Three Twisted Knots

I cannot ever know what’s in the hearts of readers, assuming I have any after having deserted you all for two seasons. I suppose the fact that I am thinking about etymology this morning may make you roll your eyes and feel that you could do without me for another two seasons, but I am not interested in your opinion, because I am a Queen of Faerie, and if I want to think about etymology, I will think about etymology. I remember sometimes how Dyisi-who-was used to laugh at me for being over concerned about the meanings of words.And so this early morning, on the eve of Imbolg, I am considering this question of Singing-In; that is, not the act of singing in the season of spring, but the act of magically pushing the Wheel, whether we be individuals or hordes, to bring the advent of a new season.

So why’d you use such imprecise language, Your Majesty?

I admit it comes from my desire to be better understood, if you must know. Someone shared something with me a short time ago that called to my mind the common misunderstandings between the words invoke and evoke. And of course because I am a Queen with an academic background, I now wonder about the precise way, in English, to describe, or maybe even to codify, the act of Singing-In.

Awenia, my base Realm and Queendom, is still in the process of becoming itself. I suspect it always will be. But on this day we celebrate Imbolg, the concept of spring being in the belly of the divine, waiting to come forth, and that’s why the Singing-In is important.

It is hard to choose a place to start, but this snow fae statue has always been a favourite, so I begin with snowdrops, here in the shadow of the Shrine Tree, on the public meadow. All places are starting places, after all.

OK, Gwyneth… your point?

And that brings me to the circle-round question: am I invoking spring, or evoking spring? Some of you might say it doesn’t matter: that’s all right. You’re free to say that. It does matter. I suspect that while this evocation might include an invocation, the Singing-In is itself an evocation. After all, to evoke is to call forth, whilst to invoke is to call upon.

Now, it’s no surprise to anyone that I follow an old path, but I’ll bore you with cosmology some other time. Suffice it to say there are other pagan religions than witchcraft, that there are other cosmological compasses than the four, sometimes five alchemical elements seen over and over again in even contemporary expressions of asatru and druidry, and that what passes for magical (or magickal, you crowleyites) knowledge in the so-called first world is not all there is.

So I invoke my gods, my ancestors, and the animae that surrounds everything. I honour the realms and let the song come. And that, my darlings, stripped of all detail and specificity, is how we sing-in spring.

Notes & Credits:

• The Stunning Skin: ND/MD, Joe—available now at the ND/MD Main Store
• The Unforgettable Gown: Blue Moon Enterprises (BMe), Solstice—available now at the BMe Main Store
• The Snow-droppy Hair: Magic, Dolly
• The Circlet: Celeste, Bethany
• The Necklace & Earrings: Rise Design, Rothenburg
• The Piercing Eyes: Shimm, CLXIX
• Gwyneth’s body is the Maitreya Petite. Her head is a Lelutka EvoX Gaia
• Take a listen to Maddy Prior’s song about Spring and Birth at the YouTube link below. And, you know—listen to as much Maddy Prior as you possibly can because she’s pretty amazing.
• The Favourite Fae Statue: Titans: Mushroom Fae Statue
• The Snowdrops: Cube Republic, Snowdrop Drifts
• Other things in Awenia: Too many to mention, but get in touch with me in-world if you’re dying to know what something is. Note that Awenia as a region is not just a labour of love and the seat of Gwyneth’s power as a Fae Queen, not just the leading Fae Tourist Trap in the multiverse, but also the showcase for The Author’s personal collection of wonderfulness. Be prepared to find that something you want to know more about is a one of a kind item and unlikely to be obtainable. ❤