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riveroracle · 1 year

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Lie Down in the Evening

By Christina, River.Oracle

Some days I wake up like an ox

I earned these stout stone shoulders

I learned to carry her

In the vast empty cold, alone

I marvel at my strength like the rock wall reaching heaven

This cliff is where the angels jump.

Some days I only carry my feet.

If it's a cloud or only the snow in the wind, I can't tell the difference.

I haven't seen a green thing for so long I tried to grow leaves inside of me

There's too much stone in my soil,

Like the land where I was born

Some days I am the bison

Unyielding under the weight of a million carcasses who came before me

I try to paint their bones but there are so so many

Instead they carve into my skin and bones and remind me of the grassland my mother once knew

The earth combs her hair

And stillness falls away, a petal in the wind

Some days I am only dust.

Peace looks like surrender to the wind.

Her tears sting my face as they crash down from heaven,

I think clouds are another world.

If I could just reach my hands into her nothingness and draw them out like something new and unborn

If I could be the seed, reaching, still blind under the soil

The sun has yet to hit my face

I am cold and some days I'm comfortable that way

It's the moon who has seen me, shedding, writhing

A dance that no man would recognize

Her gentle kiss is the key to my stuck ribs

Some days I am the black walnut tree

I mark black every finger print that ever touched me

Sometimes it's love, but you'd never know if it wasn't.

When the night falls in like leaping into the abyss,

The stars are easy for my tired eyes.

They paint me in colors I could only hope to learn.

The dark settling under the trees like so many ravens, beckons me away from the fire.

Lifeless, still, I collapse

My bones tumble in a hollow clatter

In the dirt, I lie, jumbled, unafraid of the dead things

Sometimes I think I'm one of them

Or I wish to be, I feel my skin

Piece by piece, opening to let the earth in

The earth opens and lets me in too.

When the dawn strikes me I will remember the lightning

It struck me like I've never been struck

But I have.

I've only forgotten the embrace of the thunder.

I rise again on feeble legs

And there lies the ox, the bison

I wonder if I am one of them.

Their pelt stripped away, their hearts and kidneys and so much blood exposed.

I think I remember the seed I was

I try to imagine it, before the wind kissed me

Before the moon became my lover

Before I needed the ox's shoulders.

I wonder if bison ever kneel before the sunset

If they bow their horns to kiss the beloved earth

I wonder if the ox ever lies down in the evening.

I wonder if they miss the sun.

If the rain on their face looks like so many tears.

#modern paganism #pagan witch #paganism #folk magic #traditional withcraft #bison #buffalo #pagan poetry #poetry #witchcraft #folk witchcraft #polytheism #witch #American witch #witch poetry #witch art #nature #nature poetry #Ozark witch

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the-trans-folk-witch · 2 months

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The Seven Deadly Sins: sins personified via animism and the church.

The arte of the witch is syncretic with the arte of demons. To usurp and overthrow the oppressor, and to cause sins within the souls of men. How does a witch do this? the Seven Deadly Sins or "cardinal sins" are the answer.

The image above depicts these 7 sins within the man's heart/soul as being animals. As an animist I can not help but view these animals as being true personification. Symbolism is not a thing to me, but a person. Although I'm sure the creator of this image was very much a good Catholic man who was not an animist, we can still utilize this image today as animists.

In traditional witchcraft it's common to call upon familiars associated with cardinal directions.a common example would be the toad, hare, serpent, and crow. However within my own arte I call upon the familiars of the cardinal sins pictured above.

The traditional meanings of these animals are as follows:

The toad- greed

The serpent- envy

The [mountain] lion- wrath

The snail- sloth

The pig- gluttony

The goat- lust

The peacock (or turkey) - pride.

This list although very eurocentric and representative of my own cosmology, can be reworked to fit your own landscape and culture. If you do not have any of the animals near you, change the list! Get to know the spirits of your land and assign your own familars to these sins.

In cases where the witch is cut off from nature, and the animals' parts are not on hand to conjure the spirit, there are demons traditionally associated with these sins as well. And demons are very present within the lives and bodies (posession)of man. The demons are changed in name and sinful virtue based on time period and culture. But the two most popular lists come from "the lantern of light" and Binsfield. Whichever resonates most is the answer.

The witch may call upon these demons or animal familiars for the arte that is cursing man. What i consider man can very well be the gender or just all humanity (non witches) themselves. But these beliefs are very forcibly removed from modern witch-caucus.

