Any Witches Here? Part 11

[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.

I hope everyone has had a good day.

The pull of the sea won me over today and we went to the beach as everyone else headed home, so nice and quiet, perfect for a swim.

The water was wonderful- cool and fresh- ever in motion- pulled by the sun and moon. Such a joy to swim through pockets of cooler and warmer water and also just to float on my back, completely relaxed absorbing both sun and sea energy. I think there’s something so comforting about feeling at one with the ocean in these moments.

I love the feel of the salt water and sand on my skin and in my hair, and noticed that as we walked along the coast path towards our swimming spot, the sound of the tide and smell of the salt water calmed my nervous system and my whole being seemed to respond and align. Magic.

Feeling reset and recharged this evening and wanted to share of this energy with anyone who feels in need of it 🌊

Yashmis I'm so glad you made it to the sea, good idea to go later in the day. And thank you for sharing those beautiful images, I can almost hear the waves lapping and the sound of the gulls.

I'm feeling relaxed this evening, I've spent most of the day gardening, which always makes me feel more grounded. I planted marigolds and fuchsias in pots and a new lavender bush. This evening I met up with my friend for a walk which was lovely.

Love to you all ❤️

Ogress that's a good point about your Facebook feed, following people with good energy and interesting ideas fills your feed with good things! Your plant work sounds fascinating. I would love to see your illustrations too if you would like to share them. YashmisCrone I love the sound of your beach walk and swim- I admire your fortitude for swimming in such cold water!! It has reminded me that I need to visit the sea, I live only a 15 minute drive from the beach, but it has been a long time since I had a beach walk. When I had dogs I would visit the beach often. I am glad your spirit was revived- beautiful pictures. Violet I love the sound of your relaxing day, DD and I had a woodland walk which was lovely. I am glad you are feeling relaxed.
My lilac is in full bloom right now so I have picked armfuls of it and put in vases to decorate the house. It roots so easily in water too, so will end up with lots more plants to put elsewhere.
I broke my slow cooker yesterday, not happy with myself about that- I was rushing and did not pause to think. So I am looking for a replacement. I am feeling a little run down, I have a recurring health condition, only mild, but reared its head, so it will be a short gentle yoga session this morning.
Have a magical day.

Thank you speakout, the water temperature was around 12 degrees c so it’s fresh until you get your shoulders under but once I took the plunge it was wonderful to bask where the sun hit the water. I only managed to stay in around 20 minutes though! I hope you are able to take it easier today and that those wonderful lilac blooms fill the house with the joy of spring. A lilac is on my list of things I’d love to have in the garden too.

Wonderful to hear of both Violet and speakout’s woodland walks. Such strength and magic in tree energy I think, so supportive and uplifting.

I hope everyone is able to connect with the elements in some way today; sustanence on tap. I’ll be stepping out into the garden for breaks between work, soaking up some of the glorious sunshine 🌞

A glorious day here. sunny, but quite cool. Perfect for laundry magic!

I love ilac too- it was one of the (many) "forbidden" things that I wasn't allowed to bring into the house because it would bring bad luck.
I adored the sweet heady fragrance, we had plenty in our garden, and I had a den in the undergrowth next to the biggest bush- where I would sleep with the cat.

Here's a photo of our in-progress herbal. The illustrations aren't too exciting - I want to keep them simple as there's lots to do (I'm halfway through 'C', so wish me luck...), and for a rough attempt at accuracy they are more-or-less copied from various sources. Still, it's been a really nice project so far and I think the finished book will be lovely and something we use a lot.

Loving the recent photos on the thread - what I wouldn't give for a dip in the sea right now. I'm so happy for all of you who can access it safely. It's been a couple of years since I've been wild swimming in our local river (its very cold, quite deep and has territorial swans), but I think I may have to brave it the next time I have a morning off.

You are very talented Ogress, thank you for sharing those with us. Lovely to be able to create something using your gifts and experience the magic of it growing as you work on it.

speakout I have such a lovely image of you as a child, curled up by the Lilac tree with the cat. All that wild energy there from the start- wonderful!

@speakout

A glorious day here. sunny, but quite cool. Perfect for laundry magic!

