#meadow sweet milk

[stone-cold-groove]

Meadow Sweet brand milk pleases particular people.

[whats-in-a-sentence]

Photo credits: David Attie

On a Night of Snow

Elizabeth Coatsworth

Cat, if you go outdoors you must walk in the snow.

You will come back with little white shoes on your feet,

Little white slippers of snow that have heels of sleet.

Stay by the fire, my Cat. Lie still, do not go.

See how the flames are leaping and hissing low.

I will bring you a saucer of milk like a margeurite,

So white and so smooth, so spherical and so sweet.

Stay with me, Cat. Outdoors the wild winds blow.

Outdoors the wild winds blow, Mistress, and dark is the night.

Strange voices cry in the trees, intoning strange lore,

And more than cats move, lit by our eyes' green light,

On silent feet where the meadow grasses hang hoar –

Mistress, there are portents abroad of magic and might,

And things that are yet to be done. Open the door!

"Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle... And Other Modern Verse" - compiled by Stephen Dunning, Edward Lueders, and Hugh Smith

[comfortless]

God könig and his only worshipper who doesn't try to get him more followers cause she wants all of his attention on her

another strange vaguely Greek/Roman au?! ^^ (also to your other message: no worries!! being too nice would make me lazy!) this prompt is like a reversal of this and i am here for it!

content/warnings: suggestive, König may or may not have killed some guy no big deal..!

It isn’t as if he bestows great blessings upon you or grants your deepest, most guarded wishes…

It’s just that he’s lovely in all forms: the very apex of some marbelesque, masculine statue made flesh. Warm to the touch and so very real and alive that it was difficult to focus on worshiping him proper when your very being sang for him.

He’s probably only some great god of war, Ares, but without the long list of lovers and offspring - only you. There was nothing that he could do to benefit you much, just a humble citizen that had no need of taking up a weapon…

Yet he was so heart achingly beautiful with the docile look in his eyes, the contrast to his stature that bore the look of a proper hunter, you could not keep yourself from returning to him.

All of the other men in the city pale in comparison to the god you pray to, nestled up in the foothills where you make your trek day by day to speak… knowing that nightly he comes to you in dreams with little glimpses of futures or pasts: the things you can not comprehend yet those in Olympus could parse together with such ease.

As his only worshiper, you are never apart for long.

He descends that mountain each time to meet with you in green meadows with the gentlest look in his eyes.

He has no temple in which to pray to… but, you’ve made a temple of your own within yourself all for him. He knows it, knows well when you pray at your feet and he sheepishly orders you to stop that, stand, face him, and he would lend you his mighty weapon any day if you would just ask for him to use it.

Your god deserves and army of men to fight and scramble for his favor, a harem of women to tend to his needs… but the thought alone is enough to leave bitterness on your tongue.

You don’t want to share him, only savor the honeyed words and touches between the two of you, never muddy what is sacred with another’s prayers or offerings.

… Are yours not already enough?

You only find out that they most certainly are the day a suitor begins his arrogant courtship and… within that very hour he is no longer. A stray spear from the pit pierced right through him…? What a strange way to go out. You don’t even think to question it until you find yourself meandering through soft grass for your meeting with König.

He’s a warrior, too, he should know the intricacies of how a weapon that heavy might rise up on the wind just to strike some poor, silly man down before he could even take your hand and lie with you.

You tell him of this odd occurrence whilst you whittle away at a tiny carving of him with a paring knife, König sat just adjacent to you.

First, he tells you that a blade meant for herbs and vegetables is no good for wood. The dull blade is pried from your hands with ease and tossed aside into the foliage surrounding you both. No need for little idols when your god willingly comes down to grace you, anyhow…

Then, he tells you that… it isn’t fair for you to have eyes for any other. Is his presence not enough? Is he not stronger and more capable than any of your puny, mortal men? He could protect you, haul you up to Olympus and make you his bride, give you as many children as you want… Wouldn’t you like that more?

Your stare is so telling, hands shaking as you set the unfinished figure aside, and the words do not come, not when the look he gives you goes from adoring and sweet to near deadly in an instant. It’s the first time he’s offered to bless you with anything but bloodshed in your favor… a peculiar promise of love in return for your selfishness and gifts of milk and honey…

“I do not think I am worthy of that…” The words come tumbling, clumsy and weighty on your tongue. Could he detect the yearning there..? Surely he knew with the way he invaded your dreaming, and even now as his hand finds your shoulder to push you back down into the soft bed of the earth.

“You wish to make yourself worthy, little one..?”

You only nod, once, as your heart finds its way into your throat and your robe is torn away to flutter out with the wind.

[gojoroui]

what do your moots remind you of?

tysm for turning this in nonnie, i was really exited to try this <3 & the fact i thought i had NO MOOTS when i literally have like 33 💀

@wvnrqs — ribbons & bows, old newspapers, pretty swans, tulips, bubbles during a summer day, vintage books

@ode2rin — cats, plushies, desserts, pillow sheets, clouds during a sunset, slice of life vlogs

@yuzurins — chirping birds in pretty meadows, bubble tea, spring mornings, green tea, flowers, plants

@okkalo — golden coins, rainbows, duckies, cardigans, soft breeze at night, lakes, cherries

@noomon — the sun, diaries, simple yet beautiful things, love letters, projectors, mini fireworks

@yoisami — serenity, raindrops falling down a window, youth, modeling posters, strawberries, bunnies

@mikareo — twinkling stars, lattes, romance k dramas, museum of arts, recording studios, eclipse

@rinzsu — instagram posts, cookies, snowman, masquerade balls, photo albums, the beach

@hanrinz — stars, k-pop concerts, snowflakes, headphones, mini skirts, candles on a rainy day

@rosequarzo — japanese folktale, lucky money, headphones, fantasize by ariana grande, toast, waking up at 2am for a snack

@adoregojo — modern universities, polaroids, black & white manga, hairclips, milk tea, bonnets

@riekiss — winter wonderland, snow angels, jewelry, dolphins bumping noses, mini skirts, slowly plucking petals off a flower

@popponn — frogs ofc, matcha, perfectly healthy & straight grass, keroppi, bootcut jeans, chanel soap

@rewh0re — autumn leaves, wooden instruments, music notes, greek & rome mythology, poetry, sacred monuments

@y2kuromi — sand castles, colorful ice cream flavors, perfect pair by beabadoobee, staying up to talk with friends until 1am, pretty seashells, butterflies

@pokkomi — glitter & sparkles, staring at clouds, fantasy genre, cargos, hello kitty, angels

@yunymphs — models, laufey, coquette aesthetic, anything gucci, attractive girls, money

@520cafe — sparrows, cats chasing after yarn strings, thirsty by aespa, picture frames, rice with soy sauce, playlists

@etoiile — lipstick, fashion, staring at the starry night sky, french cookies, milk, daisies

@moonswolfie — coffee, studying with a candlelight during a rainy day, scarves, autumn breeze, biscuits, puppies

@kyoghurts — saturn, friendly aliens, lipstick stains on a white shirt, peach eyes by wave to earth, carp streamers, chalk

@kxttqi — lilies, sunrise & sunsets, lion cubs, melting candles, strawberries, pretty instagram posts

@kaiser1ns — book shelves, j-pop, cheesecake, birthday streamers, lucky money, tigers

@rninies — aventurine, unforgiven by le sserefim, pochacco, mangoes, flip phones, figurine boxes

@iluvies — kaomoji, koi ponds, expensive restaurants, red velvet cake, pottery, bunnies that have their nose scrunched up

@lovedazai — sweet bananas, lily of the valley, bouquet of roses, the smell when you walk into a bakery, prom nights, fairytales

@scopuo — jjk theme song, video games, dvds, tote bags, japanese apartments, thrift stores

@culturity — watching edits at 3am, stargirl, cleared remix by lilithzplug, nokia phone, laces, ramen

@myuroll — my melody, rubber duckies, alice from wonderland, koi fishes, cake rolls, the feeling when when someone gives you a compliment

@noirflms — flower petals, cherry blossoms, coquette clothing, hoodies, pinterest whispers, apocalypse by cigs after sex

@wishmemel — wish me mell, chocolate covered strawberries, the moon, pretty nails, new york at night, mcdonald’s chicken nuggets

@saelique — ocean waves, san-x, doves, kindergarteners (bc ur cute & fun ^^), friends to lovers trope, headphones, staying in bed for 5 more minutes b4 school

@yeritos — pudding, iced coffee, pearl necklaces, mesmerizing color palettes, skipping rocks, mary jane shoes, lamp

[themotherofhorses]

pairing: aemond targaryen x handmaid!reader, alys rivers x daughter!reader

summary: she arrives back home in the middle of autumn when the foliage around harrenhal is as pretty and colorful as the evening sunset.

it's been well over a year since she last laid eyes on her beloved mother or heard her soothing voice and felt her hugs and kisses, and she desperately wished for the twins to meet their grandmother.

warnings: nothing. soft moments between alys and her daughter, featuring the twins. foreshadowing maybe at the end???

notes: a lil mother's day special for y'all.

his handmaid's tales | main masterlist

She arrives back home in the middle of autumn when the foliage around Harrenhal is as pretty and colorful as the evening sunset. It’s been well over a year since she last laid eyes on her beloved mother or heard her soothing voice and felt her hugs and kisses, and she desperately wished for the twins to meet their grandmother. At her request, Queen Alicent had agreed to send her prince to Oldtown to meet with his brother and, in the meantime, fetch a carriage that would take her home.

She’s beyond happy and excited and grateful.

And to her upmost delight, her mother’s quite taken with the boys. Alys had baked sweetbread and baked apples and sweet cakes, coated in honey, and with a glass of fresh cow’s milk, for the children, and kissed their little noses and chins.

Together they laze in the open meadow, watching as the boys play amidst the tall yellowing grass. The sky overhead is dark and heavy with southern rain, and the sight takes her back to her girlhood, and long grey days spent along the Gods Eye. The godswood too, with its drooping branches and silver mist, and making mud pies for her uncles. She’s missed this all.

“He’s named them Aemion and Aenar, first of their names,” she tells her mother, smiling. “He’s quite proud of them. The queen too.”

Alys hums. “As a father should be with his babes.” But, deep in her pretty green eyes, there is a faint longing that speaks more words than her tongue does. Her mother only ever had one child of her own, and that was herself. “Children are the one true blessing from the gods. Not the crops and rainfall and victories in war. The gods have naught to give but them,” and Alys takes her hand to kiss it, gentle and loving.

“You are my greatest, most beautiful and treasured gift.” Alys shakes her head, chuckling. “I remember when you were just a babe, and the very first time I fed you at my breast. They told me to give you to another wet nurse, so that I might feed another child, bit I couldn’t bear seeing you in the arms of another woman.” Her mother stares at the twins wistfully, two small silver crowns scooping up mud with their fingers. “Oh, look at them, baking mudpies like their mother.”

Her boys look like an early snowfall fell across Harrenhal. Sweet it is, and she hopes this day might last forever.

“They suggested a wet nurse for the twins,” she whispers, and Alys turns her head to her. “My first babes, and they were worried I didn’t have enough milk to feed them. I cried when they told me that. I had labored for the entire morning, to bring them into this world…I supposed I thought they would take them away, or perhaps their father would prefer seeing them in the arms of another woman…” her voice trails off.