As for the remedy for these sins, one must request the aid of the 7 heavenly virtues. These vurtues are as follows:

The heavenly virtues being the holy opposites of these Infernal spirits of demons or animals. These virtues are depicted as 7 angels, or 7 saints. Again, whichever list you prefer is the answer. The angels are a more modern concept applied by western occultusts. And are taken from my previous post on the 7 angels of planets. They are the main 7 Archangels found in Manila traditional catholic orders.

There are also lists of saints you can call against certain demons listed in the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum which i will share here

The work is never just left or right, but in between the holy and heretical. The saints and demons are beneficial to the witch just as they are to the church. With sin comes hell, and with the holy spirit comes heaven. God commands both, as do witches. Therefore I am now God.

#folk witchcraft #traditional witchcraft #transgender witches #beginner witch #folk catholicism #animism #santa muerte #folkloric witchcraft #witchcraft #ozark magic #demonology #demonolotry #grimoire #satanism #theistic satanism

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oliviarosaline · 1 month

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Ozark Witch-Hazel

Hamamelis vernalis

This species of witch-hazel requires a winter freeze to bloom and is endemic to the Ozarks in Missouri, Arkansas, and parts of eastern Oklahoma.

Feb. 6th, 2023

Augusta, St. Charles County, Missouri, USA

Olivia R. Myers

@oliviarosaline

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queenlakecrossplay · 6 months

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Scarlet Blackfire: "Thunder Mountain Park"

Another witchy inspired goth crossplay that was inspired by the one and only Anjelica Rose A.K.A Drackuanjelica on Instagram was done early morning at the Bridal Cave Thunder Mountain Park The weather was at its best in every way with the fall trees at full color.

The Halloween and Fall display was the perfect backdrop for this picture opportunity. I have many plans and videos for this park in mind in the future. Once again it was great to do this crossplay with little to no trouble. Later on, I'll show an extra I took days before this crossplay. I think you will like it just as much.

#halloween#halloweenfun#cosplay#crossplay#BridalCave#thundermountain#witch#pumpkin#fishnets#inspired#fallvibes#LakeoftheOzarks

#halloween #cosplay #crossplay #fishnets #bridalcave #thunder mountain #witch #pumpkins #inspired #fall #goth #gothic #lake of the ozarks

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paintingorbust · 2 years

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Ozark Howler : cryptid pattern making

Art by Emelia Dennis

@paintingorbust on ig

www.paintingorbust.com

#ozark howler #artwork #femaleartist #arkansasartist #digitalart #ozark magic #choccy milk #garter snake #witch aesthetic #cryptid

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flowerishness · 3 months

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Hamamelis vernalis (Ozark witch-hazel)

The 'witch' in witch-hazel has nothing to do with black cats and broomsticks. It's actually derived from the Olde English word wice, meaning "pliant" or "bendable", a reference to its twigs and branches. At this time of year, it's pleasure to see anything in bloom but this magnificent specimen is really putting on a show.

There are five species of witch-hazel, one from China, one from Japan and three from North America. This particular species, Hamamelis vernalis, is native to the Ozark Mountains (Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas). It's quite tall for a witch-hazel, maybe 15 feet, and it blooms in late winter, just before it 'leafs-out'. It has strongly scented flowers and hybrids are available in pink, bronze and red but I think I like it in the original yellow the best.

#flowers #photographers on tumblr #witch-hazel #winter flowers #yellow #fleurs #flores #fiori #blumen #bloemen #Vancouver

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spikesgeliebte · 2 months

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Part 5 of the White Rose Saga

Deadly Magic

Aria wakes up unconscious in the Ozark woods. Surrounded by cops, she finds herself the prime suspect in a brutal murder case. A desperate call to Dean drags the Winchester brothers into a grim investigation. Aria insists on her innocence, but a mysterious brand thwarts her magical escape attempts.

Dean ventures into a cabin Aria mentioned, stumbling upon the gruesome scene of a witch murder – a corpse with a ripped-open chest and a stolen heart. Pieces of obsidian point to a dark secret. Amid the investigation, a wounded stranger appears, pleading for Dean's help.

But these dark events are just the tip of the iceberg. A kidnapping, a mysterious murder, and a web of deceit surround the Winchester brothers. In their quest for the truth, they confront loss, grief, and a hidden conspiracy. Fate has more in store for them than they could ever have imagined.