I love ilac too- it was one of the (many) "forbidden" things that I wasn't allowed to bring into the house because it would bring bad luck.
I adored the sweet heady fragrance, we had plenty in our garden, and I had a den in the undergrowth next to the biggest bush- where I would sleep with the cat.

Yes I was forbidden to bring it in too. The scent of death my grandmother called it. I now have two huge lilac bushes and the smell is intoxicating. Other than those magical couple of weeks they are however very uninteresting shrubs!

Elphame how interesting.
Lots of other plants that were forbidden- snowdrops, lilies, ivy, animals too- pictures or statues of elephants, birds ostrich feathers- it was a minefield!!

Ogress I love your illustrations, I like the simple style, you have a great talent.
An early start here, so I will make use of my time. It is still overcast. but the forecast is for sunny weather, I have pet bedding to wash after flea treatment! I don't think my cats have fleas, but I like to treat them as they spend a lot of time outdoors and bring in the occasional dead animal. I was woken this morning by birds- a riot outside of magpies and wood pigeons in the forest. Deer also seem to be taking over the town since lockdown, grazing in abandoned play parks and church yards. I notice my first crop of fruit starting to set on my fruit trees, tiny yet, but hopefully will get some fruit by the end of the season.
Off to start my day- have an enchanted one!

It was peacock feathers that were/are the huge No in my family. Incredibly unlucky to have in the house.

My uncle was an antique dealer and much to his mother's horror he bought a huge Victorian dinner service by a famous and sought after manufacturer decorated with peacock feathers. To cut a long story short he ended up smashing every single piece to shards.

Wow Elphame so interesting that you have a similar experience. Smashig a dinner service to pieces due to fear!!

Whan I was a child we had a lot of lilac bushes in our garden ( gifted by my grandmother who was the witch in th family!)
I was left alone one afternoon as an 8 year old while my mother went shopping and thought it woud be a nice surprise to decorate the house for my mother for her return.
So I filled every container I could find with lilac blossom- glass milk bottles, jugs, filled them all.

Big mistake!!

When my mother came home she hit the roof, picked up all the containers, threw them outside, smashed glass all over the path water everywhere, lilac blossom strewn, she was livid and afraid.

We take these things as fact when we are children, and for a long time I lived with such guilt and worry- knowing that if there was a death in the family it would be my fault.

These days I love to bring lilac blossom into my home.

My grandmother always told me that where you found lilac growing that a gate to fairy land would be close by.
I have a large white lilac in my garden, but the blooms are all too high up for me to ever cut them to bring into the house.
My mother also always had a vase of peacock feathers and never agreed that they were bad luck. I think she kept them to spite a family member she didn't like - they wouldn't step foot in the house because of them.
Neither of these women are/were in any way witchy or even generally superstitious.

I have been very buys that last few days claiming a space for myself. I have moved my altar, and held a ritual last night to charge the space with amazing energy.
I have been so very low but suddenly I feel energized and have come out the other side. I think I have reached a place of acceptance about the new way of life and am now weaving a wonderful new protective and productive energy around my family and home.

My grandmother always told me that where you found lilac growing that a gate to fairy land would be close by. I love that queenrollo - your energy work sounds wonderful. Your words about acceptance and weaving a new energy really resonate with me.

I feel if we can set ourselves up to be OK with uncertainty, open our heart to abundance then life will unfold in a good way. Or at least in the way it would anyway with huge planning.
I like to be in control, but this crisis has shown me that sometimes its OK not to be that way. I have lessened my sticky fingers a little.

Great illustrations Ogress

Thanks so much for the Lilac being near a gate to fairyland infoQueenRollo I have one at the front of my house and one in the middle of the back garden and a hawthorn hedge, so we're open house for the Fae.

In Ireland, the recognition of otherworldly things is much more accepted and openly discussed than it is here. Planning authorities won't allow houses to be built on fairy paths and anyone who cuts down a sacred thorn tree will have dire consequences - see the story of the DeLorean car maker and the sacred thorn. www.aliisaacstoryteller.com/post/the-curious-phenomenon-of-the-irish-fairy-tree

This was on "This Morning" and true to form for the UK wasn't well-received, but for anyone who recognises otherness, it was a sprinkle of magic in an otherwise ordinary day. www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8361227/Leprechaun-whisperer-insists-creatures-dont-problem-lockdown.html

Speakout your words are so wise, I feel if we can set ourselves up to be OK with uncertainty, open our heart to abundance then life will unfold in a good way

I'm loving these stories about superstitions. I had no idea lilac or peacock feathers were considered unlucky! I love lilac.

