Any Witches Here Part 4 [Edited by MNHQ]

[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.

So lovely to read of everyone’s Samhain celebrations. I did a small private one and then another with a pagan group I’m a member of. It is my favourite of all the seasonal celebrations. Close run second is the Winter Solstice/Yule.

I was christened as a baby but never bothered with my daughter. Don’t think it’s affected my paganism at all. If anything, the natural inclinations I had as a child were a strong indicator to my that the church was not my spiritual ‘home’.

I was raised Catholic and no longer practice for a wide variety of reasons.

What is interesting is the way my catholic DM has embraced my interest in witchcraft and Tarot

She has always said I have a "gift" and I think is excited to see me use it.

I don't talk about witchcraft with colleagues but have done almost all their Tarot.

I think spellcraft would be mocked or judged

I don't talk about either thing with most friends almost all of whom came from similarly religious households

PawneeParksDep

I think we don't have to go back very far in time when everyone was religious. There wasn't much choice.

It was pretty much impossible to avoid religious indoctrination for most.

Having a quiet night. DD who was running a fever earlier today is feeling more comfortable. We have spent a few hours snuggling on the sofa. Touch and closeness is such a healing thing.
i can hear the pop of fireworks outside, cats are safely inside -high on catnip.

This morning I thought of a friend hundreds of miles away and I posted a song on her timeline. She then responded to say it was spooky because she had been thinking of me and a particular song by this artist, which she shared.
It involves rose-hips - I was in the garden this morning checking mine for harvesting!
It is an odd connection that we have, too outing to post here.

But it has really resonated with me today.

queenrollo

Sends shivers! I can relate to that.

I am completely 'out of the broom closet' at home and at work. In fact, I'm sitting here in a hoodie with 'Village Witch' across the front, and my car has a 'Powered by Witchcraft' sticker on the spare tyre on the back door. 😀

I was christened and confirmed too, but all my trying to make myself fit the church didn't work. My religion is down as Wiccan in my documents where it needs to be. I work in a small team which is completely mixed religiously and I gave everyone candles in holders decorated with Holly from the garden last Yule, and a colleague a rowan and red thread charm for her front door for Eid, which she was delighted by. She loves how I always remember to give her greetings on her festivals.

I used to work as police staff and was open there too. I did get to know all the interfaith people and even had the inspector come to an open Beltane ritual I was running; I heard later from a sergeant that he had told the office how much he enjoyed it. At least in Scotland, pagans are accepted as a 'proper religion' by the government, being full members of the interfaith council, and can have legally binding religious marriages like the others. I am happy to point this out to anyone thinking of discrimination. It didn't bother my parents (my father even asked me to do something for my mother) and it doesn't bother anyone in my village that I know of.

TooManyPaws

It's is so lovely to hear that you feel so fully accepted.

I have experienced discrimination, and as I outlined a close family that would recoil with fear if they knew m the truth.

Paganism has been demonised, vilified, by centuries of persecution.

I don't find it hard to find the fear and hysteria that still exists unfortunately.

Good evening all, I haven't been in for a while, my apologies.

Winter neither of mine are christened as the ceremony is for the child to enter gods family. As I'm not Christian, didn't marry in a church and it has no place in my life, getting them christened has no sense. Most people assume it's just something you do automatically though and don't think about it. I was christened as a baby and it's made no difference either way.

I tried to be open recently about being a witch, my pre teen DC asked me what my kitchen altar was so I gave them a simple explanation, next thing I know they have told my ex h and he is laughing at me behind my back and asking them if I dress up etc and making fun.

I can't be open at work either, a church going colleague said the other day she doesn't agree with witchcraft among other things, so it's not known.

I don't mind, it's something I do for me, not anybody else. It's just who I am.

MidnightVelvetthe7th

I am sorry that you have struggled to find acceptance. And not acceptable to be mocked.

Unfortunately we live in a culture which often vilifies or denigrates pagan paths.
And this is one of the reasons I have shielded my children from my activities. I don't want to have them in a position to defend my views.
My daughter has only known I am a witch in the past year- and she is 18.
I know my workings and collections have piqued interest with my children over the years, but I have mostly brushed them over - " Mummy loves candles", "It's nice to collect autumn things" etc.

I understand the hostility you feel.

You have a welcome place here however.
Let me pour you some hot tea.

Thanks speakout he's an utter arsehole so I'm not shocked 😀😀

I cut my hand the same day last week too, got a paper cut under my nail and it bled all over the place!

Oh midnight he sounds like my ex who is also a complete arsehole! I don't tend to hold the opinions of idiots like them very highly so I just wouldn't care what my ex thought, although he doesn't really know about it.

speakout I hadn't thought of it that way either, I wouldn't want my children feeling they had to defend my views- my feeling was just that they should make their own choices about religion/spirituality. It's so sad that so many people still have such false and negative views of paganism. I find it such a positive and natural way to think, feel and live. If only people would try to understand what it is really about, rather than imagining devil worship and abuse and whatever else they presume it to be.

MidnightVelvetthe7th

We can learn from aresholes.

They give is opportunities for growth and learning- about ourselves, and the world.
My late husband was an abusive man.
I have grown from the experiences. Awful.I won't detail them, but I am stronger, wiser and more resilient.And a better person, and a better mother.

Evening all. I'm just wondering if anyone here has much experience with crystals? I had an aura photograph reading today at a psychic fayre. I got confused about what the reader was telling me (it was quite busy). She said my chakras were all over the place when she started the reading, but when she placed certain crystals in my hand, they balanced out. She said to try and buy these crystals, which were geometric shapes, and wrote down the road 'merka'. I've googled and found the set which is in the image below. Does anyone know what the significance of the geometric shapes is? And what 'merka' means?

On the same kind of theme of whether you hide your witchcraft or not, does anyone here veil their hair or head? I'm in a hedgewitch Facebook group and someone was talking about pagan veiling and says how it's helping her as an empath and how she has decided to veil full time as Hestia instructed her to.

Id not heard of pagan veiling but apparently it's an ancient practice. Thinking of it, veiling is a part of many religions from Islam to a nun so I don't know why I'm surprised really,

Blessings speakout, you're very wise xx

Midnight and Speakout many women I have met on my spiritual journey have been in relationships with abusive men (myself included). I do feel it's part of our learning, it makes us stronger. But also, I believe something about us means we attract these types. I've been feeling for a while that I'm meant to be doing something with my spiritual work to help women who are/ have been in abusive relationships. I'm not sure what that is yet though.

Violet I can't see an image, maybe it's because I'm on my phone 

Sorry I forgot to attach it! 

Maybe violet we find this path as it's not dependent on a man telling us what to do and how to behave, I know I find solace in the idea of being part of a group of women stretching back centuries, it gives me strength 

Not sure about the crystals or mermaid violet but I'm sure someone will come in who knows 

Haha mermaid?! Autocorrect at it again with merka

Wow, there are several of us here who have escaped abusive relationships then. I'm another- my awful marriage ended in August in really shocking circumstances. It has been an awful time but I am so glad it all happened and glad to be away from him. And I agree completely about it making us stronger. Sadly at the moment I am negotiating the very complex feelings about meeting new people- very early days I know but I look for red flags constantly and I have a lot of trust issues. Thats a whole other thread though!

It was also my separation that brought me back to this path after a long time away from it. And I have found this thread and all of the lovely people on it to be a real comfort, just reading your thoughts and experiences has been fascinating. This is the nicest corner of mumsnet imo.

to you all.

Thanks midnight and maybe you're right about there. I much prefer the company of women to men.

Inthetempest so sorry to hear you've been through the same. I'm so pleased we've all found each other on this lovely thread