#burning of marzanna

[bogkeep]

2024 artfight part 3!!

- Evelyn and the Ferryman for @hexagonsgalore

- Marzanna and Emile for @thefrogwild

- Max for Space_Beenie

- Kennedy Burns for @its-desca

- Checkers for @jjayviian

- Xena Sapphire for @groenbutterfly

[wszczebrzyszynie]

I'm half asleep scrolling tumblr, and I seen your ocs pulling the scarecrow out of the river. And for a hot second I thought they were holding someone IN the water 😭 So I stopped and scrolled back up and was like oh thank god they are pulling a scarecrow out. Admired your work before sending this, but I sure woke up pretty fast there Anyways its always a delight to see your style on my dash! ❤️[

you are mistaken, they are drowning her. It was my annual drawing for the first day of spring, which we (west slavs; Poles, Czechs and Slovaks) celebrate by drowning straw dolls of Marzanna/Morana, slavic goddess of death and winter, in rivers and lakes. We often burn them beforehand, but im not sure if thats a practice our neighbours do as well

[ladydeath-vanserra]

okokokokok so like

Small towns are literally notorious for being a community of people who help each other and who knows each other's business so I SAY that the Villiage that Feyre and her sisters live in is more of a COMMUNITY!!!! that helps each other in need bec that's WHAT WE DOOOOOOOOOOO God I can tell SJM is from a city

potlucks, food and clothing drives, helping each other become educated, whether that's some kind of traditional teaching each other or resourcefulness and survival skills like knowing what plants are edible, hunting, fishing, etc

festivals and religious beliefs and superstitions they all share. Winters are horrid and such a hard time for survival. Traditions to bring winter to an end faster, like the Drowning/Burning of Marzanna (this is one that is just so personal to me idk idk listen)

the elderly in the village hold a higher status of respect and knowledge. they are the BACKBONE of the Village. They're v active with providing support and care with their families and with the children in the village. the children are warned to behave and to not venture too far into the woods. making BLANKETS and CLOTHES for people in NEED!!!!!

the able bodied often work together to harvest and prepare food, especially for the winter months. women and girls often have their own little community where they sew and knit and do cross stitch together. they talk and share wisdom and offer each other household advice to make do

there's an emphasis on family and traditional values, of helping each other. there's a bit of a resistance and hesitancy towards outsiders who come into the villiage that people don't know, but it doesn't take long for them to welcome them in

[bolszaja-miedwedica]

NEW ABOUT ME:

-I'm genderfluid and audhd, borderline too (undiagnosed because the system sucks) and diagnosed schizophrenic

-godspoused! if you're anti fuck off

-I'm an age regressor but i curse a lot on this blog so age regressors feel free to follow my agere side blog @there-are-sharks-in-my-milk

-i don't discriminate anyone this is a safe space for minorities, poc, microlabels, systems, lgbt people, therians, everyone who is not a hateful jerk

-this blog is a mix of me posting about my deities, stray kids and other stuff i find interesting

-sometimes i vent make sure you're okay with it

blog rules are:

-if my practice looks different than yours and you don't like it you're free to unfollow

-if my vents annoy you and you feel the urge to tell me its my fault you're free to unfollow this is my shadow work free from censor space

-if you feel the need to tell me i seem psychotic you're free to fuck off

-don't fuckin curse me??? some of yall are not behaving and it's pissing me off

-other than that be kind and respectful to me and my friends

to interact with my blog make sure that you aren't:

racist, homophobic, terf, pedo, ableist, anti agere, a nsfw blog (it makes me uncomfortable), generally a hateful human

now the best part:

worshipping:

-Sekhmet

-Holy Mary

-Baba Jaga

-Medusa

-Kali

-Lilith

working with:

