#The queen herself Hecate

[tuxxydo]

the only thing that makes me sad is that about pre-hellboy hellboy comics is that we'll never see hecate unless it's her from like morbillion years ago.

[aspoonofsugar]

Neo's Hecate = The Triple Goddess

Trivia is the Roman name of Hecate, Goddess of witchcraft, crossroads and ghosts. Neopolitan is Roman's Hecate, so her birth name is Trivia. Is that really all there is?

Obviously not. Or at least, Neo's allusion to Hecate can be read in multiple ways. Sure, it might have been an unplanned reference, but by this point (either willingly or not) Neopolitan has grown into Hecate's role. So, let's analyze ice-cream's girl allusion to better understand her story, with a focus on volume 9.

WHO IS HECATE?

Hecate is a Greek Goddes, who is later adopted by the Romans with the name of Trivia. Her origin is probably more ancient than Greek culture, though. In short, she is a foreign deity, who gets integrated into Greek religion. Similarly, Neopolitan is an unplanned character shoved into the narrative. However, she finds her place in the story and grows into herself.

Here are some of Hecate's most famous attributes.

Hecate is the Goddess of crossroads and magic. In particular, she is the master of darkness and the queen of ghosts to the point she is linked to nechromancy. She also rules over demons called Empusas, who are half woman and half beast (either a cow or a dog usually). They eat human blood and are linked to fire. Finally, Hecate is a psychopomp deity (like Hermes/Mercury), so she moves freely among Earth (human world), Olympus (world of the gods) and Hades (world of the deads).

Hecate is often depicted with three bodies and three heads:

She holds torches and keys, which are symbolic of her ability to guide people in the underworld and to travel among dimensions. Sometimes, she can appear as a dog, which is her sacred animal.

Hecate is one of the Goddesses associated to the moon. In particular, she is the falling moon to Artemis's crescent moon and Selene's full moon. According to other traditions, she is a part of Artemis/Diana. This Goddess is the Moon in the Sky, Artemis on Earth and Hecate in the Underworld. Whatever the case, both Artemis and Hecate have a triple nature to them.

This triple nature makes Hecate an example of Triple Goddess in modern Neopagan religions. The Triple Goddess is the archetype of a female deity linked to the three phases of a woman's life. Youth (Maiden), Maturity (Mother) and Old Age (Crone). Her male counterpart is the Horned God.

As you see, Hecate is hard to define. Just like Neo. Both are ambiguous and difficult to grasp. Still, let's try to understand ice-cream girl better by using this mysterious Goddess. Let's focus on three things (obviously :P):

Hecate's link to the number 3 and how it is used in Neo's story

Hecate and Artemis's bond and how it mirrors Neo and Ruby's

Hecate's imagery and attributes and what they mean for Neo

The first is an analysis of Neo's interiority (microchosm). The second explains Neo's role in the story (macrochosm). The third offers a synthesis and a conclusion (balance).

RULE OF THREE (MICROCHOSM)

Hecate is known for her three heads and three bodies. Neo is a normal human, but the number 3 still comes up in her design:

Pink, white and brown. Strawberry, vanilla and chocolate. The three flavours of the Neapolitan ice cream. The three sides of Neo's self:

We are ruled by thirds. In fashion we compare no more than three colors. Our personalities are defined by the id, the ego and the super-ego- always warring vying for control. But our goal is harmony. Balance. (Roman Holiday, chapter 13)

According to Freud, the human mind is made of three parts. The id is where fear and wishes lie. It is a primitive and instinctive force. The superego is society’s expectations. It is where morality and ideals are. The ego is what balances the other two parts. It mediates between wishes and duties.

As per Roman Holiday, Neo is a combination of Neopolitan (pink), Vanille (white) and Trivia (brown). So, Neo's color scheme is a metaphorical representation of id, superego and ego:

Pink represents the id - Neopolitan is Trivia's pink imaginary friend. She embodies everything the child is forced to repress, like her pink eye and her wish for freedom.

White represents the superego - Vanille is Trivia's surname and a shade of white. The Vanilles want their daughter to fit into society and despise her disability, which makes her "odd".

Brown represents the ego - Trivia has brown hair, wears brown clothes and a brown contact lens. She is conflicted between her parents' expectations and her own wishes.

In her childhood, Trivia is unbalanced because her family forces her to repress her id. She cancels her pink side and projects it on her imaginary friend Neopolitan. So, Trivia undergoes a transformation and claims this part of herself back:

As the old saying went, “You can’t put the moon back together”. At times you had to destroy something to make something even better in its place. When Mama had shattered Neopolitan in front of their burning house, Trivia finally understood that she had been broken all along. Losing her friend was Trivia’s first step toward putting herself back together and embracing her true, best self. (Roman Holiday, chapter 11)

She re-arranges herself and her three parts:

Pink becomes the color of Neo's ego (her truest self). She stops hiding her eye and dyes half of her hair pink. Similarly, she embraces her Neopolitan persona more.

Brown becomes the color of the superego. It is a color linked to Neo's female authority figures like her mother (Carmel) and her teacher (Beatrix Browning). It is still present in Neo's color scheme, but much reduced. Similarly, Trivia is still there, but feels more like a mask than Neo's real self.

White becomes the color of the id. It is the color of Neo's family name, which she sheds. However, Neo still loves her parents, so her semblance dyes a lock of her hair white as an unconscious response to their death.

Roman Holiday is the story of Trivia Vanille's death and Neopolitan's birth:

As far as she was concerned, Trivia Vanille was buried under that mess, too. Neopolitan was the sole survivor. (Roman Holiday, chapter 26)

Neo leaves behind her parents and their strict rules to become a living manifestation of the id:

She just wanted to do whatever she wanted. And for the moment, what she wanted was to help Roman set the world on fire. (Roman Holiday, chapter 26)

Neopolitan does whatever she wants, even if it hurts others. She embraces her deepest wishes and chaotic emotions. This is the character we meet at the beginning of RWBY.

Well, Neo's arc in the series is to discard this person and to become someone new once again. After all, Neopolitan's name is linked to renewal and transformation. "Neopolitan" comes from Naples, which means "new city" (neo + polis). Naples's fantastic origin itself is a story of death and rebirth. According to the legend, this Italian city is born from a Siren, who dies for love. Her body transforms into the city and gives new life.

Similarly, Neo is a character able to be reborn countless times (neo = new + poly= many). So is Hecate, whose name may refer to the Greek number 100, as the Goddess is said to have one-hundred forms.

Our Neo/Hecate is then a multifaceted force, who goes through destruction just to embrace creation.

Neo's change in the series starts with a loss:

She loses both Roman and her inner balance:

There was one thing To help escape the misery And now it's all disarrayed You took my whole life away You sent me back to nothing Now you'll pay

So, she needs to rebuild herself once again:

We must live with balance But balance is blind (Lost her world) Vengeance is a riptide In a fairy tale, she'll find Inside A new me, I'm ready But who will I find? Inside I've gotta let go but could I lose my mind?

Volume 9 is where this inner transformation takes place. This time the new found harmony among id, superego and ego is not described by Neo's three colors. Rather, allusions are used.

In the Ever After, Neo is associated to three different Wonderland / Through the Looking Glass characters:

The Hatter, who represents the id

The Cheshire Cat, who represents the superego

The Jabberwocky, who represents the ego

THE HATTER - THE ID

“Well, I'd hardly finished the first verse," said the Hatter, "when the Queen bawled out 'He's murdering the time! Off with his head!'" "How dreadfully savage!" exclaimed Alice. "and ever since that," the Hatter went on in a mournful tone, "he wo'n't do a thing I ask! It's always six o'clock now.”

The Hatter is a Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass character. He is famous for the Mad Tea Party, where he, the March Hare and the Dormouse chat with Alice. The original book reveals that the Hatter "killed time" while singing, so Time refuses to run normally for him and his friends. As a result, they are stuck in an eternal tea-party, as it is always tea-time for them. In the 1951 Disney movie, instead, he celebrates Alice's unbirthday.

Neopolitan has been stuck in time since Roman's death. She can't move on, so she focuses all her energies on revenge:

So close to closure The one thing you need Underneath a monument with a dedicated plea

Killing Ruby becomes Neo's One Thing to the point she organizes a special tea party of her own:

Ruby's unbirthday party, to be precise:

Cinder: And you… should have never been born…

Where she can dissolve Little Red in a cup, as if she were a sugar cube:

Kill for kill Eye for eye Blood for blood It's time to die Retribution tastes so sweet

The Hatter is a hostage in his tea party and Neo is a prisoner of her revenge. Both are consumed by their inability to go on. Both have killed time and can't face their future.

In Neo's case, the reason why she murders time is pretty clear. It is a coping mechanism to avoid grief:

In Wonderland, the Hatter can drink tea at every hour. In her fantasy world, Neo can stay with Roman forever:

Neo-Roman: Y’know once Neo realized where she was, everything changed. Always loved the idea of a place to run away from it all. Do whatever you want. I offered that to her back on Remnant.

This is also why the first thing Neo does after landing in the Ever After is to evolve Overactive Imagination and to kill the Jabberwalker:

The creature is symbolic of death, as they kill Afterans permanently. So, Neo metaphorically negates her grief (the Jabberwalker) through illusions (her semblance).

At the same time, Neo enters the Ever After and gives in to her id. She has her desires and instincts control her completely. She loses all filters:

(Then suddenly) Scratched through the surface And you've found a key Unlocking what you thought was safe inside a box But it's somehow been set free (Finally)

Overactive Imagination's evolution is a physical representation of this psychological process. Neo spirals throughout Mistral and Atlas, but in volume 9 she hits rock bottom and stops acting rationally. She becomes the incarnation of her anger, which manifests through her semblance. Her illusions are typically silent. However, in the Ever After they speak, as Neo is letting her inner voices out of the box:

Say something real Do you only speak in riddles, chatterbox? I'm waiting for your ugly mouth to spit it out

This is why she becomes a chatterbox. She tries to communicate through her creations.

In particular, she makes an imaginary Roman (the Hatter), who looks and sounds like the real deal. He becomes the dominant voice in Neo's mind and speaks to and for her. His presence highlights Neo's inability to accept Roman's death. She hides in a lie. Just like Trivia used to cower behind her imaginary friend Neopolitan. As a child, Trivia can't accept Neo is a part of her. As an adult, Neo can't accept Roman isn't with her anymore. In this way, Neo's first real human connection gets reduced to an imaginary friend. This is the tragedy of Neo's adventure in the Ever After.

All happens because Neo surrenders herself to the id (her inner world). Still, it can't last forever. The id is a powerful source of energy and drive, but it is also destructive. So, Neo self-consumes until she has nothing left:

Neo-Roman: (voice in Neo’s head) You’ve finally done it! Little Red’s gone. With your Semblance stronger than ever now, we can take over this whole absurd place! Why not? Offing Little Red can’t be all you wanted… Right?

She puts so much into destroying Ruby, that she ends up empty. A vessel for others to take advantage of.

Curious Cat: You’ve lost something most important, haven’t you? And now you have nothing left. How delightful! An empty host, perfect for me to fill.

THE CHESHIRE CAT - THE SUPEREGO

The Cheshire Cat appears twice in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The first time, he guides Alice at a crossroad and points her towards the March Hare's house. The second time, he appears at the Queen of Heart's croquet game as a giant head. The Queen and King are offended by his presence and want to behead him. Still, he is a head without a body, so the execution of this death sentence is complicated. Eventually, he simply fades away and disappears.

The character is inspired by the saying "grinning like a Cheshire Cat", whose origin is unknown. Among the many hypothesis, there is one about a grinning cat-shaped cheese. The cheese was cut from the tail, so that the last part eaten was the head of the smiling cat.

In RWBY, the character who alludes to the Cheshire Cat is not Neo, but the Curious Cat. Still, Neo and the Cat's stories are intertwined, as they destroy each other. The Cat possesses Neo and Neo kills the Cat.

Both characters eat and get eaten. They eat like the two wolves of Ruby's Little Red Riding Hood. They get eaten like the cat-shaped cheese, until only a floating head remains. A head separated from the body. A mind detached from reality:

“We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.” “How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice. “You must be,” said the Cat, or you wouldn’t have come here.”

Neo and the Cat are mad, so they meet in the Ever After. However, their madnesses are opposite:

Neo loses herself in fantasy (the Ever After) and runs away from the real world (Remnant). She lets her unconscious feelings (id) run wild.

The Curious Cat is trapped in fantasy (the Ever After) and wants to reach the real world (Remnant). They are consumed by an imposed purpose (superego):

Curious Cat: I’m not like the other Afterans here, I’m cursed with curiosity. I need to know everything!

Blacksmith: A terrible thing to have a broken heart… And there’s nobody to send them (the Cat) back to the Tree for repair.

So, Neo and the Cat are foils, which is why they share the song Chatterbox. Both blabber non-stop. However, Neo's illusions speak her truest self. The Curious Cat instead uses smart words to hide their real intentions. Neo shows her inner beast (the shadow), while the Cat wears a mask (persona). So, Neo is the embodyment of the id and the Cat is her estranged superego. They are an external force, who comes and takes control of Neo's life:

The possession is a metaphor of Neo's state of mind. She goes from moving many characters around to becoming a controlled puppet. From shouting to radio silence. This switch is conveyed through the Curious Cat speaking through and for her.

This is Neo's nightmare, as her life is a struggle to be heard. Among other things, Neo refuses devices that make her sound robotic. She dislikes artificial voices because they sound fake to her. And yet, the Curious Cat forces Neo to speak their words. The Cat becomes Neo's new voice.

This is the result of Neo losing her inner drive:

NeoCat: She has no attachments to your world. Nothing to return to.