Chapter 1 - Fallen Blood

#supernatural #spn #dean winchester #spnfandom #sam winchester #castiel #spn fanfic #supernatural fanfiction #White Rose Saga AO3

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nomi--sunrider · 6 months

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⭐ for the fic writer's ask!

Ah, a behind the scenes for Then, Now, and Always. Let's see....

Oh I know! I'll unpack the scene that got me the most negative feedback I've ever received on anything I've written: The Duel from Chapter 25: Battle of the Goddesses.

(I haven't talked about Then, Now, and Always in like a month, so be prepared for an essay.)

I thought up the silent Tally/enraged Alder epic duel very early on in the drafting process. Literally, it's in the first, very very rough draft in my docs, which is about 15 pages long and half-summary, half- little bites of scenes.

The reason I wanted them to have The Duel is twofold:

It's genuinely the most tragic thing I could think of for two people who love(d) each other. Y'know? Like Anakin and Obi-Wan on Mustafar. Badass scene, but you're fully aware of the tragedy all the way through. It's supposed to hurt that these two women who once loved each other are now on opposite sides of a war and forced to do battle.

2. I thought it would be fucking awesome.

Part of the inspiration of Then, Now, and Always was this scene:

Tally Craven's hottest scene in the whole show imo. What was I gonna do, give her an enhanced witch baton and not let her use it to full effect? And who else was she going to fight who mattered? It had to be Alder.

Also, Alder's headbutt was dumb. You can quote me on that.

Look, if nothing else, Alder and Tally fight in the actual show. And that fight is important, it does have narrative and thematic relevance, and there is a damn good reason it happened. Unfortunately, that fight is also LAME. Seriously, it is the lamest thing ever! And not even because Tally gets her ass kicked in seconds! The scene is shot cleverly, with perspective shifts and quick camera cuts to veil the fact that the actors and stunt doubles aren't really doing that much. It's the only time we see an actual scourge battle that might have given some indication as to why it's the weapon of choice for witches and why witches make such deadly soldiers. And then it's five seconds long and nothing special.

So I wanted to write a cool fight scene for the fic. Not a spar, by the way. Sparring scenes are popular in fiction, but I personally think they're pointless (unless the author is trying to accomplish something unserious). Literally, a spar is a fake fight. A fascimile. It isn't real. I wanted to write something very, very real. And that led to a lot of the narrative wrapping around making Battle of the Goddesses possible.

Someone on Discord posted during a TNAA discussion "Oh Alder would never hurt Tally." The thing about that is a.) canonically, she can and she has, and b.) For Then, Now, and Always, that's actually not an unreasonable assertion to make. Alder is carrying one hell of a torch. Therefore, I had to make Alder angry enough to actually fight Tally with no holds barred and every intention of beating her.

And that ended up making Chapter 24: Judgment, what it is. In that same very early doc, I had this Petra line.

Literally, that's all. I had no idea where I'd put it or for what reason, but it felt important. I knew about the Ozarks twist from the start, so I knew that someone had to call out Alder for her judgment eventually. Then I realized that, since my plan when I started drafting TNAA was to fix everything, including mandatory freaking conscription of a persecuted minority group, I had the perfect, perfect opportunity to make Alder vicious enough to kill.

Tally's trying dissolve the Salem Accords. That was her endgame the whole time.

Now Alder's angry enough to fight to the death and make the duel truly epic, Tally's goal is much broader, the fic has the chance to move into deeply philosophical, big-picture territory, and I get a pair of dope-ass chapters out of it. Eight birds, one stone. I was so happy.

Zooming back out, I think part of the reason a lot of folks were upset by Battle of the Goddesses pertains to my theory that fanfiction is like ice cream. Easy to eat, requires no effort, delicious and instantly satisfying. The main romantic pairing isn't supposed to fight each other to the literal death, even if it's fucking awesome and deeply symbolic. Duels/battles/wars between two love interests are common fare in sci-fi/fantasy because of their intense thematic and narrative heft, but not in fanfic. That's serving roasted sweet potatoes and kale at an ice cream parlor. It's too much for a lot of readers.

Finally, I think a lot of readers were upset about Alder losing the fight. Here's the thing:

It's not interesting if she wins.

Just like it's not interesting if Goliath beats David or if Jamal doesn't win the jackpot in Slumdog Millionaire. It's a story. The underdog has to win against all odds by their cleverness and mettle. Yes, I too, am sad that Sarah Alder's trauma was never addressed. She's a traumatized, damaged victim of the narrative and her story is a tragedy, start to finish. I think a big draw of the Talder ship is that it allows us to protect and humanize Alder in a way the show never did. Few people want to see her be the victim of even more pain in fic.

