Any Witches Here? Part 8.

[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.

Can I ask if you ladies celebrate all of the sabbats, and if there is anything special you do for each?

I'm still fairly new to it and looking for some inventive ways to mark them

SilverNewMoon what a great question.
No universal answer though. Some of us may celebrate a great deal, others a little,, and all that is good,
I think it is easier to celebrate the sabbats that are tied into our cultural "norm", like christmas, Halloween and Easter. So much of the symbolism is pagan anyway, Easter eggs, christmas trees etc, that I am happy to celebrate Yule/Solstice/christmas as a continuum. . I have family who are christian/sit on the fence christian/ don't care much either way/atheist, and most ( not all) are happy for me to spice up these festivals with some pagan influnece.
Other festivals I tend to celebrate in a low key way, Imbolc for instance is a profoundly energetic time for me, but I usually celebrate alone, and maybe a special meal for my family.

I also don't have set rules- being a haphazard witch, some years I go full on for a festival, other years not, no two years are the same. I go with the flow, how I feel at the time and how the energy of the seasons are presenting themselves.
Do what feels right.

I celebrate the cross quarter ones ( That's Candlemas ( Imbolc), Beltaine, Lammas and Samhain) and Yule. The others not so much.

These all have profound meaning for me so they are marked with due ceremony. Candlemas is the time of new beginnings, Beltaine is fairly heavy duty as I actually celebrate Walpurgisnacht, Lammas is darker being the sacrifice of the corn and Samhain is definitely a night of ancestral work.

That’s good to hear Yashmi - I remember that many of your posts helped me so it is good to be able to pass that feeling on.

I did my Tarot again tonight - pulled out the Queen of Wands. Again. I think I’m getting the message. 😊

hiiii !!

Good morning magical friends, Elphame so interesting to hear about your festival celebrations- I would love to hear what others do too.
A much cooler fresher morning here, just about to get up, a final push of work this morning hopefully get my backlog cleared today and posted. Then a few days of getting the house organise and do some major ordering of stock so it will be there on my return. I also have a new project of incense so I am excited to get started on that when I return.

I need to do some spellwork but need to be alone in the house, not sure when that will happen, if not I will take myself off to my forest and do it there. there is a safe isolated clearing deep in the woods, which will be perfect.

Coffee is finished. I'd better jump in the shower and make a start to my day. Ylang ylang spa shower feels right to honour my inner goddess.
Namaste tblessings to the divine in every one of you.

Good morning. Popping in for a coffee and a catch up after a busy few days. I was up early for a dog walk, as we're told the temperature could get above 30 degrees today. It was lovely and cool on the woods.

Last night I went to a women's circle, the energy was beautiful and I'm feeling empowered and goddess like today. I hope I can share the energy with anyone here that needs it.

Yashmis thank you for posting about the mercury retrograde. I'm going to read it properly later. I normally feel quite anxious in the run up to retrograde and have a tendency to blame everything that goes wrong on it! I've set an intention to not to that this time, instead I'm going to try and welcome it and look it as an opportunity for learning.

Speakout I hope you find some quiet time to do some spell work l. It's never easy to find a time when everyone's out is it? If your teens are anything like mine, they pop in unannounced at all times of day and night!

Gee I'm glad you're feeling better. You have such a lovely, gentle energy. I love hearing about your familiars 🐱

Loyaul I love the idea of a fairy tree stump! This is the type of thing I would have loved to do when I was little. I hope your DD has settled down a bit, this time of year is hard for little ones, they're so tired and ready for the school holidays.

Filledsoda lovely to see you and sorry you're suffering with the RA meds. My friend had RA and takes methotrexate. I know she suffers badly with the side effects.

I'm going to be doing tarot readings at an event tomorrow, so if anyone would like a quick 3 card reading this afternoon, please shout as I need to get some last minute practise in!

I would love one Violet please - really need it.

Loyaul love the fairy tree stump idea too. I was obsessed with fairy circles and fairies as a child. Your description made me tingle!

VioletCharlotte

I would love a tarot reading if you have time. X

I would love one please @VioletCharlotte

Good morning everyone!

Glad to hear you are feeling better Gee.

Hi Ohmydarlinh!
*
Yashmis* what a helpful post thank you.

Speakout I hope you get some isolation

Thank you all I have indeed managed to get out to my beloved birch and have spent most of my time there the last couple of days planning our fairy garden. I feel so much better. Yesterday I just sat and soaked up the sun and worked on my BOS. My eldest dd finished school for the summer and went out with her best friends family who ended up coming back around 9pm for an impromptu bbq. I stay clear of school mums but have got quite close with this one and we ended up sitting out until midnight and she was gently questioning my views, probably having seen my cards and crystals in the house. She was fascinated and very open, her df has similar beliefs (I thought that after a discussion of dreams with him once). Today is cooler so will focus on some laundry with dd1.

Decided to have a complete life change, I am moving to Somerset to be with all my witch friends and have been invited to be the HPS for a dear friend.
Feeling pretty excited by this, my life has been tough for too long.

Afternoon all

Violet I'd love a reading too if you have time.

Loyaul you sound so positive, glad you got out in your garden.

MadCat change is good! Nothing happens without change. Your excitement is apparently, go you!

Yashmi interesting about mercury retrograde, thank you for sharing.