That night, after their birth, she wept her eyes dry within her prince’s arms, and begged him not to let them take her babies away. He promised before rocking her to sleep, and her silly fears disappeared by the next morning when she awoke to Aemond alongside her, with their sons swathed in his arms.

Aemion and Aenar laugh from where they sit, and she spies bits of mud, brown and slick, caked in their hair. They now resemble her family more than their father’s. Strong boys, Aemond would call them if he was here with her.

“Does he love you?” Alys asks.

Her lips press together as she considers the question. “I think so. I know a man doesn’t have to love a woman to give her his seed, but he treats me well, and he loves our sons dearly, that is known.” She doesn’t tell her mother how he’s already anxious for the next child, wanting to see her belly swollen with his babe again.

Alys clicks her tongue. She smooths down the slight wrinkles across her green gown before folding them over her lap, and her nose scrunches up with her next words. “I cried day and night when they took you away, but tears couldn’t bring you back, and I started praying for your safety and goodwill. Ah, but I never could’ve imagined the gods would heed my prayers like this.”

“I don’t think any of us foresaw this, mother.”

“You’ve made beautiful sons, my love,” and Alys slides two fingers in her mouth to whistle. At that, the boys run up to her, a mess of flushed cheeks and toothy grins and smelling like the rich land. In their little hands they hold a big mudpie, wet and prettied with rocks and a few sticks and a daffodil. Their grandmother wipes away a chunk of dried mud along Aemion’s upper arm before taking the mudpie with a smile. “How delicious this looks! Well done, boys.”

Aenar plops himself in his mother’s lap, nestling against her chest. “You’re going to need a bath,” she tells him, kissing his forehead. His smile was exactly that of his father’s, handsome and beautiful and gallant as any prince in those court songs.

“We can always bathe them in the Gods Eye,” Alys suggests, twirling a strand of Aemion’s silver-pale hair around her finger. “I used to bathe you in it a lot. Your grandfather would say the waters strengthen the blood, keeps our own strong and mighty.”

Later, she stands before the Gods Eye, the biggest lake in all the realm, with no hint of a far shoreline to be seen in her eyes. The storm clouds had darkened it- its waters glistening like a dark metal- but it is all the same as the one from her girlhood.

And now I bathe my own sons here, she thinks quite happily, feeling her joy bubbling inside her chest. A large crack of thunder booms overhead, and it pulls her out of her thoughts.

“Aye, two little silver-haired Targaryens in its waters, would you look at that!” Alys laughs, knee-deep in the lake as well. Her long, dark hair beats about her face as she stands near the boys, cupping her hands to wash away the mud from their hair. “When might this happen next?”

And as the handmaid flattens her hand against her lower belly, ever so tenderly, she smiles, and giggles, and rushes to join her mother and children in the water.

tag list for "his handmaid's tales": @aemondsblog @dc-marvel-girl96 @neobanguniverse @missalycat21 @enchantingcupcakecollectionfan @padfooteyes @alexizodd @avidreader73 @the-common-cowgirl @inlovewithhisblueeyes @elegantsplendour @katzarantos @fan-goddess

[vampiremillk]

After talking about sweets the other day, I can't help but wonder... how would any slashers of your choosing (Bo? 🥺) be with a reader with an incredible sweet tooth? 🥺

SWEETHEART !

PAIRING : bo sinclair , art the clown , hannibal lecter &&. sweet toothed female reader

BOO'S NOTE .ᐟ . . . thanks for requesting from me, meadow !! <3 i’m sorry if these are so bad ! they were all written in one sitting at 4 am while being half-asleep, which is sadly when most of my ideas suddenly want to pour outta me out of all times of the day haha !

BO SINCLAIR. 

• he already called you those sweet-flavored, southern classics such as "honey" and "sugar/sugar lips" before he was even aware of your severe sugar cravings, but after he discovered that trait about you, the nicknames had a lot more of a clever meaning behind them. you noticed that he started to address you as such a lot more, whether it was to tease you about the fact that you loved to gobble down on candies and honeybuns or to simply be affectionate towards you.

• to all my black beauties with dark skin, he's definitely, one way or another, going to call you his "hershey kiss" or "chocolate cheeks" at least thrice a day. i'm sorry. his ego leads him to believe they're the most creative love-names someone could ever come up with, too. you always playfully smacked him whenever he called you such corny titles, earning a big dumb grin from him.

• “hey. you.” his voice called behind you. you turned around to face him and his sly little grin, your peripheral vision spying the swift blur of yellow being tossed atop the kitchen counter; it was a chocolate bar. “i went out this mornin’ t’get some stuff from the store. thought you’d like a lil’ somethin’ nice.”

• bo also has a sweet tooth himself, and it was quite evident with the way he’d fight and argue with his brothers over the last sprinkle-covered, little debbie brownie, when he’d confess to “accidentally” eating one of your sweet snacks, or when he’d open up the fridge and grab a can of whipped cream and eat it straight out of the cannister, letting the cool stream of clouded milk puff from the can once he pressured his finger against the opening and gather into his mouth.

• you were sat at the kitchen table to witness when he did it one afternoon, rolling your eyes amusingly. “you too lazy to put it in a cup at least, bo-zo?”

• with a pompous smile, he looked over his shoulder at you, licking the residue from his upper lip and speaking with a mouthful. “you want some?”

• you nodded, figuring why not. it just so happened that your sweet tooth was aching for something at that moment. he walked over to you with the can still inside his grasp, and the closer he came, the more you tilted your head back, preparing for him to hold the can to your mouth and place the cream inside, but rather, you heard him refill more into his mouth instead.

• after his second chug of whipped cream, he held some of it inside the gates of his teeth and placed the can to the side on top of the counter, a mischievous gleam in his eye when he turned to witness the confused look you donned, leaning in until his face was mere inches from your own. “y'gonna take it from me or what?”

ART THE CLOWN.

• halloween was a sweet tooth’s dream, the best time for sweets to be scattered about. art acknowledged the fact that you were a sucker ( i’m punny ) for candies and such, so he’d always go out of his way to go trick or treating and bring back a bucketload for you to stuff your face with.

• he returned to your home with an entire bag full one year and you excitedly thanked him. you started to open the bag until he tapped on your shoulder, catching your attention. “what is it?”

• he stuck out his neck and tapped the side of his face with his index finger, a huge grin on his face. he was asking for a kiss on the cheek as a proper thank you, which you happily gave him. you rummaged through the candy bag then to see what kind of goodies he brought back, only for your finger to graze against something ridiculously sticky…

• “aw, man, art. i think you got one that opened and melted everywh—” you screamed suddenly, jolting up from your seat. it wasn’t a melted piece of candy. it was a bloody, severed finger.

• “art…” you began, slowly and cautiously removing the finger from the bag and holding it up to show him. “please tell me this is a prop…”

• he put both of his hands in the air and shrugged, innocently.

HANNIBAL LECTER.

• hannibal was the food specialist in regards of meats and garnishes, but he never took much of an immense fondness to sugary treats. despite, he’d be very accommodating to you fulfilling your sweet tooth’s desires as he is someone who is all for letting one embrace their nature and letting it thrive. he’ll keep your cravings in mind when shopping for groceries or baking.

• however, he would also encourage you to exercise moderation as he does with his own diet. he’d sometimes remind you of the importance of a healthy consumption and lifestyle if your sweet tooth was something that became overly excessive. he once looked inside the trash bin and discovered an entire ice cream carton and that you also ate over a dozen miniature cupcakes based on its empty container lodged in there as well. he decided enough was enough that day and refused to let you indulge in anymore for the rest of the week, no matter how much you complained.

• he would definitely enjoy giving you sweets as an occasional reward or treat, perhaps on special events such as your anniversary or valentine’s day, feeding you chocolate-covered strawberries that he made himself just for you by holding them up to your lips.

©️ VAMPIREMILLK . do not plagiarize, distribute to other sites or translate any of my work without my permission .

[mousetoe-wc]

I Got bored one time awhile ago and made a list of every prefix plus some into organised sections so I thought I might as well share.

All the ones that aren’t cannon to warriors, yet at lest are bold

Describing names

Colours: red, russet, copper, golden, amber, yellow, green, blue, violet, pink, white, gray, black, ebony, dark, pale, silver, brown, tawny, fallow

Pattern, Texture + Size: spot/ted, dapple, speckle, freckle, brindle, patch, mottle, ragged, tangle, kink, bristle, fuzzy, curl/y, wooly, soft, sleek, little, tiny, small, slight, short, tall, long, big, heavy, crooked, broken, half, stumpy, shred, torn, jagged

Actions + Character: flip, pounce, bounce, jump, hop, crouch, down, low, drift, flail, strike, running, fidget, mumble, whistle, snap, sneeze, shiver/ing, shining, flutter, fallen, lost, rush, fleet, quick, shy, sweet, brave, loud, quiet, wild, hope, wish,

Other: claw, whisker, dead, odd, one, spike, fringe, echo, song, hallow, haven

Elements

Time + Weather: day, night, dusk, dawn, morning, sky, sun/ny, moon, storm, lightning, thunder, cloud/y, mist/y, fog, snow, blizzard, ice, frost, dew, drizzle, rain, clear, wind, breeze, gale, shadow, shade, bright, light,

Earth/Water/Fire names: stone, rock, boulder, slate, flint, pebble, gravel, sand/y, dust, mud/dy, meadow, hill, rubble, river, ripple, whorl, float, rapid, shimmer, lake, swamp, marsh, wave, wet, bubbling, splash, puddle, pool, creek, fire, flame, flicker, flash, blaze, scorch, ember, spark, ash, soot, cinder, smoke

Plants

Trees: alder, aspen, birch, beech, cedar, cypress, pine, elm, willow, oak, larch, maple, bay, rowan, timber, bark, log, wood, twig, acorn, cone, seed, spire

Berry/Nut/Fruit/Herb: juniper, elder, sloe, holly, yew, mistle, bramble, hickory, hazel, chestnut, nut, apple, cherry, cranberry, olive, pear, plum, peach, chive, mint, fennel, sage, basil, mallow, parsley

Flowers: aster, poppy, primrose, rose, bluebell, marigold, tansy, pansy, briar, cherry, daisy, dandelion, daffodil, tulip, violet, lily, myrtle, thrift, yarrow, heather, lavender, blossom, bloom, flower, petal

Other: leaf, frond, fern, bracken, sorrel, hay, rye, oat, wheat, cotton, reed, pod, cinnamon, milkweed, grass, clover, weed, stem, sedge, gorse, furze, flax, nettle, thistle, ivy, moss, lichen, bush, vine, root, thorn, prickle, nectar

Animals

Mammals: mouse, rat, mole, vole, shrew, squirrel, hedgehog, bat, rabbit, hare, ferret, weasel, stoat, mink, marten, otter, hog, wolf, hound, fox, vixen, badger, deer, doe, stag, fawn, sheep, cow, pig, lion, tiger, leopard, lynx, milk

Birds: robin, jay, cardinal, thrush, sparrow, swallow, shrike, starling, rook, swift, dove, pigeon, crow, raven, duck, goose, heron, wren, finch, swan, stork, quail, gull, lark, owl, eagle, hawk, kestrel, buzzard, kite, hoot, feather, bird, egg, talon

Fish, Reptiles + Amphibians: pike, perch, pollack, trout, tench, cod, carp, bass, bream, eel, minnow, fin, snake, adder, lizard, turtle, frog, toad, newt

Bug type Names: bug, lady or ladybug, moth, spider, ant, snail, slug, beetle, bee, wasp, dragon or dragonfly, bumble, worm, maggot, cricket, fly, midge, web, honey

Skyclan + Warriorclan: Bella, Billy, Big, Harry, Harvey, Snook, Ebony, Monkey

[the-mortuary-witch]

DEITY MASTERLIST (PART ONE)

THIS IS A VERY LONG POST, AND EVERYTHING IS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.