This doesn't change the fact that General Sarah Alder is brutal, unyielding, and violent. She's a three hundred year old soldier and her entire existence is war. She is not a good person. To defang her without earning it would be OOC. Trauma doesn't make good people. Healing makes good people. And there's no indication in canon that Sarah Alder has healed in any way, shape, or form.

If you've read this all the way til the end, that's very kind of you. Thanks for letting me ramble!

Why her character arc in Then, Now, and Always really doesn't start until Arc III lmao. When Alder is on her knees, defeated and disgraced, but instead of Petra and Tally going for the kill like they did in the show, they both offer a hand to help her back up. Alder heals because she's given the chance to do so by the people around her. Because I chose to not, y'know, immediately kill her off after tearing her from her pedestal. Genuinely, I have lost so much sleep over all of the amazing, transformative character work the show had in its damn lap and chose to ignore.

#talder #fanfic #nomi--sunrider #then now and always #tally craven #motherland: fort salem #sarah alder #asks

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scoobydoofashion · 2 years

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The Scooby Doo Show - The Ozark Witch Switch

#scooby doo #scoobert doo #velma dinkley #shaggy rogers #daphne blake #fred jones #the scooby doo show #shows #multi #costume #q

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skyloftian-nutcase · 8 months

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I live a couple hours from the Ozarks so I hear some of the vernacular occasionally. I recently learned that witch doctors that broke curses were called Goomer Doctors, and since Twilight had to help Midna break a few of those...Then again, I also kinda find it funny if HC Wind overheard Twilight talking to someone about Goomer doctors, did research, and left Twilight a Goomy Plush with a small hat and a doctor's coat.

I had never heard of this so I did some research too and that’s… interesting. 🤨 But LOL a Goomy Plush 🤣 HC Twi would be leery of any of that, but that’s too funny haha

#you ask skye answers #lovely anon #The idea of people using the Bible for magic sure does make me uncomfortable #🙃👍🏻

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serpentandthreads · 2 years

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Folk Practitioner Survey Results

We had a total of 87 people take part in this survey, so thanks to all of you who submitted your responses! I won't be posting every single response to every question, because that would be way too much to fit here. Instead, I will show the charts available and mention the responses to questions that stood out/weren't repetitive.

Written responses will be quoted, and if I have any commentary to add it will be noted with an ➳ arrow.

The first question was asking about the person's general age, which resulted in the following:

The second question asked about what the individual practices, which resulted in the following:

The third question was optional, specifically catered to those who selected the "other" option. We got a variety of results from this, but to simplify it, the following folk practices were mentioned in those results: Welsh, Filipino, Caribbean, Cornish, Hoodoo, Australian, Brujeria, Jewish, Romani, Hungarian, Transylvanian, Brazilian, Dutch, Western American, Japanese, Finnish, Dutch, French, Scandinavian, Polish, Jeiwsh, Midwestern American and Lithuanian.

The fourth question asked about their ancestors homelands and where the individual came from themselves. Specifically, if they came from the region their folk practices originated from or their ancestors. This resulted in the following:

The fifth question was optional, specifically catered to those who selected the "no" option. We asked why did they choose the folk practices they follow. There weren't many responses that weren't repetitive, but I'll post this one so you can get an idea on what most people said:

"For the Slavic practice, neither myself nor my ancestors came from the region - however it has been calling to me since I was young and their stories and cultures have reached me in my soul. I do my best to not involve myself in ancestry or cultural rites I haven't been invited into, but some I have as I've traveled through the Balkans"

The sixth question asked if the individual was a generational practitioner, reconnecting, mentored or learning by themselves. This resulted in the following:

The seventh question was optional, catering to those who selected the "Not generational; I am learning by myself currently" option. It simply asks how are they learning, which resulted in responses such as the following:

"Mainly by reading books about Appalachian folk magic and following tumblr pages about it"

"Research through as many mediums as I can get my hands on. Academic histories, biographies, other practitioners online, podcasts. I try to cast my net as wide as I can so I have multiple sources that I can contrast and compare."

"books, science articles, personal experience, journaling, cause and effect"

"I have books of Scottish folktales that I try to sieve for info, I have a website full of folktales. I'm looking into witchcraft books written in/about Scotland."

