#coastal altar

[davidluongart]

Within the Heraion of Samos 👑 🦚 🪷

One of the oldest temples dedicated to the goddess of marriage and the queen of Mount Olympus, Hera (with the first one built somewhere within 800 BCE upon an early pre-existing late Myceanean altar/ worship site, and the later 2nd bigger one were built somewhere between 700-600 BCE.); since according to the local tradition, the goddess was born under a chaste tree on the island near the river banks of Imbrassos; which the holy sanctuary would later be built upon. Coupled with a few facts that Hera was one of the earliest goddesses being worshipped and has temples dedicated to by the Greeks, even before Zeus; and her equally impressive religious sanctuary site in Argos which was mentioned in Homer’s Illiad. (Where the Greeks viewed her as a multifunctional goddesses-not only the Panhellenic wife of Zeus and 'queen' of the gods, protectress of childbirth, growing up, and marriage; but also a patron of the wellbeing of the family, in relation with the family and the state, too.)

The Ionian architectural style of the second temple reconstruction, designed by Rhoikos and Theodoros of Samos-along with the xoanon icon of veiled Hera that was depicted in the later Roman coins-have been speculated to be the influence of various later Ionic temples within coastal towns of Asia Minor that were built during Hellenistic times. (Such as the temple of Apollo in Didyma and the famed temple of Artemis of Ephesus in Turkey-one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.)

From all of the archeological essays that I read about the architectural traces/remnants, the statues, and the votive offerings that were excavated within the temple area, it seemed that the goddess do enjoy a large influx of pilgrims and visitors, too- as there cultural syncretism between the Greeks and Greek Cypriots, Phoenicians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Urartians, and Egyptians. Despite the Heraion were later destroyed by an earthquake/or toppled by weak foundations in the muddy marshy ground in 550 BCE and the worship activity almost completely ceased within the sanctuary during classical times, as Samos were under the rules of Athens; interest in Hera began again in Hellenistic-Roman times as numerous smaller temples were erected around the area. Unfortunately, the third temple reconstruction by Polykrates was never finished and was later used as a quarry and a Christian church in Byzantine times.

#ancient greek #greek mythology #archeological sites #ares #queen hera #hebe #little hebe and her sister eileithyia #eilethyia #iris #juno #mars #juventas #historical reconstruction

[magickkate]

Hey witches! Are you drawn to the rhythm of the waves, the salty scent of the sea, and the boundless expanse of the ocean stretching to the horizon? If so, you might be attuned to the magic of Sea Magic, a mystical practice that connects with the elemental energies of water and the mysteries of the deep. Here are a few ways to embrace the magic of Sea Magic:

🌊 Connect with the Tide: Sea witches typically have a strong connection to the ocean, drawing inspiration, energy, and spiritual guidance from its vastness and power. Tune into the ebb and flow of the tides, allowing their rhythmic movement to guide your magical workings and rituals. Work with the energy of high tide for abundance and manifestation, and low tide for release and letting go.

🚰 Water Magic: Water is a central element in sea witchery, and practitioners often work with its properties for cleansing, healing, intuition, and emotional balance.

🌙 Moon Magic: Like many other forms of witchcraft, sea witchery often incorporates lunar cycles and phases, harnessing the energy of the moon for rituals and spellcasting.

🪸 Herbalism: Sea witches may work with herbs and plants associated with coastal regions or those that thrive in saline environments for magical purposes.

🐬 Work with Sea Creatures: Connect with the spirits of the sea and the creatures that dwell beneath the waves, such as dolphins, whales, and mermaids, honoring their wisdom and guidance in your magical practice.

🐚 Collect Seashells and Sea Treasures: Sea witches may collect shells, driftwood, seaweed, and other items washed ashore for use in spells, rituals, or as talismans. Gather seashells, sea glass, and other treasures washed ashore by the ocean, incorporating them into your spells, rituals, and altar decorations to infuse your magic with the energy of the sea.

🌊 Invoke Ocean Deities: Cultivate a relationship with ocean deities and spirits, such as Poseidon, Yemaya, or Neptune, by offering prayers, making offerings, and invoking their blessings and protection in your magical workings.

🧜🏼‍♀️ Seafaring Lore and Folk Traditions: Sea witches may draw upon maritime folklore, legends, and traditions for rituals, spells, and divination practices. Marine creatures like dolphins, whales, mermaids, and sea turtles may hold symbolic significance in sea witchcraft, representing various aspects of the ocean's energy and mythology.

🌬️ Navigation and Divination: Some sea witches incorporate navigation techniques, such as reading the stars or using instruments like compasses, into their practice. Divination methods related to the sea, such as scrying with water or shells, may also be used.

🦭 Respect for Nature: Central to sea witchery is a reverence for the natural world, particularly the ocean and its ecosystems, with an emphasis on environmental stewardship and sustainability. Sea witches often perform rituals for protection, purification, healing, and empowerment, drawing upon the strength and resilience of the ocean.

Whether you're a beachcomber, a sailor, or simply a lover of the sea, Sea Magic invites you to dive deep into the mysteries of the ocean and explore the hidden realms that lie beneath the waves. So let the rhythm of the sea guide you, and may your magic flow as freely as the currents of the ocean! 🌊🐚

Books to Read:

Water Magic by Lilith Dorsey

The Sea Witch: A Grimoire of Ocean Magick by Jennifer Heather

Year of the Witch: Connecting with Nature's Seasons through Intuitive Magick by Temperance Alden

#queue the magick #witchcraft #witch #witchblr #reference #magickkate #kitchen witch #sigils #green witch #witchy #weather witch #modern witchcraft #sea witch #cosmic witch #witches #baby witch #witch aesthetic #baby witch tips #witchcore #witchy vibes #beginner witch #college witch #college witch tips #cottage witch #witch community #witch tips #witchcraft 101 #witchcraft community

[dailydeathinparadise]

The Death in Paradise franchise is coming to Australia with an original, home grown spinoff series, Return to Paradise, coming to ABC in 2024. The series is produced by BBC Studios Productions Australia with Red Planet Pictures for the ABC in association with the BBC, who will screen the series on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK. Return to Paradise combines the DNA of the original global smash hit murder mystery series, with a new, unique Australian take.

Set in the idyllic, beachside hamlet of Dolphin Cove, Return to Paradise is six gripping, twisting and fiendishly clever murder mysteries – all set against the spectacular backdrop of the Australian coastal landscape.

Australian ex-pat Mackenzie Clarke is the seemingly golden girl of the London Metropolitan police force – with an intuitive approach to detective work, she has built a reputation for being able to crack the most impossible of cases. However, she’s suddenly forced to up sticks and move back to her childhood home of Dolphin Cove, a beautiful, coastal paradise... and Mackenzie’s worst nightmare.

Having escaped her hometown at the earliest opportunity six years ago, Mack vowed she'd never come back, leaving a lot of unfinished business and unanswered questions. On her return she’s still no fan of the town, and the people of Dolphin Cove are certainly no fans of hers. In fact everyone would prefer her not to be there, including Mackenzie herself.

But when a murder takes place in Dolphin Cove, Mack can’t help but put her inspired detective brilliance to good use and determines, despite her reservations, that she needs to make the best of it, including tying up the loose ends with the man she left at the altar six years ago.

Created and Executive Produced by Peter Mattessi, James Hall and Robert Thorogood, Return to Paradise features a crack Australian writing team led by Mattessi alongside Elizabeth Coleman, Alexandra Collier and Kodie Bedford.