Marzanna, Apollo, Dionysus, Hecate, Persephone, Asclepius, Hel, Anat, Death, Satan, Leszy, Cernunnos, Horned God, Helios, Venus, Freyja, Asmodeus, Baphomet archangel Jophiel, Thoth, Fenrir, Dantalion, Buer, Beelzebub, Mut, Bes, Bacchus, Kogkipr (an unknown deity), Proserpina, Cnabetius Mars, Tegid Foel, angel Sariel, Hermanubis, Amun, Deimos and Phobos, Kvasir, Wepwawet, The Dagda, Swarożyc, Lucifer, Begotho (unknown deity), Aphrodite Areia, Stracchus (unknown deity), Ruadan, Somnia, Kek, Cerberus, Hestia, Nyx, Cerridwen, the Morrigan, Parvati, Shiva, Krishna, Vishnu, RadhaRani, Lakshmi, archangel Gabriel, archangel Azrael, Nakir and Munkar, archangel Michael, archangel Israphil, Kiram and Katibun, Somnus, Loki, Mokosz, Allah, Brigid, Hermes, Shakti, Anubis, Weles, Baldur, Khnum, Poseidon, Amphitrite, Astaroth, Neith, Wenut, Ganesha, Perun, Khepri, Inanna, Dola/Niedola, Ariadne, Jaryło, Chors, Sleipnir, Zorza, Jormungandr, Odin, Czarnobóg, Blodeuwedd, Set, Mafdet, Idunn, Seshat, Dziewanna, Artemis, Arioch, Eros, Vesna, Selene, Luna, Leviathan, Behemoth, Nox, Mammon, Abaddon, Azazel, Kathos, Vesta, Sun, Moon, Minerva, Athena, Eosphorus, Stolas

spirits that i work with:

-Pahiri (a white dragon spirit)

-Nkfofa (the mermaid spirit guide)

-a fae

-Fienon (a rusałka)

-Mo Xasii (familiar nr 1)

-Hilkog (spirit guide)

-Kalina (a harpy)

-Zanota (a mermaid spirit guide nr 2)

-Gawoż (hydra, familiar nr 2)

- Kiityk (upiór spirit guide)

-Xyo (a red fire dragon)

-Bemamo (a dragon shark)

devoting to:

-King Hades

-Bastet

-Aphrodite

I'm not really a hellenic polytheist, nor a kemetic one, not really a slavic one as well although i am hyperfixated on slavic paganism, yes, and i do wanna work with more slavic deities in the future but I don't label myself as anything I'm just a witch and a pagan i celebrate the slavic holidays and my deities holidays because they're the closest to me. if i were to label myself i would use "rodzimowierca"? but I'm just a witch, and well apparently a medium now too so 😀 fun uhh

i do free readings too! 5 a day to not burn out so quick but i wanna get more skilled since divination is my favourite skill to get one just dm me tp ask if im open!

I'm planning to master:

-cartomancy

-herbology

-moon magic

-blood magic

-protection

-palmistry

-a crystal ball

-reading more books...

-my fuckin research motivation...

i can do:

-tarot

-clairvoyance

-clairaudience

-spells and shit

-rituals

-sigils

-tea blends i guess

-motanki

-scrying

-oracle

-runes (both nordic and witch's runes)

sława! :]

[only-here-to-read-cas-au]

The Significance of BlackWing Names

ok just allow me to monologue about the genius of BlackWing’s codenames for their subjects and why the writers are so clever.

Some of them, like Project Lamia or Project Incubus, don’t have too much meaning but sound really cool. But then there’s…

Project Marzanna, Goddess of Death

Bart’s codename in BlackWing is “Marzanna” who is a winter goddess from Slavic mythology seen as a symbol of death and disease.

This is such an impactful choice for Bart, since she is so in sync with the universe as to be almost like a goddess, and is literally a harbinger of death. But she has to learn to see she is more than just that symbol.

Project Icarus, who flew too close to the sun.

Dirk’s codename is an obvious nod to the famous story from Greek Mythology. Icarus tries to escape from the prison he’s been kept in, only to fly too close to the sun the moment he’s escaped, burning his wax wings and dropping himself into the sea below, where he drowns.

Choosing Icarus as a symbol for Dirk is genius. Dirk escaped from his prison (BlackWing) and deals with a lot of fear out in the real world. He loves taking on cases, but he fears hurting people. Particularly in season two, Dirk sees more and more people die, and he blames himself, blames his involvement, blames his strange connection to the universe. And Dirk has to ask himself, should he take cases at all? Is even being here, away from the labyrinth, risking it all? Have I already flown too high?

