#it would be fine if it was just offerings but its candles and incense ash and libations >_<

[fooltomery]

i have to clean up my altar =_=

[themanicnami]

Fog in Witchcraft

Fog is often a forgotten aspect of weather that seems to get passed over when it comes to witchcraft despite it having some powerful and noble uses as well as a history in the craft. Though not all areas get fog commonly, many do, almost every morning depending on the time of year. Allow this small post to perhaps be some help to those who have interest in harnessing fog into their craft.

History and Fiction

As stated above, in many literary sources witches of both historical senses and fiction harness fog as a powerful towel. In popular lore, witches were said to summon fogs to roll across the lands to protect fleeing mothers and children during wars to hide from invading soldiers, though this lore is hard to pin point down, it is often said to come from Celtic and Gaelic origins.

In other tales witches would summon fog to protect traveling royalty or heroes who are on a quest to reach lands that may be unfriendly to their arrival. At some other times fog was related to almost like the “witching hour” it meant it was a time that the supernatural were out and witches were casting their spells.

Fog as a Liminal Space

What is a liminal space? To put it simply it means a “transforming space” or a place that the Veil or energies are thinner and overcross one another. Often they are associated with spirit work, energy work, astral work and over all witchcraft. Some call these places or areas “places where one area and time stop and another begins”.

In many cases, places that are covered by fog often are said to be liminal spaces during this time, due to the surrealism and energy fog brings with it. It turns something mundane looking to mysterious, confusing and even to some creepy. Its concealing nature brings the feeling of the unknown and the unseen.

Traditionally and theatrically fog is often used to represent the Veil between worlds and afterlife, often used in settings of literature and movies by covering graveyards before something supernatural happens or by filling the streets at night when magick is about to begin. Often when many people who don’t practice the craft think of supernatural energies and the Veil they imagine a foggy night or a wall of fog, this imagery is for a reason.

Often, fog is seen as an important tool for spirit work both fictionally and modernly due to its relations of being a liminal space and therefore seen as easier to contact spirits with the barriers weaker when it arrives.

Correpsondences and Uses of Fog

Generally Fog Corresponds with - The Veil, Spirits/Spirit Work, The Hidden, The Unseen, Invisibility, Protection, Obstruction, Curses/Hexes, Warding, Meditation, Astral Work, Fear, Patience, Calmness, Serenity, Peace and Travel

Often times, fog is useful to one when they wish to cast or enchant items for invisibility and protection during travel, often necklaces or items enchanted while out in the fog. Others will take the opportunity of using fog for spiritual communication, past life work and astral projection, taking advantage of the weakened barriers and Veil for these purposes.

Associations

Crystals - Clear Quartz, Smokey Quartz, Thunder Egg

Herbs/Plants - Cotton, Broom, Saffron, Thistle/Thicket, Wheat, Pansy

Colors - Gray, Silver, Black, Blue

Other Tools - Steam, Incense/Smoke, Wands, Besoms, Branches, Storm Water/Rain Water, Ash, Dust, Mirrors and Gray Candles

Fog Summoning

There are many ways said to summon fog. A few of those ways will be listed below

Method 1: Using storm water boiling it until it has thick amounts of steam rising from it, carefully move it outside or to a window (if one is not already outside) and offer it to the sky. Many will chant or call to the weather or winds to bring them fog much like the steam of the pot.

Method 2: In water on a burner add storm or sea salt and a sigil on paper for fog. Close the lid to it and wait until it is boiling. Remove the lid and allow the steam to rise. Here chant if desired for fog or let the water boil until it is nearly gone.

Method 3: With a besom go outside if it is a private space and much like wind summoning call to the fog to come to you, using your tool as an extension of yourself and your energy. Remember to ask it to come rather than demand for it.

Method 4: Using storm water or rain water, ash and a jar fill it with these ingredients and shake it thoroughly to summon fog. Be sure to center yourself and focus on your energy to put into this fog summoning jar. Leave it outside or in a window afterwards for further effects.

Fog Water

Fog water is a tool that can be used for witchcraft when fog is not rightfully available or in place of rain water/storm water in fog summoning. To capture fog water is pretty easy though you must be able to accept small amounts.

First you will need either very fine fabric or mesh or screen similar to what can be found in windows or for fishing nets. Tight it taunt onto something to hold it up like rods or sticks. Make sure it is held up at least a couple feet above the ground and somewhere the fog will roll through it. Base it off of how high the fog in your area tends to be, if you have low rolling fogs it may work better lower to the ground. After or during a time of fog you should be able to see droplets of water forming on it, you may use a jar tied below a corner of it to capture these drops or you can collect it yourself during/after they have formed. You can build much larger versions of this for potable water gathering and tutorials on this can be found easily online if that may interest you.

Store your fog water in glass containers and in the fridge, be sure to date and label to ensure you are using fresh water. Do not drink this water unless you set up the proper potable filtration systems.

Diffusing Fog

Often witches will find themselves tasked with fog being a hindrance rather than helpful. Its a dangerous weather condition especially for those on the road or at sea. 

Historically, sea witches would be asked to disperse fog for the safe return and port of sea vessels and the men upon them. Though it is difficult to find exact spells from these times, often broom or heather is used by facing the sea with it in hand and waving at the fog, putting energy into it and telling the fog to disperse. Other times it is said using a broom/besom to summon winds to remove the fog was a preferred way.

Other options for witches is to sing a fog removal song and often dance accompanied with it and with either a besom or wand in hand, direct the fog to travel away from you and somewhere else. Other witches have found success in praying and working with weather deities to move the fog back to the sky or to lead it away.

Omens, Superstitions and Dreams

In omens it is said fog represents blindness. It blocks our ability to see clearly and makes normal directions seem impossible to follow. It can go hand in hand with confusion and the feelings of anxiety. When fog appears in visions it is to be seen often as a warning that things are about to get just that - foggy.

Though it is also related to shrouding oneself, it may be a sign that it is time for you to create a fog about yourself and to build up those wards.

Superstition wise it was believed fog would steal people, often due to people getting lost in it and vanishing, because of this fog is seen as a warning of loss to come. Some cultures even associate it directly with death.

In dreams fog holds many meanings. If the fog is throughout the whole dream then it is a warning of deception. Someone is deceiving you and deep down you know it to be true. If you dream of being wrapped in fog and it is too thick to see through or escape it is often related to feeling that someone has stolen something from you. Dreaming of wandering in a foggy environment is a warning of dangers to come, keep on your toes. If you escape fog it means you are avoiding danger or theft.

If one dreams of fog just being around their head, eyes or following above them like a halo/hat, then it is an indication that you are lying to yourself. You are refusing to let yourself see the truth. It can also be a play of the saying “its all in your head” meaning you are overthinking a problem.

If you dream of fog and snow together, it is often said to be a dream related to sickness soon to come. Others say its a sign that illness of the mind and emotions is going to creep its way in.

If one dreams of their home, bedroom or apartment being filled with fog it is often taken as a bad omen and sign that a large family drama is soon to come.

Seeing a figure in fog in dreams can have different meanings. If it is someone that you know it means they may be hiding things from you or that you are going to have a fight with them in the near future. It can also indicate if you are in the fog and you see them outside of the fog, that you are guilty about something you did to them. Seeing a stranger in the fog or a shadow you do not recognize is often due to anxiety or fear in one’s waking life. They represent the unknown and the future to come, which you are currently stressed over. Animals in the fog can represent both anxieties and fears looming about you but also can represent that you a repressing your own desires and natural wants.

If you see fog rolling in from the distance of a dream it means something is looming in your waking life. If fog starts descending down on you in a dream from the sky to the ground, many take this as a bad omen for travel especially by air or sea. Historically it is said a foggy sea in your dreams means a shipwreck in your future. Though fog over a lake or river means dream-like wonder and is said that young women who dream of this can expect a mysterious stranger in their future.

Fog and Different Types of Witchcraft

Sea Witchcraft - Fog is often seen as more of a hindrance in ocean magick, especially historically when fog at sea or port could be rather hazardous and bring tragedy to many. Due to this, fog in sea magick is often used for more negative tasks like cursing.

Storm Magick - Fog is often seen more in the light of a less harsh type of weather compared to storms or rain but still one that can be used to harness energy. The energy of foggy weather is much more mysterious, calm and hazy than that of storm or wind. It can be used for such purposes.

Death Magick - Fog is often related to the barriers of the other-side as some may say, so many death witches will take advantage of fog to use it to communicate and commune with the dead. Many report that it can make using tools of communication like Ouija boards and pendulums easier.

Divination - Often fog can be seen as a hindrance for divination though it is often deeply routed with self discovery and past life work. Many will take the opportunity of foggy weather to explore their past lives and the history of themselves and others. 

[faeryqueenwitch]

🌻🌞Litha🌞🌻

🌻 Midsummer, or summer solstice

🌻 Art By: Lanajay_Art on instagram https://www.instagram.com/lanajay_art/

________________________________________________________________

🌞 When Is Litha?

🌻 Northern Hemisphere:

20-24 June

It is typically celebrated on the longest day and the shortest night of the year

🌻 Southern Hemisphere:

20-24 December

________________________________________________________________

🌞What Is Litha?

🌻 Litha is the celebration of the longest day and the shortest night of the year. The sun god is thriving and at his most vibrant peak, giving warmth to the earth and growth all around. We are celebrating the potential and successes that surround us. From now on the days will begin to become shorter again and darkness will begin to take over. The summer and warmth are still sticking around for a while, though, and it is still a very happy occasion. We are celebrating the pregnancy of the Triple Goddess with the Horned God. The Oak King is currently ruling the waxing half of the year while the Holly King is ruling the waning half of the year. The Holly King and the Oak King are battling with each other and the Holly King will eventually overrule the Oak King. Litha is a time for important magick and major spell work that needs to be put into action; It’s the best time to complete any huge magickal workings that need tackling. Before the darker days return, we must celebrate.

________________________________________________________________

🌞How To Celebrate It

🌻 Litha comes at such a positive time of year and your celebrations will reflect this.

________________________________________________________________

🌞Activities

🌻 Tackle the most challenging and most anticipated spells and rituals at midsummer, the ones that require the most energy from you; what better time to do it than when the world’s energies are at their peak! It’s the best time of the year for rituals to do with fire,faery magick, love, passion, energy and luck for the warmer times to come.

🌻 It’s also a good time to renew any tools or create or purchase any extra magickal tools you may require.