🌊 Ægir

God of: personification of the lcean, brewing, the sea.

Culture: Norse

Symbols: aegishjalmur and laguz rune

Plants: oak, polybody, and rose.

Animals: dolphins, whales and other sea creatures

Colours: blue, green, turquoise and other sea-like shades

Tarot: King of Cups

Offerings: singing sea shanties, seashells and pearls, cleaning up shores and the oceans, bread, sea glass, a bowl of salt water with food dropped into it, Anything related to the sea. Do not offer most beers as he does not like the modern chemical-filled ales, homebrew or local brew beer is better. 

💕 Aengus Og

God of: youth, love, poetic inspiration, summer, and healing

Culture: Celtic

Symbols: Venus, copper, and golden harp

Plants: basil, cinnamon, rose, jasmine, sandalwood, strawberries, mistletoe, violet, birch, cherries, elder, and sycamore

Animals: swans, cats, doves, and sparrows

Colours: green, pink, and red

Tarot: The Lovers, Justice, and The World

Offerings: red roses, strawberries, cake, chocolate, honey, wine, cherries, music, and art.

🧚 Aine

Goddess of: summer, wealth, sovereignty, love, fertility, protection, wealth, agriculture, the sun and moon, and Queen of the faeries

Culture: Celtic

Symbols: silver and white Items, meadowsweet, the moon, and midsummer

Plants: angelica, blackberry, cowslip, elder, orchid, fennel, flax, garlic, mugwort, nettle, oak, hawthorn, mistletoe, alfalfa, ash, agrimony, birch, broom, holly, lavender, meadow-sweet, and gorse.

Animals: red mare, horse, rabbit, swan, cattle, and bees

Colours: red, gold, green, blue, and yan

Tarot: The Sun, Suit of Wands, and Queen of Pentacles

Offerings: milk, bread, home-grown produce, cream, fire and candles, sunflowers, yellow glowers, honey, summer fruits, oranges, and bee-related Items.

⛅ Amaterasu

Goddess of: the sun and the universe

Culture: Japanese

Symbols: mirror, jewel, sword, and bow and arrow

Plants: chrysanthemum, cryptomeria, carnation, chamomile, juniper, marigold, rosemary, and sunflower

Animals: dragon-fox, horse, rooster, and wolf

Colours: yellow, gold, red, and orange

Tarot: The Sun and The World

Offerings: rice crackers, cooked rice, origami figures, rice candy, brightly-coloured Japanese food, and silk and other fabrics.

💃 Ame-no-uzume

Goddess of: dawn, mirth, meditation, revelry, dance, fertility, and the arts

Culture: Japanese

Symbols: antique Items and fans

Plants: moss and sakaki 

Animals: fox

Colours: pink, red, white, and yellow

Tarot: Three of Cups and Suit of Cups

Offerings: dancing, bells, silk ribbons, rice cakes, and dake.

⚰️ Anubis

God of: the dead, mummification, embalming, the afterlife, and tombs

Culture: Egyptian

Symbols: crook and flail, and mummy gauze

Plants: star anise, benzoin, cloves, cardamom, frankincense, myrrh, rosemary, cypress, and cedarwood

Animals: jackal

Colours: black, green, red, and gold

Tarot: Death

Offerings: cool water, strong liquor like rum, spicy foods, dark and bitter chocolate, strong incense, cypress oil, locks and keys, honour the dead and your ancestors, leave flowers on graves, support orphans and the homeless, and act as a guide for someone.

💘 Aphrodite

Goddess of: love, beauty, and fertility

Culture: Greek and Roman

Symbols: rose, pearl, mirror, girdle, anemone, lettuce, narcissus seashells, scallop shells, Venus, golden apples, the number 5, and mirrors

Plants: apple, linden tree, myrtle, pomegranate, myrrh, poppies, lettuce, rose, quince, ash, poplar, anemone, and artichokes

Animals: swans, dolphins, doves, sparrows, bees, and goats

Colours: red, pink, violet, silver, aqua, sea foam, and light blue

Tarot: The Empress, The Lovers, The Star, and The Suit of Cups

Offerings: roses, chocolate, apples, jewelry, beauty products, seashells, olive oil, honey, wine, cinnamon, art and music, mirrors, and rose quartz.

☀️ Apollo

God of: the Sun, prophecy, oracles, light, music, the arts, song, poetry, healing, medicine, plague, disease, protection of the youth, knowledge, and herds

Culture: Greek

Symbols: lyre, laurel wreath, silver bow and arrows, tripod, the Sun, and Sunday

Plants: laurel, larkspur, cypress, apple trees, palm trees, and hyacinthus

Animals: swan, raven, tortoise, serpent, wolf, dolphin, and mouse

Colours: gold, yellow, orange, silver, blue, and white

Tarot: The Sun, The Chariot, Strength, and Temperance

Offerings: red wine, olive oil, sun water, citrus fruits, honey, golden objects, feathers, lamb or goat meat, cheese, bread, sunflowers, laurel wreaths, and aloe vera.

🐕 Arawn 

God of: Ruler of Annwn the Celtic Otherworld, leader of the wild hunt, death, the Underworld, and justice

Culture: Celtic

Symbols: the Hounds of Arawn, cauldron, and samhain

Plants: reeds, cedar, cypress, ivy, honeysuckle, and sage

Animals: hounds and pigs

Colours: red, black, white, brown, green, gold, and grey

Tarot: Suit of Pentacles and King of Pentacles

Offerings: game birds such as duck or turkey, bread, honey, milk, mead, and ale.

⚔️ Ares

God of: war, courage, and battle

Culture: Greek

Symbols: sword, shield, spear, helmet, and iron

Plants: thorns, peppers, chilli, and garlic

Animals: serpents, vultures, woodpeckers, horses, and dogs

Colours: red, purple, and black

Tarot: The Emperor, The Chariot, The Tower, Suit of Wands, and King of Wands

Offerings: dark wine, whiskey, spicy foods, coffee, water, olive oil, red meats, frankincense, weapons, and learn self defence.

🌌 Arianrhod

Goddess of: fertility, fate, reincarnation, beauty, and difficulties

Culture: Celtic

Symbols: silver wheel, full moon, weaving tools, the zodiac, and Corona Borealis

Plants: ivy, lavender, rosemary, cedar, and pine

Animals: spiders, owls, and wolves

Colours: silver, white, green, blue, and purple

Tarot: The Star, The Moon, and Wheel of Fortune

Offerings: silver coins, white candles, wheat, fruits, home-cooked meals, salads, wine, water, hot teas, smoothies, and study the constellations and the zodiac.

🏹 Artemis

Goddess of: the hunt, wild animals, wilderness, childbirth, girls, chastity, archery, disease, and plague

Culture: Greek

Symbols: bow and arrow, quiver, hunting spears, animal pelts, lyre, torches, and the moon

Plants: cypress, walnut, amaranth, almond, daisy, willow, wormwood, fir, pine, thistle, honeysuckle, bay laurel, artemisia, fig, and oak

Animals: stag, deer, dog, bear, boar, quail, guineafowls, bee, and all wild animals

Colours: white, silver, gold, yellow, green, and blue

Tarot: The High Priestess, The Hanged Man, Temperance, The Moon, Queen of Pentacles, Knight of Cups, and Page of Wands

Offerings: red wine, olive oil, honey, water, almonds, walnuts, honeycakes, fruit, artemisia plants, arrows, dance, cypress, pine cones and branches, cider, game meat, protect nature and wildlife, always help animals and women in need, go hiking, research native plants and animals, and follow the moon phases and work with them.

❤️‍🔥 Astarte

Goddess of: love, sexuality, war, hunting, and power

Culture: Canaanite 

Symbols: chariot and Venus

Plants: lilies and coriander

Animals: lion, horse, dove, and sphinx

Colours: red and white

Tarot: The Empress and The Chariot

Offerings: lilies, roses, sweet cakes, honey, henna tattoos, and clothing stained with menstrual blood.

⚖️ Athena

Goddess of: wisdom, handicraft, and strategic warfare

Culture: Greek

Symbols: aegis, Gorgon’s Head, spear, and helmet

Plants: olive tree, ivy, cypress, and cornel tree

Animals: owl, snake, rooster, crow, and spider

Colours: blue, grey, white, yellow, and silver

Tarot: Justice, The High Priestess, and The Emperor

Offerings: olive oil, honey, wine, bread, olives, pears, olive tree leaves or branches, your handicrafts, owl feathers, snake skins, and weapons.

🐐 Baphomet

God/Goddess of: sexuality, demonic forces, wisdom, nature, balance, darkness, and pride

Culture: Demonic

Symbols: pentagram, head of a goat, human body with an animal head, pentacle, sword, key, male and female, and the words "as above so below"

Plants: rosemary, lilacs, irises, lavender, aconitum napellus, black walnut, and cacao

Animals: black goats, snakes, wolves, ravens, dogs, oxen, and black cats

Colours: black, white, yellow, red, green, purple, gold, and dark blue

Tarot: The Chariot, The Hermit, The Empress, and The Devil

Offerings: our time, meditation, communication, carving their symbol or name into a candle, any kind of art of them, being respectful, learning about them, candles, liquor, ropes, incense: dragons blood, black musk, frankincense, etc, animal skulls, bones, horns, etc, and dark or red flowers.

🛖 Baba Yaga

Goddess of: death and rebirth, fertility, and nature 

Culture: Slavic

Symbols: knife, oven, mortar and pestle, and the Sun

Plants: poppy, black sunflower, medicinal herbs, and rye

Animals: horse, hedgehog, snake, dragon, and cat

Colours: red, black, and white

Tarot: The Devil

Offerings: lavish home-cooked meals with russian delicacies and a beautifully-set table, caravan tea, and vodka.

💡 Baldr

God of: light, joy, purity, and summer

Culture: Norse

Symbols: the Sun and Sunday

Plants: mistletoe, chamomile, daisies, white flowers, ash, marigold, and St John’s wort

Animals: songbirds

Colours: yellow, gold, and white

Tarot: The Sun, The Fool, Death, and The World

Offerings: kindness to others, chamomile tea, apple juice, mead, and lit candles.

🌺 Bast

Goddess of: home, domesticity, women’s secrets, cats, fertility, childbirth, marriage, music, magic, sex, prosperity, joy, dance, healing, and pleasure

Culture: Egyptian

Symbols: basket, Ankh, the Sun and Moon, and perfume jar

Plants: catnip, vervain, cinnamon, and cannabis 

Animals: cat and lion

Colours: green and gold

Tarot: The Chariot, Strength, and The Sun

Offerings: perfume, salves and body scrubs, milk, meat, honey, gold items, chocolate, pastries, onions and garlic, bread, beer, tea, and taking care of cats.

