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.

I spent the morning at some local gardens with my youngest.

There is a Pinetum there, the scent from the fir trees was being whipped into the surrounding air by the crazy winds we’ve had today. The big bushy conifers were billowing and rippling. The wind seemed to be coming from all directions, round and up and over and round again. Loud and gusty and playful and yet it wasn’t at all cold or biting.

Next to the Pinetum there’s is an avenue of maple trees. They are beginning to change colour, from the top down, half red, half green, like ketchup on top of peas. Some of the red leaves were on the floor, so red, like rubies.

And then as we collected our leafy treasures, the thought suddenly struck me, full pelt like the wind blasting into my face, that this is the last Autumn I shall have a little one at home with me. Next September they will be at school with their older sibling and mid-week Autumn treasure hunts of leaves and acorns will just be something we used to do, a time ago.

Transitions are bittersweet. But then what’s the alternative? Standing still? Well that would never do. And so we keep walking.

I had a lovely day today. Warm wishes to you all.

Ah Fitz that really resonated with me. You are a beautiful writer.

I'm loving the tales of mothering- sometimes I feel like my mothering days were over in a flash (although I know it didn't feel like that at the time!) I am still, of course a mother but it's very different from being hands on with little ones. Now I await a call from the other side of the world! I was a young mum and had an empty nest by the time I was in my late 30's. I've only recently realised, 5 years on that I've been entering my crone phase. I'm more at ease for that realisation and it makes me think how different it is for all of us. Those of us with children have clearer markers of phases because of them I guess. But not everyone has children so this can't always be the case. I suppose the stages are subjective and far from fixed in timescales. A beautiful if bittersweet thing IMO.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences- I find it so valuable.

I agree with Fitz

Transitions are bittersweet. But then what’s the alternative? Standing still? Well that would never do. And so we keep walking

Beautifully put

Morning witchy friends.

I had the sleep of the goddess last night. Ten hours, I think these winds of change yesterday released some tension.

I am still in bed, drinking coffee. Very unusual for me.
I think I will get up and do some sun salutations to start the day.

How wonderful speakout

Hope you enjoy the goddess zing in your day following that shift!

Daughter coming home for Mabon weekend- yippee!

Great news speakout :)

Have you got any plans for the weekend?

Just spending time together. Nice food, baking for Mabon I think DD is just looking for home comforts and family time.

Anyone else plans for Mabon?

Hello, lovelies! I’ve lit a fire and did a quick candle blessing/ offering to the Goddess and God. Everything seems so cosy. I am loving the shorter day and long cool night. @speakout, I too, slept deeply and for almost 8 hours last night. I think because of the cool fresh air. So happy to hear your beloved daughter will be with for the weekend!

I am hoping for a long, calm evening for everyone! ✨✨

I’m going home to see my own mum this weekend :) very much needed, it’s been far too long what with one thing and another. I can’t wait.

That's lovely news speakout. You can now look forward to the weekend together.

This Mabon I'm hoping the weather will be dry so I can get out for an autumnal walk with my dog. Being out and about in the countryside this time of year really makes me feel alive. I also want to tidy the garden and get it ready for the winter. And do some cooking, I'm planning on making a huge batch of soup, and maybe an apple crumble. I also want to relax with some yoga nidra, this really helps my sleep.

No real plans - my mother is having surgery on Monday so Sunday I'll just have time for a quick nod to the Autumn Equinox and then it's back to South Wales for a few days to stay with her for a day or two.

Evening all just checking in to an evening round the Aga with ☕️.

I’m feeling somewhat out of sorts at the moment. The wind keeps tugging at me and swirling about and it seems as if life does too! I had plans to get on with lots of things over the past few days but things keep getting in the way and I’m being pulled hither and thither like a leaf on the breeze. I’m not generally an Air element person - it unsettles me.

On a more positive note (in the calmer moments!) I’m feeling optimistic and have had the beginnings of a feeling of tapping into deep and long held internal reserves. The best description is rather like that of underground water. It probably sounds odd but it’s like everything i ever needed is in there. I can’t say that I have done anything consciously to develop this feeling. It just .....evolved. It’s new and different so I’m just gonna sit with that for a bit and see where it goes. Excuse the ramblings but sometimes it helps to clarify my own thoughts. If I can describe it then I can hopefully recognise it.

I had plans to cook over Mabon (us kitchen types!) but instead am being treated to food by friends. 😊

Have a lovely weekend all!

👋 to @Enchanters.