"Not being mentored by any one person re: Appalachian/Ozark magic, but given general guidance and advice by a number of practitioners in the region. Self taught for the rest."

"Somewhere between reconnecting and taught. Took much of my practice from observation of my relatives but I was missing key pieces so I'm going through family accounts and works written by other folk practioners in the region to fill in the gaps."

"Online resources and folklore books mostly"

"Reading. Translating when I have the energy to do so."

"I am learning through research, talking with other folk practitioners from the same areas, and asking other people from my country/region about stories/superstitions!"

"Good ol' internet sleuthing (including JSTOR documents), repudated books, folk witch covenmates on discord, podcasts by authors I like"

➳ A small note I'd like to add; I myself do not believe people can truly learn the folk practices directly related to specific regions without speaking to generational practitioners/folk practitioners native to those regions, but I do applaud many of these people for digging up old books and translating them.

The eighth question asked why the individual chose their folk practices. These were some of the results:

"Other forms of work just didn't work for me, then came the realization that what my Granny did when I was little was a type of magic and I dove headfirst into it."

"It’s a part of my culture and religion. My parents taught it to me and it makes me feel connected to my heritage and my family."

"The adaptable nature and the instinct of it, I grew up with many of the practices just labeled under superstitions instead of magic."

"It's comforting and familiar, it makes the most sense in my head."

"I feel like I resonate with it more. Forgive me, but it's not as hippy-dippy as some of the other magic crafts I have seen. It comes from a place of ancestry and history."

"I’m not a fan of any new age stuff…I remember almost being turned away from magic because i thought it was all love and light with a bunch of yoga teachers….until a brilliant folk witch swept me off my feet and put me in the right direction."

"Truthfully it's the path of least resistance. It makes sense to me in a way that learning other systems never did. It gives me connection to my ancestors when as a queer person that relationship was fraught."

"Folk magic has established traditions that are still highly adaptable"

"To connect with my past and my ancestors. Although I am not white, I grew up in a very white environment, which was rather isolating."

"I find it comforting and it brings me meaning."

The ninth question asked if the individual believed their folk practices are closed, semi-closed or open. This is a topic that tends to be debated a lot, and unfortunately I can't narrow down the results much more than this, so here is the chart:

The tenth question asked to explain their reasoning for the previous question, but I failed to require people to include what folk practices they were speaking on in this question so I'm going to skip over this one.

Many of the responses summed up to "It's open, because if you feel called to it that should be enough" or "It's semi-closed because although many traditions are open, you should be living on the land it's from/learning from generational practitioners/much of it is oral tradition". Those who selected "closed" were dominantly bipoc individuals who were speaking on hoodoo, brujeria and things of that nature.

The eleventh question asked everybody to select the religion (or lack of) they followed. These were the results:

The twelfth question asked if religion (or lack of) impacted the individual's practice in any way. These were some of the responses:

"Yes. I incorporate the worship of God into my practices"

"No it doesn't. I keep my religion and my practice very separate due to quite a bit of Christianity related trauma."

"They are intertwined! The christian part anyway. I keep my pagan practices separate."

"I've definitely had to make compromises with a few spirits because of my personal beliefs but we cool"

"Yeah i struggle a lot with how religion fits into my practice as i am From primarily Christian areas. It’s something i am still working through"

"Yes, Christianity is very tied to Appalachian folk magic but I’m not longer Christian so sometimes it can be hard to balance being atheist with the strong Christian traditions of the practice."

"I identify as pagan and often times struggle to make folk practices which are heavily influenced by Christianity fit my deities and what I want to work with."

"A lot of folk magic is intertwined with Christianity. I'm not over the moon about it, but I understand why. I'm trying to see if it makes a difference if you separate out the Christianity versus leaving it in."

"Raised culturally Christian but Norse pagan now, but am attempting to incorporate certain Christian beliefs (saints, novenas, etc) into my own practice, since a lot of the texts/sources we have are from after the conversion of Scandinavia."

"Not particularly. I keep things separate."

And, finally, the last question simply asked if anybody had anything to add onto their submission for the survey. Here are a few responses that stood out to me:

"If you hear whistling in the woods at night no you didn't :)"

"I enjoyed answering these questions. It has brought some things up in my mind that I need to contemplate for a while. Thank you for that."

"I can’t stand witchcraft social media spaces. Incredible levels of disrespect done against all cultures and practices, meanings and definitions change and become more trendy than sincere. I can’t be a part of a community like that."