🐉 Benzaiten / Benten

Goddess of: water, literature, music, wealth, femininity, fertility, dance, and love

Culture: Japanese

Symbols: Biwa, dragon, pearl, conch shell, iron, and gold

Plants: lotus, water lilies, and yellow flowers

Animals: snakes, dragons, and white snakes are her messengers

Colours: blue, silver, white, and yellow

Tarot: The Empress and The Suit of Cups

Offerings: money, water, rice, sake, gemstones, music and other creative arts, raw eggs, yellow flowers, blessed water, bath rituals, and seashells.

🧶 Berchta

Goddess of: psychopomp, spinning and weaving, abundance, and protector of women and children

Culture: Germanic

Symbols: keys, distaff, Yule, and falx

Plants: mayflowers, holly, evergreens, birch, and wild berries

Animals: goose, swan, goat, cricket, owl, and fox

Colours: blue, white, red, and gold

Tarot: Death

Offerings: herring, dumplings, alcoholic beverages like schnapps.

📓 Bragi

God of: poetry and eloquence

Culture: Norse

Symbols: harp and book

Plants: beech, fern, and lily of the valley

Animals: chickadee

Colours: orange and gold

Tarot: The Magician and The Hermit

Offerings: mead, poetry, and beautiful writing.

🍀 Brigid

Goddess of: spring, fertility, family, the hearth, childbirth, fire, blacksmiths,

scholars, physicians, prophets, healing, poetry, occult knowledge, and justice

Culture: Celtic

Symbols: Brigid’s Cross, candles, triquetra, faeries, four leaf clovers, cauldron, chalice, corn dolly, anvil, hammer, poetry, forges, hearths, and wells and rock formations

Plants: cinnamon, chamomile, blackberry, hawthorn, basil, mugwort, apple, heather, dandelion, snowdrop, willow, oak, shamrock, crocus, trillium, corn, lavender, and sage

Animals: snakes, sheep, cows, bees, owls, and hibernating animals

Colours: green, red, white, gold, and blue

Tarot: The Hierophant, The Lovers, Strength, The Hermit, The Sun, and Suit of Wands

Offerings: blackberries, milk, bread, herbal teas, heather, Brigid’s Cross, beer, apple cider, honey, baked goods, corn dollies, sheep’s wool products, jewelry or metal items, eggs, and cakes left on the windowsill at Imbolc.

❄️ Cailleach

Goddess of: winter, wind, the cold, creation, and transformation

Culture: Celtic

Symbols: hammers, hills, mountains, skulls, snow, wands, and waning moons

Plants: clove, lavender, apple, hazelnut, turnip, mugwort, pansy, patchouli, poppy, rose, rue, tansy, St John's wort, Witch hazel, woodruff, yarrow, elder trees, elm, pine, yew, gorse, holly, and snapdragon 

Animals: bat, cattle, deer, fish, goat, mouse, owl, raven, reindeer, sheep, spider, pig, and wolf

Colours: black, blue, brown, grey, silver, white, and yellow

Tarot: Death, The Moon, and The Hermit

Offerings: pebbles, hag stones, shells, feathers, and boiled sweets.

🌲 Cernunnos

God of: forests, wild animals, finances, the Underworld, death, hunting, balance, grounding and healing, transitioning into the afterlife, and fertility

Culture: Celtic

Symbols: horns, a torc, gold coins, and serpents

Plants: ash, bayberry, chamomile, cedar, cinnamon, heliotrope, holly, ivy, lavender, juniper, myrrh, nettle, oak, patchouli, pine, sandalwood, sunflower, vine, and yarrow

Animals: stags, elk, goats, deer, bulls, horses, ram horned snakes, snakes, boars, owls, hawks, and ravens

Colours: yellow, gold, forest greens, silver, and black

Tarot: The Lovers, The World, and King of Pentacles

Offerings: dancing, venison, cooked meats (ethically sourced), roses, sunflowers, lavender, wildflowers, juniper bark and berries, oak wood carvings, green or gold candles, cinnamon, cloves, pine scents, pelts (ethically sourced), feathers, bones, forest moss, antlers, horns, pine cones, gold coins, daggers, poetry art, and Celtic music.

🌑 Cerridwen

Goddess of: the Moon, luck, poetry, change, rebirth, transformation, the Underworld, death, fertility, inspiration, magic, and knowledge

Culture: Welsh

Symbols: cauldron, dark Moon, lunar cycles, and caves

Plants: corn, grain, vervain, acorns, apple, oak, and hazel

Animals: white pig, greyhound, crow, hen, hare, otter, and hawk

Colours: silver, purple, black, grey, and green

Tarot: The Moon, Death, The Magician, and Suit of Cups

Offerings: pork, bread, milk, water, wheat, white and green candles, barley, rice, peanuts, poppy or sunflower seeds, vervain, and grain-based products.

✨ Circe

Goddess of: sorcery 

Culture: Greek

Symbols: cup, loon, wand, and masks

Plants: hallucinogenic herbs and fungi, wheat, moly, and magical herbs 

Animals: pig, lion, wolf, hawk, and beasts in general

Colours: gold, purple, silver, and red

Tarot: Queen of Cups and The Magician

Offerings: barley, wine, honey, meat, bread, weaving, and divination.

Danu

Goddess of: Earth-mother, fertility, wisdom, wind, and water

Culture: Celtic

Symbols: crowns, keys, wells, cauldron full of water, rivers, Celtic Tree of Life, and mother aspect of the triple Goddess

Plants: oak and water lily

Animals: fish, horses, seagulls, salmon, and snakes 

Colours: blue, white, silver, and green

Tarot: The Empress and Strength

Offerings: wine, mead, ale, freshwater, and watering plants.

🔥 Dazbog 

God of: the Sun, fortune, wealth, light, fertility, fire, destiny, and justice

Culture: Slavic

Symbols: kolovrat

Plants: sunflowers, marigold, calendula, chamomile, angelica, and St John’s wort 

Animals: wolf, horse, goose, duck, and swan

Colours: white, gold, and red

Tarot: The Sun, Suit of Wands, and King of Wands

Offerings: bread, salt, eggs, pancakes, and bonfire.

🌾 Demeter

Goddess of: agriculture, harvest, fertility, and motherhood

Culture: Greek

Symbols: wheat, torches, and cornucopia

Plants: wheat, barley, mint, and poppy

Animals: snake, pig, gecko, dove, crane, screech owl, and grasshopper

 

Colours: gold, green, and brown

Tarot: The High Priestess and The World

Offerings: olive oil, water, fruit, honey, milk, grains, bread, freshly harvested goods, and water.

🍷 Dionysus

God of: wine, drunkenness, parties, wilderness, vegetation, fertility, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, theatre, and LGBT+ Community 

Culture: Greek

Symbols: thyrsos, ivy crown, and Grapevine 

Plants: grape, ivy, cinnamon, silver fir, bindweed, and figs

Animals leopard, goat, donkey, lion, snake, bull, and panther

Colours: red, purple, green, burgundy, and gold

Tarot: The Hanged Man, The Hierophant, The Devil, The Fool, and The Lovers

Offerings: wine, olive oil, fruit, water, honey, meats, wheat, barley, pinecone, ivy leaves, goblets, masks, and alcoholic beverages.

⚕️ Eir

Goddess of: healing and medicine

Culture: Norse

Symbols: copper, mortar and pestle, and sauna 

Plants: medicinal herbs

Colours: red

Tarot: The Hanged Man

Offerings: healing spells, learning first aid, medicinal herbs, and first aid items.

🎣 Enki

God of: freshwater, wisdom, knowledge, magic, crafts, healing, fertility, creation, and the arts

Culture: Mesopotamian

Symbols: goatfish

Plants: thyme, chamomile, reeds, and cattails

Animals: goat, fish, chimera, robin, and cow

Colours: gold, blue, white, and silver

Tarot: The Hanged Man, The Hierophant, The Devil, The Fool, and The Lovers

Offerings: beer, eggs, fruit, vegetarian foods, myrrh, thyme, chamomile, wildflowers, fish, water, wine, silver or copper jewelry, and feathers.

💐 Eostre 

Goddess of: spring and dawn

Culture: Germanic

Symbols: painted eggs

Plants: crocus, daffodil, primrose, and violet

Animals: rabbit, serpent, and dragon

Colours: green, yellow, and purple

Tarot: Queen of Pentacles

Offerings: decorating eggs, flowers, hot cross buns, pastries, and mead.

💀 Ereshkigal

Goddess of: death and the Underworld

Culture: Mesopotamian

Symbols: wood, rivers, boats, and lapis lazuli

Plants: pomegranate, grains, reeds, hemp, cedar, cypress, lotus, and monkshood

Animals: lion, owl, serpent, scorpion, owl, and sheep

Colours: silver, gold, red, and purple

Tarot: Death and The High Priestess

Offerings: fasting, bread, water, pomegranate juice, blackberries, blueberries, lamb or goat meat, lobster and mussels, nutmeg, garlic, poppy seeds, animal bones, gold or silver jewelry, black crystals, and Ornate scepters with wood and animal bones.

🧵 Frau Holda

Goddess of: fibre Arts, winter, protector of children and women, leader of the wild hunt, and Witchcraft

Culture: Germanic

Symbols: the Winter Solstice, pools, and Wells

Plants: holly, elder, juniper, mugwort, flax, and sorcerer’s violet 

Animals: wolf and rabbit

Colours: blue and white

Tarot: The Empress, The High Priestess, and Death

Offerings: juniper berries, wine, cider, mead, cakes, music, dancing, and knot magick.

🐈 Freya / Freyja

Goddess of: love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, battle, gold, and sorcery

Culture: Norse

Symbols: her chariot pulled by cats, Brisíngamen necklace, the boar Hildisvíni, and cloak of Feathers

Plants: daisy, linden, snowdrops, lily of the valley, cowslip, columbine, pimpernel, and strawberries

Animals: horse, cat, falcon, hawk, rabbit, ladybug, oxen, swallow, and boar

Colours: gold, yellow, white, green, red, pink, and light blue

Tarot: The High Priestess, The Empress, The Lovers, The Chariot, Death, and Suit of Swords

Offerings: ale, apples, barley, honey, mead, pork, lavish jewelry and perfume, feeding stray cats, chocolate, amber, roses, cinnamon, and sweet liquors.

🐗 Freyr

God of: Peace, Fertility, Rain, Sunshine, Prosperity and Agriculture

Culture: Norse

Symbols: boar, the Sun, magical swords, phallus, and Friday

Plants: ash, lavender, catnip, nuts and cones, yew, holly, and ivy

Animals: boar, bee, and stag

Colours: gold, green, red, blue, pink, orange, and yellow

Tarot: The Lovers, The Sun, Suit of Pentacles, and King of Pentacles

Offerings: honey, grains and breads, gold, and antlers.