ABC Head of Screen Rachel Okine says; “We are thrilled to be partnering with BBC Studios Productions Australia and Red Planet Pictures to bring a unique Australian sensibility to this beloved franchise. Return to Paradise promises to be whip smart, intriguing and entertaining - audiences of all ages are invited to play along to figure out whodunit, all while feeling as if they’ve been transported to the perfect summer holiday”.

Kylie Washington, General Manager and Creative Director, BBC Studios Productions Australia says; “Like audiences around the world, Aussies love a good crime series, they’re addictive and bring in audiences week after week. Death in Paradise is a bona fide hit so I’m excited to work with ABC and Red Planet Pictures to expand this world even further. Return to Paradise will introduce audiences to entirely new Australian characters, settings and cases for the team to crack, but with an unsettling amount of murders for a small community guaranteed. This is the second local drama from BBC Studios Productions Australia and is an exciting step as we build our premium scripted business in Australia under Warren Clarke, working with an all Australian creative team.”

Alex Jones, Joint-MD of Red Planet Pictures said: “We are so proud of the global success of both Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise – each selling to hundreds of territories, watched by millions, and regularly claiming the position of top rated drama in most of them. Return to Paradise is a brilliantly exciting new addition to ‘The Paraverse’ which we are sure audiences will love just as much. It is a completely original drama but takes the essence of what viewers love about Death in Paradise – the fish out of water premise coupled with the most cleverly plotted murder mystery – and gives it a uniquely Aussie flavour. We are also thrilled to already have BBC One and iPlayer in the UK on board as broadcast partners for the show which means that us Brits will be sure to get to meet Mackenzie and the residents of Dolphin Cove in 2024!”

Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, says: “Everything we all love about Death in Paradise - the humour, the beautiful scenery, the likeable characters, the ingenious plots - now in a fabulous Australian setting. I cannot wait for BBC viewers to be introduced to Detective Mack and the good (and not so good!) folk of Dolphin Cove. What a treat we have in store!"

Return to Paradise will air on ABC and ABC i-view next year and will be shown on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK. It will be distributed globally by BBC Studios.

Production Credits: BBC Studios Productions Australia, Red Planet Pictures. Produced for the ABC in association with the BBC. Executive Producers for BBC Studios Productions Australia are Kylie Washington and Warren Clarke, for Red Planet Pictures are Belinda Campbell and Tim Key and for ABC are Rachel Okine and Brett Sleigh.

#death in paradise #return to paradise #rtp news

[blueiskewl]

1,400-Year-Old Treasure Stash Found Under Playground in China

Underneath the playground of a school in China, archaeologists uncovered ruins of a 1,400-year-old settlement that included dozens of storage pits and thousands of artifacts.

Archaeologists excavated the playground of an elementary school in the eastern coastal city of Ningbo ahead of planned construction, the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said in an Oct. 10 news release.

The excavations uncovered 65 pits, eight wells and several other structures all over 1,400 years old, the release said. Archaeologists identified the ruins as part of a settlement.

In one storage pit, archaeologists found 796 copper coins in tied-up stacks. A photo shows the stash of muddy coins with square holes in the center. In one of the wells, they unearthed 1,682 more coins.

Based on the number of coins and their style of burial, archaeologists concluded the treasures were buried as an emergency measure by residents who feared a disaster was coming, the release said. The age and location of the coins match — and might be linked to — a period of rebellion and famine in the sixth century A.D.

Archaeologists also found preserved plants in one of the pits. The plant remains included bamboo, gourds, peach pits and a large number of acorns. A photo shows what remains of these nuts.

The other pits and wells contained pottery fragments, tiles, altars, washbasins and other artifacts, archaeologists said. Two lamps, part of a bronze chandelier, were also uncovered, a photo shows.

The artifacts mainly date from the Han dynasty, a period from 206 B.C. to 220 A.D., and the Six Dynasties, a period from 220 A.D. to 589 A.D, according to the release and Encyclopedia Britannica.

Ningbo is in Zhejiang province and about 135 miles south of Shanghai.

By ASPEN PFLUGHOEFT.

#1400-Year-Old Treasure Stash Found Under Playground in China #Ningbo China #han dynasty #six dynasties #ancient coins #ancient artifacts #archeology #archeolgst #history #history news #ancient history #ancient culture #ancient civilizations #ancient china #chinese history

[tropic-havens]

Ruins of Tulum, state of Quintana Roo, Mexico

Tulum is the site of a pre-Columbian Mayan walled city which served as a major port for Coba, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The ruins are situated on 12-meter (39 ft) tall cliffs along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Tulum was one of the last cities built and inhabited by the Maya; it was at its height between the 13th and 15th centuries and managed to survive about 70 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico. Old World diseases brought by the Spanish settlers appear to have resulted in very high fatalities, disrupting the society and eventually causing the city to be abandoned. One of the best-preserved coastal Maya sites, Tulum is today a popular site for tourists.

The site might have been called Zama, meaning City of Dawn, because it faces the sunrise. Tulum stands on a bluff facing east toward the Caribbean Sea. Tulúm is also the Yucatán Mayan word for fence, wall or trench. The walls surrounding the site allowed the Tulum fort to be defended against invasions. Tulum had access to both land and sea trade routes, making it an important trade hub, especially for obsidian. From numerous depictions in murals and other works around the site, Tulum appears to have been an important site for the worship of the Diving or Descending god.

Tulum was first mentioned by Juan Díaz, a member of Juan de Grijalva's Spanish expedition of 1518, the first Europeans to spot Tulum. The first detailed description of the ruins was published by John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood in 1843 in the book Incidents of Travel in Yucatan. As they arrived from the sea, Stephens and Catherwood first saw a tall building that impressed them greatly, most likely the great Castillo of the site. They made accurate maps of the site's walls, and Catherwood made sketches of the Castillo and several other buildings. Stephens and Catherwood also reported an early classic stele at the site, with an inscribed date of AD 564 (now in the British Museum's collection). This has been interpreted as meaning that the stele was likely built elsewhere and brought to Tulum to be reused.

Work conducted at Tulum continued with that of Sylvanus Morley and George P. Howe, beginning in 1913. They worked to restore and open the public beaches. The work was continued by the Carnegie Institution from 1916 to 1922, Samuel Lothrop in 1924 who also mapped the site, Miguel Ángel Fernández in the late 1930s and early 1940s, William Sanders in 1956, and then later in the 1970s by Arthur G. Miller. Through these later investigations done by Sanders and Miller, it has been determined that Tulum was occupied during the late Postclassic period around AD 1200. The site continued to be occupied until contact with the Spanish was made in the early 16th century. By the end of the 16th century, the site was abandoned completely.

Tulum has architecture typical of Maya sites on the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. This architecture is recognized by a step running around the base of the building which sits on a low substructure. Doorways of this type are usually narrow with columns used as support if the building is big enough. As the walls flare out there are usually two sets of molding near the top. The room usually contains one or two small windows with an altar at the back wall, roofed by either a beam-and-rubble ceiling or being vaulted. This type of architecture resembles what can be found in the nearby Chichen Itza, just on a much smaller scale.

