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Original poster

Wicca/Paganism

365 replies

DoctorShoe · 03/05/2015 01:03

Bright blessings to all!

Wiccan here. Just wondering if there are any more of us around. :) I don't have a coven, and there doesn't seem to be too much opportunity for it in Ireland, even in the medium sized cities.

DP is not a Wiccan. I'm a hospital doctor. We enjoy Dr. Who and Star Trek. I was raised Catholic.

I have had a lovely Beltane. Didn't get to celebrate quite as soon as I'd have liked, due to work, but it was beautiful.

My sick orchid is budding, my Book of Shadows is growing... Thinking about a nice walk in the woods tomorrow afternoon.

Would love to hear from others. :) I have so many questions.

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Thread gallery
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DaisyStarLight · 14/05/2015 21:13

Sorry for the earworm Blush

Thinking about the crystals I have around my home and I'm shooked how many I do have. Some that I got over 10 years ago and still have on show along with seashells, stones, silver hearts and wooden cups and clay figures have all just been sitting in the back ground of my home for years now Shock going unnoticed.

I have an elf, an imp, a witch and a troll that I see but don't see everyday. I haven't practiced spells/rituals for about five years but wicca has been in my life every day anyway. I just don't think of it as different until I have to explain to someone Grin

DaisyStarLight · 14/05/2015 21:24

My mum give me this as ahouse warming gift Hmm

Wicca/Paganism
DaisyStarLight · 14/05/2015 21:26

These are just hanging around Confused

Wicca/Paganism
Wicca/Paganism
Original poster
DoctorShoe · 15/05/2015 09:02

Spent the morning smelling all my lovely oils, and then carried my lucky herb sock around for a bit. Grin

I'm loving neroli at the moment. It's so calming and uplifting.

Taking a walk every day at the minute. Such a beautiful time of year.

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spiderlight · 15/05/2015 10:17

I'm going to look into that lovingkindness meditation to see if it will help shift the situation my son's in at school. We've had a longstanding problem with one particular child bullying him - his teacher last year was fab about it but this year's teacher is useless. Now DS has been put on a table at school with another much older boy who won't leave him alone, with some really nasty teasing and deliberately distracting him from his work. DS has problems with concentration, which we and the school are working very hard to address and which he's worked really hard with, but sitting him with this particular kid has made it all ten times worse, and then he goes out to play and the other kid starts on him in the playground, so he just hates school at the moment. I've spoken to his teacher yet again this morning and got an ineffectual 'I'll sort it out...' before he scurried away, so I think the situation needs more of a nudge and I'd much prefer to do it through building goodwill between DS and these other boys so they'll leave him be. He's such a good lad and he tries so hard, but he's having a horrible year at school this year. There are pics of him on my profile if anyone would like to send him a little bit of good energy for a better day today, as he spent most of yesterday evening after school in tears.

Original poster
DoctorShoe · 15/05/2015 10:44

Oh spidey, your poor little DS.

I'll be sending him on some lovely, warm, protective energy today.

When I was little, Mum used to draw me with a yellow light around me for protection. She still does it when I'm on call. Grin

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spiderlight · 15/05/2015 11:00

Thank you. I've been doing something similar-ish with DS - I looked into NLP and helped him to 'design' an anti-distraction helmet that he visualises putting on at the start of each lesson. It helped a lot until this kid was moved to his table but he's been really struggling since.

Milllli · 15/05/2015 11:07

School can be so difficult for some kids. My daughter was mostly fine but my son got picked on. The teachers talk a good game but in my experience of many schools. they do nothing really. Sorry your lad is going through this, if its any consolation all that happens makes them stronger more considerate adults. I homeschooled my two for a few years. Best thing I ever did. They realised that they don't have to conform to "normal" in life and that you can choose different paths.

spiderlight · 15/05/2015 12:27

I wish we were in a position to home school. Hopefully today will be better though, now that the teacher knows I know he knows, because he seems to be scared of me and DH for some reason! We're lucky that DS has some fabulous friends outside school with lovely parents who understand and have been through it.