I also think it’s worth noting that Dirk is a reference to a story about a prisoner’s melting wings, being stopped mid-flight… and the one’s controlling him are black wing.

Maybe Dirk also represents their downfall.

and last but not least…

Project Moloch, a child’s sacrifice

Francis was a child with magical abilities who was kidnapped by BlackWing. This terrified him and sent him into a deep coma, locking himself into the perpetual childhood of Wendimoor, where he remained for the rest of his life. Through his sleep, the years of his childhood slipped by, until they were gone completely, and Francis was an old man near the end of his life.

the name “Moloch” comes from the Bible, the name of a god of child sacrifice.

This is genius for Francis’ character, since he only ever wanted a childhood. It was taken from him - sacrificed to blackwing - but through wendimoor, he got it back.

this was a lot but Dirk Gently is crazy what can I say

[dead-dog-dont-eat]

Out of curiosity, if Marzanna is Zestial's daughter, wouldn't she be technically be some sort of vampire as well?

(Ik that it wasn't stated that Zestial is a vampire, but still)

Funny enough, I also think Zestial might be some sort of vampire! But he also shares traits of a scarecrow and a spider (to which ayylmao commented about from the looks of his design, including might being a vampire). And if you know me pretty well, I'm a sucker (pun intended) for vampires and scarecrows. Plus, if hell and heaven and demons and angels exist in the hellaverse then so should other mythical creatures too lol.

Answering to your question, I would like to think so as well given that you mentioned it. If Marza weren't a demon then she would definitely be a human/vampire hybrid like Marceline from Adventure Time or Dennis from Hotel Transylvania. Ironic enough, I read that in Balkan folklore, a "dhampir" is a mythical creature that is the result of a union between a vampire and a human--so that would be what Marza is in terms of Zestial being a vampire while Pentious is a human. (During my small research of hybrids, I've found that a hybrid between a vampire and a werewolf are called either were-pires or vaewolfves, and those were pretty dope).

However, I would imagine that Marzanna would be a day-walking vampire--to which if you don't know what a day-walking vampire is, I would look up the character Colin Robinson from "What We Do In The Shadows". Being a half-human that she is, she can walk in the daytime and not get burned to death, but she prefers dark, cold and gloomy weather as her preference; and she is able to eat human food (because it was said that vampires cannot eat food since they'll choke because they cannot really even swallow anything but blood and also vomit), including foods that have garlic in them since she isn't repelled by them.

However, she technically is still a vampire. Another reason why Zestial might be a vampire is because in a scene where Alastor adjusts his attire in a mirror in "Scrambled Eggs", you can see Al's reflection but not Zestial's (ik this could be just an animation viewing focusing on just Alastor, but still) but yet when we see Al and Zest walking past security cameras you can obviously see Zestial on the lens. Like being said, Marzanna can't see her reflection, is very nocturnal, and have a painful experience when touching pure, undiluted silver and holy water, and have hunger urges of drinking blood.

While she can get easily full on regular food on her human half, she is still in need of nutrition of her vampiric side as well. She could easily feed off of butcher-produced meat, but if not available, she would have to go out at night to hunt for mostly small birds and vermin to kill and eat. Larger animals like lamb and sheep, cows, horses, and pigs are considered large feasts for her and would be satisfied after she is finished.

[coinandcandle]

Winter Solstice for a Modern Witch

This is the second part of my winter solstice post. This post will focus on more personal or UPG-based content rather than historical accuracy, though there will be some of that too!

Modern Winter Solstice

The winter solstice may be the shortest day of the year, but after it passes we see the days begin to get longer again. Throughout history and even now there have been many myths and celebrations associated with the solstice. Some festivals were in honor of gods, and others paid respects to the sun itself, either way, we can learn from the past to find ways to celebrate the solstice in the modern day!*

If you’re looking for info on the history of the winter solstice as well as a list of some holidays held on or around the solstice, check out this post!