Tulum was protected on one side by steep sea cliffs and on the landward side by a wall that averaged about 3–5 meters (9.8–16.4 ft) in height. The wall also was about 8 m (26 ft) thick and 400 m (1,300 ft) long on the side parallel to the sea. The part of the wall that ran the width of the site was slightly shorter and only about 170 meters (560 ft) on both sides. Constructing this massive wall would have taken an enormous amount of energy and time, which shows how important defense was to the Maya when they chose this site. On the southwest and northwest corners there are small structures that have been identified as watch towers, showing again how well defended the city was. There are five narrow gateways in the wall with two each on the north and south sides and one on the west. Near the northern side of the wall a small cenote provided the city with fresh water. It is this impressive wall that makes Tulum one of the most well-known fortified sites of the Maya.

There are three major structures of interest at the Tulum archaeological site. El Castillo, the Temple of the Frescoes, and the Temple of the Descending God.

Among the more spectacular buildings here is the Temple of the Frescoes that included a lower gallery and a smaller second story gallery. The Temple of the Frescoes was used as an observatory for tracking the movements of the sun. Niched figurines of the Maya “diving god” or Venus deity decorate the facade of the temple. This “diving god” is also depicted in the Temple of the Diving God in the central precinct of the site. Above the entrance in the western wall a stucco figure of the “diving god” is still preserved, giving the temple its name. A mural can still be seen on the eastern wall that resembles that of a style that originated in highland Mexico, called the Mixteca-Puebla style, though visitors are no longer permitted to enter.

The Temple of the Descending God consists of a single room with a door to the west and a narrow staircase that was built on top of another temple that served as its base.

In the niche located at the top of the door stands a sculpture that’s found throughout Tulum. He has wings, a headdress and holds an object in his hands.

Also in the central precinct is the Castillo, which is 7.5 m (25 ft) tall. The Castillo was built on a previous building that was colonnaded and had a beam and mortar roof. The lintels in the upper rooms have serpent motifs carved into them. The construction of the Castillo appears to have taken place in stages. A small shrine appears to have been used as a beacon for incoming canoes. This shrine marks a break in the barrier reef that is opposite the site. Here there is a cove and landing beach in a break in the sea cliffs that would have been perfect for trading canoes coming in. This characteristic of the site may be one of the reasons the Maya founded the city of Tulum exactly here, as Tulum later became a prominent trading port during the late Postclassic.

#mexico #mayan #architecture #tropical #caribbean

[mikerickson]

Double-Funeral Week Recap

Frontier is a fucking bus service in the air, but in a pinch it sure is a hell of a lot cheaper than the bigger airlines.

Six volunteers from the front rows had to re-seat towards the back of the plane for rebalancing so we could actually take off. I’ve never experienced that before, and it didn’t exactly inspire confidence.

The woman in front of us would not shut the fuck up the entire flight and I heard her recount her entire life story to an initially-willing seatmate.

(It was surprisingly messy so in retrospect, I kind of live.)

Got halfway through a book I didn’t like.

Andrew’s family rescued an puppy they watched someone abandon on the side of the road. His name is Decker because he’s all black, and my best guess is that he’s some kind of silent chihuahua-black lab mix? I miss him already.

Andrew’s family is massive and he must’ve heard “I haven’t seen you since you were this big!” about a dozen times.

An altar girl passed out (I’m talking full-on Bethesda ragdoll’ed) during the mass, I’m assuming from kneeling for too long. When things resumed the Bishop joked, “the Spirit can slay you in many ways!”

Apparently in the south during Communion, the congregation has the option to drink wine from a shared chalice and the priest wipes it down with a rag in between each person? This does not happen in the northeast, I could not believe what I was seeing.

The deacon who did the graveside reading was a Joe Pesci doppelganger, complete with a Queens accent. I have no idea how this man found himself in coastal Mississippi.

Flying back, two strangers sitting in front of us started a conversation that lasted the entire flight again.

I finished the book I didn’t really like.

My grandmother’s wake took place in a funeral home that I trick-or-treated at back in middle school. I didn’t get candy then, and I didn’t get candy this time.

Multiple people commented unprompted that I looked more muscular, despite the fact that I haven’t lifted since Tuesday before last. Small victories.

Two people that I haven’t seen in over a decade separately remembered that I used to be a decent pianist and asked if I still played. I sheepishly had to admit that I no longer practice to both of them.

The priest at the second funeral had a bizarre tangent during the sermon about an African boy who had a vision from Mary and then got shot in the head during the Rwandan genocide. He then segued with “anyway, I love this story because xyz...” but I couldn’t follow because I hadn’t recovered from the tonal whiplash yet.

Got some delicious seasonal pies at a small farm in the middle of the Pine Barrens.

#life #every single day this week was exhausting

[gilgamish]

WIP Whatever - The Great Chapel of Julianos

i vastly overestimated the brain cells and spoons that i would have by wednesday of last week lol but we stay silly and we fight the brain fog :> tagged by the illustrious: @thequeenofthewinter , @nuwanders , @mareenavee , @kookaburra1701 , @paraparadigm , @saltymaplesyrup , and @tallmatcha (i will properly tag people for the meme when i am not horrifically late in posting again. i'm afraid may have already blown up enough people's notifications for one day, i think, lol)

some wild headcanoneering beneath the cut :>

What had once been the Great Chapel of Julianos in Skingrad was a lonely building. A bird’s eye view showed the Chapel square in the center of a massive forum of pale stone, gleaming in the rain as if to cry. For now built around the Great Chapel, were buildings that housed various wings of a hospital. That hospital and its four wings saw more patients than any other healing houses, almshouses, or clinics in Tamriel, save for the Faculty of Chirurgeons of Cloudrest, whose numbers went unreported by the Aldmeri Dominion. The Elder Council could boast the numbers of lives saved by the School’s efforts with its small army of healers, and so they continued to ply the School of Julianos with tithes to run these clinics. Then, the Council saw room to boast further. After the Elder Council had learned through an inquiry that the Empire’s youngest laborers couldn’t name ‘Akatosh’ as the God of the Empire nor identify their Emperor, the School of Julianos returned, promising to educate all citizens of the Empire in a renewed crusade against all ignorance. No citizen would go without knowing their numbers, letters, and names and prayers to the Divines. It seemed an investment of recursive benefits. The School of Julianos received a never-ending supply of children to fill the ranks of their clergy. The Legion received a steady stream of volunteers. The Elder Council ensured generations of loyal citizens, who were culturally Imperial before all else. But the Great Chapel didn’t know any of this. There used to be warmth and life and people in its walls. Shrine candles went unlit. The carpets were heavy with dust. Molder climbed the walls and the pews and books. Rain sloshed against the colored glass windows, drowning the saints and gods cast in them. Rain’s Hand was always thrust unevenly on the West Weald, with half the days carrying up the warm, coastal winds from the Abecean, and the other half arriving in a tumult of freezing rains without the thunder and only the clench of winter. On one of these days where the forum between the Great Chapel and hospital-basilica flooded ankle deep, worshipers, pilgrims, and clergy alike hurried for shelter under the basilica’s eaves. As they rang out their clothes, a door banged open. They peeled away from the hooded figure, dressed in the white and green of a Primate, who floated past them. Deluge slid off their frame, a Weather-ward spell shimmering in the humidity. They cut across the forum, straight to the Chapel all to ready to welcome them, and within, found a figure already seated in the second pew from the altar. “Arturo,” the figure said without turning their head and confirming him by the entry. Time had left the mer gnarled, skin drooping over his emerald eyes, and painful, twisted hands reached up to usher him into sitting. They were marked by sunspots from the harsh Nibenese sun, burnishing the gold. “Taelorm,” Arturo said back, taking a seat next to him. Long nails clicked on the dusty wood. “You’re Primate, now, as I understand it?” “Yes.” He wouldn’t mention that this happened nearly ten years ago. Something about the perception and movement of time in the minds of Mer. Settling down in pew next to him, he didn’t feel much older than the Acolyte that Taelorm had known him as. Hardly older than a boy, and speaking of… “And you’re still taking on acolytes, aren’t you?” “One.” A tired, airy chuckle. “A human, who is terrible at being a human. I’m afraid I’ve only shown him how to be a mer.”

so happy i could rework this section >:]

#wip whatever #wip snippet #tcuh

[foundtherightwords]

The Road Forgotten - Chapter 11

Pairing: Arthur Havisham (Dickensian) x OFC

A/N: I made Arthur bisexual and paired him with a female character in this. I know some writers have gotten flack for pairing Arthur with a female character (or reader), so if it's not your cup of tea, please walk away.

