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.

Thanks for the info - this is such an exciting time then! And really makes sense of what's been happening for me in recent weeks. Bring on the new energies. And it's a really good point @speakout about how much change is needed in society and that it will be uncomfortable as we adjust to new norms and new attitudes. But change is lifeblood.

I had a lovely and sunny walk in the park and just came back to a cat being stuck on my roof and neighbours congregating outside my house! Then some nice men with ladders on the roof of their van stopped to get it down. Big cheer from neighbours and they said it made their day to be heros Such a heartwarming thing to happen today, and the cat was pure black and witchy which made it all the more special

Solstice blessings sisters! 🌞

Thank you for sharing your plans, celebrations, musings, information and most of all for your glorious energy 💫

May you feel rejuvenated by the energy of the sun, delighted by the playful magic of the fae and connected as we celebrate together in spirit.

With much gratitude for the power of this wonderful gathering 🔥

@YashmisCrone

Solstice blessings sisters! 🌞

Thank you for sharing your plans, celebrations, musings, information and most of all for your glorious energy 💫

May you feel rejuvenated by the energy of the sun, delighted by the playful magic of the fae and connected as we celebrate together in spirit.

With much gratitude for the power of this wonderful gathering 🔥

I love this. Same energy back to you @YashmisCrone

Hope your equilibrium has returned Elphame my days and nights are all merging into one lately.
Lovely to hear about the cat rescue Blurp
Really pleased you could get the link to work this time Speakout when I've put previous ones to the astrocal site the tech fae interfered when you tried to link. .
Yashmis you have our gratitude too for all your help and ideas.

Here's one of a load of photos DD took of our black boy cat outside about an hour ago after I'd had a quick cleanse, I've never seen his coat reflect that colour before, it looks like an anticlockwise blue spiral on my monitor. Photo is just as she took it, not "enhanced".
We have a solitary Iris, many more in bud, but this is the only one so far. Its petals reminded me of the blues and violets in Tanzanite.
Solstice Blessings Sisters.

Good morning- I hope everyone had a good day yesterday.

I wnet for a walk by the river- sparklingly clean, saw two otters and a kingfisher.
The woods are very dense and I sat in the dappled sunlight for a while allowing the river to wash away and release my tension.

I found the perfect flat stone to take home and use as a soap dish too.
Overcast and rainy here, but work is at full tilt, so will throw myself into that today.
Elphame your cat is handsome, I have one that looks identical, even down to the few white hairs on the chest- she is female though.

Have a magical day everyone.

That sounds like a fabulous day Speakout
I'm dozy today, stayed mostly awake and watched both the live broadcasts from stonehenge, what a washout the sunrise was, not even a glimpse of the sun.
From our window at home, I couldn't see the sun over the horizon, but I did see it behind a tree, like a ball of fire, despite the heavy rain. I grabbed the phone and took a quick photo, it's poor quality, but it was lovely to see.

Good morning all - yes, a pity about the cloud at Stonehenge. I have amazing memories of a solstice at Stonehenge a few years ago, where after a joyful, sleepless night we watched the sunrise through the stones. It's never going to be quite the same streaming on an iPad whatever the weather, but I still felt very blessed to wake up early next to my partner in our home, at the peak of the year, still with lots to look forward to.

I'm a bit limited for truly wild walks where I live, but I had a really nice one today exploring an area a bit further afield. In the reading I did for the solstice, there was a very evocative description of cow parsley at this time of year being like bridal lace - today my walk led me down a winding path through a huge grove of it that was over my head! There were also ringlet butterflies everywhere, which I've not seen locally before.

I've also given the birds a special feast today. My favourite, the blackbird, hopped right up to the kitchen door clutching a huge blob of Flutter Butter in his beak, and is now on the top of the fence singing his heart out. I'm going to go join him and do some gardening.

Wishing you all a lovely day, doing whatever make life meaningful for you.

That sounds like a wonderful magical day Ogress

I've never seen a ringlet butterfly before, I'll look out now.

