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?

[Earthymama]

Yes, I heard it too!

I wonder what the implications are for hedge-wiches with conkers and ale on their kitchen shrines,?

[jenpet]

Totally off subject here, but over the weekend I've had an amazing mushroom circle appear in our garden. It's almost completely circular. I've never seen anything like it, it's beautiful. Don't know much about them at all. Does anyone else know anything about them? (will google later)....

[MoonFaceMama]

EM! Can only be good me thinks!

Jenpet i love fungi but can't claim to be an expert. What colour are they? And what colour are the gills? And how tall and wide! I'll look them up in one of my many shroom books!

Beautifull day here. Went for a walk and loved the sunlight shining through the golden leaves. And the fungi!

[Earthymama]

It's a Faery Ring, or if it's not it should be!!

We are all fighting off a grotty lurgi but managed to get out in the woods today, walk along the canal and collect some leaves so I felt as though I renewed my connection with the Season.

How's everyone?

[bintofbohemia]

Just found this thread, I knew there were some of you out there! Will read the whole thread and come back when I can, am planning for Samhain already...

[bintofbohemia]

Just found this thread, I knew there were some of you out there! Will read the whole thread and come back when I can, am planning for Samhain already...

[Earthymama]

bob, glad you are SO excited to find us!
I am starting to think about Samhain, I was reading Glennie Kindred's Earth Wisdom this morning.

I love Samhain!

See you later EM x

[MoonFaceMama]

welcome bob! I'm excited about samhain too! Haven't any plans yet (well a walk and food and cake ) but nothing firmer...better check the calendar and see when it falls...

EM can i please nominate you as thread librarian? my amazon wish list gets longer with each of your posts! That book looks lovely.

I've been in touch with spiritmum and sadly (for us i feel) she's left mn. Nothing to worry about she says, it was just taking over a bit. I can understand that! I've been trying to spend less time on here myself of late. Dh calls it mumscrack!

Samhain is one of my favourite times of year. I think it's really special to me because it's something i celebrated (as halloween) before i even knew the word pagan. I know some other pagan festivals survived into the christian calendar but i feel as a kid halloween was distant enough from christianity to have reclaimed some of its paganishness iyswim! So unlike most other pagan festivals i have a set of memories and associations with beltain that are long but not too christianised... Others are either unacknowledged or christianised in my youth...does that make sense?

Samhain smells of parkin and burning pumpkin. It is dark and cold and wrapped and warm. It is bobbing for apples when trick o treating.

Now days i always carve an ornate pumpkin. Scoring patternsp in the rind with a lino cutter so they glow through the skin.

When i was a student in edinburgh i went to the samhain celebrations organised by the beltain fire society and loved them.

[Earthymama]

MFM, I was messing around on the National Poetry Day site with this today and your phrase,

'It is dark and cold and wrapped and warm.' was just what I was trying to say.

I adore this time of year, I find it comforting and healing. I have been out of doors so much this week and feel more energised and full of hope.

I'll take you up on the job offer, I spent nearly 20 years in libraries, I think they are precious resources we ignore at our peril.

More about Samhain when I am able to post more regularly.
EM x

Today's book is Magical

[Earthymama]

Whispers...I know we aren't supposed to talk about posts on other threads but.....have you seen the one about the Satanic influence of......Waybuloo!!

ROFL and doing yoga while I'm at it

[MoonFaceMama]

Hi earthymama!

so glad you are our ibrarian! That's another reommendatioon I'd like!

And the scarf with that phrase on! It'd be very approprriate!

Have to dash,

But back soon!

Oh yes, where'sthe other thread?

[Ishtar2410]

Sorry I've been away for a while....

I'm really looking forward to Samhain! Planning to make some gingerbread, mull some cider (mulled apple juice for the littleys) and spend some time sitting in the garden with pumpkin and candles and thinking of those we've lost. No ritual as such, but small things to mark the day.

(I'm sure the neighbours think we're mad!).

I do love this time of year.

[MoonFaceMamaaaaargh]

marking again...or should i say setting a twig? Back soon!

[Earthymama]

Hello there!
I have been feeling sorry for myself as I fell over last week, (not drunken debauchery sadly but falling over my lovely linen skirt on the stairs at the theatre, oh the shame )
I will have to go to hospital as it feels worse, I couldn't face the wait at A&E. So I haven't been doing as much preparation as I wanted for either the imminent arrival of DGC 4 or Samhain.