Silver moon I'm still newish to marking the sabbats but I've gained so much from being aware of them and what they symbolise. They really help me to stay in tune with the rhythms of the seasons but I haven't actually marked any of them in any huge way, possibly because I think you have to work out first what the different sabbats mean to you and maybe some will resonate with you more than others (like Speakout talked about in her post - I too found personal significance in Imbolc and celebrated accordingly but other sabbats not so much)

All of our personal circumstances are so different - and getting too hung up on ceremony may actually impede your connection with the festival when sometimes a simple nod to the occasion, displaying some seasonal flowers or lighting a small candle or baking something delicious or simply taking the time to get outside and see this Sabbat 'in action' in nature may be enough. Or at least a starting point.

At least this is the approach I'm taking right now! It's a work in progress.

Weekend blessings to you all.x

Fitzfool
and getting too hung up on ceremony may actually impede your connection with the festival when sometimes a simple nod to the occasion, displaying some seasonal flowers or lighting a small candle or baking something delicious or simply taking the time to get outside and see this Sabbat 'in action' in nature may be enough.

Very wise words.
I absolutely agree.
It makes no sense to feel an obligation to do certain things at certain times, it defeats the point, and those celebrations are hollow and without real meaning.
Better to light a candle or have a few moments of contemplation than feel obligated to carry out tritual, feast, decorate your home but feeling burdened in doing so.
This Easter I did very little, a few minutes of meditation.
That felt right, I was busy, I wasn't in the right mind frame and so I gave myself permission for a very low key Oestre/equinox.
Last year it was different, I had an Easter tree, eggs and ribbons, the house was filled with flowers;, I baked, cooked , had my OHs family over, did Tarot readings for my MIL and SIL, and had a woodland ceremony in the evening.
Next year may be different again- but it will be right. However much I choose to do.

madcatladyforever your changes sound exciting. It's lovely to hear of you steering your ship like this- power to you lovely woman!

I have just finished packing the last box for posting, so officially I am on holiday!!! First time off since Christmas. It is so hard to bring everything to a pause, takes days, like bringing a big ship to a halt. Even when I stop there is a backlog to clear and that takes several days.
I still need t check in every day on holiday unfortunatley, there are always queries and questions to answer, but I can deal with that in 10 minutes or so.
Now I have to turn my attention to the house and sorting laundry.
It is so warm and humid today, thick cloud, I would love a crackling thunderstorm.

And now I am super excited- fierce thunderstorms heading my way by 7pm this evening!

Listening to the Killers live from Glastonbury at the moment. I’m 13 miles away!

Hello everyone. Interesting to hear how you all mark the sabbats - another haphazard witch here, too. Sometimes I can only fit in a quick walk around the garden, rooting my feet in the grass and a few blessings over my plants. Other sabbats are easier to mark because they are public holidays. And like you Speakout I am drawn to mark different turns of the wheel in different years. And Fitz you’re so right that ceremony can make it all feel more abstract. These days it’s quite rare that I have time to cast circles, invoke elements etc. I’m more likely to whisper a blessing over a candle, set my intention and leave a spell to work while I get on with my day.

Madcatlady congratulations on your moving plans! How exciting, I’m so glad for you.

Loyautemelie we seem to have had a really similar day. I was writing in my witchy journal today about the beautiful silver birch in my garden - I’ve watched her mature over the years and now her bark has become thicker, darker and more ridged as she enters cronehood. I love the thought of the birch as ‘the lady of the wood’.

Violet I’m sorry to have missed your offer of a reading, I’d have loved one! I hope the event went well and I will be quicker off the mark next time you offer .

Hello everyone, so sorry I didn't get a chance to do any readings yesterday. Time seemed to just run away with me.

Much cooler here today which is a relief! Hope you all have a lovely day 💫

Good morning everyone, we had some spectacular thunder storms last night and today is cool and grey.

Meadow I love the picture of your birch, another example of synchronicity!

I'm another haphazard in approach to sabbats. Each year it will depend on circumstances and what feels right. Samhain is my favourite probably because it's my favourite time of year and Yule too because it's so easy to combine with the traditional Christmas celebrations.

Today is going to be a day for chilling out I think I seem to have got a job as a cat warmer for now, which suits well as my cleaning exertions of yesterday evening (presumably energised by the storms) have taken their toll on this knee

Meadowlight

I love the picture of the birch. Makes me want to reach out and touch. Trees always feel warm to the touch to me, it feels so comforting to touch them too ( I am a secret tree hugger!) I find myself doing less spell work these days, but leave lots of magical intention. Lighting candles to send love and support, whispering to my goddess crystal, giving offerings to my house Brownie, blessing my tea, give thanks to the goddess, and laundry! Just simple everyday magic. But I do several magical acts every day, it is such an integral part of my life.
My OH watches as I step into the garden to leave a whisper in the wind, he doesn't even raise an eyebrow. Totally normal to him to have a wife who talks into the wind!

Loyaultemelie I love hearing of you as a haphazard witch, there are quite a few of us here!! I think a pagan path is appealing for those of us who don't like rules!

A windy day here, and a plie of laundry to do. Perfect combination!

VioletCharlotte
I hope youtr event went well, we all understand how time comes snapping at our heels- don't give it a second thought.
Sending love and blessings. X

@VioletCharlotte I hope your event went well?

I'm feeling relaxed today, yesterday was too warm for me. But today has been nice, I took toddler DD to the farm and then we played in the shade at the park. Even that made me feel more connected to nature and a nice peaceful feeling has descended over me.

SalemSpellman

How lovely. It has been a good day here too. DD had a driving lesson and DS in a great mood. OH cooked a lovely dinner. I have been walking in my garden barefoot. And thinking of all you wonderful women in my tribe.

This is such a positive and lovely thread. I feel warmed just reading the posts here and love the ideas and observations re. simple and every day magic .Thank you all