Roisin Malconaire

[sicsicthewolves]

“And a long-nosed blackbird came and clung to the shoulder of the first-created man, bent over to his ear and spoke to him softly, as though entrusting a great secret to him: “The doors of heaven and hell are adjacent, and identical: both green, both beautiful. Take care, Adam! Take care! Take care!“ ~”

— Nikos Kazantzakis, The Last Temptation of Christ (via h-loooo)

[forgottenroisin]

OOC | Winter-Holly King, Summer-Oak King

ok so from disco I said:

Proposing the ancient opposite/rival/counterpart to House Malconaire (a la the oak king and the Holly king myth): house Cullen. There ~is another potential derivation, but it’s believed the name may come from Cuileann being a nickname meaning "holly" sfjlgsdhk

Lauren posted a gif of Edward Cullen

I said: I can make this work…smth smth winter eats up all the vegetation, vampires feed on the living…😂😂😂

Also he’s Batman now so…house Cullen = we finally named the bat house??? The malconaires are quite literally the Holly and the ivy?!!?!! 😂😂😂😂

I later also suggested Flynn (blood red) and Donne (dark) for bat house

Then later I said:

Did suggesting holly house and bat house were one in the same start w an rpatz joke? Yes! Am I now starting to go ‘what if fr’ abt it? Also yes! Bc, like, w their crow [corvid] and demon tree and even bat associations, bran and Lonan are v death coded but w their oak and joi[e] de vivre they’re v life-coded as well so it v much fits and like — what if the coming together of those two things — summer/life and winter/death are part of what resulted in Lonan and Brigit, in particular, being 1) such gifted witches but 2) such potent offerings for the demon tree, and what if — just as house malconaire has its oak guardian, house of holly has its dark guardian/demon tree — I’m not sure if Holly and ba[t] houses started out as the same houses or not — maybe goth grandad’s mom was the last lady of the Holly or — smth??? Idk!!! But yeah sgjkfsf this might be insane rambling tbf…idk…

Also feels v dark fairy tale for them which idk I like sfjlgdgjm

Also now they themselves each have an associated season as well as each being descended [...] from a house that ~also has seasonal associations—we just need a spring house bc we’ve got summer (oak), autumn (bat), winter (holly)…oooh or maybe Lorcan is spring? Smth smth swans lay eggs, eggs are a classic spring symbol…smth smth eithne is said to be the most beautiful Astairan woman alive, she looks just like sorcha, sorcha was a Lorcan…Helen of Troy hatched from a swan egg/her mom was impregnated by Zeus while he was in the [form] of a swan…

Kate said she was obsessed and also: Lorcan is very spring coded in my head tbh 😂 for some reason i imagine it with lots of flowering trees

i agreed

anyway just wanted to pop this here bc idk i feel like this legit could be smth laksdjfjkdsf -- lauren, ur a hero w that edward cullen gif thank you <333333333333

also wanted to add, like -- smth smth @forgottenbrigit being the daughter associated w the winter season and being the seer...idk where this is going precisely but i just feel like there's smth there bc like idk grandma eithne had two sons, one was almost literally an oak king, the other did the whole death thing via the demon tree/leaned winter ig, and now the oak king is dead -- not to quote house stark but -- symbolically, winter (death) is coming????? brigit is the seer...idk...

EDIT -- what if, too, there ~was always this like...connection (in both good ~and bad ways) between the holly and ivy/oak houses too, historically speaking...

ANOTHER EDIT: also holly and ivy in celtic tradition were both believed to ward off evil spirits...smth smth a ring of hollies round the demon tree to hold its evil in...maybe lonan also planted ivy around its roots and that's part of why its like...reaching out now...desperation or smth??? ivy symbolizes endurance nd rebirth...

ADDITIONAL EDIT: ok but also @forgotteneithne is maybe being associated more with spring (lorcan) than summer (malconaire) potentially also foreshadowing that maybe being lady malconaire ~isn't everything she ultimately wants for her future, or do you think that doesn't really play in since like literally they are ~all both malconaire and lorcan...plus, like, aoife has such a strong connection too since iirc we said she has the most like classic lorcan ~look...

[flowerblr]

LA BELLE ET LA BÊTE (2014) dir. Christophe Gans

[forgottencassandra]

Reunion of Friends | Cassandra & Rose

The gathering at Malconaire was not proving to be quite the merry affair that Cassandra was certain that Valentina had planned for. No doubt, she had betted upon her son winning something, but he had been upstaged by every opponent he had faced. It had almost been as fun for Cassandra to root against him, as it had been to rally behind her favorites.

She had not been blind to his anger, frustration, and embarrassment that he failed to shield -- even from where she sat in the Imperial box -- nor did Cassandra miss watching poor Eithne's face when he lost. Arthur had bested his rival upon the field and she hoped that Eithne knew, as she did, that Arthur would mean to fight for her hand to the bitter end.

The moment could have only been sweeter for Cassandra, had she had Rose in the seat next to her -- for no one else in her father's box could have appreciated the moment, as she had. She'd spotted her amongst the crowds near her sisters earlier in the day and had had a messenger send an invitation for Rose to join her, but some time later her regrets had been received: she was ill and must leave.

Cassandra, then, had been hoping that Rose would be well enough to receive visitors this evening, as too much had transpired since they had last seen each other. Cassandra had made attempts to convey the happenings each day of the tournament to her through her long, rambling letters but even she knew that her letters could never do the thing justice and her thoughts often ran faster than she had been able to write ... which tended to leave the letters rather jumbled and something of a puzzle to decode.

(She did pride herself, however, on her excellent handwriting! Her letters always had style, if not substance).

For a moment, she despaired of Rose's presence and wondered if she would be left to dodge Valentina and her odious son all evening alone, but then she found Rose amongst the other guests. She would have considered it a bit odd that she had not been sought out upon her arrival, but she supposed that her friend was not yet back to her full self yet. Indeed, as she came closer, she noted that she did look frightfully pale and had none of her usual cheerfulness about her.

"I hope you know that I am very cross with you!" Cassandra said, taking a seat next to her friend. "How shall I ever forgive you for falling ill upon one of the most exciting weeks we've had in months? If you are unwell the next time there is a tournament, I will demand that it is postponed until you have been cured."

She took Rose's hand in her own, "Oh, but Rose -- how are you feeling?" Cassandra nearly told her friend that she looked dreadful, but stopped herself. Dreadful was perhaps too cruel a word for how she looked, but it was clear that she was not herself at all. Cassandra half wondered if she should be up and about, at all, but she selfishly hoped that she would not have to go back to bed.

[forgottenroisin]

Rose's gut dropped at the sound of that voice. Her breath caught painfully in her chest. It had been inevitable, of course, this meeting. She'd known that. She couldn't possibly avoid Cassandra forever -- but the truth was that she'd almost wished to. She wanted, now, to go back, to unmake every Varmont acquaintance she'd ever once conjured -- cherished. Edmund, yes, but -- the rest, too. The truth was, she no longer knew where she and Cassandra stood. Cassandra may have originated in another...branch, perhaps, but Edmund remained her brother, and they were Varmonts, both. Cassandra benefitted from the death of Rosie's father as surely as Edmund did -- lived upon those laurels, in fact. True, she didn't think Cassandra was hiding anything -- but, then, she'd not thought that of Edmund, once, either. Hadn't they shared everything, once? But, no. He'd always been holding something back, a crushing truth he'd saved up for -- Guardians knew. What was she but something to toy with? Just like her father before her...

So where did the terrible truth leave poor Cassandra? It could never be what it was. Rose's eyes were open, now. She couldn't feign blindness any longer. For once, she didn't even wish to. But, at last, it had come. She could avoid Cassandra no longer. She'd been found. She had no wish to hurt her -- but she couldn't do otherwise, could she? Cassandra was as much her father's daughter as Edmund was his father's son, and Roderick -- Roderick Varmont was evil, a plague upon this world. And he wished for his children to follow him. He taught them to. How had she ignored it so long?

Yet, so thinking, Cassandra was sinking into the seat beside her. Her words were teasing -- and then, oh, that brush of kindness, skin on skin, it felt so blazingly kind. Rosie's skin burned where she'd touched her. She felt sick. She dashed her hand away without thinking, breathing heavily. She stared at Cassandra a moment then, forcing a smile, as she folded her hands in her lap -- holding herself straight as an arrow, so as not to risk being touched again -- she found her voice.

"You mustn't touch me, Your Imperial Highness," she said, formally. She held her chin high. "I am ill, after all -- it may be catching."

She cast her eyes down and away. She felt heavy, humid, almost, as if her very skin were too weighty against the pale, thin ivory of her willowy bones. Her chest hurt. She couldn't look the princess in the eye. Go away, she thought. Go away, it hurts, it hurts. I can't do it anymore! It'll hurt us both.

"I--I am very sorry to have offended you, Your Highness. Pray forgive me." She knew that the crossness had been but teasing, but she refused to look at Cassandra. She wanted to bolt, to seize her skirts in her hands in bunches and run all the way back to Malconaire, if that was what it took, but she could not. She was rooted to the spot. Quickly, she shot a glance at the princess out from under her lashes. He's dead, Cassandra, she ached to say. He's dead, and I can never forgive myself. But she'd never understand, and Rose could never make her. Ask Edmund of it, she thought, bitterly, looking away. He'll explain it all to you, just as he did to me -- what a vile little fool I've been.

It was Cassandra's kindness that hurt the most, and Rose repressed a sob. Wasn't that real? Not some smokescreen something thrown up by the House of Varmont, but a genuine connection? But how could Rose ever see? How could she ever know again? Roderick is evil, she thought, rubbing at her arm. Her chest felt achingly hollow; she couldn't draw a breath. I hate him, she thought. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him. She just wanted to go home. She never wanted to go home, again, and find that her father still was not there -- would never be there, again. And it was their fault. Cassandra, adorned in her fine silks and jewels, had profited from his demise -- was even that moment profiting off of it! And how much did her smiling mask conceal? Had she too been laughing with Edmund at them, all the while pretending to be her friend? Guardians! How had Rose overlooked it all till now? Brigit was right all along, she thought, mournfully. How could I never see it before now? It hurt to see.

She forced a smile at Cassandra's teasing words. "Your Highness is too kind, but I assure you, you need not concern yourself. I hope that the festivities, so far, have been to your liking."

[forgottenfinnegan]

Heartbreak | Finn & Roisin

House Calleary and House Malconaire had begun to see a great deal more of one another of late.

Finn was only dimly aware that this was, in theory, due to whatever arrangement Cormac imagined he was orchestrating between himself and Aoife. The notion that Cormac might successfully arrange anything, still struck Finn as completely absurd.

Still, he wasn’t inclined to protest, just yet, as he enjoyed the Malconaire company more than the insufferable company of the Staffords back home.

Valentina and Cassimir remained as intolerable as ever, but their presence had its uses. Cassimir drew Cormac like a moth to flame, while Valentina appeared quite content to orbit him, the two of them absorbed in some unspoken contest over who admired Cassimir the most. It left Finn, conveniently enough, in the far more agreeable company of the Malconaire girls.

That was how he came to be seated beside Roisin that evening.

“So,” Finn drawled, glancing around the room with exaggerated care, “where has your adoring Varmont prince run off to?”

His tone was light, carefully so, but there was an edge beneath it he hadn’t bothered to sand down entirely. Teasing, yes. But concern, too, and something sharper that he resolutely refused to name.

“You know,” he added, leaning closer and flashing her a grin, “you never used to care for brooding men.”

What Finn did not yet know was that things between Roisin and Edmund were no longer what they had been the last time he’d taken note of them together. And though he might once have taken a certain satisfaction in hearing that whatever had sparked between them had fizzled out, he would not have rejoiced to learn that Roisin herself had been wounded in the process.

Some victories, Finn would later realize, were hardly victories at all.

[forgottenroisin]

Tonight was a strange relief, really. It felt like days past, long before the Varmonts or the war or -- anything. Her father might just be in the next room, pouring over old scrolls. In far off Stafford, Eilia -- or even her father -- might be ruling. The Varmonts were a far-off non-reality, a strange feverdream never to touch them here, arguing animatedly with all their neighbors, but unspeakably far away. Even Valentina and Cassimir were withdrawn into their own little circle, hardly heeding any of the others. Tonight, Rosie was just a girl again, and all was right with the world in a way she'd not appreciated it, then. She'd been scared to burst the bubble, afraid what might fall out. She wished to delude herself further -- she had no desire to return to the waking world -- to find that Eilia was a captive, the Varmonts were power, Ronan was wanted -- and her father, still, was dead.

But it couldn't last.

Finn's words shook it out of her and, for a moment, she looked stubbornly into her lap, taking her time to smooth her skirts and then she sleeves as well, as if this were the most pressing concern in the world. She turned her face to Finn's then, with studied cheer. "Oh," she said, with feigned merriment. She smiled brightly, but it did not quite reach her eyes, and she grasped her glass determinedly. "Who can say? I don't care."

It was a lie. She cared; she cared, intensely. Some nights she stayed up till dawn, wishing against all hope that he would come to her -- others she said her nightly prayers, determined not to see him, whatever may come, even if he came to beg her -- praying she might never see his face again. She tried to tell herself she did not think of him, but so often -- even as tonight -- the very fact of her stubborn refusal to so much as think his name became proof of how very present he truly was in her thoughts, ever hovering at the edges of her mind. I just need closure, she told herself, stubbornly. She had no idea if that were true.

Finn meant well, of course. He always meant well, but he had, too, rather a talent -- she thought, a touch bitterly -- for putting his foot in it, from time to time, too. She huffed a sigh, and caught his eye again. "And I don't any longer," she said, raising the goblet still clenched in her hand. "To absent foes!"

That had been too harsh, she realized, something in her chest palpitating. She clenched her cup a little too hard and took her sip, guilt rushing over her with the fine wine running over her tongue.

"But let's not talk about him. We are always talking of Varmonts, aren't we? I'm tired of the subject. Let's talk about you," she added, eagerly, setting her chalice down and taking both Finn's hands in her own. "I know--" she cleared her throat, adding with certainly. "I know that matrimony has never been a state to which you've harbored much ambition, but..." she squeezed his hands. "I can't think of anyone I would rather call my brother -- save, of course, Cormac," she teased. "But also," she added, turning suddenly deadly serious. "If you ever hurt my sister, I'll drown you, myself." She broke into a grin, again, winking at him. "Now, drink up! And tell me how realistic this whole marriage scheme really is," she laughed. "I still can hardly believe Cormac came up with an idea anyone is accepting -- surely, this is all a strange dream, hm? Do you really mean to wed?"

[forgottenroisin]

Motherhood | Roisin & Aoife

"How're we so calm about it? Well, I confess," retorted Rosie, sarcastically. "I never imagined motherhood would feel so much like maidenhood!"

Valentina was in the midst of telling oof the two younger girls off, two days after the Malconaire fete had had its disastrous ruin and Rosie, for one was tired of it. Catching Aoife's hand in hers, and casting a defiant look towards their stepmother, Rosie marched out into the woods, dragging her sister behind her. Valentina would not follow them into the Old Forest, and Rosie for one was much in need of a little respite.

Pulling her sister down onto a fallen log like a bench, its body covered over in cozy moss, she huffed loudly, still not releasing her sister's hand. "And that woman calls herself a mother! Did Cassimir ever stand a chance?" She often thought he must have, because Sonya had turned out so differently, yet at the moment, she couldn't imagine how any of them could have possibly gotten their heads on straight with Valentina there to chew them off again.

"Our mother, no less," she muttered, irritably flicking an acorn, only to watch if go shooting away and bounce into the green verdure. "Eugh!"

Maybe I just planted a tree, she thought, pressing her eyes closed and exhaling a long breath. Maybe it will grow and grow, and when all the other trees that stood here during our lifetimes, proud and true, are gone, it will stand just as they did to remember us all.

Rosie had had a difficult fortnight, and she had not patience left for Valentina's incisive jabs or cold humors. So much that was happened, so much that had happened, she wished she could just wash away. Wake up, and start anew. But that tale was told and stale, now, and she hated it. She wished she could wash it away, tell something different in its place, like the ever-changing walls of her tiny chamber, but that was just fantasy. And this was cruel reality.

"I can't believe anyone believes this...this rubbish about us," she muttered, darkly, finally releasing Aoife's hand, and rising again, to pace in front of her. It was a mortifying spectacle, and her cheeks were hot just thinking of it, of people imagining all sorts of salacious things about her whole family, only to judge them for it. This was yet another terrible innovation brought them by their overlords. Astaira had never been so. In Astaira, a woman could try out a marriage for a year, then walk away if she so chose. The Varmonts' people prized only maidenhood in a woman.

"I'm so tired of all this, Aoife. I just want--I just want to go. To leave it all behind. See something new. Do something new. Be something new! Isn't it all just too exhausting? I want to...to climb a tree again and laugh amongst the leaves at the top, or, or...dive near a waterfall and feel the current's pull, or...or just...do something I've never done before, and wash all the past away. Somewhere they've never heard our names before, or the Varmonts', or--or even Astaira's! I want to...I want to feel free again, Aoife." She plucked a leaf from a nearby tree, looked down at it in her hand. "I want all of this to be over."

[forgottenaoife]

"She's not our mother," Aoife said quietly, her eyes drifting down to the fallen log they were both perched up, picking absentmindedly at the moss growing there.

"She's Papa's second wife-- not our mother."

Aoife was silent as her sister paced back and forth in front of her, wishing there was something she could do to help ease Rosie's mind. She knew very well her sister was struggling and now knew why-- knew what Edmund had done. She'd known for months now it was one of the princes leading the charge at Malconaire but Aoife somehow knew the it would have been more of a blow to Rosie than to Eithne or even Aoife herself. It wasn't because her youngest sister was weak or naive or foolish but because she put all her emotions into so much of her life. Aoife hoped this wasn't the the thing that would stop Rosie from always doing just that...

"Would you really want to go?" Aoife asked her sister, "Leave... Astaira? I just... I don't want you to go," Aoife said quickly, grabbing Rosie's hand and squeezing it.

"But Sebastian... I know, " Aoife said quickly when Rosie heard her mention the name of a Varmont. "I know... everything about them is... is difficult. But Sebastian, he is close with his uncle and, perhaps..." Aoife paused, shook her head.

"You're going to think I"m mad but perhaps he might find you-- any of us, really-- a decent match with someone who might take us away from here. I.. I know..." Aoife paused, chewed on her lip for a moment. "It feels like giving up. But I don't know how much longer any of us can keep fighting. And I don't know if it will ever be over."

"And might it be nice?" Aoife continued. "Might it be nice to not have to worry about who Cassimir might try to marry us off to or what could happen to us once he and Eithne are married?"

[forgottenroisin]

"No," agreed Rosie, in a huff. "She most certainly is not." Rosie had but precious few memories of her mother, in truth, but even if she'd had not a single one, she'd be quite certain of that truth. There was a time, when Valentina had first arrived in their household, when Rosie had hoped for quite a different outcome. Valentina might have been a help to their father and to Eithne, a friend and a support to them all. She might have been good and kind and worthy. She had proven herself anything but.

"Poor Papa," sighed Rosie, leaning against a tree, the bite of bark and the soft bed of lichen cradling her, alike. She rolled the leaf stem between her fingers, absently, again and again, watching it tumble and twirl. "To be married to such a one..."

He, too, had thought his most recent romance a good idea in the beginning, she realized. He, too, had come to a horrid realization that his partner had had a hand in destroying lives. Her eyes felt heavy. They ached. She cast her glance determinedly away. She didn't know if her eyes were lined with red -- but she didn't want Aoife to see if they were. She paused a moment, sure her voice was regulated before she spoke.

"Was it always hopeless for them, do you think? Was--was there never path forward?" The leaf fluttered from her fingers, dancing towards the forest floor. Absently, she watched it fall, a speck of green settling amongst its dried up, golden brethren.

At her sister's question, Rosie turned towards her, at last. It was a strange thing to hear her own words reflected back at her -- they sounded somehow cold and alien on another's lips. Pushing off from the tree, again, she walked away; back again.

