#daughter of mercury metalworks

[full-metal-femme]

Took some new shots of my kilt jacket to submit to an art show! I don't know if I'll get in but it could be cool - regardless you should check them out :) they're @queermetalsmiths on Instagram 🤘🏻

#daughter of mercury metalworks #metal #metalwork #metalsmith #queer #queer metalsmith #art #trans #custom #battle jacket

[quibbs126]

I said I’d probably do Autumn next, but screw it, we’re doing these characters instead

So as I’ve stated in some other post somewhere, Ariel and Salt are the parents of Mercury, Venus and Saturn, and Erik here is their uncle, and Ariel’s younger brother

I said I was thinking about changing Ariel and Erik’s names, but honestly I think they both still work for each other, so I decided to keep them, other than changing Erik’s “c” to a “k”

Also, this is my first time ever drawing them. And to be honest, while I like how Ariel turned out, I’m not the biggest fan of how the other two turned out, particularly Salt. Might need to tweak designs more

Honestly it’s probably because I knew what I wanted from Ariel’s design, but not so much Salt’s. And for Erik, I wanted the top bit, but realistically I needed to make his hair longer, and I think that’s what got me

But anyways, let’s get into them

So as you can probably tell, Ariel is an albino. That’s kind of the reason I put Erik in there, to show what traits came from her side

I’m aware that albinos tend to have white hair, but I had already given her white fur, so I thought making it pink would be better, as they aren’t just the same color. Maybe I could have made the pink lighter, but ah well

I think originally, Erik was supposed to be albino too, and they might have been twins, but also I didn’t understand how albinism worked at the time, so I thought that certain albino traits could be passed down. That was why Saturn was originally grey, as his fur was his mother’s white but darker. And for Erik’s daughter, she had white fur and red eyes. But I’ve decided now that those traits are just normal white fur and red eyes from her mother’s side, so Erik doesn’t have to be albino. Also it makes him seem more ordinary, if that makes sense

Also by the way, Salt named the kids, hence why they all have kind of weird names. He’s just got a weird naming scheme and Ariel just went along with it, she didn’t mind

So anyways, as mentioned in their kids’s post, Salt was a blacksmith, and Erik was a doctor. I don’t know what Ariel did though

Ariel was considered kind of a weirdo. I don’t really know how to describe it, she just gave off an odd vibe. I want to say she’s weird in a way like Luna Lovegood, but I haven’t actually consumed any Harry Potter media with Luna in it for probably a decade, so I can’t really say. She also has the weird psychic powers like her children, hers being red and probably more potent than theirs

Salt had metal powers, and I don’t know what to give Erik, since he originally had psychic powers, but I decided to change that. Maybe just give him light or healing powers like his daughter

Anyways, so because of her odd powers, Ariel would tend to just give off a vibe that would make people stay away from her, like they’d just rather not be around her. However, whatever that odd aura was, it had no effect on Salt. People would think she’s weird and warn to stay away from, and he’d just a see a relatively normal lady. Yeah sure, maybe some of the things she talked about were odd, but she didn’t seem like anything people were talking about, just a nice lady

They started out as friends who liked to talk, and eventually fell in love. During this time, people were telling Salt to just stay away from her, but he just thought people misunderstood her

I feel like I’m setting Ariel up to be malicious. She wasn’t, she was just a weirdo. I feel like I’m reusing descriptors too much, but I really don’t know how else to describe her

Ariel would often be fascinated by his metalworking, and would ask plenty of questions about it when they first were starting out, and he’d be happy to answer her questions, as he can appreciate someone who appreciates the more intricate aspects of his craft. And on the flip side, Ariel would talk for hours on end about the things she was interested in. Salt generally didn’t know what she was really talking about (he listened he just know what it was. Like having someone talk to you about a series you just don’t know), but he knew it made her happy, so he’d happily listen to her

As for how the two died, I believe it was due to disease, though I never specified what, nor do I really know what diseases kill

Ariel was the first to go, and it was around her death that Erik came to their town, though it was only temporary at the time to help her and her family. Erik couldn’t save her, and he tried to help Salt and their kids out after this time. Salt tried to pull the weight to support his family, and when he fell ill too, Erik tried to get him to stop overworking himself, as he was just making his affliction worse, but he refused to listen, and he unfortunately passed on too. It was after this point that Erik decided to move his family over to their town, as he felt he couldn’t just leave his niece and nephews all alone. And since then that’s where they’ve stayed

I don’t really know what sort of relationship Ariel and Erik had. Erik didn’t have the same weirdness as Ariel and was a relatively normal person, and he was relatively aware of Ariel’s weird aura. I don’t want to say they were distant but I also don’t want to say they were particularly close, I’m not sure

Anyways yeah, that’s these guys. Hopefully next I’ll do Autumn, but we’ll see. Oh and also, they probably won’t all share a common theme, since there usually isn’t that many who do. Like, for Autumn I’ll probably just put her and the vigilante, but if I put another character (which honestly I don’t think I won’t) it’ll just be someone else from the story

#original characters #ralia #ralia ariel #ralia salt #ralia erik #my art

[wallflowerimagines]

oh hello!! i found your blog and i’m so amazed at what you write! i’m unsure if i’ve asked here before, or if this is my first time. how would the lords react to a young F!reader who has liquid mercury wings, and also doesn’t know how to smile (yet)? lil ‘kuudere’ mercury angel lmao. i hope this isn’t too much to ask ^^ tysm and stay safe!! 💛

Thank you! 💛 This is my first time getting this ask. I've interpreted it as more of a child/young teen reader, let me know if you envisioned it differently!

Alcina Dimitrescu

Congratulations! You've just been adopted! 🎉🎉🎉

All of Alcina's mom instincts just clicked on the minute she saw you. You're so small. So cute. She felt the same instant connection to you as she did to her three daughters.

Without even being able to really process it, you're given a room, an entire new wardrobe, and three older sisters who adore you just as much as their mom does. Honestly, it's a little disorienting.

Alcina is a little worried about the fact that you seem to have no real emotions, but she's a patient lady who believes firmly in communication. If you like something and tell her, she believes you. Some people just don't emote that well, after all. She gets used to it very quickly.

(And if anyone even so much as makes a snippy comment about your face or tone, they're straight up dead.)

She is the kind of mom who wants ALL the pictures of her darling children, and makes you sit for many, many formal portraits--some of which she even paints herself.

She likes incorporating Angelic imagery in all of your portraits, too. Your wings are beautiful, and she wants to make sure that you never have insecurities about your appearance or your abilities. If she can show even 1/10th of how perfect she finds you, she calls it a mission accomplished.

Alcina never expected you to smile for her, honestly. You had limits, and she respected them. But when she unveiled the newest family portrait--with all of her children featured prominently--to her surprise she spots a small, trembling smile on your lips.

And when you say 'Thank you, Mother'? Alcina gets really emotional, and even a little teary eyed.

She Immediately drops to her knees and pulls you into the BIGGEST hug. You are always welcome.

Donna Beneviento

But if you're baby, and I'm baby, then who's driving the bus?

Donna does not know how to interact with you. She's already quite inexperienced with social interaction, and without the feedback that she normally gets from people's facial expressions, she's left floundering.

She's really trying her best, too! It's just, your voice doesn't even have the slightest bit of inflection. Are you happy? Sad? Give her a hint she is suffering.

Your deadpan tone just CRACKS Angie up, though.

Angie bridges the gap in your relationship. She is talkative and wacky, which fills the awkward silences between you and Donna very easily.

Similar to Donna, you find it very easy to talk to Angie! She doesn't force you to smile, or talk, or do anything you might be uncomfortable with. She's playful and loud, so you don't have to try very hard around her.

Eventually you two reach a peaceful, relaxing medium. Donna slowly accepts that your words are meant to be taken at face value, and with that realization a lot of the stress between you two melts away.

Also, if you let her make you clothes? She👏is👏 LIVING👏

She loooves to make things for you, and the wings only offer a welcome challenge. She's never worked with anything like that before, and she's so excited!!!!

Angie also wants you to fly around with her in the yard! The three of you actually have a lot of fond memories of outdoor tea parties where Donna primly sits in a chair, watching with a small, happy smile on her face as you flutter through the air with a SCREECHING Angie in your arms. She's having a BLAST!!

It's the first time she sees you smile, too, and it just makes her own smile grow. She never thought she'd have another sibling, but life really is full of surprises, isn't it?

Salvatore Moreau

Salvatore is SO concerned...

You're really young, left alone, with an obvious physical difference that can be spotted a mile away. Someone could target you very easily, and despite your wings he doesn't know if you could safely defend yourself. He really wants to help you out, but uh...

Kids are consistently terrified of him? He doesn't know if you would accept his help or run away screaming.

...but your clothes are so ratty, and it's so cold outside...