This is mostly based on the events of "Dickensian", but I've also incorporated some elements and characters from "Great Expectations". Most notably, Satis House is in Kent (as in the book) instead of in London.

Summary: A few years after his plan to swindle his sister ended in tragedy, Arthur Havisham is a shadow of a man, living in guilt and fear. When Elsie Bradford, a young woman also wronged by Compeyson, enlists Arthur's help to hunt down his former partner-in-crime, Arthur must face his demons and other strange, new feelings, to redeem himself.

Warnings: slow burn, angst, guilt, revenge, psychological trauma, mention of prostitution, mention of suicide/suicide ideations, some violence, a bit of smut

Chapter word count: 2.6k

Chapter 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

Chapter 11

The next morning, they took a stagecoach to Arthur's hometown in Kent. There was no sign of Cyclops and the Chimney on the streets, and Elsie hoped against all hope that they had been arrested the night they attacked Arthur. They would not stay in jail for long—Mrs. Hill would see to that—but they would be off her back for a while.

Elsie held Arthur's hand the whole way. She could tell he was nervous, even more nervous than she had been the day she took him to see Marianne. Now she understood his horrified reaction to Marianne's condition. He had seen the same thing with his own sister, Amelia. From what Arthur told her, Elsie understood that Amelia wasn't in as bad a state as Marianne—she had suffered greatly and had become reclusive, but she hadn't lost her mind. However, Arthur couldn't say what the exact nature of Amelia's condition was, not having seen her since Compeyson left her at the altar five years ago, and Elsie didn't want to press him. He was already crushed by the guilt of having introduced Compeyson to his sister.

"It wasn't your fault," she kept telling him. "You couldn't have known what kind of man he is." He said nothing to that.

What he did say was that he believed Compeyson might have some genuine feelings for Amelia. "More than once he spoke highly of her to me, when he had no reason to do so," he said. "She was—is—very strong-willed, my sister, and he might have admired that. So perhaps he told her something in confidence, something that will give us a clue as to where he is."

They arrived in a market town set amongst the coastal marshes of Kent, only twenty miles from the sea, as Arthur told her. Elsie fancied she could almost smell the salt air even from here. She had never seen the sea.

It took them about a quarter of an hour to walk from the High Street to Arthur's childhood home, Satis House. "The name means enough," Arthur said with a hollow laugh. "What a cruel joke. None of it was enough. Not for me. I didn't even know what enough was. And I'm punished for it." In the past few weeks, he had started to carry himself with more confidence, to walk straighter, and his eyes no longer darted around wildly. Now, as they drew closer and closer to the house, he seemed to revert to his old self, his shoulders hunched, his feet dragging, his eyes fixating on something only he could see. What horrors did this place hold for him? How much did it cost him to bring her back here?

As the house came into view, Elsie's heart sank. It was a large mansion of old brick, with such a dismal prospect that she felt weighed down with an incredible melancholy just to look at it. Rusty iron bars surrounded both house and courtyard. Two great chains draped across the front entrance, some windows had been walled up, and those that remained were barred as well. The whole place looked abandoned and condemned. She couldn't imagine anyone living there.

"This is where you grew up?" she asked.

Arthur nodded, his brow darkening. "She only had it boarded up after Compeyson—but it has never been a happy home, even before that."

Her heart brimming with sympathy, Elsie reached for his hand and pulled him to her, but he didn't melt into her arms as he usually did. He stood stiffly at the gate, looking up at the house with a mix of fear and loathing.

Elsie rang the bell. A window was raised, and a small voice came out, "Who is it?"

"My name is Elsie Bradford," Elsie said. "I wish to see Miss Havisham about a man named Compeyson." Arthur had asked her to make no mention of his name.

"A moment, please." The window was shut again, and stayed shut for a long time, certainly much longer than just a moment. At last, a young, terrified-looking girl, no older than thirteen or fourteen, dressed as a maid, came across the courtyard with keys in her hand. She paused upon seeing Arthur with Elsie, confusion and suspicion chasing each other across her plain features.

Arthur shook his head at the girl. "Miss Bradford will see Miss Havisham alone," he said.

"You're not going in?" Elsie asked.

A sad smile flickered on his face. "She won't see me. And she won't see you if she knows you're with me. I'll wait for you at the inn."

As Elsie slipped through the gate, Arthur held on to her hand. "Elsie?" He had never called out to her so tenderly. She turned back. He looked at her, his brown eyes huge and imploring, sending that familiar stab of ache through her heart, while his hand squeezed hers with such a force she'd never felt from him. "I love you," he said quietly.

Those words knocked the breath out of her. She couldn't think of what to say, and the maid was urging her inside, saying, "My mistress is waiting, miss." Arthur dropped her hand. When she looked back, he was gone, hurrying back the way they came as if all the ghosts of this place were chasing after him.

***

The maid led Elsie through a side door and into a dark hallway, lit by a single candle that only seemed to exacerbate the darkness rather than relieve it. After being outside under the brilliant midday sun, Elsie felt like she was going blind. Once her eyes adjusted to the gloom, she glimpsed, through a door left ajar in the hallway, a large dining room containing a long table, spread with plates and bowls as if for a feast, but everything was so rotten and hung with cobwebs that it was impossible to distinguish one dish from another. A grandfather clock stood against the wall, its hands stopped at twenty minutes to nine.

The maid held the candle to guide the way up a dark staircase and down another dark passage, before stopping in front of a door, which she knocked lightly. "Come," a voice said from the inside, sounding as rusty and cobwebby as the house itself. The maid nodded to Elsie and beat a quick retreat, taking the candle with her. Elsie opened the door with a palpitating heart, wondering what she would find behind it. Would it be another madwoman, driven out of her mind by the evils of Compeyson?

She found herself in what appeared to be a dressing room. It wasn't a small room, but the tightly shut windows, the heavy furniture, and the half-packed trunks full of dresses scattered about made it look oppressive. There were a few more candles here, though they did little to lift the stale airlessness of the place. Most of them were placed on a dressing table around a gilded mirror, their flickering flames reflected in its dusty surface and shining down on the other items heaped haphazardly on the table—jewels, some trinkets, gloves, a handkerchief, a prayer book, a bouquet, all dead and brittle, and, most baffling of all, a single shoe, its white satin yellowed with age. It was because of the glare of the candles and the confusion of these items that Elsie didn't notice right away the person sitting at the table, and probably wouldn't have for a long time, had the person not moved. She only saw a pile of white satin and lace and silk in an armchair in front of the mirror, and almost jumped out of her skin when a hand emerged from it to lift up a long white veil, and the face behind the veil turned to look at her.