"I--" she picked at her fingers, absently. Hurled her hands away again. "I don't know, I just--" Rosie shook her head. She looked determinedly away, again, off into the soft-waving leaves of the Old Forest. They were a comfort, somehow, like a downy feather bed all around them. She felt safe, here. Sheltered. She let out a long, low breath. She stopped her pacing, let her feet find the forest floor, her soft leather shoes nestling amongst the dead leaves. She sat down, suddenly, again, beside her sister. Laid her head upon her shoulder. "I don't want to leave you, Aoife," she whispered. "Or Eithne or Brigit." She rested her hand over her sister's. "Don't think that. I just want--"

What did she want? Really? Did she even know? Rosie felt weary, suddenly, down to her bones, as if every limb were thick and dull and heavy. And what did it matter, really, either? Why must she ever get up and move and leave here? What difference could it possibly make? She would be as dull and as limp and as heavy anywhere else, and feel just as...as...She was a reed, bending in a current, with the wind rushing past. She was a reed, and she bore a crack, right at her center, a wound from being pushed too hard, a wound just there. The water was getting in, and the wind too, whooshing through her hollow, chafed core. Like a reed, she was singing, but it was only the ache of her cracking center as the wind blew through it. She thought maybe she'd been singing far longer than she'd let herself know.

"I just want things to be different," she mumbled. "Like...like they were." She felt something warm at soft at the edge of her aching eyes. It ran in a silver droplet down her cheek, dropping down onto her shoulder to course down her chest. "Do you remember old Mr. Gairnéir, Aoife?"

It wasn't really a question. Roisin knew she did. The man had been always such a warm presence, kind and thoughtful. He'd been the gardener at Lorcan while their mother was growing up. He'd been part of the retinue to leave the place with Sorcha when she'd come to Malconaire for her wedding, and he had chosen to stay with her when many of the others had gone.

All their lives, he'd been a gardener at Malconaire, his specialty had always been roses and, as something of a rose, herself, it had been a habit of Rosie's as a tiny child to follow him around, and watch him tend her blooming brethren. He was always kind and welcoming to his wee companion, showing her the intricacies of her work -- explaining to her why all roses had thorns, for every beautiful thing must protect itself, one way or another. He would make her laugh and show her the little buds starting to open and, when she got sleepy, he would put his cloak around her and guide her to a warm, sheltered spot when she would refuse to go inside. He'd always called her 'my little lady.' Her mother had once told her that, once, when she'd been but a tiny child, he'd called her the same thing, too. In private, she'd overheard once or twice, he still did. And, somehow, that had made little Rosie feel very grown up, indeed.

"You know what happened to him," she murmured. Though he'd been such an old man, he'd been lost to the Battle of Malconaire. "I never told you, though, that I was there. I--I was the one attending him, Aoife, and I--I couldn't--" she pushed up and off the log again.

He'd grasped her hand at the end, stopping her from her useless work, trying so desperately to close his wounds. His hand, always so warm, was already growing cold. "My little lady," he'd said, at last, his eyes growing distant. "You look just like your mother, in this light."

It hadn't been true at all, of course. Not literally. Rosie knew well and good that she looked nothing like her mother, save in whatever sisterly resemblance she bore to Eithne who was, everyone said, their mother's spitting image. Sometimes she imagined he meant it as a kind metaphor -- she was doing a lady's work, she was showing a little fire just as Sorcha might have. At other times, Rosie wondered if perhaps his eyes had grown so dim, his mind so foggy, at the end, that he simply...hadn't known who he was talking to, perhaps truly had taken her for Sorcha, or simply hadn't known anymore what was going on, as his mind failed him. Some had said, after all, that Sorcha resembled her mother, (though not so closely as Eithne resembled hers).

To this day, Rosie truly had no idea what he had meant, or if it had been simply the babbled nonsense of a dying man (a thing she'd learned that very day was common enough), but even so she'd understood his intent. Even in that moment, even in those awful circumstances, in that much suffering, his fist thought had been to comfort and encourage the person nearest to him. It hadn't been long after that. She'd held his hand through all the rest.

At the mention of Sebastian, Rosie's eyes widened. Slowly, she turned to face her sister. "Sebastian?" she whispered. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. She turned away, hugging herself. It was galling, she thought, galling to ask a Varmont for aid. Showing her back to her sister, she bowed her head.

"I'll take your place," she said at last, turning to face her, again. "I'll marry Cormac. I don't mind." She came to the log, sat down. "I don't mind giving up. I give up." She shrugged, looking at Aoife, again. "I've been thinking of it, anyway. He prefers you, of course, but...he'll take me just as willingly, I'm sure. And that way you and Finn can both be free to wed whomever you choose, Aoife, as you should." She caught her sister's hand, absently stroked her fingers, gazing earnestly at her. She wasn't entirely sure why the betrothal had been settled between Aoife and Finn, anyway, but within herself she was certain that the two could not make each other happy. Finn wouldn't wish to marry anyone, and Aoife...

She wants Sebastian, thought Rosie, staring down at their joined hands. It could never be, of course, Rosie had always known that about their Varmont attachments, but now she was inclined to think it was for the best. Guardians know what secrets he may be hiding...

"We don't need the Varmonts, Aoife." She squeezed her hand. "Brigit was right, all along. We're better off without them." She bit her lip, glanced away into the dark of the wood. She felt like the reed, again, saying that. Was it just more fruitless singing?

"And I don't know if it will ever be over." Rosie stared at her. Her throat felt thick, her chest felt tight. She tried to draw a deep breath, half-choked on strangling air. Her hands went to her face as the tears came. "I can't--I can't do this anymore, Aoife. I can't, I--" she couldn't speak, anymore. Her heart was a millstone around her neck, thick and heavy and grooved with overwork. It pulled her down, sinking. She feared that she would drown. She couldn't breathe.

It would be nice. It would be. But did it matter? Did any of it truly matter? If they escaped Cassimir, what then? What became of Eithne? Of Malconaire? What would become of Astaira? Or of any of them? Even if they found someone with whom to share their load -- how long until they found out -- it was all a lie? Where was there relief? She could see none of it. There was no route ahead. No path to take them from this darkness.

"I wish he were dead," she whispered at last, hands falling away from her face as the last of the tears ran their course. "I wish that Roderick Varmont were dead and buried. I wish--I wish that we were free, all of us, free of his gangrenous influence. Everything he touches, dies! I wish he were dead." Angrily, she brushed away her tears. "Then, then, it might be nice. Then, we might escape Cassimir. Then, we might be free."

[forgotteneithne]

ooc || @forgottenroisin 's feast day card

keywords: bad omens, wrath From the guide: "... a banshee's cry also means death but this death is not physical; it is a symbolic one. You are facing an ending. However, this will not be easy and you will still mourn the loss."

[forgottenroisin]

quillington 11h If this doesn’t tie in w what I was rambling abt re the morrigan and the malconaires tho!!!! Not to mention w the @forgottenedmund revelation and the upcoming witches of the wood era….also like…samain is the night when the ve is thinnest like as ~lady if the fall~ she’s always been closest to ~the other side~ but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing… *veil between worlds is thinnest forgotteneithne 11h Original Poster RIGHT?!?! I was like 'i couldn't have planned this better if i tried!!' Its fits SO well! also just loving the fact that pulled this spirit from irish folklore and lfr pulls so much inspo from that, too! <3 I pulled a card for myself today, too, and I actually pulled "The Veil" which seems PERFECT for today! quillington 11h @forgotteneithne RIGHTTTTTT!!! It really does!! And yesssss that’s coming in absolutely CLUTCH!!!! Celtic mythology is truly vastly underrated, I swear!!!!!! Not me like ‘is @forgottenroisin gonna insist on setting the table for their deceased loved ones as is tradition for samain…only to get a lil visit from a family spirit…and wake up immediately so she’s not sure if she dreamed it or if it was real…👀👀👀 Oh man perfect card is perfect!!!! That’s gotta feel like THIS CARD GETS TONIGHT!!! Dgjkfdg forgotteneithne 10h Original Poster @quillington !!!!!!!! omgggg I LOVE THAT! i feel like eithne would worry abt her doing that (what if roderick ruins another wagon wheel and shows up?!) but also a family spirit coming back to see her! <3333 i feel like out of all of them she would be most likely to connect with the spirits given her feast day! RIGHT? so far i vibed a bit less with this deck (which was mostly just i don't like the artwork as much, haha) but i DO love that card pull so I'm gonna see what else pops out over the next few weeks... quillington 10h @forgotteneithne Honestly makes total sense esp w roderick feeling like they’re family now what e their imaginary children etc sfjmhddgj but I think Rosie’s in a ‘I have to do this’ place what w the edmund thing etc — can also see where this may well come back to bite her and be smth @forgottenvalentina and others can point to to further ‘prove’ that she’s a witch, but yeah!! She’s feeling like she’s betrayed astaira — she’s gotta do ~smth to reclaim her Astairan-ness and what’s more appropriate to the girl born on samain? And like ~was it a spirit? Was it her subconscious? Who knows! But it lives in her mind now… Oh no! I’m sorry to hear the art isn’t up to snuff! At least it seems ~on point~ tho, and I must say this artwork on this card at least is super evocative re the subject matter at least! forgotteneithne 10h Original Poster @quillington Awee Rosie! just wanting to reclaim some of her life and her faith and to feel connected to her past in this moment feels SO right! Our poor girl!!! okay but wondering IF there was a spirit (or some subconscious thing she's imagined) come to visit her... who would it be?!? (also, not Aria & Rosie hanging out w/ maybe spirits or subconscious manifestations! damnit roderick, look what you've done to our girls!) I will say the artwork on the cards feels VERY appropriate for samhain, i just don't feel like they're an intricate or having all the little details like cards from some of the other days. I do LOVE this banshee card tho!

quillington 11h The banshee isn’t a bringer if death, she’s a warning…me to me: on a doylist level this is ~also a reminder to ~me to weave in foreshadowing…😂😂😂 forgotteneithne 11h Original Poster YAAAAAS!!! love it!

so, probs inspired by the pic above and by the fact that banshees are ladies, my initial thought was grandmother eithne, then sorcha, but honestly?? i think the person she ~really needs to speak to is her dad, given everything, and he's the most likely to not be resting super peacefully given how he went out etc, so i feel like bran is the most likely!!

idk that it'll be super elucidating and it def won't be comforting bc 1) i think he'll appear the way he died yknow bloody, one eye missing, all that, maybe even a lil decayed, and all that'll def horrify her, but also i feel like 2) he'll say smth super cryptic -- maybe even the quote on the card? (which even references her dreamy nature! and need to transform...i love it) and she'll just be like ???? ok???? and sort of have to work w that, figure it out, etc -- he might even warn her abt the witchcraft and the tree death etc but in the sort of way that she won't realize that's what he meant till ~afterwards/its too late basically

bc the more i think abt it, the more i think this may be a real apparition bc we know the gods and the guardians are real so like...the old religion has juice and is real, and speaking to ghosts this night is a belief of the old religion etc so like...it might not be ~bran per se (tho it ~may be him? or part of him? idk how all that works!) that she's really talking to -- but ~smth tryna warn the malconaires given what's abt to happen feels right! ik they've canonically been tryna warn saoirse for like a year now (she just is starting to think its a warning that both her brothers are doomed which...saddened and horrified but not ~really that surprised tbqh), and probs brigit too, but tonight w the veil at its thinnest is a night things can talk to more than just seers, and rosie is uniquely connected to that particular rift having come into the world when the veil was thinnest, and...yeah

but yeah either way ~rosie def isn't feeling super sure whether it was a dream or not bc i think its one of those things where she sits down to table ~w bran in the dream....then suddenly wakes up w a start while sitting in a chair slumped over the table...so was it a dream? but she doesn't remember sitting there except ~in the dream...kind of thing and yeah who knows

also yeah valentina digging this up later and claiming she communes w the dead feels right -- probs used some poor soul to enchant edmund into some horrific mind control/love spell too! rosie, on trial: 'eithne did warn me this was a bad idea...'

EDIT:

according to the interwebs...

5 NUMEROLOGY

In numerology, the number 5 is associated with freedom, adventure, change, and versatility. It represents a dynamic, curious, and intelligent personality that thrives on new experiences and social interaction. However, it can also be linked to restlessness and a dislike for routine. All things most assuredly true of our girl...

Personality traits

Adventurous: You are a natural explorer who craves freedom and new experiences. 

Intelligent and witty: You possess a quick and clever mind, often associated with the planet Mercury. 

Social: You are a natural communicator who flourishes in the company of others. 

Adaptable: You are versatile and can adjust to new situations easily. 

Restless: You can become bored with routine and may struggle with boredom. 

Symbolism and meaning

Freedom: Number 5 is a symbol of independence and a desire to break free from constraints. 

Change: It represents transformation and a life path that is not static. 

Balance: In some numerological systems, 5 is considered a number of balance because it sits in the middle of the single digits. 

Action: It embodies dynamic, constantly moving energy. 

and boy is she in a transitional period...

BANSHEE SYMBOLISM

Banshee symbolism centers on death, grift, and a supernatural warning of impending loss. As a female spirit in Celtic and Irish folklore, she is often depicted as wailing a mournful cry to foretell a family member's death. The banshee can also symbolize grief itself, representing everything from personal sorrow to the collective experience of historical loss.  

Harbinger of death: The most prominent symbolism is that of a messenger announcing that someone in a particular family is about to die. Her cry is a final, unavoidable warning of doom. 

Grief and sorrow: The banshee's lament is a manifestation of deep sorrow. Her cry can symbolize personal grief, but also the collective sorrow of historical loss. 

Connection to family: In many tales, a banshee is said to be associated with a specific family, serving as a warning for that particular household. Some myths suggest each Irish family had its own banshee. 

Supernatural warning: As a spirit, she represents the supernatural world crossing into the mortal realm to deliver a message. She is often associated with ancient places like fairy rings, graveyards, and old ruins. 

Mourning and lamentation: The banshee legend is thought to have evolved from the ancient Irish custom of "keening," a ritualistic wailing performed by women at funerals. The banshee's cry is the supernatural embodiment of this practice. 

Justice and retribution: While often a mournful figure, some legends describe more malevolent banshees who take pleasure in a person's death or who were wronged in life. (Also recall the Badb's role as Nemesis or The Great Allotter...find the link below where I talked abt that more...)

rosie's lost her parents, she's lost astaira, she's losing her faith in goodness, she's abt to lose her guardian, her home, her people, her standing/position/platform, her freedom, and even more of her innocence...

and the way i was legit just talking abt banshees and their connection to the malconaire family [ here ]...

CELTIC MERCURY

so the numerology mentioned a link to the planet mercury for 5, and so i looked up celtic beliefs re that planet:

There is no single Celtic deity for the planet Mercury; instead, the Roman god Mercury was syncretized with several Celtic deities, most notably the god Lugus. Lugus, also associated with the Welsh god Lleu and the Irish god Lugh (you remember: mythological Eithne's son!), was comparable to Mercury due to his association with trade, commerce, and possibly light, even though he was sometimes seen as similar to the sun god Apollo. 

Syncretism with Lugus: Julius Caesar identified the Celtic god Lugus with the Roman god Mercury (Greek: Hermes) -- significantly for Rosie, a psychopomp (amongst many other things!). This Roman syncretism was common in Celtic areas.

Aspects of Lugus: Like Mercury, Lugus was associated with trade and commerce. While some theories suggest Lugus was a sun or light deity, his importance in commerce made him a better fit for Mercury than the sun god Apollo, who was equated with the Celtic deity Belenus instead.

Other Celtic deities: Mercury was also combined with other Celtic gods in different regions, including Artaios (Celtic bear goddess associated with wild life, transformation, and abundance), Arvernus (a reference to the ARverni Celtic people but also possibly related to Arawn the god associated with revenge, terror, and the underworld Annwn), Cissonius (meaning 'dream-bringer' and 'carriage-driver', probably a god of trade and protector of travellers, and possibly a god of war whose name has been linked to that of Taranis, the god of thunder), and Moccus (a powerful god associated with pigs and boars, likely due to his name having a connection to these animals. The boar was a powerful symbol in Celtic culture, representing the hunt, war, and prosperity, and potentially even rebirth. thought to be a key sacrificial offering amongst the Celts).

Three-headed Mercury: In some Celtic areas, Mercury was depicted with three heads or faces, possibly because the number three was considered magical.

Worship: This syncretic god was worshipped throughout the Celtic territories, from Britain and Ireland to the Danube region. 

[forgotteneithne]

OOC || Malconaire Family Card

Keywords: ancestral roots, connections, power, claiming or reclaiming Quoted from the guide: "Your higher self chose this card because your ancestors are waiting for you. The red color of the cranberries instantly brings to mind the blood connection of ancestral healing, and it is through your ancestors the intuitive widsom is passed down. They wait patiently for you to connect with them so they can offer the widsom, strength and power that is available to you by right via the blood within your veins. "

Note: I tried to find a concise description of how to read or interpret oracle cards and couldn't find anything definitive, to be honest! What I've seen the most is that everything is open to interpretation by the reader-- images in the cards can really mean anything to the user. The quote & keywords (at least in this deck) are meant to help guide the user in interpreting the card for them. AND... the numbers matter! All of that to say, I think anything and everything can be interpreted in whatever way one wishes!

