Faery Craft: Weaving Connections with the Enchanted Realm by Carding, Emily (sad books to read .TXT) 📗

good at keeping secrets and have a natural awareness of the mysteries of life. They are naturally intuitive and creative but may at times use their intuition to manipulate others. Generally they prefer to keep people at a safe distance, but when they do allow people to become close, as they will with a select few, they are deeply intense. There are two sides to everyone, but this is particularly apparent in Nimue people, as beneath the sparkling, seductive surface, there is a dark side that, fed by a fertile imagination, can be sensual and erotic but also sensitive, with a tendency to hold on to painful memories.

November 23–December 21

(Living Fire)

Ladon the Dragon

Ladon was the great twisting serpentlike dragon who guarded the famous golden apples in the Garden of the Hesperides in Greek mythology. Apples are a symbol of wisdom, so we can see this as the dragon being a guardian of ancient wisdom. In world mythology, dragons take many forms and have varying powers and qualities. They have been seen as both malevolent and beneficent, but they are almost always guardians of some kind, either of treasure or of a sacred place. Often the defeating of a dragon challenger is a form of initiation for mythic heroes, allowing them access to the wisdom that was so carefully guarded until he was ready.

People born under the sign of Ladon the Dragon can be as difficult to pin down as the great serpent himself! They often have many interests and facets and pursue them all with great vigor. People of this sign have their own treasure to guard, however, so whilst many things about their lives will often shift and change, the things that are precious to them will be a well-protected constant. This may well be their spiritual beliefs, which are often important to Ladon people, to whom tradition and ritual are of high importance. This sign also enjoys challenging others, as they like to see what makes people tick. Just like a dragon, if you can pass their tests, you may be admitted to the treasure of their wisdom.

December 22–January 20

(Primal Earth)

Pan the Faun

Pan is an ancient god of Greek origin, thought to predate the Olympian gods. The Greeks worshipped him as a god of pastures and flocks, and his goatlike form as a faun reflected this association. In modern practice it is generally accepted that Pan is a primal force, the male polarity of nature itself and the rhythm of life. He was famous for his pursuit of passionate exchanges with nymphs of the forest, and also for the sweet music played on his pipes. He is the lord of beasts and the spirit of the wild, sharing many qualities of other horned gods such as the Celtic Cernunnos and the more recent Herne the Hunter of British folklore.

The earthy nature of this sign makes it highly practical in nature. People of this sign like to see results and rewards for their endeavors and can be very driven by material reward. When they are focused on a task they can be relentless if they can see the potential gain from it, but if not they can become uninterested and disheartened. When this happens, Pan people can rapidly fall into very dark moods, but if their needs are met they can be lifted out of the darkness just as rapidly. They have a need to be secure and stable in a relationship and are very loyal if they meet the right person.

January 21–February 19

(Still Air—The Space Between)

Leanan Sidhe the Muse

Leanan Sidhe (“Faery lover”) is a Faery muse of Irish origin said to visit artists and poets and bring them otherworldly inspiration. However, this gift is said to shorten the life of the gifted individual, as if the inspiration of the muse somehow uses up their life force. This can been seen as a malignant act on the part of the Leanan Sidhe, but from another perspective the poet gives up his earthly life to be with his Faery lover. This is most likely a form of Faery pact, with the poet producing beautiful work for a while in his earthly life, and then being taken to the otherworld to dwell with the sidhe.

People of this sign are gifted visionaries who seem to have an inexhaustible well of inspiration at their disposal, as well as the gift to inspire others. However, the constant activity of their minds can exhaust them, and they will often need time and space away from others to recharge their batteries. They can be entertaining in a group, if baffling and eccentric at times, but Leanan Sidhe people only let a few become close and see their true character. Whether through science, religion, or a combination of the two, people of this sign are most concerned with finding a universal truth and with expressing the beauty of truth to the world.

February 20–March 20

(Living Water—Rivers and Streams)

Ondine the Nymph

Ondine was a beautiful nymph from a French tale of love, magick, and loss. She fell in love and married a mortal man, giving up her immortal life and beauty. He swears on his breath that he will be loyal to her forever, but once she bears his child, her looks begin to fade, and he soon betrays her. She finds him sleeping in the arms of another and curses him that if he should ever fall asleep again, he will lose the breath that he swore by. Nymphs are beautiful female spirits of water and are purely emotional creatures. This emotion becomes vengefully and lethally motivated when they are given cause.

People of this sign are highly emotional and intuitive individuals. They are extremely generous with their energy; they love to please others and make them happy, often sacrificing their own happiness and even health to do so. As long as people are appreciative of them, they do not begrudge their sacrifices, though they may have slightly martyred tendencies. However, if they are disappointed in