🌻Throw a midsummer bonfire or have a fire ritual. Or organize an outside gathering to simply enjoy the sun! There are loads of different ways that you can do this, a traditional midsummer bonfire would (obviously) be outside, although if this is not an option, a wood burner inside would also be fine. Burn pieces of old oak, light them on the evening before midsummer, then let them burn out as they reach the morning. It is also common to scatter herbs on the fire. Some Wiccans also burn the nine sacred types of wood (birch, rowan, ash, alder, willow, hawthorn, oak, holly and hazel) to bring them good luck and a good harvest. During the midsummer bonfire they would jump over the fire, then let the fire burn down completely and sometimes collect ashes from the fire and scatter them on the fields or on their herb garden to bring good fortune in the harvesting season coming in the near future. You could also keep some ashes for luck within spell work or rituals.

🌻 Create a god’s eye: it is typically made from wool or string and its purpose is to give protection and luck for the darker and colder days to come. Hang the god’s eye above your altar or on your door.

🌻 Go for a walk and enjoy the peak of summer! Collect things from the natural world that you need for magickal workings and to place at your altar. Have a picnic or barbecue or even just go to the beach or go for a bike ride.

🌻 If you work with the fae or just like to appreciate them, midsummer is the time for the faery rede. At this time, the fae will be riding magickal animals across the countryside, so hang out, either outside your house or in a nearby field, Bells and offerings such as sparkly decorations and food can be used to create the perfect area for the fae.

________________________________________________________________

🌞Altar Ideas

🌻 Light green, yellow, gold and red candles to represent the sun god at his peak and the green earth at its fullest.

🌻 Decorate your altar with summer flowers such as sunflowers, carnations,poppies and hydrangeas.

🌻 Place a ring of flowers around your altar or around specific items for protection.

🌻 Pictures of the sun or ornaments symbolizing the sun honour the sun god being at his peak.

🌻 Oak leaves represent the Oak King, who has been ruling for this hald of the year, but will be laid to rest soon. Oak in different forms can be relevant to Litha.

🌻 Gold, yellow and orange ribbons and cloth can be draped at your altar.

________________________________________________________________

🌞Food And Drink

🌻 Warm-colored vegetables such as butternut squash,sweet potatoes, carrots and tomatoes are all great to eat around this time of the year. They represent warmth and the wonderful produce we receive from the summer.

🌻 Home-grown or locally produced leafy green vegetables

🌻 Spicy foods

🌻 Curries

🌻 Spiced cakes

🌻 Spiced punch and rum

🌻 Anything with honey or as an alternative golden or maple syrup- bees are another representation of Litha, the midsummer full moon is acutally also known as the honey moon!

🌻 Barbecued food or flame-grilled food is good to eat too; once again it represents the heat and the sun’s energy.

🌻 Ice cream- not only is it cooling in the summer months, it also represents the colder days to come.

________________________________________________________________

🌞Crystals

🌻 Relevant crystals to carry around with you this time of the year, to meditate with, to use in divination and spell work, and to place at your altar are:

Emerald

Sunstone

Citrine

Yellow Tourmaline

Yellow Topaz

Calcite

________________________________________________________________

🌞HERBS

🌻 Seasonal fresh herbs are great of Litha, as is anything that represents heat, flavour and greenery and ties in with Litha’s celebrations.

Mint

Basil

Rosemary

Sage

Honeysuckle

Carnation

Paprika

________________________________________________________________

🌞INCENSE

🌻 Good incense to use during casting circles and burning at your altar around Litha time and for cleansing and consecrating, as well as for magickal workings, are:

Lavender

Citrus scents, such as orange and lemon

Musk

Pine

Rose

Summer Flowers

________________________________________________________________

[hallospaceboyy]

My Soul Belongs to You

Lilith x female reader

For @galaxy-nerd

Mortal reader summons Lilith, and offers her their soul

Warnings - Smut, mentions of blood used for the summoning

You had been obsessing over Lilith for quite some time, been reading any materials you could find, fascinated. You can’t help but feel devotion and admiration toward the mother of demons, this legendary seductress. You yearned for the sexual gnosis that Lilith is so well known for, need to her to make you feel liberated, free. It’s strange, as you sit there, in your darkened bedroom, surrounded by black candles, the musk of incense surrounding you, about to attempt invocation of the mother of succubi herself, you know that in giving yourself to her you will feel liberated, emancipated in a way you had never felt before.

“I invoke thee, Lilith, Mother of Demons, Queen of Darkness. I offer myself to you entirely, my heart and my soul, Lilith, Mother of Demons, Black Goddess, I invoke thee,” You hold up the small dagger you’ve been clutching in your palm, and prick your finger, letting out a soft hiss. With your blood you smear Lilith's sigil on your chest, the swirling lines perfectly etched in your memory. The room remains still, and silent, and you feel tears welling in your eyes, tears of desperation.

“Please, Lilith... I need you...” You whimpered, tears tracking down your cheeks now. A sudden rush of wind blew through your hair, and your eyes widened when a woman, a beautiful woman, materialised before your eyes, perching on the edge of your bed. Long brunette hair cascaded down her shoulders, perfectly curled, and her cheekbones looked almost dangerously sharp. Her bright blue eyes watched you coolly, her painted red lips curling into a smirk. She wore a long, emerald green silk robe, the neckline devilishly low, the buttons starting way below the swell of her breasts. The robe didn’t button all the way down either, so as she crosses her legs, taking in the sight of you, her slender legs are on full display.

“Well, that was quite the amateur attempt at summoning me, but I couldn’t help the curiosity at your... very generous offers,” Her voice was sultry, and you felt a strong pull in your lower abdomen. She was more bewitching than you could ever have imagined. You’re sure that if you weren’t already seated, her voice alone could make you weak at the knees.

“I-I...” Your eyes remained wide, your cheeks wet, and your breathing was heavy, your chest heaving and the bloody sigil there had begun to dry, forming a crust on your skin. Lilith's eyes roamed there, taking in the sight of her mark tainting your bare chest, revealed by your loose fitting, low cut black silk chemise.

“You’re quite the delicious thing, aren’t you sweetling?” Her slender fingers grazed down her own chest, teasingly low and your eyes followed, as she knew they would. “Come. Approach,” Lilith commands, and you obey immediately, rising from your ring of candles, and standing before her.

“Giving yourself to me isn’t something to be taken lightly, precious. What is your name?”

“Y/N, Your Unholiness,” Lilith chuckled at the formality, and you blush.

“Lilith is fine,” She reaches forward and strokes your cheek, wiping away the now drying tears there, her touch was tender, and your lids felt heavy, closing of their own volition.

“I know that this is no game, Lilith. I-I need to find purpose in life, and I know I can find purpose with you. Belonging to you,” You took a deep shuddering breath, as Lilith's fingers traced lower, grazing the mark on your flushed chest. “I will give my soul to you, if you will take me. Please,”

Lilith pulls you into her lap, your thighs on either side of her, and she kisses you hungrily, all teeth and tongue, and passion. The kiss is fiery, and possessive, and you keen into her, fingers tangling into her soft hair. She smells of smoke and brimstone, and its intoxicating. You broke away, panting. “Maybe you will even learn to love me,”

Lilith smiled then. “I’ll agree to this pact, Y/N, but you must first give your body to me, and then your soul,” Her sylphlike hands come down to cup your ass, digging her nails into the flesh there through the silk, and you buck against her, biting your lip.

“Then take me, I am yours,” You murmur, and Lilith lets loose a low growl, lust igniting her, and she lunges forward, lips attaching to your neck, sucking and biting, sure to leave deep purple bruises. Her hands reach the front of your chemise, and she tugs, ripping the material clean down the middle with a strength you could not have expected such a slender woman to possess. You gasp, arching your back as she slides the straps off of your shoulders, letting the ruined garment fall to the floor. You’re straddling her completely bare now, and Lilith hums, hands roaming your body, stopping at your breasts and kneading them.

“Only naughty girls forego underwear. You planned to seduce me all along, didn’t you? Little minx,” She breathes, voice thick with want, and she pinches your nipples, grinning at the hiss that earns. Her hand snakes down between your legs, eyes alight as she finds you dripping, coated with need for her, and her other hand suddenly grips your hair hard, bringing your face inches from hers. The force with which she used should have hurt, maybe would, later, but right now the rough handling only sent sparks of electricity to the apex of your thighs, even more so as her fingers parted your folds. Her hot breath fans your face, and you gaze into ice blue eyes with hooded lids, whimpering when her fingertips graze your clit, then move to press at your entrance.

“P-Please... Lilith...” You beg, wriggling your hips, the ache between your legs almost painful now, with the need to be satiated. Lilith obliges with a smirk, forcefully thrusting two fingers into you, and you cry out. She feels so good, and you’re sure you’re going to combust, burst into a cloud of ash right in her lap, your skin radiates heat, and Lilith is hotter still. The demoness thrusts hard, but slow at first, fingers finding a depth in you that you didn’t think possible, curling slightly, and you squirm above her, dripping onto her bare leg. Your eyes screw shut as she begins to move faster. “F-fuck!”

“Open your eyes, Y/N. Now,” You do as commanded, whining as you stare into Lilith's eyes. Her pupils are so dilated they look almost black. “I want you to look at me when you come. And keep looking at me,”

Nodding, you try with all your might to keep your eyes glued to hers. She's fucking you hard and fast now, and your hips are matching her movements, riding her fingers with reckless abandon, and the pressure is building in you. As you tip over the edge, Lilith's hand moves from the clutched fist in your hair to cup your cheek, and you rest your damp forehead against hers, eyes trained on hers as your orgasm rips through you, and Lilith doesn’t stop, doesn’t slow until your loud moans and desperate motions subside. She removes herself from you, and sucks her fingers clean, winking as you watch her, and then she kisses you, with a softness you would never have expected from a demon.

“Beautiful, and delicious,” She murmurs, stroking your cheek. Then, she bestows a single kiss to your forehead, closing her eyes, followed by a soft mumbling in Latin, and you feel a sudden lightness in your chest, and the same sigil you had etched onto yourself burns into the skin of your wrist, can see the lines in your flesh flash red hot, but you feel only a light tingling, and a bearable warmth.

“You’re mine now, Y/N. I hope you meant it when you proclaimed complete devotion to me,” Her voice came out a whisper, and you smile.