[forgottenroisin]

quillington

4d

Eeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!! Omg just the ~vibes alone immediately feel malconaire!!!!!!! What w the farming encircled by forests and the birds and foxes and woodland motifs!!! Fhklhffhj

forgotteneithne

4d

Original Poster

RIGHTTT?? I pulled this and immediately looked at all that imagery in the sky! birds & snakes & even the moon off to the side! and can we maybe consider that flower a white lily?!

quillington

4d

@forgotteneithne Omg yassssss the flower on her dress ~does look like a white lily! I say we RUN w that!!! And oooh the ones in her hair look a touch like snowdrops (admittedly…if you squint!) sfhkkjgdd Cranberries’ symbolism apparently is generally abundance, joy, and fellowship which not only feels ~deeply malconaire but also matches up really well w the card you drew for eithne!!! Smth smth she ~is malconaire… The vasilieva serpent slithering onto the scene while the lady of malconaire pours out her water like 👀👀👀👀

forgotteneithne

4d

Original Poster

I IMMEDIATELY CLOCKED THAT SNAKE TOOOOO!!!

quillington

4d

@forgotteneithne RIGGGGHT!!!! And esp in the sky and around her head there’s sm interpretation you could do — like…the constellations? Her thoughts? Clouds? Spirits? Like…much to consider… Without my computer today so I’ll do a more formal response when we’re reunited (soon hopefully!) but 👀👀👀👀👀 very intriguing indeed!!!!! Also cillian being directly invoked via the fox symbolism as a malconaire made me emo 😩😩😩

forgotteneithne

4d

Original Poster

YESSS! There was so much happening and so many little symbols that related to things in the malconaire lives… OBSESSED with this card!!

quillington

4d

@forgotteneithne RIGGGGHT!!!! It really did hit the hammer right on the head!!!!!! Smth smth this card is all abt the innate connection to ancestry, and @forgottenvalentina is obsessed w bloodlines, but betrays the core principles of family…cranberries reversed!

forgotteneithne

30m

Original Poster

Eeeeee yesss! I love this!!!

ok so mostly imma talk abt rosie and we'll see if i end up doing @forgottenvalentina here or separately hahaha but either way im planning to talk abt them as ~parts of a family moreso than as individuals, since that's what this card is doing! but lbr ill inevitably talk abt her as an individual too!

so, w rosie's role as the season of autumn in mind, i wrote the following on disco abt her:

and, that paired w the quote on the card itself, calls to mind the whole, truth, daughter of time concept: that is, that the truth will out, and how in various different ways the whole family seems poised to stare down this issue in multiple ways! perhaps most obv at the 3/4th a sham witch trial they'll be facing, but just...in general that as a factor, too

i mean, they all have truths they have to confront, whether its things they themselves are hiding or things being hidden from them or abt them just...lots of illusion vs truth moments for the whole family, both the malconaire and vasilieva branches! there's the whole secret servants bit, the whole forged will bit, but also the little emotional things we all hide from ourselves -- rosie currently working through her own willful blindness to all the bad in her life; eithne's struggle with agreeing to wed where she is not inclined; cassimir's determination of believe that eithne is and will be happy despite all the signs of to the contrary; brigit's concealed identity as a genuine witch, as bran o'connor, and most lately as a rebel; @forgottenvalentina's continued insistance to always see all her own actions as good and ncessary to the point that she can convince herself that burning her own stepdaughters alive is actually a justified action!! there's also little things that're less like...self or other ~deception and more just...not yet known, but aoife has yet to learn of sebastian's feelings or @forgottenronan's de facto betrayal of ~himself, and, not to speak for lauren or her character but just like based on her bio, sonya has yet to confront allowing herself to get kicked around the board for the scanty love of her mother will probably never get her what she ~really wants, etc like -- the whole family has smth waiting to catch them up i feel like?

even the frosts -- @forgottencillian, at least, is after all actively invoked in the fox imagery! -- can honestly be pulled into this! most obv is their role as rebels they're keeping secret, but there's also the issue of cillian's lord ormond guise, saoirse's witch identity, and ronan's ever-increasing distance from his best self...

also, im interpretting that bird as a white raven (basing that on pure wishful thinking in reality...shhh ;DDD) given bran and lonan's connection to the birds, and the inherited one that the girls share. so ive talked a bit abt raven symbolism and mythology [ here ]. there, i discussed it in terms of arthur and edmund, but obv its also quite relevant for house malconaire as well! i ~do want to sidebar and mention that in the raven and the sun tales, the raven usually starts as a white bird but its feathers are singed in its promethean act of bringing the sun to the ppl to save them, transforming it and its descendants ever after into black birds and smth smth malconaire (nearly) burning and being reborn, both symbolically (the girls nearly being burned to death) and literally (the whole place nearly going up in flames). this also ties into the theme (for rosie specifically as the lady of the fall ig) of seeming death (photosynthesis stops/escaping death into the woods) causing one to turn one's true colors and, thus, w the familial theme of truth, daughter of time (not me like maybe one of bran's two ravens, thought and memory, was white...)

so we've talked a bit abt bran evoking odin, and even potentially losing as eye in the battle of m before his death, but odin's hardly the ~only deity obsessed w ravens, and in celtic myth, that deity is, in fact, a woman who is three and i wanna talk abt how i feel our girls may sometimes evoke ~her. i also wanna talk a little bit abt ~celtic ravens which means invoking none other than our girl, the morrigan who, fun fact, was a triple goddess and, sure, there're four og malconaires, but ~still there kind of ~are four aspects of morrigan too ill get into that in a bit

so the morrigan was part time war goddess, part time death goddess, part time witch, part time prophet, part time sovereignty goddess, and full-time goddess of fate and manifestation of the earth, itself. "While she incites battle and foretells doom, she also represents transformation and renewal, embodying the natural cycle of death leading to new life." she was a goddess of inspiration "she incites warriors to battle and can help bring about victory over their enemies. The Morrígan encourages warriors to do brave deeds, strikes fear into their enemies," and she was a goddess of transformation: as likely to appear as a crone, a mother, or a maiden with jet-black hair like raven's feathers, or as a raven or crow, herself. beware seeing her as a washer woman, cleaning bloody clothes at a ford, however: you will certainly die in battle. the morrigan is often associated with the folkloric banshee whose wails and shrieks warn of a looming death in the family. she was as likely to be a benevolent force for good as a vindictive horror.

in her triple goddess form, she was known as the morrigna, but intriguingly, which three goddesses are included in the morrigna is not a universal, and there are actually four goddesses variously said to compose the three morrigna. i don't intend to ascribe any of these to any of our particular four girls here -- tho we can certainly talk abt that! -- but i ~do find that interesting. anyway, their mother is often said to be the farming goddess, ernmas

ok so we've got BADB, MACHA, ANU, and NEMAIN as the goddesses variously said to come together as three to be the morrigan

BADB

a goddess of war and death, her name literally means 'crow,' and she was accordingly sometimes known as Badb Catha (battle crow) in her fathery form. not unlike the way that ares represents fury in war and athena represents strategy in war in greek myth, badb is our strategist (don't worry, you'll see an ares counterpart soon enough ;D), but that does not mean that her tactics were always kind. "She is known to cause fear and confusion among soldiers to move the tide of battle to her favoured side. Badb may also appear prior to a battle, foreshadowing the extent of the carnage to come, or to predict the death of a notable person. She would sometimes do this through wailing cries, leading to comparisons with the bean-sídhe (banshee)." (note on the banshee -- meaning, roughly, woman fairy: what're now known as fairies were originally generally ghosts who were lost and/or had not yet reincarnated in pre!christian celtic belief. the banshee in particular was a female family member warning her loved ones of loss to come and to prepare for death etc. which, in the context of the malconaire ~family~ feels somehow significant). she was active participant in war, too, w battlefields being nicknamed "the garden of the Badb."

in one of the most significant battles in irish myth, the morrigan appeared upon the field in three personas, one of which was badb. the three morrigna worked together, conjuring "compact clouds of mist and a furious rain of fire" and allowing their enemies "neither rest nor stay for three days and nights." She would often take the form of a screaming raven or crow, striking fear into those who heard her, and could also be heard as a voice among the corpses on a battlefield.

She foresaw all, also delivering a prophecy of the eventual end of the world, "foretelling every evil that would be therein, and every disease and every vengeance." yet, she was not simply a creature of carnage and terror, as likely to herald hope and victory as pain and death, instead of predicting doom, she somtimes sings prophecies celebrating the victory and a time of peace

MACHA

a sovereignty and mother goddess and "like other sovereignty goddesses, Macha is associated with the land, fertility, kingship, war and horses." interestingly, "In modern Scottish Gaelic, the etymologically related term machair refers to a fertile grassy plain that is maintained by continuous trampling and grazing of livestock."

as a soveriegnty goddess, her role was to wed, reproduce, die or disappear, and be reborn again to do the same, conferring the role of king upon her husband who, symbolically, was wed to her -- the land, and crown, itself, all rolled up into one. macha's first incarnation was the first person to die in ireland, it is said, and she was buried beneath a woodland

ANU

also known as 'ana' and 'danu,' it is she from whom the famed irish tuatha de danann take their name, meaning 'children of danu.' she is a celtic mother goddess associated with the land, fertility, abundance, and prosperity (particularly of ireland). considered a mother goddess, she is associated with earth, rivers, and water. her symbols include the Paps of Anu, a pair of breast-shaped hills in County Kerry, considered sacred and connected to her nurturing and life-giving power. a 9th century text hails her as "Ana – mother of the gods of Ireland; well did she feed the gods."

As her name is often conflated with a number of other goddesses, it is not always clear which figure is being referred to if the name is taken out of context. her name has the meaning of "wealth, riches, and prosperity," de facto entitling as the goddess of "good fortune and prosperity."

while largely attested in munster, and larger ireland, there is evidence of a wider celtic cult. in scotland (Alba), for example, a similar figure is referred to as "Gentle Annie," in an effort to avoid offence, a tactic which is similar to referring to the fairies as "The Good People."

NEMAIN

a goddess of war known for personifying the frenzy and chaos of battle, her name translates "dreadful" or "venomous." remember i promised as ares equivalent? yeah. nemain represents the terrifying side of war that causes terror in warriors. often grouped with the goddesses forming the Morrígna or "Great Queens," she shares a husband, neit, with badb, and some tales suggest she may be another manifestation of badb, but that's unclear. like other war goddesses, she could appear as a beautiful young woman or as a crow screeching over a battlefield. nemain is a very powerful goddess, said to have killed 100 men with a single battle cry.

her name is thought to derive from the Proto-Indo-European root *nem- meaning "to seize, take, or deal out," which is related to the greek goddess nemesis, herself personifying retributive justice. This suggests her name may mean "the Great Taker" or "the Great Allotter." a deity of fate and retribution, of course, but perhaps -- also of balance?

in a 12th century text, she is described partaking in a particular battle like so: "Then the Neman attacked them, and that was not the most comfortable night with them, from the uproar of the giant Dubtach through his sleep. The bands were immediately startled, and the army confounded, until Medb went to check the confusion."

and in another: "[cuchulainn] saw from him the ardent sparkling of the bright golden weapons over the heads of the four great provinces of Eriu, before the fall of the cloud of evening. Great fury and indignation seized him on seeing them, at the number of his opponents and at the multitude of his enemies. He seized his two spears, and his shield and his sword, and uttered from his throat a warrior's shout, so that sprites, and satyrs, and maniacs of the valley, and the demons of the air responded, terror-stricken by the shout which he had raised on high. And the Neman confused the army; and the four provinces of Eriu dashed themselves against the points of their own spears and weapons, so that one hundred warriors died of fear and trembling in the middle of the fort and encampment that night."

nemain is said to have been the wife of neit, "the god of battle with the pagan Gaeidhel." in the dindsenchas, nemain "of the wounds of war" is described as the "law-giver wife" of neit -- again, themes of justice and perhaps even balance? the book of leinster lists both badb and nemain as the wives of neid/neit:—"Neit son of Indu, and his two wives, Badb and Neamin, truly, Were slain in Ailech, without blemish, By Neptur of the Fomorians." other sources have nemain as his only bride. in irish books of genealogy, both Fea and Nemain are said to have been the two daughters of Elcmar of the Brugh, who was the son of Delbaeth, son of Ogma, son of Elatan, and the wives of Neid son of Indae. some say that this identical kinship of fea and nemain implies that the two are one and the same personality -- but like...have we never heard of sisters? idk lakjdsfkjsdf

annnnnd yeah!!!!!! now idr exactly where i was going w that so a part 2 probs coming asp but!!!! seemed appropriate to post today all things considered <33333

HAPPY FEAST DAY, ROSIE!!!!!!! <333333333333

[dionysianivy]

𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧

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What is Samhain?

Samhain, celebrated from October 31st to November 1st in the Northern Hemisphere and from April 30th to May 1st in the Southern Hemisphere, is a sacred time when the veil between worlds is at its thinnest. During this festival, the boundaries between realms dissolve, allowing the unseen to come forward. It’s a time to honor our ancestors and offer them hospitality as we transition into the darker half of the year. While it marks the end of the old year, Samhain also heralds the beginning of a new one, reminding us that death is always followed by rebirth, making this festival a powerful moment of transformation.

It is pronounced "Sow-en," which means "summer's end" and aligns with Halloween in the Northern Hemisphere. Samhain marks the time when the Earth enters a period of rest, the days shorten, and winter begins its slow arrival. During this time, the air becomes crisper, the nights grow longer, and the warmth of summer fades, symbolizing the end of one cycle and the start of another.

Samhain holds deep significance as it is a time to remember and honor those we have lost. The thinning of the veil allows for a stronger connection with ancestors, spirits, and otherworldly beings. While it’s a time to venerate these spirits and fair folk, who are particularly active during this liminal period, it’s also essential to protect oneself from any harmful entities that may cross through.

A key aspect of Samhain is honoring and respecting the dead. One simple yet meaningful tradition is to set an extra place at the table for any spirit or ancestor, offering them a meal. Many witches also visit cemeteries to pay respects, not only to their own ancestors but also to those forgotten by time, ensuring no spirit is left without recognition.

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Morrigan x Dagda and Samhain

According to legend, the Irish deities the Dagda and the Morrigan consummate their relationship today to ensure the fertility of land, people, and animals for the year to come. The Dagda, “the good god,” is the tribal father god; the Morrigan, “the phantom queen,” is often described as a “battle goddess,” although that only hints at her powers. She begins the Great Rite in the form of an old hag but is rejuvenated by the union, regaining her youth and beauty. On the eve of Samhain, the Dagda, god of strength and fertility, meets the Morrigan, goddess of war and fate, at the River Unius. As he prepares for battle against the Fomorians, ancient enemies of the Tuatha Dé Danann, he encounters the Morrigan bathing in the river. They make love, a symbolic act representing the union of the land (the Morrigan) with its protector (the Dagda). In return, the Morrigan promises to aid the Tuatha Dé Danann, using her powers of prophecy and battle to help them secure victory. Her role as a goddess of fate is essential, shaping the outcome of the war and the future of the land.

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Magic Correspondences:

Planets: Pluto, Saturn

Season: Autumn

Element: Water

Time of Day: Midnight

Tarot: The Death, The Devil, The Magician

Colors: Black, Orange, Gold, Silver, Red, Yellow, Purple

Herbs: Rosemary, Mugwort, Sage, Patchouli, Frankincense, Calendula, Garlic, Bay, Apple Leaf

Fruits: Pomegranate, Apple, Pear, Grapes, Hazelnuts

Vegetables: Pumpkin, Squash, Carrot, Potato, Turnip

Runes: Eihwaz, Jera, Othala

Crystals: Obsidian, Onyx, Carnelian, Cat’s Eye, Labradorite, Smokey Quartz, Black Tourmaline, Granite, Amber

Trees: Birch, Rowan, Hawthorn

Goddesses: Hecate, Banba, Cerridwen, Macha, Badb, Persephone, Cailleach Bheur, Kali, Bastet, Nephthys, Durga, Arianrhod, Baba Yaga

Gods: Hades, Loki, The Dagda, Cernunnos, Osiris, Anubis, Belenus, Arawn

Dragon: Grael

Flowers: Yarrow, Hawthorn, Marigold, Chrysanthemum, Blackthorn

Animals: Spider, Owl, Bat, Cat, Wolf, Dog, Rat, Snake, Raven, Cow

Magical powers: Transformation, Death, Life Cycles, Honoring the Dead, New Beginnings, Spirit Communication, Witchcraft, Faery Magick, Mirror Spells, Reincarnation, Astral Projection, Balance, Wisdom

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Activities to do:

👻 Honor your ancestors

👻 Connect with your loved ones that have passed away. Give them offerings, talk to them, and remember the happy moments

👻 Watch your favorite spooky movies

👻 Clean your altar (if you have one)

👻 Carve a pumpkin with symbols of what you want to attract (heart = love, water drops = healing)

👻 Talk with spirits through tarot cards, runes, or a pendulum

👻 Connect with your magick and your craft

👻 Honor and connect with your deities, leave them some offerings as it's an important celebration for everyone

👻 Light candles around your house

👻 Write wishes and place them on your jack-o'-lanterns

👻 Eat Samhain food or any food that makes you feel close to this sabbat

👻 Do guided meditations

👻 Make a special recipe and add some intentions

👻 Do some spells! October, especially Samhain, is the most magickal time!

👻 Leave some milk outside for Cat Síth!

👻 Honor the dead and respect life :D

👻 Write your wishes on bay leaves and burn them

👻 Honor the forgotten dead, those who don't have anyone to remember them, and light a candle for them

👻 Cleanse yourself and your house

👻 If you feel comfortable, visit a cemetery

👻 Eat lots of candy

👻 Light a Bonfire

👻 Eat apples (you can also use them as offerings)

👻 Take a walk in nature and appreciate the beauty of autumn

👻 Wear colors associated with Samhain, especially black

👻 Do candle magick

👻 Collect autumn leaves and place them in your house

👻 Use pumpkin seeds for spells—they're great for prosperity, abundance, or even love

👻 Put up photos of your loved ones who have passed, leave them food, and light candles

👻 Place figurines around your home with cats, crows, pumpkins or other Samhain symbols

👻 Throw a Samhain/Halloween feast with the people you love

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Food and drinks:

Meat – pork, especially (it’s completely okay if you don’t want to consume it), pumpkin – anything with pumpkin like pumpkin pie, seeds, bread, soup, corn – sweetcorn, popcorn, cornbread, apples – apple cake, apple pie, apple juice, apple cider, spiced wine, cider, mulled wine, honey, potatoes, roasted vegetables, stew, biscuits, salads made with veggies from your garden, recipes loved by your ancestors, pomegranates, squash

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useful sources: Wicca: A Modern Guide To Witchcraft & Magick; Encyclopedia of Witchcraft: The Complete A-Z for the Entire Magical World by Judika Illes

gifs credit: Pinterest

Tip Jar🕸🎃

[alwayswiselight]

I love this!

[forgottenroisin]

OOC | Ogham/Malconaire Letters/Code

thesis statement that the rest of this is building out: maybe malconaire basically has a secret (ancient) language that the resistance and malconaire girls can ultimately use as a secret code...

THE LANGUAGE OF THE TREES

so grabbed this from the replies on the ogham calendar discussion and thought id just go ahead and post them:

forgottenarias 9h Original Poster @quillington Until you posted abt it, I had no idea there was Celtic zodiac!!! But it seems to relate well back to LFR which I LOVE! I def want to read up on it more, too! quillington 1h @forgottenarias I didn’t know until recently, myself! I knew abt the ogham alphabet and was looking into that re codes and things for the resistance when I stumbled on the tree astrology thing and 👀😂👏 forgottenarias 1h Original Poster @quillington RESISTANCE CODES AHHH!!!! @quillington I was looking into it a bit further last night but stopped myself before I went TOO far down a rabbit hole but!!! The tree associations feel so VERY malconaire!!! It all feels very Astairan but the tree bit specifically screams malconaire! quillington 54m @forgottenarias That idea is still under development and such but 👀👀👀 def still percolating!! Bc I was thinking it might actually develop outta the witches of the woods thing — them using the ancient Astairan alphabet to leaves notes/help find eo etc but yeah!!! Still dreaming that one out a bit… @forgottenarias RIGGGGHT!!!! Big time!!!!! That was part of my idea w ogham too like — maybe both of these developed in the ~kingdom~ of malconaire thousands of years ago so some of they ppl there still know if but it’s escoteric enough that most other ~Astairans even (little less varmonts!) won’t be able to translate it but the ladies of malconaire…they woukd know…grandmother eithne taught them the ancient ways when she taught them herbology type vibes? Idk dhkkgsfhj bc yesssss tree letters? Tree astrology??? Like all astaira can def get on board but those absolutely feel like malconaire inventions to me!

IRL OGHAM ALPHABET STUFF

so let me talk abt the ogham alphabet! you already know a lil abt it maybe if you've seen [ this ] post, but basically irl it was the ancient druidic and early medieval form of writing. each letter/character represented a specific holy tree, composed of lines and notches that are typically read from bottom to top along a vertical stemline. Originally used for early Irish, it was carved into stones for inscriptions and is believed to have had 20 letters, with five more added later for medieval use. Each letter is formed by a series of strokes on either side of the stem or trunk, or on the stem itself, known as branches or twigs, w each figure usually named after trees and plants (many of which were regarded as trees by the Celts -- reeds, for example, they considered a type of tree though we do not consider them that, today). 

Ogham was used for early Irish language inscriptions on stone monuments, sometimes marking land boundaries or personal names, and later in medieval manuscripts. It is still used today for things like jewelry and can be adapted to write modern languages, though this requires making choices for letters that don't have a direct equivalent.  you can read more [ here ] and find examples of irl inscriptions [ here ].

according to irish folklore, ogham was either invented by irish scholars, led by a guy called fenius, studying the remains of the tower of babel and bringing togyether the best of the confused languages left there into ogham or, according to the even older story: "the Ogam Tract [medieval manuscript] credits Ogma [a celtic god] with the script's invention. Ogma was skilled in speech and poetry, and created the system for the learned, to confound rustics and fools. The first message written in ogam was seven b's on a birch, sent as a warning to Lug [another celtic god -- in irish myth said to be the son of the celtic eithne as well iirc? at least in some versions yknow how myths be hahaha], meaning: 'your wife will be carried away seven times to the otherworld unless the birch protects her.' For this reason, the letter b is said to be named after the birch, and In Lebor Ogaim goes on to tell the tradition that all letters were named after trees, a claim also referred to by the Auraicept as an alternative to the naming after Fenius' disciples."

