Pagan interest thread

[MoonFaceMama]

Hello,

As a pagan who practices alone i sometimes find it difficult to mark the passing of the wheel of the year in a secular society which largely ignores there things (ie, i sometimes forget special days ) I get the feeling there might be others on here who feel the same, or who do remember, and that maybe we could support each other in reminders and suggestions for celebrations...

Personally i tend to mark the seasons in ways that feel appropriate and are informal, i'm not big into ritual (but willing to discuss this with those who are). Now that i have a ds i think i'm more concious of helping him to have structure to his year (when i was little i had this through the church) and am considering joining a local pagan group so that i have a community of support in this, which might, in time, be available to him should he wish to access it.

So...a place to discuss pagan celebrations, ideas etc... Any takers?

I should've known that! I was married to a yorkshire man & lived there for several years! This is all making me sound bad, isn't it? Mentions of exP then previous marriage... I don't have a whole string of exes, honest just a short one

It was wonderfully windy last night - I love being tucked up in bed and hearing the wind howl through the trees. My chooks are all flustered! We got 3 ex-battery hens at the weekend and they looked appalling but everyday they are looking better and better. They are now perky and have a few shiny feathers. It's a wonderful feeling, nurturing something that seems so pathetic back to good health. I'd say I was doing it for the hens but it's purely selfish - it is making me feel good

Sorry for my rambling!

Happy Summer, everyone

Midsummer and I had to get out of bed in the middle of the night to put on a thicker top because I was freezing.

I think the Sun God has packed up and gone on holiday because we all know it's cheaper to holiday abroad than in the UK.

Worldgonecrazy, I think you might be right! I've been tempted to dig out my hot water bottle. Yet I have a vague memory of swimming in the sea whilst wearing a bikini at the beginning of April. It's all mixed up!

Just popping in to wish all Happy Solstice!

Grockle bless you for taking on those poor little mites, the hens that is, not the exes (though maybe so in the case of the yorkshire man), and i don't think it is selfish to get pleasure out of helping others. And on the subject of exdp's, well we all have to kiss a few frogs.

Happy solstice ygm and dowh.

Round here it seems like spring and summer have swapped places, with dry heat then, and cool showers now.

How was everyone's solstice? Unfortunately I was ill all day.

Oh dear. Are you ok now? Low key but sunnier than expected here.

oooh can I join in ? .. just seen this thread !
After years of feeling a bit 'lost' in this aspect of my life..in the last 12 months I am finding myself more and more drawn to the Pagan way of 'being' ...but I am def a newbie and would welcome any support and guidance you could offer me ..
thanks

Oh no Empusa, I hope you are better.

Welcome, goingwiththeflow... no guidance from me because I now plod along doing my own thing, reading a bit here and there. I've always been drawn to nature and the power of the Universe and I remember observing the stars and the phases of the moon and the changing seasons even when I was very young. There are certain things that just feel very special and magical to me.

thanks Grockle .. trying to find my own way is what I have been doing and so good to hear that I am not alone in that ....now having read through the thread I feel I have found that bit of the 'outside world' that I was looking for.
Bring a country girl as a child and very aware of the turning of the seasons, went to Hortic College and slowly returning to that way with a recent move to a more rural area with a larger garden to grow my own food and herbs, starting looking onto herbal remedies and as my DH would put it 'turning into a hippy'

I would love to do Horticulture. We live in an urban area, near the sea & not far from the Forest. We grow herbs and vegetables and have the chooks. I have a secret fantasy of becoming self-sufficient, like the Good Life but since I'll never be able to afford enough land for that, we'll have to continue as we are, producing what we can and being careful about what we buy. I'd love to strictly ethical about what we buy but I do fine myself at Tesco the local organic shop sometimes.

oooh we have chooks too ( tho between the three of them have taken turns in being broody and so eggs are very thin on the ground at the moment!) we are by no means self sufficient or anywhere near ..due to poor planning (by me but ssssh I blame other things like having 4 DC's and a puppy!) we will probably have loads of veg all in the same week then nothing!

I am in Tesco nearly every week (esp those furthest away from payday)and apart from what we grow ourselves (and kids and broad beans don't mix in our house!) have to rely on making the £ go as far as poss so just try and do the best compromise between feeding everyone and being ethical but thats what life is about I suppose

I never really made the most of college and is something I have come back to as I (ahem ) start to reach middle age

I dream of living in a little rural bubble but bills still need to be paid ..booo hissss ...maybe one day

grockle i could have written your last two posts! I too plod a pagan path, hopefully towards the good life!