“I meant it, Lilith, my heart and soul are yours willingly,”

“As are mine, my dear,”

Your heart skips a beat then, never expected Lilith to declare the same commitment to you. Couldn't know just yet that this was all Lilith craved, an unabashed love and devotion, that sometimes all Lilith wanted was softness and affection, after millennia of suffering and pain, and she knew you would give her that, was willing to give you that herself. But you weren’t about to ask, or argue, just gratefully accept. She would share all of these things with you one day, and you would feel only a surge of adoration for her, a happiness that you had brought her some solace, and the gentleness she deserved.

[nocturnegloam]

Here in the midwest United States, the chilly morning mists are currently giving way to the sunrise set behind overcast, on the passing of this spring equinox, Alban Eiler, and Ostara, among its many other names. There is a distinct and special liminality which the vernal equinox possesses. The day and night come in perfect balance, as light and warmth prepare to inherit the Earth. 

As life cultivates in all its forms and motions, so do we. Even in the current global climate, we find ways to adapt and revive with tenacity. Now may be a time more befitting than ever to celebrate and appreciate the fire within our hearts, and circulate our feelings of love, inspiration, motivation, and gratitude through the collective. 

Of course, it is essential that in celebrating the passing of the seasons, we remain considerate of all life in our observance. This remains especially true during the current pandemic. Try not turn to fret in haste, though—even in the face of life’s uncertainty, we can find inspiration, clarification, comfort, growth, direction, balance, protection, personal action, and more.

Even for the best of us, the world will always procure unexpected circumstance, such as the current pandemic. When the life we share urgently calls, planning for things that may be deeply sacred to us may slip through our fingers. We should not let this “ebb” of the natural ebb and flow discourage us on our sabbatical or spiritual journey, lest our practices become “chores”, rather than extraordinary connections with ourselves and the beyond. The “ebb” is there to teach us something, to urge us to look deeply within ourselves. Even when the state of the world becomes seemingly inextricable, our sabbatical and spiritual practices can remain as mechanisms of divine retreat and reinvigoration.

Last night, when reading tarot, I pulled The World. Through quite a bit of reflection with this absolutely evocative card, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to help my small locale reconnect with the Earth and its seasons. To help them reconnect with their deepest selves as authentically as possible. To be a small catalyst, and a gentle guide on a path they walk all their own. 

Originally, this post was only going to be a simple list of ideas on how to celebrate this equinox during the pandemic, with social distancing and conservation of supplies (mainly food) in mind. I.e, you’ll need no more supplies than yourself and what you’ve already got at hand. In truth, that is still all it's going to be, following these paragraphs. But after meditating this morning, I felt I should share deeper insight in the simple hopes it might inspire someone else. Or, just simply cheer them up.

To whoever reads this, this is for you—and I hope you have a splendid spring equinox. I hope you can make it something all your own. I hope you find healing, revitalization, balance and more.

Best regards, Sierra

Ideas for the observation and celebration of the spring equinox/Alban Eiler/Ostara, with the pandemic, social distancing, and food conservation in mind:

General correspondences:

Colors: Pastels, green, yellow, and pink.

Plants: Comprehensive list here.

Trees: Birch, ash, and alder.

Animals: Hares, snakes, birds, baby animals, caterpillars, ladybugs, and bees.

Crystals: Ultimately up to your own discretion, color correspondences work just fine. Specific crystals can include quartz (clear and rose), aquamarine, moonstone, jade, amethyst, and more.

Incense: Anything floral, light, fresh, or sweet-smelling.

Element: Air

Symbols: Eggs, hare/snake/bird guarding an egg, spring flowers, feathers, sprouts, shamrocks, and trefoils/trinities/triplicities.

Themes: Light, balance, cleansing and healing, feminimity, fertility, fruition and abundance, love and attraction, blessing the home.

Decorate your altar with the holiday correspondences! Ideas for items to include are potted plants, crystals, ribbons, budding branches, dried flowers or herbs, clovers, a small glass of milk and honey, baskets, seed packets, incense and feathers, and figurines of deities or baby animals. 

If you don’t have any of these items readily available, replace them with themed drawings, paintings, or your own creations for the equinox. Make your altar as simple as you need to. Right now, social distancing and food conservation are more important than picking up a few extra supplies.

When you get hungry, you can make meals including fresh fruits, spring greens and vegetables, sweets (especially cakes), nuts and seeds, floral teas, lemonade, eggs, fish, and more.

Leave offerings of non-crucial supplies to deities, the Fae, spirits, ancestors, familiars, the element of air, or any other relevant entity of your choice. Write them a short poem, prayer, letter, etc. Take a moment to center yourself. Read your prose and give the offering, and express gratitude for their guidance. If you wish, burn a candle or incense in their name, as well.

Perform a ritual to commune with your entities of choice, or to your deepest self. Or, the ritual can be performed to welcome spring into your life and into your home. It can be as simple or elaborate as you wish. When communing, focus on the theme correspondences I listed above if you would like a targeted ritual for the holiday.

Perform your favorite form of divination, and ask questions/seek guidance relating to the themes of the equinox. Here are some examples:

What seeds should I plant to grow into my fullest fruition?

Who or what aspect of my life brings me warmth and growth, like the sun itself?

What can I do to make my mind as clear as the snow melt streams?

What has this winter taught me?

What parts of myself should be reborn, and what parts of myself should melt away?

How can I nurture new opportunities? 

Make equinox water by leaving a bowl of water outside from sunrise until noon. Or, set it out at the exact time or the equinox and leave it outside overnight. You can use this as a spell component later.

Make a symmetrical crystal grid to symbolize balance, and to charge your crystals. Bonus points if you make it in the shape of an equinox-related symbol, such as a clover. Put a candle in the center of the grid to symbolize growing light. You can chant, sing, play an instrument, pray, or use a singing bowl or chimes for additional charging. If you have enough salt on hand, surround your crystal grid with it, and this will help with cleansing your crystals as well. If your crystals are safe with water (do your research!), you can also cleanse them with salt water, spell water, or moon water spray, for a mess-free cleanse. You could also waft incense smoke over them, if you wish.

Dilute your favorite floral, fresh, or sweet essential oils, herbs, and salt in plenty of water, to make a cleansing spray, or to add to mop water for spring cleaning. Make sure to enchant the mixture with visualization or other techniques. Say a prayer or chant over it, or repeat a strong and specific statement of intention over it three times. There are other methods you can use to activate it, as well. Be safe and do your research when using any essential oils and herbs. Essential oils DO NOT replace proper disinfecting supplies.

Spring cleaning: Sweep, dust, scrub, and mop, finish the laundry, change your home’s air filters, organize your pantry and refrigerator, rearrange your furniture, etc. all while practicing visualization. Chanting or singing, or incorporating spell components when cleaning helps, too. 

Take part in your favorite meditations and breathing exercises for basic grounding and clearing. Pro-tip, doing this outside (where you aren’t in contact with anyone else) is extremely helpful in connecting with the season. If you can’t go outside, turn on nature audio tracks or springtime fantasy music.

Write down your wishes and goals for the next six months, and record your reflection of today’s holiday. Hide or bury the list somewhere (you can bury it in a fake egg if you want to be festive). It is said to be good luck to wish upon the spring equinox in this way, and to plant your goals like seeds to grow over the next six months. Excavate it at the next equinox, and look back on your reflections and what you have accomplished.

Perform general item enchantments, or enchant pastel-colored clothing, accessories, or makeup items with glamour or attraction magic. Choose any attribute related to the spring equinox, that you would like others to see in you when you wear this specific item. Or, enchant the item to attract people with those attributes. There are a number of ways you can perform enchantments. My favorite process for enchantment is as follows:

Pick the item. Cleanse it with salt water, moon water, smoke, the light of the full moon, a clear quartz crystal, or clearing visualizations. Then, charge the item with sunlight, sound, or burying.

Place a ward on the item. First, cast a circle to block outside influence, if you wish. Then, place the object near protective “enhancers” (crystals, herbs, etc. if you have them, this is by no means required). Finally, say a prayer, chant, or repeat a strong and specific statement of protection over the item while visualizing a protective sheath around it. When finished, announce your conclusion. Break the circle, or, move on to the next step. Alternatively to all of this, you can create a protection sigil (don’t forget to charge and seal it after you create it), let the object sit on the sigil overnight, and destroy the sigil the next day. This will also place a protective ward on the item.

Enchant the item. This process is similar to warding, but rather than focusing on statements of protection, you are focusing on your statement of intention. Ask yourself questions like: What do you want others to see in you when you wear this enchanted object? What perspectives and energy do you want to dispel? What do you want to attract in others? Cast a circle with your corresponding intention “enhancers” (crystals, herbs, sigils, etc), if you wish, and answer those questions. Use your answers to come up with a strong and specific statement of intention, a prayer, chant, etc. While reciting your choice of prose over the object, visualize the energy from yourself and your “enhancers” entering the object. When the collective energy reaches a peak, drive the last of the energy into the object and announce your conclusion. Seal the item with a good squeeze, a splash of salt/moon water, or a dash of salt. Take a moment to center and ground yourself with the object, and break your circle. Your enchantment is complete.

Create or perform other types of spells (there is no way I could list all of them) with the equinox theme correspondences I listed above. Here are more general ideas for what I couldn’t encompass in this post:

Examples of types of spells: Blessing or consecreation spells for the self and home. Love and attraction spells. Cleansing and healing spells. Warding and protection spells. Spells for restoration of personal balance. Spells for fertility (for the surrounding land, or the self). Enchant items to make charms, amulets, or talismans with attributes relating to the spring equinox, etc.

Examples of types of magic: Air elemental magic, crystal magic, tea magic, bath spells and rituals, jar/satchet magic, glamour magic, sex magic, hearth magic, plant magic, knot magic, poppet magic, sigil magic, planetary magic, astrological magic, sorcery and summoning magic, deity/ancestor work, faerie magic, hedge magic, divination magic, and more.

Please feel free to use any of these ideas, to adapt them in your own ways, or to add on more ideas, information, or recommendations! Happy equinox to you all.

[wenqtranslations]

Mo Dao Zu Shi 魔道祖师 - Chapter 8

魔道祖师 Translation Project by 杨文秋 （为了学读中文 ) 

this was one of my fav chapters :0

Chapter 8

Some distance away, after a fruitless search of the burial site, Lan SiZhui followed the trail to the Heavenly Woman shrine.