Festivities and Celebrations

Feasts

Bonfires

Play in the snow

Bake or cook a sharable amount of food in honor of the giving season

Kiss under the mistletoe

Practice divination, whichever form suits your fancy

Hold or attend a get-together

Give gifts! This is something done in different cultures around this time of year and can easily be incorporated into your celebration.

Make wreaths either out of real or faux plants

Correspondences

All of these are optional and not all of them are going to be applicable. Take what you will and leave what you please~

Deities and Divinities

Boreas, Cailleach, Despoina, Marzanna, Morozko, Khione, Kuraokami, Skaði, the Great Winter God (冬大神), Tengliu, and more winter related deities.

Spirits

Yuki-onna, Jack Frost, Yeti, Barbegazi, Nisse, and more winter related spirits

Colors**

White, Silver, Blue, Indigo for the cool winter nights

Red, orange, yellow, gold for the warmth of the sun as daylight returns to us

Plants

Yew, Mistletoe, Pine, Rosemary, Holly, Ivy, and evergreens were all traditionally used across different cultures during or near the solstice or holidays.

Make sure that if you’re using real plants that you keep them away from kids and pets or you can opt for the faux versions.

Crystals/Rocks/Metals**

Snowflake obsidian (I mean, c’mon, it’s in the name)

Gold, Amber, Carnelian, Sunstone, and others related to the sun.

Clear quartz, Aventurine, Amazonite, Moonstone and others related to new beginnings as the solstice is close to the new year and marks a new season.

Offerings or Devotional Acts

Deep clean your space - not just spiritually but physically! We spend a lot more time indoors during the winter season, so you want to make sure it’s a good experience.

A plate at the table - it’s a common practice across many cultures to lay a plate out for deities or spirits.

Pray - pray to the relevant winter spirit or deity in your faith or religion.

Bring greenery indoors - this could be a Christmas tree, but you could also get some houseplants or create wreaths of festive plants and offer them to your relevant deities or spirts.

Decorate your altar with seasonal items

Burn a Yule log

Alcohol - I’m partial to mulled wine this time of year but you could also do a mulled cider or a wassail (thanks @ breelandwalker for the recipes!)

Make donations to charities and organizations or just donate to those in need.

Make oaths similar to how one would on New Year - this time of year was seen as the beginning of a new year to some, or it came close as it does in the Gregorian calendar. During the Nordic Yule oaths were made (often followed by drinking!) during festivities.

Citations or Further Reading

Celebrating Natural Symbols of the Winter Solstice - almanac.com

Winter Solstice - almanac.com

Jól (Yule): The Norse Winter Holiday - Jackson Crawford

*Be aware of where your traditions and practices come from and make sure that you’re not taking from closed practices and cultures. A quick google search is usually all it takes to find out if a practice or celebration is closed or not.

**This will depend on your personal correspondence but I’ve listed some as examples!

[whereisyourpippinnow]

Can you tell me whats your header is? The woman with many things in her hands. Thank you

hello :)

my header is a artwork of Slavic godess.

She's called Marzanna (or Mora, Morana, Morena, Marena - depends of language).

Marzanna is a goddess of winter, death, farming, nature and it's circle of life (seasonal circle of death and rebirth of the nature).

here's the artwork made by Margo Kai:

The cult of Marzanna is still present in some folk traditions - people are drowning or burning (or both) the doll make of the straw at the first day of spring (it's called Jare Gody). The straw doll symbolizes Marzanna, and by burning her we're saying goodbye to the winter time (time of darkness, death, no life in the nature), and welcoming the spring time (the time of rebirth of the nature).

I'm from Poland, and I remember when I was at school, all kids were making their own dolls of Marzanna. And later our whole class were going at the nearest pond to throw our burning dolls into it.

[pagan-stitches]

@msgraveyarddirt in a more perfect world that would be the two of us together this equinox!

Drowning Morana/Marzanna

[wolve-rain]

Marzanna - Slavic goddess of winter and death (January exclusive print)

She is an ancient goddess associated with winter's death, rebirth and dreams. She represented long, cold winters that could bring death of both humans and their cattle in form of starvation and freezing. In many Slavic places it’s still tradition to burn and drown a doll representing marzanna. This will encourage the arrival of spring and ensure a good harvest.