👰 Frigg

Goddess of: motherhood, marriage, prophecy, and fertility

Culture: Norse

Symbols: spinning wheel, silver, clouds, and mist

Plants: mistletoe, birch, fir, hawthorn, and Frigg’s grass

Animals: falcon, sheep, raven, and hawk

Colours: blue, silver, and white

Tarot: The Empress and The Lovers

Offerings: milk, mead, pastries, light fruity wine, hand-spun fibres, feathers, and soups and stews.

🪦 Hades

God of: the Underworld and wealth

Culture: Greek

Symbols: keys, chariot, helmet, Cerberus, serpent, dogs, and pomegranate

Plants: mint, white poplar, cypress, asphodel, narcissus, and pomegranate

Animals: snake, dog, sheep, cattle, screech owl, horse, black ram, bull, vulture, black cat, crow, and raven

Colours: dark blue, black, purple, dark green, bronze, gold, silver, and grey

Tarot: The Hermit, Death, Judgment, and Suit of Swords

Offerings: dark wine, whiskey, coffee, black tea, peppermint tea, dark chocolate, meat, sharp cheeses, bread, pomegranates, apples, bones, coins, keys, and crowns.

🪘 Hathor

Goddess of: the sky, women, fertility, love, the Sun, music, dance, joy, motherhood, fate, foreign lands and goods, and the afterlife

Culture: Egyptian

Symbols: sun disk, mirrors, drums and sistrums, and the number 4

Plants: sycamore, myrrh tree, dates, papyrus, and henna

Animals: cow, lioness, cobra, goose, gazelle, and cat

Colours: red

Tarot: The Empress, The Lovers, Wheel of Fortune, and Suit of Cups

Offerings: figs, dates, bread, cheese, butter, wine, beer, fresh water, perfumes, and makeup

👻 Hecate / Hekate

Goddess of: Witchcraft, necromancy, ghosts, the night, boundaries, and crossroads

Culture: Greek

Symbols: paired torches, keys, crossroads, dark/triple moon, wheel, daggers, rope, dogs, serpents, knives, and Strophalos

Plants: asphodel, garlic, yew, cypress, and poisonous plants

Animals: dog, mare, serpent, cat, bats, and polecat

Colours: black, grey, silver, gold, violet, green, red, and white

Tarot: The High Priestess, The Hermit, The Moon, and Queen of Pentacles

Offerings: wine, olive oil, water, fruit, honey, milk, eggs, garlic, almonds, various herbs, bones, wands, keys, a cauldron, crow feathers, pomegranates, dark chocolate, and blood.

📯 Heimdallr 

God of: watchmen of the Gods

Culture: Norse

Symbols: horn and rainbow

Plants: birch, oak, rose, verbena, and avens

Animals: rooster, horse, and ram

Colours: white and rainbow

Tarot: The Hermit

Offerings: mead, fine beer, freshwater, lamb meat, pork, and coffee.

💀 Hel

Goddess of: death and the afterlife

Culture: Norse

Symbols: skulls and bones

Plants: beech, alder, elm, ivy, juniper, willow, and yew

Animals: wolf

Colours: black and white

Tarot: Death, The Tower, and Suit of Swords

Offerings: tea, wine, apples, meat, bread, soup, dried flowers, and blood.

🌋 Hephaestus

God of: metal smithing, fire, volcanoes, craftsmanship, and technology

Culture: Greek

Symbols: hammer, tongs, and anvil

Plants: fennel

Animals: donkey, crane, and dog

Colours: gold, yellow, orange, silver, grey, and red

Tarot: Judgment and Suit of Wands

Offerings: wine, olive oil, water, fruit, honey, bread, meat, spicy things, hot beverages, and handmade metal items.

👑 Hera

Goddess of: marriage, fertility, childbirth, Kings and Empires, women, family, the sky, and the stars

Culture: Greek

Symbols: lotus-staff, throne, and diadem

Plants: pomegranate, lotus, willow, and apple

Animals: hawk, peacock, lion, cow, cuckoo, and crane

Colours: gold, silver, white, purple, blue, and green

Tarot: The Empress, The World, Suit of Cups, and Queen of Cups

Offerings: wine, olive oil, water, fruit, honey, milk, grains and bread, chocolate, pomegranates, apples, white flowers, crowns, animal shells, perfume, and silver or gold jewelry.

💸 Hermes

God of: messenger of the Gods, heraldry, omens, animal husbandry, poetry and fables, trade, travel, boundaries, thieves, wit, language, education, psychopomp,

Culture: Greek

Symbols: caduceus, shepherds pipes, travellers hat, lyre, rooster, talaria, winged helmet, tortoise, and satchel or pouch Talaria, and petasos

Plants: palm tree, crocus flower, Greek strawberry trees, hydrangeas, chrysanthemum, and almond tree

Animals: hummingbirds, tortoise, hare, cattle, hawk, ram, snake, and rooster

Colours: gold, red, silver, yellow, orange, grey, and green

Tarot: Judgment, The Magician, The Fool. The Hierophant, The Hermit, The Star, and Suit of Swords

Offerings: wine, olive oil, water, strawberries, foreign foods and items, honey, citrus fruits (pineapple, lemon, etc), chocolate, wheat, almonds, cinnamon, coins, dice, beer, meat, chamomile tea, bread, and milk mixed with honey.

🏠 Hestia

Goddess of: the home, the hearth, family, domesticity, and The Civic or The Sacrificial Flame

Culture: Greek

Symbols: hearth, kettle, and head veils

Plants: poppy, goldenrod, hollyhock, and yarrow

Animals: pig, cow, donkey, and crane

Colours: gold, white, orange, red, and lavender

Tarot: Strength, The Hermit, and Queen of Wands

Offerings: wine, olive oil, water, fruit, honey, milk, pork, bread, cooking herbs, tea, and candles.

🦅 Horus

God of: kingship, the sky, war, protection, and healing

Culture: Egyptian

Symbols: crown, Eye of Horus, Ankh, the Sun, and the Moon

Plants: acacia, lettuce, iris, lotus, and olive

Animals: falcon, hawk, bull, peacock, and lion

Colours: green

Tarot: The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Chariot, The Sun, Judgment, and King of Swords

Offerings: raw meat left out for hawks and falcons, bread, weaponry, water, milk, ale, wine, coffee, fruits and vegetables, figs, dates, and chocolate with nuts.

😴 Hypnos

God of: sleep, dreams, and illusions

Culture: Greek

Symbols: inverted torch

Plants: poppy and cottonwood tree

Animals: nighthawk and songbirds

Colours: black, silver, white, blue, red, and purple

Tarot: The Hierophant

Offerings: wine, olive oil, water, honey, milk, fruit, poppy seeds (and foods including them), herbal teas, sleep inducing and calming herbs, feathers, sleeping mask, and poppy flowers.

🍎 Idunn

Goddess of: spring, rejuvenation, immortality, youth, and beauty

Culture: Norse

Symbols: golden apples and ashwood box

Plants: apple blossom, birch, fir, hawthorn, mugwort, rose, and willow

Animals: songbirds

Colours: green, silver, red, and yellow

Tarot: Page of Wands, Queen of Cups, and Queen of Pentacles

Offerings: gardening, apples, homegrown fruits and vegetables (without pesticides), apple pie, and cider

💖 Inanna

Goddess of: romantic love, harmony, sex, beauty, passion, desire, fertility, victory, war, justice, and political power

Culture: Mesopotamian

Symbols: eight-pointed star, hook-shaped Knot of Reeds and Venus

Plants: lilies, narcissus, reeds, myrtle, and all sprouts

Animals: lion and dove

Colours: green, black, red, silver, and white

Tarot: The Lovers, The Hierophant, Justice, The Hanged Man and The Star

Offerings: Wine, Champagne, Lemonade, Honey, Chocolate and Pastries, Cherries, Pomegranates, Strawberries, Elegant Jewelry, Peaches, Swords and Daggers, Artwork and Poetry

🦊 Inari 

God of: rice, foxes, fertility, tea, sake, crafts, agriculture, industry, and prosperity

Culture: Japanese

Symbols: keys, wish-granting jewel, and rice

Plants: cryptomeria, cedar, pine, wheat, and rice

Animals: fox

Colours: red and white

Tarot: Suit of Pentacles

Offerings: inarizushi, rice, rice cakes, rice served with red beans, sake, incense, acts on behalf of foxes, handmade crafts, and tea.

☄️ Isis

Goddess of: magic, life, compassion, fertility, motherhood, childbirth, rebirth, devotion, royalty, knowledge, protection, abundance, healing, and the elements.

Culture: Egyptian.

Symbols: moon disk, cow horns, wings, solar disk, Ankh, and gold.

Plants: sycamore, cedar, corn, flax, wheat, barley, grapes, lotus, vervain, myrrh tree, and papyrus.

Animals: hawk, crocodile, scorpion, crab, cobra, goose, swallow, dove, vulture, and snakes in general.

Colours: yellow, silver, gold, black, red, cobalt blue, and green.

Tarot: The High Priestess, The Empress, The Lovers, Strength, The Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Temperance, The Star, The Moon, The World, and Suit of Cups.

Offerings: milk, flowers, honey, wine, lemonade, tropical fruits (juice or whole), herbal tea, seafood, herbs (anise and nutmeg), roses, Egyptian jewelry, incense, and white candles.

🌿 Jarilo / Yarilo

God of: vegetation, fertility, spring, rebirth, sexuality, peace, and war

Culture: Slavic

Symbols: vegetation

Plants: wheat, ferns, and spring flowers

Animals: horse and white wolf

Colours: white, yellow, gold, and green

Tarot: The Sun, Strength, and Suit of Pentacles

Offerings: bread, wheat, spring flowers, and edible seeds

🌍 Jörð

Goddess of: personification of the Earth

Culture: Norse

Symbols: mountains, grandmothers, and girdle

Plants: local native plants and healing herbs

Animals: bee

Colours: green

Tarot: The World and Queen of Pentacles

Offerings: picking up litter and trash and taking care of the Earth and nature.

[myers-meadow]

Meadow's Masterlist for Michael Myers & Thomas Hewitt & The Grabber

My list of works is growing and growing, so I split my masterlist up. Here is the list for the fics I've written for Michael Myers, Bo, Vincent and Lester Sinclair, Thomas Hewitt and The Grabber. Created and last updated on 24-04-2023. All my writing, even the shorter pieces that don't go onto AO3, are reblogged over at @myers-meadow-archive for ease of keeping track and archival purposes.

The link to my list for my other masterlist with Otis Driftwood, other horror writing and several other fandoms is here.

The links are in order of fandom, the newest writings are at the top.

Reblogging my writing is very much appreciated, but reposting it, on any site, is plagiarism.

Michael Myers

Feeding him by accident (sfw, oneshot)

Sunday roast (sfw, oneshot)

With s/o who likes being picked up (request, headcanons)

RZ Michael Myers x female therapist: New urge (heed warnings, oneshot, 18 +)

Wrapped with a ribbon (18 +, heed warnings, oneshot)

Through lace curtains. (18 +, drabble)

Valentine's Day in Smiths Grove (sfw, oneshot)

Care for me, 18 +, heed the warnings for each chapter. part 1. part 2. part 3. part 4. part 5 (final)

Stargazing (fluff, sfw, oneshot)

Untitled fluff (sfw, oneshot)

Shapes on his skin (fluff, sfw, oneshot)

Floral and fading (smut, oneshot)

Priest! Michael Myers (RZ) 18 + heed warnings

Bo, Vincent and Lester Sinclair

Bo Sinclair x reader: Planetarium. (angst, comfort, sfw, oneshot)

Multi-chapter fic Vincent x OC x Bo/Poly Sinclairs. The Ambrose Summer Vacation. Chapter 1. Chapter 2. Chapter 3. Chapter 4. (ongoing, 18 +)

Vincent Sinclair x gn reader: art and comfort request.