"I'm not very articulate and I'm certianly afraid of this coming across the wrong way, but I think there's too much infighting in different esoteric communities when half the time we're doing silly little spells and charms and yes, religion and spirituality are deeply personal and powerful subjects, but the fun in it came from me when I thought how ridiculous it is that my grandma on my dad's side knew mustard seed in a necklace would give me good luck and a wish, or that my baba knew that crosses on the window panes that she traced with fingers dipped in olive oil would keep the house safe. None of these things mean anything except that they mean everything."

"Trans rights"

"Personally, I think we lost something when folk magic began to go on the decline. Throughout all human history magic has been there. Now we have new age people and such. lmao"

"Even if you only just moved to a place, immediately research it's folk traditions cuz they're yours now, too. Chances are as a newcomer you prolly have something new to bring to the potluck as well. Just cite your sources, always."

Thanks to everybody who took part in this survey! I got a lot more responses than I initially expected. I was expecting no more than 30, maybe 40 tops. Yet there were 87. Y'all had me shook lol

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the-trans-folk-witch · 11 days

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A Mini Rant on The Catholic Pentagram

The pentagram much like myself walks two paths. One holy, and one infernal. It is not just a symbol of wicca, witches, satan, or the elements, but one of heaven.

Amien's Cathedral is popular for its inversed pentagram. In old [folk] catholicism the inverse pentagram represented the holy spirit coming down upon christians. It was seen as ethereal fire and the spirit of god himself. Today many folk catholics make this sign over things to bless them as well as the sign of the cross. Just as the crucifix was on many home altars, the inversed pentagram was too! Do not let the New-Agers and wiccan-lites ruin this symbol for you.

The pentagram as stated earlier was used to represent the five elements in occultism. However there was a time it represented the five wounds of christ. (image from @daught3rsofcain)

Along with the five wounds, it was believed to be a symbol of the five senses of man. Smell, taste, touch, sight, and hearing. to place the pentagram at the foot of the cross was representative of god giving us life and of god becoming flesh.

As a folk catholic, I enjoy these older mystical ideas of this symbol. but as a trad witch, I enjoy the satanic aspects of the pentagram too. why cant I have both? In my tradition Jesus and The Devil are treated as yin and yang. As Gemini. As Apollo and Artemis. Both have a place at my altar.

As the inverse pentagram represents divinity it is also the devils horns stirring the heavens.

You can have both. Because they both exist.

rant over.

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oliviarosaline · 1 month

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Ozark Witch-Hazel

Hamamelis vernalis

This fragrant species of witch-hazel requires a winter freeze to bloom and is endemic to the Ozarks in Missouri, Arkansas, and parts of eastern Oklahoma.

Feb. 14th, 2024

St. Louis County, Missouri, USA

Olivia R. Myers

@oliviarosaline

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jasper-pagan-witch · 1 year

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As far as book recs, what books are the least "suspicious"-looking title-wise, like in a won't weird your family out too much way?

This is an interesting question because I'm objectively the least weird person in my immediate family as far as books go. But I'll give this a shot! I'm gonna avoid books with "witch" in the title, but honestly, I have no idea how wary your family may be of books.

The Farmer's Almanac of the year: Once you get past the advertisements, there's a lot of practical growing advice and a surprising amount of magic-related stuff. Well, astronomy/astrology-related stuff, but still. I started using these as of earlier this year and have both the 2022 and 2023 editions. Jasper Category: Regional/Personal Practices.

Roots, Branches & Spirits by H Byron Ballard: My first introduction to the concept of folk magic was this wonderful book on Appalachian folk magic. It inspired me to look a lot more local and eventually led to me finding the Ozark Magic series by Brandon Weston. I'm not sure if it's particularly telling to the casual observer, but it's a fascinating look at someone's personal journey into their local magical tradition. Jasper Category: Regional/Personal Practices.

Badass Ancestors by Patti Wigington: I've gone over this book before, but if you're trying to learn about ancestor work (or even just your ancestors), it has some valuable resources and ideas of where you can look. It's useful enough that it's made it into my reference stacks. Jasper Category: Miscellaneous.

Willow and Sage Homemade Bath and Body: More of a magazine than a book, my May/June/July 2022 edition is a very practical guide for making all kinds of products. I look forward to actually trying out the recipes. It's not magic by any means, but it's helpful. Jasper Category: Miscellaneous.

