❄️Between the Winter Death And Spring Rebirth🌷

Daily writing prompt

What is your favorite season of year? Why?

Hi everyone!

I feel like I answered this prompt once, but who knows—maybe my preferences have changed since then.

Actually, I love all the seasons, every single one of them. So, I enjoy summer because of its warmth, fruits, and swimming, and autumn because of its awe-inspiring decadent golden mystery… ❤ All times of the year are charming and have their own enchanting mood and advantages 🙂

Nonetheless, you wanted me to specify, so I picked these two most favorite seasons of mine for you. 🙂

Before answering this prompt, I checked my old poems and photos, so enjoy! (Stoa – Soft Snow/My Dying Bride – The Cruel Taste of Winter).

I wrote this poem about winter, for instance:

I woke up, and I saw: the rain ceased crying,
In this gray season when whole nature's dying,
So interesting a view: the sun's rays shining,
Dissolving gloominess. The awe inside me,
My very being is lit up. How can I measure
This beauty? Every leaf was turned to treasure
Of ancient kings, who thrived in their leisure,
And now are long forgotten. The only pleasure

That's left is beauty of the sun translucent rays,
With frosty shades that paint in many ways
This landscape. All reminds me of those days
I was in love with Winter: gazed... and praised
Her art: the silver sparks of snow, gentle lace
On windows, as you know. The shiny coat on branches laid.

And me, enchanted, lost in her magic, icy maze,
Half-drowned in freezing sea of soft and tender snow.
Do you remember me? It’s shame I didn’t know...
And that I didn’t paint. Oh, I would show
The sorcery of ghostly, charming glow,
For those who’d neither seen it nor would follow…

Thus, deeply touched by magical sundown
My only wish was: please just take me home.

© MarvellousNightmare on Coconut Doesn't Exist


Some photos:

Why do I love it so much? I believe it is because the world is represented by a different quality; it is covered in silver and white, it is brilliant and magical. There is a shade of solemn wonder in it. The winter nature is under a fairytale spell—sparkling, shiny, ethereal, otherworldly. As if there is a portal to a different reality opening, waiting for us to navigate and explore the different worlds. And each and every time we have a snowy winter, my heart is full of this anticipation. It has been with me since my childhood days when I believed in and searched for these magic doors and realities.

I’m also bewitched by the winter fires: crackling wood in the fireplace, colorful lights on the Christmas tree, yellow windows shining in the early dusks of winter. This fills me with a wonderful, warm coziness, and of course, I’m mesmerized by this glow and twinkling.

And I’m out of my mind with snow, a glistening, soft blanket covering the sleeping earth, and bare trees, adding a shade of cosmic, starry wonder to them. The delicate stardust spilled over the Earth—so I see it. My husband hates the snow because it is unsafe to drive during this time, but I live for it.

And here comes the spring:

Autumn solemnly came back to reign in its kingdom,
Gilded leaves covered and buried the withering flowers.
Strikingly beautiful, living in sorrow and sinking...
Dreams, constant traps, deathly fears… You're counting hours.
Anticipating the future, you are like frozen, 
Previous cycle is finished, the deeds of past will repeat,
No blinks of sun, no more joy, but you have been chosen.
Now you should wait for abduction, for a desperate pit.
Being removed from above, hidden deeply in darkness,
You are not able to breathe, seems, you'll never escape,
Where're you lost, blooming Kore, captured, buried in madness,
You'll become one with this World, step by step, day by day.
But time will pass, Persephone, and the gates will be open,
Ices of Lethe will be melted, new life will begin,
Then, getting rid of all fears and having new hope,
You will awake and exclaim: let’s enjoy the new Spring!



© MarvellousNightmare on Coconut Doesn't Exist

Some photos:

In truth, I adore spring as well, as it is an enchanting time of the Earth when everything returns to life from this death magic spell (winter). I always feel it so deeply; it affects me emotionally so much that I feel one with nature. I want to run barefoot in forests, gather flowers, and feel like I’m newly born.

I feel pulled to nature and its rhythms then, and this is the time of the year I become a real pagan. I’m just open to the spirit of this undercurrent unity that transcends the Universe.