Bo Sinclair x fem OC: Sweet treat. (18 +, oneshot)

Ambrose Boba Tea Shop AU Vincent/Mango boba; Lester/Black milk tea

Vincent x you/female reader x Bo Drabble

Thomas Hewitt

Letter by letter (sfw, oneshot)

Musings of Luda Mae (Sfw)

Kiss your boyfriend (dark, oneshot)

Safe with him (dark, spiritual sequel to Kiss Your Boyfriend, drabble)

The Grabber

Eggs for breakfast (request)

The Grabber x Max's girlfriend: The rhythm of life (heed warnings, one-shot).

Punishment (18 +, heed warnings, drabble)

Birthday headcanons

Male reader headcanons (request, sfw)

Request masochist reader (18 +, heed warnings, oneshot)

Helpful people get rewarded (18 +, heed warnings, oneshot)

Request for apprentice reader (sfw)

Divider by @/firefly-graphics

[yeyinde]

omg i just saw a tag on one of your recent posts saying you could talk all day about how the cod boys smell and i’m begging you PLEASE do!! i’m a huge fan of perfumes and one of my favorite things to do for characters is to compile scents that i think would fit them the best. i’m super curious what your thoughts are and i would love to hear more!

thank you so much for this!! i had a lot of fun with it! 🖤

Ghost: dead leaves, pine, cedar, fall air, laurel, balsam, smoke, clove bud, black patchouli, mushroom caps, dampened black soil. he smells like a thick, dense Pacific Northwest forest after a heavy rainfall or a piece of driftwood washed up on the shore — Roja Parfums APEX or Tom Ford Costa Azzurra

Soap: amber, violet, magnolia, guaiac wood, pink pepper, earl grey tea, steamed milk, vanilla, grass, clover, sun-warmed cornfields, muguet, honeysuckle, acacia, ozone, meadow air, tree moss, oakmoss, fir balsam, lavender, and cumarin (which smells like freshly harvested hay). he smells like a field in the zenith of summer, maybe freshly cut grass; something sweet and rich — Dolce&Gabbana Intenso or Viktor & Rolf Spice Bomb

Price: tobacco, agarwood, whiskey, resins, white musk, leather, vetiver, sandalwood, amber, suede, mysore sandalwood, vanilla husk, chamois accord, Alaskan cedarwood, tobacco leaf, black oak, cardamom, saffron threads, miel blanc. he smells like a pub that's always empty or an antique store; thick with smoke, and heavy with leather and tobacco — Tobacco Oud, Ombrè, or Tobacco Vanile by Tom Ford

Gaz: orange, Italian lemon zest, green apple, tonka beans, amber, woody vanilla, tuberose, iris, tiaré, paperwhite narcissus, night-blooming jasmine. he smells like the coast in the spring; sage and sea salt — Versace Eros or Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur

Alejandro: spicy (almost cola-clove-y), resinous, premium myrrh accord, frankincense, oud, myrrh, bergamot, neroli, patchouli. he smells a little bit like being on the balcony of a nightclub: fresh air cut with the thick tang of spice and smoke wafting through the open doors or the ocean on a humid summer night after a rainshower soaked the sand — Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio or Ralph Lauren Polo Earth

Rodolfo: strong coffee, streusel coffee cake, nutmeg, brown sugar, toasted almonds, cardamom, ambergris, cashmere wood, vanilla, saffron. he smells like a cafe in the morning, sweet and robust; or a bookstore —Byredo Vanille Antique or Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540

[kuwdora]

Lost Scenes Thursday! Get to know your favourite authors better. Show five scenes from either abandoned fics where you regret they will never see the light of day, or five scenes from WIPs where you are impatient to see them out there. Long, short, one-liner... it's all good reading. Tag five other authors where you are curious.

Here is a messy witcher snippet from 2021 which was part of a longer plotty story that never went anywhere. But this mostly was me embracing Jaskier as a Disney Princess and finding my way to Jaskier and Geralt's netflix dynamic and voices. Only remembered this because @littlestsnicket and I were talking about jaskier and geralt and music recently.

the original fic title was actually called Counterpoint of Disaster and got too big and messy for me to deal with. but this snippet should whet your appetite!

jaskier & geralt. case fic vibes. 850w. rated T.

Jaskier ambled along the stretch of road beside a fence, strumming his lute and humming. The sun was easing itself behind the peaks of the Mahakams and the shadow was creeping along the meadow. At the top of a sloping hill, Jaskier noticed a dot that resembled a cow. 

He perched himself on the fence and he resumed his song, uncertain he could project his voice enough for the cow to hear him.

But it did. The cow moseyed down the hill towards him. By the time it was half-way to Jaskier on the fence two more cows appeared at the top of the hill.

Amused, Jaskier sang louder. The ambling cow continued its approach with its companions making their way to Jaskier’s little stage. His fingers danced along the strings. Swing that scythe dawn to dusk with weary shoulders, to home and hearth your wife… All variations on a satisfying theme. A hard day's work followed by ale and love at home only to wake up and do it all over again. Music to rejuvenate oneself for the next day’s work.  

The cows mooed upon their approach and Jaskier played on. Three more cows appeared on the horizon and they herded each other down the hill towards him.

“Not my usual audience,” Jaskier said and laughed. He tilted his head and adjusted his posture, a smile tugging at his lips. “I wonder…” he murmured. He began playing a lighthearted song of a young maiden’s carefree day. 

He was halfway through the chorus and was deeply amused by the nearly dozen cows standing in front of him. By the time Jaskier was on the final verse another three cows had joined them, shouldering their way closer.

Jaskier continued to hum and sing, plucking a cute little melody for the attentive audience. He received some lowing in return and he laughed. “Happy cows indeed. Who knew I had fans afield. Will a good song produce sweet milk?” he asked them.

His fingers danced along the strings, improvising nonsense and one of the soft-eyed cows wandered right up to the fence and offered him an insistent moo before nudging his knee with its snout.

“I would definitely consider tips in the form of cheese,” Jaskier said and gave the cow a gentle pat on the side of her face. 

His hand came away wet and he was about to wipe the cow snot away when he saw his hand was crimson.

Jaskier gagged and nearly wiped the blood on his clean trousers. He stopped himself just in time and wobbled on the fence.

“Uh, Geralt?” Jaskier called. “There’s some bloody cows over here.”

“There’s a farm nearby,” Geralt said, sounding like he replied without looking up.

“No, I mean they look like they rolled around in a pool of blood,” Jaskier said.

Two of the cows pushed forward as if to ask why he’d stopped playing. They crowded Jaskier enough and pushed at his knees with soft blood-covered snouts. Jaksier unwound his legs from the fence to lean forward for a closer look. Then they were all at his knees at once.

Jaskier wobbled.

The cows mooed.

Jaskier flailed and threw up his arms with his lute, instinctively protecting it as he fell.

He landed hard.

Jaskier wheezed. Pulled the lute close to his chest, cradling it amidst the pain.

He opened his eyes, not realizing he’d closed them. Geralt leaned on the fence, looking at the assembled cows.

“I think they were going to take a bite out of me,” Jaskier rasped. Geralt held out an arm and when Jaskier grabbed it he was heaved upward like it was nothing, again reminding him of Geralt’s effortless strength. He spread his feet and tried to gain his bearings but he’d fallen harder than he realized because the ache persisted in his chest and back. He rubbed the back of his neck and the back of his head and took a step backwards from the fence. 

“Wouldn’t be the first creature to try,” Geralt said and climbed over the fence for a closer look. The frown on the witcher’s face worried Jaskier. The eager brown cow, hungry for more song didn’t appear blood-thirsty in the slightest despite the blood-matted fur indicating otherwise.

“Did they make a grand escape from the butcher? One last dinner before they became dinner?” Jaskier said. 

“I doubt it,” Geralt said. He was reaching out to the animal and touching the side of her face, peering at her eyes and ears before doing a cursory check of her mouth before moving on to the rest of her body. She paid Geralt little heed and when she mooed it started a chain reaction from the others.

“The blood is human. At least a day old,” Geralt said and moved on to examine the other eager cow who hung her head over the fence like she was waiting for Jaskier to resume his song.

“So they were trying to take a bite out of me. This is definitely a mystery in the making: The Mystery of the Bloody Cows,” Jaskier said.

[kindred-spirit-93]

salutations of peace!

welcome to this blog dedicated to the many, many thoughts wondering in the expansive meadows of my inner mind. we have:

fandom rambles

OC galore and random lore dumps

deep life thoughts TM

excerpts of books ill never write

memes, awful puns, wordplay my beloved, rants about anything and everything

music and art and language appreciation

vivid descriptions of things that would put ebony dark'ness dementia raven way to shame

and so much more! my vision for this blog is essentially a scrapbook of sweet wrappers, weird poetry, dried flowers, inexplicable blood drops from untraceable source(s), cute little doodles, coffee stains, all tied together with glitter glue and skull washi tape ^-^

so feel free to sit back with some snacks and watch me as i take apart my mind thought by thought and have epiphanies and shit :)

*:･ﾟ✧ but before all that, a few things:

the name of this blog, Memento Vivere, is latin for remember to live. you may be familiar with its more morbid counterpart, Memento Mori, remember you must die. the reason for this choice of phrase is that due to reasons, i sometimes have to remind myself to stop and live, to really smell the roses, to appreciate my short existence on this spinning rock in space. so this blog will be my escape, my breath of fresh air, my cup of mint earl grey on a rainy january morning.

*:･ﾟ✧ a lil about me lol:

british jordanian gen z hijabi, dont have social anxiety; social anxiety has me lol, sleep deprived, herbal teas, psychiatry

medical student, full time and life long learner, salty snacks are better than sweet treats there i said it, strawberry milk supremacy

chaotic academia aesthetic, cats, existential (and assorted) crises

main @lemedstudent2021 and oc blog @bright-side-of-the-moon feel free to drop by for a chat here there and everywhere ;)

*:･ﾟ✧ general rules and guidelines:

this blog aims to be a safe space for anyone and everyone, leave your prejudices at the door or dont bother coming in :)

youre all welcome to share thoughts and ideas and suggestions, please keep it halal tho (so pg-13 and mild language). in the very least label accordingly so those yet with innocence stay safe

hate and bullying and disrespect in all forms will not be tolerated, bigots and brain dead buffoons will be blocked on sight

that said, for what remains of my sanity; zionists and anti-vaxxers DNI (i will come after you and your essential oils)

if i remember anything ill add it later, for now bring your marshmellows were making s'mores on the dumpsterfire that is life

art by the wonderful @sunshines-child ^-^

[nature-is-punk]

Yarrow and its Uses

Disclaimer: The below is the culmination of tedious, scrupulous research meant to assist with magical and medicinal practices. However, we lack a variety of lab-conducted herbalism trials in humans, so precautions are necessary. None of the below represents medical advice or is meant to replace treatment by a medical professional.

