undergrounds | Imbolc

Watch on YouTube

The festival of Imbolc marks the end of winter and the coming of spring. It may not seem like it, but the days are getting longer and winter's grip is beginning to thaw. What better time to celebrate new beginnings and make a fresh start?

That's exactly what the witch community is doing, as Samantha Okeke takes her place as the newly anointed Mother of Witches. The event is being held at the Redbright Institute, courtesy of Sylvia Redbright the previous Mother, and will take place entirely outside. Carefully placed warming spells ensure that the air temperature in the grounds is comfortable rather than freezing.

The event begins at 5pm (after sunset at 16.52) and finishes at 8pm.

Order of Events
5pm-5.30pm: Flowers and Candles
The first half hour allows time for guests to arrive and mingle. The main area where guests will arrive first is the lawn and pavilion. Here there are two stalls selling a variety of early spring flowers and candles. A third stall is selling hot drinks where you can buy tea, coffee or brandy, a fourth is selling a variety of fruitcakes, cupcakes and seed cakes, and a fifth is doing excellent business selling plant pots filled with earth blessed by the new Mother of Witches and a variety of plant seeds. A sign on the stalls proclaims that all proceedings will be used to fund a new centre for magical innovation, sponsored by the Mother of Witches.

At the pavilion there is an altar where guests are encouraged to light their candles, lay down their flowers and wish for good health in the year ahead. It is also traditional for young witches to wear flower garlands, so expect to see a lot of flowers around in general.

5.30-6.15pm: The Mother of Witches
At around 5.30pm there will be a ceremony where Sylvia will officially pass on her crown as Mother of Witches to Samantha. Guests will be ushered through to the quad to witness the ceremony. A podium has been set up in the middle of the quad where Sylvia will wait for Samantha to arrive on a raised chair carried by four male witches. Wearing a white dress with gold lace trimming, Samantha represents the purity and fertility of the upcoming spring.

It's then time for Sylvia to symbolically hand over her power by giving Samantha her wand and setting a crown of jasmine flowers on her head. The final act is for Samantha to light the candles that have been placed around the podium, a symbol of new beginnings.

She will then give a speech, addressed to the witches of course, but she is aware that there are others in the crowd who will be interested in what she has to say.

6.15-7.15pm: Offerings
Samantha will be sitting on the raised chair which has now been set down on the podium, flanked by the four male witches. A small white cat sits in her lap. Now is the opportunity for all guests to bring gifts and offerings for the newly anointed Mother of Witches. Every coven will nominate a representative to present a gift and say a few words. It would be courteous for guests from other factions to do the same, though not everyone will.

In the meantime, the gardens are open for guests to wander around with fairy lights strategically placed to help guests find their way.

7.15-8pm: Mingling
The remainder of the event is open for guests to mingle as they please, with the quad, front lawn and gardens all open. The stalls will be selling food, drink and other wares right through to the end of the evening.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"How come?" He can't help the question, looking around as if to see if he can see the new Mother somewhere. Probably could, maybe, if he was bothered to, but it's more just out of habit. "Ain't goin' to do anythin', told you."

"Apparently I'm a traitor." She rolls her eyes, like it's no big deal. "Living with Cooper, choosing him over some witches that never did anything for me. Like they expected me to come crawling to Daybreak after they did so much to hurt me and my friends." Loyal and stubborn, two of Nancy's premiere traits.

"So they're soft in the head?" He shakes his head. "Never c'n trust people what get people running around fer 'em."

Nancy gives him a bit of a look. They were the people running around for other people. He should realize that.

"I'll say."

Oh, he knew. And could you trust Fagin? Not at all.

"So, which one is she then?"

"The one being honored tonight. Pretty woman, in her thirties, got a few wrinkles around her eyes. You'll have a hard time missing her." Seriously, this part was for her, after all.

Yeah, but he wasn't exactly bothered about who the party was more. He was more here to get some heat, eat what he could, and have a few drinks before anyone kicked him out. If he got kicked out. He could be kind of respectable if he felt like it.

"Oh. right."

Nancy gives him a pointed nod.

"Yeah- I've got a gift for her, trying to be polite for Cooper's sake. But she's awful."

"What level of awful we talkin' about?"

"Well, she called me a traitor and said witches like me aren't even considered witches anymore. She seems so... fake."

The Dodger frowns, one of those ones that seems to affect the whole posture of the body. "Witches like you ain't even witches... Sounds like she's got somethin' stuck up her arse."

Nancy nods. "Yeah. And guess who gets to spend all sorts of time with her?" Nancy fakes her best smile, and it looks more like a grimace.

The Dodger gives a pat on her shoulder. "There, Nance, sure it ain't as bad as all that."

Nancy gives him perhaps her bitchiest look possible. Her eyebrows were raised as she looked at him. "Clearly you don't know many girls, Dodge. They can be awful."

As she was slowly learning, they were just as awful as so many men.

The Dodger blinks at the look, staring at her with his own look. "Course I don't, but ain't no need to be givin' me that look, Nance."

Nancy purses her lips for a moment. "I'm sorry. it's just- I'm learning that all those awful films were right."

"Well, guess that had to be right about somethin'," he shrugged his shoulders. "Ain't nothin' that says that have to say right, though. Why not flash yer winnin' personality?"

"Yeah, I've tried that." Turns out she's really awkward at fancy parties when she isn't trying to make money.

"Maybe I'm just no good with other girls." She could count on one hand the number of good female friends she had: Bet, Kenzi, Abby and now Caroline.

"Maybe other girls are no good with you." Because he was always on her side of the argument, no matter what the argument was.

She considers it for a moment.

"Maybe." Probably not.

"Worth a shot, though?"

She curls her lip upward. "We'll see."

"Ah, come on, Nance," he said, nudging her slightly. "They'll end up lovin' ya."

"Not this one, I'll tell you that right now."

He pulls his face, and pats Nancy on the shoulder once again. He's not really sure what else he can say to try to make things feel a bit better for her - he doesn't know much about girls, to be honest. The ones that stay with Fagin never really stay for long. The old crook tended to prefer lads around.

(no subject)

stauncherhearted - 2017-02-15 15:25 (UTC) - Expand

knowntohisfriends - 2017-02-16 18:48 (UTC) - Expand