From the Vortex
Sarah jokingly mentioned the energy vortex in Montana where she has been writing this massive story, and while it is most likely a throwaway comment, something nagged at me about it, so I let myself go down a rabbit hole.
Naturally, this definition reminded me of the Cauldron. A fluid, moving mass with nothing (Void?) at its center. A reference to an eddy?!
The Cauldron’s swirling eddies are mentioned a couple of times in the series. Once by the Bone Carver before he requests the Ouroboros (a window to the world; all can be seen, all can be told):
And then when Rhys and Feyre are discussing Elain’s bond:
I expect we’ll get even closer to the Cauldron in this next story.
Some people believe there are earthly vortexes—places where energy swirls, ley lines overlap—and are drawn to them. They are especially known for healing. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
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I wrote a meta about this gentle yet powerful land, Elain, and the Cauldron/Wyrd (it’s worth a reread). Both her sisters seem to have visited it at different times. Sarah described it as secret, forgotten, and slumbering. Long ago, it was used for healing. Is it somehow connected to Wyrd’s story, and will Elain help reawaken it? What might she learn about this ancient site with her heightened senses? Will it offer peace and quiet for Elain and Azriel?
As Nesta and Cassian hike to this lake, Sarah also wrote: “Heading north […] There was a lake”. As she started to draft, Sarah posted this:
She went up north and stands in front of a wintry body of water (a lake, a river?).
Many moons later, we got a glimpse of her drafting journal (thanks for the reminder, @silverlinedeyes!).
A mountain lake.
After the podcast, Sarah also showed off a new owl tattoo. We’ve linked the owl to Blodeuwedd and Elain for years because Sarah pinned art of Blodeuwedd with “Elain” on it, and there are undeniable parallels in their stories. Owls are also associated with healers and witches in the Maasverse. Purple and the dawn are other symbols of healing. And Sarah wrote Elain glowing in purple and shining like the dawn on the longest night of the year in the last story.
It seems like these connections are all coming together in the next book, and that healing lake might be important.
