The Only Constant

From Fridros:

It’s Change. That’s the only constant. My pabbi used to say that, and I’m pretty sure he got it from his pabbi. And since you can find it or some permutation of it all over the Internet, I can feel confident they did not invent it but got it from others, as well.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this series of conversations with Myrkandraum. He’s off somewhere right now, but he told me when we met that I did not know how to huldufólk, and after grappling with this idea for some time, I’ve come to the conclusion that he is correct. So I have started trying to be more of an earth spirit.

Learning about world building with Queen Gwyneth has taught me a lot about the magic and physics of change, and so I know that the hardest part about making a change is just starting it.

It came to me that my house was too modern. I was not comfortable with all those windows any more. So I looked around and found a beautiful one made by the crafts folk at Lore, at the Midsummer Enchantment Faire. I’m sure Lira mentioned it recently. It’s called the Summerwind Cottage, but I hope it will last me and my changing heart more than a season.

After all, my original house was chosen for me by the Queen, and while she made a great choice for the me who was homesick for Iceland, I like the idea of fitting in more, now. So I placed it where my old house stood, and although it’s not finished on the inside yet, I’m happy with it so far.

My vegetable and herb garden continue to grow, of course, so I added more planters, and the stepping stones— the stepping stones are also from Midsummer Enchantment, along with the hanging swing and those lovely benches out front. I like lemon trees, and they grow here, so I put a nice little one in a pot, and then I found this glorious maple tree for the garden.

When I told Her Fae Majesty I was going to do this, she sent me a poem. Queen Gwyneth uses a lot of poetry. It used to irritate me, but I’ve gotten used to it. This one is called “A Primitive Like an Orb” by Wallace Stevens.

It’s super long, but you can look it up if you’re interested. It kind of equates creation itself with the creation of poetry, which I can get behind.

But enough philosophising for now: I also found this broomstick lamp at the Faire, and even though huldufólk are not known for zipping around on brooms, I could not resist it. I feel that it has a personality and that it is probably called Lydia, but I will learn more about it as our relationship deepens. It just makes me happy to look at it! I think I would like to dance with it, too, but it is a bit heavy. The poor folks at Fae’dX must have been tired of me by the end of yesterday, but they, as you know, didn’t have to do any of the really heavy lifting— and that lamp has a chonky bottom! I don’t think it can hear me, but I will apologise to it, just in case it’s sensitive about its base.

As I said, I’m not even close to being done with the house. But this room, the lounge, is looking pretty good, if a bit, hm, dim? Maybe it needs better lighting than the old lamp I salvaged from the library storage. And Prinsköttur is asleep on his pillow beneath the gorgeous bookshelf — I guess I got a lot of things at Midsummer Enchantment! I think I need more bookshelves. You can see the beautiful stained glass of the window in the mirror if you look, and it wouldn’t be my house if I hadn’t already taken out my knitting on the first night, would it?

I went to this public solstice circle in a Realm not Awenia this year. Of course, I attended our Awenian Druid Circle as well, but it was nice to see how other folks celebrate. The group was a very goddess-centred circle, and the one chant I remember from it is this one:

She changes everything she touches
And everything she touches
Changes

It works like a round, and I liked it very much. Probably the demifae already know it, but I’ll try it with them anyway, just to see.

And as I looked out over the flowers, the grass, the stepping stones, my lovely new tree…I realised something.

Some of these lessons Her Fae Majesty has been teaching me have somehow come to fruition. I grew grass and flowers and placed stones and put up a whole house, and I don’t feel like I need to spend a week in bed. Maybe she’s right: I can become a world builder one day, in my own right, in my own place.

I think it fits in well. I hope Her Fae Majesty agrees with me; otherwise there will be yet more change on the horizon.

XII

That’s it. The lover writes, the believer hears,
The poet mumbles and the painter sees,
Each one, his fated eccentricity,
As a part, but part, but tenacious particle,
Of the skeleton of the ether, the total
Of letters, prophecies, perceptions, clods
Of color, the giant of nothingness, each one
And the giant ever changing, living in change.

—Wallace Stevens, A Primitive Like an Orb

Notes & Credits:

Items Featured at Midsummer Enchantment:
(Don’t forget: Midsummer Enchantment ends on 5 July, and there are so many beautiful things there! Visit before it disappears!)

Friðrós’ New House: Lore, Summerwind Cottage
Fancy Benches: Laminak, Victorian Monarch Wing Bench (Verdigris and Beech Wood)
Stepping Stones: Broomstick & Cauldron, Ying Yang Stepping Stones
Standing Broom Lamp: Broomstick & Cauldron, Broom Lantern
Hanging Petal Seat: Aine, Miki Seat
Porch Table Decoration: Laminak, Butterflies Ornament, Rainbow
Super Cool Tree Bookshelf: Blue Blood, Arborea Relax
Friðrós’ Blouse: SenzaFine, Carelle Top
Friðrós’ Nails: Eventyra, Moon Dream
Friðrós’ Eye Makeup: Hexumbra, Evangeline, 4

Other Fancy Stuff (Sponsored Items noted with a *)

Avatar:

Earrings & Necklace: Miamai, Akeh Necklace & Earrings* (These are available, along with matching armlets at Miamai’s SL22B store. The necklace is a gift!)
Skirt: Miamai, Shelley Maxiskirt, Brown* (At the Miamai Main Store!)
Nose Tattoo: Hexumbra, Andris Scar* (At the Bleeding Solstice event!)
Cheek Tattoo: Sehas, Tattoo Vegvisir (Custom)
Forehead Tattoo: Catori, Native Forehead Tattoo (A gift at SL22B!)
Lips: ADD Andel, Lip Shimmer, Gold
Hair: No Match, No Ever (tinted)
Gloves & Rings: RealEvil Industries, Corvus Gloves And Rings
Signature Ring: On A Lark, Codex Ring (Mystical)
Belt: Tentacio, Hunter Belt
Skin: DeeTaleZ, Bryn in Celtic
Additional Freckles: Ophilus, Face Freckles V2
Eyebrows: Nuve, Jamie Eyebrows
Friðrós is styled on a MaitreyaX body and a Lelutka EvoX Avalon mesh head.

Setting:

Outside—

Front Lawn Flowers: Tarte, Daisy Star Grass
Lemon Tree: Tarte, Little Lemon Tree (a gift at SL22B!)
Garden Beds: Deco Soup, Garden Bed Quad
Maple Tree: Cube Republic, PBR Japanese Maple, 2025 (a gift at SL22B!)
Garden Plants: All from T-Spot Mesh
Swing Tree: Fundati, Fantasy Tree
Hanging Porch Twinkles: Keke, Twinkling Lights Log
Ivy Covered Trees: Heart, Giant Oaks
Red Cart: D-Lab, Picture Book Shop
Picnic Table: Chez Moi, Applewood Picnic Table
Book Path: Una, Book Path (super old, but I use it everywhere)

Inside—

Furniture: Moss & Luna, Spring Hunt Set, including Chesterfield Sofa, Ottoman, Pillows & Rugs
Art: Moonley, Inc, Asgard Map Panel, Hugin & Munin Panel
Mirror: Madras, Eden Branch Mirror
Lamp: Fourth Wall, Aristo Floor Lamp
Cat: Half-Deer, Sleepy Cat, White