Identification and Profile:

Appearance: White, yellow, or pink flowers bloom from March to October. Very strong sweet smell. Often mistaken for hemlock or queen anne’s lace; leaves and flower shape are the most reliable identifiers for telling these three apart.

Distribution & Habitats: Native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Thrives in meadows, roadside ditches, grasslands, and open forests. Attracts predatory wasps, ladybugs, and other beneficial insects. Reduces parasites in the nests of birds such as the common starling, who line their nests with it.

Associations: Yarrow was found in a neanderthal burial site in Iraq, suggesting its use by humans for more than 60,000 years. While yarrow has impressively consistent medicinal usage across cultures - namely healing and inflammatory pain relief - cultural and spiritual connotations vary. Yarrow’s botanical name refers to the legend that the centaur Chiron taught Achilles to use yarrow on the battlegrounds of Troy to heal wounds. Across the British Isles, yarrow was used to assist women in finding husbands, from divination to sleeping with the flowers under ones’ pillow. In Europe, it was known as a witch’s herb, occasionally called the Devil’s Nettle.

Uses: Topical: Effective antibacterial, astringent, antifungal, and antiseptic agent and can be applied to wounds to deter infection, speed up healing, and soothe inflamed or irritated skin. Ethanol extracted essential oil is the most lab-studied form of topical application, though dried flowers can be powdered, applied as whole dried flowers, or made into poultices and salves to wounds to stop bleeding. Oral: Flavonoids of yarrow make it a powerful antispasmodic and decent anti-inflammatory, most often used for gastrointestinal disorders. Yarrow can also induce sweat to break a dry fever. Essential oil of yarrow heals stomach ulcers. Navajo people chewed the leaves to reduce tooth and gum aches or inflammation in the mouth. Mild laxative properties. Mild sedative when consumed as tea. Tea also can be consumed to reduce headaches and cold symptoms, and sterols in yarrow can regulate menstrual cycles. Inhalation: Boiling the plant and inhaling the steam can reduce headaches and sinus inflammation. Dosage: Oral dosage is 2-4g of dried herb, flower and leaf, or 3g of whole flowers. Consecutive use is not recommended for longer than 2 weeks.

Interactions & Side Effects: - Adding nettle to yarrow consumed orally can reduce oxalate burden on kidneys. - Possibly an abortificant by relaxing the uterus, and may reduce breast milk supply while breastfeeding. - Increases production of stomach acid, lowers blood pressure, and increases risk of bleeding for those on blood-thinning medications. - Also interacts poorly with lithium based medications by increasing the body’s lithium retention.

[pearlsoflongago]

Looking into the Garden

Life and Love

Geraniums by Childe Hassam

Portrait by a Neighbour

Before she has her floor swept Or her dishes done, Any day you’ll find her A-sunning in the sun!

It’s long after midnight Her key’s in the lock, And you never see her chimney smoke Till past ten o’clock!

She digs in her garden With a shovel and a spoon, She weeds her lazy lettuce By the light of the moon.

She walks up the walk Like a woman in a dream, She forgets she borrowed butter And pays you back cream!

Her lawn looks like a meadow, And if she mows the place She leaves the clover standing And the Queen Anne’s lace!

—Edna St. Vincent Millay

Paysage au Bord du Lez by Frederic Bazille

Heartsease Country

TO ISABEL SWINBURNE

The far green westward heavens are bland, The far green Wiltshire downs are clear As these deep meadows hard at hand: The sight knows hardly far from near, Nor morning joy from evening cheer. In cottage garden-plots their bees Find many a fervent flower to seize And strain and drain the heart away From ripe sweet-williams and sweet-peas At every turn on every way.

But gladliest seems one flower to expand Its whole sweet heart all round us here; ’Tis Heartsease Country, Pansy Land. Nor sounds nor savours harsh and drear Where engines yell and halt and veer Can vex the sense of him who sees One flower-plot midway, that for trees Has poles, and sheds all grimed or grey For bowers like those that take the breeze At every turn on every way.

Content even there they smile and stand, Sweet thought’s heart-easing flowers, nor fear, With reek and roaring steam though fanned, Nor shrink nor perish as they peer. The heart’s eye holds not those more dear That glow between the lanes and leas Where’er the homeliest hand may please To bid them blossom as they may Where light approves and wind agrees At every turn on every way.

Sister, the word of winds and seas Endures not as the word of these Your wayside flowers whose breath would say How hearts that love may find heart’s ease At every turn on every way.

—Charles Algernon Swinburne

Picking Flowers by Auguste Renoir

The Flower's Name

Here's the garden she walked across, Arm in my arm, such a short while since: Hark, now I push its wicket, the moss Hinders the hinges and makes them wince! She must have reached this shrub ere she turned, As back with that murmur the wicket swung; For she laid the poor snail, my chance foot spurned, To feed and forget it the leaves among. Down this side of the gravel-walk She went while her robe's edge brushed the box: And here she paused in her gracious talk To point me a moth on the milk-white phlox. Roses, ranged in valiant row, I will never think that she passed you by! She loves you, noble roses, I know; But yonder, see, where the rock-plants lie! This flower she stopped at, finger on lip, Stooped over, in doubt, as settling its claim; Till she gave me, with pride to make no slip, Its soft meandering Spanish name: What a name! Was it love or praise? Speech half-asleep or song half-awake? I must learn Spanish, one of these days, Only for that slow sweet name's sake. Roses, if I live and do well, I may bring her, one of these days, To fix you fast with as fine a spell, Fit you each with his Spanish phrase; But do not detain me now; for she lingers There, like sunshine over the ground, And ever I see her soft white fingers Searching after the bud she found. Flower, you Spaniard, look that you grow not, Stay as you are and be loved forever! Bud, if I kiss you 't is that you blow not, Mind, the shut pink mouth opens never! For while it pouts, her fingers wrestle, Twinkling the audacious leaves between, Till round they turn and down they nestle— Is not the dear mark still to be seen? Where I find her not, beauties vanish; Whither I follow her, beauties flee; Is there no method to tell her in Spanish June 's twice June since she breathed it with me? Come, bud, show me the least of her traces, Treasure my lady's lightest footfall! —Ah, you may flout and turn up your faces— Roses, you are not so fair after all!

—Robert Browning

Still Life with Flowers by Edouard Manet

[lilydoeswrite]

THE MERCILESS SIREN | CHAPTER SEVEN

wattpad link previous chapter series masterlist next chapter

summary: It is the 66th Hunger Games when Oceana Fontaine is reaped as tribute, and at just thirteen years old, the odds are certainly not in her favour. As much as it is seen as an honour for Oceana to represent her district in the games, it is also practically a death sentence. But Oceana knows she needs to go home and is determined to, no matter how low her chances are and with the help of her mentors, she might just do that. But if she is to win, she will have to learn where her biggest strengths start to turn into her biggest flaws and weigh her options carefully as she starts making choices that pushes her morality and the lengths she will go to for love.

tags: slow burn (finnick x oc), eventual violence, the usual stuff when it comes to the hunger games, not sure what else

My sleep is filled with comforting dreams. It’s as if my brain knows what memory to play in order to comfort me in the worst of times. It’s from the day our ancestors liked to call Valentine's day. It is a day celebrated with romantic love, friendship and admiration along with the lovebirds of early spring. Aurelia and I learnt about it as kids when we would read about it in old novels talking about all sorts of love and eventually it became a tradition between us to celebrate it together. We would sit in the meadows near the Fields having a picnic as we made bouquets and flower crowns for one another, then we’d go to the Centre holding them in our arms as we went shopping for each other before finally hiking up to the Cliffs to have dinner at our favourite restaurant and watch the sunset. It was just as good as Christmas or any of our birthday parties. 

I still remember the day she had turned sixteen and how we had thrown a sweet sixteen birthday party for her. I still remember her smile on that day when she saw all her friends show up at our house and how happy she was talking to them around the bonfire. 

I can tell dawn is breaking as small streams of sunlight break through the windows. The Capitol seems to have rather misty air as I can’t seem to see much in the horizon. I let out a sigh, how is it possible for dreams to feel so real? It had felt like I was really back in District 4 until I had woken up to my harsh reality. 

Slowly, I drag myself out of bed and head into the shower. I don’t feel nearly awake enough to bother with the control panel so I punch the buttons aimlessly until the shower feels just right. I wash my body with the fancy soap they had which smelt like lavender and wash my face in order to wake myself up. The hot water doesn’t do the trick so I go back to the control panel to adjust the temperature till it was icy cold and it’s only then that I wake up. I dry myself off and moisturise myself with lotion before changing to the outfit I find has been left for me at the front of the closet. It’s skin-tight black leggings and a short sleeved blue top and leather boots. 

I gather my hair into a ponytail and secure it with a hair tie and find that whoever has left the outfit has also taken my costume and jewellery from the ceremony. I hope it has made its way to Valeria well. The outfit reminds me of my wetsuit for whatever reason and it’s the first time since the reaping that I resemble myself. Perhaps it’s the lack of fancy clothes and hair that makes me look more like myself and I find it comforting.

I head out to the dining room since I feel hungry and hope there will be food and there is. I’m not disappointed. I find Finnick and Dover talking to one another by the table and they greet me warmly, welcoming me to the table as I take a bowl of granola and a glass of milk. I take a seat next to them and they look at me weirdly. 

“That’s all you’re going to have?” Dover asks. 

“Yeah, why?” I ask as I pour the milk into the bowl. 

“That’s way too little, Oce,” Finnick shakes his head. “You’ve got training today. Go get some eggs and some fruit.”

“Alright…” I say reluctantly, walking towards the bowl of fruit and taking a banana and an apple before loading a plate with eggs. I’m not used to eating this much for breakfast, in fact, most days I tend to skip breakfast so I can get more sleep before school, but I know that they mean well. I take a bite into my apple before my mind wanders off. 

I’m nervous about training. Of course, I already know that I’d be coached separately from Gill but there will be three days in which all the tributes practice together. On the last afternoon, each tribute will get a chance to perform in private before the Gamemakers. I feel nauseous thinking about having to meet the other tributes. 

“A penny for your thoughts?” Dover smiles at me and I laugh before seeing Gill and Coral enter the dining room as we greet each other. Gill is wearing a different outfit as me and it’s green instead of blue.

The rest of the victors stroll into the dining room one by one and we greet each other before Clifford gives him pep talk. “Alright, good morning everyone, as you all know, today is the first day of training. Now, I assume you two would like to be trained separately?” He glances at both Gill and I as we both give a nod. “Great, just like what we had in mind. It’s important that you both show your mentors all your skills, no matter how good or bad they are. It’s critical that they’re aware of your capabilities, it’ll help with your strategy as well, and who knows? Maybe you’ll pick up a skill or two. Don’t underrate yourself. Just don’t show your full ability to the other tributes.”

“Well, if there’s anyone I need to fear, it’s Oceana,” Gill chuckles and I give him a suspicious look, I’m not sure what he’s alluding to. “Don’t look at me like that! I’ve seen you with your water guns at the Academy! You’ve got good aim!”

