The Lore of Hedge Wizard Ursula of the Steppe
The year is 2021. Hedge Wizard Ursula of the Steppe is dancing in the forest freely with her Trickster Fox. They hear a rustle in the bushes and the Fox immediately jumps to protect Ursula. While this is yet another over-reaction, (the rumble is merely her spirit animal, a Bear), Ursula finds the gesture endearing. She has known the Fox for only a short time, but their passion, fire and drive for change connects them and has forged an unbreakable bond. She has never been one to allow herself to feel vulnerable, but with the Fox, she feels safe. Ursula opens her hip pack and pulls out some beef jerky tossing it to her sly ‘Protector’, herself enjoying a joint. She then sets off on a stroll towards Kelpie’s Bay, reflecting on what has gotten her here today.
See Ursula has lived many lives. She was born in the mid 1400’s. Her family was persecuted during the Witch Trials and it was with great luck that she and her sister managed to escape. What had they done to deserve this untoward fate? Her mother was a very kind Witch who had practiced healing methods that worked at a time when mainstream medicine was completely ineffective. She had healed and eased the suffering of the same people who eventually turned on her. Her mother had threatened the power of the clergy and the flow of money to the church, in the same way that Ursula today challenged modern society, establishment, and in many ways, the patriarchy.
Her grandmother had bestowed upon her the title of Wizard and a coveted Phoenix feather before facilitating her retreat to the Hedge where she still resides today. "Remember Ursula," she had said, "no matter what happens in this lifetime, from the ashes, a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall be sprung."
Ursula spent those first few years making a home in the Hedge but living in fear and isolation. She was a clumsy novice who was constantly miscasting spells and worried a Witch Hunter would come to execute her. It was the memory of her family that gave her strength during those long days and lonely nights to persevere and fight battles with her heart. She has never been the strongest or the most gifted Wizard, but she is the most passionate, and has found beauty in her own imperfection.
As she arrives at Kelpie’s Bay she takes a look at her reflection in the stream. While to an unaware onlooker she appears youthful, (thank goodness her Witchcraft has stopped her from going grey), her once slender head is now shaped as a crone. Her crown head, unique to a select few in the Hedge, and a physical mark of the wisdom that now emanates from her.
Everything around her possesses symbols and meaning. Even something as simple as her stylish and jazzy outfit. The red is a commemoration of the blood spilled by her family and the many Witches and Wizards before her. The green symbolizes her resurrection. Her purple hat, her royalty in the Hedge and the respect she now garners.
Her age accumulated knowledge, insights and intuition give her the courage to stand up for people that cannot stand up for themselves. And while the odds are often stacked against her, (as a female Wizard she works 2x as heard to earn half the compensation, and she has just started looking into freezing her Wizard eggs) she is a strong proponent of Hedge Wizards rights, and is making headway in changing the culture within the Metaverse. The Phoenix gives her strength and reminds her that no matter how many times she bursts into flames (literally and figuratively) - she can, has, and will always rise from the ashes.
Entered by: 0x8256…cBB0 and preserved on chain (see transaction)