POTENTIAL LFR OGHAM HISTORY

i honestly feel like we could do either or some sort of a mix of the above, if we wanted, in that the calainons have a burning destroyed tower and the malconaires have a guardian tree, not to mention gods on the loose, etc, but yeah!

anyway, it def feels like, if we go w this, that ogham was probs first developed in the ancient kingdom of malconaire, and then a version of it may have spread into the rest of astaira, when the three crowns were united, and it may have evolved into old astairan and then later middle and modern astairan, from there? but the tree theme feels extremely malconaire in origin to me i gotta say <3

OGHAM ALPHABET

RESISTANCE/MALCONAIRE CODE & WHO KNOWS IT?

so my thought is that mayhaps the rebels eventually start using this as a code to eo (probs carved into rocks and trees in out of the way spots where you'd have to ~know to look for it perhaps...) as well as on parchment when needed etc -- for example, astairan scholars like eilia and @forgottenarias (but also unfortunately like @forgottenrian ) might know how to read it, but i feel like it remains a good one, but ancient ogham is probs not widely known outside of malconaire?

and my thought, re how this might've started, as i referenced above, is that perhaps, while the malconaires are separated in their witches of the wood era, they maybe start carving dair (oak) and gort (ivy) ᚇᚌ into trees (or, if that feels too obv, maybe even BRANOGENI ᚁᚏᚐᚅᚑᚌᚓᚅᚔ – 'born of raven' or BIVAIDONAS ᚁᚔᚃᚐᚔᚇᚑᚅᚐᚄ – 'alive like fire' as references to the meanings of bran and sorcha <3) w a note in ogham below saying 'ill be in the white glade on tuesday evening of the full moon' or whatever (and maybe sending eo coded notes in ancient ogham was smth they used to do as kids, playing in the old forest? their own ~secret language...) trying to locate eo, since i feel like they almost certainly would've been taught ogham as part of their early education? perhaps by grandmother eithne, herself?

irregardless of that, tho, if/when one/all of them are picked up by the resistance, maybe that means of coded messages spreads as a way of sending coded msgs both to eo and the ppl of malconaire? using the ogham horoscope, they could also use these symbols to relate to specific ppl -- for example, @forgotteneilionora might be referenced as fearn, etc.

other thoughts: would @forgottencassimir and/or @forgottensonya know ogham? and might a version of it (tho probs a slightly different variant, bc of ~linguistic evolution~ etc?) have gotten passed down to @forgottenguinevere ?

either way tho i def think itd be much easier for a native astairan speaker to learn than anyone who isn't etc so!! some advantages perhaps! and maybe like i said, having developed in malconaire potentially, the most ancient form is pr much unknown outside the county?

alternately, re its origin, if we ~do go w anyone getting stolen away by the resistance during eithne's wedding, this could play a key role in coordinating smth like that? w @forgottenbrigit as part of the resistance, now, perhaps she could suggest it, knowing her sisters and probs the frosts (since they seem to have been sitting in on many of the lessons the malconaires had from what we've talked abt? but maybe not, and they certainly wouldn't know them as well as the og girls, if they know them at all!!), and brigit could probs teach any resistance members who ~weren't familiar w it, etc, will be able to decipher it if they just happen to see it, but that, for instance, ~valentina and any varmonts (besides maybe guin? but i doubt the resistance or malconaires would have any way of knowing guin might be able to at least partially discern the meanings? since atp ppl still don't realize iirc that there's a relation there?) def will noT have that skill and would probs just think it was a lil design -- can def see rosie putting these in hemlines and things like that asp etc -- its just a pretty lil border on this skirt it def isn't a coded message to the rebels that i sewed into amira's gown <3

[forgottenroisin]

OOC | Ogham Calendar & Celtic Astrology

so this should be a bit of a fun alksjdflkjsdlfjasf but i was reading up on the ogham calendar for ~another project but for obv reasons all i could think of was lfr lakjsdflkjsdjfdf bc *drum roll* i found out there's like basically a ~celtic astrology~ related to trees!!!!!!!1 and accordingly i lost my entire mind <3333333

ok so ogham was the ancient celtic alphabet, with each letter symbolizing a sacred tree. each tree had its own magics and associations annnnd this alphabet formed a lunar calendar, so effectively, they had 13 ~months (its not really like that but also it kinda is you feel me asdjfkjdsjf) corresponding w the wheel of the year and its sacred holidays and all of that jazz! since each of the thirteen ~months corresponded to a letter which itself corresponded to a tree with its own magics/personality/associations, we get...celtic astrology! laksjdfkljdsf also there ~is a bird and also random animal component, and i say we go absolutely bananas ;D imma need to do more research but i got too excited and thought id just toss this out here for you all to see!

note: there is apparently quite a bit of heated debate in scholastic circles abt all of this, so def take w a heaping grain of salt!

okie dokie so!! CREDIT TO ALL ARTISTS idk who made all of these unfortunately!!!!! but i do got some visual aids!

[ "Celtic astrology is one of the oldest in the world, primarily used by the natives of Central European nations. The Celts were highly conscious of their environment and imbibed nature in their religion and symbols. Consequently, their astrology is also divided into Celtic tree signs and Celtic animals signs, and both aim to navigate what a person’s personality is like." ] [ "* Note: Celtic Druids did not determine Sign based on the actual date of birth but rather by the date of conception. For example, if you were born three weeks before the scheduled date, you need to add these three weeks to the actual date of birth, in order to figure out the appropriate Sign." ] the phrasing of that confused me at first, but basically how it works is your 'birthdate' is considered to be a full 9 months after conception, whether or not you were ~actually born on that day

for our purposes, im just going to assume that characters were born ~exactly 9 months after conception~ but obv don't feel tied to that (and it also makes a great excuse if these don't ~quite fit but smth close ~does ;DDDD)

[ "Celtic astrology follows a lunar calendar composed of thirteen moon cycles, each associated with a specific sacred tree. According to Druidic belief, the tree connected to a person’s birth moon influences their personality, strengths, and destiny." ]

so since we know all the og malconaire girls' bdays for sure, i thought this post would largely focus on them, but there're some variants i noticed so first set of trees is from [ this ]

EITHNE

Willow ~ The Observer (April 15 to May 12) Calm, Intuitive, Sympathetic  You are naturally honest, generous, and compassionate, someone who values sincerity over drama and gravitates toward love, peace, and inner calm. With a sharp intellect and deep emotional insight, you have a unique ability to understand both people and the greater mysteries of life. Your grounded, realistic outlook helps you navigate the world with quiet confidence.  Known for your kindness and unfailing courtesy, you move through life with a gentle presence, never seeking to offend and always striving to uplift. At the same time, you possess a sharp wit and a wonderfully mischievous sense of humour that brings joy to those lucky enough to share your company. People feel at ease around you, comforted, entertained, and inspired.  You are most compatible with Birch and Ivy, who resonate with your balance of heart, wisdom, and lightness of spirit.

BRIGIT

Rowan ~ The Thinker (January 21 to February 17) Intelligent, Highly influential, Patient You are a clear-sighted visionary who sets high standards for yourself and pursues your goals with quiet determination. While you may appear calm and composed on the outside, there’s a strong inner drive that fuels your creativity and guides you forward. Your ideas are original and imaginative, often setting you apart from others, and sometimes even intimidating those who sense your potential.  Though you project strength and confidence, those who know you well see your patient, kind, and caring nature. You have a remarkable ability to influence your surroundings, often improving situations and uplifting others with your quick thinking and steady presence.  People are naturally drawn to you, not through loud charisma, but through a quiet, magnetic energy that speaks volumes. You are most compatible with Ivy and Hawthorn, who reflect your balance of resilience and insight.

AOIFE

Holly ~ The Ruler (July 8 to August 4) Confident, Noble, Leader You are seen as respectable and noble, qualities that reflect how you feel on the inside as well. Naturally confident in your abilities, you step into leadership roles with ease. Challenges rarely faze you, and even when setbacks occur, you respond with renewed determination to reach your goals.  Focused and driven, you maintain your sense of purpose even in the most relaxed environments. Once others get to know you, they discover your generous, kind, and warm nature.  You are most compatible with Ash and Elder.

ROISIN

Reed ~ The Inquisitor  (October 28 to November 24) Compassionate, Truthful, Curious You have a natural gift for uncovering hidden truths, digging beneath surface distractions to reveal deeper meaning. Guided by a strong sense of integrity and honour, you are a trusted confidant - people instinctively open up to you, knowing their secrets are safe in your hands.  At the same time, you’re drawn to stories, gossip, and scandal, thriving on the intrigue of human nature. This unique balance makes you exceptionally well-suited to roles like journalism or detective work, where your talent for peeling back layers and getting to the heart of a matter truly shines. Your sharp intellect is undeniable, but it’s your compassion and unwavering loyalty that leave the strongest impression.  To the ancient Druids, any tall plant with a woody stalk held the spirit of tree energy. The reed, prized for both its resilience and elegance, was honoured with a sacred place in the Ogham - the mystical alphabet of the Celts. You are most compatible with Oak and Ash.

from [ this ] site we get a few more associations

EITHNE

April 15 - May 12 Willow/The Observer: Creative, intuitive, intelligent, learner, shiny star. animal guardians: Adder, Hare, Sea Serpent gem: Moonstone

BRIGIT

Jan 21 - Feb 17 Rowan/The Thinker: Progressive thinker, creative, original,keen visionaries, morale. animal guardian: Green Dragon gem: Peridot

AOIFE

July 8 - August 4 Holly/The Ruler: Noble, leader, succesful, brave. animal guardians: Cat, Unicorn gem: Carnelian

ROISIN

October 28 - November 24 Reed/The Leader: Willpower, history-lover, learner. animal guardians: Hound, Owl gem: Jasper

from [ this ] site we see other animal guardians crop up, including descriptions from [ here ]:

EITHNE

The Bull zodiac sign imbues its natives with patience, strength, and loyalty. Bulls in Celtic folklore are symbols of wealth and societal power. They are also immortalized in the Elder Futhark rune, Uruz. Individuals with the Bull zodiac sign are naturally talented but slow-moving. They are loveable and kind, but can quickly lose their temper if this disposition is wrongly assumed to be a weakness. They can be stubborn about their ways and don't feel the need to impress anyone. They are quite honest and humble in this regard.

BRIGIT

The Cat, or Feline, zodiac sign imbues its natives with intuition, curiosity, and self-reliance. Cats in Celtic folklore are both revered and feared. They are believed to be shape-shifters and to have the ability to communicate with the otherworld. They are also commonly associated with witchcraft. Individuals with the Cat zodiac sign love learning about new things but do not like to be bothered or have people pry into their business. They are also very quick-witted and intelligent.

AOIFE

The Horse zodiac sign imbues its native with power, drive, and passion. Horses in Celtic folklore were either noble steeds and companions of warriors or were kelpies who dragged unsuspecting victims to the bottom of a lake or ocean as a meal. Individuals with the Horse zodiac sign are naturally charismatic and strong and can be very stubborn about their ideas and ideals. They are also loyal and possess an untamed beauty to them.

ROISIN

The Wolf zodiac sign imbues its natives with passion, loyalty, and ambition. Wolves in Celtic folklore were associated with the moon and were symbols of intuition, wisdom, and the hunt. Individuals who have this zodiac sign are excellent team players and believe in honor and pride. They can be fearless or courageous. They are also very particular about their ways, routines, and social circle.

and, from [ this ] site, alternate trees which, intriguingly, are actually the very ~[ same tree ] for three of them, since its apparently the tree of the four big holidays of the year...except, for some reason, it pops up 5 days ~into august rather than starting august 1, so aoife gets her own?? so everyone gets poplar, except aoife who gets cypress:

Poplar Tree- Celtic Tree Zodiac Sign

Strong keywords: Rapid growth, Honesty Weak keywords: Loneliness Tree variants: Elecampane (Horse-heal) Birthday: 1 February – 10 February 1 May – 10 May 5 August – 14 August 1 November – 10 November Meaning: Poplar is a very important tree in Celtic mythology. In our tree circle, poplar occurs four times, always after the Celtic holidays of Samhain, Imbolc, Beltin and Lugnasad. Characteristics and personality: Person who was born under the rule of Poplar learns fast and understands quickly. Just like Poplars, people born during the time of their rule are direct and straightforward. They often have artistic talents and a sense for beauty. Most of these people are closely connected with nature and they feel better in rural areas than in towns and cities. It is no exaggeration to say that they understand nature much better than most other people.  They are popular because they are able to see things from different angles and they never really care about money. They are also skilful diplomats in interpersonal relationships. In critical situations, their unbelievable courage may unexpectedly appear and they will start defending their ideas with great vigour and confidence even though they know that they cannot win the argument.  These positive qualities are sometimes balanced by loneliness and a sense of abandonment, because due to their high moral expectations they do not usually have many true friends. This can sometimes lead to anger and bitterness. Even in their love life they are not always happy and their dream of having a big and closely-knitted family hardly ever becomes true. However they can usually hide their dissatisfaction or sadness very well and their closest friends may not even know about what troubles them.

Cypress Tree- Celtic Tree Zodiac Sign

Strong keywords: Tolerance, Sociability Weak keywords: Laziness Tree variants: Hawthorn, Juniper, Camomile Birthday: 23 January – 31 January 25 July – 4 August Characteristics and personality: People born under the rule of Cypress are tolerant, resourceful and faithful. However, they are also quite lazy and inclined to oppress the weak in their surroundings. They have the ability to endure the adversity of fate, which does not break them; on contrary, they learn from the experience. The nature of people born under the rule of Cypress is very rare, because they are able to intensively enjoy everything that life brings. These people have a strong will to find a solution to a problem even if it means their discomfort. Perhaps that is why they do not lose their head, goodwill and hope that things will get better, even in the worst situations. Just like cypress trees, these people like the Sun and they cannot stand any restrictions on their personal freedom. If you force them to live in confined conditions, whether in a physical or spiritual sense, they will soon become grumpy and they will make life miserable even for the greatest optimists around them. They do not like being alone and they avoid solitude. They prefer spending time in their family circle or with good friends. They need both, their family and friends, in order to be happy in their lives. Cypress people are popular because their presence has a calming effect on other people.  These people love nature, they like to wander around and they are very keen travellers. Their main interest is getting to see new places and learning about the customs of the people living there. People born under the rule of Cypress just want to be happy. They are not really interested in anything else; they do not attach special importance to success in life or to material values. They are therefore not successful traders, politicians or entrepreneurs. The most suitable profession for them is a job that requires constant contact with people, but where they can also work independently and nobody limits their vigour and enthusiasm. They are very good tour guides, truck drivers and pilots, for example. Their career, however, is not sky-high, because they are not making a very good effort to climb up the career ladder. On the contrary, they carefully avoid everything that can cause a problem that may disturb their happiness.  Cypress people are daydreamers and they let their life take its natural course. They organise their lives only in case of extreme inevitability and with great self-denial. The biggest obstacle of their journey to happiness is their effort to avoid any challenging and stressful situations. They do not realize that in life it is sometimes necessary to stand up for yourself and take risks, otherwise it is not possible to move forward.  Cypress people are not good managers because they tend to be too bossy and procrastinate when a problem has to be solved. They are strict and uncompromising with their subordinates. They usually lack organizational talent so their efforts often lead to confusion, chaos and quarrels, in which everybody accuses everybody else.  They behave the same way in their marriage; sometimes they require a submissive subordination and boundless devotion from their partner. If their current partner cannot or does not want to give it to them, they will break up with them and find another partner without mercy. In love, they are wild and sensual. They will change many romantic partners before they find a person who will conform to them. But once they find the right person, they love them with all their heart. In that case, they are faithful to them until the day they die.  Cypress people are just as healthy as their tree, which is strong and beautiful. As they get older they may become hypochondriacs under the influence of other people. They may start looking for diseases that everybody has at that age.

also it had no meaning listed for cypress, and didn't really go into the meaning of poplar, tho it claimed to, so your girl shall supply them

poplar

In Celtic tree lore, the Poplar tree, or Eadha (white poplar), symbolizes uncertainty and is associated with growth, strength, and visualization. The Poplar is also connected to hope, revival, and creativity. Historically, its wood was used to make durable shields for protection against harm, while its quivering, "whispering" leaves made it a "talking" tree. Poplars are fast-growing and hardy, symbolizing growth, strength, and the ability to adapt and thrive in various environments. Due to their fast growth and ability to flourish, they represent hope and the promise of new beginnings. The long, flattened leaf stems cause the leaves to rustle with even the slightest breeze, earning it the name "talking tree" or "whispering tree." In ancient times, the Poplar was used for making shields to provide protection from injury and death in battle. Eadha is the Celtic name for the Poplar, representing the earthy and material aspects of life. People born under the Poplar tree sign are often seen as ambitious, creative, and possessing strong intuition. Poplars can be sensitive to their surroundings, and those connected to this tree may have sensitive characters. A core association with the Poplar is uncertainty, a sense of not knowing what is coming next.

cypress

The cypress tree is not a primary or widely documented symbol in traditional Celtic traditions, with the Celtic Tree Calendar featuring other trees like the Oak and Ash. However, the cypress appears in some modern interpretations of Celtic Tree astrology, where it represents faithfulness, passion, and a preference for peace. The tree's strong association with mourning in classical and European cultures likely contributes to its placement in some Celtic-inspired symbolism, while its evergreen and tall nature also connect it to themes of eternity and resilience. In this [astrology] context, the cypress is linked to serenity, new life, and adaptation, and individuals with this tree sign are said to prefer peace and avoid conflict. The tree is also a symbol of faithfulness, passion, and a quick temper in other interpretations of Celtic tree astrology. The tree's ability to remain green year-round symbolizes continuity and immortality. Its distinctive tall and narrow shape is seen as pointing heavenward, representing the soul's journey or spiritual ascent. Its ability to live for centuries contributes to its symbolism of enduring spirit, even linking it to the Greek myth of Cyparissus, who became a tree to mourn his pet stag.

[ this ] site talks a bit more abt ~alternate animal totems:

EITHNE

 Adder  April 15 - May 12  Transformation, Healing,  Life Energy.  Resourcefulness,   Strong interest in family.   Excellent memory.   Drawn to natural methods of healing.   Healing, magic, shape shifting and initiation.

BRIGIT

Crane January 21 - February 17 Secret Knowledge, Eccentric,  Patien,t  Clever  with specialized skills and talents,  Progressive outlook on life.  Sense of the evolving spirit.   Sensitivity to the other world, traveling, 

AOIFE

Cat July 8 - Aug. 4  Creative,  Sensual,  Nobility Strong sense of personal integrity and a firm set of values,  Loyal and trustworthy.   Deep devotion to family.  Affectionate.

ROISIN

Owl October 28 - November 24  Wise,   Changeable, Detached at times, Powerful presence Personal magnetism ,   Highly imaginative , Passionate,  

and a bit more abt those alternate trees as well, listing slightly different dates:

EITHNE

Poplar The Uncertainty  Feb. 4 to 8,  May 1 to 14,  Aug. 5 to 13 Looks very decorative,  no self-confident behavior,  only courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and pleasant surroundings,  very choosy,  often lonely,  great animosity,  artistic nature,  good organizer,  tends to philosophy,  reliable in any situation,  takes partnership serious.

BRIGHT & AOIFE

Cypress The Faithfulness  Jan. 25 to Feb. July. 26 to Aug.4 Strong, &muscular,  adaptable,  takes what life has to give, happy content,  optimistic,  needs enough money ,  needs acknowledgement,  hates loneliness,  passionate lover which cannot be satisfied,  faithful,  quick-tempered,  unruly,  pedantic and careless.

ROISIN

Walnut Tree The PassionApr.21 to Apr.30 Oct.24 to Nov.11 Unrelenting,  strange and full of contrasts, often egoistic,  aggressive,  noble,  broad horizon,  unexpected reactions, spontaneous,  unlimited ambition,  no flexibility,  difficult and uncommon partner, not always liked but often admired,  ingenious strategists,  very jealous and passionate,  no compromises.

more on the additional animal totems!

eithne

HARE

In Celtic lore, the hare is a mystical and sacred animal symbolizing fertility, abundance, and the moon, with connections to the Otherworld and shapeshifters. Hares were respected for their speed and nocturnal activity, and they were associated with goddesses like Eostre. Seeing a hare could be a sign of good fortune or, in some traditions, a warning or even a harbinger of death

SEA SERPENT

Celtic sea serpent figures represent the power and mystery of nature, with ancient folklore telling of huge, serpentine monsters that inhabited rivers, lakes, and the ocean. The symbolism of these beings is multifaceted, often embodying transformation, chaos, and a connection to the ancient past. In Celtic mythology, sea serpents like the Oilliphéist in Irish and Scottish folklore are often monstrous, great beasts that symbolize chaos, the primal forces of nature, and remnants of the pagan world. These creatures are associated with the depths of lakes and rivers and sometimes seen as ancient entities that shaped the landscape, such as carving the River Shannon, or were fought by early heroes and saints.

brigit

GREEN DRAGON

In Celtic culture, there isn't a distinct concept of a "green dragon," but the general Celtic dragon symbolizes power, wisdom, protection, and a deep connection to nature and the Earth's energies.