Moreau decides to sneakily leave you some cheese and a spare scarf on a rock in plain view. When he sees you put the scarf on and absolutely DEVOUR the piece of cheese, it steals his resolve.

He winds up leaving you a small trail of cheese pieces that lead to his home, and sets up a small separate nest like area for you. It's entirely enclosed, warm and far enough away from his room that he hopes it won't spook you. This will work great!

Little does he know, that you were only a few paces behind him the entire time, and when he finally finished with the setup, he turned around to find you hovering in the doorway, expression blank as always, and mouth full of cheese.

Moreau screamed

You seem happy enough with the new setup, though, and begin to follow Moreau around like a baby duck.

Dr. Moreau Time: He does give you the occasional exam to test your reflexes. He's worried a little bit about the composition of your wings--Mercury is a chemical that is known to cause madness and nerve damage with extended exposure, especially in young children.

He wants to ensure that you're safe from harm, both physical and mental!

One night, many weeks later, when you two are seated side by side watching a movie, you flop into his side with a small smile on your face, and fall asleep. Moreau tries not to wake you up with his overwhelmed sobbing.

Karl Heisenberg

Hello?? Child?? Why are you here???

Karl doesn't quite know what to do with you, at first. He's not bad with kids, per se, but it's suspicious for him that you just so happen to have a variant of his metal powers and were found wandering around outside the Factory.

He suspects Mother Miranda immediately--are you a spy? Another one of her victims? He doesn't know, and until he does you will be fed, clothed, and kept at arm's length.

Once he confirms your lack of involvement in her schemes, he engages with you a lot more.

Initially, just kind of baffled by the fact you don't emote, but upon further thought he totally gets it. Emotions suck, man. You don't gotta express more than you have to around him, he's cool with it.

He's more used to being a Fun Uncle rather than a dad (he's totally helped Alcina's daughters sneak out and cause mischief before this), so he only vaguely knows that you should probably have a bedtime, regular meals, and a social circle? He'll halfheartedly try to enforce stuff, but if you push back at all he just let's it go.

He, uh, will also let you help him mess around with corpses for the soldats? Definitely not age appropriate, but still, he wants to share his passion with you and teach you a little bit about metalwork.

One day, he does a little metal bending trick in front of you and makes you a flower, just to show off. Your eyes just LIGHT UP and the tiniest little smile shows up on your face, and when you reach your hands out to grab it--

Something deep in his chest just seized up all of a sudden. Shit, that's cute.

Shit, does that mean he's attached??? FUCK, WHEN DID HE GET ATTACHED??

#child reader #fluff #lady dimitrescu x reader #alcina dimitrescu x reader #donna beneviento x reader #salvatore moreau x reader #karl heisenburg x reader #re8 #resident evil village #resident evil #karl heisenberg #donna beneviento #alcina dimitrescu #angie beneviento #salvatore moreau #resident evil 8 #platonic ask

[estrellami-1]

Okay I haven’t seen the Eternals yet (but I have seen it on Tumblr) and I can’t be the only one who noticed this.

Ikaris - Icarus, the boy who flew too close to the sun

Thena - Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom and battle strategy

Sersi - Circe, Greek equivalent of a witch; an enchantress. Possibly the daughter of Hecate

Ajak - Ajax, warrior in the Iliad

Phastos - Hephaestus, Greek god of metalworking and crafting

Makkari - formerly known as Mercury, Roman god of translators and interpreters; the gods’ messenger. Also the god of travelers and thieves

Sprite - literally just. A fairy

Gilgamesh - literally took this directly from the Epic. Also hella gay, I approve

Kingo - admittedly nothing comes to mind for that one, but I’m sure there’s something I’m just not seeing

Anyways. I’m not the only one to notice this right? How all of these come directly from something else? At this point they’re not even trying to be subtle.

Also if you were into Greek mythology as a kid you’re gay now. That’s just a fact. That means this movie is for us, the gays, and I for one am here for it.

#marvel #eternals #marvel meta #maybe #someone tell me if I’m just crazy

[scarletarosa]

Arabian Deities List

A list of the pagan gods who were worshipped by the Pre-Islamic Arabs. Much of the evidence of these deities and their worshippers were destroyed during the rise of Islam, but this is the majority of those remembered:

Elder Gods:

Allah - the supreme deity (both male and female) of the pagan Arabs. Allah is the one who existed before all things and had created the universe. Afterwards, they retired into the position of a silent and remote spectator who dwelt in 'Aliyyin, the highest heaven, and only intervened in human affairs in extreme cases of drought or danger. Despite being the supreme deity, Allah was rarely directly worshipped.

Al-Lat - goddess of war, peace, combat, and prosperity. Al-lat was the Meccan mother goddess and the chief deity of the tribe of Banu Thaqif. She is one of the three daughters of Allah- all of whom were the supreme goddesses of the Arabs and were widely worshipped. 

Al-Uzza - goddess of might, protection, love, and the planet Venus. One of the three daughters of Allah and wife of Hubal, god of war

Manat - goddess of fate, destiny, and death. She is the eldest of her three sisters (making her the eldest deity after Allah). She is wife of Quzah, the god of thunder.

Younger Gods:

Hubal - god of war, victory in battle, fortune, and rainfall; husband of the goddess Al-Uzza.

Manaf - god of mountains

Quzah - god of storms, thunder, and clouds; husband of Manat. Thunder, said to be the battle-cry of Quzah, was believed to scare away spirits of disease and misfortune. The rainbow that appeared after rain was considered by the people of Mecca to be a ladder to the heavens.

Isaf and Na'ila - Meccan water deities: the dual guardian spirits of the holy well of Zamzam 

Duwar - goddess of maidens; she was worshiped by the youngest women of the Banu Quraysh

Al-Ikrimah - god of fertility; his idol was a statue of a dove carved from aloe wood 

Dhātu-Anwāt - goddess of trees

Suwā - goddess of night, beauty, and freshwater springs

Ar-Rā'iyu ('The One Who Sees') - god of dreams and prophecy. All dreams were considered to be messages from the gods in pre-Islamic Arabia and oracles specialized in interpreting them. This god was believed to be an all-seeing guardian.

Al-Mundhir - a west Arabian god of justice, whose name means ''The Cautioner''

Yaghuth - ("He Helps") the south Arabian god of strength, courage, and war; had an idol that was a statue of a lion which was situated on a hill in Yemen

Yahwah - north Arabian weather god, worshiped as a divine warrior who rides on the clouds and leads the armies of Heaven. In the religion of the Hebrew tribes of ancient Palestine, their deity Yahweh was originally one god among many; although in later times he developed into a major tribal god and eventually the Hebrews elevated him to the status of an all-powerful creator god above all the others: a position that was held previously by El, who became an epithet of Yahweh. 

Bahar (or Bajar) - god of the ocean

Rudā - a central Arabian rain goddess; brought droughts when angered

Nahastāb - a south Arabian fertility god who was worshiped by the Minaean Arabs. This god was associated with serpents who were recognized as omens of bounty and fertile ground.

Su’ayr - north Arabian god of oracles

Al-Jalsad - south Arabian god of pastures and fields

Ashar - north Arabian god of war

Ni'mat - north Arabian goddess of fortune

Hāwlat - goddess of magic and power; patroness of the oases of Dumah and Hejra. The name of the goddess means ''to change (fortunes)'' and ''to avert''.

Abgal - north Arabian tutelary god; god of the desert and the patron of Bedouins and caravan drivers 

Amm’anas - south Arabian god of agriculture

Nasr - god of the deep desert whose idol was a sculpture of a large vulture (in some sources an eagle) that was situated in a temple in the village of Balkha in Yemen. The sacred animal of Nasr, the vulture, was venerated by his worshipers as a totem of insight and sharp character; as well as this, the god represented the hostile and unforgiving aspects of nature, in particular, the desert.

Dhātu-Ba'dan - south Arabian goddess of oases, nature, and the wet season 

Taraha - north Arabian goddess of fortune and prosperity. This goddess was also known as Tadha and was believed to watch over the tombs of the dead. 

Al-Ghurab - god of the dead; his idol was in the form of a raven that was housed in the Ka'aba along with 360 other idols of gods and goddesses. Ravens were sacred to this god as guardians of the spirits of the dead

Kuthrā (''The Most Rich'') - central Arabian goddess of prosperity and fortune

Khomar - south Arabian god of wine and vineyards 

Ya’uq is the south Arabian god of protection and preservation who was associated with swift thought and intelligence 

Salman (or Salim) - god of oases, peace, and harmony. In the religion of the western Semites, Shalim was a god of the underworld and the dusk, and his name 'Shalim' (Peace) was meant as an allegory for the peace of the grave. 

Rahmaw (or Rahmanan) - south Arabian god of mercy and protection, whose mythology was later absorbed into that of the creator god Allah. 

