Well. At least we can see the moon.
Austerities are often ignored as a magical working possibility because let's face it, it's a lot more fun and a lot easier to light some incense, do some chanting and set a pretty altar. Rituals make you feel warm and cozy inside, rituals make you feel like you've accomplished something. Austerities? They do the opposite. They shake up your ant farm, they make you feel the hollow of hunger inside your desire, they make you feel everything you don't have, they make you face every broken puzzle piece inside you and then smash each busted piece into sand particles for good measure.
Austerities are not for vague fancies like, I wish I weighed five pounds less. I wish I had a date on Friday. I wish I knew how to walk in my d'Orsay Manolo flats instead of falling out of my shoes like I'm new. To walking. At 35.
No. Save it for your full moon circles.
Austerities are for psychos, closers and psycho closers.
Like Lady Margaret Beaufort.
A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes. A Coup d'état Requires Planning.
If you are not familiar with Phillipa Gregory's The White Queen (book or mini series), here is a super brief primer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg6s5MWSFFI
Most succinctly, the actress chosen to play Elizabeth Woodville in all her magic hair and artistic nude glory:
The actress chosen to play Margaret Beaufort in all her rabbity, twitchy magnificence:
TL;DR/W - Historically speaking, Elizabeth Woodville's mom, Jacquetta of Luxembourg was besties with Margaret of Anjou who seems to have been a terrifying Queen on all accounts. She married well and then told everyone to kiss her ass and married for love, marrying Richard Woodville who had a significantly lower title than she did. Jacquetta stood trial for witchcraft twice and didn't bat an eyelash. Her daughter, Elizabeth Woodville was barely titled and managed to snare the king in marriage because she was so beautiful and possibly Because of (Witchcraft) Reasons. The Woodvilles changed sides from Lancastrian to Yorks shortly before Elizabeth became Queen. Most people hated her (a trend that would be repeated for Anne Boleyn for many of the same reasons two generations later) because she was the epitome of nouveau riche and was considered to be marrying far above her station. Still. Pretty, sexy, witchy-ish, vivacious and married a king.
Most modern historical dorks/historical fiction geeks would want to be Elizabeth Woodville because she's one of the original femme fatals.
* Before I get nine million emails about how stalking is a serious matter, I've been stalked before so I, like, know and stuff? I can't please everyone all the time without becoming completely watered down. In the words of Maureen from Rent, "Ever since puberty/ Everybody stares at me/ Boys, girls/ I can't help it baby/ So be kind/ And don't lose your mind/ Just remember/ That I'm your baby/ Take me for what I am/ Who I was meant to be/ And if you give a damn/ Take me baby or leave me"