Another reason may be that I was born in spring.

That is it! I hope I answered this question, so thank you for reading this post!

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June 11, 2024 19

🌞🌊Lake Photos by MarvellousNightmare: Nature Is the Luxury I Wouldn’t Give Up for Anything🌳💚

Daily writing prompt

What’s the one luxury you can’t live without?

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This weekend I was on vacation from WordPress (actually, I’m planning on doing it each weekend from now on). I hope it helped me a bit with overcoming my writing block. Anyway, I felt lately that my brain is on fire, and my ADHD symptoms had increased, so I needed to unplug 😉

So… yep, I did it! I didn’t post anything for the whole two days, and I feel more rejuvenated now. Of course, there were additional reasons why my inner batteries are recharged 🙂

The first one was the massage session I visited on Saturday. It was a wonderful, gorgeous, revitalizing procedure. I felt newly born; most of my stress and anxiety simply evaporated as a result of this wonderful treatment. It is definitely a luxury I’m planning to indulge in the future, and I strongly recommend it to anyone struggling with increasing stress and anxiety 🙂

Nonetheless, let’s come back to the most interesting part of this weekend. I often joke that I live in a village lost in the middle of the woods. In truth, we are also surrounded by several lakes in close proximity, and we visited two of them during this weekend. I took plenty of photos from these trips, so enjoy and share my journey with me 🙂

🌊The first lake:

🌊The second lake:

🌿The plant which I was holding on my palm (common horsetail) has stunning hair treatment qualities.

I was also lying down on my back among these wild herbs, as if on a silky mattress, feeling the earth’s coolness with my skin—it was a great experience. I felt connected to the four natural elements and soaked in their energies, allowing them to replenish mine.

🏊‍♀️I saw some people swimming there, so next time I’m definitely taking a plunge.

Coming back to the prompt question, my first guess was my ebook/kindle because I use it all the time. It’s practical and comfortable for reading. However, at this point, I think more of 🌿Nature🍃 as the kind of luxury I prefer to have around and wouldn’t give up for anything 💚

If you are interested in my readings and sessions please take a look at my offer 🙂

June 10, 2024 17

🐦‍🔥My Name Is A Powerful Talisman

Daily writing prompt

If you had to change your name, what would your new name be?

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I could appreciate this prompt a lot as a teen, as I wasn’t accepting my name back then and constantly created something that suited me better in my imagination. I came up with some elven names. Actually, the name in my mailbox was also a product of my creativity back then, and I used it often.

Since then, I’ve created plenty of nicknames for different platforms, for my stories, and novels (stored dying silently in my head), each of them probably presenting some part of my personality that I wanted to expose the most at those moments. I also dreamt about my spiritual name once; I heard it while sleeping, and I use it for spiritual and magical purposes (also used on my deleted FB account). Nonetheless, I don’t want to change my actual name to any of those.

Why am I so boring?

Simply because, by my present age, I’ve learned to treat my first name as a powerful talisman. I had quite unusual circumstances of my birth, so my artistically-inclined somewhat crazy father (🤦) came up with something symbolic that marked the event. I feel that partly because of this name and its meaning, I have the power of rebirth, of rising up again after failures, and it matches my Scorpio Rising sign perfectly.

And I love how it sounds in its full form. I hate some short versions derived from it, but I can live with them.

And I have already managed to change my surname, thanks Universe, so I’m fine with what I have.

PS: as always the picture was generated in WP AI Picture generator 🙂

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June 6, 2024 14

🍫Any That Tastes Like Chocolate

Daily writing prompt

Describe your dream chocolate bar.

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Just any chocolate, really, that has a rich cocoa flavor and doesn’t taste like burnt sugar.

Something with coconut, milk, or salted caramel will do perfectly. Or with crackers and walnuts—I really enjoy crunchy food.

Yep, that would be Heaven on Earth!

I also admit that because of this prompt, I have a tremendous craving for chocolate now. 😅

June 5, 2024 14

Another Literary Prompt: I Loved Books From A Very Early Age

Daily writing prompt

Do you remember your favorite book from childhood?

