nads (aka nadinewarnerr) over on twitter, a palestinian, has called for a strike from june 16th - june 22nd. if you are unable to miss work or school that is ok and if you have any questions about this strike please message nads or jay (aka blythtism) over on twitter/x as i am not the main person who has called the strike just someone hoping to get the word out to more people.
Imbolc is a call to appreciate the stark beauty of this season. The falling snow, the warm comfort of a cup of tea, and the bright lights of candles are all things I associate with Imbolc.
Like all other sabbats, I like to decorate my fireplace mantle as an altar so that I can appreciate the holiday. I like to start by laying down a simple altar cloth. The colors I associate with Imbolc are white, red, and green so I try to incorporate these colors for my altar set up.
Imbolc is traditionally a festival to honour Brigid, a celtic goddess associated with fire and the hearth. Her presence was such an integral part of rural communities that Christian missionaries could not stop people from honoring her. Instead, Bridget was woven into the Cathloc church as St. Bridget and today many pagans and Catholics alike celebrate her at this time of year.
One of the most popular activities for Imbolc is making a Brigidâs cross out of reeds or grasses. Living in the city, I didnât have easy access to green reeds so I made some Bridget crosses out of simple pipe cleaners. This is a really easy craft and if you have kids it would be a great way to introduce them to this Pagan holiday.
The term Imboc comes from Imbolg meaning âin the bellyâ. Thus, this time of year is associated with pregnancy and the reawakening of the earth. At this time we welcome the growth of the returning light and witness the earliest stirrings of rebirth. I love lighting lots of candles for my Imbolc altar to symbolize the light reawakening in the world.
Traditionally, festivals honoring Brigid occurred at the beginning of the lambing season. For me, Paganism is all about reconnecting with the land and our agricultural roots, which can sometimes be tricky for me since I live in the city. So, for a simple snack while I work on my altar I got some Sheepâs milk cheese to honor this lambing season.
As Imbolc represents the earliest return of life any type of Spring flower or new growth would be a great element to add to an altar. We donât have any new plant life yet here in Chicago so I just picked up a simple bouquet of babyâs breath to use for my altar this year.
Lastly, I like to add some tarot cards to my altar that remind me of this particular season. The Empress is a great card to use as she can represent the fertility of the earth. Iâm also going to use two Aces - The Ace of Pentacles can represent the earliest stages of new plant and animal life and the Ace of Wands can represent the beginning of a new fiery energy in the world.
âYou.â The hero pointed at the villain.
âMe? I didnât⌠I didnât kill them.â They scowled at the dead ambassadorâs body, sprawled on the wool carpet. âI canât stand the sight of blood.â
âThis was meant to be a dinner where we established peace,â the hero said angrily.Â
âThen why donât we figure this out together, hm? If youâre so inclined to cooperate.âÂ
Suddenly, the lights went out. Again. Both the hero and the villain stiffened, knowing that somebody else would be dead by the time they turned on.Â
The Gaffney Ledger, South Carolina, July 21, 1928
me vibing to my own playlist that i created, unapologetic:
bitches be like "Zuko is such a bad boy" like they never watched the "Hello, Zuko here!" scene. The only bad that boy is, is at talking to people
Body Language Cheat Sheet for Writers
As described by Selnickâs article:
Author and doctor of clinical psychology Carolyn Kaufman has released a one-page body language cheat sheet of psychological âtellsâ (PDF link) fiction writers can use to dress their characters.
The fae smiled, sharply:Â âGive me your name, child.â
âUhhhhh. Stick.â
âWhat.â
âDoes Leaf work better? Iâm just kinda looking around this clearing. Look, Iâm trans, I havenât decided on one yet, Iâm throwing some spaghetti at the wall, you know how it is.â