Al-Jadd - god of luck

Jihār - west Arabian god of longevity, wisdom, and marketplaces

Isāt - south Arabian goddess of fire; counterpart to the Canaanite fire goddess Ishat, wife of Moloch

Yurhim - god of joy and happiness 

Harimtu (or 'Athiratan) - south Arabian goddess of fertility; the mother of the gods and the wife of the sky god Ilmaqah

Ilmuqah (also known as Ilumquh and Almaqah) - south Arabian god of the sky and the chief tribal deity of the Sabaean Arabs. He was worshiped as the protector of artificial irrigation and his divine symbol was a cluster of lightning bolts surrounding a curved sickle. Bulls were the sacred animals of Ilmuqah. His name means ''The God Who Gives Health''

Shay al-Qawm - god of war, valour, and the night

Qaynan - god of metalworkers and smiths

Al-Kutbay (or al-Aktab) - god of writing, prophecy and merchants who was the scribe of the gods and recorder of all deeds and events 

Raziqa (or Razeka) - goddess of the earth and fertility who was worshiped by the ancient tribes of Thamud and 'Ād as a provider of food and sustenance.

Nuha (or Nahi) - north Arabian goddess of wisdom and intelligence

Hafidha - goddess of travel and journeys 

Thu'ban - god of snakes; believed to be a giant serpent who guarded the treasures in the well of the Ka'aba of Mecca. 

Celestial Deities:

Hilāl - god of the moon; provided relief and dew for the weary desert nomads and their flocks. The waning crescent moon which was first visible before and after a new moon, heralded the start of Ramadan: this was a sacred time for the pagan Arabs of Mecca and the Hijaz, during which they fasted and feasted.

Shams - goddess of the sun and the chief goddess of the Himyar tribal confederation; believed by the inhabitants of the fertile lands of south Arabia to be a preserver of crops and domestic life, while other tribes with more intense heat viewed her as a destroyer of lands. She was both respected and feared.

Athtar - god of the planet Venus (linked with the Canaanite god Attar).  Athtar is the provider of water and a protector of irrigation systems. His sacred symbol is a spear-point as he is also a war god, and his sacred animal is the Arabian oryx (antelope).

Akhwar - god of righteousness and the planet Jupiter

'Utarid - god of intelligence, learning, writing, eloquence, and Mercury

Azizan (also known as Azizos) is the north Arabian god of the planet Mars who was associated with victory in battle and was depicted as riding on a camel alongside his brother Mun'im

Nakruh - god of the planet Saturn

Dhu’l-Samawi - god of the night sky, the stars, and the constellations whose name translates as "Lord of the Heavens". Bedouin tribes would bring their animals to the shrine of Dhu’l-Samawi when they were injured and they also sent sick people to reside at his shrine in order to receive healing.

Shangilā - north Arabian god of stars

Ash-Shi'rā - goddess of the Sirius star; believed to bestow wealth and good fortune

Ath-Thurayya - goddess of the Pleiades star cluster 

As-Simāk ('The Uplifted One') is a west Arabian star god who was the deification of the star Arcturus in the constellation of Bootes and was worshiped to bring riches, renown and honor. The symbol of the god was the lance (ar-rimah) and was also named as Haris as-Samā', 'the Guardian of Heaven'.

Al-Dabaran (''The Follower'') - god of the star Aldebaran

Underworld Deities: 

Mawt - god of death and sterility; the Arabian counterpart of the Canaanite god Mot; sacred animals of Mawt are owls. After a person died, their soul (nafs) was believed to descend to the land of Mawt, the akhirah; where they lead a calm, yet gloomy, existence as spirits (arwah) and as shades (ashbah). The Arabs believed the Underworld to be neither a place of reward nor punishment, but simply as a state of existence without pain or pleasure that most people would lead as a shabah or shade. But the spirits of priests and powerful and honoured people were believed to ascend to a heavenly otherworld (al-Munqalab) or the sky (as-Sama') itself, where they would enjoy the company of the gods and angels (mala'ikah) and would have power over human affairs in the Dunyā (the material world).

Hawkam - god of justice and the Judge of the Dead 

Ba'alat-Sahra - a north Arabian goddess of the Underworld and the desert; she was an important goddess of the nomadic Semites; known to the Amorite tribe of southern Syria as Belet-Seri, the wife of their chief god Amurru.

Qaysha - south Arabian funerary goddess

Hawran - underworld god who presided over the spirits of disease which he could protect from or send at will as punishment; protected people from the venom of snakes. 

Al-Muharriq - underworld god who was represented as a fierce deity at a red shrine and whose sacred animal was an adult male lion (usamah). Al-Muharriq, like his Babylonian counterpart Nergal, had a wrathful disposition; he was believed to send diseases and plagues if he was angry with the population. The name of the god means ''the Burner'' as he represented the scorching heat of the desert, as well as the heat of disease and fire.

Source

#arabian gods #wathanism #arabian polytheism #pagan gods #deity list #pre-islamic #paganism

[hetalia-pjo-au-hub]

Welcome to the APH Percy Jackson AU!

INTRO

Hello! Welcome to the APH PJO AU. We’re the creators, Wonder and Theo, and this is our first time running an au. You may know us from our involvement in the My Heta Academia AU as the muns of ask-hetaaca-nyoprussia and ask-hetaaca-nyogermany, as well as many others. Before we ramble about us, this is what the au is about: 

The APH PJO AU is an ask blog based group run by us (Wonder and Theo) that takes place in the Percy Jackson Universe at Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter where the countries are mortal demigods instead. 

In this AU, there are endless possibilities for which godly parent your muse has! This means that your muse can’t be a god or a normal human. This also means that your character cannot be the oracle; and only a second muse can be a satyr. 

The Hunters of Artemis are available! They are the only characters that can be either demigods or just plain mortal.

Hera, Artemis, and Hestia are not on the table for being godly parents. Hera won’t have relations outside of her marriage, and Artemis and Hestia are maiden goddesses*

*Athena is also a maiden goddess, but her children come out of her head

The Major Gods and Goddesses**

I. Zeus/Jupiter

-Zeus is the god of the sky, lightning and the thunder in Ancient Greek religion and legends, and ruler of all the gods on Mount Olympus. Zeus is the sixth child of Cronos and Rhea, king and queen of the Titans.

II. Hera/Juno

-Hera is the Queen of the Gods and is the wife and sister of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon. She is known for being the Goddess of Marriage & Birth. Despite being the Goddess of Marriage, she was known to be jealous and vengeful towards the many lovers and offspring of her husband Zeus.

III. Poseidon/Neptune

-Poseidon was god of the sea, earthquakes, storms, and horses and is considered one of the most bad-tempered, moody and greedy Olympian gods. He was known to be vengeful when insulted. He is the son of Cronus and Rhea and was swallowed by his father along with Hades, Demeter, Hestia and Hera.

IV. Demeter/Ceres

-Demeter is the goddess of the harvest and presides over grains and the fertility of the earth. Although she was most often referred to as the goddess of the harvest, she was also goddess of sacred law and the cycle of life and death.

V. Ares/Mars

-Ares is the Greek god of war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent and untamed aspect of war and is the personification of sheer brutality, in contrast to his sister, the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and generalship.

VI. Athena/Minerva

-Athena is the Olympian goddess of wisdom and war and the adored patroness of the city of Athens. A virgin deity, she was also – somewhat paradoxically – associated with peace and handicrafts, especially spinning and weaving. Majestic and stern, Athena surpassed everybody in both of her main domains.

VII. Apollo/Apollo

-Apollo is a god in Greek mythology, and one of the Twelve Olympians. He is the son of Zeus and Leto and the twin brother of Artemis. He is the god of healing, medicine, archery, music, poetry and the sun. He is the leader of the Muses. He also is a god of prophecy, and his Oracle at Delphi is very important.

VIII. Artemis/Diana (Hunters of Artemis)

-Artemis was the Greek goddess of hunting, wild nature, and chastity. The daughter of Zeus and sister of Apollo, Artemis was regarded as a patron of girls and young women and a protectress during childbirth

IX. Hephaestus/Vulcan

-Hephaestus was the god of fire, metalworking, stone masonry, forges and the art of sculpture. He was the son of Zeus and Hera and married to Aphrodite by Zeus to prevent a war of the gods fighting for her hand. He was a smithing god, making all of the weapons for Olympus and acting as a blacksmith for the gods.

X. Aphrodite/Venus

-Aphrodite is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, beauty, pleasure, passion and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess Venus. Aphrodite's major symbols include myrtles, roses, doves, sparrows, and swans.

XI. Hermes/Mercury

-Hermes is a deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods, as well as the protector of human heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants, and orators. He is able to move quickly and freely between the worlds of the mortal and the divine, aided by his winged sandals. Hermes plays the role of the psychopomp or "soul guide" — a conductor of souls into the afterlife.

XII. Dionysus/Bacchus

-Dionysus was the ancient Greek god of wine, winemaking, grape cultivation, fertility, ritual madness, theater, and religious ecstasy. His Roman name was Bacchus. He may have been worshiped as early as 1500-11000 BCE by Mycenean Greeks.