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Hi, everyone! 🙂

As far as I see, we have another literary prompt here. I’ll try to answer this simply and straightforwardly, though somewhat lengthily. Because I read a lot even back then, it is really a complicated task to single out only one book. I mean, seriously? Can anyone do it?

But first and foremost, I’d like to know what they meant by “childhood,” for it is such an obscure notion!

Do my teenage years also count as my childhood? Or am I asked about the period of time before I went to school? Or is this about the time until I finished school? Actually, I’m a very childish woman even now. I’m in perfect contact with my inner child, even though this part of me is dark and gothic 😀 Anyway, let’s assume that it’s the period of time before I finished school 🙂

As I’ve already mentioned, I loved books from a very early age, and I was drawn to them even before I learned how to read. I often pretended to read the books, and I made up my own stories based on them. I even composed my own ones from clean pieces of paper, writing something in the sloppy, ugly, illegible handwriting of a little child over them, and adding some grotesque pictures. In the end, I glued it all together and proudly announced that I had written a book.

I found the utmost delight in listening to fairy tales and encyclopedias (my favorite topics were nature and space). My grandfather did this often, and we also “traveled” together to Neptune and Jupiter. I was so excited. He was the kindest man I knew.

My grandmother often told my cousin and me fairy tales about Baba Yaga (and she has an exceptional acting talent, so it was thrilling to listen). I was so attracted to this character that my earlier words about a lack of interest in Slavic mythology weren’t completely true, as I realize now. I dreamt about this goddess of death and magic several times; she taught me some witchy things in my dreams. I also read some works and articles about her as I grew older.

Later, I became entranced by H. Andersen’s fairy tales. Yes, this is the guy who wrote about pain, death, and despair in his children’s books. However, I guess it matched my somber (back then) temperament. The Little Mermaid was my favorite among his stories. I used to associate myself with this character, and I guess I had some slight resemblance to her psychologically, even as an adult. Much later, I read the original story upon which this fairy tale was based, and I enjoyed it even more (it was way more tragic and vindictive, btw).

I took great pleasure in reading The Little Match Girl as well. I guess it was again due to some inner resemblance I bore with this character, her surroundings, and the main events of this story. It interlaced with my own being somehow. The trace it left in my psyche was so profound that I even remember using The Little Match Girl as my avatar picture quite often, as a teenager and adult.

Just as many of you did, I also read the Harry Potter book series. I can’t say this was my favorite, but I enjoyed reading it nonetheless. I remember hiding with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix behind my sofa, so no one could make fun of me, while I was showering this novel with tears. I really liked Sirius Black and was shattered to pieces to find out that he died in this book. Deep sigh

Then there was Lord Dunsany’s story anthology, which I read and reread several times, deeply captured by the intricate and mythic motifs he used as the base of his stories. When I think of it now, it was really a good read, and one of the two thoughtful gifts I received from my constantly unreachable father (the second was the MP3 player).

What else? Well, there were The Halfblood Chronicles by Andre Norton, an absolutely entrancing, captivating read. The pages of the book were full of elves, dragons, magic, and sci-fi elements, in which I lost myself completely. I reread it as an adult and noticed that you should be a teenager to fully appreciate it.

Of course, Martin Eden by Jack London and The Gadfly by E. L. Voynich are also worth mentioning. I was so emotionally affected by these books that it would be wrong not to mention them here 🙂

Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches also influenced me deeply, as I found a strange addictive pleasure in reading this storyline. There was something absolutely appealing to my subconscious, I guess. I received this book as a present for my 14th birthday and was lost in it. I didn’t feel the same about other book series written by Anne Rice, but this one was my favorite.

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux was another book I was out of my mind with while being a teen. Initially, I fell in love with the musical, and I was constantly in front of the TV when it was on. I knew all the soundtracks by heart. Later, I acquired the book and admired it even more.

