â Meet Astrid â
Walking through the picturesque streets of Cardinal Hill, you find ( Astrid Agneta Helström ), the ( 25 ) year old ( baker & owner of Lilla Bakstugan ) originally from ( Mora, Dalarna, Sweden ). Living alongside them in such a small town, you know that they're ( charismatic ) and ( guarded ), but what you might not know is that they are a ( witch ), and that theyâre hiding somethingâŠÂ â Amalia Holm Bjelke, bisexual, cisfemale, & she/her.
Biografi {facts} // Navigering // Wanted Connections&Plots
TW: Parental Death; Child Abuse/Neglect; Pregnancy; Kidnapping; PTSD
"Vi Àr döttrar till hÀxorna du inte kunde brÀnna..."
Daughter of Mora
Astrid Agneta Helström was born on the 1st of September, 1965 in the small town of Mora, nestled in the heart of Dalarna in central Sweden. Her parents, Birgetta & Gideon Helström, were a young witch couple, deeply rooted in the traditions of their ancestors. They named their firstborn after Astrid Lindgren, the beloved authorâand, in the Mora witch community, a celebrated witch known for weaving magical truths into her children's tales. The Helströms were overjoyed to have a daughter, knowing she would carry on the legacy of their cultureâas daughters were the keepers of Moraâs rich history.
Tragedy struck when Astrid was only a several months old. Her mother fell gravely ill and passed away unexpectedly, leaving her father and the communityâs elders to raise her. Despite this loss, young Astrid's childhood was steeped in the love, warmth, and tradition of Moraâs witches. She spent countless hours learning in nature's classroom as well as gaining fluency in Old Norse and the ancient Runic alphabet, essential tools for harnessing her magick. Dalarnaâwith its dense forests, mirror-like lakes, and rustic villagesâwas a source of endless wonder and inspiration. It was a place where magick was inseparable from nature. And to Astrid, it was home.
The elders in Mora were like surrogate parents to her, offering both guidance and affection. They made sure Astrid never felt truly alone in the absence of her mother. Among their teachings was the art of runic divination; and though she was still young, Astrid often sat with them, learning how to read the runes and interpret omens. These ritualsârooted in centuries of traditionâbecame an intimate part of her life. The elders often spoke of the deep, ancient magick that flowed through Dalarna, connecting their community to something far older and wiser than themselves. Because of the elders, Astrid inherited more than knowledge of magick; she inherited an understanding that magick was a living, breathing force that required respect and care.
The magick of Mora was rooted deep within nature, with its power drawn from the land, the forests, the lakes, and the very seasons themselves. The elders often spoke of how the trees, the earth, and even the wind held secrets that could be uncovered by those who truly listened. Astrid learned early on that the strength of her magick was tied to the rhythms of nature. She was taught to work with herbs, wildflowers, and berries found in the forests surrounding Mora, using them in potions, charms, and rituals. The changing seasons were a guide to what types of magick could be harnessedâspring for renewal and growth, summer for passion and strength, autumn for harvest and transformation, and winter for protection and reflection. This knowledge shaped her understanding of how everything was interconnected; and the earth itself was her first teacher in the ways of witchcraft.
When she was old enough to work alongside the elders in the kitchen, Astrid began using the herbs and berries she had learned to gather in her cooking. Baking became more than just a taskâit became an act of perfecting her craft. She would incorporate the energy of the land into her bread and pastries, infusing each loaf and bun with charms of healing, protection, or good fortune. From the wild berries that grew near Moraâs lakesides to the fragrant herbs in the nearby meadows, Astrid learned to mix the gifts of nature with the art of baking. This connection to the land made each creation a magical offering, a practical tradition that would stay with her for the rest of her life.
When she wasn't in the kitchen with the elders, young Astrid was off finding joy and freedom in the snow-covered landscapes of Dalarna. She spent her winters telemarking through the forests, often accompanied by other children from her community. The icy air, the crunch of snow underfoot, and the exhilaration of gliding down a slope became some of her fondest memories. Winter, to Astrid, felt like a time when magick was strongest; and the world itself seemed to hold its breath in quiet awe and wonder.
Loss and Resilience
At the age of eleven, Astridâs world was shattered again. A tragic farming accident claimed her fatherâs life, leaving her an orphan. She was placed in the care of Gumma Greta, a wise elder in the community known for fostering children. Life with Gumma Greta was kind and filled with the same traditions Astrid had grown up with; but nothing could replace the loss of her parents. During her years with Gumma Greta, Astrid came into her own as a young witch, experiencing the development of her powers during puberty. Gumma Greta, though loving and patient, passed away in her 80s when Astrid was just thirteen.
After Gumma Gretaâs passing, Astrid found herself relying more and more on the magick that had been an anchor throughout her childhood. In the solitude of her grief, she turned to the earth for comfort, seeking solace in the ancient rituals and spells passed down through generations of Mora witches. It was during this time that her abilities grew more potent, her connection to the natural world deepening. She felt a unique bond with the elements, often retreating into the forests to meditate by the lakeside or gathering herbs and berries in the wild to bake into pastries and cakes of healing. Though still young, Astridâs magick took on a strength that both startled and soothed her, offering her a measure of peace in a time of overwhelming loss.