The woman couldn't be much older than Arthur—in her early thirties at the most, and her face was unlined still, but her hair, studded with flowers, was white, and her skin was white, almost as white as her splendid gown—a wedding gown, Elsie realized with a sinking heart—so she looked almost like an old woman. Her figure, too, was shrunken, and she moved with the jerkiness of an automaton, her joints and muscles had seemingly forgotten how to work from lack of use. Only her dark eyes retained some sign of life as they stared at Elsie, unblinking.

Since the woman showed no inclination of speaking up, Elsie had to speak first, but she found her voice had stuck in her dry throat, as if this house had infected her with its curse. Finally, she managed, "Miss Havisham, my name is—"

"The maid told me," the woman interrupted. "I don't often permit strangers to see me, but since you mentioned—" Her face twisted like one being forced to take a bitter pill, and her voice caught. It was a while before she continued. "So you have fallen victim to him as well, haven't you? Tell me, is your heart broken?" she said, peering eagerly at Elsie.

It was such a strange question to start that at first, Elsie didn't quite know how to answer, but then she remembered that Arthur had asked her the same thing in the Three Cripples, the day they first met. What could she say? Her heart was broken, but not in the way Miss Havisham meant. Her heart was broken because Arthur had just said he loved her, but she couldn't say it back to him. It was broken because she wanted to love him but couldn't, not when the black abyss that was Compeyson still threatened to swallow them up. She couldn't say any of that, so she opted for a simple, "No."

"It is a pity," Miss Havisham said. "Have you loved?"

Elsie decided to tell the truth this time. "...Yes."

"I don't think so," the old-yet-not-old woman scoffed. "If you have loved, then your heart is broken. Because that's what love does to you. Because to truly love, you have to give up your heart, give it up blindly, devotedly, give it up despite the whole world telling you otherwise, give it up until there was nothing left—as I did!"

Elsie thought of Arthur, of the way they held on to each other, making each other feel safe and wanted and comforted, asking for nothing in return, and she felt sorry for Miss Havisham, who would probably never understand it.

"You're wrong," she said. The words came out sharper than she'd planned. "If a person just gives and the other takes, then that's not love, that's a robbery."

Amelia Havisham laughed, a dry, brittle sound, like the dead bridal bouquet on her table. "Well, I can't deny that. I was certainly robbed." She looked at Elsie. "If your heart is not broken, then why do you wish to speak to me about him?"

Elsie had been preparing a speech in her mind, hoping to appeal to Miss Havisham's sense of compassion and sisterhood, but now, faced with this specter of misery and malevolence, she wasn't sure if the woman had any compassion left. So she spoke plainly. "Compeyson murdered my father and drove my sister mad," she said. "I wish to seek revenge."

"Revenge?" Amelia repeated. "Yes, I want revenge as well. But why stop at seeking revenge on him alone? Why not seek revenge on the whole world, on those despicable men and the pitiful women who allow themselves to fall in love with them?"

Elsie felt exasperation building up inside her. A penchant for wallowing in their own misery and talking in rhetoric seemed to be a Havisham specialty. She had managed to get through to Arthur by being direct, so she would have to do the same with Amelia.

"Miss Havisham," she said firmly, taking a step closer. "I'm sorry for what Compeyson did to you, but I'm not here to discuss it. I'm looking for him. If you know anything about where he might be, please tell me."

Amelia turned away. "I know nothing."

There was no chair for Elsie to sit on, so she knelt in front of Amelia to look into her eyes. "Miss Havisham, please. Your brother told me—"

"Brother?" Those dark eyes, looking disconcertingly like Arthur's, at least in their shape and color, were vacant. "I don't have a brother." 

Elsie was momentarily confused, but she told herself this must be why Arthur felt so guilty, why he hadn't been back here in five years. His sister couldn't forgive him, so in turn, he couldn't forgive himself. "I've been to see Mr. Jaggers and Compeyson's wife, to no avail," she said. "Did Compeyson ever tell you anything about his home or mention any place he often stayed at?"

Amelia recoiled slightly at the mention of Sally. "I remember his wife," she murmured, lost in memories. "I met her once. She told me she was his sister." She lifted her eyes to Elsie's face. "Do you see? She lied for him. She is one of those pitiful women too. Like me."

It dawned on Elsie then, that this was another lost cause. Amelia Havisham had nothing for her, except to serve as a grim warning of what could happen if she let grief and hatred take over. She might not have locked herself away in a rotting old house with a frozen clock, but didn't she put her life on hold as well? Didn't she allow Compeyson to continue tarnishing everything in her life, long after he had gone out of it? Didn't she deny herself a chance to love and to hope?

She thought of Arthur, with his sad eyes and sweet smile, his soft lips and strong hands, and it was like the sun had suddenly come out. A glow of love and affection surged up within her, spreading from her heart throughout her body, sending warmth to even the tips of her finger. She loved him. She could admit that now. She loved him, for all his faults and his weaknesses, because he saw her and knew her and stayed by her. She remembered his suggestion that they built their own castle, and realized she wanted nothing more than to build it with him. The past was the past. She was done with it. She would not let Compeyson pull them into the abyss like all the others.

Filled with a new sense of determination, Elsie got to her feet.

"Well, thank you for your time, Miss Havisham," she said, backing out of the room. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you." She turned on her heel, eager to be away from this house and back into daylight, back to where people still lived and loved, instead of existing in a self-imposed limbo. She could already imagine how Arthur's face would light up when she told him...

"You mentioned my brother," Amelia said, causing her to turn around. "So you know him?"

"Yes." And I love him, Elsie thought, and I'm going to tell him so, and we'll go away together and put this whole miserable business behind us. "He has been helping me."

"Has he now?" There was a dark fire burning in Amelia Havisham's eyes. "I would be careful if I were you, Miss Bradford."

"Why?" Elsie didn't like the way Amelia was looking at her, full of a keen hunger for something she couldn't quite understand.

"Did he tell you he helped Compeyson as well?"

Elsie froze.

"That's right," Miss Havisham said, obviously taking a malignant enjoyment in the shock on Elsie's face. "My brother conspired with Compeyson to swindle me. My brother broke my heart. They both did." Miss Havisham gathered her shroud of a dress about her, and Elsie realized, with a rising sense of horror, that the phantom in Arthur's nightmares was none other than his own sister.

Chapter 12

#arthur havisham #dickensian #arthur havisham fic #arthur havisham x ofc #joseph quinn fic #joseph quinn

[jl-pagan]

Yule/Christmas

Hello All! I appreciate the love on my last post during that AMAZING storm we had here in coastal VA. With it being Christmas Eve, can come some strange feeling as a Pagan for me. I worked over 15 hours a day during the traditional Yule, and have felt lonely today. My family is hours away and my lively wife has been working all day. I have set up a nice stay in date night for us at our place and am very excited to share that time with her. I stopped and had am moment where I shared my beer as an offering at my altar with the gods, and felt seen and welcomed. I no longer feel the loneliness of the Christmas season when you are alone, and it is ia feeling I have never felt from any religion or deity in my entire life. (Coming from a very catholic family) this is a major thing for me.

I have a yule log on the TV and my favorite music playing on a speaker. I am feeling the love and sense of belonging that religion has never given me until this moment. Very grateful for everyone who I have interacted with here making me feel like I have ap lace of pure expression.

No matter what you celebrate happy holidays to you and yours. Love you all.

If this has taught me anything as a fairly new pagan, soak it in, it feels amazing.