Finally, there were the encyclopedias about religion and mythology I borrowed and never gave back to my uncle. There were some excerpts and quotes from different holy books, insights and information about different religions, including early Christian sects, Islam, and Daoism. The second volume contained a vast amount of material (a catalogue) regarding deities and myths (and thanks to that I found out about the Goddess Lakshmi). I was sincerely fascinated by them, and my only friend at that time and I could sit the whole evening and read it through.

There were even more of them, but enough’s enough, it’s just a daily prompt 🙂

Thank you so much for reading this 🙂

PS: all pictures were generated in WP AI Picture generator

June 4, 2024 21

🌌List of Astrology Authors Who Have Had an Impact on Me📚

Daily writing prompt

List three books that have had an impact on you. Why?

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Hi, everyone! 🙂

In all honesty, I feel that I have answered this question during this daily prompt—check it out if you are curious about my literary preferences 😉

I don’t want to repeat myself, and I read so many books that I can’t narrow it to the three most influential ones; each one transformed me and left traces in my thinking and worldview in general. Therefore, instead of doing the same exercise again and again, I decided to write about my best choice of authors in the astrology field 🙂

I’m into the spiritual and humanistic branch of Western Astrology (European Approach), so I’m into deep psychological analyses, karmic tasks, levels of spiritual development, talents, and that kind of stuff. I firmly believe that materialism depends on the level of your spiritual advancement, not on the planets in the earth element in your charts, and that your natal charts should be interpreted from a very personal and unique angle.

I am firmly convinced of the power of aspects, but as always, I connect modernity (spiritual astrology) and tradition (antique rules), as they work the best in terms of predictions.

In such a manner, let’s go! Here is the list of astrology authors (not books, too many of them) who affected my practice and approach the most!

1. A. Podvodny. His insights into human nature, development, and culture are profound and enlightening. He influenced my spiritual path and approach to astrology. His unique, personal take on astrology focuses on unlocking our potential and controlling our lives beyond planetary influence. He wrote excellent books for beginners, with clear explanations of aspects and deep insights into signs, houses, and planetary energies. His work, often intertwined with Kabbalah and yogic connections, is highly recommended for advanced astrologers. Though I’m unsure if he’s translated into English, his books are available in Polish. I never had the chance to be his student in real life, but I am in spirit.

2. S. Vronski. Another exceptional astrologer of the 20th century, former student of the German Academy. He wrote 13 very detailed volumes describing different areas of astrology. I also read his answers to his readers about love and marriage (there were some insights on death in astrology as well—the exact mixture I like). The knowledge he shares is very fundamental; he explains all the classic rules Western Astrology is built upon. You’ll be able to use various predictive techniques after reading, just remember that practice is key. He presents a perfect balance between practical and humanistic/spiritual approaches and introduces the cosmobiology concept.

3. D. Rudhyar. The father of humanistic astrology, profoundly affected by C. G. Jung, introduced the free-will concept to astrology and approached interpretation through an archetypal perspective. His insights are full of mythological and artistic influence. I also love his approach to zodiac degrees, as they contain really mesmerizing descriptions and fill you with a sense of destiny when you study them.

4. S. Arroyo. This author is a professional psychologist who emphasized a personal approach to the client (literally a lot on this point in the introductions to his books). He stressed the need for a “modern astrology” in his works. He wrote a lot of valuable material on interpersonal relationships and karmic astrology, full of enriching, professional insights. These books are a worthy guideline for astrologers on how to conduct their practice.

5. M. R. Meyer. He doesn’t only delve deep into the subject, but also teaches the astrologer how to do their work. He provides guidelines on how to discover and show a person their purpose, the main angles, and guiding light of their personality. It can be a great help if your aim is to understand yourself and unleash your potential, not just to study the events of your life.

6. M. D. March and J. McEvers. Despite my general affection for deep, psychological insights, which the books of these authors may somewhat lack, I also found them to be a very good course book for beginners. They share all the required practical knowledge in their books, which a reader may need to learn various basic techniques, and there are also examples included.

7. Jan Kefer. He was not only an astrologer but also a hermetic magician. He composed a very detailed astrological glossary, which is used by many professional astrologers. It can be really handy when it comes to active practice. Maybe somewhat complicated for a complete beginner, but once you know what you are doing, it becomes an exceptional guide.