Apart from the graves of generations of townsfolk, DaFan Mountain was also home to a goddess shrine. The shrine payed homage to neither buddha nor bodhisattva, but a Dancing Goddess.

Many hundreds of years ago, a group of townspeople went into the mountains on a hunting expedition. There, they found a grotto, and inside the grotto, a strange block of stone. It was near ten foot high, formed naturally. It looked human, four limbs protruding, arranged as if it were dancing. Even more mysteriously, the part of the stone that suggested a head wore an expression resembling a softly smiling woman.

The townspeople were greatly intrigued. They thought it was infused with spirit energy, a block of heavenly stone, and so made it the subject of many folktales. Like the lord who secretly loved the Dark Lady*, and so carved it in her image in pining, yet, such was the Dark Lady’s fury upon discovery the unfinished stone statue lay discarded and forgotten; or the story of a Jade Emperor’s* daughter, upon who he doted on dearly, and his longing after her early death crystallised into a statue. A myriad of fantasies that made people’s eyes bulge. They became staunch believers of the legends that issued from their own mouths. Some people turned the grotto into a shrine, the stone platform into an altar, and proclaimed the statue as the “Dancing Goddess Deity”. For many years, they gave offerings, knelt in worship, and lit incense.

The grotto was divided into a two roomed temple. The statue stood in the middle. At a quick glance, it was convincingly human in appearance, even the waist could be said to be shapely. It became crude on closer scrutiny. But that something naturally occurring could look so human would make one click their tongues in astonishment.

Lan JingYi tested the demonic compass, raising and lowering it, but the needle refused to move. The altar was an unkempt array of candle stumps and a blanket of incense ash. A sweet aroma of rot wafted from the offering fruit platter. The disciples of GuSuLan sect were all obsessively clean. Lan JingYi fanned his hand over his nose. “The locals say the Goddess Shrine was actively granting wishes, but this whole place is a mess. And they don’t think to call a few people in to sweep it and clean it.”

Lan SiZhui said, “With all said and done, seven people have lost their spirit. The rumours say it’s because thunder split open a tomb and freed the fiend inside. Who would be brave enough to go up this mountain? They’ve already stopped the Incense burning, naturally no one would be cleaning either.”

A disdainful voice sounded from outside the grotto. “It’s just a shitty piece of broken rock. I don’t know who called it a deity, let alone dare give it a shrine and make people pray and light incense for it!”

Jin Ling walked in, hands behind his back. The “prohibition of speech” technique had a short time course; his mouth was free to open. And as soon as he opens his mouth nothing good comes out of it. He glanced at the goddess statue, snorted. “These country bumpkins, when they have a problem they don’t try to solve it themselves, and spend the entire day lighting incense, begging gods and asking spirits. There are thousands upon ten-thousands of people in the world. The gods have no time to manage their own affairs, they can hardly take care of them as well! Let alone a no name, no reputation country deity. If it’s so effective, then I’m going to make a wish right now. Make that human-spirit eating thing that’s terrorising DaFan Mountain appear before me immediately, can it do that?”

Behind him the group of small family cultivators followed him in, echoed him, agreed with a peal of laughter. The dead silence of the shrine dissolved into rowdiness, crammed by the crowd. Lan SiZhui shook his head imperceptibly, had made a half-turn away when he caught the goddess’s face in the corner of his eye. On her face, he could trace the indistinct shape of a compassionate yet sorrowful smile.

He thought this smiling face looked familiar, like he’d seen it before somewhere.

Just where had he seen it before?

Lan SiZhui thought it must be important. He found himself next to the altar, wanting to take a closer look. Suddenly, someone knocked into him.

A person who’d been standing behind him had silently collapsed. The others were frozen, stupefied. Jin Ling asked tersely, “What happened to him?”

Lan SiZhui braced his sword close to his body and bent down to examine the cultivator. His breathing was normal, to all appearances as if he’d suddenly dropped asleep, yet would not wake despite any amount of hitting, pinching or calling. He got up and began, “This seems like …”

His words cut off as the dark cave lit with a flash of red light, as if a bloodied shower were streaming down from all four walls. The incense sticks at the altar and grotto corners burst into flame.

Metal rang upon metal, as those in the grotto unsheathed their swords and readied talismans. At once, a man barrelled in from the outside. Hefting a medicinal gourd, he flung the contents onto the body of the goddess statue, flooding the grotto with the thick, choking odour of strong wine. He gripped a talisman and arced it through the air towards the body of the statue. It exploded into an inferno, sending the grotto into daylight.

Wei WuXian had used up all the objects he’d found in the sealing pouch, he threw the empty pouch away and roared, “Everyone get out! Be careful of the spirit-eating goddess inside!”

Someone screamed, “The goddess’s posture changed!’

Before, the two arms of the statue were raised, one hand pointing heavenward, one foot lifted, braced by the elegant line of her body. Now, revealed in the blazing yellow of the inferno, her hands and feet were both lowered. It was no trick of the light.

The next moment, the statue stepped out of the flames!

Wei WuXian yelled, “Run, run, run! Stop fighting! It’s no use!”

He was ignored. With a thousand eyes, in a thousand crannies, they’d searched without result. Now that the elusive spirit-eating monster finally appeared, how could they let it go! However, no amount of hacking and stabbing, talismans and magic items would halt its advance. It was close to 10 feet tall, a giant, an immense crushing pressure with each movement. It raised two cultivators before its face, its stone mouth seemed to open. Two swords fell to the ground, their heads lolled. Their spirits had been sucked away.

Their attacks were useless. Finally, they reluctantly acknowledged Wei WuXian’s words and flocked to the exit, scattered in the four directions, fleeing for their lives. A sea of people surged past him. The more panicked Wei WuXian became, the less he could make out Jin Ling. He ran the donkey into a bamboo forest. Upon turning back, he met the eyes of the Lan family disciples catching up to him. Wei WuXian hailed them. “Kids!”

Lan JingYi retorted, “Who’s a kid? Do you know whose family we’re from? Do you think you’re our senior now just because you gave your face a wash?!”

Wei WuXian conceded. “Fine, fine, fine. Big brothers. Send a signal, get that… that HanGuang-Jun to come!”

The juniors nodded, rummaging inside their clothing as they ran. A moment later, Lan SiZhui said, “The signals… we used them up that night, at the Mo household.”

Wei WuXian startled. “You didn’t restock them?!”

The signals were used once in eight hundred years. Lan SiZhui said, sheepish. “We forgot.”

Wei WuXian glowered. “How can you forget this? See what you’ll look like when HanGuang-Jun finds out!”

Lan JingYi was ashen faced. “It’s over. This time HanGuang-Jun will punish us to death.”

Wei WuXian muttered, “Punish. They ought to be punished! If you don’t punish them, they won’t learn.”

Lan SiZhui said, “Young Master Mo! How did you know the soul-sucking thing wasn’t a soul eating fiend or beast, but was that honourable goddess statue?”

Wei WuXian was running and searching for signs of Jin Ling. “How did I know? I saw it.”

Lan JingYi ran to catch up, the two of them flanking him. “What did you see? We also saw plenty.”

“You saw, and so? What was near the graveyard?”

“What else would there be - there were ghosts.”

“Exactly. There were ghosts. So, it couldn’t be a soul eating beast or a soul eating fiend. There are so many ghosts floating around, yet they weren’t eaten? Impossible.”

This time, more than one person spoke. “Why?”

“I say, you GuSuLan sect people … “ Wei WuXian could no longer resist. “Stop teaching etiquette and cultivator pedigree, what ancestor did what and when, that kind of long-winded rote-learnt nonsense. Teach some more practical things, can’t you? It’s nothing complicated. Ghosts are much easier to eat than living spirits. In living people, the body acts like a barrier. To eat the spirit, you need to first penetrate that barrier. It’s like …” He glanced at the donkey sprinting beside him, the poor creature gasping, its eyes rolled into whites. “Like having an apple dangling in front of you, and another apple in a locked box. Which one do you eat first? The one in front of you, of course. This thing only eats living spirits, plus it has a means of doing so. It’s very picky, and very powerful.”

Lan JingYi said in alarm. “So that’s how it is! That seems to make a lot of sense! Hold on, you really weren’t a lunatic!”

Lan SiZhui explained, “We all thought the incident was because the coffin was disturbed by the landslide and the thunder. Naturally, we concluded it was a soul eating fiend.”

Wei WuXian said. “Wrong.”

“How?”

“The order, the cause and effect, are wrong. I ask you both: of the landslide and soul-eating incident, what came before, what came after? Which was the cause, which was the consequence?”

Lan SiZhui didn’t pretend to think. “The landslide came before, the soul-eating after. The former is the reason, the latter the consequence.”

Wei WuXian said, “Completely incorrect. The soul-eating came before, the landslide after. The soul-eating is the reason, the landslide the consequence! On the night of the landslide, there was a storm; thunder and lightning split the sky and cracked open a coffin. Remember this well. The first person who lost their soul, that lazy fellow, was trapped in the mountains overnight. A few days later, he took a wife.”

Lan JingYi said, “What’s wrong with that?”

Wei WuXian said, “Everything’s wrong with that! A penniless wretch who idled his days away - where’d he get the money to find a wife and arrange a marriage?”

Dumbstruck silence. Unsurprising, for GuSuLan sect was a family with little reason to ponder the problems of wealth and destitution. Wei WuXian said again, “All the ghosts you’ve seen wandering around DaFan Mountain? Amongst them, there’s an old man who’d had his head crushed. The workmanship and materials of his burial clothes are of superb quality. With such extravagant clothing, he couldn’t have had an empty coffin. It must have contained funerary objects to placate him. The disturbed coffin is most likely his. Afterwards, the people who restored the skeletons didn’t find any valuables, because they’d been poached by that lazy fellow - this is the only explanation for his sudden exorbitant spending.  That lazy fellow … something unusual must have happened for him to make his fortune and take a wife on the same night. That night, he sought cover from the storm in the mountain. Where can you find shelter on DaFan Mountain? The Goddess’s shrine. And when a person goes to a shrine, they will always do one thing.”

Lan SiZhui said, “Make a wish?”

“That’s right. For instance: for him to have good fortune, prosperity, be wealthy, get married, that sort of thing. The goddess heard his desires and sent down a clap of thunder that cleaved the coffin, revealing the treasures inside. His prayers were answered, and as her price, the goddess descended on his wedding night and sucked away his spirit!”

Lan JingYi said, “That’s a guess, right?”