Welcome goingwiththeflow. i am quite relaxed about my paganism at the moment. I would like to do more meditation and informal ritual (can there be such a thing?) but lack time. So for now i just mark the seasons as i can. I do spend as much time as i can outside and consider this the major tenant of my beliefs. I pepper this with bits of reading. At the moment i'm reading hedgewitch by rae beth. It's great for solitary practitioners, and works its way around the year with lots of interesting bits and bobs about the craft (it's from a wicca perspective).

Earthy is great for suggestions of books and resources if you'd like some. I can do chat!

thanks (not sure how to do chat )...have ordered 'Tree Wisdom' and 'Earth Path' from the library ..which I am sure will raise some eyebrows when I go to collect (although I think they may be the sort of books I need to have a personal copy of my own to refer to ..)these appealed to me and 'Earth Path' was mentioned by earthy too I think ? but will def add Hedgewitch too and get some bedtime reading done

I have Tree Wisdom and love it. Haven't read Earth Path, but am looking out for it.

Yay, another chicken keeper! My veg growing is also poorly planned and we have an abundance of lettuce that no-one eats. Tesco delivery is my lifeline. I strongly object to them, as a company, but it saves me money and time and, like you said, those bills need to be paid!

Moonface I suppose the prupose of this thread was to find like-minded people I might have a look for some books. I shall browse on Amazon in a min.

it is great to find this thread and everyone ..and who'd have thought on MN too ! will def be a regular drop in of an evening

We've spent the weekend camping on the Mendips and walking around Cheddar. I was in complete awe of the Gorge - I always am but it takes my breath away. The power of nature is incredible. And then watching the shadows of clouds pass over the Somerset Levels. It all makes me feel rather insignificant yet truly grateful.

Hope everyone is well.

Hello All an open invitation to everyone in the north Yorkshire area.

A spiritual coffee evening meet up has started in thirsk.
It's every fortnight on a thursday 7pm -9pm.

All faiths welcome for discussion and meditation.

Please let me know if you want the venue, as it's subject to change.

wow Grockle that sounds fantastic, I am ashamed to say I have never been ...can you recommend the campsite?

I have managed to 'escape' the family and do a bit of beach walking this week (well with the dog ..but he is quite chilled for a labrador pup) which was very peaceful and lovely to take a step out of the daily life and have a moment to myself and just sit and look out to sea.
Reading the The Hedgewitchs Way' at the moment too which is making me think
so all feeling good at the moment not sure why ..but not complaining at all (altho do have a glut of courgettes if anyone can recommend what to do with them.. nice suggestions only please )

goingwiththeflow, we stay at Mendip Heights in Priddy. It's a camping & caravan club site so is a bit regimented and not the sort of place I'd usually stay but has The Best Showers Ever.

I think we'll go to the beach this weekend. I live about a mile from it but still we have to plan to go there I need a puppy to take with me!

I make cake from courgettes.

Hello everyone, I have been caught up with work and the garden and laid low by sinusitis .
I'm going to Glastonbury on Saturday for a week, Yeay.
I can't wait, though I suspect I'll sleep til Tuesday.
I'll have my iphone so I'll come and reintroduce myself and chunner on as usual.
Can I just say I have lots of books and will be happy to lend them to my fellow PIT members?
Also I wanted to point you towards this very exciting project
Blessings, everyone, here's hoping that we walk in serenity and joy.

Have a wonderful time, Earthy. I'll read your link when DS is in bed.

It's a beautiful sunny day here and we drove along the cliff this afternoon on our way home. The sun was sparkling on the sea and it filled me with happiness. It's amazing how such a small thing can make such a huge difference to my mood and general outlook. I think we might have to go there tomorrow and just play.

Is anyone still around?

Hi Grockle, How are you?
I was just going to post on here today and saw your message.

I will be celebrating tonight as it's Isis's birthday today and I usually combine my Lughnasadh ritual in with the birthday devotions.

I had an urge to write something new for the occasion the other day and the phone rang, by the time I'd finished on the phone my mind had gone blank.

Fortunately I have lots of stuff from previous years to go with if I don't get round to writing any.

Before I had DD I would always write fresh stuff each festival. Somehow i don't get the time these days, can't imagine why!

Are you doing anything special over the next few days?