The Moon Court
The Crescent Circle, current
Leadership
The court has no queen. Instead, it is lead by a small council of fae and humans known as the Crescent Circle. This group is comprised solely of women who govern the Moon Court. Leadership rotates based on the eight phases of the moon, with a different woman taking a leading role as the moon waxes and wanes.There are four primary phases of the moon, led by fae females. These include the New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, and Last Quarter. These fae females oversee the waxing and waning moons that follow their quarter, but do not directly take control. The secondary phases of the moon include the Waxing Crescent, the Waxing Gibbous, the Waning Gibbous, and the Waning Crescent. These four secondary moon phases are governed by the human witches and are overseen by the fae females.
The Crescent Circle
New Moon:Waxing Crescent:
First Quarter:
Waxing Gibbous:
Full Moon: -
Waning Gibbous:
Last Quarter:
Waning Crescent:
The Daughter of the Moon
Ourania's surviving daughter holds a ceremonial title. She is representative of the bloodline of Ourania and is only seen as a figurehead and living symbol of Ourania's sacrifice.Culture
The Crescent Circle maintains the culture of the court, enforcing the founding principles of empowerment, sisterhood, and harmony while maintaining the serene and mystical atmosphere. Lunar phases serve to guide the society through transitions of life and feature overarching principles that dictate the cycles.
The New Moon is a symbol of beginnings and the unknown, supporting growth and self discovery.
The Waxing Crescent is a symbol of hope, a kind hand to push us to the initial steps toward goals and manifest growth and dreams.
The First Quarter, when the moon is half blanketed by the darkness, is the symbol of balance and necessary sacrifice to maintain such balance.
The Waxing Gibbous, a symbol of abundance and progress is a reminder for optimism and generosity.
The Full Moon represents completion and celebration. While grand parties are enjoyed by most, it is also a reminder that the shadowy unconscious cannot hide and secrets often come to light during this phase.
The Waning Gibbous serves to represent gratitude and reflection, to release the negativity and find peace. The Last Quarter is a time of reflection and closure.
The Waning Crescent, the final phase, represents rest and renewal- encouraging surrender to the natural rhythm of life, death, and rebirth.
Intent
The Moon Court was founded with a powerful vision to create a sanctuary for women, especially those who have been oppressed or mistreated. It is a place where women can thrive in safety, serenity, and strength. It is not only a physical refuge, but also one deep rooted in spirituality and an emotional haven that strives for empowerment.The Moonspire
Lore
Ourania, Faceless Mother
She could not recall a year after her marriage that had been pleasant. Too long she had endured the abuse that seemed to be expected of her. Her first child had been a girl, the ultimate disrespect in her husband’s eyes. The embarrassment she brought him for not giving him a son made her life hell. He murdered the girl. He took her little Neoma away from her. She had known that she needed to find the strength to escape that day, but planning took time.
Her second child had been fortunate. A boy. Though he’d been taken from her to be trained by his father as soon as the boy was weaned.
Two more girls followed, spared by their father’s disgust while he focused his attention on the son he wanted. Aeowyn came three years prior to the youngest, a little angel who seemed to share her mother’s personality. She was a calm child who had always preferred to stay beside her mother, like a little shadow, learning her particular strengths in shielding and healing magics. Ourania had been thankful the little one had never cried, for no one ever seemed to notice that the girl’s blonde hair and pale eyes were very similar to Ourania’s husband’s most trusted friend.
The youngest of their children, a name she’d never shared, had been the opposite of Aeowyn and the piece of her past which would haunt her until the end. A bold and brash girl with eyes of gold bore a striking resemblance to her father in both appearance and temperament.
It was a moment of desperation and heartbreak. Ourania had fled the family estate, taking the two young daughters with her to a hidden sanctuary she had discovered on an ancient map. A place that had been wiped from more modern versions. There, she had created a court of three. She called it their little Moon Court, a realm where peace reigned and suffering would be no more. Over time, Ourania had brought others in- females like her who had initially been from the Autumn Court and suffered similar to her.
She was praised for her work, yet a thought lingered like poison in her mind. Ourania feared the nameless child would bring ruin to her sanctuary. It was the hardest decision of her life, and perhaps the one she would never recover from, but she believed it necessary for the court. Ourania took her, a little girl no more than eight months of age, in the middle of the night and left her somewhere far, far away. She couldn’t bear to take the girl’s life, as her husband did to Neoma, so she left her to the elements.
The court had grown in numbers since that day, extending protection beyond the Autumn Court and to females of all Fae realms. She protected her court fiercely. She was their soldier, not their Queen. She gave everything she could, even when she herself had nothing but a mortal lifespan.
Her final sacrifice came when a small army from the Autumn Court attacked in the middle of the night. Led by her husband, they attempted to raze the Court to the ground. Ourania tapped deep within, into the ancient magic running through her veins to seal herself away and merge her soul with the land, the sea, and the skies that had protected the Moon Court.
Her body had never been found and though many believe she had perished that day, her presence is still said to be felt in strange ways. Some report hearing whispers in the wind, others a pull in their hearts that guides them towards those in need as they once had been. Though gone, it seems her spirit lingered as if it was woven into the magic of the Court itself.
Hundreds of years have gone by without a sighting of Ourania, but fae priestesses and human witches gather. They pray to her as a goddess, though she had never claimed any title in her life. Her whispers guide from afar and her protection lingers.