Wei WuXian affirmed, “It’s a guess. But by taking this guess to its natural conclusion, everything falls into place.”

Lan SiZhui said, “How do you explain Lady A-Yan?”

Wei WuXian said, “An excellent question. Before you went up the mountain, you must have asked yourself this already. A-Yan had just been betrothed. And all newly betrothed young women have the same wish.”

Lan JingYi drew a blank. “What wish?”

Wei WuXian said, “What else but, ‘I wish my future husband will in his lifetime love and treasure me alone’, and the sort.”

The crowd of juniors were stupefied. “Can this kind of wish really be fulfilled … “

Wei WuXian spread his hands. “It’s easy. If his ‘lifetime’ were to come to an end, wouldn’t he have ‘loved only one person in his lifetime’?”

A lightbulb flashed, Lan JingYi said eagerly, “Oh, oh! So- so- so the reason her husband was killed by the mountain wolves on the second day after Lady A-Yan’s betrothal, was because the day before, Lady A-Yan had gone to the goddess’s shrine to make a wish!”

Wei WuXian swiftly continued his chain of thought. “It’s hard to say what killed him, whether it was a feral wolf or something else entirely. A-Yan is a special case: why was hers the only spirit that returned? How is she different from the others? The difference is, a close relative of hers lost their soul too. Or, to put it another way, a relative took her place! Blacksmith Zheng is A-Yan’s father, a father who loved his daughter dearly. He watched, helpless, as his daughter lost her soul and all the medicine in the world could not help her. What else can he do?” *

This time, Lan SiZhui caught on immediately. “—he pinned his hopes on one final wish before passing away. So, he went to the shrine and made a prayer: ‘I pray my daughter A-Yan’s spirit returns!’”

Wei WuXian approved. “This is why only A-Yan’s spirit came back and is also the reason behind our third spirit-loss, Blacksmith Zheng. Though A-Yan’s spirit was spat out, it was not unscathed. With her spirit returned to its proper place, she started involuntarily imitating the goddess’s form, her dance, and even her smile.”

What those who lost their spirit had in common was they’d made a wish at the goddess shrine. And the price for having such a wish fulfilled, was their soul.

The goddess statue began as a normal rock that by chance resembled a human form. The worship over the span of hundreds of years infused it with power. But it was not satiated. It developed a warped idea – it thought it could increase its power by eating souls. Exchanging a wish for a soul was the same as if the wisher had offered it willingly. A fair deal on both sides, to ask and be answered. It seemed just and reasonable; thus, the demonic compass was still and the shade summoning flag inert, both swords and talismans useless. Because it was no monster or demon on DaFan Mountain: it was a deity! This was a rogue deity raised on several hundreds of years of worship and prayer. To use demon-killing tools against it was the same as dousing fire with fire!

Lan JingYi shouted, “Wait! But back there in the shrine, someone else had their soul sucked away, but we didn’t hear them make a wish!”

Wei WuXian heart stuttered. He skidded to a halt. “Someone had their soul sucked away back in the shrine? Tell me what happened again, don’t miss a word.”

Lan SiZhui clearly and swiftly laid out the circumstance. Upon hearing Jin Ling’s words: ‘If it’s so effective, then I’m going to make a wish right now. Make that human-spirit eating thing that’s terrorising DaFan Mountain appear before me immediately, can it do that’, Wei WuXian remarked, “Isn’t that a wish? That’s called making a wish!”

The others had agreed with Jin Ling, so by extension, had made the same wish. And that soul-eating goddess was in front of them already, the wish was fulfilled. After that, was time to collect her payment!

Suddenly, the donkey’s hooves clattered to a stop, it turned and ran in the opposite direction. Caught off guard, Wei WuXian was thrown off its back again. As if a matter of life and death, he yanked the rope, then heard a crunching and sucking sound from the shrubbery in front of them. A figure, tall beyond measure, was crouched in the shrubbery. The giant head swayed above a human torso. Upon hearing a sound, it lifted its head and their eyes collided.

This soul eating goddess features were originally indistinct, with only the suggestion of eyes, nose, mouth, ears. After sucking out the souls of multiple cultivators in a single breath, her features had clarified into the face of a gently smiling woman. The corners of her mouth dripped with blood. An arm dangled between her lips. She ate with relish.

All of them followed the donkey’s example and beat a hasty retreat.

Lan SiZhui was on the verge of collapse, he gasped, “This isn’t right! The Yi Ling Patriarch once said the high-level ones eat spirits; the inferior ones eat flesh!”

Wei WuXian replied helplessly, “Why are you superstitiously trusting him, look what a mess he made from his own affairs! Rules are not set in stone. Just say it’s like a child, when its toothless it can only eat porridge and liquid food, but when it grows up of course it would use its teeth to eat meat. Now that her power’s surging, she’s naturally going to try a new delicacy!”

The soul eating goddess stood up from the ground, tall and sturdy as a horse, her hands and feet moved in concert, an ecstatic dance, as if it brimmed with joy. Suddenly, an arrow whistled across and thudded into her forehead, the arrowhead breaking through the back of her skull.

Wei WuXian followed the twang of the bowstring. Nearby, Jin Ling stood on a high slope. Another arrow was nocked to his bow. He pulled it taut before releasing another penetrating arrow to the skull. The force of the blow made the goddess stagger a few steps in retreat.

Lan SiZhui yelled, “Son of Jin! Send out your signal!”

It fell on deaf ears. His heart was set on capturing this monster. He expression stilled. This time, he laid three arrows on the string. Though she’d been shot twice in the head, the soul eating goddess’s benevolent smile still curved on her face. She advanced towards Jin Ling. Though she danced as she walked, she was frighteningly fast. In a wink, half the distance disappeared. A few cultivators appeared form one side and engaged her in battle, impeding her footsteps. Jin Ling’s arrows found their mark again and again, nocking and firing without pause. It seemed he’d set his heart in steel to shoot all his arrows, then fight the soul-eating goddess up close. His hands were steady, each shot met their mark. A shame that all their tools were useless against her!

Both Jiang Chen and Lan WangJi were waiting for news at the buddha foot town, who knew when they’d realise trouble was brewing and hurry to the scene. Using fire to extinguish a fire, the cultivation tools were useless. Better to use the demonic way!

Wei WuXian grabbed Lan SiZhui’s sword and cut off a narrow length of bamboo. He hacked it into a flute, hands flying. He placed it against his lips and took a long, bottomless breath. The piercing note flew with the arrow, cutting through the night sky, parting the firmament.

It was the last resort, he used it reluctantly. But with the situation in its current state, he didn’t care what he summoned as long as it was resentful enough, savage enough.  

Lan SiZhui was shocked dumb. Lan JingYi covered his ears and said, “The situation’s already like this - what are you playing a flute for? It sounds horrid!”

In the brawl, already three or four cultivators had their souls sucked away, Jin Ling unsheathed his sword, no further than 20 feet from the goddess. His heart thundering madly in his chest, a rush of hot blood surging into his skull. “If I can’t behead it with this sword, then I’m going to die here --- so be it!”

From the forests of DaFan Mountain there emitted a clanking sound.

Clank, jingle, clank, jingle. At times fast, at times slow. It echoed in the dead silence of the forest. The strike of iron against iron, metal dragging the ground. It grew closer and closer, louder and louder.

This sound was unexplainably threatening. Even the soul-eating goddess halted her dance, her arms raised, gaze distracted towards the depths from whence the sound came.

Wei WuXian put away the flute. Focused, he patiently waited for whatever approached.

In his heart the apprehension weighed heavier and heavier. But the fact that it would heed his beck and call meant – at the very least - it was something that would listen to his command.

The sound stopped, a figure emerged from the darkness.

After a clear look at this figure and its face, the expressions of the cultivators twisted.

Though their soul may be sucked away in an instant, they would confront a soul-eating goddess without a trace of fear or cowardice. But now, their cries brimmed with unconcealed fear.

“… ‘Ghost General’, it’s the ‘Ghost General’, Wen Ning!”

The title “Ghost General”, was of a similar nature to Yi Ling Patriarch - a bad name with a far reach, known by all. The two commonly appeared together.

This phrase could only represent a single being. The first and most eminent servant under Yi Ling Patriarch Wei Ying’s command. The wind stirring, ocean agitating, heaven inverting accomplice to the tyrant, the malicious corpse that should have been ground to dust long ago, Wen Ning!

    *ok “heavenly woman” is probably “goddess”

*Dark Lady refers to Chinese mythology: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiutian_Xuann%C3%BC

*Jade Emperor refers to Chinese mythology: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jade_Emperor

*random aside – this reminds me of childbirth where the father can only watch, powerless, as his wife goes through one of the biggest tribulations of her life.

[witchescompendium]

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 8 TOOLS OF THE CRAFT:

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 8

TOOLS OF THE CRAFT:

The most common misconception witches have when they begin their journey is that they need to obtain all the tools of the crafted so often listed in rituals and books. When I began I know I was one of those who felt the need to rush out and try and find these items. However in the area where I live, those tools weren’t as available as they maybe in a place that has occult or Wicca shops. I began to make my own with things I had lying around or that were easily available to me, worried that they weren’t going to be as potent as the actual tools purchased. As my studies went on however I came to learn that making your tools actually is the better thing, however there will always be certain ones you will not be able to buy, but can use other meaningful things in place of something you purchase.

While many tools exist in a witch’s cabinet, the real tools exist within the witch themselves. Knowing, Visualization, and Will. However the equipment that almost every witch has can be as important, though truthfully the tools of the trade are merely objects until you supply the power.

 These tools, once bonded to you, can be a valuable commodity; however a witch should never race out and start buying the first tools they see. THE TOOLS WILL FIND YOU WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT. As you look for the tools you think you need, the universe shall send you the tools that you Actually need. There are some who quite literally, will buy everything they see, as they feel the more tools they have the better and more skilled they will be. This is not the case, there are some witches who have no tools, minimal, tools or more than they will ever use. As for this last description this can be both a good and a bad thing, for if the  witch has been drawn to these tools, without real reason for need, it could very well mean that the witch was suppose to have these in their possession to pass along to a fellow witch at some point in time.

Though it is easiest to buy your tools, and there are numerous shops, catalogs and websites available for this very purpose, it is more personal, and therefore more powerful, to make your own tools. Many people say they are not the crafty type and can’t make anything, so they elect to shop instead. Some people are extremely crafty and choose to make EVERYTHING they need, and even still there are those who choose to fall in the middle, making what they know they can and buying what they can’t.  Truthfully there is no right or wrong way.