JL

#pagan #norse pagan #norse paganism #paganism #norse gods #polytheism #heathenry #norse mythology

[circe-mediterranean-witch]

Sea shells and witchcraft

Photo

Seashells are a very special magical material - a beautiful gift from the Earth and the Sea. Seashells are found in the secret space between these two realms, only revealed when the tides change.  They are treasures of an invisible world.

Whether plain brown or white, or cascading in a rainbow of colors, each seashell brings a message to whoever is lucky enough to find it.

What are seashells?  They are the tough, protective exoskeletons of marine molluscs.  Soft-bodied invertebrates create their own shells from minerals in their bodies and from the sea. Each creature makes a shell that will be its home for life.  For this reason, seashells can be seen as symbols of independence, loneliness, and self-reliance.

Not only are they essential to marine life, but seashells rival anything man-made in beauty, strength, and mathematical precision.  (The outward curve of a Nautilus shell follows the famous Fibonacci sequence.) The shapes and patterns are not random, they have been passed down to

countless generations.  It is difficult to contemplate a seashell without being impressed by the power of ancestral memory and divine creativity.

Seashell Matches

Every child knows that if you hold a seashell to your ear, you can hear the ocean.  Naturally, shells are often used on the pagan altar to represent the Water element.  Seashells also correspond to Venus (the planet and deity) and the Moon, which gently throws them to shore with each tidal cycle.

For millennia, seashells have been the symbol of feminine beauty.  Their pinkish-white colors are reminiscent of the blush of a fair complexion, and some shells resemble women's breasts or vulva.  When Botticelli painted the goddess of love floating on a raft of seashells, he cemented centuries-old correspondence into an indelible image.

Cups, mirrors and combs are often made with shells (or shaped) in keeping with the Venusian look of shells.  The use of shells in necklaces dates back to the Stone Age, although we have no way of knowing whether these shell artifacts were used for male or female adornment.

But seashells aren't just about beauty.  Seashells are also linked to prosperity and abundance.  They have long been an important religious symbol for coastal dwellers who feed on the sea. Seashells have also been used as currency by many cultures around the world.  There are probably billions of seashells in the ocean, but it's always special and lucky to find a perfect seashell laying in the sand.

Despite their family resemblance, different types of seashells have different properties in magic.  Generally speaking, seashells symbolize mystery, divinity, love, and prosperity, but each type has its own nuances.

Magic shells

The natural cup shape of many seashells makes them perfect for holding objects!  Seashells make perfect small dishes for incense, sand, crystals and herbs.  Cleaned shells can also contain food or drink for rituals.

Abalone shells are a very popular choice for sage fumigation.

The shell serves either to catch the ashes or to hold the burning herbs.  (Some people think the latter use is inappropriate - that it is disrespectful to place fire in a container of water.) If you are burning herbs or incense in a shell, put a thin layer of sand on the bottom  to help distribute the heat and avoid burning the shell.

The shell is sometimes cut into thin slices and used to decorate pendants, bowls, or just about any flat or curved surface.  A shell-covered box or mirror could be a beautiful tool for a water witch's altar.  Small shells or shell tiles can be incorporated into the handle of a wand or ritual knife.

Of course, the most popular way to use seashells is in their natural, unmodified form.  Large shells can be placed on your altar or used to decorate the interior and exterior.  Smaller seashells make beautiful jewelry.  (Some even have natural holes for threading!) You can add seashells to magical wind chimes, mojo bags, or incorporate them into charms and amulets.

Find your own seashells

It's a fact: Seashells you collect yourself are nicer than the fanciest purchases in the store.  If you're lucky enough to live near a beach, find out what types of seashells are available on your local shores.  Or go at the first low tide and see what you see!

If you are purchasing shells, please purchase from responsible sources.  Small, common seashells are the best bet.  The bigger and shinier the shell, the more likely it is to come from a slow-growing or over-hunted animal.  The illegal export of rare shells is big business that funds environmental plunder, organized crime and labor exploitation.

Certain types of sea life have been making seashells in more or less the same designs for millions of years.  Seashell shapes are timeless and sacred.  They were here before humans and will probably outlive us.  Here are some of the most common seashell shapes and their magical lore:

Abalone

Photo

The Abalone shell incorporates all the colors of the sea and sky. The inside of the shell is coated with nacre, the same substance in pearls and mother-of-pearl.

Abalone has been an important food source for tens of thousands of years. The shells represent the giving power of the Mother Ocean. The iridescent hue promotes feeling of abundance, peace, and compassion.

Abalone shells have an especially sacred meaning in Native American and Polynesian religion. Most people are familiar with Abalone as a vessel for Sage smudging, a Native American spiritual practice.

The vibrant color and natural luster of Abalone shell makes it ideal for jewelry and ornamental objects. Wearing an amulet of Abalone is said to impart a calming, spiritual vibration and to help the wearer work through emotional issues.

Scallop

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The Scallop is perhaps the most familiar seashell shape. It has a sacred meaning in Christian Europe, dating back to the earliest pilgrims—many of whom would have been illiterate—who were guided to pilgrimage sites by the Scallop emblem. The Scallop is an emblem of Saint James the Apostle. It may be adopted as a badge by anyone who has undergone a spiritual quest. Scallop shapes may be discerned in countless Christian altars and cathedrals.

Art nerds will recognize the Scallop as the seat or carriage of many an ocean deity. Poseidon is depicted riding upon one, and Aphrodite floats to shore in a Scallop shell. The Scallop appears on Pagan altars as a symbol of the sea goddess and the element of Water. Use a Scallop shell as a chalice, offering bowl, or vessel for love magick. (The large and colorful variety found in magick shops is a warm-water species called Lion's Paw or Mexican Sea Scallop.)

The Scallop is distinguished from other shells by the multiple rays and ridges, converging on a single point near the base. To medieval Christians, this represented the varied paths of travelers on their way to a holy site.  To earlier humans, the Scallop’s rays may have resembled the Sun’s beams converging on the horizon at sunrise or sunset. This makes the Scallop an especially fitting symbol of Venus, who is called the Morning Star or Evening Star.  

Nautilus

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The Nautilus is the nomad of the sea, traveling hundreds of miles on currents (and a raft of bubbles). The name means “sailor” in Greek. The Nautilus shell is an important symbol in sacred geometry and even mathematics—displaying a logarithmic spiral in its growth pattern.

Unlike some other shell creatures, the Nautilus does not shed or exchange its shell, but creates a large chamber for its body as it grows. The Nautilus shell is thus a symbol of growth and renewal. The outward spiral shape of the Nautilus suggests that it can keep growing indefinitely.

The Nautilus is one of the few sea creatures to have survived since the time of the dinosaurs. It is one of Nature’s true masterpieces. Meditate on a Nautilus shell, or use it in your magick of spiritual growth and expansion.

Auger

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The Auger shell is an elongated spiral, with an opening at the base and a point at the tip. In the language of shells, the Auger is both masculine and feminine, representing completeness. There are hundreds of varieties worldwide.

Auger shells come from a type of predatory sea snail, and the aggression of the animal is implied by its narrowly focused shape. Augers possess a venomous tooth that is the terror of marine worms. In magick, Augers are one of the only shells that may be properly attributed to Mars. Augers are popular for headdresses, magick wands, and protective charms.

Cowrie

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The familiar Cowrie shell is yellow or white and egg-shaped, with two rows of teeth along a central gap. Cowrie shells have appeared as currency, decoration, and religious items in nearly every part of the world.

