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Arianna, age 22. Nightmare queen, faery changeling, and amateur ghostbuster. I was never supposed to exist, and the world has been trying to erase me since it realized its mistake. So far, I'm winning.
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Nicnevin Essay

   In Scottish paganism,  Nicnevin is a transformative goddess of witchcraft/witches, necromancy, death, water, and the Queen of the Unseelie Court of the Fae in Alba, Scotland. Her most sacred day of the year is the Celtic sabbath, Samhainn(one of the many Scottish Gaels spellings), and because of this as well as her many associations across the Scottish high and lowlands, her ability to transform into an older “hag witch” or a younger, more beautiful woman, and her position as Queen of the Unseelie Court in Alba she is no Goddess to be reckoned with and alludes much mystery.

   So what is a pagan/paganism and, more specifically, what is Scottish paganism and who are the Scottish Pagans? Well, the modern definition of a pagan is someone who doesn’t hold religious beliefs that adhere to the main world religions. However, in the past, it was used as a derogatory term to describe people that lived in a more rural or uncivilized way as well as those who were not Christian. Paganism is thus the practice of these people and is usually tied with the earth, polytheism, and religious practices that do not fit into the mold of society. So, with those things in mind, Scottish pagans were and are people of Celtic blood who practice hard polytheism, animism, will usually hold a belief in the three realms(Land, Sea, and Sky), honor their ancestors and be in tune with their surroundings/nature. Scottish paganism is also more geographically specific seeing as the land itself is viewed as a representation and or home for the Gods, Goddesses, Sidth. Each clan/area of Scotland also had/have their own take on the Gods as well as their own way they practice(d) their religious systems. Though, despite the differences between the different areas of the country, the overall basic mythos, ethics, and ideologies were and are the same.

   Now, traditionally, Nicnevin’s sacred day of Samhainn(October 31/November 1st) is the last harvest of the Celtic cycle and a time to witness the end of summer and honor the darkening of the year. This day is also heavily stooped in supernatural antics, such as honoring the beloved dead/ancestors, the lowering of the veil that separates our world and the next, and the roaming of spirits/fae who enjoy messing with anyone they choose. Nicnevin’s part to play in all of this is that of the role of a gate opener if you will, guiding her host of Unseelie fae and spirits into our world to revel in acts of chaos.

   As for her associations across Scotland, there are two main ones I shall focus on; The Cailleach from Scotland as a whole and Gyre-Carline, which is used in the lowlands. The Cailleach is a Scottish Hag Goddess who, like Nicnevin, can appear in an elderly like form or that of a younger woman and is almost unfathomable as she is one who creates, destroys, and divines. She is also associated with the darker part of the year and is said to form landscapes by dropping boulders and stones from her apron. Another connection that can be made between Nicnevin and the Cailleach is that “Nic” means daughter of and “Nevin” mirroring the tallest mountain of Scotland, Ben Nevis, which is the seat of the Cailleach. So, perhaps Nicnevin is the daughter of the Cailleach or they may be one in the same and Nicnevin being one of the many names for the Crone goddess figure across Scotland. The Cailleach herself is also a tip of the hat to the value of wisdom and the elder years of our mortal lives and how much can be appreciated of those times. On the other hand, she is also associated with the Gyre-Carline. The Gyre-Carline is an ogress whose name, like Nicnevin’s, is used to refer to witches of elderly age and in places of power thus linking her to the supernatural(Sir Walter Scott). She is also said to have a liking of good Christian men’s flesh(Dunbar) which is surely something that alludes to the fact that this Goddess is not one to be messed with.

   One last thing Nicnevin presides over is the Unseelie court of the Fae in Alba. In short the Unseelie court of Fae are the darker, merciless, and more mischievous faeries and tend to be avoided, as if anyone who does not hold knowledge of the denizens of the otherworld would want to encounter any of the fae, really. In folklore the fae, as a whole, are creatures of the supernatural like that posses powers beyond our imagination and also like to medal in human affairs. One example would be in the short tale of Tam Lin when Nicnevin or the “Queen of Fairies” appears to have the main man captive and tries to keep him from the woman who eventually rescues him from her company.

   Having all of these things in mind, Nicnevin is an otherworldly goddess of much mystery, beauty, wisdom, and power who spreads far and wide across the land of the Scots. Sources: “Goddess Nicneven.” Journeying to the Goddess. N.p., 31 Oct. 2012. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. “Crone Goddess.” Crone Goddess. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. “The Goddess in the Landscape.” The Goddess in the Landscape. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. “Tregenda of the Old Goddess, Spirits, and Witches.” Tregenda of the Old Goddess, Spirits, and Witches. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. “Naming the Goddess.” Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. Nicnevin Article; Sarah Anne Lawless Caillech section; The Women’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, Barbara G. Walker Druid Thoughts: Pagan Portals Article - Loop of Brighid: Bride, the Cailleach and Nicnevin by Christopher Scott Thompson Nicnevin chapter in “Naming the Goddess” - Pamela Norrrie “Home.” Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. “Gaol Naofa | Gaelic Polytheism.” Gaol Naofa | Gaelic Polytheism. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.

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hey I moved to a different blog so if you want me to follow you let me know

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“Give me the child. Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child that you have stolen. For my will is as strong as yours, my kingdom as great. You have no power over me.”  Labyrinth (1986) dir. Jim Henson

Source: vintagegal
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timetrees

since it’s hanukkah and people might be paying attention to jewish people for once, some stuff to note

  • don’t call a jewish person a jew unless you know they’re okay with being called that
  • antisemitism is still very real (you’d be surprised how many people ‘forget’ this)
  • goyim (or gentile) means non-jewish person
  • undermining and erasing jewish traditions is antisemitism
  • if you say to ‘get over the holocaust’ or anything along those lines i will come over and bash your head in with our spare menorah
  • Don’t tell someone they can’t be Jewish because “they don’t look like a Jew.” That’s not for you to decide.
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Why is it cool to be mean? Why is it cool to not care about people’s feelings? Why is it cool to be emotionless? Why do we compete to see who cares less? Why is dehumanizing ourselves a trend?

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Witchy Idea

If you feel lost or confused in your identity make a sigil out of your name and charge it with memories of your experiences. This can also be used to symbolize yourself in other sigils as well as in spells and rituals.

This would be a fantastic way to fight dissociation.

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A couple is walking in St. Petersburg Square on Christmas Eve. They feel a slight precipitation.

“I think it’s raining,” says the man.

“No, it’s snowing,” replies the woman. 

“How about we ask this Communist officer here? He is always right!” exclaims the man. “Officer Rudolph, is it raining or snowing?”

“Definitely raining,” Officer Rudolph replies before walking off.

The man turns to his wife with a smile. “See? Rudolph the Red knows rain, dear.”

What pisses me off is the complexity of the context required to throw this pun so it made any sense.

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