She is left with no wishes nor fears. She is a living id, who transforms into a walking superego. However, both extremes are wrong. A person is made of both her id and her superego. Both parts are needed to make an individual, which is why Neo is asked to face herself once more:

The Tree has the girl confront the pain and grief she has been ignoring. And yet, these feelings are what saves her:

NeoCat: No! These cracks, these feelings! I can’t… I can’t!!!

Thanks to them Neo gets back in control of her life. Symbolically, the Jabberwalker she kills in the beginning appears to finish the Cat off:

In this way, the cycle is complete and Neo's ego can finally surface.

JABBERWOCKY - THE EGO

Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

The Jabberwocky is a nonsense poem Alice finds in Through The Looking Glass. She initially can't read it, but then she realizes the verses are written in mirror-writing. She holds a mirror to the text and the poem appears. Despite being able to read it, though, Alice can't understand it:

"It seems very pretty," she said when she had finished it, "but it's rather hard to understand!" (You see she didn't like to confess, even to herself, that she couldn't make it out at all.) "Somehow it seems to fill my head with ideas—only I don't exactly know what they are! However, somebody killed something: that's clear, at any rate."

The poem conveys two main ideas:

It tells about a slaughter:

He took his vorpal sword in hand: Long time the manxome foe he sought— So rested he by the Tumtum tree, And stood awhile in thought. And as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came! One, two! One, two! And through and through The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! He left it dead, and with its head He went galumphing back.

It is impossible to understand, as it is full of gibberish and invented words

This is true for RWBY's Jabberwalker, as well:

They embody death, as Afterans killed by this creature are negated ascension

They jabber as they walk, which is why they fail to communicate with others

How does this relate to Neo? She kills the Jabberwalker, but assimilates them in her illusions. This happens because the creature is Neo's mirror. They reflect our Hecate in the making.

The Jabberwalker is a monster of grief who dies unheard:

Jabberwalker: Stop… It… Cease! No! NO! NOOOOOO!

Neo is a villain whose grief stays unrecognized:

Ruby: If you’re looking for an apology, you’ve wasted your time!

Not only by others, but by Neo too. She kills a part of herself in the Jabberwalker. Her most vulnerable and real part, that wants to communicate:

Say something real Do you only speak in riddles, chatterbox? I'm waiting for your ugly mouth to Say something real Do you only speak in riddles, chatterbox? I'm waiting on your ugly mouth to spit it out

She is a chatterbox that screams, but is not listened to. She can't talk, then she gains the ability to speak through her semblance. And yet, she can only be heard. Never understood. Similarly, Alice eventually learns how to read the Jabberwocky poem, but doesn't comprehend it.

This is why the Chatterbox song is so mysterious. Is it about Neo? The Cat? Both? Who sings what? Are they singing to each other? Or is it Ruby singing to them? It is impossible to say, just like it is impossible to grasp the full meaning of the Jabberwocky.

So, this song is about Neo and the Cat, but plays while RWBYJ fight the Jabberwalker. That is because the monster represents Neo's frammented self. They are the girl's ego, which is so broken and confused she herself negates it. Her journey in the Ever After, though, helps Neo find inner clarity:

(Waiting for it Sugar-coated All you need is here Come and find what Redefines you Make it crystal clear)

By the end she sees herself crystal clear:

Neo-Roman: To have what they have. What a thing, huh?

Her true wish is the same as ever. She wants a real connection. To succeed she has to let go of an imaginary one:

As a child, Trivia lets go of Neopolitan and finds Roman. As an adult, she lets go of Roman to find someone else. Trivia dies and Neo is born. Neo dies and someone new is born:

Blacksmith: She will have the chance to return her broken heart… And becomes something new. Such is balance.

Life from death. Creation from destruction. This is what transformation is. Symbolically, Neo kills all her three parts. She murders the Jabberwalker (ego), she rips the Curious Cat to shreds (superego) and finally releases Roman's illusion (id). Now, she is ready to move on.

HECATE AND ARTEMIS = SHADOW AND LIGHT (MACROCHOSM)

Hecate/Trivia and Artemis/Diana are two intertwined Goddesses. In particular, Hecate is sometimes described as a part of Artemis's triple identity. This Goddess is:

The Moon in the Sky (The Crescent Moon to be precise)

Artemis/Diana on Earth (Goddess of hunt)

Hecate/Trivia in the Underworld

Doesn't it remind you of anyone?

Ruby is

Associated with the Crescent Moon (Crescent Rose)

The best Huntress of all

A Red Grim Reaper with a Scythe

She is the Artemis (Crescent Moon) to Neo's Hecate (Falling Moon). This is why Neo's role in volume 9 is to play Ruby's Jungian Shadow:

In analytical psychology, the shadow is an unconscious aspect of the personality that does not correspond with the ego ideal, leading the ego to resist and project the shadow. In short, the shadow is the self's emotional blind spot, projected as archetypes.

The shadow is everything that is repressed or hidden. In Ruby's case that is her emotions over loss and grief. So, Neo becomes what links Ruby to these feelings of death. Just like Hecate/Trivia is the part of Artemis/Diana, who appears in the Underworld. This is why Neo and Ruby fall together in the Ever After.

During their fall, Neo transforms in three people Ruby cherishes: Oscar, Yang and Penny. What do they represent?

They are linked to future, present and past. In particular, Oscar is waiting for Ruby outside (future), Yang is in the Ever After with Ruby (present) and Penny is lost (past).

They are the three people Ruby's conflict is focused on in the Atlas Arc. In volume 7, Ruby disagrees with Oscar on telling Ironwood. In volume 8, Ruby and Yang fight over what to do. In volume 9, Ruby must overcome Penny's death.

These two meanings are linked to two roles Neo fulfills towards Ruby. That of Triple Goddess and that of Goddess of crossroads.

1- The idea of past, present and future ties into Hecate being a Triple Goddess:

The fates are a representation of this Goddess and a declination of the Three Hecate Sisters, also known as Maiden, Mother and Crone. They are archetypes linked to three different phases of life. Youth, maturity and old age. In other words, past, present and future.

As Ruby's Hecate, Neo often brings up past, present and future throughout volume 9. Here is a quick list:

Ruby and Neo's fall in the Ever After (Penny is past, Yang is present and Oscar is future)

Ruby's first meeting with the Blacksmith, which is followed by the appearance of Neo's Jabberwalkers. There Ruby sees three weapons. Penny's sword is Ruby's inner child (past). Alyx's knife is the role Ruby is currently trying to fulfill (present). Summer's axe is who Ruby wishes to become (future)

Ruby's fight with Neo's Jabberwalker, where Ruby hallucinates three people. Cinder is the foe Ruby lost to (past). Penny is her current inner demon (present). Salem is the villain Ruby must eventually face (future)

Neo's crazy tea party, where Neo destroys Ruby by using three loved ones. Penny is a dead friend (past), Oscar is a friend Ruby could kill (future) and Little is a friend that dies (present)

Past, present and future haunt Ruby, so that she can accept who she was, understand who she is and move towards who she will be:

Past Ruby: So, are you a Huntress? Like the ones you read about in books? Ruby: I… I don’t know… Past Ruby: They always saved the day, didn’t they? Always knew what to do. Always won in the end. Ruby: But… life isn’t like a fairy tale… Past Ruby: That’s right! It’s up to you to make things better, isn’t it? Everything all depends on you! Your sister needs you, your friends need you, the whole world needs you to keep fighting, forever and ever, against an invincible monster that took your mother! Past Ruby: Mom was the best… but even she failed. That doesn’t seem fair. None of this seems fair. Ruby: But… What am I supposed to do…? Past Ruby: You can do whatever you want. Be whoever you want! You don’t even have to be Ruby Rose… So, what are you gonna be?

2- Neo brings to the surface Ruby's inner conflicts. She starts with the three struggles Ruby faces in Atlas and she keeps going by using her Jabberwalkers to re-create Atlas's destruction twice:

Finally, she has Ruby fight her inner demons all at once:

Neo-Ironwood: Who were you to think you knew what was best for Atlas? Neo-Pyrrha: I was the best and brightest Beacon had to offer. But I traded my life so my friends could live! Neo-Penny: Just like you were too late to save me at the Vytal Festival… I died in Atlas too, didn’t I? (walks towards Ruby) Can you imagine what that's like? To be completely and utterly failed… time and again… (kneels down to Ruby) by someone who meant the world to you… Neo-Pyrrha: How many more people are going to die because of you?! Ruby: I’m trying to save everyone! Neo-Ironwood: And yet with all your best intentions… Have you ever stopped to wonder if you’d done more harm than good?! Ruby: It’s not my fault…! Neo-Ozpin: How many more lives do you have to ruin before you realize you’re not cut out to save anyone?! Ruby: NO!!!

This happens because Neo is a manifestation of Ruby's id. Just like Hecate is a Goddess linked with crossroads and choice, Neo forces Ruby to transform.

Ruby's hidden self and her conflictual feelings are intertwined in Neo, who is the part of herself Ruby refuses to aknowledge until it explodes.

Let's juxtapose these two scenes:

Ruby: What is this about? The White Fang? Roman Torchwick?

Ruby: Is that seriously what this is all about? You still blame me for what happened to Torchwick?!

In volume 4, Ruby asks Tyrian why he is after her and mentions Torchwick. In volume 9, Ruby is surprised Roman's partner wants to avenge him. This happens because throughout Mistral and Atlas, Ruby starts shouldering too much responsibilities by herself. Her whole ego becomes intertwined with the duty to stop Salem. By doing so, she neglects other parts of the self:

Maria: You know, you don't give yourself enough credit. Ruby: Oh… Thanks. Maria: That wasn't a compliment.

Which leads to the shadow suffering and festering. Inside Ruby, the shadow is her grief and trauma. Outside, the shadow is Neo. A secondary villain with a revenge agenda, which is nothing compared to the threath Salem represents. And yet, Neo's personal grudge grows until she becomes dangerous for Ruby's own existence:

Neo-Roman: You don’t deserve to die, Red. You deserve to be broken down… Torn apart… wiped from existence.

In this context, Ruby refusing to empathize with Neo is really Ruby refusing to empathize with herself:

Give me anything But this symphony of technicolor rage You call it righteous, meaningful It's anything but love Don't take me for a fool I know this all too well so Leave your tears to someone else cuz It's not just you who lost it all

Neo kills the Jabberwalker because she doesn't want to accept Roman's loss. Ruby doesn't see Neo because it would mean to look at her own pain.

The end result is bad for both girls. On the one hand Ruby is overwhelmed by trauma and chooses to disappear. On the other hand Neo realizes how empty she is after Ruby is gone. That is because shadow and light can't live without each other. They need to integrate, which is what Ruby and Neo do by the end.

Both see themselves more clearly, so they are finally able to empathize with each other:

Their conflict almost kills them, but once they get throught it they are ready to become better versions of themselves. They die and are reborn:

Since she had used her Semblance for the first time to create a butterfly with one pink wing, one brown, with white spots all over- then sent it out her bedroom window and watched it flutter away until she lost sight of it and let it go. (Roman Holiday, chapter 11)

Like two butterflies, who step into a brand new phase of their lives.

HECATE (BALANCE)

Neo's story is about finding balance inside and outside:

Inside- As a child, Neo is too repressed (superego), so as an adult she becomes uncontrolled (id). Her arc has her grow more balanced (ego).

Outside - In volume 9, Neo is Ruby's shadow (id) and brings out all of Ruby's negative emotions. By the end, though, Ruby is able to understand Neo and feels sympathy for her. This is because our LRRH doesn't refuse her own shadow anymore.

In other words, Neo is an id character, who has to integrate both with herself and with the world around her. This fits Hecate, who is a Goddess linked to the Underworld. The Ever After itself is a representation of this kingdom for three different reasons:

It is the world before (under) Remnant

It is the world of the deads (buried under)

It is the world of the unconscious (buried inside)

This is why Neo's semblance grows more powerful while there. Hecate is the queen of ghosts and Neo grows powerful enough to rule the Ever After with her materialized spirits (illusions). On a deeper level, our lady of the deads must face her own grief. So, like other characters, Neo goes through the stages of grief. In particular, Neo's stages are represented by her reactions to different characters:

The Jabberwalker she kills (negation)

Ruby she stalks and tortures (rage)

The Roman she materializes (bargaining)

The Curious Cat she is controlled by (depression)

All these meetings are a part of her journey to find both acceptance and herself. Maybe this is why throughout volume 9 she progressively becomes more and more Hecate-like. As a matter of fact, she aquires many attributes of the mysterious Goddess.

She gains her personal Empusas:

The Empusas are Hecate's demons, who look like girls with some odd body parts. In this case, Neo's heterocromia.

The Empusas are usually monsters linked to fire that appear as half-dogs. Here, Ruby sees the Jabberwalker with Cinder's head.

She finds her own Horned God:

The Horned God is the Triple Goddess's companion in neopagan religions. The Jabberwalker is a horned creature associated with Neo.

She commands a pack of dogs (the Jabberwalkers) and she herself plays the part of Ruby's dangerous wolf. This fits with Hecate's sacred animals being dogs.

Finally, she stands beside a wicked torch:

Torchwick-illusion is her companion in the Underworld and a symbol of her friend's lost soul. She even uses Roman's voice to lead Ruby towards death. Just like Hecate holds torches to guide mortals in the Kingdom of the Deads.

Despite all this, there is still an attribute missing: keys. They represent Hecate's ability to travel through worlds. However, Neo is stuck in the Ever After:

Jaune: So Neo can’t go through the door…

This happens because she has still to fully bloom into Hecate (herself). However, she is making progress and by the end of volume 9 she reaches acceptance. A necessary step to grow.