If the cow parsley was taller than you with thick stems, it could have been Giant Hogweed which is a tetchy plant that can injure you nastily with after-effects for years if you touch it and get its sap on your skin. www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2019/06/giant-hogweed-facts/

Cow Parsley is an umbellifer and I forget how many varieties of umbellifer there are, definitely over 50 in the UK, some are benign and others can be poisonous. Identifying them takes a jolly good illustrated book.

For everyone else who is a bit tired today, this should make you smile

I think that might be BlankTimes'" black cat @speakout*

I do though happen to have an almost identical one..... I fostered him temporarily 8 years ago and he's still here so I guess he is mine now. Black with a few odd white hairs ( and a ragged ear tip after a fight).

Ogress cow parsley is quite a small plant - it does sound like hogweed. The common sort which is edible can reach about 6ft and if it's on a bank then looks even taller. It can cause a skin reaction for some people but nothing like it's dangerous big brother.

The giant stuff is seriously huge - the flowers are the size of dinner plates and the stems have these evil red bristles on them. I do actually want to harvest some to work with the plant spirit but I will need full PPE to do so. There's a clump I know of ( unless the council have got round to removing it) which I have my eye on.

The other main possibility that comes to mind is hemlock which can also get pretty tall. That is seriously poisonous. If you see a tall umbellifer with purple blotches on the stem that's hemlock. There are other deadly contenders too!

I'm getting better at my umbellifers but they are really hard to tell apart and you need to be 100% confident of your ID before using them and definitely before consuming any. It's a work in progress for me and whilst I'm fairly confident with some of them,others have me checking my books down to the finest detail.

Hi everyone - great to hear of your magical days yesterday and today. @speakout and @Ogress your descriptions are so rich and wonderful! And @BlankTimes your cat is beautiful with an ethereal glow! I love tanzanite too and have a large lump of it on a ring from years ago. One of my favourites. Isn't it the blue hue that's rarer? Mostly it's purple? Either way, the colour is just spellbinding.

I had a peaceful evening with yoga, watching Stonehenge and drinking tea. I woke around 6am today and went out for a walk in the pouring rain; walked through a stream in my wellies and rested my forehead on an oak tree to honour it. Then asked a holly bush in my mind, if I could pick a sprig for my altar. I felt this was okay so I did, then thanked it I'm so glad I can say this stuff here... people have always rolled their eyes at me.
For some reason I woke with very heavy negative energy this morning but after my walk, a self-care bath and a nap I have felt good since.

I wish you all, all good things with the coming of the new moon and the fresh energy and power this brings.

Just sitting down for a peppermint tea amongst a busy morning. It’s so lovely to catch up with everyone’s posts. Thank you, as ever for the wonderful photos (and love the cat aura!), links and interesting discussion.
My busy head has been distracting me but I felt drawn to pull a card for our group today.
Three of pentacles. Working as a team, collaboration and support, creating something together. To me it speaks of the energy we create as a group, shoring our foundations, sharing ideas and the collective supporting each individual.
Wishing everyone a productive and magical day

@Yashmiscrone thank you; very grateful to receive that from you. Hopefully your busy day is at least, manageable.

Good morning wise friends.
I am glad to have survived the solstice weekend- I hope everyone found benefit.
I found it quite a roller coaster, and feel as if I have been on the spin cycle! Just smoothing out the creases and adjusting to a slightly altered landscape.
YashmisCrone thank you for the card, a lovely reminder of the strength and wisdom within this group.

Wishing everyone an enchanted day.

I’m glad the card resonated, there’s a deep of knowledge and experience amongst us that’s a powerful resource for us all.

I hope the rollercoaster ride has stopped for now speakout; big shakeups can set us in motion on an improved pathway but we still need a little breathing space to regain our balance don’t we. Wishing you enough space to regain equilibrium, let the shift settle.

My solstice involved a gentle nod to the waypoint of the year amongst a busy time. I picked some flowers for myself and delivered some to my mum, a few minutes barefoot in the garden.

So many big astrological influences right now, I’ll be interested to see what kind of change ensues.

For now I’ll continue focusing on small practices, touch points that symbolise stability and support punctuating the day.

I hope today brings magic for everyone

YashmisCrone your words bring a welcome calm this morning- thank you. I love the image of you picking flowers barefoot in the garden- these are really the most important things in life.
Just the ability to breathe, to feel the breeze on our skin, the simplicity.

