Any Witches Here? Part 9.

[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.

Evening everyone,

Had a busy weekend dealing with family drama, although I managed to escape for a few hours with my dds to the stables which always fills me with peace.

Queenrollo, I am glad to hear you are feeling better

Speakout Gilmore cove sounds really interesting. It’s lovely to hear about you doing things with your older dcs. It’s great that you have interests in common

Madcatlady I hope you really enjoy your new home

Violet I love a Saturday night at home and am always a bit put out when I have to go out!!!

Welcome toffeegirl, your candles sound amazing

Littleninja I’m sorry to hear about your cold, we have all had it at our house which smells like eucalyptus, we got through a lot of lemon and honey!!

Rose quartz the wildlife in Scotland sounds lovely. I’m sorry you’ve been feeling low. I hope you get through the next few days with your guests then manage some time for yourselves

Mycat, I discovered essential oils in the shower on here too! It’s a revelation!!!

Yashmi, I really resonated with your post this morning, it really made me think (and love your squirrel photo) I do feel a bit like a squirrel madly hoarding nuts!

I started some studying this year on top of my part time work and am really struggling to make my life balance. I feel that I’m not doing anything well, I’m neglecting myself and being totally unproductive. I was thinking back to this time last year when I was cooking lovely family meals and having long walks in the woods with my dog! I just don’t have time to do this now. I feel I need to build in some spiritual moments of time through out my days to help me connect more to nature and universal energy! I’m going to plan some time for some little rituals throughout my day, taking a cup of tea outside for example. That sort of thing. If anyone has any ideas they would be really welcome.

Have a good week everyone

It's a wild and windy evening here! Just got home from yoga, it's good to be indoors on the warm and dry.

A warm welcome to our new comers, it's lovely to have you with us, thank you for bringing your energy to our thread 🙏 Yashmis and Speakout have given some great advice about self care and mindset. MyCat you asked about how to go about appreciating things more, which I thought was an interesting question. For me, this is about being mindful and trying to live in the current moment. I've been observing recently how focused we all seem to be on planning for the next big event. There never seems to be anytime to just stop and enjoy anything. Take time to observe things around you, look at the sky, the trees, the flowers. Listen to the birds singing, smell the rain. After a busy day at work, light and candle and snuggle under a soft blanket. Cook a nourishing homemade meal. Think about how these things make you feel. And feel gratitude for all the things you have, rather than thinking about what you don't have. Practise this regularly, and you'll start to see your mindset shift 🙏

how focused we all seem to be on planning for the next big event

Violet, this is exactly how I've been feeling recently! I feel quite numb to every day life. I've been having a few issues in my life recently and I feel like in order to be happy I have to have a 'big event' to focus on otherwise i just feel like I'm sort of drifting.

I'm definitely going to try and take some time to be more mindful of the beauty in every day.

I agree with your wise words about mindfulness and gratitude Violet- powerful tools for shifting mindset, also relevant to the question about building small practices throughout the day in order to feel more grounded and connected.

Whatever we do I think the intent we approach it with is the magic ingredient. I can decide to give myself 15 minutes with a peppermint tea and I can glug it without noticing, thinking about what I need to do next, my mind running like a hamster on a wheel. Or I can bless the tea, take a few deep breaths and set an intention to nurture myself and calm my mind, ringfence the time for energy raising. The latter takes the same amount of time as the former but is infinitely more beneficial. I think it takes practice which is maybe why we call them practices!

Small things I do throughout the day to this end as well as mindful tea time are lighting candles, incense or an oil burner, reading an article from a writer I whose work I find uplifting, taking photos of beautiful things I see along my way like a flower growing in pavement cracks, listening to birds singing, absorbing the energy of the weather (particularly love a storm for this), standing barefoot in the garden whatever the weather, tending to plants, doodling or writing, learning a new word or listening to an uplifting piece of music ( we’ve shared it a few times on the thread but this is one some of us have found comforting- like a hug via YouTube! )

The list is endless because it’s how I frame it that’s important. I bring the magic and that’s what makes it so. It’s the message I’m giving to myself about the purpose of what I’m doing that’s important. The message is that I’m worthy of love and nurturing. Once I put my mind to it and challenge my default thinking patterns, I notice a difference quite quickly.

