Mistress of the forest, she lures men into the woods, protecting herself with boughs of fertile green and blood red holly, shrouded in a deer carcass to portray sacred death and transformation.

The dominant myth associated with holly is that of the Holly King, a mythical figure in Neopaganism and Celtic folklore who rules over the dark half of the year (autumnal to vernal equinox). As the personification of winter, darkness, and frost, he battles the Oak King for control of the year, with his power peaking at the winter solstice.

His female counterpart is the Deer Queen: in contemporary interpretations, specifically from folklore-inspired traditions, she is the winter equivalent to the Holly King, representing the colder months' feminine energy. She is associated with the return of the sun at the winter solstice, often portrayed as a guide through the dark winter months, sometimes linked to the idea that all reindeer (including Rudolph) are female as they retain antlers through winter, unlike males. She works in tandem with the Holly King to balance the natural world during the colder months.

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Greeting card with red envelope and cellophane bag

115mm x 210mm when folded

Unicorn white card 350gsm