8. Bill Herbst. He was the first Western astrology author I read, and I enjoyed his insights into Houses. It was a fresh perspective compared to general online descriptions. The 1st House is more than just looks, and the 2nd House is deeper than money and possessions—friends and talents are valuable too. Very curious comparisons.

And it’s always worth reading some of the ancient works, for they hold a lot of wisdom, which enriches your knowledge and changes your perspective. Just remember about the balance between tradition and modernity 🙂

I also deeply advise studying astrological magic along with charts (there are a lot of materials on it; even I. Regardie wrote some) as it is also a part of Western Astrology—forgotten and rejected because of official doctrines, but preserved in Higher Magic and traditional witchcraft. It is my firm belief that we should reunite these parts of Western Astrology.

But this is a topic for the next post.

Thanks for reading, and I hope it was useful 🙂

PS: As usual, the picture is generated in WP AI Picture Generator

If you are interested in my readings and sessions please take a look my offer 🙂

June 3, 2024 8

🃏The Fool (XXII/0) (Overcoming Fear) – Tarot Arcana Poetry🃏

Daily writing prompt

What fears have you overcome and how?

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Infinity and Chaos’ newborn child,
He starts his journey, clad in rising Sun.
The winds blow in his face, each step is fun.
He fears nothing – action, risk – it’s done!
In chance he thrives, each glance a leap of faith.
He wears his heart on his sleeve’s lace,
Untainted with the earth experience’s preface.
The pure spirit shines throughout his simple mask.
The voice of reason, beast, it won’t disturb him. Picturesque,
Sewn of the Uranic, crazy, cosmic, and experimental grace,
Each of his breaths contains the pulse of nascent Universe.
No fear, blind, one step – it’s either the World’s birth
Or falling down the void of madness, pulled by chaotic force.
Don’t think, open your heart… Just go.
The wind will catch you when you fall.
Inevitable act, whatever the result,
Laughingly, playfully, creatively – just start.
Led by the primeval powers of Ubiquity.

(0: Absolute
Planet: Uranus
11th Path: links Kether (Crown) and Chokmah (Wisdom)
Letter: Aleph
Symbol: Ox
Element: Air)

PS: This is The Fool card according to WP AI Picture Generator:

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June 2, 2024 8

I Used To Be Young Werther Once, But Now I’m Turning Into A Cat

Daily writing prompt

Describe one simple thing you do that brings joy to your life.

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Right now I’m sitting in my garden, bathing in the sunlight, listening to the birds’ chirping and feeling the gasps of cool evening breeze on my skin.

The grass in our garden looks like a fluffy, silky mattress. I walked on it barefoot just a second ago, delighted to feel its cool, delicate softness. I wish I could lie down on it and fall asleep. Our lavender smells like dreams and magic, such a gorgeous, rich yet delicate fragrance. I stroked its leaves and buds, and my palms still preserve their scent.

My husband makes a grill, and I’m waiting for it, enjoying the connection with nature and anticipating the delicious food.

The sky is clear, and since it is sundown, I can observe this splendid amber radiance just looking at it straight with my bare eye.

I used to be Young Werther once, but now I’m turning into a cat.

Is it progress? You tell me 😀

PS: picture by MarvellousNightmare

June 1, 2024 32

It’s Time!

Daily writing prompt

How do you know when it’s time to unplug? What do you do to make it happen?

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Well, I think I take a lot of breaks from the internet, I have my life arranged by these pauses, to be honest. I know that it is a time to unplug when my brain is on fire, I literally feel like it is sizzling on the frying pan, then I disengage from this activity usually. I take a lot of breaks while doing things, because by some mystery, even though I’m attentive to details, still I have a very short attention span and I’m distracted easily.

Actually, when I compare myself to other people, I think I don’t spend so much time on the internet, and I’m definitely not addicted to it. I know it is a tendency nowadays to connect all of your life with the social media, showing off constantly, and I’m aware that it is even considered to be a spiritual thing on FB, when you spam it all with your photos at different poses and angles and write everything about yourself including your name, surname, weight of your children, your house number and the password to your credit card, but it is not my approach to life.

