#february challenges

Howdy and welcome! This is my side blog for @b3oo! I got really into the idea of doing challenges so im creating my own!

In my pinned post you will always find information about what the monthly challenge is as well as general rules!

A ao3 collection has been created called b3o's Monthly Challenges 2026 (b3osmonthly2026)

Without further ado here’s February’s challenge

February’s Challenge

First Date

Chocolate

Fresh Flowers

Heartache

Candygrams

Day Out

Night In

Meet the Family

First Kiss

Proposal

Secrets

Late Night Drive

Rejection

Valentine’s Day

Movie Night

Crush

Platonic

Love Letters

Stolen Clothes

Perfume

Yearning

Confession

Realizations

Bad Date

White Lies

Caught In the Rain

Anniversary

A Dance

Rules

Feel free to write whatever, but make sure to put proper warnings and tags.

All NSFW should be under a cut and marked properly

No hate here, if you don’t like don’t read

Don’t feel pressured to do every day, or in the correct order! These are for fun and for you to enjoy

To be reposted please use the tag b3oochallenges

How I’ll Run Here

I will repost works if they are properly tagged as above and include the tag #b3oochallenges

Correspondence Activity: Research your local fauna and create a correspondence list for them.

I’ll cap this off at 7 different particular ones in the area here.

-Crayfish 

Small and fierce little creatures the Crayfish of North Texas lurk in the reeks and rivers where they defend their keep and burrow under the mud to live. Specifically around here they lurk in little water runs that are small creeks and in the back acres where its muddy and holes have been stepped into the ground decorating their home due to the cows. I associate them with the ego, the self, and the need to have a tough shell to defend that with. They are associated with the Moon tarot card as they are seen depicted on it with the two dogs. The unseen is often the Crayfish, working under the waters to find food and home. They can aid us in learning how to do things unnoticed but still proud and able to defend ourselves.

-Feral Domestic Cats

Feral cats are everywhere around here, commonly refered to as barn cats in some situations where they are semi-adopted by farmers, they provide as active predators to curb the population in farmlands. Cats are associated with cleverness and the power to survive. Cats are also psychically aware more than humans are so I correspond them with psychic energies and the spirit world too.

-Purple Martins

A seasonally visiting bird species of North Texas that I associate with Spring, swiftness and resourcefulness. They also bond for life, so passion is another association. as the same groups of Purple Martins will return together yearly. 

-Bluejays

Bluejays are common and are very clever birds filled with imagination in how they go about things. Typically seen in the treetops of the cities and soaring over the fields in the country in Texas, the Bluejay to me is associated with freedom most of all, and the adventurous spirit.

-Grackles

Seeming like they’d be part of the Raven or Crow family, they are actually from the Meadowlark and Oriole family. With iridescent feathers of purples, blues, and greens, they have an iconic cry and are always well populating areas in October here in North Texas in flocks that could blot out the Sun. I see them associated with adaptability, and resourcefulness, as well as bravery in how they work well with humans and are never afraid to approach us. Their bravery knows no bounds as they take advantage of following plows to hunt mice or swoop into waters for fish. They are expert foragers and are social birds that remember humans who give them food. Familial oriented.

-Chickenhawks

”Chickenhawk” is actually a term that covers three different species. the quail hawk, sharp-shinned hawk and red-tailed hawk. We commonly see the quail hawk around these parts in the country. I associate them with keen eyes and gusto, and the spirit that can soar and travel. They are rather determined as well with how they’ll hunt.

-Cows

Flora of Northern Texas, Part 1

---- Trees ----

Cedar Elm

The most common tree to be found in Northern Texas is the Cedar Elm tree. It is a deciduous tree native to Southern North America and is seen in countless areas of Texas. This is the only tree that flowers and seeds in Fall in the area as well. Folk names include the “Elven Tree” and simply Elm too. The name “Elven Tree” comes from it having been noted to be a tree that was used for coffins commonly, but most importantly it is in folklore seen in the Underworld or at crossroads leading to the land of faerie.  It’s correspondences include Mercury and Saturn, the colour turquoise, the element of Water, and communication and relationships.  Medicinally, Elm is known to aid in menstrual pains if drinken in tea or added to external wounds. It also aids cold, cough, diahreha and internal bleeding if an infusion from the inner bark is used.  Metaphysically, it aids in balancing of the heart and attracting love, protection, and aids in sharpening psychic abilities. Carrying it can attract love, but also protect from lightning strikes supposedly.  ----

 Live Oak

One of the largest types of trees, an evergreen, the Live Oak is common in North Texas. To the point we often even have streets named ‘Elm’ and ‘Oak’ in many cities in Texas. (Both Denton and Dallas feature “Live Oak St.” and “Oak” and “Elm” streets.) They commonly stand up to 50 feet tall and have stout trunks of 4 feet in diameter. They love well-drained soil and appreciate dryer areas. Formally used in shipbuilding for how sturdy their wood is as well as wagon wheel hubs. Nowadays you primarily see it used as a landscaping tree for its great amount of shade that it provides. The Texas specific species, Live Oak, is actually smaller than most Oak trees and also are multi-trunked typically. They have prized naturally curved limbs of great beauty. It’s roots mimic it’s upper part as however large and long the top is, is how deep and vast the roots are below. It’s correspondences include Jupiter, Mars, the element of Water, the symbolism of sovereignty, rulership, power, strength and endurance, generosity, protection, justice, nobility, honesty and bravery. Associated with the colour Gold as well as the metal Gold. This is the tree most associated with The Green Man mythos. It’s Sabbat is the Summer Solstice. Folk names include “Jove’s Nuts” and “Juglans.” Medicinally, in its bark carries strong astringent properties. Internally it helps diarrhea and dysentery. It can externally be used to treat hemmorhoids, inflamed gums, and wounds or eczema. Magically/metaphysically, they say to dream of resting under an oak tree means you will have a long life and wealth. Climbing one means your dreams means one’s relative will have a hard time in the near future. Fallen oak in dreams corresponds to loss in love. - Carrying and acorn from an Oak tree will aid in fighting off illnesses, pains, and is symbolic for immortality. Carrying any piece of oak draws in good luck as long as one asks for permission and shows gratitude to the Oak. It also is a tree associated with the boosting of energy levels and the ability to manifest our goals. Oak was also the traditional wood burnt at Litha. Oak trees are considered metropolises for fae folk. Some say the oak is one of the most powerful and sacred of trees.   ---