XIII. Hades/Pluto

-Hades, in the ancient Greek religion and myth, is the god of the dead and the king of the underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, although the last son that was regurgitated by his father.

XIV. Iris/Iris

-Iris, in Greek mythology, the personification of the rainbow and (in Homer's Iliad, for example) a messenger of the gods. According to the Greek poet Hesiod, she was the daughter of Thaumas and the ocean nymph Electra.

XV. Hypnos/Somnus

-Hypnos, Latin Somnus, Greco-Roman god of sleep. Hypnos was the son of Nyx (Night) and the twin brother of Thanatos (Death).

XVI. Nemesis/Nemesis

-In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ("the goddess of Rhamnous"), is the goddess who enacts retribution against those who succumb to hubris (arrogance before the gods).

XVII. Nike/Victoria

-Nike, in ancient Greek religion, the goddess of victory, daughter of the giant Pallas and of the infernal River Styx.

XVIII. Hebe/Juventas

-Hebe in ancient Greek religion, is the goddess of youth or the prime of life (Roman equivalent: Juventas). She is the daughter of Zeus and his older sister, Hera.

XIX. Tyche/Fortuna

-Tyche, in Greek religion, the goddess of chance, with whom the Roman Fortuna was later identified; a capricious dispenser of good and ill fortune. The Greek poet Hesiod called her the daughter of the Titan Oceanus and his consort Tethys; other writers attributed her fatherhood to Zeus, the supreme god.

XX. Hecate/Trivia

-Hecate or Hekate is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches or a key and in later periods depicted in triple form. She is variously associated with crossroads, entrance-ways, night, light, magic, witchcraft, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, ghosts, necromancy, and sorcery.

**There are plenty of minor gods, and we are willing to work with muses that are children of the minor gods but please try to stick to the main 20 we have listed

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS TO BE PART OF THIS AU?

- You must apply according to the application form

-You have to follow the set rules

-You need to be a writer and/or an artist

-You need to have at least one visual reference of your muse. This does not have to be good or in the application, but it does have to be somewhere on the blog.

-You don’t have to be fluent in English, just decent enough to be understandable, as most interactions will he in English.

APPLICATIONS

There will be announcements as to whether or not applications are being accepted. The applications are to be submitted before creating a blog. The application form can be found here.

FAQ

“Can I join even if I’m not that good of an artist/writer/not that popular?” Absolutely! Your skill level and popularity don’t matter, just follow the rules and have fun!

“Can I apply a second time if I wasn’t accepted in the first application phase?” Yes, and we encourage you to do that!

“Is it possible to be part of this au even if I don’t know much/anything about Percy Jackson?” You can join even if you know nothing about the series, just please don’t appropriate the gods.

“Can I have two muses?” Yes, but you can only apply for one at a time, and have to have been part of the au for at least a month before getting a second muse.

“Is Discord needed?” No, but it is recommended as it makes interactions and event planning easier.

“Can I apply even if I know I will not be able to update regularly?” Yes, but update at least once a month. Real life comes first, but if something major comes up, talk to one of the mods. We will try to be understanding.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

It's important to mention that there are people who do follow/work/worship these gods, and that while this is an AU, some Pagan/Wiccan followers may not be too keen on how gods are presented in the PJO series. Please be respectful of their beliefs, and listen if they wish to further educate you. Please make sure that you do your own research into modern practices and interpretations as well, it is one thing to understand ancient practice and mythology, but another to understand modern practice. There are many resources and people online more than willing to help educate, please take advantage of that. And please understand that media portrays the gods and goddesses in ways that are not completely accurate and it is best to be somewhat critical when enjoying media such as PJO, Lore Olympus, Marvel, etc.. Followers of the pantheons should also understand that not everyone knows what you know, and to understand that this is an AU and does not reflect the true beliefs and practices one may come to learn and practice under their own deity work. Please be gentle and kind when correcting or educating those who are not practicing. This AU is not meant to be a completely realistic and accurate interpretation of the pantheon(s) and some wiggle room is acceptable when interpreting. Please only correct and educate if it is a common mistake. Please think critically before you jump in to correct, and remember that not everyone is involved on quite an intimate level of knowledge.

#auinformation #intropost #mod theo #mod wonder

[tipsycad147]

DRYADS, TREES & THE FIFTH ELEMENT

Posted on April 9, 2017 by Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

The dryad is the spirit of the tree, its essential pattern. It is a living being linked to the tree and growing with it, but at the same time, it is a trans-temporal and trans-spacial creature, living in the Astral dimension as much as in the mundane world. When a branch falls off a tree or is pruned, the dryad spirit is still in the wood. It is not really correct to speak of “parts” of a spirit, but one might consider the spirit of the wand to be part of the tree’s consciousness. Some writers suggest that trees withdraw their life from a branch when they sense it is going to be cut and there is doubtless something to such observations. Nevertheless, in my experience, the spirit always remains to some degree and can be awoken by enchantment when the branch is crafted into a wand. Now, of course, orthodox mundane botany does not usually accord consciousness to trees. In the Alferic tradition and in most schools of Druidry, trees are considered to have spirit, mind, and consciousness, as well as will and emotions. Indeed, in my experience, trees have a larger proportion of emotion than intellect in their souls. They do not ratiocinate the way we do, but they do ponder and brood. As Prof. Tolkien so rightly observed in Lord of the Rings, many trees today are sleepy. If the druid touches them and makes contact with their dryad spirit, they sometimes at first seem sluggish and hard to reach. Other trees respond immediately to such attention with the same kind of reaction many of us would have if suddenly touched by the mind of another being.

Still, it is misleading to anthropomorphise dryads. They share many of the spiritual qualities with us, but they do not think or live like human beings. In their present incarnation, trees are fixed and immobile. A great deal of their attention is directed into the ground through their roots and outward into the air through their branches and leaves. They do move, of course, in the process of growth and in harmony with the winds, rain, and sunlight. Deciduous trees drop their leaves and grow new ones, many drop seeds or flowers.

So there is a great deal of activity in trees but it is the sort that, in humans, remains largely unconscious. We too produce seeds and eggs, grow hair and nails and new skin, and throughout childhood, our whole body is growing. Even in adulthood, the body changes shape.

But trees have very different bodies and their spirits are diffused throughout their bodies without the distracting narrow focus of a brain steeped in language. Thus trees, unlike humans, have never suffered from the dichotomy of mind and body. If their consciousness dwells on different parts of their being, it is on the roots, the trunk, and the branches. The leaves are the most sensitive organs of trees, but the bark is also very sensitive, flowing with tree-blood underneath, just like skin.

Although many of the woods are traditionally associated with one of the four classical elements (Air, Fire, Water, Earth), dryads are spirits that do not fall simply into one of these elements. Rather, they embody the fifth element recognised in the Taoist system: Wood. They are representative of all of the four elements combined into a fifth that is a living organism. Trees are the pinnacle of the plant kingdom, as humans are often imagined to be the pinnacle of the animal kingdom, filled with nobility, grandeur, often great age, and wisdom that comes from a long life in one place. We are indebted to them in ways that are often incompletely realised: in the gift of oxygen, wood, and paper trees have made human civilisation possible. They are, thus, mystically speaking, the midwives of all intelligent life and human creativity. The Quintessence is often described as Spirit, but it is enlightening to consider this “Fifth Element” as Wood for the trees point upwards to the sun, stars, and heavens, to the invisible Spirit, which is not an “element” at all, but the essence that underlies all manifestation.

The Magical Properties of Trees

The Celtic Oghams and druid traditions identify certain properties with certain sacred trees. The oghams of old are rather enigmatic, to say the least. In Gaelic “ogham” is pronounced oh-um while in Elvish the word is spelled ogam and pronounced og-am, with a short “o.” The Irish oghams seem to have originated as a counting system and the numerical values later given phonetic values, and then poetic ones as part of a complex mnemonic system used by the bards in the Middle Ages. In Elvish the word itself might be translated as correspondences; that is, the use of runes to symbolise a complex of associations and archetypes.

The Elvish Rianar (or “runes”) which are in a form similar to Norse Futhark, are more than just letters and their use as symbols of different trees is highly significant to their use. Ogam, in Elvish, might also be translated as “mysteries.” The Irish ogham reconstructed by the poet Robert Graves in his book The White Goddess has been adopted by many modern druid orders. While some of these properties or characters accords with the Alferic Ogam, there are also differences. In the latter system, each wood is linked to a rune which symbolises the complex of magical correspondences embracing not only wood, but also stone, bird, animal, colour, and time.

I have included here only those types of wood that are currently available for wand making. Some are more plentiful than others. the exotics are available only in milled stock but the others are mostly taken from natural branches. I have here indicated their primary Elemental association, connections to the Mellarin (the Mighty Ones), and correspondences through the elvish ogam system to the solar calendar and principal festivals. These are according to the Elvish traditions, but I have also included associations with divinities from other pantheons and folklore from other sources.