I sigh as the memory comes flooding back in. It’s a rather stupid yet funny one. There was this particular day in which I had brought in a couple of water guns I had found in the back of my house to the Academy and handed them out to my friends for us to have a small battle with. The only reason why I didn’t get in trouble was because we managed to pull some kind of excuse that it would help us with our target accuracy. “Shooting and aiming at something with a water gun is not the same as throwing a trident.”

“No it’s not.” Gill says. “Still, you’ve got good aim and you’d be pretty deadly with an actual weapon.”

“Well, throwing an actual weapon at someone is still not the same,” I argue before Clifford shuts the both of us down as Gill opens his mouth to argue back. 

“Enough, you two. First of all, I’d like to hear that story of the water gun,” everyone at the table lets out a laugh. “Second, remember to focus on your survival skills. I know you’ve heard this a million times by now, but I cannot emphasise on it enough. You’re going to need to know how to trap animals and know what knots to tie, basically skills to help you survive– hunting, trapping, foraging, all that stuff. Know how to quickly familiarise yourself with the environment and how to tell what others are planning by simply observing them. How to stay mentally strong. There is much more to the games than knowing combat, and as much as the Academy can teach you that, only those with experience, so us, can give you the proper advice.” Both Gill and I are paying close attention at this rate, we know how serious it is. We can hear it in his voice. “Meet at the elevator at nine thirty, alright?”

It's nine by the time we’re done with breakfast. I go back to my room to clean my teeth and tie my hair again. I think about what Gill said, I had no idea he had seen me in the Academy. Heck, I had no idea he had even gone to the same Academy as me. How much had he seen? Had he seen me in class throwing knives and shooting arrows? How much of my ability does he know? I know nothing about him except for the fact that he must’ve been extremely good in the Academy for him to be as confident as he is. Had Ms Bronte paid him a visit as well? But for him to say that I was the one that he had to fear, was he making fun of me? Or was it simply a joke? Or had he seen enough of me in the Academy to actually fear me? But what was there to fear in me? He’s stronger and probably more experienced in every aspect, I’m only thirteen. 

My thoughts and confusion temporarily blocks out my nervousness about meeting the other tributes but I can feel my anxiety rising again. I head onto the balcony, and stare down at the teeming with life as cars let out honks like an uncoordinated orchestra. The Capitol is as busy as they make it out to be, just like a heart. The heart of Panem is what the president calls it. Now that training has begun, you can make out a certain heaviness in the air. It sits and lingers and it’s impossible to forget the inevitable. I stand by the balcony for a while, closing my eyes as my fingers fidget. I feel a pit in my stomach and now I feel like crying again. 

“Oce?” I open my eyes and smile at Finnick who approaches me. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” I nod, but I know I’m not fooling him as his lips curl into a frown. 

“No you’re not,” Finnick raises his hand and wipes away a tear that’s running down my cheek. “Come on, talk to me about it.”

“I don’t know how to put it in a sentence,” I admit, wanting to laugh at how stupid I sound. “It’s just, I’m trying to be as strong as I can, but it’s almost impossible to. How do I ignore something that I feel so deeply? I feel it with every breath that I take in every waking second. One day I’m a thirteen year old girl spending her days surfing and studying, the next day I’m not. Because I know I’m not going to be just thirteen anymore. It’s like I’m being forced to grow up all of a sudden and I know it’s so stupid not to be able to cope with that but I just can’t. I don’t know how to, I don’t know.” My voice starts to crack up, but before I can cry, Finnick pulls me into a hug. 

“I can’t say it’s okay because I know it’s not going to be okay,” he sighs as I bury my head in the crook of his neck. “And if I were to give any advice, I’d be a hypocrite because this is how I felt like last year.”

It’s hard to remember that he only won last year, and that he probably is still healing from his very own games. This is the cruellest thing about the games in my opinion, other than making twenty four children fight to their deaths, to make the victors mentor and get to experience every following Hunger Games when they are still trying to recover from their own. To have them to mentor and get close to kids they’re not even sure will come back. 

“But all I can say is that fear is what drives you. Fear drives the human spirit and sparks the fire in you, hope is the one that kindles it. Do it scared but still keep the hope you have.”

“How do I be brave? Everyone else is, all the Careers are, except me,” I say, my voice is reduced to a mere whisper.

“There is a difference between bravery and confidence, Oce,” Finnick lets out a laugh. “Bravery is feeling fear, embracing it, and moving forward with it. It’s the ability to take the leap you know you have to take no matter how scary or big it is. Don’t be so scared about not winning that you let it consume you and most importantly, trust yourself.”

I pull out of the hug and I nod. I’m lucky to not have cried as I know we have to go to the training centre soon and I’m sure it’d be a disaster if I were to show up with red and puffy eyes. It’d be an embarrassment.  

“Thank you,” I smile shakily, trying to control my emotions. 

“You can win, Oceana, I truly do think so,” he says.

“You haven’t seen me train,” I nearly chuckle.

“Yes, but, it’s much more than skill, Oce, it’s about the fire and spirit in you. I told you last night and I’ll say it to you again, you have the spirit of a victor.” Finnick says as we arrive at the elevator. “See you,” he grins. 

“See you,” I echo back before going into the elevator. 

“Be friendly to the other Careers, alright? Try to make friends with them.” Clifford says as he stares down at both Gill and I. 

The training rooms are below ground level and are in the basement of the building. The elevators are fast and the ride is short. The doors open and I step out into an enormous gymnasium that is filled with everything from weights to weapons to obstacle courses. We’re not the first to arrive but certainly not the last and the rest of the tributes are gathered in a tight circle. The atmosphere is tense and I start feeling nervous once again.  They each have a cloth square with their district number on it pinned to their shirts and we’re provided with one as well. Someone pins mine to my shirt and I look over to Gill who mouths to me a word I can’t make out so I follow him. We end up standing next to the tributes of 1 and 2 who smile at us as if we’re old friends.

Perks of being a Career, I guess. 

I smile at them before putting on my best poker face and glance at everyone around us. The tributes from 12, 7 and 3 have yet to arrive. There is a weird silence that falls on us 

Slowly, the remaining tributes start to trickle in and join the circle. Once all of us are gathered, the head trainer, a tall and athletic man named Lysander steps up and explains the training schedule. There would be different stations for each skill and at each station there would be an expert. We are allowed to travel from area to area as per our mentor's instructions which means I have to head straight to where the weapons are at. There are a few stations for that, and many targets to practise with. Some of the stations teach survival skills and the others, fighting techniques. However, we are forbidden to engage in any combative exercise with another tribute, should we want to practise with a partner, it would be with the assistants on hand. Lysander starts to read down the list of the skill stations. A few stand out to me. Archery, wielding, camouflage, edible plants, gauntlets and knives. I know exactly which one I’d head for. 

We are dismissed and we disperse as each of us head for one station or another. I head straight for the knife throwing station where there are a couple of knives sitting on the table next to the expert waiting to be thrown. 

“Hello,” I smile at the man who is standing next to the targets.

“Hello,” he smiles back, “are you here to learn about throwing knives or are you here to practise?”

“Practise,” I smile and he nods, handing me the three knives. I can feel the stares of others which makes me worried. The other Careers are probably looking at me and if I mess up slightly, there’s no way they’d ever take me seriously– much less team up with me.

I relax my body and straighten my posture, holding onto the knife as I shift my right foot forward. I grip onto the knife before letting it go. My mind is now blank as I automatically throw the next one and the one after. I take a deep breath in as I look at each target, I have hit every single one on bullseye. The expert seems impressed as he gives me a nod of approval, smiling at me as he retrieves the knives.

I turn around, about to go to the other station when I see Gill and the other Career tributes. “Oceana,” Gill calls me and I walk over. “This is Oceana, the other tribute from 4.”

“Nice work with the knives,” a blonde girl who has her hair in a braid smiles, “I’m Briar and this,” she nudges the tall, muscular, brown haired guy next to her, “is Alvise.” He waves at me before I’m introduced to the tributes from District 2.

“Chase,” the male tribute who has dark brown hair and brown eyes extends his hand which I shake. “and next to me is Giselle.”

“Hi,” I smile, shaking Giselle’s hand.

After we’ve introduced to one another, we go our separate ways and I head straight to the archery station. I take one of the bows from the stand and an arrow, correcting my stance and gripping the bow loosely. I feel more relaxed now for whatever reason. I place the arrow on the bow before drawing it back and aiming at the furthest target before releasing it. Bullseye. I smile and go back to the rack to take another arrow when I’m stopped by Gill.

“Clifford said not to show our full abilities,” he whispers hastily, looking at me in the eyes with a glare. 

“I’m not,” I walk past him to take another arrow. “This is light work.”

Author's note: BOOM ANOTHER CHAPTER!! i'm kind of on the verge of giving up on the three chapter rule gap i've set for myself but oh well, it's better to have chapters prepared in advance in case of anything i guess. anyways, thanks for reading all the way down here, i really appreciate it! if you like this, consider reblogging and commenting! and once again, constructive criticism is always welcomed!

[imhereforscm]

"I'm not sad"

Genre: fluff

Pairing: Zyglavis × reader

Warnings: none

For the fluffbruary event (@fluffbruary )

A/N: IT'S THE LAST FLUFFBRUARY FIC!!😭😭 THANK YOU ALL FOR STICKING AROUND!! LOVE YA!!

Prompts: breakfast | valley | sign (Day 29/2024)

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The morning light slipped through the tree branches like strings, turning the soil of the forest floor into a piece of golden embroidery. Birds sang in the distance, their melody awaking the souls of the forest, as it swayed and danced around the tree trunks, like nhymphs you couldn't catch with a naked eye.

The young boy's eyes brightened, wonder enhancing his features.

Zyglavis smiled down at the young boy that resembled him almost entirely. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to spend much time with you this week? Will you forgive me?"

The boy looked up at his father, the innocence of his gaze melting away all the sins Zyglavis had witnessed over the rippling water of the reflecting pool. "Papa..." He uttered, slowly. His hand was already within his father's, but he came closer, his small arms, fragile as they were, wrapped themselves around his father's legs. "I'm not sad." He said, voice soft, gentle and observing their interaction, you could've believed it was the song of a bird, welcoming the golden hour.

Your fingers tightened around the handle of the basket, a sign of the feelings that overtook you, rushing across your body along with the blood, like a river in a valley.

Zyglavis' hands slipped beneath his son's armpits and lifted him up, the smile brightening up his cherubic face matching the one his father's lips harbored right now, that he got to have him, his precious treasure in his arms. "I'm glad." He said, staring affectionately at his child. Your husband's eyes found yours, before parting again and being casted upon the young boy. "I was thinking we could have breakfast in this meadow your mom and I took you when you were a baby." He said, smiling fondly at the memories gifted to him by fate.

The young boy smiled brightly, his silky hair—that were tied into a ponytail with a white ribbon so it'd look like his father's—swaying above his frail back. "You're the best!" He announced, throwing his hands around his father's neck.

You approached the two of them, a basket filled with sweets, bread, milk and fruits in hand. You touched their soft heads softly and smiled gently. "I love you."

"We love you too." They both said in unison.