Eldarica Pine

Correspondence Activity: Make a list of the different types of candles that can be used in your practice. Although you can include color here, try to think about size, shape, and other factors too. What are each candles’ uses? Can a different candle affect your spell?

I’ll only focus on shape and size here.

Tealights

Simplistic candles that can be used for everyday spells. They can be used as alternatives when missing any other type of candle as well. Useful for simple spells too.

Tall Candles

Candles for very powerful spells that work over long periods of time. They work best if melted down entirely. They also are easier to carve in runes upon and do so in an order of importance and order of activation. Great for aggressive spells.

Short Stout Candles

Flora of North Texas, Part 2

-----Shrubbery and Grasses----

Alkali Sacaton

An ornamental grass very commonly seen native to North Texas, you can’t go far without spotting one of these. They are deciduous and are valuable to birds who nest near the ground. They are typically planted for erosion control. They love full Sun and have only a medium water demand. Native to Texas, they thrive well in sandy or black clay soils. You typically see them along roadsides. These species are not commonly seen in any documentation about folklore or correspondences, magically. Medicinally, there is no known use for them.  I will assign my own correspondences to them based on how I interpret their appearance and way they work in our world. With such resistance to things like drought and ability to thrive in hardy soils, I would correspond them to Fire and Earth as their elements. Their colour seems like browns, hardy earthen tones. And their planet, Mars and The Sun.  They are actually very beautiful especially as they are resistant to the wind but their foliage “dances” in the winds with how they are grown. It’s quite lovely to see.  

Prarie Parsley

Explore a system of runes or two today. What is each symbol? What do they mean? Can you use them outside of divination? How?

This is actually a much larger task than simply one that can be journaled about in one day! I am currently actually working through research of the Elder Futhark set within this book I have been reading which is a lovely resource: 

So I will post the Elder Futhark here and this will be the set of Runes I will starting Monday night go over one Rune a day from the Elder Futhark over the course of 24 days to give it better focus and attention.  Elder Futhark set:

Flora of North Texas, Part 3

----Flowers---- Balloon Vine / Flower

Balloon vine are commonly seen in North Texas but they are actually an invasive species from the Asian continent. They commonly grow and cover over top of native species. I have seen many of them in the Dallas area on plants outside my old apartment complex, no photos of those in particular, and I am not sure if they are purposefully planted there or not but they tend to appreciate the bushes of Texas. They’re beautiful, though, and make great offerings if anything because it aids the native plant they are invading upon. You can also forage this plant. The seed pods are NOT edible however. They get their name from the pods that they produce that are primarily filled with air and carry a fruit in the very center of it. The edible portions are the young leaves and vine tips. They are cooked before eating. The puffy seed pods are not eaten, nor are the seeds contained within the little “balloons.” They have been used medically with their roots though. Leaf poulticds were used on skin wounds and infections as well as minor muscle and joint problems like strains, sprains or arthritis. Tea made from the leaves was used against stress and bronchitis.  Tea from the root was applied topically to treat hemorrhoids. Seeds are crushed for a tea given to relieve fevers and joint pain. ---

Red Trumpet Vine Flowers

Commonly I have seen these in Dallas along the walkway I take from the Pride festival down Cedar Springs road. There is a vine that grows all the way up a light pole of these and their flowers droop down beautifully so, around a little creek area on a bridge there. This is actually my own photo of the species.  They are a rigorous and fast growing vine that sometimes have yellow flowers too. They climb quickly over structures and nearby trees and attach with aerial rootlets. They’re native to North Texas and other areas of Texas too. They are also drought tolerent and bloom the most in Summer. Summers in Texas last longer than other states so we see them all the way into September when this photo was taken. They are deciduous and are adaptable and have no soil requirements. They are not invasive and do not harm plants like the Balloon Vine does.  My correspondences for them are obviously going to be Mars, red and orange, and Fire element due to their high heat tolerence. I associate them with beauty and Freyja in particular. If I find them, i make offerings of them to Freyja.  Other folk names for them include the “Devil’s Shoestring,” “Foxglove Fine” and “Cow-Itch”  or the “Trumpet Creeper.” ---

Abelia “Edward Goucher” 

These actually grow upon their own bushes and I have seen them in landscaping around the Dallas, Texas area. They’re beautiful, delicate pink flowers that are all over the bush in great vast quantities. They’re beautiful, but there is no way to ingest any part of the plant in foraging nor is there any known correspondences. I would personally correspond this plant with Venus as a planetary correspondence, Air, and love. They would make a wonderful offering to Freyja. ---

Prickly Pear Cactus (+ their flowers)