MyCat, you may have already seen it but I really like Action of Happiness’ resources for getting started with being more mindful

www.actionforhappiness.org/take-action/bring-mindfulness-into-your-day

The cold,grey overcast day has given way to a spectularly sunny late afternoon, still cool, but wonderful to see the bright autumnal sun.
YashmisCrone you give some really useful tips and ideas about the importance of self care. These acts of self nurture- however small- are so vital and add up to something very important in honouring self.
Once you start practicing these small acts it becomes second nature, it strengthens us and validates who we are.
I know this has been posted before but this short video by Molly Roberts gives some ideas about how to weave self care and magical practice into busy lives.

I managed a walk with my dog tonight in between rain showers. It's always so nice to get outside in the fresh air after a day in the office and long commute.

Well here we are in October. September seemed to fly by. When we're all so busy, the months seem to pass so quickly. I know October is a favourite month for many of us. I love Samhain and the thinning of the veils, you can almost feel the energy crackling as it gets closer.

I love your description of the crackling energy of the season Violet, I can’t quite believe we’re in October already either!

speakout thank you for sharing that video, I’d somehow missed that one and enjoyed watching it this afternoon. Molly Roberts has such a soothing and uplifting manner doesn’t she. Some lovely and very doable ideas.

I’ve just been reading about these bees that make spiral hives. Such clever and inspiring creatures 🐝💫

interestingengineering.com/australian-stingless-bees-build-stunning-spiral-hives-and-no-ones-quite-sure-why?

Good morning.

I have woken up to find frost covering everything this morning! I will need to scrape the car.
VioletCharlotte I feel the same, and I suspect this Samhain will be a particularly powerful one, I can hear the distant drumming.
YashmisCrone I love the beehive, two very powerful motifs in one.
The spiral is such a common structure in nature, ferns, shells, galaxies, our life path. Thanks for sharing that .

There’s a bite in the air here, no frost but it feels invigorating. The sky is blue and clear- my favourite kind of day.

I had a wonderful release last night- something I’d been worried about for a while. The circumstances haven’t changed but my mindset has; a realisation that I will be ok whatever happens gave me peace. Some circumstances can’t be controlled or changed but I can change the way I think about them, the stories I tell myself about what those circumstances mean. I’m feeling lighter this morning.

Wishing everyone a magical day 💫

I need to catch up properly again but wanted to drop back in.

Life seems to take over all the time but I definitely need to take more time to 'live in the moment'. I also feel guilty lots for wasting time and not being productive enough, procrastinating.

It sounds silly too but I really want to keep a diary. It's something I used to do lots as a teenager, I used to love writing. But I start writing and I get a block and I don't know how to get beyond it. I've had a lot happen in the past year and I wonder if it would be therapeutic but I seem to find it hard to get it down on paper. Can anyone relate to this?

IntheTempest I started to keep a diary at the beginning of the year. I managed about three months and did find it really therapeutic, but I let it slip. I must start again at some point. Like you say, life just seems to take over doesn't it?

It's been a beautiful, autumn day here, cold and crisp but blue sky and sunshine. I'm enjoying a vegetarian curry cooked to me by an Indian friend at work. It's little kindnesses like this that make work more bearable!

I'm off to my spirit groups in a bit, looking forward to some meditation and to leaving behind the 'real world' just for a little while.

@InTheTempest you could look into morning pages? I know a lot of people find that a very cathartic start to the day. I've started keeping a gratitude journal where I document the best parts of my day. I think I stick to it because it's focused (no wondering what to write) and it has a positive impact on my mindset and thus day.

It's been a lovely day here too, briht and sunny, but now starting to get dark already.
YashmisCrone wonderful to hear of your release- you are so wise, yes there are things we have no control over, but we do have control over our reactions.
The writing sounds interesting, I don't write as much as I have done in the past, but it sounds a wonderful way of finding expression.
I do like writing poetry, it is a great shortcut to putting down a fast flow of thoughts in idea form rather than all the laborious sentence structure rules.
Just making a batch of candles, but I feel a soak in the bath is in order tonight.

