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The Silver Catch: A Corynn Fairytale

In half-remembered times when the world was young, in days which were ancient before the ancients were born and before Seittiland was Seittiland, the dreadful Witch-Queen of Eight Magyars whose name could not be spoken had become a terror in the north of the world. Her warriors rode unhindered across the central prairies and the polar wastes from Caer Corynnod even to the Path of Ice. Her wealth was unimaginable; she herself owned a herd of eight thousand reindeer, along with six thousand head of cattle and two thousand fine horses, and her royal house was decorated with fine and sumptuous things of silver and brass, and she herself was a resplendent sight in her gown of sable fur and serpent-skin bedecked with ivory and silver like the stars studding the firmament.

Likewise were her armies glorious and terrible. Each of her eight tribes could muster warriors in the thousands, and in her personal arsenals were five hundred horse-drawn chariots, nine hundred sleds of birch wood, one thousand crossbows of maple wood, two thousand fine longbows of horn and yew, innumerable spears and axes of tinned obsidian and hard copper, and one hundred long and well-crafted swords of the bitterest gleaming bronze. The Queen herself was the greatest of runesingers, able to call leven-fire down from the heavens and sweet water up from the earth and to recount in song all the deeds of her foremothers to the eightieth generation, and she gathered unto herself priests and witches and diviners of all sorts to plumb yet deeper mysteries and craft yet mightier songs.

In those days, the horsemen and archers under her eight-legged banner had become an indomitable force. In the darkness of winter they rode across the frozen fens and rivers like a storm-wind and in the warmth of summer they stalked like wolves through the birchwoods, and in time the Queen’s realm swelled to a proper Queendom, laying undisputed claim upon the best and fattest of grazing lands and hunting grounds. Her warriors acclaimed her as their queen and goddess, and foreign lords from beyond the Coedweg and even across the Path of Ice sent gifts and recognition to her dark court. As her armies grew in might, she had designs upon all the northern lands, even upon the entire world and beyond, to the very thrones of the gods themselves.

But, in her heart, she was troubled.

You were having a nightmare. You often did, especially soon after you had left your past life behind. You thought it was just because of what had happened when you were escaping, your time before, the emotional stress alone having done a number on you. 

Seir let you keep believing that. They lay, in their animal form, watching you twitch in your sleep, a thin blanket wrapped tightly around yourself. You were still several days walk away from your destination and you weren’t able to exactly travel in luxury. Your night terrors had been getting worse too. They might have felt guilty about that, but they couldn’t bring themself to. No, it was needed. After all, Seir still had the sulfurs of their home still coating their new body, it would be a while till it was dusted off. Also, even though their very presence brought on most night terrors, they wanted to keep near. Head tucked under your hand, their keen eyes picking up your erratic pulse. It had been too long since they had sat like this with a master. And it had been such a short time that these days Seir had discounted those few days. It only brought a twinge to their black heart and cruelty from their peers. Rightfully, however. 

They had been added to a list of demons that had the shortest time with a new Witch. They couldn’t even keep them alive for a week. Just a brief glimpse of the mortal world before they had dissolved into ash and sent back home. They had failed their own kindred, and they couldn’t bear to face them. 

Seir slowly closed their eyes, their new eyes, and focused on your heartbeat. They needed to be close, to hear it. His former master hadn’t been afraid. Not until right at the end. They sometimes could think back to that time, their head, smaller, in the form of a younger animal to match their own young age, pressed against their calf, as they held another rapidly aging animal to their chest. Tears streamed down their face as the fire burned brighter, harsher, with each second, as a woman’s echoing screams were cruelly cut off and they gave a sob at the noise. 

You kicked out your leg, jostling the blanket and Seir reopened their moon eyes, giving you a squint. They should probably go prowling, scare a drunken passerby or two, instead of enjoying the feeling of their tail against your warm body, wishing to stay right here. They should test the limit of this form, gauge what it means that this is what you’ve chosen for a part of your combined souls to inhabit. But also…

Their shape began to morph, their small spine cracking as it elongated before it dissolved into nothing, body growing, growing, growing until… Their other form. 

If anyone looked in, they would see two humans, tucked tight in a tiny bed, one fast asleep, one resting their sinewy, pale fingers against the other’s pulse in their wrist. Long black hair fanned across their shoulders, moon eyes staring, unblinking, as their unnaturally smooth, marble-like face watched the other sleep. 

Months ago I received a question in my ask box about pregnancy indicators in predictive techniques. I started studying it and looking at one specific famous case: Angelina Jolie. She has 6 children and I decided to look at the astrology of every time she adopted or got pregnant, and this obviously became a big task, so this study will be divided into 5 parts, which will all be posted in full exclusively on my Patreon page, where you can get a membership or purchase the articles. Here I'll give you a preview of the first part where I discuss the natal promise and the adoption of her first child.

First, let's understand the possible indicators for children in someone's destiny. This kind of thing in astrology causes some debate, so I'll go through the classic significators and also point out problems, which you can disagree with me, they're just my own thoughts.

The 5th house is the most obvious. It's the house of conception, procreation, and the bearing of children. It's the succedent house of the IC angle, showing what comes into the 4th house, what adds to the family. It's also the house with which the ascendant makes a trine, symbolizing the things we create and share much in common because they come from us.

