Any Witches Here ? Part 3

[speakout]

Or Wiccans. or Pagans? Or anyone who is interested in a magical path or feels some magical stirrings.

A place for support, learning, swapping ideas and magical inspiration

All welcome.

BlankTimes love that twisty tree. I have had to clear up this evening the mess from DC ‘making a potion’. This included water, lavender, mint, mud, conkers, nuts, unripe sunflower seeds, flower petals and grass. I don’t think (I hope) the snails didn’t go in in the end.

Here you all are!

It's a new thread, new me in my world- well username at least....

Zaphod's off to rest his weary heads for now- my new name is symbolic of transition and transformation for me- helped greatly by my wonderful wise sisters here

I just love being around the aga with you all- it's a wonderful and empowering place 💫

Right, I've got some catching up to do....

Just been catching up on the contributions since this morning. I feel warm and tingly and there's a big smile on my face

I love your description of reading through the first thread speakout Just beautiful. Our own precious place of knowledge and support... I also love the idea of our witches threads gathering such momentum that they're rapidly growing in number over here on this section...

The stories of homes meant for you gave me such a sense of peace. Wonderful to hear, and very encouraging. My current home is not the one that's meant for me in the long run but came to give me shelter and safety at a time when I greatly needed it. I am very grateful for it. My move in date was also 31st October- very auspicious for a new start I thought.

at the potion Kizzy. love it!

The energy in our witches kitchen is powerful, nurturing, supportive and wise. Like others have said, it's helped me so much. Thank you all for making it that way

Any ideas, thoughts or theories or folklore on what makes certain trees grow spirally like that?

I'm minded of the earth's own energies and the blind springs or nodes referred to by dowsers of old where often stone circles or single stones are sited, but if a tree seed lands on one of the blind springs or nodes, the tree will spiral according to the pattern of underlying energy.

I stumbled upon this thread and am in the process of working my way through the previous 2. But I have a question. If you had a talent, a gift, a sight; would you seek to become un-atuned to it or just learn to live with it. I can not figure out if it is unwanted, intrusive or just that I find it draining, or even just that it can be the last straw with everything else.

Also why am I drawn almost compulsively to a place the other end of the country and feel most unsettled if I have not been recently, and yet feel so calm and re-energised in a way that the local places don't make me feel. Why is it that forest and those beaches that have such a strong response. When other are less calming and energising and sometimes down right uncomfortable to be?

Sorry that should be I have a number of questions.

If you had a talent, a gift, a sight; would you seek to become un-atuned to it or just learn to live with it. I can not figure out if it is unwanted, intrusive or just that I find it draining, or even just that it can be the last straw with everything else

I'd get to know it, find out how it could be beneficial. It's part of you, otherwise you'd not be able to do it.
Do some work on yourself to find out why you think it's not a good thing, maybe if you understand it more you'll see its good points.

Some people can play a melody on an instrument or several instruments without ever seeing the music written down, it's said they play by ear.
I'm pretty sure they don't think their gift is intrusive, draining or that they'd not want it. I also don't think it would be on their mind most of the day either, it would just be there always, part of them, and the gifted person could use it whenever they wanted to, whether it was once a day or once a decade.

Just because you can do something, it doesn't always follow that you have to do it, weigh up the pros and cons beforehand and choose to use it with joy, or not at all.

Also why am I drawn almost compulsively to a place the other end of the country and feel most unsettled if I have not been recently, and yet feel so calm and re-energised in a way that the local places don't make me feel. Why is it that forest and those beaches that have such a strong response

I'm being very musical in my allegories tonight.
Probably because you are attuned to those places and they literally amplify the good harmonics for you.

Other places resonate at a different frequency and you feel unsettled or out of synch there.

It's like other people, some you just feel so comfy with and you mutually boost each other, some you can achieve sympathetic resonance with, others are drains, they literally drain the energy out of you and then move onto the next person.

You can reach a state where you don't have to go anywhere or do anything because you've realised all the happiness, love and perfect peace in your world lives inside you and all you need to do is tap into it and you will feel as good as you do in those special places or even better. But it takes a long time and a lot of self-discipline and practise to reach that state and maintain it to the desired level, Western lifestyle does get in the way a lot if that's your goal.

I've said what I think based on a small description from you, you may very well think much differently about it, that's absolutely fine. You need to do what's best for you within your own capabilities right now.

That makes sense.
It is just draining to know where people died and how. To go into a street and know that that corner there was a fatal stabbing, a heart attack on those stairs. There is no contact with the person, no emotion to the facts, just a knowing. There are places I can't go at certain times because there is an oppressive sadness (one place most of the population got wiped out within a short time space) Many churches have a lingering oppressive malintent. It is not something I look for, it just overwhelmes.

I am happiest in nature and try to ground myself regularly, sometimes almost daily in it when possible. Just one forest draws me, a couple of beaches draw me and it is irrelevant if I have been in a forest, or on a beach or spent hours walking the hills. I am still drawn. Am currently being drawn. It is noticeable by others too. What you say about being in tune with those areas make sense. There are other places that i can find a level of calm, other places that make everything tense. I just don't find grounding possible in towns and cities, too much noise, too much hustle, too many people. I am not in control of it. Perhaps what I need to do is learn how to not let it overwhelm whilst still being aware? Perhaps I just need to book a weekend away and go there.

all the happiness, love and perfect peace in your world lives inside you
This is where I struggle. I have little inner peace, I am superficially happy, and I rarely feel safe. The forest, the beaches, I mostly feel safe there, mostly not always; the mood of a place shifts in interesting ways. This is something deep, probably dark and going to be a hard long lesson to resolve I fear. Thank you for giving me a point in the right direction. It is much appreciated.