Owing to its shape, the Cowrie often represents the life-giving vulva. It is used in charms for wealth and fertility. Cowrie shells are strung onto necklaces or sewn into garments. Additionally, the shells may be used for divination. There are several distinct systems of Cowrie divination stemming from African and Afro-Carribean occult traditions.

Cowrie shells are admired for their fine natural polish. Their glossiness symbolizes refinement and luxury. The Italian word for Cowrie is porcellana (“little pig”)—from which we derive the word porcelain.

Starfish

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Not technically a seashell, Starfish are nonetheless available at many a beach seller’s stall. The Starfish is a spiny sea creature whose dried body forms the shape of a star. They are symbols of heavenly power, renewal, and good luck.

Because of their resemblance to the heavenly stars, the Starfish has an affinity with various sky Gods and Goddesses. How amazing to uncover a star within the depths of the seas! (As that old thrice-great Egyptian guy says, “As above, so below.”) As a (usually) five-pointed creature, Starfish are also linked to the Pentagram and the number 5, the number of Man. No wonder the Starfish speaks to the mystic's heart.

Biologists will tell you that Starfish are exquisitely sensitive animals. Its nervous system radiates from the center and extends through each limb, allowing it to explore the ocean floor with grace and ease. Starfish are symbols of instinct and intuition. As a totem or amulet, Starfish reminds a sensitive person to adapt and thrive within their surroundings.

Starfish possess the superpower of being able to regrow a missing limb. Use them in charms for strength and recovery from trauma.

Shells can teach us many things and can be used as tools to help you meditate, manifest, and create magic in your life. 

Whether you already have a vast collection of seashells or plan on starting one next time you're near the sea, keep these magical uses for shells in mind.

​

MAGICAL USES FOR SHELLS

Healing and grounding

Connection (put in your bath with sea salt to connect to the ocean and the shells' properties)

Divination (like runes)

Casting sacred circles

Gridding

Meditation (like you would with crystals)

Altar decor

Spell work (write sigils on them, put in a wish or spell bottle, use in your spells)

Wear as an amulet

Crafting (attach to your wand, adorn boxes, chests, besoms, and candles)

Charge with your crystals​​

SHELL MAGICAL PROPERTIES

Sea shells magic focus

Best shells for:

Grounding: auger, barnacle, pearl

Creativity: radiant, spiral, pearl, spindle

Healing/Cleansing: spiral wand, dish, pearl

Grief/Loss/Sadness: heart shaped cockle, spiral, pearl, barnacle

Energy boost: spiral, radiant, sand dollar, starfish

Protection: coral, pearl, starfish, auger

Beauty/Love: heart shaped shells, pearl, clam, conch, oyster, nautilus

Abundance/Growth/Strength: coral, starfish, cowrie, scallop, whelk

Meditation/Serenity: starfish, moon shell, spindle

Radiant shells include scallops, limpets, and cockle shells. 

Spiral shells include long and round augers, nautilus, harp, cowrie, and cone shells. Round spirals are best for energy flow and enhancement. Long spirals are best for connecting with spirit (when pointed up) and earth (when pointed down).

Dish shells like clams and abalone act as a container and can support us in healing and cleansing. 

Scallops are the quartz crystals of the ocean, as they can be used in place of any other shell, as well as amplify your shell magic. 

#sea shells #sea shells in witchcraft #sea witch #ocean witch #lunar witch #mediterranean witch #water witch #hellenic witch #witch community #witches of tumblr #natural witch #hearth witch #magic shell #seashells matches #find your own seashells #abalone #scallop #nautilus #auger #sea shells uses #sea shells magic focus #shells magical properties

[teawitch]

Witchcraft Study Question

Studying witchcraft? Here's an assignment to contemplate and journal about.

The Elements

Explore the difference between the 4 classical elements (Earth, Air, Fire and Water) and the actual things (H2O, air we breathe, etc.)

Now, consider the difference between the representation of the element and the tool of the element.

You might find this easier if you look at some traditional Wiccan rituals and what they use the tools for as opposed to decorative representations of an element on an altar. (No, this won't corrupt you and make you Wiccan. it might help you understand things more than whatever is happening on Tiktok right now.)

Final question - why might someone like TeaWitch be perplexed by someone deciding they are a Water Witch based on the fact they have done their house in Coastal Decor?

#baby witch #witchcraft #beginner witch #witchblr #teawitch

[landsofnayir]

A Brief Guide to Nayir and Nations of the Surrounding Area

Nayiri Confederation: Hidden from the world by a steep ring of volcanic mountains, Nayiri civilization stands at five thousand or more years old. Named for the abundant rivers descending from the mountains, Nayiri people speak a language with no living relatives and maintain an economic system that rejects money and private ownership. The organization of the Confederation is an uneasy mix of the Flame system–a leftover of Shirayan rule–and local, non-hierarchical governance. Bells in every Citadel call everyone for prayer five times per day, which takes place in front of the household cauldron or altar. Nayiri religious practices often mystify outsiders, and they prefer it that way. Endless invasions from Nayir’s neighbors have taught them that isolation is the only way to preserve Nayiri identity.

Shirayan Empire: The influence of the Empire on the rest of the eastern continent cannot be overstated. Finely detailed, geometric architecture can be found in long-independent territories, as well as ornate paintings, damasks, and carpets. Backflow from conquest has given Shirayan culture an eclectic character in line with the topography. The Selat Sea lies to the western side, the desert on the eastern, and hilly terrain in between. This eclecticism remains a strength. Shirayan scientific institutions in particular have risen above all others in this continent and across the sea. Pahlavaneti Princedom: In Pahlavaneti, there are no kings. The Princes pay tribute and obey commands passed down from the Shirayan Emperor per their peace treaty. Pahlavaneti bridges this region of the continent with those to the south and west and has a corresponding level of cosmopolitanism. Parents across the region send their children to Pahlavaneti schools, where they learn from millennia-old literary traditions inside pastel-colored spires, clustered within the forests that make up most of the country. Coastal rainfall ensures a mild, humid climate year-round. Obalar Nations: The massive, flat steppe provides little chance for strict delineation between kingdoms, hence the plural name. Cyan cities gem the alpine meadows, full of travelers. Outside of them are camps numerous enough to darken the entire plain. Their trades are as one would expect–cavalry, mercenaries, yes, but also porcelain tiles, brooches, specialty harnesses, and other applied arts. Obalar are notorious for their practicality and flexibility, and the philosophy that given time and will, anyone can rise from their station to one of prestige and power. Batar Republics: A chain of fiercely independent peoples high in the Lajvard Mountains, the ethnic groups of Batar have worked together to defend themselves from outside aggressors. A code of honor, egalitarianism, and hospitality connects them to each other and the numerous diasporas. When directed outward, this code has created philosophers, sociologists, and political leaders. For every sword sheath is a horsewhip, for every mosaic of flying arrows are hand-woven jackets to stave off the mountain cold–a counterpoint to the narrative that all Batar has to offer are soldiers. Karani Pentapolis: The Karani are ephemeral as the desert sands they call home. The five cities are their concessions to a sedentary lifestyle, towering triumphs of sandstone that blend in with the landscape. Only the sophisticated engineering gives it away; the Karani are known for their knowledge of local springs, which are diverted into their cities and protected through a series of codes only the builders know. The protectiveness isn’t unwarranted; the cities are wealthy from trade. Frankincense and myrrh waft through the streets. Vibhavada Empire: The low, marshy river valley of Vibhavada has given rise to a civilization nearly as old as Nayir. Buildings are built atop of ruins atop of ruins again. Industrialization and urbanization progress at a breakneck speed, though some traditional arts remain: ivory carving, sericulture, and calligraphy. The current dynasty is characterized by Shirayan influences, with floral textiles and paintings of court scenes emerging as the new artistic standard. Uduravana Union: The Union has a centralized, democratic structure born from a revolution against Vibhavada four hundred years ago. Precious gems, sugar, silk, and tea flow out from Uduravana along the trade routes of the northern seas, with imported goods flowing in through the complex system of canals. These are then distributed evenly between the urban, rural, and temple cores. It is the control over water that powers Uduravana civilization, filling reservoirs and specialized bathhouses and watering leagues-wide sugarcane gardens, allowing their cities to become some of the most populous in the world.