I’m really craving peace and solitude at the moment.
I have no idea why but I’m feeling so overwhelmed and I can’t see any reason for it.
I have some time off work coming up and il be glad for the break but work is also so busy that I’m wondering if it’s just going to leave me feeling more overwhelmed when I return.

VioletCharlotte I struggle to keep it up and not let it tail off.

Purplefig a gratitudes journal sounds good idea for staying positive. When I wanted to start keeping a diary I thought I would use it to get out all my darker and innermost thoughts but I actually find it difficult being that brutally honest.

I was dreading the end of summer as it seemed to go so fast but I'm actually really enjoying the more autumnal weather. It's been a beautiful day here, much cooler as well.

Thank you speakout, it’s really good to feel more ease. I’m sure it’s being part of this wonderful gathering that’s given me the confidence to feel this way 🙏

Tempest, like purplefig, when I read your post I thought of morning pages. I have found it both helpful and fascinating in the past. I did it as soon as I woke up whilst the veil between the conscious and unconscious mind was still thin

juliacameronlive.com/basic-tools/morning-pages/

Violet lovely to hear of you being nurtured by a friend, I agree these things make such a difference.

Woodland I know what you mean, I took some time off and know it’ll all be stacked up waiting for me when I get back but I made a conscious decision to cherish my time off for nurturing myself. The idea is that I’ll be more resilient for tending to my own needs.

I know it’s been a good day when I take my socks off and they’re full of sand! Sea temperature is still (relatively) warm so I waded in, the sea air is always such a tonic too. It’s been such a beautiful day here 💫

Interesting astrology again!

foreverconscious.com/intuitive-astrology-pluto-stations-direct-october-2019?

I am surely being challenged by the universe right now. I don't know if it is trying to test my strength or show me I am capable but I am weary of the battle.
My father is now ill, but doesn't live in the UK so we're having to arrange a last minute half term holiday.
I do not cope well with travel when it is organised calmly and on my terms so this is going to really test me.
I really have to work hard on my mental approach to this.

So sorry to hear about your dad queenrollo, what a testing time you’ve been having.
Sending love to you X

Thank you for the suggestions of morning pages, I'm definitely going to give it a go. In the past I've usually written a diary at the end of the day so will be interesting to see the effect of doing it first thing instead.

Yashmis your photos are beautiful, what a gorgeous place to be.

Queenrollo all the best to you and your dad 💐 I hope things get easier for you

Sorry to hear about your dad @queenrollo

I've had a trying day, I had to collect DD from nursery early this morning as she was unwell. We were trapped in the house all day as she was too poorly to go out. I used up all my energy and resources to entertain her and in the end relented and let her watch that bloody annoying pig.

I had a much needed soak in the bath using a bath bomb a friend gave me, in the interest of saving the planet my husband always reuses my bath water. The bath bomb is glittery, tomorrow DH was be working at a very macho garage as a mechanic, a very sparkly mechanic 😊

DD has become fascinated by jumping in puddles, thanks to that bloody annoying pig. But it does look like fun, I'm going to treat myself to some wellies and take DD to the park so we can jump in puddles together. I refuse to let go of the magic of childhood.

Sending love and calm @queenrollo.

Another very frosty morning here, not sure what my plans are today some are set, others have yet to unfold. Just contemplating a second coffee, the heating is on, but the house is still warming up.
I will light some candles to welcome in the dawn.
Have a magical day.

morning all. A restless night which i expected but it yielded a chance for a long talk with a much loved relative in another time zone. I'm going to keep finding those silver linings.

A barely there frost this morning in the garden. A change to the smell in the air. I used to live in a small town with a brewery and on mornings like this you could smell the malt hanging in the air. I adored it and would stand on my doorstep with a cuppa to take it in (had no garden)

Thank you for the love. I can feel the energy you all send is gently holding me. I appreciate it very much.

queenrollo

I will light a candle for you at 8am this morning.
Sending energy and goddess blessings.