroom to the magnificent balcony overlooking the Solaire gardens. His progeny, her black hair and deep scarlet dress blending into the night sky, coolly nods in acknowledgment while warmly taking his outstretched hand. “Not planning on enjoying the festivities?”

“Not much to enjoy,” Alexis says with a shrug and a disdainful jerk of the chin towards the glowing windows and faint party music. Her eyes, which had once been a solemn, dull brown, shine a sharp, lethal silver in the moonlight. “You know I mostly attend these things at your request. Haven't I had enough pleasantries and cocktails and gossip for an eternal lifetime?”

“Speaking of gossip,” Will says with a razor edge steel gaze of his own. “I hear you’ve been getting into disagreements again.” Tossing her finely curled hair over her shoulder, Alexis is poised for a duel with every gesture and glance and word. 

“That is a word for 'em, yes,” she parries, having mastered the fine art and dance of truthful obfuscation.

“Is another word for them “ruthless bloodbath?” he counters, having mastered the art of asking the right questions. 

“Ruthlessness is subjective, and as no one was actually washing themselves while immersed in blood, I would have to be honest and say no.” She grins, drawl dripping with playful satisfaction, and William, even in his own frustration, cannot help but smile back as her mirth fizzes in his stomach. Perhaps mastery is also subjective.

“I quite like the Aguilars,” William says as he leans back against the banister and serves Alexis an admonishing look. “Mateo is a fine fellow who sent many generous gifts when you were first turned.” As ever, his progeny refuses to be chastened. 

“Perhaps I’d like them too… if not for the fact their third called me a swamp whore who traded my body for the bite.” Even incandescent and indignant, Alexis’s beauty is unmatched, both the biggest target on her back and her greatest weapon. William sighs, head lolling forward in admitted defeat, wishing she didn’t have to brandish it quite so often.

“I will speak to Mateo after the ball, make sure his subordinate knows not to cross your warpath again… for his sake and yours.” William reaches out to press his palm to her cheek in a tentative, affectionate gesture that the young-ish woman accepts with a roll of the eyes. “Until then, do not start any fights, Alexis. ”

“Will, I am a lady. I don’t start fights,” she says with a petulant twist of the lips and nose at the invocation. Yet, when her maker offers her his arm, Alexis takes it with a proud, regal tilt of the chin and smirk. “I finish them.”

Once upon a time, there was an evil witch- reviled, loathed, outcast- and the towering prison of her own choosing.

“-cent’s lovely partner is taking to energetics so well. It almost reminds me of your potential all those years ago. Do you remember? Not as easily or naturally as you, of course, given the situation, but well all the same. Vincent has said they might make an exciting plus-one for him at this year’s summit. Speaking of, the theme this year is going to be Art of the In-Between , an exploration of duality and subversion. I was thinking that maybe we could bring out that áo dài I got you a few years ago? Maybe add some modern accents to it and play into the theme of “Then/Now.” That would complement the “Clothes/Not Clothes” aesthetic your brother-”

“He’s not my brother, and I’m not going to the Summit this year.”

Alexis stares coldly down at her paperwork with a grimly set mouth, and William’s body slumps ever so minutely in his chair across from her sterile, empty desk. Years ago, this workspace, Alexis’s own little throne of his Skyside empire, had been full of personality- cluttered even. It used to be littered in jewelry, trinkets, pretty things from their travels, pencil shavings made with a box-cutter because the princess sometimes found it more amusing to play a 1950s newspaper editor rather than the head of accounting she actually was. Now, her desk is clean and orderly, her work always on time and meticulously double-checked because Will can hardly ever get her away from it. 

“The trends are not nearly as stiff and ornate as they were when you last went a decade ago, and the Pham’s have already sent their RSVPs,” he coaxes gently, cheerily, leaning forward and placing a hand on the wood surface inches away from her tapping fingers. Faster than even his empowered eyes can catch, she jerks back, reaching in a drawer for another pen she doesn’t need, and William despondently retreats, clasping his hands in his lap. “It could be fun this year!” 

“Even more reason for me to not go and spoil it,” she says with measured, fake enthusiasm and clipped, disaffected diction. The wane, cool model smile on Alexis’s face is perfunctory, bland, and familiar, the expression he used to see in her society pictures. William didn’t realize how beautiful her unmasked, unrestrained attitude and voice had been until it was gone.

“No one’s saying you would,” he says with endless tenderness, with all the affection he hopes his dear girl knows is not lost. Not for the first time, the king wishes that the maker/progeny bond worked both ways, that his child could feel the devotion that courses through their shared blood in his veins. “We’d love to have you, my heart-” is as far as he gets when he’s interrupted by the loud crack of Alexis’s pen snapping in her grip. 

“Don’t waste my time with lies, William,” she says harshly, one hand gathering papers as the other drips black ink onto the maple wood. “Vincent wants Sam to go, which he won’t if I’m attending, and I want to avoid the insufferable gawking and gossip that will inevitably follow my every step if I do. Everybody wins.”

“And if I don’t win? If I want to attend with my daughter whom I wish to see out in the world again? Whom I adore unconditionally?” Will reaches out to help, offering a monogrammed Solaire handkerchief, only for Alexis to shove a manila envelope into his hands and head to the ensuite restroom without a backwards glance.

“Then you should go find one, and deliver these forms to your happy accident on your way out.”

Now there is no princess, no warrior, no witch. There is just a woman named Alexis- growing, learning, no longer lonely- and the rare, beautiful sound of her laughter-

-accompanied by the sound of her bickering with Vincent.

“-re not accepting that bid on this property, absolutely not.”

“Come on, Alexis, it’s not like we can’t afford it.”

“We can afford it because we don’t accept lowball offers on fifty acres of prime land.”

“I’m trying to build connections, foster friendships. It’s called making friends; you should try it sometime.”

“I would consider it if I weren’t busy, I don’t know, makin' money.”

“I didn’t know you could fit that in your busy schedule of making babies cry and setting fi-” William opens the door to his study with a raised brow and pointed look, and his children lean back in their seats to feign innocence. They’re fast, supernaturally so, but he still saw Alexis lash out a high heel to kick her brother and Vincent ready a pen to throw at his sister.

“Will, Alexis is being unreasonable,” he greets, waving an accusing hand in her face and hissing when she snaps her teeth at his fingertips. 

“Will.” She reaches out a hand for her maker to take, and he presses a fleeting, affectionate touch to her pulse before taking his seat. ”Would you kindly remind Vinny why you made me the accountant?”

“Because renovation disagrees with your sensory issues, and working with clients disagrees with your tempestuous temperament.” Vincent guffaws, too inelegant to be a chuckle, and leans into Alexis’s space with a shit-eating grin.

“He’s saying you’re difficult~!”

“I’m saying -“ Will emphasizes with a pointed look. “-that she takes well to numbers and paperwork, a sentiment that cannot be said for you. Or was the time you almost brought the unempowered IRS down on us for tax evasion part of your rebellious stage?” Vincent slumps in his chair, playfully holding a hand to his wounded heart, and the two young vampires bare their fangs while Alexis gives the other a grin and the middle finger. Their familiar banter resumes, and William’s chest warms as his core hums with love and two more join in the chorus.

Alexis is not a Princess. Sam was not the Prince Charming she’d hoped he’d be, and a vampire king is a poor substitute for a Fairy Godmother.

This is not a fairy tale. 

All the same, William wishes on every star his daughter may finally get her happily ever after.

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