County of Taramis: Hundreds of years ago on the opposite continent, Taramis was founded by devotees to a thunder god. They noted that unusually strong storms often blew onto the coast from the Selat Sea to the east, and decided to place their abbey there. The city grew outward from this abbey and now hosts fisheries, dairies, a small marina, and endless fields of lavender. Much of the population comes and goes with the seasons. The climate and calm atmosphere attract tourists and people seeking rest and healing by the seaside.

#my writing #nayir #obalar #pahlavaneti #batar #karani #vibhavada #uduravana #i'll draw up a map soon i pwomise lol #shirabad #taramis

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

Great Expectations is the thirteenth novel by Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. Set in Kent and London School, early to the mid-19th century. Published 1861.

Great Expectations is an upcoming period drama developed by Steven Knight. It is based on the novel of the same name by Charles Dickens. It depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip. It is Dickens' second novel, after David Copperfield, to be fully narrated in the first person.

The six-part miniseries is a Victorian slice. The British writer Steven Knight (the creator of “Peaky Blinders,” who also adapted “A Christmas Carol” for television, in 2019) casts gothic and colonial shadows over the beloved bildungsroman, which follows Pip, an orphan whose aspirations to become a gentleman are bankrolled by a mysterious benefactor. In Knight’s retelling, Pip learns that few fortunes are made without preying on the misfortune of others.

Pip Gargery (Fionn Whitehead) is an orphan living in coastal Kent with his blacksmith brother-in-law Joe (McDonnell) and his viciously abusive sister Sara (Hayley Squires). Like most of Dickens’ orphans, Pip dreams of a grand life in which he does not have to adopt Joe’s trade; he wishes to travel the world. The local wealthy madwoman, Amelia Havisham (Colman), twisted by rage at being abandoned by the altar, lives in her wedding dress while destroying her adopted daughter Estella’s (Shalom Brune-Franklin) emotional and psychological health. Pip is hired to serve as a companion to Estella; Miss Havisham observes the pair and encourages Estella to treat him with abject cruelty. An unknown benefactor finances Pip’s journey into London life, where he meets his new boss, Mr. Jaggers (Thomas). Together they try to topple the spice trade empire of Bentley Drummle (Needham), a craven man engaged to Estella.

With a cast like this behind Knight’s name, it’s no surprise there’s been a lot of hype around the new period drama. Just look at this star-studded list:

-Olivia Colman (The Favourite, The Crown) as Miss Havisham -Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk) as Pip -Shalom Brune-Franklin (The Tourist) as Estella -Ashley Thomas (The Ipcress File) as Jaggers -Johnny Harris (Without Sin) as Abel Magwitch -Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows) as Mr Pumblechuck -Hayley Squires (Adult Material) as Sara Gargery -Rudi Dharmalingam (The Lazarus Project) as Wemmick -Owen McDonnell (The Holiday) as Joe Gargery -Trystan Gravelle (Mr Selfridge) as Compeyson -Laurie Ogden (The Colour Room) as Biddy

Great Expectations - Creator: Steven Knight It will premiere on BBC One on Sunday, 26th March 2023. 9 pm, BBC One. The USA premiere is on Hulu.

#Youtube

[sednascove]

Ideas for a sea witch altar. Blue and white candles are great to represent the sea. Shades of green too work well.

Ocean or beach items, driftwood, seaglass, sea porcelain or tile, stones etc.

Mirrors.

Ocean, lake or river water.

Depictions of mermaids, deities, sirens and other figures in sea lore.

Feathers, especially from coastal birds.

Nautical themes, anchors, ships, wheels (ships), etc.

Glass buoys, shells, combs and other tools.

Stones or crystals found from watery areas, lakes or seas, rivers.

These I feel are very powerful holding energy from the watery area.

Instead one could also opt for stones associated with the ocean such as aquamarine, or moonstone.

Personally I feel crystals I find on the beach work better for me.

Sea mammals and other water life that one works with or relates to. Art, statues, and other depictions.

#sea witch #sea magic

[escapingthroughword]

Teenage Stereotype

Sunshine beat down hot on all the grinning faces, suctioning the turquoise dress to my skin. He touched her hand gently as she stepped to the altar. A bride, but all I could see was a "Fiona", that I was one step closer to my Hilary Duff moment. She's going to be the evil stepmother I feared. Worry eats at my stomach, where happiness should be. What's really hiding behind that smiling persona? I think there's a crack in her facade. Maybe the mask will blow off in the coastal breeze. What is my life about to become? Better late than never! I started a dozen different poems but the fairy tale reference constantly threw me, until tonight! I really thought I was going to miss this month. This may not be my best work, but it's better than nothing.

#smittenbypoetrygame #writer #poet #poetry #poem #escaping through word #writing #am writing #am writing poetry #spilled ink

[alotsgonnachange]

Okay annoying arcana lore speculation post incoming bc i’m bored and keep thinking about holidays and halloween

So…. we’ve established that there’s some sort of fall harvest, there’s the winter solstice, *coughthemidsummermasqueradecough*, there’s heartsong (placeholder for valentine’s day), I cannot remember if there was any sort of halloween type thing?

It’s hard worldbuilding at least from a western perspective bc a lot of our traditional ~holidays~ (I live on the east coast of the united states for reference) come from like christianity with a few touches of celtic paganism here and there and like that’s cool no hate to those holidays but in a universe where. religion has not been handled well in the past (i.e. devs fucking with the design of asra’s mother) its like alright what exactly makes sense here

also people who use this info as a way to be antisemetic/islamophobic can eat my butt like THATS NOT WHAT I MEAN cause i’ve seen people on here do that before so

we also have the implications of the temple district in vesuvia where everyone can show up and worship and its a bunch of different faiths coming together etc etc so its like Okay…. we have that.

so i’m like are there like. City wide holidays in vesuvia where everyone gets the day off or government stuff is shut down, holidays reserved for specific cultures…. this is a coastal city so i’m like we have a lot of people coming in and out from all over the place so maybe it’s just very localized

but i’m like can we justify a halloween in vesuvia like trick or treating and dressing up and parties and bobbing for apples and shit. But there’s also like Samhain which some people who are like irl practicing witches still observe but is not necessarily widespread or synonymous with halloween so i wonder if it would be something like that?

I’m also interested in whether spirits/ghosts would play a role on this day where people are like oh things are sooooo haunted because its That day! does it just depend on how sort of ~devout~ individuals or families or communities are?? like are there days where people participate in some form of altar making/maintenance or ancestor worship? What about the legacy of the plague? Would they observe something for all of the people who died as a result?

ok that’s all i have i don’t know where i was going with this feel free to add on or something

#i neeeeeeeeeed…. to be normal #jk no i dont #lore #my text