DaisyStarLight · 15/05/2015 13:31

spider sending your son some protection and healing. I would ask the teacher to move your son or the boy on to a different table. Ask for the teacher to allow your son some space from this other child and remind the teacher your son is there to learn not to be upset and distracted by this other child. I'm guessing that others have a problem with this child and the teacher is just trying to find what works best of all the children.

I have looked at the indigo essessental oils and they look great for children. I'm going to get the confidence one for my dd. maybe something like that or a charm he could keep in a pocket might help him feel better and not let the other children get to him too much.

I can't see your profile spider sorry Blush I'm on Facebook if anyone else is on it and wants to add me pm me Smile

spiderlight · 15/05/2015 16:53

He's had a much better day today :) Ironically this other lad has been moved to DS's table for talking/distracting people on another table! The teacher has had words today and is keeping a close eye with a view to separating them, and no tears at hometime today! We're counting the days until the end of the year and the end of this teacher though.

I'm on Facebook too - will PM you.

morethanpotatoprints · 15/05/2015 16:58

it is strange listening to the ideas of H.ed in relation to this thread.
We have H.ed dd for the past few years, she returns to school in September.
It suits those with an open mind who don't necessarily want to always conform.
I too don't believe school works for every child and if at all possible for the adults its a great life for however long you want to do it.

VelvetGreen · 15/05/2015 17:19

I'm glad your ds had a better day today spider. He looks a lovely little chap. My ds starts school in September, and i am already worrying about scenarios like this. It is a very small school though and seems to have a pretty good ethos, so i'm hopeful all will be will, but if not i wouldn't think twice about home schooling. I may still do it at some point in the future if it would seem he would benefit from it.

Thanks to whoever was talking about dream catchers a while back. Ds has started having nightmares, and it reminded me to try this and fished one out of my box of random bobbins. Whether it helps or not in a practical way doesn't really matter - he loves it and seems to feel a bit more secure.

We've also started keeping a dream diary for him as well, which he's quite excited about and runs in first thing demanding i write his dream down before he forgets it. It's been a good way to get him to open up, as well as showing him that there are different types of dream, and where they might have come from.

DaisyStarLight · 15/05/2015 17:33

I like the idea of h.ed but dh didn't so we chose to send our DC to the local ofsted outstanding school with the understanding if anything goes wrong or the DC don't fit in that we can then pull them out and h.ed them. So far I'm more than happy with the school and I still get to Montessori them at home when they are not in school.

I'm glad he had a better day spider Smile

I try to do a lot outside of school with my DC. They both have swimming lessons, my dd has skating lessons and Air has two and half hours per week hockey training and then games once or twice a month. We also go camping and to sea life centers and rock climbing etc

Its abit harder now my dh disability has got worse and he had to stop work and I look after him and the two young kids Sad I'm trying to plan a better future that includes losing weight, getting a job and learning to drive....

Milllli · 15/05/2015 20:16

I loved my time home educating. My kids thrived in a way they never did at school. They learned things at their own pace and mixed with children and adults. My two decided to go to school in the last three years of high school. Then they went to college and now are at Uni. It's not for everyone and for some children and parents school is the best option. My kids loved it.

Milllli · 15/05/2015 20:18

Glad today was better spider. Keep on monitoring the situation and make sure the teacher sorts it to your satisfaction.Smile

spiderlight · 15/05/2015 20:35

Some of DS's friends at Woodcraft are home educated and they are such lovely, happy, relaxed kids. I'd struggle with it though - I have long-term health problems that have forced me to give up driving so I wouldn't be able to get him out and about to all the groups and activities they seem to do, and he'd hate being cooped up at home with boring mummy making him do work. He really is so much happier today though Grin and his Champion essence is on its way, so we'll get there. He has a dreamcatcher as well. Next year's teacher will be better - this year's has been hopeless in many ways, and the most recent irritation was when DS went in all excited on May Morning, having been up early with us to see the sunrise and had our traditional strawberries and champagne Beltane breakfast (he didn't actually have the champagne, just a taste off my finger!) and the teacher said 'Don't talk nonsense - it's not May Day today. May Day is Bank Holiday Monday'. He had the most fabulous teachers all through Infants who would have asked him about it and been genuinely interested, but this one just doesn't seem to be able to connect with kids who don't quite fit into his closed-minded little box.

