Day 25 - Fun Facts about Magick!
Fun Facts About Magick
Music Inspirations: “Skin & Bones” by David J. Roch, “Delicate” by Taylor Swift, “Yellow” by Brooke White, “Love Me Anyway,” by P!nk & Chris Stapleton, plus, P!nk’s entire album, “Hurts 2B Human”, Ashlee Simpson’s “Never Dream Alone”, “The End of Love” by Florence + the Machine, and “Never Enough” by Loren Allred.
“The Greatest Showman” soundtrack was often playing in the background because it pumps me up. Yeah, I’m a little basic:)
Hanks’ ancient name was Farold, which means mighty traveler. This is a nod to his gypsy lineage and familiar to Dooriya’s ancestral bloodline, but also to living many centuries.
When Dooriya sails across the Atlantic Ocean, she meets a Scottish pirate name William. This is a nod to Captain William Kidd, who was a known pirate along the golden coast and arrested for piracy in Boston.
The name Sabine was determined by Facebook votes. The other choice was Theodosia.
Sarah dreams repeatedly of several signs.
One is a sigil, which is used as a message to the subconsciousness by creating an image or a sign that represents the creator’s desired outcome. They are often utilized in ceremonial practices and designed for magic by incorporatingregular ritual format with other elements of practical magic
Bridget’s gift for magic is tied to Earth. Choices were: Fire, Water or Earth? Facebook voters made the final decision.
Sabine’s last name is Thadosian. This is a tribute to the name of Theodosia, which was almost the name of her character voted on by fans.
Luna is characterized after my cat, Daisy Mae. She is often featured on my Instagram page and definitely has a strong personality.
An amethyst was my absolute favorite gemstone when I was child. My grandma had a ring that I would wear when playing dress up. I now have that ring and wear it often.
Dooriya’s parents are named Shandor and Sinclair – whose names mean proud and prayer, respectively.
Dooriya leaves a white rose on Judge Hathorne’s grave. This is to symbolize remembrance, love, and respect for the departed person. In this case, the message of farewell is conveyed by the white rose, but Dooriya’s drop of blood is in effort to finally allow the soul to rest in peace. One of her gifts was to soothe troubled souls, much like Sarah has done with her empath skillset. Hathorne was not known to have ever repented his actions in the 1692 Salem Witch Trials.
John was the great-great-grandfather of Nathaniel Hawthorne (born "Hathorne"). The author changed the spelling of his name as her did not want to be associated with “The Hanging Judge”.
Agnes Sampson was an accused witch in Scotland, having been burned at the stake in 1591. She was considered to have healing powers and acted as a midwife.The indictment against her indicated that she was a widow, with children.
Maggie Balfour’s name represents two things. The first name was inspired by the Maggie Wall monument outside of Scotland’s Duncrub Castle which reads, “Maggie Wall burnt here 1657 as a witch.” The last name of Balfour comes from a list of persecuted Scottish witches.
The name Leena Arriens comes from two points as well. Leena means “Rowan Tree”, which is thought to have magical properties. Arriens was on a list of persecuted northern Europe witch families.
The Rowan Tree has longtime, scarred history in the magical community. Since ancient times, people have been planting Rowan beside their homes, because in Celtic mythology the tree is known as the “Tree of Life”. It also symbolizes courage, wisdom and protection.
The Rowan Moon is associated with Brighid, the Celtic goddess of hearth and home.
Rowan is planted in graveyards to prevent the dead from lingering around too long.
Known by the Celts as Luis (pronounced loush), the Rowan is associated with astral travel, personal power, and success.
Common in Irish mythological cycles, Brighid – whose name is derived from the Celtic brig or “exalted one”– is the daughter of the Dagda, and therefore one of the Tuatha de Dannan. Her two sisters were also called Brighid, and were associated with healing and crafts. The three Brighid’s were typically treated as three aspects of a single deity, making her a classic Celtic triple goddess. I tied this concept into another lore, “The Mother, Maiden and Crone”. The stories of three’s have always intrigued me.
In modern Wicca and in many Pagan religions, the Maiden is seen as the virginal young woman, or girl, who has not yet awakened. She is all about enchantment and new beginnings, youthful ideas and enthusiasm. She is associated with the waxing phase of the lunar cycle, as the moon grows from dark to full.
The Mother is the next phase in a woman's life. She is fertility, abundance and growth, and the gaining of knowledge. She is fulfillment—sexual, social, and emotional—represented by a full moon.
Finally, the Crone represents the final stage of a woman’s life. Some state she is the hag and the wise woman, the darkness of night, and eventually death – even the chill of winter.
In the book, the following paragraph appears in chapter 18: “Many worlds had many titles for their legends. There was the babayaga legends of Estonia and Russia, the Witch of Endor from the Book of Samuel, Grimhildein Norse mythology, Circe from The Odyssey, the legend of the Bell Witch in Tennessee, Morgan Le Fay from Arthurian legends and even Medea in Greek mythology.” Each of these witch tales are featured on www.lizrauofficial.com’s#31DaysOfOctober featurette.
Sabine says that Dooriya had a book that she wrote spells in, calling it a “Kronika”. The word is Slovenian for “Chronicle”.
Traveller is another name for a gypsy.
In this book, Sarah finds a Moonstone. The Moonstone is also known as “The Traveler’s Stone.”
Moonstones are known by their adularescence, which is a clear, ghostly, and yet ironically transparent shine that lets natural light sift through its layers, resembling a magical glow.
“Nothing but a trifle.” Is a line from chapter 19; Sabine says it. I imagined Ursula from The Little Mermaid in the scene, in accordance to how Sabine would be talking to her son.
TheValknut Symbol or knot of the slain warrior is a magic symbol made of three interlocking triangles and is based on Norse mythology. The symbol appears on many runestones that date from the Viking Age in connection with the cult of the dead. Many believe its magic that symbolizes altering the course of events or power over life and death.
Breo-saighead literally means fiery arrow. Brighid was known by this name, when translates to punishment and divine justice.
In chapter 26, Kirsten wants to know who the Goddess really is, Diana or Artemis? This is a long-term debate with the Greek and Roman mythologies.
Diana - (Roman god) The daughter of Latona and Jupiter, and twin sister of Apollo; the goddess of the hunt, associated wild animals and the forest or wilderness, and an emblem of chastity
Artemis - (Greek god) The Greek goddess of the hunt, wild animals, and wilderness; the daughter of Leto and Zeus; the sister of Apollo.
The Witches Three is a reference to Shakespeare’s Wayward Sisters.
I could not resist a reference to the myth that a cat has nine lives. Hanks is beloved and deserves a happy ending, too.
First of the series not to include a letter from Sarah for the preface and conclusion.
The 7 Deadly Sins play a role in this story. Greed was Sabine’s weakness, Pride was Dooriya’s.
Magick: Secrets, Spells & Tales is available now on Amazon, Kindle and more!