Some magical applications are listed for each wood, but it should not be thought that any wand is limited to particular types of magic. Rather, I intend to indicate those powers that are especially suited for each respective wood and best fit the common character of a species. At the end of each entry are also included links to other web pages containing articles on each respective tree.

Trees of Elemental Earth

Rowan (Luis) Also called the Mountain Ash, and Quickbeam for its powers of bestowing and enhancing life, Rowan is sacred to Capricorn. It especially bears the power of the Dark Goddess, the Crone aspect of Mother Earth, and through her the power of fiery Abban, Vulcan, Lord of craft, mountain, and metalwork. Rowan flowers and bright orange berries are marked by the pentagram, symbol of the five Elements; the berries, often retained through Winter, symbolise the endurance of Life through the dark of the year. Also called Witchen or Witchbane Rowan has been considered the enemy of all evil witchery, and protects against one being carried off to Faerie against one’s will.

A tree of astral vision and protection, particularly good for warding off evil spirits, Rowan traditionally is said to avert storms and lightning and bring peace. The fondness of songbirds for Rowan berries gives the tree a link to the bards, and the Goddess Brigid in her role as Muse of poets. It is a tree associated with serpents and dragons and sacred places, the leylines or dragon-lines of Earth energy. The dragon embodies primal energy, a strong force of creativity and natural flow, which cannot be “slain” or “tamed”. Indeed “slaying the dragon” in Christian legend is sometimes confused with modern technology’s notions of dominion over Nature.

Dragon energy is drawn into harmony when we enter into a partnership with it through the erection of standing stones at intersections of the dragon lines, or by directing it in a Rowan wand. Rowan’s power is doubled by the inclusion of a dragon-scale core when it is fashioned as a wand. It’s Elvish name, Luis, comes from the root lu “time” also found in luras “to judge.” Elves frequently hold their judicial assemblies under old Rowans. Especially suited for magic giving form and order, ritual, growth, fertility, protection, women’s autonomy, poetry, weaving and spinning, and geomancy or work with ley lines.

Ash (Nuin) Sacred to Virgo and its ruler Mercury, the planet of intellect and reason, Ash is a wood associated with many divinities. The number of its house is nine (thrice three). The Ash appears in Norse myth as Yggdrasil, the World-Ash or Tree of Life from which all the worlds spring. In this respect, it is the pathway or bridge by means of which the wizard may travel among the worlds. Mystically, Ash signifies the Astral dimension and its myriad doorways. Beneath the World-Tree, Yggdrasil, the three Norns or Fates dispense judgement over gods and men. A dragon lives in the roots of the World Ash and an eagle in its branches; the goat of Odin feeds upon the leaves and turns that food into Ambrosia, the drink of the gods that provides immortality.

Hanging upside down on the Ash tree, Odin drank of the spring of destiny at its roots and the runes were revealed to him. Tradition holds the Ash also to be sacred to Llyr and the Greek Poseidon, Lord of Sea, horses, and metamorphosis. Like the Sea-Goat Capricornus, Ash unites Earth and Water in the primordial energy in which all potential lies. Poseidon, Odin, and Thor each wielded a spear of Ash, symbolic of an irresistible magical Will and invincible protection. The Greek goddess Nemesis carried an ash wand as a symbol of divine justice. With it, she ensures that fortune (good or ill) is shared among all people and not only by the few. Nemesis is also called “Nemesis of the rainmaking ash” identified as Andrasteia, daughter of the sea god Oceanus.

One of the few surviving Druid wands of old, found in an archeological dig, was made of Ash with a sunwise spiral design, symbolising Ash’s links to the Sun. So generally magical is the Ash that it is the wood used for Yule logs and Maypoles and in some traditions the brooms of witches. In the Alferic pantheon Olobaal, the Sea Mother, whose body moves with the moon is a feminine figure. She is the devouring Mother who consumes, swallows, and gives birth to all life. She is the goddess of water, sea, and ocean, twin sister of Vashaan, the Wind Lord, as Poseidon is the brother of Zeus. She is great and terrible when incited to Tempest by her brother; calm and beautiful when she is embraced by the Sun Obraash; fecund when touched by the Moon. She can take any form and is also a goddess of war.

In Alferic tradition, it is out of ash-wood that Olobaal fashioned her scepter and the haft of her magical harpoon. Thus, it may be seen that Ash is as much attuned to Elemental Water as Earth, and so is the consummate wood of growth and fecundity, mothers and daughters, and female sovereignty. It is a wood of balance and the marriage of opposites. Well-suited for shamanic magic, protection, and to enhance one’s skills at any art or craft, the magic of wells and caves, Earth as the vessel of water, finding roots or working with plant roots, the magic of horses, oceans, conquest, justice, and weather working.

Maple (Shorin) Sacred to Alban Elved (the Autumnal Equinox) because of its fiery red and orange colours as its leaves turn — a bold celebration of the season and the cycle of death and rebirth. Poised on the equinox, it is linked to both Libra and Virgo, Hazel and Ash. Maple’s sacred bird is the Great Horned Owl who is the herald of the coming Feast of Samhuinn with its magic and mystery. The owl is a bird associated with wizards and wisdom, and the bearing of messages in the night.

In North America, especially in its northern parts, the Maple is a dominant tree with many varieties, including the sugar maple from which maple syrup was made by the Native Americans. As such it is associated with the life-giving sap of the trees, providing food and sweetness for those who treat it with respect and care. Alban Elved is also known as the Feast of Mabon, dedicated to the reborn son-consort of the Great Mother. The Dying God is also the Giant Ymir of Norse myth, from whose body the world was made. Maple is a strongly masculine wood, somewhat rebellious and tough, but with a beautiful smooth grain; hard, yet excellent for carving. Well-suited to spells of sending and communication, binding, transmutations, creation, revolution, rebirth, healing, beauty, art, and abundance.

Elm (Elma)

One of the tallest ancient forest trees, graceful in its chalice shape, Elm is sacred to the Great Goddess in her form as Wise Grandmother. She is the Qabbalist’s Briah, manifest in the planet Saturn. Elm is also called “Elven” for its connection to the Elves and Faerie mounds, and so to burial mounds, and to death as the doorway eternal life.

In recent times, as many ancient Elms have been killed off by Dutch Elm disease, the tree has come to symbolise and embody the struggle of Nature against humanity’s destruction of the old forests through short-sightedness or the transportation of diseases from other parts of the world. Elm’s spirit is majestic and expansive, rooted and wise. Well-suited to the magic of Earth and invocation of the Goddess, healing, fertility, gardening, rebirth, destiny, wisdom., a passage from one life (or phase of life) to another, metamorphosis, endurance.

Blackthorn or Plum (Emrys) Plum wood is not a wood expressly included in the sacred tree lists of the Elves or the Celts; however, it is closely related to its sister, the Blackthorn, which is known as a Faerie tree of dark omen, strong in protective magic. They are treated together here because I have better access to plum than to blackthorn. Besides this, when it comes to wandmaking, I feel that it is better not to mess with the blackthorn tree. Plum trees are much less severe and do not seem to be used by the Good People to guard their hollow hills.

Sacred to Abban, God of Craft and Mountains, Plum is a fruit wood and so bears powers of fertility but its thorns evoke powers of great reserve and protection, the setting of boundaries, and the ability to dissolve them. Abban, like the Greek Hephaestos, is a jealous spirit of creative fire, whose devotion to art transcends all other concerns. The wood itself is harder than Apple but has a similar creamy colour, and the branches are tough, knotty, and thorny.

Thus Plum is a consummate wand wood for the creative artist or anyone desiring to focus on magic that will enhance skill, overcome barriers, keep people or disturbance at bay, evoke toughness and persistence, patience, protection, and healing, especially of the blood. It is also well-suited for the divining of precious metals or minerals.

Trees of Elemental Air

Hawthorn (Huathe) Hawthorn or Whitethorn is sacred to Aquarius and Vashaan, the Windlord, the Thunderer, whom the Elves call Valma. He is the Norse Thor and the Greek Zeus, god of Sky and storm. This is a tree of defence with its twisted branches and sharp thorns, and it holds the power of lightning. Some loremasters say it can detect the presence of magic because it is a tree in which magical powers enter the manifest world from beyond. Its sacred colour is violet and it is especially attuned to this band of the magical spectrum with its focus on powers over other kinds of magic.

Well-suited for all protective magic and all magic aimed at strengthening one’s magical powers, spells of control, or warding, sending, detection, concealment, weather working. and protection against lightning and evil spirits.

Lilac (Galad) Sacred to Gemini, the Twins, lilac brings the root energy of expansion and growth, that underlies intellectual and spiritual prosperity. Such energy is the burgeoning of Spring flowers, sacred to the androgynous and quicksilver Mercury, whose domain is writing, speech, song, reason, and travel by sea, air, and star.

