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.

VioletCharlott
.
It is your basic value that we love on this thread and support.
I have seen that.
If you need to cry, flail or doubt- that is OK.

We will stay with you.

@VioletCharlotte agree with speakout. Go careful with shadow work. It's taken me a lifetime and still have things that I know are best left to rest, for now at least.

My emotions are to the surface too (have no idea why) but am tearing up at news reports, sad, happy stories. Feel fragile, angry.. Yuk! Awful right now so I feel for you

Sokere

You are such a strength and support.To this thread.
And so wise.

Don't value your empathy as lack of lack of strength.
I can't watch news TV, other than headlines.

But news channels are biased towards negativity.

Good things don't hit the headlines.

So pleased to have found these threads right back at the start. Not able to post often, but wanted to send warm blessings to everyone who pops in and out from around the cosy Aga. Can't believe how busy it has now become by Thread 4

So from my bed, I rest, I heal, I listen, I share (in my own way) & I'm continually enriched by the wise thoughts, knowledge & inspiration. Often I'll have a question but before I need to use energy to draft it, this group answers it here. Marvelous!

The sky was a beautiful pinky glow at 4pm today, with blue sky & a bright moon rising adjacent to the orange Autumn oak. I thought of you all going about your active witchy adventures out there & felt all was well.

Evening @Enchanters

Lovely to see you at the Aga.

Just saw your post... thank you Speakout. That is so kind of you.

Lovely to see you Enchanters It’s a wonderful place here isn’t it. I feel a great deal of warmth here. Sending blessings your way too.

Sending love to and feeling solidarity with Violet and Sokere tonight 💚

I’ve had a very feeling full day today. Not in a good way.

I had a moment where I noticed I’d let my critical self talk run away, unchecked earlier. As I was leaving the house, I noted that the rose hips were well past being ripe for picking. “you didn’t even get round to that did you“ it said, scathingly. I realised I’d been talking to myself like this for a while, probably resulting in the way I’m feeling. I huffed, feeling sorry for myself and then I saw this beautiful rose, amongst the shrivelled rose hips and dead wood
I took it as a gift, a reminder to give myself some love.

I took myself into town to buy myself a treat. Look what I found! Thank you for the recommendation

So I’m having a word with myself about the self talk. I can be fiercely independent and don’t tend to ask for support. It’s a harsh place to put myself sometimes- it’s easy to slip into a critical inner diatribe when I’m feeling overwhelmed. I wouldn’t dream of being so cruel to anyone else!

I hope you’re all giving yourselves the love you deserve.

Great book choice @Yashmis !

yashmis I think we don't realise that we do this. I have been told to stop running myself down several times and I didn't realise that it was such a habit. I know that I internalised my father's words; have you done similar? ❤️

Please, all those of you with UTIs, take great care of yourselves. When it infects the kidneys, it can be not just pain but high fever and even collapse. ❤️

speakout use us to vent anytime you like. It can be very helpful too to get others' opinions as one doesn't always see the situation clearly due to habit and conditioning. I personally wouldn't have thought that crystals and oils are particularly pagan as I know plenty of non-pagans who like these things. After all, I doubt all the shops selling them would survive if it were just pagans buying them. ❤️

Gee

Paws Good point, yes I can see some internalised dialogue there with me too. I get cross with myself (!) when I catch myself doing it because I spend my working life helping others to become aware of and change this, and think I’ve done a lot of work on it myself. I can see the irony!

I think with me, I also have to constantly work on not absorbing the ‘thought pattern style’ of others if that makes sense. It’s not that I’m easily influenced as such, but I just absorb it as if by osmosis! I’m so bloody sensitive. It’s a double edged sword as I know many others here understand. I need to fill my cup I think. I once heard someone talk about practicing being a conduit as opposed to a vessel for external energies. I thought that was really good advice. I needed a reminder to operate the release valve!

Yashmis I've been listening to my inner voice recently too. It's appalling the way speak to ourselves sometimes isn't it? You deserve to be spoken to with the same love and tenderness you offer to others.

Enchanters blessings to you, lovely to see you here.

Sokere and Speakout thank you for you wise works about shadow work. I'll proceed with caution.