 While having tools can help to better connect to the mentality needed to perform magic, it is not vital to start collecting from the start. BUT, once you have accelerated your study and are ready to begin, or furthermore, have started your second degree, a witch is expected to have at least their basic tool chest, not only for themselves, but for those whom they will be teaching. Having your tools at hand is for your and your student’s benefit, because to teach the craft you must have a working knowledge of the tools and how they work, to be able to teach about them. If you are a part of a coven it may be a requirement also to have your own tools at this point to be able to lead ritual as part of your work study, or completion of your second degree.

 Ok so let us get to the tools of the craft.

1.       YOU. You are the most valuable tool you will ever have. You are the magic and you are the reason. The tools will serve purpose in time, but it is you that will use these tools, give them power and give them purpose. It is from you the magic flows, the tools only direct it and help you to control and focus it.

2.       BOOK OF SHADOWS. This I would argue is the second most important tool you need. The Book of Shadows is a critical part of a witch’s tool box. This serves as your journal, diary and reference book. In a witch’s BOS, is kept a record of your workings. Rituals for the Sabbats and Esbats, the rules and laws of your practice. You should have a section for spells, and perhaps potions, a section for dreams and perhaps divination readings. Along with this you may want to keep notes about the spells you have done, as to what worked what didn’t. What you may try differently next time.  Your book is fundamental for being able to track your progress and growth as a witch. While many wonderfully crafted tomes exist for a witches BOS, I personally use a three ring binder, because the pages can be added easily and also removed, you can ad print outs if you chose, or hand write it. As it is a learning aid I recommend this to most people in the beginning reminding them they can always upgrade to one of the leather bound versions later on when they have fine toned their studies. (however the leather bound volumes can be quite pricey but ultimately it’s the witches call)

3.       ALTAR: no matter if it is a table, the floor, a rock the ground, a book shelf, no matter the surface or shape an altar is a place where most of your magic and rituals will take place. (For more information regarding the altar and to know the difference between an Altar and a Shrine, see the lesson on Altars)

 The following are in no particular order and some will have more of a description than others as is necessary.

 4.       ALTAR CLOTHES: Tapestries, to scraps of fabrics to pre done altar or table clothes, these are merely to decorate the altar for spell or ritual but also to ad a mind set for ritual while aiding to protect your altar surface from ash, liquid or candle wax (to the best of their ability) I use scraps of fabric that I have left over from projects or raid the remnant bend at places that sell fabric. Also my personal altar has an altar cloth which is what is left of an old shirt that belonged to my great grandfather, it was something sentimental and personal to me which is why I opted to use it.

5.       CANDLES: candles are a thing that there are several different opinions on. From taper, or chime, votive or jar, scented or not… And it goes on. I like to use candles for many different things, and different sizes and styles depending on the working. I like tea lights for luminaries, extra light, or for prayer requests. Votives are great for spell working as are tapers. Jar candles can easily be painted on the outside and used for your elements and God and Goddess representation on your altar and in your circle. I do not use scented candles as many experts will say and many books will say, the scented candles can interfere with the spell work. If you wish to make a magic candle or a scented candle dressing it with an oil works best. (See later lesson on Candle magic) Whatever kind of candle you decide on, you want to have a variety of colors, or solid white as it can stand for any color during workings. Candles are quite useful for light for spells and for representation.  NEVER leave candles unattended, and always use caution and common sense when working with candles to prevent fires and dangerous situations.

6.       CANDLE HOLDERS: If you have candles you’ll need candle holders, and you don���t need anything fancy or special. I have an eclectic taste so my candle holders are all different; they range from jars, to cups, to brass stick holders to glass. They can be of any shape or size you need, so long as your candles fit safely within. Also if you buy second hand or from a flea market or thrift store besure to cleanse them before use (See the lesson on cleansing)

7.       ATHAME: The ceremonial dagger. Usually it has a black hilt and it double sided, but is dull bladed. The athame is used to direct and cut energy and energy only. It is for ceremonial purposes and is usually present in most all rituals to help raise the circle and cut it to release it. NOW some argue it HAS TO BE BLACK HANDLED, while others say it doesn’t. Mine is a rose wood handled narrow blade that belonged to a relative, it almost resembles a letter opener. The look isn’t so important as its ceremonial and magical purposes.

8.       WAND: This is a tricky one. The wand can be solid wood, glass, crystal, fancy or simple. Thin or large. Some are tipped with stones, others just wooden. The wand is used to direct energy and is often used to direct the energy of the circle when casting it.

9.       BOWLS: Glass or a natural material is best. Plastic is ok if that is all you have but isn’t preferred as plastic often contains chemicals and breaks down over time. You will use bowls to hold salt and water during ritual, or other items, such as herbs or stones, there is an endless use for bowls, you may eve use a bowl to substitute for the cauldron

10.   CAULRON: A cauldron is a pot, usually cast iron, however the cauldron can be a simple cooking pot. Some witches still use cauldrons to cook or brew in, others use them to burn in. I recommend if you want to use your cauldron to burn in but want to also use it to brew, get two separate pots. I have a smaller one I picked up at a thrift store I burn in, and I have a nice pot if I want to make any type of potion or anything like that (the cooking one isn’t a cauldron as in a traditional cast iron pot, but it works nicely)

11.   INCENSE AND INCENSE BURNER: Incense is used as part of ritual to serve as an offering, to cleanse the air and space, to represent the element of Air or simply to make the place smell nice. There are two different types of incense the type that you light that’s already processed (combustible) such as stick or cone form, and the type you have to burn on a charcoal block (non-combustible) The second being one of raw herb, resin and oils that you smolder on a special charcoal disc, (don’t use the kind of charcoal that goes into a grill, that’s not the same and is highly toxic) It is also wise to make sure that the room or area is well ventilated as the charcoal bricks can be quite potent as can the herbs and such which is burned on them. Even with regular incense.  You want to be sure that incense is burned with care, due to allergies and fire risk. Make sure you have a safe incense burner. A heat proof container with sand or salt in it, can work well to absorb the heat of the coal, or the cone, or to help hold the stick of the incense stick. I have a candy dish that is filled with pebbles that I place my sticks in to burn them. There are several great incense burners out there designed for the different types, like simple wooden slats with a hole for the stick to stand in, or intricately carved statues to place cones in and then watch the smoke twirl out of it, and always the brass braziers with the mesh top to rest your coal on to burn your raw incense. Whatever type you do decide to use, be sure to be safe as incense will get very hot and can burn you, or things around it. Left unattended, it could be dangerous.  So handle incense with care, much like candles.

12.   BESOM: The Witches Broom, a broom is used for ritual cleansing, to sweep the sacred space to remove negative and or unwanted energies from the area. It can be a regular broom, or a traditional witches broom bought at Halloween. The Besom never really sweeps the ground, or so some people say. I do however and I also sweep the air around the space too, to make sure I get it all.

 There are other tools that witches own, that may get used later in the advancement of the craft. Some are quite common others not, some for magical uses others more for ceremonial use. Below I will list these but only go into details for some. Remember you can find tools listed and explained in more detail or variances in many books and online. You don’t have to go just by what I have listed in this lesson.

1.       SWORD: For ceremonial purposes, much like the athame it is often used to mark the circle.

2.       STAFF:

3.       MORTAR AND PESTLE: Used to grind herbs and ingredients for different recipes, for potions, teas, powders and such. They can also represent Man and Woman and the Great Rite. I also recommend here to have two mortar and pestles. One for herbs you know are safe for ingestion and one for things that are not safe for ingestion.

4.       ROBES: Robes or a ritual outfit, these will help to set your mind to thinking “its time for magic, time for ritual” You can always wear every day clothes, but some people prefer and some covens require, you to put on a ceremonial garb to better attune yourself to the universal energies.

5.       CORDS: For cord magic, or binding spells. Often in covens or self initiation rituals, a cord is assigned for each degree and tied around the waist often worn with the ceremonial robe.

6.       STONES: From plane every day stones to different crystals which have magical properties and powers. Stones can be used to mark your circle, represent Earths Element, they can be used in spells, or for other purposes. Gem stones are absolutely amazing and offer many different properties, but are not a requisite and can get pricy.

7.       HERBS: So many herbs so little thyme. (get it, bad joke) Herbs are used to make incense, powders, teas, and for other purposes as well. There are a variety of different herbs and places to find them, both locally as well as in bulk. Herbs, much like stones and oils, are primarily used in magical workings.

8.       BOLINE: A white handled knife, sharp, used for cutting. Generally for harvesting herbs or for cutting up herbs, never to harm yourself or another living thing though.

9.       OILS: Used for magical purposes. They can smell amazing, but can become really expensive quickly.

10.   DIVINATION TOOLS: Tarot cards, crystal balls, runes I-Ching , scrying mirrors. There are so many different types, but divination tools have become synonymous with the craft. These are all tools for the craft, they do not substitute doing ritual, or count as doing magic, or performing something spiritual. Divination is merely asking for guidance. I also have to put my two cents in here and say, you have, HAVE to take everything you read in divination with a grain of salt. If you put whole hearted faith and stock into the readings and use divination alone to rule your life and make choices, then you’re really going to be missing out on a lot.    

11.   FEATHERS: Used in spells, or to represent the element of Air

12.   SHELLS: Used in spells or used to represent the element of Water

13.   BOTTLES: To hold water, oils potions teas. You want to again try and use glass where you can. You can also use them to make spell bottles or spell jars.

14.   JARS: used Like bottles. Also for holding herbs. You want to be sure to use glass for herbs because the plastic will contaminate them as it breaks down over time and this can weaken the power of your herbs.

 So in short there is a brief rundown of the tools that most witches have. Like I said you don’t have to race out and get them all at once. Make them, find them as the universe deems fit. But if you’re planning to teach, or lead a coven, then you should have at least the basics, and a working knowledge of what and how they are used.

NEVER use your tools for anything other than ritual purposes; otherwise it loses its purpose and magic. ALWAYS, keep an eye on candles and incense and again, read, do more research on the different tools, and never settle for anything that doesn’t feel right to you, be it information or the tools themselves.

And remember this last thing, you are the greatest tool you will ever possess, you are the magic, without you those material items, have no power.