Original poster
DoctorShoe · 15/05/2015 20:47

Oh spider, that teacher really doesn't sound great. Sad

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elfycat · 15/05/2015 21:00

Something that helps me when I am dealing difficult people is a mantra called Ho'oponopono (It's Hawaiian, they may have issues finishing words quickly as evidenced by the small fish - Humuhumunukunukuapuaa).

All you have to do is repeat 4 short phrases

I'm sorry
Forgive me
Thank you
I love you.

Link to an explanation - [[
www.ancienthuna.com/ho-oponopono.htm linky]]

As I'm a work-in-progress I tend to start with a bit of a tone: I'm Sorry (that you're a stupid arse), Forgive me (for disagreeing with your bigoted views), Thank you (for reminding me that you're a muppet), I love you (not!). But you just keep repeating the mantra silently and you start to mean it after a while, or at least you accept your part in any conflict and accept the person/ situation as part of a life lesson for yourself.

spiderlight · 15/05/2015 21:27

I love that - and your slant on it! we're trying to empower DS without undermining his teacher too much by helping him to see that he's lucky that he gets to learn and experience things that the teacher doesn't know about. He's grown up around our various pagan friends, several of whom have kids, so he knows that it's all perfectly valid and that it's just different from his teacher's boring worldview. When he came home a bit deflated, we just said 'What?! Imagine not knowing about May Day! Poor Mr K - he obviously didn't have champagne for breakfast!'

Original poster
DoctorShoe · 15/05/2015 22:16

Elfy, I get that as an idea, but I'm someone who tends to feel inadequate when dealing with difficult people and I often feel like I'm the problem. I wonder if such a mantra could possibly reinforce my negative feelings about/towards myself?

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VelvetGreen · 15/05/2015 22:41

I think that is the strength of the lovingkindness meditation - you develop love and compassion for yourself first, and then share it with others. I think when it comes to offering kind thoughts to someone you have a difficult relationship with though, it is much as Elfy says with the Hawaiian mantra - it's difficult not to add extra commentary about how you really feel about them! It doesn't matter though - as she says, if you say the words and practice often enough you will start to mean it and your heart will grow.

I'm really glad a few of you want to try it. I'm finding it really transformative. Just one thing i thought of though - when choosing a difficult person to offer lovingkindness to, start small. It can be too much to try to focus on someone who may, for instance, have abused you or someone you love. You need to be kind to yourself first, and this could be just too much early on, or maybe at all. You can finish the meditation with something like 'may all be happy and well and free from suffering' (apart from you, yer gurt wazzock) and that is enough.

Milllli · 15/05/2015 23:14

I use the affirmation " I forgive you for not being the way I wanted you to be, I forgive you and I set you free. ( this sets us free too). Louise Hay

Jboure · 15/05/2015 23:14

Fascinating thread. Doctor shoe, have you ever tried tapping? It may help with your colleagues. I have recently discovered it, it really helps. I love my crystals, they bring me peace and help me focus and come up with solutions for all the bumps in my life.

Original poster
DoctorShoe · 15/05/2015 23:19

Jboure not to date. But I'm open to it.

I have no difficulty feeling compassion for those i find difficult. With work, I sort of have to.

But if I affirm it too strongly, I am almost certain I'll feel worse about myself.

While I respect those for whom it works, I don't think it's for me.

The affirmation re release may be more up my alley.

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