Hope you like my version!

Available in my memberships on ko-fi

[simplepotatofarmer]

Hei!! Can you think of any specific tradition you're familiar with that rivals would enjoy? First thing that comes to my mind is burning a Marzanna effigy, but I'd love to hear what you think about this

maple syrup harvesting!

perhaps it's because i'm ojibwe but i think that would be something they'd enjoy.

techno because he's always given me harvest/trade vibes and gathering maple syrup is a big symbol of that! it's about harvest and gathering and the hospitality of sharing gifts given to you by nature. (and if this interests you at all, please check out this post by my friend, @vpofcookies)

and dream because there's a challenge of being able to get that little trickle of syrup on the first try! dream loves a challenge and he loves acing it so i think he'd take it very seriously to make certain that he gets it right, you know?

other than that, i love the idea of techno knowing folk dances and badgering dream into learning and participating in them. he does this by pointing out that phil knows and does all these dances and he's ancient and is dream really gonna let himself be shown up by a geriatric??

[hamoodmood]

Please tell me something about your country 😊

Okay so I'm form Poland and here some fact's;

1. We have the world's largest castle

2. Universities and healthcare in Poland is free

3. Chopin and Marie Curie were polish

4. Polish language is one of the hardest to learn

5. We have a spring tradition were kids in school make a huge doll called Marzanna and then they burn it and throw it into the river.

6. All polish name's have their own holiday

7. During WW2 we had a bear in our army

8. For Christmas we have to prepare twelve vegetarian dishes and we have to leave one free seat of the table. We also open present the same day

9. Abortion here is illegal

[weaponizedalibi]

Dess concepts! Just exploring the character. I based Dess's dark world design off of Marzanna, a slavic goddess of winter. To welcome spring, it's a tradition to build an effigy of Marzanna, burn her, and then drown her. I also associate Noelle with Saint Lucy's Day. So many winter holidays to choose from!

[supernovaa-remnant]

Not the 'let's contact a goddess' 💀💀💀 who. Who proposed the idea. I'm glad Phils having fun with this ,,,

also funfact it makes sense for her to be the goddess of death! In polish every word is gendered and death is a feminine word (which is actually pretty uncommon compared to other languages) :) and the old slavic god of death is a woman too!! Marzanna my beloved.

The fact that Dream goes to techno to get help. No breaks for techno in this au he's the one burdened with everything

wait you're right her being the goddess of death does make perfect sense!!! it's all coming together..

techno is caught in the middle of everything tbh.. wilbur's trying to enlist his help in finding the missing journal pages + figuring out who the anonymous sender of letters is, dream is going to techno for help writing said letters, and half the server thinks techno is also a part of this "big bad plan" whilst the other half are trying to get his help in preparing for.. whatever they're convinced wilbur & dream have planned.

it also does not help that techno just caught tommy trying to steal all of his gapples in some attempt at summoning a goddess that he found in some musty old book that most certainly won't work

niki is also one of the few people who knows what's going on, but, unlike techno, she's actually very at peace (dream does come to her for help in baking a recipe at some point, but that's about the most she's bothered, and she's happy to help) (also, despite the utter chaos the server has been thrown in, it's somehow also the most peaceful it's been in a while���no one's stabbing each other or burning down people's things, so the chaos is more funny than anything else).

[bolszaja-miedwedica]

me: alright do you want anything else on your altar?

Marzanna: coke

me: you already have a can of coke here

me: maybe something else?

Marzanna: coke

me: with all due respect, you already have coke on your altar

Marzanna: la la la i cant hear you because i want another coke and youre not bringing it to me so im not listening to you la la la

me: alright *pours coke in a glass and puts it on her altar* you happy now?

Marzanna: yes

me:

me: so about the doll burning

Marzanna: nooo dont burn it its my emotional support napkin doll 😾😾😾

[no-known-cure]

my man and I made a Marzanna. it’s a Polish folk ritual where you make a doll, called Marzanna, who symbolises winter and you burn and drown her in the river to summon spring

I tried to make her Cunty but with limited success