In particular, she dispels her illusion of Roman. She overcomes her grief by overcoming her own fantasies. This is interesting because it is the opposite of what happens in Roman Holiday:

“He caught a lock of her hair and showed it to her. It was white. “This is new. It suits you,” he said. Why would she have done that with her Semblance?” (Roman Holiday, chapter 26)

There, she represses her sadness over her parents' death, which manifests in her illusory white lock of hair. In the series, though, she lets go of an illusion to move on. Why is that so? That is because Neo herself is a combination of illusion and reality:

“Roman shook his head. “Show them who you really are.” Neo changed back into herself, but swapper her school uniform for her favourite suite. Roman handed her her parasol. (Roman Holiday, chapter 22)

Roman Holiday is the story of how she realizes illusions are a part of who she is. Volume 9 is where she learns she can't live in a world made only of illusions. So, she chooses to face herself for real:

Once she emerges from the Tree, she will gain her allusion's ability to move freely between dimensions (psychopomp) and will go through the door. She will leave her fantastical world (the Ever After) and come back to reality (Remnant).

[nyxshadowhawk]

Hellenic Gods Fact Sheets and Hymns: Hecate

Other Names: Trivia, Brimo

Epithets: Anassa eneroi  (queen of those below), Aidonaia (lady of the Underworld), Amibousa (she who changes), Atalus (tender, delicate), Borborophorba (she who feeds on filth), Brimo (angry, terrifying), Despoina (mistress), Eileithyia (of childbirth), Enodia (of the roads), Epaine (dread), Euplokamos (bright-tressed), Khthonia (of the Underworld), Kleidouchos (keeper of the keys), Kourotrophos (protector of children), Krokopelos (saffron-robed), Liparokredemnos (bright-coiffed), Nycteria (nocturnal; of the night), Nyctipolos (night-wandering), Perseis (destroyer/ daughter of Perses), Phosphoros (light bearer), Propolos (guide), Propylaia (the one before the gate), Scylacagetis (leader of dogs), Soteira (savior), Trikephalos (three-headed/of the crossroads), Trimorphos (three-formed), Trioditis (of the three ways), Trivia (of the three ways).

Domains: Witchcraft, magic, necromancy, ghosts, nightmares, death, initiation, the crossroads, gateways, passage between worlds, and the night.

Appearance: [My UPG] A tall (over 6’) woman, neither young nor old, with waist-length black hair, pale skin, prominent cheekbones, a heavy jaw, and intense green eyes. She is usually dressed in black folds molded into a simple dress or robes. She has a severe expression and an intimidating presence. She speaks with a low voice.

Sacred Days and Festivals: Eleusinia (22 Metageitnion). Nemoralia (August 13th-15th). Deipnon, last day of each (lunar) month.

Symbols/Attributes: Torches, keys, daggers, strophalos (iynx wheel)

Sacred Animals: Dog, polecat, serpent, horse, frog.

Sacred Plants: Yew, cypress, garlic, willow, hazel, black poplar, aconite, belladonna, dittany, mandrake, hemlock, asphodel

Elemental Affinity: Darkness, light, fire

Planet: Moon

Colors: Black, saffron, silver.

Crystals: Black onyx, hematite, obsidian, black tourmaline, moonstone, smoky quartz, agate, amethyst.

Incense: Myrrh, almond, cypress, camphor, saffron, mugwort, pomegranate.

Tarot Cards: The High Priestess, The Moon, Death

Retinue: Empousai, ghosts of the dead, dogs, Lampades (torch-bearing underworld nymphs)

Associated People: Witches (and other magic-users), the dead

Offerings: Bread, eggs, honey, garlic, menstrual blood, graveyard dirt.

Syncretized With: Artemis, Diana, Persephone, Eileithyia, Selene, Nephthys, Ereshkigal, Nicnevin, Heqet

Hymns to Hecate

Orphic Hymn to Hecate

Hekate Enodia, Trivia, lovely dame, Of earthly, watery, and celestial frame, Sepulchral, in a saffron veil arrayed, Pleased with dark ghosts that wander through the shade; Daughter of Perses, solitary goddess, hail! The world’s key-bearer, never doomed to fail; In stags rejoicing, huntress, nightly seen, And drawn by bulls, unconquerable, monstrous queen; Leader, Nymphe, nurse, on mountains wandering, Hear the suppliants who with holy rites thy power revere, And to the herdsman with a favoring mind draw near.

Hecate’s Hymn to Herself

I come, a virgin of varied forms, wandering through the heavens, bull-faced, three-headed, ruthless, with golden arrows; chaste Phoebe bringing light to mortals, Eileithyia; bearing the three synthemata [sacred signs] of a triple nature.  In the Aether I appear in fiery forms and in the air I sit in a silver chariot, Earth reins in my black brood of puppies.

(From Porphyry’s lost commentary on the Chaldean Oracles, preserved by Eusebius of Caesaria in Praeparatio Evangelica. According to Porphyry, this hymn was composed by Hecate herself.)

Magical Invocation to Hecate

Approach, you of the netherworld, of earth, of heaven, Bombo! You by the wayside, at the crossroads, light-bearer, night-wanderer, Enemy of light, friend and companion of night, Rejoicing in the howl of dogs and in crimson gore, Lurking among the corpses and the tombs of lifeless dust, Lusting for blood, bringing terror to mortals, Grim one, Ogress [Mormo], Moon – you of many forms, May you come gracious to our sacrificial rites!

(Preserved in Refutation to All Heresies by Hippolytus)

Invocation to Hecate from PGM IV 2708-84

Come, giant Hecate, Dione’s guard, O Persia [daughter of Perses], Baubo Phroune, dart-shooter, Unconquered Lydian, the one untamed, Sired nobly, torch-bearing, guide, who bends down Proud necks, Kore, hear, you who’ve parted / gates Of steel unbreakable. O Artemis, Who, too, were once protectress, mighty one, Mistress, who burst forth from the earth, dog-leader, All-tamer, crossroad goddess, triple-headed, Bringer of light, august / virgin, I call you Fawn-slayer, crafty, O infernal one, And many-formed. Come, Hekate, goddess Of three ways, who with your fire-breathing phantoms Have been allotted dreaded roads and harsh / Enchantments, Hekate I call you

[…]

O Hekate of many names, O Virgin, Kore, Goddess, come, I ask, O guard and shelter of the threshing floor Persephone, O triple-headed goddess, Who walk on fire, cow-eyed BOUORPHORBE PANPHORBA PHORBARA AKITOPHI ERESHKIGAL / NEBOUTOSOUALETH Beside the doors, PYPYLEDEDEZO And gate-breaker; Come Hekate, of firey Counsel, I call you to my sacred chants.

[morlao]

"You can thank me later"

Headcanons:

Being best friends with Anne Sallow

(contains Sebastian x f!reader)

- The first time you meet Anne the two of you immediately get along very well. She is more than happy that after all the weeks that she spent alone with her uncle Salomon, she finally has someone her age - and on top of that A GIRL - to talk to.

- You both spend the whole afternoon talking about Hogwarts while laughing and giggling about the memories that she shares with you.

"Do you know how horrified Leander gets when he sees a spider? One time during class he jumped on his desk and screamed like a little girl for at least five minutes! Professor Hecat had to promise him three times that it was gone before he agreed to sit down again."

- Of course Sebastian starts to feel left out pretty soon. He left you two for only a few couple of minutes and when he steps back in the room you are so busy talking that you don't even notice him. He jumps around, making a scene and acting like a total drama queen, which makes you and Anne cry out in laughter. He dramatically points his finger at Anne: "Stop stealing my best friend!"

- He is not really angry, though, more relived that Anne finally seems happy again. It's been a very long time since he heard her laugh like this. He even feels like she's finally able to forget about the curse - at least for a few minutes.

- After your first meeting you visit Anne on a regular basis. Almost every weekend you spend some time with her, often bringing some snacks from Honeydukes or something from Zonko's to cheer her up.

- Sebastian really appreciates what you do for her and - if that's even possible - he falls even harder for you. Of course Anne doesn't miss the hidden glances and the way he smiles when he looks at you. Not to mention the blush on his face and the fact that he often acts like an idiot in front of you to get your attention. Maybe it's also because of twin intuition that his feelings for you are like an open book to her.

"Merlin, I can't believe how nobody sees that!"

- She loves to tease him about it, which almost every single time gives him nearly a heart attack and causes him to panic as he fears that she might tell you, since you two grew really close. And girls tell their best friends everything, don't they?

"Awww does my twin brother have a crush?"

"Shut up, Anne! That's not true!"

"Of course not, there are a million other reasons why you look at her like that!"

She starts imitating Sebastian's glances and gestures, which causes his face to blush a deeper shade of red than the Gryffindors' flag.

- Even though she likes to tease her brother about his crush on you (by threatening him to tell you if he didn't confess soon) she will not say a single word to you about it. Once in a while she might drop a hint or ask you a question in order to find out whether or not you like Sebastian too. She might say things like:

"Don't you think that he's acting weird lately?"

Or

"He let you have some of his Bertie Bott's Beans? Wow, normally he never shares with anyone! You must be really special to him!"

- Even though Sebastian constantly flirts with you he won't make a proper move for a very long time as he is afraid that you don't like him as more than a friend. While Anne was really amused about that at first, she starts to get pretty annoyed after a few months.

"For Merlin's sake, Sebastian! When will you finally confess to her? If you wait any longer, other boys may take their chance! You know she's amazing, a lot of people fancy her!"

Anne's words haunt Sebastian in his dreams so he decides that the next time you accompany him to Feldcroft he will tell you about his feelings. But again he is too nervous. He just doesn't find the right moment and the right words to tell you (even though he forced Ominis to act out this scene with him various times).

- In the meantime Anne has made a plan herself. She knew exactly that her brother wouldn't find the courage to tell you so she decided that it was finally time for her to take action. As soon as you knock on the door she jumps up, runs outside and takes both your hands while giggling excitedly.

"Y/N, finally! How was your date with Garreth? You have to tell me everything!"

She leads you inside without giving you the chance to stare at her in confusion and ask her what the hell she was talking about. Obviously you weren't on a date with Garreth. Garreth was just a good friend. Your heart belonged to someone else. That special someone who now stood frozen outside the door, absolutely horrified at what he just heard. Garreth FUCKING Weasley!

- He screams out in frustration before clenching his hands into fists and storming inside where you and Anne are standing. Anne is still giggling and asking questions about your "date", barely leaving you time to answer. Sebastian can't believe how happy she is. She knows exactly that he loves you and she still seems to be so excited about the idea of you and Weasley! In his hurtred and anger he doesn't even notice how confused you are and that you try to interrupt Anne various times by asking her, what she was talking about.

- "Anne, what the hell?" He shouts while grabbing her arm. "You knew Y/N was going on a date with Weasley and you didn't bother telling me?!"

Anne smiles innocently. "Of course I knew. She's my best friend. Actually it was my idea. She told me that Garreth passed her a note in potions, asking her if she wanted to go to Hogsmeade with him. I told her to say yes. Garreth is a nice guy, so why not?"

- Sebastian is so furious, he can't believe what she says. "I told you months ago, that I love her and you set her up with GARRETH? WHAT THE HELL, ANNE?"

- Anne's smile gets even bigger as she watches you stare at him in disbelief. "You love me?" Sebastian freezes as he realises that he just confessed to you (if that's what you could call that screaming and shouting). His face turns bright red and he gets all flustered, nervously rubbing the back of his head. "Yes, I do." He finally manages to say.

- Now it's your turn to blush a deep shade of red. Sebastian Sallow loved you? You couldn't help but smile. You never expected him to have a crush on you. While you try real hard not to turn into a blushing and giggling mess he still stares at you. Of course, you're such an idiot! He obviously wanted an answer, a reaction, any sign that you're still alive.

- "Sebastian...", you stutter while slowly stepping closer and taking his hand. "Did you really think that I would go on a date with Garreth? I thought it was quite obvious that I like someone else." You pull him closer and he holds his breath. "Do you really think I would drop everything and go into the forbidden forest to fight some spiders with you if I don't have a crush on you? Wow, I guess even the Hogwarts ghosts know I like you!"

- A huge smile appears on Sebastian's face and before you could say something else he cups your face with his hands and kisses you. Your heart skips a beat when you kiss him back. You couldn't believe it was finally happening!

- When the two of you let go of each other, you see Anne standing there with a huge smile, looking completely satisfied with herself. "You can thank me later!" You laugh and pull her into a hug while Sebastian stares at her with a grin, shacking his head. She really was a true Slytherin.

[somewhereincairparavel]

What would the pjo gods/goddesses wear? (Athena, Hecate, Hestia)

Athena- Her style is very similar to Annabeths lol. it consists of a lot of whites and browns. Caps are also her go to. She is always busy so puffy gowns arent exactly convenient. She always disguises herself as a mortal girl. Also. BAGS. she cannot go anywhere without bags. she'd freak out if she doesn't have one.

Hecate- Dark edgy aesthetic queen fr, Loves black lace gowns, dark velvet satin, etc. ALSOOO jewelry of any kind. Rings, necklaces, bracelets, etc. Loves having gemstones on her dresses.

Hestia- OMGG i lovee hers. idk how to explain it but her fashion sense is kinda a mix of cottage core and soft vintage?? doesnt her clothes look like something an ancient princess would wear? its so homely and soft tbh just like her. Yellow, brown, green, white, cream are her colours

[songstresstinyteacup]

Lilith catching Zelda with her cat o’nine tails after a fight with Sabrina.