Hello all. Thank you speakout for the new thread.

Hello all. Thank you speakout for the new thread.

Hello all. Thank you speakout for the new thread.

Sorry for multiple post. Pesky phone gremlins.

Morning- it's dark and blustery here this morning, we are coming to the highest rate of daylight change close to the equinox, such a time of energy.
The change rate will fall after the equinox, but it's now that the difference is most noticeable- you can tell I am a bit of a maths geek!
I am thinking ahead to christmas- I still like to send cards, any ideas for solstice/yule cards?
I had thought about making some myself - vistaprint will print a design, but if anyone knows of some inspiring cards I will buy them.

HillsBesideTheSea

Don't be afraid of the shadow work.
It doesn't have to be painful or pull up bad emotion, it can be very comforting.
And it can be simple.
Parts of my childhood and teenage years were very unpleasant, I was alone, afraid and without support.
These years have left a legacy and given me challenges.

Some simple shadow word I do is when I drift off to sleep, I visualise me as a sad child and scoop her into my arms, I give her ( me in the past) love and grounding and security. I caress and cuddle and tell her she is loved, kiss her forehead, give her some of my strength.

Healing that child heals me- we are the same person.
I have grounding and strength in abundance now, and sharing that with the lost little girl heals us both.

speakout, the Goddess and the Green Man do really nice cards for Yule/Solstice. I usually buy a pack from there to give to people. Also, generic winter scene Christmas cards work well - robins, stags, winter landscapes.

These are lovely cards, thanks.

This thread has inspired me to be bolder in coming out of the broom closet.

@speakout... I had an emotional response reading that last post of yours. Actual tears came to my eyes. Casting my first 'proper' as teenagers would (still?) say spell casting when I finished I noticed I my face was tear stained but hadn't been aware of crying during the process.

Bellecose2

I am glad it brought some comfort.

Spellcasting can be emotional and very releasing, we use parts of ourselves that we keep lids on- for self preservation sometimes, and spellwork can open up these hidden places.

If we tread carefully and are gentle on ourselves these places can be full of potential and power.
When we open up, slowly and gently and integrate as we heal we grow.
Our emotional scars can actually be our greatest sources of power.

Thanks speakout for thread number 3! I echo everyone else in saying it is such a lovely warm supportive place.
Has anyone paid a visit to Treadwells book shop in London? They do lots of workshops too!

I love Autumn, I really do but every year I find the period of transition between seasons physically challenging. I hit some kind of fatigue and my mood dips awfully. I am swimming against the tide of negative thought patterns. In the past I just let it take me, but I refuse to go to that place again.

I have been reading everyone's posts and found great comfort here.

I looked up BlankTimes question about why some trees grow spiral. Apparently it helps them survive tougher conditions. They are more flexible in high winds or heavy snowfall. And if there is water on just one side of the ground or some of the roots are damaged, the water can be distributed round all sides of the tree. It’s a nice metaphor for resilience!

I like some of the cards in the Amnesty shop - birds, berries, stags and silver birches amnestyshop.org.uk/christmas/christmas-cards.html?p=2

I think it is hard to not fear shadow work when you don't know what it is really. I am only just about to begin my journey so there is a lot to learn and know. There are things I do because I just do (certain crystals worn in times needed, etc) but I don't fully understand or use them. I have been considering a yellow t-shirt for aiding when I need to focus.

I have been continuing to work my way through the 1st thread. And the work Empath keeps jumping out. It alligns with something my mother said about me as a child. Perhaps this is why I find people draining, cities draining? A lot of what has been said is making a lot of sense. I have been doing all the things for all the people (sorry for vagueness but it is about the summary of it) and neglecting the stuff for me.

Does the salt water have to be in the precise corners of a room or will a close approximation be enough?

I am supposed to be doing stuff for others in the name of the house hold functioning today. But I think I am going to focus on my room. Declutter it. And get it to a point where a serious deep clean is possible. And if i get chance I think I am going to start my journal. It's going to be a tough day with a migraine but in the long term I think it will help.

Hi everyone

I couldn't find these threads, I saw the first one once so glad to find it again. I have always been interested in Wicca and I have lots of books which I started getting when I was a teenager. I'm not practising though and I don't celebrate the Sabbats (although I'm aware of them and they keep popping into my head at the times, maybe a past life thing, I don't know) so I don't feel I can really call myself a 'witch'. I have lots of friends who are witches and keep meeting witches, so maybe that is a sign I should actually get off my backside and do something about it :)

HillsbehindtheSea. I have a couple of friends who have intrusive gifts. They are both mediums but found their daily lives were being affected by unwanted contact at inconvenient times. We worked hard at refining shields and barriers which put them in control. Have you tried anything like that?

How are your visualisation skills. I think working on those would help enormously. I find cities and people overwhelmingly at times and Im much happier in the mountains and forests. A trick that works for me is to bring up a vision of where I actually want to be. Even a few moments and I feel my stress levels go down. It takes a bit of practice and there are some techniques available that teach how.