With no immediate family left in Mora or in surrounding Dalarna, Astrid was sent to live with a foster family in the nearby city of Falun. At first, life in her new home seemed tolerable. The family consisted of several other children between the ages of 6 and 15; and while Astrid wasnât sure if any of them or her foster parents were witches, they seemed kind enough. But regardless, she kept her magick a tightly guarded secret. She was taught back in Mora to never trust easily and to always proceed with caution.
When Astrid was first sent to Falun, she harbored a small hope that her life might find some semblance of stability. She tried to adjust to her new environment, taking comfort in the idea that she might have found a familyâeven if it wasnât the one she had lost. But as she kept her magick hidden, it simmered within her, a constant reminder of the person she was and the ways she had been taught to protect. She found herself silently practicing at night, creating small charms for protection and guidance or reading the ancient runic texts in the quiet moments when her foster family wasnât around. For a time, it seemed as though she might be able to maintain her secret life; but when one of her foster siblings uncovered her grimoire, the fragile peace she had found was shattered.
Her foster sibling began asking too many questions for her comfort; and she soon struggled to answer them whilst keeping hidden the secrets she treasured most. Upon learning of her witch status, Astrid's foster fatherâterrified and resentful of her abilitiesâturned violent. He forbade her from practicing magick and imposed strict, abusive control over her life. If she was caught practicing, she was beaten; and if the magick continued, she was locked in closets until she promised to never do it again. The physical punishment was brutal and relentless, with bruises taking days or sometimes weeks to finally fade; but it was the neglect that cut the deepest. Her foster father would withhold food or ignore her presence entirely, forcing young Astrid into a state of constant fear and isolation. She endured the abuse for as long as she could manage; but at the age of sixteen, she fled the home.
Years of Survival
Astrid spent the next several years living on the fringes of society, traveling across Sweden and sometimes into Norway. She relied on her wits, resilience, and a blend of magick and mundane skills to ensure her survival. With little more than a small satchel of childhood belongings and her grimoire, she moved from town to town, taking whatever odd jobs she could find just to know where her next meal would come from. Her ability to adapt quickly to new environments and learn on the fly earned her temporary places to stay and just enough money to travel onward when she'd overstayed her welcome.
She learned to rely on her instincts more than anything else. In the early years of her survival, she moved stealthily, avoiding detection by those who might recognize her or cause trouble. Her time on the fringes of society taught her to navigate with caution and to trust no one. She grew skilled in the art of deception, sometimes even adopting new names and identities in an effort to shed traces of her past like the leaves of a tree as the cold winter began to set in. Yet, despite her constant vigilance, there was always a hunger inside herânot just for food, but for connection. Astrid longed for something more than a transient life; but she had learned to bury those feelings deep, focusing instead on the next step in her journey, in her survival.
It was in these years that Astrid truly became a master of her own survival, blending magick and pragmatism in ways she never thought possible. She learned to read the land and people around her, sensing who could be trusted and who would be a potential threat. Her grimoire became more than a tool for spellwork: it was a map of her experiences, a chronicle of all the things she had learned and would one day require in her hours of greatest need. She kept the book hidden but always with her, knowing that it was both her greatest asset and her heaviest burden. It held her lifeâs storyâone she was both desperate to leave behind but still clung to, for it was the only reminder of the person she had been before everything had unraveled.
During her travels, Astrid occasionally crossed paths with other witches, often by chance. Some were older and saw her potential, offering guidance in exchange for small favors or help with their own tasks. Through these encounters, she deepened her understanding of magick and what it truly meant to be a Nordic witch. During her time in northern Sweden, a SĂĄmi witch by the name of IngĂĄ taught her how to craft protective amulets and put wards into placeâskills that would become invaluable in life... far sooner than she ever expected...
Deals and Consequences
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A Relentless Pursuit
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New Life in Washington
Astrid eventually found her way to Cardinal Hill, a quiet town nestled in the hills of Washington State, known as a safe haven for witches. The town offered a sense of security that had eluded Astrid for years. It was the perfect place for someone like her to begin anewâespecially since its proximity to the surrounding area allowed her to continue her quest.
She began renting a modest apartment in the townâs downtown area; and shortly after settling in, she opened Lilla Bakstugan (Swedish for "The Little Baking Cottage"), a Scandi-inspired bakery in the space directly beneath her apartment. The bakery has allowed her to connect with other witches who sought out her treats, sometimes enchanted with subtle charms and hexes. The warmth of the bakery's ovens and the scents of cinnamon and cardamom constantly fill both her workspace and her new home above. Her bakery has become a source of comfort for the Swede as she works in the shadows, watching the townspeople go about their lives, unaware of the budding forces at play.
In the bakery's backroom tucked away in a closet, is a small corner of Astridâs world devoted to an ongoing hunt. A locator spell rests there, its magick still pulsing faintly, waiting to reveal the whereabouts of someone important. The search continues, a quiet obsession she keeps hidden from prying eyes. While life in Cardinal Hill is peaceful, Astrid remains focused on the task at hand, always looking for clues, always seeking answers. No matter how long it takes, she will find them... Even if she loses herself in the process...