I am just about to start a yoga session in time for 8am- appropriately called "Nurture". I have my candle and incense lit, the house is quiet.

Blessings to everyone.

Candle and incense lit here too speakout! I’ll join you focusing on nurture as an intention x

I'm also feeling battered post solstice. How my DP managed to pick up a gastro bug beats me - he's barely been out! It was kind of him to share too.

Feeling a bit better now, just got the last remnants of a killer headache to shift. As this is all his fault I think I need to be waited on hand and foot for a bit . Don't you all agree?

I may even be strong enough to lift a spindle later...

Yes, those are definitely ‘the rules’ Elphame! hope you’re feeling better soon and that the headache eases enough to use the spindle

Just sitting down for a tea break and wanted to share this, thought others may enjoy it as I did

“ I've got an 'itch, but it's hard to describe.
Does it start with the same letter as Butterfly?
Or, is it the same as the beginning of Wilderness?
Many a man has tried to tell me which one it is,
in subtle ways and really obvious ones.

I'm "a little much", "aggressive".
Did I say something he didn't like?
Then the 'itch that I've got,
it must start in the same way as the word Bold!

Or, was I "scary", "too dark"?
Did I have the wrong look in my eye?

Then it must be the 'itch
that begins in the manner
of Wind, of Wildflower
of Wolfsbane and Wide Wonderful thighs.

Maybe it's that I have no 'itch at all
but a deep intuition and I heed its' call.

Maybe no 'itch whatsoever
Just a powerful voice.
And a man's fear is not my fear
and strength is a choice.

Those 'itches cast on women have been used to control,
to diminish, to make small, for ages.

Their sway is fading.
The spell is too old.

So maybe I am
and maybe I'm not
By night I write poetry
by day, stir a pot.

I dance with long hair hanging to my waist.
A black cat follows me everywhere I go.
I have a resting 'itch look on my face.

I have a voice and I use it
I speak plainly what I mean.
And I learned a long time ago
how to make 'itch cream.

So while men have tried to define us
and cut us down to size
to mold us, shape us, control
with these words they love to despise

These 'itches have made us grow stronger
and more resilient over time.

So embrace us or hate us
we are undiminished
and we're moving into our time unphased
as we've taken back those words
and reclaimed those names.

Maybe I am both
and maybe I'm neither.

It doesn't matter.

The rules were set for us
and they crafted the perimeters
But we don't play the game.
We remain untamed and unnamed

~ © Earthdancer, "The 'itches"
The poetry of Earthdancer

Art by Julia Jeffery, "The Wild Harvest"
Stonemaiden Art
www.stonemaiden-art.com”

www.facebook.com/218994888111510/posts/4257488347595457/

• I thought the poem was powerful in terms of reclaiming the word witch (not sure about the other one!) and the defiant resilience of female power

Very powerful YashmisCrone touches all of us who have their craft entwined with feminist ideas.

I fully reclaim the word witch.
Tired of it being spoken in the shadows, as an insult, with fear.

That is a beautiful poem.

Elphame I hope you managed to be pampered and are feeling a little restored.

It has been overcast here all day, the air is hanging limply, and feels heavy. I too have a headache, I would love to disappear out somewhere, but have dinner for five to prepare.

I would happily throw some bread and cheese in a cloth and head to the beach for a few hours alone, buut that isn't going to happen.
I guess we all have times when we need space and freedom.

Thank you speakout I love the resonance.

I’ve had a headache today too, must be something in the air. Your beach dash idea sounds divine; has me imagining going together, sharing the peace, bread and cheese. A dip in the sea to invigorate the spirits and then a fire as the sun goes down, flasks of peppermint tea of course!

I hope you at least can have a few minutes to yourself later with a blessed cup of tea, a small dose of solitude. Love to you and all those craving space and freedom right now 💜 🌊 🔥

Good evening everyone, @speakout I hope your evening has become calmer and you've mamnaged to claim some time to restore yourself.