Green, as a separate symbol, represents nature, healing, prosperity, and spiritual connection. 

The green dragon combines these concepts to represent the ultimate protector of nature, a conduit to the healing power of the Earth, and a symbol of great wisdom and balanced power.

aoife

CAT

in celtic folklore, a fae cat was known as  Cait Sìth, a supernatural, magical being, often a large black cat with a white spot on its chest, known for guarding the Otherworld and souls. The Cait Sìth possesses abilities such as foretelling the future and can act as a trickster or a protector, bestowing blessings or curses depending on the treatment they receive, such as leaving milk out on Samhain for good fortune. The creature is also sometimes believed to be a witch capable of transforming into a cat, a myth potentially linked to the "cat has nine lives" proverb.

In Celtic belief, the cat totem symbolizes a deep connection to the mystical Otherworld, protection, mystery, and intuition. The legendary Cait Sith (or Cat Sidhe) embodies otherworldly guardianship, and can bring blessings of abundance or curses of misfortune depending on how it is treated. The cat's independent nature, silent grace, and ability to see the unseen makes it a powerful spirit guide, encouraging self-reliance, wisdom, and a connection to hidden knowledge.

UNICORN

In Celtic mythology and particularly in Scotland, the unicorn symbolizes purity, innocence, power, and wild freedom, representing the untameable and proud spirit of the Celtic people. It is Scotland's national animal, first appearing on their royal coat of arms in the 12th century, with chained unicorns on the shield symbolizing the power and ability of Scottish kings to tame even the wildest creatures.

roisin

OWL

In Celtic lore, the owl is a symbol of wisdom, stealth, and keen perception. It was believed that the owl could see into the future and the past, offering guidance to those who sought its insight. The Celts revered the owl for its ability to navigate through both physical and spiritual darkness, making it a powerful guide for those on a quest for deeper truths.

HOUND

Celtic Hounds represent loyalty, courage, devotion, and protection in Celtic history and mythology. They symbolize the connection between the physical and spiritual worlds, acting as guides for souls. Prominent in the Book of Kells and Irish legends like the tale of Cú Chulainn, these sacred dogs were highly respected companions, guardians, and even served as a symbol of honorable warriors.

GEMS (there's not a lot of confirmed info abt this but we've got some!)

eithne

moonstone -- Celtic folklore holds that moonstone embodies the mysteries of the night and the spirit world. It was believed to guide travelers and protect them during nocturnal journeys, serving as a beacon of hope in dark times.

brigit

peridot -- The vibrant green of peridot resonates with Celtic reverence for nature. In a Celtic Spiral, it represents life’s cycles of growth and prosperity.

notably, peridot was not largely available in the british isles, coming from places like egypt, meaning it required great wealth to obtain. sadly, its meaning has been lost, but some gems which may have had related meaning are other green stones, which they deeply valuaed. some which were native to the area include: Often called "Ireland's national gemstone," connemara marble comes in many shades of green and is deeply connected with Irish heritage. serpentine: This light green stone was used by ancient peoples and was believed by some ancient cultures to aid in rebirth and renewal. hag stones: While not always green, these natural stones with holes have rich folklore and are found on beaches in Celtic regions. They were believed to offer protection and allow one to see supernatural beings.

aoife

carnelian -- A favourite of the Celts, Romans, and Egyptians, carnelian was associated with courage, vitality, and strength. Warriors wore carnelian beads into battle for protection and victory, and appear to have symbolized courage, vitality, and protection

roisin

jasper -- While limited specific records survive regarding ancient Celtic beliefs, modern interpretations link Jasper to concepts important in Celtic traditions, including grounding, courage, and a connection to the natural world. As a gemstone often used in jewelry, its meaning is also tied to Celtic symbols and mythology. Jasper is considered an elemental Earth stone with constant, slow energy. Its grounding properties would have resonated strongly with the Celtic people's reverence for nature and spirituality. As a protective talisman, Jasper was believed to absorb negative energy and shield its wearer from harm. This made it valuable for warriors, travelers, and those seeking spiritual defense. Red Jasper, in particular, was known as the "warrior's stone" and a symbol of endurance. It was believed to boost vitality, stamina, and physical strength.

In general, Jasper is known as the "supreme nurturer" and is associated with healing and emotional stability. Different colored Jaspers are linked to various healing properties. For example, Green Jasper can restore harmony to the emotional body. For some varieties, such as Picture Jasper, the stone was believed to aid in seeing into the mystic "otherworld," a concept significant in Celtic lore

anyway!! there's a ton here, and the stuff tied to the ogham alphabet year is def way more reliable than some of the other stuff which is reconstructed and adds modern stuff, etc, but!! i thought it was all interesting for ~our purposes and wanted to include it as a result <3

i also thought that maybe this was perhaps a calendar used in malconaire when it was its own country? but yeah who knows!!

[forgottenroisin]

OOC | Wheel of the Year

ok so kate's recent post abt mabon has me thinking! so we know the four main seasonal fire holidays are occupied by the four daughters of malconaire, but it occurred to me, there are four ~other (granted, more minor) holidays to mark the solstice/equinox for each season, and, like, ofc our girl @forgottenarias was born on/around yule, but what if either the lorcans (who ~also seem to sport four kids based on the callearies' relationships!) and/or (it can def be both!) the prev malconaire gen's bdays fell on those?

so, we've got:

ostara/spring equinox (march 21)

litha/midsummer (june 20-24)

mabon/autumn equinox (september 21-22)

yule/midwinter (december 21-22)

and, leaving aside padraic, laoirse, aisling, and caoimhe lorcan (bc idk that we wanna try and place their birthdates before they even appear!), we've got quite a few potentials!:

grandmother eithne

her bat house husband

bran

lonan

commander lorcan

his otter house wife

sorcha

ok so a little abt each!

OSTARA

taken from the name of a goddess (eostre, austron, austra) who seems to have been worshipped by the most ancient celtic peoples, whose name is believed to have meant "to shine" or "to glow" and who appears to have been a goddess of the dawn and/or of springtime/fertility and/or of the east (there's apparently a whole scholastic argument hotly debated on the topic!), but for ~our uses i think we can embrace any/all associations she seems to have that we like heehee the festival is linked to spring, new life, rebirth, and the return of the sun, and we get a lot of our easter (another word derived from her name -- fun fact, so is austria!) traditions from this one

now, pls note these come from jacob grimm who was noted for actively changing and suppressing what he found out in order to fit his nationalist german agenda back in the day (also true of the fairy tales!) so take this w a heaping grain of salt, but according to him, bonfires and feasting were common aspects, and water drawn on that morning was considered to be holy and healing, and maidens used to dress in all white in honor of the goddess, and there was a custom of eastergames, which included egg hunts and 'the easter tale' but doesn't tell us what that was alas, but also notes 'sword dances' and 'pastry of heathenish form' lkjsdfakljdskjfsdf what a phrase!! lakjsdflkjsdfj he also thought ostara and her rituals were linked to the slavic goddess of youth and spring, vesna. a historian, however, believes that easter eggs are a christian tradition relating to forbidding them during lent and them thus becoming a treat afterwards.

ostara is also thought to have been connected to rabbits and hares (hence the easter bunny), but interestingly believes this was not smth the celts brought w them when they invaded the british isles, but rather smth that was already a tradition amongst the native bretons that the celts there later subsumed

TL;DR: modern traditions, which may or may not represent their ancient forebearers, include bonfires, feasting, creating flower crowns, planting seeds, baking, and spring cleaning, as well as decorating altars, egg decorating and hunts, and nature walks, and is associated with the rising sun and renewal

LITHA

also celebrated as st. john's eve/st. john's day, today, this is the longest day of the year

one british monk wrote of the event in the 1200s: "In the worship of St John, men waken at even, and maken three manner of fires: one is clean bones and no wood, and is called a bonfire; another is of clean wood and no bones, and is called a wakefire, for men sitteth and wake by it; the third is made of bones and wood, and is called St John's Fire" and another wrote: "On St. John's Eve in certain regions the boys collect bones and certain other rubbish, and burn them, and therefrom a smoke is produced on the air. They also make brands and go about the fields with the brands. Thirdly, the wheel which they roll...The wheel is rolled to signify that the sun then rises to the highest point of its circle and at once turns back" and went on to say that these hilltop fires drove away dragons, which were often abroad on st. john's eve, poisoning springs and wells...as we all know is a fav draconic pastime sldkjfakjsdf but this belief seems to come from a much older one, as later christians instead attributed the fires to "an emblem of St. John the Baptist, who was 'a burning and shining light,' and the preparer of the way of Christ" and contended that they repelled witches and evil spirits and made no mention of dragons or poison or wells at all

in germany, it was also common for women to rinse their hands in the rhine river "so that the threatening calamities of the coming year might be washed away by bathing in the river" -- @forgottenmarian @forgottensebastian -- a potential house of the sun-region tradition, if we do go w a rhine-region inspo for them?

back to the brits, in the 1300s john mirk says: "At first, men and women came to church with candles and other lights and prayed all night long. In the process of time, however, men left such devotion and used songs and dances and fell into lechery and gluttony turning the good, holy devotion into sin."

in the 1500s, john stow tells us: "the wealthier sort also before their doors near to the said bonfires would set out tables on the vigils furnished with sweet bread and good drink, and on the festival days with meats and drinks plentifully, whereunto they would invite their neighbours and passengers also to sit, and to be merry with them in great familiarity, praising God for his benefits bestowed on them. These were called bonfires as well of good amity amongst neighbours that, being before at controversy, were there by the labour of others reconciled, and made of bitter enemies, loving friends, as also for the birtue that a great fire hat to purge the infection of the air. On the vigil of St John Baptist and St Peter and Paul the Apostles, every man's door being shadowed with green birch, long fennel, St John's Wort, Orpin, white lillies and such like, garnished upon with garlands of beautiful flowers, had also lamps of glass, with oil burinin in them all night, some hung branches of iron curiously wrought, containing hundreds of lamps lit at once, which made goodly show" and a man named wynkyn de worde from yorkshire cooked a special soup each eve "in the manner of this ancestors" and, according to wiki, "It was the custom in Yorkshire for every family who had come to live in the parish within the last year to put a table outside their house, on St. John's Eve, and place on it bread and cheese and beer and offer this to anyone who passed by. Any of the parish might help themselves and, if the fortunes of the family ran to it, would be invited indoors for a further supper and a festive evening. By this means the newcomers to the parish made many acquaintances and friends, and were helped to see themselves as having a definite place in the local community."

in wales, bonfires were lit to last the whole night followed the next day by great agricultural fairs held at midsummer with dancing until the 19th century when it was driven to a stop by their persecutors

in modern day ireland, fairs and concerts are v popular, and in county cork bonfires are still lit on hilltops, traditionally lit by the oldest person present on midsummer's eve, the youngest person present would then toss a bone into the fires as part of the celebration. "As part of some customs after the dancing and celebrations were over, revellers would bring home a spent ember from the fire, this was thrown into a field to bring good fortune in the year to come."

"A few days before, children and youth would solicit donations for the bonfires – it was considered bad luck to refuse them. The point of the bonfires was to draw God's blessings on the summer crops. Attendees would leap over the bonfires. Bonfire ashes would be scattered on the crops for good luck. Most troublesome local weeds would be burned in the bonfire to help stave them off. Men would walk through their fields with lit torches and then toss those torches on the bonfire for crop blessing

"People gathering at the bonfires would bring food and drink, with potatoes roasted around the fire. Cattle would be driven through the ashes of the bonfires. At this time of year, St John's Wort and foxgloves would be gathered; the wort was believed to ward off witchcraft and both were used medicinally.

"In coastal areas of Ireland, fishermen's boats and nets would be blessed by priests on St John's Eve. A communal salmon dinner was traditionally served on this day in Portballintrae, County Antrim. The sweet milky dish goody was also served, which sometimes would be prepared at the bonfire in a large pot to be served to younger people.

"In some parts of Ireland, bonfires were lit on the Eve of Saints Peter and Paul (June 28) instead of St John's Eve. The tradition was known as 'Little St John’s Day.'"

in cornwall, the eve was celebrated, as well, and we get more hints at the ancient celtic rituals recorded in 1754. "In Cornwall, the festival Fires, called Bonfires, are kindled on the Eve of St. John the Baptist and St. Peter's Day; and Midsummer is thence, in the Cornish tongue, called 'Goluan,' which signifies both light and rejoicing. At these Fires the Cornish attend with lighted torches, tarr'd and pitch'd at the end, and make their perambulations round their Fires, and go from village to village carrying their torches before them; and this is certainly the remains of the Druid superstition, for 'faces praeferre,' to carry lighted torches, was reckoned a kind of Gentilism, and as such particularly prohibited by the Gallick Councils: they were in the eye of the law 'accensores facularum,' and thought to sacrifice to the devil, and to deserve capital punishment." Towards the end of these festivities the local youths of the town would take part in the ancient "serpent dance" (a traditional type of dance) called "thread-the-needle" and jump or pass themselves through the dying embers of the flames. "The proceedings finished by the boys and girls from the quay, whose torches had by this time expired, dancing in a long line hand-in-hand through the streets, in and out and sometimes over the now low burning tar-barrels, crying out, 'An eye, an eye!' At this shout the top couple held up their arms and beginning with the last the others ran under them thus reversing their position." During these celebrations it was also usual to elect a Mock Mayor or Mayor of the Quay.

"No sooner had the tardy sun withdrawn himself from the horizon, then the young men began to assemble on several parts of the town, drawing after them, trees and branches of wood and furze; all which had been accumulating week after week, from the beginning of May. Tar barrels were presently erected on tall poles; some on the quay, others near the market, and one even on a rock in the midst of the sea; pretty female children tript up and down in their best frocks, decorated with garlands; and hailing the Midsummer-eve as the vigil of St. John.” (Royal Cornwall Gazette, 4 July 1801)

"Considerable discomfort was caused by the presence of bands of roughs who arm-in-arm rushed among the town knocking people down. The son of Mr Rogers, butcher, Market-jew-street, was knocked down and had his collar bone broken. No town in England, not even Exeter or Lewes now, can equal the scene presented by Penzance last night.” (Cornish Telegraph, 30 June 1880)

these celebrations were ultimately stamped out in wales, but have been partially restored, and bonfires on the high hills and mountains continue to burn in cornwall

during the day, "Hidden treasures are said to lie open in lonely places, waiting for the lucky finder. Divining rods should be cut on this day. Herbs are given unusual powers of healing, which they retain if they are plucked during the night of the feast. In Germany they call these herbs Johanneskraut (St. John's herbs), and people bring them to church for a special blessing. In Scandinavia and in the Slavic countries it is an ancient superstition that on Saint John's Day witches and demons are allowed to roam the earth. As at Halloween, children go the rounds and demand "treats," straw figures are thrown into the flames, and much noise is made to drive the demons away"

TL;DR: modern traditions, which may or may not represent their ancient forebearers, include bonfires lit on hilltops, dancing, singing songs, playing games, feasting, harvesting of herbs and flowers for healing, leaping over bonfires, rolling burning wheels into water, maypole celebrations, making flower crowns, making solar wheels, decorating altars w solar symbols, and mead drinking. picnics and hikes are common

MABON

traditionally this is a harvest festival, but honestly im struggling to find information on it as separate from lammas bc, being harvest season, traditionally, it was a v busy time, so apparently it was a fluid sort of ~season, really, moreso than a particular day, between Lughnasadh and Samain and, w samain approaching, ppl were conscious that the veil between the living and the dead was every day thinning, and that winter was coming, and that yes evil spirits but also the ancestors drew near, so it was a time of familial reflection and offerings particularly as now was the last gasp of bounty before the hardship of winter

Ancient ceremonial sites, such as the Hill of Tara, were central to celebrations, with the sun's alignment with these sacred places believed to strengthen the connection between the heavens and the earth

the final sheath of wheat, considered to contain the spirit of the crop, was carefully cut, and a corn doll or harvest figure was made from it, often adorned with ribbons and flowers, and sometimes paraded around town by a young woman crowned as the 'queen of the harvest'

Fires were lit on high ground, and "rituals" (id love more info as to what those rituals were but...alas!) were performed at sacred sites, such as megalithic cairns, to honor the land, ancestors, and deities and to strengthen the connection to the divine

idk how true this is, but its said that ppl ppl would cuts apples crosswise to reveal a five-pointed star as as a sacred symbol of a goddess and nature

according to [ this ] site, this was the time to pay homage to the green man, the god of the forests, (often also known as cernunnos,) by pouring libations to the trees. (some background to this practice that idk if this site gets into or not: the ancient celts believed in a form of reincarnation, but they also believed that the journey towards rebirth was reminiscent of the salmon swimming upstream to breed: treacherous and terrible. often, ancestral spirits would live for a long time in family trees. as the celts were christianized, these beliefs in dead spirits walking the world transitioned into the folklore we have today about fairies, which is why one knocks on wood for good luck. its meant to awakene the airies -- your ancestral spirits -- who will do their utmost from the other side to do you whatever good they may. it also seems to be why druids believed they could wake trees and send whole forests into battle as their armies. spirits who were not at rest roamed the world, however, in horrible storms and breezes and trees, doing harm. they are remembered as the sluagh and as the wild hunt.) the site continues to say "At this time, it is permissible to make offerings of ciders and wines, as well as herbs and fertilizer."

it further says "At Mabon, the chopping down of John Barleycorn is symbolized by the use of three stalks of locally gathered barley that are knotted together with rafia and a little bit of red wool. The folk tale and song known as “The Ritual of John Barleycorn” is meant to symbolize the planting, growth, and final “sacrifice” or harvesting of corn. The story is told in the form of a ritual...John Barleycorn is a figure that appears in English mythology. He is said to personify the harvest of barley that takes place in the fall. In addition to this, he is symbolic of the magnificent beers and whiskeys that can be produced from barley, as well as the benefits that these beverages have." i believe this is related to the wheat dolly tradition, but im not 100% sure tbqh

perhaps bc of the thinning of the veil, it was apparently believed that mabon was a time when many secrets were revealed and mysteries unraveled.

the green man survives largely in folk memory as 'the oak king' who was slain around samain every year by his wicked brother, the king of winter, 'the holly king,' but "In Celtic mythology, Mabon is the period when, according to folklore, the God of Light was vanquished by the God of Darkness, which resulted in the lengthening of the night. Mabon is the son of Modron, the Great Goddess of the Earth, according to Celtic tradition. After his birth, Mabon was abducted for three days, which caused light to go into hiding. In addition, Mabon represents the masculine character that is associated with the harvest."

TL;DR: modern traditions, which may or may not represent their ancient forebearers, include harvesting, bonfires, feasting, offerings and markets and fairs of harvest bounty such as apples and grain and nuts, ancestral offerings, general preparations for winter, the ritualistic cutting and weaving of the last sheaf of corn, cutting apples crosswise to reveal the five-pointed star, observing the equinox's alignment w sacred sites, altars adorned with fruits, vegetables, and other natural items to symbolize abundance and give thanks

YULE

ok so christmas trees? the yule log? yeah, that's all celtic stuff <3 their tree decorating was related to offerings to the ancestors largely whom they believed dwelt within the trees (you can see more abt that in the mabon bit!) but in summary, lighting Yule logs to symbolize hope and longer days, honoring the struggle between the Holly and Oak Kings (you can see more abt that in mabon bit, too!), decorating evergreens and with their branches like holly and mistletoe for protection, feasting with family and friends, and sharing symbolic gifts

"Holly was a tree sacred to the druids and linked to the dark half of the year and the winter festivities. There was an old myth that on the solstices of each year the holly king and the oak king would fight. On the winter solstice the oak king would win his battle with the holly king, regaining control of the year until the holly king defeated him on the summer solstice to take over the darkening months. Holly was often brought into dwellings at this time of year as a symbol of hope and protection from evil.