The sharp click of stiletto heels, no less than three inches tall, typically announced Lilith’s presence to anyone within the Spellman Mortuary, be it Sabrina, Ambrose, Hilda, or Dr. Cee, but alas it was not the four of them that Lilith sought.

It was Zelda that Lilith was looking for, following an explosive fight between the matriarch of the Spellman household and the newly-resurrected Sabrina, during which Ambrose had cowered, and Hilda and Kenny were at their shop, blessedly having missed the entire row.

The click of her heels, often accompanied by the faint scent of brimstone mixed with a seductive floral and musk perfume that Zelda had purchased for her during the past Solstice, served as warning enough.

Or at least the demons in Hell had learned to think so.

Lilith’s eyes scanned the parlor, then the kitchen, and then Zelda’s office at home within the mortuary, but the familiar coiffed red tresses were not to be found anywhere within.

The demoness huffed as she brought her hands up onto her hips, continuing her saunter into the hallway and up the stairs toward the bedroom that she shared with Zelda.

The house was conveniently empty following the row, Sabrina had stormed out in a cacophony of slamming doors and stomping feet, Ambrose had cut and run almost immediately after, though of course Lilith hadn’t bothered to chase after the cowardly warlock, and with the comic book shop open till the witching hour, she hadn’t had to worry about finding Hilda and Kenny in a compromising position on her search.

Bile rose in the back of Lilith’s throat at the memory of her accidental intrusion, yet, at the same time, she was highly impressed with just the amount of chains Hilda had her husband bound in.

The clock chimed in the hall, and Lilith muttered a curse under her breath as she realized how long it had been since she’d left the house after Sabrina.

Every fiber of Lilith’s black and twisted soul had called out to her to stay with Zelda, rather than chase after the teenage witch who seemed to have a death wish, but Lilith had been able to push her guilt at leaving Zelda aside, heaven-bent on lecturing her niece.

Sabrina had needed to be informed just how much Zelda had gone through to get her back, and with Zelda crumbling to pieces under Sabrina’s angry words, that duty fell to Lilith.

Even so, Lilith was back in the mortuary now, and actively seeking her wife, so she continued through the hallway until she reached the threshold of their closed bedroom door, pausing with her hand on the knob, listening.

Quiet sobs could be heard from inside, and Lilith’s heart wrenched at the sounds. 

She hated it when Zelda cried, hated it more than Lucifer and the kings of Hell, and, somehow she hated it even more than she hated herself, and so Lilith pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The Queen of Hell had expected to see Zelda crying, expected to see her wrapped in a dressing gown and curled into herself on the bed. Lilith had also expected to see Zelda clutching a bag of ice in her hands, an alternative to harming herself in the various other ways Lilith had learned that Zelda used to torture herself with.

What Lilith had not expected to see, however, was Zelda, sitting on their bed, the bodice of her dressing gown pooled around her hips leaving her chest, shoulders, and back exposed, and her cat o’nine tails in hand.

“Zelda Phiona Spellman, what in Hecate’s name are you doing with that?!” Lilith hissed, striding forward and grabbing the flogger with one hand and using the others to pry Zelda’s fingers off of the handle.

“Leave me alone.” Zelda whimpered, clenching even tighter around the flogger’s handle, but she hadn’t the strength Lilith had, not at that moment, and before Zelda could utter a single word more, Lilith had the flogger.

Lilith strode over to the fireplace, lighting it with one glance and slinging the flogger into the flames, watching as it burned.

Zelda flung herself off of the bed, lurching for the fireplace, hand outstretched, but Lilith was quick to pull a weeping Zelda into her arms and hold her close.

They remained that way for a moment, Lilith staring at the flames, Zelda weeping with her head down, before Lilith guided Zelda back to the bed and sat her down.

“I think you’ll find that I’m very much incapable of leaving my beautiful wife alone, even when she asks me to.” Lilith tried with a wink, but Zelda just began to cry harder.

Lilith quickly gathered the despondent High Priestess into her arms, clutching her close.

“Just breathe, darling. Can you do that for me?” The demoness whispered, taking and releasing a large breath in the hopes that Zelda would follow suit.

Zelda took all of two breaths before another sob bubbled up in her throat, and Lilith pulled back slightly.

“She hates me, Lilith. Sabrina hates me.” Zelda sobbed, and Lilith ran her fingers through Zelda’s hair, once perfectly coiffed, now wild and messy from the force of Zelda’s grief.

“No. Do you hear me, Zelda? Sabrina does not hate you, she just didn’t understand exactly what you had to go through to get her back. She won’t make that mistake again, I swear to you.” Lilith cupped Zelda’s face, wiping away the tears there.

Zelda, on the rare occasion where she allowed her emotions to show, still managed to be mind-bogglingly beautiful. Even with red, bloodshot eyes, a red-tipped nose, tear stains trailing from her cheeks down onto her neck, Lilith still couldn’t believe Zelda’s innate beauty.

“Come here, my love. Let me clean these up for you.” Lilith soothed, stepping over toward Zelda’s vanity to pick up a tin of salve, returning to the bed to sit down and gently rub some onto all of the marks Zelda’s flogger had made.

Red angry marks mottling Zelda’s skin should be a crime, Lilith had often stated more than once, a crime to mar the alabaster flesh, unless Lilith herself had been the one to make the marks.

Lilith’s brow furrowed at the thought, even her marks were not so extreme as these.

“Lilith?” Zelda’s voice was small, unsure.

“Hm?” Lilith hummed in response, moving Zelda’s fiery tresses to one shoulder so she could reach a particularly nasty mark on Zelda’s back.

“I’m sorry.” Zelda mumbled, and Lilith inhaled.

Zelda almost never apologized for anything, and she was apologizing to Lilith when Lilith was not the one in pain.

“I don’t ever want to see that infernal tool again, Zelda. Do I make myself clear? If you’re struggling you can always summon me. I’ll gladly come to you.” Lilith’s tone was firm, but gentle.

After a moment, Zelda nodded, and Lilith carefully pulled the silk dressing gown back up and over Zelda’s body, taking care not to let the fabric brush over the welts on Zelda’s fragile skin, then Zelda pushed herself back up and in the direction of her vanity.

Zelda’s fingers had barely skimmed the handle of her hairbrush before Lilith tutted, then she turned to face the demoness.

“I believe that particular privilege belongs to me, Zelda, dear. Go on to your creams and salves.” Lilith breezed over, wrapping her own fingers around the brush handle and revelling in the weight of the antique steel brush.

Last Solstice Lilith had very nearly replaced the entire brush and comb set with a new one made of solid gold, befitting the station of the Queen Consort, but after discussing the idea with Hilda, Lilith had learned that the silver vanity set had been the very last gift Edward had given his sister before his death.

Still, the silver was sturdy, cool to the touch of Lilith’s palm as she lifted it and began to pass through the ends of Zelda’s hair.

Touching Zelda’s hair was one of the rarest privileges, not offered to just anyone. Hilda was only allowed to touch it when treating wounds or tending to an ill Zelda, no other member of the family or coven was ever granted the same.

That had been before Lilith had quite literally strode into a grieving Zelda’s room, intent to meddle and pester until her promise to a young Sabrina Morningstar had been fulfilled in its entirety. Now Lilith herself held the right to handle Zelda’s fiery tresses as much as she wanted.

Lilith’s careful gaze flickered between Zelda’s reflection in the mirror and the brush in her hands, watching as the High Priestess took off her ruined makeup and applied her nightly skincare routine, ending as always with the lotion being applied to her hands and arms before Zelda put her wedding ring back on.

Lilith carefully replaced the brush on the vanity, taking Zelda’s left hand in her own and bringing it up to kiss her knuckles, the edge of the wedding ring cold against Lilith’s crimson coated lips.

“Better?” The demoness inquired, and Zelda nodded, keeping hold of Lilith and dragging her in the direction of the bed.

Lilith waited until Zelda was settled under the duvet, then snapped her fingers to change into her own nightgown and lay next to her.

“You’re going to get lipstick on the linens again.” Zelda hummed, eyes already bleary with sleep.

Lilith grinned wickedly.

“Oh, Zee, I very much intend to. Hilda can scold me later.”

[elegantshapeshifter]

Hey!! I want to know more about Traditional Witchcraft.

I have been reading Aradia and the Gospel of Witches and I want to know if there is a Northwestern European, British or Scottish idea of Aradia and her mother and father??

Thank you so much!! I can’t wait to convert to the Traditional Witch Path!

Aradia is Herodias, which is, according to Carlo Ginzburg, a Christianization of the Goddess Hera, but according to Sabina Magliocco, also a remains of Hecate, because she flights in the night.

She is a Deity which is not only Italian, but pan-European, in fact in the Canon Episcopi we read about women who dreamt/imagined to fly with both Diana and Herodias.

Herodias became Redodesa in Veneto, Araja/Arada/Sa Rejusta in Sardinia, Arada and Irodeasa in Romania, and so on.

The point is that probably she wasn't always the daughter of Diana, but assimilated/synchretized to her. In fact, Herodias is actually the name of the mother of Salomé, which in the Gospels killed John the Baptist. In the medieval folklore he blows from the mouth of the cut head and from that moment on Salomé is condamned to fly forever, especially in the night. In many folklore tales, both the mother and the daughter, Salomé and Herodias, are seen together, and Herodias of the Canon is actually Salomé called with her mother's name.

Probably, therefore, the legend that Leland writes and re-elaborates to create the Aradia (because the original legends are found both in Etruscan Roman Remains and in Legends of Florence, so we know that Aradia is just a re-elaboration of original folk legends from Florence and Tuscany-Romagna region) is influenced by this idea of Salomé seen with her mother Herodias. So Salomé (called Herodias for the medieval conflation and mispelled Aradia by the people) is the daughter of Diana like she is the daughter of Herodias in other legends (and in the original Gospel tale).

We also have the original legend about Diana seducing his brother, but here there is no daughter, and instead of going to the "Fathers and Mothers of the beginning", in the original tale she goes to other witches.

Moreover, in the original tale from Legends of Florence, the brother isn't called by name.

However, in many trials in Northern Italy, the Domina Nocturna (ex. Lady of the Game) is paired with the Devil. Moreover, many folk magicians in Italy prayed to the "Star Diana"... which is Lucifer. So Lucifer is both the Devil and Diana herself, and the Devil could be associated with Diana as his partner because the same happened to the Lady of the Game (and overseas with the Queen of Elphame).

We also know from The Strix by Della Mirandola that nearby the areas in which Leland found the folktales from which he will elaborates to make the Aradia, people still associated Diana with the Moon. So if Diana is the Moon, for symmetry Lucifer should be the Sun.

So this brother for symmetry could be seen as both the Devil and associated with the Sun, but also with stars for the Stella Diana which is Lucifer. In fact, in Aradia he is the God of the Sun, the Light and the Stars.

So Diana is associated with Aradia for the Salomé-Herodias pair and with Lucifer because of the Stella Diana, the pair with the Devil and the folk idea that the Sun is the brother of the Moon.

However, Lucifer is still a name for Apollo, even in Orphic Hymns (where it's Phosphoros), but I don't think it's been done willingly, it's a coincidence, or better a synchronicity.

For the British context, in Sir Orpheo, Dame Heurodis is kidnapped by the King of Fairies, and Heurodis is a variation of Herodias.

Also the Canon is quoted a lot in Britain while they talk about the idea of the Fairy Queen or Queen of Elphame.

So probably in Great Britain both Diana and Herodias are synchretized with the Queen of Elphame. The Queen, which is usually called Nicnevin (or Titania/Mab in Shakespeare) is the spouse of the King of Elphame, Oberon, who is sometimes demonized, and sometimes is also called Christsonday.

I hope having answered :)

[smokestarrules]

I want ALL of your Amity's analysis. Do u hear me? ALL, hahaha

ok bet

The family Amity grew up in was very simple: Odalia and Alador are the authority, Edric and Emira can do no wrong (though, of course, it’s more complicated than that), and Amity can never be enough. 

Luz was everything Amity wanted to be herself. 

She loved Grudgby, but she stopped playing it because she didn’t like the person she was while playing. 

She has no fucking idea on how to talk to people, including and especially Willow.  

Amity wasn’t going to fucking dissect Luz, and neither was Principal Bump. 

Amity Blight does not cheat. That is an essential part of her character. She does not cheat to get to where she is, because 1) Blights don’t cheat (and it doesn’t matter whether or not that’s actually true) and 2) Amity doesn’t cheat. Amity doesn’t cheat because she’s worked hard for every single thing she’s ever been given and cheating would undermine her entire character. 

She doesn’t have many safe spaces, so when she does find one, she makes sure to go all-out on making it feel like home. 

Amity grew up having to justify every single thing she did to her parents, having to justify her own existence, and that especially includes things she enjoys. 

If Luz hadn’t joined Edric and Emira in the library during Lost in Language, the relationship between the twins and Amity literally would have been damaged irreparably. She would have never spoken to them again. 

Luz was the first person on-screen to make her laugh.

She is just a little bit dumb sometimes <3

Luz saying “We can fix this together” in Understanding Willow is one of the most monumental moments in Amity’s entire life. 

If it weren’t for Luz, Amity almost 100% would’ve campaigned for the role of Grom Queen. Because Luz was there, though, her fears changed, and she knew it. 

Amity was going to confess to Luz before she had to go and fight Grometheus in Enchanting Grom Fright, but Luz offering to take her place stopped her in her tracks, because she wasn’t at all ready for that. 

Amity’s fear, too, is the culmination of everything she was scared of losing, not just Luz rejecting her advances. 

After King’s reassurance in Eclipse Lake, she’s self-aware enough to understand that the similarities between herself and Hunter don’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, and she makes a conscious effort to reach out to him. 