I've got tomorrow and Friday off work so looking forward to having a couple of days to switch off and enjoy the beautiful weather we're having.

Speakout
feel if we can set ourselves up to be OK with uncertainty, open our heart to abundance then life will unfold in a good way

I love this! A great mantra for life

I am loving this talk of the fairy folk.
blanktimes I remember reading about similar rules in Iceland- the Huldufólk- hidden people- and roads are routed to avoid fairy dwellings and sacred places- utterly fascinating.
I have had a little fae person living in my house for many years- he even gets a gift at christmas time!

I’m enjoying the talk of superstitions and of fairy folk too.

Peacock feathers indoors and lilies of any kind were a definite no in our house too. Even recently when my mum had received a mixed bouquet as a gift, she had me remove and take away the lilies. She wouldn’t have them at my father’s funeral either. Ironic really as the superstition is around death!

I do feel like as we move towards midsummer, particularly with the weather we’ve been having, that there’s a fae magic in the air- maybe it’s just easier to tune in this time of year, but the woods in particular seem to be teeming with this energy. It feels like the tree and water spirits are coming out to play! A great time for reading stories about fae folk too I think

Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and stories. It really does sprinkle the day with magic 🧚‍♂️ ✨

Oh I think the Fae are venturing out because the wild places have been so quiet with lockdown. I really feel they have had a chance to spread their energy and magic again and those of us who are sensitive can feel it.
Even in my garden, which is obviously a place they are welcome, I think they have been playing far more. The soil feels different when I handle it and I never really feel alone out there.

queenrollo

I agree - the wild things have more freedom to spread their wings right now. Gardens and forests are always magical places, but they feel more so right now.

I went an early evening walk last week and managed to fall asleep under a big oak tree for an hour. I just sat down to rest, and next thing I awoke and an hour had passed. I think I may have been captured by the fae people for a while!

This is fascinating as I've been sensing the presence of fairy folk for the last week or so when I've been out walking and also in my garden.

The woods are so green and lush at the moment, it feels really magical, like anything could happen.

I love that you fell asleep by a tree Speakout. I've always wanted to do that, but I feel too self-conscious that someone may come along!

Hello, all! Fascinating about Lilac. It was May blossom my late mum thought unlucky in the house. Interesting that something with such strong Pagan associations was vetoed. I wonder how many of these ideas were put about by the church to discourage the ‘old ways’?

Wonderful fae energy here and such a good point about how lockdown has been giving them more freedom to spread their energy. I love that you fell asleep under the oak too speakout, wonderful.

That is interesting Crafty, it makes perfect sense to me that the church would use the fear inherent in superstition to ‘guide’ people towards confirming with their institution.

Thank you everyone for such fascinating conversation

Good morning, another beautiful day here. I can't remember the last time we had such a long stretch of good weather.

I was up and out fairly early this morning for a walk with my dog. I love being out first thing when there's no one else around. When I got back I did a half hour yoga class, I've been neglecting my yoga this last week and I'm really missing practising in a group. During my practise I set an intention to have kind thoughts - I've noticed recently that I'm getting irritated more quickly than usual, I need to work on having more tolerance and understanding with others.

I'm sitting in my garden at the moment enjoying my morning coffee, it's still relatively quiet and peaceful at the moment. I've been busy planting pots this week and it's starting to look quite colourful.

Blessings to you all ❤️

I suspect with the lilac it was a lot more prosaic. The strong scent would help to mask the smell of decay in days prior to enablement and refrigeration!

I'm slowly coming out of seclusuon.

I went for a walk on the coast near Clevedon yesterday. There is a marine pool there that is filled by the sea if the tide gets high enough ( not daily by any means). It's open for swimming so it was heaving. A real petri dish of viruses and bacteria. However swimming in the sea is still banned there ( and not through lack of lifeguard cover - there are no lifeguards stationed there anywhere.

The council was running it's little steam train ride attraction and the food concessions were all open. However the car park was closed which meant the visitors were annoying local residents parking in the side streets.

No wonder people are confused as to what is OK and what isn't with such mixed messages.