I'm going to look at some websites and books to decide what to cook, though pumpkin soup will be on the menu! we grew two on the allotment, which is immensely satisfying.

There is an Iron Age, maybe earlier, hill fort nearby that has been sadly ignored and neglected. Local people have started a society and we went to the launch last night. It was great, enthusiastic amateurs, immensely well read, and equally enthusiastic academics from the local university. Our neighbouring town was on the path of a medieval Christian pilgrimage!!

The site is known as the 'nipple' so my lot are convinced that it represents the Goddess in the landscape.

I can't wait til we get talking to the one archaeologist who said, 'Now don't let's get into the realm of fantasy and fiction, we need hard facts'

Sadly he said this to the guy representing the Arthur Machen Society, one of the foremost cult figures said to have invented the horror genre.

How we chuckled!! There p-romises to be fun and games ahead!!

I hope you are all enjoying this bout of sunshine if it is shining in your area.

[wukterWOOO]

Hello, sorry I haven't been here for a while but I was away getting married.
Earthymama, sorry to hear of your accident, I hope you are doing better now.

I haven't used pumpkins as such this last few years, I've gone back to turnips such as we had as kids. It's more indigenous. Not that I never do - it's just the main (in my mind)carving is always a turnip, the rest are only for decoration.
That sounds so interesting about your local hillfort and how nice to see such efforts being made by all in its cause.

Setting my twig here.

[Earthymama]

Hi everyone, how are you doing?

I remenber we always used swedes, that lovely burning roasting smell!

The weather has been amazing so I've done lots of walking with the children in the local park but we are having a really grim day today, rain and grey skies.

So it's a den under the dining room table today!!

I'm feeling drawn to trees this week, collecting twigs, nuts, leaves and berries.
(though not from Next )

[MoonFaceMamaaaaargh]

hi everyone!

Wukter [hgrin] congratulations! How was the catholic pagan day and married life? [hgrin] loving the name change too!

Earthymama i hope you are all healed now. I don't think it is the audience who are ment to break a leg is it? [hconfused] [hsmile]

Loving the seasonal emoticons [hblush]

I have a pumpkin ready to carve and soup for sunday. [henvy] at your home grown ones em! I recall us getting a swede to carve when i was little as it's what my folks did when wee. It only lasted that year...t'is not as sympathetic to carving as a pumpkin. But i agree much more indigenous wukter, i take my hat off to you!

I do get embarrasingly excited about carving pumpkins. I remove nearly all the flesh and score a pattern in to the rind with a lino cutter so the image glows through the skin from within.

I had fancied going along to the local pagan group but the celebration is in the evening and ds still bf's then.

EM, I have a lovely book about trees. Can't remember it's title and am feeding ds but it's very commonly available so you have probably seen it...each chaste looks at a different tree, it's properties and folk lore. I'd also recommend wildwood by someone deakin... Sorry. I am a crap librarian. Definatly your job! [hgrin]

Went for a beautiful walk this morning. It was dark when i set out but light by the time we returned home. The moon was shining in a clear sky and the clouds were kissed with the sun's pink.

Walked a treck t'other day as a treat for my birthday. Dh carried ds [hwink] We walked to towton which in the civil war witnessed the largest loss of life in one day that this land has ever seen. [hsad] it's a wind whipped spot with a huge sky. We got married at the tiny chapel nearby which was there at the time. No doubt some of those wounded sought sanctuary there.

Planning another lovely walk on sunday but will be a bit later on than daybreak...but a favoured location. [hsmile]

[Earthymama]

Wukter, many congratulations! How lovely, please more details when you have time. I too love that name.

DP is insisting we have Swede lantern now, I blame you, it's for the singeing smell!!

I'm off to buy some supplies now. It's a lovely day so I am going to walk through the park and rejoice in my blessings in this life, while thinking of those through the veil who feel so close at this time.

My latest grandchild is clinging to the safety of the womb so my poor daughter is shattered. This will be the first grandchild who will not physically know my mother so it's a bittersweet time.