"Mistletoe was also a sacred plant to the druids who had a ritual of cutting it from the holy oaks with a golden sickle six days after the new moon closest to the winter solstice."

wassailing was, evidently, originally a ritual involving anointing trees with wassail-soaked cakes and a spiced drink served during feasts, as a blessing for the land and a wish for good health

yule wasn't originally ust one day but, rather, twelve days and nights full of feasting and bonfires and revelry to ward off the dark and stand in vigil for the rebirth of the sun. "These celebrations often ran all through the night to stave off the cold and darkness, as the celebrants toasted the arrival of longer days and more sunlight and ate through fresh stores (and their remaining livestock) that otherwise wouldn’t last the winter. Just like now, there was at least a month of preparation."

[ "The word Yule is posited to have come from an ancient word for wheel (“thoul,”) denoting the Druidic practice of celebrating the cyclical nature of the seasons (the wheel turning is why the days get shorter, of course,) as well as their worship of the sun (the wheel itself.) For an agrarian society like Ireland, the sun was the ruling factor of their lives—they would live or die by its light. Thus, there are several ancient tombs and monuments across Ireland that are placed to be alighted by the sun on the winter solstice, December 21st." ]

traditionally, reds and yellows (to honor the sun) were the colors of the celtic season, and ppl brought rattles and drums to the celebrations

"Solstice originally meant “standstill,” and for 17 full minutes on the solstice, the sun seems to linger over Newgrange as if (if you’re going by ancient beliefs) the sun is returning to breathe life into the land again. As the midwinter solstice marks the shortest day of the year, they were, for all intents and purposes, right!"

storytelling around the fire was a massive feature of these nightly festivities, and, in the british isles at least, ghost stories featured highly in yule tales, the last -- and arguably most famous -- in this now mostly lost traidition being Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

singing, and later [ caroling ] "which is essentially a mix of Druidic circle dances (which were already similar to early French tradition,) and the singing we associate with modern caroling around the holidays" brought to britain by the normans (themselves a mix of druidic and frankish and viking tradition and ppls -- and all of which sport traditions dating back to the ancient proto-germanic celts) and [ dancing ] were other staple activities. long before ever the norman culture so much as began, [ "The Druids are believed to have danced as a form of worship. It’s thought that as early as 1600 B.C. the Druids were performing circular dances (possibly among standing stones, the most famous of which you may have heard of…Stonehenge) for a variety of reasons: to worship the sun and their namesake oak trees, as preparation for war, as a prayer for prosperity, as a courtship ritual, and even something closer to modern feis—social gathering and recreation." ] you can find out more abt the celtic tradition of dance [ here ], but in 1413, "the earliest reference to dance in Irish history details a visit between the Mayor of Waterford and Mayor of Baltimore. A processional combination of singing and dancing took place called carolling which originated from European folk dance histories and was thought to be introduced to the Irish by the Normans when they arrived in 1169."

[ traditionally, kings were buried so that their tombs would be illuminated by the sun at its rise on the solstice ]

in preparation for yule,Most of the remaining cattle were slaughtered to save on feeding them and the wine and ale made throughout the year was fermented and ready to drink. "Most of the remaining cattle were slaughtered to save on feeding them and the wine and ale made throughout the year was fermented and ready to drink."

TL;DR: modern traditions, which may or may not represent their ancient forebearers, include feasting, bonfires (really, what is a celtic holiday without a good bonfire and feasting, i ask you? ;D), cutting and gifting of mistletoe esp oak mistletoe as a blessing, wassailing, candle lighting, storytelling and ghost stories, baking, brewing, dancing, singing/carolling

---

honestly anyone could go anywhere, but sorcha, w a name meaning light/fire, immediately jumped out at me for ostara, and smth abt the manner of bran's death -- ig an ~oak king~ dying unsuccessfully fighting off death (in this case as embodied by roderick), only to be reborn fighting him again (as embodied by folk hero bran o'connor...), kinda made me think of him for yule? but yeah idk and def not married to either of those, bc there's also smth nice abt the lovers both being either solstice or equinox, potentially? or also we could scrap this idea for their generation too! idk!! laksdjfkljdsf and i keep dithering abt the others too anyway alksdjfkjsdf

so yeah idk if we want this or, if we do, who we want for...what but yeah! i thought id just pop this up here in case it was of any interest! <3

[forgottenaoife]

OOC | Mabon Oracle Card Pull

Happy Fall, y'all! :) And Happy Fall Equinox/Mabon!

I'm starting a new deck for the season and thought it would be fun to do a pull for my characters (which also doubled as me checking to make sure I shuffled the deck well!!! XD)

I pulled one card for each lady in alphabetical order and here are the results! Aoife - Apple of my Eye (2); keywords: mindfulness, being careful, being present, awareness The guide for this deck talks a lot about this card speaks a lot about it being a sign for being mindful of changes that need to take place in your life and how that change happens-- not always necessarily a big, dramatic moment but more of something you need to nurture in yourself. I honestly kinda love how that relates to Aoife-- there is a lot of change coming (not that she's aware) and she is definitely going to need to change to survive everything! Between properly standing up to Valentina to confronting her own feelings re: Sebastian to literally having to survive without any of her sisters once the whole Malconaire witch era starts... I def think its even applicable now given all these rumors circulating: Aoife needs to be mindful, careful, and present until that all blows over in order to keep from making things worse! Aria - Pomegranate (29); keywords: lust, pleasure, seduction, forbidden fruit I just need to quote the first line of the guide directly: "Your higher self chose this card because you are ignoring the things that could show you the path to your purpose, to more rewarding relationships and to unrealized talents or new ways to experience fun." ... I mean, obviously, right? ;) Its obvious to everyone but Aria that she's actively pretty much all the signs from Arthur showing their feelings for one another are mutual! And in some ways he sort of is a forbidden fruit for her-- he's the enemy, the son of the man who has stolen basically EVERYTHING from her so being with him is a betrayal to all her principles! Beyond Arthur though (bc as much as these two seem to insist to us its all about the other... ITS NOT!!) there was another quote in the guide that struck me for Aria: "By denying your desires, you are denying what makes you you!" That really struck me and how that really could relate back to how the Stafford family operated. We've discussed how important duty was to the family and even Arthur pointed out to Aria she was denying things that might bring her joy. I definitely think that she (and Eilia!) SHOULD (... at some point, now might not be the BEST time tbh, haha!) on finding more joy in their lives that isn't tied up in being the most dutiful of people!

Eithne - Kitchen Witchery (23); keywords: abundance, manifesting, many path[s] or opportunities The first line of the guide for this card is "[You] chose this card because you're entering a joyful period of abundance and manifestation!" and to be honest... that is very much not what is on the horizon for Miss Eithne, even if it was just a wedding that wasn't going to get derailed by witch accusations, Roderick burning down her home, and having to flee into the woods! (though i guess we could say they'll be an abundance of romantic tension between she and Tristan??) The quote on the card, however, I definitely think REALLY applies to Eithne and who she is in her life-- even when things don't seem like they're going that well. The card quote is "Abundance flows easily and effortlessly into your life. Be in gratitude." ngl it actually made me think of Valentina?! and how she believes Eithne and all the Malconaire girls have had these very easy lives, wonderful lives-- and I don't think she's wrong! But I do think one of the things the Malconaire family ahs always had going for them is that they understood this and ARE grateful for it! I can see, though, how Eithne may have lost sight of this tbh! she is so very, very sad right now, so very very lost in the fact she can see how her life is going to be once she's married to Cassimir and its not great... she's lost sight os there being anything good in her life right now. Would it fix everything if she refocused on the positives and the people who care for/support her? probably not, but she might not be so miserable!

FIona - Coming of darkness (7); keywords: preparing, coming of darkness This card is a warning-- something difficult is coming and you should prepare for it. Its probably no surprise that out of all my characters, Fiona is the one I have the least idea about how she fits into everything (beyond the pre-determined plots, of course!) and exactly what she wants out of life beyond Astairan independence, BUT... I suppose there is a storm on the horizon for the resistance, isn't there? They've managed to walk into the trap Roderick set with the marked coins and inadvertently turned his gaze on Malconaire... which will be disastrous for everyone!

Marian - Apothecary cabinet (1); keywords: tools, a need to develop skills, hard work SCREAMING because honestly doesn't this card just say 'Amira' upon first glance?! (#queenbesties) And then, the more I read in the guide for this card I decided this card actually IS about Marian and Amira in a way! The guide references being realistic about where you are in your journey and what you need to see results-- I've decided to interpret that as Marian realizing that she alone is not going to be able to stop Roderick from marrying Eilia on her own... she needs to team up with the resource that's right in front of her face: Amira. Queen alliance activate! ... and tbh totally honest this card really didn't speak to me for Marian any other way! i honestly thought about re-pulling for her but i do love the bit of the connection with her and Amira! ;)

Anyway-- this was a fun distraction this evening! <3

[forgottenroisin]

eeeeee i absolutely love this and i hope you don't mind but some things popped into my mind re this and i wanted to say bc...me noT talking abt lfr?????? impossible heehee

so, this mostly pertanes to me vibing w these re potential plots by vibing w the symbols here? i apologize in advance...lkajsdfkljdsf and yeah! but yeah this is me going rogue just for fun -- def no pressure whatsoever on any of these thoughts!!!

AOIFE not all that's alluring may be what it seems; see past the illusion

quick note btw just to say -- im lowkey obsessed w the oak leaves billowing in a malconaire card <33333 but anyway!!

so, like, idk much abt oracle cards, but applying some tarot notions to them in the sense that you just...go absolutely hogwild on the symbolism <3 im kind of obsessed w the apple w the all-seeing and/or evil eye???? in some ways i feel like this card is the warning version of the encouraging card aria got?????? which, like, w them being bffs but also in situations that're kind of switching -- aria is becoming freer in roderick's grasp, aoife's abt to be wanted by him etc -- i thought was really fascinating!!!! but also esp w the...like, apples are often used to stand in for the forbidden fruit in eden, right, and like...here it is, all candied -- covered over in a hard, glossy shell, yet sporting an eye that represents all at once intuition, comprehension, and protection...the risk is the truth kind of vibes. didn't the fruit give knowledge of good an evil? conscience? apples also represent discord in greek mythology (starting the trojan war, for example); in nordic myth they hold the power of eternal youth; in celtic mythology, the word 'avalon' means isle of apples, and it where arthur is sent to await his coming in the new world, which is ~also intriguing bc in the most antcient celtic myths, the aldn of the dead is not the underworld but, in fact, a distant island

on a purely malconaire level, the apples struck through w dead branches: literally cut off from their source of life while also being, themselves, the seeds meant to create new trees like...idk...plus, the death/rebirth vibes continue -- mushrooms being a form of life that subsists on death, and sure enough malconaire will be lost and aoife will be hunted...even the oak leaves themselves can, in some mythologies, represent life itself -- the war between winter/death and spring/life as in spring/summer life as represented by the oak king triumphs in the ongoing war against his brother death, the holly king who slays his brother to reign in fall/winter until the oak king is reborn

but anyway!! moving past that -- esp bc i don't think tarot rules ~do apply here! ksldaflsdjf -- i ~did have some other thoughts...

idk how much we want to develop plots based off of this but like...it did ~immediately make me think of her relationship w aria, as i mentioned, their almost foiling positions in life rn, but also that w the frosts?????? all of them, really, but esp the frost ~boys, and ronan in particular. obv, the frosts have this huge, explosive secret that might quite literally destroy her home and see her life as she knows it undone, potentially forever, yet they keep doing their utmost to hide it from her. she's gotten a peak under the hood re this w @forgottencillian via the ice ball and his reaction to be triggered there, since he ~does try to hide his suffering/trauma ~as a personality trait~ meanwhile @forgottensaoirse is trying to warn her abt these rumors but still not revealing the full truth, and finally, like, we were talking ~somewhere a;lksdjfkljsdf asp also abt how aoife in particular might look at @forgottenronan and be blinded by the vers of him she ~used to know and love, initially, and like...is there maybe a part of the 'not all is as it seems' bit that maybe is talking a bit abt things like that? esp juxtaposing that huge change in ~ronan to ronan telling her emphatically that @forgottensebastian is inherently terrible just bc of his last name, that ~he's the illusion that at first glimpse appears better than it really is when...in fact...maybe its ronan, for her? idk exactly where im going w this hahahaha but yeah idk just popped in my head while you were talking abt the rumors and the awareness and...yeah! idk alksdjflkjsdfj

oh! wait! i did remember a bit bc i thought the final like...stab here was that aoife, herself, will be accused of being not all that she seems (negative) and that's true but only in the not all she seems (positive) sense! but her life will be endangered by someone who masquerades as her mother attempting to end her and like...idk so many different shades of deceit but also smth v empowering abt it esp if we go back to [ this ] post and her name literally meaning effectively ~life and the unmatched beauty of simply ~being -- esp given the tug of war she's endured so far of being at once the most free (needing the least) but also the most caged (oppressed by bad actors w their shifting veils of seeming, such as valentina) of her sisters, and thus the journey away from and then maybe back to herself as everything is torn away from her save the earth, itself, which -- as a malconaire -- is the thing best suited to her to being with...like maybe its a warning but maybe too she can turn this to her advantage and bring smsth beautiful back out of the worst of it, too, just like she did w valentina herself before all this...

i should also note that two's numerology also deals a lot w dualities and pairs and dichotomies and opposites and polarities and balance, which def influenced my thinking above, but it ~also called to mind my girl rosie and her erstwhile role as aoife's voice, esp bc i think even now rosie sometimes tries to step into that role (whether or not she's right or even should...) and, w both this separation and the hardship before and after it coming, how much will that pair be sundered, how much will aoife be forced into the role of ~find her own voice~ as it were, separate from her sister's, or the expectations of others, even those whom she loves, and find that balance within herself?

ARIA dare to taste the unknown. let it seduce your spirit awake.

so now that we've established that tarot rules probs don't work here...imma continue to heedlessly and recklessly apply them ~anyway ;DDDD heehee

so i talked abt the numerological meaning of two above, and so like...individual relationships will always make a lot of sense in that context, but this is a 29, so we ~also get the 9 numerology and that's all abt spiritual wisdom, humanitarianism, new growth, and completion. (of 9, ther internet notes that "This 'end of the cycle' number encourages introspection, self-sacrifice, and the transformation of experiences into valuable life lessons" me: STOP TELLING STAFFORDS TO SACRIFICE!!! heehee) bc of this, according to the interwebs, "individuals connected to the number 29 often possess a sharp intellect, intuitive creativity, and a deep inner wisdom, though they may also face karmic tests and trials, requiring emotional resilience to overcome challenges and achieve their full potential," and the bringing of two and nine together "[signifies] change, progress, and a strong drive for self-improvement"

ok so the pomegranate is another symbol that shows a ~lot of play! its most often used as a symbol of abundance and fertility, given its utility as good and the pomegrante's many seeds, but its also yet another symbol of life, death, and rebirth, as well as one of condemnation and even damnation, given its role in preventing the goddess of spring from returning to earth for half the year and forcing her continuous death in the fall (which was a story initially understood as a tragedy, meant more to symbolize the role of grief and loss in life, than to be viewed as the romance we see it as, now). bc of this, like apples, pomegranates are another fruit that often stand in for forbidden fruit, particularly as the myth of hades and persephone has morphed over time from a tragedy into a romance -- did persephone perhaps knowingly ~choose to eat the fruit, despite her mother's pleas?

not to be oudone by her sister the pomegranate, a mostly eaten apple's core is still here to be seen, as before, evoking all that its previous appearance did, but also acceptance of it: it has been eaten right down to the core.

the moon, esp in crescent, is an interesting symbol. it is often a symbol of emotion, intuition, and dreams -- but also of inner darkness transposed with inner light. it being drowned in wine is also interesting and calls to mind the homeric 'wine-dark sea' -- itself another body of whirling emotion, but contained, here: trapped in a glass. intriguing, this card also seems to directly reference the high priestess, exhibiting a tarot card, as well as the high pritestess' moon-horned scepter, which is ~particularly interesting in that that's also iirc the card you pulled for aria some time ago and the one which frankly makes most sense to associate w her, regardless of that! but just for a refresher, just like the moon so often evoked in her imagery, she "represents intuition, mystery, secrets, and inner wisdom."

a crystal appears but imma tell you the truth i don't know enough abt them to guess what that symbol might mean except like...maybe evoking the underworld, again? the wealth of the underworld -- its diamonds and such -- all belonged to hades. but also, the solidity of eath itself, yet refracting light here, perhaps? idk all 100% guess work!

finally, there is a hand and a moth, fluttering free. the hand sports an all seeing/evil eye with all those associations. in heraldry, a hand represent multiple things: pledge of faith, sincerecity, justice; credibility. in literature, it tends to speak of capability and, with its reaching, of longing.

so, as i was saying above, i feel like this is the equal and opposite to aoife's card which i find really interesting, in and of itself, given their relationship and also relative positions in the world, but also, as you said, her connection to arthur -- for both better ~and worse, frankly! -- as well as that shared w @forgotteneilionora honestly!

i do think what you said above really does hit at the heart of the tug-of-war between eilia and arthur re aria! eilia pushes for and represents duty and sacrifice; arthur opportunity and joy. while i ~def think there's a world where these various things can all be virtues ~and work together, atm they stand in opposition to one another in both literal and symbolic ways. i mean, eilia would ~literally say that arthur is their enemy! and, by agreeing to become roderick's bride, eilia is preparing to set herself up in direct opposition to arthur, should she end up bearing children that might look to assert their ~own claims to astaira, at least, if not the whole of the empire. but also, given aria's own current position, these ideals stand in opposition as well, and i find it really interesting that aria has both ideals and ppl who stand for them who're big figures in her life, and both of whom love her, standing across the chess board from one another!!

side note that i think both eilia ~and arthur are both at once right ~and wrong, which makes everything sm worse for our girl if/when she's put in a position where she's forced to choose between them! annnnd speaking of which...enter house calainon stage right! this card is rocking more than just a few of their symbols, and we know @forgottenamira 's already made a move that's changed her life and thretens to do a lot more of that, and there's been talk of aria potentially throwing in w @forgottenedmund asp...and that's wo even touching on everything @forgottengodfrey 's cooking up! yet another offering of forbidden fruit, perhaps, from a completely different perspective?

EITHNE abundance flows easily and effortlessly into your life. be in gratitude.

ok love love love @forgottenvalentina poking up here and the nature of her verisimilitude -- coming close in a sense, and believing what she says, but also...her once again wildly missing the mark, at the same time!!! <3333333

so this one is less rife w symbols ~im familiar w beyond just like...horn of plenty vibes, but i ~do find the mushroom in her cookbook interesting -- that life/death symbology mingled w knowledge and even potential ~alchemical vibes? witches of the woods vibes?

but, once again invoking the [ name meanings ] post, w eithne as grain, as kernel, and as the embodiment/symbol of hope, in and of herself, and thinking abt how she for so long ~was the literal cook at malconaire! now that she's stepping out of that role in the literal sense, however, she's still facing down how she can best feed malconaire -- even if she, herself, is the price!

i do think the note abt ~manifesting and ~many paths is interesting esp in light of what's coming for her, and what you said abt (eventually) seeing the hope within the seemingly hopeless situation she's abt to confront -- not bc she doesn't get lost in despair, but bc she can seize and appreciate the light all the better for having passed through the darkness, after all this, perhaps? perhaps this position of being separated from her sisters, of watching her home destroyed, etc...maybe that, in itself, is enough to bring hope back when she meets them again, or sees that the ppl have not bee idle, rebuilding what they could in her absence, bc the spirit of malconaire has ~not died at all! it was just buried under all the ash for awhile, but like a seed i suspect it'll burst forth when our girls, like persephone, finally pass through death and emerge back home to bring back the spring of hope!

but also what you said abt @forgottentristan -- maybe that, in itself, ~is an act of hope? so much is wrong, and scary, and horrific, but finding some semblance of love and peace together, despite it all, is maybe a little act of abundance, of gratitutde?

i was also thinking abt @forgottencassimir and how he's genuinely trying to bring malconaire backt o its former glory and, fraught as that situation undeniably is, maybe its ~also kind of potential abundance? a divergent path? one that she's rather effectively manifested, even if part of her is now rejecting it!

i kind of wonder if maybe its the crossroads itself at which she stands that's as much a big part of this as is the abundance -- bc she ~is hope, in herself, she can manifest abaundance whatever she chooses -- but is it abundance for herself, or abundance for her people, that she'll choose in the end?

also meant to say! v relevant to the above discussion is the fact that this card is 23 -- we've talked already abt the meaning of 2, but not of 3. three is the number of community and gathering, usually of working together and most often of celebration. interestingly, the interwebs note that, combining these energies, 23 is the number of "personal freedom, creativity, adventure, and charisma," factors which i feel v much go hand-in-hand w the journey she's on, tho from various different perspectives sdlkfjasdjkfdsf the internet goes on to say that 23 "signifies spiritual growth, encourages the use of talents for good, and is often associated with happiness, optimism, and the pursuit of new experiences. The number 23 encourages individuals to be adaptable, diplomatic, and communicative, fostering positive change and support for others," and i gotta say that feels v eithne/malconaire to me! and it made me v much think of our girls all hopefully reuniting after thir separate journeyes hopefully stronger and better able to face the challaneges ahead together <33333

but, once again, it made me think of the frosts and ~their journey and, ofc, specifically ronan -- the force from within representing the wolves that stalk the forest, vs eithne, the force representing the trees, themselves...will there perhaps be opposition there, someday? and/or healing? and if he ever ~does get better, i think he'll get a lot worse first SOB tbh idk that ronan will survive the story but i def don't think his story re the malconaires is done, either...