@YashmisCrone your poem really encapsulates what it's like to navigate life as a woman. We really need to reclaim our own standards of acceptability, beauty, power. For me the craft is so entwined with feminist ideas, and of the freedoms it gives one to be one's true self. There is such joy in it which I am discovering steadily. Thank you for the poem; it's really made me think.

@Elphame I hope you're feelikng better. Did you manage to lift your spindle?

It's been very warm where I am today and stiflingly busy juggling my to do list. But I've been grateful for precious things today; a walk in the park with my daughter, birdsong and walking barefoot on my wooden flooring.' Always reminds me of the feel of walking on a boardwalk.

Wishing you all peaceful dreams...

Blurpblorp your walk sounds delightful, it's so good to wear bare feet isn't it. I am barefoot around the house and garden through the summer months -my feet and I have always been very good friends. I have always listened to them and now as a crone I have feet in a very happy state. Is there any way you can ease your burdens lttle?

I have woken early after a poor sleep and turbulent dreams. Still feeling off kilter, and I can't quite put my finger on what is wrong. Maybe the length of lockdown is affecting me more than I think. I long for a yoga retreat, a week would be amazing, but even just half a day would be good.

I have just switched off work again, I am starting to realise that working through a deluge of demands is not the only key to success. I am constantly learning what it is to self nurture, and pacing my work has to be important too- in the short term it means turning my back on business, but I feel that is imprtant to fulfill longer term goals, and keep me afloat and happy in the process.
I have a few days of backlog to work though, but after that will take time to slow down, organise my workspaces and materials- it actually then feels good returning to work in a calm ordered state.

Finding balance is also part of self nurture. In fact the more I try to focus on self nurture the more I realise how far reaching that concept can be.
Not only bubble baths and chocolate, but self compassion, balance, being patient with ourselves, giving ourselves permission to be tetchy or fuck up, making sure we pay bills on time or ditch toxic relationships.
Self nurture may mean relaxing our grip, but it may also mean being brave and bold, taking more control or turning our backs on trying to steer bigger ships for a while. It can be so many things, and a learning journey for me.
I start my day with soft steps in bare feet, a gentle yoga practice and a wish that my friends here finds ways to nourish themselves today too.

Blurpblorp I’m glad the poem I shared resonated for you too, completely agree with both you and speakout about witchcraft and feminism being intrinsically linked. defiance of patriarchy and embodiment of raw female power are central for me too.

I’m glad you were able to get out for a walk with your daughter, these moments are precious aren’t they.

speakout I think there’s such strength in your words about balance and self care. Thank you. I’d been berating myself for a fuck up I’d made and will work to be more accepting of myself over it.

Very pleased to hear that you have hit pause for now, balance is an ongoing task isn’t it- we don’t just find it and stay there, we find it and readjust as necessary.

I think it’s the awareness of and commitment to it that’s the key. If it’s on our radar as something that’s important then we can go some way to challenging the ‘stress as a badge of honour’ story that gets thrown around in our culture.

I’ve been working on shifting things- both in a work sense and a psyche sense. This last week or so has taken me into the shadows and shown me early versions of some of my patterns. I was able to comfort my younger self, talk to her about finding different ways. The hope is that now I can recognise these long established reactions when they arise and try new approaches, treading new pathways over time.

Yesterday when I thought my headache may turn into a migraine I had to lie in a dark room for a while (I couldn’t see the computer screen anymore!), shut off my senses. I was taken on a journey to my younger self at various stages and given this opportunity for shadow work. It’s work in progress but I will do it with compassion- reaching out to give a reassuring squeeze of the hand to that young girl that was me whenever I feel the familiar sensations arising in me, a reaction to something with a flavour of what was in the now. I’ve found this is how I can make changes over time, lead myself out of it with the intention of healing across time.

Later I saw this, which really resonated with my current experience of shadow work. Others may have already seen it, I know many of us follow the same pages. I like that connection too!

www.facebook.com/562976081/posts/10156917913956082/?d=n

I also thought these sculptures made by a Canadian woman were beautiful and captured that Fae energy we were talking about recently.

mymodernmet.com/debra-bernier-driftwood-sculptures/

m.facebook.com/ShapingSpirit/

Love to all x