She started learning Spanish before she was stranded in the Human Realm in an attempt to further connect with Luz. 

Amity does not snoop through Luz’s things even when she thinks knowing more could help because she’s had that happen to her and she understands how small it makes you feel. She is ridiculously emotionally intelligent when it comes to Luz, and, later, when it comes to herself. 

She would do anything for her friends. 

She’s the only witch who’s ever read The Good Witch Azura series, which she latched onto because it served as a sort of escape for her. She sees herself within Hecate, because despite her wrongdoings, the narrative treats her with kindness. Consequently, the book in which Hecate is effectively redeemed is the only one she hadn’t been able to collect herself. 

She sets incredible boundaries with her father. He’s trying now, sure, but that doesn’t take back the years of pain, and it shouldn’t. 

Amity gets noticeably more and more silly as the time goes on, because she’s coming back into herself.

Also as time goes on, her magic grows more versatile!

She was not trying to antagonize Willow in Labyrinth Runners, but trying way too hard to protect the person that she had once hurt so deeply. It’s a setback, nothing more, and one that arises from miscommunication. It’s settled, too. They’re on the same page now. 

And because of that, Amity is able to let herself be silly with Willow, too!!

She may be the least powerful (certainly one of the least powerful, at least) of the main cast, but that’s a good thing. 

It’s also a good thing that we haven’t seen her library hideout since season 1, as cute as it was. She doesn’t need it anymore. 

Over time, her relationship with her siblings has improved to the point that they know her well enough to know how to calm her down, and she’s comfortable with them to be able to talk freely about Luz. 

Amity still had hope for Odalia, because even after everything she’s done to her, Amity still wanted to believe that she wasn’t all bad. 

She tried so hard to make sure Luz also got through the portal in King’s Tide. She would’ve stayed behind if Luz did. 

Amity knows full well in Thanks to Them that Luz is feeling guilty, if not the extent of it, and she tries to help out by setting up Halloween costumes that she thinks they’ll both love; Hecate and Azura, which is the thing they bonded over initially. 

Recognizing that Luz doesn't feel like she deserves love, Amity quotes her girlfriend to show her that, yes, she does, and this is how much she means to her. 

[harryforvogue]

The Queen's Going Away Party*

It's nearly time for Hades and Persephone to part once more. This is that story. But made kind of positive. This is purely a self indulgent fic. It's also an apology for not writing as much as I used to and for the horrendous title.

It's 4.5k words. There's some smut at the end, but it's mostly just Hades!Harry being grumpy as hell and Persephone trying to keep it together.

***

Hades, or Harry, looks at his wife across the table as she speaks with Thanatos to redefine the barriers of the incoming souls for the next day. “The grays,” she says softly, pointing at the map she’s made herself with parchment and ink, “must be spoken to after they’ve crossed the river Styx. I’ll speak with them as well to make sure they’re peaceful and not restless. Hopefully the abode we’ve made for them will keep them satiated and at bay for the day. Charon will be negotiated with later today as well.”

Persephone first introduced the idea of a “going away party” when she arrived back to Hades 6 months ago. She’d excitedly spoken about this new thing that mortals introduce where they celebrate goodbyes with drinks, food, music, and dance instead of sorrow and anguish. It's what she envisioned for her own departure. Now that it's actually happening, Harry isn’t so sure he’s all that excited about the idea.

“To go out with a big bang, as the mortals say,” she’d argued, fluttering around him as he walked away from her at the first mention of it. His fists were clenched, an odd tightness in his chest.

“I will not be celebrating you leaving the realm you belong in,” he’d said, avoiding her.

“I belong in two places, darling. And you’re not actually celebrating me leaving. You’re celebrating the promise that I’ll be back. And spring.”

He had rolled his eyes. “I’m not too keen on celebrating something I never experience. Nor care about.” He'd added the last part angrily and regretted it afterwards, but his wife was too worked up about other things to take offense.

She’d held her ground in front of him, her hands on his chest. She’d slammed the door shut to their room without looking and stared up at him angrily. “I don’t care that you don’t know what spring is. I don’t care that all you know is gloominess and darkness and ghosts. What I do care about is that when I’m leaving, I’ll want us to be enjoying ourselves. So fine. Don’t celebrate my leaving or spring or sunshine, but celebrate the amazing 6 months we’re about to have together.”

Hades had wrapped his hands around her biceps, picked her up, and set her aside. “I will not be happy that day no matter how many heroes and warriors and drinks you bring to this party. I will be mourning the loss of my wife, who I won’t see for the next 6 months.”

She trailed after him as he continued out of their room. Upon leaving, Hades had run into Hermes who had grinned and held a scroll, saying, “Your brother is pissed off. Guess which one?”

“Who invited you in?”

“Hecate of course. Hey, look. Guess the right brother and I’ll spin your queen a dress of pure gold.”

But Harry had waved Hermes away and called for Hecate to secure him somewhere out of his sight. He’d ignored the way Hermes had muttered, “Well, I don’t blame Zeus.” And normally, Harry would have very big problems with others coming in between his feud with his brothers, but he was too angry with his wife to care.

“Listen to me,” Persephone continued, stalking after him. “Why must we weep and suffer when I leave? I hate it too, so can’t we just try this? Something new? You know, the mortals seem to like it just fine.”

Hades stopped, turning to face his wife. “We,” he said quietly, angrily, “are not mortals. We experience emotions worse than them. My sorrow for my wife leaving me is nothing compared to anything a mortal would feel.”

She sighed, crossing her arms. “Let’s just try it. Just once. Let it be a parting gift. Look.” She brightened. “You can help me with the guest list.”

Hermes, being dragged away by Hecate by the scruff of his neck, had called over, “Allow me three plus ones, my King! I have three lovers currently!”

“Remove Hermes from the guest list considerations immediately.”

“You prick!”

“Just think about it,” Persephone insisted. “We have time. Do this for me.”

And Harry had given in. She’d asked so many times and promised so many things, he gave his consent two months in.

She looks beautiful across the table, putting the final touches for tomorrow. He hears her murmur. “Are the musicians ready? Good. And we’ve got all the answers to our invitations, correct? Remind me of who is attending?”

Thanatos goes into a long monologue of those invited. “Amongst the confirmed are Nyx, Eros, Psyche, Pan, Achilles, Hesphaestus, Artemis, Lethe, the Moirae, Adonis–”

“Not Adonis,” Harry groans, imagining the deity fawning over Persephone as he always does.

She just smiles. “It’ll be entertaining. It’s not as if half the invites won’t be falling at your feet.”

“Continue the list, Thanatos.”

“Yes, sir. Patroclus. Nemesis, Apate, though she is, er, in a spat with our mother. Harmonia, Hecate, Hermes, myself…” He continues on and on. Hades falls into a deeper pit of despair.

“Amongst the declined are Hypnos, Morpheus, Keres–”

“Why was Keres even invited?” Harry interrupts.

Persephone shrugs. “Formality. The gesture extends to Acheron, Macaria, Styx, and several others.”

“I see. Not too many of the annoying ones then.”

She laughs. “I made sure not to include them. After all, it’s a party not a riot.”

Thanatos stands from the table. “I’m off to speak to Charon about the souls then. I’ll give him several gold coins for his cooperation.”

“Shouldn’t we consider telling him to stop asking for gold for a trip across the river? It’s been millennia and we don’t even need the gold.”

Harry stands, walking over to take Thanatos’s place when the deity leaves. “It’s not about the money,” he says, sitting down. “It’s Charon who thrives from routine. He doesn’t believe in anything free either.”

“But can’t we be the ones giving him the gold?”

“I give him gold all the time and yet he still asks for coins.”

“I’ve had to ask Hecate to retrieve several wandering souls just this past week because they were unable to pay.”

Hades reaches over and tucks her hair behind her ear. It’s normally braided into a crown around her head, but she’s left it open this morning. He kisses her forehead and holds her hands, resting his head on hers. “I cannot find the words to express how much I’ll miss you,” he says softly, swallowing. “I find myself unable to dwell too long on it.”

He feels her warm hands squeeze his. “We’ve survived it before, haven’t we?”

“Yes but what if something happens this time? What if a new deity of destruction comes along and destroys the Kingdom and I’m left suffering without out?”

She laughs softly. “That will not happen. And you, my love, are far too strong to succumb to any baby deity. Remember when you thought Oizys was a threat to the Kingdom?”

“To be fair, she’s far more gloomy and miserable than I am and yet everyone only thinks of me when they’re talking of that nature.”

“Right. And besides, I highly doubt Nyx and Hecate will allow ruin to this realm. Especially Nyx. You know how passionate she gets about it.” His wife leans in and kisses his cheek gently. “And I will be back before you know it.”

“I tire of it,” Harry admits. “I tire of you leaving me for so long.”

“But don’t you love our reunions? It’s all I can think about when I’m in the mortal realm. The look on your face when I descend back to you.”

Harry holds her face and kisses her. “I could never do what you do. Be in two places. Two homes, both magnetic, pulling you apart. You are too strong.”

She laughs against his mouth. “My love, you rule a realm. The entirety of it. The world is on your shoulders, and yet you claim I am strong?”

“You are strong in ways I could never be. You are in pain more often than I am. Losing both your husband and your mother separately.” He closes his eyes. “Kore, I wish for you to have fun tomorrow. That’s all I want. Whatever you ask for, you shall have.”

She smiles, throwing her arms around his neck, climbing into his lap. She kisses him over and over, hard. “Oh how I love you,” she whispers, hugging him tight. “I’ll miss you so much.”

***

The next day, the entire palace is lively with music, guests, and decor. Hades finds his wife in the middle of all of it, happily chatting with the gods and goddesses. When Persephone first arrived in the Underworld, she had been a shy and ambitious goddess, ready to take on the task at hand. And over the thousands of years, she’s become the terrifying, beautiful queen that this realm always needed.

When he’d look over at her the first few years, he’d see the timid goddess everyone overlooked, trying to raise her voice high enough so people would actually hear her. Now, she’s a ball of light amongst the darkness, her glow radiating off her body to the corners of the palace, her laughter loud, her kindness bold.

Hades smiles as he takes a sip of his champagne. His heart aches. He wishes for her to stay.

She catches his eye. She looks ethereal in her dark dress, a true frightening queen. Her smile is wide as she holds her hand out and beckons him into the group. Nyx glances over at him, her daughter besides her. They both look at him with respect, but also sadness. They always do.

He takes Persephone’s hand. “Yes, my queen?”

“We were just talking about how it’s great that lovers are reunited at the party. We should host more events like these, hm?”

They all look over at Achilles and Patroclus deeply engaged in a heated discussion under the bright chandelier near the musicians. “Yes,” Harry says, “well, I do have to argue that they’re never truly parted as they live in the field together.”

“I cannot imagine being with the same person for my whole life,” Nyx says, taking a sip of her water. “Doesn’t it get, you know, repetitive? No offense to you two.”

Persephone shakes her head and laughs. “Oh do not worry, my friend. Well, the commitment is frightening, but it also proves to be tremendous amounts of fun.”

Harry wraps his arm around her. “She speaks the truth. And I’m positive that life also cannot get boring when you’re also ruling an entire realm.”

“And when your wife is gone half the year.” Everyone turns their cold eyes to the god who’s strutted up to their half circle. He throws a big arm over Apate’s shoulder.

“Ares,” Harry says, downing his drink. “How great of you to join us.”

Ares pushes his sunglasses down his nose and peers at them all with a grin. “Oh how could I miss the chance to be here. Look at all this festivity. I’m itching to wreak havoc, I can hardly contain myself.”

“Would you look at that?” Harry murmurs. “Hephaestus, my dear friend. How are you doing?”

Ares immediately stands straight and glances over his shoulder, swallowing. He finds nobody there, and Persephone giggles next to her husband, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“Prick,” Ares hisses, fixing his blond hair. “He’s not really here, is he?”

“Oh, he is.”

“Fuck.” His fists close and open in, what Harry thinks, is an attempt to ease his temper. He glances back at Persephone and Hades, giving them a slight bow. “My queen, I hope you enjoy your night. We eagerly await your return to the mortal lands.” And then he disappears.

Apate fixes the earring Ares ruffled, snickering. “How anybody could be afraid of Hephaestus is beyond me.”

“I’ve come to realize,” Hades says, “that he can be terrifying if provoked enough. And I for one do not plan on ever getting on his bad side.”

“Yes,” Persephone says, looping her arm around her husband’s. “But he cannot be more scary than you.”

He raises his eyebrows, holding her chin. “Is that so?”

“Well,” Nyx says, grabbing Apate who is watching the king and queen with wide, interested eyes. “We’ll be off to join the party then. We will, of course, be here to see you off in the morning, so there’s no need for goodbyes just yet.”

“But Ma–” Apate sighs as she’s being dragged away. Persephone laughs. 

“How are you finding the party?” Harry asks her, pulling her along until she’s standing in front of him. The gld lights shimmer in her eyes, her pretty lips in a smile.

“I’m enjoying myself greatly.” She sets her champagne glass next to Harry’s on a nearby table and then loops her arms around his neck. “And yourself?”

“I’m enjoying it a lot more than I expected. We haven’t seen a party like this in a while, have we?”

“You host lavish banquets when I arrive every year.”

“Well, that may be, but we rarely have this many people in the palace. Everyone seems to be busy too. With all these gods and goddesses here, I’m wondering how the mortal realm is doing.”

She smiles. “If Ares is here, I imagine everything is calm up there.”

“That is true.” He leans in and softly kisses her, arms around her waist. She sighs, kissing him back. “I realize I never thanked you for not inviting any of my family that are, er, horrendous to be around.”