Have a wonderful Samhain, Bright Blessings to all EM x

[MoonFaceMamaaaaargh]

EM I'm thinking of your DD and DGC. [hgrin]

On the today programme on r4 this morning there was a brief feature on paganism and it sai that there wold be more on BBC news tomorrow but wasn't very clear as to what this ment...hmm...I'll keep an ear on it...

Hope you all have a wonderfull Samhain.

[hgrin]

xxx

[PurpleOne]

Bright blessings everyone for a lovely Samhain.

BB

)O(

xx

[Mumi]

Been a while since I've peeked in here! [hblush]

Have already completed my own personal main Samhain ritual tonight while DS is away as I know I wouldn't get the peace when he returns tomorrow.

Funnily enough, today a friend asked me to go through an old box of hers as she thought it may have some stuff she'd borrowed years ago from me. In it were loads of things I'd forgotten about, including a tealight holder, an incense holder and a small pot for water, all things I could use tonight! It was obviously meant to be [hshock]

I love this time of year. Despite the windy weather, everything seemed bright and more colourful than it has done in a while tonight, even the most rowdy of revellers out tonight being a welcome sound.

Anyway, can't wait for pumpkin carving, soup brewing and general mischief making with DS tomorrow [hgrin]

A very happy Samhain to you all [hsmile] x

[MoonFaceMamaaaaargh]

hi purpleone and mumi!

I hope you both have a lovely samhain.

Mumi i would be really interested in hearing about your ritual if you don't mind sharing when you have chance? [hsmile]

We have had lots of lovely bright moons here lately.

[queenrollo]

Just found this thread.

Moonfacemama - Wildwood is by Roger Deakin, DP bought me his other other book Waterlog but i haven't got round to reading it yet.

I've had pagan leanings for years but a DP who if i tried to observe. I've swapped him for a better model and my new DP will light a candle with me tonight but generally sits on the sidelines while i get on with my own thing.

I'm still finding my way, and developing my own rituals. Usually have a nice meal on Samhain, light a candle and have a few moments reflection. Always set an extra place at the table to invite the spirits of those passed to dine with us. Dining room out of action due to building work though so I won't be doing that tonight.
DS is very excited by Hallowe'en so we're having a little 'party tea' and having my parents over.

pleased i found this thread

Samhain Blessings to all x

[bintofbohemia]

Morning everyone!

Am so excited, about to carve the pumpkin and make (my own twist on) soul cakes and we have friends coming over for a bit of feasting tonight. Am also wearing my grandmother's ring and my Gran's earrings as a link to them and there'll be a place at the table for them tonight. [hgrin]

Lovely to hear what everyone else is doing to celebrate. This is my favourite time of year! Think we'll have to forgo the fire (weather looks a bit grim) but we'll be having fireworks instead!

Have a lovely day and bright blessings. xx

[Mumi]

Hi Moonface! [hsmile]

Well I can't tell you everything as I wrote 2 sides of A4 as it was in my book last night and will probably crash MN! but I took guidance from a beautiful book called Creating Ceremony, as it not only reminds of the benefit of grounding myself, but is also generally grounding in itself as it invites you to think about your intent and what you want out of it.

I've also started reading A Witch Alone. While I'm not treating it as definitive, I do want guidance over the next few months as, what with caring for and grieving for my mother over the past couple of years, it's been difficult to get back into the swing of things.

Although I've been a small part of other group rituals over the past few months, it really does take it out of me, but as nervous as I was, I was really determined to re-dedicate myself to my own practice in the year ahead last night.

I was well rewarded as beginning by cleansing myself spiritually was what I can only call euphoric! maybe even as far as well deserved after the toil of recent times.

I then set about having a chat with a few people I'd lost over the past year, each in very sad and sudden circumstances. All I will say is that some prefer to be approached, some prefer coming to you instead at other times and some are just floating around as much as there were in life, but there all the same. It was intense and not always comfortable but I learnt who can help me in matters of head and heart.

It's quite difficult to know when to stop when you get going (especially when you're having a good chinwag with someone [hgrin] ) but I was getting quite drained by then so I then briefly meditated on and visualised a few things I'd like for me and mine and the world at large, then gave thanks and closed the circle with a :)

I was so tired this morning but was so glad I did it as it was a lot more successful and powerful than I'd expected, I feel I've really set off back on the right path and would recommend it to anyone who has felt they've lost their way [hsmile]