#have a pre-chieftain 'thorn

[rangers-are-cool-moved]

[ nightmare ]   -   for my muse to meet your muse in their nightmares. (Arathorn)

  Meeting his soulmate was something that Arathorn had always wanted to do. Yet at the same time, he didn’t. Not if it meant meeting them in his nightmares.

  “I’m not someone you’d want as your soulmate..” He didn’t turn to look, easily recognising the unwavering presence of the old elf. His gaze focused on, what looked like, the frozen Brandywine River and wolves.

@thegreatstrongbow

[gwarden123]

I'm sure I've said this before, but something that I love about the way Knights of the Old Republic handled the Sand People is that they don't like you.

A lot of media would have the sympathetic natives, or the hostile and alien native who are given a sympathetic motivation in this particular case, grow to like the protagonist, or at least grudgingly respect them. Or they would give the protagonist the backstory that they're one of the good ones. They withdrew the thorn from one of the native's paw, or that they virtue and honour blinded the natives, and they were sworn in as a member of the tribe, taken in as a blood-brother to the tribe's pre-eminent warrior. "They like me. They don't like anyone else, but they do like me."

Whereas in Kotor, you can do everything right, you can perform astounding feats and thread the needle of diplomacy, and you are still only allowed within their enclave on the sufferance of their chieftain. In a game that is as much of a power fantasy as it is, I like that there are things that are intractable. They don't like you, and you can't change that. The best you can do is understand them and leave them alone.

[tipsycad147]

Holly Magick and Lore

Published December 10, 2018 | By shirleytwofeathers

Latin Name: Ilex aquifolium, Ilex opaca (American Holly)

Celtic name: Tinne (pronounced: chihn’ uh)

Known as: Tree of Sacrifice

Folk or Common names: Holly, Aquifolius, Bat’s Wings, Christ’s Thorn, Holm Chaste, Hulm, Hulver Bush, Scarlet Oak, Kerm-Oak, Holy Tree

Meanings: Holly actually means “holy”.

Ruling Planets: Mars and Saturn

Element: Fire

Ruler: Sun

Stone: Ruby, Bloodstone

Birds: Cardinal, Starling

Colour: Red

Deity: Lugh, Tannus, Thor, Danu

Other: The Holly is an evergreen tree.

Magickal Form: Wreaths, berries, leaves, wood

NOTE: Holly berries are poisonous!

Powers: Protection, Anti-Lightning, Luck, Dream Magick

Holly, being evergreen and having red berries, is a symbol of enduring life, and consequently it is considered a lucky plant almost everywhere. It is very unlucky to cut down a Holly tree.

The Holly Tree is one of the Seven Chieftain Trees of the Druids, its very name means “holy.” A Christian myth says that the blood of Christ formed the red berries of the holly. Holly is also associated with unicorns, since the unicorn is one of the Celtic symbols for this tree – the other symbol is the Flaming Spear.

Holly berries represent the blood of the Goddess. Use Holly berries with your favourite spell for female fertility and sexuality. Holly tames wild beasts and wards off storms and bad weather. Since it is a masculine herb, it brings good luck to men. The Romans considered Holly sacred and used it as a decoration during their Saturnalia celebrations.

Holly is sacred to the Winter Solstice, when it is used for decorating. Decorating one’s home with holly was believed to bring protection and good luck to the inhabitants in the coming year. Holly was used for decoration throughout homes with it being used for boughs over entrances to peoples’ homes or formed into holly wreaths that were hung on doors.

Sprigs of holly in the house at Christmastime will bring you good luck. But… be careful not to bring it indoors before Christmas Eve or your family will fall to squabbling. (Bet you wondered why that happened. grin…) Also be sure to burn it on 12th night (January 5th) or the good luck will turn sour.

Holly was the gift of good luck among the Romans celebrating their midwinter festivals. The northern tribes, who eventually brought about Rome’s downfall draped holly over doorways as shelter for friendly woodland spirits who could bring good luck to their houses.

The custom of bringing holly boughs into the home in the depths of winter has its origins in the original pre-Christian idea that its prickly leaves sheltered the fairy folk, who were delighted to come indoors at such a cold time of the year.

The wreaths are very popular around the Christmas / Yuletide season. Placing a ring of holly on doors originated in Ireland since holly was one of the main plants that was green and very beautiful with its red berries at this time of year and gave poor people a means of decorating their dwellings.

Unlike mistletoe, it appears in the Christmas Greenery of churches as well as ordinary houses. In some districts, when the rest of the decorations are burnt or thrown away at the end of the holiday, a holly-sprig is kept, to protect the house from lightning during the coming year.

Planted near a house, holly repels negative spells sent against you.

A bag of leaves and berries carried by a man increases his ability to attract women.

Burn Holly leaves with Blessing Incense to protect the home and draw good luck.

Place Holly above the door lintel for protection and to invite helpful spirits.

Carry Holly berries in your pocket for protection.

The Holly tree (of which there are well over 150 species) can grow (albeit very slowly) to be as high as fifty feet and is native to most of Central and Southern Europe. Its white, star-shaped flowers bloom in the Spring and it bears shiny red berries in Autumn which last throughout the Winter season. The leaves of the Holly are shiny, dark green in colour, elliptical in shape and have spiny points. In order to produce berries, both a male and a female tree are required. Only the female tree produces berries which, although lovely to look at, are poisonous.

Given its evergreen nature, the Holly represented immortality and was one of the Nine Sacred Woods used in Need-Fires (the others being Oak, Pine, Hazel, Juniper, Cedar, Poplar, Apple and Ash). In ancient Irish lore, it was also listed as one of the Noble Trees of the Grove (along with Birch, Alder, Willow, Oak, Hazel and Apple).

The Holly tree has a fine white wood which was once used in the making of inlays and for walking sticks as well as riding crops. Its leaves are a favourite food among deer and sheep during the Winter months. The wood of the Holly is hard, compact and beautifully white in colour, being susceptible of a very high polish.

https://shirleytwofeathers.com/The_Blog/magickal-ingredients/holly-magick-and-lore/