“Yes,” Persephone says, twirling his curls between her fingers, her eyes hazy. “I did not invite Aphrodite. I doubt she’d even come down here. The mere thought of a party that isn’t in her name would send her in a frenzy. And I myself am glad we did not invite…” she trails off, her eyes hardening. “Apollo.”

“Yes, because if he were here, I’d absolutely lose my–”

“No,” she says. “I mean. Apollo. He’s right there.” Her eyes are wide now, confused. “Wait. I did not invite him. I specifically put him in really big letters on the DO NOT INVITE list. Thanatos knew not to–”

“You’re not serious,” Harry says, frozen. “He’s not really–”

“My king, Lord Hades!”

“No,” he whispers. “Please no. Seph, tell me he’s not really there. It’s a nightmare. It’s just a nightmare. He’s not really behind me.”

But his wife’s eyes are still big. “I’m so sorry, my love. There he is.”

A big hand grabs his shoulder, pulling the king and queen apart. There’s only one person who has the audacity to do that. Well, him and his father.

“Apollo.” Hades says, taking deep breaths. He shoves his hands into his pockets to avoid accidentally punching his nephew in the face. “It’s you. And you’re here. In my house.”

Apollo grins, nodding. His blond hair is swept off his forehead, tucked behind his ears, clad in a white suit. He looks radiant, his eyes clear. He holds a bouquet of flowers in one hand, though they’re wilted and dead, and in another, there’s… a cat? “I am!”

Persephone peeks out from around Hades. She points at the orange cat that seems happy resting in the crook of Apollo’s arm. Its purring can be heard from several feet away. “How did you get that thing past Charon?”

“I gave him 50 gold coins of course.”

“For a cat?”

“Why did you even bring a cat?” Harry interjects. “More importantly, why are you even here? Who invited you?”

Apollo’s laugh is a booming noise. “Ah, I do not ever require an invitation to show up somewhere. After all, where there’s a party, there’s Apollo.” He shrugs. “I should be offended that I wasn’t invited, however, this is no subject to get upset about. All that matters is that I am here and your party is saved from suffering the same tragedy the entire underworld realm does: boredom.”

Harry feels the corner of his eye twitch. “So you invited yourself.”

“That’s an easy way to put it! Here. Let me introduce you to my companion for the night. I wasn’t sure if I should bring a plus one or not, therefore I bring with me a majestic creature that counts more as a friend than an extra.” He holds the orange cat up. The cat squints its eyes at Hades and Persephone. “His name is Apollo.”

“You named your cat after yourself?”

“But of course!” Apollo exclaims passionately. “A creature as beautiful and fierce as this one must be given the name it deserves! A worthy name! A name that makes love bloom, a name that makes the poets wish to write, the musicians wish to play! Apollo!”

For a moment, both Harry and Persephone are too stunned to speak. Harry’s glad it’s Persephone that offers Apollo a meek, “How riveting,” because he doesn’t know if he should laugh in his nephew's face or suggest Zeus exile the poor kid to humble him.

“But I digress!” Apollo says. “Now tell me, which person do you believe I should approach first?”

“Hecate,” Persephone offers immediately, throwing a look at Harry. “Trust me. She’s totally into you.”

“Hmm,” Apollo says, searching the crowd. “You’re right. I’ve seen the way she looks at my triceps. Here I go!”

Harry wraps his arm around his wife’s waist as they watch an ambitious Apollo strut off. “You’re terrible,” he tells her, kissing the top of her head.

“I am,” she giggles. “You are so different from everyone else, did you know that?”

“I could say the same about you.”

“Yes, well, it’s a shame there aren’t enough tree growing vegetation goddesses out there. Oh wait. There totally are. There’s Hestia and mother and Artemis when she feels like it and–”

“Alright, I get it. So what if the world is lacking in gloomy, evil underworld rulers?”

Persephone’s eyes shine. “You may be gloomy, but most definitely not evil.”

“Mm, no? Perhaps I just put on an act in front of you to impress.”

“Ah my love it cannot be an act since you still haven’t perfected it. I can see how you are when you must judge souls. Sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes you don’t want to remove parents from their children, lovers from their lovers.” She smiles. “Whether you like it or not, you get caught up in emotions in regards to mortals.”

“That may be,” he says, yanking her close. He leans down and kisses her softly. “But nothing gets me more caught up than you.”

She grins and kisses him back, arms flung around his broad shoulders. “Good,” she says, holding his collar. “That’s the way it should be.”

***

Near the end of the party, Hades gets on the dais and raises his glass, tapping against it. The crowd falls silent. Even Apollo stops making out one of Nyx’s daughters, looking at Hades with hazy eyes.

“Thank you all,” Harry says loudly, “for being here. When Persephone first introduced the idea of a party before her departure, I was not pleased with it. I didn’t like that we’d be celebrating her leaving, but now I realize that it wasn’t so. This party, in fact, is a celebration of everything she has done to keep the Underworld,” he looks over at her, “and I in tact.”

Tears sparkle in Persephone’s eyes. Hades swallows hard and continues, “Our queen leaving us will never be easy. But while we mourn the loss, we shall look forward to her return.” He points his glass in his wife’s direction, “To my wife. The beautiful and terrifying. To Persephone.”

The crowd repeats after him. “To Persephone!”

She takes a sip of her champagne and whispers thank you, keeping her eyes on Hades. He ducks his head in a small acknowledging nod and then drinks his own champagne. He holds his hand out for her and she joins him on the dais. The crowd cheers harder for her. Harry smiles. All for her.

Apollo the Cat joins them on the stage and rubs up against their legs. Persephone just laughs through her tears.

When the guests begin to leave around an hour later, they both say their goodbyes. To several gods and goddesses, she reminds them she’ll see them soon. To the grays, she tells them to count down 6 months from now.

Harry holds her face when they’re in the privacy of their own bedchamber. He kisses her softly. “You said no tears,” he whispers, wiping away the moisture on her cheeks. “No tears or sadness.”

“There will always be sadness,” she softly cries, surging forward, hugging him tight, “when you leave the ones you love.”

“And yet you manage to do it twice every year.”

“And twice every year, someone welcomes me with open arms.” She lifts her head up and looks at him through her tears. “Oh how I hate this part.”

“My love,” he murmurs, wiping her tears as they fall over and over. He runs his thumb over her trembling lip. “I will always mourn you, but wait for your return. Right by the entrance of our palace. I’ll wait for you for 6 months, a year, several years. As long as you come back to me. To your home. I can wait forever.” He holds her close, resting his head against hers. “I love you, Kore. You’ve always known that.”

“I have.” She kisses him again passionately, pouring all her love into it. She slides her fingers into his hair and tilts her head back when he starts kissing down the column of her throat and down to the dip of her neckline.

She gasps softly when his warm hands tug on the sleeves of her dress, slowly baring her shoulders for him to atack with his kisses. She shudders and grabs his collar, bringing him to the bed behind them.

In a mess of laughter, they fall back against the bed. Hades’s curls fall into her eyes, his hands all over her body as she kisses him through it all. He climbs over her and settles between her legs, watching as she removes her dress, throwing it somewhere behind her.

He holds her waist, kissing her stomach tenderly. Her hips. Her thighs.

Her fingers tighten in his hair. Harry grabs her hips and tugs her down to the edge of the bed, kneeling before her. She sits half up, watching him pull her underwear out of the way, whining when he softly bites her thigh.

“Ow,” she whispers. He smiles in response, parting her legs.

“My queen.”

He licks her softly, chuckling when she dramatically falls against the bed and swears. His hands hold her thighs tightly, keeping her hips down. His eyes flutter shut as he loses himself in the act, tasting her, drowning in her moans and whimpers.

She’s already so wet, and he suspects she has been for some time. Since the party, perhaps. Or since he locked the door behind them when they got to their chamber, as if anyone was going to interrupt them on their last night.

Persephone tugs on his hair. When he sinks two fingers inside of her, she swears again, and the walls around them tremble. He’s reminded of the time she ruined the cabin in the forest from the pleasure she felt. He wonders if he can ever get her to the point where she ruins their room.

“Please,” she whispers, his curls now laced between her fingers. She raises her hips to meet his mouth, helping them mouth. Harry curves his fingers inside of her, grinning when she groans, throwing her head back.

He keeps his fingers in her as he focuses his mouth above her entrance, licking, sucking, and everything in between. She’s drenched him completely as the minute passes and soon, she’s dropping her hands from his hair and grabbing their silk sheets.

She whispers words in Greek, English, French. Everything. It just comes tumbling out as she falls apart on him, her body trembling with her orgasm so beautifully, Harry wishes he could stay there on his knees before her for another century. He suspects it still wouldn’t be enough.

He pulls out of her, wipes his mouth and then grabs her face. He kisses her hard, arm around her shaking frame, holding her tight to his chest afterwards.

Persephone breathes hard, holding his no longer crisp shirt as if to make sure he won’t leave her. He never does.

“I love you,” he whispers, kissing her face again and again. “I’ll wait for you. I always do. I always will. I’ll be here for eternity for you, I swear it, my dear lover.”

He’s not surprised to see tears in her eyes again when he pulls away to help her put more clothes on. Instead of offering her any more words, he lets her cry on his chest as he tucks both of them away into their bed.

She’s still sniffling even as she’s drifting asleep, head buried in his neck.

“Do you want me to wake you when I leave?” she asks several minutes later, looking up at him with her tear streaked face.

“Of course. I’ll see you off. All the way back to Charon.”

She sniffles again. “You’ll have to let the souls back in when you’re returning. I only bribed Charon to tolerate the grays for a day.”

“That’s fine. I’m their ruler. It's my job. But do you want Hermes to be with you? It’s no fun returning to the mortal world alone.”

But Persephone only shakes her head and reaches for her husband’s hand. She tucks it under her chin and sighs deeply. “No. I want you to be the last face I see when I leave, and my mother the first face I see when I arrive.”

“Whatever you wish, my love.”

Harry raises her chin and kisses her once more, finding himself holding his own sorrowful tears back. 

“You are my world,” he reminds her, carding his fingers through her hair. It’s been long released from its braid. “Return to me quickly so that I may resume worshiping you again.”

Persephone closes her eyes and nods. “I love you, too, my king. To you, I’ll quickly return.”

[justlarkin]

Heya Lark, have you seen that the housamo wiki mentions a theory on Hecates page that she is both Hel and Morgana le Fay? Any opinions on that? Personally I find it interesting and almost wanna use it as headcanon just because of how funny it is

I actually haven't seen that, but omg? The Queen of Haters herself? That is genuinely so funny I'd be upset if it isn't true. Hecate is probably running around Tokyo, weaponizing incest fan fiction against her haters. Someone's going to leave a negative review on one of her books and the next book is going to be about them dicking down their own mom with full names and everything omg.

[adracat]

Notrette: The Mother of Abominations, Queen of Heaven and Space

"This is the Mystery of Babylon, the Mother of Abominations, and this is the mystery of her adulteries, for she hath yielded up herself to everything that liveth, and hath become a partaker in its mystery. And because she hath made her self the servant of each, therefore is she become the mistress of all. Not as yet canst thou comprehend her glory.

Beautiful art thou, O Babylon, and desirable, for thou hast given thyself to everything that liveth, and thy weakness hath subdued their strength. For in that union thou didst understand. Therefore art thou called Understanding, O Babylon, Lady of the Night!" — The Vision and the Voice (12th Aethyr)

Thelema is an esoteric and occult philosophy founded by Aleister Crowley. That name may be familiar to those who've read any of my gwitch hermeticism posts. Thelema draws heavily from ancient mythology, among Greek/Egyptian in particular, and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Alchemy, astrology, and geomancy are among the crafts they practiced. Thelema asserts following one's True Will is the path to self-realization and fulfillment, gaining the Great Work or Magnum Opus. See my posts here for more on this.

Babalon is the Great Mother. She is Nott and Nuit; the Night. She is the Whore of Babylon that reins the Beast of Revelation. She is the Bride of Chaos, the primal light of the soul and where life began. She is Mother Earth, Gaia, in her most fertile sense. She is Lilith (etymology-'female night being/demon') the fell consort to Samael. Notrette is indicated by her name, derived from Nott the Norse personification of Night, and taken epithet Anesidora (Demeter, Pandora, and Gaia) to be Babalon.

And I believe in one Earth, the Mother of us all, and in one Womb wherein all men are begotten, and wherein they shall rest, Mystery of Mystery, in Her name BABALON— Gnostic creed

We never see her in the show, save one image. What is there speaks plenty to her place as this occult figure. And perhaps her link to Prospera most of all.

Bride of Samael

Prospera is unmistakably the Great Deciever. Her name before Vanadis' fall was Elnora, which means Shining One. The same as Lucifer, the morning star. It matches the name of Dellingr, Nott's husband in norse myth. However, Delling is a red herring and perhaps the slight change in name is intentional. Prospera is the true Satan, who fell from grace and now rebels against God. Considering Dominicus and Delling are both coded with divine authority, this seems to be the point. If Notrette is Anesidora, then Prospera is Phosphoros. In my Prospera analysis, I noted she's bedecked in Hecate symbolism. One of Hecate's epithets is Phosphoros, light-bringer, signifying Hecate, Diana, and Eos/Aurora; goddess of the dawn. Another parallel with Nott's mythic husband. Phosphoros/EOSphoros is the greek name of the morning star. Perseis, another Hecate epithet is synonymous with Perdition. The name Satan took after falling. She has also cast aside her original shining name to be Prospera

The planet Venus is historically 'morning star', one of the wandering stars in astrology, and Elnora is similarly coded with Venus parallel. Consider the sign Pisces, which is Venus and her son Eros fleeing to safety. (The Prologue events) The events of episode 17 onward easily fit Venus' role in the story of Eros and Psyche.