I don’t judge these people, I know that they do it because they are addicted to positive emotions they gain from the attention of others. We, as a human kind, are easily obsessed with anything which helps us to feel better and valued, help us to experience tremendous surges of emotions, it always was so. Once these were public executions, now it is the internet. We feel better than others and thrilled. And some people are more prone to these things.

But it is easy to overcome with inner discipline, I guess. And I have some.

What to I normally do to have some rest from being online?

I go for a walk almost every day, with music though, but it is still a difficult task to navigate the internet while practicing intensive walking.

I always find time to read in the garden in the evening. I meditate, I also practice drawing, which also requires taking my attention off the internet, and do some domestic chores (I admit, with earbuds again), and it is another reason to unplug.

I also do some work in the garden, but this is a more rare occasion 😀
This is tiresome, but very replenishing at the same time.

It’s time! I’m heading to my garden to read 🙂

PS: All pictures are generated in WP AI Picture generator

May 31, 2024 11

Am I a Good Friend?

Daily writing prompt

What quality do you value most in a friend?

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Why is it always about “me, me, me”? “I expect, I want, I look for.” “I value.” It is generally the same story when it comes to friendships or love.

I don’t really like the perspective of this question. For me, it is rather an introspective matter. Am I a good friend? What can I give others?

Though, probably it is best to begin with the essence of friendship. What is it? I suppose, just as with love or any other kind of human relationship, we all have a very subjective perspective on this matter. What is friendship for some people isn’t necessarily the case for others. There are instances of one-sided friendship, and I personally had an instance of this in my life.

There was a certain girl who enjoyed showering me with tears via phone for about 6-8 hours a day. I saw a friend in her, whereas she was constantly looking for friends somewhere, but never finding one. I’m a very patient type of person, but everything has its limits. Seriously, at some point, I just wished her “to find her own people” and stopped answering her calls.

It was a time when I had my own fascination with trying to reach and fight for friendship and respect from people who were emotionally inaccessible in general. I fought for the love of my own parents through connecting with this type of person… Well, I had my own issues.

When I was 17 or so, I remember feeling that I missed something in my life. I felt a lonely, unfilled void inside my heart, and I usually told everybody that I was looking for a “true friendship”, which I characterized as understanding beyond limits, reading each other’s minds, feeling the same emotions with the same intensity, and of course, having deep, philosophical discussions non-stop. I was justly asked if what I was looking for was really a friendship. I was lonely and I craved understanding. I guess I was looking for the Divine acceptance and love in its true form (Dead Can Dance – Agape, my favorite band, by the way), but I looked for it on Earth, in it’s material reflection.

I don’t perceive friendship in such an exalted, idealized way anymore. People tend to romanticize relationships, trying—again—to reach out for glimpses of divine love in them (take the idea of twin flames, for instance).

Now I think of friendship as walking the same road and supporting each other along the way. Intellectual connection is important, yes (maybe that is what makes this road “the road”), but so are loyalty and trust. If I perceive someone as my friend, I can forget about little irritating things or some discrepancies in our views. I value the person, and I want to continue walking the same road. As simple as that. And of course, equality is really important, even though I’m naturally attracted to stronger characters.

Still… I wish I could call myself a good, valuable friend. I’m well-read and have hobbies, sure, but I can be monotonous and gloomy. I can be loyal and protective (Leo Mars), but I’m passive and keep to my mysteries (what do you expect from a Scorpio Rising and Capricorn Moon?). Relationships with me are shaky, and even though I’m supportive and full of empathy, it can sometimes turn out to be a toxic trait. I don’t party, I’m not an easy-going type of person, nor am I chill. I’m complicated af, and it spreads to my sense of humor as well (either too dark or too tragic – imagine Young Werther becoming a comedian for one day).

There is always room for improvement, I guess. I wish I were a better one, but whatever I try, I still turn out to be imperfect. I have a small number of friends, but I have some, and I’m grateful for that ❤ Some people can accept my imperfections after all 🙂

May 30, 2024 18