[swyllh]

If you're still up for requests! 33 + seungcheol thanks in advance 🙆🏻

premise: falling in love with a god is never easy. 

pairing: seungcheol x reader

genre: magic au

note: sorry this took super long!! 

think of it as a lesson in folly: to love is not the same as falling into it. to love a god means worship; prayers padded between clasped palms, lavish offerings from dollar stores, incense so thick that devoted eyes never fail to weep.

to fall in love with a god, however - 

the boy, cryptic and muddy, stumbles up to you. his hair is the deepest shade of black you have seen, but also the lightest, when it gleams blue under the tilt of the forest light. 

"who're you?" he says.

you frown, because a) that's kind of rude of him, and b) you were here first, so shouldn't you be asking that?

"you first."

"i asked first!"

"yeah, but i was here first."

"yeah, well this land is mine!"

you pause at that, and the boy flushes up to his ears. he murmurs a correction you don't really hear, and folds his arms resolutely.

with a blustering sort of pride, he says, "so?"

"[y/n]. now you have to tell me yours."

"...seungcheol," the boy says softly, and then perks up. "hey, wanna see something cool?"

narrowing your eyes, you shake your head. "nope."

"what?" his face falls. "why?"

"because you're all muddy, and i don't know you." you throw your nose up in the air, reminiscent of all the statues you've seen in the nearby temple.

seungcheol frowns. "but you know my name!"

... well, he's got a point, and you're sure you can always kick him if he's one of those weirdos. but at least he found you first, so that's a plus for him.

"fine." you concede.

seungcheol's grin stretches wider, and you can't help but smile along.

"then close your eyes and hold out your hand!"

you pause, wary. but he's just a child, like you, and you do think you could really kick him where it hurts. if anything.

so you do, pursing your lips and making a show of how generous you are to trust him. the leaves beneath you crinkle, and his warm hands close over yours. the thing is... hard. but also kind of light and fragile and you open your eyes

"aHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-" you let go, shaking your hands frantically. "what- is that a bug?"

seungcheol's kneeling on the ground, grubby hands searching for that godforsaken monster. he's almost as upset as you are.

"why'd you let go!" he huffs. "that was a really, really rare beetle!"

so he wasn't playing a prank then. "i'm sorry... but you scared me!"

seungcheol looks up, and notices the watery well of your eyes. jumping up, he presses his muddy thumb to your cheeks, wiping away the wetness. you shove him away, and press your face against your shoulder.

"i'm sorry too. i didn't think you would be scared."

you pout, but relent. "let's go catch more then."

"what?"

"bugs. those things. but you're gonna catch them. not me."

his eyes widen, shining bright in the afternoon light. the black of his pupils seem to gleam, shifting into browns and bronze.

when his muddy hand reaches out for your arm, the rest becomes history.

-

seungcheol stays for the summer, coming up to you with his weird beetle collection (that he eventually set free under your nagging insistence). but after that, you don't really see much of him - more people come to pray for a shorter winter, and some paranormal investigators come to scope out the local temple. you figure they're feeding off local gossip and supposed sightings - when really, it's just you and seungcheol marching around laughing, playing stupid pranks on tourists. there's also the talk of some big city corporation investing in this place, so all that adult interference kind of makes sense. in its odd little way.

meanwhile, you replace the burnt-out joss sticks and tidy up the temple a little, keeping things clean and neat. maybe next time seungcheol will come here too and look at the statues that grin the way he does. time passes so differently when he's not around.

-

as the trees start falling, your body begins to ache, accommodating all the new changes of growth. you spring up a little, but your knees still hurt - the extra length leaves you awkward, and you feel a little faint and disoriented with the changing angle.

there's also the dizzy grind of machinery rounding up the area, but you suppose the temple's safe for now.

seungcheol comes back in the summer again, and the two of you marvel at the cooling calm of the forest. it's less noisy, like a secret between the two of you.

seungcheol frowns at your growth. "why are you so tall?"

you shrug. "you've grown a bit too."

"but you look so different," seungcheol continues to grumble.

a sudden stab of fear drives itself through your chest. "did you forget about me?"

"no!" seungcheol looks up, and flushes up to his ears again. "i wouldn't. never."

you pout, childishly folding your arms - except they don't really fit, and 

seungcheol's trying to hide a giggle. "don't think i didn't notice that you never said my name!"

seungcheol shrugs. "[y/n]."

you don't see it, but you can definitely feel a bit more colour coming into your face. there's a rush of something clambering in your chest, fast and wild.

you think you like it when he says your name. "say it more."

seungcheol jolts. "w-what?"

"you should," you trail off, realising exactly how awkward the request sounds, "say my name?"

seungcheol is a bright pink this time. but he nods.

"it's like, something goes on inside me, and," you pause, trying to articulate the sort of life that springs within you when he says your name. "like, it's warm, and makes me awake."

seungcheol nods, and lowers his gaze to pick at flowers. (flowers, that he will eventually press into your hands. that you will fumble with, and feel the burn of something bright bloom within you. the sudden stream of excess energy threatens to overflow, but you hold it in. everything is electric, and preens in short, powerful flashes.)  

-

everything dulls when he leaves, but sometimes you feel a stinging thrill run down your back - it leaves you much more alert and receptive and ready.

you ignore the gnashing - of townsfolk, of invaders - from the borders of the land. even the speculation of tearing down the temple doesn't get to you.

-

"you're here," are seungcheol's first words to you - in equal parts relief and fear.

you raise an eyebrow. "why wouldn't i be?"

he's later than usual, and decked out in the stiffer lines of a suit. you try not to stare. instead, you pluck the joss sticks out of their pots and dust away the ashes.

"you shouldn't be," he says. "they'll get you for trespassing, and besides, the temple's going down."

"what?"

"didn't you hear? they were already working on -"

"no, 'trespassing'. why would i be trespassing?"

seungcheol shoots you a disbelieving look. "my family owns the land. we bought it a few years back."

you shake your head.

"you can't keep coming back," seungcheol presses on, clearly uncomfortable. 

"you have to go home soon."

"i was here first," you say.

"don't be -"

you glare, daring him to continue. "i was here first. i was always here."

he looks at you strangely. and opens his mouth to say something.

"seungcheol? what are you doing alone?"

the both of you turn to face a new intruder. the lady's also in a suit, except she's got a few leaves trapped in her hair.

seungcheol, confused, glances back at you, and then towards the exit. "what do you mean alone?"

the lady quirks her head. "what, there's no one else besides us."

suddenly, everything clicks into place - the gnashing, the talk, the falling trees. you really don't want to see seungcheol again. the winds roar, pushing the two out of the temple, sealing its doors with a resounding crash.

-

his doubt takes a toll on you.

but gods do not die so easily - they live on even after their temples fade.

-

"[y/n]. [y/n]." and then, "[y/n]."

looking up is a little hard, but you manage. pushing a palm against the ashes, you rise. greedily, you drink in the sound of your name, even if it is a little hesitant.

"please come out," seungcheol says. "i don't - [y/n]?"

you look him over, and pull a leaf from his hair. "losing your touch."

seungcheol scoffs, and makes to retort, but thinks the better of it.

you laugh, not uncruelly. "so what, construction's going well?"

"i -" seungcheol pauses. "i'm going to stop it."

"how?" you draw yourself to your full height. "by directing it towards another god?"

he swallows. "no, i-"

"you mortals," you say softly, silencing him, "come and go, but you never learn to stop."

seungcheol looks up at you, doe-eyed and worried. the boy from so many summers ago has never changed.

alright then. "fine. i'll let you have the temple. but i want an offering worth my consideration."

-

no one really comes around anymore. there's the occasional prayer from some of the workers around, but ever since seungcheol came around, the temple fell into disuse. maybe that's why you shrunk so small then, and slowly built yourself up then.

you're dusting away the finer bits of dirt on the top column when someone lights a bundle of incense and stabs them into place. the group of people invading the area seem to be from seungcheol's company, but he's not there.

you scoff at their minute offerings of tangerines and other flammable paintings. someone mutters a prayer about letting the deconstruction go smoothly.jealously, sulkily, you blow out their candles, and huff the ashes into their eyes. a few run out of the temple, convinced of their guilt, and the rest soon follow in less dignified stammers.

-

"so?" you raise an eyebrow, glancing at the clear night sky before you. "are you here to offer something?"

seungcheol turns to you. he's not proud of the carnage before him either - fallen trees, ugly metal scraps sprouting from the ground.

"close your eyes and hold out your hands," he says calmly, but you can hear his hesitation.

maybe he's here to kill you - you know of people who've tried to kill gods. but maybe not. you shut your eyes, even if you're listening hard.

his palms are warm as always, but this time he closes your hands together, and presses - what?

"[y/n]," he mutters against your fingers, and doesn't stop.

"what are you doing?" you try to pull away, but his grip is relentless.

"praying?" seungcheol says, and then falls into the softest chant of your name.you fall silent. a part of you, once tethered, crumbles, and scatters like sand. behind you, there's the barest of quakes, rumbling deep beneath the earth.

seungcheol starts, glancing up into your eyes and then behind you. his eyes widen, and your name falls from his parted lips in a quiet, reverent gasp.

the temple has fallen. you are free.

he clambers to his feet, faced with nothing but the remnants of a childhood memory slipping away. 

[lady-divine-writes]

Klaine one-shot - “The Cobra and the Curse” (Rated PG13)

Kurt travels the desert alone, entertaining the masses from bazaar to bazaar, accompanied by his loyal golden cobra, which he carries wrapped around his arm as opposed to in a basket the way most snake charmers do. People say he is searching for a rare jewel that can break a powerful curse he suffers.

But that’s only a portion of the truth.

The rest is far more heartbreaking than that. (2280 words)

A/N: This is a rewrite, and namely because I have always wanted @sunshineoptimismandangels and @riverance to read it. If I continue it as a longer story, it will probably be for K*urtbastian or as an original work. Warning for angst, curses, and snakes.

Read on AO3.

The sun made its appearance earlier than usual and refused to be ignored. By noon, the tiny marketplace baked beneath its relentless glow so that the ground cracked, and any drop of moisture sizzled immediately and evaporated away. Undeterred, the bazaar teemed with the unwashed masses, haggling their way through their daily shopping. Vendors tried to outwit the heat by constructing makeshift tents, basic wood frames covered in light fabric to protect them from the fiery sky, but all it succeeded in doing was trapping the heat, turning what was once uncomfortable to truly unbearable.