Crowley asserts Babalon and the biblical Scarlet Woman are separate and the latter enacts the will of the former. Prospera wreaking her havoc on Earth and Space is certainly fitting with Aerial as the Beast of Revelation.

So how does this relate to Notrette? Because she is the Bride of Samael/Satan, Lilith, who rebelled against Adam and was banished from the Garden of Eden. As Babalon/Babylon, she is the mother of harlots and revels in adultery. We already know Quiet Zero was her project. She is a gifted geneticist and the only person explicitly fiddling with biometric code... The Mother of Abominations can easily apply to Aerial and replichildren. Something we already suspected, but seems confirmed. She is indeed the Angrboda to Prospera's Loki. After all, in the Tempest Caliban is the child of the Devil and a witch.

Consider fell Lilith, the first wife of man who was formed from the same clay as Adam and unleashed horrors upon humanity. This tale mirrors Pandora, another Anesidora. The first woman in Greek mythology molded by clay who unleashes horrors from her jar. Mothers of Abominations both. Some occultists view Lilith as a former agricultural and fertility goddess like Demeter. Anesidora is Satan's bride, Lilith.

Potnia (Mistress), an epithet of Demeter, can also be taken as indicative of the great Idolatress

Queen Nuit

The highest deity of Thelema is Nuit. She is the naked Great Mother dressed in the stars. She is infinite space and infinite possibilities. They name her Our Lady of the Stars, Queen of Space and Queen of Heaven. Greek Nyx, Norse Nott, and Egyptian Nut are all her names. Her consort is Hadit, the embodiment of causality; '"the flame that burns in every heart of man, and in the core of every star." And causality is the method to which Prospera works her curses upon the cast.

Notrette is metaphorically a queen before her death. Married to psuedo king Delling, she is the G-Witch Queen of Heaven and Space. Her name hard placing her as Nott just drives the point home.

Daughter of Babalon

But casting aside speculation, well-founded as it is imo, let's take a look at her canonical child; Miorine. Thelema also speaks of her and cements Notrette's true identity.

And this palace is nothing but the body of a woman, proud and delicate, and beyond imagination fair. She is like a child of twelve years old. She has very deep eyelids, and long lashes. Her eyes are closed, or nearly closed. It is impossible to say anything about her. She is naked; her whole body is covered with fine gold hairs, that are the electric flames which are the spears of mighty and terrible Angels whose breastplates are the scales of her skin. And the hair of her head, that flows down to her feet, is the very light of God himself. Of all the glories beheld by the Seer in the Aethyrs, there is not one which is worthy to be compared with her littlest finger-nail. For although he may not partake of the Aethyr, without the ceremonial preparations, even the beholding of this Aethyr from afar is like the par taking of all the former Aethyrs.

The Seer is lost in wonder, which is Peace.

And the ring of the horizon above her is a company of glorious Archangels with joined hands, that stand and sing: This is the daughter of BABALON the Beautiful, that she hath borne unto the Father of All. And unto all hath she borne her.

This is the Daughter of the King. This is the Virgin of Eternity. This is she that the Holy One hath wrested from the Giant Time, and the prize of them that have overcome Space. This is she that is set upon the Throne of Understanding. Holy, Holy, Holy is her name, not to be spoken among men. For Kore they have called her, and Malkah, and Betulah, and Persephone.— The Book of Thoth, Aleister Crowley

In the show she is given Kore/Persephone symbolism as explored in my Miorine analysis. As the daughter of a Demeter it felt fitting, but it's now doubly significant. The Hebrew words Malkah and Betulah mean 'Queen' and 'Virgin' respectively.

With this wealth of context, I can't help but wish Notrette made a full appearance. Yet I understand both production meddling and perhaps symbolic intent may have led to her remaining unseen. Babalon is Mystery. And her glory cannot be comprehended.

[tarotreaderbabe]

A message from Persephone.

The Greek myth of Hades and Persephone is my absolute favourite. There's just so much misinformation about a beautiful love story. Queen of the underworld, forever my Mother Goddess 🥺 Anyway, let's pick a pile together.

Pile one, two, and three respectively.

Pile one

You want to go on a journey, but to you, it would feel like you are abandoning your mother. The specific card that represents Persephone in this reading is a very youthful Page of Pentacles, and is peacefully surrounded by flowers. This makes me think of Kore, moments before her "abduction".

All the cards where pointing towards a journey that you really wanted to go on, but you feel stuck between your own life and your mother's. Persephone is saying that no matter what you do, your heart will always draw you towards where you're meant to be. Persephone wanted to be with Hades, truly. And she gave in to that wish, and ate the pomegranate, even if it meant to be apart of her mom, Demeter.

Her advice is that nothing needs to be permanent. life is made up of cycles, and you can always pay a visit, just like Persephone did herself.

If you need confirmation, this is it. Follow your heart. Be with who you want to be with, travel to that place you want to go to, move out, become independent just like you want to. You deserve a life of your own.

Pile two

You are a sensitive soul, in deed, but so brave. Never look down on yourself. The card that represents Persephone in this card is the King of Swords, representing her as an authority, a Queen. She says that you are such a gentle, kind individual, but with extreme strength and resistance inside of you. You feel sad over the state of the world, you wish for the world to be truly a better place. A part of you believes you are just too weak to change anything, specially when the justice system turns a blind eye to things that should be punished.

She's not saying it's your job to fix the world, but you can make a difference. You do.

You are being represented as the Queen of swords, with the Hierophant to clarify, and the hierophant in this card looks super weird, as if he is evil, but the queen is not afraid of him at all. She speaks, and she speaks bluntly, that is the queen of swords. She is unbelievably and brutally honest no matter who she is speaking to. Persephone became queen, and she created a paradise for the goodhearted inside the underworld.

You can make a difference, even if not in the entire world, but in your own world, the world around you. Stand up for yourself, stand up for others with that brilliant mind and sharp tongue of yours. Question authority and educate yourself. If you wish to, Persephone is saying that if you work with the Law or social work of some kind, you will feel amazing even though it is a difficult job. Also, don't forget this: it's not your job to save the entire world, but if your heart burns with a desire for justice, you can make a difference if you want to.

Pile Three

Don't give your own life away for someone else to handle, but also, learn how to listen to other's advice.

In this pile, Kore is missing, and only Hecate knows where she is. Yet, she doesn't say a word to Kore's mother, because she knows that everything is working out for her in her greatest good. You might be facing a very difficult issue that no one is willing to help. Some really don't give a fuck, but some are putting all their faith in you. They believe you can make it out of this, so they are letting you handle it. Understand that I'm not going to say this shitty situation you're in is for your highest good, even if it is. My point is, don't count on anyone to save you. Just listen carefully to their warnings. Everything will be fine. But please, listen. Be very discerning of this pile, as I am not saying for you to listen to your family's bs about the new great person you just met. This pile is for those in abusive relationships, toxic households, bullying at school, etc. You won't receive any help, the ball is in your hands. It's your choice to stay or go, but don't be so blind and in denial that you ignore every possible warning, red flag, tarot advice, etc. This message is for your own good.

You will be fine. You can do this. I am here for any of you if you need to talk to someone.

[antiquepearlss]

If I ever get around to it, I'd love to write novels/make comics about Greek mythology. But, I'm busy. I've always wanted to write about Hades and Persephone since people are so divided on them and their relationship. Either they're couple goals, or it's an abusive and awful marriage. And Demeter almost always gets villainaized or seen as weak in various interpretations.

So here's what I would do if I wrote about Hades and Persephone...

Persephone isn't that young, Zeus and Demeter made her before Zeus even married Hera, so she's old. (Persephone actually predates Hades in history) but stays with her mother. (They're very close) Part of her character is that she doesn't really want to grow up, she just wants to stay an unknown nature goddess, but she also desires something more deep down. (she's not goddess of spring, spring doesnt exist yet) Demeter also doesn't want Kore to grow up and doesn't like change. She is happy with her life with her daughter. Demeter is also against marriage since she has seen so many marriages fall apart.

Hades and Kore meet when Hades visits Demeter. The two become instant friends and Hades develops a crush on Kore due to her quiet and contemplative but dark and morbid nature. And that she loves the fact that he rules the underworld. Kore begins to fancy him because she has always been fascinated with the underworld, and she finds his introverted and morbid and shy personality cute. Hades becomes part of the reason Kore begins to desire something more with her life. (At this point Demeter and Persephone are still worshipped as a duo, just like in history)

Demeter and Hades don't hate eachother but they're not very close. She knows of their relationship but encourages (not forces!) Kore to drop the crush because of what she's seen happen to Hera. Kore begins to bottle her feelings and is conflicted by her love for her mother and her desire to stay with her and not change anything, and her desire to be with Hades or to be her own goddess.

Kore confides her feelings to Hades and since Hades has never had anyone love him, he decides to ask Zeus for Kores hand in marriage. Zeus agrees, Hades wants to ask Demeter because he respects Demeter and Kores relationship. Zeus convinces Hades not to because he thinks Demeter will deny it and Hades agrees.

Artemis and Athena visit Demeter and Kore and whilst picking flowers, Kore runs off to pick a narcissus flower (Hades used this flower because it's Kores favorite) Hades comes out of the earth all dramatically and kidnaps Kore.

Kore is obviously distraught and does not accept Hades' marriage proposal. Instead of sleeping in his room she holes herself up in one of the dungeons in protest. Hades tries to bring her various gifts (jewelry, fancy clothes, pets, wilting flowers,) but he refuses to give her what she really wants, to go back home.

Hades wants to return her but he's worried she will leave him, so selfishly, everytime she asks to go home, he just brings her a lavish gift. I'd write him having a mental battle, where he wants Kore to be happy but he also wants Kore to be happy with him.

Hades tries again to make Kore happy. She comments on one of his visits that the underworld is unfair to those who did good in life, so he let's her create Elysium. Kore is moved by this gesture and eventually moves out of the dungeon and into Elysium and helps to judge which of the dead will get to move to Elysium.

After this, Kore decides to accept Hades' proposal of being Queen of the Underworld, but continues to refuse his marriage proposal. She begins to grow up and changes her name to Persephone. She enjoys judging mortals but becomes harsh with her judgement. Word begins to spread of how fearsome she is. She doesn't hate Hades and doesn't forgive him, but can manage to stay in the same room as him for more than ten minutes. She's finally fulfilled her wish of becoming more than just a nature goddess.

Hecate comes down to the underworld and talks to Hades. She tells him how selfish and cruel he is. Hades' character flaw in this story is his self centeredness. He thinks he knows what's best for Kore and that the second he let's her go, she will hate him, and he will be left alone for eternity. He's too selfish to realize how he's hurting her, and that his pain isn't more important than hers. He begins to realize these flaws through Hecates speech and realizing that he doesn't want Persephone to be miserable because of him.

Meanwhile, Demeter is incredibly distraught. She lost her daughter and Artemis and Athena didn't see what happened. Demeter spends days looking for her until Hecate takes her to Helios who sees everything. He tells Demeter that Zeus arranged the marriage and tries to convince her that maybe Hades would be a good husband but Demeter is having none of it (rightfully so) she angrily destroys the home and land she and Kore lived in, where most of the gods' food came from. Now Zeus is cut off from the best food.

Demeter repeatedly goes to Zeus but he refuses to annul the marriage. She goes to Hera who's her closest friend but Hera sides with Zeus, seeing that Hades and Kore would make a very good couple. Obviously Demeter is angry that the three of them conspired behind her and her daughters back. She refuses to grow more food for them and cuts off her and Heras friendship.

She goes to Hecate and Hecate tells her she will try to convince Hades to give Kore up.

Demeter travels to a nearby town and disguises herself as a servant and begins to care for the child of her "owners" she sees Kore in this child and grants them immortality by throwing them into a fire every night. Obv the parents object to this but she reveals herself to them, and in apology for their reaction and in pity for her condition, they build her a new temple. Hera will try to talk to Demeter but Demeter refuses to have anything to do with her.

Hecate comes to Demeter with the news of Persephone and how she is becoming the accustomed to being queen and her new name change. Demeter is upset by this and worries that she may lose Kore forever.

Demeter causes winter, this is her final card in getting Kore back. As the mortals die and he sees how upset Demeter is, Zeus begins to take pity on her, but is angered by the death of the mortals and doesn't budge on his decision. Hera decides to back Demeter up and begs Zeus to let Demeter have Kore back. When Zeus realizes how genuine Hera is Zeus, and how badly he hurt Demeter, and that Demeter will not budge, he relents. Zeus sends Hermes to convince Hades to let Persephone go.

Hades by this point is ready to let Persephone go and be happy, but Persephone wants to stay queen of the underworld. She learns to love her home and enjoys being able to help the dead mortals and punish the wicked ones. She is reluctant to go back home and just be some nature goddess. She doesn't want to be Kore, she wants to be Persephone. But she still hasn't forgiven Hades at this point and isn't sure if she still loves him. And while she loves the underworld, she misses her mother and wants to calm her down. Shes conflicted, but wants to see her mother at least one more time. She makes all this clear to Hermes and Hades overhears.

Hades finally realizes what he must do, and he agrees to let Persephone go to see her mother. He gives Persephone the pomegranate seeds and lets her decide whether or not she wants to be bound to the underworld. Persephone is moved by this gesture and kisses him on the cheek. Showing she forgives him.

Persephone travels to her mother. Demeter is so happy she immediately causes spring. A new season which is bright and colorful, but rainy due to her tears and slightly chill due to how emotional she is. Demeter vows to protect Persephone and to build her temples and wants to devote this new season to her.

Persephone is overjoyed to see her mother but eventually (I'm thinking like, a week after) she tells Demeter about how she ate the seeds, and she needs to go to the underworld.