Pretty much any mythology or history book: We all have those periods of time that we go absolutely batshit over mythology and history, right? Right? Yeah. This is also where my copies of the Homeric Hymns, the King James Bible, and others are located. Jasper Category: History, Religion, and Mythology.

Do I Have To Wear Black? by Mortellus: Likewise, this is an in-depth look at the various religious funerary and mourning practices, especially in modern contexts, brought to us by someone who actually works in that field. Jasper Category: History, Religion, and Mythology.

Regional ghost stories: I happen to have several Missouri-based or Mississippi River-based books on ghosts. These help take a look at folklore, history, and how things evolve and change over time, as well as how they stay in the public consciousness. Jasper Category: History, Religion, and Mythology.

Regional farming/planting guides: Similarly, I'm in Missouri, so a good number of my gardening guides are either about planting indoors, planting edible plants, or planting things that work great here in Missouri. Jasper Category: Gardening and Plants.

Historically- or locally-significant books of folktales, poetry, and fiction: We've got Edgar Allen Poe's complete works, we've got the Brothers Grimm, we have five great Greek tragedies in one book, we've got Horrible Phobias Lovecraft's works (may he rest in the racist squallor box and may he spin in his grave over everyone wanting to kiss his monsters), we've got Dante, we've got the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, we have "Jasper ran out of money but keeps trying to wipe out the book store's shelves of any significantly-old book with a new or fancy cover EVEN IF THEY ALREADY OWN IT." We've got the range. These are great for summoning up specific feelings or memories, for coming up with chants, for pop culture magic, for everything! And if anyone asks, you're just a fan of the classics! Jasper Category: Old Shit.

Unfortunately, most of my beginner-focused books, my tarot books, my spellbooks, and my correspondence-based books are a lot less low-key.

I hope this gives you a few ideas! I'm sorry if this isn't particularly helpful, I'm just not in a place where I have to be worried about people seeing that I practice magic. I mean, I have 62 tarot and oracle decks lined up on my shelves, it would be foolish of my family to NOT notice.

~Jasper

#answered #bruxtia #books

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stigmvtas · 24 days

Text

TALES OF HOLLOWAY — ASTER DAHLIA.

welcome to marina, ASTER HOLLOWAY ( nonbinary, they/them ) ! they are a TWENTY EIGHT year old WITCH (CRADLE) who resides in TOWER HILL. They work as a BOTANIST / MAGIC DEALER and are said to look a lot like LIV HEWSON. People around the island find them to be SAGACIOUS and MAVERICK, but also DOMINEERING and SPLENETIC. what do you think?

CONTENT WARNING FOR WILDFIRES, PARENTAL/FAMILIAL DEATH, GRIEF, ILLNESS, AND (MAGIC) ADDICTION.

profile.

full name — aster dahlia holloway.

nickname(s) — n/a; no nickname required - is anti nickname & will not respond to anything other than their own name.

date of birth & age — april 1st, 1996. twenty8.

gender / pronouns — nonbinary. they/them.

sexuality — gay<3.

typing — witch ( cradle ).

occupation — botanist, potioneer, & underground dealer of plants both of magical and poisonous properties. owner of narcissus' den under pseudonym of same name. opium harvester. girl fucker.

astrology — aries sun, virgo moon, capricorn ascending.

interests — plants of all nature. potion crafting. sudden strokes of genius. finance books and keeping a tight grip over what is theirs. revenge, vengeance, retribution, spite, etc.

aversions — cops. cop - adjacents. "i can fix them" motherfuckers. overfamiliarity in intimate moments. industrialists. fleeting moments of doubt and a guilty conscious.

next in queue — officer that's not mine! by sorry mom; the scratch by 7 year bitch; moaning lisa smile by wolf alice.

notable features — a full - freckled face and a permanently set frown. wiry red hair that's possibly never been brushed. toned arms and skin littered with miscellaneous scars.

general disposition — a held high head that screams insane levels of arrogance, sneers instead of smiles.

last known location — up and personal with a burlesque dancer from pearl's in the alleyway outside their dressing room, mouths red and hands firmly gripped along thigh - aka being a slut.

scrying mirror & kindred — billy butcher ( the boys ), dr. gregory house ( house, md ), steven hyde ( that 70's show ), ruth langmore ( ozark ), april ludgate ( parks & recreation ).

brief history.