I'm feeling in a good place tonight. Stronger and more in control. Happily the uti has disappeared. I'm wondering now how much was due to anxiety about coming away? I hope the others who are suffering are feeling better. Looking forward to seeing my DC tomorrow and my dog!

Good morning witchy friends

Up early as a busy day in the speakout household.

OH off soon- has to drive 100 miles to work this morning- hasn't hasn't a day off for 14 days now, so exhausted,.
DD is off to work at 8am, and I have a busy day too.
I have to take my mother to church for 10am, she is back at 3pm, then take DD back to her Uni flat this evening.
Life is often too busy.
I will buy something to put in the slow cooker today so everyone has a hearty plateful, even though eating times will be scattered.

Anyone looking for small pagan type christmas gifts- I bought this

www.amazon.co.uk/TOOGOO-Clothes-Accessories-Brooches-Birthday/dp/B07C861FM5/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=bee+brooch&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1542525028&sr=8-3

It's a bee brooch. I know bees have been associated with witchcraft for many years. The price is amazing, and the brooch is really good quality, feels heavy, and well made.

I will give it to my sister. She keeps bees, and as a fierce Baptist spends a lot of her time looking out for Satan's work, so a little joke to myself that she may end up wearing a witch's familiar!!

I am not certain that Interfaith activities are for me, TooManyPaws. The witches I know who take part in it are used to being the public face of paganism and very busy with it, too.
Having said that, our whole village joined together in our Save the Post Office campaign, and the then vicar and I got on very well.
I will go to the inaugural coffee and chat and see what goes on......

Now, witchy and crafty ones!
Are you aware of the environmental impact of the High Speed Railway?

16.7 hectares of ancient woodland in 19 ancient woods along the HS2 Phase 2b route are facing destruction. A further 11 ancient woods will be indirectly damaged.
The campaign against HS2’s damaging route proposals has looked into ways for HS2 Ltd to avoid and save ancient woods and veteran trees. In some areas, such as along the Phase 1 route, there has been a successful campaign for a tunnel under the Chilterns which saved over ten hectares of ancient woodland.

The Woodland Trust has a map of the proposed routes, as well as a form to take up the right to respond to HS2 Ltd’s consultation before it closes on 21 December 2018.

campaigns.woodlandtrust.org.uk/page/32017/action/1?utm_campaign=2206283_A02_12791_Woodland_Trust_Newsletter_20181116&utm_medium=email&utm_source=woodlandtrust&dm_i=2D76,1BADN,4VSXP3,4AE81,1

And do please pass the link and info re the campaign on to others who would want to save the woodlands.

Giggorata

Interfaith is not for me either,

Too many fundamental differences.

And most branches of the christian church vilify paganism, no getting around that really.

Speakout (love the bee gift!) said "Interfaith is not for me either. " I'll add my voice to that.
Thank-you to all who do, all who want to explain their ways and engage using someone else's frames of reference, it's not one of my talents.

Enchanters I've been hoping that no news from you was good news, lovely to see you drop in, kettle's always on.

Violet that retreat sounds really interesting.

Giggorata thanks for the link, what with that and fracking it seems whole swathes of our country are under attack.

freakydeaky good to 'see' you again, I bought a dozen of those to fill with some individual things for friends. I'll give an 'explanation sheet' for the ones who don't know what they mean.

And for everyone who I've not mentioned by name, I'm sorry I've run out of Time again, it's so frustrating not having the time to carry on existing chats or start new ones, so may your day be productive whether you're working to benefit other people or working on being kinder to yourself.

Friends have departed - still haven't rumbled me....

Christmas shopping completed - and an evening poking around Arnos Vale cemetery with some good witchy friends beckons.

It's going to take me a while to catch up with the thread though!

Elphame

What would have been your friend's reaction if they found out?

Hello everyone, just catching up on all the posts. I'm back home now, so pleased to be with my boys and my dog 😊 I've had a three hour drive to think about my initial thoughts on the retreat, I'm going to share my musings here as I feel like it's a safe space to do so.