Lilac is sacred to bards and its intoxicating fragrance bespeaks erotic and creative power. Galad comes from the root gal, meaning “gift” from which other words derive: galian “hospitality,” agalla “sexual pleasure,” gaellië “delight,” melengal “mystic union.” All of which suggests the mysteries of gifts and giftedness, talent, and the communication of love through delight.

Lilac wood is close-grained, creamy, and smooth, excellent for carving intricate interlace patterns. Well-suited to the magic of union, attraction, enhancement of sexual pleasure, intellectual pursuits, imagination, information, mental concentration, travel, illusion, detection, divination.

Hazel (Koll) Sacred to Libra and the Celtic goddess Arianrhod, called Shava and Ardiana by the Elves – the White Goddess of Stars and the Queen of Heaven. In Roman and Greek myth she is Venus and Aphrodite, goddess of love, but for the Elves, she is the goddess not so much of carnal love itself, but of the enchanting power of beauty. She is named Danu by the Celts, the grandmother, and is called Spider Grandmother because she created the starry net of the night sky. Her web is manifested in the twining limbs of the forest trees as they reach upwards in the worship of her.

Hazelnuts feed the Salmon of Wisdom in its deep pool. Its colour is midnight blue, its stone lapis lazuli or blue sapphire. It’s bird is the crane. Shava is considered the teacher of enchanters and all worthy wizards and bards are summoned to her table. Sacred to Shava, Hazelwood is imbued with magical power. It’s nuts feed the Salmon of Wisdom in its deep pool. The hazelnut is also connected magically to the heart chakra. Well-suited to the magic of wisdom, beauty, charm, love, stars, navigation, and creativity.

Cedar (Chakris) Sacred to the cross-quarter feast of Imbolc, which in the Elvish tradition, is the Feast of Shava, Queen of Stars. Yet it Cedar is also associated with the goddess Sezh or Persephone in her Underworld time, withdrawn from the mundane surface of existence during the season of snows. Evergreen Cedar is sacred, like Juniper, for the promise of eternal life. Its number is thirty, its colour pale yellow, and its bird the goldfinch. Chakris recalls the Cedars of Lebanon, the wood from which the great Jewish Temple of Solomon was built. Associations with Solomon are, of course, always magical, that great king being legendary for his powers of magic and ability to bind spirits to his service.

Cedar is a wood of protection and preservation. Imbolc or Oimelc is also, traditionally, the time of the lambing when the milk of the ewes comes, thus the linkage of the festival to milk, as well as to light. Chakris symbolises and embodies the light in the darkness, and the brilliance of the Star Goddess in the inky blackness of the interstellar void. Cedar is especially powerful for clearing negativity from an area prior to magical work. The tree is also called Arbor Vitae, Tree of Life.

Especially suited to preservation of sacred places, forests, and groves, the dedication of sacred space for worship and magic, bringing of light out of darkness, star magic of all kinds, and summoning of helpful spirits.

Apple (Queris) Sacred to the Feast of Lughnasa and the Celtic Goddess Rhiannon, who is also one of Shava’s masks, as Goddess of Stars and also of horses. Apple harvest comes on and after the feast of Lughnasa (August 1st) and marks one of the major foods of the Elves, often associated with the Faerie realms and the Isle of Avalon. Thus the wood has the power of Avalon and the immortality of the Faerie realms. The Q-rune is also called Quenda, in Elvish Eranor, which is the Rose bush whose bright colours evoke the spirit of light and love in the season of Lugh, or Obraash, Mellar of the Sun. It’s sacred number is seventy; its sacred bird the rose-breasted grosbeak.

Shamans and ancient poets are often described carrying apple branches as symbols of their office and the famous Silver Bough of Apple provided entry to Faerie. Especially suited to opening the doorways into Faerie, spells to do with horses or travel, illumination, enhancing any skill, love, harmony, and beauty, harvest, and magic of divine, shamanic madness or visionary experience.

Linden (Ohm) The Linden, also called Basswood and Lime-tree, is the tree most sacred to the goddess Shava, who may be found in Celtic Arianrhod, and Greek Aphrodite: Queen of Stars and Love. Her nature is as much fiery as airy being the spirit of Divine Light. Linden wood is laden with the power of attraction that underlies not only love, infatuation, and harmony, but also the very fabric of the material cosmos in such forces as magnetism, adhesion, and gravity. It is a wood of truly cosmic power on every dimension and sphere of the Tree of Life. Linden is a very light, airy, and smooth wood, excellent for carving and capable of supporting fine details.

Especially suited to star magic, spells of creation and transmutation, illumination, love, attraction, healing, enhancement of beauty and peace, and acts of enchantment.

Yew (Ioho) Sacred to Mercury, the spirit of intellect, thought, and communication and master of magic, incantations, and runes. He is also the psychopomp, guide of souls from one world to the next. As such, the evergreen Yew bears powers over travel between the worlds. In the Elvish pantheon, Mercury is Islaar, a shape-shifting, androgyne who is both the great Teacher and the mischievous Trickster. Patron of thieves as well as Poets and Seers, Islaar is a mystic power as well as the divine spirit of thought. As Trickster, he is the inspirer of wit and eloquence. The Yew is the tree of the Ovate, the seer and healer in Druid tradition. As such it bridges the worlds and opens doorways into the Otherworld.

Yew is especially suited to spells of transformation and transfiguration, illusion, astral travel, mediumism, necromancy, the conjuration of helpful spirits, guides and ancestors, and also spells to bestow knowledge, eloquence, or persuasion.

Trees of Elemental Fire

Oak (Duir, Dwyr)

The most powerful and sacred of Druid woods, Oak is magically linked to the constellation Leo. It holds power to draw lightning or the bolt of inspiration. The Sun, which rules Leo, is the source of life and light. Psychologically it is the centre of the Self. Oak symbolises all solar heroes, those who venture out from their homelands to achieve great deeds and bring home wondrous treasures. Oak traditionally provided not only one of the most durable woods for construction and fuel, but also the acorn from which the early tribes fed their pigs throughout the winter.

Oak is one of the longest lived trees, thus embodying great wisdom as well as strength. The name Duir is related to dwyn, “door,” or “portal,” the great door of a manor dwelling. It is also, of course, often linked to drwyd, “druid” or “wizard.” As the wizard wood, there is no more magical wood for wand making and it is especially noted for enhancing the endurance of spells against time and counterspell. The acorn is associated magically with a helmeted head and so to the crown chakra.

Natural branches of Oak are often twisted and gnarly and have a coarse, dark grain. It is a hard and heavy wood. Especially suited to the magic of kingship and wise rule, personal sovereignty, authority, power, protection, sealing or opening doors, endurance, and invocation of wisdom, fertility, and abundance.

Holly (Tinne) Associated with the Holly King who defeats the Oak King at Midsummer each year and reigns until the Winter Solstice, Holly is one of the fieriest of woods and second only to Oak for its sacred regard by the Druids. The Gaelic “tinne” is thought to mean “fire.” Its rune in the Alferic Ogham is the same as the Futhark rune Tyr, and like that rune is associated with the Spear, one of the magical weapons of the Tuatha de Danann, and also of Odin. The spear is one of the prototypes of the magical wand, a phallic , yang instrument for projecting will and inseminating matter with life and creative seed-forces.

Mars, or in Elvish the god Ambash, rules Holly. Ambash is also associated with the Wildman of the Forest, the untamable power of the forest depths and its procreative essence. It is associated with Midwinter but actually reigns over the “dark half” of the year when the solar tide is waning, from Midsummer to Midwinter. Oak rules the waxing tide of the sun. It is calendrically associated with Capricorn as the Constellation presiding at the Winter Solstice; however, the Alferic tradition also associates it with Aries, a constellation ruled traditionally by Mars.

Holly has been regarded as a powerful protective wood, good against evil spirits, poisons, angry elementals, and lightning. It is also associated with dream magic and fertility and is well-suited for any magic dealing with the overthrow of old authorities, success in business or endeavour, or spells seeking progress to a new stage of development. Holly wood is very fine-grained, hard, and smooth, and almost ivory in colour if it is not stained. It is a truly exquisite wood for wands.