Yesterday was very weird. On the way home it was going from crawling along the short stretch of the motorway 🛣 in Ark conditions, to bright, stillness when leaving at the next junction. All in all, the change happened three times in what is normally a 35 minute commute. I did say that the equinoxes were a time of flux, with the tides clashing and changing! 😂

I'm joining in a four day autumn embroidery stitch along from today, and another designer is releasing an autumn cross-stitch sampler on Saturday so I think that my weekend will be spent stitching, crocheting and tidying. I do love home- and hand-made things around and have been lucky to have inherited things from my mother, grandmother and great-aunts as well as the joy of learning all these crafts as normal from them as a child. I also love having all the different festival and seasonal decorations around, storing them away in plastic boxes in the loft in the meantime.

A very blessed Autumn Equinox to you all this weekend. ❤️ ⭐

No plans for the equinox yet. I will set up a little altar though to honour the change and make an apple based dish.

Love the sound of your crafting, TooManyPaws.

Feeling very unsettled and not sleeping well at all. Keep waking up at 4:30 am and not able to get back to sleep!

Came downstairs and found a silverfish in the kitchen! Not happy about that. Anyone know any natural ways to get rid of them? I don’t think they like strong smells...

Thats good news for you speakout. So nice when they want to come back home.

I'm finding I can read these tarot cards for myself quite well but not sure how I'd do for anyone else. I think I read on here that it's usually one or the other, but rarely both. I'm going to practice on a friend to see how I do. I'm fairly busy with new courses but I find so much that I'm doing right now is related to the craft. I've started to use sigils... but do them mentally as I walk along or sit on a train . Not sure that would be as effective, but kind of fun way to pass the time.

I am going to have a cooking day too. Something comforting and warming to mark the season.

Have a good day everyone

Ps re silverfish they love sugar and carbs so anything sour should repel them.

Happy Mabon! Is that the right thing to say?

I can't believe how much better I feel today! I've felt 'off' since Tuesday - unbalanced, anxious, low energy.

The rain seems to have washed everything clean and I'm full of energy and excitement for the coming season.

I plan to make a soup with butternut squash from my allotment and an apple cake with apples from the tree in my garden.

Happy Mabon everyone.

Elphame- sending you love to help support your mother- you have had some challenges lately.

In the past few days and the run up to the equinox I have been feeling some very deep emotions- with a theme running through.

The motif keeps coming back to me in lots of different ways, but all about making peace with uncertainty.

The winds this week seemed to echo that message too.

By nature I like to be organised, and dare I say it a little controlling.

It works mostly, I have a great energy to enthuse and initiate, and when my kids were younger it was a good energy to have- a bit like Mary Poppins.
My OH has mostly humoured me over the years- he knows I am harmless and benevolent, if a little bossy!

But having adult children has caused me a great rethink- now I have to let go, to move around them more, even to allow them freedom to make poor decisions and bite my tongue, to respond more than lead.

I guess this is one of the aspects of moving from motherhood to crone.
I need to feel like a leaf in the wind for a while, to feel the ebb and flow, to let go, to follow and listen more. To become uncomfortable in uncertainty,

But I know this is a shift, things will swing back a little and find some balance.
But I need to examine how it feels for a while to be a little more passive, to be able to integrate and grow.

Ha ha- my own Tarot pick for today is suggesting to keep steering, a message that my children still need me to guide and support- they are going trough big changes too.

Much food for thought on that one then!!

Sorry Elphame missed that post. Best wishes for your mother's surgery and to you

Thank you for all the good wishes - my parents have had a bit of a run of health problems! This is just cataract surgery this time but obviously she can't drive and Dad isn't ready yet to tackle Cardiff's rush hour traffic.

Happy Equinox everyone - interesting article here from Ronald Hutton on the history of the wheel of the year. I didn't know Gardener disregarded the solar festivals - I've always favoured the cross quarters instinctively.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00155870802352178

Happy Autumn Equinox everyone, just found this thread! I have been a pagan for hmmm about 16 years and I own a pagan/witchcraft shop, which is a dream come true. This looks like a lovely place to be.

Hello everyone, I too have had a restless week until last night when I felt refreshed by the wind and rain and I got more sleep than I usually get.

I have mentioned before that I've been clearing my nana's house. I met up with my sister yesterday and she said she wanted to cleanse the house. I've never really spoke to her about my witchy beliefs before so it came as a pleasant surprise. We have bought some sage and crystals together and are planning to make our own little ritual/ offering to end our ties with the house before it goes on the market to become a happy home for someone else.