Oct 30 – All Protections Day
Today is one of the scariest days of the 13 Liminal Nights celebration. This is the Day of The Vernow, whose symbol represents Unexpected Trouble. The lesson shared by The Vernow, and learning how to protect ourselves from it, is that we have the power to withstand our fears, even when entirely unexpected.
On this day, we need to take extra care during the daylight hours to make sure our domicile is protected. If you have a favorite protection wash or spray, use it liberally. You could sprinkle a line of salt on your threshold(s). Hawthorn, Ivy, or Garlic are also suitable. You can recite prayers and spells of protection– whichever you prefer. Just be sure it’s done during the daylight hours, because after dark, The Vernow comes.
On All Protections Night, a terrible entity known as The Vernow haunts the streets and pathways of the world, going from door to door, trying to gain entry. The Vernow manifests as an enormous deer skeleton, which walks upright. Quatrian legend says that The Vernow is the spirit of an evil deer who was cursed by Anthuor and died alone in the wild, trapped within a chasm from which it couldn’t escape. It roams the earth the night before Halloween, looking for new skin to cover its bones.
The best way to protect your house from a visit by The Vernow is to hang an old coat outside of your front door before retiring, upon which has been traced The Vernow’s symbol. If The Vernow visits, it will take the coat to use as its skin. According to some accounts, The Vernow may opt to place cursed objects– a black stone, a rotten berry, or some other thing– in the pockets of the coat instead of taking it. If your coat still hangs from the door on Halloween morning, don’t bring it inside until you’ve checked the pockets… just in case.
If you’re visited by The Vernow or find a cursed object in your coat pockets, be sure to let us know!
Read more about the #13LiminalNights here.