born to dahlia verbeck, a local botanist, wildlife conservationist, and volunteer firefighter who was very known in marina's environmentalist scene alongside her twin brother, darius. the two were a team together, witches and scientists who sought to preserve marina's flora and fauna from the destruction of their environment.

aster's father was rarely in the picture - dahlia married at 19 to a man near twice her age, a local cop who never understood dahlia or her passions and left once he realized that there was no controlling her, or their child - who'd grown up to become a splitting image of dahlia.

they never minded maverick, their father, being absent - dahlia was enough of a parent to fill in the "gaps" and aster never wanted anything more except to follow in their mother's footsteps - she'd always been their idol, the one person they could look up to.

wildfire / parental / familial death; when aster was 12, dahlia and darius embarked on a trip into marina's woodlands to observe local flora, collect samples, and conduct a few of their own experiments when seemingly out of nowhere - a wildfire broke out. it took four days and the entire fire department to stop the fire before it spread - and no sign of dahlia or darius except for his wedding ring, and the burnt remnants of their campsite.

maverick took no interest in taking in aster after that - consumed in his own grief despite the abandonment - and darius' wife took aster in instead. she, elaine, convinced she could not grieve under these circumstances - took aster and her daughter, myra, and moved to california. as far away as she could think to take them - away from all the pain of the past.

she tried to occupy their time with the same extracurriculars and hobbies that she had put myra in since early childhood - but aster wasn't graceful like their cousin; and they clashed time after time again.

aster ran away when they were seventeen - after years of tension and arguments, and feeling more isolated and alone than ever. myra could adapt to the situation - could adapt to anything life threw at her, but aster missed home. missed their mother. missed marina.

upon arriving to marina for the first time in years - aster was broke, a high school drop out, and fending for themselves with nowhere to go when they met mother aveira, the coven mother of lune di ecate. she lured aster in with promise of power - of retribution and strength, and aster listened to every word. passed every trial - saddled themselves right besides mother aveira and would've followed her every word.

but it wasn't what it seemed - the coven; and with the more power aster gained, the more energy they felt seeping out of them. the sicker they felt - drained at the expense of the magic flowing through their veins. an argument ensued - and aster broke their contract with hecate - or was it mother aveira? - and left the coven after five years.

now - after years of working under questionable figure to questionable figure and doing anything in their power to find strength of their own - aster's made a career and name for themselves in a few ways. involving a secret "underground" greenhouse, potions and poisons, and their own lucrative drug business. but they're still mad - still angry. still looking for answers.

facts & temperaments.

a cradle witch - aster was born into a long bloodline of witches: the verbecks. like their mother, aster's magic focuses on organic life - mostly plants. mostly.

illness; their father's sick in the hospital, but they've yet to visit him. he has a new family now - and aster can't bring themselves to feel pity. he left them - not the other way around.

(magic) addiction; after years of overusing their magic as a means of survival - aster's now heavily reliant on it. the less they use their magic, the more severe the effects of it seems to be, leading to constant use and constant exhaustion. their magic - once strong - is slowly waning and losing its potency, and aster feels sicker by the day.

they inherited dahlia's estate after her passing - but they reside in tower hill and still haven't been able to go back to their childhood home. it's been untouched ever since - except for the greenhouse, the only place aster dares to escape to and the secluded place where they grow their plants and supply.

strong environmentalist - cares more about the state of marina's flora and fauna than actual people and it's obvious in the way aster regards others.

a naturally harsh, brutish person who doesn't bother with formalities or beating around the bush. painfully honest and doesn't care much about the problems of others unless there's a chance of something benefitting them.

passionate about what they love - sometimes to the point of possessiveness but overcritical towards those they don't have a high regard for. thinks mundane problems are above them and tends to look down on other people.

has a pet tarantula named stevie nicks. <3

they opened narcissus' den only a few years ago because they needed a way to both fund their work and gain intel about the important people of marina. it's essentially their very own gossip hub. blackmail auto farm<3

aster's just kind of mean without prompt. doesn't care much for others and is rarely in a committed relationship - likes to keep things casual and at arms length.

but they're smart<3 always thinking ahead. constantly drawing maps out in their brain, always has an idea of what to do next. doesn't do well with idleness and is extremely arrogant.

has gotten top surgery, doesn't bother to hide the scars and thinks they're sexy ngl.

#marina:intro #˗ˏˋ intro ⟶ ❛ aster holloway ❜#new me new tagging system #wildfire tw #death tw #parental death tw #familial death tw #grief tw #illness tw #addiction tw #drug mention

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