1. I'm not as confident as I think I am. I hide my anxiety well, but it manifests itself in physical symptoms.
2. I struggle in big groups of people, especially when many of them know each other and have established friendships. It makes me feel like I'm back at school and being 'left out'.
3. I feel much happier with small groups of 3 or 4. I like asking questions and getting to know people.
4. I have some pain from the last that I'm holding on to. But being too introspective isn't always good for me. I've acknowledged the pain, but (to echo Speakout) it's ok to leave it there and step in it, rather than bringing it to the surface.
5. I'm actually really lucky. I've got fantastic DC and family, lovely friends, and a warm, comfortable home. Lots to be thankful for.

Although the weekend wasn't quite what I expected, I think it found me because it was what I needed.

Thank you again to everyone who's been there and offered supporting comments to me, it's been a huge help having you all here. Love to you all 🙏

@speakout - I really don't know! I would risk a 30 year+ friendship if I did tell them. It really is the elephant in the room.

VioletCharlotte I'm glad the retreat was worthwhile. I would also struggle in a big group - actually I don't think I'd get as far as even signing up to be honest. I'm not as brave as you.

Hi everyone, I've been reading and catching up with the thread, hope you have all had a good weekend. Sorry to not mention everyone by name. I must go in The Works when I get a chance_ I've been wanting to buy that Green Witch book for ages! Speakout I love that bee brooch. I'm quite inspired by the idea of a bee tattoo perhaps. I have several tattoos planned, the main one I want to get is something like this- a moon phase tattoo down my spine.

Violet I hope the retreat was a good experience for you. I think it must have been a really worthwhile thing to do if it has helped you discover more things about yourself. I relate very much to how you feel- hiding a lack of confidence and being happier in smaller groups of people. I hope you have a lovely evening with your boys and dog, will do you good I bet

Inthetempest thank you 🙏 I love that moon tattoo, it's beautiful.

Thanks Violet, I think I'm definitely going to go for it and get it done. I also want to get an Aries constellation tattoo, the list gets longer

Ok I had another of my strange 'coincidences' happen earlier this evening. I will keep quiet (if there's magic behind this I don't want to spoil it!), much as I love to blab all this stuff to you all! I asked for something, although small, and it happened. What can I make as an offering of thanks? Would burning some nice essential oils/incense be ok? I have no idea what else I can do given present resources!

Hey all,

I've not been on the thread for a few days, as I've been trying to process something and I thought I'd come back when I had, but I haven't.

Remember that ritual I did on the 7th? I still haven't disposed of it as I haven't found a proper place

One might think that it is perhaps because it isn't time for this ritual but actually this is something of huge importance to me and has been a constant "when ? How? " in my mind for 10 years.

I'm going to have to be vague but it was to do with the idea that something that is rightfully mine has been withheld from me but that something is not either a person or an object more of an abstract concept, not money, more like the ability to stand in my own power, identity, autonomy and not have people prevent/block that- if that makes sense?

It's a positive thing for me and an important one so why can't I dispose of the paper?

And most branches of the christian church vilify paganism, no getting around that really.

Not in my experience, and I even shared a flat with a member of the Brethren. As one of my three Kirk elder friends said to me, "those of us who have faith have more in common with each other than with others who do not have faith". Professor Jean La Fontaine conclusively debunked the satanic panic back in the 1980s at the request of the government. The list of Christian churches on the Scottish Interfaith Council includes all the mainstream churches who happily mix with the pagans. Interestingly, the Baptists and evangelicals are not seen as mainstream and many Christian churches do not regard the Mormons as Christian. I was listening to a US podcast, The Mad Scientist, the other week which discussed research that showed that the majority of US people believed in the Devil and demons but the majority of UK people did not. Any religious extremists such as the evangelicals who are heavily influenced by the US suck up the nutso belief in demons too.

To be honest, speakout, are think you are influenced by your family here who are not mainstream Christians as Baptists and Mormons. The vast majority of Christians and Christians in the UK aren't afraid of pagans, witches etc and live alongside quite happily. My devoutly Christian US cousins stay with me, witchy stuff everywhere, but they are Episcopalians, not evangelicals.

I won't be driven to hide what I am in a country where the law and the vast majority of religious organisations are on my side, and I will not have people who use hate speech against me in my house.