Imbolc

[undergroundmods]

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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.

Comments

[bellbound]

Well, that was a fae-like statement if he'd ever heard one. Maybe this shapeshifter had spent more time around his kind than was strictly healthy.

It was also a tragedy that the bobcat hadn't even started eating the fish yet. It had gone from flopping around on the ground to a sad, still corpse, losing its freshness by the minute.

"I believe you," he said, because the shapeshifter had proven that he could catch a fish in the water so it wasn't exactly a controversial statement. Also, he still wanted that fish. Mogget tried taking a cautious step forward. There was surely enough to share...

[dirtyredneck]

There were more than a few fae in Hillingdon's ranks. Even if the cat did currently think he was a familiar, it probably wasn't that unusual for shifters to hang around bound fae among the witches.

Daryl watched the not-cat start forward again and choose that moment to dig his teeth - mouth as big as Mogget's head - into the back end of the fish. Where there was more meat than bone. He ripped a large chunk out, holding the other end of the fish down with his paw to get a nice long tear. It was maybe a fifth of the whole fish in his mouth when he was done. With that meat still in his mouth, he stood up and approached the not-cat - his body standing protectively over the rest of the meal. Then he set the ripped portion down. A peace offering of sorts. He was still getting most of the fish, but a good 2 pounds of it was now in front of the not-cat. Plenty enough for something his size.

[bellbound]

Mogget stopped when the other cat bit into the fish, paw in the air. He watched closely, noting that the bobcat didn't seem to be wolfing the fish down, and then sat back when the bobcat approached him.

Success!

Not the whole fish, but a good chunk and probably about as much as he could catch himself. All without having to dip a paw into the water. He rubbed at his cheek with a paw, apparently not overly interested, but when the other cat retreated Mogget didn't hesitate to start on his meal. Delicious, delicious fish.

[dirtyredneck]

Daryl backed up and hunkered down again, then started digging into the rest of the fish. He kept his eyes on the not-cat to make sure he wasn't going to try and steal any more. He hadn't been lying about needing to eat after that swim. And he'd learned the cat could be easily bribed. Well, easily enough.

[bellbound]

As for Mogget, he scarfed down his portion of the fish in no time at all and then sat up to clean his whiskers before watching the other cat with hungry eyes.

A bit more?