Venus rejoices in the 5th house. This could mean that Venus also carries a bit of the signification of children. It's not a very orthodox association, but I definitely think we have to consider it, since the logic of lending meaning from the joys always apply with the other planets and with Venus itself when it comes to its other topics. Valens says that Venus "indicates the mother and nurture." By doing this, he connects Venus to the mother and not to pregnancy or the baby. But I'm suspicious of this association because of the centrality of men in ancient texts. They could've been just associating Venus with women/wives, because it's the planet of love/marriage, and what does a woman do? She's part of a man's patrimony and gives him heirs. ¹ So I suspect this could be a classic case of conflation of women and children, and sometimes I'd rather see Venus simply as pregnancy/children because of its relationship to the 5th house, it makes more sense to me. The fact that matters relating to women cause so much confusion and controversy when we look at ancient astrological texts is not at all surprising, given patriarchal economy and the lack of acknowledgement of women's existence or perspectives by these astrologers.

The association of the Moon with pregnancy, mothers or people who gestate is a consensus that I dare not question. The Moon is a luminary, therefore considered a life-giver, and is very easily symbolically linked to the material process of pregnancy.

Jupiter is the one classically associated with children. Valens says that "Jupiter indicates childbearing, engendering, desire, loves, prosperity, great gifts, an abundance of crops". It's understandable to include Jupiter, because benefics are fertile and humid. On the other hand it's still kinda weird, because Jupiter is associated with children mostly because it signifies wealth and prosperity. I have issues with our treatment of children as patrimony, but in our world that's unfortunately how it works currently. It's systemic and not a question of personal views or perspective.

Another interesting thing to look at is the lot of children. I use the classic Dorotheus formula (Asc + Saturn - Jupiter for day and night charts). I can't explain why it works. It's just like that sometimes, some things I just don't know.

Angelina Jolie's Natal Chart

Mars as the Master (oikodespotes) and the Lord (kurios) of the Nativity

The master is the a ruler that has to do with overall health and length of life, and the lord determines the native's destiny. Mars takes both roles here. It rules the 5th and occupies and rules the 10th and the MC. Obviously, this is a person who's made a career (10th) in the arts and entertainment and is a UN goodwill ambassador (also 5th house), and her children were made important in her career and reputation. The conjunction with the Moon makes her own identity very intertwined with her children and career, her children are always accompanying her when we see her anywhere. The conjunction with Jupiter and the Moon makes the topics of career and children connect a lot to travel or foreign lands, and this is someone whose relationship with other countries is very important and whose 6 children were all born and/or adopted abroad.

Triplicity rulers the Moon: Sun, Jupiter and Saturn

Sun in the 12th: This is a day chart, but the Moon takes over as the predominant luminary, because the Sun is not eligible in the 12th house. But then the Sun is the first triplicity ruler of the sign of the Moon, while also being exalted by her. I understand her 12th house as very much related to her interest in charity and humanitarian work, because it reveals her concern for what is hidden and marginalized. That's how the 12th house can look for people that come from very privileged backgrounds. Also, her most "12th house role", which was in "Girl, Interrupted", happened during a Mercury period, the ruler and occupant of her 12th.

Jupiter in the 10th: religion, travel, justice, etc.

Saturn in the 1st: others, foreigners, marriage, relationships come to the forefront; risks to the body.

The Ascendant in Cancer

Saturn and Venus on the ascendant makes her life revolve around others, family and relationships. Venus obviously reinforces the relationship to the arts, the diplomatic and humanitarian work and also being a sex symbol. Saturn rules the 7th and 8th, making the relationships difficult and scandalous and also bringing risks, for example: her story with her cancer prevention treatment. The Moon is the native herself. She's a very maternal figure, yet strong in a martial sense, and very popular and famous (10th house and conjunction with Jupiter). Cancer is often associated not only with motherhood and care, but also with excavation, archaeology, or paleontology, or history, or storytelling, or any study of the original or where things come from. Add this to Mars in Aries and there you have Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (btw, Indiana Jones is also played by a huge Cancerian).

Lot of Fortune in Taurus 29°

The lot is in the house of the Good Daimon, said to be the most benefic house, while its ruler Venus is one of the strongest planets for being so close to the ascendant and in its own triplicity. Beauty, art, seduction, children, reproduction and fertility are what Angelina's luck holds. Also a rich family (4th house) of artists with great connections (11th) in their industry.

Lot of Children in Libra 29°

This one is also ruled by Venus. This means that for her we'll be considering Venus even more to see things about children. Venus is in the 10th relative to the lot of children in a tight aspect with it, and with the lot of Fortune as well. The very powerful positions of Venus and Mars show how children would be a prolific topic in this person's destiny.

Time Lords

Now we'll look at the time when she adopted her first child, Maddox.

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EDIT: patreon got ban hammered- so please check out my links to see where this is soon! Srry bout that!

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Trash Volume 01

I'm trying a bit of an experiment with my patreon - supporters at the $10/mo level will get access to background assets in packs as I develop them for my games. The post linked below includes a blender file with all of the above assets, ready to use royalty free under a CC-BY license.

Even if you don't need these, please consider joining at a lower level to support an independent developer. And, as always: if you can't support financially, reblogs help.