FIONA all the light is dimming; life is withering at the core. are you ready?

okie dokie so, the thing i immediately thought of here? to quote joseph campbell, 'the cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.' this def gives 'dark night of the soul' vibes! (gulp!)

ok so 7 in tarot is a transitional themes, and to be more exact expresses "challenge, mental focus, and a transition from the established equilibrium of the Six. It often represents a period of reassessment, where difficulties require strategic thinking, patience, or confrontation to move forward. The seven cards encourage action, perseverance, and the use of intellect to overcome obstacles, whether through cunning, determination, or imaginative exploration, but also caution against illusions and inaction." its enneagram 7 is the free spirit caught between fear of pain and a longing for joy. in straight, non-tarot numerology, 7 "signifies wisdom, intuition, spirituality, and introspection. Individuals associated with number seven are often considered deep thinkers, independent, and analytical, with a strong desire for knowledge and truth.While they can be drawn to solitude and possess a strong connection to their inner selves, they may struggle with superficiality and sometimes appear aloof or cynical." (aside bc i am, in fact, posting this on rosie's site, that she's an enneagram 7 and the numerological 7 is def giving some edmund vibes!) so 7 has lots of associations...re fiona's personality some of these vibe better than others, but that makes me just think that the others are maybe associated w her situation?

ok so some symbolism talk! there's a open door which is often associated w invitation both the literal sort, but also open-mindedness as well! outside we glimpse the full moon, a wolf, mushrooms, and a free-flying bird. the bird motif is repeated on the foreground character's robe, as is the moon, and also we see stars. behind them, there's a shelf that ~also shows off a bird, as well as repeating the moon (tho now in crescent) and displays, as well, a sun.

ok so we've discussed some of these before, but given the repeated symbols of the moon and birds, id say that this card evokes a, perhaps unfulfilled, longing for freedom, strongly alluding to the enneagram 7 (which was the main reason i mentioned it ngl lajsdfkljsdf) and the vibes that accompany it (idk what fiona's enneagram is, i don't mean it like that, i just mean that like...the way the enneagram works is that we all have a little bit of all of them in us -- and it seems like those vibes are maybe present in the air around fiona at this time...kind of thing).

ok so wolf! he symbolizes strength, loyalty, family, wildness, freedom and indepedence, courage, wisdom, leadership, and protection as their positives and, in their negatives, evil, cruelty, danger, savagery, ravening, cunning, and even deception/wolf-in-sheep's-clothing vibes. in heraldry, he represents valor, guardianship; reward from perseverance in long sieges and/or hard industry; cruelty, mercilessness; valiant loyalty; a dangerous enemy to have. i also use them in my own brain as symbols for both @forgottenalistair on the ovn side...and on the astairan one, ronan jldksfadsjkfjd

birds, ~in the abstract~ tend to represent flight, the soul, and freedom also <3333333 our girl aoife ofc <333333

since we can't really tell what birds these are, imma just go w that generic interpretation, and well we've talked at length abt moon, sun, and star symbols so i won't repeat myself yet again here hahaha

also our ~lfr symbolism but that man is carrying a chopped down tree...doom of malconaire symbolism??? lakjsdfkljdsf but also many plants growing in the bg...regeration?

anyway!! obv this is all v in line w what you were saying, and i agree! it does make me think abt the fall out for the resistance from ronan's actions re the princesses and malconaire, etc, and how we've discussed a split down the middle [ x ] -- i know fiona's gonna be team rescue @forgottencassandra and like idk how any of that's gonna go down exactly but!!!! id ~do think if ronan survives he'll either be shook to his core and questioning everything after the devestation at malconiare OR he'll be like I CLEARLY DIDN'T GO FAR ~ENOUGH and alkjsdfkljdsfjkdsf either way noT in a good place!!!!!! and i wonder how all that will proceed!!!!1 im not really sure how either roderick ~or ronan will react, exactly, to everything that goes down! i ~do think it'll probs reinvigorate ronan's faith in the guardians but i don't really know beyond that what to expect!

esp the ~life is withering at the core~ line feels v desolate!!!!!!

so obv w the wolf imagery my mind went immediately to ronan, but esp if this ~is indeed the heartpiercer event w alistair shooting the apple or whatever off guin's head etc...is there maybe smth we might want to do between alistair and fiona, esp if she's looking to free the princesses? maybe they end up working together, or smth? obv its not meant to be literal w its symbolism etc but...idk lakjsdfkjldsf freedom wolf motif thoughts arrived hahaha laksdjfkljsdft

MARIAN without practice, without befriending them, they are strangers in your path.

ok so the one in tarot numerology is all abt potential, new beginnings, that sort of thing. we're witness to a few quite interesting symbols here too: birds and wings, mushrooms, a skull, a scyth, an apple, books, a crescent moon, and a fox!

ok so we've talked abt birds, wings tend to mean the same things, but they have an added meaning for marian given that she became a varmont by marriage and has three half-varmont children (even if they don't all have the same dad, ~that much ~is true of them all dslakfjklsjdf), skulls generally symbolize death, as do scyths but scyths are ~also instruments of 1) reaping the harvest so another life/death thing and 2) can also be used as weapons, annnnd now we've discussed everything else except the fox!

generically, foxes symbolize cleverness, spirituality and guidance, wisdom, adaptability, creativity, slyness, maliciousness, demonic influence, difficulty, and trickery. in heraldry, they represent defensive wisdom, ingenuity, wit; intelligence, refusal to be captured. and, ofc, in lfr they also stand in for both cillian and, probs more significantly to marian, @forgottenguinevere ill leave you and lauren to sort those two out, tho ofc <3 but cillian ~does have a connection to marian, as well, and that's our girl, cassandra. i do think cillian's days of playing lord ormond are numbered, and if nothhing else, cassandra at least will know he's a fake by the resistance kidnapping, if not before!

anyway, idk if we want marian and ~lord ormond~ to have an interaction and/or for marian and cillian frost to interact at malconaire (tho he didn't attend the malconaire festival -- even ~cillian was like 'that's a terrible idea' BAHAHAHA) but i think he did sneak to the edges to see cassandra or smth iirc so im sure we could still come up w smth for marian and whichever alias, if we like!

and omg yessssss! i have to say, this card really is screaming amira, isn't it? hahahah and we do so need our queens to team up <3 esp w the rise of a new enemy!! amira: '~last time i teamed up w house of the sun to take out a stafford interest of roderick's, she wound up dead in a jail cell...let's do it!' lakjsdfkljdfjk tho she might have a big surprise for marian, in that she's like 'lets legiterally let her wed him to calm down astaira!!! that way our sons stand to inherit it, too. theN she can die...' kladsjfkljsdf how do you think marian would feel abt that? ldsjkflksjdf

i do also think the themes of hard work and needing to develop skills, as well as the theme of turning strangers into friends are really interesting, but also it lowkey does me think of like...i feel like marian has been cut off from her own hopes and dreams, first via her house/father's wishes for her, and has ever since been working since then to cut herself off all the more from them, via drinking that sweet, sweet roderick koolaid? and, w her only daughter coming under direct threat, and her subsequent falling out w arthur/loss of faith in him, do you think that'll have her feeling that she has to sort of re-frame her allies and/or further develop her security esp bc, if that does happen in conjunction w the malconaire witch accusations, tristan's in the wind, roderick's def cracking down, and just...yeah! idk who you might think, exactly, but maybe there's some search for a sworn shield(s) to the queen, or smth of the kind, to defend herself and her daughter, while roderick undoubtedly beefs up castle security etc? idk!! but the point is, maybe this opens the way to forging new connections w multiple characters?

my other thought, since it invokes "being realistic about where you are in your journey and what you need to see results" -- might it also lowkey allude to some of her self-deceptions, maybe something forces her to see some things in a new light, or re-evaluate some belief she's been protecting within herself, or smth? alkdjsfkjdf idk!! it might also allude to exposure of secrets -- whether it comes out or not in that example, maybe smth along the lines of like -- @forgottenbartholomew and marian are forced to work together to stop that info from leaking asp in some way or smth? idk lakjsdflkjsdjf

anyway, def not attached to anything so if ur not feeling it, no worries! legit just throwing out ideas <3333

in conclusion, hi! ive missed lfr and also im insane, but you already knew that heehee <3333333333

[forgottenamira]

OOC | Love Curse & the Demon Tree

from the disco...

could tie into [ this ]

additionally:

just realized that even riacan and lena's doomed romance fits the love curse...the worst thing he could probs imagine, given his personality, was losing the love of his life to his horrible little brother...laksjdfkjlsdf also did realta actually love roderick? was the worst thing she could imagine in love being betrayed and murdered by him for everything that she/her family was? lskjdfksjdf

also good thing guin and eoin don't actually love eo they'd be dbl doomed...laksdjfkljsdf

anyway hit the 30 images cut off so tbc...

[forgottenroisin]

ok back at it again...

ok hit the 30 image limit ~again...

[forgottenroisin]

Suspicion | Roisin & Cassimir

"I have no inspiration," Rosie had whined to Cillian earlier that morning, leaning against the kitchen counter, her chin supported by both hands in a vision of frustrated contemplation. "Every practical joke I can think of, we've already pulled off against him."

"Chin up, Malconaire," teased Cillian, sipping some water. "The next egregious thing he does, boom, instant inspiration, I guarantee it. Your muse will not fail you: he's too much of a...Well," Cillian arched his brows. "I shouldn't say in front of a lady."

"That's it!"

"There she is!"

"No, Cillian, that's the issue!" Rosie's hands fell from her face. She pushed off against the counter to her feet, snapping as she did. "That's it! He...Cassimir hasn't done anything particularly egregious in some time, has he?"

Cillian frowned. "What? That doesn't seem right..."

"No, think about it, Cillian! He's been in a...I daresay, he's been almost...happy...I even saw him smile the other day -- unsolicited. He didn't know anyone was looking! He just...smiled!"

"Gross."

"No, don't you see! Something's afoot. He's planning something. Something horrible."

"Oh," whispered Cillian, and passed a hand across his face. "Well, that's a worrisome thought--"

"I need to get to the bottom of this."

"No! No, Rosie, you leave this one to me. Leave everything to me," he added, shrugging back into his coat (the day was murky with rain).

"Where are you going?"

"I--the woods."

Rosie placed her hands on her hips. "You're going to the woods?"

He shrugged. "I'm going to the woods."

"In this weather. To...?"

"Think! Listen, while I'm there, Rosie, you just go about your day as you usually would. Let's not...tip him off. Got it? Let's just...keep our heads, right?"

"You want to keep your head?"

"...Yes? Look, just let me handle this, all right?" he said, coming forward and taking her hand. His look was earnest.

Rosie sighed, letting her other hand drop from her hip. "Fine, I'll keep my head. But I want to know what's going on!"

"Of course. We'll figure this out. Promise. Just...go about your day."

"You know I have to see him today, right? He wants some new clothes made, or something."

"He does?"

Rosie shrugged. "I assume that's what he wants?"

"All right, all right, just...put it out of your head for now, right? We'll talk when I get back, all right?"

"...From the woods?"

He sighed. "From the woods."

Rosie huffed. "Fine."

"That's my girl," he said, and kissed her cheek, and he was gone.

Gathering up her spare fabric, Rosie heaved it into her arms. She'd meant to go directly to the attic to finish up some sewing Valentina had ordered, she truly did...but her father's study door was open...and Cassimir was inside.

Stowing her parcel by the door, she slipped inside. It wouldn't hurt to...simply be there, she was sure. Maybe to ask some innocent questions. He was her brother, after all, and as much reverence as any Malconaire gave to the woods outside the house, Roisin couldn't imagine what they might inspire that the great oak that burst through their very ceiling could not, particularly during a rainstorm.

"Good morning, Cassimir," began Roisin, as cheerily as she might. They weren't scheduled to meet until the evening when, presumably, she'd finished her other work, and it was certainly true that Roisin didn't generally seek out Cassimir, but...Maybe this once. She had to know!

"I had a free moment and wondered if you wanted to discuss...designs. That way maybe I can have some ready to present when we meet tonight..."

She rounded the doorway, standing fully inside, now. Outside the world was filled with fog and a torrential downpour, but this room felt snug and cozy with the fire cheerily licking upwards and a steaming cup of something or other on the desk, and candles dotting every surface so it might be bright enough to read and write in the gloom of heavy rain.

"Goodness, it certainly is coming down out there, isn't it?" she paused, rubbed her arm. "Papa loved days like this in here. Said they were made for being snug in one's snug," she giggled. "But...you know that..."

She shook her head as if to dispel those more pleasant memories. "Is there anything I can fetch you before we begin?"

What was going on with him? Had something happened at the ball? Gods! Had Guinevere finally caved to his proposals? Were they about to have Malconaire back and utterly to themselves again? Surely Valentina wouldn't remain here if she could be living in a palace! And Cassimir would have to attend to his bride...A wave of warmth washed over her.

She paused again. "Cassimir...I've heard a rumor about you," she said at last, biting her lip. It was a lie but...it was a white lie, certainly, wasn't it? "I've heard...that you're to be married. Soon. Is...is it true?"

[forgottencassimir]

"Good morning, Roisin," Cassimir's good mood from the days before had continued into today -- even as he spent this dreary afternoon holed up in his study. He had much rather have been at Eithne's side. He wished to spend every moment with her, but as it was, their engagement had not been announced to anyone.

Her acceptance of his proposal had given him a newfound purpose and something to focus his energies towards. She wanted to oversee a prosperous Malconaire with him and even Cassimir knew that there would need to be swift and drastic changes made to the way the place had been run to ensure this. To this end, he had begun by going over the accounts of the estate.

It was clear, even to him, that both himself and his mother would have to limit their spending for a time. It was a sacrifice he was willing to make, but he knew that it would be yet another blow to his mother during this transitional time. In the end, he thought, it would all be for the better.

He was distracted, but not angered, by the interruption by his youngest step-sister. Originally, he might have been irritated by her disruption of his schedule, but he had a rather important reason to secure himself some new clothes and any task that needed to be completed before his wedding, took priority.

But when she spoke of his upcoming wedding, Cassimir's eyes flicked up from his desk to meet her's. He did not realize that Eithne had told her sisters yet, and he confessed that he had not expected them to be quite so cheerful about it. Aoife, perhaps, but not the others.

"So you have been informed?" Cassimir asked, arching an eyebrow. "Are you happy to hear of it?" He found himself asking. "Will you wish your brother well on this occasion, dear sister?" He rose from where he sat at his desk.

If her good mood was her attempts to mend the bridge between them, he would happily agree to it, for Eithne's sake. "I hope you know that we shall all be much happier after this," He ventured, "I shall swear to it."

Cassimir had once hoped that Roisin and Brigit would soon marry and be sent away, but he would not be quite so hasty to get rid of Roisin if she approved to be this agreeable. He knew that it would be a great deal to Eithne to still have her sisters about her, and Cassimir was not so blind to Roisin's talents to ignore that she practically paid for her own room and board if she were to continue her role as their seamstress.

Especially, he thought, in the next few years as Eithne came into her role as Lady of Malconaire. And surely there would be children to soon to follow ...

[forgottenroisin]

Rosie's lips twitched into a smile at his reaction. She almost wanted to laugh: his voice was so cheery -- at least, compared to his normal tone -- and she caught herself thinking that this version of Cassimir might almost have been likable...Almost, she reminded herself, steadfastly. She felt half a traitor just for thinking it.

She knew the moment she said it. His reaction was instantaneous -- the flicker in his eyes, quick to find hers, said all that she needed to know. Hope and happiness and, surprise, true enough (there hadn't been any real rumor she was privy too so she could hardly blame him for that!), all of it. Just as a secretly betrothed man ought to react when asked of it. She'd read enough tragic tales to know that. Yes! It was true! He was to wed Guinevere Varmont! A sad thought for the empire, she mused, but a lovely one for Malconaire.

She shrugged. "Not so much informed," she admitted. "As...capable of reading between the lines. But I won't tell anyone," she assured him, quickly. "I think the secret of it...rather romantic, actually. Though I hope you need not keep it so very long. I'm sure it must be exciting at first, but...likely loses its savor rather quickly." Her smile was sympathetic. Her own relationship with Edmund wasn't precisely secret, perhaps, but there was enough intrigue involved in stealing moments while evading his father's spies to give her a touch of empathy on that point.

His question took her rather by surprise, and it was Rosie's turn to arch her brows. She smiled. She was glad to say, very truly: "Yes, Cassimir. Yes, I am happy for you." She couldn't say as she was particularly pleased for poor Guinevere but...she was a princess. She had more than enough at her disposal, Rosie had little doubt, to deal with Cassimir. "You know, I've always hoped you would find happiness, somewhere." She laughed, rubbed her arm remembering her most recent practical joke against him at the Ice Ball. "Though I confess...I've never been the best at showing it. But if this makes you happy and, it truly seems that it does, well then, I wish you joy."

As he stood, asking for her well wishes as his sister, she smiled and, coming forward, she put one hand on his shoulder (he was rather taller than she) and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek before pulling away again. Part of her was glad, after all, that now that they were parting, they were doing so on good terms. Hadn't her father alwasy insisted on his better nature, and wasn't he her brother, after all?

"I wish you very well, indeed, Cassimir," she said. "I wish you all imaginable happiness."

His oath surprised her, and she frowned her confusion a moment, but smiled over it nonetheless. She supposed he would still be part of her life, after all, even trekking around to begin...holy wars in foreign lands for a religion he didn't even believe in. But regardless, it was true.

"In truth," said Rosie. "I...I didn't see till now how much you cared for her. I thought it was only..." she didn't wish to say raw ambition. Instead she said, "A passing fancy. I'm glad I was wrong. I'm glad you're happy. And," she added, grasping his arm affectionately. "I know that you're right. It's the best choice for everyone. I really think that it is. Everyone gets what they want. Your mother must be so proud! I know how she wanted this for you. And Eithne and Aoife and I will all be so happy, too!" She didn't mention Brigit. She wasn't so sure she would be best pleased to hear of Valentina and Cassimir in the palace, but Rosie was rather of the opinion that they and Roderick deserved one another.

"Will the wedding take place very soon?"

[alicent-targaryen]

ALL MY GRIEF SAYS THE SAME THING—"THIS ISN'T HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE." AND THE WORLD LAUGHS, HOLDS MY HOPE BY MY THROAT, SAYS: "BUT THIS IS HOW IT IS."