Redwood/Sequoia (Thor) The giant redwood is the most magnificent of all conifers and its Elvish name, Thor, draws an association with the Norse god of that name, the spirit of thunder, storm, and lightning. As an evergreen, Redwood is the embodiment of life and the assertive phallic striving upward to the sky. Its rune in the Alferic Ogham looks like a doubling of Tinne (see Holly above), a twin spearhead, barbed perhaps, and also resembling the stately conifer form itself. It is associated with the constellation Sagittarius, the Archer, and the Centaurs. It is also associated with the Stag-god Orion, who in Greek tradition is the archetypal Hunter. Ambash, the God of Beasts is the Hunter in the Alferic tradition, but his counterpart, from whom he is inseparable, is Orion, the hunted Stag of Summer. The Stag or White hart is the magical animal of the deep forest whose appearance invariably leads the heroic hunter into some adventure in the Otherworld. Orion is in fact regarded as a spirit most closely linked to the planet Uranus and the Greek Titan Prometheus, bringer of fire and teacher of all arts to humankind, a spirit, as the poet Shelley argued, of rebellion and revolution. However, there is also a feminine side to the redwoods, for they grow in vast groves and these resonate with the power of the Great Goddess. Such groves are called by the Sarithin, the Halls of Yavanna. Magically, Redwood is excellent for drawing down power from Heaven to Earth, spells of religious seeking and discipline, spells of mystical union with nature and wild animals, hunting magic, the martial arts as a spiritual discipline, and spells for innovation and sudden revelation. We usually use milled redwood for wands, which has a very broad and beautiful grain, is quite lightweight and soft, and which has a dark red colour without the need of any stain. The wood tears easily as so is not well-suited to detailed carving.

Hickory (Axara) Hickory is sacred to Obraash, God of the Sun, who is also Lugh and Apollo. His colour is golden yellow, his stones citrine, and yellow topaz. His sacred birds are the Phoenix and the peacock. Obraash is one of the principal fire spirits whose domain is kingship, the wise use of power, unification of peoples, and wholeness, both of the individual personality and of a society.

Hickory is a hard and close-grained wood, with solar energies similar to Oak. Because of its durability, it is traditionally used for making bats, sticks, and clubs — the primitive prototypes of the magic wand or royal scepter, signifying power to command and direct action. The Eranor word axara shares a root with axalla “majesty” and lex “crown.” The hickory nut is linked to the solar plexus chakra.

Hickory is especially suited to the magic of abundance, wholeness, power, presence, command, discipline, acquisition, giving of gifts, and the finding of direction.

Cherry (Oadha) Cherrywood is sacred to Ambash, God of the Hunt, of Beasts, and of War. He is also Ares, Mars, Herne, Teutates, Tyr. Cherry is sacred likewise to female deities of hunt and battle: Artemis, Morrigan. Cherrywood is red in colour and darkens with age and exposure to the sun. Its companion stones are obsidian and sard. Its sacred bird is the Red-tailed hawk. The sound of the rune Oadha carries with it the aspiration of Thor (Redwood) and the vibratory qualities of Duir (Oak).

Cherrywood carries the energy of the magical Will through which magical intentions are directed into the outer world of manifestation. Cherrywood is imbued with the power of making and doing achievement, and self-assertion over obstacles and critics. It is the pure energy of Will and desire. The cherry fruit is magically linked to the root chakra and so to sex and birth: the life force of attraction and renewal. Its sweet-scented flowers evoke eroticism and the power of love in its more subtle forms as well as the essence of springtime with its powers of renewal.

Especially suited to invocations and blessings of sacred fires, spells of finding, hunting, conflict, war, competition, sex, passion, communion with animals, unification of groups or tribes, and the amplification of magical will.

Walnut (Yuin) Sacred to Vashaan the Lord of Winds and Lightning, Walnut partakes of Elemental Air and Fire. It is perhaps the consummate wood for weather magic. The shape of the walnut nut connects it magically to the head, and so to the crown chakra. Its colour is turquoise blue, its stones turquoise, blue topaz, and sardonyx. Vashaan’s sacred bird is the Eagle, particularly the Bald Eagle. The rune Yuin depicts the “First Swirlings” of the universe. It is the centripetal force of outward movement or expansion that complements Shava’s powers of attraction. Thus Yuin has power over all magical acts of expansion: expansion of wealth, horizons, the mind, the feelings. Its scope is limitless and its age unfathomable.

The nut of the walnut tree is linked to the Windlord’s creation myth, in which his tempests shake the walnut tree so that the nuts fall to earth and are buried by the squirrels. From these nuts spring forth the race of Elves. So the war-helms of the ancient Sarith knights, the Shazarin, are shaped like half of a walnut shell. Vashaan is called by the Elves Valma and is associated with the gods Zeus, Jupiter, Thor, and Vishnu. Walnut wood ranges from light to very dark and is well-suited to wand carving.

Walnut is especially suited for wind and weather magic, spells of expansion, vortices, enhancement of the powers of breath, spells to cast or avert lightning, teleportation and astral travel, and inspiration.

Beech (Sultan) Sacred to Obraash the Sun lord, whom the Elves call Alba, Beechwood is closely related to Oak. The Beech tree is a large and spreading tree that bears edible nuts. It was particularly valued by the ancient Celts — and the Elves — as a nut used to fodder animals, especially the sacred swine. Beech is the family of trees to which Oak belongs, thus is Beech sometimes called Atarya Dwyrion, “Grandfather of Oaks.” The name Beech relates to the Germanic word for Book and tradition tells that beech wood was used to make the first writing tablets for the runes. Hence, Beech is deeply associated with learning and lore, and with the divinatory power of the runes.

Like Greek Apollo, the Elvish Alba drives his sun-ship across the sky each day and passes to every world of manifestation, sources of light, beauty, and life. Apollo is also considered to be a spirit of youth, archery, and prophecy, the latter because of his conquest of the Pythian serpent at Delphi and subsequent assumption of the powers of the Delphic oracle. In Celtic tradition, many gods are associated with the sun’s light, among them Ogma Sunface, god of eloquence who created the ogham letters, and Oenghus mac Og, god of love and youth. The wood of the Beech has a superb grain that finishes most beautifully. The Elvish rune Sultan is the same as the Norse rune Sol, the solar rune which has also been interpreted to mean “victory.”

Magical operations especially applicable to Beech include spells of information, especially seeking old wisdom; invocation of ancient guardians or Ancestors; research into old writings and the runes; the magic of the Summer Solstice, the culmination of desires; the magic of victory.

Osier or Dogwood (Zallis) Osier is a tree most sacred to Agni, the primordial Fire. Zallis is held, by the Elves, to be sacred to the spring fire festival of Beltane (or Agnianna as they also name it). Agni, who is not numbered among the twelve Mellarin, may be equated to the Celtic god Belinos (for whom Beltane is named). He is called Atarya Tulkazo, “Grandfather of Tulkas,” who is the fire of passion, desire, and will. Agni is often considered to be a mask of Olan, the Great Spirit who goes before all and encompasses all.

The Elves sing that Agni is the father of Shava, Star Queen, and also of Abban, the great subterranean Father of volcanic fire and the forge. The red-barked Osier is associated with fertility and sexual attraction. For Agni is not only the sacrificial fire but also the fire of loins and procreation, the energy of bud and flower. The rune Zallis, shaped like an X, is considered one of the most powerful runes for magic invoking the protective and creative power of fire and is often used alone as a sign for banishing disruptive forces and deception. By association with the Futhark rune Gifu, it also bears a sense of happiness and warmth or comfort.

The wood’s name “dogwood” also carries associations with the Irish hero Cuchullain, whose name meant “the dog of Chullain” referring to his loyalty. This gives the wood magical links to the warrior heroism and superhuman physical prowess of the hero and links to domesticated dogs, their healing and protection and their loyalty and affection too.

Magical operations especially applicable to Osier include magic of flowering; the evocation of one’s Ancestors; renewal of cycles of fertility; consecration of ritual or hearth fires; giving of comfort or healing, and spells of banishment and protection.

Trees of Elemental Water

Alder (Fearn) Alder is sacred to the constellation Pisces, the Fishes. It is a wood which lasts a long time submerged in water and is often found on river and lake banks. When first cut its wood appears red like blood and so was traditionally viewed as ill-omened but this is an oversimplification. It’s bloody appearance may have influenced Alder’s popularity as a wood for warrior’s shields in Celtic tradition. In Elvish Eranor Fearn comes from the root feä, meaning “fey” or Faerie magic. This rune invokes astral protection as well as physical and can open the mind to the deep wisdom of the watery element in the form of dreams. It can protect one from the emotions of others, especially warlike anger or bloodlust.

Alder is particularly potent for protection against drowning or disaster by storm or flood. Its use in bridges, half submerged, symbolises not only its power as a bridge between worlds but its mentality, amphibiously aware of the conscious and unconscious worlds, the above and below, the overt and the hidden. Fearn’s ruling Mellar is Ulmaren, the Water Mother.

Magical operations most applicable to Alder include protection against drowning and death; death curses and shielding against them; shielding against all ill-omens and destructive emotions; cultivation of the vision of inner and outer worlds; bridging of the above and below; preparation for conflict; shielding against unwanted intrusions from beyond.