Kurt sat alone on his intricately woven carpet, a gold veil covering his face, shielding all but his blue eyes. He sat removed from the bustling mob, tucked strategically in a shady corner. He set up his rug at a distance to avoid the persistent scorching white light and mind numbing stench, but close enough that airy strains of music from his flute lured passing treasure hunters to stop and watch and listen … and hopefully pay.

Most passersby only absently regarded the snake charmers. Snake charmers weren’t unusual in the marketplace, but Kurt and his cobra drew a bigger audience than most, even on brutally hot days, which greatly outnumbered the cool, overcast days now that the full force of summer had set in.

His alluring music trapped the unsuspecting, but it was the gorgeous, venomous creature under his complete control that hypnotized them, and they paid Kurt handsomely for the honor of its company. New to this bazaar in particular, Kurt showed up to the same spot day after day, and as his popularity grew, so did suspicion from local authorities, who couldn’t understand the appeal of one vagrant flute player and his pet snake compared to the rest that their town had to offer.

It wasn’t too long before they decided to find out.

“And what do we have here?”

The crowd in front of Kurt’s carpet parted to let the chief of the guard and two of his men approach. The sour looking man in the lead, haggard from the intense heat, stopped right in front of Kurt. He was a rotund man, with piercing brown eyes peeking out from narrow slits, and a full beard covered in the ash that drifted through the air from the many food tents. The remaining onlookers dispersed quickly, leaving Kurt to face the three law men alone.

Most foreign visitors to the marketplace were wary of law enforcement; even innocent people kept their distance.

Kurt, however, was far from impressed.

“May I help you gentlemen?” he asked with the pretense of civility. “Or did you come to hear me play?”

“I came to ask you a few questions,” the chief guard said, gruff in tone. He wiped an ocean of sweat from his brow with one meaty hand, then dried that hand on the leg of his pants, depositing a swath of murky brown onto the camel-colored fabric. Kurt cringed beneath his veil in disgust.

“Well, I’m sorry, but I was just packing it in for the day.”

Kurt clicked his tongue and the snake turned to him. The men stepped back, watching in horror and in wonder as the dangerous reptile launched itself at the man’s outstretched arm. The chief almost yelled a warning, but Kurt flashed stormy eyes at him, and he froze. The snake slithered up Kurt’s arm, winding itself tightly as it went, until its entire body was but an ornament on Kurt’s sleeve. Only a bit of its scaly form and its spread hood stood erect. Eerily following their movements, the snake kept its black eyes fixed on the three shocked men.

“Do you not have a hook to control that creature?” one of the lesser guards said, eyes wide. “Or a basket to transport it in?”

“Why?” Kurt asked innocently. “I’m not in any danger.”

“I’ve heard of you,” the third man put in.

“Have you?” Kurt returned nonplussed, but listening intently.

“Yes.” The man eyed Kurt cautiously. “People say you travel from bazaar to bazaar, looking for a rare jewel that will help you break some terrible curse.”

Kurt smirked and rolled his eyes.

“Really?” Kurt rolled his rug and tied it. “I would think an intelligent official like yourself would be more selective about what he believes.”

“They say you and this … this creature … have an unnatural relationship.”

“Do they now?” Kurt chuckled, standing with the cobra wrapped possessively around his arm. “Would you like to take that up with him?”

Kurt moved swiftly forward. The men scuttled back, the two behind their chief almost crowding behind him to get away, and Kurt laughed softly at the look of fear on their faces.

The guards watched Kurt gather up the remainder of his things. Kurt cooed at his snake as if they weren’t even there, kissing it gently on the hood like an old friend. The chief didn’t like it. He didn’t like any of it. This man was no ordinary snake charmer, no matter what he wanted them to think, and the chief would feel much more at ease once he packed up his rug for good and moved on. He tried to think of a way to make that happen sooner than later, but apart from having the man dealt with in the dead of night, the chief could come up with no other solution. Kurt tucked his rug under his arm, tossed his flute over his shoulder by its leather strap, and paying the three guards no heed, walked away.

“You’d better watch yourself, snake charmer,” the surly man spat at Kurt’s back. “I’m not sure I like your kind hanging around my marketplace.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Kurt returned as he continued on without a glance back.

Kurt walked the vacant stretch of desert outside the boundaries of town, out beyond the first dune to the nomad camp where he had been lent a tent to occupy. On his journey north, a clan of travelers had come across him. They were drawn to him first by his unburnt pale skin, strange for people living in those parts, and his sea blue eyes. After taking audience with him, watching him charm his impressive reptile, and seeing the imposing beast eating patiently from his hand, the elders of the clan took finding him as an omen, and offered him their protection.

Kurt bowed in salaam to the men standing guard, and they returned the greeting to him, as well as to his snake. Kurt walked through the encampment toward his lonely tent, bowing to those he passed who spoke blessings to him, smiling demurely to those who showered praise upon him. At the entrance to his tent, he turned his attention to the sky, and saw the sun sinking low. He hurried in and shut tight the heavy flaps, rushing to prepare. He left the cobra on its carpet with its dinner. Kurt lit oil candles and burnt incense. He quickly bathed, scenting his hair and skin with perfumes. He put on his finest clothes, ones that rarely saw the light of day as of late. His stomach swooped with such excitement that he didn’t eat a bite of his dinner, instead drinking from a flask of wine to calm his butterflies.

A voice, soft and rich like fine velvet, stirred them up again.

“I appreciate all the trouble you go through dressing for me, darling. It’s such a shame I’m just going to tear your clothing off of you.”

After ten long years without hearing it, that voice of pure seduction sounded like the answer to a prayer, the fulfillment of a dream. Kurt couldn’t speak in its presence, so he didn’t. He turned and launched himself at the incredible creature, only partially human for the moment since the sun hadn’t fully set.

Blaine.

Kurt’s one and only true love, the two of them victims of an evil, sadistic curse that kept them apart for all but one night every ten years. And tonight was the night they had been waiting for – their one night together.

Kurt ran his hands down Blaine’s body of smooth, golden scales, feeling them shift and reform beneath his fingers as they became human skin. Blaine backed away sorrowfully from Kurt’s kiss, not wanting to touch him with a serpent’s tongue or accidentally bite him with his fangs, but Kurt insisted, claiming Blaine’s lips with a famished moan.

“I think we are getting closer, my love,” Kurt said, kissing the hood that still surrounded Blaine’s head. “At least they’ve heard of us here. Someone might know something. But you have to be careful. But the officials are suspicious. Please … be careful.”

“I will,” Blaine hissed, shutting his inhuman black eyes to absorb the feeling of Kurt’s tongue licking around the shell of now human ears. When he opened his eyes again, they were golden hazel eyes. Human eyes.

Blaine gazed upon Kurt’s face with these eyes for the first time in a decade, and smiled.

“Ten years,” he whispered, his forked tongue rounding out and his reptilian hiss gone, “and you don’t look as if you’ve aged a day.”

“But, I have,” Kurt said sadly, taking Blaine’s scaled hand and holding it to his heart. “In here. In my heart and in my soul, I grow older, weaker.” When he looked into Blaine’s eyes, they were shimmering with tears. “I’ve lost ten years so far. You’ve lost twenty! I … I can’t take this much longer! Please … please tell me you’ll find it? Please promise me you’ll succeed where I’ve failed?”

“You haven’t failed,” Blaine said softly. “You got us here. You’ve kept us alive. We’ll find the gem that breaks our curse together. I can feel it.”

Kurt nodded, but he didn’t look all that hopeful.

Blaine sighed and pulled Kurt close, his transformation still far from complete.

“What can I give you, my love?” Blaine asked. “What can I do to ease your burden?”

“I only need you, my love. I need the soothing cool of your body to keep me sane, your mouth on mine to help me forget … for just this one night.”

“Don’t you want to wait until I’ve completely changed?” Blaine asked, but he was already burning with want, with need, his hands on his lover’s body, helping him disrobe.

“No,” Kurt said with a stern note of finality. “I don’t want to wait to have you a minute longer.”

Blaine leaned in for another kiss. “Then let’s not wait.”

Nights in the desert during the summer aren’t long enough for those lingering under a curse. Kurt knew that. He cursed it every day. But it’s all they had, all they were going to get, a blessing that, after all this time, was almost too cruel to be thankful for.

The nomads were lulled to sleep by a symphony of moans and felt contented, knowing that the gods they harbored were pleased with the hospitality given them. But those moans turned to sobs when the first light of the sun touched the horizon. All too soon, a slightly shorter man, dressed in plain clothes but wearing a blue veil, emerged from the snake charmer’s tent. The nomads bowed to him without alarm as gods are known to change shape from time to time in order to hide from the dangers of the mortal. The man headed back to town with a carpet tucked beneath his arm, a flute dangling from his shoulder by a leather thong, and a magnificent blue cobra, glittering like a sapphire beneath the merciless light of morning, wrapped around his bicep.

The man set up in the shady spot. He took his time laying out his carpet and tuning his flute. The bazaar was far from bustling yet, so he had a few moments to spare. Besides, earning coin wasn’t his goal for the day. He had a feeling that something was forthcoming.

And he was right.

This time, the guards arrived early.

The smug chief stepped up, prepared to harass the mysterious vagrant, but stopped short when his eyes fell upon the man’s covered face. Even shrouded by his blue veil with barely an inch of skin to be seen, the chief knew the man had changed.

“What happened to you?” the confounded chief asked.

“I have no idea what you mean,” the snake charmer said, nonchalantly disregarding the chief and his guards.

“Where is the man who was here yesterday?”

The veiled man looked up, then looked around, finally meeting the chief’s gaze.

“Who?”

“The snake charmer …”

At this, the veiled man looked down at his cobra, then at his flute, and back up at the flustered guard with sarcastic humor in his eyes.

“The other snake charmer,” the chief groaned with frustration. “The one with the pale face and blue eyes. He had a cobra just like yours.”

“There is no cobra like mine,” Blaine remarked sourly.

“He carried it the same ludicrous way, too,” the chief said, ignoring that comment, “only his was a brilliant gold. A gold like … like … like priceless jewelry.” The chief stuttered to explain himself, looking around to find something he could compare the color to. Then he stopped, squinting inquisitively into the veiled man’s face. “A gold exactly like … the color of your eyes …”

Blaine smirked. He looked to the blue cobra wrapped around his arm. The animal slithered closer to his face and nuzzled its head against Blaine’s chin. Blaine sighed wistfully, his eyes beset with a tremendous pain.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”