Demeter is not happy.

The two go to Zeus and he decides that since Perse only ate six seeds, she will only stay six months in the underworld. Demeter objects and keeps begging Persephone to ask Zeus for an annulment. She doesn't want things to change for her and Kore. And she doesn't really want Kore to grow up yet, or be miserable in an unloving marriage.

Demeter and Persephone have a conversation on how Persephone has grown up and that she doesn't want to stay a nature goddess forever. That she forgives Hades and does want to be around him. Demeter eventually relents and accepts that Persephone has grown up and is happy for her. She realizes that things eventually change and people move on. And right before Persephone goes back down to the underworld, she gives Persephone the title of the Goddess Of Spring.

Demeter is still upset when Persephone leaves and causes winter due to her grief. But as the years go on, she creates fall, to better help humans adjust to the cold. Nowadays, Persephone leaving isn't as jarring and she doesn't need to cause winter, but humans have gotten so accustomed to it that they need it for their cycle of seasons.

Eventually, Persephone accepts Hades marriage proposal and falls in love with him. He tries to make up for the pain he caused her by making her an equal ruler, and promising to be the best husband he can be to her.

The end.

Holy heck this was long. But yeah, this is how I'd turn The Hymn To Demeter into a novel. I'm tired of everyone interpreting this story as having a clear "bad guy" either Hades is an evil cruel man and Demeter is a spineless grieving mother, or Dem is an overprotective and abusive mother and Hades is a spineless uwu innocent boy.

No, Demeter is a loving mother averse to change, Hades is a selfish but well meaning guy, and Persephone is a woman who is conflicted in her desire to grow up.

When I write these novels I don't plan on changing any of the details in the myths, just add more and make them a full fledged story. The only thing I "changed" in this is that Perse ate the seeds willingly. It's kinda mixed on whether she knew what they would do but in this she does, it's important to her development.

Obviously nowadays forgiving Hades would be unspeakable, but remember, this was ancient Greece. So it was looked down by some but not all. So he's not a complete monster because of this. But its still not okay. So to all the Hades simps and apologists, he was not justified in kidnapping Persephone. No matter the context. And he still needs to overcome his flaws like the rest of them. Don't kidnap your wife kids.

[thedroneranger]

The Drone Ranger's Be Kind Rewind ⏪ CherryCola27 Edition!

A rec reblog series dedicated to the fics that we love so much, we've re-read them!

The Be Kind Rewind is back with my tumblr bestie @cherrycola27! Thank you so much for sharing your re-reads, Nik 🖤

The Top Gun fandom has been going strong for over a year, and while we continue to churn out amazing new content, let's be kind and rewind to look at some of the OG content we love!

And don't forget to reblog when you re-read! Continue to show your comfort fics and favorite creators some love. It helps keep the fresh content coming :)

We want to keep this going throughout the summer, so I'll continue to invite friends—other creators and readers—to share their lists. Stay tuned!

If you're interested in participating in the Be Kind Rewind, message me. The more, the merrier—let's keep this going as long as we can!

Check out other rewinds here. If you want to know when a new Rewind drops, join the tag list.

fics below the cut (listed in alphabetical order by title)

and even when we're wrong in every way, we come out on the other side okay, Bradley Bradshaw, @gretagerwigsmuse This was the first fic that I ever saw myself in the main character. Smart Aleck made me feel so seen. This fic scratches my brain in a way that I didn't know I needed. Their story has truly been a joy for me.

Dine In, Jake Seresin, @thedroneranger The first Jake fic that I loved. The beginning of me becoming a part-time Seresin Girlie and down bad for Mrs. Seresin.

Girls on Film, Robert Floyd, @topguncortez My first experience with the "Bob Fucks" agenda, and I have been changed ever since. I remember having to put my phone down and reset my brain after reading this because I was speechless.

Is It Working For You?, Bradley Bradshaw, @roosterforme The OG Baby Girl and Roo Series. I can't even describe how much I love these two. I wish I could go back and experience their love story for the first time.

One for The History Books, Bradley Bradshaw, @pisupsala I found this series when it was like 13 chapters in, and it was the first series I binged on Tumblr!

Parking Spots and Matcha Lattes, Jake Seresin, @withahappyrefrain My first experience with "Jake loves mean girls" and I am here for it. Again, Venus makes me feel so seen, and I am here for her (affectionately) being mean to Jake.

Mr. & Mrs. Bradshaw and the Hannix Family, @bradshawsbaby Okay, I know this might be cheating because they are collections not individual fics, but these are the very first things I EVER read in the fandom and made me a Hannix shipper and made me down bad for a man with a mustache.

Sub Rosa, Bradley Bradshaw, @sunlightmurdock This was my gateway into Katie's masterlist. Before their was TiP Rooster, there was Sub Rosa Rooster and the admiral's daughter. This was one of the first series I followed and religiously checked for updates.

You Get Me Closer, Bradley Bradshaw, @thedroneranger My comfort one shot! This was the first fic that ever made me go "holy fuck that was hot" and immediately re-read it. I can't tell you the number of times I've read it or will read it because the limit does not exist.

Creator's Own

Until I Found You, Bradley Bradshaw This is one of my fluffiest fics and has zero emotional damage!

ᴺᴱᵂ false god, Bradley Bradshaw Shameless plug for my newest series that is a (sorta) Greek Mythology!AU. It's a slow burn between my beloved Bradley Bradshaw and the Queen of the Underworld herself, Hades. And in true Nik fashion, it's going to put you through the ringer.

Tag list and friends: @petcr3 @desert-fern @mygyn @sweetwhispersofchaos @galaxy-of-stories @taytaylala12 @malindacath @violyn20 @awildewit @potato-girl99981 @shanimallina87 @blue-aconite @djs8891 @linkpk88 @furiousladyking @daggerspare-standingby @princess76179 @jstarr86 @hecate-steps-on-me @darkheartcherry @soulmates8 @roosters-girl @dempy @roosterisdaddy36 @hangmanscoming @s-u-t @mavrellover91 @chicomonks @averyhotchner @penguin876 @kmc1989 @xoxabs88xox @mak-32 @dakotakazansky @startrekfangirl2233 @cassiemitchell @seitmai

A kind reminder, this is a 18+ blog. While not all stories in the recommendation list are 18+, please respect boundaries and do not interact unless you are 18 years of age or older.

[babyrdie]

Tell me something I probably don't know

I'm going to be honest and tell you that I'm not an expert in Greek mythology, let alone in obscure myths. So I'm just going to point out what I see that people don't usually mention, and assume they don't mention it because they haven't seen it.

There is a version of the myth in which Aphrodite was offended by Tyndareus and because of this ruined the marriages of his daughters (i.e. Clytemnestra and Helen).

Scholiast on Euripides, Orestes 249: Steischorus says that while sacrificing to the gods Tyndareus forgot Aphrodite and that the goddess was angry and made his daughters twice and thrice wed and deserters of their husbands . . . And Hesiod also says: "(ll. 1-7) "And laughter-loving Aphrodite felt jealous when she looked on them and cast them into evil report. Then Timandra deserted Echemus and went and came to Phyleus, dear to the deathless gods; and even so Clytaemnestra deserted god-like Agamemnon and lay with Aegisthus and chose a worse mate; and even so Helen dishonoured the couch of golden-haired Menelaus."

There is also a version in which Helena isn't Leda's daughter, but Nemesis'.

[Taken from Pseudo-Apollodorus' Library] But some say that Helen was a daughter of Nemesis and Zeus; for that she, flying from the arms of Zeus, changed herself into a goose, but Zeus in his turn took the likeness of a swan and so enjoyed her; and as the fruit of their loves she laid an egg, and a certain shepherd found it in the groves and brought and gave it to Leda; and she put it in a chest and kept it; and when Helen was hatched in due time, Leda brought her up as her own daughter.

And there are two different sources that present a version of the myth in which Thetis killed her sons before Achilles while trying to make them immortal, and Achilles only didn't die because he was the baby Peleus arrived at in time to stop Thetis. In one version, the babies drowned and in another, they burned.

Scholiast on Apollonius Rhodius, Arg. iv. 816: The author of the Aegimius says in the second book that Thetis used to throw the children she had by Peleus into a cauldron of water, because she wished to learn where they were mortal . . . And that after many had perished Peleus was annoyed, and prevented her from throwing Achilles into the cauldron.

[Taken from Photius' Bibliotheca] Thetis burned in a secret place the children she had by Peleus; six were born; when she had Achilles, Peleus noticed and tore him from the flames with only a burnt ankle-bone and confided him to Chiron.

In one version of the myth, after being transformed into a dog, Hecuba became one of Hecate's dogs.

[Taken from Lycophron's Alexandra] O mother [Hecuba], O unhappy mother! thy fame, too, shall not be unknown, but the maiden daughter of Perseus [Hecate], Triform Brimo, shall make thee her attendant, terrifying with thy baying in the night all mortals who worship not with torches the images of the Zerynthian queen of Strymon, appeasing the goddess of Pherae with sacrifice.

There is a version in which Penelope (yes, the one from the Odyssey) is Pan's mother.

[Taken from Pseudo-Apollodorus' Library] [E.7.38] But some say that Penelope was seduced by Antinous and sent away by Ulysses to her father Icarius, and that when she came to Mantinea in Arcadia she bore Pan to Hermes.

Although the Byzantine Tzetzes argues that it's another Penelope.

And Duris in his work about Agathokles says that Penelope was gluttonous and had intercourse with all the suitors and gave birth to the goat-legged Pan, whom they consider a god (FHG II 479 42). He speaks nonsense about Pan; for Pan is the son of Hermes and another Penelope. And another Pan is the son of Zeus and Hybris.

Furthermore, Patroclus isn't mentioned in the Pelion in any Greek source I have read so far (but he's mentioned in Roman sources). And Ajax only appears briefly mentioned in one Greek source, which is Heroica by Philostratus, known for purposely showing different versions of the more traditional myth. Also, people cry at the idea of ​​Patroclus and Achilles being cousins ​​(why I don't know, cousins ​​being romantically related in Ancient Greece isn't shocking), but there is even a version in which Achilles is his uncle (because one of the possible mothers of Patroclus is Polymele, daughter of Peleus).

[phoenix--flying]

Okay now I’m curious 👀 what’s that royal au u keep mentioning 👀

EHEHE SO

This started as a Percy, Annabeth, Al and Ethan AU so I'll get into that

Annabeth is the Crown Princess (Heir) of Athens, she has one brother and that's Malcom! Athens is a large kingdom, the queen, Athena, is the daughter of the Olympian king Zeus. He gave his daughter a portion of his own kingdom to call her own.

Alabaster is the Crown Prince of Epirus, he had two siblings, his late older brother Edward and his younger sister Lou. Eprius is a rather small kingdom, most of it's resources come from it's neighboring kingdom, Elysium, as the queen, Hecate, is friends with the king, Hades.

Annabeth and Alabaster met during a council meeting their parents attended, being around the same age and both rather antsy they were brought to a separate room when it proved they weren't going to provide much to the meeting.

Being the heirs to their respective kingdoms, they're of course expected to marry, and they opted to choose each other rather then someone they don't know.

Being royals, they're typically at risk for some sort of attack, Alabaster is the oldest now for a reason of course. Because of this, both of them have personal guards, Annabeths is Ethan, the son of the captain of the royal guard, Nemesis. Alabasters is Percy, the son of two castle workers in Eprius, Sally, a baker and Paul, a tutor. (both of which previously lived in atlantis but left because they were lovers of the king)

Before they were able to actually get married, a war broke out. Hecate and Athena took opposing sides and so the engagement was broken.

Now for the sake of me not mentally hurting myself I've changed a lot of relationships 💀 So, Zeus, Hades and Poseidon are brothers and its just the three of them. Hera, Hestia and Demeter are sisters and again, just the three of them.

Zeus and Hera are married the only child they have together is Ares. Zeus also has Apollo and Artemis, Athena, Thalia and Jason as results of affairs. They rule Olympus, with Thalia as their heir.

As I mentioned before, Athena was given a portion of Olympus to rule while Hecate rules Epirus, a kingdom hidden in the mountains.

Hades is married to Persephone, they have Zagreus and Melionë together, while also having Bianca and Nico with Maria, a partner of theirs, and Hazel with Marie, another partner of theirs. The rule Elysium with Bianca as their heir.

Poseidon is married to Amphitrite, they have Triton, Rhode and Kymopoleia together. They rule Atlantis with Triton as their heir.

Ares is married to Aphrodite, they both have children prior to their marriage; Ares has Clarisse, Sherman, Frank and Ellis while Aphrodite has Silena, Drew, Mitchell, Piper and Valentina. The two of them rule Cyprus with Clarisse and Silena as their heirs.

Apollo was married to Saige, they had Lee together, but she passed when he was a few months old. Apollo had Michael, Will, Kayla and Austin after her passing. Though, he never took another queen. He rules Delphi with Lee as his heir. Artemis resides in his kingdom as a princess, preferring that to ruling her own. She leaves the kingdom often, going on hunts and aiding girls who had been abandoned or ran away from their homes. She has her own with in the Delphic castle that houses herself and her hunters.

Hermes, much like Aphrodite, is not related to any of them, he and his wife, Peitho. He has Luke, Chris, Travis, Connor and Cecil. With Peitho, he rules Maia, a kingdom he created himself and named after his mother, with Luke as their heir.

There are a few marriage arrangements among kingdoms, being Luke and Thalia, Lee and Silena and Clarisse and Chris.

me when i have lee get stabbed in his bedroom at nine, get kidnapped from his bedroom at thirteen and poisoned during his wedding at eighteen