Birch (Beith) Sacred to the festival of Alban Eiler (Vernal Equinox). Its number is forty and its bird the white egret. In the Celtic Ogham Beith is accorded prestige as the first tree, one of the trees that emerges first to establish a new forest, a harbinger of youth and springtime. It is often associated with the beginning of the year, and in the Alferic tradition is linked to the beginning of the cycle of growth and renewal in Spring. It is a tree of beginnings in general and of the Bards, as the first grade of the Druid order.

The Bards are according to first honour as the singers of the Creation epics, those who sang the worlds into existence. Birch is also a wood with great powers to purify and discipline, to create the new forest in service to the great trees that will come after, such as the oak and ash and maple. Birch forest is young and so birch is linked to youth and all things new.

Especially suited to the magic of new beginnings, spells of youth and fresh starts, bardic enchantment, creativity, procreation, renewal and rebirth, purification, and spells for discipline and service.

Willow (Awn) Sacred to the Moon, Omulan or Diana, Willow is a wood of the Water Element. Willow is a tree of emotion, love, intuition, and poetic inspiration. Awn is pronounced ahh-oon and is related to as the Druid term awen, the sacred word of inspiration. It is linguistically rooted to Eranor awë, “inspiration” and hwenwë, “breath.”

Omulan is the White Goddess, who has affinities with both the Celtic goddesses Rhiannon and Arianrhod. She is the daughter of Shava and Vashaan, and sister to Islaar, god of magic and thought. As the Moon she rules the cycles of female life and becoming: menstruation, birth, and menopause. By extension, she is mistress of hearth and home and all whatever is considered the traditional sphere of motherhood.

As the great luminary of the night, she also is Astarte, goddess of witchcraft and moon magic, which is to say magic that aims at transformation and natural harmony. Willow is especially suited to works of the New Moon, magic related to cycles of fertility or creativity, spells of glamour and bewitchment, change, relationship and female rites of passage.

The Dark Moon, as it is called, is the time best suited for spells of dissolving and banishment, the time to get rid of old habits that no longer serve a good purpose in your life. Traditionally associated with witches, willow is the perfect wand wood for the ritual of “Drawing Down the Moon.” As the source of salicylic acid, the main ingredient in aspirin, willow is also a wood appropriate for spells intended to remove pain and give comfort.

Poplar or Aspen (Kenning)

The poplar or its sister the aspen are trees with very soft wood and a pithy core. Their bark is white which is descriptive of their delicate and sensitive character. This tree is sacred to the Lady Nienna, lady of sorrows, of memory and forgetting. Its magic is that of emotion. The subtlety of poplar lends itself to emotional healing work, but may also be used in spells designed to create particular emotions such as fear or anxiety. It is nearly impossible to use poplar to create anger or any of the more assertive passions, but it can be effective in dispelling anger or fear.

As an aid to meditation, a wand of poplar will promote a sense of peace and alertness. These trees have leaves that flutter in the wind. The aspen is sometimes called “quaking aspen” for this reason. If you desire to delve into your own emotions to heal the roots of many health problems, and larger life problems, then poplar would be a good choice for a wand.

Exotic Hardwoods

Ebony Ebony is an exotic hardwood that comes from various sub-tropical climes. It is a wood that is used extensively for carving in Bali and in Africa because of its density and hardness. It is extremely difficult to carve, but the end result is a superb black wood (sometimes with the lighter grain) that is very heavy and magnetically powerful.

Ebony is not one of the sacred woods of the Celts, nor is it included in the version of the Elvish Ogham known to me. However, from working with this wood I have come to see it as a wand perfect for Dark Moon magic, those operations that seek to banish, dissolve, dissipate, or cast off evil or outworn influences.

The Elves tell me that it is a tree strongly attuned to Nienna, goddess of Memory and Forgetting, Joy and Sorrow. I also feel that it carries the energy of the dark of the moon, or of eclipses. Ebony is quite a popular wood for wands and is unquestionably very handsome. It’s presence and energy is very strong, and so it is not a wood for the faint of heart.

Purpleheart Purpleheart is another exotic tropical hardwood that is readily available in milled stock. It is a wood with very long coarse fibres and so difficult to carve without splitting. This bespeaks the wood’s sensitivity and flexibility. It is a medium density and heaviness and can be finished to a lustrous smoothness which captures its remarkable purplish-red colour.

Like Ebony, Purpleheart is not a wood that has attached to it any Celtic lore, or Elvish lore that I am aware of. However, from my own work with this wood, I have come to the conclusion that it is very well-suited for work with the heart chakra. This means that it is good for emotional as well as physical healing, for opening up the seat of compassion and generosity, and for any work involving the blood. Its colour gives it attunement to the violet and ultraviolet frequencies of magic, which is those centred on control, especially over other magic.

goodwitcheshomestead.com/2017/04/09/dryads-trees-the-fifth-element/

[full-metal-femme]

Finished the metalwork on this patch, going to be mounting it on the fabric tonight :) very excited for it to get to where its going! The message on it was requested, not my original words but i love them :)

#daughter of mercury metalworks #trans #trans art #lgbt #queer #queer joy #battle jacket #metal #handmade #punk

[full-metal-femme]

It just occurred to me that I don't think I've ever actually introduced myself here 🙃

My name is Sarah, I live in Scotland, and I make cool metal shit 😉👉🏻👉🏻

(The picture of the dude with the beard jewellery is not me 😂)

#daughter of mercury metalworks #jewelry #jewellery #handmade jewelry #craft #metalwork #metal #handmade #alternative #goth #metalsmith #custom #braids #braid jewelry #braid jewellery #wearable art #punk #queer #trans #lgbt #sewing #customization #customize

[full-metal-femme]

New hair daaaaaay 👈🏻😎👉🏻

Feels so good to have dark hair again, i never realised how much I missed it! Lookit how pretty my shinies are on it :)

#daughter of mercury metalworks #dark hair #black hair #metal #jewellery #jewelry #metalwork #handmade #metalsmith #custom #braid spikes #braid jewelry #hair jewelry #hair jewellery #hair spikes #braid jewellery #trans #lgbt #blacksmith

[full-metal-femme]

A few different shots of my jacket and a silly video because algorithms (idk how it works here but other apps need vids).

If anyone wants to hire me as a model, better get in fast before I eventually end up tattooing my face ;)

Jacket is a "Bonnie Prince Charlie" style kilt jacket, part of scottish formal dress. Usually you'd only see folk wearing them at weddings or maybe you'll spot an errant piper harassing people into a migraine wearing one 😂 Stg bagpipes are a joke we played on the world.

I'm hoping to make jackets like this available either as a service (like we discuss, you send me your jacket and I do the alterations and send it back) or making just more like this and selling them on my website so lemme know if you want one ahd I'll try to figure it out :)

In the meantime, check out my website for related wearable metal nonsense and much more! I do make metal clothes patches that folks can sew on themselves so you too can be this badass ;)

#daughter of mercury metalworks #custom #custom clothing #custom jacket #formal #jewellery #jewelry #art #wearable art #battle jacket

[full-metal-femme]

It's happening! Armour for my battle jackets 😁

I feel a little at odds being so pleased with how this is working out given the reason behind making it but I think it's allowed 😅

#art #battle jacket #custom #customise #customized #armour #armor #Daughter of Mercury Metalworks

[full-metal-femme]

Horn hair spike 🥰 these are a lot more work than just the standard spikes - to get the curve I need to solder (don't worry, silver solder, not lead solder) the seam so it doesn't collapse. This also means a ton more cleanup getting all the flux and potentially excess solder off.

It's best to do the lions share of the polishing while it's straight but that means I will have to polish again after hammering the curve.

Hammering the curve is super nerve racking because it can all go wrong here and I have to start again - I've had the seam split, the cone collapse, the curve go wonky, all sorts - its deceptive everything that goes into something seemingly so simple, just one little curve on the end! It's a whole different thing though, finishing the spike to the usual standard is only half way 🫠

#daughter of mercury metalworks #metal #jewellery #craft #alternative #metalsmith #custom #handmade #horn #jewelry #goth #metalwork

[full-metal-femme]

Check it out! First set of crystal bullet hair spikes made and ready to go 🥰

How they work, what they look like, and where to get them ;)

#daughter of mercury metalworks #jewellery #jewerly #bullet jewelry #upcycled #craft #alternative #handmade #goth #custom #braid spikes #hair spikes #small business

[full-metal-femme]

Little bit of trans joy today as I work on this order! I'll update with the finished piece but the important part is how just one act of love can go a long way and reach others.

Love you all! Take care of yourselves ❤️

#trans #trans joy #art #trans art #metal #handmade #metalwork #daughter of mercury metalworks #goth #patch #patches #punk #clothes patch #custom #customise #customize

[full-metal-femme]

Making these in the ludicrous late summer humidity has exhausted me, but fuck they came out good 😗🤌🏻

#daughter of mercury metalworks #braid spikes #hair jewelry #hair Spikes #braid jewelry #braid jewellery #tentacles #tentacle jewelry #custom #jewelry