[forgottenbrigit]

Whispers at Midnight | Brigit & Rosie

Brigit vividly remembered the day their step-mother had decided that the girls should move from their rooms into the attics. Their father was barely in the grave when she came to this decision: she was sure that they would be more comfortable in that part of the house where they would all be together and, futhermore, it freed up the rest of the family rooms to be converted into lavish guest apartments if any of the princes or princesses needed to stay the night after a visit.

The attics were the only dreary place in the entire castle (which was why, Brigit was sure, it had been selected for them). It had once housed spiders and cobwebs and not much else, but now it was a far cry from the depressing place it once had been.

If Valentina had ever seen the difference they had made, she was likely to find another place for them, but Brigit knew that not much would inspire their stepmother to make the long trek up the steep and winding staircase nor make the final climb up an old ladder to reach it to ever find out.

They'd enlisted Cillian's help to repair the old floor boards and to clean out the fireplace so that it could be used again. He also helped them divide up the space so each girl had a small room of their own, in addition to the main room where they all spent most of their time. The girls had decorated the place with books, flowers, drawings, and old tapestries they found packed away in a trunk.

And home had felt like home again.

It was the one place in the house that could be counted on to always have light and laughter and peace. At the end of their days, the Malconaire girls came together here and for the last few hours before they each fell into an exhausted sleep, it felt like the old days.

Tonight, however, Brigit had stayed out in the stables later than usual. Cassimir had returned late in the evening after supper and Brigit tended to his horse (who he had ridden too hard and too fast on his return journey). When she finally made it upstairs, the fire was burning low and the place was quiet.

Brigit noticed that Eithne had left out some bread and fruit for her supper. She grabbed an apple for herself and left the bread by the hearth.

Still too energized to go to sleep, Brigit began a restless pacing back and forth across the floor when she noticed a low light under her youngest sister's door. "Rosie?" She knocked softly, "Rosie, are you still awake?"

[forgottenroisin]

The room was an artist's retreat. Though scarcely larger than a broom closet, Rosie, with the help of Cillian and her sisters (and no small amount of imaginative design choices), had managed to stuff not merely a tiny bed (surrendering the large, warm one she'd boasted in childhood) in order to fit her easel (featured by the tiny round window), her paints, and brushes, with her clothes hanging by a rope (which she'd fitted up with dried flowers and vines to make it pretty) in the corner by the door. (For someone with so many outfits, she had a surprising scarcity of clothing, but this was simply due to her habit of repurposing them as soon as she could, so that her old dress became new again just as quickly as she could sew it up.)

While she didn't have room for any further furnishings, (save for a somewhat unsteady pile of books beside her bed -- serving both as reading material and a nightstand,) she had imaginatively made the room appear quite large, painting every inch of it till it seemed quite a palace and, when she grew tired of one view, painting it all again (to the point that Cillian joked that she was losing square footage due to all the paint on the walls).

At present, she had the ceiling and two walls completely finished, the far wall and the door wall still showcasing the painting she'd previously done of a world made all of snow and ice. Now, wisteria grew at the ceiling, a garland of fresh green and purple unfurling in leafy, blooming tendrils across the ceiling which was open to the sky, complete with songbirds flittering between the arms of trees.

To her left, a great gallery complete with a copy of each of her favorite paintings (and including a portrait of each of her family members, her living sisters and her lost parents, alike) wound its way beneath a daylight majesterial forest. To her right, a labyrinthine library coiled and snaked beneath beams of moonlight which glowed silver in the inky night. She'd even started in on the floor and, though that was as yet incomplete, it appeared that her current notion was to paint a meadow scene, portraying the bed in its blue linens as a placid lake or perhaps a sea beckoning weary travelers to a world of dreams.

Rosie had been on her hands and knees, painting a particularly fitful a stone on the floor which, due to the natural texture of the wood, she was having a great deal of difficulty making look smooth. So it was that, when she heard her sister's voice, she found she wasn't just grateful to finally see Brigit after a long day -- she was also grateful for an excuse to abandon the frustrating task, for now.

Standing with great alacrity, she plunked her brush into the little jar of water (once it had been a simple terracotta, but her years of such use had transformed it into a kaleidoscope of whirling color), and enthusiastically wiped her hands on her apron before opening her door.

"Brigit! Is--it is dark?" she peered out into the common room, glowing with cheery firelight from the hearth. "Well, no wonder I was having such trouble seeing," she laughed. "Goodness, I had no idea I'd been at it so long. But why are you home so late? Did Cassimir stay out riding all night again?"

This was a slight exageration, but Rosie was prone to such things.

"I ought to have him whipped," she sighed, a small smirk brightening the corner of her lips, bemusement at the notion. If she had the power, she wouldn't have had anyone whipped, but in that she did not, it was sometimes amusing to declare such a mode of punishment -- particularly towards someone as universally vexing to them all as their stepbrother. "Maybe next time Prince Arthur comes by, we can convince him to duel Cassimir. I think watching that might just prove suitable recompence for a great many misdeeds," she joked.

"Come on," she said, energetically taking her sister's hand and leading her towards the hearth, where Rosie dropped into a chair, and noticing yet another project abandoned there -- a habit with her to leap from thing to thing to thing (this time new frocks for each of her sisters) -- took up her sewing. With a grin, she picked up Brigit's and began to sew while she chatted. For this one, she took special care to use durable fabrics that would move well so that, rather than hampering her many activities, they would keep her cozy while she did them, instead. Yet -- unable to entirely do away with a decorative touch -- she had decided to embroider a scene at the hem -- her sister and her new steed riding amongst their father's ancient woods seemed a suitable subject, but she wasn't sure, and shot a glance towards Bridget. "I'd like to add a design to your hem. What would you like to see?"

Smiling as she leaned her chin upon her fist, she fixed her sister with an intent look. "Oh, but you must tell me all about your day! Oh! I was supposed to tell you..." she paused, noting the apple in Brigit's hand. "But I think you already saw." She grinned, shrugged, relaying the message anyhow. "Eithne left dinner out for you."

Another pause. "I didn't see you or Cillian all day long. Did you two get up to some adventuring together?" she inquired, gaze flicking pointedly back to her embroidery. Rosie had long hoped that a romance would kindle between the two of them, but it was a hope of which she had long ago begun to despair. It seemed that perhaps her sister was not so inclined.

"Or was he off in the woods again today?" Cillian had taken after the war to disappearing into the woods for hours at a time. He claimed, when questioned, that he was 'foresting,' which he seemed to believe -- in this case -- was largely a hunting/gathering expedition of some kind, though he was always so vague about these trips that, if Rosie didn't know any better, she'd think he must be lying to her about it. "If he was foresting again, I have to say, I don't know why he doesn't give it up. He can't be any good at it. He hardly ever brings anything home."

It never occurred to her that he might actually be spending that time attempting to start a revolution.

[forgottenbrigit]

Entering into her sister's rooms always felt like being transported into another realm -- Rosie had created another world inside those four small walls. Oftentimes Brigit wished they could all be transported there: it would be like walking through a door to their past, when they had all been so much happier. How she ached for the days they used to know: those carefree days where they had not a thought that it might not always be like this.

"Not only is it dark, I think the rest of the house is asleep. You should be, too," Brigit had no intention of enforcing this: she was not ready to sleep and was happy for her sister's company while she delayed it. She knew the sooner she fell asleep, the sooner the dawn would come and she was not yet ready to face the day, just yet. She enjoyed these quiet moments too much, when Valentina and Cassimir both seemed so much further away.

Brigit sighed, plopping down on the chairs in front of the hearth next to her sister. "Yes, and the gods only know what it was that he was doing." Perhaps it had been perfectly innocent, but Brigit never trusted a thing her step-brother did -- especially when he'd been gone late into the night without a word as to his whereabouts. "I had half a mind to whip him, myself," She winked at Rosie. She teased, but they both knew that she was more than capable of being driven to such a thing. She'd hit him in the face once, when they were children and Brigit's father was still alive. She knew the punishment to do such a thing now would be severe, but she was not afraid of it -- not if Cassimir proved deserving enough.

Brigit was exceptionally proud of her younger sister and she watched almost in awe as she casually threaded the needle and worked on her perfect stitches with only part of her attention on them. She had to keep herself from laughing just remembering how terrible her needlepoint used to be when they were young girls. Rosie's handiwork at six was already far superior to anything Brigit could do by ten. "Rosie, you know I'll have messed it up in a week," She said, laughing, "Your time would be much better served adding designs to Aofie's and Eithne's hems."

Brigit sobered slightly when Rosie mentioned Cillian. Truth be told things hadn't exactly been the same between them since the war and she hated it. Their's had been such an easy friendship -- so much so she supposed she couldn't quite blame Cillian for thinking that there might be anything more than that between them. But why did he have to be so stupid?

"Oh, I don't know where he's been off to. I think he's angry with me," She said this teasingly, as though any tension between them was only something silly. She had not told any of her sisters what Cillian had said to her -- and she did not mean to. It would embarrass him if they knew he'd not only confessed romantic feelings to her, but that he'd been refused. Not to mention to would embarrass Brigit to admit it all -- and she would rather forget about the whole mess entirely and would have, if things hadn't felt just a little bit off since then.

"I beat him so severely in a race to the woods that he's convinced I must have cheated."

[forgottenroisin]

Laughing as she plopped her brushes in the little jars of water she kept for them, she got to her feet, noting with a small laugh the spots and spalshes of color brightening her hands and knees where she'd been perhaps a touch careless in her painting, of her own person. She smiled cheerfully enough, and when she spoke, her tone was the same laughing one she so often employed, but she felt a tinge of sadness as she showed her sister her hands with a wide grin and said "No matter, the lye will clean them right up," as she had washing to do in the morning. "You'll never know I've been painting at all tonight."

Glancing about herself in the dark and hearing the truth of Brigit's words, she giggled a touch, arching her brows at her sister. "Sometimes my profound spatial awareness amazes even me! Alert as I am," she added, smirking. "I can't feign a particular wish to sleep just now. Besides, I can't pretend I should be overly put out to fall asleep on Valentina, if it weren't for the burden it'd place on everyone else. But you must be exhausted! I'll be sure to 'accidentally' awaken Cassimir early in the morning when I gather his clothes for wash, I assure you. Let him see how it feels to be kept from sleep."

Rosie stabbed the cloth harder than entirely necessary. "Likely seeking out a suitably dark wedding trip location," said she, bitterly. "He does so hate any other color but black, after all, I'm half surprised he's ever awake in the daylight. Only midnight dresses for Eithne from here on out, no doubt. She seems rather set upon pleasing her future husband after all."

That only Cassimir was pleased by this arrangement was not lost on Rosie, but the pleasing notion that Valentina should find herself in conflict with her son had lost a great deal of its shine given the horrible cost to Eithne.

"Perhaps we should fake her death. She'd be much happier living out her days in a spare, half-ruinous cottage in the woods than as Cassimir's blushing bride, I have no doubt, and she could easily evade detection there. I think Valentina and her brood are about as likely to investigate 'their own woods' as to suddenly decide they ought to be giving alms to the needy."

Another angry stab of the fabric. This time she poked her own thumb and, with an irritable hiss, stuck it in her mouth before she could bleed on the fabric. She could heal her finger. She couldn't readily get more cloth.

"If she had to marry for position, why couldn't she have married Arthur? At least then she could have ousted Valentina and Cassimir, then, and we could all see to Malconaire in peace."

This was, of course, not terribly realistic either from the vantage that Arthur might ever be able to take a penniless bride without permission while still maintaining his position, nor from the angle that -- even if he pulled off all of that -- there was no way he could then so upset the rule of law as to dispact Cassimir and leave Eithne ruling lady of Malconaire, which was how the situation was turing out in Rosie's head. Of course, if she stopped and thought about this, she knew it too, but she was not in a particularly rational frame of mind, just at that moment.

Sighing, Rosie put the dress aside at Brigit's words. "All right," she said, softly. I t saddened her, because some part of her felt guilty not putting the same level of effort in Brigit's clothing as Aoife and Eithne's, as the embroidery was no small amount of effort, but she could not deny the truth of this, and having just stabbed herself in the finger, she was feeling a touch more inclined to listen. "But you'll tell me if you do want something, someday? Perhaps our tree over your heart, or something of that type?" With the news of the upcoming nuptials, Rosie was feeling particularly patriotic, wishing to uphold the old Malconaire ways over the invading Vasilieva ones.

There was a sudden shift in Brigit as she spoke of Cillian and -- Rosie having always wished to see them together -- she couldn't help but note it. When -- following a significant puase -- Brigit claimed it was due to a race, Rosie carefully kept her face to her work. "Did you cheat?" she teased. "Sometimes tripping him is very rewarding."

Sighing, she turned over the garment in her hands, looking for the next spot to touch up. Her voice, when she spoke was off-handed. She didn't like what she feared, and she secrely hoped opposition to the idea, when voiced, would. be violent. "Do you...do you think anything is seriously amiss?" If it were, Rosie had a mind to fix it, somehow, an action which -- no doubt -- would create more mischief than good, but her intentions in these matters were always good.

She put the fabric down in her lap suddenly, looking up at her sister. "Brigit, in truth, I'm worried about him. I know...I know," she shook her head. "What he went through in...with...Papa..." Rosie never spoke of the battle, and she glanced down even as she referenced it so obliquely before hastening on. "He'll never be the same. None of us will be. But...there's something off. I don't know what, exactly. I'd hoped at first that it would...wear off, but its been two years, Brigit. It's not usual for him to want to spend so much time alone, off in the woods. Ought we be concerned that he might...do himself some..." she licked her lips, shook her head. "Some harm?"

[forgottenbrigit]

Brigit laughed, "I certainly have no objection." Keeping Cassimir from having a good night's rest this and every night that followed was a small, but still appealing, form of revenge -- both for keeping her up this evening and, much more importantly, for being her sister in such an unbearable position. "Perhaps we ought to move the chicken coop a bit closer to the house ... so it is better protected from any storms? Pity the rooster's cry will wake us all, but what a small price for us all to pay to ensure the safety of the chickens."

Brigit could not remember what it was like to sleep past dawn and she knew her sisters could hardly afford such luxuries either. Each of them had more duties than they could often handle in a day's worth -- especially if there was some social function they must attend or if those insufferable Varmont princes decided to descend upon them unexpectedly. They each lived two lives now and long, restful sleeps had been the first thing that they'd all let go of.

Although, there was some comfort in the fact that Rosie did sometimes manage to find time to paint. Only Brigit hoped that one day her little sister wouldn't need to wait until the depths of the night to do it and that she might paint whenever the inspiration to do so struck.

Brigit rolled her eyes. Rosie was teasing -- but both of them knew that there was more truth to her statement about Cassimir than exaggerations. It was just another reason, amongst hundreds, why Eithne should never marry Cassimir. Eithne's wedding should be nothing but bright and light and happy: she ought to carrying a bouquet with white lilies and snowdrops and ivy -- Brigit couldn't conceive what Cassimir's wedding ought to be like (she was too busy thinking about how he shouldn't have one, at all), but she suspected that Rosie wasn't far off: someplace dark and dreary, no doubt.

"I would not have her marry him, either. Not for all the world," Brigit replied. She had almost as many objections about the Varmont prince as she did about her own step-brother marrying Eithne. "Don't be fooled, Rosie, nothing good would have come from that union, either." She said this as much as a warning to Rosie as anything. Sometimes she worried that Rosie had grown too fond of all of the Varmont princes, in general.

Oh, she was sure that they could each be charming and kind enough, but they should never, ever be trusted. And she feared that they had been just kind and vulnerable enough around her sisters that they might fall for their traps.

"If only Eithne would agree to that," Brigit said, wistfully. "But she's too good; too stubborn; too much in love with this place to ever leave it behind ... " A sigh. "We will just have to kidnap her, I don't see any other way around it. And then we'll convince her that we've taken her so far away from everything that she can't possibly get back to Malconaire and to Cassimir." Brigit winked.

Brigit had started to accept that Eithne might not escape this union ... might not even want to ... but she wasn't quite ready to let Rosie come to that conclusion just yet.

She gave her sister an affectionate smile when she again offered to embroider anything Brigit wished -- upon the hem or otherwise -- on any of her dresses. Her heart melted just a bit at the offer: Rosie could be a sweetheart. Brigit was not blind to the time and effort her sister would put it into if only Brigit asked -- even as Rosie knew that it would likely not outlast how rough Brigit could be with her clothes. "I will," Brigit put her arm around her sister and gave her a kiss upon her head -- just as she had one since Rosie was a little girl. Rosie was quite grown now, but Brigit didn't always like to acknowledge that her youngest sister wasn't a child anymore.

"Rosie!" Brigit cried in mock offense, moving to sit up. "Do you really think I'd need to cheat in order to beat him in a footrace? It was only that one time that I may have tripped him ... " She laughed, shaking her head recalling the summer they had spent racing each other as children -- whether it was up trees, on horseback, or swimming in the lake.

She missed those days, when they were both so carefree.

Brigit met her sister's gaze and found so much genuine concern there. She had certainly noticed Cillian's odd behavior, but she had not realized that her sisters had, too. That, perhaps, she was not the only person he was now treating differently. She hated that their's was not the only relationship that his declaration had changed.

"You've noticed it, too?" She asked, biting her lip. The last thing she wanted to do was to confess any of it to Rosie, but she did not like that her sister was harboring such worrying for Cillian when she didn't need to. "I ... no, Rosie, I don't think that he's planning on doing any harm to himself. I just ... I think he fell witness to more than he'll ever let on and I ... " Brigit didn't particularly like to draw up memories of the battle, either, nor did she want her sister to dwell on it. "Everyone deals with these things in their own way, and as long as he knows that he still has us -- that he still has Ronan and Percy and Saoirse -- then I think he will be fine. I know he will."

He had to be.

Brigit did not love him the way he wanted her to, but she loved him fiercely, all the same, and she could not stand for anything to happen to him. He'd suffered enough, already.

"Sometimes, I think he goes to visit his brother," Brigit said, softly. "I don't think he's always alone in the woods, when he goes off by himself. I don't know where Ronan is but ... I don't think he would go so far that he could never see Saoirse or Cillian if he didn't need to." Cillian had never said as much to her, but she liked to believe that it was true. And she hoped that this thought would be just as comforting to Rosie as it was to her.

[forgottenroisin]

Rosie grinned, giggling. "Oh, yes, in fact, I think its paramount, what with the foxes on the prowl. Indeed, I think the only truly safe spot is the alcove to the other end...A pity that will place it just below Cassimir's window where he may enjoy both the sounds and the aromas of the chicken coop, but with a situation so dire as this one, you know, 'sacrifices must be made.'" This last she said employing the same words and inflection Valentina often used when issuing yet more tasks to her stepdaughters.

Sighing, Rosie gnawed her lip. Their rather different views of the Varmont princes was perhaps the sorest subject between the two of them, and Rosie was somewhat sorry to have brought it up, but now that she had, and Brigit had objected, she hardly felt she could leave the matter unaddressed because, though ostensibly it was Arthur she was defending, she was as much speaking of Edmund, in truth, as Brigit was doing.

"Not for all the world? But, if his father gets his way, it might be for precisely that!" She shook her head, the jest tasting ill even on her own tongue. " You misjudge him, Brigit. I think he has a good heart, and just think how happy he makes Eithne! Even with the benefit of all our father's efforts, Cassimir isn't a fraction the man he is. No, I cannot agree with you: Varmont or no, Arthur was the superior match. And," she added, gesturing with her threaded needle still clutched in one hand. "He isn't her own stepbrother!"

But even so, and even wishing very much to do so, Rosie couldn't entirely deny that Brigit was entirely wrong: Arthur was gone, now, and soon Edmund would be, too, and Sebastian as well. Not a one of them could marry a penniless Malconaire. Of all the daughters, Valentina had managed only to 'salvage' Sonya's dowry, and even that was far poorer, these days, than it ought to be. And even if they still had their dowries in tact, Roderick doubtless wanted someone of far greater status and wealth even than they'd had when their father was alive. No, there was no hope of a permanent alliance there.

Grinning at this notion, Rosie laughed. "A capital notion! I hear the fens are growing back just as they ought, and they say Roderick won't dare step foot there after all the happened -- it might just prove the perfect place for abducting our sister, and for what